Referred to as the “Queen of Pop” and regarded as one of the most influential figures in pop-culture, Madonna only moved up in her career throughout the years and is still the idol of many generations.
However, of all her roles she has had in her life, she seems to love that of a mother the most.
Photo: Wikimedia
Madonna has six children. While she was dating boyfriend Carlos Leon, she got pregnant with her eldest child, daughter Lourdes Leon whose resemblance to her super-star mother is uncanny. At the time the world learned their favorite artist was going to have a baby, they went crazy and everyone was eager to see the little bundle of joy.
In 2000, Madonna married director Guy Ritchie with whom she had son Rocco.
When the couple divorced, Rocco was just eight years old and was forced to live in Britain and the States. He followed his mother on her tours but complained how she didn’t have much time for him as she was busy with her professional life. Eventually, he moved to London permanently after his dad got the custody over him. Today, however, the relationship between Madonna and Rocco is better and they are close again.
Two weeks ago, she posted a photo of him for his birthday and wrote “I Love You more than you will ever know.”
During her divorce with Ritchie, Madonna visited an orphanage in Malawi where she met little David Banda whom she adopted. She also adopted another child from Malawi, her daughter Chifundo Mercy James. Both David and Chifundo are now 14 years old.
Madonna’s adoptive children are happy to have her as their mother. Although she’s known to be very strict and asks from all her children to follow certain rules, she loves them unconditionally and does all that because she wants them to turn into hard-working individuals.
Lourdes is now 23 and looks exactly like her mom. She’s multi-talented and wants to pursue a career in acting. She’s also a fashion model and loves helping her mom choose her outfit for her tours.
When he first appeared on screen in the 1960’s, actor David Birney caught the attention of a huge number of people who loved what he had to show to the world.
Born on April 23rd, 1939 in Washington, D.C, to a father who was a special agent for the FBI, David got to study at prestigious schools. After graduating from West High School, he attended Dartmouth College and majored in English Literature. While at the UCLA, talented and versatile David earned M.A. in theater arts, acting and directing.
Wikipedia
He had his first major role in the soap opera Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing in which he portrayed the character of Mark Elliot.
Besides being one of the most famous actors at the time, David nurtured his love for theater as well and was part of numerous productions. His role of a soldier killed in Vietnam in Ron Cowen’s play Summertree earned him the Theater World and Clarence Derwent award in 1968.
David was well aware of his popularity and admitted he was “also the most popular actor of daytime television.”
As he became more and more famous, magazines were interested to learn more of his private life, including his religion. When asked whether he was half Jewish, David told The New York Times, “Why does everybody want to know if I’m Jewish? David asked. “I really find it offensive, because I don’t know whether they’re asking about my religion or my background. Actually, I’m an Irish Protestant but I have no organized religious affiliation. And religion is much too serious a thing to talk about. After all, we’re all actors, and nobody asks if it’s difficult being Protestant and playing Macbeth, or being Jewish and playing Irish.”
The onscreen chemistry between David and co-star Meredith Baxter in the short-lived sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie continued in their private life.
The two fell deeply in love and tied the knot in 1974. They had three children together and in 1985, they hosted the NBC show Missing … Have You Seen This Person? which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for an Outstanding Informational special. Their marriage ended in 1989.
A few years after they separated, Meredith came forward with allegations against her ex-husband saying he struck her in several occasions. “It was so sudden and unexpected, I couldn’t tell you which hand hit me, or even how hard,” she wrote in her memoir Untied. “I do recall thinking, ‘I’d better not get up because he’s going to hit me again.'”
David commented these allegations as “immensely sad and truly absurd,” adding, “Meredith’s own account of these years is its own rebuke to her credibility.” He told People Magazine that she was just trying to get a full custody of their children by portraying him as a bad person.
In 2009, Meredith came out as a lesbian and is now married to Nancy Locke.
Youtube/OWN
Many actors could envy David on his career in both film and especially theater. Among the roles he performed on stage are Antonio Salieri in Amadeus, David in Benefactors, and Jack Tanner in Man and Superman. He has been especially fond of Shakespeare and played in almost every of his plays, including Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliette.
In the 1990’s, Davis directer A Christmas Pudding. The funds raised were donated to the charity People Assisting the Homeless. This wasn’t the first time, however, for the actor to be doing something for those in need. He has been a humanitarian his whole life and helped change the life of many for the better.
”It’s an activity that started as a lark and sort of turned out to be something quite substantial,” David said in 2000.
In 2017, some magazines, among which Wide Wide World newsletter for Dartmouth College class of 1961 alumni, reported that David was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, news which wasn’t confirmed by David or any of his spokespeople.
In it, classmate Arthur Bloom wrote, “I would like to thank all the members of the class who have taken the time to call David Birney. His long-time companion and caregiver, Michele Roberge, tells me that those calls are the highlight of his day. The official diagnosis is now Alzheimer’s, but it is still possible to have a conversation with David —although sometimes those conversations are a bit like doing Theatre of the Absurd without a script.”
Michele and David performed together at the 50-year reunion of Dartmouth College class of 1961.
Last year, the same newsletter said, “Arthur [Bloom, old classmate] talks to David Birney several times a week; David can ‘still get out a few simple sentences and phrases, and we have basically one or two minute conversations. He is well taken care of by his loving companion Michele Roberge and by an aide who comes in when Michele is not there.”
David has left so much to the world of film and theater. He is a truly awesome man with a heart of gold.
A versatile performer adored by millions who left the world some of the greatest hits of all time. Who else if not legendary Freddie Mercury? Not only undeniably talented, but also a pioneer and an innovated singer who marked the rock era, Freddie’s vocal tugs at the heartstrings every time we listen to him.
Freddie was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar, today Tanzania, but he and his parents fled to London in 1964, amid the bloody revolution on the islands.
Once in the UK, he got involved with music and made friends with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor and later replaced the lead singer of the group Smile. He soon renamed the group into Queen and changed his own name too. Well, the rest is history.
Although being dubbed one of the best, if not THE best, rock musicians, Freddie could pull any song the way no other singer could.
In 1988, he let his vocal speak of himself when he shared the stage with Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé. The two recorded the incredible song “Barcelona,” which became the theme song for the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. Later, they recorded an albums with the same name. The song they perform in the video below, “How Can I Go On,” was part of the album.
Listen to their angelic voices. This is something you don’t get to hear every day.
“The Queen of Technicolor,” Rhonda Fleming, who stunned millions with her talent and beauty over the course of her career, passed away October 14, 2020, at the Providence Saint John’s Health Center – Santa Monica at the age of 97. The cause of death was aspiration pneumonia, as confirmed by her longtime assistant Carla Sapon.
Fleming possessed unique and captivating charm that people fell for. She was born Marilyn Louis in Los Angeles. Her father, Harold Cheverton Louis, was an insurance salesman, and her mother, Effie Graham, was a model and an actress herself, and Flaming inherited the talent and love for acting from her.
Rhonda Fleming, “Queen of Technicolor” who appeared in “Spellbound,” dies at 97 https://t.co/agY1fvaedx
What is very interesting about the actress is how she found herself in the film industry.
One day, the stunning redhead with bright green eyes was spotted by agent Henry Willson, who discovered Rock Hudson and Robert Wagner as well. She was on her way to Beverly Hills High School where she studied, when Willson stopped her and said, “You ought to be in pictures.”
Of course, young Fleming had no idea he was an agent and got scared by him. Later, she was reported to had said, “It’s so weird. He stopped me crossing the street. It kinda scared me a little bit — I was only 16 or 17. He signed me to a seven-year contract without a screen test. It was a Cinderella story, but those could happen in those days.”
Rhonda Fleming with actor Rod Taylor leaving the premiere performance of ‘Lolita’ at the Beverly Theatre. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
At the start of her career, Fleming played an extra in a couple of movies before she landed her breakthrough role in Spellbound (1945), produced by Selznick and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
From that movie on, Fleming became one of the most wanted and most appreciated actresses of that period of Hollywood’s golden age. Speaking of the time she was a face recognized by the whole country and beyond, and her roles in color movies, Fleming told People, “Suddenly my green eyes were green green. My red hair was flaming red. My skin was porcelain white. There was suddenly all this attention on how I looked rather than the roles I was playing.”
Rhonda Fleming, the star who lit up the screen in such films as ‘Spellbound,’ ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’ and ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,’ has died https://t.co/jjhtylSykBpic.twitter.com/upNDabu9yQ
Fleming played in more than 40 movies, including A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Serpent of the Nile, The Great Lover, The Spiral Staircase and more.
It is said that even the tiniest act of kindness can go a long way, and I am convinced this saying is very much true. Just think about it, treating someone with a smile or a “thank you” doesn’t cost us anything, but given to them at their hard time may mean the world to them. So, always be nice to people you come across, because as great late actor Robin Williams once said, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
Chloe is a little girl who loves people so very much. Her bubbly personality is appreciated by many, even strangers. This time, she and daddy were having some fun time together at the Copley Place mall in Boston, MA, when she noticed the escalator. As she saw all the people going down the escalator, she stood next to it and waved “bye” to each and every one of them.
What’s best is that everyone waved back. Chloe put smiles on so many faces that day.
Her daddy believed what his little girl did was kind of cute, something we totally agree with, and decided to put it on tape, and boy, we are so glad he did.
If you want to see sweet Chloe spreading positivity, check out the video below, and If you find it cute, please share it with your friends and make their day.
The story of little Cameron Scott teaches us that giving up is never an option. This brave little man went through so much during his short life. To everyone’s surprise the 8-year-old hero beat stage 4 brain cancer.
Thanks to his strong will, his parents’ support and unconditional love, and the professionalism and devotion from the staff of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Cameron was given a chance to live and explore the beauties of life.
According to Wivb.com, Cameron was initially diagnosed with a high-risk tumor that unfortunately spread to his spine. He had to undergo a surgery and numerous medical treatments that would help him recover. It wasn’t easy, but thanks to all the love he receives from people around him, and the advanced medicine, he pulled it through.
Wendell Scott, Cameron’s father, says his son is his hero. We would add that he is our hero too.
The follow-up treatments were done at the St.Jude’s where doctors discovered how Cameron didn’t suffer from a single disease, but four.
Thankfully, the boy was admitted at the right hospital that pioneered gene sequencing of his cancer which lead to a more targeted and more effective treatment.
The six months of chemotherapy and radiation resulted in a happy, cancer free young boy ready to grasp everything his new life has in store for him.
“I feel amazing now,” Cameron said. “I feel like I’ve been through everything.”
Share this story with your friends so that more people see how brave this young boy is!
No matter if they are humans or animals, parents are parents, and that means they are always there for their little ones, making sure they receive plenty of attention, care, and love.
Now if you believe humans’ feelings towards their bundles of joy are stronger or in any way different than those of the animals, this video will prove you wrong.
Source: Facebook/Denver Zoo
A baby lion was born at the Denver Zoo in July of last year and his first encounter with his mighty daddy is cute beyond words. Now imagine the fierce King of the Jungle getting emotional in front of his newborn cub. People are glad the video of the father and son was put on tape because it comes as a refreshment from the bad news we hear every day.
The lion could be seen crouching in front of the tiny baby, and that’s cute and heart-melting at the same time.
Source: Facebook/Denver Zoo
The cub is still way too small to be shown to the public, so the workers at the zoo make sure they post plenty of videos of him on their Facebook page.
“He’s spent the last couple months bonding with his mom (Neliah), dad (Tobias) and half-sister (Kamara) behind the scenes at Predator Ridge at Denver Zoo, and will soon make his big public debut in one of the outdoor habitats,” Jake Kubié, the director of communications at Denver Zoo told Bored Panda. “He’s all the things you might expect of a lion cub: playful, curious and energetic!”
Source: Facebook/Denver Zoo
What is even more special about the cub is that the public took part in naming him. This way, the zoo helped raise funds for the lions who live there. The list consisted of three very special and meaningful names people could choose from and vote for.
The first name was Meru, which is the name of a mountain in Tanzania, the second was Moremi, the name of a game reserve in Botswana, and the third was Tatu, Swahili word for the number three, as the cub is the third offspring of mom Neliah. Honestly, we were totally in love with each of these names and knew that whichever the public voted for would suit the baby just perfectly. Eventually, the name Tatu was chosen.
Source: Facebook/Denver Zoo
Now, if you are among those people who find this story cute, but believe that lions don’t belong in the zoo but free and living in their natural habitat, the zoo has something to share with you.
“It’s very important to remember that half of African lions have disappeared in the last 25 years and face growing threats, such as poaching, loss of prey and destruction of habitats in their native ranges” the Denver Zoo representative said. “We hope that by seeing our little lion cub, people will be inspired and take action to help protect his wild counterparts and other wildlife around the world.”
Source: Facebook/Denver Zoo
Take a look at the video below to witness the first encounter between this sweet cub and daddy.
One dog’s compassion for a friend in need touched us to the core. It’s not that we didn’t know how special and caring canines are already, but it seems they want to show that to us over and over again.
As the injured and pregnant German Shepherd stood on the side of a busy road in Muscoy, California, waiting for someone to stop and offer a helping hand, she had a companion who wouldn’t leave her side; a red-furred dog. The little dog wanted to make sure the mother-to-be would avoid being hit by a car. Although he couldn’t do much, making her company was more than enough to give her strength not to give up.
Source: Faith Easdale/Facebook
Luckily, one man spotted the dogs and decided to pull over and call for help. He contacted the Dream Fetchers: Project Rescue. The rescuers came to the scene in no time. When they saw the state in which Marley was, they weren’t sure whether she would make it or not. As they took her to their vehicle, Murphy, her protector, followed as he didn’t want to leave his friend alone.
Source: Faith Easdale/Facebook
The sight of Murphy putting his head on Marley’s belly as the rescuers drove them to the shelter was one to remember. These two friends truly loved each other, and I guess most people should learn from them.
Once at the hospital, vets discovered Marley was carrying 11 puppies. But her state was pretty bad as some of her bones were broken.
Source: Faith Easdale/Facebook
As incredible as it sounds, Murphy made Marley company in the days to come, but once he became aware she was in safe hands, it looked as he started backing off little by little.
The rescuers set a goal of finding this loyal dog a forever home, as they knew he would make an excellent companion.
Source: Faith Easdale/Facebook
As for Marley, despite the pain she was in, she eventually gave birth to her 11 babies. Her two legs were in casts but she did her best to be there for her little ones.
Source: Faith Easdale/Facebook
It took a couple of years before Marley healed completely. But she’s now a happy and a healthy dog living with her forever family. Her puppies are now all grown up and they all got their happy ending.
