Brandy Norwood - Wikipedia. Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 1. Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress.[1] Born into a musical family in Mc. Comb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, she began her career as a child and performed as a backing vocalist for teen groups. In 1. 99. 3, Norwood signed with Atlantic Records. The following year, she released her self- titled debut album, which was certified quadruple Platinum in the US, selling six million copies worldwide.

The flat on the third floor of a Bauhaus building in Tel Aviv was where my grandparents lived since they immigrated to Palestine in the. Mediagazer presents the day's must-read media news on a single page. The Hollywood Reporter is your source for breaking news about Hollywood and entertainment, including movies, TV, reviews and industry blogs. Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born into a musical.

Name: Lucas E-mail: Date: 10/15/17. Dear Josh : The other day, after I pointed out that Harvey Weinstein's. · · http:// As long as trolls are still trolling, the Rick will never stop rolling. Guordan Banks. Banks has an impressive history as a songwriter -- you'll find his credits on John Legend's Love in the Future and Keyshia Cole's Woman to Woman -- and. Lisa Marie Presley is inching ever closer to speaking publicly about leaving Scientology. And yesterday, she seemed to take a pretty big move in that direction. In.

Norwood starred in the UPN sitcom Moesha as the title character, which lasted six seasons and resulted in numerous other roles. She resumed her music career in 1. R& B contemporary Monica, "The Boy Is Mine", which went on to become the best selling female duet of all time, and one of the longest running number one singles in history.

Her second album, Never Say Never, sold 1. Norwood her first Grammy Award.

This launched her into international stardom, with films, endorsements, sold out concert tours, and her own line of Barbie dolls. Throughout the 2. Norwood held a precarious position in the pop industry. In 2. 00. 2, she starred in the reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, documenting the birth of her daughter.

Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2. Afrodisiac (2. 00. She served as a judge on the first season of America's Got Talent before being involved in a widely publicized car accident in 2. After several lawsuits stemming from the accident, Norwood's fifth album, Human (2. In the 2. 01. 0s, Norwood received a critical and commercial resurgence. In 2. 01. 0, she returned to television as a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars and starred in the reality series Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business.

In 2. 01. 2 she became a series regular in the BET series The Game, and released her sixth album Two Eleven to critical praise. In April 2. 01. 5, Norwood made her Broadway debut in the musical Chicago. She starred in and executive produced a new sitcom Zoe Ever After on the BET network in January 2. Throughout her career, she has sold over 4. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists Norwood as one of the top selling artists in the United States, with 1. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, one American Music Award, and seven Billboard Music Awards.

She has become known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice- layering, and intricate riffs, which has earned her the nickname 'The Vocal Bible' from industry peers and critics.[4]Early life. Norwood was born on February 1. Mc. Comb, Mississippi, the daughter of Willie Norwood, a former gospel singer and choir director, and his wife, Sonja Norwood (née Bates), a former district manager for H& R Block.[5] She is the older sister of entertainer Ray J, as well as a cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg and WWE wrestler Sasha Banks.[6][7][8] Raised in a Christian home, Norwood started singing through her father's work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospelsolo at the age of two.[9] In 1. Los Angeles, California, where Norwood was schooled at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center.[1.

Norwood's interest in music and performing increased after becoming a fan of singer Whitney Houston at the age of seven,[1. Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and, as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions.[1. In 1. 99. 0, her talent led to a contract with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who gave her work as a backing vocalist for their R& B boy band Immature, and arranged the production of a demo tape.[1. In 1. 99. 3, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with the Atlantic Recording Corporation after auditioning for the company's director of A& R Darryl Williams.[1. To manage her daughter, Norwood's mother soon resigned from her job,[1. Norwood herself dropped out of Hollywood High School later, and was tutored privately from tenth grade on.[1. During the early production stages of her debut album, Norwood was selected for a role in the ABC sitcom Thea, portraying the daughter of a single mother played by comedian Thea Vidale.[9] Initially broadcast to high ratings, the series' viewership dwindled and ended up running for only one season, but earned her a Young Artists Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Ensemble alongside her co- stars.[1.

Norwood recalled that she appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time, and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album. She stated, "I felt bad for everybody else but me. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing."[1. Career. 19. 94–1. Brandy and Moesha.

Williams hired producer Keith Crouch and R& B group Somethin' for the People to work with Norwood, and within eight months the team crafted Brandy.[1. A collection of street- oriented rhythm- and- blues with a hip hop edge,[1. Norwood later summed up the songs on the album as young and vulnerable, stating, "I didn’t really know a lot—all I wanted to do was basically sing. You can just tell that it’s a person singing from a genuine place, and also a place of basically no experience.

I was singing about being attracted to the opposite sex, but I had no experience behind it."[1. Released in September 1. U. S. Billboard 2. Critical reaction to Brandy was generally positive, with All. Music writer Eddie Huffman declaring Brandy "a lower- key Janet Jackson or a more stripped- down Mary J. Blige [..] with good songs and crisp production."[1.

Anderson Jones of Entertainment Weekly asserted, "Teen actress Norwood acts her age. A premature effort at best, that seems based on the philosophy 'If Aaliyah can do it, why can't I?'."[2. Brandy went on to sell over six million copies worldwide,[2. Billboard Hot 1. 00, including "I Wanna Be Down" and "Baby", both of which reached the top of the Hot R& B Singles chart and were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[2.

Brokenhearted", a duet with Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men, became a number- two hit on the charts.[1. The album earned Norwood two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R& B Vocal Performance the following year, and won her four Soul Train Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, and the New York Children's Choice Award.[1.

In 1. 99. 5, she finished a two- month stint as the opening act on Boyz II Men's national tour,[2. Batman Forever and Waiting to Exhale, with the single "Sittin' Up in My Room" becoming another top- two success.[1. In 1. 99. 6, Norwood also collaborated with Tamia, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight on the single "Missing You", released from the soundtrack of the F.

Gary Gray film Set It Off. The single won her a third Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.[1. In 1. 99. 6, her short- lived engagement on Thea led Norwood to star in her own show, the UPN- produced sitcom Moesha. Appearing alongside William Allen Young and Sheryl Lee Ralph, she played the title role of Moesha Mitchell, a Los Angeles girl coping with a stepmother as well as the pressures and demands of becoming an adult.[2. Originally bought by CBS, the program debuted on UPN in January 1. While the sitcom managed to increase its audience every new season and spawned a spin- off titled The Parkers, the network decided to cancel the show after six seasons on the air, leaving it ending with a cliffhanger for a scrapped seventh season.[2. Norwood was awarded an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress for her performance.[1.

In 1. 99. 7, Brandy, Ray J, and their parents started The Norwood Kids Foundation, which helps disadvantaged, at- risk youths in Los Angeles and Mississippi through the arts and self- help programs.[2. Never Say Never, film career, and Full Moon.

The Hobbit (film series) - Wikipedia. This article is about the film franchise released between 2. For other films based on The Hobbit, see Middle- earth in film. The Hobbit is a film series consisting of three high fantasyadventure films directed by Peter Jackson. They are based on the 1.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, with large portions of the trilogy inspired by the appendices to The Return of the King, which expand on the story told in The Hobbit, as well as new material and characters written especially for the films. Together they act as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The films are subtitled An Unexpected Journey (2. The Desolation of Smaug (2.

The Battle of the Five Armies (2. The screenplay was written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, who was originally chosen to direct before his departure from the project. The films take place in the fictional world of Middle- earth sixty years before the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, and follow hobbit. Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is convinced by the wizard. Gandalf the Grey (Ian Mc.

Kellen) to accompany thirteen dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon. Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). The films also expand upon certain elements from the novel and other source material, such as Gandalf's investigation at Dol Guldur, and the pursuit of Azog and Bolg, who seek vengeance against Thorin and his ancestors. The films feature an ensemble cast that also includes James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace and Luke Evans, with several actors reprising their roles from The Lord of the Rings, including Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis. The films also feature Manu Bennett, Sylvester Mc.

Coy, Stephen Fry, Mikael Persbrandt, Barry Humphries, and Lawrence Makoare. Also returning for production, among others, were illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee, art director Dan Hennah, cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, and composer Howard Shore, while props were again crafted by Weta Workshop, with visual effects managed by Weta Digital. The first film in the series premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand on 2. November 2. 01. 2.

One hundred thousand people lined the red carpet on Courtenay Place, and the entire event was broadcast live on television in New Zealand and streamed over the Internet. The second film of the series premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on 2 December 2. The third and final film premiered at Leicester Square in London on 1 December 2. The series was a major financial success, with the films classified as one of the highest- grossing film series of all time, going on to outgross The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Although critically considered to be inferior to The Lord of the Rings, it was nominated for various awards and won several, though not as many as its predecessor.[6][7][8]Development[edit]First stages of development[edit]Jackson and Walsh originally expressed interest in filming The Hobbit in 1. The Lord of the Rings).

Frustration arose when Jackson's producer, Harvey Weinstein, discovered that Saul Zaentz had production rights to The Hobbit, but that distribution rights still belonged to United Artists (which had kept those rights, believing that filmmakers would prefer to adapt The Hobbit rather than The Lord of the Rings).[1. The United Artists studio and its parent corporation Metro- Goldwyn- Mayer was for sale in 2. Weinstein's attempts to buy the movie rights from the studio were unsuccessful. Weinstein asked Jackson to press on with adapting The Lord of the Rings. Ultimately, The Lord of the Rings was produced by New Line Cinema, not the Weinsteins, and their rights to film The Hobbit were set to expire in 2. In September 2. 00. Metro- Goldwyn- Mayer expressed interest in teaming up with New Line and Jackson to make The Hobbit.[1.

In March 2. 00. 5, Jackson launched a lawsuit against New Line, claiming he had lost revenue from merchandising, video and computer games releases associated with The Fellowship of the Ring.[1. He did not seek a specific settlement, but requested an audit to see whether New Line had withheld money owed him.[1. Although Jackson wanted it settled before he would make the film,[1. New Line would still let him make The Hobbit.[1. New Line co- founder Robert Shaye was annoyed with the lawsuit and said in January 2. Jackson would never again direct a film for New Line, accusing him of being greedy.[1. MGM boss Harry Sloan halted development, as he wanted Jackson to be involved.[1.

By August, after a string of flops, Shaye tried to repair his relationship with the director. He said, "I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way in The Hobbit."[1. The following month, New Line was fined $1.

On 1. 6 December 2. New Line and MGM announced that Jackson would be executive producer of The Hobbit and its sequel. The two studios would co- finance the film and the latter studio (via 2.

Century Fox) would distribute the film outside North America—New Line's first ever such deal with another major studio.[1. Watch Pete Smalls Is Dead Online Free 2016 more. Each film's budget was estimated at US$1. US$9. 4 million budget for each of the films in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. After completion of the merger of New Line Cinema with Warner Bros.

February 2. 00. 8, the two parts were announced as scheduled for release in December 2. Producer Mark Ordesky, the executive producer of The Lord of the Rings, planned to return to supervise the prequels.[2.

Jackson explained he chose not to direct because it would have been unsatisfying to compete with his previous films.[2. In February 2. 00. Tolkien Estate (through The Tolkien Trust, a British charity) and Harper.

Collins Publishers filed a suit against New Line for breach of contract and fraud and demanded $2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The suit claimed New Line had only paid the Estate an upfront fee of $6.

The suit claimed the Estate was entitled to 7. Tolkien films, as established by prior deals. The suit also sought to block the filming of The Hobbit. The suit was settled in September 2.

However the Tolkien Trust's 2. New Line Cinema of £2. US$3. 8 million). This amount was the Trust's estimated share in respect of the gross profit participation due for the films based on "The Lord of the Rings".[2. Christopher Tolkien said: "The trustees regret that legal action was necessary but are glad that this dispute has been settled on satisfactory terms that will allow the Tolkien Trust properly to pursue its charitable objectives. The trustees acknowledge that New Line may now proceed with its proposed film of The Hobbit."[2.

Development with del Toro[edit]Guillermo del Toro was originally set to direct the film, but left because of ongoing delays. Jackson stated that del Toro's "creative DNA" would remain in the scripts and designs. Despite the legal suits, development proceeded and in April 2. Guillermo del Toro was hired to direct the film. Del Toro has said he was a fan of Jackson's trilogy and had discussed directing a film adaptation of Halo with him in 2. Watch Complete Savages Full Episodes Online. Though that project stalled, they kept in contact.[2. In a 2. 00. 6 interview, del Toro was quoted saying "I don't like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits, [..] I don't like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff".[2.

After he signed on to direct in April 2. Del Toro posted on The. One. Ring. net forums that he had been enchanted by The Hobbit as a child, but found that Tolkien's other books "contain[ed] geography and genealogy too complex for my prepubescent brain". In taking the job of director, del Toro was now "reading like a madman to catch up with a whole new land, a continent of sorts—a cosmology created by brilliant philologist turned Shaman".