Early years.

Jo Elizabeth Stafford was born in Coalinga, California, in 1917, to Grover Cleveland Stafford and Anna Stafford (née York)a second cousin of World War I hero Sergeant Alvin York. She was the third of four children. Both her parents enjoyed singing and sharing music with their family. Stafford's father hoped for success in the California oil fields when he moved his family from Gainesboro, Tennessee, but worked in a succession of unrelated jobs. Her mother was an accomplished banjo player, playing and singing many of the folk songs that influenced Stafford's later career. Anna insisted that her children should take piano lessons, but Jo was the only one among her sisters who took a keen interest in it, and through this, she learned to read music.  Stafford's first public singing appearance was in Long Beach, where the family lived when she was 12. She sang "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms", a Stafford family sentimental favorite. Her second was far more dramatic. As a student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School with the lead in the school musical, she was rehearsing on stage when the 1933 Long Beach earthquake destroyed part of the school. With her mother's encouragement, Stafford originally planned to become an opera singer and studied voice as a child, taking private lessons from Foster Rucker, an announcer on California radio station KNX. Because of the Great Depression, she abandoned that idea and joined her older sisters Christine and Pauline in a popular vocal group the Stafford Sisters. The two older Staffords were already part of a trio with an unrelated third member when the act got a big booking at Long Beach's West Coast Theater. Pauline was too ill to perform, and Jo was drafted in to take her place so they could keep the engagement. She asked her glee club teacher for a week's absence from school, saying her mother needed her at home, and this was granted. The performance was a success, and Jo became a permanent member of the group.  The Staffords' first radio appearance was on Los Angeles station KHJ as part of "The Happy Go Lucky Hour" when Jo was 16, a role they secured after hopefuls at the audition were asked if they had their own musical accompanist(s). Christine Stafford said that Jo played piano, and the sisters were hired, though she had not previously given a public piano performance. The Staffords were subsequently heard on KNX's "The Singing Crockett Family of Kentucky", and "California Melodies", a network radio show aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System. While Stafford worked on "The Jack Oakie Show", she met John Huddlestona backing singer on the program, and they were married in October 1937. The couple divorced in 1943.  The sisters found work in the film industry as backup vocalists, and immediately after graduating from high school, Jo worked on film soundtracks. The Stafford Sisters made their first recording,"Let's Get Together and Swing" with Louis Prima, in 1936. In 1937, Jo worked behind the scenes with Fred Astaire on the soundtrack of "A Damsel in Distress", creating the arrangements for the film, and with her sisters she arranged the backing vocals for "Nice Work If You Can Get It". Stafford said that her arrangement had to be adapted because Astaire had difficulty with some of the syncopation. In her words: "The man with the syncopated shoes couldn't do the syncopated notes".

The Pied Pipers.

By 1938, the Staffords were involved with Twentieth Century Fox's production of "Alexander's Ragtime Band". The studio brought in many vocal groups to work on the film, including the Four Esquires, the Rhythm Kings, and the King Sisters, who began to sing and socialized between takes. The Stafford Sisters, the Four Esquires and the Rhythm Kings became a new vocal group called the Pied Pipers. Stafford later said, "We started singing together just for fun, and these sessions led to the formation of an eight-voice singing group that we christened 'The Pied Pipers. The group consisted of eight members, including StaffordJohn Huddleston, Hal Hooper, Chuck Lowry, Bud Hervey, George Tait, Woody Newbury, and Dick Whittinghill.  As the Pied Pipers, they worked on local radio and movie soundtracks. When Alyce and Yvonne King threw a party for their boyfriends' visit to Los Angeles, the group was invited to perform. The King Sisters' boyfriends were Tommy Dorsey's arrangers Axel Stordahl and Paul Weston, who became interested in the group. Weston said the group's vocals were unique for its time and that their vocal arrangements were much like those for orchestral instruments.  Weston persuaded Dorsey to audition the group in 1938, and the eight drove together to New York City. Dorsey liked them and signed them for 10 weeks. After their second broadcast, the sponsor visiting from overseas heard the group sing "Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)". Until this point, the sponsor knew only that he was paying for Dorsey's program and that its ratings were very good; transcription discs mailed to him by his advertising agency always arrived broken. He thought that the performance was terrible, and pressured the advertising agency representing his brand to fire the group. They stayed in New York for several months, landing one job that paid them $3.60 each, and they recorded some material for RCA Victor Records. Weston later said that Stordahl and he felt responsibility for the group, since Weston had arranged their audition with Dorsey. After six months in New York and with no work there for them, the Pied Pipers returned to Los Angeles, where four of their members left the group to seek regular employment. Shortly afterwards, Stafford received a telephone call from Dorsey, who told her he wished to hire the group, but wanted only four of them, including Stafford. After she agreed to the offer, the remaining Pied PipersStafford, Huddleston, Lowry, and Wilsontraveled to Chicago in 1939. The decision led to success for the group, especially Stafford, who featured in both collective and solo performances with Dorsey's orchestra.  When Frank Sinatra joined the Dorsey band, the Pied Pipers provided backing vocals for his recordings. Their version of "I'll Never Smile Again" topped the "Billboard" Chart for 12 weeks in 1940 and helped to establish Sinatra as a singer. Stafford, Sinatra, and the Pied Pipers toured extensively with Dorsey during their three years as part of his orchestra, giving concerts at venues across the United States. Stafford made her first solo recording"Little Man with a Candy Cigar"in 1941, after Dorsey agreed to her request to record solo. Her public debut as a soloist with the band occurred at New York's Hotel Astor in May 1942. Bill Davidson of "Collier's" reported in 1951 that because Stafford weighed in excess of 180 lb, Dorsey was reluctant to give her a leading vocal role in his orchestra, believing she was not sufficiently glamorous for the part. However, Peter Levinson's 2005 biography of Dorsey offers a different account. Stafford recalls that she was overweight, but Dorsey did not try hiding her because of it.  In November 1942, the Pied Pipers had a disagreement with Dorsey when he fired Clark Yocum, a guitarist and vocalist who had replaced Billy Wilson in the lineup, when he mistakenly gave the bandleader misdirections at a railroad station in Portland, Oregon. The remaining three members then quit in an act of solidarity. At the time, the number-one song in the United States was "There Are Such Things" by Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers. Sinatra also left Dorsey that year. Following their departure from the orchestra, the Pied Pipers played a series of vaudeville dates in the Eastern United States; when they returned to California, they were signed to appear in the 1943 Universal Pictures movie "Gals Incorporated". From there, they joined the NBC Radio show "Bob Crosby and Company". In addition to working with Bob Crosby, they also appeared on radio shows hosted by Sinatra and Johnny Mercer, and were one of the first groups signed to Mercer's new label, Capitol Records, which was founded in 1942. Weston, who left Dorsey's band in 1940 to work with Dinah Shore, became music director at Capitol.

Solo career.

Capitol Records and United Service Organization.

While Stafford was still working for Dorsey, Johnny Mercer told her, "Some day I'm going to have my own record company, and you're going to record for me." She subsequently became the first solo artist signed to Capitol after leaving the Pied Pipers in 1944. A key figure in helping Stafford to develop her solo career was Mike Nidorf, an agent who first heard her as a member of the Pied Pipers while he was serving as a captain in the United States Army. Having previously discovered artists such as Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Woody Herman, Nidorf was impressed by Stafford's voice, and contacted her when he was demobilized in 1944. After she agreed to let him represent her, he encouraged her to reduce her weight and arranged a string of engagements that raised her profile and confidence.  The success of Stafford's solo career led to a demand for personal appearances, and from February 1945, she embarked on a six-month residency at New York's La Martinique nightclub. Her performance was well-received; an article in the July 1945 edition of "Band Leaders" magazine described it as "sensational", but Stafford did not enjoy singing before live audiences, and it was the only nightclub venue she ever played. Speaking about her discomfort with live performances, Stafford told a 1996 interview with "The New Yorker"s Nancy Franklin, "I'm basically a singer, period, and I think I'm really lousy up in front of an audienceit's just not me."  Stafford's tenure with the United Service Organizations during World War II, which often had her perform for soldiers stationed in the U.S., led to her acquiring the nickname "G.I. Jo". On returning from the Pacific theater, a veteran told Stafford that the Japanese would play her records on loudspeakers in an attempt to make the U.S. troops homesick enough to surrender. She replied personally to all the letters she received from servicemen. Stafford was a favorite of many servicemen during both World War II and the Korean War; her recordings received extensive airplay on the American Forces radio and in some military hospitals at lights-out. Stafford's involvement with servicemen led to an interest in military history and a sound knowledge of it. Years after World War II, Stafford was a guest at a dinner party with a retired naval officer. When the discussion turned to a wartime action off Mindanao, the officer tried to correct Stafford, who held to her point. He countered her by saying, "Madame, I was there". A few days after the party, Stafford received a note of apology from him, saying he had reread his logs and that she was correct.

Chesterfield Supper Club, duets, and Voice of America.

Beginning on December 11, 1945, Stafford hosted the Tuesday and Thursday broadcasts of NBC musical variety radio program "The Chesterfield Supper Club". On April 5, 1946, the entire cast, including Stafford and Perry Como, participated in the first commercial radio broadcast from an airplane. The initial plan was to use the stand-held microphones used in studios, but when these proved to be problematic, the cast switched to hand-held microphones, which because of the plane's cabin pressure became difficult to hold. Three flights were made that day; a rehearsal in the afternoon, then two in the eveningone for the initial 6:00 pm broadcast and another at 10:00 pm for the West Coast broadcast.  Stafford moved from New York to California in November 1946, continuing to host "Chesterfield Supper Club" from Hollywood. In 1948, she restricted her appearances on the show to Tuesdays, and Peggy Lee hosted the Thursday broadcasts. Stafford left the show when it was expanded to 30 minutes, making her final appearance on September 2, 1949. She returned to the program in 1954; it ended its run on NBC Radio the following year. During her time with "Chesterfield Supper Club", Stafford revisited some of the folk music she had enjoyed as a child. Weston, her conductor on the program, suggested using some of the folk music for the show. With her renewed interest in folk tunes came an interest in folklore; Stafford established a contest to award a prize to the best collection of American folklore submitted by a college student. The annual Jo Stafford Prize for American Folklore was handled by the American Folklore Society, with the first prize of $250 awarded in 1949.  Stafford continued to record. She duetted with Gordon MacRae on a number of songs. In 1948, their version of "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart" sold over a million copies. The following year, they repeated their success with "My Happiness", and Stafford and MacRae recorded "Whispering Hope" together. Stafford began hosting a weekly program on Radio Luxembourg in 1950; working unpaid, she recorded the voice portions of the shows in Hollywood. At the time, she was hosting "Club Fifteen" with Bob Crosby for CBS Radio.  Weston moved from Capitol to Columbia Records, and in 1950, Stafford followed suit. Content and very comfortable working with him, Stafford had had a clause inserted in her contract with Capitol stating that if Weston left that label, she would automatically be released from her obligations to them. When that happened, Capitol wanted Stafford to record eight more songs before December 15, 1950, and she found herself in the unusual situation of simultaneously working for two competing record companies, an instance that was very rare in an industry where musicians were seen as assets. In 1954, Stafford became the second artist after Bing Crosby to sell 25 million records for Columbia. She was presented with a diamond-studded disc to mark the occasion.  In 1950, Stafford began working for Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. government broadcaster transmitting programmes overseas to undermine the influence of communism. She presented a weekly show that aired in Eastern Europe, and "Collier's" published an article about the program in its April 21, 1951, issue that discussed her worldwide popularity, including in countries behind the Iron Curtain. The article, titled "Jo Stafford: Her Songs Upset Joe Stalin", earned her the wrath of the U.S. Communist "Daily Worker" newspaper, which published a column critical of Stafford and VOA.

Marriage to Paul Weston and later career.

Although Stafford and Paul Weston had known each other since their introduction at the King Sisters' party, they did not become romantically involved until 1945, when Weston traveled to New York to see Stafford perform at La Martinique. They were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony on February 26, 1952, before which Stafford converted to Catholicism. The wedding was conducted at St Gregory's Catholic Church in Los Angeles by Father Joe Kearney, a former guitarist with the Bob Crosby band, who left the music business, trained as a priest, and served as head of the Catholic Labor Institute. The couple left for Europe for a combined honeymoon and business trip: Stafford had an engagement at the London Palladium. Stafford and Weston had two children; Tim was born in 1952 and Amy in 1956. Both children followed their parents into the music industry. Tim Weston became an arranger and producer who took charge of Corinthian Records, his father's music label, and Amy Weston became a session singer, performing with a trio, Daddy's Money, and singing in commercials.  In the 1950s, Stafford had a string of popular hits with Frankie Laine, six of which charted. Their duet of the Hank Williams song "Hey Good Lookin'" made the top 10 in 1951. She had her best-known hits"Jambalaya", "Shrimp Boats", "Make Love to Me", and "You Belong to Me"around this time. "You Belong to Me" was Stafford's biggest hit, topping the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the UK, it was the first song by a female singer to top the chart. The record first appeared on U.S. charts on August 1, 1952, and remained there for 24 weeks. In the UK, it entered the charts on November 14, 1952, at number 12, reached number one on January 16, 1953, and stayed on the charts for 19 weeks. In a July 1953 interview, Paul Weston said his wife's big hit was really the "B" side of the single "Pretty Boy", which both Weston and Columbia Records believed would be the big seller.  In 1953, Stafford signed a 4-year $1 million deal with CBS-TV. She hosted the 15-minute "The Jo Stafford Show" on CBS from 1954 to 1955, with Weston as her conductor and music arranger. She appeared on NBC's "Club Oasis" in 1958, and on the ABC series "The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom" in 1959. In the early 1960s, Stafford hosted a series of television specials called "The Jo Stafford Show", which were centered around music. The shows were produced in England and featured British and American guests including Claire Bloom, Stanley Holloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, and Rosemary Clooney.<ref name="Kloss/Milwaukee Journal"></ref>  Both Stafford and Weston returned to Capitol in 1961. During her second stint at Capitol, Stafford also recorded for Sinatra's label Reprise Records. The albums issued by Reprise were released between 1961 and 1964, and were mostly remakes of songs from her past. Sinatra sold Reprise to Warner Bros. in 1963, and they retargeted the label at a teenaged audience, letting go many of the original artists who had signed up with Sinatra. In late 1965, both Stafford and Weston signed to Dot Records.

Comedy performances.

During the 1940s, Stafford briefly performed comedy songs under the name "Cinderella G. Stump" with Red Ingle and the Natural Seven. In 1947, she recorded a hillbilly-style parody of "Temptation", pronouncing its title "Tim-tayshun". Stafford created Stump after Weston suggested her for the role when Ingle said his female vocalist was unavailable for the recording session. After meeting Ingle at a recording studio, she gave an impromptu performance. The speed of her voice was intentionally increased for the song, giving it the hillbilly sound, and the listening public did not initially know that her voice was on the record. Because it was a lighthearted, impromptu performance and she accepted the standard scale pay, Stafford waived all royalties from the record. Stafford, along with Ingle and Weston, made a personal appearance tour in 1949, and she performed "Temptation" as Cinderella G. Stump. Stafford and Ingle performed the song on network television in 1960 for "Startime". Stafford recorded a second song with Ingle in 1948. "The Prisoner of Love's Song" was a parody of "Prisoner of Love", and featured in an advertisement for Capitol releases in the January 8, 1949 edition of "Billboard" magazine.  Throughout the 1950s, Stafford and Weston entertained party guests by performing skits in which they impersonated a poor lounge act. Stafford sang off-key in a high pitched voice and Weston played songs on the piano in unconventional rhythms. Weston began his impression of an unskilled pianist in or around 1955, assuming the guise "when things got a little quiet, or when people began taking themselves too seriously at a Hollywood party." He put on an impromptu performance of the act the following year at a Columbia Records sales convention in Key West, Florida, after hearing a particularly bad hotel pianist. The audience was very appreciative of his rendition of "Stardust", particularly Columbia executives George Avakian and Irving Townsend, who encouraged Weston to make an album of such songs. Avakian named Weston's character Jonathan Edwards, for the 18th century Calvinist preacher of the same name, and asked him to record under this alias. Weston worried that he might not be able to find enough material for an entire album, and he asked his wife to join the project. Stafford named her off-key vocalist persona Darlene Edwards.  Stafford's creation of Darlene Edwards had its roots in the novelty songs that Mitch Miller, the head of Columbia's artists and repertoire department, had been selecting for her to sing. These included songs such as "Underneath the Overpass", and because she did not agree with Miller's music choices for her, Stafford and her studio musicians often recorded their own renditions of the music, performing the songs according to their feelings about them. Because she had some unused studio time at a 1957 recording session, as a joke Stafford recorded a track as Darlene Edwards. Those who heard bootlegs of the recording responded positively, and later that year, Stafford and Weston recorded an album of songs as Jonathan and Darlene, entitled "The Piano Artistry of Jonathan Edwards".  As a publicity stunt, Weston and Stafford claimed that Jonathan and Darlene Edwards were a New Jersey lounge act they had discovered, and denied any personal connection. This ruse led to much speculation about the Edwardses' identities. In an article titled "Two Right Hands" in September 1957, "Time" reported that some people believed the performers were Harry and Margaret Truman, but the same piece identified Weston and Stafford as the Edwardses. In 1958, Stafford and Weston appeared as the Edwardses on Jack Benny's television program "Shower of Stars", and in 1960 on "The Garry Moore Show". "The Piano Artistry of Jonathan Edwards" was followed up with an album of popular music standards, "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris", which was released in 1960 and won that year's Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. The Academy issued two awards for the category that year; Bob Newhart also received an award for "Spoken Word Comedy" for his album "The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!" The Grammy was Stafford's only major award.  The couple continued to release comedy albums for several years, and in 1977 released a cover of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" as a single, with an Edwards interpretation of Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman" as its "B" side. The same year, a brief resurgence in the popularity of Jonathan and Darlene albums occurred when their cover of "Carioca" was featured as the opening and closing theme to "The Kentucky Fried Movie". Their last release, "Darlene Remembers Duke, Jonathan Plays Fats", was issued in 1982. To mark the occasion, an interview with Stafford and Westonin which they assumed the persona of the Edwardsesappeared in the December 1982 edition of "Los Angeles Magazine".

Retirement and later life.

In 1959, Stafford was offered a contract to perform at Las Vegas, but declined it to concentrate on her family life. Because she disliked continuously traveling for television appearances that took her away from her children, and no longer found the music business fun, she went into semiretirement in the mid-1960s. She retired fully in 1975. Except for the Jonathan and Darlene Edwards material, and re-recording her favorite song "Whispering Hope" with her daughter Amy in 1978, Stafford did not perform again until 1990, at a ceremony honoring Frank Sinatra. The Westons devoted more time to Share Inc., a charity aiding people with developmental disabilities in which they had been active for many years. Around 1983, Concord Records tried to persuade Stafford to change her mind and come out of retirement, but although an album was planned, she did not feel she would be satisfied with the finished product, and the project was shelved.  Stafford won a breach-of-contract lawsuit against her former record label Columbia in the early 1990s. Because of a clause concerning the payment of royalties in her contract, she secured the rights to all of the recordings she made with the company, including those Weston and she made as Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. After the lawsuit was settled, Stafford and her son Tim reactivated Corinthian Records, which Weston, a devout Christian, had started as a label for religious music in the 1970s, and they began releasing some of her old material.  In 1996, Paul Weston died of natural causes; Stafford continued to operate Corinthian Records. In 2006, she donated the couple's library, including music arrangements, photographs, business correspondence and recordings, to the University of Arizona. Stafford began suffering from congestive heart failure in October 2007, from which she died aged 90 on July 16, 2008. She was buried with her husband at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Style, awards, and recognition.

Stafford was admired by critics and the listening public for the purity of her voice, and was considered one of the most versatile vocalists of her era. Peter Levinson said that she was a coloratura soprano, whose operatic training allowed her to sing a natural falsetto. Her style encompassed a number of genres, including big band, ballads, jazz, folk and comedy. Music critic Terry Teachout described her as "rhythmically fluid without ever sounding self-consciously 'jazzy' ", while Rosemary Clooney said of her, "The voice says it all: beautiful, pure, straightforward, no artifice, matchless intonation, instantly recognizable. Those things describe the woman, too." Writing for the "New York Sun", Will Friedwald described her 1947 interpretation of "Haunted Heart" as "effective because it's so subtle, because Stafford holds something back and doesn't shove her emotion in the listener's face." Nancy Franklin described Stafford's version of the folk song "He's Gone Away" as "wistful and tender, as if she had picked up a piece of clothing once worn by a loved one and begun singing." Frank Sinatra said, "It was a joy to sit on the bandstand and listen to her". The singer Judy Collins has cited Stafford's folk recordings as an influence on her own musical career. Country singer Patsy Cline was also inspired by Stafford's work.  In their guise of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, Weston and Stafford earned admiration from their show-business peers. Pianist George Shearing was a fan and would play "Autumn in New York" in the style of Edwards if he knew the couple were in the audience. Ray Charles also enjoyed their performance. Art Carney, who played Ed Norton in the comedy series "The Honeymooners", once wrote the Edwardses a fan letter as Norton. However, not everybody appreciated the Edwards act. Mitch Miller blamed the couple's 1962 album "Sing Along With Jonathan and Darlene Edwards" for ending his sing-along albums and television show, while in 2003, Stafford told Michael Feinstein that the Bee Gees had disliked the Edwards' version of "Stayin' Alive".  In 1960, Stafford said working closely with Weston had good and bad points. His knowledge of her made arranging her music easy for him, but sometimes it caused difficulties. Weston knew Stafford's abilities and would write or arrange elaborate music because he knew she was capable of performing it. She also said she did not believe she could perform in Broadway musicals because she thought her voice was not powerful enough for stage work. In 2003, she recalled that often rehearsal time was limited before she recorded a song, and how Weston would sometimes slip musical arrangements under the bathroom door as she was in the bath getting ready to go to the studio.  Her work in radio, television, and music is recognized by three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1952, listeners of Radio Luxembourg voted Stafford their favorite female singer. The New York Fashion Academy named her one of the Best Dressed Women of 1955. "Songbirds" magazine has reported that, by 1955, Stafford had amassed more worldwide record sales than any other female artist, and that she was ranked fifth overall. She was nominated in the Best Female Singer category at the 1955 Emmy Awards. She won a Grammy for "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris", and The Pied Pipers' recording of "I'll Never Smile Again" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982, as was Stafford's version of "You Belong to Me" in 1998. She was inducted into the Big Band Academy of America's Golden Bandstand in April 2007. Stafford and Weston were founding members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.  Stafford's music has been referenced in popular culture. Her recording of "Blues in the Night" features in a scene of James Michener's novel "The Drifters" (1971), while a Marine Corps sergeant major in Walter Murphy's "The Vicar of Christ" (1979) hears a radio broadcast of her singing "On Top of Old Smoky" shortly before a battle in Korea. Commenting on the latter reference for his 1989 book "Singers and the Song", which includes a chapter about Stafford, author Gene Lees says, "[it] somehow sets Stafford's place in the American culture. You're getting pretty famous when your name turns up in crossword puzzles; you are woven into a nation's history when you turn up in its fiction."

Material loss.

On June 25, 2019, "The New York Times Magazine" listed Jo Stafford among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Politics.

Stafford was a Democrat, supporting John F. Kennedy for president in 1960. She later performed for President Kennedy at a dinner in his honor given by the Southern California Democratic Committee.

Film and television.

Stafford appeared in films from the 1930s onwards, including "Alexander's Ragtime Band". Her final on-screen appearance was in the Frank Sinatra tribute "Sinatra 75: The Best Is Yet to Come" in 1990. She declined several offers of television work because she was forced to memorize scripts (as she was unable to read the cue cards without her glasses), and the bright studio lights caused her discomfort.

External links.

Listen.

Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop music singer and occasional actress, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical training to become an opera singer before following a career in popular music, and by 1955 had achieved more worldwide record sales than any other female artist. Her 1952 song "You Belong to Me" topped the charts in the United States and United Kingdom, the record becoming the first by a female artist to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart.

Jo Stafford (12. listopadu 1917 Coalinga – 16. července 2008 Century City) byla americká zpěvačka. Zpěvu se věnovala již od dětství. Původně chtěla být operní pěvkyní, později však se začala vystupovat se svými sestrami jako. Následně působila ve skupině The Pied Pipers. Svou první sólovou nahrávku, píseň „“, pořídila v roce 1941. V roce 1944 podepsala nahrávací smlouvu se společností Capitol Records. Později nahrála řadu dalších písní. V polovině šedesátých let značně omezila vystupování a po roce 1975 přestala vystupovat úplně (znovu vystupovala až v roce 1990). Zemřela roku 2008 ve věku devadesáti let.


History.

During the Northern Song dynasty, Kaiping was under the administration of Xin'an county () Under the Qing (1649), made up part of the commandery of Zhaoqing. It was promoted to county-level city status in 1993.

Administration.

Administratively, Kaiping is administered as part of the prefecture-level city of Jiangmen.

Geography.

Kaiping city centre is located on the Tanjiang River, away from Guangzhou, on the edge of the county Kaiping west of the Pearl River Delta. Kaiping consists of broken terrain, mostly either rocky or swampy, with only a third of the land arable. The county is shaped like a giant question mark (see map, in pink) and includes rural areas as well as three port cities: Changsha, Xinchang, and Dihai.  Notable people:

Sights.

Kaiping Diaolou.

"Kaiping Diaolou"s () are fortified multi-storey towers constructed in the village countryside of mainly the Kaiping area. They were built from the early Qing Dynasty to the early 20th century, reaching a peak in the 1920s and 1930s, with the financial aid of overseas Chinese, when there were more than three thousand of these structures. Today, approximately 1,800 "diaolou" are still standing, with the most in the towns of Tangkou (), Baihe (), Chikan (), and Xiangang (), in that order (see map in article by Batto).  In the late 19th and early 20th century, Kaiping was a region of major emigration abroad, and a melting pot of ideas and trends brought back by overseas Chinese, "Huaqiao", made good. As a consequence, many watchtowers incorporated architectural features from China and the West. These were examples of the Qiaoxiang () architecture. The "diaolou" were built by villagers during a time of chaos and served two purposes: housing and protecting against forays by bandits.  In 2007, the "Kaiping diaolou and villages" were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and consist of four separate restored village areas: Zilicun village () in Tangkou, Sanmenli village () in Chikan, Jinjiangli village () in Xiangang, and Majianglong village cluster () in Baihe township.  The Kaiping diaolou was the location for parts of the filming of 2010 movie "Let the Bullets Fly" ().  Examples of diaolous include:

Chikan.

Chikan () is officially designated as a National Historic and Cultural Town of China (). The old town of Chikan has many historical sites that are about one hundred years old. For example, it has over 600 late-Qing and early-Republic historic Tong laus or Qilous () continuous, spanning over a length of 3 kilometers, including the riverside stretch along Dixi Lu (), sometimes referred to as 'European Styled Street'. Part of old Chikan town has been designated Chikan Studio City () for filming of historical scenes.  Chikan township also has two restored diaolous: "Yinglonglou", built by the Guan () lineage in the Ming dynasty, and "Nanlou", memorialized by the martyrdom of seven Situ clan () members in the early 20th century.  Historically, Chikan has been shaped by these two competing clans. One example is the existence of two libraries: the "Situ's library", opened in 1926, and, not to be outdone, the "Guan's library", opened in 1931; both libraries funded by overseas Chinese and incorporated architecture features from overseas.  It is a famous and well-known location for braised pork in noodles to locals.  Chikan is to become a tourist destination and the closing of local stores, dining posts, and streets are scheduled for the summer of 2017.

Miscellaneous.

Kaiping has been twinned with Mesa, Arizona, United States, since October 18, 1993.  Kaiping was a major source of emigrants at the turn of the 20th century. As a result, a large number of early Chinese Canadian and Chinese American communities had people who originated from Kaiping and its neighboring counties of Taishan, Enping and Xinhui, which is known collectively as Sze Yup. It is said that there are more Kaipingnese people living abroad today than there are Kaipingnese in Kaiping. In a 2016 report, Deloitte estimated that there are 750,000 Kaiping-born overseas Chinese.  In 1973, various people originated from Kaiping started the Hoi Ping Chamber of Commerce Secondary School in Hong Kong.

References.

Citations.

4. < 廣東省廣州市佛山地區韶關地區沿革地理》( history and geographical cha es of Guangzhou region, foshan region and shaoguan region )  Guangdong Zheng Guangzhou shi fishan di qu shaoguan di qu yuan he di Li ( history of geographical alterations of Guangzhou, Foshan and Shaoguan () Author: Zhu, peng Xur Lin publishing limited 1984

Kaiping (), alternately romanized in Cantonese as Hoiping, is a county-level city in Guangdong Province, China. It is located west of the Pearl River Delta and administered as part of the prefecture-level city of Jiangmen. The surrounding area, especially Sze Yup (), is the ancestral homeland of many overseas Chinese, particularly in the United States. Kaiping has a population of 688,242 as of 2017 and an area of. The locals speak a variant of the Toishan (Hoisan) dialect.

Okres Kchaj-pching () je městský okres v městské prefektuře Ťiang-men v provincii Kuang-tung blízko jižního pobřeží Čínské lidové republiky v deltě Perlové řeky. Má rozlohu 1659 čtverečních kilometrů a bezmála sedm set tisíc obyvatel.


History.

The earliest known use of "col legno" in Western music is to be found in a piece entitled "Harke, harke," from the "First Part of Ayres" (1605) by Tobias Hume, where he instructs the gambist to "drum this with the backe of your bow".

Sound.

The percussive sound of "col legno battuto" has a clear pitch element determined by the distance of the bow from the bridge at the point of contact. As a group of players will never strike the string in exactly the same place, the sound of a section of violins playing "col legno battuto" is dramatically different from the sound of a single violin doing so.  The wood of the bow can also be drawn across the string — a technique called "col legno tratto" ("with the wood drawn"). This is much less common, and the plain marking "col legno" is invariably interpreted to mean "battuto" rather than "tratto". The sound produced by "col legno tratto" is very quiet, with an overlay of white noise, but the pitch of the stopped note can be clearly heard. If the sound is too quiet, the bow can be slightly rolled so that a few bow hairs touch the string as well, leading to a slightly less "airy" sound.

Equipment.

Some string players object to "col legno" playing as it can damage the bow; many players have a cheaper bow which they use for "col legno" passages, or for pieces which require extended passages of "col legno". Some players tap the strings with pencils instead of bows, producing a further percussive, lighter sound.

Examples.

Some notable examples are:

In music for bowed string instruments, col legno, or more precisely col legno battuto (, ), is an instruction to strike the string with the stick of the bow, rather than by drawing the hair of the bow across the strings.

Nejstarší doložená použití jsou u anglického skladatele Tobiase Humea v 17. století, ve stejné době použil tuto techniku i italský skladatel Carlo Farina.


History.

In December 1947 a group of businessmen founded Taunton Football Club, and the club played its first match in Easter the following year. The club joined the Somerset Senior League, in which they played until 1953. During this year the club gained admission to the Western League for the first time. In the same year, the club also moved into their present ground on Wordsworth Drive, which they leased from Taunton Borough Council. During these early years of the club they battled financial problems and relied upon their Supporters Club.  In 1968–69, the club enjoyed success for the first time, winning the Western League under the management of Doug Hillard. Over the following years Taunton Town continued to prosper on the pitch, finishing as Western League runners-up in four consecutive seasons from 1973 until 1976. During this time the club bought their Wordsworth Drive ground from the local council and installed floodlights. In 1977 they were promoted into the Southern League (Southern Section). Two years later, following the opening of the M5 motorway, they moved into the Midlands Section of the league.  In 1981, the club became a limited company, and the club's board decided that competing in the Southern League was too much of a financial burden; resulting in a drop back into the Western League for the 1983–84 season. The club finished as league champions for the second time in 1989–90 and followed this win up with further success, winning the league again in 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01. They also finished as runners-up on four occasions; in 1993–94, 1996–97, 1997–98 and 2001–02. Following their runners-up position in 2001–02, and the improved financial position of the club compared to twenty years earlier, the club was successful in its application to re-enter the Southern League. The club have remained in this league ever since, and after the restructuring of the English football league system, the club were placed in the Southern Football League Division One South & West.  The club reached the final of the FA Vase in 1994, where they lost in extra time to Diss Town. A second FA Vase finals appearance in 2001 resulted in greater success, Taunton Town beating Berkhamsted Town 2–1. In 2016–17 they reached the first round proper of the FA Cup for only the second time in their history, where they faced Barrow and held them to a 2–2 draw but were beaten away in the replay 2–1.  In 2017–18, Taunton celebrated promotion from the Southern League South & West for the first time in their history, clinching the title after a home 3–2 win over Kidlington.  In 2018-19 Taunton narrowly missed out on promotion to the National League South after losing to Poole Town on penalties at the Viridor Stadium during their Southern League Premier playoff game. <  On 20 November 2019, Taunton Town equaled the record for the longest penalty shoot out in English footballing history beating Truro City 12-11 after 34 penalties in the Southern League challenge cup. Goalkeeper Lloyd Irish scored one and missed another whilst also saving three penalties with Truro missing the target another 3 times before Jack Rice finally scored the winning penalty after 34 minutes of drama.

Stadium.

Taunton Town play their home games at Wordsworth Drive, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 2HG  When they were formed, Taunton Town played at a variety of grounds in the Taunton area, including Mountfields, French Weir, Victoria Park and Huish Old Boys. They then moved to Denman's Park, Haines Hill where they remained until 1953. During that season the club moved to Wordsworth Drive (capacity 2,500) in Taunton, where they have remained ever since. Initially they leased the ground from Taunton Borough Council, but in the 1970s the club purchased the ground from the council and installed floodlights. The ground has covered stands on all four sides of the pitch.

Taunton Town Ladies.

Taunton Town had a ladies football team; Taunton Town Ladies Football Club, who played in the South West Women's Football League Premier Division. They first played league football in 1986. In 1990–91, the ladies won the Division Two Cup of the newly formed South West Regional Women's Football League. The club ceased to exist at the end of the 2014-15 season.

Taunton Town Football Club are an English football club based in Taunton, Somerset. They compete in the and play their home matches at their Wordsworth Drive ground which they moved into during the 1953 season. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA.

Taunton Town FC (celým názvem: Taunton Town Football Club) je anglický fotbalový klub, který sídlí ve městě Taunton v nemetropolitním hrabství Somerset. Založen byl v roce 1947 pod názvem Taunton FC. Od sezóny 2018/19 hraje v Southern Football League Premier Division South (7. nejvyšší soutěž). Klubové barvy jsou červená a modrá.


History.

The club was formed in 1886 and originally known as Totton Football Club, playing its games at South Testwood Park. They then became a founding members of the Hampshire F.A. when it was inaugurated the following year. In 1904 they became founder members of the New Forest League. After the First World War they entered the Southampton Senior League and the New Forest League. For the 1920–21 campaign they joined the Divisional Section of the Hampshire League. In 1922–23 they played in both the East and West sections, after which they remained in the West Section, winning it in 1924–25.  League reorganisation saw Totton playing in the Divisional Section in 1928–29, with the club finishing as runners-up. Further reorganisation saw them placed in Division Two for the following season, in which they were again runners-up. They went on to win Division Two in 1930–31, earning promotion to Division One. On 30 December 1933 the club moved their home ground to Testwood Park. Despite finishing bottom of Division One in 1934–35, they were not relegated to Division Two. In 1952–53 the club was relegated to Division Two after finishing bottom of Division One, but were promoted back to the top division in 1959–60 despite only finishing fourth.  In 1975 the club amalgamated with Totton Athletic. The club were promoted to Division One when they finished as runners up in Division Two in the 1979–80 season. Totton's most successful season in terms of the number of trophies won was the 1981–82 campaign when they won Hampshire League Division One for the first time, the Russell Cotes Cup, Hampshire Intermediate Cup, Southampton Senior Cup, Echo Trophy, and the Reg Mathieson Trophy. The following season saw the club make their debut in the FA Cup, getting to the fourth qualification round at their first attempt before being knocked out by Windsor & Eton. The club went on to win the Hampshire league again in the 1984–85 season, and followed this up the following season with their fourth runner up spot.  Totton became one of the founder members of the Wessex League for the 1986–87 season. Although the league title eluded the club for many years, they still performed well in cup competitions. The next twenty seasons saw the club maintain their status in the Wessex league top division, during which time they won the Wessex League Cup twice in the 1989–90, 2002–03 and 2005–06 seasons. The club also finished as runners-up to Southern League Bashley in the Russell Côtes Cup in 1990–91.  The 2006–07 campaign saw the club finish runners up just behind Gosport Borough on goal difference. The main highlight of the season though, was their run in the F.A. Vase, which saw the club reach the final at Wembley Stadium for the first time in the club's history. In front of a record crowd of 27,754 for a Vase final, the team had to settle for runners-up after losing to Truro City 3–1.  The following season saw the club seal its first ever Wessex League Championship. The championship win also enabled promotion to the Southern League. The club started in Division One South & West of the Southern league, and were almost promoted at their first attempt, when they beat Beaconsfield SYCOB 2–1 in the playoff semi-final, but lost to Didcot Town 2–1 in the play-off final in front of a crowd of 1,123. Again in the following season the club, after finishing as runners-up, were in the play-offs this time losing to Cirencester Town in the semi-final. The club did finish with some silverware when they won the Hampshire Senior Cup for the first time, beating Aldershot Town 4–0 in the final at Dean Court.  The 2010–11 season saw the Stags play their first match at the newly built 3,000-capacity Testwood Stadium with the first match against Paulton Rovers, winning 5–1. The club also gained promotion to the Premier Division when they won the league on the final day of the season with a 1–0 win away at Gosport Borough. The club made it a double winning season when they beat Sholing 3–1 in the Hampshire Senior Cup final at the home of Southampton, St. Mary's Stadium.  The 2011–12 season saw the club beat Bradford Park Avenue 8–1 to reach the FA Cup second round for the first time in their history. A record attendance of 2,315 was achieved beating their previous record of 1,746 when Totton played Southampton in 2009. Totton's dream of reaching the third round of the FA Cup was ended as they lost 6–1 against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup 2nd Round at the Testwood Stadium. The club also finished third in the league, and so entered the play-offs to gain promotion to the Football Conference beating Chesham United 3–2 in the semi-final, but lost 4–2 to Oxford City in the final The club finished the season in the Hampshire Senior Cup final at St Mary's Stadium, but could not make it three wins in a row as they lost to Eastleigh 2–0.  After finishing mid-table in 2012–13, the club were relegated to Division One South & West at the end of the 2013–14 season.

Ground.

The club initially played at South Testwood Park, before moving to Testwood Park in December 1933. After the 1975 merger with Totton Athletic floodlights were installed. The ground had stands on either side of the pitch, one of which was seated and the other for standing.  In February 2011 the club moved to the Testwood Stadium on Salisbury Road, playing their first match on 9 February with 744 watching them beat Paulton Rovers 5–1. The ground cost a reported £2.5 million to build, and has a capacity of 3,000, of which 500 are seated and covered.

Association Football Club Totton is a football club based in Totton, Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association and is an FA Standard Chartered club. They are currently members of the.

AFC Totton (celým názvem: Association Football Club Totton) je anglický fotbalový klub, který sídlí ve městě Totton and Eling v nemetropolitním hrabství Hampshire. Založen byl v roce 1886. Od sezóny 2018/19 hraje v Southern Football League Division One South (8. nejvyšší soutěž). Klubové barvy jsou modrá a bílá.


Club career.

Porto.

Alves was born in Póvoa de Varzim, and grew up in the Caxinas fishing neighbourhood of bordering Vila do Conde, as did his long-time international teammates Hélder Postiga and Fábio Coentrão. He started playing football for local club Varzim SC, before joining the youth ranks of FC Porto at the age of 17.  After three consecutive loans, two in Portugal and another in Greece with AEK Athens FC, Alves returned Porto for the 2005–06 season, extending his contract until 2010 and battling for a first-team spot with Ricardo Costa and João Paulo. He played seven league games for the eventual Primeira Liga champions, but was infamously sent off on 15 October 2005 in a 0–2 home loss against S.L. Benfica, after headbutting Nuno Gomes.  The arrival of manager Jesualdo Ferreira in summer 2006 signalled the turning point in Alves' career. He beat off stiff competition for a starting berth in the team alongside Pepe and formed a solid partnership with the Brazilian-born centre back. An impressive campaign saw the player finally come of age, and he was ever-present as the northerners won another national championship.  On 7 April 2009, Alves' early mistake in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford led to Wayne Rooney's equaliser– the match ended 2–2 and Porto went on to lose 3–2 on aggregate. However, on 10 May, he headed in the only goal in a home win over C.D. Nacional which ensured team and the player a fourth consecutive league accolade.

Zenit Saint Petersburg.

On 3 August 2010, aged 28, Alves signed with Russian Premier League side FC Zenit Saint Petersburg for €22 million, joining compatriots Danny and Fernando Meira in the squad. Upon his arrival, head coach Luciano Spalletti described him as a very important player for the team, noting his experience, ability in the air and strong character.  Alves scored his first goal for the side on 30 September 2010, against former team AEK Athens in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.

Fenerbahçe.

On 5 June 2013, Alves agreed to join Turkey's Fenerbahçe SK on a three-year deal worth €2.5 million per season, for a transfer fee of €5.5 million. He scored twice in 25 league appearances in his first season in Istanbul, to help the side win the Süper Lig title, and also contested in their Turkish Super Cup win against Galatasaray SK on 25 August 2014.  On 18 October 2014, Alves was given a straight red card for kicking Blerim Džemaili, as his team eventually lost 2–1 to Galatasaray at the Türk Telekom Arena. He was sent off again on 25 May 2015, for conceding a penalty against another team from the city, İstanbul Başakşehir, being the second of four "Fener" players to be dismissed in a 2–2 draw which gave the title to Galatasaray.

Cagliari.

On 5 June 2016, Alves signed a two-year contract with Cagliari Calcio, who had recently returned to the Italian Serie A. The deal was set to go through when he became a free agent at the end of the month. He made his debut on 15 August 2016, in a 5–1 home win over S.P.A.L. 2013 in the Coppa Italia, and scored his first goal on 11 September, which was a free-kick in a 1–2 league loss at Bologna F.C. 1909.

Rangers.

On 31 May 2017, Alves signed for Rangers on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee. He scored his first goal for his new team on 9 August, in a 6–0 routing of Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish League Cup.  On 24 October 2017, two days after an incident with Louis Moult during a 0–2 loss against Motherwell for the League Cup semi-finals, Alves was handed a two-match ban which was appealed. On 11 July 2018, the 36-year-old terminated his contract by mutual consent.

Parma.

Alves returned to the Italian top division in the summer of 2018, joining recently promoted Parma Calcio 1913 until 30 June 2019. The following February he signed a new deal covering the 2019–20 season and, in January 2020, agreed to a further extension until June 2021.

International career.

Alves played for Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, with the country's participation ending after three games in Greece. Luiz Felipe Scolari gave him his full international debut in June 2007 against Kuwait in a 1–1 away draw, and he was later selected as a back-up for UEFA Euro 2008, appearing in the 0–2 group stage loss to Switzerland.  A regular starter during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Alves headed the winner in injury time for the final 2–1 win in Albania on 6 June 2009, allowing Portugal to reach the play-offs. There, in the first leg in Lisbon, he also found the net (the game's only goal) against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in an eventual 2–0 aggregate qualification; he also played all the matches and minutes in the finals in South Africa, in an eventual round-of-16 exit.  Alves played all the games and minutes at the Euro 2012 tournament, starring alongside former Porto teammate Pepe. In the semi-finals, against Spain, he missed his penalty shootout attempt in a 4–2 loss.  Ten days after being included in Paulo Bento's final 23-men squad for the 2014 World Cup, Alves scored a 93rd-minute winner in a 1–0 friendly win over Mexico for his tenth international goal, also featuring in the tournament opener against Germany, a 0–4 defeat. He also started in the following two fixtures in Brazil, in a group stage exit.  Alves was also selected for Euro 2016. In the penultimate warm-up game away to England on 2 June, he was sent off in the first half for a head-high tackle on Harry Kane; he only made his debut in the tournament in the semi-finals against Wales due to injury to Pepe, playing the full 90 minutes and being booked in a 2–0 win at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.  In May 2017, Alves was picked for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup squad. The following year, he was selected for the 2018 World Cup also to be held in Russia.

Personal life.

Alves' older brother, Geraldo, was also a footballer and a central defender. He had paternal Brazilian ancestry through his father. He played ten years of his career in Portugal–mainly with Varzim–where his children were born.  The youngest sibling, Júlio, was also a footballer, playing in the midfielder position. Their uncle, Geraldo Assoviador, also played the sport.

Honours.

Club.

Porto  Zenit  Fenerbahçe

International.

Portugal Under-21  Portugal

Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves (; born 27 November 1981) is a Portuguese professional footballer who captains and plays as a centre back for Italian club Parma Calcio 1913.

Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves [brunu alveš] (* 27. listopadu 1981, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugalsko) je portugalský fotbalový obránce a reprezentant s brazilskými kořeny, v současnosti hráč klubu Cagliari Calcio (k červnu 2016). Hraje na pozici stopera (středního obránce). Mimo Portugalsko působil na klubové úrovni v Řecku, Rusku, Turecku a Itálii, trofeje sbíral v Portugalsku, Rusku a Turecku.


History.

Launched on BBC2, the show focused on albums, rather than chart hits covered on BBC1 by "Top of the Pops". It was originally produced in a studio at BBC Television Centre in west London known as "Pres B", which had been originally designed for shooting weather forecasts and in-vision continuity. The studio was only. Due to the lack of technology that accommodated live performances, bands mimed to tracks in early episodes.  The original opening credits were played over a naked woman, painted in green, dancing to Santana's Jingo. When Richard Williams was replaced by 'Whispering' Bob Harris, the series' opening titles theme was changed to the now more famous animation of a male figure made up of stars (known as the 'Star Kicker') dancing. The programme's title music, with its harmonica theme, was a track called "Stone Fox Chase" by a Nashville band, Area Code 615.  The first host was Richard Williams, features editor of "Melody Maker", the music weekly. From 1972, the programme was presented by disc jockey Bob Harris (nicknamed "Whispering Bob Harris", because of his quiet voice and "laid back" style). He later became notorious among the younger generation for distancing himself on air from Roxy Music's first performance on the show and calling the New York Dolls "mock rock" and left "OGWT" in 1978.  After Harris's departure, Annie Nightingale took over as host. In December 1980, Nightingale presented the show in the immediate aftermath of the shooting of John Lennon (who had appeared on the show in 1975). This particular episode consisted almost entirely of interviews with various people about Lennon's life and career.  Following the departure of Nightingale in 1982, Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Richard Skinner also took turns as presenters. In 1983, the programme was moved to a live mid-evening slot. The title was abridged to Whistle Test and the title credits and music were changed. Andy Kershaw joined the series as a presenter in 1984. The same four presenters co-presented the BBC's television coverage of Live Aid in 1985.  The series was cancelled in early 1987 by Janet Street-Porter, who had been appointed head of Youth Programmes at the BBC. The series ended with a live New Year's Eve special broadcast through to the early hours of New Year's Day 1988; material included "Hotel California" by The Eagles, live from 1977, and "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf.  Owing to technical issues during the show's early years, and the need to ensure performances were controlled, the bands often recorded the instrumental tracks the day before. The vocals were then performed live, "99 percent" of the time. After 1973, the show changed to an entirely live format.  On 23 February 2018, the BBC broadcast a special programme, hosted by Bob Harris, to mark the 30 years since the legendary series was last broadcast. This live studio show featured music, special guests and rare archive footage. It featured performances from Peter Frampton, Richard Thompson, Albert Lee and others. Bob Harris chatted to Whistle Test alumni, including Dave Stewart, Joan Armatrading, Ian Anderson, Chris Difford and Kiki Dee, as well as fan Danny Baker.

The Old Grey Whistle Test (usually abbreviated to Whistle Test or OGWT) was a British television music show. It was commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. It took over the BBC2 late night slot from "Disco 2", which ran between September 1970 and July 1971, while continuing to feature non-chart music. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers. The original producer, involved in an executive capacity throughout the show's entire history, was Michael Appleton. According to presenter Bob Harris, the programme derived its name from a Tin Pan Alley phrase from years before. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys – doormen in grey suits. Any song they could remember and whistle, having heard it just once or twice, had passed the old grey whistle test.

The Old Grey Whistle Test (nebo též zkráceně "Whistle Test") je britský hudební televizní pořad. Byl vysílán stanicí BBC Two v letech 1971 až 1988. Jeho prvním moderátorem byl novinář Richard Williams, mezi pozdější moderátory patřili například Annie Nightingale, David Hepworth a Andy Kershaw. Během existence pořadu v něm vystupovala řada hudebníků, mezi něž patří například Billy Joel, John Cale či skupiny Talking Heads a Lynyrd Skynyrd.


Early life.

McKennitt was born in Morden, Manitoba, of Irish and Scottish descent to parents Jack (died 1992) and Irene McKennitt (1931–2011). In Morden, she developed her love for music, influenced, in part, by the musical traditions of the local Mennonite community.  McKennitt enrolled at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg to become a veterinarian. While in Winnipeg she discovered folk music, including fellow Canadians Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot. At this time she also developed an interest in Celtic music and visited Ireland to hear it for herself. Developing a passion for Celtic music, she learned to play the Celtic harp and began busking at various places, including St. Lawrence Market in Toronto in order to earn money to record her first album. In 1981, she moved to Stratford, Ontario to join the Stratford Festival acting company, and still resides there.

Career.

Initial success: 1985–1998.

McKennitt's first album, "Elemental", was released in 1985, followed by "To Drive the Cold Winter Away" (1987), "Parallel Dreams" (1989), "The Visit" (1991), "The Mask and Mirror" (1994), "" (1995), "The Book of Secrets" (1997), "An Ancient Muse" (2006), "A Midwinter Night’s Dream" (2008), and "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (2010). All of her work is released under her own label, Quinlan Road.  In 1990, McKennitt provided the music for the National Film Board of Canada documentary "The Burning Times," a feminist revisionist account of the Early Modern European witchcraft trials. She and the musical team she headed would later re-record the documentary's main theme on her album "The Visit," under the title "Tango to Evora."  In 1993, she toured Europe supporting Mike Oldfield. In 1995, her version of the traditional Irish song "Bonny Portmore" was featured in the "Highlander" series, followed by the 1994 film Highlander 3: The Sorcerer. McKennitt's single "The Mummers' Dance" received airplay in North American markets during the spring of 1997, and was used as the theme song for the short-lived TV series "Legacy." It also saw use in the trailer for a wide-release 1998 Drew Barrymore film "Ever After."  Her music appeared in the movies "The Santa Clause," "Soldier," "Jade," "Holy Man," "The Mists of Avalon," and "Tinker Bell." It was also featured in the television series "Roar," "Due South," and "Full Circle (Women and Spirituality)."

Personal tragedy and hiatus.

In July 1998, McKennitt's fiancé Ronald Rees, his brother Richard, and their close friend Gregory Cook drowned in a boating accident on Georgian Bay. She was deeply affected by the event, and she founded the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety in the same year. At the time of the incident, she was working on a live album of two performances called "Live in Paris and Toronto." The proceeds from this album were donated to the newly created memorial fund, totalling some three million dollars.  After the release of the live album, McKennitt decided that she would substantially reduce the number of her public performances, and she did not release any new recordings until the studio album "An Ancient Muse" in 2006.

Return to music: 2006–present.

During 2005, McKennit began work on the album that would become "An Ancient Muse", her seventh full-length studio album, released in November 2006. In September 2006, McKennitt performed live at the Alhambra. The performance premiered on PBS and in August 2007 was released on a three-disc DVD/CD set titled "Nights from the Alhambra".  In 2008, McKennitt wrote and composed a song she titled "To The Fairies They Draw Near" as the theme song for Disney's direct-to-video animated film "Tinker Bell". She also provided the narration for the film.  In early 2008, she returned to Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios to record "A Midwinter Night’s Dream", an extended version of her 1995 mini-album "". The album was released on October 28, 2008.  Since the release of "An Ancient Muse", McKennitt has toured consistently, with a European and North American "An Ancient Muse tour" in 2007 and another extensive tour across Canada and United States later in 2007, a tour of Europe in 2008 and a Mediterranean tour in 2009 with stops in Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Hungary and Italy.  On September 17, 2009, McKennitt announced that she planned to release a two-disc album titled "A Mediterranean Odyssey". The first CD, "From Istanbul to Athens", consisted of 10 new live recordings made during her 2009 Mediterranean tour, including songs she had never before recorded in concert. The second CD, "The Olive and the Cedar", had a Mediterranean theme which McKennitt herself curated. It contained previously released studio recordings created between 1994 and 2006.  November 16, 2010, saw the US release (November 12 for Europe) of McKennitt's latest studio album, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". Recorded at the Sharon Temple, Ontario, it consists of nine traditional Celtic songs. "Every once and again there is a pull to return to one's own roots or beginnings, with the perspective of time and experience, to feel the familiar things you once loved and love still", said McKennitt.  When McKennitt released "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" she visited several countries to help promote the album. During the promotional tour she performed an hour-long concert in the studios of German radio station SWR1, accompanied only by Brian Hughes (guitars) and Caroline Lavelle (cello) who have long been part of her tours and recordings. This live concert was released on CD in 2011. Called "Troubadours on the Rhine", the album was nominated for a 2012 Grammy for Best New Age Album.  On November 30, 2012, McKennitt lent her support to Kate Winslet’s Golden Hat Foundation together with Tim Janis, Sarah McLachlan, Andrea Corr, Hayley Westenra, the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, Dawn Kenney, Jana Mashonee, Amy Petty, and a choir, along with others, performing on "The American Christmas Carol" concert in Carnegie Hall.  McKennitt's 10th studio album, "Lost Souls", was released on May 11, 2018. She planned a tour to support the album's release in 2018 and 2019.  She had a small acting role in the 2018 film "Road to the Lemon Grove", as the voice of God.

Legacy.

Genre.

McKennitt's music has generally been classified as World or Celtic music even though it contains aspects and characteristics of music from around the globe and is sometimes classified as folk music in record stores.  McKennitt is occasionally compared to Enya, but McKennitt's music is more grounded in traditional and classical invocations, using literary works as sources of lyrics and springboards for interpretation such as "The Lady of Shalott" by Lord Tennyson, "Prospero's Speech" (the final soliloquy in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest"), the Northumbrian murder ballad "The Twa Sisters" (which inspired "The Bonny Swans" on "The Mask and Mirror"), "Snow" by Archibald Lampman, "Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross, Dante's "Inferno", William Blake's "Lullaby", Yeats' "The Stolen Child," "The English Ladye and the Knight" by Sir Walter Scott, and "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.

Influences.

Before McKennitt composes any music, she engages in considerable research on a specific subject which then forms the general concept of the album. Before creating "Elemental" and "Parallel Dreams", she travelled to Ireland for inspiration from the country's history, folklore, geography and culture. The album "The Mask and Mirror" was preceded by research in Spain where she engaged in studying Galicia, a Celtic section of Spain, along with its abundant Arabic roots. The result was an album that included elements of Celtic and Arabic music. According to the jacket notes, her album "An Ancient Muse" was inspired by travels among and reading about the various cultures along the Silk Road.

Documentaries.

Late in the 1990s, McKennitt created "No Journey's End", a half-hour documentary, for American television in which she discussed the influences behind her music. "No Journey's End" contained excerpts from several songs from the albums "Parallel Dreams," "The Visit", and "The Mask and Mirror" It also shows live performances of the songs "The Lady of Shalott", "Santiago", and "The Dark Night of the Soul". It was later released on DVD and VHS, the former also containing music videos for "The Mummers' Dance" and "The Bonny Swans." A bonus copy of the DVD was included with the 2004 remastered versions of McKennitt's CDs.  In 2008, McKennitt released "A Moveable Musical Feast", based on her 2007 "An Ancient Muse" tour. The DVD included interviews with McKennitt, her band, crew, fans and professional colleagues from the Canadian music industry.

Court case.

In 2005, McKennitt was involved in an acrimonious court case in England when her former friend and employee, Niema Ash, published a book, "Travels with Loreena McKennitt: My Life as a Friend", that contained intimate details of their friendship. McKennitt argued that much of the book contained confidential personal information that Ash had no right to publish. The English courts found that there had indeed been a breach of confidence and a misuse of McKennitt's private information, and the case is likely to set important precedents in the law of England and Wales on the privacy of public figures. The House of Lords affirmed the lower court's decisions in 2007.

Awards and decorations.

McKennitt's personal awards and decorations include the following:

Quinlan Road.

"Quinlan Road" is an independent record label founded in 1985 and based in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and operated by its sole artist, Loreena McKennitt. Quinlan Road started out at McKennitt's home where she sold recordings by mail order. Today Quinlan Road music is distributed internationally by Verve Records, Universal Music Group, Keltia Musique, and SPV GmbH.

Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian musician, composer, harpist, accordionist, and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined and clear dramatic soprano vocals. She has sold more than 14 million records worldwide.

Loreena McKennittová (17. února 1957, Morden) je kanadská hudebnice a skladatelka. Proslula svými variacemi na tradiční keltskou hudbu. Je řazena k žánru world music. Hraje na keltskou harfu, klavír a harmoniku. Od roku 1981 žije v Ontariu.


Description.

"M. pyrifera" is the largest of all algae. The stage of the life cycle that is usually seen is the sporophyte, which is perennial and individuals persist for many years. Individuals may grow to up to long or more. The kelp often grows even longer than the distance from the bottom to the surface as it will grow in a diagonal direction due to the ocean current pushing against the kelp. The stalks arise from a holdfast and branch three or four times from near the base. Blades develop at irregular intervals along the stipe, with a single pneumatocyst (gas bladder) at the base of each blade.  A related and similar-looking, but smaller species, "M. integrifolia", grows to only to long. It is found on intertidal rocks or shallow subtidal rocks along the Pacific coast of North America (British Columbia to California) and South America. In New Zealand "M. pyrifera" is found on the in subtidal zone of southern North Island, the South Island, Chatham, Stewart, Bounty, Antipodes, Auckland and Campbell Islands. The species can be found on rock and on sheltered open coasts.

Growth.

"M. pyrifera" is one of the fastest-growing organisms on Earth. They can grow at a rate of a day to reach over long in one growing season.  Juvenile giant kelp grow directly upon their parent female gametophyte. To establish itself, a young kelp produces one or two primary blades, and begins a rudimentary holdfast, which serves to anchor the plant to the rocky bottom. As the kelp grows, additional blades develop from the growing tip, while the holdfast enlarges and may entirely cover the rock to which it is attached.  Growth occurs with lengthening of the stipe (central stalk), and splitting of the blades. At the growing tip is a single blade, at the base of which develop small gas bladders along one side. As the bladders and stipe grow, small tears develop in the attached blade. Once the tears have completed, each bladder supports a single separate blade along the stipe, with the bladders and their blades attached at irregular intervals.

Ecology.

"M. pyrifera" is found in North America (Alaska to California), South America, South Africa, New Zealand, and southern Australia. It thrives in cooler waters where the ocean water temperature remains below. The species is also found near Tristan da Cunha in the Mid-South Atlantic Ocean.  Where the bottom is rocky and affords places for it to anchor, giant kelp forms extensive kelp beds with large "floating canopies". When present in large numbers, giant kelp forms kelp forests that are home to many marine species that depend upon the kelp directly for food and shelter, or indirectly as a hunting ground for prey. Both the large size of the kelp and the large number of individuals significantly alter the availability of light, the flow of ocean currents, and the chemistry of the ocean water in the area where they grow.  In high-density populations, giant kelp individuals compete with other individuals of the species for space and resources. Giant kelp may also compete with "Pterygophora californica" in these circumstances.  Where surface waters are poor in nutrients, nitrogen in the form of amino acids is translocated up the stipe through sieve elements that very much resemble the phloem of vascular plants. Translocation of nutrients along the stipe may be as rapid as per hour. Most translocation occurs to move carbon-rich photosynthate, and typically transfers material from mature regions to actively growing regions where the machinery of photosynthesis is not yet fully in place. Translocation also moves nutrients downward from light-exposed surface fronds to sporophylls (reproductive fronds) at the base of the kelp, where there is little light and thus little photosynthesis to produce food.

Aquaculture.

"M. pyrifera" has been utilized for many years as a food source; it also contains many compounds such as iodine, potassium, other minerals vitamins and carbohydrates and thus has also been used as a dietary supplement. In the beginning of the 20th century California kelp beds were harvested as a source for soda ash. With commercial interest increasing significantly during the 1970s and the 1980s this was primarily due to the production of alginates, and also for biomass production for animal feed due to the energy crisis during that period. However the commercial production of "M. pyrifera" never became reality. With the end of the energy crisis and the decline in prices of alginates, the research into farming "Macrocystis" also declined.  The demand for "M. pyrifera" is increasing due to the newfound uses of these plants such as fertilizers, cultivation for bioremediation purposes, abalone and sea urchin feed. There is current research going into utilizing "M. pyrifera" as feed for other aquaculture species such as shrimps. Recently, "M. pyrifera" has been examined as a possible feedstock for conversion into ethanol for biofuel use.

Conservation.

In recent years, the kelp forests have decreased dramatically throughout Japan, Chile, Korea, Australia and North America. Harvesting of kelp as a food source and other uses may be the least concerning aspect to its depletion.  The natural phenomena El Niño cycles warm, tropical water from the South Pacific to Northern waters. This has been known to kill off "M. pyrifera," due to its need for cold waters it would usually find in the North Pacific Ocean. In California, El Niño also brought along a population bloom of Purple Sea Urchins which feed on the Giant Kelp. By the late 2000s most of the onshore Giant Kelp in California was/is practically nonexistent.  Off the coast of Tasmania, kelp forests have been significantly affected by several factors including warming waters, shifting of the East Australian current, and invasion of long-spine sea urchins. Locals have noticed significant effects on the population of abalone; a food source for the aboriginal peoples for thousands of years. These changes have also affected the oyster farming industry. By saving oysters that have survived disease outbreaks, they have been able to continue their way of life.  Scientists and conservationists are continuously looking into ways to restore the once heavily populated "M. pyrifera" to its original state. Methods include artificial reefs, reducing numbers of Purple Sea Urchins in over populated areas, and planting roots along the ocean floor.

Macrocystis pyrifera, commonly known as giant kelp or giant bladder kelp, is a species of kelp (large brown algae), and one of four species in the genus "Macrocystis". Despite its appearance, it is not a plant; it is a heterokont. Giant kelp is common along the coast of the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Baja California north to southeast Alaska, and is also found in the southern oceans near South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Individual algae may grow to more than long at a rate of as much as per day. Giant kelp grows in dense stands known as kelp forests, which are home to many marine animals that depend on the algae for food or shelter. The primary commercial product obtained from giant kelp is alginate, but humans also harvest this species on a limited basis for use directly as food, as it is rich in iodine, potassium, and other minerals. It can be used in cooking in many of the ways other sea vegetables are used, and particularly serves to add flavor to bean dishes.

Bobulák Macrocystis pyrifera je druh hnědé řasy z čeledi Laminariaceae. "Macrocystis pyrifera" je významnou součástí kelpových lesů. Rodové jméno "Macrocystis" pochází z řeckého μακρός + κύστις „dlouhý, velký“ + „měch“, druhové jméno odkazuje na tvar vzduchových měchů na bázi fyloidů – z latinského pirus + *-feros „hrušky“ + „nesoucí“.