# processed_career_life_2_para_df_m

name: Christopher Kimball
first_name: Christopher
last_name: Kimball
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
After graduating from Columbia, he went to work with his stepbrother in a publishing company. Soon after, he worked for The Center for Direct Marketing in Westport, Connecticut and also started taking cooking courses. After securing $100,000 in angel investments from friends and family, he started Cook’s Magazine from a tiny office in Weston, Connecticut in 1980 when he was 29 years old. He sold the magazine to the Bonnier Group in 1989 and moved on to other publishing ventures. Kimball was a co-founder and has been editor and publisher of America's Test Kitchen, which produces television and radio shows, and publishes magazines, including Cook's Illustrated, which Kimball launched in 1993. It also publishes Cook's Country magazine, which was launched in 2004,. The company's revenue comes from its readers, rather than advertisers, which differentiates them from the competitors. Its cookbook publisher division is Two Pigs Farm. Boston Common Press, a private partnership between Kimball, Eliot Wadsworth II, and George P. Denny III, owned Kimball's publishing activities. Kimball also hosted the syndicated Public Television cooking shows America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen. On November 16, 2015, a news release from Boston Common Press, parent company of Cooks Country/Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen, announced the departure of Christopher Kimball. The 2016 TV programs had already been filmed and Kimball appeared as host, but his direct participation in the company ended immediately. He remained a minority stockholder until 2019 when he sold his shares back to the company as part of a lawsuit settlement. In 2016, he created Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, located on Milk Street in Boston, Massachusetts. On October 31, 2016, Boston Common Press (the parent company of America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated) filed a lawsuit against Kimball in Suffolk Superior Court, claiming that Kimball "literally and conceptually ripped off" his former employer. In the lawsuit, Boston Common Press claims Kimball built his new venture while still on their payroll, using company resources in the form of recipes and databases to help shape Milk Street Kitchen into a direct competitor. The lawsuit was settled in August 2019. He was further sued by his ex-wife Adrienne, alleging his departure from Cook's Illustrated devalued the company and affected his payments to her. He is the author of The Cook's Bible, The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook, Dear Charlie, The Dessert Bible and Fannie's Last Supper, and is a columnist for the New York Daily News and the Boston-based Tab Communications. Other television appearances include This Old House and the morning shows Weekend Today and The Early Show. He is a regular contributor on National Public Radio. On January 8, 2011, Kimball began hosting WGBH-FM's America's Test Kitchen Radio distributed by PRX.

personal_sec:
He has been married three times. He had a son and three daughters with his second wife, Adrienne. They divorced in December 2012. On June 30, 2013, Kimball married Melissa Lee Baldino, executive producer of the America's Test Kitchen television show. She is now co-founder of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. Their son, Oliver Kimball, was born on May 4, 2017.  A daughter, Rike, was born in 2019.

info:
After graduating from Columbia, he went to work with his stepbrother in a publishing company. Soon after, he worked for The Center for Direct Marketing in Westport, Connecticut and also started taking cooking courses. After securing $100,000 in angel investments from friends and family, he started Cook’s Magazine from a tiny office in Weston, Connecticut in 1980 when he was 29 years old. He sold the magazine to the Bonnier Group in 1989 and moved on to other publishing ventures. Kimball was a co-founder and has been editor and publisher of America's Test Kitchen, which produces television and radio shows, and publishes magazines, including Cook's Illustrated, which Kimball launched in 1993. It also publishes Cook's Country magazine, which was launched in 2004,. The company's revenue comes from its readers, rather than advertisers, which differentiates them from the competitors. Its cookbook publisher division is Two Pigs Farm. Boston Common Press, a private partnership between Kimball, Eliot Wadsworth II, and George P. Denny III, owned Kimball's publishing activities. Kimball also hosted the syndicated Public Television cooking shows America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen. On November 16, 2015, a news release from Boston Common Press, parent company of Cooks Country/Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen, announced the departure of Christopher Kimball. The 2016 TV programs had already been filmed and Kimball appeared as host, but his direct participation in the company ended immediately. He remained a minority stockholder until 2019 when he sold his shares back to the company as part of a lawsuit settlement. In 2016, he created Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, located on Milk Street in Boston, Massachusetts. On October 31, 2016, Boston Common Press (the parent company of America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated) filed a lawsuit against Kimball in Suffolk Superior Court, claiming that Kimball "literally and conceptually ripped off" his former employer. In the lawsuit, Boston Common Press claims Kimball built his new venture while still on their payroll, using company resources in the form of recipes and databases to help shape Milk Street Kitchen into a direct competitor. The lawsuit was settled in August 2019. He was further sued by his ex-wife Adrienne, alleging his departure from Cook's Illustrated devalued the company and affected his payments to her. He is the author of The Cook's Bible, The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook, Dear Charlie, The Dessert Bible and Fannie's Last Supper, and is a columnist for the New York Daily News and the Boston-based Tab Communications. Other television appearances include This Old House and the morning shows Weekend Today and The Early Show. He is a regular contributor on National Public Radio. On January 8, 2011, Kimball began hosting WGBH-FM's America's Test Kitchen Radio distributed by PRX.He has been married three times. He had a son and three daughters with his second wife, Adrienne. They divorced in December 2012. On June 30, 2013, Kimball married Melissa Lee Baldino, executive producer of the America's Test Kitchen television show. She is now co-founder of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. Their son, Oliver Kimball, was born on May 4, 2017.  A daughter, Rike, was born in 2019.


name: John La Puma
first_name: John
last_name: Puma
gender: M
personal_sec: La Puma resides in Santa Barbara, California.
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
La Puma taught in Chicago at Kendall College as a professor of nutrition.  While serving as a professor and practicing medicine, he also cooked with chef Rick Bayless at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago weekly for four years. La Puma would later found CHEF Clinic, the Cooking, Healthy Eating and Fitness, program to prevent and treat obesity, maintain weight loss and measurably promote wellness.  He is co-founder of ChefMDR, a health and media company, and founder of CHEF ClinicR, GlutenFreeQuiz for celiac disease screening and Do You Need More Nature? for nature deficit disorder.  The first physician to teach cooking and nutrition in a U.S. medical school, he has authored over 250 original publications, book chapters, abstracts and books. His research interests include weight control, nature deficit disorder, food as medicine, employee wellness, stress management and medical ethics. His first book for the general public, written with Dr. Michael Roizen, The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat (April 2001) reached The New York Times Bestseller List. His cookbook is Cooking the RealAge Way (May 2003), co-authored with Dr. Roizen. Dr. La Puma contributed recipes to The New York Times Bestseller YOU: The Owner’s Manual (May 2005), co-authored by Drs. Roizen and Mehmet Oz. His ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine (April 2008) reached The New York Times Bestseller List in October 2008. In it, La Puma describes the new field of culinary medicine (the art of cooking integrated with the science of medicine), taught in 22 U.S. medical schools by 2016 , and its application to 40 common health conditions. He next wrote Refuel: A 24 Day Eating Plan (January 2014) to help men learn how food works in their bodies and how to boost lower testosterone without medication. He gave TEDx and TEDMED talks (in 2011 and 2014, respectively) on culinary medicine and in 2019 recorded GreenRx, a mini docuseries on nature therapy for anxiety, addiction and well-being.

info:
La Puma taught in Chicago at Kendall College as a professor of nutrition.  While serving as a professor and practicing medicine, he also cooked with chef Rick Bayless at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago weekly for four years. La Puma would later found CHEF Clinic, the Cooking, Healthy Eating and Fitness, program to prevent and treat obesity, maintain weight loss and measurably promote wellness.  He is co-founder of ChefMDR, a health and media company, and founder of CHEF ClinicR, GlutenFreeQuiz for celiac disease screening and Do You Need More Nature? for nature deficit disorder.  The first physician to teach cooking and nutrition in a U.S. medical school, he has authored over 250 original publications, book chapters, abstracts and books. His research interests include weight control, nature deficit disorder, food as medicine, employee wellness, stress management and medical ethics. His first book for the general public, written with Dr. Michael Roizen, The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat (April 2001) reached The New York Times Bestseller List. His cookbook is Cooking the RealAge Way (May 2003), co-authored with Dr. Roizen. Dr. La Puma contributed recipes to The New York Times Bestseller YOU: The Owner’s Manual (May 2005), co-authored by Drs. Roizen and Mehmet Oz. His ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine (April 2008) reached The New York Times Bestseller List in October 2008. In it, La Puma describes the new field of culinary medicine (the art of cooking integrated with the science of medicine), taught in 22 U.S. medical schools by 2016 , and its application to 40 common health conditions. He next wrote Refuel: A 24 Day Eating Plan (January 2014) to help men learn how food works in their bodies and how to boost lower testosterone without medication. He gave TEDx and TEDMED talks (in 2011 and 2014, respectively) on culinary medicine and in 2019 recorded GreenRx, a mini docuseries on nature therapy for anxiety, addiction and well-being.La Puma resides in Santa Barbara, California.


name: Emeril Lagasse
first_name: Emeril
last_name: Lagasse
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Lagasse graduated from the culinary school JWU in 1978 and became Executive Chef at the Dunfey's Hyannis Resort in 1979. He was nominated as Chef of the Year in 1983. In 1982 Lagasse succeeded Paul Prudhomme as executive chef of Commander's Palace in New Orleans under Richard Brennan, Sr. He led the kitchen there for seven and a half years before leaving to open his own restaurant. In 1990 he opened Emeril's in New Orleans. It was designated "Restaurant of the Year" in Esquire magazine that year, and has been a recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1999. Many of his restaurants, as well as his corporate office, Emeril's Homebase, are located in New Orleans. In August 2006 Lagasse contributed several recipes to the meal selection aboard the International Space Station, as part of a general NASA effort to improve the quality of the food supply for astronauts. Lagasse's cuisine in particular was selected in the hopes that the spicier fare would offset the reported tendency of microgravity to deaden flavors. Lagasse is the executive chef and proprietor of thirteen restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

personal_sec:
Lagasse met his first wife, Elizabeth Kief, while working at the Venus De Milo Restaurant in Swansea, Massachusetts to pay his way through school. After Kief and Lagasse divorced, Lagasse married a second time to a fashion designer, Tari Hohn, but that too ended in divorce. Lagasse was married a third time on May 13, 2000, to a real estate broker, Alden Lovelace. He and Lovelace had two children. In 2011, Lagasse and his family moved to Destin, Florida. His mother, Hilda Medeiros Lagasse died on August 24, 2016.

info:
Lagasse graduated from the culinary school JWU in 1978 and became Executive Chef at the Dunfey's Hyannis Resort in 1979. He was nominated as Chef of the Year in 1983. In 1982 Lagasse succeeded Paul Prudhomme as executive chef of Commander's Palace in New Orleans under Richard Brennan, Sr. He led the kitchen there for seven and a half years before leaving to open his own restaurant. In 1990 he opened Emeril's in New Orleans. It was designated "Restaurant of the Year" in Esquire magazine that year, and has been a recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1999. Many of his restaurants, as well as his corporate office, Emeril's Homebase, are located in New Orleans. In August 2006 Lagasse contributed several recipes to the meal selection aboard the International Space Station, as part of a general NASA effort to improve the quality of the food supply for astronauts. Lagasse's cuisine in particular was selected in the hopes that the spicier fare would offset the reported tendency of microgravity to deaden flavors. Lagasse is the executive chef and proprietor of thirteen restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.Lagasse met his first wife, Elizabeth Kief, while working at the Venus De Milo Restaurant in Swansea, Massachusetts to pay his way through school. After Kief and Lagasse divorced, Lagasse married a second time to a fashion designer, Tari Hohn, but that too ended in divorce. Lagasse was married a third time on May 13, 2000, to a real estate broker, Alden Lovelace. He and Lovelace had two children. In 2011, Lagasse and his family moved to Destin, Florida. His mother, Hilda Medeiros Lagasse died on August 24, 2016.


name: Dennis Leary
first_name: Dennis
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
In 2005, Dennis Leary started his own restaurant and bar called Canteen, as the sole chef and owner.  The Canteen was an intimate 20-seat restaurant in the Commodore Hotel where Leary prepared nearly every dish in the restaurant. Dennis Leary partnered with Eric Passetti and opened The Sentinel, a sandwich shop downtown San Francisco in 2008. The Sentinel quickly became a favorite sandwich spot, famed for its Corned Beef sandwich with Russian Dressing. They also united to open The Golden West, which serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays. During 2009, Leary and Passetti joined the bar business and opened House of Shields in SoMa.  The House of Shields has been in existence since 1908. Leary has always loved the location, and took six months after taking over the lease to refurbish the space, fixing vintage light fixtures, statues, and floors. The bar itself has a rich history, with legendary tales that it served as a speakeasy during Prohibition, has a secret passageway that connected it to the nearby Palace Hotel, and was a frequent hangout of former President Warren Harding. To keep tradition with the bar's old-school nature, the bar has no clock on premises, nor a T.V. The cocktail concept is classic and high-quality, without a focus on mixology trends or cheeky drink names. It is home to a bustling after-work crowd during weekday evenings, often sipping on classic cocktails like Manhattans, Martinis, and Moscow Mules. Throughout 2013 and 2014, Dennis Leary and Passetti opened up two restaurants in the San Francisco area, Terminus and the Trocadero Club (reopened as RxBar). Terminus serves breakfast and lunch, and provides a catering service.  Leary received the title of Empire Builder of the Year at the 2013 Eater Awards, with his partner Eric Passetti. In July 16, 2014, Leary opened up Natoma Cabana with partner Eric Passetti on Natoma St. Natoma Cabana is set in a former blacksmith's shop.  The interior of the bar dates back to 1913. Leary commissioned local graffiti artist, Ian Ross, to design the front of Natoma Cabana. The large space is decorated with lush tropical foliage and lounge chairs, creating a not-of-this-city atmosphere that references warmer climates. Cocktails include the Caribbean Zone (white rum, passion fruit gum, and lemon), the Whiskey Vic (a take on the Trader Vic's mai tai, made with whiskey), and the Floridian (dark rum, lime, and cane sugar). It also serves as a popular space for private event rentals. Dennis Leary reopened the location of Trocadero Club as RX in November 2014.  Rx is a craft cocktail bar in the Tenderloin. The name comes from the prohibition era, when a doctor's prescription was one's only way to legally access liquor.

personal_sec:
Dennis Leary owns a forty-acre parcel in Capay Valley called Andromeda Farm, and works on it on the weekends. The farm produces vegetables that can be found at Leary's establishments.

info:
In 2005, Dennis Leary started his own restaurant and bar called Canteen, as the sole chef and owner.  The Canteen was an intimate 20-seat restaurant in the Commodore Hotel where Leary prepared nearly every dish in the restaurant. Dennis Leary partnered with Eric Passetti and opened The Sentinel, a sandwich shop downtown San Francisco in 2008. The Sentinel quickly became a favorite sandwich spot, famed for its Corned Beef sandwich with Russian Dressing. They also united to open The Golden West, which serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays. During 2009, Leary and Passetti joined the bar business and opened House of Shields in SoMa.  The House of Shields has been in existence since 1908. Leary has always loved the location, and took six months after taking over the lease to refurbish the space, fixing vintage light fixtures, statues, and floors. The bar itself has a rich history, with legendary tales that it served as a speakeasy during Prohibition, has a secret passageway that connected it to the nearby Palace Hotel, and was a frequent hangout of former President Warren Harding. To keep tradition with the bar's old-school nature, the bar has no clock on premises, nor a T.V. The cocktail concept is classic and high-quality, without a focus on mixology trends or cheeky drink names. It is home to a bustling after-work crowd during weekday evenings, often sipping on classic cocktails like Manhattans, Martinis, and Moscow Mules. Throughout 2013 and 2014, Dennis Leary and Passetti opened up two restaurants in the San Francisco area, Terminus and the Trocadero Club (reopened as RxBar). Terminus serves breakfast and lunch, and provides a catering service.  Leary received the title of Empire Builder of the Year at the 2013 Eater Awards, with his partner Eric Passetti. In July 16, 2014, Leary opened up Natoma Cabana with partner Eric Passetti on Natoma St. Natoma Cabana is set in a former blacksmith's shop.  The interior of the bar dates back to 1913. Leary commissioned local graffiti artist, Ian Ross, to design the front of Natoma Cabana. The large space is decorated with lush tropical foliage and lounge chairs, creating a not-of-this-city atmosphere that references warmer climates. Cocktails include the Caribbean Zone (white rum, passion fruit gum, and lemon), the Whiskey Vic (a take on the Trader Vic's mai tai, made with whiskey), and the Floridian (dark rum, lime, and cane sugar). It also serves as a popular space for private event rentals. Dennis Leary reopened the location of Trocadero Club as RX in November 2014.  Rx is a craft cocktail bar in the Tenderloin. The name comes from the prohibition era, when a doctor's prescription was one's only way to legally access liquor.Dennis Leary owns a forty-acre parcel in Capay Valley called Andromeda Farm, and works on it on the weekends. The farm produces vegetables that can be found at Leary's establishments.


name: Edward Lee
first_name: Edward
gender: M
personal_sec: Lee is married to Kentucky native Dianne Lee. The couple welcomed a baby girl, Arden, in 2013.
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Lee was born on July 2, 1972 and raised in Brooklyn to Korean parents. Lee began cooking at the age of 11 and credits his grandmother with first sparking his interest in food. After graduating magna cum laude with a degree in literature from NYU, Lee began cooking professionally at the age of 22. He traveled to France and toured the US to learn more about different ingredients, cuisines and cooking methods. It was on a trip to the Kentucky Derby in 2001 that he fell in love with Louisville and Southern cooking. He moved to the city in 2002 and began working at 610 Magnolia with former chef/owner Eddie Garber. Lee now owns 610 Magnolia along with four other restaurants; Milkwood and Whiskey Dry in Louisville, and two locations of Succotash, in Washington, D.C. and National Harbor. In 2007, Lee opened a venue for special events called The Wine Studio@610 Magnolia. In 2011, he was one of the 'cheftestants' on season 9 of Top Chef. He won two elimination challenges, and was the twelfth to exit the competition. He was also the host chef featured in the third season of The Mind of a Chef. In 2014, Lee partnered with YouthBuild and IDEAS 40203 to create a culinary training program based in the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville. The program trains youth who may not be able to afford expensive culinary schools with skills in all aspects of the restaurant industry. In 2015, Lee's young chef trainees launched a pop-up diner called Smoke & Soul. Lee has been nominated four times by the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef: Southeast in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2013, he published a cookbook, Smoke and Pickles. The book received positive reviews from food journalists and other chefs including David Chang and Anthony Bourdain. In 2017, Lee was the chef judge for the American adaptation of Culinary Genius. In 2017, Lee founded The LEE Initiative. The LEE (Let’s Empower Employment) Initiative identifies issues surrounding diversity in the restaurant industry and creates solutions to help the restaurant community grow. The initiative includes two programs; Smoke and Soul and Women Chefs in Kentucky.

info:
Lee was born on July 2, 1972 and raised in Brooklyn to Korean parents. Lee began cooking at the age of 11 and credits his grandmother with first sparking his interest in food. After graduating magna cum laude with a degree in literature from NYU, Lee began cooking professionally at the age of 22. He traveled to France and toured the US to learn more about different ingredients, cuisines and cooking methods. It was on a trip to the Kentucky Derby in 2001 that he fell in love with Louisville and Southern cooking. He moved to the city in 2002 and began working at 610 Magnolia with former chef/owner Eddie Garber. Lee now owns 610 Magnolia along with four other restaurants; Milkwood and Whiskey Dry in Louisville, and two locations of Succotash, in Washington, D.C. and National Harbor. In 2007, Lee opened a venue for special events called The Wine Studio@610 Magnolia. In 2011, he was one of the 'cheftestants' on season 9 of Top Chef. He won two elimination challenges, and was the twelfth to exit the competition. He was also the host chef featured in the third season of The Mind of a Chef. In 2014, Lee partnered with YouthBuild and IDEAS 40203 to create a culinary training program based in the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville. The program trains youth who may not be able to afford expensive culinary schools with skills in all aspects of the restaurant industry. In 2015, Lee's young chef trainees launched a pop-up diner called Smoke & Soul. Lee has been nominated four times by the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef: Southeast in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2013, he published a cookbook, Smoke and Pickles. The book received positive reviews from food journalists and other chefs including David Chang and Anthony Bourdain. In 2017, Lee was the chef judge for the American adaptation of Culinary Genius. In 2017, Lee founded The LEE Initiative. The LEE (Let’s Empower Employment) Initiative identifies issues surrounding diversity in the restaurant industry and creates solutions to help the restaurant community grow. The initiative includes two programs; Smoke and Soul and Women Chefs in Kentucky.Lee is married to Kentucky native Dianne Lee. The couple welcomed a baby girl, Arden, in 2013.


name: Glenn Lindgren
first_name: Glenn
last_name: Lindgren
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Lindgren was featured in Keith Famie's Adventures: Miami and South Beach on the Food Network in 2002 and in Tyler's Ultimate: The Ultimate Paella on the Food Network in 2003. He also appeared in Christmas in America: Miami Noche Buena on the Food Network, which originally aired December 14, 2003. Lindgren also appeared on "CBS Sunday Morning" in 2005 and was featured in a Public television documentary, La Cocina Cubana: Secretos de Mi Abuela -- The Cuban Kitchen: My Grandmother's Secrets, which aired May 26, 2005.

personal_sec:
Glenn Lindgren grew up in Minneapolis and first came to Miami in 1984, where he began his studies in Cuban and Latin cuisine.  Glenn Lindgren died while hiking in Minnesota.

info:
Lindgren was featured in Keith Famie's Adventures: Miami and South Beach on the Food Network in 2002 and in Tyler's Ultimate: The Ultimate Paella on the Food Network in 2003. He also appeared in Christmas in America: Miami Noche Buena on the Food Network, which originally aired December 14, 2003. Lindgren also appeared on "CBS Sunday Morning" in 2005 and was featured in a Public television documentary, La Cocina Cubana: Secretos de Mi Abuela -- The Cuban Kitchen: My Grandmother's Secrets, which aired May 26, 2005.Glenn Lindgren grew up in Minneapolis and first came to Miami in 1984, where he began his studies in Cuban and Latin cuisine.  Glenn Lindgren died while hiking in Minnesota.


name: Travis London
first_name: Travis
last_name: London
gender: M
personal_sec: London has dated Rihanna and Mary-Kate Olsen
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
At 16, London began throwing parties for his friends, which eventually landed him on "Page Six" as a "party-going L.A. hipster". By the time he received formal training at the French Culinary Institute, he had secured a food column in OK! Magazine and had prepared dishes for his celebrity friends Justin Timberlake, Mary-Kate Olsen, and former love interest Rihanna" Travis is the founder of Healthy Chic Eats, and regularly appears on the Today Show, Fox and Friends and the Suzanne Somers Show. Travis has been featured in OK! Magazine, Us Weekly, The New York Daily News, The Huffington Post, The Sun Post Weekly, Uptown Magazine, Vibe, Shape, Latina, Cosmopolitan, Venue, and the Miami Herald. Travis is a weekly contributor to OK! Magazine and in 2012 was brand ambassador for X Rated Fusion Liqueur.

info:
At 16, London began throwing parties for his friends, which eventually landed him on "Page Six" as a "party-going L.A. hipster". By the time he received formal training at the French Culinary Institute, he had secured a food column in OK! Magazine and had prepared dishes for his celebrity friends Justin Timberlake, Mary-Kate Olsen, and former love interest Rihanna" Travis is the founder of Healthy Chic Eats, and regularly appears on the Today Show, Fox and Friends and the Suzanne Somers Show. Travis has been featured in OK! Magazine, Us Weekly, The New York Daily News, The Huffington Post, The Sun Post Weekly, Uptown Magazine, Vibe, Shape, Latina, Cosmopolitan, Venue, and the Miami Herald. Travis is a weekly contributor to OK! Magazine and in 2012 was brand ambassador for X Rated Fusion Liqueur.London has dated Rihanna and Mary-Kate Olsen


name: Paul Luna
first_name: Paul
last_name: Luna
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Luna's far-flung career includes work with some of the world's finest chefs in some of the world's most reputed establishments, including Michele Attali at Petrossian in Paris, Terrance Brennan at New York City's Picholine, and Gianni Scappin of BiCE Ristorante, Milan. He also opened and ran successful establishments in Washington, Italy, and Canada. Luna's tenure with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii, gave him the opportunity to lead cooking classes for children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui program.

personal_sec:
Luna was born in the Dominican Republic, and has published a bilingual children's book, "Luna Needs a Miracle/Luna Necesita un Milagro," based on his childhood efforts to learn English.  His wife and partner, public relations and communications strategist Cynthia Thomet, drove with him as he bicycled across the country to promote the book in the fall of 2009.

info:
Luna's far-flung career includes work with some of the world's finest chefs in some of the world's most reputed establishments, including Michele Attali at Petrossian in Paris, Terrance Brennan at New York City's Picholine, and Gianni Scappin of BiCE Ristorante, Milan. He also opened and ran successful establishments in Washington, Italy, and Canada. Luna's tenure with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii, gave him the opportunity to lead cooking classes for children through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui program.Luna was born in the Dominican Republic, and has published a bilingual children's book, "Luna Needs a Miracle/Luna Necesita un Milagro," based on his childhood efforts to learn English.  His wife and partner, public relations and communications strategist Cynthia Thomet, drove with him as he bicycled across the country to promote the book in the fall of 2009.


name: Christopher Maher
first_name: Christopher
last_name: Maher
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
In 1982, Maher moved to Los Angeles to pursue motion-picture roles. He changed his name from Maher Boutros to Christopher Maher.  "I was typecast as a dumb Arab or a bad Arab, one or the other. It depressed me, and I just refused to do any more." He has appeared in feature films and television episodes from Taxi and Hill Street Blues to Law and Order, 24, The West Wing and NCIS. He was in the film Olive, in which he starred with Gena Rowlands. Maher was also recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of the great regional chefs of America and has cooked at the Beard House in New York City. He runs a cooking school called "Cooking Studio Taos" plus natural and organic food venture in Taos.  The food products are sold under the name "Caleb&Milo", named after their two sons. They sell their products in whole food markets and other gourmet markets.

personal_sec:
Maher lives in Taos, New Mexico, where he runs a cooking school called "Cooking Studio Taos" with wife Valerie

info:
In 1982, Maher moved to Los Angeles to pursue motion-picture roles. He changed his name from Maher Boutros to Christopher Maher.  "I was typecast as a dumb Arab or a bad Arab, one or the other. It depressed me, and I just refused to do any more." He has appeared in feature films and television episodes from Taxi and Hill Street Blues to Law and Order, 24, The West Wing and NCIS. He was in the film Olive, in which he starred with Gena Rowlands. Maher was also recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of the great regional chefs of America and has cooked at the Beard House in New York City. He runs a cooking school called "Cooking Studio Taos" plus natural and organic food venture in Taos.  The food products are sold under the name "Caleb&Milo", named after their two sons. They sell their products in whole food markets and other gourmet markets.Maher lives in Taos, New Mexico, where he runs a cooking school called "Cooking Studio Taos" with wife Valerie


name: Wilbur Mitcham
first_name: Wilbur
last_name: Mitcham
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Mitcham returned to Macon and landed a position as a short order cook with Len Berg's Restaurant in 1943.  "Chef", as he was so affectionately known by his constituents and friends, served as the senior chef cook of Len Berg's Restaurant for over 60 years until he took ill.  He cooked for Ben Hogan,  Sam Snead and Joe Dimaggio.

personal_sec:
Mitcham was married for over 60 years to Annie Mae Leonard. His daughter is Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey. Mitcham died on Father's Day 2003. Mitcham is featured in the book “Remembering Len Berg's Restaurant” Mr. Mitcham was the father of “The Gay Preacher’s Wife” author Lydia Meredith and is featured in her book. 

info:
Mitcham returned to Macon and landed a position as a short order cook with Len Berg's Restaurant in 1943.  "Chef", as he was so affectionately known by his constituents and friends, served as the senior chef cook of Len Berg's Restaurant for over 60 years until he took ill.  He cooked for Ben Hogan,  Sam Snead and Joe Dimaggio.Mitcham was married for over 60 years to Annie Mae Leonard. His daughter is Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey. Mitcham died on Father's Day 2003. Mitcham is featured in the book “Remembering Len Berg's Restaurant” Mr. Mitcham was the father of “The Gay Preacher’s Wife” author Lydia Meredith and is featured in her book. 


name: Marc Murphy
first_name: Marc
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Murphy graduated from Fryeburg Academy in 1988 and attended school at the Institute of Culinary Education. He began his culinary career as a line cook at Prix Fixe in New York. By the mid-1990s, he was a sous-chef at Layla in New York and in 1996, became the executive chef at Cellar in the Sky, also in New York. From 1997 to 2000, he was the co-owner and executive chef of La Fourchette. In 2000, he also became the executive chef at Chinoiserie as well as the partner and co-owner of Le Couteau. In March 2004, Murphy opened his first solo enterprise, Landmarc. Following its success, Murphy opened Ditch Plains in the West Village in 2006. In 2007, Murphy was given the opportunity to open another Landmarc restaurant in the Time Warner Center. In October 2013, Murphy opened Kingside at the Viceroy Hotel. Inn the fall 2015, Murphy opened Grey Salt, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa. In addition to the restaurants, Murphy also operates a catering company. Murphy has served in a regular role as a judge on Chopped, and has made appearances on Iron Chef America, Guy's Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, Unique Eats, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Best Thing I Ever Made, Rachael Ray and Today, among others. He is the president of the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association.. In 2012, Murphy joined the United States Department of State's Diplomatic Culinary Partnership, where he takes part in public diplomacy programs that engage foreign audiences abroad as well as those visiting the United States. Murphy's debut cookbook, Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking was released in April 2015. He recently created and published a podcast, Food 360 with Marc Murphy on June 6, 2019 in collaboration with HowStuffWorks.

personal_sec:
The son of a "globetrotting" diplomat, Murphy has lived all over the world as a boy, in cities such as Milan, Paris, Rome, Genoa, and Washington, D.C. before the age of 12, which he says served as an excellent education in French and Italian cooking. He opened his restaurant with his wife, Pamela Schein, and resides with her and their two children, in New York City. In a question and answer interview with The New York Times, Murphy has also attributed his cooking influences to his mother and grandparents, as he has recounted experiences of enjoying leg of lamb and ratatouille in the south of France. He has also credited French chef Jean-Louis Palladin's first cookbook for having the biggest impact on him, as well as the "strength" and "leadership" of Winston Churchill's My Early Life.

info:
Murphy graduated from Fryeburg Academy in 1988 and attended school at the Institute of Culinary Education. He began his culinary career as a line cook at Prix Fixe in New York. By the mid-1990s, he was a sous-chef at Layla in New York and in 1996, became the executive chef at Cellar in the Sky, also in New York. From 1997 to 2000, he was the co-owner and executive chef of La Fourchette. In 2000, he also became the executive chef at Chinoiserie as well as the partner and co-owner of Le Couteau. In March 2004, Murphy opened his first solo enterprise, Landmarc. Following its success, Murphy opened Ditch Plains in the West Village in 2006. In 2007, Murphy was given the opportunity to open another Landmarc restaurant in the Time Warner Center. In October 2013, Murphy opened Kingside at the Viceroy Hotel. Inn the fall 2015, Murphy opened Grey Salt, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa. In addition to the restaurants, Murphy also operates a catering company. Murphy has served in a regular role as a judge on Chopped, and has made appearances on Iron Chef America, Guy's Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, Unique Eats, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Best Thing I Ever Made, Rachael Ray and Today, among others. He is the president of the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association.. In 2012, Murphy joined the United States Department of State's Diplomatic Culinary Partnership, where he takes part in public diplomacy programs that engage foreign audiences abroad as well as those visiting the United States. Murphy's debut cookbook, Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking was released in April 2015. He recently created and published a podcast, Food 360 with Marc Murphy on June 6, 2019 in collaboration with HowStuffWorks.The son of a "globetrotting" diplomat, Murphy has lived all over the world as a boy, in cities such as Milan, Paris, Rome, Genoa, and Washington, D.C. before the age of 12, which he says served as an excellent education in French and Italian cooking. He opened his restaurant with his wife, Pamela Schein, and resides with her and their two children, in New York City. In a question and answer interview with The New York Times, Murphy has also attributed his cooking influences to his mother and grandparents, as he has recounted experiences of enjoying leg of lamb and ratatouille in the south of France. He has also credited French chef Jean-Louis Palladin's first cookbook for having the biggest impact on him, as well as the "strength" and "leadership" of Winston Churchill's My Early Life.


name: Gordon Naccarato
first_name: Gordon
last_name: Naccarato
gender: M
personal_sec: Naccarato was profiled as a prominent openly gay businessperson by The Advocate in 2013.
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Naccarato started working for Michael's in Santa Monica in 1979. While there, he received Food & Wine Best New Chef award in 1988. Gordon Naccarato and his wife Rebecca Naccarato opened Gordon's Restaurant and Rebecca's Bakery in Aspen, Colorado in 1984. Naccarato and his wife were divorced; she worked at a grill in Kirkland and opened a Seattle restaurant with brother Tim Towner in 1990; and he moved back to Tacoma in July 2001, after working under Mark Peel of Campanile and in other Los Angeles restaurants including Monkey Bar and Le Colonial in the 1990s. He started the Beach House restaurant in Purdy in 2002. In Tacoma, Naccarato is president of Naccarato Restaurant Group, which operates Pacific Grill. He opened Smoke + Cedar restaurant in 2014. The Classics Cafe at America's Car Museum is owned by Naccarato. His brother Steve opened Shake Shake Shake in Tacoma. In September 2020, Naccarato announced the closure of the Naccarato Restaurant Group permanently closing Pacific Grill restaurant and Pacific Grill Events & Catering. The reasoning was due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on business.

info:
Naccarato started working for Michael's in Santa Monica in 1979. While there, he received Food & Wine Best New Chef award in 1988. Gordon Naccarato and his wife Rebecca Naccarato opened Gordon's Restaurant and Rebecca's Bakery in Aspen, Colorado in 1984. Naccarato and his wife were divorced; she worked at a grill in Kirkland and opened a Seattle restaurant with brother Tim Towner in 1990; and he moved back to Tacoma in July 2001, after working under Mark Peel of Campanile and in other Los Angeles restaurants including Monkey Bar and Le Colonial in the 1990s. He started the Beach House restaurant in Purdy in 2002. In Tacoma, Naccarato is president of Naccarato Restaurant Group, which operates Pacific Grill. He opened Smoke + Cedar restaurant in 2014. The Classics Cafe at America's Car Museum is owned by Naccarato. His brother Steve opened Shake Shake Shake in Tacoma. In September 2020, Naccarato announced the closure of the Naccarato Restaurant Group permanently closing Pacific Grill restaurant and Pacific Grill Events & Catering. The reasoning was due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on business.Naccarato was profiled as a prominent openly gay businessperson by The Advocate in 2013.


name: Bradley Ogden
first_name: Bradley
last_name: Ogden
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Ogden graduated the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York in 1977 with honors. He was the recipient of the Richard T. Keating Award, given to the student most likely succeed. In 1979, Ogden was hired as a sous chef at the celebrated American Restaurant in Kansas City. He worked closely with his friend and mentor James Beard and his consultants Joe Baun and Barbara Kafka. Ogden was promoted to executive chef within six months. Chef Ogden says the greatest influence on his cooking came from his early exposure to fresh Native American foods. Born in Traverse City, he grew up eating freshly caught trout, free-range chicken and hand-picked fruits and vegetables. That early exposure followed him throughout his culinary training and while he was exposed to new techniques and ingredients, he never lost his deep appreciation for those basic tastes.In 1983, Ogden became the executive chef at the Campton Place hotel and transformed it to a destination dining spot. After six years he opened the Lark Creek Inn, a signature restaurant in Larkspur with his then-wife Jody Ogden and his business partners Michael and Leslye Dellar. There are currently 14 restaurants which the Lark Creek Restaurant Group encompasses. This restaurant had been acclaimed by leading critics and publications as one of the best restaurants in the nation. In 2003, Ogden moved to Las Vegas and opened his restaurant in Caesars Palace with his son Bryan, who is also a chef. This was Ogden's first restaurant opened outside of California. Both restaurants has since closed. He has appeared on such television programs as the Today Show, Good Morning, America, AM/San Francisco, Dinner at Julia's and Great Chefs of the West series on the Discovery Channel. In 2012, Ogden launched Bradley Ogden Hospitality, a four-pronged business venture seeking to encompass restaurants, consulting, social media and even a boutique resort community. Ogden started Bradley Ogden Hospitality with his son Bryan Ogden and operations specialist Tony Angotti. Bradley Ogden Hospitality (BOH) is composed of three divisions: Restaurant Development, Consulting and Design, and Digital. Today, Chef Bradley Ogden serves as managing partner of Bradley Ogden Hospitality which he founded with his son, Chef Bryan Ogden. The group consists of multiple areas of focus including media, restaurant development, new products and more. Ogden Hospitality opened four restaurants in 2015 including The Pour Society and Bradley’s Fine Diner in Houston, Texas as well as Bradley's Fine Diner and Bradley’s Funky Franks in Menlo Park, California.

personal_sec:
Ogden currently resides in California. He has three sons; Bryan, Chad (also a chef at a Macau resort) and Cory who is a doctor in Woodland Hills.

info:
Ogden graduated the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York in 1977 with honors. He was the recipient of the Richard T. Keating Award, given to the student most likely succeed. In 1979, Ogden was hired as a sous chef at the celebrated American Restaurant in Kansas City. He worked closely with his friend and mentor James Beard and his consultants Joe Baun and Barbara Kafka. Ogden was promoted to executive chef within six months. Chef Ogden says the greatest influence on his cooking came from his early exposure to fresh Native American foods. Born in Traverse City, he grew up eating freshly caught trout, free-range chicken and hand-picked fruits and vegetables. That early exposure followed him throughout his culinary training and while he was exposed to new techniques and ingredients, he never lost his deep appreciation for those basic tastes.In 1983, Ogden became the executive chef at the Campton Place hotel and transformed it to a destination dining spot. After six years he opened the Lark Creek Inn, a signature restaurant in Larkspur with his then-wife Jody Ogden and his business partners Michael and Leslye Dellar. There are currently 14 restaurants which the Lark Creek Restaurant Group encompasses. This restaurant had been acclaimed by leading critics and publications as one of the best restaurants in the nation. In 2003, Ogden moved to Las Vegas and opened his restaurant in Caesars Palace with his son Bryan, who is also a chef. This was Ogden's first restaurant opened outside of California. Both restaurants has since closed. He has appeared on such television programs as the Today Show, Good Morning, America, AM/San Francisco, Dinner at Julia's and Great Chefs of the West series on the Discovery Channel. In 2012, Ogden launched Bradley Ogden Hospitality, a four-pronged business venture seeking to encompass restaurants, consulting, social media and even a boutique resort community. Ogden started Bradley Ogden Hospitality with his son Bryan Ogden and operations specialist Tony Angotti. Bradley Ogden Hospitality (BOH) is composed of three divisions: Restaurant Development, Consulting and Design, and Digital. Today, Chef Bradley Ogden serves as managing partner of Bradley Ogden Hospitality which he founded with his son, Chef Bryan Ogden. The group consists of multiple areas of focus including media, restaurant development, new products and more. Ogden Hospitality opened four restaurants in 2015 including The Pour Society and Bradley’s Fine Diner in Houston, Texas as well as Bradley's Fine Diner and Bradley’s Funky Franks in Menlo Park, California.Ogden currently resides in California. He has three sons; Bryan, Chad (also a chef at a Macau resort) and Cory who is a doctor in Woodland Hills.


name: Mark Peel
first_name: Mark
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
In October 1975, Peel began as an apprentice under Wolfgang Puck at Ma Maison. In 1978, Peel did an estage stint in France at La Tour d'Argent, Potel et Chabot, and Moulin de Mougins. When Michael's opened in 1979 in Santa Monica, he became sous chef, first under Ken Frank and then under Jonathan Waxman. In 1980, Peel moved to Alice Waters' Chez Panisse to make pastries, then assumed the role of  chef de cuisine at the original Spago in 1981. In 1989, Peel co-founded Los Angeles’ Campanile restaurant with Nancy Silverton, his wife at that time. "The storied restaurant, with its distinctly American approach using top-quality farmers' market ingredients, helped set the tone for Los Angeles dining in the 1990s," wrote Betty Hallock. For more than two decades Peel served as Executive Chef at Campanile, where food critic Jonathan Gold observed that "... Peel is still the most exacting grill chef in the country, a master who plays his smoldering logs the way that Pinchas Zukerman does a Stradivarius." Campanile closed in 2012. To provide the breads they needed, Peel and Silverton also co-founded La Brea Bakery, which opened five months before Campanile restaurant launched. La Brea Bakery was sold in 2001 and is now a worldwide company. Peel's Tar Pit, a cocktail lounge, and Point, a deli, also closed in 2012. Peel has authored three cookbooks (two with ex-wife Nancy Silverton). His cookbook, New Classic Family Dinners, written with Martha Rose Shulman was selected as one of the Top Ten Cookbooks of 2009 by Amazon and one of the Top 25 Cookbooks of 2009 by Food & Wine magazine. Though Peel is known for his Mediterranean fare, the book is a collection of his favorite traditional American cuisine recipes. Mark Peel has appeared twice as a contestant on Top Chef Masters and twice as a judge Top Chef in 2009 and 2010, and appeared on several iterations of Hell's Kitchen, Knife Fight, and Kitchen Nightmares. On occasion, he joins programs on the Food Network, Hallmark Network and others to demonstrate food preparations. Chef Peel's most recent venture is Prawn Coastal, a casual broth-based seafood concept located in Grand Central Market in Los Angeles. Prawn Coastal was initially launched as Bomba in 2015, and was re-branded in 2017. The Los Angeles Times said, “For more than 20 years, Campanile has played an important role in shaping the cuisine of Southern California and beyond, not just through its menu but also through the many graduates of its kitchen.” Several of his mentees went on to create restaurants of their own. In 2013, Peel was profiled in a New York Times article about the long term effects of being a chef. His long career as a chef has taken a significant physical toll. The article states “Those 41 years in the kitchen have brought him considerable fame: Campanile won the James Beard award as outstanding restaurant in the United States in 2001. They have also brought him carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists and thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulders, resulting from repetitive stirring, fine knife movements and heavy lifting.”

personal_sec:
From 1979 to 1982, Peel was married to the artist Reine River. From 1984 to 2004, Peel was married to Silverton with whom he has three children. Peel is married to comedian Daphne Brogdan. They have two children. Peel lost money in the Madoff investment scandal through Stanley Chais, who collected "feeder funds" for Bernie Madoff.

info:
In October 1975, Peel began as an apprentice under Wolfgang Puck at Ma Maison. In 1978, Peel did an estage stint in France at La Tour d'Argent, Potel et Chabot, and Moulin de Mougins. When Michael's opened in 1979 in Santa Monica, he became sous chef, first under Ken Frank and then under Jonathan Waxman. In 1980, Peel moved to Alice Waters' Chez Panisse to make pastries, then assumed the role of  chef de cuisine at the original Spago in 1981. In 1989, Peel co-founded Los Angeles’ Campanile restaurant with Nancy Silverton, his wife at that time. "The storied restaurant, with its distinctly American approach using top-quality farmers' market ingredients, helped set the tone for Los Angeles dining in the 1990s," wrote Betty Hallock. For more than two decades Peel served as Executive Chef at Campanile, where food critic Jonathan Gold observed that "... Peel is still the most exacting grill chef in the country, a master who plays his smoldering logs the way that Pinchas Zukerman does a Stradivarius." Campanile closed in 2012. To provide the breads they needed, Peel and Silverton also co-founded La Brea Bakery, which opened five months before Campanile restaurant launched. La Brea Bakery was sold in 2001 and is now a worldwide company. Peel's Tar Pit, a cocktail lounge, and Point, a deli, also closed in 2012. Peel has authored three cookbooks (two with ex-wife Nancy Silverton). His cookbook, New Classic Family Dinners, written with Martha Rose Shulman was selected as one of the Top Ten Cookbooks of 2009 by Amazon and one of the Top 25 Cookbooks of 2009 by Food & Wine magazine. Though Peel is known for his Mediterranean fare, the book is a collection of his favorite traditional American cuisine recipes. Mark Peel has appeared twice as a contestant on Top Chef Masters and twice as a judge Top Chef in 2009 and 2010, and appeared on several iterations of Hell's Kitchen, Knife Fight, and Kitchen Nightmares. On occasion, he joins programs on the Food Network, Hallmark Network and others to demonstrate food preparations. Chef Peel's most recent venture is Prawn Coastal, a casual broth-based seafood concept located in Grand Central Market in Los Angeles. Prawn Coastal was initially launched as Bomba in 2015, and was re-branded in 2017. The Los Angeles Times said, “For more than 20 years, Campanile has played an important role in shaping the cuisine of Southern California and beyond, not just through its menu but also through the many graduates of its kitchen.” Several of his mentees went on to create restaurants of their own. In 2013, Peel was profiled in a New York Times article about the long term effects of being a chef. His long career as a chef has taken a significant physical toll. The article states “Those 41 years in the kitchen have brought him considerable fame: Campanile won the James Beard award as outstanding restaurant in the United States in 2001. They have also brought him carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists and thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulders, resulting from repetitive stirring, fine knife movements and heavy lifting.”From 1979 to 1982, Peel was married to the artist Reine River. From 1984 to 2004, Peel was married to Silverton with whom he has three children. Peel is married to comedian Daphne Brogdan. They have two children. Peel lost money in the Madoff investment scandal through Stanley Chais, who collected "feeder funds" for Bernie Madoff.


name: Paul Prudhomme
first_name: Paul
last_name: Prudhomme
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Prudhomme opened his first restaurant in Opelousas in 1957, a hamburger restaurant called Big Daddy O's Patio. The restaurant went out of business in nine months, which also saw the end of his first marriage. He became a magazine seller initially in New Orleans, and afterwards several restaurant jobs took him around the country. During this period he began creating his own spice mixes and giving them away to customers. In 1970, he moved back to New Orleans to work as a sous chef at Le Pavillon Hotel. He left after a short while to open Clarence Dupuy's restaurant Maison du Puy. While there, he met his second wife, Kay Hinrichs, who worked at the restaurant as a waitress. In 1975, Prudhomme left to become the first American-born executive chef at Commander's Palace under Richard Brennan, Sr. Chef Paul turned the Garden District restaurant into a world-class destination. In 1979, he and Kay (now his wife) opened K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The restaurant was named as a portmanteau of their names, with Paul working as head chef and Kay as restaurant manager. For a while he attempted to operate the restaurant while still working at Commander's Palace, but the demand in his new restaurant was such that he moved to work there full-time, while also appointing Emeril Lagasse to take over as Executive Chef at Commanders Palace. In 1980, he was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the French Ordre National du Mérite Agricole in honor of his work with Cajun and Creole cuisines. His cookbook, Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen, was published by William Morrow and Company in 1984. It was given a Culinary Classic Book Award in 1989 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Prudhomme has been credited with having popularized cajun cuisine and in particular blackened redfish during the 1980s. The popularity of the fish was such that commercial fishing of the species was restricted to prevent its extinction. Prudhomme was also credited with introducing the turducken into United States cuisine. During a summer residence in New York in 1985, Prudhomme's pop-up restaurant was reported to the Board of Health, which visited the restaurant and closed it before it opened, reporting 29 violations of the city's health code. Prudhomme ignored the order and opened the restaurant anyway, resulting in the Board of Health threatening Prudhomme with time in jail if he continued to operate the restaurant. The city's mayor Ed Koch appeared with Prudhomme at the restaurant to declare an end to what the media reported as the "Gumbo war". The restaurant was quite successful during the five weeks it was open, with lines sometimes reaching four blocks long. Four years later he opened a permanent restaurant in New York City at 622 Broadway, and again had queues for the restaurant of up to two hours. In 1992, he was charged with possession of a weapon while trying to board a plane at Baltimore–Washington International Airport after leaving a loaded revolver in his carry-on luggage. He later released a press statement saying that he had forgotten it was in the bag. He made a guest appearance at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, France, in October 1994. In 2004, he traveled to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, along with 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) of food and seasonings to cook for the troops stationed there. Following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Prudhomme was forced to close his restaurant. During the restoration efforts, he cooked for free at a relief center for the military and residents staying in the French Quarter; at one point his team cooked over 6,000 meals in ten days. He reopened the restaurant during the following October; the premises were not extensively damaged by the storm. Bon Appétit awarded Prudhomme their Humanitarian Award in 2006 for his efforts following the hurricane. After his death in 2015, Prudhomme's personal library of nearly 600 cookbooks, food reference books and technical books on food science were donated to John and Bonnie Boyd Hospitality and Culinary Library, affiliated with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

personal_sec:
In 1986, Prudhomme's wife, Kay, was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died seven years later on December 31, 1993. One of his students was Aaron Sanchez, who moved from New York to become an apprentice when Sanchez was 16. Prudhomme had a long-running issue with his weight, resulting in his working from an electric wheelchair on occasion. In order to lose weight, he wrote his 1993 cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme's Fork in the Road, which he deliberately avoided marketing as a low-fat cookbook in order to prevent customers from being put off by the premise after testing the recipes at K-Paul's Kitchen in New Orleans. In March 2008, Prudhomme was grazed by a .22-caliber stray bullet while catering the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. He at first thought a bee had stung his arm, required no serious medical attention, and within five minutes was back to cooking for the golf tournament. It was thought to have been a falling bullet. Dom DeLuise was also a friend and self-proclaimed "look-alike." Prudhomme died in New Orleans on October 8, 2015, after a brief illness.  He was 75.

info:
Prudhomme opened his first restaurant in Opelousas in 1957, a hamburger restaurant called Big Daddy O's Patio. The restaurant went out of business in nine months, which also saw the end of his first marriage. He became a magazine seller initially in New Orleans, and afterwards several restaurant jobs took him around the country. During this period he began creating his own spice mixes and giving them away to customers. In 1970, he moved back to New Orleans to work as a sous chef at Le Pavillon Hotel. He left after a short while to open Clarence Dupuy's restaurant Maison du Puy. While there, he met his second wife, Kay Hinrichs, who worked at the restaurant as a waitress. In 1975, Prudhomme left to become the first American-born executive chef at Commander's Palace under Richard Brennan, Sr. Chef Paul turned the Garden District restaurant into a world-class destination. In 1979, he and Kay (now his wife) opened K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The restaurant was named as a portmanteau of their names, with Paul working as head chef and Kay as restaurant manager. For a while he attempted to operate the restaurant while still working at Commander's Palace, but the demand in his new restaurant was such that he moved to work there full-time, while also appointing Emeril Lagasse to take over as Executive Chef at Commanders Palace. In 1980, he was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the French Ordre National du Mérite Agricole in honor of his work with Cajun and Creole cuisines. His cookbook, Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen, was published by William Morrow and Company in 1984. It was given a Culinary Classic Book Award in 1989 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Prudhomme has been credited with having popularized cajun cuisine and in particular blackened redfish during the 1980s. The popularity of the fish was such that commercial fishing of the species was restricted to prevent its extinction. Prudhomme was also credited with introducing the turducken into United States cuisine. During a summer residence in New York in 1985, Prudhomme's pop-up restaurant was reported to the Board of Health, which visited the restaurant and closed it before it opened, reporting 29 violations of the city's health code. Prudhomme ignored the order and opened the restaurant anyway, resulting in the Board of Health threatening Prudhomme with time in jail if he continued to operate the restaurant. The city's mayor Ed Koch appeared with Prudhomme at the restaurant to declare an end to what the media reported as the "Gumbo war". The restaurant was quite successful during the five weeks it was open, with lines sometimes reaching four blocks long. Four years later he opened a permanent restaurant in New York City at 622 Broadway, and again had queues for the restaurant of up to two hours. In 1992, he was charged with possession of a weapon while trying to board a plane at Baltimore–Washington International Airport after leaving a loaded revolver in his carry-on luggage. He later released a press statement saying that he had forgotten it was in the bag. He made a guest appearance at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, France, in October 1994. In 2004, he traveled to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, along with 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) of food and seasonings to cook for the troops stationed there. Following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Prudhomme was forced to close his restaurant. During the restoration efforts, he cooked for free at a relief center for the military and residents staying in the French Quarter; at one point his team cooked over 6,000 meals in ten days. He reopened the restaurant during the following October; the premises were not extensively damaged by the storm. Bon Appétit awarded Prudhomme their Humanitarian Award in 2006 for his efforts following the hurricane. After his death in 2015, Prudhomme's personal library of nearly 600 cookbooks, food reference books and technical books on food science were donated to John and Bonnie Boyd Hospitality and Culinary Library, affiliated with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.In 1986, Prudhomme's wife, Kay, was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died seven years later on December 31, 1993. One of his students was Aaron Sanchez, who moved from New York to become an apprentice when Sanchez was 16. Prudhomme had a long-running issue with his weight, resulting in his working from an electric wheelchair on occasion. In order to lose weight, he wrote his 1993 cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme's Fork in the Road, which he deliberately avoided marketing as a low-fat cookbook in order to prevent customers from being put off by the premise after testing the recipes at K-Paul's Kitchen in New Orleans. In March 2008, Prudhomme was grazed by a .22-caliber stray bullet while catering the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. He at first thought a bee had stung his arm, required no serious medical attention, and within five minutes was back to cooking for the golf tournament. It was thought to have been a falling bullet. Dom DeLuise was also a friend and self-proclaimed "look-alike." Prudhomme died in New Orleans on October 8, 2015, after a brief illness.  He was 75.


name: Wolfgang Puck
first_name: Wolfgang
last_name: Puck
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname of his stepfather, Josef Puck, after his mother's remarriage. He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, at Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, and at Maxim's Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 24. After two years at La Tour in Indianapolis, Puck moved to Los Angeles to become chef and part owner of Ma Maison restaurant. Following the 1981 publication of his first cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen, which was based on his Ma Maison recipes, Puck opened the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, his wife and business partner, moved the award-winning Spago to Beverly Hills. It has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. since 2004. The Infatuation wrote that "Spago made Wolfgang Puck the first (and maybe only) chef you and your grandma know by name." His success enabled him to launch the Wolfgang Puck Companies which includes the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. and Wolfgang Puck Catering. The Wolfgang Puck Companies encompass over 20 fine dining restaurants, among the top 40 Restaurants in the U.S., premium catering services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks, canned foods, and coffee products. He is the official caterer for the Academy Awards Governors Ball, and has parlayed his celebrity into acting; his credits include Frasier, a recurring role as himself on Las Vegas and a cameo appearance in The Weather Man. He also appeared as himself on Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters, as well as Cooking Class with Wolfgang Puck on The Food Network, and in an American Idol season finale episode where he introduced unusual foods to Kellie Pickler in comic relief segments. He was featured as a guest judge on Season 7 of MasterChef. He also made a cameo appearance as himself on an episode of Tales from the Crypt, and appeared in a TV commercial advertising the state of California (along with famous people such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack Nicholson). In 1991, Puck opened his fourth restaurant, Granita, a seafood restaurant in Malibu, California. The restaurant closed in 2005. Since 2003, Puck's recipes have been syndicated worldwide to newspapers and websites by Tribune Content Agency. Wolfgang Puck is active in philanthropic endeavors and charitable organizations. He co-founded the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982. The foundation supports the annual American Wine & Food Festival which benefits Meals on Wheels; it has raised more than $15 million since its inception. Puck is The Honorary Chair Chef of the "Five Star Sensation" benefit in Cleveland, Ohio, which, every two years, helps to bring $10 million to support The Ireland Cancer Foundation of University Hospitals. Wolfgang Puck's signature dish at his original restaurant, Spago, is House Smoked Salmon Pizza.

personal_sec:
Wolfgang Puck married Marie France Trouillot in 1975. They were divorced in 1980. He married Barbara Lazaroff in 1983, with whom he has two sons, Cameron and Byron. They were divorced in 2003. Barbara Lazaroff continues to play a key role in his restaurants and has been instrumental in their interior design. She is listed by the company as co-founder. In 2007 he married designer Gelila Assefa in Capri, Italy. They currently live in Los Angeles and have two sons: Oliver and Alexander. His favorite food is macarons.

info:
Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname of his stepfather, Josef Puck, after his mother's remarriage. He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, at Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, and at Maxim's Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 24. After two years at La Tour in Indianapolis, Puck moved to Los Angeles to become chef and part owner of Ma Maison restaurant. Following the 1981 publication of his first cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen, which was based on his Ma Maison recipes, Puck opened the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, his wife and business partner, moved the award-winning Spago to Beverly Hills. It has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. since 2004. The Infatuation wrote that "Spago made Wolfgang Puck the first (and maybe only) chef you and your grandma know by name." His success enabled him to launch the Wolfgang Puck Companies which includes the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. and Wolfgang Puck Catering. The Wolfgang Puck Companies encompass over 20 fine dining restaurants, among the top 40 Restaurants in the U.S., premium catering services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks, canned foods, and coffee products. He is the official caterer for the Academy Awards Governors Ball, and has parlayed his celebrity into acting; his credits include Frasier, a recurring role as himself on Las Vegas and a cameo appearance in The Weather Man. He also appeared as himself on Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters, as well as Cooking Class with Wolfgang Puck on The Food Network, and in an American Idol season finale episode where he introduced unusual foods to Kellie Pickler in comic relief segments. He was featured as a guest judge on Season 7 of MasterChef. He also made a cameo appearance as himself on an episode of Tales from the Crypt, and appeared in a TV commercial advertising the state of California (along with famous people such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack Nicholson). In 1991, Puck opened his fourth restaurant, Granita, a seafood restaurant in Malibu, California. The restaurant closed in 2005. Since 2003, Puck's recipes have been syndicated worldwide to newspapers and websites by Tribune Content Agency. Wolfgang Puck is active in philanthropic endeavors and charitable organizations. He co-founded the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982. The foundation supports the annual American Wine & Food Festival which benefits Meals on Wheels; it has raised more than $15 million since its inception. Puck is The Honorary Chair Chef of the "Five Star Sensation" benefit in Cleveland, Ohio, which, every two years, helps to bring $10 million to support The Ireland Cancer Foundation of University Hospitals. Wolfgang Puck's signature dish at his original restaurant, Spago, is House Smoked Salmon Pizza.Wolfgang Puck married Marie France Trouillot in 1975. They were divorced in 1980. He married Barbara Lazaroff in 1983, with whom he has two sons, Cameron and Byron. They were divorced in 2003. Barbara Lazaroff continues to play a key role in his restaurants and has been instrumental in their interior design. She is listed by the company as co-founder. In 2007 he married designer Gelila Assefa in Capri, Italy. They currently live in Los Angeles and have two sons: Oliver and Alexander. His favorite food is macarons.


name: Steven Raichlen
first_name: Steven
last_name: Raichlen
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Raichlen created the TV show Barbecue University (aka BBQ U), which aired for four seasons from 2003 to 2006 on American Public Television. From 2008 to 2010 he hosted Primal Grill, again on American Public Television. Primal Grill focused on the "how-tos" of live fire cooking, employing different grills for each technique.  In 2015, he created Project Smoke on public television, focusing on traditional and cutting-edge techniques in smoked food. and more recently Steven Raichlen's Project Fire.   Raichlen also hosts the French-language TV shows Le Maitre du Grill and Les Incontourables du BBQ on Zeste in Quebec.  His Steven Raichlen Grills Italy show was launched on Gambero Rosso Channel in Italy in 2018. He battled and defeated Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba in a "Battle of the Barbecue Gods" on Japanese television. He has appeared on numerous television programs and networks including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Discovery Channel, Oprah, Regis & Kelly, The View and CNN.

personal_sec:
Raichlen's wife is Barbara Raichlen. They live in Coconut Grove, Florida and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

info:
Raichlen created the TV show Barbecue University (aka BBQ U), which aired for four seasons from 2003 to 2006 on American Public Television. From 2008 to 2010 he hosted Primal Grill, again on American Public Television. Primal Grill focused on the "how-tos" of live fire cooking, employing different grills for each technique.  In 2015, he created Project Smoke on public television, focusing on traditional and cutting-edge techniques in smoked food. and more recently Steven Raichlen's Project Fire.   Raichlen also hosts the French-language TV shows Le Maitre du Grill and Les Incontourables du BBQ on Zeste in Quebec.  His Steven Raichlen Grills Italy show was launched on Gambero Rosso Channel in Italy in 2018. He battled and defeated Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba in a "Battle of the Barbecue Gods" on Japanese television. He has appeared on numerous television programs and networks including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Discovery Channel, Oprah, Regis & Kelly, The View and CNN.Raichlen's wife is Barbara Raichlen. They live in Coconut Grove, Florida and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.


name: Kent Rathbun
first_name: Kent
last_name: Rathbun
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Rathbun entered the food industry at age 14, washing dishes at a local Sambo's, a job for which he had lied about his age, claiming to be one year older. By the end of his first day as a dishwasher, he had asked to help the night cook, who within three weeks recommended that Rathbun be promoted to the cooking station. At age 17, he was working as an apprentice in the 5-star dining room of Kansas City's La Bonne Auberge restaurant, where his mother worked as a maitre d'. The fine dining experience changed his culinary tastes, causing him to come home determined to educate the experienced cooks in his household: "When I started learning how to work with fresh vegetables and snails and foie gras, that's when my taste just exploded. I told my mother, `I can't believe it. All those things you and Grandma have been cooking all these years - you've been overcookin' 'em.'" After running a catering service for the Dallas Museum of Art and serving as sous chef in Dallas' The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Rathbun decided in 1999 to open his own restaurant Abacus. Shortly thereafter, in 2003 he opened Jasper's in Plano. Both establishments were opened as smoke-free restaurants prior to Dallas' enacting a ban on public smoking, and Rathbun has been active in efforts to ban smoking in restaurants statewide. Zagat rated Abacus highly in 2008 as well as in 2007, granting the restaurant a rating of 28 points (on a scale of 30) for its food and 27 for its decor and service — a rating range that the guide describes as denoting "extraordinary to perfection" — and quoting survey respondents who called Rathbun a "genius." Abacus has been awarded the Forbes Four-Star and the AAA Four Diamonds for over 14 years. Jasper's was awarded NRN Hot Concept Award and was named as having some of the top ribs in America by Bon Appetit.

personal_sec:
Rathbun is currently married to fellow restaurateur Tracy Rathbun, co-owner of Dallas' Lovers Seafood and Shinsei restaurant with Lynne Fearing. The close ties among the four restaurateurs were highlighted in media coverage when chefs Tre Wilcox of Abacus and Casey Thompson of Shinsei were selected as contestants in the third season of the reality television program Top Chef.

info:
Rathbun entered the food industry at age 14, washing dishes at a local Sambo's, a job for which he had lied about his age, claiming to be one year older. By the end of his first day as a dishwasher, he had asked to help the night cook, who within three weeks recommended that Rathbun be promoted to the cooking station. At age 17, he was working as an apprentice in the 5-star dining room of Kansas City's La Bonne Auberge restaurant, where his mother worked as a maitre d'. The fine dining experience changed his culinary tastes, causing him to come home determined to educate the experienced cooks in his household: "When I started learning how to work with fresh vegetables and snails and foie gras, that's when my taste just exploded. I told my mother, `I can't believe it. All those things you and Grandma have been cooking all these years - you've been overcookin' 'em.'" After running a catering service for the Dallas Museum of Art and serving as sous chef in Dallas' The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Rathbun decided in 1999 to open his own restaurant Abacus. Shortly thereafter, in 2003 he opened Jasper's in Plano. Both establishments were opened as smoke-free restaurants prior to Dallas' enacting a ban on public smoking, and Rathbun has been active in efforts to ban smoking in restaurants statewide. Zagat rated Abacus highly in 2008 as well as in 2007, granting the restaurant a rating of 28 points (on a scale of 30) for its food and 27 for its decor and service — a rating range that the guide describes as denoting "extraordinary to perfection" — and quoting survey respondents who called Rathbun a "genius." Abacus has been awarded the Forbes Four-Star and the AAA Four Diamonds for over 14 years. Jasper's was awarded NRN Hot Concept Award and was named as having some of the top ribs in America by Bon Appetit.Rathbun is currently married to fellow restaurateur Tracy Rathbun, co-owner of Dallas' Lovers Seafood and Shinsei restaurant with Lynne Fearing. The close ties among the four restaurateurs were highlighted in media coverage when chefs Tre Wilcox of Abacus and Casey Thompson of Shinsei were selected as contestants in the third season of the reality television program Top Chef.


name: Éric Ripert
first_name: Éric
last_name: Ripert
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
At the age of 17 in 1982 he moved to Paris, where he worked for two years at La Tour d'Argent, a famous restaurant that claims to be more than 400 years old. Ripert next worked at Jamin under Joël Robuchon and was soon promoted to Assistant Chef de Partie. In 1985 Ripert left to fulfill his military service, after which he returned to Jamin as Chef Poissonier. In 1989, Ripert moved to the United States and was hired as a sous chef in the Watergate Hotel's Jean Louis Palladin restaurant. Ripert moved to New York in 1991, working briefly as David Bouley's sous-chef before Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze recruited him as chef for Le Bernardin. In 1994, Ripert became Le Bernardin's executive chef after Gilbert Le Coze died unexpectedly of a heart attack. The following year, at the age of 29, Ripert earned a four-star rating from The New York Times, and in 1996 he became a part-owner. In the Michelin Guide NYC 2006, Ripert's Le Bernardin was one of four New York City restaurants to be awarded the maximum three Michelin stars for excellence in cuisine. Le Bernardin received four stars from The New York Times four consecutive times, making it the only restaurant to maintain that exquisite status for that length of time and never dropping a star in ten years. Le Bernardin is often referred to as the Temple of Seafood. Ripert is the Vice Chairman of the board of City Harvest, working to bring together New York's top chefs and restaurateurs to raise funds and increase the quality and quantity of food donations to New York's neediest. In addition, Ripert partnered with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to open Blue in Grand Cayman.Ripert has made several guest appearances on cooking-based television shows, including guest judge and assistant chef roles on the second, third, fourth and fifth seasons of Bravo TV's "Top Chef". Chef Ripert had been considered to join season 8 of Top Chef as a permanent judge, but bowed out when his employee Jen Caroll was selected as a contestant again. Ripert was good friends with Anthony Bourdain and appeared in many episodes of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. In September 2009, AVEC ERIC, Ripert's first TV show, debuted on PBS stations and ran for two successful seasons, earning two Daytime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Culinary Program (2011) and Outstanding Achievement in Main Title and Graphic Design (2010). AVEC ERIC returned for a third season on the Cooking Channel in February 2015, and is now available through iTunes and Netflix. Ripert has launched a series of brief online cooking videos called "Get Toasted" on his website AVECERIC.com which focuses on easy and quick meals that can be prepared and cooked in minutes with a toaster oven. In the series he uses a somewhat high end brick-oven based toaster oven produced by Cuisinart. Ripert was a featured chef on Great Chefs television. In 2010, he played himself in the television show Treme on HBO (season 1 episode 5), alongside David Chang, Wylie Dufresne and Tom Colicchio. He returned in his cameo role in Season 2, in multiple episodes.

personal_sec:
He and his wife Sandra (née Nieves) have a son. On 8 June 2018, Ripert was travelling with his friend, American TV personality and culinary connoisseur Anthony Bourdain, who was working on an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in Strasbourg, France. Ripert found Bourdain dead from an apparent suicide by hanging in Bourdain's hotel room at Kaysersberg-Vignoble.

info:
At the age of 17 in 1982 he moved to Paris, where he worked for two years at La Tour d'Argent, a famous restaurant that claims to be more than 400 years old. Ripert next worked at Jamin under Joël Robuchon and was soon promoted to Assistant Chef de Partie. In 1985 Ripert left to fulfill his military service, after which he returned to Jamin as Chef Poissonier. In 1989, Ripert moved to the United States and was hired as a sous chef in the Watergate Hotel's Jean Louis Palladin restaurant. Ripert moved to New York in 1991, working briefly as David Bouley's sous-chef before Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze recruited him as chef for Le Bernardin. In 1994, Ripert became Le Bernardin's executive chef after Gilbert Le Coze died unexpectedly of a heart attack. The following year, at the age of 29, Ripert earned a four-star rating from The New York Times, and in 1996 he became a part-owner. In the Michelin Guide NYC 2006, Ripert's Le Bernardin was one of four New York City restaurants to be awarded the maximum three Michelin stars for excellence in cuisine. Le Bernardin received four stars from The New York Times four consecutive times, making it the only restaurant to maintain that exquisite status for that length of time and never dropping a star in ten years. Le Bernardin is often referred to as the Temple of Seafood. Ripert is the Vice Chairman of the board of City Harvest, working to bring together New York's top chefs and restaurateurs to raise funds and increase the quality and quantity of food donations to New York's neediest. In addition, Ripert partnered with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to open Blue in Grand Cayman.Ripert has made several guest appearances on cooking-based television shows, including guest judge and assistant chef roles on the second, third, fourth and fifth seasons of Bravo TV's "Top Chef". Chef Ripert had been considered to join season 8 of Top Chef as a permanent judge, but bowed out when his employee Jen Caroll was selected as a contestant again. Ripert was good friends with Anthony Bourdain and appeared in many episodes of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. In September 2009, AVEC ERIC, Ripert's first TV show, debuted on PBS stations and ran for two successful seasons, earning two Daytime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Culinary Program (2011) and Outstanding Achievement in Main Title and Graphic Design (2010). AVEC ERIC returned for a third season on the Cooking Channel in February 2015, and is now available through iTunes and Netflix. Ripert has launched a series of brief online cooking videos called "Get Toasted" on his website AVECERIC.com which focuses on easy and quick meals that can be prepared and cooked in minutes with a toaster oven. In the series he uses a somewhat high end brick-oven based toaster oven produced by Cuisinart. Ripert was a featured chef on Great Chefs television. In 2010, he played himself in the television show Treme on HBO (season 1 episode 5), alongside David Chang, Wylie Dufresne and Tom Colicchio. He returned in his cameo role in Season 2, in multiple episodes.He and his wife Sandra (née Nieves) have a son. On 8 June 2018, Ripert was travelling with his friend, American TV personality and culinary connoisseur Anthony Bourdain, who was working on an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in Strasbourg, France. Ripert found Bourdain dead from an apparent suicide by hanging in Bourdain's hotel room at Kaysersberg-Vignoble.


name: Jeffrey Saad
first_name: Jeffrey
last_name: Saad
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Saad became interested in the culinary business when he was a teenager working at a diner behind his junior high school. Later in his life, he enrolled in the Hotel Restaurant Management Program at Iowa State University. There he earned the title of chef de cuisine during his sophomore year. He continued studies at the Culinary Institute of America and the California Culinary Academy. He performed his internship in London, with Anton Mosimann. In 1993 Saad traveled to Mexico looking to expand his knowledge of the Mexican cuisine. This led him to open a Mexican-influenced restaurant called Sweet Heat in San Francisco. After that, he opened two more restaurants and started his own signature line of bottled chutneys. Among his culinary and business ventures, he became a partner of California's Pasta Pomodoro Italian Restaurants. After that, Saad moved to Los Angeles with his wife and they both started running a real estate company. In 2009 Saad auditioned for the fifth season of the show The Next Food Network Star. He ended up as the first runner-up, losing to Melissa d'Arabian in the finale. However, Food Network gave him the opportunity to host his own web series called Spice Smuggler, where he highlighted spices and foods from other countries. The web series ran for a year, and then Cooking Channel asked him to be the host of the show United Tastes of America. Saad is a partner and executive chef of "The Grove" restaurants in San Francisco. He also distributes his own collection of spice blends. In 2012, Saad released his first cookbook titled Jeffrey Saad's Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders. On December 9, 2013, he opened the restaurant, La Ventura in Studio City, California. In addition to his own shows, Saad has appeared on these other cooking shows: In 2012 he competed in Food Network's Chopped All-Stars. Saad ended up in second place, behind Marcus Samuelsson, but above chefs like Keegan Gerhard, Aarti Sequeira, and Michael Symon.

personal_sec:
Saad lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nadia, and two children. His wife is of Iranian descent. Saad enjoys surfing and mountain biking. He also practices taekwondo. He began practicing it while studying in college, and reached black belt under Master Brandt in San Francisco. He also practiced at the Southern California Tae Kwon Do Center under Scot Lewis where he received his second degree black belt.

info:
Saad became interested in the culinary business when he was a teenager working at a diner behind his junior high school. Later in his life, he enrolled in the Hotel Restaurant Management Program at Iowa State University. There he earned the title of chef de cuisine during his sophomore year. He continued studies at the Culinary Institute of America and the California Culinary Academy. He performed his internship in London, with Anton Mosimann. In 1993 Saad traveled to Mexico looking to expand his knowledge of the Mexican cuisine. This led him to open a Mexican-influenced restaurant called Sweet Heat in San Francisco. After that, he opened two more restaurants and started his own signature line of bottled chutneys. Among his culinary and business ventures, he became a partner of California's Pasta Pomodoro Italian Restaurants. After that, Saad moved to Los Angeles with his wife and they both started running a real estate company. In 2009 Saad auditioned for the fifth season of the show The Next Food Network Star. He ended up as the first runner-up, losing to Melissa d'Arabian in the finale. However, Food Network gave him the opportunity to host his own web series called Spice Smuggler, where he highlighted spices and foods from other countries. The web series ran for a year, and then Cooking Channel asked him to be the host of the show United Tastes of America. Saad is a partner and executive chef of "The Grove" restaurants in San Francisco. He also distributes his own collection of spice blends. In 2012, Saad released his first cookbook titled Jeffrey Saad's Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders. On December 9, 2013, he opened the restaurant, La Ventura in Studio City, California. In addition to his own shows, Saad has appeared on these other cooking shows: In 2012 he competed in Food Network's Chopped All-Stars. Saad ended up in second place, behind Marcus Samuelsson, but above chefs like Keegan Gerhard, Aarti Sequeira, and Michael Symon.Saad lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nadia, and two children. His wife is of Iranian descent. Saad enjoys surfing and mountain biking. He also practices taekwondo. He began practicing it while studying in college, and reached black belt under Master Brandt in San Francisco. He also practiced at the Southern California Tae Kwon Do Center under Scot Lewis where he received his second degree black belt.


name: Marcus Samuelsson
first_name: Marcus
last_name: Samuelsson
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
At 24, Samuelsson became executive chef of Aquavit, and soon after that became the youngest ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times. In 2003 he was named "Best Chef: New York City" by the James Beard Foundation. The same year he started a second New York restaurant, Riingo, serving Japanese-influenced American food. In addition to his recognition as a world-class chef, Samuelsson is an award-winning cookbook author with titles in both English and Swedish. His 2006 African-inspired cookbook The Soul of a New Cuisine received the prize "Best International Cookbook" by the James Beard Foundation.  Other titles written by Samuelsson are Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, En Smakresa ("A Journey of Flavour"), and Street Food. Samuelsson is a Visiting Professor of International Culinary Science at the Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts in Sweden.  He had a television show, Inner Chef, which aired in 2005 on Discovery Home Channel and yet another program in 2008, Urban Cuisine on BET J (now Centric). His cooking combines international influences with traditional cuisines from Sweden to Japan and Africa. On 24 November 2009, Samuelsson served as guest chef for the first state dinner of the Barack Obama presidency. The dinner, in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was served on the South Lawn and largely vegetarian.  Samuelsson reportedly sought to combine sustainable and regional foods which reflect the best in American cuisine yet evoke the flavors of India.  Harvesting fresh vegetables and herbs from the White House Garden, Samuelsson included red lentil soup, roasted potato dumplings, and green curry prawns on his menu. The tradition of guest chefs joining the White House chef for special events began during the Clinton administration. Samuelsson is an advisor to The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. His restaurant, Red Rooster, opened in December 2010 in Harlem. In March 2011, Red Rooster hosted a fundraising dinner for the Democratic National Committee. President Obama attended the dinner. The $30,800-per-plate event raised $1.5 million. In the fall of 2012, Samuelsson, together with Clarion Hotels, launched a restaurant concept called Kitchen & Table. The concept's first restaurant opened at Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport and during 2013 and 2014 it will take place at all Clarion Hotels in Sweden and Norway. In spring 2015, Samuelsson opened his second Harlem restaurant, Streetbird Rotisserie, a kitchenette with a menu inspired by cookouts focusing on fried and rotisserie chicken, and décor paying tribute to the hip-hop culture of Harlem. In 2015, Marcus partnered with the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club to open the restaurant Marcus' in the Bermuda hotel. The restaurant re-opened with a new menu and decor in March 2017. In late 2016, Samuelsson opened Marcus at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. and developed the room-service menu for the hotel. In November 2017 he opened a new restaurant, Marcus B&P, on Halsey Street in Newark, New Jersey. In spring 2019, Samuelsson announced the opening of Marcus at The Four Seasons Hotel in Montréal Samuelsson has been featured on television including on CNN, MSNBC's The Dylan Ratigan Show, as a judge on Top Chef, Iron Chef USA, Iron Chef America, Chopped, and frequent guest appearances on Today. He previously hosted his own television shows, The Inner Chef  and Urban Cuisine. He also was a judge on the TV One show My Momma Throws Down. In early 2010, he competed alongside 21 world-renowned chefs on Bravo's television series Top Chef Masters. Samuelsson won the competition, earning $115,000 for UNICEF's grassroots effort The Tap Project. In 2011, he was a contestant on the fourth season of The Next Iron Chef, competing against nine other chefs for the opportunity to be designated an "Iron Chef" and appear regularly on Iron Chef America. Samuelsson was eliminated in the fifth episode, finishing in sixth place. After appearing consistently as a culinary judge on the Food Network show Chopped, Samuelsson competed in and won Chopped All Stars 2012: Judges Remix.  He was awarded the grand prize of $50,000 for his charity, the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program. Samuelsson is a regular guest judge on Food Network shows Chopped, Chopped Junior, Beat Bobby Flay, Cooks vs. Cons, The Kitchen, and Star Plates. On 28 June 2012, Samuelsson was the subject of an extensive interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR. In 2014, he made his debut as a judge on the second season of the American television series The Taste. In 2015, he appeared in an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown with Ethiopia being the focus of that episode's visit. Samuelsson appeared on 8 October 2016 episode of the radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. He appeared on the Another Round podcast in June 2017. In 2016, Samuelsson began making occasional appearances in videos produced for BuzzFeed's Tasty video series, mostly providing food demonstrations as well as making a guest appearance in an episode of BuzzFeed's flagship food series Worth It in a segment filmed at Red Rooster, where his fried chicken was declared series creator Steven Lim's personal "Worth It winner". In August 2018, Samuelsson officially joined Tasty as executive chef-in-residence. In May 2017, Marcus Samuelsson appeared in the final episode of Undercover Boss to find and mentor new culinary talent. Samuelsson appears as himself in the 2018 movie Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost. On April 22, 2019, Samuelsson appeared on Top Chef Canada Season 7, Episode 4 as a guest judge for a Nordic ingredients challenge. In July 2018, Samuelsson premiered a six-part series called No Passport Required on PBS. The series highlights and celebrates immigrant cultures and foods found in the United States. Samuelsson is both the host and executive producer of the series. In 2019, PBS announced that the series was renewed for a second six-episode season.

personal_sec:
Samuelsson is married to the model Gate (Maya) Haile. Their wedding was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They reside in Harlem, New York, New York, near the site of his restaurant, Red Rooster.  They welcomed their son, Zion Mandela, on 19 July 2016.  Samuelsson has an adult daughter, Zoe. Samuelsson serves on the board at City Harvest and serves as co-chair of the board of directors for Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). He also has been a UNICEF ambassador since 2000, and is the co-founder, along with his wife Gate, of the Three Goats Organization.

info:
At 24, Samuelsson became executive chef of Aquavit, and soon after that became the youngest ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times. In 2003 he was named "Best Chef: New York City" by the James Beard Foundation. The same year he started a second New York restaurant, Riingo, serving Japanese-influenced American food. In addition to his recognition as a world-class chef, Samuelsson is an award-winning cookbook author with titles in both English and Swedish. His 2006 African-inspired cookbook The Soul of a New Cuisine received the prize "Best International Cookbook" by the James Beard Foundation.  Other titles written by Samuelsson are Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, En Smakresa ("A Journey of Flavour"), and Street Food. Samuelsson is a Visiting Professor of International Culinary Science at the Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts in Sweden.  He had a television show, Inner Chef, which aired in 2005 on Discovery Home Channel and yet another program in 2008, Urban Cuisine on BET J (now Centric). His cooking combines international influences with traditional cuisines from Sweden to Japan and Africa. On 24 November 2009, Samuelsson served as guest chef for the first state dinner of the Barack Obama presidency. The dinner, in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was served on the South Lawn and largely vegetarian.  Samuelsson reportedly sought to combine sustainable and regional foods which reflect the best in American cuisine yet evoke the flavors of India.  Harvesting fresh vegetables and herbs from the White House Garden, Samuelsson included red lentil soup, roasted potato dumplings, and green curry prawns on his menu. The tradition of guest chefs joining the White House chef for special events began during the Clinton administration. Samuelsson is an advisor to The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. His restaurant, Red Rooster, opened in December 2010 in Harlem. In March 2011, Red Rooster hosted a fundraising dinner for the Democratic National Committee. President Obama attended the dinner. The $30,800-per-plate event raised $1.5 million. In the fall of 2012, Samuelsson, together with Clarion Hotels, launched a restaurant concept called Kitchen & Table. The concept's first restaurant opened at Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport and during 2013 and 2014 it will take place at all Clarion Hotels in Sweden and Norway. In spring 2015, Samuelsson opened his second Harlem restaurant, Streetbird Rotisserie, a kitchenette with a menu inspired by cookouts focusing on fried and rotisserie chicken, and décor paying tribute to the hip-hop culture of Harlem. In 2015, Marcus partnered with the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club to open the restaurant Marcus' in the Bermuda hotel. The restaurant re-opened with a new menu and decor in March 2017. In late 2016, Samuelsson opened Marcus at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. and developed the room-service menu for the hotel. In November 2017 he opened a new restaurant, Marcus B&P, on Halsey Street in Newark, New Jersey. In spring 2019, Samuelsson announced the opening of Marcus at The Four Seasons Hotel in Montréal Samuelsson has been featured on television including on CNN, MSNBC's The Dylan Ratigan Show, as a judge on Top Chef, Iron Chef USA, Iron Chef America, Chopped, and frequent guest appearances on Today. He previously hosted his own television shows, The Inner Chef  and Urban Cuisine. He also was a judge on the TV One show My Momma Throws Down. In early 2010, he competed alongside 21 world-renowned chefs on Bravo's television series Top Chef Masters. Samuelsson won the competition, earning $115,000 for UNICEF's grassroots effort The Tap Project. In 2011, he was a contestant on the fourth season of The Next Iron Chef, competing against nine other chefs for the opportunity to be designated an "Iron Chef" and appear regularly on Iron Chef America. Samuelsson was eliminated in the fifth episode, finishing in sixth place. After appearing consistently as a culinary judge on the Food Network show Chopped, Samuelsson competed in and won Chopped All Stars 2012: Judges Remix.  He was awarded the grand prize of $50,000 for his charity, the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program. Samuelsson is a regular guest judge on Food Network shows Chopped, Chopped Junior, Beat Bobby Flay, Cooks vs. Cons, The Kitchen, and Star Plates. On 28 June 2012, Samuelsson was the subject of an extensive interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR. In 2014, he made his debut as a judge on the second season of the American television series The Taste. In 2015, he appeared in an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown with Ethiopia being the focus of that episode's visit. Samuelsson appeared on 8 October 2016 episode of the radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. He appeared on the Another Round podcast in June 2017. In 2016, Samuelsson began making occasional appearances in videos produced for BuzzFeed's Tasty video series, mostly providing food demonstrations as well as making a guest appearance in an episode of BuzzFeed's flagship food series Worth It in a segment filmed at Red Rooster, where his fried chicken was declared series creator Steven Lim's personal "Worth It winner". In August 2018, Samuelsson officially joined Tasty as executive chef-in-residence. In May 2017, Marcus Samuelsson appeared in the final episode of Undercover Boss to find and mentor new culinary talent. Samuelsson appears as himself in the 2018 movie Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost. On April 22, 2019, Samuelsson appeared on Top Chef Canada Season 7, Episode 4 as a guest judge for a Nordic ingredients challenge. In July 2018, Samuelsson premiered a six-part series called No Passport Required on PBS. The series highlights and celebrates immigrant cultures and foods found in the United States. Samuelsson is both the host and executive producer of the series. In 2019, PBS announced that the series was renewed for a second six-episode season.Samuelsson is married to the model Gate (Maya) Haile. Their wedding was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They reside in Harlem, New York, New York, near the site of his restaurant, Red Rooster.  They welcomed their son, Zion Mandela, on 19 July 2016.  Samuelsson has an adult daughter, Zoe. Samuelsson serves on the board at City Harvest and serves as co-chair of the board of directors for Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). He also has been a UNICEF ambassador since 2000, and is the co-founder, along with his wife Gate, of the Three Goats Organization.


name: Michael Schulson
first_name: Michael
last_name: Schulson
gender: M
personal_sec: Michael Schulson is married to Nina Tinari. Schulson also has two sons.
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Schulson graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He later worked as chef in several restaurants including the New York’s Peacock Alley (restaurant), Park Avenue Café, Le Bec-Fin, and Susanna Foo.In 2008, Schulson opened his first restaurant named Izakaya (a ‘’Japanese pub’’ in Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa).  In 2009, Schulson opened a second restaurant named Sampan (a contemporary Asian restaurant and bar). Sampan was subsequently named one of Bon Appetit’s “Top Six places to Taste Asian Fusion,” and Schulson was named one of Esquire’s “Chefs to Watch”. In the same year he founded Graffiti Bar. In 2014, Schulson founded the Independence Beer Garden, a 20,000 square-foot open-air drinking and dining establishment.  Schulson later opened the Harp & Crown restaurant located in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. The Harp & Crown was named one of the "most beautiful restaurants of 2016" by Eater National. In 2016, Schulson founded the Double Knot restaurant in Philadelphia. The restaurant received numerous awards including “three bells” from The Philadelphia Inquirer, three stars and the title of “2016 Best New Restaurant” from Philadelphia magazine and was named one of the “15 biggest restaurant openings of 2016” by Zagat. In 2017, Schulson founded the restaurant Monkitail in Hollywood. Schulson also currently serves as chef-partner at Izakaya at Borgata in Atlantic City. He also operates the airport dining concepts Sky Asian Bistro (in Philadelphia International) and Deep Blue (at JFK International).

info:
Schulson graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He later worked as chef in several restaurants including the New York’s Peacock Alley (restaurant), Park Avenue Café, Le Bec-Fin, and Susanna Foo.In 2008, Schulson opened his first restaurant named Izakaya (a ‘’Japanese pub’’ in Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa).  In 2009, Schulson opened a second restaurant named Sampan (a contemporary Asian restaurant and bar). Sampan was subsequently named one of Bon Appetit’s “Top Six places to Taste Asian Fusion,” and Schulson was named one of Esquire’s “Chefs to Watch”. In the same year he founded Graffiti Bar. In 2014, Schulson founded the Independence Beer Garden, a 20,000 square-foot open-air drinking and dining establishment.  Schulson later opened the Harp & Crown restaurant located in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. The Harp & Crown was named one of the "most beautiful restaurants of 2016" by Eater National. In 2016, Schulson founded the Double Knot restaurant in Philadelphia. The restaurant received numerous awards including “three bells” from The Philadelphia Inquirer, three stars and the title of “2016 Best New Restaurant” from Philadelphia magazine and was named one of the “15 biggest restaurant openings of 2016” by Zagat. In 2017, Schulson founded the restaurant Monkitail in Hollywood. Schulson also currently serves as chef-partner at Izakaya at Borgata in Atlantic City. He also operates the airport dining concepts Sky Asian Bistro (in Philadelphia International) and Deep Blue (at JFK International).Michael Schulson is married to Nina Tinari. Schulson also has two sons.


name: Barton Seaver
first_name: Barton
last_name: Seaver
gender: M
personal_sec: Seaver lives in Maine with his wife Carrie Anne and their son.
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
In 2005, Seaver returned to Washington, D.C., and worked with chef José Andrés at the restaurant Jaleo. Seaver became executive chef of Café Saint-Ex and later its sister restaurant, Bar Pilar. He was chef-owner of the sustainable seafood restaurant Hook in Georgetown in 2007. Over the course of one year, Hook served 78 species of seafood. In addition, Seaver helped launch the casual seafood eatery Tackle Box. Seaver left Hook in 2008. He became chef of a new restaurant in the Glover Park neighborhood called Blue Ridge in 2009. His work at Blue Ridge led John Mariani of Esquire Magazine to name Seaver the 2009 Chef of the Year. The designation polarized restaurant critics. Seaver left Blue Ridge in early 2010 to work on other projects. His plans for a 6,700-square-foot (620 m2) combination sustainable seafood market and restaurant in Logan Circle to be called Diamond District Seafood Company were put on hold indefinitely in 2010 due to problems with the location. In 2012, Seaver was named by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the United States Culinary Ambassador Corp. Seaver shifted his focus away from the restaurant business and toward promoting sustainability, wellness, and community as they relate to food. He sat on the board of the hunger-fighting organization D.C. Central Kitchen until 2013 and was a fellow with the Blue Ocean Institute. He also has collaborations with the School Nutrition Association and Future of Fish. Seaver received a Seafood Champion Award from Seafood Choices Alliance in 2008. He is a member of the board of L.A. Kitchen. In 2016, Seaver was a Senior Advisor, Sustainable Seafood Innovations at the University of New England. Seaver is currently the Director of the Sustainable Seafood and Health Initiative at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2012, Seaver became the first Sustainability Fellow in Residence. Seaver became a National Geographic fellow in 2010. He developed a list of ocean friendly substitutes for popular yet depleted seafood species, and co-created the Seafood Decision Guide for consumers which evaluates seafood based on health and environmental factors. He also hosts the National Geographic Web series Cook-Wise. and is a regular contributing guest on National Geographic Weekend with Boyd Matson. Seaver has written opinion pieces for Seafood Business News, Treehugger, Stop Smiling magazine and StarChefs.com. He blogs for National Geographic's Ocean Views page. His first book, For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking (Sterling Epicure, 2011) is a cookbook of seasonal, environmentally responsible seafood and vegetable recipes. His second book, Where There's Smoke: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Grilling (Sterling Epicure, 2013) is a cookbook focused on grilling and entertaining. It was nominated by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2014 in the "Food Matters" category as a finalist in their prestigious annual cookbook awards. In 2014, he released Foods for Health and the National Geographic Kid's Cookbook, both published by National Geographic. In 2016, he published Two If By Sea with Sterling Epicure. His most recent book, American Seafood: Heritage, Culture & Cookery From Sea to Shining Sea is a seminal reference on every aspect of American seafood. Barton is a Contributing Seafood Editor at Coastal Living Magazine. In 2010, Seaver delivered a TED Talk on sustainable seafood aboard the National Geographic Endeavour as part of a conference-at-sea conceived by TED Prize winner and Mission Blue founder Dr. Sylvia Earle as part of the Mission Blue Voyage. On June 16, 2014, Seaver addressed the U.S. Department of State’s Our Ocean Conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry. He also prepared the menu which featured underutilized species of fish from his home state of Maine. In addition to his web-series with National Geographic titled Cook-Wise, Seaver has also hosted and appeared on a number of other television programs. In April 2010, he was interviewed for Anderson Cooper 360 on the topic of seafood scarcity. He also hosted a 3-part television series on the Ovation Network titled In Search of Food in 2011. In 2013, he appeared on the PBS program Moveable Feast.

info:
In 2005, Seaver returned to Washington, D.C., and worked with chef José Andrés at the restaurant Jaleo. Seaver became executive chef of Café Saint-Ex and later its sister restaurant, Bar Pilar. He was chef-owner of the sustainable seafood restaurant Hook in Georgetown in 2007. Over the course of one year, Hook served 78 species of seafood. In addition, Seaver helped launch the casual seafood eatery Tackle Box. Seaver left Hook in 2008. He became chef of a new restaurant in the Glover Park neighborhood called Blue Ridge in 2009. His work at Blue Ridge led John Mariani of Esquire Magazine to name Seaver the 2009 Chef of the Year. The designation polarized restaurant critics. Seaver left Blue Ridge in early 2010 to work on other projects. His plans for a 6,700-square-foot (620 m2) combination sustainable seafood market and restaurant in Logan Circle to be called Diamond District Seafood Company were put on hold indefinitely in 2010 due to problems with the location. In 2012, Seaver was named by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the United States Culinary Ambassador Corp. Seaver shifted his focus away from the restaurant business and toward promoting sustainability, wellness, and community as they relate to food. He sat on the board of the hunger-fighting organization D.C. Central Kitchen until 2013 and was a fellow with the Blue Ocean Institute. He also has collaborations with the School Nutrition Association and Future of Fish. Seaver received a Seafood Champion Award from Seafood Choices Alliance in 2008. He is a member of the board of L.A. Kitchen. In 2016, Seaver was a Senior Advisor, Sustainable Seafood Innovations at the University of New England. Seaver is currently the Director of the Sustainable Seafood and Health Initiative at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2012, Seaver became the first Sustainability Fellow in Residence. Seaver became a National Geographic fellow in 2010. He developed a list of ocean friendly substitutes for popular yet depleted seafood species, and co-created the Seafood Decision Guide for consumers which evaluates seafood based on health and environmental factors. He also hosts the National Geographic Web series Cook-Wise. and is a regular contributing guest on National Geographic Weekend with Boyd Matson. Seaver has written opinion pieces for Seafood Business News, Treehugger, Stop Smiling magazine and StarChefs.com. He blogs for National Geographic's Ocean Views page. His first book, For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking (Sterling Epicure, 2011) is a cookbook of seasonal, environmentally responsible seafood and vegetable recipes. His second book, Where There's Smoke: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Grilling (Sterling Epicure, 2013) is a cookbook focused on grilling and entertaining. It was nominated by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2014 in the "Food Matters" category as a finalist in their prestigious annual cookbook awards. In 2014, he released Foods for Health and the National Geographic Kid's Cookbook, both published by National Geographic. In 2016, he published Two If By Sea with Sterling Epicure. His most recent book, American Seafood: Heritage, Culture & Cookery From Sea to Shining Sea is a seminal reference on every aspect of American seafood. Barton is a Contributing Seafood Editor at Coastal Living Magazine. In 2010, Seaver delivered a TED Talk on sustainable seafood aboard the National Geographic Endeavour as part of a conference-at-sea conceived by TED Prize winner and Mission Blue founder Dr. Sylvia Earle as part of the Mission Blue Voyage. On June 16, 2014, Seaver addressed the U.S. Department of State’s Our Ocean Conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry. He also prepared the menu which featured underutilized species of fish from his home state of Maine. In addition to his web-series with National Geographic titled Cook-Wise, Seaver has also hosted and appeared on a number of other television programs. In April 2010, he was interviewed for Anderson Cooper 360 on the topic of seafood scarcity. He also hosted a 3-part television series on the Ovation Network titled In Search of Food in 2011. In 2013, he appeared on the PBS program Moveable Feast.Seaver lives in Maine with his wife Carrie Anne and their son.


name: Sean Sherman
first_name: Sean
last_name: Sherman
gender: M
personal_sec: Sherman lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has one son.
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Sherman got his first restaurant job washing dishes at 13, soon moving onto the line. He spent a summer working for the US Forest Service in the Black Hills, identifying plants. He spent most of his twenties working in a series of Minneapolis restaurants and by 27 was working as an executive chef. By 29 he was burnt out and spent some time in Mexico regrouping; while in Puerto Vallarta he spent time with some Huichol people and had an "epiphany", saying: "After seeing how the Huicholes held onto so much of their pre-European culture through artwork and food, I recognized I wanted to know my own food heritage. What did my ancestors eat before the Europeans arrived on our lands?”In 2014 Sherman founded indigenous food education business and caterer The Sioux Chef. The Washington Post called it "a homonym to another ... culinary concept", the sous-chef. He founded the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS) with his business and life partner Dana Thompson. The organization includes the Indigenous Food Lab, which works with ethnobotanists to record the earliest names of native plants. In 2017 Sherman co-authored The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, published by the University of Minnesota, which won the 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. In order to create the book's recipes, he interviewed older community members and searched archives for descriptions of traditional Lakota foods. Recipes in the book contain no dairy, wheat, beef, pork, or cane sugar, as these are non-indigenous ingredients, brought to North America by European colonizers. Sherman describes the recipes as "hyperlocal, ultraseasonal, uber-healthy  most of all, it's utterly delicious." Publishers Weekly called the book, "an illuminating guide to Native American food that will enthrall home cooks and food historians alike." That same year he prepared a six-course dinner at the James Beard House. In 2018 he participated in a National Museum of American History roundtable at the Food History weekend event. During the event he prepared a traditional dish, Mag˘áksic˘a na Psíŋ Wasná, duck and wild rice pemmican. In 2019 Sherman received a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award, which recognizes people and organizations that "(work) to change our food world for the better." The New York Times called his style "colorful and elegant".

info:
Sherman got his first restaurant job washing dishes at 13, soon moving onto the line. He spent a summer working for the US Forest Service in the Black Hills, identifying plants. He spent most of his twenties working in a series of Minneapolis restaurants and by 27 was working as an executive chef. By 29 he was burnt out and spent some time in Mexico regrouping; while in Puerto Vallarta he spent time with some Huichol people and had an "epiphany", saying: "After seeing how the Huicholes held onto so much of their pre-European culture through artwork and food, I recognized I wanted to know my own food heritage. What did my ancestors eat before the Europeans arrived on our lands?”In 2014 Sherman founded indigenous food education business and caterer The Sioux Chef. The Washington Post called it "a homonym to another ... culinary concept", the sous-chef. He founded the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS) with his business and life partner Dana Thompson. The organization includes the Indigenous Food Lab, which works with ethnobotanists to record the earliest names of native plants. In 2017 Sherman co-authored The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, published by the University of Minnesota, which won the 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. In order to create the book's recipes, he interviewed older community members and searched archives for descriptions of traditional Lakota foods. Recipes in the book contain no dairy, wheat, beef, pork, or cane sugar, as these are non-indigenous ingredients, brought to North America by European colonizers. Sherman describes the recipes as "hyperlocal, ultraseasonal, uber-healthy  most of all, it's utterly delicious." Publishers Weekly called the book, "an illuminating guide to Native American food that will enthrall home cooks and food historians alike." That same year he prepared a six-course dinner at the James Beard House. In 2018 he participated in a National Museum of American History roundtable at the Food History weekend event. During the event he prepared a traditional dish, Mag˘áksic˘a na Psíŋ Wasná, duck and wild rice pemmican. In 2019 Sherman received a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award, which recognizes people and organizations that "(work) to change our food world for the better." The New York Times called his style "colorful and elegant".Sherman lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has one son.


name: Michael Smith
first_name: Michael
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
At age seventeen, Smith started cooking in kitchens while attending art school. Within five years he was the Head Chef at a large, upscale bistro. He then enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated second in his class. After graduation, Smith worked in Michelin three-star restaurants in Europe, as well as kitchens in South Africa, the Caribbean, and New York City. Smith relocated to Prince Edward Island with the desire to cook sustainably by building a garden and developing partnerships with local farmers and fishermen. Smith started as a chef at The Inn at Bay Fortune in 1991. His first television show, The Inn Chef (1998), was filmed on location at the Inn, and across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Smith lead the team that cooked for athletes in Whistler, British Columbia during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. With his wife and business partner Chastity, Smith purchased The Inn at Bay Fortune in 2015. FireWorks, the on site restaurant, practices sustainable cuisine by growing its own vegetables in the surrounding gardens and sourcing local seafood. In 2019, Smith was appointed to the Order of Canada as a member "for his contributions as a chef, entrepreneur and champion of local foods, as well as for his efforts to develop regional tourism." In the same year, the Smiths opened a sister property, The Inn at Fortune Bridge.

personal_sec:
In 2009, Smith created a five-year scholarship for students in the Family and Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Prince Edward Island. On August 17, 2013, Smith married Chastity Smith, a singer-songwriter, on Prince Edward Island, where they live with their three children Gabe, Ariella, and Camille. Smith is a collector of vintage maps.

info:
At age seventeen, Smith started cooking in kitchens while attending art school. Within five years he was the Head Chef at a large, upscale bistro. He then enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated second in his class. After graduation, Smith worked in Michelin three-star restaurants in Europe, as well as kitchens in South Africa, the Caribbean, and New York City. Smith relocated to Prince Edward Island with the desire to cook sustainably by building a garden and developing partnerships with local farmers and fishermen. Smith started as a chef at The Inn at Bay Fortune in 1991. His first television show, The Inn Chef (1998), was filmed on location at the Inn, and across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Smith lead the team that cooked for athletes in Whistler, British Columbia during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. With his wife and business partner Chastity, Smith purchased The Inn at Bay Fortune in 2015. FireWorks, the on site restaurant, practices sustainable cuisine by growing its own vegetables in the surrounding gardens and sourcing local seafood. In 2019, Smith was appointed to the Order of Canada as a member "for his contributions as a chef, entrepreneur and champion of local foods, as well as for his efforts to develop regional tourism." In the same year, the Smiths opened a sister property, The Inn at Fortune Bridge.In 2009, Smith created a five-year scholarship for students in the Family and Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Prince Edward Island. On August 17, 2013, Smith married Chastity Smith, a singer-songwriter, on Prince Edward Island, where they live with their three children Gabe, Ariella, and Camille. Smith is a collector of vintage maps.


name: Michael Symon
first_name: Michael
last_name: Symon
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Symon cooked in the Cleveland restaurant scene, working at Player's, a Mediterranean restaurant in Lakewood. In 1993, he moved to Piccolo Mondo as chef, developing a small yet devoted following. He subsequently moved to Caxton Cafe. In February 1997, Michael and his then-fiancée (now wife), Liz Shanahan, opened Lola in Cleveland's trendy Tremont neighborhood. It is named after his aunt. At the time, the neighborhood was just beginning to be rediscovered and develop into the hipster, "go to" neighborhood that it has become. Tremont food scene pioneers Gerry Groh and Lynda Khoury had opened and grown one of the first new restaurants, named Bohemia, in Tremont. After several years of success, the couple was ready to move on to other ventures and the couple sold the space to the Symons. Lola garnered rave reviews and was named one of America's Best Restaurants in Gourmet magazine in its October 2000 issue.  In 2005, he converted Lola into Lolita, and reopened Lola in downtown Cleveland the next year. On April 15, 2006, Symon opened a third restaurant, Parea, which in Greek means "a group of friends" or "company," in New York City. The restaurant, which featured upscale Greek food and was located on East 20th Street near Park Avenue, was run by Jonathon Sawyer, who tutored under Symon at Lolita. It was located next door to Gramercy Tavern. Symon partnered with Telly Hatzigeorgiou, George Pantelidis, and Peter J. Pappas. Although New York Times food critic Frank Bruni gave the food a 2-stars rating (very good), he noted that the sound level reached "piercing heights."  By many accounts, the food was good, as the restaurant was even listed on "100 Tastes to Try in ’07" in Food & Wine magazine. It closed in 2007, and was acquired by Stavros Aktipis who renamed it Kellari's Parea. Symon opened Roast, a restaurant at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, Michigan in autumn 2008. Roast was named the 2009 Restaurant of the Year by the Detroit Free Press. He opened a restaurant on July 1, 2009, called Bar Symon in Avon Lake, Ohio featuring casual concepts on tavern food. Soon after, he opened a hamburger focused restaurant named BSpot in Woodmere, Ohio.  The original Avon Lake Bar Symon closed on October 19, 2010.  However, the concept still exists in airports. In October 2009, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that Symon would contribute menu items to be prepared by foodservice firm Aramark at the Quicken Loans Arena. Two existing restaurants were renamed after Symon's bar-bistros, Bar Symon and BSpot, and some of his signature dishes were made available as suite catering offerings. On October 19, 2010, Symon announced that he would be closing the Avon Lake location of Bar Symon.  He later announced two more BSpot locations, one in Strongsville (opened April 6, 2011) and another in Westlake (late 2011).  Another BSpot opened at the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland in May 2012, and a BSpot stand opened on the club level at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the 2012 NFL season.  The BSpot in the casino closed in 2017. On June 25, 2012, Symon opened another Bar Symon in Pittsburgh International Airport-Airmall in partnership with United Concessions Group and The Paradies Shops. On November 21, 2015 Symon opened Symon's Burger Joint in Austin, TX near The University of Texas. This was his first venture outside of the Midwest.  It closed in June 2017. On January 10, 2016, a fire caused the closure of Lolita in Tremont, which was originally the site of Lola.  On May 1, 2016, Symon claimed a restaurant named Sherla's Chicken & Oysters would open in the former Lolita spot.  He posted a concept menu on Facebook.  On March 14, 2017, a Symon representative said the restaurant was "currently in the design phase."  A Facebook page for the restaurant was last updated on May 1, 2016, and has since been deleted.  The URL sherlaschicken.com  currently redirects to Symon's page.  As late as May 15, 2019, Symon stated the project was in development: "We don’t have an ETA, we're still plugging along," he said. "We got through everything with the building. We're hoping to start working on the building, hopefully within the next couple of weeks to a month. We're getting there."  However, it was revealed 5 months later that the project would not be coming to fruition with no comment from Symon. On April 11, 2016 Symon opened Mabel's BBQ on East 4th Street adjacent to Lola.  On June 11, 2016, Symon noted there would be only one location of Mabel's BBQ.  On December 20, 2018, another Mabel's BBQ restaurant opened at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.  On February 6, 2019, a speakeasy named Sara's opened inside of the Palms Casino Mabel's BBQ location. On May 1, 2017 Bar Symon opened in Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Concourse C. Also in May 2017, Symon opened Angeline at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. In the spring and summer of 2018, without warning, Symon closed all BSpot locations outside of Cleveland in the areas of Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, and Detroit. Symon often appears on behalf of Food Network. During the summer of 2009, he promoted the Food Network's video game Cook Or Be Cooked for Wii, which was released on November 3, 2009. Symon was one of the rotating hosts of Food Network's show Melting Pot. He appeared on Sara's Secrets with Sara Moulton, Ready, Set, Cook, and FoodNation with Bobby Flay. In 2005, he appeared on Iron Chef America, where he lost to Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in Battle Asparagus. On August 27, 2007, Symon appeared in the "Cleveland, OH" episode of the television series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. While competing in the reality competition TV series The Next Iron Chef, he reported on his experiences for Fortune, posted on CNN Money.  On November 11, 2007, after a head-to-head match against John Besh, Symon was declared the winner of the entire competition. On November 18, 2007, Symon won his first battle on Iron Chef America. On April 21, 2008, the Food Network announced that Symon would take over as host of Dinner: Impossible, the network's third most popular show. He hosted the show for ten episodes until host Robert Irvine was reinstated. Although it was not announced publicly, Symon knew it was a temporary gig "from the start." He appeared along with several other Food Network stars on Dear Food Network: Thanksgiving Disasters, a program dealing with dinner mishaps which first aired November 17, 2008.  He appeared in the very first episode of the network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, which featured his restaurant Lolita. Cook Like an Iron Chef, a Cooking Channel show starring Symon, debuted in July 2010. He described it as "a show for the people who've watched Food Network forever and are ready to learn something more advanced or more creative." The show Food Feuds, which featured Symon, premiered October 10, 2010. He travels to various locales and performs a direct comparison competition between local food rivals. On February 14, 2011, Symon appeared in a skit on the late-night talk show Conan, in which a young couple had won a "romantic" Valentine's Day dinner date on the set. Conan O'Brien announced that Symon would be presenting them with their dinner—which he did, in the form of a Taco Party Pack from Taco Bell. In September 2011, Symon began co-hosting The Chew on ABC networks, a daily talk show that is centered on food-related and lifestyle topics. Symon has been the host of the television series Burgers, Brew and 'Que since 2015. Symon was featured in fellow Clevelander Michael Ruhlman's 2001 book, The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection. The second part of the three-part book focuses on Symon's quest for culinary perfection. In 2009, Symon collaborated with Ruhlman to write his first cookbook, Michael Symon's Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:12px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN 978-0307453655). The foreword is written by fellow Iron Chef Bobby Flay. It was published by Clarkson Potter and was released on November 3, 2009. On September 25, 2012, another cookbook was released named "The Chew: Food. Life. Fun." (ISBN 978-1401311063), co-authored by Symon along with fellow Iron Chef Mario Batali, long-time Food Network producer Gordon Elliott, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, and Daphne Oz. Three weeks later, Symon and Cleveland food writer Douglas Trattner collaborated to release his second offering, "Michael Symon's Carnivore: 120 Recipes for Meat Lovers" (ISBN 978-0307951786). Beginning in September 2012, the Chew crew began releasing seasonal e-book cookbooks with "The Chew: Fall Flavors: More than 20 Seasonal Recipes from The Chew Kitchen," published by Hyperion Books, which is a unit of ABC parent The Walt Disney Company. It was followed up with "The Chew: Winter Flavors" in December 2012, while "The Chew: Spring Flavors" and "The Chew: Summer Flavors" were both released on April 23, 2013. The Chew: What's for Dinner (ISBN 978-1-4013-1281-7), was released on September 24, 2013, by Hyperion Books, and is the second book based on the hot ABC television show. The cookbook features 100 easy recipes for every night of the week provided by Symon along with his co-hosts. In this cookbook, Symon provides quick and easy recipes for chicken marsala, angel hair caprese, and many others. He also shares tips on how to cook scallops restaurant-style. Onter cookbooks include 5 in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners (2013), 5 in 5: 5 for Every Season (2015), Michael Symon's Playing with Fire (2018), and Fix It with Food (2019). These were all co-authored by Douglas Trattner. In 2008, Symon began working as a "spokeschef," representing cookware companies Vitamix and Calphalon, appearing at housewares shows and other demonstration events. In 2011, Symon partnered with kitchenware company Weston Products on his official specialty kitchen product line, the Michael Symon Live to Cook Collection by Weston. In 2012, and again in 2013, Symon was paired with actress Eva Longoria for a promotion for PepsiCo's Lay's potato chip called "Do Us A Flavor." The promotion encourages consumers to submit new flavor ideas and fans vote for their favorite on Facebook. The person who creates the winning flavor is awarded $1 million or one percent of chip flavor's net sales.

personal_sec:
Symon is married to Liz Symon, who has also been a collaborator on his restaurants. His wife is a vegetarian.  Symon has an adult son, Kyle, who was two years old when Michael and Liz married. 

info:
Symon cooked in the Cleveland restaurant scene, working at Player's, a Mediterranean restaurant in Lakewood. In 1993, he moved to Piccolo Mondo as chef, developing a small yet devoted following. He subsequently moved to Caxton Cafe. In February 1997, Michael and his then-fiancée (now wife), Liz Shanahan, opened Lola in Cleveland's trendy Tremont neighborhood. It is named after his aunt. At the time, the neighborhood was just beginning to be rediscovered and develop into the hipster, "go to" neighborhood that it has become. Tremont food scene pioneers Gerry Groh and Lynda Khoury had opened and grown one of the first new restaurants, named Bohemia, in Tremont. After several years of success, the couple was ready to move on to other ventures and the couple sold the space to the Symons. Lola garnered rave reviews and was named one of America's Best Restaurants in Gourmet magazine in its October 2000 issue.  In 2005, he converted Lola into Lolita, and reopened Lola in downtown Cleveland the next year. On April 15, 2006, Symon opened a third restaurant, Parea, which in Greek means "a group of friends" or "company," in New York City. The restaurant, which featured upscale Greek food and was located on East 20th Street near Park Avenue, was run by Jonathon Sawyer, who tutored under Symon at Lolita. It was located next door to Gramercy Tavern. Symon partnered with Telly Hatzigeorgiou, George Pantelidis, and Peter J. Pappas. Although New York Times food critic Frank Bruni gave the food a 2-stars rating (very good), he noted that the sound level reached "piercing heights."  By many accounts, the food was good, as the restaurant was even listed on "100 Tastes to Try in ’07" in Food & Wine magazine. It closed in 2007, and was acquired by Stavros Aktipis who renamed it Kellari's Parea. Symon opened Roast, a restaurant at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, Michigan in autumn 2008. Roast was named the 2009 Restaurant of the Year by the Detroit Free Press. He opened a restaurant on July 1, 2009, called Bar Symon in Avon Lake, Ohio featuring casual concepts on tavern food. Soon after, he opened a hamburger focused restaurant named BSpot in Woodmere, Ohio.  The original Avon Lake Bar Symon closed on October 19, 2010.  However, the concept still exists in airports. In October 2009, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that Symon would contribute menu items to be prepared by foodservice firm Aramark at the Quicken Loans Arena. Two existing restaurants were renamed after Symon's bar-bistros, Bar Symon and BSpot, and some of his signature dishes were made available as suite catering offerings. On October 19, 2010, Symon announced that he would be closing the Avon Lake location of Bar Symon.  He later announced two more BSpot locations, one in Strongsville (opened April 6, 2011) and another in Westlake (late 2011).  Another BSpot opened at the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland in May 2012, and a BSpot stand opened on the club level at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the 2012 NFL season.  The BSpot in the casino closed in 2017. On June 25, 2012, Symon opened another Bar Symon in Pittsburgh International Airport-Airmall in partnership with United Concessions Group and The Paradies Shops. On November 21, 2015 Symon opened Symon's Burger Joint in Austin, TX near The University of Texas. This was his first venture outside of the Midwest.  It closed in June 2017. On January 10, 2016, a fire caused the closure of Lolita in Tremont, which was originally the site of Lola.  On May 1, 2016, Symon claimed a restaurant named Sherla's Chicken & Oysters would open in the former Lolita spot.  He posted a concept menu on Facebook.  On March 14, 2017, a Symon representative said the restaurant was "currently in the design phase."  A Facebook page for the restaurant was last updated on May 1, 2016, and has since been deleted.  The URL sherlaschicken.com  currently redirects to Symon's page.  As late as May 15, 2019, Symon stated the project was in development: "We don’t have an ETA, we're still plugging along," he said. "We got through everything with the building. We're hoping to start working on the building, hopefully within the next couple of weeks to a month. We're getting there."  However, it was revealed 5 months later that the project would not be coming to fruition with no comment from Symon. On April 11, 2016 Symon opened Mabel's BBQ on East 4th Street adjacent to Lola.  On June 11, 2016, Symon noted there would be only one location of Mabel's BBQ.  On December 20, 2018, another Mabel's BBQ restaurant opened at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.  On February 6, 2019, a speakeasy named Sara's opened inside of the Palms Casino Mabel's BBQ location. On May 1, 2017 Bar Symon opened in Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Concourse C. Also in May 2017, Symon opened Angeline at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. In the spring and summer of 2018, without warning, Symon closed all BSpot locations outside of Cleveland in the areas of Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, and Detroit. Symon often appears on behalf of Food Network. During the summer of 2009, he promoted the Food Network's video game Cook Or Be Cooked for Wii, which was released on November 3, 2009. Symon was one of the rotating hosts of Food Network's show Melting Pot. He appeared on Sara's Secrets with Sara Moulton, Ready, Set, Cook, and FoodNation with Bobby Flay. In 2005, he appeared on Iron Chef America, where he lost to Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in Battle Asparagus. On August 27, 2007, Symon appeared in the "Cleveland, OH" episode of the television series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. While competing in the reality competition TV series The Next Iron Chef, he reported on his experiences for Fortune, posted on CNN Money.  On November 11, 2007, after a head-to-head match against John Besh, Symon was declared the winner of the entire competition. On November 18, 2007, Symon won his first battle on Iron Chef America. On April 21, 2008, the Food Network announced that Symon would take over as host of Dinner: Impossible, the network's third most popular show. He hosted the show for ten episodes until host Robert Irvine was reinstated. Although it was not announced publicly, Symon knew it was a temporary gig "from the start." He appeared along with several other Food Network stars on Dear Food Network: Thanksgiving Disasters, a program dealing with dinner mishaps which first aired November 17, 2008.  He appeared in the very first episode of the network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, which featured his restaurant Lolita. Cook Like an Iron Chef, a Cooking Channel show starring Symon, debuted in July 2010. He described it as "a show for the people who've watched Food Network forever and are ready to learn something more advanced or more creative." The show Food Feuds, which featured Symon, premiered October 10, 2010. He travels to various locales and performs a direct comparison competition between local food rivals. On February 14, 2011, Symon appeared in a skit on the late-night talk show Conan, in which a young couple had won a "romantic" Valentine's Day dinner date on the set. Conan O'Brien announced that Symon would be presenting them with their dinner—which he did, in the form of a Taco Party Pack from Taco Bell. In September 2011, Symon began co-hosting The Chew on ABC networks, a daily talk show that is centered on food-related and lifestyle topics. Symon has been the host of the television series Burgers, Brew and 'Que since 2015. Symon was featured in fellow Clevelander Michael Ruhlman's 2001 book, The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection. The second part of the three-part book focuses on Symon's quest for culinary perfection. In 2009, Symon collaborated with Ruhlman to write his first cookbook, Michael Symon's Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:12px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN 978-0307453655). The foreword is written by fellow Iron Chef Bobby Flay. It was published by Clarkson Potter and was released on November 3, 2009. On September 25, 2012, another cookbook was released named "The Chew: Food. Life. Fun." (ISBN 978-1401311063), co-authored by Symon along with fellow Iron Chef Mario Batali, long-time Food Network producer Gordon Elliott, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, and Daphne Oz. Three weeks later, Symon and Cleveland food writer Douglas Trattner collaborated to release his second offering, "Michael Symon's Carnivore: 120 Recipes for Meat Lovers" (ISBN 978-0307951786). Beginning in September 2012, the Chew crew began releasing seasonal e-book cookbooks with "The Chew: Fall Flavors: More than 20 Seasonal Recipes from The Chew Kitchen," published by Hyperion Books, which is a unit of ABC parent The Walt Disney Company. It was followed up with "The Chew: Winter Flavors" in December 2012, while "The Chew: Spring Flavors" and "The Chew: Summer Flavors" were both released on April 23, 2013. The Chew: What's for Dinner (ISBN 978-1-4013-1281-7), was released on September 24, 2013, by Hyperion Books, and is the second book based on the hot ABC television show. The cookbook features 100 easy recipes for every night of the week provided by Symon along with his co-hosts. In this cookbook, Symon provides quick and easy recipes for chicken marsala, angel hair caprese, and many others. He also shares tips on how to cook scallops restaurant-style. Onter cookbooks include 5 in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners (2013), 5 in 5: 5 for Every Season (2015), Michael Symon's Playing with Fire (2018), and Fix It with Food (2019). These were all co-authored by Douglas Trattner. In 2008, Symon began working as a "spokeschef," representing cookware companies Vitamix and Calphalon, appearing at housewares shows and other demonstration events. In 2011, Symon partnered with kitchenware company Weston Products on his official specialty kitchen product line, the Michael Symon Live to Cook Collection by Weston. In 2012, and again in 2013, Symon was paired with actress Eva Longoria for a promotion for PepsiCo's Lay's potato chip called "Do Us A Flavor." The promotion encourages consumers to submit new flavor ideas and fans vote for their favorite on Facebook. The person who creates the winning flavor is awarded $1 million or one percent of chip flavor's net sales.Symon is married to Liz Symon, who has also been a collaborator on his restaurants. His wife is a vegetarian.  Symon has an adult son, Kyle, who was two years old when Michael and Liz married. 


name: Bryant Terry
first_name: Bryant
last_name: Terry
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
In 2001, Terry founded b-healthy! (Build Healthy Eating And Lifestyles To Help Youth), a five-year initiative created to raise awareness about food justice issues and empower youth to be active in creating a more just and sustainable food system. In 2002 he received a Community Fellowship from the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation) to support b-healthy's work, in which he led chef-educators Ludie Minaya, Elizabeth Johnson, and Latham Thomas in reaching out to thousands of youth in the United States. In the spring of 2003, Terry met author Anna Lappé. That fall they began writing a Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:12px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN 1585424595), which was soon bought by Tarcher/Penguin and published in 2006. Grub received a 2007 Nautilus Book Award for Social Change. Among his national radio and television appearances, Terry has offered his commentary on the Sundance Channel's original series Big Ideas for a Small Planet. He has been a guest chef on three episodes of the BET series My Two Cents. Terry was also a host on the PBS series The Endless Feast. Terry is a consultant for the Bioneers Conference. He has helped raise funds for the People's Grocery in West Oakland, and he consults for other not-for-profit organizations as well as corporations.  He appeared on the "Nourish: Food + Community" PBS special that aired in 2008, and he has also served on the advisory board for the project's educational component. From 2008 to 2010, Terry was a Food and Society Policy Fellow, a national program of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. In 2015, Terry was named the inaugural Chef-in-Residence for the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco.

personal_sec:
Terry married Jidan Koon, an organizational development consultant, in September 2010. They reside in Oakland, California with their children.

info:
In 2001, Terry founded b-healthy! (Build Healthy Eating And Lifestyles To Help Youth), a five-year initiative created to raise awareness about food justice issues and empower youth to be active in creating a more just and sustainable food system. In 2002 he received a Community Fellowship from the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation) to support b-healthy's work, in which he led chef-educators Ludie Minaya, Elizabeth Johnson, and Latham Thomas in reaching out to thousands of youth in the United States. In the spring of 2003, Terry met author Anna Lappé. That fall they began writing a Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:9px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-image:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png");background-image:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:12px;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN 1585424595), which was soon bought by Tarcher/Penguin and published in 2006. Grub received a 2007 Nautilus Book Award for Social Change. Among his national radio and television appearances, Terry has offered his commentary on the Sundance Channel's original series Big Ideas for a Small Planet. He has been a guest chef on three episodes of the BET series My Two Cents. Terry was also a host on the PBS series The Endless Feast. Terry is a consultant for the Bioneers Conference. He has helped raise funds for the People's Grocery in West Oakland, and he consults for other not-for-profit organizations as well as corporations.  He appeared on the "Nourish: Food + Community" PBS special that aired in 2008, and he has also served on the advisory board for the project's educational component. From 2008 to 2010, Terry was a Food and Society Policy Fellow, a national program of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. In 2015, Terry was named the inaugural Chef-in-Residence for the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco.Terry married Jidan Koon, an organizational development consultant, in September 2010. They reside in Oakland, California with their children.


name: Roberto Treviño
first_name: Roberto
last_name: Treviño
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Treviño moved to Puerto Rico in the early 1990s to work as a chef for the inauguration of the El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. In 1996 he quit his job at El Conquistador to open The Parrot Club, a Nuevo Latino restaurant in Old San Juan, where he served as Executive Chef. Following the success of The Parrot Club, Treviño opened two more restaurants in Old San Juan: Dragonfly (2000), specializing in Latin-Asian Cuisine, and Aguaviva (2002), a seafood restaurant. In 2007, Treviño stepped down as Executive Chef of the three restaurants in Old San Juan and opened the 5,000 square foot Latin-Asian Budatai  in Condado as Chef / Owner. He has since opened three more locales of his own in Condado: Bar Gitano which features Spanish tapas and paellas, local watering hole El Barril, and his latest, the 16,000 square foot "criollo kitchen" Casa Lola. His fifth restaurant in Puerto Rico, Rosa Mexicano, a collaboration with NYC restaurateur Howard Greenstone, is set to open in early 2013. Treviño has cooked dinner at the James Beard Foundation house in New York, & Orlando for their award events, is frequently featured as a guest chef in food events throughout the US and the Caribbean, including the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, Telluride Culinary Festival and the St Croix Food and Wine Festival, and has served as guest chef on Celebrity Cruise Lines ships on several occasions. He has made numerous television appearances both in Puerto Rico and the US, including a battle against renowned Chef Mario Batali on Iron Chef: America, as a contestant on The Next Iron Chef, with Rachael Ray on her show $40 a Day, as well as on his own local shows Kandela and the currently running 4 Minutos con Chef Treviño  on WIPR-TV. In late 2011 Treviño launched CookShop, a production company specializing in  television production and live events. Up to date CookShop has produced Treviño's series 4 Minutos con Chef Treviño and presented the Food & Fashion Festival, a once a year event which was attended by more than 3,000 guests on its inaugural date.

personal_sec:
Treviño was born and raised in Sunnyvale, California. He became fascinated with the kitchen when he began working as a young cook in the San Francisco Bay Area while he was still in high school.

info:
Treviño was born and raised in Sunnyvale, California. He became fascinated with the kitchen when he began working as a young cook in the San Francisco Bay Area while he was still in high school.Treviño moved to Puerto Rico in the early 1990s to work as a chef for the inauguration of the El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. In 1996 he quit his job at El Conquistador to open The Parrot Club, a Nuevo Latino restaurant in Old San Juan, where he served as Executive Chef. Following the success of The Parrot Club, Treviño opened two more restaurants in Old San Juan: Dragonfly (2000), specializing in Latin-Asian Cuisine, and Aguaviva (2002), a seafood restaurant. In 2007, Treviño stepped down as Executive Chef of the three restaurants in Old San Juan and opened the 5,000 square foot Latin-Asian Budatai  in Condado as Chef / Owner. He has since opened three more locales of his own in Condado: Bar Gitano which features Spanish tapas and paellas, local watering hole El Barril, and his latest, the 16,000 square foot "criollo kitchen" Casa Lola. His fifth restaurant in Puerto Rico, Rosa Mexicano, a collaboration with NYC restaurateur Howard Greenstone, is set to open in early 2013. Treviño has cooked dinner at the James Beard Foundation house in New York, & Orlando for their award events, is frequently featured as a guest chef in food events throughout the US and the Caribbean, including the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, Telluride Culinary Festival and the St Croix Food and Wine Festival, and has served as guest chef on Celebrity Cruise Lines ships on several occasions. He has made numerous television appearances both in Puerto Rico and the US, including a battle against renowned Chef Mario Batali on Iron Chef: America, as a contestant on The Next Iron Chef, with Rachael Ray on her show $40 a Day, as well as on his own local shows Kandela and the currently running 4 Minutos con Chef Treviño  on WIPR-TV. In late 2011 Treviño launched CookShop, a production company specializing in  television production and live events. Up to date CookShop has produced Treviño's series 4 Minutos con Chef Treviño and presented the Food & Fashion Festival, a once a year event which was attended by more than 3,000 guests on its inaugural date.


name: Charlie Trotter
first_name: Charlie
last_name: Trotter
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
For five years after college, he worked and studied in Chicago, San Francisco (at the California Culinary Academy), Florida and Europe.   He opened his first restaurant in Chicago with his father, Bob Trotter, as his partner. Trotter was the host of the 1999 PBS cooking show The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter, in which he details his recipes and cooking techniques. He likened cooking to an improvisational jazz session in that as two riffs will never be the same, so too with food. He also wrote 14 cookbooks and three management books, and promoted a line of organic and all-natural gourmet foods distributed nationally. Trotter was involved with his philanthropic Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation and other causes. He was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2005 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. He invited groups of public high school students into his restaurant as part of his Excellence Program two to three times per week: after eating a meal, the students were told how the food was prepared and the motivations of those preparing it. Trotter also was unusual among celebrity chefs for his outspokenness in matters of ethics, most famously when he  took foie gras off the menu in 2002 for ethical reasons. However, Trotter refused to be associated with the animal rights group Farm Sanctuary stating, "These people are idiots. Understand my position: I have nothing to do with a group like that. I think they're pathetic. … ome of their tactics are crude and uncivilized even." Trotter made a cameo appearance in the 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding, screaming at an assistant, "I will kill your whole family if you don't get this right! I need this perfect!" a parody of a stereotypical screaming angry chef.

personal_sec:
Trotter married his first wife, Lisa Ehrlich, on August 31, 1986. They met in 1981 at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lisa helped open the restaurant and served as its first dining room manager and wine director until the couple divorced in August 1990. Trotter's second marriage, to Lynn Thomas, produced a son, Dylan, who was 21 or 22 years old at his father's death. In February 2010, Trotter married girlfriend Rochelle Smith, who later became his publicist.

info:
For five years after college, he worked and studied in Chicago, San Francisco (at the California Culinary Academy), Florida and Europe.   He opened his first restaurant in Chicago with his father, Bob Trotter, as his partner. Trotter was the host of the 1999 PBS cooking show The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter, in which he details his recipes and cooking techniques. He likened cooking to an improvisational jazz session in that as two riffs will never be the same, so too with food. He also wrote 14 cookbooks and three management books, and promoted a line of organic and all-natural gourmet foods distributed nationally. Trotter was involved with his philanthropic Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation and other causes. He was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2005 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. He invited groups of public high school students into his restaurant as part of his Excellence Program two to three times per week: after eating a meal, the students were told how the food was prepared and the motivations of those preparing it. Trotter also was unusual among celebrity chefs for his outspokenness in matters of ethics, most famously when he  took foie gras off the menu in 2002 for ethical reasons. However, Trotter refused to be associated with the animal rights group Farm Sanctuary stating, "These people are idiots. Understand my position: I have nothing to do with a group like that. I think they're pathetic. … ome of their tactics are crude and uncivilized even." Trotter made a cameo appearance in the 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding, screaming at an assistant, "I will kill your whole family if you don't get this right! I need this perfect!" a parody of a stereotypical screaming angry chef.Trotter married his first wife, Lisa Ehrlich, on August 31, 1986. They met in 1981 at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lisa helped open the restaurant and served as its first dining room manager and wine director until the couple divorced in August 1990. Trotter's second marriage, to Lynn Thomas, produced a son, Dylan, who was 21 or 22 years old at his father's death. In February 2010, Trotter married girlfriend Rochelle Smith, who later became his publicist.


name: Buddy Valastro
first_name: Buddy
last_name: Valastro
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Valastro is the owner and head baker of Carlo's Bakery, the bakery featured on the TLC show Cake Boss. Carlo's has since opened 17 more bakeries due to the popularity of the show. In January 2012, as a result of the attention that the shop and the TV series had brought to the city of Hoboken, the Hudson Reporter named Valastro as an honorable mention in its list of Hudson County's 50 most influential people. Carlo's Bakery has seven locations in New Jersey—Hoboken, Marlton, Morristown,  Red Bank, Ridgewood, Wayne, and Westfield. Outside of New Jersey, the bakery operates locations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Westbury and New York, New York; Orlando, Florida; Frisco, Dallas, and The Woodlands, Texas; São Paulo, Brazil; Uncasville, Connecticut; Las Vegas and most recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lackawanna Factory in nearby Jersey City serves as the corporate office for the business and is used as additional space to create wedding and specialty cakes, and to bake specialty baked goods for shipment across the country. Valastro launched an event planning and catering company, Buddy V's Events, in June 2014. In 2016 Valastro partnered with Whole Earth Sweetener Co. on the campaign "Rethink Sweet." The company said Valastro would serve as brand ambassador for a "new line of zero- and lower-calorie sweeteners, and will work to help his fans make healthy lifestyle choices", as provide recipes using the product. In 2018 Valastro partnered with The Pound Bakery, a pet treat manufacturing company to redesign and launch a new line of pet treats. "We wanted to create palatable treats for dogs that are inspired by classic Italian entrees and desserts," said Lexie Berglund, President of The Pound Bakery. Buddy also worked with several other companies to launch a full line of ready-to-use fondant, buttercream icing, and Italian Biscotti cookies under the new brand name Buddy Valastro Foods in 2018. Valastro, a supporter of the Special Olympics, baked a commemorative cake for the 2011 announcement that the 2014 Special Olympics USA National Games would be held in New Jersey.

personal_sec:
Until 2014,  Valastro resided in East Hanover Township, New Jersey, with his wife Lisa and four children: Sofia, Bartolo "Buddy" III, Marco, and Carlo. He has four sisters and a stepfather, Sergio. His brother-in-law is Maurizio Belgiovine. As of 2014, he resided in Montville, New Jersey.On 13 November 2014, Valastro was arrested for driving while intoxicated. His driver's license was suspended for 90 days, and he paid a $300 fine. In September 2020, Valastro had his dominant right hand impaled by a pinsetter at his home bowling alley. His sons and other family members rescued him by cutting him out of the machine.  He underwent two emergency surgeries.

info:
Valastro is the owner and head baker of Carlo's Bakery, the bakery featured on the TLC show Cake Boss. Carlo's has since opened 17 more bakeries due to the popularity of the show. In January 2012, as a result of the attention that the shop and the TV series had brought to the city of Hoboken, the Hudson Reporter named Valastro as an honorable mention in its list of Hudson County's 50 most influential people. Carlo's Bakery has seven locations in New Jersey—Hoboken, Marlton, Morristown,  Red Bank, Ridgewood, Wayne, and Westfield. Outside of New Jersey, the bakery operates locations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Westbury and New York, New York; Orlando, Florida; Frisco, Dallas, and The Woodlands, Texas; São Paulo, Brazil; Uncasville, Connecticut; Las Vegas and most recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lackawanna Factory in nearby Jersey City serves as the corporate office for the business and is used as additional space to create wedding and specialty cakes, and to bake specialty baked goods for shipment across the country. Valastro launched an event planning and catering company, Buddy V's Events, in June 2014. In 2016 Valastro partnered with Whole Earth Sweetener Co. on the campaign "Rethink Sweet." The company said Valastro would serve as brand ambassador for a "new line of zero- and lower-calorie sweeteners, and will work to help his fans make healthy lifestyle choices", as provide recipes using the product. In 2018 Valastro partnered with The Pound Bakery, a pet treat manufacturing company to redesign and launch a new line of pet treats. "We wanted to create palatable treats for dogs that are inspired by classic Italian entrees and desserts," said Lexie Berglund, President of The Pound Bakery. Buddy also worked with several other companies to launch a full line of ready-to-use fondant, buttercream icing, and Italian Biscotti cookies under the new brand name Buddy Valastro Foods in 2018. Valastro, a supporter of the Special Olympics, baked a commemorative cake for the 2011 announcement that the 2014 Special Olympics USA National Games would be held in New Jersey.Until 2014,  Valastro resided in East Hanover Township, New Jersey, with his wife Lisa and four children: Sofia, Bartolo "Buddy" III, Marco, and Carlo. He has four sisters and a stepfather, Sergio. His brother-in-law is Maurizio Belgiovine. As of 2014, he resided in Montville, New Jersey.On 13 November 2014, Valastro was arrested for driving while intoxicated. His driver's license was suspended for 90 days, and he paid a $300 fine. In September 2020, Valastro had his dominant right hand impaled by a pinsetter at his home bowling alley. His sons and other family members rescued him by cutting him out of the machine.  He underwent two emergency surgeries.


name: Michael Voltaggio
first_name: Michael
last_name: Voltaggio
gender: M
personal_sec: Voltaggio has two daughters, Olivia and Sophia.
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
Voltaggio did not have the money to attend culinary school. Instead, he did a long apprenticeship in The Greenbrier's prestigious culinary apprenticeship program. Michael completed his Greenbrier apprenticeship under Certified Master Chef Peter Timmins at the age of 21.  He later held jobs at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Naples, Florida under chef Peter Timmins and Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg.  During his tenure as Chef de Cuisine at The Bazaar by Jose Andres, the restaurant was nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant in 2008. Voltaggio was the Chef de Cuisine at The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, which received several culinary awards, including the AAA Five Diamond Award, the Mobil Five-Star Award, and a Michelin Star, one of the few held by restaurants in the US. Voltaggio left The Dining Room in 2010 and announced plans to open his own restaurant in West Hollywood, California, in a space owned by former Hollywood superagent Michael Ovitz. After several delays, the highly successful ink. opened on September 21, 2011. Voltaggio's goal with the restaurant was to create what he called "modern Los Angeles cuisine."  The restaurant seats 60 in the dining room with a private room that can accommodate an additional 10 guests.  It was named America's best new restaurant by GQ Magazine in March 2012. While publicly developing and readying ink. for its highly anticipated debut, Voltaggio was quietly planning a smaller restaurant around the corner, a sandwich shop called ink.sack.  Voltaggio designed and built the shop himself  and surprised the culinary world when he opened the small restaurant with little notice or fanfare on August 11, 2011. Michael's sous chef, Mei Lin, won Top Chef Season 12.

info:
Voltaggio did not have the money to attend culinary school. Instead, he did a long apprenticeship in The Greenbrier's prestigious culinary apprenticeship program. Michael completed his Greenbrier apprenticeship under Certified Master Chef Peter Timmins at the age of 21.  He later held jobs at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Naples, Florida under chef Peter Timmins and Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg.  During his tenure as Chef de Cuisine at The Bazaar by Jose Andres, the restaurant was nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant in 2008. Voltaggio was the Chef de Cuisine at The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, which received several culinary awards, including the AAA Five Diamond Award, the Mobil Five-Star Award, and a Michelin Star, one of the few held by restaurants in the US. Voltaggio left The Dining Room in 2010 and announced plans to open his own restaurant in West Hollywood, California, in a space owned by former Hollywood superagent Michael Ovitz. After several delays, the highly successful ink. opened on September 21, 2011. Voltaggio's goal with the restaurant was to create what he called "modern Los Angeles cuisine."  The restaurant seats 60 in the dining room with a private room that can accommodate an additional 10 guests.  It was named America's best new restaurant by GQ Magazine in March 2012. While publicly developing and readying ink. for its highly anticipated debut, Voltaggio was quietly planning a smaller restaurant around the corner, a sandwich shop called ink.sack.  Voltaggio designed and built the shop himself  and surprised the culinary world when he opened the small restaurant with little notice or fanfare on August 11, 2011. Michael's sous chef, Mei Lin, won Top Chef Season 12.Voltaggio has two daughters, Olivia and Sophia.


name: Justin Warner
first_name: Justin
last_name: Warner
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
He was one of the co-owners of Do or Dine restaurant in Bed-Stuy, New York, before it closed in September 2015. Starting October 31, 2016, Warner, along with a few others acting as staff, created a new cooking show on Twitch.tv known as Chefshock, "Shockingly Real, Shockingly Live, and just plain Shockingly Delicious.", where he cooks live from his home kitchen from completely raw ingredients with viewers encouraged to cook along and ask questions. Questions are often presented to Warner by a moderator who shares in eating the finished results, while those that cook along and post their own progress pictures are featured throughout the show during lulls in the cooking process. Ingredients required to cook along at home are shared a week in advance, usually through the use of google documents to allow those that wish to participate time to gather them.

personal_sec:
In 2004, Justin married his high school sweetheart, Jessica Hinze. They lived together in Colorado until their divorce in 2007. On June 29, 2015, Justin Warner married his fiancée Brooke Sweeten.

info:
He was one of the co-owners of Do or Dine restaurant in Bed-Stuy, New York, before it closed in September 2015. Starting October 31, 2016, Warner, along with a few others acting as staff, created a new cooking show on Twitch.tv known as Chefshock, "Shockingly Real, Shockingly Live, and just plain Shockingly Delicious.", where he cooks live from his home kitchen from completely raw ingredients with viewers encouraged to cook along and ask questions. Questions are often presented to Warner by a moderator who shares in eating the finished results, while those that cook along and post their own progress pictures are featured throughout the show during lulls in the cooking process. Ingredients required to cook along at home are shared a week in advance, usually through the use of google documents to allow those that wish to participate time to gather them.In 2004, Justin married his high school sweetheart, Jessica Hinze. They lived together in Colorado until their divorce in 2007. On June 29, 2015, Justin Warner married his fiancée Brooke Sweeten.


name: Robert Wiedmaier
first_name: Robert
last_name: Wiedmaier
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
He began his career working at restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands, but relocated to the Washington metropolitan area in the 1980s. Upon arriving in the D.C. area, he took his first job as a saucier at the Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, at its restaurant, Le Chardon d’Or. He then worked at various hotels, including the Four Seasons and the Watergate (replacing Jean-Louis Palladin). In 1999, he opened his first restaurant, Marcel's, and now operates a group of restaurants in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Atlantic City. He has been invited to compete the television program Iron Chef, but declined, stating in 2012, "that's just not my thing. Not that I wouldn't do it, but I have five restaurants to run." In 2009, Wiedmaier was honored as Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (the RAMMY Awards). In August 2012, Wiedmaier was inducted into The Knighthood of the Brewers’ Mashstaff at the Belgian Beer Weekend in Brussels. Marcel's, named for Wiedmaier's son, opened in 1999 in Washington, D.C.'s Foggy Bottom neighborhood with fine French-Belgian cuisine. In 2015, Marcel's underwent a major renovation with new additions to the menu. Diners at Marcel's can create their own tasting menus with four, five, six or seven courses. In 2016, Marcel's won the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY) Award for formal fine dining restaurant of the year. In 2007, Wiedmaier opened a second restaurant in D.C., Brasserie Beck. He opened his third restaurant in 2009, Brabo in Virginia. In the following years, he has expanded to open several more restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Atlantic City, New Jersey under the umbrella of the RW Restaurant Group. In April 2007, he opened Brasserie Beck (named after his youngest son), his first major foray into mussels and Belgian beer. He described the restaurant as having a "1950s to 60s train station feel," and a focus on French cuisine with Flemish influences. Esquire called Brasserie Beck one of the Best New Restaurants in America in 2007. Brasserie Beck boasts one of the largest selections of Belgian beers outside of Belgium. This includes the house special Antigoon, which is brewed for Wiedmaier's restaurants by Belgium's Brouwerij de Musketiers. In 2009, he partnered with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurantss to open Brabo at the Lorien Hotel and Spa in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2010, Wiedmaier opened a more casual restaurant, Mussel Bar & Grille in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2012, he opened a second (now-closed) Mussel Bar & Grille in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A Ballston, Virginia outpost of Mussel Bar & Grille opened in 2013. Another Mussel Bar & Grille opened in Baltimore, Maryland in 2015. In 2012, Wiedmaier tapped five of his longest-serving employees to become part-owners of Wildwood Kitchen in Bethesda, Maryland. It is a smaller restaurant,  at 2,000 square feet, seating 55 people. Villain & Saint is a gastropub and live music venue that opened in 2015 in Bethesda, Maryland. Robert partnered with Brian McBride and Joe Lively to share their passion for the lifestyle of the freewheeling rock 'n' roll era.  Celebrating a variety of music and food, the restaurant offers a spread of tastes in music and food. In 2015, Wiedmaier acquired a neighborhood American and seafood restaurant in Potomac, Maryland, the Tavern at River Falls. In 2016, the restaurant changed its name to Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar. In 2017, Wiedmaier opened Siren in the Darcy Hotel in Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.. The menu is focused on seafood, featuring a grand plateau of oysters, clams, prawns, lobster, and several styles of sashimi, and a caviar service. Siren received a Michelin Star in the 2019 Michelin Guide for Washington, D.C. In February 2019, Siren closed, with the goal of reopening in a different location. As of January 2020, it has not reopened.

personal_sec:
Robert Wiedmaier was born in Germany and lived there until he was about the age 15. He described his mother, who was born in California, as a "great cook" who focused on French cuisine. He attended cooking school in the Netherlands, and now resides in Kensington, Maryland. He has been described as an "avid hunter" and fisherman and "full circle chef".

info:
Robert Wiedmaier was born in Germany and lived there until he was about the age 15. He described his mother, who was born in California, as a "great cook" who focused on French cuisine. He attended cooking school in the Netherlands, and now resides in Kensington, Maryland. He has been described as an "avid hunter" and fisherman and "full circle chef".He began his career working at restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands, but relocated to the Washington metropolitan area in the 1980s. Upon arriving in the D.C. area, he took his first job as a saucier at the Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, at its restaurant, Le Chardon d’Or. He then worked at various hotels, including the Four Seasons and the Watergate (replacing Jean-Louis Palladin). In 1999, he opened his first restaurant, Marcel's, and now operates a group of restaurants in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Atlantic City. He has been invited to compete the television program Iron Chef, but declined, stating in 2012, "that's just not my thing. Not that I wouldn't do it, but I have five restaurants to run." In 2009, Wiedmaier was honored as Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (the RAMMY Awards). In August 2012, Wiedmaier was inducted into The Knighthood of the Brewers’ Mashstaff at the Belgian Beer Weekend in Brussels. Marcel's, named for Wiedmaier's son, opened in 1999 in Washington, D.C.'s Foggy Bottom neighborhood with fine French-Belgian cuisine. In 2015, Marcel's underwent a major renovation with new additions to the menu. Diners at Marcel's can create their own tasting menus with four, five, six or seven courses. In 2016, Marcel's won the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY) Award for formal fine dining restaurant of the year. In 2007, Wiedmaier opened a second restaurant in D.C., Brasserie Beck. He opened his third restaurant in 2009, Brabo in Virginia. In the following years, he has expanded to open several more restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Atlantic City, New Jersey under the umbrella of the RW Restaurant Group. In April 2007, he opened Brasserie Beck (named after his youngest son), his first major foray into mussels and Belgian beer. He described the restaurant as having a "1950s to 60s train station feel," and a focus on French cuisine with Flemish influences. Esquire called Brasserie Beck one of the Best New Restaurants in America in 2007. Brasserie Beck boasts one of the largest selections of Belgian beers outside of Belgium. This includes the house special Antigoon, which is brewed for Wiedmaier's restaurants by Belgium's Brouwerij de Musketiers. In 2009, he partnered with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurantss to open Brabo at the Lorien Hotel and Spa in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2010, Wiedmaier opened a more casual restaurant, Mussel Bar & Grille in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2012, he opened a second (now-closed) Mussel Bar & Grille in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A Ballston, Virginia outpost of Mussel Bar & Grille opened in 2013. Another Mussel Bar & Grille opened in Baltimore, Maryland in 2015. In 2012, Wiedmaier tapped five of his longest-serving employees to become part-owners of Wildwood Kitchen in Bethesda, Maryland. It is a smaller restaurant,  at 2,000 square feet, seating 55 people. Villain & Saint is a gastropub and live music venue that opened in 2015 in Bethesda, Maryland. Robert partnered with Brian McBride and Joe Lively to share their passion for the lifestyle of the freewheeling rock 'n' roll era.  Celebrating a variety of music and food, the restaurant offers a spread of tastes in music and food. In 2015, Wiedmaier acquired a neighborhood American and seafood restaurant in Potomac, Maryland, the Tavern at River Falls. In 2016, the restaurant changed its name to Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar. In 2017, Wiedmaier opened Siren in the Darcy Hotel in Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.. The menu is focused on seafood, featuring a grand plateau of oysters, clams, prawns, lobster, and several styles of sashimi, and a caviar service. Siren received a Michelin Star in the 2019 Michelin Guide for Washington, D.C. In February 2019, Siren closed, with the goal of reopening in a different location. As of January 2020, it has not reopened.


name: Ronnie Woo
first_name: Ronnie
last_name: Woo
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
In 2011, Woo completed a culinary program with the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver while also creating his food blog, The Delicious Cook. A few months later, his food blog evolved into what is now his private chef company, based in Beverly Hills, which specializes in intimate four-star dinner parties. Woo has worked with Mindy Kaling, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Charlie Sheen, Kathy Griffin, Holly Robinson Peete, Dita Von Teese, Nancy O'Dell, and Gilles Marini. On May 5, 2013, Woo premiered a pop-up event called Salt & Honey, which served California comfort-style dishes. Woo is the host and chef of the cooking and reality television show Food To Get You Laid on Logo TV. The show was originally set to premiere on August 16, 2015 but was later changed to an earlier premiere date, August 14, 2015. In the show, Woo coaches real people in their homes on how to cook a meal in their kitchen in hopes to spice up their love life via recipes that everyday people can make at home. Woo said this about the show: “Food does more than just bring people together, it creates memories. I think all of us have the tools to create a memorable meal, so we’re going into people’s homes and showing them how they can use what’s already in their kitchen to make a romantic and delicious meal they'll never forget."  Woo was a guest chef expert on Season 4 of Home Made Simple on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and was added to the cast as a regular chef expert in season 5. He has made guest appearances on Tyra Banks's FABLife (where Chrissy Teigen asked him to cook shirtless ), Fuse's Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce, and is a regular contributor to Good Day LA. Woo has also made a celebrity chef appearance on NBC's Food Fighters. In 2016, Woo joined the cast of Logo TV's Secret Guide To Summer for a one-hour summer special. Woo is a regular chef guest on The Rachael Ray Show and Hallmark Channel's The Home and Family Show,. Woo was a featured guest on Food Network's The Kitchen, Hollywood Today Live, and featured guest judge on the Thanksgiving episode of Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay in 2017. In the second half of the year, he was hired as the LA correspondent for the Scripps Network Interactive Digital platform, Genius Kitchen.  In 2018, he made a second guest appearance on Food Network's The Kitchen, along with multiple judging appearances on episodes of Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay. Ronnie has made several appearances on CMT's talk show, Pickler & Ben  and even co-hosted a special cooking/dating episode called "Cooking For Love With Chef Ronnie Woo" for Pickler & Ben  in 2019.  In the Fall of 2019, Woo was a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Woo continues to make regular guest appearances on The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and The Home and Family Show. At the end of 2019, Woo announced the launch of his YouTube Channel, which would premiere its first mini-series, Craving Jetlag, in January 2020. In 2020, Woo signed as on-camera talent with the Food Network Kitchen app, where he delivers live cooking classes and on-demand cooking videos.

personal_sec:
Woo grew up in Seattle, Washington with his parents and two sisters. At the age of 19, he moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue his modeling career. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

info:
Woo grew up in Seattle, Washington with his parents and two sisters. At the age of 19, he moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue his modeling career. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.In 2011, Woo completed a culinary program with the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver while also creating his food blog, The Delicious Cook. A few months later, his food blog evolved into what is now his private chef company, based in Beverly Hills, which specializes in intimate four-star dinner parties. Woo has worked with Mindy Kaling, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Charlie Sheen, Kathy Griffin, Holly Robinson Peete, Dita Von Teese, Nancy O'Dell, and Gilles Marini. On May 5, 2013, Woo premiered a pop-up event called Salt & Honey, which served California comfort-style dishes. Woo is the host and chef of the cooking and reality television show Food To Get You Laid on Logo TV. The show was originally set to premiere on August 16, 2015 but was later changed to an earlier premiere date, August 14, 2015. In the show, Woo coaches real people in their homes on how to cook a meal in their kitchen in hopes to spice up their love life via recipes that everyday people can make at home. Woo said this about the show: “Food does more than just bring people together, it creates memories. I think all of us have the tools to create a memorable meal, so we’re going into people’s homes and showing them how they can use what’s already in their kitchen to make a romantic and delicious meal they'll never forget."  Woo was a guest chef expert on Season 4 of Home Made Simple on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and was added to the cast as a regular chef expert in season 5. He has made guest appearances on Tyra Banks's FABLife (where Chrissy Teigen asked him to cook shirtless ), Fuse's Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce, and is a regular contributor to Good Day LA. Woo has also made a celebrity chef appearance on NBC's Food Fighters. In 2016, Woo joined the cast of Logo TV's Secret Guide To Summer for a one-hour summer special. Woo is a regular chef guest on The Rachael Ray Show and Hallmark Channel's The Home and Family Show,. Woo was a featured guest on Food Network's The Kitchen, Hollywood Today Live, and featured guest judge on the Thanksgiving episode of Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay in 2017. In the second half of the year, he was hired as the LA correspondent for the Scripps Network Interactive Digital platform, Genius Kitchen.  In 2018, he made a second guest appearance on Food Network's The Kitchen, along with multiple judging appearances on episodes of Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay. Ronnie has made several appearances on CMT's talk show, Pickler & Ben  and even co-hosted a special cooking/dating episode called "Cooking For Love With Chef Ronnie Woo" for Pickler & Ben  in 2019.  In the Fall of 2019, Woo was a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Woo continues to make regular guest appearances on The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and The Home and Family Show. At the end of 2019, Woo announced the launch of his YouTube Channel, which would premiere its first mini-series, Craving Jetlag, in January 2020. In 2020, Woo signed as on-camera talent with the Food Network Kitchen app, where he delivers live cooking classes and on-demand cooking videos.


name: Geoffrey Zakarian
first_name: Geoffrey
last_name: Zakarian
gender: M
occupation: chefs
career_sec:
In 1990, he became the executive chef at 44, a restaurant described by The New York Times as "trendy" and "chic", located at the Royalton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. William Grimes, also of The New York Times, described Zakarian as "... the reason that 44 in the Royalton Hotel was always a lot better than it needed to be" in 2001. Previously, in 1992, 44 had received only 2 stars from The New York Times columnist Bryan Miller. In 1996, he was hired to oversee Old Navy's ill-fated coffee bar and coffee cart division with David Brody of Z100 WHTZ. He then went on to work for the Blue Door of the Delano Hotel in South Beach, Miami. In 1998, he became the executive chef at Patroon in Manhattan, which was awarded 3 stars (excellent) by NY Times critic Ruth Reichl. In the spring of 2000, Zakarian worked with Alain Passard, a renowned French chef at the three-Michelin star restaurant Arpège in Paris. His style is described as "modern" with roots in French cuisine, or as he describes, "dynamic American." Zakarian owned two restaurants, Town and Country, both of which are in Manhattan. They have been rated with 3 stars by The New York Times. His restaurant Town was located in the East Side of Midtown Manhattan in the Chambers Hotel and opened in Spring 2001 but closed in 2009. Country is located in the Carlton Hotel near Madison Square Park and opened in 2005. The restaurant has earned a Michelin Star. Zakarian is now a consultant at the Water Club in Atlantic City and executive chef at the Lamb's Club in New York City. The Lambs Club restaurant is not connected in any way to the historical theatre club, The Lambs (known as The Lambs Club since 1874). In the spring of 2006, Zakarian released his first book, Geoffrey Zakarian's Town / Country. It was quoted as being "...one of the best of 2006" by The New York Times columnist Amanda Hesser. The book features 150 recipes for family, friends and "Life Around the Table."

personal_sec:
Zakarian married Margaret Anne Williams, a marketing executive, in 2005. They have two daughters, Anna and Madeline, and one son, George. He was previously married to Heather Karaman for approximately 10 years. Zakarian is a "long-time subscriber to Reason and a self-described libertarian."

info:
In 1990, he became the executive chef at 44, a restaurant described by The New York Times as "trendy" and "chic", located at the Royalton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. William Grimes, also of The New York Times, described Zakarian as "... the reason that 44 in the Royalton Hotel was always a lot better than it needed to be" in 2001. Previously, in 1992, 44 had received only 2 stars from The New York Times columnist Bryan Miller. In 1996, he was hired to oversee Old Navy's ill-fated coffee bar and coffee cart division with David Brody of Z100 WHTZ. He then went on to work for the Blue Door of the Delano Hotel in South Beach, Miami. In 1998, he became the executive chef at Patroon in Manhattan, which was awarded 3 stars (excellent) by NY Times critic Ruth Reichl. In the spring of 2000, Zakarian worked with Alain Passard, a renowned French chef at the three-Michelin star restaurant Arpège in Paris. His style is described as "modern" with roots in French cuisine, or as he describes, "dynamic American." Zakarian owned two restaurants, Town and Country, both of which are in Manhattan. They have been rated with 3 stars by The New York Times. His restaurant Town was located in the East Side of Midtown Manhattan in the Chambers Hotel and opened in Spring 2001 but closed in 2009. Country is located in the Carlton Hotel near Madison Square Park and opened in 2005. The restaurant has earned a Michelin Star. Zakarian is now a consultant at the Water Club in Atlantic City and executive chef at the Lamb's Club in New York City. The Lambs Club restaurant is not connected in any way to the historical theatre club, The Lambs (known as The Lambs Club since 1874). In the spring of 2006, Zakarian released his first book, Geoffrey Zakarian's Town / Country. It was quoted as being "...one of the best of 2006" by The New York Times columnist Amanda Hesser. The book features 150 recipes for family, friends and "Life Around the Table."Zakarian married Margaret Anne Williams, a marketing executive, in 2005. They have two daughters, Anna and Madeline, and one son, George. He was previously married to Heather Karaman for approximately 10 years. Zakarian is a "long-time subscriber to Reason and a self-described libertarian."


name: Jacob Bannon
first_name: Jacob
last_name: Bannon
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Converge is an American metalcore band formed in the winter of 1990 by vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou, they were later joined by bassist Jeff Feinburg, and drummer Damon Bellorado. They started by playing covers of hardcore punk, punk rock and heavy metal songs. The band soon graduated to playing live performances in 1991, after recording some demos on a 4-track recorder. Converge have enjoyed a relatively high level of recognition. Their popularity began to rise with the release of breakthrough album, Jane Doe. Converge's records have gradually become more elaborate and expensive to produce. This progression began with their move from a small independent label (Equal Vision Records) to a considerably larger one (Epitaph Records). Special releases have traditionally been handled by Bannon's record label, Deathwish Inc. After Supermachiner released Rise of the Great Machine and after Converge had completed recording Jane Doe, Bannon started writing and recording solo material under the name Dear Lover. Although a number of releases were lined up none of them saw the light of day except a demo version of one track "Grant Me the Strength" which was made available for download on Converge's website in January 2003. The track was supposed to be part of en EP titled The Blood of Thine Enemies, but the EP was never released. The track was later featured on Supermachiner's 2009 album Rust. There was also a Dear Lover double album planned titled Wear Your Wounds to be released on Icarus Records. In January, 2005 Dear Lover recordings were said to have been in the editing and mixing process, and it was believed there would be multiple releases of Dear Lover recordings which included the Wear Your Wounds double album throughout the year, however this did not happen. In March 2008 the single "The Blood of Thine Enemies" was released on Deathwish, Bannon released the song under the name J.Bannon. Bannon has said the song was never intended it to be part of an album, only to be a stand-alone piece. Converge's website also changed the use of the name Dear Lover to J.Bannon in the upcoming section where the Wear Your Wounds album was listed. Initially planning since 2008 on releasing solo music under his name only, in 2012 Bannon began using the Wear Your Wounds name for these projects. This allowed others to collaborate and work with Bannon on future projects. On November 16, 2012 Bannon and Ben Chisholm of Chelsea Wolfe released a split 7" EP titled Wear Your Wounds and Revelator, it was the first time Bannon released anything under then name Wear Your Wounds. On January 15, 2013 a digital single was released under the name Wear Your Wounds entitled "The Migration". The long-awaited Wear Your Wounds album, now titled to the abbreviation WYW was finally given the release date of April 7, 2017 and was released by Deathwish. The album has multiple guest musicians such as Kurt Ballou, Mike McKenzie, Chris Maggio, and Sean Martin. The single "Goodbye Old Friend" was released on 13 January 2017. On March 3, 2017, the non-album single "Arthritic Heart", physical copies where available with New Noise Magazine. Wear Your Wounds' live debut was on April 22 at the Roadburn festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The Wear Your Wounds live band has been described as a supergroup with Bannon on piano, bass and vocal duties, guitarists Mike McKenzie (of The Red Chord) Adam McGrath (of Cave In), Sean Martin (of Hatebreed) and drummer Chris Maggio (of Trap Them). Bannon has said, " lot of them are guys that contributed on the record. We're going to be a three-guitar band and I'll be playing bass sort of intermittently with a lot of the stuff, because there is bass on the record but not all over the place. It's basically a bunch of friends that were available and want to play this sort of music, have fun and explore this world that I started on my own." Supermachiner was an experimental rock project formed in 1994 by Jacob Bannon and Ryan Parker. Supermachiner originally began as a collection of 4 track recordings by Bannon and Parker, recorded in 1994. The project remained nameless and dormant for a number of years. With the help and inspiration of his good friend Ryan Parker, they casually brought the project back to life in the winter of 1998. With his input, they developed collective song ideas into the Rise of the Great Machine album. However Bannon continued to write music that was sonically different than Converge, which was later released as solo material many years later. Irons is a musical collaboration between Jacob Bannon, Dwid Hellion and Stephen Kasner. In 2006 Hellion approached Bannon about creating music together sometime. In late 2007 fine artist and musician Stephen Kasner also expressed interest in working with the pair. This led to the formation of Irons in 2007. The band's goal was to create apocalyptic, non-linear music from a fine art based mindset. Irons only released one split album with Pulling Teeth entitled Grey Savior, the album was released through Deathwish on April 1, 2011 .

personal_sec:
Bannon was born in 1976. He grew up splitting his time between Andover in the Merrimack Valley, Charlestown, and East Boston on some weekends. At 17, he graduated High School early and chose to work until heading to college. He relocated to metro Boston and attended college at The Art Institute of Boston, earning a Bachelors In Fine Arts for design in 1998, and subsequently taught the subject on a college level for a brief time. He also won the "Excellence In Design" accolade from the school. For a brief time, he instructed at the same college in their "Continuing Education" program. After working a variety of freelance design jobs at firms, he became a freelance Artist/Designer primarily working in the Independent music community. He is a vegetarian and follows a straight edge lifestyle. From 2005 to 2008, he has been nominated for the title of "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by Peta2. He is concerned with the greyhound-racing industry, and is a dog owner, having owned rescued greyhounds, pitbulls, among others. Bannon is also an avid mixed martial arts and kickboxing fan, having trained boxing, Muay Thai, and obtained a license as a MMA instructor in the state of Massachusetts, working occasionally as a judge. Accordingly, Deathwish has sponsored some MMA fighters. Bannon is known for his extensive tattoos. He received his first tattoo at the age of 15, which has subsequently been covered by other tattoos. He has been tattooed by Darren Brass, among many other artists. In 2013, Bannon was the subject of a short documentary directed by Ian McFarland entitled "Rungs in a Ladder." In the documentary, Bannon reflected on important moments in his life and his motivation as an artist.

info:
Bannon was born in 1976. He grew up splitting his time between Andover in the Merrimack Valley, Charlestown, and East Boston on some weekends. At 17, he graduated High School early and chose to work until heading to college. He relocated to metro Boston and attended college at The Art Institute of Boston, earning a Bachelors In Fine Arts for design in 1998, and subsequently taught the subject on a college level for a brief time. He also won the "Excellence In Design" accolade from the school. For a brief time, he instructed at the same college in their "Continuing Education" program. After working a variety of freelance design jobs at firms, he became a freelance Artist/Designer primarily working in the Independent music community. He is a vegetarian and follows a straight edge lifestyle. From 2005 to 2008, he has been nominated for the title of "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by Peta2. He is concerned with the greyhound-racing industry, and is a dog owner, having owned rescued greyhounds, pitbulls, among others. Bannon is also an avid mixed martial arts and kickboxing fan, having trained boxing, Muay Thai, and obtained a license as a MMA instructor in the state of Massachusetts, working occasionally as a judge. Accordingly, Deathwish has sponsored some MMA fighters. Bannon is known for his extensive tattoos. He received his first tattoo at the age of 15, which has subsequently been covered by other tattoos. He has been tattooed by Darren Brass, among many other artists. In 2013, Bannon was the subject of a short documentary directed by Ian McFarland entitled "Rungs in a Ladder." In the documentary, Bannon reflected on important moments in his life and his motivation as an artist.Converge is an American metalcore band formed in the winter of 1990 by vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou, they were later joined by bassist Jeff Feinburg, and drummer Damon Bellorado. They started by playing covers of hardcore punk, punk rock and heavy metal songs. The band soon graduated to playing live performances in 1991, after recording some demos on a 4-track recorder. Converge have enjoyed a relatively high level of recognition. Their popularity began to rise with the release of breakthrough album, Jane Doe. Converge's records have gradually become more elaborate and expensive to produce. This progression began with their move from a small independent label (Equal Vision Records) to a considerably larger one (Epitaph Records). Special releases have traditionally been handled by Bannon's record label, Deathwish Inc. After Supermachiner released Rise of the Great Machine and after Converge had completed recording Jane Doe, Bannon started writing and recording solo material under the name Dear Lover. Although a number of releases were lined up none of them saw the light of day except a demo version of one track "Grant Me the Strength" which was made available for download on Converge's website in January 2003. The track was supposed to be part of en EP titled The Blood of Thine Enemies, but the EP was never released. The track was later featured on Supermachiner's 2009 album Rust. There was also a Dear Lover double album planned titled Wear Your Wounds to be released on Icarus Records. In January, 2005 Dear Lover recordings were said to have been in the editing and mixing process, and it was believed there would be multiple releases of Dear Lover recordings which included the Wear Your Wounds double album throughout the year, however this did not happen. In March 2008 the single "The Blood of Thine Enemies" was released on Deathwish, Bannon released the song under the name J.Bannon. Bannon has said the song was never intended it to be part of an album, only to be a stand-alone piece. Converge's website also changed the use of the name Dear Lover to J.Bannon in the upcoming section where the Wear Your Wounds album was listed. Initially planning since 2008 on releasing solo music under his name only, in 2012 Bannon began using the Wear Your Wounds name for these projects. This allowed others to collaborate and work with Bannon on future projects. On November 16, 2012 Bannon and Ben Chisholm of Chelsea Wolfe released a split 7" EP titled Wear Your Wounds and Revelator, it was the first time Bannon released anything under then name Wear Your Wounds. On January 15, 2013 a digital single was released under the name Wear Your Wounds entitled "The Migration". The long-awaited Wear Your Wounds album, now titled to the abbreviation WYW was finally given the release date of April 7, 2017 and was released by Deathwish. The album has multiple guest musicians such as Kurt Ballou, Mike McKenzie, Chris Maggio, and Sean Martin. The single "Goodbye Old Friend" was released on 13 January 2017. On March 3, 2017, the non-album single "Arthritic Heart", physical copies where available with New Noise Magazine. Wear Your Wounds' live debut was on April 22 at the Roadburn festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The Wear Your Wounds live band has been described as a supergroup with Bannon on piano, bass and vocal duties, guitarists Mike McKenzie (of The Red Chord) Adam McGrath (of Cave In), Sean Martin (of Hatebreed) and drummer Chris Maggio (of Trap Them). Bannon has said, " lot of them are guys that contributed on the record. We're going to be a three-guitar band and I'll be playing bass sort of intermittently with a lot of the stuff, because there is bass on the record but not all over the place. It's basically a bunch of friends that were available and want to play this sort of music, have fun and explore this world that I started on my own." Supermachiner was an experimental rock project formed in 1994 by Jacob Bannon and Ryan Parker. Supermachiner originally began as a collection of 4 track recordings by Bannon and Parker, recorded in 1994. The project remained nameless and dormant for a number of years. With the help and inspiration of his good friend Ryan Parker, they casually brought the project back to life in the winter of 1998. With his input, they developed collective song ideas into the Rise of the Great Machine album. However Bannon continued to write music that was sonically different than Converge, which was later released as solo material many years later. Irons is a musical collaboration between Jacob Bannon, Dwid Hellion and Stephen Kasner. In 2006 Hellion approached Bannon about creating music together sometime. In late 2007 fine artist and musician Stephen Kasner also expressed interest in working with the pair. This led to the formation of Irons in 2007. The band's goal was to create apocalyptic, non-linear music from a fine art based mindset. Irons only released one split album with Pulling Teeth entitled Grey Savior, the album was released through Deathwish on April 1, 2011 .


name: Natvar Bhavsar
first_name: Natvar
last_name: Bhavsar
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Bhavsar attained prominence as an artist in India by age 19, working primarily in the Cubist vein. After moving to New York City, he became influenced by the freedom of abstract painting. His style evolved into abstract expressionism and color field painting, and his works often feature a hazy object (absent of direct lines or geometric shapes) in the center of a solid canvas, that projects an astral-like mass of color. Employing some techniques from the Indian tradition of sand painting, Bhavsar paints in an improvisational manner, "soaking the canvas with acrylic-based liquid binders that absorb and hold the fine pigment powder. He applies the base using a sifting technique with a screen, during which layers of fine, concentrated pigment are sprinkled and drizzled over the canvas (or paper), which is laid out on the floor so that the artist can walk around the painting and work on it from all sides." Bhavsar primarily shows his work at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery in New York and the ACP Viviane Ehrli Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland, along with Pundole Art Gallery in Bombay, India. He has been exhibiting his works in one-man shows since 1970. In 2007, the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University sponsored an exhibition of about 50 of Bhavsar’s works. It was the first United States university to hold a one-man show of a South Asian artist. Earlier in his career, Bhavsar was a John D. Rockefeller III Fund Fellow (1965 –1966), a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow (1975 – 1976), and an Instructor of Art at the University of Rhode Island (1967 – 1969). In 1980 and 1983, he participated in Executive Seminars at the Aspen Institute and, more recently, participated as a Cultural Leader at the World Economic Forums in Davos, Switzerland (2000) and New York (2002). Throughout his career, Bhavsar has associated with a number of acclaimed artists, most prominently, Mark Rothko (1903 – 1970) and Barnett Newman (1905 – 1970). Bhasvar has been included in the Asian American Arts Centre's artasiamerica digital archive. In 2011, a documentary on his life and works, The Poetics of Color: Natvar Bhavsar, a Painter's Journey was made by Sundaram Tagore.

personal_sec:
Bhavsar married  American artist and photographer Janet Brosious Bhavsar in 1978, and they have twin sons. The Bhavsars met in art class in the early 1960s, and she drove him to New York City on his first visit in 1963 to look at Picasso paintings at the Museum of Modern Art.

info:
Bhavsar attained prominence as an artist in India by age 19, working primarily in the Cubist vein. After moving to New York City, he became influenced by the freedom of abstract painting. His style evolved into abstract expressionism and color field painting, and his works often feature a hazy object (absent of direct lines or geometric shapes) in the center of a solid canvas, that projects an astral-like mass of color. Employing some techniques from the Indian tradition of sand painting, Bhavsar paints in an improvisational manner, "soaking the canvas with acrylic-based liquid binders that absorb and hold the fine pigment powder. He applies the base using a sifting technique with a screen, during which layers of fine, concentrated pigment are sprinkled and drizzled over the canvas (or paper), which is laid out on the floor so that the artist can walk around the painting and work on it from all sides." Bhavsar primarily shows his work at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery in New York and the ACP Viviane Ehrli Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland, along with Pundole Art Gallery in Bombay, India. He has been exhibiting his works in one-man shows since 1970. In 2007, the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University sponsored an exhibition of about 50 of Bhavsar’s works. It was the first United States university to hold a one-man show of a South Asian artist. Earlier in his career, Bhavsar was a John D. Rockefeller III Fund Fellow (1965 –1966), a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow (1975 – 1976), and an Instructor of Art at the University of Rhode Island (1967 – 1969). In 1980 and 1983, he participated in Executive Seminars at the Aspen Institute and, more recently, participated as a Cultural Leader at the World Economic Forums in Davos, Switzerland (2000) and New York (2002). Throughout his career, Bhavsar has associated with a number of acclaimed artists, most prominently, Mark Rothko (1903 – 1970) and Barnett Newman (1905 – 1970). Bhasvar has been included in the Asian American Arts Centre's artasiamerica digital archive. In 2011, a documentary on his life and works, The Poetics of Color: Natvar Bhavsar, a Painter's Journey was made by Sundaram Tagore.Bhavsar married  American artist and photographer Janet Brosious Bhavsar in 1978, and they have twin sons. The Bhavsars met in art class in the early 1960s, and she drove him to New York City on his first visit in 1963 to look at Picasso paintings at the Museum of Modern Art.


name: Tom Bianchi
first_name: Tom
last_name: Bianchi
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
His 21 books of photographs, poems, and essays primarily cover the gay male experience. In 1990, St. Martin's Press published Out of the Studio, Bianchi's book of male nudes, frankly gay and affectionally connected.  Thereafter, 20 of Bianchi's books have been published, three documentary films about Bianchi's work have been distributed, and Bianchi's work has been published in more than thirty anthologies on the male nude.  His On the Couch series, Deep Sex, Erotic Triggers and Fine Art Sex deal with the expression of conscious sexual energy.  His book Fire Island Pines Polaroids 1975–1983, made with his partner, Ben Smales, was honored by Time magazine's list of the Best Photo Books of 2013.

personal_sec:
Bianchi was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Bianchi studied political science at the University of New Mexico, and subsequently earned a J.D. degree at Northwestern University School of Law. He practiced corporate law for ten years in Chicago and Washington, D.C.. At thirty-four, he left his position as senior counsel at Columbia Pictures, tore up his J.D. degree, pasted it into a painting and had his first one-man show with Betty Parsons and Carol Dreyfuss in New York.  Shortly thereafter, he had his first major museum retrospective at the Spoleto Festival in 1984. Bianchi currently resides in Palm Springs, California.

info:
His 21 books of photographs, poems, and essays primarily cover the gay male experience. In 1990, St. Martin's Press published Out of the Studio, Bianchi's book of male nudes, frankly gay and affectionally connected.  Thereafter, 20 of Bianchi's books have been published, three documentary films about Bianchi's work have been distributed, and Bianchi's work has been published in more than thirty anthologies on the male nude.  His On the Couch series, Deep Sex, Erotic Triggers and Fine Art Sex deal with the expression of conscious sexual energy.  His book Fire Island Pines Polaroids 1975–1983, made with his partner, Ben Smales, was honored by Time magazine's list of the Best Photo Books of 2013.Bianchi was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Bianchi studied political science at the University of New Mexico, and subsequently earned a J.D. degree at Northwestern University School of Law. He practiced corporate law for ten years in Chicago and Washington, D.C.. At thirty-four, he left his position as senior counsel at Columbia Pictures, tore up his J.D. degree, pasted it into a painting and had his first one-man show with Betty Parsons and Carol Dreyfuss in New York.  Shortly thereafter, he had his first major museum retrospective at the Spoleto Festival in 1984. Bianchi currently resides in Palm Springs, California.


name: Norman Carton
first_name: Norman
last_name: Carton
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Norman Carton was employed as a muralist and easel artist from 1939 to 1942, working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project and collaborating with architect George Howe.  Carton’s WPA commissions during this time included murals at the Helen Fleischer Vocational School for Girls in Philadelphia,  the Officers’ Club at Camp Meade Army Base in Maryland, and in the city of Hidalgo, Mexico. During World War II, he worked for Cramp Shipbuilding as a naval structural designer and draftsman. It was at this time that Carton began creating non-objective sculptures with metal. After the war, Carton co-founded a fabric design plant in Philadelphia. He produced hand-printed fabrics for interiors and fashion that were featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily. Original fabric designs were commissioned by notable clients including Lord & Taylor, Gimbels, and Nina Ricci. Some of these designs are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Carton traded his partnership in the fabric design company in 1949 to focus full-time on painting. Carton had his first solo exhibition in 1949 at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.  This show was followed closely by solo exhibitions at the Laurel Gallery (New York City) and Dubin Gallery (Philadelphia). At this time, his exhibited work was Abstract Impressionist. In addition to painting, he taught classes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was the Founder and first President of the Philadelphia chapter of Artist’s Equity Association. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the organization of the National Museums of France commissioned Carton to travel to Europe, mainly France, in 1950 for a color photography study of continental masterpieces. He was granted access to study the restoration of the Mona Lisa and was one of the very few to be given permission to remove the painting from its frame. In 1952, he had solo exhibitions at the Sorbonne, Galerie d’Art, and Gallery Rene Breteau and was part of many group shows in Paris salons including Les Surindependants, Salon d’Automne, and Realities Nouvelles. Here for the first time, Carton showed his non-objective paintings. He also exhibited at the Musee d’Art Juif where he won the Prix d’Art. During his stay in Paris, the Cercle Paul Valery twice sponsored Carton to present lectures at the Sorbonne. He conducted seminars at the Louvre for the Cercle Esthetique Internationale and taught classes in and directed stage and costume design for the Theatre de Recherche at the Paris Opera. When Carton returned to the United States in 1953, he settled in New York City where he worked in the company of the leading artists of the day with whom he appeared in a number of group shows including the Whitney Museum of American Art's 1955-1956 “Exhibit of Contemporary American Painting.” This exhibition included such notable artists as Richard Diebenkorn, Joan Mitchell, James Brooks, Grace Hartigan, Franz Kline, Georgia O’Keefe, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert De Niro Sr., and many others.   The mid-1950s to the 1970s was a busy time for Carton during which he received a great deal of recognition. He had solo exhibitions one gallery after another (Martha Jackson), Staempfli, Granite and World House, New York City; Tirca Carlis, Provincetown; Gres, Washington D.C.; Dumbarton, Boston; and Joachim, Chicago).  Carton's large canvasses traveled in major collections to such venues as the Smithsonian American Art Museum (was SNCFA) and the RISD Museum of Fine Arts with significant works of artists such as Jim Dine, Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson, and Jackson Pollock. Other group exhibitions included Whitney, Corcoran, Phillips, Dallas, Dayton, Walker, and Chrysler Museums among others.   In 1962, with the aid of two other artists, he formed the Dewey Gallery, one of the first New York City galleries owned and operated by artists. He presented his work during the opening exhibition. During his lifetime, Carton was in more than 120 group exhibits and more than 20 solo shows and continued to receive many PAFA fellowship awards.  He was popularly and critically regarded as possessing a painterly style of superlative action and a unique knowledge as a colorist, Carton ground his own pigments and painted with a brilliant palette. More recently, he exhibited with Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko among other great Abstract Expressionists as well as Picasso and Matisse. Norman Carton was also an art educator throughout much of his life.  Beginning in 1960, Carton worked on the art faculty at the New School where he would remain until his death. From 1948 to 1949, he taught painting and composition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. From 1950 to 1953, he conducted seminars at the Louvre and the Sorbonne while living in Paris. Also while in Paris, Carton taught classes in and directed stage and costume design for the Theatre de Recherche at the Paris Opera. He also gave lectures at the Pratt Institute and the Chrysler Museum of Art as well as the Whitney Museum of American Art. Carton moderated panel discussions between prominent artists and educators and appeared in radio interviews. In 1960 and 1961, he painted at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire as a fellow. Carton also taught for a time at Long Island University.

personal_sec:
Norman Carton had two children, sons Jacob and Benedict Carton.  He died of a heart attack at Doctors Hospital in New York City in 1980 at the age of 72.

info:
Norman Carton was employed as a muralist and easel artist from 1939 to 1942, working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project and collaborating with architect George Howe.  Carton’s WPA commissions during this time included murals at the Helen Fleischer Vocational School for Girls in Philadelphia,  the Officers’ Club at Camp Meade Army Base in Maryland, and in the city of Hidalgo, Mexico. During World War II, he worked for Cramp Shipbuilding as a naval structural designer and draftsman. It was at this time that Carton began creating non-objective sculptures with metal. After the war, Carton co-founded a fabric design plant in Philadelphia. He produced hand-printed fabrics for interiors and fashion that were featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily. Original fabric designs were commissioned by notable clients including Lord & Taylor, Gimbels, and Nina Ricci. Some of these designs are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Carton traded his partnership in the fabric design company in 1949 to focus full-time on painting. Carton had his first solo exhibition in 1949 at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.  This show was followed closely by solo exhibitions at the Laurel Gallery (New York City) and Dubin Gallery (Philadelphia). At this time, his exhibited work was Abstract Impressionist. In addition to painting, he taught classes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was the Founder and first President of the Philadelphia chapter of Artist’s Equity Association. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the organization of the National Museums of France commissioned Carton to travel to Europe, mainly France, in 1950 for a color photography study of continental masterpieces. He was granted access to study the restoration of the Mona Lisa and was one of the very few to be given permission to remove the painting from its frame. In 1952, he had solo exhibitions at the Sorbonne, Galerie d’Art, and Gallery Rene Breteau and was part of many group shows in Paris salons including Les Surindependants, Salon d’Automne, and Realities Nouvelles. Here for the first time, Carton showed his non-objective paintings. He also exhibited at the Musee d’Art Juif where he won the Prix d’Art. During his stay in Paris, the Cercle Paul Valery twice sponsored Carton to present lectures at the Sorbonne. He conducted seminars at the Louvre for the Cercle Esthetique Internationale and taught classes in and directed stage and costume design for the Theatre de Recherche at the Paris Opera. When Carton returned to the United States in 1953, he settled in New York City where he worked in the company of the leading artists of the day with whom he appeared in a number of group shows including the Whitney Museum of American Art's 1955-1956 “Exhibit of Contemporary American Painting.” This exhibition included such notable artists as Richard Diebenkorn, Joan Mitchell, James Brooks, Grace Hartigan, Franz Kline, Georgia O’Keefe, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert De Niro Sr., and many others.   The mid-1950s to the 1970s was a busy time for Carton during which he received a great deal of recognition. He had solo exhibitions one gallery after another (Martha Jackson), Staempfli, Granite and World House, New York City; Tirca Carlis, Provincetown; Gres, Washington D.C.; Dumbarton, Boston; and Joachim, Chicago).  Carton's large canvasses traveled in major collections to such venues as the Smithsonian American Art Museum (was SNCFA) and the RISD Museum of Fine Arts with significant works of artists such as Jim Dine, Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson, and Jackson Pollock. Other group exhibitions included Whitney, Corcoran, Phillips, Dallas, Dayton, Walker, and Chrysler Museums among others.   In 1962, with the aid of two other artists, he formed the Dewey Gallery, one of the first New York City galleries owned and operated by artists. He presented his work during the opening exhibition. During his lifetime, Carton was in more than 120 group exhibits and more than 20 solo shows and continued to receive many PAFA fellowship awards.  He was popularly and critically regarded as possessing a painterly style of superlative action and a unique knowledge as a colorist, Carton ground his own pigments and painted with a brilliant palette. More recently, he exhibited with Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko among other great Abstract Expressionists as well as Picasso and Matisse. Norman Carton was also an art educator throughout much of his life.  Beginning in 1960, Carton worked on the art faculty at the New School where he would remain until his death. From 1948 to 1949, he taught painting and composition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. From 1950 to 1953, he conducted seminars at the Louvre and the Sorbonne while living in Paris. Also while in Paris, Carton taught classes in and directed stage and costume design for the Theatre de Recherche at the Paris Opera. He also gave lectures at the Pratt Institute and the Chrysler Museum of Art as well as the Whitney Museum of American Art. Carton moderated panel discussions between prominent artists and educators and appeared in radio interviews. In 1960 and 1961, he painted at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire as a fellow. Carton also taught for a time at Long Island University.Norman Carton had two children, sons Jacob and Benedict Carton.  He died of a heart attack at Doctors Hospital in New York City in 1980 at the age of 72.


name: Peter Max
first_name: Peter
last_name: Max
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
In 1962, Max started a small Manhattan arts studio known as "The Daly & Max Studio," with friend Tom Daly. Daly and Max were joined by friend and mentor Don Rubbo, and the three worked as a group on books and advertising for which they received industry recognition. Much of their work incorporated antique photographic images as elements of collage. Max's interest in astronomy contributed to his self-described "Cosmic '60s" period, which featured what became identified as psychedelic, counter culture imagery. Max's art was popularized nationally through TV commercials such as his 1968 "un cola" ad for the soft drink 7 Up which helped drive sales of his art posters and other merchandise. Max appeared on The Tonight Show on August 15, 1968. He was featured on the cover of Life magazine's September 5, 1969 edition under the heading "Peter Max: Portrait of the artist as a very rich man." In 1970, many of Max's products and posters were featured in the exhibition "The World of Peter Max," which opened at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco. The United States Postal Service commissioned Max to create the 10-cent postage stamp to commemorate the Expo '74 World's Fair in Spokane, Washington, and Max drew a colorful psychedelic scene with a "Cosmic Jumper" and a "Smiling Sage" against a backdrop of a cloud, sun rays and a ship at sea on the theme of "Preserve the Environment." According to The New York Times, "His DayGlo-inflected posters became wallpaper for the turn on, tune in, drop out generation." On July 4, 1976, Max began his Statue of Liberty series leading to his efforts with Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca to help in the restoration of the statue. Also in 1976, "Peter Max Paints America" was commissioned by the ASEA of Sweden. The book project commemorated the United States Bicentennial and included the following foreword: "Peter Max Paints America is based on works of art commissioned by ASEA of Sweden on the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, in sincere recognition of the historic bonds of friendship between the people of Sweden and the people of the United States, recalling that Sweden was one of the first countries to extend its hand in friendship to the new nation." Max has been the official artist for many major events, including the 1994 World Cup, the Grammy Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Super Bowl and others. In 2000, Max designed the paint scheme Dale Earnhardt drove at the Winston all-star race, deviating from Earnhardt's trademark black car. He was also the Official Artist of the 2000 World Series, the "Subway Series" between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Max first painted Taylor Swift's portrait as a gift to the singer for her Grammy-winning albums Fearless and Speak Now, and has recently painted new portraits of Taylor Swift to commemorate her worldwide success. Max is on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service. In 1989, Max designed the cover photo—as well as the 45 rpm single picture-sleeve photo—of Aretha Franklin's Through the Storm album. In 1990, Max purchased a collection of Chevrolet Corvettes for an intended art project, but never used them and let them rot in a series of garages. In 1994, Max designed the artwork for progressive rock band Yes's fourteenth studio album, Talk.  In 2012, he was chosen to paint the hull art of the New York themed ship Norwegian Breakaway by Norwegian Cruise Line.  In 2017, Max did the cover art for the Aug/Sept issue of AARP magazine. In 2019, The New York Times published an investigative journalism piece on Max’s current state, revealing that he is suffering from advanced dementia, that he is now often unaware of his identity and his surroundings, and that his deteriorated mental state has been exploited in a massive art fraud scheme dating back to at least 2015.

personal_sec:
Max married his first wife Elizabeth Ann Nance in 1963 and they divorced in 1976. Max had a nine-year-long relationship with musician and model Rosie Vela that ended in 1985. He was also romantically connected with Tina Louise. Max married Mary Balkin in 1997; she died by suicide (nitrogen asphyxiation) in June 2019. In November 1997, Max pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal district court to charges of concealing more than $1.1 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service in connection with the sales of his works between 1988 and 1991. The plea came two days before he was to go on trial on an 11-count conspiracy and tax fraud indictment. Under the deal, he pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and a charge of tax evasion, telling a federal judge that he had taken payments in cash, deposited customers' checks into his personal account and arranged other transactions to avoid tax liability. In June 1998, he was sentenced to two months in prison and a $30,000 fine. The federal judge ordered Max to pay the taxes he owed and to perform 800 hours of community service. Max is an environmentalist, vegan and supporter of human and animal rights. In 2002, Max contributed to rescue efforts for Cincinnati Freedom, a cow that escaped from an Ohio slaughterhouse. The cow jumped over a six-foot fence while the slaughterhouse workers were on break and eluded capture for eleven days. Max donated $180,000 worth of his art to benefit the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, part of a chain of events that finally led to the cow being sent to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, a permanent home where the cow remained for the rest of her life. Max lives in New York City and has two adult children, Adam Cosmo Max and Libra Astro Max. Max has developed advanced dementia, largely the result of Alzheimer's disease.

info:
In 1962, Max started a small Manhattan arts studio known as "The Daly & Max Studio," with friend Tom Daly. Daly and Max were joined by friend and mentor Don Rubbo, and the three worked as a group on books and advertising for which they received industry recognition. Much of their work incorporated antique photographic images as elements of collage. Max's interest in astronomy contributed to his self-described "Cosmic '60s" period, which featured what became identified as psychedelic, counter culture imagery. Max's art was popularized nationally through TV commercials such as his 1968 "un cola" ad for the soft drink 7 Up which helped drive sales of his art posters and other merchandise. Max appeared on The Tonight Show on August 15, 1968. He was featured on the cover of Life magazine's September 5, 1969 edition under the heading "Peter Max: Portrait of the artist as a very rich man." In 1970, many of Max's products and posters were featured in the exhibition "The World of Peter Max," which opened at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco. The United States Postal Service commissioned Max to create the 10-cent postage stamp to commemorate the Expo '74 World's Fair in Spokane, Washington, and Max drew a colorful psychedelic scene with a "Cosmic Jumper" and a "Smiling Sage" against a backdrop of a cloud, sun rays and a ship at sea on the theme of "Preserve the Environment." According to The New York Times, "His DayGlo-inflected posters became wallpaper for the turn on, tune in, drop out generation." On July 4, 1976, Max began his Statue of Liberty series leading to his efforts with Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca to help in the restoration of the statue. Also in 1976, "Peter Max Paints America" was commissioned by the ASEA of Sweden. The book project commemorated the United States Bicentennial and included the following foreword: "Peter Max Paints America is based on works of art commissioned by ASEA of Sweden on the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, in sincere recognition of the historic bonds of friendship between the people of Sweden and the people of the United States, recalling that Sweden was one of the first countries to extend its hand in friendship to the new nation." Max has been the official artist for many major events, including the 1994 World Cup, the Grammy Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Super Bowl and others. In 2000, Max designed the paint scheme Dale Earnhardt drove at the Winston all-star race, deviating from Earnhardt's trademark black car. He was also the Official Artist of the 2000 World Series, the "Subway Series" between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Max first painted Taylor Swift's portrait as a gift to the singer for her Grammy-winning albums Fearless and Speak Now, and has recently painted new portraits of Taylor Swift to commemorate her worldwide success. Max is on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service. In 1989, Max designed the cover photo—as well as the 45 rpm single picture-sleeve photo—of Aretha Franklin's Through the Storm album. In 1990, Max purchased a collection of Chevrolet Corvettes for an intended art project, but never used them and let them rot in a series of garages. In 1994, Max designed the artwork for progressive rock band Yes's fourteenth studio album, Talk.  In 2012, he was chosen to paint the hull art of the New York themed ship Norwegian Breakaway by Norwegian Cruise Line.  In 2017, Max did the cover art for the Aug/Sept issue of AARP magazine. In 2019, The New York Times published an investigative journalism piece on Max’s current state, revealing that he is suffering from advanced dementia, that he is now often unaware of his identity and his surroundings, and that his deteriorated mental state has been exploited in a massive art fraud scheme dating back to at least 2015.Max married his first wife Elizabeth Ann Nance in 1963 and they divorced in 1976. Max had a nine-year-long relationship with musician and model Rosie Vela that ended in 1985. He was also romantically connected with Tina Louise. Max married Mary Balkin in 1997; she died by suicide (nitrogen asphyxiation) in June 2019. In November 1997, Max pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal district court to charges of concealing more than $1.1 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service in connection with the sales of his works between 1988 and 1991. The plea came two days before he was to go on trial on an 11-count conspiracy and tax fraud indictment. Under the deal, he pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and a charge of tax evasion, telling a federal judge that he had taken payments in cash, deposited customers' checks into his personal account and arranged other transactions to avoid tax liability. In June 1998, he was sentenced to two months in prison and a $30,000 fine. The federal judge ordered Max to pay the taxes he owed and to perform 800 hours of community service. Max is an environmentalist, vegan and supporter of human and animal rights. In 2002, Max contributed to rescue efforts for Cincinnati Freedom, a cow that escaped from an Ohio slaughterhouse. The cow jumped over a six-foot fence while the slaughterhouse workers were on break and eluded capture for eleven days. Max donated $180,000 worth of his art to benefit the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, part of a chain of events that finally led to the cow being sent to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, a permanent home where the cow remained for the rest of her life. Max lives in New York City and has two adult children, Adam Cosmo Max and Libra Astro Max. Max has developed advanced dementia, largely the result of Alzheimer's disease.


name: Jordan Nassar
first_name: Jordan
last_name: Nassar
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Nassar bases his work on tatreez (Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery) which is typically created in panels which are stitched together into clothing or other items. Nassar typically creates and frames small panels, many around 8 x 10 inches. The panels' patterns typically feature geometric borders and depict plants and flowers, though the thread colors Nassar uses often do not correspond to those shapes, but to subtle landscapes. Nassar's work depicts cultural elements of his upbringing in the Upper West Side, which he likens to traditional Palestinian embroidery, where each village uses distinct symbols. Some designs also feature technology-related motifs, such as computers, which Nassar links with embroidery as the first form of pixelation. Nassar's earliest work involved copying embroidery patterns from books. Once he learned that each Palestinian village has its own pattern, he began to develop his own patterns resembling Palestinian embroidery but that do not exist in traditional works. Each work contains up to 75,000 individual stitches. Nassar draws inspiration from a number of artists, many of whom work in textile, such as Sheila Hicks, Hannah Ryggen, and Anni Albers; painters including Paul Guiragossian and Helen Frankenthaler; and artists working with alternative media, such as Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. He sees his work as continuing the conversations their artwork has created. He considers their efforts to be about form, texture, and color, though Nassar primarily tries to address concepts and issues beyond the medium itself. Nassar particularly looks up to Etel Adnan, a Lebanese-American poet, essayist, and visual artist. Since Nassar's first solo exhibition, in London in 2015, he has turned to creating more political works, including focusing on cultural absorption, or absorption of elements of one culture by another. Nassar held a solo exhibition in Los Angeles at Anat Ebgi gallery's AE2 space in 2017. Anat Ebgi presented Nassar's work at the 2018 Frieze New York, an art fair in New York City. In addition to Nassar's embroidery, he also has had managerial positions at the New York City artists book shop Printed Matter, Inc., running the NY Art Book Fair and the art fair Art Los Angeles Contemporary. Nassar started expanding the use of traditional symbols in his work upon spending significant time in the port city of Jaffa, where he stayed for a five-week artist residency in 2017. Arab and Israeli friends, as well as Nassar's husband had advised against the residency, due to the organization's acceptance of financing from supporters of illegal Jewish settlements in Palestine. Nassar decided that boycotting the program would not be impactful, and was impressed that the residency's website was inclusive through its Arabic, Hebrew, and English language versions. The residency included an apartment, studio, stipend, and reimbursement of production funds. Nassar used the funds to visit the West Bank, where he purchased embroideries made by elderly women.

personal_sec:
Jordan Nassar is married to the Israeli-born fellow artist Amir Guberstein. The two met while living in Berlin, and their decision to live in New York was spurred by the ruling in United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court case that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act. Nassar self-identifies as gay, something that has made him feel uncomfortable with the Arabic side of his family, and that made him feel uncomfortable in Palestine, where he also had to hide his tattoos and could not wear any jewelry. Nassar lives and works in New York City.

info:
Nassar bases his work on tatreez (Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery) which is typically created in panels which are stitched together into clothing or other items. Nassar typically creates and frames small panels, many around 8 x 10 inches. The panels' patterns typically feature geometric borders and depict plants and flowers, though the thread colors Nassar uses often do not correspond to those shapes, but to subtle landscapes. Nassar's work depicts cultural elements of his upbringing in the Upper West Side, which he likens to traditional Palestinian embroidery, where each village uses distinct symbols. Some designs also feature technology-related motifs, such as computers, which Nassar links with embroidery as the first form of pixelation. Nassar's earliest work involved copying embroidery patterns from books. Once he learned that each Palestinian village has its own pattern, he began to develop his own patterns resembling Palestinian embroidery but that do not exist in traditional works. Each work contains up to 75,000 individual stitches. Nassar draws inspiration from a number of artists, many of whom work in textile, such as Sheila Hicks, Hannah Ryggen, and Anni Albers; painters including Paul Guiragossian and Helen Frankenthaler; and artists working with alternative media, such as Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. He sees his work as continuing the conversations their artwork has created. He considers their efforts to be about form, texture, and color, though Nassar primarily tries to address concepts and issues beyond the medium itself. Nassar particularly looks up to Etel Adnan, a Lebanese-American poet, essayist, and visual artist. Since Nassar's first solo exhibition, in London in 2015, he has turned to creating more political works, including focusing on cultural absorption, or absorption of elements of one culture by another. Nassar held a solo exhibition in Los Angeles at Anat Ebgi gallery's AE2 space in 2017. Anat Ebgi presented Nassar's work at the 2018 Frieze New York, an art fair in New York City. In addition to Nassar's embroidery, he also has had managerial positions at the New York City artists book shop Printed Matter, Inc., running the NY Art Book Fair and the art fair Art Los Angeles Contemporary. Nassar started expanding the use of traditional symbols in his work upon spending significant time in the port city of Jaffa, where he stayed for a five-week artist residency in 2017. Arab and Israeli friends, as well as Nassar's husband had advised against the residency, due to the organization's acceptance of financing from supporters of illegal Jewish settlements in Palestine. Nassar decided that boycotting the program would not be impactful, and was impressed that the residency's website was inclusive through its Arabic, Hebrew, and English language versions. The residency included an apartment, studio, stipend, and reimbursement of production funds. Nassar used the funds to visit the West Bank, where he purchased embroideries made by elderly women.Jordan Nassar is married to the Israeli-born fellow artist Amir Guberstein. The two met while living in Berlin, and their decision to live in New York was spurred by the ruling in United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court case that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act. Nassar self-identifies as gay, something that has made him feel uncomfortable with the Arabic side of his family, and that made him feel uncomfortable in Palestine, where he also had to hide his tattoos and could not wear any jewelry. Nassar lives and works in New York City.


name: Steven Nielson
first_name: Steven
last_name: Nielson
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Steven Nielson is a professional Quality Assurance Engineer, having worked for Lockheed Martin and Hexcel. While employed with Lockheed, Nielson redefined Foreign Object Debris maturity measures for the corporation and their supply chain.  He led quality teams in military satellite assembly, test, and integration. He was selected for his expertise in space composites to assist with early design of the Orion Spacecraft within Lockheed Martin where he made significant contributions to the supply chain quality management systems, focusing on development of small/disadvantaged businesses.  Nielson ended his career with Lockheed Martin in 2012 after three years of nuclear missile test and fabrication at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. Nielson joined an advanced composites manufacturing facility in Kent, Washington.  Nielson specializes in strategic problem solving and continuous improvement initiatives as a senior member of the Quality Management team. Nielson is a noted community leader as early as his high school days, where he used his position as class president to advocate for educational outreach and cross-functional/interdisciplinary education, volunteering throughout his high-school tenure for elementary advisor programs (educational camp), and drug abuse education.  Through college, Nielson used his leadership positions to continue educational outreach where he volunteered in elementary settings, teaching science and math to elementary students.  Throughout his career Nielson has volunteered for educational outreach programs, such as Advancement Via Individual Determination, and has been a champion for community involvement in the education system.  On campus, Nielson was a leader for student's rights, challenging the then University Smoking Ban at the University of Washington. Nielson began volunteering for the Republican Party in 2004, in Santa Clara county.  In 2006, he was appointed and re-elected as the Secretary of the Republican Party in Douglas County, Colorado.  During this time Nielson was heavily involved in the presidential campaigns of Tom Tancredo and Mike Huckabee.  Nielson graduated from the Leadership Program of the Rockies in 2008 where he was first introduced in-depth to Libertarian philosophies.  Nielson's political involvement earned him a coveted question to the presidential candidates in the first YouTube/CNN Republican debates, in Florida. Upon relocating to Washington State in 2008, Nielson was sought for chairman of the Kitsap County Republicans, but refused in order to focus on other political activism.  In 2010, Nielson was elected as Precinct Committee Officer for the Republican Party in Ridgetop 149 precinct but left the Republican Party shortly after to officially join ranks with the Libertarian Party in early 2011. In early 2014, Nielson accepted a request from the Libertarian Party of Washington to explore a campaign as a Libertarian for the state legislature.  On May 31, 2014, Nielson was unanimously nominated by the state party to represent the party in the race for State Representative in Washington's 2nd Legislative District, challenging Republican Incumbent and House Floor Minority Leader JT Wilcox.  A third contender entered the race on the final day of filing from the Democratic Party, Rick Payne.  Despite attempting to register as a "Marijuana Party Democrat", Payne's official party preference from the Secretary of State's office indicated "Prefers Marijuana Party."  Nielson received 21% of the total vote in the primary, defeating the Democrat for Marijuana candidate and advancing to the General Election.  Nielson went on to finish the general election with 28.13% of the final vote. Nielson was the first Libertarian candidate to survive a contested primary election following Washington's adoption of Initiative 872 in 2004. Nielson became an appointed member of the Civil Service and Parks Commissions in Orting, WA in 2014 where he was unanimously elected as the Co-Chair of the dual commissions.  He has used this position to refurbish and rededicate the town's Veteran's Memorial, designing and executing the city project under all-volunteer labor and private donations.  Prior to this activity the memorial lay in disrepair for over a decade. In 2015, Nielson penned several initiatives to the people, most notably the Make Every Vote Count initiative, aimed at reforming Washington State Electoral College.  He was both applauded and criticized for seeking deep multiparty support for the reform. Nielson became Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Washington State in 2015 and pledged to serve one term on a platform of party growth and candidate recruitment.  He successfully recruited several local candidates in local 2015 races and added 5 election victories for the Libertarian Party.  Nielson built a team to successfully recruit 35 candidates for office in 2016, aimed at helping the Libertarian Party attain Major Party status.  His efforts have been identified as a Libertarian case study for candidate achievement by the Libertarian Leadership Academy, and he has been nominated for recognition for the National Libertarian Party Patrick Henry Award, recognizing achievement in libertarian campaigns. On March 15, 2016 Nielson announced candidacy for Commissioner of Public Lands for the State of Washington. Nielson ran the campaign for Commissioner of Public Lands in a pro-investment, small government, business innovation manner. His adherence to state portfolio diversification was adopted by all seven candidates in the race.  He was the only candidate proposing an agro-industrial investment by the state in industrial hemp futures to 'literally grow' Washington's economy. Nielson finished the race in 5th place in the blanket primary receiving just over 61,000 votes statewide, amounting to 4.85% of the total votes. At the 2016 Libertarian National Convention Steven Nielson lost confidence in the recommended running mate to presumptive nominee Gary Johnson, William Weld, after a poor debate performance and a mixture of words with the former Massachusetts governor. As a national delegate, Nielson confronted Gary Johnson ahead of balloting to inquire as to the nature of the Johnson/Weld ticket. The meeting, intended to be a private exchange of words, resulted in an intense five-minute dialogue which was captured by documentarians and journalists. Despite the differences identified at the convention, Nielson was identified as the multi-convention chairman who submitted Johnson and Weld's names to the Secretary of State's election division for ballot access. Volunteers from around the state successfully gathered enough signatures to gain ballot access in Washington State for the Libertarian ticket by the August 5, 2016 deadline.

personal_sec:
Nielson married Gretchen Spindler in 2005 in Pierce County, Washington. They had two daughters together, Sawyer and Isley.  Citing irreconcilable differences, they separated and divorced in 2011.  Nielson remarried in 2012 to educator Alicia K. Hope in Maui County, Hawaii. They have one daughter together, Scarlett. The family resides in Port Orchard, Washington.

info:
Steven Nielson is a professional Quality Assurance Engineer, having worked for Lockheed Martin and Hexcel. While employed with Lockheed, Nielson redefined Foreign Object Debris maturity measures for the corporation and their supply chain.  He led quality teams in military satellite assembly, test, and integration. He was selected for his expertise in space composites to assist with early design of the Orion Spacecraft within Lockheed Martin where he made significant contributions to the supply chain quality management systems, focusing on development of small/disadvantaged businesses.  Nielson ended his career with Lockheed Martin in 2012 after three years of nuclear missile test and fabrication at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. Nielson joined an advanced composites manufacturing facility in Kent, Washington.  Nielson specializes in strategic problem solving and continuous improvement initiatives as a senior member of the Quality Management team. Nielson is a noted community leader as early as his high school days, where he used his position as class president to advocate for educational outreach and cross-functional/interdisciplinary education, volunteering throughout his high-school tenure for elementary advisor programs (educational camp), and drug abuse education.  Through college, Nielson used his leadership positions to continue educational outreach where he volunteered in elementary settings, teaching science and math to elementary students.  Throughout his career Nielson has volunteered for educational outreach programs, such as Advancement Via Individual Determination, and has been a champion for community involvement in the education system.  On campus, Nielson was a leader for student's rights, challenging the then University Smoking Ban at the University of Washington. Nielson began volunteering for the Republican Party in 2004, in Santa Clara county.  In 2006, he was appointed and re-elected as the Secretary of the Republican Party in Douglas County, Colorado.  During this time Nielson was heavily involved in the presidential campaigns of Tom Tancredo and Mike Huckabee.  Nielson graduated from the Leadership Program of the Rockies in 2008 where he was first introduced in-depth to Libertarian philosophies.  Nielson's political involvement earned him a coveted question to the presidential candidates in the first YouTube/CNN Republican debates, in Florida. Upon relocating to Washington State in 2008, Nielson was sought for chairman of the Kitsap County Republicans, but refused in order to focus on other political activism.  In 2010, Nielson was elected as Precinct Committee Officer for the Republican Party in Ridgetop 149 precinct but left the Republican Party shortly after to officially join ranks with the Libertarian Party in early 2011. In early 2014, Nielson accepted a request from the Libertarian Party of Washington to explore a campaign as a Libertarian for the state legislature.  On May 31, 2014, Nielson was unanimously nominated by the state party to represent the party in the race for State Representative in Washington's 2nd Legislative District, challenging Republican Incumbent and House Floor Minority Leader JT Wilcox.  A third contender entered the race on the final day of filing from the Democratic Party, Rick Payne.  Despite attempting to register as a "Marijuana Party Democrat", Payne's official party preference from the Secretary of State's office indicated "Prefers Marijuana Party."  Nielson received 21% of the total vote in the primary, defeating the Democrat for Marijuana candidate and advancing to the General Election.  Nielson went on to finish the general election with 28.13% of the final vote. Nielson was the first Libertarian candidate to survive a contested primary election following Washington's adoption of Initiative 872 in 2004. Nielson became an appointed member of the Civil Service and Parks Commissions in Orting, WA in 2014 where he was unanimously elected as the Co-Chair of the dual commissions.  He has used this position to refurbish and rededicate the town's Veteran's Memorial, designing and executing the city project under all-volunteer labor and private donations.  Prior to this activity the memorial lay in disrepair for over a decade. In 2015, Nielson penned several initiatives to the people, most notably the Make Every Vote Count initiative, aimed at reforming Washington State Electoral College.  He was both applauded and criticized for seeking deep multiparty support for the reform. Nielson became Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Washington State in 2015 and pledged to serve one term on a platform of party growth and candidate recruitment.  He successfully recruited several local candidates in local 2015 races and added 5 election victories for the Libertarian Party.  Nielson built a team to successfully recruit 35 candidates for office in 2016, aimed at helping the Libertarian Party attain Major Party status.  His efforts have been identified as a Libertarian case study for candidate achievement by the Libertarian Leadership Academy, and he has been nominated for recognition for the National Libertarian Party Patrick Henry Award, recognizing achievement in libertarian campaigns. On March 15, 2016 Nielson announced candidacy for Commissioner of Public Lands for the State of Washington. Nielson ran the campaign for Commissioner of Public Lands in a pro-investment, small government, business innovation manner. His adherence to state portfolio diversification was adopted by all seven candidates in the race.  He was the only candidate proposing an agro-industrial investment by the state in industrial hemp futures to 'literally grow' Washington's economy. Nielson finished the race in 5th place in the blanket primary receiving just over 61,000 votes statewide, amounting to 4.85% of the total votes. At the 2016 Libertarian National Convention Steven Nielson lost confidence in the recommended running mate to presumptive nominee Gary Johnson, William Weld, after a poor debate performance and a mixture of words with the former Massachusetts governor. As a national delegate, Nielson confronted Gary Johnson ahead of balloting to inquire as to the nature of the Johnson/Weld ticket. The meeting, intended to be a private exchange of words, resulted in an intense five-minute dialogue which was captured by documentarians and journalists. Despite the differences identified at the convention, Nielson was identified as the multi-convention chairman who submitted Johnson and Weld's names to the Secretary of State's election division for ballot access. Volunteers from around the state successfully gathered enough signatures to gain ballot access in Washington State for the Libertarian ticket by the August 5, 2016 deadline.Nielson married Gretchen Spindler in 2005 in Pierce County, Washington. They had two daughters together, Sawyer and Isley.  Citing irreconcilable differences, they separated and divorced in 2011.  Nielson remarried in 2012 to educator Alicia K. Hope in Maui County, Hawaii. They have one daughter together, Scarlett. The family resides in Port Orchard, Washington.


name: Amar Ramasar
first_name: Amar
last_name: Ramasar
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Amar Ramasar was born in the Bronx, New York City. His father, who is of Trinidadian and Indian descent, is a former United States Marine who worked as a computer technician while Amar was growing up. His mother, who is Puerto Rican, worked as a registered nurse. Outgoing and talkative as a child, he says, "No one knew anything about ballet in my family".When Ramasar was 10 years old, he impressed a music teacher in his public school with his creative talents. The teacher urged him to audition for the TADA! Youth Theater. Ramasar was one of two children selected from more than 300 who tried out. Because his parents worked full-time, Ramasar learned to take the New York City Subway from his home in the South Bronx to the studio on the Lower East Side, and rode public transit to get to the daily rehearsals. At the Henry Street Settlement House, where he took daily lessons, Ramasar met Daniel Catanach, a choreographer working with TADA! Youth Theater. Ramasar was 11 years old when Catanach showed him a videotape of the New York City Ballet production of Agon, featuring Heather Watts and Mel Tomlinson.  Ramasar became instantly fascinated by ballet. He later recalled thinking to himself, "That's the ballet I want to dance, and that's the company I'm going to get into". Ramasar took his first dance lesson at the Henry Street Settlement House's Abrons Arts Center in 1993. His family was indifferent about his decision to dance. "My father didn't prevent me from doing it, but he didn't make it easy," he says. When Ramasar was 14, Catanach urged him to audition for the School of American Ballet, a school which trains young dancers who wish to try out for the New York City Ballet. He was accepted in 1993, and received his first ballet lesson there. His family had no money to support his dance education, and Ramasar relied exclusively on scholarships to pay his tuition. His first years at the School of American Ballet were difficult. Ramasar was years behind the other boys (some of whom were as young as six years old) in athleticism and technique. He later said he felt discouraged by how far behind he was: "I would look around and see all these boys who were turned-out and beautiful, and I was just a clumsy Bronx boy. It took a lot of willpower" to stay in school. Ramasar voiced his doubts to teacher Olga Kostritzky and told her he was going to drop ballet for acting. "You want to play a robber, be in movies," she told him. "You want to be a prince, stay in the ballet." Peter Martins, then-director of both the School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet, proved critical in helping Ramasar develop as a dancer, giving him 10 minutes of partnering tutoring after each class. Ramasar received high praise at the School of American Ballet year-end workshops, and studied at the American Ballet Theatre's Summer Program and The Rock School for Dance Education.

personal_sec:
Ramasar began dating Elysia Dawn Fridkin (also known as Elysia Dawn) in 2009, and they married in October 2011. She was formerly a dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, artistic director of the Columbia University Ballet Collaborative, and is currently a Program Associate for MetLiveArts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2016.

info:
Amar Ramasar was born in the Bronx, New York City. His father, who is of Trinidadian and Indian descent, is a former United States Marine who worked as a computer technician while Amar was growing up. His mother, who is Puerto Rican, worked as a registered nurse. Outgoing and talkative as a child, he says, "No one knew anything about ballet in my family".When Ramasar was 10 years old, he impressed a music teacher in his public school with his creative talents. The teacher urged him to audition for the TADA! Youth Theater. Ramasar was one of two children selected from more than 300 who tried out. Because his parents worked full-time, Ramasar learned to take the New York City Subway from his home in the South Bronx to the studio on the Lower East Side, and rode public transit to get to the daily rehearsals. At the Henry Street Settlement House, where he took daily lessons, Ramasar met Daniel Catanach, a choreographer working with TADA! Youth Theater. Ramasar was 11 years old when Catanach showed him a videotape of the New York City Ballet production of Agon, featuring Heather Watts and Mel Tomlinson.  Ramasar became instantly fascinated by ballet. He later recalled thinking to himself, "That's the ballet I want to dance, and that's the company I'm going to get into". Ramasar took his first dance lesson at the Henry Street Settlement House's Abrons Arts Center in 1993. His family was indifferent about his decision to dance. "My father didn't prevent me from doing it, but he didn't make it easy," he says. When Ramasar was 14, Catanach urged him to audition for the School of American Ballet, a school which trains young dancers who wish to try out for the New York City Ballet. He was accepted in 1993, and received his first ballet lesson there. His family had no money to support his dance education, and Ramasar relied exclusively on scholarships to pay his tuition. His first years at the School of American Ballet were difficult. Ramasar was years behind the other boys (some of whom were as young as six years old) in athleticism and technique. He later said he felt discouraged by how far behind he was: "I would look around and see all these boys who were turned-out and beautiful, and I was just a clumsy Bronx boy. It took a lot of willpower" to stay in school. Ramasar voiced his doubts to teacher Olga Kostritzky and told her he was going to drop ballet for acting. "You want to play a robber, be in movies," she told him. "You want to be a prince, stay in the ballet." Peter Martins, then-director of both the School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet, proved critical in helping Ramasar develop as a dancer, giving him 10 minutes of partnering tutoring after each class. Ramasar received high praise at the School of American Ballet year-end workshops, and studied at the American Ballet Theatre's Summer Program and The Rock School for Dance Education.Ramasar began dating Elysia Dawn Fridkin (also known as Elysia Dawn) in 2009, and they married in October 2011. She was formerly a dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, artistic director of the Columbia University Ballet Collaborative, and is currently a Program Associate for MetLiveArts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2016.


name: Mohan Samant
first_name: Mohan
last_name: Samant
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Samant received his diploma from the Sir J.J. School of Art in 1952, where he studied under S.B. (Shankar Balwant) Palsikar. In 1954  he was awarded the Governor's Prize and the silver medal for water colors at the Bombay Art Society Annual Exhibition. In 1952, Samant joined the Progressive Artists' Group and exhibited with them in several shows, including the 1953 exhibition, Progressive Artists' Group: Gaitonde, Raiba, Ara, Hazarnis, Khanna, Husain, Samant, Gade, at the Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. He also participated in the Bombay Group, a successor to the Bombay PAG. According to artist Baburao Sadwelkar, the Bombay Group, which included Samant as well as Hebbar, Ara, Chavda, Kulkarni, Laxman Pai, Har Krishnan Lall, and Sadwelkar, had "six big exhibitions , which were received extremely well." Samant did not mention the Bombay Group in interviews or recorded conversations, but a review from The Times of India confirms that he had works in their November 1956 exhibition. In 1956, Samant was awarded the Gold Medal at the Bombay Art Society's group exhibition, another at the  Calcutta Art Society show, and the Lalit Kala Akademi All India Award. That same year, he took part in the seminal exhibition, Eight Painters: Bendre, Gaitonde, Gujral, Husain, Khanna, Kulkarni, Kumar, Samant, curated by Thomas Keehn, and in the Venice Biennale. Samant spent 1957-58 in Rome on a scholarship awarded by the Italian government. In February 1959, a Rockefeller Fellowship took him to New York City, where he would remain until 1964. Exhibitions during Samant's first New York period included what is considered the first showing of the Progressive Artists' Group in America, Trends in Contemporary Painting from India: Gaitonde, Husain, Khanna, Kumar, Padamsee, Raza, Samant, Souza, curated by Thomas Keehn and held at the Graham Gallery, New York, as well as A Collection of Contemporary Art, Art in Embassies Committee, Museum of Modern Art, New York (1961), Recent Acquisitions, Museum of Modern Art, New York (1963), and Dunn International: 102 Best Painters of the World, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and the Tate Gallery, London (1963). The organizers of the legendary Dunn exhibition in 1963—whose international selection committee included Alfred Barr of The Museum of Modern Art, New York and Sir Anthony Blunt, Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures—chose works by Edward Hopper, Robert Rauschenberg and Willem de Kooning, among other giants of contemporary art. Samant was one of only two newcomers included in the exhibition, and was singled out for special recognition in the Time article on the show. He was profiled again in the magazine a year later.Samant spent 1965–68 in Mumbai. In 1968, like S.H. Raza and F.N. Souza before him, he left India permanently. He settled in New York, where he continued to work and exhibit internationally. In 2000, Samant received the Asian American Heritage Award for lifetime achievement in the arts. In January 2004, not long after a retrospective in India, Samant died in New York.

personal_sec:
In 1971, Samant married Jillian Saunders (born Australia), a performer on the viola da gamba and recorder. At his spacious loft, he hosted performances by visiting Indian musicians. He also performed for friends and accompanied singers. A dedicated musician as well as artist, he practiced sarangi for three hours every morning. Afternoons were dedicated to painting. Samant and Jillian spent many Sundays at MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Samant would visit current exhibitions. At the Met, he would usually end up in the African or Egyptian galleries, which he found major sources of inspiration.

info:
Samant received his diploma from the Sir J.J. School of Art in 1952, where he studied under S.B. (Shankar Balwant) Palsikar. In 1954  he was awarded the Governor's Prize and the silver medal for water colors at the Bombay Art Society Annual Exhibition. In 1952, Samant joined the Progressive Artists' Group and exhibited with them in several shows, including the 1953 exhibition, Progressive Artists' Group: Gaitonde, Raiba, Ara, Hazarnis, Khanna, Husain, Samant, Gade, at the Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. He also participated in the Bombay Group, a successor to the Bombay PAG. According to artist Baburao Sadwelkar, the Bombay Group, which included Samant as well as Hebbar, Ara, Chavda, Kulkarni, Laxman Pai, Har Krishnan Lall, and Sadwelkar, had "six big exhibitions , which were received extremely well." Samant did not mention the Bombay Group in interviews or recorded conversations, but a review from The Times of India confirms that he had works in their November 1956 exhibition. In 1956, Samant was awarded the Gold Medal at the Bombay Art Society's group exhibition, another at the  Calcutta Art Society show, and the Lalit Kala Akademi All India Award. That same year, he took part in the seminal exhibition, Eight Painters: Bendre, Gaitonde, Gujral, Husain, Khanna, Kulkarni, Kumar, Samant, curated by Thomas Keehn, and in the Venice Biennale. Samant spent 1957-58 in Rome on a scholarship awarded by the Italian government. In February 1959, a Rockefeller Fellowship took him to New York City, where he would remain until 1964. Exhibitions during Samant's first New York period included what is considered the first showing of the Progressive Artists' Group in America, Trends in Contemporary Painting from India: Gaitonde, Husain, Khanna, Kumar, Padamsee, Raza, Samant, Souza, curated by Thomas Keehn and held at the Graham Gallery, New York, as well as A Collection of Contemporary Art, Art in Embassies Committee, Museum of Modern Art, New York (1961), Recent Acquisitions, Museum of Modern Art, New York (1963), and Dunn International: 102 Best Painters of the World, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and the Tate Gallery, London (1963). The organizers of the legendary Dunn exhibition in 1963—whose international selection committee included Alfred Barr of The Museum of Modern Art, New York and Sir Anthony Blunt, Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures—chose works by Edward Hopper, Robert Rauschenberg and Willem de Kooning, among other giants of contemporary art. Samant was one of only two newcomers included in the exhibition, and was singled out for special recognition in the Time article on the show. He was profiled again in the magazine a year later.Samant spent 1965–68 in Mumbai. In 1968, like S.H. Raza and F.N. Souza before him, he left India permanently. He settled in New York, where he continued to work and exhibit internationally. In 2000, Samant received the Asian American Heritage Award for lifetime achievement in the arts. In January 2004, not long after a retrospective in India, Samant died in New York.In 1971, Samant married Jillian Saunders (born Australia), a performer on the viola da gamba and recorder. At his spacious loft, he hosted performances by visiting Indian musicians. He also performed for friends and accompanied singers. A dedicated musician as well as artist, he practiced sarangi for three hours every morning. Afternoons were dedicated to painting. Samant and Jillian spent many Sundays at MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Samant would visit current exhibitions. At the Met, he would usually end up in the African or Egyptian galleries, which he found major sources of inspiration.


name: Todd Sanders
first_name: Todd
last_name: Sanders
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
After moving to Austin in 1992, Sanders started on a 2-week contract at a small neon sign art gallery called Ion Art. While working at Ion Art, he made his first vintage style neon piece as décor for a local restaurant. In 1995 he opened the first neon studio dedicated to creating weathered, vintage-appearance neon signs. He opened Roadhouse Relics in 1997, which the New York Times has since listed in their to-do list for "36 Hours in Austin, TX". The well-known “Greetings from Austin” mural on the south side of the Roadhouse Relics building was painted the same year with two other artists, Rory Skagen and Bill Brakkage. His work is influenced by Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Dan Flavin. Known for weathering and hand painted graphics, his work is sought by collectors worldwide. He has done work for celebrities including Willie Nelson, Shepard Fairey, Norah Jones, Johnny Depp and ZZ Top. His artwork is on the cover of Kings of Leon’s 2013 album, Mechanical Bull. Filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Terrence Malick have put his work onscreen; it has also appeared in Esquire, Fortune, Texas Monthly, Southern Living, Southwest Airlines’ Spirit and the cover of Signs of the Times magazine. Sanders’ most popular design, his animated, 5-foot by 30-inch “Fireflies in a Mason Jar” was created for the wedding of Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, a collaboration with his friends the Junk Gypsies. Sanders’ pieces also hang in iconic Austin venues, including the Continental Club and Threadgill's. Sanders was invited to exhibit as a special featured artist in the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show. The largest collection of Todd's neon on public display is in Bentonville, Arkansas.

personal_sec:
In 2007, Sanders married Sarah Thompson, who opened a gift shop at the gallery. In 2010, their son John Memphis Sanders was born in Austin.

info:
After moving to Austin in 1992, Sanders started on a 2-week contract at a small neon sign art gallery called Ion Art. While working at Ion Art, he made his first vintage style neon piece as décor for a local restaurant. In 1995 he opened the first neon studio dedicated to creating weathered, vintage-appearance neon signs. He opened Roadhouse Relics in 1997, which the New York Times has since listed in their to-do list for "36 Hours in Austin, TX". The well-known “Greetings from Austin” mural on the south side of the Roadhouse Relics building was painted the same year with two other artists, Rory Skagen and Bill Brakkage. His work is influenced by Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Dan Flavin. Known for weathering and hand painted graphics, his work is sought by collectors worldwide. He has done work for celebrities including Willie Nelson, Shepard Fairey, Norah Jones, Johnny Depp and ZZ Top. His artwork is on the cover of Kings of Leon’s 2013 album, Mechanical Bull. Filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Terrence Malick have put his work onscreen; it has also appeared in Esquire, Fortune, Texas Monthly, Southern Living, Southwest Airlines’ Spirit and the cover of Signs of the Times magazine. Sanders’ most popular design, his animated, 5-foot by 30-inch “Fireflies in a Mason Jar” was created for the wedding of Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, a collaboration with his friends the Junk Gypsies. Sanders’ pieces also hang in iconic Austin venues, including the Continental Club and Threadgill's. Sanders was invited to exhibit as a special featured artist in the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show. The largest collection of Todd's neon on public display is in Bentonville, Arkansas.In 2007, Sanders married Sarah Thompson, who opened a gift shop at the gallery. In 2010, their son John Memphis Sanders was born in Austin.


name: Raghubir Singh
first_name: Raghubir
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Singh first moved to Calcutta to begin a career in the tea industry, as had his elder brother before him. This turned out to be unsuccessful, but by this time, he had started to take photographs. In Calcutta, Singh met the historian R. P. Gupta, who later contributed text for his first book Ganges (1974). Singh was gradually introduced to a circle of city artists who deeply influenced his later work, especially the realism of filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who later designed the cover of his first book and wrote the introduction to his Rajasthan book.:221 This also set a precedent for literary input in his future books, as in the coming years the writer V. S. Naipaul conducted a dialogue with him for the preface to his book Bombay (1994), while R. K. Narayan wrote the introduction to Tamil Nadu (1997). By the mid-1960s, Life Magazine had published eight pages of his photographs about student unrest. He later moved to Hong Kong and started doing photo features for National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times... After a decade of travelling along the Ganges, Singh published his first book Ganges in 1974, with an introduction by Eric Newby. Though his early work was inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson's documentary-style photographs of India, he chose colour as his medium, responding to the vivid colours of India, and over time adapted western techniques to Indian aesthetics. In the 1970s, Singh moved to Paris and over the following three decades, through rigorous training and exposure, he created a series of portfolios of colour photography on India. His style was influenced by Mughal painting and Rajasthani miniature paintings, whose individual sections maintain their autonomy within the overall frame.:223 In his early work, Singh focused on the geographic and social anatomy of cities and regions in India. His work on Bombay in the early 1990s marks a turning point in his stylistic development. Singh published over 14 books. In the last of these, A Way into India (2002), published posthumously, the Ambassador car in which he travelled on all his journeys across Indian since 1957 becomes a camera obscura. Singh uses its doors and windshield to frame and divide his photographs. In the accompanying text, John Baldessari compares Singh to Orson Welles for his juxtaposition of near and far and to Mondrian for his fragmentation of space. In addition to his photographic work, Singh taught in New York at the School of Visual Arts, Columbia University and Cooper Union.

personal_sec:
In 1972, he married Anne de Henning, also a photographer, and the couple had a daughter, Devika Singh. Singh died on 18 April 1999 of a heart attack. Upon his death, the art critic Max Kozloff wrote, "If you can imagine what a Rajput miniaturist could have learned from Henri Cartier-Bresson, you'll have a glimmer of Raghubir Singh's aesthetic."

info:
Singh first moved to Calcutta to begin a career in the tea industry, as had his elder brother before him. This turned out to be unsuccessful, but by this time, he had started to take photographs. In Calcutta, Singh met the historian R. P. Gupta, who later contributed text for his first book Ganges (1974). Singh was gradually introduced to a circle of city artists who deeply influenced his later work, especially the realism of filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who later designed the cover of his first book and wrote the introduction to his Rajasthan book.:221 This also set a precedent for literary input in his future books, as in the coming years the writer V. S. Naipaul conducted a dialogue with him for the preface to his book Bombay (1994), while R. K. Narayan wrote the introduction to Tamil Nadu (1997). By the mid-1960s, Life Magazine had published eight pages of his photographs about student unrest. He later moved to Hong Kong and started doing photo features for National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times... After a decade of travelling along the Ganges, Singh published his first book Ganges in 1974, with an introduction by Eric Newby. Though his early work was inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson's documentary-style photographs of India, he chose colour as his medium, responding to the vivid colours of India, and over time adapted western techniques to Indian aesthetics. In the 1970s, Singh moved to Paris and over the following three decades, through rigorous training and exposure, he created a series of portfolios of colour photography on India. His style was influenced by Mughal painting and Rajasthani miniature paintings, whose individual sections maintain their autonomy within the overall frame.:223 In his early work, Singh focused on the geographic and social anatomy of cities and regions in India. His work on Bombay in the early 1990s marks a turning point in his stylistic development. Singh published over 14 books. In the last of these, A Way into India (2002), published posthumously, the Ambassador car in which he travelled on all his journeys across Indian since 1957 becomes a camera obscura. Singh uses its doors and windshield to frame and divide his photographs. In the accompanying text, John Baldessari compares Singh to Orson Welles for his juxtaposition of near and far and to Mondrian for his fragmentation of space. In addition to his photographic work, Singh taught in New York at the School of Visual Arts, Columbia University and Cooper Union.In 1972, he married Anne de Henning, also a photographer, and the couple had a daughter, Devika Singh. Singh died on 18 April 1999 of a heart attack. Upon his death, the art critic Max Kozloff wrote, "If you can imagine what a Rajput miniaturist could have learned from Henri Cartier-Bresson, you'll have a glimmer of Raghubir Singh's aesthetic."


name: William Travilla
first_name: William
last_name: Travilla
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Upon graduating from Woodbury, Travilla began working at Western Costume in Hollywood as ghost-sketcher for studio designers. After a stint at Western, Travilla took a job designing at Jack’s of Hollywood. At Jack’s, he was given assignments working for ice skater and actress Sonja Henie as well as for United Artists and Columbia Pictures. Travilla began selling Tahiti-inspired paintings at the popular tiki bar Don The Beachcomber. Actress Ann Sheridan began collecting Travilla’s work and, shortly thereafter, requested that Warner Bros. hire Travilla as her personal costume designer. His designs for Sheridan were featured in the 1947 film noir Nora Prentiss. The film was a hit and Travilla was hired to design costumes for Sheridan in her next film, the 1948 Western Silver River. After work on several B movies, Travilla worked his way upward through the studio until he earned an Oscar in 1949 for the Errol Flynn swashbuckler Adventures of Don Juan, and in 1951 designed the costumes in the now classic sci-fi tale of morality The Day the Earth Stood Still. He then worked mainly at Twentieth Century-Fox, where his credits included Elia Kazan's Viva Zapata!. By 1952, Travilla had begun working with Marilyn Monroe and created the costumes for Don't Bother to Knock and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. He went on to design the costumes for several more of her films. Travilla created one of the most famous costumes in all of film – the pleated ivory cocktail dress Monroe wore in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. Monroe is wearing it while standing on a New York City Subway ventilation grate; the dress rises up around her as a train passes below ground. Photographs of this scene have become synonymous with Monroe herself. The iconic dress, which was later purchased by actress Debbie Reynolds, sold for $4,600,000 (USD) during a 2011 auction. Besides winning his first Oscar, Travilla was also nominated for the Academy Award for How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953, There's No Business Like Show Business in 1954 and The Stripper in 1963. In the late 1970s, Travilla began working mainly in television. One of his most widely seen latter-day projects was the TV mini-series The Thorn Birds in 1983. Travilla was nominated for Emmy awards seven times for his work on television. In 1980, he won the Emmy for "Outstanding Costume Design for a Limited Series or a Special" for The Scarlett O'Hara War, and in 1985 he won the Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Costumes for a Series" for his work on the television show Dallas. Travilla also designed several evening gowns for Lena Horne in the 1980s.

personal_sec:
On August 19, 1944, Travilla married actress Dona Drake in Santa Monica, California. The couple had a daughter, Nia, in August 1951. Travilla and Drake separated in 1956 but remained legally married until Drake’s death in 1989.

info:
Upon graduating from Woodbury, Travilla began working at Western Costume in Hollywood as ghost-sketcher for studio designers. After a stint at Western, Travilla took a job designing at Jack’s of Hollywood. At Jack’s, he was given assignments working for ice skater and actress Sonja Henie as well as for United Artists and Columbia Pictures. Travilla began selling Tahiti-inspired paintings at the popular tiki bar Don The Beachcomber. Actress Ann Sheridan began collecting Travilla’s work and, shortly thereafter, requested that Warner Bros. hire Travilla as her personal costume designer. His designs for Sheridan were featured in the 1947 film noir Nora Prentiss. The film was a hit and Travilla was hired to design costumes for Sheridan in her next film, the 1948 Western Silver River. After work on several B movies, Travilla worked his way upward through the studio until he earned an Oscar in 1949 for the Errol Flynn swashbuckler Adventures of Don Juan, and in 1951 designed the costumes in the now classic sci-fi tale of morality The Day the Earth Stood Still. He then worked mainly at Twentieth Century-Fox, where his credits included Elia Kazan's Viva Zapata!. By 1952, Travilla had begun working with Marilyn Monroe and created the costumes for Don't Bother to Knock and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. He went on to design the costumes for several more of her films. Travilla created one of the most famous costumes in all of film – the pleated ivory cocktail dress Monroe wore in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. Monroe is wearing it while standing on a New York City Subway ventilation grate; the dress rises up around her as a train passes below ground. Photographs of this scene have become synonymous with Monroe herself. The iconic dress, which was later purchased by actress Debbie Reynolds, sold for $4,600,000 (USD) during a 2011 auction. Besides winning his first Oscar, Travilla was also nominated for the Academy Award for How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953, There's No Business Like Show Business in 1954 and The Stripper in 1963. In the late 1970s, Travilla began working mainly in television. One of his most widely seen latter-day projects was the TV mini-series The Thorn Birds in 1983. Travilla was nominated for Emmy awards seven times for his work on television. In 1980, he won the Emmy for "Outstanding Costume Design for a Limited Series or a Special" for The Scarlett O'Hara War, and in 1985 he won the Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Costumes for a Series" for his work on the television show Dallas. Travilla also designed several evening gowns for Lena Horne in the 1980s.On August 19, 1944, Travilla married actress Dona Drake in Santa Monica, California. The couple had a daughter, Nia, in August 1951. Travilla and Drake separated in 1956 but remained legally married until Drake’s death in 1989.


name: Guillermo Wagner Granizo
first_name: Guillermo
last_name: Granizo
gender: M
occupation: artists
career_sec:
Granizo worked as an art director at KRON-TV, a television station in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1950s, and later worked on directing educational films. He started doing ceramic tile murals in 1970, and at that time he changed his name to Guillermo Wagner Granizo. He worked with the Stonelight Tile Company of San Jose for many years. His works are made of brightly colored ceramic tiles, and feature bold geometric shapes and abstract characters. He would often sign his work "BWG".

personal_sec:
After World War II, Granizo married Amalia Mary "Mollie" Castillo, from a prominent Guatemala family. They had two sons and divorced in the early 1970s. Granizo's second marriage was to artist Lark Lucas, and they lived in Ben Lomond, California. They separated in 1984, and Granizo moved to San Jose, California to be closer to the tile factory. Granizo moved to Benicia, California in 1980 and resided there until his death in 1995. He died in November 1995 in Benicia, from cancer.

info:
Granizo worked as an art director at KRON-TV, a television station in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1950s, and later worked on directing educational films. He started doing ceramic tile murals in 1970, and at that time he changed his name to Guillermo Wagner Granizo. He worked with the Stonelight Tile Company of San Jose for many years. His works are made of brightly colored ceramic tiles, and feature bold geometric shapes and abstract characters. He would often sign his work "BWG".After World War II, Granizo married Amalia Mary "Mollie" Castillo, from a prominent Guatemala family. They had two sons and divorced in the early 1970s. Granizo's second marriage was to artist Lark Lucas, and they lived in Ben Lomond, California. They separated in 1984, and Granizo moved to San Jose, California to be closer to the tile factory. Granizo moved to Benicia, California in 1980 and resided there until his death in 1995. He died in November 1995 in Benicia, from cancer.


name: Jack Albertson
first_name: Jack
last_name: Albertson
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
Albertson joined the vaudeville road troupe known as the Dancing Verselle Sisters. He then worked in burlesque as a hoofer (soft shoe dancer) and straight man to Phil Silvers on the Minsky's Burlesque Circuit. Besides vaudeville and burlesque, he appeared on the stage in many Broadway plays and musicals, including High Button Shoes, Top Banana, The Cradle Will Rock, Make Mine Manhattan, Show Boat, Boy Meets Girl, Girl Crazy, Meet the People, The Sunshine Boys – for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor, and The Subject Was Roses – for which he won a Tony for Best Supporting Actor. Albertson appeared in more than 30 films. He had an early minor role in Miracle on 34th Street as a postal worker who redirects dead letters addressed to "Santa Claus" to the courthouse where Kris Kringle is on trial. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1968 film The Subject Was Roses. He later apologized to child actor and fellow nominee  Jack Wild for winning the award; Albertson expected Wild to win for his role in Oliver! Albertson appeared as Charlie Bucket's Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), and in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), where he played Manny Rosen, husband to Belle, played by Shelley Winters. The actor Arthur O'Connell, who physically resembled Albertson, also appeared in the movie as the ship's chaplain. Albertson said that his one regret was that he did not reprise his role in the movie version of The Sunshine Boys. When producer Ray Stark acquired the film rights from Neil Simon in 1973, Albertson was expected to play the part, but by the time MGM had bought the rights in 1974 and was preparing to begin filming in February 1975, Albertson was not available because he was appearing on Chico and the Man on TV. Albertson was a radio performer early in his career. Among the shows he appeared on were Just Plain Bill, Lefty, That's My Pop and The Jack Albertson Comedy Show.  In the late 1940s he was for a time a regular on the Milton Berle Show. Albertson appeared in many television series, such as Hey, Jeannie! with Jeannie Carson, the syndicated Western series Frontier Doctor with Rex Allen, Rod Cameron's syndicated crime drama State Trooper, and the 1961–62 drama series Bus Stop. He guest-starred on the David Janssen crime-drama series Richard Diamond, Private Detective. From 1960–1961, Albertson was cast in three episodes of Pete and Gladys, with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams. On January 2, 1961, Albertson was cast as Sampson J. Binton, with DeForest Kelley as Alex Jeffords, in "Listen to the Nightingale", the series finale of Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin. Albertson had a recurring role as the neighbor Walter Burton in eight episodes of the 1962 ABC sitcom Room for One More, with Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay. He had recurring roles in Ensign O'Toole (1962–63) and Run, Buddy, Run (1966).  Between 1961 and 1964, Albertson appeared seven times on Mister Ed as Paul Fenton, brother-in-law (later just brother) to Wilbur Post's next-door-neighbor Kay, notably appearing as a stopgap regular for several episodes after the death of Larry Keating in 1963. Other 1960s series on which Albertson appeared were: NBC's sitcom, Happy starring Ronnie Burns;  Glynis, starring Glynis Johns; and Keith Andes, which aired for 13 weeks in the fall of 1963. Albertson appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone. In a 1967 episode of The Andy Griffith Show, he played the ne'er-do-well cousin, Bradford J. Taylor, of series character Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier). He also appeared in a 1969 episode of the TV series The Virginian entitled Girl in the Shadows. In 1970, Albertson appeared as Billy "Moose" Valentine in The Men From Shiloh, the rebranded name for The Virginian in the episode titled "With Love, Bullets and Valentines". He co-starred as "The Man" Ed Brown on the popular series Chico and the Man with Freddie Prinze. He stayed for its entire run from 1974 to 1978.  He earned an Emmy Award for that role in 1976, which was his second, his first one was for an appearance on the variety show Cher in 1975.

personal_sec:
He resided for many years in West Hollywood, California. In 1978, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but kept this information private and continued to act. Two of his last roles were in the television movies, My Body, My Child (1982) and Grandpa, Will You Run with Me? (1983), both filmed in 1981 and released posthumously. His final theatrical role was as the ill-tempered hunter, Amos Slade, in Disney's 24th animated feature, The Fox and the Hound, originally released in the summer of 1981, four months before his death. He and his wife, June (July 23, 1924 – January 9, 2015) had a daughter, Maura Dhu.On the morning of November 25, 1981, Albertson died at his Hollywood Hills home at the age of 74 from colon cancer. He and his elder sister, Mabel Albertson, (who died ten months later from Alzheimer's disease) were cremated and their ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

info:
Albertson joined the vaudeville road troupe known as the Dancing Verselle Sisters. He then worked in burlesque as a hoofer (soft shoe dancer) and straight man to Phil Silvers on the Minsky's Burlesque Circuit. Besides vaudeville and burlesque, he appeared on the stage in many Broadway plays and musicals, including High Button Shoes, Top Banana, The Cradle Will Rock, Make Mine Manhattan, Show Boat, Boy Meets Girl, Girl Crazy, Meet the People, The Sunshine Boys – for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor, and The Subject Was Roses – for which he won a Tony for Best Supporting Actor. Albertson appeared in more than 30 films. He had an early minor role in Miracle on 34th Street as a postal worker who redirects dead letters addressed to "Santa Claus" to the courthouse where Kris Kringle is on trial. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1968 film The Subject Was Roses. He later apologized to child actor and fellow nominee  Jack Wild for winning the award; Albertson expected Wild to win for his role in Oliver! Albertson appeared as Charlie Bucket's Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), and in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), where he played Manny Rosen, husband to Belle, played by Shelley Winters. The actor Arthur O'Connell, who physically resembled Albertson, also appeared in the movie as the ship's chaplain. Albertson said that his one regret was that he did not reprise his role in the movie version of The Sunshine Boys. When producer Ray Stark acquired the film rights from Neil Simon in 1973, Albertson was expected to play the part, but by the time MGM had bought the rights in 1974 and was preparing to begin filming in February 1975, Albertson was not available because he was appearing on Chico and the Man on TV. Albertson was a radio performer early in his career. Among the shows he appeared on were Just Plain Bill, Lefty, That's My Pop and The Jack Albertson Comedy Show.  In the late 1940s he was for a time a regular on the Milton Berle Show. Albertson appeared in many television series, such as Hey, Jeannie! with Jeannie Carson, the syndicated Western series Frontier Doctor with Rex Allen, Rod Cameron's syndicated crime drama State Trooper, and the 1961–62 drama series Bus Stop. He guest-starred on the David Janssen crime-drama series Richard Diamond, Private Detective. From 1960–1961, Albertson was cast in three episodes of Pete and Gladys, with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams. On January 2, 1961, Albertson was cast as Sampson J. Binton, with DeForest Kelley as Alex Jeffords, in "Listen to the Nightingale", the series finale of Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin. Albertson had a recurring role as the neighbor Walter Burton in eight episodes of the 1962 ABC sitcom Room for One More, with Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay. He had recurring roles in Ensign O'Toole (1962–63) and Run, Buddy, Run (1966).  Between 1961 and 1964, Albertson appeared seven times on Mister Ed as Paul Fenton, brother-in-law (later just brother) to Wilbur Post's next-door-neighbor Kay, notably appearing as a stopgap regular for several episodes after the death of Larry Keating in 1963. Other 1960s series on which Albertson appeared were: NBC's sitcom, Happy starring Ronnie Burns;  Glynis, starring Glynis Johns; and Keith Andes, which aired for 13 weeks in the fall of 1963. Albertson appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone. In a 1967 episode of The Andy Griffith Show, he played the ne'er-do-well cousin, Bradford J. Taylor, of series character Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier). He also appeared in a 1969 episode of the TV series The Virginian entitled Girl in the Shadows. In 1970, Albertson appeared as Billy "Moose" Valentine in The Men From Shiloh, the rebranded name for The Virginian in the episode titled "With Love, Bullets and Valentines". He co-starred as "The Man" Ed Brown on the popular series Chico and the Man with Freddie Prinze. He stayed for its entire run from 1974 to 1978.  He earned an Emmy Award for that role in 1976, which was his second, his first one was for an appearance on the variety show Cher in 1975.He resided for many years in West Hollywood, California. In 1978, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but kept this information private and continued to act. Two of his last roles were in the television movies, My Body, My Child (1982) and Grandpa, Will You Run with Me? (1983), both filmed in 1981 and released posthumously. His final theatrical role was as the ill-tempered hunter, Amos Slade, in Disney's 24th animated feature, The Fox and the Hound, originally released in the summer of 1981, four months before his death. He and his wife, June (July 23, 1924 – January 9, 2015) had a daughter, Maura Dhu.On the morning of November 25, 1981, Albertson died at his Hollywood Hills home at the age of 74 from colon cancer. He and his elder sister, Mabel Albertson, (who died ten months later from Alzheimer's disease) were cremated and their ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.


name: Flex Alexander
first_name: Flex
last_name: Alexander
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
Alexander's first television role was on the short-lived 1993 ABC sitcom Where I Live, starring Doug E. Doug. Despite being critically acclaimed, the series was canceled that same year. Alexander then guest starred on episodes of Sister, Sister and The Cosby Mysteries before moving to Los Angeles in 1995 to concentrate on acting. In 1996, he landed a starring role on another short-lived sitcom Homeboys in Outer Space. The series was critically panned and canceled the following year. Later that year, Alexander co-starred in yet another short-lived series, the Steven Bochco-created Total Security. Following Total Security's run, Alexander guest starred on Brooklyn South and The Parkers, and also had roles in several films including the 1998 direct-to-video release Backroom Bodega Boyz and She's All That (1999). From 2000 to 2001, Alexander appeared as Maya Wilkes' husband Darnell during the first season of the UPN sitcom Girlfriends. He left Girlfriends to star as single father Mark "Flex" Washington on the UPN sitcom One on One, a series he created and produced. For his role on the series, Alexander was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards and two BET Comedy Awards.  In 2004, he portrayed Michael Jackson in the VH1 television biopic Man In The Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, which garnered him another NAACP Image Award nomination. Alexander returned to One on One for two more seasons, however, during the last season, his character was written out and reduced to a recurring role when the show's premise was rebooted. Following the end of One On One, Alexander had roles in the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane, opposite Samuel L. Jackson, and the 2007 horror film The Hills Have Eyes 2. He also had a role in Clement Virgo's Poor Boy's Game, with Danny Glover. Alexander's most recent role was in a 2007 episode of CSI: Miami. Flex and his wife, Shanice, will have their own reality show Flex & Shanice premiering November 1, 2014, on OWN. In September 19, 2005, he did return for the fifth and final season of One On One.

personal_sec:
Alexander, a born-again Christian, married R&B singer Shanice Wilson on Valentine's Day 2000. They have two children, daughter Imani Shekinah Alexander-Knox (born August 23, 2001) and son Elijah Alexander-Knox (born March 5, 2004). Flex is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

info:
Alexander's first television role was on the short-lived 1993 ABC sitcom Where I Live, starring Doug E. Doug. Despite being critically acclaimed, the series was canceled that same year. Alexander then guest starred on episodes of Sister, Sister and The Cosby Mysteries before moving to Los Angeles in 1995 to concentrate on acting. In 1996, he landed a starring role on another short-lived sitcom Homeboys in Outer Space. The series was critically panned and canceled the following year. Later that year, Alexander co-starred in yet another short-lived series, the Steven Bochco-created Total Security. Following Total Security's run, Alexander guest starred on Brooklyn South and The Parkers, and also had roles in several films including the 1998 direct-to-video release Backroom Bodega Boyz and She's All That (1999). From 2000 to 2001, Alexander appeared as Maya Wilkes' husband Darnell during the first season of the UPN sitcom Girlfriends. He left Girlfriends to star as single father Mark "Flex" Washington on the UPN sitcom One on One, a series he created and produced. For his role on the series, Alexander was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards and two BET Comedy Awards.  In 2004, he portrayed Michael Jackson in the VH1 television biopic Man In The Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, which garnered him another NAACP Image Award nomination. Alexander returned to One on One for two more seasons, however, during the last season, his character was written out and reduced to a recurring role when the show's premise was rebooted. Following the end of One On One, Alexander had roles in the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane, opposite Samuel L. Jackson, and the 2007 horror film The Hills Have Eyes 2. He also had a role in Clement Virgo's Poor Boy's Game, with Danny Glover. Alexander's most recent role was in a 2007 episode of CSI: Miami. Flex and his wife, Shanice, will have their own reality show Flex & Shanice premiering November 1, 2014, on OWN. In September 19, 2005, he did return for the fifth and final season of One On One.Alexander, a born-again Christian, married R&B singer Shanice Wilson on Valentine's Day 2000. They have two children, daughter Imani Shekinah Alexander-Knox (born August 23, 2001) and son Elijah Alexander-Knox (born March 5, 2004). Flex is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.


name: Louis Van Amstel
first_name: Louis
last_name: Amstel
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
Van Amstel competed professionally with Julie Fryer, and they were coached by Ruud Vermeij. In 1990, Van Amstel and Fryer became Dutch Latin Champions and 10 Dance Champions. They also made the final in Blackpool in the 'under 21' category. The very same year, they received a bronze medal at the German Open, at the World Latin and at the European 10 Dance. In the Worlds 10 Dance Championship, Van Amstel and Fryer got fourth place. In 1991 Van Amstel and Fryer won the national championships for the second time, and got fourth place in all major championships. A year later, Van Amstel decided that he wanted to retire from competing for a while, and came to the point where he finished his partnership with Fryer for the first time. Three years later, in 1994, the partnership was re-established, and Van Amstel and Fryer went on to win three world Latin Dance championship gold medals in 1994, 1995 and 1996. In 1997, Van Amstel retired from competitive ballroom dancing, moved to New York City, and became an American citizen in July 1999. He returned to competitive dancing with partner Karina Smirnoff; they won the United States national championship in 2000. Van Amstel was cast for season one of Dancing with the Stars in early 2005. He was partnered with Trista Sutter, but they were the first to be eliminated from the competition. In the show's second season, he was partnered with hostess Lisa Rinna, with whom he reached fourth place. Van Amstel returned in season three and was partnered with High School Musical star Monique Coleman. During the eighth week of the competition, they received two 10s for their Cha-Cha-Cha marking Van Amstel's only 10s of Dancing With The Stars for an individual dance for many seasons to come. They made it to the semi-finals, but were eliminated, resulting in a fourth-place finish. He did not participate in the fourth season due to all the females being taller than him, but he nonetheless maintained a role as a performer and choreographer throughout the season and season five. He returned in season six and was partnered with actress, businesswoman, and wife of Elvis Presley Priscilla Presley. The couple made it to the fifth week, but were eliminated, resulting in an eighth-place finish. He returned in season nine and was partnered with reality TV star and singer Kelly Osbourne. The couple made it to the finale where they finished in third place, marking Van Amstel's first and only time to make it to the finals to date. In season ten of Dancing With The Stars, Van Amstel was partnered with Reno 911! star Niecy Nash. The couple made it to the eighth week, but were eliminated, resulting in a fifth-place finish. For season eleven of Dancing With The Stars, Van Amstel was partnered with actress and comedian Margaret Cho. The couple made it to the third week, but were eliminated, resulting in a tenth-place finish. Van Amstel appeared in Cho's comedy music album Cho Dependent as her therapist. In July 2011, he appeared alongside Cho as himself in the fourth episode of the third season of Drop Dead Diva. For the show's twelfth season, Van Amstel was partnered with playboy model and reality star Kendra Wilkinson. During the fifth week in the competition, they danced the 1000th competitive dance. The couple made it to the seventh week, but were eliminated, resulting in a sixth-place finish. Wilkinson later published her book, Being Kendra, in which she said she and van Amstel clashed constantly and that he called her dyslexic and learning disabled. Van Amstel denied the comments, calling her book "twisted". Nevertheless, Van Amstel made two appearances on Wilkinson's reality shows Kendra and Kendra on Top, though Wilkinson described their encounters as "awkward". Van Amstel returned for season 15 of Dancing with the Stars, the All Stars season, and was partnered with former contestant, Sabrina Bryan. In the sixth week of the competition, the pair scored the first perfect 30 of the season. This was also Van Amstel's first perfect score ever after nine seasons on Dancing with the Stars. The couple made it to the sixth week, but were eliminated, despite being at the top of the leaderboard, resulting in an eighth-place finish. This was also the same week that Bryan was shockingly eliminated in her original season. In Week 8, Van Amstel was chosen by Kelly Monaco and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy to be their partner in their trio dance. Van Amstel was not asked back for season 16 of Dancing with the Stars. On September 2, 2015, he was announced as a pro for season 21 after a 5-season hiatus. He was paired with celebrity chef, Paula Deen. They were eliminated on week 6 of competition and finished in 9th place. During his time off from Dancing With The Stars, Van Amstel set up a not-for profit dance company called "Visionworx Dance Theater," which combines all four major dance forms. He also choreographed and appeared on numerous TV shows such as The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, and All My Children. After season six of Dancing with the Stars, Van Amstel was asked to create and choreograph a show called Ballroom With A Twist, which featured a rotating cast of dancers. The show also featured former American Idol contestants including David Hernandez and Carly Smithson. Ballroom With A Twist toured in theaters around the country. Van Amstel is no longer associated with the show. He choreographed seven dances on season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance. Three of the seven dances made it to the finale and were mentioned as the judges' favorite picks at the Kodak theater in Hollywood. He continued choreographing in seasons 6, 7, and 8. Van Amstel runs a dance fitness program, LaBlast. LaBlast DVDs were released in early 2012.  During the summer of that year, Van Amstel started a fitness clothing line, branded LVA. In fall 2014, Van Amstel was seen as a judge on the Dutch show Celebrity Pole Dancing, a show where Dutch celebrities are taught how to pole dance and perform.

personal_sec:
Van Amstel is openly gay. However, he does not explicitly use the word "gay" because he does not want to be stigmatized. On January 8, 2017, Van Amstel married his long-time boyfriend Joshua Lancaster in Sundance, Utah. They adopted their son, Daniel van Amstel in December 2019. In May 2020, Van Amstel revealed that he and Lancaster are adopting a second son, Jonathan. In November 2019, Van Amstel made headlines after he revealed that a substitute teacher shamed his son for having two gay dads and forced his class to endure a 10-minute anti-gay lecture. The school promptly fired the teacher.

info:
Van Amstel competed professionally with Julie Fryer, and they were coached by Ruud Vermeij. In 1990, Van Amstel and Fryer became Dutch Latin Champions and 10 Dance Champions. They also made the final in Blackpool in the 'under 21' category. The very same year, they received a bronze medal at the German Open, at the World Latin and at the European 10 Dance. In the Worlds 10 Dance Championship, Van Amstel and Fryer got fourth place. In 1991 Van Amstel and Fryer won the national championships for the second time, and got fourth place in all major championships. A year later, Van Amstel decided that he wanted to retire from competing for a while, and came to the point where he finished his partnership with Fryer for the first time. Three years later, in 1994, the partnership was re-established, and Van Amstel and Fryer went on to win three world Latin Dance championship gold medals in 1994, 1995 and 1996. In 1997, Van Amstel retired from competitive ballroom dancing, moved to New York City, and became an American citizen in July 1999. He returned to competitive dancing with partner Karina Smirnoff; they won the United States national championship in 2000. Van Amstel was cast for season one of Dancing with the Stars in early 2005. He was partnered with Trista Sutter, but they were the first to be eliminated from the competition. In the show's second season, he was partnered with hostess Lisa Rinna, with whom he reached fourth place. Van Amstel returned in season three and was partnered with High School Musical star Monique Coleman. During the eighth week of the competition, they received two 10s for their Cha-Cha-Cha marking Van Amstel's only 10s of Dancing With The Stars for an individual dance for many seasons to come. They made it to the semi-finals, but were eliminated, resulting in a fourth-place finish. He did not participate in the fourth season due to all the females being taller than him, but he nonetheless maintained a role as a performer and choreographer throughout the season and season five. He returned in season six and was partnered with actress, businesswoman, and wife of Elvis Presley Priscilla Presley. The couple made it to the fifth week, but were eliminated, resulting in an eighth-place finish. He returned in season nine and was partnered with reality TV star and singer Kelly Osbourne. The couple made it to the finale where they finished in third place, marking Van Amstel's first and only time to make it to the finals to date. In season ten of Dancing With The Stars, Van Amstel was partnered with Reno 911! star Niecy Nash. The couple made it to the eighth week, but were eliminated, resulting in a fifth-place finish. For season eleven of Dancing With The Stars, Van Amstel was partnered with actress and comedian Margaret Cho. The couple made it to the third week, but were eliminated, resulting in a tenth-place finish. Van Amstel appeared in Cho's comedy music album Cho Dependent as her therapist. In July 2011, he appeared alongside Cho as himself in the fourth episode of the third season of Drop Dead Diva. For the show's twelfth season, Van Amstel was partnered with playboy model and reality star Kendra Wilkinson. During the fifth week in the competition, they danced the 1000th competitive dance. The couple made it to the seventh week, but were eliminated, resulting in a sixth-place finish. Wilkinson later published her book, Being Kendra, in which she said she and van Amstel clashed constantly and that he called her dyslexic and learning disabled. Van Amstel denied the comments, calling her book "twisted". Nevertheless, Van Amstel made two appearances on Wilkinson's reality shows Kendra and Kendra on Top, though Wilkinson described their encounters as "awkward". Van Amstel returned for season 15 of Dancing with the Stars, the All Stars season, and was partnered with former contestant, Sabrina Bryan. In the sixth week of the competition, the pair scored the first perfect 30 of the season. This was also Van Amstel's first perfect score ever after nine seasons on Dancing with the Stars. The couple made it to the sixth week, but were eliminated, despite being at the top of the leaderboard, resulting in an eighth-place finish. This was also the same week that Bryan was shockingly eliminated in her original season. In Week 8, Van Amstel was chosen by Kelly Monaco and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy to be their partner in their trio dance. Van Amstel was not asked back for season 16 of Dancing with the Stars. On September 2, 2015, he was announced as a pro for season 21 after a 5-season hiatus. He was paired with celebrity chef, Paula Deen. They were eliminated on week 6 of competition and finished in 9th place. During his time off from Dancing With The Stars, Van Amstel set up a not-for profit dance company called "Visionworx Dance Theater," which combines all four major dance forms. He also choreographed and appeared on numerous TV shows such as The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, and All My Children. After season six of Dancing with the Stars, Van Amstel was asked to create and choreograph a show called Ballroom With A Twist, which featured a rotating cast of dancers. The show also featured former American Idol contestants including David Hernandez and Carly Smithson. Ballroom With A Twist toured in theaters around the country. Van Amstel is no longer associated with the show. He choreographed seven dances on season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance. Three of the seven dances made it to the finale and were mentioned as the judges' favorite picks at the Kodak theater in Hollywood. He continued choreographing in seasons 6, 7, and 8. Van Amstel runs a dance fitness program, LaBlast. LaBlast DVDs were released in early 2012.  During the summer of that year, Van Amstel started a fitness clothing line, branded LVA. In fall 2014, Van Amstel was seen as a judge on the Dutch show Celebrity Pole Dancing, a show where Dutch celebrities are taught how to pole dance and perform.Van Amstel is openly gay. However, he does not explicitly use the word "gay" because he does not want to be stigmatized. On January 8, 2017, Van Amstel married his long-time boyfriend Joshua Lancaster in Sundance, Utah. They adopted their son, Daniel van Amstel in December 2019. In May 2020, Van Amstel revealed that he and Lancaster are adopting a second son, Jonathan. In November 2019, Van Amstel made headlines after he revealed that a substitute teacher shamed his son for having two gay dads and forced his class to endure a 10-minute anti-gay lecture. The school promptly fired the teacher.


name: Mark Ballas
first_name: Mark
last_name: Ballas
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
Ballas attended Rosemead Preparatory School in South London. At the age of 11, he earned a full-time slot at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, as well as earning a full scholarship. In 2005, he was awarded "Performer of the Year". He then moved on to win championships at The British Open to the World, The US Open to the World, and The International Open to the World. With his former partner Julianne Hough, he won the Junior Latin American Dance Championship and the gold medal at the Junior Olympics. As an actor, Ballas played the lead role of Tony in the musical Copacabana and was the lead dancer in the UK national tour of the Spanish musical Maria de Buenos Aires. He was also the understudy for the role of Ritchie Valens in the UK national tour of Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story. Ballas played an extra in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as part of the Hufflepuff House. In October 2008, Ballas made a guest appearance on the season premiere of Samantha Who. On 6 September 2016, it was announced that Ballas would be the final actor to portray the role of Frankie Valli in the Broadway cast of Jersey Boys before it closes in 2017. On 26 May 2018, it was announced that he would play the role of the Teen Angel in the 2018 Toronto revival of Grease in a limited engagement from 7–10 June. From 11 September 2018 to 18 November 2018, Ballas portrayed Charlie Price in the musical Kinky Boots on Broadway. On the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars, Ballas was partnered with Cheetah Girls star Sabrina Bryan. On 30 October 2007, the pair was voted off the show. They have been the only couple invited back for an exhibition dance. Ballas's partner for season 6 of Dancing with the Stars was Olympic Gold Medal-winning figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. They won the season. On 25 August 2008, ABC announced the cast of the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars, with Ballas paired with reality television star Kim Kardashian. They were the third couple eliminated, finishing in eleventh place, on 30 September 2008. For the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars, Ballas was paired with Olympic gold-medal winning gymnast Shawn Johnson, winning that season's competition on 19 May 2009. He was partnered with actress Melissa Joan Hart for the show's ninth season. They were voted off in week six and came in 9th place. For season 10, Ballas was partnered with actress Shannen Doherty. They were the first couple eliminated, on 30 March 2010. Despite that, Shannen & Mark hold a higher average than a few celebrities who lasted longer than they did. For season 11, Ballas was partnered with Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska governor and U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. They made it to the finale and finished in third place. For season 12, Ballas was partnered with Disney Channel star Chelsea Kane. They made it to the finals where they finished in third place. For his choreography with Kane, specifically the Jive ("I Write Sins Not Tragedies"), Viennese Waltz ("Hedwig's Theme") and Waltz ("My Love") dances, Ballas was nominated for that year's Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography. For season 13, Ballas was partnered with reality star Kristin Cavallari where they were the 3rd couple eliminated finishing in 10th place. For season 14, he was partnered with Classical Singer Katherine Jenkins. They made it to the finale where they finished as the runners-up, losing to Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd. For season 15, he returned with season 11 partner, Bristol Palin before being eliminated in week 4. In week 7, he danced with his former partner Shawn Johnson because her partner, Derek Hough suffered a neck injury. He was paired with two-time Olympic champion Aly Raisman for season 16. Since season 16 had four couples reach the finals for the first time, Aly and Mark were able to become finalists. On 21 May, however, they were eliminated at the beginning of the show landing them in fourth place. For season 17, he was paired with singer Christina Milian. They were the 4th couple eliminated despite receiving high scores and good comments from the judges. For season 18, he partnered with Full House actress Candace Cameron Bure. The couple made it to the finals and ended in third place. For season 19, he partnered with Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson and finished in 2nd place behind Alfonso Ribeiro. For season 20, he was paired with star of The Hunger Games film series Willow Shields. The couple was shockingly eliminated in week 7, finishing in seventh place despite receiving high scores throughout the season. For season 21, he was partnered with actress Alexa PenaVega. They were eliminated in week 9 (despite being at the top of the leaderboard that week) and finished the competition in 6th place. For season 22, he was paired with UFC mixed martial artist Paige VanZant. Ballas and VanZant made it to the finals of the show and finished in second place. Ballas was not part of the season 23 & 24 cast. Ballas returned as a professional dancer for season 25, and was paired with violinist Lindsey Stirling. Ballas and Stirling made it to the finals and finished in second place. In his time on Dancing With the Stars, Ballas has set, and broken, numerous records in the course of his (so far) 18 seasons. Some of these records include, but are not limited to: Alexander Jean is a duo formation made up of Mark Ballas and his wife BC Jean. They worked as a husband-wife American pop rock duo starting 2015. Their debut single was "Roses and Violets". The single reach the Top 20 on Billboard's Hot 100 "Bubbling Under" chart. They had success with "Waiting for You" and were nominated Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month in November 2018.

personal_sec:
Ballas was born in Houston, Texas, the son of dancers Corky Ballas and Shirley Ballas (née Rich). His paternal grandparents were of Mexican and Greek background, and his mother is originally from the United Kingdom and is of English heritage; she has also discovered that she has distant Black/Asian ancestry from Madagascar. His paternal grandfather, George Ballas, was the inventor of the Weed Eater lawn-trimming device. His paternal great-grandparents, Karolos ("Charles") Ballas and Maria Lymnaos were immigrants to the United States from Greece. Ballas is a member of singer-songwriter duo Alexander Jean along with his wife, BC Jean. The two became engaged in November 2015 after three years of dating, and were married on 25 November 2016, in Malibu, California.

info:
Ballas was born in Houston, Texas, the son of dancers Corky Ballas and Shirley Ballas (née Rich). His paternal grandparents were of Mexican and Greek background, and his mother is originally from the United Kingdom and is of English heritage; she has also discovered that she has distant Black/Asian ancestry from Madagascar. His paternal grandfather, George Ballas, was the inventor of the Weed Eater lawn-trimming device. His paternal great-grandparents, Karolos ("Charles") Ballas and Maria Lymnaos were immigrants to the United States from Greece. Ballas is a member of singer-songwriter duo Alexander Jean along with his wife, BC Jean. The two became engaged in November 2015 after three years of dating, and were married on 25 November 2016, in Malibu, California.Ballas attended Rosemead Preparatory School in South London. At the age of 11, he earned a full-time slot at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, as well as earning a full scholarship. In 2005, he was awarded "Performer of the Year". He then moved on to win championships at The British Open to the World, The US Open to the World, and The International Open to the World. With his former partner Julianne Hough, he won the Junior Latin American Dance Championship and the gold medal at the Junior Olympics. As an actor, Ballas played the lead role of Tony in the musical Copacabana and was the lead dancer in the UK national tour of the Spanish musical Maria de Buenos Aires. He was also the understudy for the role of Ritchie Valens in the UK national tour of Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story. Ballas played an extra in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as part of the Hufflepuff House. In October 2008, Ballas made a guest appearance on the season premiere of Samantha Who. On 6 September 2016, it was announced that Ballas would be the final actor to portray the role of Frankie Valli in the Broadway cast of Jersey Boys before it closes in 2017. On 26 May 2018, it was announced that he would play the role of the Teen Angel in the 2018 Toronto revival of Grease in a limited engagement from 7–10 June. From 11 September 2018 to 18 November 2018, Ballas portrayed Charlie Price in the musical Kinky Boots on Broadway. On the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars, Ballas was partnered with Cheetah Girls star Sabrina Bryan. On 30 October 2007, the pair was voted off the show. They have been the only couple invited back for an exhibition dance. Ballas's partner for season 6 of Dancing with the Stars was Olympic Gold Medal-winning figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. They won the season. On 25 August 2008, ABC announced the cast of the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars, with Ballas paired with reality television star Kim Kardashian. They were the third couple eliminated, finishing in eleventh place, on 30 September 2008. For the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars, Ballas was paired with Olympic gold-medal winning gymnast Shawn Johnson, winning that season's competition on 19 May 2009. He was partnered with actress Melissa Joan Hart for the show's ninth season. They were voted off in week six and came in 9th place. For season 10, Ballas was partnered with actress Shannen Doherty. They were the first couple eliminated, on 30 March 2010. Despite that, Shannen & Mark hold a higher average than a few celebrities who lasted longer than they did. For season 11, Ballas was partnered with Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska governor and U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. They made it to the finale and finished in third place. For season 12, Ballas was partnered with Disney Channel star Chelsea Kane. They made it to the finals where they finished in third place. For his choreography with Kane, specifically the Jive ("I Write Sins Not Tragedies"), Viennese Waltz ("Hedwig's Theme") and Waltz ("My Love") dances, Ballas was nominated for that year's Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography. For season 13, Ballas was partnered with reality star Kristin Cavallari where they were the 3rd couple eliminated finishing in 10th place. For season 14, he was partnered with Classical Singer Katherine Jenkins. They made it to the finale where they finished as the runners-up, losing to Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd. For season 15, he returned with season 11 partner, Bristol Palin before being eliminated in week 4. In week 7, he danced with his former partner Shawn Johnson because her partner, Derek Hough suffered a neck injury. He was paired with two-time Olympic champion Aly Raisman for season 16. Since season 16 had four couples reach the finals for the first time, Aly and Mark were able to become finalists. On 21 May, however, they were eliminated at the beginning of the show landing them in fourth place. For season 17, he was paired with singer Christina Milian. They were the 4th couple eliminated despite receiving high scores and good comments from the judges. For season 18, he partnered with Full House actress Candace Cameron Bure. The couple made it to the finals and ended in third place. For season 19, he partnered with Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson and finished in 2nd place behind Alfonso Ribeiro. For season 20, he was paired with star of The Hunger Games film series Willow Shields. The couple was shockingly eliminated in week 7, finishing in seventh place despite receiving high scores throughout the season. For season 21, he was partnered with actress Alexa PenaVega. They were eliminated in week 9 (despite being at the top of the leaderboard that week) and finished the competition in 6th place. For season 22, he was paired with UFC mixed martial artist Paige VanZant. Ballas and VanZant made it to the finals of the show and finished in second place. Ballas was not part of the season 23 & 24 cast. Ballas returned as a professional dancer for season 25, and was paired with violinist Lindsey Stirling. Ballas and Stirling made it to the finals and finished in second place. In his time on Dancing With the Stars, Ballas has set, and broken, numerous records in the course of his (so far) 18 seasons. Some of these records include, but are not limited to: Alexander Jean is a duo formation made up of Mark Ballas and his wife BC Jean. They worked as a husband-wife American pop rock duo starting 2015. Their debut single was "Roses and Violets". The single reach the Top 20 on Billboard's Hot 100 "Bubbling Under" chart. They had success with "Waiting for You" and were nominated Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month in November 2018.


name: Michael Bennett
first_name: Michael
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
Bennett was born Michael Bennett DiFiglia in Buffalo, New York, the son of Helen (née Ternoff), a secretary, and Salvatore Joseph DiFiglia, a factory worker. His father was Italian American and his mother was Jewish. He studied dance and choreography in his teens and staged a number of shows in his local high school before dropping out to accept the role of Baby John in the US and European tours of West Side Story. Bennett's career as a Broadway dancer began in the 1961 Betty Comden–Adolph Green–Jule Styne musical Subways Are for Sleeping, after which he appeared in Meredith Willson's Here's Love and the short-lived Bajour. In the mid-1960s he was a featured dancer on the NBC pop music series Hullabaloo, where he met fellow dancer Donna McKechnie. Bennett made his choreographic debut with A Joyful Noise (1966), which lasted only twelve performances, and in 1967 followed it with another failure, Henry, Sweet Henry (based on the Peter Sellers film The World of Henry Orient). Success finally arrived in 1968, when he choreographed the hit musical Promises, Promises on Broadway. With a contemporary pop score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, a wisecracking book by Neil Simon and Bennett's well-received production numbers, including "Turkey Lurkey Time", the show ran for 1,281 performances. Over the next few years, he earned praise for his work on the straight play Twigs with Sada Thompson and the musical Coco with Katharine Hepburn. These were followed by two Stephen Sondheim productions, Company and Follies co-directed with Hal Prince. In 1973, Bennett was asked by producers Joseph Kipness and Larry Kasha to take over the ailing Cy Coleman–Dorothy Fields musical Seesaw. In replacing the director Ed Sherin and choreographer Grover Dale, he asked for absolute control over the production as director and choreographer and received credit as "having written, directed, and choreographed" the show.

personal_sec:
Bennett was bisexual. He had numerous affairs with both men and women. In his younger days, Bennett had a relationship with Larry Fuller, a dancer, choreographer and director. He had a long professional and personal relationship with the virtuoso dancer Donna McKechnie, who danced his work in both Promises, Promises and Company and won the 1976 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in the role he had created for her in A Chorus Line. They married on December 4, 1976, but after only a few months they separated and eventually divorced in 1979. In the late 1970s he began an affair with Sabine Cassel, the then-wife of French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel. She left her family in Paris to live with Bennett in Manhattan, but the relationship soured. Bennett's addictions to alcohol and drugs, notably cocaine and quaaludes, severely affected his ability to work and affected many of his professional and personal relationships. His paranoia grew as his dependency did. Worried by his celebrity and his father's Italian background, he began to suspect he might fall victim to a Mafia hit. Bennett's last lover was Gene Pruit. In 1986 both Pruit and friend Bob Herr lived with Bennett for the last eight months of his life in Tucson, Arizona, where he received care at the Arizona Medical Center. Bennett died from AIDS-related lymphoma at the age of 44. He left a portion of his estate to fund research to fight the pandemic. Bennett's memorial service took place at the Shubert Theatre in New York City (the home at that time of A Chorus Line) on September 29, 1987.

info:
Bennett was born Michael Bennett DiFiglia in Buffalo, New York, the son of Helen (née Ternoff), a secretary, and Salvatore Joseph DiFiglia, a factory worker. His father was Italian American and his mother was Jewish. He studied dance and choreography in his teens and staged a number of shows in his local high school before dropping out to accept the role of Baby John in the US and European tours of West Side Story. Bennett's career as a Broadway dancer began in the 1961 Betty Comden–Adolph Green–Jule Styne musical Subways Are for Sleeping, after which he appeared in Meredith Willson's Here's Love and the short-lived Bajour. In the mid-1960s he was a featured dancer on the NBC pop music series Hullabaloo, where he met fellow dancer Donna McKechnie. Bennett made his choreographic debut with A Joyful Noise (1966), which lasted only twelve performances, and in 1967 followed it with another failure, Henry, Sweet Henry (based on the Peter Sellers film The World of Henry Orient). Success finally arrived in 1968, when he choreographed the hit musical Promises, Promises on Broadway. With a contemporary pop score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, a wisecracking book by Neil Simon and Bennett's well-received production numbers, including "Turkey Lurkey Time", the show ran for 1,281 performances. Over the next few years, he earned praise for his work on the straight play Twigs with Sada Thompson and the musical Coco with Katharine Hepburn. These were followed by two Stephen Sondheim productions, Company and Follies co-directed with Hal Prince. In 1973, Bennett was asked by producers Joseph Kipness and Larry Kasha to take over the ailing Cy Coleman–Dorothy Fields musical Seesaw. In replacing the director Ed Sherin and choreographer Grover Dale, he asked for absolute control over the production as director and choreographer and received credit as "having written, directed, and choreographed" the show.Bennett was bisexual. He had numerous affairs with both men and women. In his younger days, Bennett had a relationship with Larry Fuller, a dancer, choreographer and director. He had a long professional and personal relationship with the virtuoso dancer Donna McKechnie, who danced his work in both Promises, Promises and Company and won the 1976 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in the role he had created for her in A Chorus Line. They married on December 4, 1976, but after only a few months they separated and eventually divorced in 1979. In the late 1970s he began an affair with Sabine Cassel, the then-wife of French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel. She left her family in Paris to live with Bennett in Manhattan, but the relationship soured. Bennett's addictions to alcohol and drugs, notably cocaine and quaaludes, severely affected his ability to work and affected many of his professional and personal relationships. His paranoia grew as his dependency did. Worried by his celebrity and his father's Italian background, he began to suspect he might fall victim to a Mafia hit. Bennett's last lover was Gene Pruit. In 1986 both Pruit and friend Bob Herr lived with Bennett for the last eight months of his life in Tucson, Arizona, where he received care at the Arizona Medical Center. Bennett died from AIDS-related lymphoma at the age of 44. He left a portion of his estate to fund research to fight the pandemic. Bennett's memorial service took place at the Shubert Theatre in New York City (the home at that time of A Chorus Line) on September 29, 1987.


name: Ken Berry
first_name: Ken
last_name: Berry
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
Berry was born in Moline in Rock Island County in Northwestern  Illinois, one of two children of an accountant, Darrell Berry, and his wife, Bernice. Berry was of Swedish-English descent. Berry realized he wanted to be a dancer and singer at age 12, as he watched a children's dance performance during a school assembly. He dreamed of starring in movie musicals and went to the movie theater to see Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in some of his favorite films, including Easter Parade, Royal Wedding, On the Town, and Summer Stock. Berry immediately started tap dance class and, at age 15, won a local talent competition sponsored by radio and television big band leader Horace Heidt. Heidt asked Berry to join his traveling performance ensemble, "The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program", a popular touring group. He toured the United States and Europe for 15 months with the program, dancing and singing for the public and at post-World War II United States Air Force bases overseas. Berry made lasting relationships with several of his co-cast members and Horace's son, Horace Heidt Jr., who later launched a big band and radio career. After high school graduation, Berry volunteered for the United States Army, and was assigned to Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. His first year in the Army was spent in the artillery, where he entered a post talent contest; the winner went on Arlene Francis' Soldier Parade in New York City. Berry, who always carried his tap shoes with him, worked out a routine and a few hours later won the contest. He headed to New York for his television debut. Berry's second and final year in the Army was with Special Services, under Sergeant Leonard Nimoy, who encouraged Berry to go to Hollywood and pursue acting. As a part of Special Services, he toured Army posts and officers' clubs entertaining the troops, as well as visiting colleges for recruiting purposes. Soon, another talent competition was held, the All Army Talent Competition, looking to find service personnel to appear on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town. Berry placed third in the "Specialty Act" category with the song "There'll Be Some Changes Made" and returned to New York City and television.The Sullivan appearance was to take place shortly before Berry would muster out of the Army. Nimoy sent telegrams to several studios and talent agents asking them to watch Berry on the show. The performance led to an offer from 20th Century Fox and a screen test at Universal Studios. He signed with an agent as soon as he arrived in Hollywood. Berry accepted Universal's offer and began as a contract player. Soon he was being groomed to take over for Donald O'Connor in the Francis the Talking Mule movie series; however, Mickey Rooney became available and got the part. At Universal, Berry took full advantage of the studio's talent development program and later, under the G.I. Bill, he took jazz dance, ballet, vocal, and additional acting classes. The movie musicals Berry admired had already seen their heyday; however, acting, which he once thought of as "something I would do between song and dance routines", became the basis of his career. Berry went on to star in the 1969 musical comedy Hello Down There — reissued as Sub a Dub Dub — as Mel Cheever, the nemesis of Tony Randall and Janet Leigh, and with Denver Pyle in 1976's Guardian of the Wilderness, the story of Galen Clark, the man who created Yosemite National Park. Berry also earned broader success as a Disney star in the films Herbie Rides Again in 1974, with Helen Hayes and Stefanie Powers, and The Cat from Outer Space in 1978, with Sandy Duncan and McLean Stevenson.Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was a prime time television talent contest, that ran from 1946 to 1958. The winner got a week's work on Godfrey's morning television program, which was simulcast on radio. Berry won in 1957, performed his week on the show, and was then asked back for six more weeks. He traveled with Godfrey and performed on remote broadcasts in an Omaha stock yard, in Seattle at a lumber camp, at the Boeing aircraft plant, and at the San Diego Zoo. Berry came up with a new routine for every show, which aired daily. The Billy Barnes Review was popular with Hollywood, and one evening Carol Burnett was in Los Angeles and saw Berry in the show. She was appearing on The Garry Moore Show in New York and convinced the producers to sign Berry as a guest star. Burnett became a key ally for Berry, using him on her own special, which eventually became CBS's The Carol Burnett Show. Ken was one of Burnett's most frequent guest stars along with Jim Nabors and Steve Lawrence. In 1972, Berry and Burnett appeared together in the color remake of Burnett's Broadway hit, Once Upon a Mattress for CBS. A notable dramatic performance by Berry was 1982's television movie Eunice, which was based on The Carol Burnett Show sketch, The Family. The Family was something of a pilot for Mama's Family. Berry played Phillip, Eunice's brother, in the special; however he went on to play Vinton, a different brother, on Mama's Family. His collaboration with Carol Burnett continued with the 1993 Long Beach theatrical production of From the Top. The Billy Barnes Review also led to another important connection in his career when he was spotted by Lucille Ball. Ball quickly asked him to join her new talent development program at Desilu, similar to the "talent pools" – known as talent "programs" – that the other studios had. He was under contract with Desilu for six months, performing for both Ball and Barnes at the same time. The reviews for The Billy Barnes Review were largely positive, and additional investors contributed the extra money needed to move the show from the York Playhouse to Broadway, which meant he had to take leave from Desilu. After returning from New York in 1960, Berry was brought back to Desilu to play Woody, a bell hop, in ten episodes of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show which was set in a New York hotel called the Bartley House. The character Woody served as a "Greek chorus of one" on the series. In 1968, Ball asked Berry to guest star on The Lucy Show, where he played a bank client needing a loan to start a dance studio. He performed a tribute to the Fred Astaire number "Steppin' Out with My Baby" and a duet with Ball for a rendition of "Lucy's Back in Town". After numerous smaller roles, Berry was cast as one of three comic relief characters on Dr. Kildare, from 1961 to 1966. A regular on the series, Berry played Dr. Kapish. He also played  a dance instructor several times on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Berry continued doing guest roles, but while performing a small part on the short-lived George Burns-Connie Stevens sitcom Wendy and Me, both Burns and Stevens recommended him for the pilot of F Troop for ABC, a western spoof where he played the accident-prone Captain Parmenter—his first starring role in a weekly sitcom. Berry's co-stars were Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. Berry called his time on F-Troop "two years of recess" as the entire cast spent time between takes trying to make each other laugh. His dancing ability allowed him to perform choreographed pratfalls over hitching posts, sabers, and trash cans. In 1967, during the second year of F-Troop, Dick Linke — who was Berry's manager, and also managed Andy Griffith and Jim Nabors — pitched an F Troop stage show to Bill Harrah, founder of Harrah's Entertainment, which included a casino and hotel in Reno, Nevada. Harrah went for it, and Berry, Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker, and James Hampton put together a show, hiring writers and a choreographer to assist. While performing the Reno show they received word that F Troop had been canceled due to a financial dispute between the production company and the studio. The next year Berry was cast in the featured role of Sam Jones, a widowed farmer, on the last few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. He took a leading role on the spin-off Mayberry R.F.D.. In September 1968, Berry led the cast of Mayberry R.F.D., as Griffith's character receded. Most of the regular characters stayed with the show. Andy and wife Helen left after a few episodes in season two. Series writers used Berry's "trouper" talents in stories about church revues and talent contests. On the 1970 Mayberry R.F.D. episode "The Charity", he and co-star Paul Hartman performed a soft shoe routine. Berry sometimes ended a show on the porch at dusk, serenading others with such songs as "Carolina Moon". In spite of finishing 15th place for season three, Mayberry R.F.D. was canceled in 1971 in what was called "the rural purge", where shows set in a bucolic locale (The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction) were replaced with the more "hip" fare of Norman Lear (All in the Family) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. After Mayberry R.F.D., Berry starred in several made-for-TV movies, and his own summer replacement variety show on ABC called The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show in 1972, which ran for five episodes. This show was a launching pad for future stars Steve Martin, Cheryl Ladd, and Teri Garr. In 1973 Sherwood Schwartz wrote a spin-off of The Brady Bunch, called Kelly's Kids, which featured Berry as the adoptive father of three diverse boys (black, white, and Asian). The pilot failed to interest ABC. Over the next two decades Berry guest starred on many shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, The Julie Andrews Hour, several Mitzi Gaynor specials, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, The Donny & Marie Show, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Grizzly Adams, CHiPs, and The Golden Girls. ‘’Little House on the Prairie’’ In 1983, Berry was cast as Vinton Harper in Mama's Family, a spin-off from The Carol Burnett Show with comic actors including Vicki Lawrence, Dorothy Lyman, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Beverly Archer during six seasons of the show. Mama's Family aired on NBC from 1983 to 1984 and in repeats until 1985. It was then picked up for first run syndication from 1986 to 1990. The run totaled 130 episodes. During and after Mama's Family, Berry toured the United States in various theatrical performances, including multiple performances of Sugar with co-stars such as Donald O'Connor, Mickey Rooney, Soupy Sales, and Bobby Morse, The Music Man with Susan Watson (Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi were in the chorus), I Do! I Do! with Loretta Swit, and Gene Kelly's A Salute to Broadway with Howard Keel and Mimi Hines. Kelly, who was Berry's idol, was set to direct the production, but fell ill.

personal_sec:
Berry married Jackie Joseph, a Billy Barnes castmate, on May 29, 1960. They adopted two children together — son John Kenneth in 1964 and daughter Jennifer Kate in 1965. They divorced in 1976. His son John, who later became a co-founder of the Indie rock band Idaho, died in 2016 of brain cancer at the age of 51. Berry's long time partner and companion, Susie Walsh, a stage manager, had been with him for the last 24 years. Berry "loved cars and anything with wheels" from the time he was a young child, particularly smaller cars, and maintained a 1966 Mini Moke. An avid motorcyclist, he camped and rode the local Los Angeles mountain ranges.

info:
Berry was born in Moline in Rock Island County in Northwestern  Illinois, one of two children of an accountant, Darrell Berry, and his wife, Bernice. Berry was of Swedish-English descent. Berry realized he wanted to be a dancer and singer at age 12, as he watched a children's dance performance during a school assembly. He dreamed of starring in movie musicals and went to the movie theater to see Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in some of his favorite films, including Easter Parade, Royal Wedding, On the Town, and Summer Stock. Berry immediately started tap dance class and, at age 15, won a local talent competition sponsored by radio and television big band leader Horace Heidt. Heidt asked Berry to join his traveling performance ensemble, "The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program", a popular touring group. He toured the United States and Europe for 15 months with the program, dancing and singing for the public and at post-World War II United States Air Force bases overseas. Berry made lasting relationships with several of his co-cast members and Horace's son, Horace Heidt Jr., who later launched a big band and radio career. After high school graduation, Berry volunteered for the United States Army, and was assigned to Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. His first year in the Army was spent in the artillery, where he entered a post talent contest; the winner went on Arlene Francis' Soldier Parade in New York City. Berry, who always carried his tap shoes with him, worked out a routine and a few hours later won the contest. He headed to New York for his television debut. Berry's second and final year in the Army was with Special Services, under Sergeant Leonard Nimoy, who encouraged Berry to go to Hollywood and pursue acting. As a part of Special Services, he toured Army posts and officers' clubs entertaining the troops, as well as visiting colleges for recruiting purposes. Soon, another talent competition was held, the All Army Talent Competition, looking to find service personnel to appear on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town. Berry placed third in the "Specialty Act" category with the song "There'll Be Some Changes Made" and returned to New York City and television.The Sullivan appearance was to take place shortly before Berry would muster out of the Army. Nimoy sent telegrams to several studios and talent agents asking them to watch Berry on the show. The performance led to an offer from 20th Century Fox and a screen test at Universal Studios. He signed with an agent as soon as he arrived in Hollywood. Berry accepted Universal's offer and began as a contract player. Soon he was being groomed to take over for Donald O'Connor in the Francis the Talking Mule movie series; however, Mickey Rooney became available and got the part. At Universal, Berry took full advantage of the studio's talent development program and later, under the G.I. Bill, he took jazz dance, ballet, vocal, and additional acting classes. The movie musicals Berry admired had already seen their heyday; however, acting, which he once thought of as "something I would do between song and dance routines", became the basis of his career. Berry went on to star in the 1969 musical comedy Hello Down There — reissued as Sub a Dub Dub — as Mel Cheever, the nemesis of Tony Randall and Janet Leigh, and with Denver Pyle in 1976's Guardian of the Wilderness, the story of Galen Clark, the man who created Yosemite National Park. Berry also earned broader success as a Disney star in the films Herbie Rides Again in 1974, with Helen Hayes and Stefanie Powers, and The Cat from Outer Space in 1978, with Sandy Duncan and McLean Stevenson.Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was a prime time television talent contest, that ran from 1946 to 1958. The winner got a week's work on Godfrey's morning television program, which was simulcast on radio. Berry won in 1957, performed his week on the show, and was then asked back for six more weeks. He traveled with Godfrey and performed on remote broadcasts in an Omaha stock yard, in Seattle at a lumber camp, at the Boeing aircraft plant, and at the San Diego Zoo. Berry came up with a new routine for every show, which aired daily. The Billy Barnes Review was popular with Hollywood, and one evening Carol Burnett was in Los Angeles and saw Berry in the show. She was appearing on The Garry Moore Show in New York and convinced the producers to sign Berry as a guest star. Burnett became a key ally for Berry, using him on her own special, which eventually became CBS's The Carol Burnett Show. Ken was one of Burnett's most frequent guest stars along with Jim Nabors and Steve Lawrence. In 1972, Berry and Burnett appeared together in the color remake of Burnett's Broadway hit, Once Upon a Mattress for CBS. A notable dramatic performance by Berry was 1982's television movie Eunice, which was based on The Carol Burnett Show sketch, The Family. The Family was something of a pilot for Mama's Family. Berry played Phillip, Eunice's brother, in the special; however he went on to play Vinton, a different brother, on Mama's Family. His collaboration with Carol Burnett continued with the 1993 Long Beach theatrical production of From the Top. The Billy Barnes Review also led to another important connection in his career when he was spotted by Lucille Ball. Ball quickly asked him to join her new talent development program at Desilu, similar to the "talent pools" – known as talent "programs" – that the other studios had. He was under contract with Desilu for six months, performing for both Ball and Barnes at the same time. The reviews for The Billy Barnes Review were largely positive, and additional investors contributed the extra money needed to move the show from the York Playhouse to Broadway, which meant he had to take leave from Desilu. After returning from New York in 1960, Berry was brought back to Desilu to play Woody, a bell hop, in ten episodes of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show which was set in a New York hotel called the Bartley House. The character Woody served as a "Greek chorus of one" on the series. In 1968, Ball asked Berry to guest star on The Lucy Show, where he played a bank client needing a loan to start a dance studio. He performed a tribute to the Fred Astaire number "Steppin' Out with My Baby" and a duet with Ball for a rendition of "Lucy's Back in Town". After numerous smaller roles, Berry was cast as one of three comic relief characters on Dr. Kildare, from 1961 to 1966. A regular on the series, Berry played Dr. Kapish. He also played  a dance instructor several times on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Berry continued doing guest roles, but while performing a small part on the short-lived George Burns-Connie Stevens sitcom Wendy and Me, both Burns and Stevens recommended him for the pilot of F Troop for ABC, a western spoof where he played the accident-prone Captain Parmenter—his first starring role in a weekly sitcom. Berry's co-stars were Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. Berry called his time on F-Troop "two years of recess" as the entire cast spent time between takes trying to make each other laugh. His dancing ability allowed him to perform choreographed pratfalls over hitching posts, sabers, and trash cans. In 1967, during the second year of F-Troop, Dick Linke — who was Berry's manager, and also managed Andy Griffith and Jim Nabors — pitched an F Troop stage show to Bill Harrah, founder of Harrah's Entertainment, which included a casino and hotel in Reno, Nevada. Harrah went for it, and Berry, Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker, and James Hampton put together a show, hiring writers and a choreographer to assist. While performing the Reno show they received word that F Troop had been canceled due to a financial dispute between the production company and the studio. The next year Berry was cast in the featured role of Sam Jones, a widowed farmer, on the last few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. He took a leading role on the spin-off Mayberry R.F.D.. In September 1968, Berry led the cast of Mayberry R.F.D., as Griffith's character receded. Most of the regular characters stayed with the show. Andy and wife Helen left after a few episodes in season two. Series writers used Berry's "trouper" talents in stories about church revues and talent contests. On the 1970 Mayberry R.F.D. episode "The Charity", he and co-star Paul Hartman performed a soft shoe routine. Berry sometimes ended a show on the porch at dusk, serenading others with such songs as "Carolina Moon". In spite of finishing 15th place for season three, Mayberry R.F.D. was canceled in 1971 in what was called "the rural purge", where shows set in a bucolic locale (The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction) were replaced with the more "hip" fare of Norman Lear (All in the Family) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. After Mayberry R.F.D., Berry starred in several made-for-TV movies, and his own summer replacement variety show on ABC called The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show in 1972, which ran for five episodes. This show was a launching pad for future stars Steve Martin, Cheryl Ladd, and Teri Garr. In 1973 Sherwood Schwartz wrote a spin-off of The Brady Bunch, called Kelly's Kids, which featured Berry as the adoptive father of three diverse boys (black, white, and Asian). The pilot failed to interest ABC. Over the next two decades Berry guest starred on many shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, The Julie Andrews Hour, several Mitzi Gaynor specials, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, The Donny & Marie Show, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Grizzly Adams, CHiPs, and The Golden Girls. ‘’Little House on the Prairie’’ In 1983, Berry was cast as Vinton Harper in Mama's Family, a spin-off from The Carol Burnett Show with comic actors including Vicki Lawrence, Dorothy Lyman, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Beverly Archer during six seasons of the show. Mama's Family aired on NBC from 1983 to 1984 and in repeats until 1985. It was then picked up for first run syndication from 1986 to 1990. The run totaled 130 episodes. During and after Mama's Family, Berry toured the United States in various theatrical performances, including multiple performances of Sugar with co-stars such as Donald O'Connor, Mickey Rooney, Soupy Sales, and Bobby Morse, The Music Man with Susan Watson (Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi were in the chorus), I Do! I Do! with Loretta Swit, and Gene Kelly's A Salute to Broadway with Howard Keel and Mimi Hines. Kelly, who was Berry's idol, was set to direct the production, but fell ill.Berry married Jackie Joseph, a Billy Barnes castmate, on May 29, 1960. They adopted two children together — son John Kenneth in 1964 and daughter Jennifer Kate in 1965. They divorced in 1976. His son John, who later became a co-founder of the Indie rock band Idaho, died in 2016 of brain cancer at the age of 51. Berry's long time partner and companion, Susie Walsh, a stage manager, had been with him for the last 24 years. Berry "loved cars and anything with wheels" from the time he was a young child, particularly smaller cars, and maintained a 1966 Mini Moke. An avid motorcyclist, he camped and rode the local Los Angeles mountain ranges.


name: Ray Bolger
first_name: Ray
last_name: Bolger
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
His entertainment aspirations evolved from the vaudeville shows of his youth. He began his career in a vaudeville tap show, creating the act "Sanford & Bolger" with his dance partner. In 1926, he danced at New York City's legendary Palace Theatre, the premier vaudeville theatre in the United States. His limber body and improvisational dance movement won him many leading roles on Broadway in the 1930s. Eventually, his career would also encompass film, television and nightclub work. In 1932 he was elected to the theater club, The Lambs and performed on opening night at Radio City Music Hall in December 1932. Bolger signed his first cinema contract with MGM in 1936, and although The Wizard of Oz was early in his film career, he appeared in other movies of note. His best known pre-Oz appearance was The Great Ziegfeld (1936), in which he portrayed himself. He also appeared in Sweethearts (1938), the first MGM film in Technicolor, starring Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald. He also appeared in the Eleanor Powell vehicle Rosalie (1937), which also starred Eddy and Frank Morgan. Bolger's MGM contract stipulated that he would play any part the studio chose. However, he was unhappy when he was originally cast as the Tin Woodman in the studio's 1939 feature film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. The role of the Scarecrow had already been assigned to another dancing studio contract player, Buddy Ebsen. In time, the roles were shuffled around. Bolger's face was permanently lined by wearing the Scarecrow's makeup. Following The Wizard of Oz, Bolger moved to RKO Pictures. In 1941, he was a featured act at the Paramount Theatre in New York, working with the Harry James Band. He would do tap dance routines, sometimes in a mock-challenge dance with the band's pianist, Al Lerner. One day during this period, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and Bolger's performance was interrupted by President Roosevelt's announcement of the news of the attack. Bolger toured in USO shows in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and appeared in the United Artists wartime film Stage Door Canteen (1943. In 1946, he returned to MGM for a featured role in The Harvey Girls. Also that year, he recorded a children's album, The Churkendoose, featuring the story of a misfit fowl ("part chicken, turkey, duck, and goose") which teaches children that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it "all depends on how you look at things". Bolger's Broadway credits included Life Begins at 8:40 (1934), On Your Toes (1936), By Jupiter (1942), All American (1962) and Where's Charley? (1948), for which he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical and in which he introduced "Once in Love with Amy", the song often connected with him. He repeated his stage role in the 1952 film version of the musical. Bolger appeared in his own ABC television sitcom with a variety show theme, Where's Raymond? (1953–1954), renamed the second year as The Ray Bolger Show (1954–55). He continued to star in several films, including  Walt Disney's remake of Babes in Toyland (1961) and smaller cameos throughout the 1960s and 1970. Bolger made frequent guest appearances on television, including the episode "Rich Man, Poor Man" of the short-lived The Jean Arthur Show in 1966. In the 1970s, he had a recurring role as Fred Renfrew, the father of Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones) on The Partridge Family, and appeared in Little House on the Prairie as Toby Noe and also guest-starred on other television series such as Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. In the late 1970s, reaching back to his Irish roots, Bolger played in a commercial for Safeway Supermarket's "Scotch Buy" brand. It covered many products ranging from canned food to paper towels to beer and cigarettes. Bolger popularized the jingle, "Scotch Buy - taint fancy but it shore is good."  His last television appearance was on Diff'rent Strokes in 1984, three years before his death. In his later years, he danced in a Dr Pepper television commercial, and in 1985, he and Liza Minnelli, the daughter of his Oz costar Judy Garland, starred in That's Dancing!, a film also written by Jack Haley, Jr., the son of Jack Haley, who portrayed the Tin Woodman in The Wizard of Oz.

personal_sec:
Bolger was married to Gwendolyn Rickard for over 57 years. They had no children. Bolger's great-nephew is actor John Bolger. Bolger was a lifelong Republican who campaigned for Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election andRichard Nixon in 1968.

info:
His entertainment aspirations evolved from the vaudeville shows of his youth. He began his career in a vaudeville tap show, creating the act "Sanford & Bolger" with his dance partner. In 1926, he danced at New York City's legendary Palace Theatre, the premier vaudeville theatre in the United States. His limber body and improvisational dance movement won him many leading roles on Broadway in the 1930s. Eventually, his career would also encompass film, television and nightclub work. In 1932 he was elected to the theater club, The Lambs and performed on opening night at Radio City Music Hall in December 1932. Bolger signed his first cinema contract with MGM in 1936, and although The Wizard of Oz was early in his film career, he appeared in other movies of note. His best known pre-Oz appearance was The Great Ziegfeld (1936), in which he portrayed himself. He also appeared in Sweethearts (1938), the first MGM film in Technicolor, starring Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald. He also appeared in the Eleanor Powell vehicle Rosalie (1937), which also starred Eddy and Frank Morgan. Bolger's MGM contract stipulated that he would play any part the studio chose. However, he was unhappy when he was originally cast as the Tin Woodman in the studio's 1939 feature film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. The role of the Scarecrow had already been assigned to another dancing studio contract player, Buddy Ebsen. In time, the roles were shuffled around. Bolger's face was permanently lined by wearing the Scarecrow's makeup. Following The Wizard of Oz, Bolger moved to RKO Pictures. In 1941, he was a featured act at the Paramount Theatre in New York, working with the Harry James Band. He would do tap dance routines, sometimes in a mock-challenge dance with the band's pianist, Al Lerner. One day during this period, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and Bolger's performance was interrupted by President Roosevelt's announcement of the news of the attack. Bolger toured in USO shows in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and appeared in the United Artists wartime film Stage Door Canteen (1943. In 1946, he returned to MGM for a featured role in The Harvey Girls. Also that year, he recorded a children's album, The Churkendoose, featuring the story of a misfit fowl ("part chicken, turkey, duck, and goose") which teaches children that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it "all depends on how you look at things". Bolger's Broadway credits included Life Begins at 8:40 (1934), On Your Toes (1936), By Jupiter (1942), All American (1962) and Where's Charley? (1948), for which he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical and in which he introduced "Once in Love with Amy", the song often connected with him. He repeated his stage role in the 1952 film version of the musical. Bolger appeared in his own ABC television sitcom with a variety show theme, Where's Raymond? (1953–1954), renamed the second year as The Ray Bolger Show (1954–55). He continued to star in several films, including  Walt Disney's remake of Babes in Toyland (1961) and smaller cameos throughout the 1960s and 1970. Bolger made frequent guest appearances on television, including the episode "Rich Man, Poor Man" of the short-lived The Jean Arthur Show in 1966. In the 1970s, he had a recurring role as Fred Renfrew, the father of Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones) on The Partridge Family, and appeared in Little House on the Prairie as Toby Noe and also guest-starred on other television series such as Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. In the late 1970s, reaching back to his Irish roots, Bolger played in a commercial for Safeway Supermarket's "Scotch Buy" brand. It covered many products ranging from canned food to paper towels to beer and cigarettes. Bolger popularized the jingle, "Scotch Buy - taint fancy but it shore is good."  His last television appearance was on Diff'rent Strokes in 1984, three years before his death. In his later years, he danced in a Dr Pepper television commercial, and in 1985, he and Liza Minnelli, the daughter of his Oz costar Judy Garland, starred in That's Dancing!, a film also written by Jack Haley, Jr., the son of Jack Haley, who portrayed the Tin Woodman in The Wizard of Oz.Bolger was married to Gwendolyn Rickard for over 57 years. They had no children. Bolger's great-nephew is actor John Bolger. Bolger was a lifelong Republican who campaigned for Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election andRichard Nixon in 1968.


name: Christian Borle
first_name: Christian
last_name: Borle
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
Borle made his Broadway debut in 1998, understudying the role of Willard J. Hewitt in the stage adaptation of the film Footloose. He was featured in the 2000 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, and was the dance captain and understudy for several characters for the short-lived 2002 musical Amour. Borle appeared in a 2003 advertisement for California-based online auction company eBay. In the 30-second TV spot, Borle plays a store clerk who breaks into song and dance when asked about a product. The song, "That's on eBay" was a parody of the standard "That's Amore". Also in 2003, he replaced Gavin Creel in the role of Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He married his co-star, actress Sutton Foster, who had played Millie, in September 2006. On a radio interview in 2010 it was confirmed that Borle and Foster had separated. Borle performed in Monty Python's Spamalot, in which he originated a number of roles, including Prince Herbert and the Historian. His performance earned him a 2005 Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and a Broadway.com Audience Award as Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical. He is known on Broadway for originating the role of Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The musical is based on MGM's 2001 film of the same name. He was featured in the Encores! staged concert version of On the Town as Ozzie in November 2008. He appeared in a workshop production of a new play titled Peter and the Starcatcher in 2009. He played Bert in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins, replacing Adam Fiorentino in the role on October 12, 2009 and then left the cast July 15, 2010. In 2010, he appeared in the film The Bounty Hunter, in which he played a golf caddy. In Fall 2010/Winter 2011, Borle played the role of Prior Walter in Signature Theatre Company's 20th anniversary production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America. On February 25, 2011, it was announced that Borle had joined Steven Spielberg's new NBC pilot Smash with Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Brian d'Arcy James, and Megan Hilty. The series follows a cross section of characters who come together to mount a Marilyn Monroe-themed musical (which is called Bombshell) on Broadway. In May 2011, it was reported that NBC had picked up the show as a series for the 2011–2012 season. In March 2012, NBC announced it would renew the series for a second season with 15 episodes. The show was officially cancelled by NBC in May 2013. Borle was a member of the original cast in the Regional and Off-Broadway productions of Peter and the Starcatcher that ran until April 24, 2011. He reprised the role of Black Stache on Broadway in April 2012, where his performance earned him his second Tony Award nomination and first win as Best Featured Actor in a Play. He ended his run in the Broadway production of Peter and the Starcatcher on June 30, 2012, to take a break before taping for Smash began in August 2012. Borle played Max Dettweiler in the live television production of The Sound of Music Live!, which aired on NBC on December 5, 2013. He also played Mr. Darling and Mr. Smee in the live TV production of Peter Pan Live!, which aired on NBC on December 4, 2014. He won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Something Rotten!, playing the role of William Shakespeare, which opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on March 23, 2015 in previews and officially on April 22, 2015. Borle provided the voice of Mr. Bungee on the cast recording of Encores! A New Brain. Dan Fogler, who played the part onstage, was unable to record the album as he was busy filming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Borle played Marvin in the limited Broadway revival of Falsettos, directed by James Lapine, alongside Andrew Rannells and Stephanie J. Block who played Whizzer and Trina, respectively. Borle left the cast of Something Rotten! on July 16, 2016, to prepare for Falsettos, which opened in previews on September 29, 2016, and officially on October 27, 2016. Borle was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. The show closed on January 8, 2017, after 30 previews and 84 performances. On May 9, 2016, it was announced that Borle would play Willy Wonka in the Broadway production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, which opened on March 23, 2017. A cast album was announced March 21, 2017. The show played its final performance January 14, 2018. Borle also made an appearance with his former wife Sutton Foster, in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. His musical talents were used in Episode 3 for the Star's Hollow musical, which walked through the history of the quirky small town. The two had "found Gilmore Girls together and became fans of the show long before there were talks of a revival. For both actors, being a part of the Stars Hollow world was a special experience because they already loved the show before they became involved with it." Borle made his directorial debut with Popcorn Falls, which premiered at the Riverbank Theatre in Marine City, Michigan. The show ran from August 18–27, 2017. It was such an unexpected success that the theatre had to add extra performances to keep up with demand. In March 2018 it was announced that Borle would again reunite with Sutton Foster, this time for two episodes of her TV show Younger as a journalist named Don Ridley. He was also announced as the lead in the Encores! production of Me and My Girl, alongside former Mary Poppins co-star Laura Michelle Kelly. In July 2019, it was announced that Borle would star as Orin Scrivello in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, which began previews at the Westside Theatre on September 17, 2019 with an official opening of October 17.

personal_sec:
Borle started dating actress Sutton Foster in college, and married her on September 18, 2006. During a radio interview in 2010, it was confirmed that they had gone their separate ways. In 2012, Foster said that she and Borle remained friends and continue to support each other's work.

info:
Borle made his Broadway debut in 1998, understudying the role of Willard J. Hewitt in the stage adaptation of the film Footloose. He was featured in the 2000 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, and was the dance captain and understudy for several characters for the short-lived 2002 musical Amour. Borle appeared in a 2003 advertisement for California-based online auction company eBay. In the 30-second TV spot, Borle plays a store clerk who breaks into song and dance when asked about a product. The song, "That's on eBay" was a parody of the standard "That's Amore". Also in 2003, he replaced Gavin Creel in the role of Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He married his co-star, actress Sutton Foster, who had played Millie, in September 2006. On a radio interview in 2010 it was confirmed that Borle and Foster had separated. Borle performed in Monty Python's Spamalot, in which he originated a number of roles, including Prince Herbert and the Historian. His performance earned him a 2005 Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and a Broadway.com Audience Award as Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical. He is known on Broadway for originating the role of Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The musical is based on MGM's 2001 film of the same name. He was featured in the Encores! staged concert version of On the Town as Ozzie in November 2008. He appeared in a workshop production of a new play titled Peter and the Starcatcher in 2009. He played Bert in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins, replacing Adam Fiorentino in the role on October 12, 2009 and then left the cast July 15, 2010. In 2010, he appeared in the film The Bounty Hunter, in which he played a golf caddy. In Fall 2010/Winter 2011, Borle played the role of Prior Walter in Signature Theatre Company's 20th anniversary production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America. On February 25, 2011, it was announced that Borle had joined Steven Spielberg's new NBC pilot Smash with Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Brian d'Arcy James, and Megan Hilty. The series follows a cross section of characters who come together to mount a Marilyn Monroe-themed musical (which is called Bombshell) on Broadway. In May 2011, it was reported that NBC had picked up the show as a series for the 2011–2012 season. In March 2012, NBC announced it would renew the series for a second season with 15 episodes. The show was officially cancelled by NBC in May 2013. Borle was a member of the original cast in the Regional and Off-Broadway productions of Peter and the Starcatcher that ran until April 24, 2011. He reprised the role of Black Stache on Broadway in April 2012, where his performance earned him his second Tony Award nomination and first win as Best Featured Actor in a Play. He ended his run in the Broadway production of Peter and the Starcatcher on June 30, 2012, to take a break before taping for Smash began in August 2012. Borle played Max Dettweiler in the live television production of The Sound of Music Live!, which aired on NBC on December 5, 2013. He also played Mr. Darling and Mr. Smee in the live TV production of Peter Pan Live!, which aired on NBC on December 4, 2014. He won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Something Rotten!, playing the role of William Shakespeare, which opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on March 23, 2015 in previews and officially on April 22, 2015. Borle provided the voice of Mr. Bungee on the cast recording of Encores! A New Brain. Dan Fogler, who played the part onstage, was unable to record the album as he was busy filming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Borle played Marvin in the limited Broadway revival of Falsettos, directed by James Lapine, alongside Andrew Rannells and Stephanie J. Block who played Whizzer and Trina, respectively. Borle left the cast of Something Rotten! on July 16, 2016, to prepare for Falsettos, which opened in previews on September 29, 2016, and officially on October 27, 2016. Borle was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. The show closed on January 8, 2017, after 30 previews and 84 performances. On May 9, 2016, it was announced that Borle would play Willy Wonka in the Broadway production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, which opened on March 23, 2017. A cast album was announced March 21, 2017. The show played its final performance January 14, 2018. Borle also made an appearance with his former wife Sutton Foster, in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. His musical talents were used in Episode 3 for the Star's Hollow musical, which walked through the history of the quirky small town. The two had "found Gilmore Girls together and became fans of the show long before there were talks of a revival. For both actors, being a part of the Stars Hollow world was a special experience because they already loved the show before they became involved with it." Borle made his directorial debut with Popcorn Falls, which premiered at the Riverbank Theatre in Marine City, Michigan. The show ran from August 18–27, 2017. It was such an unexpected success that the theatre had to add extra performances to keep up with demand. In March 2018 it was announced that Borle would again reunite with Sutton Foster, this time for two episodes of her TV show Younger as a journalist named Don Ridley. He was also announced as the lead in the Encores! production of Me and My Girl, alongside former Mary Poppins co-star Laura Michelle Kelly. In July 2019, it was announced that Borle would star as Orin Scrivello in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, which began previews at the Westside Theatre on September 17, 2019 with an official opening of October 17.Borle started dating actress Sutton Foster in college, and married her on September 18, 2006. During a radio interview in 2010, it was confirmed that they had gone their separate ways. In 2012, Foster said that she and Borle remained friends and continue to support each other's work.


name: Alex Boyé
first_name: Alex
last_name: Boyé
gender: M
occupation: dancers
career_sec:
After completing his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Boyé became a backup dancer, including for George Michael. In 1995, he formed and became the lead singer of Awesome, a European boy band. Awesome performed at local dances and other small venues until 1996 when they won a vocal competition on Capital Radio, London's largest radio station. Subsequently, Universal Records of Europe signed Awesome to a five-album recording contract. Awesome released three singles off their first album, Rumors, which made top-10 charts all across Europe. The band sold 500,000 albums and performed alongside artists that included Bryan Adams, George Michael, Simon and Garfunkel, MC Hammer, and many others. But Boyé disliked the lifestyle of a touring musician. "I had this dream of being a musician, but it was taking me down a road that led somewhere I didn't want to go," he said. Boyé decided to leave the band in 1999 to pursue a solo career. He lost all of the material possessions he had gained as a member of Awesome when the record company took the apartment, the clothes, the phone and the money. In 1999, Boyé joined two other artists in London to discuss recording a demo tape of church hymns with a pop/R&B spin. One of the artists sat at the piano and hit upon a jazz sound for the hymn "Count Your Many Blessings" which became the signature song for the group. That evening they began to improvise church hymns and eventually created ‘Soul Saints’.  Within a couple of weeks, the group had started recording the songs and gave performances at Hyde Park, London before going on to tour in Utah.  Wayne Scholes was the group's manager and Excel Records acted as a consultant while Soul Saints were in the United States. In 2000, Boyé moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to pursue a career in Mormon music. He released his first religious album The Love Goes On in 2001. When the lead actor portraying Frederick Douglass in the Rodgers Memorial Theatre's production of Frank Wildhorn's Civil War dropped out three weeks before the play opened, Boyé was recruited as a replacement. With no prior acting experience and no knowledge of the Civil War, he learned his lines and united the cast. Glenn McKay, the theatre's board president, had recruited black performers for the show from the Calvary Baptist choir and other area churches, but was having trouble melding them with his Davis County regulars. McKay said Boyé "saved the production." Boyé followed that success with the role of Aminadab in the Lightstone Films production of David and Goliath. In 2005, Boyé received an award from the LDS Booksellers Association for his album Testimony. Boyé also appeared in a 2008 episode of the BYU produced TV show The Writers' Block. Boyé was seeking a way to build an LDS audience when he met Craig Jessop, then conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, at an LDS music festival and he encouraged Boyé to audition for the choir. Boyé joined the 360-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2006 and, when accepted, became one of three black choir members. He also continued to pursue a solo career. He had two solo parts in the choir's album Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. In 2010, Boyé performed the single, "Born to Be a Scout", at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Boyé was signed to Deseret Book's Shadow Mountain label. In August 2010, he was a featured soloist in a concert connected at the re-dedication of a Catholic church in St. George, Utah. Songs by Boyé have appeared in movie soundtracks including Charly (2002), The Dance, Baptists at Our Barbecue and Church Ball. Boyé was featured in a video by The Piano Guys, released in January 2012 as "Peponi", a cover of Coldplay's "Paradise" on YouTube. In early 2013 he did a cover of the Lumineers' "Ho Hey" that also generated a large number of YouTube hits. In early 2013, Boyé signed with Wenrick-Birtcher Entertainment (Eddie Wenrick & Baron R. Birtcher) as his managers. In March 2013, Boyé opened for a performance by Olivia Newton John at the Royal Albert Hall. A documentary DVD entitled Front Man telling Boyé's story has also been produced. In 2013, Boye released a song entitled "I Am Gold". In early 2014, he, along with the One Voice Children's Choir, created an Africanized tribal version of the popular song "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen. The video went viral, propelling Boyé's combined YouTube views to over 100 million. It was selected as YouTube's best pop cover of 2014.He also released his Lemonade video on YouTube with more than 1.7 million views Boyé had a role in the 2014 film Saints and Soldiers: The Void. He also released a YouTube music video to promote the film. He attained some acclaim for his cover of Taylor Swift's song "Shake It Off", with over 600,000 views, as of January 1, 2015. In December 2014, Boyé released an original Christmas song and YouTube video entitled "Newborn – Wise Men Still Seek Him". In January 2015, Boyé released an Africanised version of "Circle of Life", with proceeds from the sale going to the koinsforkenya mission. In 2015, Boyé was awarded the Governor's Mansion Artist Award. In June 2015, Boyé and his band, Changing Lanes Experience, performed their version of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" on the 10th season of America's Got Talent. After receiving great comments from the judges, they advanced into the next round to perform on Judge Cuts Week. In August 2015, he and the band were eliminated on Judge Cuts Week 4 after performing their version of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk". In September 2015, Boye was announced to be cast as The Heavenly Guide in the remake of the film Saturday's Warrior. It was released in Utah theaters on April 1, 2016 before expanding it to various other states in the following weeks and months. In early 2016 Boye and the BYU Men's Chorus released a version of Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu", the theme music to the video game Civilization IV with lyrics adapted from the Biblical Lord's Prayer in Swahili. Boyé appeared in a duet with Marie Osmond on her album Music Is Medicine that was released on 15 April 2016. The video for the song "Then There's You" was released on the video streaming site Vevo on March 27, 2016 and features the duo performing in a Las Vegas backdrop at Caesars Palace Hotel and the Paris Hotel. Boyé was cast as Pastor Aiken in Drop Off, which was a family film. Boyé was selected as the "Grand Prize Winner" of the Hard Rock Rising 2017 Battle of the Bands.  That same year, Boyé performed as the guest artist for the 2017 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Concert, performing a mix of originals and covers. In September 2018, Boyé released single "Bend Not Break", produced by Randy Jackson (American Idol).

personal_sec:
Boyé met his wife, Julie, in an LDS singles ward and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on 6 January 2007. As of September 2019, they are the parents of seven children with another one due in January 2021. A video showing Boyé is part of the "I'm A Mormon" campaign launched by the LDS Church in Britain in the spring of 2013. In 2009, Boyé began raising money to buy a house for a local refugee family with sales of his single, "Crazy for You." On 22 February 2012, Boyé became a United States citizen in a ceremony at the Rose Wagner Theater in Salt Lake City. He was surprised when he was invited by the judge conducting the ceremony to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner".

info:
After completing his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Boyé became a backup dancer, including for George Michael. In 1995, he formed and became the lead singer of Awesome, a European boy band. Awesome performed at local dances and other small venues until 1996 when they won a vocal competition on Capital Radio, London's largest radio station. Subsequently, Universal Records of Europe signed Awesome to a five-album recording contract. Awesome released three singles off their first album, Rumors, which made top-10 charts all across Europe. The band sold 500,000 albums and performed alongside artists that included Bryan Adams, George Michael, Simon and Garfunkel, MC Hammer, and many others. But Boyé disliked the lifestyle of a touring musician. "I had this dream of being a musician, but it was taking me down a road that led somewhere I didn't want to go," he said. Boyé decided to leave the band in 1999 to pursue a solo career. He lost all of the material possessions he had gained as a member of Awesome when the record company took the apartment, the clothes, the phone and the money. In 1999, Boyé joined two other artists in London to discuss recording a demo tape of church hymns with a pop/R&B spin. One of the artists sat at the piano and hit upon a jazz sound for the hymn "Count Your Many Blessings" which became the signature song for the group. That evening they began to improvise church hymns and eventually created ‘Soul Saints’.  Within a couple of weeks, the group had started recording the songs and gave performances at Hyde Park, London before going on to tour in Utah.  Wayne Scholes was the group's manager and Excel Records acted as a consultant while Soul Saints were in the United States. In 2000, Boyé moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to pursue a career in Mormon music. He released his first religious album The Love Goes On in 2001. When the lead actor portraying Frederick Douglass in the Rodgers Memorial Theatre's production of Frank Wildhorn's Civil War dropped out three weeks before the play opened, Boyé was recruited as a replacement. With no prior acting experience and no knowledge of the Civil War, he learned his lines and united the cast. Glenn McKay, the theatre's board president, had recruited black performers for the show from the Calvary Baptist choir and other area churches, but was having trouble melding them with his Davis County regulars. McKay said Boyé "saved the production." Boyé followed that success with the role of Aminadab in the Lightstone Films production of David and Goliath. In 2005, Boyé received an award from the LDS Booksellers Association for his album Testimony. Boyé also appeared in a 2008 episode of the BYU produced TV show The Writers' Block. Boyé was seeking a way to build an LDS audience when he met Craig Jessop, then conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, at an LDS music festival and he encouraged Boyé to audition for the choir. Boyé joined the 360-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2006 and, when accepted, became one of three black choir members. He also continued to pursue a solo career. He had two solo parts in the choir's album Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. In 2010, Boyé performed the single, "Born to Be a Scout", at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Boyé was signed to Deseret Book's Shadow Mountain label. In August 2010, he was a featured soloist in a concert connected at the re-dedication of a Catholic church in St. George, Utah. Songs by Boyé have appeared in movie soundtracks including Charly (2002), The Dance, Baptists at Our Barbecue and Church Ball. Boyé was featured in a video by The Piano Guys, released in January 2012 as "Peponi", a cover of Coldplay's "Paradise" on YouTube. In early 2013 he did a cover of the Lumineers' "Ho Hey" that also generated a large number of YouTube hits. In early 2013, Boyé signed with Wenrick-Birtcher Entertainment (Eddie Wenrick & Baron R. Birtcher) as his managers. In March 2013, Boyé opened for a performance by Olivia Newton John at the Royal Albert Hall. A documentary DVD entitled Front Man telling Boyé's story has also been produced. In 2013, Boye released a song entitled "I Am Gold". In early 2014, he, along with the One Voice Children's Choir, created an Africanized tribal version of the popular song "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen. The video went viral, propelling Boyé's combined YouTube views to over 100 million. It was selected as YouTube's best pop cover of 2014.He also released his Lemonade video on YouTube with more than 1.7 million views Boyé had a role in the 2014 film Saints and Soldiers: The Void. He also released a YouTube music video to promote the film. He attained some acclaim for his cover of Taylor Swift's song "Shake It Off", with over 600,000 views, as of January 1, 2015. In December 2014, Boyé released an original Christmas song and YouTube video entitled "Newborn – Wise Men Still Seek Him". In January 2015, Boyé released an Africanised version of "Circle of Life", with proceeds from the sale going to the koinsforkenya mission. In 2015, Boyé was awarded the Governor's Mansion Artist Award. In June 2015, Boyé and his band, Changing Lanes Experience, performed their version of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" on the 10th season of America's Got Talent. After receiving great comments from the judges, they advanced into the next round to perform on Judge Cuts Week. In August 2015, he and the band were eliminated on Judge Cuts Week 4 after performing their version of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk". In September 2015, Boye was announced to be cast as The Heavenly Guide in the remake of the film Saturday's Warrior. It was released in Utah theaters on April 1, 2016 before expanding it to various other states in the following weeks and months. In early 2016 Boye and the BYU Men's Chorus released a version of Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu", the theme music to the video game Civilization IV with lyrics adapted from the Biblical Lord's Prayer in Swahili. Boyé appeared in a duet with Marie Osmond on her album Music Is Medicine that was released on 15 April 2016. The video for the song "Then There's You" was released on the video streaming site Vevo on March 27, 2016 and features the duo performing in a Las Vegas backdrop at Caesars Palace Hotel and the Paris Hotel. Boyé was cast as Pastor Aiken in Drop Off, which was a family film. Boyé was selected as the "Grand Prize Winner" of the Hard Rock Rising 2017 Battle of the Bands.  That same year, Boyé performed as the guest artist for the 2017 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Pioneer Concert, performing a mix of originals and covers. In September 2018, Boyé released single "Bend Not Break", produced by Randy Jackson (American Idol).Boyé met his wife, Julie, in an LDS singles ward and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on 6 January 2007. As of September 2019, they are the parents of seven children with another one due in January 2021. A video showing Boyé is part of the "I'm A Mormon" campaign launched by the LDS Church in Britain in the spring of 2013. In 2009, Boyé began raising money to buy a house for a local refugee family with sales of his single, "Crazy for You." On 22 February 2012, Boyé became a United States citizen in a ceremony at the Rose Wagner Theater in Salt Lake City. He was surprised when he was invited by the judge conducting the ceremony to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner".


