orange county - Page 5

Now 85, you could say that this true Country-Pop music legend or, as he is referred to in the Country Music Hall of Fame, is a national treasure. His contributions to American culture are forever inscribed into folklore as a singer, songwriter, author, poet, actor and
activist. The critical successes of his
“Shotgun Willie” (1973), “Red Headed Stranger” (1975) and “Stardust” (1978) albums made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in Country music. He was one of the main figures of outlaw country, a subgenre of Country music that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. Nelson has acted in more han 30 films, Continued on page 30 co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.

For most of us, we still have memories of Jessica Lange clutched in the arms of King Kong. That was in 1976, when her modelling agency recommended her to producer Dino DeLaurentis as the female lead in the sequel to the classic 1933 film about the giant ape.

To say that the 90s was a blockbuster year for Gere is an understatement. But his stairway to stardom began shortly after graduation from high school in 1967 where he played several instruments and wrote his own music.

If you are among the gazillion people on the planet who have seen Marvel’s blockbuster Black Panther movie that premiered in February, you marveled at its star, Angela Bassett, who played the role of Ramonda, mother of King T’challa. Throughout her brilliant career, Bassett has been noted for portraying real life African-American women, as well as strong women. She once said: “That’s the image that I like to put out there, and those are the parts I’m attracted to. But not iron-fist kind of strong, just self-assured. I’m nice too.”