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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Hilary Erhard Duff | + | <b>[[Television]]</b><ul><li>[[Television/The Soul Collector|"The Soul Collector" (1999)]] |
| + | <li>[[Television/Lizzie McGuire|"Lizzie McGuire" (2001-2003)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Television/Cadet Kelly|"Cadet Kelly" (2002)]]</ul> | ||
| - | </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hilary Erhard Duff</span> (born September 28, 1987) originally became famous as playing the title character, a clumsy, average middle school girl who was growing into a young woman, in the Disney Channel family comedy show, <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0273366/">"Lizzi McGuire"</a>. However, she blossomed into a talented young actress and singer with a healthy movie and music career. She is very well-liked among children between the ages of seven and fourteen, and television critic, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/richardhuff">Richard Huff</a> of the <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Daily News</span> even called her "a 2002 version of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/annettefunicello">Annette Funicello</a>". Subsequently, she has also made headlines as a teen-queen, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rolling Stone</span> proclaimed her "Teenager of the Year" in 2003, and is followed by the gossip rags for her past relationship with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/joelmadden">Joel Madden</a>, the lead singer of Good Charlotte. | + | <b>[[Filmography]]</b><ul><li>[[Filmography/Casper Meets Wendy|<em>Casper Meets Wendy</em> (1999)]] |
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Human Nature|<em>Human Nature</em> (2002)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Agent Cody Banks|<em>Agent Cody Banks</em> (2003)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/The Lizzie McGuire Movie|<em>The Lizzy McGuire Movie</em> (2003)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Cheaper by the Dozen|<em>Cheaper by the Dozen</em> (2003)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/A Cinderella Story|<em>A Cinderella Story</em> (2004)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Raise Your Voice|<em>Raise Your Voice</em> (2004)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/In Search of Santa|<em>In Search of Santa</em> (2004)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/The Perfect Man|<em>The Perfect Man</em> (2005)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Cheaper by the Dozen 2|<em>Cheaper by the Dozen 2</em> (2005)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Material Girls|<em>Material Girls</em> (2006)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Foodfight|<em>Foodfight!</em> (2007)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Outward Blonde|<em>Outward Blonde</em> (2007)]]</ul> | ||
| - | She made the <span style="font-style: italic;">Forbes</span> list of richest young stars under 25, she made $15 million for the year of 2005. She beat out rival stars like <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/lindsaylohan">Lindsay Lohan</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/amandabynes">Amanda Bynes</a>. She has graced the screen in many commercially successful pictures include <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349205/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cheaper by the Dozen</span></a> (2003), <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306841/">The Lizzie McGuire Movie</a> (2003), and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356470/"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Cinderella Story</span></a> (2004); and has had three RIAA certified-platinum albums, as well as launched a clothing line and an exclusive perfume with Elizabeth Arden. | + | <b>[[Discography]]</b><ul><li>[[Discography/Metamorphosis|<em>Metamorphosis</em> (2003)]] |
| - | + | <li>[[Filmography/Hilary Duff|<em>Hilary Duff</em> (2004)]] | |
| - | She is continuing to accelerate her carreer with several upcoming feature films, including an action thriller <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0884224/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Brand Hauser: Stuff Happens</span></a> and animated comedy <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249516/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Foodfight!</span></a>, and her new album, entitled Dignity, is supposed to drop on April 3, 2007. | + | <li>[[Filmography/Most Wanted|<em>Most Wanted</em> (2005)]]</ul> |
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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Early Life And Career </span> | + | |
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| - | The second child of Bob Erhard Duff, owner of a chain of convenience stores, and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/susancolleenduff">Susan Colleen Duff</a>, a homemaker, Hilary Duff was born in Houston, Texas. Duff's mother has always been extremely involved in her daughters’ acting careers, and at an early age encouraged her to take an acting class alongside her older sister, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/haylieduff">Haylie Katherine Duff</a>. Both girls being beautiful and typifying the all-American adolescents garnered them parts in various local theatre productions. At the ages of eight and six, respectively, the Duff sisters participated in the ballet <span style="font-style: italic;">The Nutcracker Suite</span> with Columbus Ballet Met in San Antonio. Together, the siblings became more enthusiastic about the idea of acting professionally, and eventually relocated to California with their mother. Their father stayed at the family home in Houston to maintain their business. After several years of auditions and meetings, the Duff sisters were cast in several television commercials. Duff been homeschooled since the age of 10. Along with her sister, currently taking two online correspondence courses via the Harvard Extension School. | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Early Acting Career</span></span> | + | |
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| - | Though Most of Duff's first few acting roles were small, starting off with an uncredited appearance in Hallmark Entertainment's western miniseries <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118499/"><span style="font-style: italic;">True Women</span></a> (1997), and also serving as an extra, again uncredited, in writer-director <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/willardcarroll">Willard Carroll</a>'s ensemble dramedy <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145734/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Playing by Heart </span></a>(1998), her first major part came quickly, as she was as the star of the 1998 film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140883/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Casper Meets Wendy</span></a>, playing the young witch, Wendy, who encounters the animated character Casper. Like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118824/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Casper: A Spirited Beginning</span></a> (1997), the second sequel to the successful <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112642/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Casper</span></a> (1995), the film was released direct-to-video with generally unenthusiastic reviews. | + | |
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| - | Duff later appeared in a supporting role in the television film <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203933/">The Soul Collector</a> (1999), which was based on a <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/kathleenkane">Kathleen Kane</a> novel and starred <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/brucegreenwood">Bruce Greenwood</a> as an angel who helps out a female farmer (<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/melissagilbert">Melissa Gilbert</a>) whose husband has recently died. Duff ended up winning a Young Artist Award for "Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot (Supporting Young Actress)". | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Lizzi McGuire Fame</span> | + | |
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| - | Duff's was cast as one of the children in the pilot episode of the NBC sitcom <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0198099/">"Daddio"</a> (2000), when Actor <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/michaelchiklis">Michael Chiklis</a>, co-star of Daddio stated, "After working with her the first day, I remember saying to my wife, 'This young girl is going to be a movie star'. She was completely at ease with herself and comfortable in her own skin". Though she was dropped from the lineup, her mother pressed her to strive ahead, and continue auditioning. Just a week later she received her big break: she was cast as the title character in the Disney Channel show <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0273366/">"Lizzi McGuire"</a> where she played an average all-American middle school girl, who was grappling with the perils of growing into a teenager. The show also starred several other young actors including <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/adamlamberg">Adam Lamberg</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jakethomas">Jake Thomas</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/claytonsnyder">Clayton Snyder</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/ashliebrillault">Ashlie Brillault</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/robertcarradine">Robert Carradine</a>, and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/hallietodd">Hallie Todd</a>. | + | |
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| - | <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0273366/">"Lizzi McGuire"</a>, first aired on January 12, 2001, and drew in 2.3 million viewers per episode, and became the career breakthrough Duff had been waiting for. After Duff fulfilled her entire sixty-five-episode contract with Lizzie McGuire, Though Disney tried continuing the franchise in further films and a prime-time television series to be broadcast on ABC, plans fell through. However, a successful feature film, <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0306841/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Lizzie McGuire Movie</span></a> (2003), was produced. | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Film Career</span></span> | + | |
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| - | Duff’s mother, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/susancolleenduff">Susan Colleen Duff</a>, has always been her manager, and has also gained a reputation for being very pushy when it comes to her daughter’s roles and the demands she makes on set and before and movie goes into production. Duff has been quoted as saying, “I love my mom. I totally look up to her, and she just doesn't let anybody take advantage of me. People might call that a stage mom.” | + | |
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| - | Duff's first role was quite a deviation from what characters she currently projects as an actress. Duff played the younger version of<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/patriciaarquette"> Patricia Arquette's</a> character, who was a female naturalist in a theatrical motion picture was in <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0219822/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Human Nature</span></a> (2002). Written by <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/charliekaufman">Charlie Kaufman</a> and directed by Michel Gondry, it was an independent film shot before Lizzie McGuire and first shown at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals. | + | |
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| - | Duff subsequently starred in the Disney Channel television film <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0294425/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cadet Kelly</span></a> (2002), but her first major role in a feature film was in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0313911/">Agent Cody Banks</a> with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/frankiemuniz">Frankie Muniz</a> in 2003. Later that year Duff played one of the twelve children of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/stevemartin">Steve Martin</a> and Bonnie Hunt in the family film <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0349205/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cheaper by the Dozen</span></a>, which remains her highest grossing film. She reprised her role in the sequel, <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0452598/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cheaper by the Dozen 2</span></a> (2005), which failed to be as financially successful. | + | |
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| - | On the whole, Duff’s performance and movie choices have been moderate box office successes, however, received pretty poorly by critics. Subsequently, she’s received quite a few Razzie nominations, and awards for her acting skills. | + | |
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| - | In 2004 Duff starred in the romantic comedy <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0356470/"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Cinderella Story</span></a>, an update of the fairy tale Cinderella. The film became a moderate box office hit, grossing a total of $74,628,141, and was was heavily panned by critics, and reviews were, by and large, negative to Duff's vocals and indifferent towards her acting performance. Duff received her first Razzie nomination for her role in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0361696/">Raise Your Voice</a> and A Cinderella Story. | + | |
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| - | In <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0380623/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Perfect Man</span></a> (2005) she played the oldest daughter of a divorced woman (<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/heatherlocklear">Heather Locklear</a>), who moves to New York City as she desperately searches for love. Reviews were mostly negative and the film disappointed at the box office, grossing a mere $19,770,475 globally. That year, Duff was again nominated for a Razzie Award, for both The Perfect Man and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. | + | |
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| - | The 2006 satirical comedy <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0433412/">Material Girls</a> again disappointed, grossing only $14,189,525 worldwide. The <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/marthacoolidge">Martha Coolidge</a>-directed film, co-produced by <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/madonna">Madonna</a>'s independent film production company Maverick Entertainment, starred Duff and her real-life sister <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/haylieduff">Haylie Duff</a> as wealthy siblings who must fight to reclaim their fortune following a scandal. For the film, Duff was nominated for another two Razzie awards on January 24, 2007. | + | |
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| - | The Duff sisters are due to lend their voices to the computer animated comedy <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0249516/">Foodfight!</a>, which Lions Gate Films is to distribute in 2007. The film's director, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/larrykasanoff">Larry Kasanoff</a>, said that he is "absolutely thrilled to have the Duff sisters as part of the cast." Duff is currently slated to star opposite <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/johncusack">John Cusack</a> in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0884224/">Brand Hauser</a>, due for release in late 2007. The film is set in a futuristic country and Duff and Cusack have completed filming it in Bulgaria. Duff plays a European pop star named Yonica. | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Music Career</span> | + | |
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| - | Duff has fostered quite a music career. From 2002 to 2004 she began her role as a pop music darling when she recorded cover of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/brookemclymont">Brooke McClymont</a>'s "I Can't Wait" for the original television soundtrack for Lizzie McGuire in 2002, and "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" for the first Disneymania compilation album. | + | |
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| - | Her first album was <span style="font-style: italic;">Santa Claus Lane (</span>2002), a collection of Christmas songs which included duets with<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/lilromeo"> Lil' Romeo</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/christinamilian">Christina Milian</a>, and her sister Haylie. Accompanied by the Disney Channel-only single "Tell Me a Story", it peaked well outside the top 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, but eventually received a gold certification. | + | |
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| - | Duff sang several tracks for the soundtrack to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lizzie McGuire Movie</span>, including "Why Not", which became a modest top twenty hit in Australia. | + | |
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| - | Duff's second studio album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Metamorphosis</span> (2003), was her first breakthrough hit as a pop artist, and included contributions by songwriter-producers such as The Matrix and reached number one on the U.S. and Canadian charts. It became one of the biggest selling albums of the year in the U.S. and has since gone to sell over 3.7 million copies. The lead single, "So Yesterday", was a top ten hit in several countries and its music video received heavy airplay on MTV, while "Come Clean" became Duff's first top forty U.S. hit and reached the top twenty elsewhere. The third single, "Little Voice", was not released in the U.S. and was a minor hit in Canada and Australia. In late 2003 Duff embarked on her first concert tour, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Metamorphosis Club Tour</span> and later the<span style="font-style: italic;"> Most Wanted Tour</span>. All shows on her tour were sold out, a feat neither <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/britneyspears">Britney Spears</a> nor <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/christinaaguilera">Christina Aguilera</a> achieved that year. She won the award for Best New Artist at the 2004 World Music Awards and Best Female Artist at the Kids Choice Awards of 2004. | + | |
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| - | The second <span style="font-style: italic;">Disneymania</span> disc was released in January 2004 and contained a duet with her sister, "The Siamese Cat Song". Another song, "Circle of Life", featured Duff and other Disney Channel Stars. Duff and her sister recorded a cover of The Go-Gos' "Our Lips Are Sealed" for the soundtrack to A Cinderella Story, which included two other songs by Duff. The video for "Our Lips Are Sealed" was popular on MTV's TRL but the song itself failed to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. | + | |
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| - | Her third album, the self-titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Hilary Duff</span>, had an edgier, more rock n’ roll feel than <span style="font-style: italic;">Metamorphosis</span>, and she co-wrote many of its songs. Released on her seventeenth birthday, it debuted at number two in the U.S. and number one in Canada. The album has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. to date, but the single "Fly" failed to chart in the U.S. despite a popular video. | + | |
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| - | Duff's fourth album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Most Wanted</span> (2005), comprised her favorite tracks from her previous two albums, remixes, and new songs inspired by pop-rock musicians such as The Killers and Muse. Duff stated that it was not a greatest hits album, but that her label told her it was time to release a new album. She had more creative control over <span style="font-style: italic;">Most Wanted</span> compared to her previous releases, co-writing and co-producing all of the new material with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/joelmadden">Joel Madden </a>and his brother <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/benjimadden">Benji</a>, both of the band Good Charlotte. The lead single, "Wake Up", became Duff's highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 and her highest peaking single in the U.S., and its video received heavy rotation on MTV. The video for the second single, "Beat of My Heart", was also popular, but the single itself did not chart in the U.S. | + | |
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| - | Duff recorded new songs for her <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/madonna">Madonna</a> produced film <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0433412/">Material Girls</a>, including a <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/timbaland">Timbaland</a>-produced cover version of Madonna's "Material Girl" with her sister. | + | |
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| - | Duff's fourth studio album will be titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Dignity</span>. She has co-written material for the album with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/karadiogaurdi">Kara DioGuardi</a>, and she also worked with producer-songwriter <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/rhettlawrence">Rhett Lawrence</a>. She said that compared to her previous music it would be "more dancey" and make use of more real instruments. "I don't know exactly how to explain what we're doing, but it's fun and funky and different, something new for me. It's really cool", she said. She has also described the album's sound as "a little less pop-rock and more electronic-sounding". Hollywood Records is currently planning to release at least five singles from Dignity. She also co-wrote all the songs on the album and it explores the themes of "living in Los Angeles" and "the suspect advances of an older man." | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Other Media</span> | + | |
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| - | Duff and her pet dog Lola made an appearance in the Electronic Arts game "The Sims 2: Pets", which was released on October 2006. In console versions of the game Duff's character will visit public areas and players will be able to let their sims socialize with her and Lola, the dog. However, in the PC expansion pack, players must download the Duff sim from the Maxis website before December 31 she and her dog will be fully playable characters, rather than a non-player character. | + | |
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| - | Duff plans on starting a design for dogs called "Little Dog Duff" named after her late dog of the same name. | + | |
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| - | In September 2006 Duff released her perfume, "With Love... Hilary Duff", which she premiered on "The View." | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Company</span> | + | |
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| - | Hilary Duff also owns a million dollar company called "Stuff by Hilary Duff". The company started out as a clothing line but has expanded to furniture, fragrances, and jewelry. It is aimed at the teen and tween crowd. | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Personal Life</span> | + | |
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| - | Duff has been in and out of the gossip columns due to her romantic life outside of her carreers in music and movies. She began dating singer <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/aaroncarter">Aaron Carter </a>in 2002, after meeting on the set of "Lizzie McGuire," when Carter had a cameo role on a Christmas episode. The relationship lasted a year and a half, and it was reported that Carter left actress <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/lindsaylohan">Lindsay Lohan</a> for Duff. Duff and Lindsay Lohan were later reported to have been involved in a "feud" with each other, over their relationship with Carter. As of 2007, the two have reportedly still not reconciled. | + | |
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| - | From 2004 to 2006, Duff dated Good Charlotte singer <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/joelmadden">Joel Madden</a>, which was the source of a bit of negative attention because of their vast age difference. Duff was 16 at the time, and Madden was 25. Duff's mother Susan announced their relationship in the June 2005 interview for <span style="font-style: italic;">Seventeen</span> magazine, after a long period of tabloid speculation. In a June 2006 interview with <span style="font-style: italic;">ELLE</span> magazine, Duff was quoted as saying "(virginity) is definitely something I like about myself. It doesn't mean I haven't thought about sex, because everyone I know has had it and you want to fit in. " Duff later told <span style="font-style: italic;">MuchMusic</span> that she didn't say the quotes attributed to her in the article and that the subject was "definitely not something that I would talk about..." Duff and Madden broke up in November 2006, many sighting their age difference as the main cause of the breakup. | + | |
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| - | In late 2006 Duff took legal action against an alleged stalker and the stalker's roommate. On November 3, 2006 Duff's stalker, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/maksimmiakovsky">Maksim Miakovsky</a>, was arrested for threatening to kill her that weekend. He was booked on charges of making criminal threats and stalking. He came to the U.S. "for the sole purpose of meeting and becoming romantically involved with Ms. Duff." On January 19, 2007 Miakovsky was sentenced to 117 days in jail and five years probation after pleading no contest to the charges, according to the Associated Press. | + | |
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| - | In 2005 Duff’s appearance was getting much of the attention from the gossip outlets. In August 2005 Duff said she received veneers because she chipped off one of her front teeth on a microphone during a concert. Fans of Duff complained that her veneers were too large for her face and made her appear "horse-like,” and she has subsequently had her veneers redone to match the size of her original teeth. By 2005 Duff appeared to have lost weight, leading the media to speculate that she had developed an eating disorder, although Duff has denied this claim and has said she likes her new frame, and she was interviewed on the Australian current affair show <span style="font-style: italic;">Today Tonight</span>, stating that she lost weight by living a more active lifestyle. | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Charities | + | |
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| - | She donated many signed head-shots to Rocky Stone to be auctioned off to raise money to buy more toys for the Toy Mountain Campaign 2004. She was also very kind enough to give a personalized & signed head-shot to everyone listed in the "Special thank-you to:" section on http://www.rockyskidz.com site that helped out in this past years Toy Mountain Campaign 2003. | + | |
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| - | Duff is involved with several charities, is an animal rights enthusiast, a member of "Kids with a Cause," and has donated US$250,000 to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. She launched a clothing line, "Stuff by Hilary Duff", on March 12, 2004, with clothes distributed through Target in the United States, Kmart in Australia, Zellers in Canada and Edgars in South Africa. Playmates Toys released a celebrity doll of her that year. | + | |
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| - | In 2005 Donated sales from her sold out Most Wanted Tour to the Tsunami victims in South Asia. | + | |
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| - | In late August 2006 Duff traveled to a New Orleans elementary school and worked with USA Harvest to distribute meals. In 2005, she donated more than 2.5 million meals to Hurricane Katrina victims in the south. She also announced that she will donate $200,000 to the American Red Cross and $50,000 to USA Harvest to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. | + | |
| - | Helped raise $23,000 at the 2004 celebrity auction for Breast Cancer Research. | + | |
Approved
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karma
Approved 795 days ago.
Posted 795 days ago by anthony23
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| - | <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Mariah Carey | + | <b>Mariah Carey</b> is a highly successful singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Long Island, New York, Carey began singing as a child. Her entrance into the music industry was in 1988, when she began work on her first album. In the nearly two decades since, Carey has become one of the most acclaimed female performers in contemporary music. |
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| - | When most think of <strong>Mariah Carey</strong> (born March 27, 1970), they hear the high pitch of her angelic pop star vocals. She is internationally-known for her melismatic singing voice, vocal range, power and use of the whistle register. Though, some critics have said that Carey's efforts to showcase her vocal talents have been at the expense of communicating true emotion through song. | + | |
| - | Since her inauguration into the radio waves of the world, this American pop and R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director and actress, debuted her talents in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/tommymottola">Tommy Mottola</a>. She later wed Mottola, and under his direction, became the first recording act to have its first five singles top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart; and in 1993, she established her position as Columbia's highest-selling act with a series of sequential hit records. According to Billboard magazine she became the most successful artist of the 1990s in the United States. | + | Carey's self-titled debut album, [[Discography/Mariah Carey|<em>Mariah Carey</em>]] rose to the top of the Billboard charts in 1990 with four number one singles. The first single from her sophomore effort, "Emotions," also hit number one making Carey the only performer to have their first five singles hit number one. Carey's Christmas recording, [[Discography/Merry Christmas|<em>Merry Christmas</em>]], launched in 1994 to great popularity and has since become the best selling Christmas album of all time. |
| - | After Carey separated from Mottola in 1997, Carey took more control over, not only her public persona and image, but also her music. She introduced elements of hip hop into her album material and was rewarded in 2000, when the World Music Awards named Carey the best-selling female artist of all time. | + | [[Image:q/y5/mariah_carey_4.jpg|right|145|140|zc|Mariah's Emancipation]] |
| - | However, her popularity began to decline, and she left Columbia in 2001. Then the following year, she was dropped by Virgin Records after a highly publicized physical and emotional breakdown due to poor public and critical reception of her film and soundtrack project, <em>Glitter</em>. In 2002, Carey signed with Island Records, and after an unsuccessful period, and some time off to reassess, she returned to the forefront of pop music in 2005. Carey has recorded the most U.S. number-one singles for any female solo artist, and she is working on reinventing and continuing her reign as an elite pop-diva. | + | Grammy nominations and awards have been in great numbers for Carey who won Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for [[Discography/Mariah Carey|<em>Mariah Carey</em>]] in 1991. Her fifth album, [[Discography/Daydream|<em>Daydream</em>]] received six nominations in 1996. Carey's latest album, [[Discography/The Emancipation of Mimi|<em>The Emancipation of Mimi</em>]] garnered three Grammys for Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song. |
| - | <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Early Life</span></strong> | + | Aside from her career as a singer and songwriter, Carey has ventured into acting. She debuted on the screen in 1990 as a talentless opera singer in [[Filmography/The Bachelor|<em>The Bachelor</em>]]. Her second film, [[Filmography/Glitter|<em>Glitter</em>]], was semi-autobiographical. It failed to attract praise from critics and was not commercially well received. Since the failure of the film, Carey has acted in a handful of independent films that have garnered her minor critical applause. |
| - | Born in Huntington, Long Island, New York, Carey is the third and youngest child of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/patriciahickey">Patricia Hickey</a>, a former opera singer and vocal coach of Irish American extraction, and Alfred Roy Carey (formerly Nuñez), an aeronautical engineer of Afro-Venezuelan heritage. Carey's parents divorced when she was three years old, partially due to the drama surrounding the strain of being a multiethnic family: the Careys endured racial slurs, hostility, and sometimes violence, causing the family to frequently relocate throughout many New York areas. | + | <b>[[Discography]]</b><ul><li>[[Discography/Mariah Carey|<em>Mariah Carey</em> (1990)]] |
| - | + | <li>[[Discography/Emotions|<em>Emotions</em> (1991)]] | |
| - | After the divorce, Carey had little contact with her father. Her mother worked several jobs to support the family, and Carey spent much of her time at home alone. She began singing at the age of three, using music as an outlet for the stress of her family life. Her mother took notice of Carey’s vocal abilities when the three year old began imitating her practicing <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/verdi">Verdi's</a> opera Rigoletto in Italian, and officially became Carey’s vocal couch. | + | <li>[[Discography/Music Box|<em>Music Box</em> (1993)]] |
| - | + | <li>[[Discography/Merry Christmas|<em>Merry Christmas</em> (1994)]] | |
| - | Carey performed for the first time in public during elementary school and began writing songs by junior high. She graduated from Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York although she was frequently absent because of her popularity as a demo singer for local recording studios. She became renowned within the Long Island music scene, which gave her the opportunity to work with great established musicians such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/gavinchristopher">Gavin Christopher</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/benmargulies">Ben Margulies</a>: with them, she co-wrote material for her demo tape. | + | <li>[[Discography/Daydream|<em>Daydream</em> (1995)]] |
| - | + | <li>[[Discography/Butterfly|<em>Butterfly</em> (1997)]] | |
| - | After moving to New York City, Carey worked numerous part-time jobs to pay the rent and completed five hundred hours of beauty school. Eventually, she became a backup singer for Puerto Rican freestyle singer <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/brendakstarr">Brenda K. Starr</a>. | + | <li>[[Discography/1s|<em>#1's</em> (1998)]] |
| - | + | <li>[[Discography/Rainbow|<em>Rainbow</em> (1999)]] | |
| - | Carey's big break came in 1988, when Carey met Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola at a party. Starr ended up giving Mottola Carey's demo tape, which he played while driving home from the party: he was immediately impressed. He returned to the party to find Carey again, but she had left. Subsequently, Mottola tracked her down and signed her to a recording contract. This <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/cinderella">Cinderella</a>-like story became part of the standard publicity surrounding Carey's entrance into the industry. | + | <li>[[Discography/Glitter|<em>Glitter</em> (2001)]] |
| - | + | <li>[[Discography/The Remixes|<em>The Remixes</em> (2002)]] | |
| - | <strong>Introduction to Fame: 1990–1992</strong> | + | <li>[[Discography/Charmbracelet|<em>Charmbracelet</em> (2003)]] |
| - | + | <li>[[Discography/The Emancipation of Mimi|<em>The Emancipation of Mimi</em> (2005)]]</ul> | |
| - | Carey co-wrote the tracks on her 1990 debut album, <em>Mariah Carey</em>, and she continued to co-write nearly all her material for the rest of her career. Columbia enlisted <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/ricwake">Ric Wake</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/rhettlawrence">Rhett Lawrence</a> to help make the album commercially viable; however, Carey inititally expressed dissatisfaction with their contributions. Nonetheless, with substantial promotion, her first album climbed the charts to number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, where it remained for several weeks. <em>Mariah Carey</em> produced four number-one singles and made Carey a star in the United States, though its success elsewhere was limited. Critics rated the album highly, and Carey won two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for her debut single "Vision of Love"). | + | |
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| - | Carey followed up <em>Mariah Carey</em> by working with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/walterafanasieff">Walter Afanasieff</a> and the dance group C&C Music Factory on <em>Emotions</em>, her second album, which was made as a homage to Motown soul music. It was released soon after her debut album in late 1991, but was neither critically nor commercially as successful as the first; <em>Rolling Stone</em> described it as "more of the same, with less interesting material ... pop-psych love songs played with airless, intimidating expertise.” The title track "Emotions" made Carey the only recording act to have their first five singles reach number-one on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, though the album's follow-up singles failed to match this feat. Carey had been lobbying to produce her own songs, and beginning with Emotions, she would co-produce most of her material. "I didn't want [Emotions] to be somebody else's vision of me," she said. "There's more of me on this album." Following the minor success of Emotions, she began writing and producing for other artists, such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/pennyford">Penny Ford</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/daryllhall">Daryl Hall</a>, within the coming year. | + | |
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| - | Although she had occasionally performed live, stage fright had prevented Carey from embarking on any major tours. Therefore, many listening to Carey’s albums thought that the vocals on the tracks were electronically enhanced. However, in 1992, Carey was able to squelch those rumors when she preformed on MTV Unplugged and exhibited her ability to reproduce her vocal style outside a studio setting. In addition to acoustic versions of some of her earlier songs, Carey premiered a cover of The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" with back-up singer <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/treylorenz">Trey Lorenz</a>. Released as a single, the duet reached number one in the U.S. and led to a record deal for Lorenz, whose debut album Carey co-produced. Because of strong ratings for the MTV Unplugged television special, the concert's set list was released on the EP MTV Unplugged, which Entertainment Weekly called "the strongest, most genuinely musical record she has ever made.” | + | |
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| - | <strong>International Accreditation: 1993–1996</strong> | + | |
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| - | Carey and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/tommymottola">Tommy Mottola</a> became romantically involved during the making of her debut album, and in June 1993 they were married, when Carey was only 23. | + | |
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| - | Under the consultation of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/babyface">Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds</a>, Cary’s next album <em>Music Box</em>, was released later that year and became Carey's most successful worldwide. It yielded her first UK Singles Chart number-one, a cover of Badfinger's "Without You,” as well as the U.S. number-ones "Dreamlover" and "Hero." <em>Billboard</em> magazine proclaimed it as "heart-piercing ... easily the most elemental of Carey's releases, her vocal eurythmics in natural sync with the songs," but <em>TIME</em> magazine lamented Carey's attempt at a mellower work: "[<em>Music Box</em>] seems perfunctory and almost passionless ... Carey could be a pop-soul great; instead she has once again settled for Salieri-like mediocrity". When most critics slated her subsequent <em>U.S. Music Box Tour</em>, Carey said, "As soon as you have a big success, a lot of people don't like that. There's nothing I can do about it. All I can do is make music I believe in.” | + | |
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| - | After a successful duet with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/luthervandross">Luther Vandross</a> on a cover of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/lionelrichie">Lionel Richie</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/dianaross">Diana Ross</a>' "Endless Love" in late 1994, Carey released the holiday album <em>Merry Christmas</em>. It contained cover material and original compositions such as "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which became Carey's biggest single in Japan and in subsequent years emerged as one of her most perennially popular songs on North American radio during the holidays. Critical reception of Merry Christmas was mixed, with All Music Guide calling it an "otherwise vanilla set ... pretensions to high opera on 'O Holy Night' and a horrid danceclub [sic] take on 'Joy to the World.’” It became the most successful Christmas album of all time. | + | |
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| - | In 1995, Columbia released Carey's next album, Daydream, which combined the pop sensibilities of <em>Music Box</em> with downbeat R&B and hip hop influences. She wanted to combine for rap elements to her music, and she released a remix of "Fantasy," its first single, featuring the late rapper <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/oldirtybastard">Ol' Dirty Bastard</a>. Carey said that Columbia reacted negatively to her intentions for the album: "Everybody was like 'What, are you crazy?'. They're very nervous about breaking the formula." It became her biggest-selling album in the U.S. and its singles achieved similar success: "Fantasy" became the second single to debut at number-one in the U.S. and topped the Canadian Singles Chart for twelve weeks, "One Sweet Day" (a duet with Boyz II Men) spent a still-record sixteen weeks at number one in the U.S., and "Always Be My Baby" (co-produced by <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jermainedupri">Jermaine Dupri</a>) led the Hot 100's 1996 year-end airplay chart. | + | |
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| - | <em>Daydream</em> generated career-best reviews for Carey: <em>The New York Times</em> named it one of 1995's best albums and the Times wrote that its "best cuts bring pop candy-making to a new peak of textural refinement ... Carey's songwriting has taken a leap forward, becoming more relaxed, sexier and less reliant on thudding clichés.” The short but profitable <em>Daydream World Tour</em> augmented sales of the album, which received six Grammy Award nominations. | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Mottola Separation from Image Deviation: 1997–2000</strong></span> | + | |
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| - | Carey and Mottola separated in 1996. Although the public image of the marriage was a happy one, she said that in reality she had felt trapped by her relationship with Mottola, whom she said was very controlling of her image and her music style. They officially announced their separation in 1997, and their divorce became final the following year. Carey hired a new attorney and manager soon after the separation, as well as an independent publicist. She became a major songwriter and producer for other artists during this period, contributing to the debut albums of <em>Allure</em> and <em>7 Mile</em> through her short-lived Crave Records imprint. | + | |
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| - | Carey's next album, <em>Butterfly</em> (1997), yielded the number-one single "Honey", the lyrics and music video for which presented a more overt sexual image and a striking deviation from the wholesome persona she had previously exhibited. She stated that <em>Butterfly</em> marked the point that she attained full creative control over her music, which continued to move in an R&B/hip hop direction with material co-written and co-produced by rappers such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/puffdaddy">Sean "Puffy" Combs</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/missyelliott">Missy Elliott</a>; though she also said “I don't think it's that much of a departure from what I've done in the past ... It's not like I went psycho and thought I was going to be a rapper. Personally, this album is about doing whatever the hell I wanted to do." | + | |
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| - | Critics generally praised the album: <em>LAUNCHcast </em>said <em>Butterfly</em> "pushes the envelope," which "may prove disconcerting to more conservative fans" but was also praised as "a welcome change". The Los Angeles Times wrote: "[Butterfly] is easily the most personal, confessional-sounding record she's ever done ... Carey-bashing just might become a thing of the past." The album was an overall commercial success, and "My All" (her thirteenth Hot 100 number-one) gave her the record for the most U.S. number-ones by a female artist. | + | |
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| - | Towards the turn of the millennium, Carey began developing a film project called <em>Glitter</em>, and she wrote songs for the films <em>Men in Black</em> (1997) with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/willsmith">Will Smith</a> and <em>How the Grinch Stole Christmas!</em> (2000), with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jimcarey">Jim Carey</a>. | + | |
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| - | During the production of <em>Butterfly</em>, Carey became romantically involved with New York Yankees baseball player <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/derekjeter">Derek Jeter</a>. Their relationship ended in 1998, with both parties citing media interference as the main reason for the split. That year saw the release of #1's, a collection of her U.S. number-one singles up to that point. Carey said she recorded new material for the album as a way of rewarding her fans, and included "When You Believe," an Academy Award-winning duet with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/whitneyhouston">Whitney Houston</a> from the soundtrack to <em>The Prince of Egypt</em> (1998). #1's sold above expectations, but a review in NME labeled Carey "a purveyor of saccharine bilge like 'Hero', whose message seems wholesome enough: that if you vacate your mind of all intelligent thought, flutter your eyelashes and wish hard, sweet babies and honey will follow." Also that year she appeared on the first televised VH1 Divas benefit concert program, though her alleged prima donna behavior had already led many to consider her a diva. By the following year, she had entered a relationship with singer <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/luismiguel">Luis Miguel</a>. | + | |
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| - | <em>Rainbow</em>, Carey's sixth studio album, was released in 1999. It comprised more R&B/hip hop-oriented songs, many of them co-created with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jimmyjam">Jimmy Jam</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/terrylewis">Terry Lewis</a>. "Heartbreaker" and "Thank God I Found You" (the former featuring <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jayz">Jay-Z</a>, the latter featuring Joe and boy-band 98 Degrees) reached number one in the U.S., and the success of the former made Carey the only act to have a number-one single in each year of the 1990s. A cover of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/philcolins">Phil Collins</a>'s "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" went to number one in the UK after Carey re-recorded it with boy band Westlife. Media reception of Rainbow was generally enthusiastic, with the <em>Sunday Herald</em> saying the album "sees her impressively tottering between soul ballads and collaborations with R&B heavyweights like <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/snoopdog">Snoop Doggy Dogg</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/usher">Usher</a> ... It's a polished collection of pop-soul." <em>VIBE</em> magazine expressed similar sentiments, writing, "She pulls out all stops...<em>Rainbow</em> will garner even more adoration,” but despite this it became Carey's lowest-selling album up to that point, and there was a recurring criticism that the tracks were too alike. When the double A-side "Crybaby"/"Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" became her first single to peak outside the top twenty, Carey accused Sony of under promoting it: "The political situation in my professional career is not positive ... I'm getting a lot of negative feedback from certain corporate people", she wrote on her official website. | + | |
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| - | <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Professional Turmoil, Emotional Breakdown: 2001–2004 | + | |
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| - | After receiving Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award and the World Music Award for "Best-Selling Female Artist of the Millennium,” Carey parted from Columbia and signed a contract with EMI's Virgin Records worth a reported US$80 million. She often stated that Columbia had regarded her as a commodity, with her separation from Mottola exacerbating her relations with label executives. | + | |
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| - | Just a few months later, in July 2001, it was widely reported that Carey had suffered a physical and emotional breakdown. She had left messages on her website complaining of being overworked, and her relationship with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/luismiguel">Luis Miguel </a>was ending. I n an interview the following year, she said, "I was with people who didn't really know me, and I had no personal assistant. I'd be doing interviews all day long, getting two hours of sleep a night, if that." | + | |
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| - | During an appearance on MTV's "Total Request Live," Carey handed out popsicles to the audience and began what was later described as a "strip tease," removing a large, baggy t-shirt to reveal a halter top and Daisy Dukes. By the month's end, she had checked into a hospital, and her publicist announced that she would be taking a break from public appearances. | + | |
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| - | In addition to her public nervous breakdown, critics panned her project movie <em>Glitter</em>, which was Carey's much delayed semi-autobiographical film – it was also a box office failure. The album <em>Glitter</em>, inspired by the music of the 1980s, generated her worst showing on the U.S. chart in her career. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch dismissed it as "an absolute mess that'll go down as an annoying blemish on a career that, while not always critically heralded, was at least nearly consistently successful,” while Blender magazine scathingly wrote, "After years of trading her signature flourishes for a radio-ready purr, [Carey]'s left with almost no presence at all." | + | |
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| - | "Loverboy" reached number two on the Hot 100 thanks to a price cut, but the album's follow-up singles failed to chart. | + | |
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| - | Columbia released the low-charting album Greatest Hits shortly after the failure of <em>Glitter</em>, and in early 2002 Virgin bought out Carey's contract for $28 million, creating further negative publicity. Carey said her time at Virgin had been "a complete and total stress-fest ... I made a total snap decision which was based on money, and I never make decisions based on money. I learned a big lesson from that." Later that year, she signed a $20 million contract with Island Records and launched the record label MonarC. To add further to Carey's emotional burdens, her father, with whom she had had little contact since childhood, died of cancer that year. | + | |
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| - | Following a well-received supporting role in the 2002 film, <em>WiseGirls</em>, Carey released the album <em>Charmbracelet</em>, which she said marked "a new lease on life" for her. Following a train of negative reviews and publicity, sales of <em>Charmbracelet</em> were moderate, and the quality of Carey's vocals came under severe criticism. <em>The Boston Globe</em> declared the album as "the worst of her career, revealing a voice no longer capable of either gravity-defying gymnastics or soft coos,” and <em>Rolling Stone</em> commented: "Carey needs bold songs that help her use the power and range for which she is famous. <em>Charmbracelet</em> is like a stream of watercolors that bleed into a puddle of brown." Singles such as "Through the Rain" failed on the charts and with pop radio, whose playlists had become less open to maturing "diva" stylists such as Carey, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/whitneyhouston">Whitney Houston</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/celinedion">Celine Dion</a>. | + | |
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| - | "I Know What You Want", a 2003 <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/bustarhymes">Busta Rhymes</a> single on which Carey guest-starred, fared considerably better and reached the top five in the U.S. Columbia later included it on the remix collection <em>The Remixes</em>, Carey's lowest-selling album. That year, she embarked on the Charmbracelet World Tour and was awarded the World Music Chopard Diamond Award for selling over 100 million albums worldwide. She was featured on rapper <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jadakiss">Jadakiss</a>' 2004 single "U Make Me Wanna", which reached the top ten on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart. | + | |
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| - | <strong>Return to the Top-Diva: 2005—current</strong> | + | |
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| - | Carey's ninth studio album, <em>The Emancipation of Mimi</em>, was released in 2005 and contained contributions from producers such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/theneptunes">The Neptunes</a> (<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/pharrellwilliams">Pharrell Williams</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/chadhugo">Chad Hugo</a>), <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/kanyewest">Kanye West</a> and Carey's longtime collaborator, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jermainedupri">Jermaine Dupri</a>. Carey said it was "very much like a party record ... the process of putting on makeup and getting ready to go out ... I wanted to make a record that was reflective of that." | + | |
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| - | <em>The Emancipation of Mimi</em> became the year's best-selling album in the U.S., won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album and received some of Carey's most favorable reviews in some time; <em>The Guardian</em> defined it as "cool, focused and urban ... [some of] the first Mariah Carey tunes in years I wouldn't have to be paid to listen to again.” The second single, "We Belong Together", held the Hot 100's number-one position for fourteen weeks (her longest run at the top as a solo lead artist) and was the biggest hit of 2005 in the U.S., while "Shake It Off" made Carey the only female artist to occupy the Hot 100's top two positions simultaneously. "Don't Forget About Us" became her seventeenth number-one in the U.S., tying her with <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/elvispresley">Elvis Presley</a> for the most number-ones by a solo act according to <em>Billboard</em> magazine's revised methodology (their statistician <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/joelwhitburn">Joel Whitburn</a> still credits Presley with an eighteenth). By this count Carey is behind only <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/thebeatles">The Beatles</a>, who have twenty number-ones. | + | |
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| - | Carey began a concert tour, <em>The Adventures of Mimi Tour</em>, in mid-2006. | + | |
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| - | Carey appeared on the cover of the March 2007 edition of <em>Playboy</em> magazine on a non-nude photo session. "Don't Forget About Us" was nominated in two categories at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards: Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance but both were awarded to <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/maryjblige">Mary J. Blige's</a> “Be Without You.” | + | |
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| - | In 2007 Carey received a "recording star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. | + | |
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| - | According to a backstage interview with Entertainment Tonight, she has already begun to work on her next studio album, which is expected for release sometime during early 2007. According to a November 2006 Reuters report, Universal Music Group CEO <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/dougmorris">Doug Morris</a> has stated that Carey will release two albums in 2007. | + | |
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| - | <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Vocal Inspirations and Comparisons | + | |
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| - | Carey has said that from childhood she was stimulated by R&B and soul musicians such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/billieholiday">Billie Holiday</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/sarahvaughan">Sarah Vaughan</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/gladysknight">Gladys Knight</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/arethafranklin">Aretha Franklin</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/revalgreen">Al Green</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/steviewonder">Stevie Wonder</a>. Her music contains strong influences of gospel music, and her favorite gospel singers include <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/theclarksisters">The Clark Sisters</a> (<a title="Twinkie Clark" href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/elbernitatwinkieclark">Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark</a>, <a title="Jacky Clark Chisholm" href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jackyclarkchisholm">Jacky Clark Chisholm</a>, <a title="Dorinda Clark Cole" href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/dorindaclarkcole">Dorinda Clark Cole</a>, and <a title="Karen Clark Sheard" href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/karenclarksheard">Karen Clark Sheard</a>), <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/shirleycaesar">Shirley Caesar</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/edwinhawkins">Edwin Hawkins</a>. | + | |
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| - | As Carey began to imbue her sound with hip hop, speculation arose that she was making an attempt to take advantage of the genre's popularity, but she told Newsweek, "People just don't understand. I grew up with this music.” She has expressed appreciation for rappers such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/sugarhillgang">The Sugarhill Gang</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/ericb">Eric B.</a> & <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/rakim">Rakim</a>, the <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/wutangclan">Wu-Tang Clan</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/notoriousbig">The Notorious B.I.G.</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/mobbdeep">Mobb Deep</a>, with whom she collaborated on "The Roof (Back in Time)" (1997). | + | |
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| - | Carey's debut album received criticism for being too similar in style to the work of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/whitneyhouston">Whitney Houston</a>, and throughout her career, her vocal and musical style, along with her level of success, has been compared to Houston and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/celinedion">Celine Dion</a>. Carey and her peers, according to <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/garrymulholland">Garry Mulholland</a>, are "the princesses of wails ... virtuoso vocalists who blend chart-oriented pop with mature MOR torch song.” In <em>She Bop II: The Definitive History of Women in Rock, Pop and Soul</em> (2002) writer <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/lucyobrien">Lucy O'Brien</a> attributed the comeback of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/barbrastreisand">Barbra Streisand</a>'s "old-fashioned showgirl" to Carey and Dion, and described them and Houston as "groomed, airbrushed and overblown to perfection." Carey's musical transition and her use of more revealing clothing during the late 1990s were in part initiated to distance herself from this image, and she subsequently said that most of her early work had been "schmaltzy MOR." Some have noted that unlike Houston and Dion, Carey co-writes all of her own songs, and the "Guinness Rockopedia" (1998) classified her as the "songbird supreme." | + | |
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| - | Love is the subject of the majority of Carey's lyrics, although she has also written about themes such as racism, death, world hunger, and spirituality. She has said that much of her work is partly autobiographical, but <em>TIME</em> magazine wrote: "If only Mariah Carey's music had the drama of her life. Her songs are often sugary and artificial—NutraSweet soul. But her life has passion and conflict." | + | |
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| - | Carey's output makes great use of electronic instruments such as drum machines, keyboards and synthesizers. Many of her songs contain piano music, and she was given piano lessons when she was six years old. Carey said that she cannot read sheet music and prefers to collaborate with a pianist when composing her material, but feels that it is easier to experiment with faster and less conventional melodies and chord progressions using this technique. Some of her arrangements have been inspired by the work of musicians such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/steviewonder">Stevie Wonder</a>, a soul pianist whom Carey once referred to as "the genius of the [20th] century,” but she has said, "My voice is my instrument; it always has been." | + | |
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| - | Carey began commissioning remixes of her material early in her career and helped spearhead the practice of recording entirely new vocals for remixes. Disc jockey <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/davidmorales">David Morales</a> has collaborated with Carey several times, starting with "Dreamlover" (1993), which popularized the tradition of remixing pop songs into house records and which Slant magazine named one of the greatest dance songs of all time. From "Fantasy" (1995) onward, she enlisted both hip hop and house producers to re-imagine her album compositions. <em>Entertainment Weekly</em> included two remixes of "Fantasy" on a list of Carey's greatest recordings compiled in 2005: a National Dance Music Award-winning remix produced by Morales, and a <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/puffdaddy">Sean Combs </a>production featuring rapper <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/oldirtybastard">Ol' Dirty Bastard</a>. The latter has been credited with initiating the pop/hip hop collaboration trend that has continued into the 2000s through artists such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/ashanti">Ashanti</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/beyonceknowles">Beyoncé Knowles</a>. <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/puffdaddy">Combs</a> said that Carey "knows the importance of mixes, so you feel like you're with an artist who appreciates your work—an artist who wants to come up with something with you.” She continues to consult on remixes by producers such as <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/davidmorales">David Morales</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jermainedupri">Jermaine Dupri</a>, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/juniorvasquez">Junior Vasquez</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/djclue">DJ Clue</a>, and guest performers contribute frequently to them. The popularity in U.S. nightclubs of the dance remixes, which often sound radically different from their album counterparts, has been known to eclipse the chart success of the original songs. | + | |
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| - | <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Vocal Ability</span></strong> | + | |
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| - | Carey is said to be able to cover all the notes from the alto vocal range leading to those of a coloratura soprano, and her vocal trademark is her ability to sing in the whistle register. She has cited <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/minnieriperton">Minnie Riperton</a> as the greatest influence on her singing technique, and from a very early age she attempted to emulate Riperton's high notes, to increasing degrees of success as her vocal range expanded. According to most sources, she has a five-octave vocal range, though some credit her with seven or eight octaves. | + | |
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| - | In 2003, her voice was voted the greatest in music in MTV and <em>Blender</em> magazine's countdown of the 22 Greatest Voices in Music. Carey said of the poll, "What it really means is voice of the MTV generation. Of course, it's an enormous compliment, but I don't feel that way about myself." | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Acting, Modeling, Spokemanship</strong></span> | + | |
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| - | Carey began to take professional acting lessons in 1997, and within the coming year, she was auditioning for film roles. She made her debut as an opera singer in the romantic comedy <em>The Bachelor</em> (1999) starring <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/chrisodonnell">Chris O'Donnell</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/renezellweger">Renée Zellweger</a>, and CNN derisively referred to her casting as a talentless diva as "letter-perfect ... the "can't act" part informs Carey's entire performance". | + | |
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| - | Carey's first starring role was in the embarrassingly <em>Glitter</em> (2001), in which she played a struggling musician in the 1980s who breaks into the music industry after meeting a disc jockey (<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/maxbeesley">Max Beesley</a>). While <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/rogerebert">Roger Ebert</a> said "[Carey]'s acting ranges from dutiful flirtatiousness to intense sincerity,” most critics panned it: The Village Voice said that "When [Carey] tries for an emotion—any emotion—she looks as if she's lost her car keys." Glitter was a box office failure, and Carey earned a Razzie Award for her role. She later said that the film "started out as a concept with substance, but it ended up being geared to 10-year-olds. It lost a lot of grit ... I kind of got in over my head." The film has consistently been ranked as one of the worst of all time in user voting at the Internet Movie Database. | + | |
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| - | Carey, <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/mirasorvino">Mira Sorvino</a> and <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/melorawalters">Melora Walters</a> co-starred as waitresses at a mobster-operated restaurant in the independent film <em>WiseGirls </em>(2002), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival but went straight to cable in the U.S. Critics commended Carey for her efforts. | + | |
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| - | Carey was one of several musicians who appeared in the independently produced <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/damondash">Damon Dash</a> films<em> Death of a Dynasty</em> (2003) and <em>State Property 2 </em>(2005), while her television work has been limited to a January 2002 episode of <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/allymcbeal">Ally McBeal</a>. | + | |
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| - | In 2006, Carey joined the cast of the indie film <em>Tennessee</em> (2007), taking the role of a waitress who travels with her two brothers to find their long-lost father. | + | |
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| - | Carey has participated in endorsements for Intel Centrino personal computers. | + | |
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| - | In early 2006 she launched a jewelry and accessories line for teenagers, "Glamorized", in American Claire's and Icing stores. Later that year it was announced she had signed a licensing deal with the cosmetics company <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/elizabetharden">Elizabeth Arden</a> to release a fragrance in 2007. During this period, as part of a partnership with Pepsi and Motorola, Carey recorded and promoted a series of exclusive ringtones such as "Time of Your Life.” | + | |
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| - | In October of 2006, Lee Daniels Entertainment released information about the upcoming film Tennessee which will star Carey. Shooting is set to begin Spring of 2007. The Synopsis involves “Brothers Carter (<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/jamesdarcy">James D’Arcy</a>) and Ellis Armstrong (<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/ethanpeck">Ethan Peck</a>) have only each other and their rundown trailer home in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. But when their lonely lives are shattered by misfortune, their only hope is to return home to Tennessee and the father they once fled. In journeying through the Southwest, the brothers bond with determined waitress Krystal (Mariah Carey) and reconnect with their past.” | + | |
| - | In early 2007, Carey was hired by Italian fashion label, Pinko, as the new face of its London-based brand. She said, “I immediately became a huge fan of the brand, and I bought almost everything in the store. So as you can imagine, when I was approached about doing the Pinko campaign I was beyond excited. The clothes are so stylish and fun, and I’m really looking forward to our new venture together.” | + | |
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| - | According to Forbes, Carey is the sixth richest woman in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of US$225 million. | + | |
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| - | <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Recent Public Scrutiny and Controversy</strong></span> | + | |
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| - | In December 2006, Carey embarked on a highly publized fued with another Carey: <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/marycary">Mary Cary </a>the porn star. Mariah Carey tried to block her from trade marking her name because their names are so similar. Mary recently put in a trademark application for her name and a few weeks later she received a letter from Mariah Carey’s lawyers threatening legal action if she didn’t withdraw her application. | + | |
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| - | In January of 2007, Carey revealed her Diva-esque habits, saying that she basically sleeps in a steam room, swearing that she needs to sleep with dozens of humidifiers to protect her voice: “Literally, I’ll have twenty humidifiers around the bed. Basically, it’s like sleeping in a steam room. The bed is all terry-cloth, the ceiling is pitched so the water can’t fall on my head, and it drips down to my side, and the TV is behind glass.” | + | |
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| - | Over the years since Marshall Mathers (<a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/eminem">Eminem</a>) has gained notoriety, he has named Carey frequently in his songs, and claimed that the two had a short lived tumultuous relationship after the release of his first album. Carey finally responded to his repetive references saying that she didn’t know why Eminem was so obsessed with the Divs: “Something is clearly askew with him and I’m not quite sure what it is. I just heard something else he recently said about me. I’m curious as to why he’s so obsessed with me. I never got an apology letter, by the way. … Then, again, I wasn’t exactly searching my mailbox for it.” | + | |
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| - | <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Charity Work and Activism | + | |
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| - | Carey is a philanthropist who has donated time and money to organizations such as the Fresh Air Fund. She became associated with the Fund in the early 1990s, and is the co-founder of a camp located in Fishkill, New York that enables inner-city youth to embrace the arts and introduces them to career opportunities. The camp was called Camp Mariah "for her generous support and dedication to Fresh Air children," and she received a Congressional Horizon Award for her youth-related charity work. | + | |
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| - | She is well-known nationally for her work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in granting the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, and in November 2006 she was awarded the Foundation's Wish Idol for her "extraordinary generosity and her many wish granting achievements.” | + | |
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| - | Carey has volunteered for the New York City Police Athletic League and contributed to the obstetrics department of New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell Medical Center. A percentage of the sales of MTV Unplugged was donated to various other charities. In January 2007 it was reported Carey had volunteered to teach music production at a school <a href="http://www.kevo.com/profile/oprahwinfrey">Oprah Winfrey</a> opened in South Africa. | + | |
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| - | One of Carey's most high-profile benefit concert appearances was on VH1's 1998 Divas Live special, where she performed alongside other female singers in support of the Save the Music Foundation. The concert was a ratings success, and Carey participated in the 2000 special. She appeared at the America: A Tribute to Heroes nationally televised fundraiser in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and in December 2001 she performed before peacekeeping troops in Kosovo. Carey hosted the CBS television special At Home for the Holidays, which documented real-life stories of adopted children and foster families, and she has worked with the New York City Administration for Children's Services. In 2005 Carey performed for Live 8 in London and at the Hurricane Katrina relief telethon Shelter from the Storm. | + | |
| + | <b>[[Filmography]]</b><ul><li>[[Filmography/The Bachelor|<em>The Bachelor</em> (1999)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Glitter|<em>Glitter</em> (2001)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/WiseGirls|<em>WiseGirls</em> (2002)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Death of a Dynasty|<em>Death of a Dynasty</em> (2003)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/State Property 2|<em>State Property 2</em> (2005)]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Filmography/Tennessee|<em>Tennessee</em> (2006)]]</ul> | ||
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| - | <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Mariah Carey | + | <b>Mariah Carey</b> is a highly successful singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Long Island, New York, Carey began singing as a child. Her entrance into the music industry was in 1988, when she began work on her first album. In the nearly two decades since, Carey has become one of the most acclaimed female performers in contemporary music. |
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| - | When most think of <strong>Mariah Carey</strong> (born March 27, 1970), they hear the high pitch of her angelic pop star vocals. She is internationally-known for her melismatic singing voice, vocal range, power and use of the whistle register. Though, some critics have said that Carey | ||