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Michael Jackson Discography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:52:23 CDT

discography

Main Releases

Thriller (25th Anniversary Edition Cd/Dvd) 2009

Smooth Criminal REMIXES 2008

Gold 2008

Thriller 25 Deluxe Edition 2008

Thriller 25 Super Deluxe Edition 2008

Essential Michael Jackson 2005

Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection 2004

Number Ones 2003

The Best of Michael Jackson - The Millennium Collection 2002

A Tribute to Michael Jackson 2002

Butterflies [CD] 2002

Love Songs 2002

Invincible 2001

Candle in the Wind [1999] [1 CD] 1999

Blood On The Dance Floor: HIStory... 1997

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1 1995

The Best Of Michael Jackson: Anthology 1995

You Are Not Alone 1995

Motown Legends: Rockin' Robin 1993

Motown Legends 1993

Who Is It? 1993

Black or White 1992

In the Closet [US] 1992

Jam 1992

Dangerous 1991

Anthology 1990

Bad 1987

Thriller 1982

One Day in Your Life 1981

The Best of Michael Jackson [Motown] 1981

Off The Wall 1979

Got to Be There 1972

Singles

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Akon 2008

Can't Get Ready For Losing You 2004

I'm Glad It Rained 2004

One More Chance 2003

You Are Not Alone (Remixes) 1999

Blood On The Dance Floor 1997

They Don't Care About Us [#2] 1996

They Don't Care About Us [#1] 1996

Scream/Childhood 1995

Remember The Time 1994

Compilations

The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 11B: 1971 2009

202 Motown Songs: The Complete No.1s 2008

Get Your Boots On 2008

NOW That's What I Call The '80s 2008

We Are Marshall Soundtrack 2007

#1's 2007

Gold - More Motown Classics 2007

Inolvidables Para Siempre,Las Mejores Baladas De Tu Vida 2007

Best Of Motown Christmas/20th Century Christmas 2005

Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Holland/Dozier/Holland Story 2005

More Maximum Michael Jackson 2005

The Jacksons Story 2004

Guillotine and Comet 2004

KFRC Oldies - Motown, Soul & Great Rock n' Roll: Motown 2003

K-Earth Oldies Radio: Motown, Soul and Great Rock 'N Roll: Motown 2003

WODS - FM - Motown, Soul and Rock N Roll: Motown 2003

WSNI - FM - Motown 2003

WCBS FM: Motown, Soul and Rock N Roll - Motown 2003

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Greatest Hits 2002

Grand Theft Auto Vol. 4: Flash FM 2002

Grand Theft Auto Vol. 6: Fever 105 2002

20th Century Masters: Motown 80's Vol. 1... 2002

Grammy Nominees 2002 2002

A Motown Christmas Vol. 2 2001

20th Century Masters: Motown 70's Vol. 1... 2001

Soulful Holiday Classics 2001

Center Stage 2000

Hitsville USA, Volume 2: Motown Singles '72 - '92 2000

The Ultimate Grammy Box... 1999

R&B: From Doo-Wop To Hip-Hop 1999

Movie Music: The Definitive Performances 1999

Pop Music: The Modern Era, 1976-1999 1999

A Motown Christmas 1999

Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits: 1970-1974 1999

From Q. With Love 1999

The All Time Greatest Movie Songs 1999

Millennium of Pop: Das Jahrhundert Album 1999

Motown Celebrates Sinatra 1998

Soul Hits of the 70's [Rebound] 1998

Diana Princess Of Wales Tribute 1997

The Greatest Dance Album in the World 1997

Jazz Loft Sessions 1997

Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits: 1972 1997

The Wiz 1997

1996 Grammy Nominees 1996

Soul Train 25th Anniversary... 1995

Motown Love Songs: Motown Milestones 1995

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 1995

Class Reunion 1975: Greatest Hits of 1975 1995

Free Willy 2: Adventure Home 1995

Free Willy 1993

Motown Memories, Vol. 2 1990

Every Great Motown Song, Vol. 2: The 1970's 1989

Pippin 1972

Guest

Maximum Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson 2004

Swingin': A Tribute to Michael Jackson
2000

At The Close Of A Century
Stevie Wonder 1999

Brotherhood
3T 1995

The Dude
Quincy Jones 1981

Michael Jackson Biography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:46:18 CDT

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958– June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his début to the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1969, and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop"[2] in subsequent years, his 1982 album Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time[3] and four other solo studio albums are also among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995). In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Thriller"— widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into an art form— helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists. While Jackson was a member of Generation Jones [4][5], he had an impact on multiple generations. Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearance and behavior, generated significant controversy, damaging his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer had experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era, and the sale of 750 million records worldwide.[6] Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, aged 50.[7] The specific cause of death has yet to be determined.[2] Before his death, Jackson had announced a 50-date sell-out This Is It comeback tour, in London, England.[8]

Life and music career

1958–1975: Early life and The Jackson 5

1975–1981: Move to Epic and Off the Wall

The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, joining the Philadelphia International Records division, later Epic Records.[20] As a result of legal proceedings, the group was renamed The Jacksons.[21] After the name change, the band continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984. From 1976 to 1984, Michael Jackson was the lead songwriter of the group, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It".[17] In 1978, Jackson starred as Scarecrow in the film musical The Wiz.[22] The musical scores were arranged by Quincy Jones, who formed a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce the singer's next solo album, Off the Wall.[23] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty surgery was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and other subsequent operations.[24] Jones and Jackson jointly produced Off the Wall. Songwriters included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four US top10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[25] Off the Wall reached number three on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified for 7million shipments in the US and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[26][27] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[25] That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[25] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[28] In 1980, Jackson secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37% of wholesale album profit.[29]

1982–1985: Thriller, Motown 25, We Are the World and business career

After Jackson's early 1982 contribution, "Someone In the Dark", to the blockbuster film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which nabbed him a Grammy for Best Album for Children,[30] Epic issued his second album, Thriller. In what would turn out to be the apex of Jackson's career, the album remained in the top10 of the Billboard 200 for 80consecutive weeks, 37 at the peak. Seven singles from Thriller concurrently hit the Billboard Hot100 top10, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[31] Thriller went on to sell upwards of 109 million copies, making it the best-selling album of all time,[32][33][3] [34] causing Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli to muse that "at some point, Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item— like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie— and started selling like a household staple."[35] The period of Thriller was an extraordinarily lucrative one for Jackson, whose lawyer John Branca had negotiated what he boasted then as the highest royalty rate ever in the music industry, approximately $2 per album. Meanwhile, Jackson raked in profits from The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, a documentary by Jackson and John Landis which quickly sold over 350,000 copies. In addition, Jackson began profiting from his image in earnest, as Michael Jackson dolls and other novelties hit the market.[36] Beyond its record-breaking success among fans, Thriller instituted multiple changes within the music industry. One, it raised the importance of albums, while challenging notions about how many prospective hits an album should contain.[37] Two, it restored to the industry a sense of confidence in its ability to release high-level artistry during a time when profits had been sinking due to what one industry analyst called "the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesizer pop".[36] Three, it helped bring MTV into its heyday, even as MTV helped fuel Thriller's success. Four, Thriller paved the way for other well-profitable acts such as Prince.[38] In the end, in many ways, Jackson had become a one-man rescue team for the music business.[39] At its 25th anniversary, Thriller retained important influence over the music industry, artists, and American culture.[35] On March 25, 1983, Jackson performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, both with The Jackson5 and on his own singing "Billie Jean". Debuting his signature dance move— the moonwalk— his performances during the event were seen by 47million viewers during its initial airing, and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[40] The New York Times said, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing".[41]

Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984

Jackson suffered a setback on January 27, 1984. While filming a Pepsi Cola commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Jackson suffered second degree burns to his scalp after pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire. Happening in front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, the incident was the subject of heavy media scrutiny and elicited an outpouring of sympathy.[42] PepsiCo settled a lawsuit out of court, and Jackson gave his $1.5million settlement to the "Michael Jackson Burn Center" which was a piece of new technology to help people with severe burns.[42] Jackson had his third rhinoplasty shortly afterwards and grew self conscious about his appearance.[24] On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award presented by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The award was given for Jackson's support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.[43] Jackson won eight awards during the 1984 Grammys. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans.[44] He donated his $5 million share from the Victory Tour to charity.[45] Jackson co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in Africa and the US. He was one of 39 music celebrities who performed on the record. The single became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 20million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief.[46] While working with Paul McCartney on the two hit singles "The Girl Is Mine" and "Say Say Say", the pair became friendly, occasionally visiting one another. In one discussion, McCartney told Jackson about the millions of dollars he had made from music catalogs; he was earning approximately $40million a year from other people's songs. Jackson then began a business career buying, selling and distributing publishing rights to music from numerous artists. Shortly afterwards, ATV Songs— a music catalogue holding thousands of songs, including most of the songs written by Lennon-McCartney between 1963-1973— was put up for sale.[47][48] Jackson took immediate interest in the catalogue but was warned that he would face strong competition. Excited, he skipped around saying, "I don't care. I want those songs. Get me those songs Branca [his attorney]". Branca then contacted the attorney of McCartney, who clarified that his client was not interested in bidding; "It's too pricey". After Jackson had started negotiations, McCartney changed his mind and tried to persuade Yoko Ono to join him in a joint bid, she declined, so he pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million. When McCartney found out he said, "I think it's dodgy to do things like that. To be someone's friend and then buy the rug they're standing on". [47][49]

1986–1990: Tabloids, appearance, Bad, autobiography and films

In 1986, the tabloid press ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, Jackson disseminated the fabricated story himself. The singer was promoting his upcoming movie Captain EO and wanted to promote a science fiction image of himself.[50][51] Jackson had a fourth rhinoplasty and, wanting masculine features, had a cleft put in his chin.[24] Then he starred in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time, and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly 11 years, while Walt Disney World screened the film in its Epcot theme park from 1986 to 1994.[52]

Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease

Jackson bought and befriended a pet chimpanzee called Bubbles, an act which extended his eccentric persona. In 2003, the singer claimed that Bubbles shared his toilet and cleaned his bedroom.[51] Later it was reported that Jackson bought the bones of The Elephant Man. Although untrue, it was a story that Jackson again disseminated to the tabloid press.[50][51] These stories inspired the pejorative nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson acquired the following year. He would eventually come to despise the nickname. Realizing his mistake, he stopped leaking untruths to the press. However due to the profit being made, the media began making up their own stories.[51][53] Jackson's skin was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the early 1980s, his skin gradually grew paler. This change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that Jackson was bleaching his skin.[12] In the mid-1980s, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the latter was in remission in Jackson's case, and both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.[54] The structure of his face changed as well; several surgeons have speculated that Jackson had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips and a cheekbone surgery.[55] Changes to his face were, in part, due to periods of significant weight loss.[21] Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".[56] Witnesses reported that Jackson was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem for the singer later in life.[57] Some medical professionals have publicly stated their belief that the singer had body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the sufferer has no concept of how they are perceived by others.[54]

"Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, 'I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight,' people would say, 'Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth.'"[58]

—Michael Jackson

With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[59] Bad had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a substantial commercial success. In the US, it spawned seven hit singles, five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot100 charts, more than any other album.[60] As of 2008, the album sold 30million copies worldwide, including eight million shipments in the US.[27][61]

Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era.

The Bad World Tour began on September 12, 1987, and finished on January 14, 1989.[62] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.[63] Jackson broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to a total audience of 4.4million people, and gained a further Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him $125million. During the trip he invited underprivileged children to watch for free and gave donations to hospitals, orphanages and other charities.[62] In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moon Walk, which took four years to complete. Jackson told of his childhood, his experience in The Jackson 5 and the abuse he suffered as a child.[64] He also spoke of his plastic surgery, saying he had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin.[56] In the book, he attributed the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style and stage lighting.[56] Moonwalk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[65] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage, music videos, and a feature film that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. Moonwalker debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[66] In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17million. The 2,700-acre (11km2) property had Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, the property was valued at approximately $100million.[18][67] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125million for that year alone.[68] Shortly afterwards, Jackson became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad for Russia.[66] Jackson's success resulted in his being dubbed the "King of Pop", a nickname conceived by actress and 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".[69][70] President George H. W. Bush presented the singer with The White House's special "Artist of the Decade" award in recognition of Jackson's musical influence in the 1980s; Bush commended Jackson for acquiring a "tremendous following" among other achievements.[71] From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[72][73] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.[66]

1991–1993: Dangerous and Super Bowl XXVII

In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65million; a record breaking deal at the time, displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[67] Jackson released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous has shipped 7million copies in the US and has sold 32million copies worldwide; it is the most successful New Jack Swing album of all time.[27][74][75] In the US, the album's first single "Black or White" was the album's biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.[76] The album's second single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the top five in the US, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot100 singles chart.[77] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a wheelchair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.[78] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[77] Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch, to go on theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property after he purchased it. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease. The Dangerous World Tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5million people in 67 concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the "Heal the World Foundation", raising millions of dollars in relief.[77][79] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[80] Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.[81][82] In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[83] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable reception of more than 100,000 people in "spiritual bedlam", some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael".[83] In his trip to the Ivory Coast, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.[83] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.[83] One of Jackson's most acclaimed performances came during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. As the performances began, Jackson was catapulted onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvass, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for several minutes while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and began to sing and dance. His routine included four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.[12] Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.[77]

1993–1994: Sexual abuse accusations and marriage

Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson

Jackson gave a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his first television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied previous tabloid rumors that he bought the bones of the Elephant Man or slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The entertainer went on to dispel suggestions that he bleached his skin, admitting for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by 90million Americans, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in US history. It also started a public debate on the topic of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition before then. Dangerous re-entered the album chart top 10, more than a year after its original release.[12][13][77] Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old child named Jordan Chandler and his father Evan Chandler.[84] The friendship between Jackson and Evan Chandler broke down. Sometime afterwards, Evan Chandler was tape-recorded saying amongst other things, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...Michael's career will be over".[85] A year after they had met, under the influence of a controversial sedative, Jordan Chandler told his father that Jackson had touched his penis.[86] Evan Chandler and Jackson, represented by their legal teams, then engaged in unsuccessful negotiations to resolve the issue in a financial settlement; the negotiations were initiated by Chandler but Jackson did make several counter offers. Jordan Chandler then told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.[87] An official investigation began, with Jordan Chandler's mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched; multiple children and family members denied that he was a pedophile.[87] Jackson's image took a further turn for the worse when his older sister La Toya Jackson accused him of being a pedophile, a statement she later retracted.[88] Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted at his ranch. The search was required to see if a description provided by Jordan Chandler was accurate. Doctors concluded that there were some strong similarities, but it was not a definitive match.[88] Jackson made an emotional public statement on the events; he proclaimed his innocence, criticized what he perceived as biased media coverage and told of his strip search.[84] Jackson began taking painkillers, Valium, Xanax and Ativan to deal with the stress of the allegations made against him. By the fall of 1993, Jackson was addicted to the drugs.[89] His health deteriorated to the extent that he canceled the remainder of the Dangerous World Tour and went into drug rehabilitation for a few months.[90] The stress of the allegations also caused Jackson to stop eating, losing a significant amount of weight.[91] With his health in decline, Jackson's friends and legal advisers took over his defense and finances; they called on him to settle the allegations out of court, believing that he could not endure a lengthy trial.[90][91] Tabloid reaction to the allegations put Jackson in an unfavorable light.[92] Complaints about the coverage and media included everything from bias against Jackson, accepting stories of alleged criminal activity for money to accepting confidential leaked material from the police investigation in return for money paid.[93] On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandler family and their legal team out of court, in a civil lawsuit for $22million. After the settlement Jordan Chandler refused to continue with Police criminal proceedings. Jackson was never charged, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.[94] In May of 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975 during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.[92] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Lisa Marie for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[89] Lisa Marie explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[95] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.[89] Shortly afterwards, she tried to persuade Jackson to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover— he subsequently did both.[89] Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?".[89] Presley and Jackson married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy; the parties denied they had been married for nearly two months.[96] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life... that was sexually active".[97] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image in light of prior sexual abuse allegations.[96] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.[98]

1995–1999: HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood

One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Europe to promote HIStory. The statue illustrates the singer's flamboyant clothing and hair style, influenced by military imagery.

In 1995, Jackson merged his Northern Songs catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.[48][99] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits— HIStory Vol. I in 2001, the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for sevenmillion shipments in the US.[100] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20million copies (40million units) sold worldwide.[76][101] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for best album.[102] The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, sung and performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The single had the highest debut on the BillboardHot100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[102] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the BillboardHot100 chart.[68] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[102] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack.[103] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[102] In early 1996, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a press release charging Jackson with antisemitism regarding lyrics in the song "They Don't Care About Us", the fourth single from HIStory.[104] The song had originally been recorded with lyrics that included the phrase "Jew me, sue me", and "Kick me, kike me". The ADL complained and Jackson responded by saying he would re-record the lyrics before the album went into production. However the ADL's press release charged that Jackson had performed the song live and included the lyrics in question during the live performance.[104] The dispute over the lyrics upset long-time Jackson friend Steven Spielberg, who considered the song anti-semitic [105] The HIStory World Tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5million fans. The show, which visited 5 continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.[62] During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatologist nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he fathered a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince"), and a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson.[98][106] The pair first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.[107] Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.[108] After the couple divorced in 1999, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson, they remained friends.[109] In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it one of the best selling remix albums ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[110][111] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[27][102] Forbes placed his annual income at $35million in 1996 and $20million in 1997.[67] Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization Warchild, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[112] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.[113]

2000–2002: Label dispute, Invincible and third child

In 2000, Jackson was listed in the book of Guinness World Records for his support of 39 charities, more than any other entertainer or personality.[114] At the time, Jackson was waiting for the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him; this allowed him to promote his old material how he liked and prevented Sony from getting a cut of the profit. Jackson expected this to occur early in the new millennium, however, due to the fine print and various clauses in the contract, this revert date is still many years away. Jackson began an investigation, and it emerged that the attorney who represented the singer in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest.[111] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their music catalog venture. If Jackson's career or financial situation were to deteriorate, he would have to sell his catalog. Thus, Sony had something to gain from Jackson's career failing.[115] Jackson was able to use these conflicts as leverage to exit his contract early.[111] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.[111] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[111] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[116] Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote Invincible with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the US.[117] Six years after his last studio album and after spending much of the late 1990s out of the public eye, Jackson released Invincible in October 2001 to much anticipation. To help promote the album, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.[118] The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, and Slash, among other artists.[32] In the 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.[115] Invincible was a commercial success, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 10million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.[27][76][115] However, the sales for Invincible were notably low compared to his previous releases, due in part to a diminishing pop music industry, the lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute.[115] The album spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video. Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as Blanket) was born in 2002.[119] The mother's identity was never released by Jackson, but he has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells.[109] In November of that year, Jackson brought his new born son onto the balcony of his hotel room in Berlin, as fans stood below. Holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face, Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[120]

2003–2007: Documentary, trial and business ventures

In 2003, Sony put out a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album peaked at number 13 and was certified platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.[27][121] In a Granada Television documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson, the singer was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, who would later accuse him of child sexual abuse.[122] In the same documentary Jackson was observed spending large amounts of money in an apparently frivolous manner, when he spent $6million in a single store.[67] Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in order to commit that felony; all charges regarded the same boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was under 14 at the time of the alleged crime.[122]

Fans showing their support for Jackson after the entertainer is accused of child molestation in 2003

Jackson denied the sexual abuse allegations, saying that the sleepovers were in no way sexual in nature. Jackson's friend Elizabeth Taylor defended him on Larry King Live, saying that she had been there when they "were in the bed, watching television. There was nothing abnormal about it. There was no touchy-feely going on. We laughed like children and we watched a lot of Walt Disney. There was nothing odd about it."[123] During the investigation, Jackson's profile was examined by mental health professional Dr. Stan Katz; the doctor spent several hours with the accuser too. The assessment made by Katz was that Jackson had become a regressed 10-year-old and did not fit the profile of a pedophile.[124] The People v. Jackson trial began in Santa Maria, California, two years after Jackson was originally charged. During this period the singer became dependent on morphine and Demerol, a dependency which he subsequently overcame. He also suffered from stress-related illnesses and severe weight loss, that would alter his appearance. The trial lasted five months, until the end of May 2005, he was acquitted on all counts.[125][126][127] Jackson then relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[128] Sony BMG released Visionary: The Video Singles to the European market: a series of 20 of his biggest hit singles of the 1980s and 1990s. Each single was issued weekly over a five-month period in DualDisc format (DVD video on one side, CD audio on the other), and the whole group of discs was made available as a boxed set afterwards.[129] The box set was released in the US on November 14, 2006.[130] Reports of financial problems for Jackson became frequent in 2006 after the closure of the main house on the Neverland Ranch as a cost-cutting measure.[131] One prominent financial issue for him concerned a $270million loan secured against his music publishing holdings. After delayed repayments on the loan, a refinancing package shifted the loans from Bank of America to debt specialists Fortress Investments. A new package proposed by Sony would have had Jackson borrow an additional $300million and reduce the interest rate payable on the loan, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).[99] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although details were not made public.[132] Despite these loans, according to Forbes, Jackson was still making as much as $75 million a year from his publishing partnership with Sony alone.[133] One of Jackson's first documented public appearances since his trial was in November 2006, when he visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. He received eight records, among them "First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 Million Dollars in a Year" and "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time".[68] Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100million albums, at the World Music Awards.[76] Following the death of James Brown, Jackson returned to the US to pay his respects. He, along with more than 8,000 people, paid tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006.[134] In late 2006, Jackson agreed to share joint custody of his first two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe.[135] Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom in 2007. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[136]

I've been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old... As Charles Dickens says, "It's been the best of times, the worst of times." But I would not change my career... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.[137]

—Michael Jackson

2008–2009: Milestones, real estate, planned return to live performance

Neverland Ranch was Jackson's permanent residence from 1988 to 2005. Pictured is an aerial shot of the theme park area of the property.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Thriller, Jackson issued Thriller 25, comprising original material from the album, re-mixes, the previously unreleased song "For All Time" and a DVD. Two singles were released to moderate success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008". Thriller 25 was a commercial success, having done particularly well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe. It reached number two in the US, number three in the UK and top10 on over 30 national charts.[138][139][140] It was ineligible for the Billboard200 chart as a re-release, but entered atop the Pop Catalog chart, where it stayed for 11 non-consecutive weeks and had the best sales on that chart since December 1996.[141][142][143] In 12 weeks Thriller 25 sold over three million copies worldwide.[144] As of November 2008, US sales of Thriller 25 stood at 688,000 copies, making it the best-selling catalog album of 2008.[143] In November 21, 2008, news tabloids published that Jackson converted to Islam while in Los Angeles at the home of Steve Porcaro with British music star, Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam), and changed his name to 'Mikaeel', these however have not been confirmed by Jackson himself.[145][146][147][148][149][150][151] Other sources have suggested that he had converted earlier in 2007 when his brother Jermaine said he would convert to Islam.[152][153] To celebrate Jackson's 50thbirthday, Sony BMG released a compilation album called King of Pop in various countries. These albums included tracks from Jackson's group and solo career, all voted for by fans. The albums had different tracklists, according to how the fans of each nation voted.[154][155] Although it was not released in the US, King of Pop did reach the top 10 in the vast majority of countries it was issued in. It also charted in other countries, albeit lower, from imported sales.[156][157] Fortress Investments considered a foreclosure sale of Neverland Ranch to service a loan Jackson owed on the property, but ultimately sold the loan to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred the title of Neverland Ranch to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned an unknown stake in the property— Sycamore Valley Ranch was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC— the loan Jackson owed was cleared, he acquired $35 million in the venture.[158][159][160] At the time of his death, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2arena, from July13, 2009, to March6, 2010. During a publicity press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.[161] Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, had stated that the first 10 dates alone would have earned the singer approximately £50million.[162]

2009: Death

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On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at a rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by his personal physician were unsuccessful.[163] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:21pm (PDT),[164] and arrived nine minutes later at Jackson's location. He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.[165] Resuscitation efforts continued both en route to the UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour further after arriving at approximately 1:14pm (20:14 UTC).[163] He was noted to have already been in cardiac arrest by the paramedics who attended his house.[165] Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2:26pm local time (21:26 UTC).[166] Many news organizations were generally very cautious about the initial reports of his death.[167]

Media and a crowd outside the UCLA Medical Center following his death

The death was transferred to the Los Angeles County Coroner for investigation.[163] Jackson's body was transported by helicopter from UCLA to the LA Coroner's offices in Boyle Heights.[168][169] The autopsy was scheduled for Friday, June 26, 2009.[166] A final verdict on Michael Jackson's autopsy will only be possible after the toxicology test results are confirmed, which could take six to eight weeks.[170] It has been reported that police are preparing to interview Michael Jackson's personal doctor after the star's family suggested he died because of a drug overdose of Demerol, an opioid similar to morphine.[171] Jackson's death caused a large-scale outpouring of grief among fans, as they gathered outside the UCLA Medical Center and his Holmby Hills home.[172] Fans also gathered in New York City outside the Apollo Theater [173] and in Detroit outside Hitsville U.S.A., the old Motown headquarters – now the Motown Museum – where fans created a shrine.[174] A small crowd which included the city's mayor also gathered outside of Jackson's childhood home in Gary.[175] In the House of Congress, Congressmen Diane Watson and Jesse Jackson Jr spoke before the House about Michael Jackson, before asking members to observe a moment of silence in his honour[176]. In the United Kingdom, writers for the BBC soap opera EastEnders added a last-minute scene for the June 26 episode of the show where Denise Wicks (Diane Parish) tells Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) of Jackson's death. A spokesperson claimed the last-minute scene was added to "reflect to some extent the impact Michael Jackson's death has had".[177] News of Jackson's death spread quickly online, causing many websites to experience technical difficulties following the unanticipated swell of users. Google announced technical difficulties after a sudden increase in searches for "Michael Jackson" led the company to believe it was under attack from hackers, while social networking site Twitter reported a crash after record numbers of users used the site to spread the news of Jackson's death.[178] AIM, an instant messaging service operated by America Online, collapsed for forty minutes.[179] The company called it a "seminal moment in Internet history" and added "We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope or depth."[179] Wikipedia also experienced technical difficulties, and crashed at 3:15 PDT, reportedly due to excessive edits and user overload.[167] In the hours following Jackson's death, his record sales increased dramatically. His album Thriller climbed to number one on the American iTunes music chart, while another eight have made it into the top 40.[180] In the UK, where Jackson would have performed in less than three weeks, his albums occupied 14 of the top 20 places on the Amazon.co.uk sales chart with Off The Wall topping the chart. Nine of his albums were featured on the American iTunes Top 10 chart, including Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, and three compilations. In the UK iTunes store on June 26, thirty-nine of Jackson's songs were in the Top 100 best selling songs list, in addition to four Jackson 5 songs. Eight of his albums took over the top ten downloaded albums and the top five video downloads were all Michael Jackson videos. Along with this he also entered into the top top ten single downloads with "Man in the Mirror".[181] Less than four months before Jackson's death, one of his biographers, Ian Halperin, revealed that Jackson had a secret library of over 100 unreleased songs which he planned to release after his death to support his children.[182]

Musical style and performance

Themes and genres

Steve Huey of Allmusic asserts that throughout his solo career, Jackson's versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and genres.[183] As a musician, he ranged from Motown's dance fare and ballads to techno-edged new jack swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard rock guitar.[18] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.[24][184] Several critics observed Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads.[183][185][186] Prominent examples include the ballad "She's out of My Life", and the two disco tunes "Workin' Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor".[185] According to Huey, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[183] Notable tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature" and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[183][187][188][189] With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[189] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[188] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.[183] In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.[189] The anti-gang violence rock song "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey.[18][183] He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years.[183] In 1985, Jackson wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a central component of his life and music.[183]

"Thriller"

One of Jackson's signature pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984, utilizes cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger in his work.[23]

"Smooth Criminal"

One of Bad's signature pieces, released as a single in 1988, features digital drum sounds, keyboard-created bass lines and other percussion elements to give the impression of a pulsing heart.[190]

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In Bad, Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana".[191] The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" was a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror", an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution, improved on his earlier "We Are the World".[59] "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder.[59] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a stark paradoxical individual.[192] He comments the album is more diverse than his previous Bad, as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World".[192] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time".[193] The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs.[193] Dangerous contains sexually charged efforts like "In the Closet", a love song about desire and denial, risk and repression, solitude and connection, privacy and revelation.[193] The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire.[193] The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson finally opening up about various personal struggles and worries.[193] In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.[194] HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia.[195] Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media.[196] In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces.[195][196] In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not— shall we say— done him the honor of listening to it, but I’ve been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot".[197] Invincible found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins.[183] It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes hip hop, pop and rap in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".[198][199]

Vocal style

Jackson sang since he was a child, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably, either through puberty or a personal preference to align his vocal interpretation to the themes and genres he chose to express. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice "descended ever so slightly from boy soprano to his current androgynous high tenor".[18] In the mid-1970s, the singer adopted a "vocal hiccup" as seen in "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)". The purpose of the hiccup— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— was to help promote a certain emotion, be it excitement, sadness or fear.[20] With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[185] At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbered tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[186] 1982 saw the release of Thriller, and Rolling Stone were of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[189]

Michael Jackson - "Black or White"

The lead single from Dangerous, it remains one of his most successful songs to date. The single is described by Sony Music as a hard rock song.[200] The track contains many features of Jackson's vocal style, including the vocal hiccup he is known for.

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The release of "Bad" in 1987 displayed gritty lead vocals on the verse and lighter tones employed on the chorus.[23] A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelt "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him.[201] The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous; here Jackson used his vocals to intensify the split themes and genres described earlier. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone".[193] When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.[193] "In the Closet" contained heavy breathing and a loop of five scat-sung syllables, whereas in the album's title track, Jackson performs a spoken rap.[190][193] When commenting on Invincible, Rolling Stone were of the opinion that— at the age of 43—Jackson still performed, "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies".[202] Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness— that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".[190]

Music videos and choreography

USpatent5255452, filed by Jackson, described the anti-gravity lean used in the music video for Smooth Criminal

Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers.[183] According to director Vincent Paterson, who collaborated with the singer on several music videos, Jackson conceptualized many of the darker, bleak themes in his filmography.[203] Before Thriller, Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV because he was African American.[204] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition.[205] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[205][206] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated.[207] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Bollywood to prisons in the Philippines.[208] The Thriller short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.[68] In the 18-minute music video for "Bad"— directed by Martin Scorsese— Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. While he has described this as "choreography," it garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; Time magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameos roles in the future.[53][209] For "Smooth Criminal", Jackson experimented with an innovative "anti-gravity lean" in his performances, for which he was granted US Patent No. 5,255,452.[210] Although the music video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, in 1989, it was nominated for four Billboard Music Video Awards, winning three; the same year it won a Golden Lion Award for the quality of the special effects used in its production. In 1990, "Leave Me Alone" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.[66] The MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award was given to Jackson to celebrate his accomplishments in the art form in the 1980s; the following year the award was renamed in his honor.[77] "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music video, which, on November14, 1991, simultaneously premiered in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.[76] It featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violence. The offending scenes in the final half of the 14-minute version were edited out to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized.[211] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos.[212] "Remember the Time" was an elaborate production, and became one of his longest videos at over nine minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson, along with a distinct complex dance routine.[213] The video for "In the Closet" was Jackson's most sexually provocative piece to date. It featured supermodel Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. The video was banned in South Africa because of its imagery.[77]

Jackson and sister Janet angrily retaliate against the media for misrepresenting them to the public. The acclaimed video for "Scream" was shot primarily in black and white at a cost of $7 million.

The music video for "Scream", directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed. In 1995, it gained 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations— more than any other music video— and won "Best Dance Video", "Best Choreography", and "Best Art Direction".[214] The song and its accompanying video are a response to the backlash Jackson received from the media after being accused of child molestation in 1993.[215] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form; shortly afterwards Guinness World Records listed it as the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of $7million.[102][216] "Earth Song" was accompanied by an expensive and well-received music video that gained a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, Short Form in 1997. The video had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution and war. Using special effects, time is reversed so that life returns, war ends and the forests re-grow.[102][217] Released in 1997 and premiering at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, Ghosts was a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. The video for Ghosts is over 38minutes long and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's longest music video.[102][111][218][219]

Legacy and influence

Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, set in 1984

Michael Jackson was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. There are actually two stars bearing the name Michael Jackson in the walk, the other being that of the Los Angeles talk radio show host of the same name; while Jackson's name is marked with a record icon, the radio Jackson is denoted with a microphone icon. Jackson had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world. He broke down racial barriers, transformed the art of the music video and paved the way for modern pop music in his own country. Jackson's work, distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced hip hop, pop and R&B artists, including Mariah Carey,[18] Usher,[220] Britney Spears,[18] Justin Timberlake [115] and R. Kelly.[190] For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation through his musical and humanitarian contributions.[221] Throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.[32][222] He was a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of The Jackson5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. Jackson was also an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.[32] His awards include multiple Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone), 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career— more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era— and the sale of over 750million records worldwide, making him the world's best selling male solo pop artist.[30][68][76][223][224][225]

Queues for a Michael Jackson concert in Berlin in June 1988

He was characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power".[183] In the mid-1980s, Time described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley".[36] By 1990, Vanity Fair had already cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the history of show business.[66] Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley called him an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius".[226] In late 2007, Jackson said the following of his work and future influence, "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever."[227] His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500million; some analysts have speculated that his music catalog holdings could be worth billions of dollars.[67][228] Cited as one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.[76][229]

Michael Jackson Pictures

puddle_of_blood_28 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:38:18 CDT

Similarity

puddle_of_blood_28 — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:48:35 CDT

Canandaigua Academy Columbine High School

Canandaigua, N.Y. —

Police are carefully reviewing the footage, which shows Thomas Kane entering Canandaigua Academy with a concealed sawed-off shotgun, as well as “disturbing” drawings collected from his car and home.

___________________________

Littleton Colorado —

Columbine High School was the site of one of the deadliest massacres in modern United States history, which took place April 20, 1999.

Funny how our school almost became another Columbine High Case. This is a horrible tragedy, not just for the students and staff that could have been hurt, but for friends, family, as well as Mr. Kane himself. My heart goes out to all of you. You are in my prayers.

Home

puddle_of_blood_28 — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:14:29 CDT

Check Out Our New Location On MySpace..

http://www.myspace.com/in_memory_of_life

A Place To Pray

puddle_of_blood_28 — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:04:35 CDT

Tuesday Morning, In the City of Canandaigua NY,
A young man chose to take his own life in the bathroom of the local high school. I hope that this site will help me to start a prayer chain, in the memory of this young man. We in our City are in mourning. Please pray with us to help ease the suffering from this awful tragedy.

Canandaigua, N.Y. —

Police are carefully reviewing the footage, which shows Thomas Kane entering Canandaigua Academy with a concealed sawed-off shotgun, as well as “disturbing” drawings collected from his car and home.

DR. Paul Pearsall Biography

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:35:28 CDT

March/3/1942 - July/13/2007

Paul Ka`ikena Pearsall, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical neuropsychologist and Adjunct Clinical Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His former positions include Founder and Chief of the Problems of Daily Living Clinic at Sinai Hospital of Detroit, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Director of Behavioral Medicine at Beaumont Hospital, and Director of Professional Education at the Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. He is one of the most requested speakers in the world and the author of 15 international bestselling books, including most recently Toxic Success and The Beethoven Factor. His is also the author of the best-selling Nightingale-Conant audio program The Pleasure Principle. You can find more information about Dr. Pearsall at http://www.PaulPearsall.com.

Dr. Pearsall is a licensed clinical and educational psychologist specializing in the new field of psychoneuroimmunology - the study of the relationships between the brain, the immune system, and social systems including work and family life. His presentations range from speaking to business executives at sunrise at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, to professors and scientists at Oxford in England, to the 50 Governors of the United States in Northern Michigan, to doctors and nurses for the Surgeon General's office, to hundreds of families on the beach in Maui, Hawaii, to a thousand passengers in the main theater aboard the Crystal Harmony Cruise ship, and to transplant recipients and organ donors in Portland, Oregon. His presentations on the crucial balance between working, loving, and playing are universally met with standing ovations. nnBecause of Dr. Pearsall's wide range of clinical work, award winning research and writing, and teaching (he's repeatedly been voted professor of the year), he presents on a wide range of topics related to the psychology of personal and family well-being and healthy leading and working in business. He has given over 3000 international presentations to corporations, education, medical, governmental, and religious groups. Dr. Pearsall is the author of eight international best-selling books and a regular guest on national television shows including CNN, Oprah Winfrey, and Montel Williams. He often presents edu-concerts and, because he lives part-time on Maui, incorporates Hawaiian culture into his presentations for major meetings coming to Hawaii.

What we call "normal" in psychology is really a psychopathology of the average, so undramatic and so widely spread that we don't even notice it. —Abraham Maslow

Patsy's Parade

"I see the balloons!" screamed little Patsy. "I see the balloons! They're blowing them all up right there for the parade. But that little balloon won't stay up. It just can't hold air. It can't keep the air inside it. It must feel like me."

Patsy was a miracle maker. She was only eight years old but she had wisdom that many don't have even after decades of living. Her favorite statement was, "That's just the way." All of her games followed the rules of "the way." She was undergoing a bone marrow transplant as treatment for her leukemia. She was in the hospital room next to mine, and on this Thanksgiving morning, her screams were of excitement and not from the pain of the needles that usually began our mornings.

Patsy often sat with the nurses at their station. They needed her to boost their courage on one of the most stress-inducing units of any hospital. The entire floor was sealed off from the rest of the hospital and had its own air circulation to save us patients from contracting infections. Our immunity was down to zero because of chemotherapy and radiation, and our blood counts would have signaled death under normal circumstances. A common cold could have killed dozens of us within days. Masks, gowns, and sterile gloves were worn by everyone, including the limited number of visitors, who always seemed so afraid when they came to see us. Once on this unit, we patients seldom felt the touch of another person's skin against our own. There were many "almost hugs" that stopped short of contact for fear of contamination. We learned to signal our hugging by wrapping our arms around ourselves while our loved ones hugged themselves.

All of us were on the verge of death. Almost half of us would die. Most of us would be exposed to more radiation than the workers in the nuclear accident in Chernobyl. In fact, lessons learned from treating the victims of nuclear accidents were applied to the treatment of bone marrow transplant patients.

We were all in terrible pain, constantly vomiting and losing control of our bowels at the same time. We were sick with repeated infections, and festering oral sores from the chemotherapy grew so large that they almost sealed off our mouths and made swallowing nearly impossible. We were all losing weight and had to be fed through our veins because radiation treatments had burned our appetites away. We ached where needles had drilled into our bones to withdraw marrow samples. I have never known such pain as the sensation of my own marrow being sucked from deep within me.

A bone marrow transplant typically requires about two months of hospitalization in almost total isolation. Prior to this time, the most rigorous tests are conducted and, ironically, the candidates for a transplant must be in "good health" even though they are dying. A "donor transplant" is a process through which the patient receives bone marrow provided by someone who perfectly matches the patient's own. An autologous transplant, as in my case, requires the removal of the patient's own marrow from the hip and pelvic bones, sometimes "purging" or treating it with intense chemotherapy, and then placing the marrow back inside the body after the patient has had days of near-lethal whole-body radiation and/or chemotherapy. Including the diagnosis, evaluation, numerous tests, chemotherapy and radiation therapy transfusions, and lengthy recuperation during which the immunity of the patient is so low that every cough and sneeze causes a fear of death, the patient and his or her family surrenders any semblance of a normal life for about two years.

All of us looked like walking ghosts. "I have an idea for a new diet," said Patsy one morning when we all were getting weighed. "Everyone who wants to look skinny can come here to get chemicals and rays. Then they will look like us. They could go on our cancer diet."

We could hear each other retching during the night and crying all day, but Patsy would cry only for a little while. Then she would hop onto her metal stand, which held the IV bags and tubes that always dangled beside each of us. Each stand was hung with several different colored bags that ballooned out in fullness with toxic chemicals designed to burn away any growing cell in our body, the latest drugs to treat the many infections we all contracted, and nutrients to keep us alive while we were unable to eat and digest food. The chemotherapy medications were equal-opportunity killers. They attacked any fast-growing cell in the body whether or not that cell was a normal hair or stomach-lining cell or a killer cancer cell. The contents stung and destroyed our veins so completely that the multiple daily blood tests we received had to be taken from a plastic catheter surgically implanted in our chests.

In the middle of the night, the nurses would come to pop out the heparin seals that served as chemical corks to hold back the blood in our chest tubes. The blood would spurt out, sometimes soaking the patient, nurse, and the bed. Hundreds of blood tests were necessary to determine when transfusions would be needed to save our lives. We sometimes tried to pretend we were not awake when the blood was taken, but the smell of heparin and our own blood would nauseate us. We patients cal1ed this catheter the "Dracula Drain," but our feeble attempt at humor could not mask our terror.

When we were given platelets to increase our blood count, we would feel freezing cold. I shook so hard that I still have soreness in my joints and muscles. A sudden fever would result, followed by tremors, headache, and nausea. All of this was overwhelming for a grown man, but Patsy weathered each torturing procedure with humor and strength. Her presence permeated the entire unit.

Patsy loved to ride her IV stand, crouched so low that the nurses saw only what seemed to be an unguided stand moving past their high counter. Patsy sneaked by the nurses' station and rode what she called her Christmas tree IV stand every day, and we all laughed at this daily joke. She would often drag along dolls in her parade and demanded that patients who were out for a wobbly walk join her. We had to keep in line, because that was Patsy's way. The nurses and doctors came to rely on Patsy's procession as a boost to their morale and energy, and we patients came to see her parade as a form of protest against the overwhelming urge to give up.

Now, however, Patsy was losing her physical battle. The transplant had taken just too much from her, and although she had pulled through countless crises that should have killed her, this time she would not survive. A virus so small and so weak that almost any person would never be bothered by it eventually would take advantage of Patsy's lowered immunity and kill her. First, there would be a slight fever and then, within hours, Patsy would be gone. Still, she continued to humble all of us with her strength and the making of her miracles.

On this Thanksgiving morning just before the crisis that all of us feared could happen to any of us at any time, her cries were of excitement about preparations for the Detroit Thanksgiving Day parade that were taking place (by coincidence) right underneath her window in the hospital courtyard. She hollered with glee at the big, multicolored balloons, and we all clustered to Patsy's room, dragging our own Christmas tree IVs. Like prisoners pressed up against the bars of our cell, we looked down on the impending holiday celebration.

"But that one little balloon can't hold air," said Patsy. She had been unusually pensive the last several days, and we all noticed that Patsy's parade was not taking place as regularly as it once did. She became somber now as she pressed her nose to the hospital window. We pretended we could not hear her murmur, "That's just the way."

Suddenly, the little balloon inflated and floated away from its handler and up into the sky. "There it goes," yelled Patsy. "It's going to heaven, but the parade is still going to go on, isn't it? There are lots of balloons and air is everywhere. That's the way it will be." With her words, the little balloon's journey seemed to be a meaningful coincidence for Patsy and for us all.

The Timelessness of Miracles

After my own bone marrow transplant, I almost died from suffocation. A simple virus not unlike the one that took Patsy's life attacked my lungs. As the nurses rushed me to surgery and I gasped for air, my nurse Carolyn said, "Remember Patsy and her parades. Think of your lungs as balloons and try to fill them up with air. Find the way." That's all she said, but it was all she had to say. She knew I needed Patsy's spirit then. I could barely breathe, but I relaxed as I felt comfort in Patsy's principle of "the way."

I survived what was supposed to be an "always fatal virus" to bone marrow transplant patients, and I began to breathe again. I had been given strength from Patsy. I knew her to be a miracle maker. I knew her spirit was still making miracles for all of us. Patsy had not survived her own illness, but miracles are not measured individually and in linear time. The measure of miracles is not living to an old age but of living life with the confidence that there is much more to life than just a local living. Miracles are not measured as successes but as celebrations of the strength and eternity of the human spirit.

The healing energy of Patsy's living provides clues for what it takes to be a miracle maker. Patsy's life must be measured in the depth and meaning she brought to it, not in the number of her years and birthdays. The science principles of nonlocality and nonlinearity are proven through the power, pervasiveness, and permanence of who Patsy always will be. Patsy lives forever in her enduring relationship with all of us. The temple of miracles is in our relationships and in our connectedness to others, not in our body or our skills. I will never see a balloon or a parade without feeling Patsy's power.

If we use long life, heroic survival, and the conquering of disease as the exclusive criteria of a miracle, we are trapped into believing that miracles "happen" only to a chosen few. We seem to think that if we are very lucky, very good, or try very hard, a miracle will happen "to" us and we will achieve victory over time, space, disease, and grief. But miracles are not payoffs for earned cosmic points. Miracles occur when we perceive life from the perspective of the cosmic laws or the "way it is" in the universe.

If we are impressed only by the misguided miracles of levitation or by dramatic stories of heroic patients conquering disease, we fail to see the simple miracles of a cloud moving at just the right time, a silver lunar rainbow, or the glory of a Christmas tree IV protest parade in support of healing. We can copy and learn from miracle makers such as Patsy. They know how to do everyday miracles.

Miracle makers like Patsy have found the way. As philosopher Sengtsan writes, "For the unified mind in accord with the Way all self-centered striving ceases."1 In other words, miracles have little to do with the survival of the self unless that self is all of us. Miracle makers are aware of their nonlocality as when Patsy saw herself as one with the little balloon that escaped the confines of earth. They know that their chosen view of their world designs that world, as when Patsy made joyful parades in a place where funeral processions were more likely. They know of the principle of complementarity, as when Patsy saw our potential for marching in her parade even as we wobbled down the hospital hall. They know the hope that comes with the uncertainty of life, as Patsy seemed to know when she pensively looked out of her hospital window and said that the parade would always go on even though some balloons escaped. After more than twenty-five years of clinical work with my seventeen miracle makers and after my own near-death experiences, I now knew that we don't have to go to gurus or channelers to find our role models for miracle making; we just have to look for people like Patsy.

Spiritual Superstars

An elitism of miracles has evolved in recent years. Popular and scientific writers alike describe the "heroic patient who conquers a fatal disease" and gurus who have uncommon insight and clearness of thought. There is talk of channelers, precognizers, fortune-tellers, and mystics who are able to see what the rest of us cannot.

My professional and personal experiences have taught me that although some people may indeed have developed their God-given capacity for uncommon consciousness, they are only professional spiritual athletes. The true gurus are common people who are able to cluster coincidences around them and give them meaning. They are free from the constraints of a local, time-limited view of the world, but they have not surrendered their rationality in achieving that freedom.

The Common Consciousness Cosmonauts

Brendan O'Regan, vice-president for research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Sausalito, California, analyzed data on miracles that are reported all over the world. He visited Lourdes in France and Medjugore in Yugoslavia, where an apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared in 1981. He also reviewed more than 86o medical journals and more than 3,000 individual articles on "spontaneous cures" and "coincidental remissions."2 His detailed analysis provides insight into the characteristics of those seeking miracles and the quality of being open to the various manifestations of the miraculous.

Father Slavko, a Franciscan monk who holds a Ph.D. in psychology and lives and works at the shrine at Medjugore, has noticed common characteristics in those people who are healed by their experience of going there. O'Regan writes, "It's very often the people who come and don't determinedly want healing who are affected. They come with an open mind and ask for healing but they have not come with this as the single-minded purpose of their trip."3

My own experience working with my patients supports this "openness to the Way" orientation of the miracle makers. Just as it is not the library that causes us to learn, so it is not the shrines at Medjugore or Lourdes that provide the miracle. Miracle makers go to shrines for a place to do, not find, their miracle. It is not determination toward a specific goal, but rather acceptance of cosmic life laws and a desire to experience all sides of living to its fullest that sets the stage for miracle making.

The Home on the Range Approach

"You always seem to look so pensive," said Marjorie. She was the always-cheerful nurse who seemed to believe in what I called the "home on the range" approach to illness and healing. The famous song titled "Home on the Range" contains the phrase "where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day."

Although Marjorie's optimism was sincere, too often some people practice a pseudopsychology of mind-over-matter healing that suggests that we be upbeat, courageous, and maintain a positive attitude at all times. While there is nothing wrong with cheerfulness, I have found reflection, yearning, and private searching for life's meaning also to be key steps in the making of miracles. Crying in awe of the endurance of the human spirit is as healing as laughing in hope.

Suffering increases the potential for meaningful miracles because suffering increases our awareness of the nonlocality of the self. The suffering of cancer and its related treatments forced my attention away from "me" and toward a deep reflection on the nature of life and its meaning, a sense of my connection with everyone and everything, and direct, personal experience of the "Way" things are.

In his study of those who have made their own miracles, psychologist Brendan O'Regan did not see the ever-happy and cheerful orientation of popular psychology. He writes, "There is a sad, faraway look in their eyes . . . that is unmistakable. It seems like a kind of yearning for something, the search for a memory."4 O'Regan may have mistaken for sadness a contemplative state that I have seen in the miracle makers whom I have studied. The yearning of the miracle maker is a yearning for the finding of the Way. Perhaps the "farawayness" in their eyes was evidence of their realization of their nonlocality and the fact that none of us are trapped "here." The memory for which O'Regan's patients seem to be searching may be our collective capacity to transcend our physical state and to put our spirits to work in the making of our miracles.

Aldous Huxley writes, "The capacity to suffer arises where there is imperfection, disunity and separation from an embracing totality."5 A key step in making miracles is to be aware of how much more you are than just a body in a specific moment and place. Instead of being home on the range, miracles are found by working toward an awareness of our true nature as being everywhere.

Vittorio Micheli Went for a Walk

Miracologist and researcher O'Regan describes a case similar to my own.6 He discusses an event that happened in May 1962 involving a middle-aged Italian man with a large tumor in his left pelvic area. (My soccer-ball-size tumor was in the right side of my pelvis.) O'Regan reports that the tumor was so massive that it ate away this man's left hip and left him in excruciating pain. (My tumor ate away my right hip and the pain I experienced was immense and totally debilitating.) As in my case, a biopsy showed that the tumor was an aggressive, usually fatal, form of cancer.

For some reason, the man did not receive treatments for ten months. I was misdiagnosed for eight months, and in both of our cases, our skeletons were being destroyed. The man went to Lourdes, where he was bathed. Reports from the Medical Commission of Lourdes record that, exactly as I experienced, the man had lost significant amounts of weight, was in constant pain, and was unable to eat.

After his return from Lourdes, according to O'Regan's report, Mr. Micheli began to regain his appetite and noticed more mobility in his legs. About one month later, doctors took X rays. The man's cancer, as in my case, had decreased significantly in size. Then, in May 1963, the tumor disappeared and, as reported by physician Larry Dossey, "Another event happened that was even more amazing than the disappearance of the tumor. The bone of the pelvis, hip, and femur began to regrow, and with time completely reconstructed itself! Two months after being bathed at Lourdes, Vittono Micheli went for a walk."7

The physician's report of Mr. Micheli's case read, in part, "The X rays confirm categorically and without doubt that an unforeseen and even overwhelming bone reconstruction has taken place of a type unknown in the annals of world medicine. The patient is alive and in a flourishing state of health nine years after his return from Lourdes."8

My own report reads, "Dr. Pearsall has experienced a miraculous cure. His prognosis is excellent." My X rays had to be repeated because the radiologists could not be convinced that my current films were truly my own. "There has been a terrible mistake," one doctor said to me. "We lost your X rays and we have the wrong set. This man's bones are fully intact." Repeat X rays confirmed the miracle. Vittorio and I lived a very similar miracle.

I did not go to Lourdes, but I did go to my family and to my healing place in Maui. I employed several assistant miracle makers from the ranks of doctors and nurses. My nurses Carolyn, Marjorie, Betsy, and others never let local problems determine my fate. They never yielded to the certainty that can convert a diagnosis to a verdict, and they never allowed the limited point of view of an expert observer to determine the course of my healing or prevent them from helping to save my life in any way they could. The skilled and creative team of doctors on the Bone Marrow Transplant Team at Harper Hospital of Detroit (part of the Wayne State University Medical Center) were always open to the complementary side of every medical option. While they battled my disease on a "particle" level, my little "medicine girl" Patsy, my family, and the other courageous patients on my transplant unit kept me connected with the life-saving "waves" of love. Miracles are always an "us" thing, and miracle makers are very good at making nonlocal, spiritual connections with people (I will examine the loving nature of the miracle maker in more detail in chapter 5). Every day, there are miracles in families who manage to give their impaired children joyful lives, who survive the ravages of substance abuse, and who hold together as individuals and as a family through the most trying times. Miracles are not reserved for heroic "survivors." Miracles are made when people live life with meaning and satisfaction, even when negative circumstances surround them.

The Midas Mistake and the Danger of Making Wishes

Miracle making has nothing to do with making wishes. People who make wishes are taking a dangerous risk. As in fairy tales, most of our wishes come true. Unfortunately, we usually regret getting what we wished for because our wishes ultimately contradict the principles of the cosmos. We make the mistake of wishing for "our" way instead of the Way of Patsy's principle.

We tend to make what I call the "Midas Mistake." King Midas wished that everything he touched be turned to gold. He got his wish, and with it he lost forever the warmth and loving he really needed as those around him turned to cold, unresponsive gold metal. The miracle he wished for ultimately isolated and destroyed him and all those around him.

If we wish for miracles, we not only fail to exercise our own miracle-making capabilities but we are trying to assume the impossible position of a nonparticipant observer who is asking the world to change around, but not because of, us. Moreover, we run the risk of suffering from the attainment of our wish, because our certainty about how our world "should" be conflicts with the uncertainty principle that rules the cosmos. Wishing implies that having all of something is better than having a complementary balance in living. This conviction violates the complementarity principle. Miracle making involves the active embracing of the Way of our spiritual life, but it does not imply an acquiescent, helpless view of living. The act of wishing, in contrast, suggests a passive role rather than the participatory observer role so basic to the laws of the cosmos. Wishing denotes a request for intervention from "without," which violates the law of nonlocality that emphasizes the unity of everything and everyone. Miracle making represents a discovery of a new way of knowing from "within." If wishing is longing for love, then miracle making is active loving through every crisis and challenge in daily living.

If you wish for perfect health forever, you will never know what perfect health really is because you will never know the complementary side of health, which is illness. If you wish for perfect love with no conflict in your relationships, you will never value fully the miracle of being loved because you have never known the pain of its loss. Wished-for love is a passive love; love attained is an active, volitional state. Just as miracles do not happen to us, love does not happen to us. We make love by doing it, showing it, and realizing that, like illness is a part of health, so hurt and loss are a part of loving. Finally, if you wish for immortality, you will not share the full journey of life with those you love. You will end up always being the person losing other persons and never be the person who is lost.

When I teach about the art of miracle making, I ask my patients and students to ask themselves the following question: If you could have just one wish and be guaranteed that your wish would come true, what would that wish be? No matter what they answer, I ask them to consider the principle of complementarity: What about the exact opposite of your wish? Might that not make you equally happy in a different way? Are you really so certain about your wish?

If you wish for wealth, for example, would you not be as happy with simplicity? If your wish were granted, would you truly be happy with the complexities and obligations that come with wealth? If you wish for health, would you ever want to know what everyone else will know and learn from their times of sickness and suffering; will you miss the blessed feeling of renewed energy, the resumption of living, and the spiritual introspection that come with illness? Would you want to be the only one among your friends and loved ones who was healthy, unable to understand others' suffering?

We humans tend to think that if a little bit of something is nice, even more would be better.9 This is the local, one-cause-equals-one-effect, linear view of the world. Actually, the laws of physics teach that a little bit of something is just enough so long as we remember the complementary side of everything we think we want or need. That is why miracle makers are not wishers for more; they are readers of what is. They are active and participating observers of their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Becoming Miracle Prone

Based on my own experiences with miracles,10 my clinical study of meaningful coincidences and of seventeen patients who beat the odds by not allowing a diagnosis of death to be a wrongful verdict of nothingness, and research by others in this most exciting of human adventures, I have identified six characteristics of people who are what I call miracle prone. These are

A confident, erect posture with eyes that convey a spiritual energy and a knowing beyond the rational, logical, simplistic knowing of everyday living. They seem to know that their role of observer is crucial to what they will see.

Experience with several crises, and in the process, the development of a psychic toughness, as well as an awareness that there is always a complementary side to even the most apparently hopeless situation.

A yearning for much more from life than mere coping, survival, success, and security. A desire to behave in ways compatible with our nonlocality or transcendence of the here and now. A simplicity of lifestyle free of the need to acquire goods and possess expensive, complex things.

An abnormal attitude in the sense that they are creative and have avoided becoming "well adjusted" to a linear, stressful, see-and-touch world.

A tendency to be psychic gamblers because they are willing to take risks for the fulfillment of their dreams and to give meaning to the signals sent by the coincidences in their lives. They think in a freewheeling style that reflects the uncertainty of all of life.
The remainder of this chapter will explore each of these characteristics in greater detail. I invite you to learn the skill of miracle making from this list, for it is a skill that most certainly will make your life much more lively—and may even save your life, as it did mine.

The Look of the Lucky

As Brendan O'Regan writes, people who experience miracles "are in a very different place psychologically, emotionally, and indeed psychophysiologically."11 Most miracle makers resemble this description by an oncology nurse who treated me:

Every one of the patients who made it happen, who made miracles, looked the same. It was in their eyes, their posture, their hands, and their body. They had a dreamy look, like they were somewhere else other than here getting their treatments. I even had to tell them when the treatment was over. It was like I had to bring them back to earth. They also had what I call gentle moving hands. They touched softly, easily, and gently. Maybe it was because they were all weak, but I think they touched like that naturally. They all stood upright, as if their body was being held up by something other than muscles and bones. And I know this sounds terrible, but they all seemed to be skinny. Not because they had lost weight or were sick. They were on the trim side, each one of them. That's it. Dreamy, skinny, gentle, and upright.12

I make no claim that my seventeen MMs are scientifically representative of a "type" of person. I am sure, however, that they and I were physically altered by the impact of a life orientation. I believe that miracle makers look "dreamy" because they experience the nonlocality of our existence. They look dreamy because they have a dream that transcends the here and now

The energy expended in making miracles can burn off calories just like any other form of exercise. If there is sometimes a gaunt, drawn look to miracle makers, it may be due to their constant energetic exchange with everyone and everything. These are players in the major leagues of our nonlocality.

Miracle makers move and touch gently because in many ways they are just barely in their own body. Movements are made of necessity, but the soul is of the essence.

I believe that miracle makers stand tall because they are buttressed by their awareness of the glory of it all; their appreciation of the unrestricted, unlimited, immortal human spirit. Their bodies are not just held up by muscle and bone. They are buoyed in the often turbulent sea of daily living by their cosmic connection.

There are many plausible explanations for this "look of the lucky." Perhaps poor appetite, fear, depression, helplessness, and side effects of their many physical problems contribute more significantly to the look than their choice of a nonlocal view of living. That is the traditional, easy, local view. I choose the more radical, nonlocal view. I hope you will make the same choice.

The Psychic Toughness Response

There have been numerous books and articles about the fight-or-flight response, the sexual response, and the relaxation response. Recent research suggests that there is also a "toughness response," a training of the body and mind to better tolerate the neurochemical effects of stress through constant stress exercise. Just as someone lifts weights to develop physical strength, so the person with psychic toughness has carried many heavy loads, thereby conditioning themselves through their minicrises. As a result, their psychophysiological strength and adaptability develops to a higher level of psychic fitness.13

When working with paraplegic men and women, I noticed that they typically showed this psychic toughness response. Perhaps because paraplegic persons are unable to use their bodies to cope with some challenges, they must develop a sharper mental toughness. They can lose their temper and get upset without paying the price that less-tough individuals pay when the killer stress chemicals shoot through the body, stimulating it to fight or flee.

The MMs all showed a psychic toughness. They had dealt with several stressors in their life before their present severe crises and had heightened coping capacity. In the film Lawrence of Arabia, T. E. Lawrence performs a minor miracle. He holds his hand over a candle flame until his flesh starts to cook. When his friend tries this same trick, he screams in pain as he pulls away He asks Lawrence if the flame did not hurt his hand. Lawrence answers, "Yes, but the trick is not to mind."

Like magicians mastering sleight of hand, the MMs all had learned the skill that I call sleight of mind. They had become psychically toughened by a series of pain and suffering, and they had learned not to react only with their body. Thus they functioned within the realm of nonlocality, dispersing their pain rather than focusing on it as an exclusive somatic experience.

I have attempted to describe the pain of my illness and treatments throughout this book. I have found the task to be impossible. In her essay "On Being Ill," author Virginia Woolf writes that our language can express the images of Hamlet and the tragedy of Lear, but "try to describe a pain . . . to a doctor and language at once runs dry." The description of pain eludes us because pain is such a subjective event. Because it is subjective, we ourselves give it most of its power and meaning.

When we have been forced to cope with severe pain many times, we learn a sleight of mind to prevent pain from overwhelming us. The miracle maker converts severe pain to an energy to escape local suffering to the safety of other realms of reality. If we have developed a psychological toughness, severe pain drives us from our body and into our souls.

A friend of mine asked me how I could possibly deal with a diagnosis of death and all of the related suffering of my disease. I answered, "Just like other people in my situation, this is not the first problem in my life. My wife and I struggled through painful tests to 'confirm' a diagnosis of infertility only to have our own biological child years later. We now have one son with cerebral palsy and another with a severe learning disability and dyslexia. My wife and I have seen our fathers die suddenly. I have had six surgeries and faced the possibility of blindness twice because of retinal detachments. We've been here before. We call it our agony aerobics. I think we've built up a torture tolerance."

My friend laughed, but I was serious. I believe that we can develop spiritual stamina. Following the principle of complementarity crises complement healing. Miracle makers use their problems to make themselves stronger. We learn to make miracles out of madness when we get used to dealing with madness on a regular basis.

If your own life seems problem prone, you are in forced training for miracle making. Your choice is whether to view the apparent unfairness of so many problems happening to one person or family as victimization or as a painful part of learning to make miracles.

Yearning for More

Miracle makers are actively engaged in a search for the meaning of life. No coincidence is a "simple" coincidence to the miracle maker. As one MM said, "Everything means something." Something inside the MM knows that there are many ways to know, and so the miracle maker is locked in the pursuit of a meaning to life that extends far beyond success and survival.

Two unusual words describe the focus of the miracle maker: ineffability and noesis. Ineffability refers to an experience of our nonlocality of such power, so different from the sense-oriented, local view of life that it almost defies description. "I can't say it or tell it," said eight-year-old Patsy, the little miracle maker on the bone marrow transplant unit. "It's really strange at night when you think you have a new bone marrow but you don't have a new you. Where are you and who are you? I don't know. I mean I think I know, but I can't tell it."

Patsy spoke in metaphors when she spoke of the balloon that broke away. Religious figures, prophets, and wise people often speak in parables, analogies, or riddles because they are trying to describe things that are indescribable using our ordinary vocabulary. Illustrating meaning through metaphor is one way to communicate the ineffable.

Noesis refers to the sense of heightened clarity and nonlocality that miracle makers experience. Early works refer to such knowing as "cosmic consciousness"15 or "peak experiences."16 Psychologist Roger Walsh writes of this reality as being "so discordant with our usual picture of reality, so paradoxical, as to defy description in traditional terms and theories and to call into question some of the most fundamental assumptions of Western science and philosophy."17

If you choose to be a miracle maker, another choice you will have to make is whether or not you are willing to embark on a search for the meaning of the cosmic occurrences and meaningful miracles that show our human spirit in action.

We must, of course, earn our living, raise our children, and survive in the whirlwind of obligations of daily life. We must do what is necessary to adapt to the see-and-touch world, but we must realize that no matter how much we are "doing," we can still contemplate our "being" and our purpose for being. Like everyone else, I spend time balancing my checkbook, paying my taxes, going to the dentist, cleaning the house, and fixing the car. Even as I do what is necessary, however, the principle of complementarity causes me to think of how close I have come to not being able to do anything again. I think about what is truly miraculous about being alive and ponder why I am doing what I am doing. I can remember my dreams and monitor my life for its fit with those dreams. Am I loving enough, working at what I choose to work at, writing books I believe in, reading what I would like to read, and spending time with my loved ones? Am I remembering my connection with everyone, my responsibilities to the world ecology and to the welfare of others, and the fact that I must never stop yearning for the miracle of peace, harmony and sharing? Whenever I start to feel too content, I know that such satisfaction stems from the see-and-touch world's seduction with doing rather than the miracle of our being.

Freedom from "Stuff-itis"

When you face death, one of the first things you learn is how unimportant "stuff" is. One of my seventeen MMs, a biophysicist who recently died of cancer, had created many of his own miracles before and during his illness. He had outlived the most dire predictions about his condition. He said,

I used to be a molecule collector. I was into getting more and more particles. Now, I'm a meaning collector. I'm into getting more and more waves, more and more energy in my life; more spirit and less stuff. My wife and I had so much stuff that we graduated to the postgraduate level of garage sale shopping: We found ourselves going to garage sales to find holders for the stuff that we bought at other garage sales! Now, I want to spend my time without stuff all around me. I want to feel sun and wind, the rain, the night. I want to feel myself thinking and feeling. I don't want stuff—getting stuff, finding and protecting and maintaining stuff—to get in the way anymore. I want to live my life, not spend it sorting through the clutter that really has nothing to do with living.

So I could visit my mother, we visited Michigan during the summer, and my wife set up a hospital room in our home there during my first chemotherapy As I lay in a hospital bed in the family room, I watched my neighbor trimming the large bushes around his swimming pool. My neighbor started in early spring and swore all summer long as he cut at the bushes he had planted there and the bushes cut him back. He saw no relationship between himself and the natural vegetation, which had become invading stuff that detracted from his more important stuff, such as his pool and walls of his house. I never saw him admire his landscaping as he struggled to control it. He found no joy in his yard, but at the end of the summer, I saw him bring home more than a dozen new bushes to fight with next spring. I promised myself that day that if I was given more time to live I would attend more to relating with instead of working on my world.

I have learned to take time to look at my yard at least as often as I work in it. Until I was forced by my illness to take the time to look, I never noticed how much time we spend maintaining rather than enjoying our life. Now, when I cut my lawn or prune my bushes, I copy my Maui gardener, Pete, who always paused to smell, talk to, touch, and look at the natural beauty around him. For the first time, I have seen where I live instead of rushing through my world. Now when I walk around my yard, I can feel the bushes, lawn, and flowers rather than see them as potential chores. They continue to cure me by their very presence, and I sense the miracle in the existence they share with me.

A key choice in learning to make miracles is deciding whether or not you will be a consumer or be consumed. There is little time for miracle making when you are busy fixing, repairing, maintaining, and getting.

Comedienne Erma Bombeck wrote, "Never buy anything that eats or needs repairing."18 This philosophy of simplicity can clear the way for more meaningful living. During one of the most dreadful moments of his illness, a young bank executive MM said, "I've done, gotten, broken, and fixed almost everything, but I don't remember living."

We all must take care of the place we live, buy clothes to wear, and keep some order in our lives. If we are to make miracles, however, we must remember that the stuff of our lives are only the necessary facilitators for our movement within our physical world, not objectives in themselves.

When I went into the hospital for my bone marrow transplant, the nurses told me that I could bring everything I needed. "You'll be living here for months, so bring what you need," said one nurse. I knew I would be busy trying to make miracles, so I wondered what I would really need to do so. What stuff would you take along for miracle making?

For me, the choice was easy I took plenty of paper and pens. I asked several of my family and friends to buy me books that they were sure I would not read. I asked for books I would never buy for myself. I was hoping that I could create some meaningful coincidences by this merging of paper, pen, and new ideas. My wife bought me a book titled What Are the Chances? by Bernard Siski and Jerome Staller. It's a thin book with nothing but statistical chances listed throughout.

One day, as I suffered through some particularly painful chemotherapy and was wondering how I could have come down with cancer when no one in my family had ever had it and I never smoked and had followed almost every healthcare warning, I grabbed the book my wife had given me, thinking that its lack of plot and simple listing of interesting facts would distract me. I randomly opened the book to the middle and read, "Radiological studies of the gastrointestinal tract . . . are 90 times [the radiation] that you are exposed to during a typical dental X-ray."19

Over the last fifteen years, I had received dozens of X rays of the abdominal area as part of the diagnosis and treatment of kidney stones, and I mentioned this at once to my doctors. They now tell me that it is possible that these powerful X rays may have contributed to my developing cancer. By coincidence, a meaningful clue to the etiology of my disease had been revealed, as well as a clue for preventing its recurrence by avoiding X rays as much as possible. A meaningful coincidence had taken place that would direct my healthcare.

The Energy of Insight and the Challenge of Change

As a therapist, I have noticed that meaningful coincidences happen very often to my patients just at a key time of transition in their life, when they are confronting a particularly difficult decision or choice, or when they are on the verge of a meaningful insight regarding their life situation. As psychologist Carl Jung suspected, it seems as if the therapist and the patient were able to tap into their collective unconscious, mobilizing the energy involved in significant synchronous events.20

This phenomenon of patient-therapist miracle making is confirmed by Swiss analyst and physicist Arnold Mindel.21 Award-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg (founder of the uncertainty principle) was impressed by Mindel's work and supported Mindel's conclusion that an enormous amount of energy is released at key times in our lives, explaining why synchronicities often occur around birthdays, deaths, falling in love, during important periods in psychotherapy, intense creative work, a change in profession, or serious illness and healing.22

Arnold Mindel gives the example of a mentally disturbed patient who claimed that he was Jesus, the creator and destroyer of light. At that very moment, a lighting fixture dropped from the ceiling, knocking the man unconscious.23 Therapist friends of mine describe similar coincidences taking place when there "seems to be a lot of changing energy going on." To make miracles, we must choose to make change happen, and as psychiatrist Scott Peck suggests, intentionally take the road less traveled. Peck writes, "Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually."24

Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Those things that hurt, instruct."25 When we choose change and make the effort to grow and become, we hurt. When we hurt, as from cancer, grief, or lost love, there is always the possibility of meaningful change in our view of our life. When we hurt and make transitions, meaningful coincidences and miracles take place. Miracle makers have chosen not to take the easy, "normal," well-adjusted road. They have chosen to create their own emergencies of spiritual growth and to take part in the wonderful events that happen when the energy of an evolving spirit is set free.

Taking the Gamble of Creativity

As pointed out earlier, most of the major discoveries of our world are related to meaningful coincidences. One of the primary characteristics of miracle makers is their constant surveillance for coincidences in their lives and their willingness to take the gamble of following the lead of a miracle.

When we coincidentally discover a picture of a relative whom we have not seen for years, we may choose to look at it briefly and put it away or we may "gamble" by giving meaning to the coincidence and trying to make contact with that relative immediately. One MM said, "I was cleaning our basement and found an old toy my sister and I had played with years and years ago. I was going to just throw it away and keep cleaning, but instead I stopped working, went to the phone, and called her long distance. When she answered the phone, she was crying. She said, 'I was just feeling so lonely. Your call came at just the right time.'" The MM's gamble paid off.

One of the most creative men of the last century was Buckminster Fuller. He wrote, "None of us is a genius. Some of us are just less damaged than most."26 He meant that some of us manage to escape the confines of traditional education, which stresses compliance and achievement at the price of creativity. If you want to make your own miracles, you might learn from the miracle makers and become a coincidence gambler.

Jungians, those therapists who follow the research and writing of psychologist Carl Jung, refer to the "Gambler Syndrome." The Jungian gambler is a person who is willing to risk everything on the metaphorical turn of a given card in the game of life. Such major chance taking is sometimes necessary when the stakes are high, such as times of decision regarding a major medical treatment or the choice of someone to love for life.

"More than 40 percent of patients such as yourself who get a bone marrow transplant do not survive the procedure, the X rays, and the chemotherapy. We cannot tell you what to do. The decision is yours," said Dr. Lyle Senrisenbrenner, who was leader of the transplant team at Harper Hospital. He is a robust man with a mustache that makes him look like one of the captains of the charter boats in Maui's Maalaea Bay. My wife says that he is of average height, but—probably because he helped save my life and because I was always in a wheelchair or hospital bed looking up at him for hope—I remember him as a giant of a man. On this occasion, he explained to my wife and me all of the details relating to one of the most dramatic treatments for cancer in modern medicine: the bone marrow transplant with its whole-body radiation and an almost totally destructive form of chemotherapy.

My wife and I decided to go ahead with the treatment. When we returned for my final preparation, however, the nurse said, "I'm sorry but before we can proceed, Dr. Sennsenbrenner wants to talk to you and your wife. He'll see you after lunch."

I said, "Something is wrong, isn't it? We are not going to be able to do this one thing that can save my life?"

The nurse answered, "You'll have to talk with Dr. Sennsenbrenner."

That nonanswer was answer enough. After the agony of deciding whether or not to undergo a lifesaving procedure that could kill me, something was going to exclude me from the procedure.

My wife and I sat with our lunch untouched. We cried again as everything seemed to be coming down on us at once. I thought, "Psychic toughness is one thing, but this has got to be overtraining." Our lunch hour seemed more like a year. It ended with us sitting miserably in Dr. Sennsenbrenner's office.

As always, Dr. Sennsenbrenner rushed into his office. He sat down at a table with his nurse, rny wife, and I. "I'm afraid there may be something wrong with your bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant will be more difficult now. We'll have to treat your marrow, too, so the risks are all increased."

"You won't tell me what you think my chances are, will you?" I asked him. "I gave you the statistics," he answered. "Since we'll have to purge your marrow, you probably have much less than a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the transplant and its aftermath. Without the procedure, you will likely not survive for long, but most of your last months would not be as terrible as some of the transplant procedure side-effects will be. I'm sorry but, of course, it's your decision," he answered.

I felt like a gambler about to turn over the one card that either would total twenty-one or cause me to lose everything and suffer dreadfully in the process. In that instant, I felt a severe shot of pain through my hips, where my cancer was. My wife asked, "What's wrong? You must have jumped a foot in the air. You almost levitated right up to the ceiling!"

"Just a reminder, I guess," I answered, knowing now that I would gamble everything to be given the chance to live. I took that chance. The fact that my own marrow was treated for cancer did put me in much more jeopardy. There was now the chance that my marrow would not survive the purging and lay dead in its storage container in the basement of the hospital while my body starved to death for the cells that only marrow can produce. Now, both my marrow and I would have to undergo treatment separately and hope that we would be safely reunited before one or the other of us was killed by our treatment. That one major gamble is partly responsible for the fact that all of my cancer is gone.

At home, before my hospitalization for the transplant and while waiting for the nine-inch wound left by exploratory surgery to heal, I was filing away my lecture material and preparing to take the risk of my life. As I shuffled things around, a piece of paper floated to the floor. I picked it up and read it. It was a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson that I had written down for future lectures. It read, "Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well."27 I was ready to play the game to the fullest.

The seventeen MMs were all gamblers in the sense described here. One young woman reported, "I just wasn't sure about loving him. I mean, he seemed to be the one for me, but it was going to be a big risk. He was not divorced yet, he was older than I, and he came from a totally different educational and religious background. I was sitting there looking at his picture and eating peanuts. I was throwing them high in the air and trying to catch them in my mouth. They kept hitting me in the eye and on the forehead. Then, for some reason, I decided that if that next peanut goes in my mouth, I'm going to go for it. I'm going to get serious about him. I threw the next peanut higher than any other, and it seemed to hover in the air trying to make up its mind. It was a direct hit. We're happily married now. It's a lucky thing that peanut hit the target."

This story may sound strange, and it may seem to be poor judgment to base a romantic decision on hand and mouth coordination. But like this woman, all of the MMs were gamblers who used coincidence as part of the process of their decision making. This woman fully acknowledged all of the other key variables that go into lasting love, but her decision to work at loving revolved around one key "card" in the game of her life.

Miracle makers often take such risks because they trust that there is something inside them that seems to guide them in the right direction. They also trust their ability to judge the significance of the clues provided by synchronicity and coincidence. They place their bets, but they are sure that they are the ones who provide the energy for the spin of the wheel.

Miracle Making as a Common Human Trait

Author Joseph Priestley whose collection of coincidences I referred to earlier, writes, "There is nothing supernormal and miraculous about this larger temporal freedom of the dreaming self. It is not a privilege enjoyed by a few very strange and special people. It is a part of our common human lot."28

I have presented six of the basic characteristics of miracle makers. Each characteristic represents a choice you must make about your own laws of living before you will be able to claim your birthright as a miracle maker:

You must choose between being creative, open, and vulnerable to the unpredictable energy of spiritual growth or accepting the more predictable local life of the here and now (principle of nonlocality).

You must choose between accepting transitional life crises as psychic toughening exercises and a necessary part of attending soul school here on earth or viewing the transitions and tragedies of daily living as punishment or as proof of the bumper sticker axiom that reads "Life's a bitch and then you die" (principle of complementarity).

You must choose between pursuing your yearning for a spiritual life that connects you with everyone and everything and being teased by a sense that there is more to life than your local existence or immersing yourself in the more known quantities of local laws: immediate pain, periodic pleasure, and easy and quick closure when decisions and problems arise (uncertainty principle).

You must choose between a view of life that emphasizes simplicity: freedom from acquiring things, goods, and money, or an outlook on life that stresses doing and getting more and more until the things of your life become the focus of your living (observer participantcy).

You must choose to utilize as a source of learning the energy released at times of personal decision and development, challenges, changes, and transitions of your life rather than adopt the view that things happen randomly to us and have little meaning other than as aggravations and threats to our survival and happiness (principle of nonlocality).

Most of all, if you are to make your own miracles, you must choose to be a gambler. You must not be foolhardy or reckless, but you must be vigilant for those times when all of the cards are on the table and it is time, as the saying goes, "to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them." You might at first choose to hold and play your cards by taking small chances that follow your spiritual sense and playing when others would decide to leave the game or watch others play. You must choose to put yourself in the miracle position, opening the way for the coincidence clusters that fuel miracles (observer participantcy).
Miracle makers have chosen to show a patience, forgiveness, generosity, truthfulness, and equanimity that I call "loving kindness." Every one of the seventeen miracle-making patients whom I studied showed loving kindness in all that they did. This seemed to be the catalyst for the explosion of a meaningful miracle in their life.

Find the original article here.

NOTES

1. Sengtsan, Verses on the Faith Mind, trans. E. R. Clarke (Sharon Springs, NY: Zen Center, 1975).
2.Brendan O'Regan, "Healing, Remission, and Miracle Cures," Institute of Noetic Sciences Special Report (May 1987): 3-14.
3. Ibid., 11.
4.Ib Ibid., 11.
5.Aldous Huxley, The Perennial Philosophy (New York: Harper & Row,
1944), 227.
6.O'Regan, "Healing, Remission, and Miracle Cures," 9.
7.Larry Dossey, Recovering the Soul: A Scientific and Spiritual Search (New York: Bantam Books, 1990), 76.
8.O'Regan, "Healing, Remission, and Miracle Cures," 9.
9.In his book Recovering the Soul, physician Larry Dossey writes that the wish for the ultimate source of energy has resulted in the crises at Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island. The danger of wishing rather than making meaningful miracles that apply to our daily lives and take into consideration the principle of complementarity extends to our culture. See Mary Catherine Bateson, "The Revenge of the Good Fairy," Whole Earth Review 55 (Summer 1987): 34-48.
10.As I continue to review the seventeen case records of the miracle makers whose words are included in this book, I have noted a significant cluster of characteristics that form the basis for a description of a miracologist, or someone who makes miracles. A detailed report focusing on the psychological toughness and the sleight of mind characteristics is in preparation.
My students and colleagues have also noted that these seventeen cases reveal that each miracle maker was also a "sensuist" in that they all rejoiced in touching, holding, smelling, tasting, hearing, and seeing their world (sensualists, in contrast, are concerned only with sexual feelings). One of the most beautifully poetic and scientifically accurate books regarding the senses is Diane Ackerman's A Natural History of the Senses (New York: Random House, 1990).
11.O'Regan, "Healing, Remission, and Miracle Cures," 9.
12. This, and all of the quotes from patients and healthcare workers who have been a part of miracles, are drawn from my seventeen case records mentioned earlier.
13. Richard Dienstbier, "Arousal and Physiological Toughness: Implications for Mental and Physical Health," Psychological Review 96, no.1 (1989): 84-100.
14. Quoted in Charles Wallis, The Treasure Chest (San Francisco: Harper
& Row, 1983), 118.
15. William Bucke, "From Self to Cosmic Consciousness," in The Highest State of Consciousness, ed. J. White (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972).
16. Abraham Maslow, The Farther Reaches of Human Nature (New York: Viking, 1971).
17.Roger Walsh, "The Psychologies of East and West: Contrasting Views of the Human Condition and Potential," in Beyond Health and Normality, ed. Roger Walsh and Deane Shapiro (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983), 57.
18.Quoted in Robert Byrne, The Third—And Possibly the Best—637 Best Things Anybody Ever Said (New York: Antheneum, 1986), 43.
19.Bemard Siskin and Jerome Staller, What Are the Chances? (New York: Crown Publishers, 1989), 61.
20. M. L. von Franz, On Divination and Synchronicity (Toronto: Inner City Books, 1980).
21. Arnold Mindel, "Synchronicity, An Investigation of the Unitary Background Patterning Synchronous Phenomena," Dissertation Abstracts International 37, no. 2 (1976).
22. Werner Heisenberg, Physics and Beyond (New York: Harper & Row, 1971).
23. Quoted in E David Peat, Synchronicity. The Bridge Between Matter and Mind (New York: Bantam Books, 1988), 28.
24. M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1976), 16.
25. Quoted in Charles Wallis, The Treasure Chest (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983), 187.
26.Buckminster Fuller, Critical Path (New York: St. Martin's, 1981), 26.
27. Quoted in Charles Wallis, The Treasure Chest (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983), 120.
28. Joseph Priestly, Man and Time (London: W. H. Allen, 1978), 245.

Copyright © Paul Pearsall. All rights reserved. This excerpt is taken from "Miracle in Maui, Let Miracles Happen in Your Life." All rights reserved. Inner Ocean Publishing, 2001. Permission granted to reprint with author credit only.

Dr. Paul Pearsall is one of the most requested speakers in the world, having given over 5000 international presentations around the world. He has been invited back by every group he has addressed. He is a clinical psychoneuroimmunologist, clinical professor at the University of Hawaii, a member of the board of the State of Hawaiÿi Consortium for Integrative Health Care, member of the Heart Transplantation Study Team at the University of Arizona School of Medicine, and on the Clinical Advisory Board of the Cultural Healing Program at the Waimanalo Health Center on the island of Oahu. He is president and CEO of Ho`ala Hou, a non-profit research institute studying the application of ancient Hawaiian principles to modern living, working, loving, and health. He is a frequent consultant to national television, including CNN, Dateline, and 20/20.

Dr. Pearsall was trained at the University of Michigan and the Harvard and Albert Einstein Schools of Medicine. He served as chief of the psychiatric clinic at Sinai Hospital, director of behavioral medicine at Beaumont Hospital, and professor of clinical psychiatry and neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. He has authored over 300 professional journal articles and 14 best-selling books, all of which have been translated to several languages. His most recent books include THE PLEASURE PRESCRIPTION, THE HEART’S CODE, PARTNERS IN PLEASURE, and MIRACLE IN MAUI. His next book to be published in Spring, 2002 is TOXIC SUCCESS: HOW TO STOP STRIVING AND START THRIVING.

In his international presentations, Dr. Pearsall is often joined by one of the most established and revered halau in Hawaii to combine the latest scientific research about healthy living with the ancient Hawaiian lessons of aloha.

Vincent Price Filmography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:42:37 CDT

Filmography

Release Film Role Director

1938	Service De Luxe	Robert Wade	Rowland V. Lee
1939	The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex	Sir Walter Raleigh	Michael Curtiz
1939	Tower of London	Duke of Clarence	Rowland V. Lee
1940	The Invisible Man Returns	Geoffrey Radcliffe	Joe May
	Green Hell	David Richardson	James Whale
	The House of the Seven Gables	Clifford Pyncheon	Joe May
	Brigham Young	Joseph Smith	Henry Hathaway
1943	The Song of Bernadette	Prosecutor Vital Dutour	Irving Pichel
1944	The Eve of St. Mark	Pvt. Francis Marion	John M. Stahl
	Wilson	William Gibbs McAdoo	Henry King
	Laura	Shelby Carpenter	Otto Preminger
	The Keys of the Kingdom	Angus Mealey	John M. Stahl
1945	A Royal Scandal	Marquis de Fleury	Ernst Lubitsch, Otto Preminger
1945	Leave Her to Heaven	Russell Quinton	John M. Stahl
1946	Shock	Dr. Richard Cross	Alfred L. Werker
1946	Dragonwyck	Nicholas Van Ryn	Joseph L. Mankiewicz
1947	The Web	Andrew Colby	Michael Gordon
	The Long Night	Maximilian	Anatole Litvak
	Moss Rose	Police Inspector R. Clinner	Gregory Ratoff
1948	Up in Central Park	Boss Tweed	William A. Seiter
	Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein	The Invisible Man (voice only)	Charles Barton
	Rogues' Regiment	Mark Van Ratten	Robert Florey
	The Three Musketeers	Richelieu	George Sidney
1949	The Bribe	Carwood	Robert Z. Leonard
1949	Bagdad	Pasha Ali Nadim	Charles Lamont
1950	The Baron of Arizona	James Addison	Samuel Fuller
	Champagne for Caesar	Burnbridge Waters	Richard Whorf
	Curtain Call at Cactus Creek	Tracy Holland	Charles Lamont
1951	Adventures of Captain Fabian	George Brissac	William Marshall
1951	His Kind of Woman	Mark Cardigan	John Farrow
1952	The Las Vegas Story	Lloyd Rollins	Robert Stevenson
1953	House of Wax	Prof. Henry Jarrod	André De Toth
1954	Dangerous Mission	Paul Adams	Louis King
	Born in Freedom: The Story of Colonel Drake	Colonel Edwin L. Drake	Arthur Pierson
	Casanova's Big Night	Casanova (uncredited)	Norman Z. McLeod
	The Mad Magician	Don Gallico	John Brahm
1955	Son of Sinbad	Omar Khayyam	Ted Tetzlaff
1956	Serenade	Charles Winthrop	Anthony Mann
	While the City Sleeps	Walter Kyne	Fritz Lang
	The Vagabond King	Narrator (uncredited)	Michael Curtiz
	The Ten Commandments	Baka	Cecil B. DeMille
1957	The Story of Mankind	The Devil	Irwin Allen
1958	The Fly	François Delambre	Kurt Neumann
1959	House on Haunted Hill	Frederick Loren	William Castle
	The Big Circus	Hans Hagenfeld	Joseph M. Newman
	The Tingler	Dr. Warren Chapin	William Castle
	Return of the Fly	Francois Delambre	Edward Bernds
	The Bat	Dr. Malcolm Wells	Crane Wilbur
1960	House of Usher	Roderick Usher	Roger Corman
1961	Master of the World	Robur	William Witney
	The Pit and the Pendulum	Nicholas Medina Sebastian Medina	Roger Corman
	Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile	Benakon	Fernando Cerchio
	Rage of the Buccaneers	Romero	Mario Costa
1962	Confessions of an Opium Eater	Gilbert De Quincey	Albert Zugsmith
	Tales of Terror	Locke Fortunato Luchresi M. Valdemar	Roger Corman
	Convicts 4	Carl Carmer	Millard Kaufman
	Tower of London	Richard of Gloucester	Roger Corman
1963	The Raven	Dr. Erasmus Craven	Roger Corman
	Diary of a Madman	Simon Cordier	Reginald Le Borg
	Beach Party	Big Daddy	William Asher
	The Haunted Palace	Joseph Curwen Charles Dexter Ward	Roger Corman
	Twice-Told Tales	Alex Medbourne Dr. Rappaccini Gerald Pyncheon	Sidney Salkow
1964	The Comedy of Terrors	Waldo Trumbull	Jacques Tourneur
	The Last Man on Earth	Dr. Robert Morgan	Ubaldo Ragona
	The Masque of the Red Death	Prince Prospero	Roger Corman
	The Tomb of Ligeia	Verden Fell	Roger Corman
1965	War-Gods of the Deep	Sir Hugh, The Captain	Jacques Tourneur
1965	Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine	Dr. Goldfoot	Norman Taurog
1966	Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs	Dr. Goldfoot General Willis	Mario Bava
1967	The Jackals	Oupa Decker	Robert D. Webb
1967	The House of 1,000 Dolls	Felix Manderville	Jeremy Summers
1968	Spirits of the Dead	Narrator (English-language version)	Federico Fellini, Louis Malle, Roger Vadim
	Witchfinder General	Matthew Hopkins	Michael Reeves
	More Dead Than Alive	Dan Ruffalo	Robert Sparr
1969	The Oblong Box	Sir Julian Markham	Gordon Hessler
1969	The Trouble with Girls	Mr. Morality	Peter Tewksbury
1970	Scream and Scream Again	Dr. Browning	Gordon Hessler
1970	Cry of the Banshee	Lord Edward Whitman	Gordon Hessler
1971	The Abominable Dr. Phibes	Dr. Anton Phibes	Robert Fuest
1972	An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe	Recitator	Kenneth Johnson
1972	Dr. Phibes Rises Again	Dr. Anton Phibes	Robert Fuest
1973	Theatre of Blood	Edward Lionheart	Douglas Hickox
1974	Madhouse	Paul Toombes	Jim Clark
1974	Percy's Progress	Stavos Mammonian	Ralph Thomas
1975	Journey Into Fear	Dervos	Daniel Mann
1976	The Butterfly Ball	Narrator	Tony Klinger
1979	Scavenger Hunt	Milton Parker	Michael Schultz
1980	The Monster Club	Eramus	Roy Ward Baker
1980	Pogo for President: 'I Go Pogo'	The Deacon (voice only)	Marc Paul Chinoy
1982	Vincent	Narrator (voice only)	Tim Burton
1983	House of the Long Shadows	Lionel Grisbane	Pete Walker
1984	Bloodbath at the House of Death	Sinister Man	Ray Cameron
1985	The Little Troll Prince	Ulvik #1 (voice only)	Ray Patterson
1986	The Great Mouse Detective	Professor Ratigan (voice only)	Burny Mattinson, Ron Clements, David Michener, John Musker
1987	Sparky's Magic Piano	Henry, Sparky's dad (voice only)	Lee Mishkin
	The Nativity	King Herod (voice only)	Don Lusk
	The Whales of August	Mr. Maranov	Lindsay Anderson
	From a Whisper to a Scream	Julian White	Jeff Burr
1988	Dead Heat	Arthur P. Loudermilk	Mark Goldblatt
1989	Catchfire	Mr. Avoca	Dennis Hopper
1990	Edward Scissorhands	The Inventor	Tim Burton
1993	The Thief and the Cobbler	Zig-Zag the Grand Vizier (voice only, recorded 1967-1973)	Richard Williams

Vincent Price Biography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:38:25 CDT

Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American film actor, remembered for his distinctive voice, his 6-foot 4-inch stature and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films done in the latter part of his career.

Early life and career

Price was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Marguerite Cobb (née Willcox) and Vincent Leonard Price, Sr., who was the president of the National Candy Company.[1][2] His grandfather, Vincent Clarence Price, invented "Dr. Price's Baking Powder", the first cream of tartar baking powder, and secured the family's fortune.[3] Price attended St. Louis Country Day School. He was further educated at Yale in art history and fine art. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity and the Courtauld Institute, London. He became interested in the theater during the 1930s, appearing professionally on stage from 1935.

Career

He made his film debut in 1938 with Service de Luxe and established himself as a competent actor, notably in Laura (1944), opposite Gene Tierney, directed by Otto Preminger. He also played Joseph Smith, Jr. in the movie Brigham Young (1940), as well as a pretentious priest in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944).

As Mr. Manningham in Angel Street, in which he had a three year run, photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1942.

Price's first venture into the horror genre was in the 1939 Boris Karloff film Tower of London in which his character was murdered by Karloff's. The following year he portrayed the title character in the film The Invisible Man Returns (a role he reprised in a vocal cameo at the end of the 1948 horror-comedy spoof Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein). In 1946 Price reunited with Gene Tierney in two notable films, Dragonwyck and Leave Her to Heaven. There were also many villainous roles in slick film noir thrillers like The Web (1947), The Long Night (1947), Rogues' Regiment (1948) and The Bribe (1949) with Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner and Charles Laughton. He was also active in radio, portraying the Robin Hood-inspired crime-fighter Simon Templar, aka. The Saint, in a series that ran from 1943 to 1951. In the 1950s, he moved into horror films, with a role in House of Wax (1953), the first 3-D film to land in the year's top ten at the North American box office, and then the monster movie The Fly (1958). Price also starred in the original House on Haunted Hill (1959) as the eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. (Geoffrey Rush, playing the same character in the 1999 remake, was not only made to resemble Price, but was also renamed Steven Price.) In between these horror films, Price played Baka in The Ten Commandments.

1960s

In the 1960s, Price had a number of low-budget successes with Roger Corman and American International Pictures (AIP) including the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations House of Usher (1960), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Tales of Terror (1962), The Comedy of Terrors (1963) The Raven (1963), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), and The Tomb of Ligeia (1965). He also starred in The Last Man on Earth (1964), a film based on the Richard Matheson novel I Am Legend. In 1968 Price gave an iconic, coldly menacing, performance as Matthew Hopkins the "Witchfinder General" in the film of the same name.[4] He also starred in comedy films, notably the cult-classic Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965). In 1968 he played the part of an eccentric artist in the musical Darling of the Day opposite Patricia Routledge, displaying an adequate if untrained singing voice. He often spoke of his pleasure at playing Egghead in the Batman television series. One of his co-stars, Yvonne Craig (Batgirl), said Price was her favorite. In an often-repeated anecdote from the set of Batman, Price, after a take was printed, started throwing eggs at series stars Adam West and Burt Ward, and when asked to stop replied, "With a full artillery? Not a chance!", causing an eggfight to erupt on the soundstage. This incident is reenacted in the behind-the-scenes telefilm Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt. It was also in the 1960s that he began his role as a guest on the game show The Hollywood Squares, even becoming a semi-regular in the 1970s, including being one of the guest panelists on the finale in 1980.[5] He was known for usually making fun of Rose Marie's age, and using his famous voice to answer maliciously to questions.

Later career

During the early 1970s, Price hosted and starred in BBC Radio's horror and mystery series The Price of Fear. Price accepted a cameo part in the children's television program The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (1971) in Hamilton, Ontario Canada, on the local television station CHCH. In addition to the opening and closing monologues, his role in the show was to recite poems about the show's various characters, sometimes wearing a cloak or other costumes.[6] He also appeared in The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) and Theatre of Blood (1973), in which he created a pair of campy serial killers. Price also recorded dramatic readings of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and poems, which were collected together with readings by Basil Rathbone. He greatly reduced his film work from around 1975, as horror itself suffered a slump, and increased his narrative and voice work, as well as advertising Milton Bradley's Shrunken Head Apple Sculpture. Price's voiceover is heard on Alice Cooper's first solo album, Welcome to My Nightmare from 1975, as well as the TV special Alice Cooper-The Nightmare. He starred for a year in the early 1970s in a syndicated daily radio program, Tales of the Unexplained. He also made guest appearances in a 1970 episode of Here's Lucy showcasing his art expertise and in a 1972 episode of The Brady Bunch, in which he played a deranged archaeologist. In the summer of 1977, he began performing as Oscar Wilde in the one-man stage play Diversions and Delights. Written by John Gay and directed by Joe Hardy, the play is set in a Parisian theatre on a night about one year before Wilde's death. In an attempt to earn some much-needed money, he speaks to the audience about his life, his works and, in the second act, about his love for "Bosie", Lord Alfred Douglas, which led to his downfall. The original tour of the play was a success in every city that it played, except for New York City. In the summer of 1979, Price performed it at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado on the same stage from which Wilde had spoken to miners about art some 96 years before. Price would eventually perform the play worldwide and to many, including his daughter Victoria, it was his finest role.

Vincent Price - "Thriller"

excerpt from the voiceover session for the 1982 album.
Problems listening to the files? See media help.

In 1982, Price provided the narrator's voice in Vincent, Tim Burton's six-minute film about a young boy who flashes from reality into a fantasy where he is Vincent Price. That same year, he performed a sinister "rap" on the title track of Michael Jackson's Thriller album. A longer version of the rap, sans the music, along with some conversation can be heard on Jackson's 2001 remastered reissue of the Thriller album. Part of the extended version can be heard on the Thriller 25 album, released in 2008. In 1983, Price played the Sinister Man in the British spoof horror film Bloodbath at the House of Death starring Kenny Everett, and he also appeared in the film House of the Long Shadows, which teamed him with fellow actors Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine. While Price had worked with each one of them at least once in the prior decade, this was the first actually teaming of all of them together. One of his last major roles, and one of his favorites, was as the voice of Professor Ratigan in Walt Disney Pictures' The Great Mouse Detective from 1986. From 1981 to 1989, he hosted the PBS television series Mystery!. Also, in 1985, he was voice talent on the Hanna-Barbera series The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo as the mysterious Vincent Van Ghoul, who aided Scooby Doo, Scrappy Doo and the gang in capturing thirteen evil demons into an ancient chest. During this time (1985-1989), he appeared in horror-themed commercials for Tilex bathroom cleanser. In 1989, Price was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. His last significant film work was as the inventor in Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands (1990). A witty raconteur, Price was a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, where he once demonstrated how to poach a fish in a dishwasher. Price was a noted gourmet cook and art collector. From 1962 to 1971, Sears, Roebuck offered the Vincent Price Collection of Fine Art, selling about 50,000 pieces of fine art to the general public. Price selected and commissioned works for the collection, including works by Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí.[7] He also authored several cookbooks and hosted a cookery TV show, Cooking Pricewise.

Personal life

Price was married three times and fathered a son, named Vincent Barrett Price, with his first wife, former actress Edith Barrett. Price and his second wife Mary Grant Price donated hundreds of works of art and a large amount of money to East Los Angeles College in the early 1960s in order to endow the Vincent and Mary Price Gallery there. Their daughter, Victoria, was born in 1962. Price's last marriage was to the Australian actress Coral Browne, who appeared with him (as one of his victims) in Theatre of Blood (1973). He converted to Catholicism to marry her, and she became a U.S. citizen for him.

Death

Price was a lifelong smoker. He had long suffered from emphysema and Parkinson's disease, which had forced his role in Edward Scissorhands to be much smaller than intended. His illness also contributed to his retirement from Mystery, as his condition was becoming noticeable on-screen. He died of lung cancer on October 25, 1993. The Arts & Entertainment Network aired an episode of Biography highlighting Price's horror career the next night, but because of its failure to clear copyrights, the show was never aired again. Four years later, A&E produced its updated episode, a show titled Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain, which aired on October 12, 1997. The script was by Lucy Chase Williams, author of The Complete Films of Vincent Price (Citadel Press, 1995). In early 1991, Tim Burton was developing a personal documentary with the working title Conversations With Vincent, in which interviews with Price were shot at the Vincent Price Gallery, but the project was never completed and was eventually shelved.[citation needed]

Legacy

In 1951, impressed by the spirit of the students and the community's need for the opportunity to experience original art works first hand, Price donated some 90 pieces from his own collection to East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, California, thus establishing the first "teaching art collection" owned by a community college in the U.S. Today, the Vincent Price Art Gallery continues to present world-class exhibitions, and remains one of the actor's most enduring legacies. The collection contains over 2,000 pieces and has been valued in excess of five million dollars. (On exhibit at The Vincent Price Gallery on the ELAC campus for free. Mon-Thu 12:00pm-3:00pm behind the F-5 Building) Price was an Honorary Board Member and strong supporter of the Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum located in Bristol, Connecticut until his death. The museum features detailed life-size wax replicas of characters from some of Price's films, including The Fly, The Abominable Dr. Phibes and The Masque of the Red Death.[8] A black box theater at Price's alma mater, St. Louis Country Day School, is named after him. Director Tim Burton directed a short stop-motion film as a tribute to Vincent Price called Vincent, about a young boy named Vincent Malloy who was obsessed with the grim and macabre. It is narrated by Price. Vincent Twice, Vincent Twice was a Price parody on Sesame Street. He was parodied in an episode of The Simpsons ("Sunday, Cruddy Sunday"). Price even had his own Spitting Image puppet, who was always trying to be "sinister" and lure people into his ghoulish traps, only for his victims to point out all the obvious flaws. Starting in November 2005, featured cast member Bill Hader of the NBC sketch comedy/variety show Saturday Night Live has played Price in a recurring sketch where Vincent Price hosts botched holiday specials filled with celebrities of the late 1950s-early 1960s. Other cast members who have played Price on SNL include Dan Aykroyd and Michael McKean (who played Price when he hosted a season 10 episode and again when he was hired as a cast member for the 1994-1995 season). The October 2005 episode of the Channel 101 series Yacht Rock featured comedian James Adomian as Vincent Price during the recording of Michael Jackson's "Thriller". In 1999, a frank and detailed biography of Price, written by his daughter Victoria Price, was published by St Martin's Griffin Press.

Jam (Master) Jay Discography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:31:49 CDT

Remixes:
Great Big Freak (12")	Great Big Freak (Remix...	Atlantic	1989
Serious Money (12")	Serious Money (Make So...	Warner Bros. Records	1989
Do It Again (12")	Do It Again (Super Def...	MCA Records	1990
Faces / Back From Hell (Remix) (12")	Back From Hell (Remix)...	Profile Records	1991
Greatest Misses (CD)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings	1992
Greatest Misses (2xLP)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings	1992
Greatest Misses (CD)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Chaos Recordings	1992
Greatest Misses (CD)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings	1992
Greatest Misses (2xLP)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings, Chaos Recordings	1992
Greatest Misses (CD, Album)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings, Columbia	1992
Greatest Misses (Cass)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings, Chaos Recordings	1992
Greatest Misses (CD)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings	1992
Louder Than A Bomb (12")	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings	1992
Louder Than A Bomb (12", Promo, Single)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment	1992
Louder Than A Bomb (CD, Single)	Louder Than A Bomb (JM...	Def Jam Recordings	1992
Shifftee (CD, Maxi)	Shifftee (Shytizon Rem...	JMJ, Rush Associated Labels	1993
Shifftee (CD, Maxi)	Shifftee (Shytizon Rem...	JMJ, Sony Music Entertainment Inc.	1993
Far Out (12")	I Hate Everybody (Jam ...	Independiente	1998
Far Out (CD, Maxi)	I Hate Everybody (Jam ...	Independiente	1998
Far Out (CD, Maxi, Promo)	Hate Everybody (Jam Ma...	Independiente	1998
I Hate Everybody (2x12", W/Lbl)	I Hate Everybody (Jam ...	Independiente	1999
I Hate Everybody (12", W/Lbl)	I Hate Everybody (Jam ...	Independiente	1999
Roc Fes '99 (CD)	I Hate Everybody (Jam ...	Epic Records (Japan)	1999
Scratches:
Sun City (LP)		Manhattan Records	1985
Sun City (LP)		Manhattan Records, EMI Music (Italy)	1985
Sun City (LP, Album)		Manhattan Records	1985
Production:
Slam / Shiftee / Throw Ya Guns / Black Vagina Finda (12")	Slam, Shifftee, Black ...	Boom Bap
You Be Illin' / Hit It Run (7")	You Be Illin'	Profile Records	1986
You Be Illin' / Hit It Run (12")		Profile Records	1986
Chain Gang (Rap) (12")		Elektra	1988
Chain Gang (Rap) (12", Promo)		Elektra	1988
Chain Gang (Rap) (CD, Single, Promo)		Elektra	1988
Chain Gang (Rap) (12")		Elektra	1988
Respect (12")	Her Bad Self (The Poss...	Select Records	1988
Respect (12")	Her Bad Self (Posse Mi...	Cooltempo	1988
Respect (12", Maxi)		ZYX Records	1988
Respect (12")		Friends Records	1988
Respect (CD, Maxi)		Friends Records	1988
Respect (7")	Her Bad Self (The Poss...	Friends Records	1988
Respect (CD, Maxi)		ZYX Records	1988
Roxanne's On A Roll (12")		Urban (2), Urban (2)	1988
Roxanne's On A Roll (LP, Album)	Roxanne's On A Roll, I...	ZYX Records	1988
The Real Roxanne (LP)	Roxanne's On A Roll, I...	Urban (2)	1988
The Real Roxanne (LP)	Roxanne's On A Roll, I...	Friends Records	1988
The Real Roxanne (CD)	Roxanne's On A Roll, I...	Friends Records	1988
The Real Roxanne (Cass)		Select Records	1988
Unity (LP)		Elektra	1988
It's All About Love (12")		Arista	1989
Nothing Can Stop Us (LP)		Arista	1989
Nothing Can Stop Us (12")		Arista	1989
Nothing Can Stop Us (CD, Album)		Arista	1989
Roxanne's On A Roll (12")		Select Records	1989
Roxanne's On A Roll (7")	Roxanne's On A Roll	Friends Records	1989
Roxanne's On A Roll (12", Promo)		Select Records	1989
Roxanne's On A Roll (The Norman Cook Remixes) (12")		Urban (2)	1989
Back From Hell (LP)		Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1990
Back From Hell (CD)		Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1990
Back From Hell (CD)		PolyGram	1990
Back From Hell (LP)		Profile Records	1990
Back From Hell (Cass)		Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1990
Back From Hell (LP, Promo)		Profile Records	1990
Back From Hell (CD, Album)		Profile Records	1990
Deep Heat 9 - Ninth Life - Kiss The Bliss (2xCD)	What's It All About	Telstar	1990
Faces (CD, Mini, Single)		Profile Records	1990
What's It All About / The Ave. (12")		Profile Records	1990
What's It All About / The Ave. (12")		Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1990
What's It All About / The Ave. (CD, Maxi)		Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1990
What's It All About / The Ave. (12")		Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1990
What's It All About / The Ave. (CD, Single, Promo)		Profile Records	1990
Born Suspect (CD, Album)	The Rib Man	Atlantic	1991
Def Before Dishonor (LP)		Interscope Records	1991
Def Before Dishonor (CD)		Interscope Records, EastWest	1991
Faces (7")		Blow Up	1991
Faces (Chad Jackson Remix) (12")		Blow Up	1991
Faces / Back From Hell (Remix) (12")		Profile Records	1991
Faces / Back From Hell (Remix) (12", Promo)		Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1991
Faces / Back From Hell (Remix) (CD, Single, Promo)		Profile Records	1991
Greatest Hits 1983 - 1991 (CD)	The Ave.	PolyGram	1991
Together Forever: Greatest Hits 1983 - 1991 (CD)	The Ave.	Profile Records	1991
A Very Special Christmas 2 (Cass)	Christmas Is	A&M Records (Canada)	1992
A Very Special Christmas 2 (CD)	Christmas Is	A&M Records (Europe)	1992
A Very Special Christmas 2 (CD, Album)	Christmas Is	A&M Records	1992
Bacdafucup (LP)		JMJ	1993
Bacdafucup (CD, Album)		JMJ	1993
Bacdafucup (CD, Album)		JMJ, Rush Associated Labels, Chaos Recordings	1993
Bacdafucup (LP)	Bacdafucup, Bichasnigu...	JMJ	1993
Born Gangstaz (CD)	Livin' Loc'd	Rush Associated Labels	1993
Born Gangstaz (LP)	Livin' Loc'd	DJ West	1993
Born Gangstaz (Cass, Album)	Livin Loc'd	Rush Associated Labels	1993
Born Gangstaz (LP + 12", Promo)	Livin' Loc'd	DJ West, DJ West	1993
Born Gangstaz (CD, Album)	Livin' Loc'd	DJ West	1993
Down With The King (CD)	To The Maker, Three Li...	Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1993
Down With The King (CD)	To The Maker, Three Li...	Profile Records	1993
Down With The King (2xLP)	To The Maker, Three Li...	Profile Records	1993
Down With The King (2xLP)	To The Maker, Three Li...	Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1993
Down With The King (Cass, Album)	To The Maker, Three Li...	Profile Records	1993
Judgment Night (12", Promo)		Epic	1993
Progress Of Elimination (12")		Rush Associated Labels	1993
Shifftee (12")		JMJ	1993
Shifftee (CD, Maxi)		JMJ, Rush Associated Labels	1993
Shifftee (12")		JMJ	1993
Shifftee (CD, Maxi)		JMJ, Sony Music Entertainment Inc.	1993
Slam (12")	Slam (Vocal), Slam (In...	JMJ	1993
Slam (12")		JMJ	1993
Slam (CD, Maxi)		JMJ	1993
Slam (12")	Slam (Vocal), Slam (In...	JMJ	1993
Slam (12")		JMJ	1993
Slam (CD, Single)		JMJ, Rush	1993
Slam (CD, Maxi)		JMJ, Sony Music Entertainment Inc.	1993
Slam - The Alternatives (CD, Maxi)		JMJ	1993
Throw Ya Gunz (12")	Bacdafucup, Shifftee (...	Columbia	1993
Throw Ya Gunz (CD, Single)	Bacdafucup, Shifftee (...	Columbia	1993
Throw Ya Gunz (12")	Throw Ya Gunz (LP Vers...	Sony Music Entertainment Inc.	1993
MTV Party To Go Volume 5 (CD)	Slam (Ultimix)	Tommy Boy Music	1994
Niggas And Bitches / Sherm Stick (12", Promo)		JMJ, Rush Associated Labels	1994
Niggas And Bitches / Sherm Stick (12")		JMJ, Rush Associated Labels	1994
Terminator X And The Godfathers Of Threatt (2xLP)	Under The Sun	P.R.O. Division	1994
Terminator X And The Godfathers Of Threatt (CD)	Under The Sun	P.R.O. Division	1994
Under The Sun / Krunchtime (12")	Under The Sun (LP Vers...	P.R.O. Division	1994
Under The Sun / Krunchtime (12", Promo)		P.R.O. Division	1994
Bacdafucup (CD)	Bacdafucup, Bichasnigu...	JMJ	1995
Bacdafucup (CD, Album)	Bacdafucup, Bichasnigu...	JMJ, Rush	1995
Def Jam Music Group - Ten Year Anniversary (4xCD + Box, Ltd)	Slam	Def Jam Recordings	1995
No Fronts: The Remixes (Cass, Single)	No Fronts (Jam Master ...	Roadrunner Records	1995
No Fronts: The Remixes (CD, Maxi)	No Fronts (Jam Master ...	Intercord Tonträger GmbH	1995
No Fronts: The Remixes (CD, Maxi)	No Fronts (Jam Master ...	Roadrunner Records	1995
Take A Ride (CD)		JMJ	1995
Take A Ride (LP)		JMJ, Rush Associated Labels	1995
The Show (Original Soundtrack) (2xLP)	Zoom Zooms And Wam Wam	Def Jam Recordings	1995
The Show (Original Soundtrack) (CD)	Zoom Zooms And Wam Wam	Def Jam Recordings	1995
The Show (Original Soundtrack) (CD)	Zoom Zooms And Wam Wam	Def Jam Recordings	1995
Yabba-Dabba-Dance! 5 (2nd Benelux Version) (CD)	No Fronts (Jam Master ...	Arcade	1995
Total Def Jam (CD)	Slam	Def Jam Recordings	1997
Best Of Onyx (2x12")	Shifftee (LP Version)	Def Jam Recordings	1998
Best Of Onyx (2x12")		Def Jam Recordings	1998
The Beginning (No Further Delay) (12", Promo)		Profile Records	1998
Back From Hell (CD, Album)		Arista	1999
Down With The King (CD, Album, RE)		Arista	1999
WWF Aggression (CD)	The Kings (D-Generatio...	Priority Records	2000
Crown Royal (CD, Smplr, Promo)		Arista	2001
Crown Royal (CD)		Arista	2001
Crown Royal (CD, Album)	Queens Day, Crown Roya...	Arista, BMG Music (Australia)	2001
Crown Royal (Cass, Album)		Arista	2001
Crown Royal (2xLP)		Arista	2001
Crown Royal (2xVinyl, Album)		Arista	2001
Crown Royal (CD, Album)		Arista	2001
Def Jam 1985-2001 - The History Of Hip-Hop Vol. 1 (CD)	Slam	Def Jam Recordings	2001
Rock Show / Walk This Way (7")	Walk This Way	Arista	2001
Greatest Hits (CD)	You Be Illin'	Arista	2003
Greatest Hits (2xLP, Comp)	You Be Illin'	Simply Vinyl (S12)	2003
Co-production:
Back In Black (12")		Interscope Records	1992
I'ma Keep Bangin' / Livin' Foe Dem 4 Thangs (12")		JMJ	1995
Mix:
King Of Rock (CD)	It's Not Funny	Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1985
King Of Rock (LP)	It's Not Funny	Fourth & Broadway	1985
King Of Rock (LP)	It's Not Funny	Profile Records	1985
King Of Rock (LP)	It's Not Funny	BCM Records	1985
King Of Rock (CD)	It's Not Funny	Profile Records	1985
King Of Rock (LP, Promo)	It's Not Funny	Profile Records	1985
King Of Rock (LP, Pic)	It's Not Funny	Fourth & Broadway	1985
King Of Rock (LP)	It's Not Funny	Profile Records Ltd. (UK)	1985
Can You Feel It (12")		Chicago Connection Records	1987
House Trax (LP, Mixed, Comp)	Can You Feel It	Street Sounds	1987
House Trax (Cass, Mixed, Comp)	Can You Feel It	Street Sounds	1987
Street Sounds 87-1 (Cass, Comp)	Can You Feel It (Speci...	Street Sounds	1987
More Than Just A Dance (12")		Chicago Connection Records	1988
King Of Rock (CD, RM, RP)	It's Not Funny	Arista, Legacy	2005
Appears On:
The Real Roxanne (CD, Album)	Infatuated	Galaxis	1988
Female Rappers (2xCD, Comp)	Roxanne's On A Roll	BCM Records	1989
Roxanne's On A Roll (12")		Friends Records	1989
Roxanne's On A Roll (CD, Maxi)		Friends Records	1989
Smooth Ice (CD)	Shout Out	MCA Records	1990
Smooth Ice (LP, Album)	Shout Out	MCA Records	1990
Heal Yourself (CD, Single, Promo)	Heal Yourself (LP Vers...	Elektra	1991
Crown Royal (CD, Album)		Arista, BMG Music (Australia)	2001
Tracks Appear On:
The Foundation Of Hip Hop (2xCD, Comp, Mixed)	Beats To Rhyme	Year Round Incorporated	2007

Jam (Master) Jay Biography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:21:51 CDT

Mizell was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Queens at age 10 with his family. He played bass and drums in several garage bands prior to joining Run-D.M.C. On all of their albums he played keyboards, bass, and live drums in addition to his turntable work. Mizell remained in his childhood neighborhood his entire life. He founded the 'Scratch DJ Academy' in Manhattan for children interested in DJing. In 1989, Mizell established the label Jam Master Jay Records, which scored a strong success in 1993 with the band Onyx. He also connected Chuck D with Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin. (Def Jam's other founder, Russell Simmons, is the brother of Rev Run.) After achieving relative prominence, Jason was known to use the alias Jay Gambulos so as to avoid unwanted attention from the public. Jason is also related to the Mizell Brothers, a popular production team for Gary Bartz, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, and others. In the 1990s, Mizell survived a bad car accident and 2 gunshot wounds.

Death

On October 30, 2002, he was shot and killed in a Merrick Boulevard recording studio in Queens, New York. The other person in the room, 23-year-old Urieco Rincon, was shot in the ankle and survived.[1] The New York Daily News reported that authorities investigated whether Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, a convicted drug dealer and longtime friend of Murder Inc. heads Irv Gotti and Chris Gotti, targeted Mizell because the DJ defied an industry blacklist of rapper 50 Cent that was imposed because of "Ghetto Qu'ran", a song 50 Cent wrote about McGriff's drug history. A 2003 affidavit says: "Law enforcement agents are investigating the possibility that [Jason] Mizell was murdered for defying the blacklist of 50 Cent." In April 2007, federal prosecutors named Ronald "Tenad" Washington as an accomplice in the murder of Mizell. Washington also is a suspect in the fatal shooting of Randy Walker in 1995, a close associate of the late rapper Tupac Shakur. For his part, Washington “pointed his gun at those present in the studio, ordered them to get on the ground and provided cover for his associate to shoot and kill Jason Mizell,” prosecutors said in court papers.

References

^ village voice > news > Harry Allen remembers Jason Mizell, a/k/a Jam-Master Jay, Run-D.M.C.'s inimitable musical mastermind. by Harry Allen

External links

Jam-Master Jay, 1965-2002, Salon, November 1, 2002
Jam-Master Jay Killed in Shooting, SOHH: The Wire, October 31, 2002
Run-DMC star, 37, was hip-hop pioneer, CNN, October 31, 2002
'Terrible loss': Hip-hop reacts to Jam-Master Jay slaying, CNN, October 31, 2002
Run-DMC DJ slain in recording studio, CNN, October 31, 2002
Remembering Jam Master Jay in the Midst of Chaos, Davey D's Hip-Hop Corner, October 31, 2002
Interview with DJ Times, 2000
Suspect named in Jam-Master Jay's death, MSNBC, April 17, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2007.
Suspect named in 2002 slaying of Jam-Master Jay, USA Today, April 18, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2007.
Jam-Master Jay, Witness Identifies Killer's Tattoo, HHL: News, November 5, 2007
Jason Mizell at Discogs

Steve Irwin Filmography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:14:20 CDT

Filmography

Year Film Role Other notes

1997-2004	The Crocodile Hunter	Himself
1999-2000	Croc Files	Himself
2001	Dr. Dolittle 2	Himself	Cameo role
2002	Mystery Hunters	Himself	One episode
2002	The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course	Himself
2006	5 Takes: Pacific Rim	Himself	One Episode
2006	Happy Feet	Trev	(voice)

Personal life

Family

Terri Raines Irwin, the widow of Steve Irwin

In 1992, Irwin married Terri Raines from Eugene, Oregon, United States. The pair had met a few months earlier, when Terri had visited the zoo on a holiday; according to both of them, it was love at first sight. Terri said at the time, "I thought there was no one like this anywhere in the world. He sounded like an environmental Tarzan, a larger-than-life superhero guy."[27] Although he and Terri were happily married, they did not wear wedding rings; in their line of work, wearing jewelery could pose a hazard to them and/or the animals.[28]Together they had two children: a daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin (born 24 July 1998), and a son, Robert Clarence "Bob" (named after Irwin's father) Irwin (born 1 December 2003). Bindi Sue is jointly named after two of Steve Irwin's favourite animals: Bindi, a saltwater crocodile, and Sui, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who died in June 2004. Irwin was as enthusiastic about his family as he was about his work. He once described his daughter Bindi as "the reason [he] was put on the Earth." His wife once said, "The only thing that could ever keep him away from the animals he loves are the people he loves even more."[1] Terri Irwin recently reported that Steve had an ongoing premonition that he would die before he reached age 40.[29] She wrote about this in her book Steve and Me about their lives together.[30]

Controversies

A controversial incident occurred during a public show on 2 January 2004, when Irwin carried his one-month-old son, Bob, in his arm whilst hand-feeding a chicken carcass to Murray, a 3.8-metre (12ft6in) saltwater crocodile. The infant was close to the crocodile, and comparisons were made in the press to Michael Jackson's dangling his son outside a German hotel window.[31] In addition, child welfare groups, animal rights groups, and some of Irwin's television viewers criticised his actions as irresponsible and tantamount to child abuse.[32] Irwin apologised on the US NBC Today Show.[33] Both he and his wife publicly stated that Irwin was in complete control of the situation, as he had dealt with crocodiles since he was a small child, and based on his lifetime of experience neither he nor his son were in any danger. He also showed footage of the event shot from a different angle, demonstrating that they were much further from the crocodile than they had appeared in the publicised clip.[34] Terri Irwin said their child was in no more danger than one being taught to swim. No charges were filed; according to one journalist, Irwin told officials he would not repeat the action.[35] The incident prompted the Queensland government to change its crocodile-handling laws, banning children and untrained adults from entering crocodile enclosures.[36] In June 2004, allegations were made that he disturbed wildlife (namely whales, seals and penguins) whilst filming a documentary, Ice Breaker, in Antarctica. The matter was subsequently closed without charges being filed.[37]

MV Steve Irwin approaching Melbourne in February 2008

After Irwin's death, the vessel MV Robert Hunter owned by the environmental action group Sea Shepherd was renamed MV Steve Irwin in Steve's honour.[38] Sea Shepherd is a controversial[39][40] environmentalist group that conducts direct action operations including the sinking of whaling ships to protect marine species and environments. Shortly before his death, Irwin had been investigating joining their 2007/08 voyage to Antarctica to disrupt Japanese whaling activity. Following his death, as an alternative the renaming of the vessel was suggested by Sea Shepherd and endorsed by his widow Terri.[41]

Politics

After questions arose about Irwin being paid $175,000 worth of taxpayers' money to appear in a television advertisement and his possible political ties, Irwin told ABC that he was a conservationist and did not choose sides in politics. His comments describing Australian Prime Minister John Howard as the "greatest leader in the world" earned him scorn in the media.[42]

Search and rescue effort in Mexico

In November 2003, Irwin was filming a documentary on sea lions off the coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula when he heard via his boat's radio that two scuba divers were reported missing in the area. Irwin and his entire crew suspended operations to aid in the search. His team's divers searched with the rescue divers, and Irwin used his vessel to patrol the waters around the island where the incident occurred, as well as using his satellite communications system to call in a rescue plane. On the second day of the search, kayakers found one of the divers, Scott Jones, perched on a narrow rock ledge jutting out from the side of a cliff. Irwin and a crewmember escorted him to Irwin's boat. Jones did not recognise his celebrity rescuer, as he had never seen Irwin on television. The other lost diver, Katie Vrooman, was found dead by a search plane later the same day not far from Jones' location.[43]

Sports fan

Having grown up in Essendon, Irwin was a fan of the Essendon Bombers, an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League.[44] Irwin took part in an Australian Rules football promotion in Los Angeles as part of "Australia Week" in early 2006.[45] After his death, a picture of Irwin wearing a Bombers Guernsey was shown by ESPN.com in their Bottom 10 ranking of the worst Division I FBS college football teams after Week 1 of the season in tribute to him.[46] Like many Australians, he was a big cricket fan. This was seen during his visit to Sri Lanka where he played cricket with some local kids and saying "I love cricket" and "It's a shame we have to go catch some snakes now". This was seen during the Crocodile Hunter episode “Island of the Snakes".[47] Living in Queensland most of his life, Irwin was also a fan of rugby league. As a teenager, he played for the Caloundra Sharks as a second-rower,[48] and as an adult he was known to be a passionate Brisbane Broncos fan and was involved with the club on several occasions. On one occasion after turning up to training he asked if he could tackle the largest player, Shane Webcke. Despite being thrown to the ground and looking like he'd been crushed he was jovial about the experience. Irwin laughingly shared the experience with the Queensland State of Origin squad before the 2006 series.[49] Irwin also supported rugby union, being a fan of the national team, the Wallabies. He once wore a Wallaby jersey during a demonstration at the zoo. A behind-the-scenes episode of The Crocodile Hunter showed Irwin and the crew finding a gas station in a remote part of Namibia to watch the Wallabies defeat France in the 1999 Rugby World Cup Final. Irwin was also a talented surfer.[50] Irwin loved mixed martial arts competitions and trained with Greg Jackson in the fighting/grappling system of Gaidojutsu.[51]

Other personal trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (March 2008)

Irwin was particularly interested in Singapore Zoo, which he considered a sister institution of the Australia Zoo.[52]
In 2004, during an interview with Larry King, he admitted that he had a fear of parrots, having received many painful bites from the animals in the past.[1]
In 2005, in an interview for New Idea, he stated that he was afraid of being killed in a car crash.[53]
Terri Irwin has stated in an interview that Irwin believed in God.[54] Stories that he had joined a church a short time before his death appear to be urban legend.[55]

Death

See Wikinews article:

Crocodile Hunter's Steve Irwin dies at 44

On 4 September 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray spine while snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, at Batt Reef, which is located off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. Irwin decided to take the opportunity to film some shallow water shots for a segment in the television program his daughter Bindi Irwin was hosting,[56] when, according to his friend and colleague, John Stainton, he swam too close to one of the stingrays. "He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat the Croc One. The events were caught on camera, and a copy of the footage was handed to the Queensland Police.[57] After reviewing the footage of the incident and speaking to the cameraman who recorded it, marine documentary filmmaker and former spearfisherman Ben Cropp speculated that the stingray "felt threatened because Steve was alongside and there was the cameraman ahead." In such a case, the stingray responds to danger by automatically flexing the serrated spine on its tail (which can measure up to 25cm/10in in length) in an upward motion. Cropp said Irwin had accidentally boxed the animal in. "It stopped and twisted and threw up its tail with the spike, and it caught him in the chest. It's a defensive thing. It's like being stabbed with a dirty dagger." The stinging of Irwin by the bull ray was "a one-in-a-million thing," Cropp told Time magazine. "I have swum with many rays, and I have only had one do that to me..."[58] Initially, when Irwin's colleague, John Stainton, was interviewed by CNN's Larry King late on 4 September 2006 he denied the suggestion that Irwin had pulled the spine out of his chest, or that he had seen footage of the event, insisting that the anecdote was "absolute rubbish."[59] The following day, when he first described the video to the media, he stated, "Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here [in the chest], and he pulled it out and the next minute he's gone."[57] It is thought, in the absence of a coroner's report, that a combination of the toxins and the puncture wound from the spine caused Irwin to die of cardiac arrest, with most damage being inflicted by tears to arteries or other main blood vessels.[60] A similar incident in Florida a month later in which a man survived a stingray barb through the heart suggested that Irwin's removal of the barb might have caused or hastened his death.[61] The coroner's report has not yet been released. Crew members aboard his boat called the emergency services in the nearest city of Cairns and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to the nearby Low Islets to meet an emergency rescue helicopter. However, despite the best efforts of Irwin's crew, medical staff pronounced him dead when they arrived a short time later.[56] According to Dr Ed O'Loughlin, who treated Irwin, "it became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries. He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest. He had lost his pulse and wasn't breathing."[62]

Cairns, Queensland

Irwin's body was flown to a morgue in Cairns. His wife, Terri Irwin, was on a walking tour in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania at the time, and returned via a private plane from Devonport to the Sunshine Coast with their two children.[56] Fatalities due to stingrays are infrequent and occurrences are not consistently collated.[63] The attack on Irwin is believed to be the only fatality from a stingray ever captured on film.[64] Stainton told CNN's Larry King "[The tape] should be destroyed".[65] In an ABC interview with Barbara Walters, Irwin's wife Terri said she has not seen the film of her husband's deadly encounter with the stingray and that it would not be shown on television.[66] On 3 January 2007, the only video footage showing the events that led to Irwin's death was handed over to Terri, who said that the video would never become public, and noted her family has not seen the video either.[67] In a 11 January 2007 interview with Access Hollywood, Terri said that "all footage has been destroyed."[68] Despite these statements, numerous videos, including screamers, surfaced on sites such as YouTube claiming to be footage of Irwin's death. Several pictures have also surfaced on Google Images. Production was completed on Ocean's Deadliest, which aired for the first time on the Discovery Channel on 21 January 2007. The documentary was completed with footage shot in the weeks following the accident.[69] According to Stainton, "Anything to do with the day that he died, that film is not available."[70] Perhaps to maintain the film's original purpose as a nature documentary and prevent it from becoming a documentary of Irwin's final days, his death is not mentioned in the film, aside from a still image of Irwin at the end alongside the text "In Memory of Steve Irwin".

Reaction

News of his death prompted widespread worldwide shock. Australian Prime Minister John Howard expressed his "shock and distress" at the death, saying that "Australia has lost a wonderful and colourful son."[71] Queensland Premier Peter Beattie commented in a Channel Seven television interview that Irwin "will be remembered as not just a great Queenslander, but a great Australian".[72] Several Australian news websites went down because of high web traffic and for the first time the top 10 list of most viewed stories for Fairfax Digital news sites were swept by one topic.[73] Talk-back radio experienced a high volume of callers expressing their grief.[74] Flags at the Sydney Harbour were lowered to half staff in honour of Irwin.[75] The U.S. feed of the Animal Planet cable television channel aired a special tribute to Steve Irwin that started on Monday, 4 September 2006. The tribute continued with the Animal Planet channel showing highlights of Irwin's more than 200 appearances on Discovery Networks shows.[76] On the evening of his death, Enough Rope re-broadcast an interview between Irwin and Andrew Denton originally broadcast in 2003. CNN showed a repeat of his interview on Larry King Live, originally recorded in 2004. The Australian federal parliament opened on 5 September 2006 with condolence speeches by both the Prime Minister John Howard and the Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley. The Seven Network aired a television memorial show as a tribute to Irwin on 5 September 2006,[77] as did the Nine Network on 6 September 2006. Jay Leno delivered a tribute to Irwin, describing him as a great ambassador of Australia. Irwin appeared on Leno's talk show on more than ten occasions.[78] There were also tributes on Live with Regis & Kelly and Barbara Walters' The View; on the former show, Kelly Ripa came close to tears with her praise of Irwin.[78] Hundreds of people visited Australia Zoo to pay tribute to the deceased entertainer and conservationist. The day after his death, the volume of people visiting the zoo to pay their respects affected traffic so much that police reduced the speed limit around the Glass House Mountains Road and told motorists to expect delays.[79] BBC reported on 13 September 2006 that thousands of fans have been to Australia Zoo since Irwin's death, bringing flowers, candles, stuffed animals and messages of support.[80] In the weeks after his death, Irwin's conservation foundation Wildlife Warriors reported that thousands of people from around the world were offering their support via donations to the conservation group.

Backlash against stingrays

In the weeks following Irwin's death, at least ten stingrays were found dead and mutilated, with their tails cut off, on the beaches of Queensland, prompting speculation that they had been killed by fans of Irwin as an act of revenge. Michael Hornby, a friend of the late naturalist and executive director of Irwin's Wildlife Warrior fund, condemned any revenge killings. "We just want to make it very clear that we will not accept and not stand for anyone who's taken a form of retribution. That's the last thing Steve would want," he said.[81]

Funeral and memorials

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie extended the offer of a state funeral to Irwin's family, an honour also agreed to by Prime Minister John Howard. The family decided that such a funeral wouldn't be appropriate, a sentiment echoed by many Australians outside media and political circles. Steve Irwin's father, Bob Irwin, stated that his son would not have wanted such an honour, and would want to be remembered as an "ordinary bloke."[82] Beattie stated he would honour the decision of the Irwin family regarding their arrangements. Irwin was farewelled by family and friends at a private funeral service held at Caloundra on the afternoon of 9 September.[83] The naturalist was buried in a private ceremony at the zoo on the same day.[80]

Memorial service

A public service was held at the 5,500-seat Crocoseum at Australia Zoo on Wednesday morning 20 September 2006. The service was broadcast live, commercial free, in the eastern states of Australia, by free-to-air channels Seven, Nine and the ABC in Australia, as well as live on subscription channel Sky News Australia. In addition, it was broadcast live around the world, particularly the United States, where the service was broadcast commercial free on Animal Planet, as well as to Asia and Germany. A BBC camera crew was also sent especially to Australia to cover the memorial service for the United Kingdom. It is estimated that over 300 million viewers worldwide watched the service.[84] The memorial was also rebroadcast on Animal Planet on 1 January 2007 as part of their New Year's Day celebration, and again the following day.

The "Crocoseum" at Australia Zoo, where Steve Irwin's memorial service was held.

Messages from around the world came from people including Hugh Jackman, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Kelly Ripa and Larry King. Costner called him a fearless man who was brave enough to let people see him as he was.[85] Prime Minister John Howard made an early speech at the service, as did Irwin's father Bob and his daughter Bindi. Wes Mannion and John Stainton also made speeches and David Wenham read a poem.[85] Anthony Field from The Wiggles partly hosted the service, often sharing the screen with various animals, from koalas to elephants, and Australian music star John Williamson sang True Blue, which was Irwin's favourite song. Professor Craig Franklin of the University of Queensland told the crowd that the university was about to make Irwin an adjunct professor for his contributions to the study of crocodiles.[86] In a symbolic finish to the service, Irwin's truck was loaded up with gear and driven out of the arena for the last time as Williamson sang. In a final tribute, Australia Zoo staff spelled out Irwin's catchphrase "Crikey" in yellow flowers as Irwin's truck was driven from the "Crocoseum" for the last time to end the service. Flags on the Sydney Harbour Bridge flew at half mast on the day of the memorial service.

Other Australian memorials

Wikinews has related news: Australia to honour Steve Irwin with nature park

Several permanent memorials for Irwin have already been considered or announced. Premier Peter Beattie suggested a national park be named after Irwin or a permanent memorial might be constructed in his honour, though the details of the structure would depend on Irwin's family.[79]
On 1 January 2007, Glasshouse Mountains Road, the road that runs by Steve and Terri Irwin's Australia Zoo, was officially renamed to "Steve Irwin Way".[87]
There will be a nature park in Australia named after Irwin, the Australian federal government announced in July 2007.[88]

American memorials

Animal Planet will rename the garden in front of Discovery's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland, U.S., to the "Steve Irwin Memorial Sensory Garden".[89]

Animal Planet is also creating the Steve Irwin Crocodile Hunter Fund called the "The Crikey Fund" to "provide a way for people from across the globe to make contributions in Irwin's honour to support wildlife protection, education and conservation".[89]

Animal Planet ran a The Crocodile Hunter Diaries marathon on air to pay tribute to Irwin.

On the Happy Feet DVD, there is a deleted scene where the main character Mumble meets an albatross voiced by Irwin and a blue whale. The scene was unfinished at first but was included on the DVD release to honour Irwin's memory as Irwin had insisted on being in a film that contained a message about the environment. However, they took this scene off the movie and decided to let Irwin play an elephant seal named Trev.

Indian memorial

A crocodile research centre in Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary was named by the Kerala government after Steve Irwin.

The state's forest and wildlife department is perhaps the first government body in the world to name a memorial after Irwin, whose documentaries on wildlife and reptiles endeared him to thousands of viewers. The centre is now called the Steve Irwin Crocodile Rehabilitation and Research Centre.

Death anniversary

On 4 September 2007, Australian fans gathered at the Irwin family zoo on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland to commemorate the first anniversary of Irwin's death. State Premier Peter Beattie described Irwin as one of the state's greatest cultural ambassadors. On 15 November, Irwin's widow Terri and children, Bindi and Bob, remembered his life and achievements on "Steve Irwin Day."[90]

Criticism

Dan Mathews, vice-president of animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said it was "no shock at all that Steve Irwin should die provoking a dangerous animal". He added that "Irwin made his career out of antagonising frightened wild animals, that's a very dangerous message to send to children." He also made a comparison with another well known conservationist: "If you compare him with a responsible conservationist like Jacques Cousteau, he looks like a cheap reality TV star."[91][92] The son of Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel Cousteau, also a producer of wildlife documentaries, also took issue with Irwin's hands-on approach to nature television. Cousteau said, "You don't touch nature, you just look at it." Although it "goes very well on television", Irwin's approach would "interfere with nature, jump on animals, grab them, hold them, and have this very, very spectacular, dramatic way of presenting things" which Cousteau felt is "very misleading".[93] Jacques Cousteau's grandson, Philippe Cousteau Jr., however, was himself working with Irwin on the "Ocean's Deadliest" documentary at the time of Irwin's death, and later described him as "a remarkable individual." Describing their project, he said, "I think why Steve was so excited about it that we were looking at these animals that people think of as, you know, dangerous and deadly monsters, and they're not. They all have an important place in the environment and in the world. And that was what his whole message was about."[94]

Notes and references

^ a b c d King, Larry; Irwin, Steve (2004-11-25). "LARRY KING LIVE Interview With Steve Irwin". CNN. Cable News Network LP, LLLP. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/25/lkl.01.html. Retrieved on 4 September 2006.
^ "Biography: Steve Irwin". The Australian. News Limited. 4 September 2006. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20350280-601,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ Wulff, Jennifer (18 September 2006). "Wild by Nature. (STEVE IRWIN 1962-2006)". People Weekly (Time, Inc) 66 (12): 60.
^ Platt, R: "A Natural Presenter at One With Nature" The Guardian. 5 September 2006
^ Lee, Sandra (18 June 2000). "Wild Thing". USA Weekend Magazine. http://www.usaweekend.com/00_issues/000618/000618croc_hunter.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ a b "Terri Irwin presents award to Attenborough". The Australian (News.com.au). 2006-11-02. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20687207-5006786,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-03.
^ "The Crocodile Hunter:Collision Course". Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, LLC. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=crocodilehunter.htm.
^ "The Crocodile Hunter". Animax. http://www.animaxent.com/crocodile_hunter. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
^ "Trivia for Happy Feet (2006)". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366548/trivia. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
^ The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 13 January 2006.
^ Willis, Louise; Irwin, Steve; Colvin, Mark (2003-11-04). "PM - Steve Irwin defends quarantine ad". ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s982212.htm. Retrieved on 5 September 2006.
^ Google cache copy of a Toyota Australia page: Crikey! Steve Irwin loves his Toyotas!
^ a b King Murdoch, Anna (10 June 2003). "He's smart, by crikey". The Age (The Age Company Ltd). http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/09/1055010919523.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ Elliot, Geoff (27 January 2006). "Keep it simple, mate". The Australian (News Limited).Copy at www.australianmade.com.au
^ www.itsanhonour.gov.au
^ Crocodile Hunter: Croc Hunter Wins Top Export Gong, copy of Sunshine Coast Daily article, originally published 10 December 2004.
^ "Irwin was set to be academic". NEWS.com.au. 2006-09-20. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20445606-1702,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
^ Crikey! It's Prof Croc Hunter | NEWS.com.au
^ "Rwanda to name baby gorilla after Steve Irwin". ABC Online. 8 May 2007. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1916030.htm. Retrieved on 2007-05-07.
^ "Kerala crocodile park named after Irwin". NDTV. 8 May 2007. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070012165. Retrieved on 2007-05-07.
^ Denton, Andrew; Irwin, Steve (2003-10-06). "ENOUGH ROPE with Andrew Denton - episode 30: Steve Irwin". ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s960998.htm. Retrieved on 4 September 2006.
^ "Death of the crocodile hunter". The First Post. 4 September 2006. http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=2&subID=883&p=3. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
^ Tait, Paul (2006-09-04). "Australia stunned by death of "modern-day Noah"". Reuters.com. Reuters. http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=SP68982. Retrieved on 4 September 2006.
^ "Elseya irwini". Australian Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Commonwealth of Australia. http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/abrs/fauna/details.pl?pstrVol=REPTILIA;pstrTaxa=3312;pstrChecklistMode=1. Retrieved on 4 September 2006.
^ Robson, Frank (First published April 2002, republished 2006-09-04). "Crikey, it's raw Stevo!". Good Weekend (Sydney Morning Herald). http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/09/04/1157222053963.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap3. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
^ "Wildlife legend honoured". ITN News (ITN). 2006-11-01. http://www.itn.co.uk/news/entertainment_6bf41e7a55ac3b005e7946fe9fb592da.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
^ "Reptile Romance". Who Magazine. Time Inc. 2002-11-02. http://www.who.com/who/scoop/article/0,19971,1531530,00.html. Retrieved on 4 September 2006.
^ [1] www.americanprofile.com. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
^ Croc hunter Irwin believed he'd die young: wife
^ Irwin, Terri. 2007. Steve and me: Life with the Crocodile Hunter. Simon Spotlight. ISBN 1416953884
^ Patrick Barkham (2006-09-05). "It's like a part of Australia has died". Guardian Unlimited. http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,1865085,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
^ "Inquiry into croc baby stunt". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 2004-01-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3364733.stm. Retrieved on 4 September 2006.
^ McIlveen, Luke (2006-09-04). "Irwin's Death was Filmed". Daily Telegraph. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20349993-5001021,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.Lalor, Peter (2006-09-05). "Obituary: Committed to lore of nature". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20353205-601,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
^ Schembri, Jim (2004-01-15). "TV's mixed messages". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/15/1073877890197.html. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
^ O'Rourke, Claire (2004-01-05). "Croc hunter ducks for cover". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/04/1073151212433.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "Steve Irwin baby concerns prompt law change". Sydney Morning Herald. 2005-02-24. http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Steve-Irwin-baby-concerns-prompt-law-change/2005/02/23/1109046983142.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "Irwin cleared after Penguin Probe". BBC News. 2004-06-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3896685.stm. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "Sea Shepherd Renames Its Whale Defending Ship the Steve Irwin". Sea Shepherd. 5 December 2007. http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_071205_1.html.
^ Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - News
^ Whalers aid in Antarctic rescue of environmentalists - Times Online
^ Sea Shepherd honours Steve Irwin Perth Now, 5 December 2007]
^ Devine, Miranda (9 November 2003). "Crikey! Praise for PM puts you in a snake pit". The Sun-Herald (The Sydney Morning Herald). http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/08/1068243301741.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
^ CDNN: Diver remembers day her scuba buddy died in Baja by Thomas Geyer
^ "Steve Irwin" The Times Online 5 September 2006. URL accessed on 6 September 2006
^ AFL Match, Steve Irwin Show. URL accessed on 5 September 2006
^ "The Bottom 10: Have a look at this beauty". ESPN.com. 2006-09-06. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2573548. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
^ "Island of Snakes part 6". 2008-02-26. http://youtube.com/watch?v=UKdXrSjVdOM&feature=related. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.
^ Our mate Steve. URL accessed on 12 September 2006
^ Tributes flow for 'true original'. URL accessed on 12 September 2006
^ "Surfers invited to pay tribute". 2006-09-06. http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3699961&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection. Retrieved on 2006-11-07.
^ Jackson's Gaidojutsu Self Defense www.jacksons.tv. Retrieved 7 September 2006.
^ "Singapore Sling!". International Crocodile Rescue. http://www.crocodilerescue.com/singapore.html. Retrieved on 16 March.
^ "Irwin feared fast cars more than animals". http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=141770. Retrieved on 10 September.
^ "Interview". Woman's Day (Australia) (Australian Consolidated Press). 2006-10-09.
^ Morris, Linda (2006-09-22). "Christians fed to lyings: Irwin no convert". Sydney Morning Herald (John Fairfax Holdings). http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/09/21/1158431843995.html?from=top5. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
^ a b c "Croc Hunter Irwin killed by stingray". THE AGE. 4 September 2006. http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Croc-Hunter-Steve-Irwin-died-instantly/2006/09/04/1157222051588.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ a b Gerard, Ian; and Koch, Tony (4 September 2006). "Steve Irwin's freak death filmed". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20355112-601,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ Rory Callinan (4 September 2006). "Death of a Crocodile Hunter". Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1531446,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "Crocodile Hunter Remembered". http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/04/acd.01.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
^ Richard Macey (2006-09-05). "Serrated knife-like barb, not toxins, the likely killer". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/09/04/1157222072726.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
^ "Irwin might have survived: surgeon". Sydney Morning Herald. 2006-10-20. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/leaving-stingray-barb-in-saved-him/2006/10/20/1160851103853.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-20.
^ "Stingray Kills 'Crocodile Hunter'". AOL News. 4 September 2006. http://articles.news.aol.com/entertainment/_a/stingray-kills-crocodile-hunter/20060904005509990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "How Deadly Are Stingrays?". Slate. Washington Post Company. 5 September 2006. http://www.slate.com/id/2148992. Retrieved on 2006-09-15.
^ "Stingray Deaths Rare and Agonizing". CNN. Reuters. 4 September 2006. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/04/australia.irwin.stingray.reut/index.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "Irwin's dad: 'I lost my best mate'". CNN. 6 September 2006. http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/06/death.irwin/index.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
^ "Widow: 'Croc Hunter' thought he'd die young". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/09/26/irwin.terri.ap/index.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
^ "Steve Irwin death film given to wife". Yahoo! News. 3 January 2007. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/entertainment_australia_irwin_col. Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
^ "Video of 'Croc Hunter's' death destroyed". United Press International. 11 January 2007. http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20070111-024500-6651r. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
^ "Crocodile Hunter's final stunt with sea snake". The Daily Telegraph. 30 December 2006. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20989738-2,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
^ "Crocodile Hunter's Last Show Completed". International Business Times. 2007-01-06. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070106/steve-irwin-show.htm. Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
^ "Irwin brought joy to millions: PM". The Australian. 2006-09-04. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20350650-5006786,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "Irwin family offered state funeral". The Australian. 2006-09-05. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20356038-29277,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ "Croc Hunter news consumes the web". theage.com.au. 2006-09-05. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/09/05/1157222114384.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1. Retrieved on 2006-09-08.
^ Fidler, Richard (2006-09-04). "Tributes flow for Steve Irwin". 612 ABC radio. http://www.abc.net.au/brisbane/stories/s1732538.htm. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
^ ANTARA: The Indonesian News Agency
^ Reuters "Discovery network mourns Irwin, plans tribute"
^ Seven Network "Yahoo7 TV Tribute to Steve Irwin"
^ a b Sydney Morning Herald "Aussie 'Superman' brings tears to US chat shows"
^ a b "Beattie flags Steve Irwin award, national park". ABC. 2006-09-05. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1733664.htm. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
^ a b "'Crocoseum' tribute set for Irwin". BBC. 2006-09-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5340906.stm. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
^ "Irwin fans 'in revenge attacks'". BBC. 2006-09-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5338118.stm. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
^ "Father rejects state funeral for 'ordinary bloke' son". The Age. 2006-09-07. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/father-rejects-state-funeral-for-ordinary-bloke-son/2006/09/06/1157222201277.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
^ Robson, Lou (2006-09-10). "Family says private farewell". The Sunday Mail. http://www.news.com.au/sundaymail/story/0,23739,20383870-3102,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
^ "300 Million People To Watch Steve Irwin Memorial". ecanadanow.com. 2006-09-19. http://www.ecanadanow.com/world/2006/09/19/300-million-people-to-watch-steve-irwin-memorial/. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
^ a b "Thousands mourn 'Crocodile Hunter'". CNN. 2006-09-20. http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/19/crocodile.hunter.service/index.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
^ "Don't grieve for Irwin: Father". Herald Sun. 2006-09-19. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20444641-5005961,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
^ Steve Irwin gets his Way {Retrieved 2 January 2007)
^ Govt to buy Cape York land for Irwin memorial reserve - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
^ a b Campbell, Billy (2006-09-05). "Discovery Mourns Tragic Loss of Steve Irwin". Discovery Channel Store. http://discoverystore.typepad.com/discovery_store_blog/2006/09/discovery_mourn.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ BBC NEWS, Australia remembers 'Croc Hunter'
^ AAP (2006-09-13). "Irwin's antics 'a danger to children'". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/irwins-antics-a-danger-to-children/2006/09/13/1157826993532.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
^ Walls, Jeannette. "PETA sheds no crocodile tears for Steve Irwin". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14626178/. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
^ "Irwin interfered with nature, says Cousteau". Sydney Morning Herald. 2006-09-20. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/irwin-interfered-with-nature-says-cousteau/2006/09/20/1158431752163.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
^ "Cousteau: Irwin a 'remarkable individual'". CNN. 2006-09-06. http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/06/cnna.cousteau/index.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Steve Irwin

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin Biography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:11:39 CDT

This article is about the Australian wildlife expert. For the rugby league footballer, see Steve Irwin (rugby league). For the Sea Shepherd vessel, see MV Steve Irwin.

Born Died Occupation Spouse(s) Children

Stephen Robert Irwin
Steve Irwin in Australia
22 February 1962(1962-02-22) Essendon, Victoria, Australia
4 September 2006 (aged44) Batt Reef, Queensland, Australia
Naturalist Zoologist Conservationist Television Personality
Terri Irwin (1992–2006)
Bindi Sue Irwin Robert (Bob) Clarence Irwin
Website CrocodileHunter.com.au

Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006), known simply as Steve Irwin and nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an iconic Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. He achieved world-wide fame from the television program The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series co-hosted with his wife Terri Irwin. Together, they also co-owned and operated Australia Zoo, founded by his parents in Beerwah, Queensland. He died in 2006 after his chest was fatally pierced by a stingray barb whilst filming in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship MV Steve Irwin was named in his honour, christened by his wife Terri, who said "If Steve were alive, he'd be aboard with them!"

Early years of life

Born on his mother's birthday[1] to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Irwin moved with his parents as a child to Queensland in 1970. Irwin described his father as a wildlife expert interested in herpetology whilst his mother Lyn was a wildlife rehabilitator. After moving to Queensland, Bob and Lyn Irwin started the small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, where Steve grew up around crocodiles and other reptiles. Irwin became involved with the park in a number of ways, including taking part in daily animal feeding, as well as care and maintenance activities. On his sixth birthday he was given a 12-foot (4m) scrub python. He began handling crocodiles at the age of nine after his father had educated him on reptiles from an early age.[2] Also at age nine he wrestled his first crocodile, again under his father's supervision.[3] He graduated from Caloundra State High School in 1979. He soon moved to Northern Queensland, where he became a crocodile trapper, removing crocodiles from populated areas where they were considered a danger. He performed the service for free with the quid pro quo that he be allowed to keep them for the park. Irwin followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a volunteer for the Queensland Government's East Coast Crocodile Management program.

Career

Rise to fame

Irwin feeding a crocodile at Australia Zoo.

Look up crikey in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The park was a family run business, until it was turned over to Steve. He took over the running of the park, now called Australia Zoo (renaming it in 1992). Also that year, he appeared in a one-off reptile and wildlife special for television. In 1991, he met Terri Raines at the park, whilst performing a demonstration. The two married in June 1992, in Terri's hometown of Eugene, Oregon. The footage, shot by John Stainton, of their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter. The series debuted on Australian TV screens in 1996, and by the following year had made its way onto North American television. The Crocodile Hunter became successful in the United States and also, after repackaging by Partridge Films for ITV, in the UK.[4] In 1998, he continued, working with producer and director Mark Strickson, to present The Ten Deadliest Snakes in the World. By 1999, he had become very popular in the United States, making his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. By this time, the Crocodile Hunter series was broadcast in over 137 countries, reaching 500 million people. His exuberant and enthusiastic presenting style, broad Australian accent, signature khaki shorts, and catchphrase "Crikey!" became known worldwide.[5] Sir David Attenborough praised Irwin for introducing many to the natural world, saying "He taught them how wonderful and exciting it was, he was a born communicator."[6] Under Irwin's leadership, the operations grew to include the zoo, the television series, the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation (renamed Wildlife Warriors), and the International Crocodile Rescue. Improvements to the Australia Zoo include the Animal Planet Crocoseum, the rainforest aviary and Tiger Temple. Irwin mentioned that he was considering opening an Australia Zoo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and possibly at other sites around the world.[1]

Film

In 2001, Irwin appeared in a cameo role in the Eddie Murphy film Dr. Dolittle 2, in which a crocodile warns Dolittle that he knows Irwin is going to grab him and is prepared to attack when he does, but Dolittle fails to warn Irwin in time. Irwin's only starring feature film role was in 2002's The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, which was released to mixed reviews. In the film Irwin (who portrayed himself and performed numerous stunts) mistakes some CIA agents for poachers. He sets out to stop them from capturing a crocodile, which, unknown to him, has actually swallowed a tracking transmitter. The film won the Best Family Feature Film award for a comedy film at the Young Artist Awards. The film was produced on a budget of about $12 million, and has grossed $33 million.[7] To promote the film, Irwin was featured in an animated short produced by Animax Entertainment for Intermix.[8] In 2002, the Irwins appeared in the Wiggles video/DVD release Wiggly Safari, which was set in Irwin's Australia Zoo. It featured Irwin-themed songs written and performed by the Wiggles such as "Crocodile Hunter", "Australia Zoo", "Snakes (You can look but you better not touch)" and "We're The Crocodile Band". Irwin was featured prominently on the cover and throughout the movie. In 2006, Irwin provided his voice for the 2006 animated film Happy Feet, as an elephant seal named Trev. The film was dedicated to Irwin, as he died during post-production.[9] Another, previously incomplete scene, featuring Steve providing the voice of an Albatross and essentially playing himself, was restored to the DVD release.

Animal Planet and later projects

Animal Planet ended The Crocodile Hunter with a series finale entitled "Steve's Last Adventure." The last Crocodile Hunter documentary spanned three hours with footage of Irwin's across-the-world adventure in locations including the Himalayas, the Yangtze River, Borneo, and the Kruger National Park. Irwin went on to star in other Animal Planet documentaries, including The Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, and New Breed Vets. As a part of the United States' "Australia Week" celebrations in January 2006, Irwin appeared at the Pauley Pavilion, UCLA in Los Angeles, California. During an interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Irwin announced that Discovery Kids would be developing a show for his daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin.[10] The show, Jungle Girl, was tipped to be similar to The Wiggles movies, with songs that surround a story. A feature-length episode of Australian kids TV show The Wiggles entitled "Wiggly Safari" appears dedicated to Irwin, and he's featured in it heavily with his wife and daughter. The show includes the song "Crocodile Hunter, Big Steve Irwin". In 2006, the American network The Travel Channel had begun to show a series of specials starring Irwin and his family as they travelled on cross-country tours.

Media work

A poster from Irwin's Quarantine Matters! campaign.

Irwin was also involved in several media campaigns. He enthusiastically joined with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service to promote Australia's strict quarantine/customs requirements, with advertisements and posters featuring slogans such as, "Quarantine Matters! Don't muck with it". His payments for these advertising campaigns were directed into his wildlife fund.[11] In 2004, he was appointed ambassador for The Ghan, the passenger train running from Adelaide to Alice Springs in the central Australian outback, when the line was extended all the way to Darwin on the northern coast that year. For some time he was sponsored by Toyota.[12] He was also a keen promoter for Australian tourism in general and Queensland tourism in particular. In 2002, the Australia Zoo was voted Queensland's top tourist attraction.[13] His immense popularity in the United States meant he often promoted Australia as a tourist destination there.[14]

Honours

In 2001, Irwin was awarded the Centenary Medal for his "service to global conservation and to Australian tourism".[15] In 2004, he was recognised as Tourism Export of the Year.[16] He was also nominated in 2004 for Australian of the Year, an honour which was won by Australian Cricket Captain Steve Waugh. Shortly before his death, he was to be named an adjunct professor at the University of Queensland's School of Integrative Biology.[17] On 14 November 2007 Irwin was awarded the adjunct professorship posthumously by the University of Queensland.[18] In May 2007, the Rwandan Government announced that it would name a baby gorilla after Steve Irwin as a tribute to his work in wildlife conservation.[19] The Crocodile Rehabilitation and Research Centre in Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary was named by the Kerala government after late Steve Irwin.[20]

Environmentalism

Steve Clark Discography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:06:23 CDT

Albums

C'mon C'mon Premiered 7/22/08 Mercury UK
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge [Bonus DVD] Premiered 6/10/08 Universal Int'l
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge Premiered 4/29/08
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge [Japan Bonus Track] Premiered 4/29/08 Mercury
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits [Japan] Premiered 3/25/08 Universal Japan
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits [Bonus iPod Skin] Premiered 12/11/07 Island / Mercury
Hysterical Pyromaniac Unau Premiered 11/20/07 MVD Visual
Hysteria [Deluxe Edition] Premiered 10/16/06 Bludgeon Riffola
Classic: Hysteria [DVD] Premiered 8/8/06 Eagle Vision USA
Yeah! [Bonus Tracks] Premiered 6/27/06 Universal Japan
Yeah! Premiered 5/23/06 Mercury
Yeah! [Target Exclusive Bonus Tracks] Premiered 1/1/06 Island
Yeah! [Best Buy Exclusive Bonus Tracks] Premiered 1/1/06 Island
Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection [DVD] Premiered 11/8/05 Island
Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection Premiered 5/17/05 Mercury
Best Of [Limited Edition Bonus Disc] Premiered 12/14/04
Best Of Premiered 11/9/04
Def Leppard: Pyro Graphic Premiered 1/13/04 Brentwood
High 'N' Dry [Japan Bonus Tracks] Premiered 11/24/03 Universal
Adrenalize [Japan Bonus Tracks] [Universal] Premiered 11/24/03 Universal
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits [Import Bonus Tracks] Premiered 10/31/03 Universal
Interview CD and Book Premiered 10/7/03 Sound And Media
Long Long Way to Go [Import CD] Premiered 6/10/03 Bludgeon-Riffola
Long Long Way to Go [UK CD] Premiered 4/22/03
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits [Japan Bonus Tracks] Premiered 9/23/02
X [Bonus Tracks] Premiered 9/3/02
Hysteria [Video/DVD] Premiered 8/27/02 Eagle Vision USA
Now, Pt. 3 Premiered 8/20/02 Universal International
Now, Pt. 1 Premiered 8/20/02 Universal International
Now, Pt. 2 Premiered 8/20/02 Universal International
X Premiered 7/30/02 Mercury
Now [Island Single] Premiered 1/1/02 Island
Historia/In the Round, in Your Face Premiered 12/4/01 Uptown/Universal
Visualize/Video Archive Premiered 12/4/01 Uptown/Universal
Goodbye, Pt. 1 Premiered 11/16/99
Goodbye, Pt. 2 Premiered 11/16/99 Mercury
Slang [Japan] Premiered 10/5/99 Polygram International
Euphoria [Japan Bonus Tracks] Premiered 9/28/99 Mercury
Euphoria [UK] Premiered 9/21/99 Bludgeon Riffola/Mercury
Promises, Pt. 1 Premiered 7/13/99 Polygram International
Promises, Pt. 2 Premiered 7/13/99 Polygram International
Euphoria Premiered 6/8/99 Mercury
Interview Sessions Premiered 9/16/97
Hysteria [Japan Bonus Track] Premiered 8/21/96 Universal/Polygram
All I Want is Everything [UK CD] Premiered 8/20/96
Slang Premiered 5/14/96 Mercury
All I Want is Everything [EP] Premiered 1/1/96 Mercury
Slang [UK Import] Premiered 1/1/96 Mercury/Bludgeon Riffola
Video Archive Premiered 12/5/95 Polygram Video
When Love & Hate Collide Premiered 11/14/95 Mercury
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits Premiered 10/31/95 Mercury
Vault [Bonus Disc] Premiered 1/1/95 Mercury
Mega Edition Premiered 1/1/94 Import
Miss U in H'beat Premiered 1/1/94 Import
Miss You in a Heartbeat Premiered 11/30/93
Retro Active Premiered 10/5/93 Mercury
Visualize Premiered 10/5/93 Polygram Video
Two Steps Behind Premiered 9/7/93
Adrenalize [Japan 2-CD] Premiered 5/27/93
Stand Up [Import CD Single] Premiered 5/5/93
Tonight [CD Single] Premiered 3/2/93 Polygram
Tonight [Cassette Single] Premiered 3/2/93 Polygram
Heaven Is [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/93
Stand Up [US Cassette Single] Premiered 11/24/92 Polygram
Make Love Like a Man [CD Single] Premiered 8/21/92
Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad Premiered 8/11/92 Polygram
Make Love Like a Man [Cassette Single] Premiered 6/9/92 Polygram
Adrenalize [Japan] [Alex] Premiered 4/17/92
Adrenalize Premiered 3/31/92 Mercury
Let's Get Rocked [Import CD Single #1] Premiered 3/30/92
Let's Get Rocked [UK Vinyl Single] Premiered 3/30/92
Let's Get Rocked [US Cassette Single] Premiered 3/24/92 Polygram
Let's Get Rocked [Germany CD] Premiered 1/1/92
High 'N' Dry [Bonus Tracks] Premiered 5/10/89 Bludgeon Riffola
Rocket [Ltd. UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/89
In the Round, In Your Face Premiered 1/1/89
Rocket [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/89
Rocket [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/89
Armageddon It [Ltd. UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Armageddon It [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Love Bites [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Pour Some Sugar on Me [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Hysteria [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Historia Premiered 1/1/88
Love Bites [Ltd. UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Armageddon It [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Love Bites [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/88
Pour Some Sugar on Me [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/87
Women [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/87
Hysteria [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/87
Conversationalize Premiered 1/1/87 Baktabak - (import)
Hysteria Premiered 1/1/87 Mercury
Animal [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/87
Animal [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/87
First Strike Premiered 1/1/85
Bringin' on the Heartbreak [Remix US 7"] Premiered 1/1/84
Photograph [UK 7" Reissue] Premiered 1/1/84
Rock of Ages [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/83
Photograph [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/83
Too Late for Love [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/83
Pyromania Premiered 1/1/83 Mercury
Foolin' [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/83
Rock of Ages [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/83
Photograph [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/83
Bringin' on the Heartbreak [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/81
High 'N' Dry Premiered 1/1/81 Mercury
Let It Go [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/81
Let It Go [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/81
Hello America [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/80
Rock Brigade [US 7"] Premiered 1/1/80
On Through the Night Premiered 1/1/80 Mercury
The Def Leppard EP Premiered 1/1/79
Wasted [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/79
Getcha Rocks Off [UK 7"] Premiered 1/1/79
Getcha Rocks Off

Steve Clark Biography

puddle_of_blood_28 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:55:31 CDT

Childhood and adolescence

Clark was born and raised in Hillsborough, the north-western suburb of Sheffield, England. From an early age he showed interest in music -- his mother even took him to a concert to see The Shadows perform when he was six. At eleven, he asked his father, a taxi driver, for a guitar, and his father gave him one, on the condition that Steve would learn to play. His favourite guitarist was Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page; after hearing "How Many More Times," he fell in love with the sound and knew he wanted to continue with a musical career. He soon exchanged his acoustic guitar for an electric. After that, Steve started learning some Led Zeppelin songs note by note, improving his style and technique over time. More evidently because he loved Jimmy Page, Clark primarily used Gibson guitars during his timeline with Def Leppard. He occasionally used other guitars, such as a Fender Stratocaster in the Love Bites video.

Career and technique

Before joining Def Leppard in 1978, he played cover songs with his small band, Electric Chicken, in Sheffield. Around that time, he met Pete Willis (Def Leppard's original guitarist/founder). Steve asked for a spot in the band and joined Def Leppard in January 1978. According to Joe Elliott in Behind the Music, Clark auditioned for Def Leppard by playing all of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird". While a guitarist for Def Leppard, he was one of the main contributors to the band's music and lyrics. More importantly, Clark threatened to leave the band if they didn't go out and play. Considering the impact he had on the band's skill level and songwriting, lead singer Joe Elliott scrambled to find a suitable gig. He and Pete Willis shared lead guitar duties, but many of the band's gems could be attributed to Clark's virtuosity. A notable song in mind that shows Steve Clark's iconic guitar riffs is the instrumental "Switch 625" off of High 'n' Dry. When Willis was asked to leave due to his drinking problem, guitarist Phil Collen auditioned for the band. Elliott gave Collen a copy of Photograph,a track off the band's Pyromania album, asking Collen to come up with a solo for the song. The next day Collen played the solo in one take that's on the album. Producer Mutt Lange was so impressed he recommended Collen's recruitment into the band. Clark and Collen were dubbed the Terror Twins in homage to Aerosmith's Toxic Twins (Steven Tyler and Joe Perry). Over the years, Collen quit drinking and adopted a healthy lifestyle; however, Clark did not. The other members of Def Leppard looked upon Steve as a great guitarist and showman. His live performances were memorable, but his work with the group was increasingly disrupted by his alcoholism. Lead singer Joe Elliott said while other band members would be out visiting family or watching a movie, the only thing Steve was interested in was drinking and/or playing guitar. In fact, one night in Minneapolis, Steve was found unconscious with a blood/alcohol level of .59. John Bonham of Led Zeppelin died with a blood alcohol level of .41 By the late 1980's, Clark's addiction to alcohol was seriously damaging his musical career. He often showed up intoxicated, causing problems in the recording sessions for Hysteria. His role with the band was limited everywhere but onstage, in which case he was always ready, able and sober. The 1992 song "White Lightning" on the album Adrenalize was written about Steve Clark, because the members nicknamed him "White Lightning" for his preference of wearing white clothes on stage often. He is best remembered for the powerful riffs that drove Def Leppard's first four albums in the 1980s, for which he was also nicknamed as "The Riffmaster". His distinctive style can be heard in particular on "Wasted" (from On Through the Night), "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" (from High 'N' Dry), "Die Hard the Hunter" (from Pyromania) and "Gods of War" (from Hysteria). He contributed to half of the songs on the band's 1992 album "Adrenalize" just prior to his death.

Death

On January 8, 1991, Clark was found dead on his couch by his girlfriend Janie Dean. The autopsy revealed he'd died from a mixture of anti-depressants, painkillers (prescribed for a rib injury), and alcohol. There was no evidence of suicidal intent. Daniel Van Alphen, Clark's drinking companion the night before, testified that the two went to the local pub and returned to the guitarist's home at midnight to watch a video. Van Alphen said Clark drank a triple vodka, a quadruple vodka and a double brandy within 30 minutes. When Clark passed out on the couch, Van Alphen said he left. Dr. Iain West, the pathologist who performed the autopsy, testified that Clark's blood alcohol level was three times the British legal limit, and an antidepressant and painkiller were both found at levels exceeding normal therapeutic doses. The anti-anxiety drug Valium was found to be at a therapeutic level. His guitars were sold off by his girlfriend. At the time of his death, Clark was on a six-month leave of absence from Def Leppard. The band had grown desperate at repeated efforts to help Clark and decided time off was the only solution. He was buried at Wisewood Cemetery, Loxley, Sheffield, near the Clark family home. Tesla, who opened for Def Leppard on the Hysteria tour, recorded a tribute to Steve Clark on their Psychotic Supper album, called "Song & Emotion (To Our Friend, Steve 'Steamin' Clark)".

Vincent Price - "Thriller"

excerpt from the voiceover session for the 1982 album.

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