ELVIS PRESLEY

“The first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death.

I really didn’t know what all the yelling was about. I didn’t realize that my body was moving. It’s a natural thing to me. So to the manager backstage I said, ‘What’d I do? What’d I do?’ And he said “Whatever it is, go back and do it again.” -From a 1972 taped interview used in MGM’s documentary «Elvis on Tour»

His 1973 special, ''Elvis – Aloha from Hawaii live via Satellite'', was seen in over 40 countries by 1 billion to 1.5 billion people and made television history. It was seen on television in more American homes than man's first walk on the moon.

Complete the text. Should the verbs be in ACTIVE or PASSIVE voice?

Elvis Aaron Presley ................ (be) born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents .................. (move) to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1948, and Elvis ......................... (graduate) from Humes High School there in 1953. Elvis’ musical influences .................. (be) the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he ..................... (hear) in church, and the black R&B he ...................... (absorb) on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. In 1954, Elvis ..................... (begin) his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By 1956, he ........................ (be) an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely .................... (combine) his diverse musical influences and ............. (blur) and ..................... (challenge) the social and racial barriers of the time. He .................... (star) in 33 successful films, ..................... (make) history with his television appearances and specials, and ..................... (know) great acclaim through his many, often record-breaking, live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas. Globally, his records were sold in over one billion copies, more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards. Among his many awards and accolades ........................ (be) 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award which he ..................... (receive) at age 36, and his being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970by the United States Jaycees. Without any of the special privileges, his celebrity status might have afforded him, he honorably served his country in the U.S. Army. His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor ..................... (endear) him to

millions, as did the humility and human kindness he ........................ (demonstrate) throughout his life. He was known to the world over by his first name, he was regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis ...................... (die) at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.

MADONNA

- She is 55 years old

- Madonna has acted in 22 films.

- The Guinness world records list Madonna as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time; she has sold over 200 million records worldwide.

- Madonna worked in New York City Dunkin' Donuts while she was struggling to make it as a dancer in the Big Apple. She was fired after squirting jam in a customer's face.

- Madonna's first children's book, the English roses, was published in 2003 and she has since published a total of 10 books.

- She suffers from brontophobia - a fear of thunder.

- She is 5 feet, 44 inches (1.64 metres) tall.

- She does not have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. She was selected for the honour in 1990 but she showed no interest and the invitation has now expired.

- She originally dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer.

- She has been a vegetarian since she was 15.

- She hates the colour orange.

- She was named one of people magazine's worst-dressed, in 1999.

- People call her Madge, although not to her face.

Success Story of Beyonce Knowles

1. Read quickly the text about Beyonce. Then match a title to each paragraph.

A. Beyonce, an actress

B. Solo career

C. How it all started

D. Other business

Beyonce was born on the 4th September 1981 in Texas.

In 1990 she teamed up with Kelly Rowland and they formed a band. Three years later they named the band Destiny’s Child. In 1998 the group released their first album Destiny’s Child. This album had a huge success. In 2005, however, the band split.

Beyonce has a successful singing career, but she has also appeared in several movies. She has played in comedies such as Austin Powers and Pink Panther, but also in a drama Dreamgirls. She has worked with many famous actors such as Steve Martin, Mike Myers or Eddie Murphy.

Beyonce is a famous singer and a successful actress, but that’s still not enough for her. Together with her mother she has started to design clothes for women. Because of her beauty and glamour, she has often appeared in advertisements, we have seen her in advertisements for Pepsi or L’Oreal.

In 2003, Beyonce released her first solo album Dangerously in Love. The album won Grammy Award for best R&B album in 2004. Beyonce released her second solo album in 2008. The first track of the album If I Were A Boy went on to top the UK singles chart.

2. Decide whether these statements are true (t) or false (f).

1. Beyonce started to play in a band when she was 9. T F

2. The second track of her first solo album was If I were a boy. T F

3. Beyonce has appeared in a comedy Dreamgirls. T F

4. Her first solo album won Grammy Award. T F

5. Beyonce thinks that singing is enough for her. T F

Lady Gaga

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American pop singer-songwriter. After performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side in 2003 and later enrolling at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, she soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who recognized her vocal abilities, and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.

Gaga became famous after her first album The Fame (2008), which was a critical and commercial success and achieved international popularity with the singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". The album was number one on the record charts of six countries, topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart while simultaneously peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and accomplished positions within the top ten worldwide. Achieving similar worldwide success, The Fame Monster (2009), its follow-up, produced a further two global chart-topping singles "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" and allowed her to embark on her second global concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, just months after having finished her first, The Fame Ball Tour. Her second studio album Born This Way, released in May 2011, topped the charts in all major musical markets, after the arrival of its eponymous lead single "Born This Way", which achieved the number-one spot in countries worldwide and was the fastest-selling single in the history of iTunes, selling one million copies in five days.

Inspired by glam rock artists like David Bowie, Elton John and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson, Gaga is well-recognized for her outré sense of style in fashion, in performance and in her music videos. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements including five Grammy Awards, among twelve nominations; two Guinness World Records; and the estimated sale of 15 million albums and 51 million singles worldwide. Billboard named her the Artist of the Year in 2010, ranking her as the 73rd Artist of the 2000s decade. Gaga has been included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as being listed in a number of Forbes' annual lists. You can find more at ladygaga.com.

background information
birth name
born (when and where)
stage name
nationality
albums
concert tour
hit songs
inspiration from artists
awards and nominations
website

Link:

1. New York City's Lower East Side

2. At Interscope Records

3. Kon Live Distributions

4. Born this Way

5. Billboard nominated Gaga

6. After The Fame

7. Tisch School of the Arts

( ) is a rock music scene.

( ) is an Art School in New York City.

( ) she became famous.

( ) was released in 2011.

( ) is Akon’s own label.

( ) Artist of the Year in 2011.

( ) she worked as a songwriter

True or False?

statements	TRUE	FALSE
1. Lady Gaga is a famous actress.
2. She has twelve Grammy Awards.
3. Gaga was inspired by Madonna.
4. “Poker Face” is an album.
5. Born this Way sold one million copies.

What’s your opinion about Lady Gaga?

Read the following biography about Avril Lavigne and do the reading comprehension exercises below

She can be “Anything” but not ordinary. That’s one way to describe Avril Lavigne. A skater-punk, a dynamic spirit.

As a child, she was restless in class but the dream of becoming popular in New York City and Los Angeles walked into her head. At the age of 17 she declared: “I’m just coming out and I’m going to clearly be myself - I write what I feel, and I never worry what others think,” Avril says. “I’m going to dress what’s me, I’m gonna act what’s me and I’m gonna sing what’s me.” Avril does exactly that on her debut CD, Let Go, combining lively vocals, a crystal-clear voice and real-girl lyrical style. “Anything But Ordinary ” is a rocking’ composition about individuality.

Right now I am everywhere, I fly here and there, doing different things everyday,” she explains. “This is my lifestyle. I get up early but I never know what activities I’m going to do each day. I don’t want a normal life. It’s boring for me.”

She was born for fame in Ontario. A middle child who “always wanted to be the centre of attention”. She says “I always knew this was what I had to do,” she says. “I remember when I was really young, standing on my bed thinking I was at a theatre, singing at the top of my voice and visualizing thousands of people around me.” She progressed from her bedroom to singing from gospel music in church to country music at parks - until Arista Records discovered her. At 16, she moved to Manhattan and started to work on her debut CD.

“I love writing,” she explains. “When I get upset and really need to get it out of me, I go to my guitar. Sometimes I feel like my guitar is my therapist.” Avril can’t wait to get out and play. She says touring with her own “skater-punk band of rocker boys” probably isn’t going to be all that different from her childhood. “I wasn’t always very feminine. I played hockey during the autumn and winter and baseball in the summer. I loved playing with the boys.” Of course, both boys and girls like her music (not to mention some adventurous adults) “I can’t wait to be out there - I want to rock the world! I want people to know that my music is real and honest and it came from my heart. I was just being true to myself.” Avril’s real, all right. And ordinary? Anything but.

Write True or False:

1-As a child she wanted to become a popular singer.

2-She likes expressing herself

3-“Anything But Ordinary” is connected with teenagers’ interests.

4-She likes the life she has.

5-When she was 16, she left Ontario.

6-She started to work on her first album in her country.

7-She sometimes needs therapy.

8-She’s a typical girl.

9-Only teenagers enjoy her music.

10-She wants to tell real stories with her songs.

Complete the following chart about her:

Name:	1)…………………………….
Hometown:	2)…………………………….
Likes :	3)……………………………. 4)…………………………….
Dislikes:	5)……………………………. 6)…………………………….
Sports she played:	7)……………………………. 8)……………………………. 9)…………………………….
People who like her music:	10)……………………………. 11)…………………………….
How did her career develop?	12)……………………………. 13)…………………………….
Why is she a good artist?	14)……………………………. 15)…………………………….

Song: Pink – “Dear Mr President“

Pink, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Pink was born on September 8, 1979 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and later lived in Philadelphia. Her parents, James and Judy Moore, divorced when she was very young. Her father played the guitar and sang songs for her. This is why from an early age she wanted to be a singer. Some other singers, for example Madonna or Whitney Houston were always good examples for her because she liked their style of music. Pink released her first single "There You Go" on her first album, the R&B-oriented Can't Take Me Home, in 2000. With her song “Dear Mr President” she wanted to criticise ex-president George W. Bush.

Task 1: Answer the questions about ‘Pink’.

1. What exactly is Pink’s job?

2. Why did Pink choose this job?

3. What information does the text give about her parents?

4. Why were Madonna and Whitney Houston examples for Pink?

Task 2: Listen to the song. What kind of song is it? Tick the correct box.

□ The song is an e-mail to her teacher in which she tells him that she doesn’t like school.

□ The song is a letter to Pink’s best friend in which she tells her that she likes her.

□The song is a letter to the president with many questions in it.

□ The song is an article about Pink’s first concert.

Task 3: Match the correct lines.

1. Dear Mr. President	we're just two people
2. Let's pretend	some questions
3. and you're not	speak honestly
4. I like to ask you	come take a walk with me.
5. if we can	better than me

Task 4: Fill in the gaps.

What do you ____________ when you see all the homeless on the street? Who do you pray for at night before you go to ________________? What do you _____________ when you look in the mirror? Are you proud?

How do you _____________ while the rest of us cry? How do you ____________ when a mother has no chance to say goodbye? How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the ______________, and tell me ______________?

Task 5: Correct the mistakes!

What kind of brother would take his own daughters rights away?

________________________________________________________ And what kind of father might love his own daughter if she were gay?

________________________________________________________ I can only imagine what the second lady has to say!

________________________________________________________ You've come a short way,

________________________________________________________ - from whiskey and cocaine!

Barack Obama’s victory speech – November 6, 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddx8t6zGWxA)

Listen to Obama’s speech and complete the transcript with the correct words.

Tonight, more than ___________ years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.

It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over ____________ and _____________, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual ___________, we are an American ____________, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. Tonight, in this ____________, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our ___________ that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.

I want to thank every _____________ who participated in this election. Whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time – by the way, we have to fix that – whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone, whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a _______________.

I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this ___________ deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney ____________ has chosen to give back to America through public service. And that is a legacy that we honour and applaud tonight. In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work ____________ to move this country forward.

I want to ____________ my friend and partner of the last four years, America's happy warrior, the best vice-president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden.

And I wouldn't be the man I am today without the _____________ who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. Let me say this publicly. Michelle, I have never _____________ you more. I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation's _____________________.

Sasha and Malia - before our very eyes, you're growing up to become two strong, smart, __________________ young women, just like your mom. And I am so proud of you guys. But I will say that, for now, one dog's probably enough.