Utah Celebrities
Boyd Payne

Ed Ames
Courtesy The Cosden Agency

Real name Edmund Dantes Urick

Born 9 July 1927, Boston, Massachusetts

Children Three

Education B.A., theater and cinema, University of California Los Angeles; Herbert Berghoff School (studied under Tamara Daykharhanova, Lee Strasberg, and Milton Katselas)

Business
Former: The Urick Brothers (vocal); The Ames Brothers (vocal); championship tennis player; owner and manager, Monte Cristo Productions; board of directors, Bowers Music

Music
Albums: Six Gold Records; original songs include: My Cup Runneth Over; The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane; Rag Mop; Sentimental Me; Try to Remember; Who Will Answer?

Television
Series: Daniel Boone (“Mingo”); Detective Story

Theater
Stage: Carnival; Carousel; The Crucible (Arthur Miller); The Fantasticks; Fiddler on the Roof; Man of La Mancha; One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Shenandoah

Property Coalville

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Alan Ashton
Courtesy WordPerfect Corporation

Full name Alan Conway Ashton, Ph.D.

Born 7 May 1942, Salt Lake City, Utah

Spouse Karen Ashton

Children Twelve (one foster child)

Education B.S., mathematics, University of Utah; Ph.D., computer science, University of Utah

Business
Former: associate professor, computer science, Brigham Young University; co-founder, WordPerfect Corporation; president, WordPerfect Leasing Incorporated; board of directors, Softcopy Incorporated, WordPerfect International, WordPerfect domestic, and ABP Development Company; registered agent, Akeasm Base Computer Software Incorporated
Current: Board of directors, Novell Incorporated; president, Orem Boulevard Plaza; trustee, William Halls Family Organization; registered agent, Ashton Family Limited Partnership, and Charitable Remainder Unitrust; Forbes‘s 400 Richest in America
Awards: Outstanding Professor of the Year, Brigham Young University; Entrepreneur of the Year, Small Business Association of Utah

Property Sundance Recreational Resort, Sundance

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M. Russell Ballard
©Merrett T. Smith

Full name Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr.

Born 8 October 1928, Salt Lake City, Utah

Spouse Barbara Bowen Ballard

Children Seven

Education University of Utah

Business
Former: Real estate agent; investment counselor; board of directors, Oak Hills Tennis Courts Incorporated; partner, Melvin R. & Geraldine S. Ballard Associates; 1st Lt., U.S. Air Force; sales manager, Ballard Motor Company; founder, Russ Ballard Auto Incorporated; founder, Ballard-Wade Company; owner, Ballard and Company; director, Foothill Thrift and Loan, Nate-Wade Incorporated, Silver King Mines Incorporated, and Salt Lake Junior Achievement
Current: LDS Church Board of Education; chair, Deseret Book Company; board of directors, Huntsman Chemical Corporation, GS Associates, Freedoms Foundation, and David O. McKay Institute of Education; partner, N & R Investments, J. Russell & Afton W. Bowen Associates, and Ballard Investment Company
Author: Our Search for Happiness: An Invitation to Understand the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Suicide: Some Things We Know and Some We Don’t

Religious
Former: LDS proselyting mission, England; LDS mission president, Toronto, Canada; executive director, Correlation Department, Curriculum Department, and Missionary Department; executive council, Leadership Training, and Personnel Committee; presidency, LDS First Quorum of the Seventy
Current: LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Property St. Mary Hills, Salt Lake City

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Dave Balsiger

Full name David Wayne Balsiger

Born 14 December 1945, Monroe, Wisconsin

Spouse Nancy Marie Dixon Balsiger

Children Three

Education Pepperdine University; Cypress Junior College; Chapman College; International College, Copenhagen; B.A., National University, San Diego

Business
Former: Feature writer, Anaheim Bulletin; publisher, Money Doctor; media director, World Evangelism; marketing director, Logos International Christian Book Publications; president, Balsiger Literary Services, and Master Media; vice president, Donald S. Smith Associations, American Portrait Films International; visiting professor, National University; press agent, John G. Schmitz, and Gordon Bishop congressional campaigns, and Ronald Reagan for Governor; campaign manager, James E. Johnson for U.S. Senate, Dave Gubber congressional campaign; board of directors, Chapman College World Campus Afloat, Chrisma Ministries, and International Christian Relief Fund; founder, Ban the Soviets Coalition; executive committee, Anatole Fellowship
Current: Owner, Writeway Literature Association, Balsiger Enterprises, and Biblical News Service; director, Sunn International Pictures; columnist, contributor, USA Today; founder, National Citizens Action Network
Author: Ancient Secrets of the Bible; Beyond Defeat; The Black Side of Satan; Candidates Biblical Scoreboard; Christian Singles Connection; Face in the Mirror; Family Protection Scoreboard; In Search of Noah’s Ark; The Incredible Discovery of Noah’s Ark; It’s Good to Know; The Lincoln Conspiracy; Mistah Abe; Noah’s Ark: I Touched It; On the Other Side; One More Time; Presidential Biblical Scoreboard; The Satan Seller; Scoreboard Alert; South Africa
Awards: George Washington Honor Medal; Gold Mercury Award; Literature Hall of Fame; Religion in Media Angel Trophy; Silver Mercury Award; Vietnam Appreciation Citation

TV Specials
Director/Producer/Writer: Ancient Secrets of the Bible; Ancient Secrets of the Bible II; The Bermuda Triangle; In God We Trust: The Impact of Prayer in America; In Search of Noah’s Ark; The Incredible Discovery of Noah’s Ark; The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams; The Lincoln Conspiracy; Mistah Abe; Mysteries of the Ancient World; Operation Thanks

Property Pleasant Valley Estates, Ogden

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Bruce Bastian
Courtesy WordPerfect Corporation

Full name Bruce Wayne Bastian

Born 23 March 1948, Twin Falls, Idaho

Spouse Melanie Laycock Bastian (divorced)

Children Four

Education B.A., music, Brigham Young University; M.S., computer science, Brigham Young University

Business
Former: Software engineer, Eyring Research; co-founder, WordPerfect Corporation; partner, CDX Incorporated; board of directors, WordPerfect Leasing Incorporated; president, Softcopy Europe, WordPerfect International, and WordPerfect domestic; chair, Satellite Software; Forbes‘s 400 Richest in America
Current: President, BWB Properties; partner, Bastian Family Limited Partnership

Property Old Orchard Estates, Orem

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Robby Benson
Jeff Slocomb/Outline

Real name Robert David Segal

Born 21 January 1956, Dallas, Texas

Spouse Karla De Vito (singer/actress)

Children Two

Education American Academy of Dramatic Arts; New York City Lincoln Square Academy (valedictorian)

Business
Former: child actor; film instructor, University of Southern Carolina
Current: Film instructor, University of Utah

Motion Picture
Actor: The Chosen; City Limits; Deadly Exposure; Die Laughing (also producer); Godfather II; Harry and Son; Homewrecker; Ice Castles; Invasion of Privacy; Jeremy; Jory; Lucky Lady; Modern Love (also director and producer); National Lampoon Goes to the Movies; Ode to Billy Joe; One on One; Rent-a-cop; Running Brave; Showdown on Rio Road; The End; Tribute; Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (voice of Beast); Walk Proud; White Hot (also director)
Screenplay: Betrayal of the Dove; Die Laughing; Modern Love; One on One

Music
Composer: soundtracks for Die Laughing, Modern Love, and Walk Proud; “We Are Not Alone” from The Breakfast Club; songs from White Hot; albums, Nobody Makes Me Crazy (Gold Record, Diana Ross); and Karla De Vito (Karla De Vito)

Television
Director: Bringing Up Jack; Dream On; Ellen; Evening Shade; Family Album; Friends; The George Wendt Show; Good Advice; Monty; Muddling Through; Thunder Alley; True Confessions
Movies: All the Kind Strangers; California Girls; Death Be Not Proud; The Death of Richie; Precious Victims; Remember When; Two of a Kind; The Virginia Hill Story
Series: Exo-Squad (voice); Prince Valiant (voice); Road to Avonlea; Search for Tomorrow; Tough Cookies
Specials: The 3rd Annual CBS Easter Parade; John Denver in Australia; Our Town

Theater
Stage: Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?; Dude; Evito; The King and I; King of Hearts; Oliver!; The Pirates of Penzance; The Rothschilds; Zelda

Property Fairway Meadows, Park City

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Kurt Bestor
Courtesy The Pinnacle Group

Full name Kurt Roland Bestor

Born 22 February 1958, Waukesha, Wisconsin

Spouse Melodie Lynn Bae Bestor

Children Two

Education B.A., studio composition, Brigham Young University

Business
Former: Compositions for Orem High School stage band, concert band, and choir
Current: Composer, arranger, and performer; board of directors, Pinnacle Group Incorporated, and Sundance Film Institute
Awards: Barlow Grant; Child Advocate Award; Emmy Award; Fellow, Sundance Film Composers Lab

Music
Albums: An Airus Christmas; An Airus Christmas II; Evening Angels; Innovators (with Sam Cardon); Joyspring; Joyspring II; Rigoletto; Seasons; Seventh Brother; Utah! (with Cardon); Unspoken Song (with Cardon)
Composer: theme for ABC Movie of the Week, CBS Special Presentation, ABC’s 1988 Winter Olympics, and National Geographic Explorer; The Secret Garden (ballet); Unspoken Song (Promised Valley Playhouse); Utah! (Tuacahn Center)
Film Score: Buttercream Gang; Buttercream Gang II; Constitution, 1776; Covey Leadership films Dickens and Teacher; Gordon B. Hinckley doumentary; The Great American West (IMAX theater opening, Myrtle Beach, North Carolina); The Greatest Flight (National Geographic); Howard W. Hunter documentary; Kokoro series Heritage/Pride of Japan, Hiroshima/City Of Peace, Kokoro/The Heart Within, The Lamb of God, Makoto/Sincerity, A More Perfect Union, Nature/Giver of Blessings, Oceans/The Living Waters and Tradition/Inner Harmony; Rigoletto; Seventh Brother; The Witching of Ben Wagner

Property Meadow Wood, Provo

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