AMC: Tad Gardner Martin

[AMCHistory]

Since it's finals seasons, and I need to procastinate just a bit, I decided to post another of my AMC cast biographies (which should make it to a website soon). Since I am only up to 2003 in terms of characters, this is Tad pre-Carey women:

MARTIN, Thaddeus “Tad” James Gardner

Portrayed by : Mathew Anton (1973-77); John E. Dunn (1978-81); Terrell Anthony (1990); Michael E. Knight (1982-86; 1988-90; 1992-present)

Family : Ray Gardner (Father); Opal Cortlandt (Mother); Joseph “Joe” Martin (Adoptive-Father); Ruth Brent Martin (Adoptive Mother); Tara Martin Jefferson (Sister); Bobby Martin (Brother); Jeff Martin (Brother); Joseph “Jake” Martin (Brother); Jenny Gardner (Sister); Adrian Sword (Brother); Petey Cortlandt (Brother); Adam “JR” Chandler, II (Step-Son); Jamie Martin (Son); Kathy “Kate Martin” Keefer (Daughter); Jenny Colby Carey (Daughter); Adam “Little A” Chandler, III (Grandson)

Marriages: Dottie Thornton; Hillary Wilson; Dixie Cooney; Brooke English; Dixie Cooney; Dixie Cooney

1973 : Orphan Tad Gardner called out for his mother and sister Jenny as he rolled into Pine Valley Hospital. The traumatized boy recounted his abuse and abandonment at the hands of his evil father, Ray Gardner. Dr. Jeff Martin and nurse Mary Kennicott took the young boy under their wings.

1974 : Tad was assigned by the courts to become a ward to the Martins. Jeff and Mary were now married and decided they were going to adopt Tad. Jeff went on an exhaustive search to find his biological parents so that they would waive their parental rights.

Tad (Mathew Anton) finally found a stable home with the Martins.

1975 : Tad made his daily trip to Jeff and Mary’s apartment when he witnessed a terrifying sight. Two gunmen bound Mary. She pleaded with Tad to run to safety, Tad ran back to the Martin home and called out for help. When the police arrived at the apartment, Mary was dead. She had been shot. Jeff needed to leave town. Tad was unsure where this put him. Joe assured Tad that everything was going to work out in the end. He asked Tad if it was alright with hi if Joe and Ruth adopted him instead. Already in love with the Martins, Tad agreed.

1977 : Tad got word that his father, Ray Gardner, was found to be living in Texarcana. All the Martins needed with his consent to finally adopt Tad. But if Tad knew his father, this would prove to be a lot easier said than done.

1978 : Tad was terrified to see his father in the Martin home. Ruth defended her son and told Ray that the Martins would never succumb to his demands. Ray took matters into his own hands and raped her. Tad was overcome with guilt for Ruth’s condition. When she recovered from her coma, Joe decided it was best that she recuperated away from the trial. Ruth took Tad to assure him that none of this was his fault.

When they returned, Ray was already in prison. Joe and Ruth could now formally adopt Tad.

1979 : As the other Martins rejoiced in the announcement of Ruth’s pregnancy, Tad was worried about what this meant for him. So much pain had befallen on the Martins over the last few years because of him. Ruth assured Tad that he had nothing to worry about. He was always going to be loved by Joe and Ruth. That Christmas, he welcomed his baby brother, Joey Martin.

1981 : Tad began to smoking pot to rebel against his newfound Martin upbringing. One day. Grandma Kate caught Tad stealing money from her sugar bowl. Even her intervention could not save him. After his girlfriend Suzanne broke up with him, Tad became more destructive. He crashed the family station wagon. Realizing what he did, Tad ran away from home.

Tad (Michael E. Knight) always harbored some guilt over leaving Jenny (Kim Delaney) to be raised in Ray’s shadow.

1983 : Tad came back to Pine Valley, welcomed by the greatest news of his life: Ray was dead. Tad was welcomed back into the Martin home with open arms. But, his life on the Martin high life was compromised by the presence of his biological mother, Opal Gardner, who had recently made her way to Pine Valley. Opal wanted Tad to work for what he got and stop freeloading off of his new family.

Tad recognized a face in The Bulletin. It was another con artist from California, Connie Wilkes. Only, she was now going by Silver Kane. Tad revealed her identity at Erica Kane’s trial for the murder of Kent Bogard. This crucial fact exonerated Erica, and began their close friendship.

Tad had to attend Pine Valley University to prevent the Martins from cutting him off. At least, he got to spend more time with his sister, Jenny Gardner. One day, he unintentionally hurt Jenny by showing a pornographic film that someone had superimposed Jenny’s face onto. Jenny moved to New York and became a model full time. Tad followed his sister. His career was booming until he was caught sleeping with another model in Erica’s New York apartment.

Back in Pine Valley, Tad got extra spending money working at the Glamoramma. There, he met Marian Colby, a neglected housewife looking for love. Marian showered Tad with jewelry and expensive trips in exchange for his companionship. The only issue was that Tad was also dating Marian’s daughter, Liza Colby. Tad had seduced Liza to stop her from teasing Jenny all the time. But, his animosity turned into true compassion. Tad knew that if Liza ever knew the truth it would destroy her.

When Liza learned of Tad’s affair with Marian, she rejected both her mother and boyfriend. Tad tried to keep the truth from Jenny, but Liza was determined to make sure she knew the truth.

Tad (Knight) romanced Liza Colby (Marcy Walker) to get her odd Jenny’s back. Instead, he found himself in a passionate affair with the heiress, and her mother, giving the teen the nickname of “Tad the Cade.”

1984 : Tad watched helplessly as Jenny fell victim to a jet ski explosion while they were on vacation on the lake. Tad tried to get a hold of his mother, but she was lost somewhere in the Australian outback.

Tad acted out more without Jenny to keep him grounded. He was hired by Edna Thornton to date her daughter, Dottie Thornton. Tad was content to keep Dottie satisfied until he met Hillary Wilson. Hillary was living as Phoebe Wallingford’s guest in the English Estate. Phoebe disapproved of Tad’s pursuit of Hillary because of his reputation as a womanizer.

When Dottie learned she was pregnant, Tad knew he had to do the right thing. He entered into a loveless marriage.

Tad (Knight) was torn between the woman he loved, Hillary (Carmen Thomas), and the mother of his unborn child, Dottie (Tasia Valenza).

1985 : Dottie miscarried, but continued to pretend to be pregnant so as to save her marriage. When Tad learned the truth, he declared his love for Hillary. But too many factors kept them apart again. Hillary was now engaged to a terminally ill Bob Georgia.

Tad began an affair with a call girl named Mickey Barlowe. Mikey’s roommate, Kristie planted a computer disk in Tad’s pocket that served as the black book for a pimp named Barton Crane. Crane threatened to kill Tad if he did not return it. Only, Tad could not find the disk. Joey had taken it to play with and left it in his toy chest. The misunderstanding almost cost Tad his life.

Alfred Vanderpoole discovered that Bob had recovered from his condition. That was enough for Hillary to ask for a divorce. Tad and Hillary were finally free to be together.

But in this happiest of times, a dark shadow soon descended on the Martin home. Grandma Kate died peacefully in her sleep. Since his return, Tad knew he could always turn to Kate with his problems. Tad was reunited with all his siblings. They pulled each other through the trying time.

Hillary (Thomas) and Tad (Knight) finally married in a small ceremony at the Wallingford Estate.

1986 : Tad thought he had won Phoebe over. She got him a job at the Pine Valley Bank. Tad decided to work the morning he was to marry Hillary. It was the same morning that robbers decided to target the bank. A quick thinking Tad found refuge in the bank vault with fellow teller Robin McCall. Tad knew Phoebe was probably talking Hillary out of the wedding now. Luckily, Robin’s brother, Wad Mathews, went to bank after Robin did not come home from work. Tad made his way to the Wallingford Estate, hoping Hillary would still take him as her husband.

When he arrived, Tad was surprised to see Dottie and Hillary together. Dottie had given Hillary a ride to the Estate after almost hitting her with a car. Tad explained everything that happened that day. That night, Hillary and Tad married in a small ceremony.

Married life proved to be very hard for the new Martins. Hillary was jealous of Tad’s relationships with other women. Tad could not help that Robin and new neighbor, Skye Chandler, all openly flirted with him in front of his wife. Robin confided in Tad Wade’s plans to marry Phoebe for her money. Tad did not know to what extent Wade would go to secure this. When he realized Wade intended on killing her, Tad immediately called Langley Wallingford to stop Wade. When Hillary learned Tad had known of Wade’s plans all along, she left him.

The last few years paid its toll on Tad. He needed to get away from all the reminders of his past. Tad made the difficult decision to leave Pine Valley again.

1988 : Upon returning to town, Tad realized how much Pine Valley had changed. Many of his old friends were no longer around. Knowing there was always a scandal to uncover, he opened his own Private Investigation firm.

Tad (Knight) surprised Dixie (Cady McClain) with a proposal in a chicken suit, in homage to their first meal together of chicken fingers. (Also pictured: Paige Turco (Lanie), Mary Fickett (Ruth), Ray MacDonnell (Joe))

1989 : Brooke Chandler hired Tad to find out who was the father of Dixie Cooney’s baby. Tad began following Dixie. When they finally came face to face in The Boutique, Tad was overwhelmed with a sensation he had not felt in a long time. He was in love. But Tad had to put his job first. He uncovered a sordid web of lies. Adam Chandler was the baby’s father. He had intended to adopt the baby with Brooke.

Dixie and Adam married, but Tad worried about her welfare. He teamed up with Skye to get to the bottom of Adams plot. Adam was going to convince Dixie she was going crazy. No one believed Tad. They all thought he was jealous because Dixie had chosen Adam over him. When Dixie was carted off to Laurel Hill, Tad knew he had to do something.

Along with the help of Cecily Davidson and Nico Kelly, Tad broke Dixie out of Laurel Hill. They went on the run until Tad could prove Adam’s guilt. When they returned for Pine Valley, Dixie successfully sued Adam for custody of her son, Adam “Junior” Chandler, jr.

Tad arranged for a special dinner at Cortlandt Manor. In front of their families, Tad proposed to Dixie in a chicken suit. Palmer threw them a lavish wedding.

Tad (Knight) found true love with Dixie (McClain). Tad was now a changed man.

1990 : Tad knew his marriage to Dixie was not going to work as long as Palmer had influence over Dixie. He made plans for them to move away from Pine Valley. But, Dixie was not ready to be separated from her family. Tad confided his growing marital insecurities in Brooke. He occupied most of his time working with her at Tempo.

Palmer hired Loretta Rutherford to claim that she and Tad had an affair. Dixie served Tad with divorce papers. That night, he turned to Brooke. They slept together. The next morning, both agreed it was only a one-night thing.

Billy Clyde Tuggle kidnapped Dixie. With Trevor Dillon and Derek Frye’s help, they tracked Dixie down to Billy Clyde’s cabin in the woods. After a police standoff, Tad slipped into the cabin and saved Dixie. Derek took a bullet for Tad as he and Dixie got away. Dixie admitted she never stopped loving Tad. They made plans to remarry that Christmas.

But, it was not all meant to be. On the day he was to marry Dixie, Billy Clyde lured Tad to a bridge. If he was not to have Dixie, no one would. After an altercation, Billy Clyde pulled a trigger that caused a nearby cabin to explode. Tad and Billy Clyde fell into the river below. Billy Clyde’s dead body was found on shore.

Tad’s body drifted down river. When Tad regained consciousness, he had no idea who he was. Tad hitchhiked on a vineyard truck and made his way out of Pine Valley.

Tad (Knight) died leaving behind his widow, Dixie (McClain), and son JR.

1992 : Tad returned to Pine Valley under the guise of Ted Orsini, a wealthy Napa Valley Vineyard owner. For the last two years he had assumed Ted’s identity after hitchhiking his way to California. Suffering from amnesia, Tad arrived home with no memory of his past. Brooke discovered him while he was closing a business deal with Dimitri Marick at Wildwind.

Upon learning they shared a child, Tad (Knight) married Brooke (Julia Barr) though he still loved Dixie. (Also pictured: Christopher Kennedy Lawson (Charlie)).

1993 : Brooke confronted Tad who had no memories of his past. He wanted to hold off any reunions until he was sure about Brooke’s claims. Different pieces of his life in Pine Valley put together the fragments in his mind. Upon seeing his parents, Tad’s memories became intact. His final reunion was with Dixie. They shared a night of passion in the Napa Valley.

But a lot had changed in two years. Dixie had been married two times. Tad was now a father to Brooke’s child. Tad wanted to give Jamie a chance at a normal life. As much as it hurt, he left Dixie to marry Brooke.

Tad became jealous of Dixie’s relationship with the real Ted Orsini. Ted invited Tad on a hunting vacation in Canada. Ted planned to use this trip to rid himself of Tad. Ted was angry that his mother Nola Orsini had left the vineyards to Tad. Dixie found Tad before Ted could execute their plans. Together, they found their way out of the Canadian wilderness. Tad could no longer deny his feelings for Dixie. They fell into an affair.

Tad (Knight) and Dixie (McClain) ran for their lives in the Canadian wilderness.

1994 : Tad worried about Brooke. She was pregnant with his child. When he learned that Brooke was having an ecliptic pregnancy, she ran away, afraid that Tad would make her abort the child. When Tad could not reason with Brooke, he turned to Edmund Grey. Edmund found Brooke and convinced her to come back to Pine Valley for treatment. Still, Brooke miscarried. Brooke realized their marriage was over, and granted Tad a divorce.

Tad and Dixie were now free to marry. This time, Palmer opened his home to Tad and Dixie. They married in a lavish garden wedding.

But their happiness was short lived. Tad worried about Dixie’s brother, Del Henry. Del was in kidney failure, and needed Dixie’s kidney to save his life. Tad knew that any chances of them having a baby would be shot if she went through with the surgery. But before a resolution could be found, a tornado made its way to Pine Valley. At the Martin home, the tornado caused the ceiling to cave in on Tad. As Tad’s body lay near death, his spirit went to another realm.

Jenny and Nola Orsini greeted Tad’s spirit. Tad thought that he must be dead. He wanted to be with his loved ones, but Jesse Hubbard’s spirit made him see all that he would be leaving behind. It would be the site of Ray Gardner that shocked Tad into consciousness. He slowly began to recover with Dixie and his sons by his side.

In his coma, Tad (Knight) was visited by the spirits of those he lost including the dastardly evil Ray (Gil Rogers).

1995 : Tad, Dixie, and Charlie planned a housewarming for the new Martin home. Tad recognized his mother’s severe depression and hoped that her old friends and families would help turn her mood around. To help his mother cope, Tad had to come to grips with his own demons from the night of the tornado first.

Dixie went through with the kidney transplant. Del made it out of the ordeal unscathed, but Dixie experienced many complications. The doctors told Dixie and Tad that they should no longer have children; less they risk Dixie’s life.

This only contributed to the growing tensions in the Martin marriage. Tad was consumed with his work as producer and host of “ The Cutting Edge.” He retired from Orsini Vineyards in hopes of increasing his time at home. While taking the boys on a camping trip, Tad lost track of Jamie. Jamie was swimming in the lake and began to drown. Before Tad could reach him, another person brought him out of the water. It was none other than Janet Green. Janet had been gas lighting Dixie by hiring an actor to impersonate her late brother, Will Cortlandt. Tad had unknowingly hired Janet as an accountant at Orsini while she went under the alias Jane Cox.

Tad hope his work on “The Cutting Edge” would give him an edge for the Station Manager job at WRCW. Tad was furious when he was passed up for the promotion. He was even more surprised to meet the woman who was hired. Liza was back, and now she was his boss. Though Tad was over Liza, it was apparent Liza was not over Tad. Before the year’s end, they shared a kiss.

Tad (Knight) lost it all after Dixie learned of his affair with Liza (Walker).

1996 : Tad and Liza were driven to by The Cutting Edge’s increasing ratings. Tad invited Laurel Banning and Michael to the show to talk about homophobia in Pine Valley. Unknown to Tad, Jason Sheffield was in the rafters with a gun intent on killing Michael. He missed, instead fatally shooting Laurel. Dixie blamed Tad for the whole ordeal. Dixie accused Tad of turning the show into tabloid journalism for the sake of the ratings. Dixie kicked Tad out of the house.

Tad found his way to Liza’s apartment. Liza saw it as the opportune moment to reveal her feelings to Tad. In a moment of weakness, Tad slept with Liza.

Dixie wanted to give their marriage another go; but, too much damage was done. Marian played a tape to Dixie of Tad and Liza talking about their affair. Dixie confronted Tad with the truth. Tad admitted he was wrong for lying to Dixie. Dixie wanted Tad to promise that he would never hurt her again. When Tad could not make that promise, Dixie left him again. This time, she took Junior and left for Pigeon’s Hallow.

Tad left The Cutting Edge and pushed Liza away. He found comfort in Gloria’s arms. Gloria was the only person in Pine Valley that Dixie was still talking to.

Tad (Knight) found a shoulder to cry on in Dixie’s best friend, Gloria (Theresa Blake). Gloria kept her distance since she knew he still loved Dixie.

1997 : Tad thought he had found love again in Gloria. But, she was hesitant to start a relationship based on his past reputation. Gloria also became intimately close with Dimitri. Tad believed that Dimitri’s intentions for Gloria were less than honorable. The breaking point came when Liza found out she was pregnant. Gloria wrongly assumed that Tad was the baby’s father and broke up with him. Gloria embarked in an impromptu marriage with Dimitri.

Edmund needed Tad’s help after Skye revealed that he was Madelyn Grey’s biological father. Dimitri was on the run in Hungary. Tad and Edmund were forced to infiltrate the country dressed as women. Upon arriving in Vadzel, Tad appealed to Gloria for help. Gloria read the court papers that proved Madelyn was Edmund’s child. She convinced Dimitri to turn over Madelyn to Edmund.

Tad (Knight) and Edmund (John Callahan) snuck into Hungary dressed as women.

1998 : Gloria left Pine Valley after her marriage to Dimitri crumbled. Tad met Camille Hawkins, another Pigeon Hallow native. Camille claimed that Adam had killed her mother, Joy Hawkins. Tad investigated the story, and learned that Joy was in fact in hiding from Camille’s abusive father, Lee Hawkins. Camille learned that Lee had a greater plan for all the Chandlers. He was going to kill them in an explosion at Hayley Vaughan’s restaurant, Holidays. Camille was able to warn everybody to get out in time. She tried to disarm the device, but it still went off, killing her in the process. As Tad tried to help the survivors out of the ruble, he was greeted by a vision from his past. It was Dixie. She was back in Pine Valley.

Adam had temporary custody of Junior, now going by JR, after the threats Lee made on his family. Dixie had tried to avoid see Tad. After a while, it seemed like no time had passed between them. They spent most of their time trying to track down Palmer, who was on the run with Nazi artifacts. In New York, they were forced to come to terms with their residual feelings for each other. If they wanted to be together again, they would meet at the top of the Empire State Building at midnight. Tad arrived on time, but Dixie was nowhere to be found.

As a child, Tad remembered a time when Opal was able to escape Ray. They had gone to live with a man named Fred Dawson. Ray kidnapped Tad and used him to lure Opal back. Unknown to Tad, Opal had a son with Fred. His new brother, Adrian Sword, was the spy hired to find Palmer’s Nazi artifacts.

Tad (Knight) and Dixie (McClain) remarried in front of their family and friends. (Also Pictured: Julia Barr (Brooke), Jake (Michael Lowry), Adrian (Matthew St. Patrick), JR (Jesse McCartney), and Zach Kady (Jamie Martin))

1999 : JR came to Tad’s home, distraught over something. Before Tad could find out what was wrong, Dixie arrived to take JR home. Liza found out that JR had viewed Dixie’s living will, a tape where she confessed that she was suffering from a chronic heart condition. The heart condition was what kept them apart in New York. Tad confronted Dixie with the truth. They admitted their feelings for each other and finally became a couple again.

Tad and Dixie remarried at the Valley Inn. JR’s closeness to Tad made Adam weary. He attempted to send JR to boarding school, but Dixie intervened. Adam retaliated by selling WRCW from under Tad. He was out of a job.

Liza turned to Tad after Marian imprisoned Adam in his safe room. Liza saw it as an opportune moment to make Adam pay by taking over Chandler Industries.

David (Vincent Irizarry) did whatever he could to break up Tad (Knight) and Dixie.

2000 : Liza blackmailed Adam into giving her power of attorney after learning he was responsible for hiring a gigolo to sleep with Marian. Liza and Tad took over Chandler Industries. Liza sent Adam to Oak Haven to think about what he had done. JR became distraught over thinking about his dad being trapped in a sanitarium. Dixie begged Tad to stop he plot for revenge after seeing what it did to JR.

Dr. David Hayward had fallen in love with Dixie. He recognized that Tad and Dixie’s love was unwavering. David teamed up with attorney Leslie Coulson to break them up. Leslie secretly had a crush on Tad since high school. David drugged Tad, along with all of the other guests at the IncredibleDreams.com launch party, with a drug named Libidizone. In a drug induced haze, Tad slept with Leslie. Realizing what he did, Tad made Leslie promise to never tell Dixie.

Tad did not realize that Leslie was mentally unstable until it was too late. Leslie began to stalk Tad. She even took out a room at the Valley Inn in their name.

2001 : Leslie revealed Tad’s infidelity to Dixie. She began her own affair with David. Tad tried to make Leslie admit to David’s part in the Libidizone drugging. When Tad spurned her advances too many times, Leslie kidnapped Dixie. She tried to force Dixie off the ledge of Tad’s office at Chandler Industries by threatening to hurt JR. Leslie was admitted to Oak Haven. With Jake’s help, Tad got his hand on a tape that caught David drugging the guests in Fidelity.

JR and Dixie reunited to deal with JR’s growing drug problem. Tad uncovered that JR was one of the victims of crime lord Proteus’ growing drug ring. When JR’s provider Sweeney was found dead, Tad was afraid JR had killed him. Tad went to Derek and took the fall for Sweeney’s death. Before he could be taken into custody, he went on the run. Tad received guidance from Jesse’s spirit who told him not to give up on his marriage and family.

Tad wanted David out of his family’s life. He signed Leslie’s release letter from Oak Haven if she agreed to admit to David’s role in breaking up his marriage. Instead, Leslie threatened to kill Tad if he did not leave Dixie. After Leslie was taken back into custody, Dixie told Tad they were over. She could not believe Tad chose his hate for David or his love for her.

Old friend Jesse’s (Darnall Williams) spirit encouraged Tad (Knight) to not give up on his marriage.

2002 : Dixie petitioned Tad for a quick divorce. They flew the Caribbean, but their weekend quickly became a romantic getaway. Tad could not understand why Dixie would divorce him if they still had feelings for each other. Dixie then left town and broke all contact with Tad. Tad worried about his ex-wife and began a fruitless search.

Dixie finally told Tad what was going on. She was pregnant with his daughter. Afraid that he would make her abort the child, Dixie turned to David to find her a clinic. She was living in Switzerland and successfully made it to her third trimester. She wanted Tad to join her for the birth of their baby: Kate Martin. Tad got on the first flight. But before her arrived, Dixie lost control of her car and drove it off a cliff in the Alps. Dixie and Kate were dead.

Tad sunk into a deep depression that not even the boys could lift. Tad began to lean on Brooke. Edmund was concerned that Brooke was going to leave him for Tad again.

Joe (Ray MacDonell) and Opal (Jill Larson) did their best to help Tad (Knight) through Dixie’s death.

2003 : Tad pushed everyone away as he tried to deal with Dixie’s death. JR and Jamie had a falling out over Laurie Lewis. JR decided to leave town. The family Tad had created was falling apart.

Erica and Tad teamed up to blackmail Mary Smythe. Mary had just revealed that Greenlee duPres was Jackson Montgomery’s daughter. Tad uncovered that Mary was on the run for an affair she had in France with a teenager.

Tad found some solace in the arms of Simone Torres. Simone made Tad smile again. But Liza wanted Tad back. She finally divorced Adam, this time for the last time. Tad tried to juggle the two women, but Simone was not going to be second fiddle to anyone.

JR returned to Pine Valley with a surprise: he was married. When JR introduced his family to his new wife, Babe Chandler, Jamie was shocked to see the women he had just slept with the night before. The affair continued the boys’ estrangement. Tad was more suspicious of Babe. Tad began an investigation into Babe’s past. But, Tad was soon distracted by the sudden arrival of Babe’s mother, Krystal Carey.

Simone (Terri Ivens) comedic side appealed to the mourning widower, Tad (Knight).

[Marco Dane]

Could you do a bio on Erica Kane, Natalie Dillon and Janet Green Dillion

[Darcy]

Tad is probably my favorite soap character of all time. I remember things a bit differently on a few things though and I have almost every Tad scene on tape starting in 1989 (yes, I know I'm nuts)...

1983 : Tad came back to Pine Valley, welcomed by the greatest news of his life: Ray was dead.

The way I remember it, Ray was still alive when Tad returned. He plotted to blow up the Martin home even with Tad in it. However, when he found out that Jenny was there too he tried to stop the bomb from going off and was killed in the process.

But, his life on the Martin high life was compromised by the presence of his biological mother, Opal Gardner, who had recently made her way to Pine Valley. Opal wanted Tad to work for what he got and stop freeloading off of his new family.

I don't think Opal cared if Tad "freeloaded" off that Martin's as Opal was the one who was mainly freeloading off the Martin's including living with them for a time. If anything she would have wanted Tad to work to support her (like the way she made Jenny work at Foxy's)

1984 : Tad watched helplessly as Jenny fell victim to a jet ski explosion while they were on vacation on the lake. Tad tried to get a hold of his mother, but she was lost somewhere in the Australian outback.

The way I remember it is that Opal was living out West (Arizona?) with her husband Sam (?) Purdy and developed a problem with her ears so she was unable to fly to Pine Valley for the funeral.

1986 : When Hillary learned Tad had known of Wade’s plans all along, she left him.

The last few years paid its toll on Tad. He needed to get away from all the reminders of his past. Tad made the difficult decision to leave Pine Valley again.

You left out that Tad had an affair with Skye Chandler which was what ultimately let to Hillary and Tad's divorce and Tad leaving town. Also, Tad was secretly working for Adam Chandler at the time and some of the things he did included asking Phoebe to give him some property on her estate so he and Hillary could build their dream house and then selling it to Adam for $1 so that a highway could be built (right through Phoebe's back yard). Also, I'm not sure when but Adam hired Tad to ruin Tom (I think Adam had found out that Erica had slept with Tom the night before she married Adam) so Tad took an underage girl to The Goalpost and ordered drinks and Tom's restaurant business was shut down because he served alcohol to a minor.

1988 : Upon returning to town, Tad realized how much Pine Valley had changed. Many of his old friends were no longer around. Knowing there was always a scandal to uncover, he opened his own Private Investigation firm.

I believe Tad returned to town to investigate the death of his best friend, Jesse Hubbard.

1989 : Dixie and Adam married, but Tad worried about her welfare. He teamed up with Skye to get to the bottom of Adam's plot.

Tad didn't really team up with Skye but he did save her from being falsely arrested for her brother Adam Junior's kidnapping. Tad not only found Junior but was able to prove that it was Cindy Parker's sister, Karen, who was the guilty party (and it was some of the best investigative work that Tad ever did).

Adam was going to convince Dixie she was going crazy. No one believed Tad. They all thought he was jealous because Dixie had chosen Adam over him.

Initially, everyone including Tad thought that Dixie was losing it but he started to get suspicious when certain things didn't add up and through various clues he was able to prove to Dixie and their friends that Adam was the one behind thinking she had gone crazy (another great piece of investigation by Tad ... he's really gone downhill with this skill!).

They went on the run until Tad could prove Adam’s guilt.

Tad had doctors verify that Dixie was not crazy and that is when they returned to Pine Valley. They never proved that Adam was guilty of gaslighting Dixie and no charges were ever even brought against him. In fact Tad was the one who ended up arrested upon their return to Pine Valley for assaulting Adam at Laurel Hill when he was breaking Dixie out of that looney bin.

When they returned for Pine Valley, Dixie successfully sued Adam for custody of her son, Adam “Junior” Chandler, jr. Tad arranged for a special dinner at Cortlandt Manor. In front of their families, Tad proposed to Dixie in a chicken suit. Palmer threw them a lavish wedding.

Actually Dixie lost custody of Adam Junior and was only able to see him on supervised visits a couple of hours a week. Adam had bribed a judge to get this agreement and that was what Tad was able to eventually prove. Dixie was so distraught about not being able to spend time with Junior that Tad dressed up in the chicken suit for his proposal in order to get her to laugh as she was so depressed. After what Adam did to Dixie, Palmer and Will plotted to destroy Adam by taking everything away from him and he ended up losing everything - Brooke, Junior, his company and even his house.

I have a lot more comments but it's getting late. To be continued ....

[AMCHistory]

A little more procastinating. I decided to do Nat's because it was a full biography and not a partial since she had not made an appearence since 2001.

MARLOWE, Natalie

Portrayed by: Kate Collins (1985-1992; 1997; 1998; 2001); Melody Anderson (1992-93)

Family: Wilma Marlowe (Mother); Janet Green Dillon (Sister); Tim Hunter Dillon (Son)

Marriages: Alex Hunter; Jeremy Hunter; Adam Chandler; Palmer Cortlandt; Trevor Dillon

1985: Natalie Marlowe was in love with Jeremy Hunter. But, she loved his father, Alex Hunter’s, wallet even more. Seduced by the older, suave businessman, Natalie fell in love. She married Alex, and Jeremy left for Tibet. Natalie was sure that she would never see Jeremy again.

More than two years later, Jeremy returned to Canada after a falling out with his lover, Erica Kane. It was as if no time had passed by for the two lovers. Just when it seemed like their hope for Natalie and Jeremy, Erica arrived. Natalie saw Erica as a rival for Jeremy’s affections. But, Alex grew smitten with Erica as well. Alex arranged for all the Hunters to follow Erica back to Pine Valley and see what sort of life Jeremy had created for himself there.

Natalie (Kate Collins) never stopped loving Jeremy (Jean leClerc). But, he had moved on to Erica (Susan Lucci).

1986: Natalie learned she was pregnant with Alex’s child. Trapped in her loveless marriage, she needed an escape.

When Natalie learned Jeremy had been released from his vow of celibacy, she was sure she could win him over. Natalie saw her opportunity when Alex and Erica were presumed dead in a rockslide in Canada. Jeremy led the search team for his lover and father to no avail. That night, Natalie found Jeremy in a drunken stupor. She slipped in bed beside him. The next morning, she convinced Jeremy they had slept together.

Her reunion with Ale was brief. He died in a foxhunt accident on the Wallingford grounds. She revealed to Jeremy that she was pregnant with his child. They had an impromptu wedding. Natalie thought she had won, but she underestimated her opponent.

Natalie caught Erica and Jeremy in bed together. Their fight led them to a broken down elevator that was about to come crashing down. Jeremy saved Natalie, but could not get back to Erica in time. Luckily, Tom Cudahy arrived in the nick of time to save Erica. In her rage, Erica revealed that Natalie and Jeremy’s wedding was a sham. She had hired an actor to play minister.

Natalie chased Jeremy when he went to rescue Erica from her ex-husband, Adam Chandler. The trio was stranded on an island. The stress caused Natalie to go into premature labor. Natalie gave birth to Timothy Hunter.

Back in Pine Valley, Natalie consented to a paternity test hoping that Jeremy and Alex’s DNA would be a close enough match. Unfortunately, Erica had caught Adam playing around with the first test results. On the second test, Natalie’s lie was revealed. Alex was Tim’s father, not Jeremy. Jeremy bestowed Timmy with part of Alex’s estate, but left Natalie with nothing.

To make ends meet, Natalie became Palmer Cortlandt’s live in nurse. Adam approached Natalie with a business proposition. He needed someone to spy on Palmer and Natalie was in the perfect position. The sum he proposed was too good for Natalie to pass on. She agreed, and began to weasel her way into Palmer’s personal affairs.

No one could understand why Natalie (Collins) was marrying Palmer (James Mitchell). Especially since she was carrying on an affair with his son, Ross (Robert Gentry).

1987: Ross and Natalie could not keep their affair a secret. Jeremy had already caught them in a passionate embrace. Ross explained Adam had found out about them too. But, Ross was steadfast in his marriage to Ellen. When Palmer proposed to Natalie, she realized that it might be the opportunity she had been waiting for. They married in a small ceremony in Corltandt Manor.

Ross’ obsession with Natalie began to scare her. One night, Ellen learned of their affair and left Ross. He stormed Cortlandt Manor and entered Natalie’s room. In a rage, he raped her.

Natalie turned Ross in to the authorities. To Natalie’s surprise, her trial proved to be an uphill climb. He reputation for using men tainted her allegations. To the rest of Pine Valley, Ross had a sterling reputation. Natalie’s big break came when Ross’ daughter, Julie Chandler, returned to Pine Valley. She had secretly witnessed their affair and the night of Natalie’s rape. Ross broke down after listening to his daughter’s pleas.

When Natalie returned to Cortlandt Manor, she realized she had nothing left with Palmer either. She had no one else to turn to, but Jeremy.

Palmer (Mitchell) was not ready for another divorce, though Natalie (Collins) had already began to look elsewhere.

1988: As far as Natalie was concerned, her marriage to Palmer was over. She had no one else to turn to but Jeremy. She remained in Cortlandt Manor until her divorce settlement could be resolved. One night, a disguised assailant broke into the Manor. Natalie had bought a gun as a result of her rape, and kept it close to her. When the assailant broke in again, she confronted the person. It turned out to be Silver Kane, Jeremy’s girlfriend. Silver had grown jealous of all the attention Jeremy had showered on Natalie. Natalie wanted Silver to leave, but she was not finished. Their altercation became physical. Natalie’s gun went off, and Silver fell to the floor, dead.

Palmer walked in at the most opportune time. He helped Natalie dump Silver’s body in the Cortlandt Manor pond. This seemingly held Natalie in her loveless marriage. Natalie turned to Jeremy again. When the truth came out, Natalie was free to be with Jeremy. Palmer went to prison for obstruction of justice when it was discovered he had a taped recording of the incident that exonerated Natalie.

Natalie and Jeremy made plans to marry again. They all their hardships were behind them. But, a woman from Jeremy’s past compromised the new marriage. Marissa Rampal not only still loved Jeremy, but she was the mother of his illegitimate son, David Rampal. Natalie understood Jeremy’s need to be part of his son’s life, but there was something unsettling about Marissa.

When it finally looked like Natalie (Collins) and Jeremy (leClerc) where going to be happy together, his past caught up with their dreams of the future.

1989: Marissa did whatever she could to provoke Natalie. Natalie put up with Marissa the best she could. In an altercation, Marissa lost her balance and fell down a staircase. Marissa was dead.

Jeremy worried about what the trauma of Marissa’s death would do to David. But, Natalie wanted Jeremy to worry about her. When Jeremy chose his son over Natalie, she left him.

Natalie became the nurse to an ailing millionaire. When he died, he left his fortune to her. She started the Mason Foundation at Pine Valley Hospital to provide grants for pediatric care.

Natalie (Collins) did not want to admit that she had feelings for Jeremy’s ex-mercenary partner, Trevor (James Kiberd).

1990: Natalie abhorred Trevor Dillon. He was brash and classless. Natalie always seemed to find herself in his presence. One day, Trevor shipwrecked her yacht, stranding them on a deserted island. There, Natalie got to see a new side of Trevor. She slowly let down her guard. They shared their first kiss in the sand.

After being rescued, Natalie kept her distance from Trevor. Adam approached Natalie with a business deal. He needed his company back, and Natalie had the money to help him. She had just bought Eric Kane’s shares of Enchantment. With Adam’s shares, she would have enough shares to challenge Erica. She agreed to the marriage of convenience. Trevor arrived at the ceremony to profess his feelings to Natalie, but it was too late. She and Adam had already said their vows.

Trevor (Kiberd) was not in time to stop Natalie (Collins) from marrying Adam (David Canary).

1991: Natalie made the best of her marriage to Adam. Things began to turn around when Adam’s daughter, Hayley Vaughan, moved into the mansion. Hayley was also Trevor’s niece. Hayley helped Natalie come to terms with her true feelings for Trevor. Upon learning of Adam’s plot to slowly siphon off Natalie’s money, she filed for divorce. But in the settlement, she lost her Enchantment shares.

It was not long before Natalie and Trevor were engaged. Natalie opened her home to her recently divorced sister, Janet Green. Janet’s quirky personality was in stark contrast to the prim and proper Natalie. Unbeknownst to Natalie, Janet had fallen in love with Trevor. When Trevor rejected her advances, Janet concocted a complex plan to take over Natalie’s life. When she had perfected her impersonation, Janet lured Natalie to a well and threw her in.

When Natalie regained consciousness she tried to call out for help. But, the well was in the middle of the woods in the outskirts of Pine Valley. As she struggled to survive, Natalie flashed back to her many sins. She begged God for forgiveness. One night, a terrible storm approached. Natalie was going to drown in the floodwater. Before she died in a watery grave, a hand reached in and pulled her out.

Natalie awoke in Wildwind, a Hungarian castle. It’s Count, Dimitri Marick, had found Natalie and nursed her back to health. The two began a romance. When Natalie was healthy enough, she returned to Pine Valley only to find Janet masquerading as her and married to Trevor. Betrayed, Natalie rejected Trevor and made her way into Dimitri’s arms.

Natalie (Collins) prayed for forgiveess of all her sins after Janet pushed her into the Wildwind well.

1992: Natalie finally ended her relationship with Trevor by burning the engagement ring he had given her. She now made plans to marry Dimitri. But, Dimitri began acting erratically as he had visions of his late wife, Angelique Marick. These visions proved to be rooted in reality when Angelique was revealed to be alive at their engagement party. Devastated, Natalie turned to Trevor. The feelings they once shared were very much alive. But Natalie was hesitant, knowing she could never be happy if Trevor if he decided to keep his child with Janet.

Janet was revealed to be Will Cortlandt’s crow bar killer. On the run, she took Natalie hostage. Natalie was trying to get away from her sister when she was shot in the leg. At that very moment, Janet went into labor. Natalie could not leave her sister in pain, and helped her deliver her daughter, Amanda Dillon. Holding the child in her arms, Natalie did not want Amanda to pay for her mother’s sins.

Trevor and Natalie reunited. They had an impromptu wedding at the Wallingford Estate. Ruth Martin was kind enough to let Natalie borrow Kate Martin’s wedding dress for the occasion. Trevor also formally adopted Timmy. The Dillons were at long last, a family.

Carter Jones believed Trevor was keeping him from his wife Galen Henderson. So, he set the Dillon house on fire as a warning. Only, Natalie was still inside. She was trapped because of the flames. Trevor rescued her. In the hospital, Natalie realized the fire had blinded her. She lashed out at Trevor. The only person who seemed to understand her was a hospital orderly named Kyle. But Kyle’s visits became more frequent, and his desire to protect Natalie became more obsessive. Kyle was none other than Carter.

Christmas Eve brought a miracle to the Dillon home. While looking at the angel affixed to the top of the Christmas tree, Natalie’s blurred vision was finally clear.

Natalie (Collins) was finally able to give Tim (Tom Michaels) a stable home by marrying Trevor.

1993: Natalie had befriended her new accountant, Laurel Banning. Trevor was uneasy around Laurel. Natalie learned that she had been embezzling money from the Mason Foundation. Natalie turned to Adam for help. They got in a car together to confront Laurel. On the way, they got into a terrible accident. Natalie was rushed to the hospital, but the damage proved to be too severe. Natalie was brain dead. Trevor took her off life support to end her suffering.

Trevor (Kiberd) saved Natalie (Collins) from Carter’s wrath.

1997: Natalie appeared to Tim after he was mugged. Tim had run away from home because Trevor had begun dating Janet. Natalie told Tim to go home and give Janet a chance.

1998: Natalie appeared again, this time to Tim’s pet dog, Harold, when he died of cancer. She welcomed his spirit into Heaven.

Though Natalie (Anderson) died in a tragic car accident, her spirit kept watch over her family back in Pine Valley. (Also Pictured: Kiberd (Trevor))

2001: Natalie’s spirit was among the many former Pine Valley residents that welcomed Gillian Andrassy to Heaven. But Gillian was not ready to die. Natalie agreed to help her spirit go back to earth, if she agreed to complete a task. The task would be to reveal to Ryan Lavery that Chris Stamp was his real father.

[AMCHistory]

Darcy, Thanks for the corrections. I would love to use SON as a wikipedia of sorts so that people can help edit/contribute to the biographies. I am hoping to learn how to use Dreamweaver so I can set all these up on my own site soon.

[Cheap21]

Thanks for this. I ahve some questions

So Tad and Dixie actually went through with the divorce here? Tad was seen waking up before MEK left? So the audience knew he was alive the whole time? And while he was "dead" Brooke told everyone she was pregnant with his baby? How did Dixie and teh Martins react to that?

[Steve]

Yup, we knew that Tad was alive and had amnesia when he hitchhiked to California. Tad was presumed dead on the day he & Dixie were planning to rewed.

As I recall, Brooke was reluctant to tell anyone that Tad was Jamie's father but eventually Dixie found out and was initially distraught. The Martins didn't seem to have too much trouble accepting it, though.

[R Sinclair]

Also, Billy Clyde's body was recovered and Tad's never was, so even if we didn't see Tad wash up on shore and hitchhike out of town (which we did), there was no real proof that Tad was dead. The reasons the police gave Dixie and the others was that that the current was extremely strong, and no matter how good of a swimmer Tad was, he wouldn't have been able to fight the under tow. Billy Clyde, however, died when he broke his neck from the fall off the bridge.

[AMCHistory]

Here is what I had for Brooke, Dixie, and the Martins for 1990, the year Tad "died":

Cooney, Dixie

1990:Dixie panicked when Junior was kidnapped. Skye Chandler was the prime suspect. But, Tad was able to uncover the real culprit, Karen Parker.

Tad accused Dixie of allowing Palmer to intervene in their marriage. Dixie did not agree with Tad’s implications. He was only going to be happy if they left Pine Valley together. Dixie was not ready for such a change. She confided her reservations in her new friend, John Rockefeller. Rockefeller was none other than Billy Clyde Tuggle, one of Pine Valley’s most dastardly evil residents. Billy Clyde grew obsessed with Dixie, and fueled her insecurities over Tad.

Palmer hired Lorretta Rutherford to claim that she and Tad had an affair. This coupled with Billy Clyde’s influence, caused Dixie to file for divorce.

Dixie remained friends with Billy Clyde long after his identity was revealed. When she rejected his advances one too many times, he revealed his true colors. He held Dixie prisoner in a cabin, intent on making her his wife. Trevor Dillon and Derek Frye rescued her. She realized how much she had loved Tad. They reconciled and planned to remarry that Christmas.

But fate had other plans. Billy Clyde had escaped the police barricades. He lured Tad to a bridge on the day he was to marry Dixie. A bomb went off, and both fell into the icy water below. There were no survivors.

English, Brooke

1990:Tad and Brooke began working together at Tempo. Tad confided in Brooke that his marriage with Dixie was crumbling. After Dixie had filed for divorce, Tad spent the night with Brooke. Brooke wanted comfort her friend, but things went too far. She promised to keep their one night fling a secret.

Tad died in a bridge explosion set by Billy Clyde Tuggle. Brooke watched helplessly as Dixie mourned the loss of her husband. Brooke mourned quietly, for she just learned she was pregnant with Tad’s child.

Martin, Joe:

1990:Joe and Ruth were with Dixie Cooney on the day she was to marry Tad. But, Tad was nowhere to be found. Trevor arrived with devastating news. Billy Clyde Tuggle and Tad had gotten in altercation on a bridge when a bomb exploded causing the two to fall off into the icy river below. Joe knew just how volatile the river was at that exact point. When Billy Clyde’s dead body was found, Joe knew he had lost Tad too.

Martin, Joey/Jake

1990:Joey was dating Emily Ann Sago. Emily Ann was devastated when she learned the truth about her parentage. Her biological father, Billy Clyde Tuggle revealed that her real mother was a prostitute. Emily Ann turned to Joey for comfort. They eloped so that Emily Ann could leave her family.

Joey quickly realized the mistake he had made. Joey was going to file annulment papers until Emily Ann revealed she was pregnant. The teenagers tried to make the best of their marriage. Emily Ann’s continued trauma caused her to miscarry.

At the end of the year, Joey lost his best friend and brother Tad. Billy Clyde had lured him to a bridge rigged to explode. Joey and the other Martins did their best to let go of Tad in spite of the fact that no body was ever found.

Martin, Ruth Brent

1990:Joe and Ruth gathered for what was to be one of the happiest days of their lives. Tad was set to remarry the love of his life, Dixie Cooney. At their apartment, the bad news began to seep in. Tad had gone after dastardly Billy Clyde Tuggle on his own. Now, he was missing in the backwoods of Pine Valley.

Ruth’s nightmare continued when Trevor Dillon reported saw Billy Clyde and Tad fall off a bridge into the icy river below. Ruth braced herself for the worst. When Billy Clyde’s body was found on shore, Ruth knew hopes for Tad were slim. As Opal insisted that her son had survived, Ruth knew better. Ruth lashed out at Opal to come to grips with reality: Tad was dead.

Gardner (Cortlandt), Opal

1990:Opal set her sites on Palmer Cortlandt. But, even Opal knew he was out of her league. She was content to date his lackies, including Sean Cudahy and Palmer’s old cellmate, Stan Ulatowski. Daisy Murdoch noticed Opal admiring her ex-husband. She recognized that Opal’s intentions were pure. She approached Opal with a proposition. She would help Opal transform herself into a woman of society. The only catch was that Palmer was to never know of Daisy’s involvement.

At the University Ball, Opal and Palmer caught eyes from across the room. Opal could not believe it, Palmer was approaching her for a dance. Palmer and Opal’s courtship was brief. She quickly became the newest Mrs. Palmer Cortlandt.

Palmer wanted Opal to help him break up Tad and Dixie. Opal acquiesced. It did not take much to cause their marriage to crumble. Opal would soon regret her actions. In a startling turn of events, Tad fell victim to a bomb set by Billy Clyde Tuggle. Opal could not bear the loss of another child. She held on to hope for as long as she could. Ruth lashed out against Opal and made her come to terms with Tad’s death. Dixie and Opal bonded as a result of their loss.

[AMCHistory]

Yes, Tad and Dixie were divorced. They were to remarry that day in a cute strawberry pink dress. Alas, it was not to be. The night before, Tad gave her the music box that played you are my sunshine.

Dixie kept on saying she could hear running water, it was Tad alive on the banks of the river. It was eerie to see the connection the two had (some great camera work). We all knew Tad was alive, and prayed that one day MEK would be back in the role.

[AMCHistory]

Do you guys think I should make these biographies into a blog so people can track changes? I am not so sure I want to do this, but I do have a few floating around these parts.

[Cheap21]

thanks for answering my questions AMCHistory, R Sinclair and Steve. I wonder why AMC let MEK leave with Tad clearly still alive. Did the audience accept Dixie with anyone else after he left? I know I wouldnt have gotten invested in any pairing she had with Tad out there, alive and obviously returning eventually. The way he left felt like there really wasnt any closure so it kind of feels like Dixie was pretty much in limbo until Tad would eventually return

And how long was MEK actually gone? Was it a full 2 years or shorter?

[AMCHistory]

MEK came back at the end of 1992 as Ted.

Dixie's pairings in the interim where widely unaccapeted by fans. That was good for the first pairing with Scott Baker's Craig Lawson, because he was nothing but a con-artist after Dixie's sudden fortune from Palmer's trust fund.

The pairing with Brian Bodine (First Matt Borlenghi and later Brian Greene) was also panned, but for all the wrong reasons. Cady and Matt were great friends, so they were great together. At that time, they were not so much intimate as a couple, it was more of like Brian became Junior's main babysitter. But once the romance heated up, and they recasted with the older Greene it went downhill.

Thank goodness MEK and Tad came home. The Napa reunion was some of the best work AMC ever did.

[AMCHistory]

So Here is the link to my SON blog: http://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/index.p...;blogid=37&

It has most of the bios I have ever posted there (I am missing Lucas Barnes). So just post your comment/corrections in the comment box. Also, I can take requests for who to post next (older characters please as I am only up to 2003-2004)

[Pine Charles]

I don't get the whole blog thing. I click on the link and see a blank page with a little calendar. It's the same for everyone. Is it just me?

I have a few things to correct about the Natalie bio (nothing major).