1.
Folk rock
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It has also been influential in those parts of the world with close cultural connections to Britain and gave rise to the genre of folk punk. By the 1980s the genre was in decline in popularity. When English bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s defined themselves as electric folk they were making a distinction with the existing folk rock. Folk rock was what they had already been producing, American or American style singer-songwriter material played on instruments, as undertaken by Bob Dylan. They drew the distinction because they were focusing on indigenous songs, the result of this hybridisation was an exchange of specific features drawn from Traditional music and Rock music. For example, electric folk groups, while using traditional material as their source for lyrics and tunes. In the same year, The Beatles began incorporating overt folk influences into their music, the Beatles and other British Invasion bands, in turn, influenced the Californian band The Byrds, who began playing folk-influenced material and Bob Dylan compositions with rock instrumentation. The Byrds recording of Dylans Mr Tambourine Man was released in April 1965 and reached #1 on the U. S. and UK singles charts, setting off the mid-1960s folk rock movement. The Beatles late 1965 album, Rubber Soul, contained a number of songs clearly influenced by the American folk rock boom, such as Nowhere Man and If I Needed Someone. Folk rock became an important genre among emerging English bands, particularly those in the London club scene towards the end of the 1960s. Like the American revival, it was often overtly left wing in its politics, most important among their responses were the foundation of folk clubs in major towns, starting with London where MacColl began the Ballads and Blues Club in 1953. These clubs were usually urban in location, but the songs sung in them often hearkened back to a rural pre-industrial past, in many ways this was the adoption of abandoned popular music by the middle classes. This meant that there were, by the later 1960s, a group of performers with musical skill and knowledge of a variety of traditional songs. The result was an interpretation of the song A Sailors Life. The rapid expansion of electric folk that followed in the wake of Liege, five Hand Reel a band formed out of the remnants of Spencers Feat proved to be one of the more successful and influential folk rock bands. Releasing 4 albums with Topic/RCA records they were popular in Europe. He then quit that and eventually formed the Albion Country Band, later the Albion Band, a much smaller group of English bands were formed in emulation of existing electric rock bands. Fiddlers Dram were often dismissed as one hit wonders for their single Day Trip to Bangor, most of their career, from that point until they disbanded in 1979, was one of declining profile and sales
2.
NBC
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The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcast television network that is the flagship property of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The network is part of the Big Three television networks, founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America, NBC is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States. Following the acquisition by GE, Bob Wright served as executive officer of NBC, remaining in that position until his retirement in 2007. In 2003, French media company Vivendi merged its entertainment assets with GE, Comcast purchased a controlling interest in the company in 2011, and acquired General Electrics remaining stake in 2013. Following the Comcast merger, Zucker left NBC Universal and was replaced as CEO by Comcast executive Steve Burke, during a period of early broadcast business consolidation, radio manufacturer Radio Corporation of America acquired New York City radio station WEAF from American Telephone & Telegraph. Westinghouse, a shareholder in RCA, had an outlet in Newark, New Jersey pioneer station WJZ. This station was transferred from Westinghouse to RCA in 1923, WEAF acted as a laboratory for AT&Ts manufacturing and supply outlet Western Electric, whose products included transmitters and antennas. The Bell System, AT&Ts telephone utility, was developing technologies to transmit voice- and music-grade audio over short and long distances, the 1922 creation of WEAF offered a research-and-development center for those activities. WEAF maintained a schedule of radio programs, including some of the first commercially sponsored programs. In an early example of chain or networking broadcasting, the station linked with Outlet Company-owned WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island, AT&T refused outside companies access to its high-quality phone lines. The early effort fared poorly, since the telegraph lines were susceptible to atmospheric. In 1925, AT&T decided that WEAF and its network were incompatible with the companys primary goal of providing a telephone service. AT&T offered to sell the station to RCA in a deal that included the right to lease AT&Ts phone lines for network transmission, the divisions ownership was split among RCA, its founding corporate parent General Electric and Westinghouse. NBC officially started broadcasting on November 15,1926, WEAF and WJZ, the flagships of the two earlier networks, were operated side-by-side for about a year as part of the new NBC. On April 5,1927, NBC expanded to the West Coast with the launch of the NBC Orange Network and this was followed by the debut of the NBC Gold Network, also known as the Pacific Gold Network, on October 18,1931. The Orange Network carried Red Network programming, and the Gold Network carried programming from the Blue Network, initially, the Orange Network recreated Eastern Red Network programming for West Coast stations at KPO in San Francisco. The Orange Network name was removed from use in 1936, at the same time, the Gold Network became part of the Blue Network. In the 1930s, NBC also developed a network for shortwave radio stations, in 1927, NBC moved its operations to 711 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, occupying the upper floors of a building designed by architect Floyd Brown
3.
Today (U.S. TV program)
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Today, also called The Today Show, is an American news and talk morning television show that airs on NBC. The program debuted on January 14,1952 and it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world, and is the fifth-longest-running American television series. Originally a two-hour program on weekdays, it expanded to Sundays in 1987, the weekday broadcast expanded to three hours in 2000, and to four hours in 2007. Todays dominance was virtually unchallenged by the other networks until the late 1980s, Today has maintained its No.2 status since the summer of 2012 each year behind GMA. In 2002, Today was ranked No.17 on TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, the shows first broadcast aired on January 14,1952. It was the brainchild of Sylvester B, Pat Weaver, Jr. who was then vice president of NBC. Weaver was president of the company from 1953 to 1955, during which time Todays late-night companion The Tonight Show premiered, in pre-production, the shows proposed title was The Rise and Shine Revue. Today was the first program of its genre when it premiered with original host Dave Garroway, the program blended national news headlines, interviews with newsmakers, lifestyle features, other light news and gimmicks, and local news updates from the networks stations. It has spawned several other shows of a type, including ABCs Good Morning America. In other countries, the format was copied – most notably in the United Kingdom with the BBCs Breakfast Time and TV-ams Good Morning Britain, and in Canada with Canada AM on CTV. When Today debuted, it was seen only in the Eastern and Central time zones. Since 1958, Today has been tape-delayed for the five other U. S. time zones, partly to accommodate host Dave Garroways declining health, the program ceased live broadcasts in the summer of 1958, opting instead to broadcast an edition taped the previous afternoon. The experiment, which drew criticism from many sides, ended when John Chancellor replaced Garroway in July 1961, a fourth hour was eventually added on September 10,2007. NBC stations in some markets air the third and fourth hours of Today on tape delay, WHDH in Boston, Massachusetts was an NBC station that would follow this practice to accommodate an hour of local news at 9,00 am. On January 1,2017, the NBC affiliation in Boston moved to a new owned-and-operated station, WBTS, which airs the third and fourth hours of Today at its regular 9,00 am and 10,00 am timeslots. Generally, the program live in the Eastern Time Zone. When breaking news stories warrant, Today will broadcast a live West Coast edition, the live updates typically do not last longer than the 7,00 a. m. hour and once completed, will return to the taped East Coast feed. When the anchors welcome the viewers to the show, they note the current time as being Pacific Time
4.
George Martin
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Sir George Henry Martin CBE was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, audio engineer and musician. He was referred to as the Fifth Beatle, including by Paul McCartney, Martin produced 30 number-one hit singles in the United Kingdom and 23 number-one hits in the United States. Martin produced comedy and novelty records in the early 1950s, working with Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Bernard Cribbins and his career spanned more than six decades of work in music, film, television and live performance. He held a number of executive roles at media companies and contributed to a wide range of charitable causes, including his work for The Princes Trust. In recognition of his services to the industry and popular culture. Martin was born in Highbury, London, when he was six, Martins family acquired a piano that sparked his interest in music. As a child, he attended schools, including a convent school in Holloway, St Josephs School, and at St Ignatius College. When WWII broke out, and St. Ignatius College students were evacuated to Welwyn Garden City, his family left London, I remember well the very first time I heard a symphony orchestra. I was just in my teens when Sir Adrian Boult brought the BBC Symphony Orchestra to my school for a public concert. Hearing such glorious sounds I found it difficult to them with ninety men and women blowing into brass. Despite Martins continued interest in music, and fantasies about being the next Rachmaninov and he worked briefly as a quantity surveyor, and later for the War Office as a Temporary Clerk, which meant filing paperwork and making tea. In 1943, when he was 17, he joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and became an aerial observer, the war ended before Martin was involved in any combat, and he left the service in 1947. Martins oboe teacher was Margaret Eliot, after that, Martin explained that he had just picked it up by himself. On 3 January 1948 – while still at the Academy – Martin married Sheena Chisholm and he later married Judy Lockhart-Smith on 24 June 1966, and they also had two children, Lucie and Giles Martin. Following his graduation, he worked for the BBCs classical music department, then joined EMI in 1950 as an assistant to Oscar Preuss, the head of EMIs Parlophone Records from 1950 to 1955. Although having been regarded by EMI as a vital German imprint in the past, after taking over Parlophone when Preuss retired in 1955, Martin recorded classical and Baroque music, original cast recordings, and regional music from around Britain and Ireland. Martin also produced numerous comedy and novelty records, later that decade Martin worked with Peter Sellers on two very popular comedy LPs. One was released on 10 format and called The Best Of Sellers, the album was Bridge on the River Wye
5.
Judy Collins
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Judith Marjorie Judy Collins, affectionately known as Judy Blue Eyes, is an American singer and songwriter known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records and for her social activism. The single hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and she enjoyed further success with her recordings of Someday Soon, Chelsea Morning, Amazing Grace, and Cook with Honey. Collins experienced the biggest success of her career with her recording of Stephen Sondheims Send in the Clowns from her best-selling 1975 album Judith, Collins was born the eldest of five siblings in Seattle, Washington, where she spent the first ten years of her life. Her father, a singer and radio disc jockey, took a job in Denver, Colorado, in 1949. Collins studied classical piano with Antonia Brico, making her debut at age 13. Brico took a dim view, both then and later, of Collins developing interest in music, which led her to the difficult decision to discontinue her piano lessons. Years later, after she became known internationally, she invited Brico to one of her concerts in Denver, when they met after the performance, Brico took both of Collins hands in hers, looked wistfully at her fingers and said, Little Judy—you really could have gone places. Still later, Collins discovered that Brico herself had made a living when she was playing jazz. In her early life, Collins had the fortune of meeting many professional musicians through her father. It was the music of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and the songs of the folk revival of the early 1960s, however. Three years after her debut as a prodigy, she was playing guitar. Her first public appearances as a folk artist after her graduation from Denvers East High School were at Michaels Pub in Boulder, Colorado, and her music became popular at the University of Connecticut, where her husband taught. She performed at parties and for the radio station along with David Grisman. She eventually made her way to Greenwich Village, New York City, where she played in clubs like Gerdes Folk City until she signed with Elektra Records, in 1961, Collins released her first album, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, at age 22. At first she sang traditional songs or songs written by others – in particular the protest songwriters of the time, such as Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs. She recorded her own versions of important songs from the period, such as Dylans Mr. Tambourine Man, Collins was also instrumental in bringing little-known musicians to a wider public. For example, she recorded songs by Canadian poet Leonard Cohen and she also recorded songs by singer-songwriters such as Eric Andersen, Ian Tyson, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Robin Williamson and Richard Fariña long before they gained national acclaim. Mark Abramson produced and Joshua Rifkin arranged the album, adding lush orchestration to many of the numbers, the album was a major departure for a folk artist and set the course for Collins subsequent work over the next decade
6.
Homer Simpson
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Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated television series The Simpsons as the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, Homer was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell and he named the character after his father, Homer Groening. After appearing for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show, the Simpson family got their own series on Fox that debuted December 17,1989, Homer and his wife Marge have three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. As the familys provider, he works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant as a plant operator. Despite the suburban blue-collar routine of his life, he has had a number of remarkable experiences. He has appeared in other media relating to The Simpsons – including video games, The Simpsons Movie, The Simpsons Ride, commercials and comic books – and inspired an entire line of merchandise. His signature catchphrase, the annoyed grunt Doh. has been included in The New Oxford Dictionary of English since 1998, Homer is one of the most influential characters in the history of television. The British newspaper The Sunday Times described him as the greatest comic creation of time, for voicing Homer, Castellaneta has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance and a special-achievement Annie Award. In 2000, Homer and his family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Homer is the bumbling husband of Marge and father of Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson. He is the son of Mona and Abraham Grampa Simpson, Homer held over 188 different jobs in the first 400 episodes of The Simpsons. In most episodes, he works as the Nuclear Safety Inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, a position he has held since Homers Odyssey, the third episode of the series. At the plant, Homer is often ignored and completely forgotten by his boss Mr. Burns, Matt Groening has stated that he decided to have Homer work at the power plant because of the potential for Homer to wreak havoc. Each of his other jobs has lasted only one episode, in the first half of the series, the writers developed an explanation about how he got fired from the plant and was then rehired in every episode. In later episodes, he began a new job on impulse. The Simpsons uses a floating timeline in which the characters never age, and, as such. Nevertheless, in episodes, events in Homers life have been linked to specific time periods. However, the episode That 90s Show contradicted much of this backstory, portraying Homer and Marge as a childless couple in the early 1990s
7.
The Simpsons
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The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a depiction of working-class life epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa. The show is set in the town of Springfield and parodies American culture, society, television. The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with producer James L. Brooks, Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19,1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a prime time show and became an early hit for Fox. Since its debut on December 17,1989,615 episodes of The Simpsons have been broadcast and its 28th season began on September 25,2016. It is the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American animated program, the Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide on July 27,2007, and grossed over $527 million. On May 4,2015, the series was renewed for seasons 27 and 28, on November 4,2016, the series was renewed for seasons 29 and 30, consisting of 22 episodes each. The Simpsons received widespread critical acclaim throughout its first nine or ten seasons, Time named it the 20th centurys best television series, and Erik Adams of The A. V. Club named it televisions crowning achievement regardless of format, on January 14,2000, the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 31 Primetime Emmy Awards,30 Annie Awards, Homers exclamatory catchphrase Doh. has been adopted into the English language, while The Simpsons has influenced many adult-oriented animated sitcoms. Despite this, the show has also criticized for what many perceive as a decline in quality over the years. The Simpsons are a family who live in a fictional Middle American town of Springfield, Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife, although the family is dysfunctional, many episodes examine their relationships and bonds with each other and they are often shown to care about one another. The family owns a dog, Santas Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball V, renamed Snowball II in I, both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. The show includes an array of supporting characters, co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople. The creators originally intended many of these characters as jokes or for fulfilling needed functions in the town
8.
Meet the Parents
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Meet the Parents is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. Starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, the film chronicles a series of events that befall a good-hearted. Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, and Owen Wilson also star, Meet the Parents is a remake of a 1992 film of the same name directed by Greg Glienna and produced by Jim Vincent. Glienna—who also played the films main protagonist—and Mary Ruth Clarke co-wrote the screenplay. Universal Studios purchased the rights to Gliennas film with the intent of creating a new version, Jim Herzfeld expanded the original script but development was halted for some time. Jay Roach read the script and expressed his desire to direct the film. At that time, Steven Spielberg was interested in directing the film while Jim Carrey was interested in playing the lead role, the studio only offered the film to Roach once Spielberg and Carrey left the project. Released in the United States and Canada on October 6,2000 and distributed by Universal Studios and it went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of 2000, earning over $160 million in North America and over $330 million worldwide. Meet the Parents was well received by critics and viewers alike, winning several awards. Ben Stiller won two awards for his performance and the film was chosen as the Favorite Comedy Motion Picture at the 2001 Peoples Choice Awards. The success of Meet the Parents inspired two sequels, namely Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers released in 2004 and 2010 respectively. Meet the Parents also inspired a reality show titled Meet My Folks. Gaylord Greg Focker is a living in Chicago. He intends to propose to his girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but his plan is disrupted when he learns that Pams sisters fiance had asked Pams father for permission before proposing, Greg and Pam travel to Pams parents house to attend Pams sisters wedding. Greg hopes to propose to Pam in front of her family after receiving her fathers permission, but this plan is put on hold when the airline loses his luggage, including the engagement ring. At the Byrnes home, Greg meets Pams overbearing father Jack, mother Dina, Jack takes an instant dislike to Greg and openly criticizes him for his choice of career as a male nurse and whatever else he sees as a difference between Greg and the Byrnes family. Greg tries to impress Jack, but his efforts fail, Greg becomes even more uncomfortable after he receives an impromptu lie detector test from Jack and later learns from Pam that her father is a retired CIA counterintelligence officer. Meeting the rest of Pams family and friends, Greg still feels like an outsider and he also feels inferior to Kevin, Pams ex-fiance who, unlike him, receives nothing but warmth and friendliness from Jack
9.
Ben Stiller
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Benjamin Edward Meara Ben Stiller is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of comedians and actors Jerry Stiller. After beginning his career with a play, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered his own show entitled The Ben Stiller Show. Having previously acted in television, he began acting in films, in addition, he has had multiple cameos in music videos, television shows, and films. Stiller is a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack and his films have grossed more than $2.6 billion in Canada and the United States, with an average of $79 million per film. Throughout his career, he has received awards and honors, including an Emmy Award, multiple MTV Movie Awards. Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller was born on November 30,1965 in New York City and his father, comedian and actor Jerry Stiller, is from a Jewish family that emigrated from Poland and Galicia in Eastern Europe. His mother, actress/comedian Anne Meara, who was from an Irish Catholic background, while the family was never very religious, they celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas, and Stiller had a Bar Mitzvah. His parents frequently took him on the sets of their appearances and he considered his childhood unusual, stating In some ways, it was a show-business upbringing—a lot of traveling, a lot of late nights—not what youd call traditional. His elder sister, Amy, has appeared in many of his productions, including Reality Bites, DodgeBall, A True Underdog Story, Stiller displayed an early interest in filmmaking and made Super 8 movies with his sister and friends. At nine years old, he made his debut as a guest on his mothers short-lived television series. In the late 1970s, he performed with the New York City troupe NYCs First All Childrens Theater, playing roles, including the title role in Clever Jack. After being inspired by the television show Second City Television while in high school, during his high school years, he was also the drummer of the punk band Capital Punishment, which released a studio album named Roadkill in 1982. Stiller attended The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine and he started performing on the cabaret circuit as opening act to the cabaret siren Jadin Wong. Stiller then enrolled as a student at the University of California. After nine months, Stiller left school to move back to New York City and he made his way through acting classes, auditioning and trying to find an agent. When he was approximately 15, Stiller obtained a part with one line on the television soap opera Guiding Light. He was later cast in a role in the 1986 Broadway revival of John Guares The House of Blue Leaves, alongside John Mahoney, during its run, Stiller produced a satirical mockumentary whose principal was fellow actor Mahoney
10.
Robert De Niro
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Robert Anthony De Niro is an American actor, producer and director who has both Italian and American citizenship. He was cast as the young Vito Corleone in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II and his longtime collaboration with director Martin Scorsese earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Jake La Motta in the 1980 film Raging Bull. He received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003, the Golden Globe Cecil B, deMille Award in 2010, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2016. De Niros first major roles were in the sports drama, Bang the Drum Slowly. He earned Academy Award nominations for the psychological thrillers Taxi Driver and Cape Fear, De Niro received additional nominations for Michael Ciminos Vietnam war drama, The Deer Hunter, Penny Marshalls drama Awakenings, and David O. Russells romantic comedy-drama, Silver Linings Playbook. His portrayal of gangster Jimmy Conway in Scorseses crime film, Goodfellas, other notable performances include roles in Once Upon a Time in America, Brazil, The Untouchables, Heat, and Casino. He has directed and starred in such as the crime drama A Bronx Tale. Robert Anthony De Niro was born in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan, New York, the son of Virginia Admiral and Robert De Niro Sr. Both of his parents were painters, his father was of half Italian and half Irish descent, while his mother was of half German ancestry, with her other roots being French, English and Dutch. De Niros parents, who had met at the classes of Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts. De Niro was raised by his mother in the Greenwich Village and his father lived within walking distance and De Niro spent much time with him as he grew up. His mother was raised Presbyterian but became an atheist as an adult, against his parents wishes, his grandparents had him secretly baptized into the Catholic Church while he was staying with them during his parents divorce. De Niro attended PS41, an elementary school in Manhattan. He then went to Elisabeth Irwin High School, the upper school of the Little Red School House. He was accepted into the High School of Music and Art for the ninth grade, De Niro began high school at the private McBurney School and later attended the private Rhodes Preparatory School, although he never graduated from either. Nicknamed Bobby Milk for his pallor, De Niro hung out with a group of kids as a youth in Little Italy. The direction of his future had already been foreshadowed by his debut at age 10. Along with finding relief from shyness through performing, he was also fixated by cinema and he studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory, as well as Lee Strasbergs Actors Studio
11.
Waltzing Matilda
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Waltzing Matilda is Australias best-known bush ballad, and has been described as the countrys unofficial national anthem. The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot with ones belongings in a matilda slung over ones back, the song narrates the story of an itinerant worker, or swagman, making a drink of billy tea at a bush camp and capturing a stray jumbuck to eat. When the jumbucks owner, a squatter, and three mounted policemen pursue the swagman for theft, he declares Youll never take me alive, and commits suicide by drowning himself in a nearby billabong, after which his ghost haunts the site. The original lyrics were written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo Paterson, in 2012, to remind Australians of the songs significance, Winton organised the inaugural Waltzing Matilda Day to be held on 6 April, the anniversary of its first performance. The song was first recorded in 1926 as performed by John Collinson, the words were written to a tune played on a zither or autoharp by 31‑year‑old Christina Macpherson, one of the family members at the station. Paterson decided that the music would be a piece to set lyrics to. The march was based on the Scottish Celtic folk tune Thou Bonnie Wood of Craigielea, written by Robert Tannahill and first published in 1806, in the early 1890s it was arranged as the The Craigielee march music for brass band by Australian compser Thomas Bulch. This tune, in turn, was based on the old melody of Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself. In September 1894, some shearers at Dagworth Station were again on strike, the situation turned violent with the striking shearers firing their rifles and pistols in the air and setting fire to the woolshed at Dagworth, killing dozens of sheep. The owner of Dagworth Station and three policemen gave chase to a man named Samuel Hoffmeister – also known as French, rather than be captured, Hoffmeister shot and killed himself at the Combo Waterhole. Bob Macpherson and Paterson are said to have taken together at Dagworth. Here they would probably have passed the Combo Waterhole, where Macpherson is purported to have told this story to Paterson, although not remaining in close contact, Paterson and Christina Macpherson both maintained this version of events until their deaths. Amongst Macphersons belongings, found after her death in 1936, was a letter to a music researcher that read. One day I played a tune, which I had heard played by a band at the Races in Warrnambool and he then said he thought he could write some words to it. He then and there wrote the first verse and we tried it and thought it went well, so he then wrote the other verses. Similarly, in the early 1930s on ABC radio Paterson said The shearers staged a strike and Macphersons woolshed at Dagworth was burnt down, miss Macpherson used to play a little Scottish tune on a zither and I put words to it and called it Waltzing Matilda. The song itself was first performed on 6 April 1895 by Sir Herbert Ramsay at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, the occasion was a banquet for the Premier of Queensland. In February 2010 ABC News reported an investigation by barrister Trevor Monti that the death of Hoffmeister was more akin to an assassination than to suicide
12.
Richard of Chichester
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Richard of Chichester, also known as Richard de Wych, is a saint who was Bishop of Chichester. In Chichester Cathedral a shrine dedicated to Richard had become a richly decorated centre of pilgrimage, in 1538, during the reign of Henry VIII, the shrine was plundered and destroyed by order of Thomas Cromwell. St Richard of Chichester is patron saint of Sussex in southern England, since 2007, Richard was born in Burford, near the town of Wyche and was an orphan member of a gentry family. On the death of their parents Richards elder brother was heir to the estates but he was not old enough to inherit, so the lands were subject to a feudal wardship. On coming of age his brother took possession of his lands, but was required to pay a medieval form of duty that left the family so impoverished. His brother also made Richard heir to the estate, according to Richards biographers, friends tried to arrange a match with a certain noble lady. However Richard rejected the proposed match, suggesting that his brother might marry her instead, he also reconveyed the estates back to his brother, preferring a life of study, educated at the University of Oxford, Richard soon began to teach in the university. From there he proceeded to Paris and then Bologna, where he distinguished himself by his proficiency in canon law, on returning to England in 1235, Richard was elected Oxfords chancellor. His former tutor, Edmund of Abingdon, had become archbishop of Canterbury, Richard shared Edmunds ideals of clerical reform and supported papal rights even against the king. In 1237, Archbishop Edmund appointed Richard chancellor of the diocese of Canterbury, Richard joined the archbishop during his exile at Pontigny, and was with him when the archbishop died circa 1240. Richard then decided to become a priest and studied theology for two years with the Dominicans at Orléans, upon returning to England, Richard became the parish priest at Charing and at Deal, but soon was reappointed chancellor of Canterbury by the new archbishop Boniface of Savoy. In 1244 Richard was elected Bishop of Chichester, Henry III and part of the chapter refused to accept him, the king favouring the candidature of Robert Passelewe. Archbishop Boniface refused to confirm Passelew, so both sides appealed to the pope, the king confiscated the sees properties and revenues, but Innocent IV confirmed Richards election and consecrated him bishop at Lyons in March 1245. Richard then returned to Chichester, but the refused to restore the sees properties for two years, and then did so only after being threatened with excommunication. Henry III forbade anyone to house or feed Richard, at first, Richard lived at Tarring in the house of his friend Simon, the parish priest of Tarring, visited his entire diocese on foot, and cultivated figs in his spare time. Richards private life was supposed to have displayed rigid frugality and temperance, Richard was an ascetic who wore a hair-shirt and refused to eat off silver. He kept his diet simple and rigorously excluded animal flesh, having been a vegetarian since his days at Oxford, Richard was merciless to usurers, corrupt clergy and priests who mumbled the Mass. He was also a stickler for clerical privilege, when the men of Lewes dragged a thief out of sanctuary and hanged him, he made them cut down the corpse and bury it in the sanctuary
