Belleville

The Gustave Koerner House is located in the St. Clair County, Illinois city of Belleville. The house was added to the National Register of Historic... Places in September 2004. The home is located on Abend Street.
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Jay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle... Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his established talents as a songwriter, he is a guitarist, harmonicist, and a vocalist. In 1995, Farrar collaborated on the song "Rex's Blues", which appeared on the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Bothered produced by the Red Hot Organization. As a solo artist, Farrar has released two full length albums, two EPs, one film score, and various live recordings. His full length albums are Sebastopol and Terroir Blues , the first released on the independent record label Artemis Records and the second released on his own label, Transmit Sound. An EP of songs from the Sebastopol sessions, entitled ThirdShiftGrottoSlack was released in 2002. His score for the independent film The Slaughter Rule was released in 2003 on the independent record label Bloodshot Records. Farrar formed his own independent record label in 2003, Transmit Sound .
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Jaimee Monae Foxworth is an American actress who played the part of Judy Winslow, the youngest daughter, for four seasons on Family Matters. She... later briefly transitioned to pornographic films using the name Crave. Jaimee Foxworth began modeling at the age of five, soon appeared in national television advertisements, and ultimately landed the role of Judy Winslow, the youngest of the Winslow family's three children, on the long-running sitcom Family Matters. After the introduction of Steve Urkel , Foxworth's scenes were reduced significantly. The combination of the character having little to do on the show, and Foxworth's request for a raise in salary, caused producers to simply write her off the series after its 4th season. The character disappeared without explanation. The Winslows act as though Judy never existed, acknowledging they only have two children: Eddie and Laura . With very little acting work coming in the years after Family Matters, Foxworth formed a short-lived musical group with her two sisters.
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Darius LaVar Miles is an American former professional basketball player. The 6 ft 9 in , 235 lb small forward was selected... directly out of high school by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. He was a First Team NBA All-Rookie in 2001, a first for a prep-to-pro player. Miles' playing career nearly came to an end when he was released by the Portland Trail Blazers in April 2008 after two years away from the court following microfracture surgery on his right knee. While he rebounded by joining the Boston Celtics for the 2008–2009 pre-season, his regular season debut with the Memphis Grizzlies was postponed for ten games while he sat out a league-mandated suspension for violating its substance abuse policy. Miles was born in Belleville, Illinois and attended East St. Louis High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. Miles entered the 2000 NBA Draft and was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers as the third overall pick, at the time the highest a player had been drafted directly from high school.
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Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high... school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit. The Plebes changed their name to The Primitives in 1984, and subsequently to Uncle Tupelo. Uncle Tupelo garnered enough support to earn a record deal and to tour nationally. After releasing four albums, the band broke up in 1994 because of conflicts between Tweedy and Farrar. In 1994, Tweedy formed Wilco with John Stirratt, Max Johnston, and Ken Coomer. Wilco has released eight albums and found commercial success with their albums Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born, Sky Blue Sky and Wilco . The band also released two collaboration albums with Billy Bragg and one with The Minus 5. Jeff Tweedy has been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, including Best Alternative Album for A Ghost Is Born. Tweedy has also participated in a number of side groups including Golden Smog and Loose Fur, published a book of poems, and released a DVD of solo performances.
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Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of... wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in 1959. Kevin Adkisson played football at North Texas State University as a fullback, second string to Garry Smith, until an injury ended his football career and dream of playing in the National Football League. Kevin started wrestling as Kevin Von Erich in 1976. He spent most of his career wrestling for his father's promotion, World Class Championship Wrestling. Kevin's natural athletic ability and good looks made him one of the promotion's biggest stars. He achieved great success in the company both as a singles and tag team wrestler, often participating in many of the company's high profile feuds. Kevin was also known for wrestling barefoot, highly unusual in a sport where almost all wrestlers wear high-topped boots. World Class announcers often jokingly referred to him as "The Barefoot Boy" on WCCW broadcasts.
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Lea DeLaria is an American comedienne, actress, and jazz musician. The "famously controversial" DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the... late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. DeLaria has performed stand-up comedy for over 25 years and is a prominent figure in the world of lesbian stand-up comedy. She began her career billing herself as "That Fucking Dyke"; she states "I called myself that because I would walk down the street and people would yell at me. But after two years of performing I would walk down the street and people would yell at me and I wouldn't know if they were a fan or not!" The Italian American DeLaria was born in Belleville, Illinois, the daughter of Jerry, a homemaker, and Robert DeLaria, a jazz pianist and social worker. She attended kindergarten through 8th grade at St Mary's Elementary School in Belleville, and has referenced her Catholic upbringing in her performances.
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Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high... school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit. The Plebes changed their name to The Primitives in 1984, and subsequently to Uncle Tupelo. Uncle Tupelo garnered enough support to earn a record deal and to tour nationally. After releasing four albums, the band broke up in 1994 because of conflicts between Tweedy and Farrar. In 1994, Tweedy formed Wilco with John Stirratt, Max Johnston, and Ken Coomer. Wilco has released eight albums and found commercial success with their albums Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born, Sky Blue Sky and Wilco . The band also released two collaboration albums with Billy Bragg and one with The Minus 5. Jeff Tweedy has been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, including Best Alternative Album for A Ghost Is Born. Tweedy has also participated in a number of side groups including Golden Smog and Loose Fur, published a book of poems, and released a DVD of solo performances.
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John Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared... in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron Mask , playing Raoul, the ill-fated son of Athos. Sarsgaard later achieved critical recognition when he was cast in Boys Don't Cry as John Lotter. He landed his first leading role in the 2001 film The Center of the World. The following year, he played supporting roles in Empire, The Salton Sea, and K-19: The Widowmaker. For his portrayal of Charles Lane in Shattered Glass, Sarsgaard won the Online Film Critics Society Award in the category for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the 2004 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of... wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in 1959. Kevin Adkisson played football at North Texas State University as a fullback, second string to Garry Smith, until an injury ended his football career and dream of playing in the National Football League. Kevin started wrestling as Kevin Von Erich in 1976. He spent most of his career wrestling for his father's promotion, World Class Championship Wrestling. Kevin's natural athletic ability and good looks made him one of the promotion's biggest stars. He achieved great success in the company both as a singles and tag team wrestler, often participating in many of the company's high profile feuds. Kevin was also known for wrestling barefoot, highly unusual in a sport where almost all wrestlers wear high-topped boots. World Class announcers often jokingly referred to him as "The Barefoot Boy" on WCCW broadcasts.
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Vilma Ebsen was an American musical theatre and film actress best known for dancing in Broadway shows and MGM musicals in the 1930s with her more... famous brother, Buddy Ebsen. Ebsen was born in Belleville, Illinois. During her childhood, her family relocated to Florida. She learned to dance at her father's dance studio in Orlando, Florida, in the 1920s. Vilma and Buddy Ebsen moved to New York in 1928, where they formed a vaudeville act. One of their first appearances together was in Eddie Cantor's Ziegfeld production, Whoopee. When Whoopee closed after a year and a half, Vilma and Buddy Ebsen took their act to Atlantic City, where they caught the eye of celebrity columnist Walter Winchell. A one-paragraph rave in Winchell's column lifted the Ebsens from obscurity. Vilma and Buddy Ebsen performed their dance act on Broadway, as well as around the United States in vaudeville theatres and supper clubs throughout the early 1930s. Some of the Broadway productions they starred in were Flying Colors and Ziegfeld Follies of 1934.
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Lea DeLaria is an American comedienne, actress, and jazz musician. The "famously controversial" DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the... late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. DeLaria has performed stand-up comedy for over 25 years and is a prominent figure in the world of lesbian stand-up comedy. She began her career billing herself as "That Fucking Dyke"; she states "I called myself that because I would walk down the street and people would yell at me. But after two years of performing I would walk down the street and people would yell at me and I wouldn't know if they were a fan or not!" The Italian American DeLaria was born in Belleville, Illinois, the daughter of Jerry, a homemaker, and Robert DeLaria, a jazz pianist and social worker. She attended kindergarten through 8th grade at St Mary's Elementary School in Belleville, and has referenced her Catholic upbringing in her performances.
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John Carl Buechler is an American director, actor, and special effects and makeup artist. He was born in Belleville, Illinois, and is probably best... known for directing Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.
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