This week the featured artist is: Victoria Rowell of Portland, Maine.

Victoria Rowell

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Victoria Rowell
Born	Victoria Lynn Rowell (1959-05-10) May 10, 1959 (age 53) Portland, Maine, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, presenter, writer
Years active	1987–present
Spouse	Tom Fahey (1989-1990) (divorced) Radcliffe Bailey (June 27, 2009-present)
Awards	Soap Opera Digest Award - Outstanding Scene Stealer 1994 The Young and the Restless

Victoria "Vicki" Lynn Rowell (born May 10, 1959)^[1] is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for her portrayal of ballerina-turned-model Drucilla Winters on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless, and medical examiner/pathologist Dr. Amanda Bentley on the CBS drama Diagnosis: Murder. From 1993 to 2000, she appeared on both series simultaneously.

Biography

Early life

Rowell was born in Portland, Maine on May 10, 1959. Her biological mother, Dorothy Rowell, was of English descent and a Mayflower descendant, and her birth father, whose surname was Wilson, was of African-American descent.^[2][3] Rowell knew very little about her father. Dorothy, who suffered from schizophrenia, took a taxi to a hospital to give birth to Rowell, leaving a son and two small daughters unsupervised. When she was 16 days old, Rowell, along with her two sisters, Sheree and Lori, was surrendered to child services.^[4]
While living in Maine with foster parents Agatha C. and Robert Armstead,^[3] Rowell, then eight, began ballet lessons. She became a member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, an African-American Greek-Lettered Sorority. After dancing with the American Ballet Theatre II and the Juilliard School of Music Dance Extension program with Antony Tudor, Rowell accepted guest artist teaching posts in New England.^[5]

Acting career

In the 1980s, Rowell became an in-demand runway and catalog model. She began to take acting lessons and earned featured roles on television shows such as The Cosby Show. In 1990, she was cast as street urchin-turned-fashion model Drucilla Barber on the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless. Rowell became a fan favorite and was nominated for three Daytime Emmy awards in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She won 11 NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal of Drucilla. Rowell's first run as Drucilla was from 1990 to 1998. She briefly returned in 2000, then returned on a regular basis from 2002 until early 2007.
Rowell also played Dr. Amanda Bentley on the CBS series Diagnosis: Murder, opposite Dick Van Dyke, replacing Cynthia Gibb. For much of Rowell's stint on Diagnosis: Murder, she was working on that show and on The Young and the Restless simultaneously. One episode of Diagnosis Murder centered around murder on the set of The Young and the Restless; Rowell was featured as both Amanda and Drucilla in that episode. During her time on Diagnosis, Rowell enjoyed a wonderful on- and off-screen friendship with Van Dyke, learning every case and medical terms in almost every episode. She was on the show until the series ended in 2001.
Rowell's departure from Y&R in April 2007 generated some media coverage and controversy. Rowell expressed her anger about backstage politics at the show, and in particular, how those events impacted her and prevented her from being nominated for a Daytime Emmy. Rowell also indicated that she felt the African-American presence on the show was fading. Rowell told TVGuide.com, "Even iron bends".^[6] Sony Pictures Television, which produces Y&R, ordered then-Head Writer Lynn Marie Latham to kill off Drucilla Barber Winters to prevent the character - and actress - from migrating to CBS Daytime sister show The Bold and the Beautiful, as other departing actresses such as Eileen Davidson had done.^[7][8] Rowell herself said a few months prior to her exit (and before it was revealed that her character would be killed) that she quit Y&R because she had asked to be allowed to write for the show and was turned down. She had previously written for Diagnosis Murder. According to Rowell, Michelle Stafford spat on her, and Melody Thomas Scott mocked her by running around pretending to be her with an afro.^[9]
Rowell was hired as a guest star to appear on Noah's Arc, a TV series about four gay black men living in Los Angeles. She appeared in Season Two as "Vonda," who is having an affair with a woman while married to her husband.
Rowell has also made appearances in several feature films, including The Distinguished Gentleman, Dumb & Dumber, Barb Wire, Eve's Bayou and Home of the Brave (in 2007).^[9]
In spring 2009, Rowell signed a six-figure deal with Atria Books for a book about the world of daytime TV. Rowell is currently on a national tour for her newest book, "Secrets Of A Soap Opera Diva", which some say is a thinly veiled look into her own life on Y&R.
She has been cast in a leading role on the CBS television pilot Peachtree Lines. The drama is an examination of political, social, and cultural issues in Atlanta. Think: The Wire meets The West Wing. Cast: Victoria Rowell, Treat Williams (mayor), Ving Rhames, James Van Der Beek, Jason Dohring, and Jena Malone.
Since her departure from Y&R, several campaigns and petitions have aroused in support of her reprisal of the role "Drucilla Winters." In November 2011, rumors spread once again of Rowell's return to Young & the Restless in February 2012. She has since denied those rumors, but is adamant about her return to the show.

Personal life

Rowell's first marriage was to Tom Fahey in 1989. They had a daughter, Maya, and divorced the following year. Rowell had a long-term relationship with musician Wynton Marsalis; and they had a son, Jasper (Jasper played Rowell's son CJ on Diagnosis: Murder starting with season 3).^[10] In May 2008, Rowell announced her engagement to Radcliffe Bailey, an Atlanta artist, at her annual High Tea at Noon fundraiser. Victoria and Radcliffe married on June 27, 2009, in Dublin, New Hampshire.
Rowell was born Protestant and later converted to the Catholic Church.^[11]
In 1990, Rowell founded the "Rowell Foster Children Positive Plan",^[12] which gives emotional support and financial aid to foster children, especially to those who aspire to become actors and dancers - the road Rowell took. In 2004, she was a special guest on the talk show Dr. Phil, in which she gave an emancipated foster child a chance at a job with Sony, dental care, and a scholarship from her foundation.

Work with foster children

In May 2006, Rowell was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Southern Maine in recognition of her work for the benefit of foster children. In 2007, Rowell published a memoir of her life that focused on her time in foster care. Entitled The Women Who Raised Me, Rowell discusses all of the foster mothers who cared for her and for her sisters. She also pays tribute to the women in a documentary film, The Mentor, that she participated in.^[4] Rowell says that she began writing the book when Y&R turned down her offer to write for the show. She began a national book tour in April 2007.^[9]
In March 2008, Victoria was the first recipient of the Gift of Adoption Celebration of Adoption Award, an award given to individuals or groups who are helping to unite children with forever families.
In March 2012, Storey Publishing will release a book titled Tag, Toss & Run: 40 Classic Lawn Games, which Rowell co-authored with well-known environmental activist Paul Tukey.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1987	Leonard Part 6	Joan Parker
1988	As the World Turns	Nella Franklin (created by Douglas Marland; hired by Laurence Caso)
1989–1990	The Cosby Show	Paula	2 Episodes
1990	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	Mimi Mumford	1 Episode
1992	The Distinguished Gentleman	Celia Kirby
1991–1993	Hermans Head	Susan Bracken	2 Episodes
1994	Dumb and Dumber	Beth Jordan
1995	Deadly Games	Courtney Lake	1 Episode
1996	Barb Wire	Cora D
1997	Eve's Bayou	Stevie Hobbs
1999	A Wake in Providence	Alissa
1993–2001	Diagnosis: Murder	Amanda Bentley-Livingston	176 Episodes
2001	Family Law	Ms. Wilkes	1 Episode
2001	Feast of All Saints	Josette Metoyer
2002	A Town Without Pity	Dr. Amanda Bentley	TV movie based on the series Diagnosis: Murder
2003	Without Warning	Dr. Amanda Bentley	TV movie based on the series Diagnosis: Murder
2003	Black Listed	Patricia Chambers
2004	Motives	Detective Pierce
2005	A Perfect Fit	Sheila
2006	Noah's Arc	Vonda	2 Episodes
2006	Home of the Brave	Penelope Marsh
2007	Polly and Marie	Rebecca McCaw
2007	All of Us	Deborah Cooper	1 Episode
1990–2007	The Young and the Restless	Drucilla Winters	455 Episodes
2008	Of Boys and Men	Aunt Janay
2010	Ghost Whisperer	Adrienne	1 Episode
2012	Grand Theft Auto V	Sarah De Silva

Appearances

• 2010 The Mo'Nique Show (TV series)
• 2010 The Wendy Williams Show (TV series)
• 2008 Tavis Smiley (TV series)
• 2007 The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet (TV series)
• 2007 The View (TV series)
• 2006 The Tyra Banks Show (TV series)
• 2003-2004 The Wayne Brady Show (TV series)
• 1999 Hollywood Squares (TV series)
• 1998 Late Show with David Letterman (TV series)
• 1993 Family Feud

Thanks for visiting today! Please stop by and visit again soon!

Maxine Elliot

This week the featured artist is: Maxine Elliot. She was born in Rockland, Maine.


Maxine Elliott

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    

Maxine Elliott
Maxine Elliott c.1901
Born	February 5, 1868(1868-02-05) Rockland, Maine
Died	March 5, 1940(1940-03-05) (aged 72) Cannes, France
Occupation	Film, stage actress

Maxine Elliott (February 5, 1868, Rockland, Maine - March 5, 1940, Cannes, France) was an American stage actress.
It is said that reviewers disagreed "over whether it was her beauty or her acting ability that attracted attention"^[1] In addition to her stage skills, Elliott was also a savvy businesswoman.
Born Jessie McDermott in 1868 (some sources give 1871). By age 15 in 1883 the already developed Jessie was seduced and made pregnant by a 25-year-old male whom she may have married underage according to her niece's biography. She miscarried or lost the baby. This incident left a psychological wound on Jessie for the rest of her life. What became of this first husband is unknown. Jessie adopted her stage name Maxine Elliott in 1889, making her first appearance in 1890 in The Middleman. In 1895, she got her first big break when Augustin Daly hired her as a supporting actress for his star player, Ada Rehan. After divorcing her first husband, Elliott married comedian Nat C. Goodwin in 1898. The two starred together at home and abroad in such hits as Nathan Hale and The Cowboy and the Lady.
In a production of The Merchant of Venice, she negotiated a contract for $200 and one-half of the profits over $20,000. She was billed alone when Charles B. Dillingham's production of Her Own Way opened on Broadway on September 28, 1903. From then on, Elliott was a star. When the production moved to London in 1905, King Edward VII asked that she be presented to him. Her younger sister, Gertrude, was married to the English actor Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson.
Goodwin eventually divorced Elliott in 1908. Around this time she became friendly with financier J. P. Morgan. Some biographers of Morgan claim the seventy year old Morgan had a sexual relationship with Maxine but no evidence substantiates these rumors. Assuredly Morgan gave her financial advice of all sorts and she became a rich woman because of this advice. Shortly after divorcing Goodwin, she returned to New York City and in 1908 opened her own theater, The Maxine Elliott, located on Thirty-Ninth Street just off Broadway. She was both owner and manager, and, at the time, the only woman in the United States running her own theater. Her first production was The Chaperon. Elliott experimented with acting in silent films in 1913. In that year, she was in Slim Driscoll, Samaritan, When the West Was Young and A Doll for the Baby, but soon returned to London. In 1917 she returned to the U.S. and signed with newly formed Goldwyn Pictures to make Fighting Odds and The Eternal Magdalene. The odds are against Elliott's films surviving the decades, but evidence points to Fighting Odds surviving in Russia's Gosfilmofond. Elliott can be seen visiting Charlie Chaplin's studios in 1918 and cavorting with him and her entourage before Chaplin's cameras. Her visit to Chaplin survives and usually ends up in omnibus videos on Chaplin.
During World War I, Elliott returned to Europe and volunteered both her income and her time to the cause of Belgian relief, for which she received the Order of the Crown (Belgium). She was dating tennis star Tony Wilding and they may have planned to marry, but he died in 1915 in France during World War 1.
Elliott's last stage appearance was in 1920 in Trimmed in Scarlett, aged 52. She then retired from acting, announcing that she "wished to grow middle-aged gracefully".^[2] Successful in business and investment, Elliott had homes in America and in Europe. She died in Cannes, France, a wealthy woman, at the age of 72. She was the subject of a biography titled "My Aunt Maxine: The Story of Maxine Elliot" c.1964 written by her niece Diana Forbes-Robertson.


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Owen Davis, Sr.

Mainely Monday features Portland, Maine native Owen Davis, Sr., so enjoy!




Owen Davis

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Owen Davis, Sr.
Born	Owen Gould Davis, Sr. 29 January 1874(1874-01-29) Portland, Maine, USA
Died	14 October 1956(1956-10-14) (aged 82) New York City, New York
Pen name	John Oliver
Occupation	Playwright, screenwriter
Nationality	United States
Spouse	Elizabeth Breyer
Child(ren)	Owen Davis, Jr. Donald Davis
Information
Magnum opus	Icebound
Awards	Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1923)

Owen Gould Davis, Sr. (29 January 1874 – 14 October 1956) was an American dramatist. He received the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his 1923 play Icebound, and penned hundreds of plays and scripts for radio and film. Before the First World War, he also wrote racy sketches of New York high jinks and low life for the Police Gazette under the name of 'Ike Swift'. Many of these were set in the Tenderloin.

Davis was born in Portland, Maine and lived until he was fifteen in Bangor. He was the father of actor Owen, Jr. and playwright, Donald. His brother William Hammatt Davis was Chairman of the National War Labor Board in Franklin Roosevelt's administration. Davis died in New York City.

Bibliography

• Sketches of Gotham(as Ike Swift)(1906)
• Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model (1906)
• The Scrap of Paper (1917)
• The Detour (1921)
• Icebound (1923), for which he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize (*adapted into a 1924 silent film Icebound directed by William C. deMille
• The Nervous Wreck (1923), play, later made into the 1926 motion picture of the same name, and the 1944 motion picture Up in Arms; later produced as a musical, Whoopee!, staged on Broadway in 1928 and 1979 and made into the 1930 motion picture of the same name
• The Haunted House (1924)
• Lazybones (1924), made into the 1925 motion picture of the same name
• Beware of Widows (1925)
• Easy Come, Easy Go (1926), play later produced as a musical, Lady Fingers (1929)
• The Great Gatsby (1926), play based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, made into the 1949 motion picture
• Just to Remind You (1931), play which premiered at Lakewood Theatre in Maine, with Humphrey Bogart in lead
• The Good Earth (1932), dramatization of the Pearl Buck novel, later produced as the 1937 motion picture, all of the same name
• Jezebel (1933), original play turned into the 1938 motion picture of the same name
• The Convict's Sweetheart
• Ethan Frome (1935), play based on the Edith Wharton novel, produced on Broadway in 1936
• Mr. and Mrs. North (1941), dramatization from short stories by Richard Lockridge and Frances Lockridge, made into the 1942 motion picture
• The Snark Was a Boojum (1943), dramatization of a novel by Richard Shattuck
• No Way Out (1944)

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The featured artist this week is: Samuel Colman of Portland, Maine.

Samuel Colman

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Samuel Colman
Storm King on the Hudson (1866) is one of Colman's best known works
Born	March 4, 1832(1832-03-04) Portland, Maine
Died	March 26, 1920(1920-03-26) (aged 88)
Nationality	American
Field	Painting, Watercolor
Training	Hudson River school
Influenced by	Asher Durand

Samuel Colman (March 4, 1832 – March 26, 1920) was an American painter, interior designer, and writer, probably best remembered for his paintings of the Hudson River.
Born in Portland, Maine, Colman moved to New York City with his family as a child. His father opened a bookstore, attracting a literate clientele that may have influenced Colman's artistic development. He is believed to have studied briefly under the Hudson River school painter Asher Durand, and he exhibited his first work at the National Academy of Design in 1850. By 1854 he had opened his own New York City studio. The following year he was elected an associate member of the National Academy, with full membership bestowed in 1862.
His landscape paintings in the 1850s and 1860s were influenced by the Hudson River school, an example being Meadows and Wildflowers at Conway (1856) now in the collection of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College. He was also able to paint in a romantic style, which had become more fashionable after the Civil War. One of his best-known works, and one of the iconic images of Hudson River School art, is his Storm King on the Hudson (1866), now in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.

Late November in a Santa Barbara Cañon, California - Brooklyn Museum

Colman was an inveterate traveler, and many of his works depict scenes from foreign cities and ports. He made his first trip abroad to France and Spain in 1860-1861, and returned for a more extensive four-year European tour in the early 1870s in which he spent much time in Mediterranean locales. Colman often depicted the architectural features he encountered on his travels: cityscapes, castles, bridges, arches, and aqueducts feature prominently in his paintings of foreign scenes. In 1870 and again in the 1880s he journeyed to the western United States, painting western landscapes comparable in scope and style to those of Thomas Moran.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, watercolor painting became more popular. In 1866, Colman was one of the founders of the American Watercolor Society, and he became its first president^[1] from 1867 to 1871. Colman also became skilled at the medium of etching. He was an early member of the New York Etching Club, and published popular etchings depicting European scenes.
Colman's artistic activities became even more diverse late in life. By the 1880s he worked extensively as an interior designer, collaborating with his friend Louis Comfort Tiffany on the design of Samuel Clemens' Hartford home, and later on the Fifth Avenue home of Henry and Louisine Havemeyer^[2]. He also became a major collector of decorative Asian objects, and wrote two books on geometry and art.
Colman died in New York City in 1920.


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Erin Andrews

Today I am featuring Erin Andrews from Lewiston, Maine.



Erin Andrews

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    

Erin Andrews
Andrews at a 2010 college football game
Born	Erin Jill Andrews (1978-05-04) May 4, 1978 (age 33) Lewiston, Maine, United States
Education	University of Florida (BA)
Occupation	Sportscaster, journalist
Years active	2000-present
Notable credit(s)	College GameDay co-anchor (2010–present), Good Morning America correspondent (2010–present)
Website
http://erinandrews.com

Erin Jill Andrews (born May 4, 1978) is an American sportscaster, journalist, and television personality. As of 2011 she is a co-host of College GameDay on ESPN and a contributor for Good Morning America on the ABC network.^[1][2]

Early life and family

Andrews was born in Lewiston, Maine to Paula Andrews, a teacher, and Steven Andrews, a TV journalist.^[3][4] She moved to Tampa, Florida as a young girl when her father, a six-time Emmy Award-winner, began working as an investigative reporter for WFLA-TV.^[5]
Andrews attended Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Florida, where she was a member of the cheerleading team, student government, and the National Honor Society.^[4][6] Following her graduation from high school in 1996, Andrews attended the University of Florida, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Telecommunications.^[1] While in college, she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority^[7] and the Florida Gators Dazzlers dance team from 1997 to 2000.^[1] She also has a younger sister Kendra Andrews, who is a professional dancer and actor.^[8]

Career

Early work (2000-2004)

In 2000, Andrews was employed by Fox Sports Florida as a freelance reporter. In 2001-2002, she served as a Tampa Bay Lightning reporter for the Sunshine Network. From 2002-2004, Andrews covered the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Thrashers, and Atlanta Hawks for the Turner South network as a studio host and reporter.^[1]

2004–present

Andrews covering a football game in 2007

Andrews began working for ESPN in May 2004 as a reporter for ESPN National Hockey Night. She has also reported for the College World Series, Little League World Series, and Great Outdoor Games. Andrews began serving as a sideline reporter for ESPN College Football Saturday Primetime and Big Ten college basketball games, and in 2005, her job expanded to include ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime and Major League Baseball sideline reporting. From 2008 to 2010, she reported for ESPN’s and ABC’s live coverage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.^[1]
Andrews has been a guest on several talk shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.^[9]
In 2010, Andrews appeared on the tenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. They placed third out of 11 contestants.^[10]
On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Andrews signed an endorsement deal with Reebok to promote its ZigTech brand.^[11] Two weeks prior, as a sideline reporter during the 2011 Rose Bowl, Andrews noted that Texas Christian University Horned Frogs football players were slipping on the turf because of the new Nike shoes they were wearing. Due to the conflict of interest, ESPN announced revised endorsement guidelines for its journalists that required Andrews to end her endorsement deal with Reebok by the end of 2011.^[12]
Andrews currently hosts the first hour of ESPN's College GameDay on ESPNU and has been a Good Morning America correspondent on ABC since 2010, though she has not appeared on the show since covering the Oscars in February 2011.^[2]

Charitable work

In 2010 Andrews became a spokesperson for the Kraft Foods Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign which aimed to raise $2.86 million for Feeding America.^[13] In May 2011 she co-hosted the Music Builds: CMT Disaster Relief Concert on the CMT network to raise money for the American Red Cross in response to the April 27th tornadoes in the Southern United States.^[14] In September 2011 Andrews partnered with StubHub to support the Girls Night Out initiative, a program to encourage women to attend more sporting events. A portion of ticket revenues generated through the program goes to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a support organization for survivors of deceased military personnel.^[15]

Stalking incident

In 2008 Michael David Barrett, 46, filmed Andrews in her hotel room through peepholes at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and the Radisson Airport Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On July 16, 2009, one of these videos, in which Andrews appeared nude, was posted online and quickly went viral.^[4][16] Barrett was arrested on October 2, 2009, by the FBI for interstate stalking, and pled guilty to the charges on December 15, 2009.^[17][18] On March 15, 2010, Barrett was sentenced to 30 months in prison, three years of probation, $5,000 in fines, and $7,366 in restitution.^[19] He currently is serving his sentence at the Seattle Community Corrections. He is scheduled to be released on July 3, 2012.^[20]
Andrews has sued Barrett, Marriott International, Radisson Hotels, and five other entities for negligence and invasion of privacy in connection with the secret videotaping.^[21] In 2011 Andrews worked with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar to enact a new federal anti-stalking law.<sup>[22]

Thanks for dropping by! Have a great week!</sup>

Gordon Bok

This week I have chosen to feature Gordon Bok in my Mainely Monday segment. He was born in Camden, Maine on October 31, 1939.  Enjoy!

I found this bio at gordonbok.com. Visit it for even more infomation about him. Gordon Bok found his first music in his own dooryard. His family sang Scots, German, Italian, Australian and American traditional and popular songs -- all learned in places they had lived. As he began to work the boats along his coast, he heard the songs of the Maritimes, and ballads and chanteys from around the world. "But at home, Hank Williams was our kitchen-music, especially in coastal Maine," he said, "so I was singing those songs too, with Kendall Morse and others around home." When he couldn't find songs that matched his own experiences or needs, he began to write his own, and has kept up a lively flow of poems, songs, stories, choral and instrumental works. One Maine chorus took one of Gordon's choral works on tour in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece as part of their American repertoire. He reinvented and developed the cantefable/ "folk-opera" form which is now widely used by storytellers and musicians in this country. He has been a singer and caretaker of the music and liturgy of the Kalmyk Mongolians who immigrated to America in the 1950s, maintaining and circulating an extensive collection of their surviving music among their descendants. Gordon has written, sung, and helped to preserve the heritage of of the working waterman of the Northeast, hence his honorary Doctorate from the Maine Maritime Academy. He also received the Blue Ribbon award from the American Film Festival for original music and lyrics performed by him and other local musicians for the documentary film "Coaster: The Adventure of the John F. Leavitt." Bok has always been an innovator. As a young man in Maine he was the first to bring the contradance tunes of Maine and New Brunswick into the folk guitar repertoire; when all the folk guitar players were picking out "Freight Train", Gordon was playing both guitar and fiddle parts on "Grieve's Handy", and "Hawkins' Handy." Long before the Bossa Nova craze, he helped bring forward South American music as a living presence into the American folk stream. His contributions to folk music aso include innovations to the instruments he uses. Gordon worked with friends Samuel Tibbetts and Nick Apollonio to develop the acoustic twelve string guitar to a power and diversity of sound unequaled in the field, partly as a result of the "balanced bridge" which he invented in the 1960s. Gordon also helped to promote the 'cellamba* and viola da gamba as instruments for accompanying folk music. In the 1970s, he developed and marketed the multi-keyed "Bok Whistle", an idea that has taken root in commercial whistle companies, who now build deeper instruments in different keys. Gordon's legacy includes thirty-four recordings featuring his own compostitions and traditional and contemporary folk songs from around the world. He has also published two books and a handmade, limited edition of his poetry and the wood engravings of Capt. Edward Porter, edited and printed by Porter. Gordon's extensive repertoire provides a rich well to draw upon for his concerts, guaranteeing a unique experience everywhere he performs. He has never sung the same solo concert twice. Gordon has toured throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia and has gathered many friends and fans throughout the world. He has performed with many other artists, and both toured and recorded with the trio Bok, Muir, and Trickett for 30 years, and with his wife, harpist and singer Carol Rohl. At home in Maine he helped start two choruses, both still thriving after many years, and has been an encouraging force behind other singers in their efforts to record their own music and launch their own musical careers. For most of his life Gordon has been a woodworker, having grown up with the local shipyard as his playground and place of learning. While not a boat builder, he has built a few small boats and repaired and maintained several larger ones. He has designed and built tools and articles of furniture to his needs, as well as the odd house, shelter, and barn. Wood sculpture is a natural extension of his woodworking. His bas-relief carvings celebrate the people, boats, and fisheries he grew up with around the coast of Maine. Gordon has the ability to capture a way of life or to define a rare momen with an intimacy that is immediately engaging. Sometimes his art takes the form of poetry, and often the words find their way into a song. Sometimes there are no words, just deft fingers coaxing the story out of the guitar strings. Sometimes this intimacy is carefully carved into a slab of wood. Gordon has been a woodcarver for over thirty years; it is just another way to preserve the ideas and culture that are expressed in his songs. He calls himself a 'rememberer': a keeper of songs and stories, a keeper of our traditions, our ways of thinking, that set us apart from others yet confirm our pace in the flow of humanity. When asked about the focus of his work he has said "I try to keep hope alive in myself and others. I write to keep myself on track, to find out what I need to do in the world. Some of my larger and more difficult works have turned out to be blueprints that, when I trusted them, have guided my life. "I refuse to tell my audiences what to think or feel: I respect them too much for that. I will sing them what I honor and trust them to sort out what they can use. "I'm drawn to songs that show me how others have lived their lives and sorted through their problems -- that's the great wisdom in traditional music, and in the songs that will become the tradition in other generations. They've shown me how to live, and if others learn something from my passing them on, that's another pleasure." In recent years, Gordon has made an effort to do less touring, preferring to stay closer to home where he can develop his sculpture, writing, and recording, and work with his choruses, his wife Carol, and other local musicians. In the summer months he limits his concerts and art shows to the state of Maine, and spends much of his time among the bays and islands on a small ketch he has refurbished over the years. Thank you for visiting. Please stop by again soon!   Click on the link below to listen to the lovely ballad: Peter Kagan and the Wind written by Gordon Bok. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3xy8cpbQW94" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This week I am featuring Howie Carr born in Portland, Maine in my Mainely Monday segment.

Howie Carr

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Howie Carr
Birth name	Howard Louis Carr, Jr.
Born	(1952-01-17) January 17, 1952 (age 60) Portland, Maine
Style	Current events
Country	United States
Website	HowieCarr.us

Howard Louis^[1][2] "Howie" Carr, Jr. (born January 17, 1952) is an American journalist, author, and conservative radio talk-show host based in Boston with a listening audience rooted in New England.

Career

Broadcasting

Main article: The Howie Carr Show

Howie Carr has hosted a weekday radio talk-show on Boston's WRKO (AM 680) since 1994. The show, titled The Howie Carr Show, is syndicated to stations throughout northern and central New England and can be heard elsewhere via live streaming on Carr's official website.

In 2007, Carr reached an agreement to move his show to Boston's WTKK, to appear during morning drive-time. This was litigated and Carr remained on WRKO^[3] under a new contract that expires in 2012.

In June 2009, Carr filled in for Dennis Miller on The Dennis Miller Show.

In 2010, WRKO suspended Carr for a week for repeated on-air criticism of station management.

Carr has worked as a reporter and commentator for Boston television stations WGBH and WLVI.

Journalism

Carr is a columnist for the Boston Herald.

In early 2006, Carr also became a book author with the publication of his New York Times-rated best-selling book, The Brothers Bulger, about Billy Bulger and James "Whitey" Bulger. Carr's second book, titled Hitman, was released in April 2011. About Johnny Martorano, the book also was rated a best-seller by the New York Times. A third book, titled Hard Knocks, was released in January 2012.

From 1980 to 1981, Carr was the Boston City Hall bureau chief of the Boston Herald American, and he later worked as the paper's State House bureau chief. As a political reporter for WNEV (now WHDH) in 1982, his coverage of then-mayor Kevin White was so relentless that after the mayor announced he wasn't running again, he told the Boston Globe that one of the things he enjoyed most about his impending retirement was not having Carr chase him around the city.

In 1985, Carr won the National Magazine Award, for Essays and Criticism. In television, he has been nominated for an Emmy Award. Carr played a radio show host in the 1998 John Travolta film, A Civil Action.

For years Carr has had a feud with former Boston Globe and Herald guest columnist Mike Barnicle, calling him a "hack" and saying he (Carr) wanted to be the Herald's "nonfiction columnist"^[4] (Barnicle resigned from the Boston Globe over allegations of plagiarism and fabrication of stories.)^[5]

A Boston Globe column by Steve Bailey stated that Carr gave out Barnicle's home phone number, an allegation Carr denies. Barnicle called Carr "a pathetic figure", and asked "Can you imagine being as consumed with envy and jealousy toward me for as long as it has consumed him?"^[6]

In 1998, Don Imus said that Mrs. Carr was having an affair with boxer Riddick Bowe. Mrs. Carr retained professor Alan Dershowitz as her lawyer. The parties reached an undisclosed settlement. In a 2007 column, Carr alleged that Imus' statements were incited by Barnicle. According to Carr, Barnicle told Imus that Carr had said Imus "would die before his kid got out of high school". Carr denies having said this.^[7]

In 2002, the Boston Herald and Carr were the subjects of a lawsuit by Superior Court Judge Ernest Murphy. The newspaper reported that Murphy had said of a fourteen-year-old rape victim: "She can't go through life as a victim. She's 14. She got raped. Tell her to get over it." He was also alleged to have said of a 79-year-old robbery victim: "I don't care if she's 109." Carr, in a front-page column on February 20, 2002, criticized Murphy as handing down lenient sentences in bail decisions in rape cases and included references to his daughters, wondering what Murphy would do if it was one of his offspring that had been the victim. Murphy denied all of the allegations and claimed the newspaper libeled him, ruining his physical and emotional health and damaging his career and reputation as a good man. Ultimately, Murphy won the suit, proving the libel, and was awarded a $2.09 million payment. During the trial, when asked what his reaction was to the Carr column, Murphy had said he "wanted to kill him".^[8]

Following the lawsuit, the Boston Herald reported Murphy's letter and a demand for $3.26 million (the court award, plus pre- and post-judgment interest) in its headlines because it was written on official court stationery. The libel case was based on his actions as a judge and therefore the Bar Association, when contacted by the media, stated that since it was his actions as a public official that were at the heart of the libel, it was appropriate for him to use the stationery.^[9]

Personal life

Carr was born at the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary (now Holt Hall) in Portland, Maine, to Frances Stokes Sutton and Howard Louis Carr, Sr. Carr was raised by an aunt in Portland. Howard Louis Carr, Sr. died on October 1, 2008 at the age of 103.[1]

Howie Carr graduated from Deerfield Academy and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). At UNC, Carr was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and wrote at student newspaper The Daily Tar Heel.^[10][11]

Carr has been married twice. His first marriage produced two daughters. After his divorce, he met and married his second wife, Kathy. Since 1993, he has lived in Wellesley, Massachusetts with his wife and their three daughters: Carolyn (born 1994), Charlotte (born 1995), and Christina (born 1997).^[11]

In March 2007, Carr had a melanoma removed from his forehead.^[12]

On July 10, 2009, Carr underwent hip replacement surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Although Carr was supposed to be off the air for several weeks, he was able to "call in" and begin the show as if he were in the studio, although he was actually still in bed at Mass General. More recently, Carr has undergone cosmetic surgery, including liposuction, hair restoration, and varicose vein removal, apparently for promotional consideration.

"License Plate lottery"

Carr at a book signing for his 2006 release The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century at Wellesley Free Library in his hometown of Wellesley, Massachusetts, on March 4, 2006.

In Massachusetts, a low-digit license plate was often seen as a status symbol. Politicians and those connected to them were the only people, seemingly, able to obtain these plates with four, three or sometimes even only two digits. The plates are often handed down from generation to generation, making it nearly impossible for someone that has no connections to get one. Carr, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles attends drawings for Massachusetts residents to "win" the plates.^[13] Carr was the "winner" of the plate #9823 in 2004.^[14]

Awards and recognition

• Placed 51st on Talkers Magazine's list of the 2011 "Heavy Hundred".^[15] The list ranks talk-show hosts from around the U.S. whom this trade journal considers the most popular, influential, or entertaining. Carr has been in this list since 2007,^[16] falling to 56th in 2009.
• Was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2008.^[17]

Bibliography

Non-fiction

• The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century, New York: Warner Books, 2006 (ISBN 0-446-57651-4).
• Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger's Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld, New York: Forge Books, 2011 (ISBN 0-765-32639-6).

Fiction

• Hard Knocks, New York: Forge Books, 2012 (ISBN 076532640X).

Filmography

• A Civil Action (1998): The film is based on the real-life case of Anderson v. Cryovac that took place in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1980s. Howie played a radio talk show host.

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