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1-15 of 15
- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Grammy-winning Queen of Soul and the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Barbara Vernice (Siggers) and C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, who preached at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit for over thirty years. Known as the man with the "Million-Dollar Voice", her father was one of the most respected and prominent ministers in the country, and Aretha grew up singing in church, and surrounded by local and national celebrities. She learned how to play piano by ear and soon understood the correct tones and pitches.
Aretha released her first single at the age of eighteen, under Columbia Records, it reached number ten on the BillBoard charts and her first record was released in January of 1961. While working for the label, she managed to score two more R&B hits, Operation Heartbreak and Won't Be Long. However the people at Columbia often felt they didn't understand the direction Aretha wanted to go with her music, and ultimately failed to bring out her potential. In 1966, Aretha signed a contract with Atlantic Records, where she released her first legendary single, Respect, written by The King Of Soul, Otis Redding. With this single, Franklin would trigger a new vocal skill called, "call and response," which would help liven up many of her singles. While signed with Atlantic, she released three additional top ten hits, Baby I Love You, A Natural Women,and Chain Of Fools, and won her first two Grammy awards, and eight consecutive Grammys for best female R&B vocal category.
Franklin had not only achieved her dream of becoming a musical sensation but stood out in the civil rights movement for her single with Otis Redding, Respect. The song helped send a message to Americans about equality, peace, and justice. Franklin continued to release pop hits throughout the decade, such as Think, I Say A Little Prayer, and Ain't No Way. After these amazing hits to many listeners she was seen as The Queen Of Soul. In the 1970s, she started recording gospel hits such as Don't Play That Song, Rocksteady, and Daydreaming. It was foreseeable that Franklin would soon stumble upon a masterpiece which became the best selling gospel album of all time, which she did in 1972 with her album Amazing Grace.
In the mid '70s, even though she was releasing hit songs, she began to lose touch with her soul-pop audiences due to the disco genre making its entrance into mainstream music. In 1979, she released an album in order to gain the audience of disco lovers called, La Diva. La Diva sold less than 50,000 copies and was marked as the lowest point in Franklin's career. On June 10, 1979, her father Clarence was shot by a mugger. This left Clarence in a coma for five years and Aretha decided to move back to Detroit to take care of her father. Clarence Franklin died on July 27, 1984.
In 1980, along with several other musicians such as Ray Charles and James Brown, Aretha Franklin appeared in the hit feature film The Blues Brothers. In 1982, she returned to the R&B top ten charts with her hit album Jump To It, featuring Luther Vandross. It sold more than 600,000 copies and was gold-certified, managing to stay on number one for seven weeks. In 1985, Franklin released an album which featured a unique never before heard element of rock. The album, "Who's Zoomin Who?", and soon went on to receive platinum-certified success. The album also featured a hit song with George Michael called I Know You Were Waiting For Me, and went on to sell more than one million copies. In 1987, Aretha sang the theme song to A Different World, a sitcom created by Bill Cosby, and in 1989, she released a pop album which featured Elton John, James Brown, The Four Tops, Kenny G, and Whitney Houston, called Through The Storm. In 1992, Franklin sang the song Someday We'll All Be Free for the soundtrack to the biopic film Malcolm X (1992). In 1993, Aretha sang at Bill Clinton's inauguration. At a slower rate in the mid-late '90s, she continued to release albums and singles, working with new artists such as BabyFace, Jermaine Dupri, Sean "P Diddy" Combs, and Lauryn Hill along with her label, Arista Records.
In 2003, she had ended the 23 year relationship with Arista and opened her own label, Aretha. Franklin released her first album on the label, A Woman Falling Out Of Love, in 2011. It marked her fifty years in show business.
Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan. She will be known as one of the most influential singers of all time, and as an activist who spoke of the world through her music, and used music as a tool for truth, justice, and soul.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Casting Department
Glen Chin was born on January 27, 1948 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is known for his work on 50 First Dates (2004), Natural Born Killers (1994) and The Art of War (2000). Glen was a wonderfully accomplished Bass Violin virtuoso while living in Stockton, California. He was gifted in that profession with the Stockton Symphony and very well respected in his craft. He attended Grover Cleveland Grammar School, Stockton Junior High School, and Amos Alonso Stagg High School predating his entry into the movie industry.- Lee Moore was born on 19 February 1929 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011) and The Law of the Desert (1991). He died on 16 August 2018 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Count Prince Miller was born on 30 March 1934 in Padgetts, Port Maria, Jamaica. He was an actor, known for Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), What a Girl Wants (2003) and Winnie and the Duppy Bat (2006). He was married to Verna McKenzie Hastings. He died on 16 August 2018 in London, England, UK.
- Composer
- Writer
- Music Department
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on 25 December 1924 in Gwalior, Central India Agency, British India. He was a composer and writer, known for Kya Khoya Kya Paya (2002), Nayi Disha (1999) and Chala Murari Hero Banne (1977). He died on 16 August 2018 in New Delhi, India.- Sound Department
- Director
- Editor
American experimental filmmaker Robert 'Rob' Todd was raised in Westchester, NY, studied painting and film at Tufts University / School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and taught film at a small, New England, liberal-arts college. Todd and produced over 175 films, which are to be housed at the Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The filmmaker's extensive collection of rare, historic film and video, books, and imprints are housed as a resource for future generations of historians, artists and filmmakers at the CalArts Library.
Rob Todd's media works defy categorization, but he was perhaps best known for his creation of intimate, lyrical works that gave insight into the fragility of both humankind and nature. During his life, Todd's films were screened at many international film festivals, including Rotterdam, New York, San Francisco, Black Maria, Nouveau Cinema (Montréal), Ann Arbor, Slamdance, and many others. After his death his works continue to be screened and studied.
Todd's films cover a broad range of genres, from abstract (e.g. "Gems" - shining droplets of water on branches) to documentary (e.g. "In Loving Memory: Testimonials of Death Row Inmates Regarding Life" and "Master Plan"). Todd received grants and awards from various festivals and foundations, including the LEF Foundation, The Brother Thomas Award from The Boston Foundation, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, among others.
Todd's work and approach to creating art had a profound impact on generations of experimental filmmakers. After his death, collaborator Brittany Gravely said of him, "Obsessively shooting and making films, Rob lost the need to use a light meter and, eventually, a splicer. I was surprised he still required a camera."
A former student of his said, "Rob Todd taught me the one thing that was crucial about filmmaking - discovery. Not story, not character, not theme, all of which can be callously recycled or poorly executed. No! It's discovery. Everything that is exciting, that moves the blood around your body, that makes you shiver, that opens your eyes wider, that connects your soul, is tied to the process of discovery. Of having your eyes open and your camera ready."
Rob died in August 2018 and is survived by his wife, writer and painter Tessa Day.- Production Designer
- Art Department
- Art Director
After studying architecture at Cranbrook the world-renowned art and design school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Charles moved to California to pursue his career. Once in Los Angeles, he quickly gravitated to the film industry and began working at Universal Studios as a set designer and assistant art director.
His credits include working with Ridley Scott on Blade Runner (1982), Mike Nichols on Postcards from the Edge (1990), Richard Attenborough on Chaplin (1992) and James Cameron on Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). As an art director he worked with Barry Levinson on Disclosure (1994), Clint Eastwood on The Bridges of Madison County (1995) and William Friedkin on Jade (1995).
As a production designer, he designed the controversial, yet critically acclaimed films, Your Friends and Neighbors (1998) and Nurse Betty (2000), directed by Neil LaBute.
He has designed a number of feature films, including the comedy, Boat Trip (2002) and the effects driven thriller, Eight Legged Freaks (2002), produced by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. In addition, he designed the commercially successful comedies, She's All That (1999), Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) and A Cinderella Story (2004).
He collaborated with director Bryan Barber on Idlewild (2006), a 1930's musical set in the Prohibition South which stars popular recording artists, Outkast. He also worked with Barber on several music videos including "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera and "Mesmerized" by Faith Evans.
Recently, he worked with director Dan Pritzker on Bolden (2019) and Louis (2010), companion period films set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans about legendary jazz musicians, Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong. He also worked with director Fred Durst on The Longshots (2008).
Nominated for an Emmy for Best Art Direction for HBO's Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997), Charles is also a member of the Art Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and sits on its Executive Committee.- Elena Shushunova was born on 23 May 1969 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. She was married to Youri. She died on 16 August 2018 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Rebecca Gamble was born on 4 March 1974 in Dallas, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for Pickaxe (2014) and Salem (2014). She died on 16 August 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.- Writer
- Actor
- Music Department
Benny Andersen was born on 7 November 1929 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a writer and actor, known for Valsedrømme (1967), Det drejer sig om - (1967) and Sjov i Danmark (1970). He was married to Elisabeth Ehmer, Cynthia Rosalina La Touche and Signe Anny Plesner. He died on 16 August 2018 in Sorgenfri, Copenhagen, Denmark.- John Lanting was born in 1930 in Overveen, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor and producer, known for Kunt u mij de weg naar Hamelen vertellen, mijnheer? (1972), In de kast, op de kast (1978) and Geen gedonder in het vooronder (1985). He died on 16 August 2018 in Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
- Producer
- Production Manager
- Script and Continuity Department
Gunther Witte was born on 26 September 1935 in Riga, Latvia, USSR. He was a producer and production manager, known for Tatort (1970), Die Eroberung der Zitadelle (1977) and The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975). He died on 16 August 2018 in Berlin, Germany.- Gavri Levy was born on 24 December 1937 in Palestine. He was an actor, known for Rachamim (2007), Rokdim Im Kochavim (2005) and Mo'adon Layla (2006). He died on 16 August 2018 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Jirina Knízková was born on 17 November 1925 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Prodaná nevesta (1962). She died on 16 August 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic.
- Wakako Yamauchi was born on 25 October 1924 in Westmorland, California, USA. She was a writer, known for In Heaven & Earth (1997), And the Soul Shall Dance (1978) and Words, Weavings & Songs (2002). She was married to Chester M. Yamauchi. She died on 16 August 2018 in Gardena, California, USA.