title: Yazidis

text: In 2014, with the territorial gains of the Salafist militant group calling itself the Islamic State there was much upheaval in the Iraqi Yazidi population. Islamic State captured Sinjar in August 2014 following the withdrawal of Peshmerga troops of Masoud Barzani, forcing up to 50,000 Yazidis to flee into the nearby mountainous region. In early August the town of Sinjar was nearly deserted as Kurdish Peshmerga forces were no longer able to keep ISIL forces from advancing. ISIL had previously declared the Yazidis to be devil worshippers. Most of the population fleeing Sinjar retreated by trekking up nearby mountains with the ultimate goal of reaching Dohuk in Iraqi Kurdistan (normally a five-hour drive by car). Concerns for the elderly and those of fragile health were expressed by the refugees, who told reporters of their lack of water. Reports coming from Sinjar stated that sick or elderly Yazidi who could not make the trek were being executed by ISIL. Yazidi parliamentarian Haji Ghandour told reporters that "In our history, we have suffered 72 massacres. We are worried Sinjar could be a 73rd."


title: Yazidis

text: UN groups say at least 40,000 members of the Yazidi sect, many of them women and children, took refuge in nine locations on Mount Sinjar, a craggy, high ridge identified in local legend as the final resting place of Noah's Ark, facing slaughter at the hands of jihadists surrounding them below if they fled, or death by dehydration if they stayed. Between 20,000 and 30,000 Yazidis, most of them women and children, besieged by ISIL, escaped from the mountain after the People's Protection Units (YPG) and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) intervened to stop ISIL and opened a humanitarian corridor for them, helping them cross the Tigris into Rojava. Some Yazidis were later escorted back to Iraqi Kurdistan by Peshmerga and YPG forces, Kurdish officials have said.


title: Yazidis

text: Captured women are treated as sex slaves or spoils of war, some are driven to suicide. Women and girls who convert to Islam are sold as brides, those who refuse to convert are tortured, raped and eventually murdered. Babies born in the prison where the women are held are taken from their mothers to an unknown fate. Nadia Murad, a Yazidi human rights activist and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was kidnapped and used as a sex slave by the ISIL in 2014. In October 2014, the United Nations reported that more than 5,000 Yazidis had been murdered and 5,000 to 7,000 (mostly women and children) had been abducted by ISIL. ISIS has, in their digital magazine "Dabiq", explicitly claimed religious justification for enslaving Yazidi women. In December 2014, Amnesty International published a report. Despite the oppression Yazidis' women have sustained, they have appeared on the news as examples of retaliation. They have received training and taken positions at the frontlines of the fighting, making up about a third of the Kurd–Yazidi coalition forces, and have distinguished themselves as soldiers.


title: Twiggy

text: Dame Lesley Lawson ("née" Hornby; born 19 September 1949) is an English model, actress, and singer, widely known by the nickname Twiggy. She was a British cultural icon and a prominent teenaged model during the swinging '60s in London.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy was initially known for her thin build and the androgynous appearance considered to result from her big eyes, long eyelashes, and short hair. She was named "The Face of 1966" by the "Daily Express" and voted British Woman of the Year. By 1967, she had modelled in France, Japan, and the US, and had landed on the covers of "Vogue" and "The Tatler". Her fame had spread worldwide.


title: Twiggy

text: After modelling, Twiggy enjoyed a successful career as a screen, stage, and television actress. Her role in "The Boy Friend" (1971) brought her two Golden Globe Awards. In 1983, she made her Broadway debut in the musical "My One and Only", for which she earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She later hosted her own series, "Twiggy's People", in which she interviewed celebrities; she also appeared as a judge on the reality show "America's Next Top Model". Her 1998 autobiography "Twiggy in Black and White" entered the best-seller lists. Since 2005, she has modelled for Marks and Spencer, most recently to promote their recent rebranding, appearing in television advertisements and print media, alongside Myleene Klass, Erin O'Connor, Lily Cole, and others. In 2012, she worked alongside Marks & Spencer's designers to launch an exclusive clothing collection for the M&S Woman range.


title: Twiggy

text: Lesley Hornby was born on 19 September 1949 and raised in Neasden (originally in Middlesex, now a suburb of north-west London). She was the third daughter of Nellie Lydia ("née" Reeman), a factory worker for a printing firm, and William Norman Hornby, a master carpenter and joiner from Lancashire. Their first daughter, Shirley, had been born 15 years earlier; their second, Vivien, had been born 7 years earlier. According to Twiggy, her maternal grandfather was Jewish. However, her mother's genealogy, which was examined on the series "Who Do You Think You Are?" in 2014, does not contain Jewish ancestry.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy's mother taught her to sew from an early age. She used this skill to make her own clothing. She attended the Brondesbury and Kilburn High School. Twiggy's great-great-grandmother, Grace Meadows, died in a stampede of excitable shoppers at a bargain sale at Messrs McIllroys store on Mare Street, in Hackney, in 1897. This event made the news at the time.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy is best remembered as one of the first international supermodels and a fashion icon of the 1960s. Her greatest influence is Jean Shrimpton, whom Twiggy considers to be the world's first supermodel. She has said she based her "look" on Pattie Boyd. Twiggy herself has been described as the successor to Shrimpton.


title: Twiggy

text: In January 1966, aged 16, she had her hair coloured and cut short in London at Leonard of Mayfair, owned by celebrity hairdresser Leonard. The hair stylist was looking for models on whom to try out his new crop haircut and he styled her hair in preparation for a few test head shots. A professional photographer Barry Lategan took several photos for Leonard, which the hairdresser hung in his salon. Deirdre McSharry, a fashion journalist from the "Daily Express", saw the images and asked to meet the young girl.


title: Twiggy

text: McSharry arranged to have more photos taken. A few weeks later, the publication featured an article and images of Hornby, declaring her "The Face of '66". In it, the copy read: "The Cockney kid with a face to launch a thousand shapes... and she's only 16".


title: Twiggy

text: Hornby's career quickly took off. She was short for a model at , weighed and had a 31–23–32 (79–58–81 cm) figure, "with a new kind of streamlined, androgynous sex appeal" Her hairdresser boyfriend, Nigel Davies, became her manager, changed his name to Justin de Villeneuve, and persuaded her to change her name to Twiggy (from "Twigs", her childhood nickname). De Villeneuve credits himself for Twiggy's discovery and her modelling success, and his version of events is often quoted in other biographies. In her 1998 book "Twiggy In Black and White", she says that she met Justin through his brother, when she worked as a Saturday girl at a hairdressers in London. This is where she began to see the models in the magazines, but never thought she could do something like that. Jean Shrimpton was her idol, so she grew her hair long to look like her, before having to have it cut off for her headshots by Barry Lategan. Ten years her senior, De Villeneuve managed her lucrative career for seven years, overseeing her finances and enterprises during her heyday as a model.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy was soon seen in all the leading fashion magazines, commanding fees of £80 an hour, bringing out her own line of clothes called "Twiggy Dresses" in 1967, and taking the fashion world by storm. "I hated what I looked like," she said once, "so I thought everyone had gone stark raving mad." Twiggy's look centred on three qualities: her stick-thin figure, a boyishly short haircut and strikingly dark eyelashes. Her signature look was achieved in part by applying three layers of false eyelashes.


title: Twiggy

text: One month after the "Daily Express" article, Twiggy posed for her first shoot for "Vogue". A year later, she had appeared in 13 separate fashion shoots in international "Vogue" editions.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy arrived in New York in March 1967 at Kennedy Airport, an event covered by the press. "The New Yorker", "Life" and "Newsweek" reported on the Twiggy "phenomenon" in 1967, with the "New Yorker" devoting nearly 100 pages to the subject." That year she became an international sensation, modelling in France, Japan and America, and landing the cover of Paris "Vogue" in May, the cover of US "Vogue" three times, in April, July and November, and the cover of British "Vogue" in October. In 1967, an editorial on page 63 of the edition of 15 March of "Vogue" described her as an "extravaganza that makes the look of the sixties" Twiggy was, according to feminist critic Linda Delibero, "the most visible commodity Britain produced that year, and [America] generously complied with the hype, scarfing up skinny little Twiggy pens, Twiggy lunch boxes, Twiggy lashes, an assortment of Twiggy-endorsed cosmetics".


title: Twiggy

text: The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2009 catalogue for its exhibition stated:Twiggy's adolescent physique was the perfect frame for the androgynous styles that began to emerge in the 1960s. The trend was manifested in a number of templates: sweet A-line dresses with collars and neckties, suits and dresses that took their details from military uniforms, or, in the case of Yves Saint Laurent, an explicit transposition of the male tuxedo to women. Simultaneously, under the rubric of "unisex", designs that were minimalistic, including Nehru suits and space-agey jumpsuits, were proposed by designers such as Pierre Cardin and Andre Courreges, and, most famously in the United States, by Rudi Gernreich.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy has been photographed by such noted photographers as Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon, Melvin Sokolsky, Ronald Traeger, Bert Stern, Norman Parkinson, Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy and the magazines featuring her image polarised critics from the start. Her boyishly thin image was, and still is, criticised for allegedly promoting an "unhealthy" body ideal for women. "Twiggy came along at a time when teen-age spending power was never greater," said Su Dalgleish, fashion correspondent for the "Daily Mail". "With that underdeveloped, boyish figure, she is an idol to the 14- and 15-year-old kids. She makes virtue of all the terrible things of gawky, miserable adolescence." At the height of her fame, Mark Cohen, president of Leeds Women's shop, had an even harsher view: "Her legs remind me of two painted worms." Yet Twiggy had her supporters. Diana Vreeland of "Vogue" stated, "She's no flash in the pan. She is the mini-girl in the mini-era. She's delicious looking." In recent years, Twiggy has spoken out against the trend of waif-thin models, explaining that her own thin weight as a teenager was natural: "I was very skinny, but that was just my natural build. I always ate sensibly – being thin was in my genes."


title: Twiggy

text: On 10 December 1969, despite being 20 years old, she was selected as the subject for one of the first editions produced by Thames Television of the television series "This Is Your Life".


title: Twiggy

text: After four years of modelling, Twiggy retired in 1970, stating: "You can't be a clothes hanger for your entire life!" She broke off with Justin de Villeneuve, who had been overseeing her business affairs since 1966 and released him from his duties as her manager, claiming in later years that "her career had more to do with that famous picture of her with those funny painted eyelashes, which appeared in the "Daily Express" under the headline 'The Face of '66' " than with his promotional efforts.


title: Twiggy

text: She has stated several times that she is only really remembered for her modelling career although it was "only a short part of my life". She began to develop a film interest through her weekly visits to Ken Russell's house; they would watch old films together, which featured Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, and other Hollywood actors and actresses. This began to give Twiggy a new outlook on the way she dressed and the way she wore her hair; she began wearing a beret, longer skirts, and flowers as the hippie look was beginning to take over London. Ken and Twiggy worked on a film together, called "The Boy Friend" (1971), after watching a performance of the original musical, staged by Ken's mother's amateur dramatics group.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy then embarked on an award-winning acting and singing career, starring in a variety of roles on stage and screen, and recording albums. In 1971, she made her film debut as an extra, dressed as a male courtier, in Ken Russell's "The Devils". The same year, she performed her first leading role as Polly Browne, in Russell's adaptation of Sandy Wilson's pastiche of 1920s hit musicals, "The Boy Friend" (1971). This marked her initial collaboration with Tommy Tune, and won her two Golden Globe Awards in 1972 (New Star of the Year – Actress and Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy). Also in 1971, Twiggy released the single "Zoo de Zoo Zong", written by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and credited to Twiggy and Friends. In 1974, she made her West End stage debut in "Cinderella"; made a second feature, the thriller "W" (co-starring with her future husband Michael Witney); and hosted her own British television series, "Twiggs" (later renamed "Twiggy").


title: Twiggy

text: In 1973, she appeared with David Bowie on the cover of his seventh album, "Pin Ups". which entered the UK chart on 3 November 1973 and stayed there for 21 weeks, peaking at No. 1. She was also name-checked ("She'd sigh like Twig the wonder kid") in Bowie's song Drive-In Saturday for his Aladdin Sane album.


title: Twiggy

text: In October 1975, she sang at the live performance of Roger Glover's "The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast" album at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The concert was filmed and produced by Tony Klinger and released to cinemas in 1976. In November 1976, she made an appearance on "The Muppet Show", in which she sang the Beatles song, "In My Life". In 1976, she signed to Mercury Records and released the albums "Twiggy" and "Please Get My Name Right", that contained both pop and country tunes. "Twiggy" sold very well, peaking on the UK charts at No. 33, and gave Twiggy a silver disc for good sales. The album contains Twiggy's top-20 hit single, "Here I Go Again". "Please Get My Name Right" made it to No. 35 in 1977. The single, "A Woman in Love", failed to chart for Twiggy in 1977 but was a hit for the Three Degrees in 1979. Twiggy also sang some of the songs in the first volume of "Captain Beaky and His Band" in 1977.


title: Twiggy

text: In 1978, the television distribution arm of American International Pictures, in an effort to gain additional syndication value in the US to the LWT rock music series "Supersonic", repackaged the musical performances with Twiggy replacing Mike Mansfield's introductions. The new series, titled "Twiggy's Jukebox", ran in most of the major television markets in the US during the 1978–79 TV season. Coincidentally, Twiggy had performed "Here I Go Again" and "Vanilla Olay" on "Supersonic" in September 1976, and these performances were included in the refurbished programme. After the initial season, Twiggy left the series, and American International Television continued "Jukebox" with Britt Ekland as host, using standard music videos rather than clips from "Supersonic". Twiggy appeared in "There Goes the Bride" with Tom Smothers in 1979.


title: Twiggy

text: In 1980, Twiggy made a cameo appearance in "The Blues Brothers". She starred as Eliza Doolittle in 1981, opposite Robert Powell, in the Yorkshire TV production of "Pygmalion". In 1983, she made her Broadway debut in the musical, "My One and Only", starring and co-staged by Tommy Tune, for which she earned a Tony nomination. She played opposite Robin Williams in the 1986 comedy "Club Paradise". In 1987, she played a vaudeville performer in the British television special "The Little Match Girl", and in 1988, she appeared in a supporting role in "Madame Sousatzka" opposite her second husband Leigh Lawson. In 1989, she was cast as Hannah Chaplin, mother to Charles, in the British television movie "Young Charlie Chaplin", aired in the United States on PBS' "WonderWorks".


title: Twiggy

text: In 1991, she co-starred in her first American network dramatic television series, the short-lived CBS sitcom "Princesses". Of eight episodes completed, only five aired. (Her "Princesses" co-star, Fran Drescher, later spent some time with Twiggy and her family in England while developing Drescher's hit series "The Nanny", and modelled the character Maxwell Sheffield on Twiggy's husband Leigh Lawson.)


title: Twiggy

text: In 1993, Twiggy appeared alongside Mark Hamill in the short segment "Eye" from the made-for-cable horror anthology, "Body Bags". In 1994, Twiggy guest starred in the first ever Heartbeat Christmas special (in series 4), playing Lady Janet Whitley.


title: Twiggy

text: In 1997, Twiggy acted in the Chichester Festival Theatre revival of Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit". A year later, she played Gertrude Lawrence in the biographical stage revue "Noel and Gertie" at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, Long Island. In 1999, she returned to the New York stage in an off-Broadway production "If Love Were All", a revised version of "Noel and Gertie", written and directed by Leigh Lawson; what set this edition apart were its tap numbers in period style. She starred as Gertrude Lawrence opposite Harry Groener's Noël Coward.


title: Twiggy

text: In 2001, Twiggy co-hosted the British magazine programme "This Morning". In 2003, she released another album, "Midnight Blue". Seventeen of the CD's 20 tracks had previously unreleased material from 1982 to 1990, including a duet with Leo Sayer, "Save the Last Dance for Me", and a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday". Two of the tracks ("Feel Emotion" and "Diamond") had been issued as singles in the mid-1980s. In 2005, she joined the cast of the television show "America's Next Top Model" for Cycles 5–9 as one of four judges, and a year later, she appeared on the cover of the "Icons" issue of "Swindle" magazine. She also returned to modelling, fronting a major television, press, and billboard campaign for Marks & Spencer, the British department-store chain. Her involvement in the advertising campaign has been credited for reviving Marks and Spencer's fortunes.


title: Twiggy

text: In 2006, she portrayed herself as a 19-year-old in the radio play "Elevenses with Twiggy", for BBC Radio 4's "The Afternoon Play" series. She did not return to "America's Next Top Model" in its tenth season due to scheduling conflicts. Her replacement was model Paulina Porizkova. Also in 2007, Sepia Records released a previously shelved album that Twiggy recorded in 1979, produced by Donna Summer and Juergen Koppers. "Heaven in My Eyes ["Discotheque"]" contains the eight original tracks due to be released, plus four remixes by The OUTpsiDER. The album was also made available on iTunes. In 2008, she supported the "Fashion Targets Breast Cancer" campaign in support of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, alongside fellow celebrities –comedian Alan Carr, singer Natalie Imbruglia, actress Anna Friel, and DJ & presenter Edith Bowman.


title: Twiggy

text: In the summer of 2009, the beauty products company Olay debuted its "Definity Eye Cream" campaign depicting Twiggy. Accusations of airbrushing created a stir with the media and public. A website campaign set up by Jo Swinson, the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP, attracted 700 individual complaints. Procter & Gamble admitted to minor retouching and replaced the image. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced that the ad gave a "misleading" impression, but that no further action was required because the image had already been withdrawn. Its announcement said:


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy remains in the forefront of fashion for women of her age. She was one of the few famous celebrities to survive being cut from the Marks & Spencer fashion team in 2009–2010, when Dannii Minogue joined her for the spring/summer women's wear campaign.


title: Twiggy

text: She also started a Home Shopping Network fashion line called the "Twiggy London" collection, and has begun a fashion blog to discuss the line.


title: Twiggy

text: On 21 November 2011, she released an album, "Romantically Yours", through EMI. A collection of pop and easy listening standards spanning several generations, the album features versions of such compositions as "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", "Blue Moon", "My Funny Valentine", "Someone to Watch over Me" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me", and London anthem "Waterloo Sunset". The album also includes a guest vocal appearance by Twiggy's daughter, Carly Lawson, on Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", a guitar solo by Bryan Adams, and a version of Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting" featuring duet vocals with the American songwriter himself. In 2016, archive images of Twiggy, alongside images of Shrimpton and Jane Birkin were used for Tod's Fall/Winter campaign.


title: Twiggy

text: She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to fashion, to the arts and to charity. She was gazetted under her married name, Lesley Lawson.


title: Twiggy

text: Twiggy married American actor Michael Witney in 1977. Their daughter, Carly, was born in 1978. They remained married until his death in 1983 from a heart attack.


title: Twiggy

text: She met Leigh Lawson in 1984. In 1988, they worked on the film "Madame Sousatzka" and married that year in Sag Harbor, New York (on Long Island). The couple reside in London and own a home in Southwold, Suffolk.


title: Twiggy

text: On Twiggy's official website, she states she is a supporter of breast cancer research, animal welfare, and anti-fur campaigns. She was one of the celebrities, including Tom Hiddleston, Jo Brand, E. L. James, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Rachel Riley, to design and sign her own card for the UK-based charity Thomas Coram Foundation for Children. The campaign was launched by crafting company Stampin' Up! UK, and the cards were auctioned off on eBay during May 2014.


title: Three Percenters

text: The Three Percenters, also styled 3 Percenters, 3%ers and III%ers, are an American and Canadian far-right anti-government militia.


title: Three Percenters

text: The group advocates gun ownership rights and resistance to the U.S. federal government. The group's name derives from the erroneous claim that "...the active forces in the field against the King's tyranny never amounted to more than 3% of the colonists..." during the American Revolution.


title: Three Percenters

text: The group is based in the U.S. with a presence in Canada. One Canadian expert, Maxime Fiset, a former neo-Nazi who works with the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, considers the group the "most dangerous" extremist group in Canada.


title: Three Percenters

text: On February 21, 2021, their leadership dissolved the American national group in response to the 2021 United States Capitol attack, condemning the violence. Other Three Percenters remain as independent local groups. In June 2021, six men associated with the group were indicted for conspiracy, and Canada declared the group a terrorist entity.


title: Three Percenters

text: The movement has been characterized as part of the broader patriot movement. Founded in 2008, it was given impetus by the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. Members believed that Obama's presidency would lead to increased government interference in the lives of individuals, and particularly stricter gun-control laws. Many members are former or current members of the military, police and other law-enforcement agencies, as well as anti-government groups such as the Oath Keepers.The movement was co-founded by Michael "Mike" Brian Vanderboegh from Alabama, a member of the Oath Keepers, a group with whom the Three Percenters remain loosely allied and are often compared. Vanderboegh claims to have formerly been a member of Students for a Democratic Society and the Socialist Workers Party, but abandoned left-wing politics and politics in general in 1977 after being introduced to libertarianism. Vanderboegh says the book "The Road to Serfdom" pushed him to the right. He became a Second Amendment activist and by the 1990s was involved with the militia movement.


title: Three Percenters

text: The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reports that in the mid-1990s, Vanderboegh claimed to be commander of an Alabama militia group, the First Alabama Cavalry Regiment, though he appeared to be its sole member. After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Vanderboegh became better known for popularizing anti-government conspiracy theories.


title: Three Percenters

text: The group's website states that it does not discriminate against anyone; however, in response to Black Lives Matter protests following the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the Three Percenters' Facebook page featured numerous racist comments made by its supporters. In response to events at the 2017 Unite the Right rally, the group issued a statement that they "strongly reject and denounce anyone who calls themselves a patriot or a Three Percenter that has attended or is planning on attending any type of protest or counter protest related to these white supremacist and Nazi groups".


title: Three Percenters

text: The group's website states it is "not a militia" and "not anti-government". According to the ADL, Three Percenters constitute a major part of the broader anti-government militia movement, whose ideology they share. Three Percenters believe that ordinary citizens must take a stand against perceived abuses by the U.S. federal government, which they characterize as overstepping its Constitutional limits. Its stated goals include protecting the right to keep and bear arms, and to "push back against tyranny". The group opposes federal involvement in what they consider local affairs, and states in its bylaws that county sheriffs are "the supreme law of the land".


title: Three Percenters

text: Like other American militia movements, Three Percenters believe in the ability of citizen volunteers with ordinary weapons to successfully resist the United States military. They support this belief by claiming that only around 3% of American colonists fought the British during the American Revolution, a claim which underestimates the number of people who resisted British rule, and which does not take into account the concentration of British forces in coastal cities, the similarity of weapons used by American and British forces, and French support for the colonists.


title: Three Percenters

text: The group's members have a record of involvement in criminal activity, and some have been associated with acts of violence as well as violent threats.


title: Three Percenters

text: The group's local chapters are structured hierarchically according to its National Bylaws. As well as political activism, chapters also engage in paramilitary activities such as marksmanship training. Membership requires voting and opposing laws the group sees as unconstitutional. Members take an oath similar to that of the US armed forces. Three Percenters who are also active military members are asked to swear an additional oath promising to disobey certain official orders, such as orders to disarm US citizens. The group's Facebook page mostly features posts supporting gun rights.


title: Three Percenters

text: Vanderboegh self-published a serial novel online, "Absolved", in 2008, which he called "a cautionary tale for the out-of-control gun cops of the ATF". On the movement's website, it claims that it is not a militia group, but rather a "national organization made up of patriotic citizens who love their country, their freedoms, and their liberty."


title: Three Percenters

text: Vanderboegh and his novel "Absolved" first received wider media attention in 2011, when four suspected militia members in Georgia were arrested for a plan for a biological attack that had supposedly been inspired by the novel. Vanderboegh distanced himself from the alleged plot.


title: Three Percenters

text: In 2013, Christian Allen Kerodin and associates were working on construction of a walled compound in Benewah County, Idaho, "for Three Percenters", designed to house 7,000 people following a major disaster, an initiative which local law enforcement has described as a "scam".


title: Three Percenters

text: In April 2013, a group of Jersey City, New Jersey, police officers were disciplined for wearing patches reading "One of the 3%".


title: Three Percenters

text: Following the 2015 Chattanooga shootings at a strip mall, a military recruitment center and a United States Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, and other militia groups began organizing armed gatherings outside of recruiting centers in several states, with the stated objective of providing protection to service members, who were barred from carrying weapons while on duty in civilian recruitment centers. In response, the Army Command Operations Center Security Division issued a letter ordering soldiers not to interact with or acknowledge armed civilians outside of recruitment centers, and that "If questioned by these alleged concerned citizens, be polite, professional and terminate the conversation immediately and report the incident to local law enforcement", noting that the issuing officer is "sure the citizens mean well, but we cannot assume this in every case and we do not want to advocate this behavior".


title: Three Percenters

text: An Idaho Three Percenter group protested refugee resettlement in that state in 2015. In 2016, the "3 Percenters of Idaho" group announced it was sending some of its members in support of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, allegedly in order to "secure the perimeter" and to prevent a "Waco-style situation". They left several hours later after being told their assistance was not needed. Two days previously, Vanderboegh had described the occupiers as "a collection of fruits and nuts". "What Bundy and this collection of fruits and nuts has done is give the feds the perfect opportunity to advance their agenda to discredit us", he said. The group provided security for a 2017 event held by Patriot Prayer called "Rally for Trump and Freedom". Several Three Percenters were also present and providing security for the Unite the Right rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017; along with members of the Redneck Revolt, a left-leaning militia group. After the events at Charlottesville, the group's "National Council" issued a "stand down order", stating, "we will not align ourselves with any type of racist group".


title: Three Percenters

text: In 2017, a 23-year-old Oklahoma man, Jerry Drake Varnell, was arrested on federal charges of plotting a vehicle bomb attack on a bank in downtown Oklahoma City, modeled after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. During a meeting in 2017 with undercover FBI agents, Varnell identified with the Three Percenters movement, saying that he subscribed to "III% ideology" and intended "to start the next revolution." In March 2020, Varnell was found guilty of conspiracy to use an explosive device to damage a building used in interstate commerce, and planning to use a weapon of mass destruction against property used in interstate commerce. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.


title: Three Percenters

text: In 2018, three men were arrested in connection with the bombing of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The bombing was non-lethal. One of the men involved, former sheriff's deputy Michael B. Hari, had connections to the III%s.


title: Three Percenters

text: In June 2019, Oregon Governor Kate Brown sent the Oregon State Police to bring 11 absent Republican state senators back to the Oregon State Capitol. The Republican state senators had gone into hiding to prevent a vote on a cap-and-trade proposal with a goal of lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in order to combat climate change. The Three Percenters offered support for the Republican senators, declaring they would be "doing whatever it takes to keep these senators safe". On June 22, 2019, a session of the Oregon Senate was cancelled when the Oregon State Capitol was closed due to a warning from the state police of a "possible militia threat".


title: Three Percenters

text: In May 2020, during a Second Amendment rally on Memorial Day weekend in Frankfort, Kentucky, Three Percenters and other protesters breached several off-limit barriers to access the front porch of the Governor's Mansion, Governor Andy Beshear's primary residence, and began heckling the Mansion's occupants in response to the Governor's restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon afterward, members of the group moved several hundred yards away and raised an effigy bearing the Governor's face and a sign reading "sic semper tyrannis" ("thus always to tyrants") from a tree. The event drew condemnation from Beshear and from across the political spectrum. Some state officials had joined the Three Percenters at earlier events, including Kentucky State Representatives Savannah Maddox and Stan Lee, and Kentucky State Senator John Schickel. Beshear labeled the group as "radical", that their actions were "aimed at creating fear and terror", and declared that officials who appeared at previous Three Percenter events "cannot fan the flames and then condemn the fire."


title: Three Percenters

text: During the investigation of a kidnapping plot targeting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, one of the suspects arrested was identified as the second-in-command of the Wisconsin branch of the Three Percenters.


title: Three Percenters

text: Supporters of the Three Percenters, were present and wore emblematic gear or symbols during the protests and storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. other groups attending included the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. After breaking through police lines or being let through multiple police perimeters, these groups occupied, vandalized, breached the Capitol Building and ransacked it for several hours.


title: Three Percenters

text: At least one man tied to the Three Percenter movement was arrested and charged with involvement of the attack; the man was also reportedly tied to two other extremist groups, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. At the time of the January 6 protests, a truck owned by Illinois State Rep. Chris Miller (the husband of U.S. Representative Mary Miller) was in a restricted area next to the Capitol and bore a Three Percenters decal logo. On March 18, 2021, the Illinois House voted to censure Miller for attending the January 6 “Save America” rally that preceded the insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.


title: Three Percenters

text: Guy Reffitt, from Wylie, TX and a member of the Three Percenters was present at the January 6 United States Capitol attack wearing body armor and carrying a handgun and plastic handcuffs on the Capitol grounds with the intent to remove House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell from the premises.


title: Three Percenters

text: He was referred to as the guy that “lit the match” and helped to ignite the crowd into an “unstoppable force”. He was found guilty of five charges and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.


title: Three Percenters

text: In June 2021, four men who identified as members of the Three Percenters, and two other men associated with them, were indicted by a grand jury for "conspiring to obstruct congressional proceedings." The indictment alleges that they coordinated travel to Washington D.C. with intent for disruption; some were wearing body armor, tactical gear and at least one carried a knife. They alleged they were acting as security for principals such as Trump friend and advisor Roger Stone. All have pled not guilty. They are:


title: Three Percenters

text: On June 25, 2021, the group was added to the Canadian Criminal Code's list of terrorist entities to prevent them from accessing financial support.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Prince William of Gloucester (William Henry Andrew Frederick; 18 December 1941 – 28 August 1972) was a grandson of King George V and paternal cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. At the time of his birth he was fourth in line to the throne, and ninth in line at the time of his death.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: A Cambridge and Stanford graduate, he joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office serving in Lagos and Tokyo, before returning to take over royal duties. He led an active life, flying Piper aircraft, trekking through the Sahara, and hot air ballooning.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: He was the most recent descendant of George III to be diagnosed with porphyria, probably hereditary, which is conjectured to be the illness that caused George III's mental breakdown.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Prince William was born at Hadley Common, Hertfordshire. His father was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. His mother was Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the third daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch and Lady Margaret Bridgeman.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: He was baptised in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on 22 February 1942 by Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury. His godparents were King George VI (his paternal uncle), Queen Mary (his paternal grandmother), Princess Helena Victoria (his cousin), Lady Margaret Hawkins (his maternal aunt), Major Lord William Montagu Douglas Scott (his maternal uncle) and Lord Gort, who was unable to attend. Because of the war, newspapers did not identify the actual location of the christening, and said instead that it took place at "a private chapel in the country".


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: At the time of his birth, and for months afterwards, Prince Henry was away on military duties, some of which meant considerable risk. This prompted George VI to write to his sister-in-law, promising that, if anything should happen to his brother, he would become Prince William's guardian.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: In 1947, Prince William was a page boy for his cousin Princess Elizabeth at her wedding to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The other page boy was Prince Michael of Kent. In 1953, he attended the coronation of Elizabeth II.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Prince William spent his early childhood at Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire and later in Canberra, Australia, where his father served as Governor-General from 1945 to 1947. After returning to England, he received his education at Wellesley House School, a prep school at Broadstairs in Kent, then at Eton College, where he achieved mention in the "Eton College Chronicle" for his performance in junior cricket and achieved house colours for football. After leaving Eton in 1960, he went up to Magdalene College, Cambridge, to read history, graduating with a BA degree in 1963, subsequently raised to an MA (Cantab.) degree in 1968. After Cambridge, he spent a post-baccalaureate year at Stanford University, studying political science, American history, and business.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: He was the second member of the British royal family to work in the civil service or the diplomatic service (the first was his uncle, Prince George, Duke of Kent, in the 1920s). He joined the Commonwealth Office in 1965 and was posted to Lagos as the third secretary at the British High Commission. In 1968, he transferred to Tokyo as second secretary (commercial) in the British Embassy.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: By 1970, the health of his father, the Duke of Gloucester, had become critical after further strokes. William had no choice but to resign from the diplomatic service and return to Britain in order to take care of his father's estate and, as he put it, take on the full-time job of a royal prince. On his way back, he represented the Queen at the celebrations to mark the termination of Tonga's status as a protected state. For the next two years, he managed Barnwell Manor and began to carry out public duties as a member of the royal family.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Apart from taking over many engagements his father could no longer perform, William took particular interest in St John Ambulance, where he became increasingly active. He was also President of National Ski Federation Supporters' Association, the Magdalene Society (Cambridge), the East Midlands Tourist Board, and the Royal African Society. His patronages included the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain, the British Schools Exploring Society and the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Prince William served on some occasions as Counsellor of State in the absence of his cousin, the Queen.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: The prince was consistently described by friends as adventurous (almost to the point of recklessness), warm, tender and extremely generous. But of all his qualities, the one most often mentioned is that of loyalty to his friends. One account describes how William was particularly kind to friends who were either "ill, unpopular with others, or even downright embarrassing". His status and circumstances had also influenced his personality and he could, at times, be "tiresomely selfish".


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Regarding his family, Prince William considered himself extremely lucky compared to other members of the royal family. He had a very close relationship with both his parents, especially with his mother of whom he said, "She is a human being and she must possess some faults. But so far as I am concerned she has no faults at all". He was also very fond of his father, one friend describing William's love and tenderness for him as "infectious". William acknowledged his father couldn't have been very happy as a young man, as a result of the strict upbringing he had received, so he was very grateful to him for the freedom he had given him throughout his life.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Former model and stewardess Zsuzsi Starkloff had a long-running relationship with William. The last time they met in person was in August 1970. The relationship with Starkloff was further explored in the 2015 Channel 4 TV documentary, "The Other Prince William". Despite the alleged reluctance of senior members of the royal family to take William's relationship with Starkloff seriously, the standards regarding marriage in the royal family at the time were no longer as strict as they had been. Princess Margaret, while not encouraging William, did sympathize with him in this regard, telling him to "wait a bit" and to "see how everything looks" once he returned to Britain. Furthermore, once back in England, Starkloff went to stay with William's family at Barnwell Manor, where his parents were kind and accommodating to her. William's intentions regarding his relationship with Starkloff are unclear. In the year of his death, he gave an interview to Audrey Whiting for the "Sunday Mirror", in which he declared that if he ever married, he would do so to a woman not only right for him, but right in "the eyes of other members of the Family".


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: In the early 1970s, Prince William began a relationship with divorcee Nicole Sieff ("née" Moschietto) who had two sons from her marriage to Jonathan Sieff.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Shortly before transferring to Tokyo in August 1968, Prince William was examined by a Royal Air Force doctor, Headly Bellringer, at the request of the prince's mother. William told the doctor that he had suffered from jaundice, beginning in December 1965 and lasting several months. He had subsequently noticed that his skin was prone to a blistering rash, particularly on exposure to sunshine. Bellringer tentatively diagnosed porphyria, prescribed sunblock cream and gave him a medical warning card regarding the need to avoid certain medications. Although he was aware of the theory of the royal family's history of porphyria then being proposed by Ida Macalpine and Richard Hunter, he stated he "tried not to let it influence him...with all the symptoms, I was left with little option but to diagnose the Prince's condition as porphyria." William was later examined by haematologists at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and also by a Professor Ishihara in Tokyo, both of whom also concluded he was suffering from variegate porphyria, by then in remission.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: A member of the British royal family being reliably diagnosed with porphyria added credence to the theory—first proposed by Professor Macalpine in the late 1960s—that porphyria was the source of the ill-health of both Mary, Queen of Scots (an ancestor of both of William's parents) and of George III, and that the disorder had been inherited by some members of the royal families of the UK, Prussia and several German duchies and principalities.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: A licensed pilot and President of the British Light Aviation Centre, Prince William owned several aircraft and competed in amateur air show races. On 28 August 1972, he was competing in the Goodyear International Air Trophy at Halfpenny Green near Dudley. Vyrell Mitchell—a pilot with whom the prince had often raced—was listed as a passenger. Shortly after takeoff and while at a very low altitude, the Piper Cherokee banked abruptly to port; there was an extreme increase in the rate of turn and a corresponding loss of altitude. The wing of the plane hit a tree shearing off and the out-of-control plane flipped over and crashed into an earthen bank, bursting into flames. Prince William and Mitchell were killed. The crash happened before 30,000 spectators, the fire took two hours to control, and the bodies were identified at inquest the next day from dental records.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: His father, Prince Henry, was in such poor health at the time of his death that his mother hesitated whether to tell him. She later admitted in her memoirs that she did not, but that he may have learned of their son's death from television coverage.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: Prince William was buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. The comprehensive school in Oundle, which he opened in 1971, was renamed Prince William School in his memory. His will was sealed in London after his death in 1972. His estate was valued at £416,001 (or £3.9 million in 2022 when adjusted for inflation).


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: William was the heir apparent of his father's peerages, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster, and Baron Culloden. Upon his death, his younger brother Prince Richard of Gloucester became heir apparent, and succeeded to these peerages in 1974. William was the first grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary to die.


title: Prince William of Gloucester

text: For his 21st birthday, in 1962, Prince William was granted the use of the Royal Arms, differenced with a label argent of five points, the outer pair and central point bearing lions gules, the inner pair crosses gules.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb; January 9, 1951) is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same as that of her oldest sister, Loretta Lynn. Not finding success with the arrangement after several years, and with Lynn's encouragement, Gayle decided to try a different approach. She signed a new record contract and began recording with Nashville producer Allen Reynolds. Gayle's new sound was sometimes referred to as middle-of-the-road (MOR) or country pop, and was part of a bigger musical trend by many country artists of the 1970s to appeal to a wider audience. Subsequently, Gayle became one of the most successful crossover artists of the 1970s and 80s. Her floor-length hair has become synonymous with her name.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle is said to have begun her career in the 1960s performing as a background singer in Lynn's band (although Gayle says this technically never happened). Lynn helped her sign a recording contract with Decca Records in 1970. Having minor success, she was encouraged to develop her own musical identity. Under the direction of producer Reynolds at United Artists Records, Gayle shifted towards a country pop style that was more successful. In 1975, "Wrong Road Again" became Gayle's first major hit. However, it was in 1977 when Gayle achieved her biggest success with "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue." The single topped the "Billboard" country chart, crossed over to the top five of the "Billboard" Hot 100 and became a major international hit.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle continued having success from the late 1970s and through late 1980s. Her biggest hits included "Ready for the Times to Get Better" (1977), "Talking in Your Sleep" (1978), "Half the Way" (1979) and "You and I" (1982). In the 1990s, Gayle shifted artistic directions by recording various genres of music. This included an album of inspirational music titled "Someday" (1995) and an album of standards called "Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael" (1999). During the decade she also owned and operated a fine arts shop called "Crystal's Fine Gifts and Jewelry". Her most recent studio release was in 2019 and Gayle has since continued to tour throughout the world.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle has won one Grammy Award and has been nominated for several others since the 1970s. She has also won five Academy of Country Music awards; those awards include receiving the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award in 2016. In addition, she has won two Country Music Association awards and three American Music Awards. "Rolling Stone" ranked her among the 100 greatest country artists of all time and "CMT" ranked her within their list of the 40 greatest women of country music. Gayle has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2017.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle was born Brenda Gail Webb in Paintsville, Kentucky. She was the last of eight children born to Clara Marie "Clary" (née Ramey; May 5, 1912 – November 24, 1981) and Melvin Theodore "Ted" Webb (June 6, 1906 – February 22, 1959). Unlike sister Loretta and her other siblings, Gayle was the only child born at the Paintsville hospital, and not at home. Through her matriline, Gayle is a distant cousin of singer Patty Loveless. Gayle and her siblings claim Irish and Cherokee descent, although she is not enrolled with any Native tribe. Gayle's father was a coal miner who developed black lung disease. In search of better medical treatment, the family moved to Wabash, Indiana, when Gayle was four years old. They lived in a retired miner's community and Clara Webb worked as a nurse's aide. Ted Webb died from a stroke in 1959. From early age, Gayle had an interest in singing. She noted that she could sing before she could walk. The family's new home in Wabash was in an urban setting. She was exposed to diverse cultural groups and norms and in turn to various styles of music. She sang along frequently to songs she heard on the radio and was inspired by the music of her sister Loretta Lynn.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle's musical interests were shaped further in her teenage years. She started singing in church, performed folk songs, and recorded demonstration tapes. With encouragement from Lynn, she began touring during summers in high school. At age 16, Gayle performed on the Grand Ole Opry in replacement of her sister who had gotten ill. She performed a cover of Marty Robbins's "Ribbon of Darkness". After graduating from high school in 1970, she signed her first recording contract with her sister's label: Decca Records. Upon signing with Decca, the label insisted that Gayle change her first name from "Brenda" to another name. The conflict was due to the fact that Brenda Lee was already signed to Decca at the time. Shortly thereafter, Lynn drove past a sign for the Krystal fast-food restaurant and said to Gayle, "That's your name. Crystals are bright and shiny, like you." It was then that she changed her name professionally to "Crystal Gayle", with "Gayle" taken from her middle name (Gail).


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle was first managed by Oliver Lynn (Loretta Lynn's husband) after signing with Decca Records. Among her first professional gigs was routine appearances on Jim Ed Brown's television show "The Country Palace". On the program, Gayle performed original songs written by Loretta Lynn including "Sparklin' Look of Love" and "Mama, It's Different This Time". Her debut single was released in 1970 titled "I've Cried (The Blue Right Out of My Eyes)". Also written by Lynn, the song peaked within the top 40 of the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart. The song was followed by other singles that reached minor positions on the country songs chart: "Everybody Oughta Cry" (1972) and "I Hope You're Havin' Better Luck Than Me" (1972). Gayle's career stalled while at the Decca label. This was due to the fact that the label wanted Gayle to record in the same style as her sister. Steve Huey of AllMusic criticized her early singles, calling them "little Loretta records". Writers Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann noted that Gayle was "probably stigmatized" for being the sibling of Loretta Lynn. In a 2019 interview with "Forbes", Gayle reflected on the experience, "It didn't take me long to realize I was only there because I was Loretta's sister." During this period, Lynn gave Gayle advice that prompted her to expand her musical styles. Lynn said, "quit singing my songs...We have one Loretta Lynn and we don't need another." The conversation led Gayle to ultimately leave Decca in 1974.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle signed a new recording contract with United Artists Records in 1974. Under the direction of producer Allen Reynolds, her musical style shifted. Reynolds (who had recent success producing Don Williams) encouraged Gayle to record in a softer, mellower format. He also helped market her music towards a crossover audience. Gayle also released her first United Artists single in 1974, "Restless". Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann called the song "assertive" and "sexy". The song peaked at number 39 on the "Billboard" country songs chart. The same year, Gayle's self-titled debut album was issued, reaching number 25 on the "Billboard" Top Country Albums survey. The following year, she had her first top ten hit on the country chart with "Wrong Road Again", also written by Allen Reynolds. She had minor hits with the singles "This Is My Year for Mexico" (1975) and "Beyond You" (1975). The latter song was co-written by Gayle and her husband, Bill Gatzimos. Her second studio album "Somebody Loves You" spawned a second top 10 hit: the title track.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle's shift towards country pop was received better than her earlier recordings with Decca. Kurt Wolff of "Country Music: The Rough Guide" praised the new style, calling it a "pleasant, easygoing sort of country-folk blend – a close cousin to music of Emmylou Harris." Encyclopedic writer Collin Larkin called her new music approach to have the "easygoing charm" of records by Don Williams. Oermann and Bufwack called the new style "ear-catching" and praised Allen Reynolds's "gentle rhythm productions."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Reynolds had limited time to write material for Gayle. Instead, he arranged for songwriters Bob McDill and Richard Leigh to help compose music. This arrangement proved successful when in 1976, Gayle had her first number 1 hit on country songs chart with "I'll Get Over You", written by Leigh. This was followed by a second number 1 hit, "You Never Miss a Real Good Thing (Till He Says Goodbye)", and the number 2 hit, "I'll Do It All Over Again". Her third studio album, "Crystal", was released in 1976, peaking at number 7 on the Top Country Albums chart.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Producer Allen Reynolds believed Gayle was poised to have crossover pop success if the right song were found. In 1977, Richard Leigh had composed a tune called "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". The song was originally intended for British singer Shirley Bassey. When Reynolds heard the song he said to Leigh, "You're not sending that song anywhere." Gayle recorded the track in one single take. "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" was released as a single in 1977, peaking at number 1 on the "Billboard" country songs chart and crossing over to number 2 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Internationally, it became a hit in several countries including the United Kingdom, where it reached the number 5 position. Since its release, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" has been received positively by music critics and fans. They have also considered it her signature song. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised Gayle's vocals, commenting, "She never stressed it too heavily, nor were her vocals cloying — they were pretty and straightforward, making the song quite alluring."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle's fourth studio record, "We Must Believe in Magic", was also released in 1977. The album peaked at number 2 on the "Billboard" country albums chart and number 12 on the "Billboard 200". "We Must Believe in Magic" has received positive reviews since its initial release. AllMusic gave the record 3.5 out of 5 stars. Paul Dennis of "My Kind of Country" gave the album a "Grade A" rating, calling it "an eclectic mix of songs ranging from pop standards to rock 'n' roll hits to songs by contemporary country songsmiths." "We Must Believe in Magic" became the first album by a female country artist to certify platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1978, Gayle earned the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", while Leigh won a Grammy for Best Country Song.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: In 1978, her fifth studio album "When I Dream" was released, also reaching number 2 on the country albums chart. The album peaked at number 52 on the "Billboard 200" and certified by platinum by the RIAA. "When I Dream" also received positive reviews, garnering 3 out of 5 stars from AllMusic and another "Grade A" rating from "My Kind of Country". Its lead single was the Roger Cook-penned "Talking in Your Sleep". It became a number 1 country single and crossed over to number 18 on the Hot 100. "Talking in Your Sleep" became Gayle's second international hit as well, peaking at number 11 in the United Kingdom. The album also included the hits "Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For" and the title track. By the end of 1978, Gayle had won "Female Vocalist of the Year" from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Before departing from the United Artists label, her sixth studio album "We Should Be Together" (1979) was released. It featured two major hits: "Your Kisses Will" and "Your Old Cold Shoulder".


title: Crystal Gayle

text: In 1979, Gayle moved to Columbia Records, bringing Reynolds with her. Under Columbia, Gayle began recording more cover versions of songs. This decision received praise from music critics, who credited her for being "versatile". Her seventh studio album, "Miss the Mississippi" was released in 1979 as well. It featured three major hits including "Half the Way", which became her third crossover pop hit. "Miss the Mississippi" peaked at number 3 on the "Billboard" Top Country Albums chart number 36 on the "Billboard 200" and certified gold in sales from the RIAA. Gayle's eighth studio release "These Days" (1980) spawned two more number 1 singles on the country songs chart: "If You Ever Change Your Mind" and "Too Many Lovers". In 1981, Gayle's ninth studio album "Hollywood, Tennessee" peaked at number 5 on the country albums chart and number 99 on the "Billboard 200". Although commercially successful, it received mixed critical reviews. Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann said that the album "symbolized her uptown inspirations" and Jason Ankeny of AllMusic gave the album only 2.5 out of 5 stars. "Hollywood, Tennessee" spawned three major hits on the "Billboard" country songs chart. This included the crossover hit, "The Woman in Me", and the social awareness tune, "Livin' in These Troubled Times".


title: Crystal Gayle

text: As Gayle's music crossed multiple genres, she made more appearances outside of the Nashville establishment. Among these was hosting two prime time television specials: "Crystal" and the "Crystal Gayle Special". Both shows aired on CBS and were given critical acclaim. Gayle would also appear with Bob Hope on his 1979 television special called "On the Road to China". For the special, Gayle and Hope taped a performance on the Great Wall of China. The special made Gayle the first artist to film a performance on the Great Wall.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: In 1982, Gayle collaborated with Tom Waits on the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola's film "One from the Heart". Originally, Bette Midler was chosen for the project, however Midler could not fit it into her schedule. At first the soundtrack was delayed by Columbia Records due to a dispute with Coppola's Zoetrope Studios. When it was released, the soundtrack received positive reviews. Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the release 4.5 out of 5 stars, who called it "one of the most beautifully wrought soundtrack collaborations in history". Steve Pond of "Rolling Stone" called it "a dreamy series of duets with Crystal Gayle that drift in and out of the film, comment on the action and supply some crucial transitions."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Also in 1982, Gayle moved from Columbia to Elektra Records, which would later merge with Warner Bros. Among the first recordings was a duet with Eddie Rabbitt titled "You and I". The song reached number 1 on the "Billboard" country singles chart and became her second top 10 hit on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Gayle's first studio album with Elektra would also be issued in 1982, "True Love". First produced by Allen Reynolds, when the album was presented to Jimmy Bowen (Elektra's division head), he commented that it "rocked too much". For these reasons, Bowen decided to produce three additional tracks for the album. The album would receive a mixed reception. In "Billboard Magazine"s initial review, they praised Gayle's vocals despite the use of "tougher arrangements". Tom Roland of AllMusic praised Gayle's performance, notably on the tracks "Our Love Is on the Faultline" and "Deeper Than the Fire". Roland also criticized the production arrangements Bowen arranged for. "True Love" spawned three singles that all reached the number 1 spot on the "Billboard" country chart: "Our Love Is on the Faultine", "Baby, What About You" and "'Til I Gain Control Again".


title: Crystal Gayle

text: In 1983, Gayle's released her next album called "Cage the Songbird". It was the first of Gayle's to be produced entirely by Jimmy Bowen. "Cage the Songbird" peaked at number 5 on the Top Country Albums chart and number 171 on the "Billboard 200". Among its singles were the crossover hits "The Sound of Goodbye" and "Turning Away". Gayle had further hits from her next studio releases in 1985 and 1986. Among these were the number one hits, "Straight to the Heart" (1986) and "Cry" (1986). The latter was a song originally recorded by Johnnie Ray. In 1983, she would also record the theme song for the television series "Masquerade". In 1984, she sang a duet with Hong Kong singer Danny Chan, titled "Tell Me What Can I Do", it was largely unknown due to lack of promotional budget.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Between 1985 and 1987, Gayle collaborated with country artist Gary Morris on a series of duets. The first being the single "Makin' Up for Lost Time". The song reached number 1 on the "Billboard" country list in 1986. "Makin' Up for Lost Time" was also used as the theme song for the CBS television series, "Dallas". The pair also recorded the theme song for "Another World". The theme song was also titled "Another World" and became a top 10 hit. Gayle would also guest star in the show as herself. The duo would release their collaborative studio album in 1986 titled, "What If We Fall in Love?". The album peaked at number 25 on the "Billboard" country albums list in September 1987. In 1988, Gayle released her final album of the decade. Titled "Nobody's Angel" the record featured two minor hits, including the single "Tennessee Nights".


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Also in 1987, Gayle opened a gift shop in Nashville called "Crystal's Fine Gifts and Jewelry". The store contained various gifts, such as jewelry and stones made by various European artisans. The shop also included various types of crystals. In a 1994 interview, Gayle commented on her business: "The little shop turned into a much larger shop and it takes a lot of work, as anyone in retail well knows. But we have a lot of fun with it." The shop officially closed in 2008.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: In 1990, Gayle signed a new recording contract with Capitol Records and reunited with producer Allen Reynolds. The same year she released seventeenth studio album, "Ain't Gonna Worry". Bill Carpenter of AllMusic gave the release 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "an excellent set of country pop". The album spawned several singles, beginning with "Just an Old Love". In its initial review "Billboard" gave it a positive response, praising the production style of Reynolds. Its third single, "Never Ending Song of Love", would become Gayle's last charting single to date, reaching number 72 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart. Her eighteenth studio album came in 1992 called "Three Good Reasons". The album was produced by Buzz Stone. The album's lead single of the same name spawned a music video. Bill Kohlhaase of the "Los Angeles Times" gave the song and video a positive review, saying, "The video, alternating between scenes of Gayle and her swirling tresses with sparsely staged visions of a single mother and her two children, is the kind of heartfelt, yet assertive statement that Gayle has parlayed into major success in the past." AllMusic also gave the album 3 out of 5 stars.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: As the 1990s progressed, Gayle recorded material for smaller labels and issuing specialty projects. Her first small label was the Branson Entertainment Group, where she released an album of re-recorded hits titled "Best Always". In 1995, she signed with Intersound Records and recorded a pair of gospel studio albums. The first was 1995's "Someday", which she co-produced with Bobby Wood. The album's first single included a music that was filmed in Greece. In a 1995 interview, she explained the message behind the title track, "There are songs in there that definitely you've lived. The title track is a song that I think a lot of people, the way it's written, definitely relate to." In 1997, her second gospel collection was released titled "Joy & Inspiration".


title: Crystal Gayle

text: At the dawn of the new millennium, Gayle expanded her musical interests. In 1999, she released an album of jazz and American Standards called "Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael". It was as a tribute to Hoagy Carmichael, whom Gayle worked with shortly before his death in the early 1980s. It album featured covers of songs he composed, including "Stardust" and "Georgia on My Mind". AllMusic's Thom Jurek gave the release 4 out of 5 stars in his review of "Heart and Soul". Jurek called it, "a gorgeous set, one that reaffirms Gayle's artistry to be sure, but also one that offers the first really new hearing of Carmichael in at least a decade." "Billboard Magazine" praised the lead single, "Two Sleepy People" (a duet with Willie Nelson), calling it "sweet" and "playful". In 2000, she released a studio album of children's music titled "In My Arms". In 2003, she released her second album of American standards called "All My Tomorrows". Robert Daniels of "Variety" commented positively, saying, "Gayle's singing boasts directness and subtlety. There are no flashy or show-busy theatrics." AllMusic gave the release 4 out of 5 stars, calling Gayle's singing "stunning" and "capable." In January 2007, fugitive Christopher Daniel Gay escaped from custody at an Interstate 95 welcome center near Hardeeville, South Carolina, and made his way to Tennessee where he stole Gayle's tour bus. Gay was arrested the following day and the bus was returned to Gayle.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: For several years, Gayle spent time recording her next studio release. She stated the album would consist of covers of country music classics and would be produced by her son, Chris Gatzimos. The project was originally titled "Am I That Easy To Forget". In 2019, Gayle announced it would be re-titled "". It was officially released in September 2019 via Southpaw Productions and The Orchard. "You Don't Know Me" became Gayle's first studio album to chart since 1988, reaching number 40 on the "Billboard" independent albums list. The album received positive reviews from critics. AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the release 3 of 5 stars. Erlewine noted that her upper register is "a little diminished", but she still "sounds amiable". Markos Papadatos of the "Digital Journal" gave it an "A" rating, commenting, "Overall, Crystal Gayle is sensational on her new album, "You Don't Know Me", which is country as grits. Grab a bottle of wine and let this country queen lure you in with her timeless voice."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle and her siblings claim Cherokee ancestry on their maternal and paternal lines. In October 2001, she was inducted into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in honor of her Cherokee linkage.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle has remained close to her seven siblings since childhood. Before signing a recording contract, she toured alongside her brother, Jay Lee Webb, in his band. Included on her is a cover of Webb's song "You Never Were Mine". In an interview with "Rolling Stone", Gayle wished she had "done it a long time ago" because they spent a lot of time touring together. Additionally, older sister Peggy Sue, has been an active member of Gayle's road show for several years. Peggy Sue performs background vocals on Gayle's show and does her own solo material too.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle also remained close to her oldest sister Loretta Lynn. Music writers and journalists have claimed the pair had "sibling rivalry". In an interview with "People", Lynn explained that such a rivalry did not exist: "People try to make it like we compete, but that's all in their minds...We fight a little bit, but that's just sisters. And we never fight over the music business." In a 2017 interview Gayle commented, "Of course, we're sisters. We can bicker... but we really didn't have a problem. You know, I look up to my sister...We both have flaws in different ways, but we're not gonna tell what they are, you know? But, I mean, we love each other."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle has been married to husband Bill Gatzimos since 1971. The couple first dated in high school and while Gayle was signed to United Artists Records, Gatzimos attended law school at Vanderbilt University. Following law school, Gatzimos became Gayle's manager and has since been president of the couple's company, Gayle Enterprises. According to Gayle, their marriage has been successful because the couple pursues their "own interests" and lets each other "breathe". The couple have two children: a daughter, Catherine (born 1983) and a son, Christos (born 1986). Gayle's son is now a record producer and co-produced her 2019 album.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: When Gayle's first child was born, she continued working frequently. In 2003 she said, "When I was onstage, I remember coming off stage and breast-feeding and then doing another show." When the couple had their second child, Gayle stayed home with the children. She also has two grandchildren named Elijah and Björn. Gayle spoke of her appreciation for grandchildren in a 2011 interview, "Holidays are so amazing with Elijah. We make cookies, which is great because I never really got much of a chance to do this with my own children. There's a pull when I go on the road when I'm not around him, and I want to be. He's just a bright spot that you want to see all the time. He loves life."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle's musical style is rooted in country, but is also in pop and folk music. Unlike her siblings (who mostly were raised in rural Kentucky), Gayle's formative years were spent in an urban environment. In this diverse atmosphere, Gayle was exposed to various styles of music. In 2003, she commented, "I've always enjoyed folk, pop, rock, gospel, country, everything..." As a child, she especially liked music by Lesley Gore, Brenda Lee and Patsy Cline. In her teen years, she developed a fondness for folk groups, most predominantly Peter, Paul and Mary.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Yet, Gayle also was attracted to the traditional country sound of her oldest sister Loretta Lynn. However it was Lynn that encouraged Gayle to develop a unique style. In an interview with the "Chicago Tribune" Gayle remarked: "But she (Lynn) said, `No, you gotta go the middle of the road and have a different sound.' And I'd never have made it if I had been straight-ahead country..." This perspective encouraged her to record different styles. In 2007, she commented that she likes to be called a singer: "I call myself a singer of songs. I love to sing, whether it's country, folk, pop or rock. I grew up singing all different styles, though definitely country is my roots." Gayle also said that her priority was to find quality material, "I've had great producers. Allen Reynolds is one of them, and he is just fantastic. I would always find great songs that other people wrote, and I wanted to put out really really good songs."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Music journalists and critics have also described Gayle as having a smooth vocal delivery, different from that of her sister's. AllMusic's Thom Jurek noted "her signature phrasing and sophisticated material" to be a factor. Stephen L. Betts of "Rolling Stone" explained that Gayle had "a polished persona and singing style tailor-made for country-pop crossover." Kurt Wolff of "Country Music: The Rough Guide" commented that she had a "sweet radio-friendly voice" that "made a picture-perfect pop-country star."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle's image has garnered her significant media attention. Notably, she is known for her floor-length hair. As a child, Gayle's mother kept her hair short. She was inspired to grow her hair to her knees after seeing a woman with similar hair in Nashville. When her hair increased in length by the late 1970s, Gayle's fan club also significantly increased. By the early 1990s, her hair had reached floor's length. During that time, she considered significantly cutting her hair due to headaches and time spent maintaining it. However, she ultimately decided not to cut it. Gayle credits her daughter for discouraging a haircut. Gayle's daughter told her, "You can't cut your hair — you won't be Crystal Gayle." Gayle also stated that it is easier to have long straight hair, "I know some people think: 'Why does she keep it so long?' I'd probably love to try all the different styles, but I'm not a beautician. So, I keep it long. It's easy to wash and let it go." However, according to Gayle, she still continues seeing a hairstylist. Within a year, she cuts 9 to 12 inches of hair.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle's physical appearance has also made her a sex symbol. Writers Robert K. Oermann and Mary A. Bufwack wrote in 2003, "Crystal Gayle will be forever recalled by music fans for the sexy toss of her head that sent waves of motion through her Godiva-like brunette tresses." Author Kurt Wolff described Gayle as having "knockout good looks". In 1983, "People" named her among the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World".


title: Crystal Gayle

text: Gayle has been credited as one of the most successful and important country pop crossover artists. Gayle's music and career helped open doors for future female country pop artists, including Faith Hill, Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood. Writer Kevin John Coyne described her successes and contributions: "... she had accumulated an astonishing eighteen No.1 hits, two more than her older sister had under her belt, and fourth among all women in country music history, behind Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Tammy Wynette.


title: Crystal Gayle

text: In recent years, Gayle has been given several awards and accolades for her accomplishments. In 2003, she was included by Country Music Television on their list of the "40 Greatest Women of Country Music". In 2008, she was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In 2009, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was joined by artist Tanya Tucker and her family for the ceremony. In 2016, she was presented with the "Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award" from the Academy of Country Music. Gayle commented in 2016, "It's nice to think maybe your music has influenced other artists who are out there."


title: Crystal Gayle

text: In November 2016 almost 50 years after making her debut as a guest artist, Gayle was asked to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Carrie Underwood. The two performed "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" before Underwood announced the invitation. Gayle was officially inducted by Loretta Lynn in January 2017. In 2017, Gayle was included in "Taste of Country"s list of "Country Music's Most Powerful Women". In 2019, she was among a dozen performers chosen to open the Country Music Association Awards as part of recognizing the women of country music. In the show's opening, Gayle performed "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue".


title: Speak Now

text: Speak Now is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records. Swift wrote the album entirely herself within two years, while she was promoting her second studio album "Fearless" (2008). Inspired by Swift's transition from adolescence into adulthood, "Speak Now" is a loose concept album about her confessions regarding love and heartache, with some songs about her public experiences. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the album combines country pop, pop rock, and power pop with rock sensibilities and melodies characterized by acoustic instruments, dynamic electric guitars, strings, and drums.


title: Speak Now

text: After the album's release, Swift embarked on the Speak Now World Tour, which visited Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania from February 2011 to March 2012. The album was supported by six singles, including the US "Billboard" Hot 100 top-ten singles "Mine" and "Back to December", and the US Hot Country Songs number ones "Sparks Fly" and "Ours". "Speak Now" peaked atop charts and received multi-platinum certifications in Australia (double platinum) and Canada (triple platinum). In the US, it sold one million copies within its first release week, spent six weeks at number one on the "Billboard" 200, and was certified six times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).


title: Speak Now

text: "Speak Now" received generally positive reviews from music critics for offering emotional engagement and radio-friendly songs. Some critics complimented Swift's grown-up perspective, but others took issue with the songs about vengeance and heartbreak as shallow. At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012, "Speak Now" was nominated for Best Country Album, and its third single "Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. The album appeared in 2010s decade-end lists by "Billboard" and "Spin", and on "Rolling Stone" 2012 list of the "50 Best Female Albums of All Time". Critics have retrospectively named "Speak Now" one of the best country albums of the 2010s and described its songs about Swift's public image a precedent to her songwriting on subsequent albums.


title: Speak Now

text: American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her second studio album "Fearless" through Nashville-based Big Machine Records in November 2008. The album spent 11 weeks at number one on the US "Billboard" 200, the longest chart run for a female country music artist. It was the best-selling album of 2009 in the US, making then-20-year-old Swift the youngest artist to have an annual best-seller since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking album sales in 1991. Two of the album's singles, "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", performed well on both country and pop radio, bringing Swift to mainstream prominence. "Love Story" was the first country song to reach number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and "You Belong with Me" was the first country song to top the all-genre Radio Songs chart. At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in February 2010, "Fearless" won Album of the Year and Best Country Album, and its single "White Horse" won Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song.


title: Speak Now

text: The success of "Fearless" made Swift one of country music's biggest stars to crossover into the mainstream market. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where Swift won Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me", rapper Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech; the incident received widespread media coverage and became known as "Kanyegate". At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Swift sang "You Belong with Me" and "Rhiannon" with Stevie Nicks; some critics commented Swift performed with weak vocals. MTV News commented the MTV Awards incident transformed Swift into a "bona-fide mainstream celebrity", and "The New York Times" said it was refreshing to see a talented singer-songwriter like Swift "make the occasional flub". Swift began writing for her third studio album immediately after she released "Fearless" and continued during her Fearless Tour in 2009 and 2010.


title: Speak Now

text: Because of her extensive touring schedule, Swift wrote her third album alone; "I'd get my best ideas at 3:00 a.m. in Arkansas, and I didn't have a co-writer around so I would just finish it. That would happen again in New York and then again in Boston and that would happen again in Nashville." Swift was inspired by her growth into adulthood and conceived "Speak Now" as a loose concept album about things she never had a chance to tell people she had met. As with her songwriting for on past albums, Swift strove to convey emotional honesty, writing details as specifically as possible, believing it is important for a songwriter to do so. She described her songs as "diary entries" about her emotions that helped her navigate adulthood. Swift chose not to follow the trend of making increasingly sexualized music by artists of her age, believing such a path would be incongruent with her artistic vision.


title: Speak Now

text: Departing from "Fearless" theme of fairy tales and starry-eyed romance, "Speak Now" explores introspection and backward-looking reflections on relationships. Its songs expanding on Swift's romantic tropes are mostly about monogamous relationships without sexual references, keeping her "good-girl" image intact. Many were inspired by Swift's public experience, including past relationships with high-profile celebrities, which received media attention during the album's promotional rollout. The confessional lyrics of "Speak Now" are more direct and confrontational than those on Swift's past albums. On "Back to December", she asks an ex-lover to forgive her wrongdoings. "Dear John" narrates a devastating relationship of a 19-year-old female narrator who accuses a much-older man of manipulating her with "dark, twisted games". Swift's encounter with an ex-lover at an awards show, where they ignored each other despite Swift feeling a need to speak to him inspired "The Story of Us". On "Better than Revenge", Swift affirms vengeance against a romantic rival who is known for "the things she does on the mattress".


title: Speak Now

text: Romantic optimism is another major theme of the album. The opening track "Mine" is about Swift's hope of attaining happiness despite her tendency to "run from love" to avoid heartbreak. It was the first song she included on the track list because it represents her then-new perspective of romance. Swift had written "Sparks Fly"—a song about dangerous hints of love at first sight—before she released her 2006 self-titled debut album. She re-recorded the song for "Speak Now" after she received fan request to release it at the 2010 CMA Music Festival. "Enchanted" describes the aftermath of an encounter with a special person without knowing whether the infatuation would be reciprocated. "Haunted" is about romantic obsession and "Last Kiss" explores the lingering feelings after a breakup. On "Long Live", Swift expresses gratitude to her fans and bandmates. The lyrics of "Enchanted" and "Long Live" incorporate high-school-prom and fairy-tale imagery that recalls the youthful optimism of "Fearless".


title: Speak Now

text: Besides love and romance, Swift wrote about self-perception; "Never Grow Up" is a contemplation of her childhood, adulthood, and future. The self-aware "Mean", in which Swift sings about facing a man who had tried to take her down, was inspired by her detractors. Because of her confessional songwriting, the media became invested in Swift's personal life, believing each song is about a real person; an ex-lover, a friend, or an enemy. Although Swift was interested to hear the response from the people to whom she dedicated the songs, she did not publicly name them and believed they would realize this themselves. She did reveal that Kanye West, who interrupted Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, was the subject of "Innocent". In the track, Swift sings about forgiving a man who wronged her; according to "Esquire", the track can be interpreted as "a simple lament of a lost love, or a former friend being forgiven". Swift wrote the title track after hearing a friend's ex-boyfriend was marrying another woman; in the lyrics, the protagonist crashes the ex-boyfriend's wedding and tries to halt it.


title: Speak Now

text: Swift wrote as many as 25 songs and by early 2010, she had begun to select songs for the album. To ensure the album would be coherent, she played the songs to her family, friends, and producer Nathan Chapman, who had produced for Swift since the recording of her self-titled debut album in 2006. Swift chose "Enchanted" as a working title but Big Machine Records executive Scott Borchetta recommended Swift choose a different title, deeming "Enchanted" unfit for the album's mature perspective. She settled on the title "Speak Now", saying it best captures the album's essence: "I think it's such a metaphor, that moment where it's almost too late, and you've got to either say what it is you are feeling or deal with the consequences forever ... And this album seemed like the opportunity for me to speak now or forever hold my peace." Swift finalized the track list by June 2010.


title: Speak Now

text: Swift recorded much of "Speak Now" with Chapman at his Pain in the Art Studio in Nashville. Although "Fearless" commercial success allowed Swift to engage a larger group of producers, she worked solely with Chapman, believing they had a productive relationship. The recording process started with a demo; Swift recorded vocals and played guitar, and Chapman sang background vocals and played other instruments. After arranging the demos, Swift and Chapman approached engineers and other musicians to tweak some elements, including overdubs and programmed drums. The first track Chapman produced with Swift on "Speak Now" is "Mine", which they recorded within five hours.


title: Speak Now

text: Because of his artistic autonomy, Chapman said he was responsible for "60 percent of the music on the album, including 90 percent of the guitars". Much of his production for "Speak Now" is identical to that for "Fearless"; he programmed the drums with Toontrack's software Superior Drummer, played drums on the Roland Fantom G6 keyboard, added electric guitars to the arrangements, recorded Swift's vocals with an Avantone CV12 microphone and his background vocals with a Shure SM57, produced the bass with an Avalon VT737 preamplifier, and used Endless Audio's CLASP System to synchronize his editing on Pro Tools and Logic. Because of Swift's country-music vision, Chapman asked other musicians, mostly in Nashville, to replace his programmed drums with live drumming and add acoustic instruments such as fiddle. For instance, Chapman asked Steve Marcantonio to cut down programmed drums on "Mine" at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. For some tracks, including "Back to December", Swift and her team went to Capitol Studios in Los Angeles to record string orchestration.


title: Speak Now

text: After recording finished, Justin Niebank mixed the album on Pro Tools at Blackbird Studios; he had mixed some tracks on "Fearless". Within three weeks, Niebank finished mixing 17 tracks including 14 on the standard edition and three bonus tracks on the deluxe edition. Because Swift wanted "Speak Now" to be a direct communication with her audience, Niebank infused monoaural reverberation inspired by 1950s and 1960s music in the mix to evoke a "vintage" and "retro" vibe that, according to Niebank, brought a sense of authenticity. Music engineer Hank Williams mastered the recordings. Because much of "Speak Now" was recorded and mixed in Nashville, Niebank believed the album stood out among popular records that were manipulated with contemporaneous technologies Auto-Tune and Melodyne. Although Chapman was responsible for much of the production, he said Swift's co-production credit is "not a vanity credit. We were really a team, very collaborative."


title: Speak Now

text: "Speak Now" follows the country pop production of "Fearless" with increasing elements of mainstream pop music. Critics debated the album's genre. "Paste" described the album as a blend of country and radio-friendly pop tunes with climatic build-ups and catchy hooks. "Entertainment Weekly" classified the album as pop and commented the only country elements are its "smattering of banjo pluck and dainty twang". According to BBC Music, "Speak Now" veers towards pop rock. Ann Powers, in a review for the "Los Angeles Times", found the album borderline alternative rock and bubblegum pop with its songs experimenting with styles from "lush strings of Céline-style kitsch-pop to Americana banjo to countrypolitan electric guitar". "Now" described "Speak Now" as "slickly produced power pop".


title: Speak Now

text: Critics noted the banjo-led bluegrass track "Mean" as the album's pure country song. Much of the album consists of uptempo country pop melodies, exemplified by the opening track "Mine". Many tracks explore rock sensibilities, drawing from rock music of the late 1970s through the 1980s. "Sparks Fly" has an arena rock production with dramatic fiddles and guitars. The title track is an acoustic guitar-driven country pop song with a 1950s rock chorus. "The Story of Us" and "Better than Revenge" are electric-guitar-driven pop punk songs; the former contains influences of dance-pop and new wave. The arena-rock and goth-rock-inspired "Haunted" incorporates a dramatic, recurring string section. The closing track "Long Live" is a heartland rock song featuring girl-group harmonies and chiming rock guitars.


title: Speak Now

text: The remaining tracks of "Speak Now" are ballads. "Back to December" is a gentle, orchestral, string-laden ballad. "Speak Now" longest track, "Dear John" at six minutes and 43 seconds, is a slow-burning, bluesy, country-pop song with electric guitar licks. The guitar ballad "Never Grow Up" incorporates an understated production that accompanies its wistful lyrics. On "Enchanted", the acoustic guitar crescendos after each refrain, leading up to a harmony-layered coda at the end. The tracks "Innocent" and "Last Kiss" incorporate sparse instruments; the latter is a slow-tempo waltz with breathy vocals. "If This Was a Movie", a bonus song on the deluxe edition and the only song not written solely by Swift, is a fast-paced ballad with a recurring guitar riff and simple harmonies.


title: Speak Now

text: Swift announced details of "Speak Now" on July 20, 2010, in a live stream on Ustream. Big Machine Records released the lead single "Mine" to US country radio and digital download sites on August 3, 2010. The music video for "Mine" premiered on CMT on August 27, 2010. The single peaked at number three on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Mine" reached number six in Japan, number seven in Canada, and number nine in Australia. On August 18, Swift released the album's cover art, which depicts Swift with curly hair and red lipstick twirling in a deep-purple gown. On September 15, Swift announced a Target-exclusive deluxe edition whose cover art is identical to that of the standard edition but the gown is red instead of purple. Starting from October 4, 2010, Swift released one "Speak Now" track each week on the iTunes Store as part of a three-week countdown campaign; the title track was released on October 5, followed by "Back to December" on October 12 and "Mean" on October 19. On October 22, Xfinity premiered a preview of "The Story of Us".


title: Speak Now

text: Big Machine Records released the standard and deluxe editions of "Speak Now" on October 25, 2010. The Target-exclusive CD+DVD edition contains 14 songs of the standard; the bonus tracks "Ours", "If This Was a Movie", and "Superman"; acoustic versions of "Back to December" and "Haunted"; a "pop mix" of "Mine"; a 30-minute behind-the-scenes video for "Mine"; and the music video for "Mine". The deluxe edition was released to other retailers on January 17, 2012. To bolster sales of the album, Swift had partnerships with Starbucks, Sony Electronics, Walmart, and Jakks Pacific. In October 2011, Swift partnered with Elizabeth Arden, Inc. to release her fragrance brand "Wonderstruck", whose name references the lyrics of "Enchanted".


title: Speak Now

text: To further promote "Speak Now", Swift appeared on magazine covers and conducted press interviews. She performed "Innocent" at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Her other performances at awards shows include the Country Music Association Awards and the American Music Awards in 2010; the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards in 2011. Swift also appeared on many television shows and concert specials, performing at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and "X Factor Italy". She embarked on a promotional tour in Japan, appearing on variety show "SMAPxSMAP" and music program "Music Station".<ref name="Billboard/Schwartz"></ref> Her round of American television shows included "Today", "Late Show with David Letterman", "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "Live with Regis and Kelly", and "Dancing with the Stars". She also gave private concerts to contest winners, and played a semi-private concert for JetBlue at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.


title: Speak Now

text: After "Mine", Swift released five more singles from "Speak Now". "Back to December" and "Mean", which were earlier available for digital download, were released to US country radio on November 15, 2010, and March 13, 2011, respectively. The two singles peaked at numbers seven and ten, respectively, in Canada, and "Back to December" reached number six on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. "The Story of Us" was released to US pop radio on April 19, 2011. "Sparks Fly" and "Ours" were released to US country radio on July 18 and December 5, 2011, respectively. Prior to its single release, "Ours", together with the other deluxe edition tracks, was released for digital download via the iTunes Store on November 8, 2011. "Sparks Fly" and "Ours" reached the top 20 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and peaked atop the US Hot Country Songs chart. The RIAA certified all six of the album's singles at least platinum; "Back to December" and "Mean" sold over two million copies each, and were certified double-platinum and triple-platinum, respectively.


title: Speak Now

text: On November 23, 2010, Swift announced the Speak Now World Tour, which started in Singapore on February 9, 2011. The tour visited Asia and Europe before the North American leg started in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 27, 2011. Within two days of announcement, the tour sold 625,000 tickets. By April 2011, Swift had added another 16 shows to the North American leg. After the final US concert in New York City on November 22, 2011, the Speak Now World Tour had covered 80 sold-out North American shows. On August 10, 2011, Swift released a music video for "Sparks Fly" that includes footage from the tour. She released the album "Speak Now World Tour – Live" on November 21, 2011. In December 2011, Swift announced an extension of the tour to Australia and New Zealand starting in March 2012. Concluding on March 18, 2012, the Speak Now World Tour had covered 110 shows, visited 18 countries, and grossed $123.7 million.