Ask American Profile

I love Chris Isaak, but it’s hard to find information on him. Can you tell me where he was born, how old he was when he started singing, and who influenced him musically?
—Cathy P., Illinois

Chris Isaak, 44, was raised in Stockton, Calif., and got his first guitar at age 13. He began writing his owns songs and was influenced by the music of Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Connie Francis. After graduating from the University of the Pacific, he launched his music career in the early ’80s in San Francisco, where he now lives, with his band Silvertone. He released his debut album in 1985 and immediately developed a following. He had his first hit with Wicked Game. His newest album is Speak of the Devil, and he plans to tour this fall. The avid surfer and one-time semipro boxer can be seen in his own cable show, The Chris Isaak Show, which is a fictionalized version of Isaak’s life. “We thought it would be fun if we got on a show where we could do some of our own jokes and play our music,” he says.

I love to watch figure skating, and Kristi Yamaguchi is my favorite. Is it true she was born with clubfeet?
—Nicole C., California

Yes. Kristi Yamaguchi, who turns 30 July 12, had to wear casts and foot braces the first few years of her life to straighten her feet. But that didn’t stop her from becoming one of the world’s top figure skaters. She became interested in skating after watching Dorothy Hamill win an Olympic gold medal in 1976 and started taking lessons that year. Yamaguchi is an Olympic gold medalist, two-time world champion, and four-time world pro figure skating champion. In the 1992 Olympics, Yamaguchi became the first woman from the United States since Hamill in 1976 to win the singles gold medal. She went pro in 1992 and toured with Target Stars on Ice earlier this year. In addition, she wrote Figure Skating for Dummies and co-authored Always Dream, a children’s book. Always Dream also is the name of the foundation Yamaguchi established in 1996. The foundation supports organizations in California, Nevada, and Hawaii dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of children. Yamaguchi married Bret Hedican, a defenseman for the Florida Panthers, last July.

I don’t see Lori Stokes, a newscaster on MSNBC, anymore. What happened to her?
—James S., Kentucky

Lori Stokes, one of the original MSNBC anchors, left to become a morning and noon anchor at WABC-TV in New York. “With MSNBC and NBC, I wanted that national experience and I got it, but I felt like I’m better suited for local news because I like to know who I’m talking to.” Born in Cleveland and raised in the Washington, D.C., area, Stokes always knew she wanted to be a writer. “I originally wanted to be another Sidney Sheldon and write love stories,” she says. “Somewhere along the way, someone mentioned, ‘How about going into journalism? You can still write and express yourself.’” She graduated from Howard University and then worked for television stations in Champaign and Urbana, Ill., Charlotte, N.C., Baltimore, and Washington. She joined MSNBC in 1996 and was also a contributor for NBC’s Nightly News Weekend and anchor on the Weekend Today Show. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

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