texts:
 presentation of Jewish law and observances, with particular emphasis on their underlying ideas, capturing the "unifying ideological threads";
these discussions are still regularly taught and referenced. The title is a reference to the (Ten) Commandments; Mount Horeb, , is another name for Mount Sinai. Horeb is organized into six sections, according to <mask>'s classification of the commandments.As for the Letters, its historical background is the enlightenment, and particularly the beginnings of Reform Judaism, and it thus constituted an attempt "to lead the young generation of Jewry back to the Divine law." See  also below. In it <mask> shows that the Torah's mitzvot, are not mere "ceremonies", but "duties" of Israel. It was then, to some extent, "a necessary concomitant of the Letters". It was conceived, also, to deal with the practical observances of Judaism - providing summarised Halachot relevant to each sub-section. Commentary on the Siddur and Psalms
Rabbi <mask> left in manuscript at the time of his death a translation and explanation of the prayer-book, which was subsequently published. His commentary on Pirkei Avot here, has been republished separately.His commentary on the book of Psalms (Uebersetzung und Erklärung der Psalmen, 1882) is still widely read; it underpins much of his siddur commentary. Works of activism
Works here (besides similar mentioned above) include:
 Pamphlet: Jüdische Anmerkungen zu den Bemerkungen eines Protestanten (anon. ), Emden, 1841- response to a provocative and anti-Semitic pamphlet by an anonymous Protestant
 Pamphlet: Die Religion im Bunde mit dem Fortschritt (anon. ), Frankfurt am Main, 1854 - response to provocations from the side of the Reform-dominated "Main Community"
 Pamphlets during the Secession Debate:
 Das Princip der Gewissensfreiheit (The principle of freedom of conscience), 1874
 Der Austritt aus der Gemeinde (Leaving the community), 1876
 Ueber die Beziehungen des Talmuds zum Judenthum (On the Talmud's Relationships with Judaism), 1884  - a defense of Talmudic literature against anti-Semitic slanders in Russia

Translations and collections
Most of Hirsch's writings have been translated into English and Hebrew by his descendants, starting with "Horeb" in the 1950s (by Dayan Isidor Grunfeld of London) and his Torah commentary in the 1960s (by his grandson Isaac Levi, also of London). Horeb was translated into Hebrew already in 1892. The publication, in several volumes, of his collected writings (Gesammelte Schriften or Nachalath Zwi) was begun in 1902. The bulk of these, that had previously been published in German in 1902-1912 under the title Nachalath Zwi, were translated between 1984 and 2012 by the "Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer  Foundation" (established to perpetuate the memory of Breuer, Hirsch's grandson, via publication of Hirsch's (and Breur's) writings).Many of the Collected Writings are available online and linked here. Themes in his work
<mask> lived in the post-Napoleonic era, an epoch when Jews had been granted civil rights in a large number of European countries, leading to a call for reform. A large segment of his work focuses on the possibilities for Orthodox Judaism in such an era, when freedom of religion also meant the freedom to practice Torah precepts without persecution and ridicule. The principle of "Austritt", an independent Orthodoxy, flows naturally from his view on the place of Judaism in his epoch: If Judaism is to gain from these civil liberties, it has to be able to develop independently — without having to lend implicit or explicit approval to efforts at reformation. His other major work involves the symbolic meaning of many Torah commandments and passages. Indeed, his work "Horeb" (1837) focuses to a large degree on the possible meanings and symbols in religious precepts. This work was continued in his Torah commentary and his articles in the Jeschurun journal (Collected Writings, vol.III, is a collation of these articles). A final area of his work, which has only recently been re-discovered, was his etymological analysis of the Hebrew language. Most of this work is contained in his Torah commentary, where he analyses and compares the shorashim (three-letter root forms) of a large number of Hebrew words and develops an etymological system of the Hebrew language. This approach is based on the idea that letters that share a phonetic similarity, have similar meaning. For example, the words Zohar (light), Tzohar (translucent window), and Tahor (purity) are related words because the letters Zayin, Tzadie, and Tet are phonetically similar. This is an approach used in many places by the renowned biblical commentator Rashi as well. Although this effort was, in his own words, "totally unscientific", it has led to the recent publication of an "etymological dictionary of the Hebrew language".Although <mask> Halevi), Nahmanides, and the Maharal of Prague in his works. Nevertheless, most of his ideas are original. In a 1995 edition of <mask>' Nineteen Letters, commentator Rabbi Joseph Elias makes an extensive effort to show <mask>' sources in Rabbinic literature, parallels in his other works and those of other post-Talmudic Jewish thinkers. Elias also attempts to refute particular interpretations of his philosophy, such as the notion that much of his thinking was rooted in Kantian secular philosophy. While the Zionist movement was not founded during his lifetime, it is clear from his responses to Rabbi Zvi <mask> Kalischer, and in several places in his commentary to the Bible and Siddur, that although he had a deep love for the Land of Israel, he opposed a movement to wrest political independence for the Land of Israel before the Messianic Era. In later works, he makes it clear that Jewish sovereignty is dependent only on Divine Providence. Influence and controversy

There is considerable controversy over <mask>'s legacy; this is a matter of debate amongst three parties: Haredi (sometimes called Ultra-Orthodox), Modern Orthodox, and <mask>'s descendants.While it is undisputed that his Torah im Derech Eretz was his real innovation, the exact implementation has been greatly debated. Those on Orthodoxy's right wing hold that <mask> himself approved of secular studies as a "Horaas Sha'ah", or temporary dispensation, only in order to save Orthodox Jewry of the nineteenth century from the threat posed by assimilation. While a yeshiva student in Eastern Europe, Rabbi Shimon Schwab obtained the opinions of various Poskim (authorities in Jewish law) to this effect (see Selected Writings, "These and Those", where Schwab himself disagrees). At the other end of the Orthodox continuum, some Modern Orthodox Jews understand Hirsch in the sense of Torah Umadda, meaning a synthesis of Torah knowledge and secular knowledge - each for its own sake (this view is propagated in several articles in Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Thought, published by the Rabbinical Council of America). In this view, <mask> thought that it was permissible, and even productive, for Jews to learn Gentile philosophy, music, art, literature, and ethics for their own sake. In contrast, a third middle opinion held by <mask>'s descendants (his son-in-law and successor Rabbi Solomon Breuer, his grandson Rabbi Joseph Breuer, and the latter's successor Rabbi Shimon Schwab), Rabbi Joseph Elias, in his commentary to The Nineteen Letters, and some Jewish historians say that both of these understandings of <mask>'s philosophy are misguided; they refer to these readings of <mask> as improper historical revisionism. In response to the "temporary dispensation" theory, they point to <mask> in Collected Writings as continually stressing the philosophical and religious imperative of Torah im Derech Eretz for all times.<mask> himself addressed this contention: "Torah im Derech Eretz ... is not part of troubled, time bound notions; it represents the ancient, traditional wisdom of our sages that has stood the test everywhere and at all times." In response to the "Torah Umadda" theory, they say that Hirschian philosophy demands the domination of Torah over secular knowledge, not a separate synthesis. On this basis, many adherents of <mask>'s philosophy have preferred the natural sciences over the humanities as a subject of secular study, seemingly because they are easier to judge through the prism of Torah thought than the more abstract humanities. Bibliography
The Nineteen Letters, Prepared by Jacob Breuer in a new edition based on the translation by Rabbi Dr. Bernard Drachman. Feldheim, 1960. The Nineteen Letters, Newly translated by Karin Paritzky; revised and with a comprehensive commentary by Joseph Elias. Feldheim Publishers.Second, corrected edition 1996. .
Horeb: A Philosophy of Jewish Laws and Observances, Translated from the German original with Introduction and Annotations by Dayan Dr. I. Grunfeld. Soncino Press, 1962. Volume I & II. . The Pentateuch - with Translation and Commentary, Judaica Press, 1962. . Reissued in a new translation by Daniel Haberman as The Hirsch Chumash, Feldheim/Judaica Press, 2009. . The Hirsch Siddur. Philipp Feldheim, 1978. .Collected Writings of Rabbi <mask> <mask>. Philipp Feldheim, 1984–2012 (9 volumes). . The Psalms - with Translation and Commentary. Philipp Feldheim, 1960. Revised edition published 2014. . The Jewish Sabbath, Translated by Ben Josephussoro. Mullock and Sons, 1911.Jewish Symbolism- The Collected Writings Volume III. Philipp Feldheim, 1984. .

See also
 Orthodox Judaism
 Isaac Breuer
 Joseph Breuer
 Mordechai Breuer
 Salomon Breuer
 Kaufmann Kohler, a student of Hirsch
 Yeshiva Rabbi <mask> <mask>, New York City
 Torah Lehranstalt
 Moses Samuel Zuckermandl, a student of Hirsch

References

External links

 Works by and about <mask> <mask> in University Library JCS Frankfurt am Main: Digital Collections Judaica
 Religion Allied to Progress in Collected Writings of Rabbi <mask> <mask>
 <mask>, <mask>, jewishencyclopedia.com
 Video Lecture on <mask> Hirsch by Dr. Henry Abramson of Touro College South
 Hirsch / Breuer genealogy (GIF file)
 Natan Slifkin, Rav <mask>: Hero or Heretic? A variety of articles and resources, including two biographies of <mask> and other materials. A catalogue of print and online resources focusing on the teachings of Rabbi <mask>. Digitized works by <mask> <mask> at the Leo Baeck Institute, New York
 The Torah Im Derech Eretz Society

1808 births
1888 deaths
19th-century rabbis
Czech Orthodox rabbis
German biblical scholars
19th-century German theologians
German Orthodox rabbis
Chief rabbis of Moravia
Rabbis of Nikolsburg
19th-century Jewish biblical scholars
German Jewish theologians
Jews from Hamburg
Philosophers of Judaism
University of Bonn alumni
19th-century Jewish theologians
Burials at the Old Jewish Cemetery, Frankfurt
German male non-fiction writers
19th-century male writers
Jewish translators of the Bible
Jews and Judaism in Frankfurt
19th-century

masks:
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirschda
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Hirsch
Samson Raphael
Hirsch
Samson Raphael
Hirsch
Samson Raphael
Hirsch
Samson Raphael
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Hirsch
Samson Raphael
Samson Raphael
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Rabbi Hirsch
Hirsch
Samson Raphael
Hirsch


type: original

texts:
Athanasios Klaras (; August 27, 1905 – June 15, 1945), better known by the nom de guerre <mask> (), was a Greek journalist, politician, member of the Communist Party of Greece, the most prominent leader and chief instigator of the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) and the military branch of the National Liberation Front (EAM), which was the major resistance organization in occupied Greece from 1942 to 1945. Early years
<mask> was born in Lamia, Greece in 1905, to an upper urban class family. His father was Dimitrios Klaras, a well-known lawyer in the area and his mother was Aglaia Zerva. Initially Klaras studied journalism, but later attended and graduated from the Geoponic School of Larissa. He left for Athens, where he did various jobs, participated in the leftist and antimilitary movement and later became a member of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). During the 1920s and 30s he was jailed several times for different offenses. He became an editor in the communist Rizospastis and wrote several articles supporting socialist revolution.In 1931, an article of Klaras caused the intervention of the authorities, who shut down the newspaper and proceeded to prosecute its editors. The newspaper was republished as Neos Rizospastis. During the Metaxas regime (1936–1941), there was an "unprecedent witch-hunt" against Greek communists. Velouchiotis was arrested for his communist ideas at the end of 1936 and jailed in Aegina, where he was tortured under the police interrogation techniques refined by Konstantinos Maniadakis, the Minister of Security. He managed to escape during transport from Aegina to Athens for trial in 1937, but was arrested soon thereafter and sent back to Aegina for an additional four years. He remained imprisoned there until signing a "statement of renouncement of KKE and of the communist ideology," a very humiliating act for a communist at the time. These statements of renouncement, called "declarations of repentance", were then distributed to the authorities in the signatory's home village.These confessions were often publicly published listing both the actions for which the signatory had confessed, as well as wholly fabricated confessions, marking the signatories as dilosias (renegades) in their home villages. This left a mark on Velouchiotis' name, both with those supporting the Metaxas dictatorship, but also from the communists, who saw his declaration as a capitulation. World War II: From Klaras to Aris

During World War II, he fought as an artillery private of the Hellenic Army at the Albanian front against the Italian army, until the German invasion in April 1941 and Greece's subsequent surrender and occupation. After Germany's offensive campaign in the Soviet Union, the Greek Communist Party championed the creation of the National Liberation Front (EAM), and Klaras was sent to Central Greece (Greek Roumeli) to assess the potential for the development of a guerrilla movement against the occupation forces in this area. His proposals were adopted by the party, and in January 1942, Klaras moved to the mountains to start setting up guerrilla groups. The first appearance of the partisans organised by Klaras occurred on June 7, 1942, in the village of Domnista in Evrytania in Central Greece. There he presented himself as Major of Artillery (for gaining extra prestige among the villagers) with the nom de guerre of Aris Velouchiotis (from Ares, the Greek god of war, and Velouchi, a local mountain) and proclaimed the existence of the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS).Initially, he collected also the traditional local mountain living bandits in order to create a small group of experts in guerrilla fighting. Velouchiotis as a leader applied steely discipline and managed to have under his commands a considerable number of guerillas. Starting with only 15 men, ELAS' power finally comprised up to 50,000 guerillas. One of the most important early operations of the Greek resistance movement (in which Velouchiotis and his fighters, after negotiations with the British, agreed to participate alongside Napoleon Zervas's republican EDES resistance forces and twelve British saboteurs under the leadership of Major E. C. W. "Eddie" Myers) was the blowing-up of the Gorgopotamos railway viaduct, south of Lamia, on November 25, 1942 (Operation Harling). The destruction of the viaduct cut the single Thessaloniki-Athens rail line, thus the line connecting the Balkans with southern Greece, but did not disrupt any supply lines—as would have been the case had it happened, as the British intended, two months earlier—to Erwin Rommel's German forces in Northern Africa, as it took place one month after the commencement of the El Alamein battle on October 23, 1942, in which Rommel was badly defeated by the British. The destruction of the Gorgopotamos viaduct was to be the last operation where the communist-influenced ELAS organisation fought alongside Greek Republican resistance forces, such as the EKKA's 5/42 Evzones Regiment (military arm of EKKA) and EOEA (National Groups of Greek Guerillas, Εthnikes Omades Ellinon Antarton, military arm of EDES). But despite the signing of an agreement in July 1943 between the three main Resistance groups (EAM/ELAS, EDES and EKKA) to cooperate and to subject themselves to the Allied Middle East High Command under General Wilson (the "National Bands Agreement"), in the political field, the mutual mistrust between EAM and the other groups escalated.EAM-ELAS was by now the dominant political and military force in Greece, and EDES and EKKA, along with the British and the Greek government-in-exile, feared that after the inevitable German withdrawal, it would try to dominate the country and establish a soviet regime  The rift ultimately led to a civil war in late 1943 and early 1944, in which ELAS attacked EDES, EOEA and destroyed EKKA's 5/42 Evzones Regiment, executing its leader Col. Dimitrios Psarros. Liberation and expulsion from the Communist Party

In October 1944, when the Nazis evacuated Greece, ELAS was the dominant force in most of the Greek cities, except Athens, while EAM had established its own government, the PEEA. Velouchiotis passed from Central Greece to Peloponnese to clear the region from the Security Battalions, and fought several battles against them. The British, with units of the Greek Army, were landed in Greece (Operation Manna) and a new government was formed under Georgios Papandreou, the leader of the Greek National Unity Government, which was established following the Treaties of Lebanon and Caserta. Velouchiotis returned to Central Greece and made a speech in his native town, Lamia. During the Dekemvriana events in Athens, he was sent by the Party to Epirus, where he attacked the forces of Zervas' EDES. EDES evacuated the region of Epirus and passed to the Ionian islands.When the Varkiza agreement was signed to end the Dekemvriana fighting between EAM forces and governmental/British forces in Athens, he personally with General Sarafis signed the demobilisation of the ELAS army. But afterwards, he vehemently refused to comply regarding the agreement as a betrayal of the guerillas. The leadership of the Communist Party, under Nikos Zachariadis, consequently accused him of treachery, of being a "suspicious and adventurous element" and spurned him as a member of KKE. The Communist Party was always suspicious of Klaras' actions even though he was the founder of ELAS. This was due to his status as a simple party member, his old renouncement of the party and fickle character. Death
Velouchiotis moved again to the mountains of Central Greece in order to start an insurgency (see Greek Civil War) against the new government and the British allies who supported them (considering them worse than Germans). He was reported to have denounced the sell-out to the British in the Varkiza Agreement to lay down the National Resistance arms; particularly moving was the sight of his elite massed Mavroskoufides (Black Berets) openly mourning.He was outmanoeuvred by the KKE leadership and resolved to leave Greece; he repeatedly requested permission from the party to be allowed to depart, but was refused. His intention was to create a new ELAS and a National Independence Front (MEA). Though most of his associates abandoned him, he was reported to have continued to conduct guerrilla activities until June 1945. He was denounced by the KKE Central Committee and increasingly isolated, until he was ambushed with his unit in the mountain of Agrafa (some say that he was set up or even betrayed by KKE contacts) by para-military groups controlled by the Athens government. <mask> and his second in command, Giannis Aggeletos (nom de guerre: Leon Tzavellas), were isolated by the main unit and finally he committed suicide with his comrade, either by a hand grenade or by a bullet, on the same day he learned that he was denounced by the communist party. Rumors want him to "have committed suicide with his commander Tzavellas when his thoughts were that there is no better future for his revolution". The corpses of Velouchiotis and Tzavellas were subsequently decapitated, and the heads displayed (a practice of the pre-war Greek State and Police for the common mountain bandits), hanging from a lamp post in the central square of the town of Trikala.When British Labour government members of Parliament objected to the barbarity of the operation, they received the reply that the display was in accordance to an "ancient Greek war custom". Following the rehabilitation in Greece of the EAM/ELAS and subsequently of the Communist party itself (after the end of the Greek military junta), busts and statues of <mask> Velouchiotis have been erected in his native town; recently the KKE  moved discreetly for Velouchiotis' rehabilitation, following in turn the expulsion of the KKE's wartime leader (who had denounced him), Nikos Zachariadis. Relationship with Zervas
Coincidentally, the two leaders of the Greek Resistance were distant cousins. Zervas was descendant from the famous Souliote clan of Zervades, who after the destruction of Souli by the Ottomans fled to Aitoloakarnania, while Klaras' mother was of Souliote descent, from a family related to Zervades. However, Zervas had never before seen Velouchiotis before their first meeting during the Resistance era. Legacy

Velouchiotis is one of the most controversial figures of modern Greek history. His personality and action was mythologised during his life and after his death.Supporters consider him a symbol of Greek resistance against the occupying powers, the founder and creator of the biggest guerrilla army in the Greek history (ELAS) and a hero of the communist cause. Critics see him as a perpetrator of atrocities and murders against rural people who were perceived as opponents of communism; a basic instigator of the Red Terror. In his memories he appreciates his military abilities. However, he was a man of strong patriotic beliefs. He was especially strict to Greeks who sought collaboration with the occupying forces, with his companions who broke the organized discipline, and people who approved the involvement of the British in Greek politics since he considered the British a threat to the patriotic cause of the Resistance. See also
Georgios Grivas
Salvatore Giuliano
Che Guevara
Emiliano Zapata
Georgios Karaiskakis

Notes

Further reading

 Extensive biography in Greek, published also in English in 2012 by the same publisher as "Aris, Lord of the Mountains"

External links
 The Last Great Speech of Aris Velouchiotis
 Last Letter of Aris Velouhiotis to the Central Committee of the KKE

1905 births
1945 deaths
People from Lamia (city)
Greek journalists
Greek communists
Greek torture victims
Greek revolutionaries
Suicides in Greece
Greek People's Liberation Army personnel
Greek military leaders of World War II
20th-century journalists
1945 suicides
Trophy heads

masks:
Aris Velouchiotis
Aris Velouchiotis
Aris
Aris


texts:
<mask> (born 8 May 1976), known professionally as H from Steps, is a Welsh singer and actor. He is known as a member of the British pop group Steps. In 2020, he competed in the twelfth series of Dancing on Ice. Career

Steps

In May 1997, <mask> became a member of the British pop group Steps. Steps achieved a series of charting singles between 1997 and 2001 including two number-one singles in the UK, two number-one albums in the UK, 14 consecutive top 5 singles in the UK and a string of hits throughout Europe. The group has sold over 20 million records worldwide in addition to acquiring a BRIT Award nomination in 1999. Steps reformed in May 2011 for a four-part documentary series on Sky Living titled Steps: Reunion.The series started airing on 28 September, following an announcement of a second greatest hits album, The Ultimate Collection, that was released on 10 October 2011. The album entered the charts at number one, becoming the band's third album to achieve this feat. The second series of Steps: Reunion titled "Steps: On the Road Again" aired on Sky Living in April 2012; the series followed the band as they embarked on their sellout 22-date UK tour. On 24 September 2012, the group confirmed they would release their fourth studio album Light Up The World on 12 November 2012, alongside a six-date Christmas tour, starting from 30 November and ending on 5 December. The group reformed for a second time on 1 January 2017 in celebration of their 20th anniversary, and later announced their fifth studio album Tears on the Dancefloor, which was released in April 2017 and entered the charts at number 2. On 5 March 2017, the group confirmed the release of the new album, alongside its lead single, "Scared of the Dark", and a 22-date tour, Party on the Dancefloor. A deluxe edition of the album, titled Tears on the Dancefloor: Crying at the Disco, was released on 27 October.In November 2017, Faye Tozer announced that the reunion was no longer just a 20th-anniversary celebration and that the group intends to continue after their 2018 Summer of Steps tour. In April 2018, Richards announced that following their summer tour, they would begin work on their sixth studio album. In February 2019, Richards announced the group would begin recording their next album during the summer months. On 7 September 2020, via their social media accounts, Steps announced the release date of their album entitled What the Future Holds. The album was released on 27 November of the same year, with pre-orders available from 8 September. The next day, they confirmed a new 14-date UK tour (with special guest Sophie Ellis-Bextor) starting in November 2021. The first single from the album was "What the Future Holds", written by Greg Kurstin and Sia and released on 9 September 2020.It was followed by "Something in Your Eyes" on 27 October 2020. "To the Beat of My Heart" was released as the album's third single in January 2021. The first single of What the Future Holds Pt. 2 was confirmed as a reworked version of "Heartbreak in This City" featuring Michelle Visage. H & Claire

After Steps split in 2001, <mask> formed a duo, H & Claire, with fellow ex-Steps member Claire Richards. They released three singles and an album. Musical theatre
After departing from H & Claire, he then decided to take a musical theatre course at the Royal Academy of Music.Whilst taking the course he also appeared in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was filmed for a reality TV series, H-side Story, which followed him as he tried to make a new career in acting. <mask> performed at Preston's Charter theatre in the pantomime Cinderella as the character of Buttons. In summer 2007, he performed in the West End version of Fame. During Christmas 2007, he reprised his role as Buttons in the pantomime Cinderella at the Grimsby Auditorium. He also played the role of 'Silly Billy' in pantomime Jack & The Beanstalk at the Southport Theatre from 10 December 2009 to 3 January 2010. Christmas 2010 saw his return to Grimsby as he performed in the pantomime Beauty and the Beast, playing the part of Muddles. In 2013, <mask> announced that he was returning to his role as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in June on the UK National Tour.The following year he played Prince Charming in the panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone. Television
In June 2006, <mask> appeared in a special week of episodes of the BBC Radio Drama Silver Street on the BBC Asian Network. He played the character of former soldier Dave in episodes set in the Welsh countryside. In November 2006, <mask> featured on the BBC Children in Need Celebrity Scissorhands show, where Michelle cut his hair. <mask> was the ninth housemate to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house on 3 January 2007. He finished in fourth place. In April 2007, <mask> starred as the hidden celebrity in an episode of the CBBC series Hider in the House.On 11 March 2008, <mask> presented a documentary about growing up gay in Wales, shown on BBC Wales. Whilst filming for this, <mask> interviewed Christian Voice leader Stephen Green. During the interview Green compared him to Jeffrey Dahmer. In December 2008, <mask> was a contestant in Bargain Hunt Famous Finds and partnered with Connie Fisher. <mask> appeared on Skins, episode 2 of series 4. He also appeared in the Living TV series Party Wars in 2010. In February 2013, <mask> was a contestant in the celebrity special of the ITV quiz show The Chase along with three other celebrities.In 2014, he appeared as one of the celebrities challenged to learn Welsh in a week on the S4C series Cariad@Iaith. In 2020, <mask> competed in the twelfth series of the ITV series Dancing on Ice. He was the first celebrity in the history of the series to compete within a same sex couple, with professional partner Matt Evers. Steps reunion
In 2009, Lee Latchford-Evans hinted that a future reunion was possible, but that "it isn't the right time right now". In 2011, it was announced that Steps would be reuniting for a four-part Sky Living documentary, depicting their split and the intermittent years. The band would also release their Ultimate Collection, as well as potential new material. In an interview with Digital Spy on 20 September 2011, Steps said that they believe there may still be a gap in the market for their brand of "happy pop".Scott-Lee said: "Times have changed, but we are in a recession and Steps' music was very light-hearted and fun, so there could be a place for that in today's society ... What else is interesting is that there aren't any boy/girl pop groups out there at the moment". Personal life
On 3 January 2007, <mask> came out as gay in an interview with The Sun newspaper. His interview was published the same day he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house. During his tenure with Steps, <mask> was involved in a relationship with the group's manager, Tim Byrne. <mask> was in a relationship with Craig Ryder from 2007 until November 2017. On 6 March 2016, they became fathers to twin sons, Macsen and Cybi <mask>, born via a surrogate. <mask> was named on the 2017 Pink List of leading Welsh LGBT figures.Misidentification
In November 2013, it was reported that <mask> had been receiving hate mail through Twitter from people confusing him with Lostprophets singer <mask>, who had recently pleaded guilty to sex offences involving children. H received a public apology in court from E! Entertainment Television for having used his photo to illustrate a story about the Lostprophets singer. After the misidentification, H was said to be pursuing legal action after his image appeared next to stories about the other <mask>' crimes through searches on Google News. Discography

References

External links

 Friday Night H (BBC Radio Wales)

1976 births
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music
British male singers
Butlins Redcoats
Gay actors
LGBT actors from Wales
LGBT musicians from Wales
LGBT singers from the United Kingdom
Living people
Participants in British reality television series
People educated at Treorchy Comprehensive School
People from Llwynypia
Steps (group) members
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people

masks:
Ian Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
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Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Ryder Watkins
Watkins
Watkins
Ian Watkins
Ian Watkins


texts:
<mask> (1758–1842) was a Yankee tunesmith and hatmaker born in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. The son of goldsmith <mask>, <mask> lived in small towns along the Connecticut River in Connecticut and Massachusetts for most of his life. <mask>'s compositional output consisted mostly of psalm and hymn settings, referred to as psalmody. These tunes and settings were produced for choirs and singing schools located in Congregationalist communities of New England. <mask> is unique as an early American composer in that he composed secular vocal duets and songs in addition to sacred tunebook music. The tunebook, New England Harmony is a collection of his sacred music compositions, while The Songster's Assistant is a collection of his secular music. <mask> was also a poet and teacher of singing.Life

Birth and early life
Born July 23, 1758, <mask> was the eighth child of the goldsmith William and Lavinia <mask> of Worcester, Massachusetts. Not much is known of <mask>'s early years other than he resided in Worcester until his father's death in 1774. After the death of his father, <mask> was apprenticed to a "Mr. Barnes" of Marlborough, Massachusetts. Barnes, an "importer of foreign goods" was a loyalist who eventually left the colonies to return to England as relations between the two became increasingly strained. This caused an end to <mask>'s brief apprenticeship in Marlborough. Groton and the singing school
After leaving Barnes' employ, <mask> moved to Groton, Massachusetts to live with his older brother William. <mask>'s elder brother had an active interest in music and may have influenced his brother.Shortly after arriving in Groton, <mask> enrolled in a singing school that was taught by a "Mr. Gross". This experience is probably the only formal musical education that <mask> ever had. Cambridge and Northfield
In 1774, <mask> left Groton to enlist in the Continental Army located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was here that he learned to play fife under the tutelage of a British Fifer. In 1775, a little less than a year after enlisting at Cambridge, <mask> moved to Northfield, Massachusetts. It was here that <mask> became apprenticed as a hatter with his brother-in-law Caleb Lyman.It is here in Northfield that <mask>'s attention focused on musical composition. His first composition "Montague" can be placed around 1774 when <mask> was sixteen years old. The Suffield years
After completing his apprenticeship in 1780, <mask> moved to Enfield, Connecticut and then to Suffield, Connecticut, two years later in 1782. It was in Suffield that <mask> composed most of his music. Marriage and family
In Suffield, <mask> was introduced to Mary Gay, the daughter Ebenezer Gay, third minister of the First Congregational Church of Suffield. <mask> may have been introduced to Miss Gay by his brother <mask> who was married to Lucy Gay, Mary's sister. His marriage to Mary on May 5, 1784, produced a large family similar to his own, ten children several of which were musicians like their father.Singing schools and tunebooks
Supplementing his work as a hatter, <mask> began teaching singing-schools in the area. It was during this time that his music was first printed. In 1783, composer-compiler Oliver Brownson included six of <mask>'s tunes in the third issue of Select Harmony. This was followed by requests from other compilers and publishers to include <mask>'s tunes in their tunebooks and other publications. By 1800, his tunes were being printed in larger areas: New York, Virginia, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. This rise in interest in his music prompted <mask> to publish his music himself. Collaborating with Alexander Ely, <mask> published The Songster's Assistant in ca.1786. The tunebook was a collection of secular duets. <mask> contributed half of the songs in the collection. In 1801, he published New England Harmony. Unlike The Songster's Assistant, New England Harmony was a collection of sacred music. The tune book contained over 104 pages of original music. The collection contained many tunes that had been previously printed including his first tune Montague.The tunebook was not well received and <mask> did not publish another collection after 1801. Even though the last tunebook did do well, <mask>'s music was still in demand and was published in later compilations by other tunebook compilers. Return to Northfield
In October 1807, 25 years after settling in Suffield, <mask> and his family moved back to the town of his childhood. The reason for the move is not known; however, the decision may have been prompted by his mother's failing health. She died six years later in 1813. Upon returning to Northfield, <mask> went into business with his nephew Josiah Dwight Lyman as milliners. <mask> continued to compose music and receive requests from other compilers seeking to purchase the copyright of some of his more popular tunes.Death
On July 23, 1842, at the age of 84, <mask> died in his sleep in Northfield. Around the time of his death the style of psalmody that he composed had given way to more "proper" compositions more along the lines of the European school of musical composition. An obituary published in the Boston Daily Advertiser, dated August 5, 1842, noted, "<mask>, 82, generally known to the public as the author of China and other pieces of sacred music, which have [so] long held a place in successive musical collections, that they have seemed to belong to an age long gone by." List of works
New England Harmony (1801)
The Songster's Assistant (ca. 1786)

Footnotes

Sources
Cooke, Nym. ed. (1997).<mask>: Psalmody And Secular Songs. Music of the United States of America, vol. 6. Madison, Wisconsin: A-R Editions. -------- "<mask>" in Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Hall, Roger L. ed.The Stoughton Musical Society's Centennial Collection of Sacred Music. Ditson & Company, 1878. Reprint, DaCapo Press, 1980. Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Marlborough from Its Earliest Settlement in 1657 to 1861. Boston, Massachusetts, 1862. Langosch, Marlene."The Published Works of <mask> (1758-1842)." MMA Thesis. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1968. Murray, Sterling E. "<mask> and Yankee Psalmody" The Musical Quarterly 61, no.3. (July 1975), pp. 433–60. "Obituary", Boston Daily Advertiser, Boston, Massachusetts, August 5, 1842, pp.235–36.Records of the Congregational Church in Suffield, Connecticut, 1710-1836. Hartford, Connecticut: 1941. Sonneck, Oscar G. Bibliography of Early Secular American Music (18th Century). Revised by William T. Upton, New York: Da Capo Press, 1964. Temple, Josiah Howard and George Sheldon. A History of Town of Northfield, Massachusetts, for 150 Years, with An Account of the Prior Occupation of the Territory by the Squakheags and with Family Genealogies"'' Albany, New York: Joel Munsell, 1875. Webster, E. "<mask>."Manuscript Memoir, in Swan Papers, American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts: 1842. External links
 <mask>, Suffield Library, Suffield, Connecticut

 <mask> at Music of the United States of America (MUSA)

Sound files
Rainbow MIDI
China (1790) MIDI
Ocean MIDI
Orange MIDI
Calvary MIDI
Poland (1783) MIDI
Dover MIDI

American male composers
American composers
American music publishers (people)
Musicians from Worcester, Massachusetts
People from Suffield, Connecticut
People from Northfield, Massachusetts
Hat makers
1758 births
1842 deaths
Shape note
People of Massachusetts in the American Revolution

masks:
Timothy Swan
William Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Timothy Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Timothy
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Benjamin Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan
Timothy Swan


texts:
<mask> (born January 22, 1948) is an American Republican politician and educator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1997 to 2007, she represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives, where she served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She lost reelection to Democrat John Yarmuth in the 2006 election. She then ran for governor, losing by 15 points to embattled Governor of Kentucky Ernie Fletcher in the Republican primary election for the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election. Prior to her election to the United States House of Representatives, <mask> had served in the Kentucky House of Representatives. <mask> ran again for her old congressional seat in the 2008 election, losing again to Yarmuth. Early life and education
<mask> was born to a large family, having nine sisters and a brother, and grew up in St. Matthews, a suburb of Louisville.<mask> was educated at Sacred Heart Academy and Saint Mary's College, earning a bachelor's degree in economics and business. Early political career
<mask> first became active in politics as a volunteer for the Barry Goldwater 1964 presidential campaign. She was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly in 1987, where she represented the 32nd district until 1996. U.S. House of Representatives

Tenure

She represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky. Despite the Democratic leanings of the district, she won re-election four times. She served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She was one of the wealthiest members of the House of Representatives, ranking 34th out of the 435—with assets of $4.4 million to $15.9 million—based on financial disclosure statements made for the 2006 campaign.Elections

1996
She was elected to the United States House in 1996, narrowly defeating one-term Democratic incumbent Mike Ward with a vote count of 126,625 to 125,326. The seat had been held for the previous 24 years by Democrat Ron Mazzoli. 1998
In 1998, <mask> defeated Democratic candidate Chris Gorman, a former state attorney general, by just 4 percentage points. In December 1998, she voted for three of the four impeachment charges against President Bill Clinton. 2000
In 2000, <mask> faced state representative Eleanor Jordan, who was trying to become Kentucky's first black member of Congress. As with many of <mask>'s other opponents, Jordan, who had begun her political career as an unwed mother on welfare, argued that <mask> too often sided with her Republican counterparts, voting the party line over 90% of the time. This would be a common theme for most of <mask>'s Democratic challengers.<mask> ran on her record of getting federal money for the district, and argued Jordan would be "too liberal" for constituents. The competitive race—the candidates were in a dead heat in early polls—was of national interest in a year when Democrats were trying to regain control of the house. It attracted a visit from then-President Clinton in support of Jordan, and became at the time the second most expensive House race in Kentucky history. A memorable <mask> ad featured a clip of Jordan speaking in the Kentucky House's floor, urging colleagues to hurry up and vote a bill, saying "I have a fund-raiser at 6 o'clock and I want to get out of here." The Courier-Journal credited that ad, combined with Jordan's admission on a local radio program that she did not know the cost of a Medicare bill she had voted for, with Jordan's gradual decline in support late in the campaign. Although the race looked close early on, <mask> pulled away to win with 53 percent of the vote to Jordan's 44 percent, even as Al Gore carried the district. It would remain <mask>'s biggest victory margin until 2004.2004
<mask> was elected to a fifth term with 60 percent of the vote in 2004, her largest margin of victory. Her earlier House races were much closer. She defeated long time Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk Tony Miller. In three debates in October, she attacked her opponent as uninformed on national issues and unprepared for office. In polls before the debates, <mask> led by 7 percentage points; in polls afterwards, she led by 24 points. She ran on her past performance, as well as the promise of securing funding for two new Ohio River bridges and a new Veteran's Administration hospital. <mask> was endorsed by The Courier-Journal (typically seen as liberal), several local Democratic officeholders, and former state Attorney General Chris Gorman, a Democrat who ran against her for the seat in 1998.2006
Political observers had been amazed at <mask>'s ability to hold onto the 3rd, even though it was easily the most Democratic district in Kentucky. However, she was defeated for re-election to a sixth term in the 2006 congressional election by John Yarmuth, former publisher and editorialist of the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO), an alternative newsweekly. Although initially considered an underdog for his lack of a political background and the potential for his views to be portrayed as strongly liberal, Yarmuth garnered 122,139 votes (51%) to <mask>'s 116,157 votes (48%). Third party candidates garnered 2,896 votes (1%). The campaign was relatively civil, although ads were run calling Yarmuth a hypocrite for his statements condemning the minimum wage as immoral while his family's restaurants paid some employees minimum wage. <mask> also attempted to exploit Yarmuth's lengthy record in print, repeating in campaign ads some of his potentially unpopular statements (such as allegedly supporting the legalization of marijuana) and holding a press conference to complain that not all of his old columns had been made available to her campaign. Major themes of <mask>'s campaign was that she was independent of the then-unpopular President Bush, and that she was uniquely able to secure federal funds for Louisville projects.Due to her support for many of President Bush's policies and her past campaigning with the president her reelection was closely watched on election night as an indicator as to how well the Democrats would do in the mid-term elections. Later career

2007 gubernatorial campaign

On January 17, 2007 <mask> entered the Republican primary election for Governor of Kentucky. <mask>'s running mate was State Representative Jeff Hoover of Jamestown, Kentucky, Republican leader in the Kentucky House. Northup received endorsements from prominent Kentucky Republicans including U.S. Senator Jim Bunning and Lt. Governor Steve Pence. After a lengthy scandal and investigation during his first term involving alleged abuses of the state's merit-based hiring system, many believed incumbent governor Ernie Fletcher, who sought re-election, no longer had sufficient support from either the Republican Party leadership or voters.It was released from The Courier-Journal newspaper that <mask> was praised as a "formidable" candidate by the state's top Republican leader, long-time U.S Senator and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, although McConnell stopped short of an endorsement of any particular candidate. <mask> faced Fletcher and businessman Billy Harper in the primary. <mask> began television advertisements about six weeks before the primary election, with the slogan "The only Republican who can win in November". On May 22, 2007, <mask> was defeated in the Republican primary by Fletcher. Fletcher lost in the general election to Democrat Steve Beshear. 2008 congressional campaign

On January 28, 2008, <mask> announced she would run for her old congressional seat in the 2008 election. She had previously endorsed Louisville lawyer Erwin Roberts, who had planned to run, and helped raise money for him.However, Roberts withdrew from the race after learning he would likely be called to active duty in the U.S. Army Reserve. <mask> defeated Bob DeVore Jr. and developer Chris Thieneman in the Republican primary. At a press conference held in front of a gas station on June 17, 2008, <mask> said that the 2008 elections were about the rising price of energy. On November 4, 2008, <mask> was defeated by incumbent Democrat John Yarmuth, 59% to 41%. Consumer Product Safety Commission
On July 30, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated <mask> to a seat on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 7. The seat was a Republican seat by statute and <mask> was the choice of the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. She was one of the few government regulators who had previously served in Congress.She left the Commission on October 26, 2012. Since her defeat in 2006, no other women have served in Congress from Kentucky. Personal life
She married <mask>, who attended nearby Notre Dame, and they have six children. One of her sisters is Mary T. Meagher, a former competition swimmer and four-time Olympic medalist. See also
 Women in the United States House of Representatives

References

External links

 opensecrets.org profile — campaign funding and other information
 Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
 FEC — contributions to Northup

1948 births
Female members of the United States House of Representatives
Kentucky Republicans
Living people
Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky
Politicians from Louisville, Kentucky
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives
Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville) alumni
Saint Mary's College (Indiana) alumni
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission personnel
Women state legislators in Kentucky
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Women in Kentucky politics
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American women politicians
Candidates in the 2008 United States elections

masks:
Anne Meagher Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Anne Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Northup
Woody Northup


texts:
<mask> (born 3 July 1952) is an Indian playback singer, actor, music composer. <mask> launched his own music production company, named Kumar Brothers Music. He predominantly worked in  Bollywood and regional film songs since the 1970s, including 150 Hindi and Bengali compositions by R.D. Burman. After Burman's death in 1994, citing a lack of quality music composition, <mask> withdrew from playback singing and concentrated on live orchestra shows. In addition to singing in Hindi, has also performed in Bengali, Bhojpuri, Odia, Assamese, Marathi and Konkani. He is the eldest son of legendary singer-actor <mask>.Early life
<mask> is the son of legendary singer and actor Kishore <mask> and Bengali singer and actress Ruma Guha Thakurta. Like his father, <mask> started singing from an early age and he used to sing at Durga Pooja festivals in Calcutta. At one such function arranged by legendary Bengali actor "Mahanayak" Uttam <mask>, the audience continued requesting encores. While his mother complained that he was singing "filmy" songs, his father decided to bring him to Bombay. Kishore <mask> had cast <mask> as his son in two films that he produced. In the first, Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein he sang Aa Chalke Tujhe, Mein Leke Chaloon to his eleven-year-old son. For the second film, Door Ka Raahi, a teenage <mask> <mask> sang "Main Ik Panchi Matwaala Re", but it was removed from the final cut of the film.Singing career

Early 1970s

<mask> sang professionally for the first time, outside his father's composition, at the age of 21 in 1973. The song was "Hosh Mein Hum Kahan", composed by Sapan Jagmohan for the film Darwaza, which was released in 1978.Officially his first released song was in Main Bhi Akela Hoon from the 1974 film Zindagi Aur Toofan. His duets with his father, such as "Haseeno Ke Chakkar Mein" from Deewangee in 1976, "Nazar Lage Na Saathiyo" from Des Pardes in 1978 and "Sun Chache Bol" from Badthi Ka Naam Dadhi in 1974 became popular. In the 1976 film Balika Badhu, he sang "Bade Achchhe Lagte Hain" by the composer R.D. Burman, by which he attained national fame. This song was named the 26th most-popular film song of 1977 by the radio show Binaca Geetmala. <mask> recorded 170 Hindi songs under R.D.Burman. In 1978, he sang "Aati Rahengi Baharein" in Kasme Vaade, for Randhir Kapoor's character. He also did playback singing for Randhir Kapoor in Chor Ke Ghar Chor (1978) and Dhongee. He sang in various films, including Aandhi, Aap Ke Deewane, Khatta Meetha, Gol Maal, Des Pardes, Ganga Ki Saugandh, Deewanagi (1976), Duniya Meri Jeb Mein, Parvarish, Humare Tumhare (1979) and Baton Baton Mein. The duets he sang with Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle began his public display. 1980s
<mask>'s duet "Ka Janu Main Sajaniya" with Lata Mangeshkar and "Ram Kare Allah Kare" and "Humto Aap Ke Deewane Hai" with Rafi. Then <mask> sang all the songs for the 1981 film Love Story and won a Filmfare Award for the duet "Yaad Aa Rahi Hai" with Mangeshkar.Composer R.D. Burman jokingly told Amit before its release that this song sounds like a bhajan. After the success of Love Story, Rajesh Khanna employed <mask> for playback singing in Fiffty Fiffty (1981) and then later in Aakhir Kyon? (1985), Ghar Ka Chirag, Jai Shiv Shankar, Swarg (1990) and Sautela Bhai (1996). In 1980, <mask> sang "Laila o Laila" for Qurbani. <mask>'s singing in "Aao Naye Sapne Bune", composed by Basudev for Main Qatil Hun (1984). The Asha–<mask> duet "Yun Toh Haseen Hazar" from Shradhanjali in 1981 became a hit.He had several "chart-busters" in 1982 and 1983, and "hits" with the duets "Tu Rootha Toh Main Ro Doongi Sanam", "Gali Gali Dhoonda Tujhe" and solo songs "Halla Gulla Maza Hai" and "Mana Abhi Tu Kamsin" from the film Jawani (1984). In 1985, the duet "Dushman Na Kare" from Akhir Kyun was popular. In 1986, the song "Mary Tu Hoja Meri" from Anokha Rishta and the duet "Roz Roz Ankhon" from Jeeva were popular. He had solo and duet songs in hit films such as Hum Paanch, Bulundi, Itni Si Baat, Hamari Bahu Alka, Anokha Bandhan, Ustaadi Ustad Se, Bheegi Palkein, Khatron Ke Khiladi, Maalamaal, Ilzaam, Anokha Rishta, Rama O Rama, Jaaydaad, Tridev, ChaalBaaz, Aag Se Khelenge, and Dost. <mask> sang for almost all music directors and actors in the 1980s, and was the second-most preferred male playback singer in Hindi films, after his father Kishore <mask>. Among music directors, <mask> <mask> was used more by Pancham from 1975 to 1994 and by Bappi Lahiri from 1983 to 1995. He became the voice of <mask>v in the 1980s and their combination gave many hit songs from films such as Romance (1983), Teri Kasam, Lovers (1983), All-rounder and Telefilm-Janam.He was also the voice for newcomer Karan Shah in films such as Jawani, Anokha Rishta, Apne Apne and Chor Pe Mor and though the songs were popular, only Anokha Rishta and Chor Pe Mor were successful films. In the late 1980s, <mask> sang songs for Anil Kapoor in films including Tezaab, Yudh and Aag Se Khelenge and continued to sing for him in the 1990s. The duets with Asha – "Pehle Pehle Pyar Ki" and "Yeh Tujhe Kya Hua" both from Ilzaam in 1986 and "Tere Naina Mere Naina" from Aag Se Khelenge and "Chotasa Parivaar Hamara" from Dost in 1989 became known in their respective years. The Anuradha Pudwal-<mask> <mask> duet "Kehdo Ke Tum Meri" and solo song "Ek Do Teen" from Tezaab were part of Binaca Geet Mala's annual list in 1988. The song "Oye Oye- Tirchi Topi Waaley" from Tridev was a nationwide hit. <mask> did playback for Naseeruddin Shah in the film Hero Hiralal, which was popular as well. His duet "Yeh Kismat Hai Kya Kisne Dekha Yahan" with Alka Yagnik from Ghar Ka Chirag became popular in 1989.Soon after his father's death, <mask> and his half-brother Sumit <mask> released the album Dui Kishore as a tribute to Kishore <mask>. Early 1990s to 2000
In 1990, the song "Sanam Mere Sanam" of Hum with Alka Yagnik is popular. Baaghi: A Rebel for Love had a smash hit in the song "Kaisa Lagta Hai". From the film Ghayal, the song "Pyaar tum mujhase" was popular. In this decade, <mask> had notable songs in films such as Sailaab, Police Public, Aaj Ka Arjun, 100 Days, Awwal Number, ChaalBaaz, Khel, Vishwatma, Honeymoon, Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj, Gurudev, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Judaai and also had hit songs in the films which flopped at the box office, such as Jawani Zindabad, Afsana Pyar Ka, Indrajeet, Sangdil Sanam, Jaagruti, Deewana Mujhsa Nahin and Suryavanshi. <mask> enjoyed a special work relationship, in addition to R.D. Burman and Bappi Lahiri, with the music duo Anand–Milind, who heavily promoted <mask> in the early 1990s.Their collaborations include Baaghi: A Rebel for Love, Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hain, Maha-Sangram, Swarg, Anjaane Rishtey, Talaashi, Sangdil Sanam, Yaad Rakhegi Duniya, Woh Phir Aayegi, Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj, Sanam, Adharm, and Rakhwala. Anand–Milind were one of the few new-age music composers of that period who regularly recorded with <mask>. <mask>'s duets "Nazrein Milin" and "Tip Tip Baarish" with Asha Bhosle in Afsana Pyar Ka were hit songs. His duets such as "Palkon Ke Tale" and "Mujhko Yeh Zindagi Lagti Hai" in Sailaab were hits too. <mask> gained the reputation of being a singer who belted out hit songs irrespective of the film being a commercial success or critically panned. <mask> also worked with Ram Laxman and songs such as the Lata-<mask> <mask> duets "Main Jis Din Bhoola Doon" from Police Public in 1990 and "Le Le Dil" from 100 days in 1991 became popular. In 1990, Asha-Amit duets such as "Aur Suno Kya Haal" and "Baj Uthe Gunghroo" from Chor Pe Mor and Asha-<mask> duets such as "Main Khule Aam Khedun" and "Main Na Jhoot" from Indrajeet in 1991 became popular.In 1992, the Lata-<mask> <mask> duet "Adhi Raat Ko" from Parampara, composed by Shiv-Hari and Asha-<mask> duets such as "Rimjhim Rimjhim Barse" and "Jo Aap Aye" from Jhooti Shaan were huge hits. <mask> delivered more even in 1993, with Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. The songs "Deewana Dil Deewana" and "Sachhi Yeh Kahani Hai" were written. <mask> also collaborated with another fresh talent from the 1990s, Jatin–Lalit, who had <mask> <mask>ila Hai Pyar Ka, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.... He even worked with Ilaiyaraaja for the song "Yeh Gulabi Shaam Ka Nasha", a duet with Asha from the film Mera Farz (1988). In 1996, his duet with Asha Bhosle in the film Sapoot – "Kajal Kajal Teri Ankhon Ka", composed by Anu Malik became popular. Later in the decade, <mask> declined most singing offers citing that the quality of music was deteriorating since the 1990s and after the death of R.D.Burman in 1994, with whom <mask> had a special bond, he withdrew himself from the film industry. <mask> started undertaking more live stage performances in various parts of the world since 1996. During these years, he also composed and released music albums, including:
 MAD
 Pyaar Toh Bas Pyaar Hai
 Dam Dama Dam
 Oh sweetheart
 Surer raja
 Sagarika
 Jaanam
 Forever Blue
 Baba Mere

Television career

In the late 1980s, <mask> performed voice work on Doordarshan TV serials such as Chunauti and Campus. He also did songs for the television film Janam, and sang the title tracks for the Hindi-dubbed version of Disney's animated series Duck Tales and Bob the Builder. <mask> was one of the main judges in the May 2008, singing-competition TV show K for Kishore, where singers tried to recreate the atmosphere of his father's songs. He was the main judge of the Zee Bangla singing competition Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Mr (Miss Universe 2010). <mask> sang songs for Raju Chacha, Apna Sapna Money Money (2006), Kandahar (2010), Dulha Mil Gaya, Himmatwala (2013).and Club Dancer. Acting career
<mask> <mask>hash Daddy (1979) and Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi (1982). In 1989, he made his last film appearance in his father's incomplete film Mamta Ki Chhaon Mein, which starred himself, his stepmother Leena Chandavarkar and Rajesh Khanna. After his father's death in 1987, he took over as director and completed the film for release in 1989. In his long career in film he acted in a Bengali film namely "Gayak". In this film the name of his character was <mask> and it was of a struggling singer. He sang a number of songs for this film under the direction of Rabin Banerjee.This was the only Bengali film in his career where he acted and sang as a playback singer, for his own reel life for that same film. Besides he had a great role of playback singer in Bengali film industry and in this field he is really successful for over a few decades. Filmography

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer

References

External links

Living people
Bollywood playback singers
Filmfare Awards winners
Indian male playback singers
1952 births

masks:
Amit Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Amit
Kumar
Kumar
Amit
Amit
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Amit
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Amit
Kumar
Kumar Gaura
Kumar
Amit
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Amit
Kumar
Amit
Amit
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Amit
Amit
Kumar
Amit
Kumarls
Kumar
Amit
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Kumar
Amit
Kumarhab
Amit


texts:
<mask> (; 22 June 1932 – 26 October 2001) was the queen consort of Iran as the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom she married in 1951. Their marriage suffered many pressures, particularly when it became clear that she was infertile. She rejected the Shah's suggestion that he might take a second wife in order to produce an heir, as he rejected her suggestion that he might abdicate in favor of his half-brother. In March 1958, their divorce was announced. After a brief career as an actress, and a liaison with Italian film director Franco Indovina, Soraya lived alone in Paris until her death. Early life and education

Soraya was the elder child and only daughter of Khalil Esfandiary Bakhtiary (1901–1983), a Bakhtiari nobleman and Iranian ambassador to West Germany in the 1950s, and his Russian-born German wife Eva Karl (1906–1994). She was born in the English Missionary Hospital in Isfahan on 22 June 1932.She had one sibling, a younger brother, Bijan (1937–2001). Her family had long been involved in the Iranian government and diplomatic corps. An uncle, Sardar Assad, was a leader in the Persian Constitutional Revolution of the early 20th century. Soraya was raised in Berlin and Isfahan, and educated in London and Switzerland. Marriage
In 1948, Soraya was introduced to the recently divorced Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, by Forough Zafar Bakhtiary, a close relative of Soraya's, via a photograph taken by Goodarz Bakhtiary, in London, per Forough Zafar's request. At the time Soraya had completed high school at a Swiss finishing school and was studying the English language in London. They were soon engaged: the Shah gave her a 22.37 carat (4.474 g) diamond engagement ring.Soraya married the Shah at Marble Palace, Tehran, on 12 February 1951. Originally the couple had planned to wed on 27 December 1950, but the ceremony was postponed due to the bride being ill. Although the Shah announced that guests should donate money to a special charity for the Iranian poor, among the wedding gifts were a mink coat and a desk set with black diamonds sent by Joseph Stalin; a Steuben glass Bowl of Legends designed by Sidney Waugh and sent by U.S. President and Mrs. Truman; and silver Georgian candlesticks from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The 2,000 guests included Aga Khan III. The ceremony was decorated with 1.5 tonnes of orchids, tulips and carnations, sent by plane from the Netherlands. Entertainment included an equestrian circus from Rome. The bride wore a silver lamé gown studded with pearls and trimmed with marabou stork feathers, designed for the occasion by Christian Dior.Of all the Shah's many women, it is generally believed that Soraya was the "true love" of his life as she was the one he loved the most. Soraya later wrote about herself and Iran: "I was a dunce. I knew next to nothing of the geography, the legends of my country; nothing of its history, nothing of the Muslim religion". Soraya's upbringing had been entirely German and Catholic, which left her with a mixed identity, and made her the object of much distrust in Iran with Muslim clerics saying the Shah should not marry this "half-European girl" who was not raised a Muslim. Soraya wrote: "The feeling of being both Christian and Muslim, but at the same time of being neither one nor the other has engraved in my flesh two divergent poles between which my existence has unfolded. The one is methodically European, the other savagely Persian". Queen of Iran
Following the marriage, Soraya headed the family charity in Iran.Soraya's marriage was troubled as Mohammad Reza's mother and sisters all saw her as a rival for his love just as they had with his first wife Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt, and continually snubbed and inflicted petty humiliations on her. Soraya hated Ernest Perron, the Shah's best friend and private secretary. Soraya called Perron a "homosexual who detested women, all women" and who "spread poison around the palace as well as our own quarters". She wrote that Perron was a "cunning, perfidious and Machiavellian" man who "roused hatred, stirred gossip, reveled in every intrigue". Much to her disgust, Mohammad Reza was "fascinated with this diabolical Swiss" who professed to be a "philosopher, poet, and a prophet"; the two men met every morning to discuss all the affairs of state in French as Perron was the man whose advice the Shah valued the most, and, as Soraya soon learned, other matters were discussed as well. Much to her revulsion, Perron visited her and made a series of what she called very "lewd" remarks and vulgar questions about her sex life with the Shah, which led her to throw him out of the Marble Palace in her fury. During the confrontation with Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh of the left-wing National Front, Mohammad Reza was often depressed, being in her words "somber and distressed" to the extent he even stopped playing poker with his friends, which had been one of his main passions.She stated that only sex could lift Mohammad Reza out of his depression, and she often invited the Shah into her bed to keep his spirits up. Several times, Soraya advised Mohammad Reza "to screw up his courage to the sticking point". In August 1953, Soraya followed the Shah when he fled to Rome, and complained the Iranian ambassador to Italy failed to arrange for a place for them to stay while the royal couple were constantly harassed by the paparazzi. On 19 August 1953, Soraya remembered how a glum Mohammad Reza was talking about moving to the United States when he received a telegram announcing that Mosaddegh had been overthrown, leading him to shout with joy. After the 1953 coup overthrew Mosaddegh, the Shah's spirits picked up. One of Mohammad Reza and Soraya's favorite activities was masked balls, although Soraya complained the Shah always wore a lion costume (the symbol of royalty) while her attempts to appear as Madame de Pompadour were vetoed under grounds this was inappropriate for a queen, and she forced to appear as Joan of Arc instead. About her husband, Soraya always praised him when he displayed "European" personality traits while criticizing him for "Oriental" behavior.<mask> wrote despite his first marriage and "in spite of countless mistresses he had before me, Mohammad Reza was extremely shy with women . . . he did not like to show his feelings" while praising his eyes as "expressive. Dark brown, almost black, shining, at times hard, at times sad or gentle, they exuded charm and reflected his soul". As Soraya was brought up in Europe, Iran was a "strange" country to her, which the Iranian-American historian Abbas Milani argued explained her attitudes towards ordinary Iranians, which he called borderline racist. Europe was always the model for excellence in everything for her. Soraya described as Queen having to visit "hospitals, orphanages, charities, the people's quarters with their djoubs open to the sky, with streams of dirt water which supplied their dwellings, having first served washerwoman, tramps and dogs. Poverty and squalor.Children with rickets, ravaged women and starving old men, the filth of the alleyways where the houses are no longer houses, where poverty, real poverty prevailed". In contrast to the emphasis on the "filth" of Tehran, Soraya wrote with open admiration about how Paris "dazzled" her. Soraya described her time in Paris as "every day my heart was filled with sunshine. Life was light... it was wonderful to be able go to the cinemas, to drink a glass of lemonade on the terrace of the  brassie... a pleasure forbade." Soraya wrote about her joy at attending school in Europe, unlike the Iranian schools with "the grey uniform, the stove which smoked and polluted the classroom, lessons, homework, work to the point of exhaustion". In October 1954, Mohammad Reza told Soraya he was concerned about the fact that she had not given him an heir and suggested that they visit the United States to seek the help of American fertility doctors. In 1954-55, the Imperial couple paid a lengthy visit to the United States, leaving on 5 December 1954.In New York, Soraya visited doctors who assured her that an inability to bear a child was due to the "shocks, upsets and vexations of the last two years", which reassured her, but in Boston, the doctors told her she was infertile and could never have children. Much of the length of their trip was due to the Shah's efforts to do something to console Soraya who took the news that she was infertile very badly. Unaware of what the doctors had revealed to Soraya, Newsweek sarcastically wrote "even the Shahanshah (King of Kings), Vice Regent of God, Shadow of the Almighty and Center of the Universe deserves a vacation....They [the imperial couple] have spent this winter in a private visit to the U.S...physical check-ups in New York hospitals, sight-seeing in San Francisco, dancing the mambo in Hollywood, skiing in Sun Valley, water-skiing in Miami Beach". Soraya was fascinated with Hollywood and enjoyed meeting American film stars during her stay in Los Angeles. During her time in Los Angeles, Soraya met her favorite stars who were Grace Kelly, Lauren Bacall, Bob Hope, Esther Williams, and Humphrey Bogart. A photograph of Queen Soraya water-skiing in Miami while wearing a bikini became extremely controversial in Iran. Soraya was widely condemned for her immorality for her swimsuit, which was not considered a proper dress for a Muslim, and the photo was banned in Iran in attempt to silence the criticism of the ulema.On 12 February 1955, the imperial couple left the United States for the United Kingdom on the famous liner, the Queen Mary. In London, Mohammad Reza and Soraya had dinner at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II; the Prince Consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; the Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and the Foreign Secretary Sir Anthony Eden. In the final part of their trip, the imperial couple visited Cologne where they stayed with Soraya's parents. The Shah's daughter by his first marriage, Princess Shahnaz, who was studying in Belgium, also went to Cologne to see her father, which caused a jealous Soraya to throw what was called an "embarrassing tantrum", demanding that her husband show love only to her, which finally led to the Shah to tell her to shut up. On 12 March 1955, the Shah and the Queen returned to Tehran, where they were pleased that, despite the fact it was raining, thousands of people had come out to welcome them back. The Shah, who disliked his prime minister, General Fazlollah Zahedi, was well pleased that Zahedi who was suffering from gout was visibly uncomfortable standing out in the rain to welcome him back at the Tehran airport. Later in 1955, the Shah resumed the persecution of the Baháʼí Faith minority, razing their temples.The British diplomat Denis

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 Wright protested to the Shah's minister Asadollah Alam, only to be told that Mohammad Reza had to do something to appease the ulema after the photograph of Soraya in a bikini appeared, which had enraged Ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi, a key ally of the Shah. Divorce

Though the wedding took place during a heavy snow, deemed a good omen, the imperial couple's marriage had disintegrated by early 1958 owing to Soraya's apparent infertility. The Shah's only child, his daughter Princess Shahnaz, had married Ardeshir Zahedi, the son of the former Prime Minister, General Fazlollah Zahedi, a man who Mohammad Reza despised and had dismissed in 1955. The Shah told Soraya that "a Zahedi could not continue the dynasty of the Pahlavis", and that she had to give him a son so the House of Pahlavi could continue. She had sought treatment in Switzerland and France, and in St. Louis with Dr. William Masters. The Shah suggested that he take a second wife to produce an heir, but she rejected that option. In an attempt to save her position as Queen, Soraya told the Shah that he should change the constitution of 1909 to allow one of his half-brothers to succeed him, which Mohammad Reza told her would require "the approval of the Council of the Wise Men" first.Soraya, who had never read the constitution, did not know that there was no "Council of Wise Men", which was the Shah's way of putting off a difficult decision by lying. Mohammad Reza had already amended the constitution twice, so he must have known there was no clause calling for a "Council of Wise Men" to approve amendments. The Shah's domineering mother hated Soraya and was pressuring him to divorce her, telling him it was his duty to father a son to continue the House of Pahlavi. Mohammad Reza persuaded Soraya to leave Iran while he promised he would call the "Council of Wise Men" to change the constitution. Despite this promise, Soraya sensed her husband had turned against her, and before she left Iran one courtier remembered she had "systematically put her house in order". She left Iran in February and eventually went to her parents' home in Cologne, Germany, where the Shah sent his wife's uncle, Senator Sardar Assad in early March 1958, in a failed attempt to convince her to return to Iran. Soraya rejected the offer that she remain queen while the Shah would take a second wife, writing in her memoirs that Mohammad Reza was "fundamentally an Oriental", drawing an unfavorable contrast with the Duke of Windsor "who sacrificed his throne for love", writing that only "Orientals" sacrificed love for their thrones.On 5 March, Mohammad Reza phoned her to tell her she would have to accept him taking a second wife or else he would divorce her. On 10 March, a council of advisers met with the Shah to discuss the situation of the troubled marriage and the lack of an heir. Four days later, it was announced that the imperial couple would divorce. In a press statement issued by the Iranian government, it was announced that Soraya had agreed to the divorce while Soraya later claimed she had last heard from her husband on 5 March and she had not been informed beforehand. It was, the 25-year-old queen said, "a sacrifice of my own happiness". She later told reporters that her husband had no choice but to divorce her. The British Ambassador to Iran reported "Soraya was the Shah's only true love" and he was "a man at an emotional cross-roads", who was happy to be able to marry again while unable to "bring himself to face it" that he had just divorced Soraya.On 21 March 1958, the Iranian New Year's Day, a weeping Shah announced his divorce to the Iranian people in a speech that was broadcast on radio and television; he said that he would not remarry in haste. The headline-making divorce inspired French writer Françoise Mallet-Joris to write a hit pop song, Je veux pleurer comme Soraya ("I Want to Cry Like Soraya"). The marriage was officially ended on 6 April 1958. According to a report in The New York Times, extensive negotiations had preceded the divorce in order to convince Queen Soraya to allow her husband to take a second wife. The Queen, however, citing what she called the sanctity of marriage, decided that "she could not accept the idea of sharing her husband's love with another woman." In a statement issued to the Iranian people from her parents' home in Germany, Soraya said, "Since His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi has deemed it necessary that a successor to the throne must be of direct descent in the male line from generation to generation to generation, I will with my deepest regret in the interest of the future of the State and of the welfare of the people in accordance with the desire of His Majesty the Emperor sacrifice my own happiness, and I will declare my consent to a separation from His Imperial Majesty." Soraya was well rewarded for the divorce with the Shah buying her a penthouse apartment in Paris that was valued at $3 million US, paying her a monthly alimony of $7,000 US (that continued to be paid until the Islamic Revolution overthrew Mohammad Reza in 1979), together with various luxuries such as a 1958 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, a Bulgari ruby, a Van Cleef & Arpels brooch and a Harry Winston platinum ring with a 22.37-carat diamond that after her death was sold at the estate auction for $838,350 US.After the divorce, the Shah, who had told a reporter who asked about his feelings for the former Queen that "nobody can carry a torch longer than me", indicated his interest in marrying Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, a daughter of the deposed Italian king Umberto II. In an editorial about the rumors surrounding the marriage of "a Muslim sovereign and a Catholic princess", the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, considered the match "a grave danger". Career as actress

After her divorce, Soraya was in a relationship with the director Maximilian Schell and the industrial heir Gunter Sachs and also lived briefly in Munich. Later Soraya moved to France. She launched a brief career as a film actress, for which she used only her first name. Initially, it was announced that she would portray Catherine the Great in a movie about the Russian empress by Dino De Laurentiis, but that project fell through. Instead, she starred in the 1965 movie I tre volti (The Three Faces) and became the companion of its Italian director, Franco Indovina (1932–72).She appeared as a character named <mask> in the 1965 movie She. After Indovina's death in a plane crash, she spent the remainder of her life in Europe, succumbing to depression, which she outlined in her 1991 memoir, Le Palais des solitudes (The Palace of Loneliness). Later years in Paris
During her last years, Soraya lived in Paris on 46 avenue Montaigne. She occasionally attended social events like the parties given by the Duchess de La Rochefoucauld. Her friend and event organizer Massimo Gargia tried to cheer her up and make her meet young people. Soraya was a regular client of the hairdresser Alexandre Zouari. She also enjoyed going to the bar and the lobby of the Hotel Plaza Athénée located opposite her apartment.She was often accompanied by her former lady-in-waiting and loyal friend Madame Chamrizad Firouzabadian. Another friend was Parisian socialite Lily Claire Sarran. In 1979, Soraya wrote to Mohammad Reza as he was dying of cancer in Panama, saying she still loved him and wanted to see him one last time. Mohammad Reza was greatly moved by her letters, and wrote back to her saying he also still loved her and wanted to see her one last time as well, but said Empress Farah could not be present, which presented problems as she was constantly by the former Shah's bedside as he lay dying. In 1980, it was agreed that Soraya would visit Mohammad Reza in Cairo, but he died before she could make the trip, which led Milani to comment that Mohammad Reza and Soraya were true "star-crossed lovers". Soraya did not communicate with the Shah's third wife, Farah, even when both lived in Paris. Death
 Soraya died on 26 October 2001 of undisclosed causes in her apartment in Paris, France; she was 69.Upon learning of her death, her younger brother, Bijan, sadly commented, "After her, I don't have anyone to talk to." Bijan died one week later. After her funeral at the American Cathedral in Paris on 6 November 2001 which was attended by Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, Prince Gholam Reza Pahlavi, the Count and Countess of Paris, the Prince and Princess of Naples, Prince Michel of Orléans, and Princess Ira von Fürstenberg she was buried in the Westfriedhof Quarter Nr. 143, in a cemetery in Munich, along with her parents and brother. Since her death, several women have come forward claiming to be her illegitimate daughter, reportedly born in 1962. According to the Persian-language weekly Nimrooz none of the claims have been confirmed. The newspaper also published an article in 2001 which suggested, without proof, that Princess Soraya and her brother had been murdered.Her belongings were sold at auction in Paris in 2002, for more than $8.3 million. Memoirs

Princess Soraya wrote two memoirs. The first, published in 1964 and published in the United States by Doubleday, was Princess Soraya: Autobiography of Her Imperial Highness. A decade before her death, she and a collaborator, Louis Valentin, wrote another memoir in French, Le Palais des solitudes (Paris: France Loisirs/Michel Laffon, 1991), which was translated into English as Palace of Solitude (London: Quartet Books Ltd, 1992); . Legacy

Soraya's divorce from the Shah inspired French songwriter Francoise Mallet-Jorris to write "Je veux pleurer comme Soraya" (I Want to Cry Like Soraya). A French rose grower bred a sunflower in the former queen's honor, which he called "Empress Soraya". An Italian/German television movie about the princess's life, Soraya (a.k.a.Sad Princess), was broadcast in 2003, starring Anna Valle as Soraya and Erol Sander as the Shah. French actress Mathilda May appeared as the Shah's sister, Princess Shams Pahlavi. Filmography

References

External links

Princess Soraya, souvenirs about Internet lessons in Paris
Photo gallery
Another gallery of her
Bakhtiari World

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1932 births
2001 deaths
Burials at the Westfriedhof (Munich)
Converts to Roman Catholicism from Shia Islam
Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
French former Shia Muslims
French people of German descent
Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Iranian emigrants to France
Iranian emigrants to Switzerland
Iranian film actresses
Iranian former Shia Muslims
Iranian memoirists
Iranian people of German descent
Lur women
People from Berlin
People from Isfahan
People of Pahlavi Iran
Wives of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
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<mask><mask> (born 1 October 1971) is an English former professional snooker player from Pickering, North Yorkshire. First earning a place on the World Snooker Tour in 1992, he played on the tour until 1997, and has since regained his place on the Tour on three further occasions, most recently in the 2018-19 snooker season. Davison reached a peak of 70th in the world snooker rankings in 2012, and the farthest into a ranking tournament at the 2017 Riga Masters. He has made a total of 76 professional century breaks, the highest being a 144 made in qualifying for the 2001 World Snooker Championship. Career

Early career

In the 2009–10 season he finished third in the PIOS rankings, and thus retained his place on the 2010/2011 professional Main Tour. He came through three qualification matches, concluding with a narrow 5–4 victory over Dominic Dale, to progress to the wildcard round of the 2012 German Masters. He beat Pole Krzysztof Wróbel 5–2 to reach the main stage of a ranking event for the first time, drawing reigning UK Champion Judd Trump and was soundly beaten 1–5 in only 75 minutes.The run earned him valuable ranking points as he continued to strive towards his goal of getting into the top 64 in the world to ensure his place on the tour for next season. However, he did not win another match in the remainder of the season and finished it ranked world number 81, meaning he had to enter Q School to have a chance of playing in the 2012–13 season. In May, Davison won five matches at the second Q School event, concluding with a 4–2 win over Gareth Allen to earn a place on the tour for the next two years. 2012/2013 season
Davison almost qualified for the 2012 International Championship, the fourth ranking event of the 2012/2013 season. He saw off Fraser Patrick, Peter Lines and Ben Woollaston, but then lost 3–6 to Dominic Dale in the final round. Davison had a consistent year in the minor-ranking Players Tour Championship Events, with his best result coming in the third European Tour Event, where he beat Ricky Norris, Joel Walker and Chris Norbury, before losing to world number one Mark Selby 3–4 in the last 16. He reached the last 32 on two other occasions which helped Davison finish 48th on the PTC Order of Merit.<mask>'s season ended when he lost 7–10 to Alfie Burden in the second round of World Championship Qualifying, which saw him end the year ranked world number 75. 2013/2014 season
In the qualifiers for the Australian Goldfields Open <mask> won his first match of the season 5–4 against Andrew Norman, making a 141 break during the match. Further wins over Peter Lines and Mark King followed to see Davison into the main draw of a ranking event for the second time in his career. In the first round he made breaks of 112 and 124 to lead Mark Davis 4–3 with his opponent requiring a snooker with one red left. Davis got the snooker on the final pink and potted the pink and black to level the match. <mask> also led the deciding frame 49–10 but would ultimately lose the match 5–4. <mask> defeated Gerard Greene 6–4 in the first round of the UK Championship and raced into a 3–0 second round lead against world number seven Shaun Murphy, before conceding six frames in a row to exit the event.After the match <mask> said that he loved the experience and had done very little wrong in the match as Murphy's fightback was as good matchplay snooker as you could see. <mask>'s second last 32 appearance of the season came at the German Masters after he recorded one of the best results of his career by knocking out world number nine Marco Fu 5–2. He led Rod Lawler 4–1 in the next round but could not reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time as he was defeated 5–4. After <mask> lost 10–2 against Alan McManus in World Championship qualifying he could no longer reach the top 64 in the world rankings as he was placed 82nd and therefore played in Q School in an attempt to earn his place back. He lost in the last 64 in both events to fall well short of doing so. 2014/2015 season

<mask> played in all six of the minor-ranking European Tour events during the 2014–15 season. His best performance came at the Riga Open, where he reached the last 32 with 4–3 and 4–1 wins over Jack Lisowski and Gerard Greene respectively, but he then lost 4–2 to Matthew Selt.A 4–3 victory against Kyren Wilson at the Paul Hunter Classic was his only other win in a European Tour event, with <mask> losing 4–3 to Dechawat Poomjaeng in the subsequent round. He had two chances to rejoin the professional tour. The first came at the EBSA Play-offs where <mask> was knocked out 4–3 by Martin O'Donnell in round two. His second came at Q School and in event two Davison won six games, concluding with a 4–3 victory over Luke Simmonds to earn a two-year tour card. 2015/2016 season
Davison lost eight matches in a row from October 2015 until April 2016 when he beat Yu Delu 10–9 in the first round of World Championship. He lost 10–7 to Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the following round. He only won a total of four matches all season.2016/2017 season
<mask> knocked out three players to reach the final qualifying round for the Shanghai Masters, but he was thrashed 5–0 by Anthony McGill. He recovered from 2–0 down against Gary Wilson in the opening round of the UK Championship to win 6–3, before losing 6–4 to Ben Woollaston. After beating Joe Swail 4–0 in the first round of the Welsh Open, <mask> was defeated 4–1 by Zhou Yuelong. He qualified for the China Open, but lost 5–0 in the opening round to Ding Junhui and entered Q School again to try and stay on the tour as he would have been relegated from it at the end of the season due to being ranked world number 91. He won through to the final round of the first event and was defeated 4–2 by Billy Joe Castle. Davison also got to the final round of the second event and this time beat James Cahill 4–2 to remain on tour and mean he has successfully advanced through Q School three times. Performance and rankings timeline

Career finals

Non-ranking finals: 2

Pro-am finals: 2

Amateur finals: 7 (4 titles)

References

External links

<mask> at worldsnooker.com

1971 births
Living people
People from Pickering, North Yorkshire
English snooker players
Sportspeople from North Yorkshire

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