Article: Por onde andam os Hanson?

Garotos-prodígio se casaram e viraram pais de família, mas continuam lançando discos

Nascidos em Tulsa, uma das cidades mais conservadoras dos Estados Unidos, os Hanson sempre foram vistos como bons garotos, não só pela música redondinha, como também pelo comportamento impecável. Isaac, Taylor e Zac começaram lançando dois discos por conta própria, mas viraram febre mundial em 1997 com o hit “MMMBop”, cujo álbum “Middle of nowhere”, da Mercury Records, vendeu milhões de cópias. Embalados pelo sucesso, os rapazes lançaram mais três álbuns entre 1997 e 1998. O governador de Oklahoma chegou a criar um dia para homenagear a banda, o chamado “Hanson day”, que acontece todo 6 de maio.

Mas no início dos anos 2000, a criatividade dos Hanson esbarrou na indústria fonográfica, quando eles começaram a ter dificuldades com a gravadora da época, a Island Def Jam. Os três resolveram pedir demissão e criaram o próprio selo, o 3CG Records.

Os Hanson só conseguiram lançar um disco quatro anos após o anterior, quando colocaram à venda em seu site “Underneath acoustic” (2004), atitude ainda pouco comum na época. Desde então, lançaram ainda “Underneath” (versão estúdio, também de 2004) e “The Walk” (2007), além de coletâneas, acústicos e ao vivos. Hoje, seguem fazendo shows e apresentações na TV, principalmente nos Estados Unidos. São também conhecidos pelo engajamento: o lucro pelo download da canção “Great Divide”, do último álbum, foi revertido para uma clínica de pesquisa do HIV, na África do Sul.

Em relação à vida pessoal, passados mais de 10 anos desde o início da carreira, Isaac, Taylor e Zac continuam acima de qualquer fofoca e confusão. Cresceram, casaram-se e se tornaram pais de família. Confira por onde andam cada um dos garotos prodígio.

Isaac

O mais velho dos rapazes está hoje com 28 anos. Casado desde 2006 com Nicole Dufresne, tem dois filhos pequenos. Dos três, é o que tem a saúde mais frágil: em 2003, o guitarrista foi hospitalizado por conta de um coágulo no braço; em 2007, teve uma embolia pulmonar.

Taylor

Tem 25 anos. É considerado o mais bonito dos Hanson e também o mais família. Casou-se cedo, aos 19, com Natalie, e já tem quatro filhos: River, Penélope, Jordan Ezra e Viggo. Na banda, toca piano e teclado, além de ser a voz principal.

Zac

O menininho baterista dos Hanson hoje tem 23 anos. Assim como os irmãos, é casado (com Kathyrn Tucker) e tem um filho. No álbum “The walk”, faz a voz principal quase metade das músicas.

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If anyone can translate this – please let me know!

Under The Sea

Here is a video I took of Isaac singing “Under The Sea” on the Lido Deck, Hanson’s first performance on The Rock Boat

Article: Tulsa World: Hanson’s back in town!

The boys are back in town: Keep your eyes peeled for Hanson. I just got word from the band’s publicist, Ken Phillips, that the brothers will take a break this spring to return to the studio in downtown Tulsa. Phillips said Hanson plans to release a new album later this year, the first since 2007’s “The Walk,” from the trio’s own label, 3CG Records.

The three brothers have moved the offices for their feisty indie music empire here. “We’re never leaving Tulsa,” Taylor Hanson said in March.

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Article: Hanson Steps Out For Charity

The Hanson brothers – Zac, Taylor and Isaac – traveled to Africa before releasing their fourth album “The Walk” in the summer of 2007.

What they saw in Africa inspired them to take action against AIDS and poverty in the continent of Africa.

When they took the trip to Africa, they were blown away. There was so much that was needed, people in the region needed shoes or a 33-cent drug that a mother who is HIV and pregnant needs to protect her unborn baby from being infected with the virus.

They realized that something had to be done as more than 35 million people die from AIDS every year. There are also about 14 million children orphaned because of AIDS and the number is expected to increase to 25 million by 2010. The brothers knew they needed to do something to make a difference by fighting the disease.

The oldest of the brothers Isaac said that they wanted to be a generation of action and not of awareness.

Hanson began “The Walk around The World tour” in September 2008.

In every city that Hanson performs a concert, they also walk a mile barefoot. They encourage their fans to join them as they walk in each city. The walkers can choose to walk barefoot or with shoes on, but they encourage the walkers to connect with children in Africa who have no shoes.

For every person who joins the band on a walk, Hanson donates $1 to one of the five goals that the walker may choose. The brothers have five goals in mind to accomplish, two of which they’ve already achieved. One of the goals was to raise enough money to build a clean water well in Kenya. The second one was to provide cell phones to AIDS patients so that they can contact their doctors whenever necessary.

They have three goals pending. One is to provide medicine for people infected with AIDS. Number two is to build a new school in Kenya and number three is to provide shoes for people around the world.

Hanson’s 104th walk was held on Drakes’s campus. Though it was raining and windy, this did not hinder the students to join them around the campus.

The brothers told the students that they had walked before through rain, through snow and even blistering heat, and they told the students that they needed them to understand that they will be making a difference in what they did that day on issues in Africa.

They announced another goal, they wanted to walk around the world. There are 24,902 miles around the world and the brothers hope many people will take the walk. To date, 11,589 people have participated in the walk – which means only 13,313 miles and people left to go.

If you would want to take action and you missed the walk at Drake, there are many ways you can still help. Hanson has released a charity single on iTunes called “The Great Divide”. All proceeds from the song go directly towards providing medicine for people infected with HIV.

Hanson has also teamed up with Tom’s Shoes. For every pair of shoes purchased from Tom’s Shoes, the company donates a pair to someone in need of shoes.

The initial goal of 50,000 shoes was met in November 2007 and shoes are still being delivered across the world. Anyone across the world can host a walk on their own – information can be found at takethewalk.net.

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