Emily Brontë
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born July 30, 1818(1818-07-30)
Thornton, Yorkshire, England
Died December 19, 1848 (aged 30)
Haworth, Yorkshire, England
Occupation Novelist, poet
Emily Jane Brontë (pronounced /ˈbrɒnti/); (July 30, 1818 - December 19, 1848) was a British novelist and poet, now best remembered for her only novel Wuthering Heights, a classic of English literature. Emily was the second eldest of the three surviving Brontë sisters, being younger than Charlotte and older than Anne. She published under the masculine pen name Ellis Bell.
Biography
Emily Brontë was born in Thornton, near Bradford in Yorkshire to Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell. She was the younger sister of Charlotte Brontë and the fifth of six children. In 1824, the family moved to Haworth, where Emily's father was perpetual curate, and it was in these surroundings that their literary oddities flourished. In childhood, after the death of their mother, the three sisters and their brother Patrick Branwell Brontë created imaginary lands (Angria, Gondal, Gaaldine, Oceania, Switzerland[citation needed]), which were featured in stories they wrote. Little of Emily's work from this period survived, except for poems spoken by characters (The Brontës' Web of Childhood, Fannie Ratchford, 1941).
In 1842, Emily commenced work as a governess at Miss Patchett's Ladies Academy at Law Hill School, near Halifax, leaving after about six months due to homesickness. Later, with her sister Charlotte, she attended a private school in Brussels run by Constantin Heger and his wife, Claire Zoé Parent Heger. They later tried to open up a school at their home, but had no pupils.
It was the discovery of Emily's poetic talent by Charlotte that led her and her sisters to publish a joint collection of their poetry in 1846, Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. To evade contemporary prejudice against female writers, the Brontë sisters adopted androgynous first names. All three retained the first letter of their first names: Charlotte became Currer Bell, Anne became Acton Bell, and Emily became Ellis Bell. In 1847, she published her only novel, Wuthering Heights, as two volumes of a three volume set (the last volume being Agnes Grey by her sister Anne). Its innovative structure somewhat puzzled critics. Although it received mixed reviews when it first came out, the book subsequently became an English literary classic. In 1850, Charlotte edited and published Wuthering Heights as a stand-alone novel and under Emily's real name.
Emily's health, like her sisters', had been weakened by the harsh local climate at home and at school. She caught a cold during the funeral of her brother in September which led to tuberculosis. Consequently, having refused all medical help, she died on December 19, 1848 at about two in the afternoon. She was interred in the Church of St. Michael and All Angels family capsule, Haworth, West Yorkshire, England.
Popular culture
Emily Brontë is popularly regarded as the epitome of the talented writer who died after a short blaze of genius, more so than either of her sisters. Allusions to her in popular works are infrequent. The Hollywood film Devotion, filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, was a loosely historical biography of the sisters, with Emily portrayed by Ida Lupino and Charlotte by Olivia de Havilland.
In the 1973 Yorkshire Televsion mini-series, The Brontes of Haworth, Emily Bronte was played by Rosemary McHale.
In the 1967 film Week End by Jean-Luc Godard, Emily Brontë appears in a scene in which one of the main characters asks her for directions.
"The Spanish Inquisition", an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, featured a sketch named "The Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights", in which the two main characters communicated from separate hilltops using semaphore flags.
Kate Bush wrote a song named "Wuthering Heights", named for and based on Emily's novel.
In the video game Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, one of the levels is called "Weathering Heights", in a reference to the book Wuthering Heights.
Wuthering Heights is referenced and quoted by various characters throughout Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, particularly Eclipse.
One of the relevant places in the cartoon The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy is an asylum named "Withering Heights", once more a pun on Wuthering Heights.
The McGuire Sisters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Origin Miamisburg, Ohio, United States
Genre(s) Traditional Pop
Years active 1952-1968
Website McGuire Sisters' page on the Primarily A Cappella site
Former members
Christine McGuire, Dorothy McGuire, and Phyllis McGuire
The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. They consisted of Christine McGuire (born July 30, 1926), Dorothy McGuire (born February 13, 1928), and Phyllis McGuire (born February 14, 1931).
They were born in Middletown, Ohio and grew up in Miamisburg, Ohio, where their mother, Lillie, was an ordained minister of the Miamisburg First Church of God and let them sing in the church as young girls. They sang at weddings, funerals, and church revivals. When they started in 1935, Phyllis was only four years old. Eventually, they sang on other occasions than church-related ones; by 1949, they were singing at military bases and veterans' hospitals. They incorporated a more diverse repertoire for these, extending themselves to more than the hymns they had sung at church.
In 1952, they appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, and as a result, Godfrey hired them for his other shows, where they remained for seven years. They performed for five Presidents of the United States (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush), and for Queen Elizabeth II, as well as appearing on many top television shows. The Coca-Cola company signed them to a contract with the highest fee in advertising history up to that date.
The McGuire Sisters, and most especially Phyllis McGuire, were the subjects of a 1995 HBO movie called Sugartime, which depicted Phyllis' relationship with mobster Sam Giancana. Giancana was played by actor John Turturro and Phyllis was played by Mary Louise Parker.
In 1968, they retired from public performance. Phyllis went to a solo act; Dorothy and Christine became totally devoted to their families. Seventeen years later, however, they joined as an act again in response to fans' entreaties.
In 1994, they were inducted into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In 2001, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They have also been inducted into the Coca-Cola Hall of Fame and the Headliners' Hall of Fame.
Edd Byrnes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born Edward Byrne Breitenberger
July 30, 1933 (1933-07-30) (age 75)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation Film, television actor
Edd Byrnes (born Edward Byrne Breitenberger on July 30, 1933) is an American actor known for his starring roles in the television series 77 Sunset Strip.
Early life
Born Edward Byrne Breitenberger in New York City on 30 July 1933, Edd shared an impoverished and unhappy childhood with brother Vincent and sister Jo-Ann. When Edd was 13, his father died. Edd then dropped his last name in favor of "Byrnes" based on the name of his maternal grandfather, a New York City fireman.
Screen career
His most famous role was as Gerald Lloyd "Kookie" Kookson, III, on the ABC television detective series 77 Sunset Strip. He played a continuously hair-combing serial killer in the pilot, Girl on the Run, but he was so popular as a result that the producers brought back the following week as a regular cast member in a different role. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. explained the situation to the audience:
We previewed this show, and because Edd Byrnes was such a hit we decided that Kookie and his comb had to be in our series. So this week, we'll just forget that in the pilot he went off to prison to be executed.
- From the pre-credit sequence for the episode "Lovely Lady, Pity Me"
Kookie's constant tending of his ducktail haircut led to many jokes and a hit song, "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb", which he recorded with Connie Stevens. The Kookie character was an example of the hipster sidekick who talks jive talk and knows what is "the word on the street".
Byrnes was later hired to host the pilot version of Wheel of Fortune. He has appeared in many television programs and movies including three Spaghetti Westerns.
Byrnes also made a cameo appearance in an episode of Married
with Children, in which he appeared with the music group Anthrax whereupon Anthrax sang "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb".
In 1962 he married long-time girlfriend, Asa Maynor. Their son, Logan, was born on September 13, 1965. Edd and Asa's marriage ended in divorce in 1971. His son Logan Byrnes is a news anchor for FOX's affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut.
He ranked #5 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" (23 January 2005 issue).
His fan mail soon reached an astonishing 15,000 letters a week, according to Picture Magazine in 1961.
Due to the restrictions in his Warner Brothers contract, he was forced to turn down roles in Ocean's Eleven (1960), North to Alaska (1960) and Rio Bravo (1959).
He also played the role of Vince Fontaine in the 1978 smash movie Grease.
Byrnes wrote an autobiography in 1996 entitled "Kookie No More." He presently signs copies of his book, and his next schedule public appearance for fans is the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Aberdeen, Maryland in September 2008.
Later life
In recent years, Edd Byrnes (born Edward Byrne Breitenberger) threatened to sue actor Edward Burns if he did not change his name. This is ironic because unlike Edd Byrnes, that is Edward Burns' actual birth name.[1]
Lately, Edd Byrnes spends his recent years traveling, selling autographed pictures at car shows at various locations. However, recent reports cite that because of his rude and unprofessional behavior toward fans, car enthusiasts, and his charging above average rates for his autographed pictures, many car shows have banned Mr. Byrnes. In fact, the president of Kustom Kemps Of America vowed never to use Edd Byrnes again at any of his car shows because of Mr. Byrnes' unacceptable behavior and high rates. Several sources state that on October 25th 2007 at the Blast With The Past car show in Denison Texas, that Edd Byrnes started yelling obscenities at a little girl and her father for videotaping in his direction. Mr. Byrnes claimed that he "did not want people coming around recording him and his pictures for free, (without paying him) and then making movies about him". It was reported that Edd Byrnes made the child cry, who had recently seen the movie Grease and had only wanted to meet him. Witnesses claim that Mr. Byrnes left a very bad impression on them. This in fact, was reported on both local news (CBS and NBC affiliates) KXII and KTEN, as well as the Herald Democrat Newspaper.
Paul Anka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Birth name Paul Albert Anka
Born July 30, 1941 (1941-07-30) (age 66), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Origin Ottawa, Ontario
Genre(s) Pop
Jazz
Rock
Occupation(s) Singer
Songwriter
Instrument(s) Vocals, Piano
Years active 1955 - Present
Paul Albert Anka, OC (born 30 July 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor of Lebanese origin.[1] He became a naturalized US citizen in 1990.[2]
Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hits songs like Diana, Lonely Boy, and Put Your Head on My Shoulder. He went on to write such well known music as the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Tom Jones' biggest hit She's A Lady, and the English lyrics for Frank Sinatra's signature song My Way.
Early life
Anka's parents, who owned a restaurant, were of Lebanese Christian (Maronite) descent.[a] He sang with the St Elijah Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Church choir under the direction of Frederick Karam with whom he studied music theory. He also studied piano with Winnifred Rees.[3]
Career
Early success
Anka recorded his first single I Confess at age 14. In 1957 he went to New York City where he auditioned for Don Costa at ABC, singing a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter.[4] The song, "Diana", brought Anka instant stardom as it rocketed to number one on the charts.[5] Diana is one of the best selling 45s in music history.[6] He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958,[7] making him, at 17, one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He toured Britain and then, with Buddy Holly, he toured Australia.
His talent went beyond singing.the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (reworked in 1962 from a song Anka wrote earlier called Toot Sweet which had been rewritten with lyrics and recorded by Annette Funicello in 1959 as It's Really Love); Tom Jones' biggest hit record "She's a Lady"; and the English lyrics to "My Way", Frank Sinatra's signature song sung by many well known artists.
In the 1960s Anka began acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit movie The Longest Day. From his movie work, he wrote and recorded one of his greatest hits, "Lonely Boy". He then went on to become one of the first pop singers to perform at the Las Vegas casinos. Anka returns to Canada several times a year, regularly playing to sold out crowds at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Comeback
In 1960 Anka signed with RCA Records, but like most North American recording artists, saw his career stalled by the British Invasion. In the early seventies he signed with Buddah. After more than ten years without a hit record, he signed with United Artists, and in 1974, he teamed up with Odia Coates to record the number 1 hit, (You're) Having My Baby. They would record two more duets that both made it into the Top 10. These were "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone" (#8) and "One Man Woman/One Woman Man" (#7). In 1975, he recorded a jingle for Kodak called 'The Times of Your Life'. The jingle, written by Bill Lane and Roger Nichols, became so popular, that Anka recorded it as a full song, and it became a hit a year later, peaking at #7 in the U.S. pop charts.
By the 1970s, Anka's career centered around adult contemporary and big-band standards, played regularly in Las Vegas. On September 6, 1990, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. In 2005, his album Rock Swings, comprising big-band arrangements of contemporary standards, provided a mainstream comeback of sorts and saw Anka awarded a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.
In 1999, he visited Lebanon for sell-out performances at the Forum de Beyrouth (The Beirut Forum).
Recognition
Paul Anka was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame[8] in 1980. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[9]. at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. Anka has also received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame,[10]. in 2005. In 1991, the Government of France honored him with the title 'Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters'. He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada[11] in 2005.
Anka was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993.
In December 2007, Paul Anka was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
In October of 1995, he appeared in Treehouse of Horror VI on The Simpsons.
On the CW show Gilmore Girls, Lorelai named her new dog Paul Anka. He also made a guest appearance as himself in the episode 'The Real Paul Anka', which aired April 11, 2006.
He became infamous among musicians, and more recently, Internet users for a mid-1970s after-show tirade which was secretly recorded by a 'snake we later fired' (Anka: Fresh Air interview). The diatribe, in which Anka berates his crew and band members, has spawned a number of in-joke references and quotations, the main ones being: 'The guys get shirts', 'Don't make a maniac out of me', and 'Slice like a hammer.'
Personal life
He was married to Anne De Zogheb, the daughter of Lebanese diplomat Count Charles de Zogheb, from February 16, 1963 to September 28, 2000[citation needed]. Anka met De Zogheb in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1962. Of English, Lebanese, French, Dutch and Greek descent, she was a fashion model on assignment and under contract to the Eileen Ford Agency. The couple married the following year in a ceremony at Orly Airport in Paris. De Zogheb quit modelling after their second child, Amanda, was born. They have five daughters: Amelia, Anthea, Alicia, Amanda (wife of actor Jason Bateman) and Alexandra.
Anka has a son, Ethan (born 2005), with girlfriend Anna Yeager.[12].
He is the grandfather of Francesca Nora Bateman, born October 2006.
Strained relations with Ottawa
Paul Anka has had an on-again/off-again relationship with his hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. After a 1981 performance for which he received a negative review, he swore off performing in Ottawa. He returned for a performance in April 2002 at a fund-raiser gala at the Ottawa Congress Centre.[13]
In 1981, Ottawa City Council named August 26, 1981 'Paul Anka Day' to celebrate his 25th anniversary in show-business.[14] A street in Ottawa is named 'Paul Anka Drive' in his honour.
In 1991, he signed an investment agreement with the new Ottawa Senators NHL franchise. The agreement ended up being dissolved in an out-of-court settlement in 1993.
Trouble! Computer and I are having difficulty conversing. My apologies but I'll have to abort for now.
Bob
Thank you Letty, for posting that song.
Stacy and I both greatly appreciate that, and we liked the video that came with it.
Good morning.
For Paul Anka's birthday, let's listen to him do a song we can dedicate to Dads everywhere.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=xeTTZWS2moc
hawkman, I totally understand your situation. It happens to all of us occasionally.
Mysteryman, you are most welcome. It is always nice to see people happy in marriage.
Until the hawkman has a chance to un-abort, here is a funny one, folks, and another dedication.
A married couple in their early 60s was celebrating their 40th wedding
anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant.
Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table
She said, 'For being such an exemplary married couple and for being
loving to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.'
The wife answered, 'Oh, I want
to travel around the world with my
darling husband.'
The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the Queen
Mary II appeared in her hands.
The husband thought for a moment: 'Well, this is all very romantic, but
an opportunity like this will never come again.
I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than
me.'
The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish.
So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof!..the husband became 92 years old.
The moral of this story: Men who are ungrateful bastards should remember
fairies are female.....
Back in a moment, firefly, to acknowledge your song by Paul. Until that time, here is the song dedication to whom? Our Raggedy, of course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHDwHx3F6BA
Oh, thank you Letty. <<sigh>> That's lovely.
But, of course, there's only one Heathcliff for me. (I think Emily would have, if she could have, chosen him, too. )
Wishing all a great day.
firefly, that was the most heart rending song by Paul Anka that I have ever heard. I had to listen a couple of times, then wait for the tears to dry before responding. Thank you for the philosophy of the apple and the tree.
Well, there's our Raggedy in the company of Olivier. Thanks, PA, and as usual, folks, I recall reading the book Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier when I was a wee thing.
Here is a clip from that movie, then an explanation of the surprise ending of the book.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2giX7ghrTY&feature=related
The basic facts about the novel.
A shy ladies' companion, staying in Monte Carlo with her stuffy employer, meets the wealthy Maxim de Winter. She and Max fall in love, marry and return to Manderlay, his large country estate in Cornwall. Max is still troubled by the death of his first wife, Rebecca, in a boating accident the year before. The second Mrs. de Winter clashes with the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, and discovers that Rebecca still has a strange hold on everyone at Manderlay.
The wonderful discovery is that Max never loved Rebecca, and the shadow that hangs over him is the wonderment of whether he killed Rebecca. It was discovered that she killed herself because she was dieing. Thus, the spell of Rebecca is gone, and when the De Winters return to Manderlay, the house is in flames, and all traces of the haunted past burn with it.
I never read the book, but that was a great movie, Letty.
I guess the title of this one sort of fits the ending of Rebecca.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vh3SmpAcVg&feature=related
Perfect, firefly. Tom Jones is sometimes good.
Actually, fly of fire, I got no further in the book than I did in trying to read The Snows of Kilimanjaro. The frozen leopard is what intrigued me as did the estate of the De Winters. That appealed to me as haunted houses once did. Now we know that Mrs. Danvers destroyed Manderly.
According to Greek mythology, prometheus gave fire to the human race and was later punished for doing so.
Here's one that follows the fire theme, folks, but for a different reason.
I like this version better than The Doors'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRj80y_SGI8
I really like the way Texas Monthly magazine handled Willie Nelson's 75th birthday. (Last April 30th)
Er, edgar. Something that you wanted to play, Texas?
Here are two favorites of almost everyone, folks, and in addition, Keith Richards is in this group.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H00Ncyr49hY&feature=related
I just wanted to share that cover. But, now I think about it, here is Willie singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr6ZtG6HAhU
er, edgar, Now that I think about it, I just played Jerry Lee and Will-ie. Loved Trouble in Mind by them both.
It's unusual to hear Willie sing Star Dust, Texas.
Well, folks, time for me to say goodnight, and I can't think of a better way to do so than with this wonderful trio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sXGT0WhFnU
And to all of you out there,
From Letty with love
We haven't heard much from female singers today. So, I'm saying goodnight with this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp0JRxfF3k&feature=related
Good morning, WA2K folks.
firefly, I love the vocalist and the song. Thanks for both.
Well, today is Debbie Gibson's birthday, and I am not familiar with her at all, but I like this song and her delivery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXkeuHZomdI
