Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'famous'

What We Don't Know About Sherman's March

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:16:00 EST

Author Noah Andre Trudeau's novel, Southern Storm, is about Sherman's March and what actually happened during this famous Civil War event.

Richard Sudhalter On Cornetist Bix Beiderbecke

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:08:00 EST

A cornetist and jazz scholar, Sudhalter remembers overlooked cornetist Bix Beiderbecke with Marian McPartland. Beiderbecke had a short career in the 1920s, but he influenced a wide spectrum of artists, from Hoagy Carmichael to Miles Davis. McPartland plays Beiderbecke's most famous piano composition, "In a Mist," before getting together with Sudhalter on "Davenport Blues."

California Winemakers Press A Family Vintage

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:11:00 EST

Chateau Montelena winery is famous for besting French competitors at a 1976 competition in Paris. The Napa Valley winery is also a family business, one that has passed through two generations and could make it to a third. But working together wasn't always smooth.

Famous Hotel Madonna Inn Celebrates 50 Years

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Day to Day senior producer Steve Proffitt and fifties fanatic Charles Phoenix visited the hotel not far from William Hearst's castle on the California coastline to see how it's holding up after a half century. The hotel is famous for its theme rooms and hot pink dining area

Sugarplums: Dreaming Of The Sweet Unknown

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:57:00 EST

As the famous poem puts it, Christmas is when children are "nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." It's a lovely image. But it does prompt the question: What exactly is a sugarplum? The short answer: It's very good.

Yo-Yo Ma Seeks Online Collaborators

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:36:00 EST

The world-famous cellist has a challenge for his fans and fellow musicians: Ma has invited them to get online and produce a virtual collaboration with him. Simply download Ma playing "Dona Nobis Pacem," add new music, mix and then upload it back to the site, where the rest of the submissions can be heard. Ma says he'll play music, in person, with the winner.

Saddam-Era Iraqi Singer Makes A Comeback

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:04:00 EST

Qasim Sultan was once famous for performing songs in praise of Saddam Hussein. His portly figure was well known to millions and his sycophantic songs aired over and over on television. Now he is back, to the elation of some and the anger of others.

Markets Bustling As Truffle Season Begins In France

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:01:00 EST

There is an atmosphere of intrigue as truffle sellers line up carrying les truffes noires, the famous black truffle of the Perigord region of France, in their baskets. They will fetch anywhere from $250 to $400 a pound, depending on their quality.

Balancing Form, Function In Museum Architecture

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:19:00 EST

Two American museums designed by one world-famous architect have evoked two very different reactions from visitors and critics alike. Laura Sydell investigates the tensions between form and function in the latest installment of NPR's series on 21st-century museums.

John Milton, 400 Years Of 'Justifying God To Man'

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:36:00 EST

On the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Milton, fans around the world are celebrating with literary events, exhibits and readings of Milton's famous epic poem, Paradise Lost.

Conceptualizing Sol Lewitt's 'Wall Drawings'

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:34:00 EST

Sol LeWitt was one of the pioneers of conceptual art. He saw it in his mind, then communicated it to others to complete. Dozens of people have done just that with his ideas for his famous Wall Drawings, which are now at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

Odetta: Legendary Folk Singer Dies At 77

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:58:00 EST

Activist and singer Odetta has died. When you talk to some of the most famous singers in America, they'll tell you she inspired the way they sing. One moment she'd grimace like something was hurting. Then suddenly Odetta would smile. And you'd melt.

Sleevefacers Become The Album Cover

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

British DJ Carl Morris was just "horsing around," when he held up a Paul McCartney record to his face, grafting the famous Beatle's head to his body. Since then, the idea, dubbed "sleevefacing," has flourished into a new art trend, Web Site and book that includes pictures from people sleevefacing throughout the U.S. and abroad. Alex Cohen talks to Morris about Sleeveface — people making art out of album covers, and themselves.

Ariel, Wa.: Whatever Happened To D.B .Cooper...

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

Over the weekend in rural Washington State, there were celebrations in Ariel to recall the country's most famous unsolved hijacking. Thirty-seven years ago, a man known as D.B. Cooper seized a jetliner, received a ransom and parachuted out somewhere over southwest Washington. He disappeared along with most of the $200,000 in cash.

The History Of The Black Church

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:10:58 EST

When President-elect Barack Obama spoke of the "black church" during his now-famous speech on race and religion, it was clear what he meant. But some historians who focus on African-American religion say the term "black church" is passe.

Annie Leibovitz: The View From Behind The Lens

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:10:00 EST

Whoopi Goldberg in a milk bath? Meryl Streep in a white mime face? After training her lens on some of the most notable faces of our day, the photographer reveals the stories behind some of her famous portraits.

Merrill Lynch And The Mortgage Crisis

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:56:00 EST

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gretchen Morgenson discusses the unprecedented collapse of Merrill Lynch, America's most famous brokerage house.

QE2 Sets Sail On Farewell Voyage

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Queen Elizabeth 2, one of the world's most famous ocean liners, is on her final voyage. The vessel will become a first-class hotel and entertainment center in Dubai. Captain Ian McNaught talks with Ari Shapiro about what it's been like to be on board the ship for more than 20 years.

Hanggai: Chinese Punk Looks To The Past

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:47:00 EST

Modern Chinese music is most famous for sappy Canto-pop love songs. But on the mainland, young Chinese musicians are innovating and taking risks with ancient music forms such as throat singing. Former punk singer Ilchi is now a force in the Mongolian folk-music revival with his band Hanggai.

Remembering Ballerina Rosella Hightower

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:47:00 EST

Ballerina Rosella Hightower died last week at the age of 88. She was of Choctaw Indian ancestry, one of several famous Native American ballerinas from her home state of Oklahoma.

'Duchess' Demands $10M To Leave Carnegie Hall

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:42:00 EST

Editta Sherman has lived above Carnegie Hall for more than 60 years. In her home studio, she has photographed some of the most famous names in show business. Now, Carnegie Hall is trying to evict her. "I only have three years to be 100," she tells us as part of the reason why she's going to put up a fight.

America's First Drug-Treatment Prison Revisited

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The Narcotic Farm was one of America's most ambitious drug-treatment institutions. It was located in Lexington, Ky., and housed addicts from the famous, like writer William S. Burroughs, to the forgotten. Documentarian JP Olsen and drug policy expert Nancy Campbell collaborated on a new book and a PBS documentary titled The Narcotic Farm: The Rise and Fall of America's First Prison for Drug Addicts. They talk about the institution.

Defining Dracula: A Century Of Vampire Evolution

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:31:00 EDT

Dracula can't see his own reflection in the mirror because he is a reflection of the culture around him. Vampire expert Eric Nuzum explains how depictions of Transylvania's most famous son vary widely from the Victorian era to the Cold War.

A Fan's Formula: Picking A Side In The World Series

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:32:00 EDT

Two games into the World Series, many fans are still wondering whom to pull for. What you really need, says Mike Pesca, is a formula. It takes into account famous beloved underdogs of the past; payrolls; the use of rookies; the appeal of each team's manager — and their mascots.

Recordings Capture Writers' Voices Off The Page

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:02:00 EDT

Rare recordings featuring the voices of famous authors have just been released on two collections from the British Library. The CD sets include the only recording of Virginia Woolf, as well as the sound of dozens of other writers, both British and American.