1) William Shakespeare (baptised April 26, 1564 – died April 23, 1616) was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language, and the world's preeminent dramatist. He wrote approximately 38 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Already a popular writer in his own lifetime, Shakespeare became increasingly celebrated after his death and his work adulated by numerous prominent cultural figures through the centuries. He is often considered to be England's national poet and is sometimes referred to as the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard") or the "Swan of Avon". Shakespeare produced most of his work between 1590 and 1612, although the exact dates and chronology of the plays attributed to him are under considerable debate. He is counted among the very few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy, and his plays combine popular appeal with complex characterisation, poetic grandeur and philosophical depth. 2) William Shakespeare was the stage name of Australian glam rock singer John Cave (born 1950), also known as John Cabe or Billy Shake. He had two Australian hit singles, "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" which peaked at #2 on the Kent Music Report in 1974 and "My Little Angel" which peaked at #1 in 1975. Both hits were written by Vanda & Young, who also groomed Shakespeare into a glam rocker. 3) also borderline folk punk to fuzzy experimental waltzes: see The Life and Times of William Shakespeare, the pseudonym of Kansas-born, Arizona-raised youngster Blake Elliot Williams. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.