title: The Dirty Dozen

text: I'm glad the Chicago Police Censor Board forgot about that part of the local censorship law where it says films shall not depict the burning of the human body. If you have to censor, stick to censoring sex, I say...but leave in the mutilation, leave in the sadism and by all means leave in the human beings burning to death. It's not obscene as long as they burn to death with their clothes on.


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: In another contemporaneous review, Bosley Crowther called it "an astonishingly wanton war film" and a "studied indulgence of sadism that is morbid and disgusting beyond words"; he also noted:


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: It is not simply that this violent picture of an American military venture is based on a fictional supposition that is silly and irresponsible. ... But to have this bunch of felons a totally incorrigible lot, some of them psychopathic, and to try to make us believe that they would be committed by any American general to carry out an exceedingly important raid that a regular commando group could do with equal efficiency—and certainly with greater dependability—is downright preposterous.


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: Marvin's taut, pugnacious playing of the major ... is tough and terrifying. John Cassavetes is wormy and noxious as a psychopath condemned to death, and Telly Savalas is swinish and maniacal as a religious fanatic and sex degenerate. Charles Bronson as an alienated murderer, Richard Jaeckel as a hard-boiled military policeman, and Jim Brown as a white-hating Negro stand out in the animalistic group.


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: Art Murphy of "Variety" was more positive, calling it "an exciting World War II pre-D-Day drama" with an "excellent cast" and a "very good screenplay" with "a ring of authenticity to it".


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: The "Time Out Film Guide" notes that over the years, ""The Dirty Dozen" has taken its place alongside that other commercial classic, "The Magnificent Seven"". The review then states:


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: The violence which liberal critics found so offensive has survived intact. Aldrich sets up dispensable characters with no past and no future, as Marvin reprieves a bunch of death row prisoners, forges them into a tough fighting unit, and leads them on a suicide mission into Nazi France. Apart from the values of team spirit, cudgeled by Marvin into his dropout group, Aldrich appears to be against everything: anti-military, anti-Establishment, anti-women, anti-religion, anti-culture, anti-life. Overriding such nihilism is the super-crudity of Aldrich's energy and his humour, sufficiently cynical to suggest that the whole thing is a game anyway, a spectacle that demands an audience.


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: Three years after "The Dirty Dozen" was released, "Too Late the Hero", a film also directed by Aldrich, was described as a "kind of sequel to "The Dirty Dozen"". The 1969 Michael Caine film "Play Dirty" follows a similar theme of convicts recruited as soldiers. The 1977 Italian war film directed by Enzo G. Castellari, "The Inglorious Bastards", is a loose remake of "The Dirty Dozen". Quentin Tarantino's 2009 "Inglourious Basterds" was derived from the English-language title of the Castellari film.


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: Several TV films were produced in the mid-to-late 1980s which capitalized on the popularity of the first film. Lee Marvin, Richard Jaeckel and Ernest Borgnine reprised their roles for "The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission" in 1985, leading a group of military convicts in a mission to kill a German general who was plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler. In "The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission" (1987), Telly Savalas, who had played the role of the psychotic Maggott in the original film, assumed the different role of Major Wright, an officer who leads a group of military convicts to extract a group of German scientists who are being forced to make a deadly nerve gas. Ernest Borgnine again reprised his role of General Worden. "The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission" (1988) depicts Savalas's Wright character and a group of renegade soldiers attempting to prevent a group of extreme German generals from starting a Fourth Reich, with Erik Estrada co-starring and Ernest Borgnine again playing the role of General Worden. In 1988, Fox aired a short-lived television series starring Ben Murphy. Among the cast was John Slattery, who played Private Leeds in eight of the show's 11 episodes.


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: Some of the surviving cast members of the original film provided the voices of the toy soldiers in Joe Dante's "Small Soldiers".


title: The Dirty Dozen

text: In 2014, Warner Bros. announced that director David Ayer would be the director of a live-action adaptation of the DC Comics property Suicide Squad, and Ayer has gone on to say that the film is "the Dirty Dozen with super villains", citing the original film as inspiration.


title: Howard Shore

text: Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer and conductor noted for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" film trilogies. He won three Academy Awards for his work on "The Lord of the Rings", with one being for the song "Into the West", an award he shared with Eurythmics lead vocalist Annie Lennox and writer/producer Fran Walsh, who wrote the lyrics. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg, having scored all but one of his films since 1979.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore has also composed a few concert works including one opera, "The Fly", based on the plot of Cronenberg's 1986 film, which premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on July 2, 2008; a short piece named "Fanfare for the Wanamaker Organ and the Philadelphia Orchestra"; and a short overture for the Swiss 21st Century Symphony Orchestra. Shore has also composed for television, including serving as the original musical director for the American sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" from 1975 to 1980.


title: Howard Shore

text: In addition to his three Academy Awards, Shore has also won three Golden Globe Awards and four Grammy Awards.


title: Howard Shore

text: Howard Shore was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the son of Bernice (née Ash) and Mac Shore. Shore is Jewish. He started studying music at the age of 8 or 9. He learned a multitude of instruments and began playing in bands at the ages of 13 and 14. When Shore was 13, he met and became good friends with a young Lorne Michaels in summer camp, and this friendship would later be influential in his career. By 17, he decided he wanted to pursue music in his adult life too. He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston after graduating from Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.


title: Howard Shore

text: From 1969 to 1972, Shore was a member of the jazz fusion band Lighthouse. In 1970, he became the music director for Lorne Michaels and Hart Pomerantz's short-lived TV program "The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour". Shore wrote the music for Canadian magician Doug Henning's magic musical "Spellbound" in 1974 and, from 1975 to 1980, he was the musical director for Lorne Michaels' influential late-night NBC comedy show "Saturday Night Live", appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band, and dressed as a beekeeper for a John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd performance of the Slim Harpo classic "I'm a King Bee". Shore also suggested the name for The Blues Brothers to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore's first film score was to the low budget thriller "I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses" (1978), followed by David Cronenberg's first major film, "The Brood" (1979). He would go on to score all of Cronenberg's subsequent films, with the exception of "The Dead Zone" (1983), which was scored by Michael Kamen. The first film he scored that was not directed by Cronenberg was Martin Scorsese's "After Hours" (1985). Following that, he scored "The Fly" (1986), again directed by Cronenberg. Two years later, he composed the score to "Big" (1988), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks. He then scored two more of David Cronenberg's films: "Dead Ringers" (1988) and "Naked Lunch" (1991).


title: Howard Shore

text: During 1991, Shore composed the score for the highly acclaimed film "The Silence of the Lambs", starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, and directed by Jonathan Demme. He received his first BAFTA nomination for the score. The film became the third (and most recent) to win the five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress). Shore is the only living composer to have scored a "Top Five" Oscar-winning film.


title: Howard Shore

text: During 1993, he composed the scores for "M. Butterfly" (another collaboration with Cronenberg), "Philadelphia" (his second collaboration with Jonathan Demme), and "Mrs. Doubtfire", directed by Chris Columbus. The latter two films were highly successful, "Philadelphia" winning Tom Hanks his first Oscar.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore scored another three films in 1994: "The Client", "Ed Wood", and "Nobody's Fool". "Ed Wood" is notable for being one of the three films directed by Tim Burton that did not feature a score by Danny Elfman.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore continued to score numerous films from 1995 to 2001, including two David Fincher films, "Seven" (1995) and "The Game" (1997), and "The Truth About Cats and Dogs" (1996), directed by Michael Lehmann; he also collaborated on two films with Cronenberg, along with Tom Hanks' directorial debut, "That Thing You Do!". He scored Kevin Smith’s "Dogma" (1999). Shore also composed the score of the 2000 film "The Cell".


title: Howard Shore

text: Major success came in 2001 with his score to "", the first film in the highly acclaimed "The Lord of the Rings trilogy". The news that Shore would score the trilogy surprised some, since he was primarily associated with dark, ominous films and had never scored an epic of this scale. However, the score was hugely successful and won Shore his first Oscar, as well as a Grammy Award, and garnered Shore nominations for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. The music editor on the trilogy was Suzana Peric. An excerpt from "The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm" was used in a teaser for 2013's Superman film, "Man of Steel".


title: Howard Shore

text: The following year, Shore composed the scores to "Panic Room", "Gangs of New York" (replacing Elmer Bernstein), and "", the second film in the trilogy. (The latter two films were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.) Initially, Shore's score for "The Two Towers" was going to be deemed ineligible for submission to the Academy, due to a new rule that disallowed the submission of scores which contained themes from previous work. However, the implementation of this rule change was subsequently postponed, meaning the score remained eligible. Ultimately, "The Two Towers" score did not receive an Academy Award nomination; Shore did, however, receive a BAFTA nomination for "Gangs of New York".


title: Howard Shore

text: In 2003, he composed the score for the final film in "The Lord of the Rings trilogy", "". The film was the most successful film in the trilogy and the most successful of the year. Shore won his second Oscar for Best Original Score, as well as a third for Best Original Song for "Into the West", which he shared with Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox. Shore also won his first Golden Globe, his third and fourth Grammy (the fourth for Best Song), and was nominated for a third BAFTA. The scores of "The Lord of the Rings", performed primarily by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, became one of the most successful film scores ever written and the biggest success in Shore's career. The score has been repeatedly voted to be the best film score, and the review site Filmtracks named Shore's score "arguably the most respected and impressive trilogy of music of all time: Howard Shore's massive work for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings."


title: Howard Shore

text: In 2004, Shore again collaborated with Martin Scorsese, scoring his epic film "The Aviator", this time with the Brussels Philharmonic. He won a second Golden Globe for the score, becoming the third composer to have won consecutive Golden Globes in the Original Score category. He also received his sixth Grammy nomination, and his fifth BAFTA nomination.


title: Howard Shore

text: He collaborated again with David Cronenberg in 2005 to score "A History of Violence", starring Viggo Mortensen. The film was a success and received two Oscar nominations. In 2006, he collaborated for the fourth time with Martin Scorsese, this time to score "The Departed". The film was highly successful and won four Oscars, including a long-awaited win for Scorsese, and Best Picture.


title: Howard Shore

text: Although Shore was originally commissioned to compose the soundtrack for "King Kong", he was later replaced by James Newton Howard due to "differing creative aspirations for the score" on his and the filmmakers' parts. This was a mutual agreement between himself and Peter Jackson. Despite this, Shore has a cameo near the end of the film as the conductor of the orchestra in the theater, performing portions of Max Steiner's score to the original 1933 version of the film.


title: Howard Shore

text: In 2007, Shore composed the music for "Soul of the Ultimate Nation", an online multiplayer video game. The soundtrack is notable for being the first video game soundtrack to feature Lydia Kavina on the theremin. During 2007 he also composed the scores for "The Last Mimzy" and "Eastern Promises", the latter of which includes a section that has been performed in concert as Shore's "Concertino for violin solo and chamber orchestra". "Eastern Promises" was another collaboration with David Cronenberg and earned Shore his fourth Golden Globe nomination. In 2008, he scored "Doubt", starring Meryl Streep and directed by John Patrick Shanley. The film was a success, earning five Oscar nominations.


title: Howard Shore

text: In 2010, Shore composed the score to "", the third installment in the "Twilight" film series, following Carter Burwell and Alexandre Desplat, who scored the first and second films, respectively. He also replaced John Corigliano to score "Edge of Darkness", starring Mel Gibson.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore's 2011 projects were "A Dangerous Method", continuing his long-term collaboration with director David Cronenberg. He also composed the score to Martin Scorsese's "Hugo", his fifth collaboration with the director, which earned him a sixth Golden Globe nomination and fourth Oscar nomination.


title: Howard Shore

text: He also composed the score to Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" film series. In addition, Shore composed the opening theme for the Rings of Power show run by Amazon.


title: Howard Shore

text: Since 2004, he has toured the world conducting local orchestras in the performance of his new symphonic arrangement of his highly acclaimed "Lord of the Rings" scores. The new work is entitled "The Lord of the Rings: Symphony in Six Movements". There are two movements for each of the movies, and an intermission between the second and third (or first and second film titles) movements. The concert presentation of the symphony also includes projected still images of sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee relating the music being performed to scenes from the films. Recently, however, Shore has been busy with other projects, leaving other conductors including Markus Huber, Ludwig Wicki, Alexander Mickelthwaite, and John Mauceri to lead the orchestras.


title: Howard Shore

text: April 24, 2008 marked the North American Live to Projection debut of "Fellowship of the Ring", with the score performed live by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ludwig Wicki. Wicki also conducted the Filene Center Orchestra at the Wolf Trap Farm Park in Vienna, Virginia on May 21 and 22, 2008 in the U.S. premiere of the "Fellowship of the Ring" Live to Projection.


title: Howard Shore

text: September 16, 2010 Shore conducted the RSO Vienna (Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra) which performed "In Dreams from The Fellowship of the Ring" at Hollywood in Vienna in Vienna, Austria.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore was commissioned by Macy's to write a Fanfare for the Store's 150th anniversary featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Wanamaker Organ, the world's largest playing pipe organ. The work was debuted in the Grand Court of Macy's Philadelphia Store on September 27, 2008 in a concert that drew reviews from most of the major East Coast newspapers.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore's opera "The Fly" had its world premiere performance at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on July 2, 2008 and its United States premiere at Los Angeles Opera on September 7, 2008. The production was directed by David Cronenberg and conducted by Plácido Domingo. "The Fly" had a new production mounted by Theatre Trier in Germany in 2014 staged by Sebastian Welker and conducted by Joongbae Jee.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore was commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival to write "Ruin and Memory", a piano concerto, for the pianist Lang Lang. The world premiere was on October 11, 2010 performed by Lang Lang, The China Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Long Yu. His second concerto, "Mythic Gardens", premiered April 27, 2012 with Sophie Shao on cello solo, The American Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Leon Botstein.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore's song cycle "A Palace Upon the Ruins" premiered in 2014 at the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and at the La Jolla SummerFest featuring mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano. "A Palace Upon the Ruins" is a song cycle of six songs with words by Elizabeth Cotnoir.


title: Howard Shore

text: "Sea to Sea" was commissioned by New Brunswick Youth Orchestra in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary of confederation and premiered on July 2, 2017 in Moncton, New Brunswick with soloist Measha Brueggergosman and Antonio Delgado conducting. "Sea to Sea" has lyrics by Elizabeth Cotnoir.


title: Howard Shore

text: The song cycle "L'Aube" premiered October 19 & 20, 2017 in Toronto at Roy Thompson Hall conducted by Peter Oundjian and performed by soloist Susan Platts and commissioning orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. "L'Aube" consists of five songs with text by Elizabeth Cotnoir.


title: Howard Shore

text: "The Forest" a guitar concerto composed for Miloš Karadaglić will premiere in Ottawa on May 1 & 2, 2019 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Alexander Shelley conducting.


title: Howard Shore

text: In addition to writing the original theme song for "Saturday Night Live", as well as the closing theme, Shore also co-wrote the theme song for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" with John Lurie. The theme was carried over to "The Tonight Show" when O'Brien succeeded Jay Leno as host.


title: Howard Shore

text: In September 2021, it was reported that Shore was in talk to compose the music for the upcoming "" TV series on Amazon Prime Video, returning from the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" films.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore narrated a one-hour CBC Radio documentary/soundscape on music in thriller/suspense film genres also including references to radio dramas and other media. The episode was called "Unsettling Scores" and premiered on the program called Inside the Music.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore is married to Elizabeth Cotnoir, a writer, producer and documentary filmmaker. He has a daughter, Mae. He is the uncle of film composer Ryan Shore.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore has received four Academy Award nominations, winning three, two for Best Original Score, for "" (2001), and "" (2003). He also won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Into the West" from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King". He received his fourth nomination for his work on "Hugo".


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore has also received six Golden Globe nominations, winning three consecutive awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song - "Into the West" for "" (2003) and "The Aviator" (2004), making him the second composer (after Alan Menken) to have received consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Score. He also won three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Score for each of the Lord of the Rings films, and received a second award in 2003 for the song "Into the West" from "Return of the King" in the category of Best Song. He has also received five BAFTA nominations, but has not won.


title: Howard Shore

text: On June 11, 2007, Shore was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from York University in Toronto for "his sweeping artistic vision".


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore has also been honored with awards from The National Board of Review, Recording Academy Honors, The Broadcast Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics, Genie Award, World Soundtrack Award, New York's Gotham Award, and The Saturn Award for Science Fiction.


title: Howard Shore

text: Shore is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Science Fiction Feature Film for "The Last Mimzy".


title: Howard Shore

text: In May 2008, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music during Berklee's commencement ceremony at the Agganis Arena.


title: Howard Shore

text: On September 16, 2010 he was awarded the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award by the City of Vienna at the yearly film music gala concert Hollywood in Vienna.


title: Howard Shore

text: In 2012, he received Canada's Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.


title: Howard Shore

text: In 2016, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada for his work towards the film and music industry.


title: Train (band)

text: Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco which was formed in 1993. As of 2022 the band consists of Pat Monahan (lead vocals), Taylor Locke (guitar, vocals), Hector Maldonado (bass, vocals), Jerry Becker (keyboards, guitar), Matt Musty (drums), Sakai Smith (backup vocals), and Nikita Houston (backup vocals).


title: Train (band)

text: With a lineup that included original members Monahan, Rob Hotchkiss, Jimmy Stafford, Scott Underwood, and Charlie Colin, the band achieved mainstream success with their debut album "Train". The album was released in 1998 with the hit "Meet Virginia". Train's 2001 album, "Drops of Jupiter", contained the lead single "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". The single won two Grammy Awards in 2002, and the album was certified double platinum. Train's third studio album, "My Private Nation", released in 2003, was certified platinum in the United States with the hit "Calling All Angels". Following the departures of Hotchkiss and Colin, the band released their fourth album, "For Me, It's You" in 2006, with Brandon Bush (keyboards) and Johnny Colt (bass). Despite a generally positive reception from critics, the album was commercially unsuccessful. Because of this, Train went on a two-year hiatus from recording any new music.


title: Train (band)

text: In late 2009, Train released the album "Save Me, San Francisco", from which the album's three singles—the RIAA 6× platinum-certified international hit "Hey, Soul Sister", "If It's Love" and "Marry Me"—reached numbers three, 34, and 34, respectively, on the "Billboard" Hot 100. The album was certified gold by both the RIAA and ARIA. In April 2012, Train released "California 37". The first single from the album, entitled "Drive By", reached number 10 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was a Top 10 hit in the UK. This album was followed by "Bulletproof Picasso" (2014), "Christmas in Tahoe" (2015), "Train Does Led Zeppelin II" (2016), and "A Girl, a Bottle, a Boat" (2017). Their album "AM Gold" was released on May 20, 2022.


title: Train (band)

text: Following the dissolution of his Led Zeppelin cover band "Rogues Gallery", singer Pat Monahan left his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania in late 1993. He resettled in California and crossed paths with Berklee College of Music alumnus Rob Hotchkiss, who performed in coffee houses and local clubs. The two shared lead vocals, with Hotchkiss on guitar and harmonica, and Monahan playing percussion, including a modified conga attached to a kick-drum pedal. Hotchkiss had been the lead singer for L.A.-based Apostles. After deciding to form a full band, the duo recruited Jimmy Stafford (lead guitarist for The Apostles) on guitar, Charlie Colin on bass, and Scott Underwood on drums, thus solidifying Train's lineup in 1994. Train attempted to get signed under Columbia Records in 1996, but were rejected. Subsequently, the band decided to release their first self-titled CD independently. By 1997, they were touring nationally, opening concerts for bands such as Barenaked Ladies, Hootie & the Blowfish, Cracker and Counting Crows.


title: Train (band)

text: "Train" is the band's eponymous debut album. Initially released on Aware/RED, a joint venture with Columbia, A&R executive Tim Devine picked up the record for release on Columbia. The album was released on February 24, 1998, with a different track listing from its independent counterpart. It was self-produced for $25,000, and three singles from the album were released. The first single released, "Free", was a large hit on pop/mainstream rock stations. The second single, "Meet Virginia" was a top 20 hit on the "Billboard" Hot 100, peaking at number 20, and the third single was "I Am". The album brought the band national fame, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Following the success of the debut album, the band began working on their second album.


title: Train (band)

text: "Drops of Jupiter", the band's second album, was produced by Brendan O' Brien, who has also worked with artists such as Pearl Jam, King's X, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band and Neil Young. Before the release of the second album, the band released the single "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". The song was a massive hit; it entered the Hot 100 on March 10, 2001, and spent 54 weeks on the chart before being relegated to the recurrents chart. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, which was written by Paul Buckmaster, known for his string arrangements for Elton John. (The band reportedly hired Buckmaster expressly to create a sound similar to his arrangement for John's "Burn Down The Mission".)


title: Train (band)

text: The album "Drops of Jupiter" was released on March 27, 2001, and became Train's first multi-platinum album, with the success of the lead single. The album was Train's first top ten album, peaking at number six on the "Billboard" 200. The album was also a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number eight. "She's on Fire", the second single from "Drops of Jupiter" was a modest success and was featured in the 2001 comedy "The Animal" and the 2003 animated comedy "Rugrats Go Wild". The album was eventually certified double platinum in the United States and in Canada. It was also certified gold in Australia.


title: Train (band)

text: During the "Drops of Jupiter" tour, the band released a live DVD of a sold-out concert in the band's hometown of San Francisco at The Warfield. The DVD was titled "Midnight Moon" and featured Train's hits from the first two albums among others. The concert was recorded on May 26, 2001.


title: Train (band)

text: In 2003, Rob Hotchkiss left the band citing creative differences. According to band interviews, Hotchkiss resented being pushed away as a songwriter and decided to leave. Hotchkiss started pursuing a solo career, after having contributed to six of the 11 songs on the (at the time) upcoming album "My Private Nation". His solo album, the critically acclaimed "Midnight Ghost", was released in 2004.


title: Train (band)

text: The band's third album, "My Private Nation", was released in June 2003 with "Calling All Angels" as the lead single. "Calling All Angels" became Train's third top 20 hit, and was a major hit on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. "Calling All Angels" has been certified RIAA Gold.


title: Train (band)

text: In October 2003, bassist Charlie Colin was forced to leave the band because of substance abuse. According to singer Pat Monahan, Colin was "a mess". After a live presentation in Oregon, he called an emergency meeting and told the band that "you can have your bass player, or you can have your singer". He was replaced by Johnny Colt, bass player for The Black Crowes.


title: Train (band)

text: In 2004, their non-album song "Ordinary" was featured in the movie "Spider-Man 2". In 2007, it was featured again, this time in the NBC series "Heroes". The music video for "Ordinary" was in rotation on MTV, but the song only charted on the Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. In July 2005, after the song was featured in an advertising campaign for Cingular, the band released "Get to Me" as the final single from "My Private Nation". "Get to Me" (written by Rob Hotchkiss and Pat Monahan) reached number nine on the Billboard Adult Top 40. Paul Buckmaster returned on "My Private Nation" with string arrangements for the tracks "Lincoln Avenue" and "Your Every Color". The album was certified platinum by the RIAA.


title: Train (band)

text: The band released their first live album, "Alive at Last", in 2004, later winning a Radio Music Award for best artist.


title: Train (band)

text: Train began recording their fourth studio album, "For Me, It's You", in Atlanta during the summer of 2005. They released the album's lead single, "Cab", on November 14, 2005. The song peaked at number nine on the Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. The album was released on January 31, 2006 and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200 chart. However, it failed commercially, becoming the first album of the band's career to fail to receive an RIAA certification. The album was the band's only album to include members Johnny Colt on bass and Brandon Bush playing keyboard.


title: Train (band)

text: Starting in November 2006, the band took a two-year hiatus from recording and touring to be with friends and family. The band's lead singer and songwriter Pat Monahan released a solo album, "Last of Seven", on September 18, 2007. The album peaked at number 82 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. Two hit singles off of the album "Her Eyes" and "Two Ways to Say Goodbye" charted at number 9 and number 21 on the Adult Top 40 with "Her Eyes" charting at number 10 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles as well. Pat Monahan also wrote "The Truth" for American Idol winner Kris Allen. "The Truth" charted at number 17 on the Adult Top 40.


title: Train (band)

text: On August 11, 2009, Train released their first single in more than three years. Fall Out Boy's co-manager Jonathan Daniel helped Train begin their comeback after a couple of off years. The song "Hey, Soul Sister", from their fifth studio album, "Save Me, San Francisco", was released on August 11, 2009, while the rest of the album was released about two and a half months later on October 27, 2009. The single was a major success, becoming their second-career top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 16th week on the chart, after surging from number 23 to number seven during the week of January 30, 2010, largely because of an 81% increase in digital sales from the previous week. Like their earlier hit "Get to Me", this song gained further popularity when it was used as the commercial soundtrack to launch Samsung's 3D television during the Oscars. It is now their highest-charting single. "Hey, Soul Sister" is also the most played song in Australian radio history, the most downloaded iTunes song of 2010, the best selling single in Columbia Records history, and has been certified RIAA 6 x platinum. The album itself peaked at number 17 on the "Billboard" 200 chart.


title: Train (band)

text: Train's second single from the album, "If It's Love", peaked at number 34, making it their most successful secondary single from any record. "If It's Love" has been RIAA certified gold. Train released the third single from the record, "Marry Me", on October 25, 2010. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 95, the first time Train have had three consecutive singles on this chart. The song peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Marry Me" was featured on "One Tree Hill" on February 1, 2011. "Marry Me" has been certified RIAA Gold. Train released a Christmas single called "Shake Up Christmas", which was featured in commercials internationally as part of Coca-Cola's Christmas commercial series in 2010. The single charted at number 12 on the "Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks". The single also charted at #99 on Billboard's Hot 100. Train's single "Save Me, San Francisco" peaked at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, at 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and 7 on the Adult Pop Songs chart.


title: Train (band)

text: "Drive By", the lead single off of Train's sixth studio album, was released worldwide on January 10, 2012. It peaked at number ten on the "Billboard" Hot 100, as well as reaching Platinum certifications in Australia New Zealand, and the United States.


title: Train (band)

text: On April 13, 2012, Train released their sixth studio album, "California 37". According to Monahan, much of it was written while the group was touring "Save Me, San Francisco". "I didn't spend 3 months or 5 months writing, I just wrote throughout the course of the last 3 years," said Monahan. "We have 13 songs that we've recorded and I want to hear every single one of them over and over again." The album release was preceded by a promotional single of "Feels Good at First" on March 21, for iTunes Store customers who pre-ordered the album. The album debuted at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, and became their highest-charting album since "Drops of Jupiter" which peaked at number six in 2001. In the United States, "California 37" debuted at number four on the "Billboard" 200 with first-week sales of 76,000 copies. It is their fourth top 10 album and their highest-charting album in the US.


title: Train (band)

text: Train's next single, "50 Ways to Say Goodbye", was released on June 11, with its "self-deprecating lyrics about the failure in gracefully ending a relationship", coupled with "slightly tacky mariachi horns". It peaked at number 20 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and charted for 12 weeks. and was certified gold by the RIAA on September 20. For the summer of 2012, Train toured mostly on the east coast of the United States.


title: Train (band)

text: In late July, Train demanded that the Family First New Zealand, an organization that opposes same-sex marriage in New Zealand, refrain from the unauthorized use of "Marry Me" from its "Protect Marriage" website.


title: Train (band)

text: In November, Train released "Bruises", a country-oriented duet with Ashley Monroe. The song has also been recorded with different female singers: For Canada, the song was recorded in both English and French with Marilou, and for Australia with Delta Goodrem.


title: Train (band)

text: In December, Train released the single, "Mermaid". The group would later film the song's video at the 2013 Pro Bowl in Honolulu.


title: Train (band)

text: Train was scheduled to perform at the Boy Scouts of America's 2013 National Scout Jamboree, along with singer Carly Rae Jepsen. In March 2013, both backed out of performing for the event and cited the controversy over the BSA policy on gays as the reason. Train released a statement saying the band "strongly opposes any kind of policy that questions the equality of any American citizen ... We look forward to participating in the Jamboree this summer, as long as they make the right decision before then". The Boy Scout Jamboree subsequently brought in Three Doors Down as the headlining band.


title: Train (band)

text: Train toured the United States and Canada from July 11 – August 14, 2013 in 25 headlining shows titled Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour. The tour included singer Gavin DeGraw, The Script, Michael Franti & Spearhead. Country music singer Ashley Monroe joined part of the tour, singing "Bruises" and one or two of her songs from her album during Train's set.


title: Train (band)

text: In November 2013, Train announced plans for a new album to be released in the summer of 2014. On May 5, 2014, guitarist Jimmy Stafford tweeted: "An anagram of the first single from the new @train album is now available! SGIJANNULAEBENEL. Yep." which fans quickly deciphered and replied "Angel in Blue Jeans". On June 5, 2014, Scott Underwood posted a message thanking fans for their support as he leaves to pursue writing, producing, and other music-related ventures. He had been in the band for 20 years, and has been replaced by Drew Shoals. At the time of release, the only original members left were Pat Monahan and guitarist Jimmy Stafford. On June 9, 2014, it was announced that the album would be titled "Bulletproof Picasso." The album is led by the single "Angel in Blue Jeans" written by the Norwegian Duo "Espionage". It was released the same day as the album's announcement. The single peaked at number 79 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and at number 8 on the US Adult Top 40 ("Billboard"). The rest of the album was released on September 12, 2014 in Germany and Australia, September 15, 2014 in France, and September 16, 2014 in the United States. The album peaked at number five on the "Billboard" 200.


title: Train (band)

text: On September 29, 2014, Train released the second single from the album, "Cadillac, Cadillac". It peaked at number 21 on the US Adult Top 40 ("Billboard").


title: Train (band)

text: On January 26, 2015, Train released the third single from the album, "Bulletproof Picasso". It peaked at number 22 on the US Adult Top 40 ("Billboard").


title: Train (band)

text: On May 19, 2015, Train released their fourth and final single from the album, "Give It All". It peaked at number 35 on the US Adult Top 40 ("Billboard").


title: Train (band)

text: On May 21, 2015, Train began their tour for the album, referred to as the Picasso at the Wheel Tour. Joining them on the tour were The Fray and Matt Nathanson. They played at over 40 venues across the United States until the tour concluded on July 25, 2015.


title: Train (band)

text: Although the album peaked high on the "Billboard" 200 and all four of its singles made a spot on the US Adult Top 40 ("Billboard"), none of the singles were subsequent hits, thus making it fail commercially. It also failed to receive an RIAA certification, the band's first album since "For Me, It's You" to do so.


title: Train (band)

text: On May 14, 2015, it was announced the band was recording a Christmas album. The album, titled "Christmas in Tahoe", was released on November 13, 2015, exclusively on Amazon, and is their eighth overall studio album. The album features 15 songs, 12 of which are covers of other holiday songs, and three of them being original songs. It peaked at number 151 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and number 10 on the US Top Holiday Albums ("Billboard)". On December 5, 2016, just over a year after the album was released, Train's cover of "This Christmas" charted at number one on "Billboard"'s Adult Contemporary Chart.


title: Train (band)

text: In June 2016, Train released their first cover album, and ninth overall studio album, titled "Train Does Led Zeppelin II". The album was a song by song replication of the classic 1969 Led Zeppelin album. The band's website announcement stated: "We're paying homage to one of our biggest musical inspirations with the release of "Train Does Led Zeppelin II". All of the band's proceeds from this release will support Family House." The band also launched a brief club tour that same month to support the album. Gigs included New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and the final date in San Francisco. The sets consisted entirely of Led Zeppelin covers, and featured no regular band material. They also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on June 10 and played "Heartbreaker" and "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)." The album peaked at number 71 on the US "Billboard" 200.


title: Train (band)

text: Beginning with live performances on tour in August 2016, Train performed a new song, titled "Play That Song". It was officially released on September 29, 2016, as the lead single to their tenth studio album, "a girl a bottle a boat", which was released four months later on January 27, 2017. "Play That Song" uses the melody from the 1938 song "Heart and Soul".


title: Train (band)

text: On October 8, 2016, lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford posted on Twitter that he had left the band. Although he performed "Play That Song" and other new songs from the album prior to its release, he did not play on the new album. Stafford quoted on Twitter that "We're both in a great space. Pat is making the records he wants to make and I'm still around." He attended the annual Train cruise "Sail Across the Sun" in February 2017.


title: Train (band)

text: On December 1, 2016, the album was made available for pre-order and the track listing was revealed. On the same day, the song "Working Girl" was released as the first promotional single from the album. The second promotional single, titled "Lottery", was released on December 16, 2016. Just under a month later, the third promotional single from the album, titled "The News", was released on January 13, 2017. On January 19, 2017, along with releasing the fourth promotional single from the album titled "Drink Up", Train announced the official tour for the album titled the "Play That Song Tour". The tour occurred from May 12, 2017 to July 15, 2017 in the United States, and featured two opening acts: O.A.R. and Natasha Bedingfield. The tour briefly continued overseas from October 12, 2017 to October 25, 2017. Jimmy Stafford posted on Twitter that he would not rejoin the band for the Play That Song Tour. He posted that his absence wasn't his call and that he would have loved to have been part of the tour.


title: Train (band)

text: On January 22, 2018, Train announced a summer 2018 tour with Daryl Hall and John Oates. It ran from May 1, 2018 through August 11, 2018. To celebrate the tour, the artists collaborated on a new single titled "Philly Forget Me Not", which was released on March 29, 2018. A couple months later, on May 24, 2018, Train released another new single with artists Cam and Travie McCoy titled "Call Me Sir".


title: Train (band)

text: On October 12, 2018, Train announced a greatest hits album simply titled "Greatest Hits". The album was released on November 9, 2018 and featured 16 of the band's songs. The album also featured a bonus song, a cover of the hit George Michael song "Careless Whisper".


title: Train (band)

text: At the end of 2018, drummer Drew Shoals left to the band to resume his law career. In June 2019, Matt Musty joined Train for their spring and summer appearances.


title: Train (band)

text: On November 15, 2019, the band released a new single titled "Mai Tais", featuring artist Skylar Grey.


title: Train (band)

text: On May 22, 2020, the band released a new single titled "Rescue Dog". A portion of the proceeds will go to North Shore Animal League America.


title: Train (band)

text: In May 2021, Luis Maldonado left to join Foreigner following the retirement of Thom Gimbel. Replacing him on lead guitar is Taylor Locke, who first played with them during their summer 2021 tour.


title: Train (band)

text: On February 16, 2022, the band released a single titled "AM Gold" and announced that an album with the same name would be released on May 20, 2022, marking their first new studio album in over five years. A North American tour for the album is also set to occur throughout the summer of 2022. A remix, featuring Melanie C was released on April 22, 2022.


title: Train (band)

text: On April 14, 2022, the first promotional single from the album was released, entitled "Running Back (Trying to Talk to You)".


title: Train (band)

text: On May 6, 2022, the second promotional single, titled "Turn the Radio Up" featuring Jewel was released.


title: Train (band)

text: On May 18, 2022, the third and final promotional single, titled "Cleopatra" featuring Sofía Reyes was released.


title: Train (band)

text: This is a list of major performances by Train at various events and television shows. It does not include concerts from their regular tours.


title: Train (band)

text: Train founded the Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company in 2011. With a partnership with ACME Wine Movers, the business sells wine that is named after the group's various hits, which include: Drops of Jupiter California Red, Calling All Angels Chardonnay, Soul Sister Pinot Noir, California 37 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Hella Fine Merlot. The wine is made in the Livermore Valley. The company partnered with Ghirardelli Chocolate Company to sell chocolates and confections to pair with the wine. A portion of the proceeds go to the Family House of San Francisco, which supports families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.


title: Train (band)

text: Train supported Little Kids Rock along with COUNTRY Financial through the Road Trips and Guitar Picks campaign. In addition to raising money and autographing a guitar for auction, Train met with and sang "Hey, Soul Sister" with some Little Kids Rock students in Atlanta.


title: Train (band)

text: "Calling All Angels" became an unofficial anthem of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team: it was played at Angel Stadium before every game during the 2010 season, while the video screen showed a montage of the team's history.


title: Train (band)

text: "Calling All Angels" was featured at the ending montage of the "One Tree Hill" episode "Life in a Glass House". "Marry Me" was featured on the episode "The Other Half of Me"


title: Train (band)

text: The album's second single, "When I Look to the Sky", was used for the trailer of the 2004 film "Jersey Girl".


title: Train (band)

text: The band was parodied in the "Band Face-Off" sketch on the January 26, 2013 airing of "Saturday Night Live", where they invade a bar and get in a conflict with Adam Levine, and are later joined by Jason Mraz and John Mayer. Train made a statement afterwards that they approved of the parody.


title: Cilla Black

text: Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer and television presenter.


title: Cilla Black

text: Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" both reached number one in the UK in 1964. She had 11 top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart between then and 1971, and an additional eight hits that made the top 40. In May 2010, new research published by BBC Radio 2 showed that her version of "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was the UK's biggest-selling single by a female artist in the 1960s. "You're My World" was also a modest hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 26 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Cilla Black

text: Along with a successful recording career in the 1960s and early 1970s, Black hosted her own BBC variety show, "Cilla" (1968–1976). After a brief time as a comedy actress, she became a prominent television presenter in the 1980s and 1990s, hosting hit entertainment shows such as "Blind Date" (1985–2003), "Surprise Surprise" (1984–2001) and "The Moment of Truth" (1998–2001). In 2013, Black celebrated 50 years in show business. ITV honoured this milestone with a one-off entertainment special which aired on 16 October 2013, "The One & Only Cilla Black", featuring Black herself and hosted by Paul O'Grady.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black died on 1 August 2015 at the age of 72, after a fall in her villa in Estepona. The day after her funeral, the compilation album "The Very Best of Cilla Black" went to number one on the UK Albums Chart and the New Zealand Albums Chart; it was her first number one album. In 2017, a statue of Black commissioned by her sons was unveiled outside the Cavern Club's original entrance.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black was born Priscilla Maria Veronica White in the Vauxhall district of Liverpool on 27 May 1943, the daughter of Priscilla Blythen (1911–1996) and John Patrick White (1904–1971). She grew up in the Scotland Road area of Vauxhall. Her maternal grandfather, Joseph Henry Blythen (1883–1966), was born to Irish parents in the Welsh town of Wrexham; all of Black's other great-grandparents were also Irish. She was raised in a Roman Catholic household, and attended St Anthony's School in Scotland Road. She later attended Anfield Commercial College, where she learned office skills. Determined to become an entertainer, Black gained a part-time job as a cloakroom attendant at Liverpool's Cavern Club, best known for its connection with the Beatles. Her impromptu performances impressed the Beatles and others. She was encouraged to begin singing by a Liverpool promoter, Sam Leach, who booked her first gig at the Zodiac Club on Duke Street, where she appeared as "Swinging Cilla", backed by the Big Three. She later also became a guest singer with the Merseybeat bands Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. Meanwhile, she worked as a waitress at the Zodiac coffee lounge, where she met her future husband Bobby Willis. She was featured in an article in the first edition of the local music newspaper "Mersey Beat" by the paper's publisher, Bill Harry, who mistakenly referred to her as "Cilla Black" rather than her real name. She subsequently decided to keep the name.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black signed her first contract with longtime friend and neighbour Terry McCann, but this contract was never honoured as it was made when she was underage (the age of majority was then 21) and her father subsequently signed her with Brian Epstein.


title: Cilla Black

text: She was introduced to Epstein by John Lennon, who persuaded him to audition her. Lennon was encouraged by his Aunt Mimi to introduce Black to Epstein. Epstein had a portfolio of local artists but initially showed little interest in her. Her first audition was a failure, partly because of nerves, and partly because the Beatles (who supported her) played the songs in their usual vocal key rather than re-pitching them for Black's voice.


title: Cilla Black

text: In her autobiography "What's It All About?" she wrote:I'd chosen to do "Summertime", but at the very last moment I wished I hadn't. I adored this song, and had sung it when I came to Birkenhead with the Big Three, but I hadn't rehearsed it with the Beatles and it had just occurred to me that they would play it in the wrong key. It was too late for second thoughts, though. With one last wicked wink at me, John set the group off playing. I'd been right to worry. The music was not in my key and any adjustments that the boys were now trying to make were too late to save me. My voice sounded awful. Destroyed—and wanting to die—I struggled on to the end.But after seeing her another day, at the Blue Angel jazz club, Epstein contracted with Black as his only female client on 6 September 1963. Epstein introduced Black to George Martin who signed her to Parlophone Records and produced her début single, "Love of the Loved" (written by Lennon and McCartney), which was released only three weeks after she joined Epstein. Despite an appearance on ABC Weekend TV's popular "Thank Your Lucky Stars", the single peaked at a modest No. 35 in the UK, a relative failure compared to the débuts of Epstein's most successful artists (the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas).


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's second single, released at the beginning of 1964, was a cover of the Burt Bacharach–Hal David composition "Anyone Who Had a Heart", which had been written for Dionne Warwick. The single beat Warwick's recording into the UK charts and rose to No. 1 in Britain in February 1964 (spending three weeks there), selling 800,000 UK copies in the process. Her second UK No. 1 success, "You're My World", was an English-language rendition of the Italian popular song "Il Mio Mondo" by composer Umberto Bindi. She also enjoyed chart success with the song in America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South Africa and Canada. Both songs sold over one million copies worldwide, and were awarded gold discs.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's two No. 1 successes were followed by the release of another Lennon–McCartney composition, "It's for You", as her fourth UK single. Paul McCartney played piano at the recording session and the song proved to be another success for Black, peaking at No. 7 on the UK charts.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black belonged to a generation of British female singers which included Dusty Springfield, Helen Shapiro, Petula Clark, Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithfull and Lulu. Other than Clark, these artists were not singer-songwriters but interpreters of 1960s contemporary popular music by songwriters and producers. Black recorded much material during this time, including songs written by Phil Spector, Tim Hardin and Burt Bacharach. All were produced by George Martin at Abbey Road Studios. Randy Newman, writer and composer of "I've Been Wrong Before" which Cilla Black recorded in 1965, was quoted as saying: "Cilla Black's "I've Been Wrong Before" is about the best cover record anyone has ever done of my songs."


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's version of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (1965) reached No. 2 on the UK charts. A week later the Righteous Brothers' original version of the same song went to No. 1 while Black's version dropped to No. 5. The single wasn't critically well received, however; the Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham took out an advert in the "Melody Maker" to deride Cilla's efforts compared with the original.


title: Cilla Black

text: Being so closely associated with the Beatles, Black became one of a select group of artists in the 1964–65 period (the others being Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas and Peter and Gordon) to record more than one Lennon–McCartney composition. Black continued to record Lennon–McCartney compositions throughout her time with Parlophone (1963–1973) and her recordings of "Yesterday", "For No One" and "Across the Universe" became radio favourites. McCartney said Black's 1972 interpretation of "The Long and Winding Road" was the definitive version of the song.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's career in the United States, although enthusiastically supported by Epstein and his PR team, was limited to a few television appearances ("The Ed Sullivan Show" among them), a 1965 cabaret season at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, and success with "You're My World", which made it to No. 26 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. The song was to be her only American Top 30 chart success, and Elvis Presley had a copy on his personal jukebox at his Graceland home. Black recognised that to achieve popular status in the USA she would need to devote much time to touring there. But she was plagued by homesickness and a sense of loneliness and returned to the UK.


title: Cilla Black

text: During 1966 Black recorded the Bacharach-David song "Alfie", written as the signature song to the 1966 feature film of the same name. While Cher sang "Alfie" on the closing credits of the American release of the film and Black on the UK version, Black was the only artist to have a hit with the song in the UK (No. 9). The next year, "Alfie" would become a success for Dionne Warwick in the US. Black's version of "Alfie" was arranged and conducted by Bacharach himself at the recording session at Abbey Road. Bacharach insisted on 31 separate takes, and Black cited the session as one of the most demanding of her recording career. For Bacharach's part, he said "… there weren't too many white singers around, who could convey the emotion that I felt in many of the songs I wrote but that changed with people like Cilla Black".


title: Cilla Black

text: By the end of 1966, Black had been a guest on Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's show "Not Only... But Also", had appeared on "The Eamonn Andrews Show", and in a Ray Galton–Alan Simpson revue in London's West End—"Way Out in Piccadilly"—alongside Frankie Howerd, and had starred in the television special "Cilla at the Savoy", which was one of the most watched music specials of the 1960s.


title: Cilla Black

text: Epstein's attempts to make Black a film actress were less successful. A brief appearance in the "beat" film "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" (1965) and a leading role alongside David Warner in the psychedelic comedy "Work Is a Four-Letter Word" (1968) were largely ignored by film critics. In a 1997 interview with "Record Collector" magazine, Black revealed she was asked to appear in the film "The Italian Job" (1969), playing the part of Michael Caine's girlfriend, but negotiations fell through between producers and her management over her fee.


title: Cilla Black

text: Epstein died of an accidental drug overdose in August 1967, not long after negotiating a contract with the BBC for Black to appear in a television series of her own. Relations between Epstein and Black had somewhat soured during the year prior to his death, largely because she felt he was not paying her career enough attention and the fact that her singles "A Fool Am I" (UK No. 13, 1966) and "What Good Am I?" (UK No. 24, 1967) were not big successes.


title: Cilla Black

text: In her autobiography, Black said that Epstein had tried to pacify her by negotiating a deal that would see her representing the UK in the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest. However, Black refused on the basis that Sandie Shaw had won the previous year's contest, and that the chances of another British female artist winning were few.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's boyfriend and songwriter Bobby Willis assumed management responsibilities after Epstein died. After the relatively disappointing performance of "I Only Live to Love You" (UK No. 26, 1967), Black hit a new purple patch in her recording career, starting with "Step Inside Love" in 1968 (UK No. 8), which McCartney wrote especially for her as the theme for her new weekly BBC television variety series. Other successes followed in 1969: "Conversations" (UK No. 7), "Surround Yourself with Sorrow" (written by Bill Martin, Phil Coulter, UK No. 3), "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" (No. 20). Black had a further big hit with "Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)" (UK No. 3) in 1971.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's association with the Beatles continued. At the 1971 Cannes Film Festival she joined George Harrison, Ringo Starr and singer Marc Bolan to attend a screening of the John Lennon–Yoko Ono experimental film "Erection". She also holidayed with Harrison and Starr on a trip aboard a yacht chartered by Starr. "Photograph" was written on this trip—originally intended for Black—but Starr decided to record it himself. George Harrison also wrote two songs for Black: "The Light that has Lighted the World" and "I'll Still Love You (When Every Song is Sung)". The latter she recorded during 1974 with her then-producer David Mackay, but it was not heard publicly until 2003 when it was included on a retrospective collection entitled "Cilla: The Best of 1963–78".


title: Cilla Black

text: In 1993 she released "Through the Years", an album of new material featuring duets with Dusty Springfield, Cliff Richard and Barry Manilow. Ten years later, in 2003, she released the album "Beginnings ... Greatest Hits and New Songs".


title: Cilla Black

text: During 2006–07, Black's 1971 single "Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)" was used as the soundtrack to a new British advertising campaign for Ferrero Rocher chocolates. During the 2008–09 pantomime season, Black returned to live musical performance in the pantomime "Cinderella", appearing as the Fairy Godmother. Black was part of an all-Scouse cast assembled in this three-hour stage spectacular to mark the end of Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture. The show incorporated a number of Black's successes, which she performed live, including "You're My World", "Something Tells Me", "Step Inside Love" and "I Can Sing a Rainbow". Black received rave reviews for her singing and overall performance.


title: Cilla Black

text: On 7 September 2009, a total of 13 original studio albums (the first seven produced by George Martin) recorded by Black between 1963 and 2003 were released for digital download. These albums featured an array of musical genres. Also released by EMI at the same time was a double album and DVD set, "The Definitive Collection (A Life in Music)", featuring rare BBC video footage; a digital download album of specially commissioned re-mixes "Cilla All Mixed Up"; a remixed single on digital download of "Something Tells Me".


title: Cilla Black

text: For the 2010 winter pantomime season, Black appeared in "Cinderella" at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.


title: Cilla Black

text: In October 2013, Parlophone (the record label which launched her career in 1963) released the career-spanning CD "The Very Best of Cilla Black"—containing all 19 of her UK Top 40 singles, new club remixes plus a bonus DVD of her 1966 TV music special "Cilla at the Savoy".


title: Cilla Black

text: Black was the best-selling British female recording artist in the UK during the 1960s, releasing a total of 15 studio albums and 37 singles.


title: Cilla Black

text: On 14 February 2020, a previously unreleased Black track titled "You're Sensational" was released via Warner Music.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black was offered her own show on the BBC by Bill Cotton, then Assistant Head of Light Entertainment. The show would simply be titled "Cilla" and aired from January 1968 to April 1976. Cotton considered Black to take over from Bruce Forsyth as host of "The Generation Game" in 1978, but after a brief conversation, Cotton learned that Black wanted to maintain her singing career and was not ready to change course so drastically to light entertainment hostess. Cotton believed she would have been "perfect" for the show.


title: Cilla Black

text: On 15 January 1975 Black performed as the main entertainer of the first of six half-hour situation comedy plays. The series, broadcast by ITV, was entitled "Cilla's Comedy Six" and was written by Ronnie Taylor. During May 1975 the Writers' Guild of Great Britain named Black as Britain's Top Female Comedy Star. The following year, ATV was commissioned to film six more plays as the initial series had accrued healthy viewing figures and remained constantly among the highest-scoring three shows of the week. During August 1976 Black reprised her role as a comedy actress in "Cilla's World of Comedy" which featured her theme song and new single "Easy in Your Company".


title: Cilla Black

text: Between 2013 and 2014 Black was set to co-star in a new BBC sitcom "Led Astray", alongside Paul O'Grady—the pilot episode was recorded on 31 October 2013. However, the show was shelved when the pair were unable to cope with the long hours of filming.


title: Cilla Black

text: By the beginning of the 1980s Black was performing mainly in cabaret and concerts; television appearances were rare. She sang the Gracie Fields song "Walter, Walter (Lead Me to the Altar)" on "The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog", which was recorded in 1982, and broadcast by Channel 4 in 1983.


title: Cilla Black

text: According to Christopher Biggins's autobiography she "stormed back into the public consciousness with a barnstorming performance as a guest on "Wogan" in 1983, proving that we can all have second chances" and after her appearance, people were "desperately trying to find her the right comeback vehicle". She presented "Cilla Black's Christmas" (1983), performing a comedy-duet with Frankie Howerd.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black signed a contract with London Weekend Television, becoming the host of two of the most popular and long-running evening entertainment shows of the 1980s and 1990s—"Blind Date" (1985–2003) and "Surprise Surprise" (1984–2001). She also presented the game show "The Moment of Truth" (1998–2001). All programmes were mainstream ratings winners and consolidated her position as the highest-paid female performer on British television.


title: Cilla Black

text: Her TV appearances made her spoken mannerisms ("Lorra lorra laughs", for example) and her habit of referring familiarly to her fellow presenters ("Our Graham") well known.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's most notable television performances after her resignation from LWT included "Parkinson", "So Graham Norton", "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross", "Room 101" twice (once with Paul Merton and once with his successor as host, Frank Skinner), and a one-off show titled "Cilla Live!" for Living TV. Black was a judge on the first series of the reality TV series "Soapstar Superstar", featured in an episode of the series "Eating with..." and guest-presented editions of "The Paul O'Grady Show" in 2006 and "The Friday Night Project" for Channel 4 in 2007.


title: Cilla Black

text: In 2006, Black took part in the BBC Wales programme "Coming Home" about her Welsh family history, with roots in Wrexham and Holywell.


title: Cilla Black

text: In 2008 Black recorded a pilot for the Sky 1 dating show "Loveland". The show was to be a ten-part "21st-century" dating programme for the following year. Unlike "Blind Date", contestants would not sit in front of a studio audience, but would be 'hidden' behind real-time animations as they dated each other. Each episode would conclude with the contestant picking their preferred animated character before meeting the real-life person. Production costs, however, were too high and the show was pulled.


title: Cilla Black

text: In October 2009 Black guest-anchored "Loose Women" and on 28 November 2009 appeared on Sky 1 to present "TV's Greatest Endings".


title: Cilla Black

text: Between September 2010 and June 2011 she made guest panellist appearances and in 2011 also appeared, as herself, in the first episode of series 4 of ITV's "Benidorm".


title: Cilla Black

text: ITV honoured Black's 50 years in show business with a one-off entertainment special which aired on 16 October 2013. The show, called "The One and Only Cilla Black", starred Black alongside Paul O'Grady, who hosted the show. The show celebrated Black's career and included a special trip back to her home city of Liverpool, a host of celebrity friends and some surprise music guests. Black paid homage to "Blind Date" with the return of its most popular contestants and saw her star in a special edition of "Coronation Street".


title: Cilla Black

text: In 2014, Black was the subject of a three-part television drama series, "Cilla", focusing especially on her rise to fame in 1960s Liverpool and her relationship with Bobby Willis. ITV aired the first instalment on 15 September 2014, starring actress Sheridan Smith as Black.


title: Cilla Black

text: A documentary titled "Cilla - The Lost Tapes" aired on Wednesday 19 February 2020 on ITV, featuring previously unseen career and private family film. Celebrity friends such as Cliff Richard and Christopher Biggins also featured in it.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black was at one time a staunch supporter of the Conservative Party and publicly voiced her admiration for Margaret Thatcher, stating in 1993 that Thatcher had "put the 'great' back into Great Britain" during her 11 years as prime minister from 1979 until 1990—despite the widespread unpopularity of Thatcher and her government in Black's native Liverpool. In April 1992, she appeared on stage at a Conservative Party rally and made prominent calls for the party's re-election under the leadership of Thatcher's successor John Major, who went on to win the election. However, in a 2004 interview with "The Guardian", Black said that she was "apolitical". The "Liverpool Echo" also quoted her as saying, "As for the politics thing, I'm not a Conservative."


title: Cilla Black

text: In August 2014, Black was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to "The Guardian" expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black married her manager, Bobby Willis, at Marylebone Town Hall in January 1969; they were married for 30 years until he died from cancer on 23 October 1999.


title: Cilla Black

text: On 1 August 2015, at the age of 72, Cilla Black died at her holiday home in the Spanish town of Estepona. A spokesperson for the High Court of Justice in Andalusia suggested that an accident may have been a contributing factor in Black's death. Following the results of an autopsy, her sons confirmed that she had died from a stroke following a fall in her home. A pathologist's report confirmed that Black had suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage after falling backwards and hitting her head, presumably on a terrace wall. It was believed she had not been found for at least four hours.


title: Cilla Black

text: In 2014, she had stated that she wanted to die when she reached 75, as her mother, who suffered from progressive osteoporosis, had lived to 84 and her final years were difficult. According to a friend, she had recently said that she was approaching death, complaining of failing eyesight and hearing as well as arthritis. Black had been suffering with rheumatoid arthritis for years and was in "considerable agony" towards the end of her life.


title: Cilla Black

text: In the days following her death, a book of condolence was opened at the Liverpool Town Hall. Then-Prime Minister David Cameron stated, "Cilla Black was a huge talent who made a significant contribution to public life in Britain. My thoughts are with her family." Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sheridan Smith, Holly Johnson, Cliff Richard, and Paul O'Grady were among friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry who expressed their sorrow at Black's death. Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, who had been a friend for decades, said, "She was the girl next door that everybody loved and would have loved as a daughter, a daughter-in-law." Songwriter Burt Bacharach said, "It will always be a most special memory for me of recording her on Alfie in Abbey Road Studios in 1965." Broadcaster Noel Edmonds said that she "captured the hearts of the British people" because "she was our Cilla—there were no airs and graces".


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's funeral service was held on 20 August 2015 at St Mary's Church, Woolton. Tom Williams, the Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, led the service; Cliff Richard sang at the service and Paul O'Grady gave a eulogy. Spoken tributes, prayers and readings were made by Black's sons Robert and Ben, Jimmy Tarbuck and Christopher Biggins. The Beatles song "The Long and Winding Road" was played as the coffin left the church. She was buried in a private ceremony at Allerton Cemetery in Allerton on the same day.


title: Cilla Black

text: On 21 August 2015, the day after her funeral, "The Very Best of Cilla Black", a compilation album of her most popular songs in her career, went to number one on the UK Albums Chart. It was Black's first number one album.


title: Cilla Black

text: Black's headstone has been the target of vandalism on several occasions. In 2015, thieves stole a bronze plaque inscribed with her name from the site, and in 2020, Black's gravestone was vandalised with graffiti.


title: Cilla Black

text: In 2014, Black was the recipient of the British Academy Television Awards' Special Award and the first Royal Television Society Legends Award in honour of her 50 years in entertainment.


title: Cilla Black

text: In 2017, a statue of Black commissioned by her sons was unveiled outside the Cavern Club's original entrance as the venue celebrated its 60th anniversary. "The sculpture shows a young Cilla performing one of her early songs and the design of her dress on the statue features images of her legendary career." The statue divided Liverpudlians owing to Black's support of the Conservative Party and admiration for Margaret Thatcher.


title: Lance Bass

text: James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, dancer, actor, film, and television producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band NSYNC. NSYNC's success led Bass to work in film and television. He starred in the 2001 film "On the Line", which his company, Bacon & Eggs, also produced. Bass later formed a second production company, Lance Bass Productions, as well as a now-defunct music management company, Free Lance Entertainment, a joint venture with Mercury Records.


title: Lance Bass

text: After completion of NSYNC's PopOdyssey Tour, Bass moved to Star City, Russia, in a much publicized pursuit of a space tourism seat on a Soyuz space capsule. Bass was certified by both NASA and the Russian Space Program after several months of cosmonaut training and planned to join the TMA-1 mission to the International Space Station. However, after his financial sponsors backed out, Bass was denied a seat on the mission.


title: Lance Bass

text: In July 2006, Bass came out as gay in a cover story for "People" magazine. He was awarded the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award in October 2006 and released an autobiography, "Out of Sync", in October 2007, which debuted on the "New York Times" Best Seller list.


title: Lance Bass

text: James Lance Bass was born in Laurel, Mississippi, to James Irvin Bass Jr., a medical technologist, and Diane (née Pulliam), a middle school mathematics, English, and career discovery teacher. Along with his older sister, Stacy, Bass grew up in adjacent Ellisville, Mississippi and was raised as a Southern Baptist. Bass has described his family as devoutly Christian and conservative and has said that his childhood was "extremely happy". As a young boy, Bass developed an interest in space, and at age 9 traveled to Cape Canaveral, Florida with his father to watch his first live Space Shuttle launch. Of this experience, Bass said, "I was certain from then on that my future was to be involved with space." Shortly after, Bass attended space camp in Titusville, Florida and aspired to attend college and study engineering, with the hope that he would one day work for NASA.


title: Lance Bass

text: When Bass was 11 years old, his father was transferred to a different hospital, and the family moved to Clinton, Mississippi. Bass began singing in his Baptist church choir and was encouraged to audition for local performance groups by his childhood best friend, Darren Dale, the youngest child of former longtime Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale. Bass joined the Mississippi Show Stoppers, a statewide music group sponsored by the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, and the Attaché Show Choir, a national-award-winning competitive show choir group at Clinton High School. He was also a member of a seven-man vocal group named Seven Card Stud, which competed at state fairs and performed at several social and political events for Senator Trent Lott.


title: Lance Bass

text: At Clinton High School, Bass was elected vice president of his junior class and has said that he performed well in math and science. However, Bass later said that his primary focus during high school was singing, and when reflecting on it, he remembers "hardly anything" about academia.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass's music career has consisted primarily of his singing with NSYNC and running a small management company.


title: Lance Bass

text: In 1995, during his junior year of high school, Bass received a call from Justin Timberlake and his mother, Lynn Harless, who asked Bass if he would be interested in auditioning for the pop group NSYNC after the group's original bass singer, Jason Galasso, had quit. Timberlake's vocal coach (who had worked with Bass during his time as a Mississippi Show Stopper) recommended Bass as a replacement. Bass was accepted into the group after auditioning in front of the other bandmembers, and soon left school to move to Orlando, Florida and rehearse full-time. Bass has said that he did not know how to dance before he joined NSYNC, and therefore found much of the group's choreography difficult to learn. According to an episode of VH1's "Driven", Jan Boltz, president of BMG's German division, offered NSYNC a recording contract under the condition that they replace Bass, whose dancing, he felt, "wasn't at the same level as all the others." However, the other members of the group refused to accept the contract without Bass, and the group's manager, Johnny Wright, convinced Bolz that Bass's dancing would quickly improve. Bolz conceded, and the group soon moved to Munich, Germany to record their first album with BMG. NSync began extensive touring in Europe, and Bass's mother quit her job to tour with the group as a chaperone, as Bass was still a minor.


title: Lance Bass

text: After gaining significant notability in Europe, NSYNC was signed to the American record label RCA in 1997. The group's first single, "I Want You Back" began receiving major radio play in the United States, and NSYNC soon found themselves becoming an "overnight sensation", a period which Bass describes in his autobiography as "the death of my own innocence". Along with increasing fame and recognition in the United States the band also experienced a highly publicized legal battle with Pearlman, due to what the group believed were illicit business practices on his part. NSYNC sued Pearlman and his record company, Trans Continental, for defrauding the group of more than 50% of their earnings, rather than his original promise of receiving only one-sixth of the profits. The group threatened to leave and sign with Jive Records, which prompted Pearlman and RCA to countersue NSYNC for $150 million US, citing breach of contract. The injunction was thrown out of court and, after winning back their earnings, NSYNC signed with Jive.


title: Lance Bass

text: In March 2000, NSYNC released "No Strings Attached", which became the fastest-selling record of all time, selling 1.1 million copies in its first day of release. In 2001, the group followed up with their "Celebrity" album, which scored the second highest first-week album sales ever, trumped only by the group's previous album. NSYNC went on to sell over 56 million records worldwide. In 2002, the group announced that they would be taking a "hiatus", during which Timberlake began to record solo material. NSync has not recorded new material since, and Bass has stated that he feels the group has officially disbanded.


title: Lance Bass

text: In 2007, Bass said he had faith Timberlake would return after six months off to record another album with NSYNC, and that he felt betrayed by Timberlake's 2004 decision to pursue his solo career instead. Bass has also said he has little hope for a reunion since Timberlake has "made it clear that he wouldn't be interested in discussing another album any time soon." Despite these statements, Bass has denied that he harbors any ill feelings towards Timberlake, saying: "At that time... it did feel like betrayal. I felt heartbroken. All these emotions went through me. Today, I'm really happy, and Justin and I are really great friends. I don't hate him at all. And I understand what he was going through, and it was as hard for him as it was for any of us."


title: Lance Bass

text: In 2000, Bass formed a music management company named Free Lance Entertainment, which was a joint venture with Mercury Nashville, a division of Mercury Records. Vowing to keep the company "a strictly family-run operation", Bass employed his parents and sister as talent scouts, and he recruited childhood friend and aspiring country singer Meredith Edwards for the company's first release. Edwards began touring with NSYNC as an opening act in the fall of 2000, and Bass teamed up with MTV to hold a nationwide talent search for more artists later that year. However, Free Lance soon folded after disappointing sales of Edwards's debut album, "Reach".


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass guest-starred on The WB drama series "7th Heaven", playing Rick Palmer, a love interest for Beverley Mitchell's character, Lucy. The following year, while NSYNC was in the midst of recording "Celebrity", Bass received his first starring role in the 2001 motion picture "On The Line". Bass played Kevin, a man who falls in love with a woman on a Chicago train and begins a search to find her again. The film was produced by Bass's production company, A Happy Place (later renamed Bacon & Eggs), and it featured appearances by Jerry Stiller, Al Green, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, former WWE wrestler Chyna, and Bass's bandmates Timberlake, Kirkpatrick and Fatone, the latter in a major role. The film also featured a soundtrack which included previously unreleased songs by NSYNC and Britney Spears. Bass collaborated with Joey Fatone, Mandy Moore, Christian Burns and True Vibe (as the "On The Line Allstars") for the film's theme song, "On The Line".


title: Lance Bass

text: Despite heavy marketing towards NSYNC teen fans, the film was a commercial failure, grossing only US$4.2 million domestically despite its $10-million budget. The film, along with Bass's acting, was also poorly received by critics. Bass later said he felt the film's success was greatly hindered by its release date, which came one week after the World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001. In his 2007 autobiography, Bass wrote, "That was it our film was finished... once the country went to war, there was no way our film was going to be on anyone's top-priority list."


title: Lance Bass

text: After "On The Line", Bass appeared in "Zoolander" and Wes Craven's "Cursed" as himself, and he played a wedding singer in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry". Bass has also lent his voice to several animated television programs, such as "Robot Chicken" and Disney's "Kim Possible", "Handy Manny" and "Higglytown Heroes". In the video game realm, Bass voiced the "Final Fantasy VII" character Sephiroth in "Kingdom Hearts". On August 14, 2007, Bass began a six-month stint playing Corny Collins in the Broadway musical "Hairspray", coinciding with the play's five-year stage anniversary. He ended his run in "Hairspray" on January 6, 2008. Bass made an appearance in the 2008 film "Tropic Thunder". As a guest star in the 2013 "Gravity Falls" episode "Boyz Crazy", Bass plays in the boy band, Sev'ral Timez (which is a parody of NSYNC). In 2014, Bass guest starred on an episode of the Comedy Central series "Review", in which he visited space along with the show's lead character.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass and his mother competed in 2017 with other duos in the FOX reality cooking series "My Kitchen Rules", and were the runners-up.


title: Lance Bass

text: In 2020, Lance appeared with friend Joey Fatone on Meredith Veiera's syndicated program, "25 Words or Less" (season 1, episodes 121–123).


title: Lance Bass

text: In April 2021, Bass became a panelist for the new TV series "Unicorn Hunters", a business investment show where he and other judges determine whether or not to invest in start-ups and other companies with high valuation potential.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass was a contestant on season 7 of "Dancing with the Stars" and was paired with swing dance champ Lacey Schwimmer. Bass and Schwimmer reached the grand finale in competition with Brooke Burke partnering with Derek Hough and Warren Sapp partnering with Kym Johnson. Lance Bass finished in third place with the title going to Burke.


title: Lance Bass

text: In January 2001, Bass formed his first film production company, A Happy Place, with film producers Rich Hull, Wendy Thorlakson and Joe Anderson. The company was geared towards family-friendly films and received the Movieguide award for "Excellence in Family-Oriented Programming" for its first feature film, "On the Line". After "On The Line", A Happy Place changed its name to Bacon & Eggs and produced its second feature film, "Lovewrecked", in 2005. The film debuted on ABC Family in January 2007, starring Amanda Bynes, Chris Carmack, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, with Bass in a minor role. This too received mostly negative reviews.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass later formed a separate production company named Lance Bass Productions. On May 14, 2007, Brian Graden announced that Lance Bass Productions would be working with the Logo network in executive producing a reality television show about the music business. It was reported that the show will focus on the creation and development of an all-gay boy band. To date no such project has been developed or aired.


title: Lance Bass

text: In 2008, Bass co-produced "The Grand", and Bass' company is reported to be developing a music docudrama about the life of rock bands on tour.


title: Lance Bass

text: In October 2011, Bass debuted his own boy band called Heart2Heart. In August 2013, Bass became an executive producer of the documentary film "Kidnapped for Christ" along with Mike C. Manning. The film sheds light on controversial behavior modification methods used on children, sent there by their parents, at an Evangelical Christian reform school in the Dominican Republic. The film was sold to Showtime, to be released on television July 10, 2014.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass hosted "Dirty Pop with Lance Bass", a daily evening drive time radio show focusing on pop culture and entertainment news on OutQ, an LGBT-geared station on Sirius XM. Bass was also the host of the weekly "Pop2Kountdown" on Pop2K, which counts down the 30 biggest hits from that week from a different year in the 2000s.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass dated actress Danielle Fishel of TV's "Boy Meets World" throughout 1999 and 2000. Fishel said she was heavily invested in the relationship, commenting that she was "so in love" with Bass. Bass ended the relationship after one year and continued to exclusively date women until he was 22.


title: Lance Bass

text: In his autobiography, Bass documents two gay relationships that predated media speculation; one with a Miami, Florida, native named Jesse, with whom Bass lived for two years, and another with an Idaho native named Joe. Bass began dating "Amazing Race" winner Reichen Lehmkuhl in early 2006, a courtship that garnered tabloid coverage and led to Bass's decision to come out. Bass described his relationship with Lehmkuhl as "very stable"; however, the couple split up several months later. Shortly after his split with Lehmkuhl, Bass briefly dated Brazilian model and LXTV host Pedro Andrade. From August 2007 to March 2008, Bass dated New York-based hairdresser Ben Thigpen. After a year and a half of dating, Bass became engaged to Michael Turchin in September 2013. Bass and Turchin married on December 20, 2014, in Los Angeles.


title: Lance Bass

text: In a 2006 interview, Bass said he has Attention-Deficit Disorder. Bass's favorite music bands are Aerosmith, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Journey, and his favorite actress is Lucille Ball, whom he grew up watching on "I Love Lucy" re-runs. He is a self-described "huge Dr. Seuss fan", devoting an entire room in his Jackson, Mississippi estate to Seuss memorabilia. Bass has said he is a Christian and that he regularly attends church, though he considers himself to be non-denominational. He is the godfather of former bandmate and best friend Joey Fatone's daughters, Briahna and Kloey.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass came out as gay in a cover story for "People" magazine on July 26, 2006. There had been considerable media speculation about his orientation due to numerous paparazzi snapshots of him at gay bars and nightclubs, most notably during the preceding Independence Day weekend in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton had also been posting items on his website about Bass's orientation since September 2005, and New York gossip column "Page Six" ran a blurb on July 12, 2006, that reported a sighting of Bass at a gay bar with his then-boyfriend, Lehmkuhl. Bass's publicist, Ken Sunshine, chose to release the story exclusively to "People" magazine, who bumped actor Johnny Depp off that week's cover in favor of Bass. In his coming out interview, Bass stated,


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass's announcement received a large amount of media attention. The American public's reaction was generally positive, with Bass receiving "overwhelming support" from many teenagers and young adults who grew up listening to 'N Sync. However, Bass received criticism from the LGBT community when he referred to himself and his friends as "straight-acting" in his "People" interview, stating, "I call them the SAGs the straight-acting gays. We're just normal, typical guys. I love to watch football and drink beer." This comment angered some members of the LGBT community, who believed that Bass not only implied that effeminate gay men were not 'normal', but further enforced unneeded stereotypes. In a 2007 interview with "The Advocate", Bass called his comment a "mistake" and noted that he was unaware of the negative implications surrounding the term. Bass stated, "Every community is hard to please. Our community is very fickle. It's a touchy community because it's the last civil rights movement we have left here in America. So when someone new like myself comes along and says off-the-mark things, yeah, I can see how people would get pissed."


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass found himself in the midst of further controversy later that year when he, along with then-boyfriend Reichen Lehmkuhl, was awarded 2006 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award on October 7, 2006. The "Washington Blade" printed a guest editorial from a longtime HRC supporter who claimed that neither recipient had done enough to deserve the award and that The Human Rights Campaign was simply capitalizing on Bass's fame to sell tickets. The Human Rights Campaign stood by Bass and defended his award, responding to critics by saying, "Bass is the biggest music star since Melissa Etheridge to come out, and maybe some people think HRC should just ignore these moments of cultural significance, but his declaration did initiate a positive, national conversation that continues today."


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass began dating painter and actor Michael Turchin in January 2011 and they became engaged in September 2013. They married on December 20, 2014, at the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Former NSYNC bandmates Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez were in attendance; Justin Timberlake, who was then headlining his The 20/20 Experience World Tour, was not present. The ceremonial event was filmed and televised in a special E! presentation: "Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding" that aired on February 5, 2015. Bass and Turchin were the first same-sex couple to exchange vows on cable television. After four years of marriage, the couple decided to extend their family and have a child with the help of a surrogate. In March 2020, Bass announced the couple had lost a baby via the surrogate having a miscarriage at eight weeks. It had been the couple's ninth surrogacy attempt. In June 2021, Bass announced they were expecting twins by early November. Their son and daughter were born in mid-October.


title: Lance Bass

text: In February 2002, Lena Banks, a space advocate and founder/producer of Think Tank Ink Productions, contacted Bass to propose his involvement in her Youngest Person in Space project. Banks took her longtime associate David Krieff of Destiny Productions on board and through a series of events in August 2002, Bass entered cosmonaut training in Star City, Russia. Bass was considered as the host of a U.S. version of a space competition show, "The Big Mission," that had been successful in Denmark; contestants would go through rigorous training and vie for a seat on a Russian Soyuz space capsule. Instead of a game show, the producers decided to shoot a documentary of a celebrity training and going into space, intending to air it on a major network.


title: Lance Bass

text: A colleague mentioned Banks' space project to a friend, whose daughter shouted out, "Lance Bass wants to go into space!" The girl, who was an NSYNC fan, learned of Bass' lifelong dream of space travel when she read of it online via an MTV forum. Banks spoke to Bass's management who went to him with the proposal. "At first he thought we were joking," Banks remarks. "I assured him it was for real; he accepted and we moved forward with the project."


title: Lance Bass

text: To be admitted into training, Bass had to go through strenuous physicals that may have saved his life. It was discovered he had cardiac arrhythmia, and he agreed to undergo heart surgery to correct it. In 1999, he had collapsed after a concert because of his condition. After several months of training, Bass received cosmonaut certification and went on to Houston's Johnson Space Center (JSC) to take part in astronaut training. He was scheduled to fly into space on the Soyuz TMA-1 mission that was to be launched on October 30, 2002. The capsule was to fly to the International Space Station and land in a desert in Kazakhstan.


title: Lance Bass

text: But the original deal to air the documentary about Bass fell through in mid-2002. Bass's camp turned to MTV, who agreed to sponsor the trip but then backed out over "payment, insurance, and indemnification issues." Shortly after, all of Bass's other sponsorships fell through, including one sponsor who pulled out because they worried about the their brand being tarnished if Bass were to die on the mission. Bass was eventually rejected from the program, and was replaced on the flight by Russian cosmonauts Yury Lonchakov and Sergei Zalyotin and Belgium's Frank De Winne.


title: Lance Bass

text: In 2003, Bass began serving as World Space Week's Youth Spokesman. Bass has said that he believes young people becoming more interested in space exploration "will help the future of our planet". From 2003 to 2005, Bass spent World Space Week traveling to American high schools speaking with students about space exploration and encouraging them to explore careers in science and mathematics. Bass is a member of the National Space Society, a non-profit educational space advocacy organization founded by Wernher von Braun. Bass has served on the National Space Society's board of governors since October 2004, alongside other space advocates such as actor Tom Hanks and author and futurist Sir Arthur C. Clarke. In a 2007 interview with "GQ" magazine, Bass said he "absolutely" still intends on going to space, and that he hopes to work on a space documentary. Bass has also retained fluency in Russian, which he was required to learn during his training.


title: Lance Bass

text: Following public response surrounding his coming out, Bass announced that he was releasing an autobiography. The book, entitled "Out of Sync", was published on October 23, 2007. It was co-written by "The New York Times" best-selling biographer Marc Eliot, who also wrote the book's introduction, and was published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment, a division of Simon & Schuster. The 208-page book covers what Bass describes as "the first chapter" in his life, from his childhood growing up in rural Mississippi, to his efforts to obtain a seat on a Russian space capsule and the proceeding financial issues he had with his sponsors, and culminating with Bass's decision to go public with his sexuality. The book includes details about boyfriends that he kept from family and friends. He recounts NSYNC's 2002 decision to go on an "extended hiatus". Bass said Justin Timberlake was the sole reason NSYNC did not get back together. "Out of Sync" debuted on the "New York Times" Best Seller list for the week of November 11, 2007.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass has been involved with a number of charities. In 2001, he founded The Lance Bass Foundation, a non-profit organization that was designed to meet the health needs of low-income children. In 2003, Bass donated $30,000 US to establish the Amber Pulliam Special Education Endowment at the University of Southern Mississippi. Named for his younger cousin, Amber Pulliam, who has Down syndrome, it serves financial aid students from Mississippi's Pine Belt who plan a career in special education.


title: Lance Bass

text: After 2005's Hurricane Katrina, Bass launched "uBid For Hurricane Relief", a celebrity auction to benefit victims of the hurricane, with uBid.com. Proceeds from the auction were split between the Child Welfare League of America, The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation, and Ashton Kutcher's RockWorks Foundation. Many of Bass's family members in Mississippi were directly affected by the hurricane. That same year, Bass appeared on an episode of "" with a donation to a Russian woman to save a camp for disabled children in Russia.


title: Lance Bass

text: Bass is a member of the Environmental Media Association's board of directors. He has also been involved with Animal Avengers, Shannon Elizabeth's animal rescue organization. He has two dogs which he adopted from a rescue shelter, both of whom he posed with in a PETA ad urging people to adopt rather than buy animals. In August 2007, Bass wrote a guest commentary for LOGO's "Visible Vote '08" blog, in which he expressed support for gay marriage. In September 2007, Bass participated in a series of GLAAD television advertisements promoting tolerance for the LGBT community. Bass has also been involved in fundraising for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.


title: Liar Liar

text: Liar Liar is a 1997 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac, and written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur. It stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who built his entire career on lying, but finds himself cursed to speak only the truth for a single day, during which he struggles to maintain his career and to reconcile with his ex-wife and son whom he alienated with his pathological lying.


title: Liar Liar

text: The film is the second of three collaborations between Carrey and Shadyac—the first being "" and the third being "Bruce Almighty"—the second of three collaborations between Guay and Mazur—the others being "The Little Rascals" and "Heartbreakers"—and the first collaboration between Carrey and producer Brian Grazer.


title: Liar Liar

text: The film was released to critical and commercial success, grossing $302.7 million against a budget of $45 million and earning positive reviews from critics and audiences, who particularly praised Carrey's performance. At the 56th Golden Globe Awards, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy.