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The Idolmaker
''The Idolmaker'' is a 1980 American musical drama starring Ray Sharkey, Peter Gallagher, Paul Land, Tovah Feldshuh and Joe Pantoliano. The film is loosely based on the life of rock promoter/producer Bob Marcucci who discovered, among others, Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Taylor Hackford and written by Edward di Lorenzo, The Idolmaker was the feature film debut of Peter Gallagher, Joe Pantoliano, and Paul Land. Bob Marcucci served as a technical advisor for the production. Plot Set in 1959, Vincent "Vinnie" Vacarri (Ray Sharkey), a Brooklyn-based songwriter pursues success in the fledgling rock 'n' roll music business, along with his best friend and piano accompanist Gino "G.G." Pilato (Joe Pantoliano). After being impressed by a charismatic local saxophone player, Tomaso DeLorusso (Paul Land), Vinnie convinces him to trade his instrument for a microphone and over the next few months, under Vinnie's strict guidance, the newly named "Tom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taylor Hackford
Taylor Edwin Hackford (born December 31, 1944) is an American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for ''Teenage Father'' (1979). Hackford went on to direct a number of highly regarded feature films, most notably ''An Officer and a Gentleman'' (1982) and ''Ray (film), Ray'' (2004), the latter of which saw him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Picture. Early life Hackford was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Mary (née Taylor), a waitress, and Joseph Hackford. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1968, where he was a pre-law major focusing on international relations and economics. After graduating, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia, where he started using Super 8 film in his spare time. The camera was purchased for him by fellow Peace Corps volunteer, Steve Ball. He decided that he did not want to pu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment industry worldwide. Given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the awards are an international recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements, as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette as a trophy, officially called the "Academy Award of Merit", although more commonly referred to by its nickname, the "Oscar". The statuette, depicting a knight rendered in the Art Deco style, was originally sculpted by Los Angeles artist George Stanley from a design sketch by art director Cedric Gibbons. The 1st Academy Awards were held in 1929 at a private dinner hosted by Douglas Fairbanks in The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The Academy Awards cerem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly Wide-format printer, large-format print magazine with a revamped website. As of 2020, the day-to-day operations of the company are handled by Penske Media Corporation through a joint venture with Eldridge Industries. History Early years; 1930–1987 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' was founded in 1930 by William R. Wilkerson, William R. "Billy" Wilkerson (1890–1962) as Hollywood's first daily entertainment trade newspaper. The first edition appeared on September 3, 1930, and featured Wilkerson's front-page "Tradeviews" column, which became influential. The newspaper appeared Monday-to-Saturday for the first 10 years, except for a brief period, then Monday-to-Friday from 1940. Wilkerson used caustic articles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy specials. Shout! Factory also owns and operates Shout! Studios, Westchester Films, Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, and Video Time Machine. History Retropolis Entertainment was founded in April 2002 by Bob Emmer, Garson Foos, and Richard Foos, three principals from Rhino Records, as the company was negotiating with the five majors for distribution. After selling Rhino to Warner Bros., the three set out to launch a new retro pop culture label. The company's first product was ''Red, White & Rock'', a joint release with PBS station WQED-TV that was produced with Warner Strategic Marketing. In August 2002, Retropolis acquired Biograph Records. Other early releases included blues and jazz CDs from the Biograph label ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 1987. From June 1988, the Australian Recording Industry Association, which had been using the top 50 portion of the report under licence since mid-1983, chose to produce their own listing as the ARIA Charts. Before the Kent Report, ''Go-Set'' magazine published weekly Top-40 Singles from 1966, and Album charts from 1970 until the magazine's demise in August 1974. David Kent later published Australian charts from 1940 to 1973 in a retrospective fashion, using state by state chart data obtained from various Australian radio stations. Background Kent had spent a number of years previously working in the music industry at both EMI and Phonogram records and had developed the report initially as a hobby. The Kent Music Report was first release ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Sweet Inspirations
The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Cissy Houston. History The Sweet Inspirations was founded by former members of The Drinkard Singers, a long-running Gospel singing group whose membership included Cissy Houston (née Drinkard, and mother of Whitney Houston, b. 1963) and Lee Warwick, who was Cissy's sister and the mother of Sweet Inspirations members Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick). As a backup group, the Sweet Inspirations was in high demand among producers, publishers, artists, and songwriters in the early 1960s. The original lineup included Doris Troy and the two Warwick sisters Dionne & Dee Dee. Both Troy and Dionne Warwick enjoyed solo careers with hits in 1963, " Just One Look" and " Don't Make Me Over" respectively, on which the Sweet Inspirations can be heard. At that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nino Tempo
Nino Tempo (born Antonino LoTempio; January 6, 1935) is an American musician, singer, and actor. He was a duet partner with his older sister April Stevens as well as the frontman for a 1970s funk band, 5th Ave. Sax. Career Antonino LoTempio was born in Niagara Falls, New York. A musical prodigy, he learned to play the clarinet and the tenor saxophone as a child. He was a talent show winner at four years of age and appeared on television with Benny Goodman at age seven. When his family relocated to California, he was featured on the Horace Heidt radio show, performing a Benny Goodman clarinet solo. A child actor, he worked in motion pictures in such movies as 1949's ''The Red Pony'' and in 1953's ''The Glenn Miller Story'' featuring James Stewart. He was a sought-after session musician, working as a member of the famous session band the Wrecking Crew, also working with Elkie Brooks, and recording with Maynard Ferguson (''Live at the Peacock'', 1956). Via a Bobby Darin recordi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Darlene Love
Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with her local church choir. In 1962, she began recording with producer Phil Spector who renamed her Darlene Love. She sang lead on " He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love," which were credited to the Crystals. She was soon a highly sought-after vocalist and worked with many rock and soul legends of 1960s, including Sam Cooke, Dionne Warwick, Bill Medley, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and Sonny and Cher. As an actress, Love performed in various Broadway productions. She had a recurring role as Roger Murtaugh's wife in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. Love was invited annually by David Letterman to sing her song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the television show ''Late Show with David Letterman'' for the Christmas holid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jesse Frederick
Jesse Frederick James Conaway (born June 25, 1948) is an American film and television composer and singer. He wrote and performed the themes to TGIF (ABC), TGIF television shows such as ''Perfect Strangers (TV series), Perfect Strangers'', ''Full House'', ''Family Matters'', and ''Step by Step (TV series), Step by Step'' for American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Early years Jesse Frederick James Conaway was born in Salisbury, Maryland, but was raised in Seaford, Delaware. He was the younger of two children. His brother, Everett Thomas (Tommy) Conaway, Jr. (1944–1956), died of cystic fibrosis at age 12 years. In his early childhood, Jesse was familiarly known as "Freddy" before he started using the middle name Frederick in his later teens. This was done in an attempt to distinguish himself from the legacy of his father, Everett T. "Conny" Conaway, Sr. (1915–2010). Conny was a prominent figure in the poultry processing industry. During his 70-year career, the senior Conaway des ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deney Terrio
Denis George Mahan (born June 15, 1950), better known as Deney Terrio, is an American choreographer and hosted the television musical variety series ''Dance Fever'' from 1979 to 1985. Early life and career Raised in Titusville, Florida, Terrio achieved fame as the dance coach and choreographer for John Travolta in the movie ''Saturday Night Fever''. During his heyday with ''Dance Fever'', he appeared in a number of films, including '' The Idolmaker'', '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', ''A Night in Heaven'' and ''Knights of the City'' and guest starred on popular television series of the time including ''The Love Boat''. Throughout the 1990s, he toured nightclubs, performing with Motion and judging dance contests. Recent years Terrio has appeared on several VH1 specials and co-hosted the 2004 PBS special '' Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion'' which featured many popular disco artists from the 1970s and actress Karen Lynn Gorney. During the show, Terrio and Gorney danced ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Aprea
Jonathan "John" Aprea (born March 4, 1941) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his role as the young Sal Tessio in '' The Godfather: Part II'' (1974) and on television as Lucas Castigliano in '' Another World'' from 1989 to 1992. He played Lee in ''Tales from the Darkside'' Going Native (1988) series 4, episode 17. He also co-starred with Lee Horsley in ''Matt Houston'' during the 1980s, and appeared on the TV series ''Full House'' (1987–1995) and the spin-off series '' Fuller House'' (2016). He guest-starred on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999). Biography Aprea was born Jonathan Aprea in Englewood, New Jersey, on March 4, 1941.Coutros, Evonne"ENGLEWOOD NATIVE STRIKES OUT ON OWN" ''The Record (Bergen County)'', July 20, 1994. Accessed November 25, 2007. He has one daughter, Nicole Alexandra Aprea (born 1989). Filmography * 1968 ''Bullitt'' as Killer * 1970 '' The Grasshopper'' as The Ice Pack * 1970 '' The Dark Side of Tomorrow'' as Jim Jeffers * 1972 ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olympia Dukakis
Olympia Dukakis (June 20, 1931 – May 1, 2021) was an American actress. She performed in more than 130 stage productions, more than 60 films and in 50 television series. Best known as a screen actress, she started her career in theater. Not long after her arrival in New York City, she won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1963 for her off-Broadway performance in Bertolt Brecht's ''Man Equals Man''. She later moved to film acting and won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, among other accolades, for her performance in ''Moonstruck'' (1987). She received another Golden Globe nomination for ''Sinatra'' (1992) and Emmy Award nominations for ''Lucky Day'' (1991), '' More Tales of the City'' (1998) and ''Joan of Arc'' (1999). Dukakis's autobiography, ''Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life in Progress'', was published in 2003. In 2018, a feature-length documentary about her life, titled ''Olympia'', was released theatrically in the United States. Early life and education Olympia Dukakis ( e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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