jazz bass playerBorn: 1912Birthplace: New York City Peer began plucking the strings for the Chick Webb Orchestra in 1937. He backed up stars such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Lena Horne,…
writerDied: August 22, 2007 (Thetford Hill, Vermont) Best Known as: celebrated writer and social activist Celebrated writer and social activist who explored the…
fashion designerBorn: 6/27/1949Birthplace: New York City Wang is widely considered the most respected and influential wedding dress designer in the world. She also designs evening wear, ready-to-…
actressBorn: 2/8/1953Birthplace: Newport, Arkansas This appealing, versatile actress won an Academy Award for her role in Melvin and Howard (1980). She also appeared in Ragtime (1981), A Midsummer'…
(Encyclopedia) Masham, Abigail, LadyMasham, Abigail, Ladymăshˈəm [key], d. 1734, favorite of Queen Anne of England. Her maiden name was Abigail Hill. A plain, intelligent person, she became (1704)…
(Encyclopedia) RachelRachelräshĕlˈ [key], stage name of Élisa FélixRachelālēˈzä fālēksˈ [key], 1821–58, French actress, b. Switzerland. Exploited by her father in her childhood, she sang in the…
(Encyclopedia) Patchett, Ann, 1963–, American author, b. Los Angeles, B.A. Sarah Lawrence College, 1984, M.F.A Univ. of Iowa, 1987. In her twenties she was a writer at Seventeen magazine, wrote…
(Encyclopedia) Emmet, Robert, 1778–1803, Irish nationalist and revolutionary. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin, but left in 1798 because of his nationalist sympathies. In 1800 he went to France…
