Bobby Hicks
Robert Caldwell Hicks (July 21, 1933 – August 16, 2024) was a Grammy Award-winning American bluegrass fiddler and musician with more than fifty years of experience. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
Life and career.
Hicks was born in Newton, North Carolina, and learned to play the fiddle before he was 9 years old. He attended several fiddlers conventions and at the age of eleven, he won the "North Carolina State Championship" playing the tune "Black Mountain Rag". He joined Jim Eanes's band in the early 1950s.
In 1953, he was, through the bluegrass festival organizer Carlton Haney, hired as a bass player in Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. He did not record with the Bluegrass Boys until December 31, 1954, by then he had switched to fiddle. During this period, he learned to play "Nashville swing" by the session fiddler Dale Potter, a style Hicks often used when playing with Bill Monroe on the road. Monroe dubbed Hicks "the truest fiddler he had ever heard". He recorded seven tunes with Monroe but left in 1956 to join the army. In 1958, after his discharge, he rejoined the Bluegrass Boys, recording ten more songs. He left in 1959 to join Porter Wagoner. Later in 1963, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and became a fixture on the Judy Lynn Show for the next seven years. In 1981, he joined Ricky Skaggs, a stint that would last for 23 years.
In the mid and late 1980s, he frequently performed with Bill Monroe on stage and on records. He was inducted into the "Fiddlers Hall of Fame" in 2002. He appeared as a member of "Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys" in 2003. The next year, he performed with "Hazel Creek".
In 2004, he celebrated 50 years at the Grand Ole Opry. Bobby Hicks is a 10 time Grammy winner. His discography includes over 10 albums.
Hicks died from complications of heart disease on August 16, 2024, at the age of 91.
References.
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Newton, North Carolina
Newton is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 12,968. It is the county seat of Catawba County. Newton is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History.
Newton was established in 1845 and incorporated in 1855.
Geography.
Newton is located at the center of Catawba County. It is bordered to the north by Conover and to the northwest by Hickory. Claremont is to the northeast, and Maiden is to the south.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.37%, is water.
Demographics.
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2020 census.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,148 people, 5,076 households, and 3,332 families residing in the city.
2000 census.
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,560 people, 5,007 households, and 3,314 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,368 housing units at an average density of . The racial composition of the city was: 77.58% White, 12.33% Black or African American, 9.52% Hispanic or Latino American, 3.40% Asian American, 0.43% Native American, 0.03% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 4.63% some other race, and 1.60% two or more races.
There were 5,007 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,696, and the median income for a family was $44,330. Males had a median income of $27,237 versus $22,963 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,427. 12.1% of the population and 8.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.1% of those under the age of 18 and 13.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Places of interest.
Listings on the National Register of Historic Places for places in Newton, North Carolina:
References.
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John Hicks (pianist)
American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger (1941–2006)
John Josephus Hicks Jr. (December 21, 1941 – May 10, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He was leader of more than 30 recordings and played as a sideman on more than 300.
After early experiences backing blues musicians, Hicks moved to New York in 1963. He was part of Art Blakey's band for two years, accompanied vocalist Betty Carter from 1965 to 1967, before joining Woody Herman's big band, where he stayed until 1970. Following these associations, Hicks expanded into freer bands, including those of trumpeters Charles Tolliver and Lester Bowie. He rejoined Carter in 1975; the five-year stay brought him more attention and helped to launch his recording career as a leader. He continued to play and record extensively in the United States and internationally. Under his own leadership, his recordings were mostly bebop-influenced, while those for other leaders continued to be in a diversity of styles, including multi-year associations with saxophonists Arthur Blythe, David Murray, David "Fathead" Newman, and Pharoah Sanders.
Early life.
Hicks was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 21, 1941, the eldest of five children. As a child, he moved with his family around the United States, as his father, Rev. John Hicks Sr, took up jobs with the Methodist church. His family was middle-class: "I was brought up as a decent human being, where you had aspirations and there were expectations", he commented. His mother, Pollie, was his first piano teacher, after he began playing aged six or seven in Los Angeles.
He took organ lessons, sang in choirs and tried the violin and trombone. Around the age of 11, once he could read music, Hicks started playing the piano in church.
His development accelerated once his family moved to St. Louis, when Hicks was 14 and he settled on the piano. There, he attended Sumner High School and played in schoolmate Lester Bowie's band, the Continentals, which performed in a variety of musical styles. Hicks cited influences "from Fats Waller to Thelonious Monk to Methodist church hymns", as well as local pianists. He was initially interested in the blues-based compositions of Horace Silver and popular songs such as "I Got Rhythm" and "There Will Never Be Another You", for their easily recognised harmonies.
Hicks worked summer gigs in the southern United States with blues musicians Little Milton and Albert King. His stint with Little Milton provided his first professional work, in 1958; Hicks stated that his playing in a variety of keys improved because the venue's piano was so out of tune that he had to transpose each piece that they played. He studied music in 1958 at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he shared a room with drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson. He also studied for a short time at the Berklee School of Music in Boston before moving to New York in 1963.
Later life and career.
1963–80.
In New York, Hicks first accompanied singer Della Reese. He then played with Joe Farrell and toured with trombonist Al Grey and tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell. In 1963 he was also part of saxophonist Pharoah Sanders' first band, and appeared on CBC Television backing vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon. After periods with Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, Hicks joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1964. His recording debut was with Blakey in November that year on the album "'S Make It". Early in 1965, Hicks toured with Blakey to Japan, France, Switzerland, and England. Blakey encouraged his band members, including Hicks, to compose for the band, although they also played compositions by previous members of the band. He stayed with Blakey for two years, during which time his playing was compared with that of McCoy Tyner, for the level of energy displayed and for some of the intervals that they used.
In the period 1965 to 1967, Hicks worked on and off with vocalist Betty Carter; her liking for slow ballads helped him develop his sense of time. He then joined Woody Herman's big band, where he stayed until 1970, playing as well as writing arrangements for the band. Hicks also began recording as a sideman with a wide range of leaders – in the 1960s these included Booker Ervin, Hank Mobley, and Lee Morgan – a trend that continued for the remainder of his career. From 1972 to 1973, Hicks taught jazz history and improvisation at Southern Illinois University. From the 1970s, he also played in more avant garde bands, beginning with recordings led by Oliver Lake and performances and recordings in the Netherlands with Charles Tolliver. He played with Blakey again in 1973. Hicks' debut recording as leader was on May 21, 1975, in England. The session resulted in two albums – the trio "Hells Bells", with bassist Clint Houston and drummer Cliff Barbaro, and the solo piano "Steadfast" – that were released by Strata-East Records several years later.
Hicks reunited with Carter in 1975, including accompanying her in a musical play, "Don't Call Me Man", that year. After recording with Carter on her "Now It's My Turn" in 1976, Hicks returned to her band full-time; this raised his profile and led to his own recording – "After the Morning". His sideman recording also continued, including with Carter Jefferson (1978) and Chico Freeman (1978–79). Hicks was dismissed in 1980 by Carter, a forceful bandleader, for drinking.
1981–89.
"Some Other Time" in 1981, with bassist Walter Booker and drummer Idris Muhammad, revealed more of Hicks as a composer, and included his best-known song, "Naima's Love Song".
Hicks was the leader of groups from the mid-1970s onwards. His small groups included a quartet featuring Sonny Fortune, Walter Booker, and Jimmy Cobb (1975–82, from 1990); a group featuring the flutist Elise Wood (with or without a drummer); and other groups featuring Gary Bartz, Vincent Herring, saxophonist Craig Handy, bassists Curtis Lundy or Ray Drummond and drummers Idris Muhammad or Victor Lewis. His quintets and sextets included Robin Eubanks and Tolliver (both from 1982), Branford Marsalis (1982–4), Hannibal Peterson (from 1983), Wynton Marsalis (1983–4), Craig Harris (1985–6), Eddie Henderson (1985–6, 1988–90), and Freeman (1985–8). A big band was created in autumn 1982 and revived on occasion subsequently. He played in the UK with Freeman's band in 1989.
From 1983, the flautist Elise Wood was frequently a member of his groups. As a duo, they played mostly jazz, but also some classical music. They formed a business partnership – John Hicks-Elise Wood, Inc. – and toured the US, Europe and Japan in the 1980s.
He also freelanced, including with players such as Arthur Blythe, David Murray, and Pharoah Sanders. During the 1980s, was a sideman for Richie Cole (1980), Arthur Blythe (In the Tradition), David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, Art Davis, and Pharoah Sanders; recording with as Ricky Ford (1980, 1982), Alvin Queen (1981), Peter Leitch (1984), Herring (1986), and Bobby Watson (1986, 1988). In 1984, he had a big band that rehearsed; a sextet from it played concerts. From around 1989 into the 1990s, he played with the Mingus Dynasty band, including for performances of the symphony "Epitaph". He recorded two albums in Japan in 1988 – the trio "East Side Blues" and the quartet "Naima's Love Song", with altoist Bobby Watson added. By now making regular appearances at jazz festivals internationally, Hicks continued to perform in New York City.
1990–2006.
Hicks divorced his wife, Olympia, in the early 1990s. The couple had a son and daughter (Jamil Malik and Naima).
Like many jazz musicians in the 1990s, Hicks recorded for multiple labels proposing different recording ideas. The resultant recordings included duo sessions with Jay McShann (1992) and Leitch (1994) for the American Reservoir Records, and several trio-based sessions for Japanese labels – the New York Unit with bassist Richard Davis and drummer Tatsuya Nakamura for Paddle Wheel Records, and the New York Rhythm Machine with bassist Marcus McLaurine and drummer Victor Lewis for Venus Records. These were followed by more trio recordings for other labels – the Keystone Trio of George Mraz and Muhammad for the Milestone label from 1995, and a longer-lasting band with Dwayne Dolphin on bass and Cecil Brooks III on drums for HighNote Records from 1997. The last of these included his most commercially successful recordings, which were tributes to other pianists, including ', "Impressions of Mary Lou", and '. There were five such albums, all linked to Pittsburgh-associated pianist-composers; the other two were "", and "Music in the Key of Clark" for Sonny Clark. Hicks played on five of David "Fathead" Newman's albums for HighNote, and was described in 2000 as the "HighNote house pianist".
There were also more dates as a sideman for Murray, Leitch, Blythe, Freeman, and Roy Hargrove (1989–90, 1995), Bartz (1990), Lake (1991), Steve Marcus and Valery Ponomarev (both 1993), Nick Brignola, Russell Gunn, and Kevin Mahogany (all 1994), the Mingus Big Band (c1995), Fortune (1996), and Jimmy Ponder (1997). As leader, his repertoire in the 1990s was often of familiar standards. He performed in the UK with the Mingus Big Band in 1999, and played on their album "Blues and Politics" in the same year. The pianist recorded the seventh instalment of the "Live at Maybeck Recital Hall" series of solo piano concerts which were recorded for Concord Records. He was part of Joe Lovano's quartet in 1998, which led to Hicks being part of the saxophonist's nonet from its formation the following year.
Hicks and Wood married in June 2001. He made a rare recording on organ (Hammond B3) on saxophonist Arthur Blythe's "Exhale". Over the last decade or so of Hicks life, he recorded several collaborations with Elise Wood to mixed reviews ("Single Petal of a Rose", "Trio & Strings", "Beautiful Friendship").
Towards the end of his life, Hicks taught at New York University and The New School in New York. Asked about his teaching in January 2006, Hicks replied that "I don't care how advanced my students are, I always start them off with the blues. It all comes from there." Early in 2006, Hicks again played in a big band, this time led by Charles Tolliver. In January and February, he toured Israel, chiefly playing Thelonious Monk compositions. Hicks' final studio recording was "On the Wings of an Eagle" in March 2006. His last performance was at St Mark's United Methodist Church in New York City a few days before he died. He died on May 10, 2006, from internal bleeding. Hicks is buried at South-View Cemetery in his hometown of Atlanta.
Wood survived him, and has led a band dedicated to his music. In the view of AllMusic reviewer Michael G. Nastos, "Hicks died before reaping the ultimate rewards and high praise he deserved". A collection of his papers and compositions, as well as video and audio recordings, is held by Duke University.
Playing style.
Fellow pianist George Cables stated that Hicks "was a very strong and energetic player, and a very warm player, very much part of the tradition". Hicks's playing was sometimes criticized as being insubstantial; "The Penguin Guide to Jazz" commented that "This [...] is missing the point. Almost always, he is more concerned to work within the dimensions of a song than to go off into the stratosphere."
Hicks had a style of his own, containing a "combination of irresistible creativity and responsiveness [...] encompassing swing, hard bop and the avant garde, and made him a first-call choice for many of the most important American modern jazz groups". A reviewer of a 1993 release, "", commented that Hicks "mastered the technique of shaping a piano chord so it sounds like the rising and falling of a breath". A few years later, another reviewer highlighted the "subtle dynamic shadings" of Hicks's left hand, and his "reverence for melody and a sense of musical destination that gives form to his improvisations." As an accompanist, Hicks played delicately, with carefully voiced chords.
Compositions and arrangements.
His compositions "are wandering and melodic, suggestive and malleable yet memorable". He "enjoyed writing arrangements for a quintet or sextet, often, like the finest jazz composers, tailoring parts to specific musicians. In the past, these have included artists of the caliber of Bobby Watson and Vincent Herring; more recently he has been working with Javon Jackson and Elise [Wood]".
Discography.
An asterisk (*) after the year indicates that it is the year of release.
References.
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Bibliography
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Charles R. Hicks
Cherokee leader
Charles Renatus Hicks (December 23, 1767 – January 20, 1827) (Cherokee) was one of the three most important leaders of his people in the early 19th century, together with James Vann and Major Ridge. The three men all had some European ancestry, as did numerous other Cherokee, but they identified as Cherokee. The people had a matrilineal kinship system, so children were considered born into their mother's family and clan.
These three leaders were among those who urged their people to acculturate to European-American ways, in order to succeed in a rapidly changing world. An increasing number of European Americans were entering their territory.
Hicks supported a Moravian mission school in Cherokee territory in order to formally educate the tribe's children. He served as the "second" chief. In 1827 when Principal Chief Pathkiller died in office; Hicks succeeded to that position. He died two weeks later.
Early life and education.
Charles Renatus Hicks was born December 23, 1767, in the town of "Tomotley" near the Hiwassee River, at its confluence with the Tennessee River in present-day eastern Tennessee. He was the son of "Nan-Ye-Hi," a half-blood Cherokee woman, and a white (probably Scots) trader named Nathan Hicks. At the time, both the Cherokee people and European traders thought that such strategic alliances benefited them. Among his younger siblings was his brother William Hicks.
As the Cherokee were a matrilineal culture, the children of "Nan-Ye-Hi" were considered to belong to her family and Paint Clan. Her brothers and other senior males were considered more important to the boys' upbringing than their biological father was. They grew up within the Cherokee Nation and gained status from her clan, but the boys also learned English. This gave them advantages for dealing with the European Americans and advancing politically.
"Nan-Ye-Hi" and her brother Gunrod were the children of a Jennie (Oconostota) Taylor, a Cherokee woman, and Jacob (aka Johann) Conrad, a Swiss immigrant. Gunrod married Onai (Cherokee), and had several children: Hair Conrad, Rattlinggourd, Terrapin Head, Young Wolf, and Quatie.
Marriage and children.
Charles Hicks married Nancy Anna Felicitas Broom as his principal wife. She was the daughter of Chief Broom of Broomstown, located on the northeastern border of present-day Alabama. Some Cherokee had moved there under pressure from the Creek and British. The village was later abandoned.
Nancy and Charles Hicks had several children: Elsie (1760–1826), Nathan Wolf (b.1795), Elijah 1797, Elizabeth (Betsy) 1797, Sarah Elizabeth 1798, Jesse Hicks 1801, Edward, and Leonard Looney 1804. Their son Elijah married Margaret Ross, a half-sister of Chief John Ross. Their son, Nathan, married Elsy (Alice) Shorey. (As a successful Cherokee man, Hicks later took other wives, a traditional practice among his people.)
Career.
Hicks was bilingual and he served as an interpreter to the U.S. Indian Agent Return Jonathan Meigs, Sr. (1740–1823). Meigs served as agent for more than two decades to the Cherokee in southeastern Tennessee/Western North Carolina, from 1801 to his death. Hicks also acted as treasurer for the Cherokee Nation, which organized in a more centralized way in 1794.
The Creek, traditional competitors and enemies of the Cherokee, became divided over acculturation and land issues, resulting in the Creek War. It spilled over into the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, as some of the Creek were allied with the British. Hicks fought with United States troops and southern militia under General Andrew Jackson against the Creek Red Sticks (the conservative faction) in the 1814 Battle of Horseshoe Bend in what is now central Alabama.
Allied with other former warriors James Vann and Major Ridge, Hicks formed a triumvirate with them; they were among the most influential younger leaders in the Nation. The three men were prominent from the late eighteenth century, after the Cherokee–American wars, to just past the first quarter of the 19th century. They supported acculturation and adoption of some European-American ways.
After reading a book called "Idea Fidei Fratrum", an exposition of Moravian doctrine, Hicks embraced Christianity. He was baptized on April 20, 1813, by Moravian missionaries as Charles "Renatus" ("Born Again") Hicks. His wife was baptized the next day. As the Moravians recognized that the Cherokee had a matrilineal society, they were glad to have converted a Cherokee mother, expecting her to influence her children.
Hicks was extremely well-read and acculturated, and had collected one of the largest personal libraries in North America at the time, public or private. In an 1826 letter to John Ross, whom he was grooming as a future Principal Chief, Charles Hicks recounted the history of the Cherokee tribe. He related events from his youth, including his encounters with the chiefs "Attacullaculla" and "Oconostota", and early European trader Cornelius Dougherty, as well as stories of traditions.
In 1817, Hicks was elected Second Principal Chief under Pathkiller. After the "revolt of the young chiefs" two years later, partly over land deals, Hicks became the "de facto" head of government, with Pathkiller serving as a figurehead. When Pathkiller died in January 1827, Hicks succeeded him as Principal Chief, the first Cherokee of any European ancestry to serve in that position.
On January 20, 1827, Hicks died, two weeks after assuming office. His younger brother William Abraham Hicks served as interim Principal Chief. John Ross, as President of the National Committee, and Major Ridge, as Speaker of the National Council, had more true political power. The tribe ended its traditional government and formed a constitutional republic.
In 1828 it elected John Ross as the new Principal Chief. Popular with full-bloods, who outnumbered the mixed-race members by a three-to-one margin, Ross was repeatedly re-elected. He served as Principal Chief until his death in 1867, after the American Civil War.
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Tony Hicks
English guitarist and singer (born 1945)
Anthony Christopher Hicks (born 16 December 1945) is an English guitarist and singer who has been a member of the British rock/pop band the Hollies since 1963, and as such was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. His main roles within the band are lead guitarist and backing singer.
Career.
Early years.
Hicks first had a taste of fame at age 12 as a member of Les Skifflettes when they were featured on the Carroll Levis talent show in 1957. By the early 1960s, he was a respected member of the Manchester music scene and had become the lead guitarist with Ricky Shaw and the Dolphins, while working as an apprentice electrician. When then local rivals the Hollies needed a replacement for their guitarist Vic Steele in February 1963, Hicks was immediately approached to join the band and although initially reluctant, he was finally persuaded to join after listening to The Hollies through the air vent of the Twisted Wheel club in Manchester. Hicks shrewdly negotiated an £18 per week wage to join, despite the other members being paid just £9 per week. They had by this time secured a test recording session with EMI's Parlophone label with staff producer Ron Richards, whom the band later credited with creating and choosing their greatest hits. Hicks duly attended the session as their new guitarist in April 1963 and the audition resulted in a recording contract with Parlophone.
With the Hollies.
The Hollies soon became one of the most successful bands in Britain; they had a distinctive, breezy pop style built around the three-part harmony of Hicks (lower harmony) and bandmates Allan Clarke (lead vocals) and Graham Nash (high harmony). Hicks contributed his first solo composition for the group ("When I'm Not There") to an EP release in 1964 and co-wrote a B-side ("Keep Off That Friend of Mine") with drummer Bobby Elliott that year. Hicks then joined Clarke and Nash as the group's in-house songwriting team, who from 1964 to mid-1966 wrote as "Chester Mann" and "L. Ransford" before adopting the Clarke-Hicks-Nash banner. By the mid-1960s the threesome had become responsible for writing most of their songs, including singles hits such as "Stop! Stop! Stop!", "On a Carousel", "Carrie Anne" and "King Midas in Reverse". Hicks rarely sang lead vocals on Hollies songs, but was featured on "Look Through Any Window" (1965), and sang verse leads on "Too Much Monkey Business" (1964), "Carrie Anne" (a song he began for the band in Stavanger, Norway in 1967) and "Open Up Your Eyes" (1968). Hicks took solo lead vocals on his song "Pegasus" (1967), the Clarke-Sylvester-penned "Look at Life" (1969), his "Born A Man" (1973), "Hillsborough" (1989) and Bobby Elliott's "Then, Now, Always (Dolphin Days)" (2009).
In 1966, with contributions from fellow Hollies Clarke and Nash, Hicks contributed guitar work alongside Yardbirds guitarist and session musician Jimmy Page to The Everly Brothers' album "Two Yanks in England" (which included cover versions of a number of Hollies songs co-written by Hicks).
In the 1960s, with Nash performing few guitar duties except for the occasional rhythm part and acoustic work, Hicks became an integral part of the Hollies sound. Apart from contributing distinctive lead-guitar parts, he could be relied on to add unusual instrumentation to their sessions—such as the banjo which was a key component of their hit "Stop! Stop! Stop!", Greek-type ("Tell Me to My Face"), electric sitar ("The Baby"), and fuzz guitar ("Have You Ever Loved Somebody"). When no original material was available, Hicks discovered demos of Hollies hits "Just One Look" (UK No. 2 in 1964), "I Can't Let Go" (UK No. 2 in 1966) and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (UK No. 3 in 1969) (which became one of their biggest hits).
Hicks suggested the band do an album of Bob Dylan songs in late 1968; Nash disagreed, one of the reasons for his exit from the band (although he had already sung with David Crosby and Stephen Stills in the US). The Hollies replaced Nash with Terry Sylvester and "Hollies Sing Dylan" (1969) was No. 3 in the UK Albums Chart, although it failed to chart in the US. This was one of the first "tribute albums" devoted to a single artist by a vocal group.
After Nash's December 1968 departure from the group Hicks began to write more solo songs, which were used as either B-sides or album tracks (such as "Cos You Like To Love Me" and "Don't Give Up Easily" in 1969 and "Dandelion Wine" in 1970). He wrote much of The Hollies' 1970 album "Confessions of the Mind", including "Too Young To Be Married" (a No. 1 single in Australia and New Zealand).
Hicks also co-wrote songs with UK singer Kenny Lynch for The Hollies, such as "What A Life I've Led", "Look What We've Got", "Promised Land", the US hit single "Long Dark Road" (all 1971) and "Blue in the Morning" (1972) and "Faded Images", recorded by Cilla Black on her 1971 album "Images". He co-wrote Hollies songs between 1974 and 1978 with Allan Clarke and Terry Sylvester. In 1974, Hicks produced the eponymous group album "Taggett" on EMI Records in the UK.
In 1990, Hicks co-wrote "Naomi" for The Hollies with his son Paul. In 1993 he added new guitar parts and harmony vocals (with Clarke and Nash) to an "alternate" version of "Peggy Sue Got Married" by Buddy Holly (credited to "Buddy Holly and The Hollies"), which led off the "Not Fade Away" tribute album to Holly by various artists.
The Hollies continued to have hits beyond the 1970s, including a UK chart hit with the medley "Holliedaze" in 1981, a US Top 30 hit cover of "Stop! In the Name of Love" in 1983, a UK No. 1 single in 1988 (a re-issue of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"), and in 1993 "The Woman I Love". The group still performs and records today; however, with the retirement of Allan Clarke in 1999, only Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliott remain from the band's 1960s heyday.
Awards and honours.
In 2010, The Hollies (who had already won an Ivor Novello Award in 1995 for outstanding contribution to British popular music and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Hicks and Elliott were absent from the induction ceremony because of UK touring commitments with the current Hollies band.
Personal life.
Hicks dated model Jane Lumb in the mid-Sixties. Hicks has been married to Jane Dalton since 1974.
References.
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Edward Hicks (pioneer)
19th century American politician
Edward Hicks (October 24, 1818 – May 15, 1873) was an American merchant, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate (1862, 1863) and State Assembly (1870), representing Brown County. He was postmaster of Green Bay for about 12 years during the 1840s and 1850s.
Biography.
Edward Hicks was born in Conneaut, Ohio, in October 1818. He received a common school and academic education, and moved west to the Wisconsin Territory in the early 1840s. He settled in Green Bay, where he remained for nearly three decades. Hicks was affiliated with the Democratic Party, and under President James K. Polk, he was appointed postmaster at Green Bay, serving until the end of the Polk administration. He was subsequently re-appointed postmaster in 1853, under President Franklin Pierce, and was retained as postmaster under President James Buchanan.
In 1861, Hicks was the Democratic Party nominee for Wisconsin Senate in the 2nd Senate district, which then comprised Brown and Kewaunee counties. Hicks faced no opponent in the general election and went on to serve in the 1862 and 1863 sessions of the legislature. He


I Will Always Love You
1974 single by Dolly Parton
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career, the country single was released in 1974. The song was a commercial success for Parton, twice reaching the top spot of the US "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart: first in June 1974, then again in October 1982, with a re-recording for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" soundtrack.
Whitney Houston recorded a Pop-ballad arrangement of the song for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard". Houston's version peaked at number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks. The single was certified diamond by the RIAA, making Houston's first diamond single, the third female artist who had both a diamond single and a diamond album, and becoming the best-selling single by a woman in the U.S. The song was an enormous success worldwide, going number one in 34 official singles charts. With over 24 million copies sold worldwide, it became the best-selling single of all time by a female solo artist. It was also the world's best-selling single of 1992. Houston won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female in 1994 for "I Will Always Love You". Houston also won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for "The Bodyguard - Original Soundtrack Album".
The song has been recorded by many other artists including Linda Ronstadt, John Doe, Amber Riley, Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes, and Sarah Washington, whose dance version reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. "I Will Always Love You" has been recognized by BMI for over ten million broadcast performances.
Background and composition.
Country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton wrote the song in 1973 for her one-time partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, from whom she was separating professionally after a seven-year partnership. She recorded it in RCA Studio B in Nashville on June 12, 1973.
Author Curtis W. Ellison stated that the song "speaks about the breakup of a relationship between a man and a woman that does not descend into unremitting domestic turmoil, but instead envisions parting with respect – because of the initiative of the woman". The country love track is set in a time signature of common time with a tempo of 66 beats per minute. (Larghetto/Adagio) Although Parton found much success with the song, many people are unaware of its origin; during an interview, Parton's manager Danny Nozel said that "one thing we found out from "American Idol" is that most people don't know that Dolly Parton wrote [the track]". During an interview on "The Bobby Bones Show", Dolly Parton revealed that she wrote her signature song "Jolene" on the same day that she wrote "I Will Always Love You." Parton clarified later, "I don’t really know if they were written in the same night."
Several times (long before Whitney Houston recorded the song), Dolly Parton suggested to singer Patti LaBelle that she record "I Will Always Love You" because she felt LaBelle could have sung it so well. However, LaBelle admitted she kept putting off the opportunity to do so and later deeply regretted it after she heard Whitney Houston's rendition.
1974 version.
"I Will Always Love You" was issued on March 18, 1974, as the second single from Parton's thirteenth solo studio album, "Jolene" (1974). During its original release in 1974, "I Will Always Love You" reached number four in Canada on the Canadian "RPM" Country Tracks chart and peaked at number one on the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart, becoming one of the best selling singles of 1974.
When the 1974 recording of the song reached number one on the country charts, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to record the song. Parton was interested until Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song Elvis recorded. Parton refused. She recalls:I said, 'I'm really sorry,' and I cried all night. I mean, it was like the worst thing. You know, it's like, Oh, my God… Elvis Presley.' And other people were saying, 'You're nuts. It's Elvis Presley.' …I said, 'I can't do that. Something in my heart says, 'Don't do that. And I just didn't do it… He would have killed it. But anyway, so he didn't. Then when Whitney [Houston's version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland.
The song won Parton Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1975 CMA Awards.
Critical reception.
In Curtis W. Ellison's book, "Country Music Culture: From Hard Times to Heaven" (1995), he stated: "In the early 1990s, when ambiguity in romantic relationships accompanies changing expectations for both men and women, this song demonstrates Dolly Parton's appeal as a songwriter in the pop music market." Writer Paul Simpson criticized the singer, stating that the track was only written to "soften the blow" of Parton and Wagoner's split.
Credits and personnel.
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Charts.
Weekly
Year-End
1982 version.
Parton re-recorded the song for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", released July 12, 1982, as the first single from the soundtrack album. The single eventually hit number one on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart, earning Parton a rare distinction: reaching the number one position twice with the same song.
Critical reception.
"Billboard" gave a positive review which said, "The first single from "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" isn't the sort of brassy main theme normally used to launch a major movie musical: here Parton reinterprets one of her earliest exercises in pure pop writing, and while older fans may be divided over the breathier, more stylized reading she offers here, the song itself is still a lovely ballad with a soaring chorus." "Cashbox" also reviewed the single favorably, saying that "hoisted over a building arrangement, Parton's vocals have never been more convincing or moving. The single choice from her Hollywood flick, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", the tune is sentiment wrapped in an appropriate package replete with strings, oboe and harp in addition to a delicate rhythm section."
1995 version.
Parton recorded "I Will Always Love You" in 1995 as a duet with Vince Gill for her album, "Something Special". Following an August 26 performance of the duet at the Grand Ole Opry which aired on TNN, radio stations began giving the duet unsolicited airplay, causing it to debut on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart at number 53. After a performance at the 29th Annual CMA Awards, the song was officially released as a single in November 1995, peaking at number 15. This marked the third time Parton had a top 20 hit with the song. The song was nominated at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals and was named Vocal Event of the Year at the 30th Annual CMA Awards.
Personnel.
Adapted from the album liner notes.
Whitney Houston version.
In 1992, American singer and actress Whitney Houston recorded a new arrangement of "I Will Always Love You" for the soundtrack to "The Bodyguard", her film debut. Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You" received widespread acclaim from music critics, being now regarded as one of her "signature" songs. The single spent 14 weeks at the top of the US "Billboard" Hot 100, which at the time was a record. Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was also a massive international hit, topping the singles charts in almost every country, including the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, where it spent 13 weeks at the top. The single ruled the summit position for ten weeks in Australia, five weeks in Austria, seven weeks for Belgium, eight weeks in France, six weeks in Germany, eight weeks in Ireland, six weeks in the Netherlands, fourteen weeks in New Zealand, nine weeks in Norway, one week in Spain and Uruguay, six weeks in Sweden, eight weeks in Switzerland, and ten weeks in the UK.
"I Will Always Love You" won the 1994 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Houston's third win in the latter category after earlier wins in 1986 and 1988. In addition, it received Favorite Pop/Rock Single and Favorite Soul/R&B Single awards at the 21st American Music Awards, which was the first record by a solo female artist to win both categories. "I Will Always Love You" won two Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1993 for International Song of the Year, and a 1994 International Song of the Year Special Award for Japanese sales of over one million units. In 2020, "I Will Always Love You" was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2021, "I Will Always Love You" was listed at number 94 on the updated list of "Rolling Stone"'s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2023, "I Will Always Love You" was listed at number 60 on "Billboard's" list of the 500 Best Pop Songs of All Time, Houston's second highest-ranked song on the list.
Sarah Washington version.
British singer Sarah Washington released a dance-cover of "I Will Always Love You" in August 1993. It became her highest-charting hit, reaching number three in Spain, number 12 in the UK, number 15 in Ireland, and number 32 in Sweden. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number 44 in September 1993. It was released on Almighty Records, which described Washington as "an eager young hopeful" and cited her "sensational studio performance" as being key to the ultimate success of the track, also giving credit to London radio station 95.8 Capital FM and its heavy rotation of the song. A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single. In 2006, Almighty Records released an 11-mixes package of "I Will Always Love You".
Critical reception.
Larry Flick from "Billboard" commented, "There are no less than nine dance music covers of the Whitney Houston megahit "I Will Always Love You". So far, only Sarah Washington's hi-NRG rendering on Almighty Records is worth a spin." In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "If anything this new version adds a little more to the song, and at least proves it had genuine soul to start with. Top 10 for sure." Chris Roberts from "Melody Maker" added, "And now you can shake a tailfeather to it as well." Alan Jones from "Music Week" gave it four out of five, complimenting "a sinewy garage groove with a powerful vocal from the Donna Summer school of disco divas." Stephen Dalton from "NME" felt the record "hop, skip and pump along with a breezy, good-natured charm." James Hamilton from the "Record Mirror" Dance Update described it as a "I Will Survive-ish" remake.
Rik Waller version.
In 2002, English pop singer Rik Waller took his own version of "I Will Always Love You" into the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 6. It was his debut single and the first released from his debut studio album "From Now...", after his taking part in the "Pop Idol" series.
Kristin Chenoweth version.
"I Will Always Love You" was covered by American actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth as a duet with Dolly Parton. It was released on August 9, 2019, as the first single from Chenoweth's album, "For the Girls".
Background.
Chenoweth reflected on recording "I Will Always Love You" with ET Online, saying "it is a song I've loved since I was a child." She went on to say, "I used to think, 'One day I'm gonna sing that song.' Little did I know that I'd get to sing it with the queen herself."
"Forever Country".
The song found further chart success as part of the "Forever Country" medley, created in 2016 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Country Music Association Awards. The medley also features "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "On the Road Again". Parton performs on the medley, along with 29 other country music artists. The medley debuted at number one on the "Billboard" US Hot Country Songs chart and number 21 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart on October 8, 2016.
Dolly Said No To Elvis.
In February 2018, Fairground Attraction member Mark Nevin released "Dolly Said No To Elvis", a single that recounts Parton's refusal to let Presley cover "I Will Always Love You", yet allowing Houston to sing it for "The Bodyguard". A few days prior, the official stop motion animated music video for "Dolly Said No To Elvis" was uploaded on Nevin's YouTube channel and the director Heather Colbert's Vimeo channel.
See also.
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References.
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The Greatest Love of All
Popular song by Michael Masser and Linda Creed
"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on the US Hot Soul Singles chart that year, the first R&B chart top-ten hit for Arista Records. The song was written and recorded to be the main theme of the 1977 film "The Greatest," a biopic of the boxer Muhammad Ali, and is performed during the opening credits.
Benson's original recording was released in 1977 in the United States, Japan, France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Brazil, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Thailand, on an extended play (EP). He officially recorded the song four times; in addition to the studio single, Benson also recorded three live versions, the last time in a duet with Luciano Pavarotti in 2001. Since 1977, a great number of artists have recorded this song, including Shirley Bassey, Oleta Adams, Alexandra Burke, Deborah Cox, Ferrante & Teicher and Kevin Rowland.
Eight years after Benson's original recording, the song became even more well known when Whitney Houston's 1985 cover (with the slightly amended title "Greatest Love of All") eventually topped the charts, peaking at number one in the United States, Australia, Canada and on the US R&B chart in early 1986.
Background and composition.
The song's music was composed by Michael Masser, and its lyrics were written by Linda Creed, in 1976 for "The Greatest". According to the "Los Angeles Times", after he had been asked to write the song for the movie, Masser felt drawn to Jerusalem, even though he was not a religious man, "to get the feelings—not just my own." Masser also told the "Los Angeles Times" his special feelings about Ali:
Here was a man who wanted to change his name and religion. That's all. Ali hadn't believed in the war in Vietnam and had refused to fight in it. He won that battle through the legal system. Still, he lost everything—including his title. But Ali retained the most important thing of all—his dignity.
In an interview with the "Ocala Star-Banner" in 1988, similarly, Masser said that "He (Ali) represented to me a tremendous athlete who suffered prejudice from the white man's world. He didn't give up what he believed even though he lost his title." Masser also told the "Los Angeles Times" that the song had another personal meaning for him to give up a legal career to pursue his interest in music, adding, "People thought I was crazy. I had to starve. Had no money. Marriage broke up. But I had to do what I'd wanted to do since I was 6... write music." Upon his return from Jerusalem, he contracted with lyricist Creed to work on the song and wrote it right from the heart, with Creed drawing inspiration from her family. Then Masser had George Benson perform the song for the soundtrack. He said, "The record came out and the song became an underground theme for black people."
Benson recorded "The Greatest Love of All" for the soundtrack album of "The Greatest." The song was released as a single in the same year and was a substantial hit, reaching number 2 on the "Billboard" R&B chart, the first R&B Top Ten hit for Arista Records, and ended the year at position 33. The single also reached positions number 3 on the "Cash Box" Top 100 R&B and number 4 on the "Record World" R&B Singles. In other charts, the single was between positions number 22 and number 29 in the US, number 27 in the UK, and number 25 and 42 in Canada. "The Greatest Love of All" is one of George Benson's most successful hits, and for this reason was included in two of his many collections, "The Greatest Hits of All" and "".
Charts.
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Whitney Houston version.
The song was further popularized by American singer Whitney Houston under the title "Greatest Love of All", without the definite article "The". The song was recorded in December 1984 for her 1985 self-titled debut studio album. The song became a major hit, topping the charts in Australia, Canada and the US, while reaching the top 20 in most countries, including Italy, Sweden and the UK. It remains her third biggest US hit, after "I Will Always Love You" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". All three songs, in order of their former popularity, re-entered the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, after Houston's death in 2012, debuting the same week at numbers 7, 35 and 41, respectively, giving Houston three posthumous chart hits.
Clive Davis, founder of Houston's label Arista Records, was initially against Houston recording the song for her debut studio album, "Whitney Houston", but he eventually gave in after persuasion from Houston and Masser. It was released as the B-side to the single "You Give Good Love", a previous Top 5 hit by Houston. The song, eventually released as a single in its own right on March 18, 1986, was the seventh release from Houston's debut album, and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart in May of that year. The single cemented Houston’s status as a global pop star.
Her live performance in 1990 in "the 15th anniversary of Arista Records" concert in Radio City Music Hall was included in the 25th anniversary deluxe edition of "Whitney Houston" and the 2014 CD/DVD release, "".
Background.
Masser said, "When I first met Whitney in 1981–82, she was about 19 or 20 and unknown. I went into Sweetwater's, and I thought I must be totally out of it—I said, 'I must be going crazy, I think I'm hearing one of my songs.' She was singing 'The Greatest Love of All' just as I walked in, and that meant something to me. Two and a half years later when I was doing Teddy Pendergrass there was a duet and everybody wanted me to use this or that known person. Only because I had heard Whitney singing 'The Greatest Love of All'. I chose her."
Music video.
Houston's music video was filmed at Harlem's Apollo Theater in New York City. In the video, she is a successful singer who is about to perform in front of an audience. She reminisces about the time when she was a child performing in a talent competition and receiving encouragement from her mother. The video features Houston's mother Cissy Houston playing herself, supporting a young Houston, as well as hugging present Houston at the end of the video. It was directed by Peter Israelson, filmed with James Contner as DP and Steadicam operator Robin Buerki shooting 35mm film. In February 2020, the music video was restored in 4K.
Reception.
Critical reception.
Many critics called the song the centerpiece of Houston's debut album. Stephen Holden of "The New York Times" wrote that "Houston sings it with a forceful directness that gives its message of self-worth an astounding resonance and conviction" and called the song a compelling assertion of spiritual devotion, black pride, and family loyalty, all at once. Don Shewey of "Rolling Stone" wrote that as the song builds, Houston "slowly pours on the soul, slips in some churchy phrasing, holds notes a little longer and shows off her glorious voice."
Chart performance.
Benson's 1977 version was an R&B hit, reaching number 2 on the R&B chart. It was a moderate pop hit, making the top 40 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Houston's version reached number one on the Hot 100 chart for three weeks in 1986. The single was the fourth hit (and third number 1) from her debut album, she became the first female artist to score three number ones from one album.
To date, this song was her second longest stay atop this chart, behind 1992's "I Will Always Love You". The song also reached number one on both component charts, the Hot 100 Singles Sales and the Hot 100 Airplay, her second consecutive release to do so, and stayed for 14 weeks inside the top 40. On other "Billboard" charts, Houston also performed well, reaching number three on the R&B chart. The song topped the adult contemporary chart for five weeks, Houston's longest stay at the top of that chart at the time. The song ranked No. 11 on "Billboard's" year end pop singles chart.
After her death, the single returned to the "Billboard" Hot 100, debuting at number 41.
Usage in media.
Houston's version of the song was featured in the first season of "RuPaul's Drag Race", being performed by contestants Akashia and Shannel in a "lipsync for your life".
Accolades.
Houston won the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Video Single, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and a Soul Train Music Award for Single of the Year.
Track listings.
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Charts.
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Other versions.
A number of other artists have covered this song, including Shirley Bassey, Oleta Adams, Alexandra Burke, Deborah Cox, Lea Salonga, Ferrante & Teicher, Kevin Rowland and Jane Olivor.
On May 29, 2001, the Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti performed the concert "Pavarotti & Friends" in his hometown of Modena, Italy. Intended to raise money for refugees from Afghanistan under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, this concert was called "Pavarotti & Friends for Afghanistan" and featured various guest artists, one of them being his friend George Benson. The song performed in duet by the two was Benson's song "The Greatest Love of All", sung in parts by Benson in English and elsewhere by Pavarotti in Italian. This complete concert "Pavarotti & Friends for Afghanistan" raised $3.3 million for its cause, and was recorded and released in CD in 2001. The song was credited with the original title "The Greatest Love of All" recorded by Benson.
Copyright infringement lawsuit and settlement.
In April 1987, Gordon Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against Michael Masser, alleging that Masser's song "The Greatest Love of All" stole twenty-four bars from Lightfoot's 1970 hit "If You Could Read My Mind". According to "Maclean's", Lightfoot commented, "It really rubbed me the wrong way. I don't want the present-day generation to think that I stole my song from him." Lightfoot has stated that he dropped the suit when he felt it was having a negative effect on Houston, as the suit was about Masser and not her. Ultimately the case was settled out of court and Masser issued a public apology.
References.
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The Bodyguard (soundtrack)
1992 soundtrack album by Whitney Houston / various artists
The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album is the first soundtrack album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on November 17, 1992, by Arista Records to promote the film of the same name. It also contains songs by her label mates Lisa Stansfield, Kenny G, The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. and Curtis Stigers as well as artists such as Aaron Neville and Joe Cocker. The album is credited as a Whitney Houston album because she recorded the majority of the tracks. "The Bodyguard" was Houston's first box office film, after turning down offers from film producers such as Robert Townsend, Spike Lee and Robert De Niro in the past. Initially, Houston was reluctant to take on the role and was convinced by co-producer and co-star Kevin Costner to pursue it, to which she agreed. Arista Records president Clive Davis had apprehensions of Houston's role in the film without much music from the script, convincing Costner and the film's distributor Warner Bros Pictures to add songs to the film, in which Houston made a deal for back royalties for its music and attained creative control. Houston agreed to record six tracks, four of which were featured in the film.
Houston began working on the soundtrack in November 1991, and contacted previous producers of her work, including Babyface, Antonio "L.A." Reid, BeBe Winans and Narada Michael Walden, to participate in the album. It also marked the first time Houston worked with renowned producer David Foster, who would produce three of the six Houston tracks, as well as the production duo of Clivillés and Cole, while Houston herself co-produced two songs. Both Houston and Clive Davis were listed as executive producers on the album.
Upon its release in November 1992, "The Bodyguard" was praised by music critics for Houston's vocal performance and its production. The album was a global success, topping the charts in 21 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy and Japan as well as the European album chart. In the United States, the album debuted at number two on the "Billboard" 200, before climbing to number one in its second week of release, remaining there for 20 non-consecutive weeks, making it the first album by a female artist to top the charts for that many weeks. In its sixth week, it sold one million copies within a single week, making Houston the first artist to accomplish this following verification by Nielsen SoundScan. It would continue to sell a million copies per week for several weeks in a row and would eventually be certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of ten million copies in November 1993, becoming the first female album to sell that many copies in the United States and would be one of three Houston albums to receive that milestone, eventually selling 18 million in the country alone. Overall, the album would sell 45 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, the best-selling album by a woman in music history, and the best-selling album of the decade.
The soundtrack resulted in several awards and accolades for Houston, including seven American Music Awards, a Brit Award, a Juno Award and the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, marking only the second time in Grammy history that an African American woman won the Grammy in that category. Two of the tracks on the soundtrack, "Run to You" and "I Have Nothing" were each nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, while Houston herself won the MTV Movie Award for Best Song for the soundtrack's leading single and its biggest hit, "I Will Always Love You".
Five of the Houston tracks were released as singles. "I Will Always Love You" became Houston's tenth number one single on the "Billboard" Hot 100, matching the number for most number one singles by a female artist at the time and eventually topped the charts in 34 countries entirely and went on to sell more than 24 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling single by a female artist of all time. "I'm Every Woman" was released as the second single and became another international top ten hit and peaked inside the top five of the "Billboard" Hot 100, as did its third single, "I Have Nothing". In March 1993, the three aforementioned singles were placed inside the top 11 for two consecutive weeks, marking the first time in the Nielsen SoundScan era that an artist had three singles simultaneously chart at the same time. "Run to You" was the fourth single released from the album and became a modest hit globally, reaching the top 40 in the United States and the top 20 in the United Kingdom. "Queen of the Night" was a European market only release and reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom while a dance remix of the song topped the "Billboard" dance chart. In Europe, the only non-Houston single to be released was Lisa Stansfield's "Someday (I'm Coming Back)", while in the United States and Canada, the dance group, The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M., released the tune, "It's Going to Be a Lovely Day". "The Bodyguard" received further promotion from the successful Bodyguard World Tour. In 2017, a 25th anniversary re-release, "", was issued. In 2024, "The Bodyguard" was included in "Rolling Stone's" list of the 101 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time. The album and film cemented Houston’s status as a pop culture icon.
Background.
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I got a call saying that there is a script that Kevin Costner has, called "The Bodyguard", that he wanted me to do. He wanted me to costar with him. I went, “Yeah, sure.” Then I called my agent, and she said, “Yeah, it’s true.” So I read the script. I liked the story, but in the beginning Rachel was very rough, very hard – a little bitch. - Whitney Houston to "Rolling Stone" (1993)
By the late summer of 1990, Houston had become a commercially successful recording artist. Her first two albums, "Whitney Houston" and "Whitney", sold 25 and 20 million copies worldwide respectively. Houston was planning on releasing her third album, "I'm Your Baby Tonight", when Houston received a call from actor Kevin Costner to accept a leading role in a film titled "The Bodyguard". Back in December 1986, "Billboard" magazine mentioned that Houston would take part in the film, only with Clint Eastwood as the co-lead. Costner convinced "Silverado" director and friend Lawrence Kasdan to let him be a co-producer for the project. Kasdan had originally written the script for the film back in 1975 and after his script was sold off to Warner Bros. Pictures, the film had originally been pegged as a project for Diana Ross and Steve McQueen in 1977, but stalled.
A year later, in November 1978, Ross rejoined the project after Warner brought in Ryan O'Neal, only for the film to return to development hell a year later. Following Houston's rise, she had been sought after for film roles by the likes of Robert Townsend, Spike Lee and Robert De Niro. It's claimed Costner was convinced Houston was right for the role after viewing her concert at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois in September 1987. Another claim was that after watching her music video for her 1988 hit, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", was Costner convinced that Houston was the one to play the role of Rachel Marron. Still, it took three years before Houston was contacted for the film. When Costner finally reached Houston, the singer, who had only took brief acting cameos on television shows such as "Silver Spoons", was reluctant but agreed to read the script. A nervous Houston still held off on the film until Costner convinced the singer in another phone call that he will "not let [her] fall".
The film's director Mick Jackson initially was unsure of Houston's chances of leading a film and, according to Costner, suggested veteran actresses such as Michelle Pfeiffer or Kim Basinger for the role, to which Costner flatly turned down. Jackson then agreed to give Houston a screen test in January 1991, to which she passed. In April 1991, Houston and Costner announced that they would co-star in "The Bodyguard". Costner delayed production on the film until Houston finished her world tour that year to late November 1991.
Recording.
Prior to shooting the film, Arista Records CEO Clive Davis wasn't sure about the film that, at the time, had little music attached to it and didn't understand why Houston's character, Rachel Marron, "needed a bodyguard". Davis admitted later he was "nervous" of Houston's acting aspirations. After reading the initial script, Davis wrote a letter to Costner and the film's director Mick Jackson, arguing to them that the film "is nowhere near fulfilling the potential of what Whitney could contribute to the role". Costner agreed with Davis and Houston, in a deal with Warner Bros Pictures, signed a deal for rights to the soundtrack's back royalties and agreed to record at least six tracks, with four of them to be featured on the film. Maureen Crowe became the film's music supervisor and worked with Houston and Costner on finding songs for the film; once Davis learned of Houston's deal, he joined the team in assembling songs, to which he and Houston would then spend days alone at Davis' hotel suite going over the material. Though Davis and Houston went over the songs together, Houston was the one to attain full creative control over the project, continuing her career as an executive producer on the album.
Two weeks before filming commenced, Houston began working on the album. Unlike her previous first two albums, Houston sought after the producers herself after years of Davis picking the producers, something that had started with the production of "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (1990). According to collaborator BeBe Winans, Houston "was truly in control. She grew into that confidence. She was playing catch-up for the first and second album, and then she caught up to how to become immune to what people would do or say... For the "Bodyguard" soundtrack, she was who she was." Winans added that by the time Houston began working on the soundtrack, she had become "more understanding of a song, more so than just singing the song, and was part of those decisions of what songs she was going to sing. Now if she trusted you, as she did other musicians and songwriters, she would allow you to do what you do, and again take that song and make it her own." According to session dates, the first song to be recorded was the rock song "Queen of the Night", to which Houston played a part in composing after the song's original writers Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Daryl Simmons struggled to compose the song themselves. Longtime collaborator Antonio "L.A." Reid became


Gmina Ryki
Gmina Ryki is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Ryki County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. Its seat is the town of Ryki, which lies approximately north-west of the regional capital Lublin.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 20,504 (out of which the population of Ryki amounts to 9,716, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 10,788).
Villages.
Apart from the town of Ryki, Gmina Ryki contains the villages and settlements of Bobrowniki, Brusów, Budki-Rososz, Chrustne, Chudów, Edwardów, Falentyn, Janisze, Karczmiska, Kazimierzyn, Kleszczówka, Krasnogliny, Kruków, Lasocin, Lasoń, Moszczanka, Niwa Babicka, Nowa Dąbia, Nowiny, Nowy Bazanów, Nowy Dęblin, Ogonów, Oszczywilk, Ownia, Podwierzbie, Potok, Rososz, Sędowice, Sierskowola, Stara Dąbia, Stary Bazanów, Swaty, Zalesie and Zalesie-Kolonia.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Ryki is bordered by the town of Dęblin and by the gminas of Kłoczew, Nowodwór, Puławy, Stężyca, Trojanów, Ułęż and Żyrzyn.
References.
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Gmina Stężyca, Lublin Voivodeship
Gmina Stężyca is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Ryki County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. Its seat is the village of Stężyca, which lies approximately west of Ryki and north-west of the regional capital Lublin.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 5,473.
Villages.
Gmina Stężyca contains the villages of Brzeźce, Brzeziny, Długowola, Drachalica, Kletnia, Krukówka, Nadwiślanka, Nowa Rokitnia, Paprotnia, Pawłowice, Piotrowice, Prażmów, Stara Rokitnia, Stężyca and Zielonka.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Stężyca is bordered by the town of Dęblin and by the gminas of Kozienice, Maciejowice, Ryki, Sieciechów and Trojanów.
References.
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Gmina Stężyca, Pomeranian Voivodeship
Gmina Stężyca () is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the village of Stężyca, which lies approximately south-west of Kartuzy and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 8,695.
Villages.
Gmina Stężyca contains the villages and settlements of Betlejem, Bolwerk, Borucino, Chróstowo, Czapielski Młyn, Czysta Woda, Dąbniak, Dąbrowa, Danachowo, Delowo, Drozdowo, Dubowo, Gapowo, Gołubie, Gołubie-Wybudowanie, Kamienica Szlachecka, Kamienny Dół, Klukowa Huta, Kolano, Krzeszna, Krzeszna-Stacja, Kucborowo, Kukówka, Łączyno, Łączyński Młyn, Mała Krzeszna, Malbork, Mestwin, Niebo, Niesiołowice, Nowa Sikorska Huta, Nowa Wieś, Nowe Czaple, Nowe Łosienice, Nowy Ostrów, Ostrowo, Pażęce, Piekło, Pierszczewko, Pierszczewo, Potuły, Przyrowie, Pustka, Pypkowo, Rzepiska, Sikorzyno, Smokowo, Stara Sikorska Huta, Stare Czaple, Stare Łosienice, Stężyca, Stężyca-Wybudowanie, Stężycka Huta, Szczukowo, Szymbark, Teklowo, Uniradze, Wieżyca, Wygoda Łączyńska, Zdrębowo, Zgorzałe and Żuromino.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Stężyca is bordered by the gminas of Chmielno, Kartuzy, Kościerzyna, Sierakowice, Somonino and Sulęczyno.

Stężyca, Lublin Voivodeship
Stężyca is a village in Ryki County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Stężyca. It lies approximately west of Ryki and north-west of the regional capital Lublin.
History.
The village is located in northeastern corner of the historic region of Lesser Poland. The settlement was first mentioned in the 12th century, for hundreds of centuries it was the center of the Stężyca Land. It was granted Magdeburg rights in 1330 from King Casimir the Great. In the early Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Stężyca was a major urban center and royal town in the Sandomierz Voivodeship in the Lesser Poland Province, and the seat of a "powiat" (county).
Following the Third Partition of Poland, it was annexed by Austria. After the Polish victory in the Austro-Polish War of 1809, it was regained by Poles and included within the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw, and after its dissolution, from 1815 to 1918 it was part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland. It lost its town charter in 1875, as a punishment for the unsuccessful Polish January Uprising.
In the late Middle Ages, Stężyca was spelled as "Stanzitia" (1325–1327), "Stazicza" (1365), "Stanzicza" (1441), and "Sthezicza" (1569). The early settlement was founded near a fortified gord, which guarded the Vistula river crossing. Its name probably comes from ancient Polish word "stężyć", which means "to strengthen". In the spring of 1575, after the escape of King Henry of Poland and France, the town was the seat of the so-called "Stężyca Sejm" from 12 May to 4 June 1575. The village has a Gothic church of St. Martin (1434).
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Stężyca, Pomeranian Voivodeship
Stężyca is a village in Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Stężyca. It lies approximately south-west of Kartuzy and west of the regional capital Gdańsk. It is located between the Stężyckie and Raduńskie Górne lakes within the ethnocultural region of Kashubia in the historic region of Pomerania.
History.
Stężyca was a royal village of the Polish Crown, administratively located in the Tczew County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
During the Nazi occupation of Poland (World War II), several Poles from Stężyca, including the local Catholic priest, were murdered in 1939 by the Germans in large massacres in the Kaliska forest (see "Intelligenzaktion"). Several Polish families were expelled from the village in 1941, and the entire remaining Polish population was expelled in 1943, while their farms were handed over to German colonists as part of the "Lebensraum" policy.
Sport.
The village is home to the football club Radunia Stężyca.
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Gmina Stężyca
Gmina Stężyca may refer to either of the following rural administrative districts in Poland:
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 Topics referred to by the same termThis page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name.

Stężyca-Wybudowanie
Stężyca-Wybudowanie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Stężyca, Greater Poland Voivodeship
Stężyca is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gostyń, within Gostyń County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Gostyń and south of the regional capital Poznań.
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Stężyca-Kolonia
Stężyca-Kolonia is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Krasnystaw, within Krasnystaw County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland.
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Stężyca Łęczyńska
Stężyca Łęczyńska is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Krasnystaw, within Krasnystaw County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland.
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Kukówka, Gmina Stężyca
Kukówka is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately west of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Stężycka Huta
Stężycka Huta is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Stężyca Nadwieprzańska
Stężyca Nadwieprzańska is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Krasnystaw, within Krasnystaw County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Krasnystaw and south-east of the regional capital Lublin.
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Pustka, Kartuzy County
Pustka is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately west of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Brzeziny, Ryki County
Brzeziny is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Ryki County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stężyca, west of Ryki, and north-west of the regional capital Lublin.
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Pierszczewo
Pierszczewo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Stężyca Land
Former administrative area in Poland
Stężyca Land (Polish: ziemia stężycka) was an administrative unit, the so called ziemia, of both the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The land was composed of only one county, or powiat, and had its seat in the town of Stężyca after which it was named. Until the end of the 16th century, this area was called "ziemia" or "powiat" alternatively. From the beginning of the 17th century up to its dissolution, it was usually referred to, especially in official sources, as Stężyca Land. However, this did not mean that it had special political or administrative rights as could be the case with other ziemias. It was called a land because of its peripheral geographic location, being the only county in the northeastern corner of Sandomierz Voivodeship located east of the Vistula river. Today, the territory of former Stężyca Land covers all of Ryki County, the southern part of Garwolin County, and the southwestern corner of Łuków County. Its biggest urban center is Dęblin, which was granted town rights in 1954.
History.
From the time of the fragmentation of Poland until the Late Middle Ages, the area of the later Stężyca Land belonged to Sieciechów Castellany within the Duchy of Sandomierz. Due to the decline of Sieciechów as an urban centre caused by the changing course of the Vistula river, beginning in the 14th century its trade and administrative functions were gradually taken over by Stężyca. In 1397, the Stężyca County was created from the right-bank part of the Sieciechów Castellany. It was an area mostly covered with primeval forest, with a small number of settlements concentrated along the valleys of Vistula, Wieprz, and Okrzejka rivers.
During the reign of Władysław Jagiełło the county became a part of Radom Land. In the 15th century, the area underwent an increase in settlement, mainly from Mazovia and Radom Land. Its dense forests began to be cut down and replaced with arable land.As an administrative division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Stężyca Land was created in 1568. To the south and east, it bordered Lublin Voivodeship, in the north Mazovia’s Czersk Land, and in the west its border went along the Vistula river. Stężyca was the seat of the starosta and of the land court.
In the 17th century, the area of Stężyca Land was 1780 sq. kilometres, with nine towns: Stężyca, Żelechów, Łaskarzew, Bobrowniki, Okrzeja, Adamów, Łysobyki, Wojcieszków and Maciejowice. The land existed until 1793, when its territory was merged into Lublin Voivodeship.
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Pierszczewko
Pierszczewko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Piotrowice, Ryki County
Piotrowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Ryki County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stężyca, west of Ryki, and north-west of the regional capital Lublin.
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Gmina Krasnystaw
Gmina Krasnystaw is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Krasnystaw County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. Its seat is the town of Krasnystaw, although the town is not part of the territory of the gmina.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 9,142.
The gmina contains part of the protected area called Skierbieszów Landscape Park.
Villages.
Gmina Krasnystaw contains the villages and settlements of Bzite, Czarnoziem, Jaślików, Józefów, Kasjan, Krupe, Krupiec, Krynica, Latyczów, Małochwiej Duży, Małochwiej Mały, Niemienice, Niemienice-Kolonia, Ostrów Krupski, Rońsko, Siennica Nadolna; Białka, Łany, Stężyca Łęczyńska, Stężyca Nadwieprzańska, Stężyca-Kolonia, Tuligłowy, Widniówka, Wincentów, Zakręcie, Zastawie-Kolonia and Zażółkiew.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Krasnystaw is bordered by the town of Krasnystaw and by the gminas of Gorzków, Izbica, Kraśniczyn, Łopiennik Górny, Rejowiec and Siennica Różana.

Pypkowo
Pypkowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately south of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and south-west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Ostrowo, Kartuzy County
Ostrowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north of Stężyca, west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Pażęce
Pażęce is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Wieżyca, Kartuzy County
Wieżyca is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and south-west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Dąbrowa, Kartuzy County
Dąbrowa is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Gmina Stęszew
Gmina Stęszew is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Stęszew, which lies approximately south-west of the regional capital Poznań.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 13,919 (out of which the population of Stęszew amounts to 5,339, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 8,580).
Villages.
Apart from the town of Stęszew, Gmina Stęszew contains the villages and settlements of Będlewo, Dębienko, Dębno, Drogosławiec, Drożdżyce, Górka, Jeziorki, Krąplewo, Łódź, Mirosławki, Modrze, Piekary, Rybojedzko, Sapowice, Skrzynki, Słupia, Smętówko, Srocko Małe, Strykówko, Strykowo, Tomice, Tomiczki, Trzebaw, Twardowo, Wielka Wieś, Witobel, Wronczyn, Zamysłowo and Zaparcin.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Stęszew is bordered by the gminas of Buk, Czempiń, Dopiewo, Granowo, Kamieniec, Komorniki, Kościan and Mosina.
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Gmina Sztutowo
Gmina Sztutowo is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Nowy Dwór Gdański County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland.
The seat of gmina is Sztutowo, which lies approximately north of Nowy Dwór Gdański and east of the regional capital Gdańsk.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 3,517.
The gmina contains part of the protected area called Vistula Spit Landscape Park.
Villages.
Gmina Sztutowo contains the villages and settlements of Doły, Dublewo, Graniczna, Grochowo Drugie, Grochowo Pierwsze, Grochowo Trzecie, Groszkowo, Kąty Rybackie, Kobyla Kępa, Łaszka, Płonina, Przyłap, Skowronki, Sztutowo, Sztutowska Kępa and Wydmina.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Sztutowo is bordered by the town of Krynica Morska and by the gminas of Nowy Dwór Gdański, Stegna and Tolkmicko.

Pawłowice, Lublin Voivodeship
Pawłowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Ryki County, Lublin, Poland, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stężyca, west of Ryki, and north-west of the regional capital Lublin.
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Gapowo, Kartuzy County
Gapowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately west of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Drozdowo, Kartuzy County
Drozdowo is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stężyca, south of Kartuzy, and south-west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Piekło, Kartuzy County
Piekło is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and south-west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Gmina Sztum
Gmina Sztum is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Sztum County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the town of Sztum, which lies approximately south-east of the regional capital Gdańsk.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 17,873 (out of which the population of Sztum amounts to 9,945, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 7,928).
Villages.
Apart from the town of Sztum, Gmina Sztum contains the villages and settlements of Barlewice, Barlewiczki, Biała Góra, Brzezi Ostrów, Cygusy, Czernin, Goraj, Górki, Gościszewo, Gronajny, Grzępa, Kępina, Koniecwałd, Koślinka, Kuliki, Lipka, Michorowo, Nowa Wieś, Nowiny, Parowy, Parpary, Piekło, Pietrzwałd, Polaszki, Postolin, Ramzy Małe, Ramzy Wielkie, Szpitalna Wieś, Sztumska Wieś, Sztumskie Pole, Uśnice, Węgry and Zajezierze.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Sztum is bordered by the gminas of Gniew, Malbork, Mikołajki Pomorskie, Miłoradz, Pelplin, Ryjewo and Stary Targ.
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Stęszewko
Stęszewko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pobiedziska, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Pobiedziska and north-east of the regional capital Poznań.
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Malbork, Kartuzy County
Malbork is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately west of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Gmina Strzyżów
Gmina Strzyżów is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Strzyżów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. Its seat is the town of Strzyżów, which lies approximately south-west of the regional capital Rzeszów.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total population is 20,645 (out of which the population of Strzyżów amounts to 8,703, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 11,942).
The gmina contains part of the protected area called Czarnorzeki-Strzyżów Landscape Park.
Villages.
Apart from the town of Strzyżów, Gmina Strzyżów contains the villages and settlements of Bonarówka, Brzeżanka, Dobrzechów, Gbiska, Glinik Charzewski, Glinik Zaborowski, Godowa, Grodzisko, Łętownia, Tropie, Wysoka Strzyżowska, Żarnowa, Zawadka and Żyznów.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Strzyżów is bordered by the gminas of Czudec, Korczyna, Niebylec, Wielopole Skrzyńskie, Wiśniowa and Wojaszówka.
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Nowy Ostrów, Kartuzy County
Nowy Ostrów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north of Stężyca, west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Staświny
Staświny is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Miłki, within Giżycko County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland.
It lies approximately south-east of Giżycko and east of the regional capital Olsztyn.
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Nowa Wieś, Kartuzy County
Nowa Wieś is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stężyca, within Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north of Stężyca, south-west of Kartuzy, and west of the regional capital Gdańsk.
For details of the history of the region, see History of Pomerania.
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Stojewsko
Stojewsko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Krasocin, within Włoszczowa County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Krasocin, north-east of Włoszczowa, and west of the regional capital Kielce.
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Gmina Strzyżewice
Gmina Strzyżewice is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Lublin County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. Its seat is the village of Strzyżewice, which lies approximately south-west of the regional capital Lublin.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2019 its total population is 8,078 (7,936 in 2013).
Villages.
Gmina Strzyżewice contains the villages and settlements of Borkowizna, Bystrzyca Nowa, Bystrzyca Stara, Dębina, Dębszczyzna, Franciszków, Iżyce, Kajetanówka, Kiełczewice Dolne, Kiełczewice Górne, Kiełczewice Maryjskie, Kiełczewice Pierwsze, Kolonia Kiełczewice Dolne, Osmolice, Pawłów, Pawłówek, Piotrowice, Polanówka, Pszczela Wola, Strzyżewice and Żabia Wola.
Neighbouring gminas.
Gmina Strzyżewice is bordered by the gminas of Bychawa, Głusk, Jabłonna, Niedrzwica Duża, Wilkołaz and Zakrzówek.
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Stojowice
Stojowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dobczyce, within Myślenice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately west of Dobczyce, north-east of Myślenice, and south-east of the regional capital Kraków.
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Gmina Staszów
Gmina Staszów is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Staszów, which lies approximately south-east of the regional capital Kielce.
The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2010 its total population is 26,077 (out of which the population of Staszów amounts to 15,108, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 10,969).
Demography.
According to the 2011 Poland census, there were 26,077 people residing in Staszów Commune, of whom 48.8% were male and 51.2% were female (out of which the population in rural areas amounts to 10,969, of whom 49.6% were male and 50.4% were female). In the commune, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 38.3% from 18 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older (out of which the population in rural areas amounts to 20% under the age of 18, 38.5% from 18 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older).
 Figure 1. Population pyramid of commune in 2010 – by age group and sex
 Figure 2. Population pyramid in rural areas in 2010 – by age group and sex
Villages.
Apart from the town of Staszów, Gmina Staszów contains the villages and settlements of Czajków Północny, Czajków Południowy,