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Down In The Delta
''Down in the Delta'' is a 1998 American-Canadian drama film, directed by Maya Angelou in her sole film directorial effort and starring Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Esther Rolle (in her final film appearance before her death), Loretta Devine, and Wesley Snipes. Plot Rosa Lynn Sinclair, an elderly woman, lives in a Chicago housing project with her daughter Loretta and her two grandchildren, four-year-old Tracy (who is autistic) and thirteen–year-old Thomas. Disappointed in Loretta's life choices and afraid of the troubled circumstances surrounding her grandson Thomas, Rosa Lynn decides to send her daughter and grandchildren to visit with her brother-in-law in Mississippi for the summer. Loretta, a drug addict, declines to go, especially since her uncle Earl lives in the dry and rural part of Mississippi and already juggles his business and a wife, Annie, who has Alzheimer's disease and is being cared for by a housekeeper. Before they depart, Rosa Lynn pawns a silver candel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, ''I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'' (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim. She became a poet and writer after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. These included fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, ''Porgy and Bess'' cast member, Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator, and correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. She was also an actress, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dry County
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Dozens of dry counties exist across the United States, mostly in the South. A number of smaller jurisdictions also exist, such as cities, towns, and townships, which prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages and are known as dry cities, dry towns, or dry townships. Dry jurisdictions can be contrasted with "wet" (in which alcohol sales are allowed and regulated) and " moist" (in which some products or establishments are prohibited and not fully regulated, or a dry county containing wet cities). Background History In 1906, just over half of U.S. counties were dry. The proportion was larger in some states; for example, in 1906, 54 of Arkansas's 75 counties were completely dry, influenced by the anti-liquor campaigns of the Baptists (both Southern and Missionary) and Me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, Gospel music, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band, Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of Contemporary R&B, R&B. He also helped drive such genres into the album era, crafting his LP record, LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Visual impairment, Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder. Wonder's single "Fingertips" was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1963, at the age of 13, making him the List o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" for R&B supergroup Black Men United. His debut studio album, ''Brown Sugar'' (1995), received widespread acclaim from music critics, who have credited the album for ushering in the neo soul movement; and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its third single " Lady", reached the top ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. He would then collaborate with artists such as Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and then girlfriend Angie Stone. His next album, ''Voodoo'' (2000), debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and continued to receive critical acclaim. The album's lead single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)", earned him the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance; likewise, ''Voodoo'' won Best R& ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of MTV, enabling her to rise to prominence while breaking gender and racial barriers in the process. Lyrical content which focused on social issues and lived experiences set her reputation as a role model for youth. The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began performing at the MGM Grand. She starred in the variety television series ''The Jacksons'' in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including '' Good Times'', ''Diff'rent Strokes'', and '' Fame''. After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums ''Control'' (1986) and ''Rhythm Nation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston influenced many singers in popular music, and was known for her powerful, soulful vocals and vocal improvisation skills. She is the only artist to have had seven consecutive number-one singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, from "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985 to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988. Houston enhanced her popularity upon entering the movie industry. Her recordings and films generated both great success and controversy. She received numerous accolades throughout her career and posthumously, including two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, and 28 Guinness World Records, as well as induction into the Grammy, Rhythm and Blues Music, and Rock and Roll halls of fame. Houston began singing in chur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as CDs replaced LPs as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he researched using metadata to create a music guide. In 1990, in Big Rapids, Michigan, he founded ''All Music Guide' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwide success over time, with the success of platinum performers Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Devo, Tangerine Dream, Genesis, Phil Collins, OMD, the Human League, Culture Club, Simple Minds, Lenny Kravitz, the Sex Pistols, and Mike Oldfield among others, meaning that by the time it was sold, it was regarded as a major label, alongside other large international independents such as A&M and Island Records. Virgin Records was sold to EMI in 1992. EMI was in turn taken over by Universal Music Group (UMG) in 2012 with UMG creating the Virgin EMI Records division. The Virgin Records name continues to be used by UMG in certain markets such as Germany and Japan. Virgin Records America Virgin Records America, Inc. was the company's North American ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Yearwood
Richard Yearwood is a British-Canadian actor, television host, director and producer, who is best known for providing the voice of Donkey Kong in ''Donkey Kong Country''. Career Yearwood began his acting career in 1980, in the television series ''The Littlest Hobo'' as Danny McLean. His other recurring roles include, Special Agent Bush in '' Due South'', Mr. Smith in '' Once a Thief'', Jor in '' Relic Hunter'', Nestov in '' Tracker'' and Benjamin N'Udu in ''InSecurity''. He also acted in several feature and television films, such as Vincent in '' Unnatural Causes'', Wilson Carlisle in ''X-Rated'', Marco in ''Down in the Delta'', Habersham in '' Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble'', Randy Benson in '' Bojangles'' and Lucius in ''Blizzard''. Yearwood had also provided occasional voice over work in animated television shows and video games, most notably the Nintendo character Donkey Kong in the Canadian animated television series ''Donkey Kong Country'', he also voiced R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philip Akin
Philip Akin (born April 18, 1950) is a Canadian actor. Akin has had roles in major American films such as '' The Sum of All Fears'', ''S.W.A.T.'', and '' Get Rich or Die Tryin'''. He has also done much voice work, including voicing the character of Bishop for the ''X-Men'' animated series and Tripp Hansen in ''Monster Force''. Life and career Akin was born in Kingston, Jamaica, as a middle brother of five sons. His parents moved to Oshawa, Ontario in 1953, and he and his brothers followed suit the next year. He has lived in Ontario ever since. Shortly after attending high school, Akin attended Toronto's Ryerson Theatre School. In 1975, he became the school's first acting graduate, landing a role just a few days later in a Shaw Festival production of '' Caesar and Cleopatra''. In 1983, Akin began studying Yoshinkan aikido and is presently a 5th degree black belt in that art. He has also trained in Jing Mo kung fu and t'ai chi ch'uan. Akin first came to prominence in the early ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandra Caldwell (actress)
Sandra Caldwell is a North American actress, singer, and writer. Caldwell is known for recurring roles in Canadian TV series like ''Little Men'' and '' The Book of Negroes'' and smaller roles in US films like ''Shall We Dance'' and ''Murder at 1600''. Cadwell's pioneering experience as a trans woman in the Western entertainment industry was discussed in the 2020 documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen. Early life Caldwell was born in Washington, D.C. and ran away to New York several times through her teenage years to see shows on Broadway and figure "things out". By 18 she already knew that performing in stage shows was what she wanted to do. Transition In her early 20's Caldwell transitioned to presenting publicly as a woman. She was supported by her mother and a couple of friends, and received gender affirming hormone therapy. Caldwell later described the transition as giving her "a lot of joy, and also relief." Career Caldwell fulfilled her dream of becoming a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mpho Koaho
Mpho Koaho () is a Canadian actor. He portrayed List of Falling Skies characters#Anthony, Anthony on the TNT (American TV network), TNT science fiction series ''Falling Skies'' (2011–2015) and was also a series regular on the Teletoon action adventure ''MetaJets'' (2011) and the BBC America science fiction comedy ''Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV series), Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'' (2016–2017). Early life and education Mpho Koaho was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to South African parents. Career Mpho began his acting career when Maya Angelou cast him as the lead in her 1998 Miramax film ''Down in the Delta''. After that, he appeared in films such as ''The Salton Sea (2002 film), The Salton Sea'', ''Four Brothers (film), Four Brothers'', ''Get Rich or Die Tryin' (film), Get Rich or Die Tryin''', and ''Saw III''. In 2009, Koaho was nominated to two Gemini Awards; one for his supporting role on the Canadian TV series ''Soul (Canadian TV series), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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