This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2009)

Tina Knowles
Tina Knowles
Born	Célestine Ann Beyincé (1954-01-04) January 4, 1954 (age 58) Galveston, Texas, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Fashion designer
Spouse	Mathew Knowles (1980–- 2011)
Children	Beyoncé Knowles (b.1981) Solange Knowles (b. 1986)
Labels	House of Deréon

Célestine Ann "Tina" Knowles (née Beyincé; born January 4, 1954) is an American fashion designer^[1] known for her House of Deréon and Miss Tina by Tina Knowles fashion brands. She is perhaps best known as the mother of singers Beyoncé Knowles and Solange Knowles, and was the wife of Mathew Knowles, who managed Destiny's Child and then Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland until 2011.

Life and career[link]

She was born in Galveston, Texas, the daughter of Agnès (née DeRouen) and Lumis Albert Beyincé. Her ancestry includes African, French, and Irish; she is a descendant of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard.^[2] Tina's rise to prominence came as costume designer for Destiny's Child. In the early days of her daughter's career, when money was limited, she created outfits that the members wore on-stage and to events. As the group grew more successful, Knowles' work enjoyed a greater level of visibility and success. Inspired by the legacy of Knowles' mother, seamstress Agnéz Deréon, she and Beyoncé decided to form a production company and create a fashion label. Initially, they launched House of Deréon, a young contemporary line, in 2005. In 2006, they launched Deréon, a casual lifestyle collection. Most recently, they launched Miss Tina by Tina Knowles, a missy collection, on the Home Shopping Network (HSN). Since 2010, the collection has been available at select WalMart stores across the United States.

Singer/actress Beyoncé has been featured in print ads for House of Deréon, while her younger sister, singer/actress Solange, has been featured in ads for Deréon. Knowles operated her own beauty salon, Headliners Hair Salon, in Houston, Texas.^{[citation needed]} Tina and Beyoncé have appeared together in ad campaigns for 'Got Milk?' and American Express.^{[citation needed]}

Family[link]

Tina Knowles is one of seven children. She has a grandson from her daughter, Solange, named Daniel "Julez" Smith, whose father is Daniel Smith. She also has a granddaughter from her elder daughter, Beyoncé, named Blue Ivy Carter, with her son-in-law Jay-Z. She is the aunt of Angela Beyincé, who previously worked as the personal assistant to Beyoncé.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tina Knowles

Chaka Khan
Khan performing at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California
Background information
Birth name	Yvette Marie Stevens
Also known as	Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi Khan, Queen of Funk
Born	(1953-03-23) March 23, 1953 (age 59) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	R&B, jazz, funk, soul, disco, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1964–present
Labels	ABC (1972–1978) Warner Bros. (1978–1998) MCA (1979–1982) NPG (1998–2001) Burgundy (2005–2010)
Associated acts	Rufus, Prince
Website	www.chakakhan.com

Chaka Khan (born Yvette Marie Stevens; March 23, 1953), frequently known as the "Queen of Funk", is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus.

While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career. Her signature hits, both with Rufus and as a solo performer, include "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing" which she wrote for her then husband Richard Holland, "Ain't Nobody", "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire".

Biography[link]

Early life: 1953–1972[link]

Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens in Chicago, Illinois. Raised in Chicago's rough South Side housing projects, Khan was the eldest of five children to Charles Stevens and Sandra Coleman. Her sister Yvonne Stevens later became a successful musician in her own right under the name Taka Boom. Her only brother Mark Stevens, who formed the funk group Aurra, also became a successful musician. She has two other sisters, Kathleen Burrell and Tammy McCrary, who is her current manager.^[1] Unlike many of her musical contemporaries, Khan was raised as Roman Catholic. Khan attributed her love of music to her grandmother, who introduced her to jazz music as a child. Khan became a fan of R&B music as a preteen and at eleven formed her first all-female singing group the Crystalettes, which also included her sister Taka. In the late 1960s, Khan and her sister formed the vocal group Shades of Black and joined the Black Panther Party after befriending fellow member, activist and Chicago native Fred Hampton in 1967.^[2] While a member, she was given a name change to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi by an African shaman. In 1969, she left the Panthers, dropped out of high school, having attended Calumet High School and Kenwood High School (now Kenwood Academy),^[3] and began to perform in small groups around the Chicago area, first performing with the group Lyfe, which included her then boyfriend Hassan Khan, whom she'd later marry. Khan was asked to replace the late Baby Huey of Baby Huey & the Babysitters after Huey's untimely death, in 1970. The group disbanded a year later. While performing in local bands in 1972, Khan was spotted by two members of a new group simply called Rufus and soon won her position in the group. The group later signed with ABC Records in 1973. Prior to Khan signing with the label, she married her on-again, off-again boyfriend Hassan Khan, changing her stage name to Chaka Khan.

Early career and success: 1973–1978[link]

In 1974, Rufus released their self-titled debut album. Despite their fiery rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" from Wonder's acclaimed Talking Book and the modest success of the Khan-led ballad "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)", the album failed to garner attention. That changed when Wonder himself collaborated with the group on a song he had written for Khan. That song, "Tell Me Something Good", became the group's breakthrough hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 later winning the group their first Grammy Award. The single's success and the subsequent follow-up, "You Got the Love", which peaked at number-eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 helped their second parent album, Rags to Rufus, go platinum selling over a million copies. Between 1974 and 1979, Rufus would release six platinum-selling albums including Rufusized, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, Ask Rufus, Street Player and Masterjam. Hits the group would score during this time included "Once You Get Started", "Sweet Thing", "Hollywood", "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" and "Do You Love What You Feel".

The band gained a reputation as a live performing act with Khan becoming the star attraction, thanks to her powerful vocals and stage attire, which sometimes included Native American garb and showing her midriff. Most of the band's material was written and produced by the band itself with few exceptions. Khan has also been noted for being an instrumentalist playing drums and bass, she also provided percussion during her tenure with Rufus. Most of Khan's compositions were often collaborations with guitarist Tony Maiden. Relations between Khan and the group, particularly between Khan and group member Andre Fischer, became stormy. Several group members left with nearly every release. While Khan remained a member of the group, she signed a solo contract with Warner Bros in 1978. While Khan was busy at work on solo material, Rufus released three albums without Khan's participation including 1979's Numbers, 1980's Party 'Til You're Broke and 1983's Seal in Red.

Early solo career and final years with Rufus: 1978–1983[link]

In 1978, Warner Bros. Records released Khan's solo debut album, which featured the crossover disco hit, "I'm Every Woman", written for her by songwriters Ashford & Simpson. The success of the single helped the album go platinum, selling over a million copies. Khan also was a featured performer on Quincy Jones' hit, "Stuff Like That", also released in 1978.

In 1979, Khan reunited with Rufus to collaborate on the Jones-produced Masterjam, which featured their hit, "Do You Love What You Feel", which Khan sang with Tony Maiden. Despite her sometimes-acrimonious relationship with some of the group's band mates, Khan and Maiden have maintained a friendship over the years. In 1979 she also duetted with Ry Cooder on his album Bop Till You Drop. In 1980, while Rufus released their second non-Khan release, Party 'Til You're Broke, Khan released her second solo album, Naughty, which featured Khan on the cover with her six-year-old daughter Milini. The album yielded the minor disco hit "Clouds" and went gold. Khan released two albums in 1981, the Rufus release, Camouflage and the solo album, What Cha' Gonna Do for Me. The same year, Khan appeared on three tracks on Rick Wakeman's concept album 1984. In 1982, Khan issued two more solo albums, the jazz-oriented Echoes of an Era and a more funk/pop-oriented self-titled album. The latter album's track, the jazz-inflected "Bebop Medley", won Khan a Grammy and earned praise from Betty Carter who loved Khan's vocal scatting in the song.^[4]

In 1983, following the release of Rufus' final studio album, Seal in Red, which did not feature Khan, the singer returned with Rufus on a live album, Stompin' at the Savoy - Live, which featured the studio single, "Ain't Nobody", which became the group's final charting success reaching number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B chart, while also reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom. Following this release, Rufus separated for good.

[edit] I Feel For You and Solo success: 1984–1996

In 1984, Khan released her sixth studio album, I Feel for You. The title track was the first single released. Originally written and recorded by Prince for his eponymous follow-up to his debut album in 1979, it had been previously recorded by The Pointer Sisters and Mary Wells. Khan's version featured a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder and an introductory rap by Grandmaster Melle Mel. This version of the song became a million-selling smash in the U.S. and UK, and it helped to relaunch Khan's career. I Feel For You topped not only the U.S. R&B and dance charts, but achieved great success on U.S. pop charts, and reached number one in the United Kingdom as well. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984, and remained on that chart for 26 weeks, well into 1985. It was listed as Billboard's number 5 song for the year 1985, and netted Prince the 1985 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. In addition to the song's successful radio airplay and sales, a music video of Chaka Khan with break dancers in an inner-city setting enjoyed heavy airplay on television and helped to solidify Chaka Khan's notoriety in popular culture.

Other singles which helped the I Feel For You album to go platinum included "This is my Night" and the ballad "Through the Fire", the latter which was also very successful on the adult contemporary charts. Khan was featured in Steve Winwood's 1986 number one hit, "Higher Love". That same year, a duet was planned with Robert Palmer for his album Riptide, on the song "Addicted To Love". However, her manager declined to allow the duet to be released, citing the desire to not have too much "product" from her in the marketplace at one time; she was still credited for the vocal arrangements in the album's liner notes, and the song became an international hit.^[5] Khan followed up her successful I Feel For You album with 1986's Destiny and 1988's CK. Khan found more success in the late 1980s with a remix album, Life is a Dance - The Remix Project, which reached the top ten on the UK albums chart. As a result Khan performed regularly in the United Kingdom, where she maintained a strong fan base.

In 1990, she was a featured performer on another major hit when she collaborated with Ray Charles and Quincy Jones on a new jack swing cover of The Brothers Johnson's "I'll Be Good to You", which was featured on Jones' Back on the Block. The song reached number-eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B chart, later winning Charles and Khan a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group. Khan returned with her first studio album in four years in 1992 with the release of The Woman I Am, which went gold thanks to the R&B success of the songs "Love You All My Lifetime" and "You Can Make the Story Right". Khan also contributed to soundtracks and worked on a follow-up to The Woman I Am which she titled Dare You to Love Me, which was eventually shelved. In 1995, she and rapper Guru had a hit with the duet "Watch What You Say", in the UK. That same year, she provided a contemporary R&B cover of the classic standard, "My Funny Valentine", for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. In 1996, following the release of her greatest-hits album, Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1, Khan abruptly left Warner Bros. after stating the label had neglected her and failed to release Dare You to Love Me.^[6]

Later career and current work: 1998–present[link]

Khan in December 2010

In 1998, Khan signed a contract with Prince's NPG Records label and issued Come 2 My House, followed by the single "Don't Talk 2 Strangers", a cover of a 1996 Prince song. Khan later went on a tour with Prince as a co-headlining act. In 2000, Khan departed from NPG and in 2004 released her first jazz covers album in twenty-two years with 2004's ClassiKhan. She also covered "Little Wing" with Kenny Olson on the album Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Three years later, after signing with Burgundy Records, Khan released what many critics called a "comeback album" with Funk This, produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The album featured the hit, "Angel", and the Mary J. Blige duet, "Disrespectful". The latter track went to number one on the U.S. dance singles chart, winning the singers a Grammy Award, while Funk This also won a Grammy for Best R&B Album. The album was notable for Khan's covers of Dee Dee Warwick's "Foolish Fool" and Prince's "Sign o' the Times". In 2008, Khan participated in the Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple playing Ms. Sofia to Fantasia Barrino's Celie.^[7]

In a 2008 interview Khan said that she, unlike other artists, felt very optimistic about the current changes in the recording industry, including music downloading. "I'm glad things are shifting and artists – not labels – are having more control over their art. My previous big record company (Warner Music) has vaults of my recordings that haven't seen the light of day that people need to hear. This includes Robert Palmer's original recording of "Addicted to Love" – which they took my vocals off of! We are working on getting it (and other tracks) all back now."^[6]

In 2009, Khan hit the road with singers Anastacia and Lulu for Here Come the Girls. In 2010, Khan contributed to vocals for Beverley Knight's "Soul Survivor", collaborated with Clay Aiken on a song for the kids show Phineas and Ferb, and performed two songs with Japanese singer Ai on Ai's latest album The Last Ai. Khan continues to perform to packed audiences both in her native United States and overseas.

On May 19, 2011, Khan was given the 2,440th Hollywood Walk of Fame star plaque on a section of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Her family was present when the singer accepted the honor, as was Stevie Wonder, who had written her breakout hit "Tell Me Something Good".

On September 27, 2011, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame committee announced that Khan and her former band Rufus were jointly nominated for induction to the hall. It was the collective's first nomination 13 years after they were first eligible. The group were nominated partly due to Khan's own storied reputation, including her own solo career in conjunction with her years with Rufus.

Recently, Khan Rerecorded her song, Super Life, under the title "Super Life: Fear Kills, Love Heals" with Eric Benet, Kelly Price, and Luke James in tribute to Trayvon Martin, a teenager who was killed Feb. 26. A number of celebrities also joined in the recording including Loretta Devine, Terry Crews, Eva Pigford, and reporter Kevin Frazier.

Personal life[link]

Khan has been married twice and is the mother of two children, daughter Indira Milini and son Damien Holland. Khan's first marriage was to Hassan Khan, in 1970, when she was 17. They divorced a short time later. Milini's birth was the result of a relationship between Khan and Rahsaan Morris.^[1] Khan married her second husband, Richard Holland, in 1976. The marriage reportedly caused a rift between Khan and several members of Rufus, in particular, Andre Fischer. Khan dated a Chicago-area schoolteacher in the mid-1980s in the middle of her solo stardom. Following their separation, Khan moved to Europe, first settling in London, later buying a residence in Germany.

In the past, Khan struggled with drug abuse and alcoholism. Her drug use, which at times included cocaine and heroin, ended sometime in the early 1990s. Khan would have an on-again, off-again struggle with alcoholism until 2005 declaring herself sober. In 2006, her son Damien Holland was accused of murder after 17-year-old Christopher Bailey was shot to death. Khan testified on her son's behalf defending her son's innocence. Holland claimed the shooting was an accident and was found not guilty.^[8] Though she sang at both the 2000 Democratic and Republican conventions, Khan says that she is more of a "Democratic-minded person".^[9]

In December 2011, Khan won permanent custody of her granddaughter, Daija Jade Holland, after reporting that her granddaughter's mother, girlfriend of Khan's son Damien Holland, was unable to raise her due to her drug addiction. It was reported that Khan's son was also addicted to drugs.^[10]

Awards[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

To date, Chaka Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards, including two as a member of Rufus. She has received 22 Grammy Award nominations, including three as a member of Rufus.

Soul Train Awards[link]

• 1998 Lena Horne Award (Career Achievement) (Recipient)
• 2009 Legends Award (Career Achievement) (Recipient)

United Negro College Fund Award[link]

• 2011 UNCF: Award of Excellence (Recipient)

American Music Award nominations[link]

To date, she has had four American Music Award nominations.

• 1985 Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner)
• 1985 Favorite Female Video Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner)
• 1982 Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Stephanie Mills)
• 1981 Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Diana Ross)

References:^[8][11]

Discography[link]

• Chaka (1978)
• Naughty (1980)
• What Cha' Gonna Do for Me (1981)
• Chaka Khan (1982)
• I Feel for You (1984)
• Destiny (1986)
• CK (1988)
• The Woman I Am (1992)
• Come 2 My House (1998)
• ClassiKhan (2004)
• Funk This (2007)

See also[link]

• Rufus discography

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chaka Khan

• Chaka Khan official website
• Chaka Khan Foundation
• Chaka Khan at Wenig-Lamonica Associates

Steve Harvey
Harvey in September 2008
Born	Broderick Steven Harvey (1957-01-17) January 17, 1957 (age 55) Welch, West Virginia, U.S.
Residence	Atlanta, Georgia
Occupation	Actor Comedian Radio and television personality Author
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Marcia Harvey (1980-1994)[1] Mary Lee Shackelford (1996-2005)[1] Marjorie Bridges (2007–present)[1]
Website
http://www.steveharvey.com

Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey (born January 17, 1957)^[2] is an American entertainer and author who hosts The Steve Harvey Morning Show, and Family Feud. He is the author of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, which was published in March 2009, and the book Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find and Keep a Man.

He's been an actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He starred in The Steve Harvey Show, and he was featured in The Original Kings of Comedy. He also hosts the Steve Harvey Project, on an extended cable channel.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Harvey was born in Welch, West Virginia, the son of Eloise and Jesse Harvey, a coal miner.^[3] His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he graduated from Glenville High School in 1974.^[4][1] Shortly after high school he attended Kent State University and West Virginia University and is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.^[1] He has been a boxer, an insurance salesman, and a mailman.^[1][5]

Comedy career[link]

Steve Harvey first performed stand-up comedy on October 8, 1985 at the Hilarities Comedy Club in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a finalist in Second Annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search in 1989, eventually leading to a long stint as host of It's Showtime at the Apollo, succeeding Mark Curry in that role. His success as a stand-up comedian led to a starring role on the ABC show Me and the Boys in 1994. He would later star on the WB network show, The Steve Harvey Show, which ran from 1996 to 2002. While wildly popular in the African-American community (the show won multiple NAACP Image Awards), the show never achieved critical acclaim outside of the African-American community, a matter about which Harvey has often complained.

In 1997, Harvey continued his work in stand-up comedy, touring as one of the Kings of Comedy, along with Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Bernie Mac. The comedy act would later be put together into a film by Spike Lee called The Original Kings of Comedy. DVD sales of The Original Kings of Comedy and Don't Trip, He Ain't Through With Me Yet increased Harvey's popularity. Harvey released a hip hop and R&B audio CD on a record label he founded, and authored a book, Steve Harvey's Big Time. That title was also used as the name of Harvey's comedy and variety television show (later renamed Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge) which aired on The WB network from 2003 until 2005. Harvey also launched a clothing line which features the line of dress wear. In 2005 he co-starred in the movie Racing Stripes. He had appeared in the 2003 movie The Fighting Temptations alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles.

In 2008, Harvey hosted the Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey, a teen-focused personal and professional enrichment event that took place January 17–20, 2008 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Harvey along with a team of judges chose 100 teens to attend the event.^[6]

Radio host[link]

[edit] The Steve Harvey Morning Show

Harvey is the host of a weekday-morning radio program, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which was originally syndicated through Radio One, Inc. from September 2000 until May 2005, and which continues to air to the present time.

Television roles[link]

[edit] Family Feud

Harvey became the host of Family Feud in September 2010.^[8]

Film roles[link]

Personal life[link]

Harvey has been married three times and has four biological children. He has twin daughters, Karli and Brandi (born 1982) and a son, Broderick Jr. (born 1991), from his first marriage^[10] to Marcia Harvey.^[1] Harvey also has another son, Wynton (born 1997), from his second marriage to Mary Shackelford. The couple divorced in November 2005.^[11]

In June 2007 he married his current wife, Marjorie Bridges, who he says is responsible for making him a better man and changing his life.^[12] The Harveys live in Atlanta, Georgia with four of their youngest children as a "blended family".^[13] Harvey will move to Illinois to tape a daily talk show for NBCUniversal from the company's Chicago studios. Production on Family Feud and the radio show will remain in Atlanta, though Harvey will host the radio show from Chicago as well.^[14]

Controversy[link]

On March 27, 2009, Harvey appeared on an episode of The Tyra Show with Tyra Banks to promote his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.^[15] During the course of the interview, Harvey advised that women should not date atheists. Saying:

"You sitting up there talking to a dude and he tells you he’s an atheist, you need to pack it up and go home. You talking to a person who don’t believe in God. What’s his moral barometer? Where’s it at? It's nowhere."

On May 30, 2009, Harvey appeared on an episode of Larry King Live guest hosted by Joy Behar.^[16] During that interview, Harvey reiterated his assertion that women should not date atheists, who he claimed have "no moral barometer". Harvey stated that he refuses to speak to anyone claiming to be an atheist, who he said are "idiot(s)". Harvey went on to suggest that modern astrophysics and evolutionary biology are without merit by saying:

You can't just tell me it spun out of a gastrous ball and then all of a sudden we were evolved from monkeys. Why we still got monkeys?

In August 2011 on his radio show, Harvey called Cornel West and Tavis Smiley "Uncle Toms" because they have criticized President Barack Obama.^[17]

Awards[link]

In 2007, Harvey won the Syndicated Personality/Show of the Year award by Radio & Records magazine. Other finalists included: Delilah, Blair Garner, Kidd Kraddick, The Lia Show and John Tesh.^[18]

References[link]

External links[link]

• www.steveharvey.com -- Official website
• Steve Harvey at the Internet Movie Database

Naomi Campbell
Campbell at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008
Born	(1970-05-22) 22 May 1970 (age 42)[1] Streatham, London, England
Ethnicity	British Jamaican
Occupation	Model, actress, singer, writer, designer
Height	5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m)[2]
Hair colour	Black
Eye colour	Brown
Measurements	34-24-35 in (86-61-89 cm)
Manager	TESS Management (London) Marilyn Agency (Paris) d'management group (Milan) Marilyn Model Mgmt (NYC)

Naomi Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s,^[3] and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world.^[4] As the most famous black model of her time,^[5] Campbell has been outspoken throughout her career against the racial bias that exists in the fashion industry.^[6] Her personal life is widely reported, particularly her relationships with prominent men—including boxer Mike Tyson and actor Robert De Niro^[7]—and several highly-publicised convictions for assault.^[8]

Early life[link]

Campbell was born in the working-class Streatham district of South London, the daughter of Jamaican-born dancer Valerie Morris.^[9] In accordance with her mother's wishes, Campbell has never met her father,^[10] who abandoned her mother when she was four months pregnant,^[9] and who went unnamed on her birth certificate.^[10] She took on the surname Campbell from her mother's second marriage.^[9] Her half-brother, Pierre, was born in 1986.^[11] Campbell is of Afro-Jamaican descent, as well as of Chinese Jamaican ancestry through her paternal grandmother, who carried the family name Ming.^[9]

During her early years, Campbell lived in Rome, where her mother worked as a modern dancer.^[7] Following their return to London, she was left in the care of her maternal grandmother, Ruby, while her mother travelled across Europe with the dance troupe Fantastica.^[11] At five years old, Campbell was enrolled at the Barbara Speake Stage School,^[11] and at the age of ten, she was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where she studied ballet.^[9]

Career[link]

Campbell's first public appearance came at the age of seven, in 1978, when she was featured in the music video for Bob Marley's "Is This Love".^[12] That same year, she played Snow White in two episodes of the Children's Film Foundation television series The Chiffy Kids.^[13] At the age of twelve, she tap-danced in the music video for Culture Club's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya".^[7]

In 1986, Campbell was scouted by Beth Boldt, head of the Synchro model agency, while window-shopping in Covent Garden.^[14] Her career quickly took off—in April, just before her sixteenth birthday, she appeared on the cover of British Elle.^[7] Over the next few years, Campbell's success grew steadily: she walked the runway for such designers as Gianni Versace, Azzedine Alaïa, and Isaac Mizrahi, and posed for such photographers as Peter Lindbergh, Herb Ritts, and Bruce Weber.^[7] By the late 1980s, Campbell was part of a trio of models—the others being Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista—known as the "Trinity",^[7] who became the most recognisable and in-demand models of their generation.^[3]

When faced with discrimination, Campbell received support from her friends; she later quoted Turlington and Evangelista as telling Dolce & Gabbana, "If you don't use Naomi, you don't get us."^[14] In December 1987, she appeared on the cover of British Vogue, as that publication's first black cover girl since 1966.^[6] In August 1988, she became the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue,^[7] after her friend and mentor, designer Yves St. Laurent, threatened to withdraw his advertising from the magazine if it continued to refuse to place black models on its cover.^[15] The following year, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue, which marked the first time a black model graced the front of the September issue, traditionally the year's biggest and most important issue.^[7]

In January 1990, Campbell, who was declared "the reigning megamodel of them all" by Interview,^[16] appeared with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Tatjana Patitz on an iconic cover of British Vogue, shot by Peter Lindbergh.^[17] The group was subsequently cast to star in the music video for George Michael's "Freedom! '90".^[3] By then, Campbell—along with Turlington, Evangelista, Crawford, and Claudia Schiffer—formed an elite group of models declared "supermodels" by the fashion industry.^[4] With the addition of newcomer Kate Moss, they were collectively known as the "Big Six".^[4]

In March 1991, in a defining moment of the so-called supermodel era, Campbell walked the runway for Versace with Turlington, Evangelista, and Crawford, arm-in-arm and lip-synching the words to "Freedom! '90".^[3] Later that year, she starred as Michael Jackson's love interest in the music video for "In the Closet".^[12] In April 1992, she posed with several other top models for the hundredth-anniversary cover of American Vogue, shot by Patrick Demarchelier.^[18] That same year, she appeared in Madonna's controversial book Sex, in a set of nude photos with Madonna and rapper Big Daddy Kane.^[19]

In 1993, Campbell twice appeared on the cover of American Vogue; in April, alongside Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour, and Helena Christensen, and again, solo, in June. She famously fell on the runway in Vivienne Westwood's foot-high platform shoes, which were later displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.^[14] Despite her success, however, Elite Model Management, which had represented Campbell since 1987, fired her in September, on the grounds that "no amount of money or prestige could further justify the abuse" to staff and clients.^[20] Elite founder John Casablancas described her as "manipulative, scheming, rude, and impossible."^[20]

In the mid 1990s, Campbell branched out into other areas of the entertainment industry.^[20] Her novel Swan, about a supermodel dealing with blackmail, was released in 1994 to poor reviews.^[21] It was ghostwritten by Caroline Upcher, with Campbell explaining that she "just did not have the time to sit down and write a book."^[22] That same year, Campbell released her album babywoman, named after designer Rifat Ozbek's nickname for her.^[7] A critical and commercial failure,^[23] the album produced the single "Love and Tears", which reached No. 40 on the UK charts.^[24] In 1995, Campbell and fellow models Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson invested in an ill-fated chain of restaurants called the Fashion Cafe.^[4] Campbell also attempted an acting career: she had small roles in Miami Rhapsody and Spike Lee's Girl 6, as well as a recurring role on the second season of New York Undercover.^[13]

Campbell on the runway for Peter Som in 2007

In 1998, Time declared the end of the supermodel era.^[4] By then, Campbell had mostly retired from the runway,^[4] but she continued print modelling. In 1999, she signed her first cosmetics contract with Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, a division of Wella, through which she launched several signature fragrances.^[7] In November of that year, she posed with twelve other top models for the "Modern Muses" cover of the Millennium Issue of American Vogue, shot by Annie Leibovitz.^[7] The following month, she appeared in a white string bikini and furs on the cover of Playboy.^[7] In October 2001, she appeared with rapper Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs on the cover of British Vogue, with the headline "Naomi and Puff: The Ultimate Power Duo".^[7]

After more than two decades as a model, Campbell was still in demand.^[25] In 2007, she walked the runway for Dior's sixtieth-anniversary fashion show at Versailles.^[7] In July 2008, she appeared with fellow black models Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, and Jourdan Dunn on the gatefold cover of a landmark all-black issue of Italian Vogue, shot by Steven Meisel. In September of that year, Campbell reunited with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, and Stephanie Seymour for "A League of Their Own", a Vanity Fair feature on the supermodel legacy.^[7]

In September 2010, Campbell appeared with Liya Kebede and Iman on the cover of the fortieth-anniversary issue of Essence.^[7] The following year, she posed while bound and gagged for the September cover of Spanish V, an homage to director Pedro Almodovar.^[26] Also in 2011, Campbell starred as Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon in the band's music video for "Girl Panic!", with Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen, Eva Herzigova, and Yasmin Le Bon portraying the other band members; they appeared on the November cover of British Harper's Bazaar with the headline "The Supers vs. Duran Duran".^[27]

Activism and charity work[link]

Despite her status as the most famous black model of her time, Campbell never earned the same volume of advertising assignments as her white colleagues,^[5] and she was not signed by a cosmetics company until as late as 1999.^[9] In 1991, she revealed, "I may be considered one of the top models in the world, but in no way do I make the same money as any of them."^[5] Throughout her career, Campbell has been outspoken against the racial bias that exists in the fashion industry.^[9] In 1997, she stated, "There is prejudice. It is a problem and I can't go along any more with brushing it under the carpet. This business is about selling, and blonde and blue-eyed girls are what sells."^[6] A decade later, she again spoke out against discrimination, stating, "The American president may be black, but as a black woman, I am still an exception in this business. I always have to work harder to be treated equally."^[28]

Campbell during a meeting with Argentine president Cristina Fernández in 2008

Campbell is involved with several charitable causes. She supports the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, for which she organised a benefit Versace fashion show in 1998.^[7] Held at Nelson Mandela's South African presidential residence,^[7] the show was the subject of a documentary titled FashionKingdom, or alternatively, Naomi Conquers Africa.^[13] Campbell, whose mother has battled breast cancer,^[11] also supports Breakthrough Breast Cancer. In 2004, she was featured on FHM's charity single Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, as well as in the accompanying music video, of which all profits were donated to Breakthrough.^[29] She appeared in a print and media campaign for the charity's fundraising initiative Fashion Targets Breast Cancer,^[30] and she opened a Breakthrough breast cancer research unit in 2009.^[31]

In 2005, Campbell founded the charity We Love Brazil, which aims to raise awareness and funds to fight poverty in Brazil through the sale of fabrics made by local women.^[32] That same year, Campbell founded the charity Fashion for Relief, which has organised fund-raising fashion shows to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the India terrorist attacks in 2009, the Haiti earthquake in 2010, and the Japan earthquake in 2011.^[7][33] Fashion for Relief has reportedly raised £4.5 million.^[33] Since 2007, Campbell has been the honorary president of Athla Onlus, an Italian organisation that works to further the social integration of young people with learning disabilities.^[34] In 2009, Campbell became a goodwill ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. She has since joined the charity's patron, Sarah Brown, the wife of former British prime minister Gordon Brown, on several missions to promote maternal health.^[7]

Campbell has received recognition for her charitable work. In 2007, she was named an ambassador of Rio de Janeiro by mayor Cesar Maia in recognition of her efforts to fight poverty in Brazil.^[32] In 2009, she was awarded Honorary Patronage of Trinity College's University Philosophical Society for her charitable and professional work.^[35] In 2010, Sarah Brown presented her with an "Outstanding Contribution" award from British Elle for her work as an ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance, as well as her work in the fashion industry.^[36]

Personal life[link]

Campbell with her partner Vladislav Doronin in 2010

Campbell, who has never met her biological father, regards record producers Quincy Jones and Chris Blackwell as adopted father figures.^[37] Former South African president Nelson Mandela has referred to Campbell as his "honorary granddaughter".^[14] She first met Mandela in November 1994, after his party, the African National Congress, invited her to travel to South Africa to meet with their leader.^[7] She had previously donated the proceeds from a photo shoot in Tanzania to the ANC.^[7] Over the years, Campbell has lent support to many of Mandela's political campaigns and humanitarian causes.^[7]

Campbell has never married.^[38] In the late 1980s, she dated boxer Mike Tyson, who said of her, "She has a great body. And she's scared of nothing."^[7] In the early 1990s, she had an on-again-off-again relationship with actor Robert De Niro.^[7] In 1993, she became engaged to U2 bassist Adam Clayton. They met in February of that year, after Clayton, asked in an interview if there was anything in the world he desired but didn't have, responded: "A date with Naomi Campbell". Campbell and Clayton separated the following year.^[14] She then dated dancer Joaquín Cortés in the mid to late 1990s.^[7] In 1998, became engaged to Formula One racing head Flavio Briatore; they were involved in an on-again-off-again relationship until their separation in 2003.^[7][14] Campbell now considers Briatore her "mentor".^[37] She dated businessman Badr Jafar in the mid 2000s.^[14] Since 2008, Campbell has been in a relationship with businessman Vladislav Doronin,^[14] with whom she resides in Moscow.^[39]

In 1999, Campbell entered rehab after a five-year addiction to cocaine.^[14] Of her choice, in 1994, to first use the drug, Campbell said in 2005, "I was having fun. I was living this life of travelling the world and having people just give you anything. [But] the little glow in your face goes....It's a very nasty drug."^[14] In 2002, Campbell successfully claimed a breach of privacy against the Daily Mirror, after the newspaper published a report of her drug addiction, including a photograph of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.^[40] The High Court ordered £3,500 in damages from the Daily Mirror, but later that year the ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal, which ordered Campbell to pay the newspaper's £350,000 legal costs.^[40] In 2004, however, the House of Lords reinstated the High Court ruling and damages.^[40]

In August 2010, Campbell made a highly-publicised appearance at a war crimes trial against former Liberian president Charles Taylor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Leidschendam. She was called to give evidence on a "blood diamond" she allegedly received from Taylor during a Nelson Mandela Children's Fund function in 1997.^[41] Campbell initially refused to testify, and—after being subpoenaed—told the court that being there was "a big inconvenience" for her.^[42] She testified that she was given "dirty-looking" stones late at night by two unidentified men,^[42] and claimed she did not know the diamonds had originated from Taylor until being told so the next morning by a fellow attendee, actress Mia Farrow. However, her account was contradicted by testimonies from Farrow, her former agent Carole White, and former Children's Fund director Jeremy Ratcliffe.^[43]

Assault cases[link]

Between 1998 and 2008, Campbell was accused ten times of committing acts of violence against employees, associates, and, in one instance, police officers. In 2000, Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto to assaulting her personal assistant Georgina Galanis with a cell phone. Campbell paid Galanis an undisclosed sum and agreed to attend anger management classes; her record was cleared in exchange for her expressing remorse.^[44][45]

By 2006, eight other employees and associates had come forward with claims of abuse: secretary Vanessa Frisbee claimed she was physically assaulted by Campbell, housekeeper Millicent Burton claimed Campbell had slapped, kicked, and scratched her, assistant Simone Craig claimed Campbell held her hostage and threw a phone at her, housekeeper Ana Scolavino claimed Campbell threw a BlackBerry personal organiser at her, maid Gaby Gibson claimed Campbell hit her and called her names, and assistant Amanda Brack claimed Campbell slapped and beat her with a BlackBerry.^[14][45][46] Campbell's drug therapist claimed Campbell scratched her face during a counselling session.^[45] Actress Yvonne Sciò claimed Campbell left her "covered in blood" after an altercation at a Rome hotel.^[45] Sciò said, "She punched me in the face. She was like Mike Tyson."^[45] In 2005, Campbell was photographed wearing a Chip and Pepper T-shirt that read "Naomi Hit Me...and I Loved It".^[14]

In 2007, Campbell pleaded guilty in New York to assaulting her former housekeeper Ana Scolavino.^[8][14] She was sentenced to pay Scolavino's medical expenses, attend an anger management program, and perform five days of community service with New York's sanitation department.^[14] She attended her community service wearing designer outfits, including fedoras, furs, and—upon completion of her sentence—a silver sequined Dolce & Gabbana gown.^[7][14] Campbell detailed her community service experience in a W feature titled "The Naomi Diaries", in which she wrote, "I keep on sweeping. I'm getting very protective of my pile of rubbish—kind of the way I feel about my Hermès handbag."^[14] That same year, Campbell settled the lawsuits brought by actress Yvonne Sciò and her former assistant Amanda Brack.^[14][47] She spoofed herself in a Dunkin' Donuts commercial, directed by Zach Braff, which showed her breaking her heel while gardening and throwing it through a window.^[14]

In 2008, Campbell pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers at London Heathrow Airport.^[8] She had spat at the officers following an argument about her lost luggage.^[14] Campbell was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and fined $4,600.^[8] She was banned for life from British Airways.^[7] In 2009, Campbell settled the lawsuit brought by her former maid Gaby Gibson.^[48]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

• babywoman (1994)

See also[link]

	United Kingdom portal
	Biography portal

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Naomi Campbell

• Official website
• Naomi Campbell discography at Discogs
• Naomi Campbell at the Fashion Model Directory
• Naomi Campbell at the Internet Movie Database