Résultats Éditeur "Hourly History" dans Divertissement et célébrités

Johnny Cash, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, was born into a family of impoverished sharecroppers during the Great Depression. From an early age, he picked cotton with his siblings at an Arkansas farm, learning the value of grit and hard work already as a young child. Cash never forgot where he came from, and he kept with him a defiant spirit and a sheer resilience that would be infused into classic songs known the world over. As much as Cash had his strengths, he also had his weaknesses.

Charlie Chaplin is most famously known for his "tramp" character - the homeless hobo that can be seen hopping from trains and lining up in the soup kitchens of the Great Depression. At a time when the whole world was struggling from economic meltdown, Charlie Chaplin made "destitute" a term of endearment. We may laugh when we see Charlie Chaplin so broke that he has to boil his shoes and eat them, but during the worst parts of the economic collapse of the 1920s and 1930s, some people had to do just that. So, at the time, even though many would laugh at the crazy tramp's antics, they could also relate and identify with them. And the fact that Charlie Chaplin's tramp character could be completely broke with his pockets turned out, sitting in a gutter with the rain pouring down, yet still be happy, gave people quite a bit of encouragement.

Hedy Lamarr was a rare kind of woman. She was not only a strikingly beautiful actress who took Hollywood by storm in the 1940s, but she was also an inventor - and not just any inventor. Hedy Lamarr’s work with radio frequencies is credited with paving the way for wi-fi. It seems that the greatest bomb that this bombshell dropped would only fully explode until the last years of her life because when Lamarr passed away in the year 2000, the computing world was just then mainstreaming many of her ideas.

In the 250-year history of the United States, there have been many first ladies, but Nancy Reagan remains one of the most memorable. She and her husband ushered in the 1980s, and during this time, Nancy herself became the public face of many important issues. Most famously, she tackled the growing problem of illegal drug use with the iconic “Just Say No” campaign, an effort that became so widespread and recognizable that it entered American culture permanently.

With his signature guitar that reverberated like a ringing bell, Chuck Berry captured the spirit of teenage rebellion and the joy of the youth culture of the time. His performance style, including his famous duck walk, was as captivating as his music and soon made him a popular figure on stage. His breakout came in the mid-1950s when songs like “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and “Johnny B. Goode” took America and the world by storm.

Tom Petty is one of the greatest icons of rock and roll music. He is known for his classic hit songs, such as “Free Fallin’”, “I Won’t Back Down”, and “Learning to Fly”, just as much as for his cool demeanor. Who could ever forget the image of Petty on the Heartbreakers’ debut album in a leather jacket adorned with bullets and a larger-than-life sneer?

Roy Orbison possessed a voice that commanded immediate attention. He may have appeared meek and mild-mannered on the surface, yet beneath this facade lay an inner world brimming with passion and fervor. Orbison’s style was innovative and avant-garde, almost as if he were an embodiment of alternative rock before the term even entered the lexicon. He represented the emotive, tender facet of rock and roll, a stark contrast to his contemporaries, who were often swathed in leather jackets and exuded the confidence of a typical rockstar.

With his fiery piano-playing style and powerful stage presence, Jerry Lee Lewis enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame. Although his time as a relevant artist was comparably brief, that short time in the sun was nothing short of revolutionary. While his run lasted, Lewis played a pivotal role in forging what would become classic rock and roll and rockabilly.

Even half a century after his death, Humphrey Bogart remains one of the most iconic actors of all time. The epitome of class and cool, he embodied the ultimate tough guy—and no one wore a fedora quite like him. “Bogie” began life under uncertain circumstances, born to parents addicted to drugs and disorder, but he would rise above these difficulties to become a star. From Broadway to Hollywood, he became a top-billed actor, the likes of which the world has rarely seen.

Heath Ledger rapidly rose to fame to become one of the most acclaimed actors of our time. Although his career was brief, spanning little over 10 years, he shot up like a rising star. People still remember his innovative portrayal of the Joker and so many other roles with awe.

Whitney Houston was a rare star. She burst onto the music scene like a supernova one might only see once in a million years. Despite a humble beginning, she rapidly rose to fame on the strength of her voice and unbeatable charisma.

Bob Hope was the kind of entertainer who only comes along once in a lifetime. Spanning the decades, he worked through just about every era of the 20th century. Hope grew up doing his best vaudeville routine and ended up performing far and wide with the USO during World War II and the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq. In later life, he slowed down a bit, but he still found time to perform both in movies and in person.

Jim Morrison—the name still evokes an image of a rough-hewn rock star, absolutely oozing both profound intellectual wisdom as well as an inordinate amount of cool charisma. Few could encapsulate two ends of the spectrum as well as he did, but Jim Morrison was both the wild man and the soft-spoken poet. He was Mr. Mojo Risin’, ready to party, and that quiet voice searching for soft asylum all at the same time. This book examines both of these dynamic poles of Jim Morrison’s personality and more.

Princess Diana had a whirlwind of a life, or in the words of Sir Elton John, she “lived her life like a candle in the wind”. After her marriage to Prince Charles, she became not just a princess but a global icon. Diana could draw crowds by the thousands, but despite her rising popularity, she couldn’t keep her marriage together. Not many have had the kind of life that Princess Diana led, but to be sure, this was no fairy tale with a happy ending. This book tells the tragic story of the life of Princess Diana, from beginning to end.

He jumped shackled into rivers and lakes, he was buried alive, and, on occasion, he even escaped from milk cans. Harry Houdini’s stunts are legendary, but what drove this man to such lengths of spectacle?In this book, we explore both the stunts Houdini pulled off on stage as well as the life he led off stage.

One of the foremost screen sirens of her era, Katharine Hepburn was universally known for her grace, wit, and charm. She rose to the top of celebrity status in the great Golden Age of Hollywood, and she was able to maintain her sense of stardom all the way to her twilight years. During her many years in the limelight, Hepburn was dogged by wild gossip and rumors due to her eccentricities and often solitary lifestyle. This book cuts through all the noise and gets down to the core of Katharine Hepburn as we examine how she lived and loved.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the foremost American novelists of his time. His works, which included masterpieces such as The Great Gatsby, portrayed the Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties and gave voice to a lost generation, but somewhere along the way, Fitzgerald himself became lost. After the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression, the world cared not so much about glitz and glamor as they did simply trying to scrape together enough money to get by.

Spencer Tracy was a man who truly immersed himself in his craft. Ever since he was a boy, he dreamed of making his way to the big screen to play larger-than-life roles, and he didn’t stop until he made that dream a reality. Tracy brought a whole string of box office hits to the Golden Age of Film; still, his life wasn’t perfect. The actor struggled with alcohol addiction, and due to infidelity, his marriage at home would be strained. After separating from his wife, he kept in place a long-term relationship with actress Katharine Hepburn until the day he died.

Michael Jackson is undoubtedly a legend. His music is known all over the world, and his status as the “King of Pop” is rarely if ever disputed. However, as much as we know about Jackson’s larger-than-life presence on the stage, less is known about the story of his life. MJ dominated the '80s, then fell hard in the '90s, but was poised for a comeback in 2009. He would put everything on the line to make sure that his performance was flawless. Although he would ultimately leave this mortal plane in the undertaking, his legacy would become greater than ever before.

Audie Murphy was a movie star, writer, and one of the most decorated soldiers who ever lived. He was barely 18 years old when he was shipped off to fight Fascists in Italy during World War II. As he himself would later liken it, he went “to hell and back” and lived to tell the tale. In this book, we will dive deeper to bring you the man behind the medals. Here is a telling of the life and legend of Audie Murphy in full.