A&M; Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M; division.

History

Beginnings

A&M; Records was formed in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. Their first choice for a name was Carnival Records, under which they released two singles before discovering another label had taken the Carnival name first. The company was subsequently renamed A&M;, after Alpert's and Moss's initials. From 1966 to 1999, the company's headquarters were on the grounds of the historic Charlie Chaplin Studios at 1416 North La Brea Avenue, near Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, A&M; had such acts as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Baja Marimba Band, Burt Bacharach, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ’66, We Five, the Carpenters, Chris Montez, Elkie Brooks, Lee Michaels, the Captain and Tennille, Quincy Jones, Marc Benno, Liza Minnelli, Toni Basil, and Paul Williams. Folk legends Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Laramy Smith, and Gene Clark also recorded with the label during the 1970s. Billy Preston joined the label in 1971, followed by Andre Popp and Herb Ohta in 1973.

In the late 1960s, through direct signing and licensing agreements, A&M; added British artists such as Cat Stevens,Joe Cocker, Procol Harum, Fairport Convention, Free, The Move, and Spooky Tooth. In the 1970s, under its manufacturing and distribution agreement with Ode Records, A&M; released albums by Carole King, Hummingbird, and the comedy duo Cheech and Chong. Other notable acts of the time included Nazareth, Y&T;, the Tubes, Styx, Supertramp, Rick Wakeman, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Squeeze, and Peter Frampton. On March 10, 1977, A&M; signed the Sex Pistols after the band had been dropped by EMI. However, A&M; dropped the band within a week. A&M; sustained its success during the 1980s with a roster of noted acts that included Falco, Atlantic Starr, Janet Jackson, the Police, Jim Diamond, Chris De Burgh, Suzanne Vega, Oingo Boingo, Sharon, Lois & Bram, Annabel Lamb, Bryan Adams, Vital Signs, Joe Jackson, and Scottish rock band Gun.

Within a decade of its inception, A&M; became the world's largest independent record company . A&M; releases were initially issued in the United Kingdom by EMI's Stateside Records label, and then under its own name by Pye Records until 1967. A&M; releases were also issued in Australia through Festival Records until 1989. A&M; Records Ltd. was established in 1970, with distribution handled by other labels with a presence in Europe. A&M; Records of Canada Ltd. was also formed in 1970, and A&M; Records of Europe in 1977. In 1979, A&M; entered a distribution agreement with RCA Records (which later became BMG) in the USA, and with CBS Records (whose successor Sony Music Entertainment later absorbed BMG) in many other countries.

Over the years, A&M; added specialty imprints: Almo International for middle of the road; Omen Records (1964–1966) for soul; Horizon Records for jazz (1974–1978); AyM Discos for Latin-American; Vendetta Records for dance music (1988–1990); and Tuff Break Records for hip-hop music (1993–1995).

The PolyGram years

A&M; was bought by PolyGram in 1989. Alpert and Moss continued to manage the label until 1993. The sale to PolyGram stipulated that Alpert and Moss had an integrity clause allowing them to control the label's image through 2009. In 1998, Alpert and Moss sued PolyGram for breach of the integrity clause.

In 1991, A&M; launched Perspective Records as a joint venture with producing team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Jam and Lewis stepped down as CEO's of the imprint in 1997, but they remained on as consultants. In 1999, the label was absorbed into A&M.; In the mid-1990s, A&M; began distributing its PolyGram sister label Polydor Records in the USA.

During the 1990s, the company continued to release albums by Soundgarden, Extreme, Amy Grant, John Hiatt, Sting, Blues Traveler, Barry White, and Aaron Neville, as well as material from new artists Sheryl Crow, Therapy?, CeCe Peniston, and the Gin Blossoms. The company released the soundtracks , The Three Musketeers, Sabrina, The Living Sea, Demolition Man, and Lethal Weapon 3.

Universal Music Group

In 1998, PolyGram was bought by Seagram and merged with its MCA Records family to create Universal Music. A&M; was subsequently merged into Universal Music Group's then newly formed Interscope-Geffen-A&M; label group. Its Canadian division was absorbed into Universal Music Canada that time, which included Jann Arden alongside other artists from Canada. Bryan Adams continued to record on that label.

The A&M; lot on La Brea Avenue was shut down in January 1999. During the farewell celebration, the company's staff placed a black band over the A&M; sign above the main entrance, indicating the death of the company. Most of the company's workforce, some of whom had been with the company for a decade or more, were let go, while many of its artists were dropped. Al Cafaro stated,

"This isn't about Universal or Seagram. The record business is changing fundamentally. Don't think that there are calm seas on the other side of this threshold. If the quake that devoured A&M; and Geffen is a 6.0 on the Richter scale, there is a 7.0 coming in this industry. It's a Wall Street world now. Get ready."

Alpert and Moss sued Universal Music Group in 2000, claiming that they had violated a contractual agreement stating that A&M; Records would be allowed to retain its corporate culture . The suit was later settled.

The first multi-platinum A&M; Records release under Universal Music Group and Interscope was Sting's 1999 album Brand New Day.

The old A&M; studios and executive offices are now the home of Jim Henson Productions, which operates Henson Recording Studios.

A&M; catalog albums that did not fit the current pop music format (which also includes rock, rap, and R&B;) of their new parent division were transferred to other Universal divisions for management - for example, Verve Records now manages A&M;'s jazz catalog, not including Herb Alpert's recorded output which Alpert acquired in the settlement with Universal Music and are licensed to Shout! Factory (however, Verve does manage the Horizon Records catalog).

In February 2007, Interscope-Geffen-A&M; partnered with Octone Records to relaunch the A&M; label, now headed by James Diener and called A&M;/Octone Records with worldwide distribution handled by parent Universal Music Group. The existing Octone roster was transferred to the A&M;/Octone label and all new artist signings are made under the A&M;/Octone joint venture.

Subsidiary labels

Former

1500 Records (1998–2001)

ANTRA Records (1998)

AM:PM (1990-2002, UK imprint for R&B;, hip-hop and dance music)

Breakout Records (1987-1990, UK imprint for R&B; and Hip-Hop music)

CTI Records (1967–1970)

Cypress Records (1988–1990)

Dark Horse Records (1974–1976)

Delos International (1988–1990)

Denon (1988–1992)

DV8 Records (1995–1998)

Flip (1996–1998)

Gold Mountain Ltd. (1983–1985)

Heavyweight Records (1998)

I.R.S. Records (1979–1985)

Nimbus Records (1987–1990)

Ode Records (1970–1975)

Polydor Records (1995–2000)

Shelter Records (In Great Britain, early 1970s)

Tabu Records (1991–1993)

Tuff Break Records (1993–1995)

TwinTone (1987–1989)

T.W.Is.M (1996–1998)

Vendetta Records (1988–1991)

Windham Hill Records (and its subsidiary labels) (1982–1985)

Word Records (and its subsidiary labels: Exit, Myrrh, Live Oak) (1985–1990)

Current

A&M;/Octone Records

A&M; Records UK (reactivated as a front-line label by Polydor Records.)

Tropical Records

will.i.am music group

See also

A&M;/Octone Records

A&M; Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.

List of record labels

Charlie Chaplin Studios

List of current A&M; Records artists

List of former A&M; Records artists

References

External links

Interscope Records official website - A&M; Records is included within the Interscope site and is part of Interscope Geffen A&M;

On A&M; Records - Search every artist and recording by A&M; Records and its affiliated labels

A&M; Corner - Since 1995 the internet's original A&M; Records free collector/listener resource

Category:Record labels established in 1962 Category:American record labels Category:Companies based in Los Angeles County, California Category:Vivendi subsidiaries Category:Rock record labels Category:Heavy metal record labels Category:Pop record labels Category:Soul music record labels Category:Rhythm and blues record labels Category:Hip hop record labels Category:Film soundtrack record labels Category:Labels distributed by Universal Music Group Category:IFPI members

Name	Keyshia Cole
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Keyshia Myeshia Cole
Alias	KC, The Princess of Hip-Hop Soul
Born	October 15, 1981
Origin	Oakland, California
Instrument	Vocals
Voice type	Soprano (born October 15, 1981) is an American recording artist. She released her platinum selling debut album The Way It Is in June 2005, and her sophomore platinum album Just Like You in September 2007. Cole's third studio album, A Different Me was released on December 16, 2008, and is also certified platinum. She is also known for her reality/documentary series which aired on BET from 2006 to 2008, which depicted Cole navigating both her career and strained relationships with her biological mother and sister. Cole cites Mary J Blige and Brandy as her biggest influences and inspirations.
- align	"center"
- align	"center"
Name	Cole, Keyshia
Alternative names	Cole, Keyshia Michelle
Short description	Singer–songwriter
Date of birth	October 15, 1981
Place of birth	Oakland, California, U.S.

Category:1981 births Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:American adoptees Category:American hip hop musicians Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American sopranos Category:Living people Category:Musicians from California Category:People from Oakland, California Category:Reality television participants

Name	Janet Jackson
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Janet Damita Jo Jackson
Born	May 16, 1966Gary, Indiana, United States
Genre	R&B;, pop, dance
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, actress
Instrument	Vocals, keyboards
Years active	1973–present
Label	A&M;, Virgin, Island
Url

Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American recording artist and actress. Born in Gary, Indiana, and raised in Encino, Los Angeles, she is the youngest child of the Jackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with her family at the age of seven, and started her career as an actress with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976. She went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times and Fame.

At age sixteen in 1982, she signed a recording contract with A&M; and released her self-titled debut. She faced criticism for her limited vocal range, and for being yet another member of the Jackson family to become a recording artist. Beginning with her third studio album Control (1986), she began a long-term collaboration with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Her music with Jam and Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, disco, funk, rock and rap with sample loop, triplet swing and industrial beats, which led to crossover appeal in popular music. In addition to receiving recognition for the innovation in her albums, choreography, music videos, and prominence on MTV, Jackson was acknowledged as a role model for her socially conscious lyrics.

In 1991, she signed the first of two record-breaking, multi-million dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest paid artists in the industry. Her debut album under the Virgin label, Janet (1993), saw Jackson develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her work. That same year, she appeared in her first starring film role in Poetic Justice. By the end of the 1990s, she was named the second most successful recording artist of the decade. All for You (2001), became her fifth consecutive studio album to hit number one on the Billboard 200 album charts. In 2007, she changed labels, signing with Island Records and released her tenth studio album Discipline the following year. Why Did I Get Married (2007) marked a concentrated effort for her to return to acting, followed by its sequel and For Colored Girls in 2010.

Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Jackson is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists her as the eleventh best-selling female artist in the United States, with 26 million certified albums. She has amassed an extensive catalog of hits, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again" and "All for You" among her most iconic. In 2008, Billboard released its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, ranking her at number seven. In 2010, the magazine announced the "Top 50 R&B; / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years", ranking her at number five. Her longevity, records and achievements reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular music. She has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers.

Life and career

1966–82: Childhood and television work

Janet Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of ten children, to Katherine Esther (née Scruse) and Joseph Walter Jackson. The Jacksons were lower-middle class and devout Jehovah's Witnesses; Jackson stated that although she was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, she eventually stopped practicing organized religion and views her relationship with God as "one-on-one". By the time Jackson was a toddler, her older brothers—Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael—were performing music at nightclubs and theaters as The Jackson 5. In March 1969, the group signed a record deal with Motown, and by the end of the year they had recorded the first of four consecutive number one singles. The Jackson 5's success allowed the family to move to the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1971, where they settled in a gated mansion called Hayvenhurst.

1982–85: Early recordings

Although Jackson was initially apprehensive about starting a music career, she agreed to participate in recording sessions with her family. The first of these, a duet with her brother Randy titled "Love Song for Kids", took place in 1978. When she was sixteen, her father arranged a contract for her with A&M; Records.

Jackson's second album, Dream Street, was released two years later. Her father recruited her brothers to help produce the album: Marlon co-wrote two of the album's tracks, while Tito, Jackie and Michael provided background vocals. In late 1984, Jackson eloped with childhood friend and fellow R&B; singer James DeBarge. They divorced shortly afterwards, and the marriage was annulled in mid-1985. In 1985 Jackson joined her sister, La Toya, as a chorist under La Toya's number "Baby Sister" at the Yamaha Music Festival where they ended up with a silver medallion and an "Outstanding Song Award".

1986–88: Control

Following the release of Dream Street, Jackson decided to separate her business affairs from her family. She later commented, "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father, which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do, telling him that I didn't want to work with him again." Jackson recalled that during the recording of the album, she was threatened by a group of men outside of her hotel in Minneapolis. She stated that "[t]he danger hit home when a couple of guys started stalking me on the street ... Instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense." Jam commented, "[w]e wanted to do an album that would be in every black home in America ... we were going for the black album of all time." Los Angeles Times critic Connie Johnson wrote: "Though still a teen-ager, this singer's stance is remarkably nervy and mature. She has a snotty sort of assurance that permeates several cuts, plus the musical muscle to back it up." The Newsweek review of Control noted that the album was "an alternative to the sentimental balladry and opulent arrangements of Patti LaBelle and Whitney Houston." Rob Hoerburger of Rolling Stone asserted, "Control is a better album than Diana Ross has made in five years and puts Janet in a position similar to the young Donna Summer's—unwilling to accept novelty status and taking her own steps to rise above it." Five of the album's singles—"What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think of You", "Control", and "Let's Wait Awhile"—peaked within the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. "When I Think of You" became Jackson's first single to peak at number one. "The Pleasure Principle" became a top 20 hit, peaking at number fourteen. It won four American Music Awards, from twelve nominations—a record that has yet to be broken—and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 1987 Grammy Awards. Musicologist Richard J. Ripani Ph.D., author of The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 (2006), observed that the album was one of the first successful records to influence the rise of new jack swing by creating a fusion of R&B;, rap, funk, disco and synthesized percussion. The success of Control, according to Ripani, bridged the gap between R&B; and rap music. She stated, "I'm not naive—I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics and what we're saying." Producer Jimmy Jam told The Boston Globe, "We would always have a TV turned on, usually to CNN ... And I think the social slant of songs like Rhythm Nation, State of the World and The Knowledge came from that." Rolling Stone magazine's Vince Aletti observed Jackson shifted from "personal freedom to more universal concerns—injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs—without missing a beat."

Peaking at number one on the Billboard 200, the album was later certified six times platinum and eventually sold over fourteen million copies worldwide. The corresponding music video for "Rhythm Nation" won the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video. Billboard named Rhythm Nation 1814 the number-one selling album of the year in 1990, winning multiple music awards. The Rhythm Nation World Tour, Jackson's first world tour in support of a studio album, became the most successful debut tour by any recording artist. As Jackson began her tour, she was acknowledged for the cultural impact of her music. Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country", and William Allen, then-executive vice president of the United Negro College Fund, told the Los Angeles Times, "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects." She established the "Rhythm Nation Scholarship" as a joint venture with the United Negro College Fund, as well as donating funds from her concert tour to other educational programs, raising over $1/2 million dollars to fund educational projects. Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000) documented that Jackson's success during this time period placed her on par with several other recording artists, including her older brother Michael Jackson, Madonna and Tina Turner.

With the release of Rhythm Nation 1814, Jackson fulfilled her contract with A&M; Records. In 1991, after being approached personally by Virgin Records owner Richard Branson, she signed a highly publicized multi-million dollar contract with the label. The contract value was estimated between $32–50 million, and she became the highest paid female recording artist in contemporary music. That same year, she secretly entered into her second marriage with long-term friend—dancer, songwriter and director René Elizondo, Jr.

1993–96: Janet, Poetic Justice and Design of a Decade 1986/1996

cupping her breasts.]] In August 1992, after completing work on Poetic Justice, Jackson set out to plan on recording her first album for Virgin Records. Recording sessions for the album began in September 1992, commencing in the first quarter of 1993. In May 1993, Jackson's fifth studio album Janet, was released and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Billboard magazine's Larry Flick noted she "also broadens her musical scope on 'janet.' by layering deep house, swing jazz, hip hop, rock, and Caribbean elements on top of a radio-minded jack/funk foundation." Rolling Stone wrote: "As princess of America's black royal family, everything Janet Jackson does is important. Whether proclaiming herself in charge of her life, as she did on Control (1986), or commander in chief of a rhythm army dancing to fight society's problems (Rhythm Nation 1814, from 1989), she's influential. And when she announces her sexual maturity, as she does on her new album, Janet., it's a cultural moment." The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) commented that the album's number one hit single "That's the Way Love Goes"—winner of the 1994 Grammy Award for Best R&B; Song—and the top 10 singles "If", "Because of Love", "You Want This", and "Any Time, Any Place", all contained "grown-up desires". Janet was certified six times platinum by the RIAA, with worldwide sales exceeding twenty million copies.

In July 1993, Jackson made her film debut in Poetic Justice. Rolling Stone described her performance as "a beguiling film debut" despite her inexperience, while The Washington Post considered her "believably eccentric". Several reviews were also negative, as Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly noted she "isn't an inept actress, yet there are no more edges to her personality than there are to her plastic Kewpie-doll visage." Jackson's ballad "Again" was featured in the film, and she received her first Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song. In September 1993, Jackson appeared topless on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with the hands of her then-husband René Elizondo, Jr. covering her breasts. The photograph is the original full-length version of the cropped image used on the cover of the Janet album, shot by Patrick Demarchelier. Sonia Murray of The Vancouver Sun later reported, "Jackson, 27, remains clearly established as both role model and sex symbol; the Rolling Stone photo of Jackson ... became one of the most recognizable, and most lampooned, magazine covers of the year." David Ritz likened her transformation to Marvin Gaye, stating "[j]ust as Gaye moved from What's Going On to Let's Get It On, from the austere to the ecstatic, Janet, every bit as serious-minded as Marvin, moved from Rhythm Nation to janet., her statement of sexual liberation." Her second world tour—the Janet World Tour—garnered critical acclaim as Michael Snyder of the San Francisco Chronicle described Jackson's stage performance as erasing the line between "stadium-size pop music concerts and full-scale theatrical extravaganzas."

During this time period, Jackson's brother Michael was immersed in a child sex abuse scandal, of which he denied any wrongdoing. She gave moral support to her brother, and denied allegations made by her sister La Toya Jackson in her book (1991) that their parents had abused her and her siblings as children. In addition, she criticized her brother Jermaine for attacking Michael in his 1991 single "Word to the Badd". The song debuted at number five on the Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first song ever to debut in the top 5. "Scream" is featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the "Most Expensive Music Video Ever Made" at a cost of $7 million, which was filmed in May 1995. Jackson and her brother won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video for "Scream". Design of a Decade 1986/1996 was certified two times platinum by the RIAA and sold over four million copies worldwide. Jackson's influence in popular music continued to garner recognition, as Steve Morse of The Boston Globe remarked: "If you're talking about the female power elite in pop, you can't get much higher than Janet Jackson, Bonnie Raitt, Madonna and Yoko Ono. Their collective influence ... is beyond measure. And who could dispute that Janet Jackson now has more credibility than brother Michael?" In January 1996, Jackson renewed her contract with Virgin Records for a reported $80 million dollars. The contract established her as the then-highest paid recording artist in contemporary music, surpassing the recording industry's then-unparalleled $60 million dollar contracts earned by her brother, Michael Jackson, and Madonna.

1997–99: The Velvet Rope

During the two year period prior to the release of her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope, Jackson reportedly suffered from depression and anxiety. Larry Flick of Billboard called The Velvet Rope "[t]he best American album of the year and the most empowering of her last five." Released in October 1997, The Velvet Rope debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The single sampled the Joni Mitchell song "Big Yellow Taxi", and featured a cameo appearance by rapper Q-Tip. "Got 'til It's Gone" won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. The single spent a record 46 weeks on the Hot 100, as well as spending 19 weeks on the UK singles chart. Rolling Stone regarded "Free Xone" as the album's "best song", describing it as an "anti-homophobia track [which] shifts moods and tempos on a dime, segueing from a Prince-like jam to a masterful sample from Archie Bell and the Drells' 'Tighten Up'." The Velvet Rope was honored by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, and received the award for Outstanding Music Album at the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

In 1998, Jackson began The Velvet Rope World Tour, an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Robert Hilburn of The Los Angeles Times reported, "[t]here is so much of the ambition and glamour of a Broadway musical in Janet Jackson's new Velvet Rope tour that it's only fitting that the concert program credits her as the show's 'creator and director'." Her HBO special, The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, was watched by more than fifteen million viewers. The two hour concert beat the ratings of all four major networks in homes that were subscribed to HBO. The HBO concert special was awarded four Emmy nominations including one win. Jackson donated a portion of her concert ticket sales to America's Promise, a non-profit organization designed by Colin Powell to assist disenfranchised youth.

The following month, Jackson separated from Elizondo Jr. As her world tour came to a close in 1999, Jackson lent guest vocals to a number of songs by other artists, including Shaggy's "Luv Me, Luv Me", for the soundtrack to How Stella Got Her Groove Back, "God's Stepchild" from the Down on the Delta soundtrack, "Girlfriend/Boyfriend" with BLACKstreet, and "What's It Gonna Be?!" with Busta Rhymes. She also performed a duet with Elton John for the song "I Know the Truth". At the 1999 World Music Awards, Jackson received the Legend Award alongside Cher for "lifelong contribution to the music industry and outstanding contribution to the pop industry." As 1999 ended, Billboard magazine ranked Jackson as the second most successful artist of the decade, behind Mariah Carey.

2000–03: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and All for You

In July 2000, Jackson appeared in her second film, , as Professor Denise Gaines, opposite Eddie Murphy. The film became her second to open at number one at the box office, grossing an estimated $42.7 million dollars in its opening weekend. Her contribution to the film's soundtrack, "Doesn't Really Matter", became her ninth number one Billboard Hot 100 single. In the same year, Jackson's husband filed for divorce. Jeff Gordinier of Entertainment Weekly reported that for eight of the thirteen years she and Elizondo had known one another, "[they] were married—a fact they managed to hide not only from the international press but from Jackson's own father." Elizondo filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against her, estimated between $10–25 million; they did not reach a settlement until 2003.

Jackson was awarded a top honor from the American Music Awards—the Award of Merit—in March 2001 for "her finely crafted, critically acclaimed and socially conscious, multi-platinum albums." She became the inaugural honoree of the "mtvICON" award, "an annual recognition of artists who have made significant contributions to music, music video and pop culture while tremendously impacting the MTV generation." Jackson's seventh album, All for You, was released in April 2001, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated "[Jackson's] created a record that's luxurious and sensual, spreading leisurely over its 70 minutes, luring you in even when you know better", and Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented, "[a]s other rhythm and blues strips down to match the angularity of hip-hop, Ms. Jackson luxuriates in textures as dizzying as a new infatuation."

The album's title-track, "All for You", debuted on the Hot 100 at number fourteen, the highest debut ever for a single that was not commercially available. Teri VanHorn of MTV dubbed Jackson "Queen of Radio" as the single made radio airplay history, "[being] added to every pop, rhythmic and urban radio station that reports to the national trade magazine Radio & Records" in its first week. It received the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. All for You was certified double platinum by the RIAA and sold more than nine million copies worldwide.

in July 2001.]] Jackson's All for You Tour began in July, 2001. Los Angeles Times' pop music critic Robert Hilburn gave a negative review of the concert tour, comparing it unfavorably to Madonna's Drowned World Tour and Britney Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour. Hilburn remarked: "At 35, Jackson is only eight years younger than Madonna, but her presentation feels more akin to Britney Spears'. Madonna knows how to dig beneath the surface; Jackson lives on it." Hilburns' review sparked backlash from those who felt Jackson gave the superior performance. David Massey commented that "Janet outdid the Material Girl by a mile ... And the gall to bring Britney Spears' name into the picture by saying Janet's show is like Britney's? Hello, it's the other way around!" Similarly, Rudy Scalese complimented Jackson's performance, stating: "Janet Jackson hasn't skipped a beat. She is still the Queen of Pop."

In 2002, Jackson collaborated with reggae singer Beenie Man on the song "Feel It Boy". She later admitted regret over the collaboration after discovering Beenie Man's music often contained homophobic lyrics, and soon issued an apology to her gay fans in an article published in The Voice. Jackson also began her relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri that same year.

2004–05: Super Bowl XXXVIII and Damita Jo

For the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February 2004, Jackson performed a medley of her singles "All for You" and "Rhythm Nation"; she then performed alongside Justin Timberlake. As Timberlake sang the lyric "gonna have you naked by the end of this song" from his single "Rock Your Body", he tore open her top, exposing her right breast. After the performance, Jackson apologized, calling it an accident, and said that Timberlake was supposed to pull away the bustier and leave the red-lace bra intact. She further commented, "I am really sorry if I offended anyone. That was truly not my intention ... MTV, CBS, the NFL had no knowledge of this whatsoever, and unfortunately, the whole thing went wrong in the end." Timberlake also issued an apology, calling the accident a "wardrobe malfunction". Jackson was later listed in the 2007 edition of Guinness World Records as "Most Searched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for News Item". CBS, the NFL, and MTV (CBS's sister network, which produced the halftime show), denied any knowledge of, and all responsibility for, the incident. Still, the Federal Communications Commission continued an investigation, ultimately losing its appeal for a $550,000 fine against CBS.

As a result of the incident, CBS would only allow Jackson and Timberlake to appear during the 46th Grammy Awards ceremony if they each made a public apology to the network, without attributing the incident to a "wardrobe malfunction". Timberlake issued an apology, but Jackson refused. Jermaine Dupri resigned from his position on the Grammy Awards committee as a result. The controversy halted plans for Jackson to star in a made-for-TV biopic on the life on singer Lena Horne for ABC-TV. Though Horne was reportedly displeased by the Super Bowl incident and insisted that ABC pull Jackson from the project, according to Jackson's representatives, she withdrew from the project willingly.

In March 2004, Jackson's eighth studio album, Damita Jo (Jackson's middle name), was released debuting at number two on the Billboard 200. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine referred to the album as "the aural equivalent of hardcore pornography—it leaves nothing to the imagination and it's endlessly repetitive." Alternatively, a review by Ann Powers of Blender magazine asserted: "Artfully structured, unapologetically explicit, Damita Jo is erotica at its friendliest and most well-balanced. This hour-plus of Tantric flow even erases the memory of Jackson’s clunky Super Bowl breast-baring." By the end of the month it was certified platinum by the RIAA, and eventually sold over three million albums worldwide. Although the album debuted at number two, its four singles all failed to become top 40 hits. Keith Caulfield of Billboard commented, "[f]or a singles artist like Jackson, who has racked up 27 top 10 Hot 100 singles in her career, including 10 No. 1s, this could probably be considered a disappointment."

Jackson appeared as a host of Saturday Night Live on April 10, 2004 and also appeared as a guest star on the television sitcom Will & Grace portraying herself. In November 2004, Jackson was honored as an African-American role model by 100 Black Men of America, Inc., who presented her with the "organization's Artistic Achievement Award saluting 'a career that has gone from success to greater success'." Though the New York Amsterdam News reported "[t]here were a number of attendees who expressed dismay over presenting an award to the 38-year-old performer" because of the Super Bowl incident, the organization's President Paul Williams responded, "[a]n individual's worth can't be judged by a single moment in that person's life." In June 2005, she was honored with a Humanitarian Award by the Human Rights Campaign and AIDS Project Los Angeles, in recognition of her work and involvement in raising money for AIDS charities.

2006–07: 20 Y.O. and Why Did I Get Married?

]] To promote her ninth studio album, 20 Y.O., Jackson appeared on the cover of Us Weekly in June 2006, which became one of the magazine's best-selling issues. Virgin Records released 20 Y.O. in September 2006, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Rolling Stone magazine's Evan Serpick remarked "[t]he title of Janet Jackson's latest album refers to the two decades since she released her breakthrough, Control, with hits like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately.' If we were her, we wouldn't make the comparison." However, Glenn Gamboa of Newsday gave the album a positive rating, stating that "[o]n '20 Y.O.' she skips all that drama of breaking free and asserting herself. She also keeps most of the tie-me-up, tie-me-down sexual raunch of her recent albums in the closet. This album is all about dancing and returning to her R&B; roots."

The album's lead single "Call on Me", a duet with rapper Nelly, peaked at number twenty-five on the Hot 100. Billboard magazine reported the release of 20 Y.O. satisfied Jackson's contract with Virgin Records; Jermaine Dupri, who co-produced 20 Y.O., left his position as head of urban music at Virgin following the "disappointing performance" of Jackson's album.

In January 2007, Jackson was ranked the seventh richest woman in the entertainment business by Forbes magazine, having amassed a fortune of over $150 million. Later that year, she starred opposite Tyler Perry as a psychotherapist named Patrica in the feature film Why Did I Get Married?. It became her third consecutive film to open at number one at the box office, grossing $21.4 million in its first week. Variety magazine's Ronnie Scheib described Jackson's performance as charming, yet bland, while Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe commented that Jackson portrayed her character with "soft authority". In February 2008, Jackson won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role.

2008–09: Discipline, death of Michael Jackson and Number Ones

In July 2007, Jackson changed labels and signed a record contract with Island Records. Her tenth studio album, Discipline, was released in February 2008, debuting on the Billboard 200 at number one. Andy Kellman of Allmusic expressed: "Janet probably won't hit that late-'80s peak again, but that is no excuse to write her off." Her single, "Feedback", peaked at number nineteen on the Hot 100. That same month, she and her record label parted ways through mutual agreement. Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, who produced the album expressed, "I felt like it wasn't pushed correctly ... She just didn't get her just-do as an artist of that magnitude." In the fourteen months she was associated with Island, her record had sold 449,000 copies and did not receive RIAA certification. Billboard reported that because of Jackson's dissatisfaction with her album's promotion, "the label agreed to dissolve their relationship with the artist at her request."

In June 2009, Jackson's brother Michael died at age 50. At the 2009 BET Awards, she spoke publicly for the first time concerning his death, stating "I'd just like to say, to you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much." In an exclusive interview with Harper's Bazaar, she revealed she had first learned of her brother's death while filming on location in Atlanta for Why Did I Get Married Too?. Amidst the public and private mourning with her family, she focused on work to deal with the grief, avoiding any news coverage of her sibling's death; she stated "[i]t's still important to face reality, and not that I'm running, but sometimes you just need to get away for a second." During this time, she also ended her seven year relationship with Jermaine Dupri. MTV General Manager Stephen Friedman stated: "We felt there was no one better than Janet to anchor it and send a really powerful message." She worked with several world renowned choreographers, with her personal creative director, Gil Duldulao, coordinating the performance.

Her single, "Make Me", was released following the VMA performance initially as an audio stream on her official web site, and was later made available for digital download. Soon after its release, the single became Jackson's 19th number one Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Later that month, Jackson chaired the inaugural benefit of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, held in Milan in conjunction with fashion week. CEO Kevin Robert Frost commented, "[w]e are profoundly grateful to Janet Jackson for joining amfAR as a chair of its first event in Milan ... She brings incomparable grace and a history of dedication to the fight against AIDS." One of the signature pieces sold for the auction was a pair of crystal-studded boots her brother Michael had intended to wear for the This Is It concert tour, which sold for $14,650. The event raised a total of $1.1 million for the nonprofit organization. She stated, "I'd just like to thank everyone here in the global fashion community who've done so much to help amfAR and to support HIV/AIDS research." Her second greatest hits compilation, Number Ones—titled The Best outside of the United States—was released in November, 2009 as a joint venture between Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and EMI Music. It debuted at number twenty-two on the Billboard 200, selling 37,000 copies in its first week of release.

She performed as the opening act for the 37th annual American Music Awards and as one of the performing acts of the Capital FM December 2009 Jingle Bell Ball at the London O2 arena.

2010–present: Why Did I Get Married Too?, For Colored Girls, True You and 2011 Tour

In April, 2010, Jackson reprised her role in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? sequel, Why Did I Get Married Too? The film earned $30.1 million at the box office its opening weekend, debuting at number two. Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe expressed the overall experience of the film to be "120 minutes of emotional Stairmaster" and added that "watching a hysterical—and hysterically coiffed—Janet Jackson redecorate a house with a golf club burns 500 calories. Mike Hale of The New York Times referred to her performance as "invigorating and oddly funny" while Jackie K. Cooper of The Huffington Post comments "[s]he is very impressive at times and less so at others. She does show a willingness to be seen at her most disheveled." Her performance earned a nomination for the 2011 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. She recorded the lead single for the film's soundtrack entitled, "Nothing", which was released prior to the film's debut. In May 2010, she appeared on the season finale of American Idol, where she performed "Again", "Nothing", and "Nasty".

Jackson headlined the 2010 Essence Music Festival alongside Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige. According to the Associated Press, "Janet Jackson enthralled the Essence Music Festival audience Friday, kept them on their feet for more than two hours and reminded fans why seeing her in concert was worth waiting two years." In July 2010, Jackson became a spokeswoman for fur label American Legend Cooperative's Blackglama "What Becomes a Legend Most" campaign, previously endorsed by celebrities such as Lena Horne, Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall and Diana Ross. According to the company's press release, she was selected as the campaign's latest "Legend" because she "is an icon in the world of music and entertainment, a true legend. She represents everything that this storied campaign embodies. Janet is to entertainment what Blackglama is to luxury." In August, 2010, UMe reissued her Number Ones as part of the debut of the Icon series of "[compilation] albums featuring the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history."

In November, 2010, she starred as Joanna in the drama For Colored Girls, Tyler Perry's film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf (1975). Christopher John Farley of The Wall Street Journal complimented her performance, stating that "[she] recites verses written by Ntozake Shange, the author of the play that inspired the film ... But instead of offering up a mannered coffeehouse reading of the lines, Jackson makes the words sound like ordinary—though very eloquent—speech." Matt Zoller Seitz of Salon.com said she "outdoes herself here—especially in the scene where she confronts her husband over his secret life ... It's not just Jackson's short haircut and traumatized eyes that might remind viewers of Jane Wyman or Joan Crawford; Perry gets at the mix of masculine hyper-competitiveness and feminine vulnerability that has always defined Jackson, and links it to the wily, lonely coldness often captured in Wyman and Crawford performances, a directorial gambit of tremendous perceptiveness." Manohla Dargis of The New York Times commented: "Ms. Jackson is, to put it gently, an actress of limited expression. But her quiet presence has force, partly because of her eerie resemblance to her brother Michael, though also because her character’s brittle hauteur, self-involved privilege and artificiality has—like the martyrs in ermine played by the likes of Lana Turner—its own weird truth." A number of critics have compared her portrayal of Jo to Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Her performance earned her nominations for the 2011 Black Reel Awards in the categories for and .

On November 18, in an exclusive interview with AOL Music's '"The Boombox", Jackson announced plans to go on her "largest ever world tour" in 2011, supporting her second greatest hits collection, Number Ones. The tour, entitled , will hold concerts in 35 global cities.

Musical style and performance

Jackson has a mezzo-soprano 3 octave vocal range. Many critics have observed she has never been considered a strong vocalist, noting her voice is often enveloped by the production of her music. David Ritz of Rolling Stone magazine commented, "[h]er wispy voice was a pale echo of Michael's, but on Janet's albums—and in her videos and live performances, which revealed a crisp, athletic dance technique not unlike her brother's—singing wasn't the point", commenting that importance was instead placed on "[h]er slamming beats, infectious hooks, and impeccable production values." Classical composer Louis Andriessen has also praised Jackson for her "rubato, sense of rhythm, sensitivity, and the childlike quality of her strangely erotic voice." Ritz compared Jackson's musical style to that of Marvin Gaye, stating, "[l]ike Marvin, autobiography seemed the sole source of her music. Her art, also like Marvin's, floated over a reservoir of secret pain." Sal Cinquemani wrote that in addition to defining Top 40 radio, she "gave Prince's Minneapolis sound a distinctly feminine—and, with songs like 'What Have You Done for Me Lately?,' 'Nasty,' 'Control,' and 'Let's Wait Awhile,' a distinctly feminist—spin."

Jackson has credited her older brothers Michael and Jermaine as her primary musical influences. She describes actress/singer Lena Horne as a profound inspiration, not only in her own career, but for black entertainers across multiple generations. Upon Horne's death in 2010, she stated "[Horne] brought much joy into everyone's lives—even the younger generations, younger than myself. She was such a great talent. She opened up such doors for artists like myself." She considers herself "a very big Joni Mitchell fan", explaining: "As a kid I was drawn to Joni Mitchell records ... Along with Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Joni's songs spoke to me in an intimate, personal way." She has also expressed reverence for Tina Turner, stating: "Tina has become a heroic figure for many people, especially women, because of her tremendous strength. Personally, Tina doesn't seem to have a beginning or an end in my life. I felt her music was always there, and I feel like it always will be." She has also named other socially conscious acts, such as Tracy Chapman and U2 as sources of inspiration.

Jackson's music has encompassed a broad range of genres, including R&B;, soul, disco, hip hop, rap, pop, rock, and dance music. Qadree EI-Amin, Jackson's former personal manager, commented, "[s]he's bigger than Barbra Streisand because Streisand can't appeal to the street crowd, as Janet does. But Streisand's rich, elite crowd loves Janet Jackson." Richard Rischar in "A Vision of Love: An Etiquette of Vocal Ornamentation in African-American Popular Ballads of the Early 1990s" notes that "[t]he black pop ballad of the mid-1980s had been dominated by the vocal and production style that was smooth and polished, led by singers Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and James Ingram." She continued her musical development by blending contemporary urban sound with hip hop in the 1990s. This included a softer representation of R&B;, articulated by lush soulful ballads and up-tempo dance beats. Her material from the 2000s has been viewed less favorably, as Sal Cinquemani comments that "[e]xcept for maybe R.E.M., no other former superstar act has been as prolific with such diminishing commercial and creative returns." Much of her success has been attributed to "a series of powerful, metallic grooves; her chirpy, multi-tracked vocals; and a lyrical philosophy built on pride and self-knowledge." David Ritz stated: "The mystery is the low flame that burns around the perimeters of Janet Jackson's soul. The flame feeds off the most highly combustible elements: survival and ambition, caution and creativity, supreme confidence and dark fear." Gillian G. Gaar, author of She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll (2002), described Control as "an autobiographical tale about her life with her parents, her first marriage, and breaking free."

On Janet, Jackson began to deal primarily with sexual themes. In You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture (1996), Lilly J. Goren observed that "Jackson's evolution from politically aware musician to sexy diva marked the direction that society and the music industry were encouraging the dance-rock divas to pursue." Jackson explained the recurring themes on her later albums by saying, "I love love and I love sex." She stated during promotion for Janet, "I love feeling deeply sexual—and don't mind letting the world know. For me, sex has become a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process." Stephen Thomas Erlewine comments "[w]hile sex indisputably fuels much great pop music, it isn't an inherently fascinating topic for pop music—as with anything, it all depends on the artist. Throughout her career, Jackson has worked with numerous professional choreographers such as Paula Abdul, Michael Kidd, and Tina Landon. Landon also took part in the choreography for Michael and Janet Jackson's 1995 music video Scream. Janine Coveney of Billboard observed that "Jackson's musical declaration of independence [Control] launched a string of hits, an indelible production sound, and an enduring image cemented by groundbreaking video choreography and imagery that pop vocalists still emulate."

Multiculturalism has been a cornerstone of the imagery represented in Jackson's music videos. The militant iconography of her 1989 video for "Rhythm Nation" signifies a need for both racial and gender equality as she and her dancers perform in identical uniforms while Jackson herself "is performing asexually and almost anonymously in front of, but as one of the members of the group." In the 1990s, her videos such as 1993's "If"—which "[exudes a] 'Last Emperor' lust and mystery"—and 1995's "Runaway" drew cultural influences from the orient. Others, such as 1997's "Got 'til It's Gone" and "Together Again" explore African roots and the serengeti. Jackson's music videos have also found report within the gay community, as the dramatic imagery in "Rhythm Nation" led to reenactments of the video in gay clubs and her 1990 video for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is said to explore the aesthetic of the male body from both the heterosexual female and gay male perspective.

Chris Willman of Los Angeles Times stated the "enthralling" choreography of Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour "represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style—a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements." The Independent writer Nicholas Barber commented in his review for The Velvet Rope Tour that "Janet's concerts are the pop equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie, with all the explosions, special effects, ersatz sentimentality, gratuitous cleavage and emphasis on spectacle over coherence that the term implies." When Los Angeles Times reporter Robert Hilburn asked Jackson "[d]o you understand it when people talk about [The Velvet Rope Tour] in terms of Broadway?", she responded, "I'm crazy about Broadway ... That's what I grew up on." Richard Harrington of The Washington Post observed, "[s]ince the advent of MTV and the proliferation of dance-oriented singers like Milli Vanilli, Madonna, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, George Michael, MC Hammer, Michael Jackson and the New Kids on the Block, audience expectations have been drastically redefined" noting that few entertainers are capable of recreating the spectacle of elaborately choreographed music videos while delivering studio precision vocals. Michael MacCambridge of the Austin American-Statesman, who reviewed Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour, described lip-syncing as a "moot point", stating, "Jackson was frequently singing along with her own pre-recorded vocals, to achieve a sound closer to radio versions of singles." MacCambridge also observed "[i]t seemed unlikely that anyone—even a prized member of the First Family of Soul Music—could dance like she did for 90 minutes and still provide the sort of powerful vocals that the '90s super concerts are expected to achieve." Janet Jackson has strived to distance her professional career from that of her older brother Michael and the rest of the Jackson family. Phillip McCarthy of The Sydney Morning Herald noted that throughout her recording career, one of her common conditions for interviewers has been that there would be no mention of Michael. Joshua Klein wrote, "[f]or the first half of her recording career, Janet Jackson sounded like an artist with something to prove. Emerging in 1982 just as big brother Michael was casting his longest shadow, Jackson filled her albums not so much with songs as with declarations, from 'The Pleasure Principle' to the radical-sounding 'Rhythm Nation' to the telling statement of purpose, 'Control'." By forging her own unique identity through her artistry and her business ventures, she has been esteemed as the "Queen of Pop". Klein argued that "stardom was not too hard to predict, but few could have foreseen that Janet—Miss Jackson, if you're nasty—would one day replace Michael as true heir to the Jackson family legacy." In Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race (2004), author Maureen Mahon states: "In the 1980s, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Prince were among the African American artists who crossed over ... When black artists cross over into pop success they cease to be black in the industry sense of the word. They get promoted from racialized black music to universal pop music in an economically driven process of racial transcendence." Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000) documented that Jackson, along with other prominent African-American women, had achieved financial breakthroughs in mainstream popular music, receiving "superstar status" in the process. Her business savvy has been compared to that of Madonna, gaining a level of autonomy which enables "creative latitude and access to financial resources and mass-market distribution."

Musicologist Richard J. Ripani identified Jackson as a leader in the development of contemporary R&B;, as her 1986 album Control and its successor Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 created a unique blend of genre and sound effects, that ushered in the use of rap vocals into mainstream R&B.; Jim Cullen observed in Popular Culture in American History (2001) that although it was Michael Jackson's Thriller that originally synchronized music video with album sales, Janet Jackson was also among the first generation of artists that saw the visualization of their music elevate them to the status of a pop culture icon. In March 2008, Business Wire reported "Janet Jackson is one of the top ten selling artists in the history of contemporary music; ranked by Billboard magazine as the ninth most successful act in rock and roll history, and the second most successful female artist in pop music history." She is the only female artist in the history of the Hot 100 to have 18 consecutive top ten hit singles, from "Miss You Much" (1989) to "I Get Lonely" (1998). The magazine ranked her at number seven on their Hot 100 50th Anniversary "Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists", making her the third most successful female artist in the history of the chart, following Madonna and Mariah Carey. In November 2010, Billboard released its "Top 50 R&B; / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked her at number five. She ranks as the top artist on the chart with 15 number ones in the past twenty-five years, garnering 27 top ten hits between 1985 and 2001, and 33 consecutive top 40 hits from 1985 through 2004 Similarly, Virgin Records executive Lee Trink expressed: "Janet is an icon and historic figure in our culture. She's one of those gifted artists that people look up to, that people emulate, that people want to believe in ... there's not that many superstars that stand the test of time." Pop music critic Gene Stout commented she "has so broadly influenced a younger generation of performers, from Jennifer Lopez ... to Britney Spears, who has copied so many of Jackson's dance moves."

Toni Braxton stated that she was inspired by Janet Jackson "because when she released her Control album, she made it easy for P.K.'s [Preachers' kids] who were supposed to be sweet and docile to get comfortable with feeling sexy." Aaliyah commented, "I admire her a great deal. She's a total performer ... I'd love to do a duet with Janet Jackson." Jennifer Lopez lauded Jackson's videography, stating her music videos "had such an impact on me as a fan but also as an artist." Britney Spears commented: "I've always been majorly inspired by Janet in everything she does." Christina Aguilera recalled: "I remember watching MTV as a little girl. To me, Janet had it all; amazing videos, hot songs and the sexiest voice." Cassie has referred to herself as a "die-hard Janet Jackson fan" and elaborated, "I'd love to emulate Janet's career—totally ... She's incredible, from her moves to her voice." The Chicago Tribune remarked, "Cassie isn't the first artist to be measured against Janet Jackson, and odds are she won't be the last." Beyoncé Knowles expressed: "I love Janet Jackson! ... I have nothing but positive things to say about her." Kelly Rowland named her the biggest inspiration of her career because "she works extremely hard." Rihanna has commented that "[s]he was one of the first female pop icons that I could relate to ... She was so vibrant, she had so much energy. She still has power. I’ve seen her on stage, and she can stand there for 20 minutes and have the whole arena scream at her. You have to love Janet." Japanese singer Crystal Kay commented: "I've always listened to American music and the artists I admire most are American, like Janet Jackson." Other artists who have drawn comparison to Jackson include Brandy, Tatyana Ali, Namie Amuro, and Keri Hilson. Joan Morgan of Essence magazine remarked: "Jackson's Control, Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet. established the singer-dancer imprimatur standard in pop culture we now take for granted. So when you're thinking of asking Miss Jackson, 'What have you done for me lately?' remember that Britney, Ciara and Beyoncé live in the house that Janet built."

Discography

Janet Jackson (1982)

Dream Street (1984)

Control (1986)

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

janet. (1993)

The Velvet Rope (1997)

All for You (2001)

Damita Jo (2004)

20 Y.O. (2006)

Discipline (2008)

Other works

;Television

The Jacksons (1976–77)

Good Times (1977–79)

A New Kind of Family (1979–80)

Diff'rent Strokes (1980–84)

Fame (1984–85)

Will & Grace (2004) (guest appearance)

;Film

Poetic Justice (1993)

(2000)

Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)

For Colored Girls (2010)

;Tours

Rhythm Nation World Tour (1990)

Janet World Tour (1993–95)

The Velvet Rope World Tour (1998–99)

All for You Tour (2001–02)

Rock Witchu Tour (2008)

(2011)

;Books

(2011)

See also

Honorific nicknames in popular music

List of best-selling music artists

List of best-selling music artists in the United States

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

Footnotes

References

Brackett, Nathan. Hoard, Christian David. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster, 2004. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8

Cornwell, Jane. Janet Jackson. Carlton Books, 2002. ISBN 1-84222-464-6

Cullen, Jim. Popular Culture in American History. Blackwell Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-631-21958-7

Cutcher, Jenai. Feel the Beat: Dancing in Music Videos. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. ISBN 0-8239-4558-8

Dean, Maury. Rock-N-Roll Gold Rush. Algora Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-87586-207-1

DeCurtis, Anthony. Present tense: rock & roll and culture. Duke University Press, 1992. ISBN 978-0-8223-1265-9

Gaar, Gillian G. She's a rebel: the history of women in rock & roll. Seal Press, 2002. ISBN 1-58005-078-6

Gates, Henry Louis. Appiah, Anthony. Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American. Basic Civitas Books, 1999. ISBN 0-465-00071-1

Goren, Lilly. You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture. University Press of Kentucky, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8131-2544-2

Halstead, Craig. Cadman, Chris. Jacksons Number Ones. Authors On Line, 2003. ISBN 0-7552-0098-5

Jaynes, Gerald David. Encyclopedia of African American Society. Sage Publications, 2005. ISBN 0-7619-2764-6

Jordan, Emma. Harris, Angela. When Markets Fail: Race And Economics : Cases And Materials. Foundation Press, 2006. ISBN 978-1-58778-955-7

Kramarae, Cheris. Spender, Dale. Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge. Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0-415-92091-4

Mitoma, Judy. Mitoma, Judith. Zimmer, Elizabeth. Stieber, Dale Ann. Heinonen, Nelli. Shaw, Norah Zuňiga. Envisioning dance on film and video. Routledge, 2002. ISBN 0-415-94171-7

Reynolds, Simon. Press, Joy. The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll. Harvard University Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0-674-80273-5

Ripani, Richard J. The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 University Press of Mississippi, 2006. ISBN 1-57806-862-2

Smith, Jessie Carney. Notable Black American Women, Volume 2. Gale, 1996. ISBN 978-0-8103-9177-2

Starr, Larry. Waterman, Christopher Alan. American Popular Music : The Rock Years. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-19-530052-9

Strong, Martin Charles. The Great Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track Recorded by More Than 1200 Artists. Canongate U.S., 2004. ISBN 1-84195-615-5

Vincent, Rickey. Clinton, George. Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One. Macmillan, 1996. ISBN 0-312-13499-1

Further reading

Bronson, Fred. The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books, 2003. ISBN 0-8230-7677-6

Hyatt, Wesley. The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits. Billboard Books, 1999. ISBN 0-8230-7693-8

Warner, Jay. On this Day in Black Music History. Hal Leonard, 2006. ISBN 0-634-09926-4

External links

Category:Living people Category:1966 births Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:A&M; Records artists Category:Actors from California Category:Actors from Indiana Category:African American female singers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:African American television actors Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American film actors Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American female singers Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:American pop singers Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:American television actors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:Female rock singers Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jackson musical family Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Musicians from California Category:Musicians from Indiana Category:People from Gary, Indiana Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Universal Music Group artists

Name	Sheryl Crow
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sheryl Suzanne Crow
Parents	Bernice and Wendell Crow
Born	February 11, 1962 Kennett, Missouri, United States
Children	Wyatt (adopted)
Voice type	Mezzo-soprano
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, organ, accordion, harmonica, autoharp, hammond b3, wurlitzer, Moog bass, mandolin, mandola
Genre	Pop rock, alternative rock, roots rock, folk rock, country rock|
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter, activist
Years active	1986–present
Label	A&M; Records
Education	University of Missouri
Associated acts	Stevie Nicks, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Dixie Chicks, Kevin Gilbert, Bill Bottrell, Kid Rock, Sting, Miley Cyrus
Url	Official Website

Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop. She has won nine Grammy Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

She has performed with The Rolling Stones and has sung duets with Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Luciano Pavarotti, John Mellencamp, Kid Rock, Michelle Branch, and Sting among others. She has performed backing vocals for Tina Turner and Don Henley. Crow has released seven studio albums, two compilations, and a live album, and has contributed to film soundtracks. She has sold 16 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide and her newest album, 100 Miles from Memphis, was released on July 20, 2010. Recently she appeared on NBC's 30 Rock, ABC's Cougar Town, Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Forever and Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.

Early life

Sheryl Suzanne Crow was born in Kennett, Missouri on February 11, 1962. Her father Wendell Crow is a lawyer and trumpet player, and her mother Bernice, a piano teacher. She has older sisters Kathy and Karen, and a younger brother Steven.

While studying at Kennett High School, Crow was a majorette and an All-State track athlete, winning medals in the 75-meter low hurdles. She also joined the Pep Club, the National Honor Society, National FFA Organization, Freshman Maid, Senior Maid, and Paperdoll Queen. She then enrolled at the University of Missouri, in Columbia, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Composition, Performance, and Education. While in college, Crow sang in a local band, Cashmere. She was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta social sorority, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women, and the Omicron Delta Kappa Society. Later, Crow was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Southeast Missouri State University, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Crow has stated that her musical inspirations are not restricted to one genre, as she likes absolutely anything with a drum beat. In 2008, she told Ellen DeGeneres that "If it didn't have a drum beat, you can just forget about it!"

Early career

After graduating from college, Crow worked as a music teacher at the Kellison elementary school, in Fenton, Missouri. Teaching during the day allowed her the opportunity to sing in bands on weekends. Later, she was introduced to local musician and producer Jay Oliver. He had a thriving studio in the basement of his parents' home, in St. Louis, and helped her by using her in advertising jingles. Her first jingle was a back-to-school spot for the St. Louis department store Famous-Barr. McDonald's and Toyota commercial jingles soon followed. She was quoted in a 60 Minutes segment as saying she made $40,000 on her McDonald's commercial alone.

Crow toured with Michael Jackson as a backup vocalist during his Bad World Tour from 1987–1989, and often performed with Jackson on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You." She also recorded background vocals for performances from various established artists including Stevie Wonder, Belinda Carlisle and Don Henley.

Crow also sang in the short-lived Steven Bochco drama, Cop Rock, in 1990. The following year, she performed "Hundreds of Tears," which was included in the Point Break soundtrack, and sang a duet with Kenny Loggins on the track "I Would Do Anything", from his album Leap of Faith.

1990s

Scrapped debut album (1992)

In 1992, Crow recorded her first attempt at her debut album with Phil Collins' producer Hugh Padgham. The self-titled debut album was due to be released on September 22, 1992, but was ultimately rejected by her label. However, a handful of cassette copies of the album were leaked along with press folders to be used for album publicity. This album has been widely dispersed via file sharing networks and fan trading. In the meantime, Crow's songs were recorded by major artists such as Celine Dion and Wynonna Judd.

International success (1993-1997)

She then began dating Kevin Gilbert and joined him in an ad hoc group of musicians known to everyone in the group as the "Tuesday Music Club." Group members, Gilbert, David Baerwald and David Ricketts (both formerly of David & David), Bill Bottrell, Brian MacLeod, and Dan Schwartz share songwriting credits with Crow on her debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club. The singles "Strong Enough" and "Can't Cry Anymore" were also released, with the first song ("Strong Enough") charting at #5 on Billboard and "Can't Cry Anymore" hitting the Top 40. Tuesday Night Music Club went on to sell more than 7 million copies in the US and UK during the 1990s. The album also won Crow three Grammy Awards, in 1995: Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Female Vocal Performance.

Crow supplied background vocals to the song "The Garden of Allah" from Don Henley's 1995 album .

In 1996, Crow released her self titled second album. The album had songs about abortion, homelessness and nuclear war. The debut single, "If It Makes You Happy," became a radio success and netted her two Grammy awards for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Album. Other singles included "A Change Would Do You Good," "Home" and "Everyday Is A Winding Road." Crow produced the album herself. The album was banned from sale at Wal-Mart, as in the "Love Is A Good Thing" lyric Wal-Mart is implicated (by name) of supplying guns to which children later gain access. In 1997, Crow contributed the theme song to the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Her song "Tomorrow Never Dies" was nominated for a Grammy Award and Best Original Song Golden Globe. Crow collaborated on Scott Weiland's 1998 album, 12 Bar Blues.

The Globe Sessions and Live (1998-1999)

In 1998 Crow released The Globe Sessions. During this period, she discussed in interviews having gone through a deep depression, and there was speculation about a brief affair with Eric Clapton. The debut single from this album, "My Favorite Mistake," was rumored to be about him, although Crow claims otherwise about a philandering ex-boyfriend. Crow has refused to say who the song was about telling Billboard Magazine on the release of her album. "Oh, there will be just so much speculation, and because of that there's great safety and protection in the fact that people will be guessing so many different people and I'm the only person who will ever really know. I'm really private about who I've had relationships with, and I don't talk about them in the press. I don't even really talk about them with the people around me." Despite the difficulties in recording the album, Crow told the BBC in 2005 that: "My favorite single is 'My Favorite Mistake,' it was a lot of fun to record and it's still a lot of fun to play." The album won Best Rock Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards. It was re-released in 1999, with a bonus track, Crow's cover of the Guns N' Roses song "Sweet Child o' Mine," which was included on the soundtrack of the film Big Daddy. The song won the 1999 Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Other singles included "There Goes the Neighborhood," "Anything But Down," and "The Difficult Kind." Crow won Grammy best female rock vocal performance for "There Goes the Neighborhood" in 2001. The Globe Sessions peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart, achieving US sales of 2 million as of January 2008.

Later in 1998, Crow took part in a live concert in tribute to Burt Bacharach, in which she contributed vocals on One Less Bell to Answer.

In 1999, Crow also made her acting debut as an ill-fated drifter in the suspense/drama The Minus Man, which starred her then-boyfriend Owen Wilson as a serial killer.

She also released a live album called . The record featured Crow singing many of her hit singles with new musical spins and guest appearances by many other musicians including Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, the Dixie Chicks, Keith Richards, and Eric Clapton. "There Goes the Neighborhood" was included in the album, eventually winning the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

2000s

C'mon, C'mon and The Very Best of (2002-2004)

.]] Crow had been involved with the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) since the late 1990s, performing at fund-raisers and befriending Sharon Monsky. In 2002, as a result of her friend Kent Sexton dying from scleroderma, she interrupted work on her new album C'mon C'mon to record the traditional hymn "Be Still, My Soul," to be played at his funeral. In November of that year it was released as a single, with the proceeds going to SRF.

Crow's fourth studio album, C'mon, C'mon was released in 2002, spawning the hit single "Soak Up the Sun." Second single "Steve McQueen" won the Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy.

Crow opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, wearing a shirt that read "I don't believe in your war, Mr. Bush!" during a performance on Good Morning America and posting an open letter explaining her opposition on her website. Crow, performing with Kid Rock at the 45th annual Grammy Awards, wore a large peace sign and a guitar strap with the words "No War."

Crow recorded the song "Kiss That Girl" for the film Bridget Jones's Diary. She also recorded a cover version of the Beatles' song "Mother Nature's Son" for the film I Am Sam. Crow duetted with rapper Kid Rock on the crossover hit single "Picture." She also assisted Rock on the track "Run Off to L.A."

Crow collaborated with Michelle Branch on the song "Love Me Like That" for Branch's second album, Hotel Paper, released in 2003. Crow was featured on the Johnny Cash album in the song "Field of Diamonds" as a background vocalist, and also played the accordion for the songs "Wayfaring Stranger" and "Mary of the Wild Moor."

In 2003, Crow released a greatest hits compilation called The Very Best of Sheryl Crow. It featured many of her hit singles, as well as some new tracks. Among them was the ballad "The First Cut is the Deepest" (originally a Cat Stevens song), which became her biggest radio hit since "All I Wanna Do." She also released the single "Light In Your Eyes," which received limited airplay. "The First Cut is the Deepest" earned her two American Music Awards for Best Pop/Rock Artist and Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year, respectively.

In 2004, Crow appeared as a musical theater performer in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely.

.]]

Wildflower (2005-2007)

Her fifth studio album Wildflower was released in September 2005. Although the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts, it received mixed reviews and was not as commercially successful as her previous albums. In December 2005, the album was nominated for a Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy, while Crow was nominated for a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy for the first single "Good Is Good." However, she ultimately lost in both categories to Kelly Clarkson. The album got a new boost in 2006 when the second single was announced as "Always on Your Side," re-recorded with British musician Sting and sent off to radio, where it was quickly embraced at Adult Top 40. The collaboration with Sting resulted in a Grammy-nomination for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. As of January 2008, Wildflower has sold 949,000 units in the U.S. She also voices Elvis in the film. Crow was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in mid-February 2006, her doctors stating that "prognosis for a full recovery is excellent."

Crow's first concert after her cancer diagnosis was on May 18 in Orlando, Florida where she played to over 10,000 information technology professionals at the SAP Sapphire Convention. Her first public appearance was on June 12, when she performed at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The singer also appeared on Larry King Live on CNN on August 23, 2006. In this show she talked about her comeback, her breakup with Lance Armstrong, her past job as Michael Jackson's backup singer, and her experience as a breast cancer survivor.

In late 2006, Crow was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the song "Try Not To Remember" (Best Original Song category) from the film Home of the Brave.

Crow wrote a foreword for the book Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, author Kris Carr's book that was based on her 2007 documentary film Crazy Sexy Cancer. Crow contributed her cover of the Beatles's "Here Comes the Sun" on the Bee Movie soundtrack in November 2007. She contributed background vocals to the Ryan Adams song "Two" from the album Easy Tiger.

Detours 2008-2009

Crow returned with her sixth studio album Detours, which was released on February 5, 2008. Detours debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 92,000 copies in its first week and an additional 52,000 copies in its second week.

Detours was recorded at Crow's Nashville farm. Her son, Wyatt, makes an appearance on the song "Lullaby for Wyatt," which is featured in the movie Grace Is Gone. "The songs are very inspired by the last three years of events in my life," Crow said of a time that found her battling breast cancer and splitting with partner Lance Armstrong.

"Shine Over Babylon" was the first promotional single from the album (download only). The first 'official' single to be released from the album was "Love Is Free," followed by "Out of Our Heads."

A liberal political activist, she endorsed Barack Obama for the United States Presidential Election and later performed on the 4th and last day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Crow has also recorded a studio version of "So Glad We Made It" for the "Team USA Olympic Soundtrack" in conjunction with the 2008 U.S. Olympic team sponsors AT&T.; Crow also stated that $1 of each ticket purchased for her 2008 tour would be donated to the United Nations World Food Programme.

A&M; Records re-released Sheryl's debut album, "Tuesday Night Music Club" as a deluxe version 2CD/DVD set on November 17, 2009. The bonus CD contains unreleased songs and B-sides, and a new mix of "I Shall Believe." The DVD features music videos for each of the album's singles.

2010s

Raise Hope for Congo Compilation

In 2010, Crow contributed the original spoken-word track "My Name is Mwamaroyi" to the Enough Project and Downtown Records' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo.

100 Miles from Memphis (2010 - )

A&M; Records released Crow's seventh studio album, 100 Miles from Memphis, on July 20, 2010. The album has a classic soul vibe and features lead single "Summer Day." 100 Miles from Memphis (released July 20 on A&M; Records), the distance from her hometown to the music mecca, is an ode to her formative memories of music - and one that the label hopes can inspire young music fans to investigate the landscape beyond processed pop and Auto-Tune.

(2010)

Sheryl Crow performed with Loretta Lynn and Miranda Lambert on the song "Coal Miner's Daughter" from (2010).

44th Annual Country Music Awards

On November 10, 2010, Sheryl Crow performed a tribute to Loretta Lynn with Miranda Lambert on the 44th Annual Country Music Awards.

Personal life

Crow began dating cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2003. The couple announced their engagement in September 2005 and their split in February 2006. Immediately following her split from Lance Armstrong, Crow was treated for breast cancer at a Los Angeles-based facility by breast cancer surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk. Crow had "minimally invasive" surgery in late February 2006, followed by radiation therapy.

On May 11, 2007, Crow announced on her official website that she had adopted a two-week-old boy named Wyatt Steven Crow. The child was born on April 29, 2007. She and Wyatt live on a farm outside Nashville, Tennessee.

On June 4, 2010, Crow announced that she adopted another boy named Levi James Crow, born on April 30, 2010.

She is the great-granddaughter of former congressman Charles A. Crow (1873-1938).

Discography

1993: Tuesday Night Music Club

1996: Sheryl Crow

1998: The Globe Sessions

2002: C'mon C'mon

2005: Wildflower

2008: Detours

2010: 100 Miles from Memphis

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References

External links

Official Website

Sheryl Crow's interview on National Public Radio's Fresh Air

Sheryl Crow interview on Bmore Tunes

Sheryl Crow Interview – Billboard En Español

Sheryl Crow Launches Her Own Denim Brand

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kennett, Missouri Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American anti-Iraq War activists Category:American bass guitarists Category:American female guitarists Category:American female singers Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singers Category:American schoolteachers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Breast cancer survivors Category:BRIT Award winners Category:American people of English descent Category:Female rock singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Missouri Category:University of Missouri alumni

Name	Ludacris
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Christopher Brian Bridges
Born	September 11, 1977Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, actor, songwriter
Years active	1998–present
Label	Disturbing tha Peace, Def Jam, Def Jam South
Associated acts	Shawnna
Url	ludacris.defjam.com

Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), He is of African American and Native American descent. Bridges wrote his first rap song at age nine when moving to Atlanta and joined an amateur rap group three years later. He attended Banneker High School in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1998 to 1999, he studied music management at Georgia State University. In Feb. 2007, Bridges lost his father to cancer. Ludacris has a daughter named Karma with an Atlanta attorney named Christine White.

Music career

Radio DJ, Timbaland collaboration

Ludacris collaborated with Timbaland on the track "Phat Rabbit" from his album . Is it later included on Ludacris's debut LP album Back for the First Time.

Back for the First Time (2000)

Ludacris released his major label debut, Back for the First Time, in October 2000. This album was actually a modified re-release of the album Incognegro, made in 1998. It was produced with the help of the underground producer Sessy Melia, whom he dated for a short while. The album reached as high as #4 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was a major success. Ludacris made his mark on the industry with singles such as "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy", along with his first ever single the "Phat Rabbit", from two years prior. Guest appearances included 4-Ize, I-20, Shawnna, Pastor Troy, Timbaland, Trina, Foxy Brown, UGK, and others. Ludacris stated in an interview on MTV's hip hop program Direct Effect that he came up with his stage name based on his "split personality" that he considered "ridiculous" and "ludicrous".

Word of Mouf (2001)

Ludacris promptly completed his next album, Word of Mouf, and released it at the end of 2001. The video for the lead single, "Rollout (My Business)", was nominated for a 2002 VMA, and Ludacris performed it live at the awards' pre-show. He released singles "Saturday (Oooh Oooh)" with Sleepy Brown, "Move Bitch" with Mystikal and I-20, and "Area Codes" with Nate Dogg.

Chicken-n-Beer (2003)

During the spring of 2003, Ludacris returned to the music scene after a brief hiatus with a new single, "Act a Fool", from the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack. At around the same time, he released the lead single from his album Chicken-n-Beer, called "P-Poppin" (short for "Pussy Poppin'"). Neither of his new singles were as well received by either the urban or pop audiences as his previous songs had been, and both music videos received only limited airplay. Chicken-N-Beer opened strongly, but without a popular single, the album fell quickly. Guest appearances include Playaz Circle, Chingy, Snoop Dogg, 8Ball & MJG, Lil' Flip, I-20, Lil Fate, and Shawnna.

In the fall of 2003, Ludacris rebounded with his next single, "Stand Up", which appeared on both Chicken-n-Beer as well as the soundtrack for the teen hip hop/dance movie, You Got Served. Produced by Kanye West, "Stand Up" went on to become one of Ludacris' biggest mainstream hits to date, hitting the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 garnering heavy airplay on mainstream pop, rhythmic, and urban radio stations, as well as on MTV, MTV2, and BET. Ludacris was sued by a New Jersey group called I.O.F. who claimed that "Stand Up" used a hook from one of their songs, but in June 2006, a jury found that the song did not violate copyrights. "I hope the plaintiffs enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame," Ludacris said after the verdict.

The album's next single, "Splash Waterfalls", was released in early 2004. A huge pop hit (despite its steamy video and explicit, adult-oriented lyrical content and themes), it subsequently became a success at urban radio and BET, and is the only time he has produced two consecutive top 10 singles from a solo album, except for Release Therapy (an unedited version of the video could only be viewed on BET's Uncut program). It was Ludacris' most sexual video yet, an R&B; remix that featured Raphael Saadiq and sampled Tony! Toni! Tone!'s "Whatever You Want". Ludacris received his first Grammy Award with Usher and Lil Jon for their hit single "Yeah!". Ludacris next released "Blow It Out", which was accompanied by a low-budget music video.

The Red Light District (2004)

Chris Bridges took a more mature approach to his fourth album, The Red Light District. Sohail Khalid helped produce this album with various artists such as T.I., Lil Flip and Bun B. Ludacris openly boasted that he may be the only rapper able to keep the Def Jam label afloat on the opening track. Ludacris filmed and recorded the single "Get Back" in which he was featured as a muscle-bound hulk who was being annoyed by the media and warned critics to leave him alone. He first appeared on Saturday Night Live as a special guest performing with musical guest Sum 41 on a season 30 episode hosted by Paul Giamatti. He then recorded "Get Back" with Sum 41 to make a rock crossover single. The follow-up single was the Austin Powers-inspired "Number One Spot". It was produced by New York City's Hot 97 personality DJ Green Lantern. It used the Quincy Jones sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" and sped it up to the tempo of Ludacris' rap flow. Featured artists on the album include Nas, DJ Quik, DMX, Trick Daddy, Sleepy Brown, and Disturbing tha Peace newcomers Bobby Valentino, Dolla Boi, and Small World. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.

Release Therapy (2006)

In an issue of XXL, Ludacris was placed in the number nine spot for the most anticipated albums of 2006, for Release Therapy. The album Release Therapy was released on September 26, 2006. Ludacris formatted the CD to have two sides: a Release side and a Therapy side on a single CD. Guest appearances include Pharrell Williams, R. Kelly, Young Jeezy, Mary J. Blige, Field Mob, Bobby Valentino, Pimp C, C-Murder, and Beanie Sigel. The first single, "Money Maker", which features Pharrell Williams, was released to U.S. radio outlets on July 17, 2006. "Money Maker" reached number one on the BET program 106 & Park. It then went to become the rapper's second number one single after 6 years. His second single, "Grew Up a Screw Up", featuring Young Jeezy, dispels rumors that the two are or ever were in a dispute. His third single, "Runaway Love", soon peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks and won Best Collaboration in the 2007 BET Awards. His album then reached number one on the Billboard 200 album charts with sales of 309,000 in its first week. With the release of this album, Ludacris marked a change in style in his career with his musical style. The new album itself features a departure of the lighthearted mood of his previous albums, and introduces a darker side. A change of hair accompanied this as he cut off his trademark braids for a more conventional "fade" cut. To promote the album, Ludacris returned to Saturday Night Live (as both host and musical guest) on November 18, 2006.

Theater of the Mind (2008)

The Preview, a mixtape to preview the album was released on July 28, 2008. Theater of the Mind, released on November 24, 2008, and in April 2008, the single "Let's Stay Together" appeared on xxlmag.com; supposedly from the new album ("Let's Stay Together" was expected to but was released as a bonus track on the CD). A song with Small World called "Pinky Shinin" was expected to be on the album, but it was dropped. In an interview with Complex Magazine he stated that Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, T.I., Plies, Common, T-Pain, Jay-Z, Nas and The Game will be on the album; The Game is featured in a track with Willy Northpole titled "Call Up the Homies". T.I. was on the album on a track called "Wish You Would" squashing the long feud between them. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 with 213,493 sold first week. The album was released the same day as Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak, which took the number one spot. His first single "What Them Girls Like", featuring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett, peaked at #33 on the Billboard 100. His second single, "One More Drink", featuring T-Pain, peaked at #24 on the Billboard 100. The third official single is "Nasty Girl", featuring Plies. He confirmed a "sequel" titled Ludaversal due to be released in 2011.

Battle of the Sexes (2010)

Ludacris' seventh studio album was released on March 9, 2010, with his first promotional single for the album being "Everybody Drunk" which features Lil Scrappy, originally featuring Shawnna. The first concept idea of the album was to have Ludacris and Shawnna battle it out on the album back–to–back, but this was later axed upon Shawnna's depature from Disturbing tha Peace, ending her contract on Ludacris' label and joining T-Pain's Nappy Boy Entertainment label. The first official single released from Battle of the Sexes was "How Low", which was released on December 8, 2009. The follow–up single was "My Chick Bad", released on February 23, 2010. The third single is "Sex Room", peaking at #69 on the Billboard 100. Ludacris’s Battle of the Sexes entered the chart at No. 1, with 137,000 sales in the first week. The album is currently certified gold.

Ludaversal (2011)

On August 15, 2010, Ludacris tweeted that he is currently back in the studio with The Neptunes working on Ludaversal, his "sequel" album to Theater of the Mind.

Ventures

After the success of Back for the First Time, Ludacris started his own foundation. The Ludacris Foundation, started by Ludacris and Disturbing tha Peace CEO Chaka Zulu, is an organization that helps middle and high school students motivate themselves in creative arts.

In 2007 Matt Apfel, a reality TV producer, had an idea for a show about mashups between fans and rock stars. He sat down with Ludacris and Zulu and discovered that they wanted to do something similar. Out of this partnership, they started a new media distribution company called wemix.com. Recently, WeMix.com announced a partnership with PhoneZoo to launch an innovative content distribution platform for new artists. Recently, Ludacris has landed a new fragrance deal with TAG Body Spray. His own packaging of the spray is called Get Yours.

In January 2009, Ludacris collaborated with Norwegian cognac house Birkedal Hartmann to create Conjure cognac. Ludacris and Birkedal Hartmann's blender, Philippe B. Tiffon, selected a blend of ugni blanc grapes from various regions in Cognac including Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderie. Conjure is a blend of forty eaux-de-vie and is aged in oak barrels that are up to fifty years old. The bottle is decorated with female silhouettes.

Controversy

T.I.

Tensions began when T.I. saw Disturbing tha Peace rapper I-20's video in which a man wearing a shirt with the words "Trap House," was being beaten. T.I. believed the man's shirt actually said "Trap Muzik," perhaps interpreting this to be a reference to his album of the same name. Later, former G-Unit artist Young Buck asked these two fellow Southern rappers to appear on his new record on the track "Stomp". T.I. recorded a verse, which contained a line that Young Buck considered to be a subliminal insult towards Ludacris "Me gettin' beat down?/That's ludicrous/". Young Buck spoke to Ludacris about his interpretation of the event. Ludacris then later recorded a verse that can be found on the album. T.I's record company wanted Ludacris to change his verse before they sanctioned it but Ludacris refused and T.I. was therefore replaced by Game on the album version.

On June 24, 2007 at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California, T.I. was involved in a physical altercation. During a luncheon held by Kevin Liles of Warner Music Group (parent company of T.I.'s label, Atlantic Records), the MC got into a fight with Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu. According to witnesses, T.I. punched Zulu in the face and choked him and a small, brief melee ensued.

T.I. was awarded honors for Best Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards, and took the opportunity to apologize for his scuffle with Disturbing tha Peace executive Chaka Zulu earlier in the week. While accepting his award, he expressed regret over the situation. "They say it's a fine line between brilliance and insanity," he said, in an apparent reference to his troublesome alter ego, T.I.P. During the broadcast, cameras showed his onetime rival Ludacris smiling in the audience.

The two rappers have resolved their disagreement and have collaborated on two songs: "Wish You Would" off Ludacris's sixth studio album, Theater of the Mind, and "On Top of the World" off T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail. The original version of the latter had Kanye West.

Bill O'Reilly

On August 27, 2002, political pundit Bill O'Reilly called for all Americans to boycott Pepsi products, saying that Ludacris' lyrics glamorize a "life of guns, violence, drugs and disrespect of women". The next day, O'Reilly reported that Pepsi had fired Ludacris.

2008 presidential election

The song "Politics As Usual" from Ludacris' mixtape has stirred controversy due to lyrics in the song criticizing: Reverend Jesse Jackson "Now Jesse talkin’ slick and apologizin’ for what?/ If you said it then you meant it", (in reference to Jackson stating that he would "like to cut Obama's nuts off"); John McCain "McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed"; President George W. Bush "Yeah I said it, 'cuz Bush is mentally handicapped/ Ball up all of his speeches and throw 'em just like candy wraps / 'Cuz what you talkin' I hear nothin' even relevant / you the worst of all 43 presidents"; Hillary Clinton "Hillary hated on you, so that bitch is irrelevant", in reference to Hillary's campaign comments against Obama.

Discography

; Studio albums

Back for the First Time (2000)

Word of Mouf (2001)

Chicken-n-Beer (2003)

The Red Light District (2004)

Release Therapy (2006)

Theater of the Mind (2008)

Battle of the Sexes (2010)

Ludaversal (2011)

Filmography

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

List of awards and nominations received by Ludacris

References

External links

Official Def Jam Site

The Ludacris Foundation

Ludacris at Twitter

Ludacris at MTV

Interview w/ ARTISTdirect.com

Category:1977 births Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American people of Native American descent Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Georgia State University alumni Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Native American actors Category:Native American musicians Category:Native American rappers Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Champaign, Illinois Category:People from Oak Park, Illinois Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia

Background	solo_singer
Instrument	Vocals, Guitar
Name	Jonny Lang
Born	January 29, 1981
Genre	Gospel, Rock, Blues
Years active	1995–present
Url	http://www.jonnylang.com/

Jonny Lang (born Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr., January 29, 1981 in Fargo, North Dakota) is a Grammy award-winning American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter and recording artist. Lang's music is notable both for his unusual voice (that sounds arguably similar to that of an African/American), which has been compared to that of a forty-year-old blues veteran, and for his guitar solos. His solo patterns have especially been noted for the constant use of wide vibratos.

Biography

Lang started playing the guitar at the age of twelve, after his father took him to see the Bad Medicine Blues Band, one of the few blues bands in Fargo. Lang soon started taking guitar lessons from Ted Larsen, the Bad Medicine Blues Band's guitar player. Several months after Lang started guitar lessons, he joined the Bad Medicine Blues Band, which was then renamed Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang.

The band moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and independently released the album Smokin when Lang was 15. Lang was signed to A&M; Records in 1996. He released the critically acclaimed multi-platinum Lie to Me on January 28, 1997. The next album, Wander This World, was released on October 20, 1998 and earned a Grammy nomination. This was followed by the more soulful Long Time Coming on October 14, 2003. Lang also made a cover of Edgar Winter's "Dying to Live." Lang's newest album, the gospel-influenced Turn Around, was released in 2006, and most recently won Lang his first Grammy Award.

In more than ten years on the road, Lang has toured with the Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, Aerosmith and Will Taggart, B.B. King, Blues Traveler and Micheal Rafizadeh, Jeff Beck, and Sting. In 1999, he was invited to play for a White House audience including President and Mrs. Clinton. Lang also makes a cameo appearance in the film Blues Brothers 2000 as a janitor. In 2004 Eric Clapton invited Lang to play at the Crossroads Guitar Festival to raise money for the Crossroads Centre Antigua. Lang's younger sister, Jesse Langseth, is also a singer and was a semifinalist in the 8th season of American Idol.

Lang recorded two songs on the 11th studio album for Cyndi Lauper called Memphis Blues released in June 2010. Lang plays guitar and sings with Lauper on Crossroads and How Blue Can You Get. They performed together on Howard Stern and on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

The Five Silent Years

Jonny Lang's music before the silent years from 1998 to 2003 is very different in message and character than the songs after this period, and this is not without cause.

His early career, while musically a success, had many problems under the surface. At age 11 he started smoking, and at 13 he joined his first band. This introduced him to drinking and smoking pot. He became an addict quickly, with drinking and smoking as part of his daily routine. Eventually he was smoking two packs a day and getting into different kinds of drugs. However, some people think his 2nd album (influenced by songwriter Bruce McCabe) particularly, was brilliant both musically and philosophically. The same secular perspective being that his later music is brilliant musically but primitive philosophically.

During this period, he never had any interest in religion. However, when the father of his girlfriend Hayley (later his wife) passed away, he had a spiritual encounter and became a Christian. For a brief period he thought he had to be a preacher, but then he realized his place is in the music scene. His addictions to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco were gone, and his music now had a new focus, as can be seen by the lyrics of his later albums.

Musical equipment

Jonny Lang originally used Benedict guitars but now mainly uses a Fender Telecaster Thinline made by the Fender Custom Shop. He also takes out a Gibson Les Paul for some occasions. The Telecaster Thinline has a Spruce body, maple top and birdseye maple neck. It uses Bill Lawrence Pickups (500L Neck, 500XL Bridge) and a Seymour Duncan P-90 in the middle. He uses a Route 66 pedal of Visual Sound and a Vox 847 reissue Wah Wah pedal for some songs. Live, he plays through a pair of Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue Amps. Jonny also used an arbiter Fuzz Face and an Electro Harmonix POG for The Experience Hendrix tour.

Band personnel

From 1993 to 1996, Lang's backing band was The Big Bang. This group consisted of three founding members of the Bad Medicine Blues Band: Ted "Lightnin' Boy" Larsen on guitar, his brother Michael Rey Larsen on drums, and Jeff Hayenga on bass. Keyboardist Bruce McCabe joined The Big Bang in 1995 after Lang and this young band from Fargo impressed him with their set opening for McCabe's band at the time, The Hoopsnakes.

From 1996 to 2004, Lang's backing band included Paul Diethelm on guitar, Bruce McCabe on keyboards, Doug Nelson on bass and Billy Thommes on drums. Also appearing on keyboards during 2003 and in 2004 was Donnie La Marca in place of McCabe when he had to leave the road for some time. Nelson was killed in a traffic accident in 2000 and was replaced by Billy Franze. Franze was in turn replaced by Jim Anton in 2003. Saxophone player David Eiland was added in 2000, providing Lang with a foil for extended instrumental jams. In 2005, Lang replaced the entire lineup, except for Anton, and embarked on an acoustic tour. He performed with Wendy Alane Wright at the 2000 pre-Grammy party. New guitarist Reeve Carney was also the Lang band's opening act for several shows in 2005 and as well as the 2006 and 2007 tours. The new band also includes organist and Houston, Texas native Charles Jones, plus drummer Barry Alexander and organist Bill Brown from Minneapolis.

Discography

1995 Smokin (as Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang)

1997 Lie to Me

1998 Wander This World

2003 Long Time Coming

2006 Turn Around

2009 Live At The Ryman

Guest appearances

1997 A Very Special Christmas 3, performs on track "Santa Claus is Back in Town."

1998 Blues Brothers 2000 original soundtrack, performs on track "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)."

1998 Heavy Love album by Buddy Guy, performs on track "Midnight Train."

1999 Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions album by Shannon Curfman performs on multiple tracks, and co-wrote "Love Me Like That."

1999 For Love of the Game (film) original soundtrack, performs a cover of "Paint It Black"

2000 It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues original cast recording, performs on tracks "Someone Else is Steppin' In" and "The Thrill is Gone."

2000 This Time Around album by Hanson, performs on "You Never Know", "This Time Around" and "Hand in Hand"

2000 Milk Cow Blues album by Willie Nelson, performs on "Ain't Nobody's Business" and "Rainy Day Blues"

2001 Been a Long Time album by Double Trouble, performs on "Ground Hog Day" along with Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar.

2004 All Things New album by Steven Curtis Chapman, performs on "Only Getting Started"

2004 Eric Claptons Crossroads Guitar Festival, performs Give Me Up Again

2005 Possibilities album by Herbie Hancock, Lang sings and plays guitar on the track "When Love Comes to Town" along with Joss Stone.

2007 A Deeper Level album by Israel Houghton, Lang plays and sings duet with Israel on the track "You Are Not Forgotten".

2009 compilation album, performs "I Believe" with the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Lang performed the song live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno April 16, 2009.

2009 Lines, Vines and Trying Times album by Jonas Brothers, guest guitar on "Hey Baby"

2010 Up Close album by Eric Johnson, Vocals on "Austin"

2010 What We Want, What We Get album by Dave Barnes, guest guitar and vocals on "What I Need"

2010 ''6 String Theory" album by Lee Ritenour, featured on track "Why I Sing The Blues" Feat. B.B. King and Vince Gill

2010 Memphis Blues album by Cyndi Lauper, Guest vocals on "Crossroads", And "How Blue Can You Get?"

2010 Guitar Heaven album by Santana, Vocals on "I Ain't Superstitious"

Filmography and television appearances

1998 Blues Brothers 2000

1998 The Drew Carey Show episode "In Ramada Da Vida" (cameo)

2010 12/6/2010 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

References

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:American blues guitarists Category:American blues musicians Category:American blues singers Category:People from Fargo, North Dakota Category:Musicians from North Dakota Category:Grammy Award winners

Name	Dennis DeYoung
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Dennis DeYoung
Born	February 18, 1947 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genre	Rock, progressive rock
Instrument	Vocals, keyboards, accordion
Occupation	Musician, songwriter
Years active	1962–present
Associated acts	Styx (1970-1999)
Url	http://www.dennisdeyoung.com/

Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947, Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure which lasted from 1970 to 1999.

Early life

Growing up in the Roseland neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, DeYoung's career as a vocalist started in 1961 at the age of 14 when he teamed up with his 13 year old neighbors, Chuck and John Panozzo, in a three-piece combo. The trio later added guitarist James Young and John Curulewski to form the band Tradewinds in the late 1960s. The band renamed itself TW4 in 1968 before becoming Styx in 1970.

On January 18, 1970, DeYoung married his longtime sweetheart, Suzanne Feusi, to whom he is still married. The couple have two children, Carrie Ann and Matthew. Unlike many musical families, the growing family toured together throughout DeYoung's career in order to provide stability for the couple's young children.

Before the band met with success, DeYoung spent time as an elementary school teacher in the southern suburbs of Chicago, where he taught music at Springfield School in Midlothian, Illinois. During this period, the band played a number of small venues and school auditoriums refining their craft before the song "Lady" propelled them to national then international stardom.

Tenure with Styx

Within Styx, DeYoung acted as lead vocalist, keyboardist, accordion player, producer, writer and creative force behind many of the band's hit songs. A self-taught keyboardist, DeYoung quickly became one of the most notable players of that instrument in rock. Featured on the cover of the January 1981 issue of Contemporary Keyboard magazine (a story that was reprinted in Contemporary Keyboard's book on the greatest rock keyboardists), DeYoung described many of his steps along the way through his keyboard-playing career: He'd never played an acoustic piano until the recording session for 1972's "Lady"; he recorded the track for 1979's "Babe" in a friend's basement on a Rhodes electric piano he'd never touched before; the odd feeling of switching back to playing accordion for the song "Boat On The River" and discovering how small the keys felt to his fingers after years of playing electric organs and pianos.

As a keyboardist in Styx, DeYoung was best remembered for his prominent lead synthesizer solos performed on the Oberheim synthesizer that dominated the mix with a unique tone, a key element of the Styx sound. DeYoung pioneered the use of synthesizers in rock and roll. Influenced by the recent release of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's first album, DeYoung — a novice synthesizer player at the time — used a modular Moog to record the keyboard tracks for the first Styx album. This album featured a rock version of "Fanfare for the Common Man", more than 5 years before ELP came up with a similar idea of recording this classical composition as a rock band featuring the synthesizer that would later become one of ELP's best known recordings.

DeYoung's songs often had a grandiose style to them in the tradition of 1970s theatrical rock, which heavily influenced the group's direction in the late 1970s, culminating in the concept albums Paradise Theatre (1981) and Kilroy Was Here (1983). The dissent of some members in the band during Kilroy brought tensions between the group's members over the future direction of the band, leading to guitarist Tommy Shaw's departure in 1984.

Solo career

With Styx in limbo following Shaw's 1984 departure, DeYoung began a solo career of modest success. His first solo album, Desert Moon, generated a top 10 hit, "Desert Moon", and the follow-up single, "Don't Wait for Heroes", cracked the Billboard Top 100 as well. Desert Moon was certified gold in Canada in 1984.

It was followed by albums Back to the World (1986), which contained the song "This Is the Time", featured on Karate Kid II, and Boomchild (1988), which received a fair amount of music video airplay.

In 1990, Styx (minus Tommy Shaw, who was replaced by guitarist/singer-songwriter Glen Burtnik) returned to the studio for the album Edge of the Century. "Show Me the Way", a track written by DeYoung for his son Matthew, received extensive radio play, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (Styx's 8th top 10 single, and 7th written and sung by DeYoung) particularly after a number of radio stations mixed it with voice tracks of parents headed off to fight in the first Persian Gulf War. This success made the band one of only a handful of bands/artists to have a top ten single under four different Presidents in the United States. The group toured North America extensively before A&M; Records (which had just merged with PolyGram Records) dropped the group from its roster in 1992; the group broke up again shortly afterwards.

Between stints with Styx in 1993, DeYoung, a devout Roman Catholic, joined a touring revival of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar. He appeared in about 200 performances across North America as Pontius Pilate. The experience inspired him to record his 1994 album of Broadway standards, 10 on Broadway, and to begin work on a musical of his own based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Styx reunited once more in 1995, this time including Shaw but now without a terminally ill John Panozzo (who died a short time later in July 1996), and recorded a new version of the DeYoung-penned "Lady" for their 1995 Styx Greatest Hits album. The group toured in 1996 and 1997, and returned to the recording studio in 1998 to begin work on Brave New World, their first studio album in nearly a decade.

Departure from Styx through 2010

Creative differences between the band members, and a chronic fatigue syndrome-like disorder affecting DeYoung's trigeminal nerve—which left him overly sensitive to bright light and sound, making performing on stage nearly impossible—led to DeYoung being replaced by Canadian star Lawrence Gowan in 1999. A lawsuit between DeYoung and his former bandmates was settled in 2001, with the group being allowed to keep the name "Styx" and DeYoung able to use the name in descriptive phrases such as "the music of Styx" or "formerly of Styx" (but not "the voice of Styx"). When asked about any possible reunions with DeYoung, James Young of Styx commented on an edition of Behind the Music "maybe when they are playing hockey on the river Styx" and on an episode of VH1's Feuds 2000 "as The Eagles said 'when Hell freezes over'". However, in 2007, when asked about the possibility of DeYoung returning to Styx, Chuck Panozzo told tampabay.com, "Before any more of us die, I would hope that it could happen. Every year that it doesn't happen is another year that goes by. And if you wait too long, who will care?"

In February 2000, DeYoung was approached to perform a concert featuring his many songs from Styx, as well as his solo works and his 1997 stage musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with an orchestra. The show, performed at the Rosemont Theatre in DeYoung's hometown of Chicago, was a family affair for DeYoung. His wife Suzanne and sister-in-law Dawn Marie Feusi sang backup, his daughter Carrie Ann was in charge of publicity, while his son Matthew designed the stage lighting. The concert was well received and formed the basis for a touring version of the show, and eventually an 2004 album, The Music of Styx - Live with Symphony Orchestra.

Healthy once again, DeYoung returned to touring North America with a 50-piece orchestra augmented by a five-piece rock band which included Tommy Dziallo on guitar, Hank Horton on bass, and Kyle Woodring (from John Mellencamp and Deana Carter) on drums, all of whom also played shows with DeYoung with or without the orchestra.

DeYoung made his major motion picture debut in 2005's The Perfect Man, in which he played the lead vocalist in a Styx tribute band.

On April 20, 2006, at the Community Theatre in Morristown, New Jersey, DeYoung took to the stage once again with former Styx member Glen Burtnik as part of his Lost Treasures concert series. It marked the first time in nearly seven years the two had appeared together. On his website, DeYoung jokingly dubbed the performances "The Denny and Glenny Show." While on stage, the duo opened with the Beatles classic "We Can Work It Out" and also performed "Watching The World Go By", and "All For Love", songs that were originally written for the unreleased Edge of the Century 2 album.

On September 14 and 15, 2006, DeYoung appeared with Hal Sparks on Celebrity Duets, a show produced by Simon Cowell. They sang "Come Sail Away" and "Mr. Roboto." DeYoung was invited back to perform on Celebrity Duets on September 28, 2006 with finalist Hal Sparks. The pair performed the Styx breakthrough hit "Lady" written by DeYoung in 1973, with DeYoung serenading his wife Suzanne in the audience while Hal did the same for his long-time girlfriend.

On June 19, 2007, DeYoung released in Canada his fifth solo album, One Hundred Years from Now marking a return to his rock roots. The first single, the title track, was a duet with Québécois singer Éric Lapointe. The single reached #1 on the Québec Radio Single and Soundscan charts. The album was released in the U.S. on April 14, 2009 with slightly different tracks.

On New Year's Eve 2007, he performed "Mr. Roboto", "Come Sail Away" and many other classics to a large audience at Victoria Park in Niagara Falls, Canada, and millions of viewers via live television on CHTV Channel 11. Following his concert he did a brief live interview with CHTV's Mat Hayes.

On May 8, 2008, the long-awaited stage debut of DeYoung's musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in Chicago.

On September 20, 2008, DeYoung performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame benefit concert for the John Entwistle foundation. The benefit concert was held at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary, North Carolina and featured many other rock and roll musicians. He and his band performed many of Styx's hits.

On July 12, 2009, DeYoung was honored by his native Chicago with the "Great Performer of Illinois Award." Following the award ceremony in the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in Chicago, DeYoung and his band performed many of Styx's hits in a free concert.

On October 13, 2009, DeYoung's sound creation the "ARF 2600" was given its world premiere at the opening of The 101 Dalmatians Musical in Minneapolis, MN.

Discography

Styx

Studio albums

Styx (1972)

Styx II (1973)

The Serpent Is Rising (1973)

Man of Miracles (1974)

Equinox (1975)

Crystal Ball (1976)

The Grand Illusion (1977)

Pieces of Eight (1978)

Cornerstone (1979)

Paradise Theatre (1981)

Kilroy Was Here (1983)

Edge of the Century (1990)

Brave New World (1999)

Live albums

Caught in the Act (1984)

Return to Paradise (1997)

Compilation albums

Best of Styx (1980)

Styx Classics Volume 15 (1987)

Styx Greatest Hits (1995)

Styx Greatest Hits Part 2 (1996)

Come Sail Away - The Styx Anthology (2004)

The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings (2005)

Solo

Studio albums

Desert Moon (1984)

Back to the World (1986)

Boomchild (1989)

10 on Broadway (1994)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1998)

One Hundred Years from Now (2007/2009)

Live albums

The Music of Styx - Live with Symphony Orchestra (2004)

Compilation albums

The Ultimate Collection (1999)

Video

Caught in the Act (1984)

Return to Paradise (1997)

Dennis DeYoung - Soundstage (2003)

Symphonic Rock Music of Styx (2003)

The Best of Styx - 20th Century Masters (2004)

The Best of Dennis DeYoung - 20th Century Masters (2005)

Other appearances

Music written by DeYoung has been featured in the following films:

Kilroy Was Here (1983)

''The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Big Daddy (1999)

Detroit Rock City (1999)

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Shrek 2 (2004)

The Perfect Man (2005)

Music either written by DeYoung or performed by him has been featured in the following stage productions:

"Pilate and Jesus" (Jesus Christ Superstar) (1993) (Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics: Tim Rice)

"Pilate's Dream" (Jesus Christ Superstar) (1993) (Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics: Tim Rice)

The debut of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in May 2008 brought DeYoung's music and songs to the theatrical stage, finally made its stage debut in Chicago, Illinois in May 2008.

Music written by DeYoung has also been featured in television shows and commercials. Among the more notable are:

The Simpsons

My Name is Earl

Arrested Development

That '70s Show

Freaks and Geeks

Dharma and Greg

ER

Chuck

King of Queens

Sex and the City

South Park

Family Guy

The Office

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

References

External links

Dennis DeYoung official website

Dennis DeYoung fan site

Interview with Dennis DeYoung

Category:Living people Category:People with chronic fatigue syndrome Category:1947 births Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:American male singers Category:American rock singers Category:American tenors Category:American rock pianists Category:American rock keyboardists Category:American keyboardists Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American pianists Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Styx members