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1-15 of 15
- Attended the Air Force Academy Prep School after high school. He quit and switched over to Mississippi State to play football, but was forced to quit when he broke his hand. He then transferred to the University of the South, and graduated with a B.A. in psychology. He worked a year as a counselor at the Tennessee State Prison, then traveled around a bit before being asked to appear as an extra in a TV movie. He moved to Los Angeles in 1980, and sent in his picture to the makers of Tarzan the Ape Man (1981). The rest is history.
- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actor
Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England, on March 30, 1945. His real father was a Canadian pilot but he didn't find that out until he was 53. When he was 2 his mother felt she was unable to look after him, so Eric then went to live with his grandparents. When he was 14 he took up the guitar, having been influenced by blues artists such as B.B King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
In 1963, after he was chucked out of art college, he joined Paul Samwell-Smith, as he was in art school with Keith Relf. He stayed for about 18 months before beginning a stint with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Eric became known as "god", as he impressed the whole English music scene with his amazing guitar playing.
After about a year Eric had had enough of impersonating his blues idols and decided to form a group of his own, so in 1966 he formed a band with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker (who had the idea) that became known as Cream. This band was not a purist blues group but a hard-driving rock and blues trio. They first performed together at a jazz and blues festival in Surrey before signing a record contract. In November 1966 their debut single, "Wrapping Paper", hit UK #34, but their next single, "I Feel Free", made more of an impression, hitting UK #11 the following January. At the same time they released their debut album "Fresh Cream", which was a top-ten hit, going to UK #6 and went on to make US #39 later in the year.
Cream spent most of 1967 either touring or writing, recording and producing "Disreali Gears", which was to be one of their finest efforts. The first single that confirmed the group as a mainstream success was "Strange Brew", which went to #17 in the UK. After a hectic worldwide tour, their second album "Disreali Gears" was released and became an enormous worldwide hit, rising to UK #5 and US #4. The album's success r4esulted in one of its tracks, "Sunshine Of Your Love", a hit in the US, going to #36. In February 1968 Cream set out on a six-month US tour, the longest time that a British band ad ever been in America. The tour took in hundreds of theaters, arenas and stadiums, but in April 1968 the band was exhausted and decided to take a short break from touring. However, during their break disaster struck. While Cream was in America Eric had given an interview to the magazine "Rolling Stone" which had Eric the editor make critical points about his guitar playing. This led to an eruption within the band, which was the beginning of the end. Despite this setback, the band's US tour carried on until June, during which they had been recording their most popular project, "Wheels Of Fire", a double album that was released in August 1968; the live album shot to UK #3 and the studio effort to UK #7, but both went directly to US #1 for four weeks. Despite the fact that the band had sold so many records, had sold out nearly every concert, had made millions and even managed to boost "Sunshine Of Your Love" to hit US #5 and UK #25, they decided that after a farewell tour of America Cream would split. The band toured North America in October, played two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London in November and then Cream was no more - as Clapton explained, "The Cream has lost direction."
In the winter of 1969 Eric began jamming with former Traffic front man Steve Winwood, with Ginger Baker also joining in Eric's mansion in Surrey. With bassist Ric Grech added to the lineup, the band became Blind Faith and started rehearsing and recording material. In June 1969, after the band finished a recording session for their first and only album, they made their live debut in Hyde Park to a crowd of over 200,000 fans. Despite the fact that Baker and Grech felt that the concert was a triumph, Clapton and Winwood, however, were more or less convinced that Blind Faith had blown it first time round. However, despite their feelings, Blind Faith set out on a summer sellout tour of the US, playing in arenas and stadiums all over the country. The tour itself earned the band a fortune, but the band members were convinced that the music itself was unsatisfying.
After the tour was over their only album, "Blind Faith", was released, and it topped the charts worldwide. Despite the success of the album and tour Blind Faith still decided to disband, though, and Clapton went on tour with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, who were Blind Faith's support act on the tour, and also performed at times with The Plastic Ono Band. In March 1970 Eric launched his highly successful solo career, by releasing a first solo album, which featured Delaney & Bonnie.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Thomas Morgan is an award-winning director and producer. He is best known for his films Soufra (2017) and Waiting for Mamu (2014). Morgan was the executive producer for India's Daughter, which received the Peabody award for journalism, as well as the Emmy-nominated film Silenced.
Morgan is the co-founder of Square Zero Films, a New York-based film production company. He received his honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Central Michigan University and has taught documentary film making to students around the world. Morgan is a father of four.- Actor
- Writer
John Flanagan was born on 30 April 1947 in Ripley, Derbyshire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Brazil (1985), Sweeney 2 (1978) and Thriller (1973).- Actress
- Casting Department
- Producer
Elise Fyke was born in Ripley, Mississippi. She has three younger brothers; her brother, Eric, is from her mother's first marriage to her father, Danny Waldon, a trucking company owner; and brothers, Bleu and Logan, from her mother's second marriage to the late Randy Bass, who was a guitarist for the late Carl Perkins. While attending grade school, she participated in pageants, band, mock trails, art(for which she was awarded high honors) and she modeled locally for a retailer. She later moved to Oxford, MS and attended the University of Mississippi, with focus on pre-med biology and chemistry, as well as many art courses and she modeled for local artists and also enjoyed travel. She married her husband Harry(a veterinarian), who's the great, great nephew of the late John Faulkner; she has a step-son Paul and daughter, Lola. She has worked as a veterinary technician, pharmacy technician, local bar attendant, model and actor. She has enjoyed the city of Oxford, MS for it's art, music and small town feel. She began her acting career on stage with the Powerhouse Theater in Oxford. She began her career in film by acting background in various films in New Orleans, LA, commuting the five hours to be on set.- Barnes Wallis was born on 26 September 1887 in Ripley, Derbyshire, England, UK. He was married to Molly Bloxam. He died on 30 October 1979 in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, UK.
- Joe Smith was born on 28 June 1902 in Ripley, Ohio, USA. Joe died on 2 December 1937 in Central Islip, Suffolk, New York, USA.
- Johnson Clarke was born on 9 January 1883 in Ripley, Derbyshire, England, UK. He died on 21 December 1956 in Workington, Cumbria, England, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Blues singer/guitarist "Sleepy" John Estes--he got his nickname because he had the ability to take naps whenever and wherever he felt the need--was born in the small farming town of Ripley, TN, in 1904, to a family of poor sharecroppers. He was raised in the nearby town of Brownsville. A childhood accident resulted in his losing sight in his right eye. He taught himself to play guitar, and it wasn't long before he was performing at picnics and parties in the area, at times working with famed mandolin player Yank Rachell. In the 1920s Estes, Rachell and harmonica/jug player Hammie Nixon traveled to Memphis, TN, and performed in jug bands on street corners.
In 1929 Estes signed a recording contract with Victor Records. In 1931 he and Nixon moved to Chicago, where Estes also recorded for Decca Records, and in the 1940s he made some recordings for Bluebird Records, where his biggest hit, "Someday, Baby", became known as a blues classic and featured Estes' signature crying vocals and well-crafted lyrics. He eventually returned to Brownsville and slowed down his recording career, although he did occasionally travel to Memphis to record, often for Sam Phillips at the legendary Sun Records studio. Unfortunately, Estes eventually lost the sight in his left eye, also, leaving him completely blind. By the end of the 1950s he had faded from the blues scene (many fans actually thought he had died).
In 1962 Estes was discovered living in abject poverty in Brownsville. Thanks to a revival of interest in the blues at that time, Estes' career was revived, and he appeared in several blues documentaries in addition to going on the road and playing in clubs, concerts and blues and folk festivals. He also recorded an album, "Sleepy John Estes". He appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964 and toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival. He played again at the Newport Folk Festival in 1969 and at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival that same year. He appeared in the American Smithsonian Institution's Festival of American Folklife in 1970 and again in 1973.
He died in 1977 in Brownsville, TN.- Cinematographer
- Director
- Writer
John Knight Holbrook was married to Florence. They had two children together Gladys Holbrook and John Holbrook Jr. They were living together in Ithaca NY from 1915-1919. John K. Holbrook was employed at the Wharton Studios located at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. John was the head cameraman of Wharton Inc., later he became a producer and director of silent films himself. He also filed many different patents as early as 1913 for color processing of film, and later he developed a micro-filming technique in the 1940's.- Kendall Simmons was born on 11 March 1979 in Ripley, Mississippi, USA.
- Jim Miller was born on 5 July 1957 in Ripley, Mississippi, USA.
- Bill Karr was born on 29 March 1911 in Ripley, West Virginia, USA. He died on 29 October 1979 in Clendenin, West Virginia, USA.
- Howard Swigett was born on 7 November 1891 in Ripley, Ohio, USA. He was a writer, known for The Power and the Prize (1956), Studio One (1948) and Robert Montgomery Presents (1950). He died on 7 March 1957 in Hewlett, Long Island, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Formerly a Marine Sergeant and top-notch Pinkerton detective, Easley began writing professionally in 1981. A junior in high school, he joined the staff of the Chester County Independent a weekly newspaper published in Henderson, Tennessee. Easley worked primarily as a reporter and photographer covering high school sports and student events. He currently lives in Tennessee and works as a freelance writer of both fiction and non-fiction. His work has appeared in P.I. Magazine, a national trade publication for professional private investigators. He recently completed work on the upcoming horror film, _Beyond the Wall of Sleep (2001)_.