25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Television Permalink

The Osmonds

October 25, 2019

The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career?a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers. The Osmonds are devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and their religious values have influenced their careers.

When it began as a barbershop quartet, the group consisted of brothers Alan Osmond, Wayne Osmond, Merrill Osmond, and Jay Osmond. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny Osmond and Jimmy Osmond. Their only sister Marie Osmond, who never sang with her brothers at that time, would launch a successful solo career in the 70's. Older brothers George Virl Osmond, Jr. and Tom Osmond were born deaf and did not originally perform, although they later made occasional appearances, most notably on the family Christmas specials from the 70s. All of the Osmonds were born in their hometown of Ogden, Utah except the youngest, Jimmy, who was born in Canoga Park, California.

The Osmond Brothers' career began in 1958 when Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay began singing barbershop music for local audiences in and around their hometown of Ogden, Utah. In the made-for-TV movie "," the Osmonds explain that they originally performed to earn money to support Virl and Tom in buying hearing aids and serving missions for their church. Despite their young ages, within a few years, the boys' talent and stage presence were strong enough that their father, George Osmond, took them to audition for Lawrence Welk in California. Welk turned them down, but on the same trip, they visited Disneyland and were hired to perform there after joining an adult barbershop quartet for some impromptu singing.

While the Osmond Brothers were performing at Disneyland, Andy Williams' father saw them and was so impressed he told his son to book them for his television show. Andy did, and the Osmond Brothers were regulars on The Andy Williams' show from 1962?1969, where they earned the nickname "one-take Osmonds" because of their professionalism and tireless rehearsing. Donny soon joined them on the show, making the Osmond Brothers a 5-member group. Marie and Jimmy were also introduced on the show as the years went by. During this time, the Osmonds also toured Europe, performing with Sweden's most popular singer, Lars Lönndahl, and even releasing a single where they sang a swedish version of "Two dirty little hands" .

25 Oct 2019
Recording, Television Permalink

The Smothers Brothers

October 25, 2019

The Smothers Brothers are an American double act, consisting of the brothers Thomas and Richard. The brothers’ trademark act was performing folk songs, which usually led to arguments between the siblings. Tommy’s signature line was, “Mom always liked you best!” Tommy acted “slow”, and Dick, the straight man, acted “superior”.

In the 1960s, the brothers frequently appeared on television variety shows and issued several popular record albums of their stage performances. Their own television variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, became one of the most controversial American TV programs of the Vietnam War era. Despite popular success, the brothers’ penchant for material that was critical of the political mainstream and sympathetic to the emerging counterculture led to their program’s cancellation by the CBS network in 1969.

The brothers continued to work, both independently and as a team, on stage and television, and in films during subsequent decades.

They officially announced their retirement from touring during their final performance at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday May 16, 2010. The affair was kept low key with some family members and friends in attendance. The Smothers Brothers toured for over 51 years.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Television Permalink

The Simpsons

October 25, 2019

The Simpsons is an American animated television series created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a working-class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional city of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society, television and many aspects of the human condition.

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season. Since its debut on December 17, 1989 the show has broadcast 464 episodes and the twenty-first season finished airing on May 23, 2010. The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide on July 26 and July 27, 2007, and grossed US$527 million worldwide.

The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 27 Primetime Emmy Awards, 27 Annie Awards and a Peabody Award. Time magazine’s December 31, 1999 issue named it the 20th century’s best television series, and on January 14, 2000 the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and in 2009 it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest running American primetime entertainment series. Homer’s exclamatory catchphrase “D’oh!” has been adopted into the English lexicon, while The Simpsons has influenced many adult-oriented animated sitcoms.

25 Oct 2019
Recording, Television Permalink

The Pointer Sisters

October 25, 2019

The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.

The group had its early origins when sisters June and Bonnie Pointer began performing in 1969 as “Pointers, a Pair”. The line-up grew to a quartet when Anita Pointer joined, followed by Ruth, who joined in December, 1972, right before they recorded their debut album. They achieved their greatest commercial success later as a trio consisting of Anita, June, and Ruth, after Bonnie left the group to commence a solo career in 1978.

As children in West Oakland, California, the Pointer sisters and brothers were encouraged to listen to and sing gospel music by their parents Reverend Elton and Mrs Sarah Pointer. However, they were told rock and roll and the blues were “the devil’s music”, and it was only when they were away from their watchful parents that they could sing these styles. They regularly sang at the Church Of God in West Oakland, but as the sisters grew older their love of other styles of music began to grow. When June brought home a copy of the Elvis Presley record All Shook Up, she was surprised that her mother allowed her to play it, until discovering that her mother had been pacified by the song “Crying in the Chapel” on the “B” side of the record.

After leaving school Ruth was already married with two children Faun and Malik, Anita also was married with a child Jada. Bonnie and June sought a show business career and they formed a duo, “Pointers, A Pair”. Later, Anita quit her job to join the group. They began touring and performing and provided backing vocals for artists such as Grace Slick, Sylvester James, Boz Scaggs and Elvin Bishop, and it was while supporting Bishop at a nightclub appearance in 1971, that the sisters were signed to a recording deal with Atlantic Records. The resulting singles that came from their Atlantic tenure failed to become hits but nevertheless, the sisters were enjoying their newfound recording career. The temptation to join them finally overwhelmed Ruth and in December 1972, she joined the group. The quartet signed to Blue Thumb Records and began to record their first full-fledged album.

25 Oct 2019
Radio, Television Permalink

The Real Don Steele

October 25, 2019

Don Steele, born Donald S. Revert, was one of the most popular disc jockeys in the United States, from the middle of the 1960s until his retirement for health reasons in May 1997. He was often promoted as “The Real Don Steele” to distinguish himself from another DJ with the same name.

Born in Hollywood, California, Steele first became famous as a DJ on radio station KHJ in Los Angeles, where he helped to promote the “ultrahip” top-40 Boss Radio format which began on May 3, 1965. He also appeared on TV in his own programs called Boss City and The Real Don Steele TV Show, a show which ran from 1965 to 1975 on KHJ-TV channel 9 in Los Angeles. When the popularity of AM radio gave way to FM stereo in the 1970s, Steele continued to remain a popular personality at the station. For the remaining years of his life he spent his broadcasting days at Los Angeles’s KRTH-FM. He graduated from Hollywood High School, served in the United States Air Force and then studied at a local radio school. Shortly thereafter Steele began working outside of L.A. at KBUC in Corona, CA then moving onto Kennewick, KIMA Yakima and KXLY Spokane, Washington; KOIL Omaha, Nebraska; KISN Portland, Oregon, and KEWB San Francisco before returning to Los Angeles to work at the All-New KHJ in April 1965.

In the book Los Angeles Radio People, Steele recalled the beginnings of Boss Radio in May, 1965: “We were standing literally at ground zero, then became a huge giant. It was like a mushroom cloud that went up — heavy on the mushroom.”

25 Oct 2019
Television Permalink

The Monkees

October 25, 2019

The Monkees were a pop rock quartet assembled by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider in Los Angeles in 1966 for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968. The members were Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, and Englishman Davy Jones, who were supervised and popularized by Don Kirshner.

At the time of the band's formation, its producers saw The Monkees as a Beatles-like band. At the start, the band members provided vocals, and were given some performing and production opportunities, but they eventually fought for and earned the right to collectively supervise all musical output under the band's name. The group undertook several concert tours, allowing an opportunity to perform as a live band as well as on the TV series. Although the show was canceled in 1968, the band continued releasing records until 1971. The group reached the height of fame from 1966 to 1968, and influenced many future artists. In 1986, the television show and music experienced a revival, which led to a series of reunion tours, and new records featuring various incarnations of the band's lineup.

The Monkees had many international hits which are still heard on pop and oldies stations. These include "I'm a Believer", " Steppin' Stone", "Daydream Believer", "Last Train to Clarksville", and "Pleasant Valley Sunday".

Aspiring filmmakers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider were inspired by the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night to devise a television series about a rock 'n' roll group. As "Raybert Productions," they sold the show to Screen Gems television. Rafelson and Schneider's original idea was to cast an existing Los Angeles-based folk rock group, the Lovin' Spoonful. However, the Spoonful were already signed to a record company, which would have denied Screen Gems the right to market music from the show on record. So in September 1965, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter ran an ad to cast the band.

25 Oct 2019
Television Permalink

The Lennon Sisters

October 25, 2019

The Lennon Sisters are a singing group consisting of four siblings: Dianne, Peggy, Kathy, and Janet. They were all born in Los Angeles, California of German/Irish and Mexican ancestry. The original quartet were the eldest four in a family of twelve siblings. In 1992, younger sister Mimi replaced second sister Peggy who retired. Sister Dianne has also retired. The group were a regular on the weekly television show, The Lawrence Welk Show. The current group line-up, appearing mostly at Welk resorts, consists of Mimi, Janet and Kathy.

The quartet debuted on The Lawrence Welk Show on Christmas Eve 1955 after their school classmate, Larry Welk, son of Lawrence Welk, brought them to the attention of his father. Welk was home, sick in bed, when his son brought the sisters in to sing for him. He was so impressed he picked up the phone and booked them for that week’s show. They were a mainstay on the show until they left to start a career of their own in 1968. The quartet was only three members from 1960 to 1964; oldest sister Dianne married, left the group, and then rejoined them. Peggy sang the high harmony part, Kathy the low harmony, and Janet and Dianne sang the middle harmony and lead parts.

Their first hit, “Tonight, You Belong to Me” reached to #15 on the charts in 1956. This was followed by their 1961 single, “Sad Movies “, which turned out to be their highest-charting record. It provided them with the only number #1 single of their career, reaching the top of the charts in Japan.

Items such as coloring books, paper dolls and story books were produced with the Lennon sisters.

25 Oct 2019
Recording Permalink

The Miracles

October 25, 2019

In memory of singer Bobby Rogers of The Miracles, flowers were placed on his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, March 4, 2013. The star in category of Recording is located at 7060 Hollywood Blvd. Leron Gubler, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President/CEO and Claudette Robinson, spokesperson for the legendary Motown group, 'The Miracles,' who is also known as the “First Lady of Motown” were on hand to accept the floral arrangement placed on behalf of the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

The Miracles were honored with the 2,381st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Leron Gubler presided over the ceremony. Guests included Berry Gordy and Stevie Wonder.

7060 Hollywood Boulevard on March 20, 2009.

BIOGRAPHY

The star honorees are the original Miracles' lineup: Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White (posthumously), Pete Moore, Smokey Robinson, and the First Lady of Motown, Claudette Robinson. Gloria White, wife of the late Ronnie White and Billy Griffin, former lead singer of The Miracles were also on hand for the celebration.

The Motown Sound began in 1959 with The Miracles, the very first of Berry Gordy's massively-successful pool of performers. From their unpolished start, they were special, diamonds in the rough. Gordy, already a successful songwriter with hits by the likes of Jackie Wilson and Etta James, heard it in their voices and in the songs scribbled in Smokey's notebook.

With Gordy, The Miracles launched the "Sound of Young America," and the rest is musical history. From their doo-wop roots, with songs like "Bad Girl" and "Got A Job," to the 60's and 70's smashes "Shop Around," "You Really Got A Hold On Me," "Ooo Baby, Baby," "Tears Of A Clown," "Do It Baby" and "Love Machine," The Miracles tore down barriers of intolerance, and got the people of the world dancing.

The group's songwriting talents, close harmonies, precise choreography, and the smooth lead tenor sounds of Smokey Robinson was a combination equivalent to musical dynamite. Add the premier guitar work and songwriting of Marvin Tarplin, career-long companion to The Miracles, and you've got the soundtrack of a generation.

The music has never stopped. Fifty years after they began, original member and beloved tenor/baritone Bobby Rogers still tours and records with a new lineup. Founding members Claudette Robinson and Pete Moore occasionally join them for special performances. She's that lilting voice on the top of the harmonies – her beauty and sweetness made her the crush of countless teenage boys. And yes, she really was the first girl singer ever signed to Gordy's hit-making company. Pete is that irreplaceable smooth, deep bass on the bottom, which made songs such as 'Doggone Right' and 'Got A Job' unforgettable.

Smokey Robinson performs non-stop as a solo artist, his falsetto and charm intact, causing another generation of girls to swoon. Always, all perform in memory of late member Ronnie White.

Even the oldest songs are fresh today. When they began, little did they know that they were singing and writing songs that would become music standards. Everywhere we go in the 21st century, their voices and those songs are heard daily.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures Permalink

The Nicholas Brothers

October 25, 2019

The Nicholas Brothers were a famous African-American team of dancing brothers, Fayard and Harold Nicholas. With their highly acrobatic technique, high level of artistry and daring innovations, they were considered by many the greatest tap dancers of their day. Growing up surrounded by Vaudeville acts as children, they became stars of the jazz circuit during the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance and went on to have successful careers performing on stage, film, and television well into the 1990s.

Fayard Antonio Nicholas was born October 20, 1914 in Mobile, Alabama. Harold Lloyd Nicholas was born March 17, 1921 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Nicholas Brothers grew up in Philadelphia, the sons of musicians who played in their own band at the old Standard Theater, their mother at the piano and father on drums. At the age of three, Fayard was always seated in the front row while his parents worked, and by the time he was ten, he had seen most of the great African American Vaudeville acts, particularly the dancers, including such notables of the time as Alice Whitman, Willie Bryant and Bill Robinson. Neither Fayard nor Harold had any formal dance training.

They became the featured act at Harlem's Cotton Club in 1932, when Harold was 11 and Fayard was 18. They were the only entertainers in the African American cast allowed to mingle with white patrons.

25 Oct 2019
Live Performance Permalink

The Four Step Brothers

October 25, 2019

The Four Step Brothers were a 1920s dancing team. The group started out as a trio in 1925, with the original members, Maceo Anderson, Al Williams and Red Walker. Their original name was Step Brothers. However, the “Step Brothers” would be a name for a famous a young tap dancing quartet. They then changed their name to “The Three Step Brothers”. Later in 1927, the Four Step Brothers when they let in a new member, Sherman Robertson. Dubbed “The Eight Feet of Rhythm”, They soon traveled with Duke Ellington. Maceo started with the “Brothers” while working as a newsboy while frequently practiing at the Hoofer Club.

The “Brothers” incorporated Snake Hips, Camel Walks, 5 tap Wings, Slides, Afro-Cuban Movements, Rhythm Tap, The Strut straight Acrobatics, etc. They would not change their dance steps except for making them better and employing new dancers.

The group became known for their dance routines, which they used no music whatsoever. They became one of the longest lasting dance groups, surviving for more than four decades even until the 1960s. The “Brothers” appeared as a guest in 1957 in the ABC variety program, The Guy Mitchell Show.