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Toni Basil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Tony Basil)

Toni Basil
Basil in 2016
Basil in 2016
Background information
Born
Antonia Christina Basilotta

(1943-09-22) September 22, 1943 (age 82)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationLas Vegas High School (graduate)
GenresNew wave[1]
Occupations
  • Singer
  • dancer
  • actress
  • choreographer
  • film director
Years active1964–present
Labels
Websitetonibasil.net

Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943),[2] better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her 1982 single, "Mickey" (a cover of "Kitty"), topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and entered the top ten of several other international charts.

Early life and education

[edit]

Basil was born Antonia Christina Basilotta on September 22, 1943, in Philadelphia.[3] Her father led an orchestra, and her mother performed in vaudeville.[4] Basil has Italian ancestry.[5]

She grew up in Las Vegas, where her father moved the family for his work when she was a child.[6] In 1961, Basil graduated from Las Vegas High School, where she was head cheerleader.[6] Already known by the nickname Toni, she later incorporated her cheerleading experience into her dance career, including her choreography/performance of "Mickey".[7] The cheerleader uniform that she wore in the video was the one she wore in high school.[8]

Career

[edit]

Dance career

[edit]

Also in 1964, she assisted choreographer Winters for Steve Binder's concert film T.A.M.I. Show.[9][10] T.A.M.I. Show would go on to be deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in 2006 in the National Film Registry.[11]

In 1968, Princess Grace of Monaco's television special Monte Carlo: C'est La Rose premiered.[12] In it, Basil accompanies lead dancer and choreographer Winters; he explained that he brought her and fellow dancer Anita Mann because they were his best students.[13]

In addition, Basil is credited with bringing street dance to prominence, as a founding member and manager of The Lockers.[14] A 2012 Dance Magazine article cited Basil as the pioneer in merging ballet with street dance for a piece she choreographed for Saturday Night Live, "Swan Lake" in 1978.[15]

Basil choreographed the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the age of 75, and appeared in an uncredited cameo, wearing her trademark fedora and dancing with Margot Robbie on the Pan Am flight. Basil was surprised by Tarantino's detailed knowledge of both 1960s dances and her previous work, and said she personally knew two of the real-life people who are portrayed in the film: Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring, who were both killed in the Tate-LaBianca murders.[16]

Music career

[edit]

Basil's recording career began in 1966 with a single for A&M Records, which was the title song of the short film Breakaway by artist Bruce Conner. The B-side was "I'm 28"[17] written by Graham Gouldman, who later co-founded 10cc. Basil sang, solo, the swinging jazz number "Wham Rebop Boom Bam" in the first season of Saturday Night Live for the January 17, 1976, show with Buck Henry as host. Basil sold out solo shows at The Roxy in Los Angeles in June 1976, and sang the song on The Merv Griffin Show. She and The Lockers appeared on Saturday Night Live during the first season and also in later seasons of the show, as a singer and filmmaker, to perform in her urban style Swan Lake. She was signed to Warner Bros. Records at some point in 1976, but never released any material for the label.[18]

In 1982, her single "Mickey" achieved international success. The song is a cover of "Kitty", a 1979 release by the UK band Racey, written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and produced by the latter. The original song did not include the "Oh Mickey, you're so fine" chant, which Basil added. The video was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Basil for the UK-based label Radialchoice, before the inception of MTV in July 1981.[19] Issued on Chrysalis Records in September 1982 in the US, the song knocked Lionel Richie's "Truly" from No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December. It topped the chart in Canada where it was issued by Virgin Records. The 45 was quickly certified Gold and in early 1983 reached Platinum status for sales of over 2 million copies in the United States alone. The music video for "Mickey" was one of the most popular early MTV videos. In the video, Basil wore her head cheerleader uniform from Las Vegas High School from which she graduated.[19]

During an interview on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of The 80's", Basil said that she still owns the same cheerleader sweater she wore in the video. In 2009, VH1 ranked "Mickey" Number 6 on its list of the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s.[20] In 2017, she launched an unsuccessful lawsuit against the makers of South Park over their use of the song in parodying Barack Obama's 2008 election win.[21][22]

For television, Basil has appeared as an actress and featured singer/dancer in many television shows and specials. She co-directed and choreographed two BBC specials with Alan Walsh and Ken Stephenson called "Toni Basil Tape 1" and "Toni Basil Tape 2".[23]


Filmmaking and music videos

[edit]

Basil's Word of Mouth video album was nominated for both a Grammy Award and an MTV Video Music Award. Her late 1960s 8 mm and 16 mm films toured the U.S. with the show "Semina Culture: Wallace Berman and His Circle" in 2007.[24]

Awards and accolades

[edit]

Basil received Emmy Award recognition for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1988, including a nomination and win listed by the Television Academy.[25] Her other listed honors include Hip Hop International's Living Legend Award,[citation needed] two MTV Award nominations,[citation needed] four American Choreography Award nominations and two wins, including Lifetime Achievement Innovator, and the Los Angeles Theater Ovation Street Dance Award.[citation needed]

Basil's exhibitions include at the Museum of Modern Art (Videos),[citation needed] and at the Santa Monica Museum of Art (Short Films).[citation needed] She has received platinum and gold discs in the US, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Philippines, and France.[citation needed] Her single "Mickey" was installed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the groundbreaking singles of the 1980s.[26]

She was given a tribute at The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball,[when?][citation needed] Monsters of Hip-Hop Masters of Movement,[when?][citation needed] and in Portraits of America's Great Choreographers.[when?][citation needed] She was featured in the Museum of Modern Art Calendar of Artists,[citation needed] and on the cover of Dance Magazine.[citation needed]

On January 25, 2012, Basil presented The Electric Boogaloos with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th anniversary show of The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball for their role in popularizing dance styles such as popping and electric boogie.[27]

In 2023, Basil was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.[28]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Refs.
1964Viva Las VegasDancer in Red Dress (What'd I Say)Uncredited[citation needed]
Robin and the 7 HoodsFlapperUncredited[citation needed]
Pajama PartyPajama Girl No. 15[citation needed]
T.A.M.I. ShowHerself; Go-Go DancerDocumentary
Uncredited		[citation needed]
1965Village of the GiantsRed[citation needed]
1966BreakawayDancerShort[citation needed]
1968HeadDaddy's Song DancerUncredited[citation needed]
1969Sweet CharityDancerUncredited[citation needed]
Easy RiderMary[citation needed]
1970Myra BreckinridgeCigarette GirlUncredited[citation needed]
Five Easy PiecesTerry Grouse[citation needed]
1971The Last MovieRose[citation needed]
1972Greaser's PalaceIndian Girl[citation needed]
1976Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved HollywoodAwards Ceremony GuestUncredited[citation needed]
Mother, Jugs & SpeedAddict[citation needed]
Citizen Soldier[citation needed]
1988Slaughterhouse RockSammy Mitchell[citation needed]
Angel III: The Final ChapterHillary[citation needed]
Glass SpiderChoreographer[citation needed]
1990RockulaPhoebe[citation needed]
Pacific PalisadesDésirée[citation needed]
CatchfireUncredited[citation needed]
EatingJackie[citation needed]
2001Legally BlondeChoreographer"Bend and Snap" sequence

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
US
[29]		 AUS
[30]		 CAN
[31]		 NZ
[32]		 UK
[33]
Word of Mouth 2243452715
Toni Basil
  • Released: 1983
  • Formats: LP, cassette
  • Label: Chrysalis
 —————

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Album details
The Best of Toni Basil: Mickey & Other Love Songs[36]
The Best of Toni Basil[37][38]
  • Released: 1994
  • Formats: CD, cassette
  • Label: Tring International PLC
The Best of Toni Basil: Mickey... And Other Greatest Hits[39]
  • Released: 1994
  • Formats: CD
  • Label: Form Records
Mickey!: The Best of Toni Basil[40][41]
  • Released: 1994
  • Formats: CD, cassette
  • Label: Hallmark Records
The Very Best of Toni Basil[42]
  • Released: 1997
  • Formats: CD
  • Label: Emporio
Oh Mickey![43]
  • Released: 2000
  • Formats: CD
  • Label: Snapper Music

Singles

[edit]
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[44]		 US Dance
[45]		 AUS
[30]		 CAN
[46]		 BEL (FL)
[47]		 GER
[48]		 IRE
[49]		 NLD
[50]		 NZ
[32]		 UK
[33]
"Breakaway"
[citation needed]		 1966 —————————— N/a
"Mickey"
 1982 1311396933922 Word of Mouth
"Nobody"
[citation needed]		 —————————52
"Time After Time" / "You Gotta Problem"
[citation needed]		 ——————————
"Shoppin' from A to Z"
[citation needed]		 1983 77—————————
"Street Beat"
[citation needed]		 —63———————— Toni Basil
"Over My Head"
[citation needed]		 814————————
"Suspense"
[citation needed]		 1984 —8————————
"Do You Wanna Dance"
[citation needed]		 ——————————
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

[edit]
YearAwardsWorkCategoryResultRefs.
1984 MTV Video Music Awards Over My Head Best Choreography Nominated [citation needed]
1984 Grammy Awards Word of Mouth Best Video Album Nominated [citation needed]

Works cited

[edit]
  • Binder, Steve (1964). T.A.M.I. Show (DVD). Shout Factory. Barcode: 8 26664 11742 4.
  • Winters, David (2018). Tough guys do dance. Pensacola, Florida: Indigo River Publishing. ISBN 978-1-948080-27-9.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Toni Basil by Steve Huey". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ "Birthdays". The Modesto Bee. The Associated Press. September 22, 2022. p. 2A. Dancer/choreographer/singer Toni Basil is 79.
  3. ↑ TCM Staff (June 19, 2022). "Toni Basil / Choreographer, Singer / Biography". TCM.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Toni Basil News & Biography". Toni Basil The Authorized Site. 2012. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  5. ↑ Connell, William J.; Pugliese, Stanislao G. (2017). The Routledge History of Italian Americans. New York: Routledge. p. 430. ISBN 978-1-135-04670-5.
  6. 1 2 Variety Staff (July 21, 2008). "Las Vegas who make the show go on". Variety. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022.
  7. ↑ Willman, Chris (September 20, 2013). "Toni Basil at 70: Thirty Years Past Singing, But Still Cutting a Rug". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013.
  8. ↑ Sunday Morning (February 9, 2020). "Dance, dance, dance! Toni Basil has all the right moves". CBS News. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  10. ↑ Binder, Steve (1964). T.A.M.I. Show (DVD). Shout Factory. 8 26664 11742 4.
  11. ↑ "Librarian of Congress Adds Home Movie, Silent Films and Hollywood Classics to Film Preservation List". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Princess Grace to offer musical tour of Monaco". Dayton Daily News. Vol. 91. January 20, 1968. p. 3-A.
  13. ↑ Winters, David (2018). Tough guys do dance. Pensacola, Florida: Indigo River Publishing. pp. 2196–6071. ISBN 978-1-948080-27-9.
  14. ↑ Banes, Sally (1994). Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0819562688.
  15. ↑ Sommer, Sally (January 2012). "Balletic Breakin'". Dance Magazine. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  16. ↑ Levine, Debra (August 6, 2019). "Quentin Tarantino's Goddess of Go-Go". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  17. ↑ "'Breakaway/I'm 28' single". No Mickey Taking Here!. June 18, 2010.
  18. ↑ "200 Artists to 3 Labels" (PDF). Billboard. August 28, 1976. p. 18.
  19. 1 2 "Mickey by Toni Basil". Songfacts.com.
  20. ↑ Macnie, Jim (April 1, 2009). "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s: Read the List". VH1. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  21. ↑ Allegretti, Aubrey (September 1, 2017). "'Mickey' singer Toni Basil sues South Park". London, England: Sky News. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  22. ↑ Vogt, RJ (February 15, 2018). "Disney, Others Beat 'Mickey' Singer Toni Basil's TM Claims". Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Choreographer/Director Toni Basil". McDonald / Selznick Associates. 2012. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Semina Culture: Wallace Berman and His Circle". NYU Grey Art Gallery. 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Toni Basil". Television Academy. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  26. ↑ Karger, Dave (November 1, 1996). "What Ever Happened To...?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2012. Her picture may be hanging in Cleveland as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's 14 exemplary One Hit Wonders, but don't mention that three-word curse around Toni Basil.
  27. ↑ Perry, Aliya. "Carnival Celebrates Its 13th Anniversary". TIV Awards.
  28. ↑ "3RD Annual Women Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards Celebrates Icons - Jan Daley Angela Bofill Ann Hampton Callaway". Ein Presswire. April 18, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Toni Basil Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  30. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 27. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  31. ↑ "RPM – Top Albums/CDs – Volume 37, No. 21, January 22, 1983". Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  32. 1 2 "Toni Basil in New Zealand Charts". charts.nz. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  33. 1 2 "Official Charts > Toni Basil". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  34. 1 2 "RIAA – Gold & Platinum: Toni Basil". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  35. 1 2 "Music Canada – Gold & Platinum Search: Toni Basil". Music Canada. Retrieved February 16, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  36. ↑ The Best Of Toni Basil: Mickey And Other Love Songs (CD back cover). Toni Basil. Razor & Tie. 1994. RE 2057.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  37. ↑ The Best Of Toni Basil (CD back cover). Toni Basil. Tring International PLC. 1994. JHD135.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ↑ The Best Of Toni Basil (Cassette tape back cover). Toni Basil. Tring International PLC. 1994. MCJHD135.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  39. ↑ The Best of Toni Basil: Mickey... And Other Greatest Hits (CD back cover). Toni Basil. Form Records. 1994. JHD135.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ↑ Mickey!: The Best of Toni Basil (CD back cover). Toni Basil. Hallmark Records. 1994. 301642.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ↑ Mickey!: The Best of Toni Basil (Cassette back cover). Toni Basil. Hallmark Records. 1994. 301644.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  42. ↑ The Very Best Of Toni Basil (CD back cover). Toni Basil. Emporio. 1997. EMPRCD 752.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  43. ↑ Oh Mickey! (CD back cover). Toni Basil. Snapper Music. 2000. SMD CD 462.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ↑ "Toni Basil Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  45. ↑ "Toni Basil Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  46. ↑ "RPM Top 50 Singles - December 25, 1982" (PDF).
  47. ↑ "Ultratop Vlaanderen > Zoeken naar: Toni Basil" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Toni Basil – Mickey (single)" (in German). Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  49. ↑ "The Irish Charts: All there is to know > Search results for Toni Basil (from irishcharts.ie)". Imgur.com (original source published by Fireball Media). Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  50. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl > Toni Basil in Dutch Charts" (in Dutch). Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  51. ↑ "Kent Music Report No 453 – 28 February 1983 > Platinum and Gold Singles 1982". Imgur.com (original document published by Kent Music Report). Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  52. ↑ BPI – Certified Awards Archived July 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Type "Toni Basil" in search box
[edit]
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