title: Foreigner (band)

text: Jones got together with New York keyboardist Al Greenwood (who had just played with former Flash members Colin Carter and Mike Hough in a group called Storm), drummer Stan Williams and Louisiana bassist Jay Davis (later with Rod Stewart) and began jamming. Another friend, Stories singer Ian Lloyd, was brought in to sing but Jones decided the chemistry was not quite right and retained only Greenwood as he renewed his search for players. During a session for Ian Lloyd's album, Jones met up with transplanted Englishman and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald and another session for Ian Hunter unearthed another fellow Brit in drummer Dennis Elliott. But after auditioning about forty or fifty singers, the right vocalist was becoming harder to come by until Jones pulled out a Black Sheep album given to him backstage at a 1974 Spooky Tooth concert by that group's lead singer, Lou Gramm. Jones put in a call to Gramm, who was back in his hometown of Rochester, New York, after Black Sheep's break-up, and sent him a plane ticket to New York City. Gramm proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle and Brooklyn bassist Ed Gagliardi completed the new sextet.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: A name, "Trigger", was tentatively agreed to and was the name that appeared on their demo tape, but it was passed on by all the record companies it was delivered to. John Kalodner, a former journalist and radio programmer who was working in A&R at Atlantic Records, happened to spot a tape on Atlantic president Jerry L. Greenberg's desk with the Trigger identification on it. Kalodner had just been to hear an outfit called Trigger and realized that this was not the same band. He convinced Greenberg that at least one of the songs on the tape could be a big hit and to look into signing this group immediately. Because the Trigger name was already taken, Jones came up with the Foreigner moniker from the fact that no matter what country they were in, three would be foreigners, because he, McDonald and Elliott were English, while Gramm, Greenwood and Gagliardi were American.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In November 1976, after six months of rehearsals, the newly named Foreigner started recording their debut album with producers John Sinclair and Gary Lyons at The Hit Factory but switched to Atlantic Recording Studios where they finished recording the basic tracks and completed the overdubs. The first attempt at mixing the album was done at Sarm Studios, London. But, because of the band's dissatisfaction with the results, the album was re-mixed back at Atlantic by Mick Jones, Ian McDonald and Jimmy Douglass. Bud Prager signed on as the group's manager, a role he would continue in for the next 17 years.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: The band's debut, "Foreigner", was released in March 1977 and was certified for sales of five million copies in the United States, staying in the Top 20 for a year with a peak at No. 4. It also made the Top 10 in both Canada and Australia and went to No. 1 in Norway. "Foreigner" had three significant hits in North America with "Feels Like the First Time" hitting No. 4 in the US and No. 7 in Canada, "Cold as Ice" reaching No. 6 and No. 9 in the countries and "Long, Long Way from Home" peaking at around No. 20. "Cold as Ice" was also modestly successful in the UK, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium where it reached the Top 20 or 30.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: By May 1977, Foreigner was already headlining theaters and had already scored a gold record for the first album. Not long afterwards, they were selling out U.S. basketball arenas and hockey rinks. After a show at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, on May 6, 1977, drummer Elliott injured his hand, prompting the band to call in Ian Wallace (ex-King Crimson) to play alongside Elliott on some of the dates until the hand was healed.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: After almost a year on the road, the band played before over two hundred thousand people at California Jam II on March 18, 1978, and during the following month, the band toured Europe, Japan and Australia for the first time.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Their second album, "Double Vision" (released in June 1978), co-produced by Keith Olsen, topped their previous, selling seven million records in the US, peaking at No. 3 in both the US and Canada, while dropping to No. 13 in Australia. It was the band's first album to chart in the UK where it peaked at No. 32, but "Double Vision" (and their next two albums) did not chart in Norway where their debut album had gone No. 1. The album spawned hits that were even more successful in North America than those from their debut album with "Hot Blooded" hitting No. 3 in both countries, the title track "Double Vision" reaching No. 2 in the US and No. 7 in Canada with "Blue Morning, Blue Day" reaching No. 15 and No. 21. Aside from "Hot Blooded" reaching No. 24 in Australia there was little airplay or sales in other countries for the singles from "Double Vision" or from their next album, "Head Games".


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Album number three, "Head Games" (September 1979), co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker, which was referred to by Gramm as their "grainiest" album, was also successful, in this case because of the thunderous "Dirty White Boy" and another title track hit "Head Games". Both songs were Top 15 hits in the US and Canada but did not chart in any other countries. The album reached No. 5 in North America but its sales dropped off substantially in Australia (No. 45) without any gains in any other countries.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: For "Head Games", bassist Ed Gagliardi was replaced by Englishman Rick Wills. In his autobiography, "Juke Box Hero" (named after the seminal Foreigner song), Gramm explains why the band parted ways with Gagliardi: "He was a little headstrong and had his own ideas that weren't always compatible with what we were trying to accomplish. Ed was obstinate at times, playing the song the way he wanted to play it rather than the way it was drawn up. Jones often had to stop sessions to get Ed back on track. After a while it became tiresome and slowed down the recording process." Gramm went on to say that he was disappointed overall with "Head Games" and thought it sounded unfinished. It ended up selling about two million fewer than its predecessor.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In September 1980 co-founders Al Greenwood and Ian McDonald were sacked. One reason was that Jones wished to have more control over the band and write most of the music (along with Gramm). In his book, Gramm goes on to talk about this difficult time: "The chemistry that made the band right in the beginning didn't necessarily mean it would always be right. I think a pretty major communication lapse appeared and I don't think anybody really knew what anybody was feeling—the deep, inner belief about the direction of the band and how we were progressing. We had reached a point where there was a lot of dissatisfaction".


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In the liner notes for the 2000 release, "Juke Box Heroes: The Foreigner Anthology", Jones went on to elaborate further: "Ian McDonald, who I consider a great musician and multi-instrumentalist, began to focus more and more on guitar playing, while I believed his true talent lay more in the dimensional and creative imagery he gave the first two albums. Al Greenwood, our keyboard wiz and a very important part of the Foreigner sound at the beginning, had also started to focus more on songwriting. Although both their contributions to the band had been vital, a conflict was developing about the musical direction of the band. I just felt we needed to clarify it. So Lou, Rick, Dennis and I made the decision, and that's when we went down to four."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: And according to McDonald in a 1999 interview, "Mick and Lou decided they wanted to be the focus of the band. Mick wanted to make it more apparent that it was his group, so he decided to make a smaller group. That was his decision. I wouldn't have left—I loved the group, it was not my decision." McDonald noted that there was much creative compromise working in the band and that he did more than he received credit for, much as he did in King Crimson.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: McDonald stated that "he had a lot to do with the making of those records and the arrangements and the creating of those songs, more than is probably apparent. I did a lot that went uncredited, which I was happy to do though. When you're in a group you must contribute as much as you can. I was happy to do that. But as I said, it maybe didn't appear that I was doing as much as I in fact was. I had a lot to do with that group... as well as... Mick Jones, obviously, and everyone else—I'm not trying to take all the credit, but I'm just saying that I was there, I was involved, and I loved it."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: The band was now stripped down to a quartet, with session players brought in as needed to record or tour (see below for complete list of members). Greenwood soon joined Gagliardi to form the AOR band Spys, with John Blanco, Billy Milne and John DiGaudio. The band released two albums, an eponymous debut, and the follow-up "Behind Enemy Lines".


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In the meantime, Foreigner began work on the next album at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, engineered by Dave Wittman (currently with Trans-Siberian Orchestra). "4" (released in July 1981) contained the hits "Urgent" (which includes the famous Junior Walker sax solo), "Waiting for a Girl Like You", "Juke Box Hero" and "Break it Up". Thomas Dolby played synthesizers on "4" (he contributed the signature synth sound on "Urgent" and played the intro to "Waiting for a Girl Like You"). "4" became Foreigners first and only No 1. album in the US, spending 10 weeks in that position, and peaked at No. 2 in Canada. It also became the band's break-through album overseas, reaching the Top 5 in the UK, Germany and Australia.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: The first single, "Urgent" peaked at No. 4 on the US Hot 100 and topped US Album Rock Tracks chart and the Canadian RPM Singles Chart. It also became their biggest hit to date in Germany reaching the Top 15 there, higher than the other singles from the album, but was less successful in Australia, peaking at No. 24 and the UK, where it did not chart. The second single, "Juke Box Hero" was very successful on rock stations in North America, reaching No. 3 on the US Rock Tracks chart, but only reached No. 26 on the US Hot 100 and No. 39 in Canada, while reaching the Top 30 in Germany and France, their first song to chart in the later. The third single released, the power ballad, "Waiting for a Girl Like You", went to No. 2 on the US Hot 100 for a record 10 consecutive weeks and, like "Urgent", topped the US Rock Tracks chart. It also went to No. 2 in Canada and also became their first single to reach the Top 10 in the UK (No. 8) and Australia (No. 3) while reaching the Top 20 in the Netherlands and Belgium and the Top 30 in Germany and France.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: For their 1981–82 tour in support of "4", the group added Peter Reilich (keyboards, synthesizers, who had played with Gary Wright), former Peter Frampton band member Bob Mayo (keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Rivera (sax, flute, keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, backing vocals). Mayo and Rivera had also appeared on the sessions for "4". Reilich was dropped in May 1982 but Mayo and Rivera continued with the band through 1988.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Foreigner's next album, "Agent Provocateur", co-produced by Alex Sadkin, was released in December 1984 and in 1985 gave them their first and only No. 1 hit song in the US and several other countries (except for Canada were "Urgent" had reached No. 1) when "I Want to Know What Love Is", a ballad backed by Jennifer Holliday and the New Jersey Mass Choir, topped the charts in the US (both Hot 100 and Rock Tracks), UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, etc. while hitting No. 3 in Germany (their only Top 10 hit there), No. 4 in France (their only Top 20 hit there) and No. 6 in both the Netherlands and Belgium. "That Was Yesterday" was the next single from the album in early 1985 and proved to be another sizable hit reaching No. 12 on the US Hot 100 (No. 4 on Rock Tracks) and the Top 30 in several other countries. The album was equally successful becoming Foreigner's only No. 1 album in the UK, Germany and Norway while reaching No. 3 in Australia (its biggest album there) and Canada, and No. 4 in the US and New Zealand (its biggest album there). It was certified 3× platinum in the US, their lowest selling album to date in that country.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: During their 1985 summer/fall tour, Foreigner appeared at the first Farm Aid on September 22 in Champaign, Illinois.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In between his Foreigner commitments, Jones also started a side career as a producer for such albums as Van Halen's "5150" (1986), Bad Company's "Fame and Fortune" (1986) and Billy Joel's "Storm Front" (1989).


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In December 1987 Foreigner released "Inside Information", spawning hits such as "Say You Will" and "I Don't Want to Live Without You".


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On May 14, 1988, the band headlined Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden, culminating with "I Want to Know What Love Is", in which the likes of Phil Collins, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Roberta Flack and other Atlantic artists joined in, singing in the choir.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Later during the summer, the band went back on the road but the touring for "Inside Information" was limited to Europe, Japan and Australia. For this tour, Rivera and Mayo were not available, so Larry Oakes (guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals) and Lou Cortelezzi (sax) augmented the quartet of Gramm, Jones, Elliott and Wills.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In the late 1980s, Jones and Gramm each put out solo efforts on Atlantic. Gramm released "Ready or Not" in January 1987 and shortly after its release, rehearsals for Foreigner's next album had started but ground to a halt as Gramm's status with the group was uncertain. But after the promotion and concert dates for Gramm's album were finished, cooler heads prevailed and Lou rejoined Foreigner in the studio for "Inside Information", which was out at the end of 1987. Jones had "Mick Jones" in August 1989, then Gramm followed with his second solo release, "Long Hard Look" (October 1989), and decided to leave the group in May 1990 while preparing to tour behind "Long Hard Look" as the opener for Steve Miller Band. After finishing this tour, Gramm went on to form the short-lived band Shadow King, which put out one eponymous album on Atlantic in October 1991.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Meanwhile, Jones brought in a new lead singer, Johnny Edwards (formerly of the bands Buster Brown, Montrose, King Kobra, Northrup and Wild Horses). Edwards made his first live appearance with Foreigner at the Long Island club Stephen Talkhouse on August 15, 1990, where he, Jones, Dennis Elliott and Rick Wills appeared, joined by special guests Terry Thomas (on guitar, who produced their next album) and Eddie Mack on harmonica.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: The new edition of Foreigner released the album "Unusual Heat" in June 1991. This was at the time their worst-selling album and only climbed as high as No. 117 on the Billboard 200, although "Lowdown and Dirty" was a minor mainstream rock hit, reaching No. 4 on that chart.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In July 1991 the new lineup of Foreigner played some European dates then made its official U.S. debut on August 9 performing on the second night of a Billy Joel benefit concert at Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk, New York, to raise funds for the preservation of Montauk Point Lighthouse.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: For their 1991 tour, Jeff Jacobs, who had played in Joel's band, was brought in as the new keyboardist and Mark Rivera returned. But during the fall leg of this tour, Elliott decided to leave the group after a concert at The Ritz in NYC on November 14, 1991, and embark on a career as a wood sculptor. Larry Aberman was then recruited as a temporary replacement until Mark Schulman arrived in 1992 as drummer for the next three years. Scott Gilman (guitar, sax, flute) joined the touring band in 1992 and Thom Gimbel took over from Gilman and Rivera in late 1992 after they departed. When Gimbel went to Aerosmith in 1993, Gilman returned to handle the guitar/sax/flute duties until Gimbel came back permanently in the spring of 1995.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: During the Los Angeles riots, inside the confines of the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, where Mick Jones had gone to meet with Lou Gramm, they both ended up sequestered by a city curfew. They decided to use their time together resurrecting their partnership. "I flew to Los Angeles, during the riots," says Gramm. "We got flown to John Wayne Airport instead of LAX because they were shooting at the planes. Mick and I were holed up in the Sunset Marquis in L.A., with armed security guards walking around on the roof. It was a little weird, to say the least."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Gramm ended up rejoining Foreigner, bringing along his Shadow King bandmate bassist Bruce Turgon to replace bassist Wills (who'd left after the band's 1991 tour after a falling out with Jones) and co-produced the band's second greatest hits album, "The Very Best ... and Beyond" (September 1992), which included three new songs.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In October 1994 Foreigner released what was supposed to be a comeback album, "Mr. Moonlight", in Japan. Featuring new drummer Mark Schulman and augmented by a fifth member, keyboardist Jeff Jacobs, this album was not released in the U.S. until February 1995 and fared even worse than "Unusual Heat". It only peaked at No. 136 on the Billboard 200, although the ballad "Until the End of Time" was a minor hit, reaching No. 42 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In January 1995 Ron Wikso (who had played in The Storm with former Journey members Gregg Rolie and Ross Valory) took over percussion duties from Schulman, and Brian Tichy succeeded Wikso in 1998 before Schulman would return in 2000.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In 1997 Gramm underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. The medications he was prescribed caused considerable weight gain and weakened his singing voice. By 1998, the band was back on the road, but Gramm was visibly struggling and it would take him several years to get back to the point where he felt comfortable on stage.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In the summer of 1999, Foreigner went on tour as the opening act for Journey and the following summer, Jeff Jacobs had to leave the road for a short time during the band's 2000 summer tour while his wife was giving birth to their child. Keyboardist John Purdell (who had been co-producer of the new tracks on their 1992 album "The Very Best of ... and Beyond") stepped in to sub for Jacobs until he was able to return.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In 2001 the Warner Music Group selected "Foreigner" and "4" to be among the first group of albums from their catalog to be remastered, enhanced and released in the new DVD Audio format.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In 2002 the 25th Anniversary Year brought affirmation of the enduring respect for Foreigner recordings with Rhino Entertainment reissuing the 1977 to 1981 multi-platinum albums in special enhanced formats. "Foreigner", "Double Vision", "Head Games" and "4" received the attention of Rhino's staff with new photos, liner notes and bonus tracks of previously unreleased material. New greatest hits albums were also produced in the U.S. and in Europe. The U.S. version reached No. 80 on the "Billboard" 200 Album chart.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: For the group's 25th Anniversary Tour in 2002, they were joined by former Heart and Montrose drummer Denny Carmassi.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In late October/early November, then December, of 2002, Foreigner played in Belgium and Germany at the annual Night of the Proms festival. It was the last time that Lou Gramm and Mick Jones would play together until June 2013. Gramm would leave the group in early 2003. Jones stated that he and Gramm split because they weren't communicating: "I think we really tried hard to save it, but it got to the point when we both realized that to go on would be detrimental for both of us."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Jones, the founder and only remaining original member of Foreigner, decided to take some time off before looking to form a new lineup in 2004. On July 25, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California, at Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort, Jones appeared at a benefit show for muscular dystrophy dubbed "Mick Jones & Friends" that included: Jeff Jacobs, Thom Gimbel, former Dokken bass player Jeff Pilson, future Black Country Communion drummer Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and leader of Bonham) and Bonham singer Chas West. West was front man for that show only. Inspired by the event and further encouraged by Jason Bonham, Jones continued the search for a new frontman. He would eventually find former Hurricane singer Kelly Hansen, who had sent the band an audition tape and was invited aboard in March 2005, making his debut with the group on March 11 at Boulder Station near Las Vegas. During their 2005 spring tour, Chas West appeared briefly with the band as a special guest, playing rhythm guitar.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Their 2005 BMG album, "Extended Versions", featured the new line-up playing all their classic hits live in concert in one of the most "studio like, clean sounding" live album recordings produced.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Foreigner joined Def Leppard along with Styx on tour in 2007. They also toured extensively in their own right in 2007—the thirtieth anniversary of the release of their debut.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In September 2007 it was announced that Foreigner would join Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings and Paolo Nutini as openers for the one-night-only Led Zeppelin reunion show in memory of Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegun. The show took place on December 10, 2007 in London, England, having been postponed by 2 weeks because Jimmy Page fractured a finger.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In late 2007, keyboardist Jeff Jacobs left Foreigner after 16 years and was replaced, first by Paul Mirkovich then by Michael Bluestein (in 2008). And in 2008, Bonham also parted ways with Foreigner. Bryan Head was then brought in to fill the drum chair. But his tenure was short and he also departed to be replaced by the returning Tichy.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: The band released a greatest hits anthology on July 15, 2008, titled "No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner". The anthology included all of their greatest hits plus some new live recordings and a new studio track, "Too Late", which was their first new song release since the 1994 album "Mr. Moonlight" and the first recorded output of the new lineup. "Too Late" was released as a single on June 17, 2008.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Foreigner released a new album on September 29, 2009, titled "Can't Slow Down". It was one of several recent classic rock releases (AC/DC, the Eagles, Journey and Kiss being four others) to be released exclusively through the Walmart stores chain in the US, while in Europe the album was released by earMUSIC (a label part of the Edel group), charting top 20 in Germany (16) and Top 30 in Switzerland. "Can't Slow Down" debuted at No. 29 on the "Billboard" 200. The first two singles from the album, "When It Comes to Love" and "In Pieces" both reached the Top 20 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In 2010 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Jason Sutter's time with the band was short as he left by 2011. Mark Schulman then returned to Foreigner for his third go-round as drummer.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On February 20, 2011 the band played for the first time in Bangalore, India along with sitar player Niladri Kumar.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In June 2011 Foreigner (again along with Styx) co-headlined with Journey on their UK tour. After this, they joined up with Journey and Night Ranger on a triple bill summer/fall tour of the US. For some dates of this tour, Brian Tichy filled in for Foreigner's drummer Mark Schulman when he was not available.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: From August 19 to September 10, 2011, Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra did double duty playing for NR as well as subbing for Jones, who had taken ill. Right after this, guitarist Bruce Watson (ex-Rod Stewart) was brought in as Jones' stand-in for the tour's remaining dates and continued to tour with the group when they hit the road again in February 2012 after Jones underwent aortoiliac bypass surgery in Miami.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On October 4, 2011 Foreigner released "Acoustique", which presented their best and most famous songs, along with some newer tracks, recorded in stripped-down acoustic mode.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In May 2012 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, Bluestein was forced to take a leave of absence from the band. His stand in on keyboards was Ollie Marland. Bluestein was able to return to the group in August 2012 and Tichy once again rejoined in the interim until his schedule with Whitesnake called him away. In September 2012, the man Tichy replaced in Whitesnake, Chris Frazier, became Foreigner's new percussionist.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On August 31, 2012, after over a year away, Jones returned to the concert stage at Atlanta's Chastain Park. Guitarist Watson, in the meantime, stayed on until Jones was able to return to full health. At this very same show, keyboardist Derek Hilland (ex-Iron Butterfly, Whitesnake and Rick Springfield) came on board to sub for Bluestein for the group's late summer/fall tour dates and again during the winter/spring of 2013 until Bluestein was able to return.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On January 9, 2013 the band's original drummer, Dennis Elliott, joined Foreigner on stage at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, Florida, to play on "Hot Blooded."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In addition to touring small clubs and venues, the band frequently is engaged for private parties and conventions, including playing at SeaWorld in Orlando for an IBM Rational Conference (June 6, 2012), at the Gaylord convention center in Washington, D.C., for the Teradata Partners 2012 conference (October 25, 2012) and at SAP's Field Kickoff Meeting in Las Vegas (January 23, 2013).


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On June 13, 2013, at the 44th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Award Ceremony, Jones and Gramm were officially inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Billy Joel was on hand to induct Jones and Gramm, singing snippets of Foreigner's hits in his introduction speech. Jones said he was proud as the honor makes his work "legit". The duo then took stage one more time and, along with Thom Gimbel and the house band, performed "Juke Box Hero" and "I Want to Know What Love Is" with Anthony Morgan's Inspirational Choir of Harlem—a performance that brought the entire audience to its feet.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In 2014 Foreigner teamed up with Styx and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder for the "Soundtrack of Summer" Tour.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Original bassist Ed Gagliardi died on May 11, 2014, aged 62, after an eight-year battle with cancer. Although discussions of an original member reunion had been proposed, the original band had not performed together since 1979.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On June 18, 2014 Foreigner teamed up with the Brockton High School concert choir at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, MA. They performed one of their greatest hits, "I Want To Know What Love Is."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On January 12, 2015 in Sarasota, Florida, Foreigner were joined on stage by original drummer Dennis Elliott and former bassist Rick Wills to play "Hot Blooded."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In Hartford, Connecticut, on June 24, 2015, Foreigner began a summer tour as the opening act for Kid Rock.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Foreigner appeared on the "Today Show" on February 11, 2016, along with the choir from Our Lady of Mercy Academy to promote their Acoustic Tour and the release of their new album, "In Concert: Unplugged".


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On Saturday September 24, 2016 Foreigner performed before an estimated 20,000+ people at the 100th anniversary of the Durham Fair in Durham, Connecticut. The encore song "I Want to Know What Love Is" utilized the local Coginchaug High School concert choir for backup—their performance having been rehearsed with the band via Skype during the previous months.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In a 2016 interview, Jones talked about a possible 40th-anniversary reunion tour, featuring the "Head Games"-era lineup: "It's quite possible. We've actually been talking about it. I'm not at a point where I can say it's definitely gonna happen, but we're all working on trying to make it happen. It's kind of exciting. And hopefully it'll be feasible and possible to pull it off next year (2017). Lou (Gramm) and I have communicated and we've kept up a sort of loose communication as I have actually also with Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliott and Rick Wills. We're at the early stages, but we're trying to put something together to commemorate (it's scary when I say it) 40 years."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On November 25, 2016 in celebration of their 40th anniversary, Foreigner released a limited-edition 10-inch vinyl EP, "The Flame Still Burns", on Rhino Records for Record Store Day's Black Friday event. The EP's track listing contained the title song (which had previously appeared on Foreigner's "Acoustique" album and had earlier been featured in the 1998 film "Still Crazy") plus live "unplugged" versions of "Feels Like The First Time," "Long, Long Way From Home" and "Juke Box Hero." On July 20, 2017, at Jones Beach Theater in New York, the current Foreigner lineup were joined for their encore by Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald and Al Greenwood to help celebrate the band's 40th anniversary and Greenwood and McDonald came back the following year to take the stage with the group for their Jones Beach show on June 22, 2018. Dennis Elliott likewise joined his old mates for two songs at Foreigner's show on August 2, 2017, at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Another reunion was announced for a pair of shows to take place on October 6–7, 2017, at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where the group was set to be joined again by Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald and Rick Wills. The concerts were filmed for future release, appearing on PBS stations in the U.S. on June 8, 2018.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In a July 2018 interview with OC Weekly, bassist Jeff Pilson said that Foreigner had no plans to release a new studio album, but would continue to release singles periodically.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On November 9, 2018 all surviving original members of Foreigner came on stage to play alongside the current line-up for a show at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, beginning a series of "Foreigner Then and Now" concerts set to run through the end of the year.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: In October 2019 the group was slated once again to be joined by the surviving original players for a handful of shows as the Double Vision: Then And Now tour. However, on October 2, it was announced that Lou Gramm would not be taking part in these dates due to illness.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Also in 2019, a jukebox musical, named Jukebox Hero after Foreigner’s hit single, featuring the band’s catalog debuted. While being interviewed by Rolling Stone about the musical, Gramm mentioned he and Jones were considering revisiting several songs that the two had written before Gramm’s second departure in 2003.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Foreigner announced a 2020 summer tour with support from Kansas and Europe called "Juke Box Heroes" in reference to the song of the same name.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On May 19, 2020 Foreigner announced the band's Juke Box Heroes 2020 Tour was canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 18, 2021, Pilson announced that Thom Gimbel would be departing from the band. Gimbel was replaced by rhythm guitarist Luis Maldonado. Pilson would later confirm on March 20, 2021 that Foreigner were working on new music: "[But] we are working on some music. So I think that what's gonna happen is whatever other things we release in the next couple of years, there will be some new songs added to it. So that's what I see kind of happening. 'Cause we're working on a few that are not that far away. So I would say expect a package deal to have a couple of new songs on it."


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Jones was absent from the band's 2021 tour, leaving no members from the original or classic line-up. Thus, none of the band's line-up for the tour played on the original versions of any songs.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: It was falsely reported Jones joined the band at their show in New Brunswick, NJ on October 29, 2021, for "Hot Blooded;" rather, it was former bassist Wills. Jones was able to join the band on March 9, 2022, at the St. Augustine Amphitheater performance.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: Founding member Ian McDonald died from colon cancer at his home in New York City on February 9, 2022, at the age of 75.


title: Foreigner (band)

text: On November 14, 2022 the band announced that they would be embarking on their farewell tour, which was set to begin in 2023 and conclude in 2024.


title: Erection

text: An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular, and endocrine factors, and is often associated with sexual arousal or sexual attraction, although erections can also be spontaneous. The shape, angle, and direction of an erection varies considerably between humans.


title: Erection

text: Physiologically, an erection is required for a male to effect vaginal penetration or sexual intercourse and is triggered by the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, causing the levels of nitric oxide (a vasodilator) to rise in the trabecular arteries and smooth muscle of the penis. The arteries dilate causing the corpora cavernosa of the penis (and to a lesser extent the corpus spongiosum) to fill with blood; simultaneously the ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus muscles compress the veins of the corpora cavernosa restricting the egress and circulation of this blood. Erection subsides when parasympathetic activity reduces to baseline.


title: Erection

text: As an autonomic nervous system response, an erection may result from a variety of stimuli, including sexual stimulation and sexual arousal, and is therefore not entirely under conscious control. Erections during sleep or upon waking up are known as nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT), also known as "morning wood". Absence of nocturnal erection is commonly used to distinguish between physical and psychological causes of erectile dysfunction and impotence.


title: Erection

text: The state of a penis which is partly, but not fully, erect is sometimes known as semi-erection (clinically: partial tumescence); a penis which is not erect is typically referred to as being flaccid, or soft.


title: Erection

text: An erection is necessary for natural insemination as well as for the harvesting of sperm for artificial insemination, are common for children and infants, and even occur before birth. After reaching puberty, erections occur much more frequently.


title: Erection

text: it occurs when two tubular structures, called the corpora cavernosa, that run the length of the penis, become engorged with venous blood. This may result from any of various physiological stimuli, also known as sexual stimulation and sexual arousal. The corpus spongiosum is a single tubular structure located just below the corpora cavernosa, which contains the urethra, through which urine and semen pass during urination and ejaculation respectively. This may also become slightly engorged with blood, but less so than the corpora cavernosa.


title: Erection

text: The scrotum may, but does not always, become tightened during erection. Generally, in uncircumcised males, the foreskin automatically and gradually retracts, exposing the glans, though some people may have to manually retract their foreskin.


title: Erection

text: In the presence of mechanical stimulation, erection is initiated by the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system with minimal input from the central nervous system. Parasympathetic branches extend from the sacral plexus into the arteries supplying the erectile tissue; upon stimulation, these nerve branches release acetylcholine, which in turn causes release of nitric oxide from endothelial cells in the trabecular arteries. Nitric oxide diffuses to the smooth muscle of the arteries (called "trabecular smooth muscle"), acting as a vasodilating agent. The arteries dilate, filling the "corpus spongiosum" and "corpora cavernosa" with blood. The ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus muscles also compress the veins of the corpora cavernosa, limiting the venous drainage of blood. Erection subsides when parasympathetic stimulation is discontinued; baseline stimulation from the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system causes constriction of the penile arteries and cavernosal sinosoids, forcing blood out of the erectile tissue via erection-related veins which include one deep dorsal vein, a pair of cavernosal veins, and two pairs of para-arterial veins between Buck's fascia and the tunica albuginea. Erection rigidity is mechanically controlled by reduction blood flow via theses veins, and thereby building up the pressure of the corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum, an integral instructure, the distal ligament, buttresses the glans penis.


title: Erection

text: After ejaculation or cessation of stimulation, erection usually subsides, but the time taken may vary depending on the length and thickness of the penis.


title: Erection

text: The cerebral cortex can initiate erection in the absence of direct mechanical stimulation (in response to visual, auditory, olfactory, imagined, or tactile stimuli) acting through erectile centers in the lumbar and sacral regions of the spinal cord. The cortex may suppress erection, even in the presence of mechanical stimulation, as may other psychological, emotional, and environmental factors.


title: Erection

text: The penis may become erect during sleep or be erect on waking up. Such an erection is medically known as nocturnal penile tumescence (informally: "morning wood" or "morning glory").


title: Erection

text: Urinating with an erection can be more difficult than without. David Samadi, director of men's health at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island, says "To prevent semen from entering into the bladder, the internal urethral sphincter contracts." This also works in opposite way, making it less likely that urine will pass through the urethra with an erect penis. Combined with morning wood, and a full bladder from overnight, many people may have experience with the extra challenge that comes with the combination.


title: Erection

text: Though an erection can have many causes, the more common indicator of sexual arousal has a prevalent view over society and its portrayal in public is considered taboo in many societies, probably lesser than public sex but higher than nudity. Erectile dysfunction is considered a flaw that associates shame at the individual and his partner.


title: Erection

text: The penile plethysmograph, which measures erections, has been used by some governments and courts of law to measure sexual orientation. An unusual aversion to the erect penis is sometimes referred to as phallophobia.


title: Erection

text: Spontaneous erections, also known as involuntary, random or unwanted erections, are commonplace and a normal part of male physiology. Socially, such erections can be embarrassing if they happen in public or when undesired. Such erections can occur at any time of day, and if clothed may cause a bulge which (if required) can be disguised or hidden by wearing close-fitting underwear, a long shirt, or baggier clothes. Few slang terms associated with erect penis outline becoming visible from underneath clothing are "mooseknuckle" and "manbulge".


title: Erection

text: The length of the flaccid penis is not necessarily indicative of the length of the penis when it becomes erect, with some smaller flaccid penises growing much longer, and some larger flaccid penises growing comparatively less.


title: Erection

text: Generally, the size of an erect penis is fixed throughout post-pubescent life. Its size may be increased by surgery, although penile enlargement is controversial, and a majority of men were "not satisfied" with the results, according to one study.


title: Erection

text: Though the size of a penis varies considerably between males, the average length of an erect human penis is 13.12 cm (5.17 inches), while the average circumference of an erect human penis is 11.66 cm (4.59 inches).


title: Erection

text: Although many erect penises point upwards, it is common and normal for the erect penis to point nearly vertically upwards or horizontally straight forward or even nearly vertically downwards, all depending on the tension of the suspensory ligament that holds it in position. An erect penis can also take on a number of different shapes, ranging from a straight tube to a tube with a curvature up or down or to the left or right. An increase in penile curvature can be caused by Peyronie's disease. This may cause physical and psychological effects for the affected individual, which could include erectile dysfunction or pain during an erection. Treatments include oral medication (such as colchicine) or surgery, which is most often performed only as a last resort.


title: Erection

text: The following table shows how common various erection angles are for a standing male. In the table, zero degrees (0°) is pointing straight up against the abdomen, 90° is horizontal and pointing straight forward, and 180° is pointing straight down to the feet. An upward pointing angle is most common and the average erection angle is 74.3 degrees. The penile curvature was measured same time. 63% men have straight penis. 22.2% men have upwards curvature and 14.8% men have downwards curvature.


title: Erection

text: Erectile dysfunction (also known as ED or "(male) impotence") is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop and/or maintain an erection. The study of erectile dysfunction within medicine is known as andrology, a sub-field within urology.


title: Erection

text: Erectile dysfunction may occur due to physiological or psychological reasons, most of which are amenable to treatment. Common physiological reasons include diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, including arterial insufficiency and venogenic erectile dysfunction, and neurologic disease which collectively account for about 70% of ED cases. Some drugs used to treat other conditions, such as lithium and paroxetine, may cause erectile dysfunction.


title: Erection

text: Erectile dysfunction, tied closely as it is to cultural notions of potency, success and masculinity, can have devastating psychological consequences including feelings of shame, loss or inadequacy. There is a strong culture of silence and inability to discuss the matter. Around one in ten men experience recurring impotence problems at some point in their lives.


title: Erection

text: Priapism is a painful condition in which the penis does not return to its flaccid state, despite the absence of both physical and psychological stimulation. Priapism lasting over four hours is a medical emergency.


title: Erection

text: At the time of penetration, the canine penis is not erect, and only able to penetrate the female because it includes a narrow bone called the baculum, a feature of most placental mammals. After the male achieves penetration, he will often hold the female tighter and thrust faster, and it is during this time that the male's penis expands. Unlike human sexual intercourse, where the male penis commonly becomes erect before entering the female, canine copulation involves the male first penetrating the female, after which swelling of the penis to erection occurs.


title: Erection

text: Given the small amount of erectile tissue in a bull's penis, there is little enlargement after erection. The penis is quite rigid when non-erect, and becomes even more rigid during erection. Protrusion is not affected much by erection, but more by relaxation of the retractor penis muscle and straightening of the sigmoid flexure.


title: Erection

text: When not erect, a horse's penis is housed within the prepuce, long and in diameter with the distal end . The retractor muscle contracts to retract the penis into the sheath and relaxes to allow the penis to extend from the sheath. When erect, the penis doubles in length and thickness and the glans increases by 3 to . Erection and protrusion take place gradually, by the increasing tumescence of the erectile vascular tissue in the "corpus cavernosum penis". Most stallions achieve erection within 2 minutes of contact with an estrus mare, and mount the estrus mare 5–10 seconds afterward.


title: Erection

text: A bird penis is different in structure from mammal penises, being an erectile expansion of the cloacal wall and being erected by lymph, not blood. The penis of the lake duck can reach about the same length as the animal himself when fully erect, but more commonly is about half the bird's length.


title: Erection

text: Clinically, erection is often known as "penile erection", and the state of being erect, and process of erection, are described as "tumescence" or "penile tumescence". The term for the subsiding or cessation of an erection is "detumescence".


title: Erection

text: Colloquially and in slang, erection is known by many informal terms. Commonly encountered English terms include 'stiffy', 'hard-on', 'boner' and 'woody'. There are several slang words, euphemisms and synonyms for an erection in English and in other languages. (See also .)


title: Asmodeus

text: Asmodeus (; , "Asmodaios") or Ashmedai (; , "ʾAšmədʾāy"; see below for other variations), is a "prince of demons" and hell. In Judeo-Islamic lore he is the king of both daemons (jinn/"shedim") and demons ("divs"). Asmodeus is mostly known from the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, in which he is the primary antagonist, or the Ars Goetia. In Peter Binsfeld's classification of demons, Asmodeus represents lust. The demon is also mentioned in some Talmudic legends; for instance, in the story of the construction of the Temple of Solomon. In Islam, he is identified with the "puppet" mentioned in the Quran, which dethroned Solomon and reigned over his kingdom until he got his kingship back.


title: Asmodeus

text: The name "Asmodai" is believed to derive from the Avestan "*aēšma-daēva" (𐬀𐬉𐬴𐬨𐬀𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀*, *"aēṣ̌madaēuua"), where "aēšma" means "wrath", and "daēva" signifies "demon". While the "daēva" Aēšma is thus Zoroastrianism's demon of wrath and is also well-attested as such, the compound "aēšma-daēva" is not attested in scripture. It is nonetheless likely that such a form did exist, and that the Book of Tobit's "Asmodaios" () and the Talmud's "Ashmedai" () reflect it. In the Zoroastrian and Middle Persian demonology, there did exist the conjuncted form "khashm-dev" (خشم + دیو), where both terms are cognates.


title: Asmodeus

text: The spellings Asmoday, Asmodai, Asmodee (also Asmodée), Osmodeus, and Osmodai have also been used. The name is alternatively spelled in the bastardized forms (based on the basic consonants אשמדאי, ʾŠMDʾY) Hashmedai (חַשְמְדּאָי, "Ḥašmədʾāy"; also Hashmodai, Hasmodai, Khashmodai, Khasmodai), Hammadai (חַמַּדּאָי, "Hammadʾāy"; also Khammadai), Shamdon (שַׁמְדּוֹן, "Šamdōn"), and Shidonai (שִׁדֹנאָי, "Šīdōnʾāy"). Some traditions have subsequently identified Shamdon as the father of Asmodeus.


title: Asmodeus

text: The "Jewish Encyclopedia" of 1906 rejects the otherwise accepted etymological relation between the Persian "Æshma-dæva" and Judaism's "Ashmodai" claiming that the particle "-dæva" could not have become "-dai" and that Æshma-dæva as such—a compound name—never appears in Persian sacred texts. Still, the encyclopedia proposes that the "Asmodeus" from the Apocrypha and the Testament of Solomon are not only related somewhat to Aeshma but have similar behaviour, appearance and roles, to conclude in another article under the entry "Aeshma", in the paragraph "Influence of Persian Beliefs on Judaism", that Persian Zoroastrian beliefs could have heavily influenced Judaism's theology on the long term, bearing in mind that in some texts there are crucial conceptual differences while in others there seems to be a great deal of similarity, proposing a pattern of influence over folk beliefs that would extend further to the mythology itself. However, the Jewish Encyclopedia asserts that although 'Æshma does not occur in the Avesta in conjunction with dæva, it is probable that a fuller form, such as Æshmo-dæus, has existed, since it is paralleled by the later Pahlavi-form "Khashm-dev"'. Furthermore it is stated that Asmodeus or Ashmedai "embodies an expression of the influence that the Persian religion or Persian popular beliefs have exercised" on Judaism.


title: Asmodeus

text: The Asmodeus of the Book of Tobit is hostile to Sarah, Raguel's daughter, (); and slays seven successive husbands on their wedding nights, impeding the sexual consummation of the marriages. In the New Jerusalem Bible translation, he is described as "the worst of demons" (Tobit 3:8). When the young Tobias is about to marry her, Asmodeus proposes the same fate for him, but Tobias is enabled, through the counsels of his attendant angel Raphael, to render him innocuous. By placing a fish's heart and liver on red-hot cinders, Tobias produces a smoky vapour that causes the demon to flee to Egypt, where Raphael binds him (). According to some translations, Asmodeus is strangled.


title: Asmodeus

text: Perhaps Asmodeus punishes the suitors for their carnal desire, since Tobias prays to be free from such desire and is kept safe. Asmodeus is also described as an evil spirit in general: 'Ασμοδαίος τὸ πονηρὸν δαιμόνιον or τὸ δαιμόνιον πονηρόν, and πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον (; ; ; ).


title: Asmodeus

text: The figure of Ashmedai in the Talmud is less malign in character than the Asmodeus of Tobit. In the former, he appears repeatedly in the light of a good-natured and humorous fellow. But besides that, there is one feature in which he parallels Asmodeus, in as much as his desires turn upon Bathsheba and later Solomon's wives.


title: Asmodeus

text: Another Talmudic legend has King Solomon tricking Asmodai into collaborating in the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem (see: ).


title: Asmodeus

text: Another legend depicts Asmodai throwing King Solomon over 400 leagues away from the capital by putting one wing on the ground and the other stretched skyward. He then changed places for some years with King Solomon. When King Solomon returned, Asmodai fled from his wrath. Similar legends can be found in Islamic lore. Asmodeus is referred to as Sakhr ( "the Rock" or "the Stony One"), because Solomon banished him into a rock, after he takes his kingdom back from him. He is considered to be a king of the jinn or demons ("divs").


title: Asmodeus

text: In the Testament of Solomon, a 1st–3rd century text, the king invokes Asmodeus to aid in the construction of the Temple. The demon appears and predicts Solomon's kingdom will one day be divided (Testament of Solomon, verse 21–25). When Solomon interrogates Asmodeus further, the king learns that Asmodeus is thwarted by the angel Raphael, as well as by sheatfish found in the rivers of Assyria. He also admits to hating water and birds because both remind him of God. Asmodeus claims that he was born of a human mother and an angel father.


title: Asmodeus

text: In the "Malleus Maleficarum" (1486), Asmodeus was considered the demon of lust. Sebastien Michaelis said that his adversary is St. John. Some demonologists of the 16th century assigned a month to a demon and considered November to be the month in which Asmodai's power was strongest. Other demonologists asserted that his zodiacal sign was Aquarius but only between the dates of January 30 and February 8.


title: Asmodeus

text: He has 72 legions of demons under his command. He is one of the Kings of Hell under Lucifer the emperor. He incites gambling, and is the overseer of all the gambling houses in the court of Hell. Some Catholic theologians compared him with Abaddon. Yet other authors considered Asmodeus a prince of revenge.


title: Asmodeus

text: The "Dictionnaire Infernal" (1818) by Collin de Plancy portrays Asmodeus with the breast of a man, a cock leg, serpent tail, three heads (one of a man spitting fire, one of a sheep, and one of a bull), riding a lion with dragon wings and neck - all of these creatures being associated with either lascivity, lust or revenge. The Archbishop of Paris approved the portrait.


title: Asmodeus

text: Asmodai appears as the king 'Asmoday' in the "Ars Goetia", where he is said to have a seal in gold and is listed as number thirty-two according to respective rank.


title: Asmodeus

text: He "is strong, powerful and appears with three heads; the first is like a bull, the second like a man, and the third like a ram; the tail of a serpent, and from his mouth issue flames of fire." Also, he sits upon an infernal dragon, holds a lance with a banner and, amongst the Legions of "Amaymon", Asmoday governs seventy-two legions of inferior spirits.


title: Asmodeus

text: Asmodeus' reputation as the personification of lust continued into later writings, as he was known as the "Prince of Lechery" in the 16th-century romance "Friar Rush". The French Benedictine Augustin Calmet equated his name with a fine dress. The 16th-century Dutch demonologist Johann Weyer described him as the banker at the baccarat table in hell, and overseer of earthly gambling houses.


title: Asmodeus

text: In 1641, the Spanish playwright and novelist Luis Velez de Guevara published the satirical novel "El diablo cojuelo", where Asmodeus is represented as a mischievous demon endowed with a playful and satirical genius. The plot presents a rascal student that hides in an astrologer's mansard. He frees a devil from a bottle. As an acknowledgement the devil shows him the apartments of Madrid and the tricks, miseries and mischiefs of their inhabitants. The French novelist Alain-René Lesage adapted the Spanish source in his 1707 novel "le Diable boiteux", where he likened him to Cupid. In the book, he is rescued from an enchanted glass bottle by a Spanish student Don Cleophas Leandro Zambullo. Grateful, he joins with the young man on a series of adventures before being recaptured. Asmodeus is portrayed in a sympathetic light as good-natured, and a canny satirist and critic of human society. In another episode Asmodeus takes Don Cleophas for a night flight, and removes the roofs from the houses of a village to show him the secrets of what passes in private lives. Following Lesage's work, he was depicted in a number of novels and periodicals, mainly in France but also London and New York.


title: Asmodeus

text: Asmodeus was widely depicted as having a handsome visage, good manners and an engaging nature; however, he was portrayed as walking with a limp and one leg was either clawed or that of a rooster. He walks aided by two walking sticks in Lesage's work, and this gave rise to the English title "The Devil on Two Sticks" (also later translated "The Limping Devil" and "The Lame Devil"). Lesage attributes his lameness to falling from the sky after fighting with another devil.


title: Asmodeus

text: On 18 February 1865, author Evert A. Duyckinck sent President Abraham Lincoln a letter, apparently mailed from Quincy. Duyckinck signed the letter "Asmodeus", with his initials below his pseudonym. His letter enclosed a newspaper clipping about an inappropriate joke allegedly told by Lincoln at the Hampton Roads Peace Conference. The purpose of Duyckinck's letter was to advise Lincoln of "an important omission" about the history of the conference. He advised that the newspaper clipping be added to the "Archives of the Nation".


title: Asmodeus

text: According to the Kabbalah and the school of Shlomo ibn Aderet, Asmodeus is a cambion born as the result of a union between Agrat bat Mahlat, a succubus, and King David.


title: Asmodeus

text: In Islamic culture, Asmodeus is known as "Sakhr" (rock), probably a reference to his fate being imprisoned inside a box of rock, chained with iron and thrown into the sea. According Quranic exegesis on Surah 38:34, Solomon is replaced by a "puppet"; a jinni or demon ("div") called Sakhr, impersonating the king. Ibn al-Faqih and Aja'ib al-Makhluqat in his "Aja'ib al-Makhluqat" refer to Sakhr as a "jinni", while the Persian Quran exegete (224–310 AH; 839–923 AD) Tabari (224–310 AH; 839–923 AD) refers to him as a "shaitan" in his work "Annals of al-Tabari". Others also identify him as a demon ("div"), which might have been the Persian term for "shaitan" as both refer to innovocally evil spirits. After forty days, Solomon defeats Sakhr and gets his throne back, whereupon he imprisons Sakhr in a rock sealed in iron chains and throws him into the sea.


title: Asmodeus

text: The idea of a spirit in a bottle, released by a fisherman, probably roots in this legend about Solomon.


title: Asmodeus

text: In the story of Sakhr and Buluqiya, a young Jewish prince, searching for the final Prophet (Muhammad), Sakhr is said to have reached immortality by drinking from the Well of Immortality, guarded by the mystical being Khidr. He explains the creation of the world by God, explains God's intention to place Muhammad wherein and punish the infidels, describing the different layers ("ṭabaqāt") of hell and mentions the angels.


title: Asmodeus

text: On 23 May 1960, the Tel Aviv newspaper "Haboker" ran a banner headline announcing the capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by Israeli security forces that read: "Ashmadai b'Khevlei Yisrael" (אשמדאי בכבלי ישראל), which translates as "Asmodeus in Israeli chains".


title: Gong Yoo

text: Gong Ji-cheol (; born July 10, 1979), better known by his stage name Gong Yoo (), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas "Coffee Prince" (2007), "" (2016–2017), "The Silent Sea" (2021), and "Squid Game" (2021), and the films "Silenced" (2011), "Train to Busan" (2016) and "The Age of Shadows" (2016).


title: Gong Yoo

text: His stage name is a combination of his father's family name "Gong" and of his mother's family name "Yoo".


title: Gong Yoo

text: Gong was born Gong Ji-cheol on July 10, 1979 in Busan, South Korea. Gong's father attended Busan Sango, a baseball academy, and was a manager of the Lotte Giants from 1983 to 1985. Gong attended Dongin High School, and pursued undergraduate studies at Kyung Hee University's Department of Theater and Film.


title: Gong Yoo

text: In 2017, it was revealed that Gong Yoo is a descendant of Chinese philosopher Confucius, and is part of the 79th generation among Confucius's descendants originated from the Gokbu Gong clan.


title: Gong Yoo

text: Gong Yoo graduated from Kyung Hee University with a B.A. degree in theater. In 2000, he started his show business career as a video jockey on Mnet and debuted as an actor in the TV series "School 4" in 2001. Thereafter, Gong did a number of supporting roles in dramas and movies and also hosted the music program "Music Camp" in 2004.


title: Gong Yoo

text: In 2005, he landed his first lead role in SBS's "Hello My Teacher" opposite Gong Hyo-jin. This was followed by the romance melodrama "One Fine Day" in 2006.


title: Gong Yoo

text: Gong Yoo was then cast in MBC's romantic comedy "Coffee Prince", which became his breakout role. The popularity of the drama not only solidified his status as a leading man, but also made him a hallyu star.


title: Gong Yoo

text: On January 14, 2008, Gong Yoo enlisted for the mandatory service, and was discharged on December 8, 2009. He did 8 months of frontline active service in Cheorwon and was transferred to the Defense Media Agency, where he served in the public relations department and hosted as a DJ for the army radio station.


title: Gong Yoo

text: He made his comeback in the romantic comedy "Finding Mr. Destiny", which was a medium box office hit in Korea.


title: Gong Yoo

text: He then initiated and pursued the production of a theatrical adaptation of Gong Ji-young's novel "The Crucible", a congratulatory gift from his senior for his promotion during enlistment. This movie was internationally released under the title "Silenced". Upon its release on September 22, 2011, the film sparked public outrage. This led to a reopening of the investigations into the incidents on which the novel and film are based. Public demand for legislative reform reached the National Assembly, where a revised bill to target sex crimes against minors and the disabled, dubbed the Dogani Bill after the Korean title of the film, was successfully passed in late October 2011.Gong Yoo then starred opposite Lee Min-jung in the romantic-comedy series "Big" written by the Hong sisters. The drama was well-received, although it was criticized for its ending.


title: Gong Yoo

text: In 2013, he returned to the big screen after a two-year gap in the movie "The Suspect". He played an elite North Korean spy who defects after being betrayed by his country.


title: Gong Yoo

text: In November 2013, Gong Yoo was appointed as a special representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Korea, in conjunction with a celebration of the 24th year since the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted. Following his appointment, he has visited countries around the world to raise awareness of the situation of children in underdeveloped countries.


title: Gong Yoo

text: On July 7, 2014, Gong Yoo was named as an ambassador for the National Tax Service (NTS), alongside actress Ha Ji-won. The pair modeled for promotional posters and took part in street campaigns that encourage honest tax payment in support of the NTS.


title: Gong Yoo

text: Gong Yoo experienced a new high in his career with consecutive hit works in 2016. His first film in 2016 was the melodrama "A Man and a Woman" alongside critically acclaimed actress Jeon Do-yeon. He then starred in the hugely successful zombie blockbuster "Train to Busan", which surpassed 11 million admissions in South Korea. He then starred in another box office hit "The Age of Shadows", which surpassed 6 million admissions in two weeks.In December 2016, Gong Yoo returned to television in Kim Eun-sook's fantasy-romance drama "", playing the titular goblin. The drama was a massive hit and Gong won Best Actor at the Baeksang Awards for his performance.


title: Gong Yoo

text: In 2018, Gong Yoo was cast in the feminist film "", which is his third collaboration with actress Jung Yu-mi (after "Silenced" and "Train to Busan"), Gong plays the role of Kim Ji-young's husband.


title: Gong Yoo

text: In March 2020, Gong Yoo confirmed to make a special appearance in Kim Tae-yong's upcoming film "Wonderland",


title: Gong Yoo

text: In 2021, Gong Yoo starred in Lee Yong-ju's action thriller film "Seo Bok" alongside Park Bo-gum. Gong plays a former intelligence agent who is caught up in the chase of catching the first human clone to uncover the secret to eternal life. That year, he appeared as a recruiter salesman in "Squid Game".


title: Gong Yoo

text: In December 2021, Gong Yoo appeared as team leader Han Yoon-jae alongside Bae Doona, Lee Joon, Kim Sun-young, and others in the Netflix original sci-fi thriller series "The Silent Sea" executive produced by Jung Woo-sung. Set in a distant dystopian future where Earth faces acute water shortage, the series follows an expedition team to an abandoned station on the moon. The fan response to the series was mixed, but it topped Netflix’s global charts to become the most-watched non-English series for week 2. It was also appreciated by critics and scored a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The "Forbes" review called it one of Netflix’s “best sci-fi series to date.”


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe; 27 July 1977) is an Irish actor, model and musician. He is known for his roles in the films "Michael Collins" (1996), "Velvet Goldmine" (1998), "Titus" (1999), "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002), "Alexander" (2004), "Match Point" (2005), "" (2006) and his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries "Elvis" (2005), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, as King Henry VIII in the historical drama "The Tudors" (2007–10), which earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations, and in the NBC drama series "Dracula" (2013–14) as the title character. He also starred as Bishop Heahmund, a character inspired by the Catholic Saint of the same name, in the History Channel television series "Vikings".


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Meyers has continued to star in other films, such as "Albert Nobbs" in 2011. In 2013, Meyers appeared as the villain Valentine Morgenstern in "", based on Cassandra Clare's novel, "City of Bones;" he appeared in the 2015 film "Stonewall", directed by Roland Emmerich; in 2017, he starred in "The 12th Man;" and in 2018 he won the Best Actor award at the Manchester Film Festival for his starring role in "Damascus Cover." In 2020, he was listed as number 44 on "The Irish Times"’ list of Ireland's greatest film actors.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Meyers has been the face of several Hugo Boss advertising campaigns. He has also been involved in several charitable causes, including the Hope Foundation and the children's charity Barretstown. Meyers is married to Mara Lane, and they have one son together.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Meyers was born on 27 July 1977 in Dublin, Ireland the first of four boys for Geraldine (née Myers; 1957–2007) and folk musician John O'Keeffe, and brought up in County Cork. His family is Catholic, and his three younger brothers are professional musicians. He attended North Monastery Christian Brothers School.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: After being expelled from North Monastery for truancy, he spent much of his time working and socialising in pool halls. Casting agents looking for Irish boys to appear in "War of the Buttons" spotted him at a Cork pool hall, the Victoria Sporting Club, and invited him to audition. Although passed over for "War of the Buttons", the casting agents encouraged him to pursue a career in acting.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Taking on the name Rhys Meyers because he thought his real name O'Keeffe was boring, his first acting role came in the film, "A Man of No Importance" (1994). In 1996, he appeared in "Michael Collins", as the Anti-Treaty IRA sniper who kills the title character. He played a David Bowie-inspired glam rock star in "Velvet Goldmine" (1998). In 1999, he appeared in "Ride with the Devil" as psychopathic Bushwhacker Pitt Mackeson. He starred as Steerpike in the BBC's "Gormenghast" (2000); played a dedicated girls' football coach in "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002); played in "Vanity Fair" (2004) opposite Reese Witherspoon; and co-starred in 2004 in Oliver Stone's epic "Alexander" in which he played Cassander.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: The following year Meyers starred in Woody Allen's drama "Match Point" (2005), for which he received a Chopard Trophy at the Cannes Film Festival, and in the CBS 4-hour mini-series "Elvis" (2005) as Elvis Presley alongside Randy Quaid as Colonel Tom Parker, but did not sing for his role in the miniseries. The latter earned him an "Emmy" nomination and a Golden Globe win. In 2006, he appeared in "".


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: He starred in the CBC/Showtime co-production "The Tudors" (2007) as Henry VIII. He was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama in 2007 for the role.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Subsequent projects include "August Rush" (2007). In 2008, he appeared in "The Children of Huang Shi", and in 2010, "Shelter" and "From Paris with Love".


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2011, he starred as Solal in "Belle du Seigneur", an English language film adaptation of Albert Cohen's novel "Belle du Seigneur". The film was released in Russia on 29 November 2012 and in France on 19 June 2013 after premiering at the Champs Elysees Film Festival.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2013, Meyers was cast as Dracula in NBC's television series "Dracula" alongside Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Jessica De Gouw. It was also announced in May 2013 that Meyers was to participate in the recording of his brothers' album entitled "Blossom", which was released on 21 April 2014.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: On 23 October 2014, he received "The Irish Post" Legend Award at the London Hilton on Park Lane in recognition of his remarkable achievements in Film & Television over the previous 20 years.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2017, He starred in the movie Black Butterfly and was nominated for Best supporting Actor at the Madrid International Festival . Meyes reunited with Michael Hirst and played star as bishop Heahmund in television series Vikings


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Meyers played the lead in the spy thriller "Damascus Cover", based on the novel by Howard Kaplan. It premiered on 23 September 2017, at the Boston Film Festival and he won the best actor award at Boston and Manchester International Festival


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Meyers portrays Patrick Pearse, a political activist and one of the leaders of the bloody 1916 Irish Easter Rising, in the centennial commemoration biopic film "The Rising", written and produced by Kevin McCann.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2020, Meyers played in "Edge of the World" , a biographical picture of the British explorer Sir James Brooke, as well as the lead role in the movie "American Nights," a neo-noir thriller co-starring Emile Hirsch, Paz Vega, and Jeremy Piven.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2021, he started as Shiro in "Yakuza Princess", a Brazilian action thriller film directed by Vicente Amorim based on the graphic novel "Samurai Shiro" by Danilo Beyruth. He also starred in the horror-thriller "Hide and Seek".


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: A self-taught singer and guitarist, Meyers has appeared in a number of musical roles. His first such role was as "Brian Slade" in "Velvet Goldmine"; two of the songs he sang ("Baby's on Fire" and "Tumbling Down") are on the film's soundtrack. He sang briefly in the television mini-series version of "The Magnificent Ambersons", performed in studio scenes of the miniseries "Elvis" and played the flute in "Gormenghast".


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In the 2007 music drama "August Rush", he performed on-screen as singer-songwriter Louis Connelly and is credited for four songs on the soundtrack – "Break", "Moondance", "Something Inside" and "This Time". Of the four, "This Time" and "Break" were considered in the Best Original Song category of the 80th Academy Awards. "This Time" was not released as a single but peaked at number 84 in the Canadian Hot 100.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Besides acting, Rhys Meyers has also modelled for several clothing companies. He modelled for Club Monaco in 2001 and was chosen as the face for the Versace men's collection of Autumn/Winter 2006 and Spring 2007, and he was the face of the Hugo Boss men's fragrance range from 2006 until he was replaced by Jared Leto in 2011. Meyers is signed to Independent Models in London.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: From 2004 until 2012, he was in a relationship with Reena Hammer, daughter of makeup artist Ruby Hammer.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: On 20 November 2007, his mother, Mary Geraldine "Geri" O'Keeffe, died at Mercy University Hospital, Cork, aged 51, following a short, undisclosed illness.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: On 30 June 2011 it was reported that he was taken to hospital by ambulance after a suspected suicide attempt.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: He attempted suicide again in 2016. Paramedics responding to an emergency call discovered him slumped on the floor. They called police after he refused treatment at the scene for more than 30 minutes. Later in 2016, he married Mara Lane. Their son, Wolf Rhys Meyers, was born in December 2016. In September 2017, Lane revealed that she had miscarried a second child.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2019, Rhys Meyers credited his family, and fatherhood in particular, with making him the happiest he has ever been: "Once you have your first child, you become the past. We're all busy giving out to ourselves and driving ourselves forward. A child gives you a new perspective on life."


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2022 he listed his Nichols Canyon Los Angeles home for sale. It was reported that the home, located in the Hollywood Hills, had previously been listed for sale and was made available as a rental property until 2012 when it was listed for $1.6 million and again in 2018 it was offered for $1.795 million. The current listing has the home for sale at $1.85 million.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2007, Rhys Meyers' representative, Meredith O'Sullivan, confirmed that Meyers had entered an alcohol-treatment programme.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2009, he was detained in Paris by French police for allegedly assaulting an airport lounge employee while drunk.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2010, at John F. Kennedy International Airport, he verbally abused and used racist language against airline staff and officials, who had refused him access to the boarding area after he had become intoxicated in the first-class lounge. He was banned by United Airlines as a result.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: His representative confirmed Meyers was receiving treatment again in 2010. In November 2011, he was ordered by a French court to pay restitution of €1,000 and was given a judgment of a suspended sentence for public intoxication 24 months earlier.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2018, he broke his sobriety on a flight, resulting in a dispute with his wife at Los Angeles International Airport. In an interview with Larry King later that year, Meyers addressed the incident, stating "... I shouldn't drink. It doesn't suit me and I had been sober for a long time." He insisted that he had learned his lesson and was sober again.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: Rhys Meyers crashed his car in Malibu, California, in November 2020. Responding police discovered he was intoxicated after a field test was performed and he was charged with two drunk driving offences. Court documents obtained by TMZ showed that he received a $500 fine and an order to attend alcohol and counselling programmes as part of his agreeing to the court's plea deal. He was further ordered to undergo a 12-month summary probation with no jail time, provided that he did not break the law during that period.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: On 5 October 2008, Rhys Meyers received an Honorary Patronage from the Trinity College Philosophical Society in Dublin.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In 2014, he was honoured at "The Irish Post Awards" by the presentation of the "Legend Award" for his contributions to the film and entertainment industry.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: In February 2008, Rhys Meyers was named the ambassador for the Hope Foundation, a charity formed in his native Cork to support the street children of Calcutta.


title: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

text: He is also an ambassador for the Irish children’s charity Barretstown which supports children affected by serious illness. In 2019, he and fellow actor Aidan Gillen helped launch Barretstown's new "Press Play" campaign which aimed to raise additional funds to serve more children and their families.


title: Pikachu

text: Pikachu is widely considered to be the most popular and well-known Pokémon species, largely due to its appearance in the "Pokémon" anime television series as the companion of protagonist Ash Ketchum. In most vocalized appearances Pikachu is voiced by Ikue Ōtani, though it has been portrayed by other actors, notably Ryan Reynolds in the live-action animated film "Pokémon Detective Pikachu". Pikachu has been well received by critics, with particular praise given for its cuteness, and has come to be regarded as an icon of Japanese pop culture.


title: Pikachu

text: Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the "Pokémon" series began in Japan in 1996, and features several species of creatures called "Pokémon" that players, called "trainers", are encouraged to capture, train, and use to battle other players' Pokémon or interact with the game's world. Pikachu was one of several different Pokémon designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team. Artist Atsuko Nishida is credited as the main person behind Pikachu's design, which was later finalized by artist Ken Sugimori. According to series producer Satoshi Tajiri, the name is derived from a combination of two Japanese onomatopoeia: "ピカピカ (pikapika)", a sparkling sound, and "チューチュー (chūchū)", a sound a mouse makes. Despite its name's origins, however, Nishida based Pikachu's original design, especially its cheeks, on squirrels. Developer Junichi Masuda noted Pikachu's name as one of the most difficult to create, due to an effort to make it appealing to both Japanese and American audiences.


title: Pikachu

text: Standing tall, Pikachu were the first "Electric-type" Pokémon created, their design intended to revolve around the concept of electricity. They are creatures that have short, yellow fur with brown markings covering their backs and parts of their lightning bolt-shaped tails. They have black-tipped, pointed ears and red circular pouches on their cheeks, which can spark with electricity. They attack primarily by projecting electricity from their bodies at their targets. Within the context of the franchise, Pikachu can transform, or "evolve," into a Raichu when exposed to a "Thunder Stone." In "Pokémon Gold" and "Silver", "Pichu" was introduced as an evolutionary predecessor to Pikachu. In "Pokémon Diamond" and "Pearl", gender differences were introduced; since those games, female Pikachu have an indent at the end of their tails, giving the tail a heart-shaped appearance.


title: Pikachu

text: Initially, both Pikachu and fellow Pokémon Clefairy were chosen to be lead characters for the franchise merchandising, with the latter as the primary mascot to make the early comic book series more "engaging". The idea of Pikachu as the mascot of the animated series was suggested by the production company OLM, Inc., which found that Pikachu was popular amongst schoolchildren and could appeal to both boys and girls, as well as their mothers. Pikachu resembled a familiar, intimate pet, and yellow is a primary color and easier for children to recognize from a distance. Additionally, the only other competing yellow mascot at the time was Winnie-the-Pooh. Pikachu was originally planned to have a second evolution called Gorochu, which was intended to be the evolved form of Raichu.


title: Pikachu

text: Pikachu's design has evolved from its once-pudgy body to having a slimmer waist, straighter spine, and more defined face and neck; Sugimori has stated these design changes originated in the anime, making Pikachu easier to animate, and were adopted to the games for consistency. "Fat Pikachu"


title: Pikachu

text: was revisited in "Pokémon Sword and Shield", where Pikachu received a Gigantamax Form resembling its original design.


title: Pikachu

text: Pikachu has appeared in all Pokémon video games, except "Black" and "White", without having to trade. The game "Pokémon Yellow" features a Pikachu as the only available Starter Pokémon. Based on the Pikachu from the "Pokémon" anime, it refuses to stay in its Poké Ball, and instead follows the main character around on screen. The trainer can speak to it and it displays different reactions depending on how it is treated. Pikachu also received the ability to learn new attacks such as the Electric-type attack, Thunderbolt, which no other Pokémon could learn naturally.


title: Pikachu

text: An event from April 1 to May 5, 2010, allowed players of "Pokémon HeartGold" and "SoulSilver" to access a route on the Pokéwalker, which solely contained Pikachu which knew attacks that they were not normally compatible with, Surf and Fly. Both of these attacks can be used outside battles as travel aids. Seven "Cap" forms of Pikachu, wearing caps belonging to Ash Ketchum across different seasons, were released across Pokémon "Sun" and "Moon" as well as their "Ultra" versions. These games also released two Z-Crystals exclusive to Pikachu: Pikanium Z, which upgrades Volt Tackle into Catastropika, and Pikashunium Z, which upgrades Thunderbolt into 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt when held by a Cap form of Pikachu.


title: Pikachu

text: "Pokémon Let's Go", which is based heavily on "Yellow", has Pikachu as a starter in one of its two versions, with the latter version using Eevee instead. This starter Pikachu has access to several secret techniques and exclusive moves. Finally, in "Pokémon Sword and Shield", Pikachu gained access to a special Gigantamax form which grants it the ability to deal massive damage and paralyze opponents at the same time.


title: Pikachu

text: Aside from the main series, Pikachu stars in "Hey You, Pikachu!" for the Nintendo 64; the player interacts with Pikachu through a microphone, issuing commands to play various mini-games and act out situations. The game "Pokémon Channel" follows a similar premise of interacting with the Pikachu, though without the microphone. Pikachu appear in almost all levels of "Pokémon Snap" and its sequel, "New Pokémon Snap", games where the player takes pictures of Pokémon for a score. A Pikachu is one of the sixteen starters and ten partners in the "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon" series. "" and its sequel, "", features a Pikachu as the main protagonist. Pikachu has appeared in all five "Super Smash Bros." fighting games as a playable character, including in "Pokkén Tournament", along with "Pikachu Libre", based on "Cosplay Pikachu" from "Omega Ruby" and "Alpha Sapphire". "Detective Pikachu" features a talking Pikachu who becomes a detective and helps to solve mysteries, while Pikachu also appears in a multiplayer online battle arena game "Pokémon Unite". It has also appeared in "Pokémon Rumble World", "Pokémon Go", and also puzzle games such as "Pokémon Shuffle", "Pokémon Battle Trozei", "Pokémon Picross", "Pokémon Café Mix", and including 2022 "".


title: Pikachu

text: The "Pokémon" anime series and films feature the adventures of Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu, traveling through the various regions of the Pokémon universe. They are accompanied by a group of alternating friends.


title: Pikachu

text: In the first episode, Ash Ketchum, a young boy from Pallet Town, turns 10 years old and acquires his first Pokémon, a Pikachu, from Professor Oak. At first, Pikachu largely ignores Ash's requests, shocking him frequently and refusing to be confined to the conventional method of Pokémon transportation, a Poké Ball. However, Ash puts himself in danger to defend Pikachu from a flock of wild Spearow, then rushes Pikachu to a Pokémon Center. Through Ash's actions, Pikachu warms up to Ash, although Pikachu still refuses to go into the Poké Ball. Soon after, Pikachu shows great power that sets him apart from other Pokémon, and other Pikachu, which causes Team Rocket to constantly attempt to capture him in order to win favor from their boss, Giovanni.


title: Pikachu

text: Other wild and trained Pikachu appear throughout the series, often interacting with Ash and his Pikachu. The most notable among these is Ritchie's Pikachu, . Like most other Pokémon, Pikachu communicates only by saying syllables of his own name. He is voiced by Ikue Ōtani in all versions of the anime. In "Pokémon Live!", the musical stage show adapted from the anime, Pikachu was played by Jennifer Risser.


title: Pikachu

text: In the 2019 film "Pokémon Detective Pikachu", a detective Pikachu is voiced by Ryan Reynolds and Ōtani. Pikachu is featured in a 2021 Katy Perry music video, "Electric".


title: Pikachu

text: Pikachu is a prominent Pokémon in many of the Pokémon manga series. In "Pokémon Adventures", main characters Red and Yellow both train Pikachu, which create an egg that Gold hatches into a Pichu. Other series, including "Pokémon Pocket Monsters", "Magical Pokémon Journey" and "Getto Da Ze" also feature Pikachu. Other manga series, such as "Electric Tale of Pikachu", and "Ash & Pikachu", feature Ash Ketchum's Pikachu from the anime series.


title: Pikachu

text: As the mascot of the franchise, Pikachu has made multiple appearances in various promotional events and merchandise. In 1998, then Topeka, Kansas Mayor Joan Wagnon renamed the town "ToPikachu" for a day, and the renaming was repeated in 2018 by Mayor Michelle De La Isla with the release of the "Pokémon Let's Go" games. A "got milk?" advertisement featured Pikachu on April 25, 2000.


title: Pikachu

text: A Pikachu balloon has been featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2001. The original balloon was flown for the last time publicly at the Pokémon: Tenth Anniversary "Party of the Decade" on August 8, 2006, in Bryant Park in New York City, and a new Pikachu balloon that chases a Poké Ball and has light-up cheeks debuted at the 2006 parade. In the 2014 parade, a new Pikachu balloon was wearing a green scarf and holding a smaller Pikachu snowman. As of 2021, the latest balloon is that of a Pikachu and Eevee together in a sled.


title: Pikachu

text: Pikachu and ten other Pokémon were chosen as Japan's mascots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In August 2017, The Pokémon Company had partnered with Snap Inc. to bring Pikachu to the social media app, Snapchat. In December 2020, a 15-minute long ASMR video of Pikachu by The Pokémon Company was released. ANA Boeing 747-400 (JA8962) planes have been covered with images of Pokémon including Pikachu since 1998. In 2021, the first Pokémon Jet (Boeing 747-400D) featuring entirely Pikachu debuted. Pikachu has been made into several different toy and plush forms, as well as other items, including a robot Tomy Pikachu, figures, fishing lures, gaming setups, necklaces, hats, inflatable furniture, and wire loop games. In 2022, My Nintendo Japan released a Pikachu and Eevee cable holder.


title: Pikachu

text: Collectible cards featuring Pikachu have appeared since the initial "Pokémon Trading Card Game" released in October 1996, including limited edition promotional cards. One of these collectible cards was "Pikachu Illustrator", limited to about 20-40 printed in 1998, and was auctioned off for about $55,000 in 2016, and then $375,000 in 2021. For the franchise's 25th anniversary, The Pokémon Company announced special trading cards in 2021, each featuring 25 Pikachu drawn by 25 artists. The character has also been used in promotional merchandising at fast-food chains such as McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King.


title: Pikachu

text: Pikachu has been mentioned in a variety of media, including TV series "Top Gear" and "Heroes". Pikachu has appeared several times on "The Simpsons" from 2002 to 2010.


title: Pikachu

text: The Chilean independent politician Giovanna Grandón famously went to many protests during the 2019–2021 Chilean protests dressed in an inflatable Pikachu suit. In July 2021 during the Group of Seven climate summit, a group of protestors dressed as Pikachus demonstrated on Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth, while in November 2021, a group of activists dressed up as Pikachu to protest Japan's refusal to reduce coal consumption at COP26.


title: Pikachu

text: In 2008, a ligand believed to provide better visual acuity was discovered by the and named "Pikachurin", in reference to the nimbleness of Pikachu. The name was inspired due to Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects".


title: Pikachu

text: Pikachu has been well received by reviewers; it was ranked as the "second best person of the year" by "Time" in 1999, who called it "the most beloved animated character since Hello Kitty". The magazine noted Pikachu as the "public face of a phenomenon that has spread from Nintendo's fastest selling video game to a trading-card empire", citing the franchise's profits for the year as "the reason for the ranking", behind singer Ricky Martin but ahead of author J.K. Rowling.


title: Pikachu

text: The character was ranked eighth in a 2000 "Animax" poll of favorite anime characters. In 2002, Ash's Pikachu received 15th place in "TV Guide"s 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time. "GameSpot" featured it in their article "All Time Greatest Game Hero". In 2003, "Forbes" ranked Pikachu as the "eighth top-earning fictional character of the year" with an income of $825 million. In 2004, the character dropped two spots to tenth on the list, taking in $825 million for a second straight year. In a 2008 Oricon poll, Pikachu was voted as the fourth most popular video game character in Japan, tying with Solid Snake. The character has been regarded as the Japanese answer to Mickey Mouse and as being part of a movement of "cute capitalism". Pikachu was listed 8th in "IGN"s "Top 25 Anime Characters of All Time." Manga artist Hiro Mashima referred to Pikachu as "the greatest mascot character of all time!" when talking about adding these types of characters to series. "Nintendo Power" listed Pikachu as their ninth favourite hero, noting that while it was one of the first Pokémon, it still remained "popular to this day". Authors Tracey West and Katherine Noll called Pikachu the best Electric-type Pokémon and the best Pokémon overall. They added that if a person were to go around and ask "Pokémon" players who their favourite Pokémon was, they would "almost always" choose Pikachu. They also called Pikachu "brave and loyal". In 2011, readers of "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition" voted Pikachu as the 20th-top video game character of all time.


title: Pikachu

text: Zack Zwiezen of "Kotaku" praised the simplicity of Pikachu's design, describing it as "possibly one of the most iconic characters on the planet". Kevin Slackie of "Paste" listed Pikachu as second of the best Pokémon. Dale Bishir of "IGN" described Pikachu as the most important Pokémon that impacted the franchise's history, and further stated that "Its irresistible cuteness, merchandising power, army of clones in every generation... if your mom calls every Pokémon 'Pikachu', then you know in your heart that it is the most important Pokémon of all time." In 2019, Mitsuhiro Arita said that Pikachu and Charizard were "fan favourites" in Pokémon's design on the trading cards. Lauren Rouse of "Kotaku" listed Pikachu as the best animal companions that are the real MVPs of video games, stating that "Pikachu symbolises one of the best animal-human friendships in pop culture history and it makes a damn good Pokémon to have in your roster." Steven Bogos of "The Escapist" listed Pikachu as third of their favorite Pokémon, describing it as the "one of the cutest little monsters of all". "Time Magazine" named Pikachu as one of the twelve most influential video game characters of all time, lauding its appearance as the "most recognizable and beloved sidekick in pop culture." "Hobby Consolas" also included Pikachu on their "30 best heroes of the last 30 years." In 2021, Chris Morgan for "Yardbarker" described Pikachu as one of "the most memorable characters from old school Nintendo games", while Rachel Weber of "GamesRadar" ranked him as second iconic video game character of all time, stating that "If Pokemon has a spokesperson, it's the adorable and electrifying yellow fuzzball."


title: Pikachu

text: Conversely, Pikachu was ranked first in "AskMen"s top 10 of the most irritating 1990s cartoon characters. Similarly, in a poll conducted by "IGN", it was voted as the 48th best Pokémon, with the staff commenting "despite being the most recognized Pokémon in the world... Pikachu ranks surprisingly low on our top 100". "Kotaku" writer Patricia Hernandez criticized Pikachu's over-representation in "Pokémon"-related media, saying: "it's hard not to be barraged by Pikachu's constant presence if you're a "Pokémon" fan, and it sucks."


title: Sleep paralysis

text: Sleep paralysis is a state, during waking up or falling asleep, in which one is conscious but is completely paralyzed. During an episode, one may hallucinate (hear, feel, or see things that are not there), which often results in fear. Episodes generally last less than a couple of minutes. It can recur or occur as a single episode.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: The condition may occur in those who are otherwise healthy or those with narcolepsy, or it may run in families as a result of specific genetic changes. The condition can be triggered by sleep deprivation, psychological stress, or abnormal sleep cycles. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve a dysfunction in REM sleep. Lucid dreaming doesn't affect the chances of sleep paralysis but some lucid dreamers use this as a method of having a lucid dream. Diagnosis is based on a person's description. Other conditions that can present similarly include narcolepsy, atonic seizure, and hypokalemic periodic paralysis.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: Treatment options for sleep paralysis have been poorly studied. It is recommended that people be reassured that the condition is common and generally not serious. Other efforts that may be tried include sleep hygiene, cognitive behavioral therapy, and antidepressants.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: Between 8% and 50% of people experience sleep paralysis at some point in their life. About 5% of people have regular episodes. Males and females are affected equally. Sleep paralysis has been described throughout history. It is believed to have played a role in the creation of stories about alien abduction and other paranormal events.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: Imagined sounds such as humming, hissing, static, zapping and buzzing noises are reported during sleep paralysis. Other sounds such as voices, whispers and roars are also experienced. It has also been known that one may feel pressure on their chest and intense pain in their head during an episode. These symptoms are usually accompanied by intense emotions such as fear and panic. People also have sensations of being dragged out of bed or of flying, numbness, and feelings of electric tingles or vibrations running through their body.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: Sleep paralysis may include hallucinations, such as an intruding presence or dark figure in the room, suffocating or the individual feeling a sense of terror, accompanied by a feeling of pressure on one's chest and difficulty breathing.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: The pathophysiology of sleep paralysis has not been concretely identified, although there are several theories about its cause. The first of these stems from the understanding that sleep paralysis is a parasomnia resulting from dysfunctional overlap of the REM and waking stages of sleep. Polysomnographic studies found that individuals who experience sleep paralysis have shorter REM sleep latencies than normal along with shortened NREM and REM sleep cycles, and fragmentation of REM sleep. This study supports the observation that disturbance of regular sleeping patterns can precipitate an episode of sleep paralysis, because fragmentation of REM sleep commonly occurs when sleep patterns are disrupted and has now been seen in combination with sleep paralysis.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: Another major theory is that the neural functions that regulate sleep are out of balance in such a way that causes different sleep states to overlap. In this case, cholinergic sleep “on” neural populations are hyperactivated and the serotonergic sleep “off” neural populations are under-activated. As a result, the cells capable of sending the signals that would allow for complete arousal from the sleep state, the serotonergic neural populations, have difficulty in overcoming the signals sent by the cells that keep the brain in the sleep state. During normal REM sleep, the threshold for a stimulus to cause arousal is greatly elevated. Under normal conditions, medial and vestibular nuclei, cortical, thalamic, and cerebellar centers coordinate things such as head and eye movement, and orientation in space.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: In individuals reporting sleep paralysis, there is almost no blocking of exogenous stimuli, which means it is much easier for a stimulus to arouse the individual. The vestibular nuclei in particular has been identified as being closely related to dreaming during the REM stage of sleep. According to this hypothesis, vestibular-motor disorientation, unlike hallucinations, arise from completely endogenous sources of stimuli.


title: Sleep paralysis

text: If the effects of sleep “on” neural populations cannot be counteracted, characteristics of REM sleep are retained upon awakening. Common consequences of sleep paralysis include headaches, muscle pains or weakness or paranoia. As the correlation with REM sleep suggests, the paralysis is not complete: use of EOG traces shows that eye movement is still possible during such episodes; however, the individual experiencing sleep paralysis is unable to speak.