21/10/2011 0 comments

Elton John | Elton John Biography

Date of Birth
25 March 1947, Pinner, Greater London, England, UK

Birth Name
Reginald Kenneth Dwight

Nickname
Sharon (given to him by Rod Stewart)

Height
5' 7¾" (1.72 m)

Mini Biography

Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (unsuccessfully) as lead singer for the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Gentle Giant. Dwight teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin and changed his name to Elton John (merging the names of saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry). The duo wrote songs for Lulu and Roger Cook. In the early 1970s, he recorded the concept album "Tumbleweed Connection." He became the most successful pop artist of the 1970s, and he has survived many different pop fads including punk, the New Romantics and Britpop to remain one of Britain's most internationally acclaimed musicians.

Elton John announced he was a bisexual in 1976, and in 1984, he married Renate Blauel. The marriage lasted four years before he finally came to terms with the fact that he was actually homosexual. In the 1970s and 1980s, he suffered from drug and alcohol addiction and bulimia but came through it. He is well known as a campaigner for AIDS research and he keeps his finger on the pulse of modern music, enjoying artists such as Eminem, Radiohead, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. He was knighted in 1997.

source : http://www.imdb.com/





0 comments

Eminem | Eminem Biography

Known To His Parents As:
Marshall Bruce Mathers III

Born October 17, 1972 in Detroit, MI

Interesting Facts:
Prior to his multi-platinum major debut album, The Slim Shady LP, Eminem already had an underground album titled Infinite, and reportedly sold 500 copies out of the trunk.

Eminem is the second highest selling rapper of all time, right behind the late Tupac Shakur.

In His Own Words:

"Why is it so hard for people to believe that white people are poor?! I wouldn't say I lived in a ghetto, I'd say I lived in the 'hood. The same friends I had back then are the same people on tour with me now."

An Early Fan of Hip-Hop:

Eminem fell in love with hip-hop as a teen, dipping in and out of various rap groups. From the defunct New Jacks crew to Soul Intent, Em constantly utilized every available platform to showcase his microphone skills early on. Along with a friend named Manix, then 14 year-old Marshall would often perform in the basement under the moniker Manix and M&M. Marshall Mathers later changed his stage name to Eminem, playing off his own initials.

Infinite Skills:

Having conquered the local rap scene in Detroit through freestyle battles, Eminem had a buzz before he had a career. The obvious setback was gaining acceptance as a Caucasian rapper in a pre-dominantly Black neighborhood. Em would later drop the laudable, Infinite LP, in '96. Naturally, he was still struggling to discover his own style. As part of his quest for uniqueness, Eminem borrowed largely from the rhyme pattern of east coast veterans AZ, Masta Ace, Redman, and Nas, on Infinite.

My Name is Mr. Controversy:

Some argue that Eminem's career is hinged on shock raps and controversial dispositions. After being discovered by Dr. Dre, who allegedly found Em's demo tape on the garage floor, the Detroit MC said 'hi' to the world with his comedic single, "My Name Is." The song sniped at pop culture icons, but it was only a taste of several controversies that would later fill Eminem's rap sheet. An accompanying full length, The Slim Shady LP, would go on to win the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

The Dirty Dozen:

Following Dre's advice, Em waited until after the multiple-platinum Marshall Mathers LP to bring his D-12 cronies along for the ride. D-12 was originally comprised of Bugz, Proof, Kon Artis, Kuniva, Swifty, Bizarre, and Eminem. The group witnessed a dark phase in their early days when Bugz (Karnail Pitts) was killed on May 21, 1999, following an altercation at a party on Detroit's Belle Isle Park. The dark days were relived on April 12, 2006, as Proof was gunned down at a Detroit club.

Encore and Curtain Call:

Eminem probably lost some fans with the release of his fourth solo album, Encore. The album, a sequel to The Eminem Show, was criticized for its cartoon-ish imagery and regurgitated concepts. Even though it spawned gems like the plodding political punch, "Mosh," and the introspective "Yellow Brick Road," it was still considered a disappointing hip-hop album by Eminem standards. In late 2005, he dropped the greatest hits set, Curtain Call, hinting at a possible retirement from rap.

Re-Divorce, Relapse, and Recovery:

On January 14, 2006, Eminem rekindled his relationship with Kim Mathers by taking her to the altar for the second time. D-12 member and longtime friend Proof served as the rapper's best man, while daughter Hailie played Kim's bride-of-honor. Three months after their second marriage, Eminem filed for divorce from Kim, stating that a wedding doesn't solve underlying marital problems.

In 2009, Eminem reverted to his Slim Shady persona on his comeback album Relapse. He followed it up with the therapeutic Recovery LP in June 2010.

Business Ventures:

Some of Eminem's business ventures include:

Shady Records
ShadE45 Sirius Satellite Radio
Shady Ltd. Clothing

source : http://rap.about.com/





19/10/2011 0 comments

On The Stile

On The Stile

On The Stile (1878), Winslow Homer, gouache, and graphite on wove paper, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, Photograph 2002 Board of trustees, National Gallery of Art .

Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was a one of the greatest American painters of the 19th century and considered by many to be the greatest American watercolorist ever. He painted sensitive, but realistic scenes of everyday life, as well as landscape and seascapes.





14/10/2011 0 comments

Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds

Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds

Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds (1871), Martin Johnson Heade, Oil on wood, Gift of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Photograph 2002 Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art .

Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904) was very concerned with capturing the effects of light on the landscape. Inspired by his trevels to South America, he also rendered detailed, atmospheric paintings of plants and birds, either as still lifes or in natural setting.





12/10/2011 0 comments

Niagara

Niagara

Niagara (1857), Frederic Edwin Chruch, Oil on canvas, in the Collection of The Corcoran Gallery of Art Museum Purchase,Gallery Fund .

Frederic Edwin Chruch (1828-1990), was one of the most celebrated landscape painters of the mid-18th century. His paintings were beautifully detailed and grand in scale. Widely treveled, Chruch was inspired to paint not only the marvels of North America, but also those of South America and other areas of the world.





30/09/2011 0 comments

Watson and the Shark

Watson and the Shark
Watson and the Shark (1778), Oil on canvas, Ferdinand Lammot Belin Fund, Photograph 2002 Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art.

John Singleton Copley (1738-1815) was one of the most accomplished painters of early America. He trained under his stepfather, an engraver who had immigrated to Boston from England, but was also influenced by local and traveling artists oh his day. Watson and the Shark was Copley's retelling of a real incident that had once occurred in the harbor at Havana, Cuba.





0 comments

The Westwood Children

The Westwood Children

The Westwood Children, (circa 1807), Joshua Johnson, Oil on canvas, Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chlysler Garbisch, Photograph 2002 Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art.

Joshua Johnson (Born 1763) is the most well-known African American artist of the 18th century. The son of a white father and slave mother, Joshua Johnson was born a slave but later freed. Unschooled, like most American artists of the time, he painted portraits, usually for the prominent families of his native Baltimore, Maryland.





 
;