Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash. In 2011, Kuk Harrell and partner Tricky Stewart joined the ranks of Fox's American Idol along with music mogul Jimmy Iovine, producing many of the songs performed on television by the contestants and released via iTunes. 2011 marked the highly-anticipated return of Jennifer Lopez and her album LOVE? in which Kuk served as Album Vocal Producer. Earning his fourth Grammy for the vocal production of Rihanna's #1 Billboard Single "Only Girl In The World", Harrell is also the vocal producer and co-writer of Rihanna's Grammy-winning single "Umbrella". A composer and engineer on Beyonce's chart topping "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" from the album I Am... Sasha Fierce, he is also vocal producer and engineer of the Diane Warren-penned "I Was Here" from Beyonce's 2011 album 4. He also produced the majority of the vocals on Mary J. Blige's Platinum album Growing Pains, which recently won a Grammy for "Best Contemporary R&B Album", 2008. The first single from Growing Pains, "Just Fine", earned a Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance in 2007.

Kuk Harrell is currently signed to a worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV U.K.,^[1] and is considered one of the most sought after vocal producers in the industry.^[2]

Early years[link]

Harrell's music career began in his native Chicago, where he performed as a drummer and a vocalist before becoming a session musician.^[3] He soon became a commercial writer and producer, working for Joy Art Music, contributing to major ad campaigns for McDonald's, Kraft, Coca-Cola and many others. After relocating to Los Angeles with his writing and production partner, Laney Stewart in 1992, Harrell then added worship leader to his repertoire, and became a touring vocalist and choir director for Promise Keepers as well. During this time, he sang on tracks written and produced by Diane Warren and David Foster.^[3]

2004–present[link]

RedZone Entertainment[link]

2004 brought Harrell to Atlanta, where he joined his cousins Tricky Stewart and Mark Stewart at RedZone Entertainment as a writer, producer, and engineer. RedZone Entertainment is an Atlanta-based, music-production entity, whose discography includes collaborations with many artists, producers, and composers of note, and is responsible for over 25 million records sold.^[4]

In a recent Billboard interview, Mark Stewart describes Kuk Harrell as "...the secret weapon."

2007 was a pivotal year for Harrell. Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad" and Mary J. Blige's "Growing Pains" were released this year, both featuring his composition and vocal production skills. The single "Umbrella" off of "Good Girl Gone Bad" and "Just Fine" off of "Growing Pains" were both nominated for Grammys in 2007. This was also the year that Harrell established his own music production company, Suga Wuga Music.

[edit] Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad / "Umbrella"

Rihanna performing at Brisbane, 2008

On March 29, 2007, the first single from Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad, "Umbrella", was released. Harrell co-wrote and produced the vocals on the track, which subsequently had one of the highest digital debuts in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking downloads in 2003.^[6] The song, which featured an introductory rap verse from legendary rapper Jay-Z, won Harrell a Grammy for "Best Rap/Song Collaboration,^[7] a Grammy nomination for "Record of the Year",^[8] and a Grammy nomination for "Song of the Year."^[9]

The song won ASCAP’s “Pop Music Award” which honored “Umbrella” as one of the most performed pop songs of the year 2007, and was also nominated at the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Music: Single.^[10] Time magazine named "Umbrella" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #3.^[11] Writer for Time magazine, Josh Tyrandiel, cited Rihanna's vocal performance and special talent for vocal innuendo as the reason he declared it "The Sexiest Song of 2007."^[12] Umbrella was set at #2 at the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart, behind Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable".^[13]

In the United Kingdom, "Umbrella" broke a record on the UK Singles Chart by debuting at number one on the chart based on digital sales alone,^[14] becoming Rihanna's first chart-topper in the country.^[15] During the single's fourth week on the chart, both the single and album topped the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart.^[16] "Umbrella" eventually reached a total of ten weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the country's longest-running number-one single of the 21st century since 1994.^[17] Rihanna has become the seventh artist in the history of the UK Singles Chart to top the chart for ten straight weeks.^[18] By the end of 2007, "Umbrella" had sold 512,730 units, making it her biggest-selling single to date and the second biggest-selling single of 2007 in the United Kingdom.^[19] It has since been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry on July 20, 2007.^[20]

"Umbrella" had a similar success throughout Europe, reaching number one in Ireland, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Germany and Spain.

The music video premiered on April 26, 2007 at Thisisrihanna.com, and was officially released on the iTunes Store on May 11, 2007, peaking at number one for a period eight weeks. On May 1, 2007, It received five nominations at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, including "Female Artist of the Year", "Video of the Year" and "Monster Single of the Year", going on to win the latter two.^[21]

Just recently, "Good Girl Gone Bad Live" was nominated for a 2008 Grammy for "Best Long Form Music Video"^[22]

[edit] Mary J. Blige, Growing Pains / "Just Fine"

Mary J. Blige

The single "Just Fine" off of Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains was released in the U.S. on October 19, 2007. Harrell produced Blige's vocals on the track, which earned him a Grammy nomination for "Best female R&B Vocal Performance".^[23] Harrell produced the majority of the vocals on the album, and co-wrote the song "Come To Me (Peace)".

Growing Pains has been certified 2x Platinum by RIAA and Gold by the BPI.

This single "Just Fine", was #41 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.^[24] "Just Fine" received another Grammy nomination in 2008 for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical.

It was a successful chart single, peaking at #22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #13 on the UK Singles Chart, while also topping the American Hot Dance Club Play chart. This single sold over 500,000 in the United States alone and over 700,000 worldwide making it eligible for Gold in the United States.

Growing Pains won the Grammy on Feb 8, 2009 for "Best Contemporary R&B Album".^[23]

In a recent interview, Harrell described working with Blige thusly:

[edit] Chris Brown, Exclusive

Harrell produced Chris Brown's vocals and engineered on the song "You" from the 2007 release "Exclusive". The album was commercially successful, reaching number 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart on its debut. It sold 295,000 units within a week of release. The album yielded three Billboard Hot 100 top five singles, and was successful in music markets, entering the top twenty of many charts worldwide. The album has earned platinum certification in the United States from the Recording Industry Association of America and has sold more than three million copies worldwide.

This album was #34 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.^[26]

[edit] Celine Dion, Taking Chances

Celine Dion

Harrell is also a vocal producer and engineer on Celine Dion's release of November 7, 2007, "Taking Chances", and co-wrote the ballad "Skies of LA". According to IFPI, the album had shipped 3.1 million copies by the end of 2007, becoming the 19th best selling album that year with a November release.^[27] To date, it has sold 3,500,000 copies worldwide. It is certified gold in many countries, and platinum or multi-platinum in many others. Particularly successful in Canada, it reached number 1 on the chart with the biggest first week sales of 2007 (79,354). It also became the best-selling album in Canada that year (340,000 copies sold) and to date, has shipped 400,000 copies and is certified 4x platinum.

Taking Chances reached top 10 in many countries and is performing relatively well on the charts. In the United Kingdom, it sold about 365,000 copies and is certified platinum. In Japan, the album became Dion's biggest success since A New Day Has Come with 125,000 copies sold. In the United States it debuted at number 3 with sales of 214,556 copies and has sold over 1,000,000 copies to date and has been certified platinum.

[edit] The Dream, Love Hate / "I Luv Your Girl"

Harrell lent his engineering expertise to his production and writing partner "The-Dream" on the single "I Luv Your Girl" in 2007. Love Hate was the premiere project of RedZone's newly formed label Radio Killa/RedZone. It was released through Island/Def Jam, and "I Luv Your Girl" was the third single released off of the album.

The single, released on September 23, 2008, peaked at number 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,^[28] number 3, on U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs,^[29] number 40 on the U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40, and number 58 on the U.S. Billboard Pop 100.^[30]

The album itself peaked on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 30,^[31] and number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.^[32]

[edit] Mariah Carey, E=MC2 / "Touch My Body"

Mariah Carey

Harrell was an engineer on the Mariah Carey single "Touch My Body", which was released on March 18, 2008 as the first single from Carey's eleventh studio album E=MC². The song is Carey's eighteenth number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.^[33] With this achievement, Carey surpassed Elvis Presley's record for number one singles. Thanks to "Touch My Body", Mariah Carey received a Honorary Achievement Award for her record-breaking accomplishments of 18 #1 singles and most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the 2008 American Music Awards and she was also honoured with a Special Achievement Award for most # 1 singles (18) achieved by any female solo recording artist.^[34]

E=MC² debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 463,000 copies sold, making it the biggest opening week sales of her career. In its second week, the album topped the chart again with 182,000 copies sold.^[35] E=MC² is Carey's first album to spend two straight weeks at #1 since 1995's Daydream.^[36] The album topped the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.^[37] The album sold 1.8 million copies in the U.S. and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on July 8, 2008.^[38][39]

[edit] Jesse McCartney, Departure / "Leavin'"

Harrell produced the vocals on Jesse McCartney's "Leavin'", which was released on March 10, 2008. The song debuted at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it McCartney's highest debut on the chart ever. In its second week, it rose to #10 becoming McCartney's biggest chart hit in the United States to date.^[40] It stayed at #10 for 3 non-consecutive weeks. The single peaked #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart.^[41] and the Billboard Pop 100 Airplay. "Leavin'" stayed in the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 20 weeks. The single was certified Platinum in the U.S., and was the most successful single from the album and of McCartney's career.

[edit] Usher, Here I Stand

Usher

Harrell was heavily involved in Usher's 2008 release Here I Stand. He produced Usher's vocals on four of the tracks, and co-wrote "Moving Mountains". Here I Stand is Usher's fifth studio album, released on May 27, 2008 in the United States.^[42] Currently worldwide sales stand at almost 1.9 million copies.^[43]

According to building chart data, the album topped the Billboard 200, and achieved first week sales of 443,000. This made it the ninth largest album debut of the year 2008.^[44]

The second single from the album "Moving Mountains", was written and produced by Tricky Stewart, Kuk Harrell, and The-Dream. The song has since reached number 6 in New Zealand and the top 30 in Ireland, Sweden and on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, "Moving Mountains" reached number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[45]

The third single released on September 9, 2008, "Trading Places" has been even more successful on the U.S. Billboard charts than the previous single. It reached #5 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #45 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kuk Harrell produced Usher's vocals.

[edit] Beyoncé, I am... Sasha Fierce / "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"

I Am… Sasha Fierce is the third solo studio album by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, released on November 18, 2008 in the United States.^[46][47]

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it Knowles' third consecutive number-one album. I Am… Sasha Fierce is ranked number two on Entertainment Weekly magazine's list of the 10 Best Albums of 2008.^[48] It was also the tenth best-selling album in 2008 in the United States.^[49] The album was certified 2x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA after only being released in the U.S. for 10 weeks.

One of the first singles, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" was written by Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Kuk Harrell and Knowles.

Alongside "If I Were a Boy", the song was released to U.S. radio stations on October 8, 2008. The single peaked at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was ranked number one on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Best 100 Singles of 2008,^[50] and is included in the top ten on lists produced by MTV and Time magazine. It has also been named Song of the Year by Fuse TV.^[51] "Single Ladies" is certified quadruple platinum.

[edit] Jamie Foxx, Intuition

The first single from Jamie Foxx's recent release Intuition, "Just Like Me", featuring the vocal production of Kuk Harrell, was released on November 11, 2008. It debuted at number 48 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number 19.^[52] It also peaked at #49 on the Billboard 100.

Harrell produced the vocals on five of the album's tracks. The album itself was released on Dec 16, 2008, debuting at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200, and selling 265,000 copies in its first week.^[53] As of May 27, 2009, it was certified Platinum.

[edit] Alesha Dixon, The Alesha Show / "Let's Get Excited"

The Alesha Show is the second album from Alesha Dixon, ex-member of UK garage girl group, Mis-Teeq. The album was released on 24 November 2008 in the UK.^[54] The Alesha Show debuted on the UK Albums Chart at #26 and peaked at #11. Kuk Harrell produced, vocal produced, and co-wrote the third single "Let's Get Excited", which peaked at #13 in May 2009. Harrell is scheduled to produce with Dixon again for her forthcoming 2010 album.^[55]

[edit] Justin Bieber, My World 2.0

Bieber's My World 2.0 complete album is the result of Kuk Harrell's vocal production. Sales of My World 2.0 have topped the two million mark in the US ahead of the upcoming Justin Bieber tour. The album is the second part of Bieber's two-part debut record and was released in March this year. According to the latest figures from the Recording Industry Association of America, the album is the 16-year-old's first ever multi-platinum record having surpassed the two million milestone.

[edit] Avatar (Theme Song & Soundtrack), I See You

"I See You (Theme from Avatar)" is a pop ballad performed by British singer Leona Lewis. It was written and produced by composer James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell for the soundtrack album to the highest-grossing film of all time by James Cameron, Avatar. It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song at the 67th Golden Globe Awards in 2010, and Grammy Awards for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011. It was also nominated for the 2011 Grammys.

[edit] Rihanna, Loud

Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released November 12, 2010, on Def Jam Recordings. Harrell recorded the album partially during Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour. The album debuted at number one on the Canadian and Swiss Albums Chart. Loud entered at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 207,000 copies in its first week in the United States. It produced four singles, including the international hits "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?", and "S&M". It has also earned Harrell a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for the lead single "Only Girl (In the World)".

[edit] Justin Bieber, Never Say Never

"Never Say Never" by recording artist Justin Bieber serves as the theme song for The Karate Kid (2010), and features rap interludes from the film's star, Jaden Smith. Kuk Harrell also served as Music Supervisor for Bieber's 3D concert film of the same name. Written by The Messengers, Rambert, Smith, Bieber, and Harrell, the song was released for digital download in the United States on June 8, 2010. The song was later included as a track on the remix album My Worlds Acoustic (2010). The song was released as the lead single from Bieber's second remix album, Never Say Never – The Remixes.

Harrell's vocal production philosophy[link]

Harrell is a rarity in that he is a vocal producer who engineers all his own sessions. He is quoted as saying "...I engineer all of my own stuff. I create the pace that the artist wants. To have someone in the middle – another engineer – would slow down my process."^[56]

Regarding vocal processors, Harrell says "it's the sound of today in pop music. But I use it as an enhancement and not to create the sound. My role is to capture the artist's personality. To trick them out with Auto-Tune would defeat that purpose, but consumers are used to hearing things pitch perfect so I use pitch correction to ensure that I have a flawless performance."^[56]

Kuk cites the three most important things he has learned in his career as
1. "Always be professional."
2. "Be patient at all times."
3. "It's not about you. A producer has the opportunity to put his image onto a project before getting the best sound from the artist. Remember that the artist is what it's all about."^[56]

Discography/Credits[link]

Awards[link]

Nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kuk Harrell

• Official website

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Tagged since September 2008.</li> The notability of this article's subject is in question. If notability cannot be established, it may be listed for deletion or removed. Tagged since September 2008.</li>

Dan Morrell, born on May 23, is a Chicago Club DJ, Radio DJ, Producer, Nightlife Promotions Entrepreneur, and Record label owner. He currently runs the record label, Mixmastered Records,^[1] and has signed Chicago rappers Soundmaster T and Jah Rista.

Early life[link]

Morrell was born in Chicago, Illinois where he graduated from Carl Sandburg High School and went on to graduate from Columbia College Chicago to pursue a career in radio and music.

Career[link]

Club DJ[link]

Morrell started his DJ career under the name of DJ Smurf and later changed it to Mixmaster Dan Morrell. Primarily a Chicago DJ, Morrell mixes hip-hop, electro house, and rock mashups. In 2001, he competed in the Super DJ Spin-off in Las Vegas, Nevada and took first place. He is the exclusive DJ for the Chicago Bears^[2] tailgate party and provides music for The Chicago Luvabulls^[3] and The Chicago Hot Rox^[4] Dance teams. Using his alias name, DJ Smurf, Morrell has put out more than 30 underground mix CD's.

Morrell has opened for acts like Kanye West, Diddy, Akon, T-Pain, Rihanna, DJ AM, Shakira, Run-D.M.C., Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Sean Paul, LL Cool J, Natasha Bedingfield, Danity Kane, and Missy Elliott. He has also secured such sponsors like Scion^[5] and Syn Vodka.^[6]

Mixmaster Throwdown[link]

Mixmaster Throwdown^[7] is a nightlife promotions company based in Chicago. Morrell started the company in 1997 as the Mixmaster Throwdown "College Club Tour" where he and other DJ's brought parties and entertainment to clubs in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. In 2002, Morrell grounded the company in Chicago and since has promoted at more than fifty night clubs and has brought countless celebrities like Britney Spears, Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, 50 Cent, R. Kelly, Mario Lopez and Sean Kingston to his events.

WBBM-FM Chicago, B96[link]

Morrell began his career with WBBM-FM^[8] Chicago as a promotions intern. Soon after, in 2001 Morrell was hired on as a Mixshow DJ and currently is a part of the B96 Street Mix Team. He has had the opportunity to MC multiple B96 events as well as mix live on the air. He is also a part of the annual B96 summer concert, The Pepsi Summerbash, where he mixes in between celebrity performances.

Mixmastered Records[link]

Morrell started the Chicago based record label, Mixmastered Records in 2007, and has since signed Chicago rappers Soundmaster T and Jah Rista. The label is working on releasing a joint CD by Soundmaster T and Jah Rista (together known as the Droked Out Boyz).

Controversy[link]

In 2003, Morrell was served a cease and desist order barring him for using his professional DJ name, DJ Smurf.^{[citation needed]} Morrell now uses, Mixmaster Dan Morrell, for his professional DJ and on-air radio name.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dan's Official Music Page

Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, France in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Justin Drew Bieber[1]
Born	(1994-03-01) March 1, 1994 (age 18)[2] London, Ontario, Canada
Origin	Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Pop, R&B, teen pop[3][4][5]
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, percussion,[6] trumpet[7]
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Island, RBMG
Associated acts	Usher, Ludacris
Website	justinbiebermusic.com

Justin Drew Bieber ( /ˈbiːbər/ BEE-bər, born March 1, 1994)^[2] is a Canadian Pop/R&B singer-songwriter, musician, and actor.^[3][5] Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun,^[8] who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher,^[9] and then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid.^[6][10] Bieber's debut single, "One Time", was released in 2009 and peaked in the top twenty in Canada and charted in the top thirty in several international markets. His debut album, the seven-track EP My World, followed in November 2009, and was soon certified platinum in the United States. He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100.^[11]

Bieber's first full-length studio album, My World 2.0, was released in March 2010. It debuted at number one or within the top ten in several countries and was certified platinum in the United States. It was preceded by the worldwide top-ten single, "Baby". The music video of "Baby" is currently ranked as the most viewed and most discussed YouTube video.^[12] Bieber followed up the release of his debut album with his first headlining tour, the My World Tour, the remix albums My Worlds Acoustic and Never Say Never – The Remixes, and the 3D biopic-concert film Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, that nearly matched the record for the biggest opening weekend gross for a concert-film. Bieber released his second studio album, Under the Mistletoe, in November 2011, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Bieber has received numerous awards, including Artist of the Year at the 2010 American Music Awards, and has been nominated for such awards as Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards. In 2012, Bieber was named Forbes 3rd most powerful celebrity in the world, earning $55 million. As of May 2012, Bieber has sold 15 million albums.^[13]

Early life[link]

Bieber was born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario in St Joseph's Hospital,^[14][15] and was raised in Stratford, Ontario.^[16] Bieber's mother, Patricia Lynn "Pattie" Mallette, was 18 years old when she became pregnant. Mallette, originally from Stratford, raised her son with the help of her parents, Bruce and Diane.^[17] Mallette worked a series of low-paying office jobs, raising Bieber as a single mother in low-income housing. Bieber has maintained contact with his father, Jeremy Jack Bieber, who married another woman and had two children.^[18][19][20] Bieber's great-grandfather was from Germany.^[21] Bieber's mother's ancestry is French Canadian.^[22] Bieber attended a French immersion elementary school in Stratford called Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School.^[17]

During his childhood, Bieber was interested in hockey, soccer, and chess; he often kept his musical aspirations to himself.^[18] As he grew up, Bieber taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet.^[16][23] In early 2007, when he was twelve, Bieber sang Ne-Yo's "So Sick" for a local singing competition in Stratford and was placed second.^[6][23] Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B songs, and Bieber's popularity on the site grew.^[10] Chris Hicks, Bieber's A&R at Island/Def Jam, explained the young artist's huge online following to HitQuarters by saying:

"He was doing something different. He was an attractive white kid singing very soulful R&B hits. That set him apart immediately from anyone in his range because no one was covering or singing these kind of records. But equally important was that you believed in these songs – it was real. And you wanted to hear more."^[24]

Career[link]

[edit] 2008–09: Discovery and My World

While searching for videos of a different singer, Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, clicked on one of Bieber's 2007 videos by accident.^[18] Impressed, Braun tracked down the theater Bieber was performing in, located Bieber's school, and finally contacted Mallette. Mallette was reluctant because of Braun's Jewish religion; she remembered praying, "God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label! ... you don’t want this Jewish kid to be Justin’s man, do you?"^[18] However, after praying with her church elders and receiving their encouragement, she permitted Braun to fly Bieber, then 13,^[10] to Atlanta, Georgia, to record demo tapes.^[18] A week after arriving, Bieber sang for R&B singer/songwriter Usher.^[25] Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher.^[9] Justin Timberlake was also reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but lost the bidding war to Usher.^[9][26] Usher then sought assistance in finding a label home for the artist from then manager Chris Hicks, who helped engineer an audition with his contact Antonio L.A. Reid of Island Def Jam Music Group.^[24] Reid signed Bieber to Island Records in October 2008 (resulting in a joint venture between RBMG and Island Records) and appointed Hicks as executive Vice-President of Def Jam where he would be able manage Bieber's career at the label.^{[6][9][10][24]} At that point, Bieber and his mother moved to Atlanta temporarily, also the home of Usher and Braun, to record and get counseling from Braun.^[9] Braun became Bieber's manager.^[10]

Bieber in September 2009 at the Nintendo World Store

Bieber's first single, "One Time", was released to radio while Bieber was still recording his debut album.^[27] The song reached number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100 during its first week of release in July 2009,^[10] and later peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. During fall 2009 it had success in international markets.^[28] The song was certified Platinum in Canada and the US and Gold in Australia and New Zealand.^[29][30][31] Bieber's first release, an extended play entitled My World, was released on November 17, 2009. The album's second single, "One Less Lonely Girl", and two promo singles, "Love Me", and "Favorite Girl", were released exclusively on the iTunes store and charted within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100.^[28] "One Less Lonely Girl" was later also released to radio and peaked within the top fifteen in Canada and the US, being certified Gold in the latter.^[28] My World was eventually certified Platinum in the US and Double Platinum in both Canada and the UK.^[31][32][33] To promote the album, Bieber performed on several live shows such as mtvU's VMA 09 Tour, European program The Dome, YTV's The Next Star, The Today Show,^[34][35] The Wendy Williams Show, Lopez Tonight, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, It's On with Alexa Chung, Good Morning America, Chelsea Lately, and BET's 106 & Park with Rihanna. Bieber also guest starred in an episode of True Jackson, VP in late 2009.^[36]

Bieber performed Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas" for U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House for Christmas in Washington, which was broadcast on December 20, 2009, on U.S. television broadcaster TNT.^[37] Bieber was also one of the performers at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2009.^[38] Bieber was a presenter at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010. He was invited to be a vocalist for the remake of We Are The World (a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie) for its 25th anniversary to benefit Haiti after the earthquake. Bieber sings the opening line, which was sung by Lionel Richie in the original version.^[39] On March 12, 2010, a version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Bieber is featured in the song, performing the closing lines.

[edit] 2010–11: My World 2.0 and Never Say Never film

"Baby", the lead single from his debut album, My World 2.0, which features Ludacris, was released in January 2010 and became his biggest hit thus far, charting at number five in the U.S. and reaching the top ten in seven other countries.^[28] Two promo singles "Never Let You Go", and "U Smile" were top thirty hits on the U.S. Hot 100, and top twenty hits in Canada.^[28] According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received "generally favorable reviews".^[40] It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Bieber the youngest solo male act to top the chart since Stevie Wonder in 1963.^[41] My World 2.0 also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, Irish Albums Chart, Australian Albums Chart, and the New Zealand Albums Chart^[28] and reached the top ten of fifteen other countries.^[42][43] To promote the album, Bieber appeared on several live programs including The View, the 2010 Kids Choice Awards, Nightline, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Dome and 106 and Park.^[44] Bieber collaborated with Sean Kingston on his single "Eenie Meenie" which also appeared on Bieber's debut album. The song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the top-twenty of most other markets.

Bieber performing at the Conseco Fieldhouse, in August 2010

On April 10, 2010, Bieber was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.^[45] On July 4, 2010, Bieber performed at the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City.^[46] The second single from My World 2.0, "Somebody to Love", was released in April 2010, and a remix was released featuring Bieber's mentor Usher. The single reached number ten in Canada, number fifteen in the United States, and the top twenty in multiple international countries.

On June 23, 2010, Bieber went on his first official headlining tour, the My World Tour, starting in Hartford, Connecticut, to promote My World and My World 2.0.^[47] In July 2010, it was reported that Bieber was the most searched for celebrity on the Internet.^[48] That same month his music video, "Baby", surpassed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" to become the most viewed, and most disliked YouTube video ever.^[49] In September 2010, it was reported that Bieber accounted for three percent of all traffic on Twitter, according to an employee of the social-networking site.^[50]

Bieber began recording his second album in July 2010 in New York City.^[51] At this point, because of puberty, his voice was deeper than it was when he recorded his first album. In April 2010, the singer discussing his vocals remarked, "It cracks. Like every teenage boy, I'm dealing with it and I have the best vocal coach in the world. [...] Some of the notes I hit on "Baby" I can't hit anymore. We have to lower the key when I sing live."^[52]

Bieber performing in Jakarta during his My World Tour.

Bieber guest-starred in the season premiere of the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which aired on September 23, 2010. He played a "troubled teen who is faced with a difficult decision regarding his only brother", who is also a serial bomber. Bieber was also in a subsequent episode which aired on February 17, 2011, in which his character is killed.^[53] Bieber performed a medley of "U Smile", "Baby", and "Somebody to Love" and briefly played the drums at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.^[54] Bieber announced in October 2010 that he would release an acoustic album, called My Worlds Acoustic.^[55] It was released on Black Friday in the United States and featured acoustic versions of songs from his previous albums, and accompanied the release of a completely new song titled "Pray".^[56]

A 3-D part-biopic, part-concert film starring Bieber entitled Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, was released on February 11, 2011, directed by Step Up 3D director Jon Chu. It topped the box office with an estimated gross of $12.4 million on its opening day from 3,105 theaters.^[57] It grossed $30.3 million for the weekend and was narrowly beaten by the romantic comedy Just Go With It, which grossed $31 million.^[58] Never Say Never is said to have exceeded industry expectations, nearly matching the $31.1 million grossed by Miley Cyrus's 2008 3-D concert film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, which holds the record for the top debut for a music-documentary.^[59][60] Never Say Never grossed a total of $98,441,954 worldwide.^[61] The film is accompanied by his second remix album, Never Say Never – The Remixes, released February 14, 2011, and features remixes of songs from his debut album, with guest appearances from Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, and Kanye West, among others.^[62]

[edit] 2011–present: Under The Mistletoe and Believe

On February 27, 2011, Bieber attended the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar Party with American actress and singer Selena Gomez,^[63] confirming several months of media speculation about a romantic relationship between the pair.^{[64][65][66][67][68][69]}

In June 2011, Bieber was ranked number 2 on the Forbes list of Best-Paid Celebrities under 30. He is the youngest star and 1 of 7 musicians on the list raking in with $53 million earned in a 12 month period.^[70] On November 1, 2011, Bieber released Under the Mistletoe, his second studio album.^[71] It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 210,000 copies in its first week of release.^[72]

In late 2011, Bieber began recording his third studio album, entitled Believe. Kanye West and Drake are confirmed to be featured on the album.^[73] On February 22, 2012, Bieber announced via Twitter that the first single off Believe will be released in March 2012.^[74] The following week, Bieber appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to announce that the first single will be called "Boyfriend" and was released on March 26, 2012.^[75] The song was co-written by Mike Posner.^[76] The second single, Die In Your Arms, was released on May 29th, 2012. ^[77]

Image[link]

Justin Bieber has a higher score on the Klout online "influence" scale than Barack Obama or The Dalai Lama.^[78] According to Jan Hoffman of The New York Times, part of Bieber's appeal stems from his YouTube channel. Long before he released his EP, My World, in mid-November, the YouTube videos attracted millions of views.^[18] Braun recognized the appeal. Prior to flying him to Atlanta, Braun wanted to "build him up more on YouTube first" and had Bieber record more home videos for the channel. "I said: 'Justin, sing like there’s no one in the room. But let's not use expensive cameras.' We'll give it to kids, let them do the work, so that they feel like it's theirs", recalled Braun.^[18] Bieber continues to upload videos to the same channel and has opened a Twitter account, from which he interacts with fans regularly;^[10] his account was reported in November 2010 to have over 6 million followers.^[79] Since then he has been consistently gaining followers at an average of 24,000 per day.^[80] The accounts also serve marketing purposes; for example, Bieber's music video for "One Time" only began selling quickly after it was uploaded to YouTube.^[81]

Bieber performing "Favorite Girl" in Zurich, Switzerland April 2011.

Usher comments that while he and Bieber were both signed at the same age, "I had the chance to ramp up my success, where this has happened to Bieber abruptly." As a result, Usher, Braun, Bieber's bodyguard Kenny, and other adults surrounding Bieber constantly coach him on handling fame and his public image.^[18] After signing Bieber, Usher appointed one of his former assistants, Ryan Good, to be Bieber's road manager and stylist. Good, once nicknamed Bieber's "swagger coach", created a "streetwise look" for the singer which consisted of baseball caps, hoodies, dog chains and flashy sneakers. Amy Kaufman of The Los Angeles Times comments, "Though a product of a middle-class suburban upbringing in Stratford, Ontario, Bieber's manner of dress and speech ("Wassup man, how you doin'?" or "It's like, you know, whateva' ") suggest he's mimicking his favorite rappers."^[82]

Bieber is often featured in teen magazines such as Tiger Beat,^[18] and has been labeled as a "teen heartthrob".^[83] Bieber has released a collection of nail varnishes to raise awareness for charity.^[84] Wax statues of Bieber are on display at Madame Tussauds wax museums in New York, Amsterdam and London.^[85] His change of hairstyle in 2010, and the consequent alterations to Bieber products, led to it being called 'the most expensive musical haircut of all time;^[86] one company spent $100,000 to fix its dolls for the 2011 Christmas season.^[87]

Bieber has been criticized for looking and sounding younger than his age, his teen-pop music, image, and frequent media attention.^[88] He has been a frequent target of Internet bloggers and message board posters, notably by users of Internet message board 4chan and users of YouTube.^[89] Nick Collins of The Daily Telegraph speculated that "Bieber's character also appears to strike a particularly sour note with his Internet critics, with many remarks commenting on his youthful appearance, his teen-pop songs, his image as a heart-throb to young teenage girls and his manner of speech".^[90]

Personal views and life[link]

Bieber is a Christian,^[91] and said he has a relationship with Jesus, talks to him and that "he's the reason I'm here".^[92]

Bieber's comments in a February 2011 profile in Rolling Stone sparked controversy.^[93] Asked about abstinence, Bieber responded, "I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them." He said he does not "believe in abortion" and that it is "like killing a baby".^[94] He described sexual orientation as "everyone's own decision."^[95] Bieber has contributed to the It Gets Better Project,^[96] which aims to prevent suicide among LGBT youth.^[97]

Bieber has said he is not interested in obtaining United States citizenship and has criticized America's health care system. Praising Canada as being "the best country in the world", he cited its health care system as a model example.^[94]

In May 2012, Bieber purchased a 10,000 square-foot mansion on 1.3 acres of land, located in the community of Calabasas, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.^[98]

Twitter[link]

As of April 2012^[update], Bieber's Twitter account (@justinbieber) is the second most popular celebrity account behind that of Lady Gaga.^[99] By mid-April 2012, he had over 20 million followers.^[100][101] His follower acquisition is one new follower every other second.^[102][103] His popularity on Twitter at one point accounted for three percent of all Twitter related traffic, with a Twitter employee commenting that "racks of servers are dedicated" to Bieber.^{[103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112]} This resulted in over 180 million page views for the service each month.^[105] Bieber was frequently a trending topic on Twitter when the feature first launched^[105] because his fans frequently discussed him on the network. ^[113] and was named the top trending star on Twitter in 2010;^[114] Klout gave his account a score of 100.^[115][116]

The size of Bieber's and Gaga's follower bases are cited as a reason why marketers should pay attention to Twitter:^[117] with an ability to reach millions of people with a single tweet.^[117] 8.3% of tweets mentioning "bieber" were semi-automated and probably Twitter related spam.^[118] Research done about Twitter and the 2011 Egyptian revolution includes Bieber as he made tweets about the topic at a time when he had roughly 8 million followers. His multiple tweets resulted in 32,000 responses each, which made Bieber's Twitter account one of the single largest nodes for discussion about the uprising one of the largest on Twitter.^[119][120]

In March 2012, Bieber fans launched an unsuccessful attempt to unseat Lady Gaga as the most popular celebrity on Twitter. Neither Bieber nor Lady Gaga discussed their mutual fanbase's campaigns on Twitter.^[121]

Discography[link]

Justin Bieber portal

• My World 2.0 (2010)
• Under the Mistletoe (2011)
• Believe (2012)

Tours[link]

• 2009: Urban Behavior Tour
• 2010–2011: My World Tour
• 2012-2013: Believe Tour

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Justin Bieber

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Justin Bieber

• Official website
• Justin Bieber at the Internet Movie Database
• Justin Bieber at the Open Directory Project
• Justin Bieber on Twitter

Chanté Moore (born Chanté Torrane Moore, February 17, 1967, San Francisco, California) is an American R&B and jazz singer.

Biography[link]

Born to a gospel minister, she grew up singing in the church and was heavily influenced by the music of George Duke and Lee Ritenour. While in high school, she decided to make a career of singing. She was a successful beauty pageant contestant and model when, at age twenty-two, she was discovered by the MCA Records executive Louil Silas. Moore was signed to Silas' MCA-distributed imprint Silas Records.

In 1996 she had daughter Sophia Hardison, with actor Kadeem Hardison. They secretly married in 1997 and divorced in 2000. She married singer Kenny Lattimore ^[1] on New Year's Day in 2002 at a private ceremony in Jamaica. Their son Kenny, Jr. was born April 10, 2003.

When Moore recorded her 1999 single "Chanté's Got a Man", the man she was singing about was her then-husband Kadeem Hardison.

Early career[link]

Moore has recorded several hit records, including "Love's Taken Over", "It's Alright", "I'm What You Need", "Old School Lovin", and "Free" (a Deniece Williams cover). Moore recorded "Your Home Is In My Heart" with Boyz II Men for the How Stella Got Her Groove Back soundtrack. Moore was also featured on the soundtrack of Waiting to Exhale in 1995 with the song "Wey U."

This also shows off her vocal range and does not go unnoticed by music reviewer Tracy E. Hopkins at Barnes and Noble who remarks how this record "showcases Moore's Minnie Riperton–reminiscent pipes". In 1998, Moore also collaborated with the talented Keith Washington, another sultry musician, for the duet "I Love You." Rankings on charts is unknown at this time and to be continued soon...

In 2000, Moore earned a Soul Train Music Awards nomination alongside Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey for Single of the Year, Female" ^[2] for her Billboard #2 R&B and #10 Pop hit "Chanté's Got a Man." However, she lost the award to Lauryn Hill. The single was also certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies in America. In 2002, she won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo for "Contagious" featuring The Isley Brothers. She also appeared on the hit UPN show Girlfriends, singing Minnie Riperton's Lovin' You. In 2002, Moore sang on Kenny G's single "One More Time," which registered on the Smooth Jazz and Adult Contemporary singles charts.

In 2004, a 20th Century Masters greatest hits collection was released with some of her most memorable songs, along with a detailed booklet in which author A. Scott Galloway praises her for her "powerful, yet flexible and gorgeous 4-octave vocal range..."

With Kenny Lattimore[link]

A year after marrying R&B singer Kenny Lattimore, the two signed as a duet act to Arista Records and released a duet cover album entitled Things That Lovers Do. The album was promoted with a stage play named after the album and a music video for the single "You Don't Have To Cry" which shows a prominently pregnant Moore on screen with Lattimore. The album also included a remake of the Minnie Riperton and Peabo Bryson duet "Here We Go" on which Moore prominently shows off her whistle register in tribute to Riperton.

In fall 2006, Moore issued a follow-up to the success of Things That Lovers Do, another album of duets with her husband Kenny Lattimore. The duo beat the previous effort with a double-CD of gospel and R&B love songs entitled Uncovered/Covered. The set was led off by dual singles, the Bryan Michael Cox-produced "Figure It Out", and "Make Me Like The Moon", a gospel ballad co-written by Lattimore and Moore and produced by Fred Hammond. Uncovered/Covered was released October 10, 2006 on LaFace/Verity/Zomba Music Group.^[3]

Moore and Lattimore recorded a cover version of the Marvin Gaye-Tammi Terrell duet "You're All I Need to Get By". It serves as the theme song for the BET reality series The Family Crews.

Recent activities[link]

During the recording of her duet album with Lattimore, she signed a new solo recording contract with Peak Records, a subsidiary of Concord Music Group.^[4]

In 2007, Moore starred in the stageplay By Any Means Necessary, along with Dave Hollister, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Shar Jackson, and Danielle Mone Truitt.

Moore released her fifth solo album Love The Woman on June 17, 2008.^[5][6] The album's lead single "Ain't Supposed To Be This Way" impacted radio on May 12, 2008.^[7]

In 2009, Moore set some dates for a Love The Woman tour, with performances in Los Angeles, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Additionally, she starred with James Pickens, Jr. (of Grey's Anatomy), Vickie Winans, Loretta Devine, Reginald VelJohnson, Rocky Carroll and Kenny Lattimore in a live stage production of Otis Sallid's Gospel! Gospel! Gospel at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in May 2009.^[8]

She announced in a June 2010 interview promoting Women's Health that she's working on a gospel album titled Changed as well as an untitled R&B album.^[9]

In July 2011, it was announced that she would be the TV host for an upcoming women's fitness reality series sponsored by SportyGirl Fitness.^[10]

In a July 27, 2011 statement on her Facebook page, she announced she & Kenny Lattimore were divorced.^[11]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Compilations

Singles[link]

Single Appearances[link]

Soundtracks and collaborations[link]

• 1991 "Candlelight & You" (House Party II Soundtrack)
• 1992 "You Know What I Like" (El DeBarge "In The Storm")
• 1992 "Fame" (George Duke "Snapshot")
• 1994 "Satisfy You" (Damion Hall "Straight To The Point")
• 1995 "Illusions" (George Duke "Illusions")
• 1995 "Inside My Love" (New York Undercover Soundtrack)
• 1995 "Wey U" (Waiting To Exhale SDTK)
• 1996 "Heal Our Land" (Place Of Hope: Celebrating The New South Africa)
• 1996 "La, La, La Means I Love You" (Prince "Emancipation")
• 1998 "Your Home Is In My Heart/Stella's Love Theme" (How Stella Got Her Groove Back OST)
• 1998 "Crusin'" (Nils "Blue Planet")
• 1998 "I Love You" (Keith Washington "KW")
• 1999 "Wall Around My Heart" (Shake, Rattle & Roll Soundtrack)
• 1999 "Can We Do That?" (Gerald McCauley "The McCauley Sessions")
• 1999 "Down On My Knees" (Summer Heat 1999, Vol 1)
• 1999 "Christmas Morn" (My Christmas Album)
• 2000 "Save Some Love For Me" (Fourplay "Yes, Please!")
• 2003 " When you need me?" (Will Downing "All the man you need")
• 2000 "When You Need Me" (Will Downing "All The man You Need")
• 2000 "This Is A Test" (Romeo Must Die Soundtrack)
• 2000 "Treated Like Her" (with LaTocha Scott) (Big Momma's House Soundtrack)
• 2001 "Contagious" (The Isley Brothers "Eternal")
• 2002 "Feeling The Way" (Norman Brown "Just Chillin")
• 2002 "One More Time" (Kenny G "Paradise")
• 2003 "She's Amazing" (George Duke "Cool")
• 2005 "Till You Come Back To Me" (The Rippingtons "Wild Card")
• 2007 "Santa Baby" (Boney James "Christmas Present")

Music videos[link]

• "You Know What I Like" (El Debarge featuring Chanté Moore)
• "Love's Taken Over"
• "It's Alright"
• "Old School Lovin"
• "This Time"
• "Satisfy You" (with Damion Hall)
• "Satisfy You (Remix)" (with Damion Hall)
• "Chanté's Got A Man"
• "I See You In A Different Light"
• "Straight Up"
• "Bitter"
• "You Don't Have To Cry" (with Kenny Lattimore)
• "Contagious (song)" (The Isley Brothers featuring R. Kelly & Chante Moore)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chanté Moore's official site
• Chanté Moore at the Internet Movie Database