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John Lithgow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Arthur Lithgow (pronounced "lith-go") (born October 19, 1945, in Rochester, New York) is an actor perhaps best-known for his starring role as Dick Solomon in the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He has also acted on stage, film, and radio. He has earned multiple Emmy Awards and Tony Awards, as well as other honors. He has also recorded music for children.

Personal life

Lithgow's mother, Sarah Jane Price, was a retired actress. His father, Arthur Washington Lithgow [1] ,was a theatrical producer and director; because of his father's job, the family moved frequently during Lithgow's childhood.

Lithgow won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1967. He was in the same dorm as former Vice President Al Gore and actor Tommy Lee Jones. (He later served on its Board of Overseers.) Lithgow credits a performance at Harvard of Gilbert and Sullivan's Utopia Limited with making him decide to be an actor. [2]

Lithgow currently resides in Los Angeles. He has been married twice, to Jean Taynton from 1966 to 1980, and Mary Yeager since 1981. He is the father of three children, Ian (born in 1972) from his marriage to Taynton and Phoebe McCurtain (born in 1982) and Nathan George (born in 1983) from his marriage to Yeager. Ian made guest appearances on Third Rock from the Sun as a particularly slow student in Prof. Solomon's class.

Stage career

In 1973, Lithgow debuted on Broadway in David Storey's "The Changing Room", for which he received a Tony Award as "Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic)".

He was nominated for two "Best Actor (Play)" Tonys for "Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1985) and "M. Butterfly" (1988).

In 2002, Lithgow won a Tony Award for "Best Leading Actor in a Musical" for his portrayal of J.J. Hunsecker in the Broadway adaptation of the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success.

In 2005, Lithgow was elected into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for his work on Broadway. He was also nominated for a "Best Leading Actor in a Musical" Tony for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

Film career

In 1983 and 1984, Lithgow was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances as Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp and as Sam Burns in Terms of Endearment. Both films were screen adaptations of popular novels.

Lithgow originated the character of Dr. Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin, a psychotic Italian physicist inhabited by an evil alien, which he played in the 1984 cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.

Television career

Lithgow is probably most widely known for his starring role as Dick Solomon in the 1996-2001 NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" in each of the program's six seasons and won three times, in 1996, 1997, and 1999.

In 1986, Lithgow received a Primetime Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series" for his appearance in an episode of the Amazing Stories anthology show.

Additionally, Lithgow has been nominated for an "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special" Emmy for The Day After (1984), two "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special" Emmys for "Resting Place" (1986) and "My Brother's Keeper" (1995).

Lithgow currently stars with Jeffrey Tambor in the NBC sitcom Twenty Good Years.

Music career

Lithgow launched into a career as a recording artist with the 1999 album Singin' in the Bathtub.

In June of 2002, Lithgow released his second children's album Farkle and Friends. It was the musical companion to his book The Remarkable Farkle McBride, which tells the story of a young musical genius. Farkle and Friends features the vocal talents of Lithgow and Bebe Neuwirth backed by the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra.

In August of 2006, Lithgow released The Sunny Side of the Street, his third children's album and first with Razor & Tie. This album features versions of classic songs from The Great American Songbook including "Getting to Know You" and "Ya Gotta Have Pep," with decidedly animated performances geared towards children. Produced by JC Hopkins (Victoria Williams, JC Hopkins Biggish Band featuring Norah Jones), the album features guest appearances by Madeleine Peyroux, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's Newman), Broadway's Sherie Rene Scott (Aida, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and cabaret star Maude Maggart.

Lithgow also makes occasional appearances on stage and television singing children's songs and accompanying himself on guitar.

Other appearances

Lithgow voiced the character of Yoda in the National Public Radio adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

He hosts Paloozaville, a children's Video on Demand program on Mag Rack based on his best-selling children's books.

He appeared in the most recent Campbell's Select™Soups commercials, portraying a restaurant waiter serving 'customers' in their own household.

A grade school teacher in Kentucky asked her students to use
the word "fascinate" in a sentence.

Molly put up her hand and said, "My family went to my
granddad's farm, and we all saw his pet sheep. It was fascinating."

The teacher said, "That was good, but I wanted you to use the
word "fascinate, not fascinating".

Sally raised her hand. She said, "My family went to see Rock
City and I was fascinated."

The teacher said, "Well, that was good Sally, but I wanted you
to use the word "fascinate."

Little Johnny raised his hand. The teacher hesitated because
she had been burned by Little Johnny before. She finally decided there
was no way he could damage the word "fascinate", so she called on him.

Johnny said, "My Aunt Gina has a sweater with ten buttons, but
her tits are so big she can only fasten eight."

The teacher cried.

According to our Pa. expert I'm being redundant again. Hope at least I didn't have the same joke last year. Could it be I have to find a new career at a2k? Thinking is such a chore. I will seek some sage advice and possibly blaze new trails. Sounds like a grade B western. Any suggestions pro or con is welcome. I don't usually listen to cons but probably would if it's done with conviction.

Ah, Bob. We love your bio's and I know all of them. Is Raggedy talking about your ability to fascinate our listeners?

John Lithgow is one of my fav's, Boston, and I think he was in Terms of Endearment, which was a great movie. He also did a Bigfoot movie, but I cannot remember the exact title. Reminds me of one of my colleagues who was teaching poetry scansion, and one of her students asked about iambic foot, but pronounced it I am bigfoot. Love it!

I read The Spy who came in from the Cold, and when I did, I also learned that John le Carre's name was le carRAY. Very interesting that he is protesting GWB's war by calling it a junta.

Well, I couldn't locate John's "I Am a Manatee" song, but I did find this one, folks:





Hugh the Manatee

As I was snorkeling down in the cayes

I came upon 2 manatees

I looked at them and they looked right at me

As they chewed on their dinner of hydrilla weeds

One came over and said to me

I'll tell you what life is like under the sea

My name is Hugh and I'll show to you

Just what manatees do



Chorus: Hugh the manatee

Swimming around from caye to caye

Oh how I wish that I could be

Like Hugh the manatee

Hugh the manatee

Swimming around the West Indies

Oh how I wish that I could be

Like Hugh the manatee



Hugh said I like to come here and feed

Among the hyacinths and the seaweed

Rooting around in the seagrass beds

Flushing out fish so the herons get fed

I like salt water I also like fresh

I don't mind it cool but warm is the best

When I get tired I take a deep breath

And go down on the bottom to rest



Chorus: Hugh the manatee

Swimming around from caye to caye

Oh how I wish that I could be

Like Hugh the manatee

Hugh the manatee

Swimming around the West Indies

Oh how I wish that I could be

Like Hugh the manatee



Instrumental Interlude



Repeat Chorus: Hugh the manatee

Swimming around from caye to caye

Oh how I wish that I could be

Like Hugh the manatee

Hugh the manatee

Swimming around the West Indies

Oh how I wish that I could be

Like Hugh the manatee



It isn't as easy as you might think

?'Cause me and my kind

We are almost extinct

A lot of the places we lived are now gone

Making it harder to carry on

Just look at these scars on my back they were made

By somebody's powerboat propeller blade

With boats and pollution and trash in my way

It's harder to live everyday



New Chorus: Hugh the manatee

It shouldn't be so hard to be

He's part of you and he's part of me

We're all humanity

Hugh the manatee

It shouldn't be so hard to be

He's part of you and he's part of me

We're all humanity

Good morning, what a time was had at the…

Garden Party
Ricky Nelson Lyrics

I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories and play our songs again
When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name
No one recognized me, I didn't look the same

[chorus]
But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself

People came from miles around, everyone was there
Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air
'n' over in the corner, much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes wearing his disguise

[chorus]

lott-in-dah-dah-dah, lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Played them all the old songs, thought that's why they came
No one heard the music, we didn't look the same
I said hello to "Mary Lou", she belongs to me
When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave

[chorus]

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped Johnny B. Goode
Playing guitar like a-ringin' a bell and lookin' like he should
If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck
But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck

[chorus]

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

'n' it's all right now, learned my lesson well
You see, ya can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself

Hey, Try. Love that song, buddy. Ricky also did a traveling song. Unfortunately, he traveled once too often.

Travelin' Man Lyrics
Artist: Ricky Nelson

I'm a travelin' man
I've made a lot of stops all over the world
And in every port I own the heart
Of at least one lovely girl

I've a pretty Seniorita waiting for me
Down in old Mexico
If you're ever in Alaska stop and see
My cute little Eskimo

Oh my sweet Fraulien down in Berlin town
Makes my heart start to yearn
And my China doll down in old Hong Kong
Waits for my return

Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea
I remember the night
When we walked in the sands of the Waikiki
And I held you oh so tight

------ instrumental break ------

Oh my sweet Fraulien down in Berlin town
Makes my heart start to yearn
And my China doll down in old Hong Kong
Waits for my return

Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea
I remember the night
When we walked in the sands of the Waikiki
And I held you oh so tight

Oh, I'm a travelin' man
Yes, I'm a travelin' man

They Don't Know

You've been around for such a long time now
Oh maybe I could leave you but I don't know how.
And why should I be lonely every night
When I can be with you - oh yes you make it right

And I don't listen to the guys who say
That you're bad for me and I should turn you away
'Cause they don't know 'bout us
And they've never heard of love

I get a feeling when I look at you
Wherever you go now, I wanna be there too
They say we're crazy but I just don't care
And if they keep on talkin' still they get nowhere

So I don't mind if they don't understand
When I look at you when you hold my hand
'Cause they don't know 'bout us
And they've never heard of love

Why should it matter to us if they don't approve
We should just take our chances while we've got nothing to lose

Baby, there's no need for living in the past
Now I've found good lovin' gonna make it last
I tell the others 'Don't bother me'
Cause when they look at you they don't see what I see

No I don't listen to their wasted lines
Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs
'Cause they don't know 'bout us
And they've never heard of love

No I don't listen to their wasted lines
Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs
'Cause they don't know 'bout us
And they've never heard of love

Tracey Ullman

Ah, folks, I see our Rex is well read.<smile> Great song, Maine. Did you know, buddy, that Halloween is just a contrivance to promote Christmas?

Ever read Bram Stoker, Rex? Boy how all those scary monsters emerged because of someone's games and real poets.

Teasing poetry:

Dracula Haiku's
{1}
On the darkest night
A life is taken in fright
From draculas bite

{2}
His dark piercing eyes
Paralyzing her weak cries
Before the sunrise

{3}
Before dawns capture
Dracula comes to slumber
In the dark cellar

{4}
There he takes covet
Inside his dark closed casket
To rise a new night

{5}
To feed with delight
On human blood in the night
From his hungry bite
By PAGEORGE61


© 2006 PAGEORGE61 (All rights reserved)

Worst haiku I ever read, Rex.

Yes, Halloween represents part of spirituality, maybe not the best part...
But regardless part that all must eventually become aware of and wrestle with in order to conquer the inner shadows of the soul.

What's my friend Bob saying? What did I say?

Oh, I'll bet he means my comment about the pictures being in last year's gallery. I, of course, was not referring to the excellent bios - only to the duplication of photos. I was afraid that we might being seeing double, maybe triple, in the picture gallery. But, of course, that's for our PD to decide.

Well, the PD has decided that everyone here is not only not redundant, but easy to love. Thanks, Raggedy, for John.

For everyone:

Cole Porter

I know too well that I'm just wasting precious time
In thinking such a thing could be
That you could ever care for me
I'm sure you hate to hear
That I adore you, dear
But grant me
Just the same
I'm not entirely to blame
For love

You'd be so easy to love
So easy to idolize
All others above
So worth the yearning for
So swell to keep every homefire burning for
We'd be so grand at the game
So carefree together
That it does seem a shame
That you can't see
Your future with me
'Cause you'd be oh, so easy to love

FIND ME A PRIMITIVE MAN
From : "Fifty Million Frenchmen, 1929"
(Cole Porter)


Now, before this modern idea had burst
About the women and children first,
The men had much more charm than they have today.
And if only one of that type survived,
The very moment that he arrived,
I know I'd fall in love in a great big way.
I can't imagine being bad
With any Arrow collar ad,
Nor could I take the slightest joy
In waking up a college boy.
I've no desire to be alone
With Rudy Vallee's megaphone,
So when I'm saying my prayers, I say:

Find me a primitive man,
Built on a primitive plan.
Someone with vigor and vim.
I don't mean a kind that belongs to a club,
But the kind that has a club that belongs to him.
I could be the personal slave
Of someone just out of a cave.
The only man who'll ever win me
Has gotta wake up the gypsy in me,
Find me a primitive man,
Find me a primitive man.

Trouve moi un homme primitif
Trouve moi un garcon naif.
Quelqu'un tout plein de vigeur,
Ces p'tits maquereaux qu'on appelle gigolos ne
Pourraient jamais donner le vrai bonheur.
J'ai besoin d'un bel animal
Pour chauffeur mon chaffage centrale.
Et l'homme qui me veut pour capitane
Devrait reveiler mon sang tzigane,
Trouve moi un homme primitif, vif,
Trouve moi un homme primitif.

(Find me a primitive man,
Find me a forthright young lad,
Someone with vigor to spare,
Those fatuous beaux they call gigolos could never give me happiness.
I must have a gorgeous beast
To heat up my own central heat.
And he who aspires to be my stud
Must reawake my gypsy blood.
Find me a primitive man.)

hey, Rex. Love it! That and primitive art.

Perfect lead in to this song by Bread, listeners:


If a picture paints a thousand words,
Then why can't I paint you?
The words will never show the you I've come to know.
If a face could launch a thousand ships,
Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you,
You're all that's left me too.
And when my love for life is running dry,
You come and pour yourself on me.

If a man could be two places at one time,
I'd be with you.
Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way.
If the world should stop revolving spinning slowly down to die,
I'd spend the end with you.
And when the world was through,
Then one by one the stars would all go out,
Then you and I would simply fly away

Proud Mary
Creedence Clearwater Revival

Left a good job in the city,
Workin' for the man ev'ry night and day,
And I never lost one minute of sleepin',
Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been.

Chorus:

Big wheel keep on turnin',
Proud Mary keep on burnin',
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river.

Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis,
Pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans,
But I never saw the good side of the city,
'Til I hitched a ride on a river boat queen.


Chorus

Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river.

If you come down to the river,
Bet you gonna find some people who live.
You don't have to worry 'cause you have no money,
People on the river are happy to give.

Chorus

Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river.
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river.
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river.

Hey, Try. I didn't know that Creedence did that one, buddy. I know Tina did.

Well, folks, let's stick with Queen:


Rock In Rio Blues
Written by Queen

[lots of a capella!]

Let's play the rock in Rio blues baby
We've come to do rock in Rio with you baby
Eh yeah yeah
Woh!
Rock in Rio night baby
It's rock in Rio night
Ah ah aye
Everybody's having - eeeh woooh
Oh oh oh oh
Woooh woh woh woh wah
Get in to the rock in Rio business hey
Rockin!
Ah
m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m woooh waaah
Yeah hey hey
m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-ah
Baby I like it
Woooh wooh woh woh woh woh woh woh woh
Yeah
Wooh
This song was especially for you music lovers
All you rock in Rio people
Thank you very much

haven'd heard any performances of gilbert and sullivan musicals on a2k-radio .
so here is one of my favourites . we went to see a performance of the d'oyle (?) opera company in toronto some years ago and enjoyed it very much . i think their themes and subjects even fit into today's life and the music is pretty jazzy imo .
hbg



ARTIST: Gilbert and Sullivan
TITLE: The First Lord's Song
Lyrics


[HMS Pinafore]

When I was a lad I served a term
As office boy to an attorney's firm
I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor
And I polished up the handle of the big front door
I polished up that handle so carefully
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

As office boy I made such a mark
That they gave me the post of a junior clerk
I served the writs with a smile so bland
And I copied all the letters in a big round hand
I copied all the letters in a hand so free
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

In serving writs I made such a name
That an articled clerk I soon became
I wore clean collars and a brand-new suit
For the Pass Examination at the Institute
And that Pass Examination did so well for me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

Of legal knowledge I acquired such a grip
That they took me into the partnership
And that junior partnership I ween
Was the only ship that I ever had seen
But that kind of ship so suited me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament
I always voted at my Party's call
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

Now, landsmen all, whoever you may be
If you want to rise to the top of the tree
If your soul isn't fettered to an office stool
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule
Stick close to your desks and never go to sea
And you all may be Rulers of the Queen's Navy

Well, hamburger, didn't you know that dj and I tried an experiment with G&S once upon a time?

Love this one, hbg:

For I'm called Little Buttercup -- dear Little Buttercup,
Though I could never tell why,
But still I'm called Buttercup -- poor little Buttercup,
Sweet Little Buttercup I!

I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,
I've scissors, and watches, and knives;
I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces
Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.

I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,
Soft tommy and succulent chops;
I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,
And excellent peppermint drops.

Then buy of your Buttercup -- dear Little Buttercup;
Sailors should never be shy;
So, buy of your Buttercup -- poor Little Buttercup;
Come, of your Buttercup buy!

we received copies of 'trial by jury' and 'the mikado' from ebeth - still have not watched them .
ehbeth also gave us a multi-tape set of '50 years of CBC television' - it was great fun to see programs that we saw when we bought our first b&w TV 43 years ago - the times they are changin' .
hbg