The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

The passage of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in 1966 established the National Register and the process for adding properties to it. Of the more than one million properties on the National Register, 80,000 are listed individually. The remainder are contributing resources within historic districts. Each year approximately 30,000 properties are added to the National Register as part of districts or by individual listings.

For most of its history the National Register has been administered by the National Park Service (NPS), an agency within the United States Department of the Interior. Its goals are to help property owners and interest groups, such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, coordinate, identify, and protect historic sites in the United States. While National Register listings are mostly symbolic, their recognition of significance provides some financial incentive to owners of listed properties. Protection of the property is not guaranteed. During the nomination process, the property is evaluated in terms of the four criteria for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The application of those criteria has been the subject of criticism by academics of history and preservation, as well as the public and politicians.

Occasionally historic sites outside the country proper, but associated with the United States (such as the American Embassy in Tangiers) are also listed. Properties can be nominated in a variety of forms, including individual properties, historic districts, and multiple property submissions (MPS). The Register categorizes general listings into one of five types of properties: district, site, structure, building, or object. National Register Historic Districts are defined geographical areas consisting of contributing and non-contributing properties. Some properties are added automatically to the National Register when they become administered by the National Park Service. These include National Historic Landmarks (NHL), National Historic Sites (NHS), National Historical Parks, National Military Parks/Battlefields, National Memorials, and some National Monuments. (Federal properties can be proclaimed National Monuments by the Antiquities Act because of either their historical or natural significance. They are managed by multiple agencies. Only monuments that are historic in character and managed by the National Park Service are listed administratively in the National Register.)

Some examples are Fallingwater, Robie House, Martin Luther King Jr's Grave, and Old Slater Mill.

History

On October 15, 1966 the Historic Preservation Act created the National Register of Historic Places and the corresponding State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO). Initially, the National Register consisted of the National Historic Landmarks designated before the Register's creation, as well as any other historic sites in the National Park system. Approval of the act, which was amended in 1980 and 1992, represented the first time the United States had a broad-based historic preservation policy. The 1966 act required those agencies to work in conjunction with the SHPO and an independent federal agency, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), to confront adverse effects of federal activities on historic preservation.

To administer the newly created National Register of Historic Places, the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of Interior, with director George B. Hartzog, Jr., established an administrative division named the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP). Hartzog charged OAHP with creating the National Register program mandated by the 1966 law. Ernest Connally was the Office's first director. Within OAHP new divisions were created to deal with the National Register. The division administered several existing programs, including the Historic Sites Survey and the Historic American Buildings Survey, as well as the new National Register and Historic Preservation Fund.

The first official Keeper of the Register was William J. Murtagh, an architectural historian. During the Register's earliest years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, organization was lax and SHPOs were small, understaffed, and underfunded. However, funds were still being supplied for the Historic Preservation Fund to provide matching grants-in-aid to listed property owners, first for house museums and institutional buildings, but later for commercial structures as well.

A few years later in 1979, the NPS history programs affiliated with both the U.S. National Parks system and the National Register were categorized formally into two "Assistant Directorates." Established were the Assistant Directorate for Archeology and Historic Preservation and the Assistant Directorate for Park Historic Preservation. From 1978 until 1981, the main agency for the National Register was the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service (HCRS) of the United States Department of Interior.

In February 1983, the two assistant directorates were merged to promote efficiency and recognize the interdependency of their programs. Jerry L. Rogers was selected to direct this newly merged associate directorate. He was described as a skilled administrator, who was sensitive to the need for the NPS to work with SHPOs, academia, and local governments.

Although not described in detail in the 1966 act, SHPOs eventually became integral to the process of listing properties on the National Register. The 1980 amendments of the 1966 law further defined the responsibilities of SHPOs concerning the National Register. Several 1992 amendments of the NHPA added a category to the National Register, known as Traditional Cultural Properties: those properties associated with Native American or Hawaiian groups.

The National Register of Historic Places has grown considerably from its legislative origins in 1966. In 1986 citizens and groups nominated 3,623 separate properties, sites, and districts for inclusion on the National Register, a total of 75,000 separate properties. Of the more than one million properties on the National Register, 80,000 are listed individually. Others are listed as contributing members within historic district.

Property owner incentives

Properties are not protected in any strict sense by the Federal listing. States and local zoning bodies may or may not choose to protect listed historic places. Indirect protection is possible, by state and local regulations on development of National Register properties, and by tax incentives.

Until 1976, federal tax incentives were virtually non-existent for buildings on the National Register. Before 1976 the federal tax code favored new construction rather than the reuse of existing, sometimes historical, structures. In 1976, the tax code was altered to provide tax incentives that promote preservation of income-producing historic properties. The National Park Service was given the responsibility to ensure that only rehabilitations that preserved the historic character of a building would qualify for federal tax incentives. A qualifying rehabilitation is one that the NPS deems consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Properties and sites listed in the Register, as well as those located in and contributing to the period of significance of National Register Historic Districts, became eligible for the federal tax benefits.

Owners of income-producing properties listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places or of properties that are contributing resources within a National Register Historic District may be eligible for a 20% investment tax credit for the rehabilitation of the historic structure. The rehabilitation may be of a commercial, industrial, or residential property, for rentals. The tax incentives program is operated by the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, which is managed jointly by the National Park Service, individual State Historic Preservation Offices, and the Internal Revenue Service. Aside from the 20% tax credit, the tax incentive program offers a 10% tax credit for rehabilitation to owners of non-historic, non-residential buildings constructed before 1936.

Some property owners may qualify for grants as well, for instance the Save America's Treasures grants, which apply specifically to properties entered in the Register with national significance or designated as National Historic Landmarks.

The NHPA did not distinguish between properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places and those designated as National Historic Landmarks concerning qualification for tax incentives or grants. This was deliberate, as the authors of the act had learned from experience that distinguishing between categories of significance for such incentives caused the lowest category to become expendable. Essentially, this made the Landmarks a kind of "honor roll" of the most significant properties of the National Register of Historic Places.

Nomination process

Any individual can prepare a National Register nomination, although historians and historic preservation consultants often are employed for this work. The nomination consists of a standard nomination form and contains basic information about a property's physical appearance and the type of significance embodied in the building, structure, object , site, or district. The State Historic Preservation Office receives National Register nominations and provides feedback to the nominating individual or group. After preliminary review, the SHPO sends each nomination to the state's historic review commission, which then recommends whether the State Historic Preservation Officer should send the nomination to the Keeper of the National Register. For any non-Federally owned property, only the State Historic Preservation Officer may officially nominate a property for inclusion in the National Register. After the nomination is recommended for listing in the National Register by the SHPO, the nomination is sent to the National Park Service, which approves or denies the nomination. If approved, the property is entered officially by the Keeper of the National Register into the National Register of Historic Places. Property owners are notified of the nomination during the review by the SHPO and state's historic review commission. If an owner objects to a nomination of private property, or in the case of a historic district, a majority of owners, then the property cannot be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Criteria

For a property to be eligible for the National Register, it must meet at least one of the four National Register main criteria. Information about architectural styles, association with various aspects of social history and commerce, and ownership are all integral parts of the nomination. Each nomination contains a narrative section that provides a detailed physical description of the property and justifies why it is significant historically with regard either to local, state, or national history. The four National Register of Historic Places criteria are the following.

Criterion A, "Event," the property must make a contribution to the major pattern of American history.

Criterion B, "Person," is associated with significant people of the American past.

Criterion C, "Design/Construction," concerns the distinctive characteristics of the building by its architecture and construction, including having great artistic value or being the work of a master.

Criterion D, "Information potential," is satisfied if the property has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to prehistory or history. The criteria are applied differently for different types of properties; for instance, maritime properties have application guidelines different from those of buildings.

Exclusions

There are specific instances where properties usually do not merit listing in the National Register. As a general rule, cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, moved structures, reconstructed historic buildings, commemorative properties, and properties that have achieved significance during the last fifty years are not qualified for listing on the Register. There are, however, exceptions to all the preceding; mitigating circumstances allow properties classified in one of those groups to be included.

Properties listed

A listing on the National Register of Historic Places is governmental acknowledgment of a historic district, site, building, or property. However, the Register is mostly "an honorary status with some federal financial incentives." The National Register of Historic Places automatically includes all National Historic Landmarks as well as all historic areas administered by the National Park Service. Besides Landmarks such as these include: National Historic Sites (NHS), National Historical Parks, National Military Parks/Battlefields, National Memorials, and some National Monuments. Occasionally historic sites outside the country's borders, but associated with the United States, such as the American Embassy in Tangiers, also are listed.

Listing in the National Register does not restrict private property owners from the use of their property. Some states and municipalities, however, may have laws that become effective when a property is listed in the National Register. If federal money or a federal permitting process is involved, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 is invoked. Section 106 requires the federal agency involved to assess the effect of its actions on historic resources. Statutorily, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) has the most significant role by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The section requires that the director of any federal agency with direct or indirect jurisdiction of a project that may affect a property listed in the National Register of Historic Places, must first report to the Advisory Council. The director of said agency is required to "take into account the effect of the undertaking" on the National Register property, as well as to afford the ACHP a reasonable opportunity to comment.

While Section 106 does not mandate explicitly that any federal agency director accept the advice of the ACHP, their advice has practical influence, especially given the statutory obligations of the NHPA that require federal agencies to "take into account the effect of the undertaking."

In cases where the ACHP determines federal action will have an "adverse effect" on historic properties, mitigation is sought. Typically, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is created by which the involved parties agree to a particular plan. Many states have laws similar to Section 106. In contrast to conditions relating to a federally designated historic district, municipal ordinances governing local historic districts often restrict certain kinds of changes to properties. Thus they may protect the property more than a National Register listing does.

The Department of Transportation Act, passed on October 15, 1966, the same day as the National Historic Preservation Act, included provisions that addressed historic preservation. The DOT Act is much more general than Section 106 NHPA in that it refers to properties other than those listed in the Register.

The more general language has allowed more properties and parklands to enjoy status as protected areas by this legislation, a policy developed early in its history. The United States Supreme Court ruled in the 1971 case ''Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe'' that parklands could have the same protected status as "historic sites."

Multiple Property Submission

A multiple property submission (MPS) is a thematic group listing of the National Register of Historic Places that consists of related properties that share a common theme and can be submitted as a group. Multiple property submissions must satisfy certain basic criteria for the group of properties to be included in the National Register. thumb|right|The [[White Pines State Park Lodge and Cabins|lodge and cabins at White Pines State Park, in Illinois, are part of a multiple property submission.]]

The process begins with the Multiple Property Documentation Form, which acts as a cover document rather than the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The purpose of the documentation form is to establish the basis of eligibility for related properties. The information of the Multiple Property Documentation Form can be used to nominate and register related historic properties simultaneously, or to establish criteria for properties that may be nominated in the future. Thus, additions to an MPS can occur over time.

The nomination of individual properties in an MPS is accomplished in the same manner as other nominations. The name of the "thematic group" denotes the historical theme of the properties. It is considered the "multiple property listing." Once an individual property or a group of properties is nominated and listed in the National Register, the Multiple Property Documentation Form, combined with the individual National Register of Historic Places Nomination Forms, constitute a Multiple Property Submission. Examples of MPS include the Lee County Multiple Property Submission, the Warehouses in Omaha, the Boundary Markers of the Original District of Columbia, and the Illinois Carnegie Libraries. Before the term "Multiple Property Submission" was introduced in 1984, such listings were known as "Thematic Resources" or "Multiple Resource Areas."

Types of properties

Listed properties are generally in one of five broad categories, although there are special considerations for other types of properties that in any one, or into more specialized subcategories. The five general categories for National Register properties are: building, structure, site, district, and object. In addition, historic districts consist of contributing and non-contributing properties.

Buildings, as defined by the National Register, are distinguished in the traditional sense. Examples include a house, barn, hotel, church, or similar construction. They are created primarily to shelter human activity. The term building, as in outbuilding, can be used to refer to historically and functionally related units, such as a courthouse and a jail or a barn and a house.

Structures differ from buildings in that they are functional constructions meant to be used for purposes other than sheltering human activity. Examples include an aircraft, a grain elevator, a gazebo, and a bridge.

Objects are usually artistic in nature, or small in scale compared to structures and buildings. Although objects may be movable, they are generally associated with a specific setting or environment. Examples of objects include monuments, sculptures, and fountains.

Sites are the location of significant events, which can be prehistoric or historic in nature and represent activities or buildings (standing, ruined, or vanished). With sites it is the location itself that is of historical interest. It possesses cultural or archaeological value regardless of the value of any structures that currently exist at the location. Examples of sites include shipwrecks, battlefields, campsites, natural features, and rock shelters.

Historic districts possess a concentration, association, or continuity of the other four types of properties. Objects, structures, buildings, and sites in a historic district are united historically or aesthetically, either by choice or by the nature of their development.

There are several other different types of historic preservation associated with the properties of the National Register of Historic Places that cannot be classified as either simple buildings and historic districts. Through the National Park Service, the National Register of Historic Places publishes a series of bulletins designed to aid in evaluating and applying the criteria for evaluation of different types of properties. Although the criteria are always the same, the manner they are applied may differ slightly, depending upon the type of property involved. The National Register bulletins describe application of the criteria for aids to navigation, historic battlefields, archaeological sites, aviation properties, cemeteries, and burial places, historic designed landscapes, mining sites, post offices, properties associated with significant persons, properties achieving significance within the last fifty years, rural historic landscapes, traditional cultural properties, and vessels and shipwrecks.

Limitations

The limitations of the NHPA are demonstrated when historic properties are destroyed, as when the Jobbers Canyon Historic District in downtown Omaha, Nebraska was demolished in 1987 to make way for a suburban-style corporate campus. As of 1999, there have been 982 properties removed from the Register, most often due to being destroyed.

Similar designations outside the United States

- Canadian Register of Historic Places - Monument historique - Historic building, see List of Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong, List of Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong and List of Grade III historic buildings in Hong Kong - Rijksmonument - New Zealand Historic Places Trust - National Monuments of Singapore - Listed building or scheduled monument

See also

African American Historic Places

Architectural photographers

Contributing property

Cultural landscape

Historic preservation

History of the National Register of Historic Places

Jails and prisons listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Keeper of the Register

List of heritage registers

List of National Historic Landmarks by state

List of threatened historic sites in the United States

National Heritage Area

National Historical Park

Property type (National Register of Historic Places)

Public history

State Historic Preservation Office

United States Memorials

United States National Register of Historic Places listings

World Heritage Site

References

;Notes

;Bibliography

Wiley, John. "National Register of Historic Places," ''National Park Service'', (1994), ISBN 0-471-14403-7

"National Register Information System", ''National Register of Historic Places,'' National Park Service. Retrieved July 11, 2011.

Shrimpton, Rebecca H., ed. "How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation," ''National Park Service'', (1997) National Register Bulletin No. 15, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved April 11, 2007.

Title 36, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, specifically Part 60, National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved April 11, 2007.

External links

National Register of Historic Places

*National Historic Landmarks Program

*Travel itineraries, National Park Service

*Teaching with Historic Place(TwHP), National Park Service

*Weekly updates

*Nomination forms

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

*Working with Section 106, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

*An Overview of Federal Historic Preservation Law, 1966-1996

Category:Heritage registers Category:Historic preservation Category:1966 establishments in the United States Category:Lists of Heritage Sites

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Coordinates	3°5′00″N101°32′00″N
name	Mathew Knowles
wife	Tina Knowles
children	Beyoncé Knowles, Solange Knowles
background	non_performing_personnel
birth name	Mathew Knowles
born	January 09, 1951Gadsden, Alabama, U.S.
spouse	Tina Knowles (1980-2009)
children	Beyoncé Knowles (b. 1981)Solange Knowles (b. 1986)Nixon Knowles
occupation	CEO, executive-record producer
years active	1975–present
label	Music World
website	Mathew Knowles }}

Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1951) is an American music executive and manager from Gadsden, Alabama. He is the father and former manager of R&B; singers Beyoncé and current manager of Solange Knowles.

Career

Manager and producer

Knowles is an alumnus of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. While studying at Fisk he held membership in a number of student and social organizations, among them the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Eta Beta chapter at UT Chattanooga . After completing his B.A. in 1975, he worked for imaging company Xerox. He left his job at Xerox to manage his eldest daughter's singing group, Girl's Tyme, the precursor to what later became Destiny's Child. Knowles has worked as either a producer or an executive producer on many of group's solo and collective projects. In addition to his work in music, Knowles is also one of the executive producers of the 2009 thriller ''Obsessed'', which stars his eldest daughter Beyoncé.

CEO

In 2003, Knowles founded his own record label, Music World Entertainment. The label is a division of the label Columbia Records. The MWE label produced many artists such as Beyoncé Knowles, Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland, Solange Knowles, From Above, Sunshine Anderson, Trin-i-tee 5:7, The Pastor Rudy Experience, and J. Xavier.

Knowles has also started or managed Music World Music, the label division of Music World Entertainment. This division consists of four imprints; Music World Kids, Compadre Records, Spirit Rising, and the digital label Hits Revealed.

Personal life

Knowles has been married to stylist and House of Dereon owner Tina Knowles since 1980. Together, they have two daughters, R&B; singers Beyoncé and Solange Knowles.

On November 11, 2009, Tina Knowles filed for divorce after several reports about Mathew's affair with actress Alexsandra Wright had surfaced. The reports went as far as claiming that Wright was pregnant with Knowles' child. After Wright's son Nixon was born, she requested a paternity test from Knowles, who had admitted to having an affair with her. The paternity test was positive and Knowles was ordered to pay child support to Nixon and Wright.

References

External links

Music World Entertainment

Mathew Knowles Best

Category:1951 births Category:American music industry executives Category:Fisk University alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Gadsden, Alabama

fr:Mathew Knowles mk:Метју Ноулс pl:Mathew Knowles pt:Mathew Knowles sv:Matthew Knowles vi:Mathew Knowles

Coordinates	3°5′00″N101°32′00″N
name	Nicki Minaj
background	solo_singer
birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
birth date	December 08, 1982
birth place	Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
origin	South Jamaica, Queens,
genre	Hip hop, R&B;, pop
occupation	Rapper, singer-songwriter
years active	2002–present
label	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
associated acts	Young Money
website	}}

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj (), is a Trinidadian-born American musician. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, and moved to the New York borough of Queens when she was five.

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, ''Pink Friday'', in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release. She became the first artist to have seven singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time. Her second single, "Your Love", reached #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. Minaj was named the 2011 ''Rising Star'' by ''Billboard''. Her second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' will be released on April 3, 2012.

Early life

Maraj was born in 1982 in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain. Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens. According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet. She graduated from LaGuardia High School. At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program. She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia, but lost her voice on the day of the audition.

Career

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money

Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing ''Playtime Is Over'' with ''Dirty Money Records''. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled ''Sucka Free'', under the label ''Be''. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in ''XXL'' magazine. She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards. Minaj released ''Beam Me Up Scotty'', another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of ''Trapaholics Records''; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.

In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal. She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching #2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at #56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics. Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album ''We Are Young Money'', which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, reaching #9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B; singer.

2010–present: ''Pink Friday'' and ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded''

After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing. In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album ''Loud'' that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's ''Pink Friday''. Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album. On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be ''Pink Friday'', in reference to Black Friday.

''Pink Friday'' was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions. A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April. In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart simultaneously. Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs. The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release. It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the ''The X Factor.'' Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting ''Pink Friday'' by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale''. She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till The World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011. "Super Bass" was released from ''Pink Friday'' in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more. The song gained positive reviews from critics. Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'', as an unknown character. Minaj is also featured on French disc jockey David Guetta's 2011 album, ''Nothing but the Beat'' on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On". She will be featured alongside Madonna and M.I.A on an upcoming single from Madonna's twelfth studio album, for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce. The trio performed "Give Me All Your Luvin'" off Madonna's new album for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.

Minaj's second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'', was announced through Twitter in November 2011 and is set to be released on April 3, 2012. The album's second single, "Starships", was released on February 14. On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman's Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. The exorcism-themed perfomance drew a mixed response online.

Musical style and image

Image

In an interview with ''Vibe'' Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing." In an interview with ''Interview'', Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.” Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "" (''shangdi yu ni chang zai'') on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."

Alter egos

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting. As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them. In an interview with ''New York'' she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski". She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin sister". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from ''Pink Friday'', Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos. On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot." Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski", who also appeared on the song Roman's Revenge, with a British accent. Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping. Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa". Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City. Minaj made an appearance on ''Lopez Tonight'' on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).

Influences

Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott. She was also inspired by Janet Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones, M.I.A., and Cyndi Lauper.

Personal life

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual, she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women, but added in an interview with ''Out'' magazine, "I don’t date men either." In an interview with ''Vibe'' she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined." She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with ''Out'', saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."

During an interview in the May 2010 issue of ''Details'', Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."

On July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City.

Discography

''Pink Friday'' (2010)

''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012)

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

Notes

References

External links

Category:Nicki Minaj Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American rappers Category:American musicians of Indian descent Category:American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:Female rappers Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Hip hop singers Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Queens Category:People from Port of Spain Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Singers from New York City Category:Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States Category:Trinidad and Tobago musicians Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of Dougla descent Category:Young Money Entertainment artists

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Coordinates	3°5′00″N101°32′00″N
name	Casey James
background	solo_singer
birth name	Casey Everett James
birth date	May 31, 1982
birth place	Plano, Texas
origin	Fort Worth, Texas,
instrument	Vocals, guitar, mandolin
genre	Pop, country, rock, blues
occupation	Singer, songwriter
years active	2008–present
label	19 Recordings/BNA Records
website	}}

Casey Everett James (born May 31, 1982) is an American singer and guitarist from Fort Worth, Texas, who was the third-place finalist on the ninth season of ''American Idol''.

Early life

Born in Plano and raised in Cool, Texas, James had a bad reaction to his pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine when he was an infant, and his family feared brain damage. According to his mother, however, she realized that he would be all right and was going to be musical when he started humming before he talked.

James started playing the guitar at 13 and within a year was playing on stage. James has played acoustic sets with his mother, Debra "Bybee" James, and blues with his older brother, Billy Cole. He has also played with country and rock bands.{ At the age of 21, he was in a serious motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. He was told by his doctor that he would no longer be able to play guitar, a medical prediction that proved untrue. During the ''American Idol'' hometown visits, James returned to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and presented an autographed guitar to his surgeon, Dr. Cory Collinge.

Before ''American Idol'', he played with his band, The Casey James Band, consisting of James, his brother, Bills Cole (bass), and Jacy McCann (drums). They recorded four songs, including the first song that James ever wrote, "Freezing," back in 2002.

Musical influences

James cites blues guitarist Doyle Bramhall II as a major musical influence and whom he would most like to perform with in his Idol Q&A.; Another major influence is Stevie Ray Vaughan; James named Vaughn's ''In the Beginning'' (1992) as a formative album in his early years.

I got an album called “In the Beginning” and I learned every note on it, which was easier to do because it was early on in his career [it was recorded in 1980]. I learned all those notes and it opened me up to the blues. When you look what he was doing, a lot of it was covers, and then you go back and start listening to those guys -- the originals Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins -- those influences changed me, too.

Other influences cited in the article are southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pearl Jam.

''American Idol''

James was a contestant on ''American Idol'' during its ninth season. He made it to the Top 3 before being eliminated on May 19, 2010. James had tried out for and been selected to compete in the ninth season of ''Idol'' in 2009 in spite of the fact that he had never seen the show. He was the oldest contestant to be selected for the Top 24 of the ninth season at the age of 27. James was voted off of the competition on May 19, 2010, and finished in third place. During the finale of ''American Idol'', he performed a duet of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Bret Michaels.

''USA Today'' music critic Brian Mansfield suggested that James was "the best guitar player the show [''American Idol''] has seen."

Performances

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !Episode !Theme !Song choice !Original artist !Order # !Result |- |Audition |N/A |"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" |John Mayer |N/A |Advanced |- |Hollywood |First Solo |"I Don't Need No Doctor" |Ray Charles |N/A |Advanced |- |Hollywood |Group Round |"Closer" |Ne-Yo |N/A |Advanced |- |Hollywood |Second Solo |"Bubbly" |Colbie Calliat |N/A |Advanced |- |Top 24 (12 Men) |rowspan="3"|Billboard Hot 100 Hits |"Heaven" |Bryan Adams |11 |Safe |- |Top 20 (10 Men) |"I Don't Want to Be" |Gavin DeGraw |3 |Safe |- |Top 16 (8 Men) |"You'll Think of Me" |Keith Urban |5 |Safe |- |Top 12 |The Rolling Stones |"It's All Over Now" |The Valentinos |3 |Safe |- |Top 11 |''Billboard'' #1 Hits |"The Power of Love" |Huey Lewis and the News |9 |Safe |- |Top 10 |R&B;/Soul |"Hold On, I'm Comin'" |Sam & Dave |2 |Safe |- |Top 9 |Lennon/McCartney |"Jealous Guy" |John Lennon |7 |Safe |- |Top 9 |Elvis Presley |"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" |Lloyd Price |9 |Safe |- |Top 7 |Inspirational |"Don't Stop" |Fleetwood Mac |1 |Bottom 3 |- |Top 6 |Shania Twain |"Don't!" |Shania Twain |3 |Bottom 3 |- |Top 5 |Frank Sinatra |"Blue Skies" |Belle Baker |2 |Safe |- |rowspan="2"| Top 4 |rowspan="2"| Songs of the Cinema | Solo "Mrs. Robinson" — ''The Graduate'' | Simon & Garfunkel | 4 |rowspan="2"| Safe |- | Duet "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" — ''Don Juan DeMarco'' with Michael Lynche |Bryan Adams |6 |- |rowspan="2"| Top 3 | Contestant's Choice | "OK, It's Alright with Me" | Eric Hutchinson | 1 |rowspan="2"| Eliminated |- |Judge's Choice |"Daughters" |John Mayer |4 |} Due to the judges using their one save to save Michael Lynche, the Top 9 remained intact for another week. When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, James was among the Bottom 3 but declared safe second, as Tim Urban was eliminated. When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, James was among the Bottom 3 but declared safe second, as Siobhan Magnus was eliminated. Song selected by Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.

Post-''Idol''

James joined the rest of the Top 10 on the American Idols LIVE! tour. His four-song set included "I Got Mine" by The Black Keys, "Don't" by Shania Twain, "It's All Over Now" by Bobby Womack, and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" by Bryan Adams alongside fellow contestant Michael Lynche.

On August 17, 2010, it was announced that James had signed with Sony Music Nashville and his debut album will be released on 19 Recordings/BNA Records in 2011.Sony Music Nashville Chairman and CEO Gary Overton said: “We at Sony Music Nashville are incredibly excited about signing CASEY JAMES. I flew to NEW YORK to see him ‘live’ with the American Idol Tour and I was blown away with his voice, guitar playing and stage presence...and so were the thousands of fans in the amphitheatre. He has honed his skills as a showman with his years of performing live on stage! I can't wait to get him into the studio to begin recording his debut album.” James is currently set to work with country songwriter Tom Douglas. Douglas has said of James that "he's the real deal. He's a great singer and great guitar player, so I'm looking forward to writing with him."

James has been working on his debut record writing songs and auditioning band members. He has been collaborating with some of country music’s best songwriters including Aimee Mayo, Jaren Johnston, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, Delbert McClinton, and Grammy-winner Tom Douglas. He’s also been doing what he loves, playing before live audiences from coast to coast. He has opened for Sugarland on their Incredible Machine Tour and has been playing other solo and opening gigs including performing at the ACM Awards after party and 2011 CMA Fest.

James announced his first single will be "Let's Don't Call It a Night." The single was released on August 15, 2011 and sold 5,000 copies on its debut week.

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		! width="65"
2011	"Let's Don't Call It a Night"A	57

^A Current single.

References

External links

Casey James on ''Twitter''

Casey James at ''American Idol''

Casey James Shares His 'Idol' Experience at ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''

Casey James Band Official Website

Category:1982 births Category:American Idol participants Category:American male singers Category:American guitarists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Texas Category:American country singers Category:BNA Records artists

id:Casey James

Coordinates	3°5′00″N101°32′00″N
name	Charlie Robison
background	solo_singer
birth name	Charles Fitzgerald Robison
born	September 01, 1964
origin	Houston, Texas, USA
genre	Country
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	1996–present
label	VieroLucky DogColumbiaDualtone
associated acts	Jack IngramBruce RobisonEmily Robison
website	Official website }}

Charles Fitzgerald "Charlie" Robison (born September 1, 1964 in Houston, Texas) is an Texas Country singer/songwriter, who was raised in Bandera, Texas. His brother is singer/songwriter Bruce Robison. Sister, Robyn Ludwick, is an accomplished singer/songwriter in her own right.

Career

After an injury in college ended a potential football career, Charlie Robison came to Austin, TX in the late 80's and had stints in the bands Chaparral, Millionaire Playboys, and Two Hoots and a Holler. He went solo with his album "Bandera" in 1996. He subsequently signed with Sony and released "Life of the Party" on Sony's subsidiary Lucky Dog Records. The album gave him three of his biggest hits including "My Hometown." His next release was a live disc called "Unleashed Live," which is credited to Charlie, brother Bruce, and Jack Ingram. He then signed with Columbia Records for "Step Right Up" and another live album.

In 2003, Robison was a judge on the first season of the TV singing competition ''Nashville Star''.

Unhappy with the expectations & limitations of being a Nashville country artist, he moved to a smaller independent label, Dualtone, for "Good Times" in 2004, followed by extensive touring and newfound control over his career. Accordingly, his sound began to evolve away from mainstream/Nashville country and toward more Southern & hard rock influences.

Five years after the release of ''Good Times'', Robison released ''Beautiful Day'' on June 23, 2009 on Dualtone. This is the first CD he has self-produced. Both albums feature several songs written by Nashville singer/songwriter Keith Gattis.

His song "Good Times" was featured in the credits of HBO's original series ''True Blood'' in the first season's third episode.

In 2009 he embarked on an East Coast tour with stops in Little Rock, Nashville, Atlanta, Raleigh, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, Iowa City, and Memphis to promote "Beautiful Day." Since then he has played primarily in Texas, with occasional shows in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

He is known for playing classic rock covers during his live shows. Some of these include: "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Highway to Hell" (AC/DC), "Call me the Breeze" (Lynyrd Skynyrd), "Whiskey River," "Stay all Night," and other songs by Willie Nelson, "Rocket Man" (Elton John), and several Rolling Stones songs including "Dead Flowers" and "Honky Tonk Women."

His live band includes: Mark Tokach (lead guitar), Abe Combest (drums), Louis Landry (keyboards/accordion), and Chris Grady (bass). Most of his recordings feature The Enablers: Keith Robinson (drums) and Scott Esbeck (bass). Other notable ex-band members include Kim Deschamps (pedal steel, lep steel, mandolin, guitar from 2000–2009), Kevin Carroll (guitar), Jens Pinkernell (guitar), and Kris Brown (bass). His recordings have also featured special guests Lloyd Maines (who produced Step Right Up and Good Times), Rich Brotherton, Charlie Sexton, and Natalie Maines (harmony vocals on El Cerrito Place).

Family

He married Emily Erwin of The Dixie Chicks in 1999. They have three children together: Charles Augustus, called "Gus", born November 11, 2002 and twins Julianna Tex (9:19 pm, 6 lb 10 oz) and Henry Benjamin (9:29 pm, 6 lb 14 oz), born on April 14, 2005. Charlie and Emily divorced on August 6, 2008 after nine years of marriage.

Discography

Albums

Title	Album details	Peak chartpositions
		! width="45"	! width="45"
''Bandera''		* Release date: August 6, 1996	* Label: Viero Records	—	—
''Life of the Party''		* Release date: September 8, 1998	* Label: Lucky Dog	71	—
''Unleashed Live''(with Jack Ingramand Bruce Robison)		* Release date: September 26, 2000	* Label: Lucky Dog	—	—
''Step Right Up''		* Release date: April 10, 2001	* Label: Columbia Records	27	23
''Live''		* Release date: May 6, 2003	* Label: Columbia Records	51	—
''Good Times''		* Release date: September 21, 2004	* Label: Dualtone Records	52	—
''Beautiful Day''		* Release date: June 23, 2009	* Label: Dualtone Records	33	25

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		! width="60"
1999	"Barlight"	60
	"My Hometown"	65
"Poor Man's Son"	67
	"I Want You Bad"	35
"Right Man for the Job"	—
2003	"Walter"	58
2004	"El Cerrito Place"	—
2005	"Photograph"	—
2006	"Wild Man from Borneo"	—
	"Reconsider"	—
"Down Again"	—
2010	"Feelin' Good"	—

Music videos

! Year	Video	! Director
1998	"Barlight"
1999	"My Hometown"
2000	"Poor Man's Son"	Adam Little
	"I Want You Bad"
"Right Man for the Job"
2004	"El Cerrito Place"
2005	"Photograph"

Tributes

He appeared on ''Kindred Spirits: A tribute to Johnny Cash'', singing "Don't Take Your Guns to Town".

In 2006, Charlie Robison performed "Wildman from Borneo" on the Kinky Friedman tribute ''"Why the hell not..." The songs of Kinky Friedman''.

See also

Music of Austin

References

External links

Official website

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Texas country musicians Category:Musicians from Houston, Texas Category:Dualtone Records artists