Actors - Toni Basil

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	Actors - Toni Basil

Toni Basil (born Antonia Christina Basilotta on September 22, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a musician, video artist, actress, and choreographer.

Music career

Her recording career began in 1966 with a rare one-off single for A&M Records, the title song from the film Breakaway. Although she appeared three times as musical guest during the first season Saturday Night Live
in 1975–76, it wasn't until 1981 that she recorded a follow-up, the international hit song "Mickey". This song is in fact a cover of "Kitty", a 1979 release by UK band Racey, written by UK hitmakers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. "Mickey" itself would be covered in a parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic as "Ricky".

The music video for "Mickey" was released in 1982 and was one of the most popular of the early MTV videos. In the video, Basil wore a cheerleader uniform from Las Vegas High School, the school from which she graduated. In 1983, a follow-up single appeared, entitled Over My Head.

Basil is said to have helped bring street dance to prominence with her breakdancing group, The Lockers. She choreographed David Byrne's memorable, marionette-style dance from the music video for the song Once in a Lifetime. She also choreographed David Bowie's Diamond Dogs Tour in 1974 and Glass Spider Tour in 1987. Dancers included: Melissa Hurley, Viktor Manoel, Constance Marie, Craig Allen Rothwell (aka Spazz Attack), and Stephen Nichols.

Acting career

Toni Basil has appeared in movies such as Easy Rider
(as prostitute Mary, the brunette) and Five Easy Pieces
, on television (including episodes of Laverne & Shirley and Baywatch), and has worked as a choreographer for movies such as American Graffiti
, The Rose, and Legally Blonde
, and earlier the Beach Party
series produced by AIP. She appeared as a dancer in The Monkees film Head
, and in Village of the Giants
. She also starred in the cult film Rockula with Thomas Dolby and the 1987 B-Movie Slaughterhouse Rock.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Toni Basil ]

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