Elvis Aaron Presley (1935-1977) was an American singer and actor, one of the most popular entertainers of the 20 th century, who is renowned as an early pioneer of rock and roll music.
In 1953, while recording some songs as a birthday gift for his mother at a Memphis, Tennessee, studio, Presley impressed the studio manager with his unique vocal style. At the age of 21 Presley recorded his first songs for a major record label, including the original and popular Heartbreak Hotel. He followed with the enormously successful single record Hound Dog" and All Shook Up. He later starred in four motion pictures.
His death, a subject of some controversy, has been officially attributed to heart failure, a likely result of Presley's chronic overuse of prescription barbiturates.
Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart (1756-1791) was an Austrian composer, a centrally important composer of the classical era, and one of the most inspired composers in Western musical tradition. Some of his works include Idomeneo, Symphony No. 40 in G Minor and Requiem.
Buddy Holly (1938-1959) was an American rock-and-roll singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter, one of the first major performers of rock-and-roll music. Holly began to sing in country groups while still in high school, and by the mid-1950s he was playing small clubs throughout the Southwest, singing and playing country music. Holly recorded both alone and as lead performer with the Crickets; for the latter he co-wrote the best selling That'll Be The Day (1957), the same year his solo single Peggy Sue became a hit. Holly's phenomenal career was abruptly ended when he died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
The Beatles were a British musical ensemble, whose works
are among the most universally accepted pop music recordin
gs of the 20 th century. The group
brought unprecedented sophistication to rock music and symbolised
the personal and political rebellion and search for identity of
many adolescents and young adults of the 1960s. The group consisted
of four Liverpool-born musicians: George Harrison, John Lennon,
Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.
From the simple, fresh style of early songs such as I Want To Hold Your Hand the Beatles progressed to innovative, experimental works such as the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band(1967).
The Beatles broke up in 1970, but each member continued to perform. The members were often approached with requests to reunite, which fuelled wide speculation until John Lennon's murder in 1980.
Michael Jackson (1958) is a popular American singer, dancer,, and songwriter, known for his dancing style, slight physical appearance, and whimsical mode of dressing, with a trademark of a single rhinestone-covered glove. He was a member of the group Jackson Five with his siblings. Jackson's first solo album, Got to Be There established him as a solo performer. His album Thriller earned an unprecedented eight Grammy Awards. The videos of the singles Beat It and Billie Jean from this album made Jackson a staple performer on MTV.
Jackson's albums Bad and the title single became best-sellers, as did his album Dangerous and the single Remember the Time. In 1995 the double album HIStory was released.
U2 are an Irish rock band which achieved world-wide
popularity during the 1980s and 1990s. The group was formed in
1976 by four students: vocalist Bono; guitarist The Edge; bassist
Adam Clayton; and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. They released their
debut album in 1980.
With the albums The Unforgettable Fire and, especially, The Joshua Tree U2 became one of the most popular and respected bands in rock music. Such songs as Where the Streets Have No Name and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For established a style both grand and introspective, coloured by Bono's yearning vocals and The Edge's innovative, ringing guitar. U2 subsequently grew famous for its commitment to political causes, including prominent support for international human rights. U2 has won numerous Grammy Awards.
