10 ans de lutte contre l’homophobie au travail
En 2011 le Collectif Homoboulot se dote d’une nouvelle Charte
et accueille les personnes physiques comme membres.
Le Collectif vous invite :
Samedi 2 avril : Atelier inter-associatif et débat

3/4 des lesbiennes et des gays se cachent encore au travail !

16 h 00 / 18 h 15 – Salle 1 : AUTOCENSURE : PASSAGE OBLIGE DES LGBT AU TRAVAIL ?

Présentation du Collectif Homoboulot, de ses actions et de la problématique de l’homophobie au travail. Pourquoi ? Comment ? Perspectives ?

Espace des Blancs-Manteaux, 48, rue Vieille du Temple, Paris 4e, métro Hôtel de Ville ou Rambuteau

Contact / réservation conseillée: [email protected]

Dimanche 3 avril : 12ème PRINTEMPS DES ASSOCES

13 h 30 / 20 h 00 le Collectif Homoboulot tient un stand au « Printemps des Assoces » parmi la centaine d’associations présentes, et près de 2000 visiteurs attendus
Espace des Blancs-Manteaux, 48, rue Vieille du Temple, Paris 4e, métro Hôtel de Ville ou Rambuteau
Cordialement
Philippe Chauliaguet
Porte-Parole
Contact : 06 07 23 80 75

Évènements organisés par l’Inter-LGBT
Le Collectif Homoboulot fédère des associations créées dans des grandes entreprises et des administrations afin de lutter contre l’homophobie et les tabous, pour démonter les stéréotypes et les préjugés sur les lesbiennes, les gays, les bi et les personnes trans (LGBT).
ALGO au Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et Européennes
COMIN-G pour les Ministères Économique et Financiers,
GARE ! pour le groupe SNCF,
HOMOBUS pour le groupe RATP,
HOMOSFERE, pour le groupe SFR,
MOBILISNOO pour le groupe FranceTelecom/Orange
Contactez-nous sans tarder [email protected] si vous voulez intégrer le Collectif en tant que membre physique.
La Charte du Collectif Homoboulot est consultable sur http://www.homoboulot.org

Par: Gay Globe Média

Les lecteurs de Gay Globe Média suivent avidement l’affaire Steve Biron depuis ses débuts puisqu’elle implique une question d’intérêt public pour la communauté soit, la criminalisation du VIH et le débat scientifique sur l’intention criminelle d’une personne traitée par trithérapie dont la charge virale est indétectable.

Bref, dans le cadre de notre suivi du dossier, il nous fait plaisir de vous informer que Steve va relativement bien dans les circonstances, que les procédures prévues visant à obtenir sa libération conditionnelle le temps de la suite des procédures sont pratiquement prêtes mais retardées par des examens médicaux mal effectués par le personnel médical de la prison de Québec, où il est actuellement toujours incarcéré depuis plus de 5 mois.

En effet, afin de prouver que la trithérapie fait actuellement son travail et qu’il est indétectable, remplissant ainsi un des critères établis par la Cour d’Appel du Québec dans un cas similaire, Steve a besoin d’analyses sanguines et doit attendre les résultats de ces analyses avant de produire les nouvelles pièces à son dossier. Or, le médecin de la prison, informé que Steve avait besoin d’un suivi médical a commandé les mauvais tests sanguins, se contentant de vérifier s’il était séropositif, ce que tout le monde sait déjà, sans demander un décompte de la charge virale, qui était en fait la seule question pertinente.

Tout cela cause donc un ralentissement imprévu des procédures de Steve et il se retrouve théoriquement encore une fois retenu en prison pour des raisons hors de son contrôle qui n’ont rien à voir non plus avec l’administration de la justice. De nouveaux tests sanguins sont prévus, ainsi que les nouveaux délais pour les résultats. Steve tente de garder le moral malgré les événements.

DOCUMENTAIRE

Gay Globe Média profite de l’occasion de cette mise à jour pour annoncer le tournage d’un documentaire sur l’Affaire Steve Biron dès sa sortie de prison avec pour objectif de mieux faire comprendre le débat tournant autour de la criminalisation du VIH et les avancées de la science en matière de charge virale indétectable. Steve Biron a accepter de participer au tournage et il s’agira d’un document exceptionnel proposant des entrevues-capsules avec des spécialistes du droit civil, criminel, des médecins et des scientifiques.

Le documentaire dans sa version finale ne pourra toutefois pas être diffusé avant la fin des procédures de manière à ne pas nuire à l’administration de la justice. À suivre.

Gay Globe Média sonde à chaque élection ses lecteurs et les résultats sont toujours spectaculaires. À chaque veille des élections, Gay Globe publie ses résultats et l’élection est pratiquement similaire ce qui prouve que les lecteurs de Gay Globe sont représentatifs de l’opinion globale.

Participez encore une fois en 2011 et dès maintenant au sondage de GGTV et voyez les résultats en direct, dès le vote enregistré sur notre page web au http://www.gayglobe.us

Le Groupe Gay Globe, responsable de la publication du magazine québécois Gay Globe, d’une WebTV et d’une Web Radio de même que de nombreuses autres divisions dont Disques A Tempo prend position et appuie le député et personnalité média André Arthur dans sa candidature au poste de député de Portneuf pour l’élection fédérale 2011 au Canada.

André Arthur est candidat indépendant et a fait la démonstration au fil des dernières années que malgré les limites qui lui sont imposées par les règles du parlement canadien, il arrive à imposer sa vision tout à fait unique de la politique en la rendant conviviale et en lui donnant un visage humain.

Gay Globe Média appuie donc André Arthur dans son comté et se réserve la possibilité de varier ses appuis selon les candidatures ailleurs.

Source: Roger-Luc Chayer

Suite à l’annonce du décès de la grande dame du cinéma Elizabeth Taylor, peu de gens au Québec connaissaient son implication auprès du SIDA et son appui pour Gay Globe Magazine (Le Point).

Afin de souligner et de célébrer son passage dans nos vies, Gay Globe Média a décidé de lui consacrer un spécial à volets multiples en commençant par la diffusion intégrale du film Cléopâtre (1963) d’ici quelques jours sur GGTV, suivi d’une édition spéciale de Gay Globe Magazine avec superbe couverture qui lui est consacrée de même qu’un dossier spécial sur sa vie, son implication dans la lutte contre le SIDA et un éditorial plus personnel.

Découvrez avant tout le monde la couverture spéciale de Gay Globe Magazine consacrée à Elizabeth Taylor: Pour télécharger la couverture exclusive Elizabeth Taylor cliquez sur ce lien

Couverture Elizabeth Taylor #74

[1] Daniel Draws (l’appelant) appelle de la décision sur sanction rendue par le Conseil de discipline (le Conseil) le 2 mars 2010, lui imposant une radiation de cinq ans sur les chefs numéros 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 et 10. Il conteste également l’ordonnance de remboursement des sommes appropriées illégalement au motif que cela constitue une double sanction.

[2] La syndique adjointe du Barreau du Québec (l’intimée) allègue que les sanctions sont justifiées en considérant les critères applicables et la preuve présentée à l’audience. Selon elle, l’ordonnance de remboursement ne constitue pas une double sanction puisqu’elle est prévue à l’article 156 du Code des professions[1] (le Code).

LE CONTEXTE FACTUEL

[3] Le 5 février 2009, l’intimée dépose une plainte comportant 11 chefs d’infraction :

Ø aux chefs 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 et 10, s’être illégalement approprié des sommes reçues à titre d’avances d’honoraires de son client;

Ø aux chefs 1, 2 et 7, ne pas avoir déposé dans son compte en fidéicommis des sommes d’argent remises par son client;

Ø au chef 9, avoir fait de fausses déclarations à son client.

[4] Le jour prévu pour l’audition, le 28 mai 2009, le Conseil constate l’absence de l’appelant malgré un avis dûment signifié. L’audience sur le fond se tient en son absence. Une preuve testimoniale et documentaire est présentée. L’audition se termine le jour même et le dossier est mis en délibéré.

[5] Le 21 juillet 2009, le Conseil dépose sa décision sur la culpabilité de l’appelant le déclarant coupable sur les 11 chefs d’infraction.

[6] Le Conseil entend la preuve et les observations sur sanction de l’intimée le 17 février 2010, toujours en l’absence de l’appelant bien que la décision sur culpabilité et l’avis d’audition sur sanction lui aient été dûment signifiés.

[7] Le 2 mars 2010, le Conseil dépose sa décision sur sanction. Sur les chefs 1, 2, 7, et en regard de l’article 59.2 invoqué au chef 9, le Conseil suspend conditionnellement les procédures. Il aurait été plus convenable de prononcer la suspension conditionnelle des procédures lors du jugement sur la culpabilité. Le Tribunal a répété à plusieurs reprises que c’est une règle de droit que de se prononcer sur cette règle au stade de la culpabilité. Même si le conseil commet une erreur, dans les circonstances il n’y a pas lieu de nous prononcer puisqu’il n’y a pas d’appel de la culpabilité.

[8] Le Conseil impose une radiation temporaire de cinq ans pour les chefs 3, 4, 6, 8 et 10; une radiation temporaire de deux ans sur le chef 9 et de six mois pour le chef 11. Ces radiations doivent être purgées concurremment.

[9] Le Conseil rend également une ordonnance de remboursement de la somme de 8 348 $ à l’acquis du client de l’appelant en vertu de l’article 156 d) du Code.

LE POURVOI EN APPEL

[10] L’appelant se pourvoit en appel contre la décision sur sanction du Conseil.

[11] L’appelant soulève premièrement la sévérité de la radiation temporaire de cinq ans pour les chefs 3, 4, 6, 8 et 10 et deuxièmement l’ordonnance de remboursement à l’acquis de son client au motif que cela constitue une double pénalité.

[12] L’intimée soumet que les sanctions sont conformes à la jurisprudence et que l’ordonnance de remboursement constitue un aspect de la sanction prévue à l’article 156 du Code.

LES QUESTIONS EN LITIGE

[13] Les deux questions en litige sont les suivantes :

Ø les radiations temporaires de cinq ans constituent-elles une sanction déraisonnable justifiant l’intervention du Tribunal et

Ø l’ordonnance de remboursement est-elle une double pénalité si elle est ajoutée à une radiation?

LA NORME DE CONTRÔLE

[14] L’appelant ne traite pas de cette question dans son mémoire.

[15] Dans le cas d’un appel d’une sanction disciplinaire, l’intimée soumet que la norme de contrôle de la décision raisonnable s’applique.

[16] L’ensemble de la jurisprudence sanctionne ce principe[2]. La norme de la décision raisonnable commande la déférence envers les conclusions du Conseil à moins que celles-ci ne soient déraisonnables.

[17] Dans l’arrêt Dunsmuir[3], la Cour suprême définit ainsi les critères de la décision raisonnable :

[47] [...] Le caractère raisonnable tient principalement à la justification de la décision, à la transparence et à l’intelligibilité du processus décisionnel, ainsi qu’à l’appartenance de la décision aux issues possibles acceptables pouvant se justifier au regard des faits et du droit.

[18] Pour décider si l’ordonnance de remboursement prévu à l’article 156 du Code constitue une double pénalité, l’intimée énonce dans son mémoire que la norme de la décision correcte s’applique.

[19] L’appelant n’aborde pas ce point dans son mémoire. Il allègue qu’une ordonnance de remboursement en sus d’une radiation constitue une « duplicité de sanction ». Ainsi formulée, il s’agit d’une question de droit qui concerne l’application de l’article 156 du Code. Ce dernier s’applique à toutes les professions, il est d’intérêt général et il ne relève pas d’une loi constitutive du Barreau.

[20] Dans l’arrêt Dunsmuir[4] :

[60] Rappelons que dans le cas d’une question de droit générale « à la fois, d’une importance capitale pour le système juridique dans son ensemble et étrangère au domaine d’expertise de l’arbitre » (Toronto (ville) c. S.C.F.P., par. 62, le juge LeBel), la cour de révision doit également continuer de substituer à la décision rendue celle qu’elle estime constituer la bonne. Pareille question doit être tranchée de manière uniforme et cohérente étant donné ses répercussions sur l’administration de la justice dans son ensemble. […]

[21] La Cour suprême a réitéré récemment les principes de l’arrêt Dunsmuir dans l’arrêt Smith c. Alliance Pipeline Ltd.[5] :

[26] Selon l’arrêt Dunsmuir, les catégories énumérées ci-après sont susceptibles de contrôle judiciaire soit selon la norme de la décision correcte soit selon celle de la décision raisonnable.  La norme de la décision correcte s’applique : (1) aux questions constitutionnelles; (2) aux questions de droit générales qui sont « à la fois, d’une importance capitale pour le système juridique dans son ensemble et étrangères au domaine d’expertise de l’arbitre » (Dunsmuir, au par. 60, citant l’arrêt  Toronto (Ville) c. S.C.F.P., section locale 79, 2003 CSC 63 , [2003] 3 R.C.S. 77 , au par. 62); (3) aux questions portant sur la délimitation des compétences respectives de tribunaux spécialisés concurrents; (4) aux questions « touchant véritablement à la compétence ou à la constitutionnalité » (par. 58 à 61).  En revanche, c’est généralement la norme de la décision raisonnable qui s’applique dans les cas suivants : (1) la question se rapporte à l’interprétation de la loi habilitante (ou « constitutive ») du tribunal administratif ou à « une loi étroitement liée à son mandat et dont il a une connaissance approfondie » (par. 54); (2) la question soulève à son tour des questions touchant les faits, le pouvoir discrétionnaire ou des considérations d’intérêt général; (3) la question soulève des questions de droit et de fait intimement liées (par. 51, 53 et 54).

(Soulignement ajouté)

[22] Revenant à l’arrêt Dunsmuir, la Cour suprême écrit que le tribunal de révision doit appliquer sa propre interprétation du texte législatif à l’étude :

[50] […] il ne fait par ailleurs aucun doute que la norme de la décision correcte doit continuer de s’appliquer aux questions de compétence et à certaines autres questions de droit. On favorise ainsi le prononcé de décisions justes tout en évitant l’application incohérente et irrégulière du droit. La cour de révision qui applique la norme de la décision correcte n’acquiesce pas au raisonnement du décideur; elle entreprend plutôt sa propre analyse au terme de laquelle elle décide si elle est d’accord ou non avec la conclusion du décideur. En cas de désaccord, elle substitue sa propre conclusion et rend la décision qui s’impose. La cour de révision doit se demander dès le départ si la décision du tribunal administratif était la bonne.

L’ANALYSE

[23] Examinons dans un premier temps, sous le critère de la décision raisonnable, la sévérité de la sanction. Dans un deuxième temps, sous le critère de la décision correcte, l’ordonnance de remboursement en regard de la double sanction.

- Sévérité de la sanction

[24] Le Conseil apprécie la preuve présentée lors des plaidoiries sur la sanction. Il retient notamment les antécédents disciplinaires de l’appelant. En 2003, il a été déclaré coupable d’avoir fait défaut à six reprises de compléter et de faire parvenir sa déclaration annuelle; en 2005 d’avoir fait défaut de répondre à la syndique et enfin en 2007, s’être fait imposer une radiation de 30 jours après avoir été déclaré coupable d’avoir fait défaut de respecter une ordonnance entraînant une condamnation pour outrage au tribunal.

[25] Dans sa décision sur sanction, le Conseil énumère les circonstances aggravantes du cas à l’étude :

[21] En matière de gravité objective, les gestes reprochés à l’intimé sont graves et sérieux.

[22] De façon plus particulière, l’appropriation des sommes d’argent appartenant à son client et les fausses représentations à ce dernier sont des fautes qui se situent au cœur même de l’exercice de la profession d’avocat.

[23] Elles mettent en cause la probité de l’intimé.

[24] Ce faisant, la conduite de l’intimé porte ombrage à l’ensemble de la profession.

[25] Le public est en droit de s’attendre à une conduite irréprochable de l’avocat, notamment en regard des sommes d’argent qui lui sont confiées ; en agissant comme il l’a fait, l’intimé a rompu le nécessaire lien de confiance qui doit prévaloir dans les relations de l’avocat avec son client.

[26] C’est pourquoi, des sanctions sévères s’imposent dans les circonstances[6].

[...]

[42] Ces sanctions sont justes et raisonnables dans les circonstances.

[43] Elles prennent en compte notamment l’absence totale de collaboration de l’intimé tout au long du processus disciplinaire.

[44] Elles prennent de plus en compte le fait que l’intimé n’ait pas remboursé son client.

[45] Non seulement l’intimé n’a-t-il pas remboursé son client, mais il lui a menti de façon délibérée en lui représentant qu’il avait pris une entente avec le ministère du Revenu alors que cela était faux, avec pour conséquence que son client a dû payer la somme de 4 082.80 $ audit ministère.

[46] Le conseil prend de plus en compte les antécédents disciplinaires de l’intimé et notamment sa culpabilité aux reproches d’avoir fait défaut de répondre à la syndique dans le dossier 06-04-01944 en 2004, les gestes reprochés à l’intimé sous le onzième chef dans le présent dossier constituant une récidive.[7]

(Soulignements ajoutés)

[26] Le Conseil a considéré les décisions antérieures rendues dans des circonstances analogues[8]. Dans le contexte d’appropriations illégales de sommes d’argent variant entre 5 000 $ et 12 000 $, les radiations temporaires imposées sont de l’ordre de 4 et 5 ans.

[27] La décision du Conseil satisfait aux critères de la décision raisonnable énoncée par la Cour suprême dans l’arrêt Dunsmuir[9].

[28] L’appelant n’a pas démontré de motifs remettant en question la transparence ou l’intelligibilité du processus décisionnel suivi par le Conseil. Il a amplement justifié sa décision sur sanction eu égard à la preuve. La sanction s’inscrit dans la norme d’une décision raisonnable.

[29] Ce motif d’appel est rejeté parce que non fondé.

- L’ordonnance de remboursement

[30] Examinons maintenant la légalité de l’ordonnance de remboursement à l’acquis de la personne spoliée. L’argument de l’appelant veut que le Conseil en prononçant une radiation de cinq ans ait considéré tous les facteurs atténuants et aggravants pour se prononcer. En imposant un remboursement, le Conseil impose une double pénalité puisqu’il a déjà considéré ce fait comme une circonstance aggravante au paragraphe 44 de sa décision.

[31] L’article 156 du Code énonce :

156. Sanctions imposables. Le conseil de discipline impose aux professionnels déclarés coupable d’une infraction visée à l’article 116, une ou plusieurs des sanctions suivantes sur chacun des chefs contenus dans la plainte :

[...]

b) la radiation temporaire ou permanente du tableau, même si depuis la date de l’infraction il a cessé d’y être inscrit;

[...]

d) l’obligation de remettre à toute personne à qui elle revient une somme d’argent que le professionnel détient ou devrait détenir pour elle;

Radiation et amende. Le conseil de discipline impose au professionnel déclaré coupable d’avoir posé un acte dérogatoire visé à l’article 59.1, au moins la radiation temporaire et une amende conformément aux paragraphes b et c  du premier alinéa. Il impose au professionnel déclaré coupable de s’être approprié sans droit des sommes d’argent et autres valeurs qu’il détient pour le compte de tout client ou déclaré coupable d’avoir utilisé des sommes d’argent et autres valeurs à des fins autres que celles pour lesquelles elles lui avaient été remises dans l’exercice de sa profession, au moins la radiation temporaire conformément au paragraphe b du premier alinéa.

[32] L’article 156 du Code énumère les différentes sanctions qui peuvent être imposées. Il énonce que « une ou plusieurs des sanctions » mentionnées peuvent être imposées. La radiation temporaire ou permanente est prévue à l’alinéa b et l’ordonnance de remboursement à l’alinéa d.

[33] Le texte de l’article est explicite quant à l’aspect cumulatif de ces sanctions. Rien dans le texte n’indique qu’il s’agit de sanctions disjonctives. Le Conseil, après avoir reconnu la culpabilité d’un professionnel et avoir envisagé une sanction pour la protection du public, examine la possibilité de dédommager la personne victime d’une appropriation illégale par le professionnel fautif.

[34] L’ordonnance de remboursement dénote de la part du Conseil une préoccupation pour la victime et les inconvénients qu’elle a subis. Cette ordonnance s’intègre à la mission de protection du public du Barreau et du Conseil en limitant, en autant que faire se peut, les difficultés occasionnées à la victime par l’acte dérogatoire du professionnel déclaré coupable.

[35] Le Tribunal lors de l’examen de l’article 156 d) du Code écrit dans la cause de Garneau c. Notaires (Ordre professionnel des)[10] :

[51] [...] L’objectif de cette sanction est d’accorder aux personnes lésées la possibilité de récupérer les sommes d’argent confiées au professionnel, mais détournées par celui-ci.

[36] Ce motif d’appel également n’est pas retenu puisque l’imposition d’une ordonnance de remboursement à l’égard de la victime en sus d’une radiation temporaire ne constitue pas une double sanction.

CONCLUSION :

[37] L’appelant ne convainc pas qu’il y a lieu d’intervenir. La décision du Conseil en regard de la radiation temporaire de cinq ans satisfait aux critères de la décision raisonnable énoncée par la Cour suprême dans l’arrêt Dunsmuir[11].

POUR CES MOTIFS, LE TRIBUNAL :

REJETTE l’appel de la décision du Conseil de discipline du Barreau du Québec rendue le 2 mars 2010.

CONDAMNE l’appelant au paiement des déboursés tant en première instance qu’en appel.

C.D. N^o :         06-09-02466

Décision sur culpabilité rendue le 21 juillet 2009

Décision sur sanction rendue le 2 mars 2010

GGTV vous offre la diffusion d’un documentaire sur le Making of… le film Rencontres du 3ème type. À voir au http://www.gayglobe.us/closeencounters.html

Commentaire de Roger-Luc Chayer

Le député du NPD d’Outremont Thomas Mulcair, anciennement député du parti Libéral du Québec de 1994 à 2007 vient de faire une déclaration sur les actes du Parti Conservateur du Canada et dans son discours, me semblait totalement déconnecté de la réalité quotidienne ici au Canada et surtout au Québec. Suis-je le seul à voir cela?

Il livre aujourd’hui le 13 mars 2011 son analyse “neutre” sur les décisoins du Gouvernement du Canada dirigé par Stephen Harper mais c’est trop facile! C’est facile de représenter un parti politique canadien qui n’aura JAMAIS le pouvoir au pays et qui peut se contenter que de vagues critiques gauchistes et écolo-caviards sans jamais devoir prouver ses affirmations ni jamais mettre en pratique ses idées.

Facile et totalement insipide quand l’entrevue de Mulcair suit le compte-rendu suit le reportage sur le désastre au Japon. Ce qui semble tellement important pour Thomas Mulcair, et pour le NPD, un parti qui promet tout à tout le monde mais qui n’a jamais réussi à se faire élire depuis 40 ans au niveau fédéral, c’est l’apparence, que diront les canadiens sans jamais accorder d’importance au concret.

Les élections fédérales approchent au Canada, il me semble que si on voulait vraiment faire évoluer le pays, il faudrait peut-être changer le discours et la manière des années 60 pour moderniser un peu. Est-ce qu’ils en seront capables?

Celine Dion

Céline Dion
Dion performing “Taking Chances” at her Taking Chances Tour concert in Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada, on August 19, 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Céline Marie Claudette Dion
Born	March 30, 1968 (1968-03-30) (age 42)
Origin	Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Pop, dance-pop, pop rock, soft rock, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer,[1] songwriter-composer,[2] actress[3]
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Sony Music Canada, Epic, 550, Columbia
Website	celinedion.com

Céline Marie Claudette Dion, CC, OQ (French pronunciation: [selin djɔ̃] ( listen); born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec^[4] Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record.^[5] In 1990, she released the English-language album Unison, establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world.^[6]

Dion had first gained international recognition in the 1980s by winning both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.^[7][8] Following a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to CBS Records Canada in 1986. During the 1990s, with the help of Angélil, she achieved worldwide fame after signing with Epic Records and releasing several English albums along with additional French albums, becoming one of the most successful artists in pop music history.^[9][10] However, in 1999 at the height of her success, Dion announced a hiatus from entertainment in order to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer.^[10][11] She returned to the top of pop music in 2002 and signed a three-year (later extended to almost five years) contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.^[12][13][14]

Dion’s music has been influenced by genres ranging from rock and R&B to gospel and classical. While her releases have often received mixed critical reception, she is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals.^[15][16][17] Dion is the best-selling Canadian artist of all time,^[18][19] is the second best-selling female artist in the United States of America during the Nielsen SoundScan era,^[20][21] and is the only female artist to have two singles that have sold more than a million copies in the United Kingdom.^[22] In addition, her 1995 album D’eux, is the best-selling French-language album of all time.^[23] In 2004, after surpassing 175 million in album sales worldwide, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award at the World Music Awards for becoming the best-selling female artist of all time.^[24][25] According to Sony Music Entertainment, Dion has sold over 200 million albums worldwide.^[26]

Biography

Childhood and early beginnings

The youngest of fourteen children born to Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay, both of French Canadian descent, Céline Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken, but, by her own account, happy home in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada.^[10][27] Music had always been a part of the family (Dion was named after the song Céline, recorded by French singer Hugues Aufray two years before her birth^[28]), as she grew up singing with her siblings in her parents’ small piano bar called Le Vieux Baril. From an early age Dion had dreamed of being a performer.^[15] In a 1994 interview with People magazine, she recalled, “I missed my family and my home, but I don’t regret having lost my adolescence. I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer.”^[29]

At age twelve, Dion collaborated with her mother and her brother Jacques to compose her first song, “Ce n’était qu’un rêve” (“It Was Only a Dream”).^[27] Her brother Michel Dondalinger Dion sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno album.^[5] Angélil was moved to tears by Dion’s voice, and decided to make her a star.^[27] In 1981, he mortgaged his home to fund her first record, La voix du bon Dieu (“The Voice of the Good God”), which later became a local number-one hit and made Dion an instant star in Quebec. Her popularity spread to other parts of the world when she competed in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan, and won the musician’s award for “Top Performer” as well as the gold medal for “Best Song” with “Tellement j’ai d’amour pour toi” (“I Have So Much Love for You”).^[5]

By 1983, in addition to becoming the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France for the single “D’amour ou d’amitié” (“Of Love or of Friendship”), Dion had also won several Félix Awards, including “Best Female performer” and “Discovery of the Year”.^[5][30] Further success in Europe, Asia, and Australia came when Dion represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Ne partez pas sans moi (Don’t Go Without Me) and won the contest by a close margin in Dublin, Ireland.^[31] However, American success was yet to come, partly because she was exclusively a Francophone artist.^[32] At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she wanted to be a star like Jackson.^[33] Though confident in her talent, Angélil realized that her image needed to be changed in order for her to be marketed worldwide.^[27] Dion receded from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent dental surgery to improve her appearance, and was sent to the École Berlitz in 1989 to polish her English.^[6]

In 1989, during a concert on Incognito Tour, Dion injured her voice. She consulted the otorhinolaryngologist William Gould.^[34][35] He gave her an ultimatum: have surgery on her vocal cords, or not utilize them at all for three weeks.^[34] Dion chose the latter and underwent a vocal formation with William Riley,^[34][35] because, according to Gould and Riley, she “doesn’t know sing, she makes a bad use of her vocal cords”.^[34][35]

Career breakthrough: 1990–1992

	Dion’s earlier English releases “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” (1990) “Where Does My Heart Beat Now”, Dion’s first North American hit, was 1980s soft rock. (Note the prominence of the electric guitar). It contrasts with the style of subsequent efforts. “Beauty and the Beast”(1991) “Beauty and the Beast” was largely influenced by classical music, which became a key feature of Dion’s later work.
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Two years after she had learned English, Dion made her debut into the Anglophone market with Unison (1990), the lead single having originally been recorded by Laura Branigan.^[5] She incorporated the help of many established musicians, including Vito Luprano and Canadian producer David Foster.^[15] The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music that quickly found a niche within the adult contemporary radio format. Unison also hit the right notes with critics: Jim Faber of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Dion’s vocals were “tastefully unadorned”, and that she never attempted to “bring off styles that are beyond her”.^[36] Stephen Erlewine of Allmusic declared it as, “a fine, sophisticated American debut.”^[37] Singles from the album included “(If There Was) Any Other Way“, “The Last to Know“, “Unison“, and “Where Does My Heart Beat Now“, a mid-tempo soft-rock ballad which made prominent use of the electric guitar. The latter became her first single to reach the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number four. The album established Dion as a rising singer in the United States, and across Continental Europe and Asia.

In 1991, Dion was also a soloist in Voices That Care, a tribute to American troops fighting in Operation Desert Storm. Dion’s real international breakthrough came when she duetted with Peabo Bryson on the title track to Disney‘s animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991).^[7] The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classically influenced ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial hit, the song became her second U.S. top ten single, and won the Academy Award for Best Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.^[15] “Beauty and the Beast” was featured on Dion’s 1992 self-titled album, which, like her debut, had a strong rock influence combined with elements of soul and classical music. Owing to the success of the lead-off single and her collaboration with Foster and Diane Warren, the album was as well received as Unison. Other singles that achieved moderate success included “If You Asked Me To” (a cover of Patti LaBelle‘s song from the 1989 movie Licence to Kill) which peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the gospel-tinged “Love Can Move Mountains“, and “Nothing Broken But My Heart“.

As with Dion’s earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love. Also during this time, Dion released the Francophone album Dion chante Plamondon in 1991. The album consisted mostly of covers, but included 4 new songs, which included “Des mots qui sonnent“, “Je danse dans ma tête“, “Quelqu’un que j’aime, quelqu’un qui m’aime” and “L’amour existe encore“. It was originally released in Canada and France during the 1991–1992 period, but then got an international release in 1994, the first French Celine Dion album to do so. “Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)” became a smash hit in France, reaching number 2 and being certified gold. In Quebec, the album was certified Gold the day it was released. To date, Dion chante Plamondon has sold 1.5 million records worldwide.

By 1992 Unison, Céline Dion, and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the Anglophone market and achieving fame.^[32] However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them.^[15][38] She would later regain her fan base at the Félix Award show, where, after winning “English Artist of the Year”, she openly refused to accept the award. She asserted that she was—and would always be—a French, not an English, artist.^[6][39] Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in Dion’s personal life, as Angélil, who was twenty-six years her senior, transitioned from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared that the public would find their relations inappropriate.^[40]

Popularity established: 1993–1995

In 1993, Dion announced her feelings for her manager by declaring him “the colour of [her] love” in the dedication section of her third English-language album The Colour of My Love. However, instead of criticizing their relationship as Dion had feared, fans embraced the couple.^[15] Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony in December 1994, which was broadcast live on Canadian television.

As it was dedicated to her manager, the album’s motif focused on love and romance.^[41] It became her most successful record up to that point, selling more than six million copies in the U.S., two million in Canada, and peaking at number-one in many countries. The album also spawned Dion’s first U.S., Canadian, and Australian number-one single “The Power of Love” (a remake of Jennifer Rush‘s 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s.^[32] The single “When I Fall in Love“, a duet with Clive Griffin, achieved moderate success on the U.S. and Canadian charts, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning one. The Colour of My Love also became Dion’s first major hit in Europe, and in particular the United Kingdom. Both the album and the single “Think Twice” simultaneously occupied the top of the British charts for five consecutive weeks. “Think Twice”, which remained at number one for seven weeks, eventually became the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the UK,^[42] while the album was eventually certified five-times platinum for two-million copies sold.^[43]

Dion kept to her French roots and continued to release many Francophone recordings between each English record.^[44] Generally, they achieved more credibility than her English-language works.^[38] She released À l’Olympia, a live album that was recorded during one of Dion’s concerts at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, in 1994. It had one promotional single, a live version of “Calling You“, which peaked at seventy-five on the French Singles Chart. She also recorded a bilingual version of Petit Papa Noël with Alvin and the Chipmunks for the 1994 holiday album A Very Merry Chipmunk. D’eux (also known as The French Album in the United States), was released in 1995, and it would go on to become the best-selling French-language album of all time.^[44] The album was mostly written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman, and amassed huge success with the singles “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” and “Je sais pas“. “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” reached number 1 in France and stayed at the top position for twelve weeks. It was later certified Platinum in France.^[45] The single also reached the top ten in the UK and Ireland, a rare accomplishment for a French song. The second single off the album, “Je sais pas”, reached number one on the French Singles Chart as well and was certified Silver in France.^[46] These songs would later become “If That’s What It Takes” and “I Don’t Know” on Dion’s next English album, Falling into You.

During the mid-1990s, Dion’s albums continued to be constructed on the basis of melodramatic ballads, but also with up-tempo pop and adult contemporary themed music.^[47] She collaborated with talented craftsman such as Jim Steinman and David Foster who helped her devise more adult contemporary songs.^[48][49] While critical reviews fluctuated, Dion’s releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996 she won the World Music Award for “World’s Best-selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year” for the third time. By the mid-1990s, she had established herself as one of the best-selling artists in the world.^[50]

Worldwide commercial success: 1996–1999

Musical diversity of Falling into You “Falling into You” (1996) The slow-tempo title track was noted for its considerable use of percussion instruments and the saxophone. “Call the Man” (1996) One of the final tracks on the album, “Call the Man“, features a choir chanting and humming in an African language. “I Don’t Know” (1996) Falling into You contained outlandish musical effects, as epitomized by the single “I Don’t Know.” It’s All Coming Back to Me Now “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was a power ballad that fused orchestral flourishes with 1980s rock music.

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Falling into You (1996), Dion’s fourth English-language album, presented the singer at the height of her popularity, and showed a further progression of her music.^[40] In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as complex orchestral sounds, African chanting and elaborate musical effects. Additionally, instruments like the violin, Spanish guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho and saxophone created a new sound.^[51] The singles encompassed a variety of musical styles. The title track “Falling into You” and “River Deep, Mountain High” (a Tina Turner cover) made prominent use of percussion instruments; “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” (a remake of Jim Steinman‘s song) and a remake of Eric Carmen‘s “All by Myself” kept their soft-rock atmosphere, but were combined with the classical sound of the piano; and the number-one single “Because You Loved Me“, which was written by Diane Warren, was a ballad that served as the theme to the 1996 film Up Close & Personal.^[50]

Falling into You garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work,^[52] and Stephen Holden of The New York Times and Natalie Nichols of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was formulaic,^[53][54] other critics, such as Chuck Eddy of Entertainment Weekly, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AMG and Daniel Durchholz, lavished the album as “compelling”, “passionate”, “stylish”, “elegant” and “remarkably well-crafted”.^[51][55] Falling Into You became Dion’s most critically and commercially successful album: it topped the charts in many countries and became one of the best-selling albums of all time.^[56] In the United States, the album reached number-one,^[57] and was later certified 11x Platinum for over 11 million copies shipped.^[58] In Canada, the album was certified diamond for over one million copies shipped.^[59] The IFPI certified Falling into You 9x Platinum, an accolade that has been given to only two other albums in history, with one of the two being Dion’s own album, Let’s Talk About Love.^[60] The album also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the academy’s highest honor Album of the Year.^[61] Dion’s status on the world stage was further solidified when she was asked to perform “The Power of the Dream” at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.^[62] In March 1996, Dion launched the Falling into You Tour in support of her new album, giving concerts around the world for over a year.

Dion followed Falling into You with Let’s Talk About Love (1997), which was publicized as its sequel.^[63] The recording process took place in London, New York City, and Los Angeles, and featured a host of special guests, such as Barbra Streisand on “Tell Him“; the Bee Gees on “Immortality“; and world-renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti on “I Hate You Then I Love You“.^[40][64] Other musicians included Carole King, Sir George Martin, Bryan Adams and Jamaican singer Diana King, who added a reggae tinge to “Treat Her Like a Lady“.^[65] As with Falling into You, Let’s Talk About Love was a major success for Dion, reaching number-one all over the world, attaining platinum status in twenty-four sales territories, and becoming Dion’s fastest selling album of her career.^[66] In the United States, the album topped the chart in its seventh week of release,^[67] and was later certified 10x Platinum in the U.S. for over 10 million copies shipped.^[68] In Canada, the album sold 230,212 copies in its first week of release, which became, and still is, a record.^[69] It was eventually certified diamond in Canada for over 1 million copies shipped.^[70][71] The most successful single from the album became the classically influenced ballad “My Heart Will Go On“, which was written and composed by James Horner and Will Jennings, and produced by Horner and Walter Afanasieff.^[61] Serving as the love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, the song topped the charts across the world, and became Dion’s signature song;^[72] as well as winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song.^[73] The song also gave Dion two Grammy Awards for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” and the most coveted “Record of the Year“, (the song itself won four awards, but two were presented to the songwriters).^[74] “My Heart Will Go On” and “Think Twice” made her the only female artist in the UK to have two singles to sell more than a million copies.^[75] In support of her album, Dion embarked on the Let’s Talk About Love Tour between 1998 and 1999.^[76]

Dion ended the 1990s with three more extremely successful albums—the Christmas album These Are Special Times (1998), the French-language album, S’il suffisait d’aimer, and the compilation album All the Way… A Decade of Song (1999).^[77] On These Are Special Times, Dion became more involved in the writing process. She co-wrote the song, Don’t Save It All For Christmas Day along with Ric Wake and Peter Zizzo. The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track.^[78] “I’m Your Angel“, a duet with R. Kelly, became Dion’s fourth U.S. number one single, and another hit single across the world. All the Way… A Decade of Song drew together her most successful hits coupled with seven new songs, including the lead off single “That’s the Way It Is“, a cover of Roberta Flack‘s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face“, and “All the Way“, a duet with Frank Sinatra.^[77] The album itself was also extremely successful worldwide, reaching number-one in the United States for three weeks.^[57] The album was later certified 7x Platinum in the U.S. for 7 million copies shipped.^[79] All the Way… A Decade of Song also topped the charts in the UK,^[80] Canada,^[81] and Australia.^[82] Her last French-language studio album of the 1990s, S’il suffisait d’aimer, was very successful as well, topping the charts in every major French-speaking country, including France,^[83] Switzerland,^[84] Belgium Wallonia,^[85] and Canada.^[81] In France, the album was certified diamond, selling 1.5 million copies.^[86] By the end of the 1990s, Celine Dion had sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards.^[9] Her status as one of the music industry’s biggest pop divas was further solidified when she was asked to perform on VH1‘s Divas Live special in 1998, with superstars Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain and Mariah Carey.^[87] That year she also received two of the highest honors from her home country: “Officer of the Order of Canada for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music” and “Officer of the National Order of Quebec“.^[44] A year later she was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, and was honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.^[88]

During this time, the pop-rock genre that was more noticeable in her earlier releases, was replaced by a more adult contemporary feel.^[63] However, the theme of “love” remained in most of her releases, which led to some critics dismissing her music as banal.^[89] Other critics, like Elysa Gardner and Jose F. Promis, praised her vocals during this period, describing it as a “technical marvel”.^[90][91] However, others, like Steve Dollar, who reviewed These Are Special Times, stated that Dion is a “vocal Olympian for whom there ain’t no mountain—or scale—high enough.”^[92]

Career break: 2000–2002

After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion stated that she needed to settle down, and announced on her latest album All the Way… A Decade of Song, that she needed to take a step back from the spotlight and enjoy life.^[10][93] Angélil’s diagnosis with throat cancer also prompted her to hiatus.^[94] While on break, Dion was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the National Enquirer published a false story about the singer. Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted Dion, printing the headline, “Celine — ‘I’m Pregnant With Twins!’”^[95] Dion later sued the magazine for more than twenty million dollars.^[96] The editors of the Enquirer printed an apology and a full retraction to Dion in the next issue, and donated money to the American Cancer Society in honor of Dion and her husband. A year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, Dion gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on January 25, 2001, in Florida.^[97][98] Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Dion returned to the music scene, and in a televised performance sang “God Bless America” at the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes. Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote, “the performance… brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul. Affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope.”^[99] In December 2001, Dion published her autobiography, My Story, My Dream which chronicled her rags to riches story.^[100]

Return to music: 2002–2003

Dion performing “God Bless America” with members of the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, 2002.

Dion’s aptly titled A New Day Has Come, released in March 2002, ended her three-year break from the music industry. The album was Dion’s most personal yet, and established a more mature side of Dion with the songs “A New Day Has Come“, “I’m Alive“, and “Goodbye’s (The Saddest Word)“, a change that resulted from her new-found maternal responsibilities, because, in her own words, “becoming a mother makes you a grown-up.”^[101] She stated, “A New Day Has Come, for Rene, for me, is the baby. It has everything to do with the baby…That song “A New Day Has Come” represents very well the mood I’m feeling right now. It represents the whole album.”^[11] A New Day Has Come debuted at number one in over 17 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada.^{[102][103][104]} In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 527,000 copies; marking her first number one debut on the chart.^[105] It was eventually certified 3x Platinum in the United States,^[106] and 6x Platinum in Canada.^[107]

While the album was commercially successful, critical reviews suggested that it was “forgettable” and the lyrics were “lifeless”.^[108] Both Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine, and Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly, stated that Dion’s music had not matured during her break, and classed her music as trite and mediocre.^[109][110] Sal Cinquemani of Slant magazine called the album “a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer-nutter.”^[111] The first single off the album, A New Day Has Come peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, being an airplay-only release. On the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, however the song spent 21 consecutive weeks at number 1, breaking the record for the longest span at the top.^[112] The previous record holders were Phil Collins‘ You’ll Be in My Heart and Dion’s own Because You Loved Me, both of which lasted nineteen weeks at number 1. During 2002, she performed for many benefit concerts, the famous VH1 Divas Live, a concert to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, alongside Cher, Anastacia, Dixie Chicks, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Shakira and Stevie Nicks.

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, Dion released One Heart (2003), an album that represented her appreciation for life.^[113] The album largely consisted of dance music—a deviation from the soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had once been given mixed reception. Although the album achieved moderate success, One Heart was met with mixed criticism, and words such as “predictable” and “banal” appeared even in the most lenient reviews.^[114][115] A cover of the 1989 Cyndi Lauper hit “I Drove All Night“, released to launch her new advertising campaign with Chrysler,^[116] incorporated dance-pop and rock and roll. The advertising deal itself, however was met with mixed criticism, with some stating that Dion was trying to please her sponsors.^[117] However, people like Bonita Stewart, who was the director of Chrysler Group Marketing Communications stated that “Chrysler was taken by how her appeal crossed ethnic lines.” She also added, “She brings sophistication, refinement, romance and passion to the brand.”^[118]

After One Heart, Dion released her next English Language studio album, Miracle (2004). Miracle was a multimedia project conceived by Dion and photographer Anne Geddes, and had a theme centering on babies and motherhood. The album was filled with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, the two most popular being covers of Louis Armstrong‘s “What a Wonderful World” and John Lennon‘s “Beautiful Boy“. The reviews for Miracle were mixed.^[119] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic.com gave the album three of out five stars, stating, “The worst you can say about the record is that there are no surprises, but the audience for this record doesn’t want surprises; they want comfort, whether it arrives in polished music or artsy photos of newborns, and Miracle provides both, which makes it appealing for those expectant or new mothers in Dion’s audience.^[119] Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine wrote that the single “Beautiful Boy” was “an unexpected gem” and called Dion “a timeless, enormously versatile artist”,^[120] Chuck Arnold of People Magazine, however, labeled the album as excessively sentimental,^[121] while Nancy Miller of Entertainment Weekly opined that “the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism, reborn”.^[122] Miracle debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart and number one in Canada , and was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA.^[123]

The Francophone album 1 fille & 4 types (1 Girl & 4 Guys), released in October 2003, fared better than her first two releases, and showed Dion trying to distance herself from the “diva” image. She recruited Jean-Jacques Goldman, Gildas Arzel, Eric Benzi, and Jacques Veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on two of her best-selling French albums S’il suffisait d’aimer and D’eux. Labeled “the album of pleasure” by Dion herself, the album cover showed Dion in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. The album achieved widespread commercial success in France, Canada, and Belgium where it reached number one. In France, the album debuted at number one and was later certified 2x platinum after selling over 700,000 copies. Critic, Stephen Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that Dion’s vocals “are back at top of their game” and that she was “getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while.”^[124]

Though her albums were commercially successful, they did not achieve the sales or the reception of her previous works. Albums like The Collector’s Series, Volume One (2000), and One Heart (2003) did not perform as well critically.^[114][114] Her songs received less airplay as radio became less embracing of balladeers like Dion, Carey, and Houston, and was focused on more up-tempo, Urban/Hip-hop songs.^[125] However, by 2004, Dion had accumulated sales of more than 175 million albums worldwide, and received the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards for her achievements.^[126] According to the official World Music Awards website, the award is rare; it’s not even “presented every year” and an artist can only be presented with the award for selling “over 100 million albums during their career.”^[127]

A New Day… Live in Las Vegas: 2003–2007

In early 2002 Dion had announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, A New Day…, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.^[12] This move was seen as “one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist”.^[128] She conceived the idea for the show after seeing O by Franco Dragone early in her break from recording, and began on March 25, 2003, in a 4,000-seat arena designed for her show.^[12] Many stars attended opening night including Dick Clark, Alan Thicke, Kathy Griffin, and Justin Timberlake, who hosted the television special.^[129] The show, put together by Dragone, was a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It included Dion performing her biggest hits against an array of dancers and special effects. Reviewer Mike Weatherford felt that, at first, Dion was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find the singer among the excessive stage ornamentations and dancers. However, he noted that the show had become more enjoyable, due to Dion’s improved stage-presence and simpler costumes.^[72]

The show was also well-received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets; the show routinely sold out until its end in late 2007.^[130] Ticket prices averaged $135.33.^[131] The show was choreographed by Mia Michaels, who is a world renowned choreographer. According to Pollstar, Dion sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43.9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows.^[132] By the end of 2005, Dion grossed more than US$76 million, placing sixth on Billboard’s Money Makers list for 2005.^[133] A New Day… was the 6th biggest selling tour in America in 2006.^[134] Because of the show’s success, Dion’s contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On January 5, 2007 it was announced that the show would end on December 15, 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from March 1.^[135] During its entire run, the show accumulated a total gross of $400 million, while being seen by nearly 3 million fans.^[136][137] The Live in Las Vegas – A New Day… DVD was released on December 10, 2007 in Europe and the following day in North America.^[138]

Back to studio and world tour: 2007–2009

Céline Dion on stage with her dancers performing River Deep Mountain High on the “Taking Chances World Tour” in September 2008 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on Long Island

Dion’s latest French language album, D’elles (About Them), released on May 21, 2007, debuted at the top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week. It marked her tenth number-one album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth to debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2× platinum, and within the first week had already shipped half a million units worldwide.^[139] D’Elles also reached No. 1 in France and Belgium. The first single “Et s’il n’en restait qu’une (je serais celle-là)” (meaning “And If There Was Only One Woman Left (I Would Be That One)”) debuted at the top of the French singles chart a month earlier. She released her latest English album Taking Chances on November 12 in Europe, and on the November 13 in North America.^[140] Her first English studio album since 2003′s One Heart, it features pop, R&B, and rock inspired music.^[141] Dion has collaborated with John Shanks and ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, as well as Kristian Lundin, Peer Astrom, Linda Perry, Japanese singer Yuna Ito, and R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo.^[142][143] Dion stated, “I think this album represents a positive evolution in my career … I’m feeling strong, maybe a little gutsier than in the past, and just as passionate about music and life as I ever was.”^[144] She launched her year-long worldwide Taking Chances Tour on February 14, 2008 in South Africa, performing 132 dates in stadiums and arenas across five continents.^[145]

The Taking Chances Tour was a great success in the United States, reaching the Number 1 spot on the Billboard Boxscore and it sold out every concert in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, she appeared on Idol Gives Back for a second year in a row. Céline Dion was nominated for six Juno Awards in 2008, leading the group of Canadians to receive this honour,and adding to her 53 previous nominations. Her nominations included Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (for Taking Chances), Francophone Album of the Year (for D’elles) and Album of the Year (for both Taking Chances and D’elles).^[146] The following year, Dion was nominated for 3 Juno Awards including the Fan Choice Award, Song of the Year (for Taking Chances), and Music DVD of the Year (for Live in Las Vegas — A New Day…)^[147]

Céline Dion on stage performing Eyes On Me in Montréal, Canada, August 2008

On August 22, 2008, Celine Dion presented a free show, exclusively francophone,^[148] outside on the Plains of Abraham, in Quebec City, Canada, for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.^[149] The celebration gathered approximately 490,000 people (total with TV broadcast). The concert, called Céline sur les Plaines, was released on DVD on November 11, 2008 in Quebec and was released on May 20, 2009 in France.^[150] The end of October saw the worldwide release of her first ever comprehensive English greatest hits album called My Love: Essential Collection,^[151] available in two different album formats.

In May 2009, Celine Dion was named the 20th best-selling artist of the decade in the United States and the second-best-selling female artist of the decade in the United States, selling an estimated 17.57 million albums.^[152] In June 2009, Forbes Magazine reported that Dion earned $100 million during 2008. In December 2009, Pollstar announced that Dion was the best-selling solo touring act of the decade and the second-best-selling touring act of the decade, only to the Dave Matthews Band.^[153] Dion grossed $522.2 million during the decade, a large sum of that coming from her five-year residence at Caesars Palace.^[153]

Concert film and video release: late 2009–2010

On February 17, 2010 Dion released into theatres a documentary film about her Taking Chances Tour, titled, Celine: Through the Eyes of the World.^[154] The documentary shows behind-the-scenes footage of Dion both onstage and offstage, along with footage of Dion with her family as they traveled with her.^[154] The distributor is the Sony Pictures subsidiary, Hot Ticket.^[154] The film was later released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 4, 2010, along with the CD/DVD, Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert, which chronicled her world tour of the same name.^[155][156]

In January 2010, The Los Angeles Times presented its annual list of the top ten largest earners of the year, and revealed that Celine Dion took the top spot for the entire decade, with $US747.9 million in total revenue from 2000-2009.^[157] The largest haul came in from ticket sales, totaling $522.2 million.^[157] Additionally, Dion was named “Artist of the Decade” in her native Canadian province of Quebec, announced by the Montreal-based newspaper, Le Journal de Quebec in 2009 December.^[158] A public online survey asked responders to vote for who they believe deserved the above-mentioned accolade.^[158]

Furthermore, in a May 2010 Harris Poll, Dion was named the most popular musician in the United States, ahead of U2, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles, while factoring in gender, political affiliations, geographic region of residence, and income.^[159] Specifically, Dion was the most popular musician in the female demographic, as well as among all Democrats, those who live in the eastern United States and southern United States, and those who have incomes between US$35k and US$74.9k.^[160][161]

In September 2010, she released the single “Voler“, a duet with French singer Michel Sardou. The song was later included on Sardou’s album.^[162] In addition, it was announced in October 2010 that Dion wrote and composed a new song for Canadian singer, Marc Dupré entitled “Entre deux mondes”.^[163]

New Las Vegas show: 2011–present

In an interview with People Magazine published in February 2010, Dion announced that she will be returning to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for Celine, a three-year residency for seventy shows a year, beginning March 15, 2011.^[164] She stated that the show will feature, “all the songs from my repertoire that people want to hear” and will contain a selection of music from classic Hollywood films.^[164] Dion has also announced that she is working on two new studio albums, in French and English.^[165]

In preparation for her return to Las Vegas, Dion, on February 21st made an appearance on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” during the show’s final season, and spoke about her upcoming Caesars Palace shows, as well as her family.^[166] Additionally, for a record sixth time, Dion performed at the 83rd Academy Awards, where she sang the song “Smile,” as part of the ceremony’s “In Memoriam” segment.^[167]

Personal life

Dion first met her husband and manager, Rene Angelil in 1980, when she was 12 and he was 38, after she and her mother sent him a demo tape of a song they had written. They began a relationship in 1987, and became engaged in 1991. They married on December 17, 1994, at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec. On January 5, 2000, Dion and Angelil renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas.

In May 2000, Dion had two small operations at a fertility clinic in New York to improve her chances of conceiving, after deciding to use in-vitro fertilisation after years of failed attempts to conceive. Their first child, Rene-Charles Angelil, was born on January 25, 2001. In May 2010, Angelil announced that Dion was 14 weeks pregnant with twins after a sixth treatment of in-vitro fertilisation. On Saturday, October 23, 2010, at 11:11 and 11:12am respectively, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, Dion, by Caesarean section, gave birth to two healthy fraternal twins weighing 5 pounds 10 ounces and 5 pounds 4 ounces.^[168] The twins were named Eddy, after Dion’s favorite Algerian songwriter Eddy Marnay, and Nelson, after former South African President Nelson Mandela.^[169] Dion appeared with her new born sons on the cover of the December 9, 2010 issue of the Canadian edition of Hello! magazine.^[170]

On 15 October 2010, Céline Dion was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Artistry and image

Dion grew up listening to the music of Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Anne Murray, Barbra Streisand, and the Bee Gees, all of whom she would eventually collaborate with.^[171][172] Dion has also stated she grew up listening to artists such as Janis Joplin, the Doobie Brothers, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, but never got the chance to sing their genre of music. She also was inspired by fellow vocalist Whitney Houston, whom Dion has often been compared to.^[173] Her music has been influenced by numerous genres, including pop, rock, gospel, R&B and soul, and her lyrics focus on themes of poverty, world hunger, and spirituality, with an emphasis on love and romance.^[41][174] After the birth of her child, her work also began to emphasize maternal bond and brotherly love.^{[119][175][176][177]}

Dion has faced considerable criticism from many critics, who state that her music often retreats behind pop and soul conventions, and is marked by excessive sentimentality.^[6][89][178] According to Keith Harris of Rolling Stone magazine, “[Dion's] sentimentality is bombastic and defiant rather than demure and retiring….[she] stands at the end of the chain of drastic devolution that goes Aretha-Whitney-Mariah. Far from being an aberration, Dion actually stands as a symbol of a certain kind of pop sensibility—bigger is better, too much is never enough, and the riper the emotion the more true.”^[179] Dion’s francophone releases, by contrast, tend to be deeper and more varied than her English releases, and consequently have achieved more credibility.^[38][180]

	“My Heart Will Go On” (1998) Dion’s global chart topper, My Heart Will Go On epitomized the love ballad genre of the 1990s.[181]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Many critics have stated that Dion’s involvement in the production aspect of her music is fundamentally lacking, which results in her work being overproduced^[180] and impersonal.^[38] However, coming from a family in which all of her siblings were musicians, she learned to play instruments like piano and guitar, and practiced with a Fender Stratocaster during the recording sessions of her album, Falling into You. ^[182] Also, she helped to compose many of her earlier French songs, and had always tried to involve herself with the production and recording of her albums. On her first English album, which she recorded before she had a firm command of the English language, she expressed disapproval of the record, which could have been avoided if she had assumed more creative input.^[38] By the time she released her second English album Celine Dion, she had assumed more control of the production and recording process, hoping to dispel earlier criticisms. She stated, “On the second album I said, ‘Well, I have the choice to be afraid one more time and not be 100% happy, or not be afraid and be part of this album.’ This is my album.”^[38] She would continue to involve herself in the production of subsequent releases, helping to write a few of her songs on Let’s Talk About Love (1997) and These Are Special Times (1998).^[2]

Dion is often the subject of media ridicule^[183] and parody, and is frequently impersonated on shows like MADtv, Saturday Night Live, South Park, Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes for her strong accent and on-stage movements. However, Dion has stated that she is unaffected by the comments, and is flattered that people take the time to impersonate her.^[101] She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on SNL, to appear on stage during one of her performances. While she is rarely politically outspoken, in 2005 following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Dion appeared on Larry King Live and tearfully criticized the U.S. government‘s slow response in aiding the victims of the hurricane: “There’s people still there waiting to be rescued. To me that is not acceptable…How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country.”^[184] After her interview, she stated, “When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. I do have an opinion, but I’m a singer. I’m not a politician.”^[185]

Voice

According to various sources, Celine Dion possesses a soprano vocal range that spans five octaves^{[186][187][188][189]} and is often regarded as one of pop music’s most influential voices.^[6][38][190] She has been described as a reigning “Queen of Pop” for her influence over the record industry during the 1990s, alongside other female entertainers, including Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.^[191] In a countdown of the “22 Greatest Voices in Music” by Blender Magazine and MTV, she placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in Cove magazine’s list of “The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists.”^{[17][192][193]} Dion is often compared to Mariah Carey for her vocal style and to her idol, Barbra Streisand for her voice.^[194] She is often praised for her technical virtuosity.^{[188][195][196]} The New York Times expressed similar sentiments, stating, “Ms. Dion [...] is a belter with a high, thin, slightly nasal, nearly vibratoless soprano and a good-sized arsenal of technical skills. She can deliver tricky melismas, produce expressive vocal catches and sustain long notes without the tiniest wavering of pitch. And as her duets [...] have shown, she is a reliable harmony voice.”^[197]

Charles Alexander of Time adds, “[Her] voice glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead-on high notes, a sweet siren that combines force with grace.”^[32] And, according to Kent Nagano, maestro of the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Dion is “a musician who has a good ear, a refinement, and a degree of perfection that is envious.”^[198]

In her French repertoire, Dion adorns her vocals with more nuances and modulations, with the emotional intensity being “more tender and intimate.”^[199] Additionally, Luc Plamondon, a French singer-songwriter who has written several works for Dion states that there are three “singers” that Dion uses: the Québécois, the French, and the English.^[199] Regarding her timbre, mezzo-soprano, Cecilia Bartoli and soprano, Joan Sutherland state that it is “thin” and has a “generally fast vibrato,” with the low register being homogeneous and the middle register being “tight.”^[200][201] They also expressed that she has a very good legato.^[200][201] In an interview with Libération, Jean-Jacques Goldman, who has also written several works for Dion, states that he has “never worked with a person on such a technical level” and expressed that she has “no problem of accuracy or tempo.”^[202]

Other activities

Celine Dion’s stars on Canada’s Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Dion became an entrepreneur with the establishment of her franchise restaurant, Nickels in 1990. She has since divested her interests in the chain and is no longer affiliated with Nickels, as of 1997. In 2003, Dion signed a deal with Coty, Inc. to release Celine Dion Parfums.^[203] Her latest fragrance, Pure Brilliance is scheduled to be released in September 2010.^{[204][dated info]} Since its inception, Celine Dion Parfums has grossed over $850 million in retail sales.^[205][206] In October 2004, Canada’s flag carrier airline, Air Canada hired Dion as part of their promotional campaign to unveil new service products and an updated livery. “You and I“, the theme song sung by Dion, was written by advertising executives working for Air Canada.^[207]

Dion has actively supported many charity organizations, worldwide. She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982, and became the foundation’s National Celebrity Patron in 1993.^[208] She has an emotional attachment to the foundation; her niece Karine succumbed to the disease at the age of sixteen. In 2003, Dion joined a number of other celebrities, athletes, and politicians, including Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams to support “World Children’s Day”, a global fundraising effort sponsored by McDonald’s. The effort raised money from more than 100 nations and benefited orphanages and children’s health organizations. In addition, Dion has been a major supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, and many health and educational campaigns. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dion donated $1 million to the victims of the storm, and held a fund-raising event for the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, which subsequently raised more than $1 million.^[209] After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Dion donated $100,000 to China Children & Teenagers’ Fund and sent a letter showing her consolation and support.^[210]

In 1999, Dion received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame and also a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2004.^[211][212] She dedicated her star to her father, who died the month prior. In 2007, Celine Dion was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 5th richest woman in entertainment with an estimated net worth of US$250 million.^[213] She also received France’s highest award, the Légion d’honneur, in May 2008. In August 2008, she received an honorary doctorate in music from the Université Laval in Quebec City.^[214] In October 2010, Dion was named a Goodwill Ambassador, a program created by the United Nations in 1999. She shared this accolade with Oscar-winner, Susan Sarandon.^[215]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Tours

Filmography

• Touched by an Angel
• The Nanny
• All My Children
• La fureur de Céline
• Des fleurs sur la neige
• Céline sur les Plaines
• Celine: Through the Eyes of the World

See also

	Book: Celine Dion
Wikipedia Books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

	Celine Dion portal
	Music of Canada portal

• List of awards received by Celine Dion
• Celine Dion videography
• List of best-selling music artists

Notes

References

Further reading

• Beauregard, Sylvain (2002), Passion Celine Dion the Book: The Ultimate Guide for the Fan, Trafford Pub, ISBN 1553692128, http://books.google.ca/books?id=IQ4W5F5UocEC&lpg=PP1&dq=Celine%20Dion&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true
• Dion, Céline (2001). Céline Dion: My Story, My Dream. Avon. ISBN 0-380-81905-8.
• Geddes, Anne; Céline Dion (2004), Miracle: a celebration of new life, Andrews McMeel Pub, ISBN 0740746960, http://books.google.ca/books?id=7m6YeL1lLVYC&lpg=PP1&dq=Celine%20Dion&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true
• Wilson, Carl (2007). Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste. Continuum. ISBN 978-0-8264-2788-5.

René Angélil

René Angélil, OQ (born January 16, 1942) is a Canadian singer and manager. He is the husband and manager of singer Céline Dion.^[1] Angelil is viewed as being the main driving force behind Dion’s huge success.

Career

Angelil started out as a pop singer in the 1960s in Montréal, Angélil formed a pop rock group, “The Baronets”, with childhood friends Pierre Labelle and Jean Beaulne. They were known as “Québec’s Smithtones“. This group had some hits in the 1960s as “C’est Fou, Mais C’est Tout” (a translation of the Beatles‘ song “Hold Me Tight”) catering to the short-lived Quebec market for translations of English-language pop hits from the United Kingdom or the United States. After the dissolution of the group, Angélil and best friend Guy Cloutier began managing artists.

Together they managed the career of two successful Québec entertainers René Simard and Ginette Reno, among many other pop stars of the time. They parted ways in 1981 to each become solo managers. At the end of 1981 (not long after being replaced as Ginette’s manager) René heard Céline Dion‘s demo tape. In 1987 and 1988, he won the Félix Award for Manager of the Year.

In July 2008, Angelil was named the director for the reality television show Star Academie‘s fourth season, scheduled to start in February 2009.^[2]

Personal life

Angelil was born in Montreal, Québec, Canada of a father of Syrian descent and a Canadian mother of Lebanese origin.^[3] He is a Melkite Catholic and studied at College Saint-Viateur (high school), in Outremont and at College André-Grasset (post secondary), in Montreal. In 1966 he married his first wife, Denyse Duquette, mother of Patrick Angélil (born in 1968, same year as current wife Céline Dion). In 1974, he married singer Manon Kirouac, called Anne Renée on the stage^{[citation needed]}: mother of Jean-Pierre Angélil (born in 1974) and Anne-Marie Angélil (born in 1977). On December 17, 1994, he married Céline Dion. Dion is 26 years younger than Angelil. Their son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, was born on January 25, 2001. On August 18, 2009, the couple announced that Dion was pregnant with their second child. It was announced three months later that this pregnancy failed. On May 30, 2010, Céline Dion’s representative announced that Dion was 14 weeks pregnant.^[4] On October 23, 2010, Dion and Angelil welcomed twin boys. The boys were named Eddy, after Eddy Marnay, who produced Dion’s first five albums, and Nelson, after Nelson Mandela.

He suffered from throat cancer (resulting in Dion temporarily halting her career to be with him), but has recovered. He appeared in the video for Simple Plan‘s “Save You” as a survivor of cancer.

Angélil is fan of NHL hockey, and he is a good friend of former Colorado Avalanche president and general manager, Pierre Lacroix.^[5]

Angélil is portrayed in an unauthorized TV Movie Biopic about Céline Dion by Toronto actor Enrico Colantoni.^[6]

Extortion attempt

Angélil was accused by Yun Kyeong Kwon Sung of sexual assault stemming from a 2000 incident that took place in a Las Vegas hotel. These charges were later investigated by Las Vegas police. Although Mr. Angélil eventually paid the woman $2 million to settle, Mr. Angélil never admitted to doing anything wrong, always maintaining the settlement was to avoid negative publicity that might upset his wife Céline. Yun and her husband, Ae Ho Kwon, were later arrested in 2003 and charged with trying to extort money from Mr. Angélil over a false rape claim. Both individuals were convicted in 2005.^[7] However, in early 2008, the Nevada Supreme Court reversed both the convictions of husband and wife as to the extortion and conspiracy charges, but upheld the jury verdict as to the charges of soliciting a bribe. The court held that they should have had a chance to produce evidence of rape against Angélil in their trial.

Defamation suits

In 2001 Angélil, along with his wife Céline Dion, filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Quebec tabloid Allo Vedettes’ for printing a story alleging the couple paid $5,000 to rent out the swimming pool of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas so that Céline could sunbathe topless and René could go skinny dipping, allegations they strenuously denied. They later withdrew the case, saying it was not a priority in light of the terrorist events of 9/11.

Gambling fame

Angélil is an avid poker player, having qualified for the 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, and finishing in the money at the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown event on the World Poker Tour, a series of high stakes tournaments. Angélil is also rumored to be a dedicated gambler away from the poker table. He reportedly gambles upwards of $1 million a week at Caesar’s Palace, and keeps a line of credit for the same amount at Bellagio.^[8][9]

A frenzy of speculation as to how much Angélil spends in casinos was created when Jan Jones, former Las Vegas mayor and high ranking executive at Harrah’s Communications, was quoted by a reporter from the London-based newspaper The Observer as saying, “Céline Dion’s husband is a big gambler. He probably gambles $1 million in a week, but he can afford to.” A retraction was later issued by Caesar’s Palace, which is owned by Harrah’s, stating that Jan Jones’ previous allegations were totally without merit.^{[citation needed]}

References

Doris Day

Doris Day
Doris Day in the early 1950s
Born	Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff April 3, 1922 (1922-04-03) (age 88) Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1939–1987
Spouse	Al Jorden (1941–43, divorced) George Weidler (1946–49, divorced) Martin Melcher (1951–68, his death) Barry Comden (1976–81, divorced)
Children	Terry Melcher (deceased)
Website
http://www.ddaf.org/ Doris Day Animal Foundation

Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, April 3, 1922)^[1] is an American actress and singer, and an outspoken animal rights activist since her retirement from show business. Her entertainment career began in the 1940s as a big band singer. In 1945 she had her first hit recording, “Sentimental Journey“. In 1948, she appeared in her first film, Romance on the High Seas. During her entertainment career, she appeared in 39 films, recorded more than 650 songs, received an Academy Award nomination, won a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award, and, in 1989, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.

As of 2009, Day was the top-ranking female box office star of all time and ranked sixth among the top ten box office performers (male and female).^[2]

Early life

Doris Day was born in the Cincinnati, Ohio, neighborhood of Evanston to Alma Sophia Welz (a housewife) and Wilhelm (later William) Kappelhoff (a music teacher and choir master). All of her grandparents were German immigrants.^[3] Although the 1930 census lists her at age 7, she states to her biographer in Doris Day: Her Own Story that she was born in 1924.^[4] Specifically she states, “[I was] named by my mother in honor of her favorite actress, Doris Kenyon, a silent screen star of that year 1924.” The youngest of three children, she had two brothers: Richard, who died before she was born, and Paul, a few years older.^[5][6]

Her parents’ marriage failed due to her father’s reported infidelity.^[6] Although the family was Roman Catholic, her parents divorced. After her second marriage, Day herself would become a Christian Scientist. Day has been married four times.

Day developed an early interest in dance, and in the mid-1930s formed a dance duo with Jerry Doherty that performed locally in Cincinnati. A car accident on October 13, 1937, damaged her legs and curtailed her prospects as a professional dancer.^[7] While recovering, Day took singing lessons, and at 17 she began performing locally.

It was while working for local bandleader Barney Rapp in 1939 or 1940 that she adopted the stage name “Day” as an alternative to “Kappelhoff,” at his suggestion. Rapp felt her surname was too long for marquees. The first song she had performed for him was “Day After Day”, and her stage name was taken from that.^[6] After working with Rapp, Day worked with a number of other bandleaders including Jimmy James,^[8] Bob Crosby, and Les Brown. It was while working with Brown that Day scored her first hit recording, “Sentimental Journey”, which was released in early 1945. It soon became an anthem of the desire of World War II demobilizing troops to return home. This song is still associated with Day, and was rerecorded by her on several occasions, as well as being included in her 1971 television special.^[9]

Career

Film career

With Gordon MacRae in Starlift

While singing with the Les Brown band and briefly with Bob Hope, Day toured extensively across the United States. Her popularity as a radio performer and vocalist, which included a second hit record “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time“, led directly to a career in films. Already in 1941 Day appeared as a singer with the Les Brown band in a soundie (a Cinemasters production). After her separation from her second husband, George Weidler, in 1948, Day reportedly intended to leave Los Angeles and return to her mother’s home in Cincinnati. Her agent Al Levy convinced her to attend a party at the home of composer Jule Styne. Her performance of the song “Embraceable You” impressed Styne and his partner, Sammy Cahn and they recommended her for a role in Romance on the High Seas, which they were working on for Warner Brothers. The withdrawal of Betty Hutton due to pregnancy left the main role to be re-cast, and Day got the part. The film provided her with another hit recording “It’s Magic.”

In 1950 U.S. servicemen in Korea voted her their favorite star. She continued to make minor and frequently nostalgic period musicals such as Starlift, The West Point Story, On Moonlight Bay, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, and Tea For Two for Warner Brothers. In 1953 Day appeared as Calamity Jane, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Secret Love” (her recording of which became her fourth U.S. No. 1 recording).

After filming Young at Heart (1954) with Frank Sinatra, Day chose not to renew her contract with Warner Brothers. She elected to work under the advice and management of her third husband, Marty Melcher, whom she married in Burbank on April 3, 1951. Day had divorced saxophonist-songwriter George W. Weidler (born September 11, 1917 – died July 26, 1995) on May 31, 1949 in Los Angeles in an uncontested divorce action after marrying him on March 30, 1946 in Mount Vernon, New York, separating in April 1947 and filing for divorce in June 1948.

Love Me or Leave Me

Day subsequently took on more dramatic roles, including her 1954 portrayal of singer Ruth Etting in Love Me or Leave Me. Day would later call it, in her autobiography, her best film. She was also paired with such top stars as Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Cary Grant, David Niven, and Clark Gable.

In Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Day sang “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and became her signature song. According to Jay Livingston, who wrote the song with Ray Evans, Day preferred another song used briefly in the film, “We’ll Love Again” and skipped the recording for “Que Sera, Sera”. At the studio’s insistence she relented. After recording the number, she reportedly told a friend of Livingston, “That’s the last time you’ll ever hear that song”. However, the song was used again in Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960), and was reprised as a brief duet with Arthur Godfrey in The Glass Bottom Boat (1966). “Que Sera, Sera” also became the theme song for her CBS television show (1968–73). The Man Who Knew Too Much was her only film for Hitchcock and, as she admitted in her 1975 autobiography, she was initially concerned at his lack of direction. She finally asked if anything was wrong and Hitchcock said everything was fine — if she weren’t doing what he wanted, he would have said something.^[10]

She had one more Top Ten hit with “Everybody Loves a Lover” in 1958.

Box office success

In 1959, Day entered her most successful phase as a film actress with a series of romantic comedies, starting with Pillow Talk, co-starring Rock Hudson, who became a lifelong friend. Day received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Day and Hudson made two more films together, Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964). Day also teamed up with James Garner, starting with 1963′s The Thrill of It All, followed later that year by Move Over, Darling. Move Over, Darling had originally been entitled Something’s Got to Give, a 1962 comeback vehicle for Marilyn Monroe and featuring Dean Martin. The film was suspended following the firing of Monroe and her subsequent death. A year later, it was renamed and recast with Day as the lead character.

By the late 1960s, the sexual revolution of the baby boomer generation had refocused public attitudes about sex. Times changed, but Day’s films did not. Critics and comics dubbed Day “the world’s oldest virgin”,^[11] and audiences began to shy away from her films. As a result, she slipped from the list of top box office stars, last appearing in the Top 10 in 1967 with The Glass Bottom Boat, her final hit film.

One of the roles she turned down was that of the iconic Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate,^[12] a role that eventually went to Anne Bancroft. In her published memoirs, Day said that she had rejected the part on moral grounds. Her final feature film, With Six You Get Eggroll, was released in 1968.

Recording success

Day’s last major hit single came in the UK in 1964 with “Move Over, Darling“, co-written by her son specifically for her. The recording was a notable departure for Day, with its distinctly contemporary-sounding arrangement. In 1967, Day recorded her last album, The Love Album, essentially concluding her recording career, though this album was not released until 1995.

Bankruptcy and television career

1960s

Melcher died April 20, 1968. Day was shocked to discover that her husband of 17 years and his business partner Jerome Bernard Rosenthal^[13] had squandered her earnings, leaving her deeply in debt. Rosenthal had been her attorney since the late 1940s, and he represented her on May 31, 1949, in her uncontested divorce action against her second husband, songwriter George W. Weidler. In February 1969, Day filed suit against Rosenthal and won the then-largest civil judgment (over $20 million) until that time in the state of California.^{[citation needed]}

1970s

On September 18, 1974, Day was awarded $22,835,646 for fraud and malpractice in an hour-long oral decision by Superior Judge Lester E. Olson, ending a 99-day trial that involved 18 consolidated lawsuits and countersuits filed by Day and Rosenthal that involved Rosenthal’s handling of her finances after she terminated him in July 1968. The civil trial included 14,451 pages of transcript from 67 witnesses. Represented by attorney Robert Winslow and the law firm of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP, Day was awarded $1 million punitive damages, $5.6 million plus $2 million interest for losses incurred in a sham oil venture; $3.4 million plus $1.2 million interest over a hotel venture; $2.2 million plus $793,800 interest for duplicate or unnecessary fees paid to Rosenthal; more than $2 million to recoup loans to Rosenthal; $2.9 million plus $1 million interest for fraud, and $850,000 attorney fees for Day. Olson also enjoined Rosenthal from prosecuting any more lawsuits against Day or her business operations. (Rosenthal had filed more than 20 suits from 1969 to 1974). Olson, an expert in complex financial marital settlements, read every page of 3,275 individual exhibits and 68 boxes of miscellaneous financial records.^{[citation needed]}

In October 1979, Rosenthal’s liability insurer settled with Day for about $6 million payable in 23 annual installments. Rosenthal continued to file an appeal in the 2nd District Court of Appeal, and also filed another half-dozen suits related to the case. Two were libel suits, one against Day and her publishers over comments she made about Rosenthal in her book in which he sought damages. The other suits sought court determinations that insurance companies and individual lawyers failed to defend Rosenthal properly before Olson and in appellate stages. In April 1979, he filed a suit to set aside the $6 million settlement with Day and recover damages from everybody involved in agreeing to the payment supposedly without his permission.^{[citation needed]}

1980s

In October 1985, the state Supreme Court rejected Rosenthal’s appeal of the multimillion-dollar judgment against him for legal malpractice, and upheld conclusions of a trial court and a Court of Appeal that Rosenthal acted improperly. In April 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the lower court’s judgment. In June 1987, Rosenthal filed a $30 million lawsuit against lawyers he claimed cheated him out of millions of dollars in real estate investments. He also named Day as a co-defendant, describing her as an “unwilling, involuntary plaintiff whose consent cannot be obtained”.^{[clarification needed]}Rosenthal claimed that millions of dollars Day lost were in real estate sold after Melcher died in 1968, in which Rosenthal asserted that the attorneys gave Day bad advice, telling her to sell, at a loss, three hotels, in Palo Alto, Dallas and Atlanta and some oil leases in Kentucky and Ohio. Rosenthal claimed he had made the investments under a long-term plan, and did not intend to sell them until they appreciated in value. Two of the hotels sold in 1970 for about $7 million, and their estimated worth in 1986 was $50 million. In July 1984, after a hearing panel of the State Bar Court, after 80 days of testimony and consideration of documentary evidence, the panel accused Rosenthal of 13 separate acts of misconduct and urged his disbarment in a 34-page unsigned opinion. The panel’s findings were upheld by the State Bar Court’s review department, which asked the justices to order Rosenthal’s disbarment. He continued representing clients in federal courts until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against him on March 21, 1988. Disbarment by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals followed on August 19, 1988.^{[citation needed]}

The Supreme Court of California, in affirming the disbarment, held that Rosenthal engaged in transactions involving undisclosed conflicts of interest, took positions adverse to his former clients, overstated expenses, double-billed for legal fees, failed to return client files, failed to provide access to records, failed to give adequate legal advice, failed to provide clients with an opportunity to obtain independent counsel, filed fraudulent claims, gave false testimony, engaged in conduct designed to harass his clients, delayed court proceedings, obstructed justice and abused legal process. Terry Melcher stated that it was only Martin Melcher’s premature death that saved Day from financial ruin. It remains unresolved whether Melcher was himself duped. Day stated publicly that she believes Melcher innocent of any deliberate wrongdoing, stating that Melcher “simply trusted the wrong person”.^[14] According to Day’s autobiography, as told to A. E. Hotchner, the usually athletic and healthy Melcher had an enlarged heart. Most of the interviews on the subject given to Hotchner (and included in Day’s autobiography) paint an unflattering portrait of Melcher. Author David Kaufman asserts that one of Day’s costars, actor Louis Jourdan, maintained that Day herself disliked her husband,^[15] but Day’s public statements regarding Melcher appear to contradict that assertion.^[16]

The Doris Day Show

Upon her husband’s death on April 20, 1968, Day learned that he had committed her to a television series, which became The Doris Day Show.

“It was awful”, Day told OK! Magazine in 1996. “I was really, really not very well when Marty [Melcher] passed away, and the thought of going into TV was overpowering. But he’d signed me up for a series. And then my son Terry [Melcher] took me walking in Beverly Hills and explained that it wasn’t nearly the end of it. I had also been signed up for a bunch of TV specials, all without anyone ever asking me.”

Day hated the idea of doing television, but felt obligated. “There was a contract. I didn’t know about it. I never wanted to do TV, but I gave it 100 percent anyway. That’s the only way I know how to do it.” The first episode of The Doris Day Show aired on September 24, 1968, and, from 1968 to 1973, employed “Que Sera, Sera” as its theme song. Day grudgingly persevered (she needed the work to help pay off her debts), but only after CBS ceded creative control to her and her son.

The show was successful, enjoyed a five-year run, and functioned as a curtain-raiser for The Carol Burnett Show. The show is remembered today for its abrupt season-to-season changes in casting and premise. It was not as widely syndicated as many of its contemporaries were, and has been little seen outside the United States and the United Kingdom.^[17] By the end of its run in 1973, public tastes had changed and her firmly established persona was regarded as passé. She largely retired from acting after The Doris Day Show, but did complete two television specials, The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special (1971) and Doris Day to Day (1975). She appeared in a John Denver TV special in 1974.^{[citation needed]}

1990s and renewal of interest

The release of a greatest hits CD in 1992 garnered her another entry onto the British charts,^{[citation needed]} while the song “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” was included in the soundtrack of the Australian film Strictly Ballroom.

2000s

In 2006, Day recorded a commentary for the DVD release of the fifth (and final) season of her TV show. Recently Day has participated in telephone interviews with a radio station that celebrates her birthday with an annual Doris Day music marathon.^{[citation needed]} In July 2008 she appeared on the Southern California radio show of longtime friend newscaster George Putnam, reported in the Los Angeles Times.

While Day turned down a tribute offer from the American Film Institute,^{[citation needed]} she received and accepted the Golden Globe’s Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in 1989. In 2004, Day was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom but declined to attend the ceremony because of a fear of flying. Day did not accept an invitation to be a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors for the same reason.^[18]

Both columnist Liz Smith and film critic Rex Reed have mounted vigorous campaigns to gather support for an honorary Academy Award for Day to herald her spectacular film career and her status as the top female box-office star of all time.^[19] Day was honored in absentia with a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in Music in February 2008.

Personal life

In 1975, Day released her autobiography, Doris Day: Her Own Story, an “as-told-to” work with A. E. Hotchner. The book detailed her first three marriages:

• To Al Jorden, a trombonist whom she had met when he was in Barney Rapp’s Band, from March 1941 to 1943. Her only child, son Terry Melcher, was born from this marriage. Jorden, who was reportedly physically abusive to Day, committed suicide in 1967 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• To George Weidler (a saxophonist), from March 30, 1946 to May 31, 1949. Weidler, the brother of actress Virginia Weidler, and Day met again several years later. During a brief reconciliation, he helped her become involved in Christian Science.
• To Martin Melcher, whom she married on April 3, 1951. This marriage lasted far longer than her first two. Melcher adopted Terry (thus renaming the boy Terry Melcher), and produced many of Day’s movies. After her autobiography was published, Day married one last time.
• Her fourth and last marriage was to Barry Comden, who was roughly a decade younger, from April 14, 1976 until 1981. Comden was her first husband from outside of show business. Comden was the maitre d’ at one of Day’s favorite restaurants. Knowing of her great love of dogs, Comden endeared himself to Day by giving her a bag of meat scraps and bones on her way out of the restaurant. When this marriage unraveled, Comden complained that Day cared more for her “animal friends” than she did for him. Comden died on May 25, 2009, aged 74.

While promoting the book, Day caused a stir by rejecting the “girl next door” and “virgin” labels so often attached to her. As she remarked in her book, “The succession of cheerful, period musicals I made, plus Oscar Levant‘s highly publicized comment about my virginity (‘I knew Doris Day before she became a virgin.’) contributed to what has been called my ‘image’, which is a word that baffles me. There never was any intent on my part either in my acting or in my private life to create any such thing as an image.” Day said she believed people should live together prior to marriage, something that she herself would do if the opportunity arose. At the conclusion of this book tour, Day seemed content to focus on her charity and pet work and her business interests. (In 1985, she became part-owner with her son of the Cypress Inn in Carmel, California.)

In May 1983, she became a grandmother. In 1985 she briefly hosted her own talk show, Doris Day’s Best Friends on CBN. Despite the worldwide publicity her show received, it was canceled after 26 episodes.

Terry Melcher first made a brief attempt to become a surf music singing star, then became a staff producer for Columbia Records in the 1960s, and was famous for producing some latter-day recordings by The Beach Boys and The Byrds. In November 2004, he died from complications of melanoma, aged 62.

Animal welfare activism

Day’s interest in animal welfare and related issues apparently dates to her teen years when she was recovering from an automobile accident and took her dog Tiny for a walk without a leash. Tiny ran into the street and was killed by a passing car. Day later wrote she was wracked with guilt and loneliness. In 1971, she co-founded Actors and Others for Animals and appeared in a series of newspaper advertisements denouncing the wearing of fur, alongside Mary Tyler Moore, Angie Dickinson, and Jayne Meadows.^[20] Day’s friend, Cleveland Amory, wrote about these events in Man Kind? Our Incredible War on Wildlife (1974).

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Day promoted the annual Spay Day USA, and on a number of occasions, actively lobbied the United States Congress in support of legislation designed to safeguard animal rights. She also founded The Doris Day Animal League.www.ddal.org which was merged into The Humane Society of the United States in 2006.^[21] Staff members of the Doris Day League took positions within The HSUS, and Day recorded public service announcements for the organization. The HSUS now manages Spay Day USA, the one-day spay/neuter event she originated.^[22]

Recent years

Day now lives near Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.^[23]

References

Further reading

• Barothy, Mary Anne. Day at a Time: An Indiana Girl’s Sentimental Journey to Doris Day’s Hollywood and Beyond. Hawthorne Publishing, 2007.
• Bret, David. Doris Day: Reluctant Star. JR Books, London. 2008.*Kaufman, David (2008). Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door. New York: Virgin Books. ISBN 9781905264308.
• McGee, Garry. Doris Day: Sentimental Journey. McFarland & Company, Inc., 2005.
• Patrick, Pierre and Garry McGee. Que Sera, Sera: The Magic of Doris Day Through Television. Bear Manor Media, 2005.
• Patrick, Pierre and Garry McGee. The Doris Day Companion: A Beautiful Day (One on One with Doris and Friends). BearManor Media, 2009.
• Braun, Eric. “Doris Day.” Orion Books, 1994.
• Santopietro, Tom. “Considering Doris Day”. Thomas Dunn Books, 2008.

Elizabeth Taylor

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Elizabeth Taylor
Taylor photographed for Argentinean Magazine in 1947
Born	Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor 27 February 1932 (1932-02-27) (age 79) Hampstead, London, England
Nationality	British-American
Other names	Liz Taylor
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1942–2003
Spouse	Conrad Hilton, Jr. (1950–1951) Michael Wilding (1952–1957) Mike Todd (1957–1958) Eddie Fisher (1959–1964) Richard Burton (1964–1974, 1975–1976) John Warner (1976–1982) Larry Fortensky (1991–1996)
Parents	Francis Lenn Taylor (deceased) Sara Sothern (deceased)

Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932), also known as Liz Taylor, is an English/American actress.^[1] A former child star, she grew to be known for her acting talent and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages. Taylor is considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood’s golden age. The American Film Institute named Taylor seventh on its Female Legends list.

Early years (1932–1942)

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in Hampstead, a wealthy district of North West London, the second child of Francis Lenn Taylor (1897–1968) and Sara Viola Warmbrodt (1895–1994), who were Americans residing in England. Taylor’s older brother, Howard Taylor, was born in 1929.^{[citation needed]}

Her parents were originally from Arkansas City, Kansas. Her father was an art dealer and her mother a former actress whose stage name was ‘Sara Sothern’. Sothern retired from the stage when she and Francis Taylor married in 1926 in New York City. Taylor’s two first names are in honor of her paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Mary (Rosemond) Taylor. A dual citizen of the UK and the U.S., she was born a British subject through her birth on British soil and an American citizen through her parents.^{[citation needed]} She reportedly sought, in 1965, to renounce her United States citizenship, to wit “Though never accepted by the State Department, Liz renounced in 1965. Attempting to shield much of her European income from U.S. taxes, Liz wished to become solely a British citizen. According to news reports at the time, officials denied her request when she failed to complete the renunciation oath, refusing to say that she renounced ‘all allegiance to the United States of America’.”^[2]

At the age of three, Taylor began taking ballet lessons with Vaccani. Shortly before the beginning of World War II, her parents decided to return to the United States to avoid hostilities. Her mother took the children first, arriving in New York in April 1939,^[3] while her father remained in London to wrap up matters in the art business, arriving in November.^[4] They settled in Los Angeles, California, where Sara’s family, the Warmbrodts, were then living.

Through Hopper, the Taylors were introduced to Andrea Berens, a wealthy English socialite and also fiancée of Cheever Cowden, chairman and major stockholder of Universal Pictures in Hollywood. Berens insisted that Sara bring Elizabeth to see Cowden who, she was adamant, would be dazzled by Elizabeth’s breathtaking dark beauty; she was born with a mutation that caused double rows of eyelashes, which enhanced her appearance on camera.^[5] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer soon took interest in the British youngster as well but she failed to secure a contract with them after an informal audition with producer John Considine had shown that she couldn’t sing. However, on 18 September 1941, Universal Pictures signed Elizabeth to a six-month renewable contract at $100 a week.

Taylor appeared in her first motion picture at the age of nine in There’s One Born Every Minute, her only film for Universal Pictures. Less than six months after she signed with Universal, her contract was reviewed by Edward Muhl, the studio’s production chief. Muhl met with Taylor’s agent, Myron Selznick (brother of David), and Cheever Cowden. Muhl challenged Selznick’s and Cowden’s constant support of Taylor: “She can’t sing, she can’t dance, she can’t perform. What’s more, her mother has to be one of the most unbearable women it has been my displeasure to meet.”^[6] Universal cancelled Taylor’s contract just short of her tenth birthday in February 1942. Nevertheless on 15 October 1942, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed Taylor to $100 a week for up to three months to appear as “Priscilla” in the film Lassie Come Home.

Career

Adolescent star

Lassie Come Home featured child star Roddy McDowall, with whom Taylor would share a lifelong friendship. Upon its release in 1943, the film received favourable attention for both McDowall and Taylor. On the basis for her performance in Lassie Come Home MGM signed Taylor to a conventional seven-year contract at $100 a week but increasing at regular intervals until it reached a hefty $750 during the seventh year. Her first assignment under her new contract at MGM was a loan-out to 20th Century Fox for the character of Helen Burns in a film version of the Charlotte Bronte novel Jane Eyre (1944). During this period she also returned to England to appear in another Roddy McDowall picture for MGM, The White Cliffs of Dover (1944). But it was Taylor’s persistence in campaigning for the role of Velvet Brown in MGM’s National Velvet that skyrocketed Taylor to stardom at the tender age of 12. Taylor’s character, Velvet Brown, is a young girl who trains her beloved horse to win the Grand National. National Velvet, which also costarred beloved American favorite Mickey Rooney and English newcomer Angela Lansbury, became an overwhelming success upon its release in December 1944 and altered Taylor’s life forever. Also, many of her back problems have been traced to when she hurt her back falling off a horse during the filming of National Velvet.

National Velvet grossed over US$4 million at the box office and Taylor was signed to a new long-term contract that raised her salary to $30,000 per year. To capitalize on the box office success of Velvet, Taylor was shoved into another animal opus, Courage of Lassie, in which a different dog named “Bill”, cast as an Allied combatant in World War II, regularly outsmarts the Nazis, with Taylor going through another outdoors role. The 1946 success of Courage of Lassie led to another contract drawn up for Taylor earning her $750 per week, her mother $250, as well as a $1,500 bonus. Her roles as Mary Skinner in a loan-out to Warner Brothers‘ Life With Father (1947), Cynthia Bishop in Cynthia (1947), Carol Pringle in A Date with Judy (1948) and Susan Prackett in Julia Misbehaves (1948) all proved to be successful. Her reputation as a bankable adolescent star and nickname of “One-Shot Liz” (referring to her ability to shoot a scene in one take) promised her a full and bright career with Metro. Taylor’s portrayal as Amy, in the American classic Little Women (1949) would prove to be her last adolescent role. In October 1948, she sailed aboard the RMS Queen Mary travelling to England where she would begin filming on Conspirator, where she would play her first adult role.

Transition into adult roles

In Father of the Bride

When released in 1949, Conspirator bombed at the box office, but Taylor’s portrayal of 21-year-old debutante Melinda Grayton (keeping in mind that Taylor was only 16 at the time of filming) who unknowingly marries a communist spy (played by 38-year-old Robert Taylor), was praised by critics for her first adult lead in a film, even though the public didn’t seem ready to accept her in adult roles. Taylor’s first picture under her new salary of $2,000 per week was The Big Hangover (1950), both a critical and box office failure, that paired her with screen idol Van Johnson. The picture also failed to present Taylor with an opportunity to exhibit her newly-realized sensuality. Her first box office success in an adult role came as Kay Banks in the romantic comedy Father of the Bride (1950), alongside Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. The film spawned a sequel, Father’s Little Dividend (1951), which Taylor’s costar Spencer Tracy summarised with “boring…boring…boring”. The film was received well at the box office but it would be Taylor’s next picture that would set the course for her career as a dramatic actress. In late 1949, Taylor had begun filming George Stevens‘ A Place In The Sun. Upon its release in 1951, Taylor was hailed for her performance as Angela Vickers, a spoiled socialite who comes between George Eastman (Montgomery Clift) and his poor, pregnant factory-working girlfriend Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters).^{[citation needed]}

The film became the pivotal performance of Taylor’s career as critics acclaimed it as a classic, a reputation it sustained throughout the next 50 years of cinema history. The New York Times’ A.H. Weiler wrote, “Elizabeth’s delineation of the rich and beauteous Angela is the top effort of her career”, and the Boxoffice reviewer unequivocally stated “Miss Taylor deserves an Academy Award“. She later reflected: “If you were considered pretty, you might as well have been a waitress trying to act – you were treated with no respect at all.”^{[citation needed]}

Taylor became increasingly unsatisfied with the roles being offered to her at the time. While she wanted to play the lead roles in The Barefoot Contessa and I’ll Cry Tomorrow, MGM continued to restrict her to mindless and somewhat forgettable films such as: a cameo as herself in Callaway Went Thataway (1951), Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), Ivanhoe (1952), The Girl Who Had Everything (1953) and Beau Brummel (1954). She had wanted to play the role of Lady Rowena in Ivanhoe, but the part was given to Joan Fontaine. Taylor was given the role of Rebecca. When Taylor became pregnant with her first child, MGM forced her through The Girl Who Had Everything (even adding two hours to her daily work schedule) so as to get one more film out of her before she became too heavily pregnant. Taylor lamented that she needed the money, as she had just bought a new house with second husband Michael Wilding and with a child on the way things would be pretty tight. Taylor had been forced by her pregnancy to turn down Elephant Walk (1954), though the role had been designed for her. Vivien Leigh, almost two decades Taylor’s senior, but to whom Taylor bore a striking resemblance, got the part and went to Ceylon to shoot on location. Leigh suffered a nervous breakdown during filming, and Taylor reclaimed the role after the birth of her child Michael Wilding, Jr. in January 1953.^{[citation needed]}

Taylor’s next screen endeavor, Rhapsody (1954), another tedious romantic drama, proved equally frustrating. Taylor portrayed Louise Durant, a beautiful rich girl in love with a temperamental violinist (Vittorio Gassman) and an earnest young pianist (John Ericson). A film critic for the New York Herald Tribune wrote: “There is beauty in the picture all right, with Miss Taylor glowing into the camera from every angle…but the dramatic pretenses are weak, despite the lofty sentences and handsome manikin poses.”^{[citation needed]}

Taylor’s fourth period picture, Beau Brummell, made just after Elephant Walk and Rhapsody, cast her as the elaborately costumed Lady Patricia, which many felt was only a screen prop—a ravishing beauty whose sole purpose was to lend romantic support to the film’s title star, Stewart Granger. The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) fared only slightly better than her previous pictures, with Taylor being reunited with The Big Hangover costar Van Johnson. The role of Helen Ellsworth Willis was based on that of Zelda Fitzgerald and, although pregnant with her second child, Taylor went ahead with the film, her fourth in twelve months. Although proving somewhat successful at the box office, she still yearned for meatier roles.^{[citation needed]}

1955–1979

In Cleopatra (1963)

Following a more substantial role opposite Rock Hudson and James Dean in George Stevens‘ epic Giant (1956), Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for the following films: Raintree County (1957)^[7] opposite Montgomery Clift; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)^[8] opposite Paul Newman; and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)^[9] with Montgomery Clift, Katharine Hepburn and Mercedes McCambridge.

In 1960, Taylor became the highest paid actress up to that time when she signed a one million dollar contract to play the title role in 20th Century Fox‘s lavish production of Cleopatra,^[9] which would eventually be released in 1963. During the filming, she began a romance with her future husband Richard Burton, who played Mark Antony in the film. The romance received much attention from the tabloid press, as both were married to other spouses at the time.^[10]

Taylor won her first Academy Award, for Best Actress in a Leading Role, for her performance as Gloria Wandrous in BUtterfield 8 (1960),^[11] which co-starred then husband Eddie Fisher.

Her second Academy Award, also for Best Actress in a Leading Role, was for her performance as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966),^[12] playing opposite then husband Richard Burton. Taylor and Burton would appear together in six other films during the decade – The V.I.P.s (1963), The Sandpiper (1965), The Taming of the Shrew (1967), Doctor Faustus (1967), The Comedians {1967} and Boom! (1968).

Taylor appeared in John Huston‘s Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) opposite Marlon Brando (replacing Montgomery Clift^[13] who died before production began) and Secret Ceremony (1968) opposite Mia Farrow. However, by the end of the decade her box-office drawing power had considerably diminished, as evidenced by the failure of The Only Game in Town (1970), with Warren Beatty.^[14]

Taylor continued to star in numerous theatrical films throughout the 1970s, such as Zee and Co. (1972) with Michael Caine, Ash Wednesday (1973), The Blue Bird (1976) with Jane Fonda and Ava Gardner, and A Little Night Music (1977). With then-husband Richard Burton, she co-starred in the 1972 films Under Milk Wood and Hammersmith Is Out, and the 1973 made-for-TV movie Divorce His, Divorce Hers.

1980–2003

Taylor starred in the 1980 mystery film The Mirror Crack’d, based on an Agatha Christie novel. In 1985, she played movie gossip columnist Louella Parsons in the TV film Malice in Wonderland opposite Jane Alexander, who played Hedda Hopper. Taylor appeared in the miniseries North and South. Her last theatrical film to date was 1994′s The Flintstones. In 2001, she played an agent in the TV film These Old Broads. She appeared on a number television series, including the soap operas General Hospital and All My Children, as well as the animated series The Simpsons—once as herself, and once as the voice of Maggie Simpson, uttering one word “Daddy”.

Taylor has also acted on the stage, making her Broadway and West End debuts in 1982 with a revival of Lillian Hellman‘s The Little Foxes. She was then in a production of Noel Coward‘s Private Lives (1983), in which she starred with her former husband, Richard Burton. The student-run Burton Taylor Theatre in Oxford was named for the famous couple after Burton appeared as Doctor Faustus in the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) production of the Marlowe play. Taylor played the ghostly, wordless Helen of Troy, who is entreated by Faustus to “make [him] immortal with a kiss”.^{[citation needed]}

2003–present

In November 2004, Taylor announced that she had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, a progressive condition in which the heart is too weak to pump sufficient blood throughout the body, particularly to the lower extremities: the ankles and feet. She has broken her back five times, had both her hips replaced, has survived a benign brain tumor operation, has survived skin cancer, and has faced life-threatening bouts with pneumonia twice. She is reclusive and sometimes fails to make scheduled appearances due to illness or other personal reasons. She now uses a wheelchair and when asked about it stated that she has osteoporosis and was born with scoliosis.^[15]

In 2005, Taylor was a vocal supporter of her friend Michael Jackson in his trial in California on charges of sexually abusing a child.^[16][17] He was acquitted.

On 30 May 2006, Taylor appeared on Larry King Live to refute the claims that she has been ill, and denied the allegations that she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and was close to death.^[18]

In late August 2006, Taylor decided to take a boating trip to help prove that she was not close to death. She also decided to make Christie’s auction house the primary place where she will sell her jewelry, art, clothing, furniture and memorabilia.^[19] Six months later, the February 2007 issue of Interview magazine was devoted entirely to Taylor. It celebrated her life, career and her upcoming 75th birthday.

On 5 December 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California First Lady Maria Shriver inducted Taylor into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.^[20]

Taylor was in the news recently for a rumored ninth marriage to her companion Jason Winters, which she dismissed as a rumour.^[21] However, she was quoted as saying, “Jason Winters is one of the most wonderful men I’ve ever known and that’s why I love him. He bought us the most beautiful house in Hawaii and we visit it as often as possible,”^[22] to gossip columnist Liz Smith. Winters accompanied Taylor to Macy’s Passport HIV/AIDS 2007 gala, where Taylor was honoured with a humanitarian award. In 2008, Taylor and Winters were spotted celebrating the 4th of July on a yacht in Santa Monica, California.^[23] The couple attended the Macy’s Passport HIV/AIDS gala again in 2008.

On 1 December 2007, Taylor acted on-stage again, appearing opposite James Earl Jones in a benefit performance of the A. R. Gurney play Love Letters. The event’s goal was to raise $1 million for Taylor’s AIDS foundation. Tickets for the show were priced at $2,500, and more than 500 people attended. The event happened to coincide with the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike and, rather than cross the picket line, Taylor requested a “one night dispensation.” The Writers Guild agreed not to picket the Paramount Pictures lot that night to allow for the performance.^[24]

Other interests

Taylor on a show that was celebrating her life, late 1981

Taylor has a passion for jewellery. She is a client of well-known jewelry designer, Shlomo Moussaieff. Over the years she has owned a number of well-known pieces, two of the most talked-about being the 33.19-carat (6.64 g) Krupp Diamond and the 69.42-carat (13.88 g) pear-shaped Taylor-Burton Diamond, which were among many gifts from husband Richard Burton. Taylor also owns the 50-carat (10 g) La Peregrina Pearl, purchased by Burton as a Valentine’s Day present in 1969. The pearl was formerly owned by Mary I of England, and Burton sought a portrait of Queen Mary wearing the pearl. Upon the purchase of the painting, the Burtons discovered that the British National Portrait Gallery did not have an original painting of Mary, so they donated the painting to the Gallery.^[25][26] Her enduring collection of jewelry has been documented in her book My Love Affair with Jewelry (2002) with photographs by the New York photographer John Bigelow Taylor (no relation).

Taylor started designing jewels for The Elizabeth Collection, creating fine jewelry with elegance and flair. The Elizabeth Taylor collection by Piranesi is sold at Christie’s. She has also launched three perfumes, “Passion”, “White Diamonds”, and “Black Pearls”, which, together, earn an estimated US$200 million in annual sales. In fall 2006, Taylor celebrated the 15th anniversary of her White Diamonds perfume, one of the top 10 best selling fragrances for more than the past decade.^{[citation needed]}

Taylor has devoted much time and energy to AIDS-related charities and fundraising. She helped start the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) after the death of her former costar and friend, Rock Hudson. She also created her own AIDS foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation (ETAF). By 1999, she had helped to raise an estimated US$50 million to fight the disease. In 2006, Taylor commissioned a 37-foot (11 m) “Care Van” equipped with examination tables and X Ray equipment and also donated US$40,000 to the New Orleans Aids task force, a charity designed for the New Orleans population with AIDS and HIV. The donation of the van was made by the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation and Macy’s.^[27]

In the early 1980s, Taylor moved to Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, which is her current home. She also owns homes in Palm Springs, London and Hawaii.

Taylor is a supporter of Kabbalah and member of the Kabbalah Centre. She encouraged long-time friend Michael Jackson to wear a red string as protection from the evil-eye during his 2005 trial for molestation, where he was eventually cleared of all charges. On 6 October 1991, Taylor had married construction worker Larry Fortensky at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.^{[citation needed]} In 1997, Jackson presented Taylor with the exclusively written-for-her epic song “Elizabeth, I Love You”, performed on the day of her 65th birthday celebration.

In October 2007, Taylor won a legal battle, over a Van Gogh painting in her possession, View of the Asylum and Chapel at Saint Remy. The United States Supreme Court refused to reconsider a legal suit filed by four persons claiming that the artwork belonged to one of their Jewish ancestors,^[28] regardless of any statute of limitations.

Taylor attended Michael Jackson’s private funeral on 3 September 2009.^[29]

Personal life

Marriages

Taylor has been married eight times to seven husbands:

• Conrad “Nicky” Hilton (6 May 1950 – 29 January 1951) (divorced)
• Michael Wilding (21 February 1952 – 26 January 1957) (divorced)
• Michael Todd (2 February 1957 – 22 March 1958) (widowed)
• Eddie Fisher (12 May 1959 – 6 March 1964) (divorced)
• Richard Burton (15 March 1964 – 26 June 1974) (divorced)
• Richard Burton (10 October 1975 – 29 July 1976) (divorced)
• Note: between 1975 and 1976, Taylor was the “companion” to the Iranian ambassador to Washington, Ardeshir Zahedi. They were dubbed “the hottest couple”, and both divorced their significant others during their relationship. Taylor even traveled with him to Tehran for a time. Shah Reza Pahlavi convinced Zahedi to end his relationship with Taylor.
• John Warner (4 December 1976 – 7 November 1982) (divorced)
• Larry Fortensky (6 October 1991 – 31 October 1996) (divorced)

Children

With Wilding (two sons):

• Michael Howard Wilding (born 6 January 1953)
• Christopher Edward Wilding (born 27 February 1955)

With Todd (one daughter):

• Elizabeth Frances “Liza” Todd (born 6 August 1957)

With Burton (one daughter):

• Maria Burton (born 1 August 1961; adopted 1964)

In 1971, Taylor became a grandmother at the age of 39. She has nine grandchildren (as of January 2011).

Treatment for alcoholism

In the 1980s, she received treatment for alcoholism.^[30]

Hospitalization

Taylor has dealt with various health problems over the years, including issues regarding congestive heart failure. ^[31] In February of 2011, new symptoms related to congestive heart failure caused her to be admitted into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. As of February 13, 2011, she is reportedly being kept at the hospital for monitoring. ^[32]

Filmography

List of awards and honors

Taylor won two Academy Awards both for Best Actress, and was awarded the Jean Herscholt Humanitarian Academy Award in 1992 for her work fighting AIDS. She joined the list of two time Academy Award winning Best Actress winners which includes Luise Rainer, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman, Glenda Jackson, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Jodie Foster and Hillary Swank. (Bergman has a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as well, and Helen Hayes, Maggie Smith, Jessica Lange and Meryl Streep have an Oscar apiece for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Katharine Hepburn has 4 Best Actress Oscars.) ^[33] In 1999, Taylor was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

See also

• List of notable brain tumor patients

Notes

1. ^ “Elizabeth Taylor, The Columbia Encyclopedia”. Questia.com. http://www.questia.com/library/encyclopedia/taylor-elizabeth.jsp. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
2. ^ Elizabeth Taylor failed to renounce U.S. citizenship
3. ^ S.S. Manhattan, 27 April 1939, sheet 25. Ancestry.com. New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
4. ^ S.S. President Roosevelt, 1 November 1939, sheet 209. New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
5. ^ Bayard, Louis. “Violet Eyes To Die For” The Washington Post, 3 September 2006.
6. ^ Liz:An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor, by C. David Heymann, Birch Lane Press (1995), page 33
7. ^ Parish, James Robert; Mank, Gregory W.; Stanke, Don E. (1978). The Hollywood Beauties. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House Publishers. p. 329. ISBN 0-87000-412-3.
8. ^ Parish, p. 330
9. ^ ^{a b} Parish, p. 331
10. ^ Parrish, pp. 335–336
11. ^ Parish, p. 333
12. ^ Parish, p. 344
13. ^ Parish, p. 343
14. ^ Parish, p. 350
15. ^ CBC Arts (2006-05-31). “Elizabeth Taylor dismisses reports of illness on ‘Larry King Live’”. Cbc.ca. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/05/31/taylor-elizabeth-larryking.html. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
16. ^ News Day – Elizabeth Taylor defends Michael Jackson^{[dead link]}
17. ^ “About Michael Jackson – What others say”. Aboutmichaeljackson.com. http://aboutmichaeljackson.com/m-wfsection+article+articleid-14.html. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
18. ^ “CNN.com – Transcript of Larry King Live”. Transcripts.cnn.com. 2006-05-30. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0605/30/lkl.01.html. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
19. ^ “Elizabeth Taylor”. CelebrityWonder.com. http://www.celebritywonder.com/html/elizabethtaylor.html. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
20. ^ Taylor inducted into California Hall of Fame, California Museum. Retrieved 2007.
21. ^ Breaking News: Taylor ‘not planning ninth wedding’
22. ^ By (2007-09-12). “Elizabeth Taylor Has a New Man”. Variety.com. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117971903.html?categoryid=2062&cs=1. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
23. ^ “Taylor and Winters Still Going Strong”. Etonline.com. http://www.etonline.com/news/2008/07/63383. Retrieved 2010-04-12. ^{[dead link]}
24. ^ “Striking writers give Elizabeth Taylor a pass”. Associated Press. CNN.com. 2007-12-02. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071203112813/http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/12/02/elizabeth.taylor.ap/index.html. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
25. ^ “Elizabeth Taylor”. Divasthesite.com. http://www.divasthesite.com/Acting_Divas/Trivia/Trivia_Elizabeth_Taylor.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-12. ^{[dead link]}
26. ^ “NPG 4861; Queen Mary I”. Npg.org.uk. http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?search=ss&sText=queen+mary+i&LinkID=mp02995&rNo=2&role=sit. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
27. ^ “AIDS Unit Donated by Dame Elizabeth Taylor”. BBC News. 2006-02-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4746044.stm.
28. ^ Vicini, James (2007-10-29). “Court lets Liz Taylor keep Van Gogh painting”. Reuters.com. http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2949170020071029. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
29. ^ Netter, Sarah; Lindsay Goldwert (2009-09-03). “Michael Jackson Burial: Private Finale for King of Pop”. ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/michael-jackson-burial-private-finale-king-pop/story?id=8476277. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
30. ^ “Elizabeth Taylor at”. Biography.com. http://www.biography.com/articles/Elizabeth-Taylor-9502984. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
31. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110212/en_ac/7841228_elizabeth_taylor_death_fears_return_after_hospitalization
32. ^ http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_17376205?source=rss
33. ^ “Academy Awards Database at”. http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1296791457785. http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/about/history.html/index.html. Retrieved 2011-02-04.

André Arthur

André Arthur MP
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier
Incumbent
Assumed office 2006
Preceded by	Guy Côté
Born	December 21, 1943 (1943-12-21) (age 67) Quebec City, Quebec
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	divorced
Residence	Quebec City, Quebec
Profession	Journalist, radio host

André Arthur MP (born December 21, 1943 in Quebec City) is a Canadian radio host and politician. He was elected as an independent Member of Parliament in the riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier in the 2006 Canadian federal election. His father René Arthur and uncle Gérard Arthur were also radio hosts in their days.

Radio career

Arthur began his radio career at CHRC in 1970. He has also appeared on CJRP, CKAC, CKVL, CJMF-FM, CJMS and, most recently (until December 22, 2005), at CKNU-FM and CIMI-FM, all French-language stations. In 2007, for a brief period, he was part of the morning show on CHEQ-FM with Marie Saint-Laurent as well as the web radio station Rockik.com. He is known for his outspoken style and anti-statist politics in a province known for mainly supporting left-of-centre policies, but has nonetheless earned widespread popularity, and earned the nickname le Roi Arthur (“King Arthur”).^[1] As a young adult he worked as hockey referee; according to Arthur, this experience taught him how to accept being heavily criticized. He has two children.

Arthur’s career has been marked by a number of lawsuits. He has been sued for defamation by two Quebec Premiers, Lucien Bouchard and Daniel Johnson Jr. He has also faced penalizing decisions by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, perhaps most notably regarding several on-air statements he made which led to the non-renewal of the licence of CHOI-FM. His most recent gig, as morning and noon host for CKNU in Donnacona, Quebec, ended on December 22, 2005, soon after Genex Communications announced it was selling the station to RNC Media, which declined to renew his contract.

For several years, he opened his radio show with The Muppets‘ theme song.

Television

From 1972 to 1979, in addition to being heard on CHRC, Arthur was a news anchor for the local evening news program at Télé-4 (CFCM-TV, a TVA affiliate) in Quebec City. On August 20, 2008, it was announced that Arthur would host a talk show on the TQS network, starting September 29;^[2] however, a federal election was called in the meantime, delaying the starting date. Arthur successfully ran for MP in the 2008 election.^[3]

TQS announced the show’s cancellation on August 5, 2009.^[4]

Politics

André Arthur is a self-described libertarian, and his political views are generally in line with the libertarian ideology. He generally opposes the concept of government intervention in the economy, and supports tax cuts (as opposed to subsidies) as the most efficient way to promote economic growth and respect individual liberty.

He is also a noted admirer of the United States, which he perceives to be less intrusive in people’s lives. Arthur claims that if he were an American citizen he would never vote for George W. Bush as President – one factor being Arthur’s opposition to the Iraq War. Nonetheless, Arthur considers George W. Bush (as well as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper) to be very consistent, a quality that he admires.

Arthur is a federalist. He is known for his opposition to Quebec sovereignty, not so much because of any profound attachment to Canada, but because he fears independence would increase what he sees as the socialist tendencies of Quebec as a political entity. According to a number of Parti Québécois analysts, Arthur’s influence was a significant cause of the lower-than-expected “Yes” vote in the Quebec City area in the 1995 referendum.^[5]

He was elected in the 2006 Canadian federal election as an Independent Member of Parliament for the Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier district of Quebec. In winning the riding, Arthur became the first truly independent and non-incumbent candidate to be elected to the House of Commons since Tony Roman won an Ontario district in 1984. Arthur officially became a candidate on January 2, 2006, three weeks before Election Day. Having the advantage of name recognition and running an intensive pre-campaign every day for about two months during his morning and noon shows, he used no campaign paraphernalia and spent only $924 on his campaign. Arthur boasts of being “the cheapest Member of Parliament in Canada“, claiming to have spent less than any other elected candidate at this election.

On January 25, 2006, in an interview with Anna Maria Tremonti, host of CBC Radio One‘s morning news program The Current, Arthur stated that he would not join any political party during the then-current parliament, but he did note that the policies of the governing Conservative Party of Canada best reflect his personal political beliefs and stances on many major issues. He also stated that he entered politics as an independent with the influence and record of non-affiliated MP Chuck Cadman, the most recent MP to be elected to the House of Commons as an independent, in mind. It was reported in May 2006 that he might consider joining the Conservatives,^[6] however he later denied this saying his comments had been misinterpreted.^[7]

Arthur’s 2006 bid was not his first attempt to win political office, although he claim that his 2006 bid was the only time he really wanted to be elected (according to Arthur, in previous candidacies his goal had been to divide the results. He ran as an Independent candidate from the Louis-Hébert district in the 1994 Quebec provincial election. He finished second with 29% of the vote, behind Parti Québécois candidate Paul Bégin (39%).

In 1997, Arthur ran against incumbent Mayor Andrée Boucher of Sainte-Foy. Boucher was re-elected and Arthur finished second with 33% of the vote.

On November 30, 2006 Arthur announced in a press conference that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would be receiving treatment at Quebec City‘s Hotel-Dieu hospital in the coming weeks. He also mentioned that despite the cancer, he would remain in his post as the MP for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier.^[8]

The Conservative Party decided not to run a candidate against Arthur in the 2008 federal election.^[9] This decision proved to be decisive in his re-election; Arthur won the seat with only 33.5% of the vote, against 32% for Richard Coté of the Bloc Québécois.

André Arthur has the record of absentism in the parliament due to his other occupations including the hosting of radio and television shows.

Ethnic origins

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

Arthur’s father and uncle, René and Gérard, were Armenian immigrant children who came from Constantinople to Montreal in the 1910s, fleeing the Armenian genocide, with their parents and siblings, via New York. According to Arthur, the family was mistakenly considered to be Jewish by some Montreal residents at the time, because their last name contained the name Isaac, thus being victims of antisemitism. Consequently, the family changed its name to Arthur, a French-sounding name, which was also André Arthur’s grandfather’s first name (he was alternatively known as Arthur Isakian or Arthur DerSahag, Sahag meaning Isaac in Armenian).

Arthur’s mother was a Québécoise by the name of Tanguay, a name that originally came from Brittany to Quebec in the 17th century.

On November 17, 1998, during a broadcast on CKVL, Arthur attacked taxi drivers in Montreal, especially those who were “Arab and Haitian”. According to the summary of facts presented in the Superior Court, Arthur denounced “their incompetence and filthiness, while suggesting they get their licenses by corruption and are somehow responsible for the deplorable state of this mode of transport in the city.”^[10]

On February 17, 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of Arthur.

Malenfant TV serie

In december 2009, cable channel Série+ announced it would broadcast in the winter of 2011 a four-part miniseries on Raymond Malenfant, produced by Ricardo Trogi. The role of Raymond Malenfant will be played by Luc Picard and Francis Cantin (Raymond Malenfant young adult). The role of André Arthur (1986, 1991 and 2001) will be played by Jean-François Porlier.[1]

See also

• Jeff Fillion

References

Elton John

Sir Elton John
Elton John in July 2008
Background information
Birth name	Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Born	25 March 1947 (1947-03-25) (age 63) Pinner, Middlesex, England
Genres	Rock, glam rock, soft rock, R&B, pop rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	1964–present
Labels	DJM, Uni, MCA, Geffen, Rocket/Island, Universal, Interscope, Mercury, UMG
Associated acts	Bernie Taupin, Tim Rice, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Kiki Dee, Billy Joel, George Michael, Eminem, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Neil Sedaka
Website	eltonjohn.com

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. He has worked with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.

In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time.^[1] His single “Candle in the Wind 1997” has sold over 33 million copies worldwide, and is the best selling single in Billboard history.^[2] He has more than 50 Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won six Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.^[3]

John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.^[4] He has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s,^[5] and was knighted in 1998.^[6]In 1992 he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a year later began hosting the annual Academy Award Party, which has since become one of the most high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. Since its inception, the foundation has raised over $200 million. John entered into a civil partnership with David Furnish^[7] on 21 December 2005 and continues to be a champion for LGBT social movements. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him as the most successful male solo artist on “The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists” (third overall, behind only The Beatles and Madonna).^[8]

Biography and career

Early life

John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947, the eldest child of Stanley and only child of Sheila Eileen (née Harris) Dwight^[9][10][11] and was raised in Pinner, Middlesex in a council house of his maternal grandparents. His parents did not marry until he was 6 years old, when the family moved to a nearby semi-detached house.^[12][13][14] He was educated at Pinner Wood Junior School, Reddiford School and Pinner County Grammar School, until age 17, when he left just prior to his A Level examinations to pursue a career in the music industry.^[15][16][17]

When John began to seriously consider a career in music, his father, who served as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, tried to steer him toward a more conventional career, such as banking.^[15] John has stated that his wild stage costumes and performances were his way of letting go after such a restrictive childhood.^[17] Both of John’s parents were musically inclined, his father having been a trumpet player with the Bob Millar Band, a semi-professional big band that played at military dances.^[17] The Dwights were keen record buyers, exposing John to the popular singers and musicians of the day, and John remembers being immediately hooked on rock and roll when his mother brought home records by Elvis Presley and Bill Haley & His Comets in 1956.^[15][16]