text:
Talk:Roberto Calvi

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This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Fhoffman1206. Peer reviewers: Fhoffman1206.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 08:15, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Citation Errors
The citation for the introduction of the Banco Ambrosiano Scandal is linked only to the term "Opus Dei." One should find a credible, relevant source that supports the same correct information, and replace that citation instead. Fhoffman1206 (talk) 02:56, 30 August 2016 (UTC)fhoffman1206

Godfather
Should a Godfather Part III reference be included, similar to the one on Pope John Paul I's page?

I am having trouble finding out exactly when and where the quote attributed Calvini about Godfather was made, I think it was in a book, all i know is that it was in 1982 and was either said in London or the book was published in London. Any help?

I am sure it is in the rupert cornwell's book.

Calvi had to die because of the solidarity of the CIA
The real reason why Calvi was assassinated was because he knew huge CIA funds are being moved across Vatican banks to finance the Solidarity's fight to topple the communist regime in Poland. He protested that such acts are incompatible with the Vatican Treaty and could result in the destructive persecution of the entire catholic religion if exposed. 195.70.32.136 08:29, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

Now murder, 21 years later! AyeOk, spell skullduggery
Lets blame Iran...and say Saddam was in on it, then we could link it to Osama and say Hugo Chavez financed it.

Dean [Mar04, the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Six]

EXPLANATION: Mafia Expert has twice deleted references to a recent case of another corrupt, Opus Dei associated Italian banker (Gianmario Roveraro) also found dead under a bridge. Mafia Expert is certain that the two cases are "TOTALLY UNRELATED" and seems unwilling to let users see the cross-references. The discussion is set out below.

Also removed - without discussion - was a reference to the manner of Calvi's death - "without ground below [the victim's] feet, and without heaven above his head". References to an alleged masonic oath providing this punishment were reported in the press at the time of Calvi's death.

REQUESTS: (1) Third party comments on the appropriateness or otherwise of including the additional reference and external link (to the London Times).

(2) That both my sets of edits be reinstated, thus reverting the page to this format: page with WikiFlier's edits and external link

Thank you. WikiFlier 06:52, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * First of all, Mafia Expert did not twice delete the reference to Roveraro, but only once. The second time it was deleted by somebody who apparently agreed with my deletion. I would appreciate a rectification on this. Mafia Expert 12:07, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

You should read the book of Ferdinando Imposimato "a judge in Italy" who said it was the mafia, via the magliana (Carboni, a friend of Berlusconi,  had relations with magliana's godfather) and cosa nostra, who killed Calvi, took the documents he had brought with him in London in order to threaten the vatican.

Links to Roveraro
I removed references to the Roveraro killing in 2006. Apart from the fact that Roveraro was a banker and part of Opus Dei, the two murders are completely unrelated. -- Mafia Expert 08:56, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

 * RESTORED link to Roveraro. It is for readers to decide whether two cases of corrupt Opus Dei affiliated bankers found dead under bridges may possibly, conceivably be related. It is certainly legitimate to offer a factual, SOURCED reference to this recent case. Please refrain from censoring it again. Thank you. WikiFlier 18:22, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

 * I still don't agree. The two cases are TOTALLY UNRELATED and by including Roveraro you suggest there is a link. Are we now going to list every dead banker or Opus Dei member on this page? I suggest you write an article on Roveraro and make a category of Opus Dei bankers found dead under a bridge. Mafia Expert 19:33, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Perhaps Mafia Expert is not familiar with Venn diagrams. We are not talking about "all bankers", or "all Opus Dei" members. We are talking about the set of all individuals who satisfy ALL of the following conditions:
 * (i)  were known to be senior members of Opus Dei;
 * (ii) were known to be corrupt senior bankers;
 * (iii) were exposed as part of a far wider scandal implicating other powerful players in Italian politics and the Catholic Church;
 * AND
 * (ix) were found dead under a bridge in mysterious circumstances.

 * The intersection of these sets is fortunately small at present.

 * Users can make up their own minds - based on the article itself and the additional info provided in the external link to a reputable source - whether or not the Roveraro case is indeed TOTALLY UNRELATED, or whether it is disturbingly similar given the stated similarities.

 * Mafia Expert, could you please agree to let the two-sentence reference stand, at least until other editors have had an opportunity to provide their opinion? Thank you. WikiFlier 06:39, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * No I do not. Sorry. Venn diagrams or not: the two cases are not directly related. However, the solution to create a link in the "see also" section (see the suggestion below by Tazmaniacs) could resolve the problem, if you agree. This way there is a link for people who are interested in Opus Dei bankers found dead under a bridge, while no direct link is made between Calvi and the Ambrosiano failure and Roveraro. OK? (PS. Tazmaniacs is NOT yet another alias of Mafia Expert). Mafia Expert 13:20, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia is not the place for putting forward speculative theories. At present there is no serious evidence linking the death of Roveraro to the death of Roberto Calvi in any way whatsoever. If this changes, so will the article. The media has noted some similarities between the two cases, but that is all that can be said at the present time.--Ianmacm 07:25, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * 'Reply from WikiFlier: I agree that Wikipedia is not the place to "put forward speculative theories", and my text section does nothing of the sort.

 * The additional two sentences refer to a pertinent related matter readers may or may not choose to pursue further (e.g. by clicking the external link I provided). This is common practice both on Wikipedia and in professional writing - the presumption is always IN FAVOR of providing a short reference.

 * Again, the purpose is to let the reader decide, not to prejudge a bona fide issue on which you seem certain to have the only correct answer. As you note (but I wasn't aware), the media have observed disturbing similarities between the Calvi and Roveraro cases.

 * Similarities do not mean that the two cases are related. Mafia Expert 13:20, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * A short statement and external link as provided belongs in the article to provide a complete and up-to-date picture of this unresolved case. Thank you, WikiFlier 08:27, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * P.S. May I assume that you Ianmacm, are identical with Mafia Expert?

 * No, you may not. Apparently it does not seem to get to you that other people also do not agree with you. A little less paranoia might help to discuss this issue in a decent way. Mafia Expert 12:10, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Why not create an article for Gianmario Roveraro (all in all, he's dead) and put it in the "see also" section? I'm also surprised that WikiFlyer didn't relate him to the Parmalat scandal as in the Times article. Tazmaniacs 11:27, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * I have no problem with putting a link in the "see also" section. That seems appropriate. But not at the top. The other topics in the "see also" section are much more important and much more related. So I put it at the bottom. I hope everybody can live with this. Maybe WikiFlyer can now concentrate on linking Roveraro to the Parmalat case. That makes much more sense. Mafia Expert 12:14, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Note from Ianmacm: All of my contributions to Wikipedia are posted under the username ianmacm and I do not use sock puppet accounts. Nor am I certain about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Roberto Calvi or Gianmario Roveraro. There is still a long way to go on the investigation into Roveraro's death and the new link to the separate article should settle the matter for the time being.--Ianmacm 16:04, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Thank you for the clarification about your identities which I accept.

 * An apology would be more appropriate... Mafia Expert 18:25, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

 * We are still left with the issue of how to deal with uncertainty - in this case about possible connections/similarities between the Calvi and Roveraro cases. Many Wikipedia articles include references (in the body text) to related/similar cases. This can be very helpful to a reader and indeed may spur further input from other editors. Relegating such links to a mere footnote is NOT good writing style - a reader should be alerted in a sparse manner to the reference, not left to discover a link accidentally.

 * Similarly, the references to a Roveraro article are a red herring - at present, there is no such article. The question thus becomes whether we include a reference and external link to the Roveraro story in the Times. There are clearly significant similarities that amply justify a reference to a POSSIBLY relevant story. Unlike Mafia Expert, I have insufficient knowledge to be certain at this stage that the similar Roveraro case is "TOTALLY UNRELATED".

 * Roveraro's Parmalat connection would clearly be relevant in a Wikipedia article about Roveraro. However, we are here talking about adding a reference to the Roveraro case in the Calvi article. For purposes of this reference, the details of Roveraro's alleged corruption would be excessive. WikiFlier 19:21, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I am unable to add anything new to this debate. There is a BBC news article at which has been added to the newly created Wikipedia article Gianmario Roveraro. --Ianmacm 21:08, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

 * I agree with Ianmacm. There is an article on Roveraro now. I suggest WikiFlyer to expand that one. I have sufficient knowledge to know the Calvi and Roveraro cases are unrelated: just read the Italian press. There are similarities, but there is ABSOLUTELY NO RELATION WHATSOEVER. The point is to add relevant information to an article, not start some kind of rogue theory about a world conspiracy of Opus Dei bankers. If you like you can add some more information at the "see also" section to make your point (including the link to BBC News article), but I think that would be sufficient. We are clearly not going to agree on this point. I and others have proposed alternatives to try to reach some kind of agreement. It would be very much appreciated to see some flexibility from your side as well. Mafia Expert 21:58, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Edits by 192.246.0.76
192.246.0.76 writes on 12 Sept 2006: This article should be linked to both Roveraro, Sidona, and Parmalat. All three scandals have some similarities. Sidona exploited the same banking loopholes as Cavli. Roveraro was killed under similar circumstances to Calvi. The Parmalat scandal is especially saddening because it is a corporate finance version of the Calvi scandal -- assets in offshore entities vastly over-stated. Fraudulent financial reporting isn't limited to companies like WorldCom and Enron, and isn't all that new either.

Ianmacm writes: Due to the controversial nature of Roberto Calvi's death and the ongoing court case in Rome, any major changes to the page should be properly sourced with references to mainstream media articles. The implied claim that Graziella Corrocher (Calvi's secretary) died other than by suicide is controversial and should not be made by insinuation as has been done on two occasions in recent edits by 192.246.0.76. Also, 192.246.0.76 does not give the name of the name of the other Banco Ambrosiano executive who had been "killed in an apparent non-suicide" (more insinuation without providing facts.) Since 192.246.0.76 is an unregistered member it would be helpful if he/she registered and read the ground rules for good writing style on Wikipedia. As mentioned previously on the talk page, the article about Roberto Calvi in Wikipedia is a biography of Roberto Calvi only and not a forum for discussing flaws in the financial system as a whole. This is beyond the scope of the article, and links with other financial scandals should not be made unless there is a clear and direct link. In the light of this, I have reversed the edits by 192.246.0.76 but will do further research and would ask 192.246.0.76 not to put back the material that has been removed without giving mainstream media sources.--Ianmacm 20:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

192.246.0.76 writes on 13 Sept 2006: The details I added are well known to those who are familiar with the case. Would you require that every fact be sourced? If so, then there are only five or six sentences in the article that would remain. Shall we reduce the article to the sourced facts only or take a more reasonable approach to the subject? Why should we question whether Calvi's suicide was in fact a suicide but not question whether his secretary's death was wrongly determined to be a suicide? Why would we not place Calvi's scandal into the larger context of financial scandals in Italy and worldwide? Please read up on the Calvi scandal before deleting my improvements to the article again.

If a suggestion that Graziella Corrocher did not kill herself by jumping out of a window is introduced into the article, it will have to be signposted with a note that it is a theory that has been suggested rather than proven. Likewise, the suggestion that Calvi was hanged by men using a boat underneath the bridge remains an unproven theory and would also have to be signposted in this way. The phrase "two scandals too late for Messrs. Calvi and Sidona" is also too dramatic and seems to be designed to make a point rather than report the facts. There have been many financial scandals over the years, but the article about Roberto Calvi is first and foremost about Calvi and Banco Ambrosiano. The best way to deal with other financial scandals such as Michele Sidona and Parmalat would be to add a "See also" link at the bottom of the page linking to the relevant pages on Wikipedia. Michele Sidona currently lacks a Wikipedia article and this is something that could be added by someone with the time and knowledge to do this. There is plenty of scope for editing the page about Calvi but in order to remain a good encyclopedia article it should conform to Wikipedia guidelines. I have modified the text and kept all but one of the points added by 192.246.0.76. Wikipedians must be team players and listen to constructive criticism. I have done this and would ask 192.246.0.76 to do the same.--Ianmacm 16:52, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Although there is no Wikipedia article for Michele Sidona, there is one under the name Michele Sindona. This is a bit of a puzzle as his name seems to be spelled both ways. For the sake of avoiding more controversy, the reference to Sindona in the Calvi article notes that he died after drinking poisoned coffee and does not go into detail about whether foul play was involved. I have also added some links to other Wikipedia articles that look at financial scandals in a more general way.--Ianmacm 18:38, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

69.255.0.91 writes on 29 September 2006:
 * I'm all for teamwork. Generally the best solution is to add your facts and leave others to add theirs.  Wikipedia is an experimental format and most people understand that it is not supposed to be as tidy as the Children's Encyclopedias found in the living room bookcase.  Like all of the Internet, Wikipedia benefits from many viewpoints all on the same page and many sources.  The dramatic description that Italian banking reform arrived two scandals too late for Messrs. Calvi and Sidona is a worthwhile observation of fact.  Many senior executives who find themselves in huge financial scandals arrive there due to loopholes that should not exist.  In my locality we had a man steal $2 million and then shoot himself when caught.  It turns out that if he had not worked for government, the audit procedures in small businesses would have caught him so quickly he would never had tried the crime.  Sadly for him, his family, and the taxpayers, the safeguards on the public funds did not arrive until after his death.  The public still hasn't received a full accounting of the missing funds.  The police will not investigate for a motive or co-conspirators because it is considered a suicide.

Confusing wording
Vatican Bank (which is often referred to as the Istituto per le Opere Religiose or Institute of Religious Works),

The Istituto per le Opere Religiose or Institute of Religious Works is often referred to as the Vatican Bank as IOR is the legal name. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.40.192.95 (talk) 16:25, 7 May 2007 (UTC).

Surprise verdict?
Was the verdict in the Calvi trial a surprise? The Times article at says it was, but this is a media comment rather than a fact. I removed this from the article because it seemed not to be Neutral point of view. In many ways, the verdict was no great surprise because it was based largely on the word of Mafia informers long after the event, and it would have been more of a surprise if the defendants had been found guilty on this type of evidence alone. For these reasons I have reworded the article slightly.--Ianmacm 16:42, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

 * To many it was a surprise because the case seemed to be very solid from the start due to the evidence from pentiti. That is why I reverted it back again. It gives some flavour to the expectations of finding the final truth about the case that were frustrated by the verdict. I think it is important to reflect that. - Mafia Expert 22:57, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

 * I cannot agree with expressing the verdict in this way. Evidence from informers is traditionally weak, and it would have been very surprising if the judge or a court of appeal had allowed a guilty verdict to stand purely on word of mouth evidence.  Although the verdict was seen as a surprise in some quarters, the need for Neutral point of view means that comment cannot be portrayed as encyclopedic material.  Please reconsider on this.--Ianmacm 09:37, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

 * We are becoming bogged down on an unimportant issue. What matters is that the five defendants were all acquitted on the order of the judge.  It does not matter either way whether the verdict was a surprise, as this is a comment rather than a direct report of what happened.  As CP Snow said: "Comment is free, but facts are sacred."   The main purpose of the previous edit was to make a distinction between comment and fact, which was fully in accordance with Wikipedia guidelines.  It is OK to point out that some or even many people regarded the verdict as a surprise, but this should be expressed as a comment rather than stated as if it were a fact.--Ianmacm 11:16, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

The fact is that it came as a surprise to many - that is not comment and Neutral point of view has nothing to do with it. Furthermore, the surprise had nothing to do with the ruling that it was murder and not suicide. If you think it is not important, why are you making such a fuss about it? - Mafia Expert 12:49, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

 * I am not denying that some people regarded the verdict as a surprise. However, whether it was a surprise or not does not alter the fact that the judge threw out the charges.  I also accept that Calvi's death was probably murder rather than suicide.  On a personal note, my recollection of trials in Northern Ireland has made me wary of trials where evidence from informers is the only major source of evidence.  There is a risk that evidence may be given to settle old scores, and one person's word against another person's  is not strong evidence, particularly long after the event. Verdicts by Diplock courts are regarded as controversial, since normal rules of scrutiny of evidence by a jury have been bypassed.  Even if the evidence of the Mafia pentitos such as Francesco Marino Mannoia was given in good faith, it would be difficult to verify it after such a long period of time.  All that I have tried to do here is to keep the wording within Wikipedia guidelines.--Ianmacm 15:36, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

 * I think we do not disagree that much. I just want to express the fact that it came as a surprise to some. But I guess we have solved that, although I changed the wording: "some quarters" is a bit vague, I changed it into observers. In Italy testimony of a pentito has to be backed up by facts and circumstances. The testimony alone can never lead to a conviction. I think your comparison to Diplock courts does not really apply here, but you are right in saying that 25 years after the killing it would be difficult to find the evidence to back up the testimonies of the pentiti. - Mafia Expert 15:55, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

 * The main reason why the judge threw out the charges is likely to be the lack of corroborating evidence. This means that there must be some independent evidence backing up the oral testimony.  Without this, a verdict in a criminal trial would be considered unsafe and unlikely to be upheld by an appeal court.--Ianmacm 16:23, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

Links with Gladio
I removed "said to have links to Gladio, an anti-Communist NATO stay-behind organization involved in the strategia della tensione during the 1970s and 1980s. " I see no mention of those links in the reference. One can link every scandal in Italy with everything, but these kind of giant conspiracy theories generally do not help to understand what the different actors interests are. If there is no better link I suggest to put this kind of statements under Further reading or See also (it is already under that heading anyway). - Mafia Expert 18:43, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

 * The link specifically mentions the strategy of tension. It is not my aim to endorse speculative theories, only to point out some of the things that have been said in conjunction with Calvi's death.  Philip Willan's recent book contains theories that would be regarded as speculative and unverified by Wikipedia standards, but people should be able to read about them and make up their own minds.  However, I am not going to argue about this edit.--Ianmacm 19:14, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

 * Yes, the repeated insertion of conspiratorial notions about Operation Gladio and its relationship to terrorism is a sham, all across Wikipedia. Making use of the "strategy of tension" notion is a nice way to not have to live up to factual information for claims to be made. On another note, Francesco Pazienza is not mentioned yet in this article... Intangible2.0 14:59, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Link to philipwillan.com
This link has been removed because it runs into problems with WP:EL. When a person clicks on this link, what they get is no real information about the Calvi case other than a "buy it now" link for Philip Willan's new book. This is clearly not in line with Wikipedia policy. The ISBN of the book is already mentioned in the article, and a link to a newspaper review of the book for good measure. There is no need for the external links section to be used as an online bookstore.--Ianmacm 14:26, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

 * We seem to be going round in circles on this. In my opinion the link is unacceptable for the reasons given above, and also because direct links to personal websites are discouraged by WP:EL unless there is a good reason.  It would also be helpful if the IP-based user who keeps adding this link identified themselves and discussed their rationale on the talk page.  It is becoming boring to remove this link repeatedly, although it does seem to be a violation of WP:EL.--Ianmacm 15:16, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Removal of www.philipwillan.com link
I asked the person who created my personal website for me to put a link to it on the wikipedia page for Roberto Calvi, to which my site links. It has been repeatedly removed. I don't know whether the person who removed it bothered to look at the site first. It contains many articles on the Calvi story written by me and others, the introduction and first chapter of my book, photographs of Calvi as a young man and later, photographs of some of the defendants from the Rome murder trial, and evidence photos from that trial. Though designed to promote my book, the site contains a wealth of information that I believe people interested in Calvi might be interested to read. It also provides access to my previous book, Puppetmasters, that can be read online and contains more information relevant to this theme: P2, terrorism, Gelli, Magliana Gang etc. I also cannot understand why my book has been removed from the reference section and you prefer to list a book that was published more than 20 years ago and another (Yallop) that is only in small part about Calvi. It seems to me that it would be a service to readers of the page to provide bibliographical details of a new book, published in April 2007, that is entirely devoted to the subject of this page. Philip Willan (info@philipwillan.com)

 * Philip Willan is clearly a reliable source and it is not spamming to add him here. Tazmaniacs 17:24, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

 * I do not have any problem with mentioning the book as follows:
 * Willan, Philip (2007). The Last Supper: the Mafia, the Masons and the Killing of Roberto Calvi, London: Constable & Robinson, 2007 ISBN 1845292960 (Review in The Observer)''

and was not the person who removed this, so thanks for pointing this out. The sticking point has been the link to the front page of a personal website which usually violates Wikipedia guidelines as mentioned above. The buy it now link is also likely to get some editors reaching for the undo button very quickly as it looks like an attempt to sell a commercial product.

I had a look round the website www.philipwillan.com for material related to the Calvi case, and frankly did not find much text that was not already covered by the Wikipedia article. The most useful thing on the site is the photo gallery, which contains some rarely-seen pictures of Roberto Calvi. This is the sort of thing that could be used as an external link, since it adds value to the Wikipedia article, rather than the main page of www.philipwillan.com which looks like a page from an online bookstore. If we could agree on adding a link to the photogallery at http://www.philipwillan.com/Photo%20of%20Calvi/index.html rather than the front page of the site, it might offer a way out of this impasse. I would not recommend adding www.philipwillan.com again in its current form, since it is unsuitable and is will almost certainly be removed, if not by me then by someone else.--Ianmacm 17:36, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

 * I have added a link to the photo gallery since it the most relevant thing for enhancing the Wikipedia article. At present, the article contains the following:
 * a) A mention of Philip Willan's book together with its ISBN.
 * b) A link to a newspaper review of the book.
 * c) A link to a page on Philip Willan's website.

This is a good deal in my view, and cannot lead to the allegation that Mr Willan's views are being ignored.--Ianmacm 17:50, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

 * Many thanks. This solution suits me fine, though I might have preferred the Financial Times review, which is longer and more positive! Philip Willan.

 * The Financial Times review is at --Ianmacm 19:27, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

 * I also think it's fine, although I personally find the list of articles on Calvi more interesting than photos (but I'm sure an artist would make wonders with Calvi's photos !) Tazmaniacs 00:41, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Calvi.jpg
Image:Calvi.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you. BetacommandBot (talk) 18:40, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Diagram
Anyone interested in making a diagram of all this? Actors/interelationships —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.1.74.90 (talk) 02:28, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

I would love to see such diagrams. I think that a specialist should undertake the exercise. I do not think that such material would run afoul of the restriction against original research.

Estéban (talk) 09:12, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

A question of redundancy
Is there any reason why the year is included in the section titled "Films about Calvi's 1982 death"? It suggests he died in more than one year. If no one objects, I'm going to edit "1982" out for being redundant. Marshall Stax (talk) 04:52, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

What has happened to the second investigation?
Can anybody please help improve this article (and the Licio Gelli one), by indicating what, if anything, has happened to the reported second investigation since June 2007? Tlhslobus (talk) 09:46, 31 August 2014 (UTC)

 * With all due respect, but I already provided that information: In May 2009, the case against Licio Gelli was filed. According to the magistrate there was insufficient evidence to argue that the former head of the secret Masonic lodge P2 had played a role in the planning and execution of the crime. - DonCalo (talk) 13:02, 31 August 2014 (UTC)

 * Thanks, DonCalo, and my apologies for not noticing that it was already there. I've now copied the information to the Gelli article.Tlhslobus (talk) 06:42, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

 * Incidentally, do you by any chance know what precisely is meant by 'the case was filed'? I suspect I may not be the only reader who is not too clear about what this means. Would it be incorrect to say the case against him was 'dropped'? If that is incorrect, can you think of any other expression that might clarify what is meant? Please note that 'a case was filed against him' normally means 'a case was brought against him', which seems to be the opposite of what is meant here. Tlhslobus (talk) 06:42, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

 * Filed in terms of archived... But maybe dropped is better. - DonCalo (talk) 18:25, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

biography?
This article is ostensibly a biography, but the first date in the body text is the year the subject of the article died? What about his parents, schooling, and early career? Given the talk page's domination with conspiracy theories, maybe this is the best that can be expected, but one would hope for more. --Piledhigheranddeeper (talk) 13:18, 18 June 2015 (UTC)

 * Yes, unfortunately very few information. Compare the German Wikipedia which says that Calvi worked since 1947 in the Banco Ambrosiano. --TennisOpa (Discussion) 12:09, 8. Sep. 2018 (CEST)

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Reason why the bank lost so much monay
Does someone know why Calvi lost so much of the mafia monay? That is the reason why he has been killed or committed suicide for sure. I heard a reason once, that the monay was lost during a funding of a political campaign outside of europe and that the monay was not fully repaid during "religious issues". Well, i dont know if it was Calvi or annother christian banker later in time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:810A:8A80:88C:1C1C:896:CF00:3B9D (talk) 18:31, 25 November 2018 (UTC)

title: Talk:Roberto Calvi


text:
Separatory funnel

A separatory funnel, also known as a separation funnel, separating funnel, or colloquially sep funnel, is a piece of laboratory glassware used in liquid-liquid extractions to separate (partition) the components of a mixture into two immiscible solvent phases of different densities. Typically, one of the phases will be aqueous, and the other a lipophilic organic solvent such as ether, MTBE, dichloromethane, chloroform, or ethyl acetate. All of these solvents form a clear delineation between the two liquids. The more dense liquid, typically the aqueous phase unless the organic phase is halogenated, sinks to the bottom of the funnel and can be drained out through a valve away from the less dense liquid, which remains in the separatory funnel.

Description
A separating funnel takes the shape of a cone with a hemispherical end. It has a stopper at the top and stopcock (tap), at the bottom. Separating funnels used in laboratories are typically made from borosilicate glass and their taps are made from glass or PTFE. Typical sizes are between 30 mL and 3 L. In industrial chemistry they can be much larger and for much larger volumes centrifuges are used. The sloping sides are designed to facilitate the identification of the layers. The tap-controlled outlet is designed to drain the liquid out of the funnel. On top of the funnel there is a standard taper joint which fits with a ground glass or Teflon stopper.

To use a separating funnel, the two phases and the mixture to be separated in solution are added through the top with the stopcock at the bottom closed. The funnel is then closed and shaken gently by inverting the funnel multiple times; if the two solutions are mixed together too vigorously emulsions will form. The funnel is then inverted and the stopcock carefully opened to release excess vapor pressure. The separating funnel is set aside to allow for the complete separation of the phases. The top and the bottom stopcock are then opened and the lower phase is released by gravitation. The top must be opened while releasing the lower phase to allow pressure equalization between the inside of the funnel and the atmosphere. When the bottom layer has been removed, the stopcock is closed and the upper layer is poured out through the top into another container.

Theory
The separating funnel relies on the concept of "like dissolves like", which describes the ability of polar solvents to dissolve polar solutes and non-polar solvents to dissolve non-polar solutes. When the separating funnel is agitated, each solute migrates to the solvent (also referred to as "phase") in which it is more soluble.

The solvents normally do not form a unified solution together because they are immiscible. When the funnel is kept stationary after agitation, the liquids form distinct physical layers - lower density liquids will stay above higher density liquids. A mixture of solutes is thus separated into two physically separate solutions, each enriched in different solutes.

The stopcock may be opened after the two phases separate to allow the bottom layer to escape the separator funnel. The top layer may be retained in the separating funnel for further extractions with additional batches of solvent or drained out into a separate vessel for other uses. If it is desired to retain the bottom layer in the separating funnel for further extractions, both layers are taken out separately, and then the former bottom layer is returned to the separating funnel.

Each independent solution can then be extracted again with additional batches of solvent, used for other physical or chemical processes. If the goal was to separate a soluble material from mixture, the solution containing that desired product can sometimes simply be evaporated to leave behind the purified solute. For this reason, it is a practical benefit to use volatile solvents for extracting the desired material from the mixture.

Emulsions
One of the drawbacks of using a separating funnel is emulsions can form easily, and can take a long time to separate once formed. They are often formed while liquids are being mixed in the separating funnel. This can occur when small droplets are suspended in an aqueous solution. If an emulsion is formed, one technique used to separate the liquids is to slowly swirl the solution in the separating funnel. If the emulsion is not separated by this process, a small amount of saturated saline solution is added ("salting out").

Research is being done on alternative, more efficient techniques, mostly utilizing stir bars (stirrer bars) to decrease or even eliminate the chance of emulsification, thus decreasing the amount of waiting time.

Safety concerns
The largest risk when using a separating funnel is that of pressure build-up. Pressure accumulates during mixing if a gas evolving reaction or physical change occurs. This problem can be easily handled by simply opening the stopper at the top of the funnel routinely while mixing. More standard procedure is to invert the separating funnel upside down, and open the stopcock to release the pressure, a step done repeatedly known as 'venting'. This should be done with the tip of the funnel pointed away from the body.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Separatory funnel


text:
Ty Herndon

Boyd Tyrone Herndon (born May 2, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His music career began in the 1980s as a member of the Tennessee River Boys, a predecessor to the country band Diamond Rio. Herndon quit the band early on and gained his first national exposure as a competitor on Star Search. He then played at various honky-tonks in Texas. After signing to Epic Records in 1993, Herndon made his debut in 1995 with his number-one single, "What Mattered Most". This was followed that same year by the release of his first album, also titled What Mattered Most.

Herndon released three more studio albums and a compilation for Epic: Living in a Moment (1996), Big Hopes (1998), Steam (1999), and This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits (2002). He recorded a Christmas album in 2002 before a recording hiatus. He returned with his fifth studio album, Right About Now (2007) for the Titan Pyramid label; his sixth studio release, Journey On, followed in 2010. Herndon has charted a total of 17 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. This figure includes three number-ones: "What Mattered Most", "Living in a Moment" and "It Must Be Love". His singles "I Want My Goodbye Back", "Loved Too Much", "A Man Holdin' On (To a Woman Lettin' Go)", and "Hands of a Working Man" all made top ten on the same chart.

Herndon gained further media attention in 2014 after he came out as gay, becoming the first mainstream male country music singer to do so. His personal life has been the subject of mainstream media for other reasons, including his struggles with drug addiction and mental health. His musical style is defined by his singing voice and an emphasis on ballads.

Early life
Boyd Tyrone Herndon was born on May 2, 1962, in Meridian, Mississippi, to Boyd and Renee Herndon. He was raised just across the state line in Butler, Alabama. His grandmother played guitar and hosted her own radio show in Butler. He became involved in music in his youth. Herndon's first performance on a stage came during this period, when he won $75 at a talent show in Toxey, Alabama.

Shortly after graduating from Austin High School in Decatur, Alabama, Herndon moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in country music. At this point he also attended Belmont University. Herndon's first major role came in 1983 when he became lead vocalist of the Tennessee River Boys, a group that performed at the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville. This band was originally intended to perform a one-time show to promote the park, but became one of several regular performers there. Herndon left the band after only a year to become a contestant on the television talent show Star Search. Following Herndon's departure, the Tennessee River Boys underwent a number of membership changes and became Diamond Rio. When his tenure on Star Search proved commercially unsuccessful, Herndon attempted to secure a recording contract in Nashville. He told The Tennessean in 1995 that multiple labels rejected him as they considered him a "pretty boy". Despite this, he found work singing jingles for Pepsi and Dodge, as well as demo tracks for other artists. He lost a significant amount of money due to an unfavorable management deal, which led to his mother having to sell her house in order to refinance the amount of money lost. In addition, Herndon's father died of a brain hemorrhage, putting further strain on both him and his family.

Herndon then moved to Texas and found work performing in various honky-tonks across the state, in order to regain some of the money he had lost. His tenure in Texas included a stint with Louise Mandrell in 1987 at Billy Bob's Texas, a country music nightclub in Fort Worth. He competed on another television talent show titled You Write the Songs in 1987, but was unsuccessful. Herndon also appeared on The Porter Wagoner Show, a musical variety show hosted by country singer Porter Wagoner. By 1989 he had formed a backing band called Bayou. This act opened for Little Texas in 1989 prior to that band's signing with Warner Records. In 1993, Herndon won a local music award called Texas Entertainer of the Year. At the awards ceremony, Herndon was discovered by a representative of Epic Records, and he signed with the label later in the year.

1995–96: What Mattered Most
Herndon began recording music for Epic in 1994. He made his debut in early 1995 with the single "What Mattered Most", a song written by Gary Burr and Vince Melamed. The song went to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in the United States and the former RPM country music charts in Canada. Follow-up single "I Want My Goodbye Back" reached a Hot Country Songs peak of number seven in 1995. Its b-side, a duet with Stephanie Bentley titled "Heart Half Empty", peaked at number 21 in early 1996. "In Your Face" was the last single from What Mattered Most. This song was the least successful, charting for only two weeks and reaching number 63.

The album featured backing vocals from several artists on Epic or sister label Columbia Records, including Patty Loveless, Joe Diffie, Ron Wallace, and Gibson/Miller Band member Blue Miller. Doug Johnson, then the vice-president of artists and repertoire (A&R) of Epic's Nashville branch, produced the album and co-wrote "I Want My Goodbye Back". In addition to the singles, What Mattered Most included a cover of Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around with Jim". Another track, the Vince Gill and Don Schlitz composition "You Just Get One", was later recorded by Jeff Wood on his 1997 album Between the Earth and the Stars. Wood's rendition charted on Hot Country Songs that same year. "Heart Half Empty" later appeared on Bentley's 1996 album Hopechest, also issued on Epic. The music video for "What Mattered Most" was aired on CMT and the former TNN (The Nashville Network). Herndon promoted the album further by starting a tour in 1995.

Michael McCall of New Country magazine rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, as he considered Herndon's vocal delivery "confident" but was more mixed toward the lyrical content of the songs. An uncredited review published by Billboard was favorable, stating, "With a rich, expressive voice that is equally suited to pensive ballads and rollicking, uptempo tunes, Herndon is one of country's most impressive newcomers." In early 1997, What Mattered Most was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies. Executives of Sony Music Nashville, of which Epic was a division at the time, attributed the album's commercial success to a marketing strategy they employed at the time. Under this plan, albums by new artists were priced a dollar lower than the national average for sixty days after their release. These same executives also noted this strategy had been successful on albums by Wade Hayes and James House.

1996–1997: Living in a Moment
In 1996, Herndon won the Male Star of Tomorrow, a fan-voted award from the TNN Music City News awards (now known as CMT Music Awards). His second album Living in a Moment was released in August of the same year. The album's lead single "Living in a Moment" reached number one on the country charts in both the US and Canada. Three more singles charted from the album throughout 1997. The first was "She Wants to Be Wanted Again", which peaked at number 21 early in the year. This song had been recorded by Lee Greenwood, Restless Heart vocalist Larry Stewart, and Western Flyer prior to Herndon's rendition. After "She Wants to Be Wanted Again" came the number two hit "Loved Too Much" and the top-twenty "I Have to Surrender". Johnson co-wrote "Living in a Moment" and "I Have to Surrender", and once again served as producer. Stephanie Bentley, Blue Miller, and John Wesley Ryles were among the album's backing vocalists. Also contributing in this capacity were Doug Virden and Drew Womack, then recording on Epic in Sons of the Desert. Thom Owens of Allmusic wrote, "Although he is in fine voice throughout the album, Ty Herndon's Living in a Moment is bogged down by mediocre material that fails to given him a proper showcase for his talents." He considered the title track and "Don't Tell Mama" the strongest lyrically. Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly similarly thought "Don't Tell Mama" was the strongest track, but criticized the rest of the album as "formulaic". Colin Larkin of the Virgin Encyclopedia of Country Music thought this album had "a shortage of standout material". The album's closing track "I Know How the River Feels" was later a single in 1999 for Diamond Rio. Living in a Moment was also certified gold in 1997.

1998–2000: Big Hopes and Steam
Big Hopes, Herndon's third album, followed in 1998. Doug Johnson produced five of the tracks and Byron Gallimore, best known for his work with Tim McGraw, produced the other six. Herndon told the Journal & Courier that he considered Gallimore to have a more "understated" production style that put greater emphasis on his vocals than Johnson's production did. Lead single "A Man Holdin' On (To a Woman Lettin' Go)", one of the tracks produced by Gallimore, was a top-five country hit that same year. After it came Herndon's third and final number-one single "It Must Be Love", which also became his only top-40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song featured uncredited backing vocals from Sons of the Desert. Jack Sundrud, formerly of Poco, had co-written "It Must Be Love" for Great Plains, another band he was a member of at the time. When they did not record the song, it became available for Herndon. "Hands of a Working Man" was also a top-five country hit from Big Hopes. Walter Allread of Country Standard Time thought that the tracks produced by Gallimore, such as the title track, were stronger due to their "smaller" production style relative to those produced by Johnson. Thom Owens of AllMusic was mixed toward the album, as he thought that it had "filler" tracks and "glossy production", although he praised Herndon's singing on "A Man Holdin' On" and "Hands of a Working Man". Uncredited reviews of "A Man Holdin' On" and "Hands of a Working Man" in Billboard were both favorable. The former was praised for Gallimore's production and the "unique perspective...of men in difficult transitions", while the latter was described as being appealing to working class listeners due to its lyrical focus on a father's struggles.

In 1999, Epic released his next studio album Steam. Herndon selected a new producer for this album, as he thought his previous albums did not reflect the energy of his live performances. He chose Joe Scaife because of that producer's work with K.T. Oslin, a 1980s country artist Herndon referred to as "one of [his] all-time favorites". Herndon selected the songs for the album by performing them in concert so he and Scaife could gauge the audience's reaction to each. In addition, Herndon recorded demos with his road band, which he then played for the album's session musicians to give them an idea of how he wanted each song to sound. Among the involved musicians were drummer Paul Leim, steel guitar player Dan Dugmore, and guitarist Chris Leuzinger of Garth Brooks' studio band The G-Men. The album also included a horn section fronted by Jim Horn, and a string section including members of the Nashville String Machine. "Steam", the album's title track, was also its lead single. It reached top twenty by the end of 1999, but was less successful than the lead singles of Herndon's previous albums. Two other singles, "No Mercy" and "A Love Like That", peaked even lower.

Also included on the album was a cover of Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On", which Herndon had sung in concert for many years prior. While not a single, the cover charted at number 72 on Hot Country Songs in 2000 due to unsolicited radio airplay. Herndon considered the album more "sexy" than his previous efforts, citing both this cover and the title track as examples. Dan MacIntosh of Country Standard Time considered Herndon "too darn polite" for such material, also criticizing the album for "by-the-numbers" arrangements. A more favorable review came from AllMusic, whose Maria Konicki Dinoia wrote, "With a new production team in tow, Herndon has played a bigger part in selecting the album's songs...and it's clear he sings from the heart, as he always has." Deborah Evans Price of Billboard found both "Steam" and "No Mercy" "equally sensuous" in a review of the latter.

2001–2004: Departure from Epic Records
In late 2001, Epic released the song "Heather's Wall", which was intended to be the lead single from Herndon's fifth album for the label. At the time, Herndon was considering exiting the music business to star in a Broadway theatre production of Urban Cowboy, but decided against it. Paul Worley, the producer with whom he was working at the time, recommended "Heather's Wall" to him when the two were selecting songs. Herndon originally rejected the song as "too heavy", but decided to record it after the September 11 attacks inspired him to record music again. Although the song was well-received by fans, it was unsuccessful on the singles charts and his fifth Epic album was not released. Epic then released a greatest hits package titled This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits before dropping him from the label. Herndon released a Christmas album, A Not So Silent Night, in 2002 through his fan club and official website. A year later, the Christmas album was repackaged with additional content and released on the independent label Riviera/Liquid8 Records. Otherwise, he took a hiatus from recording at this point due to a number of personal issues that included weight gain, divorce, and drug and alcohol addiction.

2004–2010: Right About Now and Journey On
He returned to touring and singing in 2004 when songwriter Darrell Brown invited him to perform at the Nashville nightclub Bluebird Café. This led to him signing with Titan Pyramid Records in 2006 and releasing the album Right About Now in early 2007. Brown and Herndon co-produced the album with songwriter Dennis Matkosky and session musician Jonathan Yudkin. Backing vocalists included Marcus Hummon, Joanna Cotten, Emily West, and Thompson Square. Thom Jurek of AllMusic reviewed the album favorably, stating that "Herndon's voice is not only unchanged from his missing years, it's stronger, his phrasing is tighter and more expressive, and his manner of handling a song is entirely his own." One track from this album was a cover of Johnny Reid's "You Still Own Me", itself later a single in late 2007 for Canadian country band Emerson Drive.

Herndon's next album was Journey On, released on the independent FUNL label in 2010. The album featured mostly contemporary Christian music songs, all of which Herndon wrote or co-wrote over the span of six months. Herndon said that he did not intend for the album to be a Christian project, but found that as he was writing, many of the songs tended toward reflecting his "spiritual growth". He also said that he found the album "fun" because of how much control he had over assembling musicians and recording compared to his previous releases. The album was nominated at the 53rd Grammy Awards for Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album. "Journey On" was selected by American football player Kevin Turner as the theme song for his Kevin Turner Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to research of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease, which Turner had been recently diagnosed with at the time. After Journey On, he released a non-album single titled "Stones", which was previously recorded for his unreleased Epic album in 2001. FUNL released the song to country radio without disclosing the artist's name, and held a contest with radio programmers to see if they could determine the singer.

2013–present: Lies I Told Myself, House on Fire, Got It Covered. and Jacob
The album Lies I Told Myself followed in 2013, also on FUNL. Prior to the album's release, Herndon had performed the title track in concert, and chose to make it the lead single due to its positive reception from fans. He also noted that the track "Beautiful Love Song" had been written eight years prior and rejected by other artists, but he chose to record it because he liked the sound of the song's demo. Another track on the album, "Sugar", was co-written by country singer Sara Evans's brother, Matt Evans. Herndon compared this track to "Steam", and cited it as an example of the more "modern" sound he wanted on Lies I Told Myself. Herndon financed the album through a Kickstarter campaign, and supported it by touring with Jamie O'Neal and Andy Griggs. Matt Bjorke of Roughstock reviewed the album favorably, praising Herndon's vocals on the ballads in particular.

His next album was 2016's House on Fire, which once again featured several songs he co-wrote. It was his first release on the BFD label, and he co-produced with Drew Davis and Erik Halbig, a guitarist in Herndon's road band. Herndon described the title track as autobiographical, while in comparison, "All Night Tonight" came from Davis and Halbig wanting to write a "beach song". This was followed in 2019 by Got It Covered, which featured re-recordings of his hit singles along with cover songs. Among the songs covered were Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis", Carrie Underwood's "So Small", and Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". Herndon said that he had almost considered retiring from country music due to the lack of success of his last few albums until he heard "So Small" on the radio. When Underwood found that Herndon had covered the song, she spoke favorably about it on social media. In 2020, Herndon collaborated with Kristin Chenoweth and Paul Cardall on a single titled "Orphans of God".

Herndon's next single release was "Till You Get There" in June 2022 on Pivotal Records. This was the lead single to his next studio album Jacob, released one month later. It included more songs that Herndon had written about his personal life. Country musicians Terri Clark, Emily West, and Shelly Fairchild provided guest vocals on individual tracks, as did jazz singer Wendy Moten. Herndon told Spin that the album's title came from the account of Jacob wrestling with the angel in the Book of Genesis. This was followed in late 2022 by another single titled "God or the Gun", which was accompanied by a music video. The third single from the project was "Dents on a Chevy", a duet with Terri Clark.

Musical style
Herndon's singing voice has generally been met with critical favor. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote of Ty Herndon's musical style, "His earnest delivery was a good match for the kind of streamlined country he sangmusic that didn't shun tradition but was aligned with the anthemic, rock-influenced arena-country pioneered by Garth Brooks at the dawn of the '90s." In a review of Lies I Told Myself, Matt Bjorke of Roughstock wrote that "Ty's always been at his best on the ballads" and "sings his ass off showcasing a vocal many of the 'young guns' could learn from". Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote that "Herndon has soul and plenty of it. You can hear the gospel in his voice, his love of the old country songs, but his delivery is thoroughly contemporary." An article from Music City News magazine re-published in the Asheville Citizen-Times said of Herndon, "there is a passion in his ballads, and in the case of...'I Want My Goodbye Back', an edgy emotional twist that sends listeners careening along with him". Dan MacIntosh described Herndon as having "straight-with-no-frills singing". Walter Allread wrote of Herndon on the same site, "Country music now resembles early Sixties American pop, with producers the real artists and singers merely interchangeable faces on record sleeves. As long as Ty Herndon's nice voice and face can front a hit, he's good for another 100,000 miles of touring and audio tape."

The lyrical content of his Epic albums was met with mixed reception. Michael McCall of New Country found some of the tracks on What Mattered Most "shallow", such as "In Your Face" and "Heart Half Empty". Both Entertainment Weekly and AllMusic panned Living in a Moment for formulaic lyrics. In comparison, Herndon began writing songs in the 2010s; although he had not written previously, he thought that doing so would allow his albums to become more personal.

Personal life
In June 1995, Herndon was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, at Gateway Park by an undercover male police officer. This officer alleged that Herndon exposed himself. When taken into custody, Herndon was also discovered to be in possession of methamphetamine. Herndon filed a plea bargain and was sentenced to community service and drug rehabilitation, after which the charge of indecent exposure was dropped.

In 2002, Herndon underwent a series of personal setbacks. Early in the year, he was robbed at gunpoint in Los Angeles. He also had a lawsuit filed against him by a California dentist claiming that Herndon had not paid for emergency dental work and another lawsuit from a former manager for breach of contract. In addition, he relapsed into drug and alcohol addiction. This led to him experiencing depression and weight gain. After his friends noticed he had not left his apartment in several days, they flew him to Nashville, where he lived in his mother's basement for one month before re-entering rehabilitation. After completing this, he returned to performing in 2004. Herndon's addiction to methamphetamine resulted in a second relapse in 2020, at which point he was discovered in his apartment with both methamphetamine and Ambien in his possession. According to him, this was the result of trauma from his first experience with metamphetamines at age 20, at which point he was raped. This was an attempted suicide, and would later serve as the inspiration behind his song "God or the Gun". Herndon successfully underwent drug rehabilitation a second time in late 2020-early 2021. In addition to this, Herndon was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2021. In August 2022, Herndon began a podcast called Soundboard with Ty Herndon, in which he discusses his personal life and mental health. Guests on the podcast have included singers LeAnn Rimes and Michael Ray.

Relationships and sexual orientation
Herndon married Renee Posey on March 13, 1993. The couple lived in Dallas, Texas, at the time, but held their wedding in Nashville. During the 1990s, Posey worked as a registered nurse. Following Herndon's 1995 arrest, his sexuality became a topic of interest within the country music industry, as many presumed Herndon to be gay. At the time, Herndon's manager told The Advocate he did not know Herndon's orientation, but thought country music "was ready" for an artist to come out as gay. The editors of The Encyclopedia of Country Music wrote of the exposure incident that it "raised sexuality questions" within the genre, and that Herndon's continued commercial success throughout the rest of the 1990s indicated an unprecedented level of tolerance within the fandom. Herndon and Posey divorced in 2002.

Herndon came out as gay in a 2014 interview with People magazine, thus becoming the first mainstream male country star to do so. He stated that he had been in a gay relationship for several years at this point, and that his ex-wife and several close family members already knew. Herndon was partnered with his boyfriend Matt Collum for eleven years before the two amicably separated in 2021. In relation to his coming out, Herndon re-issued "What Mattered Most" in June 2019 with the song's pronouns changed to reflect a gay relationship. This re-recording appeared on Got It Covered, and Herndon commented that he wished he could have recorded the song in that fashion at the time of its original release. Many of the songs on House on Fire, including the title track, are about the stigmas that Herndon felt he faced as a gay man in country music, typically a more conservative genre. He also credited conversations with country singer Chely Wright, who came out as a lesbian in 2010, with giving him the confidence to come out. Another inspiration to Herndon was hearing Carrie Underwood's "So Small" on radio. Herndon's announcement preceded the coming out of several other gay musicians in the genre, such as Billy Gilman. Herndon noted that his fan base was largely supportive of him after his announcement. Herndon and Wright have performed together at benefit concerts for GLAAD on multiple occasions. In 2016, Herndon and CMT presenter Cody Alan founded the Concert for Love and Acceptance, an annual concert to support LGBT youth in Nashville. In February 2023, Herndon became engaged to Alex Schwartz, whom he had been dating for six months prior. They married on August 27, 2023.

Discography

 * Studio albums
 * What Mattered Most (1995)
 * Living in a Moment (1996)
 * Big Hopes (1998)
 * Steam (1999)
 * Right About Now (2007)
 * Journey On (2010)
 * Lies I Told Myself (2013)
 * House on Fire (2016)
 * Got It Covered (2019)
 * Jacob (2022)

 * Number-one singles (Billboard Hot Country Songs)
 * "What Mattered Most" (1995)
 * "Living in a Moment" (1996)
 * "It Must Be Love" (1998)

title: Ty Herndon


text:
Talk:2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida

Untitled
What about uncounted Bush votes and invalid Gore votes?

Why is there no consideration in this article of Bush votes (for example from military personal overseas) that were not counted in Florida? The only votes the article appears to be interested in are Gore votes - and it is certainly not interested in Gore votes that were counted, but were invalid under Flordia law (such as votes from some convicted felons, or votes from non citizens).2.26.103.247 (talk) 12:34, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Article copy edit needed
This is one of the most ridiculous articles in all of Wikipedia. There is a total failure of detail an entire section which should be written on the lower court decision, which after all, is the basis for the Supreme Court's decision. The lower court is the only court where the big issues were litigated. I read about a larger story with NYTimes & every major TV network that was published in August 2001 not even mentioned, which had 4 different total recounts with actual Florida standards (rather than the ones detailed here.   I wish I was better equipped to update the article.   Perhaps in the future, but I am also hoping somebody else can help.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:19D:301:37B0:5D7C:5E61:6CA7:8128 (talk) 23:30, 3 August 2016 (UTC)

This article as currently written is rather confusing. The text concerning the issue of "who would have won under various recount scenarios" does not seem to correspond to the chart below it -- or at least if it does match, it is unclear how it does. A significant copy edit is needed for clarity. I am not familiar enough with the material to do this, just pointing out that it needs work. Cheers, Arjuna (talk) 11:20, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

"outcome of one particular study" is the most hilariously biased thing I have ever read on Wikipedia. ~ Strathmeyer (talk) 00:50, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

Even in the first paragraph, the phrase starting with "which" seems ambiguous as to the referent of this "which" -- the write up actually looks tendentious.166.237.65.6 (talk) 12:16, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

Statewide Recount
In connection with the recent HBO movie, both David Boies and Ron Klain have claimed that a stadewide recount was indeed in progress and that the U.S. Supreme Court stopped it. It is technically true that neither CAMPAIGN requested a statewide recount; the Florida Supreme Court did! In an interview with Charlie Rose, David Boies emphasized that what the Supreme Court stopped was a statewide recount. http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/5/22/1/a-discussion-about-the-hbo-film-recount. So I don't know that it's accurate for this article to state that a statewide recount was "never undertaken." Matt2h (talk) 20:49, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I originally offered support for this change, but I'm removing my comment and replacing with this one. The reason being I realize you're talking about the results from the media financed study. The "(never undertaken)" portion of that tally is meant to refer to the study itself not the actual recount. It serves an important reminder to the reader that the vote totals are simply mathematical estimates. No one actually conducted a full state wide recount simulation for the study, they merely estimated what it would be. I think it should stay as written. CoffeeGiraffe (talk) 11:42, 22 June 2015 (UTC)

What defines a "statewide recount"?
Justice Rehnquist's concurring opinion in Bush v. Gore:

"Yet in the late afternoon of December 8th–four days before this deadline–the Supreme Court of Florida ordered recounts of tens of thousands of so-called “undervotes” spread through 64 of the State’s 67 counties."

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-949.ZC.html

How do you define a "statewide recount"? Is that recount of all ballots, i.e. 6 million in this case? Or all of the spoiled ballots, i.e. 179,855? Or just 1% of the vote or 60,000 ballots, i.e. the undervote in 64 of Florida's 67 counties?

In Florida's 2000 general election, there were more than 6 million ballots cast. The order for a recount in Gore v. Harris (12/8/2000) was to recount just 1% or 60,000 under voted ballots. How is that considered a statewide recount?

When asked by the court in Bush v. Gore, David Boies admitted that the 60,000 number was correct.

CHIEF JUSTICE REHNQUIST: So, if you disagree that 177,000 ballots will be involved in this recount, how many do you think there are?

MR. BOIES: It's approximately 60,000, I think, Your Honor. It turns out to be less than that because of the recounts that have already been completed. But I think the total sort of blank ballots for the presidency were about 60,000.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/election2000/scotus/boies_12-11.html

Rustymustang (talk) 11:38, 6 September 2008 (UTC)Rustymustang

Citing only one media study?
This article only mentions (without actual citation) one media recount, claiming that it results in a Gore victory. It leaves out another media recound, by USA TODAY/Miami Herald/Knight Ridder (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2001-04-03-floridamain.htm) which comes to the opposite conclusion for most ballot counting scenarios.

I understand the need to edit an article to support your position, but shouldn't all reputable media studies be mentioned? And shouldn't the one media study in the article be cited?

Given that the study isn't actually cited, I wonder if it exists. But removing it from the article would probably be an overreaction without more research showing it's lack of existance. --Fredrik Coulter (talk) 13:45, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

Results
The date of "November 12, 2001," seems suspect, given it was a full year after the election. Now, this may be referring to a study with which I'm not familiar, so I'm not going to change it outright. But I do believe that serious editors should review the source material and correct this date if it proves in error.

104.35.43.128 (talk) 15:33, 25 September 2014 (UTC)

Why is that suspect? The study was organized and performed on the same original ballots and machines. CoffeeGiraffe (talk) 17:41, 10 January 2015 (UTC)

From the file "NORC readme.txt":

"The raw data file contains 175,010 records. Of these, 61,190 are undervotes and 113,820 are overvotes.  In total, 138,037 ballots were from counties using Votomatic technology, 5,198 from counties using Datavote, and 31,775 from counties using Optical Scan technology.  The complete breakdown of ballots by ballot type (undervotes/overvotes, Votomatic/Datavote/Optical Scan) follows:

Total Records (Ballots): 175,010

Total Undervotes: 61,190 Total Overvotes: 113,820

Total Votomatic: 138,037 Total Datavote: 5,198 Total Optical Scan: 31,775

Votomatic Undervotes: 53,215 Votomatic Overvotes: 84,822

Datavote Undervotes: 771 Datavote Overvotes: 4,427

Optical Scan Undervotes: 7,204 Optical Scan Overvotes: 24,571"

Jeff in CA (talk) 19:41, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

"Unofficial" Tally
Can anyone provide a source for the following line: Incomplete result when the Supreme Court stayed the recount (December 9, 2000) 	Bush by 154

The cited source for the table does not include this information. CoffeeGiraffe (talk) 17:43, 10 January 2015 (UTC)

 * When the Florida Supreme Court ordered a statewide recount of remaining uncounted undervotes, it stipulated that the late results from Palm Beach and Miami-Dade that had been rejected by Harris be counted. This immediately reduced the Bush margin from 537 to 154. (537-215-168=154) Jeff in CA (talk) 10:05, 27 January 2017 (UTC)

Merge Request?
I've never done a merge before - but shouldn't this article be merged with the United States 2000 Presidential Election in Florida article? Thoughts? CoffeeGiraffe (talk) 09:04, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

Angled butterfly ballot image needs to be removed
Who was voting? Children and little people? This is a ridiculous exaggeration.

The reason for the accidental votes for Buchanan was this: the Republican nominees were first on the left-hand side of ticket and, quite intuitively, corresponded to the first hole. However, the Democratic ticket was second and yet the second hole corresponded, quite counter-intuitively, to the Reform Party. A voter would have had to punch the third hole to vote for Gore. For someone who's only interested in the two major parties (read: the vast majority of voters), it's an understandable mistake, even if it's one that could have easily been prevented had the voter taken a few extra moments to understand the ballot. No optical illusions—just an unintuitive ballot design coupled with brain farts. 72.200.151.13 (talk) 01:53, 21 June 2015 (UTC)

Hi - I completely agree with you, but I'm confused why you think the image of the angled butterfly ballot does not reflect this. Could you please clarify? CoffeeGiraffe (talk) 11:30, 22 June 2015 (UTC)

 * Because it's an unrealistic simulation. No one was viewing the ballot at that angle. The severe angle shown in the image implies that voters were viewing an optical illusion in which the arrow for the Democratic ticket pointed to the second hole (and the first arrow inexplicably pointed to no hole at all). That wasn't the issue at all. The problem was the fact that both major parties were on the left side of the page, and a voter only giving the ballot a casual look in order to locate their preferred major party candidate would have had to go no further than that side. If they weren't paying attention, they might assume that the second hole corresponded to the second ticket (Democratic) listed on that side. 72.200.151.13 (talk) 03:55, 30 June 2015 (UTC)

Yes, I see what you mean now, thanks for clarifying. So, the caption of the image isn't part of the article but attached to the image, and I think it's a little much. A caption should just be a caption, not include analysis of the image itself. Nothing in the actual article indicates the optical illusion so the image itself is the problem. Secondly - although I'd personally disagree with any optical illusion argument, if this was a claim made by the Democrats, then the article should include that the claim was made, along with any Republican counter arguments, and any studies or analysis done on the ballot. It's not our job to remove arguments we disagree with from the article, but merely to report the arguments made to the reader, along with studies and let the reader make it's own conclusions. CoffeeGiraffe (talk) 13:18, 30 June 2015 (UTC)

Yes, it is understood that "the Democratic ticket was second" in placement on that "butterfly ballot", but you could have inserted "on the left" in the message above, which I am not editing. Carlm0404 (talk) 04:31, 18 April 2019 (UTC)

Sneaky table removed
I removed a table from the article. The table put far too much formatting and color emphasis on one set of recount data, implicitly suggesting that this particular recount was far more valid than the election result or other recounts. 98.118.62.140 (talk) 04:32, 5 November 2015 (UTC)

Formatting and color emphasis? That's ridiculous! The table contains information. It's not implicitly suggesting anything. Jeff in CA (talk) 07:00, 20 October 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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Problems sections removed
Where did the part about the unusual poor quality paper used for Florida ballots go? https://www.wired.com/2007/08/sequoia-voting/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mydogtrouble (talk • contribs) 14:42, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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What time did the Florida polls close?
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY DOING SO here and in other articles: Please specify that the Florida polls close at __ pm local time. Yes, I am aware that some network people goofed and said the polls were closed in Florida when, because of the time difference, they were still open in western Florida (Central Time). I guess many people didn't realize the use of Central Time in part of that state despite also having an Atlantic Ocean coastline.

This article has been cited!
A September revision of this article was cited by Judith Brett, an emeritus professor of politics at La Trobe University, in From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting. An accompanying comment runs "I would not normally cite a Wikipedia article, but this is exceptionally detailed, well-referenced and based on primary archival research." A huge congratulations to everyone who has worked on this article. – Teratix ₵ 14:41, 21 April 2019 (UTC)

 * I am pleased and extremely humbled. Jeff in CA (talk) 23:40, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

Merger proposal
Proposing to merge Palm Beach County Canvassing Board v. Harris (Harris I) into this article.

It's a stub that's been unsourced for more than 13 years. I redirected it to this article because it's already covered here (though in a likewise unsourced section). That redirect was undone on the basis of the unsourced article having more unsourced content than this article's unsourced section. There doesn't seem a reason for a separate article on this at this point. Per WP:NOPAGE it makes sense to cover here first and if it grows in size (including refs) then it can always be spun back out. — Rhododendrites  talk \\ 18:37, 26 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Agree. This article provides context, lacking in the free-standing article. I'd also like clarification whether this case was appealed under the same or different name, or was simply mooted by other cases. Numbersinstitute (talk) 18:26, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

 * agreed do it! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Blindlynx (talk • contribs) 18:09, 4 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I copied the content of Palm Beach County Canvassing Board v. Harris (Harris I) into this article, per this discussion. Still needed on the Talk pages of both articles are the proper WP procedural imprints in order to preserve the page history and edit notes. If someone can do this, that would be great. Otherwise, I will come back and do it later. Jeff in CA (talk) 19:49, 4 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I inserted the "Copied" templates on both pages. See below. Jeff in CA (talk) 06:28, 5 October 2020 (UTC)

Orphaned references in 2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida
I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of 2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.

Reference named "Sweeney": From John McCain: Sweeney, James. "New rules on Indian gaming face longer odds", The San Diego Union-Tribune (September 11, 2006). Retrieved July 1, 2008. From Political positions of John McCain:

I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT ⚡ 02:17, 14 July 2022 (UTC)

There was a table here showing how various problems would have swayed the vote
That table disappeared. 2600:1012:B1CD:4C7B:7197:F145:7B06:CDDD (talk) 21:49, 17 November 2022 (UTC)


text:
User:Grue/food

Keep, all food is notable for a truly great encyclopædia.

Grue is the name of a high protein oatmeal-based concoction used in Arkansan prisons for punishment rations- edible and nourishing, but revolting.

Grue was also at the center of a 1970s Supreme Court case -- prisoners claimed the food was unconstitutionally bad, and the court agreed that the grue-serving prison was violating the 8th amendment, inflicting cruel and unusual punishment. It is mentioned in an NPR article on a currently suspect prison dish "the loaf."

title: User:Grue/food


text:
James P. Mitchell

James Paul Mitchell (November 12, 1900 – October 19, 1964) was an American politician and businessman from New Jersey. Nicknamed "the social conscience of the Republican Party," he served as United States Secretary of Labor from 1953 to 1961 during the Eisenhower Administration. Mitchell was a potential running mate for the 1960 Republican presidential candidate, Vice President Richard M. Nixon. However, Nixon chose Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. After an unsuccessful run for Governor of New Jersey in 1961, he retired from politics.

Early life and education
Mitchell was born on November 12, 1900, and was raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey. His father, Peter John, died in 1912. His mother was Anna C. Driscoll. Mitchell attended Battin High School and graduated from St. Patrick High School in 1917.

Career
He began his political career in 1932 as the Union County supervisor for the New Jersey Relief Administration. Six years later, he was appointed to the New York City division of the Works Progress Administration.

When Brehon B. Somerwell went to Washington, D.C. to lead the Army Construction Program, he made Mitchell head of the labor relations division. In 1942, Mitchell became director of industrial personnel for the War Department, in charge of one million men. After World War II he returned to the private sector; in 1947 he was director for labor relations and operations at Bloomingdale Brothers. In 1948 he was hired by the Army for personnel work in Germany, and was later responsible for a similar task in Korea. He also sat on the personnel advisory board of the first Hoover Commission.

Eisenhower administration
In 1953 Mitchell was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Army in charge of manpower and reserve forces affairs. Several months later, he was nominated by President Eisenhower to replace Secretary Martin P. Durkin, who had resigned in protest in September 1953.

On October 9, 1953, Mitchell became the eighth Secretary of Labor and served in that capacity for the remainder of the Eisenhower Administration. He fought against employment discrimination, and was concerned about the plight of migrant workers. He opposed right-to-work laws, believing they did more harm than good. During a top secret selection process in March 1958, President Eisenhower appointed Secretary Mitchell administrator-designate of the "Emergency Manpower Agency," making him one of the Eisenhower Ten.

Secretary of Labor
Mitchell encouraged management cooperation, supported labor's right to organize, and sought to improve conditions for marginal workers. He established the administrative machinery of the Landrum-Griffin Act and improved DOL organization and morale while reducing overlapping functions. J. Ernest Wilkins Sr. was appointed Assistant Secretary of Labor for International Affairs in 1954, the first African-American to be appointed to the level of Assistant Secretary in American government. Representing Mitchell and the DOL, Wilkins attended Cabinet meetings—also a first for an African-American. In 1957, however, Mitchell determined to oust Wilkins. When in 1958 Wilkins resigned under pressure, Mitchell replaced him with George C. Lodge.

The Welfare and Pensions Plans Disclosures Act was established on August 28, 1958, followed by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act on September 14, 1959. Mitchell supported minimum wages for the soft-coal industry and other industries according to the Walsh-Healy Act.

One of Mitchell's aides described his statements against state and national right-to-work laws in 1958 as causing "hell to break loose" in the right-wing of the Republican Party.

In April 1959, at a labor rally, Mitchell said that if, by that October, unemployment was not below 3 million, he would "Eat the hat you said I was talking through". On November 11, it was revealed unemployment in October was 3,272,000. In a ceremony, he ate a hat shaped cake. He blamed his error on a steel strike. He is a member of the Labor Hall of Fame.

1961 New Jersey gubernatorial election
After a bitter primary, Mitchell was elected Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey with 43.7% of the vote, defeating State Senators Walter H. Jones and Wayne Dumont, Jr. He lost the general election to Democratic candidate Richard J. Hughes, receiving 1,049,274 votes versus 1,084,194 votes for Hughes.

Later career
Mitchell retired from politics and turned to the private sector. In 1961, he joined the Crown Zellerbach Corporation (at that time an American pulp and paper conglomerate based in San Francisco) as a director and adviser. A year later, he also briefly served as vice president for industrial and public relations, then as senior vice president for corporate relations until his death in 1964.

Unlike many of his fellow Republicans, Mitchell refused to support Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign in 1964.

Personal life
His uncle was the character actor Thomas Mitchell. Mitchell married Isabelle Nulton on January 22, 1923. On October 19, 1964, Mitchell died of a myocardial infarction in his suite at the Hotel Astor in Manhattan, New York. He is interred in St. Gertrude's Cemetery in Colonia, New Jersey.

title: James P. Mitchell


text:
Sammy Kershaw

Samuel Paul Cashat (born February 24, 1958), known professionally as Sammy Kershaw, is an American country music artist. He has released 16 studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than 25 singles have entered the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including his only number one hit "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" and 10 more Top 10 hits: "Cadillac Style", "Anywhere but Here", "Haunted Heart", "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", "National Working Woman's Holiday", "Third Rate Romance", "Meant to Be", "Vidalia", and "Love of My Life".

Kershaw tried to enter politics, running as a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Louisiana in 2007 and 2010. In 2007 he finished third in the jungle primary, but Democrat Mitch Landrieu won strongly in the general election. In 2010 he carried more parishes than any other candidate, but placed third. He endorsed Republican Jay Dardenne, Secretary of State, for the position, who won the general election.

Early life and career
Samuel Paul Cashat was born in the Acadiana town of Kaplan, located in South Louisiana. He is the third cousin of singers Rusty and Doug Kershaw. When he was 11, his grandfather gave him his first guitar. But his father died that year, so Sammy started to work a variety of day jobs while playing roadhouses at night to support his family. He began performing in Acadiana with Louisiana legend J.B. Pere. At the age of 12, Kershaw was playing in a variety of honky-tonks and beer joints, and when he was 14 he met George Jones, his lifelong idol. Subsequently, he opened shows for Ray Price, Merle Haggard, and George Jones while still barely into his teens. When the pressures of growing up fast took their toll in the form of a serious drug and alcohol problem, he quit his bad habits in 1988. He took a break from the music world to work as a remodeling supervisor at Wal-Mart.

Musical career
One of Kershaw's demonstration tapes made its way to Mercury Records, which released his debut album Don't Go Near the Water in 1991. This album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and it produced four hit singles. The lead-off, "Cadillac Style", went to No. 3 in late 1991 and early 1992, followed by the title track at No. 12, "Yard Sale" at No. 17, and "Anywhere but Here" at No. 10. Kershaw was initially reluctant to release "Cadillac Style" because he felt that it was not suitable for his style; however, his co-producer, Buddy Cannon, convinced him to give the song a chance. Kershaw's often honky-tonk material and singing voice led to critical comparisons to George Jones, and he covered one of Jones's early singles, "What Am I Worth", on his debut as well.

In 1993, Kershaw received an initial nomination for the Academy of Country Music Award for New Male Vocalist of the Year. He was nominated alongside Billy Ray Cyrus, Tracy Lawrence, Chris LeDoux and Collin Raye; Cyrus, Lawrence and Raye would make the final three.

Kershaw's second album, Haunted Heart, followed in 1993. Its lead-off single, "She Don't Know She's Beautiful", became his only Number One hit, in April of that year. Following it were the title track, the Dennis Linde–penned "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", and "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", all of which hit the Top 10 as well. Although Kershaw had been told by others that radio audiences might not identify with the subject matter on "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", Kershaw wanted to release the song because he had an experience similar to its story line. Like his debut, Haunted Heart was a platinum album. In mid-1994, Kershaw also covered the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "I Know a Little" on the tribute album Skynyrd Frynds, which included country music covers of Skynyrd songs. Also in 1994, Kershaw contributed the song "Fire and Rain" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country, produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Feelin' Good Train was Kershaw's third album, released later in 1994. This album also produced four hits, including two consecutive No. 2's in "National Working Woman's Holiday" and "Third Rate Romance" (the latter a cover of the Amazing Rhythm Aces hit from 1975), with the No. 27 "Southbound" and No. 18 "If You're Gonna Walk, I'm Gonna Crawl" following in 1995. The album included a duet with George Jones on "Never Bit a Bullet Like This", which had previously been released on Jones's 1993 album High-Tech Redneck. Feelin' Good Train was certified gold. It was followed by a Christmas album, Christmas Time's A-Comin', and Kershaw's first greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits, Volume 1, both in 1995. The latter produced a No. 47 single in "Your Tattoo" (written by Kostas and Jack Tempchin), the first single of Kershaw's career not to reach the Top 40.

Mid-late 1990s
Kershaw's fourth studio album, the gold-certified Politics, Religion and Her, was issued in 1996. It produced Top 10 hits in "Meant to Be" and "Vidalia", the latter of which Kershaw also considered a risky song, saying, "If radio will play this one more than twice—so people can get the story and learn what a Vidalia onion is—it'll be a smash." These songs were followed by "Fit to Be Tied Down" and the title track, both of which hit the Top 30. Also included on Politics, Religion and Her were covers of Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee" and Sammy Johns' "Chevy Van". The same year, Kershaw briefly took ownership of a NASCAR Busch series team (now Xfinity Series).

Labor of Love was issued later in 1997 as his fifth album. Unlike his previous albums, this one was predominantly composed of ballads. It produced a No. 2 (and final US Top 10 hit) in "Love of My Life", and although none of the other three singles ("Matches", "Honky Tonk America" and "One Day Left to Live") reached higher than No. 22, the album was nonetheless certified platinum. His next album, Maybe Not Tonight, brought a Top 20 duet with Lorrie Morgan.

Kershaw stated that he enjoyed working with Morgan on the song, telling Country Weekly magazine, "I knew our vocals would match up… Plus, we have fun together. We're friends and we have been friends for a long time." "Maybe Not Tonight" was commercially less successful than its predecessors, however, and it became the first album of Kershaw's career not to achieve an RIAA certification. Following "Maybe Not Tonight" were the singles "When You Love Someone" and "Me and Maxine", both of which peaked in the thirties. "Louisiana Hot Sauce", the final release from Maybe Not Tonight, was also the first single of his career not to enter the charts.

In 2000, Kershaw released an album of cover songs, Covers the Hits. This album comprised 10 cover songs that Kershaw had recorded in his career. Some of the songs on it, such as the single "Third Rate Romance", were previously found on Kershaw's studio albums, while others came from various tribute albums (such as Skynyrd Frynds) to which he had contributed. Covers the Hits also included a rendition of Dr. Hook's "Little Bit More", a previously unreleased cover which Kershaw had recorded during the sessions for Labor of Love.

2000s
By 2001, Kershaw and Morgan had married. The two recorded a vocal duet album in 2001 entitled I Finally Found Someone (the title track being a cover of the Barbra Streisand/Bryan Adams duet). This album was less successful commercially, with its only Top 40 hit being the No. 39 "He Drinks Tequila". Shortly afterward, a second 'greatest hits' package was released, and Kershaw left Mercury's roster.

In 2003, Kershaw signed to Audium Entertainment to release the album I Want My Money Back. This album produced a No. 33-peaking in its title track, but the second single "I've Never Been Anywhere" fell short of the Top 40. The third and final single, "Beer, Bait & Ammo" (which failed to chart), was previously recorded and written by Kevin Fowler on his 2000 debut album of the same name, and would later be recorded by Mark Chesnutt on his 2004 album Savin' the Honky Tonk.

After Audium closed its Nashville division, Kershaw signed to Category 5 Records, then a newly established independent label, in 2006. His first release for the label and first chart single in three years, "Tennessee Girl", fell three spaces short of the Top 40 that year. It was the first release from his 2006 album Honky Tonk Boots. The album's only other single, a cover of Mel McDaniel's Number One hit "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On", failed to chart, and financial difficulties caused the label to close in 2007.

In 2008, Sammy Kershaw was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in honor of his career achievements and was also inducted into the Louisiana Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame in 2010.

Kershaw's first single in two years, "Real People", was released in late 2008 in the Boomerville/Big Hit label. However, the single failed to chart. His tenth studio album, Better Than I Used to Be, was released on August 31, 2010.

Political activity
Kershaw had become increasingly interested in politics. On June 13, 2007, he announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Louisiana in the October 20 jungle primary. The position was held by the incumbent Democrat, Mitch Landrieu. Kershaw also faced a second Republican candidate, State Representative Gary Beard of Baton Rouge, an engineer first elected to the State House in a 2001 special election. Kershaw finished second with 30 percent of the vote, but Landrieu won re-election with a majority on the first ballot.

Watching his state embroiled in the Gulf Oil Spill in April 2010, Kershaw, a Lafayette resident, became the official spokesperson for Protect Our Coastline, a non-profit dedicated to providing relief to the fishermen and shrimpers affected most by the spill.

On August 28, 2010, Kershaw announced his second bid for lieutenant governor in the October 2 special election to replace Mitch Landrieu, who left office in May after being elected mayor of New Orleans. Kershaw's intraparty rivals included state Republican chair Roger F. Villere Jr. of Metairie, St. Tammany Parish president Kevin Davis of Slidell, and Secretary of State Jay Dardenne of Baton Rouge. Kershaw polled 19 percent and carried 31 of the 64 parishes (more than any other candidate). But he finished third in overall votes behind Dardenne and Democrat Caroline Fayard. Kershaw endorsed fellow Republican Dardenne in the runoff election, joining him at campaign events, and giving Dardenne a "bear hug" at his victory celebration.

In the 2011 race for lieutenant governor, Kershaw endorsed Dardenne's opponent, fellow Republican Billy Nungesser. Dardenne ultimately defeated Nungesser 53%-47%.

2010s
Kershaw continues touring throughout the year with his band, as well as performances with his often sold-out acoustic "Roots and Boots" tour, which has featured himself onstage with other artists including Aaron Tippin, Joe Diffie, Pam Tillis, Darryl Worley and Collin Raye.

Discography

 * Studio albums
 * Don't Go Near the Water (1991)
 * Business Is Pleasure (1992)
 * Haunted Heart (1993)
 * Feelin' Good Train (1994)
 * Christmas Time's A-Comin' (1994)
 * Politics, Religion and Her (1996)
 * Labor of Love (1997)
 * Maybe Not Tonight (1999)
 * I Finally Found Someone (2001)
 * I Want My Money Back (2003)
 * Honky Tonk Boots (2006)
 * Better Than I Used to Be (2010)
 * A Sammy Klaus Christmas (2012)
 * All in the Same Boat (2013)
 * Do You Know Me: A Tribute to George Jones (2014)
 * I Won't Back Down (2015)
 * The Blues Got Me (2016)
 * Swamp Poppin' (2017)
 * Cross Road Blues (2024)

TNN/Music City News Country Awards

 * 1993
 * rowspan=2| Sammy Kershaw
 * rowspan=2| Star of Tomorrow
 * Nominated
 * 1994
 * Nominated
 * }
 * Nominated
 * }

Country Music Association Awards

 * 1993
 * Sammy Kershaw
 * Horizon Award
 * Nominated
 * }
 * }

title: Sammy Kershaw