Now 99 years old, Vera Lynn might have plans to live until World War III. On a related note, “Vera” is a short song by Pink Floyd that appears on their 1979 album The Wall. The song is part of the classic rock opera that alludes to World War II, and the title is a reference to Vera Lynn. Pink Floyd are among my very favorite bands from my parents’ generation. Also, my very pregnant wife and I are expecting our second daughter any day now; Heidi is 39 1/2 weeks pregnant. By her own account, she’s either going to give birth really soon or we’re going to have a situation our hands not dissimilar to Monty Python’s Mr. Creosote.
Gary Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor, voice artist and comedian, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes (1978-1986) and for his small stature as an adult. He became the most popular fixture of Diff’rent Strokes, enhanced by his character’s catchphrase “What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” Coleman was described in the 1980s as “one of television’s most promising stars.” After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman struggled financially later in life. In 1989, he successfully sued his parents and business adviser over misappropriation of his assets, only to declare bankruptcy a decade later. Coleman died of epidural hematoma at age 42.
Sammy Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer. Primarily a dancer and singer, he was also an actor of stage and screen, comedian, musician and impressionist, noted for his impersonations of actors, musicians and other celebrities. Davis’s film career began as a child in 1933. In 1954, he lost his left eye in a car accident, and several years later, he converted to Judaism. In 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film, Ocean’s 11. After a starring role on Broadway in 1956’s Mr. Wonderful, he returned to the stage in 1964’s Golden Boy. In 1966 he had his own TV variety show, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. As an African-American during the pre-Civil Rights era, Davis was a victim of racism throughout his life and was a large financial supporter of the Civil Rights movement. Davis had a complex relationship with the black community, and drew criticism after physically embracing President Richard Nixon in 1972. Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP.
Lucille Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, model, film studio executive and producer. She was best known as the star of the self-produced sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy and Life with Lucy. Ball’s career began in 1929, when she landed work as a model. In the midst of her work as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures in the 1930s and 1940s, Ball met and married Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz. In 1951, she and Arnaz created the sitcom I Love Lucy, a series that would go on to become one of the most beloved programs in television history. In 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions, which produced many popular TV series, including Mission: Impossible and Star Trek. Ball was nominated for thirteen Primetime Emmy Awards, winning four times.
Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer and producer. She starred in the popular sitcom Ellen (1994-98), and has hosted her syndicated TV talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003. Her stand-up career started in the early 1980s, culminating in a 1986 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. DeGeneres starred in several feature films during the 1990s and provided the voice of Dory in Finding Nemo (2003). During the fourth season of Ellen in 1997, she came out as a lesbian in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Shortly afterward, her character also came out to a therapist played by Oprah Winfrey, and the series went on to explore various LGBT issues. DeGeneres was born on January 26, 1958.
Eartha Kitt was an American actress, singer, cabaret star, dancer, stand-up comedian, activist and voice artist. She’s known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of “C’est Si Bon” and the enduring Christmas novelty smash “Santa Baby.” In 1967, she starred as Catwoman in the third and final season of the television series Batman. Orson Welles once called her the “most exciting woman in the world.” Kitt began her career in 1943 and appeared in the 1945 original Broadway production of the musical Carib Song. In the early 1950s, she had six U.S. Top 30 hits, including “Uska Dara” and “I Want to be Evil.” In 1968, her career in America suffered after she made anti-war statements at an LBJ White House luncheon. Kitt was born on January 17, 1927 and died on December 25, 2008.
Brigitte Bardot is a French former actress, singer and fashion model. She was one of the best known sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s and was widely referred to by her initials. During her career in show business, she starred in 47 films, performed in several musical shows and recorded over 60 songs. Bardot started her acting career in 1952 and became world-famous in 1957 with the controversial film And God Created Woman. She later starred in the 1963 film Contempt by Jean-Luc Godard. French photographer Sam Lévin was instrumental in creating Bardot’s image, particularly with The Towel Session shoot in 1959. Bardot caught the attention of French intellectuals and was the subject of a famous essay, Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita Syndrome by Simone de Beauvoir. Bardot retired from the entertainment industry in 1973. After her retirement, she established herself as an animal rights activist. During the 1990s, she generated controversy by criticizing immigration and Islam in France and has been fined five times for inciting racial hatred. Bardot was born on September 28, 1934.
Robert Diggs, better known by his stage names RZA and Bobby Digital, is an American music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, rapper, actor, director, composer and screenwriter. A prominent figure in hip-hop, RZA is a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan and its de facto leader. He is a cousin of GZA and late band-mate Ol’ Dirty Bastard. RZA has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan’s albums as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his solo releases, RZA was also a founding member of the horrorcore hip-hop group Gravediggaz where he used the name the RZArector. He has acted in numerous movies and TV series, including Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) and American Gangster (2007). He has also written, arranged and/or produced music for more than 40 film soundtracks. RZA directed, co-wrote and starred in The Man with the Iron Fists (2012). He was born on July 5, 1969.
Jennifer Lopez, also known as J. Lo, is an American actress, author, fashion designer, dancer, producer and singer. Her first regular high-profile job was as a Fly Girl dancer on In Living Color in 1991. She received her first leading acting role in the Selena biopic in 1997. Lopez became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role the following year, with the film Out of Sight. She ventured into the music industry in 1999 with her debut studio album, On the 6. With current record sales of over 60 million and a cumulative film gross of over $2 billion, Lopez is regarded as the most influential Hispanic performer in the United States, as well as its highest paid Latin entertainer. Beyond entertainment, Lopez has enjoyed a highly successful business career, consisting of various clothing lines, accessories, fragrances, a production company, television shows and a charitable foundation. She was born on July 24, 1969.
Note: Deciding on Lopez’s most iconic outfit was easy, since not many dresses have their own Wikipedia page. Her 8-bit clothing is based on the plunging, sheer green Versace dress she wore to the 42nd Grammy Awards ceremony in 2000, alongside then-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Nicole Kidman is an Australian actress and film producer. Kidman’s breakthrough film role was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. After appearing in several films in the early 1990s, she came to worldwide recognition for her performances in the auto-racing film Days of Thunder (1990), the romance Far and Away (1992) and the superhero film Batman Forever (1995). Other acclaimed performances include her work in the erotic Kubrick thriller Eyes Wide Shut(1999), the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001), the horror-thriller The Others (2001) and The Hours (2002). Kidman was married to Tom Cruise from 1990 to 2001. She was born to Australian parents in Hawai’i on June 20, 1967.
Note: In my search for Nicole Kidman’s most iconic outfit, I found this lime-green or chartreuse dress she wore to the 69th Academy Awards in 1997.
Nancy Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of Frank Sinatra and is widely known for her 1966 signature hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” Other defining recordings include the title song from the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, several collaborations with Lee Hazlewood and her cover of Cher’s “Bang Bang,” which was used in the opening sequence of the 2003 Tarantino film Kill Bill: Vol. One. The promo clip for “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” popularized and made her synonymous with go-go boots. The song was written by Lee Hazlewood, who wrote and produced most of her hits and sang with her on several duets, including the critical and cult favorite “Some Velvet Morning.” Sinatra also had a brief acting career in the mid-1960s, including a costarring role with Elvis Presley in the movie Speedway, and with Peter Fonda in The Wild Angels. She was born on June 8, 1940.
I have a framed print of “Escape,” a 1962 portrait by artist Margaret Keane, in my living room; the woman depicted has always reminded me of an idealized version of Nancy Sinatra. I don’t care for most of Keane’s big-eyed art, but I specifically love that painting. Also, this dubstep mashup of “Bang Bang” by Fytch is fantastic. I’ve listened to it dozens of times over the past three years. It features samples from four songs—by Nancy Sinatra, Cas One, Biggie and Ella Fitzgerald. You can download it for free.
Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer often referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and Lady Ella. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. In addition to her singing career, Fitzgerald appeared in movies and on popular television shows. Her musical collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Bill Kenny and the Ink Spots were some of her most notable acts outside of her solo career. After her passing, Fitzgerald’s influence lived on through her 14 Grammy Awards, National Medal of Arts, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and tributes in the form of stamps, music festivals and theater namesakes. Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 and died on June 15, 1996.
Jim Brown is a retired National Football League (NFL) player and actor. He is best known for his record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the Cleveland Browns (1957-1965). In 2002, Sporting News named him the greatest professional football player ever. Brown is widely considered one of the greatest professional athletes in the history of the United States. Since 1964, he has appeared in over 40 films, including The Dirty Dozen (1967). In 1969, Brown starred in 100 Rifles with Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch; it was one of the first films to feature an interracial love scene. Brown was born on February 17, 1936.
Carmen Miranda was a Portuguese Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was popular from the 1930s to the 1950s. In 1940, she made her first Hollywood film, Down Argentine Way, with Don Ameche and Betty Grable. In the same year, Miranda was invited to sing and dance for President Franklin Roosevelt. Nicknamed “The Brazilian Bombshell,” she was noted for her Latin accent, exotic clothing and signature fruit hat outfit she wore in her American films, particularly in The Gang’s All Here (1943). By 1945, she was the highest paid woman in the U.S. Miranda made a total of 14 Hollywood films. She was the first Latin American star to be invited to imprint her hands and feet in the courtyard of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, in 1941. Miranda was also the first South American to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was born on February 9, 1909.
P.S. The United Fruit Company took advantage of the Carmen Miranda craze by creating the cartoon mascot Chiquita Banana. Speaking of which, consider this matchup: Carmen Miranda vs. Chiquita Banana. Fight!
Betty White is an American actress, comedian, singer, author producer and television personality. She is best known for her television roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973-77) and The Golden Girls (1985-92). In a career that has spanned more than 70 years, White has won six Emmy Awards (five for acting) and received 23 Emmy nominations. She is the only woman to have won an Emmy in all performing comedic categories. In May 2010, White became the oldest person to guest-host Saturday Night Live, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award. She also holds the record for longest span between Emmy nominations for performances—her first was in 1951 and her most recent was in 2011, a span of 60 years—and became the oldest nominee overall as of 2014, at age 92. She is also the oldest winner of a competitive Grammy Award, which she won in 2012 for a spoken word recording. Due to her pioneering efforts in early TV and her acting legacy, pretty much everyone has given White a lifetime achievement award. She was born on January 17, 1922.
Nicolas Coppola, known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and filmmaker. Notable films from early in his acting career include Raising Arizona (1987) and Wild at Heart (1990). Cage received an Academy Award for his performance as an alcoholic Hollywood writer in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) before coming to the attention of wider audiences with mainstream films such as The Rock (1996), Face/Off (1997), Con Air (1997) and City of Angels (1998). He earned his second Academy Award nomination for his performance as Charlie and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation. (2002). Since then, he’s been in a lot of bad movies, but recent highlights include Kick-Ass (2010) and Joe (2014). Cage was born on January 7, 1964.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child, which disbanded in 2005. Beyoncé released her debut solo album in 2003 and has since released four additional studio albums. She also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Dreamgirls (2006), and several starring roles including The Pink Panther (2006). In 2008, Beyoncé married Jay-Z and starred as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic, Cadillac Records. Over her 16-year career, she has won 17 Grammy Awards and sold over 75 million records as a solo artist, plus 60 million with Destiny’s Child, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Beyoncé was born on this day in 1981.
Note: This 8-bit outfit is based on the getup Beyoncé wore for her Super Bowl XLVII halftime show performance at the New Orleans Superdome on February 3, 2013. Here is a playable family-feud matchup: Beyoncé Knowles vs. Jay-Z.
Ray Allen is an American professional basketball shooting guard and current NBA free agent. He formerly played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. In college, Allen was a member of the Connecticut Huskies. One of the most accurate three-point and free throw shooters in NBA history, he is a 10-time NBA All-Star, and has won two NBA championships (2008, 2013). Allen won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team. He has acted in two films, including the lead role of Jesus Shuttlesworth in the 1998 Spike Lee film He Got Game. Allen is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made in both the regular season and the postseason. Now 39 years old, he was born on this day in 1975.
Note: Ray Allen is considering retirement, but he is also being recruited by LeBron James and company to join the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers (AKA the Cleveland Heat) and help them contend for a franchise-first championship. Allen is scheduled to be in China until July 27 and doesn’t appear to be in a rush to decide his playing future, sources said on July 18. He may be waiting to see if the Cavaliers trade for Kevin Love, thus creating another Big Three with Kyrie Irving and his friend LeBron.
Katharine Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage and television. Known for her headstrong independence and spirited personality, Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years and received four Academy Awards for Best Actress—a record for any performer. In 1999, Hepburn was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star in Hollywood history. In the middle of her career, Hepburn found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters, such as in The African Queen (1951), a persona the public embraced. Three more Oscars came for her work in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981). She remained active into old age, making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87. She was born on this day in 1907 and died on June 29, 2003 at the age of 96.
Grace Kelly was an American film actress and Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Rainier III. After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of 20, she appeared in New York City theatrical productions and more than 40 episodes of live drama productions broadcast during the early 1950s Golden Age of Television. She starred in films from 1953 to 1956, including Dial M for Murder, Rear Window and The Country Girl (in which she gave a deglamorized, Academy Award-winning performance). She retired from acting at the age of 26 to marry Prince Rainier and enter upon her duties in Monaco. She retained her American roots, maintaining dual U.S. and Monégasque citizenship. She was born on November 12, 1929 and died on September 14, 1982.
Vera Lynn – No. 1005
Vera Lynn (born March 20, 1917), widely known as the “Forces’ Sweetheart,” is an English singer, songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war, she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops. The songs most associated with her are “We’ll Meet Again,” “The White Cliffs of Dover,” “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and “There’ll Always Be an England.” She remained popular after the war, appearing on radio and television in the UK and the United States and recording such hits as “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart.”
Now 99 years old, Vera Lynn might have plans to live until World War III. On a related note, “Vera” is a short song by Pink Floyd that appears on their 1979 album The Wall. The song is part of the classic rock opera that alludes to World War II, and the title is a reference to Vera Lynn. Pink Floyd are among my very favorite bands from my parents’ generation. Also, my very pregnant wife and I are expecting our second daughter any day now; Heidi is 39 1/2 weeks pregnant. By her own account, she’s either going to give birth really soon or we’re going to have a situation our hands not dissimilar to Monty Python’s Mr. Creosote.