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- Duration: 3:35
- Updated: 06 Jun 2013
- published: 14 Nov 2009
- views: 132671405
- author: keshaVEVO
Kesha | |
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Kesha in Austria, 2010 |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Kesha Rose Sebert |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
March 1, 1987
Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | Dance-pop, electropop |
Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar |
Years active | 2005–present |
Labels | RCA, Kemosabe |
Website | www.keshasparty.com |
Kesha Rose Sebert (born March 1, 1987), known professionally as Kesha (pronunciation: /ˈkɛʃə/ KESH-ə, stylized Ke$ha), is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. In 2005, at 18, Kesha was signed to producer Dr. Luke's record label, Kemosabe Entertainment, and publishing company. Although an active musician since then, singing background vocals and writing songs for other artists, her breakthrough came in early 2009 after appearing on rapper Flo Rida's number-one single, "Right Round." Her debut album, Animal and its re-release, Cannibal, were released in 2010. Kesha's irreverent music and image propelled her to immediate commercial success, with Animal debuting as the number-one album in the US. She also achieved two number-one singles, "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R", and a string of top ten hits from the album and its re-release. At the same time, she continued to write songs for other artists, including "Till the World Ends" for pop singer Britney Spears.
Contents |
Kesha was born in Los Angeles, California on March 1, 1987. Her mother, Pebe Sebert, is a singer-songwriter who co-wrote the 1978 single "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" with Hugh Moffatt for Joe Sun. Pebe, a single mother, struggled financially while supporting herself, Kesha and her older brother, Lagan, at the time. They had to rely on welfare payments and food stamps to get by.[1] When Kesha was an infant, Pebe would often have to look after her onstage while performing.[2] Kesha says she has no knowledge of her father's identity.[1] Two of her maternal great grandparents were immigrants from Szentes, Hungary while her other maternal great grandmother was originally from Poland.[3] Pebe moved the family to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1991 after securing a new publishing deal for her songwriting. Kesha's younger brother Louis was born shortly after. Pebe frequently brought Kesha and her brothers along to recording studios and encouraged Kesha to sing when she noticed Kesha's vocal talent.[1] Kesha claimed that she did not fit in at school in the Brentwood suburb of Nashville which she called the "Bible Belt", explaining that her unconventional dress sense including homemade purple velvet pants and purple hair did not endear her to other students.[4] She played the trumpet and later the saxophone in the marching band in school and described herself in an interview with NPR as being a diligent student.[5][6]
Kesha attended Franklin High School and Brentwood High School.[7] In addition to taking songwriting classes,[8] Kesha was also taught how to write songs by Pebe, and they would often write together when she returned home from high school.[1][6] Kesha began recording demos which Pebe would give to people she knew.[8] Kesha was also in a band with Lagan.[9][10] Kesha and Pebe co-wrote the song "Stephen" together when Kesha was 16, Kesha then tracked down David Gamson, a producer that she admired, from Scritti Politti who agreed to produce the song.[10] She dropped out of school at 17, after being convinced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin to return to Los Angeles to pursue a music career, and earned her GED after.[11] Around this time, Pebe answered an ad by reality series, The Simple Life, looking for an "eccentric" family to host Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.[12] The episode aired in 2005.[13] Luke and Martin had received one of Kesha's demo from Samantha Cox, senior director of writer/publisher relations at Broadcast Music Incorporated, and were impressed. Two of the demos were described in a cover story for Billboard, the first "a gorgeously sung, self-penned country ballad" and the second "a gobsmackingly awful trip-hop track" where Kesha raps ad lib for a minute when she runs out of lyrics near the end. Dr. Luke stated in an interview for the story that it was the latter track that caught his attention, saying "[w]hen you're listening to 100 CDs, that kind of bravado and chutzpah stand out."[14]
I was so happy being broke. And I’m happy not being broke. It doesn’t really affect me either way. I care about taking care of people that have taken care of me – that’s important to me. But to be honest, I’m kind of repulsed by the gluttony and excesses of a lot of people in the limelight.[15]
In 2005, at 18, Kesha was signed to Dr. Luke's label, Kemosabe Entertainment, and his music publishing company, Prescription Songs.[14] Kesha later sang background vocals for Paris Hilton's single, "Nothing in This World".[12] Dr. Luke became preoccupied with other incoming projects, having enjoyed success writing and producing for Kelly Clarkson's album, Breakaway. Kesha then signed with David Sonenberg's management company, DAS Communications Inc., in 2006, hardly interacting with Dr. Luke after that. DAS was tasked with obtaining a major label record deal for Kesha in a year’s time in exchange for 20 percent of her music income, with her having the option of ending the relationship if they failed.[16] She worked with several writers and producers while at the company and ended up co-writing The Veronicas' single, "This Love" alongside Toby Gad.[14][17] While furthering her career in studio, Kesha earned her living as a waitress.[1] She adopted the dollar sign in her name while struggling to get by as an ironic gesture.[15]
Kesha appeared in the video for Katy Perry's single, "I Kissed a Girl" and sang background vocals for the Dr. Luke produced song, "Lace and Leather" by Britney Spears in 2008.[18] DAS soon attracted the attention of Kara DioGuardi, who wanted to sign Kesha to Warner Bros. Records. The deal fell through due to her existing contract with Dr. Luke's label. In September, she terminated her contract with DAS, reuniting with Dr. Luke.[14][16] Kesha gained exposure in the mainstream media in early 2009 after appearing on Flo Rida's number one single, "Right Round".[19] The collaboration happened by accident; she had walked into a recording session for the song with Flo Rida and Dr. Luke.[20] Flo Rida wanted a female voice for the song; Dr. Luke then suggested Kesha for the part. Flo Rida liked the end result so much that they did two more tracks.[21] However, she is not credited for her feature on the US release of "Right Round" and did not collect any money for the part.[14][19] She also refused to appear in the video, explaining to Esquire that she wanted to make a name for herself on her own terms.[18]
Soon after, Kesha signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records through Dr. Luke's imprint, after negotiations with Lava Records and Flo Rida's record label, Atlantic Records as well.[14] Having spent the previous six years working on material for her debut album,[22] she began putting finishing touches to the album with Luke and Max Martin. She had accumulated over 200 songs which forced her to increase the tracklisting from the intended twelve songs to fourteen.[22] The album was executive produced by Luke, who produced the majority of the songs with combinations of Martin, Benny Blanco and Ammo. The album is primarily of the electropop genre with beats and synths, marking a shift in sound for Luke from then on from his signature pop-rock productions, which he attributed to Kesha who was adamant that there be no guitars used on the record.[23] She described the record as "honest and fun," calling it "a celebration of youth and life and going out and getting crazy." She explained that she was "[all] about non-pretentious irreverence and f**k off good fun!"[24] Animal debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 when it was released in January 2010, usurping Susan Boyle's album which had spent five consecutive weeks at the top, receiving three quarters of its sales from digital sales.[25] It was certified platinum in the US and had sold two million albums worldwide by September.[26] Animal received mixed reviews from music critics;[27] Rolling Stone summed the album up as "repulsive, obnoxious and ridiculously catchy."[6] First single, "Tik Tok" topped the charts in eleven countries and set the weekly record for the most digital downloads of a female artist and became the second best-selling single in a week in the US, after "Right Round", by shifting 610,000 copies.[28] Spending nine weeks at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100, "Tik Tok" became the longest running number one by a female artist on her debut single since Debby Boone and "You Light Up My Life" in 1977.[29] "Blah Blah Blah", "Your Love Is My Drug" and "Take It Off" were released as the album's second, third and fourth singles, respectively. All three songs achieved similar commercial success each reaching the top ten in Australia, Canada, and the US.[30] Kesha's deliberately unpolished aesthetic and juvenile stage persona,[9][31] which she described as her own personality "times ten",[32] quickly made her a deeply polarizing figure.[9][31] Some of her critics found her output to be unsophisticated,[9] while others felt that she was manufactured and lacked credibility.[33][34][35]
Kesha also featured on two top ten singles by Taio Cruz and 3OH!3, through recommendations by Dr. Luke, in May.[36] Kesha's former managers from DAS Communications Inc. filed a lawsuit later that month, seeking $14 million from Kesha and $12 million from Luke for commissions on her RCA Records deal, alleging that she had extended the deadline for them to get her a major record label contract and squeezed them out of her career under pressure from Dr. Luke.[16] Kesha launched her own lawsuit in October, citing the Talent Agencies Act, asking the California Labor Commissioner to declare her contract with DAS void because it had acted as an unlicensed talent agent while procuring work for her in California, where only licensed agents can do so.[37] Kesha held a benefit concert on June 16, 2010 where all proceeds went to aid victims of the May 2010 Tennessee floods from her hometown Nashville.[38] She raised close to $70,000 from the event.[5] She was a supporting act on the summer North American leg of Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and was awarded Best New Act at the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards in November.[39][40] Animal was re-released with a companion extended play, Cannibal, in November.[41] Seven months later, the set was certified gold by the RIAA.[42] The new collection of songs was released because of Kesha's desire to have enough songs to extend her one hour sets to two hours.[43] Lead single, "We R Who We R" became only the 17th song to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, three weeks before the album's release.[44] With two number ones and four top ten hits, Kesha was named Hot 100 Artist of 2010 by Billboard, with "Tik Tok" topping the year-end chart.[45] "Blow" charted in the top ten on the Hot 100 in early 2011. As of June 2011, she has accumulated almost 21 million digital single downloads in the US alone.[46] Kesha embarked on her first headlining world tour, Get Sleazy, in the spring,[47] telling Billboard that she would be demonstrating a different side to her musicianship, playing multiple instruments.[48][49] The tour was expanded with a summer leg due to the first leg selling out and spanned three continents.[50] Kesha co-wrote Britney Spears' top three single, "Till the World Ends" and was featured on the official remix along with Nicki Minaj.
Kesha was named Humane Society's first global ambassador for animals for which she is expected to bring attention to such practices as cosmetics testing on animals and shark finning.[51] She had earlier donated 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of dog food to a Nashville animal shelter for pets abandoned in the May 2010 flood in addition to raising money for people.[52] She had also appeared alongside Iggy Pop in a campaign for PETA, protesting the clubbing of baby seals in Canada and later wrote on behalf of the organization to McDonald's over the conditions of their slaughterhouses.[53][54] After meeting Kesha at the 2010 Grammy Awards and guesting at a number of her concerts, Alice Cooper asked her to play the role of the devil on the song "What Baby Wants", for which she also co-wrote the lyrics.[55]
Kesha began writing for her second studio album while on tour.[56] She intends to make a "cock rock" album inspired by 1970s rock and describing her experiences touring the world,[57] a departure from her first two electropop albums where there were few guitars to be found in the production.[58] She explained the rationale to MTV, "I just want to capture some of the true essence of what rock and roll is, and that's just irreverence and sexiness and fun and not giving a fuck."[56] Her album will feature productions from her main collaborators Dr. Luke and Max Martin.[58] Wayne Coyne, the lead singer of the Flaming Lips reached out to Kesha for a collaboration after hearing that she was a fan of the band.[59] They recorded the song "2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)" together with rapper Biz Markie for the band's collaboration album, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends. Kesha also provided her blood for a limited edition release of the album.[60] Whilst in the studio, Kesha and Wayne Coyne also recorded a song, titled "You Control My Heart", for Kesha's sophomore album.[61] When interview with V Magazine, Kesha also stated that many songs on her sophomore album would not contain autotune. She also said that she had been working with her mother on material, particularly a track titled "Dirty Love" which she said contained backing vocals by her mother, Pebe. [62]
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Kesha's debut single featuring her trademark, talky "white-girl" delivery and over-pitch corrected Auto-Tune vocal effect.
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Problems listening to this file? See media help. |
Kesha co-wrote every song on her first two albums and considers herself a songwriter primarily,[63] writing for artists including Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus.[58] She possesses a "strong, sneering vibrato",[31] with a distinct yodel-like quality to her voice;[64] she employs actual yodelling on the songs, "Tik Tok" and "Cannibal".[65][66] Having previously done country, pop-rock and hard electro,[67] she had a clear idea of the electropop sound that she wanted for her debut album.[23] The genre was popular at the time, with many of her peers releasing similar output as well.[33] Both of her albums are of the genre with catchy hooks and synthesized productions recalling old videogame music,[31][68][69] also incorporating elements from other genres.[68] "Party at a Rich Dude's House" and "C U Next Tuesday" have 1980s derived backing,[68][70] while "Stephen" begins with "Kansas-style vocal harmonies".[71] While her vocals on the albums were heavily processed with Auto-Tune, often to produce rapid stuttering or over-pitch corrected vocal effects, leading to questions on vocal talent,[72] she expressed confidence in her abilities.[73] Kesha also uses a trademark talky "white-girl" rapping style with exaggerated discordant phrasing and enunciation.[31][67] Most of her lyrics chronicle her relationships and partying; the lighthearted subject matter of the latter and her unfiltered language saw many critics criticizing her for releasing frivolous and crass music.[34] Jonah Weiner of Slate, however, stated that her jarring lyrics allowed her songs to become more memorable.[31] In "Blah Blah Blah" and "Boots and Boys" she objectifies men to poke fun at how male fronted rock bands and rappers can get away with objectifying women and not vice versa.[1][15] The title track to her debut, "Animal", is more aspirational and is intended to inspire people to embrace their individuality.[74]
Kesha's musical influences consist of hip-hop, punk rock, 1980s pop, dance music and classic country.[75] Her country influences of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash come from her mother's country songwriting, while her older brother exposed her to hip-hop and punk bands, Fugazi, Dinosaur Jr. and the Beastie Boys.[21][76][77] She has additionally cited Beck, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Aaron Neville, Bob Dylan, The Damned, Velvet Underground, Blondie and graffiti artist, Banksy as influences.[32][78][79][80][81] She credits her straightforward story-based lyrics to her love for the honest storytelling style of country music,[77] while the title track from her debut album was created with music from alternative rock bands Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire in mind.[10] She singled out the Beastie Boys as a major influence, telling Newsweek that she had always wanted to be like them and aspired to make "youthful, irreverent anthems" as well.[9] She called her debut album, Animal an homage to the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill and credited the creation of the rap driven "Tik Tok" to her love for the Beastie Boys' rap music.[67][78] For her first headlining tour, Kesha wanted to emulate the stage theatrics of Iggy Pop's performances.[82] She listed Pop's The Idiot as well as Led Zeppelin and AC/DC as inspirations for her forthcoming second studio album intended to feature 1970s rock inspired music.[58] She draws inspiration from classic films as well. Her stage makeup is characterized by dramatic glitter makeup at her right eye, inspired by A Clockwork Orange.[83] The video for "Your Love is My Drug" features animated sequences inspired by the Beatles' film, Yellow Submarine,[84] while the Get Sleazy tour was described as having a "post-apocalyptic Mad Max vibe."[82]
Headlining
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Opening act
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Year | Nominated work | Event | Award | Result |
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2010 | Herself | American Music Awards[85] | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
Favorite Female Artist | Nominated | |||
MTV Europe Music Awards[86] | Best New Act | Won | ||
Best Push Act | Nominated | |||
MTV Video Music Awards[87] | Best New Artist | Nominated | ||
"Tik Tok" | Best Female Video | Nominated | ||
Best Pop Video | Nominated | |||
"My First Kiss" | Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||
"Tik Tok" | MuchMusic Video Awards[88][89] | International Video of the Year – Artist | Nominated | |
UR FAVE: International Video | Nominated | |||
Herself | People's Choice Awards[90] | Favorite Breakout Artist | Nominated | |
Billboard[91] | ||||
2010's Top New Artist | Won | |||
2010's Hot 100 Artist | Won | |||
2010's Digital Songs Artist | Won | |||
2010's Pop Song Artist | Won | |||
2010's Canadian Hot 100 Artist | Won | |||
Teen Choice Awards[92] | Choice Music: Female Artist | Nominated | ||
Choice Music: Breakout Artist – Female | Nominated | |||
Choice Summer Music Star: Female | Nominated | |||
Animal | Choice Music: Album – Pop | Nominated | ||
"Your Love Is My Drug" | Choice Music: Single | Nominated | ||
Choice Summer Music: Song | Nominated | |||
2011 | Herself | |||
World Music Awards[93] | Best New Artist | Nominated | ||
Echo Awards[94] | Most Successful Newcomer of the Year, International | Nominated | ||
Animal | Juno Awards[95] | International Album of the Year | Nominated | |
Billboard Music Awards[96] | Top Pop Album | Nominated | ||
Herself | Top New Artist | Nominated | ||
Top Female Artist | Nominated | |||
Top Pop Artist | Nominated | |||
Top Hot 100 Artist | Nominated | |||
Top Digital Songs Artist | Nominated | |||
2012 | Herself | |||
ARIA Music Awards | Most Popular International Artist | Nominated | ||
PETA Libby Awards[97] | Most Animal Friendly Pop/Hip-Hop Artist | Won | ||
Best peta2 Ad | Nominated | |||
"We R Who We R" | BMI Pop Awards[98] | Award-winning Song | Won | |
"Blow" | BMI Pop Awards[98] | Award-winning Song | Won |
Book: Kesha | |
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kesha |
Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by Lady Gaga |
MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act 2010 |
Succeeded by Bruno Mars |
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Jimmy Kimmel | |
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Kimmel in May 2007 |
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Birth name | James Christian Kimmel |
Born | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
November 13, 1967
Medium | Radio, Television, Film, Stand up |
Nationality | American |
Years active | 1989–present |
Genres | Observational comedy, Black comedy, Satire, Deadpan |
Subject(s) | American politics, Celebrities, Everyday life, Sex |
Influences | David Letterman |
Spouse | Gina Kimmel (1988–2002; divorced; 2 children) |
Domestic partner(s) | Sarah Silverman (2002–2007; 2008–2009) Molly McNearney (2009–present) |
Notable works and roles | Creator and Host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) Creator and Co-Host of The Man Show co-host of Win Ben Stein's Money (Comedy Central) co-host of Crank Yankers |
Emmy Awards | |
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host: 1999 Win Ben Stein's Money |
James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American comedian, actor, voice artist and television host. He is the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money. Kimmel is also a television producer, having produced shows such as Crank Yankers, Sports Show with Norm Macdonald, and The Andy Milonakis Show.
Contents |
Kimmel was born in the Mill Basin neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn,[1] the eldest of three children of Joann (née Iacono), a homemaker, and James Kimmel, an IBM executive.[2][3][4] He is Roman Catholic and, as a child, served as an altar boy.[5][6] Kimmel is of German and Irish descent on his father’s side and Italian descent on his mother’s side.[7] His uncle, Frank Potenza, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a regular from 2003 until his death in 2011.[8]
The family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was nine years old.[2] He graduated from Ed W. Clark High School and then attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas for one year before attending Arizona State University for two years without completing a degree.
Kimmel began working in the radio industry while in high school, hosting a Sunday night interview show on UNLV's college station KUNV. While attending Arizona State University, he became a popular caller to the KZZP-FM afternoon show hosted by radio personalities Mike Elliott and Kent Voss in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1989, Kimmel landed his first paying job alongside Voss as morning drive co-host of The Me and Him Show at KZOK-FM in Seattle, Washington. Ten months later, Kimmel and Voss were fired by KZOK (for reasons unknown) and were fired again a year later at WRBQ-FM in Tampa, Florida. Kimmel went from Tampa to host his own show at KCMJ in Palm Springs, California, where Kimmel convinced a young Carson Daly to drop out of college and become his intern. After a morning stint at KRQQ In Tucson, Arizona, Kimmel landed at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles. He spent five years as "Jimmy The Sports Guy" for the Kevin and Bean morning show. During this time he met and befriended a struggling comedian named Adam Carolla.[citation needed]
Kimmel began his television career as the comedic counterpart to Ben Stein on the game show Win Ben Stein's Money, which began airing on Comedy Central in 1997. His quick wit and loutish everyman personality were counterpoints to Stein's monotone performing style and patrician demeanor. The combination earned the pair an Emmy award for Best Game Show Host.[citation needed]
In 1999, during his time with Win Ben Stein's Money, Kimmel was also co-host with Adam Carolla and co-creator (with Daniel Kellison) of Comedy Central's The Man Show. Kimmel permanently left Win Ben Stein's Money in 2001, replaced by comedian Nancy Pimental, who was eventually replaced by Kimmel's cousin Sal Iacono. The Man Show's success allowed Kimmel, Carolla and Kellison to create and produce, under the banner Jackhole Industries, Crank Yankers for Comedy Central (on which Kimmel plays the characters "Elmer Higgins", "Terrence Catheter", "The Nudge", "Karl Malone" and himself), and later The Andy Milonakis Show for MTV2. Kimmel also produced and co-wrote the feature film Windy City Heat, which won the Comedia Award for Best Film at the Montreal Comedy Festival.[citation needed]
In January 2003, Kimmel permanently left The Man Show to host his own late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel Live was briefly also broadcast on Irish digital TV channel 3e.[9] In the April 2007 issue of Stuffmagazine.com, Kimmel was named the "biggest badass on TV". Kimmel said it was an honor but clearly a mistake.
Since the show's second season, it has not actually been broadcast live. This is due to an incident during the 2004 NBA Finals in Detroit, when Kimmel appeared on ABC's halftime show to make an on-air plug for his show. He suggested that if the Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, "they're gonna burn the city of Detroit down ... and it's not worth it." Officials with Detroit's ABC affiliate, WXYZ-TV, immediately announced that night's show would not air on the station. Hours later, ABC officials pulled that night's show from the entire network. Kimmel later apologized.[10] The incident led ABC officials to force Kimmel to tape his show an hour before it airs in most of the country to check for offending content.[11]
Kimmel usually ends his show with, "My apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time." When Matt Damon did actually appear on the show to be interviewed, he walked in and sat down only to be told just a few seconds later by Kimmel, "Sorry, but once again we are completely out of time." Damon seemed to become angry.[citation needed]
In February 2008 Kimmel showed a mock music video with a panoply of stars called, "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck",[12] as "revenge" after his then-girlfriend Sarah Silverman and Matt Damon recorded a similar video, "I'm Fucking Matt Damon". Silverman's video originally aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and became an "instant YouTube sensation."[13] Kimmel's "revenge" video featured himself, Ben Affleck, and a large lineup of stars, particularly in scenes spoofing the 1985 "We Are the World" video: Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford, Dominic Monaghan, Benji Madden and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, Lance Bass, Macy Gray, Josh Groban, Huey Lewis, Perry Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Pete Wentz, Meat Loaf, Rebecca Romijn, Christina Applegate, Dom Joly, Mike Shinoda, Lauren Conrad, and Joan Jett, among others. After this Jimmy's sidekick, Guillermo, appeared in a spoof of The Bourne Ultimatum, which starred Damon. He was then chased down by Damon as Matt cursed about Kimmel being behind all this. Guillermo also stopped Damon on the red carpet one time and before he could finish the interview he said, "Sorry we are out of time." The most recent encounter was titled "The Handsome Men's Club" which featured Kimmel, along with the "Handsome Men", who were: Matthew McConaughey, Rob Lowe, Lenny Kravitz, Patrick Dempsey, Sting, Keith Urban, John Krasinski, Ethan Hawke, Josh Hartnett, Tony Romo, Ted Danson, Taye Diggs, Gilles Marini, and Ben Affleck, speaking about being handsome and all the jobs that come with it. At the end of the skit Kimmel has a door slammed in his face by none other than Matt Damon, stating that they had run out of time and then Damon continues with a sinister laugh. Jennifer Garner also makes a surprise appearance.
As a tradition, celebrities voted off Dancing with the Stars appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, causing Kimmel to describe himself as "the three-headed dog the stars must pass on their way to No-Dancing Hell".[14] In the 2008 season of his show, Kimmel started another tradition of ceremonially burning the dancers' shoes after they were voted off DWTS.[citation needed]
In Spring 1996, Kimmel appeared as "Jimmy the Fox Guy" in promos on the Fox network.
Kimmel's other television work included being the on-air football prognosticator for Fox NFL Sunday for four years. He has had numerous appearances on other talk shows including, but not limited to, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Howard Stern Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Kimmel has appeared on The Late Show five times, most recently in 2010. Kimmel served as roastmaster for the New York Friars' Club Roast of Hugh Hefner and Comedy Central Roasts of Pamela Anderson. He has appeared on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, along with his parking lot security guard Guillermo.
In August 2006, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel would be the host of their new game show Set for Life.[15] The show debuted on July 20, 2007. On April 6, 2007, Kimmel filled in for Larry King on Larry King Live. That particular show was about the paparazzi and Kimmel reproached Emily Gould, an editor from Gawker.com, about the web site's alleged stalking of celebrities. On July 8, 2007, Kimmel managed the National League in the 2007 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game in San Francisco. He played in the game in 2004 and 2006 (Houston and Pittsburgh). On July 11, 2007, Kimmel along with basketball player LeBron James, hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards. The show aired on ESPN on July 15, 2007. Kimmel hosted the American Music Awards on ABC four times, in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
Kimmel guest hosted Live with Regis and Kelly during the week of October 22, 2007 – October 26, 2007, commuting every day between New York and Los Angeles. In the process, he broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest distance (22,406 miles (36,059 km)) travelled in one work week.[16]
Kimmel has performed in several animated films, often voicing dogs. His voice appeared in Garfield and Road Trip, and he portrayed Death's Dog in the Family Guy episode "Mr. Saturday Knight"; Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane later presented Kimmel with a figurine of his character on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Kimmel also did voice work for Robot Chicken. Kimmel's cousin "Sal" (Sal Iacono) has accepted and won a wrestling match with WWE superstar Santino Marella. On January 14, 2010, in the midst of the 2010 Tonight Show host and time slot conflict, Kimmel was the special guest of Jay Leno on The Jay Leno Show's "10 at 10" segment. Kimmel derided Leno in front of a live studio audience for taking back the 11:35 pm time slot from Conan O'Brien, and repeatedly insulted Leno. He ended the segment with a plea that Leno "leave our shows alone," as Kimmel and O'Brien had "kids" while Leno only had "cars".[17]
Kimmel also made a brief appearance in the TV commercial "There's A Soldier In All Of Us" promoting the 2010 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops, along with Kobe Bryant. He is seen taking cover from bullets, then firing an RPG-7 with the words PROUD N00b on it, with the aftershock from the weapon sending him tumbling backwards.
He has been asked to host the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards which will air on September 23, 2012, marking his first time hosting the event.[18]
Kimmel hosted the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. on April 28, 2012.
Kimmel and his then girlfriend, Gina, married in June 1988. They have two children, Katie (born 1991) and Kevin (born 1993). The marriage ended in separation in early 2002. Kimmel then dated comedian Sarah Silverman for five years, splitting with her in March 2009.[19] He started dating current girlfriend, Molly McNearney, in October 2009. McNearney is also a co-head writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live.[20]
Kimmel plays the bass clarinet. He got a chance to showcase his talent during a July 20, 2008, concert in Costa Mesa, California, featuring the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, when he took the stage and played bass clarinet on their hit song "The Impression That I Get."[21]
Kimmel has spoken publicly of being a narcoleptic.[22]
Kimmel co-founded the annual LA Feast of San Gennaro,[23] which celebrates Italian culture through entertainment, music and cuisine. The festival also honors outstanding members of the Los Angeles community and raises funds to aid needy children and families in the city. He hosted Los Angeles' eighth annual feast of San Gennaro from September 28 to 30, 2009.[24] Kimmel served as Master of Ceremonies for the National Italian American Foundation's 34th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., on October 24, 2009.
Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by Pat Sajak |
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host 1999 with Ben Stein |
Succeeded by Bob Barker and Tom Bergeron |
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Russell Brand | |
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Russell Brand at the premiere for Arthur in 2011 |
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Birth name | Russell Edward Brand[1] |
Born | Grays, Essex, England, UK |
4 June 1975
Medium | Stand-up, television, film, radio |
Nationality | British |
Years active | 1994–present |
Genres | Observational comedy |
Influences | Richard Pryor,[2] Bill Hicks,[2] Peter Cook, Lenny Bruce, Tony Hancock, Jack Kerouac, Stewart Lee[3] |
Spouse | Katy Perry (m. 2010–2012) |
Website | russellbrand.tv |
Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975)[4] is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.
Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinian's. He became known to American audiences when he got a major role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall which led to a starring role in 2010's Get Him to the Greek. He has also been a voice actor for animated films such as 2010's Despicable Me and the 2011 film Hop. He starred in the 2011 remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore film Arthur.
Brand is noted for his eccentricity and his controversies in the British media, including his dismissal from MTV for dressing up as Osama bin Laden and controversies while presenting at various award ceremonies, as well as his former substance abuse. The 2008 prank telephone calls he made to Andrew Sachs while co-hosting The Russell Brand Show with Jonathan Ross led to his resignation from the BBC and major policy changes in that organisation. His prior drug use, alcoholism and promiscuity influenced his comedic material and public image. He married American pop singer Katy Perry in October 2010, and filed for divorce from her in December 2011; the divorce was finalised in 2012.
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Brand was born in Orsett Hospital, Grays, Essex, England, the only child of Barbara Elizabeth (née Nichols) and photographer Ronald Henry Brand.[5] Brand's parents separated when he was six months old, and he was raised by his mother; he has described his childhood as isolated and lonely.[6] When Brand was seven, he was sexually abused by a tutor.[7] When Brand was eight, his mother contracted uterine cancer; a year later she contracted breast cancer.[8] Brand stayed with relatives while his mother underwent treatment.[8] When Brand was 14, he suffered from bulimia nervosa. He left home at age 16 because of differences with his mother's live-in partner.[8] His mother had lymphoma during this time and he began using illegal drugs such as cannabis, amphetamines, LSD and ecstasy.[8][9] According to an interview on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday Brand had "a strange relationship with his father, whom he saw sporadically and who took him to visit prostitutes during a trip to the Far East".[10] After Brand's parents divorced, his father remarried twice.[11]
Brand attended Grays School Media Arts College, a comprehensive. He made his theatrical debut at the age of 15, playing the role of Fat Sam in a school production of Bugsy Malone, which prompted him to become an actor. He began working as an extra, and applied to study at the Italia Conti Academy. He was accepted, and Essex council funded his tuition for an introductory year, with potential funding for three additional years. Brand joined the Academy in 1991, but was expelled during his introductory year for his bad behaviour and use of drugs. Afterward, Brand had small acting roles in children's show Mud and police drama The Bill.
In 1995, Brand applied for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Drama Centre London and was accepted to Drama Centre. He was expelled in the final term of his last year for smashing a glass over his head and then stabbing himself in the chest and arms after his hearing a criticism of his performance. After leaving Drama Centre, Brand decided to focus on comedy, and began writing material with Karl Theobald.
Brand's first significant stand-up appearance was at the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year final in 2000. Although he finished fourth, his performance attracted the attention of an agent, Nigel Klarfeld of Gagged and Bound Comedy Ltd.[12] That year, he also made his Edinburgh debut as one-third of the stand-up show Pablo Diablo's Cryptic Triptych, alongside ventriloquist Mark Felgate and Anglo-Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi.
In 2004, he took his first one-man show, the confessional Better Now to the Edinburgh Festival, giving an honest account of his heroin addiction. He returned the following year with Eroticised Humour. He launched his first nationwide tour, Shame, in 2006. Brand drew on embarrassing incidents in his own life and the tabloid press's treatment of him since he became famous. The show was released on DVD as Russell Brand: Live.
Brand appeared in a sketch and performed stand-up at the 2006 Secret Policeman's Ball. In March 2007, he co-hosted an evening of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs with Noel Fielding. In December 2007, Brand performed for HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip as an act in the 2007 Royal Variety Performance.
His second nationwide tour, in 2007, was called Russell Brand: Only Joking and released on DVD as Russell Brand: Doin' Life.
Brand began performing in the US, and recorded a special for Comedy Central titled Russell Brand in New York, which aired in March 2009.[13] Brand began touring the UK, America and Australia from January to April 2009 on a tour called Russell Brand: Scandalous.[14] In October, a further four dates that were performed in November were added to raise money for Focus 12, the drug charity for which Brand is a patron.[15] Russell Brand: Scandalous was released on DVD on 9 November 2009.
Brand's first presenting role came in 2000 as a video journalist on MTV. He presented Dancefloor Chart, touring nightclubs in Britain and Ibiza, and hosted the tea-time request show Select. However, Brand was fired after coming to work dressed as Osama bin Laden the day after the 11 September 2001 attacks and bringing his drug dealer to the MTV studios.[16]
After leaving MTV, Brand starred in RE:Brand, a British documentary and comedy television programme that aimed to take a challenging look at cultural taboos. It was conceived, written, and hosted by Brand, with the help of his comic partner on many projects, Matt Morgan. The series was shown on the now-defunct digital satellite channel UK Play in 2002.
In 2004, he hosted Big Brother's Eforum on E4, a sister show to Big Brother 5. The show gave celebrity guests and the public the chance to have their say on the goings-on inside the Big Brother house. For Big Brother 6, the show's name changed to Big Brother's Big Mouth. Following Celebrity Big Brother 5, Brand said he would not return to host the Big Brother 8 series of Big Brother's Big Mouth. In a statement, Brand thanked all the producers for "taking the risk of employing an ex-junkie twerp" to front the show. Of his time presenting the show, he said, "The three years I've spent on Big Brother's Big Mouth have been an unprecedented joy".[17]
Brand hosted a one-off special called Big Brother According to Russell Brand, in which Brand took a surreal, sideways look at Big Brother through the ages. On 8 January 2008, Brand was the fifth celebrity to "hijack" the Big Brother house,[18] in the E4 show Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack. Brand next returned to MTV in the spring of 2006 as presenter of the chat show 1 Leicester Square, which initially aired at 8 pm on Sundays before being shifted to a post-watershed time of 10 pm on Mondays, allowing for a more adult-oriented theme. Guests have included Tom Cruise, Uma Thurman, The Mighty Boosh, and Boy George. A second series began in September 2006 on MTV UK. After Big Brother 7 finished, Brand presented a debate show called Russell Brand's Got Issues, on digital channel E4. The viewing figures for the first episode were seen as disappointing, being beaten by nearly all of E4's main multi-channel rivals despite a big publicity and promotional campaign for the show. The poor ratings prompted the network to repackage the show as The Russell Brand Show and move it to Channel 4.[19] The first episode was broadcast on 24 November on Channel 4,[20] and it ran for five weeks.
Brand presented the 2006 NME Awards. At the ceremony Bob Geldof, who was accepting an award from Brand, said at the podium, "Russell Brand – what a cunt", to which Brand replied, "Really it's no surprise [Geldof]'s such an expert on famine. He has after all been dining out on 'I Don't Like Mondays' for 30 years".[21] Brand hosted the 2007 BRIT Awards and presented Oasis with an "Outstanding Contribution to Music" award at the event.[22] He also hosted one hour of Comic Relief. On 7 July 2007, he presented at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London.
On 12 December 2007, BBC Four aired Russell Brand On the Road, a documentary presented by Brand and Matt Morgan about the writer Jack Kerouac and his novel On the Road. Brand returned to Channel 4 to host Russell Brand's Ponderland, in which he discussed topics like childhood and science through stand-up comedy. The show first aired on 22 October 2007, and continued for the next five nights. A second series began on 30 October 2008, drawing more than a million viewers, and was broadcast every Thursday night for four weeks, plus a Christmas special that aired in December.
Brand was later announced as the host of the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, which drew scepticism from the American media, as he was relatively unknown to the American public. Brand's stint as host of the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards was not without controversy.[23] At one point, he said the night "marked the launch of a very new Britney Spears era", referring to it as "the resurrection of [Spears]". He also said, "If there was a female Christ, it's Britney".[24] Brand implored the audience to elect Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and later called then–U.S. President George W. Bush "a retarded cowboy fella", who, in England, "wouldn't be trusted with scissors".[24][25] He made several references to the purity rings worn by the Jonas Brothers, but apologised for the comments later in the show.[26] These comments led to Brand receiving death threats by some offended viewers.[27] Brand claimed that MTV asked him to host the 2009 awards after the ratings for the 2008 show were 20% up from the previous year.[28] Also in 2008 Brand hosted a one off stand up comedy show called Comedy Live Presents: Russell Brand and Friends shown on Channel 4 on 25 January 2008. Brand hosted the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on 13 September 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[29][30] The ratings for the 2009 show were the best since the 2004 VMAs.[31] On February 12, 2011, Brand guest hosted an episode of the hit American sketch comedy Saturday Night Live.
In 2002, Brand appeared on the TV shows Cruise of the Gods and White Teeth. In 2005, he played Tommy in the BBC sitcom Blessed, which was written and directed by Young Ones creator Ben Elton. Brand auditioned for the part of Super Hans in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show; the role eventually went to Matt King.[32]
In 2007, Brand appeared in Cold Blood for ITV, playing an ex-con called Ally. Brand played a recovering crack addict named Terry in the pilot for the ITV comedy The Abbey, written by Morwenna Banks.[33]
He voiced an Earth Guardian in Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind.
Brand had a small role in the 2006 movie Penelope, though his first major film role was as Flash Harry in the 2007 film St Trinian's. He did not reprise the role for the sequel, St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.
He achieved American fame when he starred in the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in which he played Aldous Snow, the boyfriend of the title character (played by Kristen Bell). Brand received rave reviews for his performance as Snow, and he revealed the character was changed from an author to a rockstar because of his audition.[34]
Brand starred alongside Adam Sandler in the Disney film Bedtime Stories, which was released on Christmas Day 2008.[35]
He reprised the role of Aldous Snow for a buddy comedy titled Get Him to the Greek, co-starring Jonah Hill.[36] He reunited with Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller and producer Judd Apatow for the film.[36]
Brand had a role in Julie Taymor's version of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, as Trinculo.[37][38][39]
In 2010, Brand voiced Dr. Nefario in the Universal movie Despicable Me,[40] and is set to reprise the role in the sequel in 2013. Brand also guest starred in The Simpsons episode "Angry Dad: The Movie" as himself. Brand also starred in the 2011 live action/CGI animated film Hop, in which he voiced the film's main protagonist E.B. Hop opened at number one at the Friday box office in the US, earning $11.4 million.[41] The same month, April 2011, he played the title character in a remake of Arthur,[42] written by Peter Baynham.
Brand is set to star as Lonny in a movie adaption of 80s musical Rock Of Ages, which is to be released in cinemas in June 2012. His other upcoming projects include a remake of Drop Dead Fred.[43] Brand will also appear in an Oliver Stone film.[4] Sandler has cast Brand in another film and will produce yet another, co-written by Brand and Matt Morgan, about a con-man posing as a priest; it is tentatively titled Bad Father.[44][45] and he is also set to star as Fred Mumford in a movie adaption of the hit 70s programme Rentaghost.
Brand has also set up his own production company with his friend Nik Linnen called 'Branded Films' and will be run from the Warner Bros studios in Burbank, California. It has been reported that the company is set up to primarily develop films for Brand himself to star in.[46]
Brand's radio career began in early 2002, when he hosted a Sunday afternoon show with Matt Morgan on London's Indie Rock station Xfm. Brand was fired from the job after reading pornographic material live on-air.[47]
Brand co-hosted The Russell Brand Show beginning in April 2006 on BBC Radio 6 Music. In November 2006, the show transferred to BBC Radio 2 and aired on Saturdays from 9 – 11pm. The show regularly drew about 400,000 listeners.[48] In an episode of the show broadcast on 18 October 2008, Brand and fellow Radio 2 DJ Jonathan Ross made a series of phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs that crudely discussed Sachs' granddaughter. Sunday tabloid The Mail on Sunday broke the story and regarded the phone calls as obscene. Both presenters were later suspended by the BBC due to the incident,[49] and Brand resigned from his show.[50][51] The BBC was later fined £150,000 by Britain's broadcast regulator for airing the calls.[52]
Brand returned to radio when he and Noel Gallagher hosted a football talk show on 19 April 2009 for talkSPORT which led to a 250% boost in web traffic.[53][54]
Brand returned to talkSPORT in 9 October 2010, with a Saturday night show that will last 20 weeks. The show will feature clips and back-stage recordings from his Booky Wook 2 promotional tour. Brand will be joined by a host of guests, including the likes of Noel Gallagher and Jonathan Ross.[55]
From May 2006 till May 2009, Brand wrote a column for The Guardian that focused on West Ham United and the England national football team. A collection of the columns from May 2006 through June 2007 was released on 15 November 2007 in a book titled Irons in the Fire.[56] A second collection of the columns from June 2007 through May 2008 was released on 16 October 2008, titled Articles of Faith. The book also includes Brand interviewing Noel Gallagher, James Corden and David Baddiel about football.[57]
Brand's autobiography, My Booky Wook, published by Hodder & Stoughton, was released on 15 November 2007 and received favourable reviews. The Observer commented that "Russell Brand's gleeful tale of drugs and debauchery in My Booky Wook puts most other celebrity memoirs to shame".[58]
Brand signed a £1.8 million two-book deal with HarperCollins in June 2008. The first book was Articles of Faith, with the second being Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal released on 30 September 2010.[59][60]
Following the 2011 London riots, Brand wrote a guest column in The Guardian, in which he criticised the Government's response to the rioters as failing to address the root causes.[61]
Brand recorded a cover of The Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-Four" with composer David Arnold for the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall in which he appeared as Aldous Snow, lead singer of the fictional band Infant Sorrow.[62] He reprised his role as Aldous Snow in Get Him to the Greek and recorded sixteen songs for the soundtrack.
Brand appeared on the 2010 version of 3 Lions alongside Robbie Williams.[63] He also appeared in the music video to Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds's single AKA... What a Life! playing a drug pusher.
Brand lives in Los Angeles.[64] He had been a vegetarian since the age of 14,[65] and became a vegan on October 24, 2011.[66] PETA named him 2011's Sexiest Vegetarian.[67] He dresses in a flamboyant bohemian fashion, describing himself as looking like an "S&M Willy Wonka".[68] He has bipolar disorder,[69] has suffered from bulimia,[65] and also went through a period of self-harming.[70] Brand has shown interest in the Hare Krishna Movement and chants the Hare Krishna mantra for drug rehabilitation.[71] During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on her show in October 2010, Brand talked about his love of Transcendental Meditation.[72][73]
After a string of high-profile relationships, Brand developed a reputation in the media as a ladies' man. His dating life won him The Sun's Shagger Of The Year award in 2006,[74] 2007,[75] and 2008. The award has been renamed "The Russell Brand Shagger of the Year Award" in honour of Brand having won three years in a row.[76]
Brand first met American singer/songwriter Katy Perry in summer 2009 when Perry filmed a cameo for Brand's film Get Him to the Greek (although the cameo did not make it into the final cut of the film).[77] Brand and Perry began dating after meeting again several months later in September 2009[78] at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where Brand, as host, remarked "Katy Perry didn't win an award and she's staying at the same hotel as me, so she's gonna need a shoulder to cry on. So in a way, I'm the real winner tonight." Perry says she threw a bottle of water at Brand to get his attention and then they went clubbing together the same night.[79] The couple became engaged in December 2009 when Brand proposed to Perry while on a holiday in India.[80][81][82] The couple married on 23 October 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony, near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India, the same location where Brand proposed.[83][84] After 14 months of marriage, Brand filed for divorce from Perry on 30 December 2011 in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.[85][86] After Brand and Perry reached an agreement on financial issues, a judge granted the divorce request in February 2012; however the divorce will not become effective until July 2012 due to California law requiring a six-month wait.[87]
Brand and several other celebrities wrote to The Independent (as supporters of the Hoping Foundation) to condemn Israel's assault on Gaza, and the "cruel and massive loss of life of the citizens of Gaza".[88] In February 2009, Brand and several other entertainers wrote to The Times defending Bahá'í leaders then on trial in Iran.[89] In April 2009, he attended the 2009 G-20 London summit protests and spoke to the press.[90][91]
Brand is a former heroin and sex addict and a recovering alcoholic. He has had numerous run-ins with the police, having been arrested 12 times.[92][93] Brand was ejected from the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh,[94] and he infamously introduced his drug dealer to Kylie Minogue during his time at MTV.[95] He has abstained from drug use since 2002 and is now a patron of the addiction charity Focus 12.[96] His abandonment of drugs and alcohol was instigated by his agent, John Noel, after Brand was caught taking heroin in a bathroom during his Christmas party. Brand regularly attends AA and NA meetings[97] and cites his practice of Transcendental Meditation as a significant factor in his recovery from drug addiction.[98]
On 16 September 2010, Brand was arrested on suspected battery charges after he allegedly attacked a paparazzo who blocked his and then-fiancé Katy Perry's way to catch a flight at the Los Angeles International Airport.[99][100] On 17 September 2010, he was released from custody after posting $20,000 bail. Footage of the incident was later sent to TMZ.[101] Perry later defended Brand's actions, and offered an insight into the reasons for his outburst, posting on Twitter that, "If you cross the line & try and put a lens up my dress, my fiancé will do his job & protect me."[102]
Brand was deported from Japan on 22 May 2011 when he arrived with Perry to perform her California Dreams tour. The deportation was because of his criminal record.[92]
On March 15, 2012, an arrest warrant was issued for Brand in New Orleans after allegations that he had grabbed a photographer's mobile phone and threw it through a window. The paparazzo was taking pictures of him with an iPhone, when Brand wrestled it from him and tossed it into a law firm's window. The warrant was for "simple criminal damage to property". He turned himself in to the police, and also offered to reimburse the replacement of the window. Brand was in New Orleans, filming the movie Lamb of God.[103]
Title | Year | Role | Notes |
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St Trinian's | 2007 | Flash Harry | |
Penelope | 2008 | Sam | |
Forgetting Sarah Marshall | 2008 | Aldous Snow | |
Bedtime Stories | 2008 | Mickey | |
Get Him to the Greek | 2010 | Aldous Snow | |
Despicable Me | 2010 | Dr. Nefario | Voice |
The Tempest | 2010 | Trinculo | |
Hop | 2011 | E.B./"Hoff Knows Talent" Production Assistant | Voice/Live-action |
Arthur | 2011 | Arthur Bach | |
Rock of Ages | 2012 | Lonny Barnett | |
Katy Perry: Part of Me | 2012 | Himself | Cameo |
Lamb of God | 2013 | William | |
Despicable Me 2 | 2013 | Dr. Nefario | Voice |
Show | Year | Role | Episode | Notes |
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The Bill | 1994 | Billy Case | Land of The Blind | |
Mud | 1994 | Shane | Series 1 Episodes 1-6 | |
White Teeth | 2002 | Merlin | The Peculiar Second Marriage of Archie Jones | |
Cruise of the Gods | 2002 | Glynn (Woolly Hat Fan) | ||
A Bear's Christmas Tail | 2004 | Mr Wolf | ||
Blessed | 2005 | Tommy | Who Wrote The Book Of Love | |
A Bear's Tail | 2005 | Tony the Ringmaster | Blame It On The Bearboy | |
The Abbey | 2007 | Terry | ||
Cold Blood | 2007 | Ally Parkins | Interference | |
Big Time Rush | 2011 | Himself | Big Time Beach Party | |
Strangely Uplifting | 2012 | TBD | Main role |
Award | Award category | Year | Result |
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Time Out | Best Stand-Up | 2006 | Won[104] |
Loaded Laftas | Best Stand-Up | 2006 | Won[105] |
British Comedy Awards | Best Newcomer | 2006 | Won[106] |
33rd Annual Television and Radio Awards | Best Television Performer in a Non-Acting Role | 2007 | Won[107] |
British Comedy Awards | Best Live Stand-Up | 2008 | Won[108] |
British Comedy Awards | Outstanding Contribution to Comedy | 2011 | Won[109] |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Russell Brand |
Quotations related to Russell Brand at Wikiquote
Media offices | ||
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Preceded by no host |
MTV Video Music Awards host 2008 and 2009 |
Succeeded by Chelsea Handler |
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Avril Lavigne | |
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Avril Lavigne during a performance in Italy, September 2011. |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Avril Ramona Lavigne |
Born | Belleville, Ontario, Canada |
27 September 1984
Origin | Napanee, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | Pop rock, power pop, pop punk |
Occupations | Singer-songwriter, Fashion Designer |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano, drums |
Years active | 2000–present |
Labels | Epic, RCA, Arista |
Associated acts | Evan Taubenfeld, Deryck Whibley |
Website | www.avrillavigne.com |
Notable instruments | |
Squier Signature Telecaster model guitar |
Avril Ramona Lavigne (pronunciation: /ˈævrɨl ləˈviːn/; AV-ril lə-VEEN; born 27 September 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million. In 2002, when she was 17 years old, Lavigne broke onto the music scene with her debut album Let Go.
Let Go made Lavigne the youngest female soloist to reach No. 1 in the UK, and the album was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. By 2009, over 16 million copies had been sold worldwide. Her breakthrough single, "Complicated", peaked at No. 1 in many countries around the world, as did the album Let Go. Her second album, Under My Skin, was released in 2004 and was her first album to peak at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, eventually selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne’s third album, was released in 2007, becoming her third No. 1 album in the UK Albums Chart and featuring her first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, "Girlfriend". Lavigne has scored six number-one singles worldwide, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm with You", "My Happy Ending", "Nobody's Home", and "Girlfriend". With more than 30 million copies of her albums sold worldwide, Lavigne is one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA. Her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, was released in March 2011. Goodbye Lullaby gave Lavigne her fourth top 10 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart and her third No. 1 album in both Japan and Australia. Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne began work on her fifth album, which will be released on Epic Records following her departure from RCA Records.
Lavigne branched out from recording music, pursuing careers in feature film acting and designing clothes and perfumes. She voiced a character in the animated film, Over the Hedge, in 2006. That same year, she made her on-screen feature film debut in Fast Food Nation. In 2008, Lavigne introduced her clothing line, Abbey Dawn, and in 2009, she released her first perfume, Black Star, which was followed by her second perfume, Forbidden Rose, in 2010 and her third perfume, Wild Rose, in 2011. In July 2006, Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years, Deryck Whibley, lead singer and guitarist for Sum 41. The marriage lasted a little over three years, and in October 2009, Lavigne filed for divorce. Whibley and Lavigne continued to work together, with Whibley producing her fourth album, as well as Lavigne's single, "Alice", written for Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland.
Contents |
Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario. Her father, Jean-Claude Lavigne, named her "Avril" after the French word for the month of April. At the age of two, she began singing church songs with her mother,[1] Judith-Rosanne "Judy" (née Loshaw). Judy recognized her two-year-old daughter's talents after hearing her sing "Jesus Loves Me" in church.[2] Lavigne has an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Michelle,[3] both of whom teased her when she sang. "My brother used to knock on the wall because I used to sing myself to sleep and he thought it was really annoying."[2]
When Lavigne was five years old, the family moved to Napanee, Ontario,[1] a town with a population of approximately 5,000.[4][5][6] Although she struggled to pay attention in school, sometimes being kicked out of class for misbehaving, her parents supported her singing. Her father bought her a microphone, a drum kit, a keyboard, and several guitars, and converted their basement into a studio. When Lavigne was 14, her parents would take her to karaoke sessions.[7] Lavigne also performed at country fairs, singing songs by Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, and Shania Twain. She also began writing her own songs. Her first song was called "Can't Stop Thinking About You", about a teenage crush, which she described as "cheesy cute".[8]
“ | I’ve known all my life that this is what I was supposed to do.... Visualizing like what it would be like to be famous with my music. And always just dreaming, always daydreaming. | ” |
—Avril Lavigne, NBC News[7] |
In 1999,[9] Lavigne won a radio contest to perform with fellow Canadian singer Shania Twain at the Corel Centre (now Scotiabank Place) in Ottawa, before an audience of 20,000 people.[1][4] Twain and Lavigne sang "What Made You Say That",[1] and Lavigne told Twain that she was going to be "a famous singer".[4] During a performance with the Lennox Community Theatre, Lavigne was spotted by local folksinger Stephen Medd. He invited her to contribute vocals on his song, "Touch the Sky", for his 1999 album, Quinte Spirit. She later sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for his follow-up album, My Window to You, in 2000. In December 1999, Lavigne was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario.[1][4] Fabri sent out VHS tapes of Lavigne's home performances to several industry prospects, and Lavigne was visited by several executives.[10] Mark Jowett, co-founder of the Canadian management firm Nettwerk, received a copy of Lavigne's karaoke performances recorded in her parents' basement.[11] Jowett arranged for Lavigne to work with Peter Zizzo during the summer of 2000 in New York, where she wrote the song "Why". Lavigne was noticed by Arista Records on a subsequent trip to New York.[10]
Lavigne would go on to sell more than 30 million copies of her albums worldwide,[12] becoming one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA.[13] In 2009, Billboard named Lavigne the No. 10 pop artist in the "Best of the 2000s" chart.[14] She was listed as the 28th overall best act of the decade based on album and single chart performance in the U.S.[15]
In November 2000,[5] Ken Krongard, an A&R representative, invited Antonio "L.A." Reid, then head of Arista Records, to producer Peter Zizzo's Manhattan studio to hear Lavigne sing. Her 15-minute audition "so impressed" Reid that he immediately signed her to Arista with a deal worth $1.25 million for two albums and an extra $900,000 for a publishing advance.[6][1] By this time, Lavigne had found that she fit in naturally with her hometown high school's skater clique, an image that carried through to her first album, but although she enjoyed skateboarding, school left her feeling insecure. Armed with a record deal, she dropped out to focus on her music career,[5] but she still had to inform her parents of her decision. "I wasn't going to turn [the record deal] down. It's been my dream all my life. They knew how much I wanted this and how much I've put into it."[16][8]
Reid gave A&R Joshua Sarubin the responsibility for overseeing Lavigne's development and the recording of her debut album.[17] They spent several months in New York working with different co-writers trying to forge an individual sound for her. Sarubin told HitQuarters that for while they struggled finding her sound and although early collaborations with songwriter-producers including Sabelle Breer, Curt Frasca and Peter Zizzo resulted in some good songs, they didn't match her and her voice.[17] It was only when Lavigne then went to Los Angeles in May 2001 and created two songs with The Matrix production team – including "Complicated" – that the record company felt she had made a major breakthrough.[17] Lavigne then worked further with The Matrix and also with singer-songwriter Cliff Magness. Recording finished in January 2002.[17]
Lavigne released her debut album, Let Go, on 4 June 2002 in the U.S., where it reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It peaked at No. 1 on the Australian, Canadian, and UK charts. This made Lavigne, at 17 years old, the youngest female soloist to have a No. 1 album in the UK until that time.[18] By the end of 2002, the album was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA, making her the bestselling female artist of 2002 and Let Go the top-selling debut of the year.[19] By May 2003, Let Go had accumulated over 1,000,000 sales in Canada, receiving a diamond certification from the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[20] As of 2009, the album has sold over 16 million units worldwide,[21] and the RIAA has certified the album six-times platinum, denoting shipments of over six million units in the U.S.[22]
“ | I don't get overwhelmed, just because I feel like I've kind of prepared myself for it. All my life this is what I've wanted, what I've dreamed about, and I knew this would happen. I've been singing ever since I was really young and I've wanted this so bad, and I told myself I would do it. | ” |
—Avril Lavigne on her success, MTV[5] |
Lavigne's debut single and the album's lead single, "Complicated", peaked at No. 1 in Australia and No. 2 in the U.S. "Complicated" was one of the bestselling Canadian singles of 2002, and it was also featured on the teen television show, Dawson's Creek. "Complicated" later ranked on the Hot 100 Singles of the Decade list at No. 83.[23]
Subsequent singles, "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You" reached the top ten in the U.S.[24] Thanks to the success of her first three singles, Lavigne was the second artist in history to have three No. 1 songs from a debut album on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40.[25] For the music video to "Complicated", Lavigne was named Best New Artist at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.[26] She won four Juno Awards in 2003 out of six nominations,[27] received a World Music Award for "World's Bestselling Canadian Singer", and was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Complicated" (2003).[28]
In 2002, Lavigne made a cameo appearance in the music video to "Hundred Million" by the pop punk band Treble Charger.[29] In March 2003, Lavigne posed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine[30] and, later in May,[31] performed "Fuel" during MTV's Icon tribute to Metallica.[32] During her first headlining tour, the Try To Shut Me Up Tour, Lavigne covered Green Day's "Basket Case".[33]
Lavigne was featured in the 2003 game, The Sims: Superstar, as a non-playable celebrity.[34]
Lavigne co-wrote "Breakaway" with Matthew Gerard, which was recorded by Kelly Clarkson for the soundtrack to the 2004 film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.[35] "Breakaway" would later be included on Clarkson's second album and released as the album's lead single. Lavigne covered the Goo Goo Dolls song "Iris", performed with the band's lead singer John Rzeznik at Fashion Rocks,[36] and she posed for the cover of Maxim in October 2004.[37] She also recorded the theme song for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. "I made the song a little more edgy", Lavigne said. "There are a lot of loud guitars, and we picked the tempo up a little and sang it with a little more attitude." Lavigne rearranged the song with the help of producer Butch Walker.[38]
Lavigne's second studio album, Under My Skin, was released on 25 May 2004, debuting at No. 1 in several countries, including Australia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the U.S.[39] The album has sold more than 10 million copies. Lavigne wrote most of the album's tracks with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. Kreviazuk's husband, Our Lady Peace front man Raine Maida, co-produced the album, along with Butch Walker and Don Gilmore. Lavigne went on the Live and By Surprise twenty-one-city mall tour in the US and Canada to promote the album, accompanied by her guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld. Each performance consisted of a short live acoustic set of songs from the new album. At the end of 2004, Lavigne embarked on her first world tour, the Bonez Tour, which had stopovers in almost every continent and lasted for the entire 2005 year.
“ | This record definitely proves that I'm a writer and people can't knock that, because each song comes from a personal experience of mine, and there are so much emotions in those songs. | ” |
—Avril Lavigne, The Ledger[40] |
"Don't Tell Me", the lead single of the album, went to No. 1 in Argentina and Mexico and reached the top five in the UK and Canada and the top ten in Australia and Brazil. "My Happy Ending", the album's second single, went to No. 1 in Mexico and the top five in the UK and Australia. In the US, it reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and went to No. 1 in the Mainstream Top 40, making it her fourth-biggest hit there. The third single, "Nobody's Home", did not make the top 40 in the US, reaching No. 1 only in Mexico and Argentina. The fourth single from the album, "He Wasn't", reached top 40 positions in the UK and Australia and was not released in the U.S.[41]
Lavigne won two World Music Awards in 2004 for "World's Best Pop/Rock Artist" and "World's Bestselling Canadian Artist". She received five Juno Award nominations in 2005, and picked up three, including "Artist of the Year". She won the award for "Favorite Female Singer" at the eighteenth annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards[42] and was nominated in every MTV Award show shown around the world.
On 26 February 2006, Lavigne represented Canada at the closing ceremony of the Torino Olympics, performing her song "Who Knows" during the eight minute Vancouver 2010 portion.[43]
While Lavigne was in the studio for her third studio album, Fox Entertainment Group approached her to write a song for the soundtrack to the 2006 fantasy-adventure film Eragon. She wrote and recorded two "ballad-type" songs, but only one, "Keep Holding On", was used for the film.[44] Lavigne admitted that writing the song was challenging, making sure it flowed with the film. She emphasized that "Keep Holding On", which later appeared on the album, was not indicative of what the next album would be like.[45][46]
Lavigne's third album, The Best Damn Thing, was released on 17 April 2007, which Lavigne immediately promoted with a small tour. Its lead single, "Girlfriend", topped the Billboard Hot 100 the same week The Best Damn Thing debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Girlfriend" was Lavigne's first single to reach this No. 1 position.[47] The single was a worldwide hit; it also peaked at No. 1 in Australia, Canada, Japan, and Italy and reached No. 2 in the UK and France. "Girlfriend" was recorded in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese, and Mandarin. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ranked "Girlfriend" as the most-downloaded track worldwide in 2007, selling 7.3 million copies, including the versions recorded in eight different languages.[48][12] "Girlfriend" ranked on the Hot 100 Singles of the Decade list at No. 94.[49]
"When You're Gone", the second single, went to No. 3 in the UK, the top five in Australia and Italy, the top ten in Canada, and was close to reaching the top twenty in the U.S. In December 2007, Lavigne, with annual earnings of $12 million, was ranked number eight in the Forbes "Top 20 Earners Under 25".[50] "Hot" was the third single and has been Lavigne's least successful single in the U.S., charting only at No. 95. In Canada, "Hot" made the top ten, and in Australia, the top 20. The Best Damn Thing has sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
During this era, Lavigne won nearly every award she was nominated for, including two World Music Awards for "World's Bestselling Canadian Artist" and "World's Best Pop/Rock Female Artist". She took her first two MTV Europe Music Awards, received one Teen Choice Awards for "Summer Single", and was nominated for five Juno awards.
In mid-2007, Lavigne was featured in a two-volume graphic novel, Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes. She collaborated with artist Camilla D’Errico and writer Joshua Dysart on the manga, which was about a shy girl named Hana who, upon meeting her hero Avril Lavigne, learned to overcome her fears. Lavigne said, "I know that many of my fans read manga, and I'm really excited to be involved in creating stories that I know they will enjoy." The volumes were released on 10 April (one week prior to the release of The Best Damn Thing) and in July, respectively. The publication Young Adult Library Services nominated the series for "Great Graphic Novels for Teens".[51]
In March 2008, Lavigne undertook a world tour named The Best Damn Tour to support the album. In that same month, she also appeared on the cover of Maxim for the second time of her career.[52] In mid-August, Malaysia's Islamic opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, attempted to ban Lavigne's show in Kuala Lumpur, judging her stage moves "too sexy". Her concert on 29 August was considered as promoting wrong values ahead of Malaysia's independence day on 31 August.[53] On 21 August 2008, MTV reported that the concert had been approved by the Malaysian government.[54]
Only a month after completing The Best Damn Tour, Lavigne began recording in her home studio in November 2008 with the song "Black Star",[55] written to help promote her first fragrance of the same name.[56] By July 2009, nine tracks had been recorded for the new album,[55] including the songs "Fine", "Everybody Hurts" and "Darlin". Several of the tracks were written in Lavigne's youth. "Darlin" was the second song Lavigne wrote as a 15-year-old while living in Napanee, Ontario. Lavigne described the album as being about "life". She stated, "It's so easy for me to do a boy-bashing pop song, but to sit down and write honestly about something that's really close to me, something I've been through, it's a totally different thing."[56] With the exception of the album's lead single, "What the Hell", Lavigne described the songs on the album as different from her earlier material: "I'm older now, so I think that comes across in my music, it's not as pop-rock".[57]
In January 2010, while simultaneously writing and recording for her new album, Lavigne worked with Disney clothing designs inspired by Tim Burton's feature film, Alice in Wonderland. She asked the executives if she could write a song for the film. The result was the song "Alice",[58] which was played over the end credits[59] and included on the soundtrack, Almost Alice.[60]
On 28 February, Lavigne gave a performance at the concert portion of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, performing "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend".[61] Lavigne was honoured to perform at the ceremonies, but she regretted not being able to attend the U.S. vs. Canada hockey match. "They had us on lockdown. We weren't allowed to leave our trailers, for security purposes."[62]
In September 2010, Lavigne's third single from her debut album, "I'm With You", was sampled by Rihanna on the track "Cheers (Drink to That)", which is featured on Rihanna's fifth studio album, Loud.[63][64] In August 2011, she was featured in the music video for Cheers (Drink To That). "It's exciting to me because that was always one of my favorite songs, and for it to come out 10 years ago and so now to have it sampled and back out on the radio is pretty dope".[65] In December 2010, American singer Miranda Cosgrove released "Dancing Crazy", a song written by Lavigne, Max Martin and Shellback. It was also produced by Martin.[66] On 23 September 2011, Lavigne appeared in the Hub network show Majors & Minors as a guest mentor, alongside other singers including Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis. About the show, Lavigne stated, "I sang for them, and they performed for me. I was just blown away. I got to talk to them about music and the music industry, and they were all just so excited".[65]
The release dates for Goodbye Lullaby and its lead single were pushed back several times. In response to these delays, Lavigne said, "I write my own music and, therefore, it takes me longer to put out records 'cause I have to live my life to get inspiration",[67] and that she had enough material for two records.[67] In November, Lavigne was featured in Maxim, where she revealed that Goodbye Lullaby took two and a half years to complete,[68] but she cited her record company as the reason for the album's delays, stating that the album had been completed for a year.[69] Goodbye Lullaby was released on 8 March.[70][57] The lead single, "What the Hell", premiered on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31 December.[70]
Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne announced that work on her fifth studio album had already begun, with eight songs written so far. The new album will musically be the opposite of Goodbye Lullaby, with a release date rumored for sometime in 2012. [71] Lavigne explained, "[Goodbye Lullaby] was more mellow, [but] the next one will be pop and more fun again. I already have a song that I know is going to be a single, I just need to re-record it!"[72][73][74] Later, in July 2011, Lavigne revealed the title of two of the songs from her fifth album as "Fine" and "Gone". The tracks were originally recorded for Goodbye Lullaby but never made the final cut. In late 2011, Lavigne confirmed that she had moved to Epic Records, which is now headed by L.A. Reid.[75][76]
Production-wise, Lavigne stated in an interview with Virgin Radio 96 that she would begin production on the album in January 2012. [65] During recording, she has been confirmed to have worked with the hip hop production duo The Runners, [77] Chad Kroeger of rock band Nickelback and former member of rock band Evanescence David Hodges. [78] In April 2012, Lavigne confirmed that she had "finally" finished work on her fifth album and that she would be taking a short hiatus before releasing it and embarking on "[her] next artistic journey".[citation needed]
Themes in Lavigne's music include messages of self-empowerment from a female or an adolescent view.[79] Lavigne believes her "songs are about being yourself no matter what and going after your dreams even if your dreams are crazy and even if people tell you they're never going to come true."[80] On her debut album, Let Go, Lavigne preferred the less mainstream songs, such as "Losing Grip", instead of her more radio-friendly singles, such as "Complicated", saying that "the songs I did with the Matrix... were good for my first record, but I don't want to be that pop anymore."[81] Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, had deeper personal themes underlying each song. Lavigne explained, "I've gone through so much, so that's what I talk about.... Like boys, like dating or relationships".[82] In contrast, her third album, The Best Damn Thing, was not personal to her. "Some of the songs I wrote didn't even mean that much to me. It's not like some personal thing I'm going through."[83] Her objective in writing the album was simply to "make it fun".[84] Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne's fourth album, was much more personal than her earlier records,[55] with Lavigne describing the album as "more stripped down, deeper. All the songs are very emotional".[85] Ian McKellen defined her as “... a punk chanteuse, a post-grunge valkyrie, with the wounded soul of a poet and the explosive pugnacity of a Canadian.” on the Craig Ferguson show in 2007. [86][87]
Growing up, Lavigne listened to Blink-182, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty and Shania Twain,[81] and her influences include Courtney Love and Janis Joplin.[82] Because of these influences, musical genres, and her personal style, the media often defined her as punk, something she denied being. Lavigne’s close friend and guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld, said, "It's a very touchy subject to a lot of people, but the point is that Avril isn't punk, but she never really pretended to claim to come from that scene. She had pop punk music and the media ended up doing the rest".[88] Lavigne also commented on the matter: "I have been labeled like I'm this angry girl, [a] rebel... punk, and I am so not any of them."[40]
“ | I know my fans look up to me and that's why I make my songs so personal; it's all about things I've experienced and things I like or hate. I write for myself and hope that my fans like what I have to say. | ” |
—Avril Lavigne, Girl.com.au[80] |
Most of critics identify Lavigne as some form between teen pop and pop-punk: Publications such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NME, MusicMight, IGN and Popmatters have identified Avril Lavigne as a mix of rock, teen pop and pop-punk,[89][90][91][92][93][94] influenced by a grungey pop-rock sound.[95][96][97][98][99]
While Lavigne denied being angry, her interviews were still passionate about the media's lack of respect for her songwriting. "I am a writer, and I won't accept people trying to take that away from me", adding that she had been writing "full-structured songs" since she was 14.[40] Despite this, Lavigne’s songwriting has been questioned throughout her career. The songwriting trio, the Matrix, with whom Lavigne wrote songs for her debut album, claimed that they were the main songwriters of Lavigne’s singles, "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm with You". Lavigne denied this, asserting that she was the primary songwriter for every song on the album. "[N]one of those songs aren't from me".[81] In 2007, Chantal Kreviazuk, who wrote with Lavigne on her second album, accused Lavigne of plagiarism[100] and criticized her songwriting. "Avril doesn't really sit and write songs by herself or anything".[101] Lavigne also disclaimed this, and considered taking legal action against Kreviazuk for "clear defamation" against her character.[101] Kreviazuk later apologized: "Avril is an accomplished songwriter and it has been my privilege to work with her".[100] Shortly after that, Tommy Dunbar, founder of the 1970s band, the Rubinoos, sued Lavigne, her publishing company, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for allegedly stealing parts of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" for her song "Girlfriend".[102] Gottwald defended Lavigne, stating, "me and Avril wrote the song together…. It has the same chord progressions as ten different Blink-182 songs, the standard changes you'd find in a Sum 41 song. It's the Sex Pistols, not the Rubinoos."[101] In January 2008, the lawsuit was closed after a confidential settlement had been reached.[103]
Lavigne became interested in appearing on television and in feature films. The decision, she said, was her own. Although her years of experience in making music videos would be to her advantage, Lavigne admitted her experience in singing removed any fear of performing on camera. She specifically mentioned that the video "Nobody's Home" involved the most "acting".[80] Her first television appearance was in a 2002 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,[104] performing "Sk8er Boi"[105] with her band in a nightclub.[106] She later made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Going the Distance. The main characters bump into her backstage at the MuchMusic Video Awards[107] after her performance of "Losing Grip".[108]
She moved into feature film acting cautiously, choosing deliberately small roles to begin with. In November 2005, after going through an audition to land the role, Lavigne travelled to New Mexico[109] to film a single scene in the 2007 film, The Flock.[110] She starred as Beatrice Bell, the girlfriend of a crime suspect, appearing alongside Claire Danes and Richard Gere. Gere gave Lavigne acting tips between takes.[110] On her role in The Flock, Lavigne said, "I did that just to see how it was and to not jump into [mainstream acting] too fast".[80] The Flock would not be released in American theatres, and because it would not be released in foreign markets until late 2007, it would not be considered Lavigne's debut. The film made $7 million in the foreign box office.[111]
Lavigne's feature film debut was voicing an animated character in the 2006 film Over the Hedge, based on the comic strip of the same name. She voiced the character Heather, a Virginia Opossum. Recording the characters' voices was devoid of interaction with other actors. Lavigne stated, "All the actors went in individually, and [director] Tim and [screenwriter Karey] and directors were there with me every time I went in, and they made it go so smoothly; they made me feel comfortable.... That was the interesting part, going in by yourself, with no one else to kind of feed off of."[112] Lavigne found the recording process to be "easy" and "natural", but she kept hitting the microphone as she gestured while acting. "I'd use my hands constantly and, like, hit the microphone stand and make noises, so Tim and Karey had to tell me to hold still.... It's hard to be running or falling down the stairs and have to make those sounds come out of your mouth but keep your body still." Lavigne believed she was hired to perform Heather because of her rock-star status. "[The director] thought I'd give my character... a bit of attitude".[80] The film opened on 19 May 2006, making $38 million over its opening weekend. It went on to gross $336 million worldwide.[113]
In December 2005, Lavigne signed on to appear in Fast Food Nation, based on the book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.[114] The fictionalized adaptation, directed by Richard Linklater, traces fast-food hamburgers contaminated with cow feces back to the slaughterhouses.[115] Lavigne starred in her on-screen acting debut[116] as a high school student intent on freeing the cows.[117] The film opened on 17 November 2006 and remained in theatres for 11 weeks, grossing $2 million worldwide.[118]
Both Over the Hedge and Fast Food Nation opened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, which Lavigne attended. Lavigne felt honoured to be able to attend and was proud of her work. When asked if she would pursue her film career, she stated that she wanted to take her time and wait for the "right parts and the right movies." Lavigne was aware of the roles she had chosen. "I wanted to start off small and to learn [that] I wouldn't just want to throw myself into a big part."[80] In August 2006, Canadian Business magazine ranked her as the seventh top Canadian actor in Hollywood in their second-annual ranking Celebrity Power List. The results were determined by comparing salary, Internet hits, TV mentions, and press hits.[119]
In July 2008, Lavigne launched the clothing line Abbey Dawn, featuring a back-to-school collection.[12] It is produced by Kohl's, which is the brand's exclusive U.S. retailer. Named after Lavigne's childhood nickname, Abbey Dawn is designed by Lavigne herself.[120][121] Kohl's describes Abbey Dawn as a "juniors lifestyle brand",[12] which incorporates skull, zebra, and star patterns, purples and "hot pinks and blacks". Lavigne, who wore some of the clothes and jewellery from her line at various concerts before its official launch, pointed out that she was not merely licensing her name to the collection. "I actually am the designer. What's really important to me is that everything fits well and is well-made, so I try everything on and approve it all."[122] The clothing line incorporates Lavigne's musical style and lyrics, "after the release of my first album, I realized how much fashion was involved in my musical career".[65]
“ | I just love clothes and colors and patterns. I'm very visual and very hands-on. | ” |
The designs were also featured on the Internet game Stardoll, where figures can be dressed up as Avril Lavigne.[124] On 14 September 2009, Lavigne took her then latest collection for her clothing line to be a part of the New York Fashion Week,[125] returning in 2011.[65] In December 2010, the clothing line was made available to over 50 countries through the line's official website.[126][85] "It's fun to be a chick and design clothes and things I'd like for myself. I design things I [can't] find."[62] At the end of 2008, Lavigne signed a contract with Canon Canada to appear in advertising campaigns and commercials to promote the latest line of cameras and a full range of other accessories.[127]
Lavigne released her first fragrance, Black Star, created by Procter & Gamble Prestige Products. The fragrance was announced on Lavigne's official website on 7 March 2009. Black Star, which features notes of pink hibiscus, black plum and dark chocolate, was released in summer 2009 in Europe, and later in the US and Canada.[128] When asked what the name meant, Lavigne replied, "I wanted [the bottle] to be a star, and my colors are pink and black, and Black Star resembles being different, and standing out in the crowd, and reaching for the stars; the whole message is just about following your dreams, and it's okay to be unique and be who you are."[129] Black Star won the 2010 Best "Women's Scent Mass" by Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW).[130] Black Star was followed by a second fragrance in July 2010,[131] Forbidden Rose, which took two years to develop.[132] It features notes of red apple, winepeach, black pepper, lotusflower, heliotrope, shellflower, praline agreement, sandalwood, and vanilla.[131] Its message is an extension of Black Star's "follow your dreams",[133] though the tagline for the new perfume is "Dare to Discover".[134] The commercial takes place in a gothic garden setting,[133] where Lavigne, upon entering the garden, finds a single, purple rose.[134] Lavigne launched a third fragrance, Wild Rose, in August 2011 and filmed the commercial for it in late 2010.[85] The tagline for the fragrance is "Dare to discover more".[135] It features notes of mandarin, pink grapefruit, plum, orange blossom, frangipani, blue orchid, musk, sandalwood and crème brûlée.[136]
In January 2010, Lavigne began working with Disney to incorporate Alice in Wonderland-inspired designs into her Abbey Dawn line of clothing.[58] Her designs were exhibited at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in California beginning in May through September, alongside Colleen Atwood's costumes from the 2010 film.[137]
Lavigne has been involved with many charities, including Make Some Noise, Amnesty International, Erase MS, AmericanCPR.org, Camp Will-a-Way, Music Clearing Minefields, U.S. Campaign for Burma, Make-a-Wish Foundation and War Child. She has also appeared in ALDO ads with YouthAIDS to raise money to educate people worldwide about HIV/AIDS. Lavigne took part in the Unite Against AIDS concert presented by ALDO in support of Unicef on 28 November 2007 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[138] In November 2010, Lavigne attended the Clinton Global Initiative.[139]
Lavigne worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her 2005 east coast tour.[140] She covered "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" for War Child's Peace Songs compilation, and she recorded a cover of the John Lennon song "Imagine" as her contribution to the compilation album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. Released on 12 June 2007, the album was produced to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur.[141]
On 5 December 2009, Lavigne returned to the stage in Mexico City during the biggest charity event in Latin America, "Teleton". She performed acoustic versions of her hits "Complicated" and "Girlfriend" with Evan Taubenfeld and band member, Jim McGorman.[142] In 2010, Lavigne was one of several artists who contributed their voices to a cover of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" as a benefit single to help raise money for several charity organizations related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[143]
On 14 September 2010, Lavigne introduced her charity, "The Avril Lavigne Foundation". The next day, the foundation's official website was launched. The foundation aims to help young people with serious illnesses and disabilities[139][144] and works with leading charitable organizations;[126] The foundation partners with the Easter Seals, Make-A-Wish foundation and Erase MS,[145] the latter two being charities Lavigne has previously worked with. Her work with the Make-A-Wish foundation was the inspiration behind her own charity, with Lavigne stating, "I just really wanted to do more".[144] Lavigne said on the foundation's website, "I have always looked for ways to give back because I think it’s a responsibility we all share".[146] Philanthropist Trevor Neilson's 12-person firm, "Global Philanthropy Group", advises Lavigne with her foundation as well as several other celebrities, including musician John Legend.[139]
“ | I have to fight to keep my image really me.... I rejected some gorgeous publicity shots because they just didn't look like me. I won't wear skanky clothes that show my booty, my belly or my boobs. I have a great body. | ” |
—Avril Lavigne, MTV[5] |
When Lavigne first gained publicity, she was known for her tomboyish style,[147] in particular her necktie-and-tank-top combinations.[148][149] She preferred baggy clothes, skater shoes or Converses,[62] wristbands, and sometimes shoelaces wrapped around her fingers.[7] During photo shoots, instead of wearing "glittery get-ups", she preferred wearing "old, crumpled T's".[5] In response to her fashion and musical influences, the media would call her the "pop punk princess".[150][151] Press and fans regarded her as the "anti-Britney", in part because of her less commercial and "real" image, but also because she was noticeably headstrong. "I’m not made up and I’m not being told what to say and how to act, so they have to call me the anti-Britney, which I’m not."[7] By November 2002, however, Lavigne stopped wearing ties, claiming she felt she was "wearing a costume".[6] Lavigne made a conscious effort to keep her music, and not her image, at the forefront of her career. "I'm just saying, I don't want to sell sex. I feel that's sort of lame and low. I've got so much more to say."[152]
Lavigne eventually took on a more gothic style as she began her second album, Under My Skin, trading her skating outfits for black tutus[151] and earning an image marked by angst.[153] During The Best Damn Thing years, Lavigne changed directions. She dyed her hair blonde with a pink streak, wore feminine outfits,[154] including "tight jeans and heels",[62] and modelled for magazines such as Harper's Bazaar.[147] Lavigne defended her new style: "I don't really regret anything. You know, the ties and the wife-beaters and all... It had its time and place. And now I'm all grown up, and I've moved on".[154] She now tries to eat healthy foods and practises yoga, soccer, surfing, rollerblading, and street hockey.[62]
Only a few of Lavigne's tattoos are unique to her; the rest are matched with those of her friends.[62] Lavigne had a star tattooed on the inside of her left wrist that was created at the same time as friend and musical associate Ben Moody's identical tattoo.[155] In late 2004, she had a small pink heart around the letter "D" applied to her right wrist, which represented her then-boyfriend, Deryck Whibley.[62][156] Lavigne and then-husband Whibley got matching tattoos in March 2010, in celebration of his 30th birthday.[62] In April, Lavigne added another tattoo on her wrist: that of a lightning bolt and the number 30.[157]
“ | Everything is always spur-of-the-moment. All of my tattoos, I decide that second and do it. | ” |
—Avril Lavigne, Inked[62] |
Her love of tattoos, however, gained media attention in May 2010, after Lavigne and Jenner each got matching tattoos of the word "fuck" on their ribs.[158][159] Lavigne appeared in the June/July cover story for Inked magazine, where she discussed and showed off her tattoos, including an "Abbey Dawn" on her left forearm and an "XXV" and star on her right. Although she confirmed the "fuck" tattoo verbally in the article (calling it her "favorite word"[62]) she had it applied after the magazine's photo shoot.[160] She added that she eventually wanted to get a "big-ass heart with a flag through it with a name.... I'm going to wait a few years and make sure I still want it then. I have to wait for that special someone to come back into my life."[62] In July 2010, Lavigne had her boyfriend's name, "Brody", tattooed beneath her right breast.[161]
Lavigne and Deryck Whibley, lead singer and guitarist for the band Sum 41, began dating when she was 19 years old, after being friends since she was 17.[162] Only a few weeks before they met, Lavigne admitted that she was not meeting boys because her bodyguards were frightening them away. In June 2005, Whibley surprised Lavigne with a trip to Venice, including a gondola ride and a romantic picnic, and on 27 June, he proposed to her.[163]
She at first wanted to have a "rock n' roll, goth wedding", but she admitted to having doubts about going against tradition. "I've been dreaming about my wedding day since I was a little girl. I have to wear the white dress.... People thought that I would [wear a] black wedding dress, and I would have. But at the same time, I was thinking about the wedding pictures, and I wanted to be in style. I didn't want to be thinking, 20 years later, 'Oh, why did I wear my hair like that?'"[164]
The wedding was held on 15 July 2006. About 110 guests attended the wedding, which was held at a private estate in Montecito, California.[165] Lavigne, wearing a gown designed by Vera Wang walked down the aisle with her father, Jean-Claude, to Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". Lavigne chose a colour theme of red and white, including red rose petals and centrepieces of distinctly coloured flowers. The wedding included cocktails for an hour before the reception and a sit-down dinner. The song "Iris", by the Goo Goo Dolls, was played during Lavigne and Whibley's first dance.[166]
Seven months into their marriage, Lavigne stated that she was "the best thing that's ever happened to him", and suggested that she helped Whibley stay off drugs since they had begun dating. "He doesn't do drugs. Clearly, he used to, because he talked about it, but I wouldn't be with someone who did, and I made that very clear to him when we first started dating. I've never done cocaine in my life, and I'm proud of that. I am 100 percent against drugs."[164] The marriage lasted a little more than three years. It was announced on 17 September 2009 that Lavigne and Whibley had split up and that divorce papers would soon follow.[167] On 9 October 2009, Lavigne filed for divorce, releasing the statement, "I am grateful for our time together, and I am grateful and blessed for our remaining friendship."[162] The divorce was finalized on 16 November 2010, officially ending the marriage.[168]
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Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2002 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Herself | Cameo; performed "Sk8er Boi" |
2004 | Going the Distance | Herself | Cameo; performed "Losing Grip" |
2006 | Fast Food Nation | Alice | High school activist |
Over the Hedge | Heather | Voice only | |
2007 | The Flock | Beatrice Bell | Suspect's girlfriend |
2010 | American Idol | Herself | Guest judge (L.A. auditions) |
2011 | Majors & Minors | Herself | Guest mentor |
Book: Avril Lavigne | |
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