Sunday, March 04, 2007

Top 5 Music n' Movie Stars

"Play it again, Sam..."
Here are the finest five.

5) Bing Crosby
The first person ever to receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bing Crosby was the pioneer of genre blending. He was the vessel where jazz, pop and swing styles became one. His "smoothness" became a trademark for many to follow. An enterpreneur when it comes to multimedia stardom, he was on top of the game for 50 years. He received a Best Actor Academy Award for Going My Way, only one of his 88 film appearances. Tonny Bennett once stated "Bing created a culture. He contributed more to popular music than any other person - he moulded popular music".

4) Elvis Presley
The King is alive, at least to the heart of the fans. 500 fan clubs in the US, thousands of Elvis impersonators, hundreds of Elvis books, Graceland, 32 movies and millions of album sales. The Hilbilly Cat didn't change Pop Culture, he's the embodiment of Pop Culture. His movies were always meant to exploit his popularity, which led to a series of musicals and beach movies, a "pantheon of bad taste" according to film critics. Typecasted and over-exposed, Elvis was trapped in the lonely world of stardom, and retired before he was given a chance to seek more diverse roles. Still, his movies created a genre of their own, which puts him in 4th place.

3) Cher
The diva with over 100 million sold albums, Oscar and Grammy winner, three times Golden Globe winner, 26 released albums and numerous plastic surgeries, one can't but admire her career spanning over 40 years. Her acting skills became known to the world when she starred along with hubbie in "Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour". She has collaborated with Robert Altman, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, Jack Nicholson and Peter Bogdanovich, among others. Moonstruck gave her a golden baldie, "Believe" gave her worldwide fame. Her own Las Vegas show is soon to come, while In The Pink will unite her with Tim Allen, Bette Midler and Britney Spears.

2) Barbra Streisand
Two Oscars, four Emmys, eight Grammys, nine Golden Globes and a Tony award, there's nothing the ugly duckling hasn't accomplished. Her 1993 concert was named The Music Event Of The Century by Time Magazine. She has worked with Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier, while she had the guts to start her own production company and write, produce, direct and star twice in Yentl and The Prince Of Tides, both critically acclaimed. She's the living proof that talent overshadows looks, when it comes to art.

1) Frank Sinatra
Ol' Blue Eyes' career spans seven decades, 250 million album sales and 66 film appearances, but Frankie's influence in the business can't be measured in numbers. The Voice worked with RKO and MGM in his early years, winning critical and audience acclaim. A best suppoting actor academy award for From Here To Eternity established him in the industry, while The Manchurian Candidate is considered his finest performance. Las Vegas would soon open its arms, while the Rat Pack would boost his career to new levels. He had collaborated with an endless list of movie legends, from Shirley MacLaine to Faye Danaway. He represents the golden era of Hollywood, and the smooth years of pop and jazz music. His legacy will live forever.

Contenders
Though many have suceeded, few can be considered. Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Judy Garland, Will Smith, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx and Meat Loaf are the only ones who could compete for the fifth place. Bjork, Sting, David Bowie, Eminem, Mick Jagger, Mark Wahlberg, Jack Black, Mandy Moore and Ice Cube either don't have that much experience in one of two fields, or they're terrible at it. What's left, is an endless list of talented and talentless wannabes, that have much to prove in the future. Queen Latifah, Ice T, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, 50 cent, Britney Spears and many more are expected to fade out , while we're meant to be hearing a lot of Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Mos Def in the future. Also, honorary mention for 2pac and Aaliyah.