BRUNO MARS BIOGRAPHY

Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age. After performing in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood, he decided to pursue a musical career and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school. Mars began producing songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons.
After an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, Mars signed with Atlantic Records in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Kesha, "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan, and "Fuck You!" by Cee Lo Green. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Anchored by the worldwide number one singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.He was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are".
Mars' music is noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, and contains elements of many different musical genres. He has worked with an assortment of artists from different genres; Mars acknowledges the influences that his collaborations have had on his own music. As a child, he was highly influenced by artists such as Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into his work. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times referred to Mars as "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop."
Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, by parents Bernadette "Bernie" and Pete Hernandez, of Filipino and Puerto Rican descent. His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York. Mars' parents met while performing in a show, where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion. At the age of two, he was nicknamed "Bruno" by his father, because of his resemblance to chubby professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.
Mars was one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B. From a young age, he was impersonating and performing songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations. At age four, Mars began performing five days a week with his family's band, The Love Notes, in which he became known on the island for his impersonation of Presley.|source|

ADAM LOPEZ BIOGRAPHY

Birth name: Adam Lopez Costa

Born: 26 August 1972



Adam Lopez: born 26 August 1972 in Brisbane, Australia is a pop musician, vocal coach, and session vocalist. He is noted for his ability to produce extremely high notes in his whistle register and for his extensive vocal range. He is currently a Guinness World Record holder for singing the highest note by a male – a half step above the C in the 8th octave (C♯8), or a half-step above the highest note on a standard 88-key piano.



Lopez was the second of three boys, born to Spanish parents, Manuel Jesus Lopez Perez and Maria Del Rosario Costa Velasco. Both of his parents were musicians. Having started singing at the age of three, Lopez was a treble (boy soprano) by age ten. After finishing high school, Lopez studied voice at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music at Griffith University in Australia. He spent five years there studying opera although he spent a total of 10 years developing his distinctive vocal abilities.



In addition to solo work, Lopez has worked as a session vocalist, singing backing vocals for Mariah Carey, Debelah Morgan, Keith Urban, Vanessa Amorosi, and other Australian artists. He has also worked in television and radio.



His 2008 Latino album titled Till the end of Time features Australian jazz musician James Morrison on trumpet.



According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Lopez holds the world record for highest vocal note produced by a male. That pitch is designated C♯8 in note-octave notation; it is one semitone above the highest note on a standard grand piano or 4435 Hz. Before achieving this record, Lopez held the previous Guinness World Record for singing a D7 in 2003. He broke his own record in June 2005.



He is said to have the ability to pitch an A♭ below low C.His tessitura, however, lies in the tenor range.



Adam Lopez can be classified as a sopranist, because of his ability to sing like a soprano.

ALESHA DIXON

Alesha Anjanette Dixon born 7 October 1978 is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B/garage trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records. Dixon began recording her debut solo album, Fired Up in 2006, but due to poor record sales of her first two singles, "Lipstick" and "Knockdown", she was dropped from Polydor.



In 2007 Dixon became a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing and eventually won. Her television exposure led to a successful comeback, which included her signing to Asylum Records, an offshoot of Warner Music Group. Dixon then released a second album, entitled The Alesha Show in 2008, which received platinum certification from BPI in the UK.



In September 2009 Dixon became a judge on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing, replacing fellow judge Arlene Phillips. The replacement of Phillips by Dixon attracted criticism, as some questioned the extent of Dixon's dancing knowledge. Dixon herself dismissed the criticism, describing it as a "storm in a teacup", and refused to stand down as judge. In 2010 Dixon returned for the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing and released her third studio album, The Entertainer.

JOSS STONE BIOGRAPHY

Joss Stone born Jocelyn Eve Stoker 11 April 1987 is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist. Her second album, the equally multiplatinum Mind Body & Soul, topped the UK Albums Chart for one week and spawned the top ten hit "You Had Me", Stone's most successful single on the UK Singles Chart to date. Both album and single each received one nomination at the 2005 Grammy Awards, while Stone herself was nominated for Best New Artist, and in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2004 was ranked fifth as a predicted breakthrough act of 2004. She became the youngest British female singer to top the UK Albums Chart in history to have her first album at number one.



Stone's third album, Introducing Joss Stone, released in March 2007, achieved gold record status by the RIAA and yielded the second-ever highest debut for a British female solo artist on the Billboard 200, which became Stone' first Top 5 album in the United States and first non-Top 10 album in the United Kingdom. Stone released her fourth album, Colour Me Free!, on 20 October 2009, which did reach Top 10 on Billboard. Stone released her fifth album, LP1, on 22 July 2011, which did reach Top 10 on Billboard. Throughout her career, Stone has sold eleven million albums, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time, best-selling soul artists of the 2000s and best-selling British artists of her time.Her first three albums have sold over 2,722,000 copies in the United States, while her first two albums have sold over 2,000,000 copies in United Kingdom. Stone has won two BRIT Awards and one Grammy Award. She also made her film acting debut in late 2006 with the fantasy adventure film Eragon, and made her television debut portraying Anne of Cleves in the Showtime series The Tudors in 2009.Stone was the youngest woman on the 2006 Sunday Times Rich List—an annual list of the UK's wealthiest people—with £6 million.

JOSS STONE IMAGES

JOSS STONE PROFILE



Birth name: Jocelyn Eve Stoker

Born: 11 April 1987 Dover, Kent, England,

United: Kingdom

Genres: Soul, R&B, blues

Occupations: Singer-songwriter, actress

Years active: 2001–present

Labels: Relentless, S-Curve, Virgin, Stone'd Records www.stoned-Records.com

Associated acts: SuperHeavy

Website: jossstone.com



Discography



* The Soul Sessions (2003)

* Mind Body & Soul (2004)

* Introducing Joss Stone (2007)

* Colour Me Free! (2009)

* LP1 (2011)

* Super Duper Hits: The Best of Joss Stone (2011) [A]

* SuperHeavy (2011) [B]



source

HAIFA WEHBE BIOGRAPHY

Haifa Wehbe was born in Mahrouna, in Southern Lebanon. She is a Lebanese model, actress, and singer.

Biography and Career

Haifa Wehbe was born in Mahrouna, in Southern Lebanon. She is a Lebanese model, actress, and singer who rose to fame in the Arab world as runner up for Miss Lebanon and later through the release of her debut album Houwa El Zaman.

She grew up listening to jazz and R&B. She began to work as a model at a young age and won the title of Miss South Lebanon at the age of sixteen. She won an ancillary title at the Miss Lebanon competition, which she had to relinquish when it was discovered that she had already been married and had a baby girl called Zeineb, disqualifying her.

She also made a name for herself when she starred in a music video clip for the singer George Wassouf. By 1996, she had appeared on over a hundred magazine covers. She is married to Ahmed Abu Hashima and is currently living in Egypt with him.

In 2002, Wehbe released her first album named, Houwa El Zaman which became a commercial success in part thanks to the popularity of her first single Agoul Ahwak.

Her second album Baddi Eesh, was released in 2005 and lived up to expectations due to the success of its lead single Ya Hayat Albi. Released after the assassination of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri, the title single of the album is about freedom, considered to be among the most basic of human rights. Her follow-up single became her biggest hit to date, Ana Haifa, which became her novelty song..

Wehbe was the first Arab artist appears on the Italian TV channel Rai Uno at Piazza Navona in Rome, performing in front of celebrities and fashion designers. She has also performed with artists from outside the Arab world. On June, 2006, she became the first artist in the Arab world to perform with rapper 50 Cent when she performed the opening act for his first concert in Lebanon, at BIEL in Beirut.

Wehbe will release a children's album titled Baby Haifa with Rotana. The release date for the album has yet to be announced. Wehbe is a Shiite Muslim, and has three sisters, though Haifa's mother is Egyptian. Her brother died at the age of 24 during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Discography
Studio albums

* Houwa El-Zaman (2002)
* Baddi Eesh (2005)
* Habibi Ana (2008)

Other albums
* Baby Haifa (2010)

Soundtracks
* 2008: Sea of Stars

Singles
* " 80 Million Ehsas"
* "Enta Tany"
* "Yama Layali"
* "Samaani"

Concert Tours

2011
* January 29- Amsterdam, Netherlands (TBA)

2010
* November 18- Al Massa Hotel, Cairo
* November 17- Movempic Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon
* July 31 - Movempic Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon
* July 24 - Chouf, Lebanon
* July 22 - Batroun, Lebanon
* July 16–19 - Casablanca, Morocco
* July 4 - PRIVATE CONCERT, Monaco
* July 2 - Zahle Festival, Zahle, Lebanon
* May 8 - Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut
* March 13 - Houston, Texas

Filmography

Films
* Sea of Stars (produced by Pepsi) - released July, 2008
* Dokkan Shihata - June 2009

Television
* Al Wadi (2005) - reality television show based on the French reality show La Ferme Célébrités.

ref: wikipedia and people.famouswhy

EDURNE GARCIA ALMAGRO

Edurne García Almagro better known as Edurne is a Spanish pop singer. Born December 22, 1985 (1985-12-22) in Madrid, Spain. She came sixth in the fourth edition of the Spanish television series Operación Triunfo in 2005.

At present, she is the girlfriend of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.

Discography

Her record label is Sony Bmg Spain and her debut album "Edurne", whose first single is "Despierta", was released on 2006. "Edurne" is Edurne's debut album, and has 12 tracks. It mixes many different rhythms and styles, including "Amores Dormidos", a song composed for Edurne by the popular Spanish pop group La Oreja De Van Gogh. In the re-release of the Edurne's debut album included "Te Falta Veneno", the theme song for "Yo Soy Bea" (Spanish adaptation of the Colombian soap opera "Betty La Fea" aired by Telecinco) and 2 remixes from her debut single "Despierta". Also, Edurne recorded "Don't Tell Me Tonight", a duet with the Iranian singer Cameron Cartio for his album "Borderless".

Edurne's second album is called "Ilusión", and it was released on June 19 anticipated by the single "Ven por mi", a cover of Sita's "Come With Me". The album peaked at #11 position in the official iTunes albums chart. "Ilusión" includes the track "Fue para los dos", a Spanish-language adaptation of a song originally written in English by Hanne Sørvaag and Harry Sommerdahl under the title "Brief and Beautiful"; this English version was also recorded by Norwegian artist Maria Arredondo and released as a single in 2007.

In 2008, Edurne released an album of songs from musicals called Premiere. The first single is a Spanish version of the Queen song "Somebody to Love". The album has received good reviews from the Spanish press, and has got to number 5 in the Spanish iTunes charts (Number 3 in the Spanish pop chart). The reason of doing an album of songs from musicals is that Edurne is working in the musical Grease in Spain, acting as Sandy. Edurne released a new album on March 23, 2010 named Nueva Piel. The first single of the album is called "Soy Como Soy (Girls Will Be Girls)" and it is available to listen on Edurne's official website and MySpace.

Edurne And David De Gea

Albums
Album Information

Edurne

* Released: March 21, 2006 (SPN)
* Re-Released: September 26, 2006
* Peak Position: #3
* Spanish Sales: 50,000+ (Gold)
* Label: Sony BMG
* Official Singles:
o 2006: "Despierta"
o 2006: "Amores Dormidos"
o 2006: "Te Falta Veneno" ("Yo Soy Bea" Theme Song)
* Other Singles:
o 2006: "Don't Tell Me Tonight" (Feat. Cameron Cartio)

Ilusion

* Released: June 19, 2007 (SPN)
* Peak Positions: #13
* Label: Sony BMG
* Official Singles:
o 2007: "Ven Por Mí"
o 2007: "Fue Para los Dos"
* Other Singles:
o 2007: "No Quiero Más" (promo only)

Premiere

* Released: June 3, 2008 (SPN)
* Peak Positions: #39
* Label: Sony BMG
* Official Singles:
o 2008: "Un Poco de Amor (Somebody To Love)"
o 2008: "Sigo Enamorada De Tí (Hopelessly Devoted To You)"
o 2008: "Tú Serás Para Mí (You're the One That I Want)"

Nueva Piel

* Released: March 23, 2010 (SPN)
* Peak Positions: #16
* Spanish Sales: TBA
* Label: Sony BMG
* Official Singles:
o 2010: "Soy Como Soy (I am like I am)"
o 2011: "Oigo Mi Corazón (I hear my heart)"

ref:wikipedia

AMY WINEHOUSE PROFILE

Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was a British singer-songwriter known for her powerful contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz.

Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album, Back to Black, led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British singer to win five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 14 February 2007, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She won the Ivor Novello Award three times, one in 2004 for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically) for "Stronger Than Me", one in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab", and one in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love Is a Losing Game", among other prestigious distinctions. The album was the third biggest seller of the 2000s in the United Kingdom.

Winehouse was credited as an influence in the rise in popularity of female musicians and soul music, and also for revitalising British music. Winehouse's distinctive style made her a muse for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld. The singer's problems with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as self-destructive behaviour, were regular tabloid news from 2007 until her death. She and her former husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were plagued by legal troubles that left him serving prison time. In 2008, Winehouse faced a series of health complications that threatened both her career and her life.

Winehouse died at the age of 27 on 23 July 2011 at her home in London; police have said that the cause of her death was "as yet unexplained".

Singer, performer. Born Amy Jade Winehouse on September 14, 1983, in the suburb of Southgate, North London. Her father, Mitch Winehouse, worked as a cab driver, while mother Janis was employed as a pharmacist. Winehouse's upbringing was surrounded by jazz; many of her uncles on her mother's side were professional jazz musicians, and her grandmother was once romantically involved with British jazz legend Ronnie Scott. Because of this musical background, Winehouse grew up listening to a diverse range of music, from James Taylor to Sarah Vaughan. At the age of 10, she became drawn to the rebellious spirit of TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and other American R&B and hip-hop acts, and founded a short-lived amateur rap group called Sweet 'n Sour.

At 12, Winehouse was accepted into the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School, and a year later she received her first guitar. But by the age of 16, Winehouse was expelled for "not applying herself" and piercing her nose. That same year, she caught her first big break when a schoolmate and close friend, pop singer Tyler James, passed her demo tape to his label, A&R, who was searching for a jazz vocalist. The opportunity led her to a record deal with Island/Universal.

Her debut album, Frank (2003), was a critically acclaimed mixture of jazz, pop, soul, and hip-hop. The album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize as well as two BRIT awards for Best Female Solo Artist and Best Urban Act. The debut single on the album, "Stronger Than Me," earned the new artist an Ivor Novello award. Frank also hit double platinum status.

During this time, Winehouse began developing a reputation as an unstable party girl, often showing up to her club or TV performances too drunk to sing a whole set. She also started a tumultuos, on-again-off-again relationship with music video assistant, Blake Fielder-Civil, who admitted to introducing Winehouse to hard drugs. In public, the couples' arguments often devolved into fist-fights and dramatic scenes. In private, their romance centered around drugs, alcohol, physical abuse, and even self-harm.

By 2006, her management company finally suggested that Winehouse enter rehab for alcohol abuse. Instead, she dumped the company and turned the experience into the lead single for her second, critically acclaimed album, Back to Black (2006). The song "Rehab," which discussed her refusal to receive treatment for substance abuse, became an instant Top 10 hit in the U.K. and earned the artist another Ivor Novello award for Best Contemporary Song. The album was also a critical success, winning the artist a BRIT award for Best Female Solo Artist and a BRIT nomination for Best British Album in 2007. Less than a month after her BRIT win, Back to Black made its American debut. It was an instant smash, hitting higher on the Billboard music charts than any other American debut by a British female recording artist in history. The album stayed in the Top 10 for several months, selling 1 million copies by the end of that summer.

source:wikipedia

CHERYL TWEEDY PROFILE

This is Cheryl Ann Tweedy Profile better known as Cheryl Cole. She was born on 30 June 1983. She is an English singer, songwriter, dancer, and model. Rising to fame in late 2002, Cole was selected to become a member of girl group Girls Aloud on ITV’s reality television programme Popstars The Rivals. With the group, Cole has marked much success by achieving twenty consecutive top ten singles (including four number ones) in the UK. Cole became a judge on the British televised singing competition The X Factor in 2008. Cole was married to England footballer Ashley Cole from July 2006 until she divorced him in September 2010.

Famous as : singer, model
Birth Name : Cheryl Ann Tweedy
Popular Name : Cheryl Tweedy, Cheryl Cole
Nickname : Chez, Chezza
Born : 30 June 1983
Place of birth : Newcastle upon Tyne
Nationality : English
Height : 160 cm
Weight : -

Cheryl Tweedy Career
Occupations : Singer-songwriter, dancer, model, celebrity
Active : 2002–present
Genres : Pop, R&B
Instruments : Vocals
Labels : Polydor, Fascination, will.i.am music group
Website : http://cherylcole.com/

Cheryl Tweedy Family
Father : Gary Tweedy
Mother : Joan Callaghan
Partner : Ashley Cole (divorced in September 2010)

Cheryl Tweedy Album
3 Words (2009), Messy Little Raindrops (2010)

Awards
Most Fanciable Female (2007) : Virgin Media Awards
Sexiest Female (2008) : Heat Magazine Awards
Best Reality TV Judge (2008) : Heat Magazine Awards
TV Personality (2009) : Glamour Women of the Year Awards
#1 Sexiest Woman in the World (2009) : FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World
Best Dressed Women (2009) : Style Network Awards
Style icon of the decade (2009) : Style Network Awards
Switch’s Prom Queen (2009) : BBC Switch Live Awards
Hottest Female (2009) : Virgin Media Awards
Best Dressed (2009) : Glamour Women of the Year Awards
Best Dressed (2010) : Glamour Woman of the Year Awards
Woman of the Year (2010) : Glamour Women of the Year Awards
#1 Sexiest Woman in the World (2010) : FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World
Best Female Artist (2010) : BT Digital Music Awards
Best Single (Fight for This Love) (2010) : BT Digital Music Awards
Musician Of The Year (2011) : Elle Style Awards

SOURCE

YULIA VOLKOVA

Yulia Olegovna Volkova (born 20 February 1985) is a member of the two-girl group t.A.T.u., usually known as Julia Volkova. They are notorious for shocking the public and trying to break taboos by performing on stage in only their underwear. Volkova is known for being the "bad girl" of the group.

Yulia likes to play tennis and she can play piano and guitar. She is also a classically trained musician.

In May 2004, Volkova announced that she was pregnant with long-time boyfriend Pavel (Pasha) Sidorov's child. She gave birth to her first child, Viktoria, on September 23, 2004. Volkova split up with Sidorov in spring 2005, but didn't stay single for long - while recording a new album for t.A.T.u., she started dating Tigran - a Russian-American businessman.

MARIAH CAREY

MARIAH CAREY BIOGRAPHY

Mariah Carey born March 27, 1970 or 1969; sources vary is an American R&B/pop singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. She made her recording debut, in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have her first five singles top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Following her marriage to Mottola, in 1993, a series of hit records established her position as Columbia Records' highest-selling act.

Following her separation from Mottola, in 1997, she introduced elements of hip hop into her album work, to much initial success, but her popularity was in decline when she left Columbia, in 2001. She signed a record $80 million deal with Virgin Records, only to be dropped from the label and bought out of her contract in the following year. This radical turn of events was due to the highly publicized physical and emotional breakdown, as well as the poor reception that was given to Glitter, her film and soundtrack project. In 2002, Carey signed with Island Records, and, after a relatively unsuccessful period, returned to the top of pop music, in 2005, with her album, The Emancipation of Mimi.

In a career spanning over two decades, Carey has sold more than 200 million albums, singles and videos worldwide, according to Island Def Jam, which makes her one of the world's best-selling music artists.Carey was cited as the world’s best-selling recording artist of the 1990s at the 1998 World Music Awards and was also named the best-selling female artist of the millennium by the same award-giving body in 2000. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the third-best-selling female artist, with shipments of 63 million albums. In 2008, Carey earned her eighteenth number one single on the Hot 100, the most by any solo artist. Aside from her commercial accomplishments, she has earned five Grammy Awards and is known for her five-octave vocal range, power, melismatic style and use of the whistle register.

MARIAH CAREY PHOTOS

REBBECCA BLACK BIOGRAPHY

Rebecca Black born in Anaheim Hills, California, U.S. June 21, 1997 is an American pop singer who first rose to fame with her 2011 single "Friday".

Rebecca Black is from Anaheim Hills, a neighborhood in northeast Orange County, California.

Black received popular attention in March, 2011 after a single she recorded and produced with the ARK Music Factory, "Friday", was released on YouTube and iTunes. The song's video was uploaded to YouTube on February 10, 2011 and received approximately 1,000 views in the first month.The video went viral on about March 11, 2011, acquiring millions of views on YouTube in a matter of days, becoming the most-talked-about topic on social networking site Twitter,and garnering mostly negative media coverage. As of March 22, 2011, first-week sales of her digital single were estimated to be around 40,000 by Billboard.com and the video attracted over 44 million views on YouTube as of March 24, 2011. Black appeared on the March 22, 2011 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, during which she performed the single and discussed the negative reaction to it.The song has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 72 and 33, respectively. In the UK, the song debuted at #10 on the indie singles chart.

ALICIA KEYS PROFILE

Name: Alicia Augello Cook
Birth place: Manhattan, New York, USA
Birth date: January 25, 1981
Nationality: American
Occupation: musician, song writer
Studies: The Professional Performance Arts School in Manhattan, New York (majored in Choir; graduated in 1997) and Columbia University in New York (did not attend so she could pursue singing professionally)

Biography and Career :

Alicia Keys was born on January 25, 1981, in Manhattan, New York. She is a famous American R&B singer.

At the tender age of 7, Alicia was introduced to the piano. She studied classical music from Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin (which was her favorite) and delved into such jazz greats as Marian McPartland, Oscar Peterson and Fats Waller.

The road to success wasn't an easy one. Born to a white mom, Terri Augello, and a black dad, Craig Cook, she grew up in Hell's Kitchen, New York. "It was kind of a cool spot, but 42nd Street then was no heaven. Prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers," recalls Keys. To cope with the street life, Alicia turned to piano-playing at the age of 7.

Alicia Keys attended the Professional Performing Arts High School and rehearsed with vocal coach Conrad Robinson at the Harlem Police Athletic League Community center until at age 16. During this time, Alicia graduated as her high school valedictorian and was accepted to attend Columbia University. Conrad introduced Keys to his brother Jeff, Alicia's 'batman", who began searching for the right label.

When she was 14 she wrote her first song "Butterflyz" which is featured on her latest album "Songs in A Minor." Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway, were all her inspirations as were Biggie, Tupac, Jay-Z and Wu Tang. Alicia Keys took all of those different genres of music and rolled them all into one, to create a style all her own.

She released her first album, Songs in A Minor, in 2001. Alicia Keys was only 20 years old. The album featured the hit singles "Fallin'" and "Girlfriend" and rocketed Keys to stardom. (Her good looks -- she's of African and Italian descent -- helped, too.) She won five Grammy awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'." Keys also has been a prolific soundtrack artist, recording songs for movies such as Men in Black (1997), Shaft (2000) and Dr. Doolittle 2 (2001).

In 2003 she released her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys.

Why we like Alicia Keys?

Alicia Keys music is something unique and special. She managed to successfully combine various music genres and the result is outstanding. Even if her music is sometimes heavily criticized, Alicia Keys still remains one of the greatest voices of the moment.

Why is Alicia Keys famous?

Alicia Keys is a famous singer. During her outstanding career, she won no less than 87 awards and she was nominated for 170 times. It is impressive, especially for an young artist. Her albums sold in more than 30 millions copies worldwide.

Trivia :

- She appeared on the covers of Vibe, Vanity Fair, SevenTeen, and Teen magazines.
- She began to play the piano at age 7.
- She accepted by Columbia University at age 16, but dropped out to pursue her music career.
- Height : 5'5''/166 cm
- She was named one of People Magazine's "Breakthrough Stars of 2001".
- She lives in New York City.
- She was the first artist to sign with J Records.
- She wrote her first song at the age of 14.
- Her maternal grandmother is of Puerto Rican descent.
- She graduated a performing arts high school at age 16.
- She wrote and produced "Impossible", one of the songs on Christina Aguilera's album, "Stripped".
- Her mother is of Irish and Italian descent. Father is of Jamaican decent.
- She says the child she has met that inspired her most is 13 year old Sydnee Bush, of Savannah, Georgia (as of 2005)
- She has been friends with R&B superstar Usher Raymond since she was 14.

Quotes :

- "I always want to stay focused on who I am, even as I'm discovering who I am".

- "Oh my God, the [hip-hop] videos! The imagery is so awful! I just can't get with it at all. The best thing I can say about it is that sometimes you have to see that kind of stuff so as to have a more balanced view about why it's so bad." [her opinion on the use of women, sex and sleaze in today's rap/hip-hop videos]

- "Keep a Child Alive is my passion and my mission."

Discography :

- 2005 Unplugged [CD & DVD]
- 2005 Unplugged
- 2004 Diary of Alicia Keys [Import Bonus Track]
- 2004 Diary of Alicia Keys [Germany Bonus CD]
- 2004 Diary of Alicia Keys [Australia Bonus CD]
- 2003 Songs in A Minor [2003]
- 2003 Diary of Alicia Keys [Bonus DVD]
- 2003 Diary of Alicia Keys
- 2002 Songs in A Minor [Japanese Bonus Tracks]
- 2002 Songs in A Minor [Expanded]
- 2002 Songs in A Minor [Bonus VCD]
- 2002 Songs in A Minor [Australia Bonus CD]
- 2001 Songs in A Minor.

Filmography :

- Smokin' Aces (2007)
- The Nanny Diaries (2007)
- "American Dreams" (2003) TV Episode
- "Charmed" (2001) TV Episode (uncredited)
- "Saturday Night Live" (2001) TV Episode
- "The Cosby Show" (1985) TV Episode.
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