Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'fame'

Joe The Plumber Trades Wrench For Press Pass

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:46:00 EST

Joe The Plumber is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for the putting down his wrenches conservative Web site pjtv. com. Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, who gained fame during the presidential election, says he'll spend 10 days covering the fighting.

A Vivid Memoir From The Youngest McCourt

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:33:00 EST

The McCourt family gained fame through the books of brothers Frank and Malachy. In A Long Stone's Throw, the youngest brother, Alphie, shares a colorful account of his own life in Ireland and America.

Q-Tip's 'Renaissance' Worth The Wait

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:04:00 EST

As leader of the 1990s hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip rose to fame on the strength of their jazz-influenced production and his smooth, unruffled rapping. After problems plagued his solo career, Q-Tip disappeared from the music scene. He has now resurfaced with an entirely new CD, The Renaissance.

Stick Follows Carboard Box Into Toy Hall Of Fame

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:44:00 EST

The National Toy Hall of Fame this year is honoring the baby doll, the skateboard and the lowly stick. Of course, you might be able to employ it as a magic wand, a sceptor or a jousting sword. In choosing the stick, toy experts found virtue in its versatility, natural ingredients, no-cost and its appeal to the imagination. In 2005, the cardboard box was inducted into the hall.

Dion Pays Homage To Guitar-Rock Giants

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:49:00 EST

With his band the Belmonts, singer-songwriter Dion rose to fame as a '60s teen idol, topping charts with hits like "The Wanderer" and "I Wonder Why." The latest album in his long career is Heroes: Giants Of Early Guitar Rock.

Buddy Guy: Blues Legend Only 'Skin Deep'

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:10:00 EDT

Buddy Guy lets loose on his six-string on the new record, Skin Deep, a collection of all original material with slash-and-burn solos aplenty. In a session from WXPN, Guy reminisces about his musical roots in Louisiana and rise to fame in Chicago's west side.

Hudson's Tragedy Stirs Focus on Missing Children

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:32:00 EDT

Police continue to search for Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson's nephew. Seven-year-old Julian King remains missing since his grandmother and uncle — Hudson's mother and brother — were shot to death last week. Some wonder how fame is influencing the attention being given to the Hudson case.

Imagining 'Joe The Plumber: The Epic'

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Sometimes that 15 minutes of fame turns into an hour. Satirists Bruce Kluger and David Slavin present the promo for a fictional epic called Joe the Plumber — it's the story about the one man equipped to fix the nation's plugged up economy.

Warhol Was Right About '15 Minutes Of Fame'

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:09:00 EDT

American artist Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." In an era of reality TV and YouTube, it looks like his prediction came true. Sherri Geldin, director of the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio talks about Warhol's new relevance in the digital age.

Scandals Plague Japanese Sumo Culture

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:04:00 EDT

Allegations of drug use and game rigging are troubling fans of Japan's national sport. Some blame foreigners for the problems, but one retired wrestler says the younger ones have left fame go to their heads.

Adele: Chasing 'Pavements' And Pop Stardom

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT

After releasing her debut album, 19, to critical acclaim earlier this year, British artist Adele was dubbed the next Amy Winehouse by the British press. The young singer-songwriter talks about her record and her new-found fame.

'Playlist,' 'Chihuahua' Or Alienation...

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Slate.com's film expert takes us through the reviews of the latest releases. This week: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, the story of young love in Manhattan, the comedy Beverly Hills Chihuahua starring the voice of Drew Barrymore and How To Lose Friends & Alienate People, the story of a disillusioned intellectual obsessed with celebrity and fame.

U.S. Physicists Recall Brush With Supercollider Fame

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:06:00 EDT

For some American scientists, the official start-up of the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland is a bittersweet moment. A supercollider in Texas would have been more powerful than the European one, but Congress killed the project in 1993.

The Ting Tings: Sassy Electro-Pop

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:15:00 EDT

The Ting Tings' debut album, We Started Nothing, has propelled the British duo to worldwide fame on the strength of some of the catchiest pop songs in recent memory. The British duo layers together synths, powerful drum beats and catchy melodies in a session from WXPN.

Baltimore Plans Homecoming Fit For Phelps

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Michael Phelps's Facebook fan club is second in membership to Barack Obama's. Now, his hometown of Baltimore has to figure out how to welcome the swimmer home in a style befitting his fame. After the last Olympics, the city threw a "Phelps-tival," giving him a parade, the key to the city and a street named after him. One suggestion: How about changing the name of his neighborhood — Fell's Point — to Phelps Point?

The Death Of The Perfect 10

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

There are certain terms in the sports world that just inspire awe: the hole in one, the no hitter, the perfect 10. Now you can forget about the perfect 10 — at least when it comes to Olympic gymnastics. The score that propelled Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton to fame is gone — replaced by a new system that scores most gymnasts between a 14 and a 17.

The Lives Of Assassins

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

John Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon were all killed by assassins. But what were the assassins' motivations? In his new book, Wolves, Jackals, and Foxes, Kris Hollington argues there are three types of assassins: professionals, amateurs who kill for a cause and social misfits looking for fame.

Lalo Schifrin's American Rhapsody

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:01:00 EDT

One of the most quintessentially American composers of the 20th century was not an American. But as a boy in Argentina, Schifrin discovered George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong, setting him — and his celebrated film scores — on a path to fame.

Remembering Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:21:00 EDT

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University professor who turned a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer into a best-selling book and worldwide fame, died today at the age of 47.

With Resistance, Sports Stars Emerge In China

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:57:00 EDT

With sporting fame comes corporate sponsorship, television appearances, and fat paychecks. But in China, athletes are expected to let the government manage their image and to hand over a substantial cut of their earnings.

Bell X1: Finding Fame Stateside

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:21:00 EDT

Famous in its native Ireland, the pop-rock band saw its U.S. fan base multiply when its music was used on The O.C. and Grey's Anatomy. Bell X1 recently crossed the Atlantic for a tour stop at West Virginia's Mountain Stage.

Dr. Dre's Mom Tells Of 'Long Road Outta Compton'

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EDT

You may not know who Verna Griffin is. But you probably know her son — rapper and music producer, Andre "Dr. Dre" Young. She talks with Farai Chideya about her new memoir, Long Road Outta Compton, which details her turbulent childhood, failed marriages and her son's rise to fame.

In Sports, Southpaws Needn't Feel Left Out

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:01:00 EDT

Democrat or Republican, America's next president will certainly be a southpaw. But commentator Frank Deford explains that lefties do more than make great leaders. They also fill the aisles in the sports halls of fame.

Nortec Woos Fans With Unique Musical Blend

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EDT

The Grammy Award-winning music of the Nortec Collective is an unlikely blend of techno and the traditional Mexican music known as Norteno. The band talks about their ascension to fame and their widely-acclaimed second album, Tijuana Session Volume 3.

Comic Cheech Marin Champions Chicano Art

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:11:00 EDT

The iconic funnyman rose to fame as one half of the pothead duo Cheech and Chong. Over the years, he has acquired one of the largest collections of Chicano art in the world. By sharing his favorite works with the public, he hopes to help people see that Mexican-American art is "mainstream."