Rain Phoenix

Infobox actor
name = Rain Phoenix

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imagesize = 240px
birthdate = birth date and age|1972|11|21
birthname = Rain Joan of Arc Bottom
location = Crockett, Texas, U.S.
spouse = Michael Tubbs (2003-)

Rain Phoenix (November 21, 1972) is an American actress, musician, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin and the late River Phoenix, and two sisters, Summer and Liberty. Phoenix has been a vegan from the age of 5.

Early Life

Phoenix was born Rain Joan of Arc Bottom [According to the State of Texas. "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997". At Ancestry.com] in Crockett, Texas. Her mother, Arlyn Sharon (née Dunetz), was born in the Bronx, New York to Jewish parents from Hungary and Russia. [ [http://draven.ifrance.com/ames/s-press.html Summer Phoenix : articles (part 1) ] ] [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,173161,00.html FOXNews.com - 'Walk the Line' Star Won't Campaign for Oscar - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment ] ] [ [http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/363/16489_celebrities.html Ten American showbiz celebrities of Russian descent - Pravda.Ru ] ] Her father, John Lee Bottom, was a lapsed Catholic from Fontana, California. [http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=8397 JewishJournal.com ] ] In 1968, Phoenix's mother left her family and moved to California, meeting Phoenix's father while hitch-hiking. They married in 1969 and joined the religious cult the Children of God and worked as missionaries and in South America. It was there, at the age of three, that Phoenix (accompanied by elder brother River on guitar) first began to sing. Soon the other Phoenix children joined them and they would perform on the streets of Caracus, Venzuela for loose change while handing out christian flyers to passers by. They returned to the United States in 1978 and the family adopted the surname "Phoenix" to represent new beginnings. The family set out for California in order for the children to enter the entertainment indusry. In West Los Angeles Phoenix and her siblings would perform on the streets for crowds of people. Arlyn took a job at NBC and eventually secured all five Phoenix children with an agent.

Rain sang with brother River as an audience warm up act on the show "Real Kids (1982)" (around this time, Phoenix changed her name to "Rainbow" deeming 'Rain' to be "too dreary". She returned to her original name as a teenager). Various bit parts followed in tv shows including "Amazing Stories" in 1986 and "Family Ties" in 1987. Also in 1987 Phoenix landed a part in the feature film "Maid To Order" along side Ally Sheedy.

At 15, Phoenix returned to her roots in music and formed the band Aleka's Attic with then 17 year old brother River. River, along with bass player Josh McKay, wrote music and lyrics and Phoenix sang backup. The band secured gigs in and around their home town of Gainesville, Florida. By this time, River's career had taken off and so the band was often put on hold for River's demanding schedule. In 1988 Aleka's Attic were signed to a development deal with Island Records and in 1989 released the track "Across The Way" on a benefit album for the animal rights group PETA. In 1991 they made a tour of east coast clubs and colleges. At this time, Phoenix joined her brother River on the set of his tenth movie, "My Own Private Idaho". She met director Gus Van Sant to whom River suggested she would be perfect for a role in his upcoming project, a film adaptation of Tom Robbins' cult novel, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues"(1993)". She was cast as head cowgirl, "Bonanza Jellybean", alongside Uma Thurman.

River's Death

A few months after the films completion Phoenix Flew to Los Angeles with her brother Joaquin to meet River during a break in his 14th project "Dark Blood". On the evening of the 30th of October 1993 they set out, joined by River's girlfriend Samantha Mathis, for night at Johnny Depp's LA club, The Viper Room. It would be the last evening Rain would spent with her brother as he died later that night from heart failure attributed to an overdose of heroin and cocaine.

Not only did Phoenix have to deal with the loss of her older brother, but also the media circus that followed. Aleka's Attic (then consisting of a different line-up) had been working on an album River had been funding himself. The album was near completion and so Phoenix began the long task of mixing and producing the scraps of recordings. The album has never been released.

Recent Life and Career

In 1994 Phoenix joined friend's R.E.M. in the studio to record backup on the song "Bang and Blame", to be released on the 1995 album "Monster" (the album would be dedicated to River). In 1995 Phoenix joined Red Hot Chili Peppers as a backup singer on their "One Hot Minute" tour.

In 1997 Phoenix joined the punk/new wave band The Causey Way, which also included her younger sister Summer. They disbanded in 2001 after the release of three albums.

Phoenix returned to acting in 1998 with parts in "I woke up early the day i died (1998)", "Facade (2000)", "O (2001)", "Harry and Max (2004)" and "Hitch (2005)".

Phoenix married long term partner, guitaist Michael Tubbs, in 2003.

Papercranes

Phoenix formed the band papercranes in 2003 and is lead singer and lyricist. Their self title EP was released in 2004 and their first album, "Vidalia", in 2006. Guest musicians include Phoenix's younger sisters Summer and Liberty as well as actor Dermot Mulroney, Libby Lavella and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, who also was a guest musician on tracks for Aleka's Attic in the 90's.

Phoenix continues to split her time between writing, recording and performing with the band and working on various tv and film projects.

Filmography

*"Maid to Order" (1987)
*"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" (1993)
*"To Die For" (1995)
*"O" (2001)
*"Stranger Inside" (2001)
*"Harry and Max" (2004)

References

External links

* [http://papercranesmusic.com papercranes Official Site]
*imdb name|id=0681095|name=Rain Phoenix
* [http://www.myspace.com/papercranesmusic papercranes official MySpace page]