Leslie Hall

Infobox musical artist
Name = Leslie Hall


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|United States Ames, Iowa
Genre = Hip hop Electro Comedy
Years_active = 2004–present
Label = flagicon|United States none
URL = [http://www.leslieandthelys.com leslieandthelys.com]
Current_members = Leslie Hall Mona Bonez Scraps
Past_members = Klassy K Sassy CassieDJ Dr. LauraObese "E"

Leslie Hall (born November 15, 1981 in Ames, Iowa) is an American satirical rap artist and front-woman for the band Leslie and the Ly's and the operator of what is best described as a "gem sweater museum".

Leslie first began displaying herself in "strangely glamorous and unflattering ways" while attending Ames High School in Iowa. During her senior year, she entered the homecoming parade, as part of a prom queen campaign, donning a sparkling pink Goodwill gown, a neck brace, and a tiara (won by her mother who was crowned Miss Auburn, Nebraska in 1970). Her publicity stunt made the front page of the local newspaper the following day. Her campaign was a success, and when springtime came, she was crowned queen. After graduating from high school, Hall moved to Boston, Massachusetts and completed her education at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in May 2006. Currently she resides in Ames and lives with her parents.

Hall began collecting gem sweaters in 2000 and has since amassed over 400 different sweaters according to her August 2006 interview with Martin Sargent. Hall modeled these sweaters on the website gemsweater.com, garnering significant Internet traffic such that she was asked to appear on one of the final episodes of "Unscrewed with Martin Sargent". In her 2004 TechTV interview, she stated that "about 65% of the comments" from the gemsweater.com message boards were related to a particular outfit of hers that included gold pants. She decided to form a band, Leslie and the Ly's, with former classmates, capitalizing on the popularity of her gem-laden sweaters and gold pants. In 2005 her band released their first album, "Gold Pants". cite web|title=Leslie & The Ly's: Gold Pants|publisher=cdbaby.com|accessdate=2006-08-21|url=http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/leslielys]

In 2006 Hall followed up with a second self-released solo record, "Door Man's Daughter", and toured the globe in support of it. She was also featured on a VH1 special called "40 Greatest Internet Superstars". Later in 2006 she appeared with fellow Internet personalities Jay Maynard, also known as "Tron Guy", and Randy Constan, a Peter Pan impersonator, to take a stand in the "battle over Internet freedom" in favour of network neutrality. cite web|title=Fighting for Net Neutrality|publisher=wearetheweb.org|accessdate=2006-08-27|url=http://www.wearetheweb.org/]

In 2007 she teamed up with Dungeon Majesty to create the video "Willow Don't Cry". In April of 2007 she appeared on MTV's "Total Request Live". On September 27, 2007, Leslie appeared on the Nickelodeon children's show "Yo Gabba Gabba!", to perform in the "Dancey Dance" segment of an episode titled "Scary".

Leslie is currently touring in support of her new album, "ceWEBrity". She's also releasing a music video (and single) called "Zombie Killer" featuring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark on guest vocals, with cameos by Mark Borchardt & Mike Schank of "American Movie" fame.

She appears in the feature film "Hamlet A.D.D.", due out in 2008.

Hall has an older brother who goes by the pseudonym "Arecee" who helps produce some of Leslie's records and does his own hip hop music.

Discography

*"Gold Pants" - Album (2005)
*"Gold Pants" - Split 45(2005)
*"Door Man's Daughter"- Album (2006)
*"ceWEBrity" - Album(2008)
*"Gold Pants/Door Man's Daughter" -Double Album(2008)
*"Zombie Killer" - 45 (2008)

References

* "Leslie Hall, gemsweater.com", Unscrewed with Martin Sargent, TechTV. 2004.
* "MTV-U Best Music on Campus", MTV commercial. 2006.
* Sellards, Jason. " [http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=1333 Beautiful People 2006: Leslie Hall] ", Papermag. April 4, 2006.
* Marusa, Danielle. "Do the right bling: Leslie Hall's gem sweaters are truly outrageous", Bust Magazine. February-March 2006. ( [http://www.lesliehall.com/leslieandthelys/press/bust2.jpgscan] )
* Riggs, Jonathan. "Beat Dazzler", Instinct Magazine. January 2006. ( [http://www.lesliehall.com/leslieandthelys/press/instinct2.jpgscan] )
* [http://www.lesliehall.com/1-leslie.html Leslie Hall contact information] , lesliehall.com
* Chase, Katie Johnston. " [http://www.boston.com/yourlife/fashion/articles/2005/05/24/bedazzled?mode=PF "Bedazzled! Leslie Hall's collection of glittery sweaters is bold and bizarre -- just like the artist herself"] ", The Boston Globe. May 24, 2005.
* Babayan, Siran. " [http://www.laweekly.com/la-vida/la-vida/shine-on-you-crazy-gem-sweater/14453/ "Shine On You Crazy, Gem Sweater"] " "LA Weekly". September 13, 2006.
* VH1 Television Show. " [http://webjunk.tv/archives/2007/03/20_leslie_hall_gem.php "40 Greatest Internet Superstars - #20 Leslie Hall"] " "Vh1". March 2007.
* Hoff, A Ashley. " [http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid42763.asp "Leslie Hall & The World of Internet Camp"] " "The Advocate". March 19, 2007.
* Cohen, Alex. " [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88180688 "Taking Over The World One Sweater At A Time"] " "Npr". March 13, 2008.

External links

* [http://www.lesliehall.com/ lesliehall dot com - official website]
* [http://www.leslieandthelys.com/ Leslie and the Ly's official website]
* [http://www.gemsweater.com The World's Largest Gem Sweater Collection & Museum]
* [http://www.myspace.com/lesliehall Leslie Hall on myspace]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2456052/ Leslie Hall on Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.willowdontcry.com/ Willow Don't Cry]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5UqCjggxiM 03/2007 - Leslie on Arte's Trax Music TV Show (in french)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbDcN2gZCwU "Zombie Killer" (feat. Elvira) music video on YouTube]