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Kristen Vigard (born May 15, 1963) is an American actress and singer. She is known for being the first actress to play the title role in ''
Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...
'' in its pre-Broadway run and for her two-year run as Morgan Richards on ''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'' (1980–81). She also had a two-year run on ''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' (1984–85). Vigard has appeared in two feature films, ''
The Black Stallion The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...
'' (1979) and '' The Survivors'' (1983). Additionally she had roles in two TV movies, ''
Home to Stay ''Home to Stay'' is a 1978 Canadian-American made-for-television drama film directed by Delbert Mann and starring Henry Fonda, Michael McGuire and Frances Hyland. It was originally broadcast on CBS on May 1, 1978. Plot Fonda portrays an old man ...
'' (1978) and '' License to Kill'' (1984), and also had guest appearances on three TV series. Kristen Vigard released her eponymous debut album in 1988. She recorded and toured as a backup singer with the
Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
and
Fishbone Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late ' ...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s, appearing on RHCP's ''
Mother's Milk Mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female to feed a young child. Mother's Milk may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Mother's Milk'' (album)'', an album by Red Hot Chili Peppers ** Mother's Milk Tou ...
'' (1989) and ''
One Hot Minute ''One Hot Minute'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 12, 1995 by Warner Bros. Records. The worldwide success of the band's previous album ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' (1991) caused guitaris ...
'' (1995) and Fishbone's ''
The Reality of My Surroundings ''The Reality of My Surroundings'' is the third studio album by Fishbone, released on April 23, 1991. It was the first Fishbone album to include former Miles Davis music director John Bigham (guitar, keyboards), who joined in 1989 during the ''Tr ...
'' (1991) and '' Give a Monkey a Brain'' (1993). Vigard sang the lead vocals for
Illeana Douglas Illeana Hesselberg (born July 25, 1961 or 1965), known professionally as Illeana Douglas, is an American actress and filmmaker. She appeared in three episodes of '' Six Feet Under'', for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination as O ...
for the 1996 film ''
Grace of My Heart ''Grace of My Heart'' is a 1996 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Allison Anders and starring Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz, Patsy Kensit, and John Turturro. The film charts the music career of Denise Waverly ...
'', including "
God Give Me Strength In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
", which was nominated for Best Original Song at the
1st Golden Satellite Awards The 1st Golden Satellite Awards, given by the International Press Academy, were awarded on January 15, 1997. The ceremony was hosted by Stacy Keach. Special achievement awards Mary Pickford Award (for outstanding contribution to the entertainme ...
. She released her second album, ''God, Loves and Angels'' in 2004. More recently, she was a founding member of the downtempo acoustic rock band New White Trash, which released three albums between 2011 and 2014.


Early life and education

Vigard was born on May 15, 1963, in
St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
, the daughter of actress Mallory Millett Danaher and Ronald Vigard, who worked for 3M. In the late 1960s, she moved with her family to New York City where she made her acting debut at the age of 6. She was one of the first clients to be signed to the children's division of the
Ford Modeling Agency Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford. Company Ford Models was started in 1946 by Eileen ...
, along with
Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...
and
Ricky Schroder Richard Bartlett Schroder (born April 13, 1970) is an American actor and filmmaker. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder he debuted in the film '' The Champ'' (1979), for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient, and went o ...
. Vigard went to high school at
Friends Seminary Friends Seminary is an independent K-12 school in Manhattan within the landmarked district in the East Village. The oldest continuously coeducational school in New York City, Friends Seminary serves 794 students in Kindergarten through Grade 1 ...
in Manhattan. She then studied classical orchestration and music listening at the
Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
Extension Program.


Career


Musical theatre

Vigard's debut stage role was in 1970 when she worked with
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...
, appearing in ''A Cheap Trick'', playing a carrot in a production starring
Holly Woodlawn Holly Woodlawn (October 26, 1946 – December 6, 2015) was a transgender Puerto Rican actress and Warhol superstar who appeared in the films ''Trash'' (1970) and '' Women in Revolt'' (1971). She is also known as the Holly in Lou Reed's hit glam r ...
,
Candy Darling Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar and transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not ...
and
Jackie Curtis Jackie Curtis (February 19, 1947 – May 15, 1985) was an American actress, writer, singer, and Warhol superstar. Early life and career Jackie Curtis was born in New York City to John Holder and Jenevive Uglialoro. She had one sibling, half-br ...
. This was followed by a role in ''100 Miles from Nowhere'', and she appeared with
Ruby Dee Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (19 ...
in ''The Wedding Band'' in 1972. Vigard continued performing in theatre, appearing in additional productions with
Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an American actress. A star since the Golden Age of Hollywood, Woodward made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a charact ...
and
Shirley Knight Shirley Knight Hopkins (July 5, 1936 – April 22, 2020) was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and charac ...
. In 1976, she created the title role in the musical ''
Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...
'' at the
Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River, th ...
in
East Haddam, Connecticut East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The population was 8,875 at the time of the 2020 census. History Until 1650, the area of East Haddam was inhabited by at least three Indigenous peoples: the Wangunk, the Mohegan and the Ni ...
. However, the producers soon decided that Vigard's genuinely sweet interpretation was not tough enough for the street-smart character. After a week of performances, Vigard was replaced by
Andrea McArdle Andrea McArdle is an American singer and actress best known for originating the role of Annie in the Broadway musical '' Annie''. Career McArdle was born in Philadelphia. While studying dance as a child, she was spotted by a talent agent who got ...
, who played one of the orphans. Vigard later went on to become McArdle's Broadway understudy. In 1977, Vigard played "Crissy" in the short-lived
Broadway revival A revival is a restaging of a stage production after its original run has closed. New material may be added. A filmed version is said to be an adaptation and requires writing of a screenplay. Revivals are common in Broadway theatre Broa ...
of '' Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical''. Though the show met with mostly negative reviews, Vigard received some of the best notices. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote, "The very best song of all, and perhaps the best performance as well, is Miss Vigard in the stony and touching saga of a teenybopper, 'Frank Mills.' Miss Vigard looks like an ancient 12-year-old; she sings in a clear, clean style that cuts most satisfyingly through the general lushness." ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' noted, "Angel-faced Kristen Vigard is the nicest of hecast." In May 1979, she returned to Broadway as Johanne in
Martin Charnin Martin Charnin (November 24, 1934 – July 6, 2019) was an American lyricist, writer, and theatre director. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director, and lyricist of the musical ''Annie.'' Life and career Charnin was born in New York C ...
and Thomas Meehan's '' I Remember Mama'' with
Liv Ullmann Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and film director. Recognised as one of the greatest European actresses of all time, Ullmann is known as the muse and frequent partner of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. She acted in m ...
. Although the show was the last musical to be written by
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
, it received mixed reviews.


Television and film

Vigard made her television debut alongside
Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and rai ...
in the 1978 TV movie ''
Home to Stay ''Home to Stay'' is a 1978 Canadian-American made-for-television drama film directed by Delbert Mann and starring Henry Fonda, Michael McGuire and Frances Hyland. It was originally broadcast on CBS on May 1, 1978. Plot Fonda portrays an old man ...
''. In 1980, Vigard was cast as Morgan Richards on the daytime soap opera ''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
''. That same year, she appeared on the cover of ''
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'' as one of the "Torrid Teens on the Soaps". She remained on the show for two years. Vigard made her film debut in the 1979 film, ''
The Black Stallion The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...
''. In 1983, she appeared in her first major screen role alongside
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
, playing
Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), ''King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...
's daughter in '' The Survivors''. Although the film itself was panned by critics, ''People'' magazine described Vigard's performance as "appealing." She continued her work on television in a 1983 episode of '' Fame'', a 1984 TV movie '' License to Kill'', a two-year stint on ''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' as Joy O'Neill from 1984 to 1985, a 1986 episode of ''
The Equalizer ''The Equalizer'' is an American spy thriller multimedia franchise initially co-created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim, and originating with a CBS television series from 1985 to 1989, starring Edward Woodward. The concept was thereafte ...
'', and a 1987 episode of ''
Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...
''.


Music

Vigard then pursued a music career, initially singing solo in Paris subway stations before joining the underground music scene in Los Angeles. In the late 1980s and early 1990s she recorded and toured as a backup singer with the
Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
and
Fishbone Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late ' ...
, appearing on the former's ''
Mother's Milk Mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female to feed a young child. Mother's Milk may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Mother's Milk'' (album)'', an album by Red Hot Chili Peppers ** Mother's Milk Tou ...
'' (1989) and ''
One Hot Minute ''One Hot Minute'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 12, 1995 by Warner Bros. Records. The worldwide success of the band's previous album ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' (1991) caused guitaris ...
'' (1995) and Fishbone's ''
The Reality of My Surroundings ''The Reality of My Surroundings'' is the third studio album by Fishbone, released on April 23, 1991. It was the first Fishbone album to include former Miles Davis music director John Bigham (guitar, keyboards), who joined in 1989 during the ''Tr ...
'' (1991) and '' Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe'' (1993). In 1988, she released her eponymous debut album on the
Private Music Private Music was an American independent record label founded in 1984 by musician Peter Baumann as a "home for instrumental music". Baumann signed Ravi Shankar, Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Andy Summers, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and his former ...
label. It was chosen as one of the top 100 albums of the year by ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'' and reached the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Top 30. Reviewer Tim Marklein of ''
The Stanford Daily ''The Stanford Daily'' is the student-run, independent daily newspaper serving Stanford University. ''The Daily'' is distributed throughout campus and the surrounding community of Palo Alto, California, United States. It has published since the U ...
'' gave the album an "A+" and compared her to
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
, writing that "Twenty-six year old Kristen Vigard may look young, but her debut album shows that she has as much experience merging different forms of music as Paul Simon." In 1996, she sang the lead vocals for
Illeana Douglas Illeana Hesselberg (born July 25, 1961 or 1965), known professionally as Illeana Douglas, is an American actress and filmmaker. She appeared in three episodes of '' Six Feet Under'', for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination as O ...
for the film ''
Grace of My Heart ''Grace of My Heart'' is a 1996 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Allison Anders and starring Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz, Patsy Kensit, and John Turturro. The film charts the music career of Denise Waverly ...
''. Vigard's second album, ''God, Loves and Angels'', released in 2004, includes Vigard's performance of "
God Give Me Strength In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
", which was not included on the soundtrack CD.


New White Trash

From 2009 through 2013, Vigard was a member of the band New White Trash, a downtempo acoustic rock band. Vigard was a founding member, along with Michael C. Ruppert, drummer
Andy Kravitz Andy Kravitz is an American drummer and percussionist, audio engineer, record producer, and songwriter. He has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning several. He lives near Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California. Early life Andy Kravitz wa ...
, and guitarist Doug Lewis. The band released two albums, ''Doublewide'' (2011) and ''Age of Authority'' (2013). Following Ruppert's suicide in 2014, the band announced its intention to release a tribute album. ''Beyond the Rubicon'' was released on December 11, 2014.


Personal life

Vigard lives with her husband and her daughter in
Taos, New Mexico Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando Cha ...
, where she has appeared in local plays.


In popular culture

Vigard's short-lived role as ''Annie'' is mentioned in the 2008 film ''
Phoebe in Wonderland ''Phoebe in Wonderland'' is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Daniel Barnz. It stars Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Elle Fanning (in her first leading role), Campbell Scott, and Bill Pullman. It was screened in the Dramati ...
''.


Selected discography

* *


With Red Hot Chili Peppers

* *


With Fishbone

* *


With New White Trash

* * * ;Music videos * *


Other credits

* * * * *


Notes


References

* * * * * * in * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* * * * * *
Vigard on the cover
of ''
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'', October 27, 1980
Photographs of Vigard in ''I Remember Mama''
at
Museum of the City of New York A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these i ...

Photographs of Vigard
at the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
Digital Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Vigard, Kristen 1963 births Living people 20th-century American actors 20th-century American singers 21st-century American artists Actresses from New York City Actresses from Saint Paul, Minnesota American child actresses American child singers American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American soap opera actresses American television actresses American women rock singers American women singers Artists from Taos, New Mexico Friends Seminary alumni Juilliard School alumni Private Music artists Singers from Minnesota Singers from New Mexico Singers from New York City