A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing (fusion of sperm and eggs from different individuals in a population) or allow selfing (fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower). Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization (parthenocarpy). Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop. Flowers give rise to fruit and seeds. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen.

In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, but also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food.

Morphology

A stereotypical flower consists of four kinds of structures attached to the tip of a short stalk. Each of these kinds of parts is arranged in a whorl on the receptacle. The four main whorls (starting from the base of the flower or lowest node and working upwards) are as follows:

''Calyx'': the outermost whorl consisting of units called ''sepals''; these are typically green and enclose the rest of the flower in the bud stage, however, they can be absent or prominent and petal-like in some species.

''Corolla'': the next whorl toward the apex, composed of units called ''petals'', which are typically thin, soft and colored to attract animals that help the process of pollination.

''Androecium'' (from Greek ''andros oikia'': man's house): the next whorl (sometimes multiplied into several whorls), consisting of units called stamens. Stamens consist of two parts: a stalk called a filament, topped by an anther where pollen is produced by meiosis and eventually dispersed.

''Gynoecium'' (from Greek ''gynaikos oikia'': woman's house): the innermost whorl of a flower, consisting of one or more units called carpels. The carpel or multiple fused carpels form a hollow structure called an ovary, which produces ovules internally. Ovules are megasporangia and they in turn produce megaspores by meiosis which develop into female gametophytes. These give rise to egg cells. The gynoecium of a flower is also described using an alternative terminology wherein the structure one sees in the innermost whorl (consisting of an ovary, style and stigma) is called a pistil. A pistil may consist of a single carpel or a number of carpels fused together. The sticky tip of the pistil, the stigma, is the receptor of pollen. The supportive stalk, the style, becomes the pathway for pollen tubes to grow from pollen grains adhering to the stigma.

Although the arrangement described above is considered "typical", plant species show a wide variation in floral structure. These modifications have significance in the evolution of flowering plants and are used extensively by botanists to establish relationships among plant species.

The four main parts of a flower are generally defined by their positions on the receptacle and not by their function. Many flowers lack some parts or parts may be modified into other functions and/or look like what is typically another part. In some families, like Ranunculaceae, the petals are greatly reduced and in many species the sepals are colorful and petal-like. Other flowers have modified stamens that are petal-like, the double flowers of Peonies and Roses are mostly petaloid stamens. Flowers show great variation and plant scientists describe this variation in a systematic way to identify and distinguish species.

Specific terminology is used to descried flowers and their parts. Many flower parts are fused together; fused parts originating from the same whorl are connate, while fused parts originating from different whorls are adnate, parts that are not fused are free. When petals are fused into a tube or ring that falls away as a single unit, they are sympetalous (also called gamopetalous.) Petals that are connate may have distinctive regions: the cylindrical base is the tube, the expanding region is the throat and the flaring outer region is the limb. A sympetalous flower, with bilateral symmetry with an upper and lower lip, is bilabiate. Flowers with connate petals or sepals may have various shaped corolla or calyx including: campanulate, funnelform, tubular, urceolate, salverform or rotate.

Many flowers have a symmetry, if the perianth is bisected through the central axis from any point, symmetrical halves are produced—the flower is called regular or actinomorphic, e.g. rose or trillium. When flowers are bisected and produce only one line that produces symmetrical halves the flower is said to be irregular or zygomorphic. e.g. snapdragon or most orchids.

Flowers may be directly attached to the plant at their base (sessile--the supporting stalk or stem is highly reduced or absent). The stem or stalk subtending a flower is called a peduncle. If a peduncle supports more than one flower, the stems connecting each flower to the main axis are called pedicels. The apex of a flowering stem forms a terminal swelling which is called the ''torus'' or receptacle.

Floral formula

A ''floral formula'' is a way to represent the structure of a flower using specific letters, numbers, and symbols. Typically, a general formula will be used to represent the flower structure of a plant family rather than a particular species. The following representations are used:

:Ca = calyx (sepal whorl; e. g. Ca⁵ = 5 sepals) :Co = corolla (petal whorl; e. g., Co^3(x) = petals some multiple of three ) ::Z = add if ''zygomorphic'' (e. g., CoZ⁶ = zygomorphic with 6 petals) :A = ''androecium'' (whorl of stamens; e. g., A^∞ = many stamens) :G = ''gynoecium'' (carpel or carpels; e. g., G¹ = monocarpous)

''x'': to represent a "variable number" ∞: to represent "many"

A floral formula would appear something like this:

:Ca⁵Co⁵A^{10 - ∞}G¹

Several additional symbols are sometimes used (see Key to Floral Formulas).

Inflorescence

In those species that have more than one flower on an axis, the collective cluster of flowers is termed an ''inflorescence''. Some inflorescences are composed of many small flowers arranged in a formation that resembles a single flower. The common example of this is most members of the very large composite (Asteraceae) group. A single daisy or sunflower, for example, is not a flower but a flower ''head''—an inflorescence composed of numerous flowers (or florets).

An inflorescence may include specialized stems and modified leaves known as bracts.

Development

A flower is a modified stem tip with compressed internodes, bearing structures that are highly modified leaves. In essence, a flower develops on a modified shoot or ''axis'' from a determinate apical meristem (''determinate'' meaning the axis grows to a set size).

Flowering transition

The transition to flowering is one of the major phase changes that a plant makes during its life cycle. The transition must take place at a time that is favorable for fertilization and the formation of seeds, hence ensuring maximal reproductive success. To meet these needs a plant is able to interpret important endogenous and environmental cues such as changes in levels of plant hormones and seasonable temperature and photoperiod changes. Many perennial and most biennial plants require vernalization to flower. The molecular interpretation of these signals is through the transmission of a complex signal known as florigen, which involves a variety of genes, including CONSTANS, FLOWERING LOCUS C and FLOWERING LOCUS T. Florigen is produced in the leaves in reproductively favorable conditions and acts in buds and growing tips to induce a number of different physiological and morphological changes. The first step is the transformation of the vegetative stem primordia into floral primordia. This occurs as biochemical changes take place to change cellular differentiation of leaf, bud and stem tissues into tissue that will grow into the reproductive organs. Growth of the central part of the stem tip stops or flattens out and the sides develop protuberances in a whorled or spiral fashion around the outside of the stem end. These protuberances develop into the sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Once this process begins, in most plants, it cannot be reversed and the stems develop flowers, even if the initial start of the flower formation event was dependent of some environmental cue. Once the process begins, even if that cue is removed the stem will continue to develop a flower.

Organ development

The molecular control of floral organ identity determination is fairly well understood. In a simple model, three gene activities interact in a combinatorial manner to determine the developmental identities of the organ primordia within the floral meristem. These gene functions are called A, B and C-gene functions. In the first floral whorl only A-genes are expressed, leading to the formation of sepals. In the second whorl both A- and B-genes are expressed, leading to the formation of petals. In the third whorl, B and C genes interact to form stamens and in the center of the flower C-genes alone give rise to carpels. The model is based upon studies of homeotic mutants in ''Arabidopsis thaliana'' and snapdragon, ''Antirrhinum majus''. For example, when there is a loss of B-gene function, mutant flowers are produced with sepals in the first whorl as usual, but also in the second whorl instead of the normal petal formation. In the third whorl the lack of B function but presence of C-function mimics the fourth whorl, leading to the formation of carpels also in the third whorl. See also The ABC Model of Flower Development.

Most genes central in this model belong to the MADS-box genes and are transcription factors that regulate the expression of the genes specific for each floral organ.

Floral function

The principal purpose of a flower is the reproduction of the individual and the species. All flowering plants are ''heterosporous'', producing two types of spores. Microspores are produced by meiosis inside anthers while megaspores are produced inside ovules, inside an ovary. In fact, anthers typically consist of four microsporangia and an ovule is an integumented megasporangium. Both types of spores develop into gametophytes inside sporangia. As with all heterosporous plants, the gametophytes also develop inside the spores (are endosporic).

In the majority of species, individual flowers have both functional carpels and stamens. These flowers are described by botanists as being ''perfect'' or ''bisexual''. Some flowers lack one or the other reproductive organ and called ''imperfect'' or ''unisexual'' If unisex flowers are found on the same individual plant but in different locations, the species is said to be ''monoecious''. If each type of unisex flower is found only on separate individuals, the plant is ''dioecious''.

Flower specialization and pollination

Flowering plants usually face selective pressure to optimize the transfer of their pollen, and this is typically reflected in the morphology of the flowers and the behaviour of the plants. Pollen may be transferred between plants via a number of 'vectors'. Some plants make use of abiotic vectors — namely wind (anemophily) or, much less commonly, water (hydrophily). Others use biotic vectors including insects (entomophily), birds (ornithophily), bats (chiropterophily) or other animals. Some plants make use of multiple vectors, but many are highly specialised.

Cleistogamous flowers are self pollinated, after which they may or may not open. Many Viola and some Salvia species are known to have these types of flowers.

The flowers of plants that make use of biotic pollen vectors commonly have glands called nectaries that act as an incentive for animals to visit the flower. Some flowers have patterns, called nectar guides, that show pollinators where to look for nectar. Flowers also attract pollinators by scent and color. Still other flowers use mimicry to attract pollinators. Some species of orchids, for example, produce flowers resembling female bees in color, shape, and scent. Flowers are also specialized in shape and have an arrangement of the stamens that ensures that pollen grains are transferred to the bodies of the pollinator when it lands in search of its attractant (such as nectar, pollen, or a mate). In pursuing this attractant from many flowers of the same species, the pollinator transfers pollen to the stigmas—arranged with equally pointed precision—of all of the flowers it visits.

Anemophilous flowers use the wind to move pollen from one flower to the next. Examples include grasses, birch trees, ragweed and maples. They have no need to attract pollinators and therefore tend not to be "showy" flowers. Male and female reproductive organs are generally found in separate flowers, the male flowers having a number of long filaments terminating in exposed stamens, and the female flowers having long, feather-like stigmas. Whereas the pollen of animal-pollinated flowers tends to be large-grained, sticky, and rich in protein (another "reward" for pollinators), anemophilous flower pollen is usually small-grained, very light, and of little nutritional value to animals.

Pollination

The primary purpose of a flower is reproduction. Since the flowers are the reproductive organs of plant, they mediate the joining of the sperm, contained within pollen, to the ovules — contained in the ovary. Pollination is the movement of pollen from the anthers to the stigma. The joining of the sperm to the ovules is called fertilization. Normally pollen is moved from one plant to another, but many plants are able to self pollinate. The fertilized ovules produce seeds that are the next generation. Sexual reproduction produces genetically unique offspring, allowing for adaptation. Flowers have specific designs which encourages the transfer of pollen from one plant to another of the same species. Many plants are dependent upon external factors for pollination, including: wind and animals, and especially insects. Even large animals such as birds, bats, and pygmy possums can be employed. The period of time during which this process can take place (the flower is fully expanded and functional) is called ''anthesis''.

Attraction methods

thumb|left|upright|A [[Ophrys apifera|Bee orchid has evolved over many generations to better mimic a female bee to attract male bees as pollinators.]]Plants cannot move from one location to another, thus many flowers have evolved to attract animals to transfer pollen between individuals in dispersed populations. Flowers that are insect-pollinated are called ''entomophilous''; literally "insect-loving" in Greek. They can be highly modified along with the pollinating insects by co-evolution. Flowers commonly have glands called ''nectaries'' on various parts that attract animals looking for nutritious nectar. Birds and bees have color vision, enabling them to seek out "colorful" flowers. Some flowers have patterns, called nectar guides, that show pollinators where to look for nectar; they may be visible only under ultraviolet light, which is visible to bees and some other insects. Flowers also attract pollinators by scent and some of those scents are pleasant to our sense of smell. Not all flower scents are appealing to humans, a number of flowers are pollinated by insects that are attracted to rotten flesh and have flowers that smell like dead animals, often called Carrion flowers including ''Rafflesia'', the titan arum, and the North American pawpaw (''Asimina triloba''). Flowers pollinated by night visitors, including bats and moths, are likely to concentrate on scent to attract pollinators and most such flowers are white.

Still other flowers use mimicry to attract pollinators. Some species of orchids, for example, produce flowers resembling female bees in color, shape, and scent. Male bees move from one such flower to another in search of a mate.

Pollination mechanism

The pollination mechanism employed by a plant depends on what method of pollination is utilized.

Most flowers can be divided between two broad groups of pollination methods:

''Entomophilous'': flowers attract and use insects, bats, birds or other animals to transfer pollen from one flower to the next. Often they are specialized in shape and have an arrangement of the stamens that ensures that pollen grains are transferred to the bodies of the pollinator when it lands in search of its attractant (such as nectar, pollen, or a mate). In pursuing this attractant from many flowers of the same species, the pollinator transfers pollen to the stigmas—arranged with equally pointed precision—of all of the flowers it visits. Many flowers rely on simple proximity between flower parts to ensure pollination. Others, such as the ''Sarracenia'' or lady-slipper orchids, have elaborate designs to ensure pollination while preventing self-pollination. ''Anemophilous'': flowers use the wind to move pollen from one flower to the next, examples include the grasses, Birch trees, Ragweed and Maples. They have no need to attract pollinators and therefore tend not to be "showy" flowers. Whereas the pollen of entomophilous flowers tends to be large-grained, sticky, and rich in protein (another "reward" for pollinators), anemophilous flower pollen is usually small-grained, very light, and of little nutritional value to insects, though it may still be gathered in times of dearth. Honeybees and bumblebees actively gather anemophilous corn (maize) pollen, though it is of little value to them.

Some flowers are self pollinated and use flowers that never open or are self pollinated before the flowers open, these flowers are called cleistogamous. Many Viola species and some Salvia have these types of flowers.

Flower-pollinator relationships

Many flowers have close relationships with one or a few specific pollinating organisms. Many flowers, for example, attract only one specific species of insect, and therefore rely on that insect for successful reproduction. This close relationship is often given as an example of coevolution, as the flower and pollinator are thought to have developed together over a long period of time to match each other's needs.

This close relationship compounds the negative effects of extinction. The extinction of either member in such a relationship would mean almost certain extinction of the other member as well. Some endangered plant species are so because of shrinking pollinator populations.

Fertilization and dispersal

Some flowers with both stamens and a pistil are capable of self-fertilization, which does increase the chance of producing seeds but limits genetic variation. The extreme case of self-fertilization occurs in flowers that always self-fertilize, such as many dandelions. Conversely, many species of plants have ways of preventing self-fertilization. Unisexual male and female flowers on the same plant may not appear or mature at the same time, or pollen from the same plant may be incapable of fertilizing its ovules. The latter flower types, which have chemical barriers to their own pollen, are referred to as self-sterile or self-incompatible (see also: Plant sexuality).

Evolution

While land plants have existed for about 425 million years, the first ones reproduced by a simple adaptation of their aquatic counterparts: spores. In the sea, plants—and some animals—can simply scatter out genetic clones of themselves to float away and grow elsewhere. This is how early plants reproduced. But plants soon evolved methods of protecting these copies to deal with drying out and other abuse which is even more likely on land than in the sea. The protection became the seed, though it had not yet evolved the flower. Early seed-bearing plants include the ginkgo and conifers. The earliest fossil of a flowering plant, ''Archaefructus liaoningensis'', is dated about 125 million years old. Several groups of extinct gymnosperms, particularly seed ferns, have been proposed as the ancestors of flowering plants but there is no continuous fossil evidence showing exactly how flowers evolved. The apparently sudden appearance of relatively modern flowers in the fossil record posed such a problem for the theory of evolution that it was called an "abominable mystery" by Charles Darwin. Recently discovered angiosperm fossils such as ''Archaefructus'', along with further discoveries of fossil gymnosperms, suggest how angiosperm characteristics may have been acquired in a series of steps.

Recent DNA analysis (molecular systematics) shows that ''Amborella trichopoda'', found on the Pacific island of New Caledonia, is the sister group to the rest of the flowering plants, and morphological studies suggest that it has features which may have been characteristic of the earliest flowering plants.

The general assumption is that the function of flowers, from the start, was to involve animals in the reproduction process. Pollen can be scattered without bright colors and obvious shapes, which would therefore be a liability, using the plant's resources, unless they provide some other benefit. One proposed reason for the sudden, fully developed appearance of flowers is that they evolved in an isolated setting like an island, or chain of islands, where the plants bearing them were able to develop a highly specialized relationship with some specific animal (a wasp, for example), the way many island species develop today. This symbiotic relationship, with a hypothetical wasp bearing pollen from one plant to another much the way fig wasps do today, could have eventually resulted in both the plant(s) and their partners developing a high degree of specialization. Island genetics is believed to be a common source of speciation, especially when it comes to radical adaptations which seem to have required inferior transitional forms. Note that the wasp example is not incidental; bees, apparently evolved specifically for symbiotic plant relationships, are descended from wasps.

Likewise, most fruit used in plant reproduction comes from the enlargement of parts of the flower. This fruit is frequently a tool which depends upon animals wishing to eat it, and thus scattering the seeds it contains.

While many such symbiotic relationships remain too fragile to survive competition with mainland organisms, flowers proved to be an unusually effective means of production, spreading (whatever their actual origin) to become the dominant form of land plant life.

While there is only hard proof of such flowers existing about 130 million years ago, there is some circumstantial evidence that they did exist up to 250 million years ago. A chemical used by plants to defend their flowers, oleanane, has been detected in fossil plants that old, including gigantopterids, which evolved at that time and bear many of the traits of modern, flowering plants, though they are not known to be flowering plants themselves, because only their stems and prickles have been found preserved in detail; one of the earliest examples of petrification.

The similarity in leaf and stem structure can be very important, because flowers are genetically just an adaptation of normal leaf and stem components on plants, a combination of genes normally responsible for forming new shoots. The most primitive flowers are thought to have had a variable number of flower parts, often separate from (but in contact with) each other. The flowers would have tended to grow in a spiral pattern, to be bisexual (in plants, this means both male and female parts on the same flower), and to be dominated by the ovary (female part). As flowers grew more advanced, some variations developed parts fused together, with a much more specific number and design, and with either specific sexes per flower or plant, or at least "ovary inferior".

Flower evolution continues to the present day; modern flowers have been so profoundly influenced by humans that many of them cannot be pollinated in nature. Many modern, domesticated flowers used to be simple weeds, which only sprouted when the ground was disturbed. Some of them tended to grow with human crops, and the prettiest did not get plucked because of their beauty, developing a dependence upon and special adaptation to human affection.

Symbolism

{| style="float:right;" |- | |- | |- | |} Many flowers have important symbolic meanings in Western culture. The practice of assigning meanings to flowers is known as floriography. Some of the more common examples include:

Red roses are given as a symbol of love, beauty, and passion.

Poppies are a symbol of consolation in time of death. In the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, red poppies are worn to commemorate soldiers who have died in times of war.

Irises/Lily are used in burials as a symbol referring to "resurrection/life". It is also associated with stars (sun) and its petals blooming/shining.

Daisies are a symbol of innocence.

Flowers within art are also representative of the female genitalia, as seen in the works of artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Imogen Cunningham, Veronica Ruiz de Velasco, and Judy Chicago, and in fact in Asian and western classical art. Many cultures around the world have a marked tendency to associate flowers with femininity.

The great variety of delicate and beautiful flowers has inspired the works of numerous poets, especially from the 18th-19th century Romantic era. Famous examples include William Wordsworth's ''I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud'' and William Blake's ''Ah! Sun-Flower''.

Because of their varied and colorful appearance, flowers have long been a favorite subject of visual artists as well. Some of the most celebrated paintings from well-known painters are of flowers, such as Van Gogh's sunflowers series or Monet's water lilies. Flowers are also dried, freeze dried and pressed in order to create permanent, three-dimensional pieces of flower art.

The Roman goddess of flowers, gardens, and the season of Spring is Flora. The Greek goddess of spring, flowers and nature is Chloris.

In Hindu mythology, flowers have a significant status. Vishnu, one of the three major gods in the Hindu system, is often depicted standing straight on a lotus flower. Apart from the association with Vishnu, the Hindu tradition also considers the lotus to have spiritual significance. For example, it figures in the Hindu stories of creation.

Usage

In modern times, people have sought ways to cultivate, buy, wear, or otherwise be around flowers and blooming plants, partly because of their agreeable appearance and smell. Around the world, people use flowers for a wide range of events and functions that, cumulatively, encompass one's lifetime:

For new births or Christenings

As a corsage or boutonniere to be worn at social functions or for holidays

As tokens of love or esteem

For wedding flowers for the bridal party, and decorations for the hall

As brightening decorations within the home

As a gift of remembrance for bon voyage parties, welcome home parties, and "thinking of you" gifts

For funeral flowers and expressions of sympathy for the grieving

For worshiping goddesses. in Hindu culture it is very common to bring flowers as a gift to temples.

People therefore grow flowers around their homes, dedicate entire parts of their living space to flower gardens, pick wildflowers, or buy flowers from florists who depend on an entire network of commercial growers and shippers to support their trade.

Flowers provide less food than other major plants parts (seeds, fruits, roots, stems and leaves) but they provide several important foods and spices. Flower vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower and artichoke. The most expensive spice, saffron, consists of dried stigmas of a crocus. Other flower spices are cloves and capers. Hops flowers are used to flavor beer. Marigold flowers are fed to chickens to give their egg yolks a golden yellow color, which consumers find more desirable. Dandelion flowers are often made into wine. Bee Pollen, pollen collected from bees, is considered a health food by some people. Honey consists of bee-processed flower nectar and is often named for the type of flower, e.g. orange blossom honey, clover honey and tupelo honey.

Hundreds of fresh flowers are edible but few are widely marketed as food. They are often used to add color and flavor to salads. Squash flowers are dipped in breadcrumbs and fried. Edible flowers include nasturtium, chrysanthemum, carnation, cattail, honeysuckle, chicory, cornflower, Canna, and sunflower. Some edible flowers are sometimes candied such as daisy and rose (you may also come across a candied pansy).

Flowers can also be made into herbal teas. Dried flowers such as chrysanthemum, rose, jasmine, camomile are infused into tea both for their fragrance and medical properties. Sometimes, they are also mixed with tea leaves for the added fragrance.

See also

Gardening

Garden

List of garden plants

Plant evolutionary developmental biology

Plant sexuality

Sowing

References

Esau, Katherine (1965) ''Plant Anatomy'' (2nd ed.) John Wiley & Sons, New York.

External links

Native Plant Information Network

Israeli researchers bring scent back to our flowers [VIDEO]

+ Category:Plant morphology Category:Plant sexuality Category:Pollination Category:Reproductive system

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name	Amos Lee
background	solo_singer
birth name	Ryan Anthony Massaro
birth date	June 22, 1977
origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
instrument	Guitar, vocals
genre	Jazz fusion, soul, folk, blues
occupation	Singer-songwriter, guitarist
years active	2004–present
label	Blue Note
website	amoslee.com }}

Amos Lee (born June 22, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist whose musical style encompasses folk, rock and soul. He has released four albums on Blue Note Records and toured with musical acts such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, John Prine, Dave Matthews Band and Adele. In 2011 his album ''Mission Bell'' debuted at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.

Early life and education

Born Ryan Anthony Massaro in 1977, Lee grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey and graduated from Cherry Hill High School East. During his youth Lee played basketball, wrote songs on an acoustic guitar given to him by his stepfather and played the bass guitar in a rock band. While working at a jazz record store, Lee discovered Luther Vandross, Bill Withers, Joni Mitchell and John Prine, who became some of his favorite artists. He enrolled at the University of South Carolina in 1995 and graduated with a degree in English.

Career

Upon returning to Philadelphia Lee held jobs as a second grade school teacher and a bartender, before pursuing a full time music career. His style was noticed by Bob Dylan who asked Lee to join his performance tour.

In 2003, Lee released a self-produced, five song EP which came to the attention of Norah Jones who invited Lee to be the opening act for her 2004 tour. ''Colors'', one of Lee's best known songs, appeared on the TV show Grey's Anatomy and the film Just Like Heaven.

In 2005, Lee recorded a self-titled, debut album, which an NPR music reporter said "brought a feel of county sweetness to the northern blues". Norah Jones made an appearance on several of the tracks, contributing both piano and vocals. The album found commercial success and peaked at #2 on the ''Billboard'' Top Heatseekers chart and later that month Lee appeared on ''Rolling Stone'''s "Top 10 Artists to Watch." That same year Lee performed on ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', ''The Tonight Show'', ''Total Request Live'', and ''Austin City Limits'' which later aired on PBS.

In 2006, Lee released his second album, ''Supply and Demand'', which was produced by Barry McGuire. An NPR Music reviewer commented that "Lee continues to augment his angst with more complicated instrumentation and production" on this album. The album yielded the single "Shout Out Loud" and peaked at #76 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Another song from the album, "Sweet Pea", was used in an AT&T; ad campaign.

In 2008, Lee's third studio album, ''Last Days at the Lodge'', was released and seemed to "emphasize his grounding in folk and soul". The songs "Listen" and "What's Been Going On" were released as singles and Lee performed at the Change Rocks voter registration rally for Barack Obama, in Philadelphia.

In 2011, Lee released his fourth album on Blue Note Records, entitled ''Mission Bell'' which was produced by Joey Burns of the band Calexico. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was characterized as a “a restless album with a gentle soul” that included duets with Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson. Other artists who appear on the album include Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, James Gadson, and Sam Beam. The album features tunes placed in "a stark landscape, enveloped by rustling percussion and reverberant drones". Sonically not much has changed from his self-titled debut album, but on his album ''Mission Bell'' the tone of the lyrics is more optimistic. The song "Windows are Rolled Down" became a top 10 hit on USA TODAY’s adult-alternative chart. The album debuted in the number one spot on the Digital Albums chart and number two on the Internet chart after it topped the Amazon Top-Selling Albums and iTunes charts the previous week.

Lee has toured with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Merle Haggard, Paul Simon and John Prine.

Reception

Lee's songs have become popular on TV shows and movies such as ''Six Degrees'', ''Parenthood (TV series)'', ''Army Wives'', Studio 60, ''ER'' ''Brothers & Sisters'' and ''My Blueberry Nights''.

A New York Times reviewer described Lee as having a "honeyed singing voice — light amber, mildly sweet, a touch of grain" which he features "squarely, without much fuss or undue strain" in his "1970s folk rock and rustic soul" musical song craft. According to a music writer at ABC News, Lee "has that folksy, bluesy vibe, with a bit of country twang; his voice, with that slight rasp, is ever soulful. And acoustic strums of the guitar are ...the centerpiece of his most moving work".

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"
! scope="row"		* Release date: March 1, 2005	* Label: Blue Note Records	Compact disc>CD, music download	113	—	72	112	75	13	—
! scope="row"		* Release date: October 3, 2006	* Label: Blue Note Records	* Formats: CD, music download	76	25	—	—	—	23	—
''Last Days at the Lodge''		* Release date: June 24, 2008	* Label: Blue Note Records	* Formats: CD, music download	29	11	—	—	—	—	—
! scope="row"		* Release date: January 25, 2011	* Label: Blue Note Records	* Formats: CD, music download	1	1	—	—	98	39	61

Extended plays

Title	Details
''Amos Lee (EP)''		* Release date: 2004	* Label: Blue Note Records	* Formats: CD, music download
''Live from KCRW''		* Release date: 2005	* Label: Blue Note Records	* Formats: CD, music download

Singles

! Year	Single	! Album
2010	"Windows Are Rolled Down"
2011	"Flower"

References

External links

Amos Lee's official website

Amos Lee at Blue Note Records

Amos Lee at NPR Music

Category:1977 births Category:American folk singers Category:American folk guitarists Category:American jazz guitarists Category:American soul guitarists Category:American male singers Category:American rock singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:People from Cherry Hill, New Jersey Category:Blue Note Records artists

da:Amos Lee de:Amos Lee fr:Amos Lee it:Amos Lee nl:Amos Lee ja:エイモス・リー pt:Amos Lee ru:Ли, Эймос sv:Amos Lee

name	Liz Phair
background	solo_singer
birth name	Elizabeth Clark Phair
born	April 17, 1967New Haven, Connecticut
origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
vocal register	Contralto - Mezzo Soprano
genre	Alternative rock, indie rock, lo-fi, pop rock
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	1991–present
label	Matador, Capitol, ATO Records
website	www.lizphair.com
notable instruments	Fender Duo-Sonic II }}

Elizabeth Clark "Liz" Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Phair began her career in the early 1990s by self-releasing audio cassettes under the moniker Girly Sound, before signing with the independent record label Matador Records. Her 1993 debut studio album ''Exile in Guyville'' was released to acclaim: by the turn of the 21st century, it had been ranked by ''Rolling Stone'' as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, ''Liz Phair'', was released on Capitol Records and her music began to move in a more pop rock-oriented approach. Phair has sold nearly three million records worldwide. Her latest album, ''Funstyle'', was released on July 3, 2010.

Life and career

1967–1992: Early life and career beginnings

Phair was born in New Haven, Connecticut, but was raised in Winnetka, Illinois, by wealthy adoptive parents. She graduated from New Trier High School in 1985. During high school, Phair was involved in student government, yearbook, and the cross country team, and took AP Studio Art her senior year, among many other advanced-level classes. She attended Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, and majored in art history.

Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there. After being unsuccessful as an artist in San Francisco and moving back to Chicago, Phair began writing songs and recording homemade tapes under the name Girly Sound, and supported herself by selling her charcoal drawings on the streets of Wicker Park . She became part of the alternative music scene in Chicago and became friends with Material Issue and Urge Overkill, two of Chicago's upstart bands to go national in the early 1990s, as well as Brad Wood and John Henderson, head of Feel Good All Over, an independent label in Chicago. (A later attempt at re-recording the Girly Sound tapes failed after arguments between Henderson and Phair.)

1992–2003: ''Exile in Guyville'', ''Whip-Smart'' & ''Whitechocolatespaceegg''

After asking Wood who the "coolest" indie label was, Phair called up Gerard Cosloy, co-president of Matador Records, in 1992 and asked him if he would put out her record. Coincidentally, Cosloy had just read a review of Girly Sound in ''Chemical Imbalance'' that very day and told Phair to send him a tape. Phair sent him a tape of six Girly Sound songs. Cosloy recalls: "The songs were amazing. It was a fairly primitive recording, especially compared to the resulting album. The songs were really smart, really funny, and really harrowing, sometimes all at the same time. . . . I liked it a lot and played it for everybody else. We usually don't sign people we haven't met, or heard other records by, or seen as performers. But I had a hunch, and I called her back and said O.K."

Cosloy offered a $3,000 advance, and Phair began working on a single, which turned into the eighteen songs of ''Exile in Guyville''.

''Exile in Guyville'' was produced by Phair and Brad Wood, and released in 1993. The album received uniformly excellent reviews. The album received significant critical acclaim for its very blunt, honest lyrics and for the music itself, a hybrid of indie rock and pop. The album established Phair's penchant for exploring sexually explicit lyrics such as in the song "Flower": "I want to be your blow job queen/...I'll fuck you and your minions too." By contrast, her trademark low, vibrato-less monotone voice, sometimes compared to indie folk singer Quinn Marston, gave many of her songs a slightly detached, almost deadpan character. The combination of these factors won Phair many dedicated fans. Most notable among her detractors, producer Steve Albini was involved in a public flamewar printed in Chicago's free art and culture weekly, the ''Chicago Reader''. Albini wrote an angry response to an article by Billy Wyman (Hitsville), entitled "Not From the Underground: 1993 in Review", stating his belief that Phair and several other artists had shown an "explicit rejection of much of the insularity that increasingly characterizes underground music". Albini identified the aforementioned artists as "pandering sluts" and said Phair was the modern Rickie Lee Jones, "more talked about than heard, a persona completely unrooted in substance, and a fucking chore to listen to". Humanities professor Camille Paglia chimed in on Phair's ''Guyville'' era, stating, "I like Liz Phair, but there were these stupid women reviewers who said she's surpassing the [Rolling] Stones. Dream on."

Hoping to capitalize on the acclaim for her debut album, the release of Phair's second album received substantial media attention and an advertising blitz. ''Whip-Smart'' debuted at #27 in 1994 and "Supernova", the first single, became a Top Ten modern rock hit, and the video was frequently featured on MTV. Phair also landed the cover of ''Rolling Stone Magazine'' with the headline "A Rock Star is Born." Nonetheless, the album received mixed reviews, and although it was certified Gold (shipments of at least 500,000 units), it ultimately did not sell as well as expected, as it was hoped the album would introduce Phair to a wider, more mainstream audience. Following ''Whip-Smart'', Phair released ''Juvenilia'', a collection of some early Girly Sound tracks and several B-sides, including her cover of the 1980s classic by The Vapors, "Turning Japanese".

In 1994, Phair made several live television and radio appearances in an effort to promote ''Exile in Guyville'' and ''Whip-Smart'', including David Letterman performing "Never Said" and "Supernova" and Jay Leno performing an acoustic version of "Whip-Smart". She even performed "Alice Springs" live on 'Good Morning America''.

She also appeared on the MTV alternative rock show ''120 Minutes'' performing "Never Said", "6'1", "Cinco de Mayo" and "Supernova" live at various times during 1994 and early 1995.

In 1995, Phair married Jim Staskauskas, a film editor who had worked on her videos. They had one child, James Nicholas Staskauskas, on December 21, 1996. The couple divorced in 2001. Phair recorded a song called "Down" in response to her divorce. A quasi-stop-motion animation video using photographs was created for it by filmmaker Rodney Ascher (he shot fifty rolls of still photographs in L.A.'s Chinatown), and posted on her official website LizPhair.com. The song was never officially released on any of her albums.

Phair's third album, entitled ''Whitechocolatespaceegg'', was finally released in 1998 after some delays, which included a disagreement about content; at one point, the label rejected the album as submitted, and asked Phair to write a few additional radio-friendly songs for the set. The album displayed a more mature Phair, and reflected some of the ways marriage and motherhood affected her. The single "Polyester Bride" received some airplay, but the album was no more successful than her previous records. To promote the record Phair joined Lilith Fair. Phair performed on the main stage along with acts like Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow and Missy Elliott. She also opened for Alanis Morissette on her 1999 Junkie Tour.

She portrayed the role of Brynn Allen, opposite her good friend Robin Tunney, in the film ''Cherish''.

2003–2008: ''Liz Phair'' & ''Somebody's Miracle''

In 2003, her self-titled fourth album was released on her new label, Capitol Records. Phair had not released an album in several years; she had been working on her record, as well as making guest appearances on other tracks (she lent backing vocals to the Sheryl Crow hit "Soak Up the Sun") a song that she also co-wrote.

Initially, Phair worked on several album tracks with songwriter Michael Penn as the producer. When she submitted the finished Penn-produced album to Capitol, the label gave it a lukewarm reception and was unwilling to release it as submitted. Having already exhausted her recording budget, label president Andy Slater offered Phair more money to record only if Phair agreed to work with the production team known as The Matrix (best known as songwriters for Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne) to come up with some singles for the album. Phair's collaboration with the Matrix resulted in only four songs, but much of the media attention focused solely on the Matrix-produced tracks, which were a departure from her earlier work. The album received many negative reviews, especially from the independent music press, who accused Phair of "selling out" by making the record very pop-oriented.

''Liz Phair'' provoked a strong backlash from critics and disappointed fans of her earlier work. Many decried her for "selling out", and she became a "piñata for critics." ''The New York Times''' Meghan O'Rourke's review, titled "Liz Phair's Exile in Avril-ville", said that Phair "gushes like a teenager" and had "committed an embarrassing form of career suicide."

The debut single "Why Can't I?", co-written by The Matrix, did reach the Top 40 charts in North America, and its follow-up, "Extraordinary," was also somewhat successful: it appeared on the soundtrack to the 2004 movie ''Raising Helen'' and was the promotional theme for the 2004 Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament; in March 2007, the song began appearing in Gatorade television advertisements. Phair continued to flirt with sexually explicit themes, however, as was most evident in a track called "H.W.C.", standing for "Hot White Cum". Phair also offered backing vocals on Jimmy Eat World's "Work" track on their ''Futures'' album.

''Somebody's Miracle'', Phair's fifth album (and final album with Capitol Records), was released on October 4, 2005. The album returned to a more traditional rock sound, mixing the mood of Phair's earlier work with a more mellow sound. The album received mixed reviews and was not a chart success.

2008–2010: ''Exile in Guyville'' reissue & career as TV composer

Phair signed with ATO Records in early 2008 and re-released ''Exile in Guyville'' on June 24, 2008. ''Exile in Guyville'' was reissued on CD, vinyl, and in digital format. The special reissue package includes three never-before-released songs from the original recording sessions: "Ant in Alaska," "Say You," and an untitled instrumental. Phair has also completed a new documentary DVD, "Guyville Redux." This DVD features an introduction by Dave Matthews, founder/co-owner of ATO Records, and describes the making of the album, in the male-dominated, Chicago independent music scene of the early 1990s (which included Urge Overkill, Material Issue, and Smashing Pumpkins), associated with the Wicker Park neighborhood where many of these bands often performed.

"''Exile in Guyville'' is miles more complex than the porn-star manifesto it was often considered," said Alan Light (former editor-in-chief of ''Spin'', ''Vibe'', and ''Tracks'') in an essay written for the reissue. "Phair spoke for the uncertainties facing a new generation of women, struggling to find a balance between sexual confidence and romance, between independence and isolation. . . . ''Exile in Guyville'' sat at the center of a culture in transition."

In May 2009, Phair released a new song "Faith and Tenderness," sold exclusively at Banana Republic.

In recent years Phair has broadened her career by serving as a composer for television dramas. Beginning with the theme song for NBC's ''The Weber Show'' she has also worked on the CBS show ''Swingtown'', the CW reboot of ''90210'', for which she won the 2009 ASCAP award for Top Television Composer, and most recently has been hired on as composer for the USA Network show ''In Plain Sight''.

2010–Present: ''Funstyle''

Phair had said in an interview that she is writing a book and working on a new album. On July 3, 2010, her official website announced a surprise link to download her new album ''Funstyle''. It contains 11 songs, many of which are experimental or at least unorthodox, compared to most of her earlier released songs. The song "Bollywood" was available to stream from the site for a limited time, before Phair took it down. The album download is available for $5.99, in three different electronic forms, with cover art.

As of July 10, 2010, there's a note to her fans posted on her official website of which says the following:

How To Like It.

You were never supposed to hear these songs. These songs lost me my management, my record deal and a lot of nights of sleep.

Yes, I rapped one of them. Im as surprised as you are. But here is the thing you need to know about these songs and the ones coming next: These are all me. Love them, or hate them, but dont mistake them for anything other than an entirely personal, un-tethered-from-the-machine, free for all view of the world, refracted through my own crazy lens.

This is my journey. Ill keep sending you postcards.

-Liz

Phair also had an interview with the ''Wall Street Journal'' where she explained the falling out with her record label, ATO, after a change in management. "The people who were still there didn’t like, or didn’t know what to do with, the music I was making, so we just stalled out and I asked to leave."

Phair went on tour to promote the album, playing many songs from ''Guyville'' and ''Whip-Smart'', along with songs from all throughout her repertoire. The Funstyle Tour ran from October '10 to March '11; the last show being at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

Phair has also been reviewing books, including Keith Richards's Life. She spoke with The Nashville Scene about her reviewing. Currently, Phair is in the process of writing a new album and novel, as well as continuing TV scoring.

Discography

''Exile in Guyville'' (1993)

''Whip-Smart'' (1994)

''Whitechocolatespaceegg'' (1998)

''Liz Phair'' (2003)

''Somebody's Miracle'' (2005)

''Funstyle'' (2010)

Awards

Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy AwardsASCAP Awards

Year !! Award !!Category !! Work !! Result
1995	Grammy Awards	|	"Supernova"	Nomination
1996	|	Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	"Don't Have Time"	Nomination
2009	|	Top Television Composer	90210 (TV series)>90210"	Won

References

External links

Liz Phair — official site.

Liz Phair — official Facebook.

Category:1967 births Category:American adoptees Category:American female guitarists Category:American female singers Category:American indie rock musicians Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:ATO Records artists Category:Feminist musicians Category:American pro-choice activists Category:Female rock singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:New Trier High School alumni Category:Oberlin College alumni Category:People from New Haven, Connecticut Category:People from Winnetka, Illinois

bg:Лиз Феър de:Liz Phair fa:لیز فیر fr:Liz Phair it:Liz Phair nl:Liz Phair pt:Liz Phair fi:Liz Phair sv:Liz Phair

name	Gippy Grewal
background	solo_singer
birth name	Rupinder Singh Grewal
born	January 02, 1982 ''Koom Kallan'' Punjab
origin	Punjab
genre	Bhangra & Pop
occupation	Singer, Actor
years active	2005-Present
label	Planet Recordz (North America) Speed Records (India) Movie Box (UK) T-Series India
spouse	Ravneet Grewal
url	GippyGrewal.com
official facebook
notable instruments	}}

Gippy Grewal a.k.a. Rupinder Grewal is a Punjabi singer and actor. He was born in village Koom Kallan, Ludhiana, Punjab on January 2, 1982.

Biography

Gippy Grewal is one of the best recent Punjabi singers. The real name of Gippy Grewal is Rupinder Singh Grewal. He was born in village Koom Kallan, Ludhiana, Punjab on January 2, 1982.

Gippy Grewal has carefully developed a diver and successful musical career since his induction to the world of Bhangra by his first album called “Chakk Lai”. Gippy has proven his extraordinary talents to be musical. Gippy Grewal pushes every beat in his own unique style. Gippy Grewal has released many solo albums like “Chakk Lai”, “Nasha”, “Phulkari” and “Phulkari 2 Just Hits” Countdowns @ Top Place. And the “Phulkari” song become favorite to every bhangra lover and Punjabi DJ’s across the globe. The “Phulkari” Track becomes one of the biggest hit of 2004-05. The highly acclaimed track got played in every car, every club, every party, every wedding, across everywhere. So the Punjabi Bhangra fans, critics, composers use to call “Phulkari” track the Monster Track. This time Gippy Grewal is the favorite artist of young generation of Punjab. His big helping hands his brother “Sippy Grewal”. The upcoming efforts of Gippy Grewal have been set to repeat the history. He has also made an entry into Punjabi cinema. He debuted in the superhit film Mel Karade Rabba opposite Jimmy Shergill and Indo-Canadian actress Neeru Bajwa.

Discography

! Year	! Album	! Record Label	! Notes
	''Chakk Ley''	Anand	Debut Album
	''Nasha''	Nupur Audio	Music : Atul Sharma
2004	''Mele Mittaran De''	Finetone	Music : Kiss'n'Tell
2005	''Phulkari 2''	Speed Records	Music : Kiss'n'Tell
2006	''Akh Larh Gaya''	Speed Records	Music : Sukhpal Sukh
2007	''Chandi De Challe''	Speed Records	Music : Bhinda Aujla
2008	''My Time To Shine''	Speed Records	Music : Bhinda Aujla
2010	''Desi Rockstar''	Speed Records / Music Waves / Moviebox (U.K)	Music: Aman Hayer
2011	TBA	N/A	Religious cum Social Album.

Filmography

!Name	!Year	!Role	!Notes
Mel Karade Rabba	2010	Nihaal	Debut Film
Jihne Mera Dil Luteya	2011	Yuvraaj	Releasing Worldwide On 29th July 2011

References

"Gippy's Act 'Mel Karade Rabba",

Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Indian singers

name	Miranda Lambert
background	solo_singer
birth name	Miranda Leigh Lambert
born	November 10, 1983Longview, Texas, U.S.
origin	Lindale, Texas, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar, saxophone
genre	Country
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2001–present
label	Epic Columbia NashvilleRCA Nashville
associated acts	Blake Shelton Pistol Annies
website	MirandaLambert.com }}

Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of ''Nashville Star'', where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut album ''Kerosene''. This album, which was certified Platinum in the United States, also produced the singles "Bring Me Down", "Kerosene", and "New Strings". All four singles were Top 40 hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts.

After Epic's Nashville division closed, Lambert was transferred to Columbia Records Nashville for her second album, ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'', which was released in early 2007. Although the title track failed to make top 40, the next three singles ("Famous in a Small Town", "Gunpowder & Lead", and "More Like Her") were all Top 20 hits, with "Gunpowder & Lead" becoming her first Top 10 country hit in July 2008. Lambert's third album, ''Revolution'', was released in September 2009. Five singles have been released from the album, including Lambert's two Number One hits "The House That Built Me," which spent four weeks at the top of the chart, and "Heart Like Mine". Lambert has also been honored by the Grammy Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards.

In 2011, Lambert married fellow country singer Blake Shelton. She also released "Baggage Claim", the first single from her upcoming fourth album ''Four the Record'', and collaborated with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Pressley in the side project Pistol Annies.

Early life

Miranda Leigh Lambert was born November 10, 1983 in Longview, Texas and raised in Lindale, Texas. Her father, Richard Lee "Rick" Lambert, is a retired police officer who in later life became a private investigator in partnership with her mother, Beverly June Lambert (née Hughes). Miranda was taught about guns by her father at an early age and later became an avid deer hunter. Her parents took her to a Garth Brooks concert when she was nine and this started her interest in country music. Her father wrote and performed country music and she soon began singing in talent contests under his tutelage. She started her career playing in local restaurants.

At age sixteen, Lambert began appearing on the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, Texas, the same show that helped launch the career of LeAnn Rimes. Lambert quickly landed a recording session in Nashville, but left the studio after she became frustrated with the "pop" sound of music. She then went back to Texas and asked her dad to teach her how to play guitar so she could write her own songs.

While still in high school, Lambert made her professional singing debut. She fronted the house band at the Reo Palm Isle Ballroom in Longview, Texas, a long-running venue that has showcased Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and is where Brooks & Dunn started out as a bar room band.

Music career

2003-2006: ''Kerosene''

In 2003, Lambert auditioned for the talent competition ''Nashville Star'', eventually becoming a third-place finisher on the show. She performed in many places such as The Tap in College Station, Texas when she was 18. On September 15, 2003, she signed with Epic Records. Her debut single, "Me and Charlie Talking" (co-written by her father and Heather Little), was released in summer of 2004 as the lead-off single to her debut album. Titled ''Kerosene'', Lambert's first album comprised twelve songs, eleven of which she co-wrote. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Top Country Albums charts, and eventually gained a Platinum certification by the RIAA for shipments of over one million copies, selling more than 930,000 copies up to July 2008. Overall, the album produced four Top 40 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, including the title track which was a Top 20 hit. Lambert also toured with Keith Urban and George Strait in early 2006. In 2007, she toured with Dierks Bentley and Toby Keith.

2007-2008: ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''

Lambert's second album, ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' was released on May 9, 2007. She wrote eight of the album's eleven tracks, including its four singles. Much of the track "Gunpowder & Lead," the album's third single and her highest-charting single, was written while she was taking a concealed handgun class in her home town.

In 2005, at the 40th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Lambert won the Cover Girl Fresh Face of Country Music Award. She was also nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award in 2005; in 2007, Lambert also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her single "Kerosene". She also won the Top New Female Vocalist award at the 2007 ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards. At the 2008 ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards, ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' won Album of the Year.

Lambert was ranked #90 on the ''100 Greatest Women'' (of Country Music) by Country Universe in 2008.

2009-2011: ''Revolution''

In February 2009, Miranda Lambert entered the studio to record her third album, ''Revolution'', which was to be released on September 29, 2009. Lambert co-wrote all but four of the album's 15 tracks; the album also includes co-writes from Blake Shelton, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum. Ahead of the album's release, an EP, titled ''Dead Flowers'', was issued on September 8, 2009. The EP, available exclusively at Best Buy, featured the ''Revolution'' album track "Dead Flowers" and three bonus tracks previously included on limited editions of ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''.

During this time, Lambert (along with two other singers), became the new face of Cotton Inc.’s revived “The Touch, The Feel of Cotton” campaign. She has appeared in ads to promote cotton, and the website features a free download of the full version of her song, "Fabric of My Life."

Lambert debuted her new single, "Dead Flowers", at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5, 2009. It was released to country radio on May 4, 2009, and was a minor Top 40 hit on the charts.

On September 24, 2009, Lambert and her band performed all the tracks on ''Revolution'' in sequence at the Ryman Auditorium, five days before its scheduled release date.

Upon the release of ''Revolution'', Lambert's work was met with significant critical praise. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".

''Rolling Stone'' magazine praised the album saying, "Lambert remains country's most refreshing act, and not just because she makes firearms seem like a matter-of-fact female accessory." ''Entertainment Weekly'' magazine said, "She's found stylistic shades of songwriters twice her age..." and that the album is "...a portrait of an artist in full possession of her powers, and the best mainstream-country album so far this year." ''Boston Globe'' commented that “Revolution’’ is the sound of Miranda Lambert coming into her own." ''Slant magazine'' also had high praises reserved for the album saying, "Miranda Lambert expands on her fascinating, fully realized artistic persona on Revolution."

The album's second single, "White Liar", was released on August 17, 2009, and debuted at #50 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. In February 2010, "White Liar" became Lambert's first Top Five hit, reaching a peak of #2 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart.

In promotion of ''Revolution'', Miranda Lambert launched a headlining tour; ''Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars'' kicked off in March 2010 and included stops in over 22 cities, as well as a performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.

"The House That Built Me," the album's third single, was released on March 8, 2010 and became a #1 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. It retained this position for four weeks and it received a platinum certification from the RIAA on July 8, 2010. On February 13, 2011, Lambert won a Grammy Award in the ''Best Female Country Vocal Performance'' category for "The House That Built Me."

"Only Prettier" followed as the album's fourth single in July 2010 and its accompanying music video became somewhat viral. The music video for "Only Prettier" was directed by Trey Fanjoy and filmed in Joelton, Tennessee in June 2010, and premiered on VEVO on August 3, 2010. It features a 1950s theme and cameo appearances by fellow country artists Kellie Pickler, Laura Bell Bundy, and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. In the video, Lambert and her friends portray two rival cliques attending a high school sock hop. The alter-egos are shown doing things such as spiking the punch, stuffing their bras and smoking. Ultimately, the alter-egos have a bad time at the party, while Lambert, Pickler, Bundy and Scott enjoy themselves the entire night. Additionally, Lambert is also shown performing with her band on stage at the event.

On September 1, 2010, it was announced Miranda led nominations with an impressive 9 CMA awards, setting a record for the female with the most nominations in a single year by the organization. Miranda performed at the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 10, 2010. That same night she won the CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year and ''Revolution'' won Album of the Year. Lambert and Sheryl Crow performed "Coal Miner's Daughter" as a tribute to country legend Loretta Lynn, who also entered the stage to join them and finished the song with Crow and Lambert as backup. Later that night, Lynn presented the Female Vocalist of the Year CMA award to Lambert.

In December 2010, "Only Prettier", eventually reached a peak of number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, giving Lambert her seventh Top 20 hit. "Heart Like Mine" was released in January 2011 as the fifth and final single from ''Revolution''. It became Lambert's second Number One hit on the country charts for the chart dated May 28, 2011.

2011-present: ''Four the Record'' and Pistol Annies

On April 4, 2011 during the taping of the Academy of Country Music's 'Girls' Night Out' television special in Las Vegas, Lambert debuted her new project, girl group Pistol Annies. The group consists of Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. They released their single, "Hell on Heels," in May 2011, and released their debut album, ''Hell on Heels'', on August 23, 2011.

Lambert announced in July 2011 that her fourth studio album, ''Four the Record'', will be released on November 1, 2011. A month later, Sony Music Nashville announced that Lambert and labelmate Josh Thompson will transfer to RCA Nashville as part of a corporate restructuring.

Personal life

In 2006, Lambert began dating fellow country singer Blake Shelton. Lambert sang background vocals on Shelton's 2008 country cover of Michael Bublé's song "Home". The two recorded and co-wrote duet "Bare Skin Rug," for his studio album ''Startin' Fires'' released later in 2008. Shelton also co-wrote three songs on ''Revolution,'' and provided background vocals on "Maintain the Pain." On May 9, 2010, Shelton proposed to Lambert, after seeking (and receiving) her father's blessing and they became engaged. The two married on May 14, 2011 at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas. Wearing her mother's wedding dress, Miranda walked down the aisle and exchanged vows with Blake in front of 550 family members and friends, including fellow celebrities Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, Cee Lo Green, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley, and the Bellamy Brothers. After the ceremony, Miranda expressed her excitement saying, "I'm married to my best friend! Looking forward to a lifetime of laughter."

Discography

;Albums

''Miranda Lambert'' (2001)

''Kerosene'' (2005)

''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' (2007)

''Revolution'' (2009)

''Four the Record'' (2011)

Awards

!Year	!Organization	!Award	!Result
2005		Horizon Award
		Female Video of the Year — "Kerosene"
Breakthrough Video of the Year — "Kerosene"
	Horizon Award
	Grammy Awards	Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Kerosene"
rowspan="2"	Top New Female Vocalist
Female Vocalist of the Year
	Female Vocalist of the Year
	Grammy Awards	Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Famous in a Small Town"
CMT Music Awards	Female Video of the Year — "Famous in a Small Town"
rowspan="3"	Top Female Vocalist
Album of the Year — ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''
Single Record of the Year — "Famous in a Small Town"
rowspan="2"	Female Vocalist of the Year
Single of the Year — "Gunpowder & Lead"
	rowspan="2"	Top Female Vocalist
Single Record of the Year — "Gunpowder & Lead"
CMT Music Awards	Female Video of the Year — "More Like Her"
	Female Vocalist of the Year
	Grammy Awards	Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Dead Flowers"
rowspan="5"	Top Female Vocalist of the Year
Album of the Year — ''Revolution''
Single Record of the Year — "White Liar"
Song of the Year — "White Liar"
Video of the Year — "White Liar"
MusicRow Awards	Song of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
	Video of the Year - "White Liar"
Female Video of the Year - "White Liar"
	Choice Female Country Artist
Choice Music: Country Song - "The House That Built Me"
	Mainstream Inspirational Country Song, "The House That Built Me"
Inspirational Country Music Video, "The House That Built Me"
	8th French Country Music Awards	Best Female Vocalist of the Year (Meilleure Chanteuse)
rowspan="10"	Entertainer of the Year
Female Vocalist of the Year
Album of the Year - ''Revolution''
Musical Event - "Bad Angel" (with Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson)
Single of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
Single of the Year - "White Liar"
Song of the Year - "White Liar"
Song of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
Music Video of the Year - "The House That Built Me"
Music Video of the Year - "White Liar"
	Artist of the Year
Female Artist of the Year
Album of the Year - ''Revolution''
Single by a Female Artist - "White Liar"
Music Video by a Female Artist - "White Liar"
		Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "The House That Built Me"
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "Bad Angel" (with Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson)
Best Country Album — ''Revolution''
	Entertainer of the Year
Top Female Vocalist of the Year
Single Record of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Song of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Video of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Video of the Year — "Only Prettier"
	Female Video of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Video of the Year — "The House That Built Me"
Collaborative Video of the Year — "Coal Miner's Daughter" (with Loretta Lynn and Sheryl Crow)

Touring

Tours

"Hookin' Up and Hangin' Out Tour" (2007)

*with Toby Keith

''Sun City Carnival Tour'' (2009)

*with Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland and Montgomery Gentry

''American Saturday Night Tour'' (2010)

*with Brad Paisley and Justin Moore

''Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars'' (2010)

*with Chris Young, Randy Houser, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, James Otto, David Nail, Wade Bowen, Jake Owen and Cross Canadian Ragweed

''CMT On Tour: Miranda Lambert Revolution'' (2010)

*with Eric Church and Josh Kelley

''Miranda Lambert: Revolution Tour'' (2011)

*with Justin Moore, Josh Kelley, Chris Young, Randy Rogers Band, Pat Green,Little Big Town,Ashton Shepherd and Gary Allan

Band

Lambert's road band and crew consists of the following:

Aden Bubeck — bass guitar

Chris Kline — keyboard, harmonica, pedal steel, percussion, guitar

Alex Weeden — lead guitar

Scotty Wray — rhythm guitar, lap steel guitar, resonator guitar, banjo

Keith Zebroski — drums

Touring personnel

Scott Fowler — backline tech

Jason "Pone" Macalik — front of house engineer, backup bus driver

Chris Newsom — monitor engineer, production manager, stage manager

Sammy Bones — backline tech

Jordan Powell — tour manager

Jose "Puma" Raices — merchandise manager

Aaron Luke — lighting director

Charlie Sherman — bus driver

David Sherman — bus driver

References

External links

Official Website

Miranda Lambert at Billboard.com

Official Music Videos

Category:1983 births Category:American child singers Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American female singers Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Nashville Star contestants Category:People from Smith County, Texas Category:Texas country musicians Category:RCA Records artists

da:Miranda Lambert de:Miranda Lambert es:Miranda Lambert fr:Miranda Lambert id:Miranda Lambert it:Miranda Lambert nl:Miranda Lambert pt:Miranda Lambert sv:Miranda Lambert tr:Miranda Lambert uk:Міранда Ламберт