Little footsteps wayne nj: Little Footsteps Day Care Center Wayne NJ

A super sniper with excellent vision of the court, teammates and opponents.

Together with his teammates, he always made unforgettable matches, regularly taking down opponents on the ice.

But something went wrong and the owner of the Oilers made a decision that shocked everyone, both the players and the fans, and Waite himself, to exchange his best player to the Los Angeles Kings team.

Los Angeles

Since then, a new page in the history of Gretzky has begun. The “Kings of Los Angeles” were, without exaggeration, a rather weak team, and Wayne used the principle of visibility, began to pull the players to a new level with his personal example. The results of the team began to improve, before Gretzky appeared in this city, residents had little idea what hockey was and why it was necessary to buy tickets for matches, but with the advent of a new player, they began to go to their team’s matches, and the team even began to get into the playoffs.

It is in this team that Gretzky achieves his eternal records in NHL history, immediately he receives another Hart Trophy and becomes the top scorer of the regular season three times.

But Gretzky’s sniper norm begins to fall over time, the decrease in performance does not prevent him from bringing the team to the 1993 playoff finals,

which was the best result of the Kings, in subsequent seasons they will not be able to get into the top eight of the strongest Western Conference.

In 1996, Gretzky left the Los Angeles Kings, asking himself to move to a stronger team.

Career decline

After leaving the Kings, Wayne ends up in St. Louis, where he again gets into the playoffs, though he did not go far in it.

Soon he has a conflict with the club’s management and after staying in this club for only a year, he moves to the New York Rangers. Here he plays for three seasons. This club becomes the last in a successful hockey career.

Although Wayne did not achieve great success during these three seasons, nevertheless he played almost two hundred and fifty matches and scored more than fifty goals. He either broke or set many of his records in these seasons.

He scored 3,000 career points against Montreal. And in 1998, in a match against New Jersey, he scored 1,000 of his career goals. And in the same year he was awarded the title “The Greatest Player in the history of hockey.”

Apparently, sharply falling statistics pushed Wayne to end his career.

Number 1

After the decision to leave and the announcement of this news to the public, everyone from fans to then US President Bill Clinton persuaded Gretzky to stay.

But the relentless Wayne ended his playing career in April 1999.

Of course, he did not leave hockey at all and soon became a co-owner of Phoenix, at one time he even coached the team himself.

Then, as the general manager of the Canadian team, he won the 2002 Olympic Games, fulfilling his dream, though not as a player.

Before reaching the age of thirty, Wayne Gretzky became the undisputed legend of hockey. Having broken almost every possible record in the NHL, he set such boundaries for the next generations that are becoming unattainable. Any hockey player advancing in the all-time table of records and striving to get as high as possible in it understands that the highest possible place is second. The first is forever occupied by the great Wayne Gretzky.

Personal life

Wayne broke not only hockey records, but also achieved great success in his personal life.

His happy marriage will soon be 30 years old. With his wife, actress Janet Jones, they have 5 children and in 2015 they had a grandson.

The NHL has a tradition of phasing out the numbers of players who have left a significant mark on the history of the team. Wayne Gretzky’s number was retired by two teams: the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. It was later decided to completely remove 99 number from circulation.

Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, just 7 months after his retirement.

Belarusian farmer Terenty Gretsky, leaving the Grodno province, hardly imagined that his grandson would become an icon for all Canadians and one of the most famous athletes in the world. Wayne Gretzky set 61 NHL records and was nicknamed The Great for his accomplishments. He was the top scorer in the NHL for 10 seasons. Recognized as the best hockey player in the world of all time. Only a person who has reached all the heights in a sports career could say: “For me, the most difficult thing was that I was constantly compared to Wayne Gretzky.”

Hockey Mozart

The mecca of hockey in Canada is the French-speaking province of Quebec, with Montreal as its capital. Wayne Gretzky appeared far from this center: in the small town of Brantford (Ontario), which never had any hockey traditions or outstanding teams.

Walter Gretzky, Wayne’s father, gave Wayne a club when he was barely two years old. The first goalkeeper to concede a goal from the future “star” was Betty’s grandmother. Gretzky Sr. himself recalled his son’s first steps in the sport as follows: “On Saturdays at the farm, we used to watch the Hockey Night in Canada review on TV. Wayne rolled into the room, sliding across the wooden floor like on skates, heading for the granny, who was sitting in a large armchair with the same hockey stick as her grandson. He slapped the ball with his stick, and when it bounced off Grandma’s leg or her chair, he would throw himself at the ball again and pound on it. Of course, no one had yet managed to tell him anything about the rules or about the game of hockey itself, but it seemed that he guessed about finishing off himself.

Father became Wayne’s first coach. Walter’s workouts included zigzagging between tin cans on the ice in a “Z” shape, jumping over a stick after receiving a pass, and hitting large or small targets with the puck. But the most important part of his training was the interception of the puck that bounced off the board, because Wayne’s father professed the following principle: “roll where the puck should be, not where it was. ”

Father’s training was not in vain. At the age of six, Wayne was already playing in the junior league with ten-year-olds, and four years later he was already dating almost grown-up guys in the junior league. At the same time, Gretzky was not at all distinguished by a large physique: he looked a year or two younger even than his peers. He made up for his lackluster physical size with the hockey intellect nurtured by his father, especially the rule etched into his subconscious that you should always run towards the puck, never behind it. By putting this wise teaching into practice, young Wayne was able to go further and master the sliding rule, which allows him to imagine where the puck was, where it is at the moment, and where it will be.

Sweater with number 99

Wayne Gretzky set his first outstanding achievement when he was 10 years old. During the season, he scored 378 goals and made 139 assists in 85 games. This became an absolute record for boys of his age, which has not yet been broken. All sports newspapers in Canada wrote about the talented boys, and hockey breeders saw in the fragile Wayne the “new Gordie Howe”, the main star of Canadian hockey.

At the age of 14, Wayne turned professional. He began playing for the Greyhounds junior team – next to twenty-year-old players. This is where he wore the number 9 sweater.9 – the number that became the main attribute of his talent.

Edmonton Oilers

At 17, Gretzky signed a fantastic $100,000 contract for a youngster with the Indianapolis Racers. However, he managed to play only 8 games for the new team, because soon another, richer club, the Edmonton Oilers, bought him for $ 700,000.
Wayne moved to Edmonton to single-handedly set about rewriting the hockey record book. In his first season, the 18-year-old scored 104 points with 43 goals and 61 assists. And then he updated the achievements of the NHL almost every year, receiving all sorts of individual prizes. Already at 19years he was given the nickname “Great”, and this title he never questioned.

In 1988, when Wayne Gretzky had won every title imaginable in the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers traded him to the Los Angeles Kings to improve the club’s financial situation. This was probably the first serious fall that the Great One experienced. He was very worried about this: the new club never belonged to the giants of hockey. All Gretzky could do was take the club to the Stanley Cup Finals. But it was very little for the Great.

New York Rangers

In 1996, Wayne Gretzky asked for a trade to a stronger team, which was how he ended up with the St. Louis Blues. However, he did not manage to settle down in the new team, and a year later he signed a contract with the New York Rangers.

In the new team, Gretzky continued to break records. In the match against Montreal, he scored 3,000 points for his career. And in 1998, in a match against New Jersey, he scored 1,000 of his career goals. And in the same year he was awarded the title “The Greatest Player in the history of hockey. ” Also this year, the hockey player’s old dream came true, he took part in the Olympic Games in Nagano. The Canadian team then lost, but Gretzky was pleased, and considered that this was the main stage in his professional career. The following year, he overtook his idol, Gordie Howe, who scored 1,071 career goals.

Wayne Gretzky retired from hockey in 1999. All experts began to say that with the departure of the Great, the Golden Age of hockey ended. Optimists tried to see the “future of Gretzky” in talented youth. And Mark Messier, hockey star and Wayne’s best friend, dampened everyone’s optimism by saying: “Come on, there’s never going to be a new Gretzky! Such hockey players are born not even once in a hundred, but once in a thousand years.”

Friends of wealthy people often ask themselves the question “what to give for the holidays to a person who has everything?”. When creating this article, we had to face a similar problem – what to write about a hockey player about whom everything is written? About the one to whom all sports publications of the world and most non-sports ones sang praises, who the second country in the world prays for and who the first country respects, about whom even small children somewhere in the Zambezi River have heard at least something?

Without a mandatory program – titles, records, major milestones – of course, it is impossible, and we will fulfill it with dignity. And yet, first of all, we would like to talk about Gretzky as a person, with his fears, experiences, work on himself. When from the age of 10 you

Wayne Gretzky. 1972, age 11

is called a star and compared to Gordie Howe
, you need to be a truly outstanding person so as not to become deaf from the piercing sound of copper pipes and not to break under the weight of the load placed on your shoulders.

Few people remember now, but Gretzky was not always a Canadian god. There were times when he was more often compared to a golden calf (as, for example, recently Ovechkin) – he is gaining a lot of points, and the team is neither empty nor thick from this. What is the record holder in North America worth who has never won the Stanley Cup? Wayne knew the answer to that question firsthand. Worthless.

Irony of fate: he had to fight on the court not only with an opponent, but also with his own incredible talent, a heavy weight hanging around his neck. I’m sure no other person in the history of hockey has been subjected to such insane demands as were made to Gretzky. But the most surprising thing is that he… fulfilled these requirements.

EH, TERENTY LAVRENTYEVICH…

Even before the revolution in the Grodno province, on the territory of present-day Belarus, there lived a simple peasant Terenty Lavrentievich Gretsky, who dreamed only of a piece of his land and family well-being. But getting land at that time was extremely problematic, and therefore Terenty, together with his wife Anna, decided on a very adventurous trick – he went to North America to work.

Over time, a farm appeared there, children were born, but the family was not going to stay in America. Seven years later, Anna and the children went home, and Terenty himself stayed behind, settling some business. And everything would be fine, but the revolution began, then the Civil War, and it turned out to be impossible to leave the new, already Soviet homeland. Moreover, personal problems rolled up: Anna and Terenty quarreled. So Gretsky remained in the USA all alone.

However, he did not grieve for long. He married a Ukrainian woman named Maria, during the Second World War he enlisted in the Canadian army (he was told that this was the best way to get to the battlefields in Europe, and they didn’t lie), went through the whole war and eventually settled in Canada, buying himself a farm. During this time, he also had a son, Walter, and a little later, a grandson, Vanechka. In the English manner – Wayne…

GO TO GRANDMA’S GATE!

The first goalkeeper who stood in the way of the great master’s future was his own grandmother. Two year old Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky. 1974

played in his house with a small toy club and ball. Usually, when the whole family gathered at the TV watching Hockey Night in Canada, he would roll up to Granny’s chair and slap the ball, and when it bounced off her foot, he tried to finish it off at all costs. There was nothing surprising in this behavior of a child who had barely learned to walk – in Canada this is a completely normal phenomenon.

“I started skating when I was two and a half years old,” recalls Gretzky. “My father flooded the ice rink in the yard in winter. I ran home only to eat. -year-olds. At 14 – with 20-year-olds. ”

Although Wayne spent several hours a day at the skating rink flooded by his father, he was fond of more than just hockey. His sports gift was very versatile. The boy, who did not stand out either in height or weight, played baseball, football and basketball at school, went in for running, tried his hand at golf, and for some time even went to the weightlifting hall. Often his father had to take him to two different games on the same day: hockey and baseball. In both sports, Wayne had tremendous success.

By the way, some fans of the game of bat and ball still believe that Gretzky chose the wrong path at all, believing that he could become a great pitcher, connect his fate with baseball.

The young hockey padawan was not wanted to be accepted into children’s teams for a long time – at that time Canadians started playing hockey from the age of 10, and Gretzky was already well developed by the age of six. But one day, Wayne saw an advertisement in the newspaper about an open competition for the rookie team, took part in it and ended up in his first team.

That season, the little hockey player, of course, did not shine too much, but he managed to score his first goal. Comrades rushed to congratulate the “son of the regiment”, and assistant coach Bob Phillips said: “This is your first goal, Wayne, but then there will be many more goals.” He himself did not suspect how prophetic these words would be.

Wayne Gretzky

WHITE VORTEX

When Gretzky was 10 years old, he managed, speaking for the children’s team of his native Brentford, to score 378 goals and make 139 assists in 85 games in one season. For boys of his age, these figures have become an absolute record. The young hockey player was compared to both Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe, but few could have imagined that a star appeared in Canada that would soon outshine all previously known hockey players.

The popularity of the young talent grew rapidly. Little girls asked for his autograph, fans almost tore the hockey player apart after especially successful matches, and once, a police escort was needed to save Wayne from a beating. These are the elders

Wayne Gretzky. The hopes of young men nourish

the brothers of the losing boys agreed to beat the offender – they had to leave the arena under the supervision of the police.

Already in those years, he was given the nickname Le Grand, that is, the Great, and another one, the White Whirlwind, because of the unusual, dazzling white color of the gloves.

Fans came from other cities specifically to watch the child play, but you should not assume that the life of this little prince went like clockwork. Very early, he had to get used to the bullying of rivals, the ridicule of teammates and the real hatred of the fans of the losing teams. Most of the time, Wayne held back his emotions, but sometimes they did break through.

Once, when the score was 3:6, the opponent’s fans laughed at him – they say, this guy will now score four goals for us. They didn’t know they were playing with fire. Gretzky really scored four times and added an assist to that. His team won with a score of 8:7. He drove up to the dumbfounded jokers and showed them the number “4” on his fingers.

“WHAT DRUG ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?”

Wayne’s move from provincial Brentford to the Junior League B team was perhaps the most difficult decision for the Gretzky family. Parents did not want to let go of a 14-year-old fragile boy to be torn apart by 20-year-old ambals. Besides, they rightly believed that in such a big city as Toronto, you can find a lot of trouble on your head without any hockey.

But Wayne himself was adamant. For a long time he convinced his parents that he was already old enough for such a trip, asked what could happen so terrible, and in the end he found a killer argument. This episode was described in the book “Wayne Gretzky” by his father Walter and journalist Jim Taylor:

Wayne Gretzky and first professional contract

“In a big city, you can easily get into bad company and get involved in their affairs,” Walter said. – Yes, get involved, even if you know that you are doing bad things. Just to be mistaken for your boyfriend.
– You mean drugs and all that? – in forehead asked Wayne.
– Yes.
– And that’s the only reason?
– Yes.
– OK, give me money, tell me what drug you are interested in, and in half an hour I will bring it to you.

After that, it became clear to the parents that their son was no longer a child and was quite capable of making independent decisions, whether in Brentford or Toronto.

“SMILE, THIS IS A JOKE” PROGRAM

After playing for two years in League B, Wayne moved to a new level. In the 1977/78 season, he played for the Greyhounds junior team from the

Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and made a splash, earning 182 (70 + 112) points in 64 matches. It was at this time that his name became known throughout the country, and here he received his famous number – “99”.

Gretzky wanted to be like his idol Gordie Howe, who played under the number “9”, but the nine in the team was already taken, and therefore at first he had to be content with the numbers “14” and “19”. And only subsequently, on the advice of the general Gretzky, the Gretzky manager of the Greyhounds, took this slightly frilly (even called “football”) number.

In his book, Wayne’s father describes another funny incident. , this is an unusual initiation ceremony for newcomers – they had to run naked through the park.At first, the newcomers did not take the threat seriously, but one fine day, the “veterans” of the team took them to the park and dropped them out of the car in their shorts. The police immediately drove up, and Gretzky along with the rest of the guys went to the station in such an unsightly state.0005

What thoughts did not visit his head at that moment. He thought that he could never play in the NHL again if he had a criminal record and a ban on entering the United States. But it soon became clear that it was just a hoax. To keep the tradition of “Greinhounds” and to facilitate the work of law enforcement officers, the team agreed with the police to arrange such mini-shows. The “oldies” laughed at the debutants for a long time, who believed that they would have to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

Wayne Gretzky

The first steps in the WHA and the NHL, difficult Stanley Cups with Edmonton and an unexpected exchange to Los Angeles, which became a blow to the whole of Canada – in the second part of Gretzky’s biography.

NHL DERIVATIVE

In 1978 Gretzky
after long negotiations between his father and millionaire Nelson Scabalini
, who owned a whole scattering of sports clubs, ended up in the World Hockey Association. The first professional club of the 17-year-old Gretzky was the Indianapolis Racers, where, however, he did not stay long. The owner of the club, realizing that nobody is interested in hockey in the Midwest of the USA, and even the presence of a young star cannot attract people to the stands, after eight games he traded Gretzky to Edmonton.

There was, however, another option with “Winnipeg”, but Wayne himself did not want to go there. I thought that the coach there was too tough, would not allow me to play the way we would like. Maybe it’s for the best, because it was in Edmonton at some point that people gathered who became the face of the then NHL.

In his first (and, as it turned out, last) season in the WHA, our hero scored 46 goals and scored 110 points, but by

“When we were young…”

At that moment, the association was practically crushed by the lack of spectator interest and soon broke up, delegating four clubs to the oldest sports league in the world. So 18-year-old Wayne ended up in the NHL.

From the very first season in the NHL, it became clear that Gretzky was something special, something that had never happened before in hockey. He broke one record after another, at the end of the year became the most valuable player in the league, receiving the first of his nine Hart Trophy, and on points caught up with the leading scorer – Marcel Dionne
(both had 137 points), but lost to him in goals. However, this did not stop Gretzky from becoming the youngest Pentecostal sniper in league history: he scored his 50th goal when he was 19years and 2 months.

The next year in the NHL was even more successful for Gretzky. He got his first Art Ross, setting a new NHL record for assists (109) and points (164) in a season, and along the way he got a couple of achievements – like four goals in a period (against St. ) and 50 goals in 39 first matches. Such a rate of fire was not demonstrated even by Maurice Richard
and Mike Bossy
.

In the 1981/82 season, Wayne again improved his own records for the number of assists (120) and points (212), and at the same time broke the “eternal” record of Phil Esposito
90,993 in goals scored, 92 to 76. The Islanders’ Mike Bossy was third in NHL history with 147 points, but he was 65 points behind Wayne. It was the biggest gap between the leaders during the existence of the league.

en: All the Kings goalies and all the Kings” men, couldn’t get Wayne to the playoffs again! “St. Louis”

After the success of 1993, the Kings, unexpectedly for everyone, turned into an underdog in the league and could not make it to the playoffs until 1998. Gretzky requested a trade to a stronger team and was sent to the St. Louis Blues on February 27, 1996.

In the same season, Wayne scored 102 points for the 15th time in his career that he reached 100 points for the championship. In the playoffs, the team was eliminated in the conference semifinals, losing to Detroit. Immediately after the end of the season, due to a conflict with the management of the Blues, Gretzky left the club and signed a contract with the New York Rangers.

New York Rangers

New York Rangers

On July 21, 1996, the New York Rangers signed free agent Wayne Gretzky. For the first time since the legendary Edmonton, Mark Messier and Gretzky played on the same team again.

Wayne, already ending his career, beat more and more new records. On December 1, 1996, in a game against Montreal, Gretzky reached the mark of 3,000 points for his career (total statistics in the regular season and playoffs). On April 3, 1997, in a match against Boston, he scored his 2700th point in the regular season.

On October 26, 1997, Gretzky made his 1,851 assists in the regular season. Prior to that, in the entire history of the NHL, not a single player scored so many not only assists, but points in general (Gordie Howe had the highest result at that time – 1850 points, later Mark Messier surpassed him – 1887 points). 7 March 19Gretzky scored his 1,000th regular-season and playoff career goal in a powerplay against New Jersey in 1998.

Gretzky ended his 20th season in the NHL in 1998/99 with only 9 goals in 70 games. The last of these goals was scored on March 29, 1999, marking Wayne’s 1,072nd career goals (including WHA and NHL regular season and playoff games). As a result, Gretzky achieved another highest result in the history of hockey, overtaking his childhood idol Gordie Howe, who scored 1,071 goals in total during his NHL and WHA performances.

Wayne Gretzky retired from the NHL on April 18, 1999 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In this game, he scored his last career point with an assist. This point was the 2857th in the NHL championships (894 goals + 1963 assists). By the time his career ended, Gretzky was one of the last two players to play in the WHA (the other was Wayne’s Edmonton teammate Mark Messier, who played in the NHL until 2004).

In early 1998, Wayne Gretzky was named The Greatest Player in Hockey History by The Hockey News. In the course of his career, Wayne Gretzky 9once in 10 seasons received the award of the most valuable player in the NHL (“Hart Trophy”). Gordie Howe won the MVP title 6 times in the same 10 years.

Wayne Gretzky was the top scorer in the NHL 10 times. In 3 cases out of 10, he would have received the Art Ross Trophy, even if he had not scored at all, but only handed out assists. 4 times in his career he scored more than 200 points in a season: in the championships 1981-82 (212), 1983-84 (205), 1984-85 (208), 1985-86 (215). No player in the history of the NHL has achieved this: only Mario Lemieux in the championship 1988-89 was close to that, but was 1 point short of 200.

International career

As part of the Canadian national team, Gretzky participated in the youth (1978) and adult (1982) world championships, both times became the bronze medalist, as well as the most productive player of the tournament in the “goal + pass” system (respectively, 8+9 and 6+ 8), entered the symbolic team of both championships. Participated in the Canada Cup (Cup winner 1984, 1987 and 1991, finalist of the draw 1981), scoring 17 goals and 40 assists in 31 games. In each of these tournaments, Gretzky scored the most points.

In 1998, Gretzky fulfilled his lifelong dream by performing at the Nagano Olympics. “This tournament is something special. Money doesn’t matter here – team spirit, subordinating everyone to one goal is much more important than millions of dollars, ”Gretzky said about the Olympics. But the debut was unsuccessful – his team went home without medals. However, he believes that he has gained significant experience, and this is a “major stage” in his professional career.

At the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Wayne Gretzky, who never climbed the Olympic podium as a hockey player, became a champion as the general manager of the national team.

You can download the autograph of the famous hockey player on our website in vector format. And also, order urgent facsimile production in our company.

Wayne Gretzky rewrote all the major NHL records in his name and, long before the end of his career, became the best hockey player in history, at the same time receiving the nickname “The Great”.

Born on 01/26/1961

Player career
:

• Edmonton Oilers (1978-1988).
• Los Angeles Kings (1988-1996).
• “St. Louis Blues” (1996).
• New York Rangers (1996-1999).

In the NHL regular season – 1487 games, 894 goals, 1963 assists, 2857 points.

Stanley Cup 208 games, 122 goals, 260 assists, 382 points.

For Canada – 57 matches, 26 goals, 60 assists, 86 points.

Team achievements
:

• Stanley Cup Winner 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988.
• Canada Cup Winner 1984, 1987, 1991.
• 1981 Canada Cup silver medalist.
• Silver medalist at the 1996 World Cup.
• Bronze medalist at the 1982 World Championship.
• Bronze medalist at the 1978 World Youth Championship.

Personal achievements
:

• Heart Trophy Winner (NHL MVP) 1980-1987, 1989.
• Art Ross Trophy winner (NHL top scorer) 1981-1987, 1990, 1991, 1994.
• Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy (Most Valuable Player of the NHL Playoffs) 1985, 1988.
• All-time and season-long NHL all-time record holder for goals, assists and points.

Later career
:

• Canada General Manager (2002).
• Phoenix Coyotes head coach (2005-2009).

Skating from 3 years old

Gretzky showed great promise from early childhood. For the first time, little Wayne got on skates in the courtyard of his own house, and at the age of five he was already playing for the children’s city team. Moreover, Gretzky was often the youngest hockey player on the ice. Subsequently, he will play on a par with guys 3-4 years older than himself, so much so that many performance records for children and youth tournaments will fall.

Gretzky overcame each next age barrier with such ease that they started talking about a talented boy all over Canada, anticipating his transition to adult hockey.

Super Junior

Gretzky’s idol was the legendary number 9, and Wayne was upset when he found out that number was taken by the Greyhounds junior team. But it was there that he made a fateful choice for himself – agreeing to go on the ice in a sweater with two nines, which all hockey fans associate with Gretzky.

Having set another record in the Ontario Hockey League, in 1978 Wayne moved to the WHA – this is how adult hockey began for him. Gretzky could not immediately get into the NHL, since at that time he was not eighteen years old. The young hockey player made his debut in the WHA with the Indianapolis Racers, however, he spent only eight matches there and was exchanged to the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton

Gretzky’s signing is the best transfer in the history of the Oilers. With the arrival of Wayne, the usual middle peasant of the WHA immediately made it to the finals, and in the summer of 1979, thanks to the merger of the two Leagues, ended up in the NHL.

So for Gretzky began a career in the best hockey League in the world. Experts wondered if the young player would be able to adapt to new conditions. With the answer, Gretzky did not hesitate – 137 points and the title of the most valuable player of the season, which Wayne will hold for eight years in a row. Canada has never known such dominance of one person over the rest, although there have always been more hockey talents there than in all other countries of the world combined.

The Eighties is the era of Gretzky and his Edmonton. The Oilers have won the Stanley Cup four times, and their leader crossed the 200-point mark as many times in the regular season. At that time, Wayne set NHL records for goals (92), assists (163) and scoring points (215) in a single season. He also owns the main records in the playoff series.

Gretzky has no weaknesses. Early Wayne is a super sniper, and at the same time he sees the court and partners perfectly. Next to him, such masters as Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri flourish and become stars. Together they arrange a real carousel on the ice, regularly leaving rivals out of work.

The alliance between Gretzky and Edmonton was so strong and successful for both that the Oilers owner’s decision to trade his main star to the Los Angeles Kings was hard to believe at first. But still, it became a reality and a shock both for Gretzky and for the fans of the “oil workers”.

Los Angeles

A new chapter in his hockey history began for Wayne. Once in a frankly weak team, from the very beginning he began to straighten out the position of the “kings” by personal example. The city began to go to hockey, the results of Los Angeles improved – the team began to get into the playoffs, which had never happened before.

It is in the Kings that Gretzky sets his “eternal” records in the annals of the NHL, simultaneously receiving another Hart Trophy and becoming the top scorer of the regular season three times, defeating the gaining momentum in this confrontation.

During these years, Gretzky’s game transformation takes place – his sniper rate begins to fall, and he finally becomes an assistant. However, the drop in performance does not prevent Wayne from bringing his team to the 1993 playoff finals. This result was the best for Los Angeles. In the following seasons, the Kings cannot get into the top eight of the strongest Western Conference, and at the beginning of 19’96 Gretzky decides to leave Los Angeles.

Sunset

Once in St. Louis, Gretzky again gets into the playoffs, however, he did not manage to go far in it. Soon, a conflict occurs between him and the leadership of the Blues, and Wayne moves to the New York Rangers.

In New York, Gretzky spent three seasons, only in the first of which he felt the long-forgotten struggle for the Stanley Cup – the Rangers lost in the final of the East to Philadelphia. Going forward, Wayne was only able to update his stats in the regular season.

Despite the fact that Gretzky crossed the 35-year mark, he scored more than one point per game to the last; only at the end of the 1998/1999 season there were fewer scores (62) than games (70), and there were very few goals scored (9). Apparently, the sharply fallen statistics pushed Wayne to end his career.

#1 of all time

When he announced his retirement, tens of thousands of fans asked him to stay. Even the then President of the United States, Bill Clinton, persuaded Gretzky not to leave. However, Wayne decided everything for himself – on April 1999 he ended his playing career.

Of course, Gretzky could not completely move away from hockey – he soon became a co-owner of Phoenix, and at one time he coached the team. Gretzky also accomplished what he could not do as a hockey player – as the general manager of the Canadian team, he became the winner of the 2002 Olympic Games.

Wayne Gretzky became a legend before he turned 30. Having broken almost all possible NHL records, he set such boundaries for the next generations, which, like twenty or thirty years ago, are seen as unattainable. Any hockey player advancing in the all-time table of records and striving to get as high as possible in it understands that the highest possible place is second. The first is forever occupied by the great Wayne Gretzky.

Wayne Douglas Gretzky (Gretzky; English Wayne Douglas Gretzky). Born January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Outstanding Canadian ice hockey player, center forward. One of the most famous athletes of the 20th century.

In 1978-1988 He played for the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he won the Stanley Cup four times. In the National Hockey League, where Gretzky was nicknamed “The Great”, he set 61 records and won individual League prizes multiple times (including 9 prizes for the most valuable player and 10 for the leading scorer of the season). He was among the 5 athletes who lit the flame of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. The only representative of North American hockey entered the symbolic team of the century “Centennial All-Star Team” of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Wayne’s grandfather, Terenty Lavrentievich Gretsky, immigrated to Canada from the Grodno province of the Russian Empire (now in the Republic of Belarus). There he married a Ukrainian Mary from the city of Podgaitsy (now Ternopil region, Ukraine). Terenty Gretsky was a farmer and served in the Canadian Army during World War II. According to Wayne, he was very close to his grandfather, as a child he came to his farm every summer in the summer; the Slavic language spoken in the family was Ukrainian. When Wayne began to play hockey, his grandfather and father supported him in this endeavor, and Terenty Gretsky came with his wife to his grandson’s training.

In the 1960s, Canada experienced a hockey boom. At the time, there were only six teams in the NHL, and the average player was making about $20,000 a year. Since childhood, Gretzky often played for guys who were several years older than him. At the age of five, Gretzky played for the Brentford children’s team. At the age of 6, Gretzky was already playing with 10-year-old boys. When Wayne Gretzky was 10 years old, he played in the children’s league and for the season managed to score 378 goals and make 139 assists in 68 games. These figures became an absolute record for boys of his age. Many Canadian newspapers wrote about the young hockey player, constantly comparing Wayne to Gordie Howe.

At the age of 14, Gretzky played against 20-year-olds. Having played well at the international tournament in Quebec, he almost became a victim of an enthusiastic crowd of fans who wanted to take his autograph. In 1975, Gretzky left Brentford to pursue a professional career.

Season 1977/78 he spent for the Greyhounds junior team of the Ontario Hockey League and scored 70 goals. Under the original number “99” – the number that hockey will now always be associated with his name – Gretzky first appeared on the ice, just playing for this team. He wanted to be like his idol Gordie Howe, who played under the number “9”. But the nine was already taken, and Wayne, after first playing for a few weeks at number 19, chose, on the advice of Greyhounds general manager Murray McPherson, number 99.

Having played at the Junior World Championships in Montreal in 1978 at the age of 16, he became the youngest participant in the tournament. Finishing the championship in first place in the list of top scorers, Gretzky was selected to the All-Star Team and recognized as the best striker of the championship.

In 1978, Gretzky ended up in the World Hockey Association, where there were no restrictions on signing contracts with juniors. In the NHL, on the ice, it was possible to get only after 18 years. The American club “Indianapolis Racers” signed a contract with 17-year-old Gretzky for about $ 100,000.

In May 1978, Gretzky made his debut in big hockey, and already in the same month, Indianapolis traded Gretzky to the Edmonton Oilers, a club that, thanks to Wayne and his partners, became one of the best teams in North American hockey. In his first season, Gretzky scored 46 goals and 110 points. A little later, he was recognized as the best newcomer of the WHA.

In 1979, after a merger agreement with the World Hockey Association, the NHL was replenished with four WHA clubs – Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets and New England Whalers (later Hartford Whalers). Since the first season in the NHL, Gretzky began to break one performance record after another. Playing with such forwards as Glen Anderson, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, as well as with the passer-defender Paul Coffey contributed a lot to this.

On October 10 of the same year, in a match against the Chicago Black Hawks, Wayne Gretzky made his NHL debut and scored his 1st point for an assist on Kevin Lowe. On October 14, Gretzky scored his first NHL goal against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Glen Hanlon. At the end of the season, Wayne Gretzky won his first of nine titles (eight in a row) of the most valuable hockey player in the NHL and received the Hart Trophy. In addition, with 51 goals, Gretzky became the youngest Pentecostal sniper in the history of the League: at that time, Wayne was only 19years and 2 months.

In his second year in the NHL, Gretzky won his first of ten titles (seven in a row) as the League’s leading scorer, received the Art Ross Trophy and set a new NHL record for the number of assists (109) and points (164) scored for the season. On February 18, 1981, Wayne scored 4 goals against St. Louis in one period, repeating the League record for the number of goals scored in this period of time. On December 30, 1981, in a match against Philadelphia, Gretzky scored his 50th goal of the season: it took him only 39games. Prior to this, only Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy had such a rate of fire: 50 goals in 50 league matches.

Oilers with Gretzky for 6 years in a row scored over 100 points in the regular season and 4 times – in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988 – won the Stanley Cup. The “victims” of Edmonton in the finals were the New York Islanders, the Philadelphia Flyers twice and the Boston Bruins once. After the first, in 1984, Gretzky was awarded the title of “Great”.

9 August 19’88 Wayne Gretzky suddenly became the centerpiece of one of the biggest deals in NHL history: Edmonton owner Peter Pocklington decided to trade him to the Los Angeles Kings, one of the league’s weakest teams. In compensation, the Oilers received Jimmy Corson, Martin Gelina, first-round picks in 1989, 1991, and 1993 and $15 million.

Wayne did not hide his tears when he told reporters about his transition: for a long time he could not believe that they had done this to him.

Until 1988, the local sports palace “Forum” was filled to a maximum of a third at hockey matches. Losses reached $5 million a year. But Gretzky’s arrival increased Californians’ interest in hockey, making it as big a problem to get a ticket to the Forum for the Los Angeles Kings, the region’s only representative in the NHL, as it was for the Los Angeles Lakers games. The Gretzkys received a $2 million pay raise.

Moving to a new club, Wayne continued to break both his own records and those of his new club and the NHL. October 6 19Wayne Gretzky made his debut in Los Angeles at the age of 88, with the first throw on someone else’s goal, he earned another scoring point. In 1989, Gretzky won the Hart Trophy for the ninth time in his career: Wayne became the first player in Kings history to receive the honor.

On October 15, 1989, Gretzky, in a match against his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, scored another scoring points and beat the result of the League’s top scorer Gordie Howe – 1850 points for his career. Wayne Gretzky scored his 1850th point just 4 minutes 32 seconds after the start of the game with a pass to defender Tom Laidlaw, who put the team ahead. By the end of the third period, the score was 4-3 in favor of the Oilers, and with 1 minute 46 seconds left, Kings coach Tom Webster took a timeout. Gretzky was on the ice at this point for 3 minutes continuously, and was extremely exhausted, but nevertheless asked the coach to leave him on the court. A minute and a second before the end, under the chants of the audience “Gretzky! Gretzky!”, “Kings” won the face-off and the six of them began the last assault on the opponent’s goal. And after 8 seconds, 53 seconds before the end of the third period, with an accurate throw from the “piglet”, Gretzky equalized the score in the match, gaining his 1851st point, and became the absolute best scorer in the history of the NHL. The game was interrupted and the celebration of the record began. After play resumed, it went into overtime, where Gretzky scored the winning goal.

By moving to the Los Angeles Kings, Gretzky helped the team improve its performance. In the 1990-91 season, the Kings scored 102 points in the regular season, finishing first in the Smith Division. Gretzky’s 40 points in the playoffs of ’93 allowed the Kings to reach the Stanley Cup final for the first time in club history, where they lost in five games to Montreal.

On March 23, 1994, in a match against Vancouver, Gretzky scored a goal against Kirk McLean, it was Wayne’s 802nd career goal, and he, ahead of Gordie Howe, became the best scorer in NHL history. At 19In 1994, Gretzky became the top scorer of the season for the tenth time in his career and received another Art Ross Trophy. The 33-year-old Gretzky became the oldest scorer in the last three decades: here again the analogy with Gordie Howe, who won this title at the age of 35 in 1963 …

“Kings” never won the Cup with Gretzky. The 1994/95 season was especially unsuccessful for the team. At one game in San Jose late in the regular season, Gretzky came across this Sharks fan poster: “All the Kings goalies and all the Kings” men, couldn’t get Wayne to the playoffs again!” The king’s men can’t let Gretzky play in the playoffs again!”). 0005

After the success of 1993, the Kings unexpectedly turned into an underdog in the league and could not make the playoffs until 1998. Gretzky requested a trade to a stronger team and was sent to the St. Louis Blues on February 27, 1996.

In the same season, he led St. Louis with 102 points, and for the 15th time in his career he reached the 100-point league mark. In the playoffs, the team was eliminated in the conference semifinals, losing there to Detroit. Immediately after the end of the season, Gretzky left the club due to a conflict with the management of the Blues and signed a contract with the New York Rangers.

On July 21, 1996, the New York Rangers signed free agent Wayne Gretzky. For the first time since the legendary Edmonton, Mark Messier and Gretzky played on the same team again.

Wayne, already ending his career, beat more and more new records. On December 1, 1996, in a game against Montreal, Gretzky reached the mark of 3,000 points for his career (total statistics in the regular season and playoffs). On April 3, 1997, in a match against Boston, he scored his 2700th point in the regular season.

On October 26, 1997, Gretzky made his 1,851 assists in the regular season. Prior to that, in the entire history of the NHL, not a single player scored so many not only assists, but points in general (Gordie Howe had the highest result at that time – 1850 points, later Mark Messier surpassed him – 1887 points). On March 7, 1998, in a powerplay against New Jersey, Gretzky scored his 1,000th career goal in the regular season and playoffs.

His last, 20th NHL season 1998/99 Gretzky finished scoring only 9 goals in 70 matches. The last of these goals was scored on March 29, 1999, marking Wayne’s 1,072nd career goals (including WHA and NHL regular season and playoff games). As a result, Gretzky achieved another highest result in the history of hockey, overtaking his childhood idol Gordie Howe, who scored 1,071 goals in total during his NHL and WHA performances.

Wayne Gretzky retired from the NHL on April 18, 1999 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In this game, he scored his last career point with an assist. This point was the 2857th in the NHL championships (894 goals + 1963 assists). By the time his career ended, Gretzky was one of the last two players to play in the WHA (the other was Wayne’s Edmonton teammate Mark Messier, who played in the NHL until 2004).

In early 1998, Wayne Gretzky was named The Greatest Player in Hockey History by The Hockey News. In the course of his career, Wayne Gretzky won the NHL Most Valuable Player Award (the Hart Trophy) 9 times in 10 seasons. Gordie Howe won the MVP title 6 times in the same 10 years.

Wayne Gretzky was the top scorer in the NHL 10 times. In 3 cases out of 10, he would have received the Art Ross Trophy, even if he had not scored at all, but only handed out assists. 4 times in his career he scored more than 200 points in a season: in the championships 1981-82 (212), 1983-84 (205), 1984-85 (208), 1985-86 (215). No player in the history of the NHL has achieved this: only Mario Lemieux in the 1988-89 championship was close to this, but he was 1 point short of the 200 mark.

As part of the Canadian national team, Gretzky participated in the youth (1978) and the adult (1982) world championships, both times became the bronze medalist, as well as the most productive player of the tournament in the “goal + pass” system (respectively, 8 + 9 and 6 + 8), entered the symbolic team of both championship. Participated in the Canada Cup (1984, 1987 and 1991 Cup winner, 1981 finalist), scoring 17 goals in 31 matches and making 40 assists. In each of these tournaments, Gretzky scored the most points.

In 1998, Gretzky fulfilled his lifelong dream by performing at the Nagano Olympics. “This tournament is something special. Money doesn’t matter here – team spirit, subordinating everyone to one goal is much more important than millions of dollars, ”Gretzky said about the Olympics. But the debut was unsuccessful – his team went home without medals. However, he believes that he has gained significant experience, and this is a “major stage” in his professional career.

At the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Wayne Gretzky, who never climbed the Olympic podium as a hockey player, became a champion as the general manager of the national team.

April 18, 1999 Gretzky said goodbye to hockey, making the last assist. “I’ll probably play golf first,” he said.

Mark Messier, the best friend of the “Great”, said: “Come on, the new Gretzky will never appear! Such hockey players are born not even once in a hundred, but once in a thousand years.”

According to the rules, the name of a hockey player can be immortalized in the famous Hockey Hall of Fame (Toronto) no earlier than 3 years after his retirement from the big sport. Gretzky is one of the few for whom an exception was made: already on November 22, 1999, that is, just 7 months after the farewell match, he entered the Hall of Fame. He also received another unique honor: the number 99, under which he played throughout his professional career, is assigned to him in the NHL forever, and no hockey player in the NHL will wear a jersey with this number again.

In 2000-2009 was a co-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes NHL club, in 2005-2009. was his head coach. He is engaged in a variety of businesses: he owns a restaurant, produces his own line of men’s clothing, acts in commercials, etc. In 2002, the Canadian team, whose general manager was Gretzky, won the Olympic hockey tournament in Salt Lake City.

Wayne Gretzky’s personal life:

In 1984, Gretzky met his peer, American actress Janette Jones. Jeanette started acting in films at 1973 and continues to play to this day. She starred in the fifth part of the “Police Academy”. In the summer of 1988, they celebrated their wedding. They have 5 children – Paulina (born December 19, 1988), Ty (born July 9, 1990), Trevor (born September 14, 1992), Tristan (born August 2, 2000) and Emma (youngest).

During the 2005/2006 season, Ty lived with his father in Arizona and the other children lived with Janette in California. Grandson of Tatum Gretzky Johnson (born January 19, 2015).

Achievements and records of Wayne Gretzky:

Gretzky spent 21 years in hockey and during this time he broke almost all NHL records. He has 61 achievements to his credit. The most important of these are the NHL regular season goals and points records. On October 15, 1989, Gretzky broke the record for points (1850), owned by Gordie Howe, and on March 23, 1994, and the record for the number of goals scored (801). In total, he has 894 goals and 2857 points.

Two facts deserve special mention. If Gretzky had not scored a single goal, he would still have become the record holder in points because of his fantastic 1963 gears. In NHL history, only three players have passed the 100 assist mark in a season: Bobby Orr (one), Mario Lemieux (one), and Wayne Gretzky (thirteen). In addition to records, Gretzky became the owner of most of the League’s individual trophies, which are awarded annually to the best hockey players of the season. So, nine times he became the owner of the Hart Trophy (the most valuable player) and ten times – the Art Ross Trophy (the best scorer) – the most prestigious prizes in the NHL.

Wayne Gretzky held or shared 61 NHL records (prior to his retirement from the ice on April 18, 1999), including 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 NHL All-Star Game records.

Regular season records include most goals in a season (92), most assists in a season (163) and most points in a season (215). He also holds the record for the fastest 50-goal mark in just 39 games, and the record for the most goals in a 50-game span (61 goals, scored twice). In the 1983-84 season, he had a series of 51 games in a row in which he scored points – 61 goals and 92 assists, 153 points.

Gretzky set impressive records in both the regular season and playoffs, holding the record for most goals (894), most career assists (1,963), most points (2,857), and a hat- tricks (50) per career. The closest player in terms of career points, Mark Messier, scored “only” 1,887. Gretzky’s regular season and playoff points total reaches an incredible 3,239. Also, Gretzky has dealt more assists in his career, than any other player scored points.

His 47 playoff points in 1985 and 31 assists in 1988 are still single playoff game records, and he also holds the records for goals (122), assists (260), points (382) , hat-tricks (10) and game-winning goals (24) in career playoffs.

3-time Canada Cup winner – 1984, 1987, 1991.

4-time Stanley Cup winner – 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988.

9-time Hart Trophy (season MVP) winner – 1980 -87, 1989.

10-time Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer) – 1981-87, 1990, 1991, 1994.

Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) – 1985, 1988.

Lester Pearson 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987.

Lady Byng Trophy (for sportsmanship and gentlemanly behavior) – 1980, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1994, 1999.

NHL plus minus Award (to the player with the best plus or minus indicator) – 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987.

Lester Patrick Trophy (for his contribution to the development of ice hockey in the USA) – 1994.

Lou Marsh Prize (1982, 1983, 1985, 1989).

Read Once Is Not Enough book online in full📖 — Jacqueline Suzanne — MyBook.

Jacqueline Susann

ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH

Copyright © 1973 by Jacqueline Susann

and Synopsis Literary Agency

© A. E. Gerasimov, translation, 2019

© Russian edition, layout. LLC “Publishing Group” Azbuka-Atticus “, 2019

ABCBUK & Buke

* * * *

is dedicated to Robert Susann, who would understand me … *

* and Irvin, who understands me

He

He broke into the New York theater world in 1945. His name was Mike Wayne. He was born to win. He earned the reputation of the best gambler in the Air Force, and thirteen thousand dollars taken out under his uniform confirmed this reputation.

In his youth, he realized that the stock exchange and show business are the two most gambling games in the world. At twenty-seven, he retired from the Air Force. A big fan of the female sex, he chose show business. Having invested his thirteen thousand, in five days of a full house in the Aqueduct, he turned them into sixty.

Having invested his earnings in a Broadway production, he became a co-producer. The play was a success, and he married Vikki Hill, the most beautiful extra.

Vicki dreamed of becoming a star, and he gave her a chance. At 1948 created his first big musical starring Vicki. The show became a hit despite his wife’s poor acting. Wayne was praised by critics for surrounding Vicki with talented performers, for choosing the play well, and for making a high profit. But everyone agreed that Vicki is a very mediocre actress.

When the show ended, Mike took his wife off the stage. (“Baby, you need to be able to move away from the table in time. I gave you the opportunity to test yourself. Now bear me a son.”)

On the first day of 1950, she gave him a baby girl. He named her Janyuari, which means “January”. When the nurse handed him a bundle with his daughter, he swore that he would give Januari the whole world.

When Januari was two years old, he greeted her first, and then his wife.

When she was four, he went to California and became the producer of his first film.

When she was five, he released two action movies in a year and was nominated for an Oscar.

When she was six, he won an Oscar and was associated with several movie stars. (That’s when his wife started drinking and took a lover.)

When January was seven years old, he named his private jet after her, and Vicki killed herself while trying to abort herself.

So they were left alone.

Mike tried to explain the situation to his daughter on the way to a prestigious school in Connecticut.

– Now that your mother is gone, the teachers will make you a real lady.

– Why can’t I stay with you, papa?

– Because I often leave. And in general, the upbringing of little girls is usually done by women.

– Why did mother die?

– I don’t know, honey… Maybe because she wanted to be someone.

Is that bad?

– Yes, if you are not allowed to become someone. Then something gnaws at you from the inside.

– Are you yourself someone?

– Me? I am a super-someone,” he laughed.

“Then I’ll be someone too,” she said.

– OK. But first you must be a lady.

That’s how she ended up at Miss Haddon’s school. When Mike flew to New York, they spent weekends together.

His fame grew and, like all good players, he knew when to push his luck and when not to risk it. He could change the whole alignment at the hippodrome with one bet. Once he lost his plane, but got up from the table with a smile on his face, because he knew that tomorrow luck would return to him.

If Mike were asked when fortune left him, he could give the exact date.

Rome, 20 June 1967.

On that day he learned about what happened to his daughter.

She

If she were asked when her luck failed her, she would not be able to answer the question. She always thought of herself as his daughter. And to be his daughter is already the greatest luck in the world.

She accepted Miss Haddon’s school from the very beginning as something temporary. The girls were friendly. They all fell into one of two categories. The older students worshiped Elvis Presley, while the younger ones were part of Linda’s retinue. Linda Riggs was sixteen. She could sing and dance; her zest for life was infectious. (Years later, when she stumbled upon a school photograph of Linda, January was struck by her resemblance to Ringo Starr.) But when Linda was the recognized star of the school, no one noticed that she had coarse, not thick enough hair, an overly wide nose, and a thick silver splint on her teeth. Everyone knew that upon graduation, Linda would become the star of Broadway musical comedies.

A year before graduation, Linda starred in a school production of an edited version of Annie Get Your Revolver. When rehearsals began, Linda made eight-year-old January “her closest friend.” She carried out small assignments for Linda, suggested words and lyrics. Januari was never part of Linda’s entourage, but their closeness gave her joy, because Linda constantly talked about Mike Wayne. She was his admirer. Did January invite her dad to the school play? Will he come? He must come! Wasn’t Linda the one who got Januari on the show?

Mike actually arrived at the school, and after the performance in front of January, the star of Annie Get Your Revolver turned into a stuttering, crimson high school student with Mike Wayne shaking her hand.

– Isn’t she gorgeous? Januari said to her father when they were alone.

– She is mediocre. You are more effective in the choir than Linda in the lead role.

– But she’s so talented.

– Linda is a fat ugly woman.

– Really?

– Of course.

But when Linda left the school, it suddenly became empty and boring. The main role in the play for the next season went to the beautiful Angela, but everyone agreed that she was far from Linda.

Two years later, the students started talking about Linda again. One of the girls ran into the classroom with a number of the Shine magazine. On the front page, next to the imprint, was the name of Linda Riggs, the associate editor. The news made an impression on the whole school, but Januari was secretly disappointed. And what about Broadway?

When she told her father about Linda, Mike didn’t seem surprised.

– It’s even strange that she was taken to a fashion magazine.

“But Linda is so talented,” Januari did not give up.

– For school – yes. But now the end of the sixties, and girls with the appearance of Liz Taylor and Marilyn Monroe are knocking the thresholds of theaters in search of work. I am not saying that beauty is everything, but it helps a lot.

– Will I be beautiful?

He chuckled as he touched her thick brown hair.

– You will not only be beautiful. You got your mom’s velvety brown eyes. It was to them that I drew my attention in the first place.

She didn’t tell her father that she’d rather have his eyes, bright blue in stark contrast to her permanent tan and black hair. She could never get used to his extraordinary beauty. Her classmates also looked admiringly at Mike Wayne – they often saw their fathers unshaven, tired, afraid of losing their hair or jobs, constantly arguing with their wives and sons.

But January spent weekends in New York with an attractive man who lived to make her daughter happy.

Because of these weekends, January did not get close to the other students. Friendship with them would mean festive dinners in their families, sometimes couple of days visits on a reciprocal basis. Januari did not want to share her weekends with her father with anyone. Of course, sometimes he flew to Europe or the West Coast, but their meetings compensated for the temporary loneliness. Saturday morning, the limousine took her to New York, to the large corner suite at the Plaza, which Mike rented all year round. At the time of the appearance of his daughter, he usually had breakfast. The secretary sometimes made some notes under his dictation; the assistant informed about weekly income; the press agent showed the advertisement; The phone rang constantly, sometimes three at once. But when Januari entered the suite, all activity stopped, and the girl fell into the arms of her father. He smelled of pine. She felt safe in Mike’s strong arms.

She ate something, and he quickly dealt with business. This picture has always fascinated Januari. His cunning combinations, the jerky orders he threw into the phone. She watched her father, who was pressing the telephone receiver on his shoulder and writing something. She experienced a surprisingly pleasant feeling when he suddenly winked at her, which meant: “Whatever I do, I always remember you.”

After lunch there were no visitors and calls. The rest of the day belonged to her. Sometimes he would take her to the Saks and empty the stalls. Sometimes – to the skating rink at the Rockefeller Center. There he sat in a bar and sipped alcohol while the coach worked with January. If Mike was working on a new production, she would attend rehearsals. They reviewed all the performances on Broadway; sometimes they managed to visit both the morning and evening shows in one day. And the day ended invariably at Sardi, at a prestigious table in front of the stage.

But she hated Sundays. No matter how fun their lunch together was, after it there was always a big black limousine that took her back to Miss Haddon. Januari understood the need to leave – her father was waiting for phone calls, another production.

But his crowning show was her birthdays. When she was five years old, he hired a small circus and invited the entire kindergarten there. Her mother was still alive – a brown-eyed woman with an absent look watched the performance without interest. Six-year-old January went on a sleigh to Central Park, where Santa Claus was waiting for her with gifts in a bag. Another time she went to a puppet show and met a real magician.

But they celebrated her eighth birthday together. It was January’s first birthday since her mother’s death. It came in the middle of the week. The limousine took the girl from school to the Plaza. Januari watched as her father uncorked a bottle of champagne and poured a quarter glass for her daughter.

– This is the best champagne in the world, baby.

He raised his glass.

– For my lady… the only one I love and will love.

So he introduced her to Dom Pérignon and caviar.

Then he led his daughter to the window and pointed at the hot air balloon passing by the Plaza. It usually had a Goodyear advertisement on it. But now they saw a huge red inscription: “Happy birthday, January!” Since then, Dom Pérignon and caviar have become invariable attributes of all important events.

On her thirteenth birthday, he took her to Madison Square Garden. The lobby was dark, and she thought they were too late. Father took Januari by the hand and led him into the hall. To her surprise, no one approached them to escort them to their seats. She saw no spectators, no listeners, no lights. Mike walked along the passage into the frightening darkness. Hand in hand, they descended lower and lower, into the very belly of the empty hall. Finally Mike stopped and said in a low voice:

– Make a wish, baby, big wish – now you are in the very place where the famous winners stood – Joe Louis, Suga Rae, Marciano.

He raised her hand like a referee and, mimicking the referee’s sonorous voice, said:

– Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the greatest winner, Miss January Wayne, who is saying goodbye to her childhood today.

After a pause, Mike added:

– This means that now you compete in the heavyweight category.

She hugged him. He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, but in the darkness their lips met and for a few moments joined. In front of the ramp flashed the inscription: “Happy birthday, January!” There was champagne and caviar on the table, and a waiter stood at attention beside him. The orchestra began to play, the choir sang “Happy Birthday.”

Then the musicians began to play Januari’s favorite melodies. Father and daughter sipped champagne. Mike invited January to dance. At first she was a little nervous, but after the first timid steps she clung to her father, and suddenly it seemed to her that she had been dancing with him all her life. Moving to the music, he whispered:

– Soon you will become a fully grown lady. A young man will appear in your life who will mean more to you than anything in the world. He will take you into his arms… like this… and you will know what love is.

Januari didn’t say anything because she was already in the arms of the only man she loved.

When she finished Miss Haddon’s school, Mike was making a motion picture in Rome. His absence from the graduation ceremony did not upset January. She herself would have gladly avoided her, but the girl was offered to make a farewell speech. She was to spend the summer in Rome with her father.

She won the college argument.

– Dad, I spent so many years at school.

– Baby, college is important.

– Why?

– You’ll learn so much, meet interesting people, prepare for… hell, I don’t know what. So it is necessary. No wonder your classmates go to college.

– But they don’t have such a father.

– Well, what do you want to do?

– Probably become an actress.

– But for this you also need to study!

So everything was decided. After filming in Rome, a picture was waiting for him in London. He managed to get Januari for the fall semester at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Januari did not rush there. She was not even sure that she really wanted to become an actress.

But she will go to Rome! It remains only to pass the last two exams. Under her graduation gown, she wore a blue linen gown. The plane ticket and passport were in her purse, and the luggage was in the limousine waiting for her outside the school. She’ll give a speech, get her diploma, and run away!

When it was over, she hurried along the aisle, listening to the congratulations of the parents of her classmates, saying goodbye to her friends and promising to write. She took off her cloak and dropped her hat to Miss Hicks from the Drama Club. Goodbye everyone! Hurry up in the limousine to Kennedy Airport!

Boeing 704… half-empty first class… Excitement prevented her from focusing on food or a movie. Many hours of flipping through magazines, daydreaming, Coca-Cola and finally landing, seven o’clock in the morning Roman time. Here he is, standing with some important official right on the airfield, near his personal car. Down the gangplank, into the arms of the most amazing man in the world, who belongs to her!

A long black limousine took them to customs… her passport was stamped. Two handsome young Italians in tight suits were waiting for her luggage to arrive.

“They don’t speak English, but they’re great guys,” Mike said as he handed them the crisp bills. They will receive your things and deliver them to the hotel.

He led her to a stocky red Jaguar. The roof of the car was down. Mike smiled at his daughter’s delight.

– I decided that we would have more fun if we went alone. Sit down, Cleopatra. Rome is waiting for you.

Wayne’s Curriculum Vitae > Art School

Lil Wayne

Biography

Lil Wayne is arguably one of the most successful and popular rappers to ever enter the American scene. The biography of this man is a classic success story of a black guy from a dysfunctional family who, against all odds, “made his way” and proved to the world that he is talented and deserves more.

Childhood and youth

The real name of the artist is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. The future idol of millions was born on September 27, 1982 years old in Holly Grove, New Orleans. Duane’s mother at that time was barely 19 years old, the girl worked as a cook. Two years later, the boy’s father, Dwayne Carter Sr., left the family, leaving his former lover with a young son in her arms and practically without a livelihood.

Rapper Lil Wayne

This act forever determined Dwayne’s attitude towards him: the rapper changed his own name at the first opportunity, not wanting to be anything like this person. Removing the first letter, the young man received the name Wayne, under which he became famous.

From early childhood, Wayne attracted the attention of teachers, on the one hand, with talent and artistry, on the other hand, with disgusting behavior and constant pranks. Already in primary school, the boy began to write poetry. In addition, Wayne participated in all school performances and even studied in a theater group.

Lil Wayne in his childhood and youth

In 1991, Wayne met Brian Williams, who later became known under the pseudonym Birdman. He drew attention to a talented boy and already at 1995 helped record the first album. 11-year-old Wayne prepared this record in a duet with another teenager – 14-year-old Christopher Dorsey, known as B. G.

The first success inspired Wayne Carter so much that after a couple of years the young man left school to devote all his time and efforts to his musical career.

Music

The album “Get It How U Live”, recorded with Terius Gray and Tab Wedzhel Jr., can be considered the beginning of Wayne Carter’s serious creative work. The team was called “Hot Boys” and instantly gained popularity among fans of rap music. At 19On the 99th “Hot Boys” pleased the audience with the second disc, called “Guerilla Warfare”.

Carter’s first independent creation is considered to be the album “The Block Is Hot”, although some of the songs from this disc were also performed together with the group “Hot Boys”. The album surpassed Wayne’s previous records in popularity, reaching platinum status in the first week of sales. It also earned Carter a Best New Artist nomination.

Lil Wayne in the Hot Boys

The year 2000 was marked for the musician by the appearance of his second solo album, called “Lights Out”. This disc was inferior in popularity to the previous one, however, it was awarded the title of “golden” according to many music channels and publications. And two years later, Lil Wayne presented to the public the third disc – “500 Degrees”, which, unfortunately, did not win the love of the audience.

However, the most important records in Lil Wayne’s creative biography were the records from the “The Carter” series. Their special atmosphere, unique style of Carter’s recitative and the constant quality of the recording gave the musician fans all over the world.

The first album from this collection, The Carter, was released in 2004. According to some media estimates, the record sold over a million copies, and these are only legal copies. Months of the first lines of various hit parades and charts raised Lil Wayne’s popularity to new heights.

Deciding to strike while the iron is hot, in early 2005, Lil Wayne released The Carter II, the title track from which was heard throughout the United States for a long time. The album itself sold three hundred thousand copies, falling short of the success of the previous one. The musician did not forget about other projects: in 2006, Carter released a joint disc with Birdman, which the rappers called “Like Father, Like Son”.

Lil Wayne on stage

But there were problems with the third album of the Carter series. Shortly before the announced release, several songs were leaked to the Web. Lil Wayne announced to fans that he was postponing the release of the record, and would release the released songs on a separate album, supplementing them with four more tracks.

As a result, “The Carter III” appeared only in 2008. It is noteworthy that the scandal with the songs posted on the Internet benefited the disc: in the first week, more than a million people bought this album. Subsequently, the album became triple platinum and even broke the record of the artist 50 Cent with his disc “The Masscare”, which previously bore the “title” of the most commercially successful rap album.

The next album in this series was released in 2011. The fact is that the recording of the tracks and the release itself were constantly postponed, either because of the health of the performer, or because of his constant problems with the law.

Lil Wayne’s further records also turned out to be “problematic”: the musician managed to spoil relations with his record company, go to jail, get released, undergo a serious operation on his teeth, act in a couple of films and release a dozen singles, later included in different albums. However, even the constant failures of the promised deadlines did not make Lil Wayne’s fans turn their backs on the idol.

Personal life

The rapper’s personal life was no less turbulent than his musical career. The first wife of the musician was a school friend named Anthony Johnson. The woman gave Lil Wayne the first daughter. The girl was named Regina. Unfortunately, this marriage broke up in 2006.

Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj

Two years later, in 2008, the man’s son Duane was born. The baby’s mother was Lil Wayne’s new lover, Sarah Vivan. However, Carter did not stay with this girl for long either. The next chosen one of the rapper was the beautiful model Lauren London, who gave the musician a son, Cameron. In the same 2009In the same year, the fourth child of Lil Wayne was born – the boy Neil, whose mother was the singer Nivea.

In 2014, fans learned about Lil Wayne’s new romance. This time, the popular singer and actress Christina Milian became the passion of the charismatic musician (by the way, Carter’s height is 1.65 m). But this girl did not manage to take possession of the rapper’s heart for a long time. A year later, the couple announced their breakup.

After that, Lil Wayne was often credited with relationships with various models and singers, including Nicki Minaj, but there is no confirmed information on this yet.

Lil Wayne now

Now, unfortunately for the fans, the attention of the music community is riveted not to the work of Lil Wayne, but to the health of the musician. The press does not discuss the singer’s clips and photos at all, but the last hospitalization: in the fall of 2017, Carter was admitted to the hospital after an epileptic attack. Recall that this is not the first case of the manifestation of the disease. A year earlier, Lil Wayne had already been undergoing treatment for epilepsy.

Lil Wayne in 2017

Therefore, Instagram and other social networks are full of posts with condolences from fans and wishes for Lil Wayne to return to music as soon as possible.

Wayne Brady Biography

Wayne Brady Facts

Date of Birth:	June 2, 1972
Age:	48 years
Last name:	Brady
Country of birth:	United States
Sign of birth:	Gemini
Height :	6′
name	Wayne Brady
Birth name	Wayne Alphonso Brady
Mother	Lindamari Newton
Father	Wayne Brady
Place of birth / City	Columbus, GA
Occupation	Actor
Ethnicity	Black
Nationality	American
Net worth	$10 million
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Brown
Weight in kg	80 kg
married	yes
Married	Mandy Taketa (m. 1999), Diana Lasso (m. 1993)
Children	Mile Masako Brady
Divorce	Mandy Taketa (m. 2008), Diana Lasso (m. 1995)
Education	University of Miami
Awards	Primetime Emmy Award (2013)
Movies	Fast and free
TV show	Late Show

Brief relationship statistics of Wayne Brady

2 Marriage 1 Children

American game show host, actor, singer, comedian, and television personality best known for his work on the American version of the improvised comedy television series Whose Line Is It? , Wayne – Brady is currently single. He was previously married to dancer Mandy Taketa. The couple got married on 3 April 1999 years old and divorced on April 14, 2008. Wayne is the son of Wayne Brady and Linda Marie Newton.

Is Wayne Brady married?

The 35-year-old comedian is officially single again. He began to live separately from other women after two unsuccessful marital relationships.

Wayne Brady has been married twice in his life. His first marriage was with a Colombian singer. Diana Lasso. The couple married on December 31, 1993 and divorced on September 21, 1995.

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After his bitter breakup with ex-husband Lasso, he went down the aisle with a dancer. Mandy Taketa. April 19They tied the knot for 99 years, and in April 2006 they parted ways, citing irreconcilable differences.

Brady and Masako were blessed with a daughter, Miley Masako Brady. The two greeted Maile Masako on February 3, 2003.

During the divorce process, Mail’s parents used an intermediary to reach a final settlement of the divorce proceedings. However, details about the division of property, alimony and custody have not been made public.

Wayne Brady is gay?

Wayne Brady is not gay in real life, although he portrayed such a character in the movie. Brady made several guest appearances on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. In the series, he played James Stinson , the gay brother of Neil Patrick Harris’ character, Barney Stinson.

Wayne Brady’s Health Problems

As a child, he had a stuttering problem due to anxiety. He also suffered from clinical depression. On his 42nd birthday, he suffered a mental breakdown. He thanked Taketa for his recovery.

Net worth of Wayne Brady

Brady’s net worth is estimated at approximately $ 10 million as of 2019. The Columbus, Georgia-born actor has worked in several films and TV series so far. His main source of income is his acting career.

Wayne Pockets $50.88 – $170 per hour for movies and TV shows. Brady has appeared as a guest star on an MTV show called Wild ‘N Out and he also provided the voice for the Adult Swim show Robot Chicken.

Wayne Brady Wiki

Wayne Alphonso Brady was born June 2, 1972 in Columbus, Georgia to West Indian parents. He spent his childhood days with his aunt and grandmother Valerie Petersen.

He attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando and graduated in 1989. In 1990, he entered the University of Miami. He previously hosted Fox’s Don’t Forget the Lyrics! and The Wayne Brady Show .

Be sure to check megancaryartistry.com for more bios!!

Wayne Brady married

First marriage to Diana Lasso

He married Colombian singer Diana Lasso for the first time. The couple married on December 31, 1993 and divorced on September 21, 1995.

Second marriage to Mandy Taketa

Second marriage to dancer Mandy Taketa. The couple married on April 3, 1999 and divorced on April 14, 2008.

Wayne Brady Children

DAUGHTER: Mile Masako Brady

The couple have a daughter named Maile Masako Brady, she was born on February 3, 2003.

Louis Wain

Louis William Wain (eng. Louis William Wain ) (August 5, 1860 – July 4, 1939) was an English artist known for his numerous anthropomorphic images of cats, cats and kittens.

Contents

Life and work

Louis William Wayne was born on 5 August 1860 at Clerkenwell in London. He was the oldest child in the family, among five sisters, none of whom ever married. At the age of thirty, the youngest sister was declared insane and placed in an insane home. The remaining sisters lived with their mother all their lives, much like Luis himself, who lived with his mother most of his life. Luis’ mother was engaged in the decoration of churches and the creation of patterns for Turkish carpets.

As a child, Luis often skipped school and took long walks around London. After finishing his studies, Wayne entered the West London School of Art, and after graduation he taught for a while. When he was 20, his father died and he had to support his mother and sisters.

Shortly after his father’s death, Louis leaves teaching and becomes a freelance artist. He mainly paints animals and village life, contributing to several magazines including Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News and “Illustrated London News” . In the 1880s Louis Wayne’s work depicted mostly English rural life: houses, estates and animals, which he had to sketch at agricultural exhibitions. Many animals appear in his works of that period, the ability to draw which he retained throughout his life. At one time he was going to make a living by painting exclusively portraits of dogs.

At the age of twenty-three, Wayne, against the will of his family, marries his sisters’ governess, Emily Richardson, who was ten years older than him, and moves to live with her in Hampstead, north London. Emily soon develops cancer and dies three years after her marriage. During her illness, Emily’s only consolation was a domestic black and white kitten Peter (more precisely, Peter the Great, in honor of Peter Alekseevich). To please Emily, Wayne taught him various tricks: the cat wore glasses and sat quietly in front of a book, pretending to read. At this time, Louis himself begins to draw numerous sketches from him. Wayne later wrote of Peter: “it was he who laid the foundation for my career, he gave me the impetus to develop my skills and provided the basis for my work.” Peter is featured in many of Wayne’s early works.

In 1886, Wayne receives an order for the design of children’s book “Madame Tubby’s Establishment” . Wayne’s first drawing of human-looking cats was published in Christmas edition of the llustrated London News under the title “A Kittens’ Christmas Party” ( A Kittens’ Christmas Party ). The 11-section drawing featured 150 cats (many of which looked like Peter) sending invitations, holding balloons, talking and playing games. In this drawing, the cats were still walking on all fours, were without clothes, and did not have that expression of the muzzle, which is so characteristic of Wayne’s paintings, so similar to a human face. In later years, Wayne’s cats reared up on their hind legs, began to smile broadly, use different, almost human facial expressions, and wear ordinary human clothes. In Wayne’s paintings, cats play musical instruments, drink tea, play cards, go fishing, smoke, and listen to opera.

Over the next 30 years, Wayne actively creates, sometimes creating up to 600 drawings a year. He illustrated about a hundred books for children, and his work appeared frequently in newspapers and magazines, including Louis Wain Annual ( Louis Wain Annual ), which appeared from 1901 to 1915. In 1902, the English Post allowed the front of postcards to be completely filled with an image, and since then, Wayne’s postcards have gained immense popularity.

Wayne’s illustrations often parodied human behavior, were a vivid satire on fashion trends and trends that appeared in society. Wayne loved cats so much that once he noticed how a cat ran across the mountain, and an astobus rushed towards her, he deftly jumped into the bus and turned the steering wheel to another side. Waking up in the hospital, Wayne first asked about the condition of the cat.

He also wrote: “I take my notepad to a restaurant or any other busy place and just draw people in their normal poses as cats , giving them as human features as possible. This gives my works an ambivalent nature and I consider them to be my best jokes.”

Animal rights

Wayne has been involved in several animal welfare charities such as Our Silent Friends League Board of Directors , Cat Protection Society , and Anti Vivisection Society . In 1890 Wayne is elected president of the English National Cat Club . Wayne hoped that this activity would help “get rid of all the hatred of cats” in England.

HG Wells said about him: “He turned himself into a cat. He invented the feline style, the feline society, the whole feline world. All English cats should be ashamed if they do not at least look a little like Louis Wayne’s cats.

World War I and financial difficulties

Despite his popularity, Wayne experienced financial difficulties throughout his life. He had to support his mother and sisters, but he did not have a “business streak.” Wayne was simple-minded and easily deceived, often drawn into financial escapades. He never bargained, which failed him more than once in the publishing world. He did not care about the copyright of the drawings, and often sold his drawings in their entirety without reserving the rights to republish them. At 19On 07 he was sued by the city of Kent for a large debt, and Wayne was forced to flee to America to avoid scandal, hoping to return to his homeland in a few months. In New York, his exhibition was warmly received by the public. In the US, Wayne continues to draw comics for Hearst Newpapers and invests almost all his money in some kind of “miraculous invention” that was never realized. In 1910, the artist’s mother dies in England, and Wayne decides to return to his homeland. During the First World War, Louis Wayne practically lost his livelihood, and after the war he was on the verge of poverty. From 19From 14 to 1918, Wayne received only six commissions to illustrate books.

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The last years of his life

It is known that the last years of his life Louis suffered from schizophrenia. Louis Wayne has always been considered a rather charming, but strange person: he was constantly confused and could not distinguish fact from fiction. Gradually, his eccentricity turned into a serious mental illness. He was diagnosed with a mental disorder, which began to progress over the years. Since the onset of the disease, Wayne’s popularity began to decline. Wayne’s behavior and personality changed greatly, he began to suffer from hallucinations. Luis used to be a gentle and trusting person, but later became aggressive and suspicious, especially towards his sisters. He claimed that the flashing frames on the movie screen stole electricity from their brains, and that they were stealing money from him. He began to roam the streets at night, rearranging the furniture in the house frequently, and spending time alone, locked in his room, where he wrote incoherent texts.

In 1924, Louis was committed to the Springfield Asylum after pushing his sister down the stairs. A year later, he was discovered by the press and the circumstances of his illness were widely publicized, which led to the visits of such famous people as HG Wells, Dan Ryder and personal intervention in the case of the Prime Minister of Great Britain. An artist relief fund was organized and Wayne was transferred to Bethlem Royal Hospital and then, in 1930, to Napsbury Hospital near St Albans in Hertfordshire, north of London. This clinic was relatively comfortable, there was a garden and a whole cattery, and Wayne spent his last years there quite peacefully. Although the disease progressed, his former soft nature returned to him and he continued to paint for pleasure. His works of this period are characterized by bright shades and colors, complex abstract patterns, although his main theme – cats – remained unchanged for a long time, until it was finally supplanted by fractal-like patterns.

Wayne’s series of four papers is often used as an example in psychiatry textbooks to illustrate changes in creative style as a result of the development of mental illness over time. But in fact, these images were created in a different order than the one in which they are usually shown. Wayne signed all his drawings of this period, sometimes leaving strange, sparsely connected arguments on the back.

In the last days of his life, Wayne finally lost his mind and was bedridden. Every time he raised a loud cry, when doctors approached him to do the procedures. The artist died on July 4, 1939 from kidney failure and atherosclerosis.

Posthumous popularity

Louis Wayne’s work gained popularity again in the 1990s. Numerous postcards with Wayne’s drawings became collectibles, the price of them jumped to 500-800 US dollars. Original drawings and watercolors sell for between $5,000 and $35,000.

Wayne Rooney: a short biography

Wayne Rooney, whose photo is presented below, is an English footballer who plays for Manchester United and the national team. His father was a simple worker, and his mother was a school cook. The future celebrity was born in Croxet, a small suburb of Liverpool. Wayne also has two younger brothers.

Childhood and first football steps

The whole family considered themselves big fans of the local Everton. In this regard, it is not surprising that Wayne’s first favorite toy was a ball donated by his dad. He spent a lot of time playing football with his friends, took part in various children’s tournaments. During one of them, the boy was noticed by Bob Pendleton, an Everton scout. At that time he was nine years old. The functionary invited the guy to try his hand at the junior Kirkdale football league (U-10). In the first year of performances here, Wayne Rooney scored at the gates of rivals 99 goals, after which he moved to the U-11 team. And here he played quite successfully (72 goals).

Everton

At the age of fourteen, the guy started playing in the Everton youth team (U-19). Here, during the FA Youth Cup, he managed to score eight times in eight matches. Then among the fans of the club there were already legends about a young talent, which even in the “adult” games can help the team win. At the same time, at that time, Rooney was still at school, so he simply could not play in the “base”. After two consecutive hat-tricks in training games in 2002, the guy was transferred to the first team and took part in the match of the first round of the national championship with Tottenham. For the first time for the club at the gates of an opponent, footballer Wayne Rooney signed on October 1, 2002. It was a cup match against Wrexham. As part of the Premier League, this happened in a game with Arsenal. After coming on as a substitute, the young man managed to beat the goalkeeper of the English team David Seaman and brought victory to his team. He also scored against Leeds in the next round. At the end of that year, the player was recognized as the best young athlete and received a prize from the Air Force. Then he signed a full-fledged agreement with Everton, designed for four years. Over the next two seasons, Rooney scored 15 goals in 67 games.

Move to Manchester and debut

Alex Ferguson’s performance for the Toffees and England during the European Championship impressed him greatly. As a result, on August 31, 2004, just a few hours before the transfer window closed, the player moved to Manchester United. The amount of the deal, including bonuses, was 27 million pounds. In the jersey of his new team, Wayne Rooney played for the first time on September 28. Then in the Champions League match against Fenerbahce, he scored a hat-trick, and his club won 6-2.

Manchester United

The player’s first season in Manchester ended without a trophy. Be that as it may, the player scored 17 goals during it, becoming the team’s top goalscorer. The next year, the guy scored twice as much and continued to establish himself as the leader of the team. It should be noted that Wayne Rooney, whose height is only 176 centimeters, often scored with his head. Among other things, the footballer did a lot of other work on the field: he worked in defense and gave assists. The player’s first trophy was the League Cup won in 2006. After the end of the summer world championship, the player had a scoring drought, because he could not score a goal for thirteen matches. Despite this, the striker quickly got into good shape and finished the season with 23 goals and 11 assists in the asset.

In November 2006, the player signed a new six-year deal with the club. Over the next three seasons, Wayne Rooney continued to grow professionally. The player received less and less optional warnings from the referees. He scored not only himself, but also created attacks. This was largely due to the fact that the player was used more by the head coach in midfield. According to the footballer himself, he considers the 2009-2010 season to be the best in his career, when he played 42 matches for the Red Devils and scored 34 goals in them. Despite numerous rumors about the departure of the player, on October 22, he extended the agreement with the team until 2015. Up to the present time, the football player remains the leader of Manchester United, another confirmation of which can be called the fact that it is he who wears the captain’s armband.

England squad

During his career, the player has played for his country’s national team in the under-15, under-17 and under-19 categories. Wayne Rooney played for the national team for the first time in 2003. Then he appeared as a substitute in a friendly against Australia. At that time, the young man became the youngest performer who ever put on an English team shirt. In September, he also scored the first goal for England, scoring against Macedonia. During the 2004 European Championship, his reputation as one of the most talented and promising young players was only established. In August 2014, English mentor Roy Hodgson appointed Wayne as team captain, and on September 8, 2015, after a goal from Switzerland, Rooney became the top scorer in history for his national team, breaking a record that had been held for 45 years.

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Interesting facts

Wayne Rooney’s wife is Colin (maiden name is McLaughlin). The couple met while still in high school, and the solemn ceremony of marriage took place on June 12, 2008. The family has two sons (born in 2009 and 2013).

The player’s younger brother, John, is also a professional footballer who played for teams such as Macclesfield Town and the New York Red Bulls.

In 2006, well-known British tabloids published information that allegedly a football player beat his future wife Colin in a nightclub. Wayne filed a lawsuit for defamation, after which he received from the publications 100 thousand pounds in the form of compensation for non-pecuniary damage. The football player spent all these funds on charity.

In addition to football, Rooney was a boxer as a child. According to him, he alternated between these two sports every other day. At the same time, when the guy was fifteen years old, one of the Everton coaches advised him to quit boxing in order to achieve success in football.

Lil Wayne – biography, photo, personal life, news, songs The biography of this man is a classic success story of a black guy from a dysfunctional family who, against all odds, “made his way” and proved to the world that he is talented and deserves more.

Childhood and youth

The real name of the artist is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. The future idol of millions was born on September 27, 1982 years old in Holly Grove, New Orleans. Duane’s mother at that time was barely 19 years old, the girl worked as a cook. Two years later, the boy’s father, Dwayne Carter Sr., left the family, leaving his former lover with a young son in her arms and practically without a livelihood.

Rapper Lil Wayne

This act forever determined Dwayne’s attitude towards him: the rapper changed his own name at the first opportunity, not wanting to be anything like this person. Removing the first letter, the young man received the name Wayne, under which he became famous.

From early childhood, Wayne attracted the attention of teachers, on the one hand, with talent and artistry, on the other hand, with disgusting behavior and constant pranks. Already in primary school, the boy began to write poetry. In addition, Wayne participated in all school performances and even studied in a theater group.

Lil Wayne in his childhood and youth

In 1991, Wayne met Brian Williams, who later became known under the pseudonym Birdman. He drew attention to a talented boy and already at 1995 helped record the first album. 11-year-old Wayne prepared this record in a duet with another teenager – 14-year-old Christopher Dorsey, known as B. G.

The first success inspired Wayne Carter so much that after a couple of years the young man left school to devote all his time and efforts to his musical career.

Music

The album “Get It How U Live”, recorded with Terius Gray and Tab Wedzhel Jr. , can be considered the beginning of Wayne Carter’s serious creative work. The team was called “Hot Boys” and instantly gained popularity among fans of rap music. At 19On the 99th “Hot Boys” pleased the audience with the second disc, called “Guerilla Warfare”.

Carter’s first independent creation is considered to be the album “The Block Is Hot”, although some of the songs from this disc were also performed together with the group “Hot Boys”. The album surpassed Wayne’s previous records in popularity, reaching platinum status in the first week of sales. It also earned Carter a Best New Artist nomination.

Lil Wayne in the Hot Boys

The year 2000 was marked for the musician by the appearance of his second solo album, called “Lights Out”. This disc was inferior in popularity to the previous one, however, it was awarded the title of “golden” according to many music channels and publications. And two years later, Lil Wayne presented to the public the third disc – “500 Degrees”, which, unfortunately, did not win the love of the audience.

However, the most important records in Lil Wayne’s creative biography were the records from the “The Carter” series. Their special atmosphere, unique style of Carter’s recitative and the constant quality of the recording gave the musician fans all over the world.

The first album from this collection, The Carter, was released in 2004. According to some media estimates, the record sold over a million copies, and these are only legal copies. Months of the first lines of various hit parades and charts raised Lil Wayne’s popularity to new heights.

Deciding to strike while the iron is hot, in early 2005, Lil Wayne released The Carter II, the title track from which was heard throughout the United States for a long time. The album itself sold three hundred thousand copies, falling short of the success of the previous one. The musician did not forget about other projects: in 2006, Carter released a joint disc with Birdman, which the rappers called “Like Father, Like Son”.

Lil Wayne on stage

But there were problems with the third album of the Carter series. Shortly before the announced release, several songs were leaked to the Web. Lil Wayne announced to fans that he was postponing the release of the record, and would release the released songs on a separate album, supplementing them with four more tracks.

As a result, “The Carter III” appeared only in 2008. It is noteworthy that the scandal with the songs posted on the Internet benefited the disc: in the first week, more than a million people bought this album. Subsequently, the album became triple platinum and even broke the record of the artist 50 Cent with his disc “The Masscare”, which previously bore the “title” of the most commercially successful rap album.

The next album in this series was released in 2011. The fact is that the recording of the tracks and the release itself were constantly postponed, either because of the health of the performer, or because of his constant problems with the law.

Lil Wayne’s further records also turned out to be “problematic”: the musician managed to spoil relations with his record company, go to jail, get released, undergo a serious operation on his teeth, act in a couple of films and release a dozen singles, later included in different albums. However, even the constant failures of the promised deadlines did not make Lil Wayne’s fans turn their backs on the idol.

Personal life

The rapper’s personal life was no less turbulent than his musical career. The first wife of the musician was a school friend named Anthony Johnson. The woman gave Lil Wayne the first daughter. The girl was named Regina. Unfortunately, this marriage broke up in 2006.

Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj

Two years later, in 2008, the man’s son Duane was born. The baby’s mother was Lil Wayne’s new lover, Sarah Vivan. However, Carter did not stay with this girl for long either. The next chosen one of the rapper was the beautiful model Lauren London, who gave the musician a son, Cameron. In the same 2009In the same year, the fourth child of Lil Wayne was born – the boy Neil, whose mother was the singer Nivea.

Lil Wayne and Christina Milian

In 2014, fans learned about Lil Wayne’s new romance. This time, the popular singer and actress Christina Milian became the passion of the charismatic musician (by the way, Carter’s height is 1.65 m). But this girl did not manage to take possession of the rapper’s heart for a long time. A year later, the couple announced their breakup.

After that, Lil Wayne was often credited with relationships with various models and singers, including Nicki Minaj, but there is no confirmed information on this yet.

Lil Wayne now

Now, unfortunately for the fans, the attention of the music community is riveted not to the work of Lil Wayne, but to the health of the musician. The press does not discuss the singer’s clips and photos at all, but the last hospitalization: in the fall of 2017, Carter was admitted to the hospital after an epileptic attack.