Toni Basil
Musician
Antonia Christina Basilotta, better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is a singer, actress, choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide 1982 hit "Mickey", which reached No 1 in several countries.
Basil was born Antonia Christina Basilotta in Philadelphia. Her mother, Jacqueline Jessica Anderson, was a vaudevillian acrobatic comedian in her family's act "Billy Wells and The Four Fays." Her father, Louis Basilotta, was an orchestra leader who conducted orchestras at the Chicago Theatre and at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, among other locations.
Subject ID: 66733
MoreAntonia Christina Basilotta, better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is a singer, actress, choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide 1982 hit "Mickey", which reached No 1 in several countries.
Basil was born Antonia Christina Basilotta in Philadelphia. Her mother, Jacqueline Jessica Anderson, was a vaudevillian acrobatic comedian in her family's act "Billy Wells and The Four Fays." Her father, Louis Basilotta, was an orchestra leader who conducted orchestras at the Chicago Theatre and at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, among other locations.
While her family was living in Las Vegas where Antonia attended high school, she was one of the sports cheerleaders for the Las Vegas High School Wildcats, and graduated as part of the class of 1961. Already known by the nickname "Toni" by this time, she later incorporated her cheerleading experience into her dance career and her performance of "Mickey" in both performing the selection and choreographing its video. The cheerleader uniform that she wore in the video was a redesigned version of the one she wore in high school.
Her film choreography through the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s include American Graffiti (1973), The Rose (1979), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Something to Talk About (1995), That Thing You Do (1996), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Legally Blonde (2001), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde (2003), Charlie Wilson's War (2007), and The House Bunny (2008).
Basil is one of the seven original Lockers, the street dance group considered "the group that changed the face of dance." She is recognized as a seminal influence in bringing street dance to the attention of the American public. 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.
The Lockers opened and toured with Frank Sinatra, including performances at Carnegie Hall. They opened for Funkadelic at Radio City Music Hall and many acts in Las Vegas, and made countless television appearances including the third episode of Saturday Night Live.
As an actress, Basil started off in the films Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces. Some of her other films are The Last Movie (directed by Dennis Hopper), Greaser's Palace (directed by Robert Downey, Sr.), Mother, Jugs, & Speed, Village of the Giants, Rockula (with Thomas Dolby), and Slaughterhouse Rock. On TV, she has appeared in episodes of Laverne And Shirley, Dark Justice, and in Baywatch Nights as a fortune teller.
Subject ID: 66733
Subject ID: 66733
