Name	MTV Southeast Asia
Logofile	MTV Logo.svg‎
Logosize	150px
Country	Singapore
Broadcast area	South East Asia & selected Pacific Region
Headquarters	Singapore
Picture format	480i (SDTV)
Launch	1 January 1992
Owner	Viacom through MTV Networks Asia PacificNews Corporation through Star TV (1 January 1992 – 1 May 1994)
Web	http://www.mtvasia.com/
Sister names	VH1, Nickelodeon
Cable serv 1	StarHub TV Singapore
Cable chan 1	Channel 533
Cable serv 3	TelkomVision Indonesia
Cable chan 3	Channel 501
Cable serv 4	First Media Indonesia
Cable chan 4	Channel 220
Cable serv 5	TrueVisions Thailand
Cable chan 5	Channel 33
Cable serv 6	Macau CATV Macau
Cable chan 6	Channel 45
Cable serv 7	Vietnam Cable Television (VCTV) Vietnam
Cable chan 7	Channel 43
Cable serv 8	Global Destiny Cable Philippines
Cable chan 8	Channel 47
Cable serv 9	Cablelink Philippines
Cable chan 9	Channel 3
Cable serv 10	SCVI Iligan Philippines
Cable chan 10	Channel 38
Cable serv 11	SkyCable Philippines
Cable chan 11	Channel 66
Cable serv 12	HTVC Vietnam
Cable chan 12	Channel 30
Sat serv 1	Astro Malaysia
Sat chan 1	Channel 713
Sat serv 2	Indovision Indonesia
Sat chan 2	Channel 271
Sat serv 3	Sky Pacific Fiji
Sat chan 3	Channel 4
Sat serv 4	TrueVisions Thailand
Sat chan 4	Channel 33
Sat serv 5	Kristal-Astro Brunei
Sat chan 5	Channel 713
Sat serv 6	TVB Pay Vision China
Sat chan 6	Channel 29
Sat serv 7	Dream Satellite TV Philippines
Sat chan 7	Channel 10
Sat serv 8	VTC Digital Vietnam
Sat chan 8	Channel 46
Sat serv 9	K+ Vietnam
Sat chan 9	Channel 27
Sat serv 10	Skynindo Indonesia
Sat chan 10	Channel ???
Adsl serv 1	Now TV Hong Kong
Adsl chan 1	Channel 554
Adsl serv 2	IndosatM2 Indonesia
Adsl chan 2	Channel 152
Adsl serv 3	M2V Mobile TV Indonesia
Adsl chan 3	Channel 0003

MTV Southeast Asia is a 24-hour music/entertainment television network, owned by MTV Networks Asia Pacific, a division of Viacom. The channel is shown in the Southeast Asia region including Singapore (StarHub TV), Malaysia (Astro), Hong Kong (NOW TV), Indonesia (Indovision, TelkomVision, First Media), Thailand (TrueVisions), Vietnam (K+ and VTC), Philippines (Dream Satellite TV, Global Destiny Cable, Cablelink, SkyCable). Apart from these countries, Indonesia and Thailand also have their own domestic versions of MTV.

History

MTV Asia was launched in 1 January 1992, a joint venture between Star TV and Viacom, but later STAR TV's contract with MTV expired in 1 May 1994. This led to birth of Channel [V] International. MTV Asia was relaunch in 3 May 1995. Broadcast in a new unit based in Singapore. Initial 3 MTV channels are MTV Mandarin (Now MTV China and MTV Taiwan. Both music channels are now separate in different Chinese countries) followed by MTV Asia (Now MTV Southeast Asia) and then MTV India. Today MTV Asia operate 11 channels in different broadcast across Asia including, MTV Japan, MTV Korea, MTV Thailand, MTV Pakistan, MTV Indonesia and latest are MTV Arabia exclusive for Middle Eastern viewers. On 16 February 2010, MTV Philippines ceased to air.

Shows

Current Shows on MTV Southeast Asia

MTV Hits (United from MTV Breakfast Club, MTV Lunch Quickies, MTV Hits,...)

VH1 Hits

5 Things You Need to Know About...

MTV Club

MTV Classic

MTV Picks

Asian Takeaway: JK (change from JK Hits)

Asian Takeaway: Mandarin

Asian Takeaway: Nusantara (Change from MTV Gerek Seh!)

Asian Takeaway Artist Of The Month

Paris Hilton's My New BFF

MTV Rock

MTV Fresh

MTV World Stage

MTV Spankin' New (changed to Fresh: Video Of The Week)

MTV I Love Live

MTV Hip Hop

MTV Chart Attack

My Super Sweet 16

My Super Sweet 16 UK

I Love The Weekend

Life of Ryan

The Hills

The City

Run's House

Daddy's Girls

Pimp My Ride

MTV Featured Artist

My MTV

MTV OK Karaoke

Former MTV Southeast Asia shows

Advance Warning

After Skool Rock

Barrio 19

Boiling Points (Malaysian Edition)

Classic MTV

Double Trouble

D-Tour

Favorite Top 10

MTV MotoAlert

MTV Alternative Nation

MTV Ampuh

MTV Asia Hitlist

MTV Bangkok Jam

MTV Boom Top 10

MTV Brand New

MTV Breakfast Club

MTV Connect

MTV Cool Crap

MTV Chillout Lounge

MTV Diyes

MTV Game Pad

MTV Hanging Out

MTV Music Remedy

MTV Hoopla

MTV Jams

MTV Jumpstart

MTV Loveline

MTV Mobbed

MTV Most Wanted

MTV Mush

MTV Nights

MTV Partyzone

MTV Presents

MTV Pop Inc

MTV Rock It

MTV Screen

MTV Sessions

MTV Start

MTV Triple Play

MTV Twisted

MTV Urban Beats

MTV Videosomnia

MTV Whatever Things

MTV Wow

MTV Y2K Hits & Beyond

MTV Non Stop Hits

VH1 Music Collection

MTV Flipside

MTV Para Boss

MTV Lunch Quickies

MTV Six Packs

Primetime Hits

I Love The 80s & 90s

Hip-Hop Countdown

MTV Amplified

Former MTV Southeast Asia shows from the 1990s

Arguably MTV was at the height of its popularity in the 1990s & many are saying that the format used by MTV Asia back then since 1991 for their shows made them next to HBO Asia as the most watched cable channel in the whole of Asia, but it was in the mid 1990s that MTV Asia reached the peak of its popularity. 45 million homes across Asia views MTV, here are the list of the shows back in the 1990s. Other MTV program are included during the partnership with STAR TV until 1993.

MTV Asia Hitlist (Formerly Asian Top 20 Countdown which was later used by Channel V)

MTV US Top 20 Countdown

MTV European Top 20 Countdown

MTV Awake of the Wild Side

MTV Land

MTV In Control

MTV Breakout

MTV Heart & Soul

MTV Unplugged

MTV Super Rock (Formerly MTV Headbangers Ball)

MTV Stopest Hits

MTV Alternative Nation

MTV Non-Stop Hits

MTV Master Mix

MTV Most Wanted

TV MTV

MTV Live & loud

MTV Party Zone

MTV Prime

MTV Grind

MTV Fresh

Classic MTV

MTV 3 in 1

MTV Hitz

Dial MTV

MTV Presents

MTV Flipside

MTV Para'bos

MTV Diyes

MTV Ampuh

MTV Morning Mania

MTV Music Update Tokyo (later used by Channel V)

MTV Kamal Sutra

MTV Getar Cinta

MTV Hitlist

MTV Daily Dose

MTV Gone Taiwan (later used by Channel V)

Themes, Logos, Lower Thirds and ID stations

MTV Southeast Asia channel logo in blue cubic theme, during in year 2000 – August 2003. A screenshot from Sheila On 7 music video from the show MTV Boom Top 10 or known as MTV Jus today.

MTV Southeast Asia channel logo in pink groory theme, used during August 2003 – July 2005. A screenshot from The Killers performance on the show MTV Presents: 2$ Bill.

MTV Southeast Asia channel logo in comic theme, used during July 2005 – April 2007. A screenshot from The Killers music video on MTV Hits.

MTV Southeast Asia channel logo in simply white theme, from April 2007 – April 2008. A screenshot from Stephen Fretwell music video on MTV Hits: Indie

MTV Southeast Asia later uses a goldish-yellow rectangle, with the MTV logo being enlarged and added the URL, MTVASIA.COM, and the theme was used from April 2008 – mid-2009.

MTV Southeast Asia afterwards uses an early version of the present logo, but the background is pink, and MTV logo is white. Also the URL still intact. It was used from 2009–2010. The URL was removed beginning with the present logo theme.

The present logo is now a tiny white square with an black MTV logo from April 2010 to present. This logo is also applicable in MTV China, Taiwan and Korea only.

MTV Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam)

Current VJs

Utt Panichkul

Denise Keller

Holly Grabarek

Former VJs

Colby Miller

Jamie Aditya

Sonia Couling

Jeff Enos

Nadya Hutagalung

Kerry Kasem

Mike Kasem

Rahul Khanna

Max Loong

Anne Hendricks

K. C. Montero

Sarah Meier

Fazura

Belinda Panelo

Joe Phua

Donita Rose

Regine Tolentino

Francis Magalona

Sarah Sechan

Kamal Sidhu

Sophiya Haque

Ruth Winona Tao

David Wu

Angela Chow

Sally Yeh

Jamie Wilson

Annisa Nurul Shanty

Shannen Torres

Danny McGill

Andy Ingkavet

G. Toengi

Stella Soohn

Paolo Bediones

Bianca Araneta

Sahntaya "Taya" Rogers

See also

MTV (Music Television)

MTV Networks Asia Pacific

MTV Philippines

MTV India

MTV Indonesia

MTV Pakistan

MTV Thailand

MTV Korea

MTV Mandarin

External links

Official Website

Category:MTV Networks Category:Television stations in Singapore Category:Broadcasting in Singapore Category:Singaporean media Category:Southeast Asian media Category:Music video networks

Name	Leona Lewis
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Leona Louise Lewis
Born	April 03, 1985Islington, London, England
Genre	Pop, R&B;
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	2006–present
Label	Syco, J
Url

Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British

Lewis's debut single "A Moment Like This" became the fastest selling UK single after being downloaded over 50,000 times within thirty minutes of its release. In November 2008 she set a record in the UK for the fastest selling download-only release with her cover version of the Snow Patrol song "Run" which sold 69,244 copies in two days. Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, took place in 2010.

Early life

Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent, and Maria Lewis of Welsh, Italian and Irish descent. Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and from there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments such as the guitar and piano, in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter. Lewis wrote her first full-length song at the age of 12. She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences. recording a demo album called Twilight. The album, almost exclusively comprising her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis. Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret.

Music career

2006: The X Factor

, November 2006.]] Lewis auditioned for the third series of The X Factor in 2006, singing "Over the Rainbow". She was mentored by Simon Cowell and was announced the winner on 16 December 2006, winning a £1 million recording contract.

Her debut single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This", was released on CD on 20 December 2006, and was available as a digital download from midnight on 17 December. It broke a world record after it was downloaded 50,000 times in thirty minutes. On 24 December, "A Moment Like This" was crowned the 2006 UK Christmas number-one single, having sold 571,253 copies, outselling the rest of the Top 40's sales combined. The single became the most downloaded song in 2006; it stayed at number one for four weeks and stayed at the top spot in the Irish Singles Chart for six weeks.

2007–2009: Spirit and international breakthrough

In February 2007, Lewis signed a £5 million ($9.7 million) five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records, and showcased for several American music executives. A press release was sent out revealing that Cowell and Davis would work together in a first-of-its-kind partnership on both the song and producer selection for Lewis's debut album, entitled Spirit. Lewis recorded tracks for the album in London, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta, where she worked with several songwriters and record producers including Dallas Austin, Walter Afanasieff, Salaam Remi, Stargate and Ne-Yo. It was released in November 2007 and entered both the Irish Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart at number one, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in both countries, and the United Kingdom's fourth fastest selling album of all time. It was released in several other nations in January 2008, and went to number one in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland. Two further tracks were recorded in 2008 for the US release of the album: "Forgive Me", produced by Akon, and "Misses Glass", produced by Madd Scientist. It was released in the United States in April 2008 and entered the Billboard 200 at number one, making Lewis the first British artist to reach number one with a debut album. A special edition of Spirit was re-released in November 2008 in Europe, including the songs "Forgive Me", "Misses Glass" and a cover of the Snow Patrol song "Run". The album again went to number one in the UK Albums Chart. To date the album has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide

Pre Grammy Gala in 2009]] Lewis's second single, "Bleeding Love", produced by Ryan Tedder and written by Tedder and Jesse McCartney, was released in October 2007 in the UK, where it sold 218,805 copies in its first week, giving it the biggest first-week sales of 2007 to date. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, where it stayed for seven weeks, and in the Irish Singles Chart it remained at number one for eight weeks. It reached number one in the singles charts of New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Canada and the United States. "Bleeding Love" won The Record of the Year in December 2007. In February 2008, "Bleeding Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 and then went on to peak at number one for four non-consecutive weeks. The song became the first track by a UK female to reach number one since Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" in 1987. Lewis's third single, a double A-side featuring "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand", was released in the United Kingdom in March 2008, in aid of Sport Relief, and she visited South Africa for the charity. The single reached a peak of number two in the UK singles chart selling over 40,000 copies in its first week of physical release. "Better in Time" was released as Lewis's second single in the US, where it peaked at number 11 in the Billboard Hot 100. "Forgive Me" was released as Lewis's fifth single in November 2008; it reached number five in the UK. "Run" was released as a download-only single in the UK, reaching number one, and becoming the UK's fastest-selling download-only single with 69,244 copies sold in two days. Lewis's last single from Spirit, "I Will Be", was released in January 2009, only in North America; it peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In August 2008, she performed "Whole Lotta Love" with guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing, representing the handover to London as the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics. In September 2008, she joined several female singers to perform a single for the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer. The single, titled "Just Stand Up!", was performed live during the one-hour telethon that aired on all major US television networks. Lewis received three nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards in December 2008. "Bleeding Love" was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Spirit was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. She was nominated for four BRIT Awards, in the categories British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, British Album for Spirit, and British Single for "Bleeding Love", but despite being the favourite to win the most awards, she received none. She won two awards at the 2008 MOBO Awards: Best Album for Spirit and Best Video for "Bleeding Love". In December 2008 Lewis was named 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine.

2009–2010: Echo and The Labyrinth

Lewis's second album, Echo, was given a worldwide release in November 2009. Production took place throughout 2009, including work with Ryan Tedder, Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Arnthor Birgisson, Kevin Rudolf, and John Shanks. It was recorded in Los Angeles and took nine months to produce. Lewis described the album as "more guitar-driven" compared to Spirit. Lewis performed her first full UK show at the Hackney Empire in London on 2 November 2009, performing songs from Spirit and Echo. Echo reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and the top ten of Austria, Ireland and Switzerland.

Despite previous attempts from Lewis's lawyers to ban the release of Best Kept Secret by UEG Music, claiming that the singer had not given her consent, the album was released in January 2009 when the label insisted it owned the rights to the music and Lewis would receive a 50% share of the album's profits. However, a television advert for the album was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, who said in a statement: "We considered that the claim 'Leona Lewis's new album' misleadingly implied it was the singer's latest recording rather than a new CD of tracks recorded some years ago." The album was released to iTunes in standard and deluxe editions, and two EPs, "Private Party" and "Dip Down"/"Joy", were released in September 2009.

The first single released from Echo was "Happy", which was written by Lewis, Tedder and Evan Bogart and produced by Tedder. The single was released on 15 September 2009, peaking at number two in the UK, and reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Switzerland. Lewis also recorded the theme song for the 2009 science fiction film Avatar, directed by James Cameron. The song, "I See You (Theme from Avatar)", was written by James Horner and Simon Franglen. It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 67th Golden Globe Awards. In January 2010, Lewis provided vocals on a cover of "Everybody Hurts", released to help raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The second single from Echo, "I Got You", was released in February 2010. The song "My Hands" was used as the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII In April 2010, she featured on a duet with Italian singer Biagio Antonacci, called "Inaspettata (Unexpected)", from his album Inaspettata. They performed the song on the Italian TV show Io Canto on 22 October 2010.

Lewis performed a 13-piece set list at the Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal, on 22 May 2010, including songs from Spirit and Echo. Her first tour, titled The Labyrinth supporting Spirit and Echo, started in May 2010, with a theme based on the film Labyrinth. Lewis was scheduled to tour North America from July to August 2010 supporting Christina Aguilera's Bionic Tour, however, Aguilera postponed the tour until 2011, leaving Lewis's plans unknown. A DVD of the tour, along with a ten-track CD, was released with the title The Labyrinth Tour Live from The O2 on 29 November 2010.

2010–present: Third album

Lewis began working on her third album after the Labyrinth tour. She said the album would be "a bit different from what people have heard from me before," adding that she plans to "go in and create and just see what happens." MTV reported that Ne-Yo is writing material for the album. She is also working again with Dallas Austin and has recorded a song with David Guetta. Hurts and Jessie J have also been asked to write material for the album. It has been reported that Cowell has set a deadline for the album for summer 2011 release. A lead single will be released in early 2011.

Voice

A mezzo-soprano, Lewis is often compared with other singers such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Lewis is also known to sing opera, stating that she practises opera scales every week. In the same vein, Slant describes Lewis's vocals as "technically unimpeachable".

Other activities

In October 2008, The Times reported that Lewis had turned down a $1 million deal with Mohamed Al Fayed to open a Harrods sale. Lewis commented in the press that she turned down the deal on the grounds that Harrods is the only UK department store which continues to stock clothing made from animal fur. She announced in October 2008 that she was in the "bargaining period" of launching her own ethical line of accessories through Topshop, and that she is in the late stages of releasing her own perfume for Europe.

Lewis signed a book deal in January 2009 to release an illustrated autobiography in October 2009. The book, entitled Dreams, contains mostly pictures taken by photographer Dean Freeman. In 2010, it was reported Lewis was offered a cameo role in the second series of the American television programme Glee.

Personal life

Lewis lives in Hackney. She lived with her boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa until their split in June 2010. Lewis and Al-Chamaa knew each other since she was approximately ten years old. A vegetarian since she was 12, Lewis won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian along with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis in 2008, and Europe's Sexiest Vegetarian in 2009 with actor Scott Maslen. She also was named PETA's Person Of The Year for 2008. Lewis is a supporter of the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

At a book signing for Dreams on 14 October 2009 at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone's book store in central London, Lewis received a punch to the head from Peter Kowalczyk, a 29-year-old man from south London. Eyewitnesses said Lewis ran out with her hand covering her face, whilst security wrestled the attacker, who was reportedly laughing, to the floor. She cancelled a scheduled appearance on the BBC's The One Show and a two-day promotional trip to Germany. She later released a statement, saying "Thank you so much for your support, it is truly overwhelming. Yesterday was a horrible shock and left me extremely hurt and upset. I'm very sorry to those I wasn't able to meet at the signing. Thank you again for all of the lovely messages. Love you all." Kowalczyk was subsequently sectioned under the Mental Health Act. It was reported that he had a history of mental health problems and may have attacked Lewis due to jealousy, as he had attempted to enter The X Factor but was rejected by producers. On 14 December 2009, Kowalczyk admitted common assault and was ordered to remain in hospital for an indeterminate period.

Discography

;Studio albums

Spirit (2007)

Echo (2009)

;Live albums

The Labyrinth Tour Live from The O2 (2010)

Tours

2010: The Labyrinth

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Category:1985 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:Black British musicians Category:English female singers Category:English-language singers Category:English people of Guyanese descent Category:English people of Welsh descent Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English people of Italian descent Category:English pop singers Category:English rhythm and blues singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English soul singers Category:English vegetarians Category:Former students of the BRIT School Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:J Records artists Category:Musicians from London Category:People from Islington Category:Sony BMG artists Category:Sylvia Young Theatre School pupils Category:X Factor series winners Category:World Music Awards winners Category:The X Factor (UK) contestants

Name	Jennifer Lopez
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jennifer Lynn Lopez
Legal name	Jennifer Lynn Muñiz Lopez
Alias	J.Lo
Born	July 24, 1969
Origin	The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Genre	Pop, R&B;, hip hop, dance-pop, Latin pop, Salsa
Occupation	Actress, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, fashion designer, television producer, model, choreographer, entrepreneur, Miami Dolphins part-owner, television personality
Years active	1986–present
Label	Epic (1999–2010) Def Jam (2010–present)
Url

Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), often nicknamed J.Lo, is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer and television producer. She is the richest person of Latin American descent in Hollywood according to Forbes, and the most influential Hispanic entertainer in the U.S. according to People en Españols list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics". She her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement. Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Lopez advocates human rights, vaccinations and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. She subsequently ventured into acting and gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller Money Train. Lopez's first leading role was in the biographical film Selena (1997), in which she earned an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in the 1998 film Out of Sight. She then starred in the romantic comedies such as The Wedding Planner (2001) and Maid in Manhattan (2002). Lopez had bigger commercial successes with Shall We Dance? (2004) and Monster-in-Law (2005).

In 1999, Lopez released her debut studio album On the 6, which spawned the number one hit single, "If You Had My Love". Her second studio album, J.Lo (2001), was a commercial success, selling eight million copies worldwide. (2002), became her second consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her third and fourth studio albums—This Is Me... Then (2002) and Rebirth (2005)—peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. In 2007, Lopez released two albums, including her first full Spanish-language album, Como Ama una Mujer, and her fifth English studio album, Brave. She won the 2003 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and the 2007 American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist. To date, Lopez has sold over 25 million albums worldwide.Lopez was ranked the 27th Artist of the 2000–10 decade by Billboard.*

Reports circulated in mid-2010 that Lopez would join the judging panel of American Idol. In September 2010, the program's producers officially confirmed that Lopez had joined the series.

Lopez was one of the first guests to appear on CBS's new daytime talk show, The Talk.

Early life

Jennifer Lopez was born and grew up in Castle Hill, a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. She is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe (née Rodríguez), a kindergarten teacher, and David Lopez, a computer specialist, both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Lopez was raised Roman Catholic. She has two siblings, Lynda and Leslie. Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School in the Bronx. She financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of 19. After attending Baruch College for one semester, Lopez divided her time between working as a notary public in a legal office, dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan night clubs. She had a little part in the 1987 film My Little Girl. After months of auditioning for dance roles, Lopez was selected as a dancer for various rap music videos, a 1990 episode of Yo! MTV Raps and as a backup dancer for the New Kids on the Block and their performance of their song "Games" for the American Music Awards in 1991. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a "Fly Girl" dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color from 1991-1993. Soon after, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and made an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes".

Music career

1999–2000: On the 6

Lopez's debut album On the 6, a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the Billboard 200. The album featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one lead single, "If You Had My Love", as well as the top ten hit "Waiting for Tonight". The album also featured a Spanish language, Latin-flavored duet "No Me Ames" with Marc Anthony (who later would become her husband.) Though "No Me Ames" never had a commercial release, it reached number one on the U.S. Hot Latin Tracks. On the 6 featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category in 2001 Grammy Awards. "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year. "No Me Ames" received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards — "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video".

2001–03: J. Lo, J to tha L-O! and This Is Me... Then

Lopez's second album, J.Lo, was released on January 23, 2001 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. This album was more urban oriented then On the 6. When Lopez film The Wedding Planner, a film in which Lopez falls in love with the groom of the wedding she is planning, achieved number one shortly after, Lopez become the first actress-singer to have a film and an album at number one in the same week. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. Her next two singles were "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny" which were quickly rising up the charts. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs, which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Caddillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). Both remixes reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks. She re-released J. Lo on her thirty-second birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert.

Following the success of the re-release of J. Lo, Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remixing effort, releasing , on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart. Featured artists on J to tha L-O!: The Remixes included P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the fourth all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's , The Beatles' Love and Madonna's You Can Dance.

Lopez released her third studio album, This Is Me... Then, on November 26, 2002 which reached number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned four singles: "Jenny from the Block" (featuring Jadakiss and Styles P), which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100; "All I Have" (featuring LL Cool J), which spent multiple weeks at number one; "I'm Glad"; and "Baby I Love U!". The album included a cover of Carly Simon's 1978 "You Belong to Me". The video for "I'm Glad" recreated scenes from the 1983 film Flashdance, leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed.

2005–06: Rebirth

After a year away from the music scene, Lopez released her fourth studio album, Rebirth, on March 1, 2005. Although debuting and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, the album quickly fell off the charts. It spawned the hit "Get Right", which reached the top fifteen in the U.S. and became her second Platinum hit (after "If You Had My Love"). "Get Right" was also successful in the UK, becoming her second number-one single there. The second single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number sixty-four on the U.S. Hot 100; it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top twenty in Australia. Another song, "Cherry Pie", was slated for a release in late 2005, but the plans to make a video were canceled. It was released to radio stations in Spain. Rebirth was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. Lopez was then featured on LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was Lopez's first U.S. top ten hit in three years. Rebirth has had most success in the UK, where overall most of her singles have reached the top five.

2007–08: Como Ama Una Mujer and Brave

(right) and Greek singer Kostas Martakis (left), who opened her September 2008 concert in Athens.]]

Lopez officially released her first full Spanish-language album, Como Ama una Mujer, in March 2007. Her husband, singer Marc Anthony, produced the album with Estefano, except for "Qué Hiciste", which Anthony co-produced with Julio Reyes. The album peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200, number one on the U.S. Top Latin Albums for four straight weeks and on the U.S. Latin Pop Albums for seven straight weeks. The album did well in Europe peaking at number three on the albums chart, mainly due to the big success in countries like Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Austria, and Portugal. On July 24, 2007 Billboard magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29. Tickets went on sale August 10. The tour was a mix of her current music, older tunes and Spanish music. In a later press release, Lopez announced a detailed itinerary. The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The lead single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do"), was officially released to radio stations in January 2007. Since then, it has peaked at 86 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play. It also went top ten on the European chart. The video for the song was the first Spanish-language video to peak at number one on MTV's Total Request Live daily countdown. The second single released is called "Me Haces Falta" and the third is "Por Arriesgarnos". Lopez won an American Music Award as the Favorite Latin Artist in 2007. With Como Ama Una Mujer, Jennifer Lopez is one of the few performers to debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 with a Spanish album.

Lopez released her fifth English studio album (sixth studio album overall) Brave on October 9, 2007, six months after Como Ama una Mujer was released. She collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Earlier, on August 26, 2007, ABC premiered a promo for the fourth season of Desperate Housewives, featuring a snippet of the song "Mile In These Shoes". "Do It Well" was released as the lead single and reached the top 20 in many countries. "Hold It, Don't Drop It" was released as the second single in certain European territories only. The third single was set to be the title track "Brave", and it was even posted on director Michael Haussman's official website that filming of the music video for the song had completed, however, the release of "Brave" as a single was eventually scrapped, most likely due to low album sales.

2009–present: Departure from Sony and Love?

From her 2007 pregnancy Lopez had been writing her then-confirmed seventh studio album, Love? due for release in Summer 2010. It features productions from Danja, Jim Jonsin, Darkchild, Chris n Teeb (from Dropzone), Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, D'Mile Mike Caren, Jean Baptiste and The Neptunes. A song titled "Fresh Out The Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single. It has since topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the Hot Dance Club Play chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the Billboard Hot 100. In late February 2010, it was confirmed that Lopez and Epic Records have parted ways.

Lopez's manager, Benny Medina confirmed the news saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist, she is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together." Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?' and it will be coming out Summer 2010. Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam Music Group's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Def Jam Recordings, and is working on new material for Love? with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart).

Other work

American Idol

In June 2010, following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from American Idol, it was reported that Lopez was in talks to join season ten's judging pannel. However, it was then reported that Lopez was out of the running due to "outrageous demands", something which returning Idol producer, Nigel Lythgoe responded to by saying "[Jennifer] is in no way a diva, I've worked with her on quite a few occasions and I have never yet seen her be a diva." He did not confirm or deny reports of the contract negotions between Lopez and the other Idol producers. It was then revealed then reported that both Lopez and husband, Marc Anthony, were being considering for a role on the The X Factor for their appeal to 'Latin' and 'International' markets. Lopez's involvement in The X Factor was ruled out when the media reported that she had accepted an offer to become a judge on season ten of Idol, despite being offered roles on both shows. The announcement was made official on September 22, 2010. MTV said "the deal was mutually beneficial to all those involved" whilst CNN reported that Lopez was viewing it as a decision to revive her career while Idol producers believe Lopez and Steven Tyler's appointments will strengthen viewing figures. Alongside this, Brad Falchuk executive producer of the music-based series Glee, confirmed that Lopez had entered discussions to appear in the next season of Glee as a cafeteria worker.

Acting career

Lopez's first television job as an actress was on the Fox series South Central. She also made guest appearances in Second Chances and Hotel Malibu. She then appeared in the made-for-television film Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7. Lopez's first serious screen role was in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama My Family, playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s. After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in My Family, Lopez starred in the action film Money Train opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1996, she pipped Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly to the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy Jack starring Robin Williams. She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller Blood and Wine.

Lopez's first big break came in 1997, when she was chosen to play the title role in Selena, a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena. Despite having previously worked with Nava on Mi Familia, Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before landing the role. She earned widespread praise for her performance, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy". Later that year, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film Anaconda alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River. Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned. Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film U Turn, which is based on the book Stray Dogs, starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton.

In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in Out of Sight, Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her tough performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role. That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film Antz. Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film The Cell. She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box office success opening at number one. Her next roles were in the supernatural romance Angel Eyes (2001), and in the psychological revenge thriller Enough (2002). Both failed to find an audience, and were met with a negative response from critics. She appeared alongside Ralph Fiennes in the romantic comedy film Maid in Manhattan (2002). Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician. Maid in Manhattan was a box office hit, opening at number one. The New York Times compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, Jenny From the Block, Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots."

Some of her other critically-acclaimed films include An Unfinished Life and Shall We Dance?. Two independent films produced by Lopez were well-received at film festivals: El Cantante at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Bordertown at the Brussels film festival. Her modestly successful film career includes Monster-in-Law (2005). Gigli, however, would become a notorious box office bomb. In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, El Cantante, with her husband – singer-actor Marc Anthony. The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics. In 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy The Back-up Plan.

Lopez is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on The Hollywood Reporter's list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Lopez received $15 million for her role in Monster-in-Law. Her top-grossing film domestically is Maid in Manhattan which grossed $94,011,225, and her most successful international film, Shall We Dance?, grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, Shall We Dance? grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide. In 2007, Lopez made the Forbes magazine's list of "The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment," ranking ninth. Her wealth was estimated to be $110 million in 2007.

Entrepreneurship

Lopez launched a clothing line in 2003. Named JLO by Jennifer Lopez, the line included different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie, a jewelry line, and an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarves. Lopez participated in the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign. In 2005, she launched a new clothing line called Sweetface. In late 2007, Lopez retired JLO by Jennifer Lopez and launched a new juniors' line called JustSweet. Her fashion lines have featured at many New York Fashion Week events.

Lopez's frequent use of animal fur in her clothing lines and personal wardrobe has brought the scorn of people concerned with animal rights. At the Los Angeles premiere of Monster-in-Law, more than one hundred protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration to highlight their concerns.

On April 12, 2002, Lopez opened a Cuban restaurant in the South Lake district of Pasadena, California named Madre's.

Lopez ventured in the perfume industry with her debut "Glow by J.Lo". In October 2003, Lopez introduced a perfume called "Still", having revisited "Glow" the previous year by creating a limited edition spin-off, "Miami Glow by J.Lo", in homage to her adopted hometown of Miami. Lopez also marketed a "Glow" line of body lotions and bronzing products. For the Christmas season of 2005, she launched another fragrance, "Live by Jennifer Lopez". For 2006 Valentine's Day, "Miami Glow" was replaced by yet another "Glow" spin-off, "Love at First Glow by J.Lo". Her following fragrance, "Live Luxe", was released in August 2006, with "Glow After Dark" following in January 2007. The next fragrances by Jennifer Lopez were "Deseo", "Deseo Forever" for Asian market and first fragrance for men called "Deseo for men". In February 2009 Lopez released "Sunkissed Glow". The last perfume is "My Glow", available from October 2009. Lopez is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials.

Lopez owns the film and television production company Nuyorican Productions. It was co-founded with her manager Benny Medina, who was supposed to receive half the producing revenue from the company. Lopez split with Medina shortly after the company was founded, but they later restored their business relationship.

Lopez has been recognized by People en Español magazine as both the cover subject for the "50 Most Beautiful" issue in 2006 and the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" issue in February 2007.

On April 10, 2007 Lopez made an appearance as a mentor on American Idol. Lopez also became the executive producer of the eight-episode reality show, DanceLife, which ran on MTV and began on January 15, 2007. Lopez helped select the show's participants and made cameo appearances. She then served as executive producer of a mini-series broadcast on Univisión. Named after her CD Como Ama Una Mujer, it ran in five episodes from October 30 to November 27, 2007, and starred Adriana Cruz.

Lopez signed a contract as star and executive producer of an unscripted reality series for TLC, a division of Discovery Communications Inc. The series was to show the launching of her new fragrance, and not focus on her family. The series never materialized.

Philanthropy

Lopez is an avid supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and was presented with the Children's Humanitarian Award at the hospital's inaugural Noche de Niños gala in September 2004. Lopez continues to attend the annual red carpet event and is a regular visitor to the hospital. The singer participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefiting the hospital in 2008. In May 2009, Lopez formed The Maribel Foundation, with the goal of supporting Children's Hospital Los Angeles and improving health care internationally.

On February 14, 2007, Lopez received the Artists for Amnesty International award "in recognition of her work as producer and star of Bordertown, a film exposing the ongoing murders of hundreds of women in the border city of Juárez, Mexico". Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta presented the award to Lopez at the Berlin International Film Festival. She also received special recognition and thanks from Norma Andrade, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May Our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association"), an organization consisting of mothers and families of the murdered women of Juárez.

Lopez has also been involved in promoting vaccination for whooping cough. Lopez is working with Sounds of Pertussis and March of Dimes to promote awareness about the disease and encourage vaccination of adults to prevent spread of disease to infants.

Personal life

It was reported that Lopez and Marc Anthony were taking professional business meetings at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, California, in late 2006. It was also rumored that Lopez and Anthony became Scientologists during that period with the help of Angelo Pagan, the husband of King of Queens actress and Scientologist Leah Remini. Just prior to those reports, Lopez said to NBC, "I'm not a Scientologist, I was raised Catholic. But it's funny the way people come at it. To me it's so strange. These are some of the best people I've ever met in my life." She added, "My dad has been a Scientologist for 20 years. He's the best man that I know in my life and so, it's weird to me that people want to paint it in a negative way."

On November 7, 2007, the last night of her "En Concierto" tour, Lopez confirmed she was expecting her first child with husband Marc. The announcement ended months of speculation over the pregnancy. Her father later confirmed on February 5, 2008, that she was expecting twins. Lopez gave birth on February 22, 2008 to fraternal twins, a girl and a boy, Emme Maribel Muñiz, and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz. The twins were introduced in the March 11, 2008 issue of People magazine, for which the magazine paid $6 million. Jennifer Lopez is also a practitioner of Krav Maga.

As of at least January 2008, Lopez lives with her family in Brookville, New York, on Long Island. Her mother, Guadalupe Lopez, moved into the gated home in June that year.

Relationships

Media attention has focused on her personal life. She has had high-profile relationships with Ojani Noa, Sean Combs, Cris Judd, Ben Affleck, and Marc Anthony. Starting in 1984, when Lopez was 15 and in high school, she began dating David Cruz. They split up in 1994, and she still enjoyed a close relationship with him, ten years after they split; Lopez said in 2004: "He's a friend and he probably knows me better than anyone else".

Lopez's first marriage was to Cuban-born Ojani Noa on February 22, 1997. Lopez met Noa while he worked as a waiter at a Miami restaurant. They divorced in January 1998. Lopez later employed Noa as the manager of her Pasadena restaurant Madre's in April 2002, but he was fired in October 2002. After Noa sued Lopez over the termination, they drew up a confidentiality agreement. In April 2006, Lopez sued to prevent her ex-husband, Noa, from publishing a book containing personal details about their short marriage, contending it violated their confidentiality agreement. In August 2007, a court-appointed arbitrator issued a permanent injunction forbidding Ojani Noa from "criticizing, denigrating, casting in a negative light or otherwise disparaging" Jennifer Lopez. She was awarded $545,000 in compensatory damages, which included nearly $300,000 in legal fees and almost $48,000 in arbitration costs. Noa was also ordered to hand over all copies of materials related to the book to Lopez or her attorney. In November 2009, Lopez sued Noa for breach of contract and invasion of privacy, citing a previous confidentiality agreement between the two, to prevent Noa from releasing his planned film, "How I Married Jennifer Lopez: The JLo and Ojani Noa Story", and alleged "previously unseen home video footage". On December 1, 2009, judge James Chalfant granted a temporary injunction against Noa and his agent, Ed Meyer, barring them from distributing the footage in any forum. Because the injunction is only temporary, Lopez's lawyer, Jay Lavely, said that he will return to court to make it permanent. Lavely stressed that "there wasn't anything even close" to a sex tape in Noa's possession: "It's private and personal, but it wasn't a sex tape. They are innocent and they have been misrepresented... to increase value and media attention".

Lopez next had a two-and-a-half-year relationship with hip-hop mogul Sean Combs. On December 27, 1999, Lopez and Combs were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire erupted between Combs' entourage and another group. Lopez and Combs were being driven away from the scene when they were chased and stopped by the police. A gun was found in the front seat of their vehicle. Combs was charged with felony gun possession. Stress over Combs' trial and pursuit by the press multiplied their problems, and Lopez terminated her involvement with Combs one year later. During a related civil suit in 2008, the plaintiff's lawyer said Lopez had “nothing to contribute to the case”.

Her second marriage was to her former backup dancer, Cris Judd. She met Judd while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost a Thing." The two were married on September 29, 2001, at a home in the L.A. suburbs. Their marriage effectively ended in June 2002, when Lopez began publicly dating Ben Affleck. They were officially divorced in January 2003.

Following her divorce, Lopez began dating actor Ben Affleck. Her relationship with actor Affleck was highly publicized, with the media dubbing the couple "Bennifer". Lopez announced her engagement to Affleck in November 2002, after Affleck gave her a six-carat pink diamond ring worth a reported $1.2 million. Lopez promised interviewers that Affleck was indeed "the one", and that they would soon have a family. The marriage, planned for September 14, 2003 in Santa Barbara, California, was called off just hours before the event. They announced the end of their engagement in January 2004. Their relationship was parodied on the South Park episode "Fat Butt and Pancake Head", which aired on April 16, 2003. In 2003, Lopez and Affleck acted together in the film "Gigli" and in the 2004 film "Jersey Girl".

at the 2006 Time 100 gala event]] Less than two months after her break-up with Affleck, Lopez was seen with singer Marc Anthony, a long-time friend with whom she had worked in music videos. They had briefly dated in the late 1990s, before his first marriage and her second. Lopez and Anthony were recording a duet together in early 2004, for Lopez's then-upcoming film Shall We Dance?. In October 2003, Anthony became separated, for the second time, from his first wife, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, with whom he has two children. Torres filed for divorce three months later. Lopez and Anthony married in a quiet home wedding on June 5, 2004, four days after his divorce from Torres was final.

Lopez's guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez's house and had not been made aware that they were actually going to her wedding. The couple had planned not to publicize their marriage early on, allowing more privacy and time together in an otherwise intrusive environment. Days after the wedding, Anthony refused to comment on their marriage during interviews which were scheduled earlier to promote a new album "Amar Sin Mentiras" (To Love Without Lies). In February 2005, Lopez confirmed the marriage, and added that "everyone knows. It's not a secret". A few months later, Anthony's daughter, Ariana, appeared at the end of Lopez's music video "Get Right" as her little sister. Regarding his marriage and family life, Anthony maintains a private and sometimes defensive stance with the media, which has influenced Lopez to set some boundaries with interviewers. On December 29, 2008, the New York Daily News reported that Lopez and Anthony planned to announce their divorce on Valentine's Day. Her publicist stated the same day, "There is no merit to the article."

Filmography

;Producer

Discography

;Studio albums

1999: On the 6

2001: J.Lo

2002: This Is Me... Then

2005: Rebirth

2007: Como Ama una Mujer

2007: Brave

2011: Love?

;Other albums

2002:

;DVDs

2000: Feelin' So Good

2003: Let's Get Loud

2003: The Reel Me

2007: Como Ama Una Mujer

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Lopez

References

External links

Official website for Jennifer Lopez fragrances

Category:1969 births Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Actors from New York City Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American fashion designers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American singers of Puerto Rican descent Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:City University of New York people Category:English-language singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Latin pop singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Notaries Category:People from the Bronx Category:Puerto Rican actors Category:Krav Maga practitioners Category:Spanish-language singers Category:American fashion businesspeople Category:Idol series judges

Name	Jason Mraz
Landscape	yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jason Thomas Mraz
Born	June 23, 1977Mechanicsville, VirginiaUnited States
Died
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, mandolin, Mandola, ukulele, keyboards
Voice type	Tenor
Genre	Pop rock, alternative, blue-eyed soul
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1999–present
Label	Elektra Records (2002–2005)Atlantic Records (2005—present)
Associated acts	Tristan Prettyman, Bushwalla
Url

Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter, born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Mraz's stylistic influences include reggae, pop, rock, folk, jazz, bossa nova and hip hop.

Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, Mr. A-Z that Mraz achieved commercial success. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of many international charts.

Mraz's international breakthrough came with the release of the first single from the album, "I'm Yours". The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single. The song was on the Hot 100 for 76 weeks, beating the previous record of 69 weeks held by LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". The song was a huge commercial success in the US, receiving a 5x platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over five million. The song was successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts.

Early life

Jason Mraz was born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. He is of Czech descent through his grandfather, who moved to the United States from Austria-Hungary in 1915. His surname is Czech for "frost"

Mraz attended Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville. As a teenager, Mraz participated in local theater with SPARC (School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community). He played Joseph in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

After graduating from high school in 1995, Mraz attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, for a short time, studying musical theater. He dropped out of the school after taking up the guitar and focusing more on songwriting, and began performing at the world famous Java Joes for money. He then briefly returned to Virginia before moving to San Diego, California.

Music career

Waiting For My Rocket to Come (2002-2003)

In 2002, Mraz released his first major-label debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come. The album was a relative commercial success, peaking at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 200 and at number two on the Top Heatseekers Chart. The lead single from the album, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" was co-written by music production team The Matrix and it was Mraz's first top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15.

Mraz's friend and former roommate Billy "Bushwalla" Galewood collaborated on the album, co-writing "Curbside Prophet" and the album's third single, and "I'll Do Anything".

Touring and Mr. A–Z (2003-2008)

Mraz opened for Tracy Chapman in March 2003 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In July 2005, Mraz opened for Alanis Morissette during her Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour. On July 26, 2005, he released his second major-label album, Mr. A–Z, for Atlantic Records. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number 4. In December, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while its producer, the prolific Steve Lillywhite, received a nomination for Producer of the Year.

Mraz began his long-running tour in support of Mr. A–Z at the San Diego Music Awards on September 12. The tour featured a variety of opening acts, including Bushwalla and Tristan Prettyman, with whom he had co-written the duet "Shy That Way" in 2002. Mraz and Prettyman dated, ending their relationship in 2006. They also co-wrote the song "All I Want For Christmas is Us". In November 2005, Mraz opened for the Rolling Stones on five dates during their 2005–2006 world tour. Also in 2005, Mraz was one of many singers featured in the fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites". The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Tristan Prettyman, Michelle Branch, Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd, and Michelle Williams. In December 2005, Mraz released the first part of his ongoing podcast.

in Ledyard, Connecticut on May 17, 2006.]] In Stockholm, Sweden 2008]]

In March 2006, Mraz also performed for the first time at a sold-out performance in Singapore with Toca Rivera as part of the annual Mosaic Music Festival. In May 2006, Mraz toured mostly small venues and music festivals in the U.S., along with a few shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The tour included a May 6, 2006 acoustic show with P.O.D., Better Than Ezra, Live, and The Presidents of the United States of America. Mraz was featured as a headlining guest of St. Louis's annual Fair St. Louis and performed a free concert at the base of the Arch on July 1, 2006. During this time, Mraz was also the opening act at several dates for Rob Thomas' Something to Be Tour.

In December 2006, , the live, online-only album recorded during the Songs for Friends Tour, was released. Selections for Friends features Jason's favorite songs from the Schubas Tavern and Villa Montalvo shows he played in July 2006. Jason Mraz began 2007 by debuting his new single "The Beauty in Ugly", an earlier track penned by Mraz entitled "Plain Jane" that he rewrote for the ABC television program Ugly Betty. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign. He has since released a song in Spanish entitled "La Nueva Belleza (The New Beauty)".

In 2007, American Idol contestant Chris Richardson performed "Geek in the Pink", which subsequently garnered the song mass recognition and increased downloads at the American iTunes Store. "Geek in the Pink" peaked at #22 on the U.S. iTunes Store on March 10, 2007, but it was ineligible for the site's Hot 100. The tape-recording of bootlegs during Mraz's shows is explicitly supported by him and his management.

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008-2009)

Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. on May 13, 2008. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 200, giving Mraz his highest charting album to date. Following the success of lead single, "I'm Yours", the album broke into the top ten of many international music charts and charted in the top three in Australia and the US.

The first single, "I'm Yours", reached #1 on AAA radio charts in the US. The single was a B-side to Mr A-Z, and was made famous by recordings from his live shows. In September 2008, the song became Mraz's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6. As of October 14, 2008, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA, selling in excess of 500,000 copies in the US. The song was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of multiple European charts and topping the charts in New Zealand for six weeks. In 2008, Mraz launched his single "I'm Yours" at the music industry-only event titled Sunset Sessions. Exactly one year later, Jason was nominated for a Grammy on the single.

Mraz and his song "I'm Yours" were nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 51st Grammy Awards. The album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2009. On January 31, 2009, Mraz was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "I'm Yours" and "Lucky", the latter with Colbie Caillat. "Lucky" peaked on the Hot 100 at 48.

With "Make It Mine" and "Lucky", Mraz won two awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, respectively, at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards.

Fourth studio album (2009–present)

In early 2009, a song titled "Try Try Try" was leaked out into the internet. New songs have been performed in his recent concerts, some of which have been uploaded onto YouTube. Earlier this year, Jason Mraz spent time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil working with Milton Nascimento. Mraz also recently met and worked with Willie Nelson, whose 'style' is fondly referenced in one of Mraz's early hits "Curbside Prophet."

In November 2009, Mraz posted on his Myspace page plans for a new album to be recorded starting in December, stating "In 2 weeks time I will enter the studio and begin recording the next album. Only a handful of songs are written and slated but the momentum of love is with me. Every day new verses get added on. The songs are coming together piece by piece. The process is unlike any of the other records before this. It's like I'm being gifted the album without having to do the work. I'm creating that in 6 months the project will be complete and then we'll hit the road again with new sounds and new musicians."

Mraz has recently returned from London, England where he was working with a London Studio for his new album with producer Martin Terefe. Christina Perri has also recently tweeted about making a 'masterpiece' with Mraz. Jason also got a chance to work with British singer-songwriter Dido on his upcoming album.

Mraz recently contributed vocals for The Grooveline Horns' eponymous EP on the track "Ffun", a cover of the Con Funk Shun song, released March 2, 2010.

In August 2010, Mraz had a Q&A; interview with Spin magazine. In the interview, he stated the current possible titles for his fourth album are Peace Canoe or The Love Album.

On September 13, 2010, Mraz was featured on the single "Love, Love, Love" by Hope.

On September 28, 2010, Mraz announced the upcoming release of the new "Life Is Good" EP consisting of recordings from his concerts from Maine to the Life is Good Festival in Canton, Massachusetts which will include live recordings of "Coyotes" and multiple new songs, "San Disco Reggaefornia", "Up", "What Mama Say", and "The Freedom Song". The EP was released on October 5, 2010. On the same tour, Mraz also showcased other new songs, such as "Thinking About You", "Love Looks Like" and "In Your Hands".

From Boxing Day 2010, the official website was updated with a series of images, the first seemingly a sequence of blocks separated by points to indicate a date, and the second image containing a rectangle, circle, triangle and a square, which appear to spell out the word "love". This image is also trademarked, which suggests an imminent announcement on the fourth album, and this would also match one of the working titles for the album "The Love Album".

Personal life

Mraz lives a health-conscious lifestyle and enjoys eating mostly raw vegan foods. He owns an avocado farm in Oceanside in Northern San Diego County near Fallbrook. Jason Mraz is an active supporter of several charities including VH1's Save The Music Foundation, MusiCares, Free the Children, Life Rolls On and SPARC. He has been named the 2010 SIMA Humanitarian of the Year. He also received the Clean Water Award in 2010 from the Surfrider Foundation.

Mraz is now engaged to singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman. On December 23, 2010, Mraz posted on his Twitter "SHE SAID YES." Immediately after his post, Prettyman tweeted "For Once, I Am Speechless..... i did good! holy crap! man of my dreams!!! for the rest of my life!!!"

Discography

;Studio albums

Notes

External links

Jason Mraz collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

Playlist: Jason Mraz – Nightline 07/17/09 – Reggae to rock, Mraz reveals his musical influences.

Concert Photos: Jason Mraz – 09/17/2010, 09/18/2010 – Jason Mraz opens for Dave Matthews Band for two sold out shows at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

Category:1977 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American male singers Category:American people of Czech descent Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American vegans Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:Musical groups from San Diego, California Category:Musicians from Virginia Category:People from Richmond, Virginia

Name	Chester Bennington
Birth name	Chester Charles Bennington
Born	March 20, 1976 | Origin = Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, keyboard
Genre	Alternative rock, Nu metal, Alternative metal, Hard rock, Rap rock, Rap metal, Synth rock, Post-grunge
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, Actor, Musician
Years active	1993–present
Label	Warner Bros.
Url	www.cbennington.com
Associated acts	Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise, Julien-K, Z-Trip, Camp Freddy, Grey Daze, Church, Hellflower
Background	solo_singer

Chester Charles Bennington (born March 20, 1976) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Linkin Park.

Bennington became known as a vocalist with Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory, in 2000, which was a massive commercial success. The album was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005, making it the best-selling debut album of the decade. Linkin Park's following studio albums, Reanimation, Meteora, Minutes to Midnight, and A Thousand Suns, released in 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2010 respectively, continued the band's success. Bennington formed his own band, Dead by Sunrise as a side-project in 2005. The band's debut album, Out of Ashes was released on October 13, 2009.

In 2007, Bennington was placed at #46 on Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".

Early life

Bennington was born in Phoenix, Arizona. Bennington attended Ironwood High School. He took interest in music at a young age, citing Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots as early inspirations. Bennington's parents separated in the late 1980s. He later struggled with cocaine and methamphetamine addictions. He worked at a Burger King restaurant before starting his career as a professional musician. He left Grey Daze in 1998, but struggled to find another band to sing in. Shinoda characterized the lyrics as interpretations of universal feelings, emotions, and experiences, and as “everyday emotions you talk about and think about.” Bennington later described the songwriting experience to Rolling Stone magazine in early 2002:

Hybrid Theory was released in the United States on October 24, 2000 following the debut of "One Step Closer" on the radio. It entered the U.S. Billboard 200 charts at #16 in late 2000, and was certified gold by the RIAA five weeks after its release. In 2001, Hybrid Theory sold 4.8 million copies in the United States, making it the best-selling album of the year, and it was estimated that the album continued selling 100, 000 copies per week in early 2002. It has sold 24 million copies worldwide as of 2009, including over 10 million in the U.S. which makes it the band's best-selling album and the best-selling debut album of the 21st century.

The follow up to Hybrid Theory would ultimately become Meteora. The band began to work on new material amidst their saturated schedule, spending a sliver of their free time in their tour bus' studio. The band officially announced the production of a new studio album in December 2002, revealing their new work was inspired by the rocky region of Meteora in Greece, where numerous monasteries have been built on top of the rocks. Meteora featured a mixture of the band's previous nu metal and rapcore styles with newer innovative effects, including the induction of a shakuhachi (a Japanese flute made of bamboo) and other instruments. going to #1 in the US and UK, and #2 in Australia.

Linkin Park returned to the recording studios in 2006 to work on new material. To produce the album, the band chose Rick Rubin. Despite initially stating the record would debut sometime in 2006, it was delayed until 2007. The band had recorded thirty to fifty songs in August 2006, when Shinoda stated the album was halfway completed. Bennington later added that the new album would stray away from their previous nu metal sound. Warner Bros. Records officially announced that the band’s third studio album, entitled Minutes to Midnight, would be released on May 15, 2007 in the United States. After spending fourteen months working on the album, the band opted to further refine their album by removing five of the original seventeen tracks. The album’s title, a reference to the Doomsday Clock, foreshadowed the band's new lyrical themes. Minutes to Midnight sold over 600,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the most successful debut week albums in recent years. The album also took the top spot on the Billboard Charts. Linkin Park's newest album, A Thousand Suns, was also co-produced with Rick Rubin and was released on September 14, 2010, with its first single, "The Catalyst", a success.

Personal life

Bennington married his first wife, Samantha, on October 31, 1996. They had one child, named Draven Sebastian, who was born on April 19, 2002. After divorcing his first wife, Bennington married Talinda Bentley, a former Playboy model, He is also a tattoo enthusiast. Bennington and his second wife were harassed by a cyberstalker, Devon Townsend, for almost a year. Townsend was found guilty of tampering with the couple's email, as well as sending threatening messages, and was sentenced to two years in prison. Bennington was plagued with poor health during the making of Meteora, and struggled to attend some of the album’s recording sessions. He fell ill during the summer of 2003, and eventually underwent surgery. Bennington sustained a wrist injury in October 2007 while attempting to jump off a platform during a show in Melbourne, Australia at the Rod Laver Arena. Despite the injury, he continued to perform the entire show with a broken wrist, before heading to the emergency room. Bennington also injured his back once, while performing a live show.

Bands

Grey Daze – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1993–1998)

Linkin Park – lead vocals (1999–present)

Dead by Sunrise – lead vocals, guitar, keyboard (2005–present)

Julien-K – production (2003–present)

Solo work

Bennington joined Z-Trip in 2005 for the single "Walking Dead", released on Z-Trip's major label album Shifting Gears. "Walking Dead" was a Top Ten Single in the US. Bennington also made a surprise appearance during Z-Trip's performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2005.

Bennington teamed up with original Orgy guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh, who perform together as Julien-K, for a solo project. Chester's band is called Dead By Sunrise, formerly known as Snow White Tan. Dead By Sunrise has since released their debut album "Out of Ashes" on October 13, 2009. Chester also worked on Julien-Ks debut album 'Death To Analog' and is credited as the executive Producer. In 2009, Ryan Shuck said:

"Both bands are the same. The one where Chester sings and writes is Dead By Sunrise, but when I sing, and Amir and I are the primary writers, it becomes Julien-K and it's more electro and much darker... Julien-K and Dead by Sunrise are basically a creative collective, we're sort of a Warhol-style factory in that sense... Dead by Sunrise is Chester's Julien-K if that makes any sense"

Featured vocals

Album contributions

Live performances

"Highway To Hell (AC/DC cover)" – with Camp Freddy & Slash

"Mountain Song (Jane's Addiction cover)" – with Camp Freddy

"Ace of Spades (Motörhead cover)" – with Camp Freddy

"Paradise City (Guns N' Roses cover)" – with Camp Freddy

"Hunger Strike (song) (Temple of the Dog cover) " - with Chris Cornell

"Man in the Box" - with Alice In Chains

"Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)"- with Camp Freddy

"Let Down" Dead By Sunrise "ReAct Now: Music & Relief," September 10, 2005

"Walk (Pantera cover)" - with Disturbed

"Wonderwall (Oasis cover)" – with Bucket Of Weenies

Music producer

Chester Bennington executive produced the E.P for Los Angeles, Tripduster band Hellflower, which is fronted by his long time friend and Director of Activities (D.O.A), Church.

Movies & television

Chester Bennington is currently working with his long time friend and Director of Activities (D.O.A), Church, on developing an upcoming television show titled Mayor of the World, with executive producers Trip Taylor.

Bennington also made a cameo in the 2006 film Crank as a customer in a pharmacy. He later appeared as a horsetrack spectator in the film's 2009 sequel, . Bennington also had a role as the ill-fated Skinhead, Evan, in the 2010 film Saw 3D.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes ! class="unsortable" | Source |- | 2006 | Crank | Pharmacy Stoner | | |- | 2011 | Dark as Day | Mugger | Pre-Production | |}

References

External links

Blog

Linkin Park website

Category:1976 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American film actors Category:American rock singers Category:American male singers Category:American musicians Category:American heavy metal singers Category:Musicians from Arizona Category:Dead by Sunrise Category:Julien-K Category:Linkin Park members Category:Living people Category:Nu metal singers Category:English-language singers Category:People from Phoenix, Arizona