Name	Taylor Swift
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Taylor Alison Swift
Birth date	December 13, 1989
Birth place	Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele, piano
Genre	Country-pop, pop, country, alternative rock
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress
Years active	2006–present
Label	Big Machine
Website	}}

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's self-titled debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. "Our Song", her third single, made her the youngest sole writer and singer of a number one song on the country chart. She received a Best New Artist nomination at the 50th Grammy Awards.

Swift's second album, ''Fearless'', was released in late 2008. Buoyed by the chart success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", ''Fearless'' attracted a crossover audience and became the top-selling album of 2009. The record won four Grammy Awards, with Swift becoming the youngest ever Album of the Year winner. ''Fearless'' also received Album of the Year plaudits at the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards, making it the most awarded album in country music history. In 2010, Swift released her third album, ''Speak Now'', which sold over one million copies in its first week. She then embarked on the 111-date Speak Now World Tour, which was attended by over 1.6 million fans and has become one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. The album's third single, "Mean", won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. Swift is currently recording her fourth studio album, due for release in the fall of 2012.

Swift's work has earned her numerous accolades, including six Grammy Awards, ten AMAs, seven CMAs, six ACMs and 13 BMI Awards. She has sold over 22 million albums and 50 million song downloads worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Swift has endorsement deals with Target, CoverGirl, Sony, Elizabeth Arden, Walmart and American Greetings. As a philanthropist, Swift has placed particular emphasis on arts education, children's literacy and natural disaster relief funds. In addition to her music career, Swift has appeared as an actress in the crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' (2009), the romantic comedy ''Valentine's Day'' (2010) and the animated film ''The Lorax'' (2012).

Early life[link]

Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Scott Swift, a Merrill Lynch financial adviser, and Andrea (née Gardner), a homemaker who previously worked as a mutual fund marketing executive. Swift was named after singer James Taylor; her mother believed a gender-neutral name would help her forge a successful business career. She has a younger brother, Austin, who attends Vanderbilt University. She spent the early years of her life on an eleven-acre Christmas tree farm in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and was educated at the fee-paying Wyndcroft School. When Swift was nine years old, the family moved to Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, where she attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School. Swift spent her summers at her parent's vacation home in Stone Harbor, New Jersey and has described it as the place "where most of my childhood memories were formed".

Swift's first hobby was English horse riding. Her mother Andrea put her in a saddle when Swift was nine months old and she later competed in horse shows. Her family owned several Quarter horses and a Shetland pony. At the age of nine, Swift turned her attention to musical theatre and performed in Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions of ''Grease'', ''Annie'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' and ''The Sound of Music''. She travelled regularly to Broadway, New York for vocal and acting lessons. However, "after a few years of auditioning in New York and not getting anything”, Swift became interested in country music. She was inspired by LeAnn Rimes's ''Blue'' and her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer. When she was in fourth grade, Swift won a national poetry contest with a three-page poem, "Monster in My Closet". At the age of eleven, after many attempts, Swift won a local talent competition by singing a rendition of LeAnn Rimes’s “Big Deal”, and was given the opportunity to appear as the opening act for Charlie Daniels at a Strausstown amphitheater. She spent her weekends performing at local festivals, fairs, coffeehouses, karaoke contests, garden clubs and Boy Scout meetings. This interest in country music isolated Swift from her middle school peers.

After watching a ''Behind the Music'' episode about Faith Hill, Swift recorded a demo of karaoke covers, and travelled with her mother to Nashville, Tennessee for spring break to leave a copy of the demo with record labels along Music Row. She received label rejections and realized that "everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different". Swift began performing the "The Star Spangled Banner" at many sporting events, hoping she would be offered a recording contract. On one occasion, an eleven-year-old Swift high-fived Jay-Z after singing the national anthem at a 76ers game in Philadelphia. At the age of twelve, Swift was shown by a computer repairman how to play three chords on a guitar, inspiring her to write her first song, "Lucky You". She then recorded a second demo of original songs. In 2003, Swift and her parents began working with music manager Dan Dymtrow, after he spotted her singing at the US Open. Swift's second demo then caught the attention of RCA Records, who offered the eight-grader an artist development deal. In 2004, Swift modelled for Abercrombie and Fitch as part of their "Rising Stars" campaign and had an original song included in a Maybelline Cosmetics compilation CD.

When Swift was fourteen, her father transferred to the Nashville office of Merrill Lynch and the family relocated to a lake-shore house in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Swift has said her parents "presented it as a move to a nice community" rather than as her chance to become a star. Her mother has said, "We've always told her that this is not about putting food on our table or making our dreams come true." In Tennessee, Swift attended Hendersonville High School for her freshman and sophomore years. Later, to accommodate her touring schedule, Swift transferred to the Aaron Academy, a private Christian school which offered homeschooling services, and earned her high school diploma in 2008.

Music career[link]

2004–08: Nashville songwriting sessions and ''Taylor Swift'' release[link]

Swift moved to Nashville at the age of fourteen, having secured an artist development deal with RCA Records. Her musical influences included the Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Swift had writing sessions with experienced songwriters such as Troy Verges, Brett Beavers, Brett James, Mac McAnally and the Warren Brothers, but eventually formed a lasting working relationship with Liz Rose. Swift saw Rose performing at an RCA songwriter event and suggested that they write together. They began meeting for two-hour writing sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school. Rose has said that the sessions were "some of the easiest I've ever done. Basically, I was just her editor. She'd write about what happened in school that day. She had such a clear vision of what she was trying to say. And she'd come in with the most incredible hooks". Swift also began recording demos with producer Nathan Chapman. After performing at a BMI Songwriter's Circle showcase at The Bitter End, New York, Swift became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Tree publishing house.

Swift left RCA Records when she was fifteeen; the company wanted her to record the work of other songwriters and wait until she was eighteen to release an album, but she felt ready to launch her career with her own material. She also parted ways with manager Dan Dymtrow, who later took legal action against Swift and her parents. At an industry showcase at Nashville's The Bluebird Café in 2005, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a Dreamworks Records executive who was preparing to form his own independent record label, Big Machine Records. Swift was one of the new label's first signings. As an introduction to the country music business, Borchetta arranged for Swift to intern at the CMA Music Festival; she acted as the artist escort for Darryl Worley.

Swift began working on her self-titled debut album shortly after signing her record deal. After experimenting with veteran Nashville producers, Swift persuaded Big Machine to hire her demo producer Nathan Chapman. It was his first time to record a studio album but Swift felt they had the right "chemistry". In the end, Chapman produced all but one of the tracks on ''Taylor Swift''. She has described the album as the "diary" of her early teens and most songs were written during her freshman year of high school. As a result, the songs describe coming of age experiences such as insecurity, young love, and teenage angst. She has said that, although "it sounds like I've had 500 boyfriends", a lot of the songs are observational. Swift wrote three of the album's songs alone, including two singles, and co-wrote the remaining eight with writers such as Liz Rose, Robert Ellis Orrall and Angelo Petraglia. Musically, the album has been described as "a mix of trad-country instruments and spry rock guitars".

''Taylor Swift'' was released in October 2006 and received generally positive reviews from music critics. ''PopMatters'' hoped Swift would be "able to find an accomodation between the country tradition and her very obvious pop sensibilities, because ''Taylor Swift'' suggests she has much to offer". ''The New Yorker'''s Sasha Frere-Jones described Swift as a "prodigy". She noted that "Our Song" "stop[ed] me in my tracks" and praised the lyrics: “He’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel, the other on my heart". ''Country Weekly'' felt Swift demonstrated "an honesty, intelligence and idealism with which listeners of any age will be able to connect" and noted that "the more thoughtful material suggests a talent poised to last well past high school". ''AllMusic'' stated that, while listening to the album, it was "never in doubt" that "Swift is a talent to be reckoned with". ''Rolling Stone'' described Swift as "bright-eyed but remarkably seasoned", and admired "Our Song"'s "insanely hooky sing-song melody that's as Britney as it is Patsy".

Big Machine Records was still in its infancy upon the release of the lead single "Tim McGraw" in June 2006, and Swift and her mother helped "stuff the CD singles into envelopes to send to radio". She spent much of 2006 promoting ''Taylor Swift'' in a radio tour and later commented, "Radio tours for most artists last six weeks. Mine lasted six months." Swift painted canvases (inspired by Jackson Pollock) to gift to radio station managers who played her music. She took part in "GAC Short Cuts", a part-documentary, part-music-video series designed to introduce her to country music fans. She also made television appearances on ''Good Morning America'', ''The Megan Mullally Show'', ''America's Got Talent'', and ''TRL''. Swift, a self-described "kid of the internet", used MySpace to build a fanbase. She wrote her own blog posts, left comments on her fans' accounts and personally respond to the messages that were sent to her. This was, at the time, "revolutionary in country music". Borchetta has said that his decision to sign a sixteen year old singer-songwriter initially raised eyebrows among his record industry peers but Swift tapped into a previously unknown market: teenage girls who listen to country music.

Following "Tim McGraw", four further singles were released throughout 2007 and 2008: "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Our Song", "Picture to Burn" and "Should've Said No". All were highly successful on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with "Our Song" and "Should've Said No" both reaching number one. "Our Song" made Swift the youngest sole writer and singer of a number one country song. "Teardrops on My Guitar" became a minor pop hit; it reached number thirteen on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album sold 39,000 copies during its first week and, as of March 2011, has sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide. Swift also released a holiday album, ''Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection,'' in October 2007 and an EP, ''Beautiful Eyes'', in July 2008.

Swift toured extensively in support of ''Taylor Swift''. In addition to festival and theater dates, Swift performed as an opening act for several country artists' concert tours. She opened for Rascal Flatts on several dates in late 2006. In 2007, she served as the opening act on twenty dates for George Strait's 2007 United States tour, several dates on Kenny Chesney's tour and selected dates on Brad Paisley's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour. Also in 2007, Swift appeared as the opening act on several dates for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's joint Soul2Soul II Tour. Swift again opened for Flatts for their Still Feels Good Tour in 2008. In addition to performing her own material, Swift played covers of songs by Beyoncé and Rihanna. She conducted meet-and-greet sessions with fans before and after her concerts; these lasted for up to four hours.

In 2007, Swift and Alan Jackson were jointly named the Nashville Songwriters Association's "Songwriter/Artists of the Year". Swift was the youngest person ever to be honored with the title. She also won the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award for Best New Artist. In 2008, she won Top New Female Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards and Favorite Country Female Artist at the American Music Awards. She won seven BMI Awards for songs featured on ''Taylor Swift.'' Swift was also nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award in the category of Best New Artist, but lost to Amy Winehouse.

2008–10: ''Fearless'' release, MTV VMA incident and media backlash[link]

Swift's second studio album, ''Fearless'', was released in November 2008. She wrote seven of the album's songs alone, including two singles, and co-wrote the remaining six with songwriters Liz Rose, John Rich, Colbie Caillat and Hillary Lindsey. While Swift wrote many of the songs on tour, she made a conscious effort not to include "road songs": "As a 16-year-old girl, I could never relate to those songs about playing a different city every night. I want to write about feelings and love and the lack of love". She has said that the album title "means you’re afraid of a lot of things, but you jump anyway". She co-produced the album with Nathan Chapman. Musically, the record is characterized by "loud, lean guitars and rousing choruses", with the occasional "bit of fiddle and banjo tucked into the mix".

''Fearless'' received generally positive reviews from music critics. ''The New York Times'' described Swift as "one of pop's finest songwriters, country’s foremost pragmatist and more in touch with her inner life than most adults". ''The Village Voice'' felt she displayed "preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness", "masterfully avoiding the typical diarist's pitfalls of trite banality and pseudo-profound bullshit". ''Rolling Stone'' described her as "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture" whose "squirmingly intimate and true" songs seemed to be "literally ripped from a suburban girl's diary". ''USA Today'' found it "a pleasure to hear a gifted teenager who sounds like a gifted teenager, rather than a mouthpiece for a bunch of older pros' collective notion of adolescent yearning." ''The New Yorker'' described it as an album "without a bad track", adding that "the album’s finest effort, "Fifteen", will feature in yearbook quotes for years". ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted that the album would appeal mainly to young girls – "she sounds like a real teen, not some manufactured vixen-Lolita" – but predicted it would be "exciting to watch her precocious talent grow". Music critic Robert Christgau described Swift as "an uncommonly-to-impossibly strong and gifted teenage girl".

Swift promoted ''Fearless'' heavily upon its release. An episode of ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' was dedicated to the album launch and Swift appeared on many other chat shows. She communicated with fans using social media platforms such as twitter and personal video blogs. In October 2008, she appeared at the ''CMT Giants: Alan Jackson'' event, performing a cover of Jackson's "Drive (For Daddy Gene)". In November 2008, Swift took part in a joint, televised concert with rock band Def Leppard in Nashville. She performed her song "Fifteen" with Miley Cyrus at the 51st Grammy Awards in February 2009. In April 2009, she performed a cover of George Strait's "Run" at a televised ACM event honoring Strait as Artist of the Decade. Swift hosted and appeared as the musical guest on ''Saturday Night Live'' in November 2009. The lead single from the album, "Love Story", was released in September 2008 and became the second best-selling country single of all time, peaking at number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Four more singles were released throughout 2008 and 2009: "White Horse", "You Belong with Me", "Fifteen" and "Fearless". "You Belong with Me" was the album's highest-charting single, peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 Album Chart with sales of 592,304 and has since sold over 8.6 million copies worldwide. It was the top-selling album of 2009 and brought Swift much crossover success.

Swift carried out her first headlining tour from April 2009 to June 2010. As part of the 105-date Fearless Tour, Swift played 90 dates in North America, six dates in Europe, eight dates in Australia and one date in Asia. The stage show included multiple costume changes, dancers and a fairy-tale castle set. She sang a cover of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around" nightly, intertwined with her own "You're Not Sorry". Swift invited John Mayer, Faith Hill and Katy Perry to perform one-off duets with her at various dates during the North American tour. Justin Bieber, Kelly Pickler and Gloriana were the support acts. The tour was attended by more than 1.1 million fans and has grossed over $63 million. ''Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless'', a concert film, was aired on television and later released on DVD and Blu-ray. Also in 2009, Swift performed as a supporting act for Keith Urban.

In September 2009, Swift became the first country music artist to win an MTV Video Music Award when "You Belong with Me" was named Best Female Video. Her acceptance speech was interrupted by rapper Kanye West, who had been involved in a number of other award show incidents. West declared Beyoncé's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", nominated in the same category, to be "one of the best videos of all time." Many audience members booed West, prompting him to flip off the crowd. He then handed the microphone back to a speechless Swift. Backstage, Swift was seen "hysterically crying". According to ''Rolling Stone'', when Swift's mother confronted West, he gave "a half-hearted apology in which he added he still thought Beyoncé's video was superior". West was removed from the event. When Beyoncé later won the award for Video of the Year, she invited Swift onstage to finish her speech. In the event's press room, Swift, who in 2008 had expressed a desire to sing a hook on a Kanye West rap song, was asked if she had "any hard feelings" towards West: "I don’t know him, and I’ve never met him, so... I don’t want to start anything because I had a great night tonight."

The incident received much media attention and inspired many Internet memes. President Barack Obama, in an "off the record" comment, called West a "jackass". Former US President Jimmy Carter said West's interruption was "completely uncalled for". West's behavior was criticized by celebrities, including Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Lady Gaga. The following day, West apologized for his verbal outburst both in a blog entry and during an appearance on ''The Jay Leno Show''. He maintained that, while Swift was "very talented", "Beyoncé's video was the best of this decade!!!! ... I gave my awards to Outkast when they deserved it over me ... I'm not crazy y'all, I'm just real." Two days after the VMAs, Swift told an interviewer that West had not spoken to her since the ceremony. West then contacted her to offer a personal apology, which Swift accepted: "Kanye did call me, and he was very sincere in his apology." It has been said that the incident and subsequent media attention turned Swift into "a bona-fide mainstream celebrity".

Swift released a cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl", exclusively through Rhapsody in June 2009 and continues to make her stage entrance to Petty's recording of the song. Swift contributed backing vocals to John Mayer's "Half of My Heart", featured on his fourth album, in November 2009. Mayer wrote the song as a tribute to Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac: "I thought, 'Well, if this is going to be my love letter to that style of music, who's going to be the Stevie Nicks in this equation?' And I thought, 'This Taylor Swift girl is going to be around for a long time." The song received positive reviews from music critics. Swift and Mayer performed the song live at Madison Square Garden, New York in December 2009. It was released as the album's third single in June 2010 and peaked at number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Swift collaborated with a number of other artists in 2008 and 2009. She co-wrote and recorded "Best Days of Your Life" with Kelly Pickler. She co-wrote two songs for the ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'' soundtrack – "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" and "Crazier" – with Martin Johnson and Robert Ellis Orrall, respectively. Swift also provided vocals for Boys Like Girls's "Two Is Better Than One", written by Martin Johnson. In January 2010, Swift contributed two songs – including "Today Was a Fairytale" – to the ''Valentine's Day'' soundtrack and recorded a cover of Better Than Ezra's "Breathless" for the ''Hope for Haiti Now'' album.

In November 2009, Swift became the youngest ever artist, and one of only six women, to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association. ''Fearless'' also won the Association's Album of the Year award. The album won many other accolades and has become the most awarded album in country music history. Swift was the youngest ever artist to win the Academy of Country Music's Album of the Year honor. The American Music Awards honored Swift with Artist of the Year and Favorite Country Album plaudits. She was awarded the Hal David Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was named Songwriter/Artists of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association. She won four BMI Awards. ''Billboard'' named her 2009's Artist of the Year. Swift was included in ''Time''s annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2010.

In January 2010, Swift won four Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Country Album, Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song, from a total of eight nominations. She was the youngest ever artist to win Album of the Year. During the ceremony, Swift sang "Rhiannon" and "You Belong with Me" with Stevie Nicks. Her vocal performance received negative reviews and sparked a widespread media backlash. Her vocals were described variously as "badly off-key", "strikingly bad" and "incredibly wretched". While ''The New York Times'' found it "refreshing to see someone so gifted make the occasional flub" and described Swift as "the most important new pop star of the past few years", music critic Bob Lefsetz predicted that her career would end "overnight". In April 2010, Stevie Nicks, writing in ''Time'', defended the singer: "Taylor reminds me of myself in her determination and her childlike nature. It's an innocence that's so special and so rare. This girl writes the songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John ... The female rock-'n'-roll-country-pop songwriter is back, and her name is Taylor Swift. And it's women like her who are going to save the music business."

2010–12: ''Speak Now'' release, 13-month world tour and collaborations[link]

Swift released her third studio album, ''Speak Now'', in October 2010. She wrote all twelve songs alone: "I'd get my best ideas at 3 a.m. in Arkansas and I didn't have a co-writer around." Album recording sessions took place in California, Tennessee and Kentucky over a two year period. Swift, who co-produced the record with longtime collaborator Nathan Chapman, has described it as "a collection of confessions—things I wish I had said when I was in the moment". She originally intended to call the album ''Enchanted'' but Scott Borchetta, her record label's CEO, felt the title did not reflect the album's more adult themes: "She had played me a bunch of the new songs. I looked at her and I'm like, 'Taylor, this record isn't about fairy tales and high school anymore. That's not where you're at'". Musically, it has been said that the album "expands beyond country-pop to border both alternative rock and dirty bubblegum pop".

''Speak Now'' received generally positive reviews from music critics. ''USA Today'' felt that Swift's songwriting skills would remind listeners "what all the fuss was about in the first place", with the album capturing "the sweet ache of becoming an adult". The ''Los Angeles Times'' praised her ability as a songwriter to "hit on common experiences that feel unique". ''The New York Times'' described the album as savage, musically diverse and "excellent too, possibly her best". ''The Village Voice'' found that the album demanded "a true appreciation of Swift's talent, which is not confessional, but dramatic: Like a procession of country songwriters before her, she creates characters and situations—some from life—and finds potent ways to describe them." ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted that while love may confound her, "the art of expert songcraft clearly doesn't". Music critic John Christgau found the album's songs "overlong and overworked" but remarked that "they evince an effort that bears a remarkable resemblance to care—that is, to caring in the best, broadest, and most emotional sense". ''Rolling Stone'' described Swift as one of the best songwriters in "pop, rock or country": "Swift might be a clever Nashville pro who knows all the hitmaking tricks, but she's also a high-strung, hyper-romantic gal with a melodramatic streak the size of the Atchafalaya Swamp".

Swift carried out an extensive promotional campaign prior to ''Speak Now'''s release. She appeared on various talk shows and morning shows, and gave free mini-concerts in unusual locations, including an open-decker bus on Hollywood Boulevard and a departure lounge at JFK airport. She took part in a "guitar pull" alongside Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Lionel Ritchie at LA's Club Nokia; the musicians shared the stage and took turns introducing and playing acoutic versions of their songs to raise money for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The album's lead single, "Mine", was released in August 2010 and five further singles were released throughout 2010 and 2011: "Back to December", "Mean", "The Story of Us", "Sparks Fly" and "Ours". ''Speak Now'' was a major commercial success, debuting at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Its sales of 1,047,000 copies made it the sixteenth album in United States history to sell one million copies in a single week. As of February 2012, ''Speak Now'' has sold over four million copies in the US and over 5.7 million copies worldwide. In her career, as of May 2012, Swift has sold over 22 million albums and 50 million digital tracks worldwide.

In September 2010, Kanye West's 2009 VMA interruption once again became newsworthy when West used his twitter account to apologize to Swift, referring to her as "just a lil girl with dreams like the rest of us": ""I wrote a song for Taylor Swift that's so beautiful and I want her to have it. If she won't take it then I'll perform it for her." Later that month, both artists performed at the 2010 VMAs. Swift sang "Innocent", a song widely believed to be about West, which ''The Washington Post'' has described as "a small masterpiece of passive aggressiveness, a vivisection dressed up as a peace offering". Music critics found Swift's performance overly serious and "petty". Speaking in November 2010, West said he failed to see what was "so arrogant about that moment" and described his actions as "selfless". He added that "if it was the other way around" and Swift were an established artist who had "made the video of her career, do you think she would have lost to a brand new artist? Hell no!" Also that month, he claimed that, "If I wasn't drunk, I would have been on stage longer ... Taylor never came to my defense at any interview. And rode the waves and rode it and rode it". At the Costume Institute Gala in May 2011, Swift and West came face-to-face on the red carpet. West was observed to hold "a hand out, and the two exchanged a studiedly casual, “down low” high five".

Swift toured throughout 2011 and early 2012 in support of ''Speak Now''. As part of the thirteen-month, 111-date world tour, Swift played seven shows in Asia, twelve shows in Europe, 80 shows in North America and twelve shows in Australasia. Three dates on the US tour were rescheduled after Swift fell ill with bronchitis. The stage show was inspired by Broadway musical theatre, with choreographed routines, elaborate set-pieces, pyrotechnics and numerous costume changes. Swift invited many musicians to join her for one-off duets during the North American tour. Appearances were made by James Taylor, Jason Mraz, Shawn Colvin, Johnny Rzeznik, Andy Grammer, Tal Bachman, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Nelly, B.o.B., Usher, Flo Rida, T.I., Jon Foreman, Jim Adkins, Hayley Williams, Hot Chelle Rae, Ronnie Dunn, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. The tour was attended by over 1.6 million fans and has grossed over $123 million, becoming one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. Swift's first live album, ''Speak Now World Tour: Live'', featuring all seventeen performances from the North American leg of the tour, was released in November 2011.

During the North American and Australasian tour legs, Swift wrote different song lyrics on her left arm for each performance. She has said that the lyrics should be viewed as a nightly "mood ring" and ''The New Yorker'' has cited the practice as an example of Swift's "keen understanding of what fuels fan obsession in the first place: a desire for intimacy between singer and listener". Artists quoted include Tom Petty, Carole King, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, Band of Horses, Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab For Cutie, Alanis Morrissette, Rachael Yamagata, Erin McCarley, Mindy Smith and Martina McBride. Swift also performed many acoustic cover versions during her North American tour. In each city, she paid tribute to a homegrown artist. She has said the cover versions allowed her to be "spontaneous" in an otherwise well-rehearsed show: "You'll have a lot of people who will come to more than one show, and I want them to get a different experience every time." Artists covered include Justin Timberlake, Tori Amos, TLC, Pink, Fall Out Boy, Dave Matthews Band, Michelle Branch, Jordin Sparks, Maroon 5, Train, John Mellencamp, Kim Carnes, Avril Lavigne, The Jackson 5, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Gwen Stefani, All American Rejects, Britney Spears and Eminem.

At the 54th Grammy Awards in February 2012, Swift's song "Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. She also performed "Mean" during the ceremony. The song is believed to be a rebuttal to Bob Lefsetz, one of the most vocal critics of her 2010 Grammy performance. Lefsetz had previously been a supporter of the singer's career, and Swift and Lefsetz had corresponded occasionally by email and telephone. ''Time'' felt she "delivered her comeback on-key and with a vengeance" while ''USA Today'' remarked that the criticism in 2010 seemed to have "made her a better songwriter and live performer".

Swift was named Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association in both 2010 and 2011. During the 2011 ceremony, she played an acoustic version of "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" in honor of Alan Jackson, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, who later thanked Swift in his speech for "the prettiest version I've ever heard". Swift won various other awards for ''Speak Now''. She was named Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in both 2011 and 2012 and was named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2011. Swift was the American Music Awards's Artist of the Year in 2011, and ''Speak Now'' was named Favorite Country Album. She was also the recipient of two BMI Awards. ''Billboard'' named Swift 2011's Woman of the Year. Also that year, ''Billboard'' ranked her at number 15 in a list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters 2000–2011; she was the second highest ranking woman. Swift was ranked second on ''Rolling Stone''s list of the Top 16 "Queen Of Pops" of the decade.

Swift contributed two original songs to ''The Hunger Games'' soundtrack album in March 2012. "Safe & Sound" was co-written and recorded with The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett. John Paul White has said working with Swift was "a revelation. She had some great ideas. We had complete freedom. It truly was a collaboration. We brought the melancholy and the darker angle. Taylor was bringing the melody and the chords." ''Rolling Stone'' described the song as "Swift's prettiest ballad" and wondered whether the alt-country folk song was "a one-off novelty, a trial balloon cred-move, or the stirrings of a "grown-up" style". Swift and The Civil Wars debuted a live version of the song at the Ryman Auditorium, Nashville in January 2012. It was released as the album's lead single and, as of April 2012, has sold 970,000 copies in the United States. Swift's second contribution to the album, "Eyes Open", was written solely by the singer and produced by Nathan Chapman. In May 2012, Swift contributed vocals to "Both of Us", a Dr. Luke-produced song on B.o.B's second album ''Strange Clouds''.

2012–present: Untitled fourth studio album[link]

Swift is currently working on her fourth album with producer Nathan Chapman. It is scheduled for release in the fall of 2012. Swift intends to keep writing and recording throughout 2012 "because I'm having so much fun". After writing her third album alone, Swift is now collaborating with people "from all different places in music", including songwriters Lori McKenna, Butch Walker, Ed Sheeran, and Dan Wilson. The album will detail "the rise and fall of a relationship", as well as the resulting "absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak". She has described the album's mood as "sad, if I'm being honest."

Artistry[link]

Songwriting style[link]

Swift has said she writes songs as an "open letter". She has said songwriting is "is a way of verbalizing those things that I feel that I can’t say". Swift has said she is "very interested in any writing from a child's perspective" and has cited ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' as one of her favorite books. Neil Young has described Swift as "a great writer" and follows her career. Kris Kristofferson has said that "she blows me away. It's amazing to me that someone so young is writing such great songs. She's got a great career ahead of her". Dolly Parton has said her songs are "great" and that she has "the qualities that could last a long time". Stevie Nicks has said Swift writes "songs that make the whole world sing, like Neil Diamond or Elton John".

Vocal abilities[link]

In studio recordings, the ''Los Angeles Times'' identifies Swift's "defining" vocal gesture as "the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow, giving her beloved girl-time hits their air of easy intimacy". In a review of ''Speak Now'', ''The Village Voice'' noted that her phrasing was previously "bland and muddled, but that's changed. She can still sound strained and thin, and often strays into a pitch that drives some people crazy; but she's learned how to make words sound like what they mean". ''Slate'', reviewing ''Speak Now'', described Swift as "a technically poor singer": "Though she does vary her phrasing in ways that attempt to mask her limited voice (the way she sneers, "She looks at me like I'm a trend/And she's so over it," on "Better Than Revenge" is especially effective), Swift is still noticeably off-pitch at least once on every song on the album".

In an interview with ''The New Yorker'', Swift characterized herself primarily as a songwriter: “I write songs, and my voice is just a way to get those lyrics across”. "I'm not trying to go out there and do vocal acrobatics. I'm just trying to write good songs". However, her vocal presence is something that concerns her and she has "put a lot of work" into improving it. She has said that she only feels nervous performing "if I'm not sure what the audience thinks of me, like at award shows".

Public image[link]

Swift has been described as "America's sweetheart" and "a role model". The singer considers it her "responsibility" to be conscious of her influence on young fans. However, she insists that "I don't live by all these rigid, weird rules that make me feel all fenced in. I just like the way that I feel like, and that makes me feel very free". Swift does not drink alcohol because she worries that "I might come off in a way that I can't control. Maybe I should just lighten up!" "It's not like I judge people who [drink] or that I don't hang out with people who drink". She refuses to take part in overly sexualised photo-shoots. The lyrical content of her songs is regarded as appropriate for young audiences. A ''New Yorker'' journalist who attended a Swift concert recounted watching "sixteen-year-old girls holding hands and swaying, and a girl in a hijab sobbing as she sang the words. It was hard not to be a little moved, and not to feel relieved that the words being sung were, more or less, safe ... One can attend a concert by Katy Perry and listen to a stadium full of thirteen-year-olds chant along with the song “Peacock” which goes, “I want to see your peacock-cock-cock! Your peacock-cock!"

A ''Rolling Stone'' journalist who profiled Swift in 2009 remarked upon her polite manners: "If this is Swift's game face, it must be tattooed on because it never drops". A 2012 ''Vogue'' cover story described Swift as "clever and funny and occasionally downright bawdy" in person, but noted that she "asks if her cursing can be off the record". Grantland.com describes Swift as "talkative and openly neurotic in a way you'd never see from a blonde country princess like Faith Hill or Carrie Underwood. She is more like Diane Keaton in ''Annie Hall'': overly gracious and eager to please but full of a nonstop, nervous, fluttering energy".

There has been much media commentary about Swift's reactions when she is recognized at award ceremonies. In 2011, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' remarked that she "seems to be consistently shocked and wonderstruck by each awards win, despite racking up an ever-growing collection of Grammys, CMAs, MTV Moonmen and AMAs". Kristen Wiig parodied Swift's surprised facial expressions during a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch in February 2012. Swift later said she had seen the sketch: “I was laughing the entire time and then I realized that, as I was watching it, I was making the face she was making”. At the Academy of Country Music Awards in April 2012, the ceremony's host Blake Shelton joked in his opening monologue that Swift should release a perfume called "I can't believe I smell this good". When Swift later presented Shelton with the Academy's Best Male Vocalist award, "the two faced off, showing each other their ultra-surprised looks".

Feminist discussion[link]

The merits of Swift as a feminist have been widely discussed. She has been described by ''Jezebel'' as "a feminist's nightmare": "Her image of being good and pure plays right into how much the patriarchy fetishizes virginity, loves purity, and celebrates women who know their place as delicate flowers". However, a ''Village Voice'' music critic dismissed this criticism as "shallow and gross, in that special way that things get gross when you cram shaded and living work through an ideological sieve like you're mechanically separating chicken". He continued: "Criticisms include: She's a conformist stooge of the patriarchy (she's now had two hits about defying fathers); she idolizes chastity (she's coy about sex, but only the willful could miss the fucking in the new "Sparks Fly," which includes the line "Gimme something that'll haunt me when you're not around"); and she sells girls corrupt and shallow fairy-tale notions of romance (one of the two fairy-tale songs on ''Fearless'' mocked a guy for trying to white-knight her, and the only mention of such things on ''Speak Now'' is "I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you"—note the tense)."

The song ''Fifteen'' has been the subject of particular scrutiny. It has been said that the song contains a "feminist message" in the lyrics "Back then I swore I was gonna marry him some day, but I realized some bigger dreams of mine” and "In your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team". Feminist critics claim the use of the word "everything" in the lyric "Abigail gave everything she had to a boy, who changed his mind, and we both cried" is a reference to virginity: "Songs like "Fifteen" dig up the ancient Puritan ideal that girls can only access power by confidently and heterosexually denying access to their pants." However, others interpret "everything" as trust: "Abigail trusted and opened up to a boy for the first time, only to be let down. Maybe that includes sex, maybe it doesn’t."

When asked by ''The New York Times'' in 2010 whether she considered herself a feminist, Swift replied, "I have never really thought about that". In December 2011, ''Billboard''s Tom Roland asked Swift whether the marginalization of women in country music, prevalent in the 1950s, was still an issue: "I was fortunate enough to come about in a time when I didn't feel that kind of energy at all, and it was always my theory that if you want to play in the same ballgame as the boys, you've got to work as hard as them. I was always playing just as many shows as they were and playing on the same shows as they were. I was willing to pay my dues as an opening act, playing in clubs and bars and playing in tiny venues. The new male artists were doing the same thing, so I never saw an issue there."

Philanthropy[link]

Arts education[link]

In September 2010, Swift donated $75,000 to Nashville's Hendersonville High School to help refurbish the school auditorium's sound and lighting systems. In May 2012, she pledged $4 million to fund a new education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. The two-storey, 7,500-square foot space will have its own exterior entrance and museum officials have decided to name it The Taylor Swift Education Center. It will feature three classrooms and a children's exhibit gallery, and will house interactive activities such as a musical petting zoo and a “wet” classroom space to make concert posters and other art projects. New programs and workshops for teenagers and senior citizens will also be accommodated within the space. The Center is scheduled to open in early 2014 and Swift will be involved in an advisory capacity.

Children's literacy[link]

In December 2009, Swift donated $250,000 to various schools around the country that she had either attended or had other associations with. The money was used to buy books, fund educational programs and pay teachers' salaries. In October 2010, she took part in a live webcast, ''Read Now! with Taylor Swift'', broadcast exclusively in US schools to celebrate Scholastic's Read Every Day campaign. In October 2011, Swift donated 6,000 Scholastic books to Reading Public Library, Pennsylvania and, in February 2012, she donated 14,000 books to Nashville Public Library, Tennessee. Most of the books were placed in circulation; the rest were gifted to children from low-income families, preschools and daycare centers. In March 2012, she co-chaired the National Education Association's Read Across America campaign and recorded a PSA encouraging children to read.

Natural disaster funds[link]

In June 2008, Swift donated all the proceeds from her merchandise sales at the 2008 Country Music Festival to the Red Cross's disaster relief fund. Swift donated $100,000 to the Red Cross in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to help the victims of the Iowa flood of 2008. Swift lent her support to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal by joining the lineup at Sydney's Sound Relief concert, reportedly making the biggest contribution of any artist playing at Sound Relief to the Australian Red Cross.

In response to the May 2010 Tennessee floods, Swift donated $500,000 during a flood relief telethon hosted by WSMV, a Nashville television station. In August 2010, she donated $100,000 to help rebuild a playground in Hendersonville, Tennessee, which was damaged by floodwater. In May 2011, Swift transformed what was to have been the final dress rehearsal for the North American leg of her Speak Now tour into a benefit concert for victims of recent tornadoes in the United States southeast region, raising more than $750,000 from proceeds from ticket sales, merchandise and other facets of the show. The benefit concert for tornado relief was subsequently honored at the 2011 Do Something Awards. In July 2011, Swift further aided the cause by donating $250,000 to Alabama football coach Nick Saban's charity Nick's Kids to aid in the tornado relief efforts of West Alabama. In April 2012, Swift donated $1,500 to a fund to help a man left permanently paralyzed by the tornado to make his house wheelchair-accessible.

Other charitable endeavors[link]

In September 2007, Swift helped launch a campaign to protect children from online predators, in partnership with the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. In January 2008, Swift donated a pink Chevy pick-up truck given to her by her record label to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Swift has teamed up with Sound Matters to make listeners aware of listening "responsibly". Swift supports @15, a teen-led social change platform underwritten by Best Buy to give teens opportunities to direct the company's philanthropy through the newly-created @15 Fund. She appeared in a Got Milk campaign in July 2010.

Swift donated her prom dress, which raised $1,200 for charity, to DonateMyDress.org. In November 2009, after a live performance on BBC's Children in Need night, she donated $20,000 to the cause. Swift donated a pair of her shoes to the Wish Upon a Hero Foundation's Hero in Heels fundraiser for auction to raise money to benefit women with cancer. In June 2011, as the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year, Swift donated $25,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Tennessee. This figure was matched by the Academy.

Other work[link]

Acting[link]

Swift made her acting debut in a 2009 episode of CBS's ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', playing a rebellious teenager. ''The New York Times'' noted that the character allowed Swift to be "a little bit naughty, and credibly so". ''Rolling Stone'' felt she "held her own" and "does a good job with the script" while the ''Chicago Tribune'' said she "acquits herself well". Later that year, Swift both hosted and performed as the musical guest for an episode of ''Saturday Night Live''. ''Entertainment Weekly'' described her as "this season’s best Saturday Night Live host so far", noting that she "was always up for the challenge, seemed to be having fun, and helped the rest of the cast nail the punchlines". Proving "admirably resilient in a wide variety of sketch roles", "Swift inspired more of a female, girly-in-the-best-sense sensibility in SNL than it’s shown since the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler days".

In 2010, Swift made her feature film acting debut in the romantic comedy ''Valentine's Day'' and won the Teen Choice Award for Movie Female Breakout. In 2012, she voiced the character of Audrey in the animated film ''The Lorax''. Swift is in talks to star as Joni Mitchell in the film adaptation of Sheila Weller's ''Girls Like Us'', which follows the careers of Mitchell, Carly Simon and Carole King.

Product endorsements[link]

Jakks Pacific released a celebrity doll of Swift in late 2008. Swift was the face of L.E.I. jeans in 2008. In 2007, Swift launched a line of sundresses at Wal-Mart. In 2009, Swift became the National Hockey League's newest celebrity spokesperson and appears in commercials for the Nashville Predators. In 2011, Swift partnered with Elizabeth Arden to launch a fragrance, "Wonderstruck". Swift works with American Greetings, Inc. She also has endorsement deals with companies including Target, CoverGirl and Sony.

In May 2009, Swift filed a lawsuit (kept sealed until August 2010) against numerous sellers of unauthorized counterfeit merchandise bearing her name, likeness, and trademarks, where she demanded a trial by jury, sought a judgement for compensatory damages, punitive damages, three times the actual damages sustained, and statutory damages, and sought for recovery of her attorney's fees and prejudgement interest. Nashville's U.S. District Court granted an injunction and judgment against the sellers, who had been identified at Swift's concerts in several states. The court ordered merchandise seized from the defendants to be destroyed.

Personal life[link]

Swift's main residence is a duplex penthouse in Midtown Nashville, Tennessee. She also owns a house in Beverly Hills, California. According to ''Forbes'', Swift earned $18 million in 2009, $45 million in 2010, $45 million in 2011 and $57 million so far in 2012.

Relationships[link]

Swift writes autobiographical songs and has said that, "I've never been shy or secretive with the fact that if you walk into my life, you may be walking onto a record". Listening to music as a child, Swift felt confused "when I knew something was going on in someone’s personal life and they didn’t address it in their music".

Swift dated singer Joe Jonas from July to October 2008. She dated actor Taylor Lautner from October to December 2009. She was romantically linked to musician John Mayer from late 2009 until June 2010. They first met in 2008 and recorded a duet, "Half of My Heart", in late 2009. Swift dated actor Jake Gyllenhaal from October 2010 to December 2010. On December 9, 2011, Gyllenhaal called the LAPD for assistance, after a large number of photographers followed the couple's car in Los Angeles. Following their break-up, they were seen together in January and February 2011.

Politics[link]

On her eighteenth birthday, "the first thing" Swift did was register to vote. After casting her vote in the 2008 US presidential election, Swift declined to inform journalists which candidate she had supported. However, following Barack Obama's inauguration, she told ''Rolling Stone'': "I've never seen this country so happy about a political decision in my entire time of being alive. I'm so glad this was my first election." In 2009, after Swift's MTV VMA acceptance speech was interrupted by Kanye West, President Obama described West's behaviour as "really inappropriate. The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She’s getting her award. What is he doing up there? He’s a jackass." Former US President Jimmy Carter said West's interruption was "completely uncalled for".

In 2010, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush attended the taping of a Swift television special in Kennebunkport, Maine, and later described Swift as "unspoiled" and "very nice". In 2012, Swift was presented with a Kids' Choice Award in recognition of her charitable work by Michelle Obama, who praised her as someone who "has rocketed to the top of the music industry but still keeps her feet on the ground, someone who has shattered every expectation of what a 22-year old can accomplish". Swift later described the First Lady as "a role model".

Swift is an admirer of the Kennedy family and has spent time with Rory, Caroline and, particularly, Ethel Kennedy. When asked about her friendship with Swift, Ethel replied, "Oh, she is amazing! Such good company." Rory has said, "There is a mutual admiration society between my mother and Taylor Swift and I just love it! I think it says so much about Taylor – she has that ability to connect and cross generations ... She's terrific and such a great role model for young girls, as well as for all women, really. ... She's just so curious and interested". In January 2012, Swift travelled to Utah to attend the Sundance premiere of the HBO documentary ''Ethel''.

In a 2012 interview, Swift remarked that she was "very cautious" about using her public profile to address political issues, adding that she hoped to "gradually" become more outspoken: "I don't feel that I am in a place to sing about politics or anything like that. I don't know enough at this point".

Filmography[link]

>

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2009	''Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience''	Herself
2009	''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Haley Jones
2009	''Hannah Montana: The Movie''	Herself	Cameo
2009	''Saturday Night Live''	Host	Also appeared as the Musical Guest
2010		Felicia	Movie acting debut
2012	''''	Audrey

Discography[link]

''Taylor Swift'' (2006)

''Fearless'' (2008)

''Speak Now'' (2010)

''Untitled Fourth Studio Album'' (Fall 2012)

Tours[link]

Fearless Tour (2009–10)

Speak Now World Tour (2011–12)

Awards and nominations[link]

Swift has won 109 awards from a total of 162 nominations. She has been the recipient of ten American Music Awards, six Grammy Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, six Academy of Country Music Awards and 13 BMI Awards.

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1989 births Category:Actors from Pennsylvania Category:American child singers Category:American country banjoists Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American female guitarists Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American pianists Category:American pop singers Category:American television actors Category:Big Machine Records artists Category:Child pop musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Pennsylvania Category:People from Reading, Pennsylvania Category:People from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania Category:Ukulele players

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name	Zac Efron
birth name	Zachary David Alexander Efron
birth date	October 18, 1987
birth place	San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor, singer
years active	2002–present }}

Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron (born October 18, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie ''High School Musical'', the WB series ''Summerland'', and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical ''Hairspray''. Efron has since starred in the films ''17 Again'', ''Me and Orson Welles'', ''Charlie St. Cloud'', ''New Year's Eve'', and ''The Lucky One''.

In 2007, ''Rolling Stone'' declared him the "poster boy for tweenyboppers" and featured him in their late August 2007 issue.

Early life and education[link]

Efron was born in San Luis Obispo, California, and later moved to Arroyo Grande, California. His father, David Efron, is an electrical engineer at a power station, and his mother, Starla Baskett, is a former secretary who worked at the same power plant. Efron has a younger brother, Dylan, and had, as he has described it, a "normal childhood" in a middle class family. He is an agnostic, having never been religious. His surname, "Efron", means "lark" in Hebrew (his paternal grandfather was Jewish).

Efron has said that he would "flip out" if he got a "B" and not an "A" in school, and has also described himself as having been a class clown. His father encouraged him to begin acting when he was 11 years old. Efron subsequently appeared in theater productions at his high school, worked in the theater The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville, and began taking singing lessons. He performed in shows such as ''Gypsy''; ''Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up''; ''Little Shop of Horrors''; and ''The Music Man''. He was recommended to an agent in Los Angeles by his drama teacher, Robyn Metchik (the mother of actors Aaron Michael Metchik and Asher Metchik). Efron was later signed to the Creative Artists Agency.

Efron graduated from Arroyo Grande High School in 2006 and was then accepted into the University of Southern California, but has deferred his enrollment to work on film projects. He also attended Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, a community college located in Santa Maria, California, which provided him with the opportunity to perform as a "young player" during the years of 2000 and 2001.

Career[link]

Early work[link]

In 2002, Efron began to appear in guest roles on several television series, including ''Firefly'', ''ER'', and ''The Guardian''. He portrayed Cameron Bale on the now-cancelled WB series ''Summerland''. Originally introduced as a recurring character, Efron became a regular cast member on the show in the second season in 2004, starring opposite the likes of Kay Panabaker, Lori Loughlin and Jesse McCartney. Since appearing in ''Summerland'', he has also had guest roles on the shows ''CSI: Miami'', ''NCIS'', ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' and ''The Replacements''. In 2003, Efron starred in the Lifetime original television movie ''Miracle Run''. He played Steven Morgan, one of two autistic twins. For his performance, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Mini-series or Special — Supporting Young Actor. In 2005, he played a main character in Hope Partlow's music video for her song "Sick Inside." Also in 2005, he played horse-loving Patrick McCardle in ''The Derby Stallion'', where his character wants to beat the town bully at the steeple chase race.

Breakthrough[link]

In 2006, Efron starred in the Disney Channel original movie ''High School Musical'' as Troy Bolton, a popular student and captain of the basketball team. The film, which he initially made with "low expectations", helped Efron gain recognition among teenage audiences as both an actor and a singer, even though his singing voice was overdubbed. As a result, he placed as high as #4 on the IMDBPro's STARMeter for the week of January 29, 2006. In August 2006, Efron won a Teen Choice Award in the Breakout Star and the TV — Choice Chemistry categories, shared with Vanessa Hudgens. The film's cast, along with Efron, toured Sydney, Australia, London, England, and other locations to promote the film.

Shortly after ''High School Musical'' aired, on February 4, 2006, Efron debuted with two simultaneous charted songs on Billboard Hot 100 from the film: "Get'cha Head in the Game" and "Breaking Free", a duet with Hudgens. On the following week's chart, Efron had five simultaneous song credits from ''High School Musical'': "Get'cha Head in the Game", "Start of Something New", "What I've Been Looking For: Reprise", "We're All in This Together" and "Breaking Free." "We're All in This Together" was credited to the whole ''High School Musical'' cast. "Breaking Free", at the time, made the fastest climb in the history of the Billboard charts, from #86 to #4 between the two weeks; the record was beaten by Beyoncé and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar". Efron also appeared in the 2006 ''Disney Channel Games'' as captain of the Red Team.

Efron's singing talents were disputed when it was revealed that Drew Seeley's voice was blended with his on the soundtrack of ''High School Musical''. An August 23, 2007 interview in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine revealed that he had been cast in ''High School Musical'' after the songs were written, and the songs (written for a tenor) were somewhat out of his baritone vocal range.

2007–present[link]

On April 7, 2007, Efron appeared in an episode of ''Punk'd''. Efron also starred in the music video for Vanessa Hudgens's single "Say OK", in which he played her love interest. The video aired on March 16, 2007 on the Disney Channel. That year, he was named one of ''People'' magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People in 2007. A picture and short profile of him was in the section "Coming of Age". In it, he related how he was always the shortest kid in school (as of August 2007, he was 5'8") and was teased for the "huge gap" in his teeth.

In 2006, Efron was cast as Link Larkin in a film version of ''Hairspray'' released on July 20, 2007. Efron performed all of his own vocals in the role, which was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, from September 5 to December 2, 2006. He cut and dyed his hair dark brown and gained about 15 pounds for the role. His performance and the film received positive reviews. Efron was not able to perform with his fellow castmates in ''High School Musical: The Concert'' because of commitments on the film ''Hairspray''. Drew Seeley took over for him.

''High School Musical 2'' was released in August 2007. Additionally, Lycos reported searches for Efron surged by 81%. The film set a new record, becoming the most watched basic cable program in U.S. history, with 17.2 million viewers. Efron also appeared on the cover of the August 2007 edition of ''Rolling Stone''. The article about him revealed that he hoped to someday play an action hero. Efron presented the 2007 Teen Choice Award for "Favorite Movie" along with Queen Latifah, and later that year, he co-hosted the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards with The Veronicas on October 10 in Sydney.

In early 2008, Efron was cast in the lead role in the film ''Me and Orson Welles''. Based on Robert Kaplow's novel of the same name, the story, set in 1937 New York, tells of a teenager hired to star in Orson Welles' production of ''Julius Caesar'', where he becomes attracted to a career-driven production assistant. The film was shot in the Isle of Man, London and New York, during February — April 2008. It was introduced to North America via the Toronto Film Festival on September 5, 6, and 11, 2008 and was released in 2009. Efron was also scheduled to star in Paramount's musical remake of the film ''Footloose'', and has said that he would like to add his "own little bit of flair" to the role originated by Kevin Bacon. In March 2009, he dropped out of the film. Efron was quoted as saying that while it was a promising gig, he left the project because he "was looking for a new challenge, and this was another musical."

Efron reprised his role in ''High School Musical 3: Senior Year'', which was theatrically released on October 24, 2008. His next role was in 2009's ''17 Again'', a high school-set comedy-drama produced by Adam Shankman and based on a pitch by Jason Filardi; the plot involved an adult who is transformed into a 17-year old (played by Efron).

On April 8, 2009, Efron's participation in a comedic short video entitled "Zac Efron's Pool Party" for the website Funny Or Die was released for public viewing. On April 11, 2009, Efron hosted an episode of ''Saturday Night Live''. In early June 2009 it was confirmed that Efron would be making a guest appearance during the sixth season of HBO's comedy series ''Entourage''. Efron starred in a series of advertisements, along with Kristen Bell and Sean Combs, promoting the 2010 MTV Movie Awards and the host, Aziz Ansari. In 2009, he signed on to play title character in the movie ''Charlie St. Cloud''. The film was released on July 30, 2010.

Efron was second on ''People''s 2011 Most Beautiful list. That year, he appeared in Garry Marshall's ''New Year's Eve'', which did well on the box-office despite receiving many negative reviews from critics. In 2012, he voiced Teg Wiggins in ''The Lorax'' and starred in ''The Lucky One'', a film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name. He will co-star in ''The Paperboy'' alongside Nicole Kidman.

Upcoming roles[link]

Efron has been slated to star in the title role of the live-action adaptation of the ''Jonny Quest'' cartoons. Additional projects include ''Einstein Theory'' and an adaptation of ''Fire'', by Image Comics. On February 11, 2011, it was reported that Efron will star in the action romance ''Charlie Countryman''. He is also set to star in and produce the American remake of Swedish crime film ''Easy Money''.

Personal life[link]

150px|thumb|right|Efron with Vanessa Hudgens at the 81st Academy Awards, 2009 Efron was on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2008 as number 92 with estimated earnings of $5.8 million from June 2007 to June 2008. As of April 5, 2009, his personal wealth equaled about $10 million. ''People'' magazine said in 2007 that Efron and Vanessa Hudgens began dating in 2005 during the filming of ''High School Musical'', although ''Us'' magazine said, after the two broke up in December 2010, that they "met in 2005 while making the first ''High School Musical'' flick, and became a romantic item about two years later."

Filmography [link]

+ Film roles	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2003	''Melinda's World''	Stuart Wasser
2003	''''	Pete Laemke
2004	''Miracle Run''	Steven Morgan
2004	''Triple Play''	Harry Fuller
2005	''''	Patrick McCardle
2006	''If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now''	Cody
2006	''High School Musical''	Troy Bolton	Disney Channel Original Movie
2007		Link Larkin
2007	''High School Musical 2''	Troy Bolton	Disney Channel Original Movie
2008	''High School Musical 3: Senior Year''	Troy Bolton
2009		Mike O'Donnell (teen)
2009	''Me and Orson Welles''	Richard Samuels
2010		Charlie St. Cloud
2011		Paul
2012		Nat
2012	''Dr. Seuss' The Lorax''	Ted Wiggins (voice)
2012	''''	Logan Thibault
2012	''''	Jack James

+ Television roles	Year	Title	Role	Episode
2002		Young Simon Tam
2003	''''	Luke Tomello	"Without Consent"
2003		Bobby Neville	"Dear Abby"
2004–05		Cameron Bale	Lead role; 16 episodes
2005	''CSI: Miami''	Seth Dawson
2005	''''	Davey Hunkerhoff	"Davey Hunkerhoff / Ratted Out"
2006		Pizza Delivery Guy	"Pilot"
2006	''''	Trevor	"Odd Couples"
2006		Danny	"Deception"
2008	''Robot Chicken''	Billy Joel	"Tell My Mom"
2009	''Robot Chicken''	Harry Potter	"I Love Her"
2009	''Saturday Night Live''	Himself	2 episodes
2009		Himself	"Security Briefs"
2010	''Robot Chicken''	Anakin Skywalker	"Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III"

Other awards and nominations[link]

! Year !! Award !! Category !! Work !! Result
2008	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Other: Red Carpet Fashion Icon - Male
	Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards	Cutest Couple (shared with Vanessa Hudgens)	rowspan="3"
	Best TV Star - Male
2011	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Other: Red Carpet Fashion - Icon

Discography[link]

Soundtracks[link]

''High School Musical'' (2006)

''Hairspray'' (2007)

''High School Musical 2'' (2007)

''High School Musical 3: Senior Year'' (2008)

Charted songs[link]

Year	Single	Peak chart positions								Album
		! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	96
style="text-align:left;"	6	20	5	—	61	9	—	20
	46	—	—	—	—	—	—	65
	31	86	54	—	—	12	75	26
style="text-align:left;"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	89
	34	—	—	—	—	—	—	40
	65	—	—	—	—	—	—	55
	style="text-align:left;"	68	80	72	18	—	42	64	41
style="text-align:left;"	108	96	—	—	—	—	—	—
style="text-align:left;"	119	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	98	84	—	—	—	—	—	—
	101	72	—	—	—	—	—	—

References[link]

External links[link]

Zac Efron at TV Guide

Category:1987 births Category:Actors from California Category:American agnostics Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American film actors Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Arroyo Grande, California Category:Living people Category:Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts alumni Category:People from San Luis Obispo, California

af:Zac Efron ar:زاك إيفرون az:Zak Efron bg:Зак Ефрон bs:Zac Efron ca:Zac Efron cs:Zac Efron cy:Zac Efron da:Zac Efron de:Zac Efron et:Zac Efron el:Ζακ Έφρον es:Zac Efron eu:Zac Efron fa:زک افران fr:Zac Efron ga:Zac Efron gl:Zac Efron gan:扎·艾弗欒 ko:잭 에프론 hy:Զաք Էֆրոն hi:ज़ॅक ऍफ्रॉन hr:Zac Efron io:Zac Efron id:Zac Efron is:Zac Efron it:Zac Efron he:זאק אפרון jv:Zac Efron kl:Zac Efron ka:ზაკ ეფრონი la:Zacharias Efron lv:Zaks Efrons hu:Zac Efron arz:زاك إيفرون ms:Zac Efron nl:Zac Efron ne:ज्याक एफ्रन ja:ザック・エフロン no:Zac Efron nn:Zac Efron uz:Zac Efron pl:Zac Efron pt:Zac Efron ro:Zac Efron ru:Эфрон, Зак sq:Zac Efron simple:Zac Efron sl:Zac Efron sh:Zac Efron fi:Zac Efron sv:Zac Efron tl:Zac Efron th:แซค แอฟรอน tr:Zac Efron uk:Зак Ефрон vi:Zac Efron zh-yue:碩克艾佛朗 zh:柴克·艾弗隆

Name	Nicki Minaj
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
Birth date	December 08, 1982
Birth place	Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop, R&B;, pop
Occupation	Rapper, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Label	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Young Money
website	}}

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj (), is a Trinidadian-born American rapper and singer-songwriter. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up.

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, ''Pink Friday'', in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release. She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time. Her second single, "Your Love", reached number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. Minaj was named the 2011 ''Rising Star'' by ''Billboard''. Her second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' was released on April 3, 2012.

Early life [link]

Maraj was born in 1982 in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain. Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens. According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet. She graduated from LaGuardia High School. At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program. She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia but lost her voice on the day of the audition.

Career [link]

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money [link]

Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing ''Playtime Is Over'' with Dirty Money Records. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled ''Sucka Free'', under the label Be. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in ''XXL'' magazine. She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards. Minaj released ''Beam Me Up Scotty'', another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of Trapaholics Records; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.

In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal. She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at number 56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics. Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album ''We Are Young Money'', which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, reaching number 9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B; singer.

2010–11: ''Pink Friday'' [link]

After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released from a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing. In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album ''Loud'' that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's ''Pink Friday''. Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album. On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be ''Pink Friday'', in reference to Black Friday.

''Pink Friday'' was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions. A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April. In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart simultaneously. Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs. The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release. It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the ''The X Factor.'' Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting ''Pink Friday'' by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale''. She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till the World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011. "Super Bass" was released from ''Pink Friday'' in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more. The song gained positive reviews from critics. Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'', as an unknown character. Minaj is also featured on French DJ David Guetta's 2011 album, ''Nothing but the Beat'' on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On".

2011–present: ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' [link]

Minaj's second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'', was first announced through Twitter in November 2011 and was released on April 2, 2012 in the United Kingdom and April 3, 2012 in the United States. The album features collaborations with producers Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke, Rico Beats, Kenoe, RedOne and Oak. Cash Money A&R; Joshua Berkman told HitQuarters that Minaj was extremely particular about the beats and music she used saying: "She wouldn't just rap or sing on anything – I could give her a thousand tracks and she may only like one or two." Preceding the album's release, three promotional singles were released: Roman in Moscow (which didn't make the final cut of the album), "Stupid Hoe," and "Roman Reloaded." The album's first single, "Starships", was released on February 14. "Starships" became Minaj's best-peaking single in the United Kingdom, when it reached a peak of 2. It has also peaked at number 5 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it her second top 10 arrival following, "Super Bass" in 2011. The music video was released on April 26th, 2012.

On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. It was the first song ever performed on the Grammy stage by a solo female rapper. The exorcism-themed performance drew a mixed response online.

She was featured on Madonna's twelfth studio album, titled ''MDNA'', alongside M.I.A. on its lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'", for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce. The trio performed the song for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. She was also featured on a song called "I Don't Give A", another track from the album.

She released her second single, "Right by My Side", which features Chris Brown, on March 27, 2012, after premiering on Minaj's website on March 20, 2012. Following the album's release, it peaked at number 24 on the US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. It also peaked in the lower regions of the UK singles chart, at position #101. The third single, "Beez in the Trap", which features 2 Chainz was released to U.S. Urban radio on April 24, 2012. It was premiered on DJ Flex's radio show at Hot 97 on March 20, 2012. It has peaked at number 24 on the US ''Billboard'' Rap Songs Chart. The video was premiered on April 6, 2012 on Minaj's official VEVO account.

Artistry [link]

Image [link]

Minaj has been noted by the media for her curvaceous figure. In an interview with ''Vibe'' Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing." In an interview with ''Interview'', Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.” Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "" (''shàngdì yǔ nǐ cháng zài'') on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."

Alter egos [link]

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting. As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them. In an interview with ''New York'' she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa". Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City. Minaj made an appearance on ''Lopez Tonight'' on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).

In April 2012, Minaj was asked if Roman, Martha and Rosa come out in the bedroom saying “No, they don’t come out in the bedroom, but other people come out in the bedroom,” she told Big Boy during his “Backstage Breakfast,” adding, “And there’s only one person that would know who that personality is". Minaj did not name her alter-ego.

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski". She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin brother". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from ''Pink Friday'', Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos. On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot." Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski", who also appeared on the song "Roman's Revenge", with a British accent, and on "Roman Holiday", singing for the first time. Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping. Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.

Influences [link]

Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott. She was also inspired by Janet Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones, M.I.A. and Cyndi Lauper.

Product and endorsements[link]

During her career, Minaj has signed contracts with a variety of corporate interests. Companies she contracted with include soft drink manufacturer Pepsi; Mattel, which produced a custom a Nicki Minaj-themed Barbie; and MAC Cosmetics, as part of an AIDS-awareness campaign in Latin America.

Personal life [link]

Minaj is a Christian, and on Christmas Day in 2011, she indicated her faith in Jesus by tweeting John 3:16. In addition, she states that after her father went to rehab and started attending church, "he got saved and started changing his life." Minaj states that her heroes are "God. And my mother."

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual, she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women, but added in an interview with ''Out'' magazine, "I don’t date men either." In an interview with ''Vibe'' she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined." She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with ''Out'', saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."

During an interview in the May 2010 issue of ''Details'', Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."

In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City. Telemaque was referenced in Minaj's song "Champion" in her second studio album.

Discography [link]

''Pink Friday'' (2010)

''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012)

Touring [link]

Pink Friday Tour (2012)

See also [link]

List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References [link]

Notes [link]

External links [link]

Category:Nicki Minaj Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American rappers Category:American musicians of Indian descent Category:Rappers from Long Island Category:American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:Female rappers Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Hip hop singers Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Queens Category:People from Port of Spain Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Singers from New York City Category:Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States Category:Trinidad and Tobago musicians Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of Dougla descent Category:Young Money Entertainment artists

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Name	Tim McGraw
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Samuel Timothy McGraw
Birth date	May 01, 1967
Birth place	Delhi, Louisiana, U.S.
Origin	Start, Louisiana, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
Genre	Country
Occupation	Musician, actor
Years active	1992–present
Label	CurbBig Machine
Associated acts	Faith Hill, The Dancehall Doctors, Nelly, Taylor Swift, Def Leppard, Mindy McCready, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lionel Richie
Website	}}

Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the Soundscan era. He is married to country singer Faith Hill and is the son of former baseball player Tug McGraw.

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

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

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

Early life[link]

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

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

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

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

1990s[link]

''Tim McGraw''[link]

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

''Not a Moment Too Soon''[link]

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

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

''All I Want''[link]

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

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

''Everywhere''[link]

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

''A Place in the Sun[link]

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

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

2000s[link]

''Greatest Hits''[link]

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

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

''Set This Circus Down''[link]

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

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

''Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors''[link]

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

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

Darran Smith – lead guitar, acoustic guitar

Bob Minner – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin

Denny Hemingson – steel guitar, electric, baritone, and slide guitars, dobro

John Marcus – bass guitar

Dean Brown – fiddle, mandolin

Jeff McMahon – piano, organ, synthesizer, keyboards

Billy Mason – drums

David Dunkley – percussion

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

''Live Like You Were Dying''[link]

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

In late 2004, his unlikely duet with hip-hop artist Nelly on "Over and Over", a soft ballad of lost love, became a crossover hit, spending 10 weeks atop the Top 40 chart. "Over and Over" brought McGraw a success he had never previously experienced on contemporary hit radio or rap radio, and brought both artists success neither had previously experienced in the hot adult contemporary market. The song also spent a week at the top of the charts in the United Kingdom, becoming McGraw's first British hit single and Nelly's third number one hit in the country after Dilemma and My Place. 'Over and Over' also reached the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland, and the top ten in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Romania and Switzerland.

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

''Let It Go''[link]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

''Southern Voice''[link]

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

2010s[link]

''Emotional Traffic'' and Curb Records lawsuit[link]

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

McGraw has also finished work on a new album, also entitled ''Emotional Traffic'', his last album with Curb Records. On May 13, 2011, Curb Records filed a breach-of-contract suit against McGraw. The label alleged that McGraw recorded tracks for his ''Emotional Traffic'' album too early prior to its delivery to the label. Several days later, McGraw filed a counter suit against the label seeking advance payment and recording-fund reimbursement, unspecified damages, and a jury trial. A trial is scheduled to begin in July 2012.

In November 2011, a judge granted McGraw permission to record music for another label, ending his relationship with Curb Records that began in 1990. A few hours after the ruling, Curb released "Better Than I Used to Be", the second single from ''Emotional Traffic''. The album was released on January 24, 2012.

In December 2011, McGraw released his first Christmas single, "Christmas All Over the World", on his own label StyleSonic records. He is also said to be recording his debut album for the label. On May 21, 2012, he signed with Big Machine Records.

Acting[link]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Charitable efforts[link]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Politics[link]

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

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

''Tim McGraw'' (1993)

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

''All I Want'' (1995)

''Everywhere'' (1997)

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

''Set This Circus Down'' (2001)

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

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

''Let It Go'' (2007)

''Southern Voice'' (2009)

''Emotional Traffic'' (2012)

Compilation albums[link]

''Greatest Hits'' (2000)

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

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

''Collector's Edition'' (2008)

''Greatest Hits 3'' (2008)

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

''Number One Hits'' (2010)

Filmography[link]

colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"	Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Black Cloud''	Sheriff Cliff Powers
	Charles Billingsley
2006		Rob McLaughlin
2007		Aaron Jackson
2008	''Four Christmases''	Dallas
2009		Sean Tuohy
	2010	''Country Strong''	James Canter
2011		Danny
Television
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1997	''The Jeff Foxworthy Show''	Lionel	one episode; "Feud for Thought"
2008	''Saturday Night Live''	Host	Hosted November 22, 2008
2011	''Who Do You Think You Are? (U.S. TV series)''	Himself	Season 2, Episode 2

Awards[link]

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

Further reading[link]

Brown, Jim; Sparrow, Susan. ''Faith Hill & Tim McGraw: Soul 2 Soul''. Quarry Music Books, 2002. ISBN 1-55082-293-4

Gray, Scott. ''Perfect Harmony: the Faith Hill & Tim McGraw Story''. 1st ed. Ballantine Books, 1999. ISBN 0-345-43412-9

McGraw, Tim. ''Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors: This is Ours''. Atria Books, 2002. ISBN 0-7434-6706-X

Nichols, Tim, and Craig Wiseman. ''Live Like You Were Dying''. Rutledge Hill P, 2004. ISBN 1-4016-0212-6

Trimble, Betty "McMom". ''A Mother's Story''. D'Agostino/Dahlhauser/Ditmore Pub, 1996. ISBN 1-886371-32-6

References[link]

External links[link]

Tim McGraw at Country Music Television

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

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

name	Wiz Khalifa
alt	Wiz Khalifa performing
background	solo_singer
birth name	Cameron Jibril Thomaz
alias
birth date	September 08, 1987
birth place	Minot, North Dakota,
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor
years active	2005–present
label	Rostrum, Taylor Gang, Warner Bros., Atlantic
associated acts	Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Curren$y, Big Sean, Chevy Woods, Mac Miller, Juicy J, Tinie Tempah, Yelawolf, Maroon 5, Big K.R.I.T.
spouse	Amber Rose
website	wizkhalifa.com
notable instruments	}}

Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. His Eurodance-influenced single, "Say Yeah", received urban radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts in 2008. Khalifa parted with Warner Bros. and released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', in November 2009. He released the mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' as a free download in April 2010; he then signed with Atlantic Records. He is also well known for his debut single for Atlantic, "Black and Yellow", which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album for the label, ''Rolling Papers'', was released on March 29, 2011.

Early life[link]

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 to a mother and a father serving in the military. His parents divorced when Khalifa was about three years old. His parents' military service caused him to move regularly: Khalifa lived in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School.

His stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning "successor", and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was a young boy . Khalifa stated to spinner.com that the name also came from being called "young Wiz 'cause I was good at everything I did, and my granddad is Muslim, so he gave me that name; he felt like that's what I was doing with my music." He got his stage name tattooed on his 17th birthday. He includes Jimi Hendrix, Camp Lo, The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony among his influences.

Career[link]

2005–08: Early mixtapes and ''Show and Prove''[link]

Rostrum Records president Benjy Grinberg first heard about Wiz Khalifa in 2004 when the rapper's contribution to a mixtape of various new Pittsburgh artists attracted his interest. When Grinberg finally met the 16-year-old artist, he immediately decided he wanted to work with him, later telling HitQuarters: "Even though he wasn’t all the way developed you could just tell that he was a diamond in the rough, and that with some polishing, guidance and backing he could become something special." Khalifa signed to the label shortly after and began a seven year period of artist development.

Khalifa released his first mixtape, ''Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania'', in 2005. The mixtape paved the way for his first full length album entitled ''Show and Prove'' in 2006. Khalifa was declared an "artist to watch" that year in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine.

In 2007, Khalifa signed to Warner Bros. Records and released two mixtapes through Rostrum Records: ''Grow Season'', hosted by DJ Green Lantern and released on July 4, 2007, and ''Prince of the City 2'', released on November 20, 2007. His debut Warner Bros. single "Say Yeah" reached number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on ''Billboard's'' Hot Rap Tracks. The song samples "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay. Khalifa's vocals from "Say Yeah" appear near the end of Pittsburgh mash up producer Girl Talk's 2008 album, ''Feed the Animals'', over music from Underworld's "Born Slippy", Usher's "Love in This Club", and the Cure's "In Between Days". Khalifa appeared with The Game, David Banner and Play-n-Skillz at U92's Summer Jam at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah on August 2, 2008. Khalifa released the mixtapes ''Star Power'' in September 2008, and ''Flight School'' in April 2009 on Rostrum Records.

Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. Records in July 2009 after numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, ''First Flight''. Khalifa stated to the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' that, "I learned a lot during my time there and matured as an artist during the process. I'm happy to be moving on with all of my material and having the chance to be in control of my next moves". Khalifa appeared with Girl Talk, Modey Lemon, Donora, Grand Buffet, and Don Caballero at the Amphitheatre at Station Square in Pittsburgh on July 31, 2009, where he announced that his relationship with Warner Bros. was over.

2009–10: ''Deal or No Deal''[link]

Continuing his association with Rostrum Records, Khalifa released the single "Teach U to Fly", and the mixtape ''How Fly'', a collaboration with New Orleans rapper Curren$y, on August 9, 2009. Khalifa introduced a more melodic style on the mixtape, alternating between singing and rapping. He opened for Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Khalifa released the mixtape ''Burn After Rolling'' on November 2, 2009, where he raps over familiar beats from other artists, including the songs "If I Were A Boy" and "Diva" by Beyoncé, "Walking on a Dream" by Empire of the Sun, "Luchini AKA This Is It" by Camp Lo, and "Best I Ever Had" by Drake. Khalifa released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', on November 24, 2009.

Khalifa performed at Emo's in Austin, Texas in March 2010 as part of the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival. He appeared on the cover of ''XXL'' magazine that same month, for the magazine's annual list of Top 10 Freshman, which included Donnis, J. Cole, Pill, Freddie Gibbs, and Fashawn. Wiz Khalifa was named 2010 "Rookie Of The Year" by "The Source", with alongside Rick Ross, "The Man Of The Year". He toured with rapper Yelawolf on a 20-date tour, the Deal Or No Deal Tour. Khalifa released the free mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' for download on April 14, 2010. Due to Khalifa's devoted grassroots fan base, the mixtape became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter with the hash tag #kushandorangejuice, and "Kush and Orange Juice download” ranked No. 1 on Google’s hot search trends.

2010: Signing with Atlantic Records[link]

Citing music industry insiders, ''New York'' magazine wrote that Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although the rapper did not confirm it. He stated to AllHipHop in June 2010 that he was working on a new album, but was weighing his options and had not yet decided on a label to distribute it. Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30 that he was signing an Atlantic Records deal.

Khalifa was featured in a remix and video for the 2010 Rick Ross single "Super High", alongside Curren$y. He guested on the mixtape ''Grey Goose, Head Phones, and Thirsty Women '' by St. Louis rapper M.C, and was featured on the track "The Breeze (Cool)" on rapper Wale's August 2010 mixtape ''More About Nothing''. Khalifa was named MTV's Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010, winning with nearly 70,000 votes, and beating out finalists Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Travis Porter, and Diggy Simmons.

Khalifa appeared at the Soundset 2010 festival in May 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside Method Man & Redman, Del the Funky Homosapien and Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Murs, Cage, and others. He also performed at the 2010 Rock the Bells festival, along with hip hop veterans Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-One, Jedi Mind Tricks and Slick Rick. Khalifa declined an invitation to tour with rapper Drake and launched his own "Waken Baken" tour, a 50-city national tour with rapper Yelawolf. The tour, scheduled to last from September to November 2010, has, as of October, sold out every venue. On November 2010, during his "Waken Baken" tour at East Carolina University, Wiz Khalifa was arrested for possession and trafficking of marijuana. He was then released the next morning after a $300K bail, and resumed his tour. Khalifa performed in a cypher during the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards. He recited his verse from the song, "The Check Point", from his mixtape with Curren$y, ''How Fly''.

2010–11: Mainstream success and ''Rolling Papers''[link]

Khalifa released "Black and Yellow", his first single for Rostrum/Atlantic, produced by Stargate, which has received radio airplay. The single was peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; the title of the song refers to the colours of the City of Pittsburgh. Khalifa released his debut album with Atlantic Records in 2011. He appeared with Curren$y on the track "Scaling the Building" on producer Ski Beatz' 2010 album, ''24 Hour Karate School''. Khalifa's record label is Taylor Gang Records, named after his love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, PA, where he graduated from.

On March 29, 2011, Khalifa released his first studio album, ''Rolling Papers''. The album debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States. Shortly afterward on March 31, 2011 Wiz Khalifa performed at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia as part of the school's annual Dooley's Weekend. On June 26, 2011, Khalifa was nominated and won Best New Artist at the BET Awards of 2011. Khalifa collaborated with British rapper Tinie Tempah whom Tinie announced in an interview with Rolling Stone that his next single is to be called "Till I'm Gone" and would feature Wiz Khalifa and is to be produced by Stargate. The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011.

Personal life [link]

Thomaz proposed to model Amber Rose on March 1, 2012 showing off the ring on Twitter. He is personal friends with Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, Yelawolf, and fellow Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller.

In March 2012, Thomaz purchased a 2.8 private wooded acres with a 3,891-square-foot residence in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, a small community southwest of Pittsburgh. The residence includes 5-bedroom, 4-bath eco-friendly, Brazilian Koa floors, stainless steel appliances, a separate guest house, and a lavish master suite with high ceilings. He currently resides there with his fiancée Amber Rose.

Discography[link]

;Studio albums

2006: ''Show and Prove''

2009: ''Deal or No Deal''

2011: ''Rolling Papers''

2012: ''O.N.I.F.C.''

;Collaborative albums

2011: ''Mac & Devin Go to High School'' (with Snoop Dogg)

2012: TBA (with Taylor Gang)

Awards and nominations[link]

! Year !! Organization !! Award !! Nominated work !! Result
		Best New	Wiz Khalifa
Best Push	Wiz Khalifa
American Music Awards	Sprint's Best New Artist	Wiz Khalifa
	Best Rap Song	"Black & Yellow"
Best Rap Performance	"Black & Yellow"
2012	Billboard Music Awards	Best New Artist	Wiz Khalifa

References[link]

External links[link]

Wiz Khalifa at MTV

Non-commercial Wiz Khalifa mixtapes

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