Stand-up comic and actor Bernie Mac exploded onto the screen with “The Original Kings of Comedy” (2001) after years of working comedy stages in his native Chicago. His edgy and largely autobiographical material about his background and African-American culture fell in step with a new wave of high-profile black comedians like fellow “Kings,” D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey. And like his “Comedy Kings” co-stars, his hilariously frank material led to Mac’s own successful sitcom, “The Bernie Mac Show” (Fox, 2001-06). An increasing presence on the big screen as well, Mac’s sometimes gruff but always memorable character roles began to give way to more challenging dramatic work. With the feature film, “Pride” (2007), it was clear Mac as artist had the depth and humanity to bring to the table, and was intent on raising the bar of what audiences and critics had come to expect from run-of-the-mill stand-ups-turned-actors. At the same time, Mac was promoting “Pride,” he shocked the comedy world by announcing his retirement from stand-up, devoting himself to screen acting and producing after years of success on the comedy club circuit.

Bernie Mac was born Bernard McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago’s south side neighborhood. He grew up with an extended family — an environment that would provide endless material for his future career as a stand-up comic. Early on, his funny voices and vivid imagination earned him the reputation as the family clown, so under the guidance of a supportive school teacher, Mac started channeling his energy by acting in school plays in fourth grade. Before long, he was soon staging his own productions for neighborhood kids. His first lesson in the controversial nature of comedy came after he performed a dead-on impression of his grandmother for a church audience, receiving a great reception from the audience but punishment at home. When he was not entertaining the south side, the powerful young kid – he would grow to six feet three inches – was hanging out at the recreation center, boxing and playing sports; thriving under an especially encouraging group of coaches and leaders he credited for his drive to succeed. His most inspirational force, his mother, died of cancer when Mac was he was only 16 years old.

Mac took some vocational career training after high school, working as a delivery driver and furniture mover, before returning to the South Central Community center as its athletic director. After hours, he honed his comedy act on the platforms of the El train and at local parks, launching his own weekly variety show at Chicago’s Regal Theater. In 1977, he began hitting the stages on the local comedy circuit, unknowingly beginning a 30-year career as a stand-up comic. For over a decade, Mac developed his edgy style of commentary and endured the grueling lifestyle of the wannabe comic – being away from home and his new wife for nights at a time, performing for little or no money to gain exposure, and dodging the arrows of fickle late night audiences.

Finally, in 1990, Mac started seeing rewards for all of his hard work when he won the Miller Lite Comedy Search. The honor led to unimaginable opportunities, like opening for headliners Dionne Warwick, Redd Foxx and Natalie Cole. He made his feature debut as a club doorman in "Mo' Money" (1992), and guested on the HBO specials, "Rosie Perez Presents Society's Ride" (1993) and "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam" (HBO 1992-97; 2006- ). In 1994, he snared a bit as the ribald Uncle Vester in “House Party 3” and also put together his own "Who Ya Wit Tour," which included a 10-piece band and the five “Mac-A-Roni Dancers.” The following year, HBO thought Mac’s in-your-face persona lent itself to late night programming, but after a month of the network taming down his material, “Midnight Mac” (1995) was cancelled. He knew he wanted to return to TV with a series of his own someday, but he turned his attention back to film work, bulking up his acting resume with appearances as a preacher in "Friday" (1995) and one of the funnier members of the ensemble cast of Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus" (1996). A recurring role in the popular UPN series "Moesha" (UPN, 1996-2001) earned him even more mainstream recognition.

The year 2000 had audiences finally asking, “Who IS this guy?” The hulking frame and bulging-eyed funnyman who had been popping up everywhere, knocked it out of the park, comedically speaking, as part of the “Kings of Comedy” tour. Starring alongside fellow African-American stand-ups Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley, the tour was captured by director Spike Lee and released as the documentary "The Original Kings Of Comedy" (2000). For the first time, millions of viewers got to see what Bernie Mac was all about – hilarious tales of self-deprecation, family life, tough love, and the etymology of his favorite curse word. The documentary was a smash, earning over $38 million at the box office, and Mac seemed closer than ever to his dream of landing his own show. He had been developing a sitcom idea based on the real life experience of raising his sister’s three children while she was in rehab. His re-telling of the tale in “Kings of Comedy” was enough to convince producers at Fox, who signed on for "The Bernie Mac Show" in 2001.

In his self-titled sitcom, Mac played the husband of a professional, childless couple who suddenly become guardians of his sister's three children. Risky and outrageously funny for Mac’s often politically incorrect ideas of child rearing, the show also incorporated a creative twist – Mac regularly breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly. These pieces were a way to incorporate his material into the show, and his character’s career as a stand-up comic was also a way to incorporate real life comedians and actors into the show as guests. The show earned a Peabody Award, an Emmy for writing, and honored Mac’s acting with several Golden Globe nominations and four NAACP Image Awards. The departure of key creative personnel and Mac's burgeoning film career caused “The Bernie Mac Show” to recede into the background – to say nothing of moving the series into no less than 12 different timeslots, vexing even the most loyal viewers – and production was slowed when Mac came down with a bout of double pneumonia. The show was finally cancelled in 2006.

During the lifespan of "The Bernie Mac Show," Mac made regular appearances on the big screen, stating in interviews that he held classic films and classic values seriously; that he did not want to take part in films with gratuitous sex and violence, preferring more quality, offbeat, films. In 2001, he co-starred as one of the 11 casino robbers in "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), bringing comic relief to Steven Soderbergh's crime caper piece and the subsequent sequels, “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004) and “Ocean’s 13” (2007). He supported fellow comedian Chris Rock in the misguided flop, "Head of State," (2003) and stepped into the role of TV’s Bosley in "Charlie's Angels 2" (2003), before taking on the weirdly hilarious role of a chain-smoking, vitamin C-craving, department store detective in the cynical Christmas comedy "Bad Santa" (2003). After supporting a number of A-listers, Mac took on his first starring role with the well-received "Mr. 3000" (2004), playing an aging major leaguer whose hit record is revoked after retirement, inspiring him to return to the game to reclaim his title. He teamed with Ashton Kutcher in "Guess Who?" (2005), a broad-comedy reversal of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" but threw critics for a loop with his impressive turn in the drama “Pride.” In the “Rocky”-like (1976) take on swim meets, Mac revisited his past by playing a municipal worker at a recreation center that housed an inspirational sports program.

While promoting “Pride” in March of 2007, Mac appeared on “Late Night With David Letterman” (CBS, 1993- ) and announced that he would retire from doing stand-up comedy after he completed filming “The Whole Truth, Nothing But the Truth, So Help Me Mac” in the fall of that year. His announcement was met by saddened fans who had hoped to still catch him on a stage or cable special in the future. But Mac insisted he needed a “real life,” choosing instead, to focus on films and producing TV programs.

Part of the pull toward retirement was due to wanting to spend time with his family. Married to wife Rhonda McCullough since 1970, the couple had one daughter, Je’Niece, who was earning a Masters degree in mental health counseling. On his own health front, Mac suffered from a tissue inflammation disease called sarcoidosis, which thankfully did not affect his daily life. In addition to his work onscreen, Mac was also a successful author, with his tomes I Ain't Scared of You: Bernie Mac on How Life Is (2001) and the memoir Maybe You Never Cry Again (2003) to his credit.

Also Credited As: Bernard Jeffery McCulloughBorn: October 5, 1958 in Chicago, IllinoisJob Titles: Actor, Comedian, UPS agent, Bread delivery sales rep, Furniture moverFamily
Daughter: Je'Niece McCullough. born c. 1978; has a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling
Significant Others
Wife: Rhonda McCullough. married c. 1977
Wife: . married in 1974
Education
Chicago Vocational High School, Chicago, Illinois, 1976
Milestones
-1990 Won the Miller Lite Comedy Search
-1992 Feature film debut, bit part in "Mo' Money"
-1994 Produced and starred in the comedy act, "Who Ya Wit Tour"
-1995 Appeared in a supporting role in the feature "Friday"
-1995 Had one-month comedy series on HBO, "Midnight Mac"
-1996 Played recurring role on the UPN comedy series "Moesha"
-1996 Was in ensemble cast of Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus"
-1997 Had supporting roles in "B.A.P.S" and "How to Be a Player"
-2000 Was featured in Spike Lee's documentary film "The Original Kings of Comedy"
-2001 Headlined own TV sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show"; earned Emmy (2002, 2003), Golden Globe (2003, 2004) and SAG (2003) nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy
-2001 Acted in Steven Soderbergh's"Ocean's Eleven" a remake of the 1960 heist film
-2001 Co-starred as a fence in the Martin Lawrence-Danny DeVito comedy "What's the Worst That Could Happen?"
-2003 Co-starred as Chris Rock's big brother and presidential running mate in " Head of State"
-2003 Played Bosley in the comedy sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"
-2004 Reunited with the original cast for "Ocean's Twelve" directed by Steven Soderbergh
-2004 Starred as an aging baseball star who retuns to baseball to reach his goal of 3,000 hits in "Mr. 3000"
-2005 Co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in the comedy "Guess Who," loosely based on the 1967 film "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
-2007 Announced retirement from standup comedy; will continue producing, and acting in films
-2007 Cast in director Michael Bay's live action film "Transformers"
-2007 Re-teamed with the original cast for "Ocean's 13"
Became opening act for Redd Foxx, Dionne Warwick and Natalie Cole, among others
Began appearing in nightclubs in the Chicago area
Participated in "The Kings of Comedy" tour.- Written By Yahoo







Bo Diddley (1928-2008)
He only had a few hits in the 1950s and early '60s, but as Bo Diddley sang, "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover." You can't judge an artist by his chart success, either, and

Diddley produced greater and more influential music than all but a handful of the best early rockers. The Bo Diddley beat -- bomp, ba-bomp-bomp, bomp-bomp -- is one of rock & roll's bedrock rhythms, showing up in the work of Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, and even pop-garage knock-offs like the Strangeloves' 1965 hit "I Want Candy." Diddley's hypnotic rhythmic attack and declamatory, boasting vocals stretched back as far as Africa for their roots, and looked as far into the future as rap. His trademark otherworldly vibrating, fuzzy guitar style did much to expand the instrument's power and range. But even more important, Bo's bounce was fun and irresistibly rocking, with a wisecracking, jiving tone that epitomized rock & roll at its most humorously outlandish and freewheeling. -Written by VH1

Ike Turner (1931-2008)

Ike Turner is certainly one of the most dehumanized figures in rock history. Mention his name and the first association that comes to most anyone's mind is "abusive husband," not "soul star" or "rock & roll pioneer." According to legend, Turner was a tyrannical ogre who used physical violence and psychological intimidation to control his infinitely more talented wife Tina, while indulging his own appetites for cocaine and women at every turn. That's not entirely accurate, although by most accounts Turner did quite a bit to earn that reputation; he spent time in prison due to his drug problems, and his own refutations of Tina's allegations of abuse have been inconsistent at best over the years. Still, this view of Turner as villain does a disservice to his very real musical legacy as an instrumentalist and bandleader. As a pianist in the early '50s, Turner helped lay the groundwork for rock & roll; he was also a distinctive guitarist with a biting, nasty tone, and was one of the first to make the whammy bar an integral part of his sound. It's true that he was nowhere near the singer Tina was, and it's probably also true that she was his ticket to stardom; moreover, his songwriting, while sometimes inspired, often possessed a generic quality that made consistent chart appearances difficult. But as a bandleader, his disciplinarian approach -- when it wasn't manifesting itself in darker fashion, that is -- resulted in undeniably tight, well-drilled ensembles and some of the most exhilarating live shows the R&B world ever saw -- centered around Tina, yes, but spectacles nonetheless. If Turner isn't exactly the most defensible character around, in the end his musical strengths and weaknesses deserve the same objective appraisal as anyone.
Izear Luster Turner, Jr. was born November 5, 1931, in Clarksdale, MS, the heart of the segregated South. His father was beaten to death by a mob of angry whites, and growing up in a hostile environment unquestionably hardened Turner. He found his calling in music from an early age; he learned boogie-woogie piano firsthand from his inspiration, Pinetop Perkins, and as a teenager talked himself into a DJ slot on the local radio station, where he played everything from the jump blues of Louis Jordan to country & western. He formed his first band while still in high school, and by the late '40s had assembled an outfit dubbed the Kings of Rhythm. In 1951, the Kings of Rhythm traveled to Memphis to record at Sam Phillips' Sun studio. Their original tune "Rocket 88" (actual authorship is still disputed) was recorded with a lead vocal by sax player Jackie Brenston, and as a result was released under the name Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats, not Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm. "Rocket 88" zoomed to the top of the R&B charts and is today regarded by many critics as being quite possibly the first true rock & roll record. Brenston subsequently departed for an unsuccessful solo career, while Turner and his band became session regulars around Memphis; they went on to back legendary bluesmen like Howlin' Wolf ("How Many More Years"), Elmore James, Otis Rush ("Double Trouble," "All Your Love"), Robert Nighthawk, Buddy Guy, and Sonny Boy Williamson II, plus an assortment of Sun artists. During the early '50s, Turner switched from piano to guitar, and also doubled as a talent scout for the Bihari Brothers' Los Angeles-based Modern Records, where he helped get early breaks for artists like Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King.

During the mid-'50s, Turner moved the Kings of Rhythm to East St. Louis, where they rose to the top of the local R&B circuit; Brenston rejoined in 1955, and the group also continued its session activity. Turner sometimes issued records under his own name on labels like Flair, RPM, and Federal, also using the aliases Icky Renrut and Lover Boy. Adopting a revue format for their live performances, the Kings of Rhythm worked with a revolving group of vocalists during this period. One was a teenaged singer originally from Tennessee named Anna Mae Bullock, who met Turner in 1956. She joined the revue, and moved into Turner's house after becoming pregnant by the band's sax player; soon, she and Turner began their own relationship and had a child of their own, marrying in 1958.

Renamed Tina, Turner's new (and latest) wife got her first chance to sing lead on a recording in late 1959, cutting "A Fool in Love" for the Sue label. Released the following year, the song was a runaway smash on the R&B charts, peaking at number two. Turner realized he'd discovered a potential breakout star, and reshaped the band into the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, with Tina now the centerpiece of the act. It took a little time for all involved to get their bearings, but in the meantime, the hits kept coming; "I Idolize You," "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," "Poor Fool," and "Tra La La La La" all hit the R&B Top Ten, a string that ran through 1962. (All except "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" were written by Turner.) 1962 also saw the release of Dance With Ike & Tina Turner & Their Kings of Rhythm Band, an all-instrumental album that showcased Turner's unpredictable guitar work at its best. As Ike & Tina became one of the hardest-working, most popular acts on the so-called chitlin circuit, they recorded for a number of independent labels over the next few years; however, since Turner's original material was increasingly standard-issue, their chart fortunes declined somewhat.

At the same time, the temptations of fame were proving too much for Turner; he developed a severe addiction to cocaine that, when mixed with his dominant personality and quick temper, made for a volatile combination. According to Tina's autobiography, Turner grew increasingly violent, beating her frequently and even burning her with cigarettes and coffee if she got out of line. Turner himself disputes the severity of Tina's claims, but it's worth noting that he had a widespread reputation for being difficult. When producer Phil Spector attempted a commercial comeback around Tina in 1966, he struck a deal with Turner: in exchange for being allowed to record Tina, Ike would receive full credit and billing on the records, but Ike would also not be allowed to set foot in the studio or to meddle with the finished recordings. Spector's collaboration with Tina produced the epic "River Deep - Mountain High," still regarded by many as one of rock's greatest singles, and Ike's involvement was nil -- which, naturally, didn't sit well with him.

In 1969, Ike & Tina were invited to open for the Rolling Stones, and Turner realized that changing times had made the Revue's rough, nasty brand of soul music more palatable to white rock audiences. Accordingly, Turner incorporated contemporary rock & roll covers into the Revue's repertoire, giving them a whole new lease on life. Versions of "Come Together," "I Want to Take You Higher," and "Proud Mary" revived Ike & Tina's chart fortunes -- especially "Proud Mary," which became their first Top Five pop single in 1971 and also won a Grammy. However, Turner's off-stage problems were taking their toll on the act; 1973's "Nutbush City Limits," a song written by Tina, would be their last major hit, and Tina walked out on him in the middle of a 1975 tour.

The Turners' divorce was finalized the following year, and Ike never quite recovered from the loss. For a while, he quit touring to settle in and run the recording studio, Bolic, he'd opened in Los Angeles in 1970. He was too accustomed to life on the road, though, and formed a new outfit that, naturally, didn't measure up to his past success; he also released a couple of solo records on Red Lightnin'. Turner's cocaine addiction drained most of his finances, and his recording studio burned to the ground in 1982. He ran afoul of the law as well, and was arrested numerous times on mostly drug-related offenses. When he and Tina were jointly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, he was unable to attend the ceremony because he was serving prison time. When Tina's autobiography was adapted into the 1993 film What's Love Got to Do With It, Turner signed away all of his rights, allowing the filmmakers to take narrative liberties for dramatic effect if they chose. Turner attempted a comeback after being released from prison; he also remarried and finally overcame his addictions to live a clean, sober life. At first he tried to keep up with the times musically, but after touring with Joe Louis Walker as a pianist and guitarist, he realized there was more demand for his original style, and formed a new version of the Kings of Rhythm. His autobiography, Takin' Back My Name, was published by a U.K. company in 1999, and in 2001 he released a new album, Here and Now, which was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Album category; it was also nominated for several W.C. Handy Awards (the blues equivalent of the Grammys) and took honors for Comeback Album of the Year. Risin' with the Blues, released five years later, was nominated for a Grammy in the same category. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide. -Written by Steve Huey



Issca Hayes (1942-2008)

Few figures exerted greater influence over the music of the 1960s and 1970s than Isaac Hayes; after laying the groundwork for the Memphis soul sound through his work with Stax-Volt Records, Hayes began a highly successful solo career which predated not only the disco movement but also the evolution of rap.
Hayes was born on August 20, 1942, in Covington, TN; his parents died during his infancy, and he was raised by his grandparents. After making his public debut singing in church at the age of five, he taught himself piano, organ and saxophone before moving to Memphis to perform on the city's club circuit in a series of short-lived groups like Sir Isaac and the Doo-Dads, the Teen Tones, and Sir Calvin and His Swinging Cats. In 1962, he began his recording career, cutting sides for a variety of local labels.

Two years later, Hayes began playing sax with the Mar-Keys, which resulted in the beginning of his long association with Stax Records. After playing on several sessions for Otis Redding, Hayes was tapped to play keyboards in the Stax house band, and eventually established a partnership with songwriter David Porter. Under the name the Soul Children, the Hayes-Porter duo composed some 200 songs, reeling off a string of hits for Stax luminaries like Sam & Dave (the brilliant "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Soul Man," and "Hold On, I'm Comin'"), Carla Thomas ("B-A-B-Y,") and Johnnie Taylor ("I Got to Love Somebody's Baby," "I Had a Dream").

In 1967, Hayes issued his debut solo LP Presenting Isaac Hayes, a loose, jazz-flavored effort recorded in the early-morning hours following a raucous Stax party. With the release of 1969's landmark Hot Buttered Soul, he made his commercial breakthrough; the record's adventuresome structure (comprising four lengthy songs), ornate arrangements, and sensual grooves -- combined with the imposing figure cut by his shaven head, omnipresent sunglasses, and fondness for gold jewelry -- made Hayes one of the most distinctive figures in music.

After a pair of 1970 releases, The Isaac Hayes Movement and To Be Continued, he reached his commercial zenith in 1971 with the release of Shaft, the score from the Gordon Parks film of the same name. Not only did the album win Hayes an Academy Award for Best Score (the first African-American composer to garner such an honor), but the single "Theme From 'Shaft,'" a masterful blend of prime funk and pre-rap monologues, became a number one hit.

After 1971's superb Black Moses and 1973's Joy, Hayes composed two 1974 soundtracks, Tough Guys and Truck Turner (in which he also starred). By 1975, relations with Stax had disintegrated following a battle over royalties, and soon he severed his ties with the label to form his own Hot Buttered Soul imprint. Although both 1975's Chocolate Chip and 1976's Groove-a-Thon went gold, his records of the period attracted considerably less attention than prior efforts; combined with poor management and business associations, Hayes had no choice but to file for bankruptcy in 1976.

After the 1977 double-LP A Man and a Woman, recorded with Dionne Warwick, Hayes began a comeback on the strength of the hit singles "Zeke the Freak," "Don't Let Go" and "Do You Wanna Make Love." Following the success of his 1979 collection of duets with Millie Jackson titled Royal Rappins, he issued a pair of solo records, 1980's And Once Again and 1981's Lifetime Thing before retiring from music for five years. After returning in 1986 with the LP U Turn and the Top Ten R&B hit "Ike's Rap," Hayes surfaced two years later with Love Attack before again dropping out of music to focus on acting.

In 1995, fully enshrined as one of the forefathers of hip-hop and newly converted to Scientology, Hayes emerged with two concurrent releases, the vocal Branded and instrumental Raw and Refined. Under the official name Nene Katey Ocansey I, he also served as a member of the royal family of the African nation of Ghana while continuing simultaneous careers as an actor, composer, and humanitarian. In 1997, Hayes provided the voice of what was slated to be a one-time character on the animated series South Park -- Jerome "Chef" McElroy, the main characters' favorite school cafeteria worker. Hayes was an instant hit, and Chef became a regular character on the show, lending advice and, oftentimes, breaking into songs that gently sent up Hayes' image as one of R&B's ultimate love men.

South Park made Hayes more visible than ever and cemented his status as an icon with a whole new generation. He contributed the infamous "Chocolate Salty Balls" to the South Park tie-in album Chef Aid, and naturally appeared in the film South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. In 2000, Hayes revisited his biggest triumph of the past by appearing in the remake of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson. The following year, he supported Alicia Keys as a musician and arranger on her acclaimed debut Songs in A Minor. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide.-Written by Jason Ankeny