title: Joseph Estrada

text: In October 2000, Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, a close friend of Estrada, alleged that he had personally given Estrada ₱400 million as the payoff from jueteng, a grassroots-based numbers game, hidden in a bank account known as "Jose Velarde", as well as ₱180 million from the government price subsidy for the tobacco farmers' marketing cooperative after Estrada ordered a full-blown investigation into Chavit Singson's alleged misuse of millions of pesos in public funds. Singson's allegation caused controversy across the nation, which culminated in the House of Representatives' filing of an impeachment case against Estrada on November 13, 2000. House Speaker Manny Villar fast-tracked the impeachment complaint. The impeachment suit was brought to the Senate and an impeachment court was formed, with Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. as presiding officer. Estrada pleaded "not guilty".


title: Joseph Estrada

text: This was the first time the Filipino public witnessed, through radio and television, an elected president stand in trial and face possible impeachment with full media coverage. During the trial, the prosecution presented witnesses and alleged pieces of evidence to the impeachment court regarding Estrada's alleged involvement in jueteng. The existence of secret bank accounts which he allegedly used for receiving payoffs was also brought to the fore.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: In the 2004 Global Transparency Report, Estrada made it into the list of the World's All-Time Most Corrupt Leaders in the World. He was listed tenth and was said to have amassed between $78 million to $80 million. Also making it to the list from the Philippines was Ferdinand Marcos, who ended up second in the list as he was said to have embezzled between $5 billion to $10 billion during his 21 years as president from 1965 to 1986.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On the evening of January 16, 2001, the impeachment court voted not to open an envelope that allegedly contained incriminating evidence against Estrada as it was not part of the impeachment complaint. The final vote was 11–10 to keep the envelope closed. The prosecution panel (of congressmen and lawyers) walked out of the impeachment court in protest of this vote. The 11 senators who voted not to open the envelope are known as the "Craven Eleven." That night, anti-Estrada protesters gathered in front of the EDSA Shrine at Epifanio de Los Santos Avenue, not too far away from the site of the 1986 People Power Revolution that overthrew President Ferdinand Marcos.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On January 19, 2001, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes, seeing the political upheaval throughout the country, decided to "withdraw his support" of Estrada and pay his allegiance to the vice president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: The following day, the Supreme Court declared the presidency vacant, saying that Estrada had resigned the office. At noon, the chief justice swore in Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as president of the Philippines. Before Estrada departed from Malacañang, he issued the following press release:


title: Joseph Estrada

text: The Supreme Court on March 2, 2001, upheld the constitutionality of Estrada's resignation in a unanimous 13-0 decision in Estrada vs. Desierto.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Estrada returned to his old home in San Juan. He maintained that he never resigned, implying that Arroyo's government was illegitimate.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: The new government created a special court and charged him with plunder and had him arrested in April. His supporters marched to the EDSA Shrine demanding Estrada's release and his reinstatement as president but were dispersed by high-grade teargas and warning shots from automatic rifles. On the morning of May 1, the protesters marched straight to Malacañang Palace. Violence erupted and the government declared a state of rebellion. Many protesters were injured and arrested, including politicians. The government called out the military and was able to quell the demonstration with tear gas and automatic rifles. The uprising came to be known as EDSA III.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Estrada was initially detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City and then transferred to a military facility in Tanay, Rizal, but he was later transferred to a nearby vacation home, virtually under house arrest. Under Philippine law, plunder had the maximum penalty of death; the death penalty was eventually repealed.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On September 12, 2007, the Sandiganbayan gave its decision, finding Estrada not guilty in his perjury case but guilty of plunder "beyond reasonable doubt". He was sentenced to "reclusión perpetua". He was thus the first Philippine president to be convicted of plunder.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On September 26, 2007, Estrada appealed by filing a 63-page motion for reconsideration of the Sandiganbayan judgment penned by Teresita de Castro (submitting five legal grounds). Estrada alleged that the court erred ""when it convicted him by acquitting his alleged co-conspirators.""


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On October 5, 2007, the Sandiganbayan's Special Division ruled to set October 19 as an oral argument (instead of a defense reply) on Estrada's motion for reconsideration. Estrada asked for the court's permission to attend the hearing, since it ordered the prosecution to file a comment before October 11.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: The Sandiganbayan's special division, on June 27, 2008, ordered Estrada to file a comment within 10 days, on the motion of the Ombudsman's special prosecutor to re-open the trial of his perjury case regarding his 1999 statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN). The court was also to resolve Banco de Oro's (formerly Equitable PCI Bank) plea that it could not determine "without hazard to itself" whom to turn over to the P1.1 billion Jose Velarde assets due to claims by Wellex Group / William Gatchalian and a Bureau of Internal Revenue stay order.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On October 22, 2007, Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera stated that Estrada was seeking a ""full, free, and unconditional pardon"" from President Arroyo. Estrada's lawyer Jose Flaminiano wrote Arroyo: ""The time has come to end President Estrada's fight for justice and vindication before the courts. Today [Monday], we filed a withdrawal of his Motion for Reconsideration."" Estrada stressed the ""delicate condition"" of his mother in asking for pardon.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On October 25, 2007, President Arroyo granted executive clemency to Estrada based on the recommendation by the Department of Justice (DoJ). Acting Executive Secretary and Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye quoted the signed Order: ""In view hereof in pursuant of the authority conferred upon me by the Constitution, I hereby grant Executive clemency to Joseph Ejercito Estrada, convicted by the Sandiganbayan of plunder and imposed a penalty of reclusión perpetua. He is hereby restored to his civil and political rights."" Bunye noted that Estrada committed in his application not to seek public office, and he would be free from his Tanay resthouse on October 26, at noon. On October 26, 2007, after almost seven years of detention, Estrada was released after the Sandiganbayan promulgated the resolution.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: When Estrada was released from detention, he gave a message to the Filipino people that he could once again help the lives of the people, especially the poor. He also stated that he made errors as a public servant but assured them that, notwithstanding his conviction for it, corruption was not one of them. After the message was released, he had a nationwide tour called "Lakbay Pasasalamat" (Thank you tour) during which he thanked the people for their support and gave them relief goods such as food, medicines and clothing.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: During the 2010 presidential election, Estrada stated in interviews that he would be willing to run for the opposition if they would be unable to unite behind a single candidate. Fr. Joaquin Bernas and Christian Monsod, members of the constitutional commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution, stated that the constitution prohibited any elected president from seeking a second term at any point in time. Romulo Macalintal, election counsel of President Arroyo, clarified that the constitutional ban did not prevent Estrada from attaining the presidency if he were to be elevated from the vice-presidency, for example. Rufus Rodriquez, one of Estrada's lawyers, claimed that Estrada was within his rights to do so because the prohibition banning re-election only applied to the incumbent president.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On October 22, 2009, Estrada announced that he would run again for president with Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as his running mate.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: His senatorial lineup included Francisco Tatad, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Joey de Venecia, and Miriam Defensor Santiago. He lost to Senator Benigno Aquino III in the election.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: In October 2010, the magazine "Foreign Policy" included Estrada in its list of five former heads of states/governments who did not make "a positive difference in the world", but "faded away into obscurity." Also included in this "Bad Exes" list were Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra, Spain's Jose Maria Aznar, and Germany's Gerhard Schroder.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Estrada announced in November 2010 that he would be selling his home in San Juan for nearly seven million dollars (300 million Philippine pesos) to "pursue his real estate business.""" Agence France Presse reported that Estrada "has put up two high-rise residential condominium buildings and plans to build a third soon."


title: Joseph Estrada

text: In May 2012, Estrada announced his intention to run for mayor of Manila in the 2013 elections to continue his political career.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Around noon of May 14, 2013, the day after the conduct of the 2013 Philippine mid-term elections, Estrada and his running-mate and re-electionist Vice Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso were proclaimed mayor-elect and vice mayor-elect, respectively, by the City Board of Canvassers for the City of Manila. When Estrada assumed office on June 30, 2013, the city government coffers were practically bankrupt as his administration inherited as much as in debts. During his first term as mayor of Manila, Estrada implemented a city-wide bus ban, truck ban, and revival program especially on Escolta Street. In 2015, Estrada declared the city debt-free after instituting various fiscal reforms.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Originally planning to serve for one term only, he changed his mind and ran for reelection in 2016. This time, his running mate was former 4th district Councilor and city social services head Dr. Honey Lacuna. Estrada won in a tight race over former Mayor Alfredo Lim by around 2,000 votes, while Lacuna was elected vice mayor as well. Estrada best described his accomplishments as Mayor of Manila as having been able to provide the basic needs of Manileños “from womb to tomb.” He boasted of comprehensive public services from free hospital and medical care services to all residents of Manila starting from mothers giving birth, free books, uniforms, and health snacks for public school students, all the way to free burial and cremation.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Estrada has also shown support for the controversial Manila Bay reclamation, with the fourth reclamation project approved on June 7, 2017. Estrada, however, was widely criticized for a publicity stunt at a clean-up drive in Manila Bay on July 21, 2017. On September 28, 2018, Estrada settled the city's tax liabilities, left unpaid by former mayors Lito Atienza and Alfredo Lim, to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: After serving two consecutive terms as mayor, Estrada intended to run for a third term in 2019, competing against former Manila vice mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and former Manila mayor Alfredo Lim. He chose former 5th District Representative Amado Bagasing as his running mate for vice mayor. He lost to Domagoso, who beat him by close to 150,000 votes in a landslide victory. Estrada conceded defeat on the evening of May 13.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Since the beginning of his political career, Estrada has been the butt of many jokes in the Philippines. The majority of the jokes about him center around his limited English vocabulary, while others focus on his corruption scandals. During his presidential campaign in 1998, Estrada authorized the distribution of the joke compilation book "ERAPtion: How to Speak English Without Really Trial".


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Estrada is the first president to have previously worked in the entertainment industry as a popular artist, and the first to sport any sort of facial hair during his term, specifically his trademark acting mustaches and wristbands.


title: Joseph Estrada

text: Estrada is married to former First Lady-turned-senator Dr. Luisa "Loi" Pimentel, whom he met while she was working at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong, and has three children with her:


title: Joseph Estrada

text: On March 28, 2021, Estrada was hospitalized and it was announced the next day that he tested positive for COVID-19. He was put on a ventilator on April 6 as his pneumonia worsened. On April 13, it was announced that he had tested negative from COVID-19, thus recovering from the disease. He was later discharged from the hospital on April 26.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Kevin Richard Parker (born 20 January 1986) is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, best known for his musical project Tame Impala, for which he writes, performs, records, and produces the music. Parker has released four Tame Impala albums: "Innerspeaker" (2010), "Lonerism" (2012), "Currents" (2015), and "The Slow Rush" (2020). He has won 13 ARIA Music Awards, two APRA Awards, and a Brit Award, and has received four Grammy Award nominations.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In addition to his work for Tame Impala, Parker was the drummer of Pond from 2009 until 2011. He produced the band's studio albums "Beard, Wives, Denim" (2012), "Hobo Rocket" (2013), "Man, It Feels Like Space Again" (2015), "The Weather" (2017), and "Tasmania" (2019). As a producer, Parker has collaborated with artists such as Mark Ronson, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Gorillaz, Travis Scott, Melody's Echo Chamber, and the Flaming Lips.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker was born in Sydney, but has spent most of his life in Perth, Western Australia. Parker's father, Jerry, was from Rhodesia and his mother, Rosalind, is from South Africa. Parker's parents separated and divorced when he was 3. From the age of 12 he lived in Cottesloe with his father, stepmother Rhonda and brother Stephen, while his older paternal half-brother, Stuart, resided in Brisbane, Queensland. He also has a younger maternal half-sister, Helen, from his mother's second marriage.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker grew up with a passion for music from a young age. Parker's father "played a lot of music as a hobby" and was a "big part of [Kevin's] musical upbringing". His first experience playing an instrument was accompanying his father on guitar. He said: "I learned guitar by playing rhythm guitar to his Shadows leads. He wanted to play Shadows lead riffs, because he loves Hank B. Marvin, and he got me to play the chords in the background." Parker's father also played music by The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Supertramp in a cover band, which Parker believes was where he "got [his] love of melody", which has been a significant part of Parker's music. Parker also recalls "amusing [him]self by singing along to the vacuum cleaner when [his] mum was cleaning." Parker's father later purchased Kevin his first guitar.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: At age 11, Parker took up the drums, just like his brother, and later was making "excessively melodic music from about the age of 12 to 15", which was "really weird and repetitive and almost genre-less", by recording his drumming and overdubbing guitar and other instruments in lo-fi experiments. Speaking about this Parker said: "I've always recorded music. When I was 12, I used to set up two tape machines and multi-track myself. First, I'd record a beat on the drums, then, I'd play that tape into another tape recorder while playing keyboard; then I'd take that tape and play bass guitar along with the drums and keyboard. I'd keep adding instruments. I did that for a long time until my dad bought me an 8-track, and then I continued recording music by myself, even if I was in other bands at the same time." This hobby turned into an obsession for Parker who was "just doing music all the time, I never did any homework, I'd just spend every night in the garage recording music." Parker got his first eight-track recorder at age 16.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: At age 13, Parker met fellow Tame Impala member Dominic Simper in their music class at John XXIII College, Perth, whom he found a musical connection with. Parker and Simper started off playing covers of Rage Against the Machine, Unwritten Law, Sunk Loto and Korn songs, along with Dan Debuf, who is now a presenter on 2Day FM. In his late-teens, Parker discovered the many 1960s and 1970s psychedelic rock artists that would have a huge influence on his music, saying: "I got into bands like Cream and Jefferson Airplane in a big way, and loved the sound of their recordings. My friends were listening to bands like Brainticket and Demon Fuzz who opened my eyes to different ways of constructing songs. The Beatles way of singing vocal lines often crept into the recordings because they are so unique, whereas the elements we take from those other bands are usually common among a few other bands we listen to."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: By the time he was 18, Parker was "playing in the pub scene" and at the time was writing "heavy 70's-style almost prog-rock songs, like Blue Cheer".


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: As a younger teenager, Parker had periods where he felt lost and alone, saying: "I didn't have the most solid family life. I didn't have a solid base to fall back on there, so I was tackling a lot of things on my own. And I was just lost. I remember thinking, 'I've got no-one'. I remember once, when I was 15 or something, I was brushing my teeth, and I just broke down crying. I just felt so alone." Parker also felt that Tame Impala's 2012 album "Lonerism" "validates" a lot of the feelings he had as a teenager. He said: "It's got this weird hopefulness to it. Maybe that's the charm of it. Maybe that's why it's done so well."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker later had a job as a legal clerk, delivering court documents in Perth. While working there, he wrote songs in his head amidst the boredom. He later quit the job.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker's father always warned him about getting into the music industry. Parker said: "My dad always warned me not to choose music as a career. He got quite worried and said 'if you do music as your job, as the thing that puts food on the table, then it will instantly ruin its magic, it won't be mysterious and fun any more, it would just be like work'." Parker believed what his father had told him, and went on to university for a while, studying engineering. He said: "I wanted to please my dad in a way. I had no idea what I wanted to do, because I didn't enjoy anything other than music." Parker said, "I hated it, and one day I decided to change to astronomy. I knew that I would be poor and I just wanted to do whatever was fun." During an astronomy lecture, Parker saw a slide that he would later paint for the artwork of the "Tame Impala EP". However, Parker did not abandon his original dream. He said: "I was at uni, and a couple of months before we got signed, I had submitted to the reality that I wasn't actually going to be a famous musician and I should just get on with my career. So that was when I started to knuckle down and actually do stuff at uni. But at the same time, I could never passionately give my attention to anything other than music. Like, it was a disease. I would not be able to listen to a word in lectures because I'd just be thinking about my new song."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: On his way to his last astronomy exam, Parker was contacted by Modular Recordings who wished to sign Tame Impala to their label. Upon hearing this, Parker turned his car around from the exam and drove home to make music.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: While Parker was recording his first album, his father died after a year-long struggle with cancer. Jerry's death had a "massive" effect on Parker, who said, "It was a weird time, extremely confusing, and I didn't really know what to make of it."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker is a part of the large and diverse Perth music scene, where he plays in various different bands in addition to his main project, Tame Impala. Commenting on this, Parker said "it's a really close-knit scene, quiet, separated from the rest of Australia" and "Tame Impala is just one sliver of the giant amount of noise-making that we do as a circle of friends. I don't feel bad doing the recording by myself because I don't expect that input in their bands...to us Tame Impala is just Kevin Parker's project and everyone has a project."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In 2005, Parker formed a band called The Dee Dee Dums, which would later become the basis of Tame Impala. Originally a two piece project, with Parker and Luke Epstein, long time Tame Impala member, Dominic Simper, joined the band later on in 2007. The Dee Dee Dums achieved some local acclaim, getting second place at the 2005 AmpFest and winning third place later that year in the state final of The Next Big Thing. In October 2006 Epstein was replaced by drummer Sam Devenport, Epstein going on to play with Sugarpuss. They later went on to win the Western Australia state final of the National Campus Band Competition. Live video of the band in their two piece form, from two different gigs, can be viewed on YouTube.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In late 2007, Parker renamed the band to Tame Impala, and recruited Jay Watson on drums; Devenport went on to pursue an acting career.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Before recruiting Jay Watson on drums, Watson used to "go watch [The Dee Dee Dums] all the time and I was this little 17-year-old fan boy rocking up at their gigs... I knew it was an awesome band. They were my favourite band in Perth actually. I think I told Kevin once that they were in my top 20 bands ever."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Watson then joined the band two months before Modular Recordings approached them. "Those two months before (then) no one cared when we played. Dom and Kev had been playing together for years and we had a good two months of gigs to like seven people at our local pub before we got signed. And they were the best two months ever man!"


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Former live bassist Nick Allbrook noted a change in Parker's music and his band, "There were a couple of months where there was a seismic shift in [Kevin's] thing from the Cream influenced, Dee Dee Dums era, and fairly quickly there was the blissed-out, pretty melody, psychedelic thing. And then there was a name change (to Tame Impala), and then a new drummer (Jay Watson) whose style was more elegant than the last drummer."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Tame Impala is Parker's psychedelic rock project. He writes and records almost all of Tame Impala's music, and plays guitar and sings live.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: After sending off approximately 20 songs, many of them later leaked to YouTube, that Parker had recorded as far back as 2003 to different record labels, Tame Impala was signed to Modular Recordings. After the release of their 2008 debut EP, Parker revealed his intentions for recording: "Most of the songs on the EP were never meant to be heard by the rest of Perth, let alone the rest of the world. They were just recorded for my own listening sake, and burning a CD of it and putting it in my car and giving it to my friends."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: After much touring in 2008 and 2009, Tame Impala's debut album, "Innerspeaker" was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2010, winning a J Award and a Rolling Stone Award for Album of the Year, and 5 nominations at the ARIAs. Parker's ability to take many elements of 1960s psychedelic rock, and give it a distinctly modern twist, creating a new and original sound was praised. Parker also received a WAMI Award for Best Guitarist and an APRA Award for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In a display of Parker's work ethic, work on the next Tame Impala album "Lonerism" had already started before "Innerspeaker" was even released. "Lonerism" was released on 5 October 2012 to widespread critical acclaim, winning many Album of the Year awards from the likes of "NME", "Rolling Stone", and Triple J. "Lonerism" marks an extension of Parker's music, featuring synths and poppier melodies, and also a more lavish, lush and expansive sound. Commenting on the new-found sound, Parker said that "["Lonerism"] will be the kind of music that I felt as though I wanted to make during "Innerspeaker", but I felt that it was too much of a jump. Back when I was doing "Innerspeaker", I felt like I should make an album with only guitars, and use no synths, because I felt like it was a compromise to what we do. But I now know that it's not." At the ARIA Music Awards of 2015 he won two trophies, Engineer of the Year and Producer of the Year, for his work on Tame Impala's "Currents" (July 2015); the group won three further categories at the ceremony: Album of the Year, Best Group and Best Rock Album. On 30 March 2019, the band performed live on "Saturday Night Live". On 13 April 2019 Tame Impala, performed as a headlining act of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. On 28 June 2019, the group performed as the Other Stage headliner at the Glastonbury Festival. The fourth album under the Tame Impala project, "The Slow Rush", was released on 14 February 2020.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker joined Pond live on drums in late 2009 after being recruited by fellow Tame Impala members Jay Watson and Nick Allbrook. Parker later joined Pond in the studio on drums for the album "Beard, Wives, Denim", and also produced it, putting his distinctive production sound on the album. Cameron Avery later filled in for Parker live on Pond's 2012 tour, while Parker was putting the finishing touches on the second Tame Impala album, "Lonerism". On 28 June 2012, Parker joined Pond for a one-off performance with legendary Can frontman Damo Suzuki. Parker played drums and later played guitar for the one-off, totally improvised performance with one of his musical idols, Suzuki. Parker has also produced the Pond albums "Hobo Rocket", "Man It Feels Like Space Again", "The Weather" and "Tasmania".


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In 2005, Parker, along with other musical companions, including Tame Impala member, Nick Allbrook and Shiny Joe Ryan, formed Mink Mussel Creek. Initially Parker was recruited as a guitarist with founding member Sam Devenport on the drums. However Sam would leave the band in 2007 and Parker moved onto the drums. Parker's drumming was a strong feature of the band's sound, which in turn propelled the Mink Mussel Creek brand of "heavy psych" forward. Mink Mussel Creek slowly built up a fanbase in Perth and was a popular live act.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In 2008, after receiving an AUS$10,000 government grant, Mink Mussel Creek recorded its first album. However, due to circumstances out of the band's control, primarily concerning a problematic producer and dysfunctional recording process, the album was never released; the album was eventually leaked on the internet under the title "Kingdom Tapes", and the band members went their separate ways with other musical projects.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In 2011, Mink Mussel Creek reformed; Parker produced and played drums on "Mink Mussel Manticore", an album that was recorded live over the course of a week at local Fremantle venue, the Norfolk Basement. It was later released on USB wristband. As of 2015, the album has been re-released online as well as on vinyl.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In 2012, Parker teamed up with French singer and then girlfriend, Melody Prochet, for her dream pop psychedelic project, Melody's Echo Chamber. The two met after Prochet gave Parker a CD with songs from her other band, My Bee's Garden. This led to a support slot for My Bee's Garden, opening for Tame Impala. Their collaborative self-titled album was released on 2 October 2012, to critical acclaim. Allmusic's Tim Sendra called it "a rather stunning debut". Parker played drums and bass guitar, and also a guitar solo on the track 'I Follow You', featuring his distinctive spacey, phased guitar sound with Prochet's dreamy vocals, and also produced the album.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Space Lime Peacock were a short-lived psychedelic funk band, formed in 2008, that featured Parker in various roles, such as on drums, backing vocals, guitar and bass. Space Lime Peacock also featured Jay Watson and Nick Allbrook of Tame Impala. They recorded an album's worth of demos, which never saw an official release, but were leaked on the internet. Parker's developing and distinct guitar tones can be heard on the demos.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker has collaborated with Australian electronic duo, Canyons, on various occasions throughout Tame Impala's existence. Canyons have remixed many Tame Impala songs, and in 2011 Parker repaid the favour by contributing vocals on the songs "Tonight" and "When I See You Again" on their album "Keep Your Dreams". A bearded Parker also appeared in their music video for 'When I See You Again', for a shot where Parker has been cloned many times on an outdoor staircase.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker later spoke of how his musical relationship with Canyons came to be: "They used to run a label which Tame Impala used to sort of be on. We released a 12" vinyl with them once, on one side it had three Tame Impala songs and on the other it was the same three songs remixed by Canyons and that was really cool, it was a really casual relationship. We always talked about releasing things but we never got round to it because I'd just go round to his house and talk about music for a while. So we never actually got anything pressed until we had signed with Modular and then we went back and did stuff with Canyons."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In 2013, Parker collaborated with the French electronic duo Discodeine for their track '"Aydin", from their EP "Aydin". Parker provided vocals for the track. Also in 2013, Parker revealed that a new musical project involving French drummer (and Tame Impala live drummer) Julien Barbagallo, called Relation Longue Distance (which translates in English to "long distance relationship"), had formed. After playing some small shows in France, they hope to play some more shows, with the possibility of an official release.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker and Cam Avery formed the psychedelic funk/space rock band Kevin Spacey (a play on words, using Parker's first name with the space rock music they played to form the actor's name) on 22 July 2013. The band featured Parker on drums, Avery on bass and fellow Perth musician Cam Parkin on keys. The band was formed as a fundraiser for another Perth musician and close friend Felicity Groom who had her car stolen. Their set featured 5 improvised jams with Groom joining them on vocals for one of the jams. A full video of the gig emerged on YouTube, which was filmed by an old musical acquaintance of Kevin's. Kevin Spacey played their second gig under the name of The Golden Triangle Municipal Funk Band on 21 December 2013, where live video emerged of a song (later known to be "Daffodils") that featured Parker on drums, and guitar played by former front man of Perth band The Chemist, Ben Witt. The group changed their name once again to AAA Aardvark Getdown Services, where they were they played on the 22 February 2014 at a gig organised by local record label Spinning Top, alongside fellow Perth acts Pond, The Silents, Felicity Groom and Peter Bibby. There is also live video, from the same YouTube channel responsible for the previous gig videos, which features most of the group's set.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker also mixed French psychedelic rock band Moodoïd's self-titled EP and debut album "Le Monde Möö". Moodoïd is a musical project from Pablo Padovani, the live guitarist for Melody's Echo Chamber.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker collaborated with Mark Ronson for the tracks "Summer Breaking", "Daffodils" and "Leaving Los Feliz" on Ronson's album "Uptown Special". "Daffodils" premiered on 11 November 2014, which was primarily written by Parker and performed with his funk/disco band AAA Aardvark Getdown Services in late 2013 and early 2014.<ref name="Kevin Parker/Kevin Spacey-Daffodils, 2nd gig 21/12/13"></ref><ref name="Kevin Parker/Kevin Spacey, Live 22/2/14 Perth."></ref>


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker produced Perth hip hop/nu jazz septet Koi Child's debut album, with the debut single "Slow One" released on 11 November 2014. Parker discovered them when "two local groups - electronic hip-hop trio Child's Play and nu-jazz quartet Kashikoi - decided to get together for an experimental jam night at X-wray Cafe in Fremantle", with Parker in attendance. This gig landed Koi Child a supporting slot for Tame Impala on Rottnest Island.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In 2016, Parker remixed Miguel's "Waves" on the singer's EP, "Rogue Waves". He also did a remix of friend and bandmate Julien Barbagallo's track, "Longue la nuit".


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker also worked with Lady Gaga on her album "Joanne". The first single, "Perfect Illusion", is a collaboration between Parker, Gaga, Mark Ronson and BloodPop.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker's sound is heavily reliant on various effects pedals to achieve his distinctive guitar tones. The following is a list of Parker's guitars and effects pedals.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker tunes his guitars down two semitones to D standard to relieve the tension on the strings and to experiment with the different sounds the tuning offers.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Essentially, the key components to Parker's pedal setup is a Small Stone phaser into a Holy Grail reverb into a Carbon Copy delay into a Dyna Comp into a Blues Driver into a Fuzz Face and then into a Diamond Vibrato (vibrato added during Lonerism-era). The reverb into a fuzz and phasers set to a slow rate are the hallmarks of Parker's guitar sound, which has influenced many modern psychedelic rock bands to have a similar setup, which Parker says "it’s the most flattering thing in the world to hear a band ripping you off. I know some people get pissed off by it, but if I ever hear an artist and I can tell they’re using a phaser pedal the way I do, it’s a massive compliment. It makes you feel like you’re making an impression, having an impact on people, which is really humbling, flattering".


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker's music is heavily influenced by psychedelic rock, psychedelic pop, and neo-psychedelia, which is achieved through various production methods. Some favoured and often-used effects by Parker include phasing, delay, reverb and fuzz.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker's decision to make the music for Tame Impala in the studio by himself is a result of Parker liking "the kind of music that is the result of one person constructing an awesome symphony of sound. You can layer your own voice 700 times for half a second if you want, and I just love that kind of music." However, Parker has to translate his music to a live setting with the band, and the band doesn't play the songs until they have been recorded. "The only jamming that's done as a band is done a long time after the song is recorded for the sake of the live environment. It's good for us, because we can take a song that's been recorded and do what we want to it: slow it down, speed it up, make it 10 seconds or 10 minutes long. It gives us a lot of freedom."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Experimentation with different effects pedals has led to Parker creating new and unique sounds. "If you make an effort to not put the pedals in the order you're meant to, then you'll end up with something new sounding. We don't have any things that we got from another planet or anything, it's the same things everyone else has used." "People have a distortion pedal and then a reverb pedal. A reverb is meant to make it sound like it's in a cathedral or something. If you put it the other way around, it won't sound like a guitar being played in a church, it'll sound like a church being stuffed inside a shoebox and then exploded. You can do different things just by treating things differently."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker also has a strong sense of melody in his music, having composed "excessively melodic music from about the age of 12 to 15". As a result of Parker's love of melody, he also has revealed that he has a "fetish for extremely sugary pop music" from artists like Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: In addition to a love of melody, Parker also loves "fucked-up explosive cosmic music" in the vein of The Flaming Lips, whom Parker collaborated with on the track Children of the Moon in 2012, for the release "The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends".


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Combining these two things, shoegaze act My Bloody Valentine have influenced Parker's music with their contrasting combination of loud guitars and ethereal melodies. Parker has "always been in love with the wall of sound as employed by My Bloody Valentine" and he tries to capture that "melancholy dreamy feel". Parker tries to incorporate this balance into his own music. "If I was singing, I wouldn't be able to match the tone of the instruments, which is really crunchy. The instruments are quite sonically brutal, but the voice is really soft, and I think that kind of resonates with people. It's kind of like My Bloody Valentine, where it's really brutal sounding, but kind of beautiful at the same time." Tame Impala live keyboardist Jay Waston has described Parker's music as containing "shoegazey guitar sound, but not played in a shoegazey manner".


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Electronic music is another influence. Parker has used rock instrumentation in an electronic manner, saying "The way we do music, it's organic, but it's meant to be quite repetitive and hypnotic, almost in a kind of electronic nature. Using our playing as though it was a living sample." A heavy feature on "Innerspeaker" is a pitch-shifted guitar tone that many mistook for a synth. Parker mentioned this by saying "I had a few obsessions when recording "Innerspeaker". One was to make the guitars sound like synths and drums sound like drum samples and pretty much anything except guitars and drums. I'm obsessed with confusing people as to the origin of a sound."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker was inspired to take up various creative endeavours at a young age, "I used to draw a lot when I was very young, and I used to get the most immense feeling of satisfaction from finishing a picture and looking back at it, even though I wasn't actually that good. When I started playing music I got the same feeling from making a song, even if it was just a few noises or drum patterns put together. It was all about the buzz from making something from nothing. Music always affected me greatly as a listener anyway, usually from listening to music in my dad's car or listening to him play guitar."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker's process for making music is "I'll have a sudden, spontaneous vision of a song, have all the parts mapped out in mind, and do my best to record it as quick as I can. I'll find my eight-track and do a quick demo of just the riff, or a verse or a chorus. The song will go for like 30 seconds. I'll have a whole bunch of them [demos] and then I'll just choose which ones to make into full songs." For Parker, the music comes before the lyrics, "I usually write the lyrics after the melody and its timing have been decided. But the words have to be meaningful. I try to synchronise certain words with the best parts of the melody, but it can be really difficult and does my head in. I like to keep the meaning pretty open and ambiguous so that it's not just me that gets something out of the lyrics. I usually write lyrics from a persona rather than tell a specific story." Parker also said "Usually I am sufficiently motivated to think of new songs every day, but I usually forget them. I seem to get an emotional kick out of sensing feelings of general desperation or hopelessness, whether it's me or someone near me or someone in a movie or anything. It's really difficult to sit down and force yourself to write a song, and that forced nature usually comes out in the song so I just have to wait until they come to me."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Lo-fi music is also a favourite of Parker's, and he incorporated it heavily in the early days of Tame Impala, heard prominently on the "Tame Impala EP". With the release of "Innerspeaker", Parker went for a different approach to a lo-fi sound, aiming more for a more cosmic and sonic wall of sound, helped by mixer Dave Fridmann. Parker explained "It sounds more cohesive, like an organism. It has a different emotion to it, it brings out a different feeling when it's absolutely blaring at you. I love that sound."


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker was previously in a relationship with Melody Prochet of Melody's Echo Chamber, having produced the band's 2012 self-titled debut album. On 9 February 2019, Parker married his girlfriend Sophie Lawrence at a vineyard in Western Australia. Their first child, a daughter, was born in 2021. He currently divides his time between Perth and Los Angeles, where he owns a home in the Hollywood Hills.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: Parker is a supporter of the Fremantle Dockers in the Australian Football League (AFL) and was named the club's number-one ticket holder on 22 May 2021. To show his appreciation for the honour, Parker recorded an original "pump-up" song for the team that is meant to be played at its matches.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.


title: Kevin Parker (musician)

text: The West Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards celebrating achievements for Western Australian music. They commenced in 1985.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, , ;, ; ), more accurately spelled Grigory Aleksandrovich Potyomkin-Tavricheski, was a Russian military leader, statesman, nobleman, and favourite of Catherine the Great. He died during negotiations over the Treaty of Jassy (now Iași), which ended a war with the Ottoman Empire that he had overseen.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin was born into a family of middle-income noble landowners. He first attracted Catherine's favor for helping in her 1762 coup, then distinguished himself as a military commander in the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). He became Catherine's lover, favorite and possibly her consort. After their passion cooled, he remained her lifelong friend and favored statesman. Catherine obtained for him the title of "Prince of the Holy Roman Empire" and gave him the title of "Prince of the Russian Empire" among many others: he was both a Grand Admiral and the head of all of Russia's land and irregular forces. Potemkin's achievements include the peaceful annexation of the Crimea (1783) and the successful second Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792).


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: In 1775, Potemkin became the governor-general of Russia's new southern provinces. An absolute ruler, he worked to colonize the wild steppes, controversially dealing firmly with the Cossacks who lived there. He founded the towns of Kherson, Nikolayev, Sevastopol, and Ekaterinoslav. Ports in the region became bases for his new Black Sea Fleet.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: His rule in the south is associated with the, probably mythical, "Potemkin village", a ruse involving the construction of painted façades to mimic real villages, full of happy, well-fed people, for visiting officials to see. Potemkin was known for his love of women, gambling and material wealth. He oversaw the construction of many historically significant buildings, including the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: A distant relative of the Moscovite diplomat Pyotr Potemkin (1617–1700), Grigory was born in the village of Chizhovo near Smolensk into a family of middle-income noble landowners.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: His father, Alexander Potemkin, was a decorated war veteran; his mother Daria Vasilievna (1704-1780) was "good-looking, capable and intelligent", though their marriage proved ultimately unhappy. Potemkin received his first name in honour of his father's cousin Grigory Matveevich Kizlovsky, a civil servant who became his godfather. Historian Simon Montefiore has suggested that Kizlovsky fathered Potemkin, who became the centre of attention, heir to the village and the only son among six children. As the son of an (albeit petty) noble family, he grew up with the expectation that he would serve the Russian Empire.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: After Alexander died in 1746, Daria took charge of the family. In order to achieve a career for her son, and aided by Kizlovsky, the family moved to Moscow, where Potemkin enrolled at a gymnasium school attached to the University of Moscow. The young Potemkin became adept at languages and interested in the Russian Orthodox Church. He enlisted in the army in 1750 at age eleven, in accordance with the custom of noble children. In 1755 a second inspection placed him in the élite Horse Guards regiment. Having graduated from the university school, Potemkin became one of the first students to enroll at the university itself. Talented in both Greek and theology, he won the university's gold medal in 1757 and became part of a twelve-student delegation sent to Saint Petersburg later that year. The trip seems to have affected Potemkin: afterwards he studied little and was soon expelled. Faced with isolation from his family, he rejoined the Guards, where he excelled. At this time his net worth amounted to 430 souls (serfs), equivalent to that of the poorer gentry. His time was taken up with "drinking, gambling, and promiscuous lovemaking", and he fell deep in debt.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Grigory Orlov, one of Catherine's lovers, led a palace coup in June 1762 that ousted the Emperor Peter III and enthroned Catherine II. Sergeant Potemkin represented his regiment in the revolt. Allegedly, as Catherine reviewed her troops in front of the Winter Palace before their march to the Peterhof, she lacked a sword-knot (or possibly hat plumage), which Potemkin quickly supplied. Potemkin's horse then (appeared to) refuse to leave her side for several minutes before Potemkin and the horse returned to the ranks. After the coup Catherine singled out Potemkin for reward and ensured his promotion to second lieutenant. Though Potemkin was among those guarding the ex-Tsar, it appears that he had no direct involvement in Peter's murder in July. Catherine promoted him again to "Kammerjunker" (gentleman of the bedchamber), though he retained his post in the Guards. Potemkin was soon formally presented to the Empress as a talented mimic; his imitation of her was well received.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Although Catherine had not yet taken Potemkin as a lover, it seems likely that she passively—if not actively—encouraged his flirtatious behaviour, including his regular practice of kissing her hand and declaring his love for her: without encouragement, Potemkin could have expected trouble from the Orlovs (Catherine's lover Grigory and his four brothers) who dominated court. Potemkin entered Catherine's circle of advisers, and in 1762 took his only foreign assignment, to Sweden, bearing news of the coup. On his return, he was appointed Procurator, and won a reputation as a lover. Under unclear circumstances, Potemkin then lost his left eye and fell into a depression. His confidence shattered, he withdrew from court, becoming something of a hermit. Eighteen months later, Potemkin reappeared, probably summoned by Catherine. He became an army paymaster and oversaw uniform production. Shortly thereafter, he became a Guardian of Exotic Peoples at the new All-Russian Legislative Commission, a significant political post. In September 1768, Potemkin became "Kammerherr" (chamberlain); two months later Catherine had his military commission revoked, fully attaching him to court. In the interval, the Ottoman Empire had started the Russo-Turkish War of 1768 to 1774 and Potemkin was eager to prove himself, writing to Catherine:


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin served as Major-General of the cavalry. He distinguished himself in his first engagement, helping to repulse a band of unruly Tatar and Turkish horsemen. He also fought in Russia's victory at the Battle of Kamenets and the taking of the town. Potemkin saw action virtually every day, particularly excelling at the Battle of Prashkovsky, after which his commander Aleksandr Mikhailovich Golitsyn recommended him to Catherine. Potemkin's army, under Pyotr Rumyantsev, continued its advance. Potemkin fought at the capture of Jurja, a display of courage and skill for which he received the Order of St. Anna. At the Battle of Larga, he won the Order of St. George, third class, and fought well during the rout of the main Turkish force that followed. On leave to St. Petersburg, the Empress invited him to dine with her more than ten times.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Back at the front, Potemkin won more military acclaim, but then fell ill; rejecting medicine, he recovered only slowly. After a lull in hostilities in 1772 his movements are unclear, but it seems that he returned to St. Petersburg where he is recorded, perhaps apocryphally, to have been one of Catherine's closest advisers. Though Orlov was replaced as her favourite, it was not Potemkin who benefited. Alexander Vasilchikov, another Horse-Guardsman, replaced Orlov as the queen's lover. Potemkin returned to war in 1773 as Lieutenant-General to fight in Silistria. It appears that Catherine missed him, and that Potemkin took a December letter from her as a summons. In any case Potemkin returned to St. Petersburg as a war hero.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin returned to court in January 1774 expecting to walk into Catherine's arms. The political situation, however, had become complex. Yemelyan Pugachev had just arisen as a pretender to the throne, and commanded a rebel army thirty thousand strong. In addition, Catherine's son Paul turned eighteen and began to gain his own support. By late January Potemkin had tired of the impasse and effected (perhaps with encouragement from Catherine) a "melodramatic retreat" into the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Catherine relented and had Potemkin brought back in early February 1774, when their relationship became intimate. Several weeks later he had usurped Vasilchikov as Catherine's favorite, and was given the title of Adjutant General. When Catherine's friend Friedrich Melchior, Baron von Grimm objected to Vasilchikov's dismissal, she wrote back to him, "Why do you reproach me because I dismiss a well-meaning but extremely boring bourgeois in favour of one of the greatest, the most comical and amusing, characters of this iron century?" His uncouth behavior shocked the court, but Potemkin showed himself capable of suitable formality when necessary.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: The frequent letters the pair sent to each other survive, revealing their affair to be one of "laughter, sex, mutually admired intelligence, and power". Many of their trysts seem to have centered around the "banya" sauna in the basement of the Winter Palace; Potemkin soon grew so jealous that Catherine had to detail her prior love-life for him. Potemkin also rose in political stature, particularly on the strength of his military advice. In March 1774 he became Lieutenant-Colonel in the Preobrazhensky Guards, a post previously held by Alexei Orlov. He also became captain of the Chevaliers-Gardes from 1784. In quick succession he won appointment as Governor-General of Novorossiya, as a member of the State Council, as General-in-Chief, as vice-president of the College of War and as Commander-in-Chief of the Cossacks. These posts made him rich, and he lived lavishly. To improve his social standing he was awarded the prestigious Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and Order of St. Andrew, along with the Polish Order of the White Eagle, the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle, the Danish Order of the Elephant and the Swedish Royal Order of the Seraphim.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: That Catherine and Potemkin married is "almost certain", according to Simon Sebag Montefiore; though biographer Virginia Rounding expresses some doubt. In December 1784 Catherine first explicitly referred to Potemkin as her husband in correspondence, though 1775, 1784 and 1791 have all been suggested as possible nuptial dates. In all, Catherine's phrasing in 22 letters suggested he had become her consort, at least secretly. Potemkin's actions and her treatment of him later in life fit with this: the two at least acted as husband and wife. By late 1775, however, their relationship was changing, though it is uncertain exactly when Catherine took a secretary, Pyotr Zavadovsky, as a lover. On 2 January 1776, Zavadovsky became Adjutant-General to the Empress (he became her official favorite in May) and Potemkin moved to command the St. Petersburg troop division. Signs of a potential "golden adieu" for Potemkin include his 1776 appointment, at Catherine's request, to the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. Though he was "bored" with Catherine, the separation was relatively peaceful. The Prince was sent on a tour to Novgorod, but, contrary to the expectations of some onlookers (though not Catherine's), he returned a few weeks later. He then snubbed her gift of the Anichkov Palace, and took new apartments in the Winter Palace, retaining his posts. Though no longer Catherine's favorite, he remained her favored minister.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Though the love affair appeared to end, Catherine and Potemkin maintained a particularly close friendship, which continued to dominate their lives. Most of the time this meant a love triangle in the court between the pair and Catherine's latest swain. The favorite had a high-pressure position: after Zavadovsky came Semyon Zorich (May 1777 to May 1778), Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov (May 1778 to late 1778), Alexander Lanskoy (1780–1784), Alexander Yermolov (1785–1786), Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov (1786–1789) and Platon Zubov (1789–1796). Potemkin checked candidates for their suitability; it also appears that he tended to the relationships and "filled in" between favorites. Potemkin also arranged for Catherine to walk in on Rimsky-Korsakov in a compromising position with another woman. During Catherine's (comparatively) long relationship with Lanskoy, Potemkin was particularly able to turn his attentions to other matters. He embarked upon a long series of other romances, including with his own nieces, one of whom may have borne him a child.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin's first task during this period was foreign policy. An anglophile, he helped negotiate with the English ambassador, Sir James Harris, during Catherine's initiative of Armed Neutrality, though the south remained his passion. His plan, known as the "Greek Project", aspired to build a new Byzantine Empire around the Turkish capital in Constantinople. Dismembering the Ottoman Empire would require détente with Austria (technically still the Habsburg monarchy), and its ruler Joseph II. They met in May 1780 in the Russian town of Mogilev. The ensuing alliance represented the triumph of Potemkin's approach over courtiers such as Catherine's son Paul, who favored alliance with Prussia. The May 1781 defensive treaty remained secret for almost two years; the Ottomans were said to still have been unaware of it even when they declared war on Russia in 1787.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Elsewhere, Potemkin's scheme to develop a Russian presence in the rapidly disintegrating state of Persia failed. Plans for a full-scale invasion had previously been cut back and a small unit sent to establish a trading post there was quickly turned away. Potemkin focused instead on Russia's southern provinces, where he was busy founding cities (including Sevastopol) and creating his own personal kingdom, including his brand new Black Sea Fleet. That kingdom was about to expand: under the Treaty of Kuçuk Kainarji, which had ended the previous Russo-Turkish war, the Crimean Khanate had become independent, though effectively under Russian control. In June 1782 it was descending again into anarchy. By July 1783, Potemkin had engineered the peaceful annexation of the Crimea and Kuban, capitalizing on the fact that Britain and France were fighting elsewhere. The Kingdom of Georgia accepted Russian protection a few days later with the Treaty of Georgievsk searching for protection against Persia's aim to reestablish its suzerainty over Georgia; the Karabakh Khanate of Persia initially looked as though it might also, but eventually declined Russian help. Exhausted, Potemkin collapsed into a fever he barely survived. Catherine rewarded him with one hundred thousand roubles, which he used to construct the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin returned to St. Petersburg in November 1783 and was promoted to Field Marshal when the Crimea was formally annexed the following February. He also became President of the College of War. The province of Taurida (the Crimea) was added to the state of Novorossiya (lit. "New Russia"). Potemkin moved south in mid-March, as the "Prince of Taurida". He had been the "namestnik" of Russia's southern provinces (including Novorossiya, Azov, Saratov, Astrakhan and the Caucasus) since 1774, repeatedly expanding the domain via military action. He kept his own court, which rivalled Catherine's: by the 1780s he operated a chancellery with fifty or more clerks and had his own minister, Vasili Popov, to oversee day-to-day affairs. Another favored associate was Mikhail Faleev.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: The "criminal" breaking of the Cossack hosts, particularly the Zaporozhian Cossacks in 1775, helped define his rule. However, Montefiore argues that given their location, and in the wake of the Pugachev rebellion, the Cossacks were likely doomed in any case. By the time of Potemkin's death, the Cossacks and their threat of anarchic revolt were well controlled. Among the Zaporizhian Cossacks he was known as "Hrytsko Nechesa".


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin then embarked on a period of city-founding. Construction started at his first effort, Kherson, in 1778, as a base for a new Black Sea Fleet he intended to build. Potemkin approved every plan himself, but construction was slow, and the city proved costly and vulnerable to plague. Next was the port of Akhtiar, annexed with the Crimea, which became Sevastopol. Then he built Simferopol as the Crimean capital. His biggest failure, however, was his effort to build the city of Ekaterinoslav (lit. "The glory of Catherine"), now Dnipro. The second most successful city of Potemkin's rule was Nikolayev (now better known as Mykolaiv), which he founded in 1789. Potemkin also initiated the redesign of Odessa after its capture from the Turks; it was to turn out to be his greatest city planning triumph.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin's Black Sea Fleet was a massive undertaking for its time. By 1787, the British ambassador reported twenty-seven ships of the line. It put Russia on a naval footing with Spain, though far behind the Royal Navy. The period represented the peak of Russia's naval power relative to other European states. Potemkin also rewarded hundreds of thousands of settlers who moved into his territories. It is estimated that by 1782 the populations of Novorossiya and Azov had doubled during a period of "exceptionally rapid" development. Immigrants included Russians, foreigners, British convicts diverted from Australia, Cossacks and controversially Jews. Though the immigrants were not always happy in their new surroundings, on at least one occasion Potemkin intervened directly to ensure families received the cattle to which they were entitled. Outside of Novorossiya he drew up the Azov-Mozdok defense line, constructing forts at Georgievsk, Stavropol and elsewhere and ensured that the whole of the line was settled.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: In 1784 Alexander Lanskoy died and Potemkin was needed at court to console the grieving Catherine. After Alexander Yermolov was installed as the new favorite in 1785, Catherine, Yermolov and Potemkin cruised the upper Volga. When Yermolov attempted to unseat Potemkin (and attracted support from Potemkin's critics), he found himself replaced by Count Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov in the summer of 1786. Potemkin returned to the south, having arranged that Catherine would visit in the summer of 1787. She reached Kiev in late January, to travel down the Dnieper after the ice had melted (see Crimean journey of Catherine the Great). Potemkin had other lovers at this time, including a 'Countess' and a Naryshkina. Leaving in April, the royal party arrived in Kherson a month later. On visiting Sevastopol, Austria's Joseph II, who was traveling with them, was moved to note that "The Empress is totally ecstatic... Prince Potemkin is at the moment all-powerful".


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: The notion of the Potemkin village (coined in German by critical biographer Georg von Helbig as "") arose from Catherine's visit to the south. Critics accused Potemkin of using painted façades to fool Catherine into thinking that the area was far richer than it was. Thousands of peasants were alleged to have been stage-managed for this purpose. Certainly, Potemkin had arranged for Catherine to see the best he had to offer (organising numerous exotic excursions) and at least two cities' officials did conceal poverty by building false houses. It seems unlikely that the fraud approached the scale alleged. The Prince of Ligne, a member of the Austrian delegation, who had explored on his own during the trip, later proclaimed the allegations to be false.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin remained in the south, gradually sinking into depression. His inactivity was problematic, given that he was now Russia's commander-in-chief and, in August 1787, another Russo-Turkish war broke out (the second of Potemkin's lifetime). His opponents were anxious to reclaim the lands they had lost in the last war, and they were under pressure from Prussia, Britain and Sweden to take a hostile attitude towards Russia. Potemkin's bluster had probably contributed to the hostility, either deliberately or accidentally; either way, his creation of the new fleet and Catherine's trip to the south had certainly not helped matters. In the center, Potemkin had his own Yekaterinoslav Army, while to the west lay the smaller Ukraine Army under the command of Field-Marshal Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. On water he had the Black Sea Fleet, and Potemkin was also responsible for coordinating military actions with Russia's Austrian allies. Potemkin and Catherine agreed on a primarily defensive strategy until the spring. Though the Turks were repelled in early skirmishes (against the Russian fortress at Kinburn), news of the loss of Potemkin's beloved fleet during a storm sent him into a deep depression. A week later, and after kind words from Catherine, he was rallied by the news that the fleet was not in fact destroyed, but only damaged. General Alexander Suvorov won an important victory at Kinburn in early October; with winter now approaching, Potemkin was confident the port would be safe until the spring.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Turning his attention elsewhere, Potemkin established his headquarters in Elisabethgrad and planned future operations. He assembled an army of forty or fifty thousand, including the newly formed Kuban Cossacks. He divided his time between military preparation (creating a fleet of a hundred gunboats to fight within the shallow liman) and chasing the wives of soldiers under his command. Meanwhile, the Austrians remained on the defensive across central Europe, though they did manage to hold their lines. Despite advice to the contrary, Potemkin pursued an equally defensive strategy, though in the Caucasus Generals Tekeeli and Pavel Potemkin were making some inroads. In early summer 1788, fighting intensified as Potemkin's forces won their naval confrontation with the Turks with few losses, and began the siege of Ochakov, a Turkish stronghold and the main Russian war aim. Less promising was that St. Petersburg, exposed after Russia's best forces departed for the Crimea, was now under threat from Sweden in the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90. Potemkin refused to write regularly with news of the war in the south, compounding Catherine's anxiety.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin argued with Suvorov and Catherine herself, who were both anxious to assault Ochakov, which the Turks twice managed to supply by sea. Finally, on 6 December, the assault began and four hours later the city was taken, a coup for Potemkin. Nearly ten thousand Turks had been killed at a cost of (only) two-and-a-half thousand Russians. Catherine wrote that "you [Potemkin] have shut the mouths of everyone... [and can now] show magnanimity to your blind and empty-headed critics". Potemkin then visited the naval yard at Vitovka, founded Nikolayev, and traveled on to St. Petersburg, arriving in February 1789. In May he left once more for the front, having agreed on contingency plans with Catherine should Russia be forced into war with either Prussia or the upstart Poland, which had recently successfully demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory. (Catherine herself was just about to change favorites for the final time, replacing Dmitriev-Mamonov with Platon Zubov.) Back on the Turkish front, Potemkin advanced towards the fortress of Bender on the Dniester river.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: The summer and autumn of 1789 saw numerous victories against the Turks, including the Battle of Focşani in July; in early September, the Battle of Rymnik and the capture of both Kaushany and Hadjibey (modern day Odessa); and finally the surrender of the Turkish fortress at Akkerman in late September. The massive fortress at Bender surrendered in November without a fight. Potemkin opened up a lavish court at Iași, the capital of Moldavia, to "winter like a sultan, revel in his mistresses, build his towns, create his regiments—and negotiate peace with [the Turks]... he was emperor of all he surveyed". Potemkin even established a newspaper, "Le Courrier de Moldavie". His preferred lover at the time—though he had others—was Praskovia Potemkina, an affair which continued into 1790. Potemkin renamed two ships in her honor. As part of the diplomatic machinations, Potemkin was given the new title of "Grand Hetman of the Black Sea and Yekaterinoslav Cossack Hosts" and in March he assumed personal control of the Black Sea fleet as Grand Admiral.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: In July 1790 the Russian Baltic Fleet was defeated by the Swedish at the Battle of Svensksund. Despite the damage, the silver lining for the Russians was that the Swedes now felt able to negotiate on an even footing and a peace was soon signed (Treaty of Värälä on 14 August 1790) based on the "status quo ante bellum", thus ending the threat of invasion. The peace also freed up military resources for the war against the Turks. Potemkin had moved his ever more lavish court to Bender and there were soon more successes against Turkey, including the capture of Batal-Pasha and, on the second attempt, of Kilia on the Danube. By the end of November, only one major target remained: the Turkish fortress of Izmail. At Potemkin's request, General Suvorov commanded the assault, which proved to be costly but effective. The victory was commemorated by Russia's first, albeit unofficial, national anthem, "Let the thunder of victory sound!", written by Gavrila Derzhavin and Osip Kozlovsky.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: After two years he returned to St. Petersburg to face the threat of war against an Anglo-Prussian coalition in addition to the war with Turkey. His return was widely celebrated with the "Carnival of Prince Potemkin". The Prince came across as polite and charming though his latest mistress, Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukaya, appeared sidelined and Potemkin found himself embroiled in court intrigue whilst trying to force Zubov out. Catherine and Potemkin fought over military strategy; the Empress wanted no compromise, while Potemkin wanted to buy time by appeasing the Prussians. Fortunately for the Russians, the Anglo-Prussian alliance collapsed and a British ultimatum that Russia should accept the "status quo ante bellum" was withdrawn. In this way, the threat of a wider war receded. Though Russia was still at war with the Ottomans, Potemkin's focus was now Poland. Potemkin had conservative allies including Felix Potocki, whose schemes were so diverse that they have yet to be fully untangled. For example, one idea was for Potemkin to declare himself king.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Success on the Turkish front continued, mostly attributable to Potemkin. He now had the opportunity to confront the Turks and dictate a peace, but that would mean leaving Catherine. His procrastination soured Catherine's attitude towards him, a situation compounded by Potemkin's choice of the married Princess Paskovia Adreevna Golitsyna (née Shuvalova) as his latest mistress. In the end, Potemkin was given the requisite authority to negotiate with the Turks (and, afterwards, to pursue his Polish ambitions), and dispatched by Catherine back to the south. She sent a note after him, reading "Goodbye my friend, I kiss you".


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin fell ill in the fever-ridden city of Iași (then often known as Jassy in English), although he kept busy, overseeing peace talks, planning his assault on Poland, and preparing the army for renewed war in the south. He fasted briefly and recovered some strength, but refused medicine and began to feast once again, consuming a "ham, a salted goose and three or four chickens". On , he felt better and dictated a letter to Catherine before collapsing once more. Later, he awoke and dispatched his entourage to Nikolayev. On Potemkin died in the open steppe, 60 km from Iași. Picking up on contemporary rumor, historians such as the Polish Jerzy Łojek have suggested that he was poisoned because his madness made him a liability, but this is rejected by Montefiore, who suggests he succumbed to bronchial pneumonia instead.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin was embalmed, and a funeral was held for him in Iași. Eight days after his death, he was buried. Catherine was distraught and ordered social life in St. Petersburg be put on hold. Derzhavin's ode "Waterfall" lamented Potemkin's death; likewise many in the military establishment had looked upon Potemkin as a father figure and were especially saddened by his demise. Polish contemporary Stanisław Małachowski claimed that Aleksandra von Engelhardt, a niece of Potemkin's and the wife of Franciszek Ksawery Branicki, a magnate and prominent leader of the Targowica Confederation, also worried for the fate of Poland after the death of the man who had planned to revitalise the Polish state with himself as its new head.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin had used the state treasury as a personal bank, preventing the resolution of his financial affairs to this day. Catherine purchased the Tauride Palace and his art collection from his estate, and paid off his debts. Consequently, he left a relative fortune.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Catherine's son Paul, who succeeded to the throne in 1796, attempted to undo as many of Potemkin's reforms as possible. The Tauride Palace was turned into a barracks, and the city of Gregoripol, which had been named in Potemkin's honor, was renamed.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin's grave survived a destruction order issued by Paul and was eventually displayed by the Bolsheviks. His remains appeared to lie in his tomb at St. Catherine's Cathedral in Kherson. The exact whereabouts of some of his internal organs, including his heart and brain first kept at Golia Monastery in Iași, remain unknown. On October 26, 2022, Vladimir Saldo, collaborator and Russian-appointed acting "governor" of Kherson Oblast under the Russian occupation of 2022, announced that his remains were taken from his tomb and transported to Russia. It is believed that the remains will be taken to Moscow. This was the ninth time that Potemkin's remains were moved.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin "exuded both menace and welcome"; he was arrogant, demanding of his courtiers, and very changeable in his moods, but also fascinating, warm, and kind. It was generally agreed among his female companions that he was "amply endowed with 'sex appeal'".


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Louis Philippe, comte de Ségur described him as "colossal like Russia", "an inconceivable mixture of grandeur and pettiness, laziness and activity, bravery and timidity, ambition and insouciance". The internal contrast was evident throughout his life: he frequented both church and numerous orgies, for example. In Ségur's view, onlookers had a tendency to unjustly attribute to Catherine alone the successes of the period and to Potemkin the failures. An eccentric workaholic, Potemkin was vain and a great lover of jewelry (a taste he did not always remember to pay for), but he disliked sycophancy and was sensitive about his appearance, particularly his lost eye. He only agreed to have portraits made of him twice, in 1784 and again in 1791, both times by Johann Baptist von Lampi and from an angle which disguised his injury. Potemkin was often noted for his uncouth behavior, most notably his unscrupulous sexual liaisons and biting his nails. Potemkin's nail-biting was so persistent that it was frequently noticed by courtiers and guests, and resulted in hangnail.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: It is possible that Potemkin was affected by bipolar disorder. His highs and lows, his material and sexual excesses, his impulsive whims, his energy and lethargy, and his depressive spells speak to some kind of bipolar disorder. In a time that was not aware of mental illness, Potemkin (and, it must be said, the people in his life such as Catherine) suffered from this lack of understanding.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin was also an intellectual. The Prince of Ligne noted that Potemkin had "natural abilities [and] an excellent memory". He was interested in history, generally knowledgeable, and loved the classical music of the period, as well as opera. He liked all food, both peasant and fine (particular favorites included roast beef and potatoes), and his anglophilia meant that English gardens were prepared wherever he went. A practical politician, his political ideas were "quintessentially Russian", and he believed in the superiority of the Tsarist autocracy (he once described the French revolutionaries as "a pack of madmen").


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Ultimately, Potemkin proved a controversial figure. Criticisms include "laziness, corruption, debauchery, indecision, extravagance, falsification, military incompetence, and disinformation on a vast scale", but supporters hold that "the sybaritism [devotion to luxury] and extravagance... are truly justified", stressing Potemkin's "intelligence, force of personality, spectacular vision, courage, generosity and great achievements". Although not a military genius, he was "seriously able" in military matters. Potemkin's contemporary Ségur was quick to criticise, writing that "nobody thought out a plan more swiftly [than Potemkin], carried it out more slowly and abandoned it more easily". Another contemporary, the Scotsman Sir John Sinclair, added that Potemkin had "great abilities" but was ultimately a "worthless and dangerous character". Russian opponents such as Semyon Vorontsov agreed: the Prince had "lots of intelligence, intrigue and credit", but lacked "knowledge, application and virtue".


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin had no legitimate descendants, though it is probable he had illegitimate issue. Four of his five sisters lived long enough to bear children, but only the daughters of his sister Marfa Elena (sometimes rendered as 'Helen') received Potemkin's special attention. The five unmarried Engelhardt sisters arrived in court in 1775 on the direction of their recently widowed father Vassily. Legend suggests Potemkin soon seduced many of the girls, one of whom was twelve or thirteen at the time. An affair with the third eldest, Varvara, can be verified; after that had subsided, Potemkin formed close—and probably amorous—relationships successively with Alexandra, the second eldest, and Ekaterina, the fifth.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Potemkin also had influential relatives. Potemkin's sister Maria, for example, married Russian senator Nikolay Samoylov: their son Alexander was decorated for his service under Potemkin in the army; their daughter Ekaterina married first into the Raevsky family, and then the wealthy landowner Lev Davydov. She had children with both husbands, including highly decorated General Nikolay Raevsky, Potemkin's great-nephew. His wider family included several distant cousins, among them Count Pavel Potemkin, another decorated military figure, whose brother Mikhail married Potemkin's niece Tatiana Engelhardt. A distant nephew, Felix Yusupov, helped murder Rasputin in 1916.


title: Grigory Potemkin

text: Despite attempts by Paul I to play down Potemkin's role in Russian history, his name found its way into numerous items of common parlance:


title: Life insurance

text: Life insurance (or life assurance, especially in the Commonwealth of Nations) is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer or assurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of an insured person (often the policyholder). Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness can also trigger payment. The policyholder typically pays a premium, either regularly or as one lump sum. The benefits may include other expenses, such as funeral expenses.


title: Life insurance

text: Life policies are legal contracts and the terms of each contract describe the limitations of the insured events. Often, specific exclusions written into the contract limit the liability of the insurer; common examples include claims relating to suicide, fraud, war, riot, and civil commotion. Difficulties may arise where an event is not clearly defined, for example, the insured knowingly incurred a risk by consenting to an experimental medical procedure or by taking medication resulting in injury or death.


title: Life insurance

text: Modern life insurance bears some similarity to the asset-management industry, and life insurers have diversified their product offerings into retirement products such as annuities.


title: Life insurance

text: An early form of life insurance dates to Ancient Rome; "burial clubs" covered the cost of members' funeral expenses and assisted survivors financially. In 1816, an archeological excavation in Minya, Egypt (under an Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire) produced a Nerva–Antonine dynasty-era tablet from the ruins of the Temple of Antinous in Antinoöpolis, Aegyptus that prescribed the rules and membership dues of a burial society "collegium" established in Lanuvium, Italia in approximately 133 AD during the reign of Hadrian (117–138) of the Roman Empire. In 1851, future U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Joseph P. Bradley (1870–1892), once employed as an actuary for the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company, submitted an article to the "Journal of the Institute of Actuaries" detailing an historical account of a Severan dynasty-era life table compiled by the Roman jurist Ulpian in approximately 220 AD during the reign of Elagabalus (218–222) that was included in the "Digesta seu Pandectae" (533) codification ordered by Justinian I (527–565) of the Eastern Roman Empire.


title: Life insurance

text: The earliest known life insurance policy was made in Royal Exchange, London on 18 June 1583. A Richard Martin insured a William Gybbons, paying thirteen merchants 30 pounds for 400 if the insured dies within one year. The first company to offer life insurance in modern times was the Amicable Society for a Perpetual Assurance Office, founded in London in 1706 by William Talbot and Sir Thomas Allen. Each member made an annual payment per share on one to three shares with consideration to age of the members being twelve to fifty-five. At the end of the year a portion of the "amicable contribution" was divided among the wives and children of deceased members, in proportion to the number of shares the heirs owned. The Amicable Society started with 2000 members.


title: Life insurance

text: The first life table was written by Edmund Halley in 1693, but it was only in the 1750s that the necessary mathematical and statistical tools were in place for the development of modern life insurance. James Dodson, a mathematician and actuary, tried to establish a new company aimed at correctly offsetting the risks of long-term life assurance policies, after being refused admission to the Amicable Life Assurance Society because of his advanced age. He was unsuccessful in his attempts at procuring a charter from the government.


title: Life insurance

text: His disciple, Edward Rowe Mores, was able to establish the Society for Equitable Assurances on Lives and Survivorship in 1762. It was the world's first mutual insurer and it pioneered age based premiums based on mortality rate laying "the framework for scientific insurance practice and development" and “the basis of modern life assurance upon which all life assurance schemes were subsequently based”.


title: Life insurance

text: Mores also gave the name actuary to the chief official—the earliest known reference to the position as a business concern. The first modern actuary was William Morgan, who served from 1775 to 1830. In 1776 the Society carried out the first actuarial valuation of liabilities and subsequently distributed the first reversionary bonus (1781) and interim bonus (1809) among its members. It also used regular valuations to balance competing interests. The Society sought to treat its members equitably and the Directors tried to ensure that policyholders received a fair return on their investments. Premiums were regulated according to age, and anybody could be admitted regardless of their state of health and other circumstances.


title: Life insurance

text: The sale of life insurance in the U.S. began in the 1760s. The Presbyterian Synods in Philadelphia and New York City created the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers in 1759; Episcopalian priests organized a similar fund in 1769. Between 1787 and 1837 more than two dozen life insurance companies were started, but fewer than half a dozen survived. In the 1870s, military officers banded together to found both the Army (AAFMAA) and the Navy Mutual Aid Association (Navy Mutual), inspired by the plight of widows and orphans left stranded in the West after the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and of the families of U.S. sailors who died at sea.


title: Life insurance

text: The person responsible for making payments for a policy is the policy owner, while the insured is the person whose death will trigger payment of the death benefit. The owner and insured may or may not be the same person. For example, if Joe buys a policy on his own life, he is both the owner and the insured. But if Jane, his wife, buys a policy on Joe's life, she is the owner and he is the insured. The policy owner is the guarantor and they will be the person to pay for the policy. The insured is a participant in the contract, but not necessarily a party to it.


title: Life insurance

text: The beneficiary receives policy proceeds upon the insured person's death. The owner designates the beneficiary, but the beneficiary is not a party to the policy. The owner can change the beneficiary unless the policy has an irrevocable beneficiary designation. If a policy has an irrevocable beneficiary, any beneficiary changes, policy assignments, or cash value borrowing would require the agreement of the original beneficiary.


title: Life insurance

text: In cases where the policy owner is not the insured (also referred to as the "celui qui vit" or CQV), insurance companies have sought to limit policy purchases to those with an insurable interest in the CQV. For life insurance policies, close family members and business partners will usually be found to have an insurable interest. The insurable interest requirement usually demonstrates that the purchaser will actually suffer some kind of loss if the CQV dies. Such a requirement prevents people from benefiting from the purchase of purely speculative policies on people they expect to die. With no insurable interest requirement, the risk that a purchaser would murder the CQV for insurance proceeds would be great. In at least one case, an insurance company that sold a policy to a purchaser with no insurable interest (who later murdered the CQV for the proceeds), was found liable in court for contributing to the wrongful death of the victim ("Liberty National Life v. Weldon", 267 Ala.171 (1957)).


title: Life insurance

text: Special exclusions may apply, such as suicide clauses, whereby the policy becomes null and void if the insured dies by suicide within a specified time (usually two years after the purchase date; some states provide a statutory one-year suicide clause). Any misrepresentations by the insured on the application may also be grounds for nullification. Most US states, for example, specify a maximum contestability period, often no more than two years. Only if the insured dies within this period will the insurer have a legal right to contest the claim on the basis of misrepresentation and request additional information before deciding whether to pay or deny the claim.


title: Life insurance

text: The face amount of the policy is the initial amount that the policy will pay at the death of the insured or when the policy matures, although the actual death benefit can provide for greater or lesser than the face amount. The policy matures when the insured dies or reaches a specified age (such as 100 years old).


title: Life insurance

text: The insurance company calculates the policy prices (premiums) at a level sufficient to fund claims, cover administrative costs, and provide a profit. The cost of insurance is determined using mortality tables calculated by actuaries. Mortality tables are statistically based tables showing expected annual mortality rates of people at different ages. As people are more likely to die as they get older, the mortality tables enable insurance companies to calculate the risk and increase premiums with age accordingly. Such estimates can be important in taxation regulation.


title: Life insurance

text: In the 1980s and 1990s, the SOA 1975-80 Basic Select & Ultimate tables were the typical reference points, while the 2001 VBT and 2001 CSO tables were published more recently. As well as the basic parameters of age and gender, the newer tables include separate mortality tables for smokers and non-smokers, and the CSO tables include separate tables for preferred classes.


title: Life insurance

text: The mortality tables provide a baseline for the cost of insurance, but the health and family history of the individual applicant is also taken into account (except in the case of Group policies). This investigation and resulting evaluation is termed underwriting. Health and lifestyle questions are asked, with certain responses possibly meriting further investigation.


title: Life insurance

text: Based on the above and additional factors, applicants will be placed into one of several classes of health ratings which will determine the premium paid in exchange for insurance at that particular carrier.


title: Life insurance

text: Life insurance companies in the United States support the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), which is a clearing house of information on persons who have applied for life insurance with participating companies in the last seven years. As part of the application, the insurer often requires the applicant's permission to obtain information from their physicians.


title: Life insurance

text: Automated Life Underwriting is a technology solution which is designed to perform all or some of the screening functions traditionally completed by underwriters, and thus seeks to reduce the work effort, time and/or data necessary to underwrite a life insurance application. These systems allow point of sale distribution and can shorten the time frame for issuance from weeks or even months to hours or minutes, depending on the amount of insurance being purchased.


title: Life insurance

text: The mortality of underwritten persons rises much more quickly than the general population. At the end of 10 years, the mortality of that 25-year-old, non-smoking male is 0.66/1000/year. Consequently, in a group of one thousand 25-year-old males with a $100,000 policy, all of average health, a life insurance company would have to collect approximately $50 a year from each participant to cover the relatively few expected claims. (0.35 to 0.66 expected deaths in each year × $100,000 payout per death = $35 per policy.) Other costs, such as administrative and sales expenses, also need to be considered when setting the premiums. A 10-year policy for a 25-year-old non-smoking male with preferred medical history may get offers as low as $90 per year for a $100,000 policy in the competitive US life insurance market.


title: Life insurance

text: Most of the revenue received by insurance companies consists of premiums, but revenue from investing the premiums forms an important source of profit for most life insurance companies. Group insurance policies are an exception to this.


title: Life insurance

text: In the United States, life insurance companies are never legally required to provide coverage to everyone, with the exception of Civil Rights Act compliance requirements. Insurance companies alone determine insurability, and some people are deemed uninsurable. The policy can be declined or rated (increasing the premium amount to compensate for the higher risk), and the amount of the premium will be proportional to the face value of the policy.


title: Life insurance

text: Many companies separate applicants into four general categories. These categories are "preferred best", "preferred", "standard", and "tobacco". Preferred best is reserved only for the healthiest individuals in the general population. This may mean, that the proposed insured has no adverse medical history, is not under medication, and has no family history of early-onset cancer, diabetes, or other conditions. Preferred means that the proposed insured is currently under medication and has a family history of particular illnesses. Most people are in the standard category.


title: Life insurance

text: People in the tobacco category typically have to pay higher premiums due to higher mortality. Recent US mortality tables predict that roughly 0.35 in 1,000 non-smoking males aged 25 will die during the first year of a policy. Mortality approximately doubles for every additional ten years of age, so the mortality rate in the first year for non-smoking men is about 2.5 in 1,000 people at age 65. Compare this with the US population male mortality rates of 1.3 per 1,000 at age 25 and 19.3 at age 65 (without regard to health or smoking status).


title: Life insurance

text: Upon the insured's death, the insurer requires acceptable proof of death before it pays the claim. If the insured's death is suspicious and the policy amount is large, the insurer may investigate the circumstances surrounding the death before deciding whether it has an obligation to pay the claim.


title: Life insurance

text: Payment from the policy may be as a lump sum or as an annuity, which is paid in regular installments for either a specified period or for the beneficiary's lifetime.


title: Life insurance

text: The specific uses of the terms "insurance" and "assurance" are sometimes confused. In general, in jurisdictions where both terms are used, "insurance" refers to providing coverage for an event that "might" happen (fire, theft, flood, etc.), while "assurance" is the provision of coverage for an event that is "certain" to happen. In the United States, both forms of coverage are called "insurance" for reasons of simplicity in companies selling both products. By some definitions, "insurance" is any coverage that determines benefits based on actual losses whereas "assurance" is coverage with predetermined benefits irrespective of the losses incurred.


title: Life insurance

text: Life insurance may be divided into two basic classes: temporary and permanent; or the following subclasses: term, universal, whole life, and endowment life insurance.


title: Life insurance

text: Term assurance provides life insurance coverage for a specified term (usually 10-30 years). The policy does not accumulate cash value and is significantly less expensive than a permanent policy with an equivalent death benefit but will increase in cost with age. Policyholders can save to provide for increased term premiums or decrease insurance needs (by paying off debts or saving to provide for survivor needs).


title: Life insurance

text: "Mortgage life insurance" insures a loan secured by real property and usually features a level premium amount for a declining policy face value because what is insured is the principal and interest outstanding on a mortgage that is constantly being reduced by mortgage payments. The face amount of the policy is always the amount of the principal and interest outstanding that are paid should the applicant die before the final installment is paid.


title: Life insurance

text: "Group life insurance" (also known as "wholesale life insurance" or "institutional life insurance") is term insurance covering a group of people, usually employees of a company, members of a union or association, or members of a pension or superannuation fund. Individual proof of insurability is not normally a consideration in its underwriting. Rather, the underwriter considers the size, turnover, and financial strength of the group. Contract provisions will attempt to exclude the possibility of adverse selection. Group life insurance often allows members exiting the group to maintain their coverage by buying individual coverage. The underwriting is carried out for the whole group instead of individuals.


title: Life insurance

text: "Permanent life insurance" is life insurance that covers the remaining lifetime of the insured. A permanent insurance policy accumulates a cash value up to its date of maturation. The owner can access the money in the cash value by withdrawing money, borrowing the cash value, or surrendering the policy and receiving the surrender value.


title: Life insurance

text: Universal life insurance (ULl) is a relatively new insurance product, intended to combine permanent insurance coverage with greater flexibility in premium payments, along with the potential for greater growth of cash values. There are several types of universal life insurance policies, including "interest-sensitive" (also known as "traditional fixed universal life insurance"), "variable universal life (VUL)", "guaranteed death benefit", and has "equity-indexed universal life insurance".


title: Life insurance

text: Universal life insurance policies have cash values. Paid-in premiums increase their cash values; administrative and other costs reduce their cash values.


title: Life insurance

text: Universal life insurance addresses the perceived disadvantages of whole life—namely that premiums and death benefits are fixed. With universal life, both the premiums and death benefit are flexible. With the exception of guaranteed-death-benefit universal life policies, universal life policies trade their greater flexibility for fewer guarantees.


title: Life insurance

text: "Flexible death benefit" means the policy owner can choose to decrease the death benefit. The death benefit can also be increased by the policy owner, usually requiring new underwriting. Another feature of flexible death benefit is the ability to choose option A or option B death benefits and to change those options over the course of the life of the insured. Option A is often referred to as a "level death benefit"; death benefits remain level for the life of the insured, and premiums are lower than policies with Option B death benefits, which pay the policy's cash value—i.e., a face amount plus earnings/interest. If the cash value grows over time, the death benefits do too. If the cash value declines, the death benefit also declines. Option B policies normally feature higher premiums than option A policies.