American actor and musician
Mark Salling
Salling in 2009
Born (1982-08-17 ) August 17, 1982Died January 30, 2018(2018-01-30) (aged 35) Cause of death Suicide by hanging Occupation Actor, composer, musician Years active 1996–2015 Known for Noah "Puck" Puckerman on Glee
Mark Salling (; August 17, 1982 – January 30, 2018)[1] [2] was an American actor known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the television series Glee .[3]
Salling studied at the Los Angeles College of Music before working as a guitar teacher. He also worked as an occasional actor, appearing in Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996) and The Graveyard (2006) before gaining a recurring role in Glee in 2009. Initially a regular character, from the fifth season he was reduced to a recurring guest star role. On the show, he soloed and dueted on cover versions of various songs. Pursuing a music career, he established his own label, Pipe Dreams Records, in partnership with Fontana Distribution . On this label he released an album, Pipe Dreams , in 2010.
In 2015, Salling was arrested for possession of child pornography.[4] He pleaded guilty to the charges in 2017,[5] but committed suicide in 2018, shortly before he was to be sentenced.[6] [7]
Early life and education
Salling was born in Dallas , Texas ,[7] the younger of two children[6] to John Robert Salling Jr., an accountant,[8] and Condy Sue Salling (née Wherry), a school secretary.[6] [9] [10] He was home-schooled at an early age.[7] He attended, but did not graduate from, Culver Military Academy and later graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2001. While he attended high school, he was a member of the school wrestling team.[11] After graduating from high school, Salling attended the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, California and began studying guitar, giving guitar lessons to make a living.[12]
Career
Music
Salling sang, wrote, and produced his own music under the name Jericho. He also played the piano, guitar, bass guitar, and drums.[12] Jericho's debut album Smoke Signals was released on February 8, 2008[13] by Jericho Records. On October 25, 2010, Salling released a rock/jazz album titled Pipe Dreams , which was inspired by Alice in Chains , Nine Inch Nails , Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock .[14] It was released by Pipe Dreams Records, Salling's own label, in partnership with Fontana Distribution .[12] He was the composer, performer and producer, of each track.[12] The first single, "Higher Power", premiered on August 10, 2010.[15]
On the television show Glee , he soloed and dueted on cover versions of various songs, including "Sweet Caroline ", "Only the Good Die Young ", "The Lady Is a Tramp ", "Run Joey Run ", "Beth ", "Just Give Me a Reason ", "Good Vibrations ", and "Fat Bottomed Girls ".[16] During filming, Salling paid tribute to the cast of Glee by writing a song and creating a video titled "Chillin' on Glee'", which featured various cast and crew members.[17]
Acting
Salling acted in Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996) and The Graveyard (2006). In 2008, he was cast as Noah Puckerman on the Fox series Glee . On June 28, 2013, it was reported that Salling would not be returning as a regular on Glee 's fifth season, but would instead be a recurring guest star on the series.[18]
Personal life
Salling dated Glee co-star Naya Rivera from 2007 to 2010, and Playboy model DJ Roxanne Dawn from 2010 to 2011.[9] He resided in Shadow Hills, Los Angeles , California .[19]
Salling was a long-time member of the Echo Park Ornithology Club in Los Angeles, and even penned their theme song. The president and founder of the organization said that Salling "really enjoyed birdwatching a lot, and he really cared about birds... he had a lot of animals at his house and he worked at an animal rescue when I knew him. We went birdwatching together."[20]
Legal issues
Sexual assault charges
In January 2013, Salling's ex-girlfriend Roxanne Gorzela[6] accused him of committing sexual battery on March 25, 2011, by forcing her to have unprotected sex without her consent.[21] [22] [23] He denied the charges and filed a counter-suit for defamation of character.[24] In March 2015, Salling settled with Gorzela out of court after judges ordered him to pay her US$2.7 million.[6] [25]
Child pornography charges
On December 29, 2015, Salling was arrested at his Los Angeles home on suspicion of possessing several thousand photos and videos depicting child pornography, following a tip-off to the police from one of his ex-girlfriends.[9] [26] [27] [28] He was released later on $20,000 bail, but a search warrant found more than 50,000 images of child pornography, downloaded between April and December 2015, on his computer and USB flash drives .[9] On May 27, 2016, he was charged with receiving and possessing child pornography.[29] As a result of the charges, Salling was removed from the cast of Adi Shankar 's film Gods and Secrets .[30] On September 30, 2017, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, expected to result in Salling serving four to seven years in jail, registering as a sex offender , and entering a treatment program, among other conditions. The guilty plea was formalized on December 18, 2017,[5] and Salling's sentencing date was set for March 7, 2018.[31]
Death
Salling was found dead from an apparent suicide by hanging on January 30, 2018, near his home in the Sunland area of Los Angeles , six hours after he was reported missing.[6] [32] [2] [33]
Filmography
Film
Television
Discography
Studio albums
Year
Album details
Peak chart positions
US [47]
US Heat [48]
US Indie [49]
2008
Smoke Signals (released under stage name Jericho)
—
—
—
2010
Pipe Dreams
Released: October 25, 2010[50]
Label: Fontana , Pipe Dreams Records
Formats: CD, digital download
189
5
29
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Singles
Year
Title
Album
2010
"Higher Power"
Pipe Dreams
References
^ "Mark Salling" . TV Guide .com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ a b Corriston, Michelle; Corinthios, Aurelie; Warner, Kara; Pelisek, Christine (January 20, 2018). "Mark Salling Dead in Apparent Suicide a Month Before His Sentencing in Child Porn Case" . People . New York City: Meredith Corporation . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ Fox's official Glee page Archived September 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
^ a b Zumberge, Marianne (December 29, 2015). "' Glee' Star Mark Salling Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography" . Variety . Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ a b "Mark Salling Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography, Faces 4-7 Years in Prison" . TheBlast.com . October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017 .
^ a b c d e f "Former "Glee" Actor Mark Salling Dead of Apparent Suicide: Fast Facts to Know" . Gossip On This . January 30, 2018. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018.
^ a b c Williams, Janice (January 30, 2018). "What was Mark Salling's cause of death?" . Newsweek . New York City: IBT Media . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ Sitzer, Carly (January 30, 2018). "See the Last Public Photos of Mark Salling Before His Alleged Suicide" . inTouch . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018.
^ a b c d Duncan, Amy (January 31, 2018). "Who is Mark Salling? Net worth, age and his relationships following Glee actor's suicide" . Metro . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018.
^ "Mark Salling's Mom Was His 'Biggest Defender' Before His Death" . US Magazine . January 30, 2018. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018.
^ Chen, Eva (September 2010). "Mark Salling: Naughty by Nature" . Teen Vogue . Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2011 .
^ a b c d "Mark Salling Bio" . MarkSallingMusic.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010 .
^ Smoke Signals at AllMusic.com
^ "Pipe Dreams by Mark Salling" . iTunes. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2010 .
^ Stack, Time (August 10, 2010). "' Glee' star Mark Salling announces debut album and premieres new single: Listen to it here!" . Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc. Archived from the original on August 14, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010 .
^ "Watch Glee Online - Streaming at Hulu" . Hulu . Archived from the original on December 2, 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ "Mark's Tribute to his Glee Family" . YouTube. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2011 .
^ a b Ausiello, Mark. "' Glee' Season 5: Heather Morris, Mark Salling and 2 Others Not Returning as Regulars" . TVLine. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ Serna, Joseph (December 30, 2015). "' Hundreds of images' seized in 'Glee' actor Mark Salling child porn case, police say" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 19, 2018 .
^ Tracy, Brianne; Corinthios, Aurelie (January 31, 2018). "Mark Salling Was a 'Devout Christian' with Passion for Birdwatching Before His Downfall: Friend" . People . Retrieved February 20, 2018 .
^ "Mark Salling Sexual Battery: 'Glee' Star Sued By Ex-Girlfriend" . The Huffington Post . January 19, 2013. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ "' Glee' Star Sued For Alleged Sexual Assault" . Wonderwall.com . Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ Gennis, Sadie (January 19, 2013). "Mark Salling Sued by Ex-Girlfriend for Sexual Battery" . TVGuide.com . Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ Ryder, Taryn (January 19, 2013). "Mark Salling: There Is 'No Truth' to Sexual Battery Lawsuit" . Yahoo Celebrity. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ "' Glee' Star Mark Salling Settles with Former GF in Fight Over Sexual Encounter" . TMZ. March 25, 2015. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017.
^ Serna, Joseph (December 29, 2015). "' Glee' actor Mark Salling arrested on suspicion of possessing child porn" . Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California: Tribune Publishing . Archived from the original on December 29, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ Kurzweil, Anthony; Kuzj, Steve (December 29, 2015). "' Glee' Actor Mark Salling Reportedly Arrested in Child Pornography Case" . KTLA . Archived from the original on December 29, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ Leopold, Todd (December 29, 2015). "' Glee' actor Mark Salling arrested on child porn charges" . CNN . Archived from the original on December 29, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015 .
^ Cullins, Ashley (May 27, 2016). "Glee Actor Mark Salling Indicted for Possessing Child Pornography" . The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016 .
^ Khatchatourian, Maane (May 31, 2016). "Mark Salling Dropped From 'Gods and Secrets' After Child Porn Indictment" . Variety . Retrieved February 19, 2018 .
^ "Mark Salling Officially Enters Guilty Plea in Child Porn Case" . TMZ . December 18, 2017. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017 .
^ Savitsky, Sasha; Arnowitz, Leora (January 30, 2018). "Mark Salling dead; 'Glee' star was facing jail for child porn possession" . Fox News . Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ Dillon, Nancy; DeSantis, Rachel (January 30, 2018). "' Glee' star Mark Salling dead at 35 in suspected suicide by hanging" . New York Daily News . Retrieved February 19, 2018 .
^ Penn Turing, Martha (July 28, 2011). "Before They Were Gleeks: Mark Salling" . E! Online . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ "Glee The 3d Concert Movie" . TVGuide.com . Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ a b Corriston, Michelle (December 29, 2015). "Mark Salling Arrested for Child Porn: Inside the Glee Star's Big Break and Troubled Past" . People . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ "16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® Recipients - Screen Actors Guild Awards" . Screen Actors Guild . Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2018 .
^ "17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® Nominations Announcement - Screen Actors Guild Awards" . Screen Actors Guild . Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018 .
^ "Nominations Announced for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® - Screen Actors Guild Awards" . Screen Actors Guild . Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018 .
^ "Nominations Announced for the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® - Screen Actors Guild Awards" . Screen Actors Guild . Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2018 .
^ Milet, Sandrine (June 28, 2010). "Teen Choice Awards 2010: Second (Giant) Wave Of Nominees Announced!" . Hollywood Crush . Viacom. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2010 .
^ Soll, Lindsay (June 14, 2010). "Teen Choice Awards 2010: First Round Of Nominees Announced" . Hollywood Crush . Viacom . Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2010 .
^ "Teen Choice Awards 2011 Nominees Announced: Harry Potter vs Twilight" . Huffington Post . June 29, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2017 .
^ Bierly, Mandi (December 6, 2010). "' Glee' rocks 'The X Factor' with 'Don't Stop Believin' " . Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ Mullins, Jenna (July 29, 2011). "The Glee Project: Watch Mark Salling & Ashley Fink Get Their Sexuality On" . E! Online . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018 .
^ "Rocky Road" . September 2, 2014. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via Amazon.
^ "Mark Salling Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200" . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 4, 2010 .
^ "Mark Salling Album & Song Chart History: Heatseekers Albums" . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 4, 2010 .
^ "Mark Salling Album & Song Chart History: Independent Albums" . Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 4, 2010 .
^ "GLEE's Mark Salling to Release New Solo Album, 10/12" . Broadway World. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2010 .
External links
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