Washington, May 28 : Actress Scarlett Johansson is set to replace Penelope Cruz as the new face of Spanish clothing line Mango.
The `Vicky Cristina Barcelona' star will be seen promoting firm''s 2009 Fall/Winter campaign.
Fashion bosses insist that Johansson embodies the "chic, independent, and cosmopolitan" qualities of the Mango woman, reports Contactmusic.
Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow is said to be furious with Johansson for hogging the limelight on the sets of `Iron Man 2'.
Paltrow, 36, is once again playing the part of Pepper Potts, assistant to comic book hero Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jnr, in the second sequel.
"Gwyneth has become very frustrated with Scarlett," said a source.
"They come from different worlds and have completely different styles.
"Gwyneth has found Scarlett very demanding of the attention of the crew. It's not a happy set," the source added.(ANI)
Nicole Scherzinger ‘Hush Hush-ly’ strips naked for bath
London, May 28 : Pussycat dolls vocalist Nicole Scherzinger has set the pulse racing with a revealing new video for Hush Hush; Hush Hush.
The 30-year-old singer, who's dating F1 star Lewis Hamilton, is seen singing naked in the bath tube in the new video, reports the Sun.
Meanwhile, American pop star is reportedly hunting for a dazzling engagement ring for her forthcoming engagement ceremony with beau Lewis Hamilton.
Nicole is currently hunting for an exquisite diamond ring, and has been visiting multifarious jewellery stores to buy one for the occasion.
Nicole has been dating Brit formula one racer Hamilton for a year. (ANI)
The 30-year-old singer, who's dating F1 star Lewis Hamilton, is seen singing naked in the bath tube in the new video, reports the Sun.
Meanwhile, American pop star is reportedly hunting for a dazzling engagement ring for her forthcoming engagement ceremony with beau Lewis Hamilton.
Nicole is currently hunting for an exquisite diamond ring, and has been visiting multifarious jewellery stores to buy one for the occasion.
Nicole has been dating Brit formula one racer Hamilton for a year. (ANI)
Serena Williams survives the first round in Paris
Serena Williams returns to Klara Zakopalova during their first-round match at the French Open on Tuesday.
Reporting from Paris -- Normally Serena Williams exhibits all the nervousness of a shark in a goldfish pond, so her confession of jitters here illuminates a French Open task she labels "uphill."
It's no wonder she hopped up and down on the Court Suzanne Lenglen after her 2 1/2 -hour, first-round squeaker in the wind Tuesday afternoon, considering her 2009 clay-court preparation amounted to three tournaments, two countries, zero wins, three losses and one retirement.
As she moves toward her remarkable 38th second round in 38 Grand Slam tournaments, this clunky preparation didn't mean much, for this is a 27-year-old who has the phoenix routine down well enough to have once won an Australian Open from 81st in the rankings.
Sure, her 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 endurance over 100th-ranked Klara Zakopalova may have forged the only suspense of a rainy and chilly day when the other top-fivers -- Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic -- won breezily.
Still, it's not necessarily foreboding that Williams said, "I played junior tennis or even worse."
It's far from unprecedented that she said, "Couldn't you tell how tortured I was? I think my face said it all."
Her frowns and grimaces through a match that took her nine match points to win might not say anything more than her mother Oracene's big laugh from the stands after Williams couldn't convert on the fourth match point following a 30-shot rally longer than a French lunch. Eighteen three-setters dot the 70 wins of Williams' 10 Grand Slam titles, and it's a wide-open women's game even if she hasn't graced so much as a semifinal in this clay pit since 2003.
"I think Serena will be playing better and better each round, so it was the best chance to at least play with her or beat her," Zakopalova said.
Williams' father and co-coach Richard Williams, having watched as his ex-wife wore a winter coat and the crowd dressed in veritable Big Ten football garb, even brought up Julia Mae Williams, the highest praise he can offer.
His late mother "wouldn't let all the evil forces of hell stop her," Richard Williams said, and "didn't believe in turning around or giving up or giving in." She died "the first Sunday of May in 1985," he said, "and I haven't had two good days since then."
What he saw Tuesday, he said, "was a champion that found a way to win on a day that she didn't play good. In order to be a champion you have to win when you should lose."
And what were the thoughts of the No. 2 player in the world, the reigning U.S. and Australian Open champion, the player who most everyone -- including herself -- reckons is really No. 1?
More than anything, "I just wanted to win a match on clay," Williams said. Imagine.
Reporting from Paris -- Normally Serena Williams exhibits all the nervousness of a shark in a goldfish pond, so her confession of jitters here illuminates a French Open task she labels "uphill."
It's no wonder she hopped up and down on the Court Suzanne Lenglen after her 2 1/2 -hour, first-round squeaker in the wind Tuesday afternoon, considering her 2009 clay-court preparation amounted to three tournaments, two countries, zero wins, three losses and one retirement.
As she moves toward her remarkable 38th second round in 38 Grand Slam tournaments, this clunky preparation didn't mean much, for this is a 27-year-old who has the phoenix routine down well enough to have once won an Australian Open from 81st in the rankings.
Sure, her 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 endurance over 100th-ranked Klara Zakopalova may have forged the only suspense of a rainy and chilly day when the other top-fivers -- Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic -- won breezily.
Still, it's not necessarily foreboding that Williams said, "I played junior tennis or even worse."
It's far from unprecedented that she said, "Couldn't you tell how tortured I was? I think my face said it all."
Her frowns and grimaces through a match that took her nine match points to win might not say anything more than her mother Oracene's big laugh from the stands after Williams couldn't convert on the fourth match point following a 30-shot rally longer than a French lunch. Eighteen three-setters dot the 70 wins of Williams' 10 Grand Slam titles, and it's a wide-open women's game even if she hasn't graced so much as a semifinal in this clay pit since 2003.
"I think Serena will be playing better and better each round, so it was the best chance to at least play with her or beat her," Zakopalova said.
Williams' father and co-coach Richard Williams, having watched as his ex-wife wore a winter coat and the crowd dressed in veritable Big Ten football garb, even brought up Julia Mae Williams, the highest praise he can offer.
His late mother "wouldn't let all the evil forces of hell stop her," Richard Williams said, and "didn't believe in turning around or giving up or giving in." She died "the first Sunday of May in 1985," he said, "and I haven't had two good days since then."
What he saw Tuesday, he said, "was a champion that found a way to win on a day that she didn't play good. In order to be a champion you have to win when you should lose."
And what were the thoughts of the No. 2 player in the world, the reigning U.S. and Australian Open champion, the player who most everyone -- including herself -- reckons is really No. 1?
More than anything, "I just wanted to win a match on clay," Williams said. Imagine.
Taylor Swift: "I Don't Compete" With Pal Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has nothing to fear. Taylor Swift is not her competition.
"I've always approached this from the place where I don't compete with other girls," the 19-year-old country singer tells the Associated Press about pals Cyrus and Selena Gomez. "I don't compete with other people in the industry. I compete with myself."
Swift adds that she wouldn't have the two 16-year-old Disney Channel stars as friends if she was more cunning.
"If I looked at every other girl in the entertainment industry as competition, my life would be really lonely," she says. "I wouldn't have some of the coolest friends that I'm so glad I've gotten to know over the last couple of years... It's really awesome to get to hang out with those girls and to call them friends."
Still, Swift -- who was famously dumped by Jonas Brothers' Joe Jonas last year -- worries that it's difficult finding a boyfriend in the spotlight.
"When you strategize a relationship too much, like, 'We're not gonna be public about it, and we're gonna say this in interviews,' when you think it all out, I think that complicates the relationship," she says, adding that she doesn't care what her love interest does or how he would affect her career. "I think that's unfair for the relationship."
She adds that she's not in search for a new beau at the moment.
"I don't look for boyfriends," she says. "I don't really scour the awards shows for who I'm going to date, but I think love happens when you're not looking for it, and when it happens, I'm not going to be the one to overthink it."
"I've always approached this from the place where I don't compete with other girls," the 19-year-old country singer tells the Associated Press about pals Cyrus and Selena Gomez. "I don't compete with other people in the industry. I compete with myself."
Swift adds that she wouldn't have the two 16-year-old Disney Channel stars as friends if she was more cunning.
"If I looked at every other girl in the entertainment industry as competition, my life would be really lonely," she says. "I wouldn't have some of the coolest friends that I'm so glad I've gotten to know over the last couple of years... It's really awesome to get to hang out with those girls and to call them friends."
Still, Swift -- who was famously dumped by Jonas Brothers' Joe Jonas last year -- worries that it's difficult finding a boyfriend in the spotlight.
"When you strategize a relationship too much, like, 'We're not gonna be public about it, and we're gonna say this in interviews,' when you think it all out, I think that complicates the relationship," she says, adding that she doesn't care what her love interest does or how he would affect her career. "I think that's unfair for the relationship."
She adds that she's not in search for a new beau at the moment.
"I don't look for boyfriends," she says. "I don't really scour the awards shows for who I'm going to date, but I think love happens when you're not looking for it, and when it happens, I'm not going to be the one to overthink it."
Mel Gibson's Girlfriend Is Pregnant
It's official: Mel Gibson's girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, is pregnant.
The actor confirmed the news during a taping of NBC's The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to air tonight.
"I guess Im 'Octo-Mel,'" says Gibson, who already has seven kids with his wife of 28 years, Robyn.
Robyn filed for divorce six weeks ago amidst speculation that Grigorieva, a singer on Gibson's record label, was expecting a child.
"My wife and I, our marriage ended three years ago and weve been separated ever since then," Gibson tells Leno. "These things happen. It's unfortunate, it's sad, but you know she is an admirable woman -- we still got kids together, we're friends.
"Look," Gibson continues. "When it's all said and done, I did a pretty good hatchet job on my marriage myself. I'm to blame. If you're inclined to judge, put it here."
Gibson also says his separation from Robyn had nothing to do with Grigorieva, whom he didn't meet until 2008.
When asked by Leno if they would wed, Gibson says: "Why would you get married twice?"
According to reports, Grigorieva is in her second trimester and due this fall.
Grigorieva, 38, and Gibson, 53, came out publicly as a couple at the April 29 premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Los Angeles.
The duo became close after Grigorieva was hired to compose a song on Gibson's thriller, Edge of Darkness, which filmed last summer in Massachusetts.
"They would come out and attempt to walk around separately, but then at the end of the day, they both returned to the same hotel," an on-set source told Us Weekly. "She was there on and off for a week, but it was clear she had no business there other than to be with Mel."
The actor confirmed the news during a taping of NBC's The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to air tonight.
"I guess Im 'Octo-Mel,'" says Gibson, who already has seven kids with his wife of 28 years, Robyn.
Robyn filed for divorce six weeks ago amidst speculation that Grigorieva, a singer on Gibson's record label, was expecting a child.
"My wife and I, our marriage ended three years ago and weve been separated ever since then," Gibson tells Leno. "These things happen. It's unfortunate, it's sad, but you know she is an admirable woman -- we still got kids together, we're friends.
"Look," Gibson continues. "When it's all said and done, I did a pretty good hatchet job on my marriage myself. I'm to blame. If you're inclined to judge, put it here."
Gibson also says his separation from Robyn had nothing to do with Grigorieva, whom he didn't meet until 2008.
When asked by Leno if they would wed, Gibson says: "Why would you get married twice?"
According to reports, Grigorieva is in her second trimester and due this fall.
Grigorieva, 38, and Gibson, 53, came out publicly as a couple at the April 29 premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Los Angeles.
The duo became close after Grigorieva was hired to compose a song on Gibson's thriller, Edge of Darkness, which filmed last summer in Massachusetts.
"They would come out and attempt to walk around separately, but then at the end of the day, they both returned to the same hotel," an on-set source told Us Weekly. "She was there on and off for a week, but it was clear she had no business there other than to be with Mel."
Unlikely UK sensation Susan Boyle sings rousing 'Memory
Surprise singing sensation Susan Boyle made a new television appearance Sunday, showcasing once again her soaring voice — but refusing to compromise on the frumpy look that made her an Internet sensation.
The shy church volunteer gave a rousing, but occasionally nervous, performance on the "American Idol"-style show "Britain's Got Talent," with a version of the song "Memory" from the musical "Cats."
Members of the public voting in a telephone poll picked her as the best of eight performers who appeared Sunday, meaning she will sing again in the contest's final next Saturday.
Flashing a broad smile, Boyle danced in delight as results were announced and said had relished the chance to perform. "Fantastic, absolutely fantastic," she said. "What pressure? I've really enjoyed myself tonight."
Wearing a plum colored beaded dress — and a touch more makeup than during her last performance — but with the same unruly shock of hair, Boyle overcame early jitters to deliver a powerful vocal.
Producers said the 47-year-old's appearance was being posted on the Internet almost immediately, after about 60 million people watched her last performance via YouTube.
In her first performance last month, judges who'd raised eyebrows at Boyle's dowdy image were won over by her bold voice and surprisingly confident performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables." The sometimes awkward looking Scot won praise from celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore, and even won a name check in her favorite cartoon "The Simpsons."
On Sunday, the show's judges and audience rose to their feet to applaud, but those posting comments to the Twitter Web site appeared divided. While some hailed her performance, others appeared underwhelmed.
Bookmaker William Hill has made her a runaway favorite to win on May 30.
Contestants are competing to perform at Britain's annual Royal Variety Show — attended by members of the royal family — and win a 100,000 pound ($159,000) prize.
The singer, who lives alone with her cat Pebbles in one of Scotland's poorest regions, said before Sunday's performance that she wouldn't transform her appearance. "I just want people to see me for who I am, and do my best at singing the song, that's what I am focusing on," she said.
Boyle, who says she's never been kissed, grew up the youngest of nine children in Blackburn, a community of 4,750 people 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Edinburgh, in Scotland, and a district blighted by unemployment and crime. She suffered learning difficulties as a child and was bullied by other children.
As an adult, she's struggled for work but had been a regular on her local karaoke circuit and performed in church choirs.
In an interview with The Associated Press at her home last month, she said the death of her mother had inspired her to enter the TV talent show.
The shy church volunteer gave a rousing, but occasionally nervous, performance on the "American Idol"-style show "Britain's Got Talent," with a version of the song "Memory" from the musical "Cats."
Members of the public voting in a telephone poll picked her as the best of eight performers who appeared Sunday, meaning she will sing again in the contest's final next Saturday.
Flashing a broad smile, Boyle danced in delight as results were announced and said had relished the chance to perform. "Fantastic, absolutely fantastic," she said. "What pressure? I've really enjoyed myself tonight."
Wearing a plum colored beaded dress — and a touch more makeup than during her last performance — but with the same unruly shock of hair, Boyle overcame early jitters to deliver a powerful vocal.
Producers said the 47-year-old's appearance was being posted on the Internet almost immediately, after about 60 million people watched her last performance via YouTube.
In her first performance last month, judges who'd raised eyebrows at Boyle's dowdy image were won over by her bold voice and surprisingly confident performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables." The sometimes awkward looking Scot won praise from celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore, and even won a name check in her favorite cartoon "The Simpsons."
On Sunday, the show's judges and audience rose to their feet to applaud, but those posting comments to the Twitter Web site appeared divided. While some hailed her performance, others appeared underwhelmed.
Bookmaker William Hill has made her a runaway favorite to win on May 30.
Contestants are competing to perform at Britain's annual Royal Variety Show — attended by members of the royal family — and win a 100,000 pound ($159,000) prize.
The singer, who lives alone with her cat Pebbles in one of Scotland's poorest regions, said before Sunday's performance that she wouldn't transform her appearance. "I just want people to see me for who I am, and do my best at singing the song, that's what I am focusing on," she said.
Boyle, who says she's never been kissed, grew up the youngest of nine children in Blackburn, a community of 4,750 people 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Edinburgh, in Scotland, and a district blighted by unemployment and crime. She suffered learning difficulties as a child and was bullied by other children.
As an adult, she's struggled for work but had been a regular on her local karaoke circuit and performed in church choirs.
In an interview with The Associated Press at her home last month, she said the death of her mother had inspired her to enter the TV talent show.
Britney appears calm, composed at cousin’s wedding in Louisiana
Washington, May 25 : Pop star Britney Spears attended her cousin sister Laura Lynne Covington’s wedding in Louisiana, where she appeared to be very calm and composed.
Britney, who was the "honorary" bridesmaid at the wedding, enjoyed the wedding with her loved ones.
"When her brother walked her down the aisle, she looked stunningly calm and beautiful," People magazine quoted a source as saying.
"She was very pretty, low-key. She was not the centre of everything, just pretty and calm and collected,” the source added.
Despite her celebrity status, Britney did not steal way the attention from the bride and allowed the day to be a complete bride’s day, as there was no fanfare.
"There was no fanfare. With all the star power Britney and her family command, it was still the bride''s day,” the source added.
Britney, who was the "honorary" bridesmaid at the wedding, enjoyed the wedding with her loved ones.
"When her brother walked her down the aisle, she looked stunningly calm and beautiful," People magazine quoted a source as saying.
"She was very pretty, low-key. She was not the centre of everything, just pretty and calm and collected,” the source added.
Despite her celebrity status, Britney did not steal way the attention from the bride and allowed the day to be a complete bride’s day, as there was no fanfare.
"There was no fanfare. With all the star power Britney and her family command, it was still the bride''s day,” the source added.
Scarlet Johansson second album set for September release
Washington, May 25 : Scarlet Johansson’s second album has reportedly been slated for a September release.
The actress made her debut in the music world with her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, with cover versions of Tom Waits songs, last year.
According to USA Today, her second album boasts of a collection of duets with singer/songwriter Pete Yorn entitled Break Up, reports Contactmusic.
Serge Gainsbourg''s 1960s recordings with Brigitte Bardot were said to have played muse for the latest collection, which recorded in 2006 has reportedly taken three years to be released.
The actress made her debut in the music world with her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, with cover versions of Tom Waits songs, last year.
According to USA Today, her second album boasts of a collection of duets with singer/songwriter Pete Yorn entitled Break Up, reports Contactmusic.
Serge Gainsbourg''s 1960s recordings with Brigitte Bardot were said to have played muse for the latest collection, which recorded in 2006 has reportedly taken three years to be released.
StarGazing | Ghostbusters again; Jessica Biel’s looks; life with Bristol
Biel’s too sexy for her job, apparently
Sounds like Jessica Biel thinks her face (and body?) hold her back from getting all the good roles.
She tells Allure magazine that she longs for juicier parts that Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman score.
“It really is a problem,” she says about being so attractive. “I have to be blunt.
“I just want an opportunity. If you don’t like the audition, then don’t hire me! But if you don’t want to even see me — that’s hurtful.”
We’ll take a minute here to muster up sympathy.
The mag also asked Biel about boyfriend Justin Timberlake. Any wedding plans?
“I have no idea if I want to get married,” Biel says. “I have a lot to do, careerwise.”
Maybe she should wear a paper bag over her head.
Bristol: If you only knew, you wouldn’t have sex
New mom and high school graduate Bristol Palin has learned it the hard way.
“If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex,” the first daughter of Alaska tells People magazine in an exclusive interview. “Trust me. Nobody.”
She gave the magazine insight into what life with her 5-month-old son, Tripp, is like on a daily basis.
When the magazine asked Bristol, the oldest of Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s five children, if she missed not going out with her friends after graduation, Bristol said: “I have other things to worry about.”
She told the magazine she usually gets up twice during the night to feed Tripp, who sleeps in a hand-me-down crib in her bedroom. She breastfed him for a month, pumping milk before class and rushing home to feed him, all the while working two part-time jobs to help pay for the diapers and formula her parents buy for the baby.
“Girls need to imagine and picture their life with a screaming newborn baby and then think before they have sex,” she said.
SJP worried for surrogate
Sarah Jessica Parker is “incredibly outraged” and concerned for the safety and well-being of the surrogate carrying her and husband Matthew Broderick’s twins.
The “Sex and the City” star told “Access Hollywood” that all the attention over the impending births has led to a horrible invasion of the woman’s privacy.
She told NBC that the surrogate’s telephone and computer have been hacked into and that the woman, her friends and family have all been threatened.
Parker said a pregnant friend of the surrogate was even chased by the paparazzi.
“She’s had a friend who was thought to be her chased down a highway. ... This friend is nine months pregnant … chased down a highway by photographers, and dare I call them ‘reporters.’ I guess that’s how they identify themselves,” Parker said. “It’s crossed lines. Pretty much all the lines have been crossed.
“I think even given the unfortunate way we live now in this unending appetite for the more salacious information, it has still shocked me, and it has still really disappointed me.”
When Lisa Gutierrez isn’t trying to steer clear of salacious information, she’s StarGazing among published reports of celebrity news.
Sounds like Jessica Biel thinks her face (and body?) hold her back from getting all the good roles.
She tells Allure magazine that she longs for juicier parts that Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman score.
“It really is a problem,” she says about being so attractive. “I have to be blunt.
“I just want an opportunity. If you don’t like the audition, then don’t hire me! But if you don’t want to even see me — that’s hurtful.”
We’ll take a minute here to muster up sympathy.
The mag also asked Biel about boyfriend Justin Timberlake. Any wedding plans?
“I have no idea if I want to get married,” Biel says. “I have a lot to do, careerwise.”
Maybe she should wear a paper bag over her head.
Bristol: If you only knew, you wouldn’t have sex
New mom and high school graduate Bristol Palin has learned it the hard way.
“If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex,” the first daughter of Alaska tells People magazine in an exclusive interview. “Trust me. Nobody.”
She gave the magazine insight into what life with her 5-month-old son, Tripp, is like on a daily basis.
When the magazine asked Bristol, the oldest of Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s five children, if she missed not going out with her friends after graduation, Bristol said: “I have other things to worry about.”
She told the magazine she usually gets up twice during the night to feed Tripp, who sleeps in a hand-me-down crib in her bedroom. She breastfed him for a month, pumping milk before class and rushing home to feed him, all the while working two part-time jobs to help pay for the diapers and formula her parents buy for the baby.
“Girls need to imagine and picture their life with a screaming newborn baby and then think before they have sex,” she said.
SJP worried for surrogate
Sarah Jessica Parker is “incredibly outraged” and concerned for the safety and well-being of the surrogate carrying her and husband Matthew Broderick’s twins.
The “Sex and the City” star told “Access Hollywood” that all the attention over the impending births has led to a horrible invasion of the woman’s privacy.
She told NBC that the surrogate’s telephone and computer have been hacked into and that the woman, her friends and family have all been threatened.
Parker said a pregnant friend of the surrogate was even chased by the paparazzi.
“She’s had a friend who was thought to be her chased down a highway. ... This friend is nine months pregnant … chased down a highway by photographers, and dare I call them ‘reporters.’ I guess that’s how they identify themselves,” Parker said. “It’s crossed lines. Pretty much all the lines have been crossed.
“I think even given the unfortunate way we live now in this unending appetite for the more salacious information, it has still shocked me, and it has still really disappointed me.”
When Lisa Gutierrez isn’t trying to steer clear of salacious information, she’s StarGazing among published reports of celebrity news.
Bob Dylan Biography
Born: 24 May 1941
Birthplace: Duluth, Minnesota
Best Known As: Singer of "Like a Rolling Stone"
Name at birth: Robert Allen Zimmerman
Bob Dylan is a towering figure of late 20th century pop music, known for such songs as "All Along The Watchtower" (made into a hit by Jimi Hendrix), "Like a Rolling Stone," "Tangled Up in Blue," "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Lay Lady Lay." Dylan has been recording and performing since 1962, mixing folk, country, blues and rock; he sometimes startles his fans but almost always pleases the critics. Although Dylan was an influential pop figure during the youth movement of the 1960s, his first number one hit, "Knocking on Heaven's Door," didn't come until 1973. During the '80s he toured extensively, and in the '90s his songs found a new audience and more acclaim from the music industry: in 1991 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Grammy; his 1997 album Time Out of Mind won three Grammys; and in 2001 Dylan won an Oscar for "Things Have Changed," from the movie Wonder Boys (2000). In 2006 he released his first album in five years, Modern Times. It included the song "When the Deal Goes Down," which was made into a video directed by Bennett Miller and featuring Scarlett Johannson. Dylan's albums include Blonde on Blonde (1966), Nashville Skyline (1969), Blood on the Tracks (1975), Infidels (1983) and Knocked Out Loaded (1986).
Dylan has recorded with a variety of other artists, including Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Paul Simon and The Grateful Dead... His son Jakob Dylan is the lead singer for the band The Wallflowers... The film of Dylan's 1965 tour, Don't Look Back, is considered one of the great rock-n-roll documentaries... Dylan's tune "Like A Rolling Stone" was named the #1 song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in November 2004.
Biography
Bob Dylan's influence on popular music is incalculable. As a songwriter, he pioneered several different schools of pop songwriting, from confessional singer/songwriter to winding, hallucinatory, stream-of-conscious narratives. As a vocalist, he broke down the notion that a singer must have a conventionally good voice in order to perform, thereby redefining the vocalist's role in popular music. As a musician, he sparked several genres of pop music, including electrified folk-rock and country-rock. And that just touches on the tip of his achievements. Dylan's force was evident during his height of popularity in the '60s -- the Beatles' shift toward introspective songwriting in the mid-'60s never would have happened without him -- but his influence echoed throughout several subsequent generations, as many of his songs became popular standards and his best albums became undisputed classics of the rock & roll canon. Dylan's influence throughout folk music was equally powerful, and he marks a pivotal turning point in its 20th century evolution, signifying when the genre moved away from traditional songs and toward personal songwriting. Even when his sales declined in the '80s and '90s, Dylan's presence rarely lagged, and his commercial revival in the 2000s proved his staying power.
For a figure of such substantial influence, Dylan came from humble beginnings. Born in Duluth, MN, Bob Dylan (b. Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) was raised in Hibbing, MN, from the age of six. As a child he learned how to play guitar and harmonica, forming a rock & roll band called the Golden Chords when he was in high school. Following his graduation in 1959, he began studying art at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. While at college, he began performing folk songs at coffeehouses under the name Bob Dylan, taking his last name from the poet Dylan Thomas. Already inspired by Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie, Dylan began listening to blues while at college, and the genre weaved its way into his music. Dylan spent the summer of 1960 in Denver, where he met bluesman Jesse Fuller, the inspiration behind the songwriter's signature harmonica rack and guitar. By the time he returned to Minneapolis in the fall, he had grown substantially as a performer and was determined to become a professional musician.
Dylan made his way to New York City in January of 1961, immediately making a substantial impression on the folk community of Greenwich Village. He began visiting his idol Guthrie in the hospital, where he was slowly dying from Huntington's chorea. Dylan also began performing in coffeehouses, and his rough charisma won him a significant following. In April, he opened for John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City. Five months later, Dylan performed another concert at the venue, which was reviewed positively by Robert Shelton in the New York Times. Columbia A&R man John Hammond sought out Dylan on the strength of the review, and signed the songwriter in the fall of 1961. Hammond produced Dylan's eponymous debut album (released in March 1962), a collection of folk and blues standards that boasted only two original songs. Over the course of 1962, Dylan began to write a large batch of original songs, many of which were political protest songs in the vein of his Greenwich contemporaries. These songs were showcased on his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Before its release, Freewheelin' went through several incarnations. Dylan had recorded a rock & roll single, "Mixed Up Confusion," at the end of 1962, but his manager, Albert Grossman, made sure the record was deleted because he wanted to present Dylan as an acoustic folky. Similarly, several tracks with a full backing band that were recorded for Freewheelin' were scrapped before the album's release. Furthermore, several tracks recorded for the album -- including "Talking John Birch Society Blues" -- were eliminated from the album before its release.
Comprised entirely of original songs, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan made a huge impact in the U.S. folk community, and many performers began covering songs from the album. Of these, the most significant were Peter, Paul & Mary, who made "Blowin' in the Wind" into a huge pop hit in the summer of 1963 and thereby made Bob Dylan into a recognizable household name. On the strength of Peter, Paul & Mary's cover and his opening gigs for popular folky Joan Baez, Freewheelin' became a hit in the fall of 1963, climbing to number 23 on the charts. By that point, Baez and Dylan had become romantically involved, and she was beginning to record his songs frequently. Dylan was writing just as fast.
By the time The Times They Are A-Changin' was released in early 1964, Dylan's songwriting had developed far beyond that of his New York peers. Heavily inspired by poets like Arthur Rimbaud and John Keats, his writing took on a more literate and evocative quality. Around the same time, he began to expand his musical boundaries, adding more blues and R&B influences to his songs. Released in the summer of 1964, Another Side of Bob Dylan made these changes evident. However, Dylan was moving faster than his records could indicate. By the end of 1964, he had ended his romantic relationship with Baez and had begun dating a former model named Sara Lowndes, whom he subsequently married. Simultaneously, he gave the Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man" to record for their debut album. The Byrds gave the song a ringing, electric arrangement, but by the time the single became a hit, Dylan was already exploring his own brand of folk-rock. Inspired by the British Invasion, particularly the Animals' version of "House of the Rising Sun," Dylan recorded a set of original songs backed by a loud rock & roll band for his next album. While Bringing It All Back Home (March 1965) still had a side of acoustic material, it made clear that Dylan had turned his back on folk music. For the folk audience, the true breaking point arrived a few months after the album's release, when he played the Newport Folk Festival supported by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The audience greeted him with vicious derision, but he had already been accepted by the growing rock & roll community. Dylan's spring tour of Britain was the basis for D.A. Pennebaker's documentary Don't Look Back, a film that captures the songwriter's edgy charisma and charm.
Dylan made his breakthrough to the pop audience in the summer of 1965, when "Like a Rolling Stone" became a number two hit. Driven by a circular organ riff and a steady beat, the six-minute single broke the barrier of the three-minute pop single. Dylan became the subject of innumerable articles, and his lyrics became the subject of literary analyses across the U.S. and U.K. Well over 100 artists covered his songs between 1964 and 1966; the Byrds and the Turtles, in particular, had big hits with his compositions. Highway 61 Revisited, his first full-fledged rock & roll album, became a Top Ten hit shortly after its summer 1965 release. "Positively 4th Street" and "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" became Top Ten hits in the fall of 1965 and spring of 1966, respectively. Following the May 1966 release of the double-album Blonde on Blonde, he had sold over ten million records around the world.
During the fall of 1965, Dylan hired the Hawks, formerly Ronnie Hawkins' backing group, as his touring band. The Hawks, who changed their name to the Band in 1968, would become Dylan's most famous backing band, primarily because of their intuitive chemistry and "wild, thin mercury sound," but also because of their British tour in the spring of 1966. The tour was the first time Britain had heard the electric Dylan, and their reaction was disagreeable and violent. At the Manchester concert (long mistakenly identified as the show from London's Royal Albert Hall), an audience member called Dylan "Judas," inspiring a positively vicious version of "Like a Rolling Stone" from Dylan and the band. The performance was immortalized on countless bootleg albums (an official release finally surfaced in 1998), and it indicates the intensity of Dylan in the middle of 1966. He had assumed control of Pennebaker's second Dylan documentary, Eat the Document, and was under deadline to complete his book Tarantula, as well as record a new record. Following the British tour, he returned to America.
On July 29, 1966, he was injured in a motorcycle accident outside of his home in Woodstock, NY, suffering injuries to his neck vertebrae and a concussion. Details of the accident remain elusive -- he was reportedly in critical condition for a week and had amnesia -- and some biographers have questioned its severity, but the event was a pivotal turning point in his career. After the accident, Dylan became a recluse, disappearing into his home in Woodstock and raising his family with his wife, Sara. After a few months, he retreated with the Band to a rented house, subsequently dubbed Big Pink, in West Saugerties to record a number of demos. For several months, Dylan and the Band recorded an enormous amount of material, ranging from old folk, country, and blues songs to newly written originals. The songs indicated that Dylan's songwriting had undergone a metamorphosis, becoming streamlined and more direct. Similarly, his music had changed, owing less to traditional rock & roll, and demonstrating heavy country, blues, and traditional folk influences. None of the Big Pink recordings were intended to be released, but tapes from the sessions were circulated by Dylan's music publisher with the intent of generating cover versions. Copies of these tapes, as well as other songs, were available on illegal bootleg albums by the end of the '60s; it was the first time that bootleg copies of unreleased recordings became widely circulated. Portions of the tapes were officially released in 1975 as the double-album The Basement Tapes.
While Dylan was in seclusion, rock & roll had become heavier and artier in the wake of the psychedelic revolution. When Dylan returned with John Wesley Harding in December of 1967, its quiet, country ambience was a surprise to the general public, but it was a significant hit, peaking at number two in the U.S. and number one in the U.K. Furthermore, the record arguably became the first significant country-rock record to be released, setting the stage for efforts by the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers later in 1969. Dylan followed his country inclinations on his next album, 1969's Nashville Skyline, which was recorded in Nashville with several of the country industry's top session men. While the album was a hit, spawning the Top Ten single "Lay Lady Lay," it was criticized in some quarters for uneven material. The mixed reception was the beginning of a full-blown backlash that arrived with the double-album Self Portrait. Released early in June of 1970, the album was a hodgepodge of covers, live tracks, re-interpretations, and new songs greeted with negative reviews from all quarters of the press. Dylan followed the album quickly with New Morning, which was hailed as a comeback.
Following the release of New Morning, Dylan began to wander restlessly. He moved back to Greenwich Village, he finally published Tarantula in November of 1970, and he performed at the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971. During 1972, he began his acting career by playing Alias in Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which was released in 1973. He also wrote the soundtrack for the film, which featured "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," his biggest hit since "Lay Lady Lay." The Pat Garrett soundtrack was the final record released under his Columbia contract before he moved to David Geffen's fledgling Asylum Records. As retaliation, Columbia assembled Dylan, a collection of Self Portrait outtakes, for release at the end of 1973. Dylan only recorded two albums -- including 1974's Planet Waves, coincidentally his first number one album -- before he moved back to Columbia. The Band supported Dylan on Planet Waves and its accompanying tour, which became the most successful tour in rock & roll history; it was captured on 1974's double-live album Before the Flood.
Dylan's 1974 tour was the beginning of a comeback culminated by 1975's Blood on the Tracks. Largely inspired by the disintegration of his marriage, Blood on the Tracks was hailed as a return to form by critics and it became his second number one album. After jamming with folkies in Greenwich Village, Dylan decided to launch a gigantic tour, loosely based on traveling medicine shows. Lining up an extensive list of supporting musicians -- including Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Rambling Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie, Mick Ronson, Roger McGuinn, and poet Allen Ginsberg -- Dylan dubbed the tour the Rolling Thunder Revue and set out on the road in the fall of 1975. For the next year, the Rolling Thunder Revue toured on and off, with Dylan filming many of the concerts for a future film. During the tour, Desire was released to considerable acclaim and success, spending five weeks on the top of the charts. Throughout the Rolling Thunder Revue, Dylan showcased "Hurricane," a protest song he had written about boxer Rubin Carter, who had been unjustly imprisoned for murder. The live album Hard Rain was released at the end of the tour. Dylan released Renaldo and Clara, a four-hour film based on the Rolling Thunder tour, to poor reviews in early 1978.
Early in 1978, Dylan set out on another extensive tour, this time backed by a band that resembled a Las Vegas lounge band. The group was featured on the 1978 album Street Legal and the 1979 live album At Budokan. At the conclusion of the tour in late 1978, Dylan announced that he was a born-again Christian, and he launched a series of Christian albums that following summer with Slow Train Coming. Though the reviews were mixed, the album was a success, peaking at number three and going platinum. His supporting tour for Slow Train Coming featured only his new religious material, much to the bafflement of his long-term fans. Two other religious albums -- Saved (1980) and Shot of Love (1981) -- followed, both to poor reviews. In 1982, Dylan traveled to Israel, sparking rumors that his conversion to Christianity was short-lived. He returned to secular recording with 1983's Infidels, which was greeted with favorable reviews.
Dylan returned to performing in 1984, releasing the live album Real Live at the end of the year. Empire Burlesque followed in 1985, but its odd mix of dance tracks and rock & roll won few fans. However, the five-album/triple-disc retrospective box set Biograph appeared that same year to great acclaim. In 1986, Dylan hit the road with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers for a successful and acclaimed tour, but his album that year, Knocked Out Loaded, was received poorly. The following year, he toured with the Grateful Dead as his backing band; two years later, the souvenir album Dylan & the Dead appeared.
In 1988, Dylan embarked on what became known as "The Never-Ending Tour" -- a constant stream of shows that ran on and off into the late '90s. That same year, he released Down in the Groove, an album largely comprised of covers. The Never-Ending Tour received far stronger reviews than Down in the Groove, but 1989's Oh Mercy was his most acclaimed album since 1974's Blood on the Tracks, due in part to Daniel Lanois' strong production. However, Dylan's 1990 follow-up, Under the Red Sky, was received poorly, especially when compared to the enthusiastic reception for the 1991 box set The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased), a collection of previously unreleased outtakes and rarities.
For the remainder of the '90s, Dylan divided his time between live concerts, painting, and studio projects. He returned to recording in 1992 with Good As I Been to You, an acoustic collection of traditional folk songs. It was followed in 1993 by another folk record, World Gone Wrong, which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. After the release of World Gone Wrong, Dylan released a greatest-hits album and a live record.
Dylan released Time Out of Mind, his first album of original material in seven years, in the fall of 1997. Time Out of Mind received his strongest reviews in years and unexpectedly debuted in the Top Ten, eventually climbing to platinum certification. Such success sparked a revival of interest in Dylan, who appeared on the cover of Newsweek and began selling out concerts once again. Early in 1998, Time Out of Mind received three Grammy Awards -- Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Male Rock Vocal. Another album of original material, Love and Theft, followed in 2001 and went gold. Soon after its release, Dylan announced that he was making his own film, to star Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, John Goodman, Val Kilmer, and many more. The accompanying soundtrack, Masked and Anonymous, was released in July 2003. Dylan opted to self-produce his new studio album, Modern Times, which topped the Billboard charts and went platinum in both America and the U.K. It was Dylan's third consecutive album to receive praise from critics and support from consumers, and it was followed three years later by Together Through Life, another self-produced effort that also featured contributions from David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.
Birthplace: Duluth, Minnesota
Best Known As: Singer of "Like a Rolling Stone"
Name at birth: Robert Allen Zimmerman
Bob Dylan is a towering figure of late 20th century pop music, known for such songs as "All Along The Watchtower" (made into a hit by Jimi Hendrix), "Like a Rolling Stone," "Tangled Up in Blue," "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Lay Lady Lay." Dylan has been recording and performing since 1962, mixing folk, country, blues and rock; he sometimes startles his fans but almost always pleases the critics. Although Dylan was an influential pop figure during the youth movement of the 1960s, his first number one hit, "Knocking on Heaven's Door," didn't come until 1973. During the '80s he toured extensively, and in the '90s his songs found a new audience and more acclaim from the music industry: in 1991 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Grammy; his 1997 album Time Out of Mind won three Grammys; and in 2001 Dylan won an Oscar for "Things Have Changed," from the movie Wonder Boys (2000). In 2006 he released his first album in five years, Modern Times. It included the song "When the Deal Goes Down," which was made into a video directed by Bennett Miller and featuring Scarlett Johannson. Dylan's albums include Blonde on Blonde (1966), Nashville Skyline (1969), Blood on the Tracks (1975), Infidels (1983) and Knocked Out Loaded (1986).
Dylan has recorded with a variety of other artists, including Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Paul Simon and The Grateful Dead... His son Jakob Dylan is the lead singer for the band The Wallflowers... The film of Dylan's 1965 tour, Don't Look Back, is considered one of the great rock-n-roll documentaries... Dylan's tune "Like A Rolling Stone" was named the #1 song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in November 2004.
Biography
Bob Dylan's influence on popular music is incalculable. As a songwriter, he pioneered several different schools of pop songwriting, from confessional singer/songwriter to winding, hallucinatory, stream-of-conscious narratives. As a vocalist, he broke down the notion that a singer must have a conventionally good voice in order to perform, thereby redefining the vocalist's role in popular music. As a musician, he sparked several genres of pop music, including electrified folk-rock and country-rock. And that just touches on the tip of his achievements. Dylan's force was evident during his height of popularity in the '60s -- the Beatles' shift toward introspective songwriting in the mid-'60s never would have happened without him -- but his influence echoed throughout several subsequent generations, as many of his songs became popular standards and his best albums became undisputed classics of the rock & roll canon. Dylan's influence throughout folk music was equally powerful, and he marks a pivotal turning point in its 20th century evolution, signifying when the genre moved away from traditional songs and toward personal songwriting. Even when his sales declined in the '80s and '90s, Dylan's presence rarely lagged, and his commercial revival in the 2000s proved his staying power.
For a figure of such substantial influence, Dylan came from humble beginnings. Born in Duluth, MN, Bob Dylan (b. Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) was raised in Hibbing, MN, from the age of six. As a child he learned how to play guitar and harmonica, forming a rock & roll band called the Golden Chords when he was in high school. Following his graduation in 1959, he began studying art at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. While at college, he began performing folk songs at coffeehouses under the name Bob Dylan, taking his last name from the poet Dylan Thomas. Already inspired by Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie, Dylan began listening to blues while at college, and the genre weaved its way into his music. Dylan spent the summer of 1960 in Denver, where he met bluesman Jesse Fuller, the inspiration behind the songwriter's signature harmonica rack and guitar. By the time he returned to Minneapolis in the fall, he had grown substantially as a performer and was determined to become a professional musician.
Dylan made his way to New York City in January of 1961, immediately making a substantial impression on the folk community of Greenwich Village. He began visiting his idol Guthrie in the hospital, where he was slowly dying from Huntington's chorea. Dylan also began performing in coffeehouses, and his rough charisma won him a significant following. In April, he opened for John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City. Five months later, Dylan performed another concert at the venue, which was reviewed positively by Robert Shelton in the New York Times. Columbia A&R man John Hammond sought out Dylan on the strength of the review, and signed the songwriter in the fall of 1961. Hammond produced Dylan's eponymous debut album (released in March 1962), a collection of folk and blues standards that boasted only two original songs. Over the course of 1962, Dylan began to write a large batch of original songs, many of which were political protest songs in the vein of his Greenwich contemporaries. These songs were showcased on his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Before its release, Freewheelin' went through several incarnations. Dylan had recorded a rock & roll single, "Mixed Up Confusion," at the end of 1962, but his manager, Albert Grossman, made sure the record was deleted because he wanted to present Dylan as an acoustic folky. Similarly, several tracks with a full backing band that were recorded for Freewheelin' were scrapped before the album's release. Furthermore, several tracks recorded for the album -- including "Talking John Birch Society Blues" -- were eliminated from the album before its release.
Comprised entirely of original songs, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan made a huge impact in the U.S. folk community, and many performers began covering songs from the album. Of these, the most significant were Peter, Paul & Mary, who made "Blowin' in the Wind" into a huge pop hit in the summer of 1963 and thereby made Bob Dylan into a recognizable household name. On the strength of Peter, Paul & Mary's cover and his opening gigs for popular folky Joan Baez, Freewheelin' became a hit in the fall of 1963, climbing to number 23 on the charts. By that point, Baez and Dylan had become romantically involved, and she was beginning to record his songs frequently. Dylan was writing just as fast.
By the time The Times They Are A-Changin' was released in early 1964, Dylan's songwriting had developed far beyond that of his New York peers. Heavily inspired by poets like Arthur Rimbaud and John Keats, his writing took on a more literate and evocative quality. Around the same time, he began to expand his musical boundaries, adding more blues and R&B influences to his songs. Released in the summer of 1964, Another Side of Bob Dylan made these changes evident. However, Dylan was moving faster than his records could indicate. By the end of 1964, he had ended his romantic relationship with Baez and had begun dating a former model named Sara Lowndes, whom he subsequently married. Simultaneously, he gave the Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man" to record for their debut album. The Byrds gave the song a ringing, electric arrangement, but by the time the single became a hit, Dylan was already exploring his own brand of folk-rock. Inspired by the British Invasion, particularly the Animals' version of "House of the Rising Sun," Dylan recorded a set of original songs backed by a loud rock & roll band for his next album. While Bringing It All Back Home (March 1965) still had a side of acoustic material, it made clear that Dylan had turned his back on folk music. For the folk audience, the true breaking point arrived a few months after the album's release, when he played the Newport Folk Festival supported by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The audience greeted him with vicious derision, but he had already been accepted by the growing rock & roll community. Dylan's spring tour of Britain was the basis for D.A. Pennebaker's documentary Don't Look Back, a film that captures the songwriter's edgy charisma and charm.
Dylan made his breakthrough to the pop audience in the summer of 1965, when "Like a Rolling Stone" became a number two hit. Driven by a circular organ riff and a steady beat, the six-minute single broke the barrier of the three-minute pop single. Dylan became the subject of innumerable articles, and his lyrics became the subject of literary analyses across the U.S. and U.K. Well over 100 artists covered his songs between 1964 and 1966; the Byrds and the Turtles, in particular, had big hits with his compositions. Highway 61 Revisited, his first full-fledged rock & roll album, became a Top Ten hit shortly after its summer 1965 release. "Positively 4th Street" and "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" became Top Ten hits in the fall of 1965 and spring of 1966, respectively. Following the May 1966 release of the double-album Blonde on Blonde, he had sold over ten million records around the world.
During the fall of 1965, Dylan hired the Hawks, formerly Ronnie Hawkins' backing group, as his touring band. The Hawks, who changed their name to the Band in 1968, would become Dylan's most famous backing band, primarily because of their intuitive chemistry and "wild, thin mercury sound," but also because of their British tour in the spring of 1966. The tour was the first time Britain had heard the electric Dylan, and their reaction was disagreeable and violent. At the Manchester concert (long mistakenly identified as the show from London's Royal Albert Hall), an audience member called Dylan "Judas," inspiring a positively vicious version of "Like a Rolling Stone" from Dylan and the band. The performance was immortalized on countless bootleg albums (an official release finally surfaced in 1998), and it indicates the intensity of Dylan in the middle of 1966. He had assumed control of Pennebaker's second Dylan documentary, Eat the Document, and was under deadline to complete his book Tarantula, as well as record a new record. Following the British tour, he returned to America.
On July 29, 1966, he was injured in a motorcycle accident outside of his home in Woodstock, NY, suffering injuries to his neck vertebrae and a concussion. Details of the accident remain elusive -- he was reportedly in critical condition for a week and had amnesia -- and some biographers have questioned its severity, but the event was a pivotal turning point in his career. After the accident, Dylan became a recluse, disappearing into his home in Woodstock and raising his family with his wife, Sara. After a few months, he retreated with the Band to a rented house, subsequently dubbed Big Pink, in West Saugerties to record a number of demos. For several months, Dylan and the Band recorded an enormous amount of material, ranging from old folk, country, and blues songs to newly written originals. The songs indicated that Dylan's songwriting had undergone a metamorphosis, becoming streamlined and more direct. Similarly, his music had changed, owing less to traditional rock & roll, and demonstrating heavy country, blues, and traditional folk influences. None of the Big Pink recordings were intended to be released, but tapes from the sessions were circulated by Dylan's music publisher with the intent of generating cover versions. Copies of these tapes, as well as other songs, were available on illegal bootleg albums by the end of the '60s; it was the first time that bootleg copies of unreleased recordings became widely circulated. Portions of the tapes were officially released in 1975 as the double-album The Basement Tapes.
While Dylan was in seclusion, rock & roll had become heavier and artier in the wake of the psychedelic revolution. When Dylan returned with John Wesley Harding in December of 1967, its quiet, country ambience was a surprise to the general public, but it was a significant hit, peaking at number two in the U.S. and number one in the U.K. Furthermore, the record arguably became the first significant country-rock record to be released, setting the stage for efforts by the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers later in 1969. Dylan followed his country inclinations on his next album, 1969's Nashville Skyline, which was recorded in Nashville with several of the country industry's top session men. While the album was a hit, spawning the Top Ten single "Lay Lady Lay," it was criticized in some quarters for uneven material. The mixed reception was the beginning of a full-blown backlash that arrived with the double-album Self Portrait. Released early in June of 1970, the album was a hodgepodge of covers, live tracks, re-interpretations, and new songs greeted with negative reviews from all quarters of the press. Dylan followed the album quickly with New Morning, which was hailed as a comeback.
Following the release of New Morning, Dylan began to wander restlessly. He moved back to Greenwich Village, he finally published Tarantula in November of 1970, and he performed at the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971. During 1972, he began his acting career by playing Alias in Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which was released in 1973. He also wrote the soundtrack for the film, which featured "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," his biggest hit since "Lay Lady Lay." The Pat Garrett soundtrack was the final record released under his Columbia contract before he moved to David Geffen's fledgling Asylum Records. As retaliation, Columbia assembled Dylan, a collection of Self Portrait outtakes, for release at the end of 1973. Dylan only recorded two albums -- including 1974's Planet Waves, coincidentally his first number one album -- before he moved back to Columbia. The Band supported Dylan on Planet Waves and its accompanying tour, which became the most successful tour in rock & roll history; it was captured on 1974's double-live album Before the Flood.
Dylan's 1974 tour was the beginning of a comeback culminated by 1975's Blood on the Tracks. Largely inspired by the disintegration of his marriage, Blood on the Tracks was hailed as a return to form by critics and it became his second number one album. After jamming with folkies in Greenwich Village, Dylan decided to launch a gigantic tour, loosely based on traveling medicine shows. Lining up an extensive list of supporting musicians -- including Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Rambling Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie, Mick Ronson, Roger McGuinn, and poet Allen Ginsberg -- Dylan dubbed the tour the Rolling Thunder Revue and set out on the road in the fall of 1975. For the next year, the Rolling Thunder Revue toured on and off, with Dylan filming many of the concerts for a future film. During the tour, Desire was released to considerable acclaim and success, spending five weeks on the top of the charts. Throughout the Rolling Thunder Revue, Dylan showcased "Hurricane," a protest song he had written about boxer Rubin Carter, who had been unjustly imprisoned for murder. The live album Hard Rain was released at the end of the tour. Dylan released Renaldo and Clara, a four-hour film based on the Rolling Thunder tour, to poor reviews in early 1978.
Early in 1978, Dylan set out on another extensive tour, this time backed by a band that resembled a Las Vegas lounge band. The group was featured on the 1978 album Street Legal and the 1979 live album At Budokan. At the conclusion of the tour in late 1978, Dylan announced that he was a born-again Christian, and he launched a series of Christian albums that following summer with Slow Train Coming. Though the reviews were mixed, the album was a success, peaking at number three and going platinum. His supporting tour for Slow Train Coming featured only his new religious material, much to the bafflement of his long-term fans. Two other religious albums -- Saved (1980) and Shot of Love (1981) -- followed, both to poor reviews. In 1982, Dylan traveled to Israel, sparking rumors that his conversion to Christianity was short-lived. He returned to secular recording with 1983's Infidels, which was greeted with favorable reviews.
Dylan returned to performing in 1984, releasing the live album Real Live at the end of the year. Empire Burlesque followed in 1985, but its odd mix of dance tracks and rock & roll won few fans. However, the five-album/triple-disc retrospective box set Biograph appeared that same year to great acclaim. In 1986, Dylan hit the road with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers for a successful and acclaimed tour, but his album that year, Knocked Out Loaded, was received poorly. The following year, he toured with the Grateful Dead as his backing band; two years later, the souvenir album Dylan & the Dead appeared.
In 1988, Dylan embarked on what became known as "The Never-Ending Tour" -- a constant stream of shows that ran on and off into the late '90s. That same year, he released Down in the Groove, an album largely comprised of covers. The Never-Ending Tour received far stronger reviews than Down in the Groove, but 1989's Oh Mercy was his most acclaimed album since 1974's Blood on the Tracks, due in part to Daniel Lanois' strong production. However, Dylan's 1990 follow-up, Under the Red Sky, was received poorly, especially when compared to the enthusiastic reception for the 1991 box set The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased), a collection of previously unreleased outtakes and rarities.
For the remainder of the '90s, Dylan divided his time between live concerts, painting, and studio projects. He returned to recording in 1992 with Good As I Been to You, an acoustic collection of traditional folk songs. It was followed in 1993 by another folk record, World Gone Wrong, which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. After the release of World Gone Wrong, Dylan released a greatest-hits album and a live record.
Dylan released Time Out of Mind, his first album of original material in seven years, in the fall of 1997. Time Out of Mind received his strongest reviews in years and unexpectedly debuted in the Top Ten, eventually climbing to platinum certification. Such success sparked a revival of interest in Dylan, who appeared on the cover of Newsweek and began selling out concerts once again. Early in 1998, Time Out of Mind received three Grammy Awards -- Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Male Rock Vocal. Another album of original material, Love and Theft, followed in 2001 and went gold. Soon after its release, Dylan announced that he was making his own film, to star Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, John Goodman, Val Kilmer, and many more. The accompanying soundtrack, Masked and Anonymous, was released in July 2003. Dylan opted to self-produce his new studio album, Modern Times, which topped the Billboard charts and went platinum in both America and the U.K. It was Dylan's third consecutive album to receive praise from critics and support from consumers, and it was followed three years later by Together Through Life, another self-produced effort that also featured contributions from David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.
‘Peter Andre turns down Jordan’s plea to reconcile’
London, May 24 : Katie Price a. k. a Jordan’s plans of giving her four-year marriage another chance have received a setback. Her estranged husband Peter Andre has turned down her plea to save their relationship, it has emerged.
The busty model admitted that she made the biggest mistake of her life by planning to divorce Andre, claim sources.
Jordan reportedly sent a text to hubby saying she wanted him back.
However, her hopes of a reunion were left in tatters when Andre insisted that there was no chance of him taking her back.
"Pete will always love Kate but he didn''t just walk away on a whim. This wasn''t just about one drunken night. He left because of years of frustration,” News of the World quoted a close friend of Andre as saying.
"It''s very sweet that Kate is now realising just how much she has screwed things up, but it''s not going to make any difference at this stage.
"Pete never wanted this to happen and it took a lot for him to walk away. At the moment there is no way back and I don''t see that changing," the pal added. (ANI)
The busty model admitted that she made the biggest mistake of her life by planning to divorce Andre, claim sources.
Jordan reportedly sent a text to hubby saying she wanted him back.
However, her hopes of a reunion were left in tatters when Andre insisted that there was no chance of him taking her back.
"Pete will always love Kate but he didn''t just walk away on a whim. This wasn''t just about one drunken night. He left because of years of frustration,” News of the World quoted a close friend of Andre as saying.
"It''s very sweet that Kate is now realising just how much she has screwed things up, but it''s not going to make any difference at this stage.
"Pete never wanted this to happen and it took a lot for him to walk away. At the moment there is no way back and I don''t see that changing," the pal added. (ANI)
Wills, Kate Middleton to soon announce engagement, claims BBC
London, May 24 : Prince William and Kate Middleton will soon be announcing their engagement, according to the BBC.
The corporation is so sure that wedding bells are on the cards that it has commissioned a new documentary of the couple to be broadcast on the night their engagement is officially announced.
"Believe me, in these straightened times, we would not be spending money on this programme if we had not been assured that they were definitely going to get engaged," the Telegraph quoted a senior BBC executive as saying.
A representative for Clarence House has said that it knows about the documentary but refused to co-operate with the producers.
Officially, the BBC is keen to dismiss suggestions that it has been tipped off.
"We plan ahead for different eventualities. The relationship is an area that our viewers are very interested in,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman refused to reveal how much the documentary will cost. (ANI)
The corporation is so sure that wedding bells are on the cards that it has commissioned a new documentary of the couple to be broadcast on the night their engagement is officially announced.
"Believe me, in these straightened times, we would not be spending money on this programme if we had not been assured that they were definitely going to get engaged," the Telegraph quoted a senior BBC executive as saying.
A representative for Clarence House has said that it knows about the documentary but refused to co-operate with the producers.
Officially, the BBC is keen to dismiss suggestions that it has been tipped off.
"We plan ahead for different eventualities. The relationship is an area that our viewers are very interested in,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman refused to reveal how much the documentary will cost. (ANI)
''This United team will go down in history'', says Cristiano Ronaldo
London, May 24 : Portuguese and Manchester United star striker Cristiano Ronaldo describes club manager Alex Ferguson as a second father to him, and believes the current team will go down in football history as one of the best.
Ronaldo, who has attracted attention of late for his tantrums and his flirtation with Real Madrid, is absolutely confident about Manchester United nailing Barcelona in the Champions League final on Wednesday.
The European and World Player of the Year has chosen the build-up to this week''s epic Champions League showdown in Rome as the moment to pledge his heart, body and soul to Manchester United, reports News of The World.
Ronaldo declares: "This is my home now. I think even when I say my heart is here, people are still going to speak and make things up. But this is where I want to play. We are part of an era that can go down in history for the way we are playing and for the trophies we are winning. The boss believes in this team and so do I. And this is where I want to be. Manchester United is now my house."
Sir Alex Ferguson interrupted his holiday last summer to have a heart-to-heart with Ronaldo as the pressure from Madrid seemed sure to pay dividends. At the time, it was suggested Ronaldo was not happy with Ferguson''s stance. Now, it seems to have strengthened the bond between the two.
Ronaldo explains: "He is two different people and they have both helped me become who I am today. Firstly, he is probably the most knowledgeable football coach in the world. I learn from him every day. No matter how good I become, I know he is a man who will always be able to teach me that little bit more. I don''t get tired of learning from him because I know every bit of advice he gives me will make me a better player. The second person he is, is a father to me. Ever since I joined Manchester United, he has been like a second father to me. And I don''t just respect him, I have the affection for him a child has for his father. When he gives me advice that is non-football, I listen because it will make me a better person."
He explained: "That is the goal, to always get better. And the manager we have here is not the sort of man to say ''right you are good enough now, don''t try and get any better''. He is a winner and he wants all of us to get better and works with us all individually to make sure that happens. If you look at somebody like Ryan Giggs, he keeps working to get better even at his age and he keeps winning. Maybe as you get older your game changes and you have to adapt your style but I don''t think I am quite there yet.”
He recalled: "When I was growing up, Luis Figo was the biggest player in Portugal. Luis was his own player who had belief in himself and that is what he has taught me. When I was 17 and with the national squad, he came up to me after the first training session and said that some of the things I did with a football, he had never seen anybody in the world do before. It is that sort of belief in you that gives you the confidence. I decided then only to have my own style of play. I don''t want to imitate anybody, individuality is everything to me." (ANI)
Ronaldo, who has attracted attention of late for his tantrums and his flirtation with Real Madrid, is absolutely confident about Manchester United nailing Barcelona in the Champions League final on Wednesday.
The European and World Player of the Year has chosen the build-up to this week''s epic Champions League showdown in Rome as the moment to pledge his heart, body and soul to Manchester United, reports News of The World.
Ronaldo declares: "This is my home now. I think even when I say my heart is here, people are still going to speak and make things up. But this is where I want to play. We are part of an era that can go down in history for the way we are playing and for the trophies we are winning. The boss believes in this team and so do I. And this is where I want to be. Manchester United is now my house."
Sir Alex Ferguson interrupted his holiday last summer to have a heart-to-heart with Ronaldo as the pressure from Madrid seemed sure to pay dividends. At the time, it was suggested Ronaldo was not happy with Ferguson''s stance. Now, it seems to have strengthened the bond between the two.
Ronaldo explains: "He is two different people and they have both helped me become who I am today. Firstly, he is probably the most knowledgeable football coach in the world. I learn from him every day. No matter how good I become, I know he is a man who will always be able to teach me that little bit more. I don''t get tired of learning from him because I know every bit of advice he gives me will make me a better player. The second person he is, is a father to me. Ever since I joined Manchester United, he has been like a second father to me. And I don''t just respect him, I have the affection for him a child has for his father. When he gives me advice that is non-football, I listen because it will make me a better person."
He explained: "That is the goal, to always get better. And the manager we have here is not the sort of man to say ''right you are good enough now, don''t try and get any better''. He is a winner and he wants all of us to get better and works with us all individually to make sure that happens. If you look at somebody like Ryan Giggs, he keeps working to get better even at his age and he keeps winning. Maybe as you get older your game changes and you have to adapt your style but I don''t think I am quite there yet.”
He recalled: "When I was growing up, Luis Figo was the biggest player in Portugal. Luis was his own player who had belief in himself and that is what he has taught me. When I was 17 and with the national squad, he came up to me after the first training session and said that some of the things I did with a football, he had never seen anybody in the world do before. It is that sort of belief in you that gives you the confidence. I decided then only to have my own style of play. I don''t want to imitate anybody, individuality is everything to me." (ANI)
Jacko may need gruelling radiotherapy to fight skin cancer
London, May 22 : Michael Jackson may have to undergo gruelling radiotherapy to help him battle skin cancer.
The King of Pop had been reported having spots of the disease on his upper body and pre-cancerous cells on his face.
The 50-year-old reportedly had a painful skin-shaving surgery in Beverly Hills to clear his flesh of potentially lethal growths on May 21.
And now, doctors were allegedly waiting to see if the icon needed gruelling spot radiation treatment.
"It's about waiting and praying now," the Sun quoted a source as saying.
The singer was due to kick off a much-awaited 50-show run at London's the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena on July 8.
The opening four nights of his This Is It UK tour were postponed. Concert promoters AEG Live said the singer needed more time for dress rehearsals.
The King of Pop had been reported having spots of the disease on his upper body and pre-cancerous cells on his face.
The 50-year-old reportedly had a painful skin-shaving surgery in Beverly Hills to clear his flesh of potentially lethal growths on May 21.
And now, doctors were allegedly waiting to see if the icon needed gruelling spot radiation treatment.
"It's about waiting and praying now," the Sun quoted a source as saying.
The singer was due to kick off a much-awaited 50-show run at London's the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena on July 8.
The opening four nights of his This Is It UK tour were postponed. Concert promoters AEG Live said the singer needed more time for dress rehearsals.
Mariah Carey unveils upcoming album’s title via Twitter
London, May 22 : Pop star Mariah Carey has revealed through the social networking site Twitter that her upcoming album's title is `Memoirs Of an Imperfect Angel'.
She has also revealed that she wants her fans to be the first ones to know about her forthcoming album, as they mean a lot to her.
"I want you to be the first to know the title of my new album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," the Mirror quoted her as stating on Twitter.
"It's very personal and dedicated to you," she added.
Though Mariah did not reveal more details about the forthcoming album, it's been reported that she is working with producer The-Dream on the forthcoming album.
She has also revealed that she wants her fans to be the first ones to know about her forthcoming album, as they mean a lot to her.
"I want you to be the first to know the title of my new album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," the Mirror quoted her as stating on Twitter.
"It's very personal and dedicated to you," she added.
Though Mariah did not reveal more details about the forthcoming album, it's been reported that she is working with producer The-Dream on the forthcoming album.
Green Day lashes out at Wal-Mart policy
The band says the giant superstore chain refused to stock its latest CD, "21st Century Breakdown," because Wal-Mart wanted the album edited for language and content, and they refused.
While Wal-Mart sells CDs from acts known for raunchy content, including Eminem's latest, they offer customers the "clean" version of those CDs, which are edited for content that may be objectionable. Wal-Mart said that it's the company's long-standing policy not to stock any CD with a parental advisory sticker.
While Armstrong, Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool are still top-sellers without Wal-Mart, Armstrong said the store's policy is disappointing, considering it has become the dominant seller of CDs with the decline of traditional music stores.
While Wal-Mart sells CDs from acts known for raunchy content, including Eminem's latest, they offer customers the "clean" version of those CDs, which are edited for content that may be objectionable. Wal-Mart said that it's the company's long-standing policy not to stock any CD with a parental advisory sticker.
While Armstrong, Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool are still top-sellers without Wal-Mart, Armstrong said the store's policy is disappointing, considering it has become the dominant seller of CDs with the decline of traditional music stores.
How Kris Allen ascended from meek audition to 'Idol'
Not much has changed about Kris Allen since his mostly forgettable "American Idol" audition. Well, except for the winning-it-all part.
When the 23-year-old college student from Conway, Ark., first auditioned with Leon Russell's "A Song for You" in Louisville, Ky., he seemed nothing more than a boy-next-door "Idol" hopeful, lacking the instant juggernaut feel of showy 27-year-old runner-up Adam Lambert or even plucky 17-year-old spark plug Allison Iraheta.
A newsboy cap pulled down around his eyes, Allen was asked back then by the judges if he was the best singer.
"You know, there's probably people who are better than me," was his response, a humility that Simon Cowell said he found off-putting.
"Idol" producers must have agreed. Back in February, viewers had seen less of Allen out of all the crooners that moved forward in the competition. During Hollywood Week, neither of Allen's solos were aired, just his "I Want You Back" group performance. In fact, more footage from his original audition was aired during Wednesday's eighth season finale than in any previous episodes.
Once selected as a finalist, Allen got off to a rocky start after his first performance. The judges were decidedly mixed over his rendition of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," yet his charming nice-guy demeanor quickly emerged when it was revealed that the longtime Jackson fan had been helping the other singers -- his competitors of all people! -- tackle their takes on the King of Pop.
Allen himself seemed the most surprised about his shocking win by a margin of votes that, unlike last season's landslide victory by David Cook over David Archuleta, was not publicly declared by host Ryan Seacrest.
"I'm exhausted, and I'm shocked," Allen said backstage after winning the title. "I'm really shocked."
In the beginning, the judges simply seemed, if not in love, then "in like" with Allen -- not heaping the same amounts of love on him as Lambert until later in the season.
The panel's initial feedback bordered on superficial. Paula Abdul once gushed he was "adorable/sexy" while Cowell teased the smiley newlywed for introducing his wife so early in the competition, at risk of scaring of female fans.
He always seemed to take their remarks in stride, content to forge ahead with his earnest singer-songwriter vibe no matter the outcome, never telegraphing a drive to best his fellow contestants.
Instead, Allen stuck to focusing on his guitar and piano on the "Idol" stage, impressing the judges with his folksy, heartfelt interpretations of such songs as "Ain't No Sunshine," "She Works Hard for the Money" and "Falling Slowly" from the indie musical "Once." He hit a crescendo last week when he transformed Kanye West's robotic tune "Heartless" into a soulful, acoustic ditty.
"I had written you out of the competition, but that has changed after that performance," Cowell boasted afterward.
However, it was runner-up Lambert who always received the most praise -- by both judges and screaming fans -- right until Tuesday's final performance. All the while, Allen was apparently neck-and-neck with Lambert when it came to viewer votes: The only time either was in the dreaded bottom-three was after their Rat Pack-themed performances.
Last week, only 1 million viewer votes separated them -- a tiny margin considering that nearly 100 million votes were cast for the finale.
"I knew it was going to be a close race," Lambert said backstage. "I think Kris is incredibly talented, and he's a good person."
Though never referenced on the show, Allen's religious background may have also played a role. Allen has worked as a worship leader at his hometown church, traveling on mission trips around the globe. His pastor, Brandon Shatswell, said Allen told him that his first time on the "Idol" stage reminded him of only one thing: going to church.
By DERRIK J. LANG
When the 23-year-old college student from Conway, Ark., first auditioned with Leon Russell's "A Song for You" in Louisville, Ky., he seemed nothing more than a boy-next-door "Idol" hopeful, lacking the instant juggernaut feel of showy 27-year-old runner-up Adam Lambert or even plucky 17-year-old spark plug Allison Iraheta.
A newsboy cap pulled down around his eyes, Allen was asked back then by the judges if he was the best singer.
"You know, there's probably people who are better than me," was his response, a humility that Simon Cowell said he found off-putting.
"Idol" producers must have agreed. Back in February, viewers had seen less of Allen out of all the crooners that moved forward in the competition. During Hollywood Week, neither of Allen's solos were aired, just his "I Want You Back" group performance. In fact, more footage from his original audition was aired during Wednesday's eighth season finale than in any previous episodes.
Once selected as a finalist, Allen got off to a rocky start after his first performance. The judges were decidedly mixed over his rendition of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," yet his charming nice-guy demeanor quickly emerged when it was revealed that the longtime Jackson fan had been helping the other singers -- his competitors of all people! -- tackle their takes on the King of Pop.
Allen himself seemed the most surprised about his shocking win by a margin of votes that, unlike last season's landslide victory by David Cook over David Archuleta, was not publicly declared by host Ryan Seacrest.
"I'm exhausted, and I'm shocked," Allen said backstage after winning the title. "I'm really shocked."
In the beginning, the judges simply seemed, if not in love, then "in like" with Allen -- not heaping the same amounts of love on him as Lambert until later in the season.
The panel's initial feedback bordered on superficial. Paula Abdul once gushed he was "adorable/sexy" while Cowell teased the smiley newlywed for introducing his wife so early in the competition, at risk of scaring of female fans.
He always seemed to take their remarks in stride, content to forge ahead with his earnest singer-songwriter vibe no matter the outcome, never telegraphing a drive to best his fellow contestants.
Instead, Allen stuck to focusing on his guitar and piano on the "Idol" stage, impressing the judges with his folksy, heartfelt interpretations of such songs as "Ain't No Sunshine," "She Works Hard for the Money" and "Falling Slowly" from the indie musical "Once." He hit a crescendo last week when he transformed Kanye West's robotic tune "Heartless" into a soulful, acoustic ditty.
"I had written you out of the competition, but that has changed after that performance," Cowell boasted afterward.
However, it was runner-up Lambert who always received the most praise -- by both judges and screaming fans -- right until Tuesday's final performance. All the while, Allen was apparently neck-and-neck with Lambert when it came to viewer votes: The only time either was in the dreaded bottom-three was after their Rat Pack-themed performances.
Last week, only 1 million viewer votes separated them -- a tiny margin considering that nearly 100 million votes were cast for the finale.
"I knew it was going to be a close race," Lambert said backstage. "I think Kris is incredibly talented, and he's a good person."
Though never referenced on the show, Allen's religious background may have also played a role. Allen has worked as a worship leader at his hometown church, traveling on mission trips around the globe. His pastor, Brandon Shatswell, said Allen told him that his first time on the "Idol" stage reminded him of only one thing: going to church.
By DERRIK J. LANG
Man U’s Rio Ferdinand says he will be ready for Champions League final
London, May 21: Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand has revealed there is “no chance” of him not being fit enough to start the Champions League final despite Sir Alex Ferguson’s assertion that the defender’s involvement is in serious doubt because of a calf injury.
“I’m fine. I have trained with the ball today and done some running, so I’m doing all the movements I need to be doing before a game. I haven’t even thought about not playing in the final. It’s as simple as that – no chance,” he added.
The player’s optimistic assessment was in stark contrast to Ferguson’s own take on the subject only a few hours earlier when Manchester United’s manager told reporters that Ferdinand might not be able to start against Barcelona because of the problem that has led to him missing him the last three matches.
Ferguson spoke extensively about the possibility of Jonny Evans partnering Nemanja Vidic in Rome next Wednesday, and said Ferdinand would not be ready for the starting XI unless he proved his fitness in Sunday''s game at Hull City.
Ferdinand, however, was able to take part in a full training session yesterday with no reaction and, even if he does not play on Sunday, he insists it would have no bearing on his availability four days later.
“You’ll have to ask the manager but, physically, I’d be able to do it, no problem,” The Guardian quoted him, as syaing.
The injury, according to Ferguson, should usually take 10 to 14 days to clear up, and Ferdinand suffered it during a training session 12 days ago.
“I’m fine. I have trained with the ball today and done some running, so I’m doing all the movements I need to be doing before a game. I haven’t even thought about not playing in the final. It’s as simple as that – no chance,” he added.
The player’s optimistic assessment was in stark contrast to Ferguson’s own take on the subject only a few hours earlier when Manchester United’s manager told reporters that Ferdinand might not be able to start against Barcelona because of the problem that has led to him missing him the last three matches.
Ferguson spoke extensively about the possibility of Jonny Evans partnering Nemanja Vidic in Rome next Wednesday, and said Ferdinand would not be ready for the starting XI unless he proved his fitness in Sunday''s game at Hull City.
Ferdinand, however, was able to take part in a full training session yesterday with no reaction and, even if he does not play on Sunday, he insists it would have no bearing on his availability four days later.
“You’ll have to ask the manager but, physically, I’d be able to do it, no problem,” The Guardian quoted him, as syaing.
The injury, according to Ferguson, should usually take 10 to 14 days to clear up, and Ferdinand suffered it during a training session 12 days ago.
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow talks of former wrecked relationship
London, May 21 : `Iron Man' star Gwyneth Paltrow has opened up about a former lover of hers, whose obsession with drugs and alcohol wrecked their relationship.
Paltrow, 36, who is now married to Coldplay rocker Chris Martin, refused to name the former lover, but said that she felt very miserable with him, especially after his addictions got out of control.
"When I was much younger I was involved with somebody where they weren''t married but were into drugs and alcohol... I was obsessed with why this person wasn't showing up," the Daily Express quoted her as saying.
"I was raised by people who made me feel really good about myself. I still got caught up in this thing of, `What''s wrong with me? Why isn''t this turning out the way I want?'" she added.
Paltrow, 36, who is now married to Coldplay rocker Chris Martin, refused to name the former lover, but said that she felt very miserable with him, especially after his addictions got out of control.
"When I was much younger I was involved with somebody where they weren''t married but were into drugs and alcohol... I was obsessed with why this person wasn't showing up," the Daily Express quoted her as saying.
"I was raised by people who made me feel really good about myself. I still got caught up in this thing of, `What''s wrong with me? Why isn''t this turning out the way I want?'" she added.
Lydia Hearst-Shaw talks of wild threesome in ‘The Last International Playboy’
American heiress/socialite Lydia Hearst has opened up about taking part in a wild threesome in the new indie movie `The Last International Playboy'.
In the opening scene, Hearst, 24, is seen stripping, and getting cosy with a guy and a girl, played by Australian supermodel Nicole Trunfio, in the laundry room during a model-saturated soiree in a NYC apartment.
"It is definitely out there, but we were all acting. It was nice because we were all good friends and we pretty much went crazy, played with the water guns and then dried ourselves," Fox News quoted her as saying.
The movie comes complete with gorgeous girls in the bathtub, bed jumping and female fondling.
Though it is the fantasy of millions of men, Hearst said that it is just that: a fantasy.
"The parties are not really like that in real life. You just have a good time, its acting. Even the intimate bits, it's not really going on," she explained.
"While it is all happening we were taking direction from people, stopping and starting," she said.
Regarding the effects the movie has left on her, she says it has helped her embrace adulthood.
"It's a film about growing up and realizing that you can't always be a child forever," she said.
In the opening scene, Hearst, 24, is seen stripping, and getting cosy with a guy and a girl, played by Australian supermodel Nicole Trunfio, in the laundry room during a model-saturated soiree in a NYC apartment.
"It is definitely out there, but we were all acting. It was nice because we were all good friends and we pretty much went crazy, played with the water guns and then dried ourselves," Fox News quoted her as saying.
The movie comes complete with gorgeous girls in the bathtub, bed jumping and female fondling.
Though it is the fantasy of millions of men, Hearst said that it is just that: a fantasy.
"The parties are not really like that in real life. You just have a good time, its acting. Even the intimate bits, it's not really going on," she explained.
"While it is all happening we were taking direction from people, stopping and starting," she said.
Regarding the effects the movie has left on her, she says it has helped her embrace adulthood.
"It's a film about growing up and realizing that you can't always be a child forever," she said.
Posh new fitness mantra making her wild in bedroom
London, May 21 : Pop star Victoria Beckham has embarked upon a new fitness regime, which is reportedly making her wild in the bedroom.
Victoria, who has been toning up for an Armani underwear advert, is thrilled with her ultra toned look and wants to entice her football star husband David with her newly toned body.
"She finds her new body a real turn-on and wants David to see as much of it as possible," the Daily Star quoted a source as saying.
Meanwhile, Victoria, who is a mother to three kids, is happy to shape up and get her youthful looks back.
Victoria, who has been toning up for an Armani underwear advert, is thrilled with her ultra toned look and wants to entice her football star husband David with her newly toned body.
"She finds her new body a real turn-on and wants David to see as much of it as possible," the Daily Star quoted a source as saying.
Meanwhile, Victoria, who is a mother to three kids, is happy to shape up and get her youthful looks back.
Lindsay Price Biography
Lindsay Jaylyn Price (born December 6, 1976 in Arcadia, California) is an American television actress, currently starring on NBC's 2008 mid-season series, Lipstick Jungle. She is known for her work on soap operas such as All My Children, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Beverly Hills 90210. She guest starred in NCIS for two episodes as a neurotic fling of main character, Anthony DiNozzo. She also starred on the short-lived American version of Coupling and had a recurring role on Becker, where she played Amanda, Jake Malinak (Alex Désert)'s girlfriend, a role that spanned three seasons.
Actress Lindsay Price got her start in entertainment at the ripe age of three, appearing in commercials for Toys R’ Us and McDonald’s. From then on, she would make her presence known in film, television and even music, recording her first CD in 2003. But despite a busy career, Price hasn’t harnessed the fame one would expect for someone with such a lengthy resume.
Price was born on December 6, 1976 into a racially mixed family: her father was German-Irish and her mother was a Korean émigré. Interestingly, Price’s mother was her dad’s adopted sister. At 14, Price attended the Professional Children’s School in New York, which boasts of such luminaries as Sidney Lumet, Ricki Lake and Yo-Yo Ma. It was at this time that Price got her breakthrough role as the teen-aged vixen, An Li, on ABC’s daytime drama, “All My Children” (1991-93). Price also was on prime time television, making appearances on “Life Goes On” (1991-92) and “Parker Lewis” (1991-92).
After her stint on “All My Children”, Price landed another recurring gig as Michael Lai, the successful career girl on the CBS daytime soap, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (1995-97). Price then made the leap from daytime to a prime time soap with her regular role Janet Sosna on the long-running “Beverly Hills 90210” (1998-2000). Though her role started during the show’s last two seasons, Price made an immediate impact with audiences. More appearances on popular prime time shows followed: as Emily on the WB’s short-lived “Jack & Jill” (2000-01); as Sharon Weizak the USA Network’s “The Dead Zone” (where she met fiancée, producer Shawn Piller); and a three episode stint as Amanda on CBS’s “Becker” (2001-03).
Price didn’t limit herself to television. Though her feature debut was in the kid’s flick, “Purple People Eater” (1988), the actress didn’t appear in another film until “One Hundred Percent” (1998), an indie never-was directed by Eric Koyanagi. After a small part in the Gwyneth Paltrow comedy, “View From the Top” (2003), Price had a prominent role in the barely released “No Turning Back” (2003), the story of an illegal immigrant who accidentally runs over a child and goes on the run with his daughter.
Price returned to her bread and butter, television. As the bisexual, living-in-her-own-world Janet on the NBC sitcom, “Coupling”, a raunchy sitcom that boasts of its non-stop barrage of sex-laden jokes and innuendo, Price has positioned herself to become the star she worked her whole life to be.
Actress Lindsay Price got her start in entertainment at the ripe age of three, appearing in commercials for Toys R’ Us and McDonald’s. From then on, she would make her presence known in film, television and even music, recording her first CD in 2003. But despite a busy career, Price hasn’t harnessed the fame one would expect for someone with such a lengthy resume.
Price was born on December 6, 1976 into a racially mixed family: her father was German-Irish and her mother was a Korean émigré. Interestingly, Price’s mother was her dad’s adopted sister. At 14, Price attended the Professional Children’s School in New York, which boasts of such luminaries as Sidney Lumet, Ricki Lake and Yo-Yo Ma. It was at this time that Price got her breakthrough role as the teen-aged vixen, An Li, on ABC’s daytime drama, “All My Children” (1991-93). Price also was on prime time television, making appearances on “Life Goes On” (1991-92) and “Parker Lewis” (1991-92).
After her stint on “All My Children”, Price landed another recurring gig as Michael Lai, the successful career girl on the CBS daytime soap, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (1995-97). Price then made the leap from daytime to a prime time soap with her regular role Janet Sosna on the long-running “Beverly Hills 90210” (1998-2000). Though her role started during the show’s last two seasons, Price made an immediate impact with audiences. More appearances on popular prime time shows followed: as Emily on the WB’s short-lived “Jack & Jill” (2000-01); as Sharon Weizak the USA Network’s “The Dead Zone” (where she met fiancée, producer Shawn Piller); and a three episode stint as Amanda on CBS’s “Becker” (2001-03).
Price didn’t limit herself to television. Though her feature debut was in the kid’s flick, “Purple People Eater” (1988), the actress didn’t appear in another film until “One Hundred Percent” (1998), an indie never-was directed by Eric Koyanagi. After a small part in the Gwyneth Paltrow comedy, “View From the Top” (2003), Price had a prominent role in the barely released “No Turning Back” (2003), the story of an illegal immigrant who accidentally runs over a child and goes on the run with his daughter.
Price returned to her bread and butter, television. As the bisexual, living-in-her-own-world Janet on the NBC sitcom, “Coupling”, a raunchy sitcom that boasts of its non-stop barrage of sex-laden jokes and innuendo, Price has positioned herself to become the star she worked her whole life to be.
Katherine Heigl Biography
Katherine Marie Heigl (born November 24, 1978) is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV series Roswell and Grey's Anatomy and movies including My Father the Hero, Knocked Up and 27 Dresses.
With a beauty harkening back to old Hollywood, Katherine Heigl – a onetime Sears catalog child model who later paid her dues as a decidedly less-than-glamorous slasher film victim – finally earned widespread acclaim for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on the award-winning medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, 2005- ).
Heigl was born on Nov. 24, 1978, the youngest of five children to Paul and Nancy Heigl. Heigl was promptly signed by the prestigious Wilhelmina agency and began catalog modeling and eventually TV commercial acting. Following the break-up of her parents and her graduation from high school, Heigl and her mother relocated to Malibu in 1997, at which time Nancy Heigl became her manager. When “Roswell” was cancelled in the spring of 2002, Heigl stayed busy with unremarkable TV movies, horror films, and an MTV remake of “Wuthering Heights” (2003). In the 2005 romp “Romy & Michele: The Beginning” – a prequel to the film “Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion” (1997) – Heigl reprised the role played by Mira Sorvino in the film.
In 2005, Heigl had established the chops and the personal background to perfectly fill the role of underwear model-turned-medical intern Isobel Stevens for a mid-season replacement medical drama called “Grey’s Anatomy.” The year “Grey’s” premiered, Heigl had appeared in her first big screen comedy, the low-brow Farrelly Brothers flick, “The Ringer.” The film was not a huge success, but Heigl’s handling of the material obviously made an impression on writer-director Judd Apatow, who cast Heigl in the lead in his one-night-stand-whoops story “Knocked Up” (2007).
With a beauty harkening back to old Hollywood, Katherine Heigl – a onetime Sears catalog child model who later paid her dues as a decidedly less-than-glamorous slasher film victim – finally earned widespread acclaim for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on the award-winning medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, 2005- ).
Heigl was born on Nov. 24, 1978, the youngest of five children to Paul and Nancy Heigl. Heigl was promptly signed by the prestigious Wilhelmina agency and began catalog modeling and eventually TV commercial acting. Following the break-up of her parents and her graduation from high school, Heigl and her mother relocated to Malibu in 1997, at which time Nancy Heigl became her manager. When “Roswell” was cancelled in the spring of 2002, Heigl stayed busy with unremarkable TV movies, horror films, and an MTV remake of “Wuthering Heights” (2003). In the 2005 romp “Romy & Michele: The Beginning” – a prequel to the film “Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion” (1997) – Heigl reprised the role played by Mira Sorvino in the film.
In 2005, Heigl had established the chops and the personal background to perfectly fill the role of underwear model-turned-medical intern Isobel Stevens for a mid-season replacement medical drama called “Grey’s Anatomy.” The year “Grey’s” premiered, Heigl had appeared in her first big screen comedy, the low-brow Farrelly Brothers flick, “The Ringer.” The film was not a huge success, but Heigl’s handling of the material obviously made an impression on writer-director Judd Apatow, who cast Heigl in the lead in his one-night-stand-whoops story “Knocked Up” (2007).
Chace Crawford Biography
Christopher Chace Crawford was born on July 18, 1985 in Lubbock, TX to father Chris, a dermatologist, and mother Dana, a teacher. The cast included a group of up-and-coming young actors, including “Stop Loss” (2008) star Steven Strait, “Friday Night Lights” (NBC, 2006- ) hunk Taylor Kitsch and Crawford. The film made a surprising debut at the top of the box office list, turning its lead actors into overnight stars.
Crawford’s star shone even brighter in 2007 when he got cast as Nate Archibald in “Gossip Girl,” based on a bestselling book series by Cecily von Ziegesar about New York’s Upper East Side teens and their exploits. Some described “Gossip Girl” as a hybrid of the teen drama “The O.C.” Playing Nate put Crawford in the center of the show’s love triangle, torn between his longtime girlfriend Blair (Leighton Meester), and her best friend Serena (Blake Lively). The success of “Gossip Girl” put Crawford on the map, and also in the hearts of millions of teenage girls. Being in the spotlight, however, also made Crawford a favorite subject amongst tabloids and gossip bloggers, most notably when he dated 2005’s “American Idol” (FOX, 2002- ) winner and country music darling Carrie Underwood in 2008.
Crawford’s star shone even brighter in 2007 when he got cast as Nate Archibald in “Gossip Girl,” based on a bestselling book series by Cecily von Ziegesar about New York’s Upper East Side teens and their exploits. Some described “Gossip Girl” as a hybrid of the teen drama “The O.C.” Playing Nate put Crawford in the center of the show’s love triangle, torn between his longtime girlfriend Blair (Leighton Meester), and her best friend Serena (Blake Lively). The success of “Gossip Girl” put Crawford on the map, and also in the hearts of millions of teenage girls. Being in the spotlight, however, also made Crawford a favorite subject amongst tabloids and gossip bloggers, most notably when he dated 2005’s “American Idol” (FOX, 2002- ) winner and country music darling Carrie Underwood in 2008.
Julianne Hough Biography
Julianne Hough (born July 20, 1988) is an American professional ballroom dancer and country music singer. She is most-widely known for being a two-time winner of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. She earned a Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nomination in 2007 for choreography. ABC's 20/20 called her one of the "very best dancers on the planet." Hough's brother, Derek, is also on Dancing with the Stars and is a winner himself. Hough was signed to Mercury Nashville Records in December 2007. Her self-titled debut album was released May 20, 2008, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart and #3 on the Billboard 200. It sold 67,000 copies its first week, and has sold over 300,000 total copies. On October 12, 2008, she released a holiday album, Sounds of the Season: The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, which as of January 5, 2009, had sold 157,000 copies.
Two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion grew up with her 10 siblings in Utah – one of which was brother Derek, a future dancer on the ABC show as well. A born entertainer, she has always loved singing, dancing and acting, so at the age of 10, she left her home and family to move to the other side of the world to live and train with her coaches in London. While living there, Hough partnered Mark Ballas (the son of her world renowned coaches Corky and Shirley Ballas). It was with Mark that Hough won all of her titles.
Hough is the youngest (and only) American dancer to have become both International Latin Youth Champion and Junior Blackpool World Latin Champion. After graduating high school, Hough moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of acting, dancing and singing. She landed a role as a dancer on ABC’s game show, "Show Me The Money," and shortly after joined the "Dancing With The Stars" first tour as a company dancer. When "DWTS" dancer Kym Johnson injured her arm, Hough stepped in as her replacement and Cha Cha cha’d across America with season one competitor, singer Joey MacIntyre. She was also Assistant Choreographer on Gwen Stefani’s "Wind It Up" video. Some of her other professional accomplishments include International Latin Youth Champion, Junior Blackpool World Latin Champion and United States National Latin Youth Champion. Hough’s first season on "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ) was quite successful. Her and partner, Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Anton Ohno, were the season 4 champions. She took her next sports figure to the top in season five, helping Indy race car driver, Helio Castroneves to win the title in season five – back-to-back wins like fellow professional, Cheryl Burke before her. Coming off her success on the show, Hough is currently recording her debut country album and her single, "Will You Dance With Me" made it to #8 on the itunes country charts.
Two-time "Dancing with the Stars" champion grew up with her 10 siblings in Utah – one of which was brother Derek, a future dancer on the ABC show as well. A born entertainer, she has always loved singing, dancing and acting, so at the age of 10, she left her home and family to move to the other side of the world to live and train with her coaches in London. While living there, Hough partnered Mark Ballas (the son of her world renowned coaches Corky and Shirley Ballas). It was with Mark that Hough won all of her titles.
Hough is the youngest (and only) American dancer to have become both International Latin Youth Champion and Junior Blackpool World Latin Champion. After graduating high school, Hough moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of acting, dancing and singing. She landed a role as a dancer on ABC’s game show, "Show Me The Money," and shortly after joined the "Dancing With The Stars" first tour as a company dancer. When "DWTS" dancer Kym Johnson injured her arm, Hough stepped in as her replacement and Cha Cha cha’d across America with season one competitor, singer Joey MacIntyre. She was also Assistant Choreographer on Gwen Stefani’s "Wind It Up" video. Some of her other professional accomplishments include International Latin Youth Champion, Junior Blackpool World Latin Champion and United States National Latin Youth Champion. Hough’s first season on "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ) was quite successful. Her and partner, Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Anton Ohno, were the season 4 champions. She took her next sports figure to the top in season five, helping Indy race car driver, Helio Castroneves to win the title in season five – back-to-back wins like fellow professional, Cheryl Burke before her. Coming off her success on the show, Hough is currently recording her debut country album and her single, "Will You Dance With Me" made it to #8 on the itunes country charts.
Zach Gilford Biography
Actor Zach Gilford, a native of Evanston, IL and graduate of Northwestern University, where he starred in theater productions of “Equus” and “The Laramie Project,” had his first starring role on the critically acclaimed, but under-watched “Friday Night Lights” (NBC, 2006-07), Peter Berg’s television adaptation of his 2004 film about life in a small Texas town fixated on its winning high school football team. In the television version, Gilford played backup quarterback Matt Saracen, a 16-year-old kid trying to deal with his absentee mother and his father serving in Iraq, who is thrust into the spotlight during the first game of the season when the team’s starting quarterback (Scott Porter) suffers a serious injury.
Gilford drew upon his own gridiron experiences when he played ball at Evanston Township High School, where he suffered from an injury that led him to discover acting. Prior to his stint on “Friday Night Lights,” Gilford appeared in an episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 1999- ), then had a small part in his first feature film, “The Last Winter” (2005), an indie thriller about the surviving members of an oil drilling crew struggling to traverse the Northern Alaskan landscape after the rest of the team loses their grip on reality.
Gilford drew upon his own gridiron experiences when he played ball at Evanston Township High School, where he suffered from an injury that led him to discover acting. Prior to his stint on “Friday Night Lights,” Gilford appeared in an episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 1999- ), then had a small part in his first feature film, “The Last Winter” (2005), an indie thriller about the surviving members of an oil drilling crew struggling to traverse the Northern Alaskan landscape after the rest of the team loses their grip on reality.
Sarah Jessica Parker Turned To Surrogacy out of Necessity
Sarah Jessica Parker sought the help of a surrogate mother after failing to conceive naturally with husband Matthew Broderick.
The Sex And The City star is set to become a mother again with the help of a surrogate, who is currently carrying the actress' unborn twin daughters.
And Parker admits she turned to the method following unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant again after the birth of her son James Wilkie, now six.
She tells U.S. TV show Access Hollywood, "We have been trying to expand our family for a number of years and we actually have explored a variety of ways of doing so.
"It would have been odd to have made this choice if I was able to have had successful pregnancies since my son's birth."
And the expectant parents have already begun to explain to their son he is about to be a big brother.
Parker adds: "I've been pretty candid with him. I wanted him to have time to adjust to the idea of sharing his mama and his papa."
The Sex And The City star is set to become a mother again with the help of a surrogate, who is currently carrying the actress' unborn twin daughters.
And Parker admits she turned to the method following unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant again after the birth of her son James Wilkie, now six.
She tells U.S. TV show Access Hollywood, "We have been trying to expand our family for a number of years and we actually have explored a variety of ways of doing so.
"It would have been odd to have made this choice if I was able to have had successful pregnancies since my son's birth."
And the expectant parents have already begun to explain to their son he is about to be a big brother.
Parker adds: "I've been pretty candid with him. I wanted him to have time to adjust to the idea of sharing his mama and his papa."
Kimberly Noel Kardashian spotted playing football in Miami
London, May 21 : Kim Kardashian gave a rather decent workout to her curves when she recently played American football on the beach.
The socialite was in Miami and was spotted catching and throwing the ball with surprising competence.
And her concentration towards the game left many wondering because graffiti artists had targeted the Miami boutique, called `Dash', which she co-owns with sisters Kourtney and Khloe.
An E! report said that the hooligans carried out their attack night before the shop's grand opening and smashed a glass wall outside the boutique, reported the Sun.
While Kim clan has insisted that they were the victims of an organised gang, the police don't think the perpetrators knew the store's owners.
The socialite was in Miami and was spotted catching and throwing the ball with surprising competence.
And her concentration towards the game left many wondering because graffiti artists had targeted the Miami boutique, called `Dash', which she co-owns with sisters Kourtney and Khloe.
An E! report said that the hooligans carried out their attack night before the shop's grand opening and smashed a glass wall outside the boutique, reported the Sun.
While Kim clan has insisted that they were the victims of an organised gang, the police don't think the perpetrators knew the store's owners.
Ukraine celebrates Shakhtar Donetsk victory in UEFA Cup
Kiev - Celebrations broke out across Ukraine early Thursday morning in the wake of Donetsk Shakhtar's win in the UEFA Cup tournament.
An estimated 5,000 fans took to the streets in the capital of Ukraine's industrial heartland Donetsk to cheer their side's 2-1 victory over Werder Bremen.
Crowds in Donetsk's central square chanted "Shakhtar Chempion!" (Shakhtar is Champion!) as automobiles - many flying flying black-and-orange Shakhtar colours - drove by with horns blaring, Channel 5 television reported.
Smaller spontaneous street parties took place in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and even in the western provincial centre Lviv, a region usually politically opposed to Donetsk.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, on hand in Istanbul to cheer Donetsk on from VIP seating, was among the first officials to praise the first-ever European silverware win by a club based in independent Ukraine.
"You have given joy to millions of your countrymen," Yushchenko said. "Today the entire country will celebrate your victory with you."
The irony of Yushchenko's declaration, made public by his administration, was lost on few Ukrainian football fans, as the Ukrainian President has long talked of his life-long support of Shakhtar's arch-rival Dynamo Kiev.
Ukraine's chronic and frequently vicious political in-fighting seemed forgotten later on Thursday morning, as Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko - Yushchenko's inveterate rival and fiercest critic - joined the president to praise Shakhtar.
"I thank you, boys, for your peerless gameplay, and for a fantastic holiday," she told Kiev reporters. "You have given our nation a true triumph!"
Frequently an opponent of Donetsk's pro-Russia politicians, Tymoshenko said that on game night she was among Shakhtar's most devoted fans.
"(My family and I sat together and held hands and cheered, we worried, and at the 97th minute, when the score became 2-1 in our favour, it was so wonderful. I don't know what our neighbours thought, but we shouted, whistled, and sang," Tymoshenko said, according to an Interfax report.
"I hope those who are not football fans will forgive me, but yesterday for two whole hours I was able to forget about the financial crisis, about International Monetatary Fund credits, and about politics. Yesterday football ruled the country," she said.
Ukrainian media echoed Tymoshenko's celebratory tone, with the Inter television calling Shakhtar's victory "A historical event, a great achievement for all Ukraine and all Ukrainians."
But some fans in the former Soviet republic, true to the Ukrainian folk tradition of caution even during the greatest success, early on Thursday were seeing a downside.
"Probably now there will be a wave of offers from major European sides," wrote Volod95 in a comment on a Korrespondent web magazine. "One can only hope our sides can hold their teams together, and that (players) won't fall for big money."
Shakhtar owner Rinat Akhmetov, according to Forbes magazine Ukraine's wealthiest citizen, will pay each Donetsk player a cool half million euros (650,000 dollars) for the UEFA win, Interfax reported.
An estimated 5,000 fans took to the streets in the capital of Ukraine's industrial heartland Donetsk to cheer their side's 2-1 victory over Werder Bremen.
Crowds in Donetsk's central square chanted "Shakhtar Chempion!" (Shakhtar is Champion!) as automobiles - many flying flying black-and-orange Shakhtar colours - drove by with horns blaring, Channel 5 television reported.
Smaller spontaneous street parties took place in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and even in the western provincial centre Lviv, a region usually politically opposed to Donetsk.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, on hand in Istanbul to cheer Donetsk on from VIP seating, was among the first officials to praise the first-ever European silverware win by a club based in independent Ukraine.
"You have given joy to millions of your countrymen," Yushchenko said. "Today the entire country will celebrate your victory with you."
The irony of Yushchenko's declaration, made public by his administration, was lost on few Ukrainian football fans, as the Ukrainian President has long talked of his life-long support of Shakhtar's arch-rival Dynamo Kiev.
Ukraine's chronic and frequently vicious political in-fighting seemed forgotten later on Thursday morning, as Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko - Yushchenko's inveterate rival and fiercest critic - joined the president to praise Shakhtar.
"I thank you, boys, for your peerless gameplay, and for a fantastic holiday," she told Kiev reporters. "You have given our nation a true triumph!"
Frequently an opponent of Donetsk's pro-Russia politicians, Tymoshenko said that on game night she was among Shakhtar's most devoted fans.
"(My family and I sat together and held hands and cheered, we worried, and at the 97th minute, when the score became 2-1 in our favour, it was so wonderful. I don't know what our neighbours thought, but we shouted, whistled, and sang," Tymoshenko said, according to an Interfax report.
"I hope those who are not football fans will forgive me, but yesterday for two whole hours I was able to forget about the financial crisis, about International Monetatary Fund credits, and about politics. Yesterday football ruled the country," she said.
Ukrainian media echoed Tymoshenko's celebratory tone, with the Inter television calling Shakhtar's victory "A historical event, a great achievement for all Ukraine and all Ukrainians."
But some fans in the former Soviet republic, true to the Ukrainian folk tradition of caution even during the greatest success, early on Thursday were seeing a downside.
"Probably now there will be a wave of offers from major European sides," wrote Volod95 in a comment on a Korrespondent web magazine. "One can only hope our sides can hold their teams together, and that (players) won't fall for big money."
Shakhtar owner Rinat Akhmetov, according to Forbes magazine Ukraine's wealthiest citizen, will pay each Donetsk player a cool half million euros (650,000 dollars) for the UEFA win, Interfax reported.
Cameron Michelle Diaz doesn’t flush her toilet to help environment
London, May 21 : American actress Cameron Diaz has revealed that she does her part in helping the environment by not flushing her toilet.
Diaz, 36, revealed her habits in an interview with US chat show host Jay Leno, 59.
"I do follow the rule: If it's yellow keep it mellow and if it is brown flush it down," the Daily Star quoted her as saying.
Diaz, 36, revealed her habits in an interview with US chat show host Jay Leno, 59.
"I do follow the rule: If it's yellow keep it mellow and if it is brown flush it down," the Daily Star quoted her as saying.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie photographed together after three months
London, May 21 : After staying away from the limelight as a couple for three months, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were clicked together at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jolie, 33, who is suffering from a cold, arrived in Cannes on May 19 to be with Pitt, 45, at the premiere of Quentin Tarantino's `Inglourious Basterds'.
While on the red carpet at the festival, Pitt admitted that he did not remember how he agreed to be in the movie.
"Quentin came to visit. I get up the next morning and see five empty bottles of wine - and something that resembles a smoking apparatus," the Mirror quoted him as saying.
"I don't know what that was about - and apparently I had agreed to do this film," he added.
Jolie, 33, who is suffering from a cold, arrived in Cannes on May 19 to be with Pitt, 45, at the premiere of Quentin Tarantino's `Inglourious Basterds'.
While on the red carpet at the festival, Pitt admitted that he did not remember how he agreed to be in the movie.
"Quentin came to visit. I get up the next morning and see five empty bottles of wine - and something that resembles a smoking apparatus," the Mirror quoted him as saying.
"I don't know what that was about - and apparently I had agreed to do this film," he added.
Brad Pitt Biography
Also Credited As: William Bradley Pitt
Born: William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma
Job Titles: Actor, Producer, Chauffeur, Delivery man
Mini Biography
Despite his leading man looks and movie star charisma, actor Brad Pitt spent most of his career trying to avoid bloated box office roles, in favor of riskier, lower profile work. Born on Dec. 18, 1963 in Shawnee, OK, Pitt was raised in a devout Baptist home headed by William, a trucking company manager, and Jane, a high school counselor. The family moved to Missouri, where Pitt attended Kickapoo High School.
Pitt entered features via the well-traveled low road, appearing in supporting roles in such standard teen fodder as slasher flicks, sex comedies and family-oriented sports dramas. Pitt gained some critical esteem playing the troubled younger brother who casts a mean fishing line in Robert Redford's "A River Runs Through It" (1992), but fared less well as a bearded psycho killer in "Kalifornia" (1993). Despite his relative minor degree of celebrity at that time, there was already considerable interest in Pitt’s romantic involvements. Pitt subsequently played his first high profile lead in a Hollywood blockbuster as Louis, the lachrymose narrator of "Interview with the Vampire" (1994). Pitt's star qualities were better displayed as the wild, middle brother of a colorful Western clan in "Legends of the Fall.” Pitt caused some controversy with a Newsweek interview, in which he made disparaging remarks about the film’s script. That film was also the subject of debate when it was revealed that Heinrich Harrer (Pitt) had been a Nazi Party member – the resulting negative publicity and mixed reviews hurting the film's box office.
Pitt followed up by reuniting with his "Legends of the Falls" co-star Anthony Hopkins in the languid "Meet Joe Black" (1998) – a loose remake of "Death Takes a Holiday" (1934) – with the younger actor playing the Grim Reaper in human form. In both of these films, Pitt's muscular physique was on display, but in "Fight Club,” he favored a scruffy look; while in "Snatch,” he was covered in tattoos.
In 2002, Pitt made brief cameo appearances in Soderbergh's experimental film "Full Frontal" (as himself) and Clooney's directorial debut, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.” The actor also agreed to rejoin Clooney, Soderbergh, et al, for the sequel romp "Ocean's Twelve" (2004), this time playing a Rusty with his own love interest (Catherine Zeta-Jones). In early 2005, the film work became secondary, when Pitt found himself at the center of an intense media whirlwind when he announced he was splitting from Aniston.
The couple ultimately revealed that they were expecting their own biological child together – daughter, Shiloh Nouvel – while articles trumpeting Aniston’s reportedly ongoing anguish over the loss of Pitt continued to propel the spectacle forward. Pitt earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor, which was soon followed by a Academy Award nomination for the same category.
Family
* Brother: Doug Pitt. Born c. 1966; owns computer company
* Daughter: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. Born May 27, 2006 in Namibia; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Daughter: Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt. Twin of Knox Leon; born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Daughter: Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt. Legally adopted in 2006; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Father: William Pitt.
* Mother: Jane Pitt.
* Sister: Julie Pitt. Born c. 1969
* Son: Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt. Twin of Vivienne Marcheline; born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Son: Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt. Legally adopted in 2006; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Son: Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt. Adopted at three years old from a Vietnamese orphanage in 2007; Angelina Jolie adopted the boy as a single parent because Vietnam s adoption regulations don t allow unmarried couples to co-adopt; name was legally changed to Jolie-Pitt three months after his adoption
Significant Others
* Companion: Angelina Jolie. Met while filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith ; rumored to be romantically involved throughout filming, but this was denied by both parties; began being photographed together as a couple in spring 2005, shortly after his split from Jennifer Aniston
* Wife: Jennifer Aniston. Met in 1998; married July 29, 2000 in Malibu, CA; announced separation on January 6, 2005, after more than fours years of marriage; Aniston filed for divorce March 2005; divorce finalized October 2005
* Wife: Jennifer Aniston. began dating in spring 1998; marrried on July 29, 2000 in Malibu, California
* Companion: Gwyneth Paltrow. met on set of Seven (1994) where they played a married couple; became engaged in November 1996; separated in June 1997
* Companion: Jill Schoelen. met on set of Cutting Class ; (1989); broke up in 1989
* Companion: Jitka Pohlodek. dated briefly in 1993
* Companion: Juliette Lewis. met on the set of the 1990 TV-movie Too Young to Die? ; together for three years; broke up c. February 1993; reportedly were engaged
* Companion: Katja von Garnier. German; born c. 1966; dated in 1997
* Companion: Robin Givens. dated briefly in 1988 after working together on episodes of the TV sitcom Head of the Class
Education
* University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, journalism
Milestones
* 1986 Moved to Los Angeles claiming to his parents that he was attending the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena
* 1987 First TV appearance on the NBC soap opera Another World
* 1987 Played the boyfriend of Jenna Wade Ewing s daughter in three episodes of the CBS primetime soap Dallas
* 1987 Primetime TV debut in a guest role in the ABC sitcom Growing Pains
* 1987 Worked as an extra on the film Less Than Zero (also had uncredited role)
* 1988 Made TV-movie debut in A Stoning in Fulham County (NBC)
* 1989 Feature acting debut, Cutting Class
* 1990 Co-starred with Juliette Lewis in the fact-based NBC TV-movie, Too Young to Die?
* 1991 Achieved instant sex-symbol status as J.D., a charming hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise
* 1991 First leading role in a feature, alongside Catherine Keener and Nick Cave in the low budget, Tom DiCillo-directed, Johnny Suede
* 1992 Had major film role in the Robert Redford directed A River Runs Through It
* 1993 Played featured role in Tony Scott s True Romance
* 1993 Took a dramatic turn as a scruffy serial killer alongside Juliette Lewis and David Duchovny in Kalifornia
* 1994 Co-starred with Tom Cruise in the film adaptation of Anne Rice s novel, Interview With the Vampire
* 1994 First worked with Anthony Hopkins playing one of his sons in Legends of the Fall ; received a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination
* 1995 Co-starred with Morgan Freeman as detectives tracking a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) in David Fincher s Seven
* 1995 Portrayed mental patient, Jeffrey Goines in Terry Gilliam s Twelve Monkeys ; received a Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination
* 1997 Played an Irish revolutionary opposite Harrison Ford in The Devil s Own
* 1997 Played the main role of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in the Jean Jacques Annaud film Seven Years in Tibet ; film was subject of controversy when it was disclosed that the main character had ties to the Nazis
* 1998 Re-teamed with Anthony Hopkins for Meet Joe Black
* 1999 Again collaborated with David Fincher for Fight Club, playing the character of Tyler Durden, opposite Edward Norton
* 2000 Portrayed an itinerant Irish gypsy bare knuckles boxer in Guy Ritchie s gangster film Snatch
* 2001 Had featured role in the ensemble of Ocean s Eleven, which included Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Matt Damon
* 2001 Teamed with Robert Redford in The Spy Game, playing the protege of a retiring CIA agent
* 2002 Made a guest appearance on the NBC sitcom Friends, as a man who has a grudge against Aniston s character Rachel Green; received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor
* 2004 Collaborated with the original cast for Ocean s Twelve
* 2004 Portrayed fated warrior Achilles in director Wolfgang Petersen s epic Troy
* 2005 Co-starred with Angelina Jolie, as husband and wife assassins, in Doug Liman s Mr. & Mrs. Smith
* 2006 Co-starred with Cate Blanchett as a tragedy-stricken American couple in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu s critically acclaimed Babel ; received a Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actor
* 2007 Portrayed outlaw Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (also produced)
* 2007 Produced A Mighty Heart, the film based on the book by Mariane Pearl, wife of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl; film featured his partner Angelina Jolie in the lead role
* 2007 Reprised role along with the original cast for Ocean s 13
* 2008 Joined an ensemble cast for the Coen s brothers Burn After Reading
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Leading Man
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* 2008 Re-teamed with director David Fincher and actress Cate Blanchett to play the title role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* 2009 Nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* Grew up in Springfield, Missouri
Born: William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma
Job Titles: Actor, Producer, Chauffeur, Delivery man
Mini Biography
Despite his leading man looks and movie star charisma, actor Brad Pitt spent most of his career trying to avoid bloated box office roles, in favor of riskier, lower profile work. Born on Dec. 18, 1963 in Shawnee, OK, Pitt was raised in a devout Baptist home headed by William, a trucking company manager, and Jane, a high school counselor. The family moved to Missouri, where Pitt attended Kickapoo High School.
Pitt entered features via the well-traveled low road, appearing in supporting roles in such standard teen fodder as slasher flicks, sex comedies and family-oriented sports dramas. Pitt gained some critical esteem playing the troubled younger brother who casts a mean fishing line in Robert Redford's "A River Runs Through It" (1992), but fared less well as a bearded psycho killer in "Kalifornia" (1993). Despite his relative minor degree of celebrity at that time, there was already considerable interest in Pitt’s romantic involvements. Pitt subsequently played his first high profile lead in a Hollywood blockbuster as Louis, the lachrymose narrator of "Interview with the Vampire" (1994). Pitt's star qualities were better displayed as the wild, middle brother of a colorful Western clan in "Legends of the Fall.” Pitt caused some controversy with a Newsweek interview, in which he made disparaging remarks about the film’s script. That film was also the subject of debate when it was revealed that Heinrich Harrer (Pitt) had been a Nazi Party member – the resulting negative publicity and mixed reviews hurting the film's box office.
Pitt followed up by reuniting with his "Legends of the Falls" co-star Anthony Hopkins in the languid "Meet Joe Black" (1998) – a loose remake of "Death Takes a Holiday" (1934) – with the younger actor playing the Grim Reaper in human form. In both of these films, Pitt's muscular physique was on display, but in "Fight Club,” he favored a scruffy look; while in "Snatch,” he was covered in tattoos.
In 2002, Pitt made brief cameo appearances in Soderbergh's experimental film "Full Frontal" (as himself) and Clooney's directorial debut, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.” The actor also agreed to rejoin Clooney, Soderbergh, et al, for the sequel romp "Ocean's Twelve" (2004), this time playing a Rusty with his own love interest (Catherine Zeta-Jones). In early 2005, the film work became secondary, when Pitt found himself at the center of an intense media whirlwind when he announced he was splitting from Aniston.
The couple ultimately revealed that they were expecting their own biological child together – daughter, Shiloh Nouvel – while articles trumpeting Aniston’s reportedly ongoing anguish over the loss of Pitt continued to propel the spectacle forward. Pitt earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor, which was soon followed by a Academy Award nomination for the same category.
Family
* Brother: Doug Pitt. Born c. 1966; owns computer company
* Daughter: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. Born May 27, 2006 in Namibia; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Daughter: Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt. Twin of Knox Leon; born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Daughter: Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt. Legally adopted in 2006; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Father: William Pitt.
* Mother: Jane Pitt.
* Sister: Julie Pitt. Born c. 1969
* Son: Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt. Twin of Vivienne Marcheline; born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Son: Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt. Legally adopted in 2006; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Son: Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt. Adopted at three years old from a Vietnamese orphanage in 2007; Angelina Jolie adopted the boy as a single parent because Vietnam s adoption regulations don t allow unmarried couples to co-adopt; name was legally changed to Jolie-Pitt three months after his adoption
Significant Others
* Companion: Angelina Jolie. Met while filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith ; rumored to be romantically involved throughout filming, but this was denied by both parties; began being photographed together as a couple in spring 2005, shortly after his split from Jennifer Aniston
* Wife: Jennifer Aniston. Met in 1998; married July 29, 2000 in Malibu, CA; announced separation on January 6, 2005, after more than fours years of marriage; Aniston filed for divorce March 2005; divorce finalized October 2005
* Wife: Jennifer Aniston. began dating in spring 1998; marrried on July 29, 2000 in Malibu, California
* Companion: Gwyneth Paltrow. met on set of Seven (1994) where they played a married couple; became engaged in November 1996; separated in June 1997
* Companion: Jill Schoelen. met on set of Cutting Class ; (1989); broke up in 1989
* Companion: Jitka Pohlodek. dated briefly in 1993
* Companion: Juliette Lewis. met on the set of the 1990 TV-movie Too Young to Die? ; together for three years; broke up c. February 1993; reportedly were engaged
* Companion: Katja von Garnier. German; born c. 1966; dated in 1997
* Companion: Robin Givens. dated briefly in 1988 after working together on episodes of the TV sitcom Head of the Class
Education
* University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, journalism
Milestones
* 1986 Moved to Los Angeles claiming to his parents that he was attending the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena
* 1987 First TV appearance on the NBC soap opera Another World
* 1987 Played the boyfriend of Jenna Wade Ewing s daughter in three episodes of the CBS primetime soap Dallas
* 1987 Primetime TV debut in a guest role in the ABC sitcom Growing Pains
* 1987 Worked as an extra on the film Less Than Zero (also had uncredited role)
* 1988 Made TV-movie debut in A Stoning in Fulham County (NBC)
* 1989 Feature acting debut, Cutting Class
* 1990 Co-starred with Juliette Lewis in the fact-based NBC TV-movie, Too Young to Die?
* 1991 Achieved instant sex-symbol status as J.D., a charming hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise
* 1991 First leading role in a feature, alongside Catherine Keener and Nick Cave in the low budget, Tom DiCillo-directed, Johnny Suede
* 1992 Had major film role in the Robert Redford directed A River Runs Through It
* 1993 Played featured role in Tony Scott s True Romance
* 1993 Took a dramatic turn as a scruffy serial killer alongside Juliette Lewis and David Duchovny in Kalifornia
* 1994 Co-starred with Tom Cruise in the film adaptation of Anne Rice s novel, Interview With the Vampire
* 1994 First worked with Anthony Hopkins playing one of his sons in Legends of the Fall ; received a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination
* 1995 Co-starred with Morgan Freeman as detectives tracking a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) in David Fincher s Seven
* 1995 Portrayed mental patient, Jeffrey Goines in Terry Gilliam s Twelve Monkeys ; received a Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination
* 1997 Played an Irish revolutionary opposite Harrison Ford in The Devil s Own
* 1997 Played the main role of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in the Jean Jacques Annaud film Seven Years in Tibet ; film was subject of controversy when it was disclosed that the main character had ties to the Nazis
* 1998 Re-teamed with Anthony Hopkins for Meet Joe Black
* 1999 Again collaborated with David Fincher for Fight Club, playing the character of Tyler Durden, opposite Edward Norton
* 2000 Portrayed an itinerant Irish gypsy bare knuckles boxer in Guy Ritchie s gangster film Snatch
* 2001 Had featured role in the ensemble of Ocean s Eleven, which included Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Matt Damon
* 2001 Teamed with Robert Redford in The Spy Game, playing the protege of a retiring CIA agent
* 2002 Made a guest appearance on the NBC sitcom Friends, as a man who has a grudge against Aniston s character Rachel Green; received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor
* 2004 Collaborated with the original cast for Ocean s Twelve
* 2004 Portrayed fated warrior Achilles in director Wolfgang Petersen s epic Troy
* 2005 Co-starred with Angelina Jolie, as husband and wife assassins, in Doug Liman s Mr. & Mrs. Smith
* 2006 Co-starred with Cate Blanchett as a tragedy-stricken American couple in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu s critically acclaimed Babel ; received a Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actor
* 2007 Portrayed outlaw Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (also produced)
* 2007 Produced A Mighty Heart, the film based on the book by Mariane Pearl, wife of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl; film featured his partner Angelina Jolie in the lead role
* 2007 Reprised role along with the original cast for Ocean s 13
* 2008 Joined an ensemble cast for the Coen s brothers Burn After Reading
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Leading Man
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* 2008 Re-teamed with director David Fincher and actress Cate Blanchett to play the title role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* 2009 Nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* Grew up in Springfield, Missouri
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