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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Stephanie (LazyTown)
LazyTown character
Stephanie is a fictional character from the children's television show "LazyTown". She is an aspiring cheerleader and dancer who inspires the other citizens of the titular town to stay active. She has pink hair and as such is nicknamed 'Pinky' by the puppet character Trixie. She came to town to visit her uncle, Milford Meanswell, the mayor of LazyTown. Upon meeting the other children, she unsuccessfully attempted to get them to play along as opposed to staying at home playing video games and eating candy. This changed when Stephanie asked for the help of Sportacus. When he finally arrived, the whole town worked together to make LazyTown a more active place to live. Each episode of the show ends with Stephanie performing a song and dance routine to "Bing Bang", the show's ending theme.
The character’s original Icelandic name is Solla Stirða. In the Icelandic version of the TV series, her voice was dubbed in Icelandic by Ólöf Kristín Þorsteinsdóttir.
The role of Stephanie was performed by Julianna Rose Mauriello in seasons 1 and 2. In 2011, Julianna confirmed she would be leaving "LazyTown", as she had grown too old to play the role of Stephanie. She was replaced by Chloe Lang for seasons 3 and 4. Stephanie was also played by Kimberly Pena in "LazyTown Live! The Pirate Adventure", a stage production that toured throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2009.
Description.
Stephanie was depicted as being an athletic, sweet, shy, sassy, caring, optimistic, and smart 8-year-old girl. Surprised by the inactivity of the residents of LazyTown, she cheerfully encourages them to participate in more active, energetic hobbies or pastimes such as sports, games, and much more when they are downhearted when the temptations of candy or video games overcome her prodding. Despite this, Stephanie is characterized by her optimism and self-confidence, which she proudly promotes and shares with her peers in encouragement against all odds or challenges, always victoriously triumphing over any obstacles or antagonists by the conclusion of an episode.
Stephanie's attempts are often nearly thwarted by Robbie Rotten, but his plans are never foolproof and always end with Stephanie winning.
Development.
Stephanie was originally created by Magnús Scheving for the stage play "Áfram Latibær" as "Solla Stirða" ("Solla Stiff"), a girl with stiff joints who dreamt of becoming a dancer. Solla also appeared in the sequel to the stage play, "Glanni Glæpur í Latabæ". She was played by Selma Björnsdóttir and Linda Ásgeirsdóttir, respectively.
Magnús Scheving reworked Solla into Stephanie for the "LazyTown" television show. Shelby Young was originally pegged to play Stephanie in 2003, and filmed one unaired pilot before departing due to union issues.
Ultimately, Julianna Rose Mauriello was chosen to play Stephanie, and played her for the first two seasons and "LazyTown Extra" before departing due to aging out of the role.
Chloe Lang picked up the role of Stephanie for seasons three, four, and LazyTown Motivational Campaigns. And as of 2024, she is the most recent actress to play Stephanie.
Appearance.
Stephanie tends to wear a pink sleeveless dress with pale blush pink tights, pink socks, white and pink sneakers and a purple hairband. Her outfit, though, changes from time to time. For example, in "LazyTown Goes Digital" and "Energy Book", she wears pink leggings with her usual dress. She also wears tracksuits and other items of clothing, but they are nearly always pink. Her short bob hair is dyed pink. All her accessories are also pink. She also has long, curled eyelashes and slightly blushing cheeks. She is often seen carrying a pink purse with a heart on it, in which she carries her pink diary. As a pirate, she wore a pink bandanna with a white, fancy letter "S" on it for Stephanie, as well as a striped shirt, loose ripped pink leggings and pink socks. As a princess, she had longer curly hair in pigtails and wore a loose fuchsia princess dress.
Reception.
Child development authors Lyn Mikel Brown and Sharon Lamb assert that Stephanie is interesting and makes pink a "power color" due to her quick thinking, computer gaming and sporty nature.
References.
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Stephanie Plum
Fictional character
Stephanie Plum is a fictional character and the protagonist in a series of novels written by Janet Evanovich. She is a spunky combination of Nancy Drew and Dirty Harry, and—although a female bounty hunter—is the opposite of Domino Harvey. She is described by the author as "incredibly average and yet heroic if necessary".
Evanovich claims the inspiration for Stephanie's character came after watching "Midnight Run" starring Charles Grodin and Robert De Niro, adding, "If Mickey Spillane wrote "Archie and Veronica", Stephanie would be Betty." As the series has progressed, Stephanie has become more stable and responsible, and a better bounty hunter. "But truthfully," Evanovich says, "Stephanie has stayed the same more than she's changed."
As of 2021, Stephanie has appeared in 28 full-length novels, four holiday novellas, and a short story in a compilation of various authors' works. The first book, "One for the Money", was adapted as a 2012 film starring Katherine Heigl as Stephanie.
Character history.
Evanovich admits that Stephanie Plum's character is inspired by her own, in both history and "similar embarrassing experiences". Evanovich says, "I wouldn't go so far as to say Stephanie is an autobiographical character, but I will admit to knowing where she lives."
Like Evanovich, Stephanie originates from New Jersey, although Janet hails from South River and Stephanie was born in Trenton, New Jersey, the city where the series is set. Stephanie grew up in the Chambersburg neighborhood known to locals as "the Burg", and—like Evanovich—attended Douglass College, although Stephanie graduated "without distinction". The Burg is often portrayed in the series as a close-knit community, from which people rarely leave. Stephanie often finds former classmates and neighbors still living in the Burg, only a few streets away from their childhood home. After graduation, Stephanie married Dickie Orr, then promptly divorced him after discovering him in their new home, cheating on her with rival Joyce Barnhardt on their brand new dining room table.
At the beginning of the first book, "One for the Money", Stephanie has been laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer, she is being forced to sell off her appliances one by one in order to pay her rent, and her car is repossessed. This last straw prompts her to turn to her cousin Vinnie, owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, for a job. She originally hopes to find a file clerk job at the Bail Bonds office but the position was taken, and the only position available is as an apprehension agent or bounty hunter. Vinnie refuses to hire her, but she manages to convince him to give her a shot by threatening to blackmail him. Stephanie's financial situation is still rather perilous, partially due to her poor financial skills, and she often finds herself seeking alternative ways to earn money in order to pay her bills.
When the series begins, Stephanie Plum is single and living with her hamster, Rex, in an apartment building with predominantly elderly neighbors. She regularly visits her parents who live several miles away in the Burg for meals, "family time," and pineapple upside-down cake. While Stephanie finds her family stressful, they often give her tips or connections which assist in her job.
Appearance.
Stephanie Plum briefly describes herself in the first chapter of each book, typically mentioning her Italian-Hungarian descent, fast metabolism, with light skin, naturally curly brown hair (that she keeps shoulder-length), and blue eyes, and is tall, and roughly . Katherine Heigl of "Grey's Anatomy" landed the role for the feature film, One for the Money, released on January 27, 2012.
Friends and colleagues.
Lula.
Lula was introduced as a minor character working as a hooker in the first book in the series, "One For the Money". In "Two For the Dough", she becomes Vinnie's filing clerk and Stephanie's occasional partner. Stephanie refers to her as a plus-sized black woman who attempts to shove a size 16 body into size 10 spandex. She reappears in later books after she begins to work as a file clerk at the bail bonds office. The other file clerk quit after Vinnie attempted to sexually harass her. Lula is a quick file clerk, and this frequently allows her the time to accompany Stephanie when she is going after bonded clients who have not shown up for their court appearance (known colloquially as Failure to Appear, or FTAs). By the 11th book, Lula has worked her way up into being a full-time bounty hunter and takes over for Stephanie after she quits working as a bounty hunter. Eventually Stephanie returns to the job, and Lula goes back to being the file clerk and Stephanie's sometime partner. By the 22nd book office filing is largely digital, so a file clerk is no longer needed, though she retains the job title. She appeared in the film adaptation of One for the Money, Lula is played by Sherri Shepherd.
Connie Rosolli.
Connie is Vinnie's receptionist/office manager. Her ties to the Mafia are hinted at but never fully explored. She is short and curvy with a hairy upper lip. Stephanie went to school with her little sister Tina. She is occasionally described as Betty Boop with a moustache. In the "One for the Money" film, she is played by Ana Reeder.
Mary Lou.
Mary Lou Stankovic is Stephanie's best friend. Married to Lenny Stankovic with children and a dog. Stephanie occasionally pays her a visit, usually to talk about Morelli. Maiden name is Mary Lou Molnar. In the film, Mary Lou is played by Annie Parisse and Lenny by Danny Mastrogiorgio.
Vinnie Plum.
Vinnie is the owner of Vincent Plum's Bail Bonds, where Stephanie is employed. He is also Stephanie's cousin, and he can barely tolerate his employees. He's rumored to have had romantic relationships with farm animals and is usually locked away in his office talking with his bookie; taking a snooze or having a conversation with his "Johnson". In the film he played by Patrick Fischler.
Family.
Grandma Mazur.
Grandma Mazur is Stephanie's maternal grandmother. In "Two For The Dough" her real name is revealed to be Edna. She has lived in Stephanie's parents' house ever since her husband died of heart failure. In "Lean Mean Thirteen" Grandma Mazur uses his real name: Harry. She is a woman unwilling to grow old, ever. Stephanie relates to Grandma Mazur more than any other member of her family. Beginning in "Two For the Dough", Grandma Mazur begins to tag along on cases with Stephanie, often pulling a gun out of her purse at inappropriate moments. Grandma Mazur also frequents the local funeral parlors because they are the social centers of the neighborhood. She sometimes peeks underneath the casket lid to see the dead body, causing hysteria in the parlor. Grandma Mazur is also the official owner of Big Blue, a '53 powder blue Buick that men love and women hate. The car is virtually indestructible, and Grandma Mazur got it from Stephanie's Grand Uncle Sandor. She moved in with Stephanie for a short period of time during "Hot Six". She also occasionally watches pay-per-view porn, on account that "The Weather Channel doesn't have enough action".
In several interviews, Evanovich says that Grandma Mazur is "loosely based on my Aunt Lena and my Grandma Fanny," adding "She's who I want to be when I grow up."
In the film she is played by Debbie Reynolds.
Valerie.
Valerie, Stephanie's older sister who moved to California after getting married, is mentioned briefly in the first six books as being the perfect daughter. For the first six books, Valerie lived in California. In "Seven Up", Valerie moves back in with her parents after a failed marriage, her two daughters—Angie and Mary Alice—in tow. Angie is much like Valerie was at her age, and Mary Alice has a vivid imagination more like her Aunt Stephanie. Valerie tries to become a lesbian in book seven but doesn't like it. Her husband is mentioned, but never appears in the books, as having run away with Angie's and Mary Alice's babysitter. In "Hard Eight", Valerie becomes bumbling lawyer Albert Kloughn's receptionist, and the two begin a relationship. In "Visions of Sugar Plums" Valerie becomes pregnant with Kloughn's daughter, whom they name Lisa. In "Eleven on Top", Valerie and Kloughn cancel their wedding after a stressful bout of wedding planning, but are eventually tricked into getting married in "Plum Lovin'" after Val gets pregnant with Kloughn's second child.
Stephanie's parents.
Her mother, Helen (or Ellen) and father, Frank, have the type of relationship built to last. Her father gets served first in exchange for getting to pretend he controls the house, and to keep him from stabbing Grandma Mazur with his fork. Her mother gets to cook and rule the house. Her mother thinks Stephanie should have a relationship like hers but Steph is skittish about marrying again. Her mother also wants Stephanie to get a nice, safe job and reminds her regularly, "They're hiring at the button factory!" Her father seems less concerned about Stephanie and her job. Stephanie's father also drives a cab part-time to get away from Grandma Mazur and, later in the series, Valerie and Albert Kloughn when they move into Stephanie's parents' house. In the film they are played by Debra Monk and Louis Mustillo respectively.
Bob.
Bob is a big golden retriever a policeman acquaintance conned Stephanie into dog-sitting for in "Hot Six". The arrangement becomes permanent when the owner refuses to reclaim the dog, and Bob becomes a part of Stephanie's life. By "Seven Up", Bob has decided to move in with Joe Morelli, and he and Stephanie now have shared ownership of him. Bob has been described as a big, orange bottomless pit. He'll eat just about anything (including various items of clothing—thongs, socks, shoes, etc.) and usually leaves big dog piles wherever he goes… which is why Stephanie likes to walk him on Joyce Barnhardt's lawn.
Rex.
Stephanie's roommate/hamster. Spends most of his time sleeping in his soup can or running on his wheel. Known to bite when scared or frightened.
After 25 books, Rex is becoming notable as fiction's oldest hamster.
Romantic relationships.
Joseph Morelli.
Joe Morelli is Stephanie's on-and-off boyfriend, a former bad boy turned vice cop. He is also known as Officer Hottie or the Italian Stallion. Her history with Morelli started with a "choo choo" incident when she was six. At the age of sixteen, Stephanie lost her virginity to Morelli in the Tasty Pastry shop behind the éclair stand, after which he never called (but left quite a few flattering messages in bathroom and stadium walls around town). Three years later she saw Morelli and ran over him with her father's Buick, breaking his leg. A few years later in "One for the Money" Morelli was suspected of murder and was her first FTA, and Stephanie chased him around town, much to his annoyance. Eventually, she turns him in (after locking him in a freezer truck with three bodies) and clears his name. In "Three To Get Deadly", she notices that he's stopped flirting and trying to get her into bed. After she asks him why, Morelli claims that "A man would have to be a total masochist to be interested in you", but by the end, he is interested in her again. Their relationship has since evolved into a romance that runs alternately passionately hot and ice cold.
At various times, both Stephanie and Morelli have seriously considered marriage, but never at the same time. They both know they are not ready for commitment, but often comment on the idea together and have lived together more than once. Their relationship runs cold as a result of many arguments—usually over her job (she has been known to stress Morelli enough that he takes Rolaids & Maalox and tells her that he is quickly deteriorating because of her) and they eventually lead to her


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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Light Me Up (Hunter Hayes song)
"Light Me Up" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Hunter Hayes. Co-written by busbee and Shane McAnally, it was originally recorded for Hayes's self-titled debut studio album (2011) but was only included on the 2013 "Encore" edition re-issue. The song was re-recorded in 2015, and was released to the UK and Oceania on March 13, 2015. as the lead single for Hayes's international compilation album, "I Want Crazy" (2015).
Composition.
"Light Me Up" was written by Hayes with pop songwriter busbee and country music singer Shane McAnally as an upbeat country pop song about the excitement of love. Beginning with a drum loop and B-3, its instrumentation later incorporates guitar, banjo, and bouzouki. Bob Paxman at "Nash Country Weekly" described the chorus, which features firework and sunshine imagery, as "uplifting."
The UK single version downplays the country elements of the original for a more pop-oriented sound. Drawing influences from electropop and dance-pop, the remix features a more heavily processed vocal and synthesized backbeat.
Background and release.
Conceived during the writing sessions for Hayes's self-titled debut studio album, "Light Me Up" was originally recorded sometime in 2011 but was ultimately not included on the original release of the album due to not fitting the tone of the album at the time. In 2012, the song was re-recorded and offered to fans for free through Hayes' official Facebook page as part of a partnership with Country Financial. After the success of "Wanted" and the inspiration he received during his Most Wanted Tour, Hayes began working on new material. It was mutually decided by Hayes and his label in late 2012 that it "[wasn't] necessarily the right time... to make a new record," so the "Encore" edition of the album was developed as an alternative to make the newly-written songs and a handful of re-recorded tracks (including a new version of "Light Me Up") available to the fans. In 2015, the song was partially re-recorded for a fourth time and given a pop mix for an exclusive UK single release.
Critical reception.
"Light Me Up" was mostly well received by critics in review for its parent album. Marc Engel of Fox News praised the mainstream appeal of the song, noting that "with chiming guitars plus a sing-a-long chorus it’s easy to understand why “Light Me Up” has become a fan favorite." Matt Bjorke at "Roughstock" wrote that the song "feel[s] like [a] potential hit" and "gets the listener in a good mood," while complimenting Hayes's use of the song as a concert opener. Robert Silva at Dotdash Meredith was more critical of the song's repetitive lyrics and the overall sameness of the new tracks on "Encore".
Commercial performance.
Upon the release of "Hunter Hayes (Encore)", "Light Me Up" sold over 13,000 units. This prompted a number 50 debut on the "Billboard" Country Digital Songs (the digital sales component of Hot Country Songs).
Music video.
A lyric video for the UK version of the song premiered on 22 January 2015.
The official music video premiered on 9 February 2015 exclusively through "Digital Spy". It features Hayes playing the guitar, keyboard, and drums to the song, and "letting his inner rock star out."
Personnel.
Credits adapted from the "Hunter Hayes (Encore)" album liner.
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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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Lights Come On
"Lights Come On" is a song written by Jimmy Robbins, Jordan Schmidt, Brad Warren, Brett Warren, and Florida Georgia Line members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley and recorded by American country music artist Jason Aldean. It was released on April 1, 2016, as the lead single from Aldean's 2016 album "They Don't Know".
Critical reception.
The single has mostly received negative reviews from critics. Kevin John Coyne of "Country Universe" was critical of the concert-orientated theme of the song, writing that "“Lights Come On” seems written for the sole purpose of kicking off a Jason Aldean concert. It's all very meta, and easy to picture the audience saying, “Hey! He’s singing about us! Cool!”" and "But that’s every Jason Aldean song these days, isn’t it? Soulless, monotonous, assembly line records that are interchangeable with one another and forgotten as soon as the song ends." He rated the song a D grade.
An uncredited "Taste of Country" review was more favorable, praising the country rock instrumentation and compared the song favorably to that of Aldean's earlier hits "My Kinda Party" and "She's Country."
Commercial reception.
The song debuted at No. 29 on the Country Airplay chart, his third highest debut on the chart. The airplay also placed the song at No. 43 on the Hot Country Songs. The following week when the song was released for sale, Jason Aldean performed the song at the 2016 ACM Awards where he won Entertainer of the Year. The song sold 70,000 copies in its first sales week, which made it the No. 1 on the Country Digital Songs chart, and its sales pushed it up to No. 7 on Hot Country Songs. The song has sold 408,000 copies in the US as of September 2016.
Music video.
The music video was directed by Shaun Silva and premiered in June 2016. It is 5 minutes long, and combines tour footage of Aldean's 2016 Six String Circus Tour, with an in-depth interview with Aldean, in which he states what touring means to him.
References.
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Every Light in the House
"Every Light in the House" is a song written by Kent Robbins and recorded by American country music artist Trace Adkins. It was released in August 1996 as the second single from his debut album "Dreamin' Out Loud". It was his first Top 5 single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, where it peaked at #3.
Content.
The song is a mid-tempo ballad mostly accompanied by piano and fiddle in which the narrator has recently split from his wife. He turns every light on in the house and keeps them on for her in case she wants to return to his side.
Critical reception.
Deborah Evans Price, of "Billboard" magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that "Adkins' deep, powerful voice does justice to the yearning in this lyric about a man who has left the lights on waiting for his lover to return." Rick Cohoon of AllMusic gave the song a favorable review, calling it a "creative approach to the age-old 'goodbye, I miss you' song." He commended Adkins' voice for "communicat[ing] pain so well" despite the singer's stature, although he considered some of the similes forced (e.g. "the backyard's bright as the crack of dawn").
Music video.
The music video for this song is in black-and-white, and begins with Adkins sitting on the porch of a house with his dog after his woman left home. He then gets off the porch, and he and some workers get to work on a power generator. Scenes also feature him singing inside of the same house which also featured an alternative sub chorus "Drinkin' Bush Light til the crack of dawn" whilst a slew of empty Busch cans can be seen next to the generator, ultimately this scene and lyric was scrubbed and the original was used.
Chart performance.
"Every Light in the House" debuted at number 72 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart dated August 24, 1996. It charted for 21 weeks on that chart, and peaked at number 3 on the country chart dated December 14, 1996, giving Adkins the first Top 5 single of his career. In addition, it peaked at number 78 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, also marking his first entry on that chart.
Parodies.
On his 1998 album "Did I Shave My Back for This?", country parodist Cledus T. Judd parodied the song as "Every Light in the House Is Blown". Trace Adkins is featured in the music video when the song begins and after it ends.
References.
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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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You Light Up My Life (song)
1977 single by Debby Boone
"You Light Up My Life" is a ballad written by Joseph Brooks, and originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack album to the 1977 film of the same title. The song was lip synced in the film by its lead actress, Didi Conn. The best-known cover version of the song is a cover by Debby Boone, the daughter of singer Pat Boone. It held the No. 1 position on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks in 1977 and topped "Record World" magazine's Top 100 Singles Chart for a record 13 weeks.
Original film version.
Cisyk's original soundtrack recording was included in the film's soundtrack album. It was then later released as a single to bolster sales of the soundtrack album after Debby Boone included her version on her first solo album (also titled "You Light Up My Life"). Although the soundtrack album was certified Gold, peaking at No. 17 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart, it never included Boone's hit single version of the song.
Cisyk's single was credited to "Original Cast", not to Cisyk herself, and even though Brooks is listed on the A-side of the single, the "Original Cast" B-side charted on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and only reached No. 80. Brooks also released an instrumental version of the song from the soundtrack as a promotional single, but that version failed to chart.
Following the success of Boone's version, the song earned Brooks a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award.
Track listing.
7" vinyl single
The Joseph Brooks controversies.
In a 2013 biographical essay about Cisyk, Cisyk's second husband, Ed Rakowicz (who worked as a sound engineer, but not for this song), wrote that songwriter Brooks was initially pleased with Cisyk's recording of the song with orchestra (and her version appeared in the movie and soundtrack) but "tried to evade payment by false promises and by asking her to be an incidental actor in his film, implying huge rewards yet to come..." Rackowicz claimed that Brooks made improper advances toward Cisyk, that after being rebuffed, he refused to speak directly to her again, and that he continued to evade payments to her while commissioning another recording with Debby Boone.
According to Rackowicz, "Besides wanting Boone to copy Kacey's [sic] iconic hit reading of his songs, Brooks needed to cover up Kacey's vocal leakage in the microphones in the piano recorded at the original demo session on which was overdubbed the orchestral track used in the film. Brooks didn't want to pay to re-record the piano and orchestra again." In 2003, Boone admitted, "I had no freedom whatsoever. Joe told me exactly how to sing it and imitate every inflection from the original recording." in an interview with "Entertainment Weekly Magazine." Cisyk later retained a lawyer and sued Brooks for the fees she had earned for her work on the record and for credit on the soundtrack, which she later received.
Debby Boone version.
In 1977, Debby Boone, Pat Boone's daughter, recorded the song under the guidance of Curb Records executive Mike Curb and songwriter Joseph Brooks. Boone recorded her vocals over a pre-existing instrumental track that Brooks already had developed for the film's soundtrack. The song was released as both a Warner-Curb Records single and as the title track to her first solo album, "You Light Up My Life," which she released on Warner Bros. Records, Curb Records' parent label.
"Cash Box" said that "Ms. Boone builds it to a powerful emotional peak as a massive string section lends support."
The single became the biggest single of the 1970s in the United States, setting a new "Billboard" Hot 100 record for most weeks spent at number one. Elvis Presley's double-sided hit "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog", then recognized as the longest-running number one song of the rock era, spent eleven weeks atop the "Billboard" Best Sellers chart in 1956, before the 1958 debut of the Hot 100. The previous Hot 100 record was held by Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife", Percy Faith's recording of "Theme from "A Summer Place"" (1960) and the Beatles' "Hey Jude" (1968), all three of which remained at No. 1 for nine weeks. The ten-week record was matched in 1982 by Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", but was not surpassed until a 1991 change in chart methodology allowed songs to achieve longer reigns at No. 1. In 1992, "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men would set the new record with 13 weeks.
Besting her chart performance in "Billboard", Boone's "You Light Up My Life" single topped "Record World"'s Top 100 Singles Chart for an unbroken record of 13 weeks. On "Billboard"'s chart, Boone was unseated from No. 1 by the Bee Gees, with "How Deep Is Your Love", the first of three No. 1 singles from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. On "Record World"'s chart, Boone kept the Bee Gees out of the number-one spot. In "Cash Box" magazine, "You Light Up My Life" managed only an eight-week stay at the top of the chart, before being dethroned by Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Its least-lengthy run was on the "Radio and Records" chart, with six weeks at No. 1 before relinquishing the spot to the Bee Gees; it had knocked Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" out of the top spot after only one week.
The single, which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), also hit No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and reached No. 4 on the Country chart. The single peaked at No. 48 on the UK Singles Chart. Boone's hit single led to her winning the 1978 Grammy Award for Best New Artist, with additional Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Record of the Year. Boone also won the 1977 American Music Award for Favorite Pop Single.
Decades after its release, the Debby Boone version is still considered one of the top ten "Billboard" Hot 100 songs of all time. In 2008, it was ranked at No. 7 on "Billboard"'s "Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs" list (August 1958 - July 2008). An updated version of the all-time list in 2013 ranked the song at No. 9.
Although it was written by Brooks as a love song, the devout Boone interpreted it as inspirational and proclaimed that it was instead God who "lit up her life." This fact was later alluded to when the song appeared in "The Simpsons