Costa

Costa

Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse chain which is a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company. It is headquartered in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by two Brothers Bruno and Sergio Costa as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. Acquired by Whitbread in 1995, it was sold in 2019 to The Coca-Cola Company in a deal worth £3.9bn, and has grown to 3,401 stores across 31 countries and 18,412 employees. The business has 2,121 UK restaurants, over 6,000 Costa Express vending facilities and a further 1,280 outlets overseas (460 in China).[1][2]

The Coca-Cola Company announced its intention of acquiring Costa Limited from parent company Whitbread PLC for $5.1 billion. The deal, which closed on 3 January 2019, gives the cola giant a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.[3] It is the second largest coffeehouse chain in the world, and the largest in the UK
History
Brothers Bruno and Sergio Costa founded a coffee roastery in Lambeth, London, in 1971, supplying local caterers. The family had moved to England from Parma, Italy, in the 1960s.[6][7] Costa branched out to selling coffee in 1978, when its first store opened in Vauxhall Bridge Road, London.

In 1985, Sergio bought out Bruno's share of the company. Bruno went on to found a tableware company.[8] By 1995, the chain had 41 stores in UK,[9] and was acquired by Whitbread, the UK's largest hotel and coffee shop operator, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary. In 2009, Costa opened its 1,000th store, in Cardiff. In December 2009, Costa Coffee agreed to acquire the Polish chain Coffeeheaven for £36 million, adding 79 stores in central and eastern Europe.[10]

In 2018, Whitbread faced pressure from two of its largest shareholders, activist group Elliott Advisers and hedge fund Sachem Head to sell or demerge Costa Coffee, the theory being the individual businesses would be worth much more than as one company.[11] On 25 April 2018, Whitbread announced its intention to fully demerge Costa within two years.[12] Subsequently, Coca-Cola announced a deal to acquire the chain.[5] On 3 January 2019, The Coca-Cola Company completed the acquisition of Costa Coffee for $4.9 billion from Whitbread.[13]

On 20 November 2019, Costa Coffee announced that Dominic Paul would step down as CEO of the company and be succeeded by Jill McDonald.[14]

Products
Costa sells:

Hot drinks – coffees, teas and hot chocolates
Cold drinks – including Frostino and fruit coolers
Savoury snacks – including sandwiches and breakfast items
Cakes and pastries – including cookies, brownies and croissants
Reusable cups – including limited edition pride cups[15]
Costa Coffee moved its own roastery from Lambeth to Basildon, Essex, in May 2017 with an investment of £38 million, increasing the roasting capacity from 11,000 to 45,000 tons of coffee beans per year.[16]

Costa Coffee employs Gennaro Pelliccia as a coffee taster, who had his tongue insured for £10m with Lloyd's of London in 2009.[17][18]

Operations
Locations
Costa Coffee operates 2,467 outlets in the United Kingdom as of October 2019. Overseas, it operates 1,413 stores in 32 countries.[1] The first Costa store outside the UK opened in the UAE in 1999[19] and, in September 2017, was the first coffee shop worldwide to start delivering coffee via drones to customers sunbathing on Dubai's beaches.[20]

Costa Express
Following Whitbread's £59.5m acquisition of Coffee Nation, a chain of coffee machines, the machines were re-branded as Costa Express.[21] The company plans to expand to target hospitals, universities and transport interchanges.[22] In Denmark, Costa Express machines are located in Shell stations. Costa Express machines were previously available in Shell locations in Canada, but have since been removed.[23] In the UK, grocery store chain SPAR has become a major operator of petrol station stores, most of which have Costa Express machines installed.[24]
Controversy
On 19 August 2019 Costa Coffee attracted media attention due to claims of unfair deductions from the pay of its employees.[26] Reports stated that current and former employees had £200 deducted from their pay for training as well as additional deductions for till discrepancies and running costs.

Claims of unfair deductions were triggered by a Twitter post suggesting that staff at a Costa store were forced to reimburse money lost to scammers who came into the store.

Trying to distance themselves from the controversy, Costa said contracts for franchise stores are managed by partners and that some staff contracts did have "clauses relating to deductions".

On 23 August additional claims appeared in the media that Costa Coffee franchise workers are "not treated like humans".[27]

The report included managers' alleged refusal to pay for sickness or annual leave, working outside of contracted hours and the retention of tips.

It cited an anonymous former employee at a store under Goldex Essex Investments Ltd who claimed they had almost £1,000 of their holiday pay deducted from their salary, despite being contracted to work 48 hours a week.

The report went on to say that baristas and employees at managerial level have complained about the numerous deductions outlined in Costa Coffee contracts written by franchise partners. A former manager is quoted as saying she had £150 deducted from her wages because she was five minutes late opening the store.

Other fines outlined in the contracts were for used uniform that was damaged when returned to the employer, excessive waste and till discrepancies.

In response to this article a Costa Coffee spokesperson said an independent audit has been launched.

دييغو مارادونا

دييغو مارادونا

دييغو أرماندو مارادونا (بالإسبانية: Diego Armando Maradona) (مواليد 30 أكتوبر 1960)، هو لاعب كرة قدم أرجنتيني واللاعب الأكثر إثارة للجدل في تاريخ الكرة ويعتبره الكثيرون أفضل لاعب في تاريخ كرة القدم.

لعب في أربع بطولات كأس العالم، بما في ذلك بطولة المكسيك عام 1986، حيث قاد الأرجنتين بالفوز على ألمانيا الغربية في المباراة النهائية، وفاز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية بوصفه أفضل لاعب في البطولة. في نفس البطولة في جولة الربع النهائي، سجل هدفين في المباراة التي جمعتهم مع منتخب إنجلترا بنتيجة 2-1 وهما الهدفان اللذان دخلا تاريخ كرة القدم، لسببين مختلفين، الأول كان عن طريق لمسه بيده المعروفة باسم "يد الإلـه"، في حين أن الهدف الثاني سجّل من مسافة 60 م (66 ياردة) راوغ بها لاعبي منتخب إنجلترا الستة، تم اختير ذلك الهدف هدف القرن العشرين.

يعتبر مارادونا واحدا من الشخصيات الرياضية المثيرة للجدل وتستحق النشر. تم توقيفه من كرة القدم لمدة 15 شهرا في عام 1991 بعد ثبوت تعاطيه مخدرات الكوكايين، في إيطاليا، وتم ارساله إلى بلاده من كأس العالم 1994 في الولايات المتحدة بعد ثبوت تعاطيه مادة الايفيدرين. بعد تقاعده من اللعب في 37 في عام 1997, اكتسب وزنا زائدا، وعانى من اعتلال صحته، والآثار المترتبة على تعاطي الكوكايين. في عام 2005، ساعدت عملية تدبيس المعدة السيطرة على زيادة وزنه، وتغلب على إدمانه للكوكايين. سلوكياته قد عملت على خلاف مع الصحافيين ومدراء الرياضة. على الرغم من انه كان قليل الخبرة الإدارية، وأصبح مدربا للمنتخب الأرجنتيني في نوفمبر تشرين الثاني 2008، بعقد عمل لمدة ثمانية عشر شهرا، حتى انتهاء عقده بعد كأس العالم 2010.

ولد مارادونا في لانوس، جنوب بوينس آيرس لعائلة فقيرة انتقلت من محافظة كوريينتس. كان أكبر ابن بعد ثلاثة بنات، ولديه أخوان هما هيوغو وإدواردو، وكلاهما كانا لاعبي كرة قدم محترفين أيضاً. في سن العاشرة اكتشفت موهبة مارادونا الكروية عندما كان يلعب مع نادي إستريلا روجا. لعب في المرحلة قبل الاحترافية مع نادي أرجنتينوس جونيورز بين سنتي 1974 و1977، ومن ثم كمحترف في نفس النادي حتى سنة 1981. انتقل بعد ذلك إلى نادي بوكا جونيورز مواصلاً موسم سنة 1981، بالإضافة إلى تحقيقه أول لقب مع الفريق في الموسم التالي سنة 1982.

لعب أول مبارياته مع منتخب الأرجنتين لكرة القدم عندما كان عمره 16 عاماً، ضد منتخب المجر. وعندما أصبح عمره 18 عاماً، مثل بلاده في بطولة العالم لكرة القدم للشباب، حين كان نجم البطولة، وفاز بالبطولة بعد هزيمته منتخب الاتحاد السوفياتي بنتيجة 3 - 1 في النهائي.

شارك مارادونا في أول بطولة لكأس العالم عام 1982. وفي نفس العام انتقل إلى نادي برشلونة الإسباني. في سنة 1983 فاز مارادونا مع نادي برشلونة ببطولة كأس إسبانيا بعد هزيمة ريال مدريد.

لم تعجب إدارة نادي برشلونة الإسباني بمارادونا، فانتقل سنة 1984 إلى نادي نابولي الإيطالي. وكانت تلك الفترة قفزة نوعية إلى نادي نابولي، حيث فاز الفريق بالدوري الإيطالي موسم 1986/87 و 1989/90، وكأس إيطاليا عام 1987، وكأس الاتحاد الأوروبي سنة 1989 وكأس السوبر الإيطالي عام 1990. كما كان الفريق وصيفاً للدوري الإيطالي مرتين، في 1988/89 و 1987/88.

في 17 أغسطس 2015، وفي زيارة له إلى تونس، قام مارادونا بزيارة الحكم التونسي الدولي علي بن ناصر في منزله وقدم له قميصه مع المنتخب الأرجنتيني عليه إمضاؤه وذلك لشكره على الهدف الذي سجله مارادونا بيده في مباراة في ربع النهائي كأس العالم لكرة القدم 1986 والتي اسمها يد الله.

مسيرته الكروية

أرجنتينيوس وبوكا جونيورز

يوم 20 أكتوبر 1976، أدلى مارادونا مشواره مع الاحتراف مع ارجنتينوس جونيورز، وعشرة أيام قبل عيد ميلاده السادس عشر. ولعب هناك بين عامي 1976 و 1981، وسجل 115 هدفا في 167 مباراة قبل انتقاله بمليون جنيه استرليني لبوكا جونيورز. بعد أن انضم في نصف الموسم مع بوكا موسم 1981، لعب مارادونا في بطولة الدوري وتسلم أول ميدالية له في العام 1982. قدم نادي شيفيلد يونايتد الإنكليزي عرضا له في حين كان يلعب لارجنتينوس جونيورز مبلغا وقدره 180،000 جنيه استرليني لخدماته ولكنه رفض العرض.

برشلونة

بعد نهائيات كأس العالم عام 1982، في حزيران، انتقل مارادونا إلى برشلونة في إسبانيا وتم تحطيم الرقم القياسي العالمي في ذلك الوقت ب 5 ملايين جنيه استرليني.وفي عام 1983، وتحت قيادة المدرب سيزار لويس مينوتي فاز برشلونة بكأس ديل ري (مسابقة الكأس الوطنية الإسبانية) بفوزه على ريال مدريد، وكأس السوبر الإسبانية بفوزه على أتلتيك بلباو. ومع ذلك، مارادونا عاش فترة صعبة في برشلونة. الأولى نوبة من التهاب الكبد، ثم بكسر في الكاحل الناجم عن احتكاكه والعرقلة من قبل الإسباني أندوني غويكيوتكسيا لاعب اثليتيك هددت بانهاء مسيرة مارادونا، ولكن بعد العلاج كان من الممكن بالنسبة له أن يعود قريبا لأرض الملعب. في برشلونة، حصلت مع مارادونا نزاعات متكررة مع مديري الفريق، وخصوصا رئيس النادي خوسيه لويس نونيز، وبلغت ذروتها على أن يتم تحويلها خارج كامب نو في عام 1984. وبالفعل تم انتقاله إلى نابولي في الدوري الإيطالي في إيطاليا مع رقم قياسي جديد ب 6.9 مليون جنيه استرليني.

نابولي

في نابولي، وصل مارادونا إلى أوج عطائه الكروي. وسرعان ما أصبح النجم المعشوق بين جماهير النادي، وفي وقته هناك رفع الفريق إلى عصر الأكثر نجاحا في تاريخها. وفاز نابولي بقيادة مارادونا، بالدوري الدرجة الأولى الإيطالي الوحيد للبطولة الإيطالية في عام 1986–87 و1989–90، وحققوا الترتيب الثاني في الدوري مرتين، في 1987–88 و 1988–89. شملت القابا أخرى في عهد مارادونا في نابولي وهو كأس إيطاليا في عام 1987، والمركز الثاني في البطولة نفسها في عام 1989، حاز نابولي على كأس الإتحاد الأوروبي في عام 1989 وكأس السوبر الإيطالي عام 1990. وكان مارادونا هدّافاً للدوري الإيطالي موسم 1987–88.

خلال الفترة التي قضاها في إيطاليا، زادت مشاكل مارادونا الشخصية. وواصل استخدامه الكوكايين، وغرم في الولايات المتحدة ب 70،000$ وواجه فضيحة أخرى في إيطاليا لعلاقته بامرأة وابنا غير شرعي. وكان أيضا هدفا لبعض الشك على مدى صداقته المزعومة مع عصابة مافيا كامورا. وتكريما لمارادونا وإنجازاته خلال مسيرته في نابولي، تم إحالة القميص رقم 10 إلى التقاعد رسميا.

مسيرتة الدولية

كأس العالم 1982

لعب مارادونا أول بطولة في نهائيات كأس العالم 1982. في الجولة الأولى، خسرت الأرجنتين، حاملة اللقب، من المنتخب البلجيكي. على الرغم من أن الفريق فاز فوزا مقنعا على المجر والسلفادور تقدم خلالها إلى الدور الثاني، إلا أنهم هزموا في الجولة الثانية من البرازيل. لعب مارادونا جميع المباريات الخمس من دون أن يتم استبداله وسجل هدفين ضد المجر، ولكن تم طرده في الخمس دقائق المتبقية في المباراة ضد البرازيل بسبب الخشونة المتعمدة.

كأس العالم 1986

قاد مارادونا المنتخب الأرجنتيني الوطني إلى الفوز في كأس العالم 1986 بالفوز في النهائي في المكسيك ضد ألمانيا الغربية بنتيجة 3–2. أكد مارادونا هيمنته وكان اللاعب الأكثر ديناميكية في هذه البطولة. لعب كل دقيقة من كل مباراة الأرجنتين، وسجل 5 أهداف وقدم 5 تمريرات حاسمة.. اشتهرت في تلك البطولة حادثة إحراز مارادونا لهدف بيده في مباراة منتخب الأرجنتين مع منتخب إنجلترا. بالرغم من أن الحكم احتسب الهدف، إلا أن الإعادة التلفزيونية تظهر لمسة اليد الواضحة. وقد لُعِبت هذه المباراة مع خلفية حرب الفوكلاند بين الأرجنتين والمملكة المتحدة والعواطف وكانت لا تزال باقية طوال المباراة بأكملها. اظهرت الاعادة الهدف الأول عن طريق ضرب الكرة بيده. وكان مارادونا مراوغ بحياء، واصفا اياه بأن الهدف كان برأسه وقليلا مع يد الله". أصبح معروفا باسم "يد الله". وفي 22 أغسطس 2005 اعترف مارادونا في برنامج تلفزيوني له انه ضرب الكرة بيده عمدا، وأنه لا يعرف ان الهدف هو غير شرعي. أصبح يعرف باسم الفاشل الدولي في تاريخ كأس العالم. تسبب الهدف، إلى حد كبير إلى غضب اللاعبين الإنجليز.

بعد 25 عاما من هذه الواقعة طالب الحارس الإنجليزي بيتر شيلتون من مارادونا الاعتذار على ما بدر منه ولكنه ابى ان يفعل لانه قال ان هذه كانت هدية من الله ولم افعل شيئا يدعو للاعتذار منه.

كأس العالم 1990

وصل مارادونا مع منتخب بلاده أيضاً في كأس العالم عام 1990 إلى المباراة النهائية، إلا أن فريقه خسر أمام منتخب ألمانيا الغربية بنتيجة 1–0 في المباراة النهائية بضربة جزاء مشكوك بأمرها في الدقيقة 85. وكانت تمريرته في المباراة ضد البرازيل في الدور الثاني لزميله كلاوديو كانيجيا سببا لاقصاء البرازيل المرشحة لاحراز اللقب. اصيب اصابة في الكاحل وأثر على أدائه عموما، وكان مستواه أقل بكثير من البطولة الماضية.

في الدور ربع النهائي، واجهت الأرجنتين يوغوسلافيا، وانتهت المباراة 0–0 بعد 120 دقيقة، لتفوز بها الأرجنتين بضربات الترجيح، على الرغم من أن مارادونا أضاع مرة من تسديدة ضعيفة في وسط المرمى. ومجددا قابلت الأرجنتين الدولة المضيفة المنتخب الإيطالي في نصف النهائي وانتهت المباراة بفوز الأرجنتين بركلات الترجيح بعد التعادل 1–1، هذه المرة، مارادونا كان ناجحا، ووضع بكل جرأة الكرة في نفس المكان الذي اضاع بها ركلة الجزاء في الجولة السابقة. في النهائي، خسرت الأرجنتين 1–0 أمام ألمانيا الغربية، والهدف الوحيد كان من ركلة جزاء عن طريق اندرياس بريمه في الدقيقة 85 اثر خطأ مثير للجدل من المدافع الأرجنتيني ضد المهاجم الألماني رودي فولر.

كأس العالم 1994

في نهائيات كأس العالم 1994 لعب مارادونا مباراتين فقط، وسجل هدفا واحدا ضد اليونان، قبل اعادته إلى بلاده بعد ثبوت تعاطيه منشطات الايفيدرين. في سيرته الذاتية، قال مارادونا ان مدربه الشخصي اعطاه شرابا للطاقة لاعطائه القوة. ادعاءه هو أن المشروب كان من إصدار الولايات المتحدة، بخلاف الشراب الأرجنتيني، والاختلاف في المواد الكيميائية وذلك بعد أن نفد الدواء الأرجنتيني، مدربه اشترى عن غير قصد الشراب الأميركي. تم اقصاء مارادونا من النهائيات وخسرت والأرجنتين في الجولة الثانية. مارادونا قد ادعى أيضا بشكل منفصل ان لديه اتفاق مع الفيفا، ان يتسنى له استخدام دواء لانقاص الوزن قبل المسابقة من أجل أن يكون قادرا على اللعب. وأشار ثبوت تعاطيه العقاقير في نهائيات كأس العالم 1994 في انهاء مسيرته الدولية، التي دامت 17 عاما واسفرت عن 34 هدفا من 91 مباراة.

مسيرته التدريبية

منتخب الأرجنتين

ظل مارادونا يحلم بتدريب المنتخب لمدة طويلة وذكر هذا في عدة برامج، وفي 29 أكتوبر 2008 قرر رئيس الأتحاد الأرجنتينى خوليو غرندونا أن يكون مارادونا مدربا لمنتخب الأرجنتين بدلا من الفيو بازيلي المدرب السابق لمنتخب الأرجنتين الذي استقال من منصبه بعد الخسارة أمام تشيلي في تصفيات مونديال جنوب أفريقيا 2010، وقرر خوليو غرندونا أن يكون سيرجيو تروليو مساعدا لمارادونا. وتحطم الحلم بالخسارة المدوية من المنتخب الألماني برباعية نظيفه أخرجت فريقه من دور الثمانية.

الوصل

تعاقد لتدريب نادى الوصل الإماراتي في 2011 ووصل معه لنهائي الاندية الخليجية وتحقيق المركز الثاني قبل أن يقيله في 2012 وتعيين الفرنسي برونو ميتسو.

الفجيرة

دورادوس سينالوا

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo maɾaˈðona], born 30 October 1960) is an Argentine football manager and retired professional footballer. He is currently the coach of Argentine Primera División club Gimnasia de La Plata.[6] He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. He was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award.[7][8] Maradona's vision, passing, ball control and dribbling skills were combined with his small stature (1.65 m or 5 ft 5 in), which gave him a low center of gravity allowing him to maneuver better than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His presence and leadership on the field had a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname "El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy"), a name that stuck with him throughout his career.[9]

An advanced playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona was the first player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then world record £5 million, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9 million.[10] He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli and Barcelona where he won numerous accolades.

In his international career with Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the 1986 World Cup quarter final, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted "Goal of the Century" by FIFA.com voters in 2002.[11]

Maradona became coach of Argentina in November 2008. He was in charge of the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before leaving at the end of the tournament. He coached Dubai-based club Al Wasl in the UAE Pro-League for the 2011–12 season. In 2017, Maradona became the coach of Fujairah before leaving at the end of the season.[12] In May 2018, Maradona was announced as the new chairman of Belarusian club Dynamo Brest.[13] He arrived in Brest and was presented by the club to start his duties in July.[14] From September 2018 to June 2019, Maradona was coach of Mexican club Dorados

Diego Armando Maradona was born on 30 October 1960, at the Policlínico (Polyclinic) Evita Hospital in Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, but raised in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina,[17] to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco) and Raúl (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players. His parents were Diego Maradona "Chitoro" (d. 2015) and Dalma Salvadora Franco 'Doña Tota' (1930–2011). They were both born and brought up in the town of Esquina in the north-east province of Corrientes Province, living only two hundred metres from each other on the banks of the Corriente River. In 1950, they left Esquina and settled in Buenos Aires. At age eight, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighbourhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games.[18] He named Brazilian playmaker Rivelino and Manchester United winger George Best among his inspirations growing up.[19][20]

Club career

Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors

On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors, 10 days before his 16th birthday,[21] vs. Talleres de Córdoba. He entered to the pitch wearing the number 16 jersey, and became the youngest player in the history of Argentine Primera División. Few minutes after debuting, Maradona kicked the ball through Juan Domingo Cabrera's legs, making a nutmeg that would become legendary.[22] After the game, Maradona said, "That day I felt I had held the sky in my hands."[23] Thirty years later, Cabrera remembered Maradona's debut: "I was on the right side of the field and went to press him, but he didn't give me a chance. He made the nutmeg and when I turned around, he was far away from me".[24] Maradona scored his first goal in the Primera División against Marplatense team San Lorenzo on 14 November 1976, two weeks after turning 16.

Maradona spent five years at Argentinos Juniors, from 1976 to 1981, scoring 115 goals in 167 appearances before his US$ 4 million transfer to Boca Juniors.[26] Maradona received offers to join other clubs, including River Plate who offered to make him the club's best paid player.[27] Nevertheless, Maradona expressed his will to be transferred to Boca Juniors, the team he always wanted to play for.[28]

Maradona signed a contract with Boca Juniors on 20 February 1981. He made his debut two days later against Talleres de Córdoba, scoring twice in the club's 4–1 win. On 10 April, Maradona played his first Superclásico against River Plate at La Bombonera stadium. Boca defeated River 3–0 with Maradona scoring a goal after dribbling past Alberto Tarantini and Fillol.[29] Despite the distrustful relationship between Maradona and Boca Juniors manager, Silvio Marzolini,[30] Boca had a successful season, winning the league title after securing a point against Racing Club.[31] That would be the only title won by Maradona in the Argentine domestic league.[32]

Barcelona

After the 1982 World Cup, in June, Maradona was transferred to Barcelona in Spain for a then world record fee of £5 million ($7.6 million).[34] In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic Bilbao. On 26 June 1983, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid on the road in one of the world's biggest club games, El Clásico, a match where Maradona scored and became the first Barcelona player to be applauded by archrival Real Madrid fans.[35] Maradona dribbled past Madrid goalkeeper Agustín, and as he approached the empty goal, he stopped just as Madrid defender Juan José came sliding in a desperate attempt to block the shot and ended up crashing into the post, before Maradona slotted the ball into the net.[36] The manner of the goal led to many inside the stadium start applauding; only Ronaldinho (in November 2005) and Andrés Iniesta (in November 2015) have since been granted such an ovation as Barcelona players from Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu.[35][37] Due to illness and injury as well as controversial incidents on the field, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.[38] First a bout of hepatitis, then a broken ankle in a La Liga game at the Camp Nou in September 1983 caused by an ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea, threatened to jeopardize Maradona's career, but with treatment and therapy, it was possible for him to return to the pitch after a three-month recovery period

The end of the 1983–84 season included a violent and chaotic fight Maradona was directly involved in at the 1984 Copa del Rey final at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid against Athletic Bilbao.[39] After receiving another rough tackle by Goikoetxea which wounded his leg, being taunted with xenophobic, racist insults related to his father's Native American ancestry throughout the match by Bilbao fans, and being provoked by Bilbao's Miguel Sola at full time as Barcelona lost 1–0, Maradona snapped.[39] He aggressively got up, stood inches from Sola's face and the two exchanged words. This started a chain reaction of emotional reactions from both teams. Using expletives, Sola mimicked a gesture from the crowd towards Maradona by using a xenophobic term.[40] Maradona then headbutted Sola, elbowed another Bilbao player in the face and kneed another player in the head, knocking him out cold.[39] The Bilbao squad surrounded Maradona to exact some retribution with Goikoetxea connecting with a high kick to his chest, before the rest of the Barcelona squad joined in to help Maradona. From this point, Barcelona and Bilbao players brawled on the field with Maradona in the centre of the action, kicking and punching anyone in a Bilbao shirt.[39]

The mass brawl was played out in front of the Spanish King Juan Carlos and an audience of 100,000 fans inside the stadium, and more than half of Spain watching on television.[41] After fans began throwing solid objects on the field at the players, coaches and even photographers, sixty people were injured, with the incident effectively sealing Maradona's transfer out of the club in what was his last game in a Barcelona shirt.[40] One Barcelona executive stated, "When I saw those scenes of Maradona fighting and the chaos that followed I realized we couldn't go any further with him."[41] Maradona got into frequent disputes with FC Barcelona executives, particularly club president Josep Lluís Núñez, culminating with a demand to be transferred out of Camp Nou in 1984. During his two injury-hit seasons at Barcelona, Maradona scored 38 goals in 58 games.[42] Maradona transferred to Napoli in Italy's Serie A for another world record fee, £6.9 million ($10.48M).[10]

Napoli

Maradona arrived in Naples and was presented to the world media as a Napoli player on 5 July 1984, where he was welcomed by 75,000 fans at his presentation at the Stadio San Paolo.[43] Sports writer David Goldblatt commented, "They [the fans] were convinced that the saviour had arrived."[44] A local newspaper stated that despite the lack of a "mayor, houses, schools, buses, employment and sanitation, none of this matters because we have Maradona".[44] Prior to Maradona's arrival, Italian football was dominated by teams from the north and centre of the country, such as A.C. Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan and Roma, and no team in the south of the Italian Peninsula had ever won a league title.[44][45]

At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career: he soon inherited the captain's armband from Napoli veteran defender Giuseppe Bruscolotti[46] and quickly became an adored star among the club's fans; in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history.[44] Maradona played for Napoli at a period when North-South tensions in Italy were at a peak due to a variety of issues, notably the economic differences between the two.[44] Led by Maradona, Napoli won their first ever Serie A Italian Championship in 1986–87.[44] Goldblatt wrote, "The celebrations were tumultuous. A rolling series of impromptu street parties and festivities broke out contagiously across the city in a round-the-clock carnival which ran for over a week. The world was turned upside down. The Neapolitans held mock funerals for Juventus and Milan, burning their coffins, their death notices announcing 'May 1987, the other Italy has been defeated. A new empire is born.'"[44] Murals of Maradona were painted on the city's ancient buildings, and newborn children were named in his honor.[44] The following season, the team's prolific attacking trio, formed by Maradona, Bruno Giordano and Careca, was later dubbed the "Ma-Gi-Ca" (magical) front-line.[47]

Napoli would win their second league title in 1989–90, and finish runners up in the league twice, in 1987–88 and 1988–89.[44] Other honors during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia in 1987, (second place in the Coppa Italia in 1989), the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Italian Supercup in 1990.[44] Despite primarily playing in a creative role as an attacking midfielder, Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A in 1987–88, with 15 goals, and was the all-time leading goalscorer for Napoli, with 115 goals, until his record was broken by Marek Hamšík in 2017.[32][48][49] When asked who was the toughest player he ever faced, A.C. Milan central defender Franco Baresi stated, "Maradona; when he was on form, there was almost no way of stopping him," a view shared by his Milan teammate Paolo Maldini, who stated, "The best ever I played against was Maradona."[50][51]

While Maradona was successful on the field during his time in Italy, his personal problems increased. His cocaine use continued, and he received US$70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of "stress".[52] He faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son, and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra.[53][54][55][56] Later on, in honour of Maradona and his achievements during his career at Napoli, the number 10 jersey of Napoli was officially retired.[57]

Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors

After serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. Despite interest from Real Madrid and Marseille, he signed for Sevilla, where he stayed for one year.[58] In 1993, he played for Newell's Old Boys and in 1995 returned to Boca Juniors for a two-year stint.[21] Maradona also appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a testimonial match for Osvaldo Ardiles against Internazionale, shortly before the 1986 World Cup.[59] Maradona was himself given a testimonial match in November 2001, played between an all-star World XI and the Argentina national team.[60]

International career

During his time with the Argentina national team, Maradona scored 34 goals in 91 appearances. He made his full international debut at age 16, against Hungary, on 27 February 1977. Maradona was left off the Argentine squad for the 1978 World Cup on home soil by coach César Luis Menotti who felt he was too young at age 17.[61] At age 18, Maradona played the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship in Japan and emerged as the star of the tournament, shining in Argentina's 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union. On 2 June 1979, Maradona scored his first senior international goal in a 3–1 win against Scotland at Hampden Park.[62] He went on to play for Argentina in two 1979 Copa América ties during August 1979, a 2–1 loss against Brazil and a 3–0 win over Bolivia in which he scored his side's third goal.[63]

Speaking thirty years later on the impact of Maradona's performances in 1979, FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated, "Everyone has an opinion on Diego Armando Maradona, and that’s been the case since his playing days. My most vivid recollection is of this incredibly gifted kid at the second FIFA U-20 World Cup in Japan in 1979. He left everyone open-mouthed every time he got on the ball."[64] Maradona and his compatriot Lionel Messi are the only players to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA World Cup. Maradona did so in 1979 and 1986, which Messi emulated in 2005 and 2014.[65]

1982 World Cup

Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982 in his new country of residence, Spain. Argentina played Belgium in the opening game of the 1982 Cup at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The Catalan crowd was eager to see their new world-record signing Maradona in action, but he did not perform to expectations,[66] as Argentina, the defending champions, lost 1–0. Although the team convincingly beat both Hungary and El Salvador in Alicante to progress to the second round, there were internal tensions within the team, with the younger, less experienced players at odds with the older, more experienced players. In a team that also included such players as Mario Kempes, Osvaldo Ardiles, Ramón Díaz, Daniel Bertoni, Alberto Tarantini, Ubaldo Fillol and Daniel Passarella, the Argentine side was defeated in the second round by Brazil and by eventual winners Italy. The Italian match is renowned for Maradona being aggressively man-marked by Claudio Gentile, as Italy beat Argentina at the Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona, 2–1.[67]

Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary. He was fouled repeatedly in all five games and particularly in the last one against Brazil at the Sarrià, a game that was blighted by poor officiating and violent fouls. With Argentina already down 3–0 to Brazil, Maradona's temper eventually got the better of him and he was sent off with five minutes remaining for a serious retaliatory foul against Batista.[68]

1986 World Cup

Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, winning the final in Mexico City against West Germany.[69] Throughout the tournament, Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the tournament. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scoring five goals and making five assists, three of those in the opening match against South Korea at the Olimpico Universitario Stadium in Mexico City. His first goal of the tournament came against Italy in the second group game in Puebla.[70] Argentina eliminated Uruguay in the first knockout round in Puebla, setting up a match against England at the Azteca Stadium, also in Mexico City. After scoring two contrasting goals in the 2–1 quarter-final win against England, his legend was cemented. The majesty of his second goal and the notoriety of his first led to the French newspaper L'Equipe describing Maradona as "half-angel, half-devil".[71] This match was played with the background of the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Replays showed that the first goal was scored by striking the ball with his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God".[69] It became known as the "Hand of God". Ultimately, on 22 August 2005, Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he had hit the ball with his hand purposely, and no contact with his head was made, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. This became known as an international fiasco in World Cup history. The goal stood, much to the wrath of the English players

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. She is known for narrative songs about her personal life, which have received widespread media coverage. At age 14, Swift became the youngest artist signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house and, at age 15, she signed her first record deal. Her 2006 eponymous debut album was the longest-charting album of the 2000s in the US. Its third single, "Our Song", made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the pop crossover success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", it became the US's best-selling album of 2009 and was certified diamond in the US. The album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.

Swift was the sole writer of her 2010 album Speak Now, which won two Grammy Awards and was her first to debut with over a million copies sold in the first week in the US. Her fourth album, Red (2012), yielded her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". For her fifth album and first all-pop project, 1989 (2014), she won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and became the first woman to replace herself at number one on the Hot 100, with the singles "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space". Her sixth album, Reputation (2017), made her the only act to have four consecutive albums each sell one million copies in their first week in the US, while yielding her fifth Hot 100 number-one song, with "Look What You Made Me Do". With her seventh album, Lover (2019), she became the first woman in US history to have six albums sell over 500,000 units in their first week.

Having sold more than 50 million albums—including 37 million in the US, Swift is one of the world's best-selling music artists and the highest-earning female musician of the 2010s. She has won 10 Grammy Awards, a Brit Award, an Emmy Award, six Guinness world records and is the most-awarded act at the American Music Awards with 29 wins, and most-awarded woman at the Billboard Music Awards with 23 wins. As a songwriter, Swift has been honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was included in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time list in 2015. She appeared in Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010, 2015 and 2019 and was ranked first in the Forbes Celebrity 100 in 2016 and 2019. She topped IFPI's list of best selling artists of the world in 2014 and 2019. In 2019, Swift placed at number eight on Billboard's list of greatest artists of all time—the highest for an act that debuted in the 21st century—and was named the Woman of the Decade by the magazine and the Artist of the Decade by the American Music Awards.

1989–2003: Early life

Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania.[1] Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, was a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch; her mother, Andrea Gardner Swift (née Finlay), was a homemaker who had worked as a mutual fund marketing executive.[2] Swift, who has said she has Scottish heritage,[3] was named after the singer-songwriter James Taylor.[4] She has a younger brother named Austin Kingsley Swift, who is an actor.[5] Swift spent her early years on a Christmas tree farm, which her father purchased from one of his clients.[6][7] She attended preschool and kindergarten at the Alvernia Montessori School, run by the Bernadine Franciscan sisters,[8] before transferring to The Wyndcroft School.[9] The family moved to a rented house in the suburban town of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania,[10] where she attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School.[11]

At age nine, Swift became interested in musical theater and performed in four Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions.[12] She also traveled regularly to New York City for vocal and acting lessons.[13] Swift later shifted her focus toward country music inspired by Shania Twain's songs, which made her "want to just run around the block four times and daydream about everything."[14] She spent her weekends performing at local festivals and events.[15][16] After watching a documentary about Faith Hill, Swift felt sure she needed to go to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a music career.[17] She traveled with her mother at age eleven to visit Nashville record labels and submitted a demo tape of Dolly Parton and Dixie Chicks karaoke covers.[18] She was rejected, however, because "everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different."[19]

When Swift was about 12 years old, computer repairman and local musician Ronnie Cremer taught her to play guitar. He helped with her first efforts as a songwriter, leading to her writing "Lucky You".[20] In 2003, Swift and her parents started working with New York-based music manager Dan Dymtrow. With his help, Swift modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch as part of their "Rising Stars" campaign, had an original song included on a Maybelline compilation CD, and attended meetings with major record labels.[21] After performing original songs at an RCA Records showcase, Swift was given an artist development deal and began making frequent trips to Nashville with her mother.[22][23]

To help Swift break into country music, her father transferred to Merrill Lynch's Nashville office when she was 14, and the family relocated to a lakefront house in Hendersonville, Tennessee.[6][24] Swift attended Hendersonville High School[25] but after two years transferred to the Aaron Academy, which through homeschooling could accommodate her touring schedule; she graduated a year early.[26]

2004–2008: Career beginnings and Taylor Swift

In Nashville, Swift worked with experienced Music Row songwriters such as Troy Verges, Brett Beavers, Brett James, Mac McAnally, and the Warren Brothers,[27][28] and formed a lasting working relationship with Liz Rose.[29] They began meeting for two-hour writing sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school.[30] Rose thought the sessions were "some of the easiest I've ever done. Basically, I was just her editor. She'd write about what happened in school that day. She had such a clear vision of what she was trying to say. And she'd come in with the most incredible hooks." Swift was signed by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house[31] but left RCA Records when she was 14.[16] She later said: "I genuinely felt that I was running out of time. I wanted to capture these years of my life on an album while they still represented what I was going through.

At an industry showcase at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe in 2005, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a DreamWorks Records executive who was preparing to form an independent record label, Big Machine Records. She had first met Borchetta in 2004.[33] Swift became one of Big Machine's first signings, and her father purchased a three-percent stake in the company for an estimated $120,000.[34][35] She began working on her eponymous debut album shortly after. Swift persuaded Big Machine to hire her demo producer Nathan Chapman, with whom she felt she had the right "chemistry".[16] She wrote three of the album's songs alone, and co-wrote the remaining eight with Rose, Robert Ellis Orrall, Brian Maher, and Angelo Petraglia.[36] Taylor Swift was released on October 24, 2006.[37] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described it as "a small masterpiece of pop-minded country, both wide-eyed and cynical, held together by Ms. Swift's firm, pleading voice."[38] Taylor Swift peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States, spending 157 weeks there—the longest stay on the chart by any release in the U.S. that decade.[39] As of August 2016, the album had sold over 7.75 million copies worldwide.[40]

Big Machine Records was still in its infancy during the June 2006 release of the lead single, "Tim McGraw". Swift and her mother helped "stuff the CD singles into envelopes to send to radio."[41] She spent much of 2006 promoting Taylor Swift with a radio tour, television appearances, and opening for Rascal Flatts on select dates during their 2006 tour[42][43] after they fired their previous opening act, Eric Church, for playing longer than his allotted time. Church jokingly told Swift she should give him her first gold record as thanks for getting fired. She sent him her first gold record with a note that said, "Thanks for playing too long and too loud on the Flatts tour. I sincerely appreciate it. Taylor."[44]

Borchetta said that record industry peers disapproved of his signing a 16-year-old singer-songwriter, but that Swift tapped into a previously unknown market—teenage girls who listen to country music.[6] Following "Tim McGraw", four more singles were released throughout 2007 and 2008: "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Our Song", "Picture to Burn" and "Should've Said No". All were successful on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in the United States, with "Our Song", and "Should've Said No" reaching number one. With "Our Song", Swift became the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the chart.[45] "Teardrops on My Guitar" reached number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in the United States.[46] Swift also released the holiday album Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection in October 2007 and the EP Beautiful Eyes in July 2008.[47][48] She promoted her debut album extensively as the opening act for other artists on their tours.[49]

Swift won accolades for Taylor Swift. She was one of the recipients of the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2007, becoming the youngest person to be honored with the title.[50] She also won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award for Best New Artist,[51] the Academy of Country Music Awards' Top New Female Vocalist,[52] and the American Music Awards' Favorite Country Female Artist honor.[53] She was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.[54] She opened for the Rascal Flatts on their 2008 summer and fall tour.[55] In July of that year, Swift began a romance with singer Joe Jonas that ended three months later.[56][57]

2008–2010: Fearless and acting

Swift's second studio album, Fearless, was released on November 11, 2008.[37] The lead single, "Love Story", was released in September 2008. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100[58] and number one in Australia.[59] Four more singles were released throughout 2008 and 2009: "White Horse", "You Belong with Me", "Fifteen" and "Fearless". "You Belong with Me" was the album's highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number two.[60] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was the top-selling album of 2009 in the United States.[61] Swift's first concert tour, the Fearless Tour, promoted the album;[62] it grossed over $63 million.[63] Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless, a concert film, was aired on television and later released on DVD and Blu-ray.[64] Swift also performed as a supporting act for Keith Urban's Escape Together World Tour.

In 2009, the music video for "You Belong with Me" was named Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.[68] Her acceptance speech was interrupted by rapper Kanye West.[69] The incident was the subject of controversy and widespread media attention, resulting in many Internet memes.[70] James Montgomery of MTV argued the incident and subsequent media attention turned Swift into "a bona-fide mainstream celebrity".[71] That year she won five American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Favorite Country Album.[72] Billboard named her 2009's Artist of the Year.[73] The album ranked number 99 on NPR's 2017 list of the 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women.[74]

At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Fearless was named Album of the Year and Best Country Album, and "White Horse" was named Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Swift was the youngest artist to win Album of the Year.[75] During the ceremony, Swift sang "You Belong with Me" and "Rhiannon" with Stevie Nicks. Her performance received negative reviews and caused a media backlash.[71][76] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times found it "refreshing to see someone so gifted make the occasional flub" and described Swift as "the most important new pop star of the past few years".[77] Swift became the youngest artist to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association.[78] Fearless also won the Association's Album of the Year award.[79]

Swift contributed backing vocals to John Mayer's "Half of My Heart", a single featured on his fourth album, Battle Studies (2009).[80] She co-wrote and recorded "Best Days of Your Life" with Kellie Pickler,[81] and co-wrote two songs for the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack—"You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" and "Crazier".[67] Swift also provided vocals for Boys Like Girls' "Two Is Better Than One".[82] She contributed two songs to the Valentine's Day soundtrack, including the country-pop song "Today Was a Fairytale", which became her first number one on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and her second number-two peaking song in the US. [83][84] While filming her cinematic debut Valentine's Day in October 2009, Swift began a romantic relationship with co-star Taylor Lautner; they broke up later that year.[85][86] The romantic comedy, released in 2010, saw her play the ditzy girlfriend of a high school jock, a role which the Los Angeles Times felt showed Swift had "serious comedic potential".[87] In a scathing review, a critic for Variety deemed her "entirely undirected", arguing "she needs to find a skilled director to tamp her down and channel her obviously abundant energy".[88]

Swift made her TV acting debut in a 2009 episode of CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, playing a rebellious teenager. The New York Times noted the character allowed Swift to be "a little bit naughty, and credibly so".[89] Later that year, Swift both hosted and performed as the musical guest on an episode of Saturday Night Live.[90] Entertainment Weekly described her as "this season's best Saturday Night Live host so far", noting she "was always up for the challenge, seemed to be having fun, and helped the rest of the cast nail the punchlines".[91]

2010–2014: Speak Now and Red

In August 2010, Swift released "Mine", the lead single from her third studio album, Speak Now. It entered the U.S. charts at number three, making Swift the second female artist in the history of the Hot 100 (after Mariah Carey) to debut multiple tracks in the top five in one year; the other was "Today Was a Fairytale" at number two.[92] Swift wrote the album alone and co-produced every track.[93] Speak Now, released on October 25, 2010,[37] was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, and becoming the 16th album to achieve opening week sales of one million copies.[94] It became the fastest-selling digital album by a female artist, with 278,000 downloads in a week, earning Swift an entry in the 2010 Guinness World Records. She earned a second entry after she became the first woman to achieve 10 track debuts on the Billboard Hot 100.[95][96] Three of the album's singles, "Mine", "Back to December", and "Mean", peaked in the top ten in Canada,[84] while in the US, the earlier two along with the title track peaked in the top 10 of the Hot 100 chart. Later in 2010, she briefly dated actor Jake Gyllenhaal.[97]

"Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.[98] Swift performed it during the ceremony. Claire Suddath of Time felt she "delivered her comeback on-key and with a vengeance";[99] Jayme Deerwester of USA Today wrote that the criticism in 2010 seemed to have "made her a better songwriter and live performer".[100] Swift won other awards for Speak Now, including Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association (2010 and 2011),[101][102] Woman of the Year by Billboard (2011),[103] and Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music (2011 and 2012)[104] and the Country Music Association in 2011.[105] At the American Music Awards of 2011, Swift won Artist of the Year and Favorite Country Album.[106] Rolling Stone placed Speak Now at number 45 in its 2012 list of the "50 Best Female Albums of All Time", writing: "She might get played on the country station, but she's one of the few genuine rock stars we've got these days, with a flawless ear for what makes a song click

The Speak Now World Tour ran from February 2011 to March 2012 and grossed over $123 million.[108] In November 2011, Swift released her first live album, Speak Now World Tour: Live.[109] The following month, she contributed two original songs to The Hunger Games soundtrack album: "Safe & Sound", co-written and recorded with the Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett, and "Eyes Open". "Safe & Sound" won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.[110][111] Swift contributed vocals to rapper B.o.B's "Both of Us", released in May 2012.[112] From July to September 2012, Swift dated political heir Conor Kennedy.[113] In August, Swift released "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", the lead single from her fourth studio album, Red. It became her first number one in the U.S. and New Zealand[114][115] and reached the top slot on iTunes' digital song sales chart 50 minutes after its release, earning the Fastest Selling Single in Digital History Guinness World Record.[116] Swift released the album's second single, "Begin Again", in October. It reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[117] Other singles released from the album include "I Knew You Were Trouble", "22", "Everything Has Changed", "The Last Time", and "Red". "I Knew You Were Trouble" was a major commercial success,[118] peaking at number two in the United States.[117]

Red was released on October 22, 2012,[37] incorporating new genres for Swift, such as heartland rock, dubstep and dance-pop. The album was a critical and commercial success,[14] and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 1.21 million copies. This marked the highest opening sales in a decade in the United States, and made Swift the first female to have two million-selling album openings, a record recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.[119][120] The Red Tour ran from March 2013 to June 2014 and grossed over $150 million; the tour broke the ticket sales record in China with all 18,000 tickets sold in 60 seconds.[121][122] Red earned several accolades, including four nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.[123] Its single "I Knew You Were Trouble" won Best Female Video at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.[124] Swift was named Best Female Country Artist at the 2012 American Music Awards and Artist of the Year at the 2013 ceremony.[125][126] She received the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist Award for the fifth and sixth consecutive years in 2012 and 2013.[127] Swift was also honored by the Association with a special Pinnacle Award, making her the second recipient of the accolade after Garth Brooks.[128] During this time, she had a short-term relationship with British singer Harry Styles.[129]

In 2013, Swift co-wrote and co-produced "Sweeter than Fiction" with Jack Antonoff for the One Chance soundtrack, and received a Best Original Song nomination at the 71st Golden Globe Awards.[130] She provided guest vocals for Tim McGraw's song "Highway Don't Care", featuring guitar work by Keith Urban.[131] Swift performed "As Tears Go By" with the Rolling Stones in Chicago, Illinois as part of their 50 & Counting tour,[132] and said that the band was a major influence on her career outlook.[133] She also joined Florida Georgia Line on stage during their set at the 2013 Country Radio Seminar to sing "Cruise".[134] Swift voiced Audrey, a tree lover, in the animated film The Lorax (2012),[135] made a cameo in the sitcom New Girl (2013),[136] and had a supporting role in the film adaptation of The Giver (2014).[137]

2014–2017: 1989

In March 2014, Swift relocated to New York City.[138] Around this time, she was working on her fifth studio album, 1989, with co-writers Antonoff, Max Martin, Shellback, Imogen Heap, Ryan Tedder, and Ali Payami.[139] She promoted the album through various campaigns, including inviting fans to secret album-listening sessions.[140] Credited as her "first documented, official pop album", it marked a departure from her country albums.[141] The album was released on October 27, 2014, to positive reviews.[

1989 sold 1.28 million copies in the U.S. during the first week of its release and debuted atop the Billboard 200. This made Swift the first act to have three albums sell more than one million copies in their opening release week, for which she earned another Guinness World Record.[143][144] As of June 2017, 1989 had sold over 10 million copies worldwide.[145] The lead single, "Shake It Off", was released in August 2014 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[146] The album generated two additional number-one singles—"Blank Space" and "Bad Blood" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)—as well as the top-ten entries "Style" and "Wildest Dreams", and other singles "Out of the Woods" and "New Romantics".[147] "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood" also topped the charts in Australia and Canada.[59][84] After "Blank Space" reached number one in the U.S. following "Shake It Off", Swift became the first woman in the Hot 100's history to "succeed herself at the top spot".[148] The music video for "Blank Space" was briefly the fastest video to reach one billion views on Vevo.[149] The videos for "Blank Space" and "Bad Blood" earned four nominations at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. "Bad Blood" won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration.[150] Swift's headlining tour, the 1989 World Tour, running from May to December 2015, grossed over $250 million, and was highest-grossing tour of the year.[151]

Swift was named Billboard's Woman of the Year in 2014—the first artist to win the award twice.[152] That year she also received the Dick Clark Award for Excellence at the American Music Awards.[153] In 2015, "Shake It Off" was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year; Swift won the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist.[154][155] Swift was one of eight artists to receive a 50th Anniversary Milestone Award at the 2015 Academy of Country Music Awards.[156] In 2016, she won three Grammy Awards for 1989—Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video for "Bad Blood". She became the first woman, and the fifth act, to win the first of these twice.[157]

In March 2015, Swift started dating Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris,[158] and by June, they were ranked as the highest-paid celebrity couple over the past year by Forbes with combined earnings of over $146 million.[159] Before Swift and Harris announced the end of their relationship in June 2016,[160] they co-wrote his song "This Is What You Came For" , featuring Rihanna, for which she was initially credited under the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg.[161] The same month, Swift began dating English actor Tom Hiddleston;[162] the relationship ended several months later. In August, Swift addressed her mother's cancer diagnosis and encouraged others to get a medical checkup.[163] In 2016, Swift's intellectual property rights management and holding company, TAS Rights Management, filed for 73 trademarks related to Swift and the 1989 era memes.[164] That September, she began dating British actor Joe Alwyn.[165][166] In October, Little Big Town released "Better Man", written solely by Swift, for their seventh album, The Breaker.[167] The song earned Swift an award for Song of the Year at the 51st CMA Awards.[168] Two months later, Swift and British singer Zayn Malik released a single together called "I Don't Wanna Live Forever", for the soundtrack of the film Fifty Shades Darker (2017). The song reached number one in Sweden and peaked at number two in the United States.[169][170] At the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, the duo won the award for Best Collaboration for the song's music video.[171]

2017–2019: Reputation

In August 2017, Swift successfully sued David Mueller, a former morning show personality for Denver's KYGO-FM. Four years earlier, Swift had informed Mueller's bosses that he had sexually assaulted her by groping her at an event. After being fired, Mueller accused Swift of lying and sued her for damages from his loss of employment. Shortly after, Swift counter-sued for sexual assault for a dollar.[172] The jury rejected Mueller's claims and ruled in favor of Swift.[173] Swift thereafter cleared her social media accounts[174] and then released "Look What You Made Me Do" as the lead single from her sixth album, Reputation.[175] The song topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.[176][177] Its music video had over 43.2 million views during its first day on YouTube, breaking the site's record for the most-viewed music video in 24 hours.[178] In October, Swift released the album's second single "...Ready for It?",[179] which charted at number three in Australia and at number four in the US

Two promotional singles were released from Reputation, "Gorgeous" and "Call It What You Want". "Gorgeous" later became the album's fifth single, but only in Europe.[181] The album was released in November, and sold 1.21 million copies in the United States becoming 2017's the country's top-selling album (pure sales only). First-week worldwide sales amounted to two million copies.[182] With this achievement, she became the first act to have four albums sell one million copies within one week in the U.S.[183] The album topped the charts in several countries, including the U.S., the UK, Australia, and Canada.[184][185] Later that month, Swift performed "...Ready for It?" and "Call It What You Want" on Saturday Night Live.[186] "End Game", featuring Ed Sheeran and rapper Future, followed in November as the third single and peaked at number 18 in the U.S.[187] Other singles from the album include "New Year's Day", released exclusively to country radio, and "Delicate".[188]

In April 2018, Swift featured on Sugarland's "Babe" from their album Bigger.[a] In support of Reputation, she embarked on her Reputation Stadium Tour from May to November 2018.[190] The tour broke multiple venue attendance and gross earnings records in the US, taking in $266.1 million—selling more than two million tickets. Swift broke her own record for the highest-grossing domestic tour by a woman.[b] Worldwide, the tour grossed $345.7 million,[192] making it the second highest-grossing concert tour of the year.[193] At the American Music Awards of 2018, Swift won Tour of the Year, Artist of the Year, Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock Album for Reputation. With a total of 23 awards, she became the most awarded female winner in AMA history, a record previously held by Whitney Houston.[194]

Reputation was Swift's last album under her 12-year contract with Big Machine Records. In November 2018, she signed a new multi-album deal with Big Machine's distributor Universal Music Group; in the US, her later releases were promoted under the Republic Records imprint. Swift said the contract included a provision for her to maintain ownership of her master recordings. In addition, in the event that Universal sells any part of its stake in Spotify, Spotify agreed to distribute a non-recoupable portion of the proceeds among their artists.[195] In late November, Big Machine Records released a Reputation Stadium Tour playlist for streaming services. The playlist includes every song performed on B-stages during the Reputation Stadium Tour.[196] On December 31, Reputation Stadium Tour, a concert film, was released on Netflix.[197]

2019–present: Lover

In April 2019, Swift released "Me!", featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco as the lead single from her seventh studio album, Lover.[198] The song debuted at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 three days after its release, and jumped to number two the following week—the biggest single-week jump in the chart's history.[199] The music video for "Me!" broke a Vevo record by amassing 65.2 million views within its first day of release.[200] However, the song received mixed reviews and Swift removed a "much-maligned" lyric of the song from the album.[201] In June, she released the second single "You Need to Calm Down", which debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100,[202] marking her 15th top 10 debut, the most among women.[203] In July, she released a promotional single from the album, "The Archer".[204] The title track was released as the third single in August, which became the third consecutive Hot 100 top-10 single from the album.

Lover was released on August 23 to positive reviews,[206] and debuted atop the Billboard 200 with a first-week tally of 867,000 units including 679,000 copies sold, making Swift the first female artist in history to have six albums sell more than 500,000 copies in a single week.[207][208] It also sold more copies than all the other 199 albums on the chart combined that week.[209] All of the album's 18 songs entered the Billboard Hot 100, setting the record for the most simultaneous chart entries for a female artist.[210] At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, the videos for "Me!" and "You Need to Calm Down" received twelve nominations. "Me!" won Best Visual Effects, and "You Need to Calm Down" won Video of the Year—making Swift the second artist and the first female artist to win the award for a video that they co-directed[211]—and Video for Good. Swift was the opening performer at the award ceremony.[212] Lover received three nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Song of the Year for its title track.[213]

In June, Big Machine, Swift's former record label, was purchased by music manager Scooter Braun, including the masters for her first six albums.[214] Swift voiced her displeasure in a Tumblr post, saying she had been trying to buy the masters for years and describing Braun as an "incessant, manipulative bully".[214] In August, Swift announced plans to rerecord the albums in November 2020.[215] In November 2019, Swift said that Braun and Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta blocked her from performing her older songs at the 2019 American Music Awards, where she was to receive the Artist of the Decade award, as well as using older material for her Netflix documentary Miss Americana.[216] Big Machine denied the allegations in general terms in a statement, and accused Swift of owing "million of dollars and multiple assets" to the label.[217][218] In response, Swift's representatives released correspondence showing a Big Machine executive refusing to grant licenses for the documentary, and stated Big Machine owes Swift nearly $8 million in unpaid royalties.[219] On November 18, Big Machine issued a statement that it had "agreed to grant all licenses of their artists' performances to stream post show and for re-broadcast on mutually approved platforms" for the American Music Awards, though it did not mention Swift by name.[220]

In November, Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the original song "Beautiful Ghosts" for the film Cats (2019),[221] which received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.[222] In December, she composed, recorded, and released a Christmas single, "Christmas Tree Farm",[223] and played Bombalurina in the film adaptation of Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.[224] Critics reviewed the film negatively and noted Swift's brief role; David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter stated that Swift "sparkles in her one-song role, descending from a smashed skylight on a theatrical crescent moon, sprinkling catnip".[225] On January 23, Miss Americana premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was released on Netflix on January 31 to positive reviews.[226][227] The documentary includes the song "Only the Young", which Swift wrote after the 2018 United States elections.[228]

In February 2020, Swift signed an exclusive global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, after her sixteen-year old contract with Sony/ATV expired.[229] On February 18, she released a live version of "The Man" titled "The Man (Live from Paris)", recorded at her one-off "City of Lover" concert at L'Olympia in Paris, France on September 9, 2019.[230] On February 27, she released the music video for "The Man".[231] Swift was named the global best-selling artist of 2019 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, becoming the first female artist to win the honor twice, having previously won in 2014.[232] Lover was also the best-selling album by a female artist in 2019.[233]

Artistry

Influences

One of Swift's earliest musical memories is listening to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, sing in church.[2] As a child, she enjoyed Disney film soundtracks: "My parents noticed that, once I had run out of words, I would just make up my own".[234] Swift has said she owes her confidence to her mother, who helped her prepare for class presentations as a child.[235] She also attributes her "fascination with writing and storytelling" to her mother.[236] Swift was drawn to the storytelling aspect of country music,[237] and was introduced to the genre listening to "the great female country artists of the '90s"—Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and the Dixie Chicks.[238][239] Twain, both as a songwriter and performer, was her biggest musical influence.[240] Hill was Swift's childhood role model: "Everything she said, did, wore, I tried to copy it".[241] She admired the Dixie Chicks' defiant attitude and their ability to play their own instruments.[242] The band's "Cowboy Take Me Away" was the first song Swift learned to play on the guitar.[243] Swift also explored the music of older country stars, including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Tammy Wynette.[15] She believes Parton is "an amazing example to every female songwriter out there".[244] Alt-country artists like Ryan Adams,[245] Patty Griffin[246] and Lori McKenna have also inspired Swift

Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers

Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.[1] Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topped the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. He sold over 100 million records worldwide during his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[2]

In the late 1950s, he started his recording career with the Houston based group the Scholars, who first released "The Poor Little Doggie." After some solo releases including 1958's "That Crazy Feeling", Rogers then joint a group with the jazz singer Bobby Doyle and later became a member of the folk ensemble the New Christy Minstrels in 1966, playing double bass and bass guitar as well as singing.[3] In 1967, he and several members of the New Christy Minstrels left to found the group the First Edition, with whom he scored his first major hit, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", a psychedelic rock song which peaked at number five on the Billboard charts. As Rogers took an increased leadership role in the First Edition, and following the success of 1969's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", the band gradually changed styles to a more country feel. The band broke up in 1975–1976, and Kenny Rogers embarked on a long and successful solo career, which included several successful collaborations, including duets with singers Dolly Parton and Sheena Easton, and a songwriting partnership with Lionel Richie. His signature song, 1978's "The Gambler", was a cross-over hit that won him a Grammy Award in 1980 and was selected in 2018 for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. He would develop the Gambler persona into a character for a successful series of television films starting with 1980's Emmy-nominated Kenny Rogers as The Gambler.[3]

Rogers' albums The Gambler and Kenny were featured in the About.com poll of "The 200 Most Influential Country Albums Ever".[4] He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.[5] He received numerous awards such as the AMAs, Grammys, ACMs and CMAs, as well as a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades in 2003.[6] Later success included the 2006 album release, Water & Bridges, an across the board hit, that hit the Top 5 in the Billboard Country Albums sales charts, also charting in the Top 15 of the Billboard 200. The first single from the album, "I Can't Unlove You", was also a sizable chart hit. Remaining a popular entertainer around the world, he continued to tour regularly until his retirement in 2017.[3]

Rogers also had a number of acting roles in movies and television shows, most notably the title roles in Kenny Rogers as The Gambler and the MacShayne series for The NBC Mystery Movie, and the 1982 feature film Six Pack.[7][8] He was a co-founder of the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters in collaboration with former Kentucky Fried Chicken CEO John Y. Brown Jr. Although the stores closed in the United States, they are still a fixture in Asia.

Early life

Rogers was born the fourth of eight children on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas. His parents were Lucille Lois (née Hester; 1910–1991), a nurse's assistant, and Edward Floyd Rogers (1904–1975), a carpenter. Rogers was said to be of Irish and Native American ancestry.[9] Rogers attended Wharton Elementary School.[10] Kenny graduated from Jefferson Davis High School (now Northside High School) in 1956.

Career

Early career

In a recording career dating back to the 1950s, Rogers moved from teenage rock and roll through psychedelic rock to become a country-pop crossover artist of the 1970s and 1980s. He had a minor solo hit in 1957 called "That Crazy Feeling".[3][11][12] After sales slowed down, Rogers joined a jazz group called the Bobby Doyle Three, who got a lot of work in clubs thanks to a reasonable fan following. The group recorded for Columbia Records. They disbanded in 1965, and a 1966 jazzy rock single Rogers recorded for Mercury Records, called "Here's That Rainy Day", failed. Rogers also worked as a producer, writer and session musician for other performers, including country artists Mickey Gilley and Eddy Arnold. In 1966, he joined the New Christy Minstrels as a singer and double bass player.[citation needed]

Feeling that the Minstrels were not offering the success they wanted, Rogers and fellow members Mike Settle, Terry Williams, and Thelma Camacho left the group.[3] They formed the First Edition in 1967 (later renamed "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition"). They were later joined by Kin Vassy. They chalked up a string of hits on both the pop and country charts, including "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (Rogers doing lead vocals and bass—and famously used in the dream sequence of the Coen brothers' The Big Lebowski), "But You Know I Love You", "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", "Tell It All, Brother", "Reuben James", and "Something's Burning".[3][11]

When the First Edition disbanded in 1976, Rogers launched his solo career.[3][13] He soon developed a more middle-of-the-road sound that sold to both pop and country audiences. He has charted more than 60 top 40 hit singles (including two number ones—"Lady" and "Islands in the Stream"). His music has also been featured in top-selling movie soundtracks, such as Convoy, Urban Cowboy, and The Big Lebowski.

After leaving the First Edition in 1976, after almost a decade with the group, Rogers signed a solo deal with United Artists.[3] Producer Larry Butler and Rogers began a partnership that would last four years.[16]

Rogers first outing for his new label was Love Lifted Me. The album charted and two singles, "Love Lifted Me" and "While the Feeling's Good", were minor hits.[3] The song "Runaway Girl" was featured in the film Trackdown (1976).[17] Later in 1976, Rogers issued his second album, the self-titled Kenny Rogers, whose first single, "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)", was another solo hit.[citation needed]

The single "Lucille" (1977) was a major hit, reaching number one on the pop charts in 12 countries, selling over five million copies, and firmly establishing Rogers' post-First Edition career.[18] On the strength of "Lucille", the album Kenny Rogers reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album Chart.[citation needed] More success was to follow, including the multi-platinum selling album The Gambler and another international Number 1 single, "Coward of the County", taken from the equally successful album, Kenny.[18] In 1980, the Rogers/Butler partnership came to an end, though they would occasionally reunite: in 1987 on the album I Prefer the Moonlight and again in 1993 on the album If Only My Heart Had a Voice.[3]

In the late 1970s, Rogers teamed up with close friend and Country Music legend Dottie West for a series of albums and duets. Together the duo won two gold records (one of which later went platinum), two CMA Awards, an ACM nomination, two Grammy nominations and 1 Music City News Award for their two hit albums Every Time Two Fools Collide (No. 1) and Classics (No. 3), selling out stadiums and arenas while on tour for several years, as well as appearing on several network television specials which showcased them. Their hits together "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (No. 1), "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight" (No. 2), "What Are We Doin' in Love" (No. 1), "All I Ever Need Is You" (No. 1) and "Till I Can Make It On My Own" (No. 3) all became Country standards. Of West, Rogers stated in a 1995 TNN interview: "She, more than anybody else I ever worked with, sang with such emotion that you actually believed what she sang. A lot of people sing words, Dottie West sang emotions." In a 1978 press release for their album "Every Time Two Fools Collide", Rogers credited West with further establishing and cementing his career with Country Music audiences. In the same release, West credited him with taking her career to new audiences. Rogers was with West only hours before she died at age 58 after sustaining injuries in a 1991 car accident, as discussed in his 2012 biography "Luck Or Something Like It". In 1995 he starred as himself, alongside Michele Lee as West, in the CBS biographical film Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story.

In 1980, a selection he recorded as a duet with Kim Carnes, "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer", became a major hit.[19] Earlier that year, he sang a duet of "You and Me" with Lynda Carter in her television music special Lynda Carter Special (Rogers originally recorded this with Dottie West for the Every Time Two Fools Collide album). Later in 1980 came his partnership with Lionel Richie who wrote and produced Rogers' No. 1 hit "Lady".[1] Richie went on to produce Rogers's 1981 album Share Your Love, a chart topper and commercial favorite featuring hits such as "I Don't Need You" (Pop No. 3), "Through the Years" (Pop No. 13), and "Share Your Love with Me" (Pop No. 14). His first Christmas album was also released that same year. In 1982, Rogers released the album Love Will Turn You Around. The album's the title track reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hit 100 and topped the country and AC charts. It was the theme song of Rogers' 1982 film Six Pack. Shortly afterwards, he started working with producer David Foster in 1983 recording the smash Top 10 hit Bob Seger cover "We've Got Tonight", a duet with Sheena Easton. Also a number 1 single on the Country charts in the United States, it reached the Top 30 on the British charts.[3]

In 1981, Rogers bought the old ABC Dunhill building and built one of the most popular and state-of-the-art recording studios in Los Angeles. The song "We Are the World" was recorded there and at A & M Records.[20]

Rogers went on to work with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees who produced his 1983 hit album Eyes That See in the Dark, featuring the title track and yet another No. 1 hit "Islands in the Stream", a duet with Dolly Parton. Gibb, along with his brothers, Robin and Maurice, originally wrote the song for Marvin Gaye in an R&B style, only later to change it for the Kenny Rogers album.[21] The partnership with Gibb only lasted one album, which was not surprising considering that Rogers' original intention was to work with Gibb on only one song. Gibb insisted on doing the entire album together.[3]

"Islands in the Stream", Rogers' duet with Dolly Parton, was the first single to be released from Eyes That See in the Dark in the United States, and it quickly went to No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 (it would prove to be the last country single to reach No. 1 on that chart until "Amazed" by Lonestar did so in 2000), as well as topping Billboard's country and adult contemporary singles charts; it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping two million copies in the United States. Rogers would reunite with Parton in 1984 for a holiday album, "Once Upon a Christmas" and TV special "Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember" (which resulted in a popular video of "Christmas Without You"), as well as a 1985 duet "Real Love", which also topped the U.S. country singles chart. The two would continue to collaborate on occasional projects through subsequent years, including a 2013 duet single "You Can't Make Old Friends".[3]

Despite the success of "Islands in the Stream", however, RCA Records insisted on releasing Eyes' title track as the first UK single, and the song stalled at a disappointing No. 61 there, although it did stay in the top 100 for several weeks. (When it was eventually released in the United States, it was more successful, charting high on the Adult Contemporary chart and making the country top 30.) "Islands in the Stream" was issued as a follow-up single in Britain and sold well, making No. 7. The album itself reached No. 1 on the country charts on both sides of the Atlantic and enjoyed multi-million sales. "Buried Treasure", "This Woman" and "Evening Star"/"Midsummer Nights" were also all successful singles from the album.

Shortly after came the album What About Me?, a hit whose title track—a trio performance with James Ingram and Kim Carnes- was nominated for a Grammy Award; the single "Crazy" (not to be confused with the Willie Nelson-penned Patsy Cline hit) topped the country charts. David Foster was to work again with Rogers in his 1985 album The Heart of the Matter, although this time Foster was playing backing music rather than producing, a role given to George Martin. This album was another success, going to No. 1, with the title track making to the top ten category in the singles charts.

The next few years saw Rogers scoring several top country hits on a regular basis, including "Twenty Years Ago", "Morning Desire", "Tomb of the Unknown Love", among others. On January 28, 1985, Rogers was one of the 45 artists who recorded the worldwide charity song "We Are the World" to support hunger victims in Africa. The following year he played at Giants Stadium.[22]

In 1988, Rogers won a Grammy Award for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" with Ronnie Milsap—"Make No Mistake, She's Mine". In the 1990s, Rogers continued to chart with singles such as "The Factory" and "Crazy In Love", another selection that Kim Carnes provided him with, "If You Want To Find Love", and "The Greatest". His second Christmas album, titled Christmas in America, was released in 1989 for Reprise Records. From 1991–94, Rogers hosted The Real West on A&E, and on The History Channel since 1995 (Reruns only on The History Channel). He visited Miller's during this time period. From 1992–95, Rogers co-owned and headlined Branson, Missouri's 4,000 seat Grand Palace Theatre. In 1994, Rogers released his "dream" album titled Timepiece on Atlantic Records. It consisted of 1930s/1940s jazz standards, the type of music he had performed in his early days with the Bobby Doyle Three in Houston.[23]

In 1996, Rogers released an album Vote For Love where the public requested their favorite love songs and Rogers performed the songs. (Several of his own hits were in the final version.) The album was the first for the TV shopping channel QVC's record label, onQ Music. The album, sold exclusively by QVC, was a huge success and was later issued in stores under a variety of different titles. It reached No. 1 in the UK country charts under the title Love Songs (a title also used for various compilations) and also crossed over into the mainstream charts.

In 1999, Rogers scored with the single "The Greatest", a song about life from a child's point of view (looked at through a baseball game)[18] The song reached the top 40 of Billboard's Country singles chart and was a Country Music Television Number One video. It was on Rogers' album She Rides Wild Horses the following year (itself a top 10 success).[3] In 1999, Rogers also produced a song, "We've Got It All", specifically for the series finale of the ABC show Home Improvement. Not found on any album, the recording sells for a high sum at auction

2000–2015

In the 21st century (and at age 61), Rogers was back at No. 1 for the first time in more than a decade with the 2000 single "Buy Me a Rose".[1] In doing so, he broke a 26-year-old record held by Hank Snow (who, in April 1974, was aged 59 when he scored with "Hello Love"). Rogers held the record until 2003, when then 70-year-old Willie Nelson became the oldest artist to have a No. 1 on the country charts with his duet with Toby Keith, "Beer for My Horses".

Although Rogers did not record new albums for a couple of years, he continued to have success in many countries with more greatest hits packages. In 2004 42 Ultimate Hits, which was the first hits collection to span his days with the First Edition to the present, reached Number 6 on the American country charts and went gold. It also featured two new songs, "My World Is Over" with Whitney Duncan and "We Are the Same". "My World Is Over" was released as a single and was a minor hit. In 2005 The Very Best of Kenny Rogers, a double album, sold well in Europe. It was the first new solo Kenny Rogers hits album to reach the United Kingdom for over a decade, despite many compilations there that were not true hits packages.

Rogers also signed with Capitol Records and had more success with the TV advertised release 21 Number Ones in January 2006. Although this CD did contain 21 chart-toppers as the title claims (recorded between 1976 and the present day), this was not a complete collection of Rogers' No. 1 singles, omitting such singles as "Crazy in Love" and "What About Me?"

Capitol followed 21 Number Ones with Rogers' new studio album, Water & Bridges, in March 2006 on the Capitol Nashville Records label. The first single from the album was "I Can't Unlove You", which peaked at No. 17 on the country charts, after spending over 6 months on the hit list, more than 50 years after he formed his first group and 38 years after his first major hit as leader of the First Edition; the song remains in recurrent airplay on some radio stations today. "I Can't Unlove You" was followed up with the second single from the album, "The Last Ten Years (Superman)", in September 2006. The third single, "Calling Me", which features Don Henley, became popular in early 2007, and was nominated for a Grammy Award at the 2007 Grammy Awards. Also in 2007, the 1977 Kenny Rogers album was re-issued as a double CD, also featuring the 1979 Kenny album and this once again put Rogers' name into the sales charts worldwide. The following year, another compilation album (A Love Song Collection) also charted.[3]

On August 26, 2008, Rogers released 50 Years[24] exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores. The album includes some of Rogers' greatest hits, plus 3 new songs. The release is designed to celebrate Rogers' 50th year in the music business. In 2007 the England national rugby union team adopted Rogers song "The Gambler" as their unofficial 2007 Rugby World Cup anthem,[25] after hearing prop Matt Stevens playing it in the team hotel. Before the semi-final against France and the final against South Africa, Rogers sent video messages of support to the team in light of them choosing his song. He offered to come to England and party with the team if they won the World Cup.[citation needed]

In 2008, Rogers toured with his Christmas Show. He split the show up, making the first half his "best of" and the second half his Christmas songs.[26] In 2009 he toured the United Kingdom. In 2009, Rogers embarked on his 50th Anniversary Tour. The tour went around the United States, Britain and Ireland.[citation needed]

On April 10, 2010, a TV special was taped, Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years. Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie were among those set to perform with Rogers during a show celebrating his contribution to country, blues and pop music, It took place at the MGM Grand in Foxwoods. This special debuted on March 8, 2011 on Great American Country.[citation needed]

On June 10, 2012, Rogers appeared on stage with the musical group Phish to perform his hit song "The Gambler" at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Also in 2012, Rogers re-recorded the hit song "Lady", a duet with its songwriter Lionel Richie, on Richie's album Tuskegee. The pair also performed the song live at the 2012 ACM concert, "Lionel Richie & Friends".[citation needed]

On April 10, 2013, the CMA announced that Rogers would be a 2013 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Cowboy Jack Clement and Bobby Bare.[1] In June 2013, he performed at the Glastonbury Festival in the Sunday afternoon 'Legends' slot.[27]

In 2013, Rogers recorded a new album with the name You Can't Make Old Friends. This album included the title track, a new duet with Dolly Parton, which was his first single released in six years.[3]

Rogers recorded 65 albums and sold over 165 million records.[28][29]

Retirement

In 2015, Rogers announced his farewell tour, titled The Gambler's Last Deal. He stated his intention to retire from touring at its completion, although he was considering the possibility of recording another studio album.[30] In announcing the tour, Rogers indicated at the time that his final tour appearance would be on NBC's Today show.[31] Concert dates were scheduled through 2018 and included visits to the United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, England, The Netherlands and Switzerland.[32] On April 5, 2018, it was announced that Rogers canceled his remaining tour as advised by doctors due to a series of health challenges.[33]

Rogers' final concert in Nashville took place on October 25, 2017, at the Bridgestone Arena where he was joined by an array of guest artists including Linda Davis, Elle King, Little Big Town, Lionel Richie, Billy Currington, Lee Greenwood, the Flaming Lips, the Oak Ridge Boys, Justin Moore, Travis Tritt, the Judds, Kris Kristofferson, Alison Krauss, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Idina Menzel, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire and Jamey Johnson. The concert also included a special appearance by long-time friend Dolly Parton, who performed "You Can't Make Old Friends" and "Islands in the Stream" with Rogers for the final time.[34][35]

Bloodline

Although Rogers used many session musicians to play instruments on his recordings, he was backed on tours by the group Bloodline since 1976. The group originally started as a three-piece.[3] In The Journey (a 2006 documentary about his career) Rogers said he did not understand singers that changed their touring band every year, and that he sticks with Bloodline as they already "know the songs". Members of Bloodline have included Steve Glassmeyer, Chuck Jacobs, Randy Dorman, Gene Golden, Bobby Daniels, Rick Harper, Edgar Struble, Warren Hartman, Gene Sisk, Brian Franklin, Mike Zimmerman and Amber Randall.[36]

Acting and other ventures

Rogers also had success as an actor. His 1982 movie Six Pack, in which he played a race-car driver, took in more than $20 million at the United States box office, while made-for-TV movies such as The Gambler series, Christmas in America, and Coward of the County (based on hit songs of his) topped ratings lists. He also served as host and narrator for the A&E historical series The Real West.[citation needed]

Rogers says that photography was once his obsession, before it morphed into a passion. He has authored the photo books Kenny Rogers' America (1986) and Your Friends and Mine (1987).[37]

As an entrepreneur, he collaborated with former Kentucky Fried Chicken CEO John Y. Brown Jr. in 1991 to start up the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. The chicken and ribs chain, which is similar to Boston Market, was famously featured in an episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld called "The Chicken Roaster". On the November 27, 1997, broadcast of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Rogers could not pick his chicken out in a taste test, claiming he preferred "greasy burgers".[citation needed] Season four of the TV series Fresh Off the Boat depicts the chain as owning a share of Louis Huang's Cattleman's Ranch restaurant and then filing for bankruptcy. Rogers is shown from the back but played by Jeff Pomerantz in the episode "Let Me Go, Bro".[38]

Rogers and his restaurant were subjects of comedy from MADtv, especially the impersonation done by Will Sasso; the sketch of the faux-Rogers hosting Jackass became popular on the Internet.[citation needed]

Rogers put his name to the Gambler Chassis Co., a Sprint car racing manufacturer started by C. K. Spurlock in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The company used the name from Rogers' hit song The Gambler. During the 1980s and 1990s, Gambler was one of the fastest and widely used Sprintcars with such drivers as Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Doug Wolfgang driving the cars to victory in the World of Outlaws and the famous Knoxville Nationals. Gambler sprintcars were also successful in Australia with drivers such as Garry Rush and Steve Brazier using Gamblers to win multiple Australian Sprintcar Championships. Rush also used a Gambler chassis to win the UNOFFICIAL 1987 World Sprintcar Championship at the Claremont Speedway in Perth, Western Australia.

Rogers appeared in a 2004 episode of Reno 911! as himself being subjected to incompetent security provided by starstruck sheriff's deputies to comical effect.[citation needed]

In October 2012, Rogers released a book Luck or Something Like it: A Memoir about his ups and downs in his musical career.[39] With Mike Blakely, he has written a novel, What Are the Chances, that was released September 1, 2013.[citation needed]

In 2014, Rogers appeared as himself in a GEICO commercial, singing part of his song "The Gambler" a cappella while acting as the dealer in a card game.[40]

Personal life

At a former estate in Colbert, Georgia, Rogers kept a pet goat named Smitty, having originally acquired the animal from a friend in 2008. According to Rogers, the goat was "(his) center", providing a calming influence after long and stressful touring schedules.[41]

Marriages

Kenny Rogers was married five times and had five children. His first marriage was to Janice Gordon on May 15, 1958; they divorced in April 1960 with one child, Carole Lynne.[42] Rogers married his second wife Jean in October 1960 and divorced her in 1963. Rogers's third marriage was to Margo Anderson in October 1964; they divorced in 1976 with one child.[43] Rogers married his fourth wife Marianne Gordon on October 1, 1977, and they divorced in 1993 with one child.[43] Rogers's fifth marriage was to Wanda Miller on June 1, 1997. The couple had twin sons together and were married for twenty-two years until his death.[44]

Death

On March 20, 2020, Rogers died under hospice care at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a representative for the singer said in a statement.[45][46] Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the family is planning a small private service with a public memorial planned for a later date.

ميار الببلاوي

ميار الببلاوي

ميار الببلاوي (24 ديسمبر 1972 -)، ممثلة مصرية.

عن حياتها

درست بكلية الآداب قسم الدراسات اليونانية، بدأت كفتاة اعلانات ثم انتقلت إلى السينما والتلفزيون والمسرح عملت بشكل مكثف في التليفزيون خاصة المسلسلات العربية، كما عملت في أفلام الفيديو، ارتدت الحجاب، وتعمل في برامج المسابقات الدينية، وقد شاركت بعدد ليس بقليل من الأعمال في السعودية مما جعلها تجيد اللهجة السعودية.

أعمالها

من الأفلام

زوجتي والذئب.

صراع الحسناوات.

إنذار بالطاعة.

ديسكو ديسكو.

يا تحب يا تقب.

دماء على الثوب الأبيض.

من المسلسلات

أبوحنيفة النعمان.

بريق في السحاب.

أجنحة الشمس.

الناصر صلاح الدين.. نسر الشرق.

رد قلبي.

سور مجرى العيون

سعد وخواته

الدنيا حظوظ (مسلسل سعودي)

من المسرحيات

عالم قطط.

ليلة فل.

بلاش كده.