Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
name	Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
cover	WBSS.jpg
artist	Michael Jackson
album	Thriller
b-side	"Rock with You" (live)
released
format	7" vinyl / 12"
recorded	1982
genre	Funk, post-disco, dance-pop, R&B;
length	6:02 (Album Version)4:17 (Single Version)6:30 (12" Version)
label	Epic
writer	Michael Jackson
producer	Quincy JonesMichael Jackson (co-producer)
last single	"Beat It"(1983)
this single	"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"(1983)
next single	"Human Nature"(1983)
misc	}}

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was released on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records as the fourth single from Jackson's sixth studio album ''Thriller'' in 1982. It is the first song on ''Thriller''. The song was written, composed and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones.

The song's lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to begin or start an argument for no good reason. Musically, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has a cross-cultural disco theme, similar to Jackson's material from his previous album ''Off the Wall'' in 1979. The song's rhythm arrangement consists of interweaving drum-machine patterns, while the horn arrangement is brassy and precise. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has been covered and sampled by multiple recording artists since its release. Aside from ''Thriller'', "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" appears on multiple compilation and greatest hits albums by Jackson.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was generally well received by contemporary music critics. The song was also commercially successful, charting within the top 20 and top 30 in multiple countries. The song became Jackson's fifth consecutive top ten single in the United States on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking within the top ten at number five. The song re-entered charts in 2008 after the release of ''Thriller 25''. Following Jackson's death in June 2009, the song re-entered music charts worldwide, mainly due to digital download sales. Unlike previous singles from ''Thriller'', "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" did not have a music video to accompany it, but was performed by Jackson on world concert tours, as both a member of The Jacksons and as a solo artist.

As part of the release of ''Thriller 25'', a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", entitled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008", was recorded with Akon, and released as the second single from the album. The song was commercially successful, mainly charting within the top ten in six countries, as well as the top 20 in several territories worldwide and top 40 in Canada. The song was more successful internationally than in the United States, having peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 81, which was the song's lowest charting position.

Background

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was written, composed, and co-produced by Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. It was originally written for his sister La Toya Jackson about her troubled relationship with her sisters-in-law, but Michael ended up recording the song and La Toya sometimes performs the song at her concerts. The song was originally recorded in 1978 for the inclusion on the Off the Wall album, but was later re-recorded in fall 1982, in Los Angeles, California. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was one of the four songs that Jackson received writing credits on for his sixth studio album ''Thriller'' in 1982. The song was released by Epic Records as the fourth single from the album. Unlike ''Thriller'''s previous singles, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" did not have a film or a music video released to promote it.

Aside from ''Thriller'', "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has been featured on multiple compilation and greatest hits albums by Jackson since the song's release. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" appeared on the first disc of Jackson's two-disc complication album ''HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' in 1995 as well as the 25th anniversary edition of ''Thriller'', entitled ''Thriller 25'', and the greatest hits album ''King of Pop''; both albums were released in 2008. The song is also featured on the greatest hits album ''The Essential Michael Jackson'' and the compilation album ''This Is It''.

Composition

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was viewed as being a freewheeling, cross-cultural disco song, that shows similarities to Jackson's material on his previous studio album, ''Off the Wall'' in 1979. The song's rhythm arrangement (which was arranged by Jackson himself) is a complex interweaving of drum-machine patterns and work by percussionist Paulinho da Costa, while the horn arrangement, by Jerry Hey, is brassy and precise. ''Slant'' Magazine commented that the song was a "complicated tapestry of colliding hooks and pop references." The song's lyrics, "Too high to get over, too low to get under", has strong similarities to Funkadelic's opening salvo for "One Nation Under a Groove".

The song's lyrics pertain to the media and press, as well as gossip and people trying to start arguments or problems for no reason, which he states in the lyrics, "Someone's always tryin' to start my baby crying," and then goes to a more "quasi paranoia" yield in the "near-bitterness" chorus, 'You're a vegetable, you're a vegetable/They'll eat off you, you're a vegetable.'" In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", Jackson's vocal range spans from G#3 to E5. The song is played in the key of E Major. The song is moderately bright and its metronome is 120 beats per minute. The song has a basic sequence of D/E–E–D/E–E as its chord progression. The coda at the end of the song comes directly from Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango's 1972 disco song "Soul Makossa". The coda is "Mama-say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah". Makossa is a Cameroonian music genre and dance. Dibango sued Jackon and settled out of court .

Critical reception

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Christopher Connelly, a writer for ''Rolling Stone'', described "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" as being ''Thriller''s "most combative track". Connelly noted that in the "hyperactive" song Jackson's "emotions are so raw that the song nearly goes out of control". He further commented that the song has a "tune that's almost as exciting as seeing Jackson motivate himself across a concert stage – and a lot more unpredictable". Remarking that while the song's lyrics "won't keep Elvis Costello awake nights" they "do show that Jackson has progressed past the hey-let's-hustle sentiments that dominated ''Off the Wall''". He added that Jackson's "raw ability and conviction make material like", citing "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", as well as other of ''Thriller''s songs, "into first-class cuts".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, a writer for Allmusic, listed "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", along with "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Human Nature", as being the best songs from ''Thriller''. Eric Herderson, a writer for ''Slant'' Magazine, commented that with "three quick rimshots", he felt that "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was like a "court fanfare". Robert Christgau, a music critic, commented that he'd "expect to bear more" of ''Thriller''s "Wanna Be Startin' Something" and "Thriller" on the "dancefloor" rather than in his "living room". "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" received one Grammy Award nomination. The song was nominated for "Best R&B; Song" at the 1984 Grammy Awards, but lost to "Billie Jean," another of Jackson's singles from ''Thriller.''

Chart performance

In 1983, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" had a good chart performance worldwide. The song entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart top ten positions on July 2, 1983 at number nine, having moved up six places from the song's previous week. On July 16, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" charted at number five, which was the song's peak position on the chart. The song's peak position made "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" ''Thriller''s fourth consecutive single to peak within the top ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was more commercially successful than ''Thriller''s follow-up single "Human Nature" on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with the song peaking on the chart at number seven. The song also peaked within the top ten, at number five, on the ''Billboard'' R&B; Singles Chart. Internationally, the song was commercially successful, mainly charting within the top 20 and top 30 on music charts. In the United Kingdom, on June 11, 1983, the song entered the chart's top 40 positions at number 38. The following week the song moved up 24 positions to number 14, and on June 25, the song peaked within the top ten at number eight. The song remained on the charts for a total of nine weeks in 1983. In New Zealand, on July 24, 1983, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" entered the charts at number 47. The following week, the song peaked at number 35, which was its peak position. The song remained in the top 50 of the chart for three weeks. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" entered Dutch charts on July 9, 1983, charting within the top five at number four. The following week the song charted at number three, which was its peak position, for three consecutive weeks. The song charted within the top ten for several weeks, and remained in the top 20 for ten weeks in 1983.

In 2008, after the release of ''Thriller 25'' the song re-entered music charts worldwide. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" entered Italian music charts on February 21, 2008, charting at number 14; the song remained on the chart for only one week. The song entered Danish music charts on February 28, charting within the top 30 at number 29. The following week the song charted at number 22, where it peaked. In Switzerland, the song entered the top 50 at number 47 on February 24, 2008. The following week the song peaked at number 30. After a total of six weeks on the chart the song, fell out of the top 100, and after four weeks reentered the chart at number 83, before falling off the chart again. Following Jackson's death in June 2009, his music experienced a surge in popularity. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" re-entered the United Kingdom charts on July 4, 2009, at number 72. The following week the song charted at 51 and the next week it charted outside the top 100 positions. On July 12, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" re-entered Switzerland music charts for the second time. The song charted at number 37, which was its peak position. The song remained on the charts for three weeks, before charting out of the top 100 positions.

Live performances

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was performed by Jackson as both a member of The Jacksons as well as a solo artist during world concert tours. The song, as well as other songs from ''Thriller'', were performed by Jackson during The Jacksons final world concert series, Victory Tour in 1984, the song was the tours opening song. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was performed during all of Jackson's concert tours as a solo artist. Similar to the Victory Tour, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was the Bad World Tour opening song on both tour legs. The concert series lasted from 1987 to 1989.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was also performed during Jackson's Dangerous World Tour from June 1992 to November 1993. The Dangerous World Tour was supposed to last longer, but was cancelled due to Jackson's health concerns, as well as the stress from the child sexual abuse accusations made against him. The next, and what would be the last performance of the song, was during Jackson's world concert tour, HIStory World Tour, from 1996 to 1997.

Since March 2009, Jackson was preparing to perform "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" during his This Is It concert series from 2009 to 2010. During rehearsals for the This Is It concerts, Jackson's performance of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" contained a capella snippet of "Speechless", from Jackson's studio album ''Invincible'' (2001). Following Jackson's death in June of the same year, video footage of Jackson rehearsing the song was featured in the 2009 concert documentary, ''Michael Jackson's This Is It''. The video footage was also featured on the film's DVD.

Personnel

Written and composed, lead vocals by Michael Jackson

Produced by Quincy Jones

Co-Produced by Michael Jackson

Greg Phillinganes: Rhodes, synthesizer

Michael Boddicker and Bill Wolfer: Synthesizer

David Williams: Guitar

Louis Johnson: Bass

Paulinho Da Costa: Percussion

Jerry Hey, Gary Grant: Trumpets, flugelhorns

Larry Williams: Saxophone, flute

Bill Reichenbach: Trombone

Michael Jackson, Nelson Hayes & Steven Ray: Bathroom stomp board

Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson

Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones

Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey and Michael Jackson

Background Vocals: Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters, James Ingram, Michael Jackson, Bunny Hull, Becky Lopez

Samples Manu Dibango's 1972 Soul Makossa

Track listing

;United States version #"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Single Version) – 4:19 #"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (instrumental) – 4:19 ;United Kingdom version #"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Single Version) – 4:19 #"Rock with You" (live with The Jacksons) – 3:58

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008

name	Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008
cover	WBSS2.jpg
artist	Michael Jackson featuring Akon
from album	Thriller 25
released	January 23, 2008
format	Digital download, CD
recorded	2007
genre	Soul, hip hop, R&B;, dance, pop
length	4:14 (Album Version)3:51 (Radio Edit)
label	Epic, Legacy Recordings
writer	Michael JacksonAliaune ThiamGiorgio Tuinfort
producer	Michael JacksonAkonGiorgio Tuinfort
certification	Gold (Australia)
chronology	Michael Jackson singles
last single	"The Girl Is Mine 2008"(2008)
this single	"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008"(2008)
next single	"Mind Is the Magic"(2010)
misc	}}

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", was re-recorded for the 2008 re-issue of ''Thriller'', entitled ''Thriller 25'', similar to "Beat It 2008", the song was titled on the CD sleeve as "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Akon". Recorded in 2007, the 2008 version features remix elements and additional vocals from Akon. The 2008 version was written and produced by Akon. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, with critics having felt that while the 2008 version was good, it was not better than the original, but was better than other re-issues on ''Thriller 25''. It was also the last single released during Jackson's lifetime. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, a writer for Allmusic, commented that "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was turned into a "moody piano murk". He further commented that while the song is not great, "it is better than Fergie parroting the lyrics of "Beat It" back to a recorded Jackson, and it's better than will.i.am turning "The Girl Is Mine" into a hapless dance number." Rob Sheffield, a writer for ''Rolling Stone'', commented that "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is "actually kind of great" and praised the song's composition.

The song was released by Epic Records and Legacy Recordings in January 2008, as the second single from the re-issue album. The song was commercially a modest success internationally, charting within the top 20 in several countries, as well charting within the top ten in four territories. The song charted at number three in Sweden and number four in New Zealand. The song also charted at number eight in Australia and number ten in France. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" charted at number 15 in Belgium's Flanders and Wallonia charts. The song also charted at number 20 in Italy. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" peaked at number 81 on the ''Billboard''' Hot 100, giving the song its lowest charting position. The song also charted on Pop charts at 48, as well as 47 on the Pop Hot 100 Airplay. Other charting positions include 47 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Digital Songs and the Hot Canadian Digital Singles Chart at 33. A music video was also shown on some channels to help promote the single and album; it featured a montage of previous Michael Jackson music videos and concert footage, and also clips of Akon singing his parts.

Track listing

CD single

# Radio Edit – 3:51 # Johnny Vicious Club – Radio Edit – 3:36 # Johnny Vicious Full Club Remix – 9:03

Remix credits

Written and produced by Michael Jackson, Aliaune "Akon" Thiam, Giorgio Tuinfort

Lead vocals by Aliaune "Akon" Thiam (except the 2nd Verse)

Background vocals by Michael Jackson (lead vocals on 2nd Verse)

Mixed by Mark "Evil" Goodchild

Recorded in November 2007

Cover versions and uses in pop culture

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has been covered and sampled by multiple recording artists since its release.

Jackson's elder sister, La Toya, has frequently covered the song. She used it to open her set at 1993's Sopot Song Festival, on MDR in the 1990s, and on the sixth season of the United Kingdom television show ''Celebrity Big Brother'' in 2009.

Rihanna sampled the songs ending chant (which is the Manu Dibango coda "mama-se, mama-sa, mama-ku-sa") in her single "Don't Stop the Music" from her third studio album ''Good Girl Gone Bad'' (2007).

One week after Jackson's death, musician Madonna used that song as part a medley of Jackson's songs as a tribute, during her second leg of her Sticky & Sweet Tour in July 2009. Also a dancer impersonating Jackson, performing his signature moves, like spinning, moonwalking and gyrating.

In February 2010, Whitney Houston performed "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", along with Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel", during her I Look to You Tour.

Björk has been known to use an interpolation of the song while performing her own song "I Go Humble" on stage.

Charts

{|class="wikitable" !Chart (1983/2008/2009) !Peakposition |- |Danish Singles Chart |align=center|25 |- |Dutch Top 40 |align="center"|1 |- |Italian Singles Chart |align="center"|14 |- |New Zealand Singles Chart |align="center"|35 |- |Swiss Singles Chart |align="center"|30 |- |UK Singles Chart |align="center"|8 |- |U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 |align="center"|5 |- |U.S. ''Billboard'' R&B;/Hip Hop Songs |align="center"|5 |- |U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Digital Songs |align=center|20 |- |}

References

Category:1983 singles Category:2008 singles Category:Michael Jackson songs Category:Akon songs Category:La Toya Jackson songs Category:Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles Category:Boogie songs Category:Dance-pop songs Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles Category:Songs written by Michael Jackson Category:Songs written by Akon Category:Songs produced by Michael Jackson Category:Songs produced by Akon

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Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
Name	Maths + English
Type	studio
Artist	Dizzee Rascal
Cover	Dizzee.jpg
Released	4 June 2007
Recorded	2006–2007
Genre	Hip hop, grime
Length	48:46
Label	XL, Matador, Definitive Jux
Producer	Dizzee Rascal, Shy FX
Last album	''Showtime''(2004)
This album	''Maths + English''(2007)
Next album	''Tongue N' Cheek''(2009)
Misc	}}

''Maths + English'' is the third studio album by English rapper Dizzee Rascal. The album went gold in the UK after selling over 100,000 copies.

Album information

''Maths + English'' entered the UK Albums Chart at number seven, one position higher than his second album, ''Showtime'' (2004), which charted at number eight and his debut, ''Boy in da Corner'' (2003), which peaked at number 23.

The track "Wanna Be" features guest vocals from English pop singer Lily Allen. It pays tribute to the 1976 musical ''Bugsy Malone'', specifically the song "So You Want to Be a Boxer?" which shares the same musical arrangements for the sections sung by Lily Allen.

Joss Stone was expected to feature on the song "Da Feelin'", but Dizzee Rascal stated that the song sounded too "poppy" with Joss Stone's hook, so she does not appear on the album.

The track "Pussy'ole" is rumored to be a Wiley diss. Wiley responded to the track in a video circulating on YouTube, in which he also takes jabs at rappers Kano and Lethal Bizzle.

American hip hop duo UGK are featured on the track "Where's da G's". In return, Dizzee was featured on the track "Two Type of Bitches" along with Pimpin' Ken on UGK's 2007 album ''Underground Kingz''.

On 29 April 2008 Definitive Jux released ''Maths + English'' on their independent label in the United States. The Def Jux version features new studio tracks "G.H.E.T.T.O." and "Driving" as well as a remix of the UGK-assisted "Where's da G's" by Def Jux label head El-P. It does not however contain the track "Pussyole (Old Skool)".

Critical reception

Track listing

¹ Samples Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)" and Galactic Force Band's "Space Dust Gurnhill EZI".

² Co-mixed by Shy FX.

³ Samples "So You Wanna Be a Boxer" from the film musical ''Bugsy Malone''.

⁴ Omitted from US version.

Charts

Charts (2007)	Peakposition
Charts (2009)	Peakposition

References

Category:2007 albums Category:Dizzee Rascal albums Category:XL Recordings albums

it:Maths + English

Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	Michael Joe Jackson, MJ, King of Pop
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions
associated acts	The Jackson 5
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	}}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series titled ''This Is It'', Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.

The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.

Move to Epic and ''Off the Wall'' (1975–81)

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25'' (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona. ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading

External links

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

Category:1958 births Category:2009 deaths Category:African American dancers Category:African American male singers Category:African American record producers Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American beatboxers Category:American businesspeople Category:American child singers Category:American choreographers Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American disco musicians Category:American male singers Category:American boogie musicians Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rock singers Category:American soul singers Category:American tenors Category:American vegetarians Category:Boy sopranos Category:Brit Award winners Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Child pop musicians Category:Drug-related deaths in California Category:English-language singers Category:Epic Records artists Category:Expatriates in Bahrain Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Legend Award Michael Jackson Category:Manslaughter victims Category:Motown artists Category:Musicians from Indiana Category:People acquitted of sex crimes Category:People from Gary, Indiana Category:People from Santa Barbara County, California Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Songwriters from Indiana Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Michael Jackson Category:World Music Awards winners Category:Young Artist Award winners

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Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
name	Justin Bieber
background	solo_singer
birth name	Justin Drew Bieber
birth date	March 01, 1994
birth place	London, Ontario, Canada
origin	Stratford, Ontario, Canada
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, trumpet
genre	Pop, R&B;, teen pop
occupation	Singer, rapper, musician, actor
years active	2008–present
label	Island, RBMG
associated acts	Usher
website	justinbiebermusic.com }}

Justin Drew Bieber ( , born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian pop/R&B; singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher, and then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid. Bieber's debut single, "One Time", was released in 2009 and peaked in the top twenty in Canada and charted in the top thirty in several international markets. His debut album, the seven-track EP ''My World'', followed in November 2009, and was soon certified platinum in the United States. He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Bieber's first full-length studio album, ''My World 2.0'', was released in March 2010. It debuted at number one or within the top ten in several countries and was certified platinum in the United States. It was preceded by the worldwide top-ten single, "Baby". The music video of "Baby" is currently ranked as the most viewed and most discussed YouTube video. Bieber followed-up the release of his debut album with his first headlining tour, the My World Tour, the remix albums ''My Worlds Acoustic'' and ''Never Say Never – The Remixes'', and the 3D biopic-concert film ''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never'' – which had an opening weekend gross that nearly matched the record for the biggest opening weekend for a concert-film. Bieber released his second studio album, ''Under the Mistletoe'' in November 2011, which debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. Bieber has received numerous awards, including Artist of the Year at the 2010 American Music Awards — and has been nominated for numerous awards, including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards. To date Bieber has sold more than 8 million albums worldwide.

Life and career

1994–2007: Childhood and youth

Bieber was born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario in St Joseph's Hospital, and was raised in Stratford, Ontario. Bieber's mother, Patricia Lynn "Pattie" Mallette, was 18 years old when she became pregnant. Mallette, originally from Stratford, raised her son with the help of her parents, Bruce and Diane. Mallette worked a series of low-paying office jobs, raising Bieber as a single mother in low-income housing. Bieber has maintained contact with his father, Jeremy Jack Bieber, who married another woman and had two children. Bieber's paternal great-grandfather was a German immigrant to Canada. Bieber's mother's ancestry is French Canadian. Bieber attended a French immersion school called the Stratford school Jean Sauve.

During his childhood, Bieber was interested in hockey, soccer, and chess; he often kept his musical aspirations to himself. As he grew up, Bieber taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. In early 2007, when he was twelve, Bieber sang Ne-Yo's "So Sick" for a local singing competition in Stratford and was placed second. Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B; songs, and Bieber's popularity on the site grew. Chris Hicks, Bieber's A&R; at Island/Def Jam, explained the young artist's huge online following to HitQuarters by saying:

"He was doing something different. He was an attractive white kid singing very soulful R&B; hits. That set him apart immediately from anyone in his range because no one was covering or singing these kind of records. But equally important was that you believed in these songs – it was real. And you wanted to hear more."

2008–09: Discovery and ''My World''

While searching for videos of a different singer, Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, clicked on one of Bieber's 2007 videos by accident. Impressed, Braun tracked down the theater Bieber was performing in, located Bieber's school, and finally contacted Mallette. Mallette was reluctant because of Braun's Jewish religion; she remembered praying, "God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label! ... you don’t want this Jewish kid to be Justin’s man, do you?" However, after praying with her church elders and receiving their encouragement, she permitted Braun to fly Bieber, then 13, to Atlanta, Georgia, to record demo tapes. A week after arriving, Bieber sang for R&B; singer/songwriter Usher. Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher. Justin Timberlake was also reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but lost the bidding war to Usher. Usher then sought assistance in finding a label home for the artist from then manager Chris Hicks, who helped engineer an audition with his contact Antonio L.A. Reid of Island Def Jam Music Group. Reid signed Bieber to Island Records in October 2008 (resulting in a joint venture between RBMG and Island Records) and appointed Hicks as executive Vice-President of Def Jam where he would be able manage Bieber's career at the label. At that point, Bieber and his mother moved to Atlanta temporarily, also the home of Usher and Braun, to record and get counseling from Braun. Braun became Bieber's manager.

Bieber's first single, "One Time", was released to radio while Bieber was still recording his debut album. The song reached number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100 during its first week of release in July 2009, and later peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. During fall 2009 it had success in international markets. The song was certified Platinum in Canada and the US and Gold in Australia and New Zealand. Bieber's first release, an extended play entitled ''My World'', was released on November 17, 2009. The album's second single, "One Less Lonely Girl", and two promo singles, "Love Me", and "Favorite Girl", were released exclusively on the iTunes store and charted within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100. "One Less Lonely Girl" was later also released to radio and peaked within the top fifteen in Canada and the US, being certified Gold in the latter. ''My World'' was eventually certified Platinum in the US and Double Platinum in both Canada and the UK. To promote the album, Bieber performed on several live shows such as mtvU's VMA 09 Tour, European program ''The Dome'', YTV's ''The Next Star'', ''The Today Show'', ''The Wendy Williams Show'', ''Lopez Tonight'', ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', ''It's On with Alexa Chung'', ''Good Morning America'', ''Chelsea Lately'', and BET's ''106 & Park'' with Rihanna. Bieber also guest starred in an episode of ''True Jackson, VP'' in late 2009.

Bieber performed Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas" for U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House for ''Christmas in Washington'', which was broadcast on December 20, 2009, on U.S. television broadcaster TNT. Bieber was also one of the performers at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2009. Bieber was a presenter at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010. He was invited to be a vocalist for the remake of We Are The World (a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie) for its 25th anniversary to benefit Haiti after the earthquake. Bieber sings the opening line, which was sung by Lionel Richie in the original version. On March 12, 2010, a version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Bieber is featured in the song, performing the closing lines.

2010−11: ''My World 2.0'' and ''Never Say Never'' film

"Baby", the lead single from his debut album, ''My World 2.0'', which features Ludacris, was released in January 2010 and became his biggest hit thus far, charting at number five in the U.S. and reaching the top ten in seven other countries. Two promo singles "Never Let You Go", and "U Smile" were top thirty hits on the U.S. Hot 100, and top twenty hits in Canada. According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received "generally favorable reviews". It debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, making Bieber the youngest solo male act to top the chart since Stevie Wonder in 1963. ''My World 2.0'' also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, Irish Albums Chart, Australian Albums Chart, and the New Zealand Albums Chart and reached the top ten of fifteen other countries. To promote the album, Bieber appeared on several live programs including ''The View'', the 2010 Kids Choice Awards, ''Nightline'', ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', ''The Dome'' and ''106 and Park''. Bieber collaborated with Sean Kingston on his single "Eenie Meenie" which also appeared on Bieber's debut album. The song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the top-twenty of most other markets. thumb|left|Bieber performing at the Conseco Fieldhouse, in August 2010 On April 10, 2010, Bieber was the musical guest on ''Saturday Night Live''. On July 4, 2010, Bieber performed at the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City. The second single from ''My World 2.0'', "Somebody to Love", was released in April 2010, and a remix was released featuring Bieber's mentor Usher. The single reached number ten in Canada, number fifteen in the United States, and the top twenty in multiple international countries.

On June 23, 2010, Bieber went on his first official headlining tour, the My World Tour, starting in Hartford, Connecticut, to promote ''My World'' and ''My World 2.0''. In July 2010, it was reported that Bieber was the most searched for celebrity on the Internet. That same month his music video, "Baby", surpassed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" to become the most viewed, and most disliked YouTube video ever. In September 2010, it was reported that Bieber accounted for three percent of all traffic on Twitter, according to an employee of the social-networking site.

Bieber began recording his second album in July 2010 in New York City. At this point, because of puberty, his voice was deeper than it was when he recorded his first album. In April 2010, the singer discussing his vocals remarked, "It cracks. Like every teenage boy, I'm dealing with it and I have the best vocal coach in the world. [...] Some of the notes I hit on "Baby" I can't hit anymore. We have to lower the key when I sing live."

Bieber guest-starred in the season premiere of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', which aired on September 23, 2010. He played a "troubled teen who is faced with a difficult decision regarding his only brother", who is also a serial bomber. Bieber was also in a subsequent episode which aired on February 17, 2011, in which his character is killed. Bieber performed a medley of "U Smile", "Baby", and "Somebody to Love" and briefly played the drums at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. Bieber announced in October 2010 that he would release an acoustic album, called ''My Worlds Acoustic''. It was released on Black Friday in the United States and featured acoustic versions of songs from his previous albums, and accompanied the release of a completely new song titled "Pray".

A 3-D part-biopic, part-concert film starring Bieber entitled ''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never'', was released on February 11, 2011, directed by ''Step Up 3D'' director Jon Chu. It topped the box office with an estimated grossing of $12.4 million on its opening day from 3,105 theaters. It grossed $30.3 million for the weekend and was narrowly beaten by the romantic comedy ''Just Go With It'', which grossed $31 million. ''Never Say Never'' is said to have exceeded industry expectations, nearly matching the $31.1 million grossed by Miley Cyrus's 2008 3-D concert film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, which holds the record for the top debut for a music-documentary. The film is accompanied by his second remix album, ''Never Say Never – The Remixes'', released February 14, 2011, and features remixes of songs from his debut album, with guest appearances from Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, and Kanye West, among others.

2011–present: ''Under The Mistletoe'' and ''Believe''

On February 27, 2011, Bieber attended the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar Party with American actress and singer Selena Gomez, confirming several months of media speculation about a romantic relationship between the pair.

In June 2011, Bieber was ranked number 2 on the Forbes list of Best-Paid Celebrities under 30. He is the youngest star and 1 of 7 musicians on the list raking in with $53 million earned in a 12 month period. On November 1, 2011, Bieber released ''Under the Mistletoe'', his second studio album. It debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 210,000 copies in its first week of release.

In late 2011, Bieber began recording his third studio album, entitled ''Believe''. Kanye West and Drake are confirmed to be featured on the album. On February 22, 2012, Bieber announced via Twitter that the first single off ''Believe'' will be released in March 2012. The following week, Bieber appeared on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' to announce that the first single will be called "Boyfriend" and was released on March 26, 2012. The song was co-written by Mike Posner.

On March 31, 2012, Bieber reportedly took an interest of making a duet with singer and actress, Demi Lovato.

Image

Justin Bieber has a higher score on the Klout online "influence" scale than Barack Obama or The Dalai Lama. According to Jan Hoffman of ''The New York Times'', part of Bieber's appeal stems from his YouTube channel. Long before he released his EP, ''My World'', in mid-November, the YouTube videos attracted millions of views. Braun recognized the appeal. Prior to flying him to Atlanta, Braun wanted to "build him up more on YouTube first" and had Bieber record more home videos for the channel. "I said: 'Justin, sing like there’s no one in the room. But let's not use expensive cameras.' We'll give it to kids, let them do the work, so that they feel like it's theirs", recalled Braun. Bieber continues to upload videos to the same channel and has opened a Twitter account, from which he interacts with fans regularly; his account was reported in November 2010 to have over 6 million followers. Since then he has been consistently gaining followers at an average of 24,000 per day. The accounts also serve marketing purposes; for example, Bieber's music video for "One Time" only began selling quickly after it was uploaded to YouTube. Usher comments that while he and Bieber were both signed at the same age, "I had the chance to ramp up my success, where this has happened to Bieber abruptly." As a result, Usher, Braun, Bieber's bodyguard Kenny, and other adults surrounding Bieber constantly coach him on handling fame and his public image. After signing Bieber, Usher appointed one of his former assistants, Ryan Good, to be Bieber's road manager and stylist. Good, once nicknamed Bieber's "swagger coach", created a "streetwise look" for the singer which consisted of baseball caps, hoodies, dog chains and flashy sneakers. Amy Kaufman of ''The Los Angeles Times'' comments, "Though a product of a middle-class suburban upbringing in Stratford, Ontario, Bieber's manner of dress and speech ("Wassup man, how you doin'?" or "It's like, you know, whateva' ") suggest he's mimicking his favorite rappers."

Bieber is often featured in teen magazines such as ''Tiger Beat'', and has been labeled as a "teen hearthrob". Bieber has released a collection of nail varnishes to raise awareness for charity. Wax statues of Bieber are on display at Madame Tussauds wax museums in New York, Amsterdam and London. His change of hairstyle in 2010, and the consequent alterations to Bieber products, led to it being called 'the most expensive musical haircut of all time; one company spent $100,000 to fix its dolls for the 2011 Christmas season.

Bieber has been criticized for looking and sounding younger than his age, his teen-pop music, image, and frequent media attention. He has been a frequent target of Internet bloggers and message board posters, notably by users of Internet message board 4chan and users of YouTube. Nick Collins of ''The Daily Telegraph'' speculated that "Bieber's character also appears to strike a particularly sour note with his Internet critics, with many remarks commenting on his youthful appearance, his teen-pop songs, his image as a heart-throb to young teenage girls and his manner of speech".

Personal views

Bieber is a Christian, and said he has a relationship with Jesus, talks to him and that "he's the reason I'm here".

Bieber's comments in a February 2011 profile in ''Rolling Stone'' sparked controversy. Asked about abstinence, Bieber responded, "I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them." He said he does not "believe in abortion" and that it is "like killing a baby". He described sexual orientation as "everyone's own decision." Bieber has contributed to the It Gets Better Project, which aims to prevent suicide among LGBT youth.

Bieber has said he is not interested in obtaining United States citizenship, praising Canada as being "the best country in the world", citing its health care system as an example.

Discography

''My World 2.0'' (2010)

''Under the Mistletoe'' (2011)

''Believe'' (2012)

Tours

2009: Urban Behavior Tour

2010–2011: My World Tour

Filmography

rowspan="4" ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' Himself

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
rowspan="2"	2009	''True Jackson, VP''	>rowspan="3"| Guest star
''My Date With...''
	Silent Library (MTV series)>Silent Library''
''School Gyrls (film)	School Gyrls''	Cameo
''Saturday Night Live''
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Jason McCann
''Hubworld''	Guest star
''The X Factor (UK)''	Performer
rowspan="9"	2011	|	Guest star
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Jason McCann
''Khloé & Lamar''	|Episode:The Father In Law (uncredited) Himself playing the NBA Celebrity All Star Game
''Saturday Night Live''
''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never''	Himself
''Dancing With The Stars''	Guest star
''So Random!''	Himself
''Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade''	Guest star
''The X Factor (UK)''	Performer

Awards and nominations

References

Further reading

External links

Category:1994 births Category:Canadian child singers Category:Canadian Christians Category:Canadian dance musicians Category:Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Category:Canadian Internet personalities Category:Canadian male singers Category:Canadian people of French descent Category:Canadian people of German descent Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Canadian rhythm and blues singers Category:Child pop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Island Records artists Category:Musicians from Ontario Category:People from Stratford, Ontario Category:Living people

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Coordinates	33°55′31″N18°25′26″N
Name	Axelle Red
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Fabienne Demal
Birth date	February 15, 1968
Origin	Belgium
Genre	Pop music
Occupation	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1993–present
Label	Virgin Records
Website	Official website
Past members	}}

Axelle Red (born Fabienne Demal on 15 February 1968) is a Belgian singer-songwriter.

Biography

She was born at Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, the daughter of Roland Demal, a solicitor in Hasselt and Councillor for the Flemish liberal party, Open-VLD, in the City Council.

Nowadays a committed artist and a militant humanist, back in 1993 Axelle graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel as a lawyer, the same year her first album ''Sans Plus Attendre'' was released which immediately resulted in her artistic break out in France, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium, where sales alone amounted to more than 200,000.

Her soul album, ''À Tâtons'', recorded in 1996 in Memphis with musicians from the Stax label, including Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes, is a real eye-opener. Axelle received an IFPI platinum award for sales of more than 1 million and a year later, she sold out the Paris Olympia for the first time.

Since 1997, Axelle has been an ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) standing up for the rights of children and women in war-torn regions and developing countries. That same year she devoted herself to the Ottawa Convention against land mines and in the poverty-stricken Haiti; she came face to face with children who have been imprisoned in miserable conditions without trial.

In 1998, Axelle married, and sang the official hymn, ‘La Cour des Grands’, with Youssou N'Dour in front of a few billion television viewers at the opening ceremony of the Football World Cup in the Stade de France in Paris. Seven months pregnant with her daughter, Janelle, in her shows devoted to soul and rhythm and blues she was joined by her heroes, Wilson Pickett, Sam Moore, Eddy Floyd, Percy Sledge and Ann Peebles. ‘The Soul of Axelle Red’. Axelle supported Amnesty International’s grand benefit concert in Paris although, under doctor’s orders, 7 months pregnant, she was advised not to perform herself. That same year saw the release of her Spanish album, ''Con Solo Pensarlo''.

In 1999, Axelle received the most important music award in France for female artist of the year, the Victoire de la Musique, while her third studio album, ''Toujours Moi'', was also released, written and produced by herself. It sold more than 800,000 albums. Once again, she returned to Asia where she had travelled extensively as a student. In Laos, one of the poorest Asiatic countries, Thailand and Cambodia she met women and children whose lives are a never-ending circle of violence, discrimination, prostitution and poverty. Axelle’s stinging words still ring through. ‘If I or my daughter had been born here then we wouldn’t be alive today’.

After more than 400 concerts, 2000 saw the recording of her first live album and DVD during her French tour, Alive.

In 2002, her fourth studio album, ''Face A / Face B'', was released. The title refers to the vinyl records from the sixties labelled ‘fast and slow’ side (an up-tempo side for dancing and a ballad side for slows). It was a co-production with producer Al Stone (Jamiroquai, Bjork,…). Axelle’s subject matter reflected her strong commitments covering extremism, anti-globalisation, anti-personnel mines, child soldiers and drugs. As a result of her experiences in the field, Axelle returned to Cambodia as part of the campaign against antipersonnel mines, then arrived in the Mexican city of Chiapas right in the middle of a Zapatista demonstration about the rights of the indigenous population, and further visited a Handicap International project in Vietnam.

In 2003, her second daughter, Gloria, was born. A CD box was also released comprising 3 CDs with numerous previously unreleased tracks such as duets with Charles Aznavour, Francis Cabrel, Stephan Eicher, Sylvie Vartan, Arno and Tom Barman. Her duet with Renaud, ‘Manhattan-Kaboul’, had the most airplay in France that year and notched up sales of more than 800,000 singles, for which Axelle and Renaud received an NRJ music award at Midem in Cannes.

After being forced to flee the riots in June 2004 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Axelle campaigned in July of that year in Niger with UNICEF against female circumcision and child marriages. ‘French Soul’, a first ‘Best Of’ was released with two previously unreleased songs ‘I Have A Dream’ and ‘J'ai Fait Un Rêve’, an homage to Martin Luther King. Axelle directed the two videos herself. Pregnant from a third daughter, Billie, she ended the year with a lightning visit to Sri Lanka with Unicef emergency aid for the people who had been hit so badly by the tsunami.

In 2005, Axelle travelled to the north of Senegal for the French Oxfam/Agir Ici’s campaign, ‘Make noise till Hong Kong’. She spoke up for honest trade prices. In May, she joined Peter Gabriel and Youssou N'Dour at the Geneva concert on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, at which Axelle is thanked by Kofi Annan for her humanitarian work with the various NGOs. Together with Bob Geldof, she is also the spokesperson for ‘Live 8 in France’ and performed on 2 July 2005 at the Palace of Versailles in front of 200,000 people during the benefit. At the European summit, Axelle officially asked Barroso, chairman of the European Commission, to increase the budget for the development of the Third World countries.

2006 saw the release of ''Jardin Secret'', Axelle’s fifth studio album, a story of hope, optimism and positive thinking. Fleeing to a personal utopian world as a reaction to the pessimism in the world. The tracks were recorded in Willie Mitchell’s legendary Royal studios in Memphis (where Al Green and Ann Peebles recorded all their albums. In September 2006, Axelle received the highest artistic honour, becoming ‘Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’, presented to her by the French minister of culture, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres. She also took part in the 0110 concerts against intolerance and racism in Antwerp and Brussels.

In 2007 Axelle visited poverty-stricken Sierra Leone for the Unicef campaign ‘Together, saving 4 million babies’, five years after the terrible civil war. Sierra Leone has the largest child mortality in the world. Genital mutilation of girls and violent ill-treatment of women are still a matter of course. In March 2007, Axelle spoke at the FIFDH (International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights) in Geneva together with the Cambodian director, Rithy Panh, during a debate on prostitution. In December 2007, King Albert II presented her with the medal of ‘Commandeur in de Kroonorde’ for her social commitment.

In May 2008, the University of Hasselt awarded Axelle the honorary title of ‘Doctor Honoris Causa’ for her social commitment as an artist and human rights’ activist. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Axelle was guest speaker at the Council of Europe during a debate on ‘domestic violence’. She also wrote her first album in English, ''Sisters & Empathy'', and recorded it with her regular musicians, Michael Toles and Lester Snell from Memphis and Jeff Anderson and Damon Duewhite from New York. However, this album saw Belgian musicians Mauro Pawlowski, Tom Barman, Geoffrey Burton en Steven Debruyn also collaborating.

Discography

Albums

1993 : ''Sans plus attendre''

1996 : ''À Tâtons''

1998 : ''Con solo pensarlo''

1999 : ''Toujours Moi''

2000 : ''Alive (in concert)''

2002 : ''Face A / Face B''

2006 : ''Jardin Secret''

2008 : ''Sisters & Empathy''

2011 : ''Un coeur comme le mien''

Compilations and other recordings

2003 : ''Axelle Red'' (longbox 3 CDs)

2004 : ''French Soul'' (best-of 2 CDs)

2004 : ''French soul'' (DVD containing the concert at Bataclan and all her music videos)

2007 : ''Le Tour de mon Jardin Secret'' (DVD of the 2006/2007 concert tour)

Singles

1983 : "Little Girls" (Belgium only, under the name of Fabby)

1985 : "Back to Tokyo" (Belgium only, under the name of Axelle)

1989 : "Kennedy Boulevard" (under the name of Axelle)

1991 : "Aretha et Moi" (under the name of Axelle)

1992 : "Elle danse seule"

1993 : "Je t'attends"

1993 : "Sensualité"

1994 : "Le monde tourne mal"

1996 : "À tâtons"

1997 : "Rien que d'y penser"

1997 : "Mon Café" (Belgium only)

1997 : "Ma prière"

1998 : "À quoi ça sert"

1998 : "Rester femme"

1998 : "La Cour des grands" (duet with Youssou N'Dour, official song of the FIFA World Cup)

1999 : "Ce Matin"

1999 : "Faire des mamours"

1999 : "Parce que c'est toi"

2000 : "Bimbo à moi"

2000 : "J'ai jamais dit" (radio mix)

2001 : "Aretha et Moi" (live)

2002 : "Manhattan-Kaboul" (duet with Renaud)

2002 : "Je me fâche"

2003 : "Pas maintenant"

2003 : "Venez vers moi" (Belgium only)

2003 : "Toujours"

2004 : "Gloria"

2004 : "Je pense à toi"

2005 : "J'ai fait un rêve"

2006 : "Changer ma vie"

2006 : "Temps pour nous"

2007 : "Si tu savais"

2007 : "Naïve"

2007 : "Romantique à mort" (Belgium only)

Awards

Victoires de la musique :

* ''Female artist of the year'' (1999)

* ''Original song of the year'' (2003) for ''Manhattan-Kaboul'' with Renaud (lyics: Renaud Séchan - composer/arranger: Jean-Pierre Bucolo)

NRJ Radio's NRJ Music Awards :

* ''Best French song'' (2003) for ''Manhattan-Kaboul'' with Renaud

* ''Best French duo'' (2003) with Renaud

External links

Official website

Respect to Axelle : French unofficial website

Biography of Axelle Red, from Radio France Internationale

References

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Belgian female singers Category:English-language singers Category:Free University of Brussels alumni Category:French-language singers Category:People from Hasselt Category:Spanish-language singers

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