VENKAT

lil john

2007-02-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

Biography

Lil Jon was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, but graduated from Atlanta's Douglass High School in 1989. Lil Jon also hosted a radio show on BET. He started doing remixes for artists Jamaal, Too $hort, Xscape, and Total. He worked for So So Def between 1993 and 2000. He has been married since November 4th 2004. He has one son, who plays hockey. Lil Jon was married at the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

[edit] Professional life

Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz returned in 2001 with Put Yo Hood Up. This caused controversy because of the cover which featured Lil Jon wrapping himself in a confederate flag. "Bia Bia" the single from the album featuring Ludacris, Too $hort, and Chyna White became a hit in clubs throughout the U.S., and also made the top twenty downloads on MP3.com.

In 2002, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz released their breakthrough album Kings of Crunk. The first single, "I Don't Give a Fuck" featuring Mystikal and Krayzie Bone became another dancefloor filler. However, it was "Get Low" with the Ying Yang Twins and its catchy hook that became a breakout hit. It reached the top five in a composite worldwide Reggaeton chart (compiled from U.S., German, French R&B charts) in 2003 and Internet download charts. It also went into the top 40 in markets such as Germany and Australia in 2004. Based on the success of "Get Low", reached the top twenty of the U.S. album chart in September 2003. Lil Jon put out a compilation CD and DVD in 2003 called Part II featuring remixes of Get Low featuring Busta Rhymes and Elephant Man as well as the Ying Yang Twins. Jon also produced the hit single Salt Shaker for the Ying Yang Twins.

In 2004, Lil Jon produced what would be his breakthrough, Usher's hit single Yeah!. The track which featured Ludacris quickly skyrocket to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lil Jon also helped produce two other big hits of the year. One was for the new R&B artist Ciara, also out of Atlanta. "Goodies" her debut single, featured Petey Pablo and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lil Jon also helped produce Petey Pablo's Freek-A-Leek.

Lil Jon released his new album called Crunk Juice, which features contributions from proteges Lil Scrappy and Bo Hagon, mega-producer Rick Rubin, R. Kelly, Ice Cube, Timbaland, Usher, and Ludacris, and one of Lil Jon's punk heroes, The Bad Brains. The double-CD Crunk Juice includes remixes of Daddy Yankee's Reggaeton hit "Gasolina," Terror Squad's "Lean Back", and others. as well as skits from comedians Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. He has worked with KoЯn for a track on their album released later in 2005.[1].

In June 2005, Ashton Kutcher failed to "punk" Lil Jon. He was boarding a plane headed for Las Vegas, but Kutcher used actors to play customs agents to tell him that he was actually headed for Ecuador. Lil Jon quickly identified members of the "customs agents" from previous episodes of the program, and asked for Kutcher to reveal himself. Lil Jon is currently one of four celebrities to thwart an attempted "punking" by Ashton Kutcher. Later in an interview Lil Jon quipped, "You can't Punk the King of Crunk."

For most of 2005, Lil Jon concentrated on production, overseeing forthcoming records for several artists off of his BME Recordings including: Trillville, Lil Scrappy, Oobie, E-40, BHI and Bo Hagon. He also went through protracted renegotiations with TVT, hinting at the likelihood that he would leave the label.

In 2005, Lil Jon was in the videogame Tony Hawk's American Wasteland as a secret character. On February 22, 2006, Lil Jon announced that he had settled business matters with TVT: "After a long battle and negotiations with TVT, we worked out our differences. TVT cut the check and now it¹s time for me to get back to work."[2] The "work" in question is his first solo album, Crunk Rock, the release of which was planned for 2006. After numerous delays, Crunk Rock remains unreleased. The hit single Snap Yo Fingers received heavy radio and TV airplay.

Lil Jon also starred in a documentary for the music video of Twisted Transistor, a song by the nu-metal band Korn along with Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and David Banner. He also made a cameo in Date Movie and in Scary Movie 4. Lil Jon's "Get Low" features on the 2003 videogame Need For Speed Underground, but was heavily cut due to explicit lyrics.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

	Put Yo Hood Up Released: May 22, 2001 Chart positions: #43 US Last RIAA certification: Gold Singles: "Bia Bia", "I Like Dem Girlz", "Put Yo Hood Up", "Can't Stop Pimpin'"
	Kings of Crunk Released: October 8, 2002 Chart positions: #15 US Last RIAA certification: 2x Platinum Singles: "Play No Games", "I Don't Give A Fuck", "Get Low"
	Part II Released: November 25, 2003 Chart positions: #37 US Last RIAA certification: ?? Singles: "Get Low Remix"
	Crunk Juice Released: November 16, 2004 Chart positions: #3 US, #52 UK. Last RIAA certification: 2.5 Million (2x Platinum) Singles: "What U Gon' Do ", "Roll Call", "Lovers and Friends ", "Get Crunk"
	Crunk Rock To be Released: March 20, 2007 Chart positions: N/A Last RIAA certification: N/A Singles: "Snap Yo Fingers", "Act A Fool"

[edit] Singles

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. R&B	U.S. Rap	UK singles	Album
2001	"Put Yo Hood Up"	—	#80	—	—	Put Yo Hood Up
2001	"Bia Bia" (feat. Ludacris, Too Short, Big Kapp, & Chyna Whyte)					Put Yo Hood Up
2001	"I Like Dem Girlz" (feat. Jazze Pha)					Put Yo Hood Up
2002	"Nothin's Free" (feat. Oobie)	—	#61	—	—	Put Yo Hood Up
2002	"Rep Yo City" (E-40 feat. Lil Jon, Petey Pablo, Eightball, & Bun B)			#73		Grit & Grind/Kings of Crunk
2003	"I Don't Give A Fuck" (feat. Mystikal & Krayzie Bone)	—	#50	—	—	Kings of Crunk
2003	"Get Low" (feat. Ying Yang Twins)	#2	#1	#1	—	Kings of Crunk
2003	"Damn!" (Youngbloodz feat. Lil Jon)	#4	#2	#1	-	Drankin' Patnaz
2003	"Yeah! (Usher feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris)	#1	#1	—	#1	Confessions
2004	"Shake That Monkey" (Too Short feat. Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz)	#84	#56	#23	#33	Married to the Game
2004	"Salt Shaker" (Ying Yang Twins feat. Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz)	#9	#9	#2	—	Me & My Brother
2004	"Let's Go" (Trick Daddy feat. Lil Jon & Twista)	#7	#10	#4	—	Thug Matrimony: Married To The Streets
2004	"Culo" (Pitbull feat. Lil Jon)	#32	-	-	-	M.I.A.M.I.
2004	"Toma" (Pitbull feat. Lil Jon)	-	-	-	-	M.I.A.M.I.
2004	"Head Bussa" (Lil Scrappy feat. Lil Jon)	-	#73	-	-	The King of Crunk & BME Records Presents Trillville & Lil Scrappy'
2004	"Neva Eva" (Trillville feat. Lil Scrappy & Lil Jon)	#78	#28	#22	-	The King of Crunk & BME Records Presents Trillville & Lil Scrappy'
2004	"Real Gangstaz" (Mobb Deep feat. Lil Jon)	-	#49	-	-	Amerikaz Nightmare
2004	"What U Gon' Do" (feat. Lil Scrappy)	#22	#13	#8	—	Crunk Juice
2005	"Real Nigga Roll Call" (feat. Ice Cube)	—	#61	—	—	Crunk Juice
2005	"Lovers and Friends" (feat. Usher & Ludacris)	#3	#2	1	—	Crunk Juice
2005	"Get Crunk" (feat. Bo Hagon)	—	#59	—	—	Crunk Juice
2005	"Girlfight" (Brooke Valentine feat. Lil Jon & Big Boi)	#23	#13	-	#7	Chain Letter
2005	"Okay" (Nivea feat. Lil Jon & Youngbloodz)	#40	#14	-	-	Complicated
2006	"Bojangles [Remix]" (Pitbull feat. Lil Jon & Ying Yang Twins)	-	-	-	-	El Mariel
2006	"Go to Church" (Ice Cube feat. Lil Jon & Snoop Dogg)	#121	#67	#25	-	Laugh Now, Cry Later
2006	"Snap Yo Fingers" (feat. E-40 & Sean P)	#7	#1	#1	—	Crunk Rock
2006	"Act A Fool" (feat. Three 6 Mafia)	TBR	TBR	TBR	—	Crunk Rock
2006	"Gangsta Gangsta" (Lil Scrappy feat. Lil Jon)	TBR	TBR	TBR	TBR	Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live

[edit] Music sample

Get Low (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Short sample of Get Low by Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys ft. Ying Yang Twins - harsh language advisory
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.

[edit] Trivia

Lil Jon carries around a jewel-encrusted chalice, also called a "pimp cup". During his early years of fame, he was rarely seen in public without it.
Lil Jon is a hidden character in Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.
The NHL team the Atlanta Thrashers' goaltender Kari Lehtonen has a depiction of Lil Jon on his mask. [3]
Lil Jon is an avid Atlanta Thrashers fan, going to almost all home games when in Atlanta. He occasionally goes down to the locker room after games to talk to Lehtonen. He is also an avid Atlanta Braves fan.
Lil Jon's son plays hockey
Lil' Jon has appeared in Soul Plane, Date Movie and Scary Movie 4. Scary Movie 4 incorrectly credited him as "Lil John".
The song Stop Fuckin' Wit Me featured on Crunk Juice features a beat sampled from a song from the thrash metal band Slayer, the song was the ever-infamous Raining Blood. This is the second instance where Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz have used a Slayer song (the first being Mandatory Suicide).
Lil Jon has appeared in commercials for Subway.
Lil Jon has 4 mobile video games known as "Lil Jon Crunk Golf," "Hot Secretary," "8 Ball Pool Hustle," and "Stacking Bling."
Lil Jon has appeared as the presenter of Pimp My Ride International.
One of Lil Jon's favorite bands is Tears for Fears.
Lil Jon appeared on MTV's "Wild 'N Out" as the black team captain.
Among the better-known recurring sketches on the comedy series Chappelle's Show is A Moment in the Life of Lil Jon, which was inspired by a music video in which Lil Jon repeatedly yells "Okay!" Dave Chappelle treats this behavior as if it is constantly part of the rapper's daily interactions, and while playing the role of the rapper adds the terms "what" and "yeah" (both also yelled) to this limited vocabulary. Near the end of the show's second season, Lil Jon himself appeared and interacted with Chappelle's impression. [4]
Made a cameo appearance on The Game's single, Wouldn't Get Far

[edit] Video Games

[edit] Production and/or Appearances

(list is not complete)

8 Ball & MJG

"Look At The Grillz" (feat. T.I. and Twista)
"Outfit"
"Fuck That"

54th Platoon

"Holdin It Down" ft. Lil Jon

Akon

"Froze" ft. T-Pain

Amerie

"Touch" #19 UK

Baby D

"Bow His Azz Up" (feat. Shawty Beezelee, Dollar & Lil Jon)
"ATL Hoe" (feat. Lil Jon, Pastor Troy & Archie Eversole)

Benzino

"Dats How It Goes" ft. Lil Jon

BHI

"Do It, Do It" ft. Lil Jon

Big Kuntry King

"9 To 10"

Birmingham J.

"Move Back" ft. Venus

Black Eyed Peas

"My Humps (Crunk Remix)"

Black Team

"London Bridge Remix" ft. Lil Jon

Bo Hagon

"Drop Dem Boes" (feat. Lil Jon)
"Wuz Up" ft. Fabo Diamond & Princess (Of Crime Mobb)
"The Streetz" ft. Mr. Wardz
"You Don't Really Want It"
"Coke In Ya Nose" ft. Lil Scrappy
"Gone" ft. Lil Scrappy & Trillville
"Buck Back"

Bone Crusher

"Get Up On It" (feat. Chamillionaire)

Bow Wow

"To My Mama"
"18"

Bravehearts

"Quick To Back Down" (feat. Nas and Lil' Jon)
"Cash Flow"

Brooke Valentine

"Girlfight" (feat. Big Boi and Lil Jon) #23 US

Bun B

"Trill Recognize Trill" (feat. Ludacris)

Ciara

"Goodies" (feat. Petey Pablo) #1 US, #1 UK
"That's Right (feat. Lil Jon)"
"C.R.U.S.H."

Chyna Whyte

"I Got That"

Crime Mob

"Knuck If You Buck" ft. Lil Scrappy
"Rock Yo Hips

Da Brat

"We Ready" ~off the 2000 album by Da Brat entitled Unrestricted

David Banner

"Might Getcha"
"Choose Me"
"Treat Me Like A" (feat. Jadakiss; un-released version featured Lil' Jon)

Dru

"Get Off Me" (feat. Bone Crusher & Lil' Jon)

DMX

"What It Be" ft. Trick Daddy & Lil Jon

E-40

"Tell Me When To Go" (feat. Keak Da Sneak) #35 US
"U and Dat" (feat. T-Pain and Kandi Girl) #13 US
"Muscle Cars" (feat. Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk)
"Been There, Done That" (feat. Lil Jon)
"Yee" (feat. Too Short & Budda)
"White Girl" (feat. Bun B, Pimp C of UGK, and Juelz Santana)
"I'm Da Man" (feat. Mike Jones)
"Anybody Can Get It" ft. Lil Jon & Bonecrusher
"Rep Yo City" (feat. Bun B, Lil Jon, Petey Pablo, and 8-Ball; also appeared on Lil Jon's "Kings of Crunk" CD.)

Ebbz

"Don't Crunk my Watch" (feat. Matt Whizzy) #75 US

Elephant Man

"Jook Gal" (feat. Bone Crusher and Lil Jon)
"Spin Ya Rag"
"Dancing Gym" (feat. Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz & Ying Yang Twins)

Famlay

"Step Back" ft. Lil Jon

Fat Joe

"Lean Back (Remix)" (feat. Mase, Lil' Jon, and Eminem)

Freeway

"Rep Yo Click" (feat. Lil' Jon, and Red Cafe)

Gillie Da Kid

"Boss Playa" ft. AB-Liva (Cover Of Salt Shaker Beat)

I-20

"Break Bread" (feat. Ludacris, and Bonecrusher)

Ice Cube

"Go To Church" (feat. Snoop Dogg and Lil' Jon)
"Holla @ Cha' Boy"
"You Gotta Lotta That" (feat. Snoop Dogg)

Janet Jackson

"Call On Me Lil Jon Remix" ft. Nelly

Jody Breeze

"Take It Outside" ft. Lil Jon & Pastor Troy

Juvenile

"Why Not" (feat. Skip)

Kanye West

"The New Workout Remix"

Korn

"Fight The Power" (feat. Xzibit)

Krayzie Bone

"Get'chu Twisted"
"Shut Da Club Down"

Labba

"How U Ridin" ft. Bun B

Lil' Jon

all songs on "Crunk Juice" and "Kings of Crunk"
"Snap Yo Fingers" (feat. E-40 and Sean Paul) #7 US
"Act A Fool" featuring The Three 6 Mafia

Lil' Scrappy

"Head Bussa" (feat. Lil' Jon)
"No Problem" #29 US
"Gangsta Gangsta" (feat. Lil' Jon)
"You Don't Know" ft. Bohagon
"F.I.L.A." ft. Trillville
"Knock His Ass Out" ft. Trillville & Lil Jon
"I'm Back"
"Been a Boss" (feat. Young Dro & Bohagon)
"Born to Live"
"Mr. Police"
"Gangsta Gangsta" feat. Lil Jon
"Oh Yeah (Work)" (feat. Sean P. of the YoungBloodz & E-40)
"Gone"
"Crank It"

Ludacris

"Move Bitch" (feat. Mystikal and I-20) #10 US
"Move Bitch Remix" ft. Three 6 Mafia

Luke

"Some Head Tonight" ft. Lil Jon & Jolly Boi

Mariah Carey

"Sweetheart (Lil' Jon Remix)" (feat. Jermaine Dupri)

Mario

"Boom" (feat. Juvenile)

Master P

"Act A Fool" ft. Lil Jon

Mobb Deep

"Real Gangstaz" (feat. Lil' Jon)

MC Hammer

"YAY"

N.O.R.E.

"Hang Hang" (feat. Ashanti)

Nappy Roots

"What Cha Gonna Do? (The Anthem)"

Nivea

"Okay" (feat. Lil Jon and The Youngbloodz) #40 US

Oobie

"P. Control" ft. Elephant Man
"Dirty Dancin'" (feat. Lil' Jon)
"Ooh Baby"

Olivia

"All"

Outkast

"Last Call" (feat. Eastside Boyz, Lil Jon, Mello, and Slimm Calhoun

Out Of Order

"Show A Lil Mo" (feat. Lil' Jon)

Petey Pablo

"Freak A Leek" #7 US
"Freek A Leek" - Remix ft. Jermaine Dupri & Twista
"Give It Up"
"Fire"
"You Don't Want Dat"
"Jam Y'all"

Pitbull

"Culo" (feat. Lil' Jon) #32 US
"Toma" (feat. Lil' Jon)
"305 Anthem" (Feat. Lil Jon)
"Bojangles" #91 US
"Bojangles (Remix)" (Feat. Lil Jon & Ying Yang Twins)
"Esa Loca" ft. Lil Jon
"Dope Boyz"
"We Don't Care"
"Dime Remix" ft. Ken-Y
"That's Nasty!"
"Sticky" (feat. Jim Jones)

Play N Skillz

"Fuck Them Bouncers Up" (feat. Paul Wall & Lil' Jon)

Prince D

"How we Stand Up" ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris
"Stand Up ATL" ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris
- Prince D's Upcoming Album "South of tha Border"(2007)**

P$C

"I'm A King" (feat. Lil' Scrappy) #67 US

Rasheeda

"Rock Away" ft. Lil Scrappy
"Tonight" ft. Lil Jon

Rated R

"Run" (feat.Lil Jon)

Rich Boy

"Throw Some D's (Remix) (feat. Andre 3000, Jim Jones, Nelly, Murphy Lee, too Short and The Game
"What It Do (feat. Lil Jon & Sean Paul of The YoungBloodz)

RL of Next

"Open The Door"

Silk The Shocker

"We Like Them Girls" ft. Master P.

Slim

"Breath On That" ft. AC

Slim Thug

"3 Kingz (feat. Bun B, and T.I.)"

Snoop Dogg

"Step Yo Game Up (feat. Lil' Jon and Trina)

Solange Knowles

"The Sexiest Bitch"
"Twirk With It"

Styles P

"Can You Believe It" (feat. Akon)
"So Serious"

T.I.

"Stand Up" (feat. Trick Daddy, Lil' Wayne, and Lil' Jon)
"King & Queen" ft. Ciara
"Click Up" (feat. Lil Jon, Young Jeezy & Three 6 Mafia)

Teedra Moses

"You Better Tell Her"
"You Better Tell Her" (feat. Lil' Scrappy)
"You Better Tell Her" (feat. Lil' Scrappy and Pitbull)

The All-Stars

"So Serious" ft. Styles P.

The Game

"Throw It Up" ft. Lil Jon

TLC

"Come Get Some" (feat. YoungBloodz)

Too $hort

"Blow the Whistle"
"Shake That Monkey" (feat. Lil' Jon) #84 US
"You Can't Fuck With Us" (feat. Petey Pablo and N.O.R.E.)
"Money Maker" (feat. Rick Ross and Pimp C)
"That's How It Goes Down" (feat. Oobie)
"Burn Rubber" (feat. Nvs Styles)
"Hey, Let's Go" (feat. Cutty Cartel and Devin The Dude)
"Quit Hatin' Pt. 1" (feat. Lil' Jon & Twista)
"Couldn't Be A Better Player" (feat. Lil Jon)
"So Siddity" ft. Daz & Kurupt
"Burn Rubber Part II"
"Let Em Fight"
"It's Time To Go"
"Strip Down"

Trick Daddy

"Can't Go For That" (feat. DMX & Lil Scrappy)
"Let's Go" (feat. Lil Jon & Twista)

Trillville

"Neva Eva" (feat. Lil' Scrappy) #77 US
"Get Some Crunk In Yo System" (feat. Pastor Troy)
"Some Cut" (feat. Cutty) #14 US
"Hit The Floor" (feat. Lil Scrappy & Bohagon)
"Trill Niggaz" (feat. Lil Jon)

Tyrese

"Turn Ya Out" (feat. Lil Jon)

UGK

"Like That"

Usher

"Yeah" (feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris) #1 US, #1 UK
"Red Light" ft. Ludacris
"Red Light Remix" ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris

Voltio

"Chevere" (feat. Notch)
"Chulin Culin Cunflai" (feat. Three 6 Mafia and Calle 13)

Whitney Houston

Upcoming Comeback Album(2007)*

Will Smith

"Switch (Lil Jon Remix)" (feat. Lil Jon)

Ying Yang Twins

"Grey Goose"
"ATL Eternally" (feat. Pastor Troy and Lil Jon)
"Salt Shaker" (feat. Lil Jon) #9 US
"Put That Thang Down" (feat. Teedra Moses)

Young Blaze

"Take It Off"

YoungBloodZ

"Damn" (feat. Lil Jon) #4 US
"Damn Remix" ft. JD, Ludacris, YoungBloodZ & Bone Crusher
"Presidential" #81 US

Young Buck

"Shorty Wanna Ride" #17 US

Young Jeezy

"Take It to The Floor" (featuring Bone Crusher)
"Thug Ya" (featuring Oobie)
"Sit The Fuck Down"
"Haters" (featuring Lil' Jon; Young Jeezy went by the name "Lil' J" at the time)

mj

2007-02-24T05:48:00.000-08:00

1958–1980: Early life and career

Main articles: The Jackson 5 and Off the Wall

The cover to Michael Jackson's 1971's Got to Be There.

Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana. He is the second-youngest brother of seven and the eighth of ten children of Joseph and Katherine Jackson. He showed musical talent early on and joined his brothers when they formed a group in 1964. In 1966, after taking co-lead singing duties with brother Jermaine, the group's name changed from "The Jackson Brothers" to "The Jackson 5". The group played at local clubs and bars, building up a following and eventually signing a contract with Motown Records in 1968.^[11] The group hit stardom, with their first four singles which charted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. As a solo artist, Jackson released Got to Be There and Ben in 1972. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin".

The group's sales declined after 1973, and the group chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow the Jacksons creative control or input. In 1976, the group signed a new contract with CBS Records (first joining the Philadelphia International division and then Epic Records).^[12] When this became apparent to Motown Records, they sued the group for breach of contract.

As a result of the legal proceedings, which were complicated further by the fact that Jermaine Jackson was married to the daughter of Motown president (Berry Gordy), the Jacksons lost the rights to use the "Jackson 5" name and logo and also Jermaine, who wanted to stay at Motown.^[13] They changed their name to "The Jacksons", featuring youngest brother Randy in Jermaine's place, and continued their successful career, touring internationally and releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, with Jermaine eventually re-joining in 1983, making them a sextet.

In 1978, Jackson starred as the scarecrow in The Wiz with former-label mate Diana Ross playing Dorothy.^[14] The songs for the musical were arranged by Quincy Jones, who established a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce his first solo album in four years. Off the Wall, released in 1979, was a worldwide hit, and became the first album in history to spawn four top-ten hits, including "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".^[6]

In January 1980, Jackson won his first awards for his solo efforts at the American Music Awards. He won "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" (for Off the Wall), "Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist" and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").^[6] Later that month, he also won two Billboard Awards (for "Top Black Artist" and "Top Black Album").^[6]

On February 27, 1980, Jackson won a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male" (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").^[6]

1982–1986: The Thriller era

Main articles: Thriller (album), We Are the World, and Captain EO

The original album cover to 1982's Thriller.

In November 1982, the storybook for E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial was released. It included Jackson reading the story as well as one original song ("Someone in the Dark"). The album later won a Grammy for "Best Album for Children".

In December 1982, Jackson released his second Epic album, Thriller, which became the best-selling album in music history. The album spawned seven hit singles, including "Billie Jean" (which was the first music video by a black artist to receive regular airplay on MTV), "Beat It" and the album's title track which was accompanied by a revolutionary music video. The thirteen-minute Thriller was critically acclaimed, and massive airplay lead to it being packaged with the featurette Making Michael Jackson's Thriller on VHS, where it became the best-selling music home video ever.^[15] Thriller spent 37 weeks at number-one and remained on the Billboard album chart for 122 weeks. It was eventually certified 27x Platinum in the United States.^[16]

Jackson with the Reagans in 1984.

In 1983, whilst performing "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever concert Jackson debuted what can be regarded as his signature move: the moonwalk.^[15] In 1983, he started a sponsorship deal with Pepsi-Cola, and, as part of the deal, he agreed to star in a commercial. While filming a Pepsi commercial with his brothers in 1984, before a live audience, his hair caught on fire when a pyrotechnic effect went wrong. Jackson suffered serious burns on his scalp.^[17]

In February 1984, Jackson was nominated for twelve Grammy awards - of which he won eight^[15] - breaking the record for the most Grammy Awards won in a single year.^[18] Seven were for the critically acclaimed Thriller and the other for the E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial storybook. In 1984, he also won eight American Music Awards and the "Special Award of Merit" and three MTV Video Music Awards.

After reuniting with his brothers, he then helped to write the Victory album. He then performed and starred in the Victory Tour which started on July 6, 1984 and lasted for five months.^[15]

In 1985, Jackson was invited to the White House and was personally thanked by then-President Ronald Reagan at a White House ceremony for donating the song "Beat It" for use in drunk driving prevention television and radio public service announcements.^[19]

Jackson continued his charity work in 1985 by co-writing, with Lionel Richie, the hit single "We Are the World". The charity single helped to raise money and awareness for the famine in East Africa and was one of the first instances where Jackson was seen as a humanitarian. The song also won a Grammy Award for "Song of the Year".^[15]

Jackson in the video for "Beat It".

Controversy began when Jackson purchased shares in the ATV Music Publishing (a company which owned the rights to most of the Beatles' songs), making himself the majority shareholder. This move angered close friend and songwriter Paul McCartney, who had also made a bid for the company. Ironically, it was McCartney who advised Jackson on the merits of song ownership.^[20] Their creative co-writing ended after this event. Following this controversial business deal, tabloid stories of Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to stall the aging-process, and an allegation claiming Jackson attempted to purchase the bones of the Elephant Man inspired the pejorative sobriquet "Wacko Jacko". The name "Wacko Jacko," which was first used by British media, would come to be detested by Jackson.^[21]

In 1986, Jackson starred in the George Lucas-produced, Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. The film lasted 17 minutes but had costs estimated at $17 million.^[22] At the time, it was the most expensive film ever produced on a per-minute basis. In the USA, the Disney theme parks hosted Captain EO. Disneyland featured the film in tomorrow-land from September 18, 1986 until April 7, 1997. It was also featured in Walt Disney World in Epcot from September 12, 1986 until July 6, 1994. Two new songs featured in the film. These were "Another Part of Me", which later appeared on Bad, and "We Are Here To Change The World", which was officially released in 2004 on the box set Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection.

1987–1990: Bad and controversies

Main articles: Bad (album) and Physical appearance of Michael Jackson

In 1987, Jackson released Bad; his third album for the Epic record label, and final album with producer Quincy Jones.^[15] He initially wanted to make the album 30 tracks long, but Jones cut this down to 10. According to Jones, Jackson wanted the title track to be a duet with Prince who later declined the duet. Jones said the reason given by Prince was that he thought the song would be a hit whether he was in it or not.^[23]

In comparison to Thriller, Bad had lower sales but it was still a huge commercial success. It spawned seven hit singles,^[15] of which five went to number-one, those being: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". The album went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide; the RIAA eventually certified Bad at 8x Platinum.^[24]

In September 1987, Jackson embarked upon his first solo world tour, the Bad World Tour. The tour lasted sixteen months, in which he performed at 123 concerts, to over 4.4 million fans worldwide. Jackson insisted on a personal bus, plane and helicopter to be available to him all at the same time.^[25]

Jackson hired film director Martin Scorsese to direct the video for the album's title track.^[26] When the 18-minute music video debuted on TV, it sparked a great deal of controversy as it became apparent that Jackson's appearance had changed dramatically.^[27] Although Jackson's skin color was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, his skin had been becoming paler gradually since 1982, and had become a light brown color. This change became so noticeable that it gained widespread media coverage with some tabloids claiming that it was due to Jackson bleaching his skin.

Another significant reason for the change in appearance was the use of plastic surgery. Despite a number of surgeons' claims that Jackson had undergone multiple nasal surgeries as well as a forehead lift, thinned lips and cheekbone surgery,^[28] Jackson wrote in his 1988 autobiography Moon Walk that he only had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin, while attributing puberty and diet to the noticeable change in the structure of his face.^[29]

The success Jackson achieved during this period in his career led to him to be dubbed the "King of Pop",^[30] a nickname which he continues to be referred to by fans and the media.^[31] There are various conflicting reports as to the origin of the nickname. According to Jackson, it was conceived by actress and long-term friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented Jackson with an "Artist of the Decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul." Additionally, this period saw Jackson enjoy "a level of superstardom previously known only to Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra."^[32]

1991–1994: Dangerous and further career

Main articles: Dangerous (album), 1993 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson, and Michael Jackson marriages and children

In November 1991, Michael Jackson released Dangerous. The major hit from Dangerous was "Black or White". The single was accompanied by a controversial video which featured scenes of a sexual nature as well as violence and racism. The video was banned on most music-television channels until these scenes were removed.^[30]

On February 10, 1992, MTV kicked off its first global sweepstakes with "My Dinner with Michael". Winners from around the world attended a dinner party hosted by Michael Jackson on the set of his music video "In the Closet". Later that year, a biopic, The Jacksons: An American Dream debuted on ABC based on the true story of the rise of The Jackson 5.

Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" (named after his humanitarian single "Heal the World") in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's Neverland Ranch, located outside Santa Ynez, California, to go on theme park rides which Jackson had built on the property after he purchased it in 1988.

In January 1993, Michael Jackson performed during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. It drew one of the largest viewing audiences in the history of American television.^[33]

On The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1993, Jackson claimed that the change in his skin color was due to vitiligo.^[34] In the interview, Jackson stated that his skin was, at first, black with white spots which he used make-up to cover. But later, some time after Thriller, his skin became increasingly white with black spots; he then used white make-up to cover the black spots.

Oprah Winfrey speaking with Michael Jackson on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1993.

Jackson was reported to be inviting or allowing children to sleepover at Neverland. This practice came under much media and public scrutiny in 1993 when allegations of child molestation were brought against Jackson by a child who had stayed with him on several occasions. That year, Jordan Chandler, the son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler, represented by civil lawyer Larry Feldman, accused Jackson of child sexual abuse. On December 22 Jackson responded to the allegations via satellite from his Neverland compound, and claimed to be "totally innocent of any wrongdoing." On January 25, 1994, Jackson settled out of court with the accuser for an undisclosed sum, reported to be $20 million, and was not charged.^[35]

After the allegations were settled in 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. Despite some comments questioning the validity of this union, Presley maintained during their marriage that they both shared a married couple's life and were sexually active.^[36] They divorced less than two years later.

1995–2000: HIStory and Blood on the Dance Floor

Main articles: HIStory and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix

Jackson in the video for "They Don't Care About Us".

In June 1995, Jackson released HIStory: Past, Present And Future - Book I.^[37] The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a fifteen-track greatest hits album (this disc was later released as Greatest Hits - HIStory Vol. I in 2001), while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained fifteen new songs. The first single released from HIStory was "Scream". The single reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video for "Scream" is currently the most expensive music video ever made.^[38] On September 7, 1995 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Jackson and sister Janet Jackson won three awards for the song "Scream", from HIStory. At the awards show, Jackson also performed a medley, "Billie Jean", "Dangerous" and "You Are Not Alone".

"They Don't Care About Us" was the fourth single released from HIStory, and caused controversy over anti-Semitic lyrics. The song contained the lyrics "Jew me, sue me" and "kick me, kike me." After significant pressure from the Jewish community, later releases changed the verse to the same-sounding "do me, sue me" and "kick me, hike me" or censored it with a thumping sound.

To promote the album, Jackson embarked on the successful HIStory World Tour.^[37] On November 14, 1996, during the Australian leg of the tour, Jackson married his dermatologist's nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he fathered a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince"), and a daughter, Paris Katherine Jackson. Jackson and Rowe divorced in 1999. Jackson later said that Rowe wanted him to have the children as a "gift."^[39] The paternity of Michael Jackson's children has been heavily debated by the public. Both Jackson and Rowe have always maintained that his first two children were conceived naturally.

Jackson at the Brit Awards in 1996.

At the 1996 Brit Awards, Jackson performed the track "Earth Song", dressed in white and surrounded by children and an actor portraying a Rabbi. In an attempt to recreate a scene from the video - where he is spreading his arms between two trees - it seemed that Jackson was making Christ-like poses whilst being lifted into the air by a crane with a wind machine blowing back his hair. Pulp lead singer Jarvis Cocker and his friend Peter Mansell mounted a stage invasion in protest. Cocker leapt onstage, pretended to expose his rear, danced and sat back down. In response to the ensuing media scrutiny of the action, Cocker responded, "My actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing... I just ran on the stage and showed off... All I was trying to do was make a point and do something that lots of other people would have loved to have done if only they'd dared."^[40] Cocker received vocal support from the British press: the March 2, 1996 edition of Melody Maker, for example, suggested Cocker should be knighted, while Noel Gallagher claimed "Jarvis Cocker is a star and he should be given MBE." Gallagher said of Jackson's behavior: "for Michael Jackson to come over to this country after what's all gone on - and I think we all know what I'm talking about here - to dress in a white robe, right, thinking he's the Messiah - I mean who does he think he is? Me?"^[41]

The cover of Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix.

In 1997, Jackson released an album of new material with remixes of hit singles from HIStory titled Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix.^[37] The album's five original songs were named "Blood On The Dance Floor", "Is It Scary?", "Ghosts", "Superfly Sister" and "Morphine". Of the new songs, three were released globally: the title track, "Ghosts", and "Is It Scary?". The title track reached number-one in the UK. The singles "Ghosts" and "Is It Scary" were based on a film created by Jackson called "Ghosts".^[42] The short film, written by Michael Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston, features many special effects and dance moves choreographed to original music written by Michael Jackson.^[43] The music video for "Ghosts" is over 35 minutes long and is currently the Worlds Longest Music Video.^[44] Jackson dedicated the album to Elton John, who reportedly helped him through his addiction to painkillers, notably morphine.

In 1998 Jackson reached an out-of-court settlement with the Daily Mirror, which apologized for having described his face as "hideously disfigured and scarred." Steven Hoefflin, a high-profile Hollywood plastic surgeon alleged to have operated on Jackson's nose was, according to the press, also advising him against further surgery.^[25]

2001–2003: Invincible, Berlin and Martin Bashir

Main articles: Invincible (album) and Living with Michael Jackson

In October 2001, Invincible was released^[45] and debuted at number-one in thirteen countries.^[33] The singles released from the album include "You Rock My World", "Cry", and "Butterflies". Jackson and 35 other artists recorded a charity benefit single entitled "What More Can I Give" which was never released. Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was not going to renew his contract;^[30] the contract was about to expire in terms of supplying the label with albums of full-new material for release through Epic Records/SME. In 2002, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were cancelled. As a result of this, Jackson made allegations about Mottola not supporting its African American artists.^[30] Jackson referred to Mottola as a "devil" and a "racist" who used black artists for his own personal gain.^[30] He cited that Mottola called Jackson's colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger."^[46]^[47] Sony issued a statement stating that they found the allegations strange, since Mottola was once married to biracial pop star Mariah Carey. Carey herself seemed nonchalant about Jackson's claims when asked about them by Larry King on Larry King Live.^[48]

On September 7 and September 10, 2001, Jackson organized a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden for his 30th year of being a solo artist. Later, the show aired on November 13, 2001.^[45] It featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, Billy Gilman, Shaggy, Rayvon, Rikrok, Destiny's Child, Monica, Deborah Cox, Rah Digga, Tamia, James Ingram, Gloria Estefan, 98 Degrees, Luther Vandross, Liza Minnelli, Lil' Romeo, Master P, 'N Sync, the Jacksons and Slash.^[49]

In wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C.. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.

In late 2002, Jackson's Heal the World Foundation had net assets of just $3,542 and reported $2,585 in expenses, mostly for "management fees." The foundation has been suspended in California since April 2002 for failing to file annual statements required of tax-exempt organizations, said John Barrett, spokesman for the state Franchise Tax Board.^[50]

Michael Jackson holding his youngest son over a balcony railing.

In November 2002, Jackson travelled to Berlin to accept an award for his humanitarian efforts. He was surrounded by fans outside his room at the Hotel Adlon who were chanting in approval of the singer. According to the pop star, they also called out to see his baby. In response, Jackson brought his son onto the balcony, holding him in his right arm with a towel over the baby's head, apparently to protect his identity. Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony. This raised concern as some perceived his actions as child endangerment. Jackson quickly returned the child to the room.

After watching media coverage of the Berlin event, a California attorney and radio talk show host, Gloria Allred, wrote a letter to California's Child Protective Services, asking for an investigation into the safety of Jackson's children. She also spoke on CNN about the subject. Child Protective Services does not make their investigations public, so it is not known whether any action was taken as a result of Allred's letter.

When a reporter asked Jackson what he thought of Allred's complaints, he remarked "Ah, tell her to go to hell."^[51]

In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson said that the media was wrong in their comments about him being irresponsible with his children, "I love my children", he explained. "I was holding my son tight. Why would I throw a baby off the balcony? That's the dumbest, stupidest story I ever heard."

In February 2003, a controversial documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson aired in the UK (on the 3rd) and in the US (on the 6th). The documentary included interviews with Jackson which included information on his private life.^[52] British journalist Martin Bashir and his film crew filmed Jackson for 18 months, also capturing his controversial behavior in Berlin. One particular part of the documentary, which stirred controversy and raised a significant level of concern, showed Jackson holding hands with a then 13-year-old cancer victim Gavin Arviso, and admitting to sharing his bedroom with him (but not in the same bed) as well as sharing his bed (non-sexually) with other children. Jackson felt betrayed by Bashir and complained that the film gives a distorted picture.^[53] In response to the media scrutiny, two specials were aired: Michael Jackson: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See and Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies.^[54] Michael Jackson: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See which aired later in February showed uncut footage of the Living with Michael Jackson documentary. The Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies aired in April was a 2-hour special with footage of Michael Jackson's home videos and included commentary by Jackson.

In June 2003, Jackson's friend, actor Marlon Brando, signed a half-acre plot of land on his island Tetiaroa to Jackson, in gratitude for Jackson hosting a party for Brando's daughter, Nina, then aged 13.^[55]

Also in 2003, Jackson announced that he was working on, Resurrection,^[56] a follow-up album to Invincible. It was also revealed that Jackson had made a 'mini-movie' to promote the album. In the movie, Jackson played a man who is resurrected. In March 2003, "Xscape" was released onto the radio, with many believing that this would be the first single off Jackson's new album. The album was shelved for unknown reasons and was replaced by Number Ones.

2003–2006: Trial, acquittal and the aftermath

Main articles: People v. Jackson, Post trial lawsuits against Michael Jackson, and I Have This Dream

In November 2003, Michael Jackson and Sony Records released a compilation of his number-one hits on CD and DVD titled Number Ones. The compilation has sold over six million copies worldwide.^[57] On the album's scheduled release date, while Michael Jackson was in Las Vegas filming the video for "One More Chance" (the only new song included in the Number Ones compilation), the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department searched the Neverland Ranch and issued an arrest warrant for Jackson on charges of new child molestation.^[58] Jackson was accused of sexual abuse by Gavin Arviso, who appeared in the Living with Michael Jackson documentary earlier that year. The allegations later led to a trial in which Jackson was found not guilty of all charges.^[59]

On December 17, 2003, there were media reports that Jackson converted to the Nation of Islam.^[60] However, in January 2007, Jermaine Jackson said that Jackson was considering converting to Islam.^[61] Later, in 2005, it was also reported that he built a mosque on land adjoining the Bahraini royal family's home.^[62]

On December 18, 2003, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in order to commit that felony, in February and March 2003, all regarding the same boy under 14. The felony complaint stated that Jackson had seven times "willfully, unlawfully, and lewdly committed a lewd and lascivious act, upon and with the boy's body and certain parts and members thereof, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying the lust, passions, and sexual desires" of Jackson and the boy and that this sexual conduct has been "substantial". Also, that on two of these occasions, Jackson had administered to the boy an intoxicating agent, with intent thereby to enable and assist himself to carry out the previously mentioned act. Jackson denied and said that the sleepovers were non-sexual. He still described the boy on whose statements the accusations were based as "a sweet child"; he said the boy was manipulated by greedy parents.

In Sunday Dec. 28, 2003 Jacksons's interview on 60 minutes was aired, during the interview Jackson said that he was bruised and his shoulder dislocated because of jailers' mistreatment, also Jackson added that he was locked in a feces-smeared restroom for 45 minutes after he asked to use the facilities but on the other side Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson denied Michael's claims and said that Jackson was treated with the utmost respect and courtesy during his arrest

District Attorney of Santa Barbara County, California Tom Sneddon has led 2 cases of child molestation against Michael one took place in 1993 and the last at the end of 2003 before he announces his retirement after Michael was found not guilty

Michael Jackson's right arm, photo released by the office of attorney Mark Geragos

Jackson in 2003, during his arrest on child molestation charges.

Marlon Brando informed Jackson on February 8, 2004 that the declarations made by Jordy Chandler relating to the 1993 child molestation allegations had been published on the internet site The Smoking Gun. This happened when Jackson was about to start an interview with journalist Ed Bradley for 60 Minutes. Jackson immediately left the studio and did not conduct the interview.^[63] Jackson also attended Brando's memorial service in 2004 along with Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.

Also on August 6, 2004, Man In The Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story debuted on VH1 starring Flex Alexander as Michael Jackson.^[64]

Rapper Eminem parodied new allegations raised against Jackson by Gavin Arviso in his music video for "Just Lose It" in 2004. The clip caused controversy and fueled Jackson to make a statement.

The People v. Jackson trial began in Santa Maria, California on January 31, 2005 and lasted until the end of May 2005.

On June 10, Jackson's PR, Raymone Bain was reportedly fired.^[65] Jackson's now-defunct website cited that "MJJ Productions regretfully announces the termination of Raymone Bain and Davis, Bain and Associates. We thank you for your services." Bain later told the Associated Press that she had not been fired and that only Michael Jackson, not his production company (operated at the time by his brother, Randy Jackson), could fire her.^[66] Bain continues releasing press statements and answering media enquiries on behalf of Michael Jackson, and was named general manager of the Michael Jackson Company, Inc. on June 27, 2006.^[67]

On June 13, Jackson was acquitted of all ten charges, including four additional lesser ones. CNN later reported that one of the jurors, Ray Hultman, believed he had committed child sex crimes in the past but there was not enough evidence to prove it,^[68] and he and another juror announced impending books on their experiences in the trial.

In September 2005, it was reported that Ray Hultman took legal action against the publisher of his book about experiences in the trial, claiming heavy portions were plagiarized from a Vanity Fair article. Hultman also stated he felt "threatened" by the jury foreman Paul Rodriguez and regretted acquitting Jackson.^[69]

After being acquitted of the child molestation charges, Jackson relocated to the Gulf island of Bahrain, where he reportedly bought a house formerly owned by a Bahrain MP.^[70] Jackson allegedly spent his time in the Gulf writing new music, including a charity single dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina entitled, "I Have This Dream". Ciara, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Keyshia Cole, James Ingram, Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine, Shanice, the Reverend Shirley Caesar and The O'Jays all reportedly lent their voices to the charity song. After many delays, the single was not released, despite being announced on September 13, 2005. At the time, Jackson's spokesperson Raymone Bain said the list included Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, James Brown and Lenny Kravitz. It later appeared that these artists were no longer participating.^[71] The charity single remains unreleased.

In 2006, allegations of sexual assault were made against Jackson by a man who claims Michael Jackson molested him, intoxicated him with drugs and alcohol, and forced him to undergo unnecessary cosmetic surgery. Michael Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mesereau, who successfully defended him against allegations of child molestation in 2005, said "the charges are ridiculous on their face. They will be vigorously defended."^[72]

2006: Visionary, Tokyo and the World Music Awards

In February 2006, Jackson's label released Visionary: The Video Singles, a box set made up of twenty of his biggest hit singles, each of which were issued individually week by week over a five-month period.^[73]

The Visionary box set.

An appeals court ruled on February 15, that a lower court improperly terminated Deborah Rowe's parental rights to her two children with pop star Michael Jackson, opening the door to a possible custody battle between the singer and his ex-wife.^[74] The retired judge, Steven M. Lachs, acknowledged in 2004 that he failed to have state officials do an independent investigation into what was in the best interests of the children.^[75]^[76] As of September 29, 2006, the case has reportedly been settled according to the lawyers representing each party.

On March 9, 2006, California state labor officials closed the singer's Neverland Ranch and fined him $69,000 for failure to provide employment insurance. The state "stop order" bars Jackson from "using any employee labor" until he secured required workers' compensation insurance. In addition to being fined $1,000 for each of his 69 workers, Jackson is liable for up to 10 days pay for those employees who now are no longer allowed to report to Neverland for work.^[77] Thirty Neverland employees have also sued Jackson for $306,000 in unpaid wages.^[78]

Soon after this payment, Jackson's spokesperson announced on March 16, 2006 that Jackson was closing his house at Neverland and had laid off some of the employees but added that reports of the closing of the entire ranch were inaccurate.^[79] There have been many reports of a possible sale of Neverland, but nothing tangible has been reported yet.

In a move named by Jackson's advisors as "refinancing," it was announced on April 14, 2006 that Jackson had struck a deal with Sony and Fortress Investments. In the deal Sony may be allowed to take control of half of Jackson's 50% stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing (worth an estimated $1 billion) which Jackson co-owns. Jackson would be left with 25% of the catalogue, with the rest belonging to Sony.

In exchange, Sony negotiated with a loans company on behalf of Jackson. Jackson's $200m in loans were due in December 2005 and were secured on the catalogue. Jackson failed to pay and the Bank of America sold them to Fortress Investments, a company dealing in distressed loans. However, Jackson hasn't as yet sold any of the remainder of his stake. The possible purchase by Sony of 25% of Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a conditional option; it is assumed the singer will try to avoid having to sell part of the catalogue of songs including material by other artists such as Bob Dylan and Destiny's Child. As another part of the deal Jackson was given a new $300 million loan, and a lower interest rate on the old loan to match the original Bank of America rate. When the loan was sold to Fortress Investments they increased the interest rate to 20%.^[80] None of the details are officially confirmed. An advisor to Jackson, however, did publicly announce he had "restructured his finances with the assistance of Sony."^[81]

On April 18, 2006, Michael Jackson signed a management deal with English music producer Guy Holmes. Holmes is the recently appointed CEO of Two Seas Records, with whom Jackson has signed a recording contract for one album. The album is set for a fall 2007 release.^[82]

On May 27, 2006, Michael Jackson accepted a Legend Award at MTV Japan's VMA Awards in Tokyo. It was his first major public appearance since being found not guilty in his child molestation trial almost a year earlier. The award honors his influence and impact on music videos in the last 25 years. Following the award ceremony, Jackson also made an appearance on SMAPxSMAP.^[83]

In 2006, F. Marc Schaffel, a former associate of Jackson, filed a suit for millions of dollars allegedly owed to him after working with Jackson on an unreleased charity record named "What More Can I Give" and documentaries. Florida businessman Alvin Malnik, who had advised Jackson, appeared in court and stated that Jackson appeared to be bewildered by financial matters. Schaffel claimed to have made frequent loans to the singer totaling between $7 million and $10 million. Schaffel had received an urgent plea from Jackson for $1 million so that Jackson could buy jewelry for Elizabeth Taylor so that she would agree to sign a release for her involvement in a Fox special.^[84]

These court proceedings also brought to light unsuccessful projects planned with the actor Marlon Brando, including a dual interview at the actor's private island near Tahiti, and a DVD on acting.^[84] Brando's son Miko Brando, a long time bodyguard and assistant to Jackson stated "The last time my father left his house to go anywhere, to spend any kind of time... was with Michael Jackson." "He loved it... [He] had a 24-hour chef, 24-hour security, 24-hour help, 24-hour kitchen, 24-hour maid service."^[85]

On July 14, 2006, the jury awarded Schaffel $900,000 of the original $3.8 million he sued Jackson for, which Schaffel later reduced to $1.6 million, and finally to $1.4 million.^[86] The jury also awarded Jackson $200,000 plus interest of the $660,000 that Jackson claimed he was owed by Schaffel. The trial revealed that Schaffel had been dismissed after Jackson learned of his past work as a director of gay pornography. Schaffel claimed that Jackson "once wanted him to go to Brazil to find boys for him to adopt. He later modified that statement to "children" to expand Jackson's family."^[87] Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mundell said that he had never heard the allegation during the pre-trial investigation and that "it was an effort to smear Mr Jackson with a remark that could be interpreted to hurt him in light of the case against him last year."^[88]

On July 31, 2006, a federal judge allowed a $48 million claim against Jackson and one of Jackson's trusts for unpaid fees and breach of contract. All parties were ordered to reappear in court in September.^[89]

On November 2 and November 3, 2006, Access Hollywood aired a special Michael Jackson in Ireland which showed Jackson and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas in the process of recording Jackson's new album.^[90]

Michael Jackson performing "We are the World" at the 2006 World Music Awards.

On November 14, 2006, Sony officially released the Visionary box set in the US.^[91] Michael also visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. There, he received eight awards: "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", "Youngest Vocalist to Top the US Singles Charts" (at the age of 11 as part of the Jackson Five), "First Vocalist to Enter the US Singles Chart at Number One" (for "You Are Not Alone"), "First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 million Dollars in a Year", "Highest Paid Entertainer of All Time" ($125 million in 1989), "First Entertainer to Sell More Than 100 Million Albums Outside the US", "Most Weeks at the Top of the US Albums Chart" (for the album Thriller) and "Most Successful Music Video" (for the music video Thriller).^[92]

On November 15, 2006, Michael Jackson received the Diamond Award, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards. This was his second public appearance at an awards show since the trial of 2005.^[93] Despite tabloid rumors prior to the event,^[94]^[95]^[96] he did not perform "Thriller", instead joining a choir on stage for a verse of "We are the World". Footage of the event showed Michael appearing touched by the adoration of the crowd. According to the head of public relations for the World Music Awards (Julius Just), the sound was cut due to a noise curfew. Officials at Earl's Court, the arena where the event was held, have said that this was not the case and that they had "accommodated the show and the show's organisers by obtaining an extension to our licence in order to allow the show to run to eleven o'clock."^[97]

On December 30, 2006, after James Brown died, more than 8000 people – including family, friends and fans – watched as several artists, including Jackson, paid tribute to the 'Godfather of Soul'.^[98] Reverend Al Sharpton, who was close to Brown, delivered his sermon at the funeral, in which he stated that in the last conversation he had with Brown, he had said that artists like Jackson needed to continue to make positive music for all people.^[98]

In late 2006, a recording surfaced, entitled "Gangsta" (also known as "No Friend of Mine"). The song features vocals by Jackson.^[99]

2007: Return to the US and new studio album

On December 24, 2006, Jackson returned to the United States, having left Ireland. He mentioned plans of a pair of "fan appreciation events" in Japan, in March. One of the events, for Japanese business professionals, which was originally planned for Christmas 2006, will charge $3,300 for entrance. He explained the reason for chosing Japan: "My friends and fans in Japan have been so supportive of me and my family for many, many years." Jackson is currently living in Las Vegas.^[100]

In the third quarter of 2007, Jackson is expected to release a comeback album. There have been reports of collaborations with will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas),^[101] Teddy Riley,^[102], DJ Whoo Kid,^[102] Akon,^[101] Chris Brown and 50 Cent.^[101] Initially, it was thought that the Bahrain-based label Two Seas would release the album, but, in September 2006, it was made apparent that Jackson and Two Seas were no longer affiliated with each other.^[103] Consequently, Jackson formed The Michael Jackson Company which will oversee both his finances and the release of his new album.^[103] There may also be plans for a world tour to support the album.^[104] This will be his first tour since 1997. Work began on the album in May of 2006.

marques houston

2007-02-24T05:46:00.000-08:00

, his first appearance was in House Party 3 along with Immature.

In 1996, he appeared in The Parent Hood.

In 2002, he started to sing with Omarion and other B2k members, J-Boog, Raz-B, and Lil Fizz. Houston introduced B2k, before IMx disbanded. B2k also appeared in the IMx video "Beautiful (You Are)".

In 2003, he performed the song called "That Girl" at Kids Choice Awards 2003. He also appeared on Soul Train, 3rd Annual BET Awards, Rock Me Baby, and The Sharon Osbourne Show.

In 2004, he came on Take It To The Streets, On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, The Wayne Brady Show, and 2004 MTV Movie Awards

In 2005, he was featured on an episode of Punk'd with Omarion. Omarion invited Houston to be part of the Punk'd episode about a pregnant woman. He was also on Dr. Phil, It's Showtime at the Apollo, Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out, Total Request Live, 106 & Park BET's Top 10 Live, and All Shades of Fine: 25 Hottest Women of the Past 25 Years.

[edit] Acting career

Bebe's Kids

In 1992, Houston was featured on Bebe's Kids as the voice actor for the character named Kahill. Houston and his Bandmates from Immature also sang the title song "Tear It Up (On Our Worst Behavior)" which is also featured on Immature's debut album.

In 1993, he appeared on a two part episode of A Different World with his fellow group mates Jerome "Romeo Jones and Don "Half Pint" Santos, of Immature. The episode centered around the character Whitley's first day as a teacher and Immature played 3 rowdy children that give her a hard time.

In 1994, Houston played the role of "Roger Evans" on the TV series Sister, Sister. It was a running gag in the series for any other character to become frustrated and yell "Go Home! Roger!". As the the Roger character, he often meant well but ended up annoying the twins, whom he pined for during each episode. Then Houston left the series in 1998 to focus on his music career.

In 1997, he appeared on Good Burger as the actor name Jake.

Sister, Sister

In 2001, he was the protagonist in the direct-to-video film House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute, along with IMx bandmates.

In 2004, he appeared with Omarion of the group B2k, in the movie You Got Served. Houston also appeared on Fat Albert as Dumb Donald.

In 2006, he starred in [[Cuts[[, a sitcom which is arguably a spin of from One - on - One as they both star some of the same actors and actresses. In One - on - One, Marques' father owns a shop which he decides to buy with the help of a wealthy business man who has a spoilt daughter Tiffany, hence the beginning of Cuts. Marques plays a super star barber.

He will appear with Omarion in the horror movie, Somebody Help Me in 2007.

Also, in 2008, he will be a star on "You Got Served 2" with Omarion. Chris Strokes saids this will be the last you got served with the young british actors, Jon B and Steven Szabo.

[edit] Music career

In 1991, Houston also sang with his childhood friends, Jerome "Romeo" Jones and Kelton "LDB" Kessee in the group Immature. Chris Stokes became the manager of the group. They first started with the band called Immature.

In 1992, They released their debut album entitled On Our Worst Behavior. The original members were Marques "Batman" Houston, Jerome "Romeo" Jones and Don "Half Pint" Santos. The album met with dismal sales and Don "Half Pint" Santos left the group due to the demands of his parents. After being discovered by Marques "Batman" Houston, Kelton "LDB" Kessee joined Immature. His name "LDB" (Little Drummer Boy) comes from his skills with the drums.

After regrouping, they released their sophomore album in 1994, entitled Playtime Is Over. Then they released their studio album called We Got It in 1995. Immature's last release was called The Journey and was released in 1997.

In 1998 The group later changed their name to IMx, because they felt they had matured personally and musically. They released their 1999 album, entitled Introducing IMx. IMx last release was their 2001 album, entitled IMx.

In 2002, IMx mutually disbanded because the members wanted to move on and do different things creatively. Houston inked a record deal with TUG/Universal records and embarked upon his journey of becoming a relevant R&B soloist. Houston release hi first single off from his debut album, "That Girl".

In 2003, Houston recorded and released his first solo album entitled MH. The singles were "Clubbin" and "Pop That Booty (Ft. Jermaine Dupri)". Houston also appeared on Scream Tour with Nick Cannon, B2K, and Bow Wow.

In 2004, he released one last single from that album; "Because of You". This is single was release as the sprung-2004 song. He was also featured on Young Rome's song/video "After Party" and with Omarion.

In 2005, Houston released his sophomore album entitled Naked. The singles from that album were "All Because of You (Ft. Young Rome)", "Naked", and "Sex With You". He was also featured on 50 Cent's remix to the hit single "Candy Shop".

In 2006 he released the first single from his third solo album, "Favorite Girl" and the Accompanying video, featuring Stacey Dash. He was also featured in his fellow T.U.G. artist, Mila J's video/song "Good Lookin' Out" and on Yung Joc's video/song "1st Time" and with Trey Songz.

In 2007, Houston, release the official second single, "Circle" and the music video debuted on Yahoo! Music and BET's Access Granted.

On March 26, 2007, Houston will release his third studio album entitled Veteran. It was supposed to come out in November 2006, but the release date was pushed back to give Houston time to grieve after the death of his grandmother.

b2k

2007-02-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

Omarion began to perform at age five. Like other youths in the area, he was in danger of becoming a gang member, but resisted it to focus on work. He was part of one "UAC" but soon disbanded away from it as he wanted to focus on his talents in which was music and hip hop. Before he made it into the music business, he was in commercials for Kelloggs Corn Pops and McDonald's.

[edit] Career

[edit] Musician

In 2001, Omarion became the leading man of the Hip Hop/R&B boy band, B2K. The band, including Omarion was made up of a total of four members, Jarell "J-Boog" Houston, DeMario "Raz-B" Thornton, and Dreux "Lil' Fizz" Frederic. The band release their debut album, entitled B2K to some success. Their second album, Pandemonium was far more successful, reaching the top ten on the Billboard 200, giving them their first #1 with "Bump, Bump, Bump". Following their third album, a soundtrack to the movie You Got Served, B2K announced they had broken up.

Almost a year after B2K's split, Omarion released his debut album, O. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, eventually going Platinum. The album spawned the relatively successful song "O". That same year, he was featured on Bow Wow's hit song "Let Me Hold You". The song reached #4 of the Billboard 100, becoming Omarion's first top-ten single as a solo artist.

In December of 2006, Omarion released his sophomore album, 21. "Entourage", the first single, reached only #58 on the Hot 100. It should be noted, the video featured former B2K bandmate Lil' Fizz. The second single, "Ice Box", produced by Timbaland, is currently gaining significant radio airplay and has become his biggest single to date peaking at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. A remix featuring Tah'Burner can be heard here. Omarion stated while on 106 & Park that "Electric" might be his next single because of the buzz it has created from the recent Scream Tour. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Actor

In early 2004, Omarion starred, along with with his brother Marques Houston, and, at the time, his fellow B2K bandmates in You Got Served. The movie centered around a group of friends, in a breakdancing crew, who take part in a street dancing competition. The movie was panned by crtics, earning a 17% Frech Rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 2.1/10 on IMDb. Though it still managed to earn $40 Million, worldwide. Later that year he had a minor roll in the comedy Fat Albert, based on the animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The also starred his brother, Marques Houston.

Next, Omarion will appear on Somebody Help Me also with Marques, opening sometime in early 2007. He will also star in the upcoming sequel to You Got Served, You Got Served 2, most likely being released sometime in 2008. The film will, like it predecessor, also star Marques, and it is most likely that the rest of B2K will not return.

[edit] London Bombings Controversy

This article or section does not cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!)
This article has been tagged since February 2007.

Omarion was in London at the time of the London bombings on July 7, 2005. Whilst he was not near any of the stations nor did he travel on the London Underground during his stay; a press release was released on his behalf asking for people to pray for his safe return to the US. This has given rise to many online communities (such as Fark) "praying for Omarion" whenever there is a disaster or terrorist attack.^{[citation needed]}

However, the same day, his website released a statement saying that he was in no way affiliated with the company or writer who had released the statement on his behalf. He apologized for the confusion and asked his fans to pray for those affected by the attack.

[edit] Vocal Capabilites

omarion

2007-02-24T05:39:00.000-08:00

B2K was an American R&B music group, founded and managed by music producer Chris Stokes in 2001, and active until 2004. J-Boog is related as a cousin to Omarion and Marques Houston.

In 2001, B2K released their first single "Uh Huh" for their debut album, self-titled, B2K. They were also in a scene in IMx's video, "Beautiful".

In 2002, their first LP, B2K, became an instant hit. The 3 more singles we're "uh huh", "Gots Ta Be", and "Why I Love You". Their sophomore (and final) regular studio album, Pandemonium!, was released in December of the same year, and garned the US #1 hit single "Bump, Bump, Bump". The group was featured regularly on the covers of teen magazines such as Right On! and Word Up. They also released a Christmas album in-between their regular two albums entitled Santa Hooked Me Up.

In 2003, they released four more singles "Girlfriend", "Bump That", "Everything", and "What A Girl Wants". In addition to that, they were featured on the soundtrack album for MGM's film Barbershop. They headlined The Scream Tour, along with Marques Houston, Jhene, Mario and Nick Cannon who were also performers. B2K also release their motion picture soundtrack single, "Babadoom" (Ft. Fabolous) from their movie, You Got Served.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Breaking Success
* 2 Personal
* 3 Discography
o 3.1 Albums
o 3.2 Singles
* 4 Notes

[edit] Breaking Success

In January 2004, Chris Stokes announced that the group had broken up. Three of the members claimed financial mishandling by Stokes' management company, T.U.G. (The Ultimate Group). Due for the fact that the 2 members between, Omarion and J-Boog were having problems and Omarion was claimed the allegations were untrue.

Screen Gems's You Got Served, a film which starred the members of the group and Marques Houston as breakdancers, went into general release on January 30, 2004, and hit number one at the box office, earning more money than any other film that opened during a Super Bowl weekend. A number of the group's songs were featured on the film's soundtrack album.

In 2008 Omarion and Marques Houston will star in "You Got Served 2", also featuring young British actor Jon Benjiman. Stokes said in an interview that this would be the last You Got Served movie and the British actor is fresh and will be going into dance training next year [citation needed].

[edit] Personal

* Omarion (Omari Grandberry), born November 12, 1984 in Inglewood, California.
* Raz-B (De'Mario Thornton), born June 13, 1985 in Cleveland, Ohio.
* J-Boog (Jarell Houston), born August 11, 1985 in Compton, California.
* Lil Fizz (Dreux Frederic), born November 26, 1985 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums
Special Edition cover of Pandemonium! (2002).
Special Edition cover of Pandemonium! (2002).
Year Album Chart positions [1] RIAA certification
US US R&B UK
2002 B2K 2 1 - Gold
2002 B2K: The Remixes - Volume 1 (EP) 129 47 -
2002 Pandemonium! 10 3 35 Platinum
2002 Santa Hooked Me Up (EP) 132 35 -
2003 The Remixes - Volume 2 (EP) 192 38 -
2004 B2K Greatest Hits - 76 -
2004 You Got Served 34 7 ?

[edit] Singles
Year Single Chart positions [2] Album
US Hot 100 US R&B US Mainstream UK singles
2002 "Uh Huh" 37 20 21 35 B2K
2002 "Gots ta Be" 34 13 14 - B2K
2002 "Why I Love You" 19 - - B2K and Pandemonium!
2002 "Bump, Bump, Bump" (with P. Diddy) 1 2 1 11 Pandemonium!
2003 "Girlfriend" 30 19 15 10 Pandemonium!
2003 "Feelin' Freaky" (Nick Cannon featuring B2K) 92 46 - - Nick Cannon
2003 "What a Girl Wants" - 47 - - Pandemonium!
2003 "Uh Huh 2003" - - - 31 The Remixes - Volume 2
2004 "Badaboom" (feat. Fabolous) 59 29 22 26 You Got Served Soundtrack

dance

2007-02-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

dancier, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.
Morris dancing in the grounds of Wells Cathedral, Wells, England
Morris dancing in the grounds of Wells Cathedral, Wells, England

Dance is also used to describe methods of non-verbal communication (see body language) between humans or animals (bee dance, patterns of behaviour such as a mating dance), motion in inanimate objects (the leaves danced in the wind), and certain musical forms or genres.

Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic and moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as Folk dance) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. In sports, gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming are dance disciplines while Martial arts 'kata' are often compared to dances.

Dance can be directly participatory, social or performed for an audience. It can also be ceremonial, competitive or erotic. Dance movements may be without significance in themselves, such as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary/symbolic system as in many Asian dances. Dance can embody or express ideas, emotions or tell a story.

Choreography is the art of creating dances, and the person who does this is called a choreographer.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Origins and history of dance
* 2 Dancing and music
* 3 Dance by ethnicity or region
o 3.1 Dance in South Asia
+ 3.1.1 India
# 3.1.1.1 Dance in Indian canonical literature
# 3.1.1.2 Classical Indian dance since 1947
+ 3.1.2 Bhangra in the Punjab
+ 3.1.3 Dances of Sri Lanka
o 3.2 In Europe and North America
+ 3.2.1 Concert (or performance) dance
+ 3.2.2 The United States
* 4 DanceSport (dance as sport)
* 5 Dance studies
* 6 Dance occupations
* 7 See also
o 7.1 Lists
o 7.2 Related topics
* 8 Further reading
* 9 References
* 10 External links

[edit] Origins and history of dance

Main article: History of dance

Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave painting. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture. Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC and the Bhimbetka rock-shelter paintings in India.

One of the earliest structured uses of dance may have been in the performance and telling of myths. Before the introduction of written languages, dance was one of the methods of passing these stories down from generation to generation. [1]

Another early use of dance may have been as a precursor to ecstatic trance states in healing rituals. Dance is still used for this purpose by cultures from the Brazilian rainforest to the Kalahari Desert.[2]

Sri Lankan dances goes back to the mythological times of aboriginal yingyang twins and "yakkas" (devils). According to a Sinhalese legend, Kandyan dances originate, 2500 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the spell on a bewitched king.

Many contemporary dance forms can be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, and ethnic dances.

[edit] Dancing and music

See also: List of dances and :Category:Music genres

Many early forms of music and dance were created and performed together. This paired development has continued through the ages with dance/music forms such as: Jig, Waltz, Tango, Disco, Salsa, Electronica and Hip-Hop. Some musical genres also have a parallel dance form such as Baroque music and Baroque dance whereas others developed separately: Classical music, Classical ballet.

Although dance is often accompanied by music, it can also be presented independently or provide its own accompaniment (tap dance). Dance presented with music may or may not be performed in time to the music depending on the style of dance. Dance performed without music is said to be danced to its own rhythm.

[edit] Dance by ethnicity or region

Main article: :Category:Dance by ethnicity or region

[edit] Dance in South Asia

[edit] India

Main article: Dance in India

[edit] Dance in Indian canonical literature

In the first millennium BCE in India many texts were composed which sought to state the rules of social management, private life, linguistic discipline, public finance, state policy, poetics, and dramatics. In the matter of dance, Bharata Muni's Natyashastra (literally "the art of dance") is the one of the earlier texts.

Though the main theme of Natyashastra deals with drama, dance also finds mention. It elaborates various gestures of hands and classifies such gestures and movements as either graceful or vigorous, defining the lalita form of dance - lasya; and the vigorous form 'tandava'.

Dance is classified under four categories and into four regional varieties. Natyashastra names these categories as secular, ritual, abstract, and, interpretive. Regional geography has altered since ancient India's time and so have regional varieties of Indian dances. Dances like "Odra Magadhi", which after decades long debate, has been traced to present day Mithila-Orissa region's dance form of Odissi, indicate influence of dances in cultural interactions between different regions.[3]

The roots of the present day Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Mohini Attam and Kuchipudi are found in ancient Indian civilization. Abstractness is now the feature of almost all classical Indian dance forms.

[edit] Classical Indian dance since 1947

During the reign of the last Mughals and Nawabs of Oudh dance fell down to the status of 'nautch', a sensuous dance of courtesans.

Later, linking dance with immoral trafficking and prostitution, British rule prohibited public performance of dance. Many disapproved it. In 1947, India won her freedom and for dance an ambience where it could regain its past glory. Classical forms and regional distinctions were re-discovered, ethnic specialties were honored.

Archaeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC and the Bhimbetka rock-shelter paintings in India.

[edit] Bhangra in the Punjab

Main article: Bhangra

The Punjab area overlapping India and Pakistan is the place of origin of bhangra. It is widely known both as a style of music and a dance. It is mostly related to ancient harvest celebrations, love, patriotism or current social issues. Its music is coordinated by a musical instrument called the 'Dhol'. Its beats is what gives the human body the vibes in the dance movements. Bhangra isn't just music but a dance. It's actually the celebration of the harvest where people beat the dhol (drum), sing Boliyaan (lyrics) and dance!

[edit] Dances of Sri Lanka

Main article: Dances of Sri Lanka

The devil dances of Sri Lank] or "yakun natima" are a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past. It combines ancient "Ayurvedic" concepts of disease causation with psychological manipulation. The dance combines many aspects including Sinhalese cosmolgy, the dances also has an impact on the classical dances of Sri Lanka.[4]

[edit] In Europe and North America

[edit] Concert (or performance) dance

Main article: Concert dance

Ballet developed first in Italy and then in France from lavish court spectacles that combined music, drama, poetry, song, costumes and dance. Members of the court nobility took part as performers. During the reign of Louis XIV, himself a dancer, dance became more codified. Professional dancers began to take the place of court amateurs, and ballet masters were licensed by the French government. The first ballet dance academy was the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opened in Paris in 1661. Shortly thereafter, the first institutionalized ballet troupe, associated with the Academy, was formed; this troupe began as an all-male ensemble but by 1681 opened to include women as well.[1]

During the 18th century, ballets were still mainly performed alongside opera or poetry, but the idea of dance performance as separate from sung or spoken word began to be experimented with. Mime, instead, was used to tell the stories of these ballets. Female professional dancers began to take their place onstage, having previously been hampered by social norms; they performed in high-heeled shoes and long, full skirts. Later they wore short, stiff, yet fluffy, skirts called tutus.

During the Pre-Romantic era in ballet, the art form changed rapidly. Costume reforms were made, especially for women; these reforms were in part a result of the French Revolution. Heeled street shoes were replaced by slippers, and corsets and heavy petticoats were discarded, and tights were invented. Simple en pointe work was introduced by ballerinas such as Fanny Elssler and Marie Taglioni, who heavily darned their slippers in order to be able to rise up briefly on their toes. The seven movements of dance (to bend, to rise, to stretch, to glide, to jump, to turn, and to dart) were codified in 1796.

The period of time between 1830 and 1870 is classified as the Romantic era of ballet. A format developed for ballets crafted in this period: the first act was set in the real world and the second in a supernatural or otherworldly setting. Most ballerinas portrayed creatures such as wilis, sylphs and nymphs wearing long white skirts, today called Romantic tutus. Ballets choreographed during this time period included Giselle in 1841, La Sylphide in 1832, and Coppelia in 1870. The Romantic Era came to a close when ballet lost popularity in Western Europe due to competition by music halls and a lack of strong male dancers and choreography.

St. Petersburg became the center of ballet during the second half of the 19th century; the art form was supported by the patronage of the czars and the success of the Imperial Ballet, its school (forerunner of the Kirov Ballet) and the talent of Marius Petipa. Hard or blocked pointe shoes were introduced during this period, as were short tutus (today known as classical tutus, these skirts take their name from this era, which was the Russian Classical). Many story ballets (The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire) were produced during this period. Although the coming of the Russian Revolution boded ill for the art form, Nicholas Sergeyev, last régisseur of the Imperial Ballet, smuggled the choreographic notation documenting the Imperial Ballet's repertory out of Russia and into the West. Hence many of the ballets survived, and are still performed today.

The Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev was instrumental in bringing ballet back to Western Europe and allowing for its evolution into a 20th century art form. Although not a dancer nor a choreographer, Diaghilev was an avid dance and music patron. He assembled a troupe of Russian composers, dancers, choreographers and designers; as the Diaghilev Ballet Russes, this troupe toured Europe and the United States. Diaghilev was one of the foremost influences upon ballet in the new century, and he helped to launch the careers of such artists as Anna Pavlova, Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, and George Balanchine, among others. After Diaghilev's death, the company disbanded. Many of his dancers settled in Western Europe and the United States. Michel Fokine joined American Ballet Theatre in 1940 as its resident choreographer; George Balanchine also came to America and founded the New York City Ballet in 1934. It was Balanchine who developed what is now known as the "neo-classical" style of ballet.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was an explosion of innovation in dance style characterized by an exploration of freer technique. Early pioneers of what became known as modern dance include Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Mary Wigman and Ruth St. Denis. The relationship of music to dance serves as the basis for Eurhythmics, devised by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, which was influential to the development of Modern dance and modern ballet through artists such as Marie Rambert.

Eurythmy, developed by Rudolf Steiner and Lori Maier-Smits, combines formal elements reminiscent of traditional dance with the new freer style, and introduced a complex new vocabulary to dance. In the 1920s, important founders of the new style such as Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey began their work. Since this time, a wide variety of dance styles have been developed; see Modern dance.
Cartoon of a breakdancer displaying a basic freeze, complete with stereotypical boombox.
Cartoon of a breakdancer displaying a basic freeze, complete with stereotypical boombox.

[edit] The United States

See also: Dance in the United States and African American dance

African American dances are those dances which have developed within African American communities in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies and its derivatives, Tap dance, Disco, Jazz dance, Swing dance, hip hop dance and breakdance. Other dances, such as the lindy hop with its relationship to rock and roll music and rock and roll dance have also had a global influence.

[edit] DanceSport (dance as sport)

Main article: Dancesport

An amateur dancesport competition at MIT.
An amateur dancesport competition at MIT.

DanceSport denotes dance as a sport activity. Initially this term was applied to competitive ballroom dancing, in its International Style.

The International DanceSport Federation, or IDSF, is an international governing body for amateurs, while the World Dance & DanceSport Council (WD&DSC) is an international governing body for dance professionals. Since 1997 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially recognized dancesport as sport[5], with IDSF becoming an IOC Recognized International Sports Federation. The IDSF strongly pushes for the inclusion of dancesport as a medal sport in the Olympic Games. However the decision of the IOC is negative so far[6]. It is in force only until the 2012 Olympics and subject to reconsideration afterwards.

The TV program Dancing with the Stars is popularising DanceSport internationally.

[edit] Dance studies

In the early 1920s dance studies (dance practice, critical theory, Musical analysis and history) began to be considered an academic discipline. Today these studies are an integral part of many universities' arts and humanities programs. By the late 20th century the recognition of practical knowledge as equal to academic knowledge lead to the emergence of practice-based research and practice as research. A large range of dance courses are available including:

* Professional practice: performance and technical skills
* Practice-based research: choreography and performance
* Ethnochoreology, encompassing the dance-related aspects of Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Area studies, Postcolonial theory, Ethnography, etc.
* Dance therapy or Dance-Movement Therapy.
* Dance and technology: new media and performance technologies.
* Laban Movement Analysis and Somatic studies

A full range of Academic degrees are available from BA (Hons) to PhD and other postdoctoral fellowships, with many dance scholars taking up their studies as mature students after a professional dance career.

Dancing is evolved in so many different styles. Breakdancing and Crumping which is related to the hip hop culture. African dance which is interperative. Ballet, Ballroom, Waltz, and Tango are classical styles of dance. While square and the infamous electric slide are forms of step dances.

[edit] Dance occupations

There are different careers connected with dancing: Dancer, dance teacher, dance sport coach, dance therapist and choreographer.

Dancer

The training as the dancer differs depending upon the dance form with nationally recognized university studies for classical dance (e.g. Ballet) compared to the more sports like training in competition dance (e.g. Latin dance) and private training as the solo dancer (e.g. eastern dance).

Dancers are usually employed on contract or for a particular performance. Constantly changing work situations, strong competition pressure and only rarely high fees do not deter dancers. Professional dancers often need to supplement their income, either in dance related roles (e.g., dance teaching, dance sport coaches, yoga or Pilates instruction) to achieve financial stability.

In the U.S. many professional dancers are members of unions such as the American Guild of Musical Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and Actors' Equity Association. The unions help determine working conditions and minimum salaries for their members.

See also: Risks of classical ballet

Dance teachers

Dance teacher and operators of dance schools rely on reputation and marketing. For dance forms without an association structure such as Salsa or Tango Argentino they may not have formal training. Most dance teachers are self employed.

Dancesport coaches

Dancesport coaches are tournament dancers or former dancesports people, and may be recognised by a dance sport federation.

Choreographer

Choreographer are generally university trained and are typically employed for particular projects or, more rarely may work for a specific company. A choreographic work is protected intellectual property. Dancers may undertake their own choreography.

[edit] See also

* Dance in Australia
* Dance in Canada
* Dance in the United States

[edit] Lists

* List of basic dance topics
* List of dance style categories
* List of dance topics
* List of dance wikibooks
* List of songs inspired by dance moves

[edit] Related topics

* An American Ballroom Companion
* Ballroom dance
* Dance theory
* Wikipedia:WikiProject Dance

music

2007-02-24T05:36:00.001-08:00

Definition

Main article: Definition of music

See also: Music genre

Music is expressed in terms of pitch, rhythm, and the quality of sound. Music can also involve generative forms in time through the construction of patterns and combinations of natural stimuli, principally sound.

Music is a personal response to vibration since the same piece of music will affect people differently. Although it cannot contain emotions, it is sometimes designed to manipulate and transform the emotions of the listeners. For example, a piece of music created for a movie is primarily designed to heighten the emotion or mood of each scene in the film.

Greek philosophers and medieval theorists defined music as tones ordered horizontally as melodies, and vertically as harmonies. Music theory, within this realm, is studied with the pre-supposition that music is orderly and often pleasant to hear. However, in the 20th century, composers challenged the notion that music had to be pleasant by creating music that explored harsher, darker timbres. The existence of some modern-day genres such as grindcore and noise music, which enjoy an extensive underground following, indicate that even the crudest noises can be considered music if the listener is so inclined.

20th century composer John Cage disagreed with the notion that music must consist of pleasant, discernible melodies, and he challenged the notion that it can communicate anything. Instead, he argued that any sounds we can hear can be music, saying, for example, "There is no noise, only sound,"[3]. According to musicologist Jean-Jacques Nattiez (1990 p.47-8,55): "The border between music and noise is always culturally defined--which implies that, even within a single society, this border does not always pass through the same place; in short, there is rarely a consensus.... By all accounts there is no single and intercultural universal concept defining what music might be."

Johann Wolfgang Goethe believed that patterns and forms were the basis of music; he stated that "architecture is frozen music."

[edit] History

Main article: History of music

See also: Music and politics

Figurines playing stringed instruments, excavated at Susa, 3rd millennium BC. Iran National Museum.

The history of music predates the written word and is tied to the development of each unique human culture. Although the earliest records of musical expression are to be found in the Sama Veda of India and in 4,000 year old cuneiform from Ur, most of our written records and studies deal with the history of music in Western civilization^{[citation needed]}. This includes musical periods such as medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, and 20th century era music. The history of music in other cultures has also been documented to some degree, and the knowledge of "world music" (or the field of "ethnomusicology") has become more and more sought after in academic circles. This includes the documented classical traditions of Asian countries outside the influence of western Europe, as well as the folk or indigenous music of various other cultures. (The term world music has been applied to a wide range of music made outside of Europe and European influence, although its initial application, in the context of the World Music Program at Wesleyan University, was as a term including all possible music genres, including European traditions. In academic circles, the original term for the study of world music, "comparative musicology", was replaced in the middle of the twentieth century by "ethnomusicology.")

Popular styles of music varied widely from culture to culture, and from period to period. Different cultures emphasised different instruments, or techniques, or uses for music. Music has been used not only for entertainment, for ceremonies, and for practical & artistic communication, but also extensively for propaganda.

As world cultures have come into greater contact, their indigenous musical styles have often merged into new styles. For example, the United States bluegrass style contains elements from Anglo-Irish, Scottish, Irish, German and some African-American instrumental and vocal traditions, which were able to fuse in the US' multi-ethnic "melting pot" society.

There is a host of music classifications, many of which are caught up in the argument over the definition of music. Among the largest of these is the division between classical music (or "art" music), and popular music (or commercial music - including rock and roll, country music, and pop music). Some genres don't fit neatly into one of these "big two" classifications, (such as folk music, world music, or jazz music).

Genres of music are determined as much by tradition and presentation as by the actual music. While most classical music is acoustic and meant to be performed by individuals or groups, many works described as "classical" include samples or tape, or are mechanical. Some works, like Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, are claimed by both jazz and classical music. Many current music festivals celebrate a particular musical genre.

There is often disagreement over what constitutes "real" music: late-period Beethoven string quartets, Stravinsky ballet scores, serialism, bebop-era jazz, hip hop, punk rock, and electronica have all been considered non-music by some critics when they were first introduced.

[edit] Aspects

Main article: Aspects of music

The traditional or classical European aspects of music often listed are those elements given primacy in European-influenced classical music: melody, harmony, rhythm, tone color or timbre, and form. A more comprehensive list is given by stating the aspects of sound: pitch, timbre, loudness, and duration.^[1] These aspects combine to create secondary aspects including structure, texture and style. Other commonly included aspects include the spatial location or the movement in space of sounds, gesture, and dance. Silence has long been considered an aspect of music, ranging from the dramatic pauses in Romantic-era symphonies to the avant-garde use of silence as an artistic statement in 20th century works such as John Cage's 4′33″. John Cage considers duration the primary aspect of music because it is the only aspect common to both "sound" and "silence."

As mentioned above, not only do the aspects included as music vary, their importance varies. For instance, melody and harmony are often considered to be given more importance in classical music at the expense of rhythm and timbre. It is often debated whether there are aspects of music that are universal. The debate often hinges on definitions. For instance, the fairly common assertion that "tonality" is universal to all music requires an expansive definition of tonality.

A pulse is sometimes taken as a universal, yet there exist solo vocal and instrumental genres with free, improvisational rhythms with no regular pulse;^[2] one example is the alap section of a Hindustani music performance. According to Dane Harwood, "We must ask whether a cross-cultural musical universal is to be found in the music itself (either its structure or function) or the way in which music is made. By 'music-making,' I intend not only actual performance but also how music is heard, understood, even learned." ^[3]

[edit] Production

Main article: Music industry

Music is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Amateur musicians compose and perform music for their own pleasure, and they do not attempt to derive their income from music. Professional musicians are employed by a range of institutions and organizations, including armed forces, churches and synagogues, symphony orchestras, broadcasting or film production companies, and music schools. As well, professional musicians work as freelancers, seeking contracts and engagements in a variety of settings.

Although amateur musicians differ from professional musicians in that amateur musicians have a non-musical source of income, there are often many links between amateur and professional musicians. Beginning amateur musicians take lessons with professional musicians. In community settings, advanced amateur musicians perform with professional musicians in a variety of ensembles and orchestras. In some rare cases, amateur musicians attain a professional level of competence, and they are able to perform in professional performance settings.

A distinction is often made between music performed for the benefit of a live audience and music that is performed for the purpose of being recorded and distributed through the music retail system or the broadcasting system. However, there are also many cases where a live performance in front of an audience is recorded and distributed (or broadcast).

[edit] Performance

Main article: Performance

Chinese Nakhi musicians

Performance is the execution of music. While music cannot technically exist without performance, we generally think of performance as being the exhibition of a song before an audience. A song is performed once its structure and instrumentation are satisfactory to its creators; however, as a song gets performed more and more over time, it can evolve and change in any number of ways.

A performance can either be rehearsed or improvised. Improvisation is a musical idea created on the spot, with no prior premeditation, while rehearsal is vigorous repetition of an idea until it has achieved cohesion. Musicians will generally add improvisation to a well-rehearsed idea to create a unique performance.

In professional music, a distinction must be drawn between musicians that perform and performers who make music. All musicians must perform, but not all musical performers can call themselves musicians. In order to be considered a musician, one must play a musical instrument reasonably well. Vocalists run into trouble in some instances, depending on whether critics happen to believe that a voice is an instrument; for example, Isaac Stern may be considered a musician, whereas Jessica Simpson may not.

[edit] Solo and ensemble

Many cultures include strong traditions of solo and performance, such as in Indian classical music, and in the Western Art music tradition. Other cultures, such as in Bali, include strong traditions of group performance. All cultures include a mixture of both, and performance may range from improvised solo playing for one's enjoyment to highly planned and organized performance rituals such as the modern classical concert, religious processions, music festivals or music competitions.

Chamber music, which is music for a small ensemble with only a few of each type of instrument, is often seen as more intimate than symphonic works. A performer may be referred to as a musician.

[edit] Aural tradition and notation

Main article: Musical notation

Musical notation

Music is often preserved in memory and performance only, handed down orally, or aurally ("by ear"). When the composer of music is no longer known, this music is often classified as "traditional". Different musical traditions have different attitudes towards how and where to make changes to the original source material, from quite strict, to those which demand improvisation or modification to the music. In the Gambia, West Africa, the history of the country is passed aurally through song.

When music is written down, it is generally notated so that there are instructions regarding what should be heard by listeners, and what the musician should do to perform the music. This is referred to as musical notation, and the study of how to read notation involves music theory, harmony, the study of performance practice, and in some cases an understanding of historical performance methods.

Written notation varies with style and period of music. In Western Art music, the most common types of written notation are scores, which include all the music parts of an ensemble piece, and parts, which are the music notation for the individual performers or singers. In popular music, jazz, and blues, the standard musical notation is the lead sheet, which notates the melody, chords, lyrics (if it is a vocal piece), and structure of the music. Nonetheless, scores and parts are also used in popular music and jazz, particularly in large ensembles such as jazz "big bands."

In popular music, guitarists and electric bass players often read music notated in tablature, which indicates the location of the notes to be played on the instrument using a diagram of the guitar or bass fingerboard, as on such instruments there are typically more than one possible voicing of a chord/note. Tabulature was also used in the Baroque era to notate music for the lute, a stringed, fretted instrument.

Generally music which is to be performed is produced as sheet music. To perform music from notation requires an understanding of both the musical style and the performance practice that is associated with a piece of music or genre. The detail included explicitly in the music notation varies between genres and historical periods. In general, art music notation from the 17th through to the 19th century required performers to have a great deal of contextual knowledge about performing styles.

For example, in the 17th and 18th century, music notated for solo performers typically indicated a simple, unornamented melody. However, it was expected that performers would know how to add stylistically-appropriate ornaments such as trills and turns.

In the 19th century, art music for solo performers may give a general instruction such as to perform the music expressively, without describing in detail how the performer should do this. It was expected that the performer would know how to use tempo changes, accentuation, and pauses (among other devices) to obtain this "expressive" performance style.

In the 20th century, art music notation often became more explicit, and used a range of markings and annotations to indicate to performers how they should play or sing the piece. In popular music and jazz, music notation almost always indicates only the basic framework of the melody, harmony, or performance approach; musicians and singers are expected to know the performance conventions and styles associated with specific genres and pieces.

For example, the "lead sheet" for a jazz tune may only indicate the melody and the chord changes. The performers in the jazz ensemble are expected to know how to "flesh out" this basic structure by adding ornaments, improvised music, and chordal accompaniment.

[edit] Improvisation, interpretation, composition

Main articles: Musical composition, Musical improvisation, and Free improvisation

Most cultures use at least part of the concept of preconceiving musical material, or composition, as held in western classical music. Even when music is notated precisely, there are still many decisions that a performer has to make. The process of a performer deciding how to perform music that has been previously composed and notated is termed interpretation.

Different performers' interpretations of the same music can vary widely. Composers and song writers who present their own music are interpreting, just as much as those who perform the music of others or folk music. The standard body of choices and techniques present at a given time and a given place is referred to as performance practice, where as interpretation is generally used to mean either individual choices of a performer, or an aspect of music which is not clear, and therefore has a "standard" interpretation.

In some musical genres, such as jazz and blues, even more freedom is given to the performer to engage in improvisation on a basic melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic framework. The greatest latitude is given to the performer in a style of performing called free improvisation, which is material that is spontaneously "thought of" (imagined) while being performed, not preconceived. According to the analysis of Georgiana Costescu, improvised music usually follows stylistic or genre conventions and even "fully composed" includes some freely chosen material (see precompositional). Composition does not always mean the use of notation, or the known sole authorship of one individual.

Music can also be determined by describing a "process" which may create musical sounds, examples of this range from wind chimes, through computer programs which select sounds. Music which contains elements selected by chance is called Aleatoric music, and is often associated with John Cage and Witold Lutosławski.

[edit] Composition

Musical composition is a term that describes the composition of a piece of music. Methods of composition vary widely from one composer to another, however in analyzing music all forms -- spontaneous, trained, or untrained -- are built from elements comprising a musical piece. Music can be composed for repeated performance or it can be improvised; composed on the spot. The music can be performed entirely from memory, from a written system of musical notation, or some combination of both. Study of composition has traditionally been dominated by examination of methods and practice of Western classical music, but the definition of composition is broad enough to include spontaneously improvised works like those of free jazz performers and African drummers.

What is important in understanding the composition of a piece is singling out its elements. An understanding of music's formal elements can be helpful in deciphering exactly how a piece is constructed. A universal element of music is how sounds occur in time, which is referred to as the rhythm of a piece of music.

When a piece appears to have a changing time-feel, it is considered to be in rubato time, an Italian expression that indicates that the tempo of the piece changes to suit the expressive intent of the performer. Even random placement of random sounds, which occurs in musical montage, occurs within some kind of time, and thus employs time as a musical element.

[edit] Reception and audition

Main article: Hearing (sense)

Concert in the Mozarteum, Salzburg

The field of music cognition involves the study of many aspects of music including how it is processed by listeners.

Music is experienced by individuals in a range of social settings ranging from being alone to attending a large concert. Musical performances take different forms in different cultures and socioeconomic milieus. In Europe and North America, there is often a divide between what types of music are viewed as a "high culture" and "low culture." "High culture" types of music typically include Western art music such as Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern-era symphonies, concertos, and solo works, and are typically heard in formal concerts in concert halls and churches, with the audience sitting quietly in seats.

On the other hand, other types of music such as jazz, blues, soul, and country are often performed in bars, nightclubs, and theatres, where the audience may be able to drink, dance, and express themselves by cheering. Until the later 20th century, the division between "high" and "low" musical forms was widely accepted as a valid distinction that separated out better quality, more advanced "art music" from the popular styles of music heard in bars and dance halls.

However, in the 1980s and 1990s, musicologists studying this perceived divide between "high" and "low" musical genres argued that this distinction is not based on the musical value or quality of the different types of music. Rather, they argued that this distinction was based largely on the socioeconomic standing or social class of the performers or audience of the different types of music.

For example, whereas the audience for Classical symphony concerts typically have above-average incomes, the audience for a hip-hop concert in an inner-city area may have below-average incomes. Even though the performers, audience, or venue where non-"art" music is performed may have a lower socioeconomic status, the music that is performed, such as blues, hip-hop, punk, funk, or ska may be very complex and sophisticated.

Deaf people can experience music by feeling the vibrations in their body, a process which can be enhanced if the individual holds a resonant, hollow object. A well-known deaf musician is the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who composed many famous works even after he had completely lost his hearing. Recent examples of deaf musicians include Evelyn Glennie, a highly acclaimed percussionist who has been deaf since the age of twelve, and Chris Buck, a virtuoso violinist who has lost his hearing.

Further information: psychoacoustics

[edit] Media and Technology

DJ Grandmaster Flash, one of the architects of hip hop DJing.

The music that composers make can be heard through several media; the most traditional way is to hear it live, in the presence, or as one of the musicians. Live music can also be broadcast over the radio, television or the internet. Some musical styles focus on producing a sound for a performance, while others focus on producing a recording which mixes together sounds which were never played "live". Recording, even of styles which are essentially live, often uses the ability to edit and splice to produce recordings which are considered better than the actual performance.

As talking pictures emerged in the early 20th century, with their prerecorded musical tracks, an increasing number of moviehouse orchestra musicians found themselves out of work.^[4] More than just their position as film accompanists was usurped; according to historian Preston J. Hubbard, "During the 1920s live musical performances at first-run theaters became an exceedingly important aspect of the American cinema."^[5] With the coming of the talkies, those featured performances—usually staged as preludes—were largely eliminated as well. The American Federation of Musicians took out newspaper advertisements protesting the replacement of live musicians with mechanical playing devices. One 1929 ad that appeared in the Pittsburgh Press features an image of a can labeled "Canned Music / Big Noise Brand / Guaranteed to Produce No Intellectual or Emotional Reaction Whatever" and reads in part:

Canned Music on Trial
This is the case of Art vs. Mechanical Music in theatres. The defendant stands accused in front of the American people of attempted corruption of musical appreciation and discouragement of musical education. Theatres in many cities are offering synchronised mechanical music as a substitute for Real Music. If the theatre-going public accepts this vitiation of its entertainment program a deplorable decline in the Art of Music is inevitable. Musical authorities know that the soul of the Art is lost in mechanisation. It cannot be otherwise because the quality of music is dependent on the mood of the artist, upon the human contact, without which the essence of intellectual stimulation and emotional rapture is lost.^[6]

Since legislation introduced to help protect performers, composers, publishers and producers, including the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 in the United States, and the 1979 revised Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works in the United Kingdom, recordings and live performances have also become more accessible through computers, devices and internet in a form that is commonly known as music-on-demand.

In many cultures, there is less distinction between performing and listening to music, as virtually everyone is involved in some sort of musical activity, often communal. In industrialized countries, listening to music through a recorded form, such as sound recording or watching a music video, became more common than experiencing live performance, roughly in the middle of the 20th century.

Sometimes, live performances incorporate prerecorded sounds. For example, a DJ uses disc records for scratching, and some 20th-century works have a solo for an instrument or voice that is performed along with music that is prerecorded onto a tape. Computers and many keyboards can be programmed to produce and play MIDI music. Audiences can also become the performers by using Karaoke, invented by the Japanese, which uses music video and tracks without voice, so the performer can add their voice to the piece.

[edit] Education

Professional musicians in some cultures and musical genres compose, perform, and improvise music with no formal training. Musical genres where professional musicians are typically self-taught or where they learn through informal mentoring and creative exchanges include blues, punk, and popular music genres such as rock and pop.

Undergraduate university degrees in music, including the Bachelor of Music, the Bachelor of Music Education, and the Bachelor of Arts with a major in music typically take three to five years to complete. These degrees provide students with a grounding in music theory and music history, and many students also study an instrument or learn singing technique as part of their program.

Graduates of undergraduate music programs can go on to further study in music graduate programs. Graduate degrees include the Master of Music, the Master of Arts, the PhD, and more recently, the Doctor of Musical Arts, or DMA. The Master of Music degree, which takes one to two years to complete, is typically awarded to students studying the performance of an instrument, education,voice or composition. The Master of Arts degree, which takes one to two years to complete and often requires a thesis, is typically awarded to students studying musicology, music history, or music theory.

The PhD, which is required for students who want to work as university professors in musicology, music history, or music theory, takes three to five years of study after the Master's degree, during which time the student will complete advanced courses and undertake research for a dissertation. The Doctor of Musical Arts, or DMA is a relatively new degree that was created to provide a credential for professional performers or composers that want to work as university professors in musical performance or composition. The DMA takes three to five years after a Master's degree, and includes advanced courses, projects, and performances.

[edit] Music as Part of General Education

Main article: Music education

The incorporation of music training from preschool to postsecondary education is common in North America and Europe, because involvement in music is thought to teach basic skills such as concentration, counting, listening, and cooperation while also promoting understanding of language, improving the ability to recall information, and creating an environment more conductive to learning in other areas. ^[7] In elementary schools, children often learn to play instruments such as the recorder, sing in small choirs, and learn about the history of Western art music. In secondary schools students may have the opportunity to perform some type of musical ensembles, such as choirs, marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands, or orchestras, and in some school systems, music classes may be available.

At the university level, students in most arts and humanities programs can receive credit for taking music courses, which typically take the form of an overview course on the history of music, or a music appreciation course that focuses on listening to music and learning about different musical styles. In addition, most North American and European universities have some type of musical ensembles that non-music students are able to participate in, such as choirs, marching bands, or orchestras.

The study of Western art music is increasingly common outside of North America and Europe, such as STSI in Bali, or the Classical music programs that are available in Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China. At the same time, Western universities and colleges are widening their curriculum to include music of non-Western cultures, such as the music of Africa or Bali (e.g. Gamelan music).

Both amateur and professional musicians typically take music lessons, short private sessions with an individual teacher. Amateur musicians typically take lessons to learn musical rudiments and beginner- to intermediate-level musical techniques.

[edit] Study

Main articles: musicology and music theory

Many people also study about music in the field of musicology. The earliest definitions of musicology defined three sub-disciplines: systematic musicology, historical musicology, and comparative musicology. In contemporary scholarship, one is more likely to encounter a division of the discipline into music theory, music history, and ethnomusicology. Research in musicology has often been enriched by cross-disciplinary work, for example in the field of psychoacoustics. The study of music of non-western cultures, and the cultural study of music, is called ethnomusicology.

In Medieval times, the study of music was one of the Quadrivium of the seven Liberal Arts and considered vital to higher learning. Within the quantitative Quadrivium, music, or more accurately harmonics, was the study of rational proportions.

Zoomusicology is the study of the music of non-human animals, or the musical aspects of sounds produced by non-human animals. As George Herzog (1941) asked, "do animals have music?" François-Bernard Mâche's Musique, mythe, nature, ou les Dauphins d'Arion (1983), a study of "ornitho-musicology" using a technique of Ruwet's Language, musique, poésie (1972) paradigmatic segmentation analysis, shows that birdsongs are organized according to a repetition-transformation principle. In the opinion of Jean-Jacques Nattiez (1990), "in the last analysis, it is a human being who decides what is and is not musical, even when the sound is not of human origin. If we acknowledge that sound is not organized and conceptualized (that is, made to form music) merely by its producer, but by the mind that perceives it, then music is uniquely human."

Music theory is the study of music, generally in a highly technical manner outside of other disciplines. More broadly it refers to any study of music, usually related in some form with compositional concerns, and may include mathematics, physics, and anthropology. What is most commonly taught in beginning music theory classes are guidelines to write in the style of the common practice period, or tonal music. Theory, even that which studies music of the common practice period, may take many other forms. Musical set theory is the application of mathematical set theory to music, first applied to atonal music. Speculative music theory, contrasted with analytic music theory, is devoted to the analysis and synthesis of music materials, for example tuning systems, generally as preparation for composition.

[edit] Use in therapy

Robert Burton wrote in the 16th century in his classic work, The Anatomy of Melancholy, that music and dance were critical in treating mental illness, especially melancholia. ^[8] ^[9] ^[10]

In November 2006, Dr. Michael J. Crawford ^[11] and his colleagues also found that music therapy helped schizophrenic patients. ^[12]

In Ottoman Empire, mental illnesses were treated with music.

[edit] Notes

^ Owen, 2000: 6
^ Johnson, 2002
^ Harwood, 1976: 522
^ American Federation of Musicians/History "1927 – With the release of the first 'talkie,' The Jazz Singer, orchestras in movie theaters were displaced. The AFM had its first encounter with wholesale unemployment brought about by technology. Within three years, 22,000 theater jobs for musicians who accompanied silent movies were lost, while only a few hundred jobs for musicians performing on soundtracks were created by the new technology. 1928 – While continuing to protest the loss of jobs due to the use of 'canned music' with motion pictures, the AFM set minimum wage scales for Vitaphone, Movietone and phonograph record work. Because synchronizing music with pictures for the movies was particularly difficult, the AFM was able to set high prices for this work."
^ Hubbard (1985), p. 429.
^ "Canned Music on Trial" part of Duke University's Ad*Access project. The text of the ad continues:

Is Music Worth Saving?
No great volume of evidence is required to answer this question. Music is a well-nigh universally beloved art. From the beginning of history, men have turned to musical expression to lighten the burdens of life, to make them happier. Aborigines, lowest in the scale of savagery, chant their song to tribal gods and play upon pipes and shark-skin drums. Musical development has kept pace with good taste and ethics throughout the ages, and has influenced the gentler nature of man more powerfully perhaps than any other factor. Has it remained for the Great Age of Science to snub the Art by setting up in its place a pale and feeble shadow of itself?
American Federation of Musicians (Comprising 140,000 musicians in the United States and Canada), Joseph N. Weber, President. Broadway, New York City.
^ Woodall and Ziembroski, 2002
^ cf. The Anatomy of Melancholy, Robert Burton, subsection 3, on and after line 3480, "Music a Remedy":

But to leave all declamatory speeches in praise [3481]of divine music, I will confine myself to my proper subject: besides that excellent power it hath to expel many other diseases, it is a sovereign remedy against [3482] despair and melancholy, and will drive away the devil himself. Canus, a Rhodian fiddler, in [3483]Philostratus, when Apollonius was inquisitive to know what he could do with his pipe, told him, "That he would make a melancholy man merry, and him that was merry much merrier than before, a lover more enamoured, a religious man more devout." Ismenias the Theban, [3484]Chiron the centaur, is said to have cured this and many other diseases by music alone: as now they do those, saith [3485]Bodine, that are troubled with St. Vitus's Bedlam dance. [1]
^ "Humanities are the Hormones: A Tarantella Comes to Newfoundland. What should we do about it?" by Dr. John Crellin, MUNMED, newsletter of the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1996.
^ Aung, Steven K.H., Lee, Mathew H.M., "Music, Sounds, Medicine, and Meditation: An Integrative Approach to the Healing Arts", Alternative & Complementary Therapies, Oct 2004, Vol. 10, No. 5: 266-270. [2]
^ Dr. Michael J. Crawford page at Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychological Medicine.
^ Crawford, Mike J.; Talwar, Nakul, et al. (November 2006). "Music therapy for in-patients with schizophrenia: Exploratory randomised controlled trial". The British Journal of Psychiatry (2006) 189: 405-409.

[edit] Bibliography

Harwood, Dane (1976). "Universals in Music: A Perspective from Cognitive Psychology", Ethnomusicology 20, no. 3:521-33.

Johnson, Julian (2002). Who Needs Classical Music?: Cultural Choice and Musical Value. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514681-6.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "Piano Improvisation Develops Musicianship." Orff-Echo XXXVII No. 1 (2004): 11-14.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "The Singing Muse: Three Centuries of Music Education in Germany." Journal of Historical Research in Music Education XXVI no. 1 (2004): 8-27.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "Didaktik of Music: A German Concept and its Comparison to American Music Pedagogy." International Journal of Music Education (Practice) 22 No. 3 (2004): 277-286.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "General Music Education in Germany Today: A Look at How Popular Music is Engaging Students." General Music Today 18 no. 2 (Winter 2005): 14-16.
Molino, Jean (1975). "Fait musical et sémiologue de la musique", Musique en Jeu, no. 17:37-62.
Nattiez, Jean-Jacques (1987). Music and Discourse: Toward a Semiology of Music (Musicologie générale et sémiologue, 1987). Translated by Carolyn Abbate (1979). ISBN 0-691-02714-5.
Owen, Harold (2000). Music Theory Resource Book. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511539-2.
Woodall, Laura and Brenda Ziembroski, (2002). Literacy Through Music.

nuclear reactor

2007-02-23T05:45:00.001-08:00

is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady rate (as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which the chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a second and is completely uncontrolled).

Nuclear reactors are used for many purposes. The most significant current use is for the generation of electrical power (see nuclear power). Research reactors are used for radioisotope production and for beamline experiments with free neutrons. Historically, the first use of nuclear reactors was the production of weapons grade plutonium for nuclear weapons. Another military use is submarine / ship propulsion (Though this involves a much smaller nuclear reactor than the one used in a nuclear power plant).

Currently all commercial nuclear reactors are based on nuclear fission, and are considered by some to be a safe and pollution-free method of generating electricity. Conversely, some consider nuclear reactors problematic for their potential safety and health risks. Fusion power is an experimental technology based on nuclear fusion instead of fission. There are other devices in which nuclear reactions occur in a controlled fashion, including radioisotope thermoelectric generators and atomic batteries, which generate heat and power by exploiting passive radioactive decay, as well as Farnsworth-Hirsch fusors, in which controlled nuclear fusion is used to produce neutron radiation.

Although mankind has only tamed nuclear power recently, the first nuclear reactors were naturally occurring.^[1] Fifteen natural fission reactors have so far been found in three separate ore deposits at the Oklo mine in Gabon, West Africa. First discovered in 1972 by French physicist Francis Perrin, they are collectively known as the Oklo Fossil Reactors. These reactors ran for approximately 150 million years, averaging 100 kW of power output during that time. The concept of a natural nuclear reactor was theorized as early as 1956 by Paul Kuroda at the University of Arkansas ^[2]

Enrico Fermi and Leó Szilárd, while both were at the University of Chicago, were the first to build a nuclear pile and demonstrate a controlled chain reaction on December 2, 1942. In 1955 they shared U.S. Patent 2,708,656 for the nuclear reactor.

The first nuclear reactors were used to generate plutonium for nuclear weapons. Additional reactors were used in the navy (see United States Naval reactor) to propel submarines and aircraft carriers. In the mid-1950s, both the Soviet Union and western countries were expanding their nuclear research to include non-military uses of the atom. However, as with the military program, much of the non-military work was done in secret.

On December 20, 1951, electric power from a nuclear powered generator was produced for the first time at Experimental Breeder Reactor-I (EBR-1) located near Arco, Idaho. On June 26, 1954, at 5:30 pm, the world's first nuclear power plant to generate electricity began operations at Obninsk, Kaluga Oblast, USSR. It produced 5 megawatts (electrical), enough to power 2,000 homes. ^[3]^[4].

Calder Hall unit 1, the world's first commercial scale nuclear power station.

The world's first commercial scale nuclear power station, Calder Hall,in England, began generation on October 17, 1956 ^[5] Another early power reactor was the Shippingport Reactor in Pennsylvania (1957).

Even before the 1979 Three Mile Island accident, new orders for nuclear plants in the U.S. had ceased for economic reasons primarily related to greatly extended construction times. As of 2004, no new nuclear plants have been ordered in the USA since 1978 ^[6], although that may change by 2010 (see Future of the industry below).

Unlike the Three Mile Island accident, the 1986 Chernobyl accident did not increase regulations affecting Western reactors. This was because the Chernobyl reactors were known to be an unsafe design, using the RBMK, without containment buildings and operated unsafely, and the West had little to learn from them ^[7]. There was however political fallout: Italy held a referendum the next year in 1987^[8], the results of which led to a shutdown of the country's four nuclear power plants.

The Chernobyl accident raised awareness about the possible geographical range of nuclear events, with contamination from Ukraine easily crossing national borders and spreading over significant parts of Europe. As a consequence an international organisation to promote safety awareness and professional development on operators in nuclear facilities was created: WANO; World Association of Nuclear Operators.

In 1992 the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station in Florida, USA, was hit directly by Hurricane Andrew. Over $90 million of damage was done, largely to a water tank and to a smokestack of one of the fossil-fueled units on-site, but the containment buildings were undamaged ^[9]^[10].

The first organization to develop utilitarian nuclear power, the U.S. Navy, is the only organization worldwide with a totally clean record. This is perhaps because of the stringent demands of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, who was the driving force behind nuclear marine propulsion. The U.S. Navy has operated more nuclear reactors than any other entity, other than the Soviet Navy, with no publicly known major incidents. Two U.S. nuclear submarines, USS Scorpion and Thresher, have been lost at sea, though for reasons not related to their reactors, and their wrecks are situated such that the risk of nuclear pollution is considered low.

[edit] Nuclear power in electricity production

Main article: Nuclear power

Nuclear power from a reactor is typically utilized to produce electricity. The production of electricity is usually accomplished by somewhat standard methods that involve using heat from the nuclear reaction to power steam turbines. Nuclear power is attractive in that relatively small amounts of fuel are used to produce vast amounts of energy with no or much smaller production of free pollutants, such as greenhouse gas.

Nuclear power is controversial since it produces radioactive waste and runs the risk of nuclear meltdown. Such events, though unlikely with proper precautions, are typically viewed as catastrophic and can produce far reaching detrimental effects, such as widespread radiation contamination. Modern reactor designs and the relatively low enrichment of nuclear reactor fuel make it essentially impossible for a nuclear explosion to occur (the Chernobyl accident was neither a modern reactor design nor was it a nuclear explosion).

[edit] The future of the industry

As of 2006, Watts Bar 1, which came on-line in 1997, was the last U.S. commercial nuclear reactor to go on-line. This is often quoted as evidence of a successful worldwide campaign for nuclear power phase-out. However, political resistance to nuclear power has only ever been successful in parts of Europe, in New Zealand, in the Philippines, and in the United States. Even in the US and throughout Europe, investment in research and in the nuclear fuel cycle has continued, and some experts predict that electricity shortages, fossil fuel price increases and concern over greenhouse gas emissions will renew the demand for nuclear power plants.

Many countries remain active in developing nuclear power, including Japan, China and India, all actively developing both fast and thermal technology, South Korea and the United States, developing thermal technology only, and South Africa and China, developing versions of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR). Finland and France actively pursue nuclear programs; Finland has a new European Pressurized Reactor under construction by Areva. Japan has an active nuclear construction program with new units brought on-line in 2005. In the U.S., three consortia responded in 2004 to the U.S. Department of Energy's solicitation under the Nuclear Power 2010 Program and were awarded matching funds - the Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorized subsidies for up to six new reactors, and authorized the Department of Energy to build a reactor based on the Generation IV Very-High-Temperature Reactor concept to produce both electricity and hydrogen. As of the early 21st century, nuclear power is of particular interest to both China and India to serve their rapidly growing economies - both are developing fast breeder reactors. See also future energy development. In the energy policy of the United Kingdom it is recognized that there is a likely future energy supply shortfall, which may have to be filled by either new nuclear plant construction or maintaining existing plants beyond their programmed lifetime.

On September 22, 2005 it was announced that two sites in the U.S. had been selected to receive new power reactors (exclusive of the new power reactor scheduled for INL) - see Nuclear Power 2010 Program.

It is possible that the first new nuclear power plant to be built in the United States since the 1970s may be installed in the remote town of Galena, Alaska. The town's City Council approved the idea, and Toshiba proposed to install its model 4S "nuclear battery" in Galena free of charge as a test.

See also: nuclear power phase-out and nuclear energy policy

[edit] Types of reactors

NC State's PULSTAR Reactor is a 1 MW pool-type research reactor with 4% enriched, pin-type fuel consisting of UO₂ pellets in zircaloy cladding.

The control room of NC State's Pulstar Nuclear Reactor.

A number of reactor technologies have been developed. Fission reactors can be divided roughly into two classes, depending on the energy of the neutrons that are used to sustain the fission chain reaction.

Fast reactors use fast neutrons to sustain the fission chain reaction. They are characterized by a lack of moderating material. Initiating the chain reaction requires enriched uranium (and/or enrichment with plutonium 239), due to the lower probability of absorbtion of a fast neutron by U-235 (as compared to a moderated, thermal neutron). Fast breeder reactors are capable of enriching Uranium during the fission chain reaction (by converting fertile U-238 to Pu-239) which allows an operational fast reactor to generate more fissile material than it consumes. Thus, a breeder reactor, once running, can be re-fueled with natural or even depleted uranium.
Some early power stations were fast reactors, as are some Russian naval propulsion units. Construction of prototypes is continuing (see fast breeder or generation IV reactors). Overall, fast reactors are less common than thermal reactors in most applications. All fast neutron reactors that have been used for power generation have been liquid metal cooled reactors, but research continues in gas cooled reactors.

Thermal (slow) reactors use slow or thermal neutrons. These are characterized by moderating materials that slow neutrons until they approach the average kinetic energy of the surrounding particles, that is, until they are thermalized. Thermal neutrons have a far higher probability of fissioning U-235, and a lower probability of capture by U-238 than the faster neutrons that result from fission. As well as the moderator, thermal reactors have fuel (fissionable material), containments, pressure vessels, shielding, and instrumentation to monitor and control the reactor's systems. Most power reactors are of this type. The first plutonium production reactors were thermal reactors using a graphite moderator. Some thermal power reactors are more thermalised than others; Graphite (e.g. Russian reaktor bolshoy moshchnosti kanalniy RBMK reactors) and heavy water moderated plants (e.g. Canadian CANada Deuterium Uranium CANDU reactors) tend to be more thoroughly thermalised than pressurized water reactors PWRs and boiling water reactors BWRs, which use light water (normal water) as the moderator. Due to the extra thermalization, these types can use natural uranium/unenriched fuel.
Thermal power reactors can again be divided into three types, depending on whether they use pressurised fuel channels, a large pressure vessel, or gas cooling.
- Most commercial and naval reactors use reactor heated steam pressure vessels. Pressure vessels balance out pressure transients in the primary loops that occur when reactor power changes. Pressure vessels also have a small role as primary coolant make-up sources. Pressure vessels are almost always lined up to reactors and are only isolated from reactors during special maintenance or tests.
- Pressurised channels are used by the RBMK and CANDU reactors. Channel-type reactors can be refuelled under load. This has advantages discussed under CANDU reactor.
- Gas-cooled reactors are cooled by a circulating inert gas, usually helium. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide have also been used. Utilization of the heat varies, depending on the reactor. Some reactors run hot enough that the gas can directly power a gas turbine. Older designs usually run the gas through a heat exchanger to make steam for a steam turbine. The pebble bed reactor uses a gas-cooled design.

Since water serves as a moderator, it cannot be used as a coolant in a fast reactor. Most designs for fast power reactors have been cooled by liquid metal, usually molten sodium. They have also been of two types, called pool and loop reactors.

Further details on the classification of Nuclear reactors can be found at Classification of Nuclear Reactors.