She finished sixth on the fifth season of the Fox television series American Idol, and in 2006, signed to BNA Records as a recording artist.
Her debut album Small Town Girl was released in late 2006.
The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts:"Red High Heels" at #15, "I Wonder" at #14, and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" at #16
Pickler was born at Stanly Memorial Hospital in Albemarle, North Carolina, to Cynthia Morton and Clyde "Bo" Pickler, Jr. Her mother was 18 years old when she gave birth to her, and relinquished custodial rights to Pickler when she was two years old.
The major influences in her life are her grandfather, Clyde Pickler, Sr., who worked as an electrician and grandmother, Faye Pickler.
She was raised in Palestine, a small town near Albemarle.
After her grandmother's death, she continued to reside with her grandfather and her younger sibling Eric until she became a contestant on Idol.
Kellie graduated in 2004 from North Stanly High School in New London, North Carolina.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Kellie Pickler American Music Artist
Lauren Conrad Fashion girl Designer
Lauren Katherine Conrad (born February 1, 1986), often referred to as "L.C. ", Americantelevision personality and an aspiring fashion designer.
She is best known for being featured in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and for her spin-off show, The Hills, which follows her personal and professional life as she pursues a career in the fashion industry.
She earns an estimated $1.5 million annually for her television appearances, fashion line, and product endorsements.
Conrad was born in Laguna Beach, California, the daughter of Kathy and Jim Conrad.
Conrad has a younger sister, Breanna (featured in Laguna Beach season three), and a younger brother named Brandon.
Conrad lived with her family in Laguna Beach throughout her childhood and high school years.
During Conrad's senior year of high school, she appeared in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.
Upon graduation, she attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for one semester.
She then transfered to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. The move, along with Conrad's new job as Teen Vogue intern was chronicled in the Laguna Beach spin-off The Hills.
Leighton Meester Actress Singer
Leighton Marissa Claire Meester (born April 9, 1986) is an American actress and aspiring Singer-Songwriter, best known for her role as Blair Waldorf in the TV show Gossip Girl.
Her first acting role on a television program was on NBC's legal drama Law & Order in 1999.
Other series in which Meester has appeared include Surface, CSI: Miami, 8 Simple Rules, 24, 7th Heaven, and House.
Meester became interested in acting when she appeared in a local production of The Wizard of Oz.
When she was 11, she moved with her family to New York City and soon after began working as a model with Wilhelmina, booking a Ralph Lauren campaign shot by Bruce Webber and working with then-photographer Sofia Coppola.
She has guest starred as Debbie Pendleton on Season 4 of the FOX drama 24, as Ali in episode 34 of Season 3 of the FOX drama House, as Carrie Bishop on Season 1 of the UPN drama Veronica Mars, and Chandler's new girlfriend Kendall in Season 8 of the WB drama 7th Heaven, as well as the role of Justine Chapin in Season 1 of the HBO comedy Entourage.
Gong Li China Celebrity
Gong Li (simplified Chinese traditional Chinese (born December 31, 1965) is a Chinese-American two-time Golden Rooster, two-time Hundred Flowers Award,Berlinale Camera, Cannes Festival Trophy, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle Award, and Volpi Cup winning Chinese film actress.
She first came into international prominence through close collaboration with Chinese director Zhang Yimou and is credited with helping bring Chinese cinema to Europe and the United States.
Gong Li was born in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, the fifth child in her family. Her father was a professor of economics and her mother, who was 40 when Gong was born, was a teacher.
Gong grew up in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. She wished to be an actress from a young age. She was accepted to the Beijing Central College of Drama in 1985 and graduated in 1989.
She was a student there when Zhang Yimou chose her in 1987 for the lead role in his first film as a director.
Over the next several years after her 1987 debut in Red Sorghum, Gong received both local and international acclaim for her roles in several more Zhang Yimou films, becoming his muse.
She appeared in Ju Dou in 1990. Her performance in the Oscar-nominated Raise the Red Lantern thrust her into the international spotlight and The Story of Qiu Ju, for which she was named Best Actress at the 1992 Venice Film Festival. The roles help solidify her reputation as, according to Asiaweek, one of the "world's most glamorous movie stars and an elegant throwback to Hollywood's golden era."
In 1993 she received a New York Film Critics Circle award for her role in Farewell My Concubine. Directed by Chen Kaige, the film was at the time her first major role with a director other than Zhang Yimou. In 2006, Premiere Magazine ranked her performance as the 89th greatest performance of all time.