Coordinates	13 °31 ′30 ″N71 °58 ′20 ″N
show name	The Protector
show name 2	Exit 19
genre
creator
starring
country	United States
language	English
num seasons	1
num episodes	9
list episodes	List of The Protector episodes
company
producer
executive producer
runtime	43 minutes
network	Lifetime
picture format	NTSC (480i) HDTV 1080i
first aired
last aired	present
status	Airing
website	http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/the-protector }}

''The Protector'' is an American drama television series created by Michael Nankin and Jeffrey Bell. The series stars Ally Walker as Gloria Sheppard, a single mother who struggles to maintain the balance between her personal and professional life as an LAPD homicide detective.

The series is broadcast in the United States on the cable channel Lifetime, and is a co-production between ABC Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. It premiered on June 12, 2011.

Overview

The series follows Gloria Sheppard, an LAPD detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division. A recent divorcee and single mother, Gloria has to perform her duties as a LAPD homicide detective while raising her twin sons. Gloria's brother, Davey Sheppard, whose house she recently moved in to, helps to raise her two sons Nick and Leo. While at work, Gloria must solve some of Los Angeles most high profile crimes with the assistance of her partner, Detective Michelle Dulcett as well as Detective Ramon "Romeo" Rush, Buerge and Van Stone, while being overseen by her commanding officer, Lieutenant Felix Valdez.

Cast

Los Angeles Police DepartmentTisha Campbell-MartinMiguel FerrerChris Payne GilbertTerrell TilfordThomas Robinson (actor) Sage Ryan Larry Joe CampbellJames Hanlon

Name	Portrayed by	Occupation	Seasons
1
Gloria Sheppard	Ally Walker	Los Angeles Police Detective |	Main
Michelle Dulcett	|	Los Angeles Police Department>Los Angeles Police Detective	Main
Felix Valdez		Los Angeles Police Lieutenant |>style="background: #ddffdd" colspan="1" align="center"| Main
Davey Sheppard	|	Gloria Sheppard's Brother	Main
Ramon "Romeo" Rush	|	Los Angeles Police Department>Los Angeles Police Detective	Main
Leo Sheppard	Thomas Robinson ||	Gloria Sheppard's Youngest Son	Main
Nick Sheppard	|	Gloria Sheppard's Oldest Son	Main
Detective Buerge	|	Los Angeles Police Department>Los Angeles Police Detective	Recurring
Detective Van Stone	|	Los Angeles Police Department>Los Angeles Police Detective	Recurring

Main cast

Ally Walker as Gloria Sheppard—An LAPD Detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division.

Tisha Campbell-Martin as Michelle Dulcett—An LAPD Detective II. She is Gloria Sheppard's partner in the Robbery-Homicide Division.

Miguel Ferrer as Felix Valdez—An LAPD Lieutenant. He is Gloria Sheppard's superior officer in the Robbery-Homicide Division.

Chris Payne Gilbert as Davey Sheppard—Gloria Sheppard's brother and uncle to Leo and Nick Sheppard.

Terrell Tilford as Ramon "Romeo" Rush—An LAPD police officer and later Detective, attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division.

Thomas Robinson as Leo Sheppard—Gloria Sheppard's youngest son.

Sage Ryan as Nick Sheppard—Gloria Sheppard's oldest son.

Recurring cast

Larry Joe Campbell as Detective Buerge—An LAPD Detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division.

James Hanlon as Detective Van Stone—An LAPD Detective attached to the Robbery-Homicide Division.

Development and production

Originally known as ''Exit 19'', The Protector was initially developed by Jeffrey Bell, based on a script written by Michael Nankin, in late 2007. In early 2008, CBS placed an order for a pilot presentation for ''Exit 19''. Bell wrote the pilot. Nankin was attached to the project as director, with Bell, Nina Wass and Gene Stein serving as executive producers. The pilot was a co-production of ABC Studios, CBS Television Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. It was described as being about "a quirky homicide detective on the mean streets of Manhattan who also is a single mom to two kids in the suburbs on Long Island." Geena Davis was the first to be cast in the pilot as 'Gloria'. She also served as co-executive producer. Next to join the pilot was Matthew Lillard as Gloria's younger brother. Rosie Perez, Ramon Rodriguez and Amy Farrington were the last actors to be cast, with Perez playing 'Lorna', Gloria's partner on the NYPD, Rodriguez playing 'a smart flirty cop who works with Gloria and Lorna', and Farrington playing Gloria's neighbor. On May 10, 2008, it was announced that CBS had decided not to pick up the pilot to series.

In July 2009, Lifetime announced it was redeveloping the pilot. In June 2010, the network placed a pilot order.

Casting announcements began in November 2010, with Ally Walker first to be cast. Walker portrays Gloria Sheppard, a Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who is juggling her demanding personal and professional lives while raising two children. Next to join the series was Tisha Campbell-Martin and Chris Payne Gilbert, with Campbell-Martin playing Michelle Dulcett, Gloria's smart and vivacious partner, and Gilbert playing Davey Sheppard, Gloria's younger brother, a recovering alcoholic, with whom she shares the house the two co-own. Last to be cast was Miguel Ferrer playing Lieutenant Felix Valdez, Gloria's boss.

The network green lighted the series on February 7, 2011, with an order of 13 hour-long episodes. The series is a co-production between ABC Studios and Wass-Stein Productions. On May 3, 2011, during the network's 2011–2012 upfronts presentation, Lifetime announced that ''Exit 19'' had been retitled ''The Protector'' and would debut in the summer of 2011.

Reception

Critical reception

''The Protector'' has received mixed to average reviews, earning a score of 53 on Metacritic. The ''New York Daily News'' said of the series: "Where "Army Wives" can get soapy at times, it also starts with a premise that sets it apart. The Protector doesn't start with that advantage." The New York Times gave a mixed review: "Ms. Walker is an appealing actress with a strong presence, but in the pilot, at least, her character isn't as well formed or well written as other tough-talking television dames." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave the pilot a positive review:

The Protector is fairly routine plot-wise but the breezy tone--conveyed through upbeat music and snappy dialogue--and strong, collegial performances make this series a welcome summer diversion.

Ratings

The pilot episode premiered with 1.90 million total viewers, scoring 0.9 million viewers in the 18–49 demographic.

Season	Season Premiere			Season Finale
	Date	Viewers Total (in millions)	Viewers 18–49	Date	Viewers Total (in millions)	Viewers 18–49
1	July 11, 2011	1.90	0.85	September 19, 2011	! style="text-align:center;font-weight:normal"	! style="text-align:center;font-weight:normal"

International broadcasting

References

External links

Category:2010s American television series Category:2011 American television series debuts Category:American drama television series Category:Crime television series Category:English-language television series Category:Lifetime (TV network) shows Category:Police procedural television series Category:Television series by Buena Vista Television Category:Television series by CBS Paramount Television

fr:The Protector ru:Защитница

Coordinates	13 °31 ′30 ″N71 °58 ′20 ″N
name	Ally Walker
birthname	Allene Damian Walker
birth date	August 25, 1961
birth place	Tullahoma, Tennessee, U.S.
occupation	Actress, Producer, Director, Screenwriter
yearsactive	1988–present
spouse	Craig Sexton (12 November 1985 - ?) (divorced) John Landgraf (1997–present), 3 children }}

Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress, producer, director and screenwriter.

She is best known for her roles as Doctor Samantha Waters on the NBC crime drama series ''Profiler'' (1996–1999) and Agent June Stahl on the FX drama series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2010). She has also starred in films such as ''Universal Soldier'' (1992), ''Singles'' (1992), ''While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), ''Kazaam'' (1996), ''Happy, Texas'' (1999) and ''Wonderful World'' (2009). She currently stars as Gloria Shepherd in the Lifetime drama series ''The Protector''.

Early life

Walker was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Originally intending to become a scientist, she attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she obtained a degree in biochemistry. Subsequently, she worked as a researcher on a genetic engineering project, while preparing for medical school at UCLA. However, while spending a semester at ''Richmond College of Arts'' in London, England, she discovered an interest in performing. Her professional dramatic career began when she was cast in the 1988 film ''Aloha Summer''. Her role ended up on the cutting room floor, but her interest in acting had been kindled. Her scientific career was put on hold indefinitely.

Career

Walker became a regular in the TV series ''Santa Barbara'', appearing as Andrea Bedford. Since then, she has gone on to numerous roles in films and TV series including the NBC TV movie ''Perry Mason and the Case of the Fatal Fashion'' (1991) as the devious daughter of Diana Muldaur. In 1993 she starred in the short-lived ABC comedy series ''Moon Over Miami''. In 1994, was offered the opportunity to test for both Rachel and Monica for NBC's series ''Friends''.

From 1996 to 1999 she played the lead role Doctor Samantha Waters on the NBC crime drama series ''Profiler''.For this role she was nominated on ''Saturn Award'' and ''Satellite Awards''.

She has also appeared in the films ''Singles'' (1992), ''Universal Soldier'' 1992), ''When the Bough Breaks'' (1993), ''While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), ''Kazaam'' 1996) and ''Happy, Texas''(1999). In 1997, she was listed as one of People magazine's "40 Most Fascinating People on TV. In 1999 she played the lead role in Lifetime Movie ''If You Believe''.

In 2002 she returned to television with a pilot ABC sitcom ''My Wonderful Life''. She also was a producer. The show did not get a series order. In 2005 she released a documentary film ''For Norman... Wherever You Are'' as director and producer. The film was screened at several film festivals and received several awards.

From 2005 to 2010, Walker played many guest roles on TV shows, such as ''Sleeper Cell'', ''ER'', ''Boston Legal'', ''Law & Order'', ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', ''Southland'' and ''Law and Order: SVU''.

Beginning in September 2007, Walker starred in the HBO series about sexual relationships, ''Tell Me You Love Me''. Unlike the other regular characters on the show, her character refrained from nudity or sex during the course of the season. That ended in the season finale with Walker engaging in a graphic nude sex scene with a masturbatory theme. Also in 2007 she played the lead role and was a scriptwriter for a thriller film ''By Appointment Only''. In 2009 she starred in the movies ''Toe to Toe'' and ''Wonderful World''.

From 2008 to 2010 Walker had a recurring role as ATF Agent June Stahl, major antagonist on the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy''.

Walker plays the leading role in the Lifetime drama series ''The Protector'' premiering on June 12th 2011 which revolves around a single mother who struggles to balance her family and professional life as an LAPD homicide detective.

Personal life

On June 14, 1997 Walker married John Landgraf, then a producer for NBC, at her parents' home in Santa Fe. Their son, Jon Walker Landgraf, was born on August 7 of that year. The couple have two additional children, Willam and Caleb.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film/TV ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1988 || ''Santa Barbara'' || Andrea Bedford || 88 episodes |- | 1989 || ''Swimsuit'' || Romella || |- | 1989–1990 || ''True Blue'' || Officer Jessica Haley || 12 episodes |- | 1990 || ''Matlock'' || Renee Williams || 1 episode |- |rowspan=2| 1991 || ''Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion'' ||Julia Collier || |- | ''Eye of the Storm'' || Killer Girl || |- |rowspan=2| 1992 || ''Universal Soldier'' || Veronica Roberts || |- | ''Singles'' || Pam || |- |rowspan=2| 1993 || ''The Seventh Coin'' || Lisa || |- | ''Moon Over Miami'' ||Gwen Cross || 12 episodes |- | 1993 || ''When the Bough Breaks'' || Audrey Macleah || |- |rowspan=4| 1995 || ''Just Looking'' || Sherrie || |- | ''Someone to Die For'' || Alex Donaldson || |- | ''While You Were Sleeping'' || Ashley Bartlett Bacon || |- | ''Steal Big, Steal Little'' || Bonnie Martin || |- |rowspan=3|1996 || ''Wings'' || Melissa Williams || 1 episode |- | ''Bed of Roses'' || Wendy || |- | ''Kazaam'' || Alice Connor || |- | 1996–1999 || ''Profiler'' || Doctor Samantha Waters || 64 episodes, Nominated Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films -Best Genre TV Actress (1998) Satellite Awards - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama (1998) |- | 1997 || ''Brittle Glory'' || Elise Rosen || |- | 1998 || ''Welcome to Hollywood'' || Herself || |- |rowspan=2| 1999 || ''If You Believe'' || Susan Stone || |- | ''Happy, Texas'' || Josephine 'Joe' McClintock the Banker || |- | 2002 || ''My Wonderful Life'' || Billie || TV pilot, |- |rowspan=2| 2005 || ''For Norman... Wherever You Are'' || || Documentary, Director and Producer won ''San Fernando Valley International Film Festival'' - Best Documentary Feature ''Wine Country Film Festival'' - Champion of Conscience Award |- | ''Sleeper Cell'' || Lynn Ellen Emerson || 2 episodes |- |rowspan=2| 2006 || ''ER'' || Fran Bevens || 1 episode |- | ''The Shield'' || Tori Burke || 1 episode |- |rowspan=3| 2007 || ''By Appointment Only'' || Val Spencer || Actress and writer |- | ''American Dad!'' || Melinda || 1 episode, (voice) |- | ''Tell Me You Love Me'' || Katie || 10 episodes |- |rowspan=2| 2008 || ''Boston Legal'' || Attorney Phoebe Prentice || 2 episodes |- | ''Law & Order'' || Gretchen Steel || 1 episode |- |rowspan=4| 2009 || ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' || Rita Nettles || 1 episode |- | ''Southland'' || Dr. Merrill Matthews || 2 episodes |- | ''Toe to Toe'' || Claire || |- | ''Wonderful World'' || Eliza || |- | 2010 || ''Law and Order: SVU'' || Dr. Stanton || 1 episode |- | 2008–2010 || ''Sons of Anarchy'' || Agent June Stahl || 19 episodes |- | 2011–present || ''The Protector'' || Gloria Sheppard || New TV Series |}

References

External links

Ally as Andrea Bedford

Category:1961 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:People from Santa Fe, New Mexico Category:University of California, Santa Cruz alumni Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:Actors from New Mexico Category:People from Tullahoma, Tennessee

de:Ally Walker es:Ally Walker fr:Ally Walker hu:Ally Walker nl:Ally Walker no:Ally Walker pl:Ally Walker pt:Ally Walker ru:Уокер, Элли fi:Ally Walker uk:Еллі Вокер

Coordinates	13 °31 ′30 ″N71 °58 ′20 ″N
name	Namie Amuro安室 奈美恵
background	solo_singer
birth name	安室 奈美恵 (Amuro Namie)
birth date	September 20, 1977
origin	Okinawa, Japan
instrument	Vocals
genre	Hip-Hop, R&B;, pop
occupation	Singer, actress, dancer
years active	1992–present
label	Toshiba-EMI(1992–1995) Avex Trax(1995–present)
associated acts	Super Monkey's, Suite Chic, MAX, After School
website	www.avexnet.or.jp/amuro
spouse	SAM (m. 1997-2002)
children	Haruto (b. 1998)
notable instruments	}}

is a Japanese R&B; and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress, who, at the height of her popularity, was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's. Though mostly unsuccessful, the group gained popularity during their final year together with the single "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)" (1995). Amuro left Toshiba-EMI after releasing two more solo singles; she continued her music career as a solo singer with the then-small independent label Avex Trax. Under the guidance of producer Tetsuya Komuro, Amuro quickly became a commercial success, producing several million-selling records and starting several fashion trends. Her single "Can You Celebrate?" (1997) became Japan's best selling single by a solo female artist. However, in late 1997, Amuro put her career on hold to focus on her pregnancy and marriage.

She returned to music in 1998 with the number-one single, "I Have Never Seen", but faced slowly declining sales. After unofficially severing ties with Tetsuya Komuro in 2001, Amuro joined Suite Chic, which would transform her from a pop idol to a R&B; artist. Since reinventing herself, Amuro has achieved newfound interest. Her seventh studio album, ''Play'' (2007) debuted at the top of the charts and was followed by "60s 70s 80s" (2008).

Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan. She also continues to successfully combat social stigma as a divorced, working, single mother. On July 30, 2008, Amuro released her first greatest hits album, ''Best Fiction'', since transitioning to R&B; music. It spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position on Japan's Oricon weekly charts, and was elected as "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards. From 2008 to 2009, she toured Japan to promote the album. It was estimated that she played to an audience as large as 400,000 people, potentially the largest audience of her career. According to an update list made by Music Station in 2010, She has sold over 30 million copies in Japan alone, making her one of the best selling Japanese Artist of all time.

Biography

Early life and career

Namie Amuro was born in Naha, Okinawa, raised solely by her mother, Emiko Taira, as she had divorced when Amuro was 4 years old. Taira worked as a nursery school employee and bar hostess to support her four children. Through her mother's side, Amuro is one quarter Italian. While she did not have ambitions to become a performer early in life—dreaming instead of becoming a flight attendant—she was discovered at age 12, while visiting a friend, by Masayuki Makino, the owner of Okinawa Actors School, a performing arts school. Amuro eventually joined the school; after only two years of study, Makino placed her in an idol group called Super Monkey's with five other girls. A year after its September 1992 debut on Toshiba-EMI, the group relocated to Tokyo despite Emiko Taira's disapproval.

The Super Monkey's were largely unsuccessful and constantly changed members. They changed their group name to "Namie Amuro with Super Monkeys" in 1994 to reflect Amuro's individual rising popularity. Aside from group activities, she had bit parts in television dramas and small films. "Try Me: Watashi o Shinjite", produced by Italian eurobeat producer Dave Rodgers and Max Matsuura, was released on January 25, 1995, peaking at the number-eight position and charting for 25 weeks on the Oricon chart. The other four members of the Super Monkey's formed their own group, MAX, under the Avex Trax label. Amuro released two more solo singles under Toshiba-EMI before moving to Avex Trax herself.

1995-1997: Commercial success, marriage, and pregnancy

Amuro's debut single under Avex, "Body Feels Exit", was released in October 1995 after she switched record labels. The single was the first produced from her working relationship with producer Tetsuya Komuro. A second Komuro-produced single, "Chase the Chance" was released two months later. It became her first number-one, million-selling single. She won the Golden Arrow Award 1995.

In the first half of 1996, Amuro accumulated million-selling singles - "Don't Wanna Cry" and "You're My Sunshine". Her studio album ''Sweet 19 Blues'', released on July 22, 1996, was a commercial success, selling over three million units. Amuro's popularity increased as well: she became a fashion icon, starting a trend called Amuraa characterized by tanned skin, dyed hair, miniskirts and boots. On November 27, 1996, she released the single "A Walk in the Park", which also sold over a million copies. At the end of 1996, Amuro won the Grand Prix Award, the highest honor at the Japan Record Awards, for her song "Don't Wanna Cry", making her the youngest artist to have won the award. She made Okinawa more popular in Japan and many people from Okinawa such as Speed followed her. The members of Speed said that the Okinawa Actors School was changed by her influence.

Amuro's first single of 1997, "Can You Celebrate?", eventually sold 2.29 million copies, making it the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japan. That year, after the release of another single, "How to Be a Girl", and a second album, ''Concentration 20'', Amuro toured Japan's four domes in the summer. On August 3 of that year, the sales of Amuro's records reached 20 million.

On the 22nd October 1997, Amuro announced at a press conference that she had married Masaharu Maruyama (better known as "Sam" of the band TRF) while three months pregnant; she has since been credited for popularizing shotgun weddings in Japan. At the end of the year, she won the Grand Prix Award at the Japan Record Awards again for "Can You Celebrate?" and made her final appearance on Kouhaku Uta Gassen before beginning her one-year hiatus from the music industry.

1998–2001: Personal joy and professional struggles

In May 1998, Amuro gave birth to her son, Haruto. She returned to the music industry with the release of "I Have Never Seen" (December 1998). She made her first televised appearance on Kouhaku Uta Gassen days later, performing a tearful rendition of her hit "Can You Celebrate?". On the Oricon Weekly Chart, the new single debuted at the top position. However, at that time new singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada was revolutionizing the Japanese music industry, and Amuro began to re-focus her career. Amuro's following single, "Respect the Power of Love", was released on March 17, 1999; on the same day, news broke out that her mother had been murdered in Okinawa. Upon hearing the news, Amuro canceled her promotional schedule and flew back to Okinawa in order to identify her mother's body. A week later, the single debuted at the number-two position, being beaten out by "Dango 3 Kyodai". A third comeback single, "Toi et Moi", was used for the Japanese animation movie ''Pokémon: The Movie 2000''.

The following single "Something 'bout the Kiss" featured production by American Hip-hop/R&B; producer Dallas Austin. Austin, along with longtime producer Tetsuya Komuro, produced her first album since her hiatus, ''Genius 2000'', released in January 2000. The album still debuted at the number-one position on the Oricon weekly chart. She spent the first half of 2000 touring in support of the ''Genius 2000'' album. After the tour, she released a single, "Never End", in July. The single was used as part of the G8 summit taking place in Okinawa, Japan that year. It was commissioned by late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who asked Tetsuya Komuro to write a song conveying "a vision of harmony and interaction in the world in the 21st century". Obuchi later asked Amuro to perform the single at the summit.

After separating from Masaharu in January 2000, Amuro filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences alongside difficulty with Masaharu's relatives, and the two were officially divorced by July 2002.

Amuro's next studio album ''Break the Rules'', released on December 20, 2000, was not able to top the Oricon weekly charts, peaking at the number-two position. Starting in March, 2001, Amuro toured Japan in support of ''Break the Rules''; the tour ended in May. In August, Amuro released the single "Say the Word". For the first time, she wrote the lyrics herself. The single also unofficially marked an end to the working relationship between her and longtime producer Tetsuya Komuro. However, in December she worked with Komuro for the last time on a "Lovin' It", a single released as part of Avex's Song+Nation charity project. The single featured hip-hop artist Verbal of the group M-Flo.

2002–2004: Decline in sales and popularity

On March 13, 2002, she released her new greatest hits album ''Love Enhanced Single Collection'', but the songs were re-arranged from those original versions. In July 2002, Amuro was divorced from Maruyama. On September 11, 2002, "Wishing on the Same Star", written by Diane Warren, was released, peaking at the number-two position on the oricon weekly chart. The song was originally sung by Keedy in 1991.

From December 2002, fully immersed into the Japanese R&B; scene releasing music in the musical project Suite Chic, she collaborated with several of Japan's popular hip hop and R&B; artists such as Verbal, Zeebra, Dabo and DJ Muro. They released two singles, an original album and one remix album before ending the project in 2003. She later said that after the project she had begun to do what she had wanted to do.

Amuro returned to solo activities on her own with the single "Shine More", released on March 6, 2003. The subsequent single "Put 'Em Up", released on July 16, 2003, was produced by Dallas Austin. On October 16, 2003, the double a-side single "So Crazy / Come" was released. "So Crazy" was written by American R&B; producers Full Force. "Come", used for the Japanese anime ''InuYasha'', was a re-arranged song from Sophie Monk. At the end of the year, she released her first original studio album in three years, ''Style''. From November 29, 2003 to April 11, 2004, she performed on the ''Namie Amuro So Crazy Tour Featuring Best Singles 2003-2004''. In May, she also toured Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul, South Korea. Shortly after the tour, she released the ballad "All for You"; this was followed by the double A-side single "Girl Talk / The Speed Star", released on October 14, 2004. The single debuted at the top position on the Oricon daily chart and reached the number-two position for the week, making it her first Top 3 single in two years. Amuro chose not to appear on Kōhaku Uta Gassen though she had been invited to perform at the event. She had previously attended the coveted event nine years in a row. Amuro explained that while she wished to regain popularity, she did not want to "force" herself on the public anymore.

Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake disaster in Southeast Asia, Amuro participated as the only Japanese representative at MTV Asia Aid in February 2005. She donated ¥10 million (approximately USD$90,000) to UNICEF for children who were affected by the disaster.

On April 6, 2005, she released the single "Want Me, Want Me". The song was a well-received hit at home debuting at the number-two position. In May 2005, following a three year split from her former husband Sam, it was reported that she would take back full custody of their child, Haruto. In August, it was reported that she officially did that. On May 29, she performed at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan for the fourth consecutive year in a row. She received two awards, "Best R&B; Video" and "Most Impressive Performing Asian Artist", making the first artist to receive awards four years in a row at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan. She took home the "Inspiration Award Japan" in 2002, "Best Collaboration" in 2003, "Best R&B; Video" for 2004, and 2005 as well as "Most Impressive Performing Asian Artist" in 2005.

On July 13, 2005, she released her sixth original studio album, ''Queen of Hip-Pop''. In collaboration with MGM Studios, Amuro used the Pink Panther character in the album; a female panther counterpart was created for the album as well. When the album was completed, Amuro said that she had not been able to sing the songs very well yet.

In September 2005, Amuro held her seventh national tour, ''Space of Hip-Pop''. Shortly after the start of her tour, she announced that she would contribute to the Japanese theaterical release of ''Sin City''. After viewing the movie, Amuro made an offer to the Japanese distribution company to sing its theme song; the company, feeling that her image fit the movie, accepted her offer. Director Robert Rodriguez was impressed by the song and asked to be a part of it; he can be heard saying "Welcome to Sin City" towards the end of the song. The theme song, "Violet Sauce", was later released as part of a double A-side single, "White Light / Violet Sauce", on November 16, 2005. Shortly after the single, she released ''Filmography 2001-2005'' a compilation of twelve of her music videos from 2001 to 2005.

Amuro collaborated with Zeebra, AI, and Mummy-D on Zeebra's album ''The New Beginning'', released on February 15, 2006, in a song called "Do What U Gotta Do". On May 17, she released the double A-side single "Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick/Ningyo", which debuted at the number-two position on the oricon weekly chart. In August 2006, she began her tour ''Namie Amuro Best Tour "Live Style 2006"''. On September 17, she performed to an audience of 12,000 at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. She stated that she would do the performance greater than ever before in 2007.

2007–2009: Revived popularity

Amuro's next single, "Baby Don't Cry", released on January 24, 2007, was used as the theme song of a Japanese Drama ''Himitsu no Hanazono''. On the oricon weekly chart, "Baby Don't Cry" debuted at the number-three position and she achieved a Top 10 single each year for 13 consecutive years, breaking the solo female artist's record in Japan by Kyōko Koizumi and Shizuka Kudō. It sold over a million ringtone digital downloads and was ranked at number seven on the RIAJ 2007 yearly ringtone sales charts. Amuro's 32nd single, "Funky Town", was released on April 4, 2007. She was also featured on M-Flo's album, ''Cosmicolor'', in a song titled "Luvotomy".

Her seventh studio album, ''Play'', was released on June 27, 2007. The album includes 12 songs, four of which are single tracks. The album was said to reflect Amuro's new style, and featured a rock number, and a chic slow song. One of her new songs, "Top Secret" was used as the theme song of the drama series ''Prison Break Season 2'' in Japan. ''Play'' took the number-one spot on the Oricon Weekly Chart Rankings, becoming her first number-one album in more than 7 years, with her last number-one occurring in 2000 with her album, ''Genius 2000''. It is also her fourth studio album to reach the number-one position. ''Play'' spent two consecutive weeks at the number-one position. From August 18, 2007, to February 27, 2008, she performed her concert tour in Japan ''Namie Amuro Play Tour 2007-2008'' which consisted initially of 53 performances but was increased by 12 performances to 65 performances, making this her biggest tour in terms of number of performances by far.

Amuro's first single of 2008, released on March 12, was an image song for the new Vidal Sassoon marketing campaign ''Fashion x Music x VS''. The title of her new single was confirmed to be "60s 70s 80s", and contained three songs - "New Look", "Rock Steady", and "What A Feeling". These songs have a modern twist from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. The single debuted at the number-two position on the oricon weekly charts with over 114,000 copies sold. In the second week the single gained the number-one spot for that week, making it her first number-one single after 9 years and 3 months since "I Have Never Seen". According to Oricon, "60s 70s 80s" sold nearly 300,000 copies.

On March 25, 2008, Amuro has won the prize for "Best Female Video" for "Hide & Seek" at Space Shower TV music video awards 08. "Hide & Seek" also won the prize for "Best R&B; Video" at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008 which was conducted at the Saitama Super Arena on May 31. In May 2008, Amuro also recorded a collaboration with Double in a song called "Black Diamond". On the ringtone download sales chart, it earned double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. On July 26, about 25,000 people attended the a-nation '08 and saw her performance. This was the first time she was invited to perform on it in seven years. On July 31, she took part in Double's concert.

Amuro released her third greatest hits album ''Best Fiction'' on July 30, 2008. It featured all her singles from 2002's "Wishing on the Same Star" to the recently released "60s 70s 80s". It also featured two new songs, "Sexy Girl" and "Do Me More". "Sexy Girl" was the theme song for NHK drama ''Otome no Punch'' that aired on June 19, and the other called "Do Me More" was the campaign song for Vidal Sassoon. ''Best Fiction'' sold 681,000 copies on the first week and debuted at the number-one position on the oricon weekly charts. Within its third week, ''Best Fiction'' outsold a million copies, and Amuro became the only artist who produced million-selling albums in the oricon chart for three decades of her teens, 20s, and 30s. ''Best Fiction'' eventually spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position, becoming the first album to do so in more than 14 years since the Dreams Come True's 1993 album ''Magic''. ''Best Fiction'' became the second best-selling album behind Exile's ''Exile Love'' on the Oricon 2008 yearly album charts. In addition, it became the second best selling digital-format album by Japanese artists behind Hikaru Utada's ''Heart Station'' on the iTunes yearly album charts in Japan. ''Best Fiction'' won the award for "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards.

On October 25, 2008, Amuro also started a tour called ''Namie Amuro Best Fiction tour 2008-2009'' at the Makuhari Messe. NHK invited her to the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, but Amuro declined.

On January 20, 2009, Sanspo officially announced a new Vidal Sassoon CM featuring Amuro, featuring a song from her entitled, "Dr." Her 34th solo single, "Wild/Dr.," was announced on January 21, which was a double A-side single released March 18, 2009. Wild was used in a commercial starring Amuro for Coke Zero entitled "Wild Health". On release, it became her 11th #1 single and second consecutive after 60s 70s 80s. She also broke her own record of having all of her singles debut in the Top 10 (on the daily charts) for the last 15 years. Amuro collaborated with ravex on a song for their album ''trax''. The song is called [ROCK U feat. 安室奈美恵] and was released as a radio single. As of June 2009, rumor has begun about the releasing of a summer single with ties to McDonald's. A commercial has been shot for the Quarter Pounder with the tag line being "Big Mouth". On October 1, 2009, hairstyling company Vidal Sassoon released new commercials featuring Amuro and two tracks from her expected album, "My Love" and "Copy That."

Namie released her ninth studio album, Past < Future, on December 16, 2009. Released in CD and CD+DVD format, it contained her latest single "Wild/Dr.", and was supported by airplay and video clips of several of the new songs on the album. The album became her sixth number-one original studio album and in terms of sales, surpassed her last studio album, Play. In April, Amuro launched a large-scale, 9-month-long nationwide tour in support of her album, touring 26 cities.

2010–present: ''Checkmate!'' and ''Live Style 2011''

On May 18, 2010, Amuro attended the World Music Awards, receiving an award for "Best Artist From Asia", and performed "Hide & Seek". A new single "Break It/Get Myself Back" was released during the PAST

The live DVD "namie amuro PAST＜FUTURE tour 2010″ was released in Decemember and sold 95,000 copies within the first week, ranking first in the Music DVD category of the 12/27 weekly DVD Oricon rankings. It became her second consecutive number one DVD, after "namie amuro BEST FICTION TOUR 2008-2009″. The Blu-Ray version sold 18,000 more copies.

2010 ended on yet another success with "PAST＜FUTURE" charting at 6th in the Oricon yearly album rankings, her highest position with a studio album since 1996's Sweet 19 Blues (2nd best selling album of that same year).

Namie Amuro is set to release her second collaboration album (first under her own name) on April 27, 2011. Titled ''Checkmate!'', the album features nine collaboration songs released from 2003 to 2011, including Do What U Gotta Do, Luvotomy, BLACK DIAMOND, ROCK U and her 2010 collaboration single with AI, FAKE, along with four new songs: "Wonder Woman" featuring AI and Anna Tsuchiya, "Make It Happen" with AFTERSCHOOL, "Unusual" with NEWS member Yamashita Tomohisa and "#1" featuring CHEMISTRY's Kawabata Kaname. The album release was delayed (the original release date was March 23) due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Meanwhile, Namie recorded the new theme song of "One Piece". Titled "Fight Together", a 2:30 minutes edit of the song started airing on April 10 as the opening theme of the long running Japanese Anime.

The 1st six months of 2011 was indeed, another achievement for Namie, according to Oricon, her album ''Checkmate!'' is currently the 3rd best selling album in Oricon's 2011 Half Year Ranking Charts for Album, while her DVD ''Past she's also the Japan's Best Selling Solo Artist (Male or Female) for 2011 according to Oricon's 2011 Half Year Sales of Artist (which includes all of Albums, Singles and DVDs) with an estimate sales of 2.7 Billion Yen. according to "Amazon.co.jp", her Album ''Checkmate!'' top their Half Year Ranking in Music. And at the end of July, she is going to start her arena tour entitled "LIVE STYLE 2011" to commemorate her 20th anniversary in the Japanese Music Industry.

Her official website announced her newest single entitled "NAKED/Fight Together/Tempest". "NAKED" was used in her CM Campaign for KOSE ESPRIQUE, while "Tempest" is going to be used in a drama series with the same title. The single landed on the Top 2 of Oricon Weekly Charts, Extending her record as the only female Japanese artist to have a top 10 single each year for 17 consecutive years.

Influence

Early in her career, Amuro's music consisted of mostly dance-pop songs, typical of her then-producer Tetsuya Komuro. In later years, however, Amuro began incorporating elements of R&B; and hip-hop; producer Dallas Austin as well as Amuro's involvement in Avex's Suite Chic project were pivotal in her musical evolution. By her albums ''Style'' and ''Queen of Hip-Pop'', Amuro had moved away from dance music and focused mainly on hip-hop and R&B; tunes. Also among the fads that Amuro popularized were body wire (nylon accessories that resemble tattoos), baggy socks, and skin-baring clothes. Additionally, Amuro is often credited with starting the Ganguro trend, as it has its roots in "Amuraa". Amuro's "idol" status contributed to her prominence in the media in the mid-nineties; at one point, Amuro hosted her own television show in addition to promoting various products through commercials as well as appearing on a television show "almost every night".

Discography

Studio albums

1995: ''Dance Tracks Vol. 1''

1996: ''Sweet 19 Blues''

1997: ''Concentration 20''

2000: ''Genius 2000''

2000: ''Break the Rules''

2003: ''Style''

2005: ''Queen of Hip-Pop''

2007: ''Play''

2009: ''Past''

Compilation albums

1996: ''Original Tracks Vol.1''

1998: ''181920''

2002: ''Love Enhanced Single Collection''

2008: ''Best Fiction''

2011: ''Checkmate!''

Concerts and tours

August 31, 1996 - September 1, 1996: Summer Presents '96 Amuro Namie with Super Monkey's (sic)

March 23, 1997 - May 18, 1997: Namie Amuro tour 1997 a walk in the park

July 26, 1997 - August 13, 1997: Mistio presents Namie Amuro Summer Stage '97 Concentration 20

March 20, 2000 - May 7, 2000: Namie Amuro Tour "Genius 2000"

March 18, 2001 - May 27, 2001: Namie Amuro tour 2001 Break the Rules

October 17, 2001 - November 10, 2001: Namie Amuro tour "AmR" '01

November 29, 2003 - April 11, 2004: Namie Amuro So Crazy Tour Featuring Best Singles 2003-2004

August 27, 2004 - September 20, 2004: Namie Amuro tour "fan space '04"

September 1, 2005 - December 24, 2005: Space of Hip-Pop: Namie Amuro Tour 2005

August 13, 2006 - November 23, 2006: Namie Amuro Best Tour "Live Style 2006"

August 18, 2007 - April 13, 2008: Namie Amuro "Play" Tour 2007-2008

October 25, 2008 - May 31, 2009: Namie Amuro Best Fiction tour 2008-2009

April 3, 2010 - December 15, 2010: Namie Amuro Past

July 30, 2011 - December 4, 2011: Namie Amuro Live Style 2011

Filmography

Drama

''Ichigo hakusho'' (TV Asahi, 1993)

''Toki o Kakeru Shōjo'' (Fuji TV, 1994)

''Watashi, mikata desu'' (TBS, 1995)

''Station'' (NTV, 1995)

''湘南リバプール学院'' (Fuji TV, 1995)

Films

''That's Cunning! Shijo Saidan no Sakusen'' (1996)

''Gakko II: The Learning Circle (aka: A Class To Remember 2)'' (1996) (Cameo)

Theme Songs

Anime theme songs

"Toi et Moi" - ending theme for Pokémon: The Movie 2000 (1999)

"Come / So Crazy" - 7th ending theme song for ''InuYasha'' (2003)

"Four Seasons" - theme song for ''InuYasha'' 3rd movie (2003)

"Fight Together" - 14th opening for One Piece (2011)

Drama theme songs

"Chase The Chance" — theme song for ''The Chef'' (NTV, 1995)

"Can You Celebrate?" — theme song for ''Virgin Road'' (Fuji TV, 1997)

"I Have Never Seen" — theme song for ''Yonigeya Honpo'' (NTV, 1999)

"All for You" — theme song for ''Kimi ga omoi de ni Naru Mae ni'' (Fuji TV, 2004)

"Baby Don't Cry" — theme song for ''Himitsu no Hanazono'' (KTV, 2007)

"Sexy Girl" — theme song for ''Otome no Punch'' (NHK, 2008)

"The Meaning of us" — theme song for "Onnatachi wa Nido Asabu" (BeeTV , 2010)

See also

List of 50 Best Selling Artists of All-Time in Japan

Suite Chic

References

Further reading

External links

Namie Amuro Official Site

J-pop.com profile

* Category:Japanese female singers Category:Japanese dancers Category:Japanese people of Italian descent Category:Japanese pop singers Category:Japanese rhythm and blues singers Category:Japanese idols Category:Avex Trax artists Category:People from Naha Category:1977 births Category:Living people

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