Dee Snider

Dee Snide,

Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He was ranked 83 in the Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalist of All Time.

Early life

Born in Astoria, New York, Snider grew up in nearby Baldwin and graduated from Baldwin High School in 1973. As a child he sang in a church choir, several school choruses, and Baldwin HS Concert Choir. He also was selected for the All State Chorus by singing. While in eighth grade, Snider was in a Black Sabbath cover band.

Career

1970s–1980s

In early 1976, Snider joined the recently formed Twisted Sister and became the sole songwriter of the band thereafter. The group released their first studio album, Under the Blade, in September 1982 and developed a following in the UK. Less than a year later, Twisted Sister released their sophomore effort, You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll. Their third album, Stay Hungry, hit shelves on May 10, 1984. This would become the band's most successful record with the hits "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock." To emphasize the "twisted sister" image, Snider adopted a trademark persona of metal-inspired drag with a long blond wig, an excessive amount of eye shadow and rouge, and bright red lipstick.

During the mid 1980s, before the premiere of Headbangers Ball, the first MTV program to consist entirely of heavy metal videos was Heavy Metal Mania. The first episode aired in June 1985 and was hosted by Dee Snider. It featured metal news, interviews with metal artists, and in-studio co-hosts. That same year in November, Twisted Sister released Come Out and Play which sold over 500,000 copies but was marred by a poor concert tour.

In 1985, a Senate hearing was instigated by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), who wanted to introduce a parental warning system that would label all albums containing offensive material. The system was to include letters identifying the type of objectionable content to be found in each album (e.g. O for occult themes, S for sex, D for drugs, V for violence, etc). Dee Snider, John Denver, and Frank Zappa all testified against censorship and the proposed warning system. Such a system was never implemented, but the result of the trial brought about what is now the generic "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" label.

The PMRC was initially formed by the wives of Washington DC power brokers Al Gore (D-TN, Senate) and Secretary of State James Baker. Tipper Gore in particular became the face of the PMRC and a public foil for Snider in the hearings. Ironically, in the 2000 US Presidential Election cycle, Snider endorsed Vice President Gore for office. Public statements at the time (as noted in a July 2000 Reason article) have Snider justifying the decision based on Gore's environmental stance; however, other comments attributed to Snider quote him as saying he was backing the obvious winner[citation needed].

A fifth Twisted Sister album would be made in 1987's Love Is for Suckers. The record was originally planned to be a Dee Snider solo effort, but Atlantic Records encouraged a release under the Twisted Sister name. Touring lasted only into October that year and on the 12th of that month, Snider announced his departure from the band. It was during this time that Snider formed Desperado, a band featuring ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Torme, and bassist Marc Russel. The group's only album, Ace, has never been officially released but was heavily bootlegged on CD under the title Bloodied But Unbowed.

1990s

Snider performing in Manchester, England

In the 1990s, Snider formed Widowmaker with Joe Franco, a good friend to Twisted Sister and drummer on the Love Is For Suckers, as well as Al Pitrelli and Marc Russel. The quartet recorded two albums with limited underground success, titled Blood and Bullets and Stand By For Pain. In the late 1990s, Snider toured with a "self-tribute" band called Dee Snider's SMFs (Sick Mother Fuckers), sometimes featuring ex-Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero. The usual line up included Dee Snider, Derek Tailer, Charlie Mills, Keith Alexander, and Spike.

In 1997, Dee Snider began hosting the House of Hair, a syndicated 1980s hard rock/heavy metal radio show that airs on over 200 radio stations across North America. It is syndicated by the United Stations Radio Networks. The show's format runs two hours and features Snider's closing catchphrase, "If it ain't metal, it's crap!"

In 1998, Snider had penned a song entitled "The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" which would be recorded in 1998 by Celine Dion for her album These Are Special Times. According to Snider, Dion at the time was not aware of who wrote the song. Later that year, he also wrote and starred in the horror film Strangeland. Snider has also penned the script to a sequel which has the working title of Strangeland: Disciple. As of January 2008, however, Snider was less than optimistic that it would ever see the light of day, saying in an interview with Bullz-Eye.com that he had reached a point where he should "put a sign on my website that says, 'Y’got ten million dollars? Give me a call. I’ve got the script ready to go, Robert Englund’s attached, I’m attached. If somebody’s serious and wants to make it, call me. But don’t call me ‘til you’re ready to hand the check over.'” In May 2009, Dee Snider revealed on his radio show,"The House Of Hair," that Strangeland: Disciple will go ahead and is set to begin shooting in the fall of 2009 and is slated for a 2010 release.

2000s–present

From June 1999 to August 2003, Snider hosted a morning radio show on a Hartford, Connecticut Clear Channel station, Radio 104 (104.1 FM WMRQ), called Dee Snider Radio. His show returned to the air at night in August 2004 on 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until June 2005. He fondly referred to his listeners as his "Peeps," and "DEE" euro stickers, printed by the station, could be seen on the bumpers of his fans' cars throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Other members of the morning show included Nick Lentino, Beth Lockwood, "Psycho Dan" Williams, Sean Robbins, and "Darkside Dave" Wallace. He frequently featured high-profile guests, including Ozzy Osbourne, pro wrestler Mick Foley, and KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons.

In 2001, Snider was the voice of Gol Acheron, the main villain for the PlayStation 2 video game Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The following year, he rejoined with the reunited Twisted Sister. Snider also played himself in the 2002 TV-movie Warning: Parental Advisory. In 2003, he appeared with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger during his drive to recall incumbent California Governor Gray Davis. Snider sang the Twisted Sister hit, "We're Not Gonna Take It," which was adopted by the Schwarzenegger campaign.

Snider narrates and hosts many shows and specials on VH1, movie trailers, behind the scenes segments, and DVD special features. He was featured as the 'voice' in the bumpers for MSNBC's 2001/2002 "Fiercely Independent" branding campaign. Every year since 2004, Snider has narrated a live show known as Van Helsing's Curse which tours the US around Halloween giving a mix of famous music with dark overtones and an occasional part of a storytelling to accompany the music. The concert has also been released on CD. Snider hosted VH1's 2008 "Aftermath" concert in remembrance of the victims and survivors of the 2003 Station nightclub fire.

Snider returned to radio in June 2006 with Fangoria Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 102 from 9-12 Eastern.

During winter of 2008, Snider was featured as a contestant on CMT's Gone Country. The show recruited famous musical celebrities who competed against each other to win a chance to release a country song. Also in 2008, Snider appeared on the first episode of season two's Kitchen Nightmares who Gordon Ramsay had recruited as part of the marketing for the re-launch of the Handlebar restaurant. On the show, Snider donated a motorcycle for auction in which customers of the Handlebar were able to bid on through the Handlebar restaurants website.

Dee hosts DEAD ART on Gallery HD, a show about the beauty and art of cemeteries. He also hosts House of Hair a radio show that plays heavy metal music.

Snider has made appearances on the IFC Channel's original series Z Rock as himself playing the character of a "rock guru."

On July 27, 2010., Dee Snider and his family began appearing in the reality television show "Growing Up Twisted," airing on the Arts and Entertainment Network.

Personal life

Snider has been married to his wife Suzette, a costume designer, since October 21,1981. They have four children, Jesse Blaze (September 19, 1982), Shane Royal (February 29,1988), Cody Blue (December 7,1989), and Cheyenne Jean (October 31, 1996). His eldest son Jesse hosted MTV2 Rock, a music video countdown program in 2003, and was the runner-up in MTV's 2008 show Rock the Cradle. Dee appeared on the show as Jesse's mentor. Jesse is also the lead singer of the punk metal band Baptized By Fire.

In 2003, Snider's brother-in-law, Vincent Gargiulo, was murdered.

Snider currently lives part-time in East Setauket, New York. He appeared on MTV Cribs in 2005 to show his Long Island home, along with two of his four children, Shane and Cheyenne.

Snider is a personal friend of professional wrestler Mick Foley.

Snider is a registered Republican, but does not always vote for his party. In 2008, he stated in a TMZ interview that he would be voting for Barack Obama because John McCain (whom he liked and supported for many years) would not acknowledge George W. Bush's mistakes that he made while in office.

At the PMRC hearings, Dee Snider stated: "I was born and raised a Christian and I still adhere to those principles."

Projects

Bands

Twisted Sister

Desperado

Widowmaker

S.M.F.'s (Sick Mutha Fuckers)

Bent Brother (heavy metal group)

Books

Dee Snider's Teenage Survival Guide, Doubleday, 1987 - available in hardcover & softcover

Rock & Roll War Stories, Pitbull Publishing LLC, a chapter is dedicated to a hilarious anecdote Dee Snider told musician/author Gordon G.G. Gebert on Dee's House of Hair Radio show. The story inspired Gebert to write his third book.

Solo albums

Never Let the Bastards Wear You Down, 2000

Guest appearances

"Crazy Train" on Bat Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy, 2000

"Go to Hell" on Humanary Stew: A Tribute To Alice Cooper, 1999

"Go to Hell" on Welcome to My Nightmare: An All Star Salute To Alice Cooper, 1999

"Eleanor Rigby" on Eddie Ojeda's Axes 2 Axes, 2005

"Wasted Years" on Numbers From The Beast: An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden, 2005

"SCG3 Special Report" on Lordi: The Arockalypse, 2006

"Detroit Rock City" on Spin The Bottle: An All-Star Tribute To KISS, 2004

"Howard Stern" on Sirius, Feb 8, 2006; 2007

"Saigon Suicide Show"; an episode of the television show "The Upright Citizens Brigade", 1998

"Handlebar"; an episode of the television show "Kitchen Nightmares", 2008

"Episode#1.7"; an episode of the television show "Z Rock (ZO2)", 2008

Monster Circus live at the Las Vegas Hilton March 19-21 & 26-28, 2009

"Paint it Black" on "Harder & Heavier-60's British Invasion Goes Metal," 2010

"I Wanna Rock" on America's Got Talent, 2010

Filmography

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) - cameo appearance on top of a car hood singing "Burn in Hell"

Private Parts (1997) - cameo appearance in the opening scene

Strangeland (1998)

Van Helsing's Curse (2004)

Kiss Loves You (2004)

Metal: A Headbangers Journey (2005)

[edit]Other appearances in media

Spongebob Squarepants (2009) - played the character Angry Jack on the episode "Shell Shocked"

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001) - did the voice of Gol the Sage

Bluetooth= D-bag (2009)- Partook in the JOHNisFUNNY.com  YouTube sketch about Bluetooth headsets, created by Long Island filmmaker John Mingione

"Penn Jillette Radio" (October 19, 2006) - Interviewed by Penn Jillette 

(source:wikipdia)

Dr. Frank Ryan

Dr. Frank Ryan,

Dr. Francis Harry “Frank” Ryan (born May 21, 1960- August 16, 2010) was an American plastic surgeon. He is well known for his nonprofit foundation, The Bony Pony Ranch, as well as his multiple celebrity patients.

In 1994, Ryan entered private practice in Beverly Hills. The following year, he performed one of the first plastic surgery “makeovers” on television, on TLC's The Operation. In 1999, Ryan became the plastic surgeon for boxer Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. Dr. Ryan was killed in a car accident on August 16th, 2010. He was 50 years old at the time of his death.

Background

Dr. Frank Ryan was Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1982 and from the Ohio State University's College of Medicine in 1986.

He then completed eight years of post-graduate surgical training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the University of Missouri and UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Ryan has also participated in numerous fellowships, the first of which was a burn reconstruction fellowship at Shriners Hospital for Children. In 1990, he completed a UCLA Division of Plastic Surgery Research Fellowship that focused exclusively on breast augmentation.

While at the UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Ryan was chosen for and completed the UCLA Division of Plastic Surgery’s Aesthetic Fellowship.

Death

On August 16th, 2010, according to law enforcement, Dr. Ryan's Jeep went over the side of Pacific Coast Highway at around 4:30 PM. The Jeep landed on rocks and lifeguards initially tried to help Ryan, to no avail. Dr. Ryan, was trapped in the vehicle and had major head injuries. The Ventura County Fire Department tried hoisting Ryan using a helicopter, but the attempt was called off. Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene, at the age of 50. An Autopsy was performed on Dr. Ryan on August 17th, 2010.

(source:wikipedia)

Gary Coleman

Gary Wayne Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986) and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars." After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman struggled financially later in life. In 1993, he successfully sued his parents and business adviser over misappropriation of his assets.




Early life

Coleman was born in Zion, Illinois. He was adopted by Edmonia Sue, a nurse practitioner, and W.G. Coleman, a fork-lift operator. He suffered from a congenital kidney disease caused by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (an autoimmune destruction and alteration of the kidney), which halted his growth at an early age, leading to a small stature (4 ft 8 in; 1.42 m) and a childlike appearance. He underwent two kidney transplants, one in 1973 and one in 1984, and required daily dialysis.



Career

While best known for his role on Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman had appeared earlier on The Jeffersons and on Good Times as Penny's friend Gary. He also appeared in a 1978 pilot for a revival of The Little Rascals as Stymie.



Diff'rent Strokes
Coleman was cast in the role of Arnold Jackson in the television sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, portraying one of two young African-American brothers adopted by a wealthy Caucasian widower in Manhattan. The successful show was broadcast from 1978 to 1986.
Coleman became the most popular fixture of the show, enhanced by his character's catchphrase "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" At the height of his fame on Diff'rent Strokes, he earned as much as $100,000 per episode. A Biography Channel documentary estimated he was left with a quarter of the original amount after paying his parents, advisers, lawyers, and taxes. He later successfully sued his parents and his former advisers for misappropriation of his finances and was awarded $1.3 million.
Later character appearances
Coleman became a popular figure, starring in a number of feature films and made-for-TV movies including On the Right Track and The Kid with the Broken Halo. The latter eventually served as the basis for the Hanna-Barbera-produced animated series The Gary Coleman Show in 1982.
Candidacy for Governor of California

Coleman was a candidate for governor in the 2003 California recall election. This campaign was sponsored by the free newsweekly East Bay Express as a satirical comment on the recall. After Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy, Coleman stated that he would be voting for Schwarzenegger. Coleman placed 8th in a field of 135 candidates, receiving 14,242 votes.



Avenue Q

Coleman is parodied in the hit 2003 Broadway musical Avenue Q, which won the 2004 Tony Award for best musical. A character presented as Coleman works as the superintendent of the apartment complex where the musical takes place. In the song, "It Sucks to be Me", he laments his fate. On Broadway, the role was originally played by Natalie Venetia Belcon.
The show's producers have said they originally considered asking Coleman himself to play the Gary Coleman role, and he expressed interest in doing so. However, he never showed up for a meeting scheduled to discuss it.
In 2005, Coleman announced his intention to sue the producers of Avenue Q for their depiction of him, although the lawsuit never materialized. At the 2007 New York Comic Con, Coleman said, "I wish there was a lawyer on Earth that would sue them for me."
The off-Broadway cast of Avenue Q announced that the May 28, 2010 show would be dedicated to Coleman, following his death. They released a statement saying, "The creators, producers, and company of Avenue Q are terribly saddened to hear of the death of Gary Coleman, whose tremendous gifts brought delight and inspiration to audiences around the world. While everything in life may be only for now, we suspect that Gary's legacy will live on for many years to come. Gary's memory will certainly endure in the hearts and minds of those of us who live on Avenue Q. When the show concludes tonight at 10pm at New World Stages, Danielle K. Thomas, who portrays Mr. Coleman in the musical, will pay a tribute to him from the stage."



Personal life

Coleman secretly wed his girlfriend of five months, Shannon Price, 22, on August 28, 2007. They met on the set of the 2006 comedy film Church Ball. On May 1 and 2, 2008, Coleman and his wife appeared on the show Divorce Court to air their differences in front of Judge Lynn Toler. Unlike regular Divorce Court participants, they appeared on the show with the intent to save their marriage rather than adjudicate a separation.



Legal struggles
Financial matters
In 1989, Coleman sued his parents and former business adviser over misappropriation of his $3.8 million trust fund. He won a $1,280,000 ruling on February 23, 1993. Coleman later filed for bankruptcy in 1999; he attributed his financial problems to mismanagement of his trust.



Assault
Coleman was charged with assault in 1998 after he punched a woman. He was working as a security guard, and bus driver Tracy Fields requested his autograph while he was shopping for a bulletproof vest in a California mall. The two argued about the autograph, and Fields mocked Coleman's lackluster career as an adult actor. Coleman testified that "I was getting scared, and she was getting ugly"; he said that he thought Fields was going to hit him, so he punched her. Coleman pleaded no contest and received a suspended sentence. He was also ordered to pay Fields $1,665 for hospital bills resulting from the fight.
Citation for disorderly conduct
On July 26, 2007, Coleman was cited for misdemeanor disorderly conduct by a Provo, Utah, police officer after Coleman was seen having a "heated discussion" with his wife, Shannon Price.
On July 3, 2009, Coleman and his wife were involved in a domestic dispute in which Coleman's wife was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, and both parties were cited for disorderly conduct.
Automobile accident
Coleman was involved in an automobile accident in Payson, Utah on September 6, 2008. According to Payson police, Coleman was backing up his truck in a Payson bowling alley parking lot when he allegedly hit 24-year-old Colt Rushton. According to a witness, the tire of Coleman's truck hit Rushton's knee and pulled him under the truck. Coleman's vehicle then hit another car. Rushton was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released with minor injuries. Police said Coleman's driving speed was not excessive. Witnesses told police the incident stemmed from an argument that started in the bowling alley after Rushton photographed Coleman. Coleman objected to Rushton taking his picture and the two men started arguing, according to witnesses. There was no citation or arrest for either man. Police said neither man would make a statement at the scene.
On December 2, 2008, Coleman pleaded no contest to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving. The court ordered him to pay a $100 fine for disorderly conduct. The reckless driving charge was to be waived in one year if Coleman did not commit any further violations. On January 14, 2010, Coleman settled a civil suit related to the incident for an undisclosed amount.
Domestic violence assault
On January 24, 2010, Coleman was arrested on a domestic violence assault warrant in Santaquin, Utah. Coleman was subsequently booked into the Utah County Jail  and released on January 25, 2010.



Death

Wikinews has related news: US actor Gary Coleman dies aged 42
On May 26, 2010, Coleman was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, after falling and hitting his head and suffering an epidural hematoma at his home in Santaquin, Utah. He was announced to be in critical condition. According to a hospital spokesman, Coleman was 'conscious and lucid' on the morning of Thursday May 27, but his condition subsequently worsened.  By mid-afternoon on May 27, 2010, Coleman was unconscious and on life support. He died at 12:05 p.m. MDT (18:05 UTC) on May 28, 2010.
The off-Broadway cast of Avenue Q dedicated the May 28, 2010, production of the show to Coleman, with Danielle K. Thomas, who portrays Coleman in the musical, paying tribute to him from the stage at the show's end. In the hours following his death, Gary Coleman's name became the top trending topic on social networking site Twitter. His catchphrase “What you talkin bout Willis” also made it on to the trending list as well.
Ranking Among Child Stars

United States Cable Television Channel VH1 rated Coleman first on a list of 'the 100 greatest child stars' on television.
Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1979 The Kid from Left Field Jackie Robinson "J.R." Cooper Television film
1980 Scout's Honor Joey Seymour Television film
1981 On the Right Track Lester
1982 The Kid with the Broken Halo Andy LeBeau Television film
Jimmy the Kid Jimmy
1983 The Kid with the 200 I.Q. Nick Newell Television film
1984 The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins D.C. Collins Television film
1985 Playing with Fire David Phillips Television film
1994 Party The Liar Short film
Associate producer
S.F.W. Cameo
1996 Fox Hunt Murray Lipschitz, Jr.
1997 Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's Himself Documentary
1998 Dirty Work Cameo
Like Father, Like Santa Ignatius Television film
1999 Shafted!
2000 The Flunky
2002 Frank McKlusky, C.I. Cameo
2003 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Himself Cameo
A Carol Christmas Christmas Past Television film
2004 Chasing the Edge Cameo
Short film
Save Virgil Himself/The Devil
2005 A Christmas Too Many
2006 Church Ball
2008 An American Carol Bacon Stains Malone
2009 Midgets vs. Mascots Gary Last film appearance
Television
First appeared in a commercial for Harris Bank. His line, after the announcer says "You should have a Harris banker" was "You should have a Hubert doll". "Hubert" was a stuffed lion representing the Harris bank logo.
The Jeffersons (1977, guest)
Good Times (1977, guest)
Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986)
The Facts of Life (1980)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (episode "The Cosmic Wizz-Kid", also has a cameo in a later episode)
The Gary Coleman Show (1982) (voice)
Amazing Stories (1986) Season 1: Episode 13 – "The Sitter"
227 (1990)
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (guest) (as Arnold Jackson, with Conrad Bain as Phillip Drummond) (1996)
The Ben Stiller Show (1993) as himself
The Wayans Bros. (Pilot Episode: "Goop, Hair-It-Is" - January 11, 1995, guest; as himself)
The Simpsons, "Grift of the Magi" (December 19, 1999)
The Drew Carey Show, "What's Wrong with this Episode? IV" (March 28, 2001)
Drake and Josh (guest)
My Wife and Kids (guest)
The Jamie Foxx Show (guest as Cupid)
Married… with Children (guest)
The Surreal Life (guest)
Unscrewed with Martin Sargent (2003–2004, guest)
Simon & Simon, "Like Father, Like Son"
The Parkers as himself
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! "The Apocalypse" as himself (July 16, 2009, guest)
Source:wikipedia
Sponsor:ez2.in

Danniella Westbrook

Danniella Westbrook (born 5 November 1973) is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for being the original actress to play Samantha Mitchell in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1990–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000 and 2009–10. Away from EastEnders she has presented various shows, and was also a contestant on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2003.Westbrook returned to filming for EastEnders as Sam Mitchell in June 2009 and left when the character was sent to prison in January 2010. She competed in the 2010 series of Dancing on Ice with US Pairs Skater Matthew Gonzalez and finished fourth in the competition.
Westbrook struggled with a much publicised cocaine addiction throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, which caused the complete erosion of her nasal septum/colonna. She sought treatment and no longer uses drugs. She is married with two children, and released her autobiography, The Other Side of Nowhere, in 2006.

Early life

Westbrook was born in Walthamstow, East London, but grew up in Loughton, Essex. Her father Andy was a cab driver, later a carpet contractor, while her mother, Sue, was a shop assistant. Her parents were also successful property developers. Westbrook has two brothers, the eldest, Justin — her father's son from a prior marriage — and a younger brother, Jay, who is 8 years her junior. She has commented "I came from a very loving family - you know, 2.4 children with a Volvo".
As a child, she had a keen interest in horse riding, but she has said that she has always had aspirations to be famous. She started off modeling at the age of seven and then progressed to acting. She joined the Sylvia Young Theatre School when she was eight, attending Saturday classes. Throughout the early stages of her career, Westbrook attended a local state primary school, but she was bullied because of her television appearances, and after one bully cut off her hair, Westbrook's parents removed her from the school. She was sent to a local private school, until, at the age of 12, her parents allowed her to attend Sylvia Young Theatre School as a full-time student, where Denise Van Outen, Dani Behr and her future EastEnders co-star, Nicola Stapleton, were among her contemporaries.




Career

Early career
Westbrook started off modeling at the age of seven for the supermarket Asda. She went on to launch Next's children's fashionware, became the face of highstreet store "Tammy Girl", took part in a Weetabix campaign and featured in commercials for Opel cars and Coca Cola. Later she did modeling alongside her younger brother Jay. She progressed into acting, appearing as a child thief in Melvyn Bragg's London Programme and the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.She appeared in a video for the band Queen and had a minor role in Grange Hill. At the age of eleven she appeared as an extra in BBC's EastEnders, roller skating across the soap's setting of Albert Square. At the time her local paper published her picture with the punchline "who knows, one day she may be the show's star!".



EastEnders
At the age of 16, Westbrook was put forward for a much bigger role in EastEnders, Sam Mitchell (the younger sister of Phil and Grant). Her audition was successful and she made her first appearance on the soap opera in 1990.Despite featuring in some prominent storylines, Westbrook decided to leave the soap in 1993 to take another role. In 1995, the producers at EastEnders asked her back to the soap a second time. However, Westbrook was regularly using cocaine and it began to affect her work. Due to her off-screen antics and her poor and tardy attendance on set, the producers of EastEnders terminated her contract and she was written out of the soap again in 1996.
In 1999, EastEnders' producers decided to reintroduce the character of Sam Mitchell. Although they initially considered recasting the role to another actress, and despite all her past problems, they decided to give Danniella another chance and she was asked back for a third time. During her time away, Daniella's excessive use of cocaine had completely eroded away her nasal septum. In order to hide this from the audience, Danniella was only filmed in ways that would keep her septum hidden from view.However, Daniella's drug taking continued and in 2000, she was asked to leave EastEnders for a third time. After her departure, the character of Sam Mitchell was recast and played by Kim Medcalf from 2002–2005. After Kim Medcalf quit in 2005, a tabloid rumour suggested that Danniella would be reprising the role in her place, the rumour was, however, denied by the BBC. In March 2009, it was reported by The Sun that EastEnders bosses were considering in writing the character of Sam Mitchell back into EastEnders, and that Daniella Westbrook would be playing her, despite Kim Medcalf being the latest actress to play her. A source said "[Danniella] was the original Sam and the chemistry with Sid Owen as Ricky was exciting stuff. If she returns it will be the talk of soapland for months."
On 7 April, 2009, it was announced Sam Mitchell was returning to EastEnders and that Daniella would be playing her again, taking over from Kim Medcalf, and playing the role she played throughout the 1990s. She will return later in 2009. The news that Westbrook was returning to the role was then confirmed by both the BBC and EastEnders Executive Producer Diederick Santer later that same day, on the official website. In May, Danniella admitted that her addicitions stopped her from returning to EastEnders sooner, as she did not want to risk her recovery. She returned to filming in June. She returned to screens on 4 September 2009 and departed once again in January 2010. Diederick Santer said he hoped Danniella would return to the show in the future.
[edit]Other work
A week after her initial exit from EastEnders, in 1993, Westbrook landed the part of Dawn in ITV's Frank Stubbs Promotes, which had a second series in 1994. She also played a part in Dave Stewart's directional film debut, Entertaining Mr. Simpson. The film was shown at various film festivals around the world, including Cannes.
In 2003, Westbrook was a contestant in the British ITV reality series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. Despite being a popular candidate for winning, she found the environment traumatic, saying that she missed her children and wasn't psychologically prepared for the hardship of jungle life. She quit the show before being voted off.
Westbrook was offered the role of Natalie Buxton in the ITV prison series Bad Girls, but she declined because of her nose rebuilding operation . Dannielle Brent went on to play Natalie Buxton. Westbrook also turned down a small role in Footballers Wives and the role of money grabber Suzie Samson in Crossroads. Emma Noble went on to portray Suzie Samson
Westbrook — who has openly had several breast enhancements— co-presented Cosmetic Surgery Live alongside Vanessa Feltz. Danniella has also presented a series of fitness DVDs. She has appeared in the reality series I'm Famous and Frightened! and Most Haunted, as well as the television comedy sketch show Bo' Selecta. In addition, she presented Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns with Derek Acorah on LIVINGtv.
Westbrook has featured in several documentaries, including an interview with British journalist Martin Bashir for the Tonight with Trevor McDonald show and Danniella Westbrook: My Nose and Me for Channel 4. In April 2006, Danniella released an autobiography entitled The Other Side of Nowhere, which gives a depiction of her struggles with cocaine.
Danniella competed in the fifth series of Dancing on Ice and was partnered by newcomer professional Matthew Gonzalez in 2010. She was the only competitor to top the leaderboard above Hayley Tamaddon in Week 10 and scored the second highest score for a prop week performance in Dancing on Ice history with 27.5 that same week, with a chair as her prop. She was eliminated from the show in the semi-finals and came fourth overall.


Personal life

Addiction

Danniella famously appeared on chatshow 'The Priory' in February 2001, where she appeared to be heavily under the influence of drugs.
Westbrook's struggle with cocaine addiction has been widely documented in the British press. She has confessed that she first tried the drug at the age of 14, in a nightclub. After winning her role in EastEnders at the age of 16, Westbrook was a regular on the London club scene, and her cocaine usage escalated. By the age of 21, she was spending £400 a day on cocaine. She has commented "I was always in clubs and everyone was doing coke and it was glamorous - except obviously, it wasn't at all. I was just very young, very stupid and very easily led...I think there should be someone at EastEnders to say to young people when they come in, 'Look, your life is about to change, you're going to be invited to things, and you'll be offered drugs.' Someone who can tell them what sort of people are about, and what sort of papers, and how quickly what you've worked for all those years can be gone." It is estimated that she has spent over £250,000 on drugs, used 5g of cocaine every single day throughout her first pregnancy,and has admitted that during her lowest ebb she attempted suicide several times.
In May 2000, Westbrook was photographed at the British Soap Awards, where an image of her missing septum was given to a series of tabloid newspapers, unveiling her secret and highlighting her excessive drug abuse. Danniella was checked into rehab and six months later, she appeared on the Channel 4 show 'The Priory' with the claim that she was clean and had been free from drugs for months. However, hosts Jamie Theakston and Zoe Ball struggled to get coherent answers from Danniella, who was under the influence of drugs despite her claims of abstinence. Reflecting back on the event in 2002, Westbrook commented, "I said I was clean, but it was obvious I wasn't. I looked about 50, and my voice was shaky. I should never have been allowed on. They wanted to laugh at me, rip me apart. I despise that sort of thing, but it did me the world of good because watching it I realised, 'I'm so ill.' When it came to the crunch I thought, 'Hang on. I don't want to die.'"  Danniella re-entered rehab in order to kick her drug habit, which she has now successfully done. Westbrook has since undergone reconstructive surgery on her nose to replace her eroded septum.


Relationships and family
During the early 1990s, Westbrook notably dated the pop singer, Brian Harvey. Westbrook and Harvey's relationship ended in 1995, and Westbrook began dating Robert Fernandez, the father of her son Kai, who was born in 1996.
In 1998, Westbrook was involved in a car accident, which left her with severe facial injuries, including a dislocated eye. She was flung through the car windscreen, but survived, and after corrective surgery, sustained no long-term or major disfigurement. Fernandez was driving the car, and it has been reported that he was travelling at 85 mph.
After splitting with Fernandez, Westbrook married van driver Ben Morgan in 1998, after knowing him for just eight weeks. The couple went to live in Australia but the marriage did not last, ending in divorce nine months later.
She married again, this time millionaire businessman Kevin Jenkins on 27 December 2001 and their daughter Jody B was born the following year. After appearing on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2003, Westbrook admitted that she no longer wanted to be a 'celebrity', commenting "I made a pact with Kevin I would do no more TV work that would take me away from home. These days, I live an ordinary life. I work occasionally, but I also do the school run and laundry and prepare my family's dinner".
Source:wikipedia

Hollie Steel

Hollie Steel (born 1 July 1998) is a schoolgirl and performer from Huncoat, Lancashire, England. In 2009 at the age of ten she was one of ten finalists on the third series of the ITV reality show Britain's Got Talent.
Her first audition drew mostly positive comments from all of the show's judges. In her second appearance during the semi-finals Steel forgot the words of her song, broke down in tears and could not finish the song, but one of the programme's judges intervened and she was allowed to perform a second time.Steel advanced to the finals and finished in sixth place. She then toured the United Kingdom, making live performances with the series' other finalists in the summer of 2009.
In September 2009, Steel signed with a record label and began recording her debut album, which is due for release in May 2010.

Early life

Steel has been singing since the age of six when she showed interest in her brother Joshua's performances. She also attends the KLF Dance Academy in Burnley with him. Prior to Britain's Got Talent she performed in productions of Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Steel's parents, Nina and Jason, who work as National Health Service audiologists, said that she was entered in Britain's Got Talent so she would not feel left out as they felt her older brother, Joshua, was more likely to progress.
Steel had serious pneumonia when she was four years old; fluid filled one of her lungs and surgeons considered removing the lung. She was instead hospitalised for three months at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and underwent several operations to drain her lungs.


Singing career

2009: Britain's Got Talent
Steel first auditioned for Britain's Got Talent in April 2009. In her first televised appearance, she began her number ballet dancing to "I Could Have Danced All Night" from the musical My Fair Lady, then, as judge Simon Cowell started to reach for the red rejection buzzer, she began singing the song with an unexpectedly powerful voice. She received a standing ovation from the audience and the approval of all four judges. Piers Morgan told Steel, "We have seen a lot of children on our show over the past three series and I have never heard any of them sing as well as you do". Kelly Brook was in tears and called her performance, "beautiful and lovely". Media reports at the time claimed that Steel had referred to Cowell as a bully for critical comments he made after her first appearance on the show; however, a blog at a Lancashire newspaper's web site that was attributed to Steel and her mother denied that she had ever made such a comment.
Commentators and mainstream media outlets speculated that she might defeat Susan Boyle, who had made an impression worldwide in the first show of the series. Over thirteen million viewers watched Steel's performance and, within one day of a video of her performance being posted on YouTube, over a million viewers had seen her worldwide. She was interviewed on US television via satellite link during NBC's Today show.
During her second appearance in Britain's Got Talent in May, Steel forgot her words and broke down mid-performance. After tearfully appealing for a second chance but being denied by the producers, Simon Cowell intervened saying, "I don't care how we do it but we will find the time somewhere to let you audition again", and she was allowed to perform a second time.Her second attempt at "Edelweiss" went well and she was praised by the judges for being accomplished and brave in the trying circumstances. Piers Morgan described it as "one of the gutsiest things I've ever seen in my life", and Steel was chosen by all three judges to progress to the final in preference to Greg Pritchard.The incident caused numerous commentators to debate whether children of this age should be allowed to compete in a TV show in which contestants are under such high pressure.
In the final, she performed the song Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from Phantom of the Opera.Her performance was trouble-free and well-received, and the viewer voting resulted in her finishing in sixth place, receiving 3.9% of the reported 4 million votes.

Since Britain's Got Talent
During June and July 2009, Steel appeared in Britain's Got Talent – The Live Tour 2009 with most of the other finalists from the third series. She was home tutored between rehearsals and the start of the tour. The rehearsals were held at the Apollo Theatre in Hammersmith. The tour opened at Birmingham, England on 12 June 2009, and finished on 5 July 2009 at Bournemouth. During the live stage shows, Steel performed solo and also in combination with other artists such as 2 Grand, with whom she performed "Edelweiss" in Newcastle.
The Daily Mirror on 28 July 2009 reported that veteran performer and singer Rolf Harris wished to record a song with Steel that he composed. However, the project with Harris fell through and so Steel took on her own Christmas project.
In September 2009, Steel signed with record label VVR2, owned by Dave D'Mello, with whom she began recording her debut single "Where Are You, Christmas?" from the American film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The single was released on 14 December 2009. The single, however, did not not make it into the top 40 in the UK Singles Chart due to having very little air time.
Steel's debut album, Hollie, is due to be released on 19 May 2010. The album will be released on Steel's own label, BB5 Records Limited, named after the Accrington postcode, and will include the Pendle’s Arden Youth Choir on some of the classical pieces.It will be distributed into shops and download stores by Universal. Steel's second single will be Edelweiss from The Sound of Music, to be released on 29 March 2010.[citation needed] Steel recorded at the sound studio in the ACE Centre in Nelson, Lancashire.
Source:wikipedia

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone 

Deepika Padukone (Kannada/Konkani:ದೀಪಿಕಾ ಪಡುಕೋಣೆ, pronounced [diːpɪkaː ˈpədʊkoːn]); born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress and a former model. Padukone made her acting debut with the 2006 Kannada film Aishwarya. The following year, she made her Hindi film debut with the blockbuster Om Shanti Om which earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.

Early life and background

Padukone was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her family moved to Bangalore, India, when she was eleven months old. Padukone is of Mangalorean origin, and her mother tongue is Konkani. Her lineage hails from Padukone village in Kundapura Taluk in the Udupi District of the state of Karnataka, India.Her father, Prakash Padukone, is a retired badminton player of international repute, and her mother is a travel agent. Padukone also has a younger sister, Anisha, born on February 2, 1991.

Padukone attended Sophia High School in Bangalore, and completed her pre-university studies at Mount Carmel College Bangalore. While in high school she played badminton at the state level.However, she was not keen on pursuing a career as a badminton player.

Career

Modeling

While in college, Padukone pursued a career in modeling. She was spotted in a ramp competition in NLS, Bangalore. Over the years, she has modeled for such Indian brand names as Liril, Dabur Lal powder, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca, and has been "brand ambassador" for the Jewels of India retail jewellery show. The cosmetics company Maybelline made her its international spokesperson.

At the fifth annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards she was awarded the title "Model of the Year". Shortly afterward, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006 and won two trophies at the Idea Zee Fashion Awards: "Female Model of the Year - (Commercial Assignments)" and "Fresh Face of the Year". Padukone was also chosen as the brand ambassador of Kingfisher Airlines and later Levi Strauss and Tissot SA.

Acting

After pursuing a successful career in modeling, Padukone branched out into acting. She started by starring in the music video for the song Naam Hai Tera from the independent pop album Aap Kaa Surroor by Himesh Reshammiya.

In 2006, Padukone made her cinematic debut in the Kannada film Aishwarya starring opposite actor Upendra. She later made a successful Bollywood debut in 2007 with Farah Khan's blockbuster Om Shanti Om opposite Shahrukh Khan. Her performance was well received, earning the actress a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award as well as her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "Deepika has all it takes to be a top star — the personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely talented too. Standing in the same frame as SRK and getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as a whiff of fresh air!" Padukone was then seen in Siddharth Anand's romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno opposite Ranbir Kapoor and alongside Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba. The film, which released on 15 August 2008, performed reasonably well at the box office. Her next film Chandni Chowk To China, released on 16 January 2009, and was a critical and commercial disaster. Padukone's fourth release Love Aaj Kal, released on 31 July 2009 and proved to be one of the biggest hits of 2009.

Padukone was last seen in Excel Entertainment’s Karthik Calling Karthik opposite Farhan Akhtar followed by Sajid Khan’s Housefull alongside Akshay Kumar. Her future projects include Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, and Kunal Kohli’s Break Ke Baad co-starring Imran Khan.

Other work

In 2009, Deepika started writing weekly columns for HT City, the lifestyle supplement of Hindustan Times. These columns appear online on social network, Desimartini.

Personal life

In March 2008, Padukone began dating Ranbir Kapoor, her co-star from the film Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008). The couple broke up in November 2009.

Awards and nominations

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Deepika Padukone

Filmography

Year Film Language Role Notes

2006 Aishwarya Kannada Aishwarya

2007 Om Shanti Om Hindi Shantipriya,

Sandhya (Sandy) Double-Winner, Filmfare Best Female Debut Award &

Sony Head N Shoulders Fresh Face of the Year

Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award

2008 Bachna Ae Haseeno Hindi Gayatri

2009 Chandni Chowk to China Hindi Sakhi (Ms. TSM),

Meow Meow (Suzy) Double role

Billu Hindi Herself Special appearance in the song Love Mera Hit Hit

Love Aaj Kal Hindi Meera Pandit Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award

Main Aurr Mrs Khanna Hindi Raina Khan Special appearance

Love 4 Ever Telugu Herself Special appearance for an item number

2010 Karthik Calling Karthik Hindi Shonali Mukherjee

Housefull Hindi Sandy Released on 30 April 2010

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Hindi Kalpana Datta Filming

Break Ke Baad Hindi Aaliya Filming.

(source:wikipedia)