MUSICIANS - SINGERS, SONGWRITERS & COMPOSERS - 3

PATHWAY OF THE SINGER AS MULTI-HUED THRUSH:
Storyline: The self-destructive songbird has trouble living with and without acclaim, despite a great desire for it, after earlier finding her own body to be her greatest stumbling block against wished-for recognition for her unique gifts.
Mariah Carey (1970) - American singer. Outer: Mother was a vocal coach who was Juilliard-trained and a soloist with the NYC opera, father was a aeronautical engineer. Youngest of 3. Mother was of Irish Catholic descent, father was Afro-Venezuelan. Her parents divorced when she was 3, and she rarely saw her father afterwards. Grew up in poverty, as well as racial prejudice, with music as her only real escape. Her family moved a lot before finally settling in Huntington, Long Island. Began receiving voice lessons from her mother at 4, very close relationship twixt the 2. Traveled with her everywhere, and gained her sense of independence from her. Knew she wanted to be a singer from an early age, and ultimately developed an astonishing 8 octave range. Enjoyed gospel music initially, and began writing songs in her early teens. At 13, she started working professionally singing jingles and demos of writers’ songs. An indifferent student in high school, she was known as “the Mirage,” for constantly cutting classes. 5’9” and voluptuous. Moved to NYC after high school, and got a recording contract from Tommy Mottola, her future husband, in 1988. The pair were later divorced, when she found him far too controlling and over-protective. Co-wrote all 11 songs on her eponymous debut album, which became number 1 for 22 consecutive weeks. During the 1990s, she enjoyed phenomenal success, combining a svelte siliconed form, which she uninhibitedly exhibited, perhaps as an unconscious reaction to her previous dumpy frame in her earlier go-round, although she was never able to truly turn herself into a stage presence. Despite being on top of her popular game, the turn of the century saw her magic touch wane. Made her movie debut in Glitter, which was loudly derided, released an uninspired album, suffered a mental breakdown and was dropped from her label, with a $28 million severance package. At the same time, her father died of cancer, and her 3 year romance with Mexican singer Luis Miguel petered out. Later claimed the period served as a much needed breakthrough for her, in order to rearrange her priorities, and curtail her nonstop work ethic, thanks in part to reconciling with her stern sire, who had been very much interested in her all along, despite never being able to show it. Regrouped, re-emerged, and signed an $80 million dollar 4 album contract, only to be bought out of that one as well for $49 million, amidst recriminations from both sides. Undaunted, she bounced back with the number one album of 2005, “The Emancipation of Mimi,” and her career very much in tact. Has had more no. 1 singles than any other singer, 18, while selling over 160 million albums worldwide by her late 30s. After a whirlwind courtship, she married much younger actor and rapper Nick Cannon in 2008. Twin boy and girl from the union. Inner: Nighttime person, somewhat introverted, happiest in the studio, and not that into performing in person. Return lifetime of dealing with her ongoing internal self-destructive tendencies, this time her mental and emotional state, rather than her physical one, in her desire to be well-loved for her prodigious talents, and to find the proper means of self-expression to integrate herself both privately and publicly. Mildred Bailey (Eleanor Rinker) (1907-1951) - American singer. Outer: Mother was 1/8 Couer d’Alene Amerindian, father was a farmer of Irish descent. From a musical family, her mother and one brother were accomplished pianists, while her sire sang and played the violin. A second brother was a saxophonist. Her parents split up when she was young, and she moved to Spokane along with her brothers, where Bing Crosby was a neighborhood friend, and later credited her with giving him the impetus to go to Hollywood, while her mother schooled her in native traditions, as well as singing. The latter died of TB when she was in her teens, and she moved to Seattle to live with an aunt. Briefly married Ed Bailey at an early age, although she retained her husband’s name for the rest of her life. Became a song plugger, and moved to Los Angeles in 1925, playing piano and singing in a speakeasy. Fleshy, with a small, delicate, lilting voice, which she used as a jazz instrument. Her brother Al Rinker became part of the Bing Crosby trio, the Rhythm Boys, and they helped her move towards centerstage, after earlier touring with a dance revue and singing solo on a Los Angeles radio station. Joined the Whiteman Orchestra in 1929, to become their first touring female singer, staying with them until 1933. Married vibraphonist Red Norvo in 1934, and quickly became bored being a stay-at-home housefrau. No children from the union. By 1936, she was touring again with her husband, while recording with small talented groups, and enjoying the sobriquet of Mr. and Mrs. Swing with her mate. Always in precarious shape due to diabetes and weight gains, poor health finally forced her to retire from touring in 1939, although she continued to record with some of the era’s top musicians. Divorced in 1945, but she worked with her husband occasionally, until her career abruptly ended and she sank into obscurity and depression. Along with diabetes, she also developed a heart condition and hardening of her arteries. Lived alone with her beloved dachshunds, and, ultimately moved to a farm, where she ended her go-round extremely frustrated by the arc her life had taken. Still occasionally performed in NY clubs, until her health forced her to permanently retire in 1950. Died penniless in a Poughkeepsie hospital, although she enjoyed a posthumous career when her recordings were rereleased much later on compact disc. Inner: Born to perform, unable to reconcile being off-stage with being satisfied. Suffered from low self-esteem, despite serving a strong influence on the generations of female jazz singers who followed her. Had a sharp tongue, and bitterly viewed better looking female vocalists, whom she felt had far less talent than she. Claimed her obesity was glandular, ignoring her huge appetite at the table. Cracked record lifetime of serving as a gifted vocal instrument while ignoring the larger physical orchestra of her body

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS SELF-HELP MUSICAL THERAPIST:
Storyline: The quadraphonic queen obliges her audiences by not only feeling their pain but addressing it through her own experience as a voice of loss, gain and the hope that a healthy dose of self-love can ultimately make everything all right.
Mary J. Blige (Mary Jane Blige) (1971) - American singer, songwriter and actress. Outer: Of African-American descent. Father was a jazz musician, and mother was a nurse. 2nd of four children in a household tainted by the abusive behavior of her sire towards her mother. When she was four, her progenitor abandoned the family, and the following year she was molested by a family friend, leading to a confused childhood with bad feelings about herself followed by promiscuity as an adolescence, despite a fear of being touched. Lived in Georgia, where she sang in a Pentecostal church, before returning to her native Yonkers, where she dwelt in an extended female household, replete with several aunts, cousins, her mother and her older sister. Dropped out of high school, although eventually got her GED in 2010. A recording booth cassette led to a contract with Uptown Records, as its youngest and first female singer, although she wound up a backup for older label mates. Very slowly raised her profile over the next couple of years, while also dealing with depression, self-hate, drug use and alcoholism over her undigested past. Released her debut album in 1992, with Sean “Diddy’ Combs as her producer. “What’s the 411?” whose name came from her previous work as a directory assistance operator, gaining her her first #1 single with “You Remind Me,” and her career was launched, replete with multimillion sales for the album. Her second album, “My Life” saw her co-write a lot of the material based on her own painful past, and setting the pattern for her subsequent career, and the loyalty of her fans, who heard their own problems in her music, and used it to try gain control over their similarly afflictive existences. Suffered an abusive relationship with R&B performer K-Ci Hailey, while working in collaboration and on a variety of projects. Won the first of her 9 Grammys in 1996. Made her acting debut two years later on “The Jamie Foxx Show,” before going on to do indies and other TV fare. Continued her successful releases and tours through the decade, earning her her earlier sobriquet of the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” with a fanatically loyal audience who saw her as the voice of their inner lives. Changed labels and producers while experimenting with different genres, before rejoining Combs for her 6th album, which proved relatively disappointing in sales, despite reaching the platinum-plateau once again. In 2003, she married record industry executive Kendu Isaacs, a divorcee with three children, who also became her manager, while helping her finally end her dependencies on drugs and alcohol, and helping her find a sense of divine grace. Made her Off-Broadway debut the following year in “The Exonerated,” playing a death row inmate serving time for a crime she did not commit. The same year, she launched her own record label, Matriarch Records. Continued to prove phenomenally popular in England, while also appearing in collaboration with others. Performed at the Obama Inaugural celebration in 2008, and in 2010 entered the entrepreneurial ranks with a perfume, “My Life,” as well as a line of sunglasses. By 20210 , she had sole over 50 million albums and 15 million singles. Inner: Self-destructive and self-healing. Steely, passionate, highly materialistic, and more than willing to reveal her deep wounds as a form of therapeutic release for her adoring audiences. Can I get a witness lifetime of dipping deep into the pain of earthly existence in order to find a true balance not only for herself, but those entranced by her music, as well. Dinah Washington (Ruth Lee Jones) (1924-1963) - American singer. Outer: Of African-American descent. Mother was a church organist, and her daughter’s first teacher, although she later disapproved of jazz and popular music. Moved with her family to Chicago when she was three and always considered the Windy City her home, while taking on her matrilineal name. Sang in her church choir, and later directed it, while her youth was filled with gospel music. After winning a talent contest at 15, she sang on the gospel circuit and then started her professional career as a pianist and singer three years later. Began her serial string of seven marriages during this period, having a son in an unrecorded union when she was 17 that ended in divorce. A second brief connubial alliance followed, while she had her name changed by her discoverer, manager Joe Glaser, who recommended her to bandleader Lionel Hampton. Spent three years with him, while making her recording debut in 1943, garnering her first hit with “Evil Gal Blues.” Had a distinctive vocal style which she was able to adapt to virtually any form she assayed, thanks to her clear diction and phrasing. Went solo afterwards and enjoyed a high profile R&B career, recording over 300 sides with ten Top Ten hits from 1948 to 1955, covering a host of genres from pop all the way to country, which occasioned criticism for her selling her soulful soul to the Devil of commercial success. During this period she had a second son with George Jenkins, a drummer for Hampton, during her third marriage, which also ended in divorce. Her fourth marriage in 1950 was to bassist Walter Buchanan, which lasted two years, and was followed by a union with jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb, and a two year marriage to tenor sax legend Eddie Chamblee beginning in 1957, which, like the others, all ended in divorce. Subject to depression, she used her money to buy cars, furs and clothes to try to keep the blues from her door. During this time she recorded numerous jazz sessions with both big bands and small combos. Had her first big mainstream hit, “What A Difference A Day Makes,” in 1959, when she combined a bolero tune with an old jazz standard. Continued afterwards in a pop vein with a formulaic sound combining her singing with lushly orchestrated backgrounds, in an easy-listening format that had her purist critics frothing. Her sixth marriage was to Dominican actor Rafael Campos, and her final union was to future pro football Hall of Famer Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane in 1963. Throughout her later career, she struggled with weight problems which brought on crash dieting, as well as insomnia, which caused her to take diet pills and led to her premature death, from a combination of them and alcohol, in a subconscious suicide which was ruled accidental. Posthumously inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987 and elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Inner: Brash, erratic, extravagant and curiously unfulfilled, despite her ongoing popularity. Understood lost love down to her very core, and was able to transliterate it in her singing, which was straightforward and unsentimental, earning her a wide host of fans who heard their own sorrows directly in her singing. Queen of the Blues lifetime of bringing excess to all her endeavors, until finally overshadowing her overwhelming talent with it, leading to a direct resurrection into a house of pain in order to finally find her way through to her true self.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS SHORT-LIVED SHOOTING STAR:
Storyline: The early death diva manages to transcend much discordance in her meteoric rises, only to be undone by a premature draw towards thanatopsis, in her ongoing struggles between creation and destruction.
Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes (1971-2002) - American singer and songwriter. Outer: Of African/American and Portuguese descent. Father was was a U.S. serviceman. The oldest of three children, with a brother and a sister, for whom she eventually became legal guardian. Grew up at numerous army posts in an alcoholic and abusive environment, and dropped out of high school, although her mother made her get a GED, and she eventually settled in Atlanta. Given the nickname ‘Left Eye,’ by a boyfriend who saw one orb as larger than the other, which led to her wearing a condom in a pair of eyeglasses at career’s beginning, that eventually became an eye ring on her left eyebrow. 5’1”. Formed the R & B female trio Second Nature, with Tinnne “T-Boz” Watkins which morphed into TLC in 1991, which were the initials of the founding members. When one was replaced with Rozonda Thomas, the nickname of Chilli was immediately issued to maintain the integrity of the group. Their first album, “Ooooooooh...on the TLC Tip,” was released in 1992, and became a worldwide hit. Sported several tattoos, including a large eagle on her left arm. Her volatile relationship with former pro footballer Andre Rison, as well as her own problems with alcohol threatened to overshadow her career, as did her outspokenness. Arrested for drunk and disorderly in 1993, as well as trespassing and battery, she entered a detox facility the following year, after appearing in her single film, House Party 3. Torched and destroyed Rison’s house in 1994, after setting fire to his tennis shoes, which led to five years of probation, therapy and eventual reconciliation. Intermittently released two more albums during the decade, each of which was a multimillion seller, making TLC one of the best-selling female groups of all time. Won a pair of Grammys for their second effort, a multi-platinum affair, only to declare bankruptcy in 1995, through a lost breach of contract suit, and a huge debt to Lloyds of London because of the arson. By their third album, which also garnered a pair of Grammys, tensions between her and the other two members who called her selfish and self-centered, led to putting a hold on their efforts and her pursuing a solo career, in which she appeared as a rapper to excellent advantage on several other people’s singles. Did some commercials and also hosted a short-lived MTV series, “The Cut,” an American Idol-like precursor. Adopted a young girl in 2001, and also created Left Eye Productions to search for new talent, mentored the R&B trio Blaque while releasing her debut album “Supernova.” Signed with Death Row Records towards life’s end, under N.I.N.A. (Not Into Name Alternatives) but never released anything through them. Started her own foundation dedicated to helping neglected and abandoned youth. Began traveling to Honduras to help with reconstruction projects, as well as an educational center she was trying to set up, following Hurricane Mitch in 1997 there. Subsequently killed in an SUV crash, the only one of 8 people in the vehicle to die. Suffered massive head injuries, as the entire accident was recorded by someone in the front seat. Her final month was also the subject of a hand-held documentary, including another auto accident in which a boy named Lopez was killed, in intimation of her own imminent end. Her funeral was attended by over 30,000 people. Inner: Angry, flamboyant, spontaneous, and highly volatile, although strongly spiritual, as well. Giving and nurturing, as well as highly confrontative, a mixture of the light and the dark. Searched out holistic practices to counterbalance her off-putting growing up. Believed “energy never dies. It just transforms.” Inner vision lifetime of trying to see eye-to-eye with herself, and balance her gifts against an equal draw towards obliteration. Tammi Terrell (Thomasina Montgomery) (1945-1970) - American singer. Outer: Mother was an actress, father was a barber and politician. One sister became a singer as well. Began performing in the family church, while taking lessons for voice, piano and dance. Won a talent competition at 11, and by 13, was an opening act for several R & B stars. In 1960, she signed her first contract, although her initial two efforts showed she was better served as a concert artist than a recording one. 5’1”, 130 lbs. Signed by James Brown, who oversaw her further career, and also became romantically involved with her during their nine months on the road together, but the connection was broken up by her family. Enrolled as a premed student at the Univ. of Pennsylvania, and continued performing and touring, so that by the end of 1965, she was added to the Motown stable. Its head, Berry Gordy, remolded and renamed her, as Tammi Terrell, although her next releases still failed to establish her. Had an on-and-off rocky relationship with David Ruffin of the Temptations. In 1967, she was teamed with Marvin Gaye, and immediately scored with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” thanks to an electric chemistry twixt the two. Enjoyed a string of hits with him, and then began experiencing intense migraines, to the point where she collapsed on stage while performing with him in 1967. A cancerous brain tumor was subsequently discovered, which ended her public career, although she continued to record both as a solo and with Gaye. Much of their later material had to be overdubbed, or ghost sung. Forced to undergo eight unsuccessful operations, while going blind and being reduced to a wheelchair. Finally died of her affliction as the tender age of 24, weighing only 85 pounds. Tumors are always indicative of deep-seated fury. Inner: Sweet-natured, and the life of the party, with a strong personal magnetism. Reportedly the victim of physical abuse at the hand of a boyfriend, who once threw her own a flight of stairs. Rage within lifetime of being overwhelmed by ancient anger, forcing her to do an early fade in order to deal with it from a somewhat more spiritual perspective the next time around in this series.

*

PATHWAY OF THE SINGER AS COMPOSER OF ANGRY ANTHEMS:
Storyline: The volatile vocalist captures the lightning of youth in a musical bottle, and then struggles strongly to keep it from all breaking apart.
Eminem (Marshall Mathers III) (1972) - American singer and songwriter. Outer: Never knew his father, who left when he was several months old. Had a vagabond childhood with his mother, living hand-to-mouth with relatives and friends, while developing a life-long enmity for the latter, whom he would later portray as unstable and addicted. Very close to a same-age uncle who turned him onto rap and ultimately committed suicide. Grew up in various inner city and poor suburban neighborhoods, and absorbed both the culture and the ‘tude from his environs, despite suffering drubbings at the hands of his impoverished peers, to the point where he once went into a five day coma from a beating. Finally settled in a virtually all-black Detroit housing project when he was 12, where he absorbed the musical culture. Dropped out of school in the 9th grade, to focus fully on hip-hop, and by his mid-teens was entering open mike competitions, often the only EuroAm on stage. Elicited support, and released his first album in 1996, which barely sold, and convinced him not to compromise his true ‘tto sensibilities. 5’7”. Married Kimberly Anne Scott and then acrimoniously divorced her in 2001, one daughter from union. His wife tried committing suicide after attending one of his shows, while he earlier tried the same because he couldn’t support his family, then later threatened to kill her. Came to the attention of some high-powered music industrialists, worked with Dr. Dre, and in 1999, he became a controversial national figure with “The Slim Shady LP,” a violent mix of rap fantasy showing a homophobic, misogynistic sensibility. His mother preceded to sue him over his poetic license with her, while he so overextended himself in his thirst for audience, that he wound up cracking his ribs on a beer-soaked stage. Arrested on gun charges in 2000, which later brought him probation. His second album “The Marshall Mathers LP,” continued to show his mix of the profanely poetic, and cemented his emblem status of rebel with a cultural pose, while also winning a Grammy, one of 9 he would collect before his mid-30s. Made his movie debut in 2002 in the quasi-autobiographical 8 Mile, while slowly moving into mainstream acceptance as a multi-media figure of his times, including a fashion line named Shady. Has shown more maturity, as well as emotional vulnerability in his later releases, although continues with his earlier inappropriate rants, while lessening the poetic sensibility at the base of his initial works. In 2005, he was forced to cancel a tour because of a dependence on sleep medication, after announcing and then denying he planned on retiring. Despite his previous excoriation of his ex-wife, reconciled with her, and they remarried in 2006, only to divorce a second time less than a year later. While suffering from numerous health and addiction problems, he allowed his weight to balloon and became a depressive recluse, letting his body make the decision for him to withdraw from public life, in order to focus on his daughter, and his self-destructive draws, to the exclusion of all other elements of his life. In late 2007, he overdosed on methadone, and was hospitalized, which scared him straight again. Began a 12 step rehab program, replete with meetings and a therapist, allowing him sobriety from April of 2008 onward. Used the experience for a cathartic comeback album, “Relapse,” the following year, which would follow the pattern of his previous bestsellers, a mixture of fact, fancy and farce, to let his fans know he had once again resurrected himself. Inner: Explosive and needy, with a gift for rendering his own experience into memorable anthems. Angry, mother-ridden, addictive personality, but with the ability to turn his darkness into the light of creativity. Despite public posturing to the contrary, innately shy and sensitive. Expletive-undeleted lifetime of acting as a cultural bridge, and trying to work through his own unintegrated character via his ability to turn his experiences into popular art. Eddie Cochran (1936-1960) - American singer and songwriter. Outer: From a family of transplanted Oklahomans. Youngest of 5 children. Surrounded by a close outdoorsy crew, he was raised in Minnesota until the age of 9, when his family came to Bell Gardens, Calif. Self-taught as a guitarist, he had an excellent ear, and began playing locally, while dreaming of going to Nashville. Hooked up with an unrelated Cochran and performed in Southern California as the Cochran Bros., playing lead guitar and doing country/western songs. Along with songwriter Jerry Capehart, he signed his first record contract in 1955, although his initial efforts went unnoticed. Began touring with the Cochran Bros later that year, and after seeing Elvis Presley perform in Dallas, he saw the musical future and its name was rock’n’roll. Began doing more lead vocals, where before he had been mostly an instrumentalist. Began to be noticed more and appeared in an r’n’r film, The Girl Can’t Help It. His partner got him a contract with Liberty Records, and he found his niche, becoming a successful touring act, as well as winning another film role, while penning his two best-remembered songs, “C’mon Everybody,” and “Summertime Blues,” the latter an anthem of youthful disaffection. Toured continually, showing an expertise on his instrument and a natural showman’s flair, with a talent for overdubbing and arranging as well. Killed in a taxi accident in London on the way to the airport, at the tender age of 21, when the cab rounded a curb at 70 mph, and hit a cement post, throwing him from the vehicle. Singer Gene Vincent (Machine Gun Kelly), with whom he had recorded, was also injured in that accident. Inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Inner: Exuberant, energetic and full of himself. Short straw lifetime of living fast and dying young, and still making rock’n’roll immortality.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS SOUL MAN EMERITUS:
Storyline: The discordant bard struggles through both sound and silence to give play to his all-or-nothing sensibilities in his dualistic battles between the angels and demons within.
D’Angelo (Michael Eugene Archer) (1974) - American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and record producer. Outer: Of African/American descent. Mother was a legal secretary with a huge collection of soul and jazz music, and was literally and figuratively instrumental in his burgeoning career, critiquing all his efforts. Grandfather and father were both Pentecostal preachers. Raised in an all-enveloping Pentecostal atmosphere, with conjurations and possessions part of his upbringing. The youngest of several brothers. Began playing the piano at 3, and the organ the following year. Identified strongly with singer Marvin Gaye, to the point where he needed therapy following the former’s premature death at the hands of his father, also a preacher, in 1984. Formed his first band at 16, Michael Archer and Precise, penning his own songs for the group, which won several local talent shows. Began teaching himself other instruments, including keyboards, guitar, sax and drums, which he would subsequently employ in his work, so as not to have to depend on anyone else for his instrumentation, while using the Artist formerly known as Prince, as his inspiration and mentor. 5’7”. Felt a strong affinity for hip-hop, and in 1989, won amateur night at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater three weeks running, which enabled him to buy more instruments, quit school and move to NYC. Briefly worked with I.D.U., a hip-hop group, then got a record deal with EMI, and released his first album in 1995, “Brown Sugar,” which went double platinum, after a slow start, and produced several hits. Served as arranger, composer and producer on it, in his desire to control all aspects of his oeuvre. Had a star-studded debut at the Supper Club in NYC, and was quickly recognized as an amalgamator of classic R&B with hip-hop, in what would be dubbed neo-soul. Instead of feeling compelled to follow his first effort up, he largely dropped out of sight, doing soundtracks and collaboration work with others, while experiencing writer’s block. Finally released “Voodoo,” five years later, on which he employed the help of a number of other musicians. Had a son, in the intervening years with soul singer Angie Stone, before breaking up with her, after helping produce her debut album. Won two Grammys for “Voodoo” with the single “How Does it Feel,” a huge hit, thanks in no small part to a nude video of him down to his hips. Followed it up with “The Voodoo Tour,” a round-the-world large-arena spectacle, which paid tribute to Prince’s shows of the 1980s. Went back into relative seclusion afterwards, doing only collaborative work and appearing on other people’s albums, while refusing to give interviews or live performances. Gave continual hint of his third album, “James River” on which Prince worked, although its release kept getting postponed. A goodly part of his problem has been both alcohol and drug-related. Fined for marijuana and cocaine possession as well as drunk driving in 2005, and the same year he was critically injured when the SUV he was driving hit a fence, and he was ejected from the vehicle. Went into rehab afterwards, and was fined for the accident, as well as having his license further suspended. In 2010, he was arrested for solicitation after asking a female undercover officer for oral sex, in his ongoing dualistic battles between the creative and the self-destructive. Inner: Perfectionist, thoughtful, otherworldly and earthy. Shy, more of a listener than a talker, with a deep-seated sense of pure sound, and a great need for complete artistic control over all his endeavors. Likes to play off major and minor chords, while using his voice as a unique instrument, including singing falsetto. Harbors a host of contradictions, reflecting both light and dark, in a curious career as noted for its silences as it is for his unique sound. Angel and demon lifetime of doing battle with himself and his dual need for control and equal capacity for being out-of-control, as a means of bringing forth his extraordinary musicianship. Otis Redding (Otis Ray Redding, Jr.) (1941-1967) - American singer, songwriter and producer. Outer: Of African/American descent. Named after his father, who was a Baptist preacher and gospel singer. When quite young, his family moved to Macon, whose favorite son, Little Richard, served as an inspiration for him. Lived in a housing project, while his sire worked at a nearby Air Force base, although poor health limited his ability to support his family. Sang in his church choir, as well as his school band, while also taking up the drums. Forced to drop out of school as a sophomore because of family finances, doing odd jobs, while also competing in local talent shows. His first attempts at live performance were less than successful, although guitarist Johnny Jenkins saw potential in him, and helped give him far more of a stage presence, until he was finally banned from competition because he won too many talent shows. Toured with Little Richard’s back-up band, the Upsetters, then the Pinetoppers, using a high school friend, Phil Walden, as his manager. In 1960, he made his first recordings, showing a strong Little Richard influence. The following year, he married Zelma Atwood, two sons and a daughter from the union, with Dexter and Otis III both becoming musicians, and his daughter Karla a CPA and business consultant. In 1962, he had a modest hit with “These Arms of Mine, which got him a contract with Volt Records. 6’1”. Penned more hits, while fashioning a dynamic stage show, although he remained an object of adoration for a limited audience of soul aficionados, while other artists reaped huge successes with his songs, including “Respect,” which became totally identified with Aretha Franklin. His throaty, gruff, syncopated and highly emotional voice would convey a preacherly style that was limited in range, but limitless in feeling, as a testament to his testifying upbringing. Involved himself in all the arrangements for his songs, while serving as a galvanic force for everyone who played with him. In 1964, he released his first album, “Pain In My Heart,” and by 1966, his “Try A Little Tenderness,” finally put him on the pop map. By the following year, he was poised for mainstream stardom, after a hugely successful appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival. In the interim he had to have corrective surgery for polyps on his larynx. Along with a ranch, he bought a twin-engine Beechcraft, to shuttle himself and his back-up band, the Bar-Kays, to engagements. Started to synthesize a number of traditions, including soul, folk and pop, but at year’s end, he and four bandmates plunged into a lake in a plane crash in heavy rain and fog, three days after recording his seminal, “The Dock of the Bay,” which proved to be his only number one hit, winning him two Grammys the following annum. Had a wealth of material released posthumously, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Also given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. Three years later, a memorial statue of him was unveiled in Macon. Inner: Self-professed country boy, hardworking and generous. Plane crashes often involve literally moving up or down to another plane of oneself. Supersoul man lifetime of serving as one of the major influences of Soul and R&B, before exiting at the top of his game, to return in a far more self-destructive mode in order to explore the darkness behind the light of his dual needs to both soar and plummet as direct expression of his deeply conflicted self.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS SOUTHERN SOUL MAN:
Storyline: The round mound of sound is forced to deal with his previous go-round’s sudden exit through directly experiencing it again via his mother’s equally shocking demise, while trying to transmute his rage and loss into a deeper sense and acceptance of himself.
Cee Lo Green (Thomas DeCarlo Green) (1974) - American singer, songwriter and record producer. Outer: Of African-American descent. Both his parents were ordained ministers, and he began singing in his mother’s church. Father died when he was two years old. Mother was one of the first female volunteer firefighters in Atlanta. While in high school, he joined the Atlanta rap quartet Goodie Mob, as its youngest member. Lost his mother when he was 18, after she had been involved in a car crash two years prior, leaving her a quadriplegic. Began acting out his extreme anger, beating up on the homeless and torturing stray animals, while his sense of grief and loss never left him, and continued to inform his later work. 5’6” and rotund. Goodie Mob, which was part of the Dungeon Family, launched their debut album, “Soul Food,” in 1995, and he won acclaim with his rapping and hooks, with the former taking precedence over his singing. Left the group to do two solos albums, in which he began exploring his singing more, although both failed to sell well, despite his expanding both his sound and his subject matter, before finding huge popular success as one half of Gnarls Barkley with producer DJ Danger Mouse, releasing their debut album in 2006, “St. Elsewhere,” with its hit single, “Crazy.” The name would be a takeoff on basketball legend turned TV analyst Charles Barkley, also known as the “round mound of rebound.” Married Christina Johnson, who had two daughters, and together they had a son, before divorcing in 2005. Continued his solo work, as well, performing with an all-woman back-up band, “Scarlet Fever,” while doing voice work for cartoons. In 2010, his single, “Fuck You” off of the album “The Lady Killer,” was a worldwide hit, with all the songs either written or co-written by him, save for one. Inner: Boisterous, brash, confident and fun-loving. Populist at heart, with a desire to reach and touch people. Feels himself to be a work-in-progress, with a strong connection to the musical traditions that ultimately fed into hip-hop. Able to transmute some of his deep anger into his music, while tempering it with a desire to uplift and entertain. Southern soul lifetime of dealing with grief, loss and a reawakened sense of his physical and emotional self, through pure musical expression. Billy Stewart (1937-1970) American singer and songwriter. Outer: Of African-American descent. From a musical family, with his mother a gospel singer. Formed a singing quartet at 12 with his three younger brothers, singing gospel, before morphing into his mother’s group, “the Stewart Gospel Singers” as a teen. For five years, they had their own Sunday radio show in Washington. Began switching over to secular music, with the Rainbows, a group that included Marvin Gaye and Don Covay, both of whom would later become soul stars. Won a local talent contest singing George Gershwin’s (Michael Tilson Thomas) “Summertime,” which got him a job with Bo Diddley as a backup singer and piano player with his group. Signed to Chess Records with Diddley’s help, releasing his debut song “Billy’s Blues” in 1956 before moving over to Okeh, and working with the Marquees. Had a scat-singing style, and a strong sense of melody, which blended R&B jazz and his own unique improvisational interpretations, including trilling his lips. Returned to Chess, where he had his biggest hits, and in 1966, released his first album, “Unbelievable,” in an attempt to reach a wider audience. Turned “Summertime,” into a chart-buster, although the latter part of his career was less successful, save for his live performances. Began putting on weight, and in 1969 he was diagnosed with diabetes, with both affecting his performances and career. Had a motorcycle accident in 1969, suffering minor injuries, then while driving down a North Carolina road, with three bandmates, he plunged into the Neuse River, killing all four. In addition to his singles, he released 5 albums. Inner: Instrumental in his approach to singing, using his voice as a vehicle for pure sound. Probably felt his body was too great a burden, and unintentionally committed suicide. Deep water lifetime of a strong spiritual familial base, which allowed him ultimately to explore pure vocal sound, only to ultimately fall victim to his own obese body, which was completely out of tune with the soaring, scatting voice he held within it.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS STATER OF WILL AS SELF-I.D.:
Storyline: The techno-tunesmith recreates himself after a violent exit, as a figure of strong volition, giving voice and passion to a far better world than the one he departed and reentered, through the healing tonic of music and an all-abiding belief in the future.
will.i.am (William James Adams, Jr.) (1975) - American singer, songwriter, actor, designer and producer. Outer: Of Jamaican/African descent. Raised on welfare in the projects of East L.A., along with his older brother, by his mother, who took great care in nurturing his talent, and giving him focus, so that he could transcend his humble upbringing. Never knew his father, after whom he was named. Suffered from ADD, but not enough money for Ritalin, so he had to work through it himself. Became interested in music during the break dance craze of the 1980s, and wound up in an upscale high school outside his neighborhood to get him away from its negative influences. While there, in 1988, he became close friends with Allan Pineda Lindo, who later performed under the nom de rap of apl.de.ap. Together they formed a hip hop group, the Atban Klann (A Tribe Beyond a Nation), along with a third member. Part of the underground rave scene in L.A., which would affect his ultimate electro-sound, as did his desire not to be ghetto gangsta rap cliché. 5’9”. Originally performed as Will 1X, and the group was picked up by rapper Easy-E, signing them to his Ruthless Records in 1991. Their first album didn’t conform to the label’s usual fare, and it was shelved, despite the mellow fusion sound of jazz and rap, ending that musical phase of his career, which unconsciously tapped into his previous go-round in this series. Following Easy-E’s premature death from AIDS in 1995, the group went in a completely different direction, with an electric sound, while changing their third member to Jaime Gomez, or Taboo. Before this period, he attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, which led to a clothing line, i.am. The trio also became the Black-Eyed Pods, and signed on with Interscope Records, finding a different audience for their subsequent popular releases. After two albums, they changed their name to the Black-Eyed Peas, while adding the singer Fergie to their mix, which gave them a far larger audience, beginning with their 2003 release, Elephunk. Recorded his own solo albums as well, beginning with “Lost Change,”while working on other people’s efforts, as a producer, including Fergie’s maiden release, “The Duchess.” In 2007, he designed a denim collection, i.am Antik, while also creating the apparel for the Peas. Continued to expand his output, in his producing, designing, and writing, while becoming involved in the Barack Obama presidential campaign in 2008, via a musical video and album, which enlisted the help of a host of Hollywood luminaries. After a break, the Black-Eyed Peas returned in 2009, with “The E.N.D.,” followed up by “The Beginning,” both of which were huge hits. Created another persona for himself, Zuper Blahq, and released several collaboratory singles under it. Has also done voices for films, as well as contributed to soundtracks, while making his film debut in 2009 in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, part of a popular comic-book inspired sci fi series. In 2011, BEP entertained at half-time for the Super Bowl. A technophile, he is also a creative director for chipmaker Intel Corp, working on both promotional music and devices for the company in an integration of science and entertainment, which is one of his ongoing desires. A philanthropist, as well, he started a Mortgage Relief Program called i/am home to rescue jobless families from homelessness, among his other giving efforts. Remains a world figure in the music realm, while constantly expanding his reach and influence in other spheres, as a true entertainment figure of the 21st century, with a boundless vision of the future and its uplifting possibilities. Inner: Thoughtful, articulate, with a desire to help and heal the world. Some question remains about his sexual orientation, around which he is purposefully vague. Sees music as healing, particularly since he suffers from tinnitus, a ringing in the ears, and is only comfortable when he is surrounded by noise, since silence is painful. A workaholic, he feels compelled to be busy, since inactivity is uncomfortable for him on a physical level, in an unconscious offshoot of his previous go-round’s sudden and violent head-on ending. Enjoys an extremely strong bond with Fergie, in a reordering of their own crypto longtime relationship. Will-filled lifetime of feeing compelled to heal a world whose hatreds impelled his previous premature exit, through a combination of his multi-gifts of expression, and a necessity to stay busy, to keep his own wounded body in a state of equilibrium. Jesse Belvin (1932-1960) - American singer and songwriter. Outer: Of African/American descent. Family moved from Texas to Los Angeles when he was 5. Began singing in church two years later, and by his early teens he saw rhythm and blues as his perfect métier. In 1950, after finishing high school, he joined jazz saxophonist Big Jay McNeeley‘s back-up quartet, Three Dots and a Dash. Subsequently sang and recorded with a host of groups in a variety of styles, showing considerable musical flexibility. Also harbored a distinctive falsetto, which led to teaming up with bandmate Marvin Philips, and the two signed with Specialty Records as Jesse and Marvin. Their first three efforts, with him on piano and Philips on sax never found an audience, but their fourth collaboration, “Dream Girl,” proved his first hit, rising to number two on the R&B charts in 1953. Drafted into the army, just as it seemed his career was about to take off, he penned “Earth Angel,” which was inspired by his future wife, Jo Ann (Fergie). The song was recorded by a doo-wop quartet named the Penguins, and it became the first R&B hit to make it to the pop charts, while many credit it as being the very first true rock’n’roll hit. A lawsuit between him and Penguin Curtis Williams, as well as Gaynell Hodge of the Turks, eventually led to his receiving only one/third credit for the huge hit, due largely to his laxity in protecting his own material. Extremely prolific as a songwriter, although far less astute as a businessman, he often sold songs for as little as $100, while others made huge piles of money on his efforts, so that he received virtually no credit for hundreds of tunes he composed. Able to write so easily, that he could create a song while in the car driving to a recording studio. After marrying in 1955, his wife Jo Ann became his manager, and also a co-songwriter with him. Two sons from the close union, including Jesse Belvin, Jr., a singer, as well. Signed a long-term contract with Modern Records in 1956, but also continued singing for other labels under a variety of names, while working anonymously with a host of groups. Had his biggest solo hit, “Goodnight My Love,” which had been written by George Mottola a decade earlier, but he wound up finishing it, with the bridge theme. An eleven year old Barry White reportedly played the piano on the release. The song would become the anthem for Alan Freed, then the most popular r’n’r disk jockey in the country. Continued recording for other labels under his own name, and in 1958, he formed a vocal quintet, the Shields, and had a top 20 hit with them. The same year, he signed with RCA Records, who intended to showcase him as a potential crossover star as a balladeer in the tradition of Nat ‘King’ Cole (Usher). His wife penned hits for him, while also influencing his style, to one that would appeal to a greater audience, with a more sophisticated sound. Earned the sobriquet of “Mr. Easy,” for his effortless vocals, while hooking up with jazzman Shorty Rogers, to form Michele Music, which included their wives. “Mr. Easy,” on their label, became a classic jazz/pop LP, and his strongest release, giving his career great promise, although his life would end tragically soon afterwards. Received a half dozen death threats, for taking part in the first integrated concert in Arkansas, in which ugly racial epithets were continually shouted by a mainly white audience, stopping the show twice. Several of the acts left early, while he waited til show’s end, then drove off with his wife and chauffeur. After 100 miles, near Hope, the birthplace of Bill Clinton, the car swerved to the left and hit another vehicle head-on, killing him and his driver instantly, while his wife lingered in the hospital for two days, before dying. The investigating state troopers saw that both the rear tires on his Cadillac had been slashed. The deaths, however, were officially reported as accidental. Both his children were adopted and subsequently raised by his mother, while his succeeding reputation has never quite been given its full due, for the influence he had on subsequent R&B singers. Inner: Generous, warm, kind and sharing. Member of the 27 Club, a large group of very talented musicians whose lives were suddenly ended in their 27th year. Goodnight my love lifetime of falling victim to the racial intemperance of his times right when his star was truly ascending, before literally dissembling to rejoin his longtime partner in completely difference circumstances and with a far greater need to uplift the world.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS EARTH ANGEL:
Storyline: The hip hop headliner expands from her earlier support and managerial roles to become a high power entertainer in her own right, integrating past and present, while moving stage center, thanks to an excellent ongoing commercial instinct for whatever she assays.
Fergie (Stacy Ann Ferguson) (1975) - American singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Outer: Of Irish, Scottish, Mexican and Native American descent. Both parents were school teachers, and also huge fans of Motown, unconsciously reconnecting her with her previous go-round in this series. Raised in a devout Roman Catholic household, but her parents, nevertheless, encouraged her and her younger sister to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. Studied dance, and began her professional life at age 9, by doing voices for various Charlie Brown TV cartoon specials, before joining the cast of “Kids Incorporated,” a Disney variety show centered around a fictional musical group, in 1984, and spending six seasons with them. During this time her parents divorced, while both battled cancer, which they survived. 5’2”, and voluptuous. Cheerleader, straight-A student and spelling bee champ in high school, despite all her other extracurricular activities. In 1991, she formed Wild Orchid with a childhood friend and a fellow former cast member of “Kids Inc.” The group released their first album in 1996, then became an opening tour act. After their record company refused to release their third album, they disbanded in 2001. Became a crystal meth addict during her Wild Orchid days, and eventually weighed just 90 lbs. Felt compelled during this period to overdo it on her sexuality as well, with both genders, in her ongoing need to test her sense of abandon and self-discipline. Able to quit cold turkey via hypnotherapy in 2002, then, the following year, while appearing on a radio show with him, she approached will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas to help produce her first solo album, and wound up an integral member of his group, changing its dynamic, to a far more commercial sound, from its original electric-eclectic roots. Their first collective effort, “Elephunk” went triple platinum, and made them an international phenomenon. By their next album, she had become a central figure, as the group steadily broadened its mainstream appeal. Their release “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” won a Grammy in 2005. The following year she resumed her acting career, with a couple of small roles in a couple of big films, while achieving a childhood ambition by hitting number one on the charts with “London Bridge.” Her solo album, “The Dutchess,” which was produced by will.i.am, followed, and it, too, sold well. The group took a hiatus in order to pursue their own interests, allowing her to serve as an ad icon and designer of handbag collections, before the Black-Eyed Peas reunited in 2009 and hit number one on the Billboard charts for the first time with “The E.N.D,” which also took in three Grammys the following annum. After dating for five years, she wed actor Josh Duhamel in 2009. Became a part owner of the Miami Dolphins of the NFL, while also issuing a celebfragrance, Outspoken. Through the continued musical eminence of the Peas, she has retained the position as the most commercially successful of the female hiphop artists, resulting in the usual carping about her pop preeminence, despite a genuine talent to explore and exploit all elements of her gifts to entertain and remain an iconic public figure. Inner: Open, candid, and very much self-aware. A combination of strong self-discipline and lack of self-control, with the former continually predominating over the latter. Strongly sexed, and an addictive personality at heart. Suffers from ADD, which will.i.am also struggled with, while the two of them retain an extremely strong bond. Head-on lifetime of stepping stage center, after many a support go-round to claim her own unique position in the pantheon of pop culture, while maintaining her long-term connection with her crypto-mate, in their mutual desire to be world-class entertainers. Jo Ann Belvin (1936-1960) - American manager and songwriter. Outer: Of African/American descent. Early life ill recorded. Served as the inspiration for her future husband, Jesse Belvin’s (will.i.am) first big r’n’r hit, “Earth Angel,” which was sung by the Penguins. The duo were married in 1955, two sons from the union, including Jesse Belvin, Jr., who became a singer. Began managing her husband’s career as well as penning songs for him. Served as a much-needed grounding for him, since he had previously sold songs for practically nothing. In 1958, she engineered a contract with RCA records for him, with the thought of making him a crossover balladeer, a la Nat ‘King’ Cole (Usher). Before both their ambitions could be realized, he was part of the first integrated concert in Arkansas, in Little Rock, which elicited interruptions by white racists telling the kids in attendance to go home. Several performers left early, while they stayed until the end, then left in a chauffeured Cadillac. After 100 miles, near Hope, Arkansas, the birthplace of Bill Clinton, the vehicle veered over into the left lane and hit a car coming in the opposite direction head on, instantly killing her husband and the driver. She lingered for two days in a hospital before expiring as well. The official verdict was that it was an accident, although the initial highway patrolmen on the scene said they thought the tires were slashed. Her two children were subsequently raised by her husband’s mother. Inner: Well-organized and highly ambitious with a good instinct for commercial success. Support lifetime of direct involvement in the entertainment industry as a prelude to becoming a performer herself, following a shocking ending that shook up the essences of both her and her husband to put each on a separate, but still conjoined pathway together, in their ongoing exploration of their dual partnership on as many different levels as possible.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS CANADIAN DESCANTER:
Storyline: The throwback troubadour integrates the swing era music of his previous go-round with his up-to-date reinterpretations of it, after earlier acting as a style-setter in a similar easy listening musical genre.
Michael Bublé (1975) - Canadian musician. Outer: Of Italian descent. Father was a salmon fisherman. The oldest of three, with two younger sisters, including Crystal, an actress. His grandfather introduced him to swing music, allowing him to unconsciously tap into the musical era of his previous go-round. 5’10 1/2”. Worked with his father for six summers during his teens, salmon fishing, and listening to his grandfather’s jazz tapes, during the long grueling hours. The latter was a plumber, who would work for free in nightclubs, in exchange for letting him entertain, beginning when he was 16, while also paying for his singing lessons. Won some amateur contests, and appeared in musical revues, as well as on Canadian TV, while working peripheral gigs such as a singing telegram messenger, and entertaining pensioners on cruises. Struggling for most of a decade, to the point of thinking of going into journalism, when he was discovered by a speech writer for Canada’s prime minister. After raising a half million to cover its costs, since his record company wasn’t sure how to market him, he recorded his debut eponymous album in 2003. Quickly became an international phenomenon, going multi-platinum in 15 countries, with his second, “It’s Time,” setting a billboard record for any and all artists, by retaining it’s number one slot for over 80 weeks. Toured widely, and each succeeding album would be extremely well-received, with his various efforts totaling some 35 million in sales. Despite never learning how to read or write music, his innate melodic instincts have been more than enough to win wide popular appeal. Has also appeared in several films, in addition to numerous Canadian and American network performances. After a mike went dead at the end of one of his shows, he began concluding his offerings unamplified. Had a longtime engagement to Debbie Timuss, an actress, singer and dancer, then took up with actress Emily Blunt for three years. In 2011 he married Argentinean actress Luisana Lopilato. The winner of a trinity of Grammys, as well as a host of Juno awards, he is also an owner of the Vancouver Giants hockey team. Inner: Affable and easygoing, with a very strong work ethic and a rougher edge than his smooth-singing indicates, as “the housewife’s choice.” Holds both Canadian and Italian citizenship. Longtime hockey fan with earlier fantasies of becoming a pro. Wanted to be famous from the age of 2, and still wishes to be known as a great entertainer. Flip side lifetime of sticking to his unique stylizations until finally finding the audience for his great love of the jazz singing of an earlier era, while unconsciously tapping directly into the same roots, musicality and emotionality of his personal past. Carmen Lombardo (1903-1971) - Canadian/American singer, songwriter and musician. Outer: Parents were Italian immigrants. Father was a tailor, and an amateur singer. Second of five brothers, with four, including Guy, Lebert and Victor, becoming musicians, and the fifth an interior decorator. Two sisters, including Rose Marie, who also sang with the Lombardo Orchestra. Studied flute as a child, and played saxophone with the Lombardo Brothers’ Orchestra in his teens. Worked in Detroit with a hotel band, then in 1923, co-founded Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, for which he was the original male vocalist as well as its alto saxophonist, flutist and music director. Married Florence Haas in his 20s, no children from the union. The band ultimately made NYC their homebase, with frequent radio appearances. Until 1940, he was its featured singer, despite preferring to compose and play the sax. The group would be one of America’s favorite dance bands, providing easy listening and a sweet sound, that belied their excellent musicianship. A prolific songwriter, he worked with a number of lyricists and provided the band, which called itself, “The sweetest music this side of heaven,” with many of its hits, also recorded by other artists. Found himself both imitated and satirized for his smooth vibrato sound, which marked both his singing and playing. Sometimes allowed his voice to tremble, as if he were about to break into tears. Although replaced in 1940 as lead vocalist, he continued to sing with the Lombardo Trio, and as a solo, usually doing songs he had written. The Lombardo Orchestra became a New Year’s Eve tradition on radio and then TV from 1929 through 1976, with “Auld Lang Syne” their signature piece. The band would afford him his final public appearance, looking weak and wan, before succumbing several months later to cancer. Inner: Affable and highly competent in his various musical talents. Easy listening lifetime of spending his entire life surrounded by both family and music, while exploring the full breath of his facility for tuning into the popular harmonic idioms of his times.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS HIPHOPPING BOOP-BOOP A DOOPER:
Storyline: The scat singer turned scatologist dips ever deeper into her self-imprisoning underside in order to see if she can finally make it out to the other side of her self, with talent and extended career intact.
L’il Kim (Kimberly Jones) (1975) - American singer, songwriter and actress. Outer: Of African-American descent. One brother. Father was extremely disapproving of her, and her parents divorced when she was 8. Tried to stay with her mother afterwards, but money problems gave custody to her progenitor. Always had a desire to be different, affecting unique dress, which would later metamorphosize into a penchant for revealing designer clothes with outrageous accessories, and plenty of bare flesh. 4’11” and voluptuous. Left home at 14, and lived with drug dealers, running errands for them, while continuing to suffer put-downs by men, until she met dealer and soon-to-be superstar rapper Biggie Smalls, the Notorious B.I.G. Began recording with his Junior M.A.F.I.A. posse, and transformed herself into a blue-eyed blonde. Spent years living out of her mother’s car and on other people’s couches, before becoming a star on her own in 1996, after showing herself to be a standout with her earlier group. Her first album was “Hard Core,” a raunchy celebration of her own earthy sense of the uninhibited and sexual feminine, which paved the way for a host of female rappers to follow in her petite but large footsteps. Devastated by the loss of her mentor, the Notorious B.I.G., who was killed in 1997. Although he had been married to another singer, the duo had had an on-again, off-again romance. Sank into a deep depression, but eventually took recontrol of her life, and showed she could operate on her own. Created her own label, Queen Bee, and spent several years on her 2nd album, “The Notorious K.I.M.”, before discovering part of it had been bootlegged, necessitating new songs and the reworking of others. Witnessed a shootout in 2001, and subsequently lied to the grand jury about it, necessitating a year and a day prison sentence In 2005. Hurriedly recorded an album, “The Naked Truth,” in which she took potshots at perceived turncoat friends, before going in, while toning down her public image. Hit with a plagiarism lawsuit on getting out, although resumed her high profile career, without missing a proverbial beat, thanks to the support of lots of fellow entertainers, eager to keep her in public view. Continued, however, to attract unseemly energy around her, when a young woman was beaten to death by a rejected bartender at a birthday party given for her in 2008. Inner: Outgoing, unassuming, raunchy and flamboyant, using both explicit lyrics and eye-popping outfits to command center stage. Attempt-at-healing lifetime of trying to transcend her multi-life difficulties with plagiarism, legalities and unsympathetic judges, via a mid-career interruption, rather than a summary end of career in the middle, as she did the last time in this series. Helen Kane (Helen Schroeder) (1903-1966) American singer and actress. Outer: Mother was Irish and worked in a laundry, father was a German immigrant who had difficulty with steady employment. Raised in poverty, she dropped out of school, and was working professionally by her mid-teens. Toured the Orpheum circuit,with the Marx Brothers, as a singer, and was a vaudeville performer as both the member of an all-girl trio, and also as a chorine, where she received exquisite on-the-job training, learning phrasing, timing and her particular specialty, playing with and intoning lyrics so that each word rang out clearly. 5’, fleshy and large-eyed, with black, curly hair and a playful little girl voice, replete with a Bronx accent. Married Joseph Kane, a department store buyer, in her early 20s, and took his name professionally, although she divorced him three years later, as soon as her appelation was up in lights. Got her Broadway break in 1927 with a flop, “A Night in Spain,” which led to a gig at the Paramount Theater, where she started scatting, “boop-boop-a-doop,” in the middle of a hit song, and it came to be the defining moment of her professional life. Suddenly, she was making $5500 a week as a Broadway star, introducing a classic, “I Want to Be Loved By You,” before returning to the Paramount as a headliner at an equally inflated salary. Tuned into her paternal heritage, with sprechgesang, a combination of speech and song, and continued with her scatting, where she turned her voice into a musical instrument. Over the next two years, she made 22 recordings, while enjoying cult status as a singer, with movies giving her an added physical resonance. Appeared in seven musicals between 1929 and 1931, beginning with Nothing But The Truth, when all of a sudden her career ground to a screeching halt. In 1930, Fleischer Studios and Paramount Pictures introduced a character loosely based on her called Betty Boop. Originally a dog, and later a doll-like human with great big eyes, BB was the quintessential flapper. Subsequently sued Paramount for a quarter of a million over their infringement, but failed to convince a judge of her uniqueness, and lost the suit. The Great Depression also signaled an end to her particular style of singing, and she was never able to make a readjustment to changing times. Never made another film, and spent the 1930s on the underside of the entertainment card in various theaters and clubs. In 1933 she married an actor, Max Hoffman, Jr., only to divorce two years later. Her final marriage to nightclub owner and sometime performer Dan Healy, however, proved the charm, and they stayed wed until her death. No children from any of her unions. Made a couple of TV appearances in the 1950s and 1960s on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” so that she remained working her entire life, but only enjoyed the limelight for a very brief run in her late 20s. In the 1950s, she came down with breast cancer, and, despite several hundred radiation treatments, she succumbed to the disease at home, with her husband by her bedside. Inner: Unpretentious, and a natural entertainer, with an unusual voice. Boop-boop-a-doop lifetime of enjoying a few brief years of spectacular success, and then a long second act as an undercarder, thanks to an inability to change with changing times.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS HIGH PROFILE PARTNER:
Storyline: The unconventional cook cooks up unusual adventures for herself via her equally nontraditional relationships and a facility for being the dominant personality in them, despite the greater fame of her partners.
Samantha Ronson (1977) - English/American musician and disc jockey. Outer: Of Ashkenzai Eastern European Jewish descent. Mother was a writer and socialite, and father was a music executive, as well as a real estate entrepreneur. Her older brother Mark became a music producer, while her twin sister Charlotte is a fashion designer. Following the divorce of her parents, her mother wed Mick Jones, the guitarist for Foreigner, and moved her brood to NYC, while the family expanded to a half-brother and half-sister. Had a stimulating childhood surrounded by her stepfather’s music, and at 16, appeared with a rap group called the Low Lifes. Became a DJ for MTV, and began touring, as well as cutting albums, although her early efforts failed to capture the public imagination. Her first solo album, “Red” was never officially released, although she featured it on her MySpace page. Appeared with fellow label mates for Roc-A-Fella, after becoming the first act signed by them. Eventually decided to focus more on being a DJ than a recording artist, while her biggest claim to fame would be her on-again off-again relationship with bad grrrl Lindsay Lohan, beginning in 2008, occasioning much tabloid gossip, particularly around the latter’s penchant for grabbing headlines around her excesses. Considers herself bisexual, despite being imprinted in the public mind as LL’s desperate squeeze. Involved in several lawsuits, including one with her own lawyer, while also making several TV appearances, mostly playing herself. Owns a nightclub in NYC, the Plumm, with several other show biz celebs. Inner: Strong-willed and very much her own woman. Flip side lifetime of continuing her pursuit of the fortunes of fame as a secondary character in the public mind, but a primary one in the lives of those she closely touches. Alice B. Toklas (1877-1967) - American/French consort and memoirist. Outer: Parents were Polish immigrants, and observant Jews. Father had emigrated with his brothers for the gold rush, but became a dry goods merchant instead, ultimately settling in San Francisco. One younger brother. Educated in private schools, before going to the Univ. of Seattle, where she studied piano, and thought about becoming a concert pianist, although never pursued it. Lost her mother just before her 20th birthday, and became her father’s caretaker, while seeing she much preferred the company of women, and would never lead a conventional married life. Hung with an arty crowd, and when San Francisco was devastated in 1906 by an earthquake, she became friends with the brother and sister-in-law of Gertrude Stein (Sinead O’Connor), who had returned to the city from Paris to assess damage to their holdings. Returned with them to the City of Lights in 1907, and quickly took up with GS, rescuing her from her domineering brother, Leo. The two became a couple, while she served GS as social secretary, typist, and housekeeper, carefully monitoring their social life and maintaining a salon atmosphere around their Paris apartment. Proved to be the dominant figure of the two, despite GS’s reputation as a “genius,” and thoroughly enjoyed her own step into the spotlight, following the latter’s publication of “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas,” in 1934. The book was not about her, but rather a memoir of GS, but it made her famous in artistic circles. GS continued to use her as her muse, while revealing an undertone of insecurity in their relationship, despite its overt closeness. After GS died in 1946, she began to publish, with her most famous tome, “The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook” in 1954, an anecdotal memoir, which featured a recipe for hashish brownies. Also penned a memoir and a second cookbook, which was mostly the product of its editor. Towards the end of her long life, she suffered from arthritis and cataracts, while undergoing poverty, since others took advantage of her frailty and absconded with the extremely valuable art collection she had. Ultimately converted to Catholicism, after being convinced it would be the only way she would meet up again with GS in heaven. The two would be buried beside one another in the Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Inner: Extremely well-organized, highly social, and trusting. Support lifetime of giving both ballast and autobiography to a seminal 20th century avant-gardist, and earning her own immortal niche in the world of letters in the process.

*

PATHWAY OF THE SINGER AS ALL-AROUND HANDY MAN:
Storyline: The upbeat bluesman easily shapes his talents around the forms of the day, while showing he understands the intricacies of the checkbook as well as he does the mechanics of musical composition.
Nelly (Cornell Haynes, Jr.) (1978) - American singer. Outer: Of African/American descent. Mother was a fast-food server for 3 decades, father was a retired Air Force officer. Lived in Spain for a while. An only child, his parents split up when he was 7 when they moved to St. Louis, and neither was into taking care of him, so he spent his childhood moving from relative to relative and school-to-school. An excellent athlete, he dreamed of a big league career, and played amateur baseball, but felt it was too slow a path to big money. Never graduated high school, instead went to work right away at low-paying jobs. Street-smart and self-sufficient, he saw the underworld as a dead-end to his ambitions, and instead formed the St. Lunatics with 5 friends in 1996, and began playing small clubs, eventually scoring an underground hit in 2000 with “Country Grammar,” which limned his love for his hometown, marijuana and himself, not necessarily in that order. The group stayed together, losing one member to prison on drug charges. Despite difficulties with finding a label, they were eventually signed by Universal, and he became a solo act, while still performing with the Lunatics, as both thrived. Quickly became a rap superstar, with the ability to mix rough rap with an extremely melodious singing voice, and his desire to expand upon the genre. His 2nd album, “Nellyville,” was the first concept rap album, dissecting life in St. Louis, but again from an extremely narrow perspective. Showed great loyalty to his roots, with a strong identification with his hometown, and a desire to be a healer through his music, as well as a powerhouse in the music industry. Achieved the latter by becoming the most popular of the mainstream hip-hop artists, while carefully continuing to play to his core black audience, so as not to lose them. Made his film debut in 2001 in Snipes, and in 2004 became part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats basketball team. Also is part owner of a NASCAR team, as well as an entrepreneur with a clothing line, Apple Bottoms, which makes jeans for ample-bottomed women, and and an energy drink, Pimp Juice. Inner: Extremely competitive, great self-assurance, and iron-willed with a strong work ethic. Also extremely pleasure-oriented, using his music to extol a 24/7 lifestyle of pursuing self-gratification. Self-inventing lifetime of lifting everyone’s blues, St. Louis-style, with his desire to be a celebrated celebrity. W. C. Handy (William Christopher Handy) (1873-1958) - American composer, cornetist and bandleader. Outer: Of African/American descent. Both his parents were ex-slaves. Father was a Methodist minister in a local church. Despite no real musical background in his family, he first learned music on the organ, and secretly studied the cornet with a white bandmaster. Forced to return a guitar he had bought with his own money by his father, who disdained secular music. Worked in the Alabama fields and also served as an apprentice to a printer. Ran off with a minstrel show, but had to come back home and finish his schooling, before working for the McNabb Iron Works, and briefly as a teacher. Remained musically active, organizing and arranging for amateur groups. Left home at 20 with a vocal quartet and headed for the World’s Fair, which was postponed for a year, forcing him to return south, only to be stranded in St. Louis with the street-sleeping blues. Played in small bands and became conversant with the black folkform of the ‘blues.’ Parlayed his cornet playing into becoming musical director in 1900 of the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College, and also became a music teacher in Mississippi. Married Elizabeth Price, a childhood love, in 1898, and had 6 children, settling into a prosperous life of composing and bandleading. After coming up with a song for a successful politician, he began exploring the blues as his true métier, although found the form primitive, and much in need of polishing. With “The Memphis Blues” in 1912, he helped establish the form as a worldwide phenomenon. Misadventures in handling the commercial end of his work led him into the music publishing business, and in 1913, with a partner, he formed the Pace and Handy Music Co. After it went bankrupt he refashioned it as the Handy Brothers Music Co. His most famous composition, “The St. Louis Blues,” would be issued the following year, and he went on to a highly successful career on all fronts, ultimately becoming more of a businessman than a composer, as he relocated to Harlem. Also wrote several books and anthologies, as well as an autobiography “Father of the Blues,” in 1941. In 1943, a skull fracture suffered in a fall left him totally blind, although he never lost his buoyant nature. After the death of his wife, he married Irma Logan, his secretary, in 1954. Spent his last 3 years in a wheelchair, and died of pneumonia. The movie St. Louis Blues, opened 10 days after his demise. Inner: Upbeat, respectable, urbane, polished, optimistic and joyful. Equally skillful in the realms of commerce and art. Buoyant bluesman lifetime of making a specific musical form his own, while proving himself equally adept at exploring, exposing and exploiting his creation.

*

PATHWAY OF THE SINGER AS FIRST & LAST OF THE RED HOT MAMAS:
Storyline: The big-voiced vocalizer slims down in celebration of her new-found physicality, all the while making booming beautiful noise as she tries to expand her close sense of birth family with the vagaries of the larger world.
Christina Aguilera (1980) - American singer. Outer: Her Ecuadorian father was an abusive figure, making for an extremely unpleasant household, until her mother left him, and she went to live with her grandmother. Has avoided contact with her sire, ever since, while trying to work through the pain of it through her music. Her grandmother used to take her to little record stores, and buy her old records, unconsciously linking her up with her own world of the immediate past. Became known around the neighborhood as ‘the little girl with the big voice’ a contrast with which she identified. At 12, she became a Mouseketeer on TV, and wound up appearing with several future pop idols, including Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. In 1999, she made her debut with a bubblegum album, which she didn’t care for, even though it sold 8 million copies, and emblazoned her wholesome image on the record-buying public, while winning a Grammy the following year for best new artist. 5’2” slim and bosomy. Did a Spanish-language follow-up album, and then decided to forsake her squeaky clean image. For her fourth album, she posed topless on the cover, and then made a video that reintroduced herself in fairly feral fashion, in leather and red, to the cheers of some and the thumbs-down of others, while she became a pop icon, getting plenty of press and exposure, as she added tattoos and piercings to her voluptuous corpus. Despite continually changing her image, her great big voice has been constant, raising her well above the exhibitionistic singers among her peers, as a genuine talent with great staying power. Through her sense of costume, she has become a theatrical experience unto herself, with the potential for an endlessly entertaining career, in her continual redesigns of herself around her choices of material. Finally able to trust men via an agreeable mate, Jordan Bratman, a music executive who she married in 2005, and the following annum her first album in 4 years, “Back to Basics,” debuted at number one. Subsequently proudly displayed her pregnant body on a magazine cover, before giving birth to a son. Launched her film career in 2010 with Burlesque, a musical drama which managed to hit all the showbiz cliches, while lightly exposing her tremendous talent. At the same time she filed for divorce, painting a far different portrait of her marriage than her original assessment. Managed to mangle the words for the Star Spangled Banner at the 2011 Superbowl, much to her chagrin and deep embarrassment, then compounded her problems by being arrested for public intoxication a couple of weeks afterwards, following pleas by friends to enter rehab. Inner: Highly ambitious and driven. Tries to use her music to empower women, while admitting to be sexually attracted to the feminine. Suffers from periodic depression and bad body image. Red Hot Mama lifetime of initially being filled with anger, but also the ability to transmute it through performance, in a go-round whose dynamic is the complete opposite of her last in this series, but with a similar desire to heal her pain through fan-love. Sophie Tucker (Sophie Kalish) (1884-1965) - American singer. Outer: Born while her mother, a Russian Jew, was on her way to meet her husband in Boston. Her parents owned a restaurant in Hartford, Conn. 2nd of 4 children. Hated restaurant work, while dreamed of being an entertainer. 145 lbs at 13, shy, played piano for her sister at amateur shows, and got laughs as ‘the fat girl.’ In 1903, she married Louis Tuck, a beer truck driver, one son from the union. Separated after her husband could not support the family, and later divorced him. In 1906, she left her son with her parents and went to NYC, changing her name to Tucker, while her family remained extremely supportive throughout her career. Had to work in blackface because she was deemed unattractive, and made her debut in December of 1906. Became known as the ‘World Renowned Coon Shouter.’ Ballooned up to 165 lbs, and joined a burlesque show, and finally appeared without make-up in 1908, when her luggage didn’t arrive on time. The audience loved the way she belted out songs, and from then on, she played off her size with her distinct brassy stage persona. “Some of These Days,” became her trademark song, as she rose to stardom in vaudeville.Married her pianist, Frank Westphal, in 1914, divorced 5 years later. Became more sentimental after the death of her father in 1915. Had a booming voice and an emotional delivery, and employed suggestive innuendo humor in her earthy act. In 1922, she toured England, proving equally popular there. Continued touring, and at the demise of vaudeville, switched to nightclubs as her main venue, while also appearing in 8 films, beginning in 1929. At her best, however, with live audiences. Later she would feel restricted by both radio and television. Married Al Lackey, a fan, in 1928 and divorced 5 years later. Served as the provider in all her marriages, and worked to the very end of her life. Known as ‘the Last of the Red Hot Mamas,’ later in her career, which lasted nearly 60 years. Inner: Earthy, brassy, extremely generous and born to entertain. Far less successful with the men in her life, despite strong familial connection. Big mama lifetime of learning to accept her girth and who she was, so that her audience was able to do the same, in a mutual love affair that drowned out the other disappointments in her life.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS ENTERTAINING ENTREPRENEUR:
Storyline: The captivating capitalist combines a savvy business sense with a crude, but effective musical sensibility, to show himself to be both a survivor and an economic force to be reckoned with in his desire to be a somebody worth his weight in gold records.
50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) (1981) - American musician. Outer: Of African/American descent. Mother was one of the few female drug dealers in his neighborhood, who died at 23 from a mysterious fire. Never knew his father. Picked up her street smarts, and was raised by his grandparents, who took him in at 8. His grandmother doted on him, giving him a dualistic sense of himself as part-thug, and part-beloved grandson who could do no wrong. Picked up his mother’s expensive tastes, and began selling crack at 12, gaining a rep as a neighborhood legend, as well as a long rap sheet and a stint in jail. Met Jam Master Jay, the DJ from Run-DMC, who served as his musical mentor and promoter, teaching him the basics, before steering him to Columbia Records in 1999, although they didn’t know what to do with him, particularly after he took nine bullets while sitting in a car outside his grandmother’s house, including fragments embedded in his tongue. 6’, muscular and tattooed. Recovered in a hospital, and released a bootleg single, “How To Rob,” while finding himself out of a contract, but was picked up by Eminem and Dr. Dre’s Aftermath/Shady Records, and the former produced, “Get Rich or Die Trying,” which made him a player on the rap scene, as the runaway rap hit of 2002, selling 11 million copies, a record for a debut. Able to maintain a high visibility, thanks to an ongoing feud with fellow rapper Ja Rule, and a high profile, albeit brief, romance with actress Vivica Fox, as well as a rude intrusion at the 2004 Grammys, when he thought he should have won the award. Formed a partnership with his producers, and created G-Unit Records, which unleashed several longtime friends onto the rap scene, although he later publicly feuded with one of them, The Game. Began a clothing line, and is steadily building a business empire for himself, while also exploring filmdom, with a fictionalized version of his life, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, as he continues to pursue his lifelong goal of being somebody who counts, both monetarily and artistically. In 2005, he became the first artist with 3 hits in the top 5 of Billboard’s Hot 100. The same year he published his memoir, From Pieces to Weight, then became a publisher himself, teaming up with Simon & Schuster for G-Unit Books, a sub-genre of hip-hop street-lit, that he helped co-create with a stable of street-cred writers. Joined the celebrity Sex Tape Brigade in 2010 by editing himself into one featuring the ex-wife of rapper Rick Ross, as part of their ongoing feud. In 2011, he co-wrote "Playground: The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully." a children’s book based loosely on his own experiences, with its rough edges smoothed out for his prospective audience. Inner: Lost 50 pounds on a liquid diet to play a cancer-stricken footballer, than put it back on, as a further show of his control over his muscular physicality. Coarse and crude, but with excellent business instincts, a unique musical sensibility, and once again, a survivor in a difficult milieu. Loves playing the bad guy. Money’s worth lifetime of taking care of business from a very young age, and surviving to not only sing about it, but create an empire built on his tuned-in sensibilities, and his capacity for survival, and fame, no matter what life throws at him. Edward ‘Kid’ Ory (1886-1973) - American musician. Outer: Of African/American descent. Father was a plantation owner, but his son took his mother’s maiden name. One of 7 children. Began playing as a child on homemade instruments, and organized his own band. After the death of his mother, he started working at 10 to support his ailing father and 2 younger sisters. Paid a tutor to teach him at night, since he couldn’t attend school. Rose at 4 each morning to catch crawfish, then went to work as a water boy in the fields at 7 A.M. Studied music privately, although probably learned more from just listening. Originally a banjo player, he eventually found his instrument in the trombone, buying his first one at 12 and utilizing his earlier experience to establish his unique ‘tailgate’ style, where he played a rhythmic line under the other brass pieces. The name derived from carrying small bands in wagons during festivities, with the trombone player, because of the extended slide, sitting on the tailgate. Buddy Bolden (Charles ‘Bird’ Parker) heard him play and immediately offered him a position in his group. Formed his own band in 1911, and during the decade, he led it to pre-eminence on the New Orleans scene, while giving a start to numerous jazz greats of the era, including King Oliver (Dr. Dre), and Louis Armstrong. Nicknamed ‘Kid’ by his legion of female fans. Because of his health, he moved to California in 1919, and formed Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra. In 1922, they became the first New Orleans jazz band to record. Moved to Chicago in 1925 to rejoin King Oliver, and continued playing regularly as well as recording with the transplanted jazz players there. Went into semi-retirement during the Depression, returned to Los Angeles, and successfully ran a chicken ranch with his brother, until the latter’s death in 1938. In 1939, with the revival of Dixieland, he found his music back in vogue, and revived his old band in 1943 to even greater acclaim. In 1954, he moved to San Francisco, where he opened his own club, On The Levee. Appeared in several films, including, The Benny Goodman Story. Continued playing, touring and recording until his final retirement in 1966, when he moved to Hawaii. Best known for “Savoy Blues” and “Muskat Ramble.” Inner: Coarse and candid, with an excellent business and organizational sense. There-at-the-beginning lifetime of coming in with a core of fellow musicians in order to explore the nascent jazz scene, and unlike many of them, proved to be a savvy survivor, very much in control of both his own destiny and memorable artistry.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS BORN TO SUCCEED:
Storyline: The determined diva has an instinct for achievement in all she assays as she builds on her previous ability to integrate a highly satisfactory private life with her public one, while adding a supplementary dimension of spirituality to her easy grace with the material realm.
Beyoncé Knowles (1981) - American singer and actress. Outer: Of African/American descent on her father’s side, and Creole on her mother’s. Raised to be a devout Christian, and later able to rationalize her revealing costumes as a necessary part of her career. Younger sister Solange also a singer. 5’6”, and quite striking. First performed at a school talent show at 7, then did many more, while forming her own group, Girls Tyme. Attended a high school for performing and visual arts in Houston. In 1990, she formed Destiny’s Child with a cousin and two others. Her father, Matthew Knowles, who had worked at Xerox before putting together a marketing plan for his daughter, became the group’s manager while her mother, Tina, designed their costumes. Lost on TV’s “Star Search,” in 1992, but the group was eventually discovered by singer Whitney Houston and they made their debut album in 1998. It swiftly went platinum, catapulting them to the forefront of girl groups, while she remained their center, both writing and producing many of their songs, including their biggest hit, “Independent Women.” The group suffered lawsuits and acrimony over a subsequent breakup, although she was able to reform another trio, after going through a depressive period in which she lost her first love, whom she had been with since she was 12. Began to branch out into acting, appearing as Carmen in an MTV version of the opera in 2001, and then in 2002, she played the female lead in the popular Goldmember. Released her first solo album the following year, “Dangerously in Love,” which was a multimillion seller, and won 5 Grammys, thanks to her collaboration and relationship with Def Jam Recordings president and rapper Jay-Z, whom she would marry in 2008. Like her fellow divas, she, along with her mother, started her own fashion line, House of Dereon, in 2004, while becoming spokeswoman for L’Oreal and launching her own fragrance, True Star, despite being allergic to perfume. Reunited with Destiny’s Child the same year, for another album, in a desire to raise them to another level, although it received poor reviews, and the universal advice for her to stick to her solo career, which she did, to excellent effect on her 2nd solo album with Jay-Z, “B’Day,” which was released on her 25th natal day. Saw her parents separate in 2009 in preparation for divorce over her father’s infidelities, after 31 years of marriage. Set a new Grammy record with 6 in 2010, including song of the year, to break her old record of 5, tied by 5 others. After suffering a miscarriage, she had a daughter with Jay-Z in 2012, which he celebrated in song. Inner: Great zest for performing, despite being all slick surface, and able to compartmentalize her life into her public exhibitionistic persona, and her private spiritual one. Deliberately dualistic, as a self-protective stance, preserving her natural reserve for friends and family, while giving her fans what they want, without letting it affect her real self. Unpretentious, with a great desire to be liked. Continuation lifetime of finding her usual easy grace in the material world, while adding the spiritual to her larger sense of self, in her ongoing desire to be as complete a person as possible. Bebe Daniels (Bebe Virginia Daniels) (1901-1971) - American actress and singer. Outer: From a family that descended from Spanish royalty. Mother was actress Phyllis Daniels, and father was a stage manager. Her brother Richard also became an actor. The family moved to Los Angeles when she was a child, and she made her stage debut at 4 in “The Squaw Man,” and was soon touring in Shakespeare and popular fare. Made her film debut at 7 in A Common Enemy, and had her first starring role in front of the lights at the same age. In between roles, she attended a convent school, while continually expanding her repertoire, so that she would eventually become a singer and dancer, and a slapsticker, vamp and drama queen. By her early teens, her focus was on film, and while appearing in a series of Harold Lloyd comedy shorts, she became an item with him. Although he wanted to marry her, she was far more into her career, and too independent for his traditional nature. By her late teens, she was looking for more challenge from dramatic fare, and signed with Cecil B. DeMille, although she only achieved secondary role status with him. Spent 10 days in jail for speeding in her early 20s, then capitalized on it with The Speed Girl. Subsequently switched studios, making the easy transition to adult star, mostly in froth. 5’3”. By decades end, and the advent of talkies, her contract was dropped, although she not only had a voice, she had excellent pipes as well, and her star continued to ascend, while she began recording for RCA Victor. Her cousin, inventor Lee De Forest, did much to improve the technology of early sound, helping her career immensely. Began appearing in musicals in the early 1930s, although switched back to drama when they ran their course. Married actor Ben Lyon in 1930, in a close union that would prove to be life-lasting, and would produce a son and a daughter. Once had several thousands dollars worth of jewelry stolen from her hotel room in Chicago, but gangster Al Capone (Pablo Escobar), was such a big fan, that he put the ‘or else’ word out, and it was quickly and nervously returned. After a successful first half of the decade in varied fare, she retired from the American silver screen, and moved to London in 1935. Did musical work on the London stage, becoming a major West End star, and also appeared on radio shows for the BBC, along with her husband, including a popular series called “Hi Gang,” for which she wrote most of the dialogue. Braved the London Blitz before returning to America, and after the war was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Worked briefly again in Hollywood as a producer, before going back permanently to London in the late 1940s. From 1951 to 1961, she produced and starred in “Life with the Lyons,” a popular radio show, with her husband and children in the cast. The show would make the transition to the telly in 1955, and would prove the finale of her varied and extremely well-received show business career. Died of a stroke and a cerebral hemorrhage, and her ashes were returned home to be buried in a Hollywood cemetery. Inner: Virtually born to perform, with a host of talents at her disposal. Conflict-free lifetime of enjoying not only continued success for her many gifts, but also a close family life, in an extremely well-integrated go-round that garnered love and applause galore.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS DEATH-TINGED BLUES SINGER:
Storyline: The undaunted dreamgirl continually loses the people closest to her, but is able to rebound the second time around, to give full resonance to her talents, after earlier being undone by losing her heart to perform over a previous intimate loss.
Jennifer Hudson (Jennifer Kate Hudson) (1981) - American singer and actress. Outer: Father was a bus driver, who died when she was 18. Third and youngest child. Raised a Baptist, and began singing with her church choir at 7. Her grandmother and choir mistress, would be her mentor and inspiration, and through her, she did community theater, as well as appeared in talent shows, although she had no formal musical training. 5’9”, and full-bodied. After graduating high school, she sang on the Disney Cruise Lines for six months, then came to public attention as one of the finalists of the third season of “American Idol.” Proved less popular with the larger audience, than she did some of the judges, ultimately working her way into the final 12. Although she didn’t win, she was able to turn the exposure, and a subsequent tour with her fellow Idols into a coveted role in Dreamgirls in 2006, for which she beat out the ultimate winner on “Idol,” Fantasia Barrino. Won an Academy Reward for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a host of other awards for her effort, which insured her a high profile career both on the silver screen and as a recording artist. As symbol of her newfound success, she became the third African-American to appear on the cover of “Vogue” magazine, following Oprah Winfrey and Halle Berry. Subsequently won a Grammy for her eponymous debut album in 2008, the same year her mother, brother and nephew were killed by her estranged brother-in-law. After removing herself from public view to grieve and pull herself together, she reappeared at Super Bowl XLIII, singing the Star-Spangled Banner, and has since fully resumed her career. In 2009, she had a son with her fiancee David Otunga, a Harvard Law graduate. Lost some 80 pounds afterwards as a WeightWatchers ambassador, only to receive criticism in some quarters she had become “too thin.” Inner: Straight arrow in her private life, eschewing drink and drugs. Strong Baptist sensibilities and a great belief in God as a guiding force. Dreamgirl lifetime of being forced to deal with the nightmare of close and sudden death once again, but this time resurrecting from it, as an emblem of emotional survival and transcendent talent. Rosa Henderson (Rosa Deschamps) (1896-1968) - American singer. Outer: Of African-American descent. Her uncle owned a carnival, and she left home in 1913 to travel with his show. In 1918, she married Douglas ‘Slim’ Henderon, a tenor saxophonist, and had two children with him. The pair worked with John Mason, and formed the Mason-Henderson performing troupe, which toured the U.S., playing segregated venues. Had a 9 year recording period, beginning in 1923, using a host of names as well as bands, including several different Fletcher Henderson (Kanye West) groups. Earned the reputation as one of the superior blues singers of her time, through her powerful voice and presentation. Performed in a host of shows and revues in NYC, as well as London. Following Henderson’s death in 1928, the heart went out of her performing, and she spent the latter part of her working life in a NYC department store. Appeared occasionally until 1932, and then did sporadic benefit concerts afterwards, while slowly fading into obscurity. Inner: Truncated professional lifetime of displaying her exuberant talent, before being undone by a premature death close to her, necessitating a repeat of sorts to allow her to transcend personal sorrow and give full and long-lasting breath to her talents in her next go-through in this series.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS COMPULSIVE PARTY GIRL:
Storyline: The addled addict knows how to briefly shine in the celebrity skies but not how to secure her place in that much sought-after firmament, thanks to an ongoing facility for bad choices, bad behavior, and an all-consuming desire to continually blot herself out.
Britney Spears (1981) - American singer. Outer: Of English descent. Mother Lynne was a former grade school teacher and Southern Baptist, father was a building contractor. Her older brother Bryan eventually became one of her managers, and her younger sister Jamie-Lynn became an actress and singer. Fixated on being a star from a young age. Encouraged by her mother, she began performing in local dance revues and in her Baptist church choir. Turned down by the New Mickey Mouse Club at age 8, but got an agent from the effort, and spent 3 summers in NY at the Professional Performing Arts School, while debuting Off-Broadway as an understudy in “Ruthless.” In 1992, she appeared on TV’s “Star Search,” making it to the second round, then finally became a Mouseketeer, spending her pre and early teens as such. The show produced a host of future stars, including Justin Timberlake, with whom she would have a 4 year relationship, that ended with her fidelity in question. After forming Innosense with some of her female Mousketeers, she took a five year break from her career, while her parents split. 5’4”. In 1998, she released her first single, “Baby One More Time,” and within a year, she was a major player on the pop scene, parlaying her cheerful and youthful sexuality, into a ubiquitous presence, thanks to tours, advertising deals, concerts, and best-selling albums. Co-wrote a book, “A Mother’s Gift,” with her own mother, with whom she would remain extremely close. Her mother would later pen a tell-all, in which she claimed her daughter lost her virginity at 14, and was drinking at 13 and experimenting with drugs at 15. Enjoyed a remarkable rise, and as America’s number one pop star and teenage temptress, she signed a multi-million dollar deal with Pepsi in 2001, then had her unprecedented third straight number one album on its release. Made her film debut in 2002 in Crossroads, winning herself a Razzie for worst actress, and a general nose-holding for her efforts by the critics. Continued courting controversy with a non-sisterly kiss with her idol Madonna on the MTV video music awards in 2003. Her fourth album, released the following year, debuted at number one to add to her record, while finally winning her a Grammy for best dance record. In 2004, she married Jason Alexander, a childhood friend, just to see what marriage was like, although it was annulled 2 days later. Went on another world tour afterwards, which was cut short by a knee injury, after both her and her dancers’ suggestive antics were deemed completely inappropriate for her younger fans. Married dancer and aspiring rapper Kevin Federline later that year, 2 sons from union. Launched a successful perfume, ‘Curious,’ and followed it up with two more olfactory hits, but in 2005, a reality TV series, which she co-produced and called “Britney and Kevin: Chaotic,” proved far less successful. Shortly after the birth of her second child, she turned Federline into Fed-ex, by filing for divorce, then had a spate of bad publicity, thanks to a photo of her driving with the baby on her lap, and giving pantyless flashes to paparazzi. A combination of bipolar disorder and an excessive intake of drugs would turn her into a nonstop entertainment news headline, replete with revolving door rehab stays, a shaved head, endless pursuit by paparazzi, numerous driving accidents, and the loss of custody of her children to her ex. To add to her family dramas, her 16 year old sister Jamie-Lynn announced she was pregnant at the end of 2007. Her antics would both fascinate and repel the public, in its endless desire to vicariously experience its tarnished idols. Took up with a married English Muslim paparazzo to start off 2008, and then was hauled off to the hospital for psychiatric observation, in keeping with the promise of another year of providing bizarre fodder for the tabloids. A well-received stint on a sitcom, however, revived hope for her self-reclamation, which was followed by winning video-of-the-year honors for “Piece of Me” at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. Spent the rest of the year explaining herself and putting her career back on track, including debuting a new album, “Circus” at number one, and launching her first tour in 5 years in 2009. Despite an extended leave of absence from the tabloids, hit with a $10 million lawsuit from an ex-body guard, accusing her of sexual harrassment, bad mothering, drug use and unhygienic habits in 2011. Inner: Exhibitionistic, convention-flouting, good-timey girl, without the ability to control her considerable excesses. Repeat lifetime of early fame and early flame-out, in her ongoing struggles with demanding attention at all costs, and ultimately seeing that the cost for it is always far too great. Peggy Shannon (Winona Sammon) (1910-1941) - American actress. Outer: Of Irish descent, with one younger sister. Born in the upstairs living quarters of her father’s store. Inspired to become a perfomer by child star Madge Evans. At 13, she came to New York and soon was a chorus girl in the Ziegfeld "Follies" and Earl Carroll’s "Vanities," the two highest profile Broadway reviews of the day, while claiming to be several years older than she was. Parlayed her red-haired good looks and party girl reputation into 15 Broadway light comedies between 1926 and 1930, netting much publicity, although none of the shows were hits. 5’4”. Married English actor Alan Davis in 1926. In 1931, Paramount brought her to Hollywood as a counterfoil to their star Clara Bow (Courtney Love), who was becoming increasingly unstable. Within days of her arrival, Bow suffered a nervous breakdown and she was rushed to replace her in the feature, The Secret Call. Promoted by the studio as the new ‘It Girl’, which angered Bow’s fans, and she wound up a flop on the silver screen, thanks largely to her lack of any noticeable thespian skills, and the overworked schedule into which she was thrust. Nevertheless, during this period, she served as a fashion plate, with an instinct for what would be popular, months before it was. Returned to Broadway in 1934, only to be overshadowed in her first role back by newcomer Jimmy Stewart. Always partial to alcohol, she began drinking even more heavily over her failure to extend her career beyond its superficial beginning, while her marriage also started to unravel. Returned to Hollywood in 1936, but eventually she could only get uncredited bit parts in grade B movies because of her continued alcoholism. Divorced in 1939, she married a cameraman/actor, Albert Roberts, whose failed Tinseltown career matched hers. Shortly afterwards, her husband returned from a fishing trip with a friend to find her slumped over the kitchen table, with a cigarette still in her mouth, and an empty whiskey glass beside her, victim of a fatal heart attack, and advanced liver disease. Less than three weeks later, Roberts shot himself, while seated in the same chair in which she died, leaving a suicide note professing his love for her. Inner: Highly ambitious, without the abilities to match her professional desires, but with a capacity for self-destruction that more than exceeded them. Good time girl lifetime of taking a limited talent as far as she could, before deliberately drowning herself in her failures, via her inability to rein in her enormous capacity for self-destruction.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS EXHIBITIONIST EXTRAORDINAIRE:
Storyline: The attention-getting adventuress knows how to rise from rough beginnings to become an acclaimed superstar via her magnetic personality, as she continues to try to integrate her many sides, while rechanneling her innate anger in order to serve as a role model for those far less talented and driven than she.
Nicki Minaj (Onika Tanya Maraj) (1984) - Trinidad/American singer and songwriter. Outer: Of Indo/Asian, African/American and Trinidadian descent. Lived with her grandmother in Trinidad until she was five, with a host of a cousins, friends and animals. Moved to Queens afterwards into an unhappy home, where her father, a drug addict, once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire. Largely lived in a fantasy world to counter the unpleasant realities around her of parents constantly at war, creating a host of alter egos, to help her cope with the tumult inside her. Raised by her mother, she attended LaGuardia High School, which specialized in music and the visual and performing arts. Played clarinet and also participated in the drama program. 5’4”. Unafraid of confrontation, she often got into fights, as an aggressive, intimidating, loud presence, who knew how to draw attention to herself. After high school, she worked as an administrative assistant, while pursuing her real dream, of becoming a bigtime female rapper. Did background vocals, and began writing raps, using her turbulent upbringing as a base. After appearing on Myspace, she was signed by Dirty Money, then moved over to Young Money Entertainment, and began collaborating with rapper L’il Wayne. In 2007, she released her first mixtape called “Playtime is Over.” Came up with the last name of Minaj to mirror her own, while giving rap spelling to the word, “Menage.” Posed provocatively on a promotional poster, to draw attention to herself, and soon had a strong fan base. Her debut album, “Pink Friday,” was released in 2010, went platinum within a month, and she became the first female rapper to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while becoming a worldwide entertainment figure. Very conscious of the overt sexuality of female rappers, which she has tried to tone down in her desire to be a role model, despite an innate exhibitionism on her part and a tremendous desire to be both seen and heard. Reportedly linked with singer Rihanna, although has continued to deny her bisexuality. Inner: Aggressive, quirky and highly competitive. Has a number of alternate names and nicknames, indicative of her own multi-sense of self. Pink lady lifetime of exploring her expository skills while dealing with a roiling inner life as a means of integrating her smaller self and larger talent in a world still learning to give women their true due. Josephine Baker (Freda Josephine McDonald) (1906-1975) - American/French dancer and singer. Outer: Of African/American descent. Grew up in a poor, black ghetto. Mother was a laundress, who had dreams of becoming a music hall dancer. Putative father was a drummer for vaudeville shows, and was never much of an element in his daughter’s life, because of touring, although her actual sire may have been white. Had one brother and two sisters. At 8, she was hired out to a white woman as a maid, where she was forced to sleep in a coal cellar with the family dog. Dropped out of school at the age of 12, and after the 1917 race riots in E. St. Louis, ran away from home and lived on the streets, dancing for spare change while foraging in garbage cans for food. Married Willie Wells in 1919, for a few weeks. The following year, she wed William Howard Baker, taking her last name from him, before divorcing three years later. In 1922, she joined the chorus line of a touring show, based in Philadelphia, where her grandmother lived, with the latter proving to be the one stabilizing adult figure in her early life. 5’7”, with a magnetic physical presence. Moved to NYC afterwards and performed as part of the Chocolate Dandies at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where she was an attention-getter with her clowning, mugging and improvising, as the last dancer in the line. In 1925, she went to Paris, and it would become her permanent base afterwards. Joined “La Revue Negré,” which highlighted both her innate comic ability, and her sensuous dancing, bringing her to the prestigious “Folies Bergere” the following year. Became an instant success as a personification of “le jazz hot”, with her exotic act, which featured a rubber banana skirt and little else, as the intelligentsia and artistic community of the City of Lights embraced her as their amusing muse. Her unique of sense of style also made her an inspiration to many of the city’s fashion designers. Never a great singer, dancer or actress, she nevertheless had an opulent personality that both transcended and magnified her talent. Opened her own nightclub, Chez Josephine, in 1927, and also published her first autobiography, “Les Memoires de Josephine Baker,” despite being only 21 at the time. Added singing to her act, and occasionally danced in the nude, while embarking on a world tour that took her to northern Europe and South America. Published her second autobiography in 1931, “Voyages et Aventures de Josephine Baker,” while her sense of theater extended to her private life, where she could be seen walking her pet cheetah down the Champs-Elysées. Did three films, becoming the first African-American star in the process, and came under the management of a former Sicilian stonemason, Guiseppe “Pepito” Abatino, who passed himself off as a count, and came up with the ideas for her films, before passing away in 1937. Her spectacular European success, in which she was one of the highest paid performers in the world, never translated to the U.S. In 1937, she renounced her American citizenship, and at the same time became a naturalized French citizen, while marrying Jean Lion, a French industrialist, and converting to Judaism, her husband’s religion. Began renting a castle, the Chateau des Milandes, in the south of France in 1940, and the following year had a hysterectomy, while divorcing her husband. Worked as a Red Cross nurse, and did undercover work for the French Resistance, during WW II as an information-gatherer and courier, using her easy access to cafe society, while also entertaining troops in Africa and the Middle East. After the war, she bought the Chateau, and serially adopted a dozen children from around the world over the next thirty years, ten boys and two girls, whom she called her “Rainbow Tribe,” while making her estate a World Brotherhood, and a showcase for international integration, although debts would undo the effort by the next decade. In 1947, she wed her fourth husband, French orchestra leader Jo Bouillon in a ten year union. During the 1950s, she returned to the stage in order to finance her ongoing brotherhood-sisterhood project, while becoming a civil rights activist. Refused service at the Stork Club in 1951, which led to accusations of her being a communist and fascist sympathizer by columnist Walter Winchell. In response. she refused to appear at any club or theater that was not integrated, helping to break down prejudicial barriers in many of them. Made a member of the French Legion of Honor in 1961, and spoke two years later in conjunction with Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington. Retired in 1968, and was evicted from her chateau, which was auctioned off to pay her debts. Given a villa by Princess Grace of Monaco in return. Her fifth and final marriage was to American artist Robert Brady, over two decades her junior, in 1973, and began performing again in both NY and Paris. Died of a cerebral hemorrhage, after falling into a coma for two days, following her last Parisian show. Buried in Monaco, she became the first American woman to receive French military honors at her funeral. Inner: Strong social conscience from her deprived upbringing, with a desire to elevate and integrate the world. Struggled with her own feelings of inferiority, as well her rejection by her home country to become a staunch advocate of equality. Bisexual, with her affairs including Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (Eva Aridjis). Once had a rejected suitor kill himself in front of her. Larger-than-life lifetime of totally reinventing herself to become a world figure through her magnetic personality, while fighting the prevalent racism of her times through activism and a dauntless drive to make the world a far more tolerant place, through her lustrous presence.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS SEMINAL SONG STYLIST:
Storyline: The futuristic conceptualist goes deep within to allow her to plumb her magical depths, as she serially rises from rough backgrounds to serve as inspiration to others through her pronounced artistry and refusal to fit anybody else’s view of who or what she should be.
Janelle Monae (Janelle Monae Robinson) (1985) - American singer, songwriter, producer and dancer. Outer: Of African-American descent. Mother was a janitor, and her father drove garbage trucks. Her sire was also a drug addict, creating an extremely unpleasant home environment, from which she felt a great need to escape. Created her own little world as a child, in recompense, while always knowing that performing would be her life’s work. Identified with fellow Kansan Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” as a searcher for the yellow brick road magic that lies at the core of existence. Her parents eventually divorced, and her mother married a postal worker. The violence and drug use all around her, from both family members and peers, drove her deeper into the arts and self-expression as an antidote. After high school, she moved to NYC, where she attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Her ambitions to star in musical theater, only saw her in a couple of off-Broadway shows, because of stereotyping, and she moved on to Atlanta. Joined a band, and began doing the local college circuit before hooking up with Wondaland Arts Society, a collective experimental label, which she co-owns. Impressed rapper Big Boi of OutKast, one of her favorite groups, who put her on a couple of his soundtracks. Small, slim, with a distinctly unique look, replete with high pompadour, tuxedos, white shirts, black slacks and saddle shoes, feeling her sense of uniform is a way of honoring working people. Did a concept piece called “Metropolis,” which melded a variety of genres in four parts or “suites,” and created an alter ego for herself, a female android named Cindi Mayweather, who lives far in the future. The inspiration came from the 1927 Fritz Lang silent masterpiece of the same name. It came to the attention of Diddy Combs, who signed her to his Bad Boy label. Her first studio release, a concept album, “The ArchAndroid” was released in 2010, in which her alter-ego becomes a messianic figure to the android police state of Metropolis. Fronts high energy stage shows with a three piece band who play a host of instruments, and has built up a solid fan base for her singular sense of musical sensibility and style. Inner: Serious, passionate and soulful, and an active celebrator of the unique, willing to take chances with both her material and her delivery. Feels a spirit lives within her that gets unpredictable release in the adrenaline rush of her performing. Remains a fan of Broadway music, as well as a host of other genres in her eclectic tastes. Feels music has the potential to change the world, and has a great desire to uplift and inspire, particularly young women. Vision quest lifetime of living out her own dreams, in order to inspire others to do exactly the same. Ethel Waters (1896-1977) - American singer, dancer and actress. Outer: Of African-American descent. Mother was raped at knifepoint at 12 by a mixed-race man, and she grew up poor, feeling unloved and unwanted in the slums of Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania. Raised by her maternal grandmother, who instilled within her a deep distrust of white people, as well as an abiding religiosity, before later taking on the last name of her violent father, despite never having known him. Began performing at church functions at 5, and had little formal education. Grew up running errands for prostitutes, and serving as a lookout for opium den operators, which gave her a tough facade. At 12 she married Merritt Purnsley, who was a decade her senior, while attending convent school, the only place she claimed she found affection, in a childhood otherwise devoid of nurturing. Soon divorced her abusive husband, and worked for a time as a laundress and chambermaid in a Philadelphia hotel. After singing at an amateur night on her 15th birthday, she was hired and billed as “Sweet Mama Stringbean,” for her tall, lanky appearance. Made her vaudeville debut at 17 in Baltimore, where she became the first woman to sing W.C. Handy’s (Nelly) classic, “St. Louis Blues” on stage. Cheated out of her earnings, she left the show, and eventually joined a carnival, before making a name for herself as a jazz and blues singer. Moved to NYC in 1919, and two years later, she began recording, and would continue to do so for a variety of labels, throughout her career. Her performances at the Plantation Club in Harlem, after having replaced Florence Mills (Diana Ross), brought her to Broadway and the all-black revue “Africana” in 1927. Afterwards, she became the first black woman to headline at the Palace, vaudeville’s Mecca. In 1929, she made her screen debut in On With the Show, and would go on to become a trailblazer, opening numerous doors for black performers who followed her in a variety of venues. The same year, she married Clyde Edward Mathews, divorced five years later. Continued appearing on Broadway, as well as nightclubs, and in 1933, was featured in Irving Berlin’s “As Thousands Cheer,” her first venture out of ghettoized entertainment, where she sang one of her signature songs, “Heat Wave.” One of the highest-paid entertainers in America at this juncture, although it didn’t get her with name above title, as it did her white cohorts in the show. Her blues and jazz singing led to recordings with the greats of both genres, while composers began writing specifically for her, as she attained a unique cultural status from the 1920s to the 1940s. Became the first black star in a sponsored coast-to-coast radio show during the 1930s. Had her first dramatic role in 1938 in “Mamba’s Daughters,” playing a tragic matriarch. The same year, she wed Ed Mallory, and remained married to him in name until her death, while enjoying a lavish lifestyle, while her personal relationships remained secondary to her career. No children from any of her unions, while she also engaged in affairs with her own gender from time-to-time. After doing some shorts in the 1930s, she began appearing in film in 1942 in Cairo, and the following year, she reprised her stage role in Cabin in the Sky, although clashed with MGM studio heads over it. Always stood up for herself, and never forgave or forgot slights. Served with the Seventh Woman’s Ambulance Corps during WW II. Grew stout and matronly with her success, and won the NY Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1950 for “Member of the Wedding,” before also doing the film version. The same year, she starred as a maid in the TV series “Beulah,” which won her the opprobrium of the black press for playing to stereotypes, and she eventually quit the show after two seasons, feeling demeaned by the scripts. Lost a considerable amount of money and jewelry in a robbery, and fell into the overarching disfavor of the IRS, while suffering from heart problems. Began appearing regularly on TV in the mid-1950s, and in 1957, sang with the Billy Graham Crusade. Became a born-again at the same time, while continuing to tour with Graham for the rest of her life. Because of her generosity, she wound up broke, despite all the money she had earned. Died of heart disease and liver failure in the home of a young couple who took care of her. Co-wrote two volumes of autobiographies. The first, “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” which was her favorite hymn, was published in 1951 and became a bestseller. The second, “To Me, It’s Wonderful,” was published in 1972. Inner: Despite a cheery public face, she never forgot the hard-knocks of her upbringing, which left her unforgiving and volatile, making her quite the opposite of the image she projected. Fiercely self-protective, with a lifelong distrust of white people, as well as contempt for those of her own race, who she felt looked down on her. Nevertheless, opened America to a much more full-throated view of the black experience through both her performances and her indomitability. Loved horror movies and was a huge boxing fan. Literally towering figure lifetime of transcending a hard-knocks beginning to become a seminal singer of her times, while continually doing battle with the fears and prejudices of an unintegrated America, until finally finding peace in her deep spirituality during the last two decades of her long life.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS GENDER BLENDER & MENDER:
Storyline: The ongoing icon manages to reintegrate herself around the hermaphroditic feminine after earlier exploring it as a transgendered man, in her continued desire to serve as a delicious dish of show business brass to ongoing alternative tastes of her times.
Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) (1986) - American singer and songwriter. Outer: Of Italian-American descent. Mother was a telecommunications assistant, who was very into style and fashion and extremely conscious of her looks. Father was an internet entrepreneur. Older of two sisters. Born with a small penis, and hermaphroditic, with an overt femininity. Began playing the piano by ear at the age of 4, and was always an exhibitionist, performing for everyone at the drop of a top hat. At 13, she was penning music, and by the following year she was performing publicly. After attending a private Catholic School, she was accepted by NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, where she got a basic music education, before dropping out. Subsequently signed a record contract with Def Jam, although never recorded for them. Became a go-go dancer, and turned her attention to pop rather than rock’n’roll, while taking her stage name from a Queen song, “Radio Gaga,” since her singing style was similar to its lead singer, Freddy Mercury. 5’1”. Her offbeat venues included burlesque shows, and her lifestyle featured a pursuit of altered states, including a deadly addiction to cocaine, which her father helped her get past. Changed her brunette looks to bottled blonde and her outfits to futuristic concoctions, putting great stock in appearanced, while deliberately trying to serve as an icon for those who sat outside the mainstream. Worked as a songwriter for Konvict Records, then collaborated with performance artist Lady Starlight to help develop her unique look, before switching to Interscope Records and forming her own collective, House of Gaga in 2008. Moved to Los Angeles and released her debut album that year, “The Fame,” which became a multi-country chart topper, and made her a headline act, after earlier serving as an opener. A glam rocker as well as a tarted-up pop star, she enjoys playing with sexual imagery while admitting to be attracted to both genders, as her star steadily ascends as a unique performer with an equal ability to attract ink and loyal audiences through a combination of outrageous costume and genuine singing talent. More and more willing to flash her dual sexuality, as well, as an emblem of an age less hung up on who is hung and who is not. Won two Grammys in 2010 for best dancing record and best electronics dance album. Shortly afterwards, she was sued by an ex-boyfriend, songwriter and producer Rob Fusari, for $30+ million in a claim he was not compensated for the material he gave her in helping launch her career, while she promptly countersued him for duping her to sign an illegal contract. Became the first person to break the 10 million friend mark on Facebook, while continuing her extraordinary assault on ordinary sensibilities with every public appearance she makes. Racked up two more major Grammys in 2011, and remains pop music’s favorite outlandisher. Admitted afterwards, she lost her virginity at 17, and found it an unpleasant experience, and, because of her sense of vulnerability, never really enjoyed sex until her early 20s, viewing it in traditional monogamous terms, despire her outré public persona. Inner: Extremely conscious of fashion and presentation, seeing herself as a throwback to a time when appearance counted far more than it does today. Sees designer Donatella Versace as her muse, while the homophile community has always been one of her staunchest supports. Headliner lifetime of embracing her reconstituted sexual identity with a passion, while evincing the same glam exhibitionism she had earlier displayed as a transsexual, but without the concomitant boredom and ennui that went with taking her previous go-round in the spotlight as far as she possibly could. Candy Darling (James Slattery) (1944-1974) - American actor/actress. Outer: Mother was a bookkeeper at Manhattan’s Jockey Club, father, after whom he was named, was a violent alcoholic, with the racetrack as his parent’s mutual connection. His older half-brother from his mother’s first marriage, would later deny any connection to him. Following his parents’ divorce, he grew up in a small bungalow on Long Island, while his mother worked for the phone company. Fascinated with Hollywood’s glamorous female stars from an early age via the television, he would imitate them, while cross-dressing, which his mother came to accept. Claimed to have lost his virginity to a children’s shoe salesman. Hung out in gay bars in Greenwich Village and tried on the identity of Hope Slattery, while getting hormone injections, and referring to his penis as “my flaw.” After several more transmutations, he adopted Candy Darling as his final playname, while turning himself into a peroxide blonde bombshell. Began his/her film career in artist Andy Warhol’s Flesh in 1968 in a small role, and became a mainstay of the circus of exhibitionists surrounding the latter. Appeared in more of his largely static vehicles including Women in Revolt, while allowing himself to be manipulated since Warhol, the ultimate voyeur, loved emotional explosions all around him. Appeared in a number of other indies, including two films shot in Vienna, as well as several of the plays of Jackie Curtis, another transsexual whose rebellious nature and tart tongue got her banned from Warhol’s inner circle. Reached a certain peak by appearing in one of Tennessee Williams’s lesser plays, after impressing him at one of his birthday parties. Suffering from cancer, he died of leukemia before his 30th birthday, after leaving a goodbye note saying he had literally bored him/herself to death. Enjoyed a huge funeral as tribute to his/her unusual persona, and received that ultimate of journalistic accolades, an obituary article on the front page of The New York Times. Inner: Highly social, with a gift for friendship and a modicum of talent based more on imitation and style than any great thespian abilities. Strongly alienated, yet able to transmute his/her sense of self into an entertaining vehicle for all those whose lives he/she touched. Transgendered lifetime of tasting faux superstardom on his/her terms, before returning in tiny, but full-bodied female form to realize himself as a true product of his gender rather than his/her fantasies surrounding iconized femaledom.

*

PATHWAY OF THE SINGER AS GARDEN OF UNEARTHLY TALENTS:
Storyline: The self-confident soprano adds to her impressive theatrical resume by augmenting her singing skills with her dramatic abilities, in yet another go-round of early stardom, with only the sky as her potential limit.
Emmy Rossum (Emmanuelle Grey Rossum) (1986) - American singer/actress. Outer: Mother was a corporate photographer, father was a banker, parents divorced before she was 3. Close with the former. Began singing in the children’s chorus of the Metropolitan Opera at 7. Attended an expensive all-girl’s school, Spence School, but when given the choice at the age of 12, decided on furthering her career, and dropped out to focus on it. Continuing singing, while taking virtual classes sponsored on-line from Stanford Univ. 5’8”. Began her acting career in TV roles, then made her film debut in Songcatcher in 2000, playing an orphan, which won her plaudits as “best debut,” from the Independent Spirit Awards. Impressed her subsequent directors with her extreme self-confidence, and in 2004, won the coveted soprano lead in Phantom of the Opera. Although the film received mixed reviews, she clearly became a star through it, with the potential of a long and lustrous career ahead of her, thanks to her own precocious sense of self-worth and willingness to continually perfect her craft with a very clear view of what she wishes to accomplish. In 2007, she secretly married Justin Siegel, a music business executive, although the union wasn’t made public until they went their separate ways in 2009. Inner: Perfectionist, with a very powerful work ethic. Extremely self-possessed, highly intelligent and headstrong, while always being well-prepared for her roles. Precocious lifetime of realizing fame’n’fortune at a young age, with the maturity and confidence to make those twin citadels within her longterm grasp as well. Mary Garden (1874-1967) - Scottish/American singer. Outer: Father was a cashier at an ironworks, who married her mother a month before she was born. Oldest of 4 daughters. After her sire came to the U.S. to search for better opportunities, she followed with her mother when she was 7, initially to NYC, then New England, before returning to Scotland for a year and then settling in Chicago in 1895, where her sire worked for a bicycle manufacturer, before ultimately dealing in luxury automobiles. Showing a musical precocity, she was trained in the violin at 6, and the piano a half dozen years later, before studying voice in Chicago. After the family moved to Philadelphia, a wealthy patron sent her to Paris in 1897 to continue her voice training, although her finances eventually dried up, but she was befriended by another American soprano, who helped her launch her career. Decided early on never to marry and kept to her pledge, despite a host of suitors, and a couple of long-term relationships, including one with her secretary. Made her public debut in 1900 at the Opera-Comique, in fine show business style, by bringing down the house, when she filled in for the star, after the latter broke down in the second act of “Louise.” Appeared in more operas, then was chosen by composer Claude Debussy (Luciano Berio) for his premiere of “Pelleas et Melisande,” and the latter would become one of her signature roles. Made her American debut in 1907 at the Manhattan Opera House, in ”Thais,” a role she would silently repeat in her film debut a decade later. Caused a sensation in Richard Strauss’s “Salome,” and went on to win continual acclaim, not only for her singing, but her dramatic abilities, which were coupled with striking good looks. A mainstay on the opera circuit, she ultimately attached herself to the Chicago Civic Opera in 1910, and remained with them for the next two decades, while also serving as general director, or ‘directa,’ as she preferred being called, during the 1921-1922 season. Tried enlisting during WW I, then served as a nurse in a hospital in Versailles, before raising funds for the French Red Cross. Her two attempts at film during this period showed her to be unsuited for the medium, with an extremely stiff and stilted silent film style. Retired from the stage in 1931, although she remained active giving lectures and recitals, while later serving as an audition judge for the National Arts Foundation. Retained her connection to France, although was forced to flee Paris at the German invasion at the outset of WW II. Her later years saw her mentally confused and an embarrassment to old friends while on the lecture circuit, where she spoke on “Music, Men and Money.” Returned to her birthplace following her retirement, where her autobiography, “Mary Garden’s Story,” was published in 1951. This mishmash of misremembered events would be savaged in the press. Died in a nursing hospital, after being confined there following a fall in 1962. Inner: Career-wedded, with good innate dramatic skills. Never had a great voice, but made up for it with her abilities as an actress. Sophisticated and a crusader for opera, women’s rights and nursing. Perfumed garden lifetime of focusing entirely on her performing career, and her various causes, before descending into a shadow of herself, necessitating a return which would give her fuller display of her talents in the more fickle realm of pop culture, enabling her to focus on her dramatic strengths and her larger sense of self, rather than solely on her singing.

*

PATHWAY OF THE SINGER AS MAGNET FOR VIOLENCE:
Storyline: The celebrated chanteuse harbors a secret attraction to criminal rage, despite being the picture of soft sophistication herself, as others continually act out what may be a host of unexpressed angry feelings within her.
Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty) (1988) - Barbadian/American singer and model. Outer: Mother was an accountant who was born in Guyana, father was half Barbadian and half Irish as well as a warehouse supervisor, whose addiction to crack cocaine and propensity for violence thoroughly marred her childhood. The oldest of 3, with two younger brothers. Her parents divorced when she was 14, after she had earlier turned to music to help her forget her homelife. 5’8”, slim and striking. Formed a girl group with two classmates, while winning a local beauty contest, and also serving as a cadet in a program that trained with the island’s military, where singer/songwriter Shontelle was her drill sergeant. Discovered at 15 by producer Evan Rogers, she went to live with his family in Connecticut, with no desire to return to Barbados afterwards. Signed a contract with Def Jam Records, and released her solo album in 2005, “Music of the Sun,” which became a top ten Billboard hit. Her second album did even better, scoring in countries around the world, with a number one single, “SOS,” while her third album, prophetically titled, “Good Girl Gone Bad,” topped the other two with three number one singles, and a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Umbrella,” which featured producer Jay-Z. A worldwide phenomenon before she even reached 20, she managed five Hot 100 Number One singles in the opening phase of her career, while winning all sorts of awards. Made her acting debut in 2006 in a cameo role in Bring It On: All of Nothing, although music remains her number one interest. At the same time she created Believe Foundation to help terminally ill children. Became the face of Clinique Happy perfume, with the hope of launching her own line of fragrances as well, and also has appeared in ads for a number of high profile products. Became involved with singer Chris Brown, and in 2009, she appeared as prime tabloid fodder as a victim of his violence when pictures of her battered face were shown around the globe. He would subsequently be charged with felony assault afterwards, while she got a gun tattoo in a determined effort to show she was not a hapless martyr, by also publicly partying hard. Afterwards, she would literally expose herself through scanty or non-costumes in a desire to show her toughness and invulnerability. Has continually shifted her musical styles, beginning with reggae, and covering many pop genres, including dancehall and R&B, with a strong feel for her roots in Caribbean music. Despite her unhappy childhood there, she has become an active ambassador for Barbados, as a highly accessible celebrity of the island. Extremely photogenic, her videos have highlighted her exotic gamin looks, as well as her ability to feed into the fantasies of both her listeners and viewers. Inner: Excellent sense of style, with a proclivity for tattoos all over her body, and both a voice and a presence indicating a long career. Has expressed a liking for being tied-up and spanked as a bedroom submissive, in her explorations of her ongoing draw towards masochistic relationsips. Remixed lifetime of trying to get past an overarching violence that continues to dog her, despite her deliberate high profile and active desire to enhance everyone and everything she touches. Ruth Etting (1896-1978) - American singer and actress. Outer: Father was a bank teller. Lost her mother at the age of 5, after traveling with her to San Diego for her health. Her progenitor then took her to live with his parents, and an unmarried aunt, before he remarried and had little contact with her afterwards. Raised by her grandparents. Her grandfather was a German immigrant who owned a textile mill, and taught her to use her money wisely. After graduating high school at the age of 17 she went to art school in Chicago. While designing costumes for the Marigold Gardens nightclub, she was asked to replace a sick tenor, since her voice was low enough to do so. Began dancing in the chorus line afterwards, and ultimately became a featured soloist. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed, with a stunning voice. In 1922, she wed low-level Chicago gangster Moe “the Gimp” Snyder, who got his nickname from taking 14 slugs in his right leg. He went on to manage her career, securing an exclusive contract with Columbia Records for her, although the union was largely loveless on her part. Made her first record in 1926 and her last in 1937, and became known as America’s sweetheart of song, with “Love Me or Leave Me,” as one of her signature tunes. At one time, she was voted the most popular woman in America. Initially a straightforward singer, she begin experimenting with tempo and phrasing, to become a much more sophisticated chanteuse, with marked changes in tempo as her hallmark. Had over 60 hits. Made her Broadway debut in “The Ziegfeld Follies of 1927,” and followed that with a number of hit shows, including the very last “Follies” in 1931. Appeared in 35 Hollywood shorts between 1929 and 1936, as well as small roles in three features, beginning with a bit part with Eddie Cantor (Chris Tucker) in Roman Scandals. Also was a regular performer on at least eight network radio programs. Invested her money wisely in real estate, making her quite wealthy. In 1937, she divorced her possessive husband, and fell in love with her pianist, Myrl Alderman, but the following year her ex shot him. Snyder was convicted of attempted murder but released on appeal the following year. Married Alderman in 1938, but her career was largely over by then thanks to the scandal generated by the highly publicized trial. Had a brief radio show in 1947, then disappeared from public view, save for the biopic based on her life in 1955, Love Me or Leave Me, with Doris Day playing her, and James Cagney assaying the Gimp. Refused a large contract afterwards, and remained retired. Lost her husband in 1966. Lived in a retirement home the latter part of her life, and told a reporter, if she had it to do over, she never would have entered show business. Inner: Well-grounded and clever with money, but with a curious attraction to violence, despite her own decidedly demure nature. Extremely well-received lifetime of playing with her ongoing attraction to disreputable men, despite evincing the ability over-and-over that she knew how to take care of herself, making ultimately for dissatisfactions that she would try to redress with a repeat performance of some of the same elements the next time around.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS LITERAL HITMAKER:
Storyline: The hot-tempered Billboard Hot 100 mainstay continues to allow his temper to temper his gifts, much to his detriment, as he does ongoing battle with his twin needs to both create and destroy.
Chris Brown (Christopher Maurice Brown) (1989) - American singer, songwriter and actor. Outer: Of African-American descent. Father was a correction’s officer at a local prison, in an unconscious link with his last go-round. Mother was a former day care center director. One older sister. After his parents divorced, his mother’s boyfriend was extremely abusive to her, setting a negative example for him, that he couldn’t get past. Spent his childhood listening to music and began mimicking pop performers like Michael Jackson, hoping to be his next incarnation as a universally loved star. Sang in his church choir and at amateur talent shows, before being discovered at 13, and then moving to NYC. At 15, he signed with Jive Records, and had a multimillion seller with his first eponymous album, both in the U.S. and worldwide, including the distinction of being the first male recording artist to have a debut single top the charts with “Run It!” Wrote some of the tracks himself, and toured in England and Japan. His second album, “Exclusive,” continued in the same light, making him a Billboard Hot 100 repeat phenomenon, as well as a co-headliner. Worked with other artists as well, while showing an instinct for hitmaking. Made some TV series appearances, and laid the groundwork for a film career, while proving a worldwide phenomenon in the universal appeal of his music as he constantly experimented with genres. 6’2”. His reputation, however, would take a sharp hit, with black and blue photos of his girlfriend at the time, pop star Rihanna, in early 2009. Pleaded guilty to felony assault charges, and then did numerous public mea culpas, to try to contain the damage. Ultimately was sentenced to five years probation and six months of community service for the assault, while putting his career on hold, due to the negative reaction, before resuming it, a somewhat more contrite figure. Nevertheless, had another meltdown in 2011 after being asked about Rihanna in a TV interview. Inner: Volatile with an uncontrollable temper, despite an equal facility for giving his public precisely what they want. Run it lifetime of failing to learn from heavy lessons of his hidden past to once more allow his rage to define him, rather than his ability to soothe the savage beast within with his music. Little Willie John (William Edward John) (1937-1968) - American R&B singer. Outer: Of African-American descent. When he was 4, his family moved to Detroit. His sister, Mabel John, would go on to become one of the Raelettes, the back-up group for Ray Charles, and also had a solo career of her own. Showed himself to be precocious musically, and at 14 was already singing with the Count Basie Orchestra. Short but with a muscular tenor. After winning a talent contest, and recording for a couple of small labels, he signed with King Records at the age of 18, and had his first big hit, “All Around the World,” which would be followed up by a slew of hits, including the song most identified with him, “Fever,” which he recorded in 1956, and would later be covered by Peggy Lee, and become one of her biggest standards. Despite his stellar early career as one of the preeminent R&B singers from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s, he got into a fight after a show in Seattle, and fatally knifed someone. Sent to Washington State Prison, he was released on appeal. Tried to record a comeback album during that time, but was sent back to prison, when the appeal was rejected. Died of a heart attack at the age of 30, although the circumstances of his death are somewhat clouded, with differing causes, including asphyxiation or pneumonia. Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Inner: Charismatic but unstable, with an inability to truly handle fame. Fevered lifetime of showcasing both his talents and his instability, in his ongoing dance with both fame and infamy.

*

PATHWAY OF THE MUSICIAN AS RAT-A-TAT RAPPER:
Storyline: The eternal rebel follows the 8 mile high lead of his longtime cohort Eminem to become a rager, machine gunning out a lot of long-held anger, in the hopes that he won’t internalize it and self-destruct, as he did in his last rock’n’roll go-round in this series.
Machine Gun Kelly (Richard Colson Baker) (1990) - American rapper. Outer: Parents were missionaries. Spent his first four years in Egypt, speaking Arabic before he spoke English. Lived in Germany afterwards, before returning to the U.S. After sojourns in several large cities around the country, the family finally settled in Cleveland when he was 14, at which point his mother left the family. During his growing up, he went to a largely African-American school in Denver, where he was continually beaten up in the 4th grade, because of his scrawny frame, and eventually learned to rap as a means of asserting himself in hip hop battles, despite not having much respect for the genre, or the artists involved, whom he feels have lost their rebellious ways. Earned the nickname of Machine Gun Kelly, or MKG, the sobriquet of a prohibition era gangster, for his rapid-fire delivery, known as raging rap. 6’3”, thin and covered with tattoos. In 2009, he won two rap victories at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, the first rapper ever to do so. Using his basement as a studio, which he dubbed “the Rage Cage,” he released a mix tape titled “100 Words and Running” in 2010, and followed it up with another “Lace Up,” putting him on the rap map. His song “Cleveland,” became the anthem for Cleveland Cavalier basketball games. Signed with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records as well as Interscope and a hip hop clothing chain, and, at the same time, got himself arrested for organizing a flash mob, which brought him to national attention, and gave him further alternate cultural cred. Has a daughter, while being completely disconnected from his family, who disapproves of what he is doing, save for one loyal aunt. Inner: Angry and profoundly alienated, with a quick mind and an ever faster tongue. Given an early sweeping view of various cultures, allowing him an odd worldliness in an otherwise straightjacketed upbringing. Living the life lifetime of coming into circumstances that were easy for him to reject in order to give voice to the considerable angst and rage he holds within, through the percussive poetics of street syncopation. Gene Vincent (Vincent Eugene Craddock) - American musician. Outer: Father was in the Coast Guard during WW II. Mother maintained a general store, and after the war, the two opened a general store and tailor shop in Norfolk, Virginia. Got his first guitar at the age of 12, teaching himself to play blues, gospel and country music on it. Dropped out of high school at 17 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, with his parents’ permission. 5’9”, 150 lbs. Despite conforming to rules and proving himself a solid sailor, his leave time saw him continually get into trouble, although he planned to make the Navy his career. Never saw combat, and with his reenlistment money, he bought a motorcycle. Had a bad accident on it in 1955, when a woman ran a red light, which severely damaged his left leg. Either she or he had been drinking at the time. Refused to have it amputated, and wore a brace, while he was medically discharged the same year with a permanent limp. Turned to music after hearing Elvis Presley, and began singing with a Norfolk radio station staff band, the Virginians. His first single, “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” released in 1956, turned out to be his biggest hit, with his back-up band His Blue Caps, whom he named after enlisted sailors, and whose personnel would be constantly changing. Married Ruth Ann Hand the same year in a brief union. Appeared in The Girl Can’t Help It, a seminal rock’n’roll film of the time, while acting out his self-destructive urges. Played a long run at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, although his leg, which was still in a plaster cast, began to bleed regularly, causing him a great deal of pain. Wed Darlene Hicks in 1958, divorced two years later, two children from the union. Took time off at a Vet Hospital, and from 1957 to 1960, released a half dozen albums for Capitol Records, as the Blue Caps finally broke up after this period. After tax problems in the U.S. he toured in both Europe and Australia, wearing black leather, the first American entertainer to do so. While in England, he was involved in the same fatal cab accident, rounding a curve and hitting a cement post at 70 mph, that killed his occasional collaborator Eddy Cochrane (Eminem), where he and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were both seriously hurt, breaking his collarbone and ribs in the crash. Married Margaret Russell in 1961, divorced two years later. While his brand of rockabilly lost favor in the States, he remained extremely popular in Britain and Europe throughout the 1960s, moving to England in 1963. His final marriage was to Jackie Fusco in 1968. Returned to the U.S. the following year for one last foray with fame, when he was rediscovered by California hippies. Spent most of his adult life in constant pain, overusing alcohol to self-medicate, before finally succumbing to a ruptured stomach ulcer, while visiting his father. Became the first inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1957, and the following year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Inner: Wild at heart, with a continued recklessness that belied an equal drive for adulation and power through popularity. Self-destructive lifetime of continually testing the waters of his various vulnerabilities, before returning to a milieu that would bring forth his rage in completely uninhibited fashion so as to release it through percussive music, rather than ulcerated accidents.

*