Company name	Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Company logo
Company type	Joint venture
Fate	Sony buys Bertelsmann's share
Successor	Sony Music Entertainment
Foundation	March 3, 2004
Location city	New York City, New York
Location country	USA
Location
Locations
Defunct	October 1, 2008
Key people	David Gordon: Chairman Sound & Vision
Industry	Music & Entertainment
Products	Music & Entertainment
Parent	Bertelsmann AG (50%)Sony Corporation of America (50%)
Homepage	www.sonybmg.com

Sony BMG Music Entertainment was a global recorded music company, which was a 50–50 joint venture between the Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann AG. The venture’s successor, the again-active Sony Music Entertainment, is 100% owned by the Sony Corporation of America.

History

Sony BMG Music Entertainment began as the result of a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and Bertelsmann Music Group (part of Bertelsmann) completed on March 4, 2004. It is one of the Big Four music companies, and includes ownership and distribution of recording labels such as Arista Records, Columbia Records, Epic Records, J Records, Jive Records, RCA Victor Records, RCA Records, Legacy Recordings, Sonic Wave America, and others. The merger affected all Sony Music and Bertelsmann Music Group companies worldwide except for Japan, where it was felt that it would reduce competition in that country’s music industry significantly.

Financial analysts covering the merger anticipated that up to 2,000 jobs would be cut as a result, saving Sony BMG approximately $350 million annually.

The company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, who succeeded Andrew Lack on February 10, 2006. In the first half of 2005, the company's share of new releases in the United States (US) declined from 33% to 26% according to Nielsen SoundScan. This, and Lack's negotiation of what some called an "ill-conceived" deal with Bruce Springsteen led to Bertelsmann informing Sony that it would not renew Lack's contract.

The company signed a content deal with the popular video sharing community YouTube.

On August 5, 2008 Sony Corp. agreed to buy Bertelsmann AG's 50 percent stake in the music company for $1.2 billion to get full control. The music company will be renamed Sony Music Entertainment Inc. and will become a unit of Sony Corporation of America. This will allow Sony the rights to artists on the current and historic BMG roster and would allow Sony Corporation to better integrate its functions with its PlayStation 3 and upcoming new media initiatives.

The merger

On March 27, 2006, the New York Times reported that Bertelsmann was in talks with Sony to possibly alter the current venture. Two executives close to Sony BMG said that Bertelsmann may offer Sony its half of the company in order to raise money by leveraging some of its media assets. Executives close to the label have stressed that any such agreement will likely take months to conclude.

On July 13, 2006, however, the European Court of First Instance annulled the European Commission's clearance decision as IMPALA (a trade association for independent labels in Europe) had applied for. This judgment was appealed by the merging parties. On October 3, 2007, after a new investigation, the European Commission upheld its prior approval of the merger.

It was also announced in 2006 that Sony BMG would dismantle the Sony Urban Music label. All of the artists will now be assigned to Epic or Columbia.

It was announced in March 2007 that Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which is not part of Sony BMG, would dismantle the Tofu Records label. All of the SMEJ artists will be now signed to Epic or Columbia.

The international media and entertainment companies Sony Corporation and Bertelsmann AG announced on August 5, 2008, that Sony has agreed to acquire Bertelsmann's 50% stake in Sony BMG. The music company, to be called Sony Music Entertainment Inc. (SME), will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

On October 1, 2008, Sony Corporation completed the acquisition of Bertelsmann's 50% stake in the companies' joint venture. The music company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and operates music labels such as Arista Records, Upstate Records, Columbia Records, Epic Records, J Records, Jive Records, RCA Records and Zomba Records. The sale price was not disclosed when the deal was announced in August, but news reports valued it at $1.5 billion.

Controversies

2005

July

Sony BMG was fined 10 million dollars after the New York Attorney General's office determined that they had been practicing payola mostly in the form of direct payments to radio stations and bribes to disc jockeys to promote various artists including Franz Ferdinand, Audioslave, and mainly Jessica Simpson.

Epic Records, one of their labels, was specifically cited for using fake contests in order to hide the fact that the gifts were going to disc jockeys rather than listeners .

October and November

A controversy over digital rights management (DRM) software that automatically installed itself on people's computers and made them more vulnerable to computer viruses that was produced and shipped by Sony BMG ensued. The scandal caused numerous lawsuits and Sony BMG ended up recalling all affected CDs.

November 16 - US-CERT, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, part of the United States Department of Homeland Security, issued an advisory on Extended Copy Protection DRM, citing the XCP use of rootkit technology to hide certain files from the computer user as a security threat to computer users and saying that one of the uninstallation options provided by Sony also introduced vulnerabilities to a system.

US-CERT advised, "Do not install software from sources that you do not expect to contain software, such as an audio CD." In its "Top Flops of '05" issue, the enterprise newsweekly eWeek had to create a new category for the "Sony BMG root-kit fiasco." Peter Coffee, of eWeek Labs reported, "The Sony brand name was already in trouble—it lost 16 percent of its value between 2004 and 2005....

Now it has taken a blow among tech-product opinion leaders. "We've never done it before, and we hope we'll never have [an] occasion to do it again but, for 2005, eWeek Labs awards a Stupid Tech Trick grand prize to Sony." eWeek Vol. 22, No.50

2007

In October 2007, it was announced that Sony BMG successfully sued Jammie Thomas. The single mother, who made US$36,000 a year, was ordered to pay US$222,220 in damages for making 24 songs available for download on the Kazaa file-sharing network.

2008

The Federal Trade Commission sued Sony BMG for collecting and displaying personal data of 30,000 minors without parental consent via its websites since 2004, violating the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Sony did not restrict minor children's participation in its websites. Sony paid a $1 million fine.

See also

Sony Music Entertainment

Bertelsmann Music Group

Big Four

Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which was not part of Sony BMG, distributed Japanese Music in the US through Columbia or Epic, since around March 2007 when previous distributor, Tofu Records, was closed down

List of record labels

List of Sony Music Entertainment labels

List of Sony Music Entertainment artists

Columbia House

References

Leonard, Devin (Nov. 28, 2005). "Music Lessons." Fortune, pp. 31–32.

External links

SonyBMG.com - now redirects to Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Commercial Music Group (CMG) – Official Site

Sony Music Entertainment, Incorporated – Company Profile on Yahoo!

Music Press Coverage of Sony BMG Merger Completion

Business press coverage of merger completion

Groklaw Page on Sony BMG DRM Issues and Litigation

Sony BMG Litigation and Rootkit Info

Sony BMG Sued for Software Piracy – Assets Seized

Category:American record labels Category:Defunct record labels Category:Bertelsmann AG subsidiaries Category:Sony Music Entertainment Category:Companies based in New York City Category:Record label distributors Category:Recording Industry Association of America Category:Companies established in 2004 Category:Record labels established in 2004 Category:Companies disestablished in 2008 Category:Record labels disestablished in 2008

Name	Toby Love
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Toby Love
Origin	New York City
Genre	Bachata, R&B;, hip hop
Instrument	Vocals
Occupation	songwriter
Years active	1999-present
Label	Sony BMG
Url	Official

Toby Love, is a bachata musician from The Bronx, New York,, USA. His hip hop-influenced music has been referred to as "crunkchata". Toby Love was a backup singer for the bachata band Aventura before beginning a solo career with his 2006 LP, Toby Love, released on Sony Records.

Discography

Studio albums

Toby Love (Sony BMG, 2006) US Billboard Heatseekers #36, US Latin Albums #27

Toby Love Reloaded (Sony BMG, 2007)

Love Is Back (2008)

Singles

Featured singles

Soy Igual Que Tú (Alexis & Fido featuring Toby Love)

La Busco (Tito El Bambino featuring Toby Love)

I Wanna Be (J.Flo featuring Toby Love)

No Debe Tocarte (Alexis & Fido featuring Toby Love)

References

External links

Official Website

Official MySpace

Official YouTube

Toby Love Llorar Lloviendo

Category:Bachata musicians Category:Musicians from New York Category:Living people

Name	Shayne Ward
Caption	Ward in 2006
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Shayne Thomas Ward
Born	October 16, 1984
Origin	Clayton, Manchester, England
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Pop, R&B;, soul
Occupation	Singer
Years active	2005–present
Label	Syco (2005–present)
Url

Shayne Thomas Ward (born 16 October 1984 in Manchester, England) is an English pop singer of Irish decent, who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.

During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh. The Bookies' favourite to win the show, he defeated duo Journey South and singer Andy Abraham in the final screened by ITV1 by a margin of 1.2% of the vote, out of a reputed 10.8 million phone votes cast by viewers.

His first single, "That's My Goal", was released in the UK on Wednesday, December 21 2005 and became the Christmas number one in 2005. It sold 313,000 copies on its first day of sales, making it the third fastest selling single of all time (behind Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" and Will Young's "Evergreen", which sold 685,000 and 400,000 copies in their first days of sale respectively).

Ward's prize, as winner, was a recording contract with Simon Cowell's Syco record label, which is co-owned by Sony Music Entertainment. The contract has a stated value of £1 million, of which £150,000 is a cash advance and the remainder is allocated to recording and marketing costs.

Early life

Ward was born in 1984 in Clayton to Irish Traveller parents Martin and Philomena. He has a twin sister named Emma and five other siblings: Mark, Martin, Michael, Lisa and Leona. and in 2002 he reached the final thirty of , the television show that created Girls Aloud. Prior to his participation in The X Factor, Ward was in a band called Destiny with two women named Tracy Murphy and Tracey Lyle, performing at pubs, clubs and weddings. He had not fallen into the bottom two throughout the entire competition, and won by a margin of 1.2% of the vote, out of a reported 10.8 million phone votes cast by viewers. Immediately after the competition, his X Factor mentor Louis Walsh became his manager under a joint venture with Global Publishing and Walsh Global Management.

2006–07: Shayne Ward

Immediately after his victory on The X Factor, Ward signed a recording contract with Syco Music and his first single, "That's My Goal", was released in the UK on Wednesday, 21 December 2005. After selling 742,000 copies in the first week (including 313,000 on its first day), it became the Christmas number one single of 2005, held the top spot for four weeks and stayed in the top 75 until June 2006, a 21-week run. It became (at that time) the fourth fastest-selling UK single of all time, beaten only by Elton John's "Candle in the Wind", Will Young's "Anything Is Possible/Evergreen", and Gareth Gates' "Unchained Melody" which sold 685,000, 403,000 and 335,000 copies in their first days of sale respectively. To date, "That's My Goal" has sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK. Ward also won a Ivor Nevello Award for being the Best Selling Single.

Ward's second single, "No Promises", a cover of a Bryan Rice song was released on 10 April 2006, and peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart. Shayne Ward, his self-titled debut album was released on Monday April 17. It sold 201,266 copies in the first week and entered the albums chart at number one. To date, the album has sold 520,000 copies in the UK and a further 2,000, 000 worldwide, reaching number one in eight other countries. The album was certified platinum.

Ward's third single "Stand by Me" failed to make the chart impact of the previous two, entering and peaking in the UK Singles Chart at number fourteen. It fared slightly better in the Irish charts however, reaching number nine.

It was confirmed in Gary Barlow's autobiography My Take, that in 2006, fellow Take That member, Jason Orange threatened to quit the band, and Ward was seriously considered as his replacement. Orange, however, later changed his mind and a replacement was not required.

In August 2006, it was reported that Ward had developed vocal cord nodules — the same condition that stopped the singing career of Julie Andrews — and was to be flown out to Los Angeles in early September to see a specialist surgeon. His manager, Louis Walsh, released a statement that he was confident Ward would be fine and would be back at work by the end of the month. Ward had successful treatment and was indeed able to return to his singing career. In November 2006, he released his autobiography entitled My Story. He travelled to several places around the UK for book signings, which hundreds of people attended. In early 2007, Ward embarked on a solo tour of UK & Republic of Ireland venues, taking in eighteen concerts in twenty-eight days from late January to mid-February. The tour commenced in Dublin on January 21 and ended in Birmingham on 17 February 2007.

2007–08: Breathless

After the completion of his successful debut tour, Ward's fourth single and first from his second album ("If That's OK with You") was given a release date of 20 August 2007, but was then delayed and became a double A-side single with "No U Hang Up". It was finally released on 24 September 2007, and charted at number two in the UK being held off by the Sugababes with "About You Now". "No U Hang Up" and "If That's OK with You" charted separately in Ireland, the former reaching number eleven and the latter entering at number one.

Ward's second album, Breathless, was released on 26 November 2007, and after selling over 95,000 copies in its first week, debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, held off the top spot by his X Factor successor, Leona Lewis's, multi-platinum selling debut, Spirit. In Ireland, the album debuted at number one (removing Lewis's album from the top spot) a position it held for three weeks, and was later certified five times platinum.

The second single from Ward's album was announced as "Breathless", and was released on 19 November 2007. It peaked at number six in the UK and number two in Ireland. On November 10, Ward performed "Breathless" on the live results show of the fourth series of The X Factor, although the single was not available for download until the November 18, followed by a performance on The Paul O'Grady Show on November 19. In the UK the album has been certified platinum with sales of over 450,000.

In May 2008 Ward embarked on his month-long UK tour named The Breathless Tour 2008. He made his stage debut at London's O₂ Arena and visited his home town Manchester at the MEN Arena. He also performed his complete show as a support act for Westlife's 2008 tour in front of a crowd of over 80,000 at Ireland's Croke Park. Ward also played on the opening night at the O₂, Dublin, at the Cheerios Childline concert on 16 Dec 2008.

2009–11: Obsession

Simon Cowell refused to release any further music by Ward for three years in favour of Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle, prompting manager Louis Walsh to stop managing Ward. Ward began working on his third album in 2009 with producers RedOne and Taio Cruz. The album, titled Obsession, was released on 15 November 2010. The singer worked with songwriters such as Savan Kotecha, Quiz & Larossi and Lucas Secon, while the songs produced by RedOne and Taio Cruz will not be included. The first single from the album is a cover version of Nickelback's 2008 single, "Gotta Be Somebody". Ward's version was released on 7 November 2010 and reached number 12 in the UK and number 10 in Ireland.

Tours

X Factor Live 2006 (with The X Factor 2005 Finalists)

Shayne Ward Live 2007

The Breathless Tour 2008

Discography

Albums

Singles

"If That's OK With You" and "No U Hang Up" were released as a double-A side in the UK, but charted separately elsewhere.

References

External links

BBC Berkshire: Shayne Ward interview

Category:1984 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:English male singers Category:X Factor series winners Category:Reality show winners Category:Musicians from Manchester Category:Sony BMG artists Category:The X Factor (UK) contestants Category:English people of Irish descent Category:People from Clayton

For the Chilean football (soccer) goalkeeper with the same name see Sergio Vargas (footballer)

Sergio Vargas is a Dominican merengue singer. He has been a member of the bands La Banda Brava and Los Hijos del Rey.

References

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Merengue musicians Category:Dominican Republic musicians Category:Dominican Republic singers Category:Dominican Republic people of African descent Category:Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic

Name	Rick Astley
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Richard Paul Astley
Born	February 06, 1966Newton-le-Willows, (then Lancashire, now Merseyside), England
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, drums, keyboards
Genre	Pop, Dance-pop, Blue-eyed soul
Occupation	Singer-songwriter,musician
Years active	1985–19932000–present
Label	RCA, Polydor, Cruz
Associated acts	FBIStock Aitken Waterman
Url	rickastley.co.uk

Richard Paul "Rick" Astley (; born 6 February 1966) is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries. Astley holds the record for being the only male solo artist to have his first 8 singles reach the Top 10 in the UK and by retirement in 1993 had sold approximately 40 million records worldwide.

After retiring from the music industry in 1993, Astley made a comeback in 2007 when he became an Internet phenomenon, as his video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" became part of a popular Internet meme known as "Rickrolling". Astley was voted "Best Act Ever" by Internet users at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008.

Biography

Early life

Richard Paul Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England, becoming the fourth child of his family. His parents divorced when he was five, and Astley was brought up by his father. Astley's musical career started when he was 10 singing in local church choir. During his schooldays, Rick formed and played the drums in a number of local bands. The reason for Astley to be hired initially as a 'tape op', was to overcome his shyness.

Success

His first single was the little-known "When You Gonna", released as a collaboration with Lisa Carter, with little promotion. It did not chart. His first solo offering was "Never Gonna Give You Up", recorded on New Year's Day 1987, and released eight months later, in August. Astley's distinctive rich, deep voice combined with dance pop, made the song an immediate success, spending five weeks at the top of the British charts and becoming the year's highest-selling single. The song was also a worldwide number one hit, topping the charts in 24 other countries, including the U.S., Australia, and Germany. It would become the first of 13 (worldwide) top 30 hit singles for him. "Never Gonna Give You Up" won Best British single at the 1988 BPI awards (now called the BRIT Awards),

His next single was "Whenever You Need Somebody", which was released in October. The single was a recycled Stock, Aitken, Waterman song, originally recorded by O'Chi Brown in 1985. It became a successful European hit, reaching #1 in seven countries, including Germany and Sweden, following up the success of his debut single. It also reached #3 in the UK. It was not released in North America.

In November 1987, the album Whenever You Need Somebody, containing four Astley written tracks, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, and #10 in the U.S. It was certified 4x Platinum in the UK and Canada, and 2x Platinum in the US. Overall Whenever You Need Somebody sold 15.2 million copies worldwide, making him the top selling British act of the year. This led to a slow down of purchases of Astley's version, allowing the Pet Shop Boys to reach the coveted top spot. Despite selling over 200,000 copies and gaining a Silver certification from the BPI, it peaked in the UK at #2 for two weeks. The re-release of Nat King Cole's version reached #4. The B side was a dance number "My Arms Keep Missing You", which was successful in Mainland Europe.

Astley's fourth single release would be "Together Forever" in 1988, reaching #2 in the UK. It was denied the top spot by Neighbours sensation Kylie Minogue's debut "I Should Be So Lucky". "Together Forever" was more successful state-side, topping the U.S charts, making it his second U.S chart topper, which meant Astley was one of the few British acts to crack the American market. In 1989 he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist, but lost to Tracy Chapman.

His fifth and final release from his debut album was "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man". It was a more soulful song, when compared to his other releases, and was mainly intended for the North American market. Thus, it was not released in Britain. It was another hit for Astley, reaching #10 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100, and #1 in Canada. During the period between his debut release and his fifth single, Astley outsold every other artist in the world. In the UK, he was in the Top 40 every week for the first 6 months of his career. This was despite Astley writing five of his new album's tracks. The negative press inevitably affected the sales of his singles. The first single from the album to be released was "She Wants To Dance With Me", a number penned by Astley himself. It was another successful single reaching #6 in both the UK and US charts. "Take Me to Your Heart" was the next single to be released from the album. It reached #8 in the UK and was not released in the US. The Astley written ballad "Hold Me in Your Arms" reached #10 in the UK and was also not released in North America. The next two singles released from the album were intended for the North American market. "Giving Up On Love" and a cover of The Temptations song "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" charted #38 and #89 in the US respectively.

In December 1989, Astley set off on his first world tour, touring 15 countries including the UK, US, Australia, and Japan. and is one of the few songs to achieve BMI 'Million-Air' status.

Retirement

After 1993, Astley decided to retire from the music industry at the young age of 27 deciding that family life was more important. During Astley's time out of the music business, he helped raise his daughter Emilie, born in 1992. Thus, for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Astley remained largely out of the spotlight. One notable musical appearance by Astley during retirement was as a backing singer on The Lion King soundtrack in 1994. "Nature Boy" and "Close to You". Both Astley and Sony BMG were unhappy with the end result so the album was poorly promoted, again with no promotion from Astley.

In September 2008, Rick was nominated for the 'Best Act Ever' award at the MTV Europe Music Awards On 7 November, following a massive internet campaign by fans, Rick won the award in Liverpool, but was not there in person to receive it. Perez Hilton collected the prize on his behalf. On the back of this, "Never Gonna Give You Up" returned to the UK charts, over 21 years after it was released, peaking at #73 during the Christmas period.

During the late 2000s, Astley continued touring across the globe, touring with various other 80s acts, such as Boy George and Belinda Carlisle in the Here and Now Tour.

Astley today

Astley was a special guest throughout Peter Kay's new tour, The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour...Now On Tour, from 27 April to 22 May 2010. To mark the occasion, Rick Astley released a new single "Lights Out" on his own label. It was released on 7 June 2010. This was Astley's first release in the UK Singles Chart in 17 years. It was well received by radio peaking #15 on the UK Airplay Charts, but failed to become a commercial hit, reaching only #97 on the UK Singles Chart. His next single is "Goodbye But Not The End", which is to be released later in the year. It was unveiled on The Michael Ball Show on ITV.

During the summer 2010, Astley became a radio DJ for London's Magic FM, presenting a Sunday show. Initially the contract was 8 weeks but he proved popular with listeners and his contract was extended till the end of the year. In December 2010, Astley co-hosted with Peter Kay the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2.

Personal life

Rick Astley is married to Lene Bausager, and the couple have one daughter, Emilie, who was born in 1992. Astley met Lene when she was working as a promoter with RCA in 1988. The family lives in the London suburb of Richmond, Surrey.

Discography

Canada Top data: for singles and albums from The Record magazine. US Top data: for singles from The Billboard Hot 100, for albums from The Billboard 200; UK Top data for singles and albums is from UK Singles Chart. Based on various music charts in the UK, US and Canada, Astley has charted a grand total of 14 different hit singles and 6 different hit albums, as of April 2010.

Studio albums

Whenever You Need Somebody (1987)

Hold Me in Your Arms (1989)

Free (1991)

Body & Soul (1993)

Keep It Turned On (2001)

Portrait (2005)

Rickroll internet phenomenon

, 2008]] In 2007 Rick Astley became the subject of a viral Internet meme known as Rickrolling. This is where internet users are tricked into watching Rick Astley's video "Never Gonna Give You Up" by following a link that claims to be something else. Views of this video on various websites are now in their millions. The phenomenon became so popular that on 1 April 2008, YouTube pranked its users by making every single featured video on its front page a Rickroll.

On November 27, 2008, Astley himself participated in a live Rickroll during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends characters were singing "Best Friend", the theme from the 1970s TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Midway through the song, Astley emerged from the float and began to lip sync his signature hit. At the end of Astley's performance, Cheese (a character from Foster's) shouted out "I like Rickrolling!".

Despite the video garnering millions of hits on YouTube, Astley has earned almost no money from the meme, receiving only US$12 in royalties from YouTube for his performance share.

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

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

List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)

List of number-one albums (UK)

List of number-one singles (UK)

List of number-one hits (United States)

List of songs by British artists which reached number-one on the Hot 100 (USA)

The Rickrollerz

References

External links

Official Rick Astley website

Official Rick Astley MySpace

Official Rick Astley YouTube channel (1987-93) (country restricted)

Official Rick Astley YouTube channel (2010-)

Category:1966 births Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:BRIT Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English pop singers Category:Living people

Category:People from Newton-le-Willows Category:Polydor Records artists Category:RCA Records artists

Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Edgar Roberto Arjona Morales
Born	January 19, 1964Jocotenango,
Genre	Latin pop, Ballad
Instrument	Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Occupation	Musician
Url	www.ricardoarjona.com

during 5to Piso Tour]] Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales, (born 19 January 1964, in Jocotenango near Antigua, Guatemala), known as Ricardo Arjona (), is a Guatemalan singer. He has won two Grammy Awards from three nominations: The 2007 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album and the 2006 Latin Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Album, both for his album Adentro, (2005).

Biography and career

At the age of 8, young Ricardo could already play the guitar. He kept studying and went through a teenage rebel phase which became a problem for him at school, but never put music aside, the only thing that he enjoyed. Time went by and he never forgot the idea of becoming a professional singer.

At 21, Ricardo Arjona got the opportunity to record his first album “Dejame decir que te amo”. The recording turned out to be a bad experience for him and he decided to leave the music business. He spent some time as a teacher at a rural primary school (Santa Elena III), where he reputedly said he spent six hours giving lessons and the rest of the day playing soccer. This earned him a visit from a Ministry of Education representative, who was sent to evaluate the level of education amongst Ricardo Arjona's pupils. The representative found that the students' level of education was actually above average.

Ricardo Arjona was a talented basketball player, and he played for the team Leones de Marte and TRIAS. He also toured Central America as a member of the Guatemalan national basketball team; until recently he held the record for the most points scored (78) in a single game by a Guatemalan player.

Music was always in him and decided to try again with the launch of his second album, His musical stamp “Jesus verbo, no sustantivo” a definite consolidation as composer and singer. The album was the most sold in history on the Latin market for some Central American countries; but is still not known internationally.

Although he initially enrolled in architecture and engineering subjects, he eventually graduated with a degree from the School of Communication Sciences at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC).

At USAC there is a library hall that bears his name. There is also a street named for him in his birthplace, Jocotenango, Guatemala.

In the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, he met Puerto Rican Leslie Torres and had two children with her: Adria and Ricardo. Later in 2005 they separated.

Discography

Studio albums

Déjame Decir Que Te Amo (1985)

Jesús, Verbo No Sustantivo (1989)

Del Otro Lado del Sol (1991)

Animal Nocturno (1993)

Historias (1994)

Si El Norte Fuera El Sur (1996)

Sin Daños a Terceros (1998)

Galería Caribe (2000)

Santo Pecado (2002)

Adentro (2005)

5to Piso (2008)

Poquita Ropa (2010)

Live albums

Vivo (1999)

Compilation albums

Lados B (2003)

Solo (2004)

Quién Dijo Ayer (2007)

Simplemente Lo Mejor (2008)

Trópico (2009)

References

This page has been translated from the Spanish Wikipedia article Ricardo Arjona

External links

Official site

Category:1964 births Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Guatemalan people of Spanish descent Category:People from Sacatepéquez Department Category:Guatemalan musicians Category:Living people Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala alumni

Name	Natasha Bedingfield
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Natasha Anne Bedingfield
Born	November 26, 1981Surrey, England, UK
Spouse	Matthew Robinson (2009-present)
Genre	Pop, Contemporary Christian, blue-eyed soul, R&B;
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	2004–present
Label	Phonogenic, Epic (US)
Associated acts	The DNA Algorithm
Url	www.natashabedingfield.com

Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British pop singer and songwriter.

Based in Book St., London, Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield recorded rock and gospel songs for the Hillsong London Church, while Daniel went on to enjoy success with hits "Gotta Get Thru This" and "If You're Not The One".

Bedingfield released her first album, Unwritten, in 2004. The album contained primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B; music; it enjoyed international success with over 2.3 million copies sold worldwide and she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the title track "Unwritten". Bedingfield's second album, N.B. (2007), was less successful but yielded the UK top 10 singles "I Wanna Have Your Babies" and "Soulmate". N.B. was not released in North America, but six tracks from it were included with seven new ones and released in 2008 as Pocketful of Sunshine, with the singles "Love Like This" and "Pocketful of Sunshine" earning success on the charts. In December 2010, Bedingfield released her third album in North America named Strip Me.

Early life

Bedingfield was born in Surrey (later moving to the Lewisham district of London) to New Zealand-born Molly and John Bedingfield who are both charity workers. She has three siblings; brothers Daniel and Joshua, and younger sister Nikola. Her interest in music was encouraged by her parents and she took guitar and piano lessons when she was younger. When Bedingfield was a teenager, she and her siblings, Daniel and Nikola, formed the dance/electronic group, The DNA Algorithm. The group provided Bedingfield with the opportunity to explore different musical genres and expand her songwriting abilities. She provided vocals for the group which primarily performed dance-pop music about religion, independence and empowerment, themes that would later be found in her own solo compositions. The DNA Algorithm performed at several Christian music festivals before disbanding. At age 14, Natasha sang vocals on Origins Refined Intricacy (Steelyard Records).

Bedingfield attended a year at the University of Greenwich, where she studied psychology, then left to concentrate on singing and songwriting. At first she recorded demos in the garages of friends who had recording studios, which she presented to record companies. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield composed and recorded songs for the Hillsong London Church. In 2004, her recordings appeared on the church's live album Shout God's Fame and the children's album Jesus Is My Superhero by Hillsong Music Australia.

Music career

2003–06: Unwritten

Bedingfield signed a recording contract with BMG UK & Ireland, through its imprint Phonogenic Records, in 2003. Her first album Unwritten was released in September 2004 and features collaborations with Steve Kipner, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lachey, James Reilly, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins, Kara DioGuardi, Guy Chambers, Patrick Leonard and the rapper Bizarre. The album contained uptempo pop rock songs and influences from R&B; music. Reviews of the album were generally positive and it was described as a "well-made pop album for the new millennium" by Allmusic. It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom and Gold status in the U.S. The first single released from the album was "Single", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. The song's lyrics, and its accompanying music video, depict Bedingfield's single lifestyle. "These Words" was released as the album's second single. The song became Bedingfield's first UK number one and U.S. top twenty single. "Unwritten" was released as the album's third single in 2004, the song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and it also became the most played song on U.S. radio in 2006. "I Bruise Easily" was released as the album's fourth single, it did not perform as well as its predecessors but was still a moderate success, reaching number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.

At the 2005 Brit Awards, Bedingfield was nominated for four awards, though did not win any of her nominated categories. She was also nominated for an award at the 2006 Brit Awards, and in 2007 she was nominated for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" at the 2007 Grammy Awards, though was again unsuccessful in winning in any of her nominated categories.

2007–08: N.B. and Pocketful of Sunshine

Bedingfield's second album N.B. was released in Europe in April 2007. In North America (the U.S. and Canada), the album was released under the title "Pocketful of Sunshine" in January 2008. The album received mixed reviews by critics and peaked at number nine in the UK. "I Wanna Have Your Babies", the album's lead single, was about finding the right man to father her children and was criticized by fans and critics alike. The song was moderately successful, reaching number seven in the UK, number eight in Ireland and the top fifty in various other markets. "Soulmate" was released as the album's second single on 2 July 2007 and also peaked at number seven in the UK. To promote N.B., Bedingfield embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour in May 2007, supporting Justin Timberlake.

The North American version of her second album featured six songs from N.B.. The album was released on 22 January 2008, after the lead single, "Love like This", was released in September 2007 and charted at #11 on the Billboard hot 100. The title track was released as the second single in February 2008. The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard hot 100. On 18 January 2008, Bedingfield's UK tour was cancelled for the second time, one month before it was supposed to start, so she could spend more time promoting her album in the U.S. In August 2008, Bedingfield and other singers including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Melissa Etheridge, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, and Mariah Carey recorded the charity single, "Just Stand Up" produced by Babyface and L. A. Reid, to support "Stand Up to Cancer". On September 5, the singers performed it live on TV.

2009–present: Strip Me

Bedingfield stated on her blog that she would start work on her new album in early 2009. She was confirmed to be writing for the new album while on holiday in New Zealand; she said "I'm here for a couple of weeks to do a bit of writing. It is such an inspiring place to write music. I love coming here as often as I can, usually once a year to fuel up on ideas for my next album". She also confirmed she was working with Brian Kennedy, who produced Rihanna's hit single "Disturbia" and was writing songs with him while on tour with a view to having the album released by the end of 2009. Bedingfield also stated that Wyclef Jean, Sam Sparro and Mike Elizondo would be working on the record.

Bedingfield confirmed that the album would be ready for fall 2010. In an interview with IN:DEMAND Producer, Ryan Tedder said "I'm gonna try and bring Natasha Bedingfield back here in the UK with some quirky, kinda weird stuff". On 18 March Natasha stated on her official site that she was in L.A. and she was putting the finishing touches on her album. "Touch", the lead single from the album, was made available as a digital download May 18, 2010. Bedingfield performed the song on the The Ellen Degeneres Show on 24 May 2010. "Touch" was officially sent to U.S. radio stations on 29 June 2010. On July 15 Bedingfield announced via Twitter that the title of her new album would be Strip Me. The album was originally scheduled for release on November 9, 2010, but was released on December 7. The second single, also titled "Strip Me", was sent to U.S. radio on August 30, 2010 and was became available as a digital download on September 21, 2010. It was written by Bedingfield, Ryan Tedder and Wayne Wilkins. Bedingfield appeared on rapper Nicki Minaj's debut album Pink Friday on a track called "Last Chance", and on Rascal Flatts' new album "Nothing Like This" on a track called "Easy". On December 31, 2010/January 1, 2011, Natasha appeared on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Non-musical projects

Bedingfield is a philanthropist who has donated time and money to organizations such as the Global Angels, an international children's charity founded by her mother, Molly Bedingfield. She became associated with the organization in 2006 because of her celebrity status, which she could use to help "people around the world, particularly children, who live in conditions that would horrify us".

Bedingfield is now an ambassador for Global Angels and in November 2006 she visited India for three weeks in support of the charity. She visited an orphanage in Kolkata and a refugee camp for former child prostitutes in Mumbai to learn more about the situation and the conditions in these areas. Bedingfield later expressed her shock at what she had witnessed. She is also an advocate for Stop the Traffik, a global coalition which works to end human trafficking

In 2004, Bedingfield showed interest in acting and made her debut in the James Bond video game From Russia with Love in November 2005. She lent her voice to the character Elizabeth Stark, the British Prime Minister's daughter who is kidnapped in the opening sequence. Bedingfield commented that she would like to do more acting, but only if the film "was good enough, and it was a role that [would] fit me." Bedingfield also guest starred on Nickelodeon's mockumentary series The Naked Brothers Band's Christmas Special, alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Leon Thomas III. She has made guest appearances on the NBC series Lipstick Jungle. More recently, she guest starred on Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP in November 2009. She sang the song "These Words".

Personal life

In 2006, the media incorrectly reported that Bedingfield was dating Nick Lachey and Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine. Referring to the media reports, Bedingfield commented that "Adam is lovely but I didn't date him or Nick. As soon as you talk to a famous guy, you're immediately linked with him." Bedingfield is married to Matt Robinson, a businessman from Tennessee. The couple wed in Malibu on 21 March 2009.

Discography

Unwritten (2004)

N.B. (2007)

Pocketful of Sunshine (2008)

Strip Me (2010)

Awards and nominations

Awards	5
Nominations	11
Britn	4
Award1	BT Digital Music Awards
Award1w	1
Award1n	1
Award2	Capital FM Awards
Award2w	2
Award2n	2
Award3	Glamour Awards
Award3w	1
Award3n	1
Grammyn	1
Mtveuropen	1
Tmfw	1
Tmfn	1

Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten contains primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B; music. It enjoyed international success with over three million copies sold worldwide. In 2007, she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "Unwritten", the third single from the album of the same name. Bedingfield has received four nominations from the BRIT Awards but has won none.

|- |rowspan="4"| ||rowspan="3"| Natasha Bedingfield || Best British Female Solo Artist || |- | British Breakthrough Artist || |- | Best Pop Act || |- | "These Words" || Best British Single ||

BT Digital Music Awards

The BT Digital Music Awards honour music distributed digitally by methods such as mobile devices, online downloads, and blogging. Bedingfield has won one award.

|- | 2007 || Natasha Bedingfield || Best Pop Artist ||

Capital FM Awards

The Capital FM Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Capital 95.8, a London radio station owned by GCap Media. Bedingfield has won two awards from two nominations.

|- |rowspan="2"| 2005 || "These Words" || Best Single || |- | Natasha Bedingfield || Best Newcomer ||

Glamour Awards

The Glamour Awards is an annual awards ceremony hosted by Glamour, a women's magazine. Bedingfield has won one award.

|- | 2005 || Natasha Bedingfield || UK Solo Artist of the Year ||

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bedingfield has received one nomination.

|- | || "Unwritten" || Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ||

MTV Europe Music Awards

The MTV Europe Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1994 by MTV Europe. Bedingfield has received one nomination.

|- | 2004 || Natasha Bedingfield || Best U.K. and Ireland act ||

TMF Awards

The TMF Awards is an annual television awards show broadcast live on The Music Factory. Bedingfield has received one award.

|- | 2005 || Natasha Bedingfield || Best International New Artist ||

References

External links

NatashaBedingfield.com — Natasha Bedingfield official website

Category:1981 births Category:Alumni of the University of Greenwich Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:British people of New Zealand descent Category:British rhythm and blues singers Category:British dance musicians Category:British female singers Category:British pop singers Category:British singer-songwriters Category:English-language singers Category:English Pentecostals Category:English Christians Category:Hillsong musicians Category:Living people Category:People from Surrey

Name	Julieta Venegas
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Julieta Venegas Percevault
Born	November 24, 1970Long Beach, California, USA
Origin	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
Genre	Latin pop, Mexican pop, pop-rock, folk-rock
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Producer
Years active	1986–present
Instrument	Vocals, Piano, Accordion, Guitar, Keyboards, Wurlitzer, Vibraphone, Caja, Cello
Label	RCA InternationalSony International
Url	Official Website

Julieta Venegas Percevault (born November 24, 1970 in Long Beach, California, USA) is a Mexican American singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter, who performs Spanish-language rock and pop music. Venegas grew up in Tijuana and began studying music at the age of eight. She went on to join several bands, including Tijuana No!, before starting a career on her own. In addition to singing and writing her own songs, she plays instruments including acoustic guitar, accordion, and keyboard. She has won five Latin Grammys and one Grammy. She has sold more than 7 million albums worldwide. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer.

Biography

Julieta began playing music at the age of 10 when her parents first sent her to piano lessons. In the years that followed, music grew to be her passion. At the beginning of her career, she collaborated with a few bands in Tijuana, and then later in Mexico D.F. Her first solo album, Aquí, was released in 1998 with the collaboration of Gustavo Santaolalla. She recorded, toured and played live. In 2000, she recorded her second album, Bueninvento, where she experimented with the electric guitar, and collaborated with producers and musicians including Gustavo Santaolalla, Meme de Real, Quique Rangel, Toy Hernandez and Joe Chiccarelli. In 2003 she released her third album, Sí, which was recorded and produced in Buenos Aires and Madrid with guest musicians Cachorro Lopez and Coti Sorokin. In 2006, her fourth album, Limón y Sal, debuted with the help of producer Cachorro. In 2007, she collaborated with Miranda! to record the song "Perfecta," which became a chart-topping single in 2008 in Latin America. Also that year, a she was featured in MTV Unplugged which led to a DVD and CD. The single "El Presente" was drawn from that production. Her new album Otra Cosa was released in March 2010.

Aquí 1997-2000

With the support of BMG, Julieta recorded her first solo album with producer Gustavo Santaolalla. Published in 1997, "Aquí" contained twelve tracks composed by Julieta and was distributed in Mexico, Spain, and several Latin American countries. The material showed Julieta to be an extremely inventive artist in Mexican popular music.

The first single from the album "De Mis Pasos" was dramatically accepted by a young audience and quickly positioned as one of the best songs female rock of that time. The second single, "Como Sé," won the MTV award for "Mejor Interpretación Femenina."

Following the international release of the album, Julieta received a large number of invitations to collaborate with different musicians and performers in Latin America, including Sasha Sokol, Enanitos Verdes, Sr. Gonzalez, Los Tres, Liquits, Cartel de Santa, León, and Enrique Bunbury.

In 1998, she participated in the tour "De Diva Voz" with Ely Guerra and Aurora y La Academia, appearing at different locations in Mexico and the United States. Soon after, the tour was in "Calaveritas y Diablitos" next to Aterciopelados and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs in Spain. The same year she participated in the album , a tribute to the legendary Mexican singer José José. Julieta recorded the song "El Triste".

Her participation in international festivals increased the following year. The Festival presented Juliet "Midem Americas (Miami)," Generation Ñ "(in Spain)," Rock Al Parque de Bogotá (Colombia) and Festival "El Hatillo" (in Venezuela).

In 1999, she appeared in the Mexican version of the video "Infinito" by Bunbury.

In 2000, Nacho Mastretta invited her to participate in her album "Luna de Miel", which consists of twelve songs performed by twelve female vocalists from different countries. Soon after that, Venegas contributed three songs to the soundtrack ofEn El País de No Pasa Nada.

Soon after, Julieta Venegas wrote and recorded for the film "Amores Perros" and the song "Amores Perros Me Van A Matar." The song was produced by Emmanuel del Real and Quique Rangel (Café Tacuba), who would also collaborate with Venegas on her next album, Bueninvento.

Bueninvento 2000-2002

Bueninvento, also produced by Gustavo Santaolalla and Joe Chicarelli, was launched in September 2000. It was recorded in Los Angeles (California), Monterrey and Mexico City. Thirteen of the fourteen songs are authored by Julieta Venegas including a tribute to Juan Gabriel - "Siempre En Mi Mente."

In the same year, she participated in the "Arezzo Wave Love" in Italy, where she sang a version of the song "Amores Perros ..." in Italian and the tour "Evolucion 2000" with Jaguares, Jumbo and Gusana Ciega. It is also involved in the Hannover Fair as part of Music Bridges Around the World, which links to composers from around the world. Join the Cubadisco Festival in Havana, Cuba and the tour 'Femina Rock' with Maria Gabriela Epumer and other female figures of the rock.

In 2002, the singer Victor Manuel calls offering to participate in a tribute to Joaquín Sabina along with other women. Sing "Corre Dijó La Tortuga."

Participa several soundtracks: In the movie "Maria Full of Grace" with the theme "Lo Que Venga Después." In the movie "Demasiado Amor" a cover of Lupita D'alessio "Acariciame" with two versions, one in collaboration with Mastretta, one with Joan Valent. Also works with Mastretta for the main theme of the Spanish film"El Sueño del Caiman".

Sing "Niños" a duet with Spanish Pedro Guerra Ofrenda disk and received by the same in the Persian Gulf where they sing a duet on the song "Cómo Sé" against the European media.

She sings in the Soda Stereo album tribute to the song "Disco Eterno" which is nominated for a Grammy for "Best Rock Song: Hoy No Quiero" and "Best Alternative Rock Disco: Bueninvento" takes a brief break in his career and is dedicated to singing themes José José ("El Triste"), José Alfredo Jimenez ("Serenata Sin Luna") and Los Tigres del Norte ("La Jaula de Oro") and does duets with Celso Piña and ska "Los de Abajo" while preparing the songs for his upcoming album "Sí".

Sí 2003-2005

In late 2003, released the album "Sí", which collaborates Coti and "Cachorro Lopez", recorded in Argentina and Spain. So far it has been her biggest commercial success, allowing her to reach a wider market. It has sold over a million copies, making the songs on "Andar Conmigo", "Lento" and "Algo Está Cambiando" pop standards in Latin music.

She was invited to do, along with Pau Dones from Jarabe de Palo, a song for the soundtrack of the movie "Asesino En Serie: El Listón de Tu Pelo" a Tributo to Los Angeles Azules.

This year was the most productive professional and spiritual level, as in the awards "MTVla 2004 she was awarded 3 awards for "Artist of the Year", "Solo of the Year" and "Best Artist North." She was also awarded his first Latin Grammy in the category "Best Rock Album." Won 3 Awards "Oye!" Mexico City in the categories "Artist of the Year", "Song of the Year: Andar Conmigo" and "Record of the Year: Sí." "Sí" gave sufficient security to show their femininity and risk play in the risk and ways of pop criticism.

In 2004 she collaborated on the album "Neruda En El Corazón" with artists like Joan Manuel Serrat, Pablo Milanés and Ana Belén. It is responsible for putting music to the poem "A Callarse" and participates in the "Diego Torres: MTV Unplugged" on the song "Sueños". Participate in the concert "El Sueño Existe" in homage to Salvador Allende in the Stadium Nacional de Chile, with Chilean and international artists as Gilberto Gil, The Prisoners, Leon Gieco and Silvio Rodríguez, among others.

She began her first international tour in Mexico and celebrated it with a memorable concert at the Teatro Metropolitan, which is reflected in the album "Sí Special Edition" and is the first Latin artist to release a "Limited Edition DualDisc." Julieta Venegas is placed between Latin artists with more international exposure, and is therefore requested to sing with various artists such as Lenine, El Cartel de Santa and Paulina Rubio. "Sí" is received with open arms in Viña del Mar, where it receives the recognition Mar de Plata and she was invited to record in Los Shajatos, singing in English, "you've got hide your love away" and "Blackbird" by The Beatles

Julieta also participated in the disc of Vincentico: "Los Rayos " in the theme: "Tonto" and the MTV Unplugged Lenine on the theme: "Miedo" and different musical scores for movies like "Hotel Tivoli" ("El Fuego y El Combustible"), "Sólo Dios Sabe" (" Saudade " ft. Otto and "Lagrimas Negras").

Limón y Sal 2006-2007

Julieta took about a year to produce her next album, which was recorded in Buenos Aires with the production of Cachorro López. At the same time she paid tribute to Andrés Calamaro with the song "Sin Documentos." Also included is title track "Limón y Sal".

When the first single "Me Voy," a Ranchera/Pop song, was released in 2006, it quickly rose in popularity, transcending distance and language barriers as it is performed in English, Italian and Spanish.

March saw the launch of "Limón y sal" which was awarded a gold record for more than 50 thousand copies sold within two days of its launch. After a single week it had received a platinum for 100 thousand records in Mexico and more golds for selling 50 thousand copies in both Spain and the United States. A few days later the record received another gold record for more than 50 thousand copies in Italy.

In June 2006 in Spain, Venegas took part in the MTV Day festival with Amaral and Keane, among others. Two days later, she took part in the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of Los 40 Principales Radio Formula. She sang "Me Voy" and "Nada de Esto Fué Un Error" next to Coti. She has participated in the Spanish series "Yo Soy Bea", as the series was also involved in "SOS Mi Vida" Argentina on TV. In 2007 a compilation album came out entitled "Realmente Lo Mejor".

Venegas also collaborated on the Hector Buitrago album "Conector" with the theme "Música Somos" before beginning a world tour encompassing first Italy and other parts of Europe. Upon returning from Europe, she visited almost all of Latin America and the United States on her "Limón y Sal" Tour.

With regard to awards, she won her second Latin Grammy for "Best Alternative Album" and also won her first Grammy in a historic tie with Ricardo Arjona's album "Adentro".

A total of 4 singles were released: "Me Voy", "Limón y sal", "Eres para Mí" and "Primer Día" -- a song that was supposedly only for Europe, but also caught American ears.

MTV Unplugged 2008-2009

The year 2008 was even more productive, since March 6, she recorded her "MTV Unplugged", which was ranked as "Very Successful", besides being the first to be recorded in Mexico. Artists joing Julietta for this live concert included Juan Son, La Mala Rodriguez, Marisa Monte, Natalia Lafourcade, Gustavo Santaolalla and an orchestra of 15 musicians. This MTV Unplugged aired on 5 June 2008 on MTV and the CD was released on 17 June. For this same date she was named MTV Artist of the Month.

This record blends the ranchera touch with pop ballads that have been very well accepted by the public. In Mexico, the song lasted for 10 weeks at the top of popularity and getting very good reviews. This record shows that Julieta is an accordion of surprises, showing songs like: "Mira la vida", "Algún Día" y "Cómo Sé" that show a Julieta more mature and aware of what she does and always busy reinventing herself every day and giving the public something new to their ears.

The album was released on June 10 at the international level, producing strong sales and one month after its release Julieta was awarded a platinum disc for selling more than 100 thousand records in Mexico and 2 gold discs for more than 50 thousand records in Colombia and the USA.

Julieta started an international tour for the first time, visiting England and Germany, countries which had never heard music like hers.

Her record was nominated for MTV Awards, Premios Luna del Auditorio and the Latin Grammy. Her concerts are among the most requested and popular with the public.

She recorded a duet with French singer Olivia Ruiz singing "Las Migajas de Mi Corazón." At the MTV Awards LA she sang with the Electro/Norteño Nortec Collective band a unique version of "El Presente"

On November 13, 2008 Julieta took home two Latin Grammy awards in the categories of "Best Alternative Album" and "Best Long Form Video". After her successful tour Julieta was invided by Nelly Furtado to participate in the song "Bajo Otra Luz" with La Mala Rodríguez.

Otra Cosa 2010-Present

"Otra Cosa" was released on Tuesday, March 16, in record stores and on iTunes. The first single was "Bien o Mal" written with Alejandro Sergi vocalist of the band Miranda! and released on March 16, 2010.

"Otra Cosa", placed on the first and second positions of the "Top Albums" in the iTunes Latino store with her two Deluxe and Standard edition albums, according to the official website. Julieta Venegas became the first Latin artist to launch an iTunes LP.

Four days after the official launch of "Otra Cosa", Julieta Venegas earned a Gold Record in Mexico.

The album contains 12 songs filled with acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizers, various percussion instruments, cavaquinhos, winds, subtle pianos (played by herself), and accordions.

Also seen in pictures posted in Twitter, Julieta mentions other instruments used on the album that include: ukulele, bass, Bouzuki, and Tuba.

The album was produced by Julieta and Cachorro López (who also produced "Limón Y Sal").

Following the album's release Juieta Venegas toured the United States (sponsored by the brand Jack Daniels) in 16 cities, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Julita Venegas participated in the Vive Latino Festival 2010, playing on two occasions, both in the Green Stage. She participated in a reunion with her former band, Tijuana No! and sang a duet with their new band member, Alexis Güereña, singing "Pobre de Ti".

A few weeks prior to the release of the album, Julieta Venegas acknowledged being three months pregnant, but has not named the father. Sources state he is a psychologist from Argentina.

On April 27, 2010, a visibly pregnant Julieta Venegas played some songs of the album at KCRW, an internet public radio station in Santa Monica College.

On August 14, Julieta gave birth to a baby girl in Mexico. Julieta, who is divorced, has never revealed the identity of the baby's father.

Discography

1997: "Aquí" (+ 300.000)

2000: "Bueninvento" (+ 500.000)

2003: "Sí" (+ 1.800.000)

2006: "Limón y Sal" (+ 2.730.000)

2008: "MTV Unplugged" (+ 1.200.000)

2010: "Otra Cosa" (+ 430.000)

Awards

Latin Grammy Awards of 2004:

:*Best Rock Solo Vocal Album (Sí).

MTV Video Music Awards Latin America 2004:

:*Best Solo Artist :*Best Artist (Mexico) :*Artist of the Year

'''Premios Oye! 2004

:*Best Song of The Year (Andar Conmigo) :*Album of The Year (Sí) :*Rock In Spanish

MTV Video Music Awards Latin America 2006:

:*Best Solo Artist

Latin Grammy Awards of 2006:

:*Best Alternative Music Album (Limón y Sal).

'''Grammy Awards 2007

:*Best Latin Pop Album (Limón y Sal).

MTV Video Music Awards Latin America 2007:

:*Best Pop Artist

Latin Grammy Awards of 2008:

:*Best Alternative Album (MTV Unplugged) :*Best Music Video Long Form (MTV Unplugged)

Latin Grammy Awards of 2010:

:*Best Short Form Music Video (Bien o Mal)

References

External links

Category:1970 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:American people of Mexican descent Category:Hispanic and Latino American people Category:Mexican female singers Category:Mexican accordionists Category:Mexican pianists Category:Mexican singer-songwriters Category:People from Chula Vista, California Category:People from Tijuana Category:Rock en Español musicians Category:Twin people

Name	Can Atilla
Background	non_performing_personnel
Born	1969Ankara, Turkey
Genre	New Age
Label	Sony BMG
Url	http://www.canatilla.net

Can Atilla (born 1969) is a Turkish composer and musician. He composed "Diriliş" (Resurrection), the official music for the 90th anniversary of the Turkish parliament.

Albums

2004: ''Omni

2005: Cariyeler ve Geceler (Concubines and Nights)

2006: 1453 - Sultanlar Aşkına (1453 - For the Sultans' Sake)

2007: Aşk-ı Hürrem (The Love of Hürrem)

2010: Altın Çağ (The Golden Age)

References

External links

Official website

Can Atilla at MTV

2008 article at Today's Zaman

2010 article at Today's Zaman

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:People from Ankara Category:Turkish musicians

Name	Annie Lennox
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ann Lennox
Born	December 25, 1954
Origin	Aberdeen, Scotland
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, activist, humanitarian ambassador
Genre	Pop, rock, blue-eyed soul, R&B;
Instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboards, organ, harmonium, dulcimer, flute, percussion
Years active	1975–present
Associated acts	The Catch, The Tourists, Eurythmics
Label	RCA, Arista (1992–2009)Island, Decca (2010–)
Url	www.annielennox.com

Annie Lennox, OBE (born 25 December 1954), born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish recording artist. After achieving minor success in the band The Tourists in the late 1970s, Lennox went on to major international success in the 1980s as part of the duo Eurythmics, which she formed with former Tourists' member David A. Stewart.

In the 1990s, Lennox embarked on a solo career beginning with her debut album Diva (1992), which produced several hit singles including "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass". She has released five solo studio albums and a compilation album, The Annie Lennox Collection, in 2009. She is the recipient of eight BRIT Awards, more than any other female artist. In 2004, she won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Into the West", written for the soundtrack to the feature film .

In addition to her career as a musician, Lennox is also a political and social activist, notable for raising money and awareness for HIV charities in Africa. She also objected to the unauthorized use of the 1999 Eurythmics song "I Saved the World Today" in an election broadcast for Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

Known as a pop culture icon for her distinctive contralto vocals and visual performances, Lennox has been named "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by VH1 and one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone. She has earned the distinction of "most successful female British artist in UK music history" because of her global commercial success since the early 1980s. Including her work within Eurythmics, Lennox is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 80 million records worldwide.

Early life

Lennox was born on Christmas Day, 1954, in Torry, Aberdeen. Her father worked at the shipyard, and her mother was a cook until she became a housewife. Lennox was an only child and the family lived in a small two-bedroomed apartment in a block of flats with communal laundry facilities. Despite her family's financial status, Lennox had piano lessons at school from the age of seven years at the cost of £4.00 per term. She was interested in singing and, with plenty of time to herself, passed some of the time by singing along to the popular music of the time, including music by The Beatles. She was an unhappy teenager, partly because of a struggle over boundaries for her independence with her overprotective father. She attended Aberdeen High School for Girls, now Harlaw Academy. In 1964, her early talent was demonstrated when she came second in a talent contest at a Butlins holiday camp. She sang the song "Mairi's Wedding".

In the 1970s, Lennox won a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied the flute and classical music for three years. She lived on a student grant and worked at part-time jobs for extra money. Lennox was unhappy during her time at the Royal Academy partly because she was lonely and shy, and she missed many history-of-music lessons. Lennox also was made a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama that year.

Music career

1977–90: The Tourists and Eurythmics

Between 1977 and 1980, Lennox was the lead singer of The Tourists (initially known as The Catch), a moderately successful British pop band and her first collaboration with Dave Stewart. During the time they were in The Tourists, Stewart and Lennox were involved in a relationship, though this had ended by the time they formed Eurythmics.

Lennox and Stewart's second collaboration, the 1980s synthpop duo Eurythmics, resulted in her most notable fame, as the duo's alto, soul-tinged lead singer. Early in Eurythmics' career, Lennox was known for her androgyny, wearing suits and once impersonating Elvis Presley. Eurythmics released a long line of singles in the 1980s, including "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", "Here Comes the Rain Again", "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves", "Who's That Girl?", "Would I Lie to You?", "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)", "Missionary Man", "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart", "Thorn in My Side", "The Miracle of Love" and "Don't Ask Me Why". Though Eurythmics never officially disbanded, Lennox made a fairly clear break from Stewart in 1990. Thereafter, she began a long and equally-successful solo career.

Lennox and Stewart reconvened Eurythmics in the late 1990s with the album Peace, their first album of new material in ten years. A subsequent concert tour was completed, with profits going to Greenpeace and Amnesty International. The duo ultimately disbanded in 2005, having released a compilation album that year.

(left) performing as Eurythmics in 1987.]]

Lennox has received eight BRIT Awards, the most of any female artist. Four of the awards were given during her time with Eurythmics, and another was given to the duo for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1999.

From the beginning of her career, Lennox has experimented with her image - both as an artist and as a woman. She matured as a public figure in the late 20th century, just as MTV and the medium of video were becoming the obvious vehicles for selling contemporary popular music. She has managed her image astutely, both as a means of interpreting and marketing her music; this was emphasized in the music video for "Little Bird" in 1993, in which many look-alikes were featured, all wearing outfits she wore in different music videos and performances both solo and from her Eurythmics' eras.

The 1988 single with Al Green, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" (a cover version of Jackie DeShannon's 1969 hit), was recorded for the soundtrack of the movie Scrooged. Though it was produced by Dave Stewart, it was credited to Lennox and Green, and can be considered her first release outside a band identity. This one-off single peaked at #2 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, #9 on the US Hot 100 and was a top 40 hit in the UK. Lennox performed the song "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", a Cole Porter song, that same year for a cameo appearance in the Derek Jarman film Edward II. She then made a memorable appearance with David Bowie and the surviving members of Queen at 1992's Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at London's Wembley Stadium, performing "Under Pressure".

1992–93: Diva

Lennox began working with former Trevor Horn protegé Stephen Lipson, beginning with her 1992 solo début album, Diva. It was a commercial and critical success, charting #1 in the UK, #6 in Germany, and #23 in the US. Lennox's profile was boosted by Diva's singles, which included "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass". "Little Bird" also formed a double A-side with "Love Song for a Vampire", a soundtrack cut for Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie Bram Stoker's Dracula. The B-side of her single "Precious" was a self-penned song called "Step by Step", which was later covered by Whitney Houston for the of the film The Preacher's Wife. "Step by Step" appeared also on the Mexican and Japanese editions of the album. The song "Keep Young and Beautiful" was included on the CD release as a bonus track (the original vinyl album had only ten tracks).

The album entered the UK album chart at no.1 and has since sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK alone, being certified quadruple platinum.

1995–2000: Medusa and return to Eurythmics

Although Lennox's profile decreased for a period because of her desire to bring up her two children outside of the media's glare, she continued to record. Her second album, Medusa, was released in March 1995. It consisted solely of cover songs, all originally recorded by male artists including Bob Marley and The Clash. It entered the UK album chart at No. 1 and peaked in the USA at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and selling a total of 1,900,000 to date in the United States. It has since achieved double platinum status in both the UK and the US. The album yielded four UK singles: "No More I Love You's" (which entered the UK singles chart at No. 2, Lennox's highest ever solo peak), "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Waiting in Vain" and "Something So Right". The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards of 1996, losing to Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell, however, Lennox took home the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award for her work on the first single "No More I Love You's". Though Lennox declined to tour for the album, she did perform a large scale one-off concert in New York's Central Park, which was filmed and later released on home video.

In 1997, Lennox re-recorded the Eurythmics track "Angel" for the Diana, Princess of Wales tribute album, and also recorded the song "Mama" for The Avengers soundtrack album. In 1998, following the death of a mutual friend (former Tourists member Peet Coombes), she re-established contact with Dave Stewart. Following their first performance together in eight years at a record company party, Stewart and Lennox began writing and recording together for the first time since 1989. This resulted in the album Peace, the first new Eurythmics record in a decade. The title was designed to reflect the duo's ongoing concern with global conflict and world peace. The record was promoted with a concert on the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior II, where they played a mixture of old and new songs. "I Saved the World Today" was the lead single, reaching number eleven on the UK singles chart (their highest charting hit since 1986). Another single, released at the beginning of 2000, "17 Again", made the UK top 40, and topped the US dance chart. Critics were impressed overall with the record, although some commented that it "lacked the power" (NME) of their previous releases and "quietly acknowledged that their solo careers had failed" (Q Magazine), despite the fact that both of Lennox's solo efforts reached the number one position in the UK charts, Diva going quadruple platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US (Q magazine, themselves placing it in their top 50 albums of 1992) and Medusa going double-platinum in both countries, respectively.

2003–07: Bare and work in Africa

In 2003, Lennox released her third solo album, Bare. The album peaked at #3 in the UK and #4 in the US - her highest charting album in the US to date. She embarked on her first tour as a solo artist to promote the album. The tour, simply titled Solo Tour, pre-dated the release of the album and visited both the US and Europe, with only a two-night stop in the UK at Saddler's Wells Theatre in London. The album has been certified Gold in both the UK and the US and was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 46th Grammy Awards. The album was released with a DVD which included interviews and acoustic versions of songs by Lennox. The Japanese edition of the album features a version of Lennox's earlier hit "Cold" recorded live in Toronto.

In 2004, Lennox won the Academy Award for Best Song for "Into the West" from the film , which she co-wrote with screenwriter Fran Walsh and composer Howard Shore. The song also won a Grammy award and a Golden Globe award. She had previously recorded "Use Well the Days" for the movie, which incorporates a number of quotations from Tolkien in its lyrics. This song was not used in the film, but it appears on a bonus DVD included with the "special edition" of the movie's soundtrack CD. In mid-2004, Lennox embarked on an extensive North American tour with Sting. In July 2005, Lennox performed at Live 8 in Hyde Park, London, along with Madonna, Sting, and other popular musicians.

In 2005 Lennox and Stewart collaborated on two new songs for their Eurythmics compilation album, Ultimate Collection, of which "I've Got a Life" was released as a single in October 2005. The promotional video for the song features Lennox and Stewart performing in the present day, with images of past Eurythmics videos playing on television screens behind them. Lennox also appears in a man's suit with a cane, reminiscent of her "Sweet Dreams" video image from 1983. The single peaked at number fourteen in the UK Singles Chart and was a number-one US Dance hit. On 14 November 2005, Sony BMG repackaged and released Eurythmics' back catalogue as 2005 Deluxe Edition Reissues. Each of their eight studio albums' original track listings are supplemented with bonus tracks and remixes.

2007–08: Songs of Mass Destruction and AIDS activism

Ending her long association with Stephen Lipson, Lennox's fourth solo album, Songs of Mass Destruction, was recorded in Los Angeles with veteran producer Glen Ballard (known for producing Alanis Morissette's album, Jagged Little Pill). It was released on 1 October 2007, and was the last studio album of Lennox's contract with BMG. It peaked at #7 in the UK and #9 in the US. Lennox stated that she believed the album consisted of "twelve strong, powerful, really emotive songs that people can connect to". If she achieves that, she says, "I can feel proud of [it], no matter if it sells ten copies or 50 million." Lennox described it as "a dark album, but the world is a dark place. It's fraught, it's turbulent. Most people's lives are underscored with dramas of all kinds: there's ups, there's downs - the flickering candle." She added, "Half the people are drinking or drugging themselves to numb it. A lot of people are in pain."

2010–present: Island Records and A Christmas Cornucopia

In August 2010, Lennox signed a new contract with Island Records in the UK and Decca Records in the US (both part of the Universal Music Group). Her first release was a Christmas album entitled A Christmas Cornucopia, issued 15 November 2010. The album is a collection of Lennox's interpretations of traditional festive songs such as "Silent Night" and "The First Noel", along with one new composition, "Universal Child", which was released as a download-only single on 13 October 2010. Lennox had previously showcased the song on the American Idol Gives Back TV show in April 2010. She sang the song "Angels from the Realms of Glory" from the album for the TNT special Christmas in Washington.

A Music video for a second single from the album, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", which she performed on Loose Women, a TV show broadcast in the United Kingdom, which she featured on in December 2010 as a music guest and also was interviewed. The single has debuted at #126 on the UK Singles Charts.

According to Metacritic, A Christmas Cornucopia has so far been met with "generally favourable reviews". Ian Wade of BBC Music gave the album a very positive review, saying "this collection could find itself becoming as much a part of the holiday season as arguments with loved ones." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine awarded the album 3.5/5 and said "Lennox seems more inspired on A Christmas Cornucopia than she has in years." John Hunt of Qatar Today magazine gave the album 9/10 and said "in particular, the vocal work and musical arrangement of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' are impactful to the point of being intimidating."

It was confirmed in late-2010, that Lennox would become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, which she will receive sometime in 2011.

Public image

Charity and political work

In 1990, Lennox recorded a version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" for the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue, a benefit for AIDS awareness. A video was also produced.

Lennox has been a public supporter of Amnesty International and Greenpeace for many years, and she and Dave Stewart donated all of the profits from Eurythmics' 1999 Peacetour to both charities.

Her song "Sing" was subsequently born out of Lennox's involvement with Nelson Mandela's 46664 campaign and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), both of which are human rights groups which seek education and health care for those affected by HIV.

In Dec 2007 Lennox established The SING Campaign, an organisation dedicated to raising funds and awareness for women and children affected by HIV and AIDS.

In October 2006, Lennox spoke at the British House of Commons about the need for children in the UK to help their counterparts in Africa.

On 25 April 2007, Lennox performed "Bridge over Troubled Water" during the American Idol "Idol Gives Back" fundraising drive.

On 11 December 2007, she performed on the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway together with a variety of artists, which was broadcast to over 100 countries.

She led a rally against the Gaza War in London on 3 January 2009.

Lennox opened the 2009 Edinburgh Festival of Politics with a stinging attack on Pope Benedict XVI's approach to HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa. She said that the Pope's denunciation of condoms on his recent tour of Africa had caused "tremendous harm" and she criticised the Roman Catholic Church for causing widespread confusion on the continent. Lennox also condemned the media's obessesion with "celebrity culture" for keeping the AIDS pandemic off the front page. In an attempt to counter this, during her address, she wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "HIV positive". Lennox wore similar T-shirts at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert at Madison Square Garden on 30 October 2009, while appearing on The Graham Norton Show on 30 November 2009 (where she performed the new song "Full Steam", a duet with singer David Gray), and most recently during a recorded performance for American Idol during a 21 April 2010 fund-raiser, Idol Gives Back. In June 2010, she was named as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for AIDS.

Lennox also supports the Burma Campaign UK, a non-governmental organisation that addresses the suffering in Burma and promotes democratisation.

In 2006, in response to her humanitarian work, Lennox became patron of the Master's Course in Humanitarian and Development Practice for Oxford Brookes University. A spokesperson said that the university was "delighted that as a long-term supporter of human rights and social justice campaigns Ms Lennox has agreed to act as patron for its unique MA programme." She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to Oxfam.

Gay icon

Lennox has garnered a significant following within the LGBT community. According to The Advocate, "[h]er distinctive voice and provocative stage persona have made Lennox a longtime gay icon." With Eurythmics' music videos earning regular rotation on MTV in the 1980s, Lennox took part in the shaping of popular culture alongside other gay icons such as Boy George, Madonna, Morrissey, and Michael Stipe.

Music videos

Both during her work with Eurythmics and in her solo career, Lennox has made a large number of music promo videos. Her 1992 album Diva was accompanied by a video album that included promos for every song except one (Eurythmics made a similar collection for their 1987 album Savage). Actors Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich appeared in the music video for "Walking on Broken Glass", while the video for "Little Bird" paid homage to the different images and personas that have appeared in some of Lennox's previous videos. The clip features Lennox performing on stage with several lookalikes (male and female) that represent her personas from "Why", "Walking on Broken Glass", "Sweet Dreams", "Beethoven", "I Need a Man", "Thorn in My Side", "There Must Be an Angel", and even her stage image from the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Many of her solo videos have a theatrical feel, often in period settings with dramatic and comedic flourishes.

Discography

Studio albums

Diva (1992)

Medusa (1995)

Bare (2003)

Songs of Mass Destruction (2007)

The Annie Lennox Collection (2009)

A Christmas Cornucopia (2010)

Awards and nominations

Lennox has received a variety of major awards during her career:

; American Music Awards

2008 – AMA Award of Merit for her work and her humanitarian efforts

; Academy Awards

2004 – Best Original Song ("Into the West")

; Grammy Awards

1984 – Best New Artist (Eurythmics) (nominated)

1986 – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Eurythmics, "Would I Lie to You?") (nominated)

1987 – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Eurythmics, "Missionary Man")

1993 – Album of the Year (Diva) (nominated)

1993 – Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (Diva) (nominated)

1993 – Best Music Video – Long Form (Diva)

1996 – Best Pop Album (Medusa) (nominated)

1996 – Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("No More I Love You's")

2004 – Best Pop Album (Bare) (nominated)

2005 – Best Song Written For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media ("Into the West")

; Ivor Novello Awards

1984 – Songwriter of the Year for Lennox and Dave Stewart

1987 – Songwriter of the Year for Lennox and Dave Stewart

1987 – Best contemporary song ("Its Alright, (Baby's Coming Back)")

1993 – Best Song ("Why")

; ASCAP Awards

1984 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (US)

1984 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

1985 – Performance Award ("Here Comes the Rain Again") (US)

1985 – Performance Award ("Here Comes the Rain Again") (UK)

1986 – Performance Award ("Would I Lie to You?") (UK)

1993 – Performance Award ("Walking on Broken Glass") (UK)

1993 – Performance Award ("Why") (UK)

1994 – Performance Award ("Walking on Broken Glass") (US)

1994 – Performance Award ("Walking on Broken Glass") (UK)

1996 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

1997 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

1998 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

2000 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

2001 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

2004 – Film Award ("Into the West") (UK)

2006 – Founders Award (US)

2006 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

2008 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

2009 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

2010 – Performance Award ("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)") (UK)

; BRIT Awards

1984 – Best British Female Artist

1986 – Best British Female Artist

1989 – Best British Female Artist

1990 – Best British Female Artist

1993 – Best British Female Solo Artist

1993 – Best British Album (Diva)

1996 – Best British Female Solo Artist

1999 – Outstanding Contribution to British Music (Eurythmics)

; Golden Globe Awards

2004 – Best Original Song – Motion Picture ("Into the West")

; Honorary degrees and awards

1986 - Associate - Royal Academy of Music London

1997 - Fellowship - Royal Academy of Music London

2006 - Honorary Doctor of Music - The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

2006 - Fellowship - Edinburgh College of Art

2009 – Honorary Doctorate at the University of Edinburgh (awarded 20 October 2009), in recognition of her work in the field of HIV/AIDS, and her success as a recording artist.

; Other awards / titles / ambassadorships

2002 – Billboard Century Award by Billboard

2008 - OUT magazine honoured Lennox for her work in the HIV and Aids field. The top 100 most influential people in Gay Culture.

2008 - The British Red Cross Services to Humanity Award

2008 - Glamour Magazine's Inspirational Woman of the Year Award

2008 - Honoured at the 2008 Youth AIDS Gala, for her contribution in helping the fight against HIV and AIDS

2008 - The German Sustainability "special achievement" award for her commitment in the fight against HIV and AIDS

2008 - Webby Award for official website www.annielennox.com

2009 - Save the Children "Amigo de los Niños" Award

2009 - Awarded the "Freedom of the City of London" by the British Red Cross for services to humanity in the field of HIV and AIDS

2009 - Nobel Peace Laureates for services to humanity

2010 - Patron of the Elton John Aids Foundation

2010 - Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Scotland

2010 - Ambassador for HIV/AIDS in London

2010 - UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador

2010 - Barclays Women of the Year Award

2010 - GQ Charity Woman of the Year Award

2010 - Harper's Bazaar Lifetime Achievement Award

2010 - OBE - Order of the British Empire for her work fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa

Personal life

Both of Lennox's parents died of cancer. From 1988 to 2000, she was married to Israeli film and record producer Uri Fruchtman. They have two daughters, Lola (born 1990) and Tali (born 1993). A son, Daniel, was stillborn in December 1988. Lennox describes herself as an agnostic and lives in London.

Footnotes

External links

Official Annie Lennox website

The SING Campaign website, founded By Annie Lennox">The SING Campaign website, founded By Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox official YouTube channel

Annie Lennox official MySpace page

Annie Lennox official Facebook page

Annie Lennox official Twitter page

Category:Annie Lennox Category:1954 births Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Arista Records artists Category:Best Song Academy Award winning songwriters Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Decca Records artists Category:Universal Music Group artists Category:Female rock singers Category:Scottish agnostics Category:Scottish singers Category:Scottish singer-songwriters Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Living people Category:People associated with Oxford Brookes University Category:People from Aberdeen Category:Scottish musicians Category:Scottish contraltos Category:Scottish female singers Category:Scottish pop singers Category:Scottish rock singers Category:Torch singers Category:Scottish activists Category:AIDS activists Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire