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gluttons-for-punishment · 6 months ago

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MY LIFE WITH QUEEN

One day in 1974 I was reading the paper and it said that "the Queen" was going to be on Top Of The Pops. Obviously this was a bit of typical puerile stupidity on their part. The Queen wasn't appearing on Top Of The Pops.

Queen were.

And they did. Seven Seas Of Rhye was their first hit, and I quite liked it partly because of the fun outro. Music had joy in it, back in the day.

The likes of Slade and Wizzard and Gary Glitter didn't take it all too seriously. They were all regulars on TOTP and it was a lot of fun.

Queen were on again a little while later with their follow-up, Killer Queen. Everyone liked that. Their lead singer was weird, exotic, almost Oriental-looking with big white teeth. He fitted into the now jaded Glam Rock aesthetic but with an edge, and more class than all the others.

I was listening to the radio the following year and I heard this strange record going "Mama Mia! Mama Mia!" and I thought what the fuck? That ain't Abba!

Then I heard the whole thing, Bohemian Rhapsody in its entirety, all five minutes and fifty-five seconds of it, and I was hooked for life. Queen were like a breath of fresh air, a sparkling gem amid all the Osmonds / Bay City Rollers / David Essex dross that was stinking up the airwaves. I set about investigating their back catalogue.

Someone taped their latest album A Night At The Opera for me. My mate Bernie had Sheer Heart Attack, so I got a copy of that too. Once I'd saved up enough pocket money I went out and bought Queen II. From this album, The March Of The Black Queen has consistently remained in my top three for nearly half a century.

That Christmas Eve, Queen's concert at Hammersmith Odeon was transmitted live on The Old Grey Whistle Test. I took an audio recording of the show on my little portable cassette recorder. The quality was pretty dismal but I played that tape to death and learned it all by heart. In the intervening years it's been repeated over and over again by the BBC, always in a savagely truncated form. It was finally given an official full-length deluxe box set release in 2015 under the title A Night At The Odeon, forty years after the initial live broadcast.

In the scorching endless summer of 1976 Queen announced that they were going to play a free concert in Hyde Park. I wasn't going to miss that. So I set off early in the morning of 18th September with a mate from school (whose name escapes me) after a fry-up made by my sister. We got to Hyde Park and sat on the grass with 150,000 other fans and stared at the empty stage. There was a middle-aged couple sitting behind us who may or may not have been Brian May's parents. A young hippy who looked like Jesus wandered through the crowd giving out cherries.

The first band of the day was Supercharge. Their lead singer was a big fat guy who came on stage wearing a leotard like the one Freddie wore. Next was Steve Hillage, whose endless noodling bored me to tears. Then it was Kiki Dee, who was in the charts at the time with her duet with Elton John, Don't Go Breaking My Heart. She performed the song with a cardboard cut-out of Elton, with the audience singing Elton's lines (Elton was actually present backstage at the time, but didn't appear on stage as he didn't want to steal Queen's thunder).

Then at dusk Queen finally came on with a blinding flash and blew me away. They opened with Procession and a clip from Bohemian Rhapsody and went straight into Ogre Battle.

"Welcome to our picnic by the Serpentine!"

By now, everyone had got to their feet and moved closer to the stage. I got separated from my mate. I didn't care. All my attention was focussed on the band.

The best bit was Freddie, solo at the piano, performing the as yet unreleased You Take My Breath Away. That was amazing. A flawless performance that's included for posterity on the 2011 re-release of A Day At The Races.

They finished with In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited but didn't play an encore: apparently the show was running late and the band had been threatened with arrest if they went back on stage, due to the huge numbers of people out there in the dark.

My first ever concert experience was absolutely euphoric. It was like losing my virginity. I was still on a high as I drifted away in the dark to get the tube home.

Their next album, the first new one to come out after I became a fan, was A Day At The Races. I got the LP for Christmas, some two weeks after its release, but by some careful snooping I'd found it hidden in my mum's bedroom and played it a couple of times beforehand. When I finally got my hands on it, I played it to death.

By now I was a member of the fan club, and used to ring them now and again to see if there was any news about forthcoming releases (the music press were always a few days behind). I'd sometimes pop into their offices at South Audley Street if I happened to be in the West End, always hoping there'd be one or two band members present. There never were. One day I was up there with my mate Mark and we casually asked the fan club secretary if there were any plans to re-release I Can Hear Music, the pre-Queen single Freddie had recorded with the engineer Robin Cable and released under the name Larry Lurex in 1973. She said no, but she had a few copies for sale. Were we interested?

Hell, yeah! It was a one-sided white label seven-inch single, a test pressing as it later turned out. I was disappointed that the far superior B-side Going Back wasn't included, but it was the elusive and rare Larry Lurex so I had to have it. We got one for our mate Andy too. 75p each. Bargain!

My copy disappeared into the ether decades ago, but Andy still has his. And apparently it's one of the most collectible Queen items (second only to the 1977 Bo Rhap blue vinyl single) and sells for an absolute fortune.

[Whilst visiting and working in the West End in the late Seventies I went past Trident Studios in St Anne's Court, off Wardour Street, many times without really realising its significance. Standing opposite Dark They Were And Golden-Eyed, a fantastic science fiction bookshop (where I acquired loads of quirky unofficial Tolkien stuff when Tolkien fandom was an underground movement rather than a multi-million-dollar industry), this was where Queen recorded their first three albums. Elton, Bowie and The Beatles had recorded there, too. Further on from the studio, towards the Dean Street end, was a tenement brothel where the ladies would sit by the open windows and call out to you as you walked past.

Of course, it's all gone now. Dark They Were closed in 1981 and there are shops and offices where the ladies of the night used to ply their trade. Trident is now a post-production facility.]

My second experience of Queen live was at Earls Court with Mark and Andy, high up in the balcony, miles from the stage. I snuck my little Kodak 126 camera in with me and succeeded in getting a series of very muddy, very distant images of the massive crown-shaped lighting rig. At one point Freddie was performing You Take My Breath Away at the piano when, at a particularly quiet part of the song, someone knocked over the drum kit (at least, that was what it sounded like). Freddie looked startled for a moment then, like the total professional he was, continued as if nothing had happened. This was followed by a performance of White Man that was powerful enough to blow your bollocks off. Freddie: "This is a real bitch of a song that's really fucked up my voice."

For the encore, Freddie strutted on stage in a shimmering silver leotard that sparkled like a glitterball. A brief but brilliant segment of Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting was included in the rock'n'roll medley.

Later that year I went on holiday to Italy with my family. When I returned home on Saturday 8th October there was a postcard waiting for me from the fan club.

My postcard is long gone. This is someone else's that I found online.

I read the first couple of sentences and thought "oh! fantastic! I'm gonna be in a Queen video!" but then as I continued I realised that the event had come and gone and I'd missed it by two days.

Mark and Andy were there. They said the band ran through the new song - We Are The Champions - a few times so the audience would be familiar with it for the recording, and after three takes played a surprise fifty-minute concert. What a unique experience, that I missed out on by two fucking days.

Empire Pool, Wembley was a much nicer venue than Earls Court. I got to see Queen there three nights running in May 1978. On this tour they opened with the fast full band version of We Will Rock You and included the brilliant It's Late, which for many years was my all-time favourite Queen track, in the set. The low point was probably Get Down, Make Love, but the gigs were brilliant. Electrifying.

Following this tour they released the Jazz album, which was a bit disappointing. For the first time, there were more duds than gems on a Queen album. The only track I really liked was Jealousy.

I was in the HMV shop in Oxford Street one day in 1979 and there were three or four copies of Live Killers for sale, autographed in gold ink by all four members of Queen. I didn't buy one because I'd already got a copy of this (disappointing and lacklustre) album. I wish I had. They go for between five hundred quid and a grand these days.

Later that year they released Crazy Little Thing Called Love. I gave it a listen. "That's fucking crap," I spat. "The worst thing they've ever done. The final nail in their coffin."

You could say it grew on me after a while.

Queen went on tour at the end of the year. It was called the "Crazy Tour", as they were playing small venues. I got to see them three times that year, first at the Lyceum in central London on 13th December - fantastic, me and Kate were right at the front! The following day I was so hoarse from cheering and singing my lungs out that I was sent home from work by a manager who thought I was suffering from a bad throat infection.

The following evening it was the Rainbow in Finsbury Park. But the best was yet to come: their gig at the Tottenham Mayfair (formerly the Royal nightclub) five days later remains the best concert I've ever been to. A full account of this concert is elsewhere on this blog.

A year later, another tour, to promote the albums Flash Gordon and The Game. Two nights at Wembley Arena (formerly the Empire Pool) this time, 9th and 10th December. I woke up on the morning of the 9th to the devastating news that John Lennon had been murdered. That took the shine off the prospect of going to see Queen.

I still went. I was in the balcony, with a side view of the stage. At one point in the concert, with no announcement or fanfare, they played Imagine. Just Freddie and Brian. Freddie had the lyrics on a sheet of paper. It was the best moment of the whole evening.

My enthusiasm for Queen nosedived in the early Eighties after the release of Under Pressure. I didn't bother buying Hot Space until a few weeks after its release, and then only after I'd heard Back Chat. Bowie had replaced Queen as my favourite, and I just wasn't interested any more. Consequently I didn't bother to see them on the 1982 tour: the closest venue was Milton Keynes Bowl, and it just wasn't worth the effort.

Next time around, for the tour promoting The Works in 1984, they played Wembley Arena again so I grabbed a couple of tickets. Me and my friend Claire were in the balcony again for this show. At one point I mentioned how brilliant it would be if Bowie would appear with them to perform Under Pressure, but Claire pointed out that as the date was 4th September, it would more likely happen the following evening, on Freddie's birthday (it didn't).

Queen's "show-stopping" appearance at Live Aid (13th July 1985) has gone down in history as one of the greatest rock performances of all time, but at the time it was hard to figure out why: to an experienced fan like me, it wasn't really anything out of the ordinary. They were always that good. Usually they were better. But it was a revelation for the general public who'd seen them as some kind of novelty act or bunch of glam-rock throwbacks, and as a result they gained millions of new fans. I watched it live on the BBC that Saturday, recording it on VHS and - in stereo!!! - on cassette from Radio 1.

I missed the Magic tour, their final tour with Freddie as it happened. Following their Live Aid appearance, everyone wanted to experience them in concert so the shows got bigger and bigger. Wembley Stadium and ultimately, Knebworth Park. It was essentially a greatest hits show, with the band playing mostly their hit singles with little room for the deep cuts which were much more appealing for veteran fans like me.

I watched the Wembley Stadium concert on TV though, and they were on top form. The broadcast and subsequent home media release successfully capture the essence of the atmosphere you'd feel at a Queen concert.

As the Eighties faded away the AIDS crisis became more and more prevalent. The vindictive gutter press gleefully jumped on the bandwagon and harrassed any gay celebrity they could think of, including Freddie. Following his gaunt and frail-looking appearance at the Brit Awards in February 1990, they quite literally hounded him to the grave. For over a year these vultures were camped outside his home, hoping for a scoop and a hysterical headline, and every time he emerged into the outside world there were intrusive and sensationalised pictures of him all over the papers.

Not surprisingly, the vile S*n was the biggest culprit.

I thought: "you fucking wankers." - Roger Taylor on the British press

Like most fans, I was in denial. I didn't believe he was ill. I couldn't bear to believe it. There were repeated rebuffs from the Queen camp - "Freddie's fine, he's as fit as a fiddle" - that we latched on to. This became harder when the videos for I'm Going Slightly Mad and Headlong were released. Freddie did look ill.

Sunday, 24th November 1991, the headlines screamed: FREDDIE: "I'VE GOT AIDS". Just after 7:00 the following morning, Monday 25th, I was woken by my girlfriend rushing into the bedroom declaring "Gary! Freddie Mercury's died!"

They make his life a misery and hound him to his death, then pretend they care. Fucking wankers.

Monday morning. That was a very hard day to get through. At work, there was wall-to-wall Queen on the radio. The jokes started up already: rotten seamen, etc. I was so stunned that I could hardly concentrate on anything else. Queen had been a more or less constant presence in my life from adolescence through to my thirties, and now that was suddenly wrenched away.

That evening, the other half was out so I had the flat to myself. I got a few beers in to toast Freddie and settled down to watch the tribute shows on TV. I was able to keep it together until the premiere showing of Freddie's final video, These Are The Days Of Our Lives. He looked so ill, so thin and frail, so sad. What he must have been through, how he must have suffered. It was hard to believe that was actually the same man on the screen. I sat there and cried my eyes out.

Bohemian Rhapsody got a re-release and became Christmas number one again. John and Roger and Brian announced a tribute concert that would take place the following Easter. A plethora of cash-grab tribute books and magazines were rush-released; I bought them all.

The tribute concert took place at Wembley Stadium in April 1992. I went with a mate from work, Allan Harvey, but we got split up in the 72,000-strong crowd before the concert began (echoes of Hyde Park). The concert itself was a mixed bag: some genuinely emotional moments, and a hell of a lot of shite. Roger Daltrey and Robert Plant were just fucking terrible. Paul Young was OK. Bowie's performance wasn't exactly inspiring: he seemed to be making an appearance for the publicity, rather than to pay tribute to Freddie. And his "Lord's Prayer" moment made me (and the rest of the world) lose the will to live.

Elizabeth Taylor made an appearance, giving a speech about the AIDS crisis (man in crowd: "Get 'em off!" Liz: "I'll get off when I'm finished!"). Elton John gave a solid performance of The Show Must Go On and duetted with the notoriously homophobic Axl Rose on Bohemian Rhapsody. The climax of the show, featuring Liza Minelli (one of Freddie's favourite performers) trying to sing We Are The Champions was just plain embarassing.

The highlight of the show was, without a doubt, George Michael. He gave a fantastic performance of Somebody To Love, '39 and, with Lisa Stansfield, These Are The Days Of Our Lives; as live performers go (those that I've seen, anyway) he's second only to Freddie. I still think this was the only part of the concert that stands up to repeated viewing.

Three years later Made In Heaven, Queen's posthumous fifteenth and final album, was released. This was ingeniously cobbled together from bits and pieces Freddie had recorded before he got too ill, outtakes from previous albums, and a couple of re-worked Queen versions of Freddie solo tracks. Despite a couple of crappy fillers (My Life Has Been Saved, indeed) it was their best album for years. I bought it on the day of release and sat there that afternoon getting hammered on Tungsten lager and listening to these precious sounds.

These days "Queen" (minus John) are still touring with American Idol contestant Adam Lambert as their frontman. I'm not really interested. I'm not a fan of Lambert, I don't like the Broadway-style approach the band take these days, though a few people I've spoken to have said it's a good show. I'm content with the eleven Queen concerts I attended in the Seventies and Eighties with Freddie Mercury at the front of the stage (even though the last one was over forty years ago).

It's fairly safe to say Queen have stood the test of time. They're still immensely popular some fifty years after their first release, even though increasingly these days their fanbase weren't even born when Queen were in their heyday. Those of us who experienced Freddie Mercury on stage are beginning to die off now. But Queen still keep bringing joy to new ears, and I'm quite confident that their body of work will still be appreciated in another fifty years.

QUEEN

My experiences

Hyde Park: 18th September 1976

Earls Court: 1st July 1977

Empire Pool, Wembley: 11th / 12th / 13th May 1978

The Lyceum: 13th December 1979

Rainbow Theatre: 14th December 1979

Tottenham Mayfair: 19th December 1979

Wembley Arena: 9th / 10th December 1980

Wembley Arena: 4th September 1984

Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Wembley Stadium: 20th April 1992

#queen #freddie mercury #john deacon #roger taylor #brian may

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shilohsylvanian · 1 year ago

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Happy World Frog Day! Here are the Bullrush Frogs and a bit of info dump about them <3

They were first released in 1991 for the UK and then re-released in 2001. So there are Tomy and Flair versions, as well as a release in the US, which has slightly different clothes and sitting/crawling twins. The Tomy clothes for them are similar to the Urban Life era, being a bit fancier. Official Bios (this one cracks me up):

FATHER WALTER BULLRUSH is known for being very, very lazy, but this is not really true. If Walter likes to do something, he will put all his limited energies into it. He will always be ready to drive the Country Bus for instance, he will even get up early in the morning if you need a driver. Fishing, of course, is his main love, that is, dangling a hook in the water. He does not like to catch anything because if he did, he would have to then find something else to do. Walter has found that by singing at the top of his croaky voice he can frighten all the fish away! His singing also frightens everyone else away, so he spends many a happy, uninterrupted afternoon on the riverbank singing and sunning himself.

MOTHER LYDIA BULLRUSH, unlike her darling husband, is always working and working very hard. She runs a beautifully spotless house and cares for her husband and four children, and that full time job is only a small part of her busy life. Lydia has a passion for wicker work, whether it is making baskets, hats or mats, her workmanship is imacculate and very artistic. Collecting bulrushes, dying them bright colours before leaving them to dry in the summer sun is the only job she gets any help with. Algy, her oldest son, enjoys the summer afternoons down by the river helping his mother whilst she enjoys teaching him to weave.

BROTHER ALGERNON BULLRUSH hates his full name, so everyone calls him Algy, even his mother who does not like nicknames and only does so, because it pleases her wonderful son. Algy, like his mother, has a passion for weaving, but unlike his mother he prefers to create impractical items like wall hangings. He claims these items he creates are art, not picture art like in art class at school, but abstract art where the shapes and colours portray the meaning and message. Lily his sister says he gets these strange ideas from reading too many stuffy books.

SISTER LILY BULLRUSH loves to sing and unlike her father has a beautiful voice. Because she is a little shy she does most of her practising down by the river where everyone avoids going because of her fathers singing. She originally wanted to be a pop star but now wants to be an opera singer because people go to see the opera all the time. Pop singers only have concerts when they have a record in the charts. Ottilee Marmalade is also giving Lily tips on how to be more confident, hoping she will overcome her shyness.

BABY BROTHER MOSES BULLRUSH must be about the only little boy in Sylvania who loves having baths. He spends hours and hours in the bath playing with his rubber duck and other bath-time toys. If only Lydia or Walter had more time, he would spend all day playing and splashing around in the tub.

BABY SISTER IRIS BULLRUSH must be one of the cleanest little children in Sylvania, because she just hates having baths, so therefore never gets dirty. When ever it is her turn to have a bath, she just cries and cries, then bawls her eyes out and splashes about until her parents get her out of the bath. Bath-time in the Bullrush household is always rather nerve racking!

*having trouble finding official photos so here is one from Sylvanian Store Keepers and the rest are my family who dont have the right clothes lol

<3 In my town Mr. and Mrs Bullrush are renamed Sunnypatch and they are co-mayors of Sunnypatch Gardens.

#frogs #sylvanian families #calico critters #world frog day #toys #toy collector #toy blog #bullrush frogs #infodump #toy photography #shilohscollection

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karkkidoeswriting · 7 months ago

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Fun Fact Friday - Cúén cor Faélci

He got into revolutionary politics through lesbianism. As a 17 yo he had a lesbian phase so he got into lesbian poet circles, where he met all kinds of lesbians - working class, republican, revolutionary, Cabalusian separatist. He also met trans masc people and quickly realized he was a) not a woman b) not into women.

He's really good at archery, including horse archery. He won archery contests as a teenager. They have guns so archery is basically a sport of the nobles, not used in warfare. Cabalusian nobles use archery for hunting too. He's also a very good marksman with rifle.

He has conspired with his sister, who along with her husband are also Cabalusian separatists, to keep the fact that he's been infiltrating the Virénian army for several years hidden from their mother and the rest of the clan. His mother thinks he's living with his sister and studying poetry in Virén. He also hasn't told his mother he has yeeted the teet (had top surgery), and he's not sure at this point how he will do that.

He's very pretentious about poetry and literature. He's kinda pretentious in general. He hates popular literature, and especially Julie noé Maupin, who among many things (opera singer, fencer, infamously hot lesbian) is a writer, who writes very popular very fun chivalric romances, which every self-respecting pretentious literature enjoyer thinks are trashy.

He has an on-and-off affair with Aerich, the leader of the separatist group he's part of. On and off, because since he's infiltrating the army they are regularly separated for multiple months and can't have any correspondence either, since Aerich is very much a wanted enemy of the empire. Faélci has said to Aerich that he's free to have other affairs while he's away, but in reality he's stressed that Aerich will fall in love with someone else. He would not admit that under torture, because being in love is very embarrassing and being jealous on top of it is even more so.

Aerich calls him "Little Wolf" (Faénie in Cerfi) because Cúén means wolf cub in Cerfi. It makes Faélci extremely soft and weak when he does it so casually (especially when he says "my Little Wolf"). He would not admit that either under torture.

Bear Castle Cycle Masterpost

Tag list under the cut! Let me know if you want to be added/removed!

BCC tag list: @siarven @worldbuildng @emilyoracle @frvnwrites @kainablue

@writingrosesonneptune @contes-de-rheio @faelanvance @outpost51 @dotr-rose-love

And tagging @creators-club @bardic-tales for creators club!

#edit: i thought i might as well add the tag list for these #writeblr #writing #my ocs #bcc #original character #oc art #my art #art #bcc art #creators club #fun fact friday

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anomalyaly · 3 months ago

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Ominis Gaunt College AU Headcanons

This is my version of Ominis based on a modern college AU I've been working on. It's been a long time since I've graduated college so I'm sorry if this doesn't align with how things currently are. Also, this is based on the American college system. SFW.

Thank you to @morelikeravenbore, @bookie-bookdust, and @butternutt613 for ideas and input!

📗The Gaunts are just as terrible in this universe as any other. Back when they had money, they made a name for themselves in the music industry - no, not pop culture music. I'm talking Europe's finest - opera singers, conductors, world famous instrumentalists. They got there through nepotism and threatening people, and there are rumors that they've done even worse, though no one has been able to prove it. Connections.

📗They wanted Ominis to attend the same conservatory that all of the other Gaunts did before him. Even as the "defect", he could make a name for himself as the blind pianist (and maybe earn them back their money while he was at it).

📗While Ominis has a passion for music, he doesn't want his joy and love for it to be tainted by what they want him to do. The only one who supported his dream was his Aunt Noctua, who died when he was little. She was an opera singer, known for her kind soul, and very talented but never let fame go to her head.

📗In an act of rebellion, instead of attending a conservatory, he estranges himself and leaves for a normal college in America. Through a random roommate assignment, he meets Sebastian Sallow.

📗At first, he's disturbed by the mess, but Sebastian's enthusiasm and acceptance of him without judgment allows him to open up a little bit at a time and eventually the two learn to co-exist.

📗He decides to stay a music major and his dream is to be a choir conductor. As much as he thinks he's freed from the Gaunt elitist mentality, it definitely still shows through when, as part of his classes, he's required to demonstrate his expertise in teaching.

📗He has perfect pitch and has learned to tune a piano just by touch and sound.

📗As much as he wants to teach, he's a major perfectionist and often leaves students in tears if they choose to take private lessons from him.

📗Even so, he has his own little fan club, and Freshmen and Sophomores tend to follow him around for some reason. He has to yell at them to leave him alone (which only makes them fangirl harder and confuses him deeply).

📗He does use a walking stick to get around but he's extremely intuitive to his surroundings. He can tell when Sebastian has left a mess on his side just by walking in the door.

📗As refined as he is, people tend to find him taking naps in various spots around campus - usually on the floor.

📗He's usually not in the room, but he has his designated places around campus "away from prying eyes."

📗As a music student, he has to perform in recitals for credit. People go out of their ways to watch him, as his movements and energy are captivating. He has mixed feelings about it.

📗He has a designated practice room - the one in the corner with the piano perfectly in tune. He signs it out at the same time every day. You better NOT be caught in his practice room or be prepared for him to threaten the hell out of you.

📗Absolutely cannot stand people who say that they're studying music because they "have a passion for it" and then complain that first semester music theory is "too hard" ("If you can't even read music, why are you paying your left kidney to study it? I'm blind and I can read music better than them!").

📗He especially hates people who are extremely talented but cheat their way to the top like his family did. It's his skewed moral code - he may threaten you and scare you into dropping out, but he will never resort to cheating.

📗He does all of his compositions handwritten. The college requires their students to use Finale, but it's such a dated software that he will argue that his creations are far superior to whatever a MIDI keyboard can do. If that doesn't work, he pleads accommodations. His compositions are fantastic anyway (more than fantastic - several professors cried after listening to them), so after a while they stop harping on it.

📗He ends up being offered several scholarships but worries that they're pity awards. He only accepts them after Sebastian manages to convince him to.

📗He overdresses for class because he still has it in his head that he needs to keep up appearances. Unfortunately, it's not something that leaves him even after he leaves his family. He has been mistaken for a professor by other students multiple times because of it.

📗Currently, he is getting his degree in Choral Music, but he wants to go for his Masters in Choral Pedagogy. His primary instrument is piano (which means that by default, his secondary is voice, though he also has experience with many other instruments).

#i'm sorry if this is dumb #i love ominis but sometimes i feel like my characterization of him isn't the best #i overthink gaunt lore because canonically it's a bit inconsistent with gaps #and the fandom has their own ideas that i get a bit overwhelmed by #anyway sorry hahaaaaaaa #i'm a little anxious today #hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #hogwarts legacy au #ominis gaunt au #college au #ominis gaunt college au #hogwarts legacy headcanons

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lokisasylum · 1 year ago

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Jimin's 'LIE' is a masterpiece of K-pop.

(Top Star News Reporter Hwang Seon-yong) BTS Jimin’s ‘Lie’ was once again highlighted as a ‘K-pop masterpiece’ on classic broadcasts, demonstrating global popularity and the appearance of a world-class superstar.

On April 8th, the ‘You already know classical music!’ corner of KBS Classic FM’s ‘Living Classics’ covered Jimin’s first solo song ‘Lie’ in detail.

'Lie' is Jimin's solo song included in BTS' 2nd full-length album 'WINGS', released in 2016, and is a song from the opera 'La Vida Brave' by Spain's best contemporary composer Manuel de Falla. It has been evaluated as a 'K-pop masterpiece' due to the combination of Jimin's powerful yet deeply emotional voice and the classical melody sampling 'Spanish Dance No. 1'.

In addition, ‘Rye’s unrivaled, high-difficulty performance, which passionately and desperately expressed the inner self of a boy caught in a lie, along with Jimin’s outstanding facial expressions, can be considered the beginning of the ‘Jimin genre’ that sublimated the level of idol dance into art.

On this day's broadcast, with 'Lie' playing as background music, "This song, which begins with an unsettling melody, is the solo song of BTS member Jimin, who is best suited to the title of K-pop star. Jimin himself participated in writing and composing this song. “It was called a ‘K-pop masterpiece’ by fans at home and abroad, and the cumulative number of streams exceeded 200 million times.”

In addition, it is said that Jimin's 'Lie', which "the galloping minor melody matches exquisitely with the lyrics about wanting to escape from lies," was also performed as an original ballet at Crescendo, a music school in Kansas, USA, and "a ballerina in a red dress. “The sight of them dancing to K-pop music was an unfamiliar and beautiful scene that felt unique and elegant,” he said.

In this way, 'Lie', which has influenced other genres and raised the status of K-pop performance by showing outstanding musicality, is called the 'Idol's Bible' and has produced cover stages for many juniors, but in fact, it is a song that only the original singer can pull off, selected by fans. Jimin's irreplaceable image was engraved in the song by ranking first in 'Stage', and it was also ranked first in 'Best Idol Sampling Song', making the public realize its powerful topicality and popularity.

Jimin's 'Lie' exceeded 239 million streams on the global music streaming service Spotify, sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States and received gold certification, and as of April 11 on the domestic music platform Melon, the 'WINGS' album and ' YOU NEVER WALK ALONE' album version achieved a combined sales of 49 million, and even 7 years after its release, it is still loved as a K-pop legend song.

#Lie #Queen Lie #jimin #park jimin #bts #bts jimin #pjm #jiminie #bangtan

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thewildseven · 1 month ago

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The Homecoming of a Wayward Rock

In the final minutes before we went onstage for my college a cappella group’s massive 25th anniversary concert, I overheard something in the green room that stuck with me.

“It seems like some people need this a lot more than others.”

It came from a fellow alum, about 10 years my junior, talking to one of his former classmates. It felt like a subtle jab at those of us who were diving in full-force—dusting off University of Oregon-branded ties, snapping on suspenders, and rehashing big solos.

I’ve been thinking about that quip all week. And I agree with that guy.

Because I’m one of the people who needs it.

What is “it”? Music. Memories. Belonging. A grab-you-by-the-shoulders reminder of who I was—and still am. Singing again with the guys from my era, and the generations after, brought scores of memories roaring back to life.

When I transferred from Portland State to the University of Oregon, 9/11 had just happened. I had walked away from a full-ride scholarship as a music performance major and an opera track in order to pursue journalism at one of the West’s best J schools. I also left behind a sleepy commuter school in favor of The College Experience™. I had started a surprisingly serious relationship back in Gresham before my relocation, and was embarking upon my first-ever honest-to-god long-distance relationship. I didn’t know many people. I moved into a dorm as a sophomore.

Everything felt unknown—and exciting.

A friend told me I needed to audition for the school’s “boy band”—On The Rocks, the school’s first (and only, at the time) a cappella group. I had just landed a spot on the campus newspaper, the Oregon Daily Emerald, but decided to load up on extra-curriculars.

The audition went well. I remember singing “Soul Tattoo” by Plus One (a Christian boy band, which telegraphed both my spirituality and my pop tendencies), running through scales, and harmonizing with some other guys. Group co-founder Peter Hollens told me, "You're like the best singer I’ve ever heard." I wish I had that in writing.

When I (and fellow auditionee Cooper) showed up for what I thought was a callback, it turned out to be a “chill-and-grill” welcome party. I was in. That night, I learned what it was to be a “rock.” Brotherhood. Shenanigans. Insane dedication to the music and to each other. The existing members sang their cover of “Demons” by Guster that gave me chills—a moment I can re-enter every time I hear that tune.

I felt both a sense of excitement and, honestly, fear—because I realized I was in for more than I’d expected. I knew this wasn’t just a club. It was a lifestyle.

We rehearsed a lot. Performed weekly in the Erb Memorial Student Union amphitheatre, rain or shine. Traveled. Recorded our first album, which hit the top of the campus record shop’s best-seller list. We entertained hundreds every Friday, blending classics like "Brown Eyed Girl" with current hits like Jimmy Eat World’s "Hear You Me." Sororities hired us to serenade them. It was pre-YouTube, pre-TikTok. We were a live, analog phenomenon.

But behind the scenes, I was wrestling. With faith. With time. With loyalty.

My girlfriend, still living hours away, repeatedly said she felt threatened by the group’s culture and worried about my spiritual life. She drove to Eugene nearly every weekend to keep tabs on me. I was battling guilt over these competing commitments, feeling stuck at a fork in the road.

Academically, I stumbled a little. I failed the only class I’ve ever failed—J-202, Info Hell, a journalism school rite of passage—because I procrastinated and tried to write my final on a van ride with the guys to Berkeley. Rookie mistake. The fact that I ever thought I’d be able to get a damn thing done on my laptop in that van full of dudes, despite the roughly 8-hour drive, was naïveté at best, but more than likely sheer avoidant insanity.

But it was all in stride, it was worth it. We were building something incredible, and I loved it.

I learned to grill meat with those guys. Had high highs and low lows. Sang for Phil Knight and Coach Mike Bellotti and our university president, and also dealt with one of our members being hospitalized. We competed in the ICCAs (a cappella championship), winning regionals, getting second place in the semifinals and thanks to BYU Vocal Point not competing on Sundays, we made it to the ICCA finals at the Lincoln Center in NYC and got third in the world.

During that year, we bonded through those successes and trials in a way that, I believe, set the tone for what the next two decades-plus of the group became: brotherhood, commitment, musical excellence, taking the music seriously but not ourselves, and boldness.

When the school year came to a close, we were all understandably exhausted, and were looking forward to the break. But that exhaustion, and my return to Gresham for the summer, had me in a vulnerable spot to make a change.

My girlfriend wanted me to quit the group. She said it was too much of a commitment, and that it wasn’t making me a better Christian. In that moment, I’d agreed with her arguments. I had a big decision to make over the summer, but it was one I avoided until the last possible moment: after fall auditions.

I was leaving OTR.

The guys were stunned. I was never fully comfortable with my decision, and that was evidenced by one of the most bone-headed decisions I made next: I tried to create my own a cappella group, justifying it by saying it would be less of a commitment, less of an eyebrow-raising atmosphere for my pastors, and more of a hobby than a lifestyle. I thought it would make me happy.

My girlfriend thought it was a brilliant idea. My brothers in OTR? It was, accurately, nothing short of betrayal. Just really stupid, arrogant, entitled drama.

I assembled the group using the names and info culled from the group’s fall auditions (another hubris-filled betrayal). We sang haphazardly arranged Top 40 hits in awkward venues like the Carson Hall dorm dining room and the lobby of the student union.

Sure, I had control. But the magic was replaced by the massive guilt I felt, the burden of trying to make this new “hobby” a success, and the loneliness of my social situation. I was Sisyphus, pushing a boulder uphill, only for it to roll back down again and again.

Only a few months later, I got engaged and ultimately abandoned this new group, too. I transferred back to Portland State, bringing an abrupt and inauspicious end to my once-promising era in Eugene. I left UO distracted by the life momentum of getting married, feeling like running away was the only way to not have to deal with all the unnecessary hardship I brought to the people I loved.

I got married just before beginning my senior year. I had a very limited list of people to choose from to be my groomsmen (I even had to ask my dad to fill in a spot, and another spot was filled by a guy I didn’t know very well from my work at a Christian bookstore). All the while, my former OTR bros were all groomsmen at each other’s weddings. They’d carried on, and I lied in the bed I made.

I finished with a somewhat weak degree in Communication Studies but a strong resume that landed me a job at the Oregon Coast for a year, before I returned to the Portland area as Editor of a small-town newspaper. Had my first kid in 2007, and two more by 2011. Built a career in journalism and church ministry. Led worship. But something always felt missing.

When the 10-year OTR reunion came around, I was shocked to be invited as an avowed alumnus. My interactions with the guys were understandably tense at first, thanks to all the history and all the hurt I caused. But one by one, each guy was bigger than I had ever been, and slowly, we began to repair.

Although there was little to no engagement with the group (outside of getting to guest-sing with the current group when they came to the city where I lived), a lot of life happened over the next 10 years.

In the years leading up to the 20-year reunion, I was starting life over. I had divorced the girl from college. It was a long, although ultimately abrupt awakening to the fact that our passions would never align and would always be seen by the other as a threat. I lived in a new place. I no longer identified as an evangelical Christian. I had found new love. And I was yearning to sing again.

Not as many of the guys from my era were there, but for those who were, I finally felt like part of the group again. Together, it felt like almost no time had passed. I walked away from that interaction resolved to connect with my friend Pete, who lived not too far from me in Boise, Idaho.

I started taking voice lessons again, something I hadn’t done since my first year at Portland State. I joined the local opera company and a semi-professional choir to scratch the musical itch. Music was back in my life. On my terms again.

Eventually, I called Pete, saying, “Enough is enough; let’s get a beer.” That first hangout led to a road trip to an Oregon Ducks away game. That led to 10 hours of talking through everything you’ve read so far and then some. I apologized a whole lot for everything—my judgmentalness, my abandoning, my betrayals—and I was met with a hell of a lot of grace, kindness, and that true brotherhood I remembered from so long before.

All of that fed my emotions coming into the OTR 25th Anniversary weekend.

Out of the nine guys from my era, eight of us made it to Eugene, among the 70-or-so total guys in attendance from throughout the generations. Sure, I got to reprise my solos for “For the Longest Time” and “In the End”, but the greatest joy to me came from the surreal feeling of singing alongside these guys in real-time again. From seeing Chris and co-founder Leo sing together on “Demons”. From hearing Pete and Cooper hold it down on bass in the “I Need to Know” breakdown. From Hollens and I making the same goofy faces at each other during our dueling vocal parts on “Romeo & Juliet.”

It was almost too much for me to take. So much life has happened over the past 23 years. So much water under the bridge. So much growth and wisdom and repair. And aside from the well-earned occasional joking jab about that “other group” I started, we all were brothers again. More than the music, more than the albums and the competitions and the fans, the most valuable part of this experience was (and still is) making magic with people you love.

This time, I knew what it meant. I didn’t take it for granted. Never again.

I have had a beautiful opportunity over the past six years to reacquaint myself with the younger me. Sure, that guy had a lot of demons—anxious attachment and its manifestations chief among them.

But that Marcus also had so much energy, so much promise, so much positivity and so much hope. As I get to know this guy all over again, I can feel a deep, almost parental, love for him. And I want to learn from him now.

It was especially powerful seeing my three teenage children in the front row, finally getting to see what the hype is all about. Pete tells me he nearly cried as he watched the look of awe on my kids’ faces as I belted out a solo Saturday night. I’m just so happy they got to meet another version of their dad.

A week after the reunion, I’m still trying to make sense of it all. I know reunions aren’t real life. I know I’m probably never going to be part of an a cappella group like that again.

But there’s something I’m supposed to take from it—something more than nostalgia. That weekend wasn’t just a fun trip down memory lane; it was a wake-up call. A siren reminding me that something’s still missing: brotherhood, joy, belonging, shared history.

This wasn’t just about reliving the past. It was about rediscovering the parts of myself I’ve left behind—and realizing they still matter. I want to nurture the relationships that knew the old me and build new ones that honor who I’ve become. I don’t know exactly how that will look yet. But I do know this: the best parts of my past life can help me live better today.

Last weekend reminded me what it feels like to be fully alive, fully seen and accepted. Maybe I do need that feeling more than most. And honestly? I’m alright with that.

#music #friends #college #a cappella

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fungifanart · 2 years ago

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Subzero Sonata

Characters: Male reader, Yuu!reader, Vil, Epel, Lilia, Malleus, Silver is mentioned

Word Count: 888

CW: Violence. The reader can sing. Also, the reader can use magic. (I'd recommend not thinking about it too much)

Notes: *Slaps Word document* This thing can fit SO much self-indulgence in it! I wrote this as part of a TWST Halloween collab organized by @twistedchatterbox. So, uuuhhh, sorry I'm late. I've been working a new job recently on top of class, so I haven't been able to sit down and write much.

(In case you were wondering, this is the song)

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You feel your determination solidify inside of you as you face down an army of possessed students and as the group splits up to take on each threat, you move towards the crowd and call out to the others, "I can help you guys with crowd-control, but I need you to cover me!"

"What? What are you gonna do??" Epel questions.

"Hey Vil! Remember how you said I'd make an excellent opera singer?" You ask as the man in question looks at you with wide eyes, "Well, you're about to get your wish!"

—--------------------------------------------------------

The sound of a ringing bell echoes throughout the hall, as if signaling the coming of the frigid wind that is now blowing across it.

The Prefect kneels in the center of the protective circle Vil and the others have formed as a flurry of ice and snow swirls around him and the first notes of a song echo from seemingly nowhere.

The music builds as the flurry disperses into cold mist, revealing the Prefect in a completely new outfit, going from a white shirt, white sweatpants and a white faux fur shawl, which Vil had only begrudgingly approved of, to a fine-tailored suit reminiscent of an opera virtuoso's accentuated with delicate snowflake patterns along the sleeves and rims, all topped-off with a pure white parasol.

Vil stares in awe as the Prefect begins to stand up and speak as the music swells, "Good evening, masters. Is this the new recital stage?" He says while giving a small bow.

The music gains more orchestral instruments and fully begins as the Prefect closes his parasol and walks forward, "Oh my! Such a large audience! I'd better jump into the chorus then!" He says before clearing his throat and releasing a powerful high note in time with the music that sends out a wave of pure ice magic into the air, forcing nearby ghosts to abandon their host bodies and leaving any stray ghosts in its path on the ground, frozen solid.

The Prefect keeps singing as the air grows colder and Vil turns back around to focus on fighting. However, as he does so, he sees more blasts of ice magic being shot at the possessed students with each new note the Prefect hits.

Vil tries to keep his focus, he really does, but hearing the Prefect’s voice repeatedly go up and down musical scales with such elegance and precision that he didn't think the other man possessed makes it extremely difficult.

However, with the Prefect’s help, they've managed to hold their own so far, and with Vil getting only slightly distracted by the beautiful singing happening behind him, just for the Prefect to stop singing as the song progresses to the next verse. Hearing this, Vil glances behind himself to ensure he's okay and sees a burst of icy mist call forth large snowflakes that dance around the Prefect as he stands firm with perfect poise and posture before opening his mouth to continue singing.

Things are seemingly going well as the Prefect sings…until Lilia takes notice and jumps completely over both defensive lines made by Silver and Vil's groups, razor-sharp nails trained perfectly on the Prefect’s neck.

However, before anyone can react, the Prefect reaches an elongated high note that he aims directly at Lilia, buffeting him with a concentrated storm of ice magic that sends him flying back towards Silver's group, covered in frost that hinders his mobility to ensure he won't be making a jump like that again.

The Prefect’s song continues as the biting cold encroaches on the enemy with each note, forcing more and more ghosts out of their mortal hosts and eventually drawing Malleus's attention, who sends a barrage of green fireballs at Vil's group from his place at the pipe organ, all of which are neutralized by the Prefect’s ice.

Finally, the song reaches its climax, which is signaled by the Prefect’s voice going up an octave, causing Vil to have to resist the urge to stop fighting and pull up a chair just to watch the rest of the performance. Which he may well be able to do at this point with how many possessed students have been saved now, but Vil decides not to leave anything up to chance and continues fighting as the ice and frost on the floor creep their way up the platform where Rook's group is still engaging with Malleus, the heat from his fire attacks being the only thing that stops them from overtaking him.

However, any remaining heat in the air quickly disappears as the Prefect reaches a note so high for him that it causes Vil's heart to skip a beat while sending a torrent of sub-zero temperatures across the entire hall, liberating the last of the possessed students and coating every surface in the grand hall with a solid layer of permafrost.

The song ends with one final high note from the Prefect before he holds his parasol above his head once again as his outfit reverts back to what it was before.

And, despite his disappointment about the Prefect’s outfit, Vil can only stand there, enthusiastically applauding the other man's performance and silently hoping that his makeup can sufficiently mask the heat he feels blossoming on his face in spite of the overwhelming cold encompassing the area.

#why is this mushroom writing fanfics?#twisted wonderland #twst #twst yuu #twst mc #twst vil #vil schoenheit #twst x reader #twst x male reader #vil x reader #vil x male reader #twst epel #twst lilia #twst malleus

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aimportantsheep · 6 months ago

Note

Do you have any headcannons on Darius’ backstory or childhood?

Thank you for being interested in Darius 🥹🩷 It makes me so happy to talk about him because I basically think about him all day. Also, excellent question! I do have some—if not too many—thoughts about his life in general 🩷

I want to warn you in advance that this is a lot of text 😣🩷

Here’s what I believe:

Darius is the kind of "person" who wasn’t just born talented but also worked hard to perfect it in every way. His multifaceted career reflects both his ambition and his need to stay relevant in a competitive world.

He sings, dances, models, acts in films, and performs in theater/musical theater.

I love drama, but I can't imagine him growing up in anything other than a happy family. He likely grew up in a loving and somewhat eccentric household, perhaps middle-to-upper class, with access to artistic education from a young age.

His love for theater and music probably started in a conservatory or a private school focused on the arts.

His parents and grandparents always encouraged him to express himself and deeply valued art and creativity. From a young age, he would organize little shows in the living room, improvising dramatic monologues, singing imaginary operas, or even putting on fashion shows with extravagant clothes he found in his mother’s or grandmother’s closets.

His family probably adored him and applauded everything he did, which built his self-esteem and love for performing. Maybe he had siblings or cousins, but he was always the "star" of every family gathering.

Although he was spoiled, perhaps one of his parents expected him to be "perfect" in his performances, and this developed into a self-demanding nature, always seeking constant attention and validation.

He might have experienced a teenage phase where he realized he wouldn’t always be the center of attention and had to work harder to stand out in a world full of competition. This could explain his intense passion and slightly egocentric tendencies—a way to protect the self-esteem his family nurtured.

His obsession with achieving greatness likely cost him some friendships or relationships along the way. While his friends were out partying, he was practicing choreography or rehearsing monologues. Although he sometimes felt lonely, he knew the effort would be worth it.

At first, his need to excel in so many areas might have stemmed from a fear of failure. If he couldn’t be the best singer, he would at least become an amazing dancer; if theater didn’t take him to the top, he’d try modeling. This versatility became his greatest strength and defined him as an artist. That desire to shine in every field reflects his self-demanding nature. For every public success he celebrates, there are hours of practice, mistakes, and frustrations behind the scenes.

Even at the height of his fame, he doesn’t allow himself to relax. If a new young talent emerges, he sees it as a reminder that he must keep evolving to stay relevant. That’s why he’s always searching for new artistic challenges.

#darius #sing2 darius #sing 2 movie #darius sing2 #dariustheyak #dariusxlouisa #dariussing2 #sing2 #DariusHeadcanon

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kemetic-dreams · 2 years ago

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Carol Diann Johnson was born in the Bronx, New York City, on July 17, 1935, to John Johnson, a subway conductor, and Mabel (Faulk), a nurse. While Carroll was still an infant, the family moved to Harlem, where she grew up except for a brief period in which her parents had left her with an aunt in North Carolina. She attended Music and Art High School, and was a classmate of Billy Dee Williams. In many interviews about her childhood, Carroll recalls her parents' support, and their enrolling her in dance, singing, and modeling classes. By the time Carroll was 15, she was modeling for Ebony. "She also began entering television contests, including Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, under the name Diahann Carroll." After graduating from high school, she attended New York University, where she majored in sociology, "but she left before graduating to pursue a show-business career, promising her family that if the career did not materialize after two years, she would return to college.

Carroll's big break came at the age of 18, when she appeared as a contestant on the DuMont Television Network program, Chance of a Lifetime, hosted by Dennis James. On the show, which aired January 8, 1954, she took the $1,000 top prize for a rendition of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein song, "Why Was I Born?" She went on to win the following four weeks. Engagements at Manhattan's Café Society and Latin Quarter, nightclubs soon followed.

Carroll's film debut was a supporting role in Carmen Jones (1954), as a friend to the sultry lead character played by Dorothy Dandridge. That same year, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway musical, House of Flowers. A few years later, she played Clara in the film version of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (1959), but her character's singing parts were dubbed by opera singer Loulie Jean Norman. The following year, Carroll made a guest appearance in the series Peter Gunn, in the episode "Sing a Song of Murder" (1960). In the next two years, she starred with Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, and Joanne Woodward in the film Paris Blues (1961) and won the 1962 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (the first time for a Black woman) for portraying Barbara Woodruff in the Samuel A. Taylor and Richard Rodgers musical No Strings. Twelve years later, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role alongside James Earl Jones in the film Claudine (1974), which part had been written specifically for actress Diana Sands (who had made guest appearances on Julia as Carroll's cousin Sara), but shortly before filming was to begin, Sands learned she was terminally ill with cancer. Sands attempted to carry on with the role, but as filming began, she became too ill to continue and recommended her friend Carroll take over the role. Sands died in September 1973, before the film's release in April 1974.

Carroll is known for her titular role in the television series Julia (1968-71), which made her the first African-American actress to star in her own television series who did not play a domestic worker. That role won her the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star – Female for its first year, and a nomination for an Primetime Emmy Award in 1969. Some of Carroll's earlier work also included appearances on shows hosted by Johnny Carson, Judy Garland, Merv Griffin, Jack Paar, and Ed Sullivan, and on The Hollywood Palace variety show. In 1984, Carroll joined the nighttime soap opera Dynasty at the end of its fourth season as the mixed-race jet set diva Dominique Deveraux, Blake Carrington's half-sister. Her high-profile role on Dynasty also reunited her with her schoolmate Billy Dee Williams, who briefly played her onscreen husband Brady Lloyd. Carroll remained on the show and made several appearances on its short-lived spin-off, The Colbys until she departed at the end of the seventh season in 1987. In 1989, she began the recurring role of Marion Gilbert in A Different World, for which she received her third Emmy nomination that same year.

In 1991, Carroll portrayed Eleanor Potter, the doting, concerned, and protective wife of Jimmy Potter (portrayed by Chuck Patterson), in the musical drama film The Five Heartbeats (1991), also featuring actor and musician Robert Townsend and Michael Wright. She reunited with Billy Dee Williams again in 1995, portraying his character's wife Mrs. Greyson in Lonesome Dove: The Series. The following year, Carroll starred as the self-loving and deluded silent movie star Norma Desmond in the Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of the film Sunset Boulevard. In 2001, Carroll made her animation debut in The Legend of Tarzan, in which she voiced Queen La, ruler of the ancient city of Opar.

In 2006, Carroll appeared in several episodes the television medical drama Grey's Anatomy as Jane Burke, the demanding mother of Dr. Preston Burke. From 2008 to 2014, she appeared on USA Network's series White Collar in the recurring role of June, the savvy widow who rents out her guest room to Neal Caffrey. In 2010, Carroll was featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docudrama titled 1 a Minute and appeared as Nana in two Lifetime movie adaptations of Patricia Cornwell’s novels: At Risk and The Front.

In 2013, Carroll was present on stage at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards to briefly speak about being the first African-American nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She was quoted as saying about Kerry Washington, nominated for Scandal, "She better get this award."

Carroll was a founding member of the Celebrity Action Council, a volunteer group of celebrity women who served the women's outreach of the Los Angeles Mission, working with women in rehabilitation from problems with alcohol, drugs, or prostitution. She helped to form the group along with other female television personalities including Mary Frann, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, and Joan Van Ark.

Carroll was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. She said the diagnosis "stunned" her, because there was no family history of breast cancer, and she had always led a healthy lifestyle. She underwent nine weeks of radiation therapy and had been clear for years after the diagnosis. She frequently spoke of the need for early detection and prevention of the disease. She died from cancer at her home in West Hollywood, California, on October 4, 2019, at the age of 84. Carroll also had dementia at the time of her death, though actor Marc Copage, who played her character's son on Julia, said that she did not appear to show serious signs of cognitive decline as late as 2017. A memorial service was held in November 24, 2019, at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York City.

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rosie-love98 · 10 months ago

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The More I've Looked Up On Irene Cara, The More She Reminds Me Of Michael Jackson:

I had already posted this on Reddit. But, I'll post it here too.

-Both Came From A Musical Family: Joseph had his own band, The Falcons, while Katherine wanted to be a country singer. Plus, on Katherine's side, Michael's related to Stevie Wonder. Then there's Irene's family; her father, Gaspar, was said to have brought merengue to the States thanks to being a saxophonist. Not only that but (according to Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/6491165-Gaspar-Escalera ) he was also part of a record; Dioris Valladares's "Pa Bailar Na Ma". As for Irene's mother, Louise, she wanted to go into show business but her own parnets (Irene's grandparents) forbade it. Irene also had a brother who performed opera.

-Both Joseph And Gaspar Worked In Steel.

-Both families were of a struggling background.

-If Irene Really Was Born In 1959 (Her Birthday's Been Up For Debate Over The Years), She Would've Been 6 Months Younger Than Michael.

-They Were Child Prodigies: As small children, both Michael and Irene had showed their musical talents. Irene was able to play the piano by ear (like Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes did in her own childhood), went to classes for dancing and music. Meanwhile, Michael would show off his singing voice and join the Jackson 5 at around 5-6.

-The Wizard Of OZ: While Michael played The Scarecrow in "The Wiz" film adaption, Irene had played the role of Dorothy on the stage. Speaking of Diana Ross...

-The Supreme: As Michael was known for his relationship with Diana Ross, Irene had starred in "Sparkle", where the main musical group was loosley based off of The Supremes. Irene would also spoof the said trio in her "Girlfriends" video.

-A Connection To "Fame": While Irene's known as "Coco" from the original film, Michael's sister, Janet, was a part of the TV adaption, playing the character of Cleo.

-They Had Many Friends/Coworkers/Peers In Common: Andy Gibb, Stevie Wonder, Dom DeLuise, Sammy Davis Jr., James Earl Jones, Louis Armstrong, Donna Summer, Luther Vandross, Mr. T, Debbie Allen, DJ Bobo, Molly Meldrum, Laura Branigan, Tatum O'Neal and many more!

-We Are The World/Cantare, Cantaras: When, in 1985, Michael was doing "We Are The World" with Diana, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper and other known singers for charity, the performers of Latin America wanted in too. So, gathering at the very same studio as "We Are The World", A&M, they performed the song, "Cantare, Cantaras" ("I Will Sing, You Will Sing"). Jose Feliciano, Julio Iglesias, Cheech Marin, Menudo, Ricardo Montalban, Pimpinela, and Yuri were among the singers for this. Along with Irene, of course. Just to be clear, both songs were in 1985.

-Both Fell Victim To The Media: With Irene fighting for her royalties that her record company had withheld from her, she was ultimately blacklisted. Lies had spread saying she was a drug-addicted (while Irene did do cocaine brought upon by her proucers to help with her energy, she did kick the habit) diva who was difficult to work with. Then there's Michael who had the worst slander done to him. With all of this along with their respective court cases, both had seemed more tired, world-weary and arguably reclusive. That said, they still didn't lose their love for music.

-Shared Interests: Charity work, Old Hollywood/Old Movies, drawing, swimming, and song-writing. They also had interests directing their own films and writing stories.

-Shared Personalities: Shy, reserved, kind, down-to-earth, spiritual, silly, independent, creative, hard-working/(arguably) workaholic, private, stubborn and (in TVTrope terms) "adorkable".

-They Were Included In The 1985 Documentary, "That's Dancing".

-Both Were Nominees In The 1984 Grammy's.

-Were At The Top Of The 1983 Billboard Charts (Link: https://djrobblog.com/archives/17370 ).

-They Could Both Pull Off The Moonwalk!: Ok, with Michael, we all should be fully aware of his famous move. But Irene can pull it off too (and in heels!) as seen in her "Solid Gold" performance of "Breakdancing":

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And in her performance at the '84 American Music Awards (attended also by Michael):

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-As Mentioned By DJ Rob Blog: Michael Jackson’s death, June 25th, 2009, was on the 26th anniversary of “Flashdance” beating out “Thriller” on the Billboard Charts. Coincidently, Irene Cara’s own death, November 25th, 2022 was a week after “Thriller 40” album was released to the public.

-Snow White: It's no secret that Snow White was one of MJ's favorite characters. He even had her an the 7 Dwarves visit him back in the 80's:

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Fast forward to 1989 where Filmation had made their (technically second) sequel to "Snow White" in the form of "Happily Ever After". There, Snow White was voiced by Irene.

That's all I can gather so far. Though, I want to added some disclaimers--

*I was going to include their ALLEGED eating disorders but I've left it out due to not being entirely sure if either of them had suffered from those ailments.*

*I was also going to bring up DJ Bobo's song "Man In The Mirror" (which, judging by the lyrics, seemed to have been about Michael). But I'm unsure if Irene was among the vocals. I could've sworn I heard her singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEqMfk-xwks . *

@buckhead1111 @jamesmassino @forever70s @mabellonghetti @classicalallure @loveboatinsanity @eightiesgalaxy @yodaprod @ladyorlandodream @mydailyvintagephotos @s-k-e-t-c-h-y-artist @fallinlovewithevil @theladyofmylife

#michael jackson #irene cara #music icons #music legends #1980s #1990s #mj #so much in common!#Youtube

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vintagetvstars · 10 months ago

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Avery Brooks Vs. Michael O’Hare

Propaganda

Avery Brooks - (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Spenser: For Hire) - ben sisko absolute all time tv dilf and have you heard him SPEAK... the stage background absolutely shows and it truly makes him a standout in a legacy franchise *full* of incredibly talented people. also frankly top 3 all time sexy bald guy

Michael O’Hare - (Babylon 5) - This is the man responsible for making me A) Fall in love with men (respectfully) and B) was the first person to play a human in sci-fi that I actually liked!

Master Poll List | How to submit propaganda | What is vintage? (FAQ)

Additional propaganda below the cut

Avery Brooks:

youtube

Avery is a certified TV sci-fi hottie as Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The first black star trek Captain, he also negotiated his signature look - the bald head and goatee - against haters who thought a Captain should always be clean-shaven. Thank God for that, because he looks devastatingly hot in a a goatee (a phrase never before uttered). He went on to direct several episodes of DS9, use his pleasant voice to record music and multiple host documentaries, and mostly retire from acting to teach as a professor.

TW: Flashing

youtube

with that wonderful stentorian baritone voice he could move from intimidating commander to gentle and compassionate space dad...benjamin sisko is a man of many qualities, thoughtful, morally complex, understatedly hilarious, a lil unhinged, really really excited about baseball, and avery brooks never fails to breathe life, depth and dimension into the character and also did i mention his voice. fun fact he was a professor of theater arts at rutgers while filming deep space nine and would occasionally teach classes via vhs tapes recorded on set, complete with starfleet uniform. he also directed a number of ds9 episodes including notable ones like "rejoined" and "far beyond the stars", and performed many of his own stunts as sisko. stunt coordinator dennis madalone said, "of all the stars that I've worked with on all the Star Treks, and all the other shows that I've been on other than Star Trek, I've never seen an actor so physically capable of just doing everything...every time I'd bring in a stunt double, he'd be angry, sitting on a bench, because Avery was doing so great." he's also a distinguished stage actor and an accomplished musician and singer who's performed everything from jazz to opera. science has yet to discover whether there's anything this man can't do.

youtube

Michael O’Hare:

youtube

#vintage tv stars poll #tv men 1 #avery brooks #michael o'hare #Youtube

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smolvenger · 10 months ago

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Ok guys, so far here has been my life update!

So far I have

resigned from my job at a call center. Even if it gave me financial stability and would be possible to do remote, doing a call center jo where I constantly have to talk on top of being a singer and having lots of rehearsals and lessons would not be physically good. Also, the customers were very emotionally abusive at worst and the work was incredibly demanding. So yeah, I am now unemployed and looking for a different job where I am. Which I will need to because...

I have moved into my first apartment! I am there with my kitty cat! Sharing with two roommates! Ahhhh! But it means having to look for a job for rent and groceries and trying to budget my means. I am not broke yet, but pray a good job that works with my class schedule comes soon. Speaking of which.

My grad school life starts tomorrow! Classes begin!

And it includes- I am in the chorus of the fall opera! The whole situation is not ideal for students and it is not entirely what I thought it would be, but the good news is that since the opportunities for opera are morelimited this year, my school was nice enough to cast all of the grad students who didn't have a role into the chorus!

So yeah, that is my whole life update! So if I am slow to read fics or post writing, that is why! Phew!

@ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @holdmytesseract @liminalpebble @lokisgoodgirl @ladyofthestayingpower @muddyorbsblr

#adulting #carrie speaks

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winterchimez · 2 years ago

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Redemption of Love - Chapter 1

SUMMARY: Choi Chanhee—better known as the Phantom of the Opera, has dominated the Paris Opera House with his lifelong partner, Christine Daae, for years. Until one fateful day, an incident forces them to be separated and never to be reunited again.

Decades later, you have begun your journey here at the famous opera house with the help of your fiancé, Lee Sangyeon. After several performances, it was then that you would come face-to-face with the renowned phantom himself, and he is determined to never let you go again, convinced that you were his long-lost partner whom he has not seen in many years.

It is now your choice to make. To give your heart to the once-forgotten phantom? Or to stand firm and marry the love of your life.

PAIRING: phantom of the opera Chanhee x singer f!reader x fiancé Sangyeon

GENRE & WARNINGS: phantom of the opera au, angst, supernatural, thriller, crime, fluff, time travel, reincarnation, major & minor character deaths, otome, pg-13

WORD COUNT: 2,242

A/N: and so the actual plot begins 🥳

July 1921

It was the summer of an exciting year ahead, and here you are—skipping your way enthusiastically as you make your way to the building of your dreams.

You had just recently graduated from Conservatoire de Paris, which is one of the top universities for future artists like you to begin their journey in their very own choice of expertise in performing arts.

It was also where you met the love of your life, Lee Sangyeon.

It was a shocker to you that he was even in the performing arts department because, really, he seemed more like the type of person who would enroll in business or finance instead. With how he presented and styled himself, you thought it had to be a joke at first for him to even have a thing for music.

That was until you both met a year prior, in one of your musicals—where the both of you were chosen to be the lead roles of the show. Things started awkward initially, for you were shy and always reserved. At the same time, he was the outgoing one—seemingly being the one who would always start a conversation with someone new in the theatre department daily.

You knew from the back of your mind that since you two were the show's lead stars, someone definitely had to break the ice for sure—of course, it was the man himself.

In the beginning, you felt really awkward since you definitely felt bad that Sangyeon always had to be the one to initiate a conversation or even speak up for you in certain situations. But over time, you have come to grow more comfortable hanging out with the guy himself and got used to his lame dad jokes that he often made to get your reaction (because he apparently loved it a little bit too much).

Eventually, you both begin to realise that you’ve had feelings for one another. You both begin spending more time together and eventually put up a great show for the season—arguably one of the best performances the university has ever had for the past decades. With that, you both were rewarded the title “outstanding actor and actress of the season”, and that was where you got the opportunity to pursue your career here at the Paris Opera House.

Additionally, you have got to give some bonus points to your boyfriend because never in a million years would you’ve thought for him to come from a noble class family with actual ties to the infamous building itself.

Hence, here you were—holding a bag of your belongings, ready to begin your new journey ahead.

Giving yourself a deep huff, you straighten your back and lift your head high as you enter the opera house.

Let’s do this.

In the blink of an eye, it has already been months since you’ve gotten a job here at the Paris Opera House. You came in with a positive mindset, thinking that you would be getting your grand debut at the well-known theatre and have a great kickstart of your upcoming career as a professional opera singer.

It turns out that the real world is a lot cruel and harsher than you thought it was.

As much as you had a great reputation back in your university—even having way more experience than most apprentices who first started at the theatre, you were eventually placed as a backup dancer in most of the shows you were in. Even when you were lucky enough to portray your singing abilities, the best you were given were some minor roles where you would step in to support any absentee among the minor casts.

To make matters worse, you have yet to hear a word from Sangyeon since you both graduated from Conservatoire de Paris. He was away for some family business in Romania, and it could take him months or even a year to return.

It pains you how badly you both would be separated from one another for god knows how long as you sent him off back at the train station eight months prior. You both hugged one another as tightly as possible, not wanting to let go.

Sangyeon promised to write a letter to you as much as he could—sure enough, he kept his promises as you would receive a letter each month. But his physical absence during your darkest times was horrendous, and you were left alone to deal with your misery.

You tucked away the most recent letter that you received from your significant other into your little box of collection of love letters between you two and placed them right above your fireplace. Standing up from your wooden stool, you made your way to the tiny little mirror you kept by your bedside to do a final check to ensure your outfit and face full of makeup were ready.

Mentally, you reassured yourself that today would be great and you were definitely on the right track of growing as a performer, which would eventually lead you to score yourself with more prominent roles in the future.

Practice makes perfect. That was the motto you have always lived by, even today.

With that, you took in a deep breath and gave yourself a smile while filling your thoughts with positivity as you exited the comforts of your tiny home.

As much as you thought it was an ordinary day today at the theatre, you were now met with a disastrous situation that has made everyone mad. The lead singer of the Paris Opera House, Madame Indivus, has just called in sick, and she will not be able to make it for the opening performance of Orlando tonight.

Panicked, everyone desperately tried to talk against each other, trying to figure out who would step in to fulfill her role. It wasn’t an easy decision, as Madame Indivus has created quite a reputation for herself. She wasn’t known to be one of the most recognised sopranos of the decade of the theatre for no reason.

As the chaos ensued, one of your costars joined you as you stood at one of the corners of the stage, witnessing how messy the entire situation unfolded before you. She nudged at your shoulder, trying to get your attention.

“Hey, Y/N. Maybe it’s finally your turn to shine.”

“What are you talking about, Avaleigh?”

“Oh, come on, you know what I exactly mean. It may finally be your turn to prove to everyone that you are as capable as Madame Indivus or even better than her!” She reassured.

Sure, you were always grateful for Avaleigh being your number-one fan and supporter ever since you both started your journey here at the opera house. She has always been there at the beginning and has kept you company while your partner has been away. When she first heard you sing when she bypassed your fitting room, she was convinced that you had the voice of an angel and could potentially succeed Madame herself someday.

As much as you were grateful for her support and encouragement, there was just no way you could convince the other costars and the higher-ups from the theatre. You were just a mere ordinary girl who danced with a group of backup dancers in all of the shows. There was no way the theatre owners, Mr Arnaud and Mr Arquette, would allow a minor cast like you to take over the grand performance for tonight.

Before you could shut down Avaleigh’s crazy idea, you were shoved to the middle of the stage as she stomped the ground and cleared her throat as loudly as possible to get everyone’s attention.

God no, Avaleigh.

“Everyone, may I have your attention, please? I believe my friend, Y/N, has the perfect solution to resolve this mess we are in now.”

She then looks at you with glistening eyes as if she were a girl who had just gotten her favourite candy at the candy store, waiting for you to speak up.

Hesitating for a moment, you decided just to give it a shot. It didn’t matter if everyone thought it ridiculous, but it was your only chance to prove that you were a very talented soprano.

‘I… I volunteer! To step in and fulfill Madame’s role.”

There was a moment of silence, where everyone had their eyes fully on you and stared at you in a very confused manner. Seconds later, a huge laughter would erupt in the hall—causing everyone to laugh at your ridiculous offer.

“Don’t be silly, miss Y/N. You are just a backup dancer and nothing more.” Mr Arnaud chuckled as he was on the verge of having tears in his eyes while taking one of his napkins from his back pocket to wipe his eyes dry.

However, Avaleigh was not going to back down from this. “I’m sure if you all hear her sing, you will most definitely change your mind and give her a chance.”

That has intrigued both Mr Arnaud and Mr Arquette, and they decided to spare at least the next five minutes just for you to portray your so-called capable talent to the crew.

Rubbing your hands nervously together, you decided to speak up. “I… umm… can sing this one song I wrote not too long ago if that is okay for you, Mr Arnaud and Arquette?”

When both men nodded their heads and gave you permission to take over the stage, you straightened your back and cleared your throat.

It was now or never.

Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try. When you find that, once again, you long to take your heart back and be free if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me.

Your voice first began a little more shaky than you expected, but as soon as you got the hang of it, you decided to press on and continue with the song.

We never said our love was evergreen, or as unchanging as the sea but if you can still remember stop and think of me.

As you approach the second verse, you regain the confidence you once were proud of when you performed on stage. With that, you finally felt relief and eased your tension away as you fully immersed yourself in the song and truly enjoyed the moment.

Think of all the things we've shared and seen don't think about the way things might have been.

Your voice filled the entire opera house and has definitely left all of your costars and owners' jaws wide open. Who would have expected a backup dancer like you, who always played minor roles in all of the performances, to possess such an angelic voice?

It was as if your voice would melt the hearts of those who listened, and now they finally get to witness how the “outstanding actress of the season” from Conservatoire de Paris truly shone her brightest when she was on stage.

Just as you were about to reach the final verse, the door to the hall slammed open, and it would be the person you have been longing to see.

It’s Sangyeon. Here in the flesh, right in front of your eyes. He’s back.

Seeing this as an opportunity, you decided to sing the very last verse dedicated to him as he made his way towards the stage, you tried your best to fight back the tears that were now forming in your eyes.

Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me, trying too hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do there will never be a day, when I won't think of you.

With that, he finally got himself up to the stage and gently embraced you, where your tears finally steamed down on your face. It was this scent that you missed, and so was his warm hugs that would always seem to take all of your problems away.

In return, you received a huge applause from your costars as they cheered for you. One of the owners, Mr Arnaud, then approaches you.

“Well, Y/N. You surely have outdone yourself. And I am pleased to pass on the role of Madame Indivus to you for tonight’s opening performance.”

Having no time to waste, both Mr Arnaud and Arquette clapped their hands together to get everyone back to their positions, seemingly trying their best to get their feet back into the final rehearsal before the audience arrived and filled the place up.

You then felt a set of fingers lift your chin and redirect you to look in the direction of the love of your life, and it was that smile of his that made your tears start to reform once again in your eyes.

“You finally did it, Y/N. Your very first major role in the opera house. I am beyond proud of you, my love.” He then leans in to place a quick peck on your lips, knowing that as much as you both would like to rekindle and savour more of those kisses, there were more pressing matters.

Before breaking off the embrace, you gave a little bop on his nose with your delicate fingers.

“You sure know how to make an entrance, young man, for that song was written and dedicated just for you.”

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