Children's Geographies; 10/01/2023
(AN 173035629); ISSN: 14733285
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Allee Willis was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan. Allee Willis was a truly fascinating, wildly-creative artist who worked almost exclusively behind the scenes. She was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan. Allee Willis: creative force behind the Friends TV Show Theme, Dangerous Woman to Soviet newspapers Allee Willis: Creative Force, Dangerous Woman, Queer Songwriter Behind Friends' Theme Further Proof That Friends Is Queer-Coded by Melissa Locker

Whether you watched the show or not, you can probably hum the theme song to Friends. Do you know who wrote it for the Rembrandts? And "September"—the Mercury's second favorite song—do you know who co-wrote that with Earth Wind and Fire's Maurice White?

Not to sound like a weird TV pitchman, but what if I told you they were written with the same person. Specifically,  Allee Willis—who was once dubbed “the most dangerous woman in the world” by Pravda, the the official newspaper of the prelapsarian Soviet Union.  

Willis is the star of a new documentary, The World According to Allee Willis, which celebrates its Oregon premiere at the QDoc Film Festival on November 16. The doc is worth your time to burnish your bar trivia skills, but also because Willis was a truly fascinating, wildly-creative artist who worked almost exclusively behind the scenes. She was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan.

Willis had insisted on documenting her life, since 1978, long before reality TV was a thing, so there's plenty of her archival video found in the film. "I've always known that my final art piece would be someone putting together the trail I've left behind," she says in one clip. 

In 2019, Willis died at age 72, and director Alexis Manya Spraic became responsible for following that trail. Spraic intersperses the footage with a cavalcade of famous faces—Paul Reubens, Lily Tomlin, Cyndi Lauper, Pamela Adlon, Paul Feig, Sex and the City director Michael Patrick King, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, as well as—somewhat inexplicably—billionaire Mark Cuban. Their interviews confirm that Willis really was a Hollywood power player, even if you don’t know her name.

Raised in Detroit as Alta Willis, the artist admits that growing up in the shadow of Motown influenced her work. She also did a stint in New York where she wrote her one and only album, Childstar, which had “great reviews and zero sales.” Eventually Willis moved to California because “if she was going to starve to death, she was going to do it in the sun.” ["Not me!" -Portland creatives.]

Willis lived on welfare in that sun, until "Godmother of Soul" Patti LaBelle heard her music, and kickstarted Willis’ songwriting career. Then came Earth Wind & Fire and “September,” the track that made Willis a songwriting star.

"Allee said she was lucky to meet us. We were lucky to meet her, too,” the group's bassist Verdine White says in the film. “That was life-changing for all of us.”

Earth Wind & Fire followed the success of "September" by co-writing another hit “Boogie Wonderland” with Willis, helping her become the music industry’s go-to “rock doc” who could fix up a song and turn it into a hit. 

Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

In addition to being a wildly successful songwriter, Willis was also an art director and set designer, creating the backdrops for Debbie Harry music videos, among others. She continued to collaborate on songs, behind the scenes, and won both a Grammy and a Tony for her work on the musical The Color Purple.  The Friends theme was nominated for an Emmy, but didn't win.

While Willis was able to find professional success, that never quite translated into financial solvency. She also faced challenges in her private life—partially because she was queer at a time when it was extremely difficult to be open and out. She struggled with loneliness for much of her life, Lauper says during one of the film's interviews.

Willis did eventually find love, and then had to contend with the near-universal struggle of balancing work, creativity, and her personal life. When you’re looking at The World According to Allee Willis, it's a wild,  wonderful, and sometimes painful view, but well worth watching.

The World According to Allee Willis screens as part of QDoc Film Festival at Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Sat Nov 16, 4:30 pm, $12, tickets here. Some streaming starting Nov 22. Visit alleewillisdoc.com for more.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton on Friday called on Garth Brooks to add another Minneapolis show to his upcoming stadium tour — and it sounds like the country music star is on board with the idea.

Well-known editor and journalist, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of India Mobasher Jawed Akbar is confident that India is a bridge for conflicting countries. "The ability to be someone's friend, to help both parties understand each other, is a unique position that we can't give up," he says. Mobasher Jawed Akbar also spoke about the economic prospects for cooperation between India and Russia.

Dogs are the bounding balls of energy that greet us at the door, and the beloved companions that curl up with us at night, yet for many military veterans, they're also a vital support, helping manage their everyday wellbeing and promote positive mental health.

The limited-edition meal kit is inspired by the series’ Thanksgiving episode and features all the pre-portioned ingredients to recreate the sweet and savory trifle.

GrandBilliards Invites You To Win A Lap Top

Embrace Unconventional Connections and Explore New Dating Horizons with LargeFriends.com

The landscape of dating is undergoing a significant transformation as artificial intelligence continues to evolve, offering new possibilities for connection and companionship.

Scholarship Application Now Open

BookMyPet revolutionizes the pet care industry with a comprehensive online platform that offers same-day booking, discounts, and a cash-back program for all your pet care needs.

The trend begun with reading classes, online lectures or other forms of instructional contact-free educations. However, growing number of lectures are opened with interactive formats these days because people have longed for more lively education.

Pet owners no longer have to drive all over town looking for pet supplies. Thanks to Miracle Pet Supply, they can order everything needed from the comfort of their phone or laptop.

A Fun Story for Young Readers About Friendship, Seasons, and Adventures.

Shasta Nelson, relationship expert and author, says that work friendships are critical to individual and organizational success but acknowledges that it's not always easy to build these personal -- but still professional - connections, especially when work is virtual. She explains why consistency, vulnerability, and positivity are fundamental to friendship and offers specific suggestions for how to build those things with colleagues. Nelson is the author of the book "The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time."

The inspection paradox makes sense of social networks, long train wait times and why the call center is always busy 

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that employment based on friendship does not automatically fall outside the scope of the state workers’ compensation law. Samuel Amos, David Tidwell and Travis Plambeck all…

Android recently unveiled their newest operating system, Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It doesn’t entirely overhaul the system, but it does bring some exciting new improvements for Android users to enjoy. Like every new operating system, it takes some getting used to, but knowing some of the tricks help to facilitate the process. Expect Changes with New […]

The post 4 Android 6.0 Marshmallow tricks to show to your friends first appeared on TECH Intelligence and is written by Drew Hendricks.

To tie in with this month’s SoNYC birthday celebrations, we are hosting a collection of case

A first installment in a graphic-novel rendering of Season 10 from the beloved animated series finds Twilight adjusting to new leadership responsibilities by recruiting her friends to help explore potentially dangerous regions throughout Equestria.

It is a blustery spring day, and Mouse and Mole are very excited. They are going to go bird watching and plan to make bird books. It turns out, birds are not so easy to watch. Together, they come up with a plan to get closer to the birds.

How do we find lasting, trusting, and fulfilling friendships? Is it by being popular? Dazzling others with your genius? Looking for that ultimate BFF? Hiding all your imperfections and trying hard to fit in? Deep and enduring friendships are essential to our psychological and physical well-being. Unfortunately, between bullying, social anxiety, peer pressure, and other issues, many teens feel isolated. In Dear Libby, trusted columnist Libby Kiszner offers a breakthrough approach to friendship and connection. You can create friendships from the inside out-rather than from the outside in. You can experience friendships with vibrant self-expression in every stage of life, making Dear Libby a book that can be read and reread at any age. Containing seven core principles, this life-changing resource not only explains the dynamics of connections and friendships but also gives practical tools to develop them. Integrating contemporary issues, timeless insight, real-life skills, and unique perspectives, Dear Libby provides a hands-on guide for dealing with everyday friendship struggles faced by teens today. Teens and readers of all ages will gain insight and understanding on how to make profound, joyful relationships possible. Find answers to real questions like: What should I do when people who are supposed to be my friends call me names or embarrass me? What should I do I do if I'm being ignored at school? What is the best way to handle loneliness? Someone just stole my friend. What can I do? What can I do when my friends get together and "forget" to invite me?

The unfortunate result on the field couldn’t quash the newfound camaraderie between Bruins and Indiana Hoosiers fans.

Friends by John Holyfield is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Limited Edition to 2500 pcs

Best Friends Hand Embellished Giclee on Canvas by Harrison Ellenshaw is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to 95 pcs

Fox and Friends – Fox News Channel – Broadcast November 11, 2024 Partial Transcript: Morano: “When Donald Trump won the first time in 2016, their attitude was: ‘We’re going to hold this off — this is an anomaly. We have a net zero climate agenda.’ Fast forward eight years later to 2024, and that entire […]

It's a real spies' reunion for the miniseries version of Ben MacIntyre's superb non-fiction book A Spy Among Friends! Nearly everyone involved has some serious spy experience on their resume--and many of them have worked together before. It's no wonder the book has attracted such an array of veteran talent; for my money it's a strong contender of the best spy biography ever. MacIntyre uses the close friendship between the notorious double agent Kim Philby and loyal MI6 officer Nicholas Elliott to frame the story of the notorious Cambridge spy ring that shook the foundations of British Intelligence--and the Cold War at large. 

“Friendship insecurity remains a final hurdle in how I interact in the world, but I’m realizing that if I want close, family-level friendships, I need to act as if I am already in them. Even if it brings me discomfort to text my friend an unprompted update about my life so they will feel more […]

Disney has just released a new four-minute holiday short, with "The Boy & The Octopus" by Taika Waititi available on YouTube.

Mental and emotional health is on a par with physical health and financial security when it comes to negative impacts on overall well-being, researchers say.

Author Alice Hoffman said it best: "Books may well be the only true magic."…

It's a Sunday in late August, eight days before the last American soldier will leave Afghanistan…

According to one of his friends, the 'Lucid Dreams' hitmaker was ready to check into rehab to seek professional help for his addiction before his tragic passing.

In this episode, Thomas Domville guides listeners through the process of sharing AirTags with others on iOS. Thomas explains why one might want to share their AirTags. Thomas then provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough of the sharing process.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
2. Swipe right along the bottom tabs until you hear "Items" and double-tap to select it.
3. Swipe right until you hear the name of the AirTag you want to share and double-tap to open it.
4. Swipe right until you hear "Add person" and double-tap to continue.
5. Swipe right until you hear "To" and double-tap to enter the contact name or email of the person you want to share the AirTag with.
6. Tap the top right part of the screen and you should hear "Share" and double-tap to share the AirTag. The person you shared the AirTag with will receive a notification invitation to accept the sharing request.

To stop sharing the AirTag, swipe right until you hear the name of the person you shared the AirTag with and double-tap to open it. Then swipe right until you hear "Remove" and double-tap to confirm.

Remember, the person you’re sharing with will need to accept the invitation on their device. Once they do, they’ll be able to see the AirTag in their Find My app. Happy sharing!

The Friends of Moseley Road Baths are dismayed to learn of Birmingham City Council’s decision not to submit a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for work to the Baths building, which would secure its long term future.

BGSO inviting orchestral musicians of all backgrounds from across the Midlands and beyond to come and join in for a weekend of making new friends and music in great setting of mac birmingham.

The last 35 seconds of Ahmaud Arbery’s life have been viewed, studied, dissected and discussed all over the world. That’s because of a video that went viral, showing his final moments before he was shot on a shady street in Satilla Shores, Georgia on February 23. And while his death has made international headlines, the people of his community remember Arbery for how he lived.

http://www.musicxray.com/xrays/2672424 Twanesia Ruffin - GWP_Let's Be Friends

The evolutionary biology of friendship and how digital tech has shaped our fundamental sense of togetherness.

As protests spread across China, citizens consider how far they can push Beijing; concerns of privatized healthcare as a virtual pediatric care service shuts down because of reduced government funding; meet Jeremy Brown, one of the real-life Cornish fishermen who inspired the musical Fisherman's Friends; Dr. Nasser Mohamed, an exiled gay physician from Qatar, campaigns for LGBTQ rights; Canadian super-Swifties throw celebratory Taylor Swift dance parties; and more.

She was chasing a bunch of other rich boys too. Willys friends called her The Mattress I think the options dried up for both so they both had to settle for each other

Anberlin has announced they'll be hitting the road to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Never Take Friendship Personal

Friends of Sandys will hold an Emancipation Cup Match walkabout in Somerset, with guided walks on July 7 and July 13 covering historic sites and stories related to Emancipation and Cup Match. A spokesperson said, “There will be an Emancipation Cup Match walkabout held in Somerset next month, taking people on a route which will […]

Have you got friends or family wondering what this astral projecting interest of yours is all about?

Do you ?nd it tough to explain in a simple, accessible way?

Well here’s a little site that may work well – especially for your peeps who like to keep a beat.

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