03/31 ROBERT DAVI

ROBERT DAVI – ACTOR & SINGER

While he is recognized as one of film’s best-known tough guys, Robert Davi has been winning the respect and admiration of fans, critics and fellow artists with his expressive singing. His Album, Davi Sings Sinatra: On The Road To Romance, produced by the legendary Phil Ramone, catapulted its way into Billboard magazine’s top ten (#6) traditional jazz chart.

While, Davi Sings Sinatra: On the Road to Romance and his dynamic livevperformances may have surprised some of his fans, Davi’s love of music and entertaining began at an early age. At 15, he won First Place in the prestigious New York State School Music Association Solo Competition. As a young adult, he studied under several top vocal teachers including the legendary Tito Gobbi, Dan Ferro of Juilliard, Samuel Margolis (who taught Robert Merrill) and most recently, renowned vocal coach Gary Catona.

In his latest film role, Davi adds to his movie legacy. He joins the most recent installment of the popular franchise “The Expendables 3,”. From the memorable villain, Colombian drug lord Frank Sanchez, in the Bond film “License to Kill” (voted one of the top Bond villains of all time) to his stand-out performances in “The Goonies,” “Die Hard,” ”Kill the Irishman,” “The Iceman” and many other films to the respected series “Profiler” and “Stargate: Atlantis,” Davi has appeared in over 100 movies and many television programs. He has garnered praise from critics, directors and co-stars, including Steven Spielberg, Richard Donner, Blake Edwards, John McTiernan, and Paul Verhoeven. He has acted opposite Marlon Brando, Roberto Benigni, Bruce Willis, Clint Eastwood, Benicio Del Toro, Danny Glover, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, James Franco, and Val Kilmer, among others. GQ Magazine has compared him to silver screen classics Robert Mitchum and Lee Marvin. His tough exterior masks an inner sensitivity, which he has brought to his roles as a Palestinian terrorist in the award-winning TV movie, “Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami,” and in memorable appearances in “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” ”Without a Trace,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Criminal Minds” and many more.

In 2007, Davi produced, directed co-wrote and starred in “The Dukes,” the story of a successful Doo Wop group who falls on hard times. At the Monte Carlo Festival of Comedy, Davi was awarded Best First-Time Director and Best Screenplay for the film and he was the only first-time director in the Premiere Section of the International Rome Film Festival, with films by Sean Penn, Robert Redford, Sidney Lumet and Julie Taymor.

Hailing from Astoria, Queens, NY, Davi attended Hofstra University on a drama scholarship. He moved to Manhattan to study with legendary acting coach Stella Adler, who became his mentor. He subsequently became a lifetime member of the Actors Studio, studying with acting teacher Lee Strasberg and also studied under Sandra Seacat, Larry Moss, Milton Katselas, Martin Landau, Mala Powers, and George Shdanoff, the creative partner and collaborator with the influential Michael Chekhov. His first screen appearance was opposite Frank Sinatra in the telefilm, “Contract on Cherry Street.”

Besides working in music, film and television, and raising his five children, four dogs, and two cats, Davi is an active supporter of The Dream Foundation, Exceptional Children’s Foundation, Heart of a Child Foundation, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States, Heart of a Horse, NIAF, The Order ’Sons of Italy’ in America (OSIA), and UNICO National. Since its inception in 1998, Davi has been the National Spokesperson for i-Safe America, which is regarded by many internet experts as the most complete internet safety program in the country and is available in grades K- 12 in all 50 U.S. states.

Davi has received numerous awards for career achievement and community involvement, including the George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award from the Hofstra University Alumni Association (past recipients include Francis Ford Coppola and William Safire). He has received the FBI’s Man of the Year Award in Los Angeles and was also named KNX radio’s “Citizen of the Week” for saving a young girl from a fire in her home. Other public service awards include the Sons of Italy’s Royal Court of the Golden Lion Award and the 2004 STEP Award (Science, Technology and Education Partnership), whose past recipients include Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2007, Davi received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Italian Board of Governors in New York, and in 2008, he received the Italo-Americano Award from the Capri-Hollywood Festival. In 2011, Davi was awarded the ”Military Order of the Purple Heart” (MOPH) Special Recognition Award for dedication and service honoring America’s service members and veterans.

UPCOMING SHOWS (DAVI SINGS SINATRA)

April 23, 2015
Davi Sings Sinatra – Uppsala Konsert & Kongress

April 25, 2015
Davi Sings Sinatra – Splendid Palace

April 27, 2015
Davi Sings Sinatra – Papp László Budapest Sportaréna

DAVISINGSSINATRA.COM

03/24 RED WEST, PHILLIP KEENE, MAJOR CRIMES

RED WEST - ACTOR, STUNTMAN & SINGER/SONGWRITER

Robert Gene "Red" West (born 1936) is an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter. He was a close high school friend of rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. He is probably best known to American film audiences for his role as Red in Road House, alongside Patrick Swayze.

Early life:
West was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Lois and Newton Thomas West. An excellent athlete and former U.S. Marine, West played football for his high school and junior college teams and was a boxer in the Golden Gloves championships.

As a songwriter:
Red West contributed to several songs written by Elvis Presley in 1961 and 1962. He received help from Elvis Presley in writing two songs in the early 1960s, which were collaborations: "You'll Be Gone" and "That's Someone You Never Forget." "You'll Be Gone" was also co-written with Charlie Hodge, and appeared on the Girl Happy soundtrack album and as a 45 single in 1965. The single reached number 35 on the Canadian singles chart in 1965. "That's Someone You Never Forget" was the final track on the 1962 album Pot Luck and was released as a 45 B side single in 1967 and was featured on the Artist of the Century compilation. Red also co-wrote "If You Think I Don't Need You" with Joey Cooper for the motion picture Viva Las Vegas. He teamed up with Joey Cooper again on "I'm A Fool," which Ricky Nelson recorded. "I'm A Fool" later became a hit for Dino, Desi and Billy, the partnership of Dean-Paul "Dino" Martin, Desi Arnaz Jr., and William "Billy" Hinsche. He also collaborated on authorship and composition of the selections "Seeing Is Believing" and "Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees," both with Glenn Spreen, "Separate Ways" with Richard Mainegra, and "If You Talk In Your Sleep" with Johnny Christopher; Presley himself recorded the last of these in the early 1970s. The Christmas song "If Everyday Was Like Christmas" was written by West and recorded by Elvis in 1966. Red had put out his own recording of "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" in 1965 on the Brent label. It was not known to have charted as of late July 2012.

Career in film and television:
When Presley was making films in the 1960s in Hollywood, Red West appeared in small roles in sixteen of the star's films. During this time, West became good friends with actor Nick Adams and his physical abilities got him hired on as a stuntman on Adams' television series, The Rebel. From there, West went on to do more stunt work in film as well as developing a career as an actor in a number of motion pictures and on television. He was often on screen as a henchman in the television series The Wild Wild West. He was also a stuntman on the series and developed a strong friendship with the star Robert Conrad Red had a tiny role as an ice cream man in the 1967 movie Clambake, starring Bill Bixby and Shelly Fabares.

West played Master Sergeant Andy Micklin in the 1978 Robert Conrad series Baa Baa Black Sheep. He also guest starred twice on the CBS hit Magnum, P.I. (as different characters), as four different characters on NBC's hit The A-Team, Knight Rider pilot episodeKnight of the Phoenix, and in The Once and Future King (The Twilight Zone) as the man who played an Elvis impersonator's boss at the Crown Electric company (and who was a real-life schoolmate and best friend of Elvis). In 1989 West appeared in the action film Road House with Patrick Swayze as Red Webster, the auto parts store owner.

West continued to work in motion pictures as of early February 2013. His most recent role was in the 2013 film Safe Haven.



PHILLIP P. KEENE - ACTOR, TNT’S HIT SERIES ‘MAJOR CRIMES’  

Phillip joined the cast as Buzz Watson from TNT’s ‘The Closer’ in 2005 and then in 2012, their spinoff series Major Crimes aired, where his character Buzz was placed as one of the leads.
Phillip plays the LAPD’s Major Crimes Unit’s electronics room technician as well as the videographer of all crime-scene documentation for their division.

Recently, Phillip spoke with Yahoo Voices, TV Grapevine and Star Scoop to discuss the series and himself. We have attached the interviews.

In 2008, 2009 & 2010, ‘The Closer’ received nominations for an Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Phillip P. Keene went to UCLA and studied history and art history before he discovered his passion for acting.

BIO
Phillip P. Keene, the handsome and intriguing character, Buzz Watson on TNT’s most popular series - Major Crimes, is quite a fascinating character both on and off screen.

Currently known for his role of videographer and surveillance expert – Buzz Watson, on TNT’s original series The Closer, which is also followed up by Phillip’s starring role in Major Crimes, has been one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

Ironically, this is one of Keene’s first acting endeavors and has enabled him to garner a terrific fan base; previous television experience includes hosting the series Home, as well as making a guest appearance on the ABC series – The D.A. Phillip made his feature debut in the Tony Alda film – Role of a Lifetime.

Keene, who is also fluent in Spanish and German, earned a degree in both history and art history from UCLA, as well as received his pilot’s license before deciding to eagerly pursue his love of acting. He has studied with the finest -- Howard Fine, Heidi Davis, Margie Haber, and Tony Sepulveda to name a few. One of Keene’s passions is collecting rare Pan Am memorabilia, which was put on exhibit at Modernism Week in Palm Springs. His other hobbies include surfing, golf, and renovating homes. He lives in both Los Angeles and Palm Springs.

03/17 JOE MANTEGNA & FRANKIE AVALON

JOE MANTEGNA

Joseph Anthony “Joe” Mantegna, Jr. (born November 13, 1947) is an American actor, producer, writer and director. He is best known for his roles in box-office hits such as Three Amigos (1986), The Godfather Part III (1990), Forget Paris (1995) and Up Close & Personal (1996). He currently stars in the CBS television series Criminal Minds as FBI Special Agent David Rossi.

Mantegna has gained Emmy Award nominations for his roles in three different miniseries, The Last Don (1997), The Rat Pack (1999) and The Starter Wife (2007). Mantegna served as executive producer for various movies and television movies, such as Corduroy (1984), Hoods (1998), and Lakeboat (2000), which he also directed.

On television, Mantegna starred in the short lived series First Monday (2002) and Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005). Since the 1991 episode "Bart the Murderer", Mantegna has had a recurring role on the animated comedy series The Simpsons as mob boss Fat Tony, reprising the role in The Simpsons Movie (2007). He also played Robert B. Parker's fictional detective Spenser in three made-for-TV movies between 1999 and 2001.

FRANKIE AVALON

Frankie Avalon (born September 18, 1940) is an American actor, singer, playwright, and former teen idol.

Life and career

Avalon was born Francis Thomas Avallone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Mary Loretta and Nicholas J. Avallone. By the time he was 12, Avalon was on U.S. television playing his trumpet. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints. In 1959, "Venus" (5 weeks #1) and "Why" went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Why" was the last #1 of the 1950s. Avalon had 31 charted U.S. Billboard singles from 1958 to late 1962, including "Just Ask Your Heart" (U.S. #7), "I'll Wait For You" (U.S. #15), "Bobby Sox to Stockings" (U.S. #8), and "A Boy Without a Girl" (U.S. #10). Most of his hits were written and/or produced by Bob Marcucci, head of Chancellor Records. He was less popular in the U.K., but did still manage four chart hits with "Why", "Gingerbread", "Venus" and "Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops".

Teamed frequently with Annette Funicello, Avalon starred in a number of popular "beach party" comedy films during the mid-1960s. The wholesome and romantic coupling of "Frankie and Annette" in summer movies such as Beach Party and Beach Blanket Bingo became iconic figures in American films during that era.

Avalon also had straight dramatic parts in the John Wayne historical western film The Alamo, as well as the science-fiction story Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) with Barbara Eden.
Materializing as a character called Teen Angel, his performance of "Beauty School Dropout" in the hit 1978 film of the musical Grease introduced Avalon to a new generation of viewers.

Avalon appeared in nearly two dozen TV episodes, including ABC's The Bing Crosby Show and The Patty Duke Show, appearing often as himself. Later, he became a national television spokesperson for Sonic Drive-In. In 1965 he appeared in the Combat! episode "Brother, Brother" as a childhood friend of Pfc.Kirby, played by Jack Hogan.

The 1980 film The Idolmaker, written by Ed Di Lorenzo and directed by Taylor Hackford, was a thinly-disguised biography of Avalon ("Tommy Dee" in the film) as well as 1950s teenage star Fabian (called "Caesare" in the film), along with songwriter/producer Bob Marcucci (called "Vinnie Vacarri"). In the movie, Dee clashes with the record producer and younger singer Caesare, who he feels threatens his career. Eventually, Dee and Caesare quit the label, but their record careers collapse just as the British Invasion begins. The real Fabian threatened a lawsuit, despite the filmmakers' insistence that the film presented only fictional characters (though Marcucci was a paid consultant). Avalon denied most of the movie's events.

Avalon married Kathryn "Kay" Diebel on January 19, 1963. She was a former beauty pageant winner, and Avalon met her while playing cards at a friend's house. He told his friend that Kay was the girl he was going to marry. His agent warned Avalon that marriage would spoil his teen idol mystique. Still together, they have eight children - Frankie Jr., Tony, Dina, Laura, Joseph, Nicolas, Kathryn and Carla. They have 10 grandchildren. Frankie Avalon Jr. is a former actor who appeared in the original The Karate Kid and is now a musician, and Tony, the second oldest son, plays guitar and taught at the Rock Nation School. Both sons play on tour with their father.
In 1987, Avalon and Annette Funicello returned to movies with Back to the Beach. In 1989 they also appeared as themselves in cameo roles out jogging the streets in Troop Beverly Hills. Not long afterwards, Funicello was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and retired.

Afterwards, Avalon turned to marketing and created Frankie Avalon Products, a line of health and cosmetic aids. Avalon promotes his products on the Home Shopping Network with host Bob Circosta. He made a cameo appearance as himself with Robert De Niro in the 1995 film, Casino.

In recent years, Avalon has starred in stage productions of Grease in the role of Teen Angel and Tony n' Tina's Wedding as a caricature of himself. Additionally, in 2007, he performed "Beauty School Dropout" with the four remaining female contenders (Kathleen Monteleone, Allie Schulz, Ashley Spencer, and winner Laura Osnes) for the role of Sandy on the NBC television reality show Grease: You're the One that I Want! On April 8, 2009, he performed on American Idol.

Legacy

He was mentioned in the System of a Down song "Old School Hollywood". The song supposedly is about Daron Malakian's experience in a celebrity baseball game, where he and Avalon were both ignored.

Avalon is also mentioned in "It Takes Two", a song from the hit musical Hairspray, sung by the character Link Larkin, and in a song by the Wu Tang Clan called "The City" which refers to his experiences of being a big part of the beach party film genre ("Ride the wave like Frankie Avalon").

One of numerous obscure cultural references present in Midway's video game Mortal Kombat 3 was a lo-res image of Frankie Avalon's face that would dart up in the lower right-hand corner of the screen when Goro killed his opponent by knocking him into the spike pit on the Bridge level.
His song "Venus" was featured in Cranium Command (1989–2005), an attraction at Epcot's Wonders of Life Pavilion (now closed) at Walt Disney World. In the attraction, a 12-year-old boy named Bobby (Scott Curtis), tries to survive the pressures of life and falls in love with a beautiful girl named Annie (Natalie Gregory) at school.

He and his song "Venus" are mentioned in Wendy Wasserstein's 2005 play Third. The main character, English professor Laurie Jameson, watches a PBS reunion show featuring Avalon singing the song, and sings a line of it to her daughter. In stage productions of the show, part of the song is played and a portion of the supposed PBS special is screened as part of the scenery.

He is also mentioned in Adam Sandler's 2008 comedy, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, for his haircut, which the Zohan (Sandler's character) thinks is the latest hairdo. He is also numerously referenced in the 1994 film, The Stöned Age, in which he makes an ending scene cameo appearance.
His song "Venus" additionally appeared in season 4 of the TV series Dexter in which John Lithgow's character, Arthur Mitchell, plays it to remember his deceased sister.

Avalon is also mentioned in The Vaccines song 'Teenage Icon'. Where they claim they are no teenage icon, "no Frankie Avalon".

www.frankieavalon.com
wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Avalon

03/03 PHILLIP P. KEENE, TNT, MAJOR CRIMES, THE CLOSER

PHILLIP P. KEENE - ACTOR, TNT’S HIT SERIES ‘MAJOR CRIMES’  

Phillip joined the cast as Buzz Watson from TNT’s ‘The Closer’ in 2005 and then in 2012, their spinoff series Major Crimes aired, where his character Buzz was placed as one of the leads.
Phillip plays the LAPD’s Major Crimes Unit’s electronics room technician as well as the videographer of all crime-scene documentation for their division.

Recently, Phillip spoke with Yahoo Voices, TV Grapevine and Star Scoop to discuss the series and himself. We have attached the interviews.

In 2008, 2009 & 2010, ‘The Closer’ received nominations for an Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Phillip P. Keene went to UCLA and studied history and art history before he discovered his passion for acting.

BIO
Phillip P. Keene, the handsome and intriguing character, Buzz Watson on TNT’s most popular series - Major Crimes, is quite a fascinating character both on and off screen.

Currently known for his role of videographer and surveillance expert – Buzz Watson, on TNT’s original series The Closer, which is also followed up by Phillip’s starring role in Major Crimes, has been one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

Ironically, this is one of Keene’s first acting endeavors and has enabled him to garner a terrific fan base; previous television experience includes hosting the series Home, as well as making a guest appearance on the ABC series – The D.A. Phillip made his feature debut in the Tony Alda film – Role of a Lifetime.

Keene, who is also fluent in Spanish and German, earned a degree in both history and art history from UCLA, as well as received his pilot’s license before deciding to eagerly pursue his love of acting. He has studied with the finest -- Howard Fine, Heidi Davis, Margie Haber, and Tony Sepulveda to name a few. One of Keene’s passions is collecting rare Pan Am memorabilia, which was put on exhibit at Modernism Week in Palm Springs. His other hobbies include surfing, golf, and renovating homes. He lives in both Los Angeles and Palm Springs.