Thanks, Wikipedia.
Facundo Cabral (May 22, 1937 – July 9, 2011) was an Argentine singer and songwriter.
He was best known as the composer of "I'm Not From Here Nor There", which he improvised during one of his concerts.
His songs have been covered by Spanish language interpreters such as Alberto Cortez, who was also a friend of his, Juan Luis Guerra and Joan Manuel Serrat.
After touring the world, Cabral enjoyed popularity in his home country during the early 1980s, when Argentine radio demanded local content after the Falklands War.
He was enormously popular in all Latin American countries. When he performed in Peru or Mexico, which he called his second home, tickets were sold-out long before the performance date(s).
Facundo Cabral was named a United Nations Messenger Of Peace in 1996.
Cabral was born in La Plata.
He first sang in Tandil, 350 km from Buenos Aires.
From the most humble of beginnings he came to inspire millions around the world through his songs, poems and 66 books.
He walked 3,000 km at the age of nine to look for work to support his mother and six siblings after his father abandoned them.
When he left his mother told him "This is the second, and last gift I can give you. The first was to give you life, and the second one, the liberty to live it".
He wrote music that inspired millions. He met Mother Teresa and Jorge Luis Borges. He performed in over 165 countries in eight different languages.
His wife and one-year-old daughter were killed in a plane crash in 1978.
He was nearly blind and crippled, and was a cancer survivor.
He once said: I always ask God, why did you give me so much? You gave me misery, hunger, happiness, struggle, lights. I saw everything. I know there is cancer, syphilis and spring and apple fritters.
Cabral was shot and killed during a tour in Guatemala City while en route to La Aurora International Airport on July 9, 2011.
He was mourned throughout Latin America.
Guatemala's 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu described his death as a great loss for humanity. She likened Cabral as a man who walked the path of Jesus.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez described Cabral as the greatest troubadour of Latin America and the Che Guevara of music.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Dreamgirls - The Mowtown Musical
Thanks, Wikipedia.
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures.
Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is a roman a clef of the histories of the Motown record label and one of its acts, The Supremes.
The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit, Michigan girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive.
The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, who won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie White.
The film also features Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal, and Hinton Battle.
Produced by Laurence Mark, the film's screenplay was adapted by director Bill Condon from the original Broadway book by Tom Eyen.
In addition to the original Kreiger/Eyen compositions, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for this film.
Dreamgirls is the most expensive film to feature an all African American starring cast in American cinema history.
Dreamgirls received three awards at the 64th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture — Musical Or Comedy, and two Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards.
The plot of Dreamgirls is broken up into two sections or acts: The first taking place from 1962 to 1966, and the second taking place from 1973 to 1975.
Backstage at an amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre in 1962, Cadillac salesman Curtis Taylor Jr (Jamie Foxx) meets a girl group known as "The Dreamettes": lead singer Effie White (Jennifer Hudson), and back-up singers Deena Jones (Beyonce Knowles) and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose).
Curtis presents himself as the Dreamettes' new manager and arranges for the Dreamettes to become backup singers for local R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy).
With ambitions of making Black singers mainstream successes among White audiences, Curtis starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership, and appoints Effie's brother, CC (Keith Robinson), as his head songwriter.
However, when their first single fails after a White pop group releases a cover version, Curtis, CC and their producer Wayne (Hinton Battle) turn to payola to make Jimmy and the Dreamettes pop stars.
Offstage, Effie becomes infatuated with the slick-talking Curtis, while the married Jimmy begins an affair with Lorrell.
Jimmy's manager Marty (Danny Glover) grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out.
However, when Jimmy bombs in front of a mostly white Miami Beach audience, Curtis sends Jimmy out on the road alone, keeping the Dreamettes behind to headline in his place.
Feeling that Effie's large figure and voice will not attract White audiences, Curtis appoints the slimmer Deena lead singer and renames the group "The Dreams".
With the aid of new songs and a more glamorous image, Curtis and CC transform The Dreams into a top selling mainstream pop act by 1965.
However, Effie begins acting out, particularly when Curtis' affections also turn towards Deena.
Curtis drops Effie from the group, hiring his secretary, Michelle (Sharon Leal), to take her place.
Nine years later, in 1973, Effie has become an impoverished welfare mother, living in inner-city Detroit with her daughter Magic.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Records has moved to Los Angeles, where the Dreams - now "Deena Jones & The Dreams" - have become superstars.
Jimmy Early, on the other hand, has descended into drug addiction, his career neglected due to Curtis' preoccupation with Deena, now also his wife.
When Jimmy has a breakdown onstage at Rainbow's tenth anniversary TV special the following year, Curtis drops him from the label, and Lorrell ends their long affair.
Some time later, Jimmy is found dead in a hotel room from a heroin overdose.
Angered over Curtis' increasing control over his music, and his lack of sympathy upon learning of Jimmy's death, CC quits and returns to Detroit to find Effie, who has been rebuilding her career in music with Marty as her manager.
The two siblings reconcile, and CC writes and produces Effie's comeback single, "One Night Only".
Just as the record begins gaining radio play in Detroit, Curtis uses payola to force radio stations to play a disco cover of "One Night Only" by Deena Jones & The Dreams instead.
His plan falls apart when Deena, angry over Curtis' control of her career, finds evidence of his payola schemes and contacts Effie and CC.
Deena and Effie reconcile, while Curtis, wanting to avoid being reported to the FBI for his payola operation, agrees to give Effie's record national distribution.
Inspired by Effie's victory, Deena leaves Curtis to make it on her own.
As a result, Deena Jones & The Dreams give a farewell performance at the Detroit Theatre.
At the conclusion of the concert, Deena invites Effie to join the group onstage and sing lead for the final performance of the group's signature song, "Dreamgirls".
As the concert ends, Curtis notices Magic in the front row and realises that he is the girl's father.
Cast:
Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor Jr - Based upon Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr.
Curtis is a slick Cadillac dealer-turned-record executive who founds the Rainbow Records label and shows ruthless ambition in his quest to make his Black artists household names with White audiences.
At first romantically involved with Effie, Curtis takes a professional and personal interest in Deena after appointing her lead singer of the Dreams in Effie's place.
Beyonce Knowles as Deena Jones - Based upon Motown star Diana Ross.
Deena is a shy young woman who becomes a star after Curtis makes her lead singer of The Dreams.
This, as well as her romantic involvement and later marriage to Curtis, draws Effie's ire, though Deena realises over time she is a puppet for her controlling husband.
Knowles was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role.
Eddie Murphy as James "Thunder" Early - Inspired by R&B/soul singers such as James Brown, Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, Early is a raucous performer on the Rainbow label whom Curtis attempts to repackage as a pop-friendly balladeer.
Jimmy's star fades as The Dreams' star rises and he falls into drugs and an adulterous affair with Dreams member Lorrell.
Murphy won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the film.
Jennifer Hudson as Effie White - Inspired by Supremes member Florence Ballard and soul singers Etta James and Aretha Franklin.
The plus-sized Effie is a talented yet temperamental singer who suffers when Curtis, the man she loves, replaces her as lead singer of The Dreams and his love interest, and later drops her altogether.
With the help of Jimmy's old manager Marty, Effie attempts to resurrect her career a decade later, while raising her daughter Magic, the offspring of her union with Curtis.
Hudson won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie.
Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinso - Inspired by Supremes member Mary Wilson.
Lorell is a good-natured background singer with The Dreams who falls deeply in love with the married Jimmy Early and becomes his mistress.
Danny Glover as Marty Madison, Jimmy's original manager before Curtis steps into the picture.
Marty serves as both counsel and confidant to Jimmy, and later to Effie as well.
Keith Robinson as CC White - Inspired by Motown vice president, artist and songwriter Smokey Robinson.
CC is Effie's soft-spoken younger brother and his real name is Clarence Conrad.
He serves as the main songwriter for The Dreamettes and later the entire Rainbow roster.
Sharon Leal as Michelle Morris - Based on The Supremes member Cindy Birdsong.
Michelle replaces Effie in The Dreams and becomes CC's love interest.
She is at first Curtis' secretary until she becomes one of The Dreams' background singers.
Hinton Battle as Wayne, a salesman at Curtis' Cadillac dealership who becomes Rainbow's first record producer and Curtis' henchman.
Dreamgirls also features supporting performances from Mariah I. Wilson as Magic, Effie's daughter, Yvette Cason as May Jones, Deena's mother, Ken Page as club owner Max Washington and Alexander Folk as Ronald White, Effie and CC's father.
Cameo appearances in the film are made by John Lithgow and John Krasinski as a film producer and writer/director, Jaleel White as a talent booker at the Detroit Theatre, Dawnn Lewis as Melba Early, Jimmy's wife and Loretta Devine, who originated the role of Lorrell on Broadway, as a jazz singer in Max Washington's club.
Throughout the film, a number of musical acts depicted as allusions to or analogues of real-life R&B performers appear, among them Little Albert & The Tru-Tones (Little Anthony & The Imperials), Tiny Joe Dixon (BB King), The Family Funk (Sly & The Family Stone or the Motown house band The Funk Brothers) and The Campbell Connection (The Jackson 5).
The musical Dreamgirls was staged in the National Theatre, Malaysia from July 14-24, 2011.
It was produced by Broadway Academy and starred among others, TV personalities Cheryl Samad and Azura Zainal and reality show graduates Dina Nadzir and Dafi Ismail Sabri.
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures.
Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is a roman a clef of the histories of the Motown record label and one of its acts, The Supremes.
The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit, Michigan girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive.
The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, who won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie White.
The film also features Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal, and Hinton Battle.
Produced by Laurence Mark, the film's screenplay was adapted by director Bill Condon from the original Broadway book by Tom Eyen.
In addition to the original Kreiger/Eyen compositions, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for this film.
Dreamgirls is the most expensive film to feature an all African American starring cast in American cinema history.
Dreamgirls received three awards at the 64th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture — Musical Or Comedy, and two Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards.
The plot of Dreamgirls is broken up into two sections or acts: The first taking place from 1962 to 1966, and the second taking place from 1973 to 1975.
Backstage at an amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre in 1962, Cadillac salesman Curtis Taylor Jr (Jamie Foxx) meets a girl group known as "The Dreamettes": lead singer Effie White (Jennifer Hudson), and back-up singers Deena Jones (Beyonce Knowles) and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose).
Curtis presents himself as the Dreamettes' new manager and arranges for the Dreamettes to become backup singers for local R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy).
With ambitions of making Black singers mainstream successes among White audiences, Curtis starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership, and appoints Effie's brother, CC (Keith Robinson), as his head songwriter.
However, when their first single fails after a White pop group releases a cover version, Curtis, CC and their producer Wayne (Hinton Battle) turn to payola to make Jimmy and the Dreamettes pop stars.
Offstage, Effie becomes infatuated with the slick-talking Curtis, while the married Jimmy begins an affair with Lorrell.
Jimmy's manager Marty (Danny Glover) grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out.
However, when Jimmy bombs in front of a mostly white Miami Beach audience, Curtis sends Jimmy out on the road alone, keeping the Dreamettes behind to headline in his place.
Feeling that Effie's large figure and voice will not attract White audiences, Curtis appoints the slimmer Deena lead singer and renames the group "The Dreams".
With the aid of new songs and a more glamorous image, Curtis and CC transform The Dreams into a top selling mainstream pop act by 1965.
However, Effie begins acting out, particularly when Curtis' affections also turn towards Deena.
Curtis drops Effie from the group, hiring his secretary, Michelle (Sharon Leal), to take her place.
Nine years later, in 1973, Effie has become an impoverished welfare mother, living in inner-city Detroit with her daughter Magic.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Records has moved to Los Angeles, where the Dreams - now "Deena Jones & The Dreams" - have become superstars.
Jimmy Early, on the other hand, has descended into drug addiction, his career neglected due to Curtis' preoccupation with Deena, now also his wife.
When Jimmy has a breakdown onstage at Rainbow's tenth anniversary TV special the following year, Curtis drops him from the label, and Lorrell ends their long affair.
Some time later, Jimmy is found dead in a hotel room from a heroin overdose.
Angered over Curtis' increasing control over his music, and his lack of sympathy upon learning of Jimmy's death, CC quits and returns to Detroit to find Effie, who has been rebuilding her career in music with Marty as her manager.
The two siblings reconcile, and CC writes and produces Effie's comeback single, "One Night Only".
Just as the record begins gaining radio play in Detroit, Curtis uses payola to force radio stations to play a disco cover of "One Night Only" by Deena Jones & The Dreams instead.
His plan falls apart when Deena, angry over Curtis' control of her career, finds evidence of his payola schemes and contacts Effie and CC.
Deena and Effie reconcile, while Curtis, wanting to avoid being reported to the FBI for his payola operation, agrees to give Effie's record national distribution.
Inspired by Effie's victory, Deena leaves Curtis to make it on her own.
As a result, Deena Jones & The Dreams give a farewell performance at the Detroit Theatre.
At the conclusion of the concert, Deena invites Effie to join the group onstage and sing lead for the final performance of the group's signature song, "Dreamgirls".
As the concert ends, Curtis notices Magic in the front row and realises that he is the girl's father.
Cast:
Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor Jr - Based upon Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr.
Curtis is a slick Cadillac dealer-turned-record executive who founds the Rainbow Records label and shows ruthless ambition in his quest to make his Black artists household names with White audiences.
At first romantically involved with Effie, Curtis takes a professional and personal interest in Deena after appointing her lead singer of the Dreams in Effie's place.
Beyonce Knowles as Deena Jones - Based upon Motown star Diana Ross.
Deena is a shy young woman who becomes a star after Curtis makes her lead singer of The Dreams.
This, as well as her romantic involvement and later marriage to Curtis, draws Effie's ire, though Deena realises over time she is a puppet for her controlling husband.
Knowles was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role.
Eddie Murphy as James "Thunder" Early - Inspired by R&B/soul singers such as James Brown, Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, Early is a raucous performer on the Rainbow label whom Curtis attempts to repackage as a pop-friendly balladeer.
Jimmy's star fades as The Dreams' star rises and he falls into drugs and an adulterous affair with Dreams member Lorrell.
Murphy won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the film.
Jennifer Hudson as Effie White - Inspired by Supremes member Florence Ballard and soul singers Etta James and Aretha Franklin.
The plus-sized Effie is a talented yet temperamental singer who suffers when Curtis, the man she loves, replaces her as lead singer of The Dreams and his love interest, and later drops her altogether.
With the help of Jimmy's old manager Marty, Effie attempts to resurrect her career a decade later, while raising her daughter Magic, the offspring of her union with Curtis.
Hudson won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie.
Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinso - Inspired by Supremes member Mary Wilson.
Lorell is a good-natured background singer with The Dreams who falls deeply in love with the married Jimmy Early and becomes his mistress.
Danny Glover as Marty Madison, Jimmy's original manager before Curtis steps into the picture.
Marty serves as both counsel and confidant to Jimmy, and later to Effie as well.
Keith Robinson as CC White - Inspired by Motown vice president, artist and songwriter Smokey Robinson.
CC is Effie's soft-spoken younger brother and his real name is Clarence Conrad.
He serves as the main songwriter for The Dreamettes and later the entire Rainbow roster.
Sharon Leal as Michelle Morris - Based on The Supremes member Cindy Birdsong.
Michelle replaces Effie in The Dreams and becomes CC's love interest.
She is at first Curtis' secretary until she becomes one of The Dreams' background singers.
Hinton Battle as Wayne, a salesman at Curtis' Cadillac dealership who becomes Rainbow's first record producer and Curtis' henchman.
Dreamgirls also features supporting performances from Mariah I. Wilson as Magic, Effie's daughter, Yvette Cason as May Jones, Deena's mother, Ken Page as club owner Max Washington and Alexander Folk as Ronald White, Effie and CC's father.
Cameo appearances in the film are made by John Lithgow and John Krasinski as a film producer and writer/director, Jaleel White as a talent booker at the Detroit Theatre, Dawnn Lewis as Melba Early, Jimmy's wife and Loretta Devine, who originated the role of Lorrell on Broadway, as a jazz singer in Max Washington's club.
Throughout the film, a number of musical acts depicted as allusions to or analogues of real-life R&B performers appear, among them Little Albert & The Tru-Tones (Little Anthony & The Imperials), Tiny Joe Dixon (BB King), The Family Funk (Sly & The Family Stone or the Motown house band The Funk Brothers) and The Campbell Connection (The Jackson 5).
The musical Dreamgirls was staged in the National Theatre, Malaysia from July 14-24, 2011.
It was produced by Broadway Academy and starred among others, TV personalities Cheryl Samad and Azura Zainal and reality show graduates Dina Nadzir and Dafi Ismail Sabri.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Jim Morrison - Troubled Rocker, Troubled Genius
From Wikipedia.
James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors, as well as a poet.
Born in Melbourne, Florida, he was of British and Native American ancestry.
In 1947, Morrison, then four, witnessed a car accident in the desert, where a family of Native Americans perished.
He referred to this incident in the song Dawn's Highway from the album An American Prayer, and again in the songs Peace Frog and Ghost Song.
Morrison believed the incident to be the most formative event of his life and made repeated references to it in his songs, poems and interviews.
With his father in the United States Navy, Morrison's family moved often. He spent his childhood in San Diego, California.
In 1958, Morrison attended Alameda High School in Alameda, California. He graduated from George Washington High School (now George Washington Middle School) in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1961.
Jim was inspired by the writings of philosophers and poets. He was influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Rimbaud, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Kenneth Patchen, Michael McClure and Gregory Corso.
In 1964, Morrison moved to Los Angeles, California, to attend the University Of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Morrison completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA's College Of Fine Arts in 1965.
Morrison subsequently led a bohemian lifestyle in Venice Beach. Living on the rooftop of a building inhabited by his old UCLA cinematography friend Dennis Jakobs, he wrote the lyrics of many of his band's songs there.
The Doors, formed in 1965 by Morrison, took their name from the title of Aldous Huxley's The Doors Of Perception (a reference to the "unlocking" of "doors of perception" through psychedelic drug use).
Morrison was its lead singer and songwriter. The group's best known songs included Light My Fire, Love Me Two Times, Love Her Madly and Touch Me.
Light My Fire eventually reached number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.
In 1967, Morrison and The Doors produced a promotional film for Break On Through (To The Other Side), their hit single.
The Doors also made music videos for The Unknown Soldier, Moonlight Drive and People Are Strange.
Morrison became addicted to drugs over the course of his singing career and in 1969, he was seriously overweight.
His close friends nicknamed him Jumbo Jim. During his early days, Morrison was nicknamed the Lizard King.
Morrison self-published two volumes of poetry in 1969.
In 1971, Morrison visited Paris and lost some weight. He was found dead by his girlfriend, Pamela Courson, on July 3, 1971 in his bathroom.
He was believed to have overdosed on drugs. Courson died of an overdose three years later. Like Morrison, she was also 27.
Morrison was buried in Paris' Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
In 1991, Val Kilmer played Morrison in Oliver Stone's film The Doors.
James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors, as well as a poet.
Born in Melbourne, Florida, he was of British and Native American ancestry.
In 1947, Morrison, then four, witnessed a car accident in the desert, where a family of Native Americans perished.
He referred to this incident in the song Dawn's Highway from the album An American Prayer, and again in the songs Peace Frog and Ghost Song.
Morrison believed the incident to be the most formative event of his life and made repeated references to it in his songs, poems and interviews.
With his father in the United States Navy, Morrison's family moved often. He spent his childhood in San Diego, California.
In 1958, Morrison attended Alameda High School in Alameda, California. He graduated from George Washington High School (now George Washington Middle School) in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1961.
Jim was inspired by the writings of philosophers and poets. He was influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Rimbaud, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Kenneth Patchen, Michael McClure and Gregory Corso.
In 1964, Morrison moved to Los Angeles, California, to attend the University Of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Morrison completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA's College Of Fine Arts in 1965.
Morrison subsequently led a bohemian lifestyle in Venice Beach. Living on the rooftop of a building inhabited by his old UCLA cinematography friend Dennis Jakobs, he wrote the lyrics of many of his band's songs there.
The Doors, formed in 1965 by Morrison, took their name from the title of Aldous Huxley's The Doors Of Perception (a reference to the "unlocking" of "doors of perception" through psychedelic drug use).
Morrison was its lead singer and songwriter. The group's best known songs included Light My Fire, Love Me Two Times, Love Her Madly and Touch Me.
Light My Fire eventually reached number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.
In 1967, Morrison and The Doors produced a promotional film for Break On Through (To The Other Side), their hit single.
The Doors also made music videos for The Unknown Soldier, Moonlight Drive and People Are Strange.
Morrison became addicted to drugs over the course of his singing career and in 1969, he was seriously overweight.
His close friends nicknamed him Jumbo Jim. During his early days, Morrison was nicknamed the Lizard King.
Morrison self-published two volumes of poetry in 1969.
In 1971, Morrison visited Paris and lost some weight. He was found dead by his girlfriend, Pamela Courson, on July 3, 1971 in his bathroom.
He was believed to have overdosed on drugs. Courson died of an overdose three years later. Like Morrison, she was also 27.
Morrison was buried in Paris' Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
In 1991, Val Kilmer played Morrison in Oliver Stone's film The Doors.
Madonna Louise Ciccone - Queen Of Pop
From Wikipedia.
Madonna Louise Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American recording artiste, actress and entrepreneur also known as the Queen Of Pop.
Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance.
After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983.
She... followed it with a series of albums in which she found immense popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV.
Throughout her career, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, Like A Prayer, Vogue, Frozen, Music, Hung Up, and 4 Minutes.
She is widely admired by liberal people for speaking her mind and challenging cultural orthodoxy.
Her career was further enhanced by film appearances that began in 1979.
She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress In A Motion Picture Musical Or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996).
Madonna's other ventures include being a fashion designer, children's book author, film director and producer.
Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognised as the world's top-selling female recording artiste by the Guinness World Records.
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artistes, making her the most successful solo artiste in the history of the Billboard chart.
She was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the same year.
Considered one of the "25 Most Powerful Women Of The Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image.
Madonna's mother Louise Fortin was of French descent from Canada and a relative of Canadian singer Celine Dion.
Her father Anthony Ciccone, is a first-generation Italian American.
The Ciccone family originated from Pacentro, Italy.
She is the third of six siblings.
Her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 30 in 1963.
Madonna attended Rochester Adams High School, and was a straight-A student.
She went to New York in 1977 to learn dance.
She formed a rock band called The Breakfast Club, and served as its vocalist and guitarist.
Her debut single, Everybody, was released on October 6, 1982.
IN the same year she started developing her debut album Madonna, which was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas of Warner Bros.
It contained the chart-topping hit Like A Virgin and was released in 1983.
In 1985, Madonna acted in the film Desperately Seeking Susan which featured her hit song Into The Groove.
In the same year she married Lithuanian-American actor and producer Sean Penn.
They were divorced in 1987.
True Blue, Madonna's third studio album, was released in 1986. It spawned three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: Live To Tell, Papa Don't Preach and Open Your Heart.
It also had two top five singles, True Blue and La Isla Bonita.
In 1990, Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy, with Warren Beatty playing the title role. To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album I'm Breathless, which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting.
In 2000, Madonna starred in the film The Next Best Thing, and contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack: Time Stood Still and American Pie, a cover version of Don McLean's 1971 song.
She released her eighth studio album, Music, in September 2000.
Madonna Louise Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American recording artiste, actress and entrepreneur also known as the Queen Of Pop.
Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance.
After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983.
She... followed it with a series of albums in which she found immense popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV.
Throughout her career, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, Like A Prayer, Vogue, Frozen, Music, Hung Up, and 4 Minutes.
She is widely admired by liberal people for speaking her mind and challenging cultural orthodoxy.
Her career was further enhanced by film appearances that began in 1979.
She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress In A Motion Picture Musical Or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996).
Madonna's other ventures include being a fashion designer, children's book author, film director and producer.
Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognised as the world's top-selling female recording artiste by the Guinness World Records.
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artistes, making her the most successful solo artiste in the history of the Billboard chart.
She was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the same year.
Considered one of the "25 Most Powerful Women Of The Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image.
Madonna's mother Louise Fortin was of French descent from Canada and a relative of Canadian singer Celine Dion.
Her father Anthony Ciccone, is a first-generation Italian American.
The Ciccone family originated from Pacentro, Italy.
She is the third of six siblings.
Her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 30 in 1963.
Madonna attended Rochester Adams High School, and was a straight-A student.
She went to New York in 1977 to learn dance.
She formed a rock band called The Breakfast Club, and served as its vocalist and guitarist.
Her debut single, Everybody, was released on October 6, 1982.
IN the same year she started developing her debut album Madonna, which was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas of Warner Bros.
It contained the chart-topping hit Like A Virgin and was released in 1983.
In 1985, Madonna acted in the film Desperately Seeking Susan which featured her hit song Into The Groove.
In the same year she married Lithuanian-American actor and producer Sean Penn.
They were divorced in 1987.
True Blue, Madonna's third studio album, was released in 1986. It spawned three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: Live To Tell, Papa Don't Preach and Open Your Heart.
It also had two top five singles, True Blue and La Isla Bonita.
In 1990, Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy, with Warren Beatty playing the title role. To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album I'm Breathless, which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting.
In 2000, Madonna starred in the film The Next Best Thing, and contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack: Time Stood Still and American Pie, a cover version of Don McLean's 1971 song.
She released her eighth studio album, Music, in September 2000.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Farewell Clarence Clemons, Noor Azian Ahmad Said And Zami Ismail
The weekend of June 18 and 19, 2011 saw the loss of three great people who helped develop art and music in Malaysia and the United States.
They were Clarence Clemons, Bruce Springsteen's band member, saxophonist and mentor, Noor Azian Ahmad Said, the mother of Malaysia's King of Cartoonists Datuk Mohamad Noor Khalid or Lat and film maker Mamat Khalid, and veteran Malaysian actor and comedian Zami Ismail.
Clemons, 69, also released solo albums and in 1985 he had a hit with You're A Friend Of Mine. He also starred in films as Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure with Keanu Reeves, and TV series as The Simpsons and Different Strokes. Clemons was married five times and has four sons.
Zami, 68, of Tapah, Perak, was best known for starring in long-running sitcom Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu. He also advertised Mamee noodles in television commercials in the 1970s where he voiced the Mamee monster and the Mamee singing chef. He is survived by his wife Hanizan Ibrahim and nine children including actor Opie Zami and director Latiff 'Hitler' Zami.
Noor Azian, 90, of Gopeng, Perak is survived by five children including eldest son Lat and youngest son Mamat.
They were Clarence Clemons, Bruce Springsteen's band member, saxophonist and mentor, Noor Azian Ahmad Said, the mother of Malaysia's King of Cartoonists Datuk Mohamad Noor Khalid or Lat and film maker Mamat Khalid, and veteran Malaysian actor and comedian Zami Ismail.
Clemons, 69, also released solo albums and in 1985 he had a hit with You're A Friend Of Mine. He also starred in films as Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure with Keanu Reeves, and TV series as The Simpsons and Different Strokes. Clemons was married five times and has four sons.
Zami, 68, of Tapah, Perak, was best known for starring in long-running sitcom Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu. He also advertised Mamee noodles in television commercials in the 1970s where he voiced the Mamee monster and the Mamee singing chef. He is survived by his wife Hanizan Ibrahim and nine children including actor Opie Zami and director Latiff 'Hitler' Zami.
Noor Azian, 90, of Gopeng, Perak is survived by five children including eldest son Lat and youngest son Mamat.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Largest Malaysian Towns And Cities 2011
1 Subang Jaya 1 553 589
2 KUALA LUMPUR 1 475 337
3 Kajang 1 299 115
4 Klang 1 113 851
5 Ampang Jaya 804 901
6 Selayang 785 527
7 IPOH 704 572
8 KUCHING 674 281
9 SHAH ALAM 671 282
10 Petaling Jaya 638 516
11 JOHOR BARU 610 940
12 KOTA KINABALU 604 078
13 Sandakan 501 195
14 GEORGETOWN 482 976
15 SEREMBAN 477 908
16 Sekudai 465 360
17 MELAKA 433 047
18 KUANTAN 422 020
19 Tawau 381 736
20 Pasir Gudang 376 283
21 KOTA BARU 356 615
22 Sungai Petani 347 761
23 Bukit Mertajam 321 172
24 KUALA TERENGGANU 286 317
25 Miri 280 518
26 Muar 237 134
27 Batu Pahat 237 037
28 ALOR SETAR 231 045
29 Kulim 228 662
30 Taiping 212 562
31 Sibu 210 879
32 Kulai 201 861
33 Bintulu 199 514
34 Kluang 188 521
35 Penampang 169 769
36 Nibong Tebal 143 151
37 Temerloh 132 467
38 Lahad Datu 128 589
39 Bagan Serai 124 697
40 Sitiawan 122 329
41 Butterworth 122 322
42 Keningau 120 578
43 Kuala Selangor 119 648
44 Cukai 118 529
45 Port Dickson 102 259
46 Kuala Kubu Baru 96 611
47 Dungun 94 291
48 Segamat 94 255
49 Banting 93 497
50 Pontian Kecil 88 230
51 Labuan 81 151
52 Alor Gajah 77 521
53 KANGAR 74 396
54 Sungai Besar 73 290
55 Kuala Kangsar 72 625
56 Jitra 69 743
57 Semporna 68 839
58 Bentong 66 996
59 Tapah 66 511
60 Kota Tinggi 64 739
61 Teluk Intan 58 431
62 Batu Gajah 58 098
63 Banting 57 731
64 Raub 49 333
65 Kuah 41 605
66 Salak Tinggi 40 364
67 Jerantut 40 092
68 Papar 39 625
69 Labis 37 826
70 Bahau 36 645
71 Kampar 35 566
72 Limbang 34 351
73 Kudat 33 378
74 Pekan 33 089
75 Tampin 32 917
76 Tumpat 32 194
77 Sarikei 30 083
78 Tanah Merah 28 565
79 Sri Aman 26 110
80 Kunak 22 912
81 Marang 21 360
82 Mersing 21 309
83 Tanjung Malim 19 710
84 Ranau 19 521
85 Pasir Mas 19 231
86 Gua Musang 19 173
87 Kuala Krai 19 153
88 Simpang Renggam 18 711
89 Kuala Pilah 18 382
90 Beaufort 17 954
91 Kapit 16 689
92 Kuala Lipis 16 285
93 Jasin 15 113
94 Kota Belud 14 522
95 Besut 13 654
2 KUALA LUMPUR 1 475 337
3 Kajang 1 299 115
4 Klang 1 113 851
5 Ampang Jaya 804 901
6 Selayang 785 527
7 IPOH 704 572
8 KUCHING 674 281
9 SHAH ALAM 671 282
10 Petaling Jaya 638 516
11 JOHOR BARU 610 940
12 KOTA KINABALU 604 078
13 Sandakan 501 195
14 GEORGETOWN 482 976
15 SEREMBAN 477 908
16 Sekudai 465 360
17 MELAKA 433 047
18 KUANTAN 422 020
19 Tawau 381 736
20 Pasir Gudang 376 283
21 KOTA BARU 356 615
22 Sungai Petani 347 761
23 Bukit Mertajam 321 172
24 KUALA TERENGGANU 286 317
25 Miri 280 518
26 Muar 237 134
27 Batu Pahat 237 037
28 ALOR SETAR 231 045
29 Kulim 228 662
30 Taiping 212 562
31 Sibu 210 879
32 Kulai 201 861
33 Bintulu 199 514
34 Kluang 188 521
35 Penampang 169 769
36 Nibong Tebal 143 151
37 Temerloh 132 467
38 Lahad Datu 128 589
39 Bagan Serai 124 697
40 Sitiawan 122 329
41 Butterworth 122 322
42 Keningau 120 578
43 Kuala Selangor 119 648
44 Cukai 118 529
45 Port Dickson 102 259
46 Kuala Kubu Baru 96 611
47 Dungun 94 291
48 Segamat 94 255
49 Banting 93 497
50 Pontian Kecil 88 230
51 Labuan 81 151
52 Alor Gajah 77 521
53 KANGAR 74 396
54 Sungai Besar 73 290
55 Kuala Kangsar 72 625
56 Jitra 69 743
57 Semporna 68 839
58 Bentong 66 996
59 Tapah 66 511
60 Kota Tinggi 64 739
61 Teluk Intan 58 431
62 Batu Gajah 58 098
63 Banting 57 731
64 Raub 49 333
65 Kuah 41 605
66 Salak Tinggi 40 364
67 Jerantut 40 092
68 Papar 39 625
69 Labis 37 826
70 Bahau 36 645
71 Kampar 35 566
72 Limbang 34 351
73 Kudat 33 378
74 Pekan 33 089
75 Tampin 32 917
76 Tumpat 32 194
77 Sarikei 30 083
78 Tanah Merah 28 565
79 Sri Aman 26 110
80 Kunak 22 912
81 Marang 21 360
82 Mersing 21 309
83 Tanjung Malim 19 710
84 Ranau 19 521
85 Pasir Mas 19 231
86 Gua Musang 19 173
87 Kuala Krai 19 153
88 Simpang Renggam 18 711
89 Kuala Pilah 18 382
90 Beaufort 17 954
91 Kapit 16 689
92 Kuala Lipis 16 285
93 Jasin 15 113
94 Kota Belud 14 522
95 Besut 13 654
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Happy 85th Birthday Marilyn Monroe
From Wikipedia.
The late great Marilyn Monroe was one of the great sex goddesses of the modern era. Her 85th birthday is June 1, 2011.
Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortenson (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an American actress, singer and model.
After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946.
Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received.
By 1953, Monroe had progressed to leading roles.
Her "dumb blonde" persona was used to comedic effect in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) and The Seven Year Itch (1955).
Limited by typecasting, Monroe studied at the Actors Studio to broaden her range, and her dramatic performance in Bus Stop (1956) was hailed by critics, and she received a Golden Globe nomination.
Her production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, released The Prince And The Showgirl (1957), for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination and won a David Di Donatello Award.
She received a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like It Hot (1959).
The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with.
The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture.
Though officially classified as a "probable suicide", the possibility of an accidental overdose, as well as the possibility of homicide, have not been ruled out.
In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute.
In the years and decades following her death, Monroe has often been cited as a pop and cultural icon as well as an eminent American sex symbol.
Monroe was born in the Los Angeles County Hospital, the third child of Gladys Pearl Baker (May 27, 1902 – March 11, 1984).
Monroe's birth certificate names her father as Martin Edward Mortensen.
Baker had married Mortensen in 1924, but they had separated before Gladys' pregnancy.
Throughout her life, Monroe denied that Mortensen was her father.
She said that she had been shown a photograph of a man that Gladys identified as her father, Charles Stanley Gifford.
Gladys was mentally unstable and financially unable to care for the young Norma Jean, so she placed her with foster parents Albert and Ida Bolender of Hawthorne, California, where she lived until she was seven.
While living with the Bolenders, an unusual incident occurred.
One day, Gladys came to the Bolenders and demanded that Norma Jean be released back into her care.
Ida knew that Gladys was unstable at that time and insisted that this situation would not benefit Norma Jean.
Unwilling to cooperate, Gladys managed to pull Ida into the yard while she ran inside the house, locking the door behind her.
After several minutes, Gladys walked out of the front door with one of Albert Bolender's military duffel bags.
To Ida's horror, Gladys had stuffed the now screaming Norma Jean inside the bag, zipped it up, and proceeded to leave the house. Ida charged towards Gladys and the quarrel resulted in the bag splitting open.
Norma Jean fell out and began weeping loudly as Ida grabbed her and pulled her back inside the house, away from Gladys.
In 1933, Gladys bought a house and brought Norma Jean to live with her.
A few months after moving in, Gladys suffered a mental breakdown.
Norma Jean was declared a ward of the state, and Gladys' best friend, Grace McKee, became her guardian.
It was Grace who had told Monroe that someday she would become a movie star.
Grace was captivated by Jean Harlow.
Grace married Ervin Goddard in 1935, and nine-year-old Norma Jean was sent to the Los Angeles Orphans Home (later renamed Hollygrove).
In 1937, Grace took Norma Jean back to live with her, Goddard, and one of Goddard's daughters from a previous marriage.
This arrangement did not last for long, as Goddard attempted on several occasions to sexually assault her.
Disturbed by this, Grace sent her to live with her great-aunt, Olive Brunings in Compton, California.
This arrangement also did not last long, as 12-year-old Norma Jean was assaulted (sexually) by one of Olive's sons.
In early 1938, Grace sent her to live with yet another one of her aunts, Ana Lower, who lived in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles.
The time with Lower provided the young Norma Jean with one of the few stable periods in her life.
By 1942, the elderly Lower developed serious health problems, and thus Norma Jean went back to live with the Goddards.
While attending Van Nuys High School, she met a neighbour's son, James Dougherty and began a relationship with him.
They got married that year.
In 1943, with World War II raging, he enlisted in the Merchant Marine and was shipped out to the Pacific.
Norma Jean found employment in the Radioplane Munitions Factory. She sprayed airplane parts with fire retardant and inspected parachutes.
During this time, Army photographer David Conover snapped a photograph of her for a Yank magazine article.
He encouraged her to apply to The Blue Book Modeling Agency.
She signed with the agency and began researching the work of Jean Harlow and Lana Turner.
She was told that they were looking for models with lighter hair, so Norma Jean bleached her brunette hair to a golden blonde.
Norma Jean became one of Blue Book's most successful models, appearing on dozens of magazine covers.
Jim Dougherty was oblivious of his wife's new job until he discovered one of his shipmates admiring a revealing photo of Norma Jean in a magazine.
Dougherty corresponded with her via several letters stating that once he returned from service, she would have to give up her modeling.
A dissatisfied Norma Jean, who now saw the possibilities of a modeling and acting career, decided then to divorce Dougherty.
The marriage ended when he returned from overseas in 1946.
Her successful modeling career brought her to the attention of Ben Lyon, a 20th Century Fox executive, who arranged a screen test.
Lyon was impressed and commented, "It's Jean Harlow all over again."
Lyon did not like the name Norma Jean and chose Marilyn Monroe (Monroe is her mother's maiden name) for Norma Jean.
Marilyn Monroe's first movie role was an uncredited role as a telephone operator in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim in 1947.
She won a brief role that year in Dangerous Years and extra appearances in Green Grass Of Wyoming and You Were Meant For Me.
In 1948, Monroe signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and was introduced to the studio's head drama coach Natasha Lytess, who became her acting coach for several years.
She starred in the low-budget musical Ladies Of The Chorus.
She had a small role in the Marx Brothers film Love Happy (1949).
Love Happy brought Monroe to the attention of the talent agent, Johnny Hyde, who arranged for her to audition for John Huston's drama The Asphalt Jungle, playing the young mistress of an aging criminal.
Her performance brought strong reviews and was seen by the writer and director, Joseph Mankiewicz.
He accepted Hyde's suggestion of Monroe for a small comedic role in All About Eve as Miss Caswell, an aspiring actress.
Monroe enrolled at UCLA in 1951 where she studied literature and art appreciation, and appeared in several minor films playing opposite long-established performers as Mickey Rooney, Constance Bennett, June Allyson, Dick Powell and Claudette Colbert.
In 1951, she appeared as a presenter at the 23rd Academy Awards.
In 1952, Monroe appeared on the cover of Look magazine.
In March 1952, Monroe faced a possible scandal when one of her nude photos from a 1949 session with photographer Tom Kelley was featured in a calendar.
The press speculated about the identity of the anonymous model and commented that she closely resembled Monroe.
As the studio discussed how to deal with the problem, Monroe suggested that she should simply admit that she had posed for the photograph but emphasised that she had done so only because she had no money to pay her rent.
She gave an interview in which she discussed the circumstances that led to her posing for the photographs, and the resulting publicity elicited a degree of sympathy for her plight as a struggling actress.
She made her first appearance on the cover of Life magazine in April 1952, where she was described as "The Talk Of Hollywood".
Stories of her childhood and upbringing portrayed her in a sympathetic light.
It was during this time that she began dating baseball player Joe DiMaggio. They were married in 1954.
Four films in which Monroe featured were released in 1952.
First, Clash By Night, a Barbara Stanwyck drama, directed by Fritz Lang. It was favourably received by critics.
Next came We're Not Married!, Don't Bother To Knock and Monkey Business.
Darryl F. Zanuck cast her in Niagara, as a femme fatale scheming to murder her husband, played by Joseph Cotten.
Her next film in 1953 was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes co-starring Jane Russell and directed by Howard Hawks.
This was followed by How To Marry A Millionaire, River Of No Return and There's No Business Like Show Business.
In 1954, shortly after There's No Business Like Show Business, she starred in The Seven Year Itch.
Not long after the film, she and DiMaggio were divorced.
In 1955, Monroe dated playwright Arthur Miller. She studied at the Actors Studio, and befriended actors Kevin McCarthy and Eli Wallach.
In Bus Stop, Monroe played Cherie, a saloon singer with little talent who falls in love with a cowboy, Beauregard "Bo" Decker, played by Don Murray.
She received a Golden Globe nomination.
She married Miller in 1956. A year later she co-starred with Lord Laurence Olivier in The Prince And The Showgirl. In 1959 came Some Like It Hot which earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress.
From 1959 onwards, Monroe became addicted to drugs. She became an ardent fan of the new United States President John F. Kennedy and had an affair with him.
Marilyn Monroe was found dead of a drug overdose at her home on August 5, 1962. The last person she spoke to was Kennedy. Many fans believe the CIA killed her in order to implicate Kennedy. She and Miller had been divorced in earlier that year.
She was buried on August 8, 1962 at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles.
The late great Marilyn Monroe was one of the great sex goddesses of the modern era. Her 85th birthday is June 1, 2011.
Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortenson (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an American actress, singer and model.
After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946.
Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received.
By 1953, Monroe had progressed to leading roles.
Her "dumb blonde" persona was used to comedic effect in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) and The Seven Year Itch (1955).
Limited by typecasting, Monroe studied at the Actors Studio to broaden her range, and her dramatic performance in Bus Stop (1956) was hailed by critics, and she received a Golden Globe nomination.
Her production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, released The Prince And The Showgirl (1957), for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination and won a David Di Donatello Award.
She received a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like It Hot (1959).
The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with.
The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture.
Though officially classified as a "probable suicide", the possibility of an accidental overdose, as well as the possibility of homicide, have not been ruled out.
In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute.
In the years and decades following her death, Monroe has often been cited as a pop and cultural icon as well as an eminent American sex symbol.
Monroe was born in the Los Angeles County Hospital, the third child of Gladys Pearl Baker (May 27, 1902 – March 11, 1984).
Monroe's birth certificate names her father as Martin Edward Mortensen.
Baker had married Mortensen in 1924, but they had separated before Gladys' pregnancy.
Throughout her life, Monroe denied that Mortensen was her father.
She said that she had been shown a photograph of a man that Gladys identified as her father, Charles Stanley Gifford.
Gladys was mentally unstable and financially unable to care for the young Norma Jean, so she placed her with foster parents Albert and Ida Bolender of Hawthorne, California, where she lived until she was seven.
While living with the Bolenders, an unusual incident occurred.
One day, Gladys came to the Bolenders and demanded that Norma Jean be released back into her care.
Ida knew that Gladys was unstable at that time and insisted that this situation would not benefit Norma Jean.
Unwilling to cooperate, Gladys managed to pull Ida into the yard while she ran inside the house, locking the door behind her.
After several minutes, Gladys walked out of the front door with one of Albert Bolender's military duffel bags.
To Ida's horror, Gladys had stuffed the now screaming Norma Jean inside the bag, zipped it up, and proceeded to leave the house. Ida charged towards Gladys and the quarrel resulted in the bag splitting open.
Norma Jean fell out and began weeping loudly as Ida grabbed her and pulled her back inside the house, away from Gladys.
In 1933, Gladys bought a house and brought Norma Jean to live with her.
A few months after moving in, Gladys suffered a mental breakdown.
Norma Jean was declared a ward of the state, and Gladys' best friend, Grace McKee, became her guardian.
It was Grace who had told Monroe that someday she would become a movie star.
Grace was captivated by Jean Harlow.
Grace married Ervin Goddard in 1935, and nine-year-old Norma Jean was sent to the Los Angeles Orphans Home (later renamed Hollygrove).
In 1937, Grace took Norma Jean back to live with her, Goddard, and one of Goddard's daughters from a previous marriage.
This arrangement did not last for long, as Goddard attempted on several occasions to sexually assault her.
Disturbed by this, Grace sent her to live with her great-aunt, Olive Brunings in Compton, California.
This arrangement also did not last long, as 12-year-old Norma Jean was assaulted (sexually) by one of Olive's sons.
In early 1938, Grace sent her to live with yet another one of her aunts, Ana Lower, who lived in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles.
The time with Lower provided the young Norma Jean with one of the few stable periods in her life.
By 1942, the elderly Lower developed serious health problems, and thus Norma Jean went back to live with the Goddards.
While attending Van Nuys High School, she met a neighbour's son, James Dougherty and began a relationship with him.
They got married that year.
In 1943, with World War II raging, he enlisted in the Merchant Marine and was shipped out to the Pacific.
Norma Jean found employment in the Radioplane Munitions Factory. She sprayed airplane parts with fire retardant and inspected parachutes.
During this time, Army photographer David Conover snapped a photograph of her for a Yank magazine article.
He encouraged her to apply to The Blue Book Modeling Agency.
She signed with the agency and began researching the work of Jean Harlow and Lana Turner.
She was told that they were looking for models with lighter hair, so Norma Jean bleached her brunette hair to a golden blonde.
Norma Jean became one of Blue Book's most successful models, appearing on dozens of magazine covers.
Jim Dougherty was oblivious of his wife's new job until he discovered one of his shipmates admiring a revealing photo of Norma Jean in a magazine.
Dougherty corresponded with her via several letters stating that once he returned from service, she would have to give up her modeling.
A dissatisfied Norma Jean, who now saw the possibilities of a modeling and acting career, decided then to divorce Dougherty.
The marriage ended when he returned from overseas in 1946.
Her successful modeling career brought her to the attention of Ben Lyon, a 20th Century Fox executive, who arranged a screen test.
Lyon was impressed and commented, "It's Jean Harlow all over again."
Lyon did not like the name Norma Jean and chose Marilyn Monroe (Monroe is her mother's maiden name) for Norma Jean.
Marilyn Monroe's first movie role was an uncredited role as a telephone operator in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim in 1947.
She won a brief role that year in Dangerous Years and extra appearances in Green Grass Of Wyoming and You Were Meant For Me.
In 1948, Monroe signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and was introduced to the studio's head drama coach Natasha Lytess, who became her acting coach for several years.
She starred in the low-budget musical Ladies Of The Chorus.
She had a small role in the Marx Brothers film Love Happy (1949).
Love Happy brought Monroe to the attention of the talent agent, Johnny Hyde, who arranged for her to audition for John Huston's drama The Asphalt Jungle, playing the young mistress of an aging criminal.
Her performance brought strong reviews and was seen by the writer and director, Joseph Mankiewicz.
He accepted Hyde's suggestion of Monroe for a small comedic role in All About Eve as Miss Caswell, an aspiring actress.
Monroe enrolled at UCLA in 1951 where she studied literature and art appreciation, and appeared in several minor films playing opposite long-established performers as Mickey Rooney, Constance Bennett, June Allyson, Dick Powell and Claudette Colbert.
In 1951, she appeared as a presenter at the 23rd Academy Awards.
In 1952, Monroe appeared on the cover of Look magazine.
In March 1952, Monroe faced a possible scandal when one of her nude photos from a 1949 session with photographer Tom Kelley was featured in a calendar.
The press speculated about the identity of the anonymous model and commented that she closely resembled Monroe.
As the studio discussed how to deal with the problem, Monroe suggested that she should simply admit that she had posed for the photograph but emphasised that she had done so only because she had no money to pay her rent.
She gave an interview in which she discussed the circumstances that led to her posing for the photographs, and the resulting publicity elicited a degree of sympathy for her plight as a struggling actress.
She made her first appearance on the cover of Life magazine in April 1952, where she was described as "The Talk Of Hollywood".
Stories of her childhood and upbringing portrayed her in a sympathetic light.
It was during this time that she began dating baseball player Joe DiMaggio. They were married in 1954.
Four films in which Monroe featured were released in 1952.
First, Clash By Night, a Barbara Stanwyck drama, directed by Fritz Lang. It was favourably received by critics.
Next came We're Not Married!, Don't Bother To Knock and Monkey Business.
Darryl F. Zanuck cast her in Niagara, as a femme fatale scheming to murder her husband, played by Joseph Cotten.
Her next film in 1953 was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes co-starring Jane Russell and directed by Howard Hawks.
This was followed by How To Marry A Millionaire, River Of No Return and There's No Business Like Show Business.
In 1954, shortly after There's No Business Like Show Business, she starred in The Seven Year Itch.
Not long after the film, she and DiMaggio were divorced.
In 1955, Monroe dated playwright Arthur Miller. She studied at the Actors Studio, and befriended actors Kevin McCarthy and Eli Wallach.
In Bus Stop, Monroe played Cherie, a saloon singer with little talent who falls in love with a cowboy, Beauregard "Bo" Decker, played by Don Murray.
She received a Golden Globe nomination.
She married Miller in 1956. A year later she co-starred with Lord Laurence Olivier in The Prince And The Showgirl. In 1959 came Some Like It Hot which earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress.
From 1959 onwards, Monroe became addicted to drugs. She became an ardent fan of the new United States President John F. Kennedy and had an affair with him.
Marilyn Monroe was found dead of a drug overdose at her home on August 5, 1962. The last person she spoke to was Kennedy. Many fans believe the CIA killed her in order to implicate Kennedy. She and Miller had been divorced in earlier that year.
She was buried on August 8, 1962 at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles.
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