Toni Basil

Toni Basil

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Toni Basil


Img_capt =
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Antonia Christina Basilotta
Born = birth date and age|1943|9|22
Died =
Origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instrument =
Genre = Pop, Dance
Occupation = Singer, Dancer, Choreographer, Actor
Years_active = 1964–present
Label =
Associated_acts = Paula Abdul
URL = [http://www.tonibasil.net/ Toni Basil's Site]

Toni Basil (born Antonia Christina Basilotta; September 22 1943) is an American musician, video artist, actress and choreographer.

Biography

Early life

Basil was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother was a vaudevillian and her father was an orchestra leader. [ [http://www.tonibasil.net/biography/index.html Toni Basil - The Authorized Site: Biography ] ]

Music career

Toni Basil appeared in the 1964 concert film "The T.A.M.I. Show" and was quite prominent in the film as one of the go-go dancers. Basil's recording career began in 1966 with a single for A&M Records, the title song from the film "Breakaway" (an early form of a music video in black and white of this song with Antonia Christina Basilotta aka "Toni Basil" undressing and dancing was made by artist Bruce Conner), backed with "I'm 28" (an obscure Graham Gouldman song). Although she appeared three times as musical guest during the first season of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975–76, it was not until 1982 that she released a follow-up, the international smash "Mickey". This song is a cover of "Kitty", a 1979 release by UK band Racey, written by British hitmakers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. (The original is sung by a man to a girl named Kitty, while Basil sings about a man named Mickey.) "Mickey" was actually recorded in 1979, and when her record label wanted to release the song in 1982, Basil was reluctant, believing the song already sounded "dated", but the label persevered, and pop-music history was made.

The music video for "Mickey" was one of the most popular of the early MTV videos. In the video, Basil wore her head cheerleader uniform from Las Vegas High School, from which she graduated (though the year on the uniform, 81, was two decades after her actual graduation year). [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfuRgkvSkRo YouTube - Broadcast Yourself ] ] She has a special fondness for the song today and its enduring popularity. Basil has said on more than one occasion that she would gladly put on the cheerleader uniform she wore in the video again if she was asked to. In 2003, VH1 ranked "Mickey" Number 5 on its list of the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders. [http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/the_greatest/one_hit_wonders/list_20-1.jhtml]

Basil's 1980s recording career consisted of only two albums: 1982's "Word of Mouth" (which included a second Hot 100 single with "Shoppin' from A to Z") and 1983's "Toni Basil" (which yielded Basil's third and final Hot 100 chart single, "Over My Head"). Later in the 1980s, "Girls Night Out" made an appearance on the soundtrack to the 1986 film "Modern Girls". To date, there have been no fewer than five Toni Basil best-of collections released on CD. In 1999, DJ and producer Jason Nevins' dance remix of "Mickey" was a big night club hit in Europe and Australia.

Another Basil song, "Street Beat", was a smash hit in the Philippines in the mid-1980s.

Choreographer

Basil is a prolific choreographer who began as assistant choreographer on "Shindig!" an American music variety show which was broadcast on the ABC network from September 16, 1964, to January 8, 1966. In addition, she is frequently credited with bringing street dance to prominence with The Urban Campbellocking group, The Lockers. She choreographed David Byrne's memorable, marionette-style dance from the music video for the Talking Heads song "Once in a Lifetime". She worked with Talking Heads again to direct and choreograph the music video for the song "Crosseyed and Painless". She also choreographed David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs Tour" in 1974 and "Glass Spider Tour" in 1987, and has worked with Bette Midler for many years, most recently on her 2008 Las Vegas show "The Showgirl Must Go On". [ [http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-02-06-bette-midler_N.htm Divine Miss Midler becomes sassy Vegas 'Showgirl' - USATODAY.com ] ] ".

Her film choreography work includes "Pajama Party" (1964), George Lucas's "American Graffiti" (1973) and The Monkees' 1968 film, "Head", in which she makes an appearance as a dancer during "Daddy's Song" with Davy Jones. Other notable choreography work credited to Basil can be found in the films "Delirious" (2006), "That Thing You Do" (1996), and "My Best Friend's Wedding" (1997).

Acting career

Basil has appeared in the movies "Easy Rider" (as the brunette prostitute, Mary). Basil had a small part as a drug user in the 1976 movie "Mother, Jugs & Speed" and "Five Easy Pieces", on television (including episodes of "Laverne & Shirley" and "Baywatch"), and has worked as a choreographer for movies such as "American Graffiti", "The Rose", "Legally Blonde", the "Beach Party" series produced by AIP, as well as the The Monkees' cult film "Head" (in which she appeared as the (unbilled) dancer in the "Daddy's Song" sequence). In addition to her appearance in "Head", she appeared in "Village of the Giants", the cult film "Rockula" with Thomas Dolby and the 1987 B-Movie "Slaughterhouse Rock". She also appeared in an episode of "Baywatch Nights" as a fortune teller. An appearance in cult director Robert Downey's "Greaser's Palace" (1970) as a Native American maiden was limited to an extended topless horse ride across the desert plains.

Discography

* "Word of Mouth" (1982) #22 US
* "Toni Basil" (1983)

ingles

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0059844|name=Toni Basil
*amg name|2:4419
* [http://www.lockerlegends.net/History of Campbellocking and The Lockers]
* [http://www.ear.fm/Encyclopedia%20B/basil_toni.htm Ear.FM entry on Toni Basil]
* [http://www.tonibasil.net/ Toni Basil - The Authorized Site]

Persondata
NAME=Basil, Toni
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American singer
DATE OF BIRTH=September 22 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


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