Daily is a short noun for a newspaper appearing each day or each weekday. Daily or The Daily may also refer to:

''The Daily'', a US-based iPad newspaper from News Corporation

''The Daily of the University of Washington'', using ''The Daily'' as its standardhead, a student newspaper

Iveco Daily, a large van produced by Iveco

Daily Township, Dixon County, Nebraska, USA

See also

Nightly (disambiguation)

Daley (disambiguation)

Daly (disambiguation)

ca:Daily de:Daily

name	Damien Hirst
birth date	June 07, 1965
birth place	Bristol, England, UK
nationality	British
field	Conceptual art, installation art, painting
training	Leeds College of Art and Design, Goldsmiths
movement	Young British Artists
works	''The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living'', ''For the Love of God''
patrons	Charles Saatchi
awards	Turner Prize }}

Damien Steven Hirst (born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists (or YBAs), who dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly Britain's richest living artist, with his wealth valued at £215m in the 2010 Sunday Times Rich List. During the 1990s his career was closely linked with the collector Charles Saatchi, but increasing frictions came to a head in 2003 and the relationship ended.

Death is a central theme in Hirst's works. He became famous for a series of artworks in which dead animals (including a shark, a sheep and a cow) are preserved—sometimes having been dissected—in formaldehyde. ''The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living'', a tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde in a vitrine (clear display case) became the iconic work of British art in the 1990s, and the symbol of Britart worldwide. He has also made "spin paintings," created on a spinning circular surface, and "spot paintings", which are rows of randomly coloured circles created by his assistants.

In September 2008, he took an unprecedented move for a living artist by selling a complete show, ''Beautiful Inside My Head Forever'', at Sotheby's by auction and by-passing his long-standing galleries. The auction exceeded all predictions, raising £111 million ($198 million), breaking the record for a one-artist auction as well as Hirst's own record with £10.3 million for ''The Golden Calf'', an animal with 18-carat gold horns and hooves, preserved in formaldehyde.

In several instances since 1999, sources for certain of Hirst's works have been challenged and contested as plagiarised, both in written articles by journalists and artists, and, in one instance, through legal proceedings which led to an out-of-court settlement.

Hirst has made certain controversial statements to the media including, following the 11 September attacks, Hirst congratulated the attackers, stating, "You've got to hand it to them on some level." On 18 September 2002, he "apologised unreservedly" for the remarks.

Life and career

Early life

Damien Hirst was born in Bristol and grew up in Leeds. His father was reportedly a motor mechanic, who left the family when Hirst was 12. His mother, Mary Brennan, of Irish Catholic descent, worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau, and has stated that she lost control of her son when he was young. He was arrested on two occasions for shoplifting. However, Hirst sees her as someone who would not tolerate rebellion: she cut up his bondage trousers and heated one of his Sex Pistols vinyl records on the cooker to turn it into a fruit bowl (or a plant pot). He says, "If she didn't like how I was dressed, she would quickly take me away from the bus stop." She did, though, encourage his liking for drawing, which was his only successful educational subject.

His art teacher "pleaded" for Hirst to be allowed to enter the sixth form, where he took two A-levels, achieving an "E" grade in art. He was refused admission to Leeds College of Art and Design, when he first applied, but attended the college after a subsequent successful application.

He went to an exhibition of work by Francis Davison, staged by Julian Spalding at the Hayward Gallery in 1983. Davison created abstract collages from torn and cut coloured paper, which Hirst said, "blew me away", and which he modelled his own work on for the next two years.

He worked for two years on London building sites, then studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London (1986–89), although again he was refused a place the first time he applied. In 2007, Hirst was quoted as saying of ''An Oak Tree'' by Goldsmiths' senior tutor, Michael Craig-Martin: "That piece is, I think, the greatest piece of conceptual sculpture. I still can't get it out of my head." While a student, Hirst had a placement at a mortuary, an experience that influenced his later themes and materials.

Warehouse shows

In July 1988, in his second year at Goldsmiths College, Hirst was the main organiser of an independent student exhibition, ''Freeze'', in a disused London Port Authority administrative block in London's Docklands. He gained sponsorship from the London Docklands Development Corporation. The show was visited by Charles Saatchi, Norman Rosenthal and Nicholas Serota, thanks to the influence of his Goldsmiths' lecturer Michael Craig-Martin. Hirst's own contribution to the show consisted of a cluster of cardboard boxes painted with household paint. After graduating, Hirst was included in ''New Contemporaries'' show and in a group show at Kettles Yard Gallery in Cambridge. Seeking a gallery dealer, he first approached Karsten Schubert, but was turned down.

In 1990 Hirst, along with his friend Carl Freedman and Billee Sellman, curated two enterprising "warehouse" shows, ''Modern Medicine'' and ''Gambler'', in a Bermondsey former Peek Freans biscuit factory they designated "Building One". Saatchi arrived at the second show in a green Rolls Royce and, according to Freedman, stood open-mouthed with astonishment in front of (and then bought) Hirst's first major "animal" installation, ''A Thousand Years'', consisting of a large glass case containing maggots and flies feeding off a rotting cow's head. They also staged Michael Landy's ''Market''. At this time, Hirst said, "I can’t wait to get into a position to make really bad art and get away with it. At the moment if I did certain things people would look at it, consider it and then say 'f off'. But after a while you can get away with things."

In 1991 his first solo exhibition, organised by Tamara Chodzko – Dial, ''In and Out of Love'', was held in an unused shop on Woodstock Street in central London; he also had solo exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris. The Serpentine Gallery presented the first survey of the new generation of artists with the exhibition ''Broken English'', in part curated by Hirst. At this time Hirst met the up-and-coming art dealer, Jay Jopling, who then represented him.

Career in contemporary art

In 1991, Charles Saatchi had offered to fund whatever artwork Hirst wanted to make, and the result was showcased in 1992 in the first ''Young British Artists'' exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in North London. Hirst's work was titled ''The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living'' and was a shark in formaldehyde in a vitrine, and sold for £50,000. The shark had been caught by a commissioned fisherman in Australia and had cost £6,000. It became the iconic work of British art in the 1990s, and the symbol of Britart worldwide. The exhibition also included ''A Thousand Years''. As a result of the show, Hirst was nominated for that year's Turner Prize, but it was awarded to Grenville Davey.

Hirst's first major international presentation was in the Venice Biennale in 1993 with the work, ''Mother and Child Divided'', a cow and a calf cut into sections and exhibited in a series of separate vitrines. He curated the show ''Some Went Mad, Some Ran Away'' in 1994 at the Serpentine Gallery in London, where he exhibited ''Away from the Flock'' (a sheep in a tank of formaldehyde). On 9 May, Mark Bridger, a 35 year old artist from Oxford, walked in to the gallery and poured black ink into the tank, and retitled the work ''Black Sheep''. He was subsequently prosecuted, at Hirst's wish, and was given two years' probation. The sculpture was restored at a cost of £1,000.

In 1995, Hirst won the Turner Prize. New York public health officials banned ''Two Fucking and Two Watching'' featuring a rotting cow and bull, because of fears of "vomiting among the visitors". There were solo shows in Seoul, London and Salzburg. He directed the video for the song "Country House" for the band Blur. ''No Sense of Absolute Corruption'', his first solo show in the Gagosian Gallery in New York was staged the following year. In London the short film, ''Hanging Around'', was shown—written and directed by Hirst and starring Eddie Izzard. In 1997 the ''Sensation'' exhibition opened at the Royal Academy in London. ''A Thousand Years'' and other works by Hirst were included, but the main controversy occurred over other artists' works. It was nevertheless seen as the formal acceptance of the YBAs into the establishment.

In 1997, his autobiography and art book, ''I Want To Spend the Rest of My Life Everywhere, with Everyone, One to One, Always, Forever, Now'', was published. With Alex James of the band Blur and actor Keith Allen, he formed the band Fat Les, achieving a number 2 hit with a raucous football-themed song ''Vindaloo'', followed up by ''Jerusalem'' with the London Gay Men's Chorus. Hirst also painted a simple colour pattern for the Beagle 2 probe. This pattern was to be used to calibrate the probe's cameras after it had landed on Mars. He turned down the British Council's invitation to be Britain's representative at the 1999 Venice Biennale because "it didn't feel right". He sued British Airways claiming a breach of copyright over an advert design with coloured spots for its low budget airline, Go.

2000s

In 2000, Hirst's sculpture ''Hymn'' (which Saatchi had bought for a reported £1m) was given pole position at the show ''Ant Noises'' (an anagram of "sensation") in the Saatchi Gallery. Hirst was then sued himself for breach of copyright over this sculpture (see Appropriation below). Hirst sold three more copies of his sculpture for similar amounts to the first. In September 2000, in New York, Larry Gagosian held the Hirst show, ''Damien Hirst: Models, Methods, Approaches, Assumptions, Results and Findings''. 100,000 people visited the show in 12 weeks and all the work was sold.

On 10 September 2002, on the eve of the first anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, Hirst said in an interview with BBC News Online: :"The thing about 9/11 is that it's kind of like an artwork in its own right. It was wicked, but it was devised in this way for this kind of impact. It was devised visually... You've got to hand it to them on some level because they've achieved something which nobody would have ever have thought possible, especially to a country as big as America. So on one level they kind of need congratulating, which a lot of people shy away from, which is a very dangerous thing."

The next week, following public outrage at his remarks, he issued a statement through his company, Science Ltd: :"I apologise unreservedly for any upset I have caused, particularly to the families of the victims of the events on that terrible day."

Hirst gave up smoking and drinking in 2002, although the short-term result was that his wife Maia "had to move out because I was so horrible." He had met Joe Strummer (former lead singer of The Clash) at Glastonbury in 1995, becoming good friends and going on annual family holidays with him. Just before Christmas 2002, Strummer died of a heart attack. This had a profound effect on Hirst, who said, "It was the first time I felt mortal." He subsequently devoted a lot of time to founding a charity, Strummerville, to help young musicians.

In April 2003, the Saatchi Gallery opened at new premises in County Hall, London, with a show that included a Hirst retrospective. This brought a developing strain in his relationship with Saatchi to a head (one source of contention had been who was most responsible for boosting their mutual profile). Hirst disassociated himself from the retrospective to the extent of not including it in his CV. He was angry that a Mini car that he had decorated for charity with his trademark spots was being exhibited as a serious artwork. The show also scuppered a prospective Hirst retrospective at Tate Modern. He said Saatchi was "childish" and "I'm not Charles Saatchi's barrel-organ monkey ... He only recognises art with his wallet ... he believes he can affect art values with buying power, and he still believes he can do it."

In September 2003 he had an exhibition ''Romance in the Age of Uncertainty'' at Jay Jopling's White Cube gallery in London, which made him a reported £11m, bringing his wealth to over £35m. It was reported that a sculpture, ''Charity'', had been sold for £1.5m to a Korean, Kim Chang-Il, who intended to exhibit it in his department store's gallery in Seoul. The 22-foot (6.7m), 6-ton sculpture was based on the 1960s Spastic Society's model, which is of a girl in leg irons holding a collecting box. In Hirst's version the collecting box is shown broken open and is empty.

''Charity'' was exhibited in the centre of Hoxton Square, in front of the White Cube. Inside the gallery downstairs were 12 vitrines representing Jesus's disciples, each case containing mostly gruesome, often blood-stained, items relevant to the particular disciple. At the end was an empty vitrine, representing Christ. Upstairs were four small glass cases, each containing a cow's head stuck with scissors and knives. It has been described as an "extraordinarily spiritual experience" in the tradition of Catholic imagery. At this time Hirst bought back 12 works from Saatchi (a third of Saatchi's holdings of Hirst's early works), via Jay Jopling, for a total fee reported to exceed £8 million. Hirst had sold these pieces to Saatchi in the early 1990s for a considerably smaller sum, his first installations costing less than £10,000.

On 24 May 2004, a fire in the Momart storage warehouse destroyed many works from the Saatchi collection, including 17 of Hirst's, although the sculpture ''Charity'' survived, as it was outside in the builder's yard. That July, Hirst said of Saatchi, "I respect Charles. There's not really a feud. If I see him, we speak, but we were never really drinking buddies."

Hirst designed a cover for the ''Band Aid 20'' charity single featuring the "Grim Reaper" in late 2004. The image showed an African child perched on his knee. This was not to the liking of the record company executives and was replaced by reindeer in the snow standing next to a child.

In December 2004, ''The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living'' was sold by Saatchi to American collector Steve Cohen, for $12 million (£6.5 million), in a deal negotiated by Hirst's New York agent, Gagosian. Cohen, a Greenwich hedge fund manager, then donated the work to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Sir Nicholas Serota had wanted to acquire it for the Tate Gallery, and Hugo Swire, Shadow Minister for the Arts, tabled a question to ask if the government would ensure it stayed in the country. Current export regulations do not apply to living artists.

Hirst exhibited 30 paintings at the Gagosian Gallery in New York in March 2005. These had taken 3½ years to complete. They were closely based on photos, mostly by assistants (who were rotated between paintings) but with a final finish by Hirst.

In February 2006, he opened a major show in Mexico, at the Hilario Galguera Gallery, called ''The Death of God, Towards a Better Understanding of Life without God aboard The Ship of Fools''. The exhibition attracted considerable media coverage as Hirst's first show in Latin America. In June that year, he exhibited alongside the work of Francis Bacon (''Triptychs'') at the Gagosian Gallery, Britannia Street, London. Included in the exhibition was the seminal vitrine, ''A Thousand Years'' (1990), and four triptychs: paintings, medicine cabinets and a new formaldehyde work entitled ''The Tranquility of Solitude (For George Dyer)'', influenced by Bacon.

''A Thousand Years'', one of Hirst's most provocative and engaging works, contains an actual life cycle. Maggots hatch inside a white minimal box, turn into flies, then feed on a bloody, severed cow's head on the floor of a claustrophobic glass vitrine. Above, hatched flies buzz around in the closed space. Many meet a violent end in an insect-o-cutor; others survive to continue the cycle. ''A Thousand Years'' was admired by Bacon, who in a letter to a friend a month before he died, wrote about the experience of seeing the work at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Margarita Coppack notes that "It is as if Bacon, a painter with no direct heir in that medium, was handing the baton on to a new generation." Hirst has openly acknowledged his debt to Bacon, absorbing the painter's visceral images and obsessions early on and giving them concrete existence in sculptural form with works like ''A Thousand Years''.

Hirst gained the auction record for the most expensive work of art by a living artist—his ''Lullaby Spring'' in June 2007, when a 3 metre-wide steel cabinet with 6,136 pills sold for 19.2 million dollars to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

In June 2007, ''Beyond Belief'', an exhibition of Hirst's new work, opened at the White Cube gallery in London. The centre-piece, a Memento Mori titled ''For the Love of God'', was a human skull recreated in platinum and adorned with 8,601 diamonds weighing a total of 1,106.18 carats. Approximately £15,000,000 worth of diamonds were used. It was modelled on an 18th century skull, but the only surviving human part of the original is the teeth. The asking price for ''For the Love of God'' was £50,000,000 ($100 million or 75 million euros). It didn't sell outright, and on 30 August 2008 was sold to a consortium that included Hirst himself and his gallery White Cube.

In November 2008, the skull was exhibited at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam next to an exhibition of paintings from the museum collection selected by Hirst. Wim Pijbes, the museum director, said of the exhibition, "It boosts our image. Of course, we do the Old Masters but we are not a 'yesterday institution'. It's for now. And Damien Hirst shows this in a very strong way."

In June 2011, Hirst was selected by the Red Hot Chili Peppers to design the artwork for their fourthcoming album, ''I'm with You'', released in August 2011. According to singer, Anthony Kiedis “Its an image. Its art. Iconic. We didn’t give it it's meaning but it's clearly open to interpretation.”

Works

Beautiful Inside My Head Forever

''Beautiful Inside My Head Forever'' was a two day auction of Hirst's new work at Sotheby's, London, taking place on 15 and 16 September 2008.

It was unusual as he bypassed galleries and sold directly to the public. Writing in ''The Independent'', Cahal Milmo said that the idea of the auction was conceived by Hirst's business advisor of 13 years, Frank Dunphy, who had to overcome Hirst's initial reluctance about the idea.

The sale raised £111 million ($198 million) for 218 items. The auction exceeded expectations, and was ten times higher than the existing Sotheby's record for a single artist sale, occurring as the financial markets plunged. ''The Sunday Times'' said that Hirst's business colleagues had "propped up" the sale prices, making purchases or bids which totalled over half of the £70.5 million spent on the first sale day: Harry Blain of the Haunch of Venison gallery said that bids were entered on behalf of clients wishing to acquire the work.

Cartrain

In December 2008, Hirst contacted the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) demanding action be taken over works containing images of his skull sculpture ''For the Love of God'' made by a 16 year old graffiti artist, Cartrain, and sold on the internet gallery 100artworks.com. On the advice of his gallery, Cartrain handed over the artworks to DACS and forfeited the £200 he had made; he said, "I met Christian Zimmermann [from DACS] who told me Hirst personally ordered action on the matter." In June 2009, copyright lawyer Paul Tackaberry compared the two images and said, "This is fairly non-contentious legally. Ask yourself, what portion of the original–and not just the quantity but also the quality–appears in the new work? If a 'substantial portion' of the 'original' appears in the new work, then that's all you need for copyright infringement... Quantitatively about 80% of the skull is in the second image."

Cartrain walked into Tate Britain in July 2009 and removed a pack of "very rare Faber Castell 1990 Mongol 482 series pencils" from Damien Hirst's pharmacy installation. Cartrain had then made a "fake" police appeal poster stating that the pencils had been "stolen" and that if anyone had any information they should call the police on the phone number advertised. Cartrain was arrested for £500,000 worth of theft.

Painting

In October 2009, Hirst revealed that he had been painting with his own hand in a style influenced by Francis Bacon for several years. According to Sarah Thornton, "For his latest violation of art-world etiquette, he’s enacting the fantasy of being a lonely romantic painter." ''No Love Lost'', his show of these paintings at the Wallace Collection in London received "one of the most unanimously negative responses to any exhibition in living memory". Tom Lubbock of ''The Independent'' called Hirst's work derivative, weak and boring: "Hirst, as a painter, is at about the level of a not-very-promising, first-year art student." Rachel Campbell-Johnston of ''The Times'' said it was "shockingly bad".

Work philosophy

Although Hirst participated physically in the making of early works, he has always needed assistants (Carl Freedman helped with the first vitrines), and now the volume of work produced necessitates a "factory" setup, akin to Andy Warhol's or a Renaissance studio. This has led to questions about authenticity, as was highlighted in 1997, when a spin painting that Hirst said was a "forgery" appeared at sale, although he had previously said that he often had nothing to do with the creation of these pieces.

Hirst said that he only painted five spot paintings himself because, "I couldn't be fucking arsed doing it"; he described his efforts as "shite"—"They're shit compared to ... the best person who ever painted spots for me was Rachel. She's brilliant. Absolutely fucking brilliant. The best spot painting you can have by me is one painted by Rachel." He also describes another painting assistant who was leaving and asked for one of the paintings. Hirst told her to, "'make one of your own.' And she said, 'No, I want one of yours.' But the only difference, between one painted by her and one of mine, is the money.'" By February 1999, two assistants had painted 300 spot paintings. Hirst sees the real creative act as being the conception, not the execution, and that, as the progenitor of the idea, he is therefore the artist:

"Art goes on in your head," he says. "If you said something interesting, that might be a title for a work of art and I'd write it down. Art comes from everywhere. It's your response to your surroundings. There are on-going ideas I've been working out for years, like how to make a rainbow in a gallery. I've always got a massive list of titles, of ideas for shows, and of works without titles."

Hirst is also known to volunteer repair work on his projects after a client has made a purchase. For example, this service was offered in the case of the suspended shark purchased by Steven A. Cohen.

Appropriation and plagiarism claims

In 1999, chef Marco Pierre White said Hirst's ''Butterflies On Mars'' had plagiarised his own work, ''Rising Sun'', which he then put on display in the restaurant Quo Vadis in place of the Hirst work.

In 2000, Hirst was sued for breach of copyright over his sculpture, ''Hymn'', which was a , six ton, enlargement of his son Connor's 14" ''Young Scientist Anatomy Set'', designed by Norman Emms, 10,000 of which are sold a year by Hull-based toy manufacturer Humbrol for £14.99 each. Hirst paid an undisclosed sum to two charities, Children Nationwide and the Toy Trust in an out-of-court settlement, as well as a "good will payment" to Emms. The charitable donation was less than Emms had hoped for. Hirst also agreed to restrictions on further reproductions of his sculpture.

In 2006, a graphic artist and former research associate at the Royal College of Art, Robert Dixon, author of 'Mathographics', alleged that Hirst's print ''Valium'' had "unmistakable similarities" to one of his own designs. Hirst's manager contested this by explaining the origin of Hirst's piece was from a book ''The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Geometry'' (1991)—not realising this was one place where Dixon's design had been published.

In 2007, artist John LeKay said he was a friend of Damien Hirst between 1992 and 1994 and had given him a "marked-up duplicate copy" of a Carolina Biological Supply Company catalogue, adding "You have no idea how much he got from this catalogue. The Cow Divided is on page 647 – it is a model of a cow divided down the centre, like his piece." This refers to Hirst’s work ''Mother and Child, Divided''—a cow and calf cut in half and placed in formaldehyde. LeKay also claimed Hirst had copied the idea of ''For the Love of God'' from LeKay's crystal skulls made in 1993, and said, "I would like Damien to acknowledge that 'John really did inspire the skull and influenced my work a lot.'" Copyright lawyer Paul Tackaberry reviewed images of LeKay's and Hirst's work and saw no basis for copyright infringement claims in a legal sense.

In 2010, in ''The Jackdaw'', Charles Thomson said there were 15 cases where Hirst had plagiarised other work. Examples cited were Joseph Cornell who had created a similar piece to Hirst's ''Pharmacy'' in 1943; Lori Precious who had made stained-glass window effects from butterfly wings from 1994, a number of years before Hirst; and John LeKay who did a crucified sheep in 1987. Thomson said that Hirst's spin paintings and installation of a ball on a jet of air were not original, since similar pieces had been made in the 1960s. A spokesperson for Hirst said the article was "poor journalism" and that Hirst would be making a "comprehensive" rebuttal of the claims.

Hirst's own collection

In November 2006, Hirst was curator of ''In the darkest hour there may be light'', shown at the Serpentine Gallery, London, the first public exhibition of (a small part of) his own collection. Now known as the ‘murderme collection’, this significant accumulation of works spans several generations of international artists, from well-known figures such as Francis Bacon, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Andy Warhol, to artists in earlier stages of their careers such as his former assistant Rachel Howard, David Choe, Nicholas Lumb, Tom Ormond and Dan Baldwin.

“As a human being, as you go through life, you just do collect. It was that sort of entropic collecting that I found myself interested in, just amassing stuff while you’re alive.” – Damien Hirst, 2006.

Hirst is currently restoring the Grade I listed Toddington Manor, near Cheltenham, where he intends to eventually house the complete collection.

In 2007, Hirst donated the 1991 sculptures "The Acquired Inability to Escape" and "Life Without You" and the 2002 work "Who is Afraid of the Dark?" (fly painting), and an exhibition copy from 2007 of "Mother and Child Divided" to the Tate Museum from his own personal collection of works.

Restaurant ventures

Hirst had a short-lived partnership with chef Marco Pierre White in the restaurant "Quo Vadis". His best-known restaurant involvement was Pharmacy, located in Notting Hill, London, which closed in September 2003. Although one of the owners, Hirst had only leased his art work to the restaurant, so he was able to retrieve and sell it at a Sotheby's auction, earning over £11 million. Some of the work had been adapted, e.g. by signing it prior to the auction.

Hirst opened and currently helps to run a seafood restaurant, 11 The Quay, in the seaside town of Ilfracombe in the UK.

9/11 controversy

Following the 11 September attacks, often known as "9/11", Hirst told BBC News Online: "You've got to hand it to them on some level, because they've achieved something which nobody would have thought possible, especially to a country as big as America. So on one level they need congratulating, which a lot of people shy away from, which is a very dangerous thing." On 18 September 2002, he "apologised unreservedly" for the remarks.

Charitable work

Hirst is a supporter of the indigenous rights organisation, Survival International. On September 2008, Hirst donated the work, ''Beautiful Love Survival'', at the Sotheby’s London sale, ''Beautiful Inside My Head Forever'', to raise money for this organisation. Later, he also contributed his writing to the book, ''We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples'', released in October 2009, in support of Survival. The book explores the existence and threats of indigenous cultures around the world.

Personal life

Hirst lives with his Californian girlfriend, Maia Norman, by whom he has three sons: Connor Ojala, (born 1995, Kensington and Chelsea, London), Cassius Atticus (born 2000, North Devon) and Cyrus Joe (born 2005, Westminster, London). Since the birth of Connor, he has spent most of his time at his remote farmhouse, a 300 year old former inn, near Combe Martin, Devon. Hirst and Norman are not married, although Hirst refers to Norman as his "common-law wife". The artist owns a large compound in Baja, Mexico which serves as a part-time residence and art studio. The studio employs several artists that carry out Hirst's projects.

Hirst has admitted serious drug and alcohol problems during a ten year period from the early 1990s: "I started taking cocaine and drink... I turned into a babbling fucking wreck." During this time he was renowned for his wild behaviour and eccentric acts, including for example, putting a cigarette in the end of his penis in front of journalists. He frequented the high profile Groucho Club in Soho, London, and was banned on occasion for his behaviour.

Net worth

Hirst is reputed to be the richest living artist to date. In 2009, the annually collated chart of the wealthiest individuals in Britain and Ireland, Sunday Times Rich List, placed Hirst at joint number 238 with a net worth of £235m. Hirst's wealth was valued at £215m in the 2010 Sunday Times Rich List, hence Damien Hirst is Britain’s wealthiest artist.

In September 2008, he took an unprecedented move for a living artist by selling a complete show, ''Beautiful Inside My Head Forever'', at Sotheby's by auction and by-passing his long-standing galleries. The auction exceeded all predictions, raising £111 million ($198 million), breaking the record for a one-artist auction as well as Hirst's own record with £10.3 million for ''The Golden Calf'', an animal with 18-carat gold horns and hooves, preserved in formaldehyde.

In several instances since 1999, the sources for certain of Hirst's works have been challenged and contested, both in written articles by journalists and artists, and, in one instance, through legal proceedings which led to an out-of-court settlement.

Critical responses to conceptual work

Positive

Hirst has been praised in recognition of his celebrity and the way this has galvanised interest in the arts, raising the profile of British art and helping to (re)create the image of "Cool Britannia." In the mid-1990s, the then-Heritage Secretary, Virginia Bottomley recognised him as "a pioneer of the British art movement", and even sheep farmers were pleased he had raised increased interest in British lamb. Janet Street-Porter praised his originality, which had brought art to new audiences and was the "art-world equivalent of the Oasis concerts at Earl's Court".

Andres Serrano is also known for shocking work and understands that contemporary fame does not necessarily equate to lasting fame, but backs Hirst: "Damien is very clever ... First you get the attention ... Whether or not it will stand the test of time, I don't know, but I think it will." Sir Nicholas Serota commented, "Damien is something of a showman ... It is very difficult to be an artist when there is huge public and media attention. Because Damien Hirst has been built up as a very important figure, there are plenty of sceptics ready to put the knife in."

Tracey Emin said: "There is no comparison between him and me; he developed a whole new way of making art and he's clearly in a league of his own. It would be like making comparisons with Warhol." Despite Hirst's insults to him, Saatchi remains a staunch supporter, labelling Hirst a genius and stating:

Negative

There has been equally vehement opposition to Hirst's work. Norman Tebbit, commenting on the ''Sensation'' exhibition, wrote "Have they gone stark raving mad? The works of the 'artist' are lumps of dead animals. There are thousands of young artists who didn't get a look in, presumably because their work was too attractive to sane people. Modern art experts never learn." The view of the tabloid press was summed up by a ''Daily Mail'' headline: "For 1,000 years art has been one of our great civilising forces. Today, pickled sheep and soiled beds threaten to make barbarians of us all." The ''Evening Standard'' art critic, Brian Sewell, said simply, "I don't think of it as art ... It is no more interesting than a stuffed pike over a pub door. Indeed there may well be more art in a stuffed pike than a dead sheep."

The Stuckist art group was founded in 1999 with a specific anti-Britart agenda by Charles Thomson and Billy Childish; Hirst is one of their main targets. They wrote (referring to a Channel 4 programme on Hirst):

In 2003, under the title ''A Dead Shark Isn't Art'', the Stuckism International Gallery exhibited a shark which had first been put on public display two years before Hirst's by Eddie Saunders in his Shoreditch shop, JD Electrical Supplies. Thomson asked, "If Hirst’s shark is recognised as great art, then how come Eddie’s, which was on exhibition for two years beforehand, isn’t? Do we perhaps have here an undiscovered artist of genius, who got there first, or is it that a dead shark isn’t art at all?" The Stuckists suggested that Hirst may have got the idea for his work from Saunders' shop display.

In 2008 leading art critic Robert Hughes said Hirst was responsible for the decline in contemporary art. Hughes said Hirst's work was "tacky" and "absurd" in a 2008 TV documentary called ''The Mona Lisa Curse'' made by Hughes for Channel 4 in Britain. Hughes said it was "a little miracle" that the value of £5 million was put on Hirst's ''Virgin Mother'' (a 35 foot bronze statue), which was made by someone "with so little facility". Hughes called Hirst's shark in formaldehyde "the world's most over-rated marine organism" and attacked the artist for "functioning like a commercial brand", making the case that Hirst and his work proved that financial value was now the only meaning that remained for art.

Artworks

His works include:

''In and Out of Love'' (1991), an installation of potted plants, caterpillars and monochrome canvases painted with sugar solution and glue. There were also (in a separate room) tables with ashtrays containing used cigarette butts. Eventually, the caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies, and the insects become fixed to the surfaces of the canvases. In its now fixed form, the work is held by the Yale Center for British Art and is on regular exhibit there.

''The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living'' (1991), a tiger shark in a glass tank of formaldehyde. This piece was one of the works in his Turner Prize nomination show.

''A Thousand Years'' (1991), composed of a vitrine with a glass division. In one half is the severed head of a cow on the floor; in the other is an insect electrocutor. Maggots introduced into the vitrine feed off the cow and then develop into flies that are killed by the electrocutor.

''Pharmacy'' (1992), a life-size recreation of a chemist's shop.

''Amonium Biborate'' (1993)

''Away from the Flock'' (1994), composed of a dead sheep in a glass tank of formaldehyde.

''Arachidic Acid'' (1994) an early example of Hirst's spot paintings.

''Some Comfort Gained from the Acceptance of the Inherent Lies in Everything'' (1996) multiple cows in a line head-to-tail, divided cross-sectionally into equal rectangular tanks of formaldehyde, equally-spaced, each containing about of the animals.

''Beautiful Axe , Slash, Gosh Painting'' (1999) Signed on the reverse. Gloss household paint on canvas

''Hymn'' (1999), a scaled-up replica of his son Connor's toy: a basic anatomical model of the male human body. The sculpture is tall and composed of painted bronze.

''Mother and Child Divided'', composed of a cow and a calf sliced in half in a glass tank of formaldehyde.

''Two Fucking and Two Watching'', includes a rotting cow and bull. This work was banned from exhibition in New York by public health officials.

''God'', composed of a cabinet containing pharmaceutical products.

''The Virgin Mother'', a massive sculpture depicting a pregnant female human, with layers removed from one side to expose the fœtus, muscle and tissue layers, and skull underneath. This work was purchased by real estate magnate Aby Rosen for display on the plaza of one of his properties, the Lever House, in New York City.

''Breath'' (2001), a 45-second film of Samuel Beckett's play for the ''Beckett on Film'' series.

''Painting-By-Numbers'' (2001), a do-it-yourself painting kit comprising a stamped canvas, brushes, and 90 paint tins in plexiglass designed to make one infamous 'dot' painting. Part of the exhibition was binned by a gallery cleaner who mistook it for trash.

''The Stations of the Cross'' (2004), a series of twelve photographs depicting the final moments of Jesus Christ, made in collaboration with the photographer David Bailey.

''The Wrath of God'' (2005), a new version of a shark in formaldehyde.

''The Inescapable Truth'', (2005). Glass, steel, dove, human skull and formaldehyde solution.

''The Sacred Heart of Jesus'', (2005). Perspex, bull's heart, silver, assorted needles, scalpels, and formaldehyde solution.

''Faithless'', (2005). Butterflies and household gloss on canvas

''The Hat Makes de Man'', (2005). Painted bronze that simulates wood and hats.

''The Death of God'', (2006). Household gloss on canvas, human skull, knife, coin and sea shells. This painting, which is a part of a group of others which were made in Mexico, are believed to be "the beginning of Hirst's Mexican period".

''For The Love of God'', a platinum cast of an 18th century skull covered in 8,601 diamonds.

''Saint Sebastian, Exquisite Pain'', a black calf tied to a pole pierced with arrows. The calf is in a tank of formaldehyde. Performer George Michael has recently purchased this calf and has made it Hirst's fourth most expensive piece.

''Temple'' (2008), a massive painted bronze sculpture of a man, with similar treatment to "Virgin Mother", above, reminiscent of models used by anatomy students, with revealed organs and internal structure. This work was exhibited outside the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco in 2010, during a summer retrospective of the artist's work.

See also

Appropriation (art)

Neo-conceptual art

Conceptual art

Spin art

References

External links

Official Damien Hirst Website

A Conversation with Damien Hirst

OtherCriteria – Damien Hirst's publishing company

Artist's profile at White Cube, including examples of work

Damien Hirst at Gagosian Gallery

Gordon Burn and Damien Hirst in conversation

''Life and death and Damien Hirst'' Channel 4 TV micro site

Video of Hirst's 9/11 comments on BBC

Damien Hirst's ''Pharmacy'' on Tate interactive site

"The Art Damien Hirst Stole" by Charles Thomson from ''The Jackdaw''

Damien Hirst: Print Maker, Bowes Museum"

Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London Category:British curators Category:British mixed media artists Category:Conceptual artists Category:Contemporary painters Category:English painters Category:People from Bristol Category:British restaurateurs Category:Turner Prize winners

ca:Damien Hirst cs:Damien Hirst da:Damien Hirst de:Damien Hirst es:Damien Hirst eo:Damien Hirst fa:دیمین هرست fr:Damien Hirst ko:데미안 허스트 id:Damien Hirst it:Damien Hirst he:דמיאן הירסט la:Damianus Hirst nl:Damien Hirst ja:ダミアン・ハースト no:Damien Hirst pl:Damien Hirst pt:Damien Hirst ru:Хёрст, Дэмьен sr:Dejmijen Herst fi:Damien Hirst sv:Damien Hirst tr:Damien Hirst uk:Демієн Герст zh:达米恩·赫斯特

name	Russell Howard
birth name	Russell Joseph Howard
birth date	March 23, 1980 Bristol, England, United Kingdom
medium	Stand up, television, radio
nationality	English
active	1999–present
genre	Social satireObservational comedyAnecdotal humourAbsurdist humour
influences	Daniel Kitson, Billy Connolly, Lee Evans, Tommy Tiernan, Richard Pryor, Frank Skinner
notable work	The Milk RunMock the Week
website
footnotes	}}

Russell Joseph Howard (born 23 March 1980) is an English comedian and presenter best known for his TV show ''Russell Howard's Good News'' and his appearances on the topical panel TV show ''Mock The Week''. He won "Best Compère" at the 2006 Chortle Awards and was nominated for an if.comedy award for his 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show.

Personal life

Howard has two younger siblings, twins, Kerry, an actress, and Daniel, a systems analyst who suffers from epilepsy, a fact which Howard often references during his act. Indeed, in April 2010, Howard ran the Virgin London Marathon for the first time with both his brother and sister, to raise money for the National Society for Epilepsy. He completed the 26 mile course in 4 hours and 15 minutes, beating his target time of 5 hours. Sponsorship has raised over £7,000 to date.

Howard supports Liverpool Football Club and says that he is "deadly serious" about football. "I still go down the pub and play football with my mates", he commented in 2010.

In terms of political views, Howard appeared at Friends of the Earth's LIVEstock comedy and music event at the Hammersmith Apollo in support of the green campaign group's Food Chain Campaign for planet-friendly farming, on 12 November 2009.

For Sport Relief 2010 he took part in the BT Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride, with David Walliams, Jimmy Carr, Fearne Cotton, Miranda Hart, Patrick Kielty, and Davina McCall. They cycled from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in 4 days trying to raise 1 million pounds.

Career

TV and radio work

In 2004 he was commissioned by BBC Radio 1 to write, sing and perform on the comedy series ''The Milk Run''. Howard has also appeared on the shows ''Banter'' (hosted by Andrew Collins) and ''Political Animal'' for BBC Radio 4.

Until 2010, Howard was a regular panelist on ''Mock the Week''. He has also appeared on ''8 Out Of 10 Cats'', ''Would I Lie To You?'', ''Live At The Apollo'', ''The Secret Policeman's Ball 2008'', ''Law of the Playground'' and ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' (Series 18, Episode 2 and Series 20, Episode 4).

He was one of several comedians picked as the best comedy talent from the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe that recorded 10–15-minute spots for the 'Edinburgh and Beyond show' which was aired on Paramount Comedy 1 in the autumn of 2006. The show was filmed at The Bloomsbury Theatre. From 2009, he took over as compère of this show from Al Murray.

From November 2006 to July 2008, Russell co-hosted ''The Russell Howard Show'' on BBC 6 Music with fellow comedian Jon Richardson in a Sunday morning slot previously hosted by Russell Brand. The show continued to air, without Howard, until March 2010. He has since explained that his main reason for leaving the show was that he finds radio "really restrictive" and "I gorge off the audience as a performer, but you can't gauge a reaction on the radio."

Russell was commissioned to make a comedy show called ''Russell Howard's Good News'', aimed at under-25s, for BBC Three. The first episode aired on 22 October 2009 and the show ran for seven episodes as well as a "Best Of" show and a Christmas Special. It went on to become BBC Three's highest ever rating entertainment series. In the show, he gave his take on the week's major news stories, as well as giving attention to some of the more light-hearted stories of the week. Two more series of the show were commissioned, with the second series starting on March 25, 2010. A fourth series began on 24 March 2011 on BBC Three.

While recording an episode of Good News which aired on 17th November 2011, he broke his wrist when a stunt went wrong, being that Russell tried to do push ups on a collapsible stool which inevitably collapsed. He then revealed on the following show some of the texts sent by his friends and family following the accident.

He made his United States television début on the August 3, 2011 episode of ''Conan''.

Live comedy

A show from his 2007 ''Adventures'' tour was released on DVD on 17 November 2008, under the title "Russell Howard Live". The show on the DVD was recorded at The Bloomsbury Theatre.

Howard started touring his show ''Dingledodies'' in September 2008 and played various dates through to December. Due to overwhelming demand he further extended the tour twice into 2009. It sold in excess of 125,000 tickets, including three sell-out shows at the Hammersmith Apollo as well as several large arenas such as Wembley Arena and Manchester's MEN Arena. The DVD of this tour was released on 9 November 2009 and features a recording of the show from the Brighton Dome.

He was named "Best Theatre Show" at the 2009 Chortle Comedy Awards.

Howard performed 10 UK dates between 11 and 20 December 2009 for his "Big Rooms and Belly Laughs" tour.

In 2011 the far right English Defence League threatened to picket outside one of his live gigs in retaliation at material poking fun at them in one of his TV performances.

He performed his latest arena tour in 2011, titled ''Right Here Right Now''. The tour sold out in days and was extended twice, with new dates in December 2011 announced on 3 May 2011.

It was reported in The Independent that Howard earned £4 million in 2009 alone, which he denies.

Credits

Television

''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' BBC 2 (2006)

''Mock The Week'' BBC 2 (2006–2010)

''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' BBC 2 (2007)

''Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive'' BBC Three (2007)

''Would I Lie To You?'' BBC 1 (2007)

''Live at the Apollo'' BBC 1 (2007)

''Law of the Playground'' Channel 4 (2008)

''The Secret Policeman's Ball 2008'' Channel 4 (2008)

''8 out of 10 Cats'' Channel 4 (2008)

''Live at the Apollo'' BBC 1 (2009)

''Russell Howard's Good News'' BBC Three (2009–)

''Conan'' (2011)

''Children in Need 2011'' (2011)

Radio

''The Milk Run'' BBC Radio 1 (2004)

''Political Animal'' BBC Radio 4 (2004)

''Banter'' BBC Radio 4 (2005)

''The Russell Howard Show'' BBC 6 Music (2006–2008)

Writing

''The Milk Run'' BBC Radio 1 (2004)

Stand-Up DVDs

!Title	!Release Date	!Notes
''Live''	17 November 2008	Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
''Live 2 – Dingledodies''	9 November 2009
''Right Here Right Now''	14 November 2011	Live at London's Hammersmith Apollo

References

External links

Russell Howard Official Website

Category:Alumni of the University of the West of England Category:English male comedians Category:British radio DJs Category:English comedians Category:English satirists Category:English stand-up comedians Category:English television writers Category:People from Bristol Category:1980 births Category:Living people

nl:Russell Howard sv:Russell Howard

Name	Tempa T
background	solo_singer
alias	Tempa T, Tempz, Tempa
origin	Forest Gate, East London
genre	Grime, Hip hop
occupation	rapper
years active	2006–present
Associated acts	Slew Dem Crew, Newham Generals, Chronik, JME, Boy Better Know, Chase and Status }}

Tempa T (born Nicky Nyarko-Dei), also known as Tempz is a Grime MC originating from East london and member of legendary underground Grime Crew "Slew Dem Crew". Tempz is particularly known for excitable nature, his angry lyrics, raw energy and the hype that he creates with his tracks. His underground smash single "Next Hype" is one of the most biggest grime songs to come out in recent years. He has featured on Hypest Hype with Chase & Status, He has made several well known tracks however his anthemic Next Hype is currently his only official solo release and is thought to be one of the best Grime releases.

Early career

His first public performance was in 2006 with his crew, SlewDem at The Chantelle Fiddy club night at 333 in Shoreditch. In 2007 he made himself known and recognised as the ‘angry Grime MC’ and ‘The hype man’, with his high energy and infectious stage presence. Tempa T's musical career was documented by Neo-Publishing.Inc in 2010 in Tempa T: Reviewing the Hype so Far.

Phrases

Tempa T has popularised his own phrases/slang words that have their own meaning. "Par" "Its A Par" and "Myth" are known to be originated by Tempa T

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions		Album
		! width="60"	! width="60"
	"Next Hype"	—	—

As a featured performer

Year	Single	Peak chart positions		Album
		! width="60"	! width="60"
	"Hypest Hype" (with Chase & Status)	70	—
	—	—

EPs

Next Hype Remixes

Bootlegs

The Best of Tempa T

Would You Like Chips

Ram of Brookwood

References

External links

A short Tempa T documentary

Category:Living people Category:Grime artists Category:1984 births

name	Cheryl Cole
birth name	Cheryl Ann Tweedy
background	solo_singer
birth date	June 30, 1983
origin	Newcastle upon Tyne, England
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop, R&B
occupation	Singer-songwriter, dancer, model
years active	2002–present
label	Fascination, will.i.am music
associated acts	Girls Aloud, will.i.am, Taio Cruz
website	}}

Cheryl Ann Cole (née Tweedy; born 30 June 1983) is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television sho, ''Popstars: The Rivals'' on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as one-fifth of the girl group, Girls Aloud. During her time in the group, Cole released twenty consecutive top-ten singles (including four number one singles) in the UK and five platinum albums (two of which went to number one) and earned five BRIT Award nominations from 2005 to 2010. In 2009, Girls Aloud won "Best Single" with their song "The Promise". In 2009, Girls Aloud announced their musical hiatus and Cole went on to release two solo albums, which both went to number one in the UK: ''3 Words'' (2009) and ''Messy Little Raindrops'' (2010). She achieved a number of hits, including two number one singles: "Fight for This Love" and "Promise This".

Cole became a judge on the British televised singing competition ''The X Factor'' in 2008. While on the show, Cole became the winning judge twice out of the three series she judged on, with Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry winning respectively. It was announced that Cole would leave the UK version of ''The X Factor'' for the upcoming American version of the show. However, just weeks into filming the auditions, it was reported that Cole had been sacked from the show with it being confirmed by Fox, Freemantle North America and Syco TV on 6 June. Mike Darnell, president of Alternative Entertainment for the Fox Broadcasting Company, confirmed Cheryl Cole left USA ''X Factor''.

Cole has become a recognised and photographed style icon; referred to as a fashionista by the press. She has been photographed for the covers of ''British Vogue'', ''Elle'' and ''Harper's Bazaar'', while also becoming the new face of cosmetic company L'Oréal. Cole was married to England footballer Ashley Cole from July 2006 until September 2010, when she divorced him.

Early life

Cole was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and grew up on council estates in the districts of Walker and Heaton. She is the fourth of five children of Joan Callaghan, and the eldest child of Gary Tweedy. Cole's parents never married each other; they separated when she was 11. She has a brother, Garry (born 1987, Newcastle) and three elder maternal half-siblings: Joseph, Gillian and Andrew.

As a small child in the late 1980s, she appeared in a television advert for British Gas.

As she was interested in dancing from an early age, Cole started sequence dancing at the age of four, before joining The Royal Ballet's summer school at the age of nine. At a young age, Cole enrolled in The Royal Ballet's summer school. She won many modelling competitions, including the titles of Boots Group's "bonniest baby", Mothercare's Happy Faces Portrait competition, "Best Looking Girl of Newcastle", The ''Evening Chronicle'''s "Little Miss and Mister", and "Most Attractive Girl" at the MetroCentre. She also appeared in two British Gas adverts, an SCS advert, and an Eldon Square Christmas advert with younger brother Garry as well as appearing in dance recitals on some television shows. She attended Walker Comprehensive School in Newcastle, and left at 16 with few qualifications. During her time there, she was suspended twice: once for fighting with another pupil and again for swearing on a bus. After school, she took a job as a waitress in a restaurant.

Music career

2002–2008: Girls Aloud

Cole auditioned for the reality television show ''Popstars The Rivals'' in 2002 with the song "Have You Ever". Several thousand applicants attended auditions across the UK in hope of being selected. Ten girls and ten boys were chosen as finalists by judges Pete Waterman, Louis Walsh and Geri Halliwell. These finalists then took to the stage, participating in weekly Saturday night live performances which alternated weekly between the girls and boys. Each week, the contestant polling the fewest phone votes was eliminated, until the final line-ups of the groups emerged. Cole joined Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Walsh to form the new girl group Girls Aloud, as determined by a public vote administered through the show on 30 November 2002.

The group's debut single "Sound of the Underground" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the 2002 Christmas number one. Girls Aloud hold the record for the shortest time between formation and reaching number one. The group released their debut album ''Sound of the Underground'' in May 2003, which entered the charts at number two and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) later the same year. Since 2003, Girls Aloud have released twenty additional singles, with all but one charting within the top ten, and 15 reaching top five positions. Their singles "I'll Stand by You", "Walk This Way", and "The Promise" have charted at number one. Two of their albums have reached the top of the UK Albums Chart: their greatest hits album ''The Sound of Girls Aloud'' and 2008's ''Out of Control'', both of which entered the chart at number one, with over one million copies of the former being sold. All five of their studio albums have been certified platinum by the BPI. They have been nominated for five Brit Awards, and in 2009 won "Best British Single" at that year's Brit Awards for "The Promise". The group has sold ten million records worldwide. Girls Aloud have become one of the few UK reality television acts to achieve continued success, and had amassed a fortune of £25 million by May 2009. The 2007 edition of Guinness World Records listed them as "Most Successful Reality TV Group", while they also hold the record for "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group" in the 2008 edition.

In July 2009, Girls Aloud announced they would take a year-long hiatus in the pursuit of solo projects, but would reunite for a new studio album in 2010. In August 2010, bandmate Nicola Roberts revealed that she wasn't anticipating a reunion of the band until 2012.

2009–2010: ''3 Words''

Cole's first solo performance was on American rapper will.i.am's "Heartbreaker" in 2008. She was picked to appear as a dancer in the video after taking streetdancing classes during the filming of the ITV2 series ''The Passions of Girls Aloud'', in which the members of the band achieve something they had always wanted to do, other than sing. She was later asked, by will.i.am, to sing additional vocals on the track. In April 2009, Cole started working on solo material. Her debut album, ''3 Words'', was released in the UK on 26 October 2009. Cole was reunited with will.i.am for the album, in addition to collaborating with Fraser T. Smith, Syience, Danish production team Soulshock & Karlin, singer-songwriter Taio Cruz, Wayne Wilkins, and Steve Kipner. Recorded in Los Angeles and London, Cole mainly collaborated with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, the executive producer of ''3 Words''. It crosses from contemporary R&B, dance pop, house and a more general pop sound. Cruz was asked to write two songs for Cole, the first of which, "Break Your Heart", was written specially for Cole but Polydor label boss Ferdy Unger-Hamilton felt the song was too similar to Heartbreaker, the track Cole did with Will.i.am. When asked about the album's title Cole revealed she had already contemplated an album title which contained the phrase ''3 Words'' before the title track was recorded. She had considered titles like ''Three Syllables'', although the strongest contender was ''Unveiled'' as Cole "felt like she didn't have any protection without the girls [Girls Aloud]" and because it correlated with the veil on the album cover. The album begins with its title track, a duet with will.i.am and Cole's favourite song on the album. She said the song was "totally different from anything I've done [with Girls Aloud] or liked before" and took its inspiration from Cole's newly acquired love for dance music on the charts, especially David Guetta & Kelly Rowland's "When Love Takes Over".

''3 Words'' spent two weeks at number one. On 6 November 2009, BPI certified the album Platinum, denoting shipments of over 300,000 units. It later tripled this feat. The first single from the album, "Fight for This Love", was written by Andre Merritt, Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins, and produced by Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins. According to Cole, it was released as the lead single because she "connected with the song so well". Following a performance on ''The X Factor'' live results show, "Fight for This Love" became the fourth best-selling single of 2009 in the UK. It charted at number one on both the Irish and UK Singles Chart. In 2010, "Fight For This Love" went to number one in Denmark, Norway and Hungary. "Fight for This Love" gained positive to mixed reviews. Ruth Harrison from 'Female First' was impressed by the song after initially being worried that Cole would not be able to cope going solo. She said "Whilst it does sound just a little big Girls Aloud-y, we still love it, and can see it being a huge hit on the club circuit up and down the country ... we think this is going to send her well on her way to global superstardom." The single was later certified silver in the UK. Cole's second single "3 Words", which features will.i.am, went to number 4 in the UK and seven in Ireland. In 2010, the single was released in Australia and charted at number 5 and was certified platinum. The third single, "Parachute", charted in the top five in both the UK and Ireland. The single was certified silver in the UK. From May to July 2010, Cole was the opening act for The Black Eyed Peas at the British shows (as well as some European dates) of The E.N.D. World Tour. Chris Johnson of the ''Daily Mail'' wrote, "she was supposed to be the support act. But as it turned out, Cheryl Cole ended up being the main event".

2010–2011: ''Messy Little Raindrops''

In March 2010, Cole stated that she had begun working on a follow up album to ''3 Words'', which she hoped to release "later on in the year". Cole's second solo album, titled ''Messy Little Raindrops'', was released on 1 November 2010. The album's first single, "Promise This", was released on 24 October 2010 and became her second number-one hit in the UK. "Promise This" is an up-tempo dance-pop song written by American songwriter Priscilla Hamilton, British music producer Wayne Wilkins, who was responsible for Cole's debut single "Fight for This Love", and Christopher Jackson. It is written in the music key of C minor with a time signature in common time and a tempo of 151 beats per minute. Cole's vocal range spans from G₃ to E♭₅. The basic chord progression of the song is Cm, Cm⁷, Cm⁶, Cm, E♭, B♭, F, Cm, E♭, B♭ and F. The song sees Cole singing some of the lyrics in French, referencing the children's song "Alouette".

The album was largely produced by Wayne Wilkins, but Cole also reunited with will.i.am, with collaboration from J. R. Rotem, Starsmith, Al Shux, and Free School for the first time. The album also features guest vocals from August Rigo, Dizzee Rascal, Travie McCoy, and will.i.am. Cole started recording sessions for her second album in February 2010 though in an interview on ''Alan Carr: Chatty Man'' she admitted that some of the songs submitted for the record dated back to ''3 Words'' (2009). The album's title is taken from a lyric in the song "Raindrops". Cole said, "when it rains, everything she's washed [...] it feels hopeful." Cole is seen in a bright pink and orange off-the-shoulder dress and five-inch animal print Christian Louboutin heels on the album cover, which was unveiled on 14 October 2010. It also features the album title and her name scrawled in orange text. Cole's barbed-wire and rose tattoo, located on her right thigh, was airbrushed out of the shot. ''Messy Little Raindrops'' has received generally mixed reviews from music critics. A predominantly positive review came from Jon O'Brien of Allmusic who awarded it four out of five stars, saying that "''Messy Little Raindrops'' is a cohesive and adventurous follow-up that will undoubtedly continue [Cole's] ascent into pop's premier league", and praising the songs "Promise This", "Amnesia" and "Happy Tears". Johnny Dee of Virgin Media noticed that with ''Messy Little Raindrops'' Cole is "returning to base" and described it as "good, clean, family-friendly fun". Promotion of the album; In addition to her role as a judge on ''The X Factor'', she performed her single "Promise This" on the show. Cheryl Cole made a high-profile appearance on ''Piers Morgan's Life Stories'', in which she discussed her marriage and divorce with Ashley Cole and her life-threatening battle with malaria. The show's ratings reached an all-time high. Polydor Records worked with advertising firm MediaCom to create various marketing strategies to promote the album, such as the usage of Facebook Places.

2011–present: Third album

In July 2011, it was reported that Cole had begun work on her third studio album. The same month, Far East Movement stated that they had been in the studio with both Cole and Will.i.am. In late July 2011, MTV reported seeing Cole meeting up with singer Usher where they were spotted outside her hotel, also Perez Hilton said that Cole and Christina Aguilera were spotted having dinner together and they had been discussing a collaboration. Producer David Guetta is working on the album.

Other endeavours

Television career

Cole was given a one-off television programme for ITV1 titled ''Cheryl Cole's Night In'', which aired on 19 December 2009. The programme, hosted by Holly Willoughby, featured music and interviews with Cole and some of her favourite performers. Alexandra Burke, Rihanna, Will Young, Snow Patrol and will.i.am made appearances. Cole told the press, "I couldn't be happier that ITV have asked me to round off the year with my own show, working with some of my favourite artists". The programme attracted 5 million viewers on its first airing, substantially less than the 8.1 million viewers that ''Strictly Come Dancing'' received during the same time slot. Cole was interviewed during an episode of the fourth series of ''Piers Morgan's Life Stories''. The show, which aired on 23 October 2010, drew an audience of 7.2 million: the highest figure in the chat show's history. As a member of Girls Aloud, Cole has also appeared in the fly on the wall documentary ''Girls Aloud: Home Truths'', the E4 documentary series ''Girls Aloud: Off the Record'', an episode of ''Ghosthunting With...'', and a one-off variety show entitled ''The Girls Aloud Party''. In June 2008, it was announced Cole would replace Sharon Osbourne as a judge for the fifth series of ''The X Factor''. Cole was given the girls category (made up of female contestants between 16 and 25) and subsequently ended up as the victorious judge when Alexandra Burke was crowned the fifth winner of ''The X Factor'' on 13 December 2008. Cole returned for the sixth series in 2009 and was given the boys category (made up of male contestants aged 16 to 25). Cole emerged as the winning judge for a second consecutive year after Joe McElderry was crowned the sixth winner of ''The X Factor''. Simon Cowell, the show's creator, said, "I knew she was going to be good because she speaks like normal people speak. People can relate to that. And I think that is the best sign of a judge." Cowell has referred to Cole as "one of the best I've ever worked with." She returned for a further series in 2010 to mentor the girls category (made of female contestants aged 16 to 28). On 5 May 2011, it was officially announced after months of speculation that Cole would appear as a judge alongside Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, and Paula Abdul on the upcoming first season of the American version of ''The X Factor''. However, after only three weeks as a judge and completing the auditions in Los Angeles and Chicago, Cole was fired from the show by Fox. Additionally, it has since been confirmed that she won't be returning to the UK version of the show either, as Kelly Rowland and Tulisa Contostavlos have taken her and Dannii Minogue's places on the judging panel.

Merchandise and sponsorship deals

Cole contributed to the book ''Dreams that Glitter – Our Story'', an autobiography with her Girls Aloud bandmates, in October 2008. The book was written with a ghostwriter and published by the Transworld imprint Bantam Press. The book featured unseen photographs, included insights into the members' personal lives, their success together, style tips, and "everything [they]'ve learned about life, love and music." The book was previewed and serialised by ''OK!'' prior to its release. Girls Aloud held a book signing at Waterstone's in Piccadilly, London to promote the release. The title ''Dreams that Glitter'' comes from a line in the group's 2007 single "Call the Shots". Cole's first official book, entitled ''Through My Eyes'', was published on 30 September 2010 by Bantam Press. The book is described as "a series of stunning exclusive new photos plus informal shots from her own personal collection ... a revealing and intimate portrait of the world of Cheryl Cole". ''Through My Eyes'' offers a glimpse of Cole in the recording studio, backstage on tour, behind-the-scenes at ''The X Factor'', at photo shoots and at award ceremonies. She said the book is "filled with pictures that capture those moments, [her] memories and the people [she's] closest to". Cole is the subject of several unauthorised biographies, as well as books detailing her relationship with and divorce from Ashley Cole. In February 2009, Cole appeared on the cover of ''British Vogue''. The media coverage of her appearance in the magazine boosted the magazine's circulation to 240,000: its best ever February figure. She also appeared on the November 2009 cover of the UK's ''Elle'' magazine. In late 2009, Cole became the new face of L'Oréal. However, her recent advertising campaign promoting the L'Oréal Elvive shampoo and conditioner range attracted criticism amid claims that she had deliberately deceived persons wishing to buy the product, since it shows Cole with hair extensions. As a member of Girls Aloud, Cole has endorsed Barbie, Kit Kat, Nintendo DS, Samsung, and Sunsilk.

Philanthropy

In March 2009 Gary Barlow, Cole, Kimberley Walsh, and some other celebrities climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief. The trek raised £3.4 million for the charity. Between 3 February and 23 March 2009, Cole, Walsh, and other celebrities also raised money for Comic Relief by providing the voice for the BT Speaking Clock. In February 2011, Cole launched her own charitable foundation with The Prince’s Trust following a meeting with The Trust’s President, HRH Charles, Prince of Wales. The Cheryl Cole Foundation will provide vital funds for The Trust in the North East, helping disadvantaged young people from Cole’s region. On 13 June 2011, she auctioned 20 dresses with ASOS to raise funds for the foundation.

Film

Cole is set to star in a small cameo, alongside Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez, in ''What to Expect When You're Expecting''. This was confirmed by her her management via, social networking site, Twitter. Diaz plays Jules who auditions in an X Factor-style contest in front of the TV talent show judge - Cole’s character.

Personal life

On 11 January 2003, Cole was involved in an altercation with a nightclub toilet attendant, Sophie Amogbokpa, at The Drink nightclub in Guildford, Surrey. Cole was subsequently charged with racially aggravated assault (she had allegedly called Amogbokpa a "Caribbean jigaboo" and a "black bitch") and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. During her trial, Cole claimed she acted in self-defence (claiming she had been punched first) and denied using racially abusive language. The jury found her guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but cleared her of racially aggravated assault. The judge sentenced her to 120 hours of community service and ordered her to pay her victim £500 in compensation, as well as £3,000 prosecution costs.

Cole began dating England and Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole (then her neighbour in a London apartment block) in September 2004, announcing their engagement after he proposed in Dubai in June 2005. The couple were married at a ceremony at Barnet, North West London on 15 July 2006. They signed an exclusive deal with ''OK!'', reportedly worth £1 million, regarding the rights of the photographs. In January 2008, a hairdresser named Aimee Walton alleged in a kiss-and-tell interview with ''The Sun'' that she had engaged in drunken extramarital sex with Ashley Cole. Subsequently, glamour model Brooke Healy claimed that she had spent the night and had sexual relations with Ashley Cole in December 2006. Promotion for Girls Aloud's "Can't Speak French" was put on hold, and Cole also stopped wearing her wedding ring. The couple, however, reconciled. Following tabloid reports of marital problems in November 2009, Cole posted a picture with her wedding ring in plain sight on Twitter, with the message "3 words. Diamonds Are Forever." In early February 2010, news broke that her husband had cheated on her with five more women. On 23 February, Cole announced she was separating from her husband and asked the media to respect their privacy. On 26 May 2010, Cole filed for divorce at London's High Court citing "unreasonable behaviour" of estranged husband Ashley as the reason for their break-up. Later that day Cole's PR company confirmed the divorce, posting a message on social networking site Twitter stating: "We can confirm the divorce. We have no further comment." She was granted a decree nisi on 3 September, effectively ending the couple's four year marriage. She has continued to use the surname Cole, but during an X Factor audition at ExCeL London on 22 June 2010, Simon Cowell introduced her as "Cheryl Tweedy". A spokesperson for the singer then said that no decision on her name has yet been made. In October of that year, Cole stated in an interview with ''The Guardian'' that she would continue to use her married name, saying that changing it back would make her seem "ashamed" of her marriage.

In 2009, Cole announced her support for the Labour Party in 2010's general election, referring to the Tory leader David Cameron as "slippery". She went on to say, "we've always been Labour in our family, it just feels wrong not to be". In the aftermath of the election (which resulted in a hung parliament in which the Conservatives had the most seats and ultimately formed a government through coalition with the Liberal Democrats), Cole reportedly had a fall-out with fellow X Factor judge Simon Cowell (a Conservative supporter) during a telephone conversation about politics.

On 3 July 2010, Cole was admitted to hospital with suspected acute malaria. This was shortly after a visit to Tanzania, where it is believed she may have contracted the disease. During an ''X Factor'' photoshoot in Cardiff, Cole has said that she noticed her lips were blue and has said "I thought, 'You're getting the flu'. Not for one second did malaria cross my mind." She has said that during the auditions she asked to lie down and this was when she collapsed, was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with malaria. Her collapse was televised and she was forced to miss the rest of the auditions as well as bootcamp. Cole returned for the 'judges houses' stage of the show but had to film this at a country house in Berkshire as she was still too ill to travel.

References in Media

Cole was referenced in Lily Allen's "Cheryl Tweedy", a b-side to her 2006 debut single "Smile". Cole took the song as a compliment to her, although Allen later pointed out that it had been tongue-in-cheek. Allen has since retracted her comments.

Cole was briefly mentioned in the novel "The Family" by British crime writer Martina Cole, and "The Newsagent's Window" by John Osborne. In the popular British TV Drama ''Waterloo Road'', the character Janeece Bryant named her daughter "Cheryl" after her, and had intended to name the boy "Cole" had it been a boy.

Discography

''3 Words'' (2009)

''Messy Little Raindrops'' (2010)

Tours

With Girls Aloud

As solo supporting act

The Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. World Tour (Europe, 2010)

Awards and nominations

! Year	! Award-giving body	! Award	! Result
	Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards	Best Female Singer
	Most Fanciable Female
	Hottest Female
rowspan="2"	Sexiest Female
Best Reality TV Judge
		TV Personality
FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World	#1 Sexiest Woman in the World
	Best Dressed Women
Style icon of the decade
BBC Switch Live Awards	Switch's Prom Queen
	Hottest Female
Legend Of the Year
rowspan="1"	Best Dressed
	2010 BRIT Awards	British Single (Fight for This Love)
rowspan="2"	Best Dressed
Woman of the Year
FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World	#1 Sexiest Woman in the World
	Best Female Artist
Best Single (Fight for This Love)
Best Video (Fight for This Love)
Best British Female
Elle Style Awards	Musician Of The Year
TRL Awards (Italy)	Best New Act
	Best Dressed Woman

References

External links

Official Australian website

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:British people convicted of assault Category:English female singers Category:English television personalities Category:Fascination Records artists Category:Footballers' wives and girlfriends Category:Girls Aloud members Category:Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne Category:Reality show winners Category:Reality television judges Category:The X Factor judges Category:The X Factor (UK) Category:The X Factor (U.S.)

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