text: The NCAA does not officially name a national champion, but several other organizations name national champions and all conferences participate in the College Football Playoff in order to determine a champion. The winner of the College Football Playoff receives the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy. The AP awards the AP National Championship Trophy, while the American Football Coaches Association awards the AFCA National Championship Trophy. The AFCA trophy was previously awarded to the winner of the BCS National Championship Game (a predecessor of the College Football Playoff National Championship game), which operated from 1999 to 2014. The Football Writers Association of America awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy until after the 2013 season, and the National Football Foundation awards the MacArthur Bowl. Since the disputed end of the 2003 season, the various organizations have been able to agree on a single national champion.


title: TempleOS

text: TempleOS (formerly J Operating System, LoseThos, and SparrowOS) is a biblical-themed lightweight operating system (OS) designed to be the Third Temple prophesied in the Bible. It was created by American programmer Terry A. Davis, who developed it alone over the course of a decade after a series of manic episodes that he later described as a revelation from God.


title: TempleOS

text: The system was characterized as a modern x86-64 Commodore 64, using an interface similar to a mixture of DOS and Turbo C. Davis proclaimed that the system's features, such as its 640x480 resolution, 16-color display, and single-voice audio, were designed according to explicit instructions from God. It was programmed with an original variation of C (named HolyC) in place of BASIC, and included an original flight simulator, compiler, and kernel.


title: TempleOS

text: First released in 2005 as J Operating System, TempleOS was renamed in 2013 and was last updated in 2017.


title: TempleOS

text: Terry A. Davis (1969–2018) began experiencing regular manic episodes in 1996, leading him to numerous stays at mental hospitals. Initially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he was later declared schizophrenic and remained unemployed for the rest of his life. He suffered from delusions of space aliens and government agents that left him briefly hospitalized for his mental health issues. After experiencing a self-described "revelation", he proclaimed that he was in direct communication with God, and that God told him the operating system was for God's third temple.


title: TempleOS

text: Davis began developing TempleOS circa 2003. One of its early names was the "J Operating System" before renaming it to "LoseThos", a reference to a scene from the 1986 film "Platoon". In 2008, Davis wrote that LoseThos was "primarily for making video games. It has no networking or Internet support. As far as I'm concerned, that would be reinventing the wheel". Another name he used was "SparrowOS" before settling on "TempleOS". In mid-2013, his website announced: "God's temple is finished. Now, God kills CIA until it spreads ." Davis died after being hit by a train on August 11, 2018.


title: TempleOS

text: TempleOS is a 64-bit, non-preemptive multi-tasking, multi-cored, public domain, open source, ring-0-only, single address space, non-networked, PC operating system for recreational programming. The OS runs 8-bit ASCII with graphics in source code and has a 2D and 3D graphics library, which run at 640x480 VGA with 16 colors. Like most modern operating systems, it has keyboard and mouse support. It supports ISO 9660, FAT32 and RedSea file systems (the latter created by Davis) with support for file compression. According to Davis, many of these specifications—such as the 640x480 resolution, 16-color display and single audio voice—were instructed to him by God. He explained that the limited resolution was to make it easier for children to draw illustrations for God.


title: TempleOS

text: The operating system includes an original flight simulator, compiler, and kernel. One bundled program, "After Egypt", is a game in which the player travels to a burning bush to use a "high-speed stopwatch". The stopwatch is meant to act as an oracle that generates pseudo-random text, something Davis likened to a Ouija board and glossolalia. An example of generated text follows:


title: TempleOS

text: TempleOS was written in a programming language developed by Davis as a middle ground between C and C++, originally called "C+" (C Plus), later renamed to "HolyC". It doubles as the shell language, enabling the writing and execution of entire applications from within the shell. The IDE that comes with TempleOS supports several features, such as embedding images in code. It uses a non-standard text format (known as DolDoc) which has support for hypertext links, images, and 3D meshes to be embedded into what are otherwise standard ASCII files; for example, a file can have a spinning 3D model of a tank as a comment in source code. Most code in the OS is JIT-compiled, and it is generally encouraged to use JIT compilation as opposed to creating binaries. Davis ultimately wrote over 100,000 lines of code for the OS.


title: TempleOS

text: TempleOS received mostly "sympathetic" reviews. Tech journalist David Cassel opined that "programming websites tried to find the necessary patience and understanding to accommodate Davis". TechRepublic and OSNews published positive articles on Davis's work, even though Davis was banned from the latter for hostile comments targeting its readers and staff. In his review for TechRepublic, James Sanders concluded that "TempleOS is a testament to the dedication and passion of one man displaying his technological prowess. It doesn't need to be anything more." OSNews editor Kroc Camen wrote that the OS "shows that computing can still be a hobby; why is everybody so serious these days? If I want to code an OS that uses interpretive dance as the input method, I should be allowed to do so, companies like Apple be damned." In 2017, the OS was shown as a part of an outsider art exhibition in Bourogne, France.


title: TempleOS

text: After Davis's death, OSNews editor Thom Holwerda wrote: "Davis was clearly a gifted programmer – writing an entire operating system is no small feat – and it was sad to see him affected by his mental illness". One fan described Davis as a "programming legend", while another, a computer engineer, compared the development of TempleOS to a one-man-built skyscraper. He added that it "actually boggles my mind that one man wrote all that" and that it was "hard for a layperson to understand what a phenomenal achievement" it is to write an entire operating system alone.


title: TempleOS

text: TempleOS is in the public domain. Davis's family has wished for fans to donate to the National Alliance for Mental Illness and other organizations "working to ease the pain and suffering caused by mental illness".


title: Lil Dicky

text: David Andrew Burd (born March 15, 1988), better known by his stage name Lil Dicky, is an American rapper, comedian, and actor. He came to prominence with the release of the music video for his song "Ex-Boyfriend" in 2013, which became popular with more than one million views on YouTube in 24 hours. He released his debut album, "Professional Rapper", in 2015.


title: Lil Dicky

text: In 2018, his song "Freaky Friday", featuring Chris Brown, became a worldwide hit. He also gained attention for his 2019 music video "Earth", which featured many singers and actors including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Kevin Hart, Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Katy Perry, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The song was made to raise awareness about the environment, pollution, and climate change. Burd stated that a portion of the song's proceeds are being donated to a variety of environmental charities.


title: Lil Dicky

text: In 2020, Burd and producer Jeff Schaffer created a television comedy series based on Burd's life called "Dave", which premiered on FXX in March 2020. The show's second season aired in 2021 and it has been renewed for a third season.


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd was born in Cheltenham Township on the north border of Philadelphia and grew up in an upper-middle-class Jewish family in the Elkins Park neighborhood. He was born with "a tangled urethra" and hypospadias, in which the urethra does not open from its usual location in the head of the penis, requiring multiple surgeries.


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd's interest in music started when he was a child, listening to hip hop and alternative rock. He began rapping in the fifth grade after doing a history report on Alexander Pushkin using rap music. In his youth, the hip-hop and rap music artists Burd listened to most were Nas and Jay-Z.


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd attended Cheltenham High School. Speaking about his time in high school, Burd said "I was a pussy. I was really awkward looking. I wasn't getting any girls at all, but I was very class-clownish and I got good grades." After graduating from high school, Burd began attending the University of Richmond, where fellow 2016 "XXL" Freshman and rapper Dave East also attended at the same time. Burd graduated summa cum laude in 2010.


title: Lil Dicky

text: After college, Burd relocated to San Francisco, California where he worked in account management at the advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. After reimagining his monthly progress report as a rap video, the company brought him to work in their creative department, where he wrote copy for ads such as the NBA's "BIG" campaign.


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd says he initiated his rap career "simply to get attention comedically, so [he] could write movies, write TV shows and act". However, he "fell in love with rapping" and says he's "not leaving that game until [he's] proved [his] point".


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd began working on his debut mixtape, "So Hard", in 2011. The mixtape took Burd over two years to finish because he still had his day job at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners during its development. Burd recorded a majority of his early material for "So Hard" on his MacBook Pro and a $400 microphone; in 2013 he began releasing one song per week for five months straight. On April 23, 2013, Burd released the music video for his song "Ex-Boyfriend", the mixtape's leading single. The music video received one million views within 24 hours of being posted on YouTube. Burd released a new song or music video, in a series titled "Hump Days". Following the release of 32 songs and 15 music videos, Burd launched a Kickstarter, stating, "I've officially run out of money... In a nutshell, you are funding phase two of my rap career." The month-long crowdfunding period began on November 20, 2013, with the goal of raising $70,000 in order to enable Burd to create and produce more music, music videos, and go touring. The Kickstarter well exceeded its target, raising $113,000.


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd held his first live concert at TLA in Philadelphia on February 19, 2014. Burd signed with CMSN, which also manages Tyga and Chiddy Bang. He plans on "having two concurrent careers going on, as a rapper, and as a comedian/actor/writer". Burd released his debut album "Professional Rapper" on July 31, 2015, and features artists Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Rich Homie Quan, Fetty Wap, Brendon Urie (Panic! at the Disco), RetroJace and Hannibal Buress. Burd appeared in a 2016 Funny or Die video "Watch Yo Self" with Mystikal and Trinidad James. On June 13, 2016, "XXL Magazine" released the 2016 Freshmen line-up. It included Burd, along with Anderson .Paak, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Dave East, Denzel Curry, Desiigner, G Herbo, and Lil Yachty.


title: Lil Dicky

text: On April 12, 2017, Burd released a music video for "Pillow Talking". Its special effects made it the 49th most expensive music video ever created. In an interview with "XXL" in April 2017, Burd mentioned that he was creating a new project and that he was also attempting to pitch a TV show to networks. In September 2017, Burd released an EP under his alter ego Brain, "I'm Brain". On March 15, 2018, Burd released a new single, "Freaky Friday", featuring Chris Brown, and the associated music video. By April 9, 2018, the video had reached over 100 million views and topped the charts in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. On April 2, 2018, Burd announced his first Australian tour; he previously studied abroad for two years in Melbourne.


title: Lil Dicky

text: On April 19, 2019, Burd released a single called "Earth", featuring artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and Shawn Mendes. They all voice various animated organisms in the music video. The music video, which was created in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, aimed at encouraging better environmental practices worldwide. Upon release Burd referred to the project as "the most important thing [he'll] ever do."


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd and Jeff Schafer created a TV series called "Dave", which portrays a fictionalized version of Burd's life as a rapper. It stars Burd, Taylor Misiak, and Christine Ko. The show premiered on March 4, 2020, on FXX. On May 11, 2020, "Dave" was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2021.


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd's style blends the comical with the relatable. According to "Boston" magazine, "Content-wise, Burd comes up with his material from everyday occurrences and everyday experiences. From there, he crafts his videos around those topics to create a visual narrative that accompanies his talent as an emcee. 'It's like a comedian. They are out in the world, and writing things down,' he said. What followed 'Ex-Boyfriend' was a series of other videos that covered similarly average everyday experiences—songs about staying in for the night, songs about being a Jewish kid—he also has a rap battle with Adolf Hitler in one of his videos."


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd describes his style as a response to the excessive egotistical nature of rap today: "I really wanted to embody the exact opposite of that, and I think people are appreciating it. There just hasn't been a voice for that normal dude when it comes to rap." He added, "I think a lot of rap is just escalated to a place that many people can't relate to... My niche is that I'm relatable. I don't rap about going to the club and popping bottles." In terms of his rapping skills, Burd is able "to manipulate words at an excessive speed, and weave rhyme patterns together in a way that's funny while also making viewers want to rewind parts of his videos".


title: Lil Dicky

text: Burd says his musical inspirations are J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, Snoop Dogg, as well as Childish Gambino, whom he refers to as "a guy with similar aspirations."


title: Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly

text: The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Hindi: "Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha") is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of Uttar Pradesh. There are 403 seats in the house filled by direct election using a single-member first-past-the-post system.<section end="Lead"/>


title: Island Records

text: Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another label recently acquired by PolyGram, were both at the time the largest independent record labels in history, with Island having exerted a major influence on the progressive music scene in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s.


title: Island Records

text: Island Records operates four international divisions: Island US, Island UK, Island Australia, and Island France (known as Vertigo France until 2014). Current key people include Island US president Darcus Beese, OBE and MD Jon Turner. Partially due to its significant legacy, Island remains one of UMG's pre-eminent record labels.


title: Island Records

text: Artists who have signed to Island Records include Bob Marley, Nick Drake, Queen, Jethro Tull, Grace Jones, Steve Winwood, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brian Eno, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Keshi, Sabrina Carpenter, Avicii, Poppy, Cat Stevens, Kevin McDermott Orchestra, The Orb, Tove Lo, Sparks, the Cranberries, Tracy Bonham, Roxy Music, Bishop Briggs, Hozier, Blackbear, Pulp, Fall Out Boy, The Killers, DYLAN, Loser, Leona Lewis, U2, Mumford & Sons, Iggy Azalea, Amy Winehouse, Tom Waits, Ben Howard, James TW, Florence and the Machine, Sigrid, John Newman, Local H, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Sandy Denny, Disclosure, Big Shaq, the Weeknd, Keane, Annie Lennox, JP Cooper, PJ Harvey, Janet Jackson, John Martyn, Nick Jonas, KSI, Robyn, Shawn Mendes, Jessie J, Scarlxrd, Laleh, Insane Clown Posse and The Streets.


title: Island Records

text: Island Records was founded in Jamaica on 4 July 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall and Leslie Kong, and financed by Stanley Borden from RKO. Its name was inspired by the Harry Belafonte song "Island in the Sun". Blackwell explained in 2009: "I loved music so much, I just wanted to get into it, or be as close to it as I could."


title: Island Records

text: Tom Hayes, the label's sales manager between 1965 and 1967, referred to the early period of the label in the UK as "organized chaos". The 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop", sung by Jamaican singer Millie Small (1947–2020), was the label's first success in the UK and led to a world tour that also involved Blackwell. Blackwell explained in a 50th anniversary documentary that he was only interested in building long-term careers at that stage in time, rather than short-term projects. Suzette Newman has been a close colleague of Chris Blackwell's since working together in the early days of Island Records, and while there she ran the Mango world music label. Suzette Newman and Chris Salewicz were the editors for the book "The Story of Island Records: Keep On Running".


title: Island Records

text: Blackwell relocated to England in May 1962 to garner greater levels of attention after the local Jamaican sound systems proved to be overwhelmingly successful. The label was based at a now demolished basement in Kilburn, London Borough of Brent, in a property that was used by Sonny Roberts's Planetone label and whose landlord was Lee Gopthal who would later create Trojan Records. The vast majority of the artists who had signed to Blackwell's fledgling label while he was in Jamaica agreed to allow the musical entrepreneur to release their music in the UK. While in England, Blackwell travelled throughout the city carrying his stock with him and sold to record stores in the city. He did not provide any copies to radio stations, as they would not play any of the Island music; the music was also not reviewed by the press. Meanwhile, Goodall left to start the Doctor Bird record label in 1965.


title: Island Records

text: Blackwell signed the Spencer Davis Group to the label (at that time, many Island releases were being distributed by Philips/Fontana). The group became very popular and Island started their own independent series to spotlight UK rock talent. They signed artists such as John Martyn, Fairport Convention, Free, and greatly influenced the growing FM radio market. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, they were a major label in England with artists including Roxy Music, King Crimson, Sparks, Traffic, The Wailers, Cat Stevens, Steve Winwood and many others. (In the US, many of their releases were licensed to A&M prior to signing up distribution deals with Capitol and later Atlantic, and also independent distribution.)


title: Island Records

text: For Toots and the Maytals, the group that introduced the term "reggae" in song with their 1968 single "Do the Reggay", Chris Blackwell was the one who decided on the line-up of the group before introducing them to an international audience. Blackwell had signed Bob Marley, and now Toots and the Maytals. In November 2016, Jackie Jackson described the formation of the group in a radio interview for Kool 97 FM Jamaica. Accompanied by Paul Douglas and Radcliffe "Dougie" Bryan in studio, Jackson explained:


title: Island Records

text: We're all original members of Toots and the Maytals band. First it was Toots and the Maytals, three guys: Toots, Raleigh, and Jerry. ... And then they were signed to Island Records, Chris Blackwell. And we were their recording band. One day we were summoned to Chris' house. And he says, "Alright gentleman, I think it's time. This Toots and the Maytals looks like it's going to be a big thing". By this time he had already signed Bob (Marley). So in his camp, Island Records, there was Toots and the Maytals]/ the late Bob Marley; we were talking about reggae is going international now. We kept on meeting and he (Blackwell) decided that the backing band that back all of the songs, the recording band, should be the Maytals band. So everything came under Toots and the Maytals. So we became Maytals also. And then we hit the road in 1975 ... we were the opening act for the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and Jackson Browne. We were the opening act for The Who for about two weeks.


title: Island Records

text: In 1969, Island Records acquired a deconsecrated 17th century church building at 8-10 Basing Street, in the Ladbroke Grove area of Notting Hill in West London. The building was refurbished to create the Island Studios recording studio, while also serving as the new location for Island Records' offices.


title: Island Records

text: The first Toots and the Maytals album released and distributed by Chris Blackwell's Island Records was "Funky Kingston." The Maytals had recently added a full-time backing band that included drummer Paul Douglas and bassist Jackie Jackson, and Chris Blackwell joined the group in the studio as a co-producer for the album. Music critic Lester Bangs described the album in "Stereo Review" as "perfection, the most exciting and diversified set of reggae tunes by a single artist yet released." As Blackwell says, "The Maytals were unlike anything else ... sensational, raw and dynamic." Blackwell had a strong commitment to Toots and the Maytals, saying: "I've known Toots longer than anybody – much longer than Bob (Bob Marley). Toots is one of the purest human beings I've met in my life, pure almost to a fault."


title: Island Records

text: Despite the initial establishment work that Blackwell completed almost single-handedly, Island struggled as a business in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bob Marley's 1981 death was detrimental to the label, especially after its having engineered Marley's international breakthrough only a few years earlier, while Irish rock band U2, which had signed to Island in March 1980, was growing in popularity, but had not yet reached the international superstar status that was to come. In 1981, Blackwell also used the label to finance a new film production and distribution company, producing the film "Countryman". In 1982, Paul Morley and producer Trevor Horn started the ZTT label under the Island banner and Blackwell was known to approve excessive spending by the label. Morley recalls in a 2009 book about Island Records:


title: Island Records

text: I eventually grew to appreciate how Chris Blackwell, and therefore Island Records, was not about one thing, or one style, or one system, or one way of doing things ... [I began] reflecting how the world functions and reinvents itself precisely because it is a fluid, sometimes dangerous, always exhilarating union of systems and beliefs and the best way of allowing the world to progress is to mix up and place in glorious conflict these various systems and beliefs.


title: Island Records

text: In 1983, the film production company formed a partnership with Shep Gordon's Alive Enterprises to form Island Alive and had success with "Kiss of the Spider Woman", "Koyaanisqatsi", and "Stop Making Sense". The partnership was dissolved in 1985. In August 1987, the company was not able to pay a US$5 million sum that it owed to U2 in royalties for "The Joshua Tree" album, as it had diverted the funds to finance several unsuccessful films. U2 responded by negotiating a deal whereby they invested the unpaid royalties into the label in exchange for a stake in the label that was estimated to be around 10 per cent.


title: Island Records

text: The label's 4th & Broadway division, operating since the mid-1980s, achieved some success marketing alternative hip hop and dance-pop music with artists such as Eric B. and Rakim and the Stereo MCs. Mango (Chaka Demus and Pliers) was another Island dance-oriented subsidiary, while it was singer Robert Palmer who achieved worldwide success with the rock song "Addicted to Love" in 1986. African musicians such as King Sunny Adé and Angélique Kidjo were also championed by Blackwell.


title: Island Records

text: In July 1989, Blackwell sold Island Records and Island Music to the PolyGram UK Group for £180 million (US$300 million)—he explained in 2009: "It had gotten too big and too corporate for me and I couldn't really handle it." Following the sale, Island was no longer an independent company, but Blackwell was given a position on PolyGram's board and stayed on as CEO of PolyGram's new Island Entertainment division for ten years. PolyGram immediately began reissuing much of the Island back catalogue on compact disc and expanded Island's reach through its global manufacturing and distribution network, but the label was relatively unfocused in the 1990s.


title: Island Records

text: Blackwell eventually ended his association with the company in 1997, as the corporate life hindered the independent ethos of his personal life. "I never really had a job until I sold Island to PolyGram in 1989. It had gotten too corporate," he commented afterwards. After Blackwell left, PolyGram closed Island's film business. Blackwell left to found the Palm Pictures company and run a chain of boutique hotels in Miami, US and the Caribbean, including the very exclusive Goldeneye, once the Jamaican home of James Bond creator Ian Fleming. Then in May 1998, all of PolyGram and its associated labels were purchased by Seagram which announced its plan to integrate PolyGram with UMG to produce an estimated cost savings, within a couple of years, of between US$275 million and $300 million annually. Seagram further explained that the acquisition would unite a significant international presence with a thriving domestic business, as more than three-quarters of PolyGram's sales were outside the US.


title: Island Records

text: In December 1998 and the first three months of 1999, UMG placed three divisions under the management of the Island brand: one in the UK, one in the US, and one in Germany. In each territory, these companies were merged under umbrella groups:


title: Island Records

text: However, in 2001, UMG was merged with French company Vivendi S.A. to create Vivendi Universal S.A.; but the music company remains under the name Universal Music Group (UMG).


title: Island Records

text: In the US, Island became a predominantly pop/rock label, as their urban artists were assigned to either Def Jam or Def Soul, a new Island/Def Jam R&B imprint. Following the takeover of Island by UMG, flagship band U2 were dissatisfied after chief Jason Iley moved to the Mercury label in the mid-2000s and signed with Mercury for the UK and Interscope Records for the US. However, successful artists such as Tricky and PJ Harvey were impressed by the label and signed on as artists. Tricky explained: "I knew I could get freedom. I knew I could do what I wanted to do.", while Harvey later stated:


title: Island Records

text: I came to work with them, sort of fully formed—the way that I looked, the way that I sounded: that was already there. And I felt, like, that they just supported where that was going to go.


title: Island Records

text: In 2009, Island Records marked the 50th anniversary of its foundation in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell with a series of live concerts and an exhibition under the Island 50 banner. The events were a celebration of the street-cool, independent outlook and striking visual imagery at the label's creative core. These festivities centred around a week-long run of shows at Shepherd's Bush Empire and Bush Hall in London. The concerts featured performances tracing the label's history from its reggae and jazz roots to the modern era. Among the artists who appeared were Sly & Robbie, Ernest Ranglin, Paul Weller, The Compass Point All Stars, The I Threes, Aswad, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Grace Jones, Steel Pulse, Keane, Tom Tom Club, Toots & The Maytals, The Mighty Diamonds, Yusuf Islam/ Cat Stevens, Bombay Bicycle Club, Baaba Maal and U2. Another Island 50 tribute event was held over four nights at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, with Marianne Faithfull, Grace Jones and Sly & Robbie all appearing, and Chris Blackwell holding a Question & Answer session.


title: Island Records

text: There was also a major exhibition at the Vinyl Factory Gallery in Soho, held in an open space beneath the record shop Phonica. The exhibition featured a display of treasured musical artifacts, including the Trabant car from the sleeve of U2's "Achtung Baby", Nick Drake's guitar, the dress worn by Amy Winehouse at the 2008 Grammy Awards, the handwritten lyric sheet for Winehouse's song "Love Is a Losing Game" and Bob Marley's passport application form. The exhibition contained 800 prints showcasing the work for Island of the photographers Adrian Boot, Jean-Paul Goude, Anton Corbijn, Gered Mankowitz, Keith Morris and Brian Cooke, and the London exhibition also featured live performances at the Vinyl Factory Gallery by DJ Shadow and PJ Harvey.


title: Island Records

text: Following its 50th anniversary in 2009, Island Records entered its sixth decade on a tide of optimism. The years that followed saw fresh success for a number of established acts, including PJ Harvey, Keane, Paul Weller and Bombay Bicycle Club and an exciting wave of new signings. In its largest live production since its 2009 anniversary, the label also staged a concert by The Weeknd and Jack Garratt on Osea Island, a small island in Essex, as part of a bespoke one-day festival for 400 guests, including label staff, media and 200 fans who obtained tickets via a ballot.


title: Island Records

text: 2016 proved a particularly successful year for the label in the UK: over a seven-week period between April and June, four separate Island acts spent at least one week at number one. The albums concerned were PJ Harvey's "The Hope Six Demolition Project", Drake's "Views" (which spent two weeks at number one), Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman" and Catfish & The Bottlemen's "The Ride".


title: Island Records

text: PJ Harvey's eighth studio album, 2011's "Let England Shake", was one of the key records of Island's sixth decade. Made in a cliff-top church in Dorset, it won the 2011 Mercury Music Prize, making Harvey the only artist to land the prestigious award twice (she had prevailed ten years previously with "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea"). Mumford & Sons, who grew out of a series of jam sessions in London in 2007, signed a licensing deal with Island in 2009. Heralded as standard bearers for a vibrant new wave of folkish, countrified rock, their debut album, "Sigh No More", sold two million, reaching number two in Britain and America. It also won best British album at the BRIT Awards in February 2011. The follow-up, "Babel", did even better in 2012, becoming the UK's fastest-selling album of that year, going to number one in Britain and the US and winning album of the year at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Island also secured the signing of English indie rock band Florence and the Machine whose debut studio album "Lungs" (2009) sold four million copies, and spent over 12 months on the UK Albums Chart before being crowned British Album Of The Year at the 2010 BRIT Awards ceremony. "Lungs" was followed by the studio albums "Ceremonials" (2011), and "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" (2015).


title: Island Records

text: Keane were another of the big successes of Island's sixth decade. Having topped the charts with their five million-selling debut album "Hopes and Fears" in 2004, they went on to secure five consecutive number-one albums in the UK (a feat bettered only by The Beatles), with subsequent releases "Under the Iron Sea" (2006), "Perfect Symmetry" (2008), "Night Train" (2010) and "Strangeland" (2012) all topping the charts. Paul Weller's relationship with Island dates back to his fourth solo album, 1997's "Heavy Soul", and its 2000 follow-up Heliocentric. He returned to the label in 2008 and began an outstanding trilogy of releases that contained some of his strongest solo work "22 Dreams" (2008), the Mercury Music Prize-nominated "Wake Up The Nation" (2010) and "Sonik Kicks" (2012).


title: Island Records

text: North London quartet Bombay Bicycle Club also released four albums on Island, with each one signalling a change of direction: the indie-rock of 2009's "I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose" paved the way for 2010's folkier "Flaws", the modern rock of 2011's "A Different Kind Of Fix" and the broad-based invention of 2014's "So Long, See You Tomorrow". Having built a loyal live following, Catfish & The Bottlemen signed to Island in 2014. After reaching platinum sales status in the UK with their Top Ten debut album, "The Balcony", the Welsh rock band won the BBC Introducing Award at the first BBC Music Awards in 2014 and were crowned British Breakthrough Act at the BRIT Awards in 2016 (an award voted for by Radio 1 listeners). Their second album, 2016's "The Ride", was a UK number one.


title: Island Records

text: Island was also responsible for securing major British breakthroughs for two of the 21st century's biggest international superstars in Drake and The Weeknd. The success of Toronto hip-hop artist Drake came after the label had worked patiently to build his profile over a number of years, culminating in the success of his fourth album "Views" and its attendant singles in 2016. "One Dance", Drake's first number one single in the UK, had 1.95 million sales to become Britain's biggest-selling single of 2016. The single's 15-week run at number one equalled the mark for the second longest in UK chart history. With the Island-signed Mike Posner having held the number one spot with "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" for four consecutive weeks before being replaced by "One Dance", Island held the top spot in the UK singles chart for 19 consecutive weeks between March and August 2016. To crown a record-breaking year, Drake was named the world's best-selling recording artist of 2016 by international music industry organisation IFPI in February 2017.


title: Island Records

text: Canadian singer and songwriter The Weeknd also cemented his position as one of the world's leading recording artists, with the 2016 success of his third album "Starboy". Its success was the culmination of a strategy that had seen Island build his UK profile over a four-year period that dated from his 2013 studio album "Kiss Land". Island's commitment to further nurturing the careers of global superstars was reiterated in June 2016 with the signing of Sean Paul. The Jamaican singer, rapper and songwriter released "No Lie" (featuring the Youngest English-Albanian Dua Lipa), his first single for Island, in November 2016.


title: Island Records

text: Signed to Island via a licensing deal with independent label PMR, Disclosure were formed by two brothers from Reigate in Surrey, Guy and Howard Lawrence. The duo discovered the joys of nineties house, techno and two-step garage while studying music production at college, and went on to enjoy success with their two Island albums "Settle" (2013) and "Caracal" (2015), making extensive use of an array of guest vocalists including Sam Smith, Jamie Woon, Eliza Doolittle, Lorde and Gregory Porter. One of the acts who guested on "Settle" was AlunaGeorge, a boy-girl duo from London (singer Aluna Francis and musician and producer George Reid), who released their debut album, "Body Music", on Island in 2013. Like Disclosure, Jessie Ware signed to Island through a link with independent label PMR. A soulful singer-songwriter from Brixton, Ware was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Music Prize with her smooth debut album, Devotion, and enjoyed further success with 2014's Tough Love. Another Island act to enjoy a significant breakthrough was Yorkshire singer John Newman, who topped the UK charts with his first solo single, "Love Me Again", and his debut album Tribute.


title: Island Records

text: In May 2018, incumbent president David Massey left Island to join Sony Music Entertainment's relaunch of Arista Records. Darcus Beese, OBE took on the role of president upon Massey's departure. To make the transition, Beese relocated from the United Kingdom to Island's offices at Universal Music Group's New York City building.


title: Island Records

text: On July 23, 2020, Universal Music Group and its local subsidiary MCA Music launched Island Records Philippines, the first Southeast Asian branch of the 61-year old label. The Philippines branch is led by former Sony Music Philippines and Sindikato Management executive Enzo Valdez.


title: Island Records

text: Island World Communications, under the leadership of Blackwell and Andy Frain, created Manga Entertainment Ltd, the anime and live action Japanese film division of Island in 1991. In that year, Laurence Guinness, the Senior VP at Island World Communications bought the distribution license for "Akira" from ICA Projects in London, and the distribution of what was the label's first release is considered a crucial milestone in the establishment of anime in the UK. In 1994, Island sold the distribution licenses for most of Manga's releases to Siren Entertainment, an independent entertainment company in Australia. Those rights were then given to Madman Entertainment in 1999 when Siren became solely an acquisitions company.


title: Island Records

text: The recording roster of Island Records, both past and present, has been and continues to be diverse. The label continues to champion new music, a practice that was highlighted at the Island Records 50th anniversary event, at which new artists provided the entertainment.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic has a primary listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX 100 indices. It has a secondary listing on the Nagoya Stock Exchange.


title: Panasonic

text: From 1935 to October 1, 2008, the company's corporate name was "Matsushita Electric Industrial Co." (MEI). On January 10, 2008, the company announced that it would change its name to "Panasonic Corporation", in effect on October 1, 2008, to conform with its global brand name "Panasonic". The name change was approved at the shareholders' meeting on June 26, 2008, after consultation with the Matsushita family.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2022, Panasonic announced a reorganization plan which split the company into Panasonic Holdings Corporation (the former Panasonic Corporation) and conversion of its divisions into subsidiaries; the Lifestyle Updates Business Division being the division that took the Panasonic Corporation name after the reorganization. The reorganization took effect on April 1, 2022.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic Corporation sells virtually all of its products and services worldwide under the Panasonic brand, having phased out the Sanyo brand in the first quarter of 2012. The company has sold products under a number of other brand names during its history.


title: Panasonic

text: In 1927, Matsushita adopted the brand name for a new lamp product. In 1955, the company began branding audio speakers and lamps for markets outside Japan as ""PanaSonic"", which was the first time it used the "Panasonic" brand name. The company began to use the brand name in 1965 for audio equipment. The use of multiple brands lasted for some decades. While "National" had been the premier brand on most Matsushita products, including audio and video, "National" and "Panasonic" were combined in 1988 as National Panasonic after the worldwide success of the Panasonic name.


title: Panasonic

text: In May 2003, the company announced that "Panasonic" would become its global brand, and launched the global tagline "Panasonic ideas for life." The company began to unify its brands to "Panasonic" and, by March 2004, replaced "National" for products and outdoor signboards, except for those in Japan. In January 2008, the company announced that it would phase out the brand "National" in Japan, replacing it with the global brand "Panasonic" by March 2010. In September 2013, the company announced a revision of the decade-old tagline to better illustrate the company vision: "A Better Life, A Better World."


title: Panasonic

text: Rasonic is a brand name of Shun Hing Electric Works and Engineering Co. Ltd (信興電工工程有限公司), a company that has imported Panasonic and National branded product since Matsushita Electric Industrial era, and has also sold MEI/Panasonic products under the original brand names. In June 1994, Panasonic Shun Hing Industrial Devices Sales (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. (松下信興機電(香港)有限公司) and Panasonic SH Industrial Sales (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (松下電器機電(深圳)有限公司) were established by joint venture between Matsushita Electric Industrial and Shun Hing Group respectively, making Rasonic a product brand for MEI and subsequent Panasonic Corporation.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic, then Matsushita Electric, was founded in 1918 by Kōnosuke Matsushita as a vendor of duplex lamp sockets. In the 1920s, Matsushita began regularly launching products. In 1927, he produced a line of bicycle lamps that were the first to be marketed with the "National" brand name. During World War II, the company operated factories in Japan and other parts of Asia which produced electrical components and appliances such as light fixtures, motors, electric irons, wireless equipment and its first vacuum tubes.


title: Panasonic

text: After the war, the Matsushita group, largely having been split into MEI and MEW by the dissolution imposed by the occupation force, imperfectly regrouped as a "Keiretsu" and began to supply the post-war boom in Japan with radios and appliances, as well as bicycles. Matsushita's brother-in-law, Toshio Iue, founded Sanyo as a subcontractor for components after World War II. Sanyo grew to become a competitor to Matsushita, but was later acquired by Panasonic in December 2009.


title: Panasonic

text: In 1961, Matsushita traveled to the United States and met American dealers. The company began producing television sets for the U.S. market under the "Panasonic" brand name, and expanded the use of the brand to Europe in 1979.


title: Panasonic

text: The company used the National brand outside North America from the 1950s to the 1970s (the trademark could not be used in the United States because it was already in use). The inability to use the National brand name led to the creation of the Panasonic brand in the United States. Over the next several decades, Matsushita released additional products, including black and white TVs (1952), electrical blenders, fridges (1953), rice cookers (1959), color TVs, and microwave ovens (1966).


title: Panasonic

text: The company debuted a high-fidelity audio speaker in Japan in 1965 with the brand "Technics". This line of high quality stereo components became a worldwide favorite, the most famous products being its turntables, such as the SL-1200 record player, known for its high-performance, precision and durability. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Matsushita continued to produce high-quality specialized electronics for niche markets, such as shortwave radios, and developed its successful line of stereo receivers, CD players and other components.


title: Panasonic

text: In 1968, Matsushita began to make rotary compressors for air conditioners, and, in 1971, it began to make absorption chillers, also for air-conditioning applications.


title: Panasonic

text: In 1983, Matsushita launched the Panasonic Senior Partner, the first fully IBM PC compatible Japanese-made computer A year later, Panasonic released the Executive Partner, the first affordable portable computer with a plasma display. Around this time the company also introduced inverter air conditioners.


title: Panasonic

text: In 1984, Matsushita established the "Panasoft" software label, which published software for MSX computers from 1984 to 1989. The company also manufactured MSX computers of their own, such as Panasonic FS-A1.


title: Panasonic

text: In November 1990, Matsushita agreed to acquire an American media company, MCA Inc., the predecessor of both Universal Music Group and Universal Pictures, for US$6.59 billion. The acquisition was preceded by the takeover of Columbia Pictures by Sony, the arch rival of Matsushita. At the time, Matsushita had dominated the home video market with the company's leading position in the electronics market. It had been strengthened by VHS, the de facto standard of consumer videotape that Matsushita and JVC co-introduced. Inspired by Sony's bold quest for Hollywood, Matsushita believed it could become a leader in the film industry as well. However, Matsushita subsequently sold 80% of MCA to Seagram Company for US$7 billion in April 1995, demoralized by the high volatility of the film industry.


title: Panasonic

text: On May 2, 2002, Panasonic Canada marked its 35th anniversary in that country by giving $5 million to help build a "music city" on Toronto's waterfront.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2005, Matsushita Toshiba Picture Display Co. Ltd. (a joint venture between Matsushita and Toshiba created in 2002) stopped production of CRTs at its factory in Horseheads, New York. A year later, in 2006, it stopped production at its Malaysian factory, following heavy losses. In 2007, it bought the venture from Toshiba, eventually ending all production.


title: Panasonic

text: On January 19, 2006, Matsushita announced that it would stop producing analog televisions (then 30% of its total TV business) from the next month, to concentrate on digital televisions.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2008, all models of electric shavers from the Panasonic factory were called Panasonic shavers, and they dropped Matsushita and National from their name.


title: Panasonic

text: In late 2006, Matsushita began talks with Kenwood Corporation to sell and spin off JVC. As of October 1, 2008, JVC and Kenwood merged to create the JVCKenwood Corporation.


title: Panasonic

text: On November 3, 2008, Panasonic and Sanyo announced that they were holding merger talks, which eventually resulted in the acquisition of Sanyo by Panasonic. The merger was completed in December 2009, and resulted in a corporation with revenues of over ¥11.2 trillion (around $110 billion).


title: Panasonic

text: With the announcement that Pioneer would exit the production of its Kuro plasma HDTV displays, Panasonic purchased many of the patents and incorporated these technologies into its own plasma displays.


title: Panasonic

text: In April 2011, it was announced that Panasonic would cut its work force by 40,000 by the end of fiscal 2012 in a bid to streamline overlapping operations. The curtailment is about 10 percent of its group work force.


title: Panasonic

text: In October 2011, Panasonic announced that it was going to trim its money-losing TV business by ceasing production of plasma TVs at its plant in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture by March 2012, cutting 1,000 jobs in the process. Also, it sold some of Sanyo's home appliances business to Haier.


title: Panasonic

text: In January 2012, Panasonic announced that it had struck a deal with Myspace on its new venture, Myspace TV. Myspace TV will allow users to watch live television while chatting with other users on a laptop, tablet or the television itself. With the partnership, Myspace TV will be integrated into Panasonic Viera televisions.


title: Panasonic

text: On May 11, 2012, Panasonic announced plans to acquire a 76.2% stake in FirePro Systems, an India-based company in infrastructure protection and security solutions such as fire alarm, fire suppression, video surveillance and building management.


title: Panasonic

text: In line with company prediction of a net loss of 765 billion yen, on November 5, 2012, the shares fell to the lowest level since February 1975 to 388 yen. In 2012, the shares plunged 41 per cent. On November 14, 2012, Panasonic said it would cut 10,000 jobs and make further divestments.


title: Panasonic

text: On May 18, 2013, Panasonic announced that it would invest $US40 million in building a factory in Binh Duong, Vietnam, which was completed in 2014.


title: Panasonic

text: In July 2013, Panasonic agreed to acquire a 13% stake in the Slovenian household appliance manufacturer Gorenje for around €10 million.


title: Panasonic

text: In July 2013, Panasonic signed an agreement with Sony Corporation to develop Archival Disc, described as an optical disc format for long-term data archival purposes.


title: Panasonic

text: In a press release following its announcement at IFA 2013, Panasonic announced that it had acquired the "Cameramanager video surveillance service" with the intention of expanding its reach to cloud-based solutions.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2014, Panasonic Healthcare was bought by outside investors. Panasonic Healthcare was later renamed as PHCHD, which stands for Panasonic HealthCare HD.


title: Panasonic

text: In July 2014, it was announced that Panasonic has reached a basic agreement with Tesla Motors to participate in the Gigafactory, the battery plant that the American electric vehicle manufacturer plans to build in the U.S. In August 2014, Tesla said the plant would be built in the Southwest or Western United States by 2020. The $US5 billion plant would employ 6,500 people, and reduce Tesla's battery costs by 30 per cent. The company said it was looking at potential sites in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California.


title: Panasonic

text: In October 2014, Panasonic announced its initial investment in Tesla Motors’ battery factory would amount to "tens of billions" of yen, according to the firm's CEO.


title: Panasonic

text: In November 2014, Panasonic announced its partnership with Photon Interactive to create customized and personalized digital signs in stores.


title: Panasonic

text: In January 2015, Panasonic announced it has stopped making TVs in China and plans to liquidate its joint venture in Shandong.


title: Panasonic

text: In March 2015, Panasonic announced plans to buy US satellite communication service provider ITC Global.


title: Panasonic

text: In April 2015, Panasonic announced its new range of products and relaunched its brand in South Africa. The company intends to use South Africa as a springboard into Africa, with Nigeria and Egypt as its initial targets.


title: Panasonic

text: In June 2015, Panasonic reached agreements with three Australian energy utilities (Red Energy, Ergon Energy and ActewAGL) to trial its home-based battery storage options.


title: Panasonic

text: In November 2015, Panasonic announced that it set up a new plant in Suzhou, China, through its subsidiary, Panasonic Ecology Systems Co., Ltd, to produce a new type of catalyst-coated diesel particulate filter (DPF) that decomposes matter contained in diesel engine exhaust gas.


title: Panasonic

text: In November 2015, Panasonic starts to retail locally harvested produce from its indoor agriculture facility salads via Veggie Life branding in Singapore, from the first licensed indoor vegetable farm in the country using Panasonic's own technology.


title: Panasonic

text: In February 2016, Panasonic and the City of Denver formed a formal partnership to make Denver the "smartest" city in the US. Joseph M. Taylor, chairman and CEO of Panasonic Corp. of America, laid out the plans for the partnership in four key areas: smart housing and small offices, energy and utilities, transportation and city services and smart buildings.


title: Panasonic

text: Due to increased competition from China, Panasonic's Li-ion automotive market share decreased from 47% in 2014 to 34% in 2015. In June 2016, Tesla announced that Panasonic would be the exclusive supplier of batteries for its mass market vehicle Model 3. Batteries for the higher-end Model S sedan and Model X SUV will also be supplied by Panasonic. In early 2016, Panasonic president Kazuhiro Tsuga confirmed a planned total investment of about $1.6 billion by the company to construct Gigafactory to full capacity. However, after the number of Model 3 reservations became known in April, Panasonic moved production plans forward and announced a bond sale for $US3.86 billion, most of it to be invested in Gigafactory.


title: Panasonic

text: In July 2016, Panasonic unveiled its interest in making acquisitions in the artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning space. According to a source, the company has put aside $US10 million for use in either an acquisition or joint venture.


title: Panasonic

text: In August 2018, the company announced, to avoid potential tax issues Panasonic would move its European headquarters from the UK to Amsterdam in October as Brexit approaches.


title: Panasonic

text: On September 25, 2018, Panasonic became one of the founding members of the L-Mount Alliance, and announced two full-frame mirrorless cameras and a range of L-Mount lenses to be launched in 2019. The 47-megapixel Panasonic Lumix S1R and the 24-megapixel Panasonic Lumix S1 will be the first full-frame mirrorless cameras produced by Panasonic and will offer the Lumix Pro support service for professional photographers. These cameras will also be equipped with Dual Image Stabilization technology to help photographers when shooting in low-light.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2019, Panasonic sold its semiconductors and security systems (security camera) businesses. The company also decided to completely exit from the liquid-crystal display panel business by 2021, marking the end of its display production, to focus its resources on the automotive and industrial businesses. Panasonic's LCD plant in Himeji, Hyogo will be overhauled to manufacture automotive batteries.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2020, Panasonic exited the vending machine business, as it failed to achieve profitability, lagging behind rivals Fuji Electric, Sanden and Glory.


title: Panasonic

text: Meanwhile, Panasonic has made an investment to take a 20% stake in Blue Yonder, the supply-chain management software company previously known as JDA Software, deepening the integration of the former's industrial connected technology and the latter's products that has been under way since a year ago.


title: Panasonic

text: On November 19, 2020, Panasonic announced a restructuring set to be completed by 2022 in which the company spins off the domain companies as wholly owned subsidiaries while transforming itself into the holding company named "Panasonic Holdings Corporation". Panasonic's plans are similar to that of its competitor, Sony, did on April 1, 2021, when Sony Corporation became Sony Group Corporation.


title: Panasonic

text: In March 2021, it was reported that Panasonic will buy Blue Yonder for $US6.45 billion after buying a 20% stake in Blue Yonder for 86 billion yen in 2020. This deal is considered one of the biggest since 2011.


title: Panasonic

text: In August 2022, it was reported that the company, which is a suppler to Tesla, was in discussions to build a new electric vehicle battery plant in the US, with Oklahoma named as a leading contender. This would be on top of the plant planned for Kansas. Each would have similar capacity.


title: Panasonic

text: In the first half of 2022, Panasonic is ranked fourth in the world with a market share of 10 per cent according to SNE research.


title: Panasonic

text: As of March 31, 2012, Panasonic employed about 330,000 staff (reduced to around 260,000 by March 2020) and had around 580 subsidiaries. Panasonic had total revenues of in 2012, of which 53 percent were generated in Japan, 25 per cent in Asia (excluding Japan), 12 per cent in the Americas and 10 per cent in Europe. The company invested a total of in research and development in 2012, equivalent to 6.6 percent of its revenues in that year.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2012, Panasonic held a total of 140,146 patents worldwide. Panasonic was the world's top patent applicant for three decades, from the 1980s to the 2000s. According to a research conducted by the European Patent Office in 2020, the number of battery-related patents having been filed by Panasonic from 2000 to 2018 was the second-highest in the world. In 2021, the WIPO's annual review of the World Intellectual Property Indicators report ranked Panasonic's number of patent applications published under the PCT System as 10th in the world, with 1,611 patent applications being published during 2020. This position is up from their previous ranking as 12th in 2019 with 1,567 applications.


title: Panasonic

text: As of July 2020, Panasonic's operations are organised into seven "domain companies": Appliances, Life Solutions, Connected Solutions, Automotive, Industrial Solutions, and two overseas branches overseeing the businesses in the United States and Asia. Each of these companies may comprise multiple subsidiaries conducting actual operations.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic Homes was a Japanese real estate and construction company and a subsidiary of Life Solutions Company, Panasonic, founded as the housing unit of Matsushita Electric Works in 1963. In recent years, Panasonic Homes has been involved in developing smart cities. In 2019, it was announced that Toyota and Panasonic would initiate a process to merge their housing businesses, Toyota Housing and Misawa Homes from the former and Panasonic Homes of the latter, into a joint venture scheduled to be established in January 2020 and co-controlled by the two parties, named Prime Life Technologies Corporation.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC), a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America and a unit of Connected Solutions Company, Panasonic, is a supplier of in-flight entertainment (IFE) and communication systems. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California where engineering, development and testing is performed while system installation, field engineering, major quality functions, certification and program management are performed at the Bothell, Washington facility – Panasonic Avionics Corporation employs approximately 3,300 employees based in over 70 locations worldwide, with major facilities in London, Toulouse, Hamburg, Dallas, Dubai, and Singapore. A majority of the component manufacturing is carried out in Osaka, Japan.


title: Panasonic

text: In February 2017, Panasonic reported that the subsidiary was being investigated by American authorities under the FCPA.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic Mobile Communications manufactures mobile phone handsets and related equipment. As of 2012, it had around a 20 percent share of the Japanese handset market. Panasonic used to market mobile phone handsets worldwide, but in December 2005 announced its withdrawal from overseas markets due to poor sales. Panasonic returned to the overseas market in 2012, with the release of the Panasonic Eluga Android-powered smartphone. In July 2013, Panasonic announced the company will not supply a new model of smartphone to NTT DoCoMo Inc., because NTT DoCoMo will focus with Sony and Samsung products. In Q2 2013, Panasonic Mobile Communications booked a 5.4 billion yen operating loss. From July 2013 to January 2018, Panasonic India has released one more series of Android Smartphones Panasonic P Series, along with Eluga Series.


title: Panasonic

text: Automotive Systems Business Division, Automotive Company, Panasonic, formerly Panasonic Automotive Systems (PAS), is an original equipment manufacturer of factory installed mobile audio equipment such as headunits, speakers and navigation modules. It is a subcontractor to most major auto manufacturers, supplying virtually every Japanese and American automaker, along with many European automakers. In 2015, PAS had a revenue of $12.4 billion. Panasonic also purchased the assets of Sanyo Corporation in 2017.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic also formerly manufactured aftermarket vehicle audio products such as head units and speakers.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic is the financial/technological partner of Tesla-owned Giga Nevada (Gigafactory 1) and has invested in the factory ever since the project's conception; in contrast to Tesla ever expanding its battery production to overseas, Panasonic has refrained from taking part in Tesla's ventures elsewhere; aside from Giga Nevada, it has own sites in Japan from which it has served Tesla since before the completion of the Gigafactory.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2020, Panasonic founded an electric vehicle battery joint venture with Toyota, named Prime Planet Energy & Solutions Inc. (PPES), after its status as the exclusive battery supplier to Tesla has been diminished amid the changes in market environment, such as the rises of the competitors from South Korea and China and Tesla's move to bring the development and manufacturing of battery cells in-house. Panasonic owns 49% of the venture. It was the first time the two companies joined hands in the realm of battery technology since Primearth EV Energy (PEVE) kicked off in 1996 to produce batteries for hybrid electric cars.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic Corporation of North America is Panasonic's principal subsidiary in the United States. It has been headquartered in Newark, New Jersey since 2013, after being previously headquartered in Secaucus, since the 1980s; both Newark and Secaucus are located within New Jersey's Gateway Region.


title: Panasonic

text: Founded in New York City at the MetLife Building in September 1959, it was known as Matsushita Electric Corporation of America (MECA) prior to 2005.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic Eco Systems North America, a business unit of Panasonic North America, distributes renewable energy products in the United States and Canada. Established in 2012, Panasonic Eco Systems sells renewable energy systems and home energy management products, including high efficiency solar panels, battery storage systems, and indoor air quality products. It also distributes cordless assembly tools used on factory assembly lines. In 2016, the company began expanding its network of residential solar installers in order to market Panasonic Solar HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer) panels and battery storage nationally, reaching 150 authorized installers by November 2018. The company began offering a 25-year warranty for its HIT photovoltaic modules – compared to the industry standard at the time of 10 years – in 2017. In 2019, Panasonic introduced its EverVolt brand of solar and battery storage products. The company transitioned its solar panel manufacturing to OEMs in early 2021 in order to focus on offering a wider range of products. Later that year, Panasonic debuted the EverVolt 2.0 energy storage system rated for outdoor use.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic's principal subsidiaries in Europe are Panasonic Europe Ltd. and Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH. Panasonic Europe is headquartered in London, England, but it is moving its headquarters to Amsterdam, Netherlands due to Brexit. Panasonic employs around 12,000 people in Europe, and the region generates around 10 percent of its total revenues. In 2012, Panasonic had around a 10 percent share of the consumer electronics market in Europe, ranking third behind Samsung Electronics (with 26 percent) and LG Electronics (with 12 percent).


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic operates a chain of stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland called "Panasonic Store" which exclusively sell Panasonic products. Prior to 2008 the chain was named "shop@Panasonic".


title: Panasonic

text: In November 2010, Panasonic Electric Works established Panasonic Electric Works Vossloh-Schwabe Serbia d.o.o, a new company in Svilajnac, Serbia, to manufacture energy-efficient electronic devices (ballasts) for lighting fixtures. Volume production commenced in January 2011.


title: Panasonic

text: In May 2015, Panasonic launched its virtual solar service to UK consumers. The service allows users to run a simulation to provide an estimate of how much a rooftop solar installation would produce if it were installed in their home.


title: Panasonic

text: Mr. Daizo Ito serves as Group President for Panasonic Regional Headquarters India (situated in Haryana) at Panasonic India Pvt. Ltd. Panasonic India makes washing machines, refrigerators, electric rice cookers, electric irons, mixer-grinders/blenders and other home appliances for the Indian market.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt Ltd (formerly known as Anchor Electricals Pvt. Ltd.), an Indian company which makes electric lamps, switches, sockets and other electrical accessories, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation.


title: Panasonic

text: PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia (formerly known as PT National Gobel and PT National Panasonic Gobel) is the name of the company's Indonesia division based in Cawang, East Jakarta. Tomonobu Otsu is the current President Director and Rachmat Gobel is the current President Commissioner. It is a joint venture between Panasonic Corporation Japan and the Gobel Group of Indonesia.


title: Panasonic

text: Matsushita bought American media company MCA Inc. for US$6.6 billion. In 1995, it sold 80% of MCA's shares to Canadian drink company Seagram. MCA was renamed Universal Studios Inc. in 1996, after which its motion picture business has changed hands continuously, Vivendi, General Electric and Comcast in order, while the music division has become Universal Music Group, acquired and wholly owned by Vivendi up until 2019.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic used to manufacture 3DO gaming systems alongside GoldStar and Sanyo but stopped 3 years later, as it was not a success. There were a total of 2 million systems sold from 1993 to 1996, though it is not known how many of these were sold by each manufacturer. Panasonic obtained exclusive rights to manufacture the 3DO's successor console, the M2, but ultimately backed out of releasing it due to the highly competitive state of the console gaming market at the time.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2014, Panasonic Healthcare was bought by outside investors and renamed as PHCHD, which stands for Panasonic HealthCare HD. It mainly makes cryogenic and ULT freezers for laboratories and sterilization equipment.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic had been in the semiconductor industry since 1957, when it started the mass production of silicon transistors and bipolar ICs. From 2012 onwards the company had implemented a series of measures to boost productivity of the business, including transfers of its production facilities to a joint venture with TowerJazz, and the system-on-a-chip designing unit to Panasonic/Fujitsu joint venture Socionext.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2019, Panasonic decided to sell its remaining chip business and the stake in the joint venture with TowerJazz to Nuvoton following heavy losses.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic has offered a wide range of products and services, including air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, compressors, lighting, televisions, personal computers, mobile phones (as a subsidiary of TCL Electronics), audio equipment, cameras, broadcasting equipment, projectors, automotive electronics, aircraft in-flight entertainment systems, semiconductors, lithium batteries, electrical components, optical devices, bicycles, electronic materials and photovoltaic modules. Ventilation appliances such as electric fans are manufactured under KDK and rebranded as Panasonic.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic sponsors the German footballer Marco Reus, who plays for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and Germany.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic owns Panasonic Wild Knights a rugby club base in Gunma just outside of Tokyo. They compete in the highest level of rugby in Japan Top League.


title: Panasonic

text: Between 1981 and 1983, Panasonic was the shirt sponsor of English football club Nottingham Forest F.C.


title: Panasonic

text: On January 16, 2010, Panasonic signed a three-year, 47 million (£518,500) jersey sponsorship deal for the India national football team.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic was a primary sponsor of Toyota's Formula One program, Panasonic Toyota Racing. Hiro Matsushita, grandson of the company founder, is a former race car driver who ran a company overseeing sponsorship arrangements for the company.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic was also a sponsor in NASCAR's Busch Series in 2005, sponsoring the No. 67 Smith Brothers Racing Dodge for Ken Schrader, Bryan Reffner, C.W. Smith, and Johnny Benson Jr. In 2007, Panasonic became a technology partner with Hendrick Motorsports, and will serve as a primary sponsor of the team's No. 24 car with Jeff Gordon for two races in 2014 and through 2015


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic was the official partner and sponsor of the Boston Celtics from 1975 to 1989, along with Technics. Various Panasonic ads appeared at the old Boston Garden during the 1980s.


title: Panasonic

text: On February 14, 2017, Panasonic was unveiled as the main sponsor of Lega Basket Serie A, the highest professional basketball league in Italy and one of the top ranked national domestic league in Europe.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic currently sponsors Japanese IndyCar Series driver Takuma Sato in his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car.


title: Panasonic

text: Panasonic is ranked in joint 11th place (out of 16) in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, which ranks electronics manufacturers on policies and practices to reduce their impact on the climate, produce greener products and make their operations more sustainable. The company is one of the top scorers on the Products criteria, praised for its good product life cycles and the number of products which are free from polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC). It also scores maximum points for the energy efficiency of its products with 100 percent of its TVs meeting the latest Energy Star standards and exceeding the standby power requirement.


title: Panasonic

text: However, Panasonic's score is let down by its low score on the Energy criteria, with the Guide stating it must focus on planned reductions of greenhouse gases (GHG), set targets to reduce GHG emissions by at least 30% by 2015 and increase renewable energy use by 2020.


title: Panasonic

text: In 2014, an article in "The Guardian" reported that Panasonic will compensate its expatriate workers in China a "hazard pay" as compensation for the chronic air pollution they are subjected to as they work.


title: Panasonic

text: In February 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that Panasonic got its highest-emitting Chinese factory to “virtually net zero” carbon dioxide.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Dennis Waterman (24 February 1948 – 8 May 2022) was an English actor and singer. He was best known for his tough-guy leading roles in television series including "The Sweeney", "Minder" and "New Tricks", singing the theme tunes of the latter two.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman's acting career spanned 60 years, starting with his childhood roles in film and theatre, and adult roles in film, television and West End theatre. He was known for the range of roles he played, including drama ("Up the Junction"), horror ("Scars of Dracula"), adventure ("Colditz"), comedy ("Fair Exchange"), comedy-drama ("Minder"), musical ("Windy City") and sport (""). He appeared in 29 films, the last being released in 2020.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman was born on 24 February 1948, as the youngest of nine children to Rose Juliana (née Saunders) and Harry Frank Waterman in Clapham, then in the County of London. The family, which included siblings Ken, Peter, a welterweight boxing champion, Stella, Norma, and Myrna, lived at 2 Elms Road, Clapham Common South Side. Harry Waterman was a ticket collector for British Railways. Two older sisters, Joy and Vera, had already left home by the time Dennis was born, and another brother, Allen, had died as a young child.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Boxing was a big part of Waterman's childhood. His father had been an amateur boxer and made all of his sons box. His older brother Ken first took Dennis boxing when he was three years old, and when he was ten Dennis joined Caius Boxing Club.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman was educated at the Granard Primary School, a state primary school on the Ashburton Estate in Putney, south-west London, followed by Corona Stage School, an independent school at Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith, West London.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman's acting career began in childhood. His first role was in "Night Train for Inverness" (1960). He appeared in two small stage roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1960 season. In 1961, at the age of 13, he played the part of Winthrop Paroo in the Adelphi Theatre production of "The Music Man". A year later, he starred as William Brown in the BBC TV series "William" based on the "Just William" books of Richmal Crompton.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman played the role of Oliver Twist in the production of the Lionel Bart musical "Oliver!" staged at the Mermaid Theatre, London, in the early 1960s, and appeared on the cast recording released in 1961. Waterman was a series regular in the 1962 CBS comedy "Fair Exchange", playing teenager Neville Finch. In 1963, he took a "starring" role in the Children's Film Foundation film "Go Kart Go".


title: Dennis Waterman

text: He later appeared in the premier of Carving a Statue, produced by Peter Wood on 17 September 1964 at the Haymarket Theatre, London. The cast consisted of; Ralph Richardson as The Father, Dennis Waterman as His Son, Barbara Ferris as The First Girl, Jane Birkin as The Second Girl and Roland Culver as Dr Parker.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman was in the original cast of "Saved", the play written by Edward Bond, and first produced at the Royal Court Theatre in November 1965. He had a major role in the feature film version of "Up the Junction" (1968) in which he played Peter, boyfriend to Polly (Suzy Kendall).


title: Dennis Waterman

text: In the early 1970s, Waterman appeared in the BBC television series "Colditz" as a young Gestapo officer. He played the brother of a victim of Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) in the Hammer film "Scars of Dracula" (1970), and the boyfriend of Susan George in "Fright" (1971). He appeared alongside Richard Harris and John Huston in a Hollywood western, "Man in the Wilderness" (1971). He was a member of the company of actors who featured in "The Sextet" (1972), a BBC 2 series which included the Dennis Potter drama "Follow the Yellow Brick Road", and Waterman later appeared in the same dramatist's "Joe's Ark" ("Play for Today", 1974). Also in 1974, Waterman appeared in episode 4 of the second series of the comedy programme "Man About the House" entitled "Did You Ever Meet Rommel", in which he played a friend of Robin, a German student by the name of Franz Wasserman. Waterman guest starred in a 1974 "Special Branch" episode entitled "Stand and Deliver"


title: Dennis Waterman

text: He became a household name as DS George Carter in "The Sweeney" during the 1970s. As well as starring as Terry McCann in "Minder", Waterman sang the theme song, "I Could Be So Good for You", which was a top three UK hit in 1980 and a top ten hit in Australia. It was written by his then-wife Patricia along with Gerard Kenny. Waterman also recorded a song with George Cole: "What Are We Gonna Get For 'Er Indoors?"


title: Dennis Waterman

text: In 1976, Waterman released his first album, "Downwind of Angels", arranged and produced by Brian Bennett. A single, "I Will Glide", was released from the album.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman starred in a television film made by Tyne Tees Television entitled "The World Cup: A Captain's Tale" (1982). It was the true story of West Auckland Town F.C., a part-time side who won the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, sometimes described as the 'First World Cup', in 1909 and 1911. Waterman played the part of Bob Jones, the club captain. It cost £1.5 million to make, most of which was funded by Waterman. Shooting took place in the North East and in Turin in Italy. Scenes were shot in County Durham pit villages and in Ashington, Northumberland, where goalposts and a grandstand were erected in a public park with a colliery headframe in the background.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: In 1982, Waterman starred in the musical "Windy City". A relatively short-lived production. The cast included Amanda Redman, with whom Waterman had an eighteen-month affair during the run of the musical and with whom he later went on to star in the TV series "New Tricks". "Windy City" closed after 250 performances. Waterman took the lead male role in the BAFTA Award-winning BBC adaptation of Fay Weldon's "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil" (1986).


title: Dennis Waterman

text: In an Australian television film, "The First Kangaroos" (1988), Waterman's depiction of the rugby player Albert Goldthorpe drew formal complaints from Goldthorpe's granddaughter.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: In 1988, Waterman voiced Vernon's sidekick Toaster in the children's animated series "Tube Mice", which also starred George Cole.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: After leaving "Minder", Waterman appeared as Thomas Gynn in the comedy drama "Stay Lucky" (1989–93), with Jan Francis and Emma Wray; self made millionaire Tony Carpenter in the sitcom "On the Up" (1990–92) and John Neil in the mini series "Circles of Deceit" (1995–96). Between 1997 to 1999, he appeared in series 3 and 4 of the crime drama "The Knock".


title: Dennis Waterman

text: He was a regular cast member in every season of "New Tricks", from 2003 to 2014, and also sang the theme song. Waterman appeared on stage in "Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell" by Keith Waterhouse and as Alfred P. Doolittle in the 2001 London revival of "My Fair Lady". He narrated the reality-format television programme "Bad Lads' Army" and appeared in the 2009 BBC2 miniseries "Moses Jones".


title: Dennis Waterman

text: In 2020, Waterman starred in the Australian drama-comedy film "Never Too Late" which had been filmed in Adelaide, Australia, the previous year.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: "The Minder Podcast" revealed that Waterman was semi-retired and living in Spain. The podcast referred to Waterman as "a truly underrated actor" and following Waterman's death pledged to go off air for seven weeks, one for each series of "Minder" he had appeared in, in commemoration.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman's marriage to Lenska ended because of his violent behaviour towards her. In March 2012, he caused controversy with some comments on this issue: "It's not difficult for a woman to make a man hit her. She certainly wasn't a beaten wife, she was hit and that's different." The interview was broadcast in full on "Piers Morgan's Life Stories" on ITV in May 2012.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman was banned from driving for three years in January 1991, following his second drink-driving conviction in four years.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman was a fan of Chelsea F.C. His love of football was reflected in his being chosen to present "Match of the Seventies" from 1995 to 1996, a nostalgic BBC show celebrating the best football matches from the 1970s.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: In 2015, his friend of many years, George Cole, who had played Arthur Daley in "Minder," died aged 90. Waterman delivered the eulogy at Cole's funeral on 12 August.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman died from lung cancer in a hospital in Madrid, Spain on 8 May 2022 at the age of 74. He moved to Spain with his wife Pam in 2015 after New Tricks ended, living at a villa in La Manga, and playing golf at the La Manga Club, he said in a interview with the "Daily Express" that "I’ve found out a remarkable thing about myself is that I’m really, really good at doing f*** all. I’ve always sneered at people who have gone into early retirement and thought, 'what are you going to do?', but I’ve taken to it like a duck to water. We’re spending a lot of time in Spain so we’re lolling in the sun, having a splash when it gets too hot and then going and having a game of golf. And there is drink involved. It’s murder. I am really good at it.”


title: Dennis Waterman

text: Waterman was caricatured by David Walliams in the radio and TV comedy series "Little Britain", in sketches where he visits his agent (played by Matt Lucas) looking for parts. Most of the jokes in these sketches feature Waterman being extremely small, with common objects being made to appear massive in comparison. The Waterman caricature is offered, but always declines, respectable parts because he is not allowed to "write the theme tune, sing the theme tune" (rendered as "write da feem toon, sing da feem toon") of the particular production.


title: Dennis Waterman

text: This running joke is based on Waterman having sung the theme tunes for at least four of the programmes in which he starred, namely for "Minder", "Stay Lucky", "On the Up" and "New Tricks". In November 2006, Waterman made a guest appearance in "Comic Relief Does Little Britain Live", alongside the comedy character version of himself.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AEW TNT Champion, and as ROH World Television Champion in AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where he was inducted as part of the inaugural class in the ROH Hall of Fame. During his career, Joe has also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - now IMPACT Wrestling) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).


title: Samoa Joe

text: He established himself in ROH from the promotion's beginning in 2002, holding the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from March 2003 to December 2004. Upon joining TNA in June 2005, he embarked on a 19-month-long undefeated streak, and went on to hold the TNA World Heavyweight Championship once, the TNA X Division Championship five times, the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice, and the TNA Television Championship once; completing the TNA Triple Crown and the TNA Grand Slam. He also wrestled internationally and on the independent circuit for various promotions, winning several titles, including the GHC Tag Team Championship with Magnus in Pro Wrestling Noah, and he was an inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion with Keiji Sakoda in Pro Wrestling Zero1. He left TNA in February 2015, briefly competing again in ROH and the independent circuit.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe officially debuted in WWE's developmental territory NXT in May 2015, and signed a full-time contract with the company in June; he went on to become the first-ever two-time NXT Champion, and the co-winner of the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (with Finn Bálor). After joining the main roster in January 2017 and being assigned to the Raw brand, he headlined several WWE pay-per-view events and contended for the Universal Championship, and later the WWE Championship during his time on the SmackDown brand. In 2019, Joe won his only title on the main roster, the United States Championship, on two occasions. Following several injuries, he became a color commentator on Raw. He was released from his contract in April 2021, but was re-signed just two months later to be an on-screen authority figure on NXT and shortly after would return to in-ring competition to win the NXT Championship for the third time in his career before he was released once again in January 2022.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Seanoa was born on March 17, 1979, and raised in Orange County, California. He resided mainly in Huntington Beach and spent time during his childhood in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii. His family founded a Polynesian dance troupe in the United States called Tiare Productions. Seanoa made his stage debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics opening at the age of five. He became a California State Junior Judo Champion and was an all league football player while attending Ocean View High School. Before becoming a wrestler, Seanoa worked as a mortgage broker.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe was the first graduate of the UIWA West Coast Dojo, training under Cincinnati Red, along with Johnny Hemp and, occasionally, John Delayo. He debuted in December 1999 in a match against "Uncle" Jess Hansen just three months after beginning training.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe quickly signed with former WWF developmental affiliate Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), where he feuded with John Cena and made an appearance on "WWF Jakked" against Essa Rios. He tagged with Mike Knox at UPW Proving Ground on December 12, 2000 in the Galaxy Theatre of Santa Ana, California and defeated the debuting Al Katrazz with Basil. He eventually captured the UPW Heavyweight Championship. He later became the longest reigning UPW Heavyweight Champion ever. When Joe was in UPW, he met Bruce Prichard and Jim Ross, who told him that he would not have a future in pro wrestling.


title: Samoa Joe

text: In June 2001, Joe made his way to Japan, wrestling for Shinya Hashimoto's Pro Wrestling Zero-One promotion, fighting in its Shingeki series of pay-per-views, as well as the annual Burning Heart tournaments.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe continued to work for the promotion throughout 2002, participating in a number of their biggest shows and tournaments. After forming a team with Keiji Sakoda, they became the inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions, though their reign is no longer officially recognized by the promotion. He worked as both Samoa Joe and later King Joe, but ultimately chose to leave the promotion when he was asked to take on a more gimmicky character.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Back in the United States, Joe joined the ranks of the East Coast-based Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion in 2002. He made his debut at "Glory by Honor" as Christopher Daniels's "hired assassin", brought in to take out Daniels's chief enemy, Low Ki. Originally booked for just the one match against Low Ki, Joe impressed fans with his extremely stiff and hard-hitting style that resembled a mixed martial arts fighter more than a wrestler, which led to ROH booking him full-time.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe quickly rose through the ranks and became ROH Champion, defeating Xavier for the belt, which soon became the ROH World Championship on May 17, 2003 after defeating The Zebra Kid at "Frontiers of Honor" in London, England. He held that title for twenty one months before losing it to Austin Aries at "Final Battle 2004" on December 26, 2004. During this time, he had a trilogy of title defenses against CM Punk (the second match earning a 5 star rating from Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the first American match in seven years to do so). Soon after losing the ROH World Championship to Austin Aries, Joe became the promotion's fifth Pure Champion, defeating his on-screen protégé Jay Lethal for the belt on May 7, 2005 at "Manhattan Mayhem" in New York City. He held the title for over three months before losing it to Nigel McGuinness on August 27 at "Dragon Gate Invasion".


title: Samoa Joe

text: In October 2005, when Japanese heavyweight superstar Kenta Kobashi made a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to the United States, he was signed to two Ring of Honor shows. ROH officials selected Joe to face him in a singles match on the first night and a tag match on the second. Joe proved to be a formidable opponent for Kobashi, in a back and forth match, which Dave Meltzer again gave a five-star rating. The match went on to win the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for "Match of the Year". In 2006, Joe was one of the principal wrestlers representing Ring of Honor in their war against rival Philadelphia promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). The war culminated in a five-on-five Cage of Death match at "Death before Dishonor IV". Joe helped ROH dominate in the match, until, after picking up CZW wrestler Chris Hero for one of his finishers, the Muscle Buster, he was attacked by fellow ROH wrestler Bryan Danielson. Danielson repeatedly hit his injured knee with a steel chair, forcing him to quit the match. Joe was later replaced in the match by Homicide, who went on to win the match for ROH. Joe later teamed with Homicide to fight against the Briscoes, and, like Homicide, found himself back in the ROH world title hunt. Joe, however, came up short against champion Bryan Danielson in several matches, including a match that went to a 60 Minute Draw and the final one being a cage match on December 8. At the December 9 show, Joe called out the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion, claiming "Ring of Honor is right here!" This was not his first encounter with NOAH; at the September 16, 2006 ROH show, after a speech by wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino, Joe got into an argument and pull-apart brawl with Noah star Takeshi Morishima. Subsequently, a match was signed for February pitting Joe against Morishima which Joe won.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe ceased to be a full-time performer in ROH on March 4, 2007. All shows that led up to that date were billed as the "Samoa Joe Farewell Tour". On March 4, he beat longtime rival Homicide in his final ROH match with a Muscle Buster from the second rope. On November 22, 2008, Joe made a one night only return for Rising Above, defeating Tyler Black in a non-pay-per-view main event.


title: Samoa Joe

text: From 2003 to 2007, Joe made several appearances for Southern California promotion Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), making his debut on November 15, 2003, when he defeated CM Punk in a singles match. During his time in the promotion, Joe had a notable on-screen rivalry with Super Dragon and unsuccessfully challenged Dragon for his PWG Championship on February 12, 2005. After Dragon had lost the title, Joe defeated him in a grudge match on August 19, 2005. Joe received another shot at the PWG Championship the following November, but was this time defeated by Kevin Steen. Joe made his to date final PWG appearance on April 8, 2007, when he defeated Low Ki in a singles match.


title: Samoa Joe

text: From 2004 to 2006, Joe also made several appearances for Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA-MS), where he most notably made it to the finals of the 2004 Ted Petty Invitational and, later that same year, won the Revolution Strong Style Tournament.


title: Samoa Joe

text: On February 14, 2009, Joe made debuted for the Puerto Rican International Wrestling Association (IWA) at "Noche de Campeones", where he unsuccessfully challenged El Chicano for the IWA Undisputed World Unified Heavyweight Championship.


title: Samoa Joe

text: On November 3, 2013, Joe made his debut at Championship Wrestling From Hollywood, defeating Willie Mack. On November 3, Joe defeated Mack in the Main Event. On November 15, 2014, Joe appeared at JAPW 18th Anniversary Show, where he defeated Chris Hero.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Throughout his career, Joe has also wrestled in Europe for promotions such German Stampede Wrestling (GSW), International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (IPW:UK), and Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw).


title: Samoa Joe

text: On June 14, 2005, Joe signed a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He made his official debut five days later at the Slammiversary pay-per-view, defeating Sonjay Dutt in a match that saw him dubbed "The Samoan Submission Machine" by announcer Mike Tenay. Joe was a participant in the Christopher Daniels Invitational Super X Cup, defeating Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley to advance to the tournament finals at Sacrifice. Joe won the tournament by defeating A.J. Styles, but only with help from Daniels. As a result of Daniels' interference, however, TNA Director of Authority Larry Zbyszko made Daniels defend his X Division Championship in a three-way match against both Joe and Styles at Unbreakable. This match marked Joe's first title shot in the company, though Styles won the match. Joe's undefeated streak was still officially intact, as it was Daniels that had been pinned, not Joe. This match is to date the only match in TNA's history to receive a rating of five stars from Dave Meltzer.


title: Samoa Joe

text: At Genesis on November 13, he teamed with Daniels, Alex Shelley, and Roderick Strong (a team that Daniels called "The Ministry") against Sonjay Dutt, Chris Sabin, Matt Bentley, and Austin Aries in an eight man elimination match. Following the victory by Daniels and Joe (Shelley and Strong were eliminated earlier in the match), Joe attacked Daniels, beating him around the ringside area until he had busted him open. He then threw Daniels into the ring, and delivered a Muscle Buster. Joe then went out to grab a steel chair from ringside and brought it into the ring, after which he gave Daniels a second Muscle Buster, this time onto the chair, supposedly giving Daniels a level-3 concussion. In response to these actions, Styles called Joe out on an episode of "Impact!", saying his attack of Daniels violated an unwritten code of respect in the X Division. Prior to Turning Point, Joe attacked Styles, saying he did not respect the X Division code (a vast departure from his Ring of Honor persona, who is a stalwart defender of their written Code of Honor). Joe defeated Styles at Turning Point and won the X Division Championship. Joe could not injure Styles, however, Daniels came out and stopped him. Daniels was later slated to face Joe at Final Resolution in 2006 for the X Division Championship. During the build-up to the match, Joe stated that he intended to end Daniels' career. During the match, Styles came down to the ring to cheer for Daniels. Not long after making Daniels bleed from his head, Joe stopped going for the pin, instead dropping knee after knee on Daniels' head. Styles, concerned about Daniels' health, signaled for the match to be stopped by throwing in the towel, allowing Joe to retain the X Division title. Joe proceeded to win the rematch of the three-way at Unbreakable, thus retaining his title. This three-way feud continued until Destination X, when he lost the title to Daniels in an Ultimate X match, a match in which there is no pinfall or submission, thus keeping his undefeated streak.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe was then taken out of the X Division and was scheduled to take on Sabu at Lockdown. Despite that, he still had a scheduled X Division title match, and, on April 13's "Impact!" (TNA's Thursday debut), Joe regained the X Division title after delivering an Island Driver from the middle turnbuckle to Christopher Daniels. Joe then successfully defended his X Division title against Sabu at Lockdown. At Sacrifice, Joe partnered with Sting in a tag team match against Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner. Joe and Sting were victorious, but after the match, Joe left the ring and allowed Sting to be attacked. Joe explained this by stating that he agreed to only watch Sting's back "from bell to bell" (implying that once the second bell rang, his duties were over), but still had issues with Steiner. Joe added Scott Steiner to his undefeated streak, at Slammiversary.


title: Samoa Joe

text: During the "Impact!" tapings on May 15, Joe was injured as he performed a kick, and it was reported that he tore every knee ligament except the anterior cruciate ligament. He suffered a first degree tear to the posterior cruciate ligament and a second degree tear to the medial collateral ligament. Joe would remain out of action for two weeks. After returning, Joe lost his X Division Championship in a triple threat match with Sonjay Dutt and Senshi. Senshi pinned Dutt to win the championship after Steiner laid out Joe with a steel chair. Joe would have his chance at revenge when he participated in a four-way number one contender match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship along with Sting, Christian Cage, and Scott Steiner at Victory Road on July 16. Joe lost this match when Sting pinned Steiner.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Joe beat Jeff Jarrett at No Surrender in a "Fan's Revenge Lumberjack match". After the match, he took Jarrett's NWA World Heavyweight Championship with him, telling Jim Cornette that if Jarrett or Sting (Jarrett's scheduled opponent at Bound for Glory) wanted the belt, they could take it from him. On the October 12 episode, Joe agreed to return the belt to the Jarrett-Sting winner under one condition—the winner had to agree to give him a title shot. This offer was turned down, and finally Joe was given the choice of giving back the title or be fired. Kurt Angle made his debut and got into a brawl with Joe after he again refused to give back the belt, and during the brawl, Jarrett took the belt back. At Bound for Glory on October 22, Joe defeated Raven, Brother Runt and Abyss in a Monster's Ball match. The match ended when special referee Jake Roberts performed a DDT to Raven, allowing Joe to deliver the Muscle Buster to Raven for the pinfall. Later in the night, Joe was involved in a pull-apart brawl with Kurt Angle after Jim Cornette announced that he would be fired if he interfered in the main event match that involved Angle as special enforcer. At Genesis, Joe lost to Angle after submitting to Angle's ankle lock. This ended his eighteen-month undefeated streak.


title: Samoa Joe

text: Throughout the rest of 2006 into 2007, Joe continued to feud with Angle and picked up a victory by submission in their rematch at Turning Point, before suffering a legit knee injury in a tag team match. On January 14, 2007 at Final Resolution, Joe was defeated by Angle in a thirty-minute Iron Man match when Angle was put in the ankle lock but was saved from submitting another fall by the time expiring.


title: Samoa Joe

text: On the February 14 edition of "Impact!", Joe won a gauntlet match to become the number one contender to Christian Cage's NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Destination X, but lost the match. He qualified to compete in the Match of Champions at Victory Road by defeating Jay Lethal and Chris Sabin for the X Division title on the July 12 episode of "Impact!". At the Match of Champions, Joe scored the winning pinfall on Brother Ray and won the TNA World Tag Team Championship from Team 3D, making him the first wrestler in TNA to hold multiple TNA championships. He opted to hold the title by himself. At Hard Justice, Joe put up the X Division title and both Tag Team titles against Kurt Angle's TNA World title as well as the IGF's version of the IWGP World Championship. Joe, however, lost all his titles thanks to interference by Karen Angle.