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Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana. Cyrus recorded music for the soundtracks, Hannah Montana (2006) and Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), released by Walt Disney Records. With the success of the Hannah Montana franchise she established herself as a teen idol. In 2007, Cyrus signed to Hollywood Records to pursue a solo career. She embarked upon the Best of Both Worlds Tour the same year, in which she performed as both herself and in character as Hannah Montana. The tour was eventually turned into a high-grossing concert film entitled Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008). In July 2008, Cyrus released her first solo album, Breakout (2008), which was commercially successful.
She began her foray into film by providing the voice of "Penny" in the animated film Bolt (2008). Cyrus earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for her performance of Bolt's theme song, "I Thought I Lost You". She also reprised her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). The Hannah Montana: The Movie' soundtrack introduced her to new audiences within country and adult contemporary markets.
She began to cultivate an adult image in 2009 with the release of The Time of Our Lives (2009), an extended play which presented a more mainstream pop sound, and by filming The Last Song (2010), a coming-of-age drama film. The former included Cyrus's best-selling single, "Party in the U.S.A." (2009). A studio album titled Can't Be Tamed was released in 2010 and presents a new dance-pop sound. The music video and lyrics of the album's lead single, "Can't Be Tamed", portrays a more sexualized image for the entertainer. Cyrus ranked number thirteen on Forbes' 2010 Celebrity 100. In April 2011, Cyrus was named the 64th hottest woman in the world on Maxim's Hot 100. In May 2011, Cyrus was also named the 89th sexiest woman in the world on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the world.
Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A.
Miley Cyrus - The Climb - Official Music Video (HQ)
Miley Cyrus - 7 Things
Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed
Miley Cyrus - Who Owns My Heart
Miley Cyrus - When I Look At You
Miley Cyrus Starkey Hearing Gala Red Carpet interview
Early life
Cyrus was born on November 23, 1992 in Nashville, Tennessee to Letitia "Tish"[8] (born Finley) and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus.[9][10] Her parents named her Destiny Hope because they believed that she would accomplish great things with her life. They gave her the nickname "Smiley", which was later shortened to "Miley", because she smiled so often as a baby.[11] Cyrus suffers from a mild heart condition causing tachycardia which, though not dangerous, is often bothersome.[12] She is of Irish, Scottish, English, French, Welsh, Dutch and Cherokee ancestry.[13]
Against the wishes of her father's record company,[14] Cyrus's parents secretly married a year after Cyrus's birth on December 28, 1993.[10][15] Tish had two children from a previous relationship: Trace and Brandi. Billy Ray adopted Trace and Brandi when they were young.[16] She has a half-brother, Christopher Cody, Billy Ray's son from a brief relationship, born the same year as Miley; he grew up with his mother in South Carolina.[14] Tish and Billy Ray had two more children, Braison and Noah. Cyrus's godmother is entertainer Dolly Parton.[17] Cyrus was very close to her paternal grandfather, Democratic politician Ronald Ray Cyrus.[18] Cyrus has paid her grandfather several tributes since his death in 2006, including eventually changing her middle name to "Ray".[19] According to Cyrus's father, "A lot of people say Miley changed her name to Miley Ray because of Billy Ray, but that's not true. She did that in honor of my dad, because the two of them just loved each other to pieces."[12]
Cyrus grew up on a 500-acre (2.0 km2) farm in Franklin, Tennessee, approximately an hour away from Nashville,[20] and attended Heritage Elementary School.[21] She was raised Christian and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church prior to moving to Hollywood in 2005. She attended church regularly while growing up and wore a purity ring.[22] Several of Cyrus's siblings also eventually entered the entertainment business: Trace became a vocalist and guitarist for the electronic pop band Metro Station,[23] Noah became an actress, and Brandi became a guitarist.[24]
Career
2001–05: Early work
In 2001, when Cyrus was eight, she and her family moved to Toronto, Canada while her father filmed the television series Doc.[25] Cyrus said watching her father film the show inspired her to pursue acting. After Billy Ray took her to see a 2001 Mirvish production of Mamma Mia! at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Cyrus grabbed his arm and told him, "This is what I want to do, daddy. I want to be an actress."[26] She began taking singing and acting classes at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto.[27] In her first role, Cyrus played a girl named Kylie on Doc.[11] In 2003, Cyrus was credited under her birth name for her role as "Young Ruthie" in Tim Burton's Big Fish.[28]
At age 11, Cyrus learned about the casting for what became Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel children's television series about a school girl with a secret double life as a teen pop star. Cyrus sent in a tape auditioning for the show's best friend role, but received a call asking her to audition for the lead, "Chloe Stewart".[1] After sending in a new tape and flying to Hollywood for further auditions,[29] Cyrus was told that she was too young and too small for the part.[29][30] However, her persistence and ability to sing in addition to act led the show's producers to invite her back for further auditions. Cyrus eventually received the lead, renamed "Miley Stewart" after herself, at the age of twelve.[29] During this time, she also auditioned with Taylor Lautner for the feature film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D and it came down to her and another actress, but Cyrus started doing Hannah Montana instead.[31]
As Cyrus's career took off, Tish Cyrus made several critical decisions regarding her daughter's representation. She signed Cyrus with Mitchell Gossett, director of the youth division at Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty. Gossett, who specializes in creating child stars, had arranged for Cyrus's auditions for Hannah Montana and is credited with "discovering" her.[32][33] For Cyrus's music career, Tish followed the advice of Dolly Parton, Cyrus's godmother and a singer herself, and signed Cyrus with Jason Morey of Morey Management Group. "Dolly said the Moreys are people you can trust around your daughter," Tish Cyrus recalls, "and she said they have good morals, which is not always the case in this business."[34] According to trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter, Parton's advice was "the best advice [Tish] could [have gotten] on who should rep her daughter."[34] Tish also recruited Billy Ray's business manager to manage her daughter's finances. Tish herself continues to co-manage or produce many of Cyrus's career decisions.[34] For her education, Cyrus enrolled at Options for Youth Charter Schools[35] and studied with a private tutor on the set of her television show.[36]
Cyrus performing on the Best of Both Worlds Tour
2006–07: Hannah Montana and Meet Miley Cyrus
Hannah Montana became an instant hit and propelled Cyrus to teen idol status, according to The Daily Telegraph.[28] The series premiered on March 26, 2006 to the largest audience ever for a Disney Channel show[37] and soon became one of the highest-rated series on basic cable, elevating Cyrus's wealth and fame along with it.[38] Time magazine reports that Cyrus's "phenom[enal]" success is due partially to her talent and partially to "Disney learning to use its vast, multimedia holdings" and market Cyrus and Hannah Montana appropriately.[39] Cyrus eventually became the first artist to have deals in television, film, consumer products, and music within The Walt Disney Company.[32]
Cyrus's first single was "The Best of Both Worlds", the theme song to Hannah Montana, which was released on March 28, 2006.[40] "The Best of Both Worlds" is credited to "Hannah Montana", the pop star Cyrus portrays on the series by the same name. As with other songs credited to Montana, Cyrus typically dressed as the character when performing the song live.[41] Cyrus's first release under her own name was a cover of James Baskett's "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", released on April 4, 2006 on the fourth edition of DisneyMania.[42] Dressed as Hannah Montana, Cyrus opened for The Cheetah Girls on twenty dates of their The Party's Just Begun Tour, beginning on September 15, 2006.[43] On October 24 of same year, Walt Disney Records released the first Hannah Montana soundtrack. Of the nine tracks on the soundtrack performed by Cyrus, eight were credited to "Hannah Montana" and one, a duet with her father titled "I Learned from You", was credited to Cyrus as herself. The album peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.[44]
The second season of Hannah Montana premiered on April 23, 2007, and ran until October 12, 2008.[45] Cyrus signed a four-album deal with Disney-owned Hollywood Records and, on June 26, 2007, released a double-disc album. The first disc was the soundtrack to the second season of Hannah Montana, while the second, titled Meet Miley Cyrus, was Cyrus's debut album credited to her own name. The double-disc album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200[46] and was later certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[47] Meet Miley Cyrus generated "See You Again", Cyrus's first single to be released under her own name and her first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.[48] In Fall 2007, Cyrus launched her first tour, the Best of Both Worlds Tour, to promote Meet Miley Cyrus and the Hannah Montana soundtracks. With the Jonas Brothers, Aly & AJ, and Everlife as her opening acts, Cyrus toured from October 17, 2007 to January 31, 2008 with stops in the U.S. and Canada.[49] Tickets sold out in minutes and were scalped for up to $2,500 and an average of $214, well above their $26–$65 face value.[50] A Ticketmaster official commented, "Hell hath no fury like the parent of a child throwing a tantrum. People who have been in this business for a long time are watching what's happening, and they say there hasn't been a demand of this level or intensity since The Beatles or Elvis."[51]
2008–09: Breakout, transitions and film career launch
Cyrus at 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.
After the end of the Best of Both Worlds Tour in January 2008, Walt Disney Pictures released Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, a 3D concert film of the tour, on February 1, 2008 for what was expected to be a one-week run. The film earned over $31 million [52] at the box-office and an average of $42,000 per theater, twice the expected total, convincing Disney executives to extend the release for an indefinite run. "We don't want to turn away kids from the theaters who couldn't get into the concerts," said Chuck Viane, Disney's chief of distribution.[53] The film's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records/Hollywood Records on March 11, 2008 and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.[54]
On July 22, 2008, Cyrus released her second studio album under her own name, entitled Breakout. Cyrus said Breakout was inspired by "what's been going on in my life in the past year."[55] Cyrus co-wrote eight out of twelve songs on the album.[55] "Songwriting is what I really want to do with my life forever, [...] I just hope this record showcases that, more than anything, I'm a writer."[56] The album debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart[57] and its lead single, "7 Things", peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[58][59] She hosted the 2008 CMT Music Awards with her father in April[60] and the 2008 Teen Choice Awards by herself in August.[61] Cyrus provided the voice of Penny in the 2008 computer-animated film Bolt, which was released on November 21, 2008 to critical acclaim.[62] Cyrus also co-wrote and recorded the song "I Thought I Lost You" as a duet with John Travolta for the film, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.[63] In September 2009, she participated in the charity single "Just Stand Up!" in support of the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer[64] and in the City of Hope Benefit Concert in support of cancer research and training programs.[65] She also became involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an environmentalist group, for which she recorded the charity single "Send It On" along with several other Disney Channel stars.[66]
Cyrus performing on the Wonder World Tour
Cyrus had already begun transitioning to a more grown-up image in late 2008, when her representatives negotiated a deal for novelist Nicholas Sparks to write the screenplay and novel basis for a film that would serve as a star vehicle for Cyrus by introducing her to audiences older than the young fans she had gained through Hannah Montana.[67] Sparks and co-writer Jeff Van Wie developed The Last Song.[67] It was important to Cyrus that she not be type cast as a singer: "I didn't want to be a singer in another film. I don't want to do that anymore. You have no idea how many musicals show up on my door. I want to do something a little more serious."[68] In March 2009, Cyrus published Miles To Go, a memoir co-written by Hilary Liftin chronicling her life through age sixteen.[69] Cyrus starred as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in Hannah Montana: The Movie, released April 10, 2009. Both the film and its soundtrack, which contained twelve songs performed by Cyrus,[70] achieved commercial success.[71][72] The soundtrack's lead single, "The Climb", became a Top 40 hit in twelve countries[73] and introduced Cyrus to listeners outside her typical teen pop audience.[74] Cyrus had considered ending Hannah Montana after its third season, which finished production on June 5, 2009,[75] but Disney retained and exercised its option for a fourth season.[76]
Production on The Last Song lasted from June 15, 2009 to August 18, 2009.[77] In between, Cyrus launched the third Hannah Montana soundtrack, recorded the extended play The Time of Our Lives, and released the EP's lead single, "Party in the U.S.A."[78] Cyrus said The Time of Our Lives "is a transitioning album. [...] really to introduce people to what I want my next record to sound like and with time I will be able to do that a little more."[79] "Party in the U.S.A." debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for her best-ever ranking on the chart.[80] The Time of Our Lives was released in conjunction with a clothing line co-designed by Cyrus and Max Azria for Walmart.[81]
From September 14, 2009 to December 29, 2010, Cyrus toured on her Wonder World Tour to promote Breakout and The Time of Our Lives.[citation needed] On December 7, 2009, Cyrus performed for Queen Elizabeth II and numerous other members of the British Royal Family at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, North West England.[82]
2010: Can't Be Tamed and focus on film career
Cyrus at 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards.
Production on the fourth and final season of Hannah Montana began on January 18, 2010.[83] In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Cyrus appeared on the charity singles "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti" and "Everybody Hurts".[84][85] Her third studio album, Can't Be Tamed, was released on June 21, 2010. The album's first single is the title track, "Can't Be Tamed". The single was released for sale on May 18, 2010 and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight.[86] Cyrus's costumes and dances while promoting Can't Be Tamed were also considerably more provocative than previous performances, arousing media criticism.[87] After releasing the album, Cyrus intends to take a break from the music industry in order to focus on her film career.[88] She commented, "I've not taken, like, acting lessons or anything, but it doesn't mean I don't need to because I'm sure I do [...] I'm probably going to go book an acting coach."[89] Cyrus has also decided to opt out of college for the same reason, saying "I'm a firm believer that you can go back at any age you want, because my Grandma went back to college at 62 [...] For right now, I really want to focus on my career. I've worked hard to get to where I am now, and I want to enjoy it while it lasts."[90][91][92]
Cyrus starred in The Last Song, which was released on March 31, 2010, and received generally poor reviews, as did Cyrus's performance.[93] Nonetheless, the film was commercially successful, grossing more than $88 million at the worldwide box office.[94] According to box-office analyst Exhibitor Relations, the film marked "a successful transition to adult roles for Miley Cyrus."[95]
The fourth and final season of Hannah Montana began airing on Disney Channel on July 11, 2010 and was ended on January 16, 2011.[96]
As of December 2010, Cyrus is set to star in two more films, LOL: Laughing Out Loud and So Undercover. In LOL, a remake of a 2008 French teen comedy, Cyrus plays "a daughter who is involved with all the wrong kids, doing drugs, failing school, but [...whose] mother has her on this perfect pedestal" and says "[She] just fell in love with the story."[97] Miley's character loses her virginity, smokes cannabis, gets wasted and kisses two girlfriends on the lips.[98] She will also star in So Undercover, an action comedy film. Cyrus will play the part of "a tough, street-smart private eye hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority."[99] She will learn street fighting for the role.[99]
2011–present: Gypsy Heart Tour and Fourth Studio Album
Performing on the Gypsy Heart Tour in 2011
In February 2011, Cyrus confirmed she'd done with acting for the foreseeable future, and was making plans to go back to music with a massive tour. She tells E! Online, "No movies lined up. I'm going on tour.".[100]
Cyrus hosted Saturday Night Live on March 5, 2011, where she performed in several sketches. She also sang a brief song about her several controversies, such as the bong incident, the photo of her friend and she eating a Twizzler, and the "pole dance" on a hotel pole at the Teen Choice Awards, stating "I'm sorry that I'm not perfect." [101][102]
In March 2011, father Billy Ray Cyrus confirmed on talk show, The View, that Miley had been in talks with producer Dr. Luke on a new album, despite her earlier announcement that she'd be focusing more on acting in the future.[103]
On April 29, 2011, Cyrus embarked on her international Gypsy Heart Tour in South America and ended the tour on July 2, 2011 in Australia.
In June 2011, Cyrus was named by M (magazine) as the richest teen star with an estimate net worth of $120 million, leaving behind Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas and Selena Gomez.[104] In July 2011, it was announced that she would record her fourth studio album and she has no plans to sign onto any other film projects.[105]
Earnings
In 2008, Cyrus earned $25 million, up from her earnings of $18 million in 2007, and was ranked number 35 on Forbes magazine's "Celebrity 100" list.[106] Parade magazine reported she was the richest teenage celebrity and that her franchise would be worth approximately $1 billion by the end of the year.[107] In 2009, Forbes ranked her #29 on the Celebrity 100 and reported she had earned a total of $25 million.[108] Then Cyrus got ranked number thirteen on Forbes' 2010 Celebrity 100 ranking $48 million.[5] From the $48 million she made between June 2009 to June 2010 made her the no. 4 highest earners under 30 and the youngest on the list.[109] between June 2010 and June 2011, Cyrus earned $54 million.[110]
From working on Hannah Montana, Cyrus got paid $15,000 per episode she did on the hit show, making her the 6th highest paid child star on television behind fellow Disney stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse and Keke Palmer with $20,000 for their shows. Also, she is behind friend and Disney star Selena Gomez that makes $25,000 per episode of her show, Nick star Miranda Cosgrove with $180,000 per episode of her show, and one time co-star Angus T. Jones that got paid $250,000 for each episode of his show.[111] Though she had not got paid as much as other Disney stars,when she was 17 she was named #19 on the "Top 20 World's Richest Female Singers Of All Time" list with over $100 million in 5 years active throughout her career, which made her the youngest female artist on the list.[112] In 2011, she was named #1 on the "Top 10 Richest Teens In Hollywood" with $120 million.[113]
Personal life & Image
In an interview, friend and actor Tyler Posey stated that he and Cyrus met on the set of the show Doc, and that they shared their first kiss on the show. He then stated that he and Cyrus dated for 2 years and then broke up when they were 11.[114]
Cyrus on the Red Carpet at Vh1 Divas 2009.
Cyrus told Seventeen magazine that she and Nick Jonas had dated for two years and "were in love", but were "fighting a lot" by the end.[115] After the break-up, Cyrus says that she initially "rebell[ed] against everything Nick wanted me to be. And then I was like, I've got to be by myself for now, and just figure out who I really am."[115]
In February 2008, Cyrus and her friend Mandy Jiroux opened a YouTube account and began posting videos of what they called The Miley and Mandy Show. The show, described as a "YouTube hit," is said to be filmed for fun by Cyrus and Jiroux and to be entirely their work, with Cyrus and Jiroux editing the footage together.[116]
With Cyrus's increased success came increased media attention. In a May 2008 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Francois Navarre, the proprietor of the X17 photo agency, said Cyrus's market value had picked up considerably after the Vanity Fair photo controversy: "She's started to sell more. [...] It used to be $300, and now it's $2,000 for a picture."[117] Estimates for a picture of the then-15 year old's first kiss ranged from $30,000 to $150,000.[117] Navarre noted that Cyrus rarely behaved against her wholesome image or went out without a parent and stated, "She has people waiting for the moment she starts to be less traditional. [...] It's natural. Any teenager. But it's going to come very fast. [...] As soon as her mom lets her go out by herself. It's going to start to be interesting."[117] Time magazine included her on the 2008 Time 100, the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her write-up was written by former child star Donny Osmond, who warned, "As an idol to tweens the world over, singer-actress Miley Cyrus, 15, is riding a huge tidal wave at the pinnacle of her career; this is as it should be. I hope she enjoys it. [...] Within three to five years, Miley will have to face adulthood. [...] As she does, she'll want to change her image, and that change will be met with adversity."[118]
Cyrus celebrated her 16th birthday at Disneyland with a charity fundraiser for Youth Service America, a youth volunteer service organization.[119][120][121]
At the end of 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Cyrus the fourth best-selling female artist[122] and the fifth best-selling singer overall.[123]
In June 2009, Cyrus ended her nine-month relationship with model Justin Gaston shortly before flying to Georgia to film The Last Song.[124] While filming later that month, Cyrus began dating her co-star in The Last Song, Australian actor Liam Hemsworth.[125] She later called him her "first serious boyfriend".[126] In August 2010, it was confirmed that her relationship with Hemsworth had ended.[127][128] Cyrus and Hemsworth were seen together a month later, and were reportedly back together.[129] It was announced in early November that the couple had split again.[130] On March 31, 2011, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have reportedly rekindled their relationship.[131] On June 20, Cyrus confirmed in a interview on the DirtTv in Australia that she and Hemsworth are still rocking and still are together.[132][133]
On October 26, 2010, less than a month before Cyrus's eighteenth birthday, her father Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce from her mother in Tennessee, citing irreconcilable differences.[134] In a statement made to People the next day announcing the split, the couple said, "As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family... We are trying to work through some personal matters. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."[135] However, on March 18, 2011, Cyrus's father announced on The View that he had dropped the divorce.[136]
Cyrus is the youngest recording artist ever with four #1 albums in less than 3 years.[137]
In June 2011, Cyrus was named by the Rolling Stones magazine a queen of pop, she was named #8 based on album sales selling 2.027 million copies.[138] also, she was named #7 based on digital tracks selling 14.763 million digital copies,[139] #5 based on youtube views with 784,667,358 views,[140] #12 based on radio airplay with 216 airplay's,[141] #11 based on Billboard hot 100 appearances with 164.2 points,[142] and #9 based on social networking with 14.9 million Facebook likes, and 1.4 million Twitter followers.[143] lastly, she was named #6 based off the gross of her tours with 66.5 million dollars in grossing,[144] #14 based off award wins, in this case the Teen Choice Awards didn't count and only mainstream-awards counted such as the Grammy Awards and awards like that in the music category,[145] #14 based on album reviews.[146] out of all the rankings for the categories, she was name on the official "Queen of Pop" list at #8 behind Beyonce, Katy Perry, best friend Taylor Swift, her inspiration Britney Spears and many more. She also beat out Carrie Underwood, Nicki Minaj, Adele, Christina Aguilera, and many more.[147]
Controversies
Cyrus and his daughter, Miley, performing "Ready, Set, Don't Go" at the Kids' Inaugural: "We Are the Future." - January 19, 2009; Washington D.C.
In December 2007, a brief controversy emerged when photos Cyrus had posted on her private MySpace account, depicting her and a female friend sharing a piece of licorice and "almost kissing", were spread across the internet, prompting rumors of lesbianism. Cyrus comments, "For me, I was like, That's two girls—it's not a big deal. But they got spread around. Like someone copied and pasted and said, Omigod, look at this, and blah blah blah."[148]
In April 2008, several provocative images of Cyrus in her underwear and swimsuit were leaked onto the web by a teenager who hacked Cyrus's Gmail account.[149][150][151][152] Cyrus described the images as "silly, inappropriate shots" and stated, "I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect. I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone."[153][154] On April 25, 2008, the televised entertainment program Entertainment Tonight reported that Cyrus, then 15, had posed topless for a photoshoot taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.[155] On April 29, 2008, The New York Times clarified that though the pictures left an impression that she was bare-breasted, Cyrus was wrapped in a bedsheet and was actually not topless.[156] Some parents expressed outrage at the nature of the photograph, which a Disney spokesperson described as "a situation [that] was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines." Gary Marsh, president of entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, was quoted by Portfolio magazine to have said, “For Miley Cyrus to be a 'good girl' is now a business decision for her. Parents have invested in her a godliness. If she violates that trust, she won't get it back."[156] In response to the Internet circulation of the photo and ensuing media attention, Cyrus released a statement of apology on April 27, 2008: "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about."[156] Leibovitz also released a statement: "I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful."[156][157]
In May 2008, Gossett, Cyrus's longtime acting agent, left Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty for United Talent Agency, partially with the hope of "giving Cyrus the major-agency backing that would support a widening career", according to The Hollywood Reporter.[34][158] About a year later in June 2009, Cyrus left both Gossett and UTA, which had recently negotiated her deals for The Last Song and the fourth season of Hannah Montana, and joined the Creative Artists Agency, which had already represented her for music.[159] Nikki Finke, who broke the news, reported, "Is this fair to UTA? Of course not. But I hear the decision was made by Miley's mother Trish [sic] Cyrus".[160]
Cyrus's performance of "Party in the U.S.A." at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards incited a media uproar, with some viewers criticizing Cyrus's provocative outfit and inclusion of a brief pole dance as inappropriate for her age, then sixteen, and for her young fans.[161][162] Conversely, Newsday reported that her sexualization "has been coming for some time."[163] Ian Drew, senior editor of US Weekly, said, "She already has this risque image, so it really wasn't much of a stretch. That's how Britney [Spears] took off. She was the good girl gone bad, and it looks to be working for Miley as well."[163] Cyrus was also criticized that year for dating Gaston, five years her senior,[164] and for a photo displaying Cyrus and friends making "slant-eyed" expressions, which the Organization of Chinese Americans claimed was offensive to the Asian community.[165] Cyrus apologized for the photo on her website, defending her actions and saying, "In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! I was simply making a goofy face."[166]
Later in 2010, TMZ released a video of Cyrus, then 16, giving Adam Shankman, producer of The Last Song, a lap dance at the film's wrap party.[167][168][169] Cyrus's father defended her actions, saying Miley was just "having fun" and that "it's what people her age do".[170] Later that year in December, TMZ released a video of Cyrus, which took place five days after her 18th birthday at her Los Angeles home, in which she is seen smoking from a bong. She claimed she was smoking the psychoactive plant salvia divinorum, although this has not been confirmed by anybody but Cyrus herself.[171][172][173] Salvia is legal in the state of California, and Cyrus was of legal age at the time the video was shot.[174] Cyrus's father expressed his sadness regarding the matter on Twitter, saying, "Sorry guys. I had no idea. Just saw this stuff for the first time myself. I'm so sad. There is much beyond my control right now".[175][176]
Filmography
Films
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Big Fish Young Ruthie Film debut
2007 High School Musical 2 Girl at pool Cameo
2008 Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Herself 3D Concert film
2008 Bolt Penny Voice-over Role
2009 Hannah Montana: The Movie Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana Based on TV series
2010 The Last Song Veronica "Ronnie" Miller Film adaption of book
2010 Sex and the City 2 Herself Cameo
2011 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Herself Cameo
2011 LOL: Laughing Out Loud Lola Remake of French film
2011 So Undercover Molly Release: October 13, 2011[177]
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2001–2003 Doc Kylie Recurring role
2006–2011 Hannah Montana Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana Lead role
2006 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana "That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana" (Season 2, Episode 20)
2006–2008 Disney 365 Herself In 9 episodes, 2006–2008.
2007 The Replacements Celebrity Star (voice) "Frog Prince" (Season 2, Episode 5)
2007–2008 The Emperor's New School Yata (voice) Recurring role
2009 The Suite Life on Deck Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana "Double-Crossed" (Season 1, Episode 21)
2011 Saturday Night Live Herself Host, March 5 episode.
Discography
Main article: Miley Cyrus discography
Main article: Hannah Montana discography
Studio albums
Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus (2007)
Breakout (2008)
Can't Be Tamed (2010)
Extended plays
The Time of Our Lives (2009)
Tours
Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007–08)
Wonder World Tour (2009)
Gypsy Heart Tour (2011)
Source from Wikipedia.com
Adrienne Janic
Adrienne Janic
Adrienne Janic (Serbian Cyrillic: Адриана Јанић), (born July 25, 1974), sometimes credited simply as AJ, is an American actress and television host of Serbian and Mexican descent.
Adrienne Janic Photoshoot
Adrienne Janic official hosting reel
Adrienne Janic talks about Drifting and Hot Import Nights
Naturally Savvy TV presents Adrienne Janic
Adrienne Janic (AJ from Chip Foose's Overhaulin) gets a 1968 Pontiac Firebird built by Year One
Career
She has primarily worked as a television host including as a co-host of the Discovery Channel's Overhaulin', an automotive, reality-television series. She was also a host of Hot Import Nights (2008), an automotive show on the Speed Channel.
She has appeared in several films including appearing as an extra in the film National Lampoon's Cattle Call (2006). From 2004 to 2006, Janic was one of the Fantanas, a group of promotional models who were created to promote The Coca-Cola Company's Fanta brand of soft drinks in the U.S.
Personal life
She is married to Bud Brutsman, a video producer and television producer.
Reference from Wikipedia.com
Adela Noriega
Adela Noriega
Adela Noriega (born Adela Amalia Noriega Méndez on October 24, 1969 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican television actress.
She is best known for her work in telenovelas and some of her most notable works include Quinceañera, Dulce desafío, María Isabel, El privilegio de amar, El manantial and Amor real.
Her success has led her to be known as one of the "Queens" of the genre.
Adela Noriega
La vida de Adela Noriega
Adela Noriega, Eduardo Yanez ( Guadalupe)
adela noriega 5
Adela Noriega habla de Thalia y Luis Miguel
Adela Noriega ¿Embarazada?
Biography
Early life
Adela Noriega was born in México City on October 24, 1969. Her father died when she was very young and her mother passed away in 1995. She has two siblings, Reyna and Alejandro.
[edit]Career
She was discovered at the age of 12 in a commercial centre while she was walking with her mother. Soon after that she appeared in TV commercials and music videos. Her first role was at the age of 14 in the telenovela Principessa and shortly after in Juana Iris. In both she interpreted villains. She then was a guest on the comic show Cachún Cachún Ra Ra! for a few years.
In 1986, she was given her first lead role in Yesenia, a historical telenovela where she played a gypsy. From then on she began to work solely as a leading actress of many successful telenovelas.
In 1987, she obtained the lead role in Quinceañera co-starring with singer Thalía. Quinceañera was the first telenovela for adolescents and dealt with topics such as drugs, rape and gangs.
The year after, she returned to television as the rebellious Lucero Sandoval in teen telenovela Dulce Desafío alongside Eduardo Yáñez.
In 1993 she obtained a contract with Telemundo and played the lead role in the successful telenovela Guadalupe. For signing a contract with a different company, she was banned from Televisa.
In 1995, she worked in Colombia for RTI, starring in Maria Bonita alongside Fernando Allende.
In 1997 she returned to Televisa and starred in a remake of María Isabel with Fernando Carrillo.
A year later she starred in El privilegio de amar alongside Helena Rojo.
In 2001 she starred in El Manantial alongside Mauricio Islas for which she earned another TVyNovelas award.
In 2003 she returned as Matilde Peñalver y Beristain in the highly acclaimed historical telenovela Amor Real.
Her most recent starring role was as lead female character Sofía Elizondo in Fuego En La Sangre in 2008.
[edit]Filmography
[edit]Television
Year Telenovela Role Notes
2008 Fuego en la sangre Sofía Elizondo Acevedo Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress
Nominated - Premios Fama for Best Lead Actress
2005 La esposa virgen Virginia Alfaro Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress
2003 Amor Real Matilde Peñalver y Beristain de Fuentes Guerra New York Latin ACE Award for Best Actress
TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress[1]
Laurel de Oro for Best Actress
Califa de Oro for Best Actress
Sol de Oro for Best Actress
2001 - 2002 El Manantial Alfonsina Valdés Rivero New York Latin ACE Award for Best Actress
TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress[2]
Sol de Oro for Best Actress
1998 - 1999 El privilegio de amar Cristina Miranda TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress
1997 - 1998 María Isabel María Isabel TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress[3]
1995 - 1996 Maria Bonita Maria Reynoso 'Maria Bonita' RTI Colombia
1993 - 1994 Guadalupe Guadalupe Zambrano Santos Telemundo
1988 - 1989 Dulce Desafio Lucero Sandoval TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress[4]
1987 - 1988 Quinceañera Maricruz Fernández TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress
1986 Yesenia Yesenia Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress
1985 Juana Iris Romina Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Female Revelation
1984 - 1987 Cachún cachún ra ra! Adela Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Revelation in Comedy
1984 Principesa Alina
[edit]Film
Year Film Role
1985 Un sábado más Lucía
1984 Los amantes del señor de la noche
[edit]Music videos
Year Song title Role Artist
1985 Palabra de honor Love interest Luis Miguel
1985 Corazon de fresa Love interest Lucia Mendez
Reference from Wikipedia.com
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. (originally Belafonete; born March 1, 1927) is an American singer, actor, and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" – a title which he was very reluctant to accept (according to the documentary Calypso Dreams) – for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O." Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes, and was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush Administration.
JAMAICA FAREWELL ORIGINAL-- HARRY BELAFONTE
Harry Belafonte Day-O ( Banana Boat )
Harry Belafonte - Island In The Sun
Harry Belafonte on His Support for the Civil Rights Movement & Using Music to "Spread Truth"
Early life
Born Harold George Belafonte, Jr., at Lying-in Hospital, New York City, New York, Belafonte was the son of Melvine (née Love) – a housekeeper (of Jamaican descent) – and Harold George Belafonete, Sr., a Martiniquan who worked as chef in the Royal Navy.[2][3][4][5] From 1932 to 1940, he lived with his grandmother in her native country of Jamaica. When he returned to New York City he attended George Washington High School[6] after which he joined the Navy and served during World War II.[4] At the end of the 1940s, he took classes in acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York with the influential German director Erwin Piscator alongside Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur, and Sidney Poitier, while performing with the American Negro Theatre. He subsequently received a Tony Award for his participation in the Broadway revue John Murray Anderson's Almanac.
Music career
Belafonte in John Murray Anderson's Almanac on Broadway, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1954
Belafonte started his career in music as a club singer in New York, to pay for his acting classes. The first time he appeared in front of an audience he was backed by the Charlie Parker band, which included Charlie Parker himself, Max Roach, and Miles Davis among others. At first he was a pop singer, launching his recording career on the Roost label in 1949, but later he developed a keen interest in folk music, learning material through the Library of Congress' American folk songs archives. With guitarist and friend Millard Thomas, Belafonte soon made his debut at the legendary jazz club The Village Vanguard. In 1952 he received a contract with RCA Victor.
[edit]Calypso
His first widely–released single, which went on to become his "signature" song with audience participation in virtually all his live performances, was "Matilda", recorded April 27, 1953. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) became the first LP to sell over 1 million copies (Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons", both singles, had previously surpassed that mark). The album is number four on Billboard's "Top 100 Album" list for having spent 31 weeks at number 1, 58 weeks in the top ten, and 99 weeks on the U.S. charts. The album introduced American audiences to Calypso music (which had originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 20th century) and Belafonte was dubbed the "King of Calypso," a title he wore with reservations, since he had no claims to any Calypso Monarch titles.
Calypso (1956)
One of the songs included in the album is the now famous "Banana Boat Song" (listed as "Day O" on the original release), which reached number five on the pop charts, and featured its signature lyric "Day–O."[7]. His version was based on a 1954 recording by Louise Bennett. Belafonte based his version on a 1954 recording by Jamaican folk singer Louise Bennett[8]. His other smash hit was "Jump in the Line".
Many of the compositions recorded for Calypso, including "Banana Boat Song" and "Jamaica Farewell", gave songwriting credit to Irving Burgie, Belafonte and his team, but were really previously recorded Jamaican mento songs sold as calypso. The original Jamaican versions can now be heard on the "Jamaica—Mento1951–1958" [9] CD released in 2010.
[edit]Middle career
While primarily known for Calypso, Belafonte has recorded in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. His second–most popular hit, which came immediately after "The Banana Boat Song," was the novelty tune "Mama Look at Bubu," also known as "Mama Look a Boo–Boo" (originally recorded by Lord Melody in 1956), in which he sings humorously about misbehaving and disrespectful children. It reached number eleven on the pop chart.
In 1959 He starred in Tonight With Belafonte a nationally televised special, that featured Odetta who sang Water Boy and who performed a duet with Belafonte of A Hole in The Bucket that hit the national charts in 1961.[10] Belafonte continued to record for RCA through the 1950s to the 1970s. Two live albums, both recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1959 and 1960, enjoyed critical and commercial success. From his 1959 album, Hava Nagila became part of his regular routine and one of his signature songs.[11] He was one of many entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the inaugural gala of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. That same year he released his second Calypso album, Jump Up Calypso, which went on to become another million seller. During the 1960s he introduced several artists to American audiences, most notably South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. His album Midnight Special (1962) featured the first–ever record appearance by a then young harmonica player named Bob Dylan.
As The Beatles and other stars from Britain began to dominate the U.S. pop charts, Belafonte's commercial success diminished; 1964's Belafonte at The Greek Theatre was his last album to appear in Billboard's Top 40. His last hit single, A Strange Song, was released in 1967, and peaked at number 5 on the Adult contemporary music charts. Belafonte has received Grammy Awards for the albums Swing Dat Hammer (1960) and An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba (1965). The latter album dealt with the political plight of black South Africans under Apartheid. He earned six Gold Records.[12]
[edit]Later recordings and other activities
Belafonte's album output in the 1970s slowed after leaving RCA. From the mid–1970s to early 1980s he spent the greater part of his time touring Japan, Europe, Cuba and elsewhere. His involvement in USA for Africa during the mid–1980s resulted in renewed interest in his music, culminating in a record deal with EMI. He subsequently released his first album of original material in over a decade, Paradise in Gazankulu, in 1988. The album contains ten protest songs against the South African former Apartheid policy, and as of 2011 was his last studio album. In the same year, Belafonte, as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador attended a symposium in Harare, Zimbabwe to focus attention on child survival and development in Southern African countries. As part of the symposium, he performed a concert for UNICEF. A Kodak video crew filmed the concert, which was released as a 60–minute concert video entitled "Global Carnival". It features many of the songs from the album Paradise in Gazankulu and some of his classic hits. Also in 1988, Tim Burton used "The Banana Boat Song" and "Jump in the Line" in his movie Beetlejuice.
Following a lengthy recording hiatus, An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends, a soundtrack and video of a televised concert were released in 1997 by Island Records. The Long Road to Freedom, An Anthology of Black Music, a huge multi–artist project recorded during the 1960s and 1970s with RCA, was finally released by the label in 2001. The album was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Awards for Best Boxed Recording Package, for Best Album Notes and for Best Historical Album.[citation needed]
The Turn the World Around number on The Muppet Show.
Belafonte was the first African–American to win an Emmy, with his first solo TV special Tonight with Belafonte (1959). During the 1960s he appeared on TV specials, alongside such artists as Julie Andrews, Petula Clark, Lena Horne, and Nana Mouskouri. He was also a guest star on a memorable episode of The Muppet Show in 1978, in which he performed his signature song "Day–O" on television for the first time. The episode is best known for Belafonte's rendition of the spiritual song, "Turn the World Around", which he performed with Muppets that resembled African tribal masks. It became one of the series' most famous performances. It was reportedly Jim Henson's favorite episode, and Belafonte reprised the song at Henson's memorial in 1990. "Turn the World Around" was also included in the 2005 official hymnal supplement of the Unitarian Universalist Association, "Singing the Journey."[13]
Belafonte received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. He performed sell–out concerts globally through the 1950s to the 2000s. Due to illness he was forced to cancel a reunion tour with Nana Mouskouri, planned for the spring and summer of 2003, following a tour in Europe. His last concert was a benefit concert for the Atlanta Opera on October 25, 2003.[14] In a 2007 interview he stated that he had since retired from performing.[15]
[edit]Film career
Belafonte at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival
Belafonte has starred in several films. His first film role was in Bright Road (1953), in which he appeared alongside Dorothy Dandridge. The two subsequently starred in Otto Preminger's hit musical Carmen Jones (1954). Ironically, Belafonte's lyrics in the film were dubbed by an opera singer, as Belafonte's own singing voice was seen as unsuitable for the role. Using his star clout, Belafonte was subsequently able to realize several then–controversial film roles. In 1957's Island in the Sun, there are hints of an affair between Belafonte's character and Joan Fontaine. The film also starred James Mason, Dandridge, Joan Collins, Michael Rennie, and John Justin. In 1959, he starred in and produced Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow, in which he plays a bank robber uncomfortably teamed with a racist partner (Robert Ryan). He also co–starred with Inger Stevens in The World, the Flesh and the Devil. Belafonte was offered the role of Porgy in Preminger's Porgy and Bess, where he would have once again starred opposite Dandridge, but he refused the role because he objected to its racial stereotyping.
Dissatisfied with the film roles available to him, he returned to music during the 1960s. In the early 1970s Belafonte appeared in more films among which are two with Poitier: Buck and the Preacher (1972) and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). In 1984, Belafonte produced and scored the musical film Beat Street, dealing with the rise of hip–hop culture. Belafonte next starred in a major film again in the mid-1990s, appearing with John Travolta in the race–reverse drama White Man's Burden (1995); and in Robert Altman's jazz age drama Kansas City (1996), the latter of which garnered him the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in the TV drama Swing Vote (1999). In late 2006, Belafonte appeared in the role of Nelson, a friend of an employee of the Ambassador Hotel played by Anthony Hopkins, in Bobby, Emilio Estevez's ensemble drama about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.
[edit]Personal life
[edit]Family
Belafonte and Marguerite Byrd were married from 1948 to 1957. They have two daughters: Adrienne and Shari. Shari Belafonte, married to Sam Behrens, is a photographer, model, singer and actor. In 1997, Adrienne Biesemeyer and her daughter Rachel Blue founded the Anir Foundation/Experience.[16] Anir focuses on humanitarian work in southern Africa.
On March 8, 1957, Belafonte married second wife Julie Robinson (former dancer with the Katherine Dunham Company). They had two children, David and Gina Belafonte. David Belafonte (a former model and actor) is an Emmy-winning producer and the executive director of the family-held company Belafonte Enterprises Inc. A music producer, he has been involved in most of Belafonte's albums and tours. He married Danish model, singer and TV personality Malena Belafonte, born Mathiesen, who won silver in Dancing with the Stars in Denmark in 2009. Malena Belafonte founded Speyer Legacy School, an award winning private elementary school for gifted and talented children. David and Malena's daughter Sarafina attended this school. Gina Belafonte is a TV and film actress and worked with her father as coach and producer on more than six films. Gina helped found The Gathering For Justice, an intergenerational, intercultural non-profit organization working to reintroduce nonviolence to stop child incarceration. She is married to actor Scott McCray.
In April 2008, Belafonte married Pamela Frank.[17] Belafonte lived in a 17-room apartment at 300 West End Avenue (corner of 74th Street) in New York City for 50 years. In 2007, he sold his fifth-floor apartment to Abigail Disney for ten million eight hundred thousand dollars. In October 1998, Belafonte contributed a letter to Liv Ullmann's book Letter to My Grandchild.[18]
[edit]Political and humanitarian activism
Belafonte's political beliefs were greatly inspired by Paul Robeson, the singer and activist who mentored him. Robeson was a controversial figure who supported the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War. Robeson opposed not only racial prejudice in the United States, but also western colonialism in Africa. Belafonte's success did not protect him from racial discrimination, particularly in the American South. Belafonte refused to perform there from 1954 until 1961. In 1960, he appeared in a campaign commercial for Democratic Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy.[19] Kennedy later named Belafonte cultural advisor to the Peace Corps.
At the ACLU of Northern California's annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration In December 2007, Belafonte gave the keynote address and was awarded the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival featured the documentary film "Sing Your Song", a biographical film focusing on Belafonte's contribution to and his leadership in the civil rights movement in America and his endeavours to promote social justice globally.[citation needed]
[edit]Civil rights activist
Belafonte supported the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and was one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s confidants. He provided for King's family, since King made only $8,000 a year as a preacher. Like many civil rights activists, Belafonte was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He bailed King out of the Birmingham City Jail and raised thousands of dollars to release other civil rights protesters. He financed the Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963.
Belafonte (center) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C with Sidney Poitier (left) and Charlton Heston.
During "Freedom Summer" in 1964, Belafonte bankrolled the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, flying to Mississippi that August with $60,000 in cash and entertaining crowds in Greenwood. In 1968, Belafonte appeared on a Petula Clark primetime television special on NBC. In the middle of a song, Clark smiled and briefly touched Belafonte's arm, which made the show's sponsor, Plymouth Motors, nervous. Plymouth wanted to cut the segment, but Clark, who had ownership of the special, told NBC that the performance would be shown intact or she would not allow the special to be aired at all. Newspapers reported the controversy and, when the special aired, it grabbed high ratings. Belafonte appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and performed a controversial "Mardi Gras" number with footage intercut from the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. CBS censors deleted the segment.
[edit]Humanitarian activist
In 1985, he helped organize the Grammy Award winning song "We Are the World", a multi-artist effort to raise funds for Africa. He performed in the Live Aid concert that same year. In 1987, he received an appointment to UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador. Following his appointment, Belafonte traveled to Dakar, Senegal, where he served as chairman of the International Symposium of Artists and Intellectuals for African Children. He also helped to raise funds—alongside more than 20 other artists—in the largest concert ever held in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1994 he went on a mission to Rwanda and launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the needs of Rwandan children.
In 2001 he went to South Africa to support the campaign against HIV/AIDS. In 2002, Africare awarded him the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for his efforts to assist Africa. In 2004 Belafonte went to Kenya to stress the importance of educating children in the region. Belafonte has been involved in prostate cancer advocacy since 1996, when he was diagnosed and successfully treated for the disease.[20] On June 27, 2006, Belafonte was the recipient of the BET Humanitarian Award at the 2006 BET Awards. He was named one of nine 2006 Impact Award recipients by AARP The Magazine.[21]
On October 19, 2007, Belafonte represented UNICEF on Norwegian television to support the annual telethon (TV Aksjonen) in support of that charity and helped raise a world record of $10 per inhabitant of Norway. Belafonte was also an ambassador for the Bahamas.[citation needed] He is on the board of directors of the Advancement Project.[22]
[edit]Political activist
Belafonte has been a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy. He began making controversial political statements on this subject in the early 1980s. He has, at various times, made statements opposing the U.S. embargo on Cuba; praising Soviet peace initiatives; attacking the U.S. invasion of Grenada; praising the Abraham Lincoln Brigade; honoring Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and praising Fidel Castro.[23] Belafonte is additionally known for his visit to Cuba which helped ensure hip-hop’s place in Cuban society. According to Geoffrey Baker’s article “Hip hop, Revolucion! Nationalizing Rap in Cuba,” in 1999, Belafonte met with representatives of the rap community immediately before meeting with Fidel Castro. This meeting resulted in Castro’s personal approval of (and hence the government’s involvement in), the incorporation of rap into his country’s culture.[24] In a 2003 interview, Belafonte reflected upon this meeting’s influence:
Belafonte speaking at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C
“When I went back to Havana a couple years later, the people in the hip-hop community came to see me and we hung out for a bit. They thanked me profusely and I said, why? and they said, because, your little conversation with Fidel and the Minister of Culture on hip-hop led to there being a special division within the ministry and we've got our own studio.”[25]
Belafonte was active in the anti–Apartheid movement. He was the Master of Ceremonies at a reception honoringAfrican National Congress President Oliver Tambo at Roosevelt House, Hunter College, in New York City. The reception was held by the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) and The Africa Fund.[26] He is a current board member of the TransAfrica Forum [27] and the Institute for Policy Studies.[28]
In December 2007 he endorsed John Edwards for the 2008 Presidential Election.
[edit]Opposition to the George W. Bush Administration
Belafonte achieved widespread attention for his political views in 2002 when he began making a series of comments about President George W. Bush, his administration and the Iraq War. During an interview with Ted Leitner for San Diego's 760 KFMB, in October 2002, Belafonte referred to a quote made by Malcolm X.[29] Belafonte said:
“ There is an old saying, in the days of slavery. There were those slaves who lived on the plantation, and there were those slaves who lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master, do exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him. That gave you privilege. Colin Powell is committed to come into the house of the master, as long as he would serve the master, according to the master's purpose. And when Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture. And you don't hear much from those who live in the pasture. ”
Belafonte used the quote to characterize former United States Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, both African-Americans. Powell and Rice both responded, with Powell calling the remarks "unfortunate" [30] and Rice saying "I don't need Harry Belafonte to tell me what it means to be black." [31]
Harry Belafonte at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
The comment was brought up again in an interview with Amy Goodman for Democracy Now! in 2006.[32] In January 2006, Belafonte led a delegation of activists including actor Danny Glover and activist/professor Cornel West to meet with President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez. In 2005, Chávez, an outspoken Bush critic, initiated a program to provide cheaper heating oil for poor people in several areas of the United States. Belafonte supported this initiative.[33] During the meeting with Chávez, Belafonte was quoted as saying, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people... support your revolution." [34] Belafonte and Glover met again with Chávez in 2006.[35] The comment ignited a great deal of controversy. Hillary Clinton refused to acknowledge Belafonte's presence at an awards ceremony that featured both of them.[36] AARP, which had just named him one of its 10 Impact Award honorees 2006, released this statement following the remarks: "AARP does not condone the manner and tone which he has chosen and finds his comments completely unacceptable." [37] During a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day speech at Duke University in 2006, Belafonte compared the American government to the 9/11 hijackers, saying, "What is the difference between that terrorist and other terrorists?" [38] In response to criticism about his remarks, Belafonte asked, "What do you call Bush when the war he put us in to date has killed almost as many Americans as died on 9/11 and the number of Americans wounded in war is almost triple? [...] By most definitions Bush can be considered a terrorist." When he was asked about his expectation of criticism for his remarks on the war in Iraq, Belafonte responded: "Bring it on. Dissent is central to any democracy." [39][40]
In another interview, Belafonte remarked that while his comments may have been "hasty", nevertheless he felt the Bush administration suffered from "arrogance wedded to ignorance," and its policies around the world were "morally bankrupt".[41] In January 2006, in a speech to the annual meeting of the Arts Presenters Members Conference, Belafonte referred to "the new Gestapo of Homeland Security" saying, "You can be arrested and have no right to counsel!" [42] During the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day speech at the Duke University in January 2006, Belafonte said that if he could choose his epitaph, it would be, "Harry Belafonte, Patriot." [43]
[edit]Discography
Further information: Harry Belafonte discography
[edit]Filmography
Belafonte with wife Pamela in April 2011
Bright Road (1953)
Carmen Jones (1954)
Island in the Sun (1957)
The Heart of Show Business (1957) (short subject)
The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959)
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970) (documentary) (narrator)
The Angel Levine (1970)
Buck and the Preacher (1972)
Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
A veces miro mi vida (1982)
Drei Lieder (1983) (short subject)
Sag nein (1983) (documentary)
Der Schönste Traum (1984) (documentary)
We Shall Overcome (1989) (documentary) (narrator)
The Player (1992) (Cameo)
Ready to Wear (1994) (Cameo)
Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream (1995)
White Man's Burden (1995)
Jazz '34 (1996)
Kansas City (1996)
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist (1998) (documentary)
Fidel (2001) (documentary)
XXI Century (2003) (documentary)
Conakry Kas (2003) (documentary)
Ladders (2004) (documentary) (narrator)
Mo & Me (2006) (documentary)
Bobby (2006)
Motherland (2009) (documentary)
Sing Your Song (2011) (documentary)
[edit]Television work
Sugar Hill Times (1949–1950)
Tonight With Belafonte (1959)
Petula (1968)
A World in Music (1969)
Harry & Lena, For The Love Of Life (1969)
A World in Love (1970)
Free to Be… You and Me (1974)
The Muppet Show (1978)
Grambling's White Tiger (1981)
Don't Stop The Carnival (1985)
An Evening With Harry Belafonte And Friends (1997)
Swing Vote (1999)
Tanner on Tanner (2004)
That's What I'm Talking About (2006) (miniseries)
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006) (miniseries)
[edit]Concert videos
Don't Stop The Carnival (1985)
Global Carnival (1988)
An Evening With Harry Belafonte And Friends (1997)
[edit]Stage work
John Murray Anderson's Almanac (December 10, 1953 – June 26, 1954)
3 for Tonight (April 6 – June 18, 1955)
Moonbirds (October 9–10, 1959) (producer)
Belafonte at the Palace (December 15, 1959 – closing date unknown)
Asinamali! (April 23 – May 17, 1987) (producer)
[edit]Quotation
“ The sham engineers of the music industry, who steer the wheels of public opinion, are driving the good features of calypso into the ground. I shudder to think what these greedy men will eventually do to this true art form. ”
— NME – May 1957[44]
Reference from Wikipedia.com
