Famous People of Mississippi

Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, Norwood first appeared in a supporting role on the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea in 1993. Her engagement led to her own star vehicle, successful UPN sitcom Moesha in 1996, and resulted into roles in the 1998 horror sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and the TV films Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) and Double Platinum (1999), two of television's best rated special programs.

In 1993, she signed a recording contract with Atlantic, releasing her self-titled debut album a year after. Following a major success with Grammy Award-winning "The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer Monica, and her second album Never Say Never in 1998, a series of successful records established her as one of the most successful of the new breed of urban R&B female vocalists to emerge during the mid-to late 1990s. Her latest studio album, Human (2008), was her first effort to be released on the Epic label after a label change in 2005.

The RIAA ranks Norwood as one of the best-selling female artists in American music history, having sold over 10.5 million copies of her five studio albums in the United States and over 25 million albums worldwide, to date. Additionally, she has won over 100 awards as a recording artist. • Brandy Norwood Books • Brandy Norwood Movies • Brandy Norwood Discography

With a protagonist like this, Payton's book isn't your standard sports bio. Nor is it traditional in structure. Because Payton died before his autobiography was completed, his interviews have been supplemented by the stories and thoughts of family and friends, with sports biographer Yaeger providing the connective tissue. More an oral history than an autobiography, the book sometimes suffers for it. Payton's career is dealt with summarily; frequently, stories are repeated, if from different perspectives, and Payton's many remarkable qualities are each noted many times over. The five eulogies from his funeral all elaborate on the same points: his skills and his humility. Payton had an abundance of each. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. • Walter Payton Books

Price's voice was noted for its brilliant upper register, "smoky" middle and lower registers, flowing phrasing, and wide dynamic range. A lirico spinto (Italian for "pushed lyric", or middleweight), she was well suited to the roles of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, as well as several in operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Her voice ranged from A flat below Middle C to the E above High C. (She said she reached high Fs "in the shower.")

After her retirement from the opera stage in 1985, she gave recitals for another dozen years. Among her many honors are the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964), the Kennedy Center Honors (1980), the National Medal of Arts (1985), numerous honorary degrees, and nineteen Grammy Awards, including a special Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989, more than any other classical singer. In October 2008, she was one of the recipients of the first Opera Honors given by the National Endowment for the Arts. • Leontyne Price Books • Leontyne Price Discography

As one of country's first black superstars, Pride faced a lot of hardship in starting his career. However, this is not the focus of his autobiography. Listeners will instead hear about Pride's childhood in Mississippi, his attempts at a career in Major League baseball (and how this failed dream led to his singing career). In addition, Pride discusses business ventures that succeeded and those that failed, as well as his bouts with manic depression. He tells his story with no bitterness but lots of homespun advice and humor. Pride as reader is a bit uneven, yet he speaks from his heart; when he chuckles after a funny story, for instance, listeners will find it hard to keep from chuckling along with him. This enjoyable book will find a home with libraries that have strong music collections, African American studies collections, or good general biography sections. Danna C. Bell-Russel, District of Columbia P.L. • Charley Pride Books • Charley Pride Discography

Jackson Genuine talent. If two words could describe LeAnn Rimes after reading this book, they are it. Clearly, she has that "special something". If you are a LeAnn Rimes fan, do yourself a favor and read about her charmed life. You will definitely come away with a deeper appreciation of her talent and of LeAnn herself. She had the good fortune of having two supportive parents who nutured her as a daughter, as well as her talent. She certainly has a recipe for success and we can only hope that it will continue in the years to come. On an interesting note, LeAnn signed copies of DREAM COME TRUE at last year's Fan Fair!

Rimes made her breakthrough into country music in 1996. Her debut album, Blue, reached Number 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and was certified "multi-platinum" in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's lead single of the same name (originally intended to be recorded by Patsy Cline in the early 1960s) became a Top 10 hit • LeAnn Rimes Books •

According to a 2003 profile published in People magazine, Smith was married to Virginia Donald, a University of Mississippi classmate, from 1987 until circa 1993.• Shepard Smith Books

William Grant Still was born in Woodville, Mississippi. He was the son of two teachers, Carrie Lena Fambro Still (1872-1927) and William Grant Still (1871-1895), who was also a partner in a grocery store and performed as a local bandleader in his free time. They were of mixed origin: African-American, Native American, Spanish and Anglo. His father, William Grant Still Sr., died when William was 3 months old and his mother, Carrie Lena Fambro Still, took him to Little Rock, Arkansas where she married Charles B. Shepperson and taught high school English for 33 years. Shepperson, his stepfather, nurtured his musical interests by taking him to operettas and buying Red Seal recordings of classical music which the boy greatly enjoyed. The two attended a number of performances by musicians on tour. William Still grew up in Little Rock, and there William started violin lessons at age 14. The youth also taught himself how to play the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, double bass, cello and viola, and showed a great interest in music. His maternal grandmother introduced him to African American spirituals by singing them to him. At age 16 he graduated from M. W. Gibbs High School in Little Rock. • William Grant Still Books • William Grant Still Discography

Harold Jenkins had never been to Conway, Arkansas or Twitty, Texas when he picked the show business name that has served him so well. Trivia like that must suffice in a biography of a country celebrity who says, "I don't have many stories to tell because I'm not the social type." Besides standard background information, the book reveals the singer-songwriter to be an image-conscious workaholic who prefers to be known through his music. That may be great for his audiences, but it doesn't make for a very probing life story. Nonetheless, Twitty's legion of fans should appreciate this inside account of a "regular guy" who shucked rock'n'roll stardom for the country music he really wanted to perform. Will Hepfer , SUNY at Buffalo Libs.  • Conway Twitty Books • Conway Twitty Discography

While working in New York City as a storyboard artist for multimedia presentations, the 5'7" (170 cm) Ward began modeling to supplement her income. She was recruited by the Wilhelmina agency and was soon featured in television commercials promoting Maybelline cosmetics. Ward eventually moved to California to pursue acting and landed her first film role in the Burt Reynolds vehicle, The Man Who Loved Women, released in 1983. Her first regular role in a television drama series (as a beautiful socialite on Emerald Point, NAS) followed in the same year. Ward subsequently played variations on the same character in films and television guest spots throughout the 1980s, most notably opposite Tom Hanks in 1986's Nothing in Common. This pattern persisted until she aggressively pursued and won the role of the bohemian alcoholic Teddy Reed on Sisters, for which she received her first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994. • Sela Ward Books • Sela Ward Films

Gordon reveals Muddy's family life to be almost as rocky: he left several illegitimate children in his wake. Rather than judge his subject, however, Gordon lets the music do the talking. With vivid prose ("The rhythm evokes the banging of a tattered suitcase being pulled down a bumpy road"), he shows that Muddy didn't have to put on an act; he was the Hootchie Coochie Man, and he did have his mojo working. Likely to become the leading biography of this legendary artist, the book is recommended for all popular, blues, and ethnomusicology collections. Also available, though unseen by the reviewer, is Sandra B. Tooze's Muddy Waters: The Mojo Man. Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. • Muddy Waters Books • Muddy Waters Discography

In this first complete, critical biography of one of America's finest playwrights, Donald Spoto reveals the intimate connections between Williams' personal dramas and his remarkably autobiographical art. From his birth into a genteel Southern family, through his success, celebrity, and wealth, Tennessee Williams lived a life as gripping as his plays. The Kindness of Strangers is "a work of honest reverence."--San Francisco Chronicle. 34 photos. • Tennessee Williams Films

I've read quite a few Oprah Biographies and this is one of my favorites. It focuses on all the main events that made Oprah who she is today and gives interesting details about her childhood. I especially enjoyed reading about how she spoke in churches at a very young age and how she managed to convince her mother to buy her new glasses. He antics were quite humorous and definitely got her mom's attention. As you read this book you can truly get a sense of what it was like for Oprah to make it through a difficult childhood. In a way she was given ever-increasing challenges to develop her character as an adult. At one point she had to take three buses just to get to school. • Oprah Winfrey Films

Daly pays scant attention to Wynette's relationship to Nashville's country music establishment and scoots over the singer's rise to fame, choosing instead to focus on the personal problems that plagued Wynette's life and eventually ended it. An over-romantic dependence on men led Wynette to a string of loveless marriages and an increasing lack of control over her career. Recurring abdominal problems, compounded by multiple operations and a demanding performance schedule, left her dependent on feeding tubes and catheters.

Most debilitating was her addiction to prescription painkillers (such as the opiate Demerol) that persisted despite several attempts at treatment and intervention. Daly, a loyal daughter, holds her mother's doctor and last husband responsible for not stemming her descent. This book captures the complicated relationship of a daughter to a mother who needed more parenting and guidance than her children did. Unfortunately, the writing is weak, and the tone of desperation that closes the book makes it feel more like a tabloid interview than a memoir. Photos not seen by PW. (May) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. • Tammy Wynette Books • Tammy Wynette Discography