100+ People- Part 4

In Part 3 of the 100+ People That I'd Lket to Meet, I list some Actors, Directors, and Comedians. Actors give life to the written words of authors and screenwriters, the good ones have you believing that they are the character they're portraying. Directors have to have a vision of how the piece should look, because stories don't just jump from paper to the movie or television screen or even the stage. Some actors have been able to able to become successful directors. Who doesn't like to laugh? Some commedians have been successful actors, while other have hosted daily (or nightly) television shows.

Actors, Directors, and Comedians

• William Shatner- Captain Kirk of Star Trek (the original series) and pitchman extordinaire. He has a MySpace site, he is on Twitter @ WilliamShatner, and his Wikipedia entry is here.
  

• Sir Patrick Stewart- Captain Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation. A Shakespearian actor, star of many movies, and recently knighted. I didn't find an official website or Twitter account but here is his Wikipedia entry.

• Robert Dinero- He has appeared in so many movies that you're bound to have seem him in at least one movie. I didn't find a Twitter account or official website but you can check out his IMDb biography or Wikipedia entry.

• Robert Redford- World famous actor, director, and the man behind the Sundance Film Festival. His Sundance Institute can be found here. There appears to be a Twitter account set up but it doesn't really seem to be off the ground yet.

• Clint Eastwood- World famous actor and director. You've probably seen one of his Westerns or Dirty Harry movies. I didn't find any official websites or a Twitter account, but you can read his Wikipedia entry.

• James Cameron- World famous director has brought us the Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, and most recently Avatar. I didn't find an official website or Twitter account, but you can read his Wikipedia entry.

• George Lucas- The man that created of Star Wars world and Indiana Jones. He brought us THX sound and ILM. His website is Lucasfilm.com . I didn't find a Twitter account for him, but you can read his Wikipedia entry.

• Steven Spielberg- Director and Producer, with ET, the Back to Future Series, Indiana Jones, and a ton of other movies, you've probably seen one of his movies. He is one of the founders Dreamworks SKG. I didn't find a Twitter account, but his Wikipedia entry can be found here.

• Michael Moore- He is a controversial director of documentaries.He has managed to make this film genre more accessible to the normal person, where more people are likely to watch a documentary and how many would be film makers have been inspired by his success in the genre? His website is here and he is on Twitter @ MMFlint.

• Tom Hanks- I've been a fan of his since I first watched him in the TV series Bosom Buddies. He has been referred to as the Jimmy Stewart, the everyman of the current actors. I didn't find him on Twitter, but you can find his Wikipedia entry here.

• Robin Williams- I remember first seeing him as Mork from Ork on Happy Days and then with his own series. He has been in some amazing movies and people forget how funny he is and has been. I didn't find a Twitter account, but did find a Wikipedia entry on him.

• Michael J. Fox- You might have seen him in the TV series Family Ties or Spin City. I recently re-watched him in the Back to the Future trilogy. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1991 and his foundation has funded more than $179 million in research. I didn't find an official account on Twitter but you can read about him at Wikipedia.

• Bill Cosby- He has proven time and again that comedy doesn't need to be vulgar or obscene. There is a good chance that you might have seen an episode or more from one of the televisions series bearing his name. Maybe you've seen him in the television series ISpy. He's also done several memorable spots for Jello. His Wikipedia entry can be found here.

• David Letterman- Not everyone likes his sense of humor, but you have to give him credit for longevity. He has been a staple of late night televisons for decades, with his show airing nightly. He might not have invented the Top Ten list but he sure did make it a popular item that has been adopted by countless people in all kinds of ways and venues. His show's website can be found on the CBS website and his Wikipedia entry can be found here.

• Jerry Seinfeld- Have you ever seen an episode of the Seinfeld television series, it was part of NBC's "Must See TV" on Thursday night for nearly a decade. The show has often been referred to as the show about nothing, but a lot of people tuned in week after week to watch. His Wikipedia entry can be found here.
  

Stay Tuned

So far we've met some Internet Stars; Leaders in Motivation & Inspiration; Authors; Actors, Directors, and Comedians, who'll be next? Be sure to look for 100+ People That I Want to Meet Part 5 and the rest of the series and you can read the intro here. Feel free to subscribe to this blog via email or your rss reader, there are several options available in the upper righthand corner of this blog.

Photo credit: "Red chairs" courtesy of Cancia.

100+ People- Part 5

For as long as I can remember I've been a big music fan. In the movie Eddie and The Cruisers, there is an exchange between Eddie Wilson (Michael Pare) and Frank "Wordman" Ridgeway (Tom Berenger) about how the two go together and need each other. Each by itself is a good medium for story telling and communicatin but the two together are a powerful combination. The song writer(s) might have one idea of what their song means but they can not control what their song will mean to someone else nor what others will do with their song. How many songs have been turned around into totally differnt versions of the same song. Think about the phemnomina of Rap music and remixes. How different would movies and television be without the score and music helps to set the tone and direction of the scenes you're watching. Chances are that you have at least one song that can put you in a good mood no matter what the world may dish up to you the moment you hear that first note or one song that motivates you.

Bands & Musicians

• Led Zeppelin- Lead singer, Robert Plant has one of the best know voices in Rock and Roll. He won a Grammy last year for an album that he did with Blue Grass singer Alison Krauss. Jimmy Page is one of three legendary guitarists that were in the Yardbirds (Eric Clapton, also appearing in my list, and Jeff Beck, being the other two). I didn't find any Twitter accounts but Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant both have official websites and a Wikipedia entry.

• Eric Clapton- Even if you're not into the Blues or already a fan of Eric Clapton, you've probably heard a song of his without realizing it. Several of his songs have been in various movie soundtracks in the last few decades. Everybody wanted to do unplugged after he did it. He was another of the famous guitarists that was in the Yardbirds (Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are the other two). I didn't find a Twitter account and his official website can be found here.

• B.B. King- If you're a Blues fan you've probably already know of B.B. King. Eric Clapton and many other Rock and Roll greats list him as an influence. In fact, King and Clapton did an album together called Riding With The King. B.B. King has an official website and he has a museum that can be found online as well. Although I didn't find a Twitter account, I did see links to MySpace and Facebook from his website.

• Chuck Berry- Chances are you've probably heard of Chuck Berry. Many people credit him with Rock and Roll taking off the way it did, certainly he has influenced a lot of musicians over the years. Chuck Berry has a website a Wikipedia entry and I did find a MySpace account.

• It is really hard to "imagine" music and the world without the Beatles. An uncle of mine once joked about being by the magizine section in a store and hearing some teenager girls saying "Wow, Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings". Unfortunately, only Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as Yoko Ono and Pete Best (their drummer before Ringo) are alive. Paul,Ringo, and Pete all have their own websites in addition to Imagine Peace, Yoko's website. The Beatles, Paul McCartney, and Yoko all have Twitter accounts. I found Wikipedia entries for The_Beatles, Lennon/McCartney, Paul_McCartney, Ringo_Starr, Pete_Best, and Yoko_Ono. Yoko is in Facebook, as well as having a MySpace account. Ringo has a MySpace account.

• At one time people seemed to like the Beatles or the Stones, although Mick Jagger might not ever seem to get his Satisfaction, the Rolling Stone have certainly had some time in the spotlight. The band has a website and Wikipedia entry and I found MySpace and Facebook sites for them as well.

• If you're a Van Halen fan, you've probably given some thought to weither David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar was the better singer. There is little doubt however that Eddy Van Halen is one of the guitar greats. Sammy and Michael have been in Chickenfoot together since leaving Van Halen. I found Wikipedia entries for Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, Micahel Anthony, and Chickenfoot. I also found MySpace and Facebook sites for Chickenfoot.

• I wonder what all will be written about U2, when all is said and done. The Jousha Tree brought the to mainstream success and they've sold out countless concerts since then. I found Wikipedia entries for U2, Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. The band has MySpace and Facebook sites.

• It is hard to imagine the Alternative/Grunge rock era without Pearl Jam. They were also the band that boycotted Ticketmaster. Although I didn't find Facebook or MySpace sites, they do have a Wikipedia entry and Twitter account.

• If you listen to "Classic Rock", you've probably heard Jethro Tull. Many people might say that they're "Living in the Past" but the vocals and flute of Ian Anderson are hard to mistake for anyone else in the world of "Classic Rock". I found Wikipedia entries for Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson. The band also has a MySpace site.

• If you've ever played Six Degrees of Seperation, a game where someone suggests two movie stars and you try to connect them through movies that they'd played in and Kevin Bacon, there is a good chance that you'd use Yes to connect muscians in British Rock. Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, Geoff Downs, Bill Bruford, and Alan White have all been in one or more of the various lineups of Yes. I found Wikipedia entries for Yes, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, Geoff Downs, Bill Bruford, and Alan White. I didn't really come accross any MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter accounts for the more promenent Yes and former Yes memebers but with there being so many I might have missed something!

• Aerosmith is another one of the bands that train just keeps rolling for. They were already well known in the 70's and 80's when they decided that they didn't want a "Permanent Vacation" they became introduced to another generation. Liv Tyler, Steven Tyler's daughter, has probably escliped the widespread fame of her father's band and I wonder how many of her fans were introduced to the band via her notoriety. Lead guitarist Joe Perry has his own website, a Twitter account, as well as MySpace and Facebook sites. I found Wikipedi entries for Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, and Joe Perry. Aeroforceone tweets about the band. Steven Tyler has a MySpace site and the band has MySpace and Facebook sites.

• Coming from the Detroit area it is darn near impossible not to be a Bob Seger fan. Did you happen to see Tom Cruise's scene from Risky Business where he danced around to "Old Time Rock And Roll"? Bob Seger has a Wikipedia entry, he is on Twitter, and he has a Facebook site.

• You've probably heard "Hotel California", if not countless other Eagles songs. The band had a bad break up at one point and reported wouldn't get back together till Hell freezes over, well it must have frozen over because they did get back together. Don Henley says on their "Hell Freezes Over" album (recorded during their "Hell Freezes Over" tour) "for the record we never really broke up, we just took a 14 year vacation". Bandmembers Joe Walsh and Timothy B Schmit have their own websites as well. I found Wikipedia entries for The Eagles, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit. While Don Henley's website said that "He does not communicate via social networking sites and has not authorized any account to be created on his behalf." the band appears to have a MySpace site and Timothy B. Schmit has Twitter accountand Facebook and MySpace accounts. So who knows, maybe Hell will freeze over again before Don Henley does anything with any of the Social Networking sites.

• Kiss has to be one of the first best known bands to understand what a powerful tool marketing can be. For decades their fanbase has been refered to as the Kiss Army and their devotion is legendary. The band was founded with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss all wearing makeup that concealed their faces. In addition to the websites already linked to, I found websites for current and former band members Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Eric Carr, and Bruce Kulick. I found Wikipedia entries on Kiss, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Kiss Army, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Mark St. John, Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, and Bruce Kulick. The band has a Twitter account, Facebook and MySpace sites and Ace has a Twitter account.

• Although John Mellencamp's name has changed through the years from John Cougar, John Cougar Mellencamp, and finally to John Mellencamp, he has firmly identified himself with the Midwest and his home state of Indiana. I saw him perform during one of his many appearences at Farm Aid. He has a Wikipedia entry, a Twitter account, and Facebook and MySpace sites.

• To a lot of their fans, REM will always be that little ole alternative band from Athens Georgia, but their popularity with in College Radio and the mainstream public has grown way beyond that. They have a Wikipedia entry, Twitter account, and Facebook and MySpace sites.

• Regardless of if you like Madonna's music or not you have to admit that she has been good at marketing, promotion, and re-inventing herself. Her career might have gotten an initial boost from MTV, but she's had several totally different looks in her career and has inspired countless artists. I didn't find an offical Twitter account but she has a Wikipedia entry, as well as Facebook and MySpace sites.

Stay Tuned

So far we've met some Internet Stars; Leaders in Motivation & Inspiration; Authors; Actors, Directors, and Comedians; and Musicians, who'll be next? Be sure to look for 100+ People That I Want to Meet Part 6 and the rest of the series and you can read the intro here. Feel free to subscribe to this blog via email or your rss reader, there are several options available in the upper righthand corner of this blog.

Photo credit: "DJ Night 4" courtesy of fangol.

100+ People- Part 6

While there is little doubt that sports is big business, a big part of our societies today, and many athletes are living in the limelight (like it or not), but there are lots of athletes that are playing their sports for the love of the game. How many kids have played sports in their neighborhoods and schools? Sports has the dynamics of of indivituals competing against each other driving to succeed, people coming together and playing as a team, and bringing people together that are fans of the sport. Schools have found that sports are a way of getting students, parents. alumni, and fans to be more active in supporting the said school and building a community around the school. Some sporting events are watched by millions of people around the world. There are so many stories around sports that people can relate to from the Cinderella player or team that comes out of nowhere to play in the championship, to that winning team or athlete that is trying to extend their time in the limelight and success past when logic says that should probably quit. Sports has given us all kinds of motivation and inspiration that people have tried to harness in other aspects of life.

Athletes

• Few people would question you if you were to say that Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. Nike would not doubt admit that his line of Air Jordon products helped to make them the successful athletic apparell company that they are today. I didn't find a website, Twitter account, or Facebook and MySpace sites, but did find a Wikipedia entry.

• Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game. While at the moment his name has often been mentioned for his extra-marital acitivies, you have to believe that people will eventually be talking about him again for what he is doing or has done in the world of golf. Until the scandal broke, he was an advertiser's dream, representing Nike, Buick, and many other products. It will be interesting to see what develops, how he is able to get beyond where is now, and what lessons we can learn from him. I didn't find a Twitter account, nor Facebook and MySpace sites, but he does have a Wikipedia entry.

• Before Tiger, there was Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Bear. He has won tons of golfing tournaments, designed golf courses, and in general been a wonderful ambassador for the world of golf. I didn't find a Twitter account, nor Facebook and MySpace accounts, but he does have a Wikipedia entry.

• I lived in Dallas during much of Troy Aikman's professional football career with the Dallas Cowboys and it was exciting to see him lead the team to those Super Bowl wins. I didn't find a Twitter account, nor Facebook and MySpace accounts, but he does have a Wikipedia entry.

• Admiration of my grandfather (in large part), made me a Dallas Cowboys fan from an early age on, so there is probably little doubt that I would come to admire what Roger Staubach accomplished in his years with the team. I didn't find a Twitter account, nor Facebook and MySpace accounts, but he does have a Wikipedia entry.

• Not long before Jordon, the Magic Johonson-Larry Bird rivalry was good for the sport of basketball. The two first became famous meeting in the NCAA basketball championship game with Magic and the Michigan State Spartans, beating out Larry Bird and his Indiana State team. The two of them helped to define the Laker-Celtic rivalry. I didn't find Twitter acccounts, nor Facebook and MySpace sites but Magic and Larry Bird both have Wikipedia entries.

• During Steve Yzerman's playing career at the Detroit Red Wings, the Stanley Cup came back to Detroit, and the city was often referred to as Hockeytown. The Red Wings were a shining star, a real bright spot for Detroit. Steve has left the ice and is now the general manager at the Tampa Bay Lightning. I didn't find a website, Twitter account, nor Facebook and MySpace sites but did find a Wikipedia entry for him.

• Gordie Howe is a hockey legend. In 1998, The Hockey News, placed Gordie third on their List of Top 100 NHL Players of All Time. He played hockey from 1945 to 1998, not too many atheletes can play the sport that they love for such a long period of time. His jersey was retired by the Detroit Red Wings. I didn't find a website, Twitter account, nor Facebook and MySpace sites but did find a Wikipedia entry for him.

• Wayne Gretzky, "the Great One", was rated number one on the List of Top 100 NHL Players of All Time mentioned previously. He is often atributed with one of my favorite quotes that you miss one hundred percent of the shots that you don't take. I didn't find a Twitter account, nor Facebook and MySpace sites but did find a Wikipedia entry.

• Lance Armstrong first caught my attention when I heard that he was recovering from cancer and determined to keep cycling. His 7 victories in the Tour de France, might just be one of those unbreakable records. He started the Lance Armstrong Foundation with a website called Live Strong "to improve the lives of people affected by cancer". Although I didn't notice any Facebook or MySpace sites, he has a Wikipedia entry and a very active Twitter account.

• Reggie Jackson reportedly got his nick name of "Mr. October" because of how he seemed to come alive during the playoff chase in Baseball. He won the World Series three times in Oakland and twice with the Yankees. Although I didn't notice any Facebook or MySpace sites or Twitter account, he does have a Wikipedia entry.

• Sparky Anderson is the first coach to win the World Series in both the National and American Leagues. He led the Cincinati Reds to two World Series wins and led the Detroit Tigers to their 1984 World Series win. Although I didn't notice any website, Facebook or MySpace sites or Twitter account, he does have a Wikipedia entry.

Stay Tuned

So far we've met some Internet Stars; Leaders in Motivation & Inspiration; Authors; Actors, Directors, and Comedians; Musicians; and Athletes, who'll be next? Be sure to look for 100+ People That I Want to Meet Part 7 and the rest of the series and you can read the intro here. Feel free to subscribe to this blog via email or your rss reader, there are several options available in the upper righthand corner of this blog.

Photo credit: "Tribune 1" courtesy of gesinek.