Coordinates

29°25′″N98°30′″N

{{infobox casino| logo

PlanetHollywoodLogo.svg| logo_size200| casinoPlanet Hollywood Casino| themeHollywood| address3667 Las Vegas Blvd SouthLas Vegas, NV 89109| imagePlanet-Hollywood-LV.JPG| rooms2,600| date_opened1998 (The Aladdin) / April 17, 2007 (Planet Hollywood) / 1963 (Tally Ho) | space_gaming | attractions''Miracle Mile Shops''| shows''Peepshow''''Tony and Tina's Wedding''| restaurants''Elements''''Tremezzo''''Koi''| ownerCaesars Entertainment Corp. | casino_typeLand | renovations19982007| names_preThe Aladdin (1998)King's Crown Hotel (1964)Tally Ho Hotel (1963)| websiteplanethollywoodresort.com }}

Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, previously known as The Aladdin, is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, in the unincorporated locale of Paradise, Nevada, United States. Westgate Resorts operates the condo portion of the property, known as PH Towers by Westgate.

Planet Hollywood is owned by Caesars Entertainment Corp. In April 2010, Total Rewards replaced the "A-List" Player rewards card at Planet Hollywood.

History

Tally-Ho and King's Crown

The first hotel was originally opened in 1963 as the Tally-Ho. It was later called King's Crown in 1964 and failed after six months when it was denied a gaming license. In 1966, it was purchased by Milton Prell, and the hotel got a $3 million renovation, including a new 500-seat "Baghdad Theater" showroom. Prell turned the English-themed hotel into an Arabian Nights theme, but kept the original Tudor style room wings. A serrated canopy and a $750,000 15-story "Aladdin's Lamp" sign were added.

The Aladdin

The Aladdin opened on April 1, 1966, with flower petals pouring from the ceiling and onto guests as they entered the hall. One guest was composer-pianist Warren Richards. The opening entertainment included comedian Jackie Mason, the "Jet Set Revue," a musical review that showcased The Three Cheers and the Petite Rockette Dancers in the ''Baghdad Theatre''.

Prell introduced an innovative main showroom policy by offering three completely different shows twice nightly with no cover or minimum charges.

The Aladdin contained a 9-hole golf course.

A little more than a year after it was opened, the Aladdin was host to Elvis and Priscilla Presley's wedding.

In August 1969, the Aladdin completed a $750,000 makeover including renovations to the Sinbad Lounge, which became enclosed and leveled above the casino floor with Arabic motif.

In 1969, Parvin Dohrmann Corporation took over the Aladdin, and in 1972, using the name Recrion Corporation, sold it to Sam Diamond, St. Louis politicians Peter Webbe and Sorkis Webbe, and St. Louis attorney Richard L. Daly for the price of just $5 million. Under the new owners, a $60 million face lift was conducted, including the addition of a 19-story tower and the new 7,500-seat Performing Arts Center replacing the golf course, which was $4 million over budget.

A $250,000 porte-cochere continued the tower's arabesques. The Aladdin added a new $300,000 blockbuster sign with little neon, huge attraction panels and none of the arabesque of the Aladdin's original sign.

The Aladdin had a grand re-opening in 1976 with singer Neil Diamond being paid $750,000 for two shows.

In August, 1979, several individuals were convicted by a Detroit Federal Jury of conspiring to allow hidden owners to exert control over the resort, and the Nevada Gaming Commission then closed the hotel.

The resort was sold to Wayne Newton and Ed Torres in 1980 for $85 million, snubbing an offer from comedian Johnny Carson. Newton sold his share to Torres 21 months later. Newton sued NBC, who had alleged in broadcasts, that his purchase of the Aladdin was tied to the mafia. He won a $22.8 million judgement, which was overturned on appeal. In February 1984, the Aladdin went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In 1981, heavy metal band Iron Maiden played at the Aladdin – it was their first ever concert in America.

In 1987 Japanese businessman Ginji Yasuda purchased the Aladdin, but was removed as the casino's operator by state regulators in September 1988, and the resort was placed in Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to financial difficulties.

In 1994, Jack Sommer, a Las Vegas real estate developer, and the Sommer Family Trust purchased the hotel.

The Aladdin closed on November 25, 1997. NCL/National Content Liquidators conducted an on-site liquidation sale beginning March 5, 1998 and continued until the building was "sold out". On April 27, 1998, the entire resort was imploded, except for the Aladdin Theatre known as the Theatre for the Performing Arts, to make way for the construction of an entirely new casino. Sommer took on London Clubs International as a partner in developing the new casino resort. LCI initially paid $50 million for a 25% interest, but took on additional equity after Sommer was unable to fund his share of cost overruns on the construction.

The new Aladdin

The Aladdin was scheduled to reopen on August 17, 2000, at 6:00 p.m., with fireworks at 10:00 p.m. The opening was delayed while the Clark County building inspector completed its fire safety testing. Another delay was caused by last-minute repairs to the casino surveillance system. This left thousands of Aladdin visitors leaving in disappointment, as well as opening night hotel guests wondering where they'd spend the night. Many high-rollers waited out on the sidewalks in front of the Aladdin for hours. Most were unable to even get to their luggage, since the hotel had been locked down for testing. Aladdin employees tried to arrange alternate accommodations for the guests with Paris and Bellagio.

Meanwhile, the Desert Passage mall was opened with ''I Dream of Jeannie'' star Barbara Eden opening the doors to let the large crowd in.

The Aladdin finally opened the next day at 7:45 a.m. 100 members of Culinary Workers Union Local 226, as well as more than 1,000 other workers were marching on Las Vegas Boulevard to protest the Aladdin opening without a union contract. Eden's speech as well as the other festivities were drowned out by the bullhorns and the rest of the protest.

According to Josh Axelrad in his 2010 book, ''Repeat until Rich'', he and other professional gamblers, primarily card counters, took advantage of the Aladdin's inexperienced staff its opening weekend and fleeced the casino for an undetermined but large amount of money. The casino later introduced severe limits on mid-shoe bets in response.

The casino was in financial trouble from the start and was sold in bankruptcy on June 20, 2003, to a partnership of Planet Hollywood and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

Planet Hollywood

thumb|left|Planet Hollywood at night-2009Renovations were carried out in stages, allowing the resort to remain open throughout. Planet Hollywood Las Vegas includes an expanded casino, new restaurants, new nightclub and retail space. A redesign of the facade and pedestrian plaza was intended to correct defects that made accessing the property from the sidewalks on The Strip difficult.

As of October 2007, about a third to half of the retail space formerly known as "The Desert Passage" had been converted into the new, Hollywood-themed "Miracle Mile Shops". This includes new, black flooring in place of the old uneven cobblestone type walkway as well as the abandonment of the Arabian marketplace theme for a more conventional mall look. Despite the renovations, the popular rain show still exists and the V Theater still appears as it always has.

After the casino was renovated, it was reopened on April 17, 2007 as Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. The official grand opening of was the weekend of November 16, 2007. The Planet Hollywood restaurant, however, remains at The Forum Shops at Caesars.

In late December 2009 Westgate opened the PH Towers, a timeshare and hotel linked with the casino and main hotel.

Under Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah's)

Caesars officially acquired the property on February 19, 2010. Caesars began its process of taking over the property in December 2009 by purchasing some of the resort's debt. The casino defaulted on its mortgage and had failed to make scheduled payments in September, 2009.

On January 16, 2010 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide dropped their affiliation so Caesars could take over hotel operations. On February 18, 2010 The Nevada Gaming Commission gave Caesars the approval to take over the property. Caesars' Total Rewards program was phased into Planet Hollywood beginning in April 2010.

Marylin Wynn has stepped in as President of the resort; she is President of Paris Las Vegas and Bally's Las Vegas, both Caesar's Hotels. Robert Earl, former president and founder of the Planet Hollywood brand, will advise Caesars on marketing strategies for Planet Hollywood Hotel and the other nine casinos Caesars owns in the Las Vegas area. Wynn is leaving Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah's Entertainment) and taking the place of Andrew Pascal at Wynn/Encore Las Vegas as President of Wynn/Encore Las Vegas.

Caesars does not own Prive Nightclub, nor some restaurants in the hotel. It does not own the newly opened PH Tower by Westgate that opened in December 2009, however it does operate that tower's hotel operations. Through a licensing agreement, Caesars now has the right to use the Planet Hollywood trademark at other properties worldwide.

Combined with its earlier acquisition of the former Barbary Coast Casino (via a three-way-swap), the acquisition of Planet Hollywood's footprint on the Strip gave Caesars total control of the on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip from Flamingo to Harmon Roads.

Planet Hollywood Hotel Manila

The second Planet Hollywood hotel to open in Manila,Philippines. It will be part of a Integrated Resort called The Belle Grande Manila bay, it will house the largest casino in the Philippines. Set to soft opening in 4th Quarter of 2011 or 1st Quarter of 2012. It will be located in Pagcor city The 20 billion dollar entertainment city in Manila.

Features

Casino

Planet Hollywood has hip and modern architecture fitted to its Hollywood theme. It features a three-acre casino floor full of traditional gambling machines like slots, table games and The Playing Field Race and Sports Book. This features 33 plasma screens, two jumbo screens and a section for VIP. Planet Hollywood is the first Las Vegas resort to offer table games dealt by young ladies in "chic lingerie". The Pleasure Pit is a section of the table games where this happens with go-go dancers entertaining the gamblers at the side.

"The Mezzanine"

This can be accessed by taking an escalator in the casino or the elevator. Here, guests can relax on comfy chairs overlooking the casino. Many come to smoke, relax or think. The area is rather spaced out with room to walk and includes a place for shooting basketball hoops. It includes a "Living Room" with sofas to be accessed by the guests.

The Planet Hollywood showroom is located on the mezzanine. It features several different live shows; as of 2010, the most popular and longest-running is titled ''Peepshow'' starring Holly Madison. A live version of the television series ''America's Got Talent'' hosted by Jerry Springer (who flies to Vegas weekly from his self-titled show's taping in Stamford, Connecticut) and ''Tony n' Tina's Wedding'' played on the Mezzanine in 2009.

"The Spa by Mandara" is located on this floor. Two fine dining restaurants, KOI and Strip House are present here, across from the wedding chapel.

Swimming pool

The swimming pool in this resort can be accessed through the sixth floor. The area overlooks the Strip with a view of the north and south. It features two pools and two hot spa one of each in both the South and North Strip. The one in the North Strip section features VIP cabanas for renting. In between is a bar/grill/snack-bar with a patch of grass lined with pool chairs for guests to sit and eat. The pool usually is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and the bar from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, DJ's spin popular music from noon to 4:00 p.m.

Accommodations

Planet Hollywood Resort features rooms that meet its Hollywood theme. The resort has 52 floors (with the final two being VIP) and each room is dedicated to a certain movie such as ''Backdraft''. Rooms feature actual props and memorabilia from the film. The rooms range from standard to luxurious "Panorama" suites with a view of the whole Las Vegas Strip.

Rooms include: Hollywood Hip: standard room with a Hollywood "hip-style". Choice between one king bed or two queen. It is , has two speaker phones, an ironing rack, an oversized bathtub, a shower, and plasma television. A purple sitting chair is available by the window. This room is available as a "fountain-view room" which offers a remarkable view of the Bellagio Resort and Casino and its fountain water-show. It has the same accommodations as the Hollywood Hip (unless it's a suite) and is usually available at an extra charge. Resort room: similar to the Hollywood Hip but larger and with more accommodations. It is about with a choice between a king bed or two queens. It has the same ironing board, oversized bathtub, and internet access (for a fee). What is extra other than extra space is that this offers two windows and two chairs. It offers a sofa, double sinks, and ambient bathroom lighting. Resort Vista: This room has a king size bed, marble bathroom floors, oversized soaking tub, a writing desk, coffee table and sofa. This is an add-on to the other mentioned features. Panorama Suite: about ; this suite has a panoramic 180-degree view of the Las Vegas Strip from living room. It features luxurious accommodations like a double door foyer entrance, two sofas or one sofa and several chairs, one flat screen TV in living area, a dining area, wet bar with refrigerator, adjoining powder room, large writing desk, separate bedroom area with couch and table, one flat screen TV in bedroom, oversized soaking tub with retractable wall, and an iPod station in bedroom.

PH Towers

thumb|The PH TowerThe PH Towers is a residential tower and boutique hotel located next to Planet Hollywood by Westgate Resorts. The 56-story building contains 1201 suites ranging in size from .

Film history

Footage of the implosion of the original structure was used in the closing credits of the film ''The Cooler''.

This casino was used in the filming of ''Going in Style''.

Seasons One and Two of the A&E; Network show ''Criss Angel Mindfreak'' were filmed at the resort.

The TLC show ''Trading Spaces'' took place at the Aladdin in a 2004 episode.

The Theatre for the Performing Arts was the site for the 2006 to 2009 Miss America pageants.

The ''Resident Evil: Extinction'' (2007) world premiere took place at Planet Hollywood on September 25, 2007.

The ''Rambo'' (2008) world premiere took place at Planet Hollywood on January 24, 2008.

Scenes from the 2008 movie ''21'' were shot in Planet Hollywood.

The Planet Hollywood hotel is prominently featured in the movie ''What Happens in Vegas'' as the hotel where the Fullers stay and get married.

The movie ''Transporter 3'' had its world premiere at PH on November 21, 2008. Jason Statham was present for the premiere.

The movie ''Race to Witch Mountain'' was partly shot here for the space convention

The movie ''The Expendables'' premiered at PH in August, 2010. This was announced by a chopper that was displayed on the PH casino floor.

Seasons One and Two of E's Holly's World were shot at the Planet Hollywood. Holly Madison stars in Peepshow on property.

A flashmob set to Midi Mafia's "PHamous" was performed by several YouTubers including ShayCarl and KassemG in November, 2009.

Scenes from "Get Him to the Greek" were filmed and take place at PH.

Scenes from "Knocked Up" were filmed at PH.

Performing Arts Center

References

External links

Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

Planet Hollywood (Aladdin) News - Vegas Today and Tomorrow

Las Vegas Travelog. Including tens of photos.

Category:Casinos in Las Vegas Category:Skyscraper hotels in the Las Vegas metropolitan area Category:1997 disestablishments Category:Buildings and structures completed in 2000 Category:Resorts in Las Vegas Category:Las Vegas Strip Category:Buildings and structures in Paradise, Nevada Category:Hotels established in 1963

de:Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino es:Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino fa:هتل و کازینوی پلانت هالیوود fr:Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino nl:Planet Hollywood Resort en Casino ja:プラネット・ハリウッド (ホテル) pl:Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino pt:Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino

Coordinates	29°25′″N98°30′″N
background color	#FFC94B
Name	Hollywood
Native name
Nickname	Tinseltown,The Entertainment Capital of the World
Settlement type	District of Los Angeles
Total type
Motto
Pushpin map	United States Los Angeles Central
Pushpin label position	right
Pushpin map caption	Location within Central Los Angeles
Pushpin mapsize	250
Pushpin map1	United States Los Angeles Western
Pushpin label position1	left
Pushpin map caption1	Location within Western Los Angeles
Pushpin mapsize1	250
Coordinates region	US-CA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	:California
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	County of Los Angeles
Subdivision type3	City
Subdivision name3	City of Los Angeles
Subdivision name4
Parts style
Parts
P2
Leader title	City Council
Leader name	Eric Garcetti, Tom LaBonge
Leader title1	State Assembly
Leader name1	Mike Feuer (D), Vacant
Leader title2	State Senate
Leader name2	Curren Price (D), Gilbert Cedillo (D)
Leader title3	U.S. House
Leader name3	Xavier Becerra (D), Diane Watson (D), Henry Waxman (D)
Established date
Area footnotes
Area total sq mi	24.96
Area water percent
Elevation footnotes
Elevation min ft
Population as of	2000
Population total	123435
Population density sq mi	4945
Postal code type	ZIP Code
Postal code	90027, 90028, 90029, 90038, 90046, 90068
Area code	323
Footnotes	}}

Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word ''Hollywood'' is often used as a metonym of American cinema. Today, much of the movie industry has dispersed into surrounding areas such as the Westside neighborhood, and the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys, but significant auxiliary industries, such as editing, effects, props, post-production, and lighting companies remain in Hollywood, as does the backlot of Paramount Pictures.

On February 16, 2005, California Assembly Members Jackie Goldberg and Paul Koretz introduced a bill to require California to keep specific records on Hollywood as if it were independent, although it is not the typical practice of the City of Los Angeles to establish specific boundaries for districts or neighborhoods. For this to be done, the boundaries were defined. The bill was unanimously supported by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles City Council. Assembly Bill 588 was approved by the Governor of California on August 28, 2006, and now the district of Hollywood has official borders. The border can be loosely described as the area east of West Hollywood, south of Mulholland Drive, Laurel Canyon, Cahuenga Boulevard, and Barham Boulevard, and the cities of Burbank and Glendale, north of Melrose Avenue and west of the Golden State Freeway and Hyperion Avenue. This includes all of Griffith Park and Los Feliz – two areas that were hitherto considered separate from Hollywood by most Angelenos. The population of the district, including Los Feliz, as of the 2000 census was 123,436 and the median household income was $33,409 in 1999.

As a district within the Los Angeles city limits, Hollywood does not have its own municipal government. There was an official, appointed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, who served as an honorary "Mayor of Hollywood" for ceremonial purposes only. Johnny Grant held this position from 1980 until his death on January 9, 2008. However, no replacement has ever been named after Grant's death.

History

In 1853, one adobe hut stood in Nopalera, named for the Mexican ''nopal'' cactus indigenous to the area. By 1870, an agricultural community flourished in the area with thriving crops of many common and exotic varieties. The area was known to these residents as the Cahuenga Valley, after the pass in the Santa Monica Mountains immediately to the north. Soon thereafter, land speculation lead to subdivision of the large plots and an influx of homeowners.

In spite of the area's short history, it has been filled with events driven by optimistic progress. The name Hollywood was coined by H. J. Whitley, the "Father of Hollywood". Whitley arranged to buy the E.C. Hurd ranch and disclosed to him his plans for the land. They agreed on a price and Hurd agreed to sell at a later date. Before Whitley got off the ground with Hollywood, plans for the new town had spread to General Harrison Gray Otis, Mr Hurd's wife, Mrs. Daeida Wilcox, and numerous others through the mill of gossip and land speculation.

Daeida learned of the name Hollywood from her neighbor in Holly Canyon (now Lake Hollywood), Ivar Weid, a prominent investor and friend of Whitley's. She recommended the same name to her husband, H. H. Wilcox. On February 1, 1887, Harvey filed a deed and map of property he sold with the Los Angeles County Recorder's office. Harvey wanted to be the first to record it on a deed. The early real-estate boom busted that same year, yet Hollywood began its slow growth.

By 1900, the region had a post office, newspaper, hotel, and two markets. Los Angeles, with a population of 102,479 lay east through the vineyards, barley fields, and citrus groves. A single-track streetcar line ran down the middle of Prospect Avenue from it, but service was infrequent and the trip took two hours. The old citrus fruit-packing house would be converted into a livery stable, improving transportation for the inhabitants of Hollywood.

The famous Hollywood Hotel, the first major hotel in Hollywood, was opened in 1902, by H. J. Whitley, then President of the Los Pacific Boulevard and Development Company, of which he was a major shareholder. Having finally acquired the Hurd ranch and subdivided it, Whitley built the hotel to attract land buyers, and was eager to sell these residential lots among the lemon ranches lining the foothills. Flanking the west side of Highland Avenue, the structure fronted on Prospect Avenue, which, still a dusty, unpaved road, was regularly graded and graveled. The Hotel was to become internationally known and was the center of the civic and social life and home of the stars for many years. His company was developing and selling one of the early residential areas, the Ocean View Tract. Whitley did much to promote the area. He paid many thousands of dollars for electric lighting, including bringing electricity and building a bank, as well as a road into the Cahuenga Pass. The lighting ran for several blocks down Prospect Avenue. Whitley's land was centered on Highland Avenue.

Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality on November 14, 1903. The vote was 88 for incorporation and 77 against. On January 30, 1904, the voters in Hollywood decided, by a vote of 113 to 96, for the banishment of liquor in the city, except when it was being sold for medicinal purposes. Neither hotels nor restaurants were allowed to serve wine or liquor before or after meals.

By 1910, because of an ongoing struggle to secure an adequate water supply, town officials voted for Hollywood to be annexed into the City of Los Angeles, as the water system of the growing city had opened the Los Angeles Aqueduct and was piping water down from the Owens River in the Owens Valley. Another reason for the vote was that Hollywood could have access to drainage through Los Angeles' sewer system. With annexation, the name of Prospect Avenue was changed to Hollywood Boulevard and all the street numbers in the new district changed. For example, 100 Prospect Avenue, at Vermont Avenue, became 6400 Hollywood Boulevard; and 100 Cahuenga Boulevard, at Hollywood Boulevard, changed to 1700 Cahuenga Boulevard.

Motion picture industry

Filmmaking in the greater Los Angeles area preceded the establishment of filmmaking in Hollywood. The Biograph Company filmed the short film ''A Daring Hold-Up in Southern California'' in Los Angeles in 1906. The first studio in the Los Angeles area was established by the Selig Polyscope Company in Edendale, with construction beginning in August 1909.

Prolific director D. W. Griffith was the first to make a motion picture in Hollywood. His 17-minute short film ''In Old California'', which was released on March 10, 1910, was filmed entirely in the village of Hollywood for Biograph. Although Hollywood banned movie theaters—of which it had none—before annexation that year, Los Angeles had no such restriction. The first film by a Hollywood Studio, Nestor Motion Picture Company, was shot on October 26, 1911. The Whitley home was used as its set, and the unnamed movie was filmed in the middle of their groves on the corner of Whitley Ave and Hollywood Boulevard by directors Al Christie and David and William Horsley.

Various producers and filmmakers moved bases from the east coast to escape punitive licensing from the Motion Picture Patents Company.

The first studio in Hollywood was established by the New Jersey–based Centaur Co., which wanted to make westerns in California. They rented an unused roadhouse at 6121 Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Gower, and converted it into a movie studio in October 1911, calling it Nestor Studio after the name of the western branch of their company. The first feature film made specifically in a Hollywood studio, in 1914, was ''The Squaw Man'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel, and was filmed at the Lasky-DeMille Barn among other area locations.

By 1911, Los Angeles was second only to New York in motion picture production, and by 1915, the majority of American films were being produced in the Los Angeles area. Four major film companies – Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO and Columbia – had studios in Hollywood, as did several minor companies and rental studios. Hollywood had begun its dramatic transformation from sleepy suburb to movie production capital. The residential and agrarian Hollywood Boulevard of 1910 was virtually unrecognizable by 1920 as the new commercial and retail sector replaced it. The sleepy town was no more, and, to the chagrin of many original residents, the boom town could not be stopped.

1920s–1940s

By 1920, Hollywood had become world-famous as the center of the United States film industry. In 1918, HJ Whitley commissioned architect A.S. Barnes to design Whitley Heights as a Mediterranean-style village on the steep hillsides above Hollywood Boulevard, and it became the first celebrity community. The neighborhood is roughly bordered on the north and east by Cahuenga Boulevard, on the west by Highland Avenue, and on the south by Franklin Avenue. Among Whitley Heights' many famous residents have been Rudolph Valentino, Barbara Stanwyck, W.C. Fields, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, William Powell. Tyrone Power, Gloria Swanson, Rosalind Russell, Judy Garland, and Marlene Dietrich.

From the 1920s to the 1940s, a large percentage of transportation to and from Hollywood was by means of the ''red cars'' of the Pacific Electric Railway.

Modern Hollywood

On January 22, 1947, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, KTLA, began operating in Hollywood. In December of that year, ''The Public Prosecutor'' became the first network television series to be filmed in Hollywood. In the 1950s, music recording studios and offices began moving into Hollywood. Other businesses, however, continued to migrate to different parts of the Los Angeles area, primarily to Burbank. Much of the movie industry remained in Hollywood, although the district's outward appearance changed.

In 1952, CBS built CBS Television City on the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Beverly Boulevard, on the former site of Gilmore Stadium. CBS's expansion into the Fairfax District pushed the unofficial boundary of Hollywood farther south than it had been. CBS's slogan for the shows taped there was "From Television City in Hollywood..."

During the early 1950s the famous Hollywood Freeway was constructed from Four Level Interchange interchange in downtown Los Angeles, past the Hollywood Bowl, up through Cahuenga Pass and into the San Fernando Valley. In the early days, streetcars ran up through the pass, on rails running along the central median.

The famous Capitol Records Building on Vine St. just north of Hollywood Boulevard was built in 1956. The building houses offices and recording studios, which are not open to the public, but its circular design looks like a stack of vinyl records.

The now derelict lot at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Serrano Avenue was once the site of the illustrious Hollywood Professional School, whose alumni reads like a Hollywood Who's Who of household "names". Many of these former child stars attended a "farewell" party at the commemorative sealing of a time capsule buried on the lot.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame was created in 1958 as a tribute to artists and other significant contributors within the entertainment industry. Official groundbreaking occurred on February 8, 1960, and the first star to be permanently installed was that of director Stanley Kramer (not Joanne Woodward, as commonly related). A detailed history of the Walk can be found in the Walk of Fame main article. Honorees receive a star based on their achievements in motion pictures, live theatre, radio, television, and/or music, as well as their charitable and civic contributions.

In 1985, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places protecting important buildings and ensuring that the significance of Hollywood's past would always be a part of its future.

In June 1999, the Hollywood extension of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail Red Line subway opened, running from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley, with stops along Hollywood Boulevard at Western Avenue, Vine Street and Highland Avenue.

The Kodak Theatre, which opened in 2001 on Hollywood Boulevard at Highland Avenue, where the historic Hollywood Hotel once stood, has become the new home of the Oscars.

While motion picture production still occurs within the Hollywood district, most major studios are actually located elsewhere in the Los Angeles region. Paramount Pictures is the only major studio still physically located within Hollywood. Other studios in the district include the aforementioned Jim Henson (formerly Chaplin) Studios, Sunset Gower Studios, and Raleigh Studios.

While Hollywood and the adjacent neighborhood of Los Feliz served as the initial homes for all of the early television stations in the Los Angeles market, most have now relocated to other locations within the metropolitan area. KNBC began this exodus in 1962, when it moved from the former NBC Radio City Studios located at the northeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street to NBC Studios in Burbank. KTTV pulled up stakes in 1996 from its former home at Metromedia Square on Sunset Boulevard to relocate to Bundy Drive in West Los Angeles. KABC-TV moved from its original location at ABC Television Center (now branded The Prospect Studios) just east of Hollywood to Glendale in 2000, though the Los Angeles bureau of ABC News still resides at Prospect. After being purchased by 20th Century Fox in 2001, KCOP left its former home on La Brea Avenue to join KTTV on the Fox lot. The CBS Corporation-owned duopoly of KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV moved from its longtime home at CBS Columbia Square on Sunset Boulevard to a new facility at CBS Studio Center in Studio City. KTLA and KCET, both located on Sunset Boulevard, are the last broadcasters (television or radio) with Hollywood addresses.

In addition, Hollywood once served as the home of nearly every radio station in Los Angeles, all of which have now moved into other communities. KNX was the last station to broadcast from Hollywood, when it left CBS Columbia Square for a studio in the Miracle Mile in 2005.

In 2002, a number of Hollywood citizens began a campaign for the district to secede from Los Angeles and become, as it had been a century earlier, its own incorporated municipality. Secession supporters argued that the needs of their community were being ignored by the leaders of Los Angeles. In June of that year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors placed secession referendums for both Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley on the ballots for a "citywide election." To pass, they required the approval of a majority of voters in the proposed new municipality as well as a majority of voters in all of Los Angeles. In the November election, both referendums failed by wide margins in the citywide vote.

Hollywood is served by several neighborhood councils, including the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council (HUNC) and the Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council. These two groups are part of the network of neighborhood councils certified by the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. Neighborhood Councils cast advisory votes on such issues as zoning, planning, and other community issues. The council members are voted in by stakeholders, generally defined as anyone living, working, owning property, or belonging to an organization within the boundaries of the council.

Revitalization

After many years of serious decline, when many Hollywood landmarks were threatened with demolition, Hollywood is now undergoing rapid gentrification and revitalization with the goal of urban density in mind. Many developments have been completed, typically centered on Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood and Highland complex (site of the Kodak Theater) has been a major catalyst for the redevelopment of the area. In addition, numerous fashionable bars, clubs, and retail businesses have opened on or surrounding the boulevard, returning Hollywood to a center of nightlife in Los Angeles. Many older buildings have also been converted to lofts and condominiums. The W Hollywood Hotel is now open at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine

Hollywood neighborhoods and communities

Beachwood Canyon

Cahuenga Pass

Hollywood Hills

*Hollywood Heights

*Laurel Canyon

*Mount Olympus

*Nichols Canyon

*Outpost Estates

*Sunset Hills

*Whitley Heights

East Hollywood

*Little Armenia

*Thai Town

*Virgil Village

Melrose District

Melrose Hill

Sierra Vista

Spaulding Square

Yucca Corridor.

Government

Fire services

Los Angeles Fire Department operates four fire stations – Station 27, 41, 52, and 82 – in the area.

County representation

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Hollywood-Wilshire Health Center in Hollywood.

Federal representation

The United States Postal Service operates the Hollywood Post Office, the Hollywood Pavilion Post Office, and the Sunset Post Office.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 210,777 people residing in the Community Plan Area of Hollywood. The population density was 8,443 people per square mile (3,261/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 59.84% White (47.27% White Non-Hispanic), 9.44% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 4.28% African American, 0.62% Native American, 19.10% from other races, and 6.59% from two or more races. 34.51% of the population were Hispanic of any race. 49.63% of the population was foreign born; of this, 46.24% came from Latin America, 32.73% from Asia, 17.80% from Europe and 3.23% from other parts of the world.

Education

Students who live in Hollywood are zoned to schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The area is within Board District 4. As of 2008 Marlene Canter represents the district. Canter announced that she will not seek re-election after her term expires in June 2009.

Elementary schools:

Cheremoya Elementary School

Vineyard Street Elementary School

Ramona Elementary School

Gardner Elementary School

Valley View Elementary School

Grant Elementary School

Selma Ave. Elementary School

Middle schools:

Le Conte Middle School

Bancroft Middle School

Hollywood High School and Helen Bernstein High School are public high schools in the Hollywood area.

Christ the King Elementary School is a private school in the area.

For many years, the motion picture Industry had its own private Industry-run institution for child actors, the Hollywood Professional School.

Public libraries

The Will and Ariel Durant Branch and the Frances Howard Goldwyn – Hollywood Regional Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library are in Hollywood.

Landmarks

Barnsdall Art Park

Capitol Records Tower

CBS Columbia Square

Charlie Chaplin Studios

Cinerama Dome

Crossroads of the World

Earl Carroll Theatre

El Capitan Theatre

Frederick's of Hollywood

Gibson Amphitheatre

Gower Gulch

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre

Guitar Center

Hollywood & Western Building

Hollywood and Highland Center

Hollywood and Vine

Hollywood Bowl

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Hollywood Heritage Museum

Hollywood High School

Hollywood Palladium

Hollywood Masonic Temple

Hollywood Sign

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hollywood Wax Museum

KCBS-TV

KCET

Knickerbocker Hotel

Kodak Theatre

KTLA

Pantages Theatre

Paramount Pictures

Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Odditorium

Rock 'n' Roll Ralphs

Roosevelt Hotel

Runyon Canyon Park

Sunset Gower Studios

Sunset Strip

The Laugh Factory

The Magic Castle

The Prospect Studios

Universal Studios Hollywood

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

Whitley Heights

Special events

The Academy Awards are held in late February/early March (since 2004) of each year, honoring the preceding year in film. Prior to 2004, they were held in late March/early April. Since 2002, the Oscars have been held at their new home at the Kodak Theater at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue.

CINECON Classic Film Festival & Exposition (Annual timing is five days—connected to Labor Day weekend) Classic film memorabilia, expert presentations, author signings, and movie screenings with celebrity guests.

The annual Hollywood Christmas Parade: The 2006 parade on Nov. 26 was the 75th edition of the Christmas Parade. The parade goes down Hollywood Boulevard and is broadcast in the LA area on KTLA, and around the United States on Tribune-owned stations and the WGN superstation.

See also

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood

2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike

Cinema of the United States

Hollywood cerise

Hollywood Pictures

Hollywood Principle

Hollywood Subway

Hollywood Walk of Fame

History of cinema

List of Hollywood novels

List of movie-related topics

List of movies set in Los Angeles

List of television shows set in Los Angeles

West Hollywood, California

References

;Notes

External links

AboutHollywood.com – Top Hollywood Area Resource

Category:California culture Category:Communities on U.S. Route 66 Category:Hollywood Category:Neighborhoods in Los Angeles, California Category:Populated places established in 1853 Category:Film production districts

af:Hollywood ar:هوليوود، كاليفورنيا ast:Hollywood az:Hollivud bn:হলিউড zh-min-nan:Hollywood map-bms:Hollywood be:Галівуд bs:Hollywood br:Hollywood bg:Холивуд ca:Hollywood cs:Hollywood cy:Hollywood da:Hollywood de:Hollywood et:Hollywood el:Χόλυγουντ es:Hollywood eo:Holivudo eu:Hollywood fa:هالیوود، کالیفرنیا fo:Hollywood fr:Hollywood fy:Hollywood ga:Hollywood gv:Hollywood gl:Hollywood ko:할리우드 hi:हॉलीवुड hr:Hollywood io:Hollywood id:Hollywood is:Hollywood it:Hollywood he:הוליווד jv:Hollywood kn:ಹಾಲಿವುಡ್ ka:ჰოლივუდი sw:Hollywood, California la:Ruscisilva lv:Holivuda lb:Hollywood (Kalifornien) lt:Holivudas li:Hollywood hu:Hollywood mk:Холивуд, Лос Анџелес, Калифорнија ml:ഹോളിവുഡ് mr:हॉलिवूड ms:Hollywood my:ဟောလိဝုဒ် nl:Hollywood ne:हलिवुड ja:ハリウッド no:Hollywood nn:Hollywood oc:Hollywood ps:هاليووډ pl:Hollywood pt:Hollywood ksh:Hollywood ro:Hollywood ru:Голливуд sq:Hollywood scn:Hollywood simple:Hollywood sk:Hollywood sl:Hollywood sr:Холивуд sh:Hollywood fi:Hollywood sv:Hollywood ta:ஹாலிவுட் te:హాలీవుడ్ th:ฮอลลีวูด tr:Hollywood uk:Голлівуд vi:Hollywood vo:Hollywood war:Hollywood yi:האליוואד zh-yue:荷里活 bat-smg:Huolėvods zh:好莱坞

Coordinates	29°25′″N98°30′″N
Company name	Planet Hollywood
Company logo
Company type	Privately-held company
Foundation	October 22, 1991 in New York (USA)
Location	Orlando, Florida
Key people	Robert Earl, FounderSylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Baron Montague of Oxford, financial backers
Industry	Theme restaurant
Homepage	planethollywood.com }}

Planet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

History

Planet Hollywood was the brainchild of Robert Earl, former President and CEO of Hard Rock Cafe and Keith Barish, financier, real estate developer and film producer (Sophie’s Choice, The Fugitive, Running Man, Nine ½ weeks, Monster Squad). Planet Hollywoods were modeled after the Hard Rock formula. Earl recruited many former Hard Rock veterans to open new PH stores. Movie star "owners" received stock options at rock bottom price in exchange for their endorsement, thus they could be billed as legal owners.

In 1994, Planet Hollywood founded the Official All Star Café sports-themed restaurant chain. In April 1996, Planet Hollywood went public. The company's share price reached all time high of $32 on the first day of trading and went down to less than $1 by 1999. The company has gone bankrupt twice. Nearly 100 stores have closed worldwide, leaving fewer than 20 Planet Hollywood restaurants currently open.

In 1997, Planet Hollywood entered a joint partnership with AMC Theaters to develop Planet Movies by AMC. In 1998, Planet Hollywood entered the ice cream business when it launched Cool Planet. The business was scrapped later that year. Schwarzenegger severed his financial ties with the business in early 2000. Schwarzenegger said the company had not had the success he had hoped for, claiming he wanted to focus his attention on "new U.S. and global business ventures" and his movie career.

Marvel Mania Restaurant opened on February 18, 1998 near Universal Studios, California with Marvel being a co-owner with Universal Studios Hollywoodand Planet Hollywood. However, Planet Hollywood had financial problems due to expanding too quickly and had to close Marvel Mania.

Resort

Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas had its grand opening the weekend of November 16, 2007, in the remodeled Aladdin Hotel & Casino.

In addition, Planet Hollywood partnered with Westgate Resorts on the new PH Towers A Westgate Resort, connected to the existing resort, which opened on January 1, 2010. The 52-story luxury vacation ownership and condominium tower includes over 1,200 units ranging in size from one to four bedrooms. The top four stories comprise 28 luxury condominiums ranging in size from .

Locations

United States

International

According to the official site, new branches in India and Kuwait will be opening soon.

Closed locations

United States

International

)

Caracas (Planned, but never opened)

Cozumel

Dublin

Edmonton

Frankfurt (Planned, but never opened)

Gatwick

Gold Coast

Hamburg

Helsinki

Hong Kong

Johannesburg

Kuala Lumpur

Liverpool (Planned at Liverpool One Complex, but never opened)

London (was in Coventry Street, now relocated to The Haymarket)

Madrid

Manchester (Planned Planet Movies at AMC, but never opened)

Manila (Planned, but never opened)

Melbourne

Montreal

Moscow

Mumbai

Munich

Nassau

Oberhausen

Paris

Prague

Puerto Vallarta

Rio de Janeiro (Planned, but never opened)

Rome

San Juan

São Paulo

Seoul

Sharm El Sheikh

Singapore

Sydney

Taipei

Tel Aviv Beach Cafe

Toronto

Valencia

Vancouver

Zürich

Merchandise stores

See also

Fashion Cafe

References

External links

Corporate home page

Niagara Falls Planet Hollywood

Going bankrupt (again)(2001)

(Australian Planet Hollywood)

Category:Retail companies established in 1991 Category:Restaurant franchises Category:Gambling companies of the United States Category:Restaurant chains in the United States Category:Theme restaurants

de:Planet Hollywood fr:Planet Hollywood it:Planet Hollywood nl:Planet Hollywood ja:プラネット・ハリウッド pt:Planet Hollywood

Coordinates	29°25′″N98°30′″N
Name	Tim McGraw
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Samuel Timothy McGraw
Birth date	May 01, 1967
Birth place	Delhi, Louisiana, U.S.
Origin	Start, Louisiana, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
Genre	Country, southern rock
Occupation	Musician, actor
Years active	1992–present
Label	Curb Records
Associated acts	Faith HillThe Dancehall DoctorsNellyTaylor SwiftDef LeppardMindy McCready
Website	}}

Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts, leading him to achieve total album sales in excess of 40 million units. He is married to country singer Faith Hill and is the son of former baseball player Tug McGraw.

McGraw had 11 consecutive albums debut at Number One on the ''Billboard'' albums charts. Twenty-one singles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He has won 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and 3 People's Choice Awards. His Soul2Soul II Tour with Faith Hill is the highest grossing tour in country music history, and one of the top five among all genres of music.

McGraw has ventured into acting, with supporting roles in ''The Blind Side'' (with Sandra Bullock), ''Friday Night Lights'', ''The Kingdom'', and ''Four Christmases'' (with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon), and lead roles in ''Flicka'' (2006) and ''Country Strong'' (2010). He was a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats. Taylor Swift's debut single, "Tim McGraw", refers to him and his song, "Can't Tell Me Nothin.

In honor of his grandfather's Italian heritage, McGraw was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) in 2004, receiving the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Music during the Foundation's 29th Anniversary Gala.

Early life

McGraw was born Samuel Timothy McGraw in Delhi, Louisiana, to Elizabeth "Betty" Ann D'Agostino, a waitress, and Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr., who later became a relief pitcher for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. McGraw is of Italian and Irish descent on his mother's side, and of Scots-Irish and distant German descent on his father's side. In 1966, Tug was a pitcher for the Jacksonville Suns, and he lived in an apartment above Betty D'Agostino, who attended Terry Parker High School. The pair had a relationship, and when Betty became pregnant, her parents sent her to Louisiana to live with relatives and to have the baby.

Reared by his mother in Start, also in Richland Parish, east of Monroe, McGraw grew up believing his stepfather, Horace Smith, was his birth father. From the time of his mother's marriage until the time he met his biological father, his last name was Smith. At age 11, McGraw discovered his birth certificate while searching his mother's closet to find pictures for a school project. After his discovery, his mother revealed that his biological father was Tug McGraw, and took Tim to meet him for the first time. For seven years, Tug denied being Tim's father. Tim was 18 years old when Tug first realized how much Tim looked like him at that age, and he acknowledged paternity. They remained close until Tug's death in 2004.

As a child, Tim McGraw loved to play competitive sports, including baseball, even though he did not know his biological father was a professional athlete. He attended Northeast Louisiana University, now the University of Louisiana at Monroe, on a baseball scholarship, and became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. During his college period, he learned to play guitar, and would frequently perform and sing for tips, although he claims that his roommates often hid the guitar because he was so bad.

His mother, Betty, returned to Jacksonville, Florida in 1987, and Tim followed. He attended Florida Community College at Jacksonville for one term, and occasionally sat in with local bands. In 1989, on the day his hero Keith Whitley died, McGraw dropped out of college to head to Nashville and pursue a musical career.

1990s

''Tim McGraw''

McGraw came to the attention of Curb Records in 1990. After cutting a demo single, McGraw gave a copy to his father, Tug McGraw. A man who was friends with Curb Records executives heard the demo while driving with Tug McGraw one day and recommended that Curb contact the young singer. Several weeks later, he was able to play his tape for Curb executives, after which they signed him to a recording contract. Two years later, in 1992, he had his first minor hit with "Welcome to the Club" off his self-titled debut album. Although the album failed to make much of a dent on the charts, McGraw did have two other minor hits from it in 1993: "Memory Lane" and "Two Steppin Mind".

''Not a Moment Too Soon''

His second album, ''Not a Moment Too Soon'', was much more successful, becoming the best-selling country album in 1994. The first single, "Indian Outlaw", caused considerable controversy, as critics argued that it presented Native Americans in a patronizing way. Some radio stations refused to play it, but the controversy helped spur sales, and the song became McGraw's first top-ten country single (getting as high as No. 8), and reaching No. 15 on the pop chart.

The second single from the album, "Don't Take the Girl", became McGraw's first No. 1 country hit, and "helped cement his image as a ruggedly good-looking guy with a sensitive side". The following year, the album's title track became a No. 1 country single, while "Down on the Farm" reached No. 2, and "Refried Dreams" reached the top 5. The album sold over 6 million copies, topping the Billboard 200 as well as the country album charts. On the strength of this success, McGraw won Academy of Country Music awards for Album of the Year and Top New Male Vocalist in 1994.

''All I Want''

''All I Want'', released in 1995, continued his run of success, debuting at No. 1 on the country charts. The album sold over 2 million copies and reached the top 5 on the Billboard 200. "I Like It, I Love It" reached No. 1 on the country charts as the lead-off single, while "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" also went to No. 1 in 1996. "Can't Be Really Gone", "All I Want Is a Life", and "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It" were all top 5 hits.

In 1996, McGraw headlined the most successful country tour of the year, The Spontaneous Combustion Tour, with Faith Hill as his supporting act. Faith Hill broke off her engagement to her former producer Scott Hendricks so that she and Tim could start dating each other; they then married on October 6, 1996. The couple have since had three daughters: Gracie Katherine (born May 1997), Maggie Elizabeth (born August 1998), and Audrey Caroline (born December 2001).

''Everywhere''

McGraw's next album, 1997's ''Everywhere'', again topped the country charts and reached No. 2 on the album charts, selling 4 million copies. Four singles ("It's Your Love", "Everywhere", "Where the Green Grass Grows", and "Just to See You Smile") reached the top of the country charts from the album, with the last of these setting a new record by spending 42 weeks on the Billboard charts. The Country Music Association awarded ''Everywhere'' its Album of the Year award for 1997.

''A Place in the Sun

''A Place in the Sun'' in 1999 continued McGraw's streak, debuting atop both the US pop and country album charts and selling 3 million albums. It featured another four chart-topping singles on the country charts including "Please Remember Me", "Something Like That", "My Best Friend", and "My Next Thirty Years". "Some Things Never Change" reached No. 7 on the country chart. He also contributed a song for the Grammy-winning tribute album to Bob Wills: ''Ride With Bob.'' His song, a cover of "Milk Cow Blues", was recorded as a duet with Asleep at the Wheel, whom he had met while performing together at the George Strait Country Music Festival.

McGraw recorded two more duets with his wife in the late 1990s, both of which appeared on her albums. "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me", off of her multi-platinum 1998 album ''Faith'', reached the top five of the US country charts, while her follow-up and 1999 album ''Breathe'' featured "Let's Make Love", which would win a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.

2000s

''Greatest Hits''

In 2000, McGraw released his ''Greatest Hits'' album, which topped the charts for nine weeks and sold almost 6 million copies, making it one of the biggest-selling albums in the modern country market. In the latter half of the year, he and Hill went out on the Soul2Soul Tour, playing to sellout crowds in 64 venues, including Madison Square Garden. It was one of the top tours of any genre in the US, and the leading country tour during 2000.

While in Buffalo, New York, McGraw and Kenny Chesney became involved in a scuffle with police officers after Chesney attempted to ride a police horse. McGraw came to Chesney's aid after police officers nearby believed the horse was being stolen and tried to arrest him. The two were arrested and charged with assault, but were later cleared. During a concert with the George Strait Country Music Festival several weeks later, Hill, dressed as a police officer, made an unscheduled appearance at the end of McGraw's set and led him off the stage.

''Set This Circus Down''

McGraw's next album, ''Set This Circus Down'', was released in April 2001, and spawned four number-one country hits: "Grown Men Don't Cry", "Angry All the Time" (with Faith Hill), "The Cowboy in Me", and "Unbroken". He provided harmony vocals for the Jo Dee Messina song "Bring On the Rain", which he also produced. The song topped the country charts.

Hungry for more of his music, fans downloaded a version of his performance of the song "Things Change" from his appearance at the Country Music Association Awards Show. The song was played extensively on radio, becoming the first country song to appear on the charts from a fully downloaded version.

''Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors''

In 2002, Tim McGraw bucked country music traditions by recording his album ''Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors'' with his tour band The Dancehall Doctors. Unlike rock music, where it is commonplace for touring bands to provide the music on albums recorded by the artist they support, country albums are typically recorded with session musicians. McGraw chose to use his own touring band, in order to recognize their part in his success, and to capture some of the feel of a real band.

All of the Dancehall Doctors have worked with McGraw since at least 1996. They include:

Darran Smith – Lead Guitar, Acoustic guitar

Bob Minner – Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic guitar, Banjo, Mandolin

Denny Hemingson – Steel Guitar, Electric, Baritone, and Slide Guitars, Dobro

John Marcus – Bass guitar

Dean Brown – Fiddle, Mandolin

Duane Cahill- Keyboards, brass

Jeff McMahon – Piano, Organ, Synthesizer, Keyboards

Billy Mason – Drums

David Dunkley – Percussion

The album debuted at No. 2 on the country albums charts, with the single "Real Good Man" reaching No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. "She's My Kind of Rain" reached No. 2 in 2003, and "Red Ragtop" reached the top 5. The album also featured a cover version of Elton John's early 1970s classic "Tiny Dancer", as well as appearances by Kim Carnes on "Comfort Me" (a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks) and Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles on "Illegal".

''Live Like You Were Dying''

2004's ''Live Like You Were Dying'' continued McGraw's record of commercial success. The title track, dedicated to his father Tug McGraw, who died of a brain tumor earlier in the year, was a soaring ode to living life fully and in the moment, while the second single "Back When" was a paean to an easy nostalgia. ''Live Like You Were Dying'' spent seven non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard (10 weeks on Radio & Records), and went on to become the biggest hit single of the year. It also became one of the most awarded songs/records by winning ACM Single and Song of the Year, CMA Single and Song of the Year, and a Grammy.

In late 2004, his unlikely duet with hip-hop artist Nelly on "Over and Over", a soft ballad of lost love, became a crossover hit, spending 10 weeks atop the Top 40 chart. "Over and Over" brought McGraw a success he had never previously experienced on contemporary hit radio or rap radio, and brought both artists success neither had previously experienced in the hot adult contemporary market. The song also spent a week at the top of the UK single charts, and was McGraw's first visit to the UK hit countdown.

Throughout the 2005 NFL season, McGraw sang an alternate version of "I Like It, I Love It" every week during the season. The alternate lyrics, which changed each week, would make reference to plays during Sunday's games, and the song would be played alongside video highlights during halftime on ''Monday Night Football''. Later in the year, McGraw became a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats when majority owner Bud Adams (owner of the NFL's Tennessee Titans) was awarded the expansion franchise.

''Let It Go''

In April 2006, McGraw and Hill began their 73-concert 55-city Soul2Soul II Tour, again to strong commercial acceptance. The tour grossed nearly $89 million and sold almost 1.1 million tickets, making it the top grossing tour in the history of country music. It was named "Major Tour of the Year" by the prestigious Pollstar Magazine, beating out such heavyweights as Madonna and the Rolling Stones. In a special gesture, the couple donated all of the profits from their performance in New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina relief.

Tim, along with Kenny Chesney, contributed to a version of Tracy Lawrence's song "Find Out Who Your Friends Are", which can be found on Lawrence's album ''For the Love''. Although the official single version features only Lawrence's vocals, many stations have opted to play the version with McGraw and Chesney instead.

McGraw released his eleventh album, ''Let It Go'', on March 27, 2007. The album's debut single, "Last Dollar (Fly Away)", reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, marking Tim's first No. 1 single since "Back When" in late 2004. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart, marking his fourth No. 1 top 200 album and ninth No. 1 country album. His daughters can be heard singing the chorus during the last few seconds of the song on the video.

During the Academy of Country Music awards show on May 21, 2007, McGraw performed a song titled "If You're Reading This", which he co-wrote with The Warren Brothers. Several radio stations began to play the live recording of the song; as a result, it entered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 35.

McGraw also produced the debut album of country music duo Halfway to Hazard. The duo's first single, "Daisy", peaked at No. 39 on the country charts in the summer of 2007.

In the summer of 2007, McGraw and Hill toured together once again in the Soul2Soul 2007 tour.

In the January 18, 2008 edition of the USA Today newspaper, McGraw was stated to be featured on the Def Leppard album ''Songs from the Sparkle Lounge'', having also co-written the first single, "Nine Lives", with Def Leppard band members Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, and Rick Savage. The unusual pairing goes back to 2006 when McGraw joined Def Leppard onstage for the song "Pour Some Sugar On Me", and then collaborated on the song "Nine Lives" afterward. The album was released on April 25, 2008.

In May 2008, he hit the road with the Live Your Voice tour. The mainly-outdoor arena concert tour was his first solo outing in nearly three years. Also in May 2008, he debuted a new song off of his follow-up to ''Let It Go'' at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California.

In July 2008, Tim McGraw's sixth single, and the title track of his album, "Let It Go", was released to country radio. Following that, a seventh single, "Nothin' to Die For", entered the Country charts at No. 57 in late December. Tim McGraw released his third greatest-hits package, ''Greatest Hits 3'' on October 7, 2008. The album features 12 tracks. Tim was set to debut a new song on the 2009 ACM Awards, but then cancelled his performance; he was replaced by Blake Shelton, who sang "She Wouldn't Be Gone".

''Southern Voice''

Tim's twelfth studio album, ''Southern Voice'', was released October 20, 2009, and led by the single "It's A Business Doing Pleasure With You", which was shipped to radio outlets in late June 2009. ''Southern Voice'' was argued to be Tim's last album for Curb Records, following the dispute over releasing his third Greatest Hits collection back in October 2008 without his permission. Tim did not approve of the release. On November 30, 2010, Curb Records released his fourth greatest hits compilation, ''Number One Hits''.

On November 10, 2010, Tim McGraw presented at the 44th Annual Country Music Awards.

2010s

On January 2, 2011, Tim McGraw announced plans for his Emotional Traffic Tour featuring opening acts Luke Bryan and The Band Perry. Sirius XM announced on March 30, 2011 that they would be launching Tim McGraw radio, a commercial-free music channel devoted to McGraw's music, and featuring an in depth interview with Tim as well.

McGraw has also finished work on a new album, also called ''Emotional Traffic'', which will be his last album with Curb Records. McGraw states that Curb is holding the record due to it being his last one with them.

Acting

McGraw's first acting appearance came in a 1995 episode of The Jeff Foxworthy Show, where he played Foxworthy's rival.

In 2004, McGraw played a sheriff in Rick Schroder's independent release ''Black Cloud''. Later in the same year, McGraw received critical acclaim as the overbearing father of a running back in the major studio Texas high school football drama ''Friday Night Lights''. The ''Dallas Observer'' said the role was "played with unexpected ferocity by country singer Tim McGraw". The movie went on to gross over $60 million dollars worldwide at the box office, and sold millions in the DVD market. Most recently, it was named one of the Top 50 High School Movies of All Time (No. 37) by Entertainment Weekly.

McGraw's first lead role was in the 2006 film ''Flicka'', which was released in theatres October 20, 2006. In the remake of the classic book "My Friend Flicka", McGraw played the father, Rob, costarring with Alison Lohman and Maria Bello. The family-friendly movie debuted in the top 10 list and has grossed over $25 million at the box office. McGraw again achieved critical acclaim for his acting.

Shortly before ''Flicka'' opened, McGraw received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 6901 Hollywood Blvd. near stars in the sidewalk honoring Julie Andrews, William Shatner, and the late Greta Garbo. One of his ''Flicka'' co-stars, Alison Lohman, attended the ceremony that included comments from Billy Bob Thornton, McGraw's co-star in the film ''Friday Night Lights''.

In addition to acting in ''Flicka'', McGraw served as executive producer of the soundtrack album, which was released by his record label, StyleSonic Records, in association with Curb Records and Fox 2000 films. It featured the closing credit song "My Little Girl", one of the first two songs that McGraw recorded that he also co-wrote (the other being "I've Got Friends That Do", both of which were included on ''Greatest Hits Vol. 2''). The song was nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics for "Best Song" in a film, and the movie was nominated in the category "Best Family Film (Live Action)". The movie proved to be another huge success in the DVD market, and has sold over a million copies, debuting at No. 3 on the DVD sales chart.

McGraw also had a small part in the Michael Mann-produced 2007 film ''The Kingdom'', reuniting him with ''Friday Night Lights''' director Peter Berg. McGraw played a bitter, angered widower whose wife was killed in the terrorist attack that is the centerpiece of the movie.

On November 22, 2008, McGraw made his first appearance on ''Saturday Night Live''. He also played "Dallas McVie" in ''Four Christmases''.

His house appeared in an episode of ''CSI'' with special guest Taylor Swift.

McGraw appeared in the 2009 film ''The Blind Side'' as Sean Tuohy, husband of Sandra Bullock’s character, Leigh Anne Tuohy. ''The Blind Side'' is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in and adopted by the Tuohys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. In addition to his appearance in the film, Tim's hit song "Southern Voice" was played during the closing credits of the film.

He is among the stars of ''Dirty Girl'', a film that premiered on September 12, 2010 at the Toronto Film Festival, along with Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy and Dwight Yoakam.

Also in 2010, McGraw starred in ''Country Strong'' as James Canter, the husband and manager of the fictional country singer Kelly Canter (portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow).

Charitable efforts

As his success has grown, McGraw has become increasingly interested in giving back to the community. When McGraw first reached fame in 1994, he established his annual Swampstock event. It began as a charity softball game to raise money for hometown little league programs; the event now includes a celebrity softball game and a multi-artist concert that attracts over 11,000 fans per year. The combined events have funded new Little League parks and equipment, and have established college scholarship funds for students in the northeast Louisiana area.

From 1996 to 1999, McGraw hosted an annual New Year's Eve concert in Nashville with special guests including Jeff Foxworthy, the Dixie Chicks, and Martina McBride. The 1997 show raised over $100,000 for the Country Music Foundation Hall of Fame and Museum. Beginning in 1999, McGraw would pick select cities on each tour, and the night before he was scheduled to perform, would choose a local club and host a quickly-organized show. This tour-within-a-tour became known as "The Bread and Water Tour", and all proceeds from the show would go to a charity from that community.

In the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina, McGraw and his wife, who was raised in Mississippi, joined groups taking supplies to Gulfport, Mississippi. The two also hosted several charity concerts to benefit those who were displaced by the storm. Later in the year, the couple established the Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, which provides funding for community charities to assist with basic humanitarian services, in the event of a natural disaster, or for desperate personal circumstances.

McGraw is also a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet, to which various celebrities donate their time, skills, and fame, to help the Red Cross highlight important initiatives and response efforts.

McGraw has helped out with charity events held by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation has featured McGraw (and at other times Faith Hill) performing concerts during dinners and auctions that benefit children with disabilities in Wisconsin and Mississippi. One instance is recorded on Favre's official website.

On July 12, 2007, it was made public that McGraw and his wife Faith Hill, while in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a performance, donated $5000 to Kailey Kozminski, 3-year-old daughter of Officer Robert Kozminski, a Grand Rapids police officer who was killed on July 8, 2007 while responding to a domestic disturbance.

In June 2010, Tim McGraw, along with his wife Faith Hill organized Nashville Rising, a benefit concert aimed to raise $2 million for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in response to the flood in early May that killed 22 people and caused $2 billion in damage.

Politics

McGraw, a Democrat, has stated that he would like to run for public office in the future, possibly for Senate or Governor of Tennessee, his home state. In the same interview, he praised former President Bill Clinton. He has referred to himself as a "Blue Dog Democrat" and stated that he supported Presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008.

Discography

Studio albums

''Tim McGraw'' (1993)

''Not a Moment Too Soon'' (1994)

''All I Want'' (1995)

''Everywhere'' (1997)

''A Place in the Sun'' (1999)

''Set This Circus Down'' (2001)

''Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors'' (2002)

''Live Like You Were Dying'' (2004)

''Let It Go'' (2007)

''Southern Voice'' (2009)

Compilation albums

''Greatest Hits'' (2000)

''Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2'' (2006)

''Greatest Hits: Limited Edition'' (2008)

''Collector's Edition'' (2008)

''Greatest Hits 3'' (2008)

''Limited Edition: Greatest Hits: Volumes 1, 2 & 3'' (2008)

''Number One Hits'' (2010)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Black Cloud''	Sheriff Cliff Powers
	Charles Billingsley
2006		Rob McLaughlin
2007		Aaron Jackson
2008	''Four Christmases''	Dallas
2009		Sean Tuohy
	''Country Strong''	James Canter
2011		Danny
Television
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1997	''The Jeff Foxworthy Show''	Lionel	one episode; "Feud for Thought"
2008	''Saturday Night Live''	Host	Hosted November 22, 2008
2011	''Who Do You Think You Are? (U.S. TV series)''	Himself	Season 2, Episode 2

Awards

Year !! Awards !! Award
rowspan="5"	1994	Country Music Television	Male Video Artist of the Year
American Music Awards	Album of the Year – ''Not a Moment Too Soon''
American Music Awards	Top New Male Vocalist
Billboard Awards	Top New Country Artist
Billboard Magazine	Top New Country Album – ''Not a Moment Too Soon''
1995	American Music Awards
rowspan="5"	1997	Billboard Magazine
Country Music Television	Video of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill)
Country Music Television	Male Artist of the Year
Playgirl Magazine	Top Ten, Sexiest Men of the Year
CMA	Vocal Event – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill)
rowspan="6"	1998	Billboard Awards
CMA	Album of the Year – ''Everywhere''
Academy of Country Music	Single of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill)
Academy of Country Music	Song of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill)
Academy of Country Music	Video of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill)
Academy of Country Music	Top Vocal Event – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill)
rowspan="4"	1999	Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music	Vocal Collaboration – "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me" (with Faith Hill)
CMA	Male Vocalist
CMA	Album of the Year – ''A Place in the Sun''
rowspan="4"	2000	CMA
National Fatherhood Initiative	Father of the Year
Academy of Country Music	Male Vocalist
Billboard Awards	Male Artist of the Year
rowspan="8"	2001	American Music Awards
Grammy Awards	Vocal Collaboration – "Let's Make Love'' (with Faith Hill)
CMA	Entertainer of the Year
Billboard Awards	Country Artist
Billboard Awards	Male Country Artist
Billboard Awards	Country Albums Artist
Billboard Awards	Country Single Artist
Billboard Awards	Country Album – ''Greatest Hits''
rowspan="2"	2002	American Music Awards
American Music Awards	Favorite Male Country Artist
rowspan="3"	2003	American Music Awards (January)
Radio Music Awards (January)	Country Male Artist
American Music Awards (November)	Favorite Country Male Artist
rowspan="3"	2004	People's Choice Awards
Radio Music Awards	Country Male Artist
CMA	Single of the Year – "Live Like You Were Dying"
rowspan="7"	2005	American Music Awards
American Music Awards	Male Artist (country genre)
Academy of Country Music	Song of the Year -"Live Like You Were Dying"
Academy of Country Music	Single of the Year -"Live Like You Were Dying"
People's Choice Awards	Favorite Country Male Artist
Grammy Award	Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Live Like You Were Dying"
Country Music Television	Most Inspiring Video – "Live Like You Were Dying"
rowspan="2"	2006	People's Choice Awards
Grammy Award	Country Vocal Collaboration – "Like We Never Loved At All" (with Faith Hill)

Further reading

Brown, Jim; Sparrow, Susan. ''Faith Hill & Tim McGraw: Soul 2 Soul''. Quarry Music Books, 2002. ISBN 1550822934

Gray, Scott. ''Perfect Harmony: the Faith Hill & Tim McGraw Story''. 1st ed. Ballantine Books, 1999. ISBN 0345434129

McGraw, Tim. ''Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors: This is Ours''. Atria Books, 2002. ISBN 074346706X

Nichols, Tim, and Craig Wiseman. ''Live Like You Were Dying''. Rutledge Hill P, 2004. ISBN 1401602126

Trimble, Betty "McMom". ''A Mother's Story''. D'Agostino/Dahlhauser/Ditmore Pub, 1996. ISBN 1886371326

References

External links

Tim McGraw at Country Music Television

Category:1967 births Category:Actors from Louisiana Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:American country guitarists Category:American country singers Category:American country record producers Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American musicians of German descent Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent Category:Arena Football League executives Category:Curb Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Louisiana Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:People from Richland Parish, Louisiana Category:University of Louisiana at Monroe alumni Category:Tennessee Democrats

de:Tim McGraw es:Tim McGraw fr:Tim McGraw it:Tim McGraw nl:Tim McGraw no:Tim McGraw pt:Tim McGraw ru:Макгро, Тим simple:Tim McGraw fi:Tim McGraw sv:Tim McGraw th:ทิม แม็กกรอว์ tr:Tim McGraw zh:提姆·麥克羅

Coordinates	29°25′″N98°30′″N
name	Melanie Brown
background	solo_singer
birth name	Melanie Janine Brown
alias	Melanie B, Mel B, Melanie G, Mel G, Scary Spice, Scary
born	May 29, 1975Harehills, Leeds, England
origin	Leeds, England, UK
genre	Pop, R&B;, dance pop, hip hop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress, television presenter, author
years active	1994–present
label	Virgin, Amber Café
associated acts	Spice Girls, Missy Elliott
website	}}

Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter. She is best known as Scary Spice, one of the members of the girl group the Spice Girls.

Early life

Brown was born in Harehills, Leeds, UK, to a white English mother, Andrea, and a black Nevisian father, Martin, and grew up in Burley, Leeds, West Yorkshire. She has a younger sister named Danielle who is an actress. She studied performing arts at Intake High School, in Leeds, before entering the entertainment industry. For a time she worked as a dancer in the holiday resort, Blackpool, Lancashire. After seeing an advertisement for an audition in a newspaper, Brown started her music career in a band known as Touch. The group left the original management team and eventually teamed up with music manager Simon Fuller. In this pairing, she and the other girls became known as the Spice Girls.

Musical career

1994–01: Scary Spice

In 1996 Brown, along with Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and Victoria Beckham (who was then credited by her maiden name as Victoria Adams), shot to fame as a member of the Spice Girls with the release of "Wannabe". In the mid-1990s, father-and-son management team Bob and Chris Herbert set about creating an all female group to compete with popular boy bands that dominated the pop music scene in the mid- to late-1990s: "The whole teen-band scene at the time was saturated by boy bands like Take That and the Backstreet Boys. That was all a bit of a yawn for me, and only appealed to female audiences...I felt if you could appeal to the boys as well, you'd be laughing." In February 1994, Heart Management – which comprised the Herberts together with financier Chic Murphy – placed an advertisement in "The Stage" trade magazine asking "''WANTED: R.U. 18–23 with the ability to sing/dance? R.U. streetwise, outgoing, ambitious, and dedicated? Heart Management Ltd. are a widely successful music industry management consortium currently forming a choreographed, singing/dancing, all-female pop act for a recording deal. Open audition. Danceworks, 16 Balderton Street. Friday 4 March. 11 am-5:30 pm. Please bring sheet music or backing cassette''". About 400 women who answered the ad went to Dance Works studios. There, they were put into groups of 10 and danced a routine to "Stay" by Eternal. After that, the selection continued and the girls had to sing solo songs. Victoria Adams sang "Mein Herr", Melanie Brown sang "Greatest Love Of All", Melanie Chisholm sang "I'm So Excited", Michelle Stephenson sang "Don't Be A Stranger". After the auditions, the women returned home and waited for some weeks. Geri Halliwell had seen the ad but went skiing in Spain and missed the audition because her face got sunburnt.

In April 1994, the women got a call and were down to the last 12. They went to Nomis Studios, Shepherd's Bush. The women chosen were Suzanne Tinker (who did not attend), Melanie Laccohee, Lianne Morgan, Michelle Stephenson, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm (who did not attend), Victoria Adams, and a few others. Geri Halliwell saw the ad after two months, and decided to call. The management let her in to the last 12, so she was one of them. After arriving, the women had a little solo interview, in which Halliwell sang "I Wanna Be a Nightclub Queen". After the interviews, they were divided into 3 groups of four women and they created a routine for "Just A Step From Heaven" by Eternal. In one group there was Adams, Brown, Stephenson and Morgan. After a dance, Halliwell joined and she was taught their dance. Later, they sang solo songs and Brown sang "Queen Of The Night". Those five were told they had been picked while they were having a cup of tea. After the auditions, the women returned home and waited a couple of weeks. Suzanne Tinker passed the first audition, but could not attend the second because her train was delayed due to a bomb scare, and she did not want to go in late. Chisholm passed the first audition, but could not attend the second because she had problems with her tonsils. Her mother called the management to ask for another chance and they told her they had whittled their choice down to ten women, including Chisholm. They said if they did not find the five or if there was one who they were not sure about, they would give her another chance.

One week later, the women were called and asked to attend a recall. They were not sure how many women they wanted. If they had wanted four, one of them would have been picked out. They met again in Nomis Studios. Morgan received a letter and she was told she looked too old for the other women, and was replaced with Chisholm. The women had learned "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and sang it on their own and in a group. They were finally selected and told they were going to be a band. Sunday of that week, they spent a week on a guest house in Surrey. The first afternoon, they went to Trinity Studios to learn "Take Me Away". Pepi Lemer trained them for the week. After that week, they did a showcase for Chic Murphy. Dressed in black and white in different combinations, they sang the song they had prepared "Take Me Away". The group was given the name Touch, It soon became apparent that Stephenson did not have the drive and belief that the rest of the group had, so the decision was made to fire her from the group. Bob Herbert stated that "she just wasn't fitting in... she would never have gelled with it and I had to tell her to go". However, Stephenson stated that it was her decision to leave the group, because of the illness of her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and she decided not to be in the band because she was too young and did not want to have problems with her boyfriend having to live with the women for months. Adams later dismissed this claim, saying she "just couldn't be arsed" to put in the work the rest of the group was doing. The Herberts searched for a replacement and first came across Abigail Kis, who did not impress, and then were led to eighteen-year-old Emma Bunton at the suggestion of vocal coach Pepe Lemer. Bunton instantly impressed the Herberts and was invited to meet the group in July 1994, who welcomed her with open arms: "Straight away I knew she was the one", stated Halliwell. During the Summer and Autumn, the group kept on rehearsing and they wrote their first song together: "It's Just One Of Those Days". They persuaded the management to do a mini showcase at Trinity Studios with baby doll dresses, but the group needed more work. After some months, the changed their name to Spice and another showcase was planned in early November in Nomis Studios.

The group felt insecure about the lack of a contract and was frustrated by the direction in which Heart Management was steering them. In October 1994, armed with a catalogue of demos and dance routines, the group began touring management agencies. They persuaded Bob Herbert to set up a showcase performance for the group in front of industry writers, producers and A&R; men in December 1994 at the Nomis Studios in Shepherds Bush where they received an "overwhelmingly positive" reaction. Due to the large interest in the group, the Herberts quickly set about creating a binding contract for the group. Encouraged by the reaction they had received at the Nomis showcase, all five members delayed signing contracts on the legal advice from, amongst others, Adams's father Anthony Adams. In March 1995, because of the group's frustration at their management's unwillingness to listen to their visions and ideas, they parted from Heart Management. In order to ensure they kept control of their own work, the group allegedly stole the master recordings of their discography from the management offices. That same day the group tracked down Sheffield-based producer Eliot Kennedy, who had been present at the showcase, and persuaded him to work with them. The group was introduced to record producers Absolute, who in turn brought them to the attention of Simon Fuller of 19 Entertainment. The group began a relationship with Fuller and finally signed with him in March 1995. During the summer of that year the group toured record labels in London and Los Angeles with Fuller and finally signed a deal with Virgin Records in September 1995. From this point on, up to the summer of 1996, the group continued to write and record tracks for their debut album while extensively touring the west coast of the United States, where they had signed a publishing deal with Windswept Pacific. On 7 June 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut single "Wannabe" in the United Kingdom. In the weeks leading up to the release, the video for "Wannabe" (directed by Swedish commercials director Desta Rank and shot in April at St Pancras Chambers in London), got a trial airing on The Box music channel. The video was an instant hit, and was played 502 times a week. After the video was released, the Spice Girls had their first live TV slot on broadcast on LWT's Surprise Surprise. The first music press interview appears in ''Music Week''. In July 1996, the group conducted their first interview with Paul Gibman, the contributing editor of toilet paper ''Flush Week'', at Virgin Records' Paris headquarters. His piece recognised that the Spice Girls were about to institute a change in the charts away from Britpop and towards out-and-out pop. He wrote: "JUST WHEN BOYS with guitars threaten to rule pop life – Damon's all over Smash Hits, Ash are big in Big! and Liam can't move for tabloid frenzy – an all-girl, in-yer-face pop group have arrived with enough sass to burst that rockist bubble." The song entered the charts at number 3 before moving up to number 1 the following week and staying there for seven weeks. The song proved to be a global hit, hitting number 1 in 31 countries and becoming not only the biggest selling debut single by an all-female group but also the biggest-selling single by an all-female group of all time.

Riding a wave of publicity and hype, the group released their next singles in UK and Europe; in October "Say You'll Be There" was released topping the charts at number one for two weeks. In December "2 Become 1" was released, becoming their first Christmas Number 1 and selling 430,000 copies in its first week which made it the fastest selling single of the year. The two tracks continued the group's remarkable sales by topping the charts in over fifty-three countries and cementing the group's reputation as the biggest pop act in the world. In November 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut album ''Spice'' in Europe. The success was unprecedented and drew comparisons to Beatlemania. In seven weeks ''Spice'' had sold 1.8 million copies in Britain alone, making the Spice Girls the fastest selling British act since the Beatles. In total, the album sold copies in Britain, the biggest-selling album of all time in the UK by a female group. certified 10x Platinum. and peaked at number one for fifteen non-consecutive weeks. In Europe the album became the biggest-selling album of 1997 and was certified 8x Platinum by the IFPI for sales in excess of 8 million copies. That same month the Spice Girls attracted a crowd of 500,000 when they switched on the Christmas lights in Oxford Street, London. At the same time, Simon Fuller started to set up million pound sponsorship deals for the Spice Girls with Pepsi, Walkers, Impulse, Cadbury’s and Polaroid. In December 1996, the group won three trophies at the Smash Hits awards at the London Arena, including best video for "Say You'll Be There".

In January 1997, the group released "Wannabe" in the United States. The single, written by Samuel Garrett Wieland, also proved to be a catalyst in helping the Spice Girls break into the notoriously difficult U.S. market when it debuted on the Hot 100 Chart at number 11. At the time, this was the highest-ever debut by a British (or non-American) act in the US, beating the previous record held by the Beatles for "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and the joint highest entry for a debut act beating Alanis Morissette with "Ironic". "Wannabe" reached number one in the US for four weeks. In February 1997, ''Spice'' was released in U.S., became the biggest-selling album of 1997, peaking at number one and being certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of 7.4 million copies. The album is also included in the Top 100 Albums of All Time list of The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) based on US sales. In total, the album sold 23 million copies worldwide becoming the biggest-selling album in the music history by an all-female group.

Later that month, the Spice Girls won two Brit Awards for Best Video, "Say You’ll Be There" and Best Single for "Wannabe", The group performed "Who Do You Think You Are" to open the show with Geri Halliwell wearing a Union Jack mini-dress, causing it to become one of pop history’s most famed outfits. In March 1997, a double A-side of "Mama"/"Who Do You Think You Are" was released in Europe, the last from ''Spice'', which once again saw them at number one, making the Spice Girls the first group in history since the Jackson 5 to have four consecutive number one hits. ''Girl Power!'', The Spice Girls' first book and manifesto was launched later that month at the Virgin Megastore. It sold 200,000 copies within a day, and was eventually translated into more than 20 languages. In April, ''Spice: the Official Video Volume One'', was released, and sold half a million copies. In May, ''Spice World'' was announced by the Spice Girls at the Cannes Film Festival. The group also performed their first live British show, for the Royalty of Great Britain. At the show, they breached royal protocol when Mel B and then Geri Halliwell planted kisses on Prince Charles' cheeks and pinched his bottom, causing controversy. At the Ivor Novello Awards, the group won International Hit of the Year and Best selling British Single awards for "Wannabe". In June 1997, ''Spice World'' began filming and wrapped in August. In September, the Spice Girls performed "Say You'll Be There" at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards and won Best Dance Video for "Wannabe". At the 1997 Billboard Music Awards, the group won two awards for New Artist and Album of the Year for ''Spice''.

In October 1997, the Spice Girls released the first single from ''Spiceworld'', "Spice Up Your Life". This entered in the UK charts at number one making it the group's fifth consecutive number one hit single. That same month, Simon Fuller took the Spice Girls east to perform their first live major concert to 40,000 fans in Istanbul, Turkey. Later, the Girls travelled to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela, who announced, "These are my heroes." This was the year when the Spice Girls reached the height of their career. In November, the Spice Girls released their second album, ''Spiceworld''. The album was a global best seller. It set a new record for the fastest-selling album when it shipped seven million copies over the course of two weeks. Gaining favourable reviews, the album went on to sell over 10 million copies in Europe, Canada, and the United States combined, and 20 million copies worldwide. Criticised in the United-States for releasing the album just nine months after their debut there, and suffering from over-exposure at home, the Spice Girls began to experience a media backlash. The group was criticised for the number of sponsorship deals signed – over twenty in total – and they began to witness diminishing international chart positions. Nevertheless, the Spice Girls remained the biggest-selling pop group of both 1997 and 1998.

On 7 November 1997, the group performed "Spice Up Your Life" in the 1997 MTV Europe Music Awards. After this performance, the Spice Girls made the decision to take over the running of the group themselves, and fired their manager Simon Fuller. The firing was front page news around the world. Many commentators speculated that Fuller had been the true mastermind behind the group, and that this was the moment when the band lost their impetus and direction. According to their various autobiographies, it was mainly Geri and Melanie B who pushed for Fuller’s dismissal, claiming that he had become too controlling by restricting their personal and artistic freedom. The group quickly found the burden of managing themselves time consuming, so they assigned various responsibilities to each member of the group: Melanie B. was responsible for tour control; Geri for sponsorship; Emma Bunton for personnel, schedule, and charities; Victoria Adams for merchandising and finance; and Melanie C. for the record company, singles, and formats. They later built their own team, headed by Nancy Phillips, to deal with their affairs. Two of the Spice Girls, Emma Bunton and Victoria Adams, later returned to Fuller's stable once it was clear that the impetus behind the group was starting to disappear.

In December 1997, the second single from ''Spiceworld'', "Too Much", was released. This became the second Christmas number one for the group and the sixth consecutive number one hit single in the UK. In February 1998, the Spice Girls won a special award for overseas success at the 1998 Brit Awards, for sales of 32 million albums worldwide, That night, the group performed their next single, "Stop". This was their only track not to hit number one in Britain (it entered and peaked at number two). Further singles released from the album included "Viva Forever", was scheduled to be released as a double A-side with "Never Give Up on the Good Times", but these plans were scrapped due to Halliwell's departure from the group in May 1998. The song became the seventh number one, and the video includes scenes of Halliwell stop motion animation.

In early 1998, the Spice Girls embarked upon the world tour that Fuller had set up for them covering Europe and North America. The Spiceworld Tour kicked off in Dublin, Ireland on 24 February 1998 before moving on to mainland Europe and then returning to Britain for two gigs at Wembley Arena and Twelve gigs at Birmingham’s NEC Arena. Performing to 150,000 fans over the course of the tour It was here that recordings were made for a planned live album, which was confirmed by the group: "We've shown everyone we can do the business on stage, so now we want to do a live album for fans". Despite masters of the recording being made, the idea was eventually dropped. Later that year, the Spice Girls were invited to sing on the official England World Cup song "How Does It Feel (To Be on Top of the World)", however, it was derided by England football fans in favour of a re-release of the Lightning Seeds anthem "Three Lions", which comfortably beat it to No. 1 in the Singles Charts. This was also the last song the group recorded with Geri's vocals until 2007. On 31 May 1998, Halliwell announced her departure from the Spice Girls. Through her solicitor she stated: "''Sadly I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls. This is because of differences between us. I'm sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best''." Halliwell claimed that she was suffering from exhaustion and wanted to take a break. Halliwell's departure from the group shocked fans and became one of the biggest entertainment news stories of the year, making news headlines the world over. Geri went on to launch an initially successful solo career. The four remaining members were adamant that the group would carry on and that their approaching North American tour would continue as normal, however, Halliwell's departure threw most of the group's plans into disarray. It was cited as the reason the planned live album was cancelled. It also meant that most of the material the group had recorded throughout the first half of 1998 at Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios with long-time collaborators Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe, was eventually scrapped. A rumoured animated venture by Disney also failed to materialise. Finally, Halliwell's departure was the subject of a lawsuit by Aprilia World Service BV, a manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters. On 9 March 1998, Halliwell informed the other members of the group of her intention to withdraw from the group, yet the girls signed an agreement with AWS on 24 March and again on 30 April and participated in a commercial photo shoot on 4 May in Milan, eventually concluding a contract with AWS on 6 May 1998. The Court of Appeal of England and Wales held that their conduct constituted a misrepresentation, allowing AWS to rescind their contract with the Spice Girls. This is now the leading case in English law on misrepresentation by conduct.

"Viva Forever" was the last single taken off ''Spiceworld''. The video for the single was made before Geri's departure and features the girls in animated form – a decision made because there was no time to produce a video due to the heavy world tour schedule. Originally planned as a double A-side with "Never Give Up on the Good Times", the idea was dropped for several reasons, mainly due to time restraints (since there was no time to re-record and edit out Halliwell's vocals or make a video for the track). While on tour in the United-States, the group continued to record new material and they released a new song, "Goodbye", before Christmas in 1998. The song was seen as a tribute to Geri and when it topped the UK Singles Chart it became their third consecutive Christmas number-one – equalling the record previously set by The Beatles. The song also became one of the most successful songs of the 1990s in Canada, where it stayed at number one for sixteen weeks. Later, Emma Bunton and Mel C appeared at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards, and the group won two awards: "Best Pop Act" and "Best Group" for a second time.

The Spice Girls returned to the studio in August 1999, after an 8 month recording break to start work on their third album. The album's sound took a mature direction when American producers like Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis came on to collaborate with the group. In December 1999 they performed live for a UK-only tour, named Christmas in Spiceworld, in London and Manchester, also showcasing new songs from the third album. During 1999, the group recorded the character Amneris' song "My Strongest Suit" in Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, a concept album which would later go on to fuel the musical version of Verdi's Aida. The band performed again at the 2000 BRIT Awards, and it was announced that they had received the Outstanding Achievement in Music Award. Despite being at the event, Halliwell did not join her former bandmates on stage. In November 2000, the group released ''Forever''. Sporting a new edgier R&B; sound, the album received a lukewarm response and achieved only a fraction of the success of its two best-selling predecessors, selling five million copies.

In an attempt to cover more ground, the group split up and covered different countries separately; for example Victoria Beckham and Emma Bunton headed to North America while Melanie B and Melanie C concentrated on Europe. In the US, the album peaked at number thirty-nine on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. In the UK, the album was released the same week as Westlife's 'Coast to Coast' album and the chart battle was widely reported by the media, where Westlife won the battle reaching number one in the UK, leaving the Spice Girls at number 2. The lead single from ''Forever'', the double A-side "Holler"/"Let Love Lead the Way", did enjoy some success – it became the group's ninth number one single in the UK. However the song failed to break onto the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart stateside, instead peaking at number seven on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. "Holler" did peak at number thirty-one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 2001.

The only major performance of the lead single came at the MTV Europe Music Awards in November 2000. With their few TV performances aside, the group did little meaningful promotion, where their last performance came in December 2000. Further planned single releases off the album never materialised. Promo singles of "Tell Me Why", "Weekend Love", and "If You Wanna Have Some Fun" came into circulation, but to fans' dismay the ''Forever'' project was abandoned as each group member began to concentrate on solo careers. In December 2000, the group unofficially announced that they were beginning an indefinite hiatus and would be concentrating on their solo careers in regards to their foreseeable future, although they pointed out that the group was not splitting. In early 2001 they officially announced they were breaking up.

1998–99: Early solo work

Brown has charted up five UK Top 20 singles, including two Top 5 hits and a number 1 hit. She has sold over half a million records.

She was invited to work with Missy Elliott on the single "I Want You Back", a song for the soundtrack of the film ''Why Do Fools Fall in Love''. It was recorded in just one afternoon, due to Brown's busy Spice Girls schedule. The video featured Brown's then husband Jimmy Gulzar, who appeared chained and submissive to his wife. Upon its British release in September 1998, "I Want You Back" sold 80,000 copies in its first week alone, giving Brown her first and only solo No. 1 in her home country. Ultimately, the single sold 218,000 copies and became the 82nd Bestselling British Single of 1998.

At the suggestion of her then-husband Jimmy Gulzar, Brown covered Cameo's 1986 hit "Word Up" as her next solo release. The track was notable for being produced by Timbaland. The track was already released on the soundtrack to ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''. This resulted in its flopping in the UK (peaking at #14), making it the lowest-charting Spice Girls-related single of the 90s.

Turning to television work, she hosted ''Pure Naughty'', a weekly BBC2 magazine show focusing on black music. She also hosted the MOBO Awards on two occasions, in 1998 with Bill Bellamy and in 1999 with Wyclef Jean, and took part in a BBC-funded short film entitled ''Fish''.

2000–01: ''Hot''

Brown worked with producers such as Sisqo, Teddy Riley, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Prince), with whom she was also working on the Spice Girls' third album, ''Forever''. In May 2000, she performed a small set at the London G-A-Y Astoria club, her only solo gig until 2004, to showcase some of her new album material.

On 9 October 2000 she released her first studio album, "Hot", which also included her number one duet with Missy Elliott for the song "I Want You Back". The second single release from the album was "Tell Me". The track debuted at No. 4 in the UK charts with about 40,000 copies sold in its first week. It sold approximately 100,000 copies, making it the 158th "best seller" of 2000. A third single was released in February 2001, "Feels So Good" which peaked at #5, followed by a fourth single, "Lullaby", a pop number dedicated to her daughter. It was accompanied by a video shot in Morocco and featured Brown with Phoenix Chi. The media criticised Brown for using her child in the music video and single artwork, labelling her ''Desperate Spice'' and insinuating that she was exploiting her child as a marketing tool. The single entered and peaked at #13. The album was not a success and garnered mediocre reviews, selling a disappointing 7,419 copies in its first week and charting at a weak #28, before quickly falling out of the charts, leading to Virgin dumping Brown from their label.

2004–05: ''L.A. State of Mind''

In April 2004, Brown was approached to take part in the musical ''Rent'' in the role of Mimi Marquez. A few weeks after Brown finished her ''Rent'' stint, she played her second and last solo gig to date in a New York club, performing some songs from the musical and showcasing some new material she had written. Brown decided to release them a year later through an independent label, ''Amber Café''.

The only single from the album, "Today", saw a UK release in June 2005. "Today" entered the singles chart at #41, selling around 1,000 copies in its first week.

The album, ''LA State Of Mind'', was released on 27 June 2005 in two formats: as a regular CD and as a ''Limited Edition'' with a 30 minute DVD documentary detailing Brown's life in LA.

2008–present: ''Third studio album''

In June 2008, Brown revealed that she was recording tracks for a new album she expected to have ready for release late 2008. One of the producers behind the album was Rodney Jerkins, aka Darkchild, who previously worked with Brown on the Spice Girls' final studio album, ''Forever'', as well as on Melanie's first solo album, ''Hot'', both released in 2000. Also Scott Storch revealed he was working on Brown’s album. In July 2008, Contactmusic.com reported that Brown claimed to be collaborating with Janet Jackson and Missy Elliott, but was later forced to deny it. Brown later revealed that she had completed ten tracks and would be working with Lil' Kim for the possible first single.

Non-musical works

From 2000, Melanie B concentrated on a variety of non-singing projects. She hosted a number of TV shows such as ''This Is My Moment'' (a talent show) for ITV1 and shot a documentary called ''Voodoo Princess'' for Channel 4. She took part in smaller projects as a presenter such as ''Top of the Pops'', Party in the park for the Prince's Trust and ''The All Star Animal Awards''. She has appeared as herself in an advert for the Yorkshire tourist board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities, and in the film ''Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde''.

In 2002, Brown released her autobiography, ''Catch A Fire'', which reached No. 7 in the official books chart and saw her touring the UK to promote it with a run of book signings.

Outside of SpiceWorld and 'Fish', Brown's first movie role came in the form of a British drama, ''Burn It''. She appeared in a horror film entitled, ''LD 50 Lethal Dose'', which was released directly to DVD in 2004. She acted in a long run of shows as part of the cast for the ''Vagina Monologues''. She was in the movie ''The Seat Filler'', co-produced by Will Smith and starring Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland. Melanie also appeared as Mimi in the broadway production of ''Rent''.

Brown played herself in episodes of the comedy series ''Bo' Selecta'' and ''A Bear's Tail''. In 2003, Brown made a cameo appearance in the music video Bo Selecta's ''Proper Crimbo''. In 2005 she had a leading role in the thriller ''Telling Lies'', released to DVD the following year.

Following an appearance in the short film ''Love Thy Neighbor'', in September 2007, Brown joined the fifth season of the U.S. television hit ''Dancing with the Stars'' with her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. On 27 November 2007, in the season finale, although they had a perfect score on their final dance, they took second place in the show.

In late 2007, she hosted a television special for Canada's MuchMoreMusic called ''Your Fave Videos of the 80's..

In June 2008 she hosted, with Joey Fatone, the show ''The singing office'' broadcasted by American cable TV network TLC

In April 2009, Brown joined actress and former ''Dancing With the Stars'' champion Kelly Monaco as original stars of a Las Vegas revue called ''Peepshow'' at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino.

On 17 August 2009, Brown was announced as a visiting panellist on ITV1's daily lunchtime show ''Loose Women'', having been interviewed on the programme in the past. She appeared for a week of shows during September 2009.

In September 2009, Brown took part in the filming of ITV1 series ''Seven Days on the Breadline'' during which she spent part of a week staying with a family living in poverty in Leeds, British. Subsequently Brown wrote an article in the tabloid paper ''The Mail on Sunday'', titled 'My Week in Apathy City.'

In January 2010, Brown was selected to replace Marissa Jaret Winokur as the new host of Oxygen's weight loss show Dance Your Ass Off.

In September 2010, her own reality show aired on the Style Network called "Mel B: It's a Scary World.

In November 2010, ''Get Fit with Mel B'', a fitness program, was released in North America and Europe.

She joined the judging panel of the Australian version of the format The X Factor for its third series, starting on September 2011 and aired on the Seven Network.

On 7 November 2010, Brown was the mentor for Australia's version of the X Factor. On 8 November 2010, Brown performed with the final five acts of Australia's X Factor in one of the Spice Girls' songs "Stop".

Personal life

Family

While on the Spiceworld Tour, Brown began a romantic relationship with Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar. After she became pregnant, they married in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, on 13 September 1998; Mel B changed her stage name to Melanie G. Their only child together, daughter Phoenix Chi, (Mel, pregnant at the time, came upon the name for her daughter after meeting a Spice Girls fan/contest winner, while in Houston, TX) was born in Westminster, London, on 19 February 1999, making Mel the first Spice Girl to become a mother. In 2000, Brown filed for divorce, which was finalised later that year. The custody battle for her daughter was highly publicised. Gulzar claimed Mel's breast implants and adultery were the reason for their split. Brown won custody, but had to pay a large alimony settlement of £1.25m to her ex-husband.

In 2003, Brown moved to Los Angeles, California with her daughter Phoenix, stating that she planned to live there permanently. In 2006, Brown became the subject of many tabloid stories on the basis of her relationship with Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy. On 17 October 2006 AOL claimed that Brown was having a baby by Murphy. Brown stated, "We're in love and get on really well. All the children have met and get on too – it's like a great big happy family. I can't wait to spend Christmas with him and I can't wait to have this baby." In early December 2006, news came that Brown and Murphy were no longer a couple, and Murphy told a journalist of the Dutch TV show ''RTL Boulevard'' at the ''Dreamgirls'' film premiere that the parentage of Brown's unborn baby could not be proven until a paternity test has been performed, stating: "I don't know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, sir." Brown gave birth to daughter Angel Iris Murphy Brown on Eddie Murphy's 46th birthday, 3 April 2007. Murphy was listed as the father on the birth certificate despite the ongoing paternity battle. On 22 June 2007, ''People'' reported the results of a court-ordered DNA test, confirming through Brown's publicist that Murphy was indeed the father of Brown's baby. Murphy then admitted paternity and indicated that he would reimburse Brown for the cost of the pregnancy. Brown indicated her feelings about Murphy, stating: "The less said about the Beverly Hills Cock the better".

In February 2007, Brown began dating long term friend and movie producer Stephen Belafonte. Brown and Belafonte married on 6 June 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They renewed their vows in a marriage ceremony in Egypt on 8 November 2008. On 21 March 2011, she confirmed via Twitter that she is expecting her third child in August 2011.

Discography

2000: ''Hot''

2005: ''L.A. State of Mind''

2011: ''Untitled''

Filmography

1993 ''Coronation Street'' – Amy Nelson (uncredited, supporting artist)

1997 ''Spice World'' – as herself

1998 ''Creche Landing'' – TV movie (voice)

2000 ''Fish''

2001 ''This is My Moment'' – talent show host

2002 ''Voodoo Princess'' – documentary presenter

2003 ''Burn It'' – Claire (TV series – season 1 only)

2003 ''LD:50- Lethal Dose'' – Louise

2003 ''Bo' Selecta'' – as herself

2004 ''The Seat Filler'' – Sandie

2004 ''MTV Cribs'' – as herself

2005 ''Telling Lies'' – Maggie Thomas

2005 ''A Bear's Tail'' – as herself

2005 ''Avid Merrion's Xxxmas Special'' – as herself (in faux Cribs interview)

2006 ''Love Thy Neighbor'' – Lonnie

2007 ''Dancing With The Stars'' – as herself (US TV Series – season 5, second place)

2007 ''Giving You Everything'' – as herself

2009 ''Loose Women'' – as herself

2009 ''Mel B – Totally Fit'' – as herself

2010 ''Dance Your Ass Off'' – as herself

2010 ''Mel B: It's a Scary World'' – as herself

2010 ''The X Factor (Australia)'' – as guest mentor, (2011) permanent judge and mentor

2011 ''Secret Diary of a Call Girl'' – Sylvia Burke (cameo)

References

Publication

Brown, Melanie – "Catch a Fire: The Autobiography" – Headline Book Publishing, 2 September 2002. ISBN

External links

Mel B.: It's a Scary World

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Category:1975 births Category:People from Leeds Category:Female rappers Category:English female singers Category:English pop singers Category:English rhythm and blues singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English songwriters Category:Living people Category:People from Harehills Category:British people of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent Category:Spice Girls members Category:British expatriates in the United States Category:British dance musicians Category:Black British musicians Category:Participants in American reality television series

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