Look up proud in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Proud may refer to:

• Pride, the sense of one's own worth
• Proud (film), a 2004 film dramatizing the story of the African American crew of USS Mason (DE-529)
• Proud (Heather Small album), the debut album by Heather Small
• "Proud" (Heather Small song), a song by Heather Small that is the official song for the London 2012 Olympic bid
• "Proud" (Britannia High song), a 2008 song written for Britannia High and later covered by Susan Boyle
• Proud (compilation album), a New Zealand hip hop compilation album
• Proud (John Stanley play), a 2009 play that examines the implications of being "out and proud" as a gay man
• Proud (JLS song)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Heather Small (born Heather Smalls, 20 January 1965) is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000. She was also a contestant in the British television show Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.

Career[link]

1987–1998: Hot House and M People[link]

Small joined her first group, Hot House, while she was still a teenager. She was ^[1] the studio singer voice of the re-recorded version of UK number 1 single "Ride on Time" from Italo House Band Black Box. After a chance meeting with Manchester DJ Mike Pickering, formerly of Quando Quango, Small and her distinctive voice helped to sell over 10 million albums worldwide singing with his group M People. They had considerable success with songs such as "Moving on Up" and "Search for the Hero". Small has said that her major influence has been singer Elkie Brooks.

In 1997, Small performed on the "Perfect Day" record alongside a wide range of artists including Tom Jones and Lou Reed. The song was the official 1997 Children in Need charity release. It sold over a million copies and was the UK's number one single for three weeks, in two separate spells.

In 1998, after M People's "Best Of" album, Small and the band took some time off to pursue solo projects.

[edit] 2000–2005: Proud

In 2000, Small released her debut solo album Proud and a single of the same name, closely affiliated with the British Olympics team of the time. The single "Proud" was also used for the first season and the last chapter on the finale season of Queer as Folk. "Proud" is Small's signature song, with which she achieved international success. When Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up the work she'd been striving to achieve over her twenty-year career, she got in touch with Small and the song "Proud" became the theme song to The Oprah Winfrey Show, and in 2005 Small made her American television debut on the show. Then in 2004 the song became the theme song for the American reality weight loss show The Biggest Loser.

A further single, "Holding On", followed and in November 2000 a duet single with Tom Jones, called "You Need Love Like I Do" (which can also be found on the 1999 album Reload).

Small then took taking time off to look after her son and to start recording her second solo album. She was occasionally seen on various TV programmes as Parkinson and Songs of Praise. She also sang three songs at the Tsunami Relief Concert at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

In 2005, a second M People greatest hits collection was released. Ultimate Collection featured both the biggest M People hits and two of Small's solo singles. Small's solo song "Proud" was re-released from this album and reached number 33 on the UK Singles Charts. M People reformed and played together on an arena tour during 2005; they have played a few dates each year since.

This single was played at the end of the last Queer as Folk (USA) chapter, in 2005, as a summary of all the stories that had happened in the TV series. This song was chosen due to its meaning, to show people how the LGTB group has to fight everyday against the society's prejudices

[edit] 2006–2008: Close to a Miracle

Small released a new single, "Radio On" in the UK on July 17, 2006 and her second solo album, Close to a Miracle was released on July 24, followed by a second single of the same name, which was released digitally on September 25, 2006 and included a previously unreleased track, "Changes". The album was a commercial disappointment, charting for one week at number 57 with both supporting singles charting outside the Top 100. A short UK solo tour which followed in the autumn of that year was received well.^[2]

In 2007, Small collaborated with Icelandic tenor Garðar Thór Cortes on a song called "Luna". The song was released as a single from his album Cortes and reached number two in the Icelandic Charts.^{[citation needed]} A new song was recorded to celebrate 200 years since the abolition of the slave trade, and Small performed at a concert in London to mark this anniversary on 10 November 2007.^[3] On 26 May 2008 Small performed alongside Stereophonics and Feeder at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, as part of the celebrations of Wales's success at the 2008 Grand Slam.^[4] In addition, Small performed three nights at Ronnie Scott's in October as part of her 2008 tour, and headlined at Manchester Pride.

On 24 August 2008 she performed at the Visa London 2012 Party to celebrate the handover as host city of the Olympic Games from Beijing, China, to London. Small sang "Proud" which was the unofficial anthem of Team GB at the Athens Games in 2004, and is the official anthem of the London 2012 Games. On December 2008, she again performed "Proud" on the 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year programme, as a soundtrack to a montage of British Olympian achievements at Beijing.

[edit] Late 2008: Strictly Come Dancing

In 2008, Small was announced as one of the sixteen celebrities in the sixth series of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with newcomer Brian Fortuna. The dancing couple placed 9th overall in the series, and in the series, Small was in the bottom two on four occasions: Week 4, 5, 7, and 8 where she was eventually voted by the judges and beaten by Rachel Stevens who was also in the dance-off. Small also appeared in an associated BBC Three series called "Dancing on Wheels".^[5]

2009–present: Recent history[link]

From late 2008 and throughout 2009, Small toured the UK. The setlist included Small's solo tracks, M People songs and some jazz covers.^[6] In the final quarter of 2009, Small's back catalogue sales increased by 73% as a result of frequent references to her hit single "Proud" on the BBC 2 hit sitcom Miranda. She also appeared in the Miranda Comic Relief Special on 18 March 2011.

It was announced in July 2010 that Heather Small would take Chaka Khan's place alongside Anastacia and Lulu for the second Here Come the Girls. The tour took place across the UK during November and December 2010.^[7]

Charity work[link]

Small is active in supporting several charities, such as "Beat Bullying", the Aiden Cox Foundation, Mencap (for which she performed) and St Luke's Midnight Walk. She attended an anti-racism ceremony at 10 Downing Street for “Show Racism The Red Card”, attended by Sporting Elite, the Prime Minister and others. Small works regularly with Barnardo's; in addition she has also recently become an ambassador of Asthma UK, as she suffered from asthma as a child.^[8]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Heather Small on Myspace

Interviews[link]

• Pride of Manchester - Heather Small interview
• Heather Small video interview on expressandstar.com

Tina Turner
Tina Turner performing in the GelreDome, 1985
Background information
Birth name	Anna Mae Bullock
Also known as	Tina Turner, Ann Bullock, Little Ann
Born	(1939-11-26) November 26, 1939 (age 72) Nutbush, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Origin	Brownsville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Genres	Rock, soul, R&B, pop
Occupations	Singer, dancer, author, actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1958–present
Labels	EMI, United Artists, Capitol, Parlophone, Virgin
Associated acts	The Ike & Tina Turner Revue

Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards.^[1][2] Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.^[3] Success followed with a string of hits including "River Deep, Mountain High" and the 1971 hit "Proud Mary". With the publication of her autobiography I, Tina (1986), Turner revealed severe instances of spousal abuse against her by Ike Turner prior to their 1976 split and subsequent 1978 divorce. After virtually disappearing from the music scene for several years following her divorce from Ike Turner, she rebuilt her career, launching a string of hits beginning in 1983 with the single "Let's Stay Together" and the 1984 release of her fifth solo album Private Dancer.

Her musical career led to film roles, beginning with a prominent role as The Acid Queen in the 1975 film Tommy, and an appearance in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. She starred opposite Mel Gibson as Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome for which she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, and her version of the film's theme, "We Don't Need Another Hero", was a hit single. She appeared in the 1993 film Last Action Hero.

One of the world's most popular entertainers, Turner has been called the most successful female rock artist^[4] and was named "one of the greatest singers of all time" by Rolling Stone.^[5] Her combined album and single sales total approximately 180 million copies worldwide.^[6][7][8][9] She is known for her energetic stage presence,^[2] powerful vocals, career longevity,^[8] and widespread appeal.^[10] In 2008, Turner left semi-retirement to embark on her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.^[11][12] Turner's tour became one of the highest selling ticketed shows of 2008–2009.^[7] Turner was raised a Baptist, but converted to Buddhism and credits the spiritual chants with giving her the strength that she needed to get through the rough times.^[13] Rolling Stone ranked her at 63 on their 100 greatest artists of all time and considers her the "Queen of Rock and Roll".^[14]

Early life[link]

Anna Mae Bullock was born in Nutbush, an unincorporated area in Haywood County, Tennessee, on November 26, 1939, the daughter of Zelma Bullock (née Currie), a factory worker, and Floyd Richard Bullock, a Baptist deacon, farm overseer, and factory worker.^[15][16] She long believed her mother had significant Native American ancestry,^[17] specifically Navajo and Cherokee; however, a DNA test showed her to be 66% African American, 33% European and 1% Native American.^{[18][19][20][21]} She attended Flag Grove School in Haywood County, Tennessee (the land for the school was sold below market value to the school trustees by her great great-uncle in 1889).^[21] Ann's older sister was named (Ruby) Aillene. For a time during World War II, their parents relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee to do factory work. By the time of their return to Nutbush, they separated and later divorced following an abusive marriage. Zelma Bullock later relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. Floyd Bullock moved to Detroit and later settled in California.

Ann and her sister relocated to Brownsville where they were raised by their grandmother. She recalled in her early years working with her parents at a farm as sharecroppers. She performed on several talent shows as a child and sang at her church choir. She was raised Baptist and lived most of her childhood as a tomboy participating in her high school's basketball team. When she was 14, she began work as a domestic for a family in Ripley. This continued until she was sixteen when her half-sister Evelyn was killed in a car crash followed by the death of her grandmother around the same time. After her mother returned from St. Louis to attend her funeral, she invited her daughter to move with her in St. Louis, where Anna and her sister reunited. In St. Louis, she attended Sumner High School.^[22] She eventually graduated from the school in 1958 and, following graduation, took work as a nurse aide at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Ike & Tina Turner[link]

Tina performing with Ike Turner in 1972.

Origins[link]

Ann became enthralled by St. Louis's thriving nightlife, and her sister often took her out to clubs, much to their mother's chagrin. Anna was introduced to Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm band at Club Manhattan in East St. Louis, where Aillene served as a barmaid and was then dating a Kings of Rhythm member. It was there that Ann also began dating one of the Kings of Rhythm band mates. Ann pursued Ike Turner for months asking him to let her sing with his band but Turner was reluctant to have her in his band. When she was seventeen, she sang during an intermission in the Kings of Rhythm show at Club Manhattan after she was giving a microphone by the band's drummer. Impressed by her vocals, Ike allowed her to join the band as an occasional lead and background vocalist.^[23] Ike gave Ann her first stage name, Little Ann, during this time and included her in his record, "Box Top", which was a local hit in St. Louis after its 1958 release on a St. Louis label titled Tune Town, Ann sung with a male vocalist named Carlson Oliver, that was a member of the Kings of Rhythm. In November 1959, when vocalist Art Lassiter failed to show up for a recording session for Ike's composition, "A Fool in Love", Anna was told to lay down a guide vocal. Ike intended to eventually have Lassiter record over Anna's take, for the final production.

Ike Turner met with Sue Records president Juggy Murray in New York, and played the demo for him. Upon hearing it, Murray insisted Turner keep Ann's vocals, and gave Ike a $25,000 advance, convinced the song would become a hit single.^[24] In response to this, Ike Turner decided to form a duo around him and Ann. In the process, he changed her name from Little Ann to Tina Turner, stating he got the name because he felt it "sounded good". Despite the early romanticized version of their story in the biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It, Ike Turner and Ann Bullock were not romantically involved until around the release of "A Fool in Love", which by then had been released under the billing Ike & Tina Turner,^[25] effectively starting the duo and launching Ann into show business. Ike Turner claimed later that he helped mold and shape Tina Turner's style and image.^[26]

Early success[link]

"A Fool in Love" was released in the spring of 1960 and by late summer the song had reached number two on the R&B chart and crossed over to number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 later going on to sell a million copies. After Ike and Tina Turner made their national television debut performing the song on American Bandstand in October 1960, she gave birth to Ike's child, Ronald Renelle. Ike and Tina's relationship started around 1959 shortly after Raymond Hill, a member of Ike's Kings of Rhythm, childhood friend of Ike's, and father of Tina's first-born son, left the band due to monetary complaints. Tina had moved into Ike's home after she had been kicked out of her mother's house following news of her pregnancy. The relationship started while Ike was still married to his wife, Lorraine, who was mother of two of his children. Both Ike and Tina felt strange about the relationship with Tina later saying she felt forced into a sexual relationship. Ike had felt the affair was incestuous, later telling an interviewer that "it felt like I was strewing (sic) my sister."^[27] Neither Ike nor Tina felt a strong attraction: Tina didn't think Ike was physically handsome while Ike felt Tina was "too skinny" to be his girlfriend since, according to Tina, he favored curvaceous women. Lorraine Taylor eventually left Ike with his children after a confrontation with Tina.

Sue Records followed the success of "A Fool in Love" with "I'm Jealous" but the record bombed. The couple quickly recovered with the release of the top 5 R&B single, "I Idolize You". Their second top 40 pop hit, "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", surpassed "A Fool in Love" on the pop charts reaching #14 and winning a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock & Roll Performance. In 1962, this was followed by "Tra La La" and "Poor Fool" while "You Shoulda Treated Me Right" had milder success. With the arrival of Tina Turner, Ike Turner changed his band's name from The Kings of Rhythm to the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and featured a backing girl group he named The Ikettes. A strenuous touring schedule built up the band's reputation as one of the hottest R&B acts in the chitlin' circuit. By 1963, Ike Turner had upgraded their shows to include raunchy choreography for Tina and the Ikettes, with their energized shows only matched by James Brown and The Famous Flames. Ike Turner himself hated to be in front of the spotlight and chose to perform with his back mainly turned to the crowd though he occasionally would come out in front during skits with Tina. The success of their revue led to numerous other revue-led package shows from crossover R&B labels such as Motown and Stax. At a time when racially mixed audiences were still a controversy, Ike and Tina Turner were one of the few acts to perform openly for mixed audiences due to the money that they could bring to its venues, especially in the American South.^[28]

In 1962, Ann Bullock married Turner in Tijuana, Mexico.^[29] Following this, she began raising Turner's previous sons, Ike Turner, Jr. and Michael, while her eldest son Craig Bullock (born from her earlier relationship with Raymond Hill, a saxophone player in Ike's band), adopted Turner's last name after Ike adopted him as his own. Tina raised them and her only child with Ike, Ronald.^[30] The Turners' relationship with Sue Records ended in 1964. Between that year and 1969, Ike and Tina Turner recorded for a various number of labels, in part due to Ike Turner's demands for money and lucrative deals. They recorded over a dozen albums including several live recordings during that period and kept themselves in the public eye during the mid-1960s by appearing on shows such as American Bandstand, Hollywood A Go-Go, Shindig!, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Andy Williams Show where their brand of entertainment was given both critical and artistic raves. Their performing success kept the Turners in the public eye while their records plummeted.

Mainstream success[link]

After several years touring the chitlin' circuit and other major rock and roll venues, Ike and Tina Turner began reaching the pinnacle of their success after the release of the pop-oriented ballad, "River Deep - Mountain High". While the song's initial release flopped at the time of its release in 1966, it led to modest international success in Europe. Upon hearing the track and another UK hit the group recorded, which was a cover of the Motown ballad, "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)"; Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones asked the couple to open for them on their 1966 UK tour, which they obliged. The single became a bigger success in the UK, reaching #3 there. After their successful opening spot on the Stones' tour, Ike Turner renegotiated contracts for Tina and The Ikettes and Ike & Tina on several successive labels. In 1968, Ike produced the number, "You Got What You Wanted (Now You Don't Want What You Got)" under the billing "Tina Turner with Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm", while recording the album, So Fine. That year, Ike and Tina signed with Blue Thumb where much of the musical focus was mainly on blues and blues rock material. The albums, Outta Season and The Hunter produced their best charted success in years with the releases of the songs, "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "The Hunter" and "Bold Soul Sister" respectively, with "Bold Soul Sister" later winning Tina Turner a solo Grammy nomination.

During performances of "I've Been Loving You Too Long", Ike choreographed Tina to perform suggestively to the microphone, a practice Tina later said she hated doing but did it because she felt she had no say in it as it was Ike Turner's band. Due to this success, the Turners were invited to perform in Las Vegas and their shows would be attended by the likes of David Bowie, Sly Stone, Janis Joplin, Cher, James Brown, Ray Charles, Elton John and Elvis Presley.^[31] This exposure also led to Tina Turner and Ike Turner being on the cover of the rock magazine, Rolling Stone three times between 1967 and 1971. In 1970, the group signed with Liberty Records and scored their first top 40 US hit in years with their cover of Sly & The Family Stone's "I Want to Take You Higher" and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Dick Cavett Show and the Mike Douglas Show. This success led to an extended run in Vegas and also more opportunities to perform for bigger venues though the couple still frequented predominantly black venues including The Apollo Theater. In 1971, they released the Workin' Together album, which led to their biggest successes with the former album producing a hit version of "I Want to Take You Higher" and the latter producing their biggest hit single, a frenzied cover of "Proud Mary", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1971, two months after it was released.^[32] The song later won the duo a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.^[33]

By 1972, the group had even made headlines by performing at Carnegie Hall, which was documented for a double live album. That year, they switched to United Artists Records and released ten albums between 1971 and 1978 (two albums were released posthumously following the duo's infamous 1976 split). In 1973, the group released their final hit with "Nutbush City Limits", culminating in the duo's full embrace of funk rock rhythms. Though the song was musically composed by Ike, Tina was solely credited to the song as its lyricist. The song peaked at number twenty-two on the Hot 100 and number four in the UK.^[34] In 1974, the Turners released several albums including The Gospel According to Ike & Tina, which later won the duo another Grammy Award nomination for Best Soul Gospel Performance, and Tina's first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On, which won Tina Turner another Grammy nod for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance.

Decline in popularity[link]

By the mid-1970s, Tina's personal life and marriage had fallen apart. Ike's growing cocaine use led to increasingly erratic and physically abusive behavior. Ike Turner also played a hand in their professional career hitting the doldrums for refusing to accept any outside management and using all the money he earned to maintain his cocaine habit. This led to low ticket sales and lower record sales. By 1975, Ike Turner was so addicted to cocaine that he couldn't make it to rehearsals for scheduled TV appearances leading Tina Turner to be onstage without her partner. That year, Tina accepted an offer to appear in The Who's rock opera, Tommy. Tina's role in the film as the Acid Queen proved to be successful as critics raved of her appearance on the film.

Ike Turner responded by releasing Tina's second solo album, Acid Queen, which in turn became the last Ike & Tina associated album to be released and featured the duo's last charted single, "Baby Get It On". A non-album single, "Delilah's Power", was also released during the same time. Tina's increasing independence led to increasing fights between the couple. In July 1976, Tina and Ike had a violent fight before an appearance at the Dallas Statler Hilton, where Tina alleged that this is when she hit Ike back "for the first time". After arriving at the hotel, Tina left Ike, fleeing with nothing more than thirty-six cents and a Mobil gas station credit card in her possession. She spent the next few months hiding from Ike while staying with various friends.^[35][36] Following this, Tina filed for divorce on July 27 after fourteen years of marriage, ending the Ike & Tina Turner Revue for good.

Tina would later credit her new-found Nichiren Buddhist^[37] faith with giving her the courage to strike out on her own. By walking out on Ike in the middle of a tour, she learned she was legally responsible to tour promoters for the canceled tour. Needing to earn a living, she became a solo performer, supplementing her income with TV appearances on shows such as The Hollywood Squares, Donny and Marie, The Sonny & Cher Show and The Brady Bunch Hour.^[38] After a year in court, their divorce was made final on March 29, 1978. In the divorce, she completely parted ways with him retaining only her stage name and assuming responsibility for the debts incurred by the canceled tour as well as a significant IRS lien.^[39]

Life after the Revue[link]

After lying low for a year following her separation from Ike Turner, Tina Turner went back on the road in 1977 supporting herself with a cabaret act in Las Vegas. In 1978, Tina released her third solo album (and her first album since her separation from Ike) entitled Rough on EMI Records. The album was considered a departure from the blues rock sound of Ike & Tina. Choosing to focus on "happier music" and strong readings of hard rock songs, the album would yield four singles, none of which charted. In 1979, Turner released the disco-infused Love Explosion album, but it also failed to chart.^[40]

Due to the albums' performances, United Artists and EMI Records dropped Turner from her contract after her obligations ended with the companies. Turner supported herself by touring constantly, starting her first solo tour with The Wild Lady of Rock 'n' Roll in 1978. Following the end of the tour in 1979, she was invited to perform on Olivia Newton-John's musical variety show in Australia, where she met Newton-John's manager Roger Davies and pursued him to manage her career. Davies accepted Turner's offer after seeing her perform in San Francisco in 1980 and advised Turner to revamp her stage act. Despite her career downturn, Turner remained popular as a stage performer.^[41]

Return to prominence[link]

In 1981, Turner made headlines when she performed at the Ritz Theater in New York, leading to Turner performing with Rod Stewart, first on Saturday Night Live and then on his televised Los Angeles concert tour. That same year, Turner appeared onstage with her old 1960s acquaintances The Rolling Stones. In 1982, Turner teamed up with B.E.F. for a remake of the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion".^[42] The song became a hit in European dance clubs. Following this success, the producers asked her to incorporate a cover of Al Green's classic, "Let's Stay Together". Released in November 1983, just days before Turner's 44th birthday, the song became a hit single in the UK reaching number six on their charts and also became a hit in several other European countries.^[43][44] The success of "Let's Stay Together" in Europe convinced Turner's new company Capitol Records to release the song in the US in early 1984, with the song reaching number twenty six on the Billboard Hot 100^[45] while also peaking at the top five of the R&B and dance charts.^[46][47]

Following its success, Capitol quickly gave Turner a new three-album contract and had them do an album, with Turner later staging what Ebony magazine called an "amazing comeback".^[48] Done in two months, the album Private Dancer, was released in June 1984. That same month, Turner issued the album's second single, "What's Love Got to Do with It". It quickly reached the top ten within a month and in September had reached number one on the Hot 100 in the US, making it the first time in Turner's career that she had reached that position. Private Dancer peaked at the top five of the Billboard album charts later selling five million copies in the US and a total of eleven million copies worldwide,^[49][50][51] though some sources stated the album has sold over twenty million^[4] making it her most successful album. Private Dancer also featured two more top ten singles, the rock-oriented "Better Be Good to Me" and the seductive title track while another US single, "Show Some Respect", became a modest top forty hit. Turner's comeback was culminated in early 1985 when she won four Grammy Awards including Record of the Year for "What's Love Got to Do with It". In February of that year, she embarked on her second world tour supporting the Private Dancer album, where she toured to huge crowds. One show, filmed at Birmingham, England's NEC Arena, was later released on home video. During this time she also contributed on vocals to the USA for Africa benefit song, "We Are the World".

Turner's success continued in 1985 when she appeared in her first acting role in ten years in the film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, playing Aunty Entity, the ruler of Bartertown.^[52] Upon its release, the film grossed $36 million.^[53] Turner later received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress for her role in the film and also contributed songs to the film's soundtrack, two of which, "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "One of the Living", became hits, with "One of the Living" later winning Turner a Grammy for Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In July, Turner performed at Live Aid alongside Mick Jagger.^[54] Encouraged by a performance together during Tina's filmed solo concert in England, singer Bryan Adams released their duet single together, "It's Only Love", later resulting in a Grammy nod for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Subsequent releases[link]

Turner on tour with special guest Eric Clapton, June 17, 1987 in Wembley Arena, England

Turner returned with her next solo album, Break Every Rule, in 1986. The album quickly became platinum launching several hit singles including "Typical Male", "Two People" and "What You Get Is What You See" going on to sell two million copies in the United States and four million together worldwide. That same year, Turner published her autobiography, I, Tina, which she talked about her early life and volatile marriage to Ike Turner. She later received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that summer. Turner's European Break Every Rule Tour, which culminated in March 1987 in Munich, contributed to record breaking sales and concert attendances. In January 1988, Turner made history alongside Paul McCartney when she performed in front of the largest paying audience (approximately 184,000) to see a solo performer in Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil earning her a Guinness World Record.^[55] The success of Turner's two live tours led to the recording of Tina Live in Europe, which was released that April. Turner lay low following the end of her Break Every Rule Tour emerging once again with Foreign Affair, which included one of Turner's signature singles, "The Best". She later embarked on an European-only tour to promote the album. While Foreign Affair would go gold in the United States, with its singles "The Best" and "Steamy Windows" becoming top forty hits there, it wasn't as successful as Turner's previous offerings, though it was hugely successful in Europe, where Turner had personally relocated.

In 1991, Ike and Tina Turner were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Phil Spector later accepted on their behalf. That same year, the ex-couple signed away their rights to have their lives dramatized in the semi-autobiographical film, What's Love Got to Do with It, later released in 1993 and starring Angela Bassett as Tina and Laurence Fishburne as Ike, with the actors later winning Best Actress and Best Actor Academy Award nominations for their portrayals of the former husband-and-wife team. Turner contributed to the soundtrack for What's Love Got to Do with It, re-recording songs from her Ike and Tina days and recording several newer songs including what turned out to be her last top ten US hit, "I Don't Wanna Fight". Other than helping Bassett with her wardrobe and teaching her dance steps as well as providing songs for the soundtrack, she refused to be involved fully in the film, telling an interviewer "Why would I want to see Ike Turner beat me up again? I haven't dwelled on it; it's all in the past where it belongs." Following the film's and soundtrack's release, Turner embarked on her first US tour in seven years. Following the tour's end, Turner moved to Switzerland and took a year off from the road at the end of the tour.

Turner returned in 1995 with the U2 composition, "GoldenEye" for the James Bond film of the same name. Its huge success in Europe and modest success in her formerly native United States led Turner to record a new album, releasing the Wildest Dreams album in 1996. Though the album itself was not as hugely successful in the United States, thanks to a world tour and a much played Hanes hosiery commercial, the album went gold in the United States. The album reached platinum success in Europe where Turner had hits with "Whatever You Want", "Missing You", which briefly charted in the US, "Something Beautiful Remains", and the sensual Barry White duet "In Your Wildest Dreams". Following the tour's end in 1997, Turner took another break before re-emerging again in 1999 appearing on the VH-1 special Divas Live '99. In 1998 the duet with Italian superstar Eros Ramazzotti in "Cose della Vita" that became a European hit. Before celebrating her 60th birthday, Turner released the dance-infused song, "When the Heartache Is Over" and its parent album, Twenty Four Seven the following month in Europe, releasing both the song and the album in North America in early 2000. The success of "When the Heartache is Over" and Turner's tour supporting the album once again helped in the album going gold in the U.S. The Twenty Four Seven Tour became her most successful concert tour to date and became the highest-grossing tour of 2000 according to Pollstar grossing over $100 million. Later, Guinness World Records announced that Turner had sold more concert tickets than any other solo concert performer in music history.^[8][56] Afterwards Turner announced a semi-retirement.

Recent years[link]

In 2002, Tennessee State Route 19 between Brownsville and Nutbush was named "Tina Turner Highway".^[57][58][59] In 2003, she teamed up with Phil Collins to record the song "Great Spirits" for the Disney film Brother Bear.

In 2004, Turner released a new compilation, All the Best, and released the single "Open Arms". The song became a modestly successful European hit and a modest R&B hit in America. In 2005, Turner briefly performed on shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show and The View. All the Best became Turner's first album to go platinum in the U.S. in over eleven years.

U.S. President George W. Bush congratulates Turner during a reception for the Kennedy Center Honors in the East Room of the White House on December 4, 2005. From left, the honorees are singer Tony Bennett, dancer Suzanne Farrell, actress Julie Harris, and actor Robert Redford.

At the end of the year, Turner was recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and was elected to join an elite group of entertainers.^[60] President Bush commented on Turner's "natural skill, the energy and sensuality",^[61] and referred to her legs as "the most famous in show business".^[62] Several artists paid tribute to her that night including Oprah Winfrey, Melissa Etheridge (who performed "River Deep - Mountain High", Queen Latifah (who performed "What's Love Got to Do with It"), Beyoncé (who performed "Proud Mary"), and the Reverend Al Green (who performed "Let's Stay Together"). Winfrey stated, "We don't need another hero. We need more heroines like you, Tina. You make me proud to spell my name w-o-m-a-n,"^[63] and "Tina Turner didn't just survive, she triumphed." In November, Turner released All the Best - Live Collection and it was certified platinum by the RIAA.

In early 2006, the All the Invisible Children soundtrack was released. Turner sang "Teach Me Again" from the All the Invisible Children soundtrack with Elisa charted at No. 1 in Italy. In May 2007, Turner returned to the stage to headline a benefit concert for the Cauldwell Children's Charity at London's Natural History Museum. This was her first full show in seven years. Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock released an album paying tribute to singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, entitled River: The Joni Letters on September 25, 2007, on which Turner contributed her vocals to a version of "Edith and The Kingpin". On October 16, 2007, Carlos Santana released an album entitled Ultimate Santana which featured Turner singing "The Game of Love", a song originally intended for her to sing, but which was instead released by Santana with Michelle Branch due to demands from the recording label.

On December 12, 2007, Turner issued a brief statement through a spokesperson regarding the death of her former husband Ike Turner:^[64] "Tina hasn't had any contact with Ike in more than 30 years. No further comment will be made."^[65]

Turner performed with Beyoncé at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2008. It was Turner's first major public performance since her record-breaking Twenty-Four Seven Tour.^[66][67] In addition, she picked up a Grammy as a featured artist on River: The Joni Letters. On May 5, 2008, she performed in a televised concert and interview for the Oprah show at Caesar's Place in Las Vegas with long time friend Cher.

Turner embarked on her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour on October 1, 2008,^[68] which began on in Kansas City, Missouri at the Sprint Center. The album, Tina!: Her Greatest Hits, was released in support of the tour.

In 2009, Turner participated in the Beyond singing project with fellow musicians Regula Curti, Seda Bagcan and Dechen Shak Dagsay. This CD combined Buddhist chants and Christian choral music along with a spiritual message read by Turner.^[69] The album was released only in Germany and a handful of other countries. It peaked at No. 7 in Switzerland. In 2011, Children Beyond followed and charted again in Switzerland.

A new live album was released by Parlophone in September 2009 entitled Tina Live. The double disc set included the full concert recorded in the Netherlands as part of her 50th Anniversary Tour on DVD and selected tracks on CD. It is only Turner's second live album with the first, Tina Live in Europe, being released twenty years previously in 1988.

In April 2010, Turner once again had a hit with her 1989 single The Best. It peaked at No.9 in the UK Singles Chart after an internet campaign by supporters of Glasgow Rangers Football Club.^[70]

Personal life[link]

Born in a farm in Nutbush, a town in Haywood County, Tennessee, Tina's parents subsequently abandoned her at a young age before reaching her teen years. She moved to Brownsville to stay with her close grandmother. After her grandmother died when she was sixteen, her mother moved her to St. Louis. Tina Turner had two sisters, Alline Selico and Evelyn Currie, both of whom are deceased. She was close to both sisters growing up and later credited Alline with introducing her to Ike Turner after taking her to Club Manhattan which Turner frequented. After Tina graduated from St. Louis' Sumner High School at 18, she became pregnant with musician Raymond Hill's child. Hill was a childhood friend of Ike Turner's and an original member of Ike's Kings of Rhythm band. After her mother kicked her out of her house after finding out about the pregnancy, Tina moved in Ike Turner's home in East St. Louis, where she remained until she and Ike relocated to Los Angeles in 1964.

Tina's accounts of her life with Ike Turner differ from his accounts: whereas Turner alleged in her memoirs, I, Tina that Ike Turner was verbally, emotionally and physically abusive towards her, Ike Turner alleged that he never beat her but did admit to "slapping her a few times" and "punching her to the ground without thinking" in his own memoirs, Taking Back My Name. In 1976, after years of alleged abuse, Tina left him after suffering a beating by Ike's hands while in Dallas.^[26] Ike Turner pursued her for half a year stopping his pursuits in 1977. Tina filed for divorce and left most of the monetary assets in Ike Turner's care while retaining the use of her stage name as a means to perform.^[39] Ike Turner later alleged that their marriage was illegal,^[26] and that Tina took his last name to discourage a former lover's attempt to reconcile with her, resulting in her full stage name of Tina Turner.^[71]

Turner was introduced to Buddhism by a friend of hers and Ike's in 1972. Turner wrote in her autobiography that she first used Buddhist chants (mainly nam myoho renge kyo) before performing at a recording session at Ike's Bolic Sounds studio and it resulted in Ike sending her money to go shopping, showing Buddhism as both a source of strength and a means of getting what she wanted. Two years later, she converted to Nichiren Buddhism and later credited the religion for getting her through the rough times especially during her post-Ike/Revue life and career.^[72] In 1985, she met her current companion, German-based music executive Erwin Bach, while at a record label party in London. They began dating a year later and have remained together since. Turner has been living in a lakehouse called Chateau Algonquin in Zurich^[73] since moving there in 1994.^[74][75] She also has had residences in London, Cologne and on the French Riviera.^[76]

Tina is a mother to four sons. His first son, Raymond Craig, was from her brief affair with Kings of Rhythm band mate Raymond Hill, born weeks before Tina's 19th birthday, in 1958. She had one more biological child, Ronald Renelle, with Ike Turner, born in October 1960. Following Tina's subsequent marriage to Ike, she raised two of Ike's eldest sons, Ike Turner, Jr. and Michael, from Ike Turner's marriage to Lorraine Taylor.

Awards and accolades[link]

Turner was listed on Rolling Stone's list "The Immortals — The Greatest Artists of All Time".^[5] Turner is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee,^[77] and three of her recordings, "River Deep - Mountain High" (1999), "Proud Mary" (2003) and "What's Love Got To Do With It" (2012) are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[78] Turner has won 8 Grammy Awards.^[8]

Bryan Adams, who toured with her on the Private Dancer Tour, praised Turner's live performances, saying, "I never saw Tina walk through a performance, she always put on a great show, and was gracious and grateful to her audience."

Her legs were noted specifically as she was honored by President George W. Bush.^[79]

Discography[link]

Tours[link]

	Book: Tina Turner
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• 1978–1979: Wild Lady of Rock Tour
• 1982–1984: Nice 'n' Rough Tour
• 1985: Private Dancer Tour
• 1987–1988: Break Every Rule Tour
• 1990: Foreign Affair Tour
• 1993: What's Love? Tour
• 1996–1997: Wildest Dreams Tour
• 2000: Twenty Four Seven Tour
• 2008–2009: Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tina Turner

• Tina Turner at the Internet Movie Database
• Tina Turner at AllRovi
• Tina Turner at Allmusic
• Tina Turner's Entry on the St. Louis Walk of Fame

Tina Turner links v t e Tina Turner Studio albums Tina Turns the Country On! Acid Queen Rough Love Explosion Private Dancer Break Every Rule Foreign Affair Wildest Dreams Twenty Four Seven Live albums Tina Live in Europe VH1 Divas Live '99 Tina Live Soundtracks Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome What's Love Got to Do with It Compilations Simply the Best The Collected Recordings – Sixties to Nineties All the Best Tina! The Platinum Collection Videography One Last Time Live in Concert All the Best – The Live Collection Tina Live Tours Private Dancer Break Every Rule Foreign Affair What's Love? Wildest Dreams Twenty Four Seven Tina!: 50th Anniversary Related articles Discography Awards Ike & Tina Turner I, Tina What's Love Got to Do with It (film) Book:Tina Turner v t e Tina Turner singles Acid Queen "Baby Get It On" (with Ike Turner) "Whole Lotta Love" "Acid Queen" Rough "Viva La Money" "Root, Toot Undisputable Rock 'n Roller" "Sometimes When We Touch" "Night Time Is the Right Time" Love Explosion "Love Explosion" "Back Stabbers" "Music Keeps Me Dancin'" Private Dancer "Let's Stay Together" "Help!" "What's Love Got to Do With It" "Better Be Good to Me" "Private Dancer" "I Can't Stand the Rain" "Show Some Respect" Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" "One of the Living" Break Every Rule "Typical Male" "Back Where You Started" "Two People" "Girls" "What You Get Is What You See" "Break Every Rule" "Paradise Is Here" "Afterglow" Tina Live in Europe "Nutbush City Limits (Live)" "Addicted to Love (Live)" "Tonight (Live)" (with David Bowie) "A Change Is Gonna Come (Live)" "634-5789 (Live)" (with Robert Cray) Foreign Affair "The Best" "I Don't Wanna Lose You" "Steamy Windows" "Look Me in the Heart" "Foreign Affair" "Be Tender with Me Baby" Simply the Best "Nutbush City Limits (The 90s Version)" "Way of the World" "Love Thing" "I Want You Near Me" "(Simply) The Best" (with Jimmy Barnes) What's Love Got to Do with It "I Don't Wanna Fight" "Disco Inferno" "Why Must We Wait Until Tonight" "Proud Mary (1993 Version)" Wildest Dreams "GoldenEye" "Whatever You Want" "On Silent Wings" "Missing You" "Something Beautiful Remains" "In Your Wildest Dreams" (with Barry White) Twenty Four Seven "When the Heartache Is Over" "Whatever You Need" "Don't Leave Me This Way" "Talk to My Heart" All the Best "Open Arms" "Complicated Disaster" Guest singles "Ball of Confusion" (with B.E.F.) "Tonight" (with David Bowie) "It's Only Love" (with Bryan Adams) "Tearing Us Apart" (with Eric Clapton) "It Takes Two" (with Rod Stewart) "Cose Della Vita" (with Eros Ramazzotti) "Teach Me Again" (with Elisa) Book:Tina Turner v t e Ike & Tina Turner Ike Turner Tina Turner Studio albums The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner Dance with Ike & Tina Turner's Kings of Rhythm Dynamite! Don't Play Me Cheap It's Gonna Work Out Fine Please Please Please River Deep - Mountain High Workin' Together Feel Good Nutbush City Limits Live albums Festival of Live Performances The Ike & Tina Turner Review Live Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show Compilations Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter The Ike & Tina Turner Story 1960-1975 Singles "A Fool in Love" "Whole Lotta Love" "I Idolize You" "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" "Poor Fool" "Tra La La La La" "River Deep - Mountain High" "A Love Like Yours" "I've Been Loving You Too Long" "Bold Soul Sister" "The Hunter "Come Together" "I Want To Take You Higher" "Proud Mary" "Nutbush City Limits" Videos Live in '71 Related topics Discography The Ikettes Albums Songs Book:Tina Turner

Nicki Minaj
Minaj at 2010 MTV Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
Born	(1982-12-08) December 8, 1982 (age 29)[1] Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, R&B, pop
Occupations	Rapper, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Young Money
Website	mypinkfriday.com

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj ( /mɪˈnɑːʒ/), 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.^[2][3] She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.^[4] 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.^[5] She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List.^[6] Minaj was named the 2011 Rising Star by Billboard.^[7] Her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was released on April 3, 2012.

Early life[link]

Maraj was born in 1982^{[1][note 1]} in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain.^[8][9][10] Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry^[11][12] 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.^[13] According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.^[14]

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet.^[13] She graduated from LaGuardia High School.^[15][16] At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program.^[15] She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia but lost her voice on the day of the audition.^[15]

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.^[17] She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards.^[18] 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.^[19][20]

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.^[17][21] 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.^[22] 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.^[23]

[edit] 2010–11: Pink Friday

Britney Spears and Minaj performing the Femme Fatale Remix of "Till the World Ends" in the Femme Fatale Tour.

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.^[24] 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.^[25] Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album.^[26] 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.^[27]

Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions.^[28][29] A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April.^[30] 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^[6] and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.^[31] In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously.^[4] 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.^[32] The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release.^[3]

On January 29, 2011, Minaj appeared on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest, performing "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life". On February 9, 2011, it was announced that Pink Friday had reached number one on the Billboard 200 in its eleventh week on the chart.^[33] It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the The X Factor.^[34] 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.^[35] 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.^[36] "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.^[37] The song gained positive reviews from critics.^[38][39] Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift, as an unknown character.^[40][41] 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".

[edit] 2011–present: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

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."^[42] 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.^[43] "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.^[44]

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.^[45] The exorcism-themed performance drew a mixed response online.^[46][47]

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.^[48] The trio performed the song for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.^[49] 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.^[50] 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.^[51] The video was premiered on April 6, 2012 on Minaj's official VEVO account.^[52]

Artistry[link]

Minaj in 2011 during Femme Fatale Tour

Image[link]

Minaj has been noted by the media for her curvaceous figure.^{[53][54][55][56]} 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."^[57] 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.”^[58] Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "上帝與你常在" (shàngdì yǔ nǐ cháng zài)^[59] on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."^[60]

Alter egos[link]

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting.^[61] As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them.^[61] 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."^[61]

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa".^[62] 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.^[62] 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).^[63]

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.^[64]

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski".^[65] 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.^[66] 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."^[67] Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski",^[68] who also appeared on the song "Roman's Revenge", with a British accent,^[69] and on "Roman Holiday", singing for the first time.^[70][71] 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.^[65] Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.^[65]

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.^[72][73] She was also inspired by Janet Jackson,^[74] Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones,^[75] M.I.A. and Cyndi Lauper.^[76][77][78]

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;^[79] Mattel, which produced a custom a Nicki Minaj-themed Barbie;^[80] and MAC Cosmetics, as part of an AIDS-awareness campaign in Latin America.^[81]

Personal life[link]

Minaj is a Christian, and on Christmas Day in 2011, she indicated her faith in Jesus by tweeting John 3:16.^[82][83] In addition, she states that after her father went to rehab and started attending church, "he got saved and started changing his life."^[84] Minaj states that her heroes are "God. And my mother."^[85][86]

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual,^[87][88] she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women,^[15] but added in an interview with Out magazine, "I don’t date men either."^[89] 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."^[90] 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."^[89]

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."^[88]

In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City.^[91] Telemaque was referenced in Minaj's song "Champion" in her second studio album.^[92]

Discography[link]

• Pink Friday (2010)
• Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)

Touring[link]

• Pink Friday Tour (2012)

See also[link]

Nicki Minaj portal

• List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References[link]