title: Leon Russell

text: Russell began his musical career at the age of 14, in 1956, in the nightclubs of Tulsa. In high school, he played piano in a band, the Accents, with David Gates, who would later achieve fame in the band Bread. Leon with the Starlighters, which included J. J. Cale, Leo Feathers, Chuck Blackwell, and Johnny Williams, were instrumental in creating the style of music known as the Tulsa Sound. After settling in Los Angeles in 1958, he studied guitar with James Burton. He was known mostly as a session musician early in his career. As Russell developed his solo artist career he crossed genres to include rock and roll, blues, bluegrass and gospel music. As a session musician he has played for and with artists as varied as Jan and Dean, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, George Harrison, Delaney Bramlett, Freddy Cannon, Ringo Starr, Doris Day, Elton John, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, the Byrds, Barbra Streisand, the Beach Boys, the Ventures, Willie Nelson, Badfinger, the Tijuana Brass, Frank Sinatra, the Band, Bob Dylan, J. J. Cale, B.B. King, Dave Mason, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, the Rolling Stones, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.


title: Leon Russell

text: In Los Angeles, Russell played as a first-call studio musician on many of the popular songs of the 1960s, including some by the Byrds, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Bobby Pickett, and Herb Alpert. He also played piano on many Phil Spector productions, including recordings by the Ronettes, the Crystals, and Darlene Love and in the 1963 "A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector" album. He can be seen in the 1964 concert film "T.A.M.I. Show" playing piano with the Wrecking Crew (an informal name for the top Los Angeles session musicians of the 1960s), sporting short, dark, slicked-back hair, in contrast to his later look. Soon after, he was hired as Snuff Garrett's assistant and creative developer, playing on numerous number-one singles, including "This Diamond Ring" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys.


title: Leon Russell

text: In the mid-1960s, he wrote or co-wrote songs, including two hits for Gary Lewis and the Playboys: "Everybody Loves a Clown" (which reached the "Billboard" Top 40 on October 9, 1965, remaining on the chart for eight weeks and reaching number 4) and "She's Just My Style" (which entered the "Billboard" Top 40 on December 18, 1965, and rose to number 3). In 1964, he appeared on various TV shows, performing songs by Chuck Berry and others.


title: Leon Russell

text: He played xylophone and bells on the 1966 single "The Joker Went Wild", sung by Brian Hyland and written by Bobby Russell (no relation to Leon). He also contributed to recording sessions with Dorsey Burnette and with Glen Campbell, whose 1967 album "Gentle on My Mind" credited him as "Russell Bridges" on piano, and arranged and conducted the 1966 easy listening album "Rhapsodies for Young Lovers" by the Midnight String Quartet. He co-produced and arranged hits by Tom Northcott, including "Sunny Goodge Street" in 1967, written by Donovan.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released his first solo single, "Everybody's Talking 'Bout the Young", for Dot Records in 1965.


title: Leon Russell

text: The 1968 release of "Look Inside the Asylum Choir" by Smash Records was a recording of a studio group consisting of Russell and Marc Benno ("The Asylum Choir").


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell and Denny Cordell established Shelter Records in 1969. The company operated from 1969 to 1981, with offices in Los Angeles and Tulsa.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell performed as a member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends in 1969 and 1970, playing guitar and keyboards on their albums and as part of the touring band. Through this group, he met George Harrison and others with whom he would work over the next couple of years.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell's first commercial success as a songwriter came when Joe Cocker recorded the song "Delta Lady" for his 1969 album, "Joe Cocker!" The album, co-produced and arranged by Russell, reached number 11 on the "Billboard" 200. Russell went on to organize and perform in (playing either piano or lead guitar) the 1970 "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" tour, using many of the musicians from Delaney and Bonnie's band. "Superstar", co-written by Russell, was sung by The Carpenters and other performers.


title: Leon Russell

text: During the "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" tour, Shelter Records released his 1970 solo album, "Leon Russell", which included the first recording of "A Song for You". This has become one of his best-known songs, with versions released by more than 40 different artists, including the Carpenters, Ray Charles, Billy Eckstine, Peggy Lee, Willie Nelson, Helen Reddy, Carmen McRae, Elkie Brooks, Freda Payne, and Donny Hathaway. Both the Carpenters and the Temptations named an album after the song. Ray Charles recorded a version that earned him the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Another song from the same album, "Delta Lady", was covered by Bobbie Gentry under the title "Delta Man" on her 1970 album "Fancy". The "Leon Russell" album had a number of guest vocalist and accompaniment: Chris Stainton, Bonnie Bramlett, Greg Dempsey, Bob Dylan, Marc Benno, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Joe Cocker, and Merry Clayton. Leon Russell's "A Song For You" was added to Grammy Hall Of Fame for the 2018 Grammy Hall of Fame class.


title: Leon Russell

text: Also in 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason's album "Alone Together", notably on the song "Sad and Deep as You". The song "The Letter" performed by Joe Cocker with Leon Russell & the Shelter People peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 on May 30, 1970; this was Russell's first hit song.


title: Leon Russell

text: In November 1970, Russell performed at the Fillmore East, with Elton John on the same bill. Those performances have been bootlegged. Russell and John appeared on "The David Frost Show" with Fillmore owner Bill Graham on December 3, 1970. Russell's album "Prince of Peace: Radio Broadcast 1970" is a soundboard recording of a concert at Fillmore East in late 1970.


title: Leon Russell

text: "Leon Russell and Friends" recorded the "Homewood Sessions", broadcast as an "unscripted and unrehearsed" one-hour TV special on KCET (Los Angeles) that aired in December 1970 and was later re-broadcast several times on the Public Broadcasting Service.


title: Leon Russell

text: Also in December 1970, "Rolling Stone" magazine carried an interview with Russell. It opened with a characterization of his sound as "those driving, lurchy, churchy rock and roll songs".


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell produced some tracks for Bob Dylan in March 1971 when Dylan was experimenting with his new sound. The sessions produced the single "Watching the River Flow" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece", both of which prominently featured Russell's gospel-flavored piano.


title: Leon Russell

text: At the invitation of George Harrison, Russell played piano on Badfinger's third album, "Straight Up" in the summer of 1971. Leon performed piano, vocals, bass and backing vocals at the two shows of the war-refugees' benefit(Concert for Bangladesh) on August 1, 1971. He was featured performing a medley of the songs "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Young Blood" and singing a verse on Harrison's "Beware of Darkness". Bob Dylan surprised Russell by asking him to play bass for some of Dylan's portion of the concert; Russell and Harrison sang harmonies on the chorus of "Just Like a Woman". "The Concert for Bangladesh" benefit album released in late 1971 was a major critical and commercial success. The release topped album charts in several countries, and went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in March 1973. The Concert also became an Apple concert benefit film directed by Saul Swimmer and released in spring, 1972.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 1971, Shelter Records released "Leon Russell and the Shelter People" and "Asylum Choir II" (co-produced by Marc Benno) and recorded at Russell's Skyhill Studios. "Leon Russell and the Shelter People" went on to be Russell's first US gold album. In the same year, Russell played on recording sessions with B. B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell helped the blues guitarist Freddie King revive his career by collaborating on three of King's albums for Shelter Records during the early 1970s. During those same years, Russell profited from what was then called the "country and western" market by recording and performing under the moniker "Hank Wilson", and was a regular performer at Gilley's Club, a honkytonk in Pasadena, Texas, made famous by the film "Urban Cowboy".


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell recorded the song "Get a Line on You" at Olympic Studios in October 1969, with contributions from Mick Jagger (lead vocal), Ringo Starr (drums), and probably also Bill Wyman (bass) and Mick Taylor (guitar). It was shelved until 1993, when it was issued as a bonus track on the 24K gold re-release by DCC Compact Classics (DCC Compact Classics GZS 1049). The Rolling Stones included the song, under the title "Shine a Light" on their 1972 album "Exile on Main St.".


title: Leon Russell

text: In 1972, Russell did a concert tour with his Shelter People entourage. One performance was recorded in California at the Long Beach Arena on August 28, 1972, and was released as a three-record set in 1973 as "Leon Live". It became his third U.S. gold album. In November 1972, "Billboard" cited Russell as a top concert draw and reported the 1972 tour gross at almost $3 million.


title: Leon Russell

text: Also in 1972, he released his "Carney" album, which was his third solo studio album. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The album featured "Tight Rope" and "This Masquerade" (songs released on a 45 as the A side and B side respectively), and became his second gold album.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell purchased multiple properties in the early 1970s in his home state of Oklahoma, including the historic The Church Studio in 1972 located on the corner of 3rd Street and Trenton in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The church was also home to Shelter Records. Numerous musicians recorded at The Church, including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Dwight Twilley, Dr. John, JJ Cale, the Gap Band, Freddie King, Phoebe Snow and Peter Tosh. Tom Petty, with his early band Mudcrutch, signed his first record deal with Shelter Records there.


title: Leon Russell

text: "Looking Back" was released by Russell on Olympia Records in 1973, shortly after the success of his single "Tight Rope". It contains instrumental tracks recorded in the mid-1960s, featuring Russell playing the harpsichord.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released the album "Hank Wilson's Back Vol. I", which was recorded at producer Owen Bradley's barn studio in Nashville in 1973. The album made it into the Top Thirty Hits. Track one, "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms", was a minor hit.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell helped the Gap Band, a trio of Tulsa brothers, kick off their chart success in 1974. The group went on to produce several funk-disco hits. The Gap Band backed Russell on his album "Stop All That Jazz".


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released "Live In Japan" on Shelter Records. The album was recorded live at Budokan Hall, in Tokyo, on November 8, 1973, and released in 1975.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell made it into the 1975 Top 40 with "Lady Blue", from his album "Will o' the Wisp". It was his fourth gold album.


title: Leon Russell

text: Helen Reddy recorded Russell's song "Bluebird" as a single and on her 1975 album "No Way to Treat a Lady". The song debuted on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in the July 5 issue of the magazine and eventually peaked at number 35. That same issue also marked its debut on the magazine's Easy Listening chart, where it spent eight weeks and peaked at number 5; on the "RPM" singles chart it reached number 51. Reddy said, "I love Leon Russell's writing and I love this song. It was an integral part of my repertoire for nearly 30 years, and I never tired of singing it."


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell's song "This Masquerade", the B-side of his 1972 hit single "Tight Rope", was later recorded by numerous artists, including Reddy and the Carpenters. George Benson's version of the song reached number 10 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and won Record of the Year at the 1977 Grammy Awards. As the song writer, Russell was nominated for Song of the Year in 1977 but lost to Bruce Johnston, who wrote "I Write the Songs". Russell's version of "This Masquerade" was used for the soundtrack for the psychological thriller film "Bug", which was directed by William Friedkin. The "Bug" soundtrack was released on May 22, 2007. The song was also used in the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness".


title: Leon Russell

text: In 1976, Russell and Barbra Streisand wrote the song "Lost Inside of You" for the film sound track of "A Star Is Born". Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson performed the song. The "A Star Is Born" soundtrack received a Grammy Nominations for Best Album of Original Score written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 1976, Russell released the "Wedding Album", a studio album with his then wife, Mary Russell, otherwise known as Mary McCreary. It was the first release by Paradise Records, and it was distributed by Rhino/Warner Bros. Records. Leon and Mary were the album producers, except for the final track "Daylight", which was produced by its writer Bobby Womack.


title: Leon Russell

text: On May 15, 1976 Leon and Mary performed "Satisfy You" and "Daylight" with John Belushi as Joe Cocker on Saturday Night Live.


title: Leon Russell

text: "Make Love to the Music" is the second album by Leon & Mary Russell released in 1977 on Paradise Records.


title: Leon Russell

text: After touring with Willie Nelson, Russell and Nelson in 1979 had a #1 hit on "Billboard"s country music chart with their duet of "Heartbreak Hotel". This single was nominated for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1979 Grammy Awards (presented on February 27, 1980), with the award going to the Charlie Daniels Band for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". They also released their duet country pop-rock studio album, "One for the Road", that year. It was Russell's fifth gold album. The album was nominated for 1979's Album of the Year awarded by the Country Music Association, which went to Kenny Rogers for "The Gambler". The track "I Saw the Light" was nominated for Best Inspirational Performance at the 1979 Grammy Awards, which instead went to B. J. Thomas for his album "You Gave Me Love (When Nobody Gave Me A Prayer)".


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell built and owned Paradise Studios in Burbank, California; the recording studio had two audio sound stages and one television production stage. The studios complex also had a mobile audio recording bus and remote television production bus that supported the stages or could travel. Paradise Records was also headquartered at the studio. The studio aired a weekly live television music show "New Wave Theatre" shown on USA network. The studio was used to make music videos from James Taylor and Randy Meisner, also long format video for Willie Nelson, J.J.Cale, Bonnie Raitt and Leon Russell.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released "Life And Love", an album on Paradise Records, in 1979. "Life and Love" has country, rock blues songs that harked back to Leon's work in the early 1970s.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell spent 1980 and 1981 touring with the New Grass Revival, releasing two more albums with Paradise Records before the label folded.


title: Leon Russell

text: On May 1, 1982 Russell played at Joe Ely's Third Annual Tornado Jam in Lubbock, Texas to a crowd of 25,000. The Jam included Joan Jett and the Crickets.


title: Leon Russell

text: On May 15, 1980, Russell joined with New Grass Revival to record a live album at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, California, released in 1981 as "The Live Album (Leon Russell and New Grass Revival)".


title: Leon Russell

text: Following up on his country theme, he made a second Hank Wilson album, "Hank Wilson, Vol. II" released in 1984, Hank Wilson being Russell's self-styled country music alter-ego since the early 1970s. It was released on Leon Russell Records.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released a country blues album, recorded in Hendersonville, Tennessee, at his Paradise Studios, called "Solid State". It was released by Paradise Music in 1984.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 1985, Russell went on tour in the US He also released the compilation album "Best Of Leon Russell: A Song For You".


title: Leon Russell

text: In 1988 and 1989 Edgar Winter and Russell went on a concert tour of the US and Canada. Edgar Winter is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. In 2002 the DVD "Edgar Winter – Live on Stage, Featuring Leon Russell" was released.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released "Delta Lady" on Del Rack Records in 1991. Many of the songs are remixes of early recordings.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released a new album "Anything Can Happen" recorded at Paradise Studios, released on Virgin Records in 1991. Pianist Bruce Hornsby produced this comeback album. During the late 1980s and early 1990s Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and sideman with Russell.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 1993, Paradise Records released the "Leon Russell 24k Gold Disc" album. It was a remix of recordings done at Olympic Sound in London in 1969.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released his "Hymns of Christmas" Leon Russell: Piano and Orchestra, album with 10 instrumental hymns by Russell on Leon Russell Records in 1995.


title: Leon Russell

text: Capitol/EMI Records in 1996 released the album "Gimme Shelter! The Best of Leon Russell", a two-CD album set with 40-tracks covering 1969–1992.


title: Leon Russell

text: Capitol/Right Stuff Records released in 1997 the album "Retrospective", an album with Russell's 18 all-time best-selling songs.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell released a new album "". Returning to his county artist name on Ark 21 Records, released in 1998 .


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2000, Russell and Q Records released "Live at Gilley's", a performance from September 17, 1981 at Gilley's Club. Also in 2000, Leon Russell Records released the rock album "Crazy Love" on CD.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2001, Russell teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Matt Harris to make the latter's album "Slightly Elliptical Orbit". They wrote 10 songs for the 12 track album, and Russell sang on the "This Train" track. The album was released in 2002 on Leon Russell Records.


title: Leon Russell

text: "Signature Songs" was released in 2001 on Leon Russell Records. It comprises Russell playing his top songs from his career. It was re-released in 2007 by MRI Associated Labels.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell returned as Hank Wilson, but this time with a twist of bluegrass, in "", released in 2001 on Leon Russell Records. The songs are with New Grass Revival from the 1980s.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell and the others who played on the "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" track each won Grammy Awards for Best Country Instrumental Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards, which were presented on February 27, 2002.


title: Leon Russell

text: "Moonlight & Love Songs", an album Russell made with the Nashville Symphony, was released on Leon Russell Records in 2002.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2002, Russell released a 95-minute DVD titled "A Song for You", that features 25 Russell classic songs from the Shelter People to 2001. There is biographical commentary throughout the DVD. The video is of both concerts and studio sessions. The DVD album "Live And Pickling Fast" was issued in the same year. This was a new album of the live Perkins Palace event on May 15, 1980: it had all the original songs from "The Live Album (with New Grass Revival)", plus all the other songs from the event and bonus tracks.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2006, Russell did a 12 city concert tour of the US. On April 23, he received the "Living Legend award" at Bare Bones International Film Festival and in October he was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.


title: Leon Russell

text: Also in 2006, Russell released the Okie rock album "Angel in Disguise" on his Leon Russell Records label.


title: Leon Russell

text: "Almost Piano" was released in 2007 by Leon Russell Records. It is a synthesizer piano collection of ten instrumentals from Russell.


title: Leon Russell

text: "In Your Dreams" was released on CD by Leon Russell Records in 2008, as was "A Mighty Flood", a gospel album with original songs by him. "Billboard magazine" described the latter as "a recent treat" and "buoyant".


title: Leon Russell

text: On January 31, 2010, Russell joined the Zac Brown Band to play the song "Chicken Fried" at the Grammy Awards. Zac Brown Band won the Best New Artist award.


title: Leon Russell

text: After years of reduced prominence, Russell's career was rejuvenated when Elton John sought him for a new project. In November 2009, Russell worked with John and Bernie Taupin on "The Union", a double album record credited equally to Russell and John. Recorded in February 2010 and produced by T Bone Burnett, the CD was released on October 19, 2010.


title: Leon Russell

text: "The Union" was Russell's sixth gold album. The recordings were interrupted in January 2010 when Russell was hospitalized and underwent surgery for a brain fluid leak, as well as treatment for heart failure and pneumonia.


title: Leon Russell

text: A couple of months later, Russell announced plans for a solo LP, although no specifics were given, and in October 2010 Russell and John embarked on The Union Tour. John and Russell also appeared on the "Late Show with David Letterman".


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell and John were nominated for their track “If It Wasn't for Bad", from their "The Union" album, for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 2010 Grammy Awards, which were presented on February 13, 2011.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2011, the documentary film "The Union" by Cameron Crowe was released. It explored the creative process of John and Russell in the making of the 2010 album "The Union".


title: Leon Russell

text: On April 2, 2011, Russell and John performed together as the musical guests on "Saturday Night Live". "Rolling Stone" placed the album in third place on its list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2012, Russell and Vince Gill sang the song "A Way to Survive" on the "Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran" studio album by Jamey Johnson.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell played in Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2013. He had first played at the picnic in 1976.


title: Leon Russell

text: On June 23, 2013, Russell performed on the CMT Crossroads broadcast with Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson, Norah Jones, Ashley Monroe and Neil Young.


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2014, the album "Life Journey" was released on Universal Records. Working with Tommy LiPuma, this album included two new songs by Russell: "Big Lips" and "Down in Dixieland".


title: Leon Russell

text: On March 16, 2015, a restored version of a previously unreleased 1974 documentary about Russell, "A Poem Is A Naked Person" by filmmaker Les Blank, was screened at the South by Southwest Film Festival. The film features concert footage of Russell in New Orleans and Anaheim and of the recording sessions for the album "Hank Wilson's Back".


title: Leon Russell

text: In 2015, Russell played at Virginia's Lockn' Festival and the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival in Richardson, Texas.


title: Leon Russell

text: On May 30, 2015, Russell, Bonnie Raitt and Ivan Neville gave a performance at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California, to raise cash for Marty Grebb who was battling cancer. Grebb had played on some of their albums.


title: Leon Russell

text: On September 11, 2015, he joined Rita Coolidge, Claudia Lennear, Chris Stainton, and other members of the 1970 "Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour" for a tribute concert to Joe Cocker organized by the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Original tour photographer Linda Wolf documented the reunion and performance.


title: Leon Russell

text: The album "On a Distant Shore", recorded in 2016, was posthumously released in September 2017. The album has 12 songs written by Russell. Two of his daughters, Coco Bridges and Sugaree Noel Bridges, perform backing vocals it.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell died in his sleep at his Nashville, Tennessee, home on November 13, 2016, at the age of 74. In 2010, he had undergone surgery, and in July 2016, he suffered a heart attack. He was recovering from heart surgery. Russell's funeral was on November 18 at Victory Baptist Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, and a public memorial was held at The Oral Roberts University Mabee Center on November 20 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is interred at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell's music style encompassed rock, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, blues rock, rock and roll, folk, surf, swamp rock and Tulsa Sound.


title: Leon Russell

text: Elton John, who had once been Russell's opening act, acknowledged him as his "biggest influence as a piano player, a singer and a songwriter." On hearing of Russell's death, he said: "My darling Leon Russell passed away last night. He was a mentor, inspiration and so kind to me. I loved him and always will." John once recalled:


title: Leon Russell

text: Pixies vocalist Black Francis credits Russell with influencing his vocal style: "I realise there's a certain kind of vocalising I do that takes its cue from Leon Russell. He sang in a Southern accent but it was very blown-out and exaggerated, very free and loose."


title: Leon Russell

text: The depth and scope Leon’s contribution to the music of the twentieth century is illustrated by the following:<br>


title: Leon Russell

text: Russell had six children: a daughter from a relationship with Carla McHenry; a son and daughter from his first marriage, to Mary McCreary; and three daughters from his later marriage to Janet Lee Constantine.


title: George Costanza

text: George Louis Costanza is a fictional character in the American television sitcom "Seinfeld" (1989–1998), played by Jason Alexander. He is a short, stocky, balding man who struggles with numerous insecurities, often dooming his romantic relationships through his own fear of being dumped. He is also remarkably lazy; during periods of unemployment he actively avoids getting a job, and while employed he often finds ingenious ways to conceal idleness from his bosses. He is friends with Jerry Seinfeld, Cosmo Kramer, and Elaine Benes. George and Jerry were junior high school friends (although in "The Betrayal", Season 9, Episode 8, George says the two have been friends since fourth grade) and remained friends afterward. George appears in every episode except "The Pen" (third season).


title: George Costanza

text: The character was based on Seinfeld co-creator Larry David but is surnamed after Jerry Seinfeld's real-life New York friend, Michael Costanza. Alexander reprised his role in an episode of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee", reuniting with Jerry Seinfeld and Wayne Knight (also reprising their roles as Jerry and Newman, respectively).


title: George Costanza

text: George is the son of Frank, an Italian-American, and Estelle Costanza. George twice mentions that he has a brother. Lloyd Braun is a childhood nemesis who George feels was the son his parents always wanted. George's best friend Jerry Seinfeld described Frank and Estelle as "psychopaths", and said in "The Chinese Woman" that, if they had divorced when George was young, he "could have been normal".


title: George Costanza

text: In "The Junior Mint", George states he grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he went to a public school. In a previous episode he mentions he went to high school on Long Island. He met Jerry during his youth, and they remained friends from that point on. George and Jerry both attended John F. Kennedy High School, class of 1971. During their high school years, George and Jerry frequently hung out at a pizzeria called Mario's Pizzas, where the former, having the highest score "GLC", would play "Frogger" (although "Frogger" debuted in 1981, well after the pair's high school graduation in 1971). George was picked on by his gym teacher Mr. Heyman, who deliberately mispronounced his name as "Can't stand ya" and gave him wedgies.


title: George Costanza

text: Two of George's cousins appear on the show: Shelly, who briefly appears in "The Contest", and Rhisa, whom George plans to date in order to shock his parents in "The Junk Mail". George talks to his parents about his family in "The Money", during which it is revealed that he had an "Uncle Moe", who "died a young man" and an "Aunt Baby", who died at the age seven of internal problems. It is also revealed that his mother has a "Cousin Henny". In "The Doll", it is revealed that Frank Costanza was born in Italy and has a cousin, Carlo, who still lives there. As of "The Robbery", George had living grandparents whom he had recently visited, although it is never made clear whether these were his mom's or dad's parents.


title: George Costanza

text: George is neurotic, self-loathing and dominated by his parents, yet also prone to occasional periods of overconfidence that invariably arise at the worst possible time. Throughout "Seinfeld"s first season, despite doing poorly on his SATs and despite being afraid of embarrassing himself on an IQ test on "The Cafe", George is depicted as moderately intelligent – at one point, he mentions an intellectual interest in the Civil War and, in some early episodes, appears almost like a mentor to Jerry – but becomes less sophisticated, to the point of being too lazy even to read a ninety-page book ("Breakfast at Tiffany's"), preferring to watch the movie adaptation at a stranger's house instead. In "The Abstinence", it is discovered that George has what would appear to be genius-level intelligence but can never access it because his mind is always so completely focused on sex. One "Chicago Tribune" reviewer noted that, despite all his shortcomings, George is "pretty content with himself".


title: George Costanza

text: George exhibits several negative character traits, among them dishonesty, insecurity, and anxiety, many of which seem to stem from a dysfunctional childhood with his eccentric parents Frank and Estelle, and often form the basis of his involvement in various plots, schemes, and embarrassing social encounters. Episode plots frequently feature George manufacturing elaborate deceptions at work or in his relationships to gain or maintain some slight or imagined advantage or (pretend) image of success. He is shown to be having an intense fear of commitment. He had success in "The Opposite", where he starts (with Jerry's encouragement) to do the complete opposite of what his instincts tell him to do, which results in him getting a girlfriend and a job with the New York Yankees. His anxiety is also evident in "The Note", where he begins doubting his sexuality after receiving a massage from a male masseur.


title: George Costanza

text: George refers to himself in the third person when under extreme stress (for example, "George is getting upset!"), after befriending a person with a similar trait in "The Jimmy".


title: George Costanza

text: George flees a burning kitchen during his girlfriend's son's birthday party, knocking over several children and an old woman so he can escape first in "The Fire". There are moments where George exhibits remarkable courage, but usually accidentally and often in support of inane lies he would rather not confess to. For instance, in "The Marine Biologist", he goes into the sea alone to save a beached whale because his date, a woman on whom he had a crush in college, thinks he is a marine biologist and even tells her the truth about his occupation after he saves the day.


title: George Costanza

text: George often takes impressive measures to build and maintain relationships with women. In "The Conversion," he goes through the process of converting to the Latvian Orthodox religion as his girlfriend's parents would not let her date somebody outside their religion. The one relationship he holds long-term, with his fiancée Susan, is the one about which he is seemingly least enthusiastic, as shown by his ongoing attempts to first postpone, and later cancel, their wedding and his rather nonchalant reaction when she dies.


title: George Costanza

text: He is interested in nice restrooms, and his personal bathroom habits border on obsession. In "The Revenge", he quits his real estate job solely because he is forbidden to use his boss' private bathroom. In "The Voice", he admits that one of the reasons he is staying at a job his boss has asked that he resign from (for feigning a disability) is that it gives him "private access to one of the great handicapped toilets in the city". In "The Busboy", he claims to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the locations of the best public bathrooms in the city. He proves this in "The Bizarro Jerry", when he directs Kramer to "the best bathroom in midtown" at the offices of Brandt-Leland, even describing the layout, marble, high ceiling, and toilets that flush "like a jet engine". In "The Gymnast", he told Jerry that he always removes his shirt when using the bathroom because "it frees me up ... no encumbrances". When working for the Yankees, he suggested having the bathroom stall doors stretched all the way to the ground (letting people's legs not be seen while in the stalls). The obsession even comes up in the Seinfeld reunion staged on "Curb Your Enthusiasm": years after the series, George is said to have made a fortune on a smartphone app that directs its user to the nearest "acceptable" public toilet anywhere in the world (though he loses most, if not all, of his fortune to Bernie Madoff).


title: George Costanza

text: George and Jerry have been best friends since meeting in high school gym class. The extreme closeness of their friendship is occasionally mistaken for gayness. "The Outing" deals with a reporter from a New York University college paper mistaking George and Jerry for a gay couple, and, in "The Cartoon", George dates somebody who Kramer insists is merely a "female Jerry".


title: George Costanza

text: "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David based George largely on himself. Seinfeld and David created the character as a counterpoint to Seinfeld's character. In the first draft of the show's pilot script, called "Stand-Up" at the time, George's name was "Bennett" and he, like Jerry, was a comedian. In that same draft, the scene in the pilot in which George and Jerry discuss a woman Jerry met earlier, instead saw George and Jerry discussing their stand-up act. His name was changed to George, and he became a real estate broker instead. George's last name comes from Michael Costanza, a college classmate of Seinfeld. "Louis", George's middle name is a homage to Lou Costello, whose 1950s television series "The Abbott and Costello Show", inspired "Seinfeld"s writing style. Although he is often asked whether he wanted to play the character, Larry David has said that he was only interested in writing the show, and he highly doubted that NBC would have approved of his being cast.


title: George Costanza

text: Casting director Marc Herschfield stated that, during casting for the character, "we saw every actor we could possibly see in Los Angeles", but they could not find the right actor for the part. Among the auditionees were Nathan Lane, David Alan Grier, Brad Hall and Larry Miller. A 2011 article by Bradford Evans in "Splitsider" claims those considered for Costanza include Danny DeVito and Nathan Lane, while Jason Alexander himself has noted that Steve Buscemi, Paul Shaffer and Chris Rock were also considered for the role. Robert Schimmel also auditioned.


title: George Costanza

text: On April 3, 1989, Herschfield sent a partial script to Jason Alexander, who was in New York City at the time. Herschfield had met Alexander when he was working on the CBS sitcom "E/R". Alexander enjoyed the script and felt it read like a Woody Allen film; therefore, he did a Woody Allen impression on his audition tape and bought a pair of glasses to better resemble the actor. Though Alexander thought his audition was "a complete waste of time", both David and Seinfeld were impressed; Seinfeld stated "the second we saw him, like two lines out of his mouth, we went 'That's the guy. On April 10, 1989, at 9:00 a.m. Alexander did his first official audition and met David and Seinfeld. While in the waiting room for his final audition, Alexander saw that Larry Miller was also auditioning. Alexander was aware that Miller and Seinfeld were very good friends, and so figured that he would not get the part. After his final audition, he returned to New York City, and when he landed he received a phone call informing him that he was hired.


title: George Costanza

text: Many of George's predicaments were based on David's past real-life experiences. In "The Revenge", for example, when George quits his job in a fury only to realize he has made a mistake, he goes back the next day as if nothing happened; this mirrors David's actions while working as a writer for "Saturday Night Live", when he quit and then returned to his job in the same manner. As the show progressed, Alexander discovered that the character was based on David. As Alexander explains in an interview for the "Seinfeld" DVD, during an early conversation with David, Alexander questioned a script, saying, "This could never happen to anyone, and even if it did, no human being would react like this." David replied, "What do you mean? This happened to me once, and this is exactly how I reacted." After that, Alexander changed his performance from an imitation of Woody Allen to what he has called a "shameless imitation of Larry David."


title: George Costanza

text: In 1998, Michael Costanza sued the show for US$100,000,000, claiming that he never gave permission for his name to be used and that, because of the character's appearance and behavior, he was not treated with respect. Costanza lost the suit, as the New York Supreme Court decided that Seinfeld and David "did not violate Michael Costanza's privacy rights when they created the character".


title: George Costanza

text: George becomes engaged to Susan Ross, an executive at NBC who approved his and Jerry's show-within-a-show sitcom pilot. George and Susan date, during which time commitment-phobic George is constantly trying to find ways to end their relationship without actually having to initiate the breakup with her. In "The Engagement", he proposes to her after he and Jerry make a pact to move forward with their lives, despite his not having dated her for years. When Jerry breaks up with his girlfriend almost immediately thereafter for eating "her peas one at a time" and declares the deal over, George tries repeatedly to weasel out of his engagement. In "The Invitations", she dies from licking the toxic glue in their wedding invitations. When notified of her death at the hospital, George displays a combination of shock, apathy, and relief. A few moments after being notified of Susan's death, he says to Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine, "Well, let's go get some coffee." Susan's parents appoint him to the board of directors of the Susan Ross Foundation.


title: George Costanza

text: George is very bad at meeting women and even worse at maintaining his romantic relationships and, as a result, his relationships usually end badly.


title: George Costanza

text: George's professional life is unstable. He is unable to remain in any job for any great length of time before making an embarrassing blunder and getting fired, and he is unemployed for a large amount of time throughout the series. Very often, the blunder is lying and trying to cover it up, only to have it all fall apart. Most of the many short-lived jobs George holds throughout the series are in sales.


title: George Costanza

text: Over the course of the series, he works for a real estate transaction services firm (Rick Bahr Properties), a rest stop supply company (Sanalac), a publishing company Elaine also works at (Pendant Publishing), the New York Yankees (his longest running job), a playground-equipment company (Play Now) and an industrial smoothing company (Kruger Industrial Smoothing). He is fired from his job at Pendant Publishing for having sex with the cleaning woman on his desk in "The Red Dot" (he professes he has always been attracted to cleaning women).


title: George Costanza

text: His original job when the series starts is as a real estate agent; he ends up quitting and getting re-hired, but fired immediately afterward for drugging his boss. He always wanted to be an architect or least "pretend to be an architect". He first mentions this desire in "The Stake Out", and claims in "The Race" that he had designed "the new addition to the Guggenheim".


title: George Costanza

text: During Season 4, George gains experience as a sitcom writer as he helps Jerry to write the pilot for the fictitious show "Jerry". While pitching the concept of a "show about nothing" to NBC executives, George begins dating NBC executive Susan Ross until "The Virgin", when she is fired. The "Jerry" pilot is never picked up.


title: George Costanza

text: George has balding hair, which is less noticeable in "The Seinfeld Chronicles" or a flashback in "The Slicer", but gets thinner as the series progresses. In "The Beard", he starts to wear a toupee, until Elaine throws it out the window in disgust. He also tries to restore his hair in "The Tape", when he starts using a Chinese cream that is said to be such a great cure for baldness that it will make him "look like Stalin". His hair is rarely seen styled. His clothing is usually very plain. He frequently wears jeans and Nike Cortez sneakers. George has, however, mentioned that his clothes are color-coded based on his mood. Several times throughout the show, George mentions a desire to "drape" himself in velvet (if only it were socially acceptable), which he does in "The Doodle". In "The Bizarro Jerry", George can be seen styling his hair based on an Andy Sipowicz poster.


title: George Costanza

text: Art Vandelay is an alias used by George in "The Stake Out". To explain their presence in the lobby of an office building, Jerry and George come up with a cover story based around a man they plan to meet named Art Vandelay, an importer-exporter who works in the building. George frequently reuses the invented name as a running joke. George tells Elaine's boss at the publishing company that he frequently reads Art Vandelay's work. In "The Boyfriend", George tells the unemployment office he is close to getting a job at "Vandelay Industries". He later tells Susan that Art is Elaine's boyfriend as part of a cover story to prevent Susan from learning that he is dating Marisa Tomei ("The Cadillac"). In "The Bizarro Jerry", George asks the receptionist at Brandt/Leland for Mr. Art Vandelay. In "The Serenity Now", George invents fake customers, one of whom is "Mr. Vandelay", to hide his lack of sales success. In "The Puerto Rican Day", George pretends to be Vandelay (Jerry pretends to be "Kel Varnsen", and Kramer is "H.E. Pennypacker") to take advantage of an open house to watch a Mets game on television. In "The Finale", the name of the presiding judge is Arthur Vandelay, much to George's amazement.


title: George Costanza

text: In a list of the "50 Greatest Sidekicks" compiled by "Entertainment Weekly", George was placed third behind Robin from the "Batman" franchise and Ed McMahon, who co-hosted "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" from 1962 to 1992. On a "The Times-Union" list of the 50 greatest sitcom characters of all time, George was ranked third, behind Lucy Ricardo from "I Love Lucy" and Barney Fife from "The Andy Griffith Show". In 1999, "TV Guide" published a list of the 50 best characters in television history, on which George was ranked 10th. "The People" called George the greatest television character on a list of the 100 best television characters. British comedian Ricky Gervais and "Guardian" columnist Marina Hyde have both called George "arguably the greatest sitcom character of all time".


title: George Costanza

text: For his performance as George, Alexander was nominated for various awards. In 1992, he received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; however, he lost the award to Michael Jeter for "Evening Shade". He received nominations in the same category the following six years, but failed to win each year. In addition, Alexander was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards—in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1998—in the Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television category, but never won the award. In 1995, Alexander received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series, he also shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series with Seinfeld, Louis-Dreyfus, and Richards. From 1996 through 1998, Alexander was nominated in the same two categories, co-winning the ensemble award in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, he was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for the last time, but lost to Michael J. Fox for his portrayal of Michael Flaherty on "Spin City". In 1992 and 1993, Alexander won the American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male Performer in a TV Series. He was also nominated for the award in 1996 (with Richards) and 1999, but did not win again.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal/rock band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg. The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every original member; notably Isberg in 1992. Mikael Åkerfeldt has been Opeth's frontman and primary songwriter since Isberg's departure. Opeth has consistently incorporated progressive, folk, blues, classical, and jazz influences into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from death metal, especially in their early works. Many songs include acoustic guitar passages and strong dynamic shifts, as well as death growls. Opeth is also well known for their incorporation of Mellotrons in their work. The band rarely made live appearances supporting their first four albums, but since conducting their first world tour after the 2001 release of "Blackwater Park", they have led several major world tours.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth has released 13 studio albums, four live DVDs, four live albums (three that are in conjunction with DVDs), and two boxsets. The band released its debut album "Orchid" in 1995. Although their eighth studio album, "Ghost Reveries", was quite popular in the United States, Opeth did not experience major American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, "Watershed", which peaked at No. 23 on the "Billboard" 200, and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release. As of November 2009, the band has sold over 1.5 million copies of their albums and DVDs worldwide, including 300,000 collective SoundScans of their albums "Blackwater Park", "Damnation", and "Deliverance" in the United States.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth was formed as a death metal band in 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden, by lead vocalist David Isberg. The band name was derived from the word "Opet", taken from the Wilbur Smith novel "The Sunbird". In this novel, Opet is the name of a fictional Phoenician city in South Africa translated as "City of the Moon".


title: Opeth

text: In 1990, Isberg asked former Eruption band member Mikael Åkerfeldt to join Opeth as a bassist, replacing Martin Persson. When Åkerfeldt showed up to practice on the day after Isberg invited him, it became clear that Isberg had not told the band members, including the band's current bassist, that Åkerfeldt would be joining the band. An ensuing argument led to all members but Isberg and Åkerfeldt leaving to form a new project.


title: Opeth

text: Isberg and Åkerfeldt recruited drummer Anders Nordin, bassist Nick Döring, and guitarist Andreas Dimeo. Unsatisfied with Opeth's slow progress, Döring and Dimeo left the band after their first performance, and were replaced by guitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist Johan De Farfalla. After the next show, De Farfalla left Opeth to spend time with his girlfriend in Germany, and was initially replaced by Mattias Ander, before Åkerfeldt's friend Peter Lindgren took on the role of bassist. Rhythm guitarist Kim Pettersson left following the band's next performance, and Lindgren switched to guitar, with the role of bassist falling to Stefan Guteklint. The following year, David Isberg left the band citing "creative differences".


title: Opeth

text: Following Isberg's departure, Åkerfeldt took over vocal duties and he, Lindgren, and Nordin spent the next year writing and rehearsing new material. The group began to rely less on the blast beats and aggression typical of death metal, and incorporated acoustic guitars and guitar harmonies into their music; developing the core sound of Opeth. Bassist Guteklint was dismissed by the band after they signed their first record deal with Candlelight Records in 1994. Opeth initially employed former member De Farfalla as a session bassist for their demo recordings, and he went on to join on a full-time basis following the release of Opeth's debut album, "Orchid", in 1995.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth recorded its debut album, "Orchid", with producer Dan Swanö in April 1994. Because of distribution problems with the newly formed Candlelight Records, the album was not released until 15 May 1995, and only in Europe. "Orchid" tested the boundaries of traditional death metal, featuring acoustic guitars, piano, and clean vocals.


title: Opeth

text: After a few live shows in the United Kingdom, Opeth returned to the studio in March 1996 to begin work on a second album, again produced by Dan Swanö. The album, titled "Morningrise", was released in Europe on 24 June 1996. With only five songs, but lasting 66 minutes, it features Opeth's longest song, the 20-minute "Black Rose Immortal". Opeth toured the UK in support of "Morningrise", followed by a 26-date Scandinavian tour with Cradle of Filth. While on tour, Opeth attracted the attention of Century Media Records, who signed the band and released the first two albums in the United States in 1997.


title: Opeth

text: In 1997, after the tour, Åkerfeldt and Lindgren dismissed De Farfalla for personal reasons, without the consent of Nordin. When Åkerfeldt informed Nordin, who was on a vacation in Brazil, Nordin left the band and remained in Brazil for personal reasons. Former "Eternal" members, drummer Martín López (formerly of Amon Amarth) and bassist Martín Méndez, responded to an ad at a music shop placed by Åkerfeldt. López and Méndez were fans of the band and took the ads down themselves so no other musicians could apply for the job. Åkerfeldt and Lindgren did not want the Martíns to join at first, due to them already knowing each other; they felt that they wanted two strangers so that there wouldn't be two camps in the band, but eventually hired both. López made his debut with Opeth playing on a cover version of Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow", which was included on the album "".


title: Opeth

text: With a larger recording budget from Century Media, Opeth began work on its third album, with noted Swedish producer Fredrik Nordström, at Studio Fredman in August 1997. Although Opeth had Méndez, due to time constraints Åkerfeldt played bass on the album. "My Arms, Your Hearse" was released to critical acclaim on 18 August 1998.


title: Opeth

text: In 1999 the ownership of Candlelight Records changed hands with owner and friend of the band Lee Barrett leaving the company. Opeth signed with UK label Peaceville Records in Europe, which was distributed by Music for Nations. Opeth reserved time at Studio Fredman to begin work on its next album, but recording was postponed while the studio was relocated. Due to time constraints, the band was able to rehearse only twice before entering the studio. Delays with the album's artwork pushed the release back an additional month and "Still Life" was released on 18 October 1999. Due to problems with the band's new distribution network, the album was not released in the United States until February 2001. "Still Life" was the first album recorded with Méndez, and also the first Opeth album to bear any kind of caption on the front cover upon its initial release, including the band's logo. Allmusic called "Still Life" a "formidable splicing of harsh, often jagged guitar riffs with graceful melodies." As explained by Åkerfeldt, "Still Life" is a concept album: "The main character is kind of banished from his hometown because he hasn't got the same faith as the rest of the inhabitants there. The album pretty much starts off when he is returning after several years to hook up with his old 'babe.' The big bosses of the town know that he's back... A lot of bad things start happening."


title: Opeth

text: Following a few live dates in Europe, Opeth returned to Studio Fredman to begin work on its next album, with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson producing. The band sought to recreate the recording experience of "Still Life", and again entered the studio with minimal rehearsals, and no lyrics written. "This time it was tough," Åkerfeldt said, "I feel pleasantly blown away by the immense result, though. It was indeed worth the effort." Wilson also pushed the band to expand its sound, incorporating new sounds and production techniques. "Steve guided us into the realms of 'strange' noises for guitars and voice", Åkerfeldt said.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth released its fifth studio album, "Blackwater Park", on 21 February 2001. AllMusic has stated that the album "keeps with Opeth's tradition by transcending the limits of death/black metal and repeatedly shattering the foundations of conventional songwriting". In support of "Blackwater Park", Opeth embarked on its first world tour, headlined Europe for the first time, and made an appearance at the 2001 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, playing to a crowd of 60,000.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth returned to Sweden after touring in support of "Blackwater Park", and began writing for the next album. At first, Åkerfeldt had trouble putting together new material: "I wanted to write something heavier than we'd ever done, still I had all these great mellow parts and arrangements which I didn't want to go to waste." Jonas Renkse of Katatonia, a long-time friend of Åkerfeldt, suggested writing music for two separate albums—one heavy and one soft.


title: Opeth

text: Excited at the prospect, Åkerfeldt agreed without consulting his bandmates or record label. While his bandmates liked the idea of recording two separate albums, Åkerfeldt had to convince the label: "I had to lie somewhat ... saying that we could do this recording very soon, it won't cost more than a regular single album." With most of the material written, the band rehearsed just once before entering Nacksving Studios in 2002, and again with producer Steven Wilson in Studio Fredman. Under pressure to complete both albums simultaneously, Åkerfeldt said the recording process was "the toughest test of our history." After recording basic tracks, the band moved production to England to first mix the heavy album, "Deliverance", with Andy Sneap at Backstage Studios. ""Deliverance" was so poorly recorded, without any organisation whatsoever," Åkerfeldt claimed, that Sneap "is credited as a 'saviour' in the sleeve, as he surely saved much of the recording."


title: Opeth

text: "Deliverance" was released on 4 November 2002, and debuted at number 19 on the US Top Independent Albums chart, marking the band's first US chart appearance. AllMusic stated, ""Deliverance" is altogether more subtle than any of its predecessors, approaching listeners with haunting nuances and masterful dynamics rather than overwhelming them with sheer mass and complexity."


title: Opeth

text: Opeth performed a one-off concert in Stockholm, then returned to the UK to finish recording vocals for the second of the two albums, "Damnation", at Steven Wilson's No Man's Land Studios. Although Åkerfeldt believed the band could not finish both albums, Opeth completed "Deliverance" and "Damnation" in just seven weeks of studio time, which was the same amount spent on "Blackwater Park" alone. "Damnation" was released on 14 April 2003, and garnered the band its first appearance on the US "Billboard" 200 at number 192. The album also won the 2003 Swedish Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. On 1 January 2016, Opeth re-released both "Deliverance" and "Damnation" in one package, containing CD and DVD versions, along with new mixing.


title: Opeth

text: The band embarked on its biggest tour yet, playing nearly 200 shows in 2003 and 2004. Opeth performed three special shows in Europe with two song lists each—one acoustic set and one heavy set. The band recorded its first DVD, "Lamentations (Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire 2003)", at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, England. The DVD features a two-hour performance, including the entire "Damnation" album, several songs from "Deliverance" and "Blackwater Park", and a one-hour documentary about the recording of "Deliverance" and "Damnation". "Lamentations" was certified Gold in Canada.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth was scheduled to perform in Jordan without a crew due to the fear of terrorist attacks in the Middle East. Opeth's tour manager distributed 6,000 tickets for the concert, but before the band left for Jordan, drummer Lopez called Åkerfeldt stating he was having an anxiety attack and could not perform, forcing the band to cancel the show. In early 2004, Lopez was sent home from Canada after more anxiety attacks on tour. Opeth decided against cancelling the remainder of the tour, with Lopez's drum technician filling in for two concerts. Lopez promised that he would return to the tour as soon as he could, but two shows later Opeth asked Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan to fill in. Lopez returned to Opeth for the Seattle show on the final leg of the "Deliverance" and "Damnation" tour. Per Wiberg also joined the band on tour to perform keyboards, after more than a year on tour.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth returned home in 2004 to start writing new material for its eighth album, and by the end of the year, they had finished writing it. Opeth's European label, Music for Nations, closed its doors in 2005, and after negotiations with various labels, the band signed with Roadrunner Records. Åkerfeldt said the primary reason for signing with Roadrunner was the label's wide distribution, ensuring the album would be available at larger-chain retailers. When news leaked that the band was signed to Roadrunner, who predominantly worked with trend-oriented rock and metal, some fans accused the band of selling out. "To be honest," Åkerfeldt said, "that's such an insult after 15 years as a band and 8 records. I can't believe we haven't earned each and every Opeth fan's credibility after all these years. I mean, our songs are 10 minutes long!" The band rehearsed for three weeks before entering the studio, the first time the band rehearsed since the 1998 album, "My Arms, Your Hearse". During rehearsal, keyboardist Wiberg joined Opeth as a full-time member. Opeth recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, from 18 March to 1 June 2005, and released the resulting "Ghost Reveries" on 30 August 2005, to critical acclaim and commercial success. The album debuted at number 64 in the US, and number nine in Sweden, higher than any previous Opeth release. Keith Bergman of Blabbermouth.net gave the album ten out of ten, one of only 21 albums to achieve a perfect rating from the site. Rod Smith of "Decibel" magazine called "Ghost Reveries" "achingly beautiful, sometimes unabashedly brutal, often a combination of both".


title: Opeth

text: On 12 May 2006, Martin Lopez announced that he had officially parted ways with Opeth due to health problems, and was replaced by Martin Axenrot. Opeth toured on the main stage of Gigantour in 2006, alongside Megadeth. "Ghost Reveries" was re-released on 31 October 2006, with a bonus cover song (Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune"), a DVD featuring a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album and a documentary on the making of the record. A recording of Opeth's live performance at the Camden Roundhouse, in London, on 9 November 2006, was released as the double live album "The Roundhouse Tapes", which topped the Finnish DVD chart.


title: Opeth

text: On 17 May 2007, Peter Lindgren announced he would be leaving Opeth after 16 years. "The decision has been the toughest I've ever made but it is the right one to make at this point in my life," Lindgren said. "I feel that I simply have lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in a band that has grown from a few guys playing the music we love to a worldwide industry." Ex-Arch Enemy guitarist Fredrik Åkesson replaced Lindgren, as Åkerfeldt explained "Fredrik was the only name that popped up thinking about a replacement for Peter. In my opinion he's one of the top three guitar players out of Sweden. We all get along great as we've known each other for maybe four years and he already has the experience to take on the circus-like lifestyle we lead as members of Opeth."


title: Opeth

text: Opeth entered Fascination Street Studios in November 2007 to record their ninth studio album, with Åkerfeldt producing. By January 2008, Opeth had recorded 13 songs, including three cover songs. The finished album, "Watershed", features seven tracks, with cover songs used as bonus tracks on different versions of the album. "Watershed" was released on 3 June 2008. Åkerfeldt described the songs on the album as "a bit more energetic". Opeth toured in support of "Watershed", including headlining the UK Defenders of the Faith tour with Arch Enemy, an appearance at Wacken Open Air, and the Progressive Nation tour with headliner Dream Theater. "Watershed" was Opeth's highest-charting album to date, debuting at number 23 on the US "Billboard" 200, on the Australian ARIA album charts at number seven and at number one on Finland's official album chart. Opeth went on a worldwide tour in support of "Watershed". From September to October, the band toured North America backed by High on Fire, Baroness, and Nachtmystium. They returned to tour Europe for the rest of the year with Cynic and The Ocean.


title: Opeth

text: In 2010, Opeth wrote and recorded the new track, "The Throat of Winter", which appeared on the digital EP soundtrack of the video game, "God of War III". Åkerfeldt described the song as "odd" and "not very metal." To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Opeth performed a six-show, worldwide tour called "Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology", from 30 March through 9 April 2010. "Blackwater Park" was performed in its entirety, along with several songs never before performed. The concert of 5 April 2010, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England was filmed for a DVD and live album package titled "In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall". The set was released on 21 September 2010, in 2-DVD and 2-DVD/3-CD configurations. For the DVD the concert was split into two sets. The first set consists of the entire "Blackwater Park" album, while the second set contains one song from every album excluding "Blackwater Park", in chronological order representing the twenty years of "evolution" in their music. Åkerfeldt stated, "I can't believe it, but, fuck, we're celebrating 20 years. I've been in this band ever since I was 16. It's insane." A special edition of "Blackwater Park" was released in March 2010 to coincide with the tour.


title: Opeth

text: In September 2010, Mikael Åkerfeldt stated that he was writing for a new Opeth album. The band announced on their website that they would start recording their tenth album on 31 January 2011, at the Atlantis/Metronome studios in Stockholm, once again with Jens Bogren (engineering) and Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree as co-producer.


title: Opeth

text: Shortly after mixing was complete on the new album in April 2011, Opeth announced that Per Wiberg was relieved of his duties in the band.


title: Opeth

text: In the press statement, Mikael Åkerfeldt explained the decision, saying, "Mendez, Axe and Fredrik and I came to the decision that we should find a replacement for Per right after the recordings of the new album, and this came as no surprise to Per. He had, in turn, been thinking about leaving, so you could say it was a mutual decision. There's no bad blood, just a relationship that came to an end, and that's that."


title: Opeth

text: Opeth's tenth album, "Heritage", was released on 14 September 2011, to generally favorable reviews. The album sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release and debuted at number 19 on the "Billboard 200" chart. "Heritage" debuted at number four in the band's native country of Sweden.


title: Opeth

text: "Heritage" became the second Opeth album to not feature any death growls and had a much more progressive style than previous albums from the band, something that Åkerfeldt had been wanting to do for some time.


title: Opeth

text: The first two songs Åkerfeldt wrote for "Heritage" were in the style of "Watershed". After hearing the songs for the first time, Martín Méndez told Åkerfeldt that he would be disappointed if the album continued in that direction. Relieved that Méndez was not interested in doing another conventional Opeth album, Åkerfeldt scrapped the two songs and started the writing process over in a different style. In the press release for "Heritage", Mikael Åkerfeldt revealed that he felt as though he had been building to write the album since he was 19 years old. In a review for Allmusic, Thom Jurek called "Heritage" the band's most adventurous album, describing the songs as "drenched in instrumental interludes, knotty key and chord changes, shifting time signatures, clean vocals, and a keyboard-heavy instrumentation that includes Mellotrons, Rhodes pianos, and Hammond organs".


title: Opeth

text: Opeth supported "Heritage" with a tour that would last for over 200 tour dates. The tour was the band's first with new keyboardist, Joakim Svalberg, who played on the opening track of the album. During the tour, Opeth played with bands such as Katatonia, Pain of Salvation, Mastodon, Ghost and Anathema all over the world in countries such as the United States, Europe, Turkey, India, Japan, Greece, Israel, Latin America and Sweden. The tour concluded with "Melloboat 2013".


title: Opeth

text: On 26 August 2014, Opeth released its eleventh studio album, titled "Pale Communion". Åkerfeldt began working on new material as far back as August 2012. In January 2014 he stated, "We've been looking at [tracking the next album at] Rockfield Studios in Wales where Queen recorded "Bohemian Rhapsody", but we haven't made a decision yet, but it will be an expensive album. There's a lot going on, lots of string arrangements that we haven't had in the past." Despite fearing that the band's new musical direction would split Opeth's fanbase, when asked if it will it be heavier or softer than "Heritage", Åkerfeldt said, "Maybe a little bit heavier, not death metal heavy, but hard rock/heavy metal heavy. There's also lots of progressive elements and acoustic guitars, but also more sinister-sounding riffs." Åkerfeldt also produced the new album which will include string instrumentation, something that he became interested in doing when working on "Storm Corrosion". The band members in Opeth felt rejuvenated after creating "Heritage" which resulted in closer relationships between them.


title: Opeth

text: "The Guardian" reviewed "Pale Communion" positively, calling it "strange, intricate prog-metal genius" somewhat flawed by Åkerfeldt's indulgent vocal styling. The album saw Opeth's highest chart positions in the history of the band with "Pale Communion" debuting at number 19 in the US, number 3 in Sweden, and number 14 in the United Kingdom. It sold 13,000 copies in its first week of release in the US.


title: Opeth

text: "Pale Communion" was supported with more touring from Opeth. In 2015, Opeth played several concerts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band. At these special shows, the band was doing two sets. The first set is 2005's "Ghost Reveries" as a ten-year anniversary celebration of the album. The second set spanned the rest of the band's career, celebrating their 25th anniversary. Åkerfeldt expressed excitement for the concerts.


title: Opeth

text: On 15 June 2016, Nuclear Blast Entertainment announced the signing of Opeth. Three days later, on 18 June, Opeth released a 30-second teaser for their new album, "Sorceress". A month later, on 18 July, the band confirmed the album would be released on 30 September, in addition to revealing the artwork and track list. Mikael Åkerfeldt described it as, "A fine little record. My favorite in our discography right now. Of course. That's how it should be, right? It's both fresh and old, both progressive and rehashed. Heavy and calm. Just the way we like it." The album was the first project under Moderbolaget Records, a joint venture between Opeth and Nuclear Blast. Moderbolaget means "the parent company" in Swedish.


title: Opeth

text: On 25 July 2016, in the build up towards the album release, the band posted the first Sorceress: Studio Report on their YouTube channel. In the behind-the-scenes studio tour, it is confirmed that the band had returned to Rockfield Studios where they previously recorded "Pale Communion". At the end of the video, there is a 20-second excerpt of a track believed to be from the album featuring heavily down-tuned guitars. On 1 August 2016, the band released a lyric video for the title-track 'Sorceress' on their YouTube channel. On 4 September 2016, Opeth released a lyric video for the second single titled 'Will O the Wisp,' again through their YouTube channel and website. Opeth's video for "Era" was nominated for "Video of the Year" at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards, where they ultimately won "International Band of the Year".


title: Opeth

text: On 2 October 2017, Åkerfeldt said he has been thinking about doing something "twisted" and different for the next studio album, which could be released by mid-to-late 2019. On 20 November 2017, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson stated that the band will not have any gigs in the upcoming months, until the 2018 summer festivals. During this break the band will focus on writing songs for the new album. On 11 July 2018, during an interview with FaceCulture, Åkesson said "I've recorded a lot of solos so far. And Mikael Åkerfeldt has almost already written 12 songs for the new album, so we have more material than enough for an album". On 22 May 2019, the band announced their thirteenth studio album, "In Cauda Venenum", due for release on 27 September 2019. On 12 July 2019, Opeth released the first single from "In Cauda Venenum" entitled "Heart in Hand" in both English and Swedish.


title: Opeth

text: On 16 November 2021, it was announced that longtime drummer Martin Axenrot had left the band due to conflict of interests and will be replaced by Sami Karppinen for the North American tour. On 9 September 2022, it was announced Waltteri Väyrynen, formerly of Paradise Lost, as well as Alexi Laiho's project Bodom After Midnight, was the band's new drummer.


title: Opeth

text: As Opeth's primary songwriter and lyricist, vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt heads the direction of Opeth's sound. He was influenced at a young age by the 1970s progressive rock bands King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Camel, P.F.M., Hawkwind, and Gracious, and by heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Slayer, Death, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Celtic Frost, King Diamond, Morbid Angel, Voivod, and, most importantly, Judas Priest. Åkerfeldt considers Judas Priest's "Sad Wings of Destiny" (1976) the best metal album of all time, and notes that there was a time when he listened only to Judas Priest. While warming up before Opeth concerts, Åkerfeldt frequently sings "Here Come the Tears" from Judas Priest's third album "Sin After Sin" (1977). Åkerfeldt later discovered progressive rock and folk music, both of which had a profound impact on the sound of the band.


title: Opeth

text: Opeth's distinct sound mixes death metal with progressive rock. Steve Huey of AllMusic refers to Opeth's "epic, progressive death metal style". Ryan Ogle of Blabbermouth described Opeth's sound as incorporating "the likes of folk, funk, blues, '70s rock, goth and a laundry list of other sonic oddities into their trademark progressive death style." In his review of Opeth's 2001 album "Blackwater Park", AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia wrote, "Tracks start and finish in seemingly arbitrary fashion, usually traversing ample musical terrain, including acoustic guitar and solo piano passages, ambient soundscapes, stoner rock grooves, and Eastern-tinged melodies—any of which are subject to savage punctuations of death metal fury at any given moment." Åkerfeldt commented on the diversity of Opeth's music:


title: Opeth

text: I don't see the point of playing in a band and going just one way when you can do everything. It would be impossible for us to play just death metal; that is our roots, but we are now a mishmash of everything, and not purists to any form of music. It's impossible for us to do that, and quite frankly I would think of it as boring to be in a band that plays just metal music. We're not afraid to experiment, or to be caught with our pants down, so to speak. That's what keeps us going.


title: Opeth

text: More recently, Opeth have abandoned their death metal sound resulting in a mellower progressive rock sound. When talking about "Heritage", guitarist Fredrik Åkesson stated:


title: Opeth

text: In the beginning it took me a little while to get used to the new idea of the sound, not having any screaming vocals and stuff like that. But I think the album was necessary for us to do. Maybe the band wouldn't have continued if we hadn't done "Heritage". I think the old Opeth fans understand this album. There's always going to be some haters, but you can't be loved by everyone. Opeth has always been about not repeating ourself. A lot of people don't think "Heritage" is metal but I think it's metal to go somewhere people don't expect. It doesn't mean we're not embracing the past sound of Opeth.


title: Opeth

text: Vocally, Åkerfeldt shifts between traditional death metal vocals for heavy sections, and clean, sometimes whispered or soft-spoken vocals over mellower passages. While his death growls were dominant on early releases, later efforts incorporate more clean vocals, with "Damnation", "Heritage", "Pale Communion", "Sorceress" and "In Cauda Venenum" featuring only clean singing. Rivadavia noted that "Åkerfeldt's vocals run the gamut from bowel-churning grunts to melodies of chilling beauty—depending on each movement section's mood."


title: Opeth

text: A number of artists and bands have cited Opeth as an influence, among which are Mayan (a project of Mark Jansen from Epica), Luc Lemay of Gorguts, Soen (a band of former Opeth drummer Martin Lopez), Tor Oddmund Suhrke of Leprous, Disillusion, Caligula's Horse, Klimt 1918, Daniel Droste of Ahab, Becoming the Archetype, Nucleus Torn, Alex Vynogradoff of Kauan, Wastefall, Eric Guenther of The Contortionist, Thomas MacLean and To-Mera, The Man-Eating Tree, Nahemah, Vladimir Agafonkin of Obiymy Doschu, Schizoid Lloyd, Native Construct, Maxime Côté of Catuvolcus, Bilocate, and Jinjer.


title: Opeth

text: In addition, other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work including Steven Wilson, Seven Lions, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, Ihsahn, Simone Simons of Epica, Oliver Palotai of Kamelot, Jim Matheos of Fates Warning, and Haken.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Steve Faber and Bob Fisher, starring Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Christopher Walken with Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper and Jane Seymour in supporting roles. The film follows two divorce mediators (Wilson and Vaughn) who crash weddings in an attempt to meet and seduce women.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: A sleeper hit, the film opened on July 15, 2005, through New Line Cinema to critical and commercial success, grossing $288.5 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. It was the 6th highest grossing film of 2005 in the United States, became the first R rated comedy to make $200 million at the domestic box office and is credited with helping to revive the popularity of adult-oriented, R-rated comedies.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey are Washington, D.C. divorce mediators who crash weddings under false identities to meet and have sex with women. At the end of a season of successful crashes, Jeremy takes John to the wedding of the eldest daughter of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, William Cleary. Once inside, the pair set their sights on Cleary's other daughters, Gloria and Claire. During the reception, Jeremy has sex with Gloria on a nearby beach who afterwards tells him that she was a virgin. Gloria is possessive and quickly becomes obsessed with Jeremy, and Jeremy urges John to escape the reception with him. Meanwhile, John attempts to court Claire, the maid of honor, but is interrupted by her hotheaded boyfriend, Sack Lodge, who is unfaithful and disrespectful behind her back. When Gloria invites Jeremy and John to an extended weekend retreat at their family compound in Maryland, John overrules Jeremy and accepts in an effort to get closer to Claire.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: John and Jeremy become acquainted with the Clearys: the Secretary's wife Kathleen harasses John; Gloria's brother, Todd, tries to seduce Jeremy during the night. Gloria continues to lavish unwanted sexual attention on Jeremy, massaging his penis at a family dinner and attacks him after tying his wrists and ankles to a bedframe; and Sack repeatedly injures Jeremy during a game of touch football. At dinner, John spikes Sack's wine with eye-drops to make him sick and get more time to connect with Claire.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: John and Claire continue to bond the next day on a sailing trip. The suspicious Sack takes John and Jeremy on a hunting trip and pranks them, resulting in Jeremy getting shot in the buttocks. While Jeremy recovers, John and Claire go on a bike ride to a secluded beach. Claire finally admits she is not sure how she feels about Sack and ends up kissing John passionately. Meanwhile, Gloria tends to Jeremy's wounds and reveals to him that she is not a virgin as she initially told him. Jeremy realizes that he himself has been played and that he may be in love with Gloria.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: While John is confessing his attraction to Claire, they are interrupted by Jeremy being chased out of the house. Sack, who had been investigating them, reveals John and Jeremy's real identities to the family. Betrayed, Claire turns on John, and the Secretary tells them to leave.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Over the following months, John attempts to reach Claire, but she refuses to see him. Expecting Jeremy to aid him, he attempts to sneak into her and Sack's engagement party but is caught and beaten by Sack. Confronting Jeremy about abandoning him, he learns that Jeremy has secretly continued his relationship with Gloria. Betrayed and brokenhearted, John spirals into depression, crashes weddings alone and becomes nihilistic and suicidal. Meanwhile, as Claire and Sack plan their wedding, Claire's doubts about her future with Sack grow. Jeremy proposes to Gloria and tries to ask John to be his best man, but John turns him away.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: John visits Jeremy's former wedding crashing mentor, Chazz Reinhold, who convinces a reluctant John to crash a funeral with him. At the funeral, John reconsiders his belief in love and marriage after seeing the grieving widow. He rushes to Jeremy's wedding and joins the wedding mid-ceremony, to Jeremy's delight. Claire is upset by his appearance, prompting John to express regret for his past behavior and profess his love for her in front of the congregation. Sack interrupts, but Claire finally tells him that she cannot marry him. Sack tries to attack John, but Jeremy intervenes and knocks him out, and John and Claire kiss. After the wedding, the two couples drive away from the ceremony and discuss crashing another wedding together.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Arizona Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Democratic strategist and CNN contributor James Carville both make a brief cameo appearance, they are shown congratulating the secretary and his wife on their daughter's wedding. McCain was criticized for his appearance in the film, having previously called out Hollywood for marketing R-Rated films to teenagers.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Andrew Panay, co-producer of "Wedding Crashers", had the idea for the film based on his own experiences of being excited to attend weddings in his 20s due to the prospect of meeting women. Panay then consulted the screenwriting team of Steve Faber and Bob Fisher to come up with a story based on this premise. Much of the film was based upon Fisher's experiences as an college intern in Washington DC, where he would make up fake backstories to crash lobbyist events. Panay and Fisher's experiences merged together to form the idea of a film in which the main characters crash weddings in order to meet and sleep with women. The screenwriters had doubts that the premise could be sustained into a feature-length film, so they decided to add female love interests born from a political family, inspired by their dream of marrying a girl from the Kennedy family when they were young boys. It was also Panay's desire "to explore male friendship through this crazy idea of crashing weddings" as the emotional core of the movie. In preparation for the film, the creators would crash political party platform committee meetings in order to delve into the psyche of the characters and what it means to crash a party.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: On April 6, 2003, "Variety" reported that both Faber and Fisher had struck a "mid-six figures" deal with New Line Cinema to acquire the pitch for the film. David Dobkin signed to direct in 2004, seeing it as an opportunity to pair Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, who had previously worked with the director and gave him an Abbott and Costello impression when they were at the premiere of his film "Shanghai Knights". According to Dobkin, the marketing department at New Line raised some concerns regarding the protagonists of the film, who were seen as misogynists whose goal is to seduce women at weddings and have sex with them. The director saw these characters in a different light, however, convincing the department:


title: Wedding Crashers

text: They love weddings, authentically. They like the free food, they like the music and the bands, they like the dancing and the kids, they like talking to the grandparents. These guys make the weddings better. You would want them to crash your wedding


title: Wedding Crashers

text: That's the distinction. It's not misogynistic and, in fact, what it's doing is replicating a real seduction, which is, "I want to go to bed with you, but I have all these walls up. Can you make me laugh, make me attracted to you and find a way to make this really fun so we could get to the good part?" That's a seduction. So, if I can seduce the audience — if I can make them laugh and be entertained and think these are okay guys — by the time they're dropping the girls in the bed, it's a magic trick. That was the whole idea.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Vaughn and Wilson were the first actors cast in the film. Dobkin cast Bradley Cooper without watching even watching his audition tape as he was so impressed by the actor's test reading. Isla Fischer, then a relatively unknown actress was cast as Gloria over Shannon Elizabeth and Anna Paquin. The casting of Secretary Cleary was a contentious issue between Dobkin and the studio executives, with Dobkin wanting to cast Christopher Walken but New Line Cinema wanting a more comedic actor such as Burt Reynolds instead of Walken who was viewed as a serious character actor. The role of Claire was the final role to be cast, with Dobkin auditioning over 200 actresses before casting Rachel McAdams.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Director David Dobkin originally considered the possibility of releasing a version of the film that was not R-rated in order to broaden the movies commercial appeal, but the idea was abandoned after a consultant provided a long list of the many R-Rated elements in the film, and Dobkin realized "The two funniest scenes in the movie would have had to go." Despite this New Line Cinema still did not want the film to be rated R but eventually conceded to keep the R rating after pressure from Dobkin.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Dobkin insisted on three and a half weeks of rehearsals before filming began, based on his background working in theater. Principal photography began on March 22, 2004, in Washington, D.C. The movie had a 52-day shooting schedule.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: The main Cleary wedding reception scene was filmed at the Inn at Perry Cabin in Saint Michaels, Maryland. The Ellenborough Estate in Easton, MD is the setting of the Cleary family house, where a majority of the movie takes place.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Director David Dobkin said Owen Wilson was nervous for the scene where he grabs Jane Seymour's breast. "He didn't really want to squeeze her breast when she was telling him to. And I was like, 'Dude, you gotta do it, it doesn't look right, your hands look like crab claws.' And then he did it eventually and that scene ended up being way funnier than I thought it was going to be," Dobkin said.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: The family dinner scene has been cited by Keir O'Donnell as the most grueling film to scene with Vaughn stating that the cast and crew were unsure if the scene would work on screen in the way in which it was intended. To shoot the scene in which the family plays football, Dobkin an avid fan of the NFL shot the scene in the manner in which a TV crew broadcasts an NFL game in order to make the scene seem authentic and familiar to the audience.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Throughout the filming of the movie the producers encouraged improvisation from the cast, specifically from Wilson and Vaughn, leaving breaks in the script for the cast to improvise. In one scene, Vaughn improvises for over 25 seconds straight.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 76% based on 188 reviews, with an average rating of 6.72/10. The website's critical consensus states, ""Wedding Crashers" is both raunchy and sweet, and features top-notch comic performances from Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 64 out of 100 based on reviews from 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A−.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Carina Chocano of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote a favorable review, and in particular praised Vaughn's performance: "Jeremy is the soul of the movie. There's something about Vaughn — the deadpan eyes; the sublimated, misdirected intelligence — that recalls Bill Murray in his "Caddyshack" years." Chocano was critical of Will Ferrell's "hyper-active bonehead routine" and called the interlude awful. She added that the film was "really just a love story about a couple of buddies who live happily ever after. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer, more charming couple". Manohla Dargis of "The New York Times" wrote, "It's crude, yes, but also funny; too bad these lost boys can't stay lost. Like clockwork, the film soon mutates from a guy-oriented sex comedy into a wish-fulfillment chick flick".


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Brian Lowry of "Variety" described the film as "fairly amusing, fitfully over the top and [...] occasionally a touch homophobic". He praised McAdams as she manages to "fill in narrative gaps and actually creates a real character", said Vaughan's dialog had most of the comedic highlights, and wrote that Walken was underused. Lowry concluded, "While neither a full-throated R-rated romp a la There's Something About Mary nor a fully realized romantic comedy, Wedding Crashers contains enough appealing elements of both to catch the bouquet in what's been a relatively humor-deprived summer. Joe Morgenenstern of The Wall Street Journal called the film "the best comedy of 2005" while Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum described the film as "an unabashedly jiggly, bawdy, it’s-all-good comedy.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film two stars out of four; although he wrote that "there are individual moments that are very funny", he added that the director, David Dobkin, "has too much else on his mind". British Movie magazine "Empire" awarded it three out of five stars and were complimentary to Vaughn and Wilson, saying "Sharing an easy chemistry and free of the usual joker/straight-guy dynamic, Wilson and Vaughn quip, riff and banter to hilarious effect. And both get their fair share of money moments, the latter's muggings are particularly hysterical in a raunchy dinner-party sequence. The laidback stars are funny and sweet, but they're let down by a patchy script which squanders some potentially priceless set-ups."


title: Wedding Crashers

text: Kimberley Jones of "The Austin Chronicle" wrote that the film "will no doubt make buckets of money, but it'll do so without half the wit, compassion, or inspired madness" that "There's Something About Mary" had. Jones complained that the plot was "mostly cookie-cutter stuff", and was offended by the portrayal of minorities, writing "gays and blacks are represented, respectively, by a squirrelly psychotic and a Jamaican house servant". Jones concluded, "A stiff drink or maybe some pharmaceutical assistance might have made me overlook the film's sour tone, or the unremarkableness of its direction."


title: Wedding Crashers

text: In a 2018 review, Scott Meslow of "GQ" reexamined the film, writing "the gender and sexual dynamics that have aged rather poorly, "Wedding Crashers" feels awfully uneven today." He noted a date-rape joke in the opening minutes, complained about the lack of developed female characters, objected to the sassy racist grandmother trope, called the predatory gay man trope "inexcusably unfunny", felt that the film trivializes rape, and called Will Ferrell's cameo lazy. Meslow admitted to liking "Wedding Crashers" when first watching it and stated that "For all its faults, it does have an extremely strong pair of leads", but ultimately concluded that the film does not hold up.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: The film was released in North America on July 15, 2005, and became an immediate hit, grossing $33,900,720 in its first weekend, opening at #2 in the box office, behind "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Exit polling indicated that 60% of audiences were over 25 years old, and almost evenly split between men and women. Considering its higher than expected budget of $40 million, competition with heavily advertised blockbusters during the summer season, and the films R-Rating limiting its potential audience, the studio did not expect the movie's level of success, making it a sleeper hit. New Line head of distribution, David Tuckerman said "We would have been happy with $25 million this weekend." The film would prove to have strong legs, reaching #1 in the box office in its third week and eventually grossing over $209,255,921 domestically, making it the 6th highest grossing domestic film of 2005 and the first R rated comedy to earn over 200 million dollars at the U.S. Box office. It grossed $75,920,820 in other territories, totaling $285,176,741 worldwide. The financial success of the film has been credited along with "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" for reviving the popularity of adult-aimed R-rated comedies.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: On April 24, 2006, "Wedding Crashers" topped the nominations for the year's MTV Movie Awards with five including Best Movie. It won Best Movie, On-Screen Team (Vaughn and Wilson), and Breakthrough Performance (Isla Fisher).


title: Wedding Crashers

text: The DVD was released in the United States on January 3, 2006, and a Blu-ray was released on December 30, 2008. It is available in an unrated version ("Uncorked Edition") and in an R-rated version (the Blu-ray has both versions on one disc). It features eight new minutes integrated into the film and DVD-ROM bonuses. Also included are two audio commentaries (one by the stars, one by the director), four deleted scenes, two featurettes, a "Rules of Wedding Crashing" text gallery, trailers, Budweiser "Wedding Crashers" commercials, a track listing for the official soundtrack on 20th Century Fox Records, a music video by The Sights, and a jump-to-a-song sample feature. The film earned an estimated $145 million from home media sales.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: The music video for the 2014 Maroon 5 song "Sugar" showed the band crashing real-life weddings, inspired by "Wedding Crashers"; it was directed by David Dobkin.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: The creators of the film made a reality TV prank show spinoff, called "The Real Wedding Crashers" which aired NBC in April and May 2007. The series only lasted 4 episodes before being canceled by NBC.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: In a 2014 post on the website Quora, "Wedding Crashers" director David Dobkin said that he, Vaughn and Wilson once came up with an idea for a sequel in which John and Jeremy find themselves competing with a superior wedding crasher, played by Daniel Craig; but that this idea never went beyond the discussion phase.


title: Wedding Crashers

text: In a November 2016 interview, Fisher stated that Vaughn had told her that there were ongoing talks about a sequel. New Line Cinema hired "Fist Fight" screenwriting duo Van Robichaux and Evan Susser to write the script. As of 2022 plans for a potential sequel delayed indefinitely following developmental and scheduling issues.


title: Gatling gun

text: The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon.


title: Gatling gun

text: The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyclic multi-barrel design which facilitated cooling and synchronized the firing-reloading sequence. As the handwheel is cranked, the barrels rotate and each barrel sequentially loads a single cartridge from a top-mounted magazine, fires off the shot when it reaches a set position (usually at 4 o'clock), then ejects the spent casing out of the left side at the bottom, after which the barrel is empty and allowed to cool until rotated back to the top position and gravity-fed another new round. This configuration eliminated the need for a single reciprocating bolt design and allowed higher rates of fire to be achieved without the barrels overheating quickly.


title: Gatling gun

text: One of the best-known early rapid-fire firearms, the Gatling gun saw occasional use by the Union forces during the American Civil War, which was the first time it was employed in combat. It was later used in numerous military conflicts, including the Boshin War, the Anglo-Zulu War and the assault on San Juan Hill during the Spanish–American War. It was also used by the Pennsylvania militia in episodes of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, specifically in Pittsburgh. Gatling guns were even mounted aboard ships.


title: Gatling gun

text: The Gatling gun is operated by a hand-crank mechanism, with six barrels revolving around a central shaft (although some models had as many as ten). Each barrel fires once per revolution at about the same position. The barrels, a carrier, and a lock cylinder were separate and all mounted on a solid plate revolving around a central shaft, mounted on an oblong fixed frame. Turning the crank rotated the shaft. The carrier was grooved and the lock cylinder was drilled with holes corresponding to the barrels.


title: Gatling gun

text: The casing was partitioned, and through this opening, the barrel shaft was journaled. In front of the casing was a cam with spiral surfaces. The cam imparted a reciprocating motion to the locks when the gun rotated. Also in the casing was a cocking ring with projections to cock and fire the gun. Each barrel had a single lock, working in the lock cylinder on a line with the barrel. The lock cylinder was encased and joined to the frame. Early models had a fibrous matting stuffed in among the barrels, which could be soaked with water to cool the barrels down. Later models eliminated the matting jacketing as being unnecessary.


title: Gatling gun

text: Cartridges, held in a hopper, dropped individually into the grooves of the carrier. The lock was simultaneously forced by the cam to move forward and load the cartridge, and when the cam was at its highest point, the cocking ring freed the lock and fired the cartridge. After the cartridge was fired the continuing action of the cam drew back the lock bringing with it the spent casing which then dropped to the ground.


title: Gatling gun

text: The grouped barrel concept had been explored by inventors since the 18th century, but poor engineering and the lack of a unitary cartridge made previous designs unsuccessful. The initial Gatling gun design used self-contained, reloadable steel cylinders with a chamber holding a ball and black-powder charge, and a percussion cap on one end. As the barrels rotated, these steel cylinders dropped into place, were fired, and were then ejected from the gun. The innovative features of the Gatling gun were its independent firing mechanism for each barrel and the simultaneous action of the locks, barrels, carrier, and breech.