Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer widely regarded as the one of the greatest players of the modern generation. He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has won FIFA world player of the year four times (a record already). He has often been described as Diego Maradona’s successor because of his prolific goal scoring record and ability to dribble past opponents.

“I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius and he can become an even better player.”

His potential is limitless and I think he’s got everything it takes to become Argentina’s greatest player.”

– Diego Maradona

Short Biography Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was born, 24 June 1987, in Rosario, Argentina to a working class family. His father was a factory steel worker, and his mother a cleaner.

He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth, and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone.

Local club, River Plate were interested in signing Messi, but didn’t want to pay for his medical treatment. However, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and coach Carles Rexach was impressed – offering Messi a contract (written on paper napkin!) which included paying for Messi’s treatment in Spain. Messi moved to Barcelona with his father and became part of the prestigious FC Barcelona youth academy.

“I made a lot of sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream. That’s why I didn’t go out partying, or do a lot of other things.”

– Lionel Messi

Messi progressed through the ranks and was given his first appearance in the 2004/05 season becoming the youngest player to score a league goal. In 2006, Messi was part of the double winning team which won both La Liga (Spanish League) and Champions League . By next season, (2006-07) aged just 20, Messi was the first choice striker and a key part of the Barcelona team – scoring 14 goals in 26 league games.

In the 2009-10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo’s record total for Barcelona. As the seasons have progressed, Messi kept improving and breaking his own records. In the calender year of 2012, he broke the all time world record for most goals scored in a calender year. His final total of goals in 2012 was 91 – beating the previous record of 85 by German Gerd Muller, and Pele’s milestone of 75 in 1958.

More and source: http://www.biographyonline.net/sport/football/lionel-messi.html

Madonna

Madonna (16 August, 1958 – ) is an American singer, actress, dancer and movie star. She has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making her the best selling female artist of all time. She has had a profound influence on pop culture often courting controversy for upsetting religious and moral sensibilities.

Short Bio of Madonna

Madonna, born Louis Cicconi, on 16 August 1958, was brought up in Rochester Hills Michigan. Her mother died, from breast cancer, when she was only five; she was brought up by her grandparents. She was raised a Roman Catholic, though from an early age she displayed a rebellious streak. In 1978, she dropped out of college and moved to New York, with barely the clothes she was standing in. She got a job as a waitress at Dunking Donuts, and in her spare time learnt modern dance. She temporarily joined a rock band ‘ The Breakfast Club’ but tried to make a solo career and gaining the favourable impression with Sire Records, she was given a recording contract.

In 1982 she released her first single ‘Everybody‘ and in 1983, she launched her first album ‘Madonna‘ It sold very well, but it was her next album ‘Like a Virgin‘ which made her into an international superstar. The album sold over 12 million copies, helped by the hit single ‘Like a Virgin‘ which stayed at number one for 6 weeks.

As well as being a successful music recording artist, Madonna was very influential in influencing fashion and attitudes to life. Her trademark looks included fish net stockings, a Christian cross, bleached hair and Capri skirts.

Throughout her career, Madonna has courted controversy for her mix of sexuality and religious imagery. Her attitudes sparked criticism from the Vatican and the Vatican discouraged people from attending her concerts because of the eroticism. Madonna, generally, remained unapologetic and continued to perform her routines.

“A lot of people are just really confused by me; they don’t know what to think of me, so they try to compartmentalize me or diminish me. Maybe they just feel unsafe. But any time you have an overtly emotional or irrational, negative reaction to something, you’re fearing something that it’s bringing up in you.”

– Madonna

After forming her own company – Madonna, produced a book titled ‘Sex’. It featured nude photography and was quite controversial, especially in US; but it sold over half a million copies.

She has launched several business enterprises, such as fashion lines – Material Girl (1980s) and  ‘Truth or Dare by Madonna'(2011)

She has acted in a couple of films, without much commercial success – though her appearance in Evita about Eva Peron, the famous Argentinian wife of the President received good reviews.

She has now produced over 10 albums and remains a very influential artist still capable of hitting the top of the album charts. According to Billboard magazine, she is second only to the Beatles in terms of all-time best selling artist.

Her early Catholic roots influenced her music and videos, but, in the early 1990s she embraced Kabbalah a Jewish mystical sect. In 2004, she adopted the Kabbalah name ‘Esther’ which in Persian means star. Talking about the meaning of Kabbalah, 

More and source: http://www.biographyonline.net/music/madonna.html

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and recording artist. Michael Jackson epitomised the era of pop in the 70s, 80s and 90s, earning himself the title the King of Pop. He remained a global icon until his untimely death in 2009.

Michael Jackson began his music career alongside his fellow brothers and family members in the Jackson Five. His career began in 1964, aged only six. The group, led by Jackson’s father, worked hard touring many clubs and bars performing their mix of Motown hits. They gained the attention of record labels and in 1968 signed with Motown records. It was the youngest, baby faced Jackson, that really caught the eye of reviewers. Rolling Stone magazine wrote that Michael was a ‘prodigy’ with ‘overwhelming musical gifts’. Michael stood out for his exceptional enthusiasm and soft, infectious musical voice. The group produced four number one hit singles, including “I Want You Back“, ABC and “the Lover You Save”

Despite achieving his goal to be a music performer, Michael’s childhood was far from happy. He was regularly beaten and threatened by his authoritarian father. This legacy of abuse left Michael scarred throughout his adult life.

Solo Career Michael Jackson

By the late 1970s, Michael was increasingly looking to pursue a solo career. With the help of music producer, Quincy Jones, Michael produced the solo album ‘Off The Wall‘. The album was a great success, eventually selling over 20 million copies. The album gained much critical acclaim and Michael secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry (37% of album profit)

His second solo album, Thriller, launched Michael Jackson into a position as the most famous pop singer in the world. With little commercial advertising and promotion, Thriller rose to number one on album sales and remained at the number one spot for a total of 37 weeks. It gained one of many Guinness World Records for Michael Jackson, gaining 110 million global sales and 29 million sales in the US. Thriller included number one hits such as Beat It, Billie Jean.

In March 1983, Michael Jackson performed live on Motown 25, ‘Yesterday, today, forever’, -a TV special. He performed his distinctive and memorable dance move – the Moonwalk. In the dance routine, he effortlessly moves backwards with seemingly keeping one leg perfectly straight. His performance made him a global icon of not just music, but dance. Michael Jackson pioneered the importance of music video in promoting a pop artist. This performance has been put in the same category as the Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

His next big albums were Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991). His final album was Invincible(2001).

By the late 80s, there was an increasing number of stories speculating on Jackson’s personal life, health and physical appearance. Michael Jackson underwent numerous operations of plastic surgery to fix his nose and add a dimple in his chin. During the 1980s, his skin started to lighten; this was due to a rare skin pigment disease, but it didn’t stop a wave of speculative press stories that he was bleaching his skin colour. The press covered a range of speculative stories over Michael Jackson, including imaginary stories Michael had invented himself (such as sleeping in an oxygen tent to avoid ageing process)

More and source: http://www.biographyonline.net/music/michael-jackson.html

Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Hitchcock was an English / American film director who pioneered cinematic developments in the production of several classic films, especially of the thriller genre. Hitchcock is considered one of the greatest and most influential film producers of the Twentieth Century. Some of his most famous films include: 39 Steps (1935), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo(1958), and Psycho (1960)

“In the documentary the basic material has been created by God, whereas in the fiction film the director is a God; he must create life.”

– Alfred Hitchcock – as quoted in Hitchcock (1984)

Early life of Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock was born 13 August, 1899 in Leytonstone, Essex, England where he studied at the Roman Catholic Salesian College and later St Ignatius College. His childhood was not particularly happy. He suffered from obesity, a result of a glandular condition and his parents were strict and somewhat remote. When he was just five, his father sent him to a police station with a note that he should be locked up for 5 minutes. This left him with a life-long fear of authority and the police in particular. During his childhood, the young Alfred would often spend time by himself, inventing games and spending time drawing maps.

Aged 15, he left college to study at the London County Council school of Engineering and Navigation; this qualified him to be a draftsmen. He gained his first job with a Telegraph company, but it was around this time he developed a burgeoning interest in the cinema, which was a recent innovation. In the evening, he watched many films and studied the cinema trade newspapers

Towards the end of the First World War, he attempted to join the army, but was rejected because of his weight, though he did later manage to sign up for a brief time as a cadet in the Royal Engineers.

First steps in film direction

After the war, he began writing short stories, which were published in his companies in-house magazine. Hitchcock also developed an interest in photography and the new art of film production. He gained employment in 1920 as a title card designer for a company which would later be known as Paramount Pictures. He progressed through the company and within five years was producing silent films. He later said silent films were the ‘purest form of cinema’

In the mid 1920s, he travelled to Germany where he picked up many of the emerging ‘expressionist’ techniques used in modern film making. After a few difficult early films, he gained his first commercial and critical success with The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog(1927)

By 1929, he had produced 10 films, and his 10th film ‘Blackmail’ was a significant moment because it was one of the first ‘talkers’ – films with an audio track.

Success in the 1930s

By the mid 1930s, Hitchcock was establishing his reputation as one of the leading film producers in Britain. Several films proved a great success, such as 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1936) andThe Lady Vanishes (1938). Hitchcock proved a master at creating tension and a fast moving plot line; he didn’t tie down the audience in detail, but created scenes of dramatic tension. Hitchcock pioneered the use of famous backdrops, either famous landmarks in a city, or the wilderness of the Scottish moors 39 Steps(1935). Later in his career, he used many famous landmarks such as Mt Rushmore (North by Northwest (1959)) and the Statue of Liberty – Saboteur. (1942)

Move to America

Hitchcock’s critical success in England, led him to being approached by David Selznick from Hollywood. In 1939, the Hitchcock family moved to California, where he began working on a new film. His first film Rebecca (1940) received an Oscar for Best Picture. Hitchcock was not particularly enamoured of America, but he did enjoy the greater resources enjoyed by American studios, it was an improvement on the small budgets of the English film producers.

Towards the end of the Second World War (1943), he returned to England, where he produced two films in French, for the Free French forces. In 1945, he also served as film editor for a documentary about the concentration camps liberated by the British forces (Bergen-Belsen). However, the images were so shocking, it was later shelved until being published in 1985 (Memory of the Camps); it was also re-released in 2014.

After the war, Hitchcock returned to America, where he resumed his long and successful American film career. In particular, he enjoyed developing his talents in creating psychologically intriguing films.

More and source: http://www.biographyonline.net/actors/alfred-hitchcock.html

Sting

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (born October 2, 1951), better known as Sting, is an English singer and musician. He first became famous as a member of the band, The Police.

Sting was born in Newcastle, England in 1951 where he attended St. Cuthbert’s Catholic High School. His father was a milkman in an area dominated by the ship building industry. From an early age, Sting displayed an aptitude and love for music, in particular the bass guitar. He sought to pursue a career in music, and took part in a variety of local gigs and gained some employment on cruises.

His early groups included a mixture of jazz and rock groups such as “Last Exit”

He received his name Sting from a black and gold striped rugby sweater he used to often wear when performing in a Dixieland jazz band, in which people said he looked like a bee.

His big break through came with the rock band Police. In 1978, he moved to London where, with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, they formed a group ‘The Police’. They went onto sell many best-selling albums and won six Grammy awards. The song ‘Every Breath You Take’ from their last album ‘Synchronicity’ is one of the most played songs on the radio of all time.

In 1985, he released his first solo ‘The Dream of the Blue Turtles’. This led on to a very successful solo career. The group Police have only sporadically re-united to play charity gigs and the odd tour (2007).

Sting has experimented with a variety of music from classical to rock and jazz. To Sting music doesn’t have to fit into neat boundaries.

More and source: http://www.biographyonline.net/music/sting.html

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel (19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971)

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

– Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel was a leading French modernist designer, whose patterns of simplicity and style revolutionised women’s clothing. She was the only designer to be listed in the Time 100 most influential people of the Twentieth Century. In the 1960s, a Broadway musical was made about her life starring Katharine Hepburn

It was in the 1920s, that Coco Chanel left a lasting mark on Women’s fashion and design. Up until the First World War, women’s clothing had been quite restrictive and tended to involve full length skirts which were impractical for many activities. Coco Chanel helped create women’s clothing that was simpler and more practical. She also introduced trousers and suits for women – something which had not been done before.

“Fashion has become a joke. The designers have forgotten that there are women inside the dresses. Most women dress for men and want to be admired. But they must also be able to move, to get into a car without bursting their seams! Clothes must have a natural shape.“

– Coco Chanel

She also created her famous Chanel No.5 scent and this has been a lasting trademark.

Most sources suggest she was born in 1883, though this was a closely guarded fact – with Coco not keen on revealing her birth date.

Orphaned from an early age, she worked with her sister in a milliner in Deauville. Later, she opened a shop in 1912 and after a spell of nursing during the first world war founded a couture house in the Rue Cambon in Paris.

More and source: http://www.biographyonline.net/artists/coco-chanel.html

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde is one of the most iconic figures from late Victorian society. Enjoying a meteoric rise to the top of society, his wit, humour and intelligence shine through his plays and writings. For his sexuality he suffered the indignity and shame of imprisonment. For a long time his name was synonymous with scandal and intrigue. However with changing social attitudes he is remembered with great affection for his biting social criticism, wit and linguistic skills.

“To get back my youth I would do anything  in the world, except take exercise, get up early or be respectable.”

– Oscar Wilde

As Stephen Fry wrote of Oscar Wilde.

“What of Wilde the man? He stood for Art. He stood for nothing less all his life.. He is still enormously underestimated as an artist and a thinker.. Wilde was a great writer and a great man.”

Short biography Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was born on 16th October 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. His parents were well known and attracted a degree of gossip for their extravagant lifestyles. In 1964, his father Wille Wilde was knighted for his services to medicine. However his pride in receiving this honour was overshadowed by an allegation of rape by one of his patients. Although never proved, it cast a shadow over William Wilde.

Oscar Wilde proved to be a student of great talent. He was awarded a scholarship to Trinity College Dublin. Here he studied the classics, in particular developing an interest in the Greek philosophers and the Hellenistic view of life. From Trinity College he won a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford University. He enjoyed his time in Oxford and was able to develop his poetic sensibilities and love of literature. He also became more conscious of his bisexual nature. For his increasing “feminine” dress he often received stick from more “traditional” Oxford students. He was a brilliant scholar, but also increasingly rebellious. In one academic year he got rusticated for turning up to College three weeks after the start of term. Thus, after a while he lost interest in pursuing an academic career in Oxford and moved to London. It was in London that he was able to skilfully enter into high society, soon becoming well known as a playwright and noted wit. Oscar Wilde became famous throughout London society. He was one of the early “celebrities” – in some respects he was famous for being famous. His dress was a target for satire in the cartoons, but Wilde didn’t seem to mind. In fact he learnt the art of self-publicity and seemed to revel in it, at least up until his trial in 1898.

Oscar Wilde’s trial gripped the nation, the subject matter a source of intense gossip and speculation. For his “crime” of homosexual acts, Wilde was subject to two years hard labour in Wandsworth and then Reading Gaol. It is no understatement to say this experience deeply shocked and affected the previously ebullient Wilde. In some respects he never really recovered; on his release, he left for Paris where he lived in comparative anonymity. However he retained his wit and continued to write, heavily influenced by his chastening experiences. Of these post gaol writings, his poem “Ballad of Reading Gaol” is perhaps the most well known, illustrating a new dimension to Wilde’s writing.

I never saw a man who looked
With such a wistful eye
Upon that little tent of blue
Which prisoners call the sky,
And at every drifting cloud that went
With sails of silver by.

I walked, with other souls in pain,
Within another ring,
And was wondering if the man had done
A great or little thing,
When a voice behind me whispered low,
“That fellow’s got to swing.”

From: Ballad of Reading Gaol

Although Wilde couldn’t return to his previous level of writing  he developed new capacities, whilst retaining his sharp intellect. As Jonathon Fryer commented on Oscar Wilde’s final part of life he was.

More and source: http://www.biographyonline.net/poets/oscar_wilde.html