Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'kings'

Personal War Journal Becomes Gripping Memoir

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:15:00 EST

In 2005, Dana Canedy's fiance — Charles King — was deployed to Iraq. King started writing a journal to their infant son, in case he didn't make it home. After King lost his life in a roadside bomb attack, Canedy turned King's 200-page journal into a memoir, called A Journal for Jordan.

Civil Rights March To Inauguration Day: King's Contribution

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST

Host Liane Hansen and NPR News Analyst Juan Williams continue their series of discussions about the civil rights milestones that led to the election of Barack Obama. This week, they talk about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and politics, including King's Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott to force politicians to end segregation on the bus lines.

Fred Sanford: King Of The Junkyard

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:10:00 EST

As part of NPR's "In Character" Series, Tony Cox profiles Fred Sanford. Sanford, the petulant character on the 1970s NBC sitcom "Sanford and Son," ran an antique shop and junkyard out of his Los Angeles home.

Citation Kings: Hottest Scientific Papers of 2008

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST

What do graphene and autophagy have in common? They were two of the hottest topics in scientific literature this year. David Pendlebury, citation analyst with Thomson-Reuters, looks at the most-cited scientific papers of 2008, and explains why the research was so noteworthy.

The Year On Vinyl: Dropping The Needle

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:21:00 EST

Now that the MP3 is king, vinyl has become something of an underground revolution. More and more artists have begun to insist on releasing their new albums on vinyl, and music fans who jettisoned their collections in favor of "clear, perfect digital sound CDs" are raiding garage sales and rediscovering analog music all over again. Here are 10 releases from 2008 that are worth the extra effort of vinyl.

Belafonte Puts Rev. King's Notes Up For Auction

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:01:00 EST

The documents include the first draft of the civil rights leader's Feb. 25, 1967, anti-war speech, sketched out in Belafonte's New York City apartment, and notes for a speech on the Poor People's Campaign that King planned to deliver in Memphis the day he was killed.

Macabre Master Stephen King Returns To Form

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:53:00 EST

After a flirtation with literary fiction, King returns with Just After Sunset, a collection of lurid, gore-spattered tales that can be both horrifying and heartbreaking.

Illinois Jacquet: King Of The Screeching Tenor

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Bandleader Illinois Jacquet was recognized as the king of the tenor saxophone. During his long career, Jacquet played with everyone from Basie to Lionel Hampton and gained notoriety for his wild, honking solo in "Flying Home," which heralded a new approach to playing known as the "Texas tenor style."

Washington State Man Doesn't Lack Initiative

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

For more than a decade, Tim Eyman has been known as Washington State's ballot initiative king. He puts a new initiative on the ballot every year, and he has more raw political power than almost any single member of the state legislature.

Dr. Drew, Rodney King Talk 'Celebrity Rehab'

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:03:00 EDT

The TV network, VH1, has teamed up with Dr. Drew Pinsky again for a second season of Celebrity Rehab. For more, Farai Chideya talks with Dr. Drew and new cast member, Rodney King.

B.B. King Offers 'One Kind Favor'

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:26:00 EDT

Widely regarded as one of the best guitarists of all time, blues legend B.B. King is still recording at age 82. Music critic Milo Miles reviews King's newest album, One Kind Favor.

King Of Kitsch Takes Over Versailles

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The first retrospective exhibit of controversial artist Jeff Koons is on display at Versailles, just outside Paris. In recent years, only a few select works of contemporary artists have been displayed there. Now, Koon's giant red aluminum lobster, vacuum cleaners and floor polishers display and giant balloon dog adorn the palace. Critics are calling it a sullying of French culture and identity.

Bluesman Elvin Bishop, Rolling Stylishly On

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:38:00 EDT

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the guitarist and singer's new album, The Blues Rolls On. Released in early September, the disc includes collaborations with B.B. King, George Thorogood, James Cotton and more.

Elvin Bishop: Back To The Blues

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 05:48:00 EDT

Bishop first journeyed to Chicago in 1960 in search of the blues. Still active after 45 years, the legendary bluesman just released a new album, The Blues Rolls On, featuring B.B. King, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes and George Thorogood playing classic blues tunes.

The High Kings: Irish Balladeers In Studio 4A

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:38:00 EDT

The all-male vocal quartet, which draws its name from the supreme rulers of yore, has been selling out Irish stadiums with harmony-drenched folk songs. Now on tour in North America, the group visits NPR for a studio performance and interview.

B.B. King On Life And The Blues

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:19:00 EDT

Blues legend B.B. King's 60-year career has included a string of hits, including You Know I Love You, Bad Luck and The Thrill Is Gone. He has received many awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Willie Stark Lives On

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:25:00 EDT

One of the best-known politicians of the 20th century was Willie Stark, the populist hero who rose to rule his state in All the King's Men. Stark has lived on in three stage plays, two movies, an opera and several required-reading lists.

King Khan On Being A 'Genius'

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EDT

International alternative rocker King Khan talks about his musical inspirations, and his new album, The Supreme Genius of King Khan.

King Of Voiceovers Don LaFontaine Dies

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Voiceover artist Don LaFontaine died this week at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from complications of an ongoing illness. He was 68. LaFontaine was the voice behind thousands of movie trailers. In 2006, he parodied himself in a Geico commercial.

Before King's 'Dream' Day, City Feared Nightmare

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:17:00 EDT

Many white residents of Washington, D.C., didn't expect the day of Aug. 28, 1963, to shine as a beacon in the history of U.S. civil rights. "They expected riot and mayhem," historian Taylor Branch said. With activist Roger Wilkins, Branch looks back at that day.

Charlotte, N.C., Cabbie Is Karaoke King

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:23:00 EDT

Hop into any cab in America and you never really know what you'll get. Well, if you happen to get into one cab in Charlotte, N.C., you'll get all of that plus one more thing: Karaoke. Simone Orendain reports for member station WFAE.

Billie Jean King Remembers 'Battle Of The Sexes'

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

As the 35th anniversary of Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs "Battle of the Sexes" match approaches, co-host Renee Montagne talks to tennis legend Billie Jean King about that famous match. King highlights the lessons that helped her win that match in a new book, Pressure is a Privilege.

'I Served The King': Smooth Operator, With Issues

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:36:00 EDT

Audacious Czech dramedy feels a bit like an Eastern European Forrest Gump — though its protagonist isn't quite so innocent, and the tumultuous times he lives through are markedly harsher. (Recommended)

Bernie Mac, One Of The Original 'Kings of Comedy'

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:46:00 EDT

Comedian and actor Bernie Mac died on August 9 due to complications from pneumonia. Mac was one of the original Kings of Comedy, and he starred in his own sitcom. In tribute, Mac's friend and co-star Don Cheadle says, "He will be missed but heaven just got funnier."

King Wilkie On Mountain Stage

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:02:00 EDT

Since forming in 2003, the Virginia band has shifted its stylistic focus from traditional bluegrass to an all-encompassing, broad style of original acoustic music. Hear King Wilkie perform overlooking West Virginia's New River Gorge.