Name	will.i.am
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	William James Adams, Jr.
Born	March 15, 1975 Inglewood, California,
Alias	Zuper Blahq, Will 1X, Voodoo Thursday
Instrument	Vocals, keyboards, bass, clavinet, Fender Rhodes, drums, piano, moog bass
Genre	Hip hop, rock, contemporary R&B;, electro hop
Occupation	Rapper, actor, singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, creative director
Years active	1993–present
Label	Ruthless, Warner Sunset, Atlantic, Geffen, A&M;, Interscope, Columbia, will.i.am music group
Associated acts	The Black Eyed Peas, 2NE1, Britney Spears, Far East Movement, Sergio Mendes, Justin Timberlake, David Guetta, Macy Gray, Planet Asia, Kim Hill, Cheryl Cole, Usher, Wolfgang Gartner
Website	}}

William James Adams, Jr. (born March 15, 1975), better known by his stage name will.i.am ("will I am") and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer. will.i.am came to prominence in the late 1990s as a member of the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas along with rappers apl.de.ap and Taboo and, later, singer Fergie. As a music producer, he has produced with other artists including Michael Jackson, Eazy-E, Britney Spears, U2, Rihanna, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Cheryl Cole, 2NE1, Daddy Yankee, and Juanes.

Early life

will.i.am was born and raised in the projects of East Los Angeles. He never met his father, William Adams, Sr., and grew up with his mother, Debra, who encouraged him to be unique and to avoid conforming to the tendencies of the other youth in his East L.A. neighborhood. She encouraged him to begin working on his musical career by sending him to school in Pacific Palisades. While attending Palisades Charter High School, will.i.am became best friends with Allan Lindo (stage name apl.de.ap), who was also a future member of The Black Eyed Peas. While still in high school, will.i.am and apl.de.ap performed in East L.A. clubs and were soon joined by three other entertainers to form the socially conscious rap group, Atban Klann. Atban Klann caught the eye of Compton rapper Eazy-E and was signed to his label, Ruthless Records, in 1991.

will.i.am used to attend raves while in high school, and claims that his history with rave culture is why he chose a more electro sound for The Black Eyed Peas' albums ''The E.N.D.'' and ''The Beginning''. Despite the use of electro and house music elements, will.i.am prefers to separate the underground from pop in order to maintain the theory that rave music is for esoterics of rave culture (such persons are otherwise known as 'ravers'). In an article with ''Los Angeles Times'', he mentions that secrecy over the whereabouts of raves is what made ''raving'' special, and different from the mainstream.

Music Career

1988-2000: Formations & The Black Eyed Peas

will.i.am's music career began in the summer of 1988, when as an eighth-grader, he met up and formed a trio called "Atban Klann" with fellow rapper Allan Pineda (apl.de.ap) and fellow student Dante Santiago. They began performing together around Los Angeles, and were soon discovered by Easy-E, who signed them to Ruthless Records in 1992. At the time, he was known as "Will 1X". Their first ever official track, "Merry Muthafuckin' Xmas", was included on Eazy-E's EP ''5150: Home 4 tha Sick''. After this, the trio began recording an album, "Grass Roots", with the help of producers Mookie Mook and DJ Motiv8, however, the album was never released to Easy-E's death in 1995. After Eazy-E died in 1995, Atban Klann changed their name to the Black Eyed Pods, and Will replaced Dante with Jaime Gomez, better known under his stage name of Taboo. In 1997, they once again changed their name, this time to the Black Eyed Peas, and began recording their first album, "Behind the Front", with the help of soul singer Kim Hill. They were soon signed to Interscope Records, and released their debut single, "Joints & Jam", in early 1998. The album was successful enough for the group's contract to be renewed, and in 2000, a second album, "Bridging the Gap", was released. It features the worldwide smash single "Request + Line", featuring Macy Gray.

2000-2003: Lost Change, Elephunk & Must B 21

Following the release of "Bridging The Gap", Will began recording his first solo release, "Lost Change", which was the official soundtrack to the film of the same name. Featuring collaborations with Medusa, Snoop Dogg and Terry Dexter, the album was a commercial failiure, failing to chart anywhere. In November 2001, work began on a third Black Eyed Peas album, "Elephunk". By this time, Kim Hill had left the group, and was subsequently replaced by Stacy Ferguson. The group released their breakthrough single, "Where Is The Love", in November 2002. During this time, Will recorded a second solo album, "Must B 21", which was the official soundtrack to the film "Get Things Started". Despite several Black Eyed Peas collaborations and the musical talents of John Legend, once again the album flopped.

2003-2006: Monkey Business & The Duchess

In November 2003, work began on a fourth Black Eyed Peas album, the second with new band member Stacy Ferguson. Upon the success of Elephunk, the album was released in 2005, at which point, the band announced they were to take a break to focus on their own personal projects. Will went on to produce Ferguson's first solo album, ''The Duchess'', which was released in 2006, before beginning work with Michael Jackson, who had requested Will's expertise for the recording and production of his new album. Work began on the album in 2006, and continued until the singer's death in 2009, at which point Will revealed that none of the material recorded during the period would be released, at the request of Jackson's family. However, remixes recorded for Jackson's ''Thriller 25'' anniversary album were released towards the end of 2009.

2007-2009: Songs About Girls & Change Is Now

In 2007, Will announced that he had co-created an all-female soul band entitled the Paradiso Girls, who he intended to work with on an upcoming solo project. The album, "Songs About Girls", was released in 2007, following a pilot scheme from the Universal Music Group to reward file sharing with cash incentives, which included tracks from the album. The album spawned three singles, "I Got It From My Mama", "One More Chance" and "Heartbreaker", and faired slightly better than his previous efforts, however, failed to shift more than 75,000 copies. In January 2008, Will announced plans that he was masterminding a politically-advocated album, ''Change is Now: Renewing America's Promise'', in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The first single, "Yes We Can", featured a music video directed by Jesse Dylan. The lyrics of the song are composed almost entirely of excerpts from Obama's speech on January 8, 2008, following the New Hampshire presidential primary election. The video features appearances from numerous celebrities including Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adam Rodríguez, Kelly Hu, Hill Harper, Amber Valletta, Eric Balfour, Aisha Tyler, Nicole Scherzinger, Nick Cannon, Bryan Greenberg, and Common and first appeared on the website for Dipdive. The video racked up three million views within a week and over four million subsequently on YouTube. On June 13, 2008, "Yes We Can" won an award at the 35th Annual Creative Arts and Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards for "New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment". On February 29, 2008, the album's second single, "We Are the Ones", was released on Dipdive and YouTube. Including cameo appearances from Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillippe, Kerry Washington, pop punk band Yellowcard's front man, Ryan Key, John Leguizamo, Regina King, Tyrese Gibson, Eric Mabius, Tichina Arnold, Adrianne Palicki, comedian George Lopez, and singers Macy Gray, Zoe Kravitz and The Black Eyed Peas' Taboo, the video features everyone chanting "O-BA-MA" as a portrayal as their hopes and wishes for Barack Obama and his presidential campaign. On November 4, 2008, will.i.am spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper about his support for then-Senator Obama using CNN's 'hologram' technology. Following the 2008 election, and Obama's victory, Will released the album's third single, "It's a New Day". The video reflects on the historical events that led to the election of the first African-American president and the public's reaction to his election. The video features celebrities such as Fergie, Olivia Wilde, Kanye West, Harold Perrineau, Kevin Bacon, and his wife Kyra Sedgwick. The video first debuted on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show''. In honor of the inauguration of Barack Obama as president, will.i.am collaborated with producer David Foster on the album's fourth single, "America's Song", with contributing vocals from Seal, Bono, Mary J. Blige, and Faith Hill. In response to Barack Obama's reaction following Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, will.i.am penned the album's fifth and final single, "The Jackass Song". It features a sample of Kanye West's "Heartless". Will wrote a blog post which featured the song on Dipdive, and released in February 2009. will.i.am attended and spoke at the FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff on January 8, 2011, declaring, "I am a FIRST fan." He has also named FIRST Founder Dean Kamen "one of [his] heroes" on his verified Twitter account.

2009-2011: Return Of The Black Eyed Peas

In March 2009, Will announced plans for The Black Eyed Peas to return, and within months, their comeback single, "Boom Boom Pow", had reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. They went on to have three #1 singles before releasing their comeback album, ''The E.N.D''. The album's success warrented a second comeback album, ''The Beginning'', to be released in November 2010. The album spawned another three hit singles, however, the band soon announced plans they were to break again, following the conclusion of their world tour.

2011-present: Black Einstein

In October 2010, Will released a collaborative single, "Check It Out", with American rapper Nicki Minaj. In January 2011, Will formally announced that he was in the process of recording a fourth solo album, with some material being recorded under the pseudonym Zuper Blahq. In March 2011, a track from the album, "I'm In The House", a collaboration with Steve Aoki, was made available. It charted at #29 on the UK Singles Chart due to strong downloads, however, Will was strong to stress it was not intended as a single. In April 2011, Will released a double A-side single for the soundtrack of the animated film ''Rio'', in which he voiced a character. "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)" / "Drop It Low", featuring Jamie Foxx and Anne Hathaway, failed to chart anywhere. Will then announced that he was going to remix the tracks for inclusion on the album. In May 2011, a music video directed by James Sutton, for the album's lead single, "Dance", was released under Will's pseudonym. The video features Natalia Kills, who also has a brief vocal role in the song. A further track from the album, "Forever", featuring Wolfgang Gartner, was also made available. Black Eyed Peas colleague Fergie announced in an interview that the new album will be "Black Einstein".

Soundtrack Appearances & Collaborations

In 2002, Will recorded the song "Secrets" for the soundtrack to ''Dexter's Laboratory: The Hip-Hop Experiment'', a film accompaniment to the Cartoon Network series. In 2008, Will contributed the song "One People" to the Survival International charity album, ''Songs for Survival''. Also in 2008, Will featured on British rapper Flo Rida's debut album, ''Mail on Sunday'', where he produced and featured on the song "In The Ayer", and featured on Usher's sixth album, ''Here I Stand''. In 2009, Will worked with rappers Flo Rida and Akon for Flo's second studio album, ''R.O.O.T.S.'', and recorded four tracks with Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole for her debut solo album ''3 Words''. He also worked with Rihanna on her fifth studio album, ''Rated R'', for a track called "Photographs". In February 2010, he featured and produced the single "OMG" by Usher, which appeared on Usher's seventh studio album, ''Raymond vs. Raymond''. In a YouTube video posted by YGLifeOfficial on March 15, 2010, Will expressed his desire to work with Korean K-pop girl group 2NE1, and help them achieve international success. Will has recorded a collaboration with Britney Spears, "Big Fat Bass", which features on her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale''.

Acting

will.i.am first started acting alongside the rest of the members of The Black Eyed Peas in the commercial series "Instant Def" to advertise Snickers. He starred in ''Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa'' as the voice of the character ''Moto Moto''. He contributed a number of tracks to the movie's motion picture soundtrack in collaboration with industry heavyweight Hans Zimmer. will.i.am played John Wraith in his major film debut, ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'', a prequel to the X-Men film series. He also guest starred on the CBS drama ''Joan of Arcadia'' as God, one of several actors who played this role during the series. He also starred in the 2011, animated film Rio, as a rapping red-crested Cardinal named Pedro, and like ''Madagascar: Escape to Africa'', he contributed his singing voice to the film's soundtrack, along with his fellow co-stars. will.i.am played a fathering role in ''The Urbz: Sims In The City'', which uses The Black Eyed Peas' songs as its soundtrack. He briefly played himself in the Tina Fey and Steve Carell Comedy ''Date Night''.

Fashion

Before joining The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. In 2001, he began designing his own signature clothing line, ''i.am'', which made its official debut in 2005 at the Magic Apparel Trade Show in Las Vegas. In 2007, will.i.am teamed up with Blue Holdings to design a premium denim collection, ''i.am Antik'', that was scheduled to debut in August 2007 at the Project Show in Las Vegas. will.i.am instead has new partners and is launching i.am

Other Activities

will.i.am appeared at the kickoff event for the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition, Logo Motion held at Southern New Hampshire University. He stated that he is "a big fan", and that the newly unveiled game was "dope". During his interview, he said that "his mama will work with yo mama". He also performed a concert for FIRST at the 2011 FIRST World Championship at the Edward Jones Dome. will.i.am appeared in concert with the Black Eyed Peas as a part of a special concert for 2011 FIRST Robotics Championships. It was recorded for a special aired by ABC on August 14, 2011 at 7 pm. The world's largest chipmaker, Intel Corp., said will.i.am will become a creative director, contributing music and helping in the development of devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets. As a “director of creative innovation”, will.i.am is responsible to improve the sales in the company. The collaboration and co-development with will.i.am and Intel on these products will provide new modern music that will create trends in the technological world. will.i.am states that there will be “new ways to communicate, create, inform and entertain..." According to Intel, this relationship will bring the technology and entertainment industry together. It is very important to attract the youth culture. According to an interview with the British tabloid The Sun, will.i.am says he suffers from Tinnitus. The disorder, which is common among musicians who've been exposed to loud music for prolonged periods of time is characterized by ringing or buzzing in the ears.

Controversies

On June 22, 2009, blogger Perez Hilton accused will.i.am and his entourage of assaulting him in Toronto after the MuchMusic Video Awards, a charge will.i.am denied in a video posted on his blog. From his account, Hilton was rude to Fergie and will.i.am confronted the blogger. will.i.am gave his account on his blog:

According to news reports, AP article via MSNBC, Hilton called will.i.am a faggot in the club, but Polo Molina – Black Eyed Peas's tour manager – was responsible for punching Hilton from behind. The incident was caught on photo by a nearby photographer and by a video which documents the encounter. Gossip website TMZ released a video showing the encounter. Liborio Molina, a 36-year-old California resident, has been charged with one count of assault. Since the incident, will.i.am has received support from a variety of other celebrities including Josh Duhamel, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, LMFAO, Zac Efron, Breckin Meyer and Jimmy Kimmel.

Discography

''Lost Change'' (2001)

''Must B 21'' (2003)

''Songs About Girls'' (2007)

''Black Einstein'' (2011)

''It Dinner Time'' (2012)

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	''Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa''	Moto Moto	Voice
2009	''X-Men Origins: Wolverine''
2009	''Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard''	Snow	Voice
2011		Pedro	Voice

TV series

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	''Joan of Arcadia''	Three Card Monte Guy God	Episode: "Independence Day"
2007		Himself	Episode: "A New Legacy"
2011	''The Cleveland Show''	Bernard	Voice

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009		John Wraith	Voice

Awards

Daytime Emmy Awards

2008, New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment: "Yes We Can" 2011, Best Original Song "What I Am"

Grammy Awards

will.i.am has won 7 Grammy Awards:

2005, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Let's Get It Started", The Black Eyed Peas

2006, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Don't Phunk with My Heart", The Black Eyed Peas

2007, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "My Humps", The Black Eyed Peas

2009, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Be OK"

2010, Best Short Form Music Video: "Boom Boom Pow", The Black Eyed Peas

2010, Best Pop Vocal Album: "The E.N.D.", The Black Eyed Peas

2010, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group: "I Gotta Feeling", The Black Eyed Peas

Latin Grammy Awards

2006, Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album: "Timeless", Sérgio Mendes (producer)

BMI Awards

2010, BMI presented the BMI President’s Award to will.i.am in recognition of his work as an artist, producer, and humanitarian. The honor is bestowed on an individual who has distinctly and profoundly influenced the entertainment industry.

Kids Choice Awards

2011- Favorite Band.

References

External links

will.i.am at Beatbuggy

Category:Living people Category:1975 births Category:African American rappers Category:African American singers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American record producers Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hip hop record producers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:Ruthless Records artists Category:The Black Eyed Peas members Category:People from Inglewood, California Category:Interscope Records artists *

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name	Mick Jagger
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Philip Jagger
born	July 26, 1943Dartford, Kent, England
genre	Rock, rock and roll, blues rock, rhythm and blues, funk, psychedelic rock, soul
instrument	Vocals, harmonica, percussion, guitar, bass, keyboards
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, record and film producer, actor
years active	1961–present
label	Virgin, Rolling Stones, ABKCO, Universal
associated acts	The Rolling Stones, Super Heavy
website	MickJagger.com }}

Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, actor and producer, best known as the lead vocalist of rock band The Rolling Stones. Jagger has also acted in and produced several films.

The Rolling Stones started in the early 1960s as a rhythm and blues cover band with Jagger as frontman. Beginning in 1964, Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards developed a songwriting partnership, and by the mid-1960s the group had evolved into a major rock band. Frequent conflict with the authorities (including alleged drug use and his romantic involvements) ensured that during this time Jagger was never far from the headlines, and he was often portrayed as a counterculture figure. In the late 1960s Jagger began acting in films (starting with ''Performance'' and ''Ned Kelly''), to mixed reception. In the 1970s, Jagger, with the rest of the Stones, became tax exiles, consolidated their global position and gained more control over their business affairs with the formation of the Rolling Stones Records label. During this time, Jagger was also known for his high-profile marriages to Bianca Jagger and later to Jerry Hall. In 1985, Jagger released his first solo album, ''She's the Boss''. He was knighted in 2003.

Jagger's career has spanned over 50 years. His performance style has been said to have "opened up definitions of gendered masculinity and so laid the foundations for self-invention and sexual plasticity which are now an integral part of contemporary youth culture". In 2006, he was ranked by ''Hit Parader'' as the fifteenth greatest heavy metal singer of all time, despite not being associated with the genre. Allmusic has described Jagger as "one of the most popular and influential frontmen in the history of rock & roll". His distinctive voice and performance, along with Keith Richards' guitar style, have been the trademark of The Rolling Stones throughout their career.

Life and career

Early life

Jagger was born into a middle class family at the Livingstone Hospital, in Dartford, Kent, England. His father, Basil Fanshawe ("Joe") Jagger (13 April 1913 – 11 November 2006), and his paternal grandfather, David Ernest Jagger, were both teachers. His mother, Eva Ensley Mary (née Scutts; 6 April 1913 – 18 May 2000), born in New South Wales, Australia, was a hairdresser and an active member of the Conservative Party. Jagger is the elder of two sons (his brother Chris Jagger was born on 19 December 1947) and was raised to follow in his father's career path.

In the book ''According to the Rolling Stones'', Jagger states "I was always a singer. I always sang as a child. I was one of those kids who just ''liked'' to sing. Some kids sing in choirs; others like to show off in front of the mirror. I was in the church choir and I also loved listening to singers on the radio – the BBC or Radio Luxembourg – or watching them on TV and in the movies."

From September 1950, Keith Richards and Jagger (known as "Mike" to his friends) were classmates at Wentworth Primary School in Dartford, Kent. In 1954, Jagger passed the eleven-plus, and went to Dartford Grammar School, where there is now The Mick Jagger Centre, as part of the school. Having lost contact with each other when they went to different schools, Richards and Jagger resumed their friendship in July 1960 after a chance encounter and discovered that they had both developed a love for rhythm and blues music, which began for Jagger with Little Richard.

Jagger left school in 1961. He obtained seven O-levels and three A-levels. Jagger and Richards moved into a flat in Edith Grove in Chelsea with a guitarist they had encountered named Brian Jones. While Richards and Jones were making plans to start their own rhythm and blues group, Jagger continued his business courses at the London School of Economics, and had seriously considered becoming either a journalist or a politician. Jagger had compared the latter to a pop star.

Career

Early years: 1960s

In their earliest days, the members played for no money in the interval of Alexis Korner's gigs at a basement club opposite Ealing Broadway tube station (subsequently called "Ferry's" club). At the time, the group had very little equipment and needed to borrow Alexis' gear to play. This was before Andrew Loog Oldham became their manager.

The group’s first appearance under the name The Rollin' Stones (after one of their favourite Muddy Waters tunes) was at the Marquee Club, a jazz club, on 12 July 1962. They would later change their name to “The Rolling Stones” as it seemed more formal. Victor Bockris states that the band members included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart on piano, Dick Taylor on bass and Tony Chapman on drums. However, Richards states in ''Life'', "The drummer that night was Mick Avory—not Tony Chapman, as history has mysteriously handed it down..." Some time later, the band went on their first tour in the United Kingdom; this was known as the “training ground” tour because it was a new experience for all of them. The line-up did not at that time include drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman. By 1963, they were finding their stride as well as popularity. By 1964, two unscientific opinion polls rated them as England's most popular group, outranking even the Beatles.

By the autumn of 1963, Jagger had left the London School of Economics in favour of his promising musical career with the Rolling Stones. The group continued to mine the works of American rhythm and blues artists such as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, but with the strong encouragement of Andrew Loog Oldham, Jagger and Richards soon began to write their own songs. This core songwriting partnership would flourish in time; one of their early compositions, "As Tears Go By", was a song written for Marianne Faithfull, a young singer being promoted by Loog Oldham at the time. For the Rolling Stones, the duo would write "The Last Time", the group's third number-one single in the UK (their first two UK number-one hits had been cover versions). Another of the fruits of this collaboration was their first international hit, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". It also established The Rolling Stones’ image as defiant troublemakers in contrast to The Beatles' "lovable moptop" image.

Jagger told Stephen Schiff in a 1992 ''Vanity Fair'' profile: "I wasn't trying to be rebellious in those days; I was just being me. I wasn't trying to push the edge of anything. I'm being me and ordinary, the guy from suburbia who sings in this band, but someone older might have thought it was just the most awful racket, the most terrible thing, and where are we going if this is music?... But all those songs we sang were pretty tame, really. People didn't think they were, but I thought they were tame."

The group released several successful albums including ''December's Children (And Everybody's)'', ''Aftermath'', and ''Between the Buttons'', but their reputations were catching up to them. In 1967, Jagger and Richards were arrested on drug charges and were given unusually harsh sentences: Jagger was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for possession of four over-the-counter pep pills he had purchased in Italy. On appeal, Richards' sentence was overturned and Jagger's was amended to a conditional discharge (he ended up spending one night inside Brixton Prison) after an article appeared in ''The Times'', written by its traditionally conservative editor William (now Lord) Rees-Mogg, but the Rolling Stones continued to face legal battles for the next decade. Around the same time, internal struggles about the direction of the group had begun to surface.

1970s

After Jones' death and their move in 1971 to the south of France as tax exiles, Jagger and the rest of the band changed their look and style as the 1970s progressed. For the Rolling Stones' highly publicised 1972 American tour, Jagger wore glam-rock clothing and glittery makeup on stage. Later in the decade, they ventured into genres like disco and punk with the album ''Some Girls'' (1978). Their interest in the blues, however, had been made manifest in the 1972 album ''Exile on Main St''. His emotional singing on the gospel-influenced ''Let It Loose'', one of the album's tracks, has been described by music critic Russell Hall as having been Jagger's finest ever vocal achievement.

After the band's acrimonious split with their second manager, Allen Klein, in 1971, Jagger took control of their business affairs and has managed them ever since in collaboration with his friend and colleague, Rupert Löwenstein. Mick Taylor, Brian Jones's replacement, left the band in December 1974 and was replaced by Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood in 1975, who also operated as a mediator within the group, and between Jagger and Richards in particular.

1980s

While continuing to tour and release albums with the Rolling Stones, Jagger began a solo career. In 1985, he released his first solo album ''She's the Boss'' produced by Nile Rodgers and Bill Laswell, featuring Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer, Pete Townshend, and the Compass Point All Stars. It sold fairly well, and the single "Just Another Night" was a Top Ten hit. During this period, he collaborated with The Jacksons on the song "State of Shock", sharing lead vocals with Michael Jackson. For his own personal contributions in the 1985 Live Aid multi-venue charity concert, he performed at Philadelphia's JFK Stadium; he did a duet with Tina Turner of "It's Only Rock and Roll", and the performance was highlighted by Jagger tearing away a part of Turner's dress. He also did a cover of "Dancing in the Street" with David Bowie, who himself appeared at Wembley Stadium. The video was shown simultaneously on the screens of both Wembley and JFK Stadiums. The song reached number one in the UK the same year.

In 1987, he released his second solo album, ''Primitive Cool''. While it failed to match the commercial success of his debut, it was critically well received.

In 1988, he produced the songs "Glamour Boys" and "Which Way to America" on Living Colour's album ''Vivid''. He also collaborated with The Jacksons on the song "State of Shock". 15–28 March, he has a solo concert tour in Japan(Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka). Show at 22 March is "Tokyo Dome" first performance of Japan's overseas artist.

1990s

''Wandering Spirit'' was the third solo album by Jagger and was released in 1993. It would be his only solo album release of the 1990s. Jagger aimed to re-introduce himself as a solo artist in a musical climate vastly changed from what had witnessed the release of his first two projects, ''She's the Boss'' and ''Primitive Cool''.

Following the successful comeback of the Rolling Stones' ''Steel Wheels'' (1989), which saw the end of Jagger and Richards' well-publicised feud, Jagger began routining new material for what would become ''Wandering Spirit''. In January 1992, after acquiring Rick Rubin as co-producer, Jagger recorded the album in Los Angeles over seven months until September 1992, recording simultaneously as Richards was making ''Main Offender''.

Jagger would keep the celebrity guests to a minimum on ''Wandering Spirit'', only having Lenny Kravitz as a vocalist on his cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" and bassist Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers on three tracks.

Following the end of the Rolling Stones' Sony Music contract and their signing to Virgin Records, Jagger elected to sign with Atlantic Records (which had signed the Stones in the 1970s) to distribute what would be his only album with the label.

Released in February 1993, ''Wandering Spirit'' was commercially successful, reaching #12 in the UK and #11 in the US, going gold there. The track "Sweet Thing" was the lead single, although it was the third single, "Don't Tear Me Up", which found moderate success, topping Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart for one week. Critical reaction was very strong, noting Jagger's abandonment of slick synthesisers in favour of an incisive and lean guitar sound.

Contemporary reviewers tend to consider ''Wandering Spirits'' a high point of Jagger's latter-day career achievements.

2000s

In 2001, Jagger released ''Goddess in the Doorway'' spawning the hit single "Visions of Paradise".

He celebrated The Rolling Stones' 40th anniversary by touring with them on the year-long ''Licks'' tour in support of their career retrospective ''Forty Licks'' double album.

On 26 September 2007, The Rolling Stones made US$437 million on their A Bigger Bang Tour, which got them into the current edition of ''Guinness World Records'' for the most lucrative music tour. Jagger has refused to say when the band will finally retire, stating in 2007: "I'm sure the Rolling Stones will do more things and more records and more tours. We've got no plans to stop any of that really."

2010s

On 20 May 2011, Jagger announced the formation of a new supergroup, the first band he had formed since the Rolling Stones. The band, SuperHeavy includes Dave Stewart, Joss Stone, Damian Marley, and A.R. Rahman.

Relationship with Keith Richards

Jagger's relationship with band mate Richards is frequently described as "love/hate" by the media.

Richards himself said in a 1998 interview: "I think of our differences as a family squabble. If I shout and scream at him, it's because no one else has the guts to do it or else they're paid not to do it. At the same time I'd hope Mick realises that I'm a friend who is just trying to bring him into line and do what needs to be done." Richards, along with Johnny Depp, tried unsuccessfully to persuade Jagger to appear in ''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'', alongside Depp and Richards.

Richards' autobiography, ''Life'', was released 26 October 2010. On 15 October 2010, the Associated Press published an article stating that Richards refers to Mick Jagger as "unbearable" in the book and notes that their relationship has been strained "for decades."

Acting and film production

Jagger has also had an intermittent acting career, most notably in Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg's ''Performance'' (1968) and as Australian bushranger ''Ned Kelly'' (1970). He composed an improvised soundtrack for Kenneth Anger's film ''Invocation Of My Demon Brother'' on the Moog synthesiser in 1969. He auditioned for the role of Dr. Frank N. Furter in the 1975 film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Show, a now iconic role that was eventually played by the original performer from its run on London's West End, Tim Curry. Appeared as himself in The Rutles film ''All You Need Is Cash'' in 1978. In the late 1970s, Jagger was cast as Wilbur, a main character in Werner Herzog's ''Fitzcarraldo.'' However, a delay and the illness of main actor Jason Robards (later replaced by Klaus Kinski) in the film's notoriously difficult production resulted in his being unable to continue due to schedule conflicts with a band tour; some of the footage of his work is shown in the documentary ''Burden of Dreams''. He developed a reputation for playing the heavy later in his acting career in films including ''Freejack'' (1992), ''Bent'' (1997), and ''The Man From Elysian Fields'' (2002).

In 1995, Jagger founded Jagged Films with Victoria Pearman "[to] start my own projects instead of just going in other people's and being involved peripherally or doing music." Its first release was the World War II drama ''Enigma'' in 2001. That same year, it produced a documentary on Jagger entitled ''Being Mick.'' The program, which first aired on television 22 November, coincided with the release of his fourth solo album, ''Goddess in the Doorway.''

In 2008, the company began work on ''The Women'', an adaptation of the George Cukor film of the same name. It was directed by Diane English. Reviving the 1939 film met with countless delays, but Jagger's company was credited with obtaining $24 million of much-needed financing to finally begin casting. English told ''Entertainment Weekly'': "This was much easier in 1939, when all the ladies were under contract, and they had to take the roles they were told to."

The Rolling Stones have been the subjects of numerous documentaries, including ''Gimme Shelter'', which was made as the band was gaining fame in the United States. Martin Scorsese worked with Jagger on ''Shine a Light,'' a documentary film featuring the Rolling Stones with footage from the A Bigger Bang Tour during two nights of performances at New York's Beacon Theatre. It screened in Berlin in February 2008. ''Variety'''s Todd McCarthy said the film "takes full advantage of heavy camera coverage and top-notch sound to create an invigorating musical trip down memory lane, as well as to provoke gentle musings on the wages of ageing and the passage of time." He predicted the film would fare better once released to video than in its limited theatrical runs.

Jagger was a producer of, and guest-starred in the first episode of the short-lived comedy ''The Knights of Prosperity'', which aired in 2007 on ABC.''

Personal life

Jagger is known for his many high-profile relationships. He has been married twice and has had numerous romantic connections.

In 1970, Mick Jagger purchased Stargroves at East Woodhay in Hampshire as his country estate. It was often used as a recording venue. In the same year, he began a relationship with Nicaraguan-born Bianca De Macias, whom he married on 12 May 1971, in a Catholic ceremony in Saint-Tropez, France. The couple separated in 1977 and in May 1978, she filed for divorce on the grounds of his adultery. Bianca later said "My marriage ended on my wedding day." In late 1977, he began seeing model Jerry Hall, while still married to Bianca. After a lengthy cohabitation and several children together, the couple married on 21 November 1990, in a Hindu beach ceremony in Indonesia and moved together to Downe House in Richmond, Surrey. Jagger later contested the validity of the ceremony, and the marriage was annulled in August 1999. Jagger has also been romantically linked to other women: Chrissie Shrimpton, Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Marsha Hunt, Pamela Des Barres, Uschi Obermaier, Bebe Buell, Carly Simon, Margaret Trudeau, Mackenzie Phillips, Janice Dickinson, Carla Bruni, Sophie Dahl and Angelina Jolie, among others.

Jagger has seven children by four women: :*By Marsha Hunt, he has daughter Karis Hunt Jagger (born 4 November 1970). :*By Bianca Jagger, he has daughter Jade Sheena Jezebel Jagger (born 21 October 1971). :*By Jerry Hall he has daughter Elizabeth Scarlett Jagger (born 2 March 1984), son James Leroy Augustin Jagger (born 28 August 1985), daughter Georgia May Ayeesha Jagger (born 12 January 1992) and son Gabriel Luke Beauregard Jagger (born 9 December 1997) :*By Luciana Gimenez, he has son Lucas Maurice Morad Jagger (born 18 May 1999).

He also has four grandchildren.

His father, Joe, died on 11 November 2006, at the age of 93.

In 2008, it was revealed that members of the Hells Angels had plotted to murder Jagger in 1975. They were angered by Jagger's public blaming of the Hells Angels, who had been hired to provide "security" at the Altamont Free Concert in December 1969, for much of the crowd violence at the event. The conspirators reportedly used a boat to approach a residence where Jagger was staying on Long Island, New York; the plot failed when the boat was nearly sunk by a storm.

Jagger is an avid cricket fan. He founded Jagged Internetworks so he could get coverage of English Cricket.

His personal fortune was estimated in 2010, at £190 million (~$298 million US).

He said in September 2010 that he has a daily meditation and Buddhist practice.

Knighthood

On 12 December 2003, Jagger was knighted for Services to Music, as Sir Michael Jagger by The Prince of Wales. Mick Jagger's knighthood received mixed reactions. Some fans were disappointed when he accepted the honour as it seemed to contradict his anti-establishment stance.

As United Press International noted, the honour is odd, for unlike other knighted rock musicians, he has no "known record of charitable work or public services," although he is a patron of the British Museum. Jagger was absent from the Queen's Golden Jubilee pop concert at Buckingham Palace that marked her 50 years on the throne.

Charlie Watts was quoted in the book ''According to the Rolling Stones'' as saying, "Anybody else would be lynched: 18 wives and 20 children and he's knighted, fantastic!" The ceremony took place in December 2003. Jagger’s father and daughters Karis and Elizabeth were in attendance.

Jagger's knighthood also caused some friction between him and bandmate Keith Richards, who was irritated when Jagger accepted the "paltry honour". Richards said that he did not want to take the stage with someone wearing a "coronet and sporting the old ermine. It's not what the Stones is about, is it?" Jagger retorted: "I think he would probably like to get the same honour himself. It's like being given an ice cream—one gets one and they all want one."

Mick Jagger in popular culture

From the time that the Rolling Stones developed their anti-establishment image in the mid-1960s, Mick Jagger, along with guitarist Keith Richards, has been an enduring icon of the counterculture. This was no doubt enhanced by his controversial drug-related arrests, sexually charged onstage antics, provocative song lyrics, and his role of the bisexual Turner in the 1970 film ''Performance''. One of his biographers, Christopher Andersen, describes him as being "one of the dominant cultural figures of our time", adding that Jagger was "the story of a generation".

Jagger, who at the time described himself as an anarchist and espoused the leftist slogans of the era, took part in a demonstration against the Vietnam War outside the US Embassy in London in 1968. This event inspired him to write "Street Fighting Man" that same year and served to reinforce his rebellious, anti-authority stance in the eyes of his fans.

A variety of celebrities attended a lavish party at New York's St. Regis Hotel to celebrate Jagger's 29th birthday and the end of the band's 1972 American tour. The party made the front pages of the leading New York newspapers.

Pop artist Andy Warhol painted a series of silkscreen portraits of Jagger in 1975, one of which was owned by Farah Diba, wife of the Shah of Iran. It hung on a wall inside the royal palace in Teheran. In 1967, Cecil Beaton photographed Jagger's naked buttocks, a photo that sold at Sotheby's auction house in 1986 for $4,000.

On 26 September 2005 the British band Infadels released a single entitled "Jagger '67" which later appeared on their album We Are Not The Infadels. Jagger is directly referred to in pop singer Kesha's 2009 debut single ''Tik Tok''. Jagger was allegedly a contender for the anonymous subject of Carly Simon's 1973 hit song ''You're So Vain'', in which he sings backing vocals. Although Don McLean does not use Jagger's name in his famous song "American Pie", he alludes to Jagger onstage at Altamont, calling him Satan. (Jagger had assumed the guise of Satan in "Sympathy For The Devil", a track from the album ''Beggar's Banquet''.)

In 2010 a retrospective exhibitions of portraits of Mick Jagger was presented at the festival Rencontres d'Arles, in France. The authors of the 70 pictures are Bryan Adams, Brian Aris, Enrique Badulescu, Cecil Beaton, Simone Cecchetti, William Christie, Anton Corbijn, Kevin Cummins, Sante D’Orazio, Deborah Feingold, Tony Frank, Claude Gassian, Harry Goodwin, Anwar Hussein, Karl Lagerfeld, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Gered Mankowitz, Jim Marshall, David Montgomery, Terry O’Neill, Guy Peellaert, Jean-Marie Périer, Michael Putland, Ken Regan, Herb Ritts, Ethan Russell, Francesco Scavullo, Norman Seeff, Mark Seliger, Dominique Tarl, Pierre Terrasson, Andy Warhol, Albert Watson, Robert Whitaker, Baron Wolman. The catalogue of the exihibition is the first photo album of Mick Jagger and shows the evolution of the artist in 50 years of career.

A single entitled "Moves Like Jagger" was released in June 2011 on the television program ''The Voice'' by judges Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera. The song is about Mick's onstage and ladykiller-esque swagger.

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century'', makes several references to ''Performance'' in its second issue, "Paint it Black", prominently featuring Mick Jagger's Turner character and features a fictionalized version of Brian Jones' tribute concert.

Discography

Albums

!Year	!Album details	UK Albums Chart>UK	Billboard 200>US	British Phonographic Industry>BPI / Recording Industry Association of America
1985	''[[She's the Boss''	* Released: 21 February 1985	* Label: CBS Records		(11 wks)		(29 wks)	UK: Silver	US: Platinum
1987	''Primitive Cool''	* Released: 14 September 1987	* Label: CBS Records		(5 wks)		(20 wks)
1993		* Released: 9 February 1993	* Label: Atlantic Records		(4 wks)		(16 wks)	US: Gold
2001	''Goddess in the Doorway''	* Released: 19 November 2001	* Label: Virgin Records		(4 wks)		(8 wks)	UK: Silver
2007	''The Very Best of Mick Jagger''	* Released: 1 October 2007	Rhino Entertainment>Rhino Records		(1 wk)		(2 wks)

Soundtrack

!Year	!Album details	Billboard 200>US
2004		* Release date: 18 October 2004	* Label: Virgin Records		(2 wks)

Singles

Release date	!A-side	!width="50"
	''Burden of Dreams''
1987	''Running Out of Luck''
1991	''At the Max''
1992	''Freejack''
1997
1999
	''Enigma (2001 film)
''[[The Man from Elysian Fields''
''Being Mick''
2003	''Mayor of the Sunset Strip''
2008

References

External links

in 2002

Sir Michael Philip ('Mick') Jagger (1943–), Singer and composer: Sitter associated with 33 portraits (National Portrait Gallery)

The Rolling Stones – Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger Joins a New ABC Sitcom

1983 Audio interview with Mick Jagger-discusses "Undercover" album Classic Rock Central

National Museum of Australia A collection of film memorabilia, including fascimiles of Ned Kelly's armour used in the film ''Ned Kelly'', is held at the National Museum of Australia.

}}

Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:2012 Summer Olympics cultural ambassadors Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics Category:English Buddhists Category:English blues singers Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:English film actors Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English rock musicians Category:English rock singers Category:English songwriters Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Knights Bachelor Category:People from Dartford Category:People from Hampshire Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:The Rolling Stones members Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians Category:People educated at Dartford Grammar School

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name	Jennifer Lopez
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jennifer Lynn Lopez
alias	J.Lo
birth date	}}

| genre = | occupation = Actress, businesswoman, dancer, recording artist | years_active = 1986, 1991–present | label = Epic, Island, Work | website = }} Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), often known by her moniker J.Lo, is an American actress, businesswoman, dancer and recording artist. She began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color''. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller ''Money Train''. Her first leading role was in the biographical film ''Selena'' (1997), in which she earned an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in ''Out of Sight'' (1998). She has since starred in various films, including ''The Cell'' (2000), ''The Wedding Planner'' (2001), ''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002), ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004), ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), and ''The Back-up Plan'' (2010).

Lopez came to prominence within the music industry following the release of her debut studio album ''On the 6'' (1999), which spawned the number one hit single "If You Had My Love". Her second studio album, ''J.Lo'' (2001), sold eight million copies worldwide; it was number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 the same week her film ''The Wedding Planner'' led the Box Office. ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'' (2002) became her second consecutive album to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. Her third and fourth studio albums – ''This Is Me... Then'' and ''Rebirth'' – peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. In 2007 she released two albums: her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', and her fifth English studio album, ''Brave''. Lopez returned to music and released her seventh studio album, titled ''Love?'', on April 19, 2011, which produced her most successful single to date, "On the Floor". Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements, including two Grammy Award nominations; two Latin Grammy Award nominations; three American Music Awards, amongst six nominations. She has amassed estimated sales of over 55 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade. In 2010, Lopez became a member of the judging panel for the American reality television competition ''American Idol''. Lopez has been selected for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012 for the "Recording" category.

She led ''People en Español''s list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in February 2007. That year, Lopez made the ''Forbes'' magazine's list of "The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment," ranking ninth. She has parlayed her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement. A fashion icon, several of her dresses have received considerable media attention, most notably the Jungle green Versace dress which she wore at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000—voted the fifth most iconic dress of all time. Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Lopez advocates for human rights and vaccinations, and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2011 she was named the most "Beautiful Person" by ''People'' magazine in its annual issue. As of 2011, her wealth is estimated to be $150 million.

Early life and career beginnings

Lopez was born on July 24, 1969, in The Bronx, New York, and was raised on Blackrock Avenue in the borough's Castle Hill neighborhood. She is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe (née Rodríguez), a kindergarten teacher, and David Lopez, a computer specialist, both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Lopez was raised as a Roman Catholic. She has two siblings, Lynda and Leslie. Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School in the Bronx. She financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of nineteen. After attending Baruch College for one semester, Lopez divided her time between working as a notary public in a legal office, dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan night clubs. She had a small part in the 1987 film ''My Little Girl'', at the age of sixteen. After months of auditioning for dance roles, Lopez was selected as a dancer for various rap music videos, a 1990 episode of ''Yo! MTV Raps'', and as a backup dancer for the New Kids on the Block and their performance of their song "Games" for the American Music Awards in 1991. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a "Fly Girl" dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color'' from 1991–1993. Soon after, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and made an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes".

Entertainment career

1993–98: Acting debut and film breakthrough with ''Selena'' and ''Out Of Sight''

Lopez's first television job as an actress was on the Fox series ''South Central''. She also made guest appearances in ''Second Chances'' and ''Hotel Malibu''. She then appeared in the made-for-television film ''Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7''. Lopez's first serious screen role was in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama ''My Family'', playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s. After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in ''My Family'', which earned her a Independent Spirit Award nomination, Lopez starred in the action film ''Money Train'', opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1996, she reportedly beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy ''Jack'' starring Robin Williams. She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller ''Blood and Wine'' (1996). thumb|left|200px|Lopez earned widespread acclaim for her role as "Selena" Lopez's first big break came in 1997, when she was chosen to play the title role in ''Selena'', a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena. Despite having previously worked with Nava on ''Mi Familia'', Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before landing the role. Production of the movie began in mid 1996. Lopez played Selena in her 20s, while Rebecca Lee Maza played Selena in her younger years. During pre-production, Mexican-American activists were highly critical that Jennifer Lopez, a New York City native born to Puerto Rican parents, was selected to play Selena. They preferred an actress with Mexican roots. However, after seeing Lopez's portrayal of Selena, they revised their opinions and were more accepting of Nava's decision. Lopez earned widespread outstanding reviews and praise from critics for her portrayal of Selena. Kenneth Turan from ''Los Angeles Times'' film critic Kenneth Turan while giving the film a mixed review, he wrote that ''Selena'' was not just a celebration of Selena's life, but the actress who played her. Joe Baltake said that Lopez was "is sensational in the title role" and complimented her for pulling off lip-syncing to Selena's original tracks as her own, as she wasn't a trained singer at the time. She garnered multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy". Lopez has won an MTV Movie Award. ''Selena'' had a budget of $20 million, and grossed $35 million

Later that year, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film ''Anaconda'' alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River. Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned. Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film ''U Turn'', which is based on the book ''Stray Dogs'', starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton. In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in ''Out of Sight'', Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role. That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film ''Antz''.

1999–01: Musical debut with ''On the 6'', ''J.Lo'' and continued box office success

By May 1999, publicity for Lopez's debut album had begun, and the news spread fast. Lopez's debut album ''On the 6'', a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill, was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. Her debut single, "If You Had My Love" was released on May 21, 1999. It debuted at the lower ends of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at 64, and due to high airplay and sales, it reached the top spot on June 12, 1999, her first number-one lead single; it remains her only song to reach the top spot without a feature. It stayed on the chart for a total of 25 weeks, and in addition peaked at number-two on ''Billboard'' Pop Songs Chart. Looking back on the record's success, during an interview in 2011, Lopez stated "Still I think about that and still it's like wow, my first record I ever did went to number one. It's just an overwhelming feeling. This does not happen all the time. This is a very special thing." It was proceeded by the release of "Waiting For Tonight", which peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and was a dance club hit. Prior to the release of "Waiting For Tonight" as a single, a Spanish language Latin-flavored ballad with Marc Anthony (her husband from 2004 to 2011), "No Me Ames" was released and failed to chart on major charts. ''On the 6'' featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, however failed to reach the top 50. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category in 2001 Grammy Awards. "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year. "No Me Ames" received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards – "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video". In addition, Lopez was nominated for more awards then any other at the 1999 The Billboard Music Video Awards, scoring seven nominations in total, leading the likes of Christina Aguilera. ''On The 6'' had sold three million copies worldwide by August 2000. With the release and promotion of ''On The 6'' over, Lopez had successfully converted herself from film star to pop star within 12 months. Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film ''The Cell'', released on August 18, 2000. She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box office success opening at number one. By August 2000, Lopez had begun work on her sophomore album. ''J.Lo'', was released on January 23, 2001 and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, exceeding sales of 270,000 copies in its first week. In addition, the album dethroned The Beatles's ''1'' from the top spot. At the same time, her romantic comedy film, ''The Wedding Planner'', which she stard in alongside Matthew McConaughey led box office receipts, making Lopez the first female to have a film and an album at number one in the country, in the exact same week. ''J.Lo'' was more urban oriented than ''On the 6''. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. Her next single were "I'm Real" reached number one on the Hot 100, as well as spending over a year on the chart, with a total of 62 weeks. "I'm Real" was controversial for using a sample of the song "Firecraker"; which singer Mariah Carey had wanted to sample first. It was later shockingly announced that Carey's ex husband, Tommy Mottola had instructed record executive Irv Gotti to give Lopez the sample before Carey, and Lopez hadn't any knowledge of this at all. "Ain't It Funny" was released however didn't receive proper commercial promotion in the United States therefore ineligible for charting on the Hot 100. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs ("I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny), which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). "Ain't It Funny (murder remix)" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for several weeks, and led Radio Airplay and Pop Songs charts. On July 24, 2001, She re-released ''J. Lo'' on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the ''Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert''. ''J.Lo'' has sold 4 million copies in the United States alone. On September 27, 2004, a box set was released by Epic Records featuring ''On The 6'' and ''J.Lo'' combined. Lopez next role, in the supernatural romance film ''Angel Eyes'' released May 2001, was a box office flub and failed to garner a proper audience, in addition film critics were not impressed either.

2002–06: ''J to tha L-O! The Remixes'', ''This Is Me... Then'', focus on film and ''Rebirth''

Following the success of the re-release of ''J. Lo'', Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remix effort, releasing ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'', on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart, selling over 150,000 copies in its opening week. Featured artists on ''J to tha L-O! The Remixes'' included P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the third all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's ''Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', The Beatles' ''Love'' and Madonna's ''You Can Dance'', having sold a total of 1.5 million copies as of October 2010. In addition, it dethroned Alan Jackson's ''Drive'' from the number one spot on the chart, which had spent 3 consecutive weeks at the top. ''J to tha L-O: The Remixes'' sold 624,000 copies within its first month, and stayed in the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200 for a month, too. It remained the only album to debut at number one in the United States for nearly 10 years, until Justin Bieber's remix effort in 2011 debuted at the top spot with similar opening sales. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" which was previously on her ''J.Lo'' album was released as a single; impacting the charts by July 2007 and reached the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" spent 23 weeks on the chart. In May 2002, she starred in the thriller film Enough as Slim, a woman abused by her husband and on the run from him. The film garnered negative reviews, however the fight scene at the finale chapter of the movie in which Slim kills her husband was praised. In addition, the film was considered a "kick-butt, female empowerment" movie. Lopez released her third studio album, ''This Is Me... Then'', on November 26, 2002. It was dedicated to her then fiancé, actor Ben Affleck. The songs, in particular the fifth track, "Dear Ben" detailed her romantic relationship with Affleck. The album debuted at number six (her lowest debut as of that time) however contained her highest first-week sales of over 310,000 copies; more then double to that of ''J to tha Lo: The Remixes''. It moved to 2 on the chart later on, where it peaked, and spent 40 weeks on the chart. By February 2003 (5 months following its initial release) it remained in the Top 10, managing to average around 80,000 copies per week. The album's lead single, Jenny from the Block" (featuring Jadakiss and Styles P) was released and reached the third spot on the Hot 100. The song "intones her (Lopez) modest childhood roots vowing she wishes to remain simple despite her diamonds." Its accommodating music video featured Lopez and her then fiancé, Ben Affleck under the scrutiny of the paparazzi. ''This Is Me ... Then'' spawned three other singles , "All I Have" (featuring LL Cool J) being the second, reached number one on the Hot 100, and "I'm Glad" and "Baby I Love U!" were the final two singles released from the album, peaking at 32 and 72 on the Hot 100 respectively. The video for "I'm Glad" recreated scenes from the 1983 film ''Flashdance'', leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed. In addition, ''This Is Me Then'' included a cover of Carly Simon's 1978 "You Belong to Me". The album has sold 2.5 million copies in the United States, lower then her previous studio albums. Following her third studio effort, Lopez took a musical hiatus to focus on her film career. She appeared alongside Ralph Fiennes in the romantic comedy film ''Maid in Manhattan'', released on December 13, 2002. Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician. ''Maid in Manhattan'' was a box office hit, opening at number one. ''The New York Times'' compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, ''Jenny From the Block,'' Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots." ''Gigli'' a film which Lopez starred as a Lesbian, across her then-lover Ben Affleck was released on August 1, 2003, and was a box office flub, and is often considered one of the worst films ever made. In 2004, once again she starred in another movie with Ben Affleck, Jersey Girl, but only grossed $36 million at the box office and received poor reviews. In August 2003, (after the international flub of "''Gigli''") it was announced that Lopez was star in ''Shall We Dance?''. The move was released in 2004, in which Lopez starred as Paulina alongside Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon; it reached the third spot at the Box Office.''Shall We Dance?'', grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, ''Shall We Dance?'' grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide. By this time, Lopez was well established as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Lopez released her fourth studio album, ''Rebirth'', on March 1, 2005. The lead single was "Get Right"., reaching 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was a dance club hit. The song reached number one in the United Kingdom. The video for "Get Right" has Lopez portraying many different characters in a nightclub and sporting several different looks and occupations. Following the release of "Get Right", the album debuted (and peaked) at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 261,000 copies in its opening week. It quickly fell off the charts, and produced one more single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the Hot 100 while it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia. The song "Cherry Pie" was intended to be released as a single, however due to low sales (despite a high start) of ''Rebirth'' these plants were scrapped. ''Rebirth'' was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA; selling over 700,000 copies so far in the United States, and has enjoyed international success. In May 2005, the film ''Monster-in-Law'' was released. It was Jane Fonda's first movie in several years. It featured Lopez as Charlie, an artist who is pitted against her fiance's conniving mother when she doesn't accept her as her son's girlfriend (or soon-to-be wife). However, the $43-million film became a box-office smash debuting at number one, earning $83 million ($154.7 worldwide) during its theatrical run in summer 2005. Lopez received $15 million for her role in ''Monster-in-Law''. Later, she starred in a film entitled ''An Unfinished Life'', which did not do well; only reaching 11 at the Box office. In 2006, Lopez was featured in LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, Lopez's first collaborative Top 10 Hit in the U.S. since 2003. Also that year, she was in the movie ''Bodertown''; The movie is based on a series of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, a ''maquiladora'' border city across the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) from El Paso, Texas. Estimates of the murders conflict, yet, conservatively speaking over four hundred women, maybe many more, have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered since 1993 in and around Ciudad Juárez. Lopez garnered a few awards and recognition for this part. The film wasn't a large success, though. Jennifer was one of the recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award, after her appearance in ''Bordertown''.

2007–08: ''Como ama una Mujer'', ''Brave'' and career break

From early 2006, it was reported that Lopez was to release a full Spanish language album. Contactmusic.com said that Lopez would "prove critics wrong" and prove that she actually has a voice, through this new project. Upon the eve of the album's release, Lopez explained that she had previously aimed to sing in Spanish, however her career took a different path. Lopez officially released her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', on March 23, 2007. It was one of few Latin albums to debut within the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200, debuting at number 10. The album was a natural and large success within the Latin community, reaching number one on ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums. The record enjoyed moderate international success, reaching the top 10 in countries such as Italy, Germany, Greece, Poland and Austria, however was her first album to fail on the U.K. charts, charting briefly somewhere under the Top 100 mark. thumb|left|Lopez with husband Marc Anthony (right) and Greek singer Kostas Martakis (left), who opened her September 2008 concert in Athens. ''Como ama una Mujer'' marks the highest debut sales in the United States for a Spanish album and the highest digital sales for a Spanish album. It went straight to number one in Switzerland. ''The York Press'', on the album, stated that "Lopez stunned many with her Spanish language Como Ama una Mujer, which at last proved that she is a major musical force." For promotion of ''Como Ama Una Mujer'', Lopez traveled with her husband, Marc Athony, back to the Bronx, to meet fans and sign copies of her album in her hold neighbourd. Over 500 people attended. In an interview, Lopez stated "It touches my heart to be able to bring this album back to my neighborhood, back to my home." Her husband, singer Marc Anthony, produced the album with Estefano, except for "Qué Hiciste", which Anthony co-produced with Julio Reyes. The lead single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do"), was released to radio stations in January 2007. It peaked at 86 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play. It also went top ten on the European chart. The video for the song was the first Spanish-language video to peak at number one on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' daily countdown. The second single released is called "Me Haces Falta" and the third is "Por Arriesgarnos". Lopez won an American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist in 2007, which she won again four years later in 2011. Lopez performed "Qué Hiciste" on Reality singing competition ''American Idol'', in the same week she was a mentor; she is the first person to perform a Latin (non-english) song on the hit show. On July 24, 2007 (Lopez's birthday) ''Billboard'' magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29. The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, ''El Cantante'', with her husband – singer-actor Marc Anthony. Ms. Lopez, who's also a producer of the film, "does enough acting for the two of them in her role as Puchi, Héctor’s wife" while creating a very interesting and edgy performance. The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics. On August 15, 2007, it was confirmed that Lopez had begun working on her fifth English language album, and sixth studio album overall, that was confirmed for a release on October 9, 2007. The title was announced as ''Brave''. The lead single was announced as "Do It Well", which was serviced to radio stations and released in August. It debuted at 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling only 53,000 copies in its opening week. Commercially, it was her least successful album. "Do It Well" managed to reach 31 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, but remained on the chart only for a mere nine weeks. It earned mixed to negative reviews, Rashod D. Ollison from ''The Sun'' said that "Brave – was not to daring". However, there were a ''few'' positive reviews. ''The York Press'' compared ''Brave'' to Britney Spears' album due for release around the same time. Praising Lopez for not needing digital enhancement of her voice in "Brave" compared to Spears, they turned their favor to ''Brave'' instead of ''Blackout'' despite praising Spears' for delivering a "decent album". Aside from this, ''Brave'' garnered negative or mixed reviews, who complained that despite the title, there was nothing brave about it. She collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Earlier, on August 26, 2007, ABC premiered a promo for the fourth season of ''Desperate Housewives'', featuring a snippet of the song "Mile in These Shoes". "Do It Well" was released as the lead single and reached the top 20 in many countries. "Hold It, Don't Drop It" was released as the second single in certain European territories only. The third single was set to be the title track "Brave", and it was even posted on director Michael Haussman's official website that filming of the music video for the song had completed, however, the release of "Brave" as a single was eventually scrapped, most likely due to low album sales. ''Brave'' has sold over 160,000 copies only (which sales are comparable to that of Lopez' previous ''first'' week sales of her first five albums).

2010–present: ''American Idol'', ''Love?'' and comeback

While pregnant with twins Max and Emme, Lopez had been writing material for her seventh studio album ''Love?'', with a planned release for the summer of 2010. A song titled "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single. It topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the Hot Dance Club Play chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would guest-star on an episode of ''How I Met Your Mother'' as Anita Appleby, a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to mold men into "relationship machines" through the power of denial. In February 2010 Lopez and her record label of ten years, Epic Records, parted ways. Lopez's manager, Benny Medina, confirmed the news, saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist... She is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together." Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?'. Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Island Def Jam, and was working on new material for ''Love?'' with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart). In April 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy ''The Back-up Plan''. The film debuted at the top spot at the Box Office.

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

In January 2011 Lopez's new single, "On the Floor", featuring American rapper Pitbull surfaced online. Behind the single was producer RedOne, who predicted that it was going to be a "big hit". The song samples Kaoma's 1989 hit "Lambada". On March 3, 2011 "On The Floor" debuted at nine on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after selling 170,000 copies, the highest debut of her career, and her highest charting of any sort since "All I Have". Later that night, the video for "On The Floor" debuted on ''American Idol''. The song peaked at three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and peaked at number one in over fifteen different countries, and over twenty different charts. Worldwide, it was the fourth best selling digital single of 2011 with sales of 8.4 million copies. The video for "On The Floor" as a result of its ''American Idol'' premiere has received 480 million views on Lopez's VEVO channel on YouTube, the second most watched video of all time. ''Love?'''s second single written by Taio Cruz, "I'm Into You" was released on April 1, 2011 and features rapper Lil Wayne it debuted at 72 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and peaked at 41 in August 2011. In addition, the song was a dance club hit, peaking at number one on ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs, and number nine in the United Kingdom. The video for "I'm Into You" was released, co-starring William Levy as her lover in the video. ''Love?'' was released on May 3, 2011, and opened at five on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 83,000 copies. It was a moderate success, and viewed as a humble comeback from Lopez, as many had considered her recording career well over. Lopez has been selected for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012, in the "Recording" category, along with Boyz II Men. "Papi" was released on September 13, 2011 and charted at 96 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became her 11th number one hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The following month, she was named "Women of the year" by ''Glamour Magazine''. Lopez was then featured on will.i.am's song from his upcoming album, ''#willpower'', "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" and she was also featured in the music video. By the end of November 2011, it was confirmed that Lopez would be releasing a greatest hits album by 2012, in which her vocal producer and The-Dream were on board.

On December 13, 2011, Lopez was named the "World's greatest musical comeback act" announced by ''Los Angeles Times'', a ranking from an accuracast, a digital search that analyzed over a billion Google searches since 2004. Lopez ranked ahead of comebacks from artists such as Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin. On December 22, 2011, the former head of Island Def Jam, L.A. Reid, announced via twitter that Lopez' Greatest Hits album would be arriving soon. On December 25, 2011 Lopez was named "Best Comeback" act by Billboard.com Reader's Poll, leading with 47% of votes for the title, beating out Kelly Clarkson (17%) and Evanescence (12%). She was also ranked 43rd most successful artist of 2011. In late 2011, Lopez worked with ex-husband Marc Anthony and director-choeographer Jamie King on a Latin talent series created by Simon Fuller, called ''¡Q'Viva! The Chosen''. Filming of the show began in October 2011. It follows Lopez and Anthony as they travel across 21 countries to find new talent. It is slated to air on the first quarter of 2012 on Univision. During an interview with ''Extra TV'' Lopez confirmed that she had been working on new music and a possible tour, Lopez had also previously talked about the possibility of a tour after the release of ''Love?'' around June 2011, which never materialized, as it could have jeapordised her position as a judge on ''American Idol''. Lopez's film, ''What to Expect When You're Expecting'', in which she will play Holly. The film will be released to theaters on May 11, 2012. Another film which Lopez has shot her parts for, ''Parker'' will be released in 2012. Lopez will portray Leslie. Lopez voices Shira in the upcoming animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'' which is the fourth movie in the ''Ice Age'' series.

Business ventures

Fashion

Lopez launched a clothing line in 2001. Entitled JLO by Jennifer Lopez, the line included different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie, a jewelry line, and an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarves. Lopez participated in the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign. In 2003, she launched a new clothing line called ''Sweetface'', which was closed in 2009. In late 2007, Lopez retired JLO by Jennifer Lopez and launched a new juniors' line called JustSweet. Her fashion lines have featured at many New York Fashion Week events. In 2011, Lopez launched her clothing line at Kohls, which she labelled as affordable and completely her style. Her ex, Marc Anthony, also put out his clothing line for Kohls at the same time.

Production company

Lopez owns the film and television production company Nuyorican Productions, which was launched as early as 2003. It was co-founded with her manager Benny Medina, who was supposed to receive half the producing revenue from the company. Lopez split with Medina shortly after the company was founded, but they later restored their business relationship.

Nuyorican Productions produced mini-series broadcast on Univisión, which Jennifer was a co-executive producer of; the shoe was names after her CD ''Como Ama Una Mujer'', it ran in five episodes from October 30 to November 27, 2007, and starred Adriana Cruz. Another show that came from her production company, "Brethren" which FOX gave script commitment, and it later aired on the channel. The production company, which has produced "Taming Ben Taylor", "Nannyland" and "Amigas Sweet 15 Club" has signed deals with FOX for films to be made.

Endorsements

Lopez ventured in the perfume industry with her debut ''Glow by J.Lo'', which can be purchased anywhere including every-day shopping outlets like Macy's and pharmacy chains. Lopez said that she wanted Glow to be "Sexy and sensual." ''Glow by J.Lo'' has a scent of orange, grapefruit, jasmine, orris, Irises, vanilla and musk. Lopez re-visited Glow later, creating a limited edition spin-off, ''Miami Glow by J.Lo''. ''Still'' was released as the third major fragrance in October 2003; it is described as "the scent of a woman," and "A scent that captures the way a woman feels when she has discovered herself. Real and true. Serene and sensual." ''Glow by J.Lo'' and ''Still'' were very successful in the fragrance market.

In 2005, Lopez launched three fragrances: ''Miami Glow'', ''Love At First Glow'' and ''Live''. In 2006, she released another fragrance, ''Glow After Dark'', a perfume suited to night theme. In 2008, she released her ''Deseo'' fragrance line, which featured ''Deseo'', ''Deseo Forever'' and ''Deseo For Men'', her first male fragrance. ''Live Platinum'' was released in 2008 as well. ''Sunkissed Glow'' and ''My Glow'' were released in 2009; ''My Glow'' was inspired by the birth of her twins, and the top was an angel/baby. TLC, a division of Discovery Communications Inc, had signed Lopez to an unscripted reality series about the launching of her new fragrance, but the series never materialized. Her next fragrance, ''Blue Glow By J.Lo'' which was a refreshing "watery feel" fragrance.

Her 15th fragrance is ''Love and Glamour'', which was launched in June and released to counters in October, 2010. Her 16th fragrance is ''L.A Glow'', inspired by L.A. Nightlife. Lopez launched her 17th fragrance, ''Love & Light'' In July 2011. She launched it on HSN where she appeared for six hours, and the perfume sold 51,000 bottles in that amount of time, her most successful fragrance launch to date. Apart from Fragrances, Lopez has endorsed several other products.

In 2003, Lopez was in a pepsi commercial featuring Beyoncé Knowles and David Beckham entitled "Samurai". She endorses several L'Oréal products, and was named "L'Oréal Paris Global Brand Ambassador" In December 2010. She has shot several adds for the endorsement deal. Lopez's recent L’Oreal EverSleek campaign made its debut during the Golden Globes ad break, kicking it off in a big way. Products that Lopez has endorsed for L'Oreal recently include El Vive Triple Resist, True Match, Color Riche, GlamShine, and Voluminous Lashes commercials, the EverSleek commercial and print ads, and the Infallible Lip Color and ElVive Triple Resist print ads. In 2011, Lopez endorsed and promoted a variety of products. In addition to L'Oréal, lopez endorses Gillette women's products, such as the "Get Your Goddess Showing" project. She was named the first ever "Gillette-Venus Global Ambassador" In 2011, too. She recorded a cover of "Venus" by Shocking Blue for her Gillette-Venus advertisement. Lopez is a spokesperson for Harmon Kardon home surround sound system. Lopez is the face of TOUS Jewelry. Lopez is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials. As of late 2011, she promotes FIAT cats in the United States. Her advertisements for the brand have garnered negative reviews, and in January 2012 a United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) group told Lopez to end her endorsement for problems with the FIAT brand which "freely does business with a regime that is developing an illegal nuclear weapons program."

Philanthropy

Lopez is an avid supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and was presented with the Children's Humanitarian Award at the hospital's inaugural Noche de Niños gala in September 2004. Lopez continues to attend the annual red carpet event and is a regular visitor to the hospital. The singer participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefiting the hospital in 2008. In May 2009, Lopez formed The Maribel Foundation, with the goal of supporting Children's Hospital Los Angeles and improving health care internationally. On February 14, 2007, Lopez received the Artists for Amnesty International award "in recognition of her work as producer and star of ''Bordertown'', a film exposing the ongoing murders of hundreds of women in the border city of Juárez, Mexico". Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta presented the award to Lopez at the Berlin International Film Festival. She also received special recognition and thanks from Norma Andrade, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May Our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association"), an organization consisting of mothers and families of the murdered women of Juárez. Lopez has also been involved in promoting vaccination for whooping cough. Lopez is working with Sounds of Pertussis and March of Dimes to promote awareness about the disease and encourage vaccination of adults to prevent spread of disease to infants.

Lopez owns a foundation with her sister, Lynda Lopez, entitled ''The Maribel Foundation''. The name ''Maribel'' is Marc's sister who died due to a brain tumor. The foundation was publicly launched on ''Larry King Live'', in which Lopez and her sister appeared in June 2010. In a letter from the official website, Lopez said that the foundation was important as it braught a "greater sense of security and well-being to under-served and under-privileged communities." The foundation will help parents who haven't access to medical services and health care facilities, and therefore can't be informed about critical child and health care topics. ''The Maribel Foundation'' worked with Telemedicine clinics abroad and near to increase healthcare for serious cases. "Telemedicine" is a delivery system that uses technology (telecommunications) to conduct medical diagnoses, consultations, treatments, transfers of data, education of physicians, and dissemination of public health alerts and/or emergency updates. The program is mainly reaching out to those living in under privileged or deserted areas without proper medical services. The foundation can also save children's lives who have serious diseases; as it provides them services over communication from elsewhere. Prior to the foundation; at 2008's annual Woman's Conference, oh her foundation, Lopez said "My foundation will prioritize the importance of empowerment. I have lots of big dreams and envision big changes toward proper healthcare, prenatal care, pediatric care. And that, coming together in the biggest possible way is what I believe women are capable of." Also at this Woman's Conference, Lopez confirmed that she was building a foundation for woman, health, children and education. The foundation's slogan is "Where children are concerned, there is no time to lose."

For her foundation, Lopez recording a song, "One Step At a Time", dedicated to her twins. It was included on an album for the foundation, ''Every Mother Counts'' a CD which was released exclusively only to Starbucks from April 2011; the money was donated to the foundation. The album was devoted fully to mothers. Lopez was one of the recipients of Love Our Children USA's “Mothers Who Make A Difference” awards in 2009. On October 25, 2011, ''The Maribel Foundation'' received a $500,000 dollar donation pledge from Samsung and Best Buy. An advertisement featuring Lopez promoting Samsung products for ''The Maribel Foundation'' has aired.

Honors and awards

During her career, Lopez has had various nominations, awards and achievements. For her contributions to the music industry and her film work, she has garnered 7 American Music Award nominations (winning 3), 18 MTV Video Music Awards nominations (winning 2), 9 MTV Europe Music Award nominations (winning 3), 2 Grammy Award nominations, 2 Latin Grammy Award nominations, 1 Golden Globe nomination, 9 ALMA Award nominations (winning 3), 2 Billboard Music Awards nominations (winning 2), 12 Billboard Latin Music Awards nominations (winning 5), 4 World Music Awards nominations (winning 2), 2 Brit Award nominations, 5 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards nominations (winning 3) among others.

Her role in the 1998 film ''Out of Sight'' earned her a paycheck of over $1 million, making her the world's highest paid Latin actress. In 2001, Lopez became the first female to have a film and album both be number one at the same time in the United States. Lopez has been recognized by ''People en Español'' magazine as both the cover subject for the "50 Most Beautiful" issue in 2006 and the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" issue in February 2007. In 2011, she was named "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People's Choice magazine.

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''Us Weekly'' named Lopez as Style Icon of the 2000–2010 decade.

Lopez's most memorable Fashion moment in her career was the Green Versace "Jungle Dress" that she wore at the 42nd Grammy Awards In 2000. A poll by Debenhams, published in the ''Daily Telegraph'', voted it the fifth most iconic dress of all time. It has been cited along with the Elizabeth Hurley's black Versace dress as being the top dresses that made Versace a household name and the turning point in designer Donatella Versace's career after the death of her brother Gianni Versace. The dress is currently on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. For her Fashion sense, Lopez has earned several awards including a VH1 Award and Vogue Fashion Award in 1999 for "Most Fashionable Female Artist", achieving multiple other awards since for outstanding achievements and recognition. Lopez was complimented in an article for ''ELLE'', the author wrote – "She wears little visible makeup, and with her hair in a bun, huge hoop earrings, and a long halterdress on, she’s squarely in casual-mother mode, a style Diane von Furstenberg describes as “exotic and earthy." Lopez cites Urban, Edgy Bronx style as a contribution to her continuing fashion style. Lopez says she is a fan of "Glamour" and "Old Hollywood Movie Stars" as a fashion sense.

Aside from her fashion sense in clothes, Lopez has changed her personal appearance multiple times, scoring several different hairstyles over the years. Lopez's two-piece (eventually stripped down to a body-suit) "train dress highlighting her curves and flawless skin" at the 2011 American Music Awards was both welcomed and praised but was received mixed and negatively, too. Despite popularity and favoritism with her outfits, Lopez has also received negativity; the dress she wore in 2011 to the BAFTA Gala gave her the title of "Worst Dressed" of the evening along with others, most likely due to her open-abs section. Lopez's frequent use of animal fur in her clothing lines and personal wardrobe has brought the scorn of people concerned with animal rights. At the Los Angeles premiere of ''Monster-in-Law'', more than 100 protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration to highlight their concerns.

Personal life

Starting in 1984, when Lopez was 15 and in high school, she began dating David Cruz. They split up in 1994, but remained close; Lopez said in 2004, "He's a friend and he probably knows me better than anyone else".

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

Lopez next had a two and a half year relationship with hip-hop mogul Sean Combs. Combs allegedly showered Lopez with diamonds and jewlery, the inspiration for her 2000 hit, "Love Don't Cost a Thing". On December 27, 1999, Lopez and Combs were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire erupted between Combs' entourage and another group. Lopez and Combs were being driven away from the scene when they were chased and stopped by the police. A gun was found in the front seat of their vehicle. Combs was charged with felony gun possession. Stress over Combs' trial and pursuit by the press multiplied their problems, and Lopez terminated her involvement with Combs one year later. During a related civil suit in 2008, the plaintiff's lawyer said Lopez had “nothing to contribute to the case”.

Her second marriage was to her former backup dancer, Cris Judd. She met Judd while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost a Thing." The two were married on September 29, 2001, at a home in the L.A. suburbs. Prior to the marriage, it had been reported by the tabloids in June 2001 that Lopez was expecting, which never turned out to be true. Their marriage effectively ended in June 2002, when Lopez began publicly dating Ben Affleck. They were divorced in January 2003. On April 12, 2002, Lopez opened a Cuban restaurant in the South Lake district of Pasadena, California named ''Madre's'' with her family. In July 2008 ''Madre's'' closed down for unknown reasons.

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

Marriage to Marc Anthony and motherhood

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

Lopez's guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez's house and had not been made aware that they were actually going to her wedding. The couple had planned not to publicize their marriage early on, allowing more privacy and time together in an otherwise intrusive environment. Days after the wedding, Anthony refused to comment on their marriage during interviews which were scheduled earlier to promote a new album "Amar Sin Mentiras" (To Love Without Lies). In February 2005, Lopez confirmed the marriage, and added that "everyone knows. It's not a secret". A few months later, Anthony's daughter, Ariana, appeared at the end of Lopez's music video "Get Right" as her little sister. Regarding his marriage and family life, Anthony maintains a private and sometimes defensive stance with the media, which has influenced Lopez to set some boundaries with interviewers.

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

By January 2008, Lopez lived with her family in Brookville, New York, on Long Island. Her mother, Guadalupe Lopez, moved into the gated home in June that year. In June 2008 Lopez was hit with a $5 million-dollar lawsuit after her guard dog allegedly attacked her 40-year-old women, causing her back troubles. Marc Anthony, too was later added to this lawsuit for equal ownership of the German Sheppard. On July 15, 2011, following seven years of marriage to Anthony, the couple's representative announced that the couple were separating. It has been speculated that during Lopez marriage to Marc Anthony, he tried to control her fashion wardrobe according to ''Us Weekly'' among other sources. Anthony allegedly wanted Lopez to dress more appropriately for a mother of two and a forty-year old.

In September 2011, Lopez purchased a home in the Hamptons for $18 million. Lopez is a practitioner of Krav Maga. She is also active on social networking site Twitter. As of 2012, media has focused on Lopez's alleged relationship with her back-up dancer, Casper Smart. Anthony himself has also an open relationship with Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima.

Religion

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

Works

Discography

''On the 6'' (1999)

''J.Lo'' (2001)

''This Is Me... Then'' (2002)

''Rebirth'' (2005)

''Como ama una Mujer'' (2007)

''Brave'' (2007)

''Love?'' (2011)

Filmography

''Selena'' (1997), Selena Quintanilla

''Anaconda'' (1997), Terri Flores

''The Cell'' (2000), Catherine Deane

''The Wedding Planner'' (2001), Mary Fiore

''Angel Eyes'' (2001), Sharon Pogue

''Enough'' (2002), Slim Hiller

''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002), Marisa Ventura

''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), Charlie

''Bordertown'' (2006), Lauren Adrian

''The Back-up Plan'' (2010), Zoe

See also

List of Puerto Ricans

List of songs recorded by Jennifer Lopez

Marc Anthony

''American Idol''

Notes

References

External links

Official website for Jennifer Lopez fragrances

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

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background	solo_singer
birth name	Percy Robert Miller, Jr.
alias	Lil' Romeo, Rome, Romeo
born	August 19, 1989
origin	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
genre	Hip hop
occupation	RapperModelBasketball playerEntrepreneurActor
college	USC
years active	2001–present
label	No Limit (2001–2002) Priority (2001–2002) The New No Limit (2002–2004) Universal (2002–2003) E1 (2004–2005) Guttar Music (2005–2006) Take A Stand (2007–present) The Next Generation (CEO) (2010–present) No Limit Forever (CEO) (2010–present)
website	http://romeoforever.com }}

Percy Robert Miller, Jr. (born August 19, 1989), better known by his stage name Romeo (previously Lil' Romeo), is an American rapper, actor, basketball player, entrepreneur, and model. As a rap musician, Miller has released three studio albums and two compilation albums.

Early life

Romeo Miller was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the son of rapper and entrepreneur Master P and former rapper Sonya C. He is the nephew of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker and the brother of singer Cymphonique. Romeo was signed to No Limit at the age of 5 after he wrote a rap to his dad.

Music career

''Lil' Romeo'' (2001)

He then released his debut album 7 years later titled after his original alias ''Lil' Romeo''. This offering contained the hit single "My Baby" that charted No. 1 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-hop Singles. The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums,selling more then 500,000 copies the first week out making it certified Gold. The album is now certified certified Platinum by the RIAA for the sales of 1,300,000. Also in 2001 he was featured on his uncle Silkk the Shocker's remix single of "That's Kool", which was also featured on his own album.

''Game Time'' (2002–2003)

In 2002, a year later after his debut album, Miller put out his second studio album, ''Game Time''. It peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums selling close to a 110,000 copies the first week . It spawned the billboard charting single "2-Way" that charted to No. 66 Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. It also spawned the album second single "True Love" which charted at No. 16 under the Hot 100 Singles. Though not as successful on the charts as Miller's debut album It still was successful in sales certified 2x Platinum, selling 2,430,785 copies making this Miller's highest selling album.

''Romeoland'' (2004–2007)

In 2004, miller released his third studio album ''Romeoland,'' which was not as successful as his last two albums selling 50,000 the first week , but still managed to be certified Gold selling over 459,000 copies in the United States. It was also the last studio album to feature Miller billed as Lil' Romeo. In 2005 Romeo along with his brother Valentino Miller who was known as Young V at that time and their three cousins C-Los, Lil' D & Willie J formed the group Rich Boyz & released their debut album ''Young Ballers: The Hood Been Good to Us''. In 2006 Miller released a compilation album entitled ''Greatest Hits'' the album featured all of his hit songs when Miller was billed as Lil' Romeo. In 2006 Romeo released the two albums ''Lottery'' & ''God's Gift'' on the new label owned by himself and his father Master P, entitled Guttar Music. ''Lottery'' served as Millers first independent release while ''God's Gift'' served as a soundtrack to a movie with the same name. ''God's Gift'' was also Miller's first album to use the name Romeo and to have explicit language. The two albums were also known for containing Miller's single "U Can't Shine Like Me" which was a direct response to Bow Wow, who fans thought dissed Miller in his song "Fresh Azimiz". In 2007 Miller released a collaboration album with his father Master P titled ''Hip Hop History'' it sold 32,000 records worldwide.

''Intelligent Hoodlum'' (2008–present)

In 2008 Miller stated he was working on his fourth studio album entitled ''Gumbo Station''. On June 17, 2008 Miller released the first single from the album which was "Get Low wit It" which featured Akon & his brother Valentino Miller it failed to gain success on the Billboard charts. On March 3, 2009 Romeo released a compilation entitled ''Get Low LP'' that contained songs that were supposed to be on ''Gumbo Station''. It debuted at No. 149 on the Billboard 200 and as of May 5, 2009 it has sold over 20,000 copies. In 2010 Romeo confirmed that he was still working on his fourth studio album but he changed the name of the album to ''The College Boy''. Romeo then announced that the title of the album was going to be ''I Am No Limit''. On January 19, 2010 Romeo released the first promotional single for the album entitled "Tell Me A Million Times" that featured Tempo. Then on January 26, 2010 Romeo released the second promotional single for the album entitled "Ice Cream Man Jr." which was a tribute to his dad Master P. On February 16, 2010 Miller released his debut mixtape ''Patience Is A Virtue'' to promote the album. Then on March 2, 2010 Romeo released two EPs to promote the album which were the ''Famous Girl'' & ''Monster/Practice''. Also In 2010 Miller debuted his newly founded record label The Next Generation Entertainment with his new group the College Boyys. They released a collaboration album on May 25, 2010 entitled ''Spring Break'' which sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. Miller also on this day released three singles which were "You" that featured D'Anna & Lil Twist, "She Bad" that featured Millers cousins Lil' D & Black Don & "They Dont Know" but all of the singles failed to reach the charts. Romeo also performed at the 2010 Hip Hop Honors along with his brother Valentino Miller, his cousins Lil' D & Black Don, & his uncle Silkk The Shocker, along with Trina, Gucci Mane & Mystikal to honor his dad Master P & No Limit Records. In late 2010 Romeo relaunched No Limit as No Limit Forever Romeo also confirmed that he has changed the name of the album from ''I Am No Limit'' to ''Intelligent Hoodlum''. In 2011 It Is confirmed that Romeo is going on a new tour with his dad Master P & his uncle Silkk the Shocker the tour is entitled ”No Limit Forever International". On January 11, 2011 Romeo released his EP ''Dont Push Me''. On May 3, 2011 Romeo released the first official single from ''Intelligent Hoodlum'' which is "Famous Girl (Remix)" which is really the mastered version of the original it still features appearances from Sean Kingston & Miller's cousin Black Don. On August 19, 2011 Romeo released his ''I Am No Limit'' mixtape which was originally supposed to be his fourth studio album before it got changed but Miller just decided it would be best to just release it as a mixtape for his fans.

Other ventures

Acting career

Miller started his acting career with a cameo appearance in the 2001 film ''Max Keeble's Big Move'', as himself. He later co-starred with Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer and Zachary Isaiah Williams in the film ''Honey'' (2003). In ''Honey'', his character was Benny, a young boy looking for a break. Also in 2003, he voiced himself on an episode of the animated series, ''Static Shock'', to which he had performed the theme song. He co-starred with his dad in a movie called ''Uncle P'' in 2005. He also starred in another movie with Zachary Isaiah Williams, ''God's Gift'', which came out in 2006. Recently, he made a cameo appearance, as himself, in ''Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide'' as a rapping coach for the teachers. Then in 2007 he starred in film ''ASL'' as himself, Rome, alongside Forrest Lipton and Zachary Isaiah Williams who played the young Romeo; Lil Romey and had also previously starred with Romeo in ''Honey'' and Nickelodeon's ''Romeo!''. He guest-starred as a rapper accused of murder in the 2010 CBS series, ''The Defenders'' and acted in the highly successful film, ''Jumping the Broom'', released in May 2011. In 2011, he also starred in TV commercials for McDonald's & ICDC Colleges.

Fashion designer

On July 24, 2010 Romeo launched his own clothing line titled "College Boyys", which has also been promoted by Miller & his new group the College Boyys. It has also been promoted by artists such as Justin Bieber, Big Time Rush & Jaden Smith. Romeo stated

Basketball career

Name	Percy Miller, Jr.
College	USC
Conference	Pac-10
Sport	Basketball
Position	Point guard
Career start	2008 2010
Nickname	Romeo, Prince P
Jersey	15
Height ft	5
Height in	11
Weight lb	170
Nationality	American
Birth date	August 19, 1989
Birth place	New Orleans, Louisiana
Highschool	Beverly Hills High School
tournaments	y
tournament list	2009 NCAA Tournament
color	DarkRed
fontcolor	Gold }}

Romeo was invited, in the summer of 2006, to the Reebok-sponsored ABCD Camp, which is considered the premier basketball camp in the United States. The Teaneck, New Jersey-based ABCD Camp is an invitation-only basketball showcase previously attended by high-profile players including Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Surrounded by future NBA players such as O. J. Mayo, Derrick Rose, and Kevin Love, Miller looked out of place and averaged less than 2 points a game throughout the camp. ''The Wall Street Journal'' made an article on March 8, entitled "A Hot Prospect," cites Sonny Vaccaro, the longtime director of the ABCD Camp, as explaining, "he invited Romeo Miller to the 2006 camp, primarily as a favor to Percy Miller, whom he knew from the club basketball circuit." In the article, Vaccaro indicated, "If you're looking for the profile of an athlete who plays basketball at USC, he's not it."

On April 13, 2007, Miller verbally committed to the University of Southern California (USC) and signed a letter of intent on November 19, 2007.

Miller, a 5'11" point guard, was a four year starter at Beverly Hills High School. As a junior during the 2005–2006 high school season he averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 assists per game. As a senior during the 2006–2007 high school season he averaged 8.6 points and 9.0 assists per game.

According to ''The Wall Street Journal'', it appears the decision to grant Miller a full scholarship at USC was largely driven by his relationship with friend and teammate Demar DeRozan, the 6-foot-6 All-American forward who was rated as the number five prospect in the country on Scout.com. ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported Coach Tim Floyd as saying, "Last April...Percy Miller called while driving both players from a tournament in Fayetteville, Ark...Percy Miller said 'Demar and Romeo are ready to make their decision, and would you like to have them both on scholarship?'...'I said absolutely.'" Miller and DeRozan began playing in the 2008–2009 season.

Miller had a disappointing career at USC. In his two seasons as a Trojan, he played a total of 19 minutes in 9 games and scored a total of 5 points.

Modeling career

On December 27 Romeo modeled for a new 2011 calender. On April 10, 2011 Miller modeled for the April issue of ''TROIX'' magazine. On April 12, 2011 Miller modeled again for some new pictures. He also modeled with the singer-songwriter Chynna Terrell.

Dancing with the Stars

After originally withdrawing from season two of ''Dancing with the Stars'' due to an injury, Romeo competed in season 12. He was partnered with professional dancer, Chelsie Hightower. They were eliminated from the show on May 10, 2011 and finished in the Top 5, one week before the semi-final.

rowspan="2"	Week #
	style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"|Cha-Cha-Cha/ "Romeo"
	2		Quickstep/ "You're the One That I Want"		7		8		8		Safe
	style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"
	style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"
	style="text-align: center; background:#faf6f6;"
	6		Waltz/ "My Heart Will Go On"		10		9		9
	style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f"|Cha-Cha-Cha/ ""Born This Way""Samba/ "Say Hey (I Love You)"
	style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f"|Tango/"Hold It Against Me"Salsa/"Tequila"

In week 7, Donnie Burns was the guest judge and scored the dances.

Personal life

Miller attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California. Romeo sponsors "Loco Tonic", an energy drink he mentions in his newer songs. In 2008, Romeo was ranked No. 18 in the most fit men in the world.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Lil' Romeo'' (2001)

''Game Time'' (2002)

''Romeoland'' (2004)

''Intelligent Hoodlum'' (2012)

;Independent albums

''Lottery'' (2006)

;Soundtrack albums

''God's Gift Soundtrack'' (2006)

;Collaboration albums

''Young Ballers: The Hood Been Good to Us'' (2005) (with Rich Boyz)

''Hip Hop History'' (2007) (with Master P)

''Spring Break'' (2010) (with College Boyys)

''TBA'' (2012) (with College Boyys)

''TBA'' (2012) (with Resq3)

;Mixtapes

''Patience Is A Virtue'' (2009)

''I Am No Limit'' (2011)

Filmography

;Films

''Honey (2003 film) ''Still 'Bout It'' ''God's Gift (film) ''Uncle P'' ''The Pig People'' ''Down and Distance'' ''Jumping the Broom (film) ''Madea's Witness Protection''

Year
2001	''Max Keeble's Big Move''	Himself
2003	Honey'' ||	Benny	Main Role
rowspan="2">2004	|	M.J.	Main Role
''Decisions''	Jamal
rowspan="2"	2006	God's Gift'' ||	Romeo	Main Role
''Don't Be Scared''	Stevie
rowspan="2"	2007	|	Corey Miller	Main Role
''Crush On U''	Rome
2009	|	TJ	Main Role
2010	|	Darren Sheehan	Main Role
rowspan="2"	2011	Jumping the Broom'' ||	Sebastian	Support Role
''Wolf Boy''	''2120''
2012	|	Jake	Main Role

;Television

''Oh Drama!'' ''The Hughleys'' ''Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration'' ''Raising Dad'' ''American Music Awards of 2002 ''Proud Family'' ''One on One (TV series) ''Static Shock'' ''All Grown Up!'' ''Romeo!'' ''Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide ''Out of Jimmy's Head ''The Defenders (2010 TV series) ''The Bad Girls Club (season 6) ''Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 12) ''The Cape ''Reed Between the Lines'' ''Charlie's Angels (2011 TV series)

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
2001	''The Brothers García''	Ty
2001	|	Musical Guest	Television special
2001	|	Himself
2001	|	Himself
2002	|	Marvin
2002	The 29th Annual American Music Awards'' ||	Himself
2002	|	Himself	"A Hero For Halloween" (episode 24, season 1)
2003	One on One'' ||	Eric	"Spy Games"
2003	|	Himself	Recorded the final theme song for the series.
2003	|	Lil Q	"It's Cupid, Stupid" (episode 8, season 1)
2003–2006	|	Romeo "Ro" Miller	Main Role/Starring as ''Romeo''.
2005	|	Rapping teacher	"Guide to: Emergency Drills and Late Bus" (episode 21, season 2)
2008	|	Himself	"Lunch Tables" (episode 13, season 1)
2010	The Defenders ||	Killa Diz	"The Defenders – Nevada v. Killa Diz"
2011	The Bad Girls Club: Season 6'' ||	Himself	Guest appearance on the reality show (episode 10)
2011	Dancing With the Stars: Season 12 '' ||	Contestant	Romeo was originally supposed to be competing in season 2 but due to a injury he was unable & his dad Master P filled in for him
2011	|	Gangster	Season 1, Episode 9 – "Razer".
2011	|	Darius	Season 1, Episode 5 – "Let's Talk About Competition"
2011	Charlie's Angels'' ||	Royal's son	Season 1, EpisRode 7 – "Royal Angels"

Felipe Solis is schedule to appear in Romeo's new reality show Romeo & Juliet

Awards and nominations

Billboard Music Awards

*2001, Rap Artist of the Year (Winner)

*2001, Music Videos: ''My Baby'' (Winner)

*2002, R&B;/Hip-Hop: ''My Baby'' (Winner)

Kids Choice Awards

*2004, Favorite Television Actor – Male for: ''Romeo!'' (Nominated)

*2005, Favorite Television Actor – Male for: ''Romeo!'' (Winner)

*2006, Favorite Television Actor – Male for: ''Romeo!'' (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

*2004, Choice Breakout Movie Star – Male for: ''Honey'' (Nominated)

Black Reel Awards

*2004, Choice Breakout Movie Star – Male for: ''Honey'' (Nominated)

Young Artist Awards

*2005, Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actor: Romeo! (Nominated)

NAMIC Vision Awards

*2005, Best Comedic Performance: ''Romeo!'' (Nominated)

Image Awards

*2005, Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Program – Series or Special: ''Romeo!'' (Nominated)

References

External links

Official website

USC Athletics Player Biography: No. 15 Percy Miller

Photos from Shrink-A-Bulls

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African-American fashion designers Category:African American film actors Category:African American child actors Category:African American models Category:African American rappers Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American film actors Category:American male models Category:American voice actors Category:Businesspeople in fashion Category:E1 Music artists Category:No Limit Records artists Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Beverly Hills, California Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Rappers from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:USC Trojans men's basketball players

da:Romeo Miller de:Romeo (Rapper) es:Lil' Romeo fr:Lil' Romeo it:Lil' Romeo no:Romeo Miller pl:Lil' Romeo pt:Romeo Miller fi:Romeo (rap-artisti) sv:Romeo (artist) th:โรมีโอ มิลเลอร์ tr:Lil’Romeo

Name	Barack Obama
Alt	A portrait shot of Barack Obama, looking straight ahead. He has short black hair, and is wearing a dark navy blazer with a blue striped tie over a light blue collared shirt. In the background are two flags hanging from separate flagpoles: the American flag, and the flag of the Executive Office of the President.
Office	44th President of the United States
Vicepresident	Joe Biden
Term start	January 20, 2009
Predecessor	George W. Bush
Jr/sr2	United States Senate
State2	Illinois
Term start2	January 3, 2005
Term end2	November 16, 2008
Predecessor2	Peter Fitzgerald
Successor2	Roland Burris
Office3	Member of the Illinois Senate from the 13th District
Term start3	January 8, 1997
Term end3	November 4, 2004
Predecessor3	Alice Palmer
Successor3	Kwame Raoul
Birth name	Barack Hussein Obama II
Birth date	August 04, 1961
Birth place	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Michelle Robinson (1992–present)
Children	Malia (born 1998) Sasha (born 2001)
Residence	White House (Official)Chicago, Illinois (Private)
Alma mater	Occidental CollegeColumbia University (B.A.)Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Profession	Community organizerLawyerConstitutional law professorAuthor
Religion	Christianity
Signature	Barack Obama signature.svg
Signature alt	Barack Obama
Website	barackobama.com
Footnotes	}}

Barack Hussein Obama II (; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the ''Harvard Law Review''. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.

Following an unsuccessful bid against the Democratic incumbent for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for the United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Illinois Democratic primary for the Senate election and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in Illinois in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. In October 2009, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

As president, Obama signed economic stimulus legislation in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Other domestic policy initiatives include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and the Budget Control Act of 2011. In foreign policy, he ended the war in Iraq, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered US involvement in the 2011 Libya military intervention, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. In April 2011, Obama declared his intention to seek re-election in the 2012 presidential election.

Early life and career

Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital (now Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children) in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is the first President to have been born in Hawaii. His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was born in Wichita, Kansas, and was of mostly English ancestry, along with Scottish, Irish, German, and Swiss. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship. The couple married on February 2, 1961, separated when Obama Sr. went to Harvard University on scholarship, and divorced in 1964. Obama Sr. remarried and returned to Kenya, visiting Barack in Hawaii only once, in 1971. He died in an automobile accident in 1982.

After her divorce, Dunham married Indonesian Lolo Soetoro, who was attending college in Hawaii. When Suharto, a military leader in Soetoro's home country, came to power in 1967, all Indonesian students studying abroad were recalled, and the family moved to the Menteng neighborhood of Jakarta. From ages six to ten, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham, and with the aid of a scholarship attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979. Obama's mother returned to Hawaii in 1972, remaining there until 1977 when she went back to Indonesia to work as an anthropological field worker. She finally returned to Hawaii in 1994 and lived there for one year before dying of ovarian cancer.

Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind." Reflecting later on his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear." Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind." At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency, Obama identified his high-school drug use as a great moral failure.

Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. In February 1981, he made his first public speech, calling for Occidental's disinvestment from South Africa due to its policy of apartheid. In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and sister Maya, and visited the families of college friends in Pakistan and India for three weeks. Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation, then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.

Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School

Two years after graduating, Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale on Chicago's South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute. In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time. He returned in August 2006 for a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya.

In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the ''Harvard Law Review'' at the end of his first year, and president of the journal in his second year. As an editor, Obama delivered a Black History Minutes segment televised by TBS. During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as an associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. After graduating with a J.D. ''magna cum laude'' from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago. Obama's election as the first black president of the ''Harvard Law Review'' gained national media attention and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations, which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as ''Dreams from My Father''.

University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney

In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book. He then taught at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years—as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004—teaching constitutional law.

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration drive with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to ''Crain's Chicago Business'' naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be. In 1993 he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002.

From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project; and of the Joyce Foundation. Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws. He sponsored a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare. In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.

Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002. In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.

In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority. He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations. During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms. Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Senate campaign

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002, and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.

Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq. On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally, and spoke out against the war. He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.

Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun to not participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates. In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, ''Dreams from My Father''. In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, seen by 9.1 million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004. Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan. In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70 percent of the vote.

U.S. Senator: 2005–2008

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005, becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus. ''CQ Weekly'' characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. Obama announced on November 13, 2008, that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.

Legislation

Obama cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act. He introduced two initiatives bearing his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons; and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending. On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.

Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee. Regarding tort reform, Obama voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations.

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor. In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007. Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections, and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, neither of which has been signed into law.

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges. This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008. He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee; and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism. Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.

Committees

Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006. In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before Abbas became President of the Palestinian National Authority, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi condemning corruption within the Kenyan government.

Presidential campaigns

2008 presidential campaign

On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858. Obama emphasized the issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care, in a campaign that projected themes of "hope" and "change".

A large number of candidates entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. The field narrowed to a duel between Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process but with Obama gaining a steady lead in pledged delegates due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in caucus states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules. On June 7, 2008, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama.

On August 23, Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. Biden was selected from a field speculated to include former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton gave convention speeches in his support. Obama delivered his acceptance speech, not at the center where the Democratic National Convention was held, but at Invesco Field at Mile High to a crowd of over 75,000; the speech was viewed by over 38 million people worldwide.

During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations. On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.

McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate and the two engaged in three presidential debates in September and October 2008. On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain. Obama won 52.9 percent of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7 percent. He became the first African American to be elected president. Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park.

2012 presidential campaign

On April 4, 2011, Obama announced his re-election campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" that he posted on his website and filed election papers with the Federal Election Commission.

Presidency

First days

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President, and Joe Biden as Vice President, took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq. He ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp "as soon as practicable and no later than" January 2010, but during his first two years in office he has been unable to persuade Congress to appropriate funds required to accomplish the shutdown. Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records and changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. He also reversed George W. Bush's ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that allow abortions.

Domestic policy

The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits. Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children. In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research. Obama stated that he believed "sound science and moral values ... are not inconsistent" and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.

Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his Presidency. Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter, was confirmed on August 6, 2009, becoming the first Hispanic to be a Supreme Court Justice. Elena Kagan, nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three, for the first time in American history.

On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb global warming.

On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

On March 30, 2010, Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, a reconciliation bill which ends the process of the federal government giving subsidies to private banks to give out federally insured loans, increases the Pell Grant scholarship award, and makes changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

In a major space policy speech in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon and ended development of the Ares I rocket, Ares V rocket and Constellation program. He is focusing funding (which is expected to rise modestly) on Earth science projects and a new rocket type, as well as research and development for an eventual manned mission to Mars. Missions to the International Space Station are expected to continue until 2020.

On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, a bill that provides for repeal of the Don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that has prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces. Repealing "Don't ask, don't tell" had been a key campaign promise that Obama had made during the 2008 presidential campaign.

On January 25, 2011, in his 2011 State of the Union Address, President Obama focused strongly on the themes of education and innovation, stressing the importance of innovation economics in working to make the United States more competitive globally. Among other plans and goals, Obama spoke of enacting a five-year freeze in domestic spending, eliminating tax breaks for oil companies and tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans, banning congressional earmarks, and reducing healthcare costs. Looking to the future, Obama promised that by 2015, the United States would have one million electric vehicles on the road and by 2035, clean-energy sources would be providing 80 percent of U.S. electricity.

Economic policy

thumb|right|President Barack Obama signing the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law on February 17, 2009, in Denver, Colorado, with Vice President Joe Biden standing behind him]]On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession. The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals, which is being distributed over the course of several years.

In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contains provisions for buying up to $2 trillion in depreciated real estate assets. Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry in March 2009, renewing loans for General Motors and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60 percent equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government shouldering a 12 percent stake. In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment. He signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", that temporarily boosted the economy.

Although spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations totaled about $11.5 trillion, only $3 trillion had been spent by the end of November 2009. However, Obama and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the 2010 budget deficit will be $1.5 trillion or 10.6 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the 2009 deficit of $1.4 trillion or 9.9 percent of GDP. For 2011, the administration predicted the deficit will slightly shrink to $1.34 trillion, while the 10-year deficit will increase to $8.53 trillion or 90 percent of GDP. The most recent increase in the U.S. debt ceiling to $14.3 trillion was signed into law on February 12, 2010. On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011. The legislation enforces limits on discretionary spending until 2021, establishes a procedure to increase the debt limit, creates a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5 trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, and establishes automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2 trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee does not achieve such savings. By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent an unprecedented U.S. government default on its obligations.

The unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.1 percent and averaging 10.0 percent in the fourth quarter. Following a decrease to 9.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in the second quarter, where it remained for the rest of the year. Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8 percent, which was less than the average of 1.9 percent experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries. GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a rate of 1.6 percent, followed by a 5.0 percent increase in the fourth quarter. Growth continued in 2010, posting an increase of 3.7 percent in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year. In July 2010, the Federal Reserve expressed that although economic activity continued to increase, its pace had slowed, and Chairman Ben Bernanke stated that the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain." Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9 percent in 2010.

The Congressional Budget Office and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth. The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1 million, while conceding that "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package." Although an April 2010 survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73 percent of 68 respondents believed that the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.

Within a month of the 2010 midterm elections, Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes. The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.

Health care reform

Obama called for Congress to pass legislation reforming health care in the United States, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal. He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to cap premium increases, and to allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900 billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan, also known as the public option, to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009. After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over the proposals. In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on stem cell research.

On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House. On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39. On March 21, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212. Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes health-related provisions to take effect over four years, including expanding Medicaid eligibility for people making up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) starting in 2014, subsidizing insurance premiums for people making up to 400 percent of the FPL ($88,000 for family of four in 2010) so their maximum "out-of-pocket" payment for annual premiums will be from 2 to 9.5 percent of income, providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges, prohibiting annual coverage caps, and support for medical research. According to White House and Congressional Budget Office figures, the maximum share of income that enrollees would have to pay would vary depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level.

The costs of these provisions are offset by taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for those in high-income brackets, taxes on indoor tanning, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program in favor of traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies; there is also a tax penalty for those who do not obtain health insurance, unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the net effect of both laws will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade.

Gulf of Mexico oil spill

On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore drilling rig at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a major sustained oil leak. The well's operator, BP, initiated a containment and cleanup plan, and began drilling two relief wells intended to stop the flow. Obama visited the Gulf on May 2 among visits by members of his cabinet, and again on May 28 and June 4. On May 22 he announced a federal investigation and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and concurrent Congressional hearings. On May 27, he announced a 6-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits and leases, pending regulatory review. As multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government.

Foreign policy

In February and March, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration. Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab cable TV network, Al Arabiya.

On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran. This attempt at outreach was rebuffed by the Iranian leadership. In April, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, Turkey, which was well received by many Arab governments. On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "a new beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.

On June 26, 2009, in response to the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election, Obama said: "The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. We see it and we condemn it." On July 7, while in Moscow, he responded to a Vice President Biden comment on a possible Israeli military strike on Iran by saying: "We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East."

On September 24, 2009, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. During the same month, an agreement was reached with the administration of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about one-third. The New START treaty was signed by Obama and Medvedev in April 2010, and was ratified by the U.S. Senate in December 2010.

Iraq War

On February 27, 2009, Obama declared that combat operations in Iraq would end within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of Marines preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end." The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troops levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of 35,000 to 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. On August 19, 2010, the last United States combat brigade exited Iraq. The plan is to transition the mission of the remaining troops from combat operations to counter-terrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces. On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over. On October 21, 2011 President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be, "home for the holidays".

War in Afghanistan

Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan. He announced an increase to U.S. troop levels of 17,000 in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires". He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with former Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war. On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan. He also proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date. McChrystal was replaced by David Petraeus in June 2010, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.

Israel

During the initial years of the Obama administration, the U.S. increased military cooperation with Israel, including a record number of U.S. troops participating in military exercises in the country, increased military aid, and the re-establishment of the U.S.-Israeli Joint Political Military Group and the Defense Policy Advisory Group. It was reported high-ranking defense officials from both countries had been making an unusual number of trips between the two countries, including Ehud Barak. Part of the military aid increase in 2010 was to fund Israel's missile defense shield. Before his retirement in September 2011, Adm. Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made four trips to Israel during his four-year tenure, two of them in 2010. Prior to 2007 no Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had done so for over ten years.

In 2011, Obama's Ambassador to the United Nations vetoed a resolution condemning Israeli settlements, with the U.S. the only nation on the Security Council doing so. Obama supports the two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.

Libya

In March 2011, as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi advanced on rebels across Libya, calls for a no-fly zone came from around the world, including Europe, the Arab League, and a resolution passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. In response to the unanimous passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 on March 17, Gaddafi who had previously vowed to "show no mercy" to the citizens of Benghazi—announced an immediate cessation of military activities, yet reports came in that his forces continued shelling Misrata. The next day, on Obama's orders, the U.S. military took a lead role in air strikes to destroy the Libyan government's air defense capabilities in order to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly-zone, including the use of Tomahawk missiles, B-2 Spirits, and fighter jets. Six days later, on March 25, by unanimous vote of all of its 28 members, NATO took over leadership of the effort, dubbed Operation Unified Protector. Some Representatives questioned whether Obama had the constitutional authority to order military action in addition to questioning its cost, structure and aftermath.

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Osama bin Laden

Starting with information received in July 2010, intelligence developed by the CIA over the next several months determined what they believed to be the location of Osama bin Laden in a large compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a suburban area 35 miles from Islamabad. CIA head Leon Panetta reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011. Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by United States Navy SEALs. The operation took place on May 1, 2011, resulting in the death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers and computer drives and disks from the compound. Bin Laden's body was identified through DNA testing, and buried at sea several hours later. Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's Ground Zero and Times Square. Reaction to the announcement was positive across party lines, including from former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and from many countries around the world.

2010 midterm election

Obama called the November 2, 2010 election, where the Democratic Party lost 63 seats in, and control of, the House of Representatives, "humbling" and a "shellacking". He said that the results came because not enough Americans had felt the effects of the economic recovery.

Cultural and political image

Obama's family history, upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement. Obama is also not a descendant of American slaves. Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong". Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."

Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator. During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.

According to the Gallup Organization, Obama began his presidency with a 68 percent approval rating before gradually declining for the rest of the year, and eventually bottoming out at 41 percent in August 2010, a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office. He experienced a small poll bounce shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden, which lasted until around June 2011, when his approval numbers dropped back to where they were prior to the operation. Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries, and before being elected President he has met with prominent foreign figures including then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In a February 2009 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the ''International Herald Tribune'', Obama was rated as the most respected world leader, as well as the most powerful. In a similar poll conducted by Harris in May 2009, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.

Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of ''Dreams from My Father'' in February 2006 and for ''The Audacity of Hope'' in February 2008. His concession speech after the New Hampshire primary was set to music by independent artists as the music video "Yes We Can", which was viewed 10 million times on YouTube in its first month and received a Daytime Emmy Award. In December 2008, ''Time'' magazine named Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".

On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples". Obama accepted this award in Oslo, Norway on December 10, 2009, with "deep gratitude and great humility." The award drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures. Obama is the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office.

Family and personal life

In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: "It's like a little mini-United Nations", he said. "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher." Obama has a half-sister with whom he was raised, Maya Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of his mother and her Indonesian second husband and seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family – six of them living. Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham, until her death on November 2, 2008, two days before his election to the Presidency. Obama also has roots in Ireland; he met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall in May 2011. In ''Dreams from My Father'', Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

Obama was known as "Barry" in his youth, but asked to be addressed with his given name during his college years. Besides his native English, Obama speaks Indonesian at the conversational level, which he learned during his four childhood years in Jakarta. He plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team.

Obama is a well known supporter of the Chicago White Sox, and threw out the first pitch at the 2005 ALCS when he was still a senator. In 2009, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the all star game while wearing a White Sox jacket. He is also primarily a Chicago Bears fan in the NFL, but in his childhood and adolesence was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and recently rooted for them ahead of their victory in Super Bowl XLIII 12 days after Obama took office as President.

In June 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin. Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial requests to date. They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992. The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998, followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), on June 10, 2001. The Obama daughters attended the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the private Sidwell Friends School. The Obamas have a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.

Applying the proceeds of a book deal, the family moved in 2005 from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to a $1.6 million house in neighboring Kenwood, Chicago. The purchase of an adjacent lot—and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer, campaign donor and friend Tony Rezko—attracted media attention because of Rezko's subsequent indictment and conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.

In December 2007, ''Money'' magazine estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3 million. Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5 million—up from about $4.2 million in 2007 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books. On his 2010 income of $1.7 million, he gave 14 percent to non-profit organizations, including $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation, a charity assisting wounded veterans' families, allowing them to reside near where the veteran is receiving medical treatments.

Obama tried to quit smoking several times, sometimes using nicotine replacement therapy, and, in early 2010, Michelle Obama said that he had successfully quit smoking.

Religious views

Obama is a Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote in ''The Audacity of Hope'' that he "was not raised in a religious household". He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists"), to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known". He described his father as "raised a Muslim", but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful". Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change".

In an interview with the evangelical periodical ''Christianity Today'', Obama stated: "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life."

On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views saying "I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me."

Obama was baptized at the Trinity United Church of Christ, a black liberation church, in 1988, and was an active member there for two decades. Obama resigned from Trinity during the Presidential campaign after controversial statements made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright became public. After a prolonged effort to find a church to attend regularly in Washington, Obama announced in June 2009 that his primary place of worship would be the Evergreen Chapel at Camp David.

Notes

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References

Further reading

Graff, Garrett. "The Legend of Barack Obama", ''Washingtonian'', November 1, 2006. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.

Koltun, Dave (2005) ''"The 2004 Illinois Senate Race: Obama Wins Open Seat and Becomes National Political "Star""'' in ''"The Road to Congress 2004"'' Editors: Sunil Ahuja (Youngstown State University) and Robert Dewhirst (Truman State University), Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge, New York, 2005, ISBN 1-59454-360-7

Lizza, Ryan. "Above the Fray", ''GQ'', September 2007. Retrieved on October 27, 2010.

MacFarquhar, Larissa. "The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From?", ''New Yorker'', May 7, 2007. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.

McClelland, Edward, ''Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President'', Bloomsbury Press, 2010.

Zutter, Hank De. "What Makes Obama Run?", ''Chicago Reader'', December 8, 1995. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.

External links

;Official

President Barack Obama ''White House official website''

BarackObama.com (official re-election campaign website)

;Other

Collected news and commentary at the ''Chicago Tribune''

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