Results for "Vocalist"

Roy Orbison

Born: April 23, 1936

Roy Orbison possessed one of the great rock and roll voices: a forceful, operatic bel canto tenor capable of dynamic crescendos. He sang heartbroken ballads and bluesy rockers alike, running up a formidable hit streak in the early Sixties. From the release of “Only the Lonely” in 1960 to “Oh! Pretty Woman,” a span of four years, Orbison cracked the Top Ten nine times. His most memorable performances were lovelorn melodramas, such as “Crying” and “It’s Over,” in which he emoted in a brooding, tremulous voice. “I’ve always been in love with my voice,” Orbison admitted to Rolling Stone’s Steve Pond in 1988

Gerry Rafferty

Born: April 16, 1947

Gerry Rafferty was a popular music giant at the end of the '70s, thanks to the song "Baker Street" and the album City to City. His career long predated that fixture of Top 40 radio, however; indeed, by the time he cut "Baker Street" Rafferty had already been a member of two successful groups, the Humblebums and Stealers Wheel. Rafferty was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1947, the son of a Scottish mother and an Irish father. His father was deaf but still enjoyed singing, mostly Irish rebel songs, and his early experience of music was a combination of Catholic hymns, traditional folk music, and '50s pop music. By 1968, at age 21, Rafferty was a singer-guitarist and had started trying to write songs professionally, and was looking for a gig of his own

Gil Garfield

Born: May 20, 1933

Vocalist-songwriter and his trio charted Billboard with '50s hits 'Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots' and 'Bazoom! I Need Your Lovin'.' Garfield, a member of the 1950s vocal group The Cheers.. The Cheers recorded a Top 10 single, Leiber & Stoller's "Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots," in 1955. The trio -- Garfield, Sue Allen and Bert Convy (later an actor and game show host) -- hit the Billboard charts again with Leiber & Stoller's "Bazoom! I Need Your Lovin'," and they recorded several demos of other Leiber & Stoller tunes. In the '60s, Garfield collaborated on words and music with Perry Botkin Jr

Maurice Charland

Maria von Trapp

Born: January 26, 1905

Wife of Captain George Ritter von Trapp, their story was made famous in the musical film, “The Sound of Music” (1965), in which her role was played by Julie Andrews. Born Maria Augusta Kutschera on a train enroute to Vienna, Austria, her mother died when she was just two years old. Her father left her with a cousin, so that he could travel, and she was raised as a socialist and atheist, becoming cynical towards all religions. Her attitude changed while in college, when she entered a crowded church believing she was about to hear a Bach concert, only to find that it was a sermon by a visiting Jesuit priest, Father Kronseder

Kristin Chenoweth

Born: July 24, 1968

Kristin Chenoweth effortlessly transitions between stage, television and film with the captivating grace that only she can project. Kristin is currently shooting the pilot for David Kelley’s NBC legal drama Legally Mad, where she will play “Skippy Pylon”, a cheerful and brilliant attorney who nonetheless exhibits flashes of psychosis. Kristin joined the cast of Fox’s animated comedy Sit down, Shut Up as the voice of science teacher, “Miracle Grohe” alongside Jason Bateman, Henry Winkler and Will Forte which will debut this spring. She also has an upcoming appearance on the new Fox comedy, Glee, which will premiere this spring. Kristin has written an uplifting candid, comedic chronicle of her life so far which will be released by Simon & Schuster in April 2009

Simon Jay Harper

Composer and singer, also writer, grew up listening to Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Louis Armstrong and various classical music, discovered rock and vocal music at 15, began writing music after listening to The Beatles. Studied orchestration and composition at UCLA, also a writer of music history. Favorite singers: Frank Sinatra, Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bobby Bland, Robert Johnson, Paul McCartney, Johnny Hodges's sax, Charlie Parker's sax Favorite writers: Robert Johnson, Michel Legrand, Duke Ellington, Borodin, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner (Meistersingers and Tristan), Stravinsky, Hindemith, Fats Waller, Charlie Parker, the new music fusing jazz, rock and classical music. Also plays electric guitar (Stratocaster), and acoustic guitars including twelve string.

James Taylor

Born: March 12, 1948

The embodiment of the American singer-songwriter in the late 60s and early 70s was the frail and troubled James Taylor. He was born into a wealthy family. His mother was a classically trained soprano and encouraged James and his siblings, including future recording artists Livingston Taylor (b. 21 November 1950, Boston, Massachusetts), Alex Taylor (b. 28 February 1947, Boston, Massachusetts, USA), Hugh Taylor (b. 24 July 1952, Durham, North Carolina, USA) and Kate Taylor (b. 21 November 1950, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) to become musical.

The young James Taylor wanted for nothing and divided his time between two substantial homes. He befriended Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar at the age of 15 and won a local talent contest. As is often the case, boarding school education often suits the parents more than the child, and James rebelled from Milton Academy at the age of 16 to join his brother Alex in a rock band, the Fabulous Corsairs. At only 17 he committed himself to the McLean Mental Institution in Massachusetts to undergo treatment for his severe depression. Following a nine-month stay he reunited with "Kootch" and together they formed the commercially disastrous Flying Machine. At 18, now being supported by his parents in his own apartment, the seemingly affluent James drew the predictable crowd of hangers-on and emotional parasites. He experimented and soon was addicted to heroin.

Lina Romay

Born: January 16, 1922

Latin-American singer/actress Lina Romay was active in films from 1942 to 1952. She came to Hollywood under contract to Columbia, then worked briefly at MGM and RKO. In 1949, she began a three-year run as featured vocalist on the TV series Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue. This lovely lady first appeared on the silver screen as a (unbilled) singer in Xavier Cugat's orchestra. She came to Hollywood under contract to Columbia then worked briefly for MGM and RKO Studios, in a film career that spanned the years 1942 to 1953. She can be seen in such stellar movies as "You Were Never Lovelier" (1942) starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth and "Bathing Beauty" (1944) starring Esther Williams and Red Skelton. She attracted the attention of servicemen worldwide as a stunning Latin beauty and appeared in Yank Magazine as a pinup girl or cover girl in other publications

Jim Morrison

Born: December 8, 1943

James Douglas Morrison was born to George and Clara Morrison in Melbourne, Florida. A Naval officer, George was forced to move his family around a lot when Jim was a child, and some say that fact led to Jim's unique method of speaking out. Upon graduation from George Washington High School in Alexandria, Virginia, Jim continued his education at several institutions before finding his way to California, and UCLA. He began studying film, his true desire, and got into music accidentally. It was soon after that he met Ray Manzarek on a Venice beach, who was already in a band called "Rick and the Ravens"