Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-20 of 20
- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Actress, singer, songwriter, and producer Irene Cara was destined for a life of accomplishments that millions strive for but very few actually attain. From being able to play the piano by ear at age five to earning an Oscar, multiple Grammys, a Golden Globe, and a People's Choice Award, Irene's rise to stardom was paved with experiences of a lifetime.
Beginning shortly after realizing their daughter's natural talent, Irene was quickly enrolled in music, acting, and dance classes. Shortly before that, her mother entered her into multiple competitions and at the age of three, Irene was a finalist in the "Little Miss America" pageant.
Her professional career began on Spanish-language television singing and dancing before performing on shows including 'The Original Amateur Hour', 'The Ed Sullivan Show', and 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson. Her talent was also showcased On and Off Broadway in various productions including 'Ain't Misbehavin'', the Obie Award-winning musical 'The Me Nobody Knows', 'Maggie Flynn' starring Shirley Jones and Tony Award-nominated actor Jack Cassidy, and 'Via Galactica' opposite Raul Julia.
Having performed on the stage, the next natural progression seemed to be series television. She would find a home on the daytime drama 'Love of Life' and the educational series 'The Electric Company' where she participated as a member of the group 'The Short Circus', teaching children about grammar through music. 'The Electric Company's' cast was made up of veteran actors Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno, and Morgan Freeman.
Continuing the pursuit of excellence, Irene recorded her first Spanish-language album at the age of eight and released an English-speaking holiday album shortly thereafter. Her career already blossoming, she would receive the honor of becoming the youngest member to perform in an all-star concert tribute for the legendary Duke Ellington. Held at Madison Square Garden, Irene performed along with music greats Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Roberta Flack.
With Broadway, television, and recording firmly tucked under her belt, Irene's next stop was the big screen. Before she entered her teenage years, she had won the title role in the film Aaron Loves Angela. Her performance in the movie was so outstanding that she was cast as the lead in the now cult classic musical drama 'Sparkle'. Proving that she was a tremendously versatile actress, Irene received international acclaim for her roles in 'Roots: The Next Generation' starring alongside James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll among others, and 'The Guyanna Tragedy: The Jim Jones Story' where she would again work with James Earl Jones as well as LeVar Burton. As much as she had already accomplished, nothing could have prepared her for the super-stardom that would come with her next role.
In 1980, Irene would portray the character Coco Hernandez in a movie-musical titled 'Fame', a story about a group of students auditioning for acceptance into New York's High School for the Performing Arts. The film follows the students from their first to final days at the school and served to shine a light on the film's inspiration, LaGuardia High, and its counterpart Julliard. Irene's massive solo vocal talent was showcased through the title song 'Fame' as well as 'Out Here on My Own'. They and Irene would make Academy Awards history as it marked the first time two songs from the same film were nominated in the same category, and both performed by Irene. The title track won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The impact of 'Fame' would catapult Irene Cara into a household name and earn her two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Artist, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical. Billboard Magazine named her the Top New Single Artist and Cashbox Magazine awarded her with the Most Promising Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist honors.
In 1982, Irene was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress for the NBC movie-of-the-week Maya Angelou's 'Sister, Sister' also starring Diahann Carroll and Rosalind Cash. She would garner another NAACP Image Award nomination for the title role in the PBS film 'For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story'. When it seemed her professional life couldn't get any better, Irene set the world on fire again.
Composer Giorgio Moroder approached Irene in 1983 to collaborate on the theme to a film he was attached to titled 'Flashdance'. Irene agreed and actually wrote the lyrics to the title song 'Flashdance...What a Feeling' in a car with producer Keith Forsey while on the way to the studio to record it. Those lyrics would reinforce Irene's already solid place in Hollywood history. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards with Irene taking home the coveted Oscar for Best Original Song. She would also add a Golden Globe to her already impressive collection of honors for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture in addition to two Grammys, a People's Choice Award, and an American Music Award. On a personal level, as a woman of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, her Academy Award win is even more special as she was the first bi-racial woman to ever win in any category other than acting and only the second to be nominated outside of an acting category.
In 1984/85, Irene was back on the big screen in the film 'City Heat' opposite Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. She co-wrote the theme as well as performed the classic standards 'Embraceable You' and 'Get Happy'. Irene also starred opposite Tatum O'Neal in the film 'Certain Fury', voiced "Snow White" in the animated film 'Happily Ever After', and toured as "Mary Magdalene" in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production 'Jesus Christ Superstar'.
Not having sat on her laurels, in between winning Oscars, Grammys, and touring, she released the albums 'Anyone Can See' and 'What a Feeling' in 1982 and 1983 respectively which spawned the additional hits 'Breakdance', 'The Dream', 'You Were Made for Me', and 'Why Me', and in 1985 collaborated and sang with Placido Domingo. 'Breakdance' and 'Why Me' would both become Top 10 hits. In 1987, the release of the album 'Carasmatic' was shelved in the United States because of legal issues with the label, but it was issued in limited quantities in the United Kingdom, immediately making the album a collector's piece for anyone lucky enough to have gotten a copy.
Still feeling the love of audiences everywhere, the 90s were spent living out of a suitcase on multiple European concert tours. After finally getting a little breathing space, Irene formed the group Hot Caramel in 1999 and returned to performing to the delight of eager audiences clamoring to hear her unmistakable voice.
In 2004, Irene was awarded the Prestige Award for Lifetime Achievement. She was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fort Lauderdale Film Institute in 2005, and in 2006, was awarded the Honorary Lifetime Achievement for outstanding contribution in the African-American community by the Columbus Times of Georgia, the country's oldest black newspaper. In 2007, the Reel Sisters of the Disapora Film Festival presented her with the Trailblazer Award, and the Council of the City of New York honored her for her outstanding contributions as a performer. Perhaps one her most pleasurable moments was the 2011 unveiling of her name on a street sign in the Grand Concourse of the Bronx Walk of Fame. That same year, she released a new album titled Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel. Now semi-retired from the industry that filled every corner of her life for decades, Irene is now enjoying entertaining audiences via her YouTube podcast 'The Irene Cara Show' where she shares videos and talks about the acting and music industry's backstory.
While the outpouring of love from fans still makes her happy, Irene continues to be touched by the knowledge that she and her roles have inspired others within the acting/music industry as well.
Mariah Carey: "Around the same time, my mother entered me in a talent competition in the city, and I sang one of my favorite songs, 'Out Here on My Own', by Irene Cara. I felt 'Out Here on My Own' described my entire life, and I loved singing that way - singing to reveal a piece of my soul. And I won doing it. At that age. I lived for the movie 'Fame', and Irene Cara was everything to me."
Celine Dion: "Whether it's 'Titanic' and the unsinkable 'My Heart Will Go On', 'Michael's Song' and 'Listen to the Magic Man' (in English and French) for 'The Peanut Butter Solution', or 'Deadpool 2's' unexpected 'Ashes', she presides over movie theme songs as if taking up the baton from Irene Cara herself."
Whitney Houston: "'Sparkle' was especially important to because she'd been trying to get the film made for 15 years, having fallen in love with the 1976 original (starring Irene Cara, who went on to appear in Fame) as a teenager, seeing it every Saturday for three months straight."
The two most memorable lines from the title song 'Fame' are "I'm gonna live forever," and "Baby, remember my name". From "Little Miss America" to Carson, 'The Electric Company', 'Flashdance' and beyond, Irene Cara's legacy is guaranteed. Everyone will remember her name.- Bobby Heenan was born on 1 November 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for WrestleMania X-Seven (2001), WCW Bash at the Beach (1996) and WrestleMania V (1989). He was married to Cynthia Jean Perrett. He died on 17 September 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Karen E. Fraction was born on 15 February 1958 in Flint, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for My Brother and Me (1994), Palmetto (1998) and SeaQuest 2032 (1993). She was married to Lawrence Hamilton. She died on 30 October 2007 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Zelma O'Neal was a singer, dancer and comedienne whose greatest successes came on Broadway. She appeared in the New York and London companies of Good News (1927) in which she originated the Varsity Drag in the role of Flo. She starred in the musical comedy Follow Through (1929) on Broadway, originating the song "Button Up Your Overcoat", and appeared in the film version Follow Thru (1930). Other film credits include Give Her a Ring (1934), Freedom of the Seas (1934) and Mister Cinders (1935). Noted for her off-beat singing style, she is thought to have performed at an early Oscar Ceremony. She retired by the late 1930s to promote the career of her husband Patrick O'Moore.- Judy Poffo was born on 28 January 1927 in Naperville, Illinois, USA. She was married to Angelo Poffo. She died on 3 June 2017 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Robert Goodier was born on 23 May 1916 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Lost and Found (1979), Oedipus Rex (1957) and Omnibus (1952). He died on 3 February 2016 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Dick Slater was born on 19 May 1951 in Albany, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for WWF Championship Wrestling (1972), WCW Worldwide (1975) and WCW Monday Nitro (1995). He was married to Charlotte Ann Nipper and Sandra Montieth. He died on 18 October 2018 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Producer
- Executive
Van Vlahakis was born on 14 January 1935 in Crete, Greece. Van was a producer and executive, known for Athens, My City and A Green Story (2012). Van died on 6 April 2014 in Key Largo, Florida, USA.- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ray McKinley was one of the most energetic, swinging drummers of the big band era. He started his career in local bands around Fort Worth, Texas, before joining Smith Ballew's outfit in 1932. The nucleus of this group was eventually absorbed into The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. After Tommy walked out in June 1935, Jimmy Dorsey took over leadership. McKinley remained with Jimmy until 1939, when he went into partnership with Will Bradley as co-leader of a band, which sought to take advantage of the growing popularity of boogie-woogie. Billed as 'Will Bradley & His Orchestra featuring Ray McKinley', it sported excellent arrangements by pianist/composer Freddie Slack. However, the venture only lasted a couple of years. Slack's departure to form his own band, and creative disagreements between the two maestros, resulted in both going their own way.
McKinley fronted his own group in 1942, which made several recordings for the Capitol label. It was even showcased in a movie, Hit Parade of 1943 (1943), along with the Count Basie Orchestra. Alas, this band was also short-lived, as McKinley was soon drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force. Having approached Captain Glenn Miller (an old friend since their time with Smith Ballew), he was then taken on as drummer of the Miller band, serving in Europe. After Miller disappeared during that fateful flight across the English Channel in December 1944, McKinley took over leadership of the band until November the following year. In 1946, he organised another outfit, which included two excellent arrangers in Eddie Sauter and Deane Kincaide, as well as guitarist Mundell Lowe and clarinettists Peanuts Hucko and Mahlon Clark. The band recorded for Majestic and RCA Victor and turned out several good swinging instrumentals, like "Hangover Square", "Tumblebug" and "Sandstorm". Their biggest hit was "You've Come a Long Way from St. Louis". Ray himself doubled up on vocals for many of the novelty numbers.
McKinley disbanded the group in 1952 to pursue a solo career in radio and TV (including a spell as a disc jockey). In 1956, he was approached by Glenn Miller's widow to replace the departing Tex Beneke as front man for Glenn Miller and His Orchestra. He presided over the group until 1966, keeping the 'Miller Sound' alive, touring the U.S., Europe and Japan. He re-emerged from semi-retirement in the late 60's, leading a smaller group at the Riverboat in New York and continuing to appear at Miller reunions. McKinley was noted for his erudite manner and dry wit, which made him a popular guest on TV and radio chat shows.- Writer
- Actor
Steve Perry was born on 12 December 1954 in Waterville, Maine, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Silverhawks (1986), Thundercats (1985) and Bloodshedding Love (2011). He was married to Erica Grace Balcom. He died on 16 May 2010 in Largo, Florida, USA.- Lucien Laurin was born on 18 March 1912 in Joliette, Québec, Canada. He died on 26 June 2000 in Key Largo, Florida, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Composer, songwriter ("Aba Daba Honeymoon", "And the Angels Sing"), actor and publisher who began his career in minstrel shows, vaudeville, and later on radio. He made many records. Joining ASCAP in 1937, his chief collaborators included Walter Donovan, Theodore Morse, Fred Hall, and George Graff. His other popular-song compositions include "On the Mississippi", "Auntie Skinner's Chicken Dinner", "There's a Blue Sky Way Out Yonder", "Eleven More Months and Ten More Days", "I Got a Code Id By Dose", "Our Hometown Mountain Band", "Who Else But God", and "There Shall Be No More Tears".- Greg Schneiders was born on 15 April 1947 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was married to Marie. He died on 8 May 2024 in Key Largo, Florida, USA.
- Bill Conlin was born on 15 May 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Irma Steelman. He died on 9 January 2014 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Keith Mastronardo was born on 23 March 1988 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA. He died on 19 March 2013 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Brenda Mae Hamm was born on 25 June 1950 in Washington District of Columbia, USA. Brenda Mae died on 2 October 2020 in Largo, Maryland, USA.
- Lou Jorda was born on 22 May 1893 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was married to Vera Kershaw. He died on 27 March 1964 in Largo, Florida, USA.
- Additional Crew
Duke Krantz was born on 30 October 1896. He died on 16 April 1974 in Key Largo, Florida, USA.- Set Decorator
- Writer
Olga Favrow was born on 8 October 1947. Olga was a set decorator and writer, known for Lake Placid Park Madness, Mr. Engagement (2012) and Illusions (2015). Olga died on 19 April 2023 in Largo, Florida, USA.- Frances Schettino was born on 18 September 1941 in Ossining, New York, USA. Frances was married to Thomas D. Schettino. Frances died on 27 June 2018 in Largo, Florida, USA.