BDC may mean:

Business and finance[link]

• Banque de Développement des Comores in the Comoros
• Becton, Dickinson and Company, a medical products manufacturer
• Business Data Catalog
• Business Development Bank of Canada
• Business Development Company - a publicly traded private equity vehicle in the United States that elects to regulated investment company tax treatment

Other[link]

• Batch Data Communication
• Backup Domain Controller
• Battledome Chat on Neopets
• Beck Depression Checklist or Burns Depression Checklist, both of which are associated with the Beck Depression Inventory
• Benefit delivery centre - UK administration and call centres, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, which organise benefit payments
• Binary Delta Compression
• Bishop Druitt College, a K-12 school situated in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
• Black Diamond Conference, an Illinois high school athletic conference
• Bloc Démocratique Camerounaise, a political party in Cameroon
• Bottom dead centre, the position of a piston when it is nearest a crankshaft
• British Dance Council
• Broadway Dance Center
• Bullet drop compensation
• Bellini duct carcinoma, a rare type of cancer that affects the Bellini duct of the kidney.
• A nickname for "Big Daddy Cool" Kevin Nash
• A place near Kuching International Airport in Kuching, Sarawak

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

Eric Johnson
Background information
Also known as	"EJ"
Born	(1954-08-17) August 17, 1954 (age 57) Austin, Texas, United States
Genres	Rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Guitar. vocals, piano
Years active	1969–present
Labels	Ark21, Warner Bros., Capitol, Favored Nations
Associated acts	G3, Joe Satriani, Alien Love Child, John Petrucci, Electromagnets, Mariani
Website	http://www.ericjohnson.com
Notable instruments
Fender Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster

Eric Johnson (born August 17, 1954) is an American musician, songwriter, and vocalist from Austin, Texas. Best known for his electric guitar skills, Johnson is also a highly proficient acoustic, lap steel, resonator, and bass guitarist as well as an accomplished pianist and vocalist.

Johnson has mastered a wide array of musical genres evidenced by the many different styles incorporated in both his studio and live performances including rock, blues, jazz, fusion, soul, folk, New Age, classical, and country and western.^[1]

Guitar Player magazine has called Johnson "one of the most respected guitarists on the planet".^[2] Johnson's stylistic diversity and technical proficiency with the guitar have been praised by Bill Hicks.^[3] His 1990 platinum-selling, full-length album, Ah Via Musicom, produced the single, "Cliffs Of Dover", for which Johnson won the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.^[4]

Life and career[link]

Born into a musically-inclined family, Johnson and his three sisters studied piano and his father was a whistling enthusiast. Johnson started learning the guitar at age 11 and rapidly began progressing through the music that would heavily influence his future style, including Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Chet Atkins, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jerry Reed, Bob Dylan and Django Reinhardt, among others. At the age of 15, he joined his first professional band—Mariani, a psychedelic rock group. In 1968, Johnson and the group recorded a demo, which saw extremely limited release; years later the recording became a prized collector's item.^{[1][5][6][7][8]}

After graduating from high school, Johnson briefly attended the University of Texas at Austin and traveled with his family to Africa. He eventually returned to Austin, and in 1974 joined a local fusion group called Electromagnets. The group toured and recorded regionally, but did not attract attention from major record labels and as a result disbanded in 1977. However, the strength of Johnson's playing attracted a small cult following to the group's early recordings, and decades later their two albums were given wide release on compact disc.^[9][10]

The Electromagnets with Eric Johnson performing at N.C. State University, Raleigh, N.C., on April 11, 1976

Following the Electromagnets' demise, Johnson formed a touring trio, the Eric Johnson Group, with drummer Bill Maddox and bassist Kyle Brock. They played to audiences around Austin and in 1978 recorded a full length album entitled Seven Worlds. Although the album showcased the band's sound, contract disputes held up the album's release for several years. Seven Worlds was eventually released in 1998 on Ark21 Records.^[11][12] Unable to secure a new management contract, Johnson began working as a session guitarist for some well-known acts, including Cat Stevens,^[13] Carole King, and Christopher Cross, among others.^[14] While a session musician, Johnson continued to perform locally, developing a flashy but tasteful electric guitar sound. His career rebounded in 1984 when he was signed to Warner Bros. Records. There is some disagreement about exactly how Johnson caught Warner Brothers' attention, with some reports suggesting that pop superstar Prince recommended him after hearing him perform on the public television program Austin City Limits. Others suggest that it was singer Christopher Cross and producer David Tickle who recommended Johnson to the label.^[15] In any case, Johnson's major-label debut, Tones, was unveiled in 1986 with Tickle as co-producer.

Success[link]

In May 1986, Guitar Player magazine ran a cover story about Johnson. The article helped promote the release of Tones and brought Johnson critical praise as well as elevating his profile in the guitar and music community.^[16] The album's track "Zap" was nominated for the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, but as a whole the album didn't sell well and Warner Brothers let Johnson's contract expire. He signed on with indie label Cinema Records, distributed by Capitol Records.^[17]

By the time Johnson released his 1990 Capitol Records debut album, Ah Via Musicom, he was regularly winning awards for his musicianship in the guitar press. During this period, Johnson also drew recognition for the rich, violin-like tone he coaxed from his vintage Fender Stratocaster. The album's second track, "Cliffs Of Dover", exemplified his unique sound and won Johnson a 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Ah Via Musicom was a crossover hit, and was certified platinum.

Fellow Texan, the late comedian^[18] Bill Hicks, opened for Eric Johnson on at least one occasion in the Eighties. The highly intoxicated Hicks made light of Eric's lack of hit singles, as well as his vegetarian and teetotal lifestyle, by suggesting that if Eric were to eat a Hamburger and drink a beer he would be able to write more popular songs. After this incident Bill Hicks was not asked to open for Johnson ever again.^[19]

Johnson is an admitted perfectionist, and those traits seemed to work against Ah Via Musicom's follow-up release. Unhappy with his recordings, Johnson mastered, then later scrapped, several completed tracks for the new album and delayed its release for three years, on top of the three years he had spent touring in support of Ah Via Musicom. He also had setbacks involving musical growth and personal issues while recording his next album Venus Isle.^[20][21]

Venus Isle was finally released on September 3, 1996. It was a unique album with world influences that demonstrated Johnson's growth as a guitarist, songwriter, producer, musical arranger and vocalist. But the album received mixed reviews and did not match the success of its predecessor. As a result Johnson was dropped from Capitol Records. He rebounded with a successful tour from October to November 1996 with fellow guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Named the 'G3' tour, it resulted in a successful platinum-selling compact disc and DVD titled G3: Live In concert. ]] In 1998, Eric Johnson was among the judges in Musician magazine's "Best Unsigned Bands" competition, along with Ani DiFranco, Moby, Art Alexakis of Everclear, Keb' Mo' and Joe Perry of Aerosmith.^[22]

In 1994, Johnson formed a side project called Alien Love Child and played shows sporadically while recording Venus Isle. The positive fan feedback from the shows made Alien Love Child a permanent gig. A live performance recording, Live And Beyond, was finally released in 2000 on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, showcasing their new songs. The Alien Love Child project helped Johnson move away from his perfectionistic tendencies and loosen up enough to embrace and release a live album.^[23][24][25]

Johnson eventually returned to the recording studio, releasing Souvenir in January 2002 on his own Vortexan Records. The album, released on the Internet, received nearly 65,000 plays in the first seven weeks after it was made available on mp3.com.^[26] Johnson promoted Souvenir with an electric tour in 2003 and an acoustic tour in 2004.^[27][28]

In 2004, Eric Clapton invited Johnson to perform at his first successful Crossroads Guitar Festival. According to Johnson, he was scheduled to perform onstage with Clapton, but it fell.^[29]

Johnson's next studio album Bloom was released in June 2005, again on Vai's Favored Nations label. The album was divided into three sections with different musical styles, intended to showcase Johnson's versatility.^[30] His December 1988 Austin City Limits performance was released on both DVD and compact disc on New West Records in November 2005. His instructional guitar DVD, The Art of Guitar (Hal Leonard Corporation), was also released at the end of 2005.

In January 2006, a man named Brian Sparks was arrested for posing as Johnson and in the process defrauding businesses out of about $18,000 worth of guitars and equipment.^[31] Also in 2006, some of Johnson's guitars that had been stolen 24 years before were recovered.^[32]

In September 2006, Johnson took part in a theatrical production titled "Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar" – the first definitive theatrical journey through the guitar’s colorful and controversial 3,500-year history. In September 2007, Johnson participated in a second theatrical production by the same company titled "Love In: A Musical Celebration" in which he performed a Jimi Hendrix set, a tribute to the year 1967, often called "The Summer of Love".^[33] Also in late 2006 Johnson participated in a second G3 tour in South America, with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci.

Johnson had been working on an all-acoustic project^[34] and a live video from his 2006 Tour with Satriani.^[35] However these were shelved in 2007 in favor of cutting a new studio album.^[36]

His hit single "Cliffs Of Dover" appears in the game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Johnson has also signed up with "Operation Immortality", a project to create a digital time capsule of their DNA and humanity's achievements in the event of a global calamity.^[37]

Guitar and equipment[link]

Guitars[link]

Johnson is best known for playing stock Fender Stratocasters and Gibson ES-335 electric guitars through a triple amp setup that consists of Fender, Dumble Amplifiers and Marshall amplification amplifiers. Johnson has also played other guitar brands such as Robin, Rickenbacker, Jackson and a Charvel, which appears on the cover of the Ah Via Musicom album. In 2001, Johnson added a Gibson Custom Shop '59 Les Paul Reissue to his guitars of choice.

Johnson has had several models built to his specifications for sale in the mass market. In 2003, C. F. Martin & Company released a limited-edition Eric Johnson Signature MC-40 guitar built to his specifications. Johnson donated 5 percent of the profits of the guitar's sales to his father's alma mater, Jefferson Medical College^[38] In 2005, Fender released an Eric Johnson Signature Fender Stratocaster also built to his specifications. Johnson has also released other signature gear such as GHS Eric Johnson Nickel Rockers Electric Guitar Strings, DiMarzio DP211 Eric Johnson Signature Custom Pickups, and a Fullton-Webb amplifier. Jim Dunlop also has released an Eric Johnson signature Jazz III plectrum. In early 2009, Fender released the Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster Rosewood model, featuring the same specifications as the Eric Johnson Maple Neck guitar, with the addition of an unusual 3-ply, 8-hole white pick guard, hotter treble pickup and a bound rosewood laminate fingerboard with pearloid dot position markers.

Effects[link]

He uses effect pedals such as the Ibanez Tube Screamer,^[39][40] Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face, BK Butler Tube Driver, TC Electronic Stereo Chorus, Vox CryBaby wah-wah ^[41], ToadWorks Barracuda flanger ^[42], Prescription Electronics Experience octave fuzz ^[43], Xotic AC Booster, MXR Flanger/Doubler, Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man delay, Boss Corporation DD-2 Digital Delay ^[44], MXR 1500 Digital Delay, Line 6 Echo Pro Studio Modeler, and up to two Maestro Echoplex tape delays.^[45][46] All of these are connected to multiple A/B boxes to create sounds and tones that are both clean and distorted. Although the majority of Johnson's setup is vintage, he has recently started using more modern equipment, including a stereo chorus made by Analog Man and a Fractal Audio Systems Axe-Fx. ^[47]

Recording[link]

In late 2006, Johnson switched from recording in analog^[48] to digital format.^[49]

Popular culture[link]

Guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush gave a thank you to Johnson in the liner notes of Counterparts for being the inspiration for the guitar solo in the song "Cut To The Chase".

Guitarist Steve Morse recorded a song titled "TruthOla", which is a tribute to Jeff Beck, Alex Lifeson, and Eric Johnson. The song is on Morse's album "Major Impacts".

Solo albums[link]

• Seven Worlds (1978, reissued in 1998)
• Tones (1986)
• Ah Via Musicom (1990)
• Venus Isle (1996)
• Souvenir (2002)
• Bloom (2005)
• Live from Austin, TX (2005)
• Live From Austin TX '84 (2010)
• Up Close (2010)

Early singles played on[link]

• "Re-Birth Day"/"Memories Lost And Found" by Mariani (1970)
• "Come In Out Of The Rain" by Jay Aaron Podolnick (1975)
• "Talkin' About Her"/"It's All With You" by Christopher Cross (1976)
• "Thermal Underwear" by Project Terror (Bill Maddox) (1977)
• "That Rider Down" by Bill Colbert (1982)

Albums played on[link]

Group albums[link]

• Perpetuum Mobile' by Mariani (1970)
• Electromagnets by Electromagnets (1975)
• Live and Beyond by Alien Love Child (2000)
• Electromagnets 2 by Electromagnets (2006, originally recorded in 1976)

Compilations[link]

• The Austin Christmas Collection by Various Artists ‒ "What Child is This" (1980)
• The Austin Christmas Collection, Vol. 2 by Various Artists ‒ "What Child Is This" and "Is There A Santa Claus" (1983)
• Guitar Speak by Various Artists ‒ "Western Flyer" (1988)
• KLBJ's Local Licks Live by Various Artists ‒ "Camel's Night Out" (1990)
• Instrumental Moods by Various Artists ‒ "Cliffs Of Dover" (1991)
• Guitar's Practicing Musicians, Vol. 2 by Various Artists ‒ "Cliffs Of Dover" (1991)
• KLBJ's Local Licks Live by Various Artists ‒ "Desert Rose" (1993)
• True Voices by Various Artists ‒ "At The End Of The Day" with Susan Cowsill (1995)
• KLBJ's Local Licks Live by Various Artists ‒ "S.R.V." (1996)
• 13th Millennia Soundtrack by Various Artists (1996)
• G3: Live In Concert by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson (1997)
• Merry Axemas Volume 1 by Various Artists ‒ "The First Nowell" (1997)
• Guitar Gods by Various Artists ‒ "Trademark" (1998)
• KGSR 107.1 Broadcasts Vol. 7 by Various Artists ‒ "Tribute To Jerry Reed" and "The Only Thing That's Real" (1999)
• KGSR 107.1 Broadcasts Vol. 8 by Various Artists (1999)
• The Best of Rockline by Various Artists ‒ "S.R.V." (1999)
• Moods Box Set by Various Artists ‒ "Cliffs Of Dover" (1999)
• Rock Guitarist Forever Best by Various Artists ‒ "Soulful Terrain" (1999, Japanese-only release)
• KLBJ Local Licks Live by Various Artists ‒ "Shape I'm In" (2001)
• Band Together by Various Artists ‒ "Shape I'm In" (2002)
• Texas Guitar Slingers Vol. 1 by Various Artists ‒ "Enzo Shuffle" (2002)
• Relief Fund Compilation Album Benefiting the World Trade Center by Various Artists ‒ (2002, unreleased)
• Fender Stratocaster 50th Anniversary by Various Artists ‒ "Trademark" (2004)
• Don't Mess With Texas Vol. 2 by Various Artists ‒ "Boogie King" (2004)
• KGSR 107.1 Broadcasts Vol. 12 by Various Artists ‒ "Song For George" (2004)
• Austin Music Vol. 6 by Various Artists ‒ "Sunarround You" (2007)
• Keep Punching by Various Artists ‒ "Forever Yours" (2007)
• Gibson Presents: Hot Tones in High Definition by Various Artists ‒ "World Of Trouble" (2008)
• Various Artists: This is Fusion Guitar by Various Artists ‒ "Beck's Bolero" (2009)

Guest appearance work[link]

• Once Upon a Rock by American Peddlers ‒ "Circle Song" (1977)
• Back to Earth by Cat Stevens ‒ "Bad Brakes" (1978)
• Gene Morris by Gene Morris ‒ "My Friend" (1979)
• Pearls by Carole King ‒ "Dancin' With Tears In My Eyes" (1980)
• Johnny Dee & The Rocket 88's by Johnny Dee & The Rocket 88's ‒ "No More" (1980)
• Christopher Cross by Christopher Cross ‒ "Minstrel Gigolo" (1980)
• The Shake Russell/Dana Cooper Band by The Shake Russell/Dana Cooper Band ‒ "Waitin' Here For You" and "Goin' Down Judah" (1981)
• Sunrise In Corpus Christi by Faron Evans (1982)
• One to One by Carole King (1982)
• Long Time Friends by Alessi ‒ "Rise Up" (1982)
• Til You Came Along by Bobby Giles (1982)
• Tomás Ramírez by Tomas Ramirez ‒ "SA Stroll" (1983)
• World Beat by Dan Del Santo ‒ "Ain't That Askin' A Little Too Much?" (1983)
• Pressure by Pressure ‒ "Save A Little Time" (1983)
• Peripheral Vision by McColl & Tracey (1984)
• Marc Anthony Thompson by Marc Anthony Thompson ‒ "Recover Gracefully" (1984)
• Stand Up by Steve Morse Band ‒ "Distant Star" (1985)
• Street Language by Rodney Crowell ‒ "Ballad Of Fast Eddie" (1986)
• Guitar Speak by Various Artists ‒ "Western Flyer" (1988)
• Willie Jones by Willie Jones ‒ "So Long Mary Jane" (1990)
• Inside Out by Jay Aaron (Podolnick) ‒ "Ronda" (1990)
• The Urge by Stuart Hamm ‒ "On Our Dreams" and "Lone Star" (1991)
• Rush Street by Richard Marx ‒ "Keep Coming Back" (1992)
• The Hunter by Jennifer Warnes ‒ "Lights Of Louisiana" and "I Can't Hide" (1992)
• Rendezvous by Christopher Cross ‒ "Nothing Will Change" (1992)
• Herman Harris & the Voices of Hope by Herman Harris (1993)
• Read My Licks by Chet Atkins ‒ "Somebody Loves Me Now" (1994)
• What The Hell Was I Thinking? by Dweezil Zappa (1994, unreleased)
• Wave of the Hand by Carla Olson ‒ "I'm Tryin'" (1995)
• Angelica by Various Artists ‒ "Ave Maria" (1997)
• Merry Axemas by Various Artists ‒ "The First Nowell" (1997)
• Angels, Horses & Pirates by Little Blue ‒ "Wait Until You Get Here" (1997)
• Rosebud by Stephen Doster ‒ "There Is No Time" (1998)
• Walking in Avalon by Christopher Cross ‒ "When She Smiles" (1998)
• Koko's Hideaway by Van Wilks ‒ "Vanquila" (1999)
• Fingers And Thumbs by Adrian Legg ‒ "Lunchtime At Rosie's" (1999)
• Been A Long Time by Double Trouble ‒ "In The Garden" (2001)
• Last Of The Cowboy Vampires by Lance Keltner ‒ "Chain Gang" (2001)
• More To Life Than This by Mike Tramp ‒ "On The Good, The Sad, And The Ugly" (2003)
• A Guitar Supreme, Giant Steps in Fusion Guitar by Various Artists ‒ "Resolution" (2004)
• Fusion For Miles, A Guitar Tribute: A Bitchin' Brew by Various Artists ‒ "Jean Pierre" (2005)
• Industrial Zen by John McLaughlin ‒ "New Blues Old Bruise" (2006)
• Viva Carlos: A Supernatural Marathon Celebration by Various Artists ‒ "Aqua Marine" (2006)
• Hero Shuffle by Rex Paul (Schnelle) ‒ "Hero Shuffle" and "Reminds Me of Austin" (2006)
• Walk On by Roscoe Beck ‒ "Together All The Time" (2006)
• The Devil Knows My Name by John5 ‒ "The Washing Away Of Wrong" (2007)
• Freeway Jam: To Beck and Back by Various Artists ‒ "Beck's Bolero" (2007)
• Lovers by Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel ‒ "Layla" (2008)
• From The Reach by Sonny Landreth ‒ "The Milky Way Home" (2008)
• Bridging the Gap by Doyle Dykes ‒ "Red Clay" (2008)
• Big Neighborhood by Mike Stern ‒ "6th Street" and "Long Time Gone" (2009)

Instructional DVDs[link]

• Eric Johnson: Total Electric Guitar by Hot Licks (1990)
• Eric Johnson: The Fine Art of Guitar by Hot Licks (1996)
• Eric Johnson: The Art of Guitar by Hal Leonard Corporation (2005)

Television appearances and videos[link]

• Austin City Limits (1984, 1988, 1996, and 2000)
• One To One Tour (Video) by Carole King (1983)
• Nova (PBS Special) – "Nautilus: 500 Million Years Under the Sea" The Chambered Nautilus (1987)
• Live at the Bottomline, New York – Japanese TV broadcast (1990)
• MTV Rock N' Jock Softball – performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" (1991)
• The Tonight Show – performing "Cliffs Of Dover" (1991)
• Jeff "Skunk" Baxter's "Guitar" – Japanese release – Warner Brothers (VHS and LaserDisc) (1991)
• BB King And Friends...Live At The Woodlands by Houston PBS (1993)
• Chet Atkins and Friends (TNN Special) ‒ "Read My Licks" (1994)
• Baseball: Inning 9: Home by The Baseball Film Project (1994)
• G3: Live In Concert by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson (1997)
• Electromagnets: Live on PBS Playback (1975) re-released on VHS (1998)
• Double Trouble with Special Guests – Austin City Limits (2001)
• House Of Blues (Webcast Live) – Alien Love Child Tour (2001)
• Big Wreck and Friends (Webcast Live) – Roy Thomson Hall – Toronto, Ontario (2001)
• Guitar Show – Australian Television Broadcast (2002)
• Jennifer Warnes DVD-A from AIX – unreleased (2003)
• Crossroads Guitar Festival (2004)
• 107.7 The Bone Studios Radio Show (2005)
• James Burton International Guitar Festival (2005, unreleased)
• Live in Austin, TX (2005)
• Satriani Live (2006)
• Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar (2006)
• Love In: A Musical Celebration (2007)
• Anaheim (Live) (2008)

Video games[link]

• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock ‒ "Cliffs Of Dover" (2007)
• Guitar Hero World Tour ‒ "Camel's Night Out" (2009)

Awards and chartings[link]

• Albums:
  • 1991 – Ah Via Musicom (album) – Grammy – Best Rock Instrumental Nomination
  • 1991 – Ah Via Musicom (album) – Billboard magazine – Billboard 200 – (#67)
  • 2006 – Bloom (album) – Grammy – Best Pop Instrumental Nomination

• Songs:
  • 1987 – "Zap" – (Tones) – Grammy – Best Rock Instrumental Nomination
  • 1990 – "Cliffs Of Dover" – (Ah Via Musicom) – Mainstream Rock Tracks – (#5)
  • 1990 – "High Landrons" – (Ah Via Musicom) – Mainstream Rock Tracks – (#31)
  • 1991 – "Righteous" – (Ah Via Musicom) – Mainstream Rock Tracks – (#8)
  • 1991 – "Trademark" – (Ah Via Musicom) – Mainstream Rock Tracks – (#7)
  • 1992 – "Cliffs Of Dover]]" – (Ah Via Musicom) – Grammy – winner – Best Rock Instrumental Performance^[4]
  • 1997 – "Pavilion" – (Venus Isle) – Grammy - Best Rock Instrumental Nomination
  • 1998 – "S.R.V." – (Venus Isle) – Grammy – Best Rock Instrumental Nomination
  • 2002 – "Rain" (Live and Beyond) – Grammy – Best Pop Instrumental Nomination

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Eric Johnson Interview on FingerstyleGuitarists.com

Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson performing at Supafest in Australia, April 2011
Background information
Birth name	Keri Lynn Hilson
Born	(1982-12-05) December 5, 1982 (age 29) Decatur, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	R&B, pop
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Zone 4, Mosley Music, Interscope
Associated acts	The Clutch, Polow da Don, Timbaland, Chris Brown, Akon, Kanye West
Website	kerihilson.com

Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent, as a songwriter and background vocalist for several R&B and hip hop artists. By the age of 14, Hilson had secured a record deal with the girl group D'Signe, who later disbanded. She attended Emory University in Atlanta, while she continued writing songs for artists, including Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige, with the production and songwriting team, The Clutch. In 2006, Hilson signed with American rapper and producer Timbaland's record label, Mosley Music. Her breakthrough came the following year after appearing on Timbaland's single, "The Way I Are", which topped charts around the world.

Hilson's debut studio album, In a Perfect World..., was released in 2009, and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, eventually being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album spawned the hit singles, "Knock You Down", "Turnin Me On" and "I Like". It also earned Hilson two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Knock You Down". Her second studio album, No Boys Allowed, was released in 2010 and was considerably less successful than its predecessor; however, it included the hit single, "Pretty Girl Rock". Hilson's achievements include a BET Award, MOBO Award, NAACP Image Award and two Soul Train Music Awards. Apart from her work in music, she has pursued a career in acting. Hilson made her acting debut in the romantic comedy film, Think Like a Man, in 2012.

Biography[link]

1982–2007: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Keri Lynn Hilson was born on December 5, 1982 in Decatur, Georgia.^[1][2] She was raised in an African-American neighborhood and came from a middle class family.^[3] Hilson and her siblings did not attend a school within the neighborhood because her parents cared a lot for their education, stating that "they shipped us off for an hour to get to school every day. It was just that important for us to maintain the life that they had created".^[3] From the age of 12, Hilson wanted to pursue a musical career, after watching television talent shows, Star Search and Showtime at the Apollo.^[1] Her mother then hired a piano teacher to give her piano lessons; however, Hilson wanted to become a singer and therefore "converted those sessions into vocal lessons, accompanying the teacher on piano".^[1] By the age of 14, Hilson had secured a record deal with the girl group D'Signe, who later disbanded.^[4][1]

Hilson spent most of her teenage years working with producer Anthony Dent, as a songwriter and background vocalist for the likes of Usher, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Ciara and Polow da Don.^[1] After graduating from high school, Hilson attended Emory University in Atlanta for three years and studied a course in theater.^[3] She continued working as a songwriter and background vocalist during her schooling years.^[1] Hilson eventually stopped working with Dent, and began working more with Polow da Don.^[1] She also became a member of the songwriting and production team, The Clutch.^[1] Together, they wrote Mary J. Blige's "Take Me as I Am" (2006), Omarion's "Ice Box" (2006), Ciara's "Like a Boy" (2006), The Pussycat Dolls' "Wait a Minute" (2007) and Britney Spears' "Gimme More" (2007).^[1][4] In 2006, Polow introduced Hilson to American rapper and producer Timbaland, who then signed her to his record label, Mosley Music Group.^[1] In November 2006, Hilson was featured on American rapper Lloyd Banks' single, "Help", for his album Rotten Apple (2006).^[5]

The following year, Hilson was featured on three singles; in June, on Timbaland's song "The Way I Are", the second single from his album Shock Value (2007); on Rich Boy's "Good Things" with Polow da Don; and thereafter, in December, on Timbaland's song "Scream" with Nicole Scherzinger, the fifth single from Shock Value.^[6] Out of the three singles, "The Way I Are" achieved the most success, topping nine charts around the world.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

[edit] 2008–09: In a Perfect World...

Hilson in April 2009

In 2008, Hilson appeared in the music videos for Usher's single, "Love in This Club", and Ne-Yo's single, "Miss Independent".^[12][13] Her debut studio album, In a Perfect World..., was released on March 24, 2009.^[14] The album contained pop-oriented R&B songs.^[15] It was initially planned to be released the previous year; however, the album was delayed several times because Hilson wanted to make sure it came out to her liking, stating "I'm just a perfectionist. I have had many [release dates], but it's all for a good cause. The label wants to make sure the album has its proper release, and I'm thankful for that. Very grateful, even though fans look at it like it's a bad thing."^[16] In the US, In a Perfect World... debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first-week sales of 94,000 copies.^[17][18] By October 2009, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[19] Its first single, "Energy", released in May 2008, peaked within the top eighty on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[20] It reached the top fifty in the United Kingdom, and peaked the highest in New Zealand at number seven, and was certified gold in the country.^[10][21][22] Hilson also featured on three singles in 2008; in June, on rapper Nas' song "Hero"; in September, on Kardinal Offishall's "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)"; and thereafter, in October, on Chris Brown's song "Superhuman".^[23][6][24]

"Return the Favor", featuring Timbaland, served as the second international single from Hilson's In a Perfect World... album, while "Turnin Me On" featuring Lil Wayne, was released as the second US single. The latter achieved commercial success, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, eventually being certified platinum in the US.^[20][19] The next single, "Knock You Down" featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo, achieved more success, reaching number three on the Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, eventually being certified two times platinum.^[20][19] The song also reached the top ten in Canada, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.^{[20][25][21][10]} "Make Love", "Slow Dance", and "Change Me" featuring Akon, were released as the album's fourth, fifth and sixth US singles, respectively.

Hilson, along with Gym Class Heroes, Gorilla Zoe and T-Pain, were supporting acts on Lil Wayne's I Am Music Tour in North America.^[26] At the 2009 BET Awards, she was nominated in four categories, including Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Artist, as well as Viewer's Choice and Best Collaboration for "Turnin Me On" with Lil Wayne.^[27] She eventually won the Best New Artist category.^[28] In 2009, Hilson was featured on five singles; "Number One" with R. Kelly, "She Don't Wanna" with Asher Roth, "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere" with Fabolous, "Medicine" with Plies, and on the remix of Sean Paul's song, "Hold My Hand".^[29][6] Hilson was nominated for Breakthrough Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the 2009 American Music Awards, but lost to Beyoncé Knowles.^[30] The re-released edition of In a Perfect World..., in January 2010, included the single "I Like", which reached number one in Germany, Poland and Slovakia, and peaked within the top ten in Austria, Norway and Switzerland.^{[31][32][33][34]} At the 52nd Grammy Awards, Hilson was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Knock You Down" with Kanye West and Ne-Yo.^[35]

[edit] 2010–present: No Boys Allowed

Hilson performing at the 2010 VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert

During the first half of 2010, Hilson guest featured on rapper Trina's single, "Million Dollar Girl", and on T.I.'s single, "Got Your Back".^[6] In April 2010, it was made known that she had replaced Jennifer Hudson as the new face of the cosmetics and personal care products company, Avon.^[36] "Breaking Point" was released as the first single from Hilson's second studio album, No Boys Allowed, in September 2010; it only appeared on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart at number 44.^[20] On December 2, 2010, Hilson was among one of the many female artists who performed at the VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert, where she sang "Turnin Me On", "Knock You Down", "Pretty Girl Rock", and a duet with American country music duo, Sugarland, on the Aretha Franklin song, "Think".^[37] No Boys Allowed was released on December 21, 2010.^[38] Described as a "girl power album", No Boys Allowed was primarily of the R&B and pop genres.^[39][40] Despite the album's title, Hilson stated "it's not about excluding men. It's more about women understanding that there comes a time in your life when you want a man. A real man. A grown up. Not a boy. And that's not a bad thing."^[41] Speaking of the songs on the album, she explained "I write from a female perspective, but I'm also telling men what women are really thinking and feeling about them".^[41] In the US, No Boys Allowed debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, and number seven on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first-week sales of 102,000 copies.^[42][43] Although it sold 8,000 copies more than her debut album, In a Perfect World..., it failed to match that album's debut chart position of number four.^[42] As of February 2011, No Boys Allowed has sold 205,500 copies in the United States.^[44]

Hilson achieved success with the album's second single, "Pretty Girl Rock", which reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, eventually being certified platinum.^[20][19] The single reached the top twenty in Germany and New Zealand, and top thirty in Austria and Slovakia.^{[45][21][46][47]} "One Night Stand" featuring Chris Brown, and "Lose Control (Let Me Down)" featuring Nelly, were released as the album's third and fourth singles, respectively. In 2011, she was featured on British rapper Chipmunk's single "In the Air", for his album Transition (2011).^[48] In April 2011, Hilson, along with many other R&B and hip hop acts, traveled to Australia to be part of its biggest urban music festival, Supafest.^[49] At the 2011 BET Awards, Hilson was nominated for Best Female R&B Artist and Video of the Year for "Pretty Girl Rock".^[50] In July 2011, she was a supporting act on the second leg of Lil Wayne's I Am Still Music Tour in North America, before embarking on her first headlining European tour in October.^[51][52]

2012–present: Acting debut and third studio album[link]

During an interview with 106 & Park on October 25, 2011, Hilson revealed that she has already begun recording her third studio album.^[53] She explained, "There's some people in the world that aren't gon' like this album coming from me. As I was experiencing the world, there were things that I was also experiencing on a personal front, and in my music it's coming out. There's a specific few people who ain't gon' like to listen to this album. Very emotional, I'll say that."^[53] She further explained in an interview with The Boombox that she's working on a new sound for the album, and described it as a mixture of her first two albums with some surprising elements thrown in.^[54] Hilson also said a release date has not been confirmed yet, saying "I just write about my experiences and keep the release dates far, far from me. When I feel that I have [good material] is when I will give it to the label. But I'm not quite there yet. I'm still working."^[54] Hilson made her acting debut in the romantic comedy film, Think Like a Man, released on April 20, 2012.^[55][56] She will also star alongside Vin Diesel in the sci-fi action film, Riddick (2013), but it is unknown what role Hilson will play.^[57]

Artistry[link]

Musical style and influences[link]

Hilson's music is generally R&B and pop. Her debut album, In a Perfect World..., consists of a pop/R&B style, with elements of electro music.^[15][58] Many of the album's themes deal with relationships, physical attraction and lovemaking.^[59] Hilson said, "lyrically it's a very vulnerable album. You know, I definitely didn't want to paint myself as perfect on this project. Instead, I wanted it to be something that was very relatable, especially to women".^[60] Her second album, No Boys Allowed, displays a wide variety of styles, including pop, R&B, hip hop, soul, acoustic, electronic and reggae.^{[40][61][62][63]} Hilson describes the album as "more self assured. It's a lot more aggressive".^[64] Kristin Macfarlane of The Daily Post noted that the album is "pure girl power and about being sexually confident, and confident as a woman; not putting up with crap relationships and getting your way".^[65] Hilson sings with "smooth vocals".^[66] Following the release of her debut album, Sophie Bruce of BBC Music expressed that, "there's no denying Hilson has a great voice, but it lacks the feisty edge of [Nicole] Scherzinger, [Mary J.] Blige or [Beyoncé] Knowles".^[67] Mark Nero of About.com commented, "Keri's voice, while strong, isn't particularly distinctive or memorable".^[68] Hilson has stated that her musical influences come from her father's side of the family.^[60] In addition, she cites Michael Jackson and Lauryn Hill as inspirations.^[69][70]

Philanthropy[link]

Besides her career in music, Hilson has also been involved with several charities. In January 2010, she teamed up with Akon on the charity single, "Oh Africa".^[71] All proceeds of the single benefited underprivileged African youth.^[71] The following month, Hilson joined the extended list of artists during the recording session of the single, "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", to benefit victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[72] On May 25, 2010, she performed at the Virginia Stand Up! A Call to Action benefit concert, organized by Chris Brown to help with continued relief efforts in Haiti.^[73] On October 21, 2010, Hilson attended Collins Academy High School in Chicago as part of the Get Schooled National Challenge and Tour, a "program aimed at increasing high school and college graduation rates and promoting the importance of education".^[74][75] A year later, she received a Get Schooled Award for her involvement with the program.^[76] In 2011, Hilson contributed in the fight against AIDS, by posing in retail-clothing company H&M's celebrity-driven collection for Fashion Against AIDS.^[77] 25% of all sales from the collection were donated to the Designers Against Aids charity.^[77] Hilson contributed to the It Gets Better Project, a project which aims to prevent suicide among LGBT youth.^[78][79]

In June 2011, Hilson became an ambassador for MTV Staying Alive, a foundation which raises awareness and prevention of HIV and AIDS.^[80] In September 2011, she lent her support to US First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, which aims to combat childhood obesity.^[81] She made t-shirts for the campaign that read "Pretty Girls Sweat", and exercised with the young women at The Educational Alliance's Sirovich Senior Center in New York on September 24.^[81] During Hilson's visit in Africa in November 2011, she stopped by an orphanage to visit her young fans who had lost their families during the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis.^[82] She gave each orphan a "care" package, which consisted of bookbags, t-shirts, sunglasses, notebooks and an electric keyboard.^[82] In April 2012, Hilson teamed up with DoSomething.org to encourage young people to join in the nationwide Epic Book Drive by bringing books to local people in need.^[83] In a press release, she stated: "Joining DoSomething.org's newest effort to provide for people in need with Epic Book Drive was the easiest decision ever!. I truly believe providing access to those who want to learn is the key to bettering lives around the country. And helping kids find healthy outlets, such as books, has always been a passion of mine. So my involvement here is a natural fit."^[83]

Discography[link]

• In a Perfect World... (2009)
• No Boys Allowed (2010)

Filmography[link]

Tours[link]

Headlining

• European Tour (2011)

Supporting

• I Am Music Tour (2009) (with Lil Wayne)
• I Am Still Music Tour (2011) (with Lil Wayne)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

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

Media related to Keri Hilson at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Keri Hilson at the Internet Movie Database

Mark "SidewaysBuff" Luney (born Belfast 1972) is a professional drift car racer.

History[link]

Mark Luney has been involved in motor sport from a very young age. This obsession started off with an interest in Rallying, attending events from the age of 7. As Mark was too young to get behind the wheel, he managed to try the next best thing and started racing 1/12 scale Radio-controlled cars. During this time, R/C racing was becoming hugely popular and competitive, so Mark decided to try his luck in the new off road R/C racing.

Mark started to race a R/C 2 wheel drive off road buggy with spectacular results, moving on to 4WD cars. Also, due to his success, he received full sponsorship from Schumacher Racing Products, England in 1985.

Mark won the Irish championship 5 times between 1984 and 1989. He also won various championships with EABC, UBC and had various successes in England and Europe.

By 1989 he had reached the age where was finally able to drive the real thing. This led to Mark hanging up his controls for good in 1990.

Mark started to attend road rallies in 1989, entering in a Fiat Uno Turbo. The car had varying degrees of success, but unfortunately it was failing more often than succeeding.

A few local rallies and forest grouts in the early 90’s saw some success, but unfortunately for Mark rallying was getting pretty expensive. This was a terrible blow for him as he was passionate about motor sport, so he looked for another way to continue this passion, which led him to the modified car scene.

Mark built various modified cars from an MI 16 engineered 205 to a concourse BMW M6. Throughout the modified scene he owned various top quality sports cars from a Lotus Carlton, TT Supra, Sierra Cosworth and an MK2 Escort to name a few.

During this time, Mark was asked to perform in several live action events around the country and was eventually persuaded to take part in a few track days. These track days are what led him down the path of drifting.

The first real track day was in 1997, attending the Ford RS Owners Club meeting at Nutts Corner in his Ford Cosworth Sierra. At these events, drivers would have to go as sideways as possible around the track. The screeching of the tyres would have the crowds going crazy for more.

After Mark realised how popular this could be, he and a few of his fellow drivers would privately hire tracks and practice at night time during the summer months. He would practise in many cars ranging from a GSI 24v Carlton to BMW M5, Subaru Legacy Turbo, Lexus Soarer and a 200 SX.

Eventually, Mark thought the time was right and decided to enter his first competition in 2004. Several years later and he is now one of the most respected drifting competitors in Europe.

Drifting career[link]

Mark has taken part in many events and championships, including Prodrift, Eurodrift, D1GB and the European Drift Championship. He has also made appearances at many motor shows and events, across Europe, such as the Knockhill Scottish Motor Show, Belgian Tuning Show in Mechelen, STCC at Knutstorp, Sweden and Autosport International at the NEC in Birmingham, UK.

In 2005, Mark was placed 2nd in both the D1GB championship and Prodrift Ireland championship.

In 2006, using the much loved Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R built by Mark and WK Developments, he took 3rd place in the D1GB championship. The car has received much praise both for performance and looks, featuring in many magazines.

In 2007, Mark was signed by SVA Imports of Dover to drive their modified Nissan 350z drift car. In the European Drift Championship he was the seasons runner up, finishing behind Brett Castle.

In 2008, Mark once again drove the Nissan 350z for SVA in the European Drift Championship, and finished fourth overall. He also signed a deal with SATS to drive their Toyota Supra at local events and numerous drift displays.

After years of hard work, and development, Mark and the SVA Imports team narrowly took the European Drift Championship in 2009. This was made all the more special by the fact that Mark had literally just arrived at the event after travelling for 12 hours from Dubai.

In 2010, Mark once again took the European title, and also came forth in the British Drift Championship in the SATS Motorsport Supra. He was on course to win the championship, but a catastrophic engine failure at the final round put an end to his chances.

Mark decided to give up his drive with SVA Imports in 2010 to concentrate on the development of the SATS Motorsport Supra, which had signed a deal with many big sponsors, including Cosworth.

2011 seen Mark solely drive for the new SATS Cosworth Drift Team, which in his first competitive outing was the highest qualifier, and also saw him win the round at the British Drift Championship. He finished the championship as runner up.

Sponsors[link]

Mark is currently sponsored by:

• Universal Turbos
• SATS Motorsport
• Vernst Media
• Maxxis Tyres (UK)
• Meister-R
• Titan Motorsports

External links[link]

• Mark Luney's official Website
• SATS Motorsport
• British Drift Championship
• European Drift Championship