Entertainers Who Have Made An Impact In History
ENTERTAINMENT | June 9, 2019
Center Stage. Source: (seekingalpha.com)
Many entertainers have come and gone throughout history but most do not create a major impact on us like some do. Here are just three of them that have taken center stage by either creating an event that was memorable or their life, in general, did in some way.
Orson Welles
Orson Welles was born in 1915 and passed away in 1985 at the age of 70. Two years after his family moved from Wisconsin to Chicago, when he was only four, his parents separated. He lived with his mother for a few years until she passed away when he was just 8 years old and then he lived with his father. Later in 1928, his father committed suicide and Dr. Maurice Bernstein, an orthopedist, became his guardian. Dr. Bernstein enrolled him in a progressive school in Woodstock, Illinois where he got into theater. He eventually became an actor and producer. Orson Welles was one of those entertainers who made an impact on history through an unusual event.
On October 30 of 1938 (Halloween night), Orson Welles did a broadcast from his Mercury Theatre, during his usual radio program, of H. G. Wells’ classic War of the Worlds novel. With sound effects of sirens going off in the background, war machines, and announcers supposedly on the scene describing the action that included descriptions of alien creatures, it caused quite a stir in the American public. It has been reported that there was a mass hysteria that night as many believed we were being invaded by Mars. Because it was during wartime, people were more susceptible to believing it was a real threat. At least that is what people were led to believe by the media. Supposedly, it was so bad that people fled their homes with some even on the verge of committing suicide.
Was that really the case or was that "fake news"? When asked about it later, Welles reported that it was announced several times that night that it was not real. Could this be the origin of the “fake news” we get today?
Elvis Presley
No entertainer has made more of an impact on history than Elvis Presley, born in January of 1935, who has been named the “King of Rock and Roll.” What makes his success so astounding is that he was dirt poor as a boy and no one knew who he even was until he was “discovered.” Then his life changed dramatically and so did the lives of all those who were affected by his music, his career, and his life.
Elvis changed the course of history by changing the music industry with his body movements that made a lot of people nervous back in those days while making a lot of other people excited especially the girls. Becoming known all over the world by just his first name, Elvis became an overwhelming sensation that no other entertainer before or since has been able to achieve. The whole world mourned when he passed away at age 42 in August of 1977. When Elvis died, it took on the magnitude of that of a president or a king. Thousands showed up at his funeral and people all over the world took notice in one way or another.
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli has impacted history by showing that it is possible to overcome insurmountable circumstances and still be successful in achieving your dreams. Before he was born in 1958 in Italy, his parents were advised to abort him because they believed that he would be born with a disability regarding his eyesight. They decided against aborting him. He was later diagnosed with congenital glaucoma but he was 12 years old before he actually totally lost his sight, which happened during a football game. After being struck in the eye while playing goalkeeper, he had a brain hemorrhage. He had always loved music from a very young age. At six years old, he began with piano lessons and then learned to play several other instruments that included the flute, trumpet, saxophone, guitar, trombone, and drums. Later he began learning to sing tenor and, by age 14, won his first song competition. After completing secondary school, he went on to study law while playing in piano bars at night to make money while in school. He went on to become a court-appointed lawyer for a year. The most unique aspect of Andrea Bocelli is his voice. It has been said that his voice is the most beautiful voice in the world. One of the most popular songs that he has done is “The Prayer” which he has won many awards for and sung as a duet with Celine Dion and others.
Entertainers have a certain amount of power in that they can make people feel better or they can make them feel worse.
Tags: entertainers
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Penny Chavers
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