Stephanie Mills (All in the Family)
Stephanie Mills is a character from the 1970s American television situation comedy "All in the Family" and the follow-up series "Archie Bunker's Place". She was portrayed by child actress Danielle Brisebois, who joined "All in the Family" in 1978. Brisebois continued in the role until "Archie Bunker's Place" ended its run in 1983.
Character background.
Stephanie was introduced in the "All in the Family's" ninth-season premiere as the 9-year-old niece of Archie and Edith Bunker (although she was actually the daughter of Edith's step-cousin). Stephanie was abandoned at the doorstep of the Bunkers' home by her father Floyd Mills, a chronic alcoholic. Floyd was Edith's step-cousin from her aunt's second marriage. Stephanie's mother — Floyd's wife, Marilyn — had died some time earlier in a car accident.
Edith is more than delighted to take in Stephanie, but Archie is decidedly less so, especially since he was finally looking forward to some peace and quiet after his daughter and son-in-law, Gloria and Mike "Meathead" Stivic, moved to California. Eventually, Stephanie wins over Archie, and he grows to love her as his own daughter. She also appeared to hold liberal views in contrast with the conservative Archie. Shortly after moving in with the Bunkers, Stephanie reveals herself to be Jewish, something that at first upsets Archie. While he learns to live with Stephanie's religious beliefs, Archie was not stopped from making his usual bigoted remarks against Judaism from time to time.
Stephanie proved to be very talented as a singer and dancer, showcasing her talents on several episodes of "All in the Family" and "Archie Bunker's Place". She once applied to a fine arts school (despite Archie's decidedly reluctant support), but she was turned down because of her less-than-stellar grades.
On several occasions, Stephanie's relatives tried to take Stephanie away from the Bunkers. Not long after Edith died, Stephanie's wealthy grandmother Estelle Harris (portrayed by Celeste Holm) sued Archie for custody, citing his bigoted attitudes and blue-collar background. A judge sides with Archie, but grants Estelle liberal visitation rights. Stephanie's father Floyd (Ben Slack) also re-appears on occasion, asking to take his daughter back (in one instance, extorting money from Archie and Edith in exchange for allowing them to keep Stephanie); however, the Bunkers manage to foil him each time.
Stephanie first attended an unnamed elementary school and later Ditmars Junior High School. Her best friend (and sometimes rival) was classmate Amy Bloom (played by Seven Anne MacDonald).
In the latter years of "Archie Bunker's Place", Stephanie would be one of two teenaged girls living under Archie's roof, the other being Archie's 18-year-old niece Barbara Lee "Billie" Bunker (portrayed by Denise Miller). Stephanie would also make fewer appearances during the final two seasons of the series.
References.
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Stephanie Forrester (The Bold and the Beautiful)
Fictional character from The Bold and the Beautiful
Stephanie Douglas Forrester (née Douglas) is a fictional character from "The Bold and the Beautiful", an American soap opera on the CBS network. Stephanie is known as a strong woman who acts decisively and sometimes also controversially, to protect her children and her marriage to the famed fashion designer Eric Forrester. The determination to overprotect her children stems as a result the abuse Stephanie suffered as a child at the hands of her father John Douglas. Stephanie had a long-standing rivalry with Brooke Logan, who at first was a serious competitor for Eric's love, and later was involved with her two sons Ridge and Thorne. She had also rivalries with other women that were competitors for Eric's love, such as Margo Lynley, Beth Logan, Sheila Carter, Sally Spectra, Maggie Forrester, Lauren Fenmore, Jackie Marone and Donna Logan, but with some of them, she also developed friendships (like Brooke, Sally, Maggie, Lauren and Jackie). She had also rivalries with Deveney Dixon, who at first was pretend to be her daughter Angela, and later was involved with her son Thorne, and Morgan DeWitt who was involved with her son Ridge, and even got pregnant from him when both was young, but Stephanie took her to have an abortion at the clinic. Stephanie had also a good friendship with her daughter-in-law Taylor Hayes, and she always preferred her over her second daughter-in-law Brooke. Out of respect for friendship with Stephanie, Taylor was involved with Eric only after her death. She has been portrayed since the show's inception in 1987 by Emmy-winning actress Susan Flannery. Stephanie's lung cancer diagnosis played a central role in the series, and the character died of the disease on November 26, 2012.
Casting and creation.
The role of Stephanie was created for actress Susan Seaforth Hayes (who played Julie Olson Williams on "Days of Our Lives") but Hayes turned it down. The producers then contacted Hayes' former "Days" co-star, Susan Flannery, and she eventually won the role. Hayes did, however, appear in 2003 and 2005 as Joanna Manning, the mother of Lauren Fenmore. Flannery initially did not want the role and the producers had to ask her three times to come in and talk about the role. Jane Elliot had been contacted by producer Gail Kobe for the Stephanie role, but lost to Flannery at the behest of creator William J. Bell. Stephanie was played from the show's beginning in 1987 by Flannery, who also directed some of the show's episodes. In September 2007, Flannery asked for a medical leave, as she had fibromyalgia.
Flannery, along with John McCook as Eric Forrester, Katherine Kelly Lang as Brooke Logan and Ronn Moss as Ridge Forrester were referred to as the "core four", having been in the series from the start. However, on August 11, 2012, it was announced that after twenty-five years, Moss would be leaving the show, breaking up the core four, and leaving Flannery, Kelly Lang, and McCook as the sole remaining characters from the show's inception. On October 10, 2012, it was announced that Flannery had decided to quit the show also, after twenty-five years. During a 2012 interview with "TV Guide", Bradley Bell announced that Stephanie's character would die of cancer. Bell said: "It is huge. And amazing. I knew this day was coming but I've been in denial about it. I've been loving and treasuring every one of these last few days we have with Susan." Flannery signed a contract that would allow the show to build a storyline surrounding her exit. Stephanie departed on November 26, 2012, and reappeared in video recordings on December 7 and 10, 2012.
On February 9, 2018, Flannery returned for a cameo as the voice of Stephanie on Brooke and Ridge's wedding day.
On December 15, 2023, Flannery returned for a cameo as a ghost appearing by her husband, Eric Forrester’s hospital bed
Character development.
Bradley Bell said that Stephanie: "has always been a woman of great strength and character." She is known for her long-running feud with Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang). However, in recent times, it has calmed down and they are extremely close. Bell has stated that: "Stephanie and Brooke are the true supercouple of B&B."
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"I wanted to create the biggest mountain possible for Stephanie to overcome. It's the weightiest, most intimate and difficult thing she has ever had to wrestle with and to have to share it with Brooke is torture. This is a story about a highly functioning woman that will delve deeply into issues of self-worth and denial. But it's not going to be morbid or depressing. Stephanie is determined to party right into her grave. It'll be a hell of a lot of fun to watch."
—executive producer and head writer Brad Bell, during an interview with "TV Guide" on the storyline
During a confrontation with Brooke, Stephanie collapsed. On September 24, 2010, after being taken to the hospital, Stephanie was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Brooke became the only person to know this secret; instead of "rejoicing" that her nemesis and arch-rival may soon be out of the picture, she became a confidant and motivator to Stephanie. At first, Stephanie refused treatment. Head writer and executive producer of "The Bold and the Beautiful", Brad Bell, said that this was because she felt that her family and the family company (Forrester Creations) no longer needed her. Bell also said that "She'd rather die than be the center of attention." When asked about the development of the storyline, Flannery said that the advice she offered head writer Brad Bell—having survived through colon cancer herself—was for Stephanie to keep her sense of humor while diagnosed with Cancer. Stephanie then created a goofy bucket list; Bell said that this was all a part of her denial, and wanting to focus on something else other than her cancer.
In a second-level to the story, Stephanie meets a young woman, Dayzee Leigh (Kristolyn Lloyd) who gives her a new lease on life, and convinces her to undergo treatment. Dayzee lived on skid row in Los Angeles; Stephanie wanted to survive her cancer to advocate for poverty after learning more about it. Stephanie has since overcome her cancer. Prior, there was much speculation that Flannery was leaving the show, and that Stephanie would be killed off. During an interview with "TV Guide" in February 2011, she explained:
The storyline not only raised awareness about cancer, it also raised awareness about the Union Rescue Mission through Dayzee's character. In 2012, she was diagnosed again, and according to Bell: "She receives the diagnosis that the cancer has spread and that there is no chance for survival." Stephanie decided to throw a party which would be the last time she sees her loved ones.
Storylines.
Stephanie Douglas Forrester is the matriarch of the Forrester fashion dynasty and the mother of five children: Ridge, Thorne, Kristen, Felicia, and Angela. Eventually her husband Eric Forrester became interested in other women such as Margo Lynley and his former college love, Beth Logan. Eric dated Beth years earlier in college but left her when Stephanie became pregnant. Eric found Beth catering a party one night and reconnected with her. Stephanie decided against an affair with gigolo Clarke Garrison, whom Stephanie had hired to date Kristen. Stephanie was also enraged when Ridge began romancing Beth's daughter Brooke. Stephanie had mysterious absences. It was revealed she was visiting a comatose brain damaged girl; It was Angela, the daughter Stephanie had, who she said died at birth. The couple grew closer over Angela. However, it was revealed that the doctor hired an actress to play Angela to get money from the Forresters; and the real Angela had in fact died. The fake Angela escaped. Stephanie also had to deal with her warring sons, Thorne and Ridge, who were both in love with Caroline Spencer, Thorne's wife.
Stephanie lost it when her other son, Thorne, got involved with Brooke. Stephanie terrorized Brooke at the Big Bear cabin with a fire poker before punching her and trying to strangle her. But Thorne proposed to Brooke, and Stephanie had a stroke. In the hospital, Stephanie again tried to choke Brooke. The stroke made Eric reevaluate his feelings for Stephanie, and he remarried Stephanie at her bedside. Brooke tried to make inroads with the wheelchair-using Stephanie by massaging Stephanie's feet. Brooke and Thorne's ex-wife, Macy Alexander, were battling over Thorne and got into a car accident, where Macy died in an explosion. Macy's mother, Sally, exposed Thorne's continuing involvement with Brooke at Macy's funeral, and Stephanie had a second stroke. Stephanie softened toward Brooke a bit when Brooke gave Stephanie a photo album documenting Stephanie's life.
Years before, Stephanie had forced teenaged Morgan DeWitt to abort Ridge's baby. Morgan came back and befriended Ridge's wife, Taylor, in a scheme to again carry Ridge's child. Morgan faked a series of e-mails between Ridge and Taylor to make it seem like Taylor gave Ridge "permission" to impregnate Morgan. After Taylor found out and Morgan lost the baby, Morgan kidnapped Taylor's daughter, Steffy Forrester, and imprisoned Taylor. Morgan escaped after Ridge rescued Taylor and Steffy, but showed up as a clown for a Forrester kiddie party. Morgan fell into the pool and Stephanie left her to drown, but later Morgan tried to drown Stephanie in her bathtub. Stephanie survived, and later mended fences with her daughter, Kristen, after Kristen got involved with the HIV-positive Antonio Dominguez.
Massimo Marone, Stephanie's childhood friend and first love, came back to romance Stephanie, who wasn't interested. But when Ridge lost blood in an accident, it turned out that Ridge and Eric's blood types didn't match, and Massimo was revealed as Ridge's father. Stephanie hid the truth from Eric and Ridge. Meanwhile, Brooke, who couldn't have Ridge, had an affair with Deacon Sharpe, her daughter's husband. Stephanie was outraged, but later, Stephanie tried to help Brooke turn over a new leaf and even helped deliver baby Hope at the Big Bear cabin with Bridget.
Stephanie and Massimo saved Amber after Sheila kidnapped Amber to make way for Sheila's daughter, Erica Lovejoy. But when Taylor died in an altercation with Sheila, Stephanie was devastated, and the repercussions included Ridge, who'd been told of his paternity by Massimo, considering a relationship with Bridget, which forced the issue of Ridge's paternity. Stephanie finally told Eric that Massimo was Ridge's father, and Eric walked out on her. Stephanie warned Jackie Marone to stay away from Eric, although Stephanie encouraged Jackie's son, Nick Marone, to be with Brooke, and arranged for Nick and Brooke to be stranded on an island together. After Sally and Stephanie, who had become friends, drowned their sorrows, a soused Sally gave Stephanie a sloppy haircut. For Christmas, Stephanie gave Sally a locket with both their pictures inside.
Stephanie and Brooke bonded briefly when Ridge was believed to be dead. Later, when Thorne defected to Spectra, Stephanie apologized for having always played favorites with Ridge. Stephanie worried when Ridge claimed he had seen Taylor, but Taylor was indeed alive, having been spirited away from the hospital by Prince Omar, who healed Taylor in his palace and held her prisoner. Stephanie paid off a doctor and faked a heart attack to manipulate Ridge into returning to Taylor. The ploy worked, but when Brooke uncovered it, the entire Forrester family turned their backs on Stephanie.
Stephanie was about to leave Los Angeles when she found papers in Eric's safe that said Stephanie was the true owner of Forrester Creations. When it came out that Eric had known about it for decades, Stephanie kneed Eric in the groin, fired him, and installed Thorne as president. Meanwhile, Bridget was hurt when Brooke moved on with Bridget's ex-husband, Nick. Stephanie responded by giving Brooke a gift-wrapped gun with which to shoot herself. Instead, Brooke fired at Stephanie, but missed. Stephanie was stunned when Eric remarried Brooke to keep her away from Nick. But Eric and Stephanie drew together and remarried for the sake of their daughter, Felicia, who had cancer. Felicia "died," but Stephanie secretly forced an unconscious Felicia to have chemotherapy against Felicia's wishes, and the treatment was successful.
The low point of the Forrester-Logan feud was when Stephanie convinced Ridge to go for full custody of Ridge Jr and Hope Logan. Stephanie was convinced that Brooke would get in bed with a guy because he was available and Brooke was easy. So after following Brooke Logan to a bar she told a stranger, Andy, Brooke was lonely and needed company. When the stranger seemed hesitant, Stephanie let it be known that Brooke was a girl from the Valley and revealed Brooke kept a house key under the doormat. Within a week Brooke was raped when Andy used the house key. Ridge dropped the custody case. When Eric, Ridge, and Brooke found out Stephanie's role in Brooke's attack, Stephanie left town, to coincide with Susan Flannery's medical leave. Stephanie came back to ask for forgiveness and everyone soon learned about Brooke being raped and Stephanie's hand in it. In the end, Stephanie would be shot at the end of Forrester Creations Fashion show by Storm Logan, who had suppressed years of anger and resentment toward his father for abandoning his family decades earlier.
After Eric had an affair with Donna Logan he divorced Stephanie and married Donna then forced Stephanie out of Forrester Creations. Stephanie became a partner at Jackie M Designs. Stephanie attended the reading of the will of her good friend Bill Spencer. Bill's daughter Karen Spencer delivered a note that offered his respect to Stephanie over the years and asked that she mentor Karen just as she did Karen's twin sister Caroline. Stephanie enacted her revenge on Eric and Donna via a webcast titled The Logan Chronicles at Spencer Publications by working with Bill Spencer, Jr. Bill eventually took over Forrester Creations obeying his father's final wishes to avenge Stephanie. Ridge's daughter Steffy regained control of Forrester Creations by nearly seducing him and split the ownership between Ridge, Eric, Stephanie, and Taylor. Stephanie felt compelled to leave Jackie M and return to Forrester. Eric let Stephanie stay at the Forrester mansion, where she encountered Donna's mother, Beth, who was suffering from the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease. Stephanie and Beth had an argument at the Forrester pool that resulted in Beth drowning after Stephanie walked away. Donna wanted Stephanie arrested, a conflict which ended Donna and Eric's marriage and sent Eric back to Stephanie. Stephen tried to avenge Beth by seducing Stephanie's sister Pam into going off her medication. Stephen put a gun in Pam's hand and pushed for Pam to shoot Stephanie, but Stephanie got the gun away from Pam and shot Stephen instead.
Stephanie fought for her granddaughter Steffy's marriage to Liam Cooper, who was revealed to be Bill Spencer, Jr.'s son, warning him to think carefully but to finally choose between Hope and Steffy. Eric was looking for a way to celebrate 50 years with Stephanie, so when Sally's old friend, Gladys Pope (Phyllis Diller), arrived as a gardener who could also perform marriages, Stephanie remarried Eric in an impromptu and very informal ceremony at the Forrester mansion. In October 2012, Doctor Lewis told Stephanie that her lung cancer has returned. Despite the desperate pleas of her family and friends, Stephanie refused to accept treatment; she decided instead that she would like to enjoy her final days. An Irish-themed party was thrown in her honor. She was last left under Brooke's care after saying good-bye to all her loved ones. On November 26, 2012, Stephanie died of cancer lakeside at Big Bear cabin after asking Brooke to sing her to sleep in her arms.
Reception.
In 2022, Charlie Mason from "Soaps She Knows" placed Stephanie first on his ranked list of "The Bold and the Beautiful’s Best of the Best Characters Ever", commenting "Never in the history of daytime television, much less the history of "The Bold and the Beautiful", has any character stung quite as hard as three-time Emmy winner Susan Flannery’s queen bee. Eric can hang whomever’s portrait he wants in the living room, but for our money, that space now and always shall belong to his first wife." In 2024, Mason from included Stephanie in his list of the worst mothers in American soap operas, calling her a "domineering mama" who would "grizzly lie to son Thorne that she loves all her kids equally — even though we all know that Ridge was her favorite. Followed by Felicia, the blonde girl, Angela, Fake Angela and then, finally, Thorne." Mason also placed Stephanie sixth on his ranked list of "Soaps' 40 Most Iconic Characters of All Time", writing, "Beware the queen bee's sting! From 1987–2012, Susan Flannery packed a punch — often literally — as the domineering matriarch of the fashion-forward Forrester family".
References.
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Eleven on Top
2005 novel by Janet Evanovich
Eleven on Top is the 11th novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It was published in June 2005, and quickly became a #1 best-seller, remaining on the USA Today list of 150 best-selling novels for 19 weeks.
Plot summary.
Stephanie Plum has had enough - enough of grappling with fugitives in garbage piles, enough of being constantly shot at, and enough of having her cars blown up on a semi-regular basis. So she quits her job as a bail enforcement agent and resolves to get a normal job and a normal life. However, events conspire against her. Her three attempts at a normal job - working at a button factory, the Kan-Kleen Dry-Cleaning Service, and serving fast-food chicken at Cluck-in-a-Bucket - all end in disaster, partly because someone is, once again, attempting to kill her. It's someone she knows, and someone who knows her too well, but, as her on-again/off-again boyfriend, cop Joe Morelli points out, she's made a lot of enemies.
At the same time, Stephanie is trying to avoid having to wear an eggplant-colored gown as maid of honor at her sister Valerie's upcoming wedding. The wedding itself hits a snag when Valerie's hapless fiancé, lawyer Albert Kloughn, makes an insensitive remark about her weight at a family dinner, and she vows not to get married unless she can lose at least sixty pounds in less than ten days.
Stephanie becomes convinced that the man stalking her is Spiro Stiva, the fugitive son of the Burg's favorite undertaker, Constantine. Spiro disappeared when Stephanie and her Grandma Mazur inadvertently burned down the Stiva funeral home in "Two for the Dough", and now it looks like Spiro is back for revenge.
Stephanie's mentor, ex-Special Forces mercenary Ranger Manoso, offers her a job with his security firm, running background checks on persons of interest. Despite her trepidation at being too close to Ranger, and the friction it causes with Morelli, she accepts for the security it offers her.
While running information searches, Stephanie discovers evidence linking Spiro's reappearance with the disappearance of four older men from the Burg, all of whom disappeared on the same day and were later found shot to death in a shallow grave outside Trenton. All four men were United States Army veterans, stationed at Fort Dix at the same time as Constantine Stiva.
In a fit of depression, Stephanie confides to Morelli that she quit her job as a bounty hunter because she feels "stupid and boring" - she has no career path, no hobbies, no strong interests, and nothing she's really good at. Morelli smiles and says that, while "stupid" is sometimes "a tough call," he finds her anything but boring.
While Stephanie's mother was complaining about Stephanie's lack of direction, Stephanie recklessly told her family a small lie, claiming that she can play the cello - and before she knew it, her mother has rented one for her to play at Valerie's wedding. Now she has to find a way out of that predicament as well. Fortunately for her, two events intervene on her behalf: a bomb blows up Morelli's garage (with the cello inside) on the night of the wedding reception; the next day, Valerie calls from the airport to cancel the wedding, as she, her three children, and Albert are all leaving for Disney World, and may not come back.
After driving Grandma Mazur to another viewing at the funeral home, Stephanie goes snooping through Constantine Stiva's attached house, looking for signs that Spiro is hiding out there. Then she is tazed unconscious and wakes up in a coffin, being wheeled into an abandoned house in Spiro's name. Her kidnapper turns out to be Constantine himself.
Spiro, he confides, died in the fire, but makes a convenient scapegoat for what Constantine had to do. Thirty-six years ago, he masterminded an armored car hijacking at Fort Dix; he and four Army buddies stole $7 million and hid it in a vault in the basement of the funeral home, doling out shares at 10-year intervals. It was arranged that all five of them were needed to open the vault, but Constantine eventually figured out the combination and "borrowed" from the stash from time to time, then had to take it all to rebuild his business after the funeral home burned down. A month ago, one of his accomplices was diagnosed with cancer and requested his entire remaining share of the money. Constantine called all of them to a meeting, ostensibly to vote on the distribution, and Constantine shot and buried them all. Now he has to kill Stephanie in order to complete the illusion that Spiro is the one responsible. He locks her in the basement and heads out to do one last Spiro impersonation.
Before he returns, Stephanie is rescued from the basement by Ranger and his crew, who have been looking non-stop for her in the six hours since she disappeared. Ranger pleads with Stephanie to go home and stay safe while he and his men stay behind to apprehend Constantine. He goes so far as to handcuff her to his right-hand man, Tank, who escorts her to Morelli's house before releasing her.
On the pretext of taking Morelli's dog, Bob, for a walk, Stephanie borrows her family's Buick and stakes out the Stiva house, while Ranger is lying in wait for him. When Constantine pulls into the garage, Stephanie rear-ends his car with the Buick, crushing the car and trapping Constantine behind the air bag. Stephanie tells Ranger she feels much better, and decides that, while learning to play the cello might be fun, she doesn't "need" to, as her life is already plenty interesting.
Characters.
This book makes mention of Spiro Stiva . It is the first time since book #2 that his name is mentioned or his whereabouts questioned.
References.
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Why Him?
Why Him? is a 2016 American romantic comedy film directed by John Hamburg, written by Hamburg and Ian Helfer based on a story by Jonah Hill, produced by Hill, Shawn Levy, and Ben Stiller, and stars James Franco and Bryan Cranston with Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Cedric the Entertainer, Griffin Gluck and Keegan-Michael Key in supporting roles. The film follows a father who tries to stop his daughter's immature tech-millionaire boyfriend from asking her to marry him.
The film premiered in Los Angeles on December 17, 2016, was released by 20th Century Fox in the United States on December 23, 2016. It received generally negative reviews from critics, but was a financial success, grossing $118.1 million worldwide on a $52 million budget.
Plot.
Stanford student Stephanie Fleming invites her partner Laird Mayhew over to "Netflix and chill". Meanwhile, back home in Grand Rapids, Stephanie's dad Ned is celebrating his 55th birthday with friends and family at an Applebee's. During a slideshow presentation in his honor, Stephanie drops in via webcam to congratulate him, when suddenly Laird walks in on her and flashes the camera.
After picking them up at the airport, Stephanie drives her family – parents Ned and Barb and younger brother Scotty  – to Laird's Silicon Valley villa to meet him. She explains to Ned that Laird is the CEO of a video game company, which has made him extremely wealthy. Laird gives the family a tour of his house, complete with curse words and inappropriate comments about Barb. He then reveals a large tattoo of the Flemings' Christmas card on his back, complete with "Happy Holidays" written underneath. In the living room is a tank with a moose filled completely with its urine. The basement has a bowling alley that Laird built with a mural of Ned, posed in a "crotch-chop" position.
Ned talks to Stephanie about Laird's behavior and she asks him to give him a chance. Later, as Laird goes with Ned for a walk in the woods outside his house, he asks Ned for his blessing to propose to Stephanie. Ned is quick to say no, which completely blindsides Laird, who had been confident that Ned would say yes. Laird promises to win him over.
As the family gathers in Laird's living room for Christmas Eve, Laird reveals that he bought Ned's struggling printing company as a gift to remove all his debts. Instead of expressing gratitude, Ned punches Laird in the face and they begin to fight, which culminates in Laird falling into the moose tank, which subsequently breaks and leaves Scotty briefly trapped under the moose. Stephanie and Barb are both angry at their partner's behaviors, and the Flemings leave Laird's home.
On Christmas Day, the Flemings are celebrating without Stephanie. They are surprised when Laird's helicopter arrives with Stephanie. She is still mad at both Ned and Laird for their behavior and refuses to talk to either of them. Ned and Laird talk and Laird gets Ned's blessing to propose to Stephanie. However, she declines the proposal saying she is not ready to get married, but she wants them to continue dating.
Later during the party, Ned and Scotty approach Laird with a new business idea, since they are all part of the same company now. Scotty suggests they sell the same toilets Laird has in his home since they would be very profitable. Laird likes the idea and agrees. The couples then dance together as music plays, with Ned referring to Laird as "son".
Scotty, Ned, and Laird eventually turn the printing company into a toilet factory and become profitable. Stephanie uses the Fleming-Mayhew conglomerate to help underdeveloped countries with their sewage projects. Finally, Laird has what he always wanted, to be part of a family.
Cast.
There are cameos by technology, gaming, and entertainment figures, including Burnie Burns, Steve Aoki, Richard Blais, Elon Musk, Toby Turner, and Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of "KISS".
Production.
On November 18, 2014, it was announced that John Hamburg and Ian Helfer were co-writing a comedy film, "Why Him?", for 20th Century Fox. On February 27, 2015, James Franco was in talks to star in the film, playing a young billionaire. Shawn Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment and Ben Stiller's Red Hour Productions were set to produce the film, about a Midwestern father who travels with his family to visit his daughter at college, and finds himself disliking her new billionaire boyfriend. On August 25, 2015, Bryan Cranston was set to star in the film, playing the father. In August 2015, the film was selected by the California Film Commission to receive $5.4 million in tax credits.
On December 8, 2015, Zoey Deutch was cast in the film's female lead role, as Cranston's character's daughter and the billionaire's girlfriend. Bryce Dallas Howard, Jordana Brewster and Mélanie Laurent were also considered. On January 12, 2016, Griffin Gluck was added to the cast of the film to play Scotty Fleming, the son of Cranston's character. On January 13, 2016, Megan Mullally joined the film to play Barb Fleming, the wife of Ned (Cranston). On January 19, 2016, Keegan-Michael Key was cast as the billionaire's European-hailing estate manager, and following him, Zack Pearlman also signed on for a role in the film. Musician Steve Aoki also appeared in the film.
Principal photography on the film began in mid-February 2016 in Los Angeles.
Release.
"Why Him?" was released in the United States on December 23, 2016, by 20th Century Fox. It was originally planned for a November 11, 2016 release date.
Home media.
"Why Him?" was released on DVD & Blu-ray on March 28, 2017.
Box office.
"Why Him?" grossed $60.3 million in the United States and Canada and $57.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $118.1 million, against a production budget of $52 million.
"Why Him?" was expected to gross $10–14 million from 2,917 theaters over its first four days of release. It grossed $3.9 million on its first day and $11 million during its opening weekend (a four-day total of $15.5 million), finishing 4th at the box office.
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, "Why Him?" has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads: "Solidly cast but overall misconceived, "Why Him?" offers the odd chuckle, but ultimately adds disappointingly little to its tired father-vs.-fiancé formula." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Commentary.
French political scientist Thibault Muzergues remarks in his book "The Great Class Shift" that the film captures the tension created by the contrast in values between the Protestant work ethic of the suburban middle class, as represented by Ned, and the looser approach of Laird and other members of the creative class, a real sociopolitical phenomenon.
References.
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The Darkness (2016 American film)
Supernatural horror film
The Darkness is a 2016 American supernatural horror film, directed by Greg McLean and co-written by McLean, Shayne Armstrong, and Shane Krause. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz, Lucy Fry, Matt Walsh, Jennifer Morrison, Ming-Na Wen and Parker Mack.
The film is about a family who visits the Grand Canyon and brings home a supernatural force that feeds off their fears and takes over their lives. Filming began in April 2014 in Los Angeles and ended in May the same year.
Blumhouse Tilt and High Top Releasing released the film on May 13, 2016 (Friday the 13th). It was largely panned by film critics, but grossed $10.9 million against a $4 million budget.
Plot.
Peter and Bronny Taylor go on a vacation to the Grand Canyon in Arizona with Stephanie, their bulimic teenage daughter, Mikey, their adolescent autistic son, and another family, the Carters. Mikey discovers a small Kiva cavern, where he finds black rocks with symbols on them. He takes the stones.
When the Taylors return home, strange things begin to happen. Bronny finds that the kitchen taps keep turning on, and Stephanie sees handprints on a mirror, both of which Mikey blames on “Jenny.” After Stephanie gets home from school, she vomits into a container and puts it under her bed. Bronny catches her, and she and Peter learn that Stephanie has been throwing up for a while. They take her to a hospital for help, leaving Mikey at Bronny's mother's house. Bronny's mother finds Mikey trying to kill her cat, much to Peter’s disbelief.
At home, Bronny searches online for answers to the strange activity and learns about the Anasazi Indians, who believed that demons were bound to rocks hidden in caves. If the rocks are taken, the demons take the shape of a crow, snake, coyote, wolf, and buffalo. The family has already had encounters with a crow and a snake. The demons connect to young children who are dragged into their world, triggering an event known as 'The Darkness.' The only way they can be banished is if the rocks are returned to where they were found by someone who is not afraid.
Bronny and Peter later find Mikey covered in black marks from a fire in his room, blood pouring from his mouth. Later that night, Bronny has a nightmare of a wolf. Depressed, she starts drinking. In Mikey's room, the fire-damaged part of the wall is revealed to be a portal. Stephanie is choked by handprints appearing all over her wall and body. In the treehouse, Peter sees a coyote and the shadow of


Light It Up (Luke Bryan song)
"Light It Up" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Luke Bryan. It was released in August 2017 as the first single from his 2017 album "What Makes You Country". Bryan wrote this song with Brad Tursi of the band Old Dominion.
Content.
"Rolling Stone" Country described the song as "a moody production, underpinned by a programmed beat and choppy piano chords, while icy synthesizer fills lifted from Eighties new wave ratchet up the tension." The song is an expression of unrequited love, with the narrator pleading for an unresponsive lover to "light it up", in reference to his cellular phone.
Bryan wrote the song with Brad Tursi of the band Old Dominion, while Jeff Stevens and his son Jody produced it.
Music video.
A video directed by Michael Monaco was released on October 26, 2017. It features Jimmy Butler in the lead role, in anticipation of a text as described in the lyrics from his girlfriend played by well known, international, Nashville based model LeeAnna Burton.
Chart performance.
For the charts dated September 9, 2017, "Light It Up" debuted at No. 20 on Country Airplay and No. 21 on Hot Country Songs. It sold 18,000 downloads in under two days and debuted at No. 3 on the Country Digital Song Sales chart. The following week it rose to No. 2 on Country Digital Song Sales with 22,000 copies sold on a full week of sales. It also debuted at number 76 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart for the week of September 16, 2017. The song has sold 164,000 copies in the United States as of January 2018. On March 5, 2019, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million digital copies in the United States.
Charts.
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Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel
Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel is the twenty-fifth solo studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in May 1975 via Columbia Records and contained 11 tracks. The project was a tribute to Hank Williams and was considered the first tribute gospel album of his material. Smith had found over half of the album's material through previously-unreleased recordings. The album would make a brief chart appearance on the American Country LP's survey in 1975.
Background.
Connie Smith reached her commercial zenith at the RCA Victor label where she had 18 singles reach the "Billboard" country songs top ten. She had discovered Christianity, which prompted her to incorporate more gospel music into her repertoire. In 1973, Smith signed a new contract with Columbia Records that allowed her to record one gospel album per year. The label released 1973's "God Is Abundant" which consisted of relatively new gospel songs. However, no gospel disc was released in 1974 despite Smith's contract agreements. This was due to the label's lack of interest in gospel material and the delay in scheduling due to Smith becoming pregnant.
Two gospel projects were released in 1975 instead, beginning with a tribute disc to Hank Williams. Up until Smith's album, no other notable artist had recorded a collection of Williams's gospel material. Smith and producer Ray Baker were insistent on recording the album. The pair spent significant time at the Acuff-Rose publishing company in Nashville, Tennessee to find gospel material. From searching through Williams's catalog, the pair found a series of lesser-known gospel songs. Smith would later state, "That was my project. I wanted to do that, and they let me, so I was glad."
Recording and content.
Smith went into the studio to record the gospel project in the fall of 1974. Specifically, Smith and producer Ray Baker recorded the album over the course of three days: November 4, November 5 and November 7, 1974. The material was recorded at Columbia Studio B, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Smith had been recording at Columbia's studio since signing with the label in 1973. Nearly half of the songs chosen for the project were taken from Hank Williams's posthumous gospel album, "I Saw the Light". Remaining tracks had not been as readily accessible to the general public, according to biographer Barry Mazor.
"Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel" consisted of 11 tracks, all of which were penned by Williams himself. The album opened with one of Williams's best-known gospel songs, "I Saw the Light". Along with "I Saw the Light", five additional tracks had been originally included on Williams's 1954 "I Saw the Light" collection: "Jesus Remembered Me", "How Can You Refuse Him Now", "House of Gold", "I'm Gonna Sing" and "Calling You".
Smith and Baker found the six remaining tracks through the Acuff-Rose catalog, which owned Williams's songs at this point. Some of these songs were originally demo recordings Williams made that had not been as accessible to the public. Smith had found the original demos of "Jesus Is Calling", "When the Life of the Book Is Read" and "Are You Walkin' and Talkin' with the Lord". Also featured on the project was the track "House of Gold". Williams's own version of the track would not be released until 1985. According to Smith, the song was among her favorites on the album, although she found it challenging to sing: "I always loved 'House of Gold'. And it was hardest for me to sing, because of the range of it. I had to go into falsetto.
Release and reception.
"Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel" was released in May 1975 on Columbia Records. It was the twenty seventh studio album released in Smith's career. The disc was distributed as a vinyl LP, containing six songs on "side A" and five songs on "side B". The disc debuted on the American "Billboard" Country LP's chart on May 31, 1975. Spending three weeks on the chart, the disc only peaked at number 47 by June 7, 1975. Smith and Baker later theorized that the album was not successful because Columbia Records did little to promote or distribute it. "I don't think they promoted gospel records like they should have," Smith commented in 2021. The album later received a positive response from writers Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann, who called it "one of her greatest moments on disc". In 1976, the album was nominated for Best Gospel Music Performance by the Grammy Awards.
Track listing.
All songs composed by Hank Williams except where noted.
Personnel.
All credits are adapted from the liner notes of "Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel" and the biography booklet by Barry Mazor titled "The Latest Shade of Blue".
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Accolades.
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References.
Footnotes.
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Books.
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Love Shine a Light
1997 song by Katrina and the Waves
"Love Shine a Light" is a song by British rock band Katrina and the Waves written by Kimberley Rew. It represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 held in Dublin, resulting in the country's fifth and most recent win at the contest. It was released as a single on 28 April 1997 and later included on the band's ninth studio album, "Walk on Water" (1997), serving as the album's lead single.
The song was the group's biggest success since their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine". It peaked within the top five of the charts in Austria, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In 2022, it was named the best UK Eurovision entry by "The Daily Telegraph".
Background.
Composition and Eurovision selection.
The song was composed by the group's guitarist and regular songwriter Kimberley Rew following a request from the brother of the group's drummer Alex Cooper for an anthem for Samaritans in recognition of the thirtieth anniversary of the Swindon branch of that organization – Cooper's brother being a member of that branch. In a 1997 interview Katrina and the Waves lead vocalist Katrina Leskanich indicated that it was members of the Samaritans who opined that "Love Shine a Light" "was the type of song which would win the Eurovision Song Contest and [so] at the last minute, [Katrina and the Waves] submitted the song with our £250 [entrance fee]" for consideration to vie in the "Great British Song Contest", the organised by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to select its song and performer for the 42nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
It was also reported that Carmina Cooper, the manager of Katrina and the Waves and Alex Cooper's wife, met up with BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's breakfast presenter (and Head of Music) Dan Chisholm to play the track for him: Chisholm's response was to urge that the number be entered in the "Great British Song Contest", and after affording "Love Shine a Light" its radio airplay debut, Chisholm declared it "the song which will win this year's Eurovision Song Contest".
In a 2010 interview Leskanich would state that "Great British Song Contest" executive producer Jonathan King had in fact initiated Katrina and the Waves involvement in the "Great British Contest" as he had contacted Leskanich to ask if her group had a song which might be a suitable contender to vie for the UK entrant at Eurovision 1997. Leskanich would paraphrase her response to King as being: "Yes, we have this song called 'Love Shine A Light' which we’ve never put on a record because it's too cheesy, too ABBA, too Eurovision, so it would be perfect for you."
Leskanich stated in 2010 that the original plan was that an act other than Katrina and the Waves would be found to perform "Love Shine a Light" for Eurovision consideration but that Warner Bros. Records executive Steve Allan – who Leskanich describes as "a big Eurovision fan...it’s always been his dream to win it" – said: "Look, you guys have a name, we can still do business in Europe. All you need is a hit song, and we want you to do it. And if you do do it we’ll give you a record deal"; adds Leskanich: "So we couldn’t say no." Leskanich would also state that Kimberley Rew had said of Katrina and the Waves pursuing the Eurovision title with his composition: "I’m not having anything to do with it".
The 9 March 1997 broadcast of the "Great British Song Contest" final featured a taped interview with Rew, in which he described Eurovision as "one of those great institutions of life"; he also accompanied Leskanich onstage to be congratulated for "Love Shine a Light"'s being announced as the British entrant for Eurovision 1997. However, he didn't perform on stage for this appearance or the Eurovision final held on 3 May 1997.
In a 2020 interview, Leskanich revealed that she was asked if she could "try and talk like an English person" as some people were not happy with the UK being represented at the Eurovision Song Contest by an American artist.
One of eight songs aired in the "Great British Song Contest" semi-final broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 7 February 1997, "Love Shine a Light" was one of four songs advanced by televote to the "Great British Song Contest" final. The "Great British Song Contest" final was a live performance show broadcast by BBC TV on 9 March 1997, at the conclusion of which "Love Shine a Light" was announced as the 1997 UK entrant in Eurovision, the song having received 69,834 televotes – 11,138 more than the second-place finisher.
Eurovision performance.
On 3 May 1997, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Point Theatre in Dublin hosted by (RTÉ), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Katrina and the Waves performed "Love Shine a Light" twenty-fourth in a field of twenty-five songs being preceded by the Croatian entry "Probudi me" and followed with the Icelandic entry "Minn hinsti dans".
Leskanich would later state she'd supplied her own outfit for her performance on Eurovision: "the boys [ie. the Waves] were getting beautiful suits made by William Hunt and my outfit was an afterthought. They came [in] with five different designers and every single outfit made me look like a clown or a chair cover...I ended up wearing this green blouse I’d been wearing all week that I’d bought in the Cambridge market for £3 [with] a [dark velvet] jacket that my sister had sent me, which was a Donna Karan second and it only had one shoulder pad. So while I was doing the song, I had to remember to lift my left shoulder slightly to even it out with the other". She also wore black leather trousers and black high-heeled boots.
The Eurovision performance of "Love Shine a Light" was simply staged with Leskanich singing center stage fronting background vocalists Beverley Skeete and Miriam Stockley: Skeete and Stockley, respectively dark-haired and blonde and clad in long dark dresses, also provided accompaniment with tambourines and handclaps. Two of Leskanich's co-members in Katrina and the Waves: drummer, Alex Cooper, and bassist, Vince de la Cruz (on this occasion playing guitar), were positioned towards the right side of the stage, while Phil Nicholl played bass stage left.
Phil Nicholl was not a permanent member of Katrina and the Waves being a substitute for the group's regular guitarist – and the song's composer – Kimberley Rew, who Leskanich would later state had disassociated himself from the group's participating with his song in Eurovision. Don Airey, who played as a session musician on the single recording of the song, arranged and conducted the live version for Katrina & The Waves. He added strings, brass and a vibrato flute, giving the song a more anthemic feel.
Eurovision scoring.
In a pre-performance interview on the night of the Eurovision finale Leskanich had stated that Katrina and the Waves winning Eurovision was "more than a dream – it's probably going to be a reality. I mean we wouldn't come here unless we were intending to win...For Eurovision [success] you need a song with a universal message, lighters in the air, Coca-Cola, heartwarming positive 'all-unite' [message]...[Our] song has a universality about it that unites everyone and I think people are looking for that message in Eurovision...they want something uplifting and positive, and I think once in a while a song comes along that says Eurovision and I think that's what 'Love Shine a Light' says and I'm just lucky that I'm the one that gets to sing it."
"Love Shine a Light" did indeed win Eurovision 1997 easily: with its first 12-point score being awarded by Austria the fourth reporting jury "Love Shine a Light" assumed permanent possession of first place on the scoreboard with its final vote tally an unprecedented 227 points besting the second-place entrant, the entrant for Ireland, "Mysterious Woman", by 70 points. The final vote tally for "Love Shine a Light" set a record unsurpassed until 2004, when the introduction of the semi-final greatly expanded the number of countries voting in the final (indeed, entire top three polled more than 227 points that year). It also received the maximum 12 points from ten countries, a feat not matched until 2005 and not beaten until 2009.
By a more directly comparable measure, "Love Shine a Light" received an average of 9.458 points per country or 78.82% of total votes available, the third-highest in the history of the present voting system, behind only "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man in 1976 (9.647 points per jury, 80.39% of available points) and "Ein bißchen Frieden" by Nicole in 1982 (9.470 votes per jury, 78.91% of available points). Furthermore, the song received maximum points from ten of twenty-four countries (41.7%), the fourth highest of all time behind "Euphoria" by Loreen in 2012 (which received 12 points from eighteen of forty-one countries, or 43.9%), "Non ho l'età" by Gigliola Cinquetti in 1964 (receiving the then-maximum 5 points from eight of fifteen countries, or 53.3%) and "Ein bißchen Frieden" in 1982 (12 points from nine of seventeen countries, or 52.9%).
Katrina Leskanich commented that it was the second landslide of the week – the Labour Party led by Tony Blair had won the UK general election held two days earlier, on 1 May 1997.
Aftermath.
In a 2009 interview Leskanich restated her opinion of "Love Shine a Light": "It was such a feel-good, lighters-in-the-air, cheesy number.", while adding: "Our song was quickly forgotten because we didn't have any sensational gimmick like Bucks Fizz". Leskanich also stated that Katrina and the Waves Eurovision victory boosted the group's profile on the European cabaret circuit at the expense of their rock band credibility which heavily factored into the band's 1999 breakup.
On 22 October 2005, Leskanich co-hosted the Eurovision fiftieth anniversary competition "", held in Copenhagen, alongside Renārs Kaupers and sang her winning song in the opening sequence of the show with flag holders of all the nations who ever participated in Eurovision. The hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 –Sakis Rouvas and Maria Menounos– closed the opening act of its semi-final singing the song. A remix of the song was performed during the UK selection process final of 2008, "Eurovision: Your Decision". In 2009, Leskanich performed it with the Dutch SuperVoices made up of 2000 Dutch choir singers. She also performed the song in UK's Eurovision selection process "Eurovision: You Decide" aired on BBC Four in 2016.
On 15 December 2019, Leskanich performed the song during "Het Grote Songfestivalfeest", a Dutch live television concert programme starring artists of the Eurovision Song Contest as a prelude to the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 that had been scheduled to be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in May 2020. Following the 2020 contest's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest organisers subsequently organised the replacement show "", whose title was inspired by the song. The song itself was performed during the show as an orchestral rendition by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and again near the end of the show by all the artists set to take part in the cancelled contest (with the exception of Hooverphonic from Belgium), with Leskanich finishing.
Critical reception.
British magazine "Music Week" rated "Love Shine a Light" three out of five, writing, "Though perfectly suited for Eurovision with its universal, everyone-come-together message, this anthemic-sounding song will require a decent competition performance to win over record buyers if it is to do anything chartwise."
Track listings.
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I Saw the Light (Hank Williams song)
"I Saw the Light" is a country gospel song written by Hank Williams. Williams was inspired to write the song while returning from a concert by a remark his mother made while they were arriving in Montgomery, Alabama. He recorded the song during his first session for MGM Records, and released in September 1948. Williams' version did not enjoy major success during its initial release, but eventually it became one of his most popular songs and the closing number for his live shows. It was soon covered by other acts, and has become a country gospel standard and often a classic for summer camps.
In September 1946, Hank Williams auditioned for Nashville's Grand Ole Opry but was rejected. After the failure of his audition, Williams and his wife Audrey tried to interest the recently formed music publishing firm Acuff-Rose Music. Williams and his wife approached Fred Rose, who signed him to a six-song contract, and leveraged a deal with Sterling Records. In December 1946, Williams had his first recording session. The songs "Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door)" and "Honky Tonkin'" became successful, and earned Williams the attention of MGM Records. His first MGM session took place on April 21, 1947. The first song he recorded was "Move It on Over". The second was "I Saw the Light".
Composition.
Williams was inspired to write the song in January 1947 while returning from a show in Fort Deposit, Alabama. His mother, Lilly, drove him and the band back to Montgomery that night. As she was approaching the city, she spotted the lights of Dannelly Field Airport. Williams, who slept inebriated in the backseat of the car, was roused by his mother, who told him "I just saw the light", announcing to him that they were close to Montgomery. He wrote the first draft on January 26, 1947. The lyrics and the melody by Williams closely resembled Albert E. Brumley's "He Set Me Free", published in 1939 and released in March 1941 by the Chuck Wagon Gang. Biblical citations were used, including the Gospels of Matthew and John, as well as excerpts from the First Epistle to the Thessalonians and Book of Revelation. As Williams' biographer Colin Escott astutely observes, while the melody and even some of the lyrics bear a passing resemblance to the earlier Brumley tune, "'I Saw the Light' wasn't just 'He Set Me Free' with new lyrics, though. It was the prayer of the backslider, who lives in hope of redemption."
Recording and release.
Williams recorded the song during his first session with MGM Records on April 21, 1947. The band was composed by part of Red Foley's backing, including Zeke and Zeb Turner (guitar), Brownie Raynolds (bass), Tommy Jackson (fiddle) and Smokey Lohman (steel guitar). Williams also recorded a version of the song during a later session with his wife, which he sent to Rose on August 19. In the accompanying letter, he discouraged the producer from issuing the recording. Audrey, like many people who sing badly, seemed to have no sense of how bad she was as a vocalist. Country-music biographer Colin Escott wrote, "Her duets with Hank were like an extension of their married life in that she fought him for dominance on every note."
While the release of Williams' recording was held, the first issued version was by Clyde Grubb, who recorded it on August 13, 1947. Grubb's version was released by RCA Records (RCA 20-2485) in October 1947 with "When God" on the flipside, backed by his Tennessee Valley Boys. Williams' version was released in September 1948, while it was later copyrighted on November 16. It was backed with "Six More Miles (To the Graveyard)" and issued on MGM Records (MGM 10271). "Boys' Life" favored the record, stating: "It's a typical Hank Williams lament, which you western and hillbilly fans will eat up". Hank Williams first appeared on the "Kate Smith Evening Hour" on March 26, 1952, and joined in with the rest of the cast singing "I Saw The Light."
Legacy.
"I Saw the Light" was not a commercial success upon its release but has since become his most recognized hymn and one of his most popular songs. The song became a standard for both the country music and gospel music genres, and has been covered by several artists of the two genres and beyond. "Allmusic" called it one of Williams' "finest songs concerning his strong religious conviction". It was ranked first in Country Music Television's "20 Greatest Songs of Faith" in 2005. The 2015 Williams biopic starring Tom Hiddleston was named after the song.
Bob Dylan has also referred to it as a source for religious significance.
The University of Mississippi's 'Pride of the South' marching band performs a marching band arrangement of the song as part of their pregame repertoire. As many as 60,000 fans can be heard clapping along to the beat of the music.
The song is referenced in George Jones' 1985 single, "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes", using the line, "You can tell it when he sang "I Saw The Light"
Footnotes.
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Bob and Alf Pearson
English musical variety double act
Bob and Alf Pearson were an English musical variety double act, consisting of brothers Robert Alexander Pearson (15 August 1907 – 30 December 1985) and Alfred Vernon Pearson (15 June 1910 – 7 July 2012), who were mainly known for their singing of songs as a duo in close-harmony. Their career together lasted over 50 years, spanning stage, radio, television and gramophone records.
During the 1930s, they became one of the most popular acts in Britain, and had sold over a million records by 1936. Their fame continued into the post-war period, when they regularly appeared on the BBC Radio show "Ray's a Laugh" with comedian Ted Ray. Introducing themselves with their signature tune, "My Brother and I", audiences heard the brothers performing well-known songs, with Bob accompanying on piano. Ray would ask, "Why, it's a little girl, what's your name?" with Bob replying, "Jennifer", followed by a comedy routine. Bob's turn as 'Jennifer' became closely associated with their act.
Early lives.
Bob and Alf Pearson were both born in Sunderland, then part of County Durham, in the north-east of England, where they also grew up. Their father Arthur was a plasterer, but their mother Emily Smiles (performing under her maiden name) was a contralto singer who belonged to the Moody-Manners Opera Company. Bob, the older of the two, was born on 15 August 1907, whilst three years later, on 15 June 1910, Alf was born; they also had two younger sisters. The duo started as choir boys in Sunderland's Christ Church choir, in which the principal treble soloist was Bob. When his voice broke, Alf took on the role. At the North of England Music Festival in 1921, with composer Ralph Vaughan Williams as adjudicator, Bob was winner of the Boys' Solo class; in 1924, three years later, Alf also won the prize.
As soon as the brothers left school (aged 14), they were put to work as apprentices in their father's plastering business, and would sing while they worked around houses in Wearside. Alf's first professional engagement was as a teenage boy in 1924, singing "Oh! Susanna" in the musical prologue before the film "The Covered Wagon" at the King's Theatre in Sunderland. When his voice broke, he began to sing with a St Gabriel's Church group, the Blue Boys, whilst Bob was training to be a classical pianist. Realising that he couldn't play on the pianos in church halls, Bob suggested they sing duets, finishing with Negro spirituals such as "I Got a Robe", "Tis You O Lawdy" and "Standing in the Need of Prayer". As Alf later recalled, "That's what we did and so we had an act before we came to London. Whenever the Blue Boys was advertised, the place was full." It was in 1927 that their duet act was born, and they began appearing at amateur shows and parties across the north-east of England. Bob would sing tenor from the piano, as he accompanied Alf in close harmony.
Career.
Early years.
In 1928, when their father Arthur got a contract for a new house-building development at Tolworth on the Kingston bypass, the family moved to Surrey, and the brothers performed on stage in music halls. Emily entered them in a nationwide talent contest, in which first prize was a recording contract with Columbia Records and 50 copies of the winner's song. They sang "Singin' in the Rain" and "Ol' Man River", and won the competition. However, as Columbia already had a singing duo, Layton & Johnstone, it was suggested that Bob and Alf instead be signed to Regal. Their recording manager asked them to copy the style of two Americans, but the brothers said it was "too simple" for their tastes, as it featured singing in thirds for the whole duration. The manager responded, "That is the way that people like it. I can sell thousands of records if you sing like that." Bob and Alf apologised, saying they didn't sing like that, and left.
Instead, the Pearsons were signed up by Piccadilly to make records; these were played on BBC Radio by Christopher Stone, who had become Britain's first disc jockey in 1927. The brothers were also booked for their own broadcast on BBC Radio's Saturday night "Music Hall" programme. During this period, the duo appeared on air with the well-known bandleader Ambrose on Saturday nights from The May Fair Hotel.
Fame.
Following the Columbia competition, music publisher Bert Feldman heard Bob and Alf singing and came up with a publicity stunt. The Pearsons were asked to see Frank Reubens, Feldman's manager, with the message that he would have "something for them". In January 1930, they arrived to a room filled with journalists and the bandleader Jack Hylton. Reubens told the assembled press that he had heard two plasterers singing, and was so impressed that had introduced them to Hylton, who was going to sign them up to sing with his band. The ruse worked, and nearly every newspaper carried the story, helping to establish the brothers as a name.
The Pearsons were invited by John Logie Baird to appear on BBC Television twice weekly, when the medium was in its infancy. Consequently, they became the first duo to be seen on the small screen. The shows were produced at Baird's studio in Long Acre, in central London. Alf later recalled, "There were only about 400 sets in the country and the picture was the size of a cigarette card." They were also engaged for a six-week season at the London Coliseum, and began to make a name for themselves, appearing at the country's top theatres.
Despite their initial setback with Columbia, the brothers had also started a prolific recording career, with regular releases during the early 1930s on Broadcast, Imperial and Rex. On many of these records, Bob accompanied the pair's vocals on piano. These labels also issued records by British dance bands such as Harry Bidgood, Jack Payne and Jay Wilbur, which featured the duo singing a (usually uncredited) vocal refrain; occasionally, however, Bob or Alf would appear on the disc as a solo vocalist. During this period, they also continued to broadcast on BBC Radio, including to overseas listeners on the BBC Empire Service (later to become the World Service).
The Pearsons recorded several songs in the 1930s which would prove durable when revived by other artists in later decades: "Walkin' My Baby Back Home", a hit for Johnnie Ray in 1952, "You're Driving Me Crazy", a number 1 for The Temperance Seven in 1961 and "Tears", which topped the charts for Ken Dodd in 1965. From 1932 to 1938, they appeared in a series of short films for Pathé News, singing songs in newsreels seen by cinema audiences. During World War II, they formed a concert troupe with ENSA, performing at army bases and singing for troops across Europe and Africa.
Post-war years.
Following the war, the establishment of the Light Programme on BBC Radio, specialising in light entertainment and music, provided further opportunities for the Pearsons. They appeared on variety shows such as "Seaside Nights" (on the BBC Home Service), "Second House", "Round The Halls", "Music-Hall" and had guest spots on "The Happidrome". In 1947, they were initiated into the Grand Order of Water Rats, a British entertainment industry fraternity and charitable organisation. That Christmas, whilst appearing at the Glasgow Empire, the duo heard from comedian Ted Ray, informing the brothers that he had specified their names when asked who he wanted for his radio show. Prior to it starting, they had two slots on the Home Service in Scotland, billed as "Brothers in harmony".
"Ray's a Laugh", starring Ted Ray, began on Monday 4 April 1949 at 7.30 pm, and was broadcast weekly on the Home Service, as well as being repeated on the Light Programme. It was later moved to Tuesday and then Thursday nights, with Bob and Alf Pearson as regular stars. The show also featured a young Peter Sellers. During the show, they would sing songs and appear in sketches, most notably with Bob playing the part of a little girl, 'Jennifer'. Another part of the show would feature a comedic dialogue between the fictional Mrs 'Oskins and her friend Ivy, with the former announcing, "Oooh, it's agony Ivy!" The Pearsons' last appearance on the programme was in July 1951.
In July 1949, shortly after their "Ray's a Laugh" debut, the duo's first recordings in over ten years were issued on the Parlophone label. Occasionally working with a young producer named George Martin, who had joined EMI in 1950, their regular single releases included recordings of songs such as "Red Roses for a Blue Lady", "Careless Hands" and "In a Golden Coach (There's a Heart of Gold)", a song composed for the Coronation of Elizabeth II. They also recorded a number of medleys: at the time, the LP and 7-inch single, which had longer playing times, and could thus contain more tracks, were still fairly new. The 10-inch 78rpm disc was still dominant at the time, but could typically only hold three minutes on each side. A medley featuring several songs on each side of a disc could therefore allow the listener to hear half a dozen songs on record. Continuing a theme of their earlier records, Bob and Alf released a number of medleys in series' such as "In Big Bits of Big Hits" and "Family Favourites". Their final recording was a two-sided medley, "Christmas Favourites For Children", issued in December 1953. Around this time, they also toured with a stage version of the radio show "Take It from Here".
During 1953, the Pearsons were regulars in "The Pleasure Boat", a Light Programme series which also starred Anne Shelton and Julie Andrews. They were later joined by future "Doctor Who" star Jon Pertwee heading the cast. In the early 1950s, they continued to make regular appearances on radio shows such as "Blackpool Night", "The Frankie Howerd Show", "Midday Music-Hall", "Workers' Playtime" and "Variety Playhouse". There were also a number of BBC Television broadcasts: in 1955 and 1956 they starred in two one-off programmes in which they sung songs written by members of the public. With the dawn of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, their work dried up. However, they remained active as