Married four times, Mike put his career ahead of his family for decades. “He was not a bad father — he was an absentee father,” Chris told Closer. “But at one point in his early 70s, he said one of the joys of living a long life was he had time to make amends. In the last years of his life, we became very close.” Mike didn’t just open up to his family in his later years; he helped millions by going public with his battles against depression.

It seems that as soon as a rapper reaches the upper echelon of commercial success, they are required to sport an expensive jewelry piece and be known for at least one hand gesture everybody wonders about. Jay-Z’s vast collection of diamond-encrusted watches and rings is a prominent example of the jewelry trend, and the various reasons rappers wear gold chains is a case in point. But if one has to start their collection with only one item, it’s got to be the star ring rappers wear and flash around.

Made in Laurel, Mississippi 21" long x 8" tall 26 pounds Laurel Machine & Foundry has been casting these iron dachshunds in downtown Laurel, Mississippi, since 1939. This heavyweight back door companion makes it easy to scrape the bottoms of your boots outside so you don't muddy up the house. ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7ra3Uq5ylpZWnsKK606KjnmaTpLpwvNGom66bpKh8o7vOrWSsm6KWvaa%2B

Mumford and Sons' honest and revealing lyrics give their hit song 'I Will Wait' a shot with a genre that is typically nervous around outsiders. The folk-rockers from England have offered their gold single to country radio four months after releasing it as the lead single from their Grammy-nominated 'Babel' album.  Marcus Mumford and company are a triple threat in that they're young, handsome and extremely talented. Their artistry is rooted deep in folk and bluegrass, making their mainstream success that much more surprising and refreshing.

Parmalee know firsthand that being seen as commercially viable is as important as talent in the music business. What good is talent, after all, if no one knows what to do with it? The North Carolina country-rockers' story of triumph after a fatal shooting in 2010 is well-known. The less exciting (but perhaps more imposing) obstacle was overcoming a perceived identity crisis. "We were too country for rock, too rock for country.