Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston
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Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston performing on December 1st, 2007 at the Live & Loud Concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Background information
Birth name
Whitney Elizabeth Houston
Also known as
The Voice
Born
August 9, 1963 (1963-08-09) (age 44)Newark, New Jersey, United States
Genre(s)
Pop, R&B, dance-pop, gospel, New Jack Swing, Soul
Occupation(s)
Singer, pianist, actress, film producer, model, Song writer
Instrument(s)
Singing, piano
Voice type(s)
coloratura soprano
Years active
1977–present
Label(s)
Arista
Website
http://www.whitneyhouston.com/
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is an American pop and R&B singer, actress, film producer, record producer, songwriter, and former fashion model. Her crossover success opened doors for other African Americans, particularly women, to find success in pop music.[1][2] She has frequently been referred to her as "The Voice".[3][4] She is known mainly for her powerful, gospel-influenced voice that is also appealing to the mainstream masses.
During the 1980s, Houston was one the first black artists to receive regular rotation on MTV in the network's early years during a white male rock dominated time.[5][6] Her debut album Whitney Houston became the biggest selling debut album of all time for a solo artist (a record that has since been broken), her follow up album Whitney became the first album by a female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200. Houston holds a record of seven consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She continued her success into Hollywood in the 1990s, starting with the box office hit The Bodyguard. The soundtrack would become the best selling soundtrack of all time, and the single "I Will Always Love You" the best selling single by a female artist.[7] She continued the decade with other successful and culturally significant projects before returning to the studio. Houston is the fourth best-selling female recording artist according to the Recording Industry Association of America.[8] To date Whitney Houston has sold over 260 million records worldwide.
After Houston married former R&B singer Bobby Brown at the height of her career, rumors of drug and spousal abuse started to affect her career. This led to a decline in her public image and album sales dropped during the 2000s. Her personal troubles and erratic behavior would be talked about more than any of her music, regularly appearing in the tabloid press. Houston underwent two drug rehab programs in 2005 and 2006. After a successful second program in 2006, Houston divorced Brown and gained custody of their only daughter. She has since been working on her 7th studio album with music mogul and close friend and mentor Clive Davis.[9]
Contents[hide]
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 Early career: 1977–1984
2.2 Debut: 1985–1986
2.3 Continued success: 1987–1991
2.4 Hollywood success: 1992–1998
2.5 Back to the studio: 1998–2001
2.6 Commercial decline: 2002–2005
2.7 New beginnings: 2006–present
3 Film and television career
4 Personal life
4.1 Marriage to Bobby Brown
4.2 Drug and health issues
4.3 John Houston dispute
5 Awards
6 Discography
7 Videography
8 Number-one songs
9 See also
10 References
11 External links

Celine Dion

Celine Dion
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This article is about the musician. For her 1992 self-titled album, see Celine Dion (album).
Celine Dion

Dion singing "God Bless America" at a May 2, 2002 concert aboard the USS Harry S. Truman.
Background information
Birth name
Céline Marie Claudette Dion
Born
March 30, 1968 (1968-03-30) (age 39)Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada
Origin
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genre(s)
Pop, rock
Occupation(s)
Singer, songwriter
Years active
1981 – present
Label(s)
550 Music/Epic/SME Records (1986–2004)Epic/SBMG Records (2004–2007)SBMG Records/Columbia [2007-present]
Website
http://www.celinedion.com/
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, OC, OQ (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian singer, and occasional songwriter and actress.[1][2][3] Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record.[4] In 1990 she released the anglophone album Unison, establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English speaking areas of the world.[5]
Dion first gained international recognition in the 1980s after she won the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.[6][7] Following a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to Sony Records in 1986. With the help of her husband, she achieved worldwide success with several English and French albums, ending the decade as one of the most successful artists in pop music.[8][9] However, in 1999, at the height of her success, Dion announced a temporary retraction from entertainment in order to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer.[10][9] She returned to the music scene in 2002 and signed a four-year contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.[11][12]
Dion's music has been influenced by genres ranging from pop, soul and rock to gospel and classical, and while her releases have often received mixed critical reception, she is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals.[13][14][15] In 2004, after accumulating record sales in excess of 175 million, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the "Best-selling Female Artist in the World."[16][17] In April 2007 Sony BMG announced that Celine Dion had sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.[18]
Contents[hide]
1 Life and music career
1.1 Childhood and early beginnings
1.2 1990–1992: Career breakthrough
1.3 1993–1995: Popularity established
1.4 1996–1999: Worldwide commercial success
1.5 2000–2002: Career break
1.6 2002–2003: Return to music
1.7 2003–2007: A New Day... Live in Las Vegas
1.8 2007–present: Return to studio
2 Artistry and image
3 Other activities
4 Selected discography
4.1 English-language studio albums
4.2 French-language studio albums
4.3 Singles
5 Tours
6 Filmography
7 See also
8 Bibliography
8.1 Notes
8.2 References
8.3 Further reading
9 External links

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson
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For other persons named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).
Michael Jackson

Background information
Birth name
Michael Joseph Jackson
Also known as
Michael Joe JacksonThe King of Pop
Born
August 29, 1958 (1958-08-29) (age 49)Gary, Indiana, USA
Origin
Gary, Indiana, USA
Genre(s)
R&B, Soul, New Jack Swing, Funk, Rock, Dance-Pop, Motown, Disco
Occupation(s)
singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, actor, choreographer
Instrument(s)
Vocals, Multiple instruments
Years active
1967–Present
Label(s)
Motown, Epic, Sony, The Michael Jackson Company, Inc.
Associatedacts
The Jackson 5
Website
MichaelJackson.com
Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958), often referred to as MJ[1] and The King of Pop,[2] is an American musician and entertainer, who debuted at the age of five as a member of the Jackson 5,[3] and went on to become a pop icon as a solo artist. His successful career and frequently controversial, enigmatic personal life have been a part of pop culture for almost four decades.[4]
Jackson has dominated pop music since the late 1970s,[5] and becoming the first black entertainer to amass a strong cross-over following on MTV with his revolutionary transformation of music video as an art form and as a promotional tool.[6] The popularity of videos aired on MTV such as "Beat it", "Black or White", "Scream" and "Billie Jean" created a tremendous synergy[7] that helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map".[8]In 2002, at the 19th annual MTV Video Music Awards, Jackson was presented with the Artist of the Milennium Award, in honor of his unique achievements over a career which has spanned two milennia. [9] The performing right organization that represents Jackson and dozens of other artists, BMI, claims that Jackson also popularized physically-complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, that have redefined mainstream dance and entertainment.[10] His distinctive style, dance moves, and vocals have influenced a whole generation of hip hop, pop, and R&B artists. He has been cited as the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by Guinness World Records,[11] and holds the record for the best-selling album ever, Thriller.
Michael Jackson has received thirteen Grammy Awards[12] (eight on a single night in 1984) and two of his solo albums have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[13] Jackson has charted thirteen #1 singles in the United States, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era.[14] In November 2006, the World Music Awards announced that Jackson had sold over 750 million units worldwide[15] and given $300 million to charity,[16] making Jackson one of the best-selling music artists and the most charitable celebrity apart from Oprah Winfrey[17] whose efforts on the latter front have been acknowledged with a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.[18] However, Jackson's controversial appearance and actions have damaged his reputation in the eyes of some of the public and album sales have been in decline since the mid 1990s.[19]
From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, where he built an amusement park and private zoo that was frequently attended by disadvantaged and terminally ill children. Rumors of sleepover parties received both negative media coverage and public attention after it was revealed that children frequently slept in his bed or bedroom. This first came to light when he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993. Michael Jackson's relationship with children was brought into the spotlight again in 2003 when the TV documentary Living with Michael Jackson was broadcast. This resulted in Jackson being tried, and later acquitted, of more child molestation allegations and several other charges in 2005. After this, Jackson went on hiatus, traveling to countries such as Bahrain, before starting work on new material in Ireland. He will be releasing a new album on February 11, 2008 called Thriller 25 which will include new material.
Contents[hide]
1 Career
1.1 Musical prodigy
1.2 Off the Wall
1.3 Thriller
1.4 Bad
1.5 Dangerous
1.6 HIStory
1.6.1 Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix
1.7 Invincible
1.8 Trial and career hiatus
1.9 New album
2 Influence
2.1 Music videos and MTV
2.2 Style and performance
2.3 Themes and genres
3 Personal life
3.1 Marriages and children
3.2 Humanitarian efforts
3.3 Physical appearance
3.4 Child molestation charges
4 Finances
4.1 Music catalogs and loans
4.2 Neverland Ranch employees
4.3 F. Marc Schaffel
4.4 Prescient Acquisition Group
5 Discography
5.1 U.S. number one singles (13)
5.2 Number ones in selected countries
5.3 Studio albums
6 Filmography
6.1 Notable music videos
6.2 Films
6.3 Television
6.4 Video games
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton
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William Jefferson Clinton

42nd President of the United States
In officeJanuary 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001
Vice President(s)
Albert Gore, Jr.
Preceded by
George H. W. Bush
Succeeded by
George W. Bush
52nd Governor of Arkansas
In officeJanuary 11, 1983 – December 12, 1992
Lieutenant(s)
Winston Bryant (1983-1991)Jim Guy Tucker (1991-1992)
Preceded by
Frank D. White
Succeeded by
Jim Guy Tucker
50th Governor of Arkansas
In officeJanuary 9, 1979 – January 19, 1981
Lieutenant(s)
Joe Purcell
Preceded by
Joe Purcell
Succeeded by
Frank D. White
Attorney General of Arkansas
In office1977 – 1979
Preceded by
Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by
Steve Clark
Born
August 19, 1946 (1946-08-19) (age 61)Hope, Arkansas
Political party
Democratic
Spouse
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Children
Chelsea Clinton
Alma mater
Georgetown UniversityUniversity College, OxfordYale Law School
Occupation
Lawyer
Religion
Baptist
Signature

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the forty-second President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president, older only than Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. He became president at the end of the Cold War, and is known as the first baby boomer president, as he was born in the period after the Second World War.[2]
Clinton was described as a New Democrat and was largely known for the Third Way philosophy of governance that came to epitomize his two terms as president.[3] His policies, on issues such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, have been described as "centrist."[4] [5] Clinton presided over the longest period of peace-time economic expansion in American history, which included a balanced budget and a reported federal surplus.[6][7] His presidency was also quickly challenged. On the heels of a failed attempt at health care reform with a Democratic Congress, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.[8] In his second term he was impeached by the U.S. House for perjury and obstruction of justice[9], but was subsequently acquitted by the United States Senate and completed his term.[10]
Clinton left office with a 65% approval rating, the highest end-of-presidency rating of any President that came into office after World War II. However, public reaction to the Lewinsky scandal left a mixed impression about his personal character. Since leaving office, Clinton has been involved in public speaking and humanitarian work. He created the William J. Clinton Foundation to promote and address international causes, such as treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming. In 2004, he released a personal autobiography, My Life. His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is the junior United States Senator from the state of New York, where they both currently reside, and a Democratic candidate for president in the 2008 election. Participating in the campaign on her wife's part, Clinton attracted widespread controversy for what his former Labor Secretary Robert Reich called spearheading a "smear campaign against Obama." [11] An article from Vanity Fair Daily was titled "Bill Clinton is running for a third term." [12]
Contents[hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early life
1.2 Education
2 Early political career
2.1 Leader of Texas McGovern Presidential Campaign of 1972
2.2 Governor of Arkansas
2.3 Campaign for the Democratic nomination
2.3.1 "Boy Governor"
2.3.2 "The Comeback Kid"
2.4 Presidential Election
3 Presidency, 1993–2001
3.1 First term, 1993–1997
3.2 Second term, 1997–2001
3.3 Legislation and programs
3.4 Supreme Court appointments
4 Public approval
5 Public image
6 Post-presidential career
6.1 Public speaking and campaigning
6.2 William J. Clinton Presidential Center
6.3 Published work
6.4 William Clinton Foundation
6.5 Relations with George H. W. Bush
6.6 Environment
6.7 Personal health
7 Honors and accolades
8 Other awards and nominations
8.1 Nominations
9 Controversies
9.1 Impeachment and trial in the Senate
9.2 Disbarment
9.3 Administrative controversy
9.4 Pardons and campaign finance
9.5 Sexual misconduct allegations
9.6 Clinton and the death penalty
9.7 2008 Election Surrogate Controversy
10 Electoral history
11 Gallery
12 See also
13 References
14 Further reading
14.1 Primary sources
14.2 Popular books
14.3 Academic studies
15 External links

Bill Gates

Bill Gates
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For other persons named Bill Gates, see Bill Gates (disambiguation).
William Henry Gates III

Born
October 28, 1955(1955-10-28)Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Occupation
Chairman, MicrosoftCo-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Net worth
US$59 billion (2007)[1]
Spouse
Melinda Gates (1994-present)
Children
Three
Website
Microsoft CorporationBill & Melinda Gates Foundation
William Henry Gates III (born 28 October 1955[2]) is an American entrepreneur, software executive, philanthropist and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft he has held the positions of CEO and chief software architect, and he remains the largest individual shareholder with more than 9% of the common stock.[3]
Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Although he is widely admired,[4][5][6] his business tactics have been criticized as anti-competitive and in some instances ruled as such in court.[7][8] Since amassing his fortune, Gates has pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000.
The annual Forbes magazine's list of The World's Billionaires has ranked Gates as the richest person in the world from 1995 to 2007, with recent estimates putting his net worth over $56 billion USD.[9] When family wealth is considered, his family ranks second behind the Walton family, heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. In July 2007, Fortune magazine reported that the increase in value of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's holdings of stock caused him to surpass Bill Gates as the world's richest man.[10][11] Forbes maintains that Slim is second to Gates as of its last calculation of billionaire fortunes. Forbes does not plan to recalculate Slim's wealth until next year.[12]
Contents[hide]
1 Early life
2 Microsoft
2.1 BASIC
2.2 IBM partnership
2.3 Strategy and management
3 Personal life
3.1 Wealth and investments
3.2 Philanthropy
3.3 Transition
4 Awards and recognition
5 Bill Gates in film
6 Musical
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci
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"Da Vinci" redirects here. For other uses, see Da Vinci (disambiguation).
Leonardo da Vinci
Self-portrait in red chalk, circa 1512 to 1515. [a]
Birth name
Leonardo di Ser Piero
Born
April 15, 1452(1452-04-15)
Vinci, Florence, in present-day Italy
Died
May 2, 1519 (aged 67)Amboise, Indre-et-Loire, in present-day France
Nationality
Tuscan, Italian
Field
Many and diverse fields of arts and sciences
Movement
High Renaissance
Famous works
Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Vitruvian Man

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (pronunciation (help·info)), April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was a Tuscan polymath; a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. Born at Vinci in the region of Florence, the illegitimate son of a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant girl, Caterina, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter, Verrocchio. Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan where several of his major works were created. He also worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice, spending his final years in France at the home given him by King François I.
Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the "Renaissance man" or universal genius, a man whose seemingly infinite curiosity was equalled only by his powers of invention.[1] He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.[2]
It is primarily as a painter that Leonardo was and is renowned. Two of his works, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper occupy unique positions as the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time, their fame approached only by Michelangelo's Creation of Adam.[1] Leonardo's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also iconic. Perhaps fifteen paintings survive, the small number due to his constant, and frequently disastrous, experimentation with new techniques, and his chronic procrastination.[b] Nevertheless these few works, together with his notebooks, which contain drawings, scientific diagrams, and his thoughts on the nature of painting, comprise a contribution to later generations of artists only rivalled by that of his contemporary, Michelangelo.
As an engineer, Leonardo conceived ideas vastly ahead of his own time, conceptualising a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a calculator, and the double hull, and outlining a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics. Relatively few of his designs were constructed or even feasible during his lifetime,[c] but some of his smaller inventions, such as an automated bobbin winder and a machine for testing the tensile strength of wire, entered the world of manufacturing unheralded.[d] As a scientist, he greatly advanced the state of knowledge in the fields of anatomy, civil engineering, optics, and hydrodynamics.
Contents[hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early life, 1452–1466
1.2 Verrocchio's workshop, 1466–1476
1.3 Professional life, 1476–1513
1.4 Old age
1.5 Relationships and influences
1.5.1 Florence—Leonardo's artistic and social background
1.5.2 Assistants and pupils
1.5.3 Personal life
2 Painting
2.1 Early works
2.2 Paintings of the 1480s
2.3 Paintings of the 1490s
2.4 Paintings of the 1500s
2.5 Drawings
3 Leonardo as observer, scientist and inventor
3.1 Journals
3.2 Scientific studies
3.3 Anatomy
3.4 Engineering and inventions
4 Leonardo the legend
5 List of paintings
6 Footnotes
7 References
8 Bibliography
9 See also
10 External links

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford
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This article needs additional citations for verification.Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)
For the silent film actor, see Harrison Ford (silent film actor).
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Born
July 13, 1942 (1942-07-13) (age 65)Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Occupation
actor
Years active
1966–present
Spouse(s)
Mary Marquardt (1964-1979) (divorced)Melissa Mathison (1983-2004) (divorced)
[show]Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Cecil B. DeMille Award2002 Lifetime Achievement
Other Awards
Saturn Award for Best Actor (film)1981 Raiders of the Lost ArkAFI Life Achievement Award2000 Lifetime AchievementOther AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. Ford is best known for his performances as the tough, wisecracking space pilot Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the adventurous archaeologist and action hero Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. in the Indiana Jones film series. He is also known for his role as the haunted android tracker Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott's sci-fi cult film Blade Runner (1982), but his four-decade career also included roles in other Hollywood blockbusters such as Air Force One and The Fugitive. At one point, Ford had roles in the top five box-office hits of all time, though his role in 1982's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (as Elliot's school principal) was deleted from the final cut of the film. Five of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry.
He was ranked #1 in Empire magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. As of May 2007, the domestic box office grosses of Ford's films total about US$3.10 billion,[1] with worldwide grosses approaching $6 billion, making Ford the No. 3 domestic box-office star behind Eddie Murphy and Tom Hanks.
Contents[hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Star Wars
2.2 Other films
2.3 Salary
2.4 Awards
2.5 Recent work
2.6 Current and upcoming projects
3 Personal life
3.1 Marriages and children
3.2 Environmental causes
3.3 Community work
3.4 Aircraft
4 Awards and nominations
4.1 Academy Award
4.2 BAFTA Award
4.3 Golden Globe Award
5 Filmography
6 Salary history
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
9.1 Interviews