Name	You Give Good Love
Cover	Whitney Houston You Give Love..jpg
Artist	Whitney Houston
From album	Whitney Houston
Released	April 1985
Format	cd single, 7"
Recorded	1984
Genre	R&B;/Pop
Length	4:37
Label	Arista
Writer	LaLa
Producer	Kashif
Certfication	Gold (RIAA)
Last single	"Someone for Me" (1985)
This single	"You Give Good Love" (1985)
Next single	"Saving All My Love for You" (1985)

"You Give Good Love" is the first hit single by American pop/R&B; singer Whitney Houston from her self-titled debut album entitled "Whitney Houston". The single peak at # 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1985 (see 1985 in music).

Writing and recording

Arista Records signed Houston to a recording contract in 1983. Over the next two years, songs and producers were gathered for Houston's debut album. Songwriter and producer Kashif was among those whom Arista Records president Clive Davis wanted to work on the album. When LaLa, a songwriter for Kashif's publishing company, sent Kashif a copy of "You Give Good Love", originally offered to Roberta Flack, Kashif thought it would be a better fit for Houston and told Arista he would be interested in recording with Houston.

Chart performance

"You Give Good Love" peaked at # 3 on the main U.S. Hot 100 the week of July 27, 1985 and hit #1 on the Billboard R&B; Chart.. It reached the Top Five of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It ranked #2 on the Billboard year end top black singles chart of 1985.

Track listing

US Vinyl, 7", Single

A You Give Good Love 3:58

B Greatest Love Of All 4:55

Music video

The video, directed by Karen Bellone, featured an off-duty cameraman entering a club that's being refurbished. Houston is on the stage rehearsing for a performance. Taken aback by her impressive singing, the man begins filming Houston as she performs.

References

"Whitney Houston" article in Ashyia Henderson Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 28, Gale Group 2001 reproduced on Biography Resource Center Thomson Gale 2005

"Whitney Houston" article in Contemporary Newsmakers 1986, Gale Research 1987 published on Biography Resource Center Thomson Gale 2005

[ Allmusic.com article on "You Give Good Love"]

Whitney Houston singles discography and chart placings

Footnotes

Chart positions from Allmusic.com [] and from Whitney-Houston.com . Chart positions from Allmusic.com and sales figures from Contemporary Black Biography. Washington Post June 28, 1985 cited in Contemporary Newsmakers 1986''.

References

Category:1985 singles Category:Whitney Houston songs Category:Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles Category:Pop ballads Category:Singles certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America

Birth name	Whitney Elizabeth Houston
Also known as	The Voice, Queen of R&B;, The Diva of all Divas
Background	solo_singer
Born	August 09, 1963Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Origin	East Orange, New Jersey
Instrument	Vocals, piano
Genre	R&B;, pop, dance, soul, gospel
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress, record producer, film producer
Years active	1985–present
Label	Arista/Sony Music
Associated acts	Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Bobby Brown
Url

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is an American R&B;/Pop singer, actress, and former fashion model. A relative of several prominent soul singers, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, and Godmother Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing at her New Jersey church as a member of a junior gospel choir at age eleven. After she began performing alongside her mother at night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis. Houston has released studio albums and movie soundtrack albums throughout her career, all of which have had diamond, multi-platinum, platinum, or gold certification.

Houston released her debut album Whitney Houston in 1985, which became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Houston appeared in her first starring role in the feature film The Bodyguard in 1992. The film's won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. After the release of her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love (1998), she renewed her recording contract with Arista Records in 2001. with 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 411 career awards as of 2006. Houston is also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. Although she has released relatively few albums, she is ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 55 million certified albums sold in the US alone. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, ranking Houston at number nine. She has been listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Similiary, she is ranked as one of the Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by VH1.

Biography

Early life

Whitney Houston was born in what was then a middle income neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, the third and youngest child of John and gospel singer Cissy Houston. She is of African American, Native American and Dutch descent. Her mother, along with cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin were all notable figures in the gospel, rhythm and blues, pop, and soul genres. Houston was raised a Baptist, but was also exposed to the Pentecostal church. After the 1967 Newark riots, the family moved to a middle class area in East Orange, New Jersey when she was four. Her first solo performance in the church was "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah". When Houston was a teenager, she attended a Catholic single-sex high school, Mount Saint Dominic Academy, where she met her best friend Robyn Crawford, whom she describes as the "sister she never had." While Houston was still in school, her mother continued to teach her how to sing.

1977–84: Early career

Houston spent some of her teenage years touring nightclubs where her mother Cissy was performing, and she would occasionally get on stage and perform with her. In 1977, at age 14, she was a backup singer on the Michael Zager Band's single "Life's a Party". Zager subsequently offered to obtain a recording contract for the young singer, but Cissy declined, wanting her young daughter to finish school first. Then in 1978, at age 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single "I'm Every Woman", a song she would later turn into a hit for herself on her monster-selling soundtrack album The Bodyguard. She also sang back-up on albums by Lou Rawls and Jermaine Jackson. In the early 1980s, Houston started working as a fashion model after a photographer saw her at Carnegie Hall singing with her mother. She appeared as a lead vocalist on a Paul Jabara album, entitled Paul Jabara and Friends: featuring The Weather Girls, Leata Galloway & Whitney Houston (Columbia Records, 1983). She appeared in Seventeen Magazine and became one of the first women of color to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine. She was also featured in layouts in the pages Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Young Miss and appeared in a Canada Dry soft drink TV commercial. Her striking looks and girl-next-door charm made her one of the most sought after teen models of that time.

Houston had previously been offered several recording agencies (Michael Zager in 1980 and Elektra Records in 1981). In 1983, Gerry Griffith, an A&R; representative from Arista Records saw her performing with her mother in a New York City nightclub and was impressed. He convinced Arista's head Clive Davis to make time to see Houston perform. Davis too was impressed and offered a worldwide recording contract which Houston signed. Later that year, she made her national televised debut alongside Davis on The Merv Griffin Show.

Houston signed with Arista in 1983 but did not begin work on her album immediately. The label wanted to make sure no other label signed the singer away. Davis wanted to ensure he had the right material and producers for Houston's debut album. Some producers had to pass on the project due to prior commitments. Houston first recorded a duet with Teddy Pendergrass entitled "Hold Me" which appeared on his album, Love Language. The single was released in 1984 and gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a Top 5 R&B; hit. It would also appear on her debut album in 1985.

1985–86: Rise to prominence

With production from Michael Masser, Kashif, Jermaine Jackson and Narada Michael Walden, Houston's self-titled debut album was released in February 1985. Rolling Stone Magazine praised the new talent, calling her "one of the most exciting new voices in years" while The New York Times called the album "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent." The first single, the dance-funk "Someone For Me", failed to chart in the US and UK. The next single, "Thinking About You", reached the top ten of the US R&B; Chart, as the album sold modestly. The release of the next single, the soulful ballad "You Give Good Love", peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and went to #1 on the R&B; Charts. The next single, "How Will I Know", peaked at #1 and introduced Houston to the MTV audience thanks to its video. This would make the singer the first African-American female artists to receive heavy rotation on the network. The final single, "Greatest Love of All", became Houston's biggest hit at the time after peaking #1 and remaining there for three weeks. At the time, Houston released the best-selling debut album by a female artist. Houston then embarked on her world tour, Greatest Love Tour. The album had become an international success, and was certified 13x Platinum (diamond) in the United States alone, and has sold a total of 25 million copies worldwide.

At the 1986 Grammy Awards, Houston was nominated for three awards including Album of the Year. She was ineligible for the Best New Artist category due to her previous duet recording with Teddy Pendergrass in 1984. She won her first Grammy award for 'Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female' for "Saving All My Love for You". At the same award show, she performed that Grammy-winning hit; that performance later winning her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Houston won seven American Music Awards in total in 1986 and 1987, and an MTV Video Music Award. The album's popularity would also carry over to the 1987 Grammy Awards when "Greatest Love of All" would receive a Record of the Year nomination. Houston's debut album is currently listed as one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and on The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Definitive 200 list. Whitney Houston's grand entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today. Following Houston's breakthrough, doors were opened for other African-American female artists such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker to find notable success in popular music and on MTV.

1987–91: Whitney, I'm Your Baby Tonight and "The Star Spangled Banner"

Houston’s second album, Whitney, was released in June 1987. The album again featured production from Masser, Kashif and Walden as well as Jellybean Benitez. Many critics complained that the material was too similar to her previous album. Rolling Stone said, "the narrow channel through which this talent has been directed is frustrating." Still, the album was an enormous success. Houston became the first female artist in music history to debut at number one on the US and UK album chart while also hitting number one or top ten in dozens of other countries around the world. The album's first four singles, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100, which gave her a total of seven consecutive number one hits, breaking the record of six previously shared by The Beatles and The Bee Gees. The album's fifth, and final single, "Love Will Save the Day" also became a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100. Whitney has been certified 9x Platinum in the US for shipments of over 9 million copies, and has sold a total of 20 million copies worldwide.

At the Grammy Awards in 1988, Houston was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year, winning her second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Also Houston won two American Music Awards in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Following the release of the album, Houston embarked on the Moment of Truth World Tour which was one of the ten highest grossing concert tours of 1987. The success of the tour and her albums ranked Houston #8 for the highest earning entertainers list according to Forbes Magazine. She was the highest earning African-American woman and the third highest entertainer after Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy.

Houston was a supporter of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement. During her modeling days, the singer refused to work with any agencies who did business with the then-apartheid South Africa. In June 1988, during the European leg of her tour, Houston joined other musicians to perform a set at Wembley Stadium in London to celebrate a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Houston then flew back to the US for a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City in August. The show was a benefit concert that raised a quarter of a million dollars for the United Negro College Fund. In the same year, she recorded a song for NBC's coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics, "One Moment in Time", which became a Top 5 hit in the US, while reaching number one in the UK and Germany. With her current world tour continuing overseas, Houston was still one of the top 20 highest earning entertainers for 1987–1988 according to Forbes Magazine.

In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment. With the success of her first two albums, Houston was undoubtedly an international crossover superstar, the most prominent since Michael Jackson, appealing to all demographics. However, some black critics believed she was "selling out". Houston defended herself against the criticism, stating, "If you're gonna have a long career, there's a certain way to do it, and I did it that way. I'm not ashamed of it." while Entertainment Weekly, at the time thought Houston's shift towards an urban direction was "superficial". The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to be certified four times platinum in America while selling twelve million total worldwide. The first two singles, the new jack swing "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and the gospel-tinged "All The Man That I Need", each hit number one on both the US Hot 100 and US R&B; singles charts. The third and fourth singles, "Miracle"; and "My Name Is Not Susan" peaked at numbers nine and twenty, respectively. A fifth single, "I Belong to You", peaked in the Top 10 on the R&B; charts, while yet a sixth single, the duet with Stevie Wonder entitled, "We Didn't Know", made the R&B; Top 20.

With America at war, Houston performed "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in January 1991. VH1 listed the performance as the 12th greatest moment that rocked TV. Her recording of the song was released as a commercial single, and reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit of that magnitude (Jose Feliciano's version reached #50 in November 1968). Houston donated all her share of the proceeds to the Red Cross. Later that year, Houston put together her Welcome Home Heroes concert with HBO for the soldiers fighting in the Gulf War and their families. The free concert took place at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia in front of 3,500 servicemen and women. HBO descrambled the concert so that it was free for everyone to watch. Houston's concert gave HBO its highest ratings ever. She then embarked on the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour.

1992–94: Marriage to Bobby Brown and The Bodyguard

Throughout the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to American football star Randall Cunningham and actor Eddie Murphy, whom she dated. With the huge successes of her albums, movie offers poured in, including offers to work with Robert De Niro, Quincy Jones, and Spike Lee; but Houston felt the time wasn't right. Houston’s first film role was in The Bodyguard, released in 1992 and co-starring Kevin Costner. Houston plays Rachel Marron, a star who is stalked by a crazed fan and hires a bodyguard to protect her. USA Today listed it as one of the 25 most memorable movie moments of the last 25 years. The movie is also notable for not mentioning or needing to explain its interracial aspect. Houston's mainstream appeal allowed people to look at the movie color-blind. Still, controversy arose as some felt the film's ads intentionally hid Houston's face to hide the film's interracial aspect. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine in 1993, the singer commented that "people know who Whitney Houston is—I'm black. You can't hide that fact." and The New York Times said she lacked passion with her co-star. Despite the film's mixed reviews, it was hugely successful at the box office, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 grossing films in film history at its time of release, though it is no longer in the top 100.

The film's soundtrack was also a worldwide success. Houston executive produced and contributed six songs for the motion picture's . It featured production from David Foster. Entertainment Weekly said the two cover songs are "artistically satisfying". Rolling Stone said it is "nothing more than pleasant, tasteful and urbane". The soundtrack's lead single was "I Will Always Love You", written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton in 1974. Some, including Foster and radio programmers, were skeptical that the song would fare well on radio due to Houston's a capella intro. Still, the record company took the risk and released it as the first single and it became a massive global hit. The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks, number one on the R&B; chart for a then-record-breaking 11 weeks, and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks, thus becoming the first single to top those three charts simultaneously for five weeks. The song also hit number-one in nearly every other country worldwide. The soundtrack debuted at #1 and remained there for twenty non-consecutive weeks and became one of the fastest selling albums ever. At one point the soundtrack sold over a million copies within a week, becoming the first album to do so. With the follow-up singles "I'm Every Woman", a Chaka Khan cover, and "I Have Nothing" both peaking in the top five, Houston became the first female artist to ever have three singles in the Top 20 simultaneously. The album was certified 17× platinum in the United States with worldwide sales of 42 million, making "The Bodyguard" the only album by a female act on the list of the world's Top 10 best-selling albums. Houston won three Grammys for the album, including two of the Academy's highest honors, Album of the Year and Record of the Year. In addition, she won eight American Music Awards at that year's ceremony, including the Award of Merit, and a BRIT award. Following the success of the project, Houston embarked on another expansive global tour in 1993 and 1994. Her concerts, movie, and recording grosses made her the third highest earning female entertainer of 1993–1994, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand according to Forbes Magazine. Houston placed in the top five of Entertainment Weekly's annual "Entertainer of the Year" ranking and was labeled by Premier Magazine as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood.

In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela. At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people. This would make the singer the first major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid free nation following Mandela's winning election. The concert was broadcast live on HBO with funds of the concerts being donated to various charities in South Africa. The event was considered the nation's "biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela."

1995–97: Waiting to Exhale, The Preacher's Wife and Cinderella

In 1995, Houston starred alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon in her second film Waiting to Exhale, a motion picture about four African-American women struggling with relationships. Houston plays the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man. She chose the role because she saw the film as "a breakthrough for the image of black women because it presents them both as professionals and as caring mothers". it proved that a movie primarily targeting a black audience can cross over to success, while paving the way for other all-black movies such as How Stella Got Her Groove Back and the Tyler Perry movies that have become popular in the 2000s. The film is also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle class citizens as opposed to stereotypes. The reviews were mainly positive for the ensemble cast. The New York Times said "Ms. Houston has shed the defensive hauteur that made her portrayal of a pop star in 'The Bodyguard' seem so distant." Houston was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Actress In A Motion Picture," but lost to her co-star Bassett.

Like Houston's previous project, the film's accompanying soundtrack was also a huge hit. Houston co-produced, with Babyface, the soundtrack, . Though Babyface originally wanted Houston to record the entire album, she declined. Instead, she "wanted it to be an album of women with vocal distinction", and thus gathered several African-American female artists for the soundtrack, to go along with the film's strong women message. As a result, the album featured a range of contemporary R&B; female recording artists along with Houston, such as Mary J Blige, Aretha Franklin, Toni Braxton, Patti Labelle, and Brandy. Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" peaked at #1, and then spent a record eleven weeks at the #2 spot and eight weeks on top of the R&B; Charts. "Count On Me", a duet with CeCe Winans, hit the US Top 10; and Houston's third contribution, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", made the Top 30. The album debuted at #1, and was certified 7× Platinum in the United States, denoting shipments of seven million copies. and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks. Newsday called it "the most significant R&B; record of the decade." Later that year, Houston's children's charity organization was awarded a VH1 Honor for all the charitable work

In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy The Preacher's Wife, with Denzel Washington. She plays a gospel-singing wife of a pastor (Courtney B. Vance). Houston earned $10 million for the role, making her one of the highest paid actress in Hollywood at the time and the highest earning African American actress in Hollywood. The movie, with its all African-American cast, was a moderate success, earning approximately $50 million at the U.S. box offices. The movie gave Houston her strongest reviews so far. The San Francisco Chronicle said Houston "is rather angelic herself, displaying a divine talent for being virtuous and flirtatious at the same time" and that she "exudes gentle yet spirited warmth, especially when praising the Lord in her gorgeous singing voice." Houston was again nominated for an NAACP Image Award and won for Outstanding Actress In A Motion Picture.

Houston recorded and co-produced, with Mervyn Warren, the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack. included six gospel songs with Georgia Mass Choir that were recorded at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Houston also duetted with gospel legend Shirley Caesar. The album sold six million copies worldwide and scored hit singles with "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step by Step", becoming the largest selling gospel album of all time. The album received mainly positive reviews. Some critics, like USA Today, noted the presence of her emotional depth, while The UK Times said "To hear Houston going at full throttle with the 35 piece Georgia Mass Choir struggling to keep up is to realise what her phenomenal voice was made for."

In 1997, Houston's production company changed its name to BrownHouse Productions and was joined by Debra Martin Chase. Their goal was "to show aspects of the lives of African-Americans that have not been brought to the screen before" while improving how African-Americans are portrayed in film and television. Their first project was a made-for-television remake of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the movie as the Fairy Godmother along with Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bernadette Peters. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened. The film is notable for its multi-racial cast and nonstereotypical message. An estimated 60 million viewers tuned into the special giving ABC its highest TV ratings in 16 years. The movie received seven Emmy nominations including Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy, while winning Outstanding Art Direction in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special.

Houston and Chase then obtained the rights to the story of Dorothy Dandridge. Houston was to play Dandridge, who was the first African American actress to be nominated for an Oscar. She wanted the story told with dignity and honor. Later that year, Houston paid tribute to her idols such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Billie Holliday by performing their hits during the three-night HBO Concert Classic Whitney, live from Washington, D.C. The special raised over $300,000 for the Children's Defense Fund.

1998–2000: My Love Is Your Love and Whitney: The Greatest Hits

After spending much of the early and mid 1990s working on motion pictures and their adjacent soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed My Love Is Your Love, was released in November 1998. Though originally slated to be a greatest hits album with a handful of new songs, recording sessions were so fruitful that a new full-length studio album was released. Recorded and mixed in only six weeks, it featured production from Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean and Missy Elliott. The album debuted at number thirteen in the US. It had a funkier and edgier sound than past releases and saw Houston handling urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B;, reggae, torch songs, and ballads all with great dexterity. The album featured several hit singles: "When You Believe" (US #15, UK #4), a duet with Mariah Carey for 1998s The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, it also became an international hit as it peaked in the Top 10 in several countries and won an Academy Award; "Heartbreak Hotel" (US #2, UK# 25) featured Faith Evans and Kelly Price, and number one on the US R&B; chart for seven weeks; "It's Not Right But It's Okay" (US #4, UK #3) won Houston her sixth Grammy Award; "My Love Is Your Love" (US #4, UK #2); and "I Learned from the Best" (US #27, UK #19). These singles became international hits as well, and all the singles, except "When You Believe", became number one hits on the U.S. Dance/Clubplay Chart. The album sold four million copies in America (4x platinum) and a total of eleven million worldwide. and The Village Voice called it "Whitney's sharpest and most satisfying so far". In 1999, Houston participated in VH-1's Divas’ Live '99, alongside Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, and Cher. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70 date My Love Is Your Love worldwide tour. The European leg was Europe's highest grossing arena tour of the year.

In May 2000, was released. The double disc set peaked at number five in the United States and reached number one in the United Kingdom. While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album is notable for featuring house/club remixes of many of Houston's up-tempo hits, in place of their original version. Also included on the album were four new songs: "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (a duet with Enrique Iglesias), "Same Script, Different Cast" (a duet with Deborah Cox), "If I Told You That" (a duet with George Michael), and "Fine", none of which landed in the American Top 40, but were hits in the UK and several other countries. Along with the album, an accompanying DVD was released featuring the music videos to Houston's greatest hits. The greatest hits album was certified triple platinum in the US, with worldwide sales of ten million. Houston and Chase, along with Warner Brothers, were then set to produce a remake of the 1976 film Sparkle about a 1960s singing group of three sisters in Harlem. Aaliyah, who was to star in the remake, was killed in a plane crash in 2001 before production began.

2000–05: Just Whitney, drug allegations and personal struggles

Though Houston was seen as a "good girl" with a perfect image in the '80s and early '90s, during the late '90s her behavior changed. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, and canceling concerts and talk-show appearances. With the missed performances and weight loss, rumors about Houston using drugs with her husband circulated. On January 11, 2000, airport security guards discovered marijuana in both Houston's and husband Bobby Brown's luggage at a Hawaiian airport, but the two boarded the plane and departed before authorities could arrive. Charges were later dropped against her and Brown, but rumors of drug usage between the couple would continue to surface. Two months later, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Houston had been scheduled to perform at the event, but did not attend. Shortly thereafter, Houston was scheduled to perform at the Academy Awards but was fired from the event by musical director and long time friend Burt Bacharach. Though her publicist cited throat problems as the reason for the cancellation, many speculated it was drugs. In his book The Big Show: High Times And Dirty Dealings Backstage At The Academy Awards, author Steve Pond revealed that "Houston's voice was shaky, she seemed distracted and jittery, and her attitude was casual, almost defiant," and that while Houston was to sing "Over The Rainbow", she would start singing a different song. Houston later admitted to having been fired. Later that year, Houston's long-time executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, resigned from Houston's management company. She later made an appearance on . Her extremely thin frame further spurred rumors of drug use. Houston's publicist said, "Whitney has been under stress due to family matters, and when she is under stress she doesn't eat." The singer was scheduled for a second performance the following night but canceled. Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" would be re-released after the terrorist attacks of September 11. The song peaked at #6 this time on the US Hot 100, topping its previous position. Houston stated that her 81-year-old father had nothing to do with the lawsuit. Although Skinner tried to claim otherwise, John Houston never appeared in court. Houston's father later died in February 2003. The lawsuit was dismissed on April 5, 2004, and Skinner was awarded nothing.

Also in 2002, Houston did an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote her upcoming album "Just Whitney". The interview was the highest-rated television interview in history. During the prime-time special, Houston spoke on topics including rumored drug use and marriage. She was asked about the ongoing drug rumors and replied, "First of all, let's get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack." Houston did, however, admit to using other substances at times. Some reviews from publications were positive, but Rolling Stone said the album "only shows an artist vainly trying to reach for her future," while The San Francisco Chronicle said the album did "show signs of life, but not enough to declare a resurrection." The album debuted at #9 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and it had the highest first week sales of any album Houston had ever released. However, the singles struggled on the charts. "Whatchulookinat", "One of Those Days", and "Try It on My Own" didn't reach the Top 40, but the singles performed somewhat better on the R&B; Chart. All singles, including the song "Love That Man", would become hits on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, with the latter three reaching number one on that chart. Just Whitney was certified platinum in the United States, and sold approximately three million worldwide.

In late 2003, Houston released her first Christmas album , with a song listing of traditional holiday songs. Houston produced the album with Mervyn Warren and Gordon Chambers. The album received positive reviews. The New York Times praised her "lavish swoops, the sultry whispers, the gospelly asides and the meteoric crescendos." USA Today also gave the album a positive review, stating, "she finds satisfying ways to bring new life to old classics." The single "One Wish (for Christmas)" reached the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and the album was certified gold in the US.

In early 2004, husband Bobby Brown starred in his own reality TV program, Being Bobby Brown (on the Bravo network), which provided a view into the domestic goings-on in the Brown household. Though it was Brown's vehicle, Houston was a prominent figure throughout the show, receiving as much screen time as Brown. The series aired in 2005 and featured Houston in, what some would say, not her most flattering moments. The Hollywood Reporter said it was "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television." Despite the perceived train-wreck nature of the show, the series gave Bravo its highest ratings in its time slot and continued Houston's successful forays into film and television. The show was not renewed for a second season after Houston stated she would no longer appear in it, and Brown and Bravo could not come to an agreement for another season.

2006–present: Return to music, I Look To You and tour

After years of controversy and turmoil, Houston separated from Bobby Brown in September 2006, filing for divorce the next month. On February 1, 2007, Houston asked the court to fast track their divorce. The divorce was finalized on April 24, 2007, with Houston granted custody of the couple's daughter. Less than a month later, Brown sued Houston in Orange County, California court in an attempt to change the terms of their custody agreement. Brown also sought child and spousal support from Houston. In the lawsuit, Brown claimed that financial and emotional problems prevented him from properly responding to Houston's divorce petition. Brown lost at his court hearing as the judge dismissed his appeal to overrule the custody terms, leaving Houston with full custody and Brown with no spousal support. In March 2007, Clive Davis of Arista Records announced that Houston would begin recording a new album. In October 2007, Arista released The Ultimate Collection. In 2009, Houston embarked on a world tour, entitled the Nothing But Love Tour. It is her first world tour in over ten years and was announced as a triumphant comeback. However, some poor reviews and rescheduled concerts brought some negative media attention.

Houston released her new album, I Look To You, on August 2009. The album's first two singles are "I Look To You" and "Million Dollar Bill". The album entered the Billboard 200 at #1, with Houston's best opening-week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first number one album since The Bodyguard , and Houston's first studio album to reach number one since 1987's Whitney. Houston gave her first interview in seven years, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's season premiere on September 2009. The interview was billed as "the most anticipated music interview of the decade". The interview was so candid that Whitney admitted using drugs with former husband Bobby Brown describing to Oprah that she "laced marijuana with rock cocaine". Houston has also appeared on European television programs to promote the album. She performed the song "I Look To You" on the German television show Wetten Dass. Three days later, she performed the worldwide first single from I Look To You, Million Dollar Bill, on the French television show Le Grand Journal. Houston appeared as guest mentor on The X Factor in the United Kingdom. She performed "Million Dollar Bill" on the following day's results show, completing the song even as a strap in the back of her dress popped open two minutes into the performance. She later commented that she "sang [herself] out of [her] clothes". The performance was poorly received by the British media, and was variously described as "weird" and "ungracious", "shambolic" and a "flop". Despite this reception, "Million Dollar Bill" jumped to its peak from 14 to number 5 (her first UK top 5 for over a decade), and three weeks after release "I Look To You" went gold. Houston redeemed herself by appearing on the Italian version of X Factor performing the same song "Million Dollar Bill" to good reviews. She was awarded the Gold Certificate for achieving over 50,000 CD sales of "I Look To You" in Italy. In November, Houston performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" at the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. The performance had one of the best, if not the best reviews on the night. Two days later, Houston performed both songs on the Dancing With The Stars season 9 finale. As of December 2009, "I Look to You" has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of more than one million copies in the United States.

In January 2010 Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, one for Best Female Artist and one for Best Music Video. She won the award for Best Music Video for her single I Look to You. On January 16, she received the BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry. The 2010 BET Honors was held at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC and aired February 1, 2010. Jennifer Hudson and Kim Burrell performed in honor of her, garnering positive reviews. Houston also received a nomination from the Echo Awards, Germany's version of the Grammys, for Best International Artist. In April 2010, the UK newspaper The Mirror reported that Houston was thinking about recording her eighth studio album and would like to collaborate with will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas), her first choice for a collaboration. Houston also performed on the 2011 BET Celebration of Gospel, with gospel–jazz singer Kim Burrell, held at the Staple Center, Los Angeles. The performance will air on January 30, 2011.

Legacy

Voice and influence

During the 1980s, MTV was coming into its own and received harsh criticism for not playing enough videos by black artists. With Michael Jackson breaking down the color barrier for black male artists, Houston did the same for black female artists. She became one of the few black female artists to receive heavy rotation on the network following the success of the "How Will I Know" video. Following Houston's breakthrough, other African-American female artists, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker, were successful in popular music. Allmusic also noted her contribution to success of black artists on the pop scene, commenting "Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop, and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity; the result was an across-the-board appeal that was matched by scant few artists of her era, and helped her become one of the first black artists to find success on MTV in Michael Jackson's wake." The New York Times stated that "Houston was a major catalyst for a movement within black music that recognized the continuity of soul, pop, jazz and gospel vocal traditions". Richard Corliss of TIME magazine commented about her first success breaking various barriers as follows; "Of her first album's ten cuts, six were ballads. This chanteuse[Houston] had to fight for air play with hard rockers. The young lady had to stand uncowed in the locker room of macho rock. The soul strutter had to seduce a music audience that anointed few black artists with superstardom. [...] She was a phenomenon waiting to happen, a canny tapping of the listener's yen for a return to the musical middle. And because every new star creates her own genre, her success has helped other blacks, other women, other smooth singers find an avid reception in the pop marketplace." Mary J. Blige said that Houston's inviting her onstage during VH1's Divas Live show in 1999 "opened doors for [her] all over the world."

Houston's debut is currently listed as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey’s chart-topping vocal gymnastics.

Houston is a mezzo-soprano. Her vocal range extends from G below middle C (G₃) to high B-flat (B₅); she can belt out to treble F (F₅). Describing Houston's voice, Mariah Carey states "[She] has a really rich, strong mid-belt that very few people have. She sounds really good, really strong." While in her review of I Look To You, music critic Ann Powers of The Los Angeles Times writes, "[Houston's voice] stands like monuments upon the landscape of 20th century pop, defining the architecture of their times, sheltering the dreams of millions and inspiring the climbing careers of countless imitators," adding "When she was at her best, nothing could match her huge, clean, cool mezzo-soprano." sixth on Online Magazine COVE's list of the 100 Best Pop Vocalists with a score of 48.5/50. In 2008, Rolling Stone listed Houston as the thirty-fourth of the 100 greatest singers of all time, stating "Her voice is a mammoth, coruscating cry: Few vocalists could get away with opening a song with 45 unaccompanied seconds of singing, but Houston's powerhouse version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is a tour de force."

Houston's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry. She has been called the "Queen of Pop" for her influence during the 1990s, rivaling Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. She is commonly referred to as "The Voice", in reference to her exceptional vocal talent. According to The New York Times, Houston has "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing". Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times referred to the singer as a "national treasure". Similarly, Steve Huey from Allmusic wrote that the shadow of Houston's prodigious technique still looms large over nearly every pop diva and smooth urban soul singerㅡmale or femaleㅡin her wake, and spawned a legion of imitators. A number of artists have acknowledged Houston as an influence. Mariah Carey, who was often compared to Houston, said, "Houston has been a big influence on me." She later told USA Today that "none of us would sound the same if Aretha Franklin hadn't ever put out a record, or Whitney Houston hadn't." Brandy stated "The first Whitney Houston CD was genius. That CD introduced the world to her angelic yet powerful voice. Without Whitney half of this generation of singers wouldn't be singing," picking Houston's first album as a work of inspired. Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson cites Houston as her biggest musical influence. She told Newsday that she learned from Houston the "difference between being able to sing and knowing how to sing". Leona Lewis, who has been called as the New Whitney Houston, also cites her as an influence. Lewis has stated that she idolized as a little girl. Beyoncé Knowles told the Globe and Mail that Houston "inspired [her] to get up there and do what [she] did." Alicia Keys, in the interview on her new studio album with the Billboard magazine, also said "Whitney is an artist who inspired me from [the time I was] a little girl." Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Ciara, P!nk, Jennifer Hudson, Amerie, Destiny's Child, Regine Velasquez and Charice have all cited Houston as a musical inspiration.

Discography

Whitney Houston (1985)

Whitney (1987)

I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990)

My Love Is Your Love (1998)

Just Whitney (2002)

(2003)

I Look to You (2009)

Filmography

Tours and concerts

;World tours

1986: Greatest Love Tour

1987–1988: Moment of Truth World Tour

1991: I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour

1993–1994: The Bodyguard World Tour

1999: My Love Is Your Love World Tour

2009–2010: Nothing But Love World Tour

;Regional tours

1990: Feels So Right Tour

1997: The Pacific Rim Tour

1998: The European Tour

2004: Soul Divas Tour

;Notable concerts

1988: Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute

1991: Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston

1991: Super Bowl XXV

1994:

1997: Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.

Further reading

See also

Whitney Houston chart records and achievements

List of Whitney Houston awards

Grammy nominations for Whitney Houston

American Music Award nominations for Whitney Houston

List of best-selling music artists

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References

External links

Whitney Houston at Whitney Info

Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats Category:Whitney Houston Category:1963 births Category:African American actors Category:African American female singers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American dance musicians Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:American vegetarians Category:Arista Records artists Category:Baptists from the United States Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:World record holders Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers

Name	Rick Astley
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Richard Paul Astley
Born	February 06, 1966Newton-le-Willows, (then Lancashire, now Merseyside), England
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, drums, keyboards
Genre	Pop, Dance-pop, Blue-eyed soul
Occupation	Singer-songwriter,musician
Years active	1985–19932000–present
Label	RCA, Polydor, Cruz
Associated acts	FBIStock Aitken Waterman
Url	rickastley.co.uk

Richard Paul "Rick" Astley (; born 6 February 1966) is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries. Astley holds the record for being the only male solo artist to have his first 8 singles reach the Top 10 in the UK and by retirement in 1993 had sold approximately 40 million records worldwide.

After retiring from the music industry in 1993, Astley made a comeback in 2007 when he became an Internet phenomenon, as his video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" became part of a popular Internet meme known as "Rickrolling". Astley was voted "Best Act Ever" by Internet users at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008.

Biography

Early life

Richard Paul Astley was born on 6 February 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England, becoming the fourth child of his family. His parents divorced when he was five, and Astley was brought up by his father. Astley's musical career started when he was 10 singing in local church choir. During his schooldays, Rick formed and played the drums in a number of local bands. The reason for Astley to be hired initially as a 'tape op', was to overcome his shyness.

Success

His first single was the little-known "When You Gonna", released as a collaboration with Lisa Carter, with little promotion. It did not chart. His first solo offering was "Never Gonna Give You Up", recorded on New Year's Day 1987, and released eight months later, in August. Astley's distinctive rich, deep voice combined with dance pop, made the song an immediate success, spending five weeks at the top of the British charts and becoming the year's highest-selling single. The song was also a worldwide number one hit, topping the charts in 24 other countries, including the U.S., Australia, and Germany. It would become the first of 13 (worldwide) top 30 hit singles for him. "Never Gonna Give You Up" won Best British single at the 1988 BPI awards (now called the BRIT Awards),

His next single was "Whenever You Need Somebody", which was released in October. The single was a recycled Stock, Aitken, Waterman song, originally recorded by O'Chi Brown in 1985. It became a successful European hit, reaching #1 in seven countries, including Germany and Sweden, following up the success of his debut single. It also reached #3 in the UK. It was not released in North America.

In November 1987, the album Whenever You Need Somebody, containing four Astley written tracks, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, and #10 in the U.S. It was certified 4x Platinum in the UK and Canada, and 2x Platinum in the US. Overall Whenever You Need Somebody sold 15.2 million copies worldwide, making him the top selling British act of the year. This led to a slow down of purchases of Astley's version, allowing the Pet Shop Boys to reach the coveted top spot. Despite selling over 200,000 copies and gaining a Silver certification from the BPI, it peaked in the UK at #2 for two weeks. The re-release of Nat King Cole's version reached #4. The B side was a dance number "My Arms Keep Missing You", which was successful in Mainland Europe.

Astley's fourth single release would be "Together Forever" in 1988, reaching #2 in the UK. It was denied the top spot by Neighbours sensation Kylie Minogue's debut "I Should Be So Lucky". "Together Forever" was more successful state-side, topping the U.S charts, making it his second U.S chart topper, which meant Astley was one of the few British acts to crack the American market. In 1989 he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist, but lost to Tracy Chapman.

His fifth and final release from his debut album was "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man". It was a more soulful song, when compared to his other releases, and was mainly intended for the North American market. Thus, it was not released in Britain. It was another hit for Astley, reaching #10 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100, and #1 in Canada. During the period between his debut release and his fifth single, Astley outsold every other artist in the world. In the UK, he was in the Top 40 every week for the first 6 months of his career. This was despite Astley writing five of his new album's tracks. The negative press inevitably affected the sales of his singles. The first single from the album to be released was "She Wants To Dance With Me", a number penned by Astley himself. It was another successful single reaching #6 in both the UK and US charts. "Take Me to Your Heart" was the next single to be released from the album. It reached #8 in the UK and was not released in the US. The Astley written ballad "Hold Me in Your Arms" reached #10 in the UK and was also not released in North America. The next two singles released from the album were intended for the North American market. "Giving Up On Love" and a cover of The Temptations song "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" charted #38 and #89 in the US respectively.

In December 1989, Astley set off on his first world tour, touring 15 countries including the UK, US, Australia, and Japan. and is one of the few songs to achieve BMI 'Million-Air' status.

Retirement

After 1993, Astley decided to retire from the music industry at the young age of 27 deciding that family life was more important. During Astley's time out of the music business, he helped raise his daughter Emilie, born in 1992. Thus, for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Astley remained largely out of the spotlight. One notable musical appearance by Astley during retirement was as a backing singer on The Lion King soundtrack in 1994. "Nature Boy" and "Close to You". Both Astley and Sony BMG were unhappy with the end result so the album was poorly promoted, again with no promotion from Astley.

In September 2008, Rick was nominated for the 'Best Act Ever' award at the MTV Europe Music Awards On 7 November, following a massive internet campaign by fans, Rick won the award in Liverpool, but was not there in person to receive it. Perez Hilton collected the prize on his behalf. On the back of this, "Never Gonna Give You Up" returned to the UK charts, over 21 years after it was released, peaking at #73 during the Christmas period.

During the late 2000s, Astley continued touring across the globe, touring with various other 80s acts, such as Boy George and Belinda Carlisle in the Here and Now Tour.

Astley today

Astley was a special guest throughout Peter Kay's new tour, The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour...Now On Tour, from 27 April to 22 May 2010. To mark the occasion, Rick Astley released a new single "Lights Out" on his own label. It was released on 7 June 2010. This was Astley's first release in the UK Singles Chart in 17 years. It was well received by radio peaking #15 on the UK Airplay Charts, but failed to become a commercial hit, reaching only #97 on the UK Singles Chart. His next single is "Goodbye But Not The End", which is to be released later in the year. It was unveiled on The Michael Ball Show on ITV.

During the summer 2010, Astley became a radio DJ for London's Magic FM, presenting a Sunday show. Initially the contract was 8 weeks but he proved popular with listeners and his contract was extended till the end of the year. In December 2010, Astley co-hosted with Peter Kay the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2.

Personal life

Rick Astley is married to Lene Bausager, and the couple have one daughter, Emilie, who was born in 1992. Astley met Lene when she was working as a promoter with RCA in 1988. The family lives in the London suburb of Richmond, Surrey.

Discography

Canada Top data: for singles and albums from The Record magazine. US Top data: for singles from The Billboard Hot 100, for albums from The Billboard 200; UK Top data for singles and albums is from UK Singles Chart. Based on various music charts in the UK, US and Canada, Astley has charted a grand total of 14 different hit singles and 6 different hit albums, as of April 2010.

Studio albums

Whenever You Need Somebody (1987)

Hold Me in Your Arms (1989)

Free (1991)

Body & Soul (1993)

Keep It Turned On (2001)

Portrait (2005)

Rickroll internet phenomenon

, 2008]] In 2007 Rick Astley became the subject of a viral Internet meme known as Rickrolling. This is where internet users are tricked into watching Rick Astley's video "Never Gonna Give You Up" by following a link that claims to be something else. Views of this video on various websites are now in their millions. The phenomenon became so popular that on 1 April 2008, YouTube pranked its users by making every single featured video on its front page a Rickroll.

On November 27, 2008, Astley himself participated in a live Rickroll during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends characters were singing "Best Friend", the theme from the 1970s TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Midway through the song, Astley emerged from the float and began to lip sync his signature hit. At the end of Astley's performance, Cheese (a character from Foster's) shouted out "I like Rickrolling!".

Despite the video garnering millions of hits on YouTube, Astley has earned almost no money from the meme, receiving only US$12 in royalties from YouTube for his performance share.

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)

List of number-one albums (UK)

List of number-one singles (UK)

List of number-one hits (United States)

List of songs by British artists which reached number-one on the Hot 100 (USA)

The Rickrollerz

References

External links

Official Rick Astley website

Official Rick Astley MySpace

Official Rick Astley YouTube channel (1987-93) (country restricted)

Official Rick Astley YouTube channel (2010-)

Category:1966 births Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:BRIT Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English pop singers Category:Living people

Category:People from Newton-le-Willows Category:Polydor Records artists Category:RCA Records artists

Name	Peggy Lee
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Norma Deloris Egstrom
Born	May 26, 1920 Jamestown, North Dakota, U.S.
Died	January 21, 2002Bel Air, California, U.S.
Genre	Traditional pop, jazz
Occupation	Singer, actress songwriter
Voice type	Contralto
Years active	1941–2000
Label	Decca Records Capitol Records
Associated acts	Jo Stafford, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney}}

Peggy Lee (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002) was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning nearly seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged her own sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and performer. She wrote music for films, acted, and created conceptual record albums---encompassing poetry, jazz, chamber pop, art songs, and other genres.

Biography

Early life

Lee had Norwegian and Swedish ancestry, and was born Norma Deloris Egstrom in Jamestown, North Dakota, the seventh of eight children of Marvin Egstrom, a station agent for the Midland Continental Railroad. Her mother died when she was four years old. She sang professionally with KOVC radio in Valley City, North Dakota. She later had her own series on a radio show sponsored by a local restaurant that paid her a "salary" in food. Both during and after her high school years Lee sang for paltry sums on local radio stations. Radio personality Ken Kennedy of WDAY in Fargo (the most widely listened to station in North Dakota) changed her name from Norma to Peggy Lee. Lee left home and traveled to Los Angeles at the age of 17.

She returned to North Dakota for a tonsillectomy and eventually made her way to Chicago for a gig at The Buttery Room, a nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel East, where she drew the attention of Benny Goodman, the jazz clarinetist and band leader. According to Lee, "Benny's then-fiancée, Lady Alice Duckworth, came into The Buttery, and she was very impressed. So the next evening she brought Benny in, because they were looking for replacement for Helen Forrest. And although I didn't know, I was it. He was looking at me strangely, I thought, but it was just his preoccupied way of looking. I thought that he didn't like me at first, but it just was that he was preoccupied with what he was hearing." She joined his band in 1941 and stayed for two years.

Recording career

In early 1942, Lee had her first #1 hit, "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place", followed by 1943's "Why Don't You Do Right?" (originally sung by Lil Green), which sold over a million copies and made her famous. She sang with Goodman in two 1943 films, Stage Door Canteen and The Powers Girl.

In March 1943, Lee married Dave Barbour, the guitarist in Goodman's band. Peggy said, "David joined Benny's band and there was a ruling that no one should fraternize with the girl singer. But I fell in love with David the first time I heard him play, and so I married him. Benny then fired David, so I quit, too. Benny and I made up, although David didn't play with him anymore. Benny stuck to his rule. I think that's not too bad a rule, but you can't help falling in love with somebody."

When Lee and Barbour left the band, the idea was that he would work in the studios and she would keep house and raise their daughter, Nicki. But she drifted back towards songwriting and occasional recording sessions for the fledgling Capitol Records in 1947, for whom she produced a long string of hits, many of them with lyrics and music by Lee and Barbour, including "I Don't Know Enough About You" and "It's a Good Day" (1948). With the release of the smash #1-selling record of 1947, "Mañana", her "retirement" was over.

In 1948, she joined Perry Como and Jo Stafford as one of the rotating hosts of the NBC Radio musical program Chesterfield Supper Club. She was also a regular on NBC's Jimmy Durante Show during the 1938-48 season.

She left Capitol for a few years in the early 1950s, but returned in 1953. She is most famous for her cover version of the Little Willie John hit "Fever", to which she added her own, uncopyrighted lyrics ("Romeo loved Juliet," "Captain Smith and Pocahontas") and her rendition of Leiber and Stoller's "Is That All There Is?". Her relationship with the Capitol label spanned almost three decades, aside from her brief but artistically rich detour (1952–1956) at Decca Records, where she recorded one of her most acclaimed albums Black Coffee (1956). While recording for Decca, Lee had hit singles with the songs "Lover" and "Mr. Wonderful."

Lee is today internationally recognized for her signature song "Fever". She had a string of successful albums and top 10 hits in three consecutive decades. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz vocalists of all time, being cited as a mentor to diverse artists such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Madonna, and Dusty Springfield. Lee was also an accomplished actress,.

In her 60-year-long career, Peggy was the recipient of three Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, an Academy Award nomination, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Award; the Presidents Award, the Ella Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Living Legacy Award, from the Women's International Center. In 1999 Peggy Lee was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Songwriting

She was also known as a songwriter with such hits as the songs from the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp, for which she also supplied the singing and speaking voices of four characters. Her other collaborators included Laurindo Almeida, Harold Arlen, Sonny Burke, Cy Coleman, Duke Ellington, Dave Grusin, Quincy Jones, Francis Lai, Jack Marshall, Johnny Mandel, Marian McPartland, Willard Robison, Lalo Schifrin and Victor Young.

She wrote the lyrics for:

"I Don't Know Enough About You"

"It's A Good Day", composed by Dave Barbour, "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'", composed with Duke Ellington

"The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter"

"Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)"

"Bless You (For The Good That's In You)" with Mel Torme

"What More Can a Woman Do?"

"Don't Be Mean to Baby"

"New York City Ghost" with Victor Young

"You Was Right, Baby"

"Just an Old Love of Mine"

"Everything's Movin' Too Fast"

"The Shining Sea"

"He's A Tramp"

"The Siamese Cat Song"

"There Will Be Another Spring"

"Johnny Guitar" with Victor Young

"Sans Souci" with Sonny Burke

"So What's New?"

"Don't Smoke in Bed"

"I Love Being Here With You"

"Happy With the Blues" with Harold Arlen

"Where Can I Go Without You?"

"Things Are Swingin'"

"Then Was Then" with Cy Coleman

The first song she composed was "Little Fool", published in 1941. "What More Can a Woman Do?" was recorded by Sarah Vaughan with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)" was no.1 for 9 weeks on the Billboard singles chart in 1948, from the week of March 13 to May 8.

During a time when youths began turning to rock'n'roll, she was one of the mainstays of Capitol recordings. She was the first of the "old guard" to recognize this new genre, as is evident in her recordings of the Beatles, Randy Newman, Carole King, James Taylor and other up-and-coming songwriters. From 1957 until her final disc for the company in 1972, she routinely produced a steady stream of two or three albums per year which usually included standards (often arranged in a style quite different from the original), her own compositions, and material from young artists.

Acting career

Lee also starred and sang in the hit films The Jazz Singer, Disney's Lady and the Tramp, and Pete Kelly's Blues, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1952, she played opposite Danny Thomas in a remake of the early Al Jolson film, The Jazz Singer. In 1955, she played a despondent, alcoholic blues singer in Pete Kelly's Blues (1955), for which she was nominated for an Oscar. After years of poor health, Lee died of complications from diabetes and a heart attack at the age of 81. Her legacy lives on through her daughter Nicki Lee Foster, whom she had with Barbour. She is interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles' Westwood neighborhood. On her marker in a garden setting is inscribed, "Music is my life's breath."

Legacy

Academy Awards memoriam omission

She was not featured in Memoriam Tribute during the Academy Awards ceremony. When her family requested she be featured in the following year's ceremony, the Academy stated they did not honor requests and Lee was omitted because her contribution to film and her legacy were not deemed significant enough, although she had been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Pete Kelly's Blues. Her family pointed out that, although she had been omitted, R&B; singer/actress Aaliyah, who died a few months earlier, was included though having been in only one moderately successful film, Romeo Must Die (Queen of the Damned had yet to be released). The Academy provided no comment on the oversight.

Awards

Lee was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her 1969 hit "Is That All There Is?" In 1995 she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lee is a recipient of the state of North Dakota's Roughrider Award; the Pied Piper Award from The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP); the Presidents Award, from the Songwriters Guild of America; the Ella Award for Lifetime Achievement, from the Society of Singers; and the Living Legacy Award, from the Women's International Center. In 1999 she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Carnegie Hall tribute

In 2003, "There'll Be Another Spring: A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee" was held at Carnegie Hall. Produced by recording artist Richard Barone, the sold-out event included performances by Cy Coleman, Debbie Harry, Nancy Sinatra, Rita Moreno, Marian McPartland, Chris Connor, Petula Clark, and many others. In 2004, Barone brought the event to the Hollywood Bowl and Chicago's Ravinia Festival, with expanded casts including Maureen McGovern, Jack Jones, and Bea Arthur. The Carnegie Hall concert was broadcast on NPR's "Jazz Set".

Bibliography

;Autobiography

Peggy Lee, Miss Peggy Lee: An Autobiography, 2002, Bloomsbury (UK), ISBN 0-7475-5907-4

;Biography

Peter Richmond, Fever: The Life and Music of Miss Peggy Lee, 2006, Henry Holt and Company, ISBN 0-8050-7383-3

Robert Strom, Miss Peggy Lee: A Career Chronicle, 2005, McFarland Publishing, ISBN 0-7864-1936-9

;Album liner notes

Will Friedwald, Album liner notes The Best of Peggy Lee, The Capitol Years

Discography

Capitol Records

1948 Rendezvous with Peggy Lee (set of 78s: 6 songs)

1952 Rendezvous with Peggy Lee (10-inch LP: 8 songs; 12-inch LP: 12 songs)

Decca Records

1953 Black Coffee (10-inch version)

1954 Songs in an Intimate Style

1954 Selections from Irving Berlin's 'White Christmas' (w/ Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye)

1955 Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues (w/ Ella Fitzgerald)

1956 Black Coffee (12-inch version)

1957 Dream Street

1957 Songs from Walt Disney's "Lady and the Tramp"

1958 Sea Shells (recorded 1955)

1959 Miss Wonderful (recorded 1956)

1964 Lover (recorded 1952)

1964 The Fabulous Peggy Lee (recorded 1953-56)

Capitol Records

1957 The Man I Love

1959 Jump for Joy

1959 Things Are Swingin'

1959 I Like Men!

1959 Beauty and the Beat!

1960 Latin ala Lee!

1960 All Aglow Again!

1960 Pretty Eyes

1960 Christmas Carousel

1960 Olé ala Lee

1961 Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee

1961 If You Go

1962 Blues Cross Country

1962 Bewitching-Lee

1962 Sugar 'N' Spice

1963 Mink Jazz

1963 I'm a Woman

1964 In Love Again!

1964 In the Name of Love

1965 Pass Me By

1965 Then Was Then - Now Is Now!

1966 Guitars A là Lee

1966 Big $pender

1967 Extra Special!

1967 Somethin' Groovy!

1968 2 Shows Nightly

1969 A Natural Woman

1969 Is That All There Is?

1970 Bridge Over Troubled Water

1970 Make It With You

1971 Where Did They Go

1972 Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota

Post-Capitol albums

1974 Let's Love

1975 Mirrors

1977 Live in London

1977 Peggy

1979 Close Enough for Love

1988 Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues

1990

1993 (rec. 1988)

1993 Moments Like This

Chart singles

Filmography

The Powers Girl (1943)

Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Banquet of Melody (1946) (short subject)

Jasper in a Jam (1946) (short subject) (voice)

Midnight Serenade (1947) (short subject)

Peggy Lee and the Dave Barbour Quartet (1950) (short subject)

Mr. Music (1950)

The Jazz Singer (1952)

Lady and the Tramp (1955) (voice)

Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)

Celebrity Art (1973) (short subject)

Mystery guest on What's My Line? (02/28/1960)

References

External links

Official website: PeggyLee.com

Peggy Lee Discography

Songwriters Hall of Fame's Peggy Lee exhibit

Review of a Peggy Lee biography by Mark Steyn

Category:1920 births Category:2002 deaths Category:American actors Category:American contraltos Category:American female singers Category:American jazz singers Category:American Lutherans Category:Songwriters from North Dakota Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Deaths from diabetes Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Decca Records artists Category:Disease-related deaths in California Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Musicians from North Dakota Category:American actors of Norwegian descent Category:American musicians of Norwegian descent Category:People from Stutsman County, North Dakota Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:American actors of Swedish descent Category:American musicians of Swedish descent Category:Torch singers Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Women in jazz

Name	Kutless
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Portland, Oregon, United States
Genre	Alternative rock, Christian rock, hard rock, post-grunge
Years active	2000–present
Label	BEC/Tooth & Nail
Url	Kutless.com
Current members	Jon Micah SumrallJames MeadJeffrey GilbertDave LuetkenhoelterNick DePartee
Past members	Nathan "Stu" StuartKyle ZeiglerKyle MitchellRyan Shrout

Kutless is a Christian rock band from Portland, Oregon formed in 2000. Since their formation, they have released six studio albums including their latest, It Is Well. The band has also released a live album, Live from Portland. Currently, they have sold almost 2 million records.

Biography

Formed in Portland, Oregon as a Campus Worship band named Call Box. They performed during the 1999-2000 school year at Warner Pacific. Their first guitarist, Andrew Morrison, decided to leave the band shortly before they signed with BEC records. James Mead replaced Andrew at lead guitar. The Band changed their name to "Kutless" in October 2001 before releasing their first three track EP followed up by their full-length album in 2002 on BEC Recordings. Kutless chose their name because of a specific Bible verse. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (NRSV). Because of this, the band says, "He took our cuts for us... leaving us 'Kutless'." Their first single was called "Your Touch". Their second single from their debut album, "Run", would go on to hold the record for the longest charting song in the history of the R&R; Top 40 charts.

Kutless got their big debut between February and April 2003 when they opened up for Audio Adrenaline and MercyMe, two famous Christian bands at that time.In 2004, after releasing and selling over 250,000 copies of their second full-length album, Sea of Faces, Kutless would go on their first headlining tour, X 2004. That same year, Kutless was slated to perform at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece, but could not make it due to the airline canceling their flight. In 2005, kutless played a Katrina Benefit Relief Concert in their hometown of Portland Oregon. They also released their first worship album, Strong Tower. After recording but before release of Strong Tower, bassist Kyle Zeigler and drummer Kyle Mitchell left the band to form VERBATIM Records, a nationally distributed record label based in the Portland, Oregon area. They were replaced with bassist Dave Luetkenhoelter and drummer Jeffrey Gilbert, who both came from the recently broken-up Christian rock band Seven Places. Kutless also went on the Strong Tower tour that year. Later in 2005, Kutless began recording their fourth full-length album. The album, Hearts of the Innocent, was released on March 21, 2006. The band followed up with a tour, also featuring Stellar Kart, Disciple, and Falling Up.

On the March 28, 2006, episode of NBC's Scrubs, titled "My Bright Idea", a significant portion of the song "All of the Words" from Sea of Faces was featured during the final scene. The episode hit an eleven week ratings high, and was among the first Scrubs episodes that can be downloaded on iTunes. Laura Hutfless from the William Morris Agency said, "Placing the Kutless song, 'All the Words', on Scrubs was truly a team effort. We at William Morris were all very pleased with the way the song was incorporated into the television show and are thrilled that millions of Americans have now been exposed to this incredible band. I'm confident that this is only the beginning for Kutless as they continue to give their audience captivating and inspirational music and win new fans everyday." Kutless’s video "Shut Me Out" has been placed on an exclusive Microsoft/Wal-Mart DVD give-a-way. Consumers who purchase the new Xbox game The Apprentice, featuring Donald Trump, will receive a copy of Kutless's new video. This is estimated to be in the hands of 350,000 gamers. Plus, Target Stores announced that the "Shut Me Out" video will play nationwide in all stores on Target TV (Red Channel) beginning in May (from Big Machine Media). Suzuki Motor Corporation announced that it will be the sole sponsor of the band's Hearts of the Innocent tour.

Departure of Shrout

In May 2007, longtime Kutless guitarist Ryan Shrout decided to leave Kutless, after his daughter was diagnosed with a rare eye disease. Shrout chose to support his family during this time, and left Kutless to do so. Another guitarist named Nick De Partee has since taken the spot of Ryan, and has recently been a tech for the band before playing guitar for them.

Kutless has left William Morris Agency as their booking company and now book through the DCB Agency which is owned and operated by their management company, Platform Artist Management.

The band's songs "Hearts of the Innocent" and "Beyond the Surface" are playable songs on the Christian Guitar Hero game called "Guitar Praise." Their songs "Shut Me Out" and "Your Touch" were later featured in Guitar Praise's Expansion Pack 1. Their song "The Feeling" appears on the video game Rock Band 2 as an extra downloadable song.

Recent activities

The band made a headline appearance at the "Ultimate Event" Christian concert at Alton Towers in the United Kingdom during May 2009. It was their debut UK appearance. In 2009, the band released another worship album, It Is Well. It was co-produced by Dave Lubben.

They toured with Casting Crowns on the spring leg of the Until The Whole World Hears Tour, and then headlined the It Is Well Tour with Chasen and The Museum. They're currently on the fall leg of the tour with Sidewalk Prophets and Above The Golden State. The band is confirmed to appear on Winter Jam 2011, alongside Newsboys, David Crowder Band, RED, KJ-52, and others.

Members

;Current members

Jon Micah Sumrall - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano (2000–present)

James Mead - guitar, backing vocals (2001–present)

Jeffrey Gilbert - drums (2005–present)

Dave Luetkenhoelter - bass guitar (2005–present)

Nick DePartee - lead guitar, backing vocals (2007–present)

;Former members

Nathan "Stu" Stuart — bass guitar (2000–2002)

Kyle Zeigler — bass guitar (2002–2005)

Kyle Mitchell — drums (2000–2005)

Ryan Shrout — guitar, backing vocals (2000–2007)

Discography

Albums

Miscellaneous Releases

Music Videos

All videos copyright BEC Recordings 2002-2009

Other songs (not included in an album)

"More Than It Seems" - (2005)

"It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" - (2005)

"Mary Did You Know?" - X Christmas (2008)

Singles

References

External links

Official website

Bible Study and Rock Music - by John David Barry

Category:American Christian rock groups Category:Musical groups from Portland, Oregon Category:Tooth and Nail Records artists Category:Christian alternative metal groups

Name	Jennifer Hudson
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jennifer Kate Hudson
Born	September 12, 1981Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	R&B;, soul
Occupation	Singer, actress, spokesperson
Years active	2004–present
Label	Arista
Associated acts	Ne-Yo
Url

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. Hudson has been described as a friend of President Barack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in May 2009. She also performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event.

Early life

Jennifer Hudson was born on September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. She is the third and youngest child of Darnell Donnerson (November 7, 1950 - October 24, 2008) and Samuel Simpson (died 1999) She was raised as a Baptist and attended Dunbar Vocational Career Academy, from which she graduated in 1999. She cites Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle as her overall biggest influences and inspiration. At the age of 7, she got her start in performing by singing with the church choir and doing community theater with the help of her late maternal grandmother, Julia.

American Idol

Hudson auditioned for the third season of American Idol, in Atlanta. In her audition she commented that she had been singing on Disney Cruise Lines for the past few months (as one of the Muses from Hercules); and contestant judge Randy Jackson said, "We're expecting more than a cruise ship performance from you." Jennifer delivered and all the judges agreed it was the best voice they had heard so far in the competition. She was a member of the first group of semifinalists in the Semifinals. She was not voted through to the final round, although she was brought back on the wild card round and put through as a "Top 12" finalist by Jackson.

Hudson struggled to gain popularity in the early stages of Idol's live shows, receiving the second-lowest number of votes in two of the first three shows. However, after a change in song choices, she soon became a favorite to win, receiving the highest number of votes in the "Top 9" after her performance of Elton John's "Circle of Life," on April 6, 2004. Among Hudson's worthy performances on the show was her rendition of Whitney Houston's, "I Have Nothing". Judge Simon Cowell commented that Hudson, "finally proved why she was among the 'Top 12,'" and referred to the performance a week later as, "sensational." During the "Top 7" show, Hudson performed Barry Manilow's, "Weekend in New England," which garnered praise from all three judges. Jackson called the song Hudson's best performance to date; and Simon Cowell noted that Hudson's presence made the third season a, "Battle of the Divas," referencing other powerful vocalists Fantasia Barrino and LaToya London. Despite this praise, Hudson was eliminated during this week, which some blamed in part on a power outage in Hudson's hometown of Chicago due to storms and tornadoes in the area. This also led to controversy since the "Battling Divas" were all in the Bottom 3. On April 21, 2004, Hudson became the sixth of the 12 finalists to be voted off the show, finishing the competition in seventh place.

In May 2010, the Los Angeles Times claimed Hudson to be the third greatest Idol contestant in the history of the show. She placed behind Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson and Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood.

American Idol performances

{|class="wikitable" !Theme week !Song sung !Artist !Date sung !Status |- |Audition |Share Your Love With Me |Aretha Franklin | – |Advanced |- |Hollywood |[N/A] |[N/A] | – |Advanced |- |Semifinals |Imagine |John Lennon |February 10, 2004 |Eliminated |- |Wild Card |I Believe in You and Me |Four TopsWhitney Houston |March 9, 2004 |Selected |- |Top 12Soul Music Week |Baby, I Love You |Aretha Franklin |March 16, 2004 |Bottom 2 |- |Top 11Country Week |No One Else on Earth |Wynonna Judd |March 23, 2004 |Safe |- |Top 10Motown Week |(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave |Martha and the Vandellas |March 30, 2004 |Bottom 2 |- |Top 9Songs of Elton John |Circle of Life |Elton John |April 6, 2004 |Highest Number of Votes |- |Top 8Songs of the Cinema |I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard |Whitney Houston |April 14, 2004 |Safe |- |Top 7Songs of Barry Manilow |Weekend in New England |Barry Manilow |April 20, 2004 |Eliminated |}

Films

Dreamgirls (2006)

In November 2005, Hudson was cast in the role of Effie White for the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls, which also starred Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy. The role, originally created in a Broadway performance by Jennifer Holliday, marked Hudson's debut screen performance. She won the role over hundreds of professional singers and actresses, including Raven-Symoné and Fantasia Barrino. Filming of Dreamgirls began on January 9, 2006, and the film went into limited release on December 25, 2006, and national release on January 12, 2007.

Hudson has won particular praise for her show-stopping onscreen rendition of the hit song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", the signature song of the role, which had earlier been recorded, and had already reached the status of musical standard, because of the definitive performance of Jennifer Holliday. The New York Observer described Hudson's performance of the song as, "five mellifluous, molto vibrato minutes that have suddenly catapulted Ms. Hudson... into the position of front-runner for the best supporting actress Oscar." Newsweek said that when moviegoers hear Hudson sing the song, she, "is going to raise goose bumps across the land." Variety magazine wrote that Hudson's performance, "calls to mind debuts like Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl or Bette Midler in The Rose, with a voice like the young Aretha."

Hudson's version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," debuted at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the January 13, 2007, issue. The Dreamgirls track became Hudson's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B; Airplay chart on February 24, 2007. The track has also reached number 14 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while remixes of the song have topped the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.

As Effie White, Hudson has garnered 29 awards from film critics as Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performer of 2006. She won the Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In addition, she has been named Best Supporting Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and also by the Screen Actors Guild. After seeing Hudson's performance in Dreamgirls, Simon Cowell taped a congratulatory message to her, which aired on The Oprah Winfrey Show. With the March 2007 issue, Jennifer Hudson became the third African American celebrity, and the first African-American singer, to grace the cover of Vogue magazine.

On February 25, 2007, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. Upon winning the award, Hudson also became one of the very few performers ever to win an Oscar for a debut screen performance. As of 2009, she is also the only person to have gone from participating in a reality television series to becoming an Academy Award winner. During her acceptance speech, Hudson said: "Oh my God, I have to just take this moment in. I cannot believe this. Look what God can do. I didn't think I was going to win. [...] If my grandmother was here to see me now. She was my biggest inspiration." She also concluded her speech by thanking Jennifer Holliday.

Later in 2007, the Mayor of her home town Chicago, Richard M. Daley, declared March 6 as "Jennifer Hudson Day". She also was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 18, along with 115 other individuals for 2007. Entertainment Weekly'' put her performance on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Sure, Beyoncé's performance was great. And Eddie Murphy's was impressive. But there was really only one reason we all rushed to see 2006's Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's soul-to-the-rafters rendition of the classic "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." When she sang "You're gonna love me," it wasn't just a lyric—it was a fact."

Sex and the City (2008)

In September 2007, Hudson began work on Sex and the City as Louise, Carrie Bradshaw's assistant. In the movie she was said to be a fashionista from St. Louis. Filming finished in December 2007 and the movie was released on May 30, 2008.

The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

In January 2008, she began filming her third film The Secret Life of Bees as Rosaleen, the mother figure of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning). Also starring in the film are fellow Oscar nominees Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo, as well as Alicia Keys. The film opened on October 17, 2008, and grossed over $37 million at the box office. The film won two People's Choice Awards in January 2009 in the categories, Favorite Drama Movie and Favorite Independent Movie. The film also received nine Black Reel Awards nominations including three wins. Hudson was nominated for her performance in the film, but lost to Queen Latifah. The film also received eight nominations at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards, including a nomination for Hudson for her performance.

Fragments (2009)

In 2009, Hudson starred as Kathy Archenault in Fragments, a film based on the novel by Roy Freirich, with Dakota Fanning and Forest Whitaker. The name of the film was changed from "Winged Creatures" to "Fragments". It was released on DVD on August 4, 2009.

Music (2006-present)

In September 2006, Hudson performed the song, "Over It," live on Fox Chicago Morning News. In the interview she stated the song would be included on her debut album, to be released in early 2007 however this was before she signed with Arista. On The Oprah Winfrey Show, Hudson announced plans to enter the studio in March 2007. Hudson said on The Tyra Banks Show, on February 23, 2007, that she just finished the first song for the album. Hudson also recorded a song called, "Stand Up", which was available for preview on her fan website which was produced by Chicago natives Earl Powell and Herman Little III, who arranged the song. The power-ballad is available on the deluxe edition Hudson's self-titled album as a bonus track.

In November 2006, Hudson signed a record deal with Arista Records. She released her debut album and has recently finished recording one song entitled, "Depreciate".

In January 2008 Hudson returned to the studio to record new material for her debut album. Her label was reportedly unhappy with the direction they were sending Hudson musically and decided it would be best to scrap the older songs and instead focus on new ones. Hudson worked with Ryan Tedder and Timbaland on a number of songs.

Her debut single, "Spotlight" was released on June 10, 2008 and became Hudson's first top 40 hit peaking at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit in the UK and Turkey. The second single, "If This Isn't Love" followed it. The second single was to be released in October 2008 and was supposed to be "My Heart". After three of her family members were murdered brutally by her estranged brother-in-law, the single was rescheduled for a January, 2009 release. In January her label decided that the second single would not be "My Heart" and therefore decided the second single would be released in February 2009. After much discussion, her label chose "If This Isn't Love" as the second single. The single eventually peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #37 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single was announced as "Pocketbook" featuring Ludacris in April, 2009, for a June, 2009 release, despite speculation that the third single would be "My Heart" after it was canceled as the second single. In May, 2009, "Pocketbook" was canceled as the third single due to negative reception from fans and critics alike. The third single was then rescheduled as "Giving Myself" and was released on June 2, 2009 to the US.

Her debut album, Jennifer Hudson was released on September 30, 2008 on Arista and was written by Ne-Yo, who co-produced along with Stargate. Additional contributors on the album include Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Robin Thicke, Harvey Mason, Jr., Diane Warren, Earl Powell, and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, among others. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 217,000 copies in the US and opened to positive reviews. As of August 2009, the album has sold 739,000 copies in the US, receiving a Gold certification for surpassing sales of 500,000. She has performed the song, "All Dressed in Love" for the Sex and the City soundtrack, which was released on May 27, 2008. Hudson performed the national anthem at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Her debut album garnered Hudson three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards; Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance for "Spotlight", Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "I'm His Only Woman" with Fantasia Barrino, and Best R&B; Album for Jennifer Hudson. She won the last of these and performed at the awards.

Hudson sang The Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XLIII. She toured the United States with Robin Thicke in 2009. Recently, Hudson has suffered through a "throat fatigue" and has had to reschedule her May 16–19, 2009, tour dates. She also sang "Will You Be There" at the Michael Jackson memorial service on July 7, 2009.

Hudson has also recorded "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)," originally by Gladys Knight & the Pips, for American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics—the official American Idol album for the third season. She is featured in a duet, "The Future Ain't What It Used to Be," on Meat Loaf's . She also performed the song "Easy to be Hard" on the Actors' Fund benefit recording of the musical Hair; and she is featured on Ne-Yo's second album, Because of You, on the track, "Leaving Tonight". Hudson sang "Dancing a Catchy Rhythm" with Brooke White.

In September 2009, Ne-Yo told E! Online that Hudson was ready to get personal on her second studio album. When probed for details he said that he might be producing the album. He also said "I'm pretty good at writing personal records…It starts with her idea and her thoughts." She's gone through a lot over the last year, so she has a lot to talk about," he continues. "She's definitely gotten stronger. The things that she's gone through and for her to still be upbeat and happy, it's amazing." at Super Bowl XLIII]] Hudson will be doing a Christmas special on ABC in December 2009 called Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas. She will relive her childhood Christmases with musical performances filmed at her favorite locations in her native Chicago. Hudson will also visit family members, friends and other childhood influences during the broadcast, ABC announced.

On January 22, 2010, Hudson appeared on the telethon "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief", performing the Beatles' "Let it Be". The telecast generated $61 million in donations as of January 26, 2010.

On February 1, 2010, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie planned to organize a re-recording of "We Are the World" on January 28, 2010 — the 25th anniversary of the original recording of the song. However, due to the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.0 M_W earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, these plans were postponed. The new version was recorded on February 1, 2010, and will feature many artists such as Brandy, Gladys Knight, Toni Braxton and many more.

Hudson recorded the song "One Shining Moment" for the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

Personal life

Hudson began dating James Payton in 1999, when she was 18. They were both from Chicago. When asked if they had any plans to marry, Hudson declared that, "We are happy with the place we are right now, but perhaps we will tie the knot someday. One thing's for sure, I definitely won't be popping the question!" The couple separated in late 2007.

Hudson met David Otunga (who appeared as "Punk" from I Love New York 2), a Harvard Law graduate. On September 12, 2008, Hudson's 27th birthday, Otunga proposed marriage. Otunga accompanied Hudson throughout Spring and Autumn 2008 on various promotional events for her films, as well as debut album. In November 2008, he started training to become a professional wrestler and went on to wrestle for WWE under his real name. On August 10, 2009, Hudson gave birth to her first child with Otunga; a boy named David Daniel Otunga Jr.

Hudson owns three Pomeranian dogs named Dreamgirl, Oscar and Grammy.

Family murders

On October 24, 2008, Hudson's 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donnerson, and the singer's 29-year-old brother, Jason, were found shot to death inside the Chicago home Donnerson shared with Hudson's elder sister, Julia. An AMBER Alert was issued for Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, after Hudson's sister, Julia, reported him missing.

Later that day, Chicago police arrested a suspect, William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister Julia, but he was not charged with the crime. Balfour was on parole and had spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle. The Illinois Department of Corrections' records revealed one of Balfour's addresses to be the home where Donnerson and Jason Hudson were murdered.

Three days later, on October 27, 2008, the dead body of a young boy was found inside a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban parked on a street in Chicago's West Side area. The license plate and the vehicle's description matched that given in the AMBER Alert. The FBI confirmed the body was that of Julian King. Autopsy reports released on October 29, 2008, from the Cook County Medical Examiner's office indicated that Julian King's death was due to "multiple gunshot wounds".

A gun found in a West Side vacant lot was confirmed to be the murder weapon by Chicago police Superintendent Jody Weis on October 31, 2008. The gun belonged to Jason Hudson and had been missing for several months.

Funeral services for the three victims were held on November 3, followed by a private service at Chicago's South Side Apostolic Church of God on November 10. Hudson's family announced creation of The Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims, in honor of Hudson's mother, brother and nephew.

Because he had not yet been officially charged with the murders, Balfour appeared without an attorney at 35-minute parole violation hearing on November 10, 2008; the hearing decision was that he was believed to have violated parole and should be held in custody until a December 3 hearing before the full Illinois Prisoner Review Board.

Balfour became the prime suspect on December 1, 2008, and was transferred into police custody. A police department spokesperson said, "He is awaiting formal charges for three counts of murder. There likely will be a press conference once there are formal charges against him." Balfour was officially charged with three counts of first degree murder, one count of home invasion and was denied bail. Balfour was indicted for the murders on December 30, 2008, and pleaded not guilty in a January 27, 2009, court appearance.

On February 1, 2009, Hudson made her first public appearance since the murders when she sang the Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XLIII.

Other media

As of April 1, 2010, Hudson is the spokesperson for Weight Watchers. She has lost in the last year and "does not want to lose any more weight."

Discography

Jennifer Hudson (2008)

Filmography

Hudson has appeared in the following film releases: {|class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Year !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Film !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Role !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Notes |- |2006 |Dreamgirls |Effie White |Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressAustin Film Critics Association Award for Breakout ArtistAfrican-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting RoleBET Award for Best ActressBET Award for Best New ArtistBlack Reel Award for Best Supporting ActressBlack Reel Award for Breakthrough PerformanceBroadcast Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressCentral Ohio Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Pauline Kael BreakoutGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureHollywood Life Award for Breakthrough of the YearLas Vegas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureNational Board of Review Award for Best Female Breakthrough PerformanceNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActressNew York Online Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressNew York Online Film Critics Award for Breakthrough PerformerOklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Breakout PerformancePalm Springs International Film Festival Award for Breakthrough PerformanceSatellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting RoleShoWest Female Star of Tomorrow AwardSoul Train Award for Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the YearSoutheastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressSt. Louis Gateway Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: DramaWashington, DC Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressWashington, DC Film Crtics Association Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceNominated- BET Award for Best Female R&B; ArtistNominated- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated- MTV Movie Award for Best PerformanceNominated- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress (Breakout) |- |rowspan=2|2008 |Sex and the City |Louise | |- |The Secret Life of Bees |Rosaleen Daise |Nominated- BET Award for Best ActressNominated- Black Reel Award for Best ActressNominated- Black Reel Award for Best EnsembleNominated- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Movie |- |2009 |''Fragments |Kathy Archenault | |- |2011 |Winnie |Winnie Mandela | |- |}

Awards and nominations

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Year !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Award !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Category !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Result |- |align="center" rowspan=16|2006 |ShoWest |Female Star of Tomorrow – Dreamgirls | |- |Satellite Awards |Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Dreamgirls | |- |National Board of Review of Motion Pictures |Best Female Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |Los Angeles Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |New York Film Critics Circle |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|New York Film Critics Online |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Breakthrough Performer – Dreamgirls | |- |Hollywood Life Awards |Breakthrough of the Year – Dreamgirls | |- |Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|Washington, DC Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |African-American Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Palm Springs International Film Festival |Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |Las Vegas Film Critics Association |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Florida Film Critics Circle Awards |Pauline Kael Breakout – Dreamgirls | |- |Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award |Breakout Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |align="center" rowspan=20|2007 |The National Society of Film Critics |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Austin Film Critics Association |Breakout Artist – Dreamgirls | |- |Broadcast Film Critics Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Golden Globe Awards |Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|Screen Actors Guild |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls | |- |NAACP Image Awards |Best Supporting Actress in a Movie – Dreamgirls | |- |British Academy of Film and Television Awards |Actress in a Supporting Role – Dreamgirls | |- |Central Ohio Film Critics Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=2|Black Reel Awards |Best Supporting Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best Breakthrough Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |Academy Awards |Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Dreamgirls | |- |Soul Train Awards |Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year – Dreamgirls | |- |MTV Movie Awards |Best Performance – Dreamgirls | |- |rowspan=3|BET Awards |Best Female R&B; Artist | |- |Best Actress – Dreamgirls | |- |Best New Artist | |- |rowspan=2|Teen Choice Awards |Choice Movie Actress: Drama – Dreamgirls | |- |Choice Movie Actress (Breakout) – Dreamgirls | |- |align="center" rowspan=3|2008 |Vibe Music Awards |VHollywood Award | |- |rowspan=2|Black Reel Awards |Best Actress – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |Best Ensemble – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |rowspan=17|2009 |rowspan=4|Grammy Awards |Best R&B; Album – Jennifer Hudson | |- |Best R&B; Female Vocal Performance – Spotlight | |- |Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals – I'm His Only Woman featuring Fantasia | |- |Best R&B; Song – Spotlight | |- |rowspan=7|NAACP Image Awards |Outstanding New Artist | |- |Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Movie – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |Outstanding Female Artist | |- |Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration – I'm His Only Woman featuring Fantasia | |- |Outstanding Music Video – Spotlight | |- |Outstanding Song – Spotlight | |- |Outstanding Album – Jennifer Hudson | |- |rowspan=2|BET Awards |Best Female R&B; Artist | |- |Best Actress – The Secret Life of Bees | |- |rowspan=2|Teen Choice Awards |Choice Music: R&B; Artist | |- |Choice Music: R&B; Track – If This Isn't Love | |- |rowspan=2|Soul Train Awards |Best R&B;/Soul Female Artist | |- |Song of the Year – "Spotlight" | |- |align="center" rowspan=2|2010 |rowspan=1|People's Choice Awards |Favorite R&B; Artist | |- |rowspan=1|Teen Choice Awards |Choice American Idol Alum | |}

References

External links

Jennifer Hudson at Allmovie

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Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Chicago, Illinois Category:African American film actors Category:African American female singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American Idol participants Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois

Name	India.Arie
Background	solo_singer
Landscape	Yes
Birth name	India Arie Simpson
Born	October 03, 1975Denver, Colorado, United States
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, flute, keyboard
Voice type	Contralto
Genre	Soul, R&B;, neo soul, blues, folk, pop
Occupation	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Years active	2001–present
Label	Motown (1999–2007)SoulBird / Universal Republic (2007–present)
Url	www.indiaarie.com

India.Arie (born India Arie Simpson; October 3, 1975) is an American soul, R&B;, and neo soul singer-songwriter, record producer, guitarist, and flautist.

Background

Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado. She absorbed musical skills early in life as she was encouraged by both parents. Her mother Joyce is a former singer (she was signed to Motown as a teenager and opened for Stevie Wonder and Al Green) and is now her stylist. She has an older brother named J'On. After her parents divorced, Simpson's mother moved the family to Atlanta, Georgia when she was thirteen. Simpson had taken up a succession of musical instruments throughout her schooling in Denver, but her interest in the guitar while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah, led to a personal revelation about songwriting and performing. "When I started tapping into my own sensitivity, I started to understand people better. It was a direct result of writing songs", she said at the press release of her debut album, Acoustic Soul.

Co-founding the Atlanta-based independent music collective Groovement EarthShare (Groovement was the collective artists' name and EarthShare was their independent label name), her one-song turn on a locally-released compilation led to a second-stage gig at the 1998 Lilith Fair. In 1999, a Universal/Motown music scout spotted her and made an introduction to former Motown CEO Kedar Massenberg. Arie currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

Musical career

Acoustic Soul (2001)

Acoustic Soul was released on March 27, 2001 and debuted at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums. Within months, without the concentrated radio airplay that typically powers pop and rap albums, Acoustic Soul was certified double platinum, selling 2,180,000 copies in the U.S. and 3,000,000 copies worldwide. While Arie and the album were nominated for seven Grammy awards in 2002, they won no awards, losing in five of seven categories to Alicia Keys. She closed the ceremony with a performance of her song "Video".

Voyage to India (2002)

Arie followed the success of her debut on 24 September 2002 with the release of Voyage to India. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B; chart. In 2003 it won her two Grammy Awards in 2003—"Best R&B; Album" and Best Urban/Alternative Performance" for the song "Little Things". Soon after its release, Voyage to India was certified platinum selling 1,400,000 copies in the U.S. and 2,300,000 worldwide .

Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship (2006)

Arie's third studio album, , was released on June 27, 2006. It gave Arie her first number-one spot on the Billboard 200 and was her second chart-topper on the R&B; chart. This album was also the first number-one album for Motown in twelve years . Its first-week sales of 161,000 copies are Arie's best sales week to date and was certified gold in August 2006, selling 730,000 in US and 1,300,000 worldwide. "I Am Not My Hair" was the most successful release from Testimony: Vol. 1., reaching the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at #97 and the UK Singles Chart at #65.

Her cover of Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter" from Testimony: Vol. 1 was used in 2008 as a feature in the trailers to the film .

''Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics (2009)

Her highly anticipated next album, was released on Tuesday, February 10, 2009. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and No. 2 on the R&B; chart. Within this CD, Arie collaborated with such artists as Sezen Aksu, Keb Mo, Gramps Morgan and Musiq Soulchild to fulfill her self-proclaimed desire to "do projects with people who are making music that is meaningful, with a lot of integrity and a lot of sonic diversity". Arie, in the cited interview, also identified this CD as the first of her collection to come directly from her own point of view, without feeling any necessity to fulfill fan or media needs. Arie was able to achieve this newfound ability to write and sing songs without worrying about public opinion after a much-needed vacation to Hawaii. This CD was Arie's first CD produced after her change from Motown to Universal Records.

Open Door

India.Arie's new album, a work produced in collaboration with Israeli singer Idan Raichel is due to be released in the spring of 2011.

Collaborations

Arie performed a duet with rock singer-guitarist John Mellencamp on the song "Peaceful World" for his 2001 album Cuttin' Heads.

Arie performed a duet with jazz singer Cassandra Wilson on the song "Just Another Parade" for her 2002 album Belly of the Sun.

On the September 12, 2005 premiere of The Tyra Banks Show, Arie performed "Just 4 2day", a song she wrote especially for Tyra's show. She also performed "What About the Child", a song that did not air but was made available as a one-dollar Internet download to support child victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Arie is also featured on Stevie Wonder's album A Time to Love, released on October 18, 2005. Arie and Wonder duet on the title track "A Time to Love", written by Arie, which was nominated for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Three years earlier, their rendition of Mel Tormé's 1944 classic "The Christmas Song", recorded for the holiday TV commercial for retailer Target, had been nominated for the same category, making it the first song created and financed exclusively for a commercial to be nominated for a Grammy Award.

Arie performed a duet with Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes on the title song "Timeless" for his 2006 album Timeless.

Arie performed the vocals for "It Might Be You" on Dave Koz's 2007 album At the Movies.

Arie collaborated with Akon for her song "I Am Not My Hair". On the April 16, 2007 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show entitled "After Imus: Now What?", Arie guest-starred as a panelist. She stated that she wasn't completely crazy about the duet partner, but the label suggested that it would make the album more commercial. Versions without Akon on the song were made available.

Arie performed the song "She Is" for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, inspired by the PBS Independent Lens documentary Iron Ladies of Liberia.

Arie performed a duet with singer Anthony David for his song "Words" for his 2008 album Acey Duecy.

Arie performed "Self-Fulfilling" in duet with Beate S. Lech of Beady Belle on the band's 2008 album Belvedere.

Arie sang the Alphabet song with Elmo on Sesame Street.

Arie performed "Video" with British singer Adele at the 2009 VH1 Divas

Arie is one of over 70 artists singing on "", a charity single in aid of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Arie performed a duet with Marc Cohn on the song "Make It With You" for his 2010 album Listening Booth: 1970.

Arie collaborated in 2010 with Santana for the Beatles' cover, While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Arie contributed vocals to "Imagine" for the 2010 Herbie Hancock album, The Imagine Project along with Seal, P!nk, Jeff Beck, Konono N°1, Oumou Sangare and others.

Discography

Studio albums

2001: Acoustic Soul

2002: Voyage to India

2006:

2009:

2011: Open Door

Grammy Awards history

References

External links

Official website

India.Aire interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' April 2009

India.Arie on Motown Records website

Profile on VIBE.com

India.Arie at NPR Music

Category:1975 births Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:American contraltos Category:American female guitarists Category:American flautists Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues guitarists Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Musicians from Colorado Category:English-language singers Category:Feminist artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Motown artists Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Denver, Colorado Category:People from Savannah, Georgia