Name: Hans Florian Zimmer
Born: September 12, 1957
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Family: Married to Suzanne Zimmer and has 2 children.
Early Years
Zimmer used to be a member of the group The Buggles which mostly performed pop songs. Their first hit single, "Video Killed the Radio Star," was the first video aired on MTV. Zimmer also worked with Stanley Myers, a well-known composer. After that he worked solo and became known as the pioneer of electronic music. He combined the use of computers as well as synthesizers with real instruments.
Turning Point
Zimmer's turning point in his career came when he received an Academy Award nomination for his music score in the movie Rain Man. He would continue to work on other projects such as Driving Miss Daisy and the animated film The Lion King where he won, among others, an Academy Award, Golden Globe and 2 Grammy Awards.
Signing on to Dreamworks
Zimmer later became the head of Dreamworks SKG's music department where he created the music for such memorable films as The Prince of Egypt and Gladiator.
Famous Works
Some of his other famous works include the music for the following films: As Good as it Gets, The Last Samurai, The Preachers Wife, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, Thelma & Louise, A League Of Their Own, Backdraft, The Thin Red Line, Pacific Heights, Green Card, Days Of Thunder, Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron, Mission: Impossible 2, A Shark's Tale, Weatherman, Madagascar, Batman Begins, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and The Da Vinci Code.
Interesting Facts About Hans Zimmer
He is the co-founder of a music studio called Remote Control. His 100th film score was for the movie The Last Samurai. Zimmer reportedly didn't receive any formal music education. He is mostly self-taught
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Name : James Taylor
Born on March 12, 1948 to Dr. Isaac and Gertrude Taylor. James has 3 brothers namely Alex, Livingston and Hugh, and a sister named Kate. All of the Taylor kids went on to become musicians.
Birthplace:
Boston, Massachusetts
Early Years:
The Taylor family moved to Chapel Hill in 1951 when Dr. Taylor was appointed as dean of the University of North Carolina's medical school. James studied the cello first before siwtching on the guitar when he was 12. While at Martha's Vineyard, James met guitarist Danny Kortchmar and the two became friends. At 16 he decided to take a break from his studies and performed with his brother Alex. When he was 17 he was admitted to the McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Massachusetts due to depression. It was during his stay there when James began to write songs.
Early Career:
Ten months later, James went back to New York to join his friend, Kortchmar, and another musician named Joel O'Brien. Their group was called The Flying Machine. The group recorded two songs: “Night Owl” and “Brighten Your Night With My Day” under Rainy Day Records. Both songs were penned by James but the record wasn't successful leading the group to disband in 1967.
Personal Struggles:
A year later, James moved to London in hopes of overcoming his heroin addiction. While there James submitted a demo tape to Peter Asher from Apple Records, the label owned by the Beatles. James then signed under Apple and his debut album James Taylor was recorded and released in the UK in 1968.His debut album didn't do so well, added to that, James hadn't been able to kick off his addiction. He went back to the US and checked into the Austin Riggs Hospital in Massachusetts. He left the hospital after five months and performed at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles for his solo debut.
Becoming Famous:
Peter Asher became his manager and they signed under Warner Bros. Records. With guitarist Kortchmar and pianist Carole King, they began working on his second album Sweet Baby James. The album, featuring the songs "Fire and Rain" and "Country Road", was released in 1970 and became a huge success. Following the success of Sweet Baby James, his first album was re-released featuring the song "Carolina on My Mind." In 1971 his version of "You've Got A Friend", written by Carole King, was #1 and he also appeared on a film titled "Two-Lane Blacktop."
Other Albums:
His other albums include:
•Mud Slide Slim (1971, #2)
•One Man Dog (1972, contains the song “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”)
•Walking Man (1974)
•Gorilla (1975, with the song "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) on #5)
•In the Pocket (1976)
•Greatest Hits (1976, includes the song “Something in the Way She Moves”)
•JT (1977, #4, under Columbia Records, features the song "Handy Man")
•Flag (1979, featuring his version of "Up on the Roof")
•Dad Loves His Work (1981, contains the duet “Her Town Too”)
•That's Why I'm Here (1985)
•Never Die Young (1988)
•New Moon Shine (1991)
•Hourglass (1997)
•October Road (2002)
Awards/Accolades:
His awards include:
•A Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance (1971, "You've Got A Friend")
•In 1971, James Taylor was on the cover of Time citing his as one of the leaders of the singer-songwriter trend.
•A Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance (1978, "Handy Man")
•A Grammy for Best Pop Album (1997, Hourglass)
•A Century Award from Billboard Magazine
•RIAA Diamond Award
•Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame (inducted 1999)
•Songwriters Hall of Fame (inducted 2000)
Other Achievements:
•James was featured on Garfunkel's "(What A) Wonderful World"
•He wrote songs for a Broadway musical titled Working
•By the early 1980's James Taylor was busy with performance tours.
•He appeared on the tv series West Wing in 2004.
•James has been clean and sober since 1984.
•He sang the national anthem at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts during Game Two of the 2007 Major League Baseball World Series on October 25, 2007.
Love Life:
On November 3, 1972, James married fellow singer/songwriter Carly Simon, they recorded the duets "Mockingbird" and "Devoted to You." James and Carly were divorced in 1983. In 1985, James married Kathryn Walker but they were later divorced in 1996. In 2001 James married Caroline Smedvig. For more on James Taylor, visit his official website
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Name : Neil Diamond
Born on January 24, 1941 as Neil Leslie Diamond to parents Akeeba Diamond and Rose Rapoport. Neil is the eldest of two sons.
Birthplace:
Brooklyn, New York
Early Years:
Diamond began singing and playing the guitar in his teens, reportedly after seeing Pete Seeger perform. While attending New York University as a premed student (later shifting to commerce), he wrote songs and pitched it to music publishers. His first venture into recording was as part of a duo called Neil & Jack (with Jack Parker). Their pairing resulted in two singles: "You Are My Love"/"What Will I Do" (1960) and "I'm Afraid"/"Till You've Tried Love" (1961). The duo broke-up in 1961.
Becoming Famous:
Neil continued writing songs and in 1962 he collaborated with 9 other writers for the song "Ten Lonely Guys" recorded by Pat Boone. This was followed by the song "Santa Santa" recorded by the Rocky Fellers and released that same year. His first hit song, "Sunday and Me', was recorded by Jay & The Americans and released in 1965. His next recording, "Solitary Man," came out in 1966 under Bang Records, followed by the song "Cherry, Cherry". The song, "I'm A Believer", was originally intended for Diamond's album but was eventually recorded by the Monkees. The said song was a chart-topper in 1967.
Songs He Wrote:
Songs Neil Diamond penned or co-wrote include:
•"I Got the Feelin' (Oh No No)"
•"Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow"
•"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You"
•"Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon"
•"Kentucky Woman"
•"Red Red Wine"
•"Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show"
•"Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)' - Became platinum and was covered by other artists including Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley
•"Holly Holy"
•"Cracklin' Rosie"
•"I am...I Said" - Grammy nominated for Best Pop Vocal
•"Song Sung Blue" - Grammy nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Other Songs He Wrote:
•"Desiree"
•"Forever in Blue Jeans"
•"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" - Recorded by Barbra Streisand and later recorded as a duet with Diamond. This song was Grammy nominated for Song of the Year (1978) and Record of the Year (1979).
•"September Morn"
•"Love on the Rocks"
•"Hello Again"
Other Accomplishments:
•In 1971 his score for the film adaptation of the novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull won him a Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or TV Special.
•He wrote "I Seek the Night" for the Clint Eastwood movie Every Which Way But Loose
•He appeared in the film The Jazz Singer
•In 1999, Amusement Business Magazine named him one of the Top 5 concert artists.
•He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984.
Personal Struggles/Love Life:
Diamond was embroiled in a lengthy lawsuit against Bang Records which was eventually settled in 1977. He was married to Jay Posne (a teacher) with whom he has two daughters. The two divorced in 1969. That same year Diamond married Marcia Kay Murphey with whom he has two sons. They were later divorced in 1996.
Interesting Facts:
Neil Diamond used the pseudonym Mark Lewis when he co-wrote the song "Ten Lonely Guys" recorded by Pat Boone
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Name : John Willam
Born : February 8, 1932, his father performed with the CBS orchestra
Birthplace:
New York, USA
Music Education:
He started playing the piano at a young age and studied composition at UCLA with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He also went to Juilliard School and studied piano with Madame Rosina Lhevinne.
Music Career:
He served in the Air Force then worked as a jazz pianist in New York. Later on he went into the film industry. In 1980, Williams became the nineteenth Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. After he retired in 1993, he was given the title Boston Pops Laureate Conductor. He now holds the title Artist-in-Residence at Tanglewood. He has honorary degrees from 14 different universities, including Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory of Music.
Awards Received:
5 Academy Awards, 3 Golden Globes, 2 Emmys, 17 Grammys and 5 awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). In 2000 he was named Maestro of the Year by the National Association of Theater Owners and was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. He was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998 and in December 2004, Williams received a Kennedy Center Honor.
Notable Works for Films:
John Williams is known for his more than 75 film scores, concert works and ceremonial music. Some of his well-known works are his film scores for the Star Wars trilogy, Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones Trilogy and Schindler's List. Also composed the music for Amistad, Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Far and Away, Born on the Fourth of July, Always, Saving Private Ryan, Seven Years in Tibet, Empire of the Sun, The Lost World, Jurassic Park, Nixon, JFK, Home Alone, Sabrina, Hook, Sleepers, Presumed Innocent, The Witches of Eastwick, Minority Report and Memoirs of a Geisha.
"Harry Potter" Musical Score:
Williams also wrote the music score for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", which earned Williams an Oscar nomination.
Meanwhile other movies in the Harry Potter series namely "Goblet of Fire" was scored by Patrick Doyle while "Order of the Phoenix" was scored by Nicholas Hooper.
Other Notable Works:
John Williams has been invited as guest conductor by several prestigious ensembles including The London Symphony and The Chicago Symphony, to name a few. He also composed the theme for NBC’s “The Mission” and during the re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty, he wrote “Liberty Fanfare”. He also wrote several compositions for the Olympics including “Olympic Fanfare and Theme", “We’re Lookin’ Good" and “Olympic Spirit.” Read more about John William's compositions for the Olympics.
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Name : Norah James
Born on March 30, 1979 as Geethali Norah Jones Shankar. Her father; Ravi Shankar, was a notable Indian musician. She spent most of her childhood with her mother; Sue Jones (a dancer) in Texas.
Birthplace:
Brooklyn, New York City
Early Years:
Her mother collected music records and as a result, Norah was exposed at a young age to many different artists like Billie Holiday, Willie Nelson and Bill Evans. She attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. Initial recognition for her talent came when she won the Downbeat Student Music Awards for Best Jazz Vocalist and Best Original Composition while in high school. She then majored in jazz piano at the University of North Texas; staying there for 2 years before going on to perform at clubs and coffee houses. During this time she also started writing her own material.
Becoming Famous:
Soon, Norah Jones formed a group and began recording demos. She eventually signed a contract with Blue Note Records in 2001. Her debut album Come Away with Me was released in 2002. The said album was a hit and won 8 Grammys including a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Selected Albums/Singles:
Albums:
•Feels Like Home (2004)
•Not Too Late (2007)
Singles:
•Don't Know Why
•Feelin' the Same Way
•Turn Me On
•Sunrise
•What Am I to You?
•Sinkin' Soon
•Thinking About You
Other Accomplishments:
•In 2003 she played with the group Little Willies.
•In 2004 she worked with Ray Charles in his album Genius Loves Company. The album won a Grammy Record of the Year Award and their song earned another Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
•In 2005 she worked with the Foo Fighters in their album In Your Honor.
•She collaborated with Wyclef Jean on the song "Any Other Day".
•She recorded the song "Dear John" for Ryan Adams & the Cardinals' album Jacksonville City Nights.
•Her song "Sunrise" earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Interesting Facts:
Norah Jones appeared in two films: "Two Weeks Notice" in 2002 and "My Blueberry Nights" in 2007. She also appeared in the PBS TV series Austin City Limits. Aside from playing the piano, she also plays the guitar.
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Name : Eric Clapton
Born on March 30, 1945 as Eric Patrick Clapton to parents Edward Walter Fryer and Patricia Molly Clapton. Given Patricia's young age (she was only 16 when Eric was born) and the absence of Edward (he has a family in Canada), it was Eric's maternal grandparents, Rose and Jack Clapp, who became Eric's guardians until 1963. Patricia later married Frank MacDonald and had three children.
Birthplace:
Surrey, England
Early Years:
Eric was raised in a family who appreciated music. His biological father and grandmother both played the piano. He entered Kingston College of Art in 1961 but was expelled due to poor performance and his growing interest in another art medium - music. When he was 17 he purchased an electric double cutaway Kay, and so began his journey to become a musician. He joined The Roosters in 1963, then briefly performed with Casey Jones and The Engineers. Later that year, he joined {I]The Yardbirds, the group released the albums Five Live Yardbirds and Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds.
Becoming Famous:
Eric Clapton joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1965, recording the now famous Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton. He left the group in 1966 and formed his own band called Cream together with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. They released three albums: Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire, all of which propelled the band to stardom and cemented Eric's reputation as a rock guitarist. Cream disbanded in 1968.
Other Bands:
•Blind Faith - Released 1 album, members included Ginger Baker, Rick Grech. and Steve Winwood
•Derek and the Dominos - Recorded Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, members included Jim Gordon, Carl Radle and Bobby Whitlock
Selected Albums:
•461 Ocean Boulevard - 1974, includes the song "I Shot the Sheriff"
•Slowhand - 1977
•Backless - 1978
•Just One Night - 1980
•Another Ticket - 1981, features the song "I Can't Stand It"
•Behind the Sun - 1985
•August - 1986
•Crossroads - 1988
•Journeyman - 1989, includes the Grammy winning song "Bad Love"
•24 Nights - 1991
•Unplugged -1992, features the song "Tears in Heaven"
•From The Cradle - 1994
•Pilgrim - 1998
•Riding With The King - 2000
•Reptile - 2001
•Me and Mr. Johnson - 2004
•Back Home - 2005
•The Road To Escondido - 2006
Other Accomplishments:
•A multi-awarded guitarist and singer/songwriter, Clapton was very busy during the 1970's and 80's with tours and album releases.
•In 2005, his old band the Cream had a reunion concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall and later, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
•Clapton also provided his talent on recordings of other notable performers such as Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Sting.
•Clapton supports the Crossroads Centre Foundation.
•He's a triple inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
•He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.
•He provided music for films like Phenomenon, Rush and Back to the Future.
Personal Struggles/Love Life::
•Eric grew up believing his grandparents were his real parents and that his mother was his sister. He was 9 when he discovered the truth and this had a huge impact on him.
•He became addicted to heroin in 1970 but was able to beat the addiction in 1973.
•After battling his heroin addiction, Clapton made a comeback with two concerts at London’s Rainbow Theater in 1973.
•He was also addicted to alcohol which pushed him to check into Hazelden Foundation. Clapton has been sober since 1987.
•Clapton's first wife is Pattie Boyd Harrison, they married in 1979 and divorced in 1989.
•He married Melia in 2002, they have three daughters.
Interesting Facts:
Clapton also has 2 other children: a daughter (Ruth) and a son (Conor). Conor's mother is Lori del Santo, he died in 1991 and is the inspiration for Clapton's song "Tears in Heaven." Clapton earned the nickname "Slowhand" in 1964, not because he is a slow player. He also earned the nickname "God" (painted on a wall by a fan) while he was with the Bluesbreakers. In 1968, he played on George Harrison's recording of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
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Name : Ray Charles
Born : September 23, 1930
Birthplace:
Albany, Georgia
Died:
June 10, 2004, due to complications of liver disease
Also Known As:
Fondly called as "The Genius", his full name is Ray Charles Robinson. Ray was an inspiring pianist and singer who fused the elements of gospel music, the blues and stamped it with his unique style. He also appeared on films such as "In the Heat of the Night" and "The Cincinnati Kid". Ray Charles was also a producer and formed Tangerine Records, Tangerine Music, and Racer Music Company under the Ray Charles Enterprise umbrella.
Type of Compositions:
His music style was a fusion of blues, country, gospel and pop.
Influence:
He was 7 years old when he became blind due to glaucoma. But this did not hinder the young Ray, He went to St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind from 1937 to 1945. It is there where he learned how to play the piano, even the saxophone as well as studying composition. He was influenced by such performers as Nat King Cole and Charles Brown. Ray would later on perform in clubs around Florida at the age of 15. He moved to Seattle in 1948 and formed a group called Maxim Trio. A year later they had their first hit, "Confession Blues".
Notable Works:
Some of his famous songs are "I Got a Woman", "What'd I Say", "Drown in My Own Tears", "Hallelujah I Love Her So", "I Can't Stop Loving You,", "Take These Chains From My Heart", "Georgia On My Mind" and “Ruby”.
Interesting Facts:
Ray signed with Atlantic Records in 1952 and with ABC-Paramount in 1959. In 1979, the state of Georgia approved his recording of "Georgia On My Mind" as its official song. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He also received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993
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Name : Billy Joel
Born on May 9, 1949 as William Martin Joel
Birthplace:
Bronx, NY
Early Years:
Billy Joel began studying the piano at age 4. As a teen, Joel got interested in boxing, but in 1964 when he saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, he decided to become a musician. In 1963 he joined a band called The Echoes (later renamed Emeralds and then The Lost Souls). Four years later he joined The Hassles which had a contract with United Artists Records. They released 2 albums: The Hassles and Hour of the Wolf. The group disbanded in 1969. Jon Small, the drummer of The Hassles, and Joel then formed a duo called Attila. They recorded 1 album under Epic Records. The duo parted after their first and only album.
Becoming Famous:
In 1971, Joel signed a contract with Family Productions releasing his first album Cold Spring Harbor in November 1971. Problems with his contract with Family Productions forced Joel to laylow. He then adopted the name Bill Martin and performed at piano bars in the West Coast. In 1973 Joel got his first big break when Columbia Records offered him a contract after hearing his taped live performance of "Captain Jack" on the radio. His first album Piano Man was released that same year and by 1974 the album went gold. His second album, Streetlife Serenade, was also a success earning him several awards.
More Albums:
•Turnstiles (1976)
•The Stranger (1977, the album climbed the charts at #2, won the Grammy's Record of the Year, includes the songs "Always A Woman" and "Just the Way You Are" which won the Grammy's Song of the Year)
•52nd St. (1978, topped the US charts for 8 weeks, won the Grammy's Album of the Year, includes the song "Honesty")
•Glass Houses (1980, topped the Billboard Album Chart for 6 weeks, includes the #1 hit "It’s Still Rock N Roll to Me")
•Songs in the Attic (1981)
•The Nylon Curtain (1982, nominated for Grammy Album of the Year
Other Albums:
•An Innocent Man (1983, climbed the Billboard Charts at #4, Grammy nominated for Album of the Year, contains the songs "Tell Her About It" [#1] and "Uptown Girl" [#3]
•Greatest Hits Volume I and II (1985)
•The Bridge (1985)
•Kohuept (1987, 2-disc album of his live performance at Leningrad)
•Storm Front (1989, includes the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" which topped the singles chart, both the song and the album received Grammy nominations)
•River of Dreams (1993, both the album and the title track topped the charts)
•Greatest Hits Volume III (1997)
•Fantasies & Delusions (2001)
•All My Life (2007)
Achievements/Awards:
•1975 - Cashbox award for Best New Male Vocalist
•1980 - American Music Award for Album of the Year
•1990 - Grammy Living Legend Award
•1991 - Received an honorary doctorate from Fairfield University
•1992 - Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
•1994 - Received several nominations for his album and the song "The River of Dreams" and received a Billboard Century Award
•1997 - Received Founder's Award from ASCAP
Other Achievements/Awards:
•1999 - Received Award of Merit from American Music Awards
•1999 - RIAA Diamond Award for his album Greatest Hits Volume I and II and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
•2000 - Received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Long Island University
•Toured extensively within the United States and internationally
•Supports various causes and has performed on benefit concerts
Personal Struggles/Love Life:
Billy Joel faced many obstacles before he became the man, performer and singer/songwriter that he is today. These struggles included depression early in his career which led him to check into Meadowbrook Hospital; a motorcycle accident in 1982 that broke his wrist and alcohol abuse which urged him to check into the Betty Ford Clinic in 2005.
Joel was married to Elizabeth Weber in 1973 but they divorced in 1982. In 1985, Joel married Christie Brinkley, their daughter, Alexa Ray was born on the same year. Joel and Brinkley's marriage ended in 1994. Joel then married Katie Lee in 2004.
Interesting Fact/Related Lesson Plan:
Some of the songs in his album An Innocent Man were inspired by his second wife Christie Brinkley.
"We Didn't Start the Fire" - Take a look at this lesson plan that uses Billy Joel's hit song to teach historical facts and figures. (Level: First Grade and up)
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