Posted by christine on May 14, 2010 in
Celebrities A New Way of Connecting to World Wide Celebrities – Yuddy.com
Now a days every celebrities are related various categories, so to connect the celebrities there is a need for a channel. There is a channel called Yuddy.com to connect all the world wide celebrities in various categories across various countries.
Yuddy.com provides the open connectivity with celebrities all over the world across various countries in various categories such as Television, Movies, Modelling, Sports, Music, Politics and many Others. Yuddy keeps track of various memorable events, important days and current events of all the celebrities. And also provides profiles, life histories and auto biographies of top celebrities belonging to various categories.
Yuddy.com presents the forums posted on top celebrities, Celebrity photo galleries of all the celebrities, important video reviews of various events and movies reviews of hollywood artists. And also we provide celebrity news like who is working with whom, who is doing what, who is where, who is going to participate in which events etc.
Celebrity News | Celebrity Gossip | Celebrities Biography | Hollywood Actors | Hollywood Actress | Hollywood Celebrities | Hollywood Celebrity Latest News | Celebrity Photos |
Celebrities Birthdays | Site Map | link to Yuddy.com | RSS
Posted by christine on May 9, 2010 in
Celebrities Have you ever considered hiring a celebrity lookalike or female impersonator for your next party or special event? If you haven?t, you are missing out on one of the hottest trends in event planning right now. Hiring celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators can help your next event by:
?Offering laughs and surprises. Just imagine the look on your guests? faces as they are greeted by Elvis or Madonna at your party or big event. Most people laugh out loud when they see celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators. By including these types of entertainers, you can immediately create a great atmosphere and encourage people to relax and enjoy themselves.
?Drawing attention. If celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators arrive at your event, it is guaranteed that people will be intrigued and want to join in all the fun. Plus, imagine the terrific response you can get if you advertise that The Beatles will be at your music school workshop. The truth is, celebrity and female impersonators are great marketing, no matter what sort of event you are hosting.
?Offering a personalized event. There are qualified entertainers out there who can impersonate anyone and anything. No matter what your interests and no matter what the theme of your event, you can find great lookalike entertainers to help you. Even if you are planning a business conference, imagine the great atmosphere you would build by including Bill Gates or Donald Trump lookalikes.
?Offering superb entertainment. Many celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators have voice and theater training. Some can present speeches, sing, or do stand up comedy acts. If you are tired of having the same old music band, lookalikes are an exciting new option.
?Offering great photo opportunities. Few entertainers offer the sort of great photos that celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators can offer. These entertainers spend hours achieving the perfect look to make your event a great success.
No matter what your next big event will be like, hiring celebrity and female impersonators is a great idea. Your guests will talk about your event for years to come and will eagerly look forward to the future events you host.
Posted by christine on May 5, 2010 in
Celebrities The first time I saw Heath Ledger, it was by accident. My date and later to-be husband, Nick, took me to see ‘The Sixth Sense’, finally succumbing to peer pressure to guess ?the big surprise ending. By now, ‘The Sixth Sense’ was off the major theater chain circuit and only screening in small suburban independent theaters, which led us to experience one of those now rare events: a double-feature matinee. The first movie was ‘10 Things I Hate About You’.
Well passed ?teen movies, even those with Shakespearian-based scripts, we shyly admitted to liking 10 Things. Wow, I really like the male lead, what was his name? ?He?s Australian, you know?, replied Nick. And in typical Aussie-fashion, I was doubly impressed and now stupidly filled with national pride. Another brilliant Australian up-and-comer to join the rapidly increasing queue to grace Hollywood screens.
Years later, I would often grab the DVD to fill a cheerless afternoon and find myself watching and rewinding the same scene. Over and over and over again. My secret guilty pleasure. Heath sliding down the pole, microphone in hand, singing ?You?re just too good to be true, can?t take my eyes off of you ?? The brass band kicks in. And that charmingly defiant half-run, half-prancing across the school steps. The scene is brilliant. It?s inexplicable. He simply has that old-fashioned ?it? factor.
I?m not a star-struck fan and was never one of those teenagers with movie-star idol posters plastered all over my bedroom walls, but this kids got talent.
And then came those scene-stealing roles that totally blew us away. The Patriot. Monsters Ball. And finally leading-man status and an Academy Award nomination. By now, we were just used to having another famous Australian up there with the rest of the world’s great talent churning out an endless array of diverse, yet illustrious film roles.
We had no idea. It was not endless. It was not what we expected.
When people who I?ve never met but greatly admire die, I?m sad. But I?ve never cried before. I have never before felt that heart wrenching overwhelming shock that lasted for days after I heard the news. This time it was somehow more personal. As soon as I read the detailed list of the first report of his deathbed scene, I intuitively knew how he died.
Ten days later the final medical examiners report confirmed my suspicions.
Hollywood is ?Xanax-city. Feeling down, pop a Xanax. Feeling stressed, pop a Xanax. Need to perform at your very best, pop a Xanax. A-list stars feel the pressure to provide A-grade performances when working on multi-million dollar films. There’s too much money at stake. The intense stress, both internal and external, is immeasurable. The studios are risking billions, paying the stars millions, and the actors are unnaturally subjected to more pressure than we mere mortals can imagine.
Heath Ledger, himself, admitted that after the worldwide release of A Knights Tale with its instant paparazzi-bulb-flashing stardom, his stress levels increased ten-fold.
Xanax is the trade name of the generic anti-anxiety/tranquillizer prescription drug, alprazolam, listed in Ledgers toxicity report. The other anti-anxiety drug was diazepam, or more commonly known as Valium. These drugs are from a class of commonly prescribed tranquilizers known as benzodiazepines or simply referred to as benzos.
According to the latest National Health Study, approximately 10 million scripts of benzos are written annually in Australia alone with its meagre population of 20 million compared to 300 million in the US.
Many doctors will write a script for benzos faster than a speeding bullet. But the real danger is that too many of them do not know the long-term effects these drugs have on your system, how to give their patients the correct advice when administering or monitoring the dosages, and ? more frighteningly – how to manage their patients benzo withdrawal program.
Firstly, this is how benzos affect your body ? or more importantly ? your brain. Benzodiazepines increase, or rather, enhance your brains main neurotransmitter, commonly known as GABA. Eventually, and this can be as quickly as 3 to 4 weeks if taking a daily dose, your brain will stop producing its own GABA and rely totally on the artificial benzo.
GABA is the most important neurotransmitter because it affects just about everything else. Primarily it enhances the brains other neurotransmitters such as Serotonin and Dopamine. All of the brains neurotransmitters have important functions such as, voluntary movement of the muscles, wakefulness, sleep, memory function, sensory transmission – especially pain, and much, much more.
The problem is that from this point on your brain needs more benzo as tolerance starts the downward spiral, and the brain needs higher and higher dosages to obtain the same effect. If the patient is not given the correct dosage or management advice, that insidious and often-undiagnosed disorder known as Benzo Withdrawal Syndrome (BWS) will start its ugly and potentially dangerous descent.
BWS is known by experts in the field for its severity and prolonged nature. It may take years to fully withdraw from benzos, even with proper care and supervision. Without this knowledge, the unwitting patient can suffer from over 30 symptoms, the most common being unrelenting insomnia, severe pain and mood changes. People who have been taking benzos for a relatively short time can experience withdrawal symptoms even whilst taking the drug. In addition, if you have been taking them for a prolonged time, and then suddenly stop, dire circumstances may happen. Or, at the very least, more pain, more depression and unrelenting insomnia.
When we now read about Heath Ledgers complaints, does this sound familiar? Everything points to extreme Benzo Withdrawal, but no-one is exclaiming its dangers. In fact, most GPs and even hospital doctors admit they know very little about Benzo Withdrawal. Some even refer their patients to drug rehabilitation centers ? an absolute no-no according to benzo counselors. Benzo withdrawal is the exact opposite to alcohol or street drug dependency. You don?t want to abruptly eliminate the benzo from your body, as they often do in drug rehabilitation. The brain needs the benzo. One must gradually withdraw the artificial benzo until the brain can eventually increase its own GABA. Sudden cessation of benzos can cause severe problems such as seizures and blackouts.
When in BWS, the counselors advise against taking any medication or drugs whatsoever. Paracetamol is probably the only thing the body can cope with for pain relief. Nothing else. Even codeine is forbidden. Also, one should totally refrain from alcohol, caffeine, and all stimulants. There is a strong protocol to be followed and without this knowledge, the patient is easily put at great risk.
The Ashton Manual, the acknowledged benzodiazepine ?bible, warns:
?Drug interactions: Benzodiazepines have additive effects with other drugs with sedative actions including other hypnotic’s, some antidepressant’s (e.g. amitriptyline [Elavil], doxepin [Adapin, Sinequan]), major tranquilizers or neuroleptics (e.g. prochlorperazine [Compazine], trifluoperazine [Stelazine]), anticonvulsant’s (e.g. phenobarbital, phenytoin [Dilantin], carbamazepine [Atretol, Tegretol]), sedative antihistamines (e.g. diphenhydramine [Benadryl], promethazine [Phenergan]), opiates (heroin, morphine, meperidine), and, importantly, alcohol. Patients taking benzodiazepines should be warned of these interactions. If sedative drugs are taken in overdose, benzodiazepines may add to the risk of fatality.?
The real problem is that there are extremely few experts in treating BWS; they will not include your local doctor, hospital, or drug clinic. However, there are good BWS specialists that can be extremely helpful, but they are usually found in specially funded tranquillizer recovery clinics.
One must ask, why don?t doctors know about this? The problem is they simply don?t. Is it their fault or the pharmaceutical companies that profit from these addictions? There is little or no dissemination of information within the community, the medical fraternity or from the pharmaceutical companies about benzodiazepines. And, according to BWS counselors working in the field, there is insufficient research or empirical studies on the effects of benzos and BWS management to assist them with their intensive workload’s.
Why? Who is at fault? Who is responsible for remedying the situation? Why are the people who write the scripts uninformed about the after-effects and potential dangers associated with benzodiazepines?
Can our beloved Heath Ledgers death be at least one catalyst that will draw this devastating travesty to the public’s attention to demand more information?
I hope so.
Posted by christine on May 1, 2010 in
Celebrities Like about 200 million other people around the world, my wife and I settled down to watch the American Idol Grand Finale earlier this week. With the benefit of satellite, we watched live from our tropical island home by the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. We were already happy, as our two favourites, Katherine McPhee and Taylor Hicks had, the previous evening, been where they belonged, singing in the final. Whoever won did not matter; we loved them both, but after Taylor Hicks final song, he did look the likely winner. However, they would both, as well as Chris Daughtry, have made worthy American Idols.
There were many memorable moments during the American Idol 2006 series, but for me one of the most memorable, and significant, came with the announcement of Taylor Hicks as the winner. I was delighted for him. He has been an inspirational entertainer all the way through the American Idol series, never flirting with the exit door (despite Simon Cowell’s attempts to shove him there), and with a unique ability to take just about any song, turn it into his own, and bring the audience to its feet. Taylor Hicks is…well, Taylor Hicks; never afraid to do his own thing and entertain the audience. Even if Simon Cowell wrote a funeral dirge, Taylor Hicks could turn it into something special with his unique character, and have the house rocking.
Taylor Hicks being announced as the winner was, of course, the peak of the series; it was what all the contestants had been aiming for since the auditions. However, for me there was something very special about that moment, that some may not have been so aware of: the reaction of Katherine McPhee. Her reaction was one of genuine delight for Taylor’s success. There were no artificial congratulations, no tears of disappointment, no sombre face because she had lost the final; just magnanimous delight for Taylor Hicks being voted American Idol 2006.
Katherine McPhee is a born star, and she will have a good singing career, a dream come true for her. Yet, despite her stunning beauty and exceptional singing talent, she remained modest even at the pinnacle of the show. In her own failure to win the contest, she simultaneously recognised with magnanimity the success of Taylor Hicks, and glowed in her own success of getting that far herself. She did not exude one iota of failure in her demeanour as the announcement was made. If anything, she epitomised success.
Seeing Katherine McPhee at that moment reminded me of how intermingled success and failure are. Even the same achievement can be viewed by one person as a success, and another as failure. No doubt there are some mean spirited people who will dismiss Katherine with a simple ?oh, she was beaten, she failed.? But anyone who genuinely respects achievement of any type would appreciate what she has done to get as far as she has, and in such style.
The parents of Katherine McPhee must be very proud of what their daughter can do, has done, and will do in the future. But they should also be very proud of themselves for bringing up such a delightful young woman, who can take her moment of disappointment and turn it into a celebration of success, both for her and her conqueror, Taylor Hicks.
Posted by christine on Apr 27, 2010 in
Celebrities His thirst to take over led him to start his own record label and clothing line, G-Unit, act in feature films and provide voice-over for popular video games. Not to mention owning 10% of Vitamin Water, later purchased by Coca Cola for $ 4.1 billion dollars. This man gets paid.
A true survivor, 50 Cent grew up on the mean streets of South Jamaica Queens, New York where he sold drugs at the age of twelve during the 1980?s crack epidemic. He was raised by his grandmother after his mother was killed, and he was shot nine times in front of his home on May 14, 2000. His survival gave the rapper a controversial and somewhat mythical image. His remarkable story propels him to continue making hits and building his own fortune.
In 2003, 50 Cent released his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. It was an instant success, selling over 870,000 copies within 4 days. Interscope quickly granted him his own record label, G-Unit Records, that same year. While working with the emerging artists on his label, 50 released his sophomore album, The Massacre. It featured hits like ?Just a Lil Bit? and ?Candy Shop? featuring Olivia, the only lady on G-Unit records. His sophomore album was a hit, selling over 5 million copies and garnering a Grammy nomination for rap album of the year in 2005.
He lost that year to Kanye West, and the record breaking rappers did the legendary cover of “Rolling Stone.” Both rappers had albums that dropped on September 11th, and the release was played up by the media as a rivalry. However, they both have made it clear that it is nothing more than friendly competition.
50 Cent has been keeping busy traveling around to promote his new self-titled third album, Curtis. It is another club banging, story telling, boastful 50 Cent classic. This album was highly anticipated by fans everywhere who wanted to know what was on the rapper’s mind after letting go of Olivia, publicly beefing with rapper, Cameron, and competing with Kanye West in album sales. It alsoshows fans a different side of the rapper, a more sensual side, with songs like ?Amusement Park,? which we can assure you is not a place for kids.
50 Cent promises fans that this year will be a big year. In addition to promoting his album, he recently launched his own film production company, G-Unit Films. He has been working on a feature film with Nicolas Cage, called “The Dance,” and is set to star opposite Robert DeNiro in “Righteous Kill.” With a production company, a record deal and several other business ventures under his belt, it is plain to see that there is a lot more to this rapper than meets the eye.
Posted by christine on Apr 6, 2010 in
Celebrities The 30-year run of Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show was both memorable and historic. It was the setting for a number of classic TV moments remembered by television watchers of several generations. Though many people remember Carson for his hilarious characters and skits, he was not one to shy away from controversial topics when it was something that he truly believed in. Many of his best-known moments have been captured on various classic TV DVD’s, enabling fans of Carson to watch their favorite bits over and over again.
One of Johnny Carson?s best known moments, one that demonstrated to the world just how quick his wit really was, happened two years after he began his run on The Tonight Show. On April 29, 1965, Ed Ames of the Daniel Boone television series was Carson?s guest. Ames was demonstrating how to throw a tomahawk using a wooden silhouette of a man, and when he threw the tomahawk it landed squarely in the silhouette?s crotch. As the crowd laughed, Carson quipped, ?I didn?t even know you were Jewish.? This piece of classic television comedy was so popular that it was often replayed on the show?s anniversary.
Other classic moments on The Tonight Show revolved around some of the recurring characters that Johnny Carson portrayed, often with the help of Ed McMahon. Quite possibly the most famous of these classic television characters was Carnac the Magnificent, a mentalist played by Carson who would claim to be able to answer questions sealed in envelopes without ever seeing the question. The answers, of course, would never be straight answers and would instead be puns. When the audience didn?t like one of the jokes, he would respond with equally outlandish curses, such as ?May a diseased yak befriend your sister.? Carson had a number of other popular characters as well, such as Floyd R. Turbo, Ralph Willie, and Aunt Blabby.
Not all of the comedy sketches that Carson did contained these repeating characters. There were a number of one-shot skits which appeared on the classic television show, including Carson?s portrayal of Hamlet delivering the famous ?To be or not to be?? soliloquy. In the Johnny Carson version, however, were a number of product advertisements which flowed directly from the famous Shakespearean lines to create one of the funniest portrayals of the play to date.
In addition to providing laughs and unexpected punchlines, Carson would from time to time use his show as a means of exposing scams and fakes who were taking advantage of the public at large. Famed psychic Uri Gellar appeared on the show in 1973. Carson himself set up the props for Gellar?s act without Gellar or his manager being able to see them before filming. Despite Gellar?s claims of having genuine mental powers, he was unable to reproduce his usual tricks with the props that Carson provided. This method of proving Gellar a fraud had been suggested by Carson?s friend James Randi, a trained stage magician (like Carson himself) who later appeared on the show in 1987 to expose the supposed faith healer Peter Popoff. Though Popoff claimed that his knowledge of the audience?s problems came from ?Godly visions?, Randi provided Carson and his audience with video that showed Popoff?s wife describing the people for him to heal via a microphone which broadcast to a speaker hidden in his hearing aid.
Other classic TV moments on The Tonight Show included visits from zoologists such as Joan Embery and Jim Fowler. They brought animals which Carson would often interact with in some way; many episodes featured Carson being crawled on by smaller animals. One famous incident often shown as a clip featured Carson leaning down too close to a panther?s cage which caused the cat to swipe at him with its paw. Carson ran across the stage and jumped into Ed McMahon?s arms for comedic effect.
When Johnny Carson retired from the show, his final episodes were considered major events. The most sentimental moment came on the next-to-last of his episodes. Bette Midler and Robin Williams were his guests. After Carson revealed in conversation some of his favorite songs, Midler began to sing one. The song soon became a duet between her and Carson. She finished her appearance by singing ?One for My Baby (and One More for the Road).? An emotional Carson began to tear up on camera. This historic and touching moment was caught on film using a long camera angle never used in the previous 30 years of Carson?s run. One of his most emotional classic moments became a historic milestone in late night television filming.
Carson was an amazing entertainer, a charismatic personality and a moment maker. His appeal as a celebrity and a comedian carries on to future generations as classic television shows become available on DVD.
~Ben Anton, 2008
Posted by christine on Apr 2, 2010 in
Celebrities A Star is Made: Where does talent really come from?
Reviewing a new 900 page academic book The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance that will be published this month, Freakonomics authors report some very interesting findings.
(I highly recommend you read this piece if you have an interest in finding out how a star is made in any discipline.)
Here are three conclusions from this massive work:
1. The trait we call talent is highly overrated.
That is, expert performers – whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer programming – are nearly always made, not born. And yes,
2. Practice does make perfect. And last, my personal favorite:
3. When it comes to choosing a life path, you should do what you love – because if you don’t love it, you are unlikely to work hard enough to get very good.
They add, “Most people naturally don’t like to do things they aren’t ‘good’ at. So they often give up, telling themselves they simply don’t possess the talent for math or skiing or the violin.”
But the truth is this:
“What they really lack is the desire to be good and to undertake the deliberate practice that would make them better.
Joseph Campbell was right when he told his students, “Follow your bliss.”
And yes, especially in your work. If you don’t love your product for example, chances are you won’t do the deliberate practice it takes to learn how to talk about it so that you get good at it.
If you don’t love SOMETHING about your network marketing business enough to spend the time to learn to do it well, your chances of succeeding are slim to none.
So ask yourself, what do you LOVE MADLY about what you’re doing? Is it making a difference in someone’s life? Is it what the income can buy?
Whatever turns you on, will keep you going.
And if it’s nothing special, perhaps this business really isn’t the best thing for you to be doing. Why NOT love what you do? People can tell if you don’t.
One thing’s for sure in our business: The promise of income is NOT enough. Not for the 95% who drop out, that is.
So what else is there that you love enough or are challenged by enough, to keep you practicing deliberately and systematically, like everyone has ever done who excels in something?
Posted by christine on Mar 21, 2010 in
Celebrities An ancient Chinese legend tells of a man-eating predatory beast called Nian, extremely fierce, with a long head and sharp horn. Nian dwelled deep in the sea the whole year long, but on every Chinese New Year’s Eve it would climb onto the shore to devour livestock and harm humans in a near-by village. Therefore, every Chinese New Year’s Eve, all the villagers would take their old and young deep into the mountains to hide from Nian.
One Chinese New Year’s Eve a grey haired man appeared in the village. He asked permission to stay for the night and assured everyone that he would chase away the beast. No one believed him. In addition, the old man steadfastly refused to go to the mountains to hide. Seeing that he could not be persuaded, the villagers departed without him.
When the beast arrived at the village to wreck havoc as usual, it was met with a sudden burst of exploding firecrackers. Startled by the noise, the flashes of light, and red banners flying about, it hastily turned and fled!
The following day, as the people returned from the mountains, they found the village intact and safe. The old man had left, but they found the remains of the three precious items he had used to chase the beast Nian away. They all agreed that the old man must be a deity who had come to help free them of the beast.
From then on, every Chinese New Year’s Eve, families would hang red banners, set off fire crackers, and light their lamps the whole night through, awaiting the Chinese New Year. The custom spread far and wide and became a grand traditional celebration of the “Passing of Nian” (“Nian” in Chinese means “year”).
So celebrating the Chinese New Year should be called ?passing of Nian? or ?Guo Nian? in Chinese. However the term was gradually changed to ?Spring Festival? after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power in 1949. Gradually people have forgotten the legend behind these Chinese New Year traditions. It is merely one small example of how the CCP has robbed the Chinese people of their rich traditional culture.
New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) is working hard to reverse this loss. In its 2006 Chinese New Year Global Gala it actually put the ancient story of the Nian monster on stage. NTDTV’s Chinese New Year shows are a unique opportunity to experience the magic of traditional Chinese culture. Marvelous music, ancient instruments, magnificent backdrops, splendid costumes, and first class performers–altogether make for outstanding entertainment reflecting China’s 5,000 years of civilization and traditional culture–a culture rich in myths and legends worth cherishing and preserving.
Between January and March the 2007 NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular will be touring Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and major cities in Canada, Europe and Asia. http://shows.ntdtv.com
Posted by christine on Mar 17, 2010 in
Celebrities U2 was founded in 1976 and features Bono (Paul David Hewson) on vocals, The Edge (David Howell Evans) on lead guitar, keyboards, and background vocals, Adam Clayton on bass guitar, and Larry Mullen, Jr. on drums and background vocals. The band found popularity in the mid 1980?s and is still wildly popular today. They have sold about 50.5 million albums in the United States alone, and approximately 170 million across the globe.
Six of U2 albums were #1 in the U.S., and the band has won more Grammy Awards than any living or past recording artists, with 22 under their belt. In its April 2004 issue, Rolling Stone magazine, named U2 in its 50 ?greatest rock & roll artists of all time? and in the following year, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Arguably, one of the most successful bands of all time, the band continues to top music charts and sell out stadiums and arenas all around the globe.
U2 was initially formed in Dublin, Ireland in the fall of 1976. Mullen, Jr., posted a notice on his secondary school?s bulletin board seeking musicians to form a new band. Seven boys would attend the band?s first ever practice, but only Mullen, Jr., Clayton, Evans, and Hewson would be left by the time the band was performing at a talent show in Limerick, Ireland on March 17, 1978. The band won the top prize at the top show and impressed Jackie Hayden, one of the judges for the show, who also worked for CBS Records. Hayden would provide the band with studio time to record their first demo. Before releasing their first single, the band went through multiple band names, starting with The Larry Mullen Band, then changed it to Feedback, and then to The Hype, and then finally settled on U2. Under the CBS label, U2 would release their first two singles in the Irish market. Neither singles generated much attention from audiences and critics.
In March of 1980, U2 signed with Island Records and released their first international single ?11 O? Clock Tick Tock,? and their first album, Boy. The album included their first hit single, ?I Will Follow.? The album, along with the band?s first tour outside of Ireland and the U.K., were well received amongst music critics and their fans. In the following year, U2 released October, an album that exhibited strong spiritual, Christian overtones. In 1983, U2 released their third album, War, which included the band?s first international hit single, ?New Year?s Day?. The song would peak at the #10 position on UK charts and climb just under the top 50 on US music charts. MTV placed the ?New Year?s Day? music video into heavy rotation, which helped introduce mainstream America to U2. From that point on, performing at sold-out concerts in Europe and the U.S. was nothing out of the norm.
In 1984, U2 released The Unforgettable Fire, which included hit single, ?Pride (In the Name of Love).? The album contained a new sound from the band that was more atmospheric, effects-driven, and symphonic. The single, about civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., would penetrate the U.S. Top 40 and U.K. Top 5. The album also included ?Bad,? a song that would go on to become a fan favorite, particular at live concerts. In 1987, the band released The Joshua Tree, which would debut at #1 on UK charts and also peak at #1 on U.S. charts. The album, which included hit single ?Where the Streets Have No Name? and #1 hit singles ?With or Without You,? and ?I Still Haven?t Found What I?m Looking For? would go on to win the coveted Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The album to date, has sold an estimated 25 million copies. Later that year, U2 was featured on the cover of Time magazine, with the headline reading, ?Rock?s Hottest Ticket?. The band?s Joshua Tree Tour was a commercial success, as the band consistently played in front of sold out arenas and stadiums. In 1988, U2 released a double album entitled Rattle and Hum. The album, which featured tracks performed with Bob Dylan and B.B. King was well received by fans, but with lukewarm reviews from music critics. In the following year, U2 announced they would take some time off from touring.
In 1991, the band reentered the music scene with the release of Achtung Baby, which included smash hit single, ?One?. The album was well received by both fans and critics. To date, it has sold over 17 million copies. In 1993, U2 released Zooropa, an album that infused techno style and electronic effects to U2?s traditional alternative guitar rock sound. The album, which included tracks, ?Zooropa,? ?Stay (Faraway, So Close!)? and ?The Wanderer,? featuring country and rock legend, Johnny Cash, expanded the band?s reach and sustained their popularity going into the 90s and beyond.
In 1997, the band released Pop, an album that would debut at #1 in 28 countries. The album was also noted for mixing elements of popular 90s techno with traditional US alternative guitar rock. Critics were mixed on the album, which despite being an early commercial success, has lifetime sales that are among the lowest in U2?s catalogue. On September 20, 2007, U2 would set a new European record at that time for the largest attendance at a concert for a single band, thanks to the 150,000 Italians that went to see them at the ?Campovolo? in Reggio Emilia. In 1999, U2 released All That You Can?t Leave Behind, which included several hit singles, such as: ?Beautiful Day,? ?Stuck in a Moment You Can?t Get Out of? and ?Elevation?. In 2001, the band would highlight the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVI, set in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In November 2004, U2 released How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which would debut at #1 in 32 countries. The album, featuring hit singles ?Vertigo? and ?Sometimes You Can?t Make It On Your Own? would sell an estimated 840,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week, a record for the band. U2 would go on to make a huge splash at the 2005-2006 Grammy Awards, taking home five Grammy?s including: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album.
U2 is also well-known for their active participation in the cause for human rights, particularly in Africa. Most recently they have been encouraging fans and the general public to take part in the ONE campaign, even taking time during their concerts to talk about the cause. Frontman Bono was named as one of TIME magazine?s Persons of the Year in December of 2005 for his participation in worldwide humanitarian efforts. Their most recent album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, has sparked a hugely popular worldwide tour. Recent singles include ?One? with Mary J. Blige, ?All Because of You,? ?City of Blinding Lights,? and ?Vertigo.? U2 has gone on record to intimate a new album to be released in late 2006 or in 2007.
If you are a U2 fan, get your U2 Ringtones
Posted by christine on Mar 13, 2010 in
Celebrities In 1930 a talented musician aged 21 decided to form a dance band, and hey presto, the country?s, if not the world?s, longest serving entertainment unit was born and has been doing jus that non-stop ever since! The Joe Loss Orchestra now directed by Todd Miller is still appearing countrywide to this day.
I say ?entertaining? because Joe always said, ?although we are in the music business we are also entertainers.? When Joe became ill in 1990 he asked Todd to take over the Orchestra and not one booking was cancelled. Todd himself joined the Orchestra in 1972 and is now regarded by many as one of the best front men in the business.
It was in 1969 that Joe decided, for financial reasons, that he would reduce the personnel to ten musicians and three vocalists. He felt that when the moment was right he would re-assemble the big band. Indeed to this day there are many musicians playing in present day big bands who appear in the Joe Loss Big Band whenever the band is booked.
On the subject of big bands and their leaders there is an amusing story relating to Joe and Billy Cotton. It appears that one morning just after the end of the war, Joe arrived home after a gig just before breakfast. Having had a quick cup of tea and still in pyjamas and dressing gown, who should be knocking at the front door other than Billy Cotton with a brand new motor car. He insisted on taking Joe for a spin and although the weather conditions were pretty grim, bitterly cold and with thick snow off they went into the surrounding countryside. Unfortunately, before too long the car ran out of petrol (it still being rationed that time didn?t help) and Billy left Joe in the car whilst he set off in the quest for a garage. There sat Joe as cold as ice and with teeth chattering when along came the local bobby. Pushing his bicycle, he enquired as to why Joe was sitting in the car in freezing weather wearing his pyjamas and dressing gown. Joe informed the police constable that he was Joe Loss and that Billy Cotton had gone off to try and get some petrol. By the look in his eye the constable was finding it hard to believe such a story, until Billy re-appeared with a can of petrol and convinced the sceptic that the story was indeed true! The constable cycled away with a smile on his face with two prized autographs in his notebook!
But I digress. It was with an eight-piece band, playing in the style of Oscar Rabin?s Romany Band at the Astoria Ballroom, that Joe took the first steps to becoming well-known. His growing popularity brought him a job at the Kit Kat Club where he made many of the BBC outside broadcasts. During his time there he raised the personnel to 11 plus a young lady vocalist ? a croonette as they were known. She made her first broadcast singing ?Red Sails In The Sunset? the top hit of the day in 1935. She was only 18 and in years to come became the ?Forces Favourite? none other than Vera Lynn.
After a long residency in London Joe began to tour the music halls, as did many bands of the day. During the war he took the band to entertain the troops around the UK and eventually to France and Holland. In 1946 Joe began a regular residency in the Isle of Man from May until the end of September, which lasted until 1959. With the coming together of the ITV companies Joe and the orchestra became the house band for ABC and opened up all of the television regions throughout the UK during the period from 1956 to 1960. They were to be seen regularly on television often up to four times a week. This was followed by a long residency at the Hammersmith Palais until August 1969 broken only by an 18-week season at the Empire Leicester Square and 12months at the Lyceum in 1967. They then moved on to the Empire until November 1970 at which point Joe decided to retire. He told Sam Watmough, the current manager of the band, who joined in 1956 that during the meeting he was to inform the band of his decision.
Joe opened his speech saying ?Gentlemen, we shall be leaving the Empire and Mecca in 6 weeks time on November 30th.? This brought Stan Pickstock, lead trumpet, to his feet, Stan had been with the band since 1961, who said, ?bloody great, now we can get back on the road,? at which point the band applauded.
Joe however was taken aback and said, ?I didn?t think you would want to go on the road again, but if you do that?s fine.? So the Joe Loss Orchestra was back on the road once again and had remained so ever since.
When Joe first became too ill to travel To0dd fronted the Orchestra until Joe eventually retired on January 31st 1990, two weeks before his 81st birthday. Joe passed away on 8th June, many thought that the Orchestra would not carry on without him, how wrong they were! They remain one of the most popular and busiest bands in the country. To quote Sam Watmough, who had been Joe?s manager for 30 years, ?I knew what Joe wanted and we are still proud to be known as Todd Miller and the Joe Loss Orchestra.? As Todd himself says, ?We must be doing something right!?