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Ghulam Azam

Ghulam Azam (গোলাম আযম; غلام اعظم; 7 November 1922 – 23 October 2014) was a Bangladeshi Islamist politician. He was the former leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh.

Azam was arrested by the government of Bangladesh on 11 January 2012 after he was found guilty in war crimes charges during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

A member of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, during the war he unsuccessfully opposed the breakup of Pakistan. He subsequently led the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh until 2000.

On 15 July 2013, a Bangladeshi special tribunal, the International Crimes Tribunal found him guilty of war crimes such as conspiring, planning, incitement to and complicity in committing genocide and was sentenced to 90 years in jail. The tribunal stated that Azam deserved capital punishment for his activity during Liberation war of Bangladesh, but was given a lenient punishment of imprisonment because of his age and poor health condition. The trial was criticized by several international observers, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Human Rights Watch, which was initially supportive of a trial subsequently criticized "strong judicial bias towards the prosecution and grave violations of due process rights", calling the trial process deeply flawed and unable to meet international fair trial standards. Notably, it was at the center of the 2012 ICT Skype controversy.

As a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, he led the formation of the Shanti Committees that were formed at the time of the Liberation War alongside other pro-Pakistan Bengali leaders. Azam was accused of forming paramilitary groups for the Pakistani Army, including Razakars, and Al-Badr. These militias opposed the Mukti Bahini members who fought for the independence of Bangladesh, and also stand accused of war crimes. Azam's citizenship was cancelled by the Bangladeshi Government because of playing an opposition role during the Bangladesh liberation war.

He lived informally in Bangladesh from 1978 to 1994 without any authorised Bangladeshi visa. His citizenship was then reinstated by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.

Azam was arrested on 11 January 2012 by the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh on the charges of committing war crimes during the Bangladesh liberation war. The tribunal rejected the plea of bail after noting that there were formal charges against Azam of which it had taken cognisance.

He was 91 when he died of a stroke on 23 October 2014 at BSMMU.

Thousands of people attended his funeral prayers that were televised and held at the National Mosque of Bangladesh Baitul Mukarram.

Early life and education
Sheikh Ghulam Azam was born on 7 November 1922 in his maternal home, the Shah Saheb Bari of Lakshmibazar, Dacca,Bengal Presidency. He was the eldest son of Sheikh Ghulam Kabir and Sayeda Ashrafunnisa. His ancestral home is Maulvi Bari (House of Muslim Scholars) in Birgaon Village, Brahmanbaria, his paternal family is the noble Sheikh family of Birgaon, he descends from Sheikh Zaqi in his 6th generation who had migrated from Arabia, as a Muslim preacher. His lineage is Sheikh Ghulam Azam, son of Mawlana Sheikh Ghulam Kabir, son of Mawlana Sheikh Abdus Subhan, son of Sheikh Shahabuddin, son of Sheikh Bakhtiar, son of Sheikh Zaqi. His maternal family is a Syed Peer family, they are still highly respected by the locals for religious guidance. His father was a mawlana who hailed from the village of Birgaon in Nabinagar, Brahmanbaria, Tipperah District. Azam's education began at the local madrasa in Birgaon and then completed his secondary school education in Dhaka. After that, he enrolled at Dacca University where he completed BA and MA degrees in political science.

University
While studying at the University of Dhaka, Azam became active in student's politics and was elected as the General Secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) for the two consecutive years between 1947 and 1949. As a General Secretary of the DUCSU, Azam in 1947 submitted a memorandum on the union's behalf to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan, demanding that Bengali be made a state language along with Urdu. At that time, Bangladesh was part of Pakistan and known as "East Pakistan".

Jamaat-e-Islami
In 1950, Azam left Dhaka to teach political science at the Government Carmichael College in Rangpur. During this time, he was influenced by the writings of Abul Ala Maududi and he joined Maududi's party Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan in 1954, and was later elected as the Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami's East Pakistan branch.

In 1964, the government of Ayub Khan banned Jamaat-e-Islami and its leaders, including Azam, and imprisoned them for eight months without trials. He played a prominent role as the general secretary of the Pakistan Democratic Movement formed in 1967 and later, he was elected as the member of Democratic Action Committee in 1969 to transform the anti-Ayub movement into a popular uprising. In 1969, he became the Ameer of the Jamaat in East Pakistan. He and other opposition leaders including future President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took part in the Round Table Conference held in Rawalpindi in 1969 to solve the prevailing political impasse in Pakistan. On 13 March 1969, Khan announced his acceptance of their two fundamental demands of parliamentary government and direct elections.

In the runup to the 1970 Pakistani general election, Azam together with leaders of a number of other parties in East Pakistan (including the Pakistan Democratic Party, National Awami Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and the Pakistan National League) protested at the Awami League approach to electioneering for, accusing them of breaking up public meetings, physical attacks on political opponents and the looting and destruction of party offices. During 1970, while Azam was the head of Jamaat-e-Islami East Pakistan, a number of political rallies, including rallies of Jamaat-e-Islami, were attacked by armed mobs alleged to be incited by the Awami League.

Activities during 1971 War
During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Azam took a political stance in support of unified Pakistan, and repeatedly denounced Awami League and Mukti Bahini secessionists, whose declared aim after 26 March 1971 became the establishment of an independent state of Bangladesh in place of East Pakistan. Excerpts from Azam's speeches after 25 March 1971 used to be published in the spokespaper of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami named The Daily Sangram. On 20 June 1971, Azam reaffirmed his support for the Pakistani army by citing that 'the army has eradicated nearly all criminals of East Pakistan'.

East Pakistan Central Peace Committee
During the war of 1971, it was alleged that Azam played a central role in the formation of East Pakistan Central Peace Committee on 11 April 1971, which declared the independence movement a conspiracy planned by India. It was also alleged that Azam was one of the founding members of this organization. The Peace Committee members were drawn from Azam's Jamaat-e-Islami, the Muslim League and Biharis. The Peace Committee served as a front for the army, informing on the civil administration as well as the general public. They were also in charge of confiscating and redistribution of shops and lands from Hindu and pro-independence Bengali activists, mainly relatives and friends of Mukti Bahini fighters. The Shanti Committee has also been alleged to have recruited Razakars. The first recruits included 96 Jamaat party members, who started training in an Ansar camp at Shahjahan Ali Road, Khulna. During Azam's leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami, Ashraf Hossain, a leader of Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha, created the Al-Badr militia in Jamalpur district on 22 April 1971. On 12 April 1971, Azam and Matiur Rahman Nizami led demonstrations denouncing the independence movement as an Indian conspiracy.

Azam denies the association between the Peace Committee and the Razakar militia as they were formed by the government and headed by Pakistani army general Tikka Khan.

During the war, Azam travelled to West Pakistan at the time to consult the Pakistani leaders. He declared that his party (Jamaat) is trying its best to curb the activities of pro-independence "Miscreants". He took part in meetings with General Yahya Khan, the military dictator of Pakistan, and other military leaders, to organize the campaign against Bangladeshi independence.

Anti- Indian Statements
On 12 August 1971, Azam declared in a statement published in the Daily Sangram that "the supporters of the so-called Bangladesh Movement are the enemies of Islam, Pakistan, and Muslims". He also called for an all out war against India. He called for the annexation of Assam.

Azam was also alleged as the prime standard-bearer who presented the blueprint of the killing of the intellectuals during a meeting with Rao Farman Ali in early September 1971. According to this blue print, Pakistani Army and the local collaborators executed the killing of the Bengali intellectuals on 14 December 1971.

On 20 June 1971, Azam declared in Lahore that the Hindu minority in East Pakistan, under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, are conspiring to secede from Pakistan. On 12 August 1971, Azam declared in a statement published in the Daily Sangram that "the supporters of the Bangladesh Movement are the enemies of Islam, Pakistan, and Muslims". On his part, Azam denied all such accusations and challenged the validity of some, giving reasons to justify others. However, he later admitted that he was on the list of collaborators of the Pakistani army, but denied he was a war criminal. In 2011, Azam denied such sentiments and claimed that the Pakistani government censored Sangram.

1971 election
The military junta of General Yahya Khan decided to call an election in an effort to legitimize themselves. On 12 October 1971, Yahya Khan declared that an election will be held from 25 November to 9 December. Azam decided to take part in this election. According to a government declaration of 2 November, 53 candidates would be elected without competition. Jamaat would receive 14 of the uncontested seats.

In 2011 Azam claimed that the reason for his opposition to the creation of Bangladesh were only political, and he denied participation in any crime. He also feared economic dominance by India.

Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh
The government of newly independent Bangladesh, banned Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and cancelled Azam's citizenship, along with that of Nurul Amin, the former prime minister due to their opposition to Bangladesh's independence. Following the independence of Bangladesh, he migrated to Pakistan. Azam lived in exile in London until he was allowed to return home in 1978.

Jamaate-e-Islami became active again when Ziaur Rahman became president after a coup in 1975 and lifted the previous ban on religious parties. In 1977, Zia removed secularism in the constitution, replacing it with Islamic ideals, further clearing the way for Jamaat-e-Islami to return to political participation. In 1978, Azam returned to Bangladesh on a Pakistani passport with a temporary visa, and stayed as a Pakistani national until 1994 even after his visa expired; he refused to leave the country and continued to live in Bangladesh. His stay was however unwelcome in Bangladesh, and he was beaten by an angry mob at the footsteps of the Baitul Mukarram mosque while attending a funeral in 1981.

In the 1980s, Azam was particularly critical of the military rule of General Ershad after he seized power in a bloodless coup in 1982 and Jamaat-e-Islami took part in demonstrations and strikes as well as other opposition parties such as the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He proposed a caretaker government system to facilitate free and fair elections, which was adopted in 1990. In the 1991 Bangladeshi general election, Jamaat-e-Islami won 18 seats and its support allowed the BNP to form a government.

During this time, he acted unofficially as the Ameer (leader) of Jamaat-e-Islami until 1991, when he was officially elected to the post. This led the government arresting him and an unofficial court called "The People's Court" was established by the civilians such as Jahanara Imam to try alleged war criminals and anti-independence activists. Imam held a symbolic trial of Azam where thousands of people gathered and gave the verdict that Azam's offences committed during the Liberation War deserve capital punishment. In 1994, he fought a lengthy legal battle which resulted in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh ruling in his favor and restoring his nationality.

In the 1996 election, Jamaat won only three seats, and most of their candidates lost their deposits. Azam announced his retirement from active politics in late 2000. He was succeeded by another war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Arrest and incarceration
On 11 January 2012, Azam was arrested on charges of committing crimes against humanity and peace, genocide and war crimes in 1971 by the International Crimes Tribunal. His petition for bail was rejected by the ICT, and he was sent to Dhaka Central Jail. However, three hours later he was taken to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital for a medical check-up because of his aging. According to The Daily Star, Azam was allowed to remain in a hospital prison cell despite being declared fit for trial by a medical team on 15 January. The same paper later acknowledged that he had been placed there because to his "ailing condition".

Azam's health was deteriorating rapidly since being imprisoned. His wife, Syeda Afifa Azam reported in several newspapers as being shocked about Azam's treatment and stated that he was very weak and had lost 3 kilograms in a month due to malnutrition. She described his treatment as "a gross violation of human rights" even though he was kept in a hospital prison cell.

Azam's wife complained that he had been denied proper family visits and access to books, saying that this amounted to "mental torture". The Daily Star reported that Azam's wife and his counsels were allowed to meet him on 18 February. On 25 February 2012, The Daily Star further reported that Azam's nephew was denied a visit shortly before he was about to enter hospital prison. This was despite the application for the visit being first approved.

During the trial, former advisor to the Caretaker government of Bangladesh, human rights activist and witness for the prosecution Sultanaa Kamal said- "In brutality, Ghulam Azam is synonymous with German ruler Hitler who had influential role in implementation and execution of genocide and ethnic cleansing". In response to this statement, the defence counsel pointed out that the comparison was a fallacy and "fake with malicious intention" as Hitler held state power, which Azam did not and that in 1971 General Tikka Khan and Yahya Khan held state power. Prosecutor of ICT Zead-Al-Malum said- "He was the one making all the decisions, why would he need to be on any committee? Being Hitler was enough for Hitler in World War II".

Islamic activists from different countries expressed their concerns for Mr. Azam. The International Union of Muslim Scholars, chaired by Yusuf al-Qaradawi called the arrest "disgraceful", and called on the Bangladesh government to release him immediately, stating that "the charge of Professor Ghulam Azam and his fellow scholars and Islamic activists of committing war crimes more than forty years ago is irrational and cannot be accepted".

The judicial process under which Azam was on trial was criticized by international organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Verdict
Azam was convicted of war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War by the controversial International Crimes Tribunal-1 of Bangladesh. The charges against Azam were torturing and the killings of a police officer Shiru Mia and three other civilians. He was found guilty on all five charges and was sentenced to 90 years in prison.

The presiding judge Justice A. T. M. Fazle Kabir pronounced that: “This case is different from others. The accused was never present in any account of atrocities and the main allegation against the accused is superior responsibility and that he was the chief of the East Pakistan unit of Jamaat - e - Islami during the 1971 Liberation War and the para-militia forces like Al-Badr and Al-Shams were formed with a large number of Jamaat members.” The judge also added: “The documents which the prosecution has submitted as evidence were not adequate. Books containing concrete information are more acceptable as reference.”

The judges unanimously agreed that Azam deserved capital punishment but was given a lenient punishment because of his aging and poor health condition.

Responses
Azam had always maintained that he never participated in any crimes but tried "to help people as much as he could." In a press release, Jamaat's Acting Secretary General Rafiqul Islam rejected the International Crimes Tribunal's verdict against Azam by stating his conviction "nothing but a reflection of what AL-led 14-party alliance leaders had said against him Ghulam Azam in different meetings". The Daily Amardesh reported that the evidence presented before the court against Ghulam Azam consisted of newspaper clippings published during 1971."

Death
Ghulam Azam died after suffering a stroke on 23 October 2014 at 10:10 PM at BSMMU while serving jail sentences for crimes against humanity during Bangladesh Liberation War. His death was reported by Abdul Majid Bhuiyan, director of BSMMU. Ghulam Azam was put on life support system at 8 PM. He was also suffering from kidney ailments. Azam was buried at his family graveyard at Moghbazar, Dhaka on 25 October. His namaz-e-janaza (Islamic funeral prayer) was held at Bangladesh's national mosque Baitul Mokarram, which is still considered one of the largest gatherings at any funeral prayers. Different quarters of the country protested against taking Azam's body to the national mosque because of his war crimes conviction and his opposition role to the independence of the country.

Family
His son, Abdullahil Amaan Azmi was brigadier in the Bangladesh Army who was dismissed without explanation. He had been missing since 2016. In 2022, it was revealed by an investigative report by Netra News that he was detained at secret prison called Aynaghar, run by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence.

title: Ghulam Azam


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Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company

Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (sometimes abbreviated SFNTC) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Oxford, North Carolina, best known for its production of the premier Natural American Spirit cigarette brand.

Founded in 1982, SFNTC became a subsidiary of R.J. Reynolds when it acquired the company in 2002. Since 2004, Santa Fe Natural is part of the Reynolds American companies holding.

History
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company was founded in 1982 by Bill Drake, who had published The Cultivator's Handbook of Marijuana, Robert Marion, an acupuncture student at the Kototama Institute in Santa Fe, and Chris Webster, a Santa Fe entrepreneur and Realtor. Drake had written his second book, The Cultivator's Handbook of Natural Tobacco, and began cultivating a strain of Nicotiana rustica a friend had found on the San Juan Pueblo. The men began mixing surplus bulk leaf tobacco from North Carolina and wild-grown rustica in the basement of Marion's rented house. Startup investments came from Edward Wikes, a plumbing contractor, Robert Wolf, an oil rig roughneck, and Philip Naumburg, an heir to the Elkan Naumburg fortune. Drake purchased a Thomas Nast caricature of a Native American chief smoking a volcano for $250 and began using it as the company logo.

After discovering Drake and Marion had been wasting funds on their “alternative lifestyle”, the board of directors and company investors took control of the company. Wolf became the company's president and began marketing the product to retail outlets on Indian reservations. The company moved into the basement of the Gross, Kelly and Company historic adobe warehouse building in the Santa Fe Railyard.

In 1986, the company's board of directors hired Robin Sommers, a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who had been a subscription data specialist for Newsweek and Esquire in Greenwich Village before briefly running the Ice Palace nightclub on Fire Island. Sommers, who had paid for one of Drake's experimental tobacco crops in 1981, implemented a direct-to-consumer advertising strategy, beginning by targeting New Age readers with coupon advertisements in the East West Journal, Rolling Stone, and the Utne Reader. Sommers commissioned a New York City graphic artist to design a new Art Deco logo. In 1987, the company made $88,000 in sales.

After 1994 congressional hearings, Big Tobacco publicly released a 599-item list of additives in cigarettes. Whole Foods Market and natural food stores began carrying American Spirit. Sommers, who had become Chief Executive Officer, insisted in contracts with wholesalers on premium pricing for his cigarettes, explaining "I didn't want them going to 7-Elevens." Sommers moved the company from the railyard warehouse to Santa Fe's White Swan building located on Cerrillos Road. Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company agreed to add “Natural” to its product name after being sued by American Tobacco for trademark infringement. Natural American Spirit became popular with celebrities, with Sean Penn, Joni Mitchell, and Gwyneth Paltrow praising the cigarette in magazine interviews and Mac Miller having the company logo tattooed on his chest.

In 1998, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company signed the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, where it was made to pay out less than Big Tobacco because the company was younger. In 1999, the company opened a new $4.5 million plant outside Oxford, North Carolina, using only certified organic farmers.

In 2002, R.J. Reynolds bought Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company for $340 million. Sommers, who by then owned 42% of the company, signed a non-compete agreement and left the company. Profits rose 50% annually for the next decade. Sales of Natural American Spirit increased 86% from 2009 to 2014.

In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration sent the company a letter warning that “natural” and “additive-free” were false marketing of a “modified risk product”.

In September 2015, Japan Tobacco International paid $5 billion for the right to manufacture and sell Natural American Spirit in Asia and Europe. Japan Tobacco has so far continued to source its leaf from Santa Fe Natural's Oxford manufacturing plant, even sending its research scientists on a North Carolina State University agricultural extension tour.

In September 2016, plaintiffs from twelve states sued Santa Fe Natural and Reynolds in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, seeking class action certification for consumer fraud from false labeling claims. In November 2016, a second lawsuit was filed for false advertising practices. Reynolds is represented in the litigation by Jones Day.

In September 2015, a complaint was filed against Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleging that the company's "organic and additive-free marketing claims for the Natural American Spirit brand" constituted fraud, false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, and unfair competition. Two similar complaints were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on December 22, 2015. A third federal class-action lawsuit was filed against the company in January 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suits may be consolidated.

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

title: Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company


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The Magnificent Moodies

The Magnificent Moodies is the 1965 debut album by British rock band the Moody Blues, released on Decca Records.

Background
The Magnificent Moodies is the only album by the original line-up of Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Clint Warwick (bass/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (flute/harmonica/percussion/vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums). Lead vocals were shared by Laine, Pinder and Thomas. The album is a mix of rhythm and blues covers, including "Go Now" which had been a Number 1 hit single for the band earlier that year, and original songs by Laine and Pinder which show more of a Merseybeat influence. Also included is a cover of the George and Ira Gershwin standard "It Ain't Necessarily So".

The album was produced by Denny Cordell, with the exception of "Go Now" which was produced by Alex Wharton. In-between "Go Now" and The Magnificent Moodies the band had released two more singles, "I Don't Want to Go On Without You" and "From the Bottom of My Heart", neither of which were included on the album. For the American and Canadian release on London Records, with the title Go Now: The Moody Blues #1, four songs were replaced with those two preceding singles and two B-sides, with a different running order of the tracks. One of the tracks that was replaced, "Stop", was released as a single in America and Canada later that year. The American and Canadian album also titled three of the songs incorrectly ("I'll Go Crazy" became "I Go Crazy", "I've Got a Dream" became "I Had a Dream" and "Bye Bye Bird" became "Bye Bye Burd").

Release history
The sleeve notes on the back cover of the original UK release include an (undated) review by Virginia Ironside, music critic of Daily Mail, which concludes, "With the Moody Blues, all you need to write is "MAGNIFICENT" in pink lipstick and leave it at that". A specially-written prose poem by Donovan recommending the band was also included. The Donovan poem was also included on the back cover of the US release.

The band held a launch party for the album, with guests including George Harrison and Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Marianne Faithfull.

The album did not make the Record Retailer/Music Week chart even though it reached number 5 in August 1965 in the New Musical Express album chart. The US album did not make the Billboard chart. It did however reach number 8 in Finland during the spring of 1966.

After the album's release, the band issued two further non-album singles, "Everyday" in October 1965 and "Boulevard de la Madeleine" in June 1966 (in the US, the B-side of the latter, "This is My House (But Nobody Calls)", was the A-side). Warwick left the group in July 1966, and was replaced by Rod Clark on bass for a few months before he and Laine both departed in October 1966. One track recorded with Clark, "Life's Not Life", was released as a single in January 1967, by which time Edge, Pinder and Thomas had recruited new members Justin Hayward (guitar/vocals) and John Lodge (bass/vocals). The new line-up would release two more singles during 1967 - "Fly Me High" in May and "Love and Beauty" in September - before releasing the Moody Blues' second album Days of Future Passed in November that year.

At the height of The Moody Blues' U.S. success in 1970, Deram Records reissued the US version of the album with a new cover and title, In the Beginning (DES-18051). As with the original album, the reissue did not chart.

In 1976, a double compilation album entitled A Dream, which included the entire Magnificent Moodies album as well as single A- and B- sides from the pre-Days of Future Passed 1964 to 1967 period, was issued in much of western Europe, but only available on import in the UK.

In 1985 Intermediate Records reissued the album on vinyl and cassette as Go Now, with a mixture of songs from the original UK and US albums plus some of the non-album singles and B-sides from the 1964 to 1965 period. Decca Records UK first issued The Magnificent Moodies on CD in 1988 with 13 bonus tracks, with mastering by Anthony Hawkins. Repertoire Records issued an abridged version of the CD in 1992 with only 7 bonus tracks. In 2006 the CD was reissued again, this time with 14 bonus tracks including the rare "People Gotta Go" not found on the 1988 Decca version. The CD also included, for the first time, a speed-corrected and undistorted version of "Go Now". The 2006 Repertoire CD was remastered by Eroc, who was the leader of the 1970s German rock band Grobschnitt.

British version (The Magnificent Moodies)
All lead vocals by Denny Laine except where noted

50th Anniversary Editions
On 15 December 2014, Esoteric Recordings issued a single CD version (ECLEC 2474) as well as a double CD deluxe version (ECLEC 22473) of the album in honor of the Moody Blues' 50th anniversary and the album's upcoming 50th anniversary. The single CD version and the first CD from the double CD version are identical and both versions utilize the original UK album artwork.

The single CD version and the first CD on the double CD version comprises the complete discography of the original 1964–1966 line-up of the Moody Blues. Tracks 1–12 are the original British Magnificent Moodies album, while the remaining tracks are single A- and B-sides and EP tracks. It also includes a previously unreleased early take of "Go Now".

Tracks 1–7 on the second CD are a previously unreleased demo session on 24 July 1964, tracks 8-19 are from the BBC's Saturday Club radio sessions in 1965, track 20 is a Coca-Cola commercial the band recorded in 1965 and the remaining tracks are previously unreleased 1966 recordings for a proposed second album.

All tracks are in mono except for tracks 21–29 on CD 2, which are in stereo.

The Moody Blues
Source:
 * Denny Laine – guitars, harmonica, vocals
 * Mike Pinder – piano, organ, backing vocals
 * Ray Thomas – flutes, harmonica, percussion, vocals
 * Clint Warwick – bass guitar, backing vocals
 * Graeme Edge – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional personnel

 * Elaine Caswell – percussion

Technical personnel

 * Denny Cordell – producer
 * A. Wharton – producer ("Go Now")
 * Nicholas Wright – photographer (UK issue)
 * Shirley Scott-James – designer (UK issue)
 * Donovan, Virginia Ironside – sleeve notes (UK issue)

title: The Magnificent Moodies


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Mbuyapey

 This page is an archive of the proposed deletion of the article below. Further comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or on a Votes for Undeletion nomination). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was KEEP. -Splash 01:02, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Mbuyapey

 * Finishing this old nomination. No vote. --Dmcdevit·t 22:26, July 26, 2005 (UTC)

 * DELETE - It's a useless page, telling nothing new - you can only link to it from a page that says that it is a district in Paraguari, which is a department of Paraguay - 209.30.148.224 01:45, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep and expand. Districts in Paraguay are as notable as districts in any other country. -- Visviva 22:53, 26 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep and expand. Administrative districts are encyclopedic. Ben-w 23:59, 26 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep and expand. Administrative districts are notable whereever they are. Capitalistroadster 01:54, 27 July 2005 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in an undeletion request). No further edits should be made to this page.


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User:Ziron~enwiki

Hello.

title: User:Ziron~enwiki


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Etobicoke Collegiate Institute

Etobicoke Collegiate Institute (ECI, Etobicoke CI), previously known as Etobicoke High School is a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Islington neighbourhood of the former suburb of Etobicoke. It is overseen by the Toronto District School Board. The school was founded in 1928 and was part of the former Etobicoke Board of Education until 1998.

History
Etobicoke High School was founded in the fall of 1928. It is one of Toronto's oldest schools and the first and traditionally central school for Etobicoke, having celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2003. The school was renamed to Etobicoke Collegiate Institute in 1949.

The 1928 entrance is an example of Art Deco architecture. The high school has about 1,450 students and over 100 teachers. Etobicoke Collegiate Institute is also the second-surviving high school in Etobicoke after the now-defunct Mimico High School (whose building now houses John English Junior Middle School).

E.C.I's traditional rivals are Richview Collegiate Institute, about 2 km north. The two schools compete in football and other sports and share a somewhat similar socioeconomic demographic. The school building has been a shooting location for a few films and commercials, including Mean Girls in 2003 and the made-for-television movie, Young Again, starring Keanu Reeves, in 1986.

The Etobicoke Collegiate Institute extracurricular activity list stretches from music to most sports to Eco Club, Social Justice Club and Intereact.

Etobicoke Collegiate's Student Administrative Council is made up of 10 elected student leaders.

Athletics

 * Fall Sports: Basketball, Football, Cross Country, Tennis, Golf, Volleyball
 * Winter Sports: Ice Hockey, Swimming, Badminton, Basketball, Volleyball, Curling
 * Spring Sports: Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Track and Field, Ultimate Frisbee, Lacrosse

Notable alumni
Conservative]] government in Ontario and Speaker of the Ontario Legislature
 * Harold Shipp Canadian businessman, philanthropist and the chairman of Shipp Corporation Limited.
 * Ken Dryden, former Montreal Canadiens goaltender and former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs; former Member of Parliament
 * Jeff Healey, rock musician
 * Jeff Johnson, Toronto Argonauts running back
 * David Clarkson (ice hockey) National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus Blue Jackets
 * Marnie McBean, gold medallist rower, Canadian Senator since 2023
 * Peter Milczyn, city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, representing one of the two Etobicoke—Lakeshore wards
 * Lisa Ray, actress, model
 * Donald Smythe, four time national badminton champion, Thomas Cup player, All-England Championships 1953 finalist
 * Chris Stockwell, former cabinet minister in Mike Harris's [[Ontario Progressive Conservative Party|Progressive

title: Etobicoke Collegiate Institute


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Riposte

In fencing, a riposte (French for "retort") is an offensive action with the intent of hitting one's opponent made by the fencer who has just parried an attack. In military usage, a riposte is the strategic device of hitting a vulnerable point of the enemy, thereby forcing them to abandon their own attack.

In everyday language, a riposte is synonymous with a retort and describes a quick and witty reply to an argument or an insult.

Etymology
In sabre and foil, the priority switches when the parry is successfully executed; the defending fencer now has right of way and may immediately attack with a riposte. The riposte may be direct, or may include compound footwork. If the riposte is delayed, the original attacker's remise gains priority. Riposte is analogous to kaeshi techniques in kendo.

When one sets up a second intention attack, the reactions of one's opponent must be predicted. A fencer may execute an attack expecting to be parried, preparing to counter-parry and counter-riposte.

Military usage
André Beaufre defines riposte in military usage as the act of striking a vulnerable point of an enemy, forcing them to abandon their own attack. The chosen target must be vital to the enemy or at least highly important, so that it becomes imperative to the enemy to defend it. The overall objective is to regain the initiative in battle.

title: Riposte


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Francis X. DiLorenzo

Francis Xavier DiLorenzo (April 15, 1942 – August 17, 2017) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia from 2004 until his death in 2017.

Previously DiLorenzo was the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu in Hawaii and as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1988 to 1994.

Early life
DiLorenzo was born on April 15, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the oldest of three children of Samuel and Anita Porrino DiLorenzo. He attended St. Callistus School and St. Thomas More High School, both in Philadelphia. He then entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Priesthood
DiLorenzo was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal John Krol in Philadelphia on May 18, 1968, at age 26. DiLorenzo studied in Rome, earning a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Alphonsian Academy and a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. DiLorenzo returned to the United States to work at Saint Pius X High School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania as a chaplain and teacher of theology. He later served as chaplain and associate professor of moral theology at Immaculata College in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania.

In 1983, Pope John Paul II named DiLorenzo as a chaplain of his holiness. That same year, he was appointed vice rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, eventually becoming rector. DiLorenzo also served on the Archdiocesan Committee and was a prosynodal judge of the Metropolitan Tribunal. He was named by the Vatican as a member of the Papal Household and received the title prelate of honor of his holiness.

Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton
On January 26, 1988, Pope John Paul II appointed DiLorenzo as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Scranton and titular bishop of Tigias; he was consecrated on March 8, 1988, by Bishop James Timlin.

In 1994, Bishop Joseph Ferrario of the Diocese of Honolulu requested that the Holy See accept his resignation due to poor health. Pope John Paul II appointed DiLorenzo as apostolic administrator of the diocese, while still serving in Scranton, on October 12, 1993.

Bishop of Honolulu
Pope John Paul II appointed DiLorenzo as bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu on November 29, 1994. His installation included hula dancing. In attendance were Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, Cardinal Pio Taofinu'u  and Archbishop John R. Quinn. In 1997 DiLorenzo defended the use of hula in a variety of religious services in the diocese despite the Holy See's prohibition on liturgical dance, calling the hula a native "sacred gesture".

At the 2002 convention of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), DiLorenzo spoke in favor of tighter restrictions on priests accused of sexual abuse of minors. The new policy, adopted by the USCCB, prohibited accused priests from interacting with parishioners, but allow them to remain in the priesthood.

On January 29, 2003, DiLorenzo removed Reverend Roberto Batoon as pastoral administrator of Molokai Catholic Community, a cluster of parishes on the Island of Molokai in Hawaii. Batoon had been accused of sexual abuse by several individuals when he was a priest in the Philippines. DiLorenzo is often credited with creating the first zero tolerance policy on allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of priests—a policy that came about well before the Catholic sex abuse scandals that plagued the rest of the nation in the early 2000s.

Bishop of Richmond
On March 31, 2004, John Paul II appointed DiLorenzo as bishop of the Diocese of Richmond. He was installed there on May 24, 2004.

Personnel changes
Upon his installation, DiLorenzo reactivated the diocese's liturgical commission and named Father Russell Smith parochial vicar at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in New Kent County as diocesan theologian, a post that had been vacant since 1998. As theologian, Father Smith would examine for conformance to Catholic teaching all draft documents and issue approvals authorizing the publication of all printed materials generated by the diocese. Smith also would: (1) approve in advance any person who wishes to speak anywhere on Catholic church property in the diocese; (2) investigate complaints from parishioners who complain about liturgical abuses in a particular church and respond; and (3) recommend sanctions against persons responsible for such abuse to DiLorenzo. DiLorenzo noted that these kinds of checks and controls were needed because, he alleged, some people in the diocese were used to living outside the traditional boundaries of Catholicism.

Bishop DiLorenzo forcibly retired Father Thomas J. Quinlan, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Virginia Beach for a history of using offensive language during mass. It culminated with what DiLorenzo termed a sacrilegious reference to Mary, mother of Jesus, at a Christmas Eve Mass. Although a significant number of parishioners appealed against the decision, many applauded it, wondering why DiLorenzo had not acted sooner.

Diocesan administration
DiLorenzo moved his residence from Cathedral Place in Richmond to Midlothian, Virginia. Some Catholics raised questions about the move and see it as a way to distance himself from his flock. But DiLorenzo responded that he is only 25 minutes away from the diocesan offices and that the move saved the diocese money: "Do I need to live in a three-story building by myself? I don't think so." The three-story house was turned into offices for those working in a building that the diocese was renting for $35,000 a year. "We saved ourselves thirty-some thousand a year," said DiLorenzo, "and I moved to Midlothian, a very quiet place."

DiLorenzo ended the diocesan sexual minorities commission, which his predecessor had established in 1977. He explained his decision: "What was being done was not a ministry. It was trying to make a statement... for people who see themselves discriminated against. The statement that needed to be made has been made. We are not going to make a big deal about what your fantasy sexual life is". He added that there are moral expectations for everyone: "I think most people would agree that the ministry is to call all persons to Jesus Christ in discipleship. The gender issue was not raised by Jesus.... Jesus called everyone to holiness. Are there certain groups in our population that need help in that journey?"

DiLorenzo increased the number of clustered parishes. He also brought in consultants to review some diocesan departments and commissions that need to be abolished.

San Lorenzo Spiritual Center controversy
In 2004, DiLorenzo was drawn into a controversy at the San Lorenzo Spiritual Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The center is a spiritual and cultural organization for 23,000 Filipinos living in Hampton Roads, Virginia area. In April 2004, a group of current and former members of the center had sent a petition to DiLorenzo, alleging various acts committed by Reverend Pantaleon Manalo, the center administrator. They accused Manalo of committing financial improprieties, accumulating unexplained personal wealth, missing annual financial reports, abusing his power and making inappropriate sexual statements.

In response, the vicar forane for the diocese, Monsignor Thomas J. Caroluzza, asked for Manalo's resignation in December 2004. On December 10, 2004, DiLorenzo terminated Manalo's position, but then temporarily stayed that decision. After further investigation, DiLorenzo announced that Manalo had done no wrong, since the diocese had investigated the center and not Manalo. However, DiLorenzo ordered him to resign from his leadership post. DiLorenzo appointed Father Salvador Anonuevo, pastor of Saint Luke Parish in Virginia Beach, as the new center administrator. Manalo was allowed to continue there as a spiritual director

Manalo then sued the petitioner group, seeking $1.35 million for defamation. On August 1, 2005, Judge Padrick of the Circuit Court of Virginia dismissed the defamation lawsuit, terming it an "intrusion into church affairs and violated the religious protections of the U.S. Constitution and the Virginia Constitution".

In January 2007, DiLorenzo removed Reverend Rodney L. Rodis from public ministry. The pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Buckner, Virginia, and St. Jude Parish in Mineral, Virginia, Rodis had been arrested for the theft of over $600,000 from the two parishes. During the course of its investigation, the diocese discovered that Rodis had a wife and three children living in a nearby county.

Retirement
In early 2017, DiLorenzo sent a letter of resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Richmond to Pope Francis in early 2017. Francis DiLorenzo died from heart and kidney failure on August 17, 2017, at St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, at age 75.

title: Francis X. DiLorenzo


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Fanfiction.net timeline

 This page is an archive of the discussion about the proposed deletion of the article below. This page is no longer live. Further comments should be made on the article's talk page rather than here so that this page is preserved as an historic record. The result of the debate was merge and redirect. Mackensen (talk) 16:56, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Fanfiction.net timeline
The content of this article is duplicated in the Fan fiction article, and should only be in one place. (Perhaps where it really belongs is in the article on Fanfiction.net?) *Dan* 01:47, Jun 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * We need to preserve the edit history if it's merged, the rest of the page should NOT be deleted, but redirected. Mgm|(talk) 16:00, Jun 1, 2005 (UTC)

 * Merge (without redirect) to Fanfiction.net, but only the things that are useful/remotely interesting to anyone except devotees of the site's mailing list. "On June 23, Cassandra Claire's supporters react with a certain degree of rage on various mailing lists and message boards. Other fan fiction communities go 'Huh? What's going on?' " This sort of stuff is useless. --bainer (talk) 02:03, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)

 * This reads as violently POV. If it is going to be kept in any way, I request a thorough going-over with the NPOV brush.  That said, FF.N is a recognised phenomenon, and perhaps its history is worthy of record.  --Simon Cursitor 07:41, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Merge to Fanfiction.net, this is mistitled but a number of the legal issues here are interesting. Radiant_* 09:28, Jun 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete or Selectively Merge into the Fanfiction.net article. Most of it is pretty non-notable (users getting banned, categories getting deleted, etc.) Andrew Lenahan - St ar bli nd  12:52, Jun 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Purge and merge, fancraftcruft. the wub (talk) 14:56, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Merge selectively as per Starblind. Some of this would improve the parent article; much, however, is clear vanity. --InShaneee 15:30, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Merge to fanfiction.net and let the editors who know about it sort out the neutrality issue. I was around there at the time of the Cassandra Claire incident and it should be included in the timeline in some form as it was the first major plagiarism case there. Mgm|(talk) 15:57, Jun 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Maybe a job for EasyTimeline? Mgm|(talk) 16:00, Jun 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Merge into Fanfiction.net. Almafeta 18:49, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Merge with Fanfiction.net. There is some valid information here that would benefit the original article after some improvement. MegaSlicer 23:40, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Merge, which pretty much has been done, which means Delete. Ambush Commander 21:24, Jun 6, 2005 (UTC)
 * This page is now preserved as an archive of the debate and, like some other VfD subpages, is no longer 'live'. Subsequent comments on the issue, the deletion, or the decision-making process should be placed on the relevant 'live' pages. Please do not edit this page.


text:
Douglas Q. Adams

Douglas Quentin Adams is an American linguist, professor of English at the University of Idaho and an Indo-European comparativist. He studied at the University of Chicago, earning PhD in 1972. Adams is an expert on Tocharian and a contributor on this subject to the Encyclopædia Britannica.

He has also co-authored two works on Indo-European culture and languages with J. P. Mallory of the Royal Irish Academy. He is a Linguistics Editor at the Journal of Indo-European Studies, founded by Roger Pearson.

At the University of Idaho, Adams teaches courses on linguistics, and grammar and semantics for the English as a Second Language program.

title: Douglas Q. Adams


text:
User talk:QBorg

Welcome to Wikipedia
Welcome!

Hello,, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Where to ask a question, ask me on my talk page, or place  on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! Even though I know your a long-time anon contributor :þ Hedley 01:49, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * The five pillars of Wikipedia
 * How to edit a page
 * Help pages
 * Tutorial
 * How to write a great article
 * Manual of Style

Thank you
Hi QBorg!

This is quite frankly overdue, but I want to thank you for your support vote on my RFA. Thanks to everyone who supported me, I am now an admin and I have been using my new powers to help out Wikipedia. Thanks! Linuxbeak | Talk | Desk 23:39, Jun 15, 2005 (UTC)

Immortal Technique
How do my links fail verifiability? --Apeloverage 14:38, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

I'd like to quote that from WP:VERIFY first: "The burden of evidence lies with the editor who adds or restores material."

http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/bookstore/music/hiphop/immortaltechnique.html -> this is an excerpt from a book, with a link to amazon. You have to prove the author is notable and knowledgeable in the field of "Immortal Technique".

http://yellowcontent.blogspot.com/2005/01/immortal-technique.html -> Blog, unacceptable as per WP:EL. Anyone can start a blog and pretend he is an expert, again you have to prove the author is notable and knowledgeable. Or "official", like if he is directly related to the article. (for example: the blog of the VP of Communication from a football team is an acceptable source.)

The rest of your links follow the same pattern than those two links. You do not prove why it should be considered a source. QBorg 15:03, 25 November 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:QBorg


text:
User:Trishkincade

Trish Kincade
I'm a fairly new member here, but I've used Wikipedia as my primary encyclopedia for some time now. I was born in Ireland, grew up in London, and moved to the United States three years ago.

Interests
I enjoy skiing, bike riding, mountain climbing, and reading. Can't say I'm big on television, but I like movies.

I'm also a proud citizen of the United Citizens Alliance.

title: User:Trishkincade


text:
Touro University (New York)

Touro University is a private Jewish university based in New York City, New York. It was founded by Bernard Lander in 1971, and named for Isaac and Judah Touro. It is a part of the Touro University System. Its mission includes a strong focus on "transmit[ting] and perpetuat[ing] the Jewish heritage".

The college has about 5500 undergraduates, with a teaching staff of 1242, of which over a third are full-time. It has about 4000 graduate students. About 70% of undergraduates and nearly 80% of graduate students are female. Among undergraduates, some 4% are Asian, 15% are black, 8% are Hispanic and 64% are white. The four-year graduation rate is 46%.

History
Touro College was founded by Orthodox rabbi and academic sociologist Bernard Lander, who named it for Isaac Touro, a colonial American Orthodox rabbi, and his son Judah Touro, a businessman and philanthropist.

Lander's aim was to provide education for Jewish people, combining professional courses with Torah studies. The college received its charter as a private, four-year liberal arts college from the Board of Regents of the State of New York in 1970, and opened its doors in 1971. In its first year it had thirty-five students, all men. A section for women was opened in 1974. The college was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 1976; accreditation was reaffirmed in 2015.

In the 1970s, the school enrolled into its adult-education program large numbers of old people, among them many of whom could neither read nor write English. Federal and state authorities subsequently investigated the school, since they believed that this was being done mainly to obtain grants for tuition.

The college expanded to include schools of law, education, social work, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry.

In 2007, at least two school employees were found in an internal college audit to have accepted bribes to change grades and provide fake degrees. They were handed over for prosecution by the college, and were subsequently convicted and imprisoned.

Lander remained president until his death in 2010, and was succeeded by Alan Kadish.

At the end of 2021, the college signed a lease for 243305 ft2 at the 3 Times Square building in New York City. The goal was to consolidate many of the college's schools, currently divided among at least 35 separate locations servicing 19,000 enrolled students, into a central Manhattan campus.

On February 20, 2022, Touro College announced that the NYS Board of Regents had granted a request to rename the college to Touro University.

Notable alumni

 * Marc Alessi, politician
 * David G. Greenfield, local politician
 * Rivy Poupko Kletenik, teacher
 * Kenneth LaValle, politician
 * Boyd Melson, boxer
 * Kathleen Rice, attorney and politician
 * Dmitry Salita, boxer
 * Daniel Rosenthal, local politician

Affiliates

 * Lander College for Men Queens, New York
 * Touro Israel Jerusalem, Israel
 * Lander College for Women Manhattan, New York
 * New York Medical College Valhalla, New York
 * Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute Albuquerque, New Mexico
 * Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, Central Islip, New York
 * Touro University California, Vallejo, California
 * Touro University Nevada, Henderson, Nevada
 * TUI University, former online subdivision sold in 2007 and now replaced by Touro University Worldwide

title: Touro University (New York)


text: User talk:70.105.217.240

title: User talk:70.105.217.240


text:
User talk:Hannuh

hey peoples

title: User talk:Hannuh


text:
Fabio Lione

Fabio Tordiglione (born 9 October 1973), known professionally as Fabio Lione, is an Italian singer who has worked with many bands in the metal genre. He was known for being the singer of Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire for 21 years. He later formed his own band Turilli / Lione Rhapsody with former Rhapsody of Fire guitarist Luca Turilli. He is also the current lead vocalist of Angra, and was the original singer of Labyrinth and Vision Divine.

Career
Lione was born in Pisa. His career started in 1990 at the age of 17 when he began to sing with a small rock and roll underground group who played classics of 1950s and 1960s similar to Elvis Presley's songs. He had a passion for groups such as Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, and Crimson Glory, which inspired him to form his own heavy metal band.

His musical activities continued with a young group from Pisa, named Athena. They were a progressive metal band with their own unique style and challenged various expressions. Lione recorded a demotape with Athena and it was his first experience in a metal band. Lione did twenty shows with the band, but after two years, he left the band in 1994. Athena made their first album in 1995 (Inside the moon).

At first his stage name was Joe Terry which was the combination of his favourite heroes' names in Japanese games (Joe Higashi and Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury). His first piece of musical equipment was a Shure SM 58 microphone.

Labyrinth
Lione met the band Labyrinth, then going under the name of "Vision". Shortly after, in 1993 the band started to work on a demotape called Midnight Resistance, lyrics and vocal lines written by Lione. Before the album No Limits was released, Lione recorded a mini CD with Labyrinth, [Piece of Time] lyrics and vocal lines written by Fabio Lione.

Lione created the album No Limits together with Olaf, a band member of Labyrinth. His lyrics were mainly based on his personal experiences and his emotions. He wrote vocal lines and lyrics for this record, all the lyrics in the album were connected as Lione did this as an experiment. Labyrinth's style was different from other bands because it was mixed with different music genres including thrash metal and progressive rock. Lione was the singer of Labyrinth for just more than three years.

Athena
Lione joined Athena in 1991 and in 1992 they recorded their first demotape. After several concerts he left the band in 1993 for a new collaboration, the one with Labyrinth. Athena called Lione again in '97 ..so they could start work on their second album A New Religion which was released in 1998. Lione wrote the lyrics and the vocal lines for ten songs; the lyrics used religious and philosophical words and had the tendency to reflect deep meanings on their music. Lione and the other members of Athena attended Axel Rudi Pell Tour 1998 with Dreamscape, another progressive metal band from Germany in December. Shortly after the tour the band decided to break up.

Vision Divine
In 1998, Lione met Olaf Thorsen and to seal their newfound friendship, they decided to create what was originally supposed to be only a side-project: Vision Divine. Lione now found himself in the two groups: Rhapsody and Vision Divine, and this situation continued, with successes in both groups, until 2003. The first "Vision Divine" record in 1999 received excellent sales results and criticism (and took the band on tour in South America for the first time). The second album of Vision Divine Send me an angel was released in January 2002. Lione composed eight vocal lines for this album. Their expressions became more serious and deeper, close to the reality of divinity and humanity with progressive and heavy sounds. The album Beto Vazquez Infinity was released in February, including the song "The battle of the Past" in which Lione was singing as a guest vocalist for the Beto Vazquez project.

In 2003, Lione sang at shows with Vision Divine at Gods of Metal 2003 (Milan) and at Heineken Jammin' Festival (Imola) in June. He then recorded four demo songs with Vision Divine in November and performed on an Italian Tour in December. Shortly after it was announced Lione had to leave the band, due to his other commitments making it too difficult front this band as well. He nevertheless spent most of the year writing and left the band nine new vocal lines for the "Stream of Consciousness" album, executed with a different singer.

In 2008, Lione took part in some shows with Vision Divine to celebrate the ten years of the band, and on 28 May, they announced that Fabio had rejoined the band as the new singer. The band released the new CD "9 Degrees West of the Moon" in 2009 and did many shows supporting the record.

In 2012, they released (with Edel/Ear music) what is probably considered their best work so far, "Destination Set To Nowhere", with many great reviews received. The band performed many shows in Italy, Spain and on a South-American tour supporting the record.

Fabio departed from Vision Divine on 28 April 2018.

Rhapsody of Fire
In 1997, the most important and longest running moment began: becoming the lead vocalist of the heavy metal/power metal band Rhapsody. Rhapsody first began negotiations with Lione at Gate Pathway Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany after hearing him in the "Piece of Time" album from Labyrinth. Later that year, the first of many albums, Legendary Tales, was released with Lione as lead vocalist. The second album, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, would be released in 1998, followed by Dawn of Victory in 2000.

The band participated in many concerts throughout their first years. Lione also recorded a new EP album Rain of a Thousand Flames with Rhapsody in Germany between April and August. The album was released in December 2001. Lione performed on stages with Rhapsody at Gods of Metal 2001 (Milan) in June, during South American Tour (Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Chile) and at Rock Machina Festival (Spain) in July. After these concerts, Lione and Rhapsody recorded their fifth album Power of the Dragonflame. The album was released in March 2002.

Rhapsody travelled with Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica on a successful European tour in April and May 2000 when they also had a chance to join the Wacken Festival 2000 in Germany. Lione attended Rock Machina Festival in Spain in July. Lione set out on Rhapsody's first headlining tour (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Japan and Korea) and joined the summer festivals in Europe including the Bang Your Head Festival in Germany.

In February 2004, he finished vocals for Rhapsody's new album Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret. The band went promo tour for their new album throughout Canada, US, Germany, Sweden, Czech Republic, Greece, and the UK. On the album's release day, 27 September, the band had a signing session with Christopher Lee in London. Lione also appeared with Christopher Lee on a TV music program in Germany. In 2005, because of copyright issues, the band officially changed its name to Rhapsody of Fire. Under the label Nuclear Blast, they released two more albums and one EP and did a worldwide tour as well as many festivals.

Triumph or Agony was released in 2006, followed by The Frozen Tears of Angels and The Cold Embrace of Fear – A Dark Romantic Symphony in 2010 and From Chaos to Eternity in 2011. Rhapsody of Fire, with Lione at its helm, went back to the studio without long time guitarist and founding member Luca Turilli, to record a new album, Dark Wings of Steel, Fabio Lione wrote all the lyrics for this record. The album was released in 2013.

In 2016, the band released the album Into the Legend, all lyrics written by Fabio Lione. After a short tour promoting the album, Lione announced on 28 September that he was parting ways with the band. From April 2017 to March 2018, he joined Turilli and his former bandmates to perform on Rhapsody's 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour.

Turilli / Lione Rhapsody
In December 2018, Lione and Luca Turilli announced that they had formed a new band: Turilli / Lione Rhapsody. They were joined by former members Alex Holzwarth, Patrice Guers and Dominique Leurqin. They released their only studio album "Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution)" on 5 July 2019. Following the band's final tour in Latin America in January and February 2023, the band disbanded at its conclusion, which was announced prior as the band "closing a chapter of their career for good".

Kamelot
On 16 December 2010, American power metal band Kamelot announced that Lione would take over lead vocal duties for Roy Khan for the Kamelot's tour supporting their "Poetry for the Poisoned" release due to Khan's eventual departure from Kamelot. 70000 Tons of Metal was the last of 49 shows with them, in January 2012.

Angra
In January 2013, Lione was again on the stage at 70000 Tons of Metal, but this time with Brazilian progressive metal band Angra. The two shows were a great success and Fabio was again with them at the Live n' Louder Festival in São Paulo with Twisted Sister, Metal Church and Loudness. After that, the band decides to do a special tour, a commemorative one celebrating 20 years from the release of the first record "Angels Cry". They celebrate 20 years of career with 11 shows in Latin-America and the release of a new DVD, recorded in the last show in São Paulo. After that Angra played in Japan as co/headliner at the Loud Park festival 13 with Stone Temple Pilots and Europe and they had a very good response. The commemorative tour continues with another 14 shows in Latin America and 4 shows in Europe, where the band performed at Hellfest in France, alongside Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Aerosmith and others. Following Hellfest, Angra returned to Sweden to record "Secret Garden".

Angra announced that the band's new release, and the first album to feature vocalist Fabio Lione, entitled Secret Garden. The album was released by JVC in Asia on 17 December and later released on 16 January 2015 in Brazil, published by Universal Music, and North America, Europe, and Russia. The album brings what the band has called "a true renewal in the style of the band." With production by producer Roy Z (Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson, Halford) and was recorded and produced in Sweden by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Arch Enemy, Opeth).

Eurobeat
Lione's first Eurobeat song Eye of the Tiger was released in Japan in 2000. His name for Eurobeat project was "J. Storm", deriving from Joey Tempest. He published thirteen Eurobeat songs (list below) under this name between 2000 and 2005 and has declared that he wouldn't be making any more Eurobeat in the future. However, by the end of 2013 a new song was released called "Dancing into fire". One of his songs, "Dancing in My Dreams", was also used in Initial D Battle Stage 1 and in the games Arcade Stage 3 and Street Stage along with Demolition.
 * Eurobeat Disney 003 – J. Storm – Ave Maria
 * Euromach 013 – J. Storm – Rock The Universe
 * Euromach 015 – J. Storm – We Are The Children of Rock
 * Super Eurobeat 101 – J. Storm – Eye of the Tiger
 * Super Eurobeat 105 – J. Storm – M.U.S.I.C.
 * Super Eurobeat 106 – J. Storm – I Wanna Be Your Rainbow
 * Super Eurobeat 109 – J. Storm – Born To Make Music
 * Super Eurobeat 115 – J. Storm – The Power of the Dance
 * Super Eurobeat 122 – J. Storm – Dancing in My Dreams
 * Super Eurobeat 135 – J. Storm – Demolition
 * Super Eurobeat 144 – J. Storm – Gettin' You Gettin' Me
 * Super Eurobeat 153 – J. Storm – Shout
 * Super Eurobeat 157 – J. Storm – Vision of Paradise
 * Super Eurobeat 226 – J. Storm – Dance into The Fire

Discography

 * Rhapsody of Fire releases

 * Turilli / Lione Rhapsody releases:
 * Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution) (2019)

 * Labyrinth releases:
 * No Limits (1996)

 * Athena releases:
 * A New Religion? (1998)

 * Vision Divine releases:
 * Vision Divine (1999)
 * Send Me an Angel (2002)
 * 9 Degrees West of the Moon (2009)
 * Destination Set to Nowhere (2012)

 * Ayreon releases:
 * Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator (1999)

 * Hollow Haze releases:
 * Countdown to Revenge (2013)

 * Angra releases:
 * Angels Cry 20th Anniversary Tour (CD/DVD/BLU-RAY) (2013)
 * Secret Garden (2014)
 * ØMNI (2018)
 * Ømni Live (CD/DVD/BLU-RAY) (2021)
 * Cycles Of Pain (2023)

 * Avalon releases:
 * Angels of the Apocalypse (2014)
 * The Enigma Birth (2021)

 * Spirits of Fire
 * Embrace the Unknown (2022)

 * Ancient Bards
 * A New Dawn Ending (2014)

 * Miscellaneous releases:
 * Beto Vázquez Infinity / Battle of Valmourt (2001)
 * Beto Vázquez Infinity / Beto Vázquez Infinity (2001)
 * The Keepers of Jericho/ Various Artists (2000)

 * Thy Majestie releases:
 * ShiHuangDi (2012)
 * Sebastien releases:
 * Tears of white roses (2010)
 * J.Storm Eurobeat Songs

 * Alexander Koller's SALVATOR release:
 * The Ariser (2015)

 * Evan K release:
 * Blue Lightning (2016)

 * Eternal Idol release:
 * The Unrevealed Secret (2016)
 * Renaissance (2020)
 * Rocking with the Idols (covers EP) (2021)

 * Steel Seal release:
 * The Lion's Den (2017)

 * Ancestral Dawn release:
 * Souldance (2017)

 * Soulspell release
 * The Second Big Bang (2017)

 * Coherent Souls Orchestra release
 * The Unshatterable Light (2017)

 * Lione/Conti
 * Lione/Conti (2018; duet album with Alessandro Conti)

 * Cruel Juno
 * A Little Punctuation (2019)
 * Your Bones They Keep (2021)

 * Opera Magna
 * What Was Dreamt And Lived (2022)

title: Fabio Lione


text:
User:WAvegetarian

 I strongly believe in administrator accountability. My actions as an admin are linked below. Please let me know if you find anything amiss:  [ Blocks I have meted out ] [ Things I have deleted ] [ Pages I've protected  ]  Wikipedia gave me great opportunity to feel like I was contributing to the common good—whether I made a positive contribution and whether Wikipedia furthers the public good is of course debatable and debated. Through my work here I matured, developed better communication and mediation skills, learned a lot about how the web works (or doesn't), developed a greater appreciation for emergent systems and natural adaptation, learned an almost embarrassingly large number of random facts of questionable relevance to everyday life, and a gathered plethora of inside jokes and shared experiences with many amazing people who may or may not have been sued three times in the last six months in a court of law in Trenton, New Jersey.

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North Wilkesboro Speedway

North Wilkesboro Speedway is a 0.625 mi paved oval short track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1947; primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. It has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 2007 with Ronald Queen serving as director of operations. North Wilkesboro Speedway is served by U.S. Route 421.

The track has a capacity of 25,000 as of 2023, down from its peak of 60,000 in 1996. NWS retains a vintage aesthetic from the 1990s as part of an effort to preserve the historical value of the track. As a result, the facility retains some of its original buildings built before the track's first closure in 1996, including buildings featuring Winston Cigarettes sponsorship and suites built in the 1980s. Developers in recent years have also added other amenities as part of a revival effort that started in 2022.

In the mid-1940s, local Carolinian Enoch Staley built a track near the Brushy Mountains with help from Lawson Curry, John Mastin, and the Combs family. NWS was propped up with NASCAR Cup Series races soon after with help from NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Until the 1990s, the track was owned by the Staley and Combs families with each controlling half-interest, in the process becoming ubiquitous for its connection to NASCAR's roots relating to moonshine runners. After Enoch died in 1995 amongst an explosion of popularity for NASCAR in the 1990s, Speedway Motorsports (SMI) owner Bruton Smith and businessman Bob Bahre each bought out half interest from the families. Due to a strained relationship between the two along with the facility's reputation of lacking amenities, NWS was left desolated by 1997 to extreme local uproar. SMI later bought full control of the track in 2007. After two decades of failed attempts to revive the track by various groups, Bruton's successor, Marcus Smith, led a successful campaign to reinvigorate the track after increasing pressure from drivers and North Wilkesboro locals in the early 2020s.

Configuration
The speedway in its current form is measured at 0.625 mi, with 13 degrees of banking in the turns and 3 degrees of banking on the track's straightaways. The frontstretch is graded at a downhill slope and the backstretch is graded uphill, which is attributed to founder Enoch Staley running out of funds when constructing the facility. NWS is also asymmetrical.

Before 1957, North Wilkesboro Speedway utilized a dirt surface. In late August of that year, developers opted to pave the track; it was completed by mid-September.

Amenities
North Wilkesboro Speedway is next to U.S. Route 421. As of 2023, the track has a reported capacity of 25,000 according to The Sporting News. At its peak, NWS had a capacity of 55,000 according to a 1996 report from The Herald-Sun.

As of 2024, a currently ongoing effort by track developers to both modernize the facility and retain the vintage aesthetic of NWS is being made. As a result of it, most of the original structures built before 1996, including suites and a tower featuring a Winston Cigarettes-sponsored mural have been preserved. Modern amenities, such as new SAFER barriers, lighting systems, and sewer systems have or are planned to be added to modernize the facility as part of renovations.

Beginnings, first years
In 1945, Enoch Staley, who at the time was working numerous jobs at a variety of industries, went to watch a stock car race in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with his friend, John Mastin. According to Staley in an interview with the Winston-Salem Journal, after watching the race, "I fell in love with racing... I was hooked." Soon after World War II, Staley was offered to purchase a plot of land from Lawson Curry, which Staley accepted. Staley later partnered with Curry, Mastin, Jack Combs, Charlie Combs, and Bill France Sr. to build the facility, with Enoch and France Sr. investing $1,500 (adjusted for inflation, $) each. Funding quickly ran out due to the cost of grading, causing the track to be shorter in distance than planned and uneven in elevation. Originally, North Wilkesboro Speedway utilized a dirt surface, with developers adding a 14 ton mixture of calcium chloride and salt into the track to prevent dust. In interviews given by Staley, he did not expect the facility to last more than a year, stating, "back then, promoters built tracks like they might not run but one race. We were like the rest of them... We didn't know where we were going, and we didn't have any long-range plans." Initially, Enoch, John Mastin, and John's brother Oscar each owned some interest the facility.

According to NASCAR personality Junior Johnson, unofficial races organized by local moonshiners christened the facility. Official races promoted by Bill France Sr. were later scheduled to run soon after on May 18, 1947, with officials expecting the largest crowd at a sporting event within Wilkes County, North Carolina, at the time. In its first official race, a crowd of approximately than 10,000 saw Fonty Flock win a modified feature race. Two years later, the France Sr.-founded NASCAR Strictly Stock Series (now known as the NASCAR Cup Series) ran their first races at the facility. In 1953, both Mastin brothers sold their interest of NWS to Jack Combs.

Moonshine runner connections, slow timeline of renovations
Throughout the track's history, it became renowned for its connection to moonshine runners; a common activity within the Wilkes County area that has its roots in the American Prohibition era. The town of North Wilkesboro, considered to be the "Moonshine Capital of the World" by the 1950s, was a moonshine runner haven, with moonshine contributing a sizable part of the North Wilkesboro economy. Many within the Carolinas who participated in moonshine running were also directly involved in the formation of stock car racing, which subsequently created NASCAR. In 1965, the track, along with North Wilkesboro native and former moonshine runner Junior Johnson, were featured in an Esquire article written by journalist Tom Wolfe. The article itself is considered to be a key point in expanding the knowledge of NASCAR outside of its core Southeastern United States market.

NWS remained slow in improving amenities through most of its lifespan prior to the 1980s, making gradual improvements every few years. In 1955, construction started on a new concrete grandstand to replace the original wooden grandstands, with the new grandstand seating around 5,200. It was completed by April 1956. Enoch announced the track's paving in June 1957; it was completed by September of that year. Four years later, renovations to the infield and the addition of 3,500 seats were made. By 1963, the facility was recorded to have 8,500 permanent seats, with a total capacity of 15,000 according to the Winston-Salem Journal. A year after, NWS went through its first repave. In 1976, a 3,500-seat grandstand named in honor of Junior Johnson was constructed along with a 1/4 mi concrete retaining wall that replaced a guardrail.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, efforts were made to add additional amenities and capacity to modernize NWS. At the end of the 1970s, the track surface was repaved. However, by September 1980, the track surface drew complaints from drivers for its quick deterioration. At the end of the 1980 Holly Farms 400, winner Bobby Allison stated that it was a "disgrace to have to run on a track [surface] like this". As a result, it was repaved by December of that year. Eight years later, a new infield, roofed garage and a multi-purpose building were constructed in the track's infield; before, crews had to stop working when rain pelted the track due to a lack of cover. In 1990, along with the addition of 3,100 seats, an electronic scoring pylon was added, replacing the last manual scoreboard on the Winston Cup Series schedule. The original West Grandstands were also expanded and renovated in 1992, with chairs replacing barren concrete tiers. Additional suites were added three years later.

Conflict between NASCAR's roots and 1990s popularity explosion
In the mid-1990s, stock car racing oversaw a major rise in popularity. Despite NASCAR vice president of competition Mike Helton declaring that "the Cup schedule can't grow much more" in January 1995, a boom period of developers announcing plans to build modern, high-capacity tracks in new markets such as Las Vegas, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and St. Louis was kickstarted. Due to this, NASCAR beat reporters began predicting that NASCAR would have to abandon longtime staples, such as NWS, in the search of newer, broader markets.

By the start of the 1990s, NWS was known as a vintage, dilapidated facility that lacked both basic amenities and capacity given by more modern tracks. Monte Dutton, writer for The Gaston Gazette, wrote about the lack of modern telephones for members of the press in the 1990s, stating that only four phones were available; three being rotary dials. Although eventual buyer Bob Bahre later conceded that the track was profitable, he maintained that the track could not keep up with the growing minimum purse amounts needed. The track was also lacking in capacity; although peak capacity was reported at 60,000 in 1996, according to Bahre, grandstand seats totaled to a lackluster 34,000, with Bahre stating in The News & Observer, "The Lord fed a whole city with a loaf of bread, but I don't think for one damn minute you can get 60,000 people in 34,000 seats." Despite efforts to modernize NWS, drivers also began making calls for NASCAR to move into modern facilities; longtime driver Rusty Wallace declared in 1996, "we need to be at the tracks that are best for teams and sponsors... from better pit road facilities to bigger purses". In addition, the track was also near the facilities of Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, which had expanded in the 1990s.

Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre purchase, subsequent Bruton–Bahre feud
Enoch Staley died on May 20, 1995. In an interview with SB Nation's Jeremy Markovich, Enoch's son, Mike, stated that after Enoch's death is when "all the buzzards came in". According to Markovich, soon after Enoch's death, motorsports businessman Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports, Inc, (SMI), drove over to the Combs family to negotiate the sale of the Combs' half interest of the track. Having started on building the Texas Motor Speedway that year, he proposed to the family to move one of North Wilkesboro's race weekends to Texas and move the remaining race weekend to a Wednesday primetime slot. On June 20, The Charlotte Observer reported that they accepted the offer at an undisclosed price; it was later revealed to be sold for $6.05 million according to the News & Record. Mike stated in interviews at the time that while he was surprised at the news, he was "fine" at the purchase. He later admitted, however, that "I couldn’t be partners with Bruton". Mary Staley, widow of Enoch, also refused to sell their family's interest of the track to Bruton. After Bruton's purchase, owner of the New Hampshire International Raceway, Bob Bahre, negotiated with the Staley family to purchase the remaining half-interest. Bahre was only interested in taking its remaining Winston Cup Series weekend, wanting to give the track back to the Staley family to run lower-tier NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races. Although the Staley family expressed "pure agony" at the offer, they relented after realizing their financial situation. On January 2, 1996, Bahre's purchase was officially announced, which was later revealed to be at a price of $8 million.

At the time, the purchase led to thoughts of NWS's Winston Cup Series dates being in jeopardy. Two days after Bahre's purchase, Bruton and Bahre announced while the 1996 First Union 400 would take place, the future afterward would be unknown; though, lower-tier NASCAR races were expected to be run in the future. Although Bahre stated a public desire to move the fall Winston Cup Series date to New Hampshire, he stated that both Bruton and NASCAR CEO Bill France Jr. would have to approve of it. Bruton then claimed that he had no plans to move a NWS date to Texas and stated concern for the state of Wilkes County, stating, "We need to think about the community." Due to Bruton's claims, predictions were made that the September race, the 1996 Tyson Holly Farms 400, would still run, with Texas gaining a race weekend later that year in November. Bahre later claimed that although he had scheduled meetings with Bruton over the approval, Bruton had not contacted him back by January 6; he also stated that he did not know Bruton's plans of leaving the track's September date. In February, Bruton reaffirmed his attentions to keep the September date by proposing the idea of a single-day race weekend; however, he still had not met with Bahre. By mid-April, Charlotte Observer writer Tom Higgins reported that the September race was most likely going to be run.

Bahre stated on April 11 a reluctance to sell his interest to Bruton, saying, "Bruton is pretty bitter about [my purchase]"... I won't accept any offer he gives me." At the 1996 First Union 400, the duo met for the first time in more than two months; although they stated intents on running the Holly Farms 400, they did not clarify NWS or Texas' future in remaining on the Winston Cup Series schedule. The Holly Farms 400 was later confirmed to run on April 24, with France Jr. vetoing Bahre's offer to move the race to New Hampshire within the 1996 season due to time restraints within the month. In May, although Bahre had engaged in multiple previous meetings with Bruton's close associate, Humpy Wheeler, no agreement between him and Bruton was made. Bahre accused Bruton of holding up the agreement because Bruton did not want a balanced deal, instead wanting to own full interest of the track to obtain full control of NWS' two Winston Cup Series dates. However, in late-June, the two finally came to an agreement, with the duo stating hopes to jointly announce their intentions in the coming weeks. Before the official announcement, predictions arose that North Wilkesboro would lose both of its dates, with its spring date moving to Texas and its fall date moving to New Hampshire pending approval from France Jr.

On July 9, The Charlotte Observer reported that an unnamed source related to NASCAR confirmed NASCAR's decision to move the spring NWS date to Texas. Bahre reported a day later that after negotiations with France Jr. that "things are going to work out". The next day, both Bruton and Bahre, in separate press conferences, confirmed NASCAR's decision to move NWS' Winston Cup Series races to their respective facilities, ending all top-tier series racing at the facility. NASCAR did state plans of running lower-tier races at NWS to keep the facility open. At the time, many within the industry met the decision with a reluctant acceptance for the move, finding it necessary to continue NASCAR's "progress" of expansion. Immediately after the purchase, however, the future of any NASCAR racing at NWS was met with doubt due to Bahre and Bruton's relationship, entering a bitter dispute because both wanted full control of the facility for themselves. Bruton then threatened to shut down the track if he didn't obtain full control; he later backtracked on his comment, stating that he was willing to "preserve some things at North Wilkesboro". However, by September, NASCAR spokesman Kevin Triplett stated that the organization had no plans to schedule lower-tier NASCAR races at the facility because both owners did not ask for them. A group led by Junior Johnson was formed that month in a last-ditch effort to purchase the facility, but Bahre refused to accept the offer. Bahre stated hopes of selling his share of the facility back to the Staley family, but he was only willing to do so on the condition that Bruton did the same.

Era of abandon
NWS' final points-paying Winston Cup Series race, the 1996 Tyson Holly Farms 400, ran on September 29, 1996. Two months later, NASCAR released their 1997 season schedules for the Busch and Craftsman Truck Series; NWS was left off both of them. Though the track was essentially considered defunct, Bahre still stated hopes of hosting some type of local racing at the facility, with Bahre accusing Bruton of an attempt to "throw the Staleys under the bus". After a failed stockholders' meeting on December 19, on January 3, 1997, the Winston-Salem Journal reported that the facility was officially closed with all employees being laid off; the only exception was longtime employee Paul Call, who was designated as a caretaker after he begged Bruton and Bahre for a deal to live on the property. In February, Bahre relaxed his position on selling his interest, stating that he "probably" would if the Staley family gave him approval. The next month, parts of the facility were damaged in a windstorm, kickstarting the facility's deterioration. Three months later, SMI leadership stated hopes of holding a charity Busch Series race at NWS; the proposal, however, was considered dead by July according to Bahre. The owners later sold off the track's equipment the following year.

Updates on the facility remained at a slow pace afterward, with the track continuing to deteriorate. In 1999, both owners petitioned the North Carolina Property Tax Commission to reduce the track's tax value because it was "outdated". That same year, Bruton stated to The Charlotte Observer stated that as long as he did not have full control over the speedway, he would not do anything to revive it, stating, "[SMI] only own[s] 50 percent and we’re not going to use our wonderful assets — our people — for something that we only own 50 percent of." By August 1999, according to Bahre, he and Bruton had not talked to each other in a year and a half. Two years later, hopes of reviving the track under joint ownership were reported to be essentially dead; Bahre stated in an interview that although he saw the possibility of the track's revival, it was "probably going to be after Bruton and I are in heaven or hell". In early 2003, Johnson stated renewed interest of purchasing the track to run lower-series racing or to redesignate it as a testing facility; however, the possibility of a sale was shot down by Bruton, who thought that the amount of money required to revive it was too much, stating that it was "fast returning to the earth". Later that year, a petition organized by real-estate agent Robert Glen that proposed to condemn the track so the Wilkes County government could sell it to an investor through eminent domain got 3,312 signatures; it was rejected.

In October 2004, the track hosted a private test session for NASCAR team Roush Racing; the first activities for the facility in over eight years. In May 2005, two North Wilkesboro city commissioners proposed a long-shot proposal to place the newly-announced NASCAR Hall of Fame at NWS despite the city of North Wilkesboro not being on the shortlist of finalists for a location. A month later, another petition, this time organized by Robert Marsden under the name Save the Speedway (STS), drew around 2,000 online signatures. Bruton later proposed an offer to the Wilkes County government for $12 million for full interest pending Bahre's approval, which Bahre stated that he would most likely agree to. STS stated hopes that the county would later lease the track to them after they purchased. STS later announced in 2006 that an unnamed investor committed $1 million to the proposal; however, the investor parted ways the next month, sending them "back to square one". Another offer made within in the year by a group led by Worth Mitchell was also proposed. However, by November, Bruton, albeit reluctantly, bought out Bahre's control of the track as part of a package deal in purchasing the New Hampshire International Raceway when Bahre retired from the motorsports business. Bruton later stated plans that hinted at the track's demolition. Two years after Bruton's purchase, he approved a short-term lease to Georgian racing promoter Charles Collins, who aimed to produce a reality television show and start a women-only racing series at the facility. However, in July 2009, Collins was arrested and jailed by Wilkes County police, with Collins being charged on five felonies.

Short-lived revival, Paul Call efforts to preserve track
In early November 2009, an ownership group led by Alton McBride Jr. operating under the name Speedway Associates announced their intents to host USARacing Pro Cup Series races at NWS in October 2010. The group obtained a three-year lease from Bruton, and was viewed initially as a positive, legitimate offer by the Wilkes Economic Development Corporation. By November 10, events sanctioned by the American Speed Association (ASA) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) were also added. However, in January 2010, Don Alexander, the director of Wilkes Economic Development, found out that McBride Jr. was involved in several bouts of legal issues, including bankruptcy and marriage issues. Despite this, Alexander pledged his support to McBride Jr. The track held its first activities in May of that year, hosting a movie premiere and amateur racing. Four months later, NWS held its first official races in over 14 years, with Chase Elliott winning a PASS event. After holding a one-off PASS race in April 2011, on May 10, McBride announced the second closure of the facility due to a lack of funding. STS, who had worked with McBride Jr. until April, stated that McBride Jr. had "alienated volunteers and the local power structure". Years after the closure, McBride Jr. blamed the local government for the closure, claiming that the city council refused to give him an annual investment that he claims they promised. He stated in Autoweek, "[North Wilkesboro] Mayor [Robert] Johnson was the only guy to have my back when the council started pelting us with their shit. He fought them off just so I could get to work on the track. I can’t say anything bad about the man. It’s just politics. It ruins everything and ruined what we had at North Wilkesboro."

NWS fell into continued disrepair for the rest of the 2010s. An aging Paul Call, the only person who worked at the track, was limited to mowing the grass at the track's property in his efforts to preserve the facility. Call, on occasion, also let tourists into the facility and acted as a tour guide and storyteller if he was asked while mowing or at his motorhome. However, Call's preservation efforts were insurmountable to the deterioration of NWS; by 2015, buildings on the site had completely caved in, the Junior Johnson grandstands collapsed, and several suites were damaged. In 2017, the track, which was viewed as abandoned and desolate, was paid homage to in the movie Cars 3 when NWS served as the inspirational basis for the fictional Thomasville Speedway. The next year, STS spokesman Steven Wilson stated renewed interest at restoring the facility; chances of it ever happening, however, were viewed as non-likely.

Marcus Smith-led revival attempt
In September 2019, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. talked to Bruton's successor, Marcus Smith, about the possibility of digitally preserving the facility. A physical renovation, however, was seen as an extreme long-shot due to the track's condition, which had deteriorated so much that writer Jordan Bianchi wrote that "the facility is closer to being condemned than anything else. It would require an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to bring North Wilkesboro up to par, and that is simply not realistic." Three months later, Earnhardt organized a track cleanup to remove weeds as part of an effort for racing simulator iRacing and its developers to scan the track. The scan was eventually completed and added to the simulator by May 2020. In March 2021, Barry Braun, owner of a racing streaming service, met Marcus and proposed the idea to run dirt races at the facility. Within the month, Marcus stated on a podcast episode of The Dale Jr. Download that he was considering ways to revitalize the facility and that "we haven't given up on it", although "no promises" were made. Two months later, the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce began handing out flyers in support of the track's return to the NASCAR calendar. That same month, businessman Marcus Lemonis also pledged a $1 million investment for the track's revival.

That same month, Roy Cooper, the Governor of North Carolina, began considering a COVID-19 relief economic package that would give $10 million to the government of Wilkes County to repair the facility. By August, the amount increased to $20 million. A renewed sense of hope rang through Wilkes County Board of Commissioners, with commissioner Eddie Settle giving an "optimistic" prediction that racing would resume at the facility by July 2022; a major boost to the financially riddled Wilkes County, which had seen most of its economic bloodlines abandon the county in the years following Bruton's purchase of the track. The funding was finalized to be voted on by the North Carolina General Assembly in November, with the final amount totaling to $18 million; the budget proposal passed within the month. Soon after, SMI began construction and the demolition of dilapidated buildings within the facility. Smith unveiled revitalization plans and conceptual drawings in January 2022, stating that there was a "real possibility" of the facility being awarded a third-tier NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race weekend.

Resumption of major racing
On April 16, 2022, Smith announced the resumption of racing at the facility, scheduling two multi-class grassroots events throughout the months of August and October of that year, with the latter event being run on dirt. Within the month, developers added electrical and internet systems, along with demolishing old suites and other general repairs. Racing resumed as scheduled, albeit with limited amenities and infrastructure, on August 2, with an estimated 9,000 people attending the first event. Later events saw increased attendance; however, the dirt October races were cancelled. On September 7, The Athletic reported that NASCAR would move the NASCAR All-Star Race, a NASCAR Cup Series exhibition event, to NWS from Texas Motor Speedway; the track Bruton moved one of North Wilkesboro's races to. The report was confirmed the next day. More renovation announcements soon followed, including the paving of infield garage, the addition of SAFER barriers and storm drain pipes, and other repairs to amenities were reported. Developers also stated a desire to maintain an old-school aesthetic for the facility. By February 2023, SMI leadership announced that renovations were ahead of schedule.

Tire tests on the reopened facility were run in late March. By May of that year, Ronald Queen was named director of operations. Within the month, the NASCAR Cup Series made its return, running races in late May; the races were the first in 27 years. Six months later, SMI announced the track's first repave since 1981. The repave was completed by March 2024, with tire tests being run in the same month. In 2024, a sinkhole was found beneath a grandstand. It was later alleged as a possible moonshine cave that would have been used in the 1940s was reportedly found underneath the grandstands; this has been disputed due to NWS' reputation with poor drainage issues before SMI's purchase of the track.

NASCAR
Since 2023, North Wilkesboro Speedway has hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race, an exhibition, non-points paying race. Along with its exhibition Cup Series race, the track has also hosted third-tier NASCAR Truck Series races. Until 1996, the facility ran two points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race weekends for most of its existence up to that point: the spring First Union 400 and the fall Tyson Holly Farms 400. The former, traditionally known as the Gwyn Staley 400, was first run in 1951 as a 150-lap race. After two iterations of 200-lap races, in 1954, the race distance was decreased to 160 laps. Seven years later, the distance was increased to its traditional 250 mi, 400-lap distance which remained until 1996.

The latter, traditionally known as the Wilkes 400, was first held in 1949 as a 200-lap race in October. By 1953, the race distance decreased to 160 laps. Seven years later, the race distance was increased to 200 mi, or 320 laps. The race was increased to its traditional 250 mi, 400-lap distance in 1963; it would remain the same until 1996 when the date was taken off the Cup Series schedule.

Lap records
As of May 2024, the fastest official race lap records at North Wilkesboro Speedway are listed as:

title: North Wilkesboro Speedway


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Talk:List of companies of North Korea

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The North Koreans seem to have put some of the biggest companies first, although there are some new techs around the 200 mark. The list follows roughly alphabetically almost to the end of the list, which includes some new industrial groups.--McDogm 01:56, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)

title: Talk:List of companies of North Korea