Billy Blanks Jr.
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikitia's general notability guideline. |
Billy Blanks Jr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Born | June 30, 1976 Erie, Pennsylvania | ||
| Nationality | American | ||
| Citizenship | United States of America | ||
| Occupation | Fitness personality | ||
Billy Blanks, Jr. (born June 30, 1976) is an American fitness personality. He is the son of martial artist and Tae Bo creator, Billy Blanks.[1]
Early life and education
Blanks was born in 1976 in Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie, Pennsylvania. He began acting at the age of 9 in a production of "The Little Rascals."[2] He began teaching Tae Bo alongside his father and sister by the age of 13[3]. The family moved to Los Angeles when Blanks Senior got a job as a body guard[4] for Catherine Bach.
Career
After Paula Abdul took one of Blanks' Tae Bo classes, she discovered he had an interest in dance[5] and the two began to work together. Blanks went on to perform in music videos for Madonna, Quincy Jones and Paula Abdul.[6]
Blanks later created "Cardioke" a cardio dance workout that featured karaoke singing to build stamina. His workout regiment was featured on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show|"Ellen Degeneres Show,The Ellen DeGeneres Show|" "ABC News,[7]" "KTLA,[8]" and "Fox."[9][10] At the same time, he was sued by his former manager Anthony Riccio[11] Riccio lost the suit, but Blanks and his family became homeless. They lived in the 777 Motor Inn[12][13] in California before appearing on Shark Tank|"Shark Tank."[14] Daymond John[15] offered Blanks a deal to join the Zumba franchise leading to the launch of "Dance It Out" along with a Fitness Talk Show airing on Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime.[16][17][18]
Through "Dance It Out," Blanks is now advocating for people post-COVID-19 to get active and stay healthy.[19] In 2021, he launched an app[20] with Touchpoint Group Holdings, Inc. that allows subscribers to live stream classes hosted by Blanks and other instructors. [21]
In addition to his work with "Dance It Out," Blanks is currently the creative director and host of the Talent Recap Show out of Brooklyn, New York City|New York.[22]
Personal Life
Blanks married actress Sharon Brown (actress)|Sharon Brown in 2004[23] and the two taught dance and fitness classes together[24] throughout their marriage. They adopted one son, Elijah, in 2009.[25]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Billy Blanks Jr. Dance Party Boot Camp | Self | |
| 2011 | Billy Blanks Jr. Fitness: Fat-Burning Hip Hop Mix | Self |
Television
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dance It Out | Self | |
| 2012-2019 | Home & Family | Self | Recurring |
| 2013 | Billy Blanks Jr. Dance It Out Cardio Party | Self | Video Short |
| 2012-2013 | Shark Tank | Self | |
| 2013 | The Dr. Oz Show | Self | Recurring |
| 2009 | Whatever Happened To? | Self | |
| 2003 | The Crystal Method: Born Too Slow | The Silver Man | Video Short |
| 1997 | The Infinite Power Workout | Guest Star | |
| 1994-1996 | Sister, Sister | Jason/Bellboy |
References
- ↑ Leonardi, Ron. "Martial artist, fitness guru Blanks returns to Erie". GoErie.com. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ↑ "Billy Blanks, Jr". www.magzter.com. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ↑ Dickey, Jack. "Where Are They Now: Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ "Billy Blanks' Wife Kickboxes Him to the Curb". TMZ. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ greenwichfreepress. "Dancing Stars of Greenwich Charity Dance Competition Raises $45,000 for Abilis". Greenwich Free Press. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ "How Billy Blanks Jr. Went From 'Homeless' To Fitness Guru — With The Help Of 'Shark Tank' And Mentor Paula Abdul". OK Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ Sandra Bookman (2020-04-20). "Dance It Out: Staying active at home with fitness expert Billy Blanks Jr". ABC7 New York. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ "Billy Blanks Discusses Bringing Your Mind & Will Into Your Workout". KTLA. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ "Billy Blanks Jr. Releases First DVD | Home Media Magazine". www.homemediamagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ↑ "Billy Blanks Jr, Breathes Life Back into School Fitness with Cardioke Tour". PRWeb. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ "Manager to Billy's Son: You're Firing Blank$". TMZ. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ "Fitness Guru Billy Blanks Jr. Delivers Keynote Address at Whittier Street Health Center's 2013 Men's Health Summit". PRWeb. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ "Fitness guru's son, Billy Blanks Jr., and his wife journey from the edge of homelessness to success". Daily News. 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ Debolt, Andy (2016-03-24). "Billy Blanks Jr Dance With Me - After Shark Tank Update". Gazette Review. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ "Fitness guru's son, Billy Blanks Jr., and his wife journey from the edge of homelessness to success". Daily News. 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ Out, Dance It. "Be Inspired, Get Moving, Dance It Out". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ "Billy Blanks Jr.'s Dance It Out Is A Moving Fitness Talk Show Coming To Lifetime • DanceLand". DanceLand. 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ "Home". www.danceitout.com. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ Kavanagh, Linda (2021-07-15). "10th Annual Health Wellness & Lifestyle Expo 2021 with special thanks to Stamford Health, Exclusive Healthcare Partner". Westfair Communications. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ "Buzzzz-o-Meter: Stars Are Buzzing About This Sparkling Water". Us Weekly. 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ Inc, Touchpoint Group Holdings (2021-02-16). "Touchpoint Group Holdings Signs Licensing Agreement with Dance It Out LLC, Billy Blanks Jr". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ "Talent Recap". Talent Recap. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ "Meet the Blanks: America's Beautiful Black Fitness Power Couple". Rolling Out. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ↑ "Dance fitness instructors Billy and Sharon Blanks helped Whirlpool employees celebrate National Employee Health & Fitness Day". mlive. 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ↑ August 8, Naveen Rao-Published; Am, 2018 at 7:02 (2018-08-08). "Billy Blanks Jr.'s Wiki: The Fitness Celebrity Was Propelled by "Shark Tank"". Earn The Necklace. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
External links
This article "Billy Blanks Jr." is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.