Sept 26: Bob Barker

Who Was Bob Barker?

Bob Barker was one of television’s most iconic game show host.
He was best known for his decades long run on The Price Is Right.
He started out in 1950 with his own radio show. It was called The Bob Barker Show.
Then he started on the show called Truth or Consequences as the host. He was the host of that show for 18 years.
In 1972 he joined the cast of the Price Is Right and it reached new levels of success.
He retired as the show’s host in 2007 after almost 35 years hosting it.
The Price Is Right became an hour-long game show and it was the longest running day time game show in history.
Bob received 18 daytime Demi daytime Emmy awards for the show.
He died at the age of 99 in August 2023.

Early Life and Start in Broadcasting

His full name was Robert William Barker, and he was born on December 12, 1923.
He was born in Darlington, Washington.
His father died when he was very young and until he was in eighth grade, he lived with his mother Matilda.
She was a teacher on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission South Dakota.
When his mother remarried the family moved to Springfield Missouri.
Bob graduated from high school in the early 1940s and attended Springfield’s Drury College by receiving a basketball scholarship.
He left school in 1943 because he was going to train as a fighter pilot in the United States Naval Reserve.
But World War II ended before he was given an assignment for active duty.
He returned to Drury and graduated in 1947 with a degree in economics.
His first job at a radio station in Florida caused him to think about his next move.
In 1950 he moved to California in order to pursue a career in broadcasting. He was given his own radio show called the Bob Barker Show which ran for the next six years out of Burbank California.

Truth or Consequences in 1958

In 1956 Bob was hired to host the daytime television series based on the long-running radio quiz show called Truth or Consequences.
The producer at the time named Ralph Edwards heard Bob’s voice on the radio and invited him to audition.
He offered him the job one December day.
Bob said, “that was, that is and that will always be the most important call of my professional life,” in 2007. “All the wonderful things that have happened to me since started with that phone call from Ralph.”
Truth or Consequences forced contestants to perform some bizarre stunts if they failed to answer a question within about one second.

The program was syndicated in 1966.
Bob stayed on as its host until 1974 when it was taken off the air.

The Price Is Right

Before he finished doing Truth or Consequences, Bob took on a different role hosting another game show called The Price Is Right.
The show ran in 1950 on NBC and ABC before it moved to CBS when Bob started hosting the show in 1972.

Just for fun I thought we could look at different intros throughout the years.

The show had 60 different games that each contestant needed to guess the price of various products that ranged from cutlery to luxury cars.
This was a hit show due in part to the catchphrase, “come on down!” It was yelled out by the show’s original announcer, the late Johnny Olson.

It was also very popular due to the incredible number of prizes awarded by the jovial sound in Bob Barker’s voice.
The estimated total amount won in prizes from 1972 to 1999 was around $200 million.
Bob was also a very strong animal rights activists and he ended every show by reminding the public of animal welfare by stating: “help control the pet population. Have your pets neutered or spayed.”
In November 1975 the show became the first hour-long game show in TV history.
In 1990 it surpassed Truth or Consequences as the longest running daytime game show in history.
Bob said, “it never entered my mind that I would do Price Is Right longer than Truth or Consequences,”. “It never entered my mind that I would do anything longer. It never entered my mind that I would even live longer.”
He received 18 Daytime Emmy Awards during his tenure on the program, including 14 for Outstanding Game Show Host.
In 2006 he announced his retirement from hosting the Price is right after holding the job for nearly 35 years.
His last episode aired in June 2007, and he picked Drew Carey to be his replacement.
Over the years however, Bob returned for visits including in 2013 when he turned 90 years old.
On April 1, 2015, Bob surprised the Price Is Right as an April fool’s joke. He said, “I know the world is full of fools, but I am a carefully selected fool.” He made this joke because he wanted to joke about being temporarily back on the show as the host again.

Harassment Scandal

in 1994, Diane Parkinson, a former model on the Price Is Right from 1975 to 1993, sued Bob for sexual harassment. She claimed that he had threatened to fire her if she didn’t have an intimate relationship with him.
However, Bob vehemently denied the allegations and said that he had an intimate relationship with her but that it had been consensual.
It ended up that her attorneys were fined by the judge in the case for failing to provide Bob’s lawyers with documents supporting her damages claims.
She ended up dropping the lawsuit saying she could no longer afford the legal fees and that the court process had caused her emotional and physical stress.
Even though the suit was ultimately dropped it unfortunately created a public scandal that forever damaged Bob’s reputation.

Other Hosting Gigs and Happy Gilmore

Bob’s time on the Price Is Right caused him to gain a lot of different appearances on a number of shows. They included The Pillsbury Bake-Off, which he emceed from 1969 to 1985.
He also hosted the annual New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses Parade from 1969 to 1988.
He hosted the Miss universe and Miss USA pageant’s every year from 1966 to 1988.
In 1980 he appeared as the host of the short-lived variety show called That’s My Line. It was developed by the creators of What’s My Line, this was TV’s longest running primetime game show.
He was even on the Rosie O’Donnell show as a guest.

In 1996, Bob appeared on the big screen when he played himself in Happy Gilmore.
This was a comedy that starred Adam Sandler. In one scene Bob and Adam get into a brawl at a celebrity golf tournament.

This scene won an award for Best Fight Sequence at the MTV Movie Awards that year.
Because of this scene the ratings for the Price Is Right also increased among young viewers.
After the movie was released, he said that audience members would regularly ask him if he could really beat up Adam Sandler.
For all his hosting efforts Bob celebrated by winning the Daytime Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1999.

Five years later in 2004 he was inducted into the Television Academy to Hall of Fame.

Animal Rights Activism

In the late 1980s, Bob became involved in a dispute with the organizers of Miss USA over the issue that had become dear to his heart: Animal Rights.
Bob said he didn’t want to host the pageants after organizers refused to remove fur coats from the prize packages that were received by the winners.
His support of animal-rights was the reason he founded the DJ and T foundation in 1995.
This organization is based in Beverly Hills and works to reduce the overpopulation of domestic animals by providing free or inexpensive sterilization for cats and dogs.
Bob named the DJ and T foundation for his wife Dorothy Jo Gideon and her mother Tillie.
In October 2013 Bob spent nearly $1 million to get three African elephants from the Toronto Zoo to PAWS an animal sanctuary in California.
The Toronto city Council allowed for the removal in 2011 after activists such as Bob voiced their concerns about having large animals held in zoos.

With the addition of Toka, Iringa and Thika the PAWS ARC 2000 compound has a total of nine elephants now.
Bob was a vegetarian for more than 40 years.

Wife

Bob and his wife Dorothy Jo Gideon were married for 36 years.
In 1945, Bob married Dorothy Jo Gideon. They met in high school.
Bob often told the story of the first meeting, when she was sitting on a veranda at a hotel where he worked.
She reached into a deck of cards and pulled out the 10 of spades and told Bob, “Here, this will be your luck.” Bob kept the card for more than six decades.
The couple didn’t have children but did work together. Gideon produced her husband’s game shows until her death in 1981 from cancer. Bob and never remarried.

Death

Bob died from Alzheimer’s disease on August 26, 2023, at the age of 99 in his Los Angeles home.
He didn’t discuss his diagnosis publicly.
His death certificate also listed hypertension, hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia as contributing factors as well.
Before he died, he requested not to have a funeral or memorial service. He will be buried alongside his wife Dorothy Jo Gideon at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Los Angeles.

I found a quote that he once said that I thought you all might enjoy. Here it is.

“I’d rather be kissed by my dogs than by some of people I’ve known.”

Let’s end class by watching a video remembering Bob Barker. I hope you enjoyed remembering Bob Barker is much as I did.

Sept 21: Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century.
He had a full career as an award-winning singer and film actor.

Who Was Frank Sinatra?

Singer and actor Frank Sinatra rose to fame singing big band numbers.
In the 1940s and 1950s, he had a dazzling array of hit songs and albums and went on to appear in dozens of films, winning a supporting actor Oscar for his role in From Here to Eternity.

He also wrote a song with the same name.

He left behind a massive catalog of work that includes iconic tunes like “Love and Marriage,” “Strangers in the Night,” “My Way” and “New York, New York.” He died on May 14, 1998, in Los Angeles, California.

Early Life and Career

Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey.
He was the only child of immigrants from Sicily, Italy.
He decided to become a singer when he was a teenager. He was inspired after watching Bing Crosby perform in the mid-1930s.
He had already been a member of the glee club in his high school and began to sing at local nightclubs.
Radio exposure brought him to the attention of bandleader Harry James, with whom Sinatra made his first recordings, including “All or Nothing at All.”
In 1940, Tommy Dorsey invited Sinatra to join his band. After two years of chart-topping success with Dorsey, Sinatra decided to strike out on his own.
Frank Sinatra once said: “The only two people I’ve ever been afraid of are my mother and Tommy Dorsey.”

Solo Artist

Between 1943 and 1946, Sinatra’s solo career blossomed as the singer charted a slew of hit singles.
The mobs of fans Sinatra attracted with his dreamy baritone earned him such nicknames as “The Voice” and “The Sultan of Swoon.”

“It was the war years, and there was a great loneliness,” recalled Sinatra, who was unfit for military service due to a punctured eardrum. “I was the boy in every corner drugstore who’d gone off, drafted to the war. That was all.”

Sinatra made his movie acting debut in 1943 with the films Reveille With Beverley and Higher and Higher.
In 1945, he won a special Academy Award for The House I Live In, a 10-minute short made to promote racial and religious tolerance on the home front.

Sinatra’s popularity began to slide in the post-war years, however, leading to a loss of his recording and film contracts in the early 1950s.
But in 1953, he made a triumphant comeback, winning an Oscar for supporting actor for his portrayal of the Italian American soldier Maggio in the classic From Here to Eternity.

Although this was his first non-singing role, Sinatra quickly found a new vocal outlet when he received a recording contract with Capitol Records in the same year. The Sinatra of the 1950s brought forth a more mature sound with jazzier inflections in his voice.

Having regained stardom, Sinatra enjoyed continued success in both movies and music for years to come.
He received another Academy Award nomination for his work in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and earned critical acclaim for his performance in the original version of The Manchurian Candidate (1962).

Meanwhile, he continued to be a formidable chart presence. When his record sales began to dip by the end of the 1950s, Sinatra left Capitol to establish his own record label, Reprise. In association with Warner Bros., which later bought Reprise, Sinatra also set up his own independent film production company, Artanis.

Rat Pack and No. 1 Tunes

He was a founding member of the “Rat Pack,” alongside Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.
Sinatra came to epitomize the hard-drinking, womanizing, gambling swinger—an image constantly reinforced by the popular press and Sinatra’s own albums.
By the mid-1960s, Sinatra was on top. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and headlined the 1965 Newport Jazz Festival with Count Basie’s Orchestra. This period also marked his Las Vegas debut, where he continued on for years as the main attraction at Caesars Palace.
With his modern edge and timeless class, even radical youth of the day had to pay Sinatra his due. As Jim Morrison of the Doors once said, “No one can touch him.”
The Rat Pack made several films during their heyday: the famed Ocean’s Eleven (1960), Sergeants Three (1962), Four for Texas (1963) and Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964).

Back in the world of music, Sinatra had a big hit in 1966 with the Billboard No. 1 track “Strangers in the Night,” which won a Grammy for record of the year. Here is him dancing to the song with Grace Kelly!

He also recorded the duet “Something Stupid” with his daughter Nancy, who’d previously made waves with the feminist anthem “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

After a brief retirement in the early 1970s, Sinatra returned to the music scene with the album Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back (1973).

Personal Life

Frank Sinatra married Nancy Barbato in 1939. They had three children together—Nancy (born in 1940), Frank Sinatra Jr. (born in 1944) and Tina (born in 1948)—before their marriage ended in the late 1940s.
After that, he got married to actress Ava Gardner (1951), Mia Farrow (1966), and Barbara Blakely Marx (1976), the ex-wife of comedian Zeppo Marx. The two remained together until Sinatra’s death more than 20 years later.

Criticism did not diminish his fame!

In 1987, author Kitty Kelley published an unauthorized biography of Sinatra, which accused the singer of relying on mob ties to build his career. These claims did not have any evidence to support them, and the slander did not diminish his popularity.
In 1993, at the age of 77, he released Duets, a collection of 13 Sinatra standards that he rerecorded, featuring the likes of Barbra Streisand, Bono, Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin.
While the album was a major hit, some critics criticized the quality of the project as Sinatra had recorded his vocals well before his collaborators laid down their tracks. That didn’t stop him from gaining legions of new, younger fans after this release!!

Sinatra performed in concert for the last time in 1995 at the Palm Desert Marriott Ballroom in California.

Death and Legacy

On May 14, 1998, Frank Sinatra died of a heart attack at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
He was 82 years old. With a show business career that spanned more than 50 years, Sinatra’s continued mass appeal can best be explained in the man’s own words:
- “When I sing, I believe. I’m honest.”
- “I don’t know what other singers feel when they articulate lyrics, but being an 18-karat manic-depressive and having lived a life of violent emotional contradictions, I have an overacute capacity for sadness as well as elation. I know what the cat who wrote the song is trying to say. I’ve been there—and back. I guess the audience feels it along with me. They can’t help it. Sentimentality, after all, is an emotion common to all humanity.”

In 2010, the well-received biography Frank: The Voice was published by Doubleday and penned by James Kaplan.
The writer released a sequel to the volume in 2015—Sinatra: The Chairman, which happened to be published 100 years after his birth.
His impact on the world lives on as many people use his music for the most special moments, including weddings and funerals.

Source:

https://www.biography.com/musicians/frank-sinatra

Sept 19: Tony Bennett

Who Was Tony Bennett?

He was a jazz singer That enjoyed his first hit single called Because of You in 1951.
In 1962 he released his signature song called I Left My Heart in San Francisco.
His popularity began to decrease as younger fans decided to listen to rock music.
But he gained popularity again by the 1990s when his exposure increased because he made an appearance on MTV unplugged.
He later worked with artists such as Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, and Carrie Underwood for successful Duets and Duets 2 albums.
This helped to add to his collection of Grammy Awards even as he was nearing his 90^th birthday.
In 2014 when he was 88 years old, he broke his own record as the oldest artist to have a number one album when he released the album called Cheek to Cheek.
This was a collaboration effort with Lady Gaga.
Tony died in July 2023 at the age of 96.

Early Life

Tony Bennett’s real name was Anthony Dominic Benedetto.
He was born on August 3, 1926, in the Astoria neighbourhood of Queens, New York.
His parents were Italian, and his father immigrated to the United States when he was young.
Growing up in the Great Depression he experienced more difficulty at age 10 when his father passed away.
His mother worked as a seamstress to support him and his two siblings.
Tony attended The High School of Industrial Arts in New York City, but he decided to drop out to help the family and began to work as a singing leader.
He served in the Army infantry during World War II and decided to take advantage of the G.I. Bill and studied singing at the American Theatre Wing.
During this time his vocal coach Mimi Spear offered some advice that he really took to heart. She said, “don’t imitate other singers; emulate instrumentalists instead.”

Early Songs

First Hits: Because of You and Cold, Cold Heart

He first started performing under the name of Joe Bari.
Tony was discovered in 1949 by Pearl Bailey.
She asked him to open her show for her in Greenwich Village.
After that he caught the attention of Bob Hope, and he advised him to take the name of Tony Bennett and decided to add Tony to his show.
Tony told Billboard magazine in 1997 that he’s been on the road ever since.
Tony signed with Columbia records in 1950 and started working with record producer Mitch Miller.
His early hit songs included Because of You, Cold, Cold Heart, and Rags to Riches.

It was his smooth voice that earned him the young fans that adored him.
By the late 1950s, Tony had become interested in creating jazz albums and decided to team up with some of the most talented musicians in the business.
In 1958 made an album with Count Basie called Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. It included the songs called Jeepers Creepers and Chicago. However, these songs were Not as successful as his previous songs.

Here is a picture of Tony walking on a San Francisco St. In 2016 the city built a statue of him to honour him and his accomplishments.

In 1962 he released the song called I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

He also released Once Upon a Time on the second side of the record.
I Left My Heart in San Francisco was the reason for his first Grammy Award for Best Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.
It also became his signature song and because of its popularity the next songs that he released were just as successful.
They were called I Wanna Be Around and The Good Life. Both songs were on the top 20 list.

In 1994, I Left My Heart in San Francisco was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Professional and personal struggles in the 1970s

Tony success caused some artistic differences between him and his record company.
He wanted to sing quality material, so he decided to try new songs and new kinds of music.
Columbia records wanted him to repeat the style of his early hits.
The relationship became even more strained in the late 1960s when Columbia tried to steer him towards the sound of contemporary rock that was made popular by the Beatles and other artists.
He left Columbia records in the early 1970s and founded his own label called improv.
Even though he recorded what has come to be seen as some of his best work including The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans album in 1975 and Together Again in 1976 none of the songs made the charts.
By the end of the decade Improv was out of business and Tony had stopped recording.
Because he wasn’t recording Tony had some very difficult times. He moved to Los Angeles and began using cocaine and marijuana, drugs that were very popular among celebrities during that time.
He had a near-death experience in the bathtub and the memory of Lenny Bruce’s drug-related death scare Tony into changing his ways.

Career Revival: The Simpsons and MTV Unplugged

His oldest son, Danny, became his personal manager and Tony was able to put some of his personal and professional life back together.
He re-signed with Columbia records and 1986 and he released The Art of Excellence. It was his first studio album in nearly 10 years.
His son made sure his father received plenty of exposure.
He was on talk shows like David Letterman and Jay Leno, he even made an appearance on The Simpsons and performed on MTV unplugged. His performance on MTV unplugged gave him a pair of Grammy Award wins for Album of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

Tony released a series of tribute albums during this period as well. They included: Perfectly Frank in 1992. This album was for Tony’s childhood idol Frank Sinatra, in 1993 he released Steppin’ Out for Fred Astaire and Tony Bennett on Holiday in 1997 which was for Billie Holiday.
He made an album of children’s songs called Tony Bennett: The Playground in 1998 and in 2002 he delivered a collection of holiday favourites with Christmas with Tony Bennett and the London Sympathy Orchestra.

“Duets” Albums and Other Collaborations

In 2002 Tony worked with K.D. Lang to record A Wonderful World. This album gave Tony another Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

To celebrate his 80^th birthday in 2006, Tony released Duets: An American Classic. He recorded this album with a group of stars including Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Stevie wonder, Sting and Michael Buble.
This project was so successful he created another celebratory album in 2011.
It was called Duets II. Aretha Franklin, Carrie Underwood, Willie Nelson and a host of other people performed on this album with him.
This album also hit number 1 on the Billboard 200. No other 85-year-old had done this before.
It was Tony Bennett’s first chart topping album. Some of the hits from this album were The Lady Is a Tramp song with Lady Gaga and Body and Soul with Amy Winehouse which turned out to be her final recording.
Tony took home a Grammy award for his song with Amy Winehouse and an award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
In 2012 he made a documentary called The Zen of Bennett which showed an inside look into the recording of Duets II and his life. His son Danny came up with this idea and served as its producer. It aired at the Tribeca Film Festival that April.
Later that year, he released his next recording called Viva Duets.
This was a Latin themed album that featured songs in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Contributors on the album were Marc Anthony and Gloria Estefan.
Even though Tony was in his 80s he set up a series of concerts to promote this latest album.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

They continued working together and having a friendship for several years.
In September 2014, they released an album of jazz songs called Cheek to Cheek.

This album won a Grammy for best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and it also topped the Billboard 200.
Tony and Lady Gaga re-joined in 2021 for the album called Love for Sale.
It was there rendition of a collection of Cole Porter songs.
This was Tony’s last album and it got him five Grammy nominations and won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2022.

Final Albums and Retirement

Tony returned to solo vocals for his next album called The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern in 2015.
This album achieved a similar amount of success by getting a Grammy for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2016.
In 2018, he released Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 and it also received a Grammy in the same category.
In February 2021, Tony revealed that he had Alzheimer’s disease. He was diagnosed in 2016.
Later that year he released his final album called Love for Sale and performed his final concert called One Last Time with Lady Gaga. The first show of this of the special 2-night performance at Radio City Hall in New York City was also his 95^th birthday.
His career spanned over eight decades and included dozens of accomplishments. Tony won 19 Grammy awards, including 8 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and the 1995 Album of the Year for his MTV Unplugged Live Recording.
In 2001 the Recording Academy presented its lifetime Achievement Award to him. Four years later Tony was honoured by the Kennedy Centre.

Paintings Books and Philanthropy

Tony had a lifelong love of art dating back the time he was in high school.
His paintings were signed with his given name of Anthony Benedetto were featured in the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
His first book called Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen was released in 1996. It features a collection of his portraits, landscapes and still lifes.
In 1998 he released his autobiography. It was called The Good Life: The Autobiography of Tony Bennett, in 2007 he released Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music and in 2012 he released Life Is a Gift: the Zen of Bennett.
He was also involved with various charitable and racial justice causes that made the United Nations name him a Citizen of the World and gave him the Humanitarian Award.
In 1999 he started the nonprofit Exploring the Arts he also raised money to support the juvenile diabetes foundation and the American Cancer foundation.
While he served in the Army, he hated the racial segregation and prejudice he saw against black soldiers. He even got in trouble for bringing a black friend to a Thanksgiving dinner that was meant for only white soldiers.
When he was in the States again, he joined Martin Luther King Jr. for the 1965 March from Selma to Montgomery Alabama and performed for the protesters with Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr. and others.

Latest News: Tony Bennett Dies at 96

Grammy-winning singer Tony Bennett died on July 21, 2023, in New York City. He was less than two weeks away from his birthday.

I hope you guys enjoyed this tribute to Tony Bennett. I thought we could end class by watching a tribute from his friend Lady Gaga.

Sept 14: YouTube Channels Celebrating People with Disabilities

Last class was about famous people who have shown that their disabilities do not define them or stop them from doing what they love. I thought that we could continue with more inspirational stories. The people that we will be learning about today are less famous, but they still have a big impact on the way that people perceive the disability community.

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For better or worse, there’s no doubt that the Internet has made us more connected with one another than ever before.

Depending on your community, living with a disability can be a lonely experience, and online groups can counter this loneliness. Some examples are this group and the Bliss iBand music therapy group that you watched at the end of the last class!

There are also online communities that take place in the comment section of YouTube videos about the video’s topic. It can be a supportive space to meet other people going through the same things as you. The amazing thing about YouTube is that anybody can upload videos. There’s no executive saying that your story is or is not worth telling. Disabled people have been using their platforms to educate others, celebrate their disabilities, and demonstrate how they overcome barriers and live full, meaningful lives.

Here are just a few of the rising social influencers in the disability community that you may want to check out and start following yourself.

The following list was originally posted in a blog post on LiveQuickie.com (click here).

SQUIRMY AND GRUBS

Squirmy and Grubs

Shane and Hannah Burcaw are a married couple who post regular videos on their YouTube channel, Squirmy and Grubs, to challenge the ignorance facing many interabled couples today.
What started as a fun foray into documenting their lives as a couple has turned into a full-on movement.
Boasting more than 1.5 million subscribers on their YouTube channel, Shane is also the founder of the blog Laughing at My Nightmare, author of three books, and co-founder of a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing adaptive technology to those living with muscular dystrophy.

They often answer questions that people have about intimacy and their relationship:

CURB FREE WITH CORY LEE

Curb Free with Cory Lee

Cory Lee is an expert traveler who also happens to have SMA. But he doesn’t let his disability get in the way of exploring the world.
His goal is not only to show you how and where to travel, but why you should travel, even with a disability. He’s considered the leading travel blogger focusing on accessibility, and he has been featured on Travel Channel, CBS News, National Geographic, Forbes, and so much more.

Here’s a video from his YouTube channel:

Click here to check out his written series of interviews with travelers using wheelchairs on their experiences and tips for others. (example)

ROLL WITH COLE & CHARISMA

Cole and Charisma

This “Stay Positive” interabled and interracial couple has quickly gained momentum and there’s no sign of slowing down.
Boasting a YouTube following of more than 870,000 subscribers, Cole & Charisma’s videos have inspired others to put themselves out there for a chance at love.
The couple is also a passionate advocate for the community. Be sure to catch their regular videos posted twice weekly on their YouTube channel.

WHEELS2WALKING

Richard Corbett of Wheels2Walking

Creating both entertaining and educational content for wheelchair users, Richard Corbett creates regular videos on his YouTube channel featuring his tips and tricks for everything from traveling, to dating, and more.
He has over 100,000 subscribers!
After his life changes forever due to a 50-foot fall, Corbett is on a mission to experience the world around him and encourage others to do the same.

WE CARRY KEVAN

Kevan being carried along the Great Wall of China

Featured in Forbes, USA Today, CNN, and more, Kevan Chandler inspired a movement of people helping people, all starting with a backpacking trip to Europe in 2016.
Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Kevan’s adventures on the backs of his friends has taken him to the English countryside, Ireland’s Skellig Michael, and even the Great Wall of China.
As the founder of the nonprofit We Carry Kevan, Kevan continues his mission to redefine accessibility as a cooperative effort between the disabled and able-bodied communities.

Wheelchair Daddy Blog

If you prefer written content to YouTube, the blog wheelchairdaddy.com has articles with tips and tricks about family life, wheelchair life, and recommended tech gadgets. It was created by Glenn, a husband and father with Cerebral Palsy.

Here’s an excerpt from his blog: ” Why I decided to start blogging. Well. I have to give credit to my wife for putting the bug in my ear. A few months after having our son my wife mentioned she would like to start a blog but really didn’t have time to. Then, she mentioned it again about a little while later. So I got to thinking, you know with the kind of work I have time to blog and it may be a good outlet and source for dads who use wheelchairs… The few [parent resources that] I did find were based in the UK. Mostly, what I found were sites geared toward mothers and their questions and concerns. Even the sites with titles such a ‘Parent’s with Disabilities’ still had a mother angle and heavily geared toward women – lacked the father perspective. I’m definitely not an expert; I learn something new about my son and about myself every day. But, I hope this blog will give other dads with cerebral palsy or those dads with other disabilities who use wheelchairs out there a window into being a dad on wheels.”

I hope you enjoyed this class on everyday people who are showing that disability is just one part of their identities!

September 12: CP Does Not Define Me My Accomplishments Do!

Nicholas Hamilton

He was born Nicholas Carl Hamilton. His birthdate is March 28, 1992. He is a British racing car driver who competes in the British Touring Car Championship.
He races in a specifically modified race car because he has Cerebral Palsy.
He is the half-brother of seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Racing Career

Renault Cilo Cup United Kingdom

he made his racing debut in the Renault Cilo Cup United Kingdom in 2011.
He had a large fan base and media attention even though he finished last in this first race.
His first season racing was the subject of a BBC documentary called Racing with the Hamiltons: Nic in the Driving Seat.

His best finishes were in 2020, 2021 and 2022 when he finished 29^th.
This is one of his cars that he drove.

Geri Jewell

Her real name is Geraldine and “Geri” Jewell. She was born on September 13, 1956.
Due to an accident that her mother had while she was pregnant, she was born three months early and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 18 months old.
Her parents were determined not to treat her any differently than the rest of their children and she was always brought up to know that she could do anything anyone else could do. She was always encouraged to pursue her passions.
She is an American actor, standup comedian, diversity consultant, and motivational speaker.
She even got to speak about her disability at the White House in 1985. She was on shows like The Facts of Life, 21 Jump Street and Deadwood and even Sesame Street.

Here’s a video on her proudest achievements and how she wants to be remembered.

Abbey Curran

She was born in 1988 in Davenport, Iowa. She competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2008 as Miss Iowa USA.
She is the chairwoman of her own nonprofit pageant called The Miss You Can Do It Pageant for young girls and women with special needs.
The HBO documentary film called Miss You Can Do It is all about her work with this pageant.

She was the first contestant with a disability to compete in the Miss USA pageant.
She was born with a mild form of cerebral palsy.
She was also on the Ellen show as a guest, CBS Early Morning Show, Inside Edition, Access Hollywood, Extra, CNN Headline News and had a feature story in People Magazine. She is a past Easter Seals ambassador.

Josh Blue

He is from Cameroon in Africa and born on November 27, 1988. He got his start in comedy during open mic performances in college.
Audiences laughed at his self-deprecating humour. He won $10,000 for finishing first place in the 2004 Las Vegas comedy Festival Royal Flush Comedy Competition.
He appeared on the Ellen Show and Live with Regis and Kelly and numerous other appearances on Fox, CBS ABC and MSNBC.

He appeared in the sports-based comedy called 108 stitches in 2014.
In 2021 he appeared on America’s Got Talent and he obtained third position in the competition.

Many of his jokes centre around his Cerebral Palsy and how he lives and deals with it.
He has also competed in Paralympic seven-a-side soccer, and he was part of the United States national team roster during the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Greece.

Ahren Belisle

He is 28 years old and lives in Toronto. He lives with Cerebral Palsy and uses a computer-generated voice from his phone to help them communicate with others.
He also uses it during his comedy routine. He works as an engineer during the day and decided to work on his dream of becoming a comedic performer.
He started just over a year ago and still hasn’t looked back.
He is one of the finalists on America’s Got Talent this season.

I thought we could finish off class by watching some musicians that I’m sure you guys will all recognize! Thank you for helping me show that we are all more than our disability! We can make a difference!

July 27: Accessible Ontario Beaches

In the summer, people of all ages enjoy going to the beach.

Beaches can be an accessibility challenge for park visitors using walkers or wheelchairs. Because of the soft sand, the wheels of regular motorized wheelchairs and the legs of walkers can sink in, making these devices tough for its users to maneuver.

As a part of Ontario Parks’ commitment to making parks as accessible as possible, more parks are offering beach accessibility measures to help visitors explore our shorelines.

One of these parks is Pancake Bay, located on the shores of Lake Superior (pictured above!).

Pancake Bay is home to over 3 km of Ontario’s most beautiful white sand beaches. Now, those beaches are even more accessible to park visitors.

Pancake Bay recently purchased two new all-terrain wheelchairs to help park visitors access the water.

man in large-wheeled chair with family members on beach

The all-terrain wheelchairs have large wheels to make movement through the lumps and bumps of a sandy beach easier. That way, visitors using the wheelchairs can get right down to the water’s edge.

The other chair, a Mobi, is available for use in water, meaning visitors can enjoy the cool blue waters of Lake Superior while at the park. It is buoyant, versatile, and easy-to-use with the assistance of a helper.

If you are interested in renting the chairs, please call ahead and the park will set one aside for you. If you’re a guest in the campground, you can visit the gatehouse to request the chair.

The chairs are available free of charge. Park staff will drop off the wheelchair wherever you need it in the park.

What is a Mobi-Mat® and where do I find them?

Mobi-Mats® are rollout pathways that provide a smooth surface for wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers to get from parking areas down to the sand.

They are installed in the park each spring and removed in the fall.

Mobi-Mats® do not reach all the way to the water’s edge due to fluctuating water levels caused by wind, waves, and weather.

Five parks in Ontario have beach mats available for visitors: Sandbanks, Wasaga Beach, Quetico, Bonnechere, and Long Point.

At Sandbanks, the mats are set out on July 1 for use throughout the summer. The mats are laid across from the beach store.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park acquired its beach mats through an accessibility partnership with the Town of Wasaga Beach. They are placed along the sand from early summer to fall, and are kept maintained by park staff.

At Quetico, an accessible pathway winds through the Dawson Trail Campground, leading to the Grassy Beach. This trail transitions into beach mats at the water’s edge.

Long Point also has mats which help visitors get over the sand dunes to access the beach.

Bonnechere’s beach access mats help all visitors enjoy the beach and get right down to the water’s edge.

What is a Mobi-Chair®?

person pushing another in wheelchair on beach — Mobi-Chair® floating wheelchair

The Mobi-Chair® floating wheelchair is designed to bring visitors from the parking area, across the sand, and into the water. Mobi-Chair® users are required to wear a PFD when using the chair in the water.

The Wheeleez™ Sandcruiser™ all-terrain wheelchair is designed to traverse sand beaches. The large inflated wheels allow visitors to move from parking areas onto the beachfront. It is not designed to be used in the water, but can be taken to the water’s edge.

At Wasaga beach, both are available (with security and damage deposit) at the park office and the Welcome Centre located at Nancy Island Historic Site.

person pushing another on all-terrain wheelchair on beach — Wheeleez™ Sandcruiser™ all-terrain wheelchair

How do I borrow one of these chairs at Wasaga Beach?

Both the Mobi-Chair® floating wheelchair and Wheeleez™ Sandcruiser™ all-terrain wheelchair are available to borrow at both the Wasaga park office and the Welcome Centre at Nancy Island Historic Site.

Mobi-Chair® and Wheeleez™ Sandcruiser™ at the Welcome Centre

Wheelchairs are available to borrow on a first come, first served basis, and must be returned by end of day (park office: 5:30 pm; Welcome Centre: 4:30 pm).

Visitors are required to provide a $500 security and damage deposit (cash or credit only), which is refunded once wheelchairs have been returned undamaged.

For more information on how to borrow a wheelchair at Wasaga Beach, call the park office at 705-429-2516.

Other Ontario Parks working to make the waterfront more accessible include:

Awenda Provincial Park

Check out the beaches of Georgian Bay with Awenda’s free, non-motorized all-terrain wheelchair.

A long as there is someone to push the chair it can make it down the more accessible trails, the boardwalk, and onto the beach. Some visitors also use the chair to get around their campsite.

This is a free service for visitors through the park office. Park staff can also meet you with the chair where you need it, and pick it up afterwards.

Awenda also has waterfront accessibility at Kettle’s Lake. Visitors in wheelchairs can follow the platform to the water’s edge for a view of the beautiful lake or to cast a line for panfish.

The First Beach area is serviced by three barrier-free vault toilets, viewing platform and the one kilometre Beaver Pond Trail and boardwalk. The Kettle’s Landing day use area has a barrier-free vault toilet, boardwalk, picnic and viewing area.

Awenda’s six comfort stations and the park amphitheatre are barrier-free.

Each campground has a designated barrier-free campsite (sites #24, #96, #141, #193, #215, and #295), with a modified picnic table, easy access to drinking water and the comfort station. All campgrounds have barrier free toilets/outhouses available. It may be too late to book a campground this year, but if you’re keen, you can plan for it next year!

Bonnechere Provincial Park

Bonnechere’s beach access mats help all visitors enjoy the beach and get right down to the water’s edge.

Wide bright blue walkway down to the water over a sandy beach

The park also acquired two “WaterWheels.” These all-terrain, floating wheelchairs enable wheelchair users to relax and enjoy the water with family and friends.

The WaterWheels are available throughout the operating season at the Davenport Centre/Park Store for visitors to sign out, free of cost.

Read more about the park’s accessibility updates here.

Sandbanks Provincial Park

Sandbanks also has beach wheelchairs available for park visitors. The wheelchairs can’t go in the water, but visitors can use them to travel along the sandy beaches.

All-terrain beach wheelchair parked on pavement.

The wheelchairs are available for rent at the Woodyard rental concession. Visitors looking to use the chairs must fill out a form, however the chairs do not require a deposit.

Rondeau Provincial Park

This year, Rondeau received a new beach wheelchair available for park visitors. This chair can be used on the beach and in the water.

To rent the chair, all you have to do is call to the Visitor Centre. Park staff will deliver the chair to wherever it’s needed, and pick it up afterwards.

Stay tuned in the coming months, as Rondeau will be receiving a new all-terrain wheelchair as well.

Quetico Provincial Park

You can access Quetico’s beautiful waters with an all-terrain wheelchair available for loan from the Heritage Pavilion at the Dawson Trail Campground.

This chair is available free of charge, and requires a helper to push it. The chair can be used to access the Boardwalk Trail, which runs from the Heritage Pavilion along the French River.

Port Burwell Provincial Park

Port Burwell has one all-terrain wheelchair available for use. Rental of the chair is free for park visitors, and it can be used on the park’s beaches.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this lesson about enjoying the beach! If it’s not your thing, there are many more wheelchair accessible options in Ontario, including: walking tours, self-guided scavenger hunts, cruises of rivers & lakes, museums, art galleries, conservation areas, and more!

Check out these links for more ideas!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to seeing you in September!

Sources

Beach accessibility at Ontario Parks

Accessibility at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

July 25: Keanu Reeves

Who Is Keanu Reeves?

He was born on September 2, 1964, in Beirut Lebanon but he was raised in Toronto, Canada.
His first role was his performance in Rivers Edge.

The comedy film called Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and its equal Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey made him even more famous.
Reeves has developed several eclectic film credits.
He was in a movie called Speed and the sci-fi blockbusters The Matrix and its sequels as well as other movies called My Own Private Idaho and the Private Lives of Pippa Lee.

He directed his first movie in 2013 and it was called Man of Tai Chi.

Early Career

Reeves has Chinese Hawaiian heritage on his geologist father’s side.
His first name translates from Hawaiian to English as “cool breeze over the mountains”.
His mom worked in the entertainment industry as a performer and later a costume designer.
Once his parents separated, he moved with his mother and sister to New York and then to Toronto.
He wanted to be a hockey player but eventually he changed his mind and decided to get into acting by getting small TV roles.
He made his big-screen debut in 1985 in the Canadian feature called One Step Away.

Movies

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

He was featured in US oriented movies such as with Youngblood. This was in 1986 starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze.

He was also in Rivers Edge in 1986 as well.
In 1988 he joined the cast of the scandalous drama called Dangerous Liaisons.

In 1989 he got the part in the movie called Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He acted alongside Alex Winter. The movie was about two high school students and their time travelling hijinks.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure became an animated TV series in 1990 and in 1991 the movie sequel called Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey was released.

My Very Own Idaho, Point Break, and Speed

He was often criticized for having a very serious matter of fact kind of acting. But he always took roles in a variety of genres over the decade doing everything from humour to action packed thrillers.
My Own Private Idaho was released in 1991. River Phoenix also acted with him in this movie. It was about the lives of two young sex workers living on the street.

Point break was also released in 1991. In this movie he was an undercover FBI agent who got caught up in the criminal lives of surfing bank robbers.

He was also in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992. In this movie he played Jonathan Harker a very calm person.
In 1994 he was in a movie with Sandra Bullock called Speed.

In 1995 he was in a romantic drama called A Walk in the Clouds.

In 1997 he was in a movie called Devil’s Advocate. It was a supernatural thriller.

The Matrix

In 1999, Reeves starred in a sci-fi film that would become a game changer for him and his light. It was called The Matrix.
In this movie he played Neo of prophetic figure that was to lead humanity to freedom from an all-consuming stimulated world.
This movie is known for its innovative fight scenes, special effects and gorgeous fashion in their costumes.
The matrix was an international hit.
In 2003 two sequels were filmed together and released. These films didn’t do as well but the second movie called The Matrix Reloaded did better than the third instalment.
In summer 2019, 16 years after the release of The Matrix Reloaded, it was announced that the fourth film in the franchise was in the works with Reeves returning as Neo.

Something’s Gotta Give and The Day the Earth Stood Still

Even though he was extremely successful he continued to try to work in different genres.
In 2000 he created a rule as an abusive man in the movie called The Gift.
In 2003 he played a doctor in love on the movie called Something’s Gotta Give.

In 2005 he played a man from Britain that was a demon hunter in the movie called Constantine.
He decided to return to the sci-fi realm when he was an alien named Klaatu in the movie called The Day the Earth Stood Still in 2008.

Man of Tai Chi, John Wick, and Toy Story 4
in 2013 he made his first film that he directed called Man of Tai Chi.
He continued with martial arts themed movies when he was in his next movie called 47 Ronin in 2013 as well.
In 2014 he was in the movie called John Wick and its sequel John Wick: chapter 2 in 2017.
In 2018 he starred in the rom-com movie called Destination Wedding with Winona Ryder.

In 2019 he released the sci-fi thriller called Replicas, John Wick 3: Parabellum, a supporting role in the Netflix rom-com called Always Be My Maybe and lastly his entry into a major animated franchise as the voice of stuntman Duke Caboom and Toy Story 4.

Daughter

In 1999, Reeves and his girlfriend Jennifer Syme had a daughter named Ava Archer Syme-Reeves. Unfortunately, she was born at eight months, and she was stillborn. The loss of their daughter was devastating for them and eventually it caused so much sadness that they broke up.
Two years later Jennifer was involved in a fatal car accident, and it was later reported that she had been on antidepressant medication.

Other Interests

in the early 1990s Reeves for the band called Dogstar. He cofounded the band. The band enjoyed a little bit of success when they released two albums during Reeves’ 10 years as its bass player.
After that played bass for a band called Becky for about a year.
He also enjoys motorcycles. He even asked designer Gard Hollinger to create a custom-built bike for him.
They later went into business together and formed Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011.
Reeves is said to be one of the most generous actors in Hollywood.
He helped care for his sister during her lengthy battle with leukemia and supports such organizations as Stand up to Cancer and PETA.
In August 2018 while he was promoting the movie Destination Wedding with Winona Ryder, he seemed surprised to learn that he may legally be married to his costar.
She said it was because of filming their wedding scene for Dracula. This was because a real Romanian had conducted full marriage ceremony.

I thought we could finish class by watching a funny video on Ellen.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to you all again in September.

July 20: The Royal Botanical Gardens

Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is the largest botanical garden in Canada, a National Historic Site, and registered charitable organization with a mandate to bring together people, plants and nature. It describes itself as an interactive museum!

For over eight decades, RBG has connected people to the plant world.
This is to not only awaken people to plants’ beauty, diversity and necessity, but also to serve as a beacon for an increasingly urgent movement to preserve plant species and habitats and, by extension, our planet.
RBG is part of the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. RBG plays a vital role in this region, protecting and preserving 2,700 acres of environmentally sensitive areas (including 2,400 acres of nature sanctuaries, 300 acres cultivated gardens and an arboretum), to improve the ecosystem from Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment; ensuring a balanced relationship between people and nature, and, connecting natural spaces where wildlife can thrive.

Why is RBG Called “Royal” Botanical Gardens?

In December 1929 the Parks Board approved the suggestion that the name Westdale Park be changed to something more grand, Royal Botanical Gardens.
This change was prompted by Thomas Baker McQuesten, a lawyer who eventually became the Member of Provincial Parliament for the City of Hamilton, who was a frequent visitor to Royal Botanic Gardens, in the town of Kew, in the south-western area of metropolitan London, England.
Royal Botanic Gardens, also called Kew Gardens, has been a model for many botanical gardens around the world since the 18th century. McQuesten was authorized by the City of Hamilton to approach the Government of Canada for permission to use the term “Royal” in the name of the park.
A Royal Charter was granted by King George V of England for the name “Royal Botanical Gardens” in 1930. RBG is the only botanical garden in Canada with the right to use “Royal” in its name.

Things You Can Do at The RBG

The Royal Botanical Gardens spread over 900 hectares of land featuring 2,500 plant species, 400 wildlife species and 27 km of hiking trails.

It has the world’s largest lilac collection, a magnificent iris garden, 3,000 rose bushes, 100,000 spring bulbs, 32 kilometres of trails, and Cootes Paradise—a vibrant wetland at the westernmost tip of Lake Ontario.

Find the invisible among the blooms

A couple of years ago, RBG introduced a whole new experience to its existing offerings, the See the Invisible exhibit.
This augmented reality exhibition lets you see 13 larger-than-life, moving artworks by several renowned international artists.
This includes names like Ai Weiwei, Refik Anadol and El Anatsui.
To revel in this immersive experience, all you have to do is download the RBG app on your smartphone or tablet. And it’s included in the general admission.

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Learn about Indigenous culture through plants

Indigenous cultures, making use of oral traditions and the practical experience of millennia of living on the land, have subtle and elegant connections to plants of all kinds.
If you follow the Anishinaabe Waadiziwin Trail at the Arboretum, you can explore the many plants used for sustenance, medicine and trade.
For example, you’ll find how Indigenous people used native plants such as Black Walnut and Highbush Cranberry to treat everything from leg cramps to uterine cramps.
This journey into Anishinaabe medicine plants, as told by the Anishinaabe people involved in its development, explores the use of plants and their connections to culture, language, ecology, and history.
The Anishinaabe waadiziwin trail is approximately 1.1 kilometres, from the Nature Interpretive Centre to Hickory Valley. The land is hilly with packed earth, gravel and wood mulch surfaces.

Enjoy Local Food

With two restaurants, a tea house and a food truck on-site (and plenty of gardens to supply them), RBG is a perfect destination for sampling dishes inspired by fresh, local ingredients as well as the best of Ontario wines and craft brews.
There is the Turner Pavilion Teahouse in the Rose Garden. The Rock Garden Bistro, which has an outdoor patio with an inspiring bird’s-eye view of the garden’s rejuvenated lower bowl. And there is Greenhouse Cafe that is in a greenhouse! At the rear of the restaurant, the Wentworth Elm Tasting Room is a cozy spot for private functions and more intimate gatherings.
Culinary experiences at RBG embrace sustainable choices and choice ingredients, many of them straight from the gardens to your plate.

Enjoy Nature-Inspired Art

The Dan Lawrie International Sculpture Collection was founded by philanthropist Dan Lawrie at the Royal Botanical Gardens in 2014. Through Mr. Lawrie’s support, there are more than a dozen sculptural works in RBG’s Hendrie Gardens.
Let’s watch a video by Kakkee Negeoseak, the Inuit sculptor behind the public art installation “School of Fish” in this collection.

There is also “Earth Art”, also known as “Ephemeral Art”. This is an exciting genre of art that has emerged of the contemporary world’s growing environmental consciousness. Art is created using natural elements – earth, stone, trees, plants, even ice, to create an art form that dialogues with nature.

Get your creative juices flowing

Being in nature provides creative inspiration, and RBG takes it further by hosting a variety of outdoor events throughout the summer.
Take a paint-along class using a bouquet from the gardens as your inspiration; enjoy a concert with the gardens as your backdrop. Or create something beautiful with plant-based dyes.

Spend quality time with the fam

A day trip to a place as beautiful and as peaceful as a botanical garden is the kind of fun family bonding time we could all use.
RBG’s garden interpreter tours, as well as self-guided tours, run year-round and are a great way to introduce the whole family to the beauty and wonder of the gardens.

Or you can even take a self-guided mindfulness walk in nature.
You can even check out one of their many kid-friendly activations that happen year-round— bloom festivals, performing arts, holiday celebrations, etc.

Catch a movie under the stars

Whoever you go with, watching a movie under the stars is an experience you neither forget nor tire of. And RBG is making it even more memorable by setting up a screen in the middle of all its plant beauty.
You even get complimentary popcorn and exclusive access to “Seeing the Invisible.” Just remember to bring your own chair.

Click this link to see all the events coming up this summer: https://www.rbg.ca/things-to-do/discovery-activities-tours/

Courses, Camps, and Programs for Kids

RBG offers programs, courses, camps, and more for all ages! This lets children and youth learn in a natural setting with engaging programming from knowledgeable experts.

Let’s Watch Some More Nature Videos!

If you like these videos, check out their YouTube Channel for more!

https://www.youtube.com/@RoyalBotanicalGardensCanada

Sources

Home

6 reasons why you should plan a visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens this summer

July 18: Roch Voisine

His full name is Joseph Armand Roch Voisine. He was born on March 26, 1963, and is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actor and radio and television host.
He lives in Montréal and Paris.
He writes and performs his material in both English and French.
He has won the Juno Award for male vocalist of the year in 1994.
In 1997 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Who is Roch Voisine?

He was born in Edmonston, New Brunswick in Canada.
He grew up in a city called Saint-Basile, New Brunswick and moved later to Notre-Dame-Du-Lac, Québec.
He moved there when he was 12 years old.
He studied at Ecole Technique Des Metiers De Lauzon in Levis (it is now called Guillaume-Couture Secondary School) and at Polyvalante de Levis (it is now called Ecole Pointe-Levy.
After that he continued his studies for four years at Cegep Limoilou.
He attended the University of Ottawa and graduated in 1985 with a degree in physiotherapy.
He played four seasons with the University of Ottawa GG’s man’s hockey team.
He wanted to be a professional ice hockey player. He had to change his plans when he was severely entered while playing basketball in 1981.

Career

In the summer of 1986, he had his debut performance on Canada Day in front of 50,000 people at the La Ronde Amusement Park in Montréal.
He worked as a presenter of music videos on Top Jeunesse on the TQS (Television Quatre-Saisons) private French Québec channel.
In 1989 he appeared as Dany Ross in the CBC television series called Lance et Compte (He Shoots He Scores).
His big break came in 1989 when his album Helene sold 3 million copies and became a major success not only in Québec but also in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

Here is the English version.

I was trying to decide which one I liked better and I realized that I like them both for different reasons.

In 1998 the album was awarded the Best Album prize at the Victories de la Musique.
He capitalized on his success by releasing a bilingual French/English album called Double.
It had one CD containing all French songs and the other CD was all English songs. He was trying to make his place both in French and English markets.

Here are some songs from this album.

On the outside

Kissing Rain

My Fairytale

Waiting

After he had a very successful European tour in 1991, he was awarded France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
He became the youngest artist to receive this award at the age of 28.
His second European tour started on April 17, 1992, at Champ-de-Mars in Paris. He sang in front of 75,000 people. The show was broadcast live on television and reached 14 million viewers.
In 1993 was in had his biggest English language it so far with the single and album both called I’ll Always Be There. He worked on it with David Foster.

This single reached number four on the Canadian music charts and the album reached number seven.
He released an aboriginal song on this album as well called Oochigeas.

Also, in 1993 his wax statue was launched in Musee Grevin in Paris.
In 2004 he had a huge success with the traditional song called Jean Johnny Jean. It was written by Gildas Arzel. This song appeared on his album called Coup de Tete.

Through the years he has continued singing in both the French and English language and creating albums.
His French albums and concert tours have enjoyed success in Europe especially in France and in Québec.
His English language recordings are frequently played on adult contemporary radio stations.
He has also enjoyed huge success internationally.
In 2006 he was part of a group of other musicians in L’Or de nos vies. They formed a group called Fight AIDS and they sang a song composed by Kyo.
Proceeds went to fight AIDS in Morocco.
Moncton University in New Brunswick gave him an honorary doctorate in music in May 2007.
From 2008 to 2010 he launched his Americana series recorded in Nashville Tennessee.
It was a tribute to American popular and country music.

The third part of the Americana series was dedicated to California music.

In 2010 he released the album called Confidences in two separate European and Canadian editions.
In 2010 he was one of the commentators for the man’s hockey tournament for French television in Vancouver.
In 2013 he created an album of duos called Duophonique.
He was inducted as Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France in 1992 and in 1995 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
In 2014 he was made a member of the order of New Brunswick.

Personal Life

Roch Voisine was born in Edmonston, New Brunswick, Canada to Riel Voisine, former mayor of Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Québec and a former English teacher and to Zelande Robichaud, a former nurse.
He grew up in Saint-Basile, New Brunswick.
He was the oldest of three children. His brother Marc was born in 1965 and his sister Janice in 1966.
When he was four years old his parents divorced, and he moved to live with his grandparents. He lived there until he was eight when he decided to live with his father again.
Roch considered his grandparents very influential and important to him even as an adult.
When he was 12 years old, he moved to Notre-Dame-du-Lac.
He married Miriam Saint-Jean on December 21, 2002. They had two sons.
On October 15, 2007, Voisine’s website announced that he and his wife had separated.
He has been with Myriam Chantal since 2012 and the couple had a baby girl named Lily Dorina on July 1, 2020.

I thought we could finish up class by listening to some very popular songs I’m sure you’ll know sang by Roch.

July 13: Mamma Mia! The Movie

Mamma Mia! (promoted as Mamma Mia! The Movie) is a 2008 jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson, based on her book from the 1999 musical of the same name.
The film is based on the songs of pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson. For today’s lesson, I added some original ABBA songs so you could see how they interpreted the lyrics in the movie.
The film features an ensemble cast, including Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Meryl Streep, and Julie Walters.
The film was an international co-production between Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and was co-produced by Playtone and Littlestar Productions.
It was filmed on the island of Skopelos, Greece from August to September 2007. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures.
Mamma Mia! held its world premiere on June 30, 2008, at Leicester Square in London and premiered on July 4, 2008, in Stockholm, Sweden, with ABBA members Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog in attendance.
A sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was released on July 20, 2018, with much of the cast returning.

Plot

The plot follows a young bride-to-be who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her father.
On the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan reveals to her bridesmaids that she has secretly invited three men to her wedding without telling her mother, Donna.
Donna owns a villa, which she rents to tourists. She has been single for all of Sophie’s life, and she has worked very hard with very little money.

The three men who Sophie invited are the men who her mother had sex during the 25-day period that lines up with Sophie’s conception: Irish-American architect Sam Carmichael, Swedish travel writer Bill Anderson, and British banker Harry Bright. She hopes that her father will give her away and believes that after she spends time with them, she will know which is her father.

That day, the three men arrive on Kalokairi. She does not reveal that she believes that one of them is her father, but does explain that it was she who sent the wedding invitations, not Donna. She hides them in Donna’s goat house, and they hesitantly agree not to reveal themselves yet.
As Donna is working on the goat house, spies on them and is dumbfounded to find herself facing her former lovers, demanding that they leave.

She confides in her best friends, Tanya and Rosie, that she truly does not know which of the three fathered Sophie. They used to be in a band together, Donna and the Dynamos.

Sophie finds the men aboard Bill’s sailboat, and they sail around Kalokairi, telling stories of Donna’s carefree youth.
Sophie attempts to tell her fiancé, Sky, about her ploy but loses her nerve.

At Sophie’s bachelorette party, Donna is distressed by the presence of the three men, but Rosie and Tanya assure her that they will take care of them.
Sophie decides to talk with each of the men alone, but leaves Sam and Harry questioning their trip.
She learns from Bill that Donna received the money for her villa from his great-aunt Sofia. Sophie comes to believe that Bill is her father; she asks him to give her away and keep their secret until the wedding.

Sophie’s happiness is short-lived, as Sam and Harry each pull her aside to tell her that they are her father and that they will give her away. In the morning, Donna attempts to comfort Sophie and promises to cancel the wedding; Sophie angrily reacts to this, saying she only wants to avoid her mother’s mistakes. Sam attempts to discuss the wedding with Donna, and both of them realize they still have feelings for each other.

Sophie admits her actions to Sky and asks for his help, but he reacts angrily to Sophie’s deception.
As Sophie gets ready for the wedding, Donna admits to her that her mother disowned her after she got pregnant, and that she couldn’t be more proud of having her. Donna promises to give Sophie away.
As the bridal party walks to the chapel, Sam intercepts Donna, who reveals the pain she felt over losing him.

At the wedding, Sam reveals that he did not go through with his engagement, but returned to find Donna with another man (Bill).
The three men agree with Sophie that they do not want the paternity confirmed, each agreeing to be one-third of a father for Sophie. Knowing what both of them want, Sophie suggests to Sky that they postpone their wedding and travel the world.

I hope you enjoyed today’s lesson! This is the end credits performance!

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamma_Mia!_(film)