Niki Taylor Now and Other Supermodels Before the Fame
November 23rd, 2011 by Brett Singer
HOT GALLERY: NFL Players Before They Were Stars
November 23rd, 2011 by Brett Singer
HOT GALLERY: Muppets Actors Before They Were Stars
November 21st, 2011 by Brett Singer
HOT GALLERY: General Hospital’s Luke and Laura Celebrate Their 30th Anniversary; We Look at Who Else Checked into GH over the Years
November 16th, 2011 by Brett Singer
Looking Back: Nirvana’s Nevermind Turns 20
October 28th, 2011 by Brett Singer
Instant Impact
When Geffen Records’ subsidiary DGC released Nevermind in 1991, its popularity caught the label by surprise. In retrospect, maybe they should have known all along. “There are three things in music—the song, the singer, and the musicians. Nirvana’s Nevermind had all three,” says Mark Hudson, whose numerous credits include writing the Grammy-winning Aerosmith hit “Livin’ on the Edge” and producing albums for Ringo Starr. “The songwriting of Kurt Cobain had the lyrical angst and haunting melodies of a modern John Lennon.” (Note: This is high praise from Hudson, a self-described “John Lennon freak” who knew the late Beatle personally. Here is Mark performing Lennon’s “Working Class Hero” with Earl Slick. You should watch it.
Here We Are Now, Entertain Us
What was it like being young and experiencing Nirvana for the first time? “I remember watching the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit‘ video gape-jawed in my mother’s living room, filled with awe and sudden shame for ever liking Def Leppard,” Nightline anchor Bill Weir tells Snakkle via email. Music critic Michaelangelo Matos, a regular contributor to NPR and The Village Voice, first heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit” when he was 16 years old. After reading a glowing review of the band in the Minneapolis-St. Paul City Pages, Matos turned on the radio. “The second I heard the opening chords, I knew which song it was,” he told us via email. “It’s one of a handful of times I’ve heard a record that… sounded precisely the way I hoped it would.”
Giving Music a Kick in the Ass
To give you an idea of where popular music was when Nevermind was released, here is a sampling of the number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at that time. September 14 – September 20: “The Promise of a New Day,” Paula Abdul. September 21 – October 4: “I Adore Mi Amor,” Color Me Badd. (Remember boy bands?) October 5 – October 11: “Good Vibrations,” Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch. Not exactly an edgy collection of tunes. “It’s become fashionable to say that… Nevermind was more part of the rising ‘alternative’ wave than a real break,” says Matos. “That’s not how it felt at the time. I attended a suburban Midwestern high school, and the kids there who were deeply into MTV pop metal—a lot of kids—began to cut their hair and wear flannel; the popular girls started wearing Doc Martens. Nirvana absolutely, completely drew a line in the sand. There was a distinct sense that [this was] something bigger than anyone could control.”
Cobain’s Death
The death of Kurt Cobain at the age of 27 made the cover of Rolling Stone and was a major shock to Nirvana’s millions of fans worldwide. As sad as Cobain’s death was, “it freed him from compromising,” says Lucas Gonze, chief technology officer of official.fm, adding that, in a way, “dying kept him young.” (Gonze is also a musician, currently specializing in public domain Americana).
Continued Impact
Will we still be talking about Nirvana in 2031? “Nevermind is one of those albums that will see re-releases constantly over time, just like the Beatles’ discography,” says IGN.com’s Joey Esposito. “Some of the music to come out in the wake of the alternative movement in the early ’90s is somewhat stuck in its time, but Nirvana’s music remains timeless. I’m 26, which means I was only 6 when the record came out. But the fact that it had the same impact on me as a kid… is a testament to what Nirvana, particularly Nevermind, is capable of.”
Bottom line? “That record and that band shaped that decade,” says Mark Hudson, “and won’t ever be forgotten.”
BONUS: Nirvana’s First Live Show from 1988
According to online sources, the first official Nirvana performance was on March 19, 1988, at the Community World Theater in Tacoma, Washington. This YouTube playlist has the whole set.
HOT GALLERY: NASCAR Drivers Before They Started Tearing Up the Track
October 25th, 2011 by Brett Singer
VIDEO: Mark Hamill Chats About His Chuck Cameo at New York Comic Con
October 25th, 2011 by Brett Singer
We all loved him as Luke Skywalker, but Mark Hamill didn’t stop working after Return of the Jedi (1983). Mark (he was so nice, we feel like we can call him Mark) was at the New York Comic Con to talk about the comic book series NEW-GEN, produced by APNG Enterprises; Hamill recently joined the project as a creative consultant. He will also pop up on the season premiere of Chuck, airing Friday, October 28, on NBC. Here he is chatting with us about his cameo, how he kept it quiet but the network didn’t, and why ponytails are for… well, just watch the clip.
HOT GALLERY: 12 Great Baseball Movies, as Chosen by Celebs and Snakkle
October 23rd, 2011 by Brett Singer
Five Great Moments from Tim Tebow’s Career—High School, College, and Beyond
October 20th, 2011 by Brett Singer
When Tim Tebow was named the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos this week, he immediately became the number-one topic of conversation in every area of sports media. Tebow, now in his second year as an NFL player, will make only his fourth professional start when he takes the field against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, October 23. Despite his lack of pro playing time, Tebow has a huge fan base that stems from his legendary college career, as well as his sincere religious beliefs; after becoming the youngest college player to win the Heisman trophy, he went to the Philippines for spring break and helped circumcise orphans. (You may now pause to let that sink in.) He recently published a best-selling book (<i>Through My Eyes</i>) and is so popular that the Miami Dolphins will honor his 2008 Florida Gators college championship team this Sunday. To make sure you understand that last part, Tebow will be honored at the home stadium of the team he is trying to beat on the day of the game. Sound bizarre? That’s just a day in the life of Tim Tebow. Let’s look at five great moments from his career.
Finishing a Game with a Broken Leg in High School
One of the characteristics most valued by football players is toughness. We’d say that breaking your leg during a game, continuing to play, and running for a 20-yard touchdown—with a broken leg—qualifies as tough.
See Tim run in this video!
The Jump Pass
Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter, and producer Mark Hudson, who was best friends with the late Bronco superstar Lyle Alzado, tells Snakkle that “Tebow’s college career speaks for itself,” adding that the current Denver QB is “a winner” who can succeed in the NFL if given the chance. When you see plays like this one, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
See Tim jump in this video!
The Promise
After losing to Ole Miss in 2008, Tim Tebow delivered a heartfelt apology to Florida Gators fans. “A lot of good will come of this,” he said. “You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season. You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season.” The team did not lose again the rest of the season, and went on to win the national championship. The speech, known as “The Promise,” has been immortalized on a plaque outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
See Tim make the promise in this video!
2010 NFL Draft
Despite his popularity, Tebow chose not to attend the 2010 NFL draft in person. When the Broncos traded up to the 25th spot in order to select him, it caught everyone by surprise—including the ESPN broadcast team. Bleacher Report featured columnist Vin Getz says that while many pundits regarded the pick as “shocking,” he feels that “you have to at least give [Tebow] a consistent chance in the pros. It’s an old story, really—the guy no one believes in, that people think doesn’t have the skills… [maybe] he makes it big, or at least has a respectable career.”
See Tim get drafted in this video!
First NFL Win
Although most of Tebow’s accolades stem from his incredible success at the college level, he has certainly shown the ability to get the job done in the pros. On December 26, 2010, Tebow got his first NFL win against the Houston Texans, engineering a truly thrilling comeback. This highlight video is particularly great because Tebow was wearing a microphone during the game, allowing us to hear his enthusiasm and get a sense of why he has so many fans.
See Tim miked up during his first win in this video!
The Future
Will Tim Tebow do in the NFL what he did in college? “Tim Tebow was a great college quarterback. He is a great leader,” says Cliff Saunders, a host at 101 ESPN Radio in St. Louis. “Because of his leadership abilities, he has a chance to be successful in the NFL. But it’s never going to look pretty. That said, it’s not always about how it looks. It’s about results. And Tebow has gotten results before.”
HOT GALLERY: Check Out These Major Leaguers Before They Knocked It Outta The Park!
September 29th, 2011 by Brett Singer