1932 | Born on the South Side of Chicago, the son of a tailor. |
1953 | Attends Ohio Wesleyan University on combined art and ROTC scholarship; graduates with a major in English. |
1953 | Commissioned officer in Air Force; serves as a navigator and bombardier on
B-47s in Strategic Air Command.
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1955 | Travels through Mexico working as portrait painter.
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1956 | Marries Maria; they have two children, Mario and Megan.
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1956 | Family moves to San Francisco. Works as brake man on trolley.
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1957 | Publishes The Big Heart, a book about life working on a cable car.
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1958 | While working in post office, writes and directs three short films:
"A King," "Sunlight" and "Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick."
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1959 | Commences Ph.D. studies in astronomy at University of Amsterdam in Holland.
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1961 | Short films screened in Cinemateque du Paris; moves to Paris.
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1962-67 | Works as a
journalist, writing crime stories for France Observateur.
Literary editor of Hara Kiri, a weekly illustrated satirical periodical.
Writes five novels (in French): Un Ours Pour le F.B.I. (A Bear for the
F.B.I.),
Le Chinois XIV, La Fête a Harlem (A Harlem Party), Un Americain En Enfer
(English title: The True American) and La Permission (English title:
The Story of a Three-Day Pass).
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1967 | Writes and directs his
first feature film, La Permission, adapted
from his novel. Selected as official French entry in 1967 San Francisco
Film Festival; wins festival, earning three-picture deal with Columbia
Pictures.
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1968 | Moves back to United States.
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1968 | Brer Soul album; A&M.
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1969 | Aint Supposed to Die a Natural Death album; A&M.
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1970 | Writes and directs his second feature film, Watermelon Man.
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1971 | Writes, produces, directs, stars in and scores Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss
Song; soundtrack album released on Stax
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1971 | As Serious as a Heart-Attack album; A&M.
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1971 | Aint Supposed to Die a Natural Death musical opens on Broadway;
earns seven Tony nominations.
Aint Supposed to Die a Natural Death cast album; earns two Grammy nominations (composer and producer).
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1972 | Dont Play us Cheap (adapted from his novel La Fête a Harlem) opens on Broadway; earns two Tony nominations.
Dont Play us Cheap cast album
Dont Play us Cheap feature film
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1974 | What the...You Mean I Can’t Sing?! album; Atlantic
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1976 | Writer, “Just an Old Sweet Song;” TV film.
Runs in Boston Marathon
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1981 | Writer & director of Emmy winning, “Sophisticated Gents” TV film;
adapted from John Williams’s novel, The Junior Bachelor Society.
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1982 | Waltz of the Stork opens on Broadway.
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1983 | Earns his options trading license; becomes first black trader on the
American Stock Exchange.
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1984 | Writer & director, “The Day they Came to Arrest the Book,” TV film;
earns Emmy nomination.
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1985 | Co-writer, Greased Lightning.
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1986 | Bold Money published; a best-selling guide to options trading for laymen.
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1989 | Directs fifth feature film, Identity Crisis, starring his son Mario.
Directs short film, “Vroom, Vroom, Vroom”.
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1990 | No Identity Crisis: A Father and Son’s Own History of Working Together
published.
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1992 | Dirty Pictures published by Simon & Schuster.
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1994 | The Making of ‘Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song’ published by Neo-Press
Receives honorary doctorate degree from Hofstra University. |
1994 | Host, NPR’s “Blue Stage” |
1995 | Ghetto Gothic album; Capitol
Publishes novel Panther; adapts screenplay for film, directed by Mario. |
1998-99 | Performs in NYC cabarets and nightclubs with his band Roadkill. |
2000 | Sixth feature film, Le
Conte du ventre plein (English title: Bellyful); adapted from La Bonne a
tout faire, from the story collection Le Chinois XIV.
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2002 | Awarded a chevalier in the French Legion of Honor.
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2002 | Appears in Baltimore, a multi-media art installation by Isaac Julien; Baltimore & NYC.
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2003 | Appears in Baltimore, a multi-media art installation by Isaac Julien; Baltimore & NYC.
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2004 | Concert tour in France performing original songs along with adaptations of Aristide Bruant's music.
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