Farewell and Thanks for the Laughs: A Tribute to Matthew Perry

Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) was a celebrated American-Canadian actor who left an indelible mark on the worlds of television and film. His career was defined by remarkable performances and a wide range of accomplishments.

Perry gained global recognition during the 1990s when he brought the character Chandler Bing to life on the iconic NBC television sitcom “Friends” (1994–2004). This role not only captured the hearts of audiences worldwide but also earned him a prestigious Screen Actors Guild Award in recognition of his talent and contributions.

While Perry’s portrayal of Chandler Bing is perhaps his most celebrated role, his career encompassed a rich tapestry of both television and film achievements. He took on lead roles in the television series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and graced the big screen with appearances in films such as “Fools Rush In,” “Almost Heroes,” “The Whole Nine Yards,” “The Whole Ten Yards,” “The Ron Clark Story,” and “17 Again.” His ability to seamlessly transition between comedic and dramatic roles showcased his versatility as an actor.

Matthew Perry’s artistic talents extended beyond acting. In 2010, he lent his voice to the character Benny in the popular video game “Fallout: New Vegas,” demonstrating his diverse skills within the entertainment industry.

Moreover, Perry’s creative involvement went beyond performing. He co-created, co-wrote, served as an executive producer, and starred in the ABC sitcom “Mr. Sunshine,” which ran from February to April 2011, underscoring his commitment to delivering quality content to television audiences.

In August 2012, Perry took on the role of sportscaster Ryan King in the NBC sitcom “Go On,” further solidifying his reputation as a versatile and accomplished actor in the world of television comedy.

Perry’s contributions to the small screen extended to a revival of the classic CBS sitcom “The Odd Couple,” where he co-developed and starred as Oscar Madison from 2015 to 2017, reaffirming his enduring appeal and talent within the industry.

Matthew Perry’s untimely passing in October 2023 marked a poignant loss for the entertainment world. He leaves behind a legacy of exceptional performances and a body of work that will be remembered and cherished by fans and industry peers alike. His contributions to both comedy and drama on screen will continue to resonate for generations to come.

Matthew Perry was born on August 19, 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts. His family background was diverse and intriguing. His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison (née Langford), born in 1948, is a Canadian journalist who had a prominent role as the press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. On the other hand, his father, John Bennett Perry, born in 1941, is an American actor and former model.

Matthew’s early life was marked by the separation of his parents before he reached his first birthday. Subsequently, his mother married Canadian-born broadcast journalist Keith Morrison. Matthew was primarily raised by his mother in Ottawa, Ontario, although he also had brief stints living in Toronto and Montreal.

His educational journey took him to Rockcliffe Park Public School, where he shared classrooms with future Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Later, he continued his education at Ashbury College.

While growing up, Matthew Perry developed a strong passion for tennis and proved himself as a top-ranked junior player. His formative years were characterized by a diverse upbringing and early achievements in the world of sports.

Matthew Perry’s career was marked by a series of notable achievements and diverse roles in both television and film.

At the age of 15, Perry made a pivotal move from Ottawa to Los Angeles to live with his father, where he began his journey into acting. He graduated from the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks in 1987. During his high school years, he explored improvisational comedy at the LA Connection in Sherman Oaks.

His early career featured a range of roles, including playing Chazz Russell in the TV series “Second Chance,” which later transformed into “Boys Will Be Boys” after 13 episodes. Perry’s big-screen debut occurred in the 1988 film “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.” In 1989, he had a three-episode arc on the series “Growing Pains.”

Perry’s talent landed him a regular role on the 1990 CBS sitcom “Sydney,” where he portrayed the younger brother of Valerie Bertinelli’s character. He made a guest appearance on “Beverly Hills, 90210” in 1991 as Roger Azarian. In 1993, he took the starring role in the ABC sitcom “Home Free.”

Notably, Perry’s commitment to a different pilot prevented him from being considered for a role in “Six of One,” later known as “Friends.” However, he got the chance to audition for “Six of One” and was cast as Chandler Bing. At the age of 24, he became the youngest member of the main cast.

During the peak of “Friends,” Perry and the main cast were among the highest-paid actors on television, making $1 million per episode by 2002. This iconic show earned him an Emmy nomination in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. In addition to his television work, Perry appeared in films like “Fools Rush In,” “Almost Heroes,” “Three to Tango,” “The Whole Nine Yards,” “The Whole Ten Yards,” and “Serving Sara.”

Perry’s television career extended to appearances on “The West Wing” as Associate White House Counsel Joe Quincy, earning him two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He also played attorney Todd Merrick in two episodes of “Ally McBeal.”

In the mid-2000s, Perry made his directorial debut and acted in an episode of the fourth season of the comedy-drama series “Scrubs,” which featured a special appearance by his father. He starred in the TNT movie “The Ron Clark Story,” for which he received a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination.

Perry joined the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s drama “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” from 2006 to 2007, playing Matt Albie alongside Bradley Whitford’s Danny Tripp.

In 2014, Perry made his British TV debut in the one-off comedy program “The Dog Thrower.” From 2015 to 2017, he starred in, co-wrote, and served as an executive producer of the sitcom revival “The Odd Couple” on CBS, playing Oscar Madison.

Perry ventured into playwriting with “The End of Longing,” which premiered in London in 2016 and later had an Off-Broadway production in 2017.

He reprised his role as attorney Mike Kresteva in “The Good Fight,” a sequel to the CBS drama “The Good Wife.” Perry also portrayed Ted Kennedy in the mini-series “The Kennedys: After Camelot.”

In 2018, Business Insider reported Perry’s net worth to be approximately $80 million.

In October 2022, Perry published a memoir titled “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” which quickly became a bestseller on both Amazon and The New York Times charts.

Matthew Perry’s personal life was marked by a mix of relationships, health challenges, and notable moments.

He held dual Canadian and American citizenship. Over the years, he dated several well-known individuals, including Yasmine Bleeth in 1995, Julia Roberts from 1995 to 1996, and Lizzy Caplan from 2006 to 2012.

In 2009, Perry appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and made a unique gesture by presenting Ellen DeGeneres with an Xbox 360 system and a copy of the video game Fallout 3. This led to game studio Obsidian Entertainment casting him in Fallout: New Vegas, showcasing his unexpected connection to the gaming world.

In 2018, Perry faced a serious health challenge when he spent five months in the hospital due to a gastrointestinal perforation. During this hospitalization, he nearly lost his life as a result of a colon rupture, which was related to opioid abuse. Perry spent two weeks in a coma and required the use of a colostomy bag for nine months. At the time of his admission, doctors informed Perry’s family that he had a mere two percent chance of survival. He was connected to an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, which essentially breathed for him, highlighting the severity of his medical condition.

In November 2020, Perry announced his engagement to literary manager Molly Hurwitz. However, the engagement was later called off in 2021, marking a change in his personal life.

Matthew Perry’s journey included a battle with addiction, as well as his subsequent advocacy efforts.

Perry’s struggles with addiction began after a jet-ski accident in 1997 when he became addicted to Vicodin. He took a pivotal step towards recovery by completing a 28-day rehab program that same year. His journey to sobriety was marked by challenges, with his weight fluctuating significantly, dropping to 145 pounds (66 kg) due to pancreatitis.

In February 2001, Perry made the courageous decision to enter rehab once again, this time to address an addiction to not only Vicodin but also methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol. His commitment to recovery led to a significant financial investment in his health, with Perry estimating that he had spent $9 million to regain sobriety.

Reflecting on the impact of his addiction, Perry revealed that he could not recall three years of his time while acting on “Friends,” a period that spanned from seasons three to six of the show.

Despite his own struggles, Perry became an advocate for addiction recovery and rehabilitation. In 2011, he lobbied the U.S. Congress as a celebrity spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, advocating for funding to support drug courts. His efforts were recognized in May 2013 when he received the Champion of Recovery award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Furthermore, as part of his commitment to supporting those in need of rehabilitation, Perry opened Perry House, a rehab center, in his former mansion in Malibu, California. Although he later relocated it in 2015, his dedication to helping others on their journey to recovery remained an essential part of his life.

Tragically, on October 28, 2023, the Los Angeles Police Department made a somber discovery as officers found Matthew Perry lifeless in a hot tub at his Los Angeles residence. He was 54 years old at the time of his passing. Reports suggest that just before his death, he had been engaged in a game of pickleball for a period of approximately two hours.

Preliminary information from police sources, as reported by TMZ, indicated that Perry had apparently drowned. Importantly, there were no drugs found at the scene, and investigators did not uncover any evidence of foul play. The circumstances surrounding his untimely death were a source of deep sadness for his fans and the entertainment world at large.

Film:

1988:

• A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon – Role: Fred Roberts (Credited as Matthew L. Perry)

1989:

• She’s Out of Control – Role: Timothy
• Fat Man and Little Boy – Role: Bomb Technician (Uncredited)

1994:

• Getting In – Role: Randal Burns (Direct-to-video)

1997:

• Fools Rush In – Role: Alex Whitman

1998:

• Almost Heroes – Role: Leslie Edwards

1999:

• Three to Tango – Role: Oscar Novak

2000:

• The Whole Nine Yards – Role: Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky
• The Kid – Role: Mr. Vivian (Cameo, uncredited)

2002:

• Serving Sara – Role: Joe Tyler

2004:

• The Whole Ten Yards – Role: Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky

2007:

• Numb – Role: Hudson Milbank (Also executive producer)

2008:

• Birds of America – Role: Morrie

2009:

• 17 Again – Role: Older Mike O’Donnell

Television:

1979:

• 240-Robert – Role: Arthur (Acting debut)
  • Episode: “Bank Job”

1983:

• Not Necessarily the News – Role: Bob
  • Episode: “Audrie in Love”

1985:

• Charles in Charge – Role: Ed
  • Episode: “The Wrong Guy” (Credited as Matthew L. Perry)

1986:

• Silver Spoons – Role: Davey
  • Episode: “Rick Moves Out”

1987:

• Morning Maggie – Role: Bradley McAllister (Television film)
  • Credited as Matthew L. Perry

1987–1988:

• Boys Will be Boys – Role: Chazz Russell (Series regular; 21 episodes, also known as “Second Chance”)

1988:

• Dance ’til Dawn – Role: Roger (Television film)

1988:

• Just the Ten of Us – Role: Ed
  • Episode: “The Dinner Test” (Credited as Matthew L. Perry)

1988:

• Highway to Heaven – Role: David Hastings
  • 2 episodes

1989:

• Empty Nest – Role: Bill at 18
  • Episode: “A Life in the Day”

1989:

• Growing Pains – Role: Sandy
  • Recurring role; 3 episodes

1990:

• Sydney – Role: Billy Kells
  • Series regular; 13 episodes

1990:

• Who’s the Boss? – Role: Benjamin Dawson
  • Episode: “Roomies”

1990:

• Call Me Anna – Role: Desi Arnaz Jr. (Television film)
  • Credited as Matthew L. Perry

1991:

• Beverly Hills, 90210 – Role: Roger Azarian
  • Episode: “April Is the Cruelest Month”

1992:

• Dream On – Role: Alex Farmer
  • Episode: “To the Moon, Alex!”

1992:

• Sibs – Role: Chas
  • Episode: “What Makes Lily Run?”

1993:

• Deadly Relations – Role: George Westerfield (Television film)

1993:

• Home Free – Role: Matt Bailey
  • Series regular; 13 episodes

1994:

• Parallel Lives – Role: Willi Morrison (Television film)

1994:

• L.A.X. 2194 – Role: Blaine (Television film)

1994–2004:

• Friends – Role: Chandler Bing
  • Main role; 236 episodes

1995:

• Caroline in the City
  • Episode: “Caroline and the Folks”

1995:

• The John Larroquette Show – Role: Steven
  • Episode: “Rachel Redux”

1997:

• Saturday Night Live – Role: Host
  • Episode: “Matthew Perry/Oasis”

2001:

• The Simpsons – Role: Himself (Voice)
  • Episode: “Treehouse of Horror XII”

2002:

• Ally McBeal – Role: Todd Merrick
  • 2 episodes

2003:

• The West Wing – Role: Joe Quincy
  • Recurring role; 3 episodes

2004:

• Scrubs – Role: Murray
  • Episode: “My Unicorn” (Also director)

2005:

• Friday Night Lights Short Scene – Role: Football Player (Television short)

2006:

• The Ron Clark Story – Role: Ron Clark (Television film)

2006–2007:

• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – Role: Matt Albie
  • Series regular; 21 episodes

2011:

• Childrens Hospital – Role: Himself
  • Episode: “The Black Doctor”

2011:

• Mr. Sunshine – Role: Ben Donovan
  • Series regular; 13 episodes (Also creator/executive producer/writer)

2012–2013:

• The Good Wife – Role: Mike Kresteva
  • Recurring role; 4 episodes

2012–2013:

• Go On – Role: Ryan King
  • Series regular; 22 episodes (Also executive producer)

2014:

• Cougar Town – Role: Sam Johnston
  • Episode: “Like a Diamond”

2014:

• Playhouse Presents – Role: The Charismatic Man
  • Episode: “The Dog Thrower”

2015:

• Web Therapy – Role: Tyler Bishop
  • 2 episodes

2015–2017:

• The Odd Couple – Role: Oscar Madison
  • Series regular; 38 episodes (Also executive producer/writer)

2017:

• The Good Fight – Role: Mike Kresteva
  • Recurring role; 3 episodes

2017:

• The Kennedys: After Camelot – Role: Ted Kennedy
  • Television miniseries; 4 episodes (Also executive producer)

2021:

• Friends: The Reunion – Role: Himself
  • HBO Max special; also executive producer

Theatre:

2003:

• David Mamet’s Sexual Perversity in Chicago – Role: Danny
  • At the Comedy Theatre in London’s West End

2016:

• Matthew Perry’s The End of Longing – Role: Jack
  • At the Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End

2017:

• Matthew Perry’s The End of Longing – Role: Jack
  • At the Lucille Lortel Theater, Off Broadway

Video Games:

2010:

• Fallout: New Vegas – Role: Benny (Voice)

Specials:

2013:

• TSN: The Hangover – Role: Angry Matthew Perry
  • Cameo

Awards and Nominations

• Golden Globe Awards (2007)
  • Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
  • Nominated for “The Ron Clark Story”
• Primetime Emmy Awards (2002)
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
  • Nominated for “Friends”
• Primetime Emmy Awards (2003)
  • Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
  • Nominated for “The West Wing”
• Primetime Emmy Awards (2004)
  • Nominated for “The West Wing”
• Primetime Emmy Awards (2007)
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
  • Nominated for “The Ron Clark Story”
• Primetime Emmy Awards (2021)
  • Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
  • Nominated for “Friends: The Reunion”

Books

• Perry, Matthew (November 1, 2022). “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.”
  • Foreword: Lisa Kudrow
  • Published by New York: Flatiron Books.
  • ISBN: 978-1-250-86644-8
  • OCLC: 1338841699

Agim Qirjaqi: Jeta dhe Kontributi i Aktorit dhe Regjisorit Shqiptar

Agim Qirjaqi ishte një aktor dhe regjisor shqiptar i njohur për kontributin e tij të rëndësishëm në fushën e teatrit dhe filmit. Ai u lind më 27 janar 1950 në Kolonjë, Shqipëri, dhe vdiq më 28 mars 2010. Karrierën si aktor e nisi në Teatrin Kombëtar të Tiranës pas përfundimit të studimeve në Akademinë e Arteve në Tiranë në vitin 1973.

Agim Qirjaqi fitoi shpejt njohje nëpërmjet roleve të tij në filma dhe teatër. Disa nga filmat e tij të njohur përfshijnë “Rrugë të bardha,” regjisor Viktor Gjika, në të cilin ai interpretoi rolin e Profesorit, dhe “Lulëkuqet mbi mure,” regjisor Dhimitër Anagnosti, ku ai luajti rolin e Drejtorit të Shkollës.

Në vitin 1977, me filmat “Lulëkuqet mbi mure” fitoi Çmimin e Parë në Festivalin e Filmit për interpretim. Pas kësaj, punoi si regjisor në Televizionin Shqiptar (TVSH), duke realizuar shumë telefilma dhe filma artistikë. Një nga filmat më të njohur që regjizoi është “Dorina” (1980).

Gjatë karrierës së tij, Agim Qirjaqi vazhdoi të punojë në teatër dhe film dhe u bë një nga aktorët e preferuar nga regjisorët shqiptarë. Ai filloi të japë mësim në Akademinë e Arteve, ndihmoj dhe trajnoi brezat e rinj të aktorëve. Kjo përvojë e tij në mësim dhe regji vazhdoi edhe pas kthimit në Teatrin Kombëtar të Tiranës në vitin 1981.

Në vite ’80, ai interpretoi rregullisht në teatër dhe film, duke treguar aftësi të jashtëzakonshme si në role dramatike, ashtu edhe në role komike. Ai regjizoi dhe luajti në shumë vepra të njohura, duke përfshirë “Rikardi III” të Shekspirit (1992), “Fando e Lis” të Arrabalit, dhe “Armiku i popullit” të Ibsenit.

Përveç karrierës së tij artistike, Agim Qirjaqi angazhohej edhe në veprimtari të tjera, si përkthyes i dramave dhe si anëtar i bordit të Studios Alba Film dhe Akademisë së Arteve. Ai gjithashtu ishte bashkëthemelues dhe kryetari i parë i Shoqatës Mbarëkombëtare të Artistëve të Teatrit në vitin 1992.

Agim Qirjaqi la një trashëgimi të pasur në fushën e artit dhe kulturës shqiptare. Ai ndërroi jetë në moshën 60-vjeçare pas një sëmundjeje të rëndë më 28 mars 2010. Vepra dhe kontributi i tij do të kujtohen gjithmonë në historinë e teatrit dhe filmit shqiptar.

Filmografia Kronikë provinciale (2009) I dashur armik – (2004)….Ethemi Parullat – (2001)….Drejtori i Shkollës Colonel Bunker – (1998) Dasma e Sakos – (1998) Viktimat e Tivarit (1996) Nata e dymbëdhjetë – teatër-komedi Misioni përtej detit – (1988)… Jani Koço Stolat në park – (1988)….Aleksi Rrethi i kujtesës – (1987) Doktori shqiptar Tela për violinë – (1987)….. Muço, Kryetar i Komisionit Apasionata – (1983)…. Profesor Jani Në prag të lirisë – (1981)…. Zoti Bardhi Agimet e stinës së madhe – (1981) Astriti, i dërguari i Partisë Skëterrë 43 – (1980)…. Profesori Radiostacioni – (1979) Shkrimtari Dimri i fundit – (1976) Oficeri gjerman Lulëkuqet mbi mure – (1976)……Drejtori i Shkollës Përballimi – (1976)….Areto Rrugë të bardha – (1974)…. Profesori Regjisor Dorina – (1979) (TV)

Afërdita Taçi: Aktorja e Paharruar e Teatrit Shqiptar

Afërdita Taçi, një figurë e shquar e teatrit shqiptar, lindi në Berat në vitin 1932 dhe ndërroi jetë më 3 mars 2013. Ajo ishte një aktore e veçantë e cila lëshoi një ndikim të madh në skenën artistike shqiptare dhe u kujtua për performancat e saj të mrekullueshme në periudhën 1954-1965.

Studimet e mesme i kreu në Liceun Artistik “Jordan Misja” në degën e dramës, ku pasionin për aktrimin e kishte shfaqur që në moshë të re. Në vitin 1954, ajo filloi karrierën e saj në Teatrin Popullor të Tiranës. Që në fillim, Afërdita Taçi u dallua për talentin e saj të rrallë dhe aftësinë për të sjellë emocione të forta në skenë. Ajo u njoh për performancën e saj të ndritur dhe lumturinë që shpërndante me prezencën e saj në skenë.

Aktorja e madhe ka interpretuar me sukses një sërë rolash kryesore në shfaqjet e teatrit, duke përfshirë “Hamleti,” “Shtëpia e Bernarda Albës,” “Borgjezi fisnik,” “Gratë gazmore të Uindsorit,” “Shtrëngata,” “Mbi gërmadha,” “Kopeshti i Jargavaneve,” “Nderi i familjes,” “Shok klase,” “Familja e peshkatarit,” dhe shumë të tjera. Megjithatë, ajo mbeti e paharruar për rolin e Ofelisë në tragjedinë e madhe “Hamleti”. Në Festivalin Kombëtar të Teatrove të vitit 1961, Afërdita mori çmimin e parë për interpretimin e saj të jashtëzakonshëm të Ofelisë. Ky çmim ishte një shpërblim për talentin dhe pasionin e saj të padiskutueshëm për artin dramatik.

Për kontributin e saj të madh në teatër dhe për aftësinë e saj të rrallë për të transformuar rolet në karaktere të jeta, Afërdita Taçi u dekorua edhe me urdhërin e punës së klasit të tretë. Ajo ishte një prej aktoreve më të cmuar dhe të vlerësuar në historinë e teatrit shqiptar.

Në vitin 1965, Afërdita Taçi u tërhoq nga skena e Teatrit Popullor për arsye objektive. Megjithëse mbylli një kapitull të rëndësishëm të karrierës së saj artistike, amintirat dhe kontributi i saj mbeten të gjalla në historinë e teatrit shqiptar. Ajo mbetet një ikonë e teatrit dhe një burim inspirate për brezat e ardhshëm të aktorëve.

Adem Mikullovci: Karriera në Teatër, Film dhe Politikë në Kosovë

Adem Mikullovci: Aktori, Humoristi, dhe Figura Politike e Shquar nga Kosova

Biografia:

Adem Mikullovci u lind më 21 dhjetor 1937 në Vushtrri dhe largohet nga jeta më 15 shtator 2020 në Prishtinë. Ai ishte një aktor dhe humorist shqiptar i njohur në Kosovë dhe më gjerë. Mikullovci filloi karrierën e tij artistike në fushën e teatrit dhe filmit, duke lënë gjurmë të thella në këtë fushë.

Adem Mikullovci u bashkua me Teatrin Popullor Krahinor i Kosovës (tashmë Teatrin Kombëtar të Kosovës) dhe bëri një kontribut të rëndësishëm në këtë institucion. Pas ndërprerjes së studimeve në Akademinë për Teatër dhe Film në Beograd në vitin 1968, ai kthehet në Prishtinë dhe fillon karrierën e tij në teatër. Gjatë periudhës së 1968 deri në vitin 1990, Mikullovci ka interpretuar 45 role kryesore dhe mbi 70 role të dyta në shfaqje teatrore. Disa nga rolet më të dalluara të tij përfshijnë ato në shfaqjet “Duke pritur Godonë,” “Po shkoj për gjah,” “Njeriu që pa vdekjen me sy,” “Dashuria,” “Hotel Kashta,” “Fundi i botës,” “Miza në vesh,” “Erveheja,” dhe shumë të tjera.

Mikullovci gjithashtu ka qenë regjisor i disa shfaqjeve teatrore, duke përfshirë “Pas vdekjës” të Çajupit, “Mosha e bardhë” të Dritëro Agollit, “Dan Shejtani,” “Engjulli i stacionit,” monodramën “Bihorasit” (dramatizim i veprës së autorit Q. Sijariq), “Ti mos u përziej,” komedinë “Shtrati,” dhe stand-up komedinë “Përgjuesi.”

Kariera Politike:

Në vitin 2017, Adem Mikullovci kthehet në skenën politike të Kosovës. Ai u zgjodh si deputet i Kuvendit të Republikës së Kosovës nga radhët e Lëvizjes Vetëvendosje. Kjo shënoi një kapitull të ri në karrierën e tij, duke e ndihmuar që të japë kontributin e tij edhe në fushën politike.

Krijimtaria:

Adem Mikullovci ka pasur një prani të shkëlqyer në botën e filmit dhe teatrit. Disa nga veprat në të cilat ka marrë pjesë janë:

Filmografia:

1. “Proka” (1984) – Aktrim
2. “Kur pranvera vonohet” (1980) – Aktrim
3. “Era dhe Lisi” (1979) – Aktrim
4. “Sulmi i kuq” (1974) – Aktrim
5. “Kad sam bio vojnik” (1969) – Aktrim
6. “Vakti e han kashten I” (2009) – Aktrim
7. “Crveni udar” (1974) – Aktrim

TV Produksioni:

1. “Kafeneja jonë” (2004-2013) (serial humoristik) – Aktrim
2. “Oda e Junikut” (film televiziv) – Regji/Aktrim
3. “Duke pritur Godon” (1977) – Dramë – Aktrim
4. “Ditari i Lec pazhecit” (1975) (komedi) – Aktrim
5. “Qesh e ngjesh” (1982) (humor)
6. “Gëzuar viti i ri” (1976)
7. “Burleska” (komedi)

Adem Mikullovci ka lënë një trashëgimi të thellë në kinematografinë dhe teatrin shqiptar dhe është kujtimi i një artisti të jashtëzakonshëm dhe një figurë të rëndësishme në historinë e Kosovës.

Abdurrahman Shala: Kontributi dhe Karriera në Kinematografinë Kosovare.

Abdurrahman Shala ishte një figurë e rëndësishme në kinematografinë kosovare dhe ka kontribuar si aktor, producent, dhe skenarist. Në vijim është një artikull biografik për Abdurrahman Shala:

Abdurrahman Shala (25 tetor 1922, Vushtrri – 9 mars 1994, Prishtinë) ishte një personalitet i shquar i kinematografisë kosovare dhe një prej figurave themelore të gjeneratës së parë të kinematografisë në Kosovë. Ai u lind në Vushtrri dhe vdiq në Prishtinë, Kosovë. Shala është njohur për kontributin e tij në zhvillimin e kinematografisë kosovare dhe krijimin e disa filma të rëndësishëm.

Karriera e Abdurrahmanit në botën e filmit ishte shumë e pasur dhe e shquar. Ai ka punuar si aktor dhe skenarist në shumë projekte të ndryshme të kinematografisë. Disa prej filmave dhe projekteve më të njohura në të cilat ai ka marrë pjesë përfshijnë:

Veprat e Abdurrahman Shalës:

Aktor:

1. “Before the Rain” (Para shiut) (1994)
2. “Njeriu prej dheut” (1984)
3. “Proka” (1984)
4. “Përroi vërshues” (1981)
5. “Tre vetë kapërcejnë malin” (1981) (TV)
6. “Kur pranvera vonohet” (1980) – Seri televizive
7. “Era e Lisi” (1979) – Seri televizive
8. “Dervis i smrt” (Dervishi dhe vdekja) (1974)
9. “Sutjeska” (1973)
10. “Si të vdiset” (1972)
11. “Bitka na Neretvi” (Beteja në Neretvë) (1969)
12. “Uka i Bjeshkëve të Nemuna” (1968)
13. “Kozara” (Kozhara) (1963)
14. “Kapedan Lleshi” (1960)
15. “Të shtëna në qiell” (1958)

Skenarist filmi:

1. “Brigada e VII e Kosovës” (1974)
2. “Uka i Bjeshkëve të Nemura” (1968)

Gjatë karrierës së tij, Abdurrahman Shala ka ndikuar në formimin e kinematografisë kosovare dhe ka lënë një trashëgimi të rëndësishme në fushën e artit filmik. Ai gjithashtu themeloi Unionin e Artistëve të Filmit të Kosovës (UAFK) dhe ishte drejtori i parë i studios së filmave të Kosovës, të njohur si Kosovafilmi.

Abdurrahman Shala vdiq në vitin 1994, por amintirat e tij dhe veprat e tij të shquara vazhdojnë të jetojnë në historinë e kinematografisë kosovare. Ky artikull është një nderim për kontributin e tij të jashtëzakonshëm në botën e filmit në Kosovë.

Chi era Rosa Parchi breve Biografia

 

Rosa Louise Parks (nata Rosa Louise McCauley; Tuskegee, 4 febbraio 1913 – Detroit, 24 ottobre 2005) è stata un’attivista statunitense figura-simbolo del movimento per i diritti civili, famosa per aver rifiutato nel 1955 di cedere il posto su un autobus a un bianco, dando così origine al boicottaggio degli autobus a Montgomery.

Biografia

I primi passi come attivista
Figlia di James e Leona McCauley, di confessione metodista, nel 1932 sposò Raymond Parks, attivo nel movimento dei diritti civili. Passò buona parte della sua vita a lavorare come sarta in un grande magazzino nella città dove risiedeva, Montgomery, in Alabama.

A partire dal 1943, Rosa aderì al Movimento per i diritti civili statunitensi e divenne segretaria della sezione di Montgomery della National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). A metà del 1955 iniziò a frequentare un centro educativo per i diritti dei lavoratori e l’uguaglianza razziale, la Highlander Folk School.

In questo periodo Martin Luther King lottava per far valere i diritti dei neri, che venivano ancora una volta oppressi dai bianchi.

L’arresto
Il 1º dicembre 1955, a Montgomery, Rosa stava tornando a casa in autobus dal suo lavoro di sarta[1]. Nella vettura, non trovando altri posti liberi, occupò il primo posto dietro alla fila riservata ai soli bianchi, nel settore dei posti comuni. Dopo tre fermate, l’autista le chiese di alzarsi e spostarsi in fondo all’automezzo per cedere il posto ad un passeggero bianco salito dopo di lei. Ella, mantenendo un atteggiamento calmo, sommesso e dignitoso, rifiutò di muoversi e di lasciare il suo posto. Per di più, se avesse obbedito al conducente, dato che tutti i sedili erano occupati, sarebbe rimasta senza posto. Il conducente fermò così il veicolo e chiamò due agenti di polizia per risolvere la questione: Rosa Parks fu arrestata e incarcerata per condotta impropria e per aver violato le norme cittadine che obbligavano le persone di colore a cedere il proprio posto ai bianchi nel settore comune, quando in quello a loro riservato non ve n’erano più disponibili. Da allora è conosciuta come The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement[2] (la madre del movimento dei diritti civili).

L’autobus ora esposto all’Henry Ford Museum
La protesta degli afroamericani
Quella notte, cinquanta leader della comunità afroamericana, guidati da un pastore protestante, Martin Luther King, si riunirono per decidere le azioni da intraprendere per reagire all’accaduto, mentre già avevano avuto luogo le prime reazioni violente. Il giorno successivo incominciò il boicottaggio dei mezzi pubblici di Montgomery, protesta che durò per 381 giorni; dozzine di pullman rimasero fermi per mesi finché non venne rimossa la legge che legalizzava la segregazione. Questi eventi diedero inizio a numerose altre proteste in molte parti del paese. Lo stesso King scrisse sull’episodio descrivendolo come «l’espressione individuale di una bramosia infinita di dignità umana e libertà», aggiunse che Rosa «rimase seduta a quel posto in nome dei soprusi accumulati giorno dopo giorno e della sconfinata aspirazione delle generazioni future».

Nel 1956 il caso della signora Parks arrivò alla Corte Suprema degli Stati Uniti, che decretò, all’unanimità[1], incostituzionale la segregazione sui pullman pubblici dell’Alabama. Da quel momento, Rosa Parks diventò un’icona del movimento per i diritti civili.

L’autobus ora esposto all’Henry Ford Museum

Ulteriori avvenimenti

Sebbene non fosse una leader del movimento per i diritti civili che si stava sviluppando nell’ultima parte degli anni 1950, la figura di Rosa Parks divenne un simbolo importantissimo per gli attivisti e, di conseguenza, divenne mal vista dagli ambienti segregazionisti bianchi contrari alla protesta nera. Ricevette numerose minacce di morte e, non riuscendo più a trovare lavoro, decise di trasferirsi a Detroit, nel Michigan, all’inizio degli anni sessanta, dove ricominciò a lavorare come sarta. Successivamente, dal 1965 al 1988 fu assunta come segretaria per il membro del Congresso John Conyers.

Nel febbraio del 1987 Parks fondò il Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development insieme a Elaine Eason Steele in onore del marito Raymond Parks. Nel 1999 ottenne la Medaglia d’oro del Congresso

È morta per cause naturali a Detroit il 24 ottobre 2005, all’età di 92 anni.

Rosa Parks con Bill Clinton

 

Tributi

Nel 1976, Detroit ribattezzò la 12th Street “Rosa Parks Boulevard.
Nel 1979, la NAACP insignì Parks della Spingarn Medal.
Nel 1980 ricevette il Martin Luther King Jr. Award.
Nel 1983 fu introdotta nella Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame per la sua opera in merito ai diritti civili.
Nel 1990 Parks fu invitata a partecipare al gruppo che accoglieva Nelson Mandela alla sua liberazione dalla prigionia in Sud Africa; nello stesso anno parte della Interstate 475 nei pressi di Toledo, Ohio prese il suo nome.
Nel 1999 Time magazine la definì una delle 20 figure del XX secolo più influenti.
Nel 2000, lo Stato americano dove nacque la insignì della Alabama Academy of Honor; ricevette inoltre la prima Governor’s Medal of Honor for Extraordinary Courage.
Nel 2002, Molefi Kete Asante la incluse nella sua lista dei 100 afroamericani più importanti.
Nel 2003 il bus numero 2857 su cui viaggiava fu restaurato ed entrò a far parte del Museo Henry Ford.
Nel 2004 nella Los Angeles County nella rete MetroRail la stazione Imperial Highway/Wilmington, dove la Blue Line si connette con la Green Line, è stata ufficialmente ribattezzata “Rosa Parks Station”.
Nel 2014 le è stato dedicato l’asteroide 284996 Rosaparks.

Barack Obama sul bus dove avvenne la vicenda: Parks fu arrestata per essere seduta nella stessa fila in cui Obama è seduto ma sul lato opposto.

Nei media

Cinema

Al personaggio di Rosa Parks si è ispirato La lunga strada verso casa, film del 1990 di Richard Pearce interpretato da Whoopi Goldberg. Alla sua storia è stato dedicato anche il film statunitense del 2002 intitolato The Rosa Parks Story. Nella pellicola, scritta da Paris Qualles e diretta da Julie Dash, la figura di Rosa è interpretata da Angela Bassett. Il film è stato trasmesso dal canale televisivo CBS il 24 febbraio 2002.

Televisione
Nell’undicesima stagione della serie televisiva britannica Doctor Who è presente un episodio dedicato a Rosa Parks.

Musica
Sister Rosa della band afroamericana Neville Brothers fa parte dell’album “Yellow Moon” (1989);
Rosa Parks della band statunitense OutKast fa parte dell’album “Aquemini” (1998);
Rosa Parks della band italiana Corimè fa parte dell’album “La Scelta” (2014);
Blackbird della band inglese The Beatles.

Onorificenze

Ellis Island Medal of Honor
— 27 ottobre 1986
Medaglia Presidenziale della Libertà – nastrino per uniforme ordinaria Medaglia Presidenziale della Libertà
— 9 settembre 1996
Medaglia d’oro del Congresso – nastrino per uniforme ordinaria Medaglia d’oro del Congresso
— 4 maggio 1999

 

Pablo Escobar (1949-1993)

Who Was Pablo Escobar?

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (December 1, 1949, to December 2, 1993) was a Colombian drug trafficker who eventually controlled over 80 percent of the cocaine shipped to the U.S., earning him the rank of one of Forbes Magazine’s 10 wealthiest people in the world. Escobar entered the cocaine trade in the early 1970s, collaborating with other criminals to form the Medellin Cartel. He earned popularity by sponsoring charity projects and soccer clubs, but later, terror campaigns that resulted in the murder of thousands turned public opinion against him. He was killed by Colombian police in 1993.

Pablo Escobar (Photo: STF/AFP/Getty Images)

Escobar’s Wife, Son, and Daughter

In 1976, Pablo Escobar married 15-year-old Maria Victoria Henao. The couple had two children together: a son, Juan Pablo Escobar, and a daughter, Manuela.

Today Escobar’s son Juan Pablo is a motivational speaker who goes by the name Sebastian Marroquin. Marroquin studied architecture and published a book in 2015, Pablo Escobar: My Father, which tells the story of growing up with the world’s most notorious drug kingpin. He also asserts that his father had committed suicide.

‘My father’s not a person to be imitated,” Marroquin said in an Agence France-Presse interview. “He showed us the path we must never take as a society because it’s the path to self-destruction, the loss of values and a place where life ceases to have importance.”

Pablo Escobar’s Net Worth

By the mid-1980s, Pablo Escobar had an estimated net worth of $30 billion and was named one of the 10 richest people on Earth by Forbes. Cash was so prevalent that Escobar purchased a Learjet for the sole purpose of flying his money. At the time, Escobar controlled more than 80 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States; more than 15 tons were reportedly smuggled each day, netting the Cartel as much as $420 million a week.

As Escobar’s fortune and fame grew, he dreamed to be seen as a leader. In some ways, he positioned himself as a Robin Hood-like figure, which was echoed by many locals as he spent money to expand social programs for the poor.

How Did Pablo Escobar Die?

Colombian law enforcement finally caught up to Pablo Escobar on December 2, 1993, in a middle-class neighborhood in Medellin. A firefight ensued and, as Escobar tried to escape across a series of rooftops, he and his bodyguard were shot and killed.

When and Where Was Pablo Escobar Born?

Pablo Escobar was born on December 1, 1949, in the Colombian city of Rionegro, Antioquia; his family later moved to the suburb of Envigado.

Early Life

Escobar came from modest means: His father worked as a peasant farmer while his mother was a schoolteacher. From an early age, Escobar packed a unique drive and ambition to raise himself up from his humble beginnings.

Escobar got his criminal start as a petty street thief, stealing cars before moving into the smuggling business. Escobar’s early prominence came during the “Marlboro Wars,” in which he played a high-profile role in the control of Colombia’s smuggled cigarette market. This episode proved to be a valuable training ground for the future narcotics kingpin.

Cocaine and Colombia: Escobar’s Rise to Power

It wasn’t by chance that Colombia came to dominate the cocaine trade. Beginning in the early 1970s, the country became a prime smuggling ground for marijuana. But as the cocaine market flourished, Colombia’s geographical location proved to be its biggest asset. Situated at the northern tip of South America between the thriving coca cultivation epicenters of Peru and Bolivia, the country came to dominate the global cocaine trade with the United States, the biggest market for the drug, just a short trip to the north.

Escobar moved quickly to grab control of the cocaine trade. In 1975, Medellin drug trafficker Fabio Restrepo was murdered. His killing, it’s believed, came at the orders of Escobar, who immediately seized power and expanded Restrepo’s operation into something the world had never seen.

Under Escobar’s leadership, large amounts of coca paste were purchased in Bolivia and Peru, processed, and brought to America. Escobar worked with a small group to form the infamous Medellin Cartel.

Escobar’s Short-Lived Stint in Politics

As a young man, Pablo Escobar told friends and family that he wanted to become president of Colombia. Yet as he saw it, his path to wealth and legitimacy lay in crime.

In 1982 Escobar was elected as an alternate member of Colombia’s Congress. But the reasons for his wealth could not stay hidden, and two years after his election he was forced to resign. The justice minister who had revealed Escobar’s notorious background was later slain.

How Many People Did Pablo Escobar Kill?

Pablo Escobar was responsible for the killing of thousands of people, including politicians, civil servants, journalists, and ordinary citizens. When he realized that he had no shot of becoming Colombia’s president, and with the United States pushing for his capture and extradition, Escobar unleashed his fury on his enemies in the hopes of influencing Colombian politics. His goal was a no-extradition clause and amnesty for drug barons in exchange for giving up the trade.

Escobar’s terror campaign claimed the lives of three Colombian presidential candidates, an attorney general, scores of judges and more than 1,000 police officers. In addition, Escobar was implicated as the mastermind behind the bombing of a Colombian jetliner in 1989 that killed more than 100 people.

Escobar’s terror eventually turned public opinion against him and caused a breakup of the alliance of drug traffickers.

Escobar’s Prison, La Catedral, and His Escape

In June 1991, Escobar surrendered to the Colombian government of President Cesar Gaviria. In return, the threat of extradition was lifted and Escobar was allowed to build his own luxury prison called “La Catedral,” which was guarded by men he handpicked from among his employees. The prison lived up to its name and came complete with a casino, spa, and nightclub.

In June 1992, however, Escobar escaped when authorities attempted to move him to a more standard holding facility. A manhunt for the drug lord was launched that would last 16 months. During that time the monopoly of the Medellin Cartel, which had begun to crumble during Escobar’s imprisonment as police raided offices and killed its leaders, rapidly deteriorated.

Shortly before his death, Escobar’s family had unsuccessfully sought asylum in Germany and eventually found refuge in a Bogota hotel. Pablo Escobar was killed by Colombian law enforcement on December 2, 1993.

 

After Escobar’s Death

Pablo Escobar’s death accelerated the demise of the Medellin Cartel and Colombia’s central role in the cocaine trade. His passing was celebrated by the country’s government and other parts of the world. His family was placed under police protection.

Still, many Colombians mourned his killing. More than 25,000 people turned out for Escobar’s burial. “He built houses and cared about the poor,” one funeral goer stated at Escobar’s funeral in a story reported by The New York Times. “In the future, people will go to his tomb to pray, the way they would to a saint.”

‘El Patron del Mal’

Pablo Escobar was the subject of a popular 2012 Colombian television mini-series, El Patron del Mal. The program was produced by Camilo Cano and Juana Uribe, both of whom had family members who were murdered by Escobar or his assistants.

Netflix’s ‘Narcos’

Assisting in the manhunt for Pablo Escobar were two American Drug Enforcement agents, Steve Murphy, and Javier Peña, both of whom had been working the Escobar case for years. Their story formed part of the backbone of the 2015 Netflix series Narcos.

In July 2016 Escobar’s brother, Roberto, announced he was prepared to sue Netflix for $1 billion for its misportrayal of their family in its series Narcos. Roberto was Pablo’s accountant for his drug gang in real life, but in the show, the accountant is depicted as a non-family member who turns out to be a C.I.A. agent. Roberto is demanding a right to review the second season’s story and getting properly compensated.

“In the first season of Narcos, there were mistakes, lies, and discrepancies from the real story,” Roberto writes in a letter to Netflix. “To this date, I am one of the few survivors of the Medellin cartel, and I was Pablo’s closest ally, managing his accounting and he is my brother for life. I think nobody else in the world is alive to determine the validity of the materials, but me.”

John F. Kennedy Biography

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president, negotiated the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and initiated the Alliance for Progress. He was assassinated in 1963.

Synopsis

Born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy served in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate before becoming the 35th president in 1961. As president, Kennedy faced a number of foreign crises, especially in Cuba and Berlin, but managed to secure such achievements as the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.

Early Life

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. Both the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys were wealthy and prominent Irish Catholic Boston families. Kennedy’s paternal grandfather, P.J. Kennedy, was a wealthy banker and liquor trader, and his maternal grandfather, John E. Fitzgerald, nicknamed “Honey Fitz,” was a skilled politician who served as a congressman and as the mayor of Boston. Kennedy’s mother, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, was a Boston debutante, and his father, Joseph Kennedy Sr., was a successful banker who made a fortune on the stock market after World War I. Joe Kennedy Sr. went on to a government career as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and as an ambassador to Great Britain.

John F. Kennedy, nicknamed “Jack,” was the second oldest of a group of nine extraordinary siblings. His brothers and sisters include Eunice Kennedy, the founder of the Special Olympics; Robert Kennedy, a U.S. Attorney General; and Ted Kennedy, one of the most powerful senators in American history. The Kennedy children remained close-knit and supportive of each other throughout their entire lives.

Joseph and Rose Kennedy largely spurned the world of Boston socialites into which they had been born to focus instead on their children’s education. Joe Kennedy in particular obsessed over every detail of his kids’ lives, a rarity for a father at that time. As a family friend noted, “Most fathers in those days simply weren’t that interested in what their children did. But Joe Kennedy knew what his kids were up to all the time.” Joe Sr. had great expectations for his children, and he sought to instill in them a fierce competitive fire and the belief that winning was everything. He entered his children in swimming and sailing competitions and chided them for finishing in anything but first place. John F. Kennedy’s sister Eunice later recalled, “I was twenty-four before I knew I didn’t have to win something every day.” Jack Kennedy bought into his father’s philosophy that winning was everything. “He hates to lose at anything,” Eunice said. “That’s the only thing Jack gets really emotional about — when he loses.”

Despite his father’s constant reprimands, young Kennedy was a poor student and a mischievous boy. He attended a Catholic boys’ boarding school in Connecticut called Canterbury, where he excelled at English and history, the subjects he enjoyed, but nearly flunked Latin, in which he had no interest. Despite his poor grades, Kennedy continued on to Choate, an elite Connecticut preparatory school. Although he was obviously brilliant — evidenced by the extraordinary thoughtfulness and nuance of his work on the rare occasions when he applied himself — Kennedy remained at best a mediocre student, preferring sports, girls and practical jokes to coursework.

His father wrote to him by way of encouragement, “If I didn’t really feel you had the goods I would be most charitable in my attitude toward your failings … I am not expecting too much, and I will not be disappointed if you don’t turn out to be a real genius, but I think you can be a really worthwhile citizen with good judgment and understanding.” Kennedy was in fact very bookish in high school, reading ceaselessly but not the books his teachers assigned. He was also chronically ill during his childhood and adolescence; he suffered from severe colds, the flu, scarlet fever and even more severe, undiagnosed diseases that forced him to miss months of school at a time and occasionally brought him to the brink of death.

After graduating from Choate and spending one semester at Princeton, Kennedy transferred to Harvard University in 1936. There, he repeated his by then the well-established academic pattern, excelling occasionally in the classes he enjoyed but proving only an average student due to the omnipresent diversions of sports and women. Handsome, charming and blessed with a radiant smile, Kennedy was incredibly popular with his Harvard classmates. His friend Lem Billings recalled, “Jack was more fun than anyone I’ve ever known, and I think most people who knew him felt the same way about him.” Kennedy was also an incorrigible womanizer. He wrote to Billings during his sophomore year, “I can now get tail as often and as free as I want which is a step in the right direction.”

Nevertheless, as an upperclassman, Kennedy finally grew serious about his studies and began to realize his potential. His father had been appointed Ambassador to Great Britain, and on an extended visit in 1939, Kennedy decided to research and write a senior thesis on why Britain was so unprepared to fight Germany in World War II. An incisive analysis of Britain’s failures to meet the Nazi challenge, the paper was so well-received that upon Kennedy’s graduation in 1940 it was published as a book, Why England Slept, selling more than 80,000 copies. Kennedy’s father sent him a cablegram in the aftermath of the book’s publication: “Two things I always knew about your one that you are smart two that you are a swell guy love dad.”

Shortly after graduating from Harvard, Kennedy joined the U.S. Navy and was assigned to command a patrol torpedo boat in the South Pacific. On August 2, 1943, his boat, PT-109, was rammed by a Japanese warship and split in two. Two sailors died and Kennedy badly injured his back. Hauling another wounded sailor by the strap of his life vest, Kennedy led the survivors to a nearby island, where they were rescued six days later. The incident earned him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for “extremely heroic conduct” and a Purple Heart for the injuries he suffered.

However, Kennedy’s older brother, Joseph Kennedy Jr., who had also joined the Navy, was not so fortunate. A pilot, he died when his plane blew up in August 1944. Handsome, athletic, intelligent and ambitious, Joseph Kennedy Jr. had been pegged by his father as the one among his children who would someday become president of the United States. In the aftermath of Joe Jr.’s death, John F. Kennedy took his family’s hopes and aspirations for his older brother upon himself.

Upon his discharge from the Navy, Kennedy worked briefly as a reporter for Hearst Newspapers. Then in 1946, at the age of 29, he decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives from a working-class district of Boston, a seat being vacated by Democrat James Michael Curly. Bolstered by his status as a war hero, his family connections and his father’s money, Kennedy won the election handily. However, after the glory and excitement of publishing his first book and serving in World War II, Kennedy found his work in Congress incredibly dull. Despite serving three terms, from 1946 to 1952, Kennedy remained frustrated by what he saw as stifling rules and procedures that prevented a young, inexperienced representative from making an impact. “We were just worms in the House,” he later recalled. “Nobody paid attention to us nationally.”

Congressman and Senator

In 1952, seeking greater influence and a larger platform, Kennedy challenged Republican incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge for his seat in the U.S. Senate. Once again backed by his father’s vast financial resources, Kennedy hired his younger brother Robert as his campaign manager. Robert Kennedy put together what one journalist called “the most methodical, the most scientific, the most thoroughly detailed, the most intricate, the most disciplined and smoothly working state-wide campaign in Massachusetts history – and possibly anywhere else.” In an election year in which Republicans gained control of both Houses of Congress, Kennedy nevertheless won a narrow victory, giving him considerable clout within the Democratic Party. According to one of his aides, the decisive factor in Kennedy’s victory was his personality: “He was the new kind of political figure that people were looking for that year, dignified and gentlemanly and well-educated and intelligent, without the air of superior condescension.”

Shortly after his election, Kennedy met a beautiful young woman named Jacqueline Bouvier at a dinner party and, in his own words, “leaned across the asparagus and asked her for a date.” They were married on September 12, 1953. Jack and Jackie Kennedy had three children: Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Patrick Kennedy.

Kennedy continued to suffer frequent illnesses during his career in the Senate. While recovering from one surgery, he wrote another book, profiling eight senators who had taken courageous but unpopular stances. Profiles in Courage won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for biography, and Kennedy remains the only American president to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Presidential Candidate and President

Kennedy’s eight-year Senate career was relatively undistinguished. Bored by the Massachusetts-specific issues on which he had to spend much of his time, Kennedy was more drawn to the international challenges posed by the Soviet Union’s growing nuclear arsenal and the Cold War battle for the hearts and minds of Third World nations. In 1956, Kennedy was very nearly selected as Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson’s running mate but was ultimately passed over for Estes Kefauver from Tennessee. Four years later, Kennedy decided to run for president.

In the 1960 Democratic primaries, Kennedy outmaneuvered his main opponent, Hubert Humphrey, with superior organization and financial resources. Selecting Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate, Kennedy faced Vice President Richard Nixon in the general election. The election turned largely on a series of televised national debates in which Kennedy bested Nixon, an experienced and skilled debater, by appearing relaxed, healthy and vigorous in contrast to his pallid and tense opponent. On November 8, 1960, Kennedy defeated Nixon by a razor-thin margin to become the 35th president of the United States of America.

Kennedy’s election was historic in several respects. At the age of 43, he was the second youngest American president in history, second only to Theodore Roosevelt, who assumed the office at 42. He was also the first Catholic president and the first president born in the 20th century. Delivering his legendary inaugural address on January 20, 1961, Kennedy sought to inspire all Americans to more active citizenship. “Ask not what your country can do for you,” he said. “Ask what you can do for your country.”

Kennedy’s greatest accomplishments during his brief tenure as president came in the arena of foreign affairs. Capitalizing on the spirit of activism he had helped to ignite, Kennedy created the Peace Corps by executive order in 1961. By the end of the century, over 170,000 Peace Corps volunteers would serve in 135 countries. Also in 1961, Kennedy created the Alliance for Progress to foster greater economic ties with Latin America, in hopes of alleviating poverty and thwarting the spread of communism in the region.

Kennedy also presided over a series of international crises. On April 15, 1961, he authorized a covert mission to overthrow leftist Cuban leader Fidel Castro with a group of 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban refugees. Known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the mission proved an unmitigated failure, causing Kennedy great embarrassment.

In August 1961, to stem massive waves of emigration from Soviet-dominated East Germany to American ally West Germany via the divided city of Berlin, Khrushchev ordered the construction of the Berlin Wall, which became the foremost symbol of the Cold War.

However, the greatest crisis of the Kennedy administration was the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. Discovering that the Soviet Union had sent ballistic nuclear missiles to Cuba, Kennedy blockaded the island and vowed to defend the United States at any cost. After several of the tensest days in history, during which the world seemed on the brink of nuclear annihilation, the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles in return for Kennedy’s promise not to invade Cuba and to remove American missiles from Turkey. Eight months later, in June 1963, Kennedy successfully negotiated the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with Great Britain and the Soviet Union, helping to ease Cold War tensions. It was one of his proudest accomplishments.

President Kennedy’s record on domestic policy was rather mixed. Taking office in the midst of a recession, he proposed sweeping income tax cuts, raising the minimum wage and instituting new social programs to improve education, health care, and mass transit. However, hampered by lukewarm relations with Congress, Kennedy only achieved part of his agenda: a modest increase in the minimum wage and watered down tax cuts.

The most contentious domestic issue of Kennedy’s presidency was civil rights. Constrained by Southern Democrats in Congress who remained stridently opposed to civil rights for black citizens, Kennedy offered only tepid support for civil rights reforms early in his term. Nevertheless, in September 1962 Kennedy sent his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, to Mississippi to use the National Guard and federal marshals to escort and defend civil rights activist James Meredith as he became the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi on October 1, 1962. Near the end of 1963, in the wake of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Had a Dream” speech, Kennedy finally sent a civil rights bill to Congress. One of the last acts of his presidency and his life, Kennedy’s bill eventually passed as the landmark Civil Rights Act in 1964.

Assassination

On November 21, 1963, President Kennedy flew to Dallas, Texas for a campaign appearance. The next day, November 22, Kennedy, along with his wife and Texas governor John Connally, rode through cheering crowds in downtown Dallas in a Lincoln Continental convertible. From an upstairs window of the Texas School Book Depository building, a 24-year-old warehouse worker named Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine with Soviet sympathies, fired upon the car, hitting the president twice. Kennedy died at Parkland Memorial Hospital shortly thereafter, at the age of 46.

A Dallas nightclub owner named Jack Ruby assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald days later while he was being transferred between jails. The death of President John F. Kennedy was an unspeakable national tragedy, and to this date, many people remember with unsettling vividness the exact moment they learned of his death. While conspiracy theories have swirled ever since Kennedy’s assassination, the official version of events remains the most plausible: Oswald acted alone.

For a few former presidents is the dichotomy between public and scholarly opinion so vast. To the American public, as well as his first historians, John F. Kennedy is a hero — a visionary politician who, if not for his untimely death, might have averted the political and social turmoil of the late 1960s. In public-opinion polls, Kennedy consistently ranks with Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln as among the most beloved American presidents of all time. Critiquing this outpouring of adoration, many more recent Kennedy scholars have derided Kennedy’s womanizing and lack of personal morals and argued that as a leader he was more style than substance. In the end, no one can ever truly know what type of president John F. Kennedy would have become, or the different course history might have taken had he lived into old age. As historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote, it was “as if Lincoln had been killed six months after Gettysburg or Franklin Roosevelt at the end of 1935 or Truman before the Marshall Plan.” The most enduring image of Kennedy’s presidency, and of his whole life, is that of Camelot, the idyllic castle of the legendary King Arthur. As his wife, Jackie Kennedy said after his death, “There’ll be great presidents again, and the Johnsons are wonderful, they’ve been wonderful to me — but there’ll never be another Camelot again.”

“For time and the world do not standstill. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past, or the present, are certain to miss the future.”[stated during an address in the assembly hall at Paulskirche in Frankfurt on June 25, 1963.]”

—John F. Kennedy

“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”

—John F. Kennedy

“We need men who can dream of things that never were and not ask why.”

—John F. Kennedy

“If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.”

—John F. Kennedy

“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

—John F. Kennedy

“A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers, and pressures—and that is the basis of all human morality.”

—John F. Kennedy

“The times are too grave, the challenge too urgent, and the stakes too high—to permit the customary passions of political debate. We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future. … For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do.”

—John F. Kennedy

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

—John F. Kennedy

“The cost of freedom is always high—and Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission.”

—John F. Kennedy

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

—John F. Kennedy

“The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds.”

—John F. Kennedy

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

—John F. Kennedy

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

—John F. Kennedy

“[O]ur most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”

—John F. Kennedy.

John Lennon Biography

John Winston Ono Lennon

Famed singer-songwriter John Lennon founded the Beatles, a band that impacted the popular music scene like no other before, or since.

Synopsis

John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England. He met Paul McCartney in 1957 and invited McCartney to join his music group. They eventually formed the most successful songwriting partnership in musical history. Lennon left the Beatles in 1969 and later released albums with his wife, Yoko Ono, among others. On December 8, 1980, he was killed by a crazed fan named Mark David Chapman.

Early Life

Famed singer-songwriter John Winston Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, during a German air raid in World War II.

When he was 4 years old, Lennon’s parents separated and he ended up living with his Aunt Mimi. Lennon’s father was a merchant seaman. He was not present at his son’s birth and did not see a lot of his son when he was small.

Lennon’s mother, Julia, remarried but visited him and Mimi regularly. She taught Lennon how to play the banjo and the piano and purchased his first guitar. Lennon was devastated when Julia was fatally struck by a car driven by an off-duty police officer in July 1958. Her death was one of the most traumatic events in his life.

As a child, Lennon was a prankster and he enjoyed getting in trouble. As a boy and young adult, he enjoyed drawing grotesque figures and cripples. Lennon’s school master thought that he could go to an art school for college, since he did not get good grades in school, but had artistic talent.

Forming the Beatles

Elvis Presley’s explosion onto the rock music scene inspired a 16-year-old Lennon to create the skiffle band called the Quarry Men, named after his school. Lennon met Paul McCartney at a church fete on July 6, 1957. He soon invited McCartney to join the group, and the two eventually formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in musical history.

McCartney introduced George Harrison to Lennon the following year, and Harrison and art college buddy Stuart Sutcliffe also joined Lennon’s band. Always in need of a drummer, the group finally settled on Pete Best in 1960.

The first recording they made was Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day” in 1958. In fact, it was Holly’s group, the Crickets, that inspired the band to change its name. Lennon would later joke that he had a vision when he was 12 years old—a man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them, “From this day on, you are Beatles with an ‘A.'”

The Beatles were discovered by Brian Epstein in 1961 at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, where they were performing on a regular basis. As their new manager, Epstein secured a record contract with EMI. With a new drummer, Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey), and George Martin as a producer, the group released their first single, “Love Me Do,” in October 1962. It peaked on the British charts at No. 17.

Lennon wrote the group’s follow-up single, “Please Please Me,” inspired primarily by Roy Orbison, but also fed by Lennon’s infatuation with the pun in Bing Crosby’s famous lyrics, “Oh, please, lend your little ears to my pleas,” from the song “Please.” The Beatles’ “Please Please Me” topped the charts in Britain. The Beatles went on to become the most popular band in Britain with the release of such mega-hits as “She Loves You” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”

Lennon married Cynthia Powell on August 1962. The couple had one son together, Julian, who was named after Lennon’s mother. Cynthia was forced to keep a very low profile during Beatlemania. She and Lennon divorced in 1968. He remarried the following year, on March 20, 1969, to Japanese avant-garde artist Yoko Ono, whom he had met at the Indica Gallery in November 1966.

Beatlemania

In 1964, the Beatles became the first British band to break out big in the United States, beginning with their appearance on television’s The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. Beatlemania launched a “British Invasion” of rock bands in the United States that also included the Rolling Stones and the Kinks. Following their appearance on Sullivan, the Beatles returned to Britain to film their first film, A Hard Day’s Night (1964), and prepare for their first world tour.

The Beatles’ second film, Help!, was released in 1965. That June, Queen Elizabeth II of England announced that the Beatles would be named a Member of the Order of the British Empire. In August 1965, the foursome performed to 55,600 fans at New York’s Shea Stadium, setting a new record for a largest concert audience in musical history. When the Beatles returned to England, they recorded the breakthrough album Rubber Soul (1965), noted for extending beyond the love songs and pop formulas for which the band was previously well-known.

The magic of Beatlemania had begun to lose its appeal by 1966. The band members’ lives were put in danger when they were accused of snubbing the presidential family in the Philippines. Then, Lennon’s remark that the band was “more popular than Jesus now” incited denunciations and Beatles record bonfires in the U.S. Bible belt. The Beatles gave up touring after an August 29, 1966, concert at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.

After an extended break, the band returned to the studio to expand their experimental sound with drug-influenced exotic instrumentation/lyrics and tape abstractions. The first sample was the single “Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever,” followed by the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), considered by many to be the greatest rock project in musical history.

The Beatles Break Up

The Beatles then suffered a huge blow when Epstein died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills on August 27, 1967. Shaken by Epstein’s death, the Beatles retrenched under McCartney’s leadership in the fall and filled Magical Mystery Tour. While the film was panned by critics, the soundtrack album contained Lennon’s “I Am The Walrus,” the group’s most cryptic work yet.

Magical Mystery Tour failed to achieve much commercial success, and the Beatles retreated into Transcendental Meditation and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which took them to India for two months in early 1968. Their next effort, Apple Corps Ltd., was plagued by mismanagement. That July, the group faced its last notably hysterical crowd at the premiere of their film Yellow Submarine. In November 1968, the Beatles’ double-album The Beatles (also known as The White Album) displayed their divergent directions.

By this time, Lennon’s artist partnership with second wife Yoko Ono had begun to cause serious tensions within the group. Lennon and Ono invented a form of peace protest by staying in bed while being filmed and interviewed, and their single “Give Peace a Chance” (1969), recorded under the name “the Plastic Ono Band,” became a national anthem of sorts for pacifists.

Lennon left the Beatles in September 1969, just after the group completed recording Abbey Road. The news of the break-up was kept secret until McCartney announced his departure in April 1970, a month before the band released Let It Be, recorded just before Abbey Road.

Solo Career

Not long after the Beatles broke up, in 1970, Lennon released his debut solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, featuring a raw, minimalist sound that followed “primal-scream” therapy. He followed that project with 1971’imagine, the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed of all Lennon’s post-Beatles efforts. The title track was later named No. 3 onRolling Stone magazine’s “All-Time Best Songs” list.

Peace and love, however, was not always on Lennon’s agenda. Imagine also included the track “How Do You Sleep?” a vehement response to veiled messages at Lennon in some of McCartney’s solo recordings. The friends and former songwriting duo later buried the hatchet, but never formally worked together again.

Lennon and Ono moved to the United States in September 1971 but were constantly threatened with deportation by the Nixon Administration. Lennon was told that he was being kicked out of the country due to his 1968 marijuana conviction in Britain, but the singer believed that he was being removed because of his activism against the unpopular Vietnam War. Documents later proved him correct. (Two years after Nixon resigned, in 1976, Lennon was granted permanent U.S. residency.)

In 1972, while battling to stay in America, Lennon performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City to benefit mentally handicapped children and continued to promote peace. His immigration battle took a toll on Lennon’s marriage, and in the fall of 1973, he and Ono separated. Lennon went to Los Angeles, California, where he partied and took a mistress, May Pang. He still managed to release hit albums, including Mind Games (1973), Walls and Bridges (1974) and Rock ‘n’ Roll (1975). During this time, Lennon famously collaborated with David Bowie and Elton John.

Lennon and Ono reconciled in 1974, and she gave birth to their only child, a son named Sean, on Lennon’s 35th birthday (October 9, 1975). Shortly thereafter, Lennon decided to leave the music business to focus on being a father and husband.

Tragic Death

In 1980, John Lennon returned to the music world with the album Double Fantasy, featuring the hit single “(Just Like) Starting Over.” Tragically, just a few weeks after the album’s release, Lennon was shot several times by a deranged fan in front of his apartment complex in New York City. Lennon died at New York City’s Roosevelt Hospital on December 8, 1980, at the age of 40.

John Lennon’s assassination had and continues to have, a profound impact on pop culture. Following the tragic event, millions of fans worldwide mourned as record sales soared. And Lennon’s untimely death still evokes deep sadness around the globe today, as he continues to be admired by new generations of fans. Lennon was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

QUOTES

“If someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliché that should have been left behind in the ’60s, that’s a problem. Peace and love are eternal.”

—John Lennon

“The more that I see, the less that I know for sure.”

—John Lennon

“All you need is love.”

—John Lennon

“There is nothing conceptually better than rock.”

—John Lennon

“We’re all responsible for war … we all must do something, no matter what.”

—John Lennon

“The thing the ’60s did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn’t the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.”

—John Lennon

Billie Holiday Biography

Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time. She had a thriving career for many years before she lost her battle with addiction.

Synopsis

Jazz vocalist Billie Holiday was born April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Considered one of the best jazz vocalists of all time, Holiday had a thriving career as a jazz singer for many years before she lost her battle with substance abuse. Her autobiography was made into the 1972 filmLady Sings the Blues. In 2000, Billie Holiday was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Singer, a jazz vocalist. Born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Some sources say Baltimore, Maryland. Her birth certificate reportedly reads “Elinore Harris.”) One of the most influential jazz singers of all time, Billie Holiday had a thriving career for many years before her battles with substance abuse got the better of her.

Holiday spent much of her childhood in Baltimore, Maryland. Her mother, Sadie, was only a teenager when she had her. Her father is widely believed to be Clarence Holiday, who eventually became a successful jazz musician, playing with the likes of Fletcher Henderson. Unfortunately for Billie, he was only an infrequent visitor in her life growing up. Sadie married Philip Gough in 1920 and for a few years, Billie had a somewhat stable home life. But that marriage ended a few years later, leaving Billie and Sadie to struggle along on their own again. Sometimes Billie was left in the care of other people.

The holiday started skipping school, and she and her mother went to court over Holiday’s truancy. She was then sent to the House of Good Shepherd, a facility for troubled African American girls, in January 1925. Only 9 years old at the time, Holiday was one of the youngest girls there. She was returned to her mother’s care in August of that year. According to Donald Clarke’s biography, Billie Holiday: Wishing on the Moon, she returned there in 1926 after she had been sexually assaulted.

In her difficult early life, Holiday found solace in music, singing along to the records of Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. She followed her mother who had moved to New York City in the late 1920s and worked in a house of prostitution in Harlem for a time. Around 1930, Holiday began singing in local clubs and renamed herself “Billie” after the film star Billie Dove.

Discovery

In her difficult early life, Holiday found solace in music, singing along to the records of Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. She followed her mother who had moved to New York City in the late 1920s and worked in a house of prostitution in Harlem for a time. Around 1930, Holiday began singing in local clubs and renamed herself “Billie” after the film star Billie Dove.

At the age of 18, Holiday was discovered by producer John Hammond while she was performing in a Harlem jazz club. Hammond was instrumental in getting Holiday recording work with an up-and-coming clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman. With Goodman, she sang vocals for several tracks, including her first commercial release “Your Mother’s Son-In-Law” and 1934 top ten hit “Riffin’ the Scotch.”

Known for her distinctive phrasing and expressive, sometimes melancholy voice, Holiday went on to record with jazz pianist Teddy Wilson and others in 1935. She made several singles, including “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” and “Miss Brown to You.” That same year, Holiday appeared with Duke Ellington in the film Symphony in Black.

Count Basie Orchestra

Around this time, Holiday met and befriended saxophonist Lester Young, who was part of Count Basie’s orchestra on and off for years. He even lived with Holiday and her mother Sadie for a while. Young gave Holiday the nickname “Lady Day” in 1937—the same year she joined Basie’s band. In return, she called “Prez,” which was her way of saying that she thought it was the greatest.

Holiday toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937. The following year, she worked with Artie Shaw and his orchestra. Holiday broke new ground with Shaw, becoming one of the first female African American vocalists to work with a white orchestra. Promoters objected to Holiday—for her race and for her unique vocal style—and she ended up leaving the orchestra out of frustration.

Solo Stardom

Striking out on her own, Holiday performed at New York’s Café Society. She developed some of her trademark stage personas there—wearing gardenias in her hair and singing with her head tilted back.

During this engagement, Holiday also debuted two of her most famous songs “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit.” Columbia, her record company at the time, was not interested in “Strange Fruit” (1939), which was a powerful story about the lynching of African Americans in the South. Holiday recorded the song with the Commodore label instead. This ballad is considered to be one of her signature ballads, and the controversy that surrounded it—some radio stations banned the record—helped make it a hit.

Over the years, Holiday sang many songs of stormy relationships, including “T’ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do” and “My Man.” These songs reflected her personal romances, which were often destructive and abusive. She married James Monroe in 1941. Already known to drink, Holiday picked up her new husband’s habit of smoking opium. The marriage didn’t last, but Holiday’s problems with substance abuse continued. (They later divorced.)

Personal Problems

That same year, Holiday had a hit with “God Bless the Child.” She later signed with Decca Records in 1944 and scored an R&B hit the next year with “Lover Man.” Her boyfriend at the time was trumpeter Joe Guy, and with him, she started using heroin. After the death of her mother in October 1945, Holiday began drinking more heavily and escalated her drug use to ease her grief.

Despite her personal problems, Holiday remained a major star in the jazz world—and even in popular music as well. She appeared with her idol Louis Armstrong in the 1947 film New Orleans, albeit playing the role of a maid. Unfortunately, Holiday’s drug use caused her a great professional setback that same year. She was arrested and convicted for narcotics possession in 1947. Sentenced to one year and a day of jail time, Holiday went to a federal rehabilitation facility in Alderson, West Virginia.

Released the following year, Holiday faced new challenges. Because of her conviction, she was unable to get the necessary license to play in cabarets and clubs. Holiday, however, could still perform at concert halls and had a sold-out show at the Carnegie Hall not long after her release. With some help from John Levy, a New York club owner, Holiday was later to get to play in New York’s Club Ebony. Levy became her boyfriend and manager by the end of the 1940s, joining the ranks of the men who took advantage of Holiday. Also around this time, she was again arrested for narcotics, but she was acquitted of the charges.

Later Years

While her hard-living was taking a toll on her voice, Holiday continued to tour and record in the 1950s. She began recording for Norman Granz, the owner of several small jazz labels, in 1952. Two years later, Holiday had a hugely successful tour of Europe.

Holiday also caught the public’s attention by sharing her life story with the world in 1956. Her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues (1956), was written in collaboration by William Dufty. Some of the material included, however, must be taken with a grain of salt. The holiday was in rough shape when she worked with Dufty on the project, and she claimed to have never read the book after it was finished.

Around this time, Holiday became involved with Louis McKay. The two were arrested for narcotics in 1956, and they married in Mexico the following year. Like many other men in her life, McKay used Holiday’s name and money to advance himself. Despite all of the trouble she had been experiencing with her voice, she managed to give an impressive performance on the CBS television broadcast The Sound of Jazz with Ben Webster, Lester Young, and Coleman Hawkins.

After years of lackluster recordings and record sales, Holiday recorded Lady in Satin (1958) with the Ray Ellis Orchestra for Columbia. The album’s songs showcased her rougher sounding voice, which still could convey great emotional intensity. She gave her final performance in New York City on May 25, 1959. Not long after this event, Holiday was admitted to the hospital for heart and liver problems. She was so addicted to heroin that she was even arrested for possession while in the hospital. On July 17, 1959, Holiday died from alcohol- and drug-related complications.

Legacy

More than 3,000 people turned out to say good-bye to Lady Day at her funeral held in St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church on July 21, 1959. A who’s who of the jazz world attended the solemn occasion, including Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Tony Scott, Buddy Rogers, and John Hammond.

Considered one of the best jazz vocalists of all time, Holiday has been an influence on many other performers who have followed in her footsteps. Her autobiography was made into the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues with famed singer Diana Ross playing the part of Holiday, which helped renew interest in Holiday’s recordings. In 2000, Billie Holiday was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Diana Ross handling the honors.