Jean teaches astrology and metaphysics. She is a reader, author, ordained nondenominational minister, and member of the NJ Metaphysical Ctr.

Aretha Franklin

The Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin, 3/25/42-8/16/18, was commonly known as the “Queen of Soul,” and was the one time winner of the Rolling Stones, “Greatest 100 Singers of all time” list. She was the winner of 18 Grammy Awards, and is best known for her song “Respect,” which was written by Otis Redding, but never sung as the anthem she turned it into. Her background includes gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, and rock. In 1987, she was the first female singer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Franklin had a long time friendship with Cissy Houston, and was Whitney Houston’s Godmother. Aretha Franklin’s Reverend got her involved in the U.S. Civil Rights movement, and introduced her to Martin Luther King. Her example of a successful life was an inspiration to young black girls in the days when they had little opportunity.

More Honors for Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin also received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1979. The National Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded her a Grammy Legend Award in 1991, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. She was the Kennedy Center Honoree in 1994, and President George W. Bush awarded Aretha with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

When inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012, she was described as "the voice of the Civil Rights Movement", "the voice of Black America", and "a symbol of Black Equality." President Barack Obama had tears in his eyes when Aretha Franklin performed A Natural Woman at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. In his always great words, "Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the Blues, R&B, Rock and Roll--the way hardship and sorrow were transformed into beauty, vitality and hope." Although she will be very missed, she left us a beautiful legacy of music with which to celebrate her life.

Rachel Maddow

Background Info on Rachel Maddow

Rachel Anne Maddow—April 1, 1973, is a writer and TV anchorperson on MSNBC, where she acts as a political commentator on her nightly Rachel Maddow show, TRMS. She is the first openly gay anchor person to host any prime time news in the U.S.

She is pegged as liberal, but her book, Drift,The Unmooring of American Military Power, released in 2012, researches wars fought in American history, and concludes that the U.S. goes to war too casually now. Much of the U.S. was not in agreement about going to war in Iraq, as the reason for going was a false accusation that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. She surprisingly describes herself as believing in many policies of Ronald Reagan’s administration, among them a lowering of taxes on the middle class, and limits on gun control. Rachel does shoot at a range as a hobby, and is more center left than many would have you believe.

Drift by Rachel Maddow

Maddow, Perfectionist and Geek.

Rachel lives in Manhattan and Massachusetts with her partner, artist Susan Mikula. They met in 1999, when Rachel did some yard work at her home. Rachel was working on her doctoral dissertation at the time.

Rachel Maddow is a perfectionist, who has won numerous honors, among them an Emmy for Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis, named in Out Magazine’s 100 gay people who most moved culture, and an honorable mention in the Elie Weisel Foundation for Humanity Prize. In 2009, Maddow had the only cable news show nominated for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information category. In 2/2012, Rachel received the John Steinbeck Award at San Jose University. In 7/2010, Maddow was presented with a Maggie Award for her ongoing reporting about healthcare reform, the murder of Dr. George Tiller, and the anti-abortion movement. She also received the 2012 Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Host.

Her show is fun and informative, because she has a strong, yet vibrant personality, and her guests immediately warm up to her. It is obvious that because of her sexual orientation, she had to always be better than the best to climb the ladder to where she is today. I am sure we can expect to see more exciting things from Rachel Maddow!

Rachel's Intellectual Achievements and Big Break

Rachel grew up in a Catholic family in California, and has always shown a competitive streak. She was an athlete who played volleyball, basketball, and was on the swim team in high school. Maddow attended Stanford University, and got a degree in public policy. She was awarded the John Gardner Fellowship, and also got a Rhodes scholarship. Rachel did her postgraduate study in Lincoln College in Oxford. She was the first openly gay lesbian in America to win a Rhodes scholarship.

Rachel Maddow is also a Dr. of Philosophy in Politics from Oxford. Her first on air experience came as a contest she won, and she hosted WRNX in Holyoke, MA. She got promoted, and remained at the station for two years before moving to Air America, who filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Maddow became a regular panelist on MSNBC in 2008 during the U.S. Presidential election, and was a frequent guest on Keith Olbermann’s show. When she substituted for Olbermann, the ratings went way up in the age 25-54 demographic, and Olbermann pushed for her to be able to host her own show, which she eventually did. Once The Rachel Maddow Show was on air for one month, the ratings doubled in her time slot. The reviews were great, The LA Times said Rachel “found the right formula”, and the Guardian called her “the star of cable news.”

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara

Gone with the Wind

Although this is not a "real person", but a movie character, nobody epitomizes an Aries person like Scarlett O’Hara, the heroine and star of Gone With The Wind, played by Vivien Leigh. This is a 1939 epic film about the U.S. Civil War. Scarlett changed from a spoiled, rich girl who grew up on a plantation with slaves, to a brave woman who worked tirelessly in the fields in order to help her family survive and hold on to their family land and home, Tara. Although Scarlett used unscrupulous means to achieve her goals, including stealing her sister’s boyfriend so she could take over his store to make a living, her courage and innovative actions are the signs of a true Aries.

Her tempestuous marriage to the mysterious Rhett Butler was impulsive, but she did love him, and he her. Scarlett realizes too late that she had been selfish and caused pain to many, and lost Rhett when he left her with the shocking (for the times) and famous line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” If you never saw this masterpiece, check it out. One of the best parts is when she makes a beautiful dress out of old drapes, so she can go visit Rhett Butler in jail to try to borrow some money.

Jim Parsons

Jim Parsons from Big Bang Theory

James Joseph “Jim” Parsons—3/24/1973—plays the part of Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, a popular sitcom. His character is a genius physicist with absolutely no social skills, which makes for a hilarious situation. He adds all kinds of quirks and obsessive behaviors to Sheldon’s character, and then he is surrounded by other scientific geniuses who also have awkward social skills. His roommate, Johnny Galecki, plays Leonard, equally challenged by women, although he does manage to have an affair and finally marry their neighbor across the hall, Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco.

Jim was born in Houston, TX, and knew he wanted to be an actor from a young age. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of Houston, where he had already acted in 17 plays in 3 years. He was a founding member of Infernal Bridegroom Productions, and made regular appearances at the Stages Repertory Theatre. Parsons went to graduate school at the University of San Diego in 1999, and was one of 11 students accepted in a special group for classical theater. He was known for having his own way of seeing and doing things, and told an interviewer he would have pursued a doctorate in acting had that been possible.

Parsons moved to LA with his husband, art director Todd Spiewak. Jim has also done work on Off Broadway and made television appearances in various places, one a Quiznos commercial where he was raised by wolves. He had a reoccurring role on Judging Amy, and appeared on the television series Ed. Parsons says he auditioned for between 15 and 30 TV pilots, but his big break came when he read for the part of Sheldon at The Big Bang Theory. He felt the part was a great fit for him, and it is. He plays the brilliant and somewhat condescending Dr. Cooper quite well, with all kinds of quirks and silly concerns. One would think the character would be annoying, and he sometimes is to the other characters, but his angelic smile and oddball ways just steal the show.

Jim Parsons Excels at Physical Comedy

The other characters all have quirks too. Sheldon has his roommate Leonard, and two other friends, and they mostly sit around the house to play video games and watch SyFi movies. They also have a friend who owns and lives at his comic book store, the only other friend the guys have. In later seasons, Sheldon has a girl who is a friend, Amy, and recently she signed a contract that she will allow herself to be called Sheldon's "girlfriend." He has a "roommate agreement" with Leonard which is about 30 pages long! The way Sheldon interacts with his nerdy friends is genius, and he has great control over his body. He is very tense and gawky, and moves in a very stiff way, which just adds to his character.

TV critic Andrew Dansby compares Parson's physical comedy to that of Buster Keaton’s. Parsons admits shooting a sitcom is more work than he thought it would be. In 2009 he won the TV Critics Association Award, beating out Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Neil Patrick Harris. Jim won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy series. Parsons has also won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a TV series. Jim Parsons is one to watch!

Clapton Plays Layla

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton, 3/30/45, is an English guitarist. He is the only three time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has played as a solo artist, with Cream, The Yardbirds, Derek and the Dominos and Blind Faith. He also played with the Beatles on a few numbers, but that could not be publicized due to contractual agreements of the times. He has been nominated as one of the best guitarists of all time from Rolling Stone magazine.

Clapton was one of George Harrison's best friends. He organized and was the bridge who brought together music from the East (sitar) and West (rock) at George Harrison's Memorial Concert at the Royal Albert Hall one year after George's passing. Clapton has been hailed as one of the most influential guitarists of all time too.

An Aries can never have too many awards! His choices of guitars influence large amounts of sales. There is even a Fender Stratocaster guitar the company made to honor him. Clapton likes to play with effects pedals and has his own distinct sound. He uses a Gibson SG solid body guitar and a Marshall tube amp to create a sound articulate but thick, rather distorted. It comes across as muted compared to bright, twangy sounds other guitarists use. Clapton also loves to use a WahWah pedal. Clapton enjoys playing in his own unique style with other bands, and often plays in benefit concerts.

He has also suffered through many alcohol and drug addictions, and recently during a trip to Antigua, this writer found he had a beautiful home on the island, and also opened a rehab clinic to help others, called, aptly, The Crossroads.

Gloria Steinhem

Gloria Steinem, Women's Rights Activist

Gloria Steinem, birthday 3/25/34, is an American journalist, feminist, social and political activist, known primarily for the Women’s Liberation Movement. She epitomizes the Aries originality and pioneering spirit, which lead her years of fighting for women to have equal rights in our society. She was the co-founder of Ms. Magazine, at a time during the 1970’s, when women were keeping their own family last names and either hyphenating them with a husband’s, or not using his name at all, in order to keep their own identities.

She fought vigorously for the Equal Rights Amendment, and helped to remove other discriminatory laws which gave men superior rights in marriage. She fought hard against the laws which allowed women to be paid less than a man for performing the same job in the workplace. She acknowledged that women had sexual needs too, and deserved to have them satisfied by caring men who never thought about this. Gloria Steinem made it clear to men that women also had interests, goals, and dreams about their lives that did NOT always revolve around marriage, housework and childcare.

Sandra Day O'Connor

Liberal on the Supreme Court

Sandra Day O’Connor, 3/26/30, was the first female justice to hold a position on the Supreme Court in the U.S. She served the country from 1981 until she stepped down in 2006 to spend time with her family. In 2001, Ladies Home Journal called her the most important woman in America. She was often the “swing vote” in important judicial decisions, which generally led her to critical responses, as her views became more conservative as she grew older. Her last vote on the court was on a controversial abortion case, Ayotte vs Planned Parenthood of New England. Although she did not always vote liberally, she did help to repeal outdated laws that made abortion a crime, as many more conservative states have been trying to repeal a woman’s right to choose what they can do with their own bodies. She continues to fill in and write opinions on cases as necessary.

Sir Elton John

Sir Elton John, Singer, Composer, and Humanitarian

Elton John, 3/27/47, or Sir Elton John, is an English songwriter, composer, rock singer, and pianist. His career spans forty years, and he is one of the most successful artists of all time. He has been a staunch activist for Aids ever since the disease became more widespread, and supports LGBTQ issues. He has been writing songs with friend Bernie Taupin for over thirty years now.

Elton has lost many dear friends, among them Gianni Versace and Princess Diana. He reworked a song to play at Wembley Stadium in her honor on what would have been her 46^th birthday. Elton John has written many touching tunes over the years, and his music is well loved. He now plays Las Vegas shows, as he appeals to a broad audience. He also performed a piano duet with Lady Gaga at the 52^nd Grammy Awards. John has won so many awards it is difficult to list them all, but gives generously of his personal belongings to charitable causes. He has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth for all his charity work.

Your Song, by Elton John.

© 2012 Jean Bakula

Comments

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on April 04, 2018:

Thank you Larry, for your kindness. I am happy you enjoyed my article. Aries people are always the pioneers. Take care.

Larry W Fish from Raleigh on April 04, 2018:

What a great list of people, Jean. I love Rachel Maddow, she is so intelligent and is informative on what she is covering. She does not speak before she knows the facts. Jim Parsons, can keep a man laughing from the beginning to the end of a show. Sandra Day O'Connor was in my opinion one of the most respected Supreme Court justices. Sir Elton John, is a master of the musical world. I enjoyed so much reading this article. Thank you, Jean.

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on April 19, 2015:

Hello Rangoon House,

I'm glad you enjoyed reading about other Aries people. They are almost always the "first" to do or discover a new and original way to do something. I am expanding this series, because I had Part 2's for each sign on my blog, and am moving and updating them to put on here. Best Wishes.

AJ from Australia on April 18, 2015:

Being an Aries, it was great to read about these people, their determination and achievements.

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on April 10, 2015:

Hi peachpurple,

Yes, you are in good company! I have Clapton's Unplugged CD in my car right now!!

peachy from Home Sweet Home on April 10, 2015:

great! I am an Aries too! Happy that Eric clapton is an aries, he is a cool daddy

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on March 23, 2013:

Hi Eileen,

Thanks for stopping by! Your Sun is in Aries, but the Moon, your Ascendant (which sign was on the horizon at the time you were born, and every other planet is in a sign too. Then there are 12 houses, all with varied meanings. The distance apart the planets are is also factored in. Maybe you have a Cancer Moon or a hard aspect to your Ascendant if you are shy. I am also shy about speaking in front of groups. Anyway, nice to see you. This piece is about Famous Aries people, I have quite a few on here that explain Sunsigns, Moonsigns and Ascendants if you are interested. Take care.

Eileen Hughes from Northam Western Australia on March 23, 2013:

Really interesting. Some right some wrong where this arian is concerned.

I do have a bad habit of saying what I think. I could never say something looked nice if it didn't and open my yap without thinking it out first.

I do lover challenges, not jumping of a bridge type. But new interests,hobbies and jobs and starting business.

Although I am too shy to speak in front of people or be a leader. Great hub though.

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on January 03, 2013:

Happy New Year to you too! I hope it's all you are hoping for and more!

Mariana on January 03, 2013:

Thank you so much for your advice I will certainly follow it!It's so good to realize that someone axily answers back ,people who are really passionate about what they do always do so=D I wish you the very best and may 2013 be an excellent year for you

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on January 02, 2013:

Hello Mariana,

Thanks for writing! Actually as I was reading about you, I was reminded of my brother. He is Libra, with Aries Rising or Ascendant, and has similar problems "balancing" himself. It's not a bad thing, because both signs are Cardinal signs of leadership. During the times of year when the Sun is in Solstice, June and Dec 21st, and Equinox, April and Oct 21st, are probably times that are the most active for you. It's a time when you can get what you want, like a job, or decide to start something new, and it will be successful. So don't worry about it, it's just an opposition, and in Astrology most people have at least one. I bet you will notice you do accomplish good things and feel creative at those times of year. Libra people need "time out" when they feel scattered like that, so don't be afraid to relax, and tell everyone to give you a break, or pretend your phone is off for the day! Aries people live for today, and Libra people are not really planners, so your worrying about tomorrow probably comes from somewhere else. We often have Mercury (how we think) and Venus (our love and social life) in a sign close to, but not in our Sunsign. So maybe you have Mercury in Virgo. They plan everything down to the last detail. If you go to Cafeastrology.com you can find out where your Mercury and Venus are. But don't pay for a chart, I put all my info in and it came out wrong. Just use it to find planets. I have a Venus series on my blog spiritualitypathways.com. If you read the Venus articles, you will recognize one to be you! Best wishes, Jean

Mariana on January 02, 2013:

My sun sign is in Libra so I feel like I'm a very pacific person and that i see and do things in a balanced and smooth way but sometimes it's like I can´t balance my mind and my soul.because in my mind I feel like a completely different person, I just feel so much more intense,active and I always have to be thinking about my projects and future (I'm deffinetely not mellow in that state as opposed to what i feel within my soul). I never really understood why this hapenned until I found my moon sign(Aries) and know it makes a little bit more sense to me. At home I feel like I react to others either very in a very passionate way or in a very "almost" outrageous way, I feel really bad about this but I cannot help it.

Could you please give me some advice on how to balance these to aspects of my personality ? also do you think moon (aries) and a libra sign are a bad combination? kisses from Portugal

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on May 27, 2012:

Hi Angela,

Glad you enjoyed it! I have other hubs about Aries people, and also a "Day in the Life" of each sunsign series going on my blog. Take care.

Angela Brummer from Lincoln, Nebraska on May 27, 2012:

I am an Aries to the "T"! I loved reading this!!! Thank YOU!!!

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on April 25, 2012:

Hi Patrice,

I'm glad you liked it. They sure were exciting times. I wonder if it's just because we were young? But it seems like there was a greater sense of possibility, something in the air. I hope in the future the 60's and 70's aren't all about hippies and drugs. Even hippies had high ideals, and a society needs hope! I posted Famous Taureans last night, I'm sorry, I didn't know, lol!

PWalker281 on April 24, 2012:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this hub about 10 famous Aries people. Your description of Gloria Steinem brought back fond memories of the 70s; those were exiting times, weren't they? So when you do your list of 10 famous Taurus people, don't forget to include me (ha ha! just kidding :-)). Voted up and (very) interesting.

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on April 24, 2012:

Hello Amaryllis,

I'm sure you are much more useful than you think! Aries people always have original ideas, and people enjoy being around them. Thank you for reading and commenting!

Lesley Charalambides from New Hampshire on April 24, 2012:

Very interesting.

As an aries myself I knew we were trouble makers, but had no idea we could also be useful!

Thanks for the information - clearly I'm just not typical!

Jean Bakula (author) from New Jersey on April 24, 2012:

Thank you ishwaryaa22. It's a fun series to write, and hard to narrow it down to 10 of each sign. I'm a little late, as the Sun is in Taurus now, but I'll be posting that one later tonight. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Ishwaryaa Dhandapani from Chennai, India on April 24, 2012:

An engaging hub! Aries people are often known to be competitive and also are said to be born leaders in their own way! These famous people's personalities has typical Aries traits in them! Looking forward to your upcoming hubs on famous people of other zodiac signs.

Thanks for SHARING. Interesting. Voted up.