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Martin Landau
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Born June 20, 1931 (1931-06-20) (age 76)
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Spouse(s) Barbara Bain (1957-1993)
Academy Awards

Best Supporting Actor
1994 Ed Wood Béla Lugosi



Martin Landau (born June 20, 1931) is an Academy Award-winning American film and television actor. He is perhaps most well-known for his roles in the television series Mission: Impossible (1966 - 1969) and Space: 1999 (1975 - 1977). He received a Golden Globe award in 1969 for his performance in the former, playing the role of mission specialist Rollin Hand. In 1968 and 1969 he received Emmy award nominations for best actor in a dramatic series for his Mission: Impossible work. In 1994 he won the Oscar (among other awards) for Best Supporting Actor in the critically acclaimed movie Ed Wood, having already received two previous Oscar nominations.





Biography

Landau was born in Brooklyn, New York, and at the age of 17 began working as a cartoonist for the New York Daily News, but influenced by Charlie Chaplin and the escapism of the cinema, he pursued becoming an actor. He attended the Actors' Studio in the same class with Steve McQueen and in 1957, Landau made his Broadway debut in Middle of the Night. Encouraged by his mentor Lee Strasberg, Landau also taught acting. Some of the actors he has coached include Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston. In 1959, Landau made his first major film appearance in Alfred Hitchcock's, North by Northwest at the age of 28. A few years later, after turning down the role of Spock in Star Trek, Landau took the role of master of disguise Rollin Hand in Mission: Impossible, becoming one of the shows best-known stars. According to The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier by Patrick J. White (Avon Books, 1991), Landau initially declined to be contracted to the show as he didn't want it to interfere with his film career; instead, for the first season he was credited as a "special guest star", later becoming a "full-time" cast member with the second season, although the studio agreed to only contract him on a year-by-year basis rather than the then-standard five years. The role of Rollin Hand required Landau to perform a wide range of accents and characters from dictators to thugs, and several episodes saw Landau playing dual roles -- not only Hand's impersonation, but also the "original" person (such as in the first episode of the series).

He co-starred in the series with his then-wife, Barbara Bain, and the two left the series after the third season. Salary is the most-often cited reason for their departure, however the exact reasons are disputed.

In the mid-1970s, Landau and Barbara Bain, teamed with Barry Morse, returned to television in the British science fiction series, Space: 1999. Although it remains a cult classic due to its high production design values, the series was critically derided during its run and was cancelled after two seasons; Landau himself became very critical of the show's scripts and storylines, especially during its second season, but praised the cast and crew. He wrote forewords for Barry Morse's 2006 theatrical memoir Remember With Advantages and for Jim Smith's critical biography of Tim Burton.

After Space: 1999, Landau appeared in supporting roles in a number of films and TV shows of varying quality, including The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (which again co-starred Bain; the last time the two acted together on screen).

In the late-1980s, Landau staged a major career comeback by winning an Academy Award nomination for his role in Tucker: The Man and His Dream. He later received a second nomination for Crimes and Misdemeanors and won the 1994 Best Supporting Actor award for his uncanny portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood. Upon accepting the award he was visibly frustrated by the orchestra's attempt to cut short his speech. When the music level rose, he pounded his fist on the podium and yelled "No!" (He later stated that he had intended to thank Lugosi and dedicate the award to him and his frustration was that he didn't get to mention the man whom he had been honoured for playing.) Landau also received a Screen Actors' Guild Award, a Golden Globe, and a Saturn Award for the role, as well as awards from several critics groups.[1] Upon winning the Academy Award, a reporter for the L.A. Times stated that "the award goes to Martin Landau; its shadow goes to Bela Lugosi," which Landau admits (on the Ed Wood DVD) to being very impressed by.

He has two daughters, Susan and Juliet, from his marriage to Barbara Bain. Landau and Bain married on January 31, 1957 and divorced in 1993.

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Martin Landau has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6841 Hollywood Blvd.

In 2006, Landau made a guest appearance on the TV series Entourage, playing a washed-up, but determined and sympathetic Hollywood producer attempting to relive his glory days.

URIA HEEP - SUNRISE !
even here in ontario the sun rose a few hours ago - just rubbing sleep out of my eyes ...
hbg

Anne Murray
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Background information

Birth name Morna Anne Murray
Also known as Anne Murray
Born June 20, 1945 (1945-06-20) (age 62)
Origin Springhill, Nova Scotia
Genre(s) Pop
Adult Contemporary
Country
Occupation(s) Singer, Talk Show Host, Actress
Instrument(s) Vocals
Years active 1970 - present
Label(s) Capitol Records, Liberty Records, Straightaway Records
Website Anne Murray Official Website

Anne Murray, CC, ONS (born Morna Anne Murray June 20, 1945), is a Canadian singer born in Springhill, Nova Scotia, known for her rich alto voice and her taste in choosing songs that appeal to Pop, Country and Adult Contemporary listeners alike. For many, her fame as the representative Canadian singer is rivalled only by Gordon Lightfoot. Unlike many internationally-renowned Canadian singers, she has always resided in Canada and now lives in Toronto, but spends most summers in Nova Scotia.

Murray was the first Canadian female solo singer to reach #1 on the US charts, and also the first to earn a gold record (for one of her signature tunes, 1970's "Snowbird"). She is often cited as the woman who paved the way for other Canadian international success stories such as Céline Dion, Sarah McLachlan and Shania Twain. So far, her albums have sold over 54 million copies worldwide. She is the most successful crossover female artist in music history, as well as one of the most successful Christmas artists of all time with her Christmas albums selling in the millions. (In fact her album Christmas Wishes is one of the Top 5 selling female holiday albums in history and her "Greatest Hits" album has sold over 7 million copies worldwide). She is also the first woman (and the first Canadian) to win "Album of the Year" at the Country Music Association Awards (USA) for her 1984 album A Little Good News.




TV work

Anne Murray has had four highly-rated US specials on CBS (over 40 million viewers each), countless Canadian specials on CBC (Anne Murray in Nova Scotia) and has appeared on Solid Gold, Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Dean Martin Summer Show, Singalong Jubilee, Dinah!, The Mike Douglas Show, Oprah, 20/20, CNN, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and The Pat Sajak Show. More recently, in the '90s and into the new millennium, she has had several highly successful commercials for her albums (The Very Best of Anne Murray, Croonin', What a Wonderful World, Country Croonin', What a Wonderful Christmas and All of Me) in the United States and Canada, with heavy rotation on Nickelodeon and CNN, among other TV channels. She has hosted the Junos in Canada as well as the CMAs in the United States. Her 2005 CBC special Anne Murray-The Music of my Life broke ratings records for a Thursday night, with more than 1 million Canadian viewers tuned in. The guests on her TV specials have included Julio Iglesias, Patti LaBelle, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Dusty Springfield, Bananarama, Barenaked Ladies, Alan Thicke, Roch Voisine, Glen Campbell, Valerie Harper, Diana Krall, Jann Arden, Miss Piggy and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.


Music

Anne Murray's music has wide appeal and she is popular with very young children (her commercials were in heavy rotation on cartoon networks and she has a children's album called "There's a Hippo in my Tub" -released twice under the original title and also released under the title "Anne Murray sings for the Sesame Street Generation" in the USA and "Anne Murray Sings for Kids" which was available at McDonald's Restaurants in Canada). She has been a consistent favourite of country (eleven #1 Billboard songs) and pop fans (several Top Ten Billboard charts including one #1), the older generation, ballroom dancers and newlyweds (especially due to the romantic "Could I Have this Dance"). She has also made breakthroughs on the Christian music scene ("What a Wonderful World", "Robbie's Song for Jesus"). On the other side of the spectrum, Anne Murray had a few dance singles in the mid-eighties (i.e. "Who's Leaving Who") which appealed to a strong gay following. The song was later covered by dance queen Hazell Dean. This caused some backlash with her country fans for a while, especially when she donned an 80's style "punkish" hairdo on the cover of 1986's 750,000 unit selling "Something to Talk About". Anne's music has been pigeonholed (wrongly, a lot might say) in the Country category even though she has touched many music styles. Her voice is often compared to that of Karen Carpenter, and country singer Kathy Mattea has had trouble getting over the constant comparison of her voice to Anne's. All said, Anne is best known for her romantic ballads and impeccable phrasing which has made her a staple on both the Easy Listening and Adult Contemporary charts. She is known as "The Lady," and is sometimes referred to as the "Singing Sweetheart of Canada." Her fame has been a boon to her home province of Nova Scotia, where the "Anne Murray Centre" is located.


Early career

Murray first came to the public eye in Canada as a cast member on the 1960's CBC music television show Singalong Jubilee. (She would later marry the show's host, Bill Langstroth.) She had a Canadian hit with the song "What About Me," the title track for her first album release. Her later live recording of the song, with a faster arrangement, would become the version heard in America.

Her first hit, "Snowbird" (1970), reached the top ten on the US Pop charts, but was a surprise country hit, as well, and a number of her subsequent singles have charted both pop and country simultaneously. During 1970s and early 1980s, her hits included "Danny's Song" (1972), "A Love Song" (1973), a remake of the Beatles' "You Won't See Me" (1974), "The Call" (1976), "You Needed Me" (1978) (an American #1 single), "I Just Fall In Love Again," "Shadows in the Moonlight" and "Broken-Hearted Me" (all 1979), a remake of The Monkees' "Daydream Believer" (1979), "Could I Have This Dance" (from the movie Urban Cowboy, 1980), "Blessed Are the Believers" (1981), "A Little Good News" (1983), and "Time Don't Run Out on Me" (1985). Her hits started to taper off into the mid '80s, and her last top-100-charting pop hit was "Now and Forever (You and Me)" from 1986 (it hit the country charts at #1 - she has 11 #1 country songs in all). Murray was a fixture for a while in Las Vegas, famous for signing million-dollar deals, and even had a casino chip featuring her likeness. Earlier in her career, she had a famous gig at the Troubador, where the now-famous picture of her, John Lennon, Mickey Dolenz, Harry Nilsson and Alice Cooper was taken.


Later career

Though her singles continued to make the country charts for a few more years, by the early '90s, in the wake of country's neotraditionalist movement, her smooth, polished sound fell out of favour with country radio, as well. She still remains a top concert draw, and performs regularly in the US, Canada, and occasionally in Australia. Though they yielded no chart singles, recent albums, including a 1993 album of standards, Croonin'; a 1999 collection of quasi-inspirational songs, What a Wonderful World; and a 2002 album of country standards, Country Croonin', have all made the country, pop, and/or adult contemporary charts. Her 1999 album What a Wonderful World, for example, sold over 1 million copies in the US alone. It peaked in the US Billboard charts at #4 Country, #38 Pop and #1 Contemporary Christian. Country Croonin' sold over 500,000 copies in the US alone and was a top-ten US country album. Her music has been featured on The Sopranos, the movie Urban Cowboy, the Burt Reynolds film Stick, the Convoy movie, on That 70's Show, and on Ellen, amongst others. Her span on the US Billboard charts started in 1970 and her latest entry was in 2005. In 2006, she recorded a duet with Sir Cliff Richard for his duets album and in 2007 Anne reprised "Cotton Jenny" with friend Olivia Newton-John at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, which will be released in the fall of 2007 on Anne's first "all duets" album. Other artists slated to appear on the album include k.d. lang, Shelby Lynne, Emmylou Harris, Martina McBride along with Anne's daughter, Dawn Langstroth, who also has an album slated for release in 2007. Canada Post will issue a stamp with Anne's likeness on June 29, 2007.


Personal life

Murray has always staunchly kept her personal life as private as possible. Thus, she has been called "Garbo-esque" in certain media circles.

She wed Bill Langstroth in the 1970s, and that union produced two children, Dawn (an aspiring singer-songwriter) and William (a computer programmer for the Government of Ontario).

In recent years, she has faced many personal challenges: her departure from Capitol Records after some 25 years; the apparent suicide of the author of her first hit "Snowbird" Gene MacLellan; the death of her beloved manager Leonard T. Rambeau of cancer; her separation and divorce from her husband; her daughter's battle with anorexia (they reluctantly did the US talk-show circuit to raise awareness); and most recently, the loss of her best friend to cancer (she recorded her album All of Me as a tribute to her). She has overcome all of these obstacles, and emerged in 1999 with her best-selling album in 20 years "What a Wonderful World" - and has followed up with three subsequent albums.

Anne has always kept strong ties to her hometown, Springhill, Nova Scotia, located about an hour south of Moncton, N.B. and one and a half hours north of Halifax, N.S. She has a museum there which houses her memorabilia and employs local people. She has been instrumental in the construction of the local arena, and has been a spokeswoman for many charities.

She has been a victim of a relentless stalker (see "other trivia"), and received a diamond in the mail from another admirer.

She supported Dusty Springfield when Springfield's personal and professional life was in turmoil. She featured Springfield as a backup vocalist on several albums and offered a spot on one of her CBC TV specials.

She donated a generous amount to the tsunami relief fund, among others.

She was a celebrity corporate spokeswoman for The Bay, Canada's oldest company, along with Celine Dion, and sang a catchy jingle for the CIBC bank ("You can count on the Commerce").

She founded a successful publishing and entertainment company called Balmur Ltd.

She is an avid golfer and her first hole-in-one was covered prominently in North America.

Her mother, the former Marion Burke (who was 100% Acadian), died April 10, 2006. Anne was very close with her mother.


Awards and honours

Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1750 Vine Street (1980)
Companion of the Order of Canada (1984)
Induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1993)
Governor-General's Performing Arts Award (1995)
Star on Canada's Walk of Fame (1998)
East Coast Music Association Director's special achievement award (2001)
Ranked #24 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women in Country Music in 2002
Induction into the Canadian Country Music Association Hall of Fame (2002)
Awarded the Order of Nova Scotia (2002)
As of 2004, has 25 albums that have either gone multi-platinum, platinum or gold in the USA alone [1]
Winner of four Grammy Awards (including one in the Pop category), three CMA awards, and also has countless Canadian Junos, American Music Awards, etc.
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame has honoured Anne as a Legacy Award recipient at their 3rd Annual Induction Gala on February 5, 2006.

Music-related facts

She was the first Canadian female to have a #1 pop single in the United States, with "You Needed Me" in 1978. She was also the first Canadian female to earn a U.S. gold record, for "Snowbird." Murray's Snowbird may have inspired use of the term "snowbird" to describe Canadians and Americans who spend their winters in warmer climates.

Typically, though, largely due to the amount of softer, country-tinged ballads in her repertoire, Murray has had more success on the Adult Contemporary and Country charts in America than on the pop charts. For example, Billboard magazine ranked "I Just Fall In Love Again" as the #1 Country hit of 1979, and it was also one of her eight #1 Adult Contemporary hits (the first was "Snowbird" and the last was "Daydream Believer"), but on the Hot 100 it stalled at #12.

Despite Murray's more successful track record in the Country and Adult Contemporary fields as compared to the pop charts, her only #1 pop hit, "You Needed Me," failed to reach pole position on either the Country (#4) or AC (#3) charts. "You Needed Me" also brought Murray one of her rare appearances on the UK pop chart, where it peaked at #22.

Her 1996 album "Anne Murray" was a top 10 album in Canada and spawned the A/C hit "What Would it Take".

In 1998, Anne sang "When I Fall in Love" with Celine Dion on her DVD called "An Intimate Evening With Anne Murray...Live".

Her single, "Another Sleepless Night" was used in a sketch by surrealist UK Comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in their "Bang Bang, It's Reeves & Mortimer" series - in which Vic and Bob dressed up as a couple of German Lederhosen boys with long blonde hair, moustaches and cowboy boots with exponentially expanding breasts - culminating in Vic Reeves highlighting the fact that he had heard tales of a Turkey nearby - which must be overpowered and taken as a gift for the Fuhrer before the Norwegian explorer Amundsen gets there first.


Other trivia

Anne designed a plate in Plates for Parkinson's on EBAY from May 4 to 14, 2007 raising a substantial sum.

The Anne Murray Centre in Springhill, Nova ScotiaIn the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the Academy Award-nominated song Blame Canada included a line referring to Murray as a "bitch." Reportedly, the producers of that year's Oscar telecast considered omitting the line when it was to be performed along with the other Best Song nominees, however Murray indicated she got the joke and was not offended.
Jerry Seinfeld and Bruce Springsteen were both opening acts for Anne Murray.
John Lennon said that her version of "You Won't See Me" was the best Beatles cover ever.
Elvis considered Anne as his favourite female singer.
Anne's music is "out of this world": Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian female astronaut, played her songs in space.
She has a flower named after her: "The Anne Murray iris".
Her album There's a Hippo in my Tub has inspired a cartoon series.
Her 1980 hit, "Could I Have this Dance", remains one of the top wedding song requests to this day.
She once had the same manager as Alice Cooper.
Her hometown of Springhill, N.S. is home to the "Anne Murray Centre" which is a non-profit museum housing her memorabilia. The town was economically depressed and was the site of a great mining disaster (the Springhill mining disaster) when Anne was young.
As an undergraduate at the University of New Brunswick, she recorded a song that was issued by Radio UNB in 1965 as part of an audio yearbook.
George Bush Sr. often quoted from Anne's hit "A Little Good News" and said she was his favourite singer. In addition to George Bush Sr., she has also performed for Queen Elizabeth II, Ronald Reagan, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
She has duets with Kenny Rogers, Aaron Neville, Dave Loggins, Vince Gill, Glen Campbell, Bryan Adams, Cliff Richard as well as with her brother Bruce and her daughter Dawn.
Her hit "Snowbird" is one of the most played songs in the history of music with over 4 million spins.
"You Needed Me" was #1 in Malaysia for 10 weeks.
In 2000 she published a book "What a Wonderful World" which was a best seller in Canada.
In 1978, she won the Grammy for best pop vocal, female, beating out Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Olivia Newton-John and Donna Summer. She also has 3 Country Grammys.
The name "Anne Murray" is a registered trademark.
There is a lesser-known Ann Murray out there - an Irish opera singer.
Anne Murray founded and co-owned BALMUR LTD, a music publishing and management company.
Burt Reynolds called Anne on the phone and had her sing "You Needed Me" to his fiancée.
Elton John once said: "I know two things about Canada: hockey and Anne Murray".
The week ending 4/28/84, according to Billboard, Anne Murray was the top-grossing performer for the week, having grossed $466,844.00 US, ahead of Kenny Rogers, Duran Duran, Culture Club, The Grateful Dead, and The Scorpions.
Like many stars, she has been the victim of a persistent stalker, a farmer from Saskatchewan who has served jail time for his obsession and harassment. The song "Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank" by the Barenaked Ladies is about this incident.[2]
Anne has recorded one French song ("Si jamais je te revois"), one bilingual (The French Waltz), and a Spanish version of "Broken Hearted Me".
The 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live in which she appeared with Elliott Gould won an Emmy.

Nicole Kidman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Birth name Nicole Mary Kidman
Born June 20, 1967 (1967-06-20) (age 40)
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Years active 1983 - present
Spouse(s) Tom Cruise (1990-2001)
Keith Urban (2006 - present)
Notable roles Suzanne Stone Maretto in To Die For
Virginia Woolf in The Hours
Alice Harford in Eyes Wide Shut
Satine in Moulin Rouge!
Academy Awards

Best Actress
2003 The Hours
Golden Globe Awards

Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1996 To Die For
2002 Moulin Rouge!
Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
2003 The Hours
BAFTA Awards

Best Actress in a Leading Role
2003 The Hours

Nicole Mary Kidman AC (born June 20, 1967), is an Academy Award-winning Australian[1] actress. In addition to her Academy Award, Kidman is a three-time Golden Globe winner for Best Actress. In 2006, she became the highest paid actress in the film industry.[2] That same year, Kidman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), Australia's highest civilian honour.[3]

After making various appearances in film and television, Kidman received her breakthrough role in the thriller Dead Calm. Since then, Kidman's acting career has developed greatly. Her performances in several films, such as To Die For, Moulin Rouge!, and The Hours, have won her not only critical acclaim but also many film awards. In 2003, Kidman received her Star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. Kidman is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a singer and a successful recording artist.

She is also well-known for her former marriage to Tom Cruise, as well as her current marriage to singer Keith Urban. Because she was born to Australian parents in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kidman has dual citizenship of Australia and the United States.





Early life and education

Kidman's parents are Janelle MacNeille and Dr Antony Kidman. Dr Kidman is a clinical psychologist in Lane Cove and author, who is also heavily involved with the labour movement. MacNeille is a nursing instructor and edits her husband's books.[4] At the time Nicole Kidman was born, her father was a Visiting Fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, D.C. The family returned to Australia when Kidman was four years old, when her father took on a lectureship at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Kidman has a younger sister, Antonia, born in 1970. Kidman's parents and sister both reside in Greenwich, a suburb on Sydney's North Shore. Kidman, a Catholic, attended Mary Mackillop Chapel in North Sydney with her sister.

Kidman started taking ballet lessons when she was four. This led to studies at Sydney's Australian Theatre for Young People, where she is now Patron, then at the Phillip Street Theatre, where she majored in voice production and theatre history. Living in Longueville she studied at St Marys, but dropped out when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; Kidman concentrated on her family responsibilities until her mother's recovery.


Career

Early career in Australia (1983-1989)

Kidman's first appearance in film came in 1983 when, as a fifteen year-old, she appeared in the Pat Wilson music video for the song Bop Girl. By the end of the year she had secured a supporting role in the television series Five Mile Creek and four film roles, including BMX Bandits(numerous critics have said this to be her best work to date) and Bush Christmas. During the 1980s she appeared in several Australian movies and TV series, notably including the soap opera A Country Practice, the mini-series Vietnam (1986), Emerald City (1988), and Bangkok Hilton (1989).


Breakthrough (1989-1995)

In 1989, Kidman starred in the thriller Dead Calm as Rae Ingram, the wife of naval officer John Ingram (Sam Neill), held captive on a Pacific Ocean yacht trip by the psychotic Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane). The horror film received generally positive reviews; the staff of Variety.com commented: "Throughout the film, Kidman is excellent. She gives the character of Rae real tenacity and energy."[5] Meanwhile, critic Roger Ebert noted the excellent chemistry between the leads, stating, "...Kidman and Zane do generate real, palpable hatred in their scenes together."[6] In 1990, she appeared opposite Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder, a stock car racing movie. After this, Kidman starred with Cruise in Ron Howard's Far and Away (1992). In 1995, Kidman featured in the ensemble cast of Batman Forever. On November 20, 1993 she hosted Saturday Night Live.[7]


Critical success (1995-present)

Her second film in 1995, To Die For was a satirical comedy that earned her praise from critics. She won a Golden Globe Award, and five other best actress awards for her portrayal of the murderous newscaster Suzanne Stone Maretto. Kidman and Cruise portrayed a married couple in Eyes Wide Shut in 1999, Stanley Kubrick's final film.

In 2002, Kidman received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, in which she played the courtesan Satine opposite Ewan McGregor. Consequently, Kidman received her second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The same year, she had a well-received starring role in the horror film The Others. While in Australia filming Moulin Rouge!, Kidman injured her knee; as a result, Jodie Foster had to replace her in the film Panic Room. Instead she was the voice on the phone of the mistress of Jodie Foster's characters husband.

The following year, Kidman won critical praise for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours, in which the prosthetics applied to her made her almost unrecognizable. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role, along with a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and numerous critics awards. Kidman became the first Australian actress to win an Academy Award. During her Academy Award acceptance speech, after tearing, Kidman made a statement about the importance of art, even during times of war: "Why do you come to the Academy Awards when the world is in such turmoil? Because art is important. And because you believe in what you do and you want to honor that, and it is a tradition that needs to be upheld."[8]

In the same year, Kidman took a hand at film production in the film In the Cut. In 2003, Kidman starred in three very different films. Dogville, by Danish director Lars von Trier, an experimental film set on a bare soundstage. Secondly, she co-starred alongside Anthony Hopkins in the film adaptation of Philip Roth's novel The Human Stain. Many critics felt that both Kidman and Hopkins were miscast. Cold Mountain, a love story of two Southerners separated by the Civil War, was her final release that year, and garnered her a Golden Globe Award nomination.

In 2004, Kidman appeared in the critically panned remake of The Stepford Wives alongside Glenn Close, Faith Hill and Bette Midler. In September of the same year, Birth, in which the 37-year-old actress' character has an encounter with a 10-year-old boy (played by Cameron Bright) who attempts to convince her that he is a reincarnation of her dead husband, was met with a mixed reception primarily due to a scene where the boy strips and joins Kidman in the bathtub. Despite this, the film was nominated for the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, and Kidman was nominated for another Golden Globe Award. Kidman's two movies in 2005 were The Interpreter, directed by Sydney Pollack, and Bewitched, co-starring Will Ferrell, based on the 1960s TV sitcom of the same name; the latter fared abysmally with critics and at the box office.

In conjunction with her success in the film industry, Kidman became the face of the Chanel No. 5 perfume brand. She starred in a campaign of television and print ads with Rodrigo Santoro, directed by Moulin Rouge! director Baz Luhrmann to promote the fragrance during the holiday season in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The three-minute commercial produced for Chanel No. 5 perfume made Kidman the record holder for the most money paid per minute to an actor after she reportedly earned $US3.71 million.[9] During this time, Kidman was also listed as the 45th Most Powerful Celebrity on the 2005 Forbes Celebrity 100 List. She made a reported US$14.5 million in 2004-2005. On People magazine's list of 2005's highest paid actresses, Kidman was second behind Julia Roberts with a US$16 million to US$17 million per-film price tag.[10] She has since passed Roberts as the highest paid actress, due in no small part to Roberts's recent devotion to parenting and broadway theatre acting rather than film work.

Kidman has at least five movies in production over the next two years. She has completed filming the Diane Arbus bio-pic Fur, director Oliver Hirschbiegel's science fiction movie The Visiting and Noah Baumbach's comedy-drama Margot at the Wedding. She has also provided her voice for the animated movie Happy Feet. She is currently working on the film adaptation of the first part of the His Dark Materials trilogy in which she plays the villainous Mrs. Coulter. She is also set to star in director Wong Kar-wai's next film, The Lady from Shanghai and Baz Luhrmann's Australian period film titled Australia, which is set in the remote Northern Territory during the Japanese attack on Darwin during World War II. Kidman will play an English woman feeling overwhelmed by the continent, opposite Hugh Jackman.


Singing

Not known as a singer prior to Moulin Rouge!, Kidman had several well-received vocal performances in the film. Her collaboration with Ewan McGregor on the song "Come What May" from the film's soundtrack debuted and peaked at 27 in the UK Singles Chart. Later she collaborated with Robbie Williams on the song "Somethin' Stupid", a cover of the old swing song on Williams' swing covers album Swing When You're Winning. It debuted and peaked at 8 in the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart, and at number 1 for three weeks in the UK. It was the UK Christmas number 1 Single for 2001.

In 2006, she provided her voice for the animated movie Happy Feet, along with her vocals for her character Norma Jean's 'heartsong', which was a slightly altered version of "Kiss" by Prince.


Personal life

Relationships

Kidman met Tom Cruise on the set of their 1990 movie, Days of Thunder. Cruise was married to actress Mimi Rogers at the time, and later divorced her. Kidman and Cruise were married on Christmas Eve 1990 in Telluride, Colorado. The couple adopted two children, daughter Isabella Jane (b. December 22, 1993) and son Connor Anthony (b. January 17, 1995), and lived in Los Angeles, Australia, Colorado, and New York City. They separated just before their 10th wedding anniversary. At the time she was 3 months pregnant and subsequently had a miscarriage.[11] The marriage was dissolved in 2001, with Cruise citing irreconcilable differences as the cause of the divorce. Tom Cruise filed for divorce in February 2001. Cruise, who did not have a prenuptial agreement with Kidman, states that the marriage ended in December and lasted precisely nine years and 11 months. That California judges look differently upon marriages that last at least a decade when it comes time to divvy up the estate, obviously, had nothing to do with the 'irreconciliable differences' that Tom Cruise cited had arisen. [12] The reasons for the dissolution have never been made public. In an interview in the June 2006 issue of Ladies' Home Journal, Kidman reported that she still loved Tom Cruise. Kidman told the magazine: "He was huge; still is. To me, he was just Tom, but to everybody else, he is huge. But he was lovely to me. And I loved him. I still love him." In addition, she has expressed shock about their divorce.[12]

The 2003 film Cold Mountain was plagued by rumours that an on-set affair between Kidman and co-star Jude Law was responsible for the breakup of his marriage. Both vehemently denied the allegations, and Kidman eventually won an undisclosed sum from the British tabloids that published the story.[13] She donated the money to a Romanian orphanage in the town where the movie was filmed.[14]. There were also rumours of her and Jim Carrey going out after the two were spotted at restaurants together, but they both denied it explaining they're just the best of friends. [5] Shortly after her Oscar win, there were unconfirmed rumours of a relationship between her and fellow Oscar winner Adrien Brody.[15] She met musician Lenny Kravitz in 2003 and dated him into 2004[16]

Kidman met country singer Keith Urban at a Hollywood event honouring Australians in January 2005. Kidman and Urban were married on Sunday June 25, 2006, at the Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel in the grounds of St Patrick's Estate, Manly in Sydney. They maintain homes in Sydney and Nashville, Tennessee.


Politics

Kidman's name was included in an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times (August 17, 2006) that condemned organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, and supported Israel's efforts in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The full-page advertisement was signed by 84 other Hollywood professionals and reads "We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die. We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs." Others who signed include actors Michael Douglas, Dennis Hopper, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Danny DeVito, Don Johnson, James Woods, Kelly Preston, Patricia Heaton and William Hurt; directors Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Richard Donner and Sam Raimi; as well as tennis player Serena Williams.[17]

Kidman has made numerous donations to U.S. Democratic party candidates and endorsed John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.[18]


Charitable work

Kidman publicly supports a variety of charities and causes. She has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF Australia since 1994. She has worked to help raise money for and draw attention to the plight of the most disadvantaged children in Australia and around the world. In 2004, she was honoured as a "Citizen of the World" by the United Nations.

On January 26, 2006 Kidman received Australia's highest civilian honour when she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, for "service to the performing arts as an acclaimed motion picture performer, to health care through contributions to improve medical treatment for women and children and advocacy for cancer research, to youth as a principal supporter of young performing artists, and to humanitarian causes in Australia and internationally."[19] However, due to film commitments and her wedding to Urban, it wasn't until 13 April 2007 that she was presented with the honour.[20] She was also nominated goodwill ambassador for UNIFEM.[21]

Kidman joined the 'Little Tee Campaign' for Breast Cancer Care to design T-shirts or vests to raise money for breast cancer.[22] Kidman's mother, Janelle, is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 1984.[23]

In January 2005, Kidman won interim restraining orders against two Sydney-based paparazzi photographers.[24] In 1982 she appeared in the video for Roxy Music's song True To Life.

There once was a man with a permanent erection. Try as he
could, he couldn't get it to go down. Finally, he went to his
local pharmacy, where he encountered a female pharmacist.

"I'd like to speak to the male pharmacist," he said.

She said, "I'm a professional. I run this pharmacy with my
sister, who is also a professional. Anything you can tell a
man, you can tell us."

"O.K.," he said. "I have a permanent erection. What can you
give me for it?"

"Hmmm," she replied, "I'll go into the back and confer with
my sister." After a minute, she returned to the counter and
said, "We'll give you $25,000 and half the business."

Well, there's the hawk with his special joke of the day, folks. Love it Boston, but there ain't nothing permanent, right?

Lots of good bio's today, Bob. I think we all know most of them, but will await that lovely lass from PA to paint the faces with her all seeing camera.

Victor, Thanks for the reminder that more than one artist can do a certain song.

hgb, we all like your Uriah a heap. (groan)

I wanted to do a song about Mr. Flynn, but the one I found was absolutely inappropriate, so how about this one by Brian and the Beach Boys.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah ooooo

Woh no no no no no no oooo



I had a love in every town

I swore that I would sooner die than ever settle down

Me and my hobo heart

Me and my hobo heart



Now look and see what love has done

My feet are rooted to the ground

Just when I wanna turn around and run

Me and my hobo heart

Me and my hobo heart



I look down the lonesome highway

A lover in every town

And I swore that I would far sooner die than

Settle down again

Then I asked myself a question

What places could I go to

What road could I take, what trip could I make

That wouldn't lead back, that wouldn't lead back

To

You

Oh goodie. Robin Hood.





(Errol; Audie; Olympia; Martin; Brian; Anne (love her voice) and Nicole)

Oh goodie, Raggedy. Thanks, PA. What a faithful reminder you are. Sooooo glad that you put name to face, and here is one from Anne Murray. We have a few snow birds here in Florida.

Anne Murray - Snowbird

(Gene MacLella)
Beneath this snowy mantle cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting for its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers that will bloom again in spring

When I was young my heart was young then, too
Anything that it would tell me, that's the thing that I would do
But now I feel such emptiness within
For the thing that I want most in life's the thing that I can't win

[Chorus:]
Spread your tiny wings and fly away
And take the snow back with you
Where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would
Fly away with you

The breeze along the river seems to say
That he'll only break my heart again should I decide to stay
So, little snowbird, take me with you when you go
To that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow

[Chorus]

here's one by birthday boy Brian Wilson...then stay tuned for a Frank Zappa parody

When some loud braggart tries to put me down
And says his school is great
I tell him right away
"Now what's the matter buddy
Ain't you heard of my school
It's number one in the state"

So be true to your school now
Just like you would to your girl or guy
Be true to your school now
And let your colors fly
Be true to your school

I got a letterman's sweater
With a letter in front
I got for football and track
I'm proud to wear it now
When I cruise around
The other parts of the town
I got a decal in back

So be true to your school now
Just like you would to your girl or guy
Be true to your school now
And let your colors fly
Be true to your school

On Friday we'll be jacked up on the football game
And I'll be ready to fight
We're gonna smash 'em now
My girl will be working on her pom-poms now
And she'll be yelling tonight

So be true to your school now
Just like you would to your girl or guy
Be true to your school now
And let your colors fly
Be true to your school

Rah rah rah Be true to your school
Rah rah rah Be true to your school
Rah rah rah Be true to your school
Rah rah rah Be true to your school

as promised, Frank Zappa's take on high school spirit

I'm losin' status at the high school
I used to think that it was my school...
BOW WOW WOW WOW!
I was the king of every school activity
But that's no more... oh mama!
What will come of me?

The other night we painted posters
They played some records by the Coasters
BOW WOW WOW WOW!
A bunch of pom-pom girls looked down their nose at me.
They had painted tons of posters; I had painted three.
I hear the secret whispers everywhere I go
My school spirit is at an all-time low... BLA-A-A-A!

I'm losing status at the high school
I used to think that it was my school...
BOW WOW WOW WOW!
Everyone in town knows I'm a hand-some football star
I sing & dance & spray my hair & drive a shiny car
I'm friendly & I'm charming... I belong to De Molay
I'm gonna try like mad to get my status back today!
Status back baby
Status back baby
Status back baby
Status back baby

Well, folks, there's our whale back with a great tale in song. Love it, M.D. I had no idea that Brian did such a smaltzy song. That one deserved a parody put down by Zappa.

Teenagers were always crying the blues about love, right?

Artist: Paul Anka
Song: Teenager In Love

Each time we have a quarrel
It almost breaks my heart.
Cuz I'm so afraid,
That we will have to part.
Each night I ask the stars up above,
Why must i be a teenager in love.
One day i feel so happy,
Next day i feel so sad.
I guess I'll learn to take,
The good with the bad.
Cuz each night I ask the stars up above,
Why must i be a teenager in love.
I cried a tear,
For nobody but you.
I'll be a lonely one if you,
Should say we're through.
Well if you want to make me cry,
That won't be so hard to do.
If you should say goodbye,
I'll still go on lovin you.
Each night i ask the stars up above,
Why must i be a teenager in love.
I cried a tear,
For nobody but you.
I'll be a lonely one if you,
Should say we're through.
Well if you want to make me cry,
It won't be so hard to do.
If you should say goodbye,
I'll still go on lovin you.
Each night I ask the stars up above,
(Why must I be a teenager in love.)3x

how about that ?
ELLA FITZGERALD sings STRAUSS ?
hbg

I think Zarathustra just spoke, folks. Thanks for the memory jog, hbg, because this song by Pink Floyd is a representation of the symbols in 2001 A Space odyssey.

Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant tide
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine.

And no one showed us to the land
And no one knows the wheres or whys
But something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb toward the light

Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me
And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand the best I can

And no one calls us to move on
And no one forces down our eyes
And no one speaks and no one tries
And no one flies around the sun

Cloudless every day you fall upon my waking eyes
INCITING and INVITING me to rise
And through the window in the wall
Comes streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning

And no one sings me lullabies
And no one makes me close my eyes
And so I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky

The Ballad Of The Green Berets
The Ballad Of The Green Berets!
Sgt. Barry Sadler and Robin Moore

Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Trained to live off nature's land
Trained in combat, hand-to-hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage peak from the Green Berets

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her his last request

Put silver wings on my son's chest
Make him one of America's best
He'll be a man they'll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret

Victor, ballads are great chroniclers of history. That is a great one, buddy, and the "...silver wings..." reminds me of one of our members who wore them, but has since left us.

Speaking of ballads, folks, I found this one that is very inclusive.


Hall Tom T - Me And Jimmie Rodgers Lyrics


Me and Jimmie Rodgers used to ride them rollin' boxcars in the summer time
Jimmie he'd play his guitar I'd lay back and watch the stars and sip my wine
Me and Audie Murphy used to crawl out on our bellies through the German lines
Audie I won't leave you here
I'll pull you through cause you know you're a friend of mine
Me and Phil Rizzuto didn't we move like lightnin' round there on the double play
I'd look over in the stands and Marilyn would see me and she'd smile and wave
Hell no Coach Lombadi this old broken back ain't nothin' if the game is saved
And fellers if I don't pull through just put a little golden football on my grave
John Wayne he once said to me them Japanese, they'll take that Island
And we've got to save the old Red White and Blue
Someone's got to swim out to that submarine and warn 'em
You know T I hate like hell to ask you to
Me and Sugar Ray we used to spar together up there an old Stillman's Gym
Knowin' someday it would be the garden and the championship for me or him
And Coop if no one in this town is man enough to back you when Frank Miller comes
Come High Noon I'll walk with you I've had a few but I know how to use a gun
[ ac.guitar ]
Betty Grable don't you cry you know you can be a star
And with my drinkin' I'd just hold you back
So go on sign the contracts kid
I'll read about you in some old newspaper from some rack
Cause me and Jimmie Rodgers we still ride them rollin' boxcars in the summer time
Jimmie he plays his guitar I lay back and watch the stars and sip my wine
Me and Audie Murphy we still crawl out on our bellies through the German lines
At away there's scooner shoot that ball to me and I swear we'll get two this time
(So there's old Hank. I said Hank I wrote a real good song and he said lemme hear it
I went out of a truck to get my guitar and the rest is hist'ry)

Here's another Tom T Hall song that I like!

Old Dogs, Children And Watermellon Wine

How old do you think I am he said I said well I didn't know
He said I turned sixty five about eleven months ago
I was sittin' in Miami pourin' blended whiskey down

When this old grey black gentleman was cleanin' up the lounge
There wasn't anyone around 'cept this old man and me

The guy who ran the bar was watching Ironsides on TV
Uninvited he sat down and opened up his mind
On old dogs and children and watermelon wine

Ever had a drink of watermelon wine he asked
He told me all about it though I didn't answer back
Ain't but three things in this world that's worth a solitary dime
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine

He said women think about theyselves when menfolk ain't around
And friends are hard to find when they discover that you're down
He said I tried it all when I was young and in my natural prime
Now it's old dogs and children and watermelon wine

Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes
God bless little children while they're still too young to hate
When he moved away I found my pen and copied down that line
'Bout old dogs and children and watermelon wine

[ harmonica ]

I had to catch a plane up to Atlanta that next day
As I left for my room I saw him pickin' up my change
That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime
Of old dogs and children and watermelon wine

Wow! Victor, that was one great song by Tom T. Thanks, buddy. I enjoy his "Like a Fox on the Run."

Herbie Hancock did a great jazz verion of Watermelon Man, but alas there are no lyrics.

With Independence Day coming up, watermelon is the gourd of choice.

To follow through, folks, let's listen to this one.

Artist/Band: Tracy Byrd
Watermelon Crawl

I was driving thru Georgia in late July
On a day hot enough to make the Devil sigh
I saw a homemade sign written in red
Rind County Watermelon Festival Ahead
Well, I wasn't in a hurry so I slowed down
Took a two lane road to a one horse town
There was a party going on when I got there
I heard a welcome speech from a small town mayor

He said we got a hundred gallons of sweet red wine
Made from the biggest watermelons on the vine
Help yourself to some but obey the law
If you drink don't drive do the watermelon crawl

When the band started playing the watermelon queen said
Let me show you something that you ain't never seen
She grabbed me by the arm said come on let's go
She dipped down spun around and doe-see-doed
She rocked back on her heels dropped down to her knees
Crawled across the floor then she jumped back on her feet
She wiggled and she giggled beat all you ever saw
Said this is how you do the watermelon crawl

She said we got a hundred gallons of sweet red wine
Made from the biggest watermelons on the vine
Help yourself to some but obey the law
If you drink don't drive do the watermelon crawl

Well if you're ever down in Georgia round about July
If you ain't in a hurry then you oughta stop by
I can guarantee that you're gonna have a ball
Learning how to do the watermelon crawl

Well we got a hundred gallons of sweet red wine
Made from the biggest watermelons on the vine
Help yourself to some but obey the law
If you drink don't drive do the watermelon crawl

Do the watermelon crawl
Have fun you all
Do the watermelon crawl

since the sun is about to set , here is DEAN MARTIN to sing :



the alternate version from his performance at the SANDS in las vegas is :

"So I don't care if the sun don't shine ,
i do my drinking in the evening time "

Here's 18 of Tom T Halls songs in wav format!

A Bar With No Beer
America The Ugly
How To Talk To A Little Baby Goat
I Care
I Like Beer
I Love
I Wish I Had A Million Friends
Jesus On The Radio
Old Dogs Children And Watermelon Wine
Randy Raccoon
Sneaky Snake
The Barn Dance
The Duck And The Rooster
The Grocery Truck
The Monkey That Became President
The Mysterious Fox Of Fox Hollow
The Song Of The One Legged Chicken
Who's Gonna Feed Them Hogs