East Orange

Locksley Wellington "Slide" Hampton is an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. A master composer, arranger and uniquely gifted trombone... player, Hampton's career is among the most distinguished in jazz. Slide Hampton was born in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. Laura and Clarke “Deacon” Hampton raised 12 children, taught them how to play musical instruments and set out with them as a family band. The family first came to Indianapolis in 1938. The Hamptons were a very musical family in which mother, father, eight brothers, and four sisters all played instruments. Slide Hampton is one of the few left-handed trombone players. Although not naturally left-handed, as a child Hampton was given the trombone set up to play left-handed, or backwards; as no one ever dissuaded him, he continued to play this way. At the age of 12, Slide played in his family's Indianapolis jazz band, The Duke Hampton Band. By 1952, at the age of 20, he was performing at Carnegie Hall with the Lionel Hampton Band.
more

Jamal Sharif Anderson is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the... seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played high school football at El Camino Real High School, where he was named to the CIF Los Angeles City Section 4-A All-City first team in 1989. He went on to play college football at Moorpark College for the Moorpark College Raiders before playing at Utah. Anderson earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1998, leading the NFC in rushing and helping the Falcons to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII. He suffered a career-ending knee injury in 2001 while finishing his eight-year career with 41 touchdowns and nearly 7,000 yards of offense. Anderson played eight seasons with the Falcons, amassing 5,336 rushing yards, 156 receptions for 1,645 yards, and 41 touchdowns before he suffered what became a career-ending tear of his ACL in 2001. He was well known for his "Dirty Bird" touchdown celebration, in which he flapped his arms as if they were wings and gyrated in the crowd's direction.
more

Anthony Criss , better known by his stage name Treach, is an American rapper and actor. He is best known as the lead rapper of the hip hop group... Naughty by Nature. With Naughty by Nature Treach worked with fellow group members Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee. Sometimes he would share verses on songs with Vin Rock, but often, especially on the group's earlier albums, Treach would be the sole performer on the song. Examples of this are some of the group's most well known singles from their self titled second album, such as "O.P.P.," and "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". His chiseled physique has helped him land roles in crime films, television crime dramas and as a leading man in romance films, including a full frontal in the 2001 crime comedy Love and a Bullet. He was married to Sandra Denton, better known as "Pepa" of the hip-hop group Salt-n-Pepa, from 1998 to 2001. The couple has a daughter named Egypt. He is also the older brother of rapper Diesel from the Rottin Razkals, a close affiliate group to Naughty by Nature. Treach is a New Jersey Member of the Double II Queen Street Blood Gang.
more

Cozy Cole was an American jazz drummer who scored a #1 Cashbox magazine hit with the record "Topsy Part 2". "Topsy" peaked at number three on... Billboard Hot 100, and at number one on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at #29 in the UK Singles Chart in 1958. The recording contained a lengthy drum solo, and was one of the few drum solo recordings that ever made the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single was issued on the tiny Brooklyn-based Love Records label. William Randolph Cole was born in 1909 in East Orange, New Jersey. His first music job was with Wilbur Sweatman in 1928. In 1930 he played for Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, recording an early drum solo on "Load of Cole". He spent 1931–33 with Blanche Calloway, 1933-34 with Benny Carter, 1935-36 with Willie Bryant, 1936-38 with Stuff Smith's small combo, and 1938-42 with Cab Calloway. In 1942, he was hired by CBS Radio music director Raymond Scott as part of network radio's first mixed-race orchestra. After that he played with Louis Armstrong's All Stars.
more

Frances Day was an American actress and singer who achieved great popularity in the UK in the 1930s. Day's career began as a nightclub cabaret... singer in New York City and London. She toured the provinces in 1930 and made her London stage debut at the Hippodrome in 1932.
more

Antonique Smith is an American Broadway, film actress and singer. Smith was born in East Orange, New Jersey. Smith is best known for her starring... roles as Maureen and Mimi in Jonathan Larson's Broadway production of Rent. She was also the poster girl for Rent, displayed on taxi cabs in NYC and posters across the country. Smith left the role of Mimi in the musical Rent on Broadway to record her album and expand her film career. Her fans have expressed interest in her playing the role of Elphaba in Wicked, though she does not plan on auditioning, she says. Smith is actively pursuing a career in film and television. She had a small role in the Golden Globe-nominated film Across The Universe. Her television appearances include guest stints on Law & Order and 100 Centre Street. She was also the voice of Virgin Mobile USA. She played Faith Evans in the film Notorious, based on the life of Evans' then-husband, rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Smith currently has a solo album in the works. She has performed at New York City nightclubs XL and The Cutting Room, co-owned by Chris Noth .
more

Robert David Hall is an American actor, best known for his role as coroner Dr. Albert Robbins M.D. on the television show CSI: Crime Scene... Investigation. Born in East Orange, New Jersey, Hall attended Tustin High School in California and went on to graduate from UCLA in 1971 with a degree in English Literature. Mr. Hall is a former professional musician and accomplished guitarist, and is also proficient on piano and mandolin. For several years he was a high profile radio DJ in Los Angeles. He has also done extensive voice work on television commercials and cartoons. In 1978, Robert had to have both of his legs amputated as a result of an accident in which an 18-wheeler truck crushed his car. The accident also caused the gasoline tank of the car to explode, causing burns over 65% of his body. He now comfortably uses prosthetic limbs, allowing for personal mobility. Several of his characters, including his CSI character, have openly shared this disability. He is a prominent advocate for disabled Americans.
more

Anthony Criss , better known by his stage name Treach, is an American rapper and actor. He is best known as the lead rapper of the hip hop group... Naughty by Nature. With Naughty by Nature Treach worked with fellow group members Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee. Sometimes he would share verses on songs with Vin Rock, but often, especially on the group's earlier albums, Treach would be the sole performer on the song. Examples of this are some of the group's most well known singles from their self titled second album, such as "O.P.P.," and "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". His chiseled physique has helped him land roles in crime films, television crime dramas and as a leading man in romance films, including a full frontal in the 2001 crime comedy Love and a Bullet. He was married to Sandra Denton, better known as "Pepa" of the hip-hop group Salt-n-Pepa, from 1998 to 2001. The couple has a daughter named Egypt. He is also the older brother of rapper Diesel from the Rottin Razkals, a close affiliate group to Naughty by Nature. Treach is a New Jersey Member of the Double II Queen Street Blood Gang.
more

Naturi Cora Maria Naughton is an American singer, rapper, and actress best known for formerly being one-third of the R&B trio 3LW, and the... starring role of Denise in the remake of Fame. Naughton now stars on the hit Lifetime TV series "The Client List" as Kendra. Naughton was born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, the daughter of Brenda, a part-time paralegal, and Ezra Naughton, a retired accountant. Her musical talent first emerged at the age of five years old, when she joined her church choir at New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange, NJ. She attended St. Joseph's Catholic school, and later attended Immaculate Conception high school in Montclair, NJ. It was soon after that time Naturi was discovered. She has sung the national anthem at various events in New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University. In 1999, at age 15, Naughton joined Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams to form the group 3LW. Their first single, "No More ", was released in the fall of 2000. "No More" was a success and was followed by the second single, "Playas Gon' Play" in early 2001. The group's debut album, 3LW, was released on December 5, 2000.
more

Frances Day was an American actress and singer who achieved great popularity in the UK in the 1930s. Day's career began as a nightclub cabaret... singer in New York City and London. She toured the provinces in 1930 and made her London stage debut at the Hippodrome in 1932.
more

Antonique Smith is an American Broadway, film actress and singer. Smith was born in East Orange, New Jersey. Smith is best known for her starring... roles as Maureen and Mimi in Jonathan Larson's Broadway production of Rent. She was also the poster girl for Rent, displayed on taxi cabs in NYC and posters across the country. Smith left the role of Mimi in the musical Rent on Broadway to record her album and expand her film career. Her fans have expressed interest in her playing the role of Elphaba in Wicked, though she does not plan on auditioning, she says. Smith is actively pursuing a career in film and television. She had a small role in the Golden Globe-nominated film Across The Universe. Her television appearances include guest stints on Law & Order and 100 Centre Street. She was also the voice of Virgin Mobile USA. She played Faith Evans in the film Notorious, based on the life of Evans' then-husband, rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Smith currently has a solo album in the works. She has performed at New York City nightclubs XL and The Cutting Room, co-owned by Chris Noth .
more

Dorian Missick is an American actor, best known for his roles as Damian in Six Degrees and Victor Vance in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. His... film Premium and his parts in movies such as The Manchurian Candidate and Lucky Number Slevin have won him critical acclaim and various other accolades. Missick was born in East Orange, NJ, but grew up mainly in Plainfield, NJ, and Decatur, Georgia. From a very early age, Missick had a passion for entertaining; he would often gain appraisal from his family members due to his ability to make them laugh. His passion for entertaining came from his parents, with whom he would attend plays and watch movies. Missick grew up an only child . Missick, who stands at 6'2 , had always been athletic—especially throughout his teenage years. He often took part in competitive sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, and diving. Sports were his primary focus; acting was a hobby.
more