Maya Angelou Biography (1928-)

Writer, dancer, African-American activist. Born Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Angelou spent her difficult formative years moving back and forth between her mother’s and grandmother’s. At age eight, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend, who was subsequently killed by her uncles. The event caused the young girl to go mute for nearly six…

Joan Baez Biography (1941-)

Joan Baez is a popular American folk singer who has been a social activist since the 1960s, when her version of “We Shall Overcome” became an unofficial anthem for civil rights advocates. She began her career in Boston coffeehouses while a student, and made a splash at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. A unique soprano, Baez sang traditional…

Rosie Perez Biography (1964-)

Brooklyn-born actress/choreographer Rosie Perez attended Los Angeles City College before making the cattle-call rounds for dancing jobs. She worked a few seasons with the TV variety series Soul Train, then went on to perform at the LA club Funky Reggae. Here she was spotted by director Spike Lee, who cast her in a choice role in his 1989…

Chaz Bono Biography (1969-)

Chaz Bono is the only child of Sonny and Cher, a famous pop music duo of the 1960s who became TV stars in the 1970s. Born Chastity in 1969, Chaz was the cherubic daughter of the hippie-era couple who rose to fame with pop songs such as “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.” In her…

Jane Birkin Biography (1946-)

Jane Birkin was born in London on 14 December 1946, the daughter of Judy Campbell, an actress, and David Birkin, a captain in the Royal Navy. She first trod the boards at the age of 17 and met John Barry, who signed her up in 1965 for his musical comedy Passion Flower Hotel. They married shortly afterwards, and…

Cyndi Lauper Biography (1953-)

Singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Born Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper on June 22, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. With her unique style and distinctive voice, Cyndi Lauper has emerged as one of pop music’s most unusual and enduring performers. She became one of the top pop stars of the 1980s and has continued to pursue her creative passions ever…

Connie Sellecca biography (1955-)

The reigning queen of the made-for-TV feature, raven-haired beauty Connie Sellecca has been lighting up the small screen since her memorable debut in the The Bermuda Depths in 1978. Whether it be in featured roles or recurring performances in such series as Hotel (1983), P.S.I. Luv U (1991), or Second Chances (1993), the actress has had an enduring…

Jenny McCarthy Biography (1972-)

A buxom blonde with a wicked jaw and a goofball bearing, Jenny McCarthy was briefly hyped in the 1990s as a Lucille Ball-Marilyn Monroe hybrid. She got her start posing nude for Playboy magazine in 1993, and ended up becoming that year’s Playmate of the Year. McCarthy parlayed that fame into a breakthrough role hosting the MTV dating…

Susan Anthony Biography (1820-1906)

Women’s rights activist, social reformer, editor, and writer. Born on February 15, 1820, in Adams, Massachusetts. For most of her life, Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights, especially the right to vote. Her family followed the Quaker religion and held many strong social and political beliefs. They were supporters of the abolitionist and temperance movements.

Early in her…

Jane Fonda Biography (1937-)

Hollywood legend has it that Bette Davis was forced to talk to a blank wall rather than her co-star Henry Fonda during filming of her close-ups in Jezebel; the reason was that he had repaired to New York to attend the birth of his daughter Jane.

A child of privilege, the young Jane Fonda exhibited the imperious, headstrong attitude…

Rosa Parks Biography (1913-2005)

Civil-rights activist. Born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus spurred on a city-wide boycott and helped launch nation-wide efforts to end segregation of public facilities. Early Life and Education

Rosa Parks’ childhood brought her early experiences with racial discrimination and activism…