Newspaper Page Text
Ask
American
Profile,.
Q Can you give me a brief
history of Roy Orbison’s life?
—Kristi K., Colorado
Bom in Vernon, Texas (pop. 11,660),
on April 23, 1936, Orbison remains
one of the most influential men in
rock music history. During the 19605,
he celebrated a four-year run of hits,
including Crying, Pretty Paper, Blue
Bayou and Dream Baby , which made
him the top-selling act in the nation.
His biggest hit was 1964 s Oh, Pretty Woman. However, he found
as much tragedy as fame. His first wife, Claudette, died in a
motorcycle accident in 1966, and two of their three sons perished
in a fire two years later. The singer died of heart failure at age 52
during a comeback with the Traveling Wilburys in 1988.
Orbison is survived by his wife, Barbara, whom he married in
1969, and their sons, Roy Jr. and Alex, as well as son Wesley’,
whom he had with Claudette. Barbara now devotes her days to
keeping the music of Orbison alive. Upcoming projects include
three new DVD releases and a duets project.
Q What are the Oak Ridge Boys doing now?
—Ralph L., Kentucky
Individually the four members of The Oak Ridge Boys have their
own interests: Joe Bonsall is a writer, whose most recent books are
An Inconvenient Christmas , a children's story, and The Oak Ridge Boys:
An American Journey, an anecdotal history of the group since the
19705. William Lee Golden paints, while Duane Allen is a music
producer. Richard Sterban is part-owner of a minor league baseball
team. But as The Oak Ridge Boys, they’re singing, just as they
have been for decades, performing about 170 shows a year across
the country. Their most recent album is called The Journey. "We
love doing this, that's obvious," Bonsall says,
explaining their longevity. “God blessed us
with good health, so were
>rr Mn ftww
a Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation
Sunday Jan 30 9/Bcs I
Rock ‘n’ Roil HaH of Famer Roy Orbison
‘heMagiCsSK
Ordinary Days
feeling good—and singing good! But we also have the
opportunity to make new music, and that keeps you
excited.”
Q One of my favorite Western-comedy
movies is 1974’s My Name Is Nobody, starring
Henry Fonda and Terence Hill. Did Terence
Hill star in any other movies?
—Debbie R., New Mexico
He most certainly did. Bom Mario Girotti in Venice,
Italy, Hill has a slew of European-made films to his cred
it, in addition to two Hollywood films, March or Die and
Mister Billion. He began acting at age 12 and had 25 films
to his credit by 1963, when he landed a role opposite Burt
Lancaster in The Leopard.
A few years later, the
Italian-made films known as
"spaghetti Westerns” became popular,
and he got a role in one, God Forgives,
I Don’t. After changing his name to a
more American-sounding one, Hill
went on to star in Ace High, Boot Hill
and the comedic Western They Call
Me Trinity and its sequel, Trinity 1 Is My
Name. “Cowboys have an adventurous
side to their personality,” Hill says of
the Westerns appeal. “That’s what I
look for in every character I play, since
the times of Trinity." Hill, who has a
TV series in Italy and also works as a
film producer, lives with his wife,
Lori, in Massachusetts.
Q Can you tell me about the great character actor
J.K. Simmons of TV’s Oil
—Dave F., Missouri
Jonathan Kimble Simmons, bom in Detroit on Jan. 9, 1955, has
been lucky enough to split his career between quality television and
films. Besides Oz, his TV series credits include Law & Order —his
recurring character Dr. Emil Skoda has appeared on several of the
series’ spin-offs — and The D.A. He’s also starred in commercials for
Norelco razors and provided the voice of the yellow M&M. But his
films (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and The Ladykillers) have especially
distinguished him. The University of Montana graduate is married
to Os actress Michelle Schumacher.
* Cover photo by David Mudd
We want to know what you think
Become a member of our American Profile Online Reader Advisory
Panel, it’s an easy way for you to tell us about features, stories and ideas
to help us produce the best magazine we can.
To become a member, log on to http://www.americanpnrfile.com/panel.
®CBS
cbscom
♦nobody, bi t j
. TIOB(H>Y. KNOWS
THE TROUBLE
TZ, At
~ * T
4 <•
S£R(jlo LEONE «**sin*s
* henr> roue a
Ks RENCE MiiL .s '+-mexrr- .
A,..., -
“MY NAME IS NOBODY’
MTV ftOKRT OUSUSWS. WOO—OU KLAUS KMSXZ
PATWCK MCOOOWWc JtAM MART*. *4*o f)OA
A poster for My Name is Nobody
■
Celebrating Hometown Life
PRESIDENT & CEO
Richard G. Porter
PUBLISHER
Tracey Altman
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Charlie Cox
Senior Editor: Stuart Englert
Editor: Richard McVey
Entertainment Editor: Beverly Keel
Assistant Editor Candace Floyd
Art Director Brenan Sharp
Photo Editor: David Mudd
Production Manager Sam Payne
Traffic Coordinator: Susan fisher
Manager of Internet Content Matt Johnston
ADVERTISING SALES
New York I-800-716-6271
Los Angeles I-800-716-6271
Chicago 1-800-708-5669
Detroit 1-866-773-0388
Nashville I -800-720-6323
Director of Marketing
Jeff Dunetz
Direct Response Advertising
Katherine Zito,
David Geller Associates, Inc.
1-877-543-5537
CIRCULATION SALES
Vice President/Publisher Relations: Jerry Lyles
Regional Circulation Directors:
Sandi Baylis, Stephen Dorris, Mike Gardner,
Chris Kreidel
Nashville 1-800-720-6323
CORPORATE AND EDITORIAL OFFICES
Nashville 615-468-6000
PUBLISHING GROUP OF AMERICA
President & CEO
Richard G. Porter
Chief Financial Officer & COO
Stephen C. Duggan
Vice President/Controller
Greg Coble
Network Administrator: Mike Olin
www.imericinpro4Be.com
PUBLISHING GROUP
OF AMERICA
American Profile is published by: Publishing Group of
America. 341 Cool Springs Boulevard Suite 400. Franklin.
Tennessee 37067 Phone: 1-800-720-6323. Mail editorial
queries and contributions to Editor. American Profile.
341 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400. Franklin. TN 37067.
Publishing Group of America, Inc. will not be responsible
for unsolicited materials, and cannot guarantee the
return of any materials submitted to it.
©2005 Publishing Group of America. Inc.
American Profile™ is a trademark of Publishing Group of
America. Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or
part of any article, photograph, or other portion of this
magazine without the express written permission of
Publishing Group of America. Inc. is prohibited.