William Shatner

William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, author, and film director. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise, in the science fiction television series, “Star Trek”, from 1966 to 1969; “Star Trek”: “The Animated Series” from 1973 to 1974; and in seven of the subsequent Star Trek feature films from 1979 to 1994. He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences playing Captain Kirk and being a part of Star Trek, and has co-written several novels set in the Star Trek universe. He has also authored a series of science fiction novels called TekWar that were adapted for television.

Shatner began his musical career with the spoken-word 1968 album “The Transformed Man”, delivering exaggerated, interpretive recitations of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". He performed a reading of the Elton John song "Rocket Man" during the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards that has been widely parodied. Ben Folds, who has worked with him several times, produced and co-wrote Shatner's well-received second studio album, “Has Been”, in 2004. His third studio album “Seeking Major Tom” was released on 11 October 2011.