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1-15 of 15
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Les Brown Jr. was born on 15 February 1940 in New York, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for High Speed Police Pursuits (1997), Wild Wild Winter (1966) and The Highwayman (1987). He died on 9 January 2023 in Branson, Missouri, USA.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Country western star Mickey Gilley was born on March 9, 1936 in Natchez, Mississippi, the cousin of future rockabilly legend Jerry Lee Lewis, and raised in Ferriday, Louisiana. In his childhood, Mickey, Jerry, and Jerry's cousin, future Pentecostal televangelist Jimmy Swaggart would all play the piano when they got together and sing gospel and boogie-woogie songs. After Lewis became a chart-topper in the 1950s, Mickey turned professional himself and cut some singles before becoming a session player in the Big Easy.
First married at age 17, Gilley had a minor hit, "Call Me Shorty", in 1958, but it would be years before he came out from under Jerry lee's shadow and established himself as a star. He didn't release his first album, "Down the Line", until 1967. The album yielded a minor hit, "Now I Can Live Again". Three years later, he became a nightclub owner when he opened Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas in 1971. The club, billed as the "world's biggest honky tonk", became famous when it was used as the setting for Urban Cowboy (1980), which boosted Gilley's national exposure. By the 1980s, Gilley was experiencing crossover success when he mellowed his C+W with a more pop orientation. He managed to put songs on the charts in each of 15 years, enjoying 17 #1 country hits.
Gilley and partner Sherwood Cryer had a falling out after Cryer became increasingly hostile about changes made to the club. Gilley eventually had to sue Cryer over their "50-50" deal, which Gilley argued favored Cryer much more heavily. Gilley won $17 million from Cryer, but it completely shattered their relationship and forced the closing of the club in 1989. Gilley opened another club in Dallas under the same name in 2006. There's a Gilley's in Las Vegas, and the town of LaPorte, Texas, approved a new Gilley's, not far from the original.- Music Artist
- Producer
- Actor
The extraordinary, easy-listening crooning talents of Andy Williams were first unveiled when he was 8 years old and inducted into the Williams Brothers Quartet as its youngest member. Born in Wall Lake, Iowa on December 3, 1927, Andy started singing with his three older brothers (Bob Williams, Dick Williams and Don Williams) in his hometown's Presbyterian church choir. The quartet became instant local news and made its professional singing debut when Andy was in the third grade. A bonafide hit, they went on to become a staple on radio in nearby big city Des Moines. From there, the harmonizing siblings found widespread popularity on wartime radio, including Chicago and Cincinnati. Andy graduated from high school in Cincinnati. They eventually caught the attention of crooning king Bing Crosby, who included the boys on his mammoth 1944 hit single "Swinging on a Star". Bing, of course, was keen on the boys' combined talents, having his own singing quartet of sons at home. Speciality film appearances in musicals were also a rage and the boys appeared in such film fare as Janie (1944), Kansas City Kitty (1944), Something in the Wind (1947) and Ladies' Man (1947). They then joined singer/personality Kay Thompson in 1947 with her eclectic nightclub act and stayed with the popular show until they disbanded in 1951. Andy was the only Williams brother who ventured out to the East Coast to seek a solo singing career.
His career received a major boost when he co-starred with Chico Marx on the short lived television show called The College Bowl (1950 - 1951). On the show he acted, sang, and danced along with others. The show lasted for 26 weeks. After College Bowl was cancelled Andy Williams was offered regular singing duties on Steve Allen's The Tonight Show (1953) show, which led to Andy's first recording contract with Cadence Records in 1956 and his first album. A "Top 10" hit came with the lovely ballad "Canadian Sunset". This, in turn, was followed by "Butterfly" (#1), "Lonely Street", "I Like Your Kind of Love", "Are You Sincere" and "The Hawaiian Wedding Song", the last tune earning him five Grammy Award nominations. An ingratiating presence on television, he was handed a musical show co-hosting with June Valli and a summer replacement series of his own. In the meantime, he developed into a top nightclub favorite.
In 1962, Andy made a lucrative label change to Columbia Records, which produced the "Top 10" pop hit "Can't Get Use to Losing You" and a collaboration with Henry Mancini, which inspired Andy's signature song, "Moon River," the Oscar-winning tune from the popular Audrey Hepburn film Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Andy had the honor of singing the song during the Oscar ceremony. Other major chartbusters for Andy came with the movie theme songs Days of Wine and Roses (1962), Dear Heart (1964) and Love Story (1970).
An attempt to parlay his singing fame into a film career was one of Andy's few missteps in a hugely successful career. He co-starred in the light, screwy Ross Hunter comedy soufflé I'd Rather Be Rich (1964) starring Sandra Dee and enjoyably squared off with fellow singing suitor Robert Goulet. Andy and Robert also sang in the picture (including sharing the title song), which was a tepid remake of It Started with Eve (1941) starring Deanna Durbin. It was an artificial role to be sure and is only significant in that it was Andy's sole legit acting experience on film.
What truly put Andy over the top was the phenomenal success of his weekly variety show The Andy Williams Show (1962). Andy was a natural in front of the television camera and his dueting with such singing legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Peggy Lee kept audiences enthralled week after week. What goes around comes around for Andy would often invite his brothers to sing with him and also introduced another talented harmonizing boy group--the seven "Osmond Brothers". The series, which concluded in 1971, won three Emmy Awards for "Best Musical/Variety Series". Andy himself picked up a couple of nominations as performer.
In 1961, Andy married a stunning, whispery-voiced French chanteuse named Claudine Longet (born in Paris in 1942), who was 15 years younger. The couple had three children. She made a mild hit of the song "Love Is Blue" and enjoyed slight celebrity status. Like the Crosby family, Andy's clan became an integral part of his annual classic Christmas television specials. Despite the fact that the couple separated in 1969, Claudine continued to appear in these specials in the early 1970s.
In tandem with his famous television show, Andy opened Caesar's Palace in 1966 and went on to headline there for 20 years. Following the demise of his television success, Andy continued to tour both here and abroad. He laid low for a time to protect his children through a tragic crisis when his ex-wife Claudine (since 1975) became enmeshed in a tabloid-styled shooting in March of 1976. The 1970s also deemed the cardigan-wearing Andy as too square and clean-cut to prod younger audiences. Nevertheless, he hosted the Grammy Awards a few times and returned to a syndicated series format in 1976, which was short-lived. Andy remarried happily in 1991 to non-professional Debbie Haas.
Inspired by singer/friend Ray Stevens, Andy had built a $12 million state-of-the-art theater, which opened in 1992 and was christened the Andy Williams Moon River Theater. Andy became the first non-country star to perform there and other theme shows have since been inspired to populate the small town--now considered the live music capital of the world. At age 70+, he continued to perform in Branson, Missouri, where he and his wife reside, and in Europe. Andy Williams died at age 84 of bladder cancer in Branson, Missouri on September 25, 2012.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Boxcar Willie was born on 1 September 1931 in Sterrett, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for A Place to Grow (1995), Sweet Dreams (1985) and The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (2009). He was married to Lloene Sue Johnson, Elsie Veleta Gee and Patsy Jeaniene Marshall. He died on 12 April 1999 in Branson, Missouri, USA.- Don Williams was born on 9 October 1922 in Wall Lake, Iowa, USA. He was an actor, known for Playhouse 90 (1956), The Andy Williams Show (1969) and The Andy Williams Christmas Show (1971). He was married to Marilyn Dykstra and Jeanne. He died on 30 December 2022 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Buck Trent was born on 17 February 1938. He was an actor, known for The Porter Wagoner Show (1961), Gordy (1994) and The Marty Stuart Show (2008). He died on 9 October 2023 in Branson, Missouri, USA.- Cal Smith was born on 7 April 1932 in Gans, Oklahoma, USA. He was married to Darlene. He died on 10 October 2013 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
- Born in Ishikawa in southwestern Japan, Shoji Tabuchi discovered the violin at the age of 7. Encouraged by his mother to study the instrument, Shoji would listen to American gospel and country music to find inspiration. When he got word of Roy Acuff was coming to perform in Osaka, Tabuchi went to the concert and was allowed to meet Acuff backstage. Impressed by the passion and skill, Acuff suggested Tabuchi should make his way to Nashville one day and give him a call should be find himself there. As fate would have it, Shoji landed in Nashville a few years later, and Acuff gave the man a chance to perform in front of an audience. Tabuchi's success would eventually bring him to Branson, Missouri in 1980, where he has developed a loyal fan base and his own theatre where he performs his signature musical shows.
- Janet Dailey was born on 21 May 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, USA. She was a writer, known for Foxfire Light (1983), When a Spider Bites (1993) and Hour Magazine (1980). She was married to Bill Dailey. She died on 14 December 2013 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Location Management
Bil Godsey was born on 16 September 1928 in the USA. He was a cinematographer, known for Sisters (1972), To All a Goodnight (1980) and Abigail Lesley Is Back in Town (1975). He died on 15 July 2002 in Branson, Missouri, USA.- Phil Gagliano was born on 27 December 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was married to Mary Palmer. He died on 19 December 2016 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
- Gary S. Paxton was born on 18 May 1939 in Coffeyville, Kansas, USA. Gary S. died on 17 July 2016 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
- Lottie Brunn was born on 12 October 1925 in Rossdorf, Hesse, Germany. She was married to Theodore (Ted) Chirrick. She died on 5 August 2008 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
- Jack Hamilton was born on 25 December 1938 in Burlington, Iowa, USA. He was married to Janyce DeYarman. He died on 22 February 2018 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
- Dale Warren was born on 1 June 1925 in Rockford, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for 30 Minutes at Gunsight (1963). He died on 9 August 2008 in Branson, Missouri, USA.