Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'famous'

How Do You Make A Yugo Cool... Turn It Into A Book.

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The tiny, no-frills automobile imported from communist Yugoslavia during the 1980s is known to most Americans as the butt of many car jokes. Author Jason Vuic's book about the car, The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History, reveals why it's the most famous lemon in automotive history.

Samuel Barber At 100, Reconsidered

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:17:00 EST

He was once dismissed as a composer for "high middle-brow taste." But Barber, who wrote the famous "Adagio for Strings," would not be criticized if he were an emerging composer today, 100 years after his birth.

Elis Regina: The Essence Of Poise

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:14:00 EST

In a way, she's similar to iconic figures such as Janis Joplin or Billie Holiday — singers whose recordings define not just a style, but a way of being. Today, young performers talk about being intimidated when they attempt songs Regina made famous. Her work mulls over the big questions of life and romance, one magnificent half-step at a time.

Orpheus As Folk Opera In 'Hadestown'

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:21:00 EST

The ancient tale of Orpheus searching for his beloved in the underworld has been told many times by famous composers such as Monteverdi and Offenbach. Now, the desolate journey of Orpheus is presented in a new way: as a folk opera written by singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell. Hadestown features performances by Justin Vernon, Ani DiFranco and Greg Brown.

Bonerama: A Brass-Band Force Of Nature

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:48:00 EST

Bonerama's version of "When the Levee Breaks" pulls from the famous version on Led Zeppelin IV, complete with sly re-renderings of harmonica solos on swaying trombone. It moves with a heavy groove, dominated by the pounding wave of sound created by the slides of the trombone.

Headed Home, Along A Long Ribbon Of Road

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:40:00 EST

Based on a famous bit of folklore about a hopeful homecoming and a signal on a roadside oak, The Yellow Handkerchief centers on two teenagers on a road trip with an ex-con, hoping to help him reconnect with an old love. Moving through a post-Katrina Louisiana, the characters have all been blown around by their own private storms.

Iceberg Threatens 'March Of Penguins' Colony

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:53:00 EST

An enormous iceberg in Antarctica plowed into a peninsula made of ice and snapped it off, creating a second gigantic iceberg. The new 48-mile-long floating island of ice could make life difficult for the penguin colony made famous by the movie March of the Penguins.

Famous San Francisco Home For Sale

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:00:00 EST

Many visitors to San Francisco like to pose for a snapshot in front of the city's famous Seven Sisters. They also are called the Painted Ladies — the famous row of multicolored Victorian Houses. In 1965, Thomas Shannon paid $65,000 for his house. He's selling it for $4 million.

Book-Writing Coma Patient Debunked

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST

Rom Houben became famous for supposedly communicating his innermost thoughts through a trained facilitator after doctors initially concluded that a car accident had left him in a vegetative state. Now, Houbenâ��s doctor says those reports appear to be false.

Maltin's Movie Treasures That Time Forgot

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:05:00 EST

Film critic Leonard Maltin's new book is called 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen. Some of his picks featured giant stars like Jack Nicholson in less famous roles, and some starred complete unknowns. Maltin shares a few of his favorites.

Preservation Campaigners Cover Hollywood Sign

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:11:00 EST

The famous Hollywood sign has seen many incarnations. Now a conservation group has covered up the big, white letters with a sign that reads: "Save the Peak." The group Trust For Public Land is trying to stop a developer from building luxury homes on a nearby hill. The original landmark appeared in the 1920s to advertise a housing development.

His Name Is Khan (And It's One You Might Know)

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Shah Rukh Khan is arguably the biggest movie star in the world. So why is it that many Americans haven't heard his name? Because until now, he's been most famous for Bollywood extravaganzas. But his latest film, My Name Is Khan, is a different sort of story — a drama about a Muslim man with Aspergers, trying to right a wrong in the wake of Sept. 11.

Can You Tell Your Life Story In Exactly Six Words...

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Once asked to write a full story in six words, legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." In this spirit, Smith Magazine invited writers "famous and obscure" to distill their own life stories into a single sentence. It All Changed in an Instant is the third collection of six-word memoirs from the magazine.

Cheech And Chong Reunite, At Long Last

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST

Cheech and Chong, the famous stoner comedy duo, have reunited for their first tour in more than 25 years. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong released their first comedy albums in the 1970s, with routines about hippies, sex and most notably, their love of marijuana. Marin and Chong talk with NPR's Neal Conan about their "Get It Legal" tour, their friendship and what brought them back together after so many years.

Fritz Kreisler's Music (And His Violin) At WGBH

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:54:00 EST

Danish violinist Nikolaj Znaider plays one of the most famous fiddles around: a 1741 Guarneri del Gesu that once belonged to the beloved violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler. Hear Znaider play works by Kreisler in the WGBH studios.

Dump Punxsutawney Phil And Get A Robot, PETA Says

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:13:00 EST

The animal rights group wants organizers of a famous Pennsylvania festival to replace the world's best-known groundhog with an animatronic stand-in. Organizers say Phil is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania."

How Obama Can Rally His Troops On Health Bill

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:07:00 EST

President Obama needs to be mighty inspirational tonight if he wants to get a health care overhaul bill passed. We have some suggestions from famous movie speeches.

Tommy T: Ethiopian For The Untrained Ear

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:10:00 EST

After working with a number of bands, Tommy T is following a new path as a solo artist. His album The Prester John Sessions presents listeners with what he calls "music without boundaries." It features improvised arrangements with The Abyssinian Roots Collective, Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz and Pedro Sprazo, and famous Ethiopian singer Gigi.

Punk Legend Recalls Life, And Love, As 'Kids'

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Before either of them were famous, Patti Smith shared a romance and a deep friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Critic Michael Schaub says her new memoir, Just Kids, is a gift to anyone who has ever been touched by their art.

The Face Of A Famous Skull Found On Flickr

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

In 1848, Phineas Gage became a medical miracle when a 3 1/2-foot tamping iron blew through his head. His survival became the stuff of medical legend, but photos of him were lost to history — until now.

Cartier's Jewels For America's Rich And Famous

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST

In tough economic times, everyone needs a little dose of glitz and glamour. A popular exhibit in San Francisco showcases the "trinkets" that French jeweler Cartier made for mega-rich Americans — including the Vanderbilts, the Astors and, later, Liz Taylor and Grace Kelly.

Film Director Battles For Soul Of Chinese Cinema

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST

China's most famous film director aims to do battle with Hollywood for the China market with his latest film, a remake of the Coen brothers' Blood Simple. From art-house auteur, Zhang Yimou has transformed into the director of Beijing-sanctioned spectacles, including the ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.

Susan Boyle And Other New Names Of 2009

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST

It's time for Will Shortz's annual names-in-the-news quiz. Will gives the names of people that you almost certainly never heard of before 2009, but who became suddenly famous during the past 12 months.

Comic Tchaikovsky: 'The Tsarina's Slippers'

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Tchaikovsky is famous for dark, brooding symphonies, and of all his operas, only one is a comedy. Yet his fanciful score The Tsarina's Slippers is surely among the most charming of all Russian comic operas.

The Story of 'The Tsarina's Slippers'

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST