1.
Los Angeles
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Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L. A. is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. With a census-estimated 2015 population of 3,971,883, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States. The citys inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos, historically home to the Chumash and Tongva, Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with the rest of what would become Alta California. The city was founded on September 4,1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence, in 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4,1850, the discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city. The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, delivering water from Eastern California, nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, and sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles also has an economy in culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine. A global city, it has been ranked 6th in the Global Cities Index, the city is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. The Los Angeles combined statistical area has a gross metropolitan product of $831 billion, making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas. The city has hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984 and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and thus become the second city after London to have hosted the Games three times. The Los Angeles area also hosted the 1994 FIFA mens World Cup final match as well as the 1999 FIFA womens World Cup final match, the mens event was watched on television by over 700 million people worldwide. The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva, a Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ, meaning poison oak place. Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2,1769, in 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area. The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary, two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry. The settlement remained a small town for decades, but by 1820. Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street. New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, during Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta Californias regional capital
2.
Orlando, Florida
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Orlando is a city in the U. S. state of Florida and the county seat of Orange County. Located in Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 4,000,002, according to U. S. As of 2015, Orlando had an estimated population of 270,934, making it the 73rd-largest city in the United States, the fourth-largest city in Florida. The City of Orlando is nicknamed The City Beautiful, and its symbol is the fountain at Lake Eola, Orlando is also known as The Theme Park Capital of the World and in 2014 its tourist attractions and events drew more than 62 million visitors. The Orlando International Airport is the thirteenth-busiest airport in the United States, with the exception of Walt Disney World, most major attractions are located along International Drive. The city is one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions. Orlando is home to the University of Central Florida, which is the largest university campus in the United States in terms of enrollment as of 2015, in 2010, Orlando was listed as a Gamma− level of world-city in the World Cities Study Groups inventory. Orlando ranks as the fourth-most popular American city based on where people want to live according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study. Fort Gatlin, as the Orlando area was known, was established at what is now just south of the city limits by the 4th U. S. Artillery under the command of Ltc, alexander C. W. Fanning on November 9,1838 during the construction of a series of fortified encampments across Florida during the Second Seminole War. The fort and surrounding area were named for Dr. John S. Gatlin, king Phillip and Coacoochee frequented this area and the tree was alleged to be the place where the previous 1835 ambush that had killed over 100 soldiers had been planned. When the U. S. military abandoned the fort in 1839 the surrounding community was built up by settlers, prior to being known by its current name, Orlando was once known as Jernigan. Aarron Jernigan became Orange Countys first State Representative in 1845 but his pleas for military protection went unanswered. Fort Gatlin was briefly reoccupied by the military for a few weeks during October and November 1849, a historical marker indicates that by 1850 the Jernigan homestead served as the nucleus of a village named Jernigan. One of the countys first records, a grand jurys report, mentions a stockade where it states homesteaders were driven from their homes, Aaron Jernigan led a local volunteer militia during 1852. Jernigan appears on an 1855 map of Florida and by 1856 the area had become the county seat of Orange County and it is known for certain that the area was renamed Orlando in 1857. The move is believed to be sparked, in part, by Aaron Jernigans fall from grace after he was relieved of his command by military officials in 1856. His behavior was so notorious that Secretary of War Jefferson Davis wrote, in 1859, Jernigan and his sons were accused of committing a murder at the towns post office
3.
Keith Richards
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Keith Richards is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, best-selling memoirist and founding member of the rock band the Rolling Stones. The magazine of the same name credited Richards for rocks greatest single body of riffs on guitar, fourteen songs that Richards wrote with the Rolling Stones lead vocalist Mick Jagger are listed among Rolling Stone magazines 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The Stones are generally known for their guitar interplay of rhythm, in spite of this, Richards plays the only guitar tracks on some of their most famous songs including Paint It Black, Ruby Tuesday, Sympathy for the Devil, Gimme Shelter, and Angie. Richards was born 18 December 1943 at Livingston Hospital, in Dartford, Kent and he is the only child of Doris M. L. and Herbert W. Richards. His father was a worker who was injured in World War II during the Normandy invasion. His great-grandfathers family originated from Wales and his maternal grandfather, Augustus Theodore Gus Dupree, who toured Britain with a jazz big band, Gus Dupree and his Boys, fostered Richards interest in guitar. Richards has said that it was Dupree who gave him his first guitar and his grandfather teased the young Richards with a guitar that was on a shelf that Richards couldnt reach at the time. Finally Dupree told Richards, that if Richards could reach the guitar then he could have it, Richards then devised all manner of ways of reaching the guitar, putting books and cushions on a chair and finally got the guitar and his grandfather let him have it. His grandfather taught him the rudiments of Richards first tune, Malagueña and he worked on the number like mad and then his grandfather let him keep the guitar. He called it the prize of the century, Richards played at home, listening to recordings by Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and others. His father, on the hand, disparaged his sons musical enthusiasm. One of Richards first guitar heroes was Scotty Moore, Richards attended Wentworth Primary School with Mick Jagger and was his neighbour until 1954, when the family moved. From 1955 to 1959 he attended Dartford Technical High School for Boys, recruited by Dartford Techs choirmaster, R. W. Jake Clare, Richards sang in a trio of boy sopranos at, among other occasions, Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II. In 1959 Richards was expelled from Dartford Tech for truancy and transferred to Sidcup Art College, at Sidcup he was diverted from his studies proper and devoted more time to playing guitar with other students in the boys room. At this point Richards had learned most of Chuck Berrys solos, Richards met Jagger on a train as Jagger was heading for classes at the London School of Economics. The mail-order rhythm & blues albums from Chess Records by Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters that Jagger was carrying revealed a mutual interest, along with mutual friend Dick Taylor, Jagger was singing in an amateur band, Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys, which Richards soon joined. The Blues Boys folded when Brian Jones, after sharing thoughts on their joint interest in the music, invited Mick and Keith to the Bricklayers Arms pub. By mid-1962 Richards had left Sidcup Art College to devote himself to music and moved into a London flat with Jagger and his parents divorced about the same time, resulting in his staying close to his mother and remaining estranged from his father until 1982
4.
Simon Cowell
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Simon Phillip Cowell is an English reality television judge and producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Cowell is the founder and chief executive of the British entertainment company Syco. As a judge, Cowell often makes blunt and controversial comments, including insults and wisecracks about contestants and he combines activities in both the television and music industries. Cowell has produced and promoted singles and albums for various singers that he has taken under his wing and he was most recently featured on the tenth series of Britains Got Talent and the thirteenth series of UKs The X Factor. In 2004 and 2010, Time named Cowell one of the 100 most influential people in the world, in 2008 The Daily Telegraph ranked him sixth in their list of the 100 most powerful people in British culture. Simon Phillip Cowell was born on 7 October 1959 in Lambeth, London and his mother, Julie Brett, was a ballet dancer and socialite, and his father, Eric Selig Phillip Cowell, Sr. was an estate agent developer and music industry executive. Cowells father was from a mostly Jewish family, though he did not discuss his background with his children, Cowells mother was from a Christian background, and was of English descent. He has a brother, Nicholas Cowell, three half-brothers, John, Tony, and Michael Cowell, and a half-sister, June Cowell. Cowell attended Radlett Preparatory School and the independent Dover College as did his brother and he passed English Language and Literature, and then attended Windsor Technical College where he gained another GCE in Sociology. However, after failing to get a promotion, he left to try out other jobs before returning to EMI, in the early 1980s, he left EMI to form E&S Music with his former boss at EMI, but quit in 1983. He then formed Fanfare Records with Iain Burton, initially selling exercise videos and he had his first hit song in 1986 with So Macho by Sinitta, success also came through Stock Aitken Waterman who produced a number of hits in the 1980s. However, in 1989, the company went under and Simon Cowell nearly became bankrupt, Simon Cowell then found a job with BMG as an A&R consultant, and set up S Records under BMG. He restarted his career in the business by creating novelty records with acts such as the puppets Zig and Zag, Power Rangers. The recording by the duo, now named Robson & Jerome, quickly reached number 1 in the UK and it became the best selling single of 1995, and their self-titled album released later in the year also became the best-selling album of 1995. They would release an album and 2 more singles before quitting, selling 7 million albums and 5 million singles in total. According to Cowell, they made him his first million, later acts he signed included Five, Westlife and Teletubbies. He also became a judge on the first season of American Idol in 2002, with his notoriously critical reputation, Cowell is likened to TV personalities such as Judith Sheindlin, and Anne Robinson of her show. Cowells prominence grew, fed by his phrase, I dont mean to be rude
5.
Gordon Ramsay
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Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality. Born in Scotland, Ramsay grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and his restaurants have been awarded 16 Michelin stars in total. His signature restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, London, has held 3 Michelin stars since 2001, as a reality television personality, Ramsay is known for his fiery temper, strict demeanour, and use of expletives. He often makes blunt and controversial comments, including insults and wisecracks about contestants and he combines activities in the television, film, hospitality, and food industries and has promoted and hired various chefs who have apprenticed under his wing. In 2015, Forbes listed his earnings at $60 million for the previous 12 months, Ramsay was born on 8 November 1966 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire. From the age of five, he was raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Ramsay is the second of four children. He has a sister, Diane, a younger brother, Ronnie, who Ramsay revealed had been imprisoned for heroin possession as a juvenile. Ramsays father, Gordon James Senior, was – at various times – a swimming pool manager, a welder, and a shopkeeper, his sister Yvonne and their mother, Helen, have been nurses. Ramsay has described his life as hopelessly itinerant, and his family moved constantly due to the aspirations and failures of his father. In 1976, they settled in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he grew up in the Bishopton area of the town. In his autobiography, Humble Pie, he describes his life as being marked by abuse. At the age of 16, Ramsay moved out of the family home, Ramsay played football and was first chosen to play under-14 football at age 12. He was chosen to play for Warwickshire and his footballing career was marked by injuries, causing him to remark later in life, Perhaps I was doomed when it came to football. In mid-1984, Ramsay had a trial with Rangers, the club he supported as a boy and he seriously injured his knee, smashing the cartilage during training. Ramsay continued to train and play on the knee, tearing a cruciate ligament during a squash game. Ramsay has claimed to have played two first team games for Rangers, according to his autobiography Ramsay played a couple of non-league matches as a trialist for Rangers and was signed by the club at the age of 15. Allan Cairns, the photographer who took the picture in September 1985, said the photo was not one of Rangers first team, a Rangers spokesman said, Ramsay was a trialist in that testimonial game. He trained with us for a few months after that but then got injured, after weighing his options, Ramsay enrolled at North Oxfordshire Technical College, sponsored by the Rotarians, to study hotel management
6.
Big Brother (U.S. TV series)
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Big Brother is a television reality game show based on an originally Dutch TV series of the same name created by producer John de Mol in 1997. The series follows a group of contestants, known as HouseGuests, the HouseGuests are completely isolated from the outside world, and can have no communication with those not in the house. The contestants are competing for a $500,000 grand prize, the series takes its name from the character in George Orwells novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The series launched on July 5,2000 to a start, though ratings. This led to the season being a revamp of the show. The series has continued to be a hit for CBS. The program is the first reality show to air exclusively on a streaming platform with a season airing in the fall of 2016 on CBSs streaming service. CBS also renewed the series for a 19th and 20th season, the 19th series is scheduled to premiere on June 28th 2017, while the 20th series is expected to air in the summer of 2018. The series was bought by CBS in early 2000 for an estimated $20 million, the United States version of the series officially premiered on July 5,2000 when the original ten housemates entered the house. Since its inception, the show has been hosted by television personality Julie Chen and it is produced by Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan for Fly on the Wall Entertainment and Endemol Shine North America. The success of the series has spawned several spin-offs, the series airs once a year, during the Summer, with the exception of the ninth season which aired in Spring of 2008 and the Over the Top spinoff series broadcasting since Fall 2016. Currently,18 seasons of the show have aired, with the 1st digital season currently under way, the show has aired a total of 545 episodes since it premiered, with the September 5,2013 airing marking the 500th episode. To date, there have been a total of 253 HouseGuests compete in the series, upon entering the house, the HouseGuests who leave the house without permission are not allowed to return. Should a HouseGuest break the set in the house, they can be expelled from the house. To date, there have been a total of four HouseGuests expelled from the due to acts of violence and/or rule-breaking. There have only been two HouseGuests who have left the game for reasons relating to personal matters. Since its premiere, there have been numerous spin-offs to the show, in 2004, the spin-off web series House Calls, The Big Brother Talk Show began airing. The series, which lasted for thirty minutes and aired on weeknights, allowed fans to call in and this made House Calls the first live Internet talk show produced exclusively for a television network
7.
Big Brother 1 (U.S.)
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Big Brother 1 was the debut season of the American reality television series Big Brother. It was based upon the Netherlands series of the same name, the series premiered on July 5,2000 and lasted for a total of 88 days. The season concluded after 88 days with Eddie McGee being crowned the winner, the premise of the series drastically differed from future installments of the series. The series revolved around ten strangers living in a house together with no communication with the outside world and they were constantly filmed during their time in the house, and were not permitted to communicate with those filming them. Every other week, each contestant, referred to as HouseGuests, the two or more people with the most votes were nominated to leave the house. The viewers then decide which of the nominees should leave, with the person leaving during a live show. This process continued until only three HouseGuests remained, at time the viewers would decide which of them would win the $500,000 grand prize. The series first launched in Netherlands, with editions in countries such as Germany proving to be hits with the public. Following the international success of the series, a war for the rights to series engaged between CBS, ABC, and a cable network, with the series initially set to last 100 days. Mark Itkin, the vice president of William Morris, was quoted as saying. But the show has so many elements, from being on 100 days in a row to an Internet component that is attractive to networks. Ultimately, it was confirmed that the show had been picked up by CBS for an estimated $20 million and it was later reported that production costs added to an estimated $200,000 per episode. Paul Romer, co-creator of the series, served as the Executive Producer for the series. On the concept, Romer stated The show is all about human interactions and its people who are, loving each other, hating each other. They fight, they cry, they laugh -- all emotions, the series was one of the first reality shows to air, and required a crew of over 150 people. The first season of Big Brother featured two hosts, Julie Chen as the main host and Ian OMalley as a co-host, on earning the job, OMalley stated I didn’t really know what it was. This is the floor of reality television. SAG went on strike a very lengthy and very painful strike for many folks, OMalley was later released from his contract after only one month on the series, he was bought out of his contract, which he later cited as a relief
8.
Big Brother 3 (U.S.)
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Big Brother 3 was the third season of the American reality television series Big Brother. It is based upon the Netherlands series of the same name, the series premiered on CBS on July 10,2002 and lasted for a total of 82 days. The series concluded on September 25,2002 when Lisa Donahue was crowned the winner, the premise of the series remained similar to the previous season. The series revolved around twelve strangers living in a house together with no communication with the outside world and they were constantly filmed during their time in the house, and were not permitted to communicate with those filming them. One HouseGuest, known as the Head of Household, had the task of nominating two of their fellow HouseGuests for eviction, the Power of Veto could be used to safe a nominee. The HouseGuests then voted to evict one of the nominees, with the HouseGuest who received the most votes being evicted from the house, when only two HouseGuests remained, the previously evicted HouseGuests would decide which of them would win the $500,000 grand prize. The third season was announced in early 2002, along with plans for a celebrity edition of the series. Shapiro later called the series intriguing, commenting I could say. Allison Grodner also returned as the producer to the series. It was revealed before the premiere that numerous changes to the series would occur before its premiere and it was confirmed in May that the series would premiere on July 10. The season aired on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays on CBS, once they go in, we dont touch em. How they behave is entirely up to them and this was the second season that required viewers to pay for the live feeds, which were $9.95 per month following a free two week trial, the feeds were yet again available through RealPlayer. The feeds launched following the episode, with the first few days in the house not being aired. Along with the series, CBS announced a fantasy game in which players would make a team of HouseGuests. On April 25, Julie Chen confirmed that she would return as host for the series, casting for the season began in April 2002. Due to controversies surrounding the season, this round of applications involved more in depth questions about previous arrests or legal troubles. Thom Bierdz, a cast member of the soap opera The Young and the Restless and Rob Cesternino, the twelve competing HouseGuests were set to be revealed on July 5, five days before the series premiered. Despite this, Entertainment Weekly leaked the cast the day prior, the HouseGuests entered the house on July 6
9.
Guns N' Roses
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Guns N Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1985. The lineup, when first signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. The current lineup consists of Rose, Slash, McKagan, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese, guitarist Richard Fortus, the success of the debut was followed by the eight-song album G N R Lies which reached number two on the Billboard 200. The cover album The Spaghetti Incident. was the bands last studio album to feature Slash and it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 but undersold industry expectations, despite mostly positive critical reception. Former members Slash and McKagan both rejoined the band in 2016, embarking on the Not in This Lifetime, Guns N Roses has been credited with reviving the mainstream popularity of rock n roll, at a time when popular music was dominated by dance music and glam metal. The bands classic lineup, along with later members Reed and drummer Matt Sorum, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, in 1984, Hollywood Rose member Izzy Stradlin was living with L. A. Guns needed a new vocalist, Stradlin suggested Hollywood Rose singer Axl Rose, Guns N Roses was formed in March 1985 by Rose and rhythm guitarist Stradlin, along with lead guitarist Tracii Guns, bassist Ole Beich, and drummer Rob Gardner of L. A. Guns. The band coined its name by combining the names of both previous groups, rejected names for the band included Heads of Amazon and AIDS. After a short time, during which the band played two or three shows, Beich was fired and replaced by Duff McKagan. Tracii Guns left the band after an argument with Rose leading to his replacement by Rose and Stradlins one-time Hollywood Rose bandmate, Gardner quit soon after and was replaced by another former Hollywood Rose member, Steven Adler. Slash had also played with McKagan and Adler in Road Crew. In June 1985, four days after the lineup was finalized, through the bands increasing presence on the Hollywood club scene – playing famed bars such as The Troubadour and The Roxy – Guns N Roses drew the attention of major record labels. The group was signed by Geffen Records in March 1986, receiving a $75,000 advance. In December of that year, the released the four-song EP Live. *@ Like a Suicide. The EP contained covers of Rose Tattoos Nice Boys and Aerosmiths Mama Kin, although billed as a live recording, the four songs were taken from the bands demo tapes and overdubbed with crowd noise. Live. *@ Like a Suicide was released on the Geffen subsidiary Uzi Suicide, Guns N Roses debut album Appetite for Destruction was released July 21,1987. The band stated the artwork was a symbolic social statement. The revised cover was done by Andy Engell, based on a design by tattoo artist Bill White Jr. who had designed the artwork for a tattoo Rose had acquired the previous year, the artwork featured each of the five band members skulls layered on a cross
10.
Big Brother 2 (U.S.)
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Big Brother 2 was the second season of the American reality television series Big Brother. It is based upon the Netherlands series of the same name, the series premiered on CBS on July 5,2001 and lasted for a total of 82 days. The season concluded on September 20,2001 with Dr. Will Kirby being crowned the winner, the premise of the series drastically differed from the previous installment of the series. The series revolved around twelve strangers living in a house together with no communication with the outside world and they were constantly filmed during their time in the house, and were not permitted to communicate with those filming them. One HouseGuest, known as the Head of Household, had the task of nominating two of their fellow HouseGuests for eviction, the HouseGuests then voted to evict one of the nominees, with the HouseGuest who received the most votes being evicted from the house. When only two HouseGuests remained, the previously evicted HouseGuests would decide which of them would win the $500,000 grand prize. Despite the negative response to the first season, rumors began circulating in September 2000 that the series would be renewed. Les Moonves later stated that the possibility of a season was very possible. We feel there’s great potential there, in February 2001, it was confirmed that there would be a second season, and that casting would begin soon. Paul Romer, who was involved in the first season. It was reported that CBS blamed the casting for the failure of the initial season, with the confirmation of a second season, it was revealed that the series would undergo serious changes before the premiere. Before work on the season began, numerous changes were made in terms of the production team, CBS later stated they hoped to get Arnold Shapiro to produce the series, and were eventually successful in doing so. Allison Grodner was yet another addition to the series this year, the season was originally planned to air five nights a week, though this was later dropped to three nights a week. The show was set to air on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights at 8 p. m. Eastern time, the live show, in which one of the HouseGuests was evicted from the house, was scheduled to air on Thursday nights. Chuck Riley became the narrator for season, however, played a smaller role in the show than in the previous season. Initially, it was revealed that the HouseGuests would vote to one another. This was later scrapped, and it was decided that the HouseGuests would choose the winner, like the previous installment, Big Brother 2 featured the live feed streaming, in which viewers could watch live inside the house at any time. This was the first season to charge for the feeds to be used
