name	Simple Plan
background	group_or_band
origin	Montréal, Québec, Canada
genre	Pop punk, alternative rock
years active	1999–present
label	Lava, Atlantic
associated acts	Reset
website	simpleplan.com
current members	Pierre BouvierSébastien LefebvreDavid DesrosiersChuck ComeauJeff Stinco
former members	}}

Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), David Desrosiers (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Chuck Comeau (drums and percussion). They have released four studio albums: ''No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls'' (2002), ''Still Not Getting Any...'' (2004), ''Simple Plan'' (2008) and ''Get Your Heart On!'' (2011); as well as two widely marketed live albums: ''Live in Japan 2002'' (2003) and ''MTV Hard Rock Live'' (2005).

History

Formation and early years (1993–2002)

Simple Plan began in 1993 with the formation of a band named Reset by friends Pierre Bouvier, Charles-André "Chuck" Comeau, Philippe Jolicoeur, and Adrian White. Reset toured around Canada with bands such as MXPX, Ten Foot Pole, and Face to Face, but only managed to gain modest popularity. The debut album, ''No Worries'', was released in 1997, and Comeau left soon after to go to college. Two years later he met with high school friends Jean-François "Jeff" Stinco and Sébastien Lefebvre who were in separate bands of their own, and combined to create Simple Plan. In late 1999, Comeau and Bouvier reacquainted at a Sugar Ray concert and Bouvier left Reset soon after to join Comeau. David Desrosiers replaced Bouvier in Reset, but he too left the band six months later to join Simple Plan. This allowed Bouvier, who had doubled as the band's front man and bassist, to concentrate on the singing.

The origin of the band's name is obscure. Band members have given various comical responses on this point, including that the band was their simple plan to avoid obtaining a job at McDonald's, or similar fast food restaurant chains. However, most likely, the name is derived from the 1998 drama flick "A Simple Plan".

''No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls'' (2002–2004)

In 2002, Simple Plan released their first studio album, ''No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls'' which led to the subsequent singles: "I'm Just a Kid", "I'd Do Anything", "Addicted", and "Perfect". Simple Plan is noted as saying that they were aiming at a pure pop-punk record. The name of the CD echoes the popular tag line for the sport of rugby, "No pads, no helmets, just balls."

The record was originally released in the United States with twelve tracks, ending with "Perfect". Enhanced and foreign editions came in several different versions with up to two additional tracks in addition to the original twelve. For example, the U.S. release contained the extra songs "Grow Up", and "My Christmas List", while the UK release contained the extra songs "One By One" and "American Jesus" (a live version of a cover of a Bad Religion song), as well as the two music videos, "I'd Do Anything" and "I'm Just a Kid".

The record also contained vocals from singers from two other pop-punk bands as "I'd Do Anything" included vocals by Mark Hoppus from Blink-182, and "You Don't Mean Anything" included vocals by Joel Madden from Good Charlotte.

In support of the album in 2002, the year it was released, Simple Plan played more than 300 shows, topped the Alternative New Artist Chart, and played a sold out tour in Japan. In 2003, the band played as a headliner on the Vans Warped Tour — an appearance memorialized in the comedy slasher film, ''Punk Rock Holocaust'', in which four of the five band members are killed. They would also play short stints on the Warped Tour in 2004 and 2005. Also in 2003, they opened for Avril Lavigne on her "Try To Shut Me Up" Tour. In addition to several headlining tours, they have also opened for Green Day and Good Charlotte. The album had sold 1 million copies in early 2003 then going on to sell 4 million copies worldwide making it the best selling album to date.

''Still Not Getting Any...'' (2004–2006)

In 2004, Simple Plan released their second album, ''Still Not Getting Any...'' which led to the subsequent singles, "Welcome to My Life", "Shut Up!", "Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me?)", "Crazy", and (in some markets) "Perfect World".

As mentioned before, when writing "''No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls''", the members of Simple Plan were aiming at a pure pop-punk record. This time however, when writing "''Still Not Getting Any''...", the members of Simple Plan were noted as saying that they were not limiting themselves to the punk genre, but rather letting themselves write "good music".

According to the bonus DVD of Still Not Getting Any..., while making the CD the members of Simple Plan thought of many names including "Get Rich or Die Trying" and "In The Zone". They decided on the name Still Not Getting Any... for a list of explained reasons. The most popular and most likely reason is that the members of Simple Plan thought that they weren't getting any good reviews, Bouvier once noting that they only had one recent good review in Alternative Press. Another reason may be because they were still not getting any respect. There are many more variations the band members have given.Comeau once described the name of the album as "versatile".

"''Still Not Getting Any...''" showed a dramatic change in Simple Plan's style as well. They still kept their style of downbeat lyrics matched to upbeat music, but managed to transcend from the standard pop-punk genre. Although many of the tracks on this CD still carry the feeling of teen angst that is probably most noticeable in the song "I'm Just a Kid" from the first album ''No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls'', the general slant of this album tends toward slightly deeper and more mature lyrical themes, as well as a more mainstream sound that edges away from the pure pop-punk style of their last album. Some critics have pointed towards the inclusion of 'classic' or 'mainstream' rock elements, claiming the album 'de-emphasizes punk-pop hyperactivity in favor of straightforward, well-crafted modern rock'.

Self-titled album (2006–2009)

After nearly a year and a half in support of "S''till Not Getting Any...''", the band ended most touring in February 2006, giving only a few shows, taking some time off, and beginning work on their third CD. As announced in Bouvier's official MySpace blog, Bouvier headed to Miami as on about 21 March 2007 to work with an unnamed producer, who later proved to be Dave Fortman. The band entered the studio for pre-production in Los Angeles on 29 June. On 15 July they returned to Montreal, to record at Studio Piccolo, the same studio at which they had recorded "''Still Not Getting Any...''." They finished recording and headed back to Miami and LA to mix the album. The final part of making their record was done in New York and it was officially completed on 21 October, though they later re-entered the studio to re-record some of the lyrics to the song "Generation."

"When I'm Gone", the first single from ''Simple Plan'' was released on 29 October when the band held a fan webcast. ''Simple Plan'' was produced by Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne), Danjahandz (Timbaland, Justin Timberlake) and Max Martin known for his work with Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. On 17 February 2008, Simple Plan achieved their highest charting single in the UK. After the first two albums just missed the UK top 40, "When I'm Gone" gave the band their best chart position in the UK, coming in at number 26. On 29 November 2007, the band announced that the CD release would be postponed from the originally-scheduled 29 January 2008 date to what proved to be the actual release date of 12 February 2008. The Japanese version, with two bonus tracks, was released on 6 February 2008.

After completing an around-the-world promotional tour, Simple Plan played several December 2007 holiday shows. After continued promotional tours in January, Simple Plan played a triple bill in Camden Town, London on 27 January 2008, with the first show featuring songs from the band's first CD, the second from the second, and the third from the new release. The band played four U.S. shows in late February, and completed a European tour running until late April. The band played four Japan dates, followed by several European festivals and headlining dates. On 1 July 2008, the band gave a free concert on Quebec City's Plains of Abraham, attracting a crowd of 150,000 to the Canada Day show. After a return to the Far East in late July and early August, the band played a Cross Canada Tour with Faber Drive, Cute is What We Aim For and Metro Station. After dates in Germany, Mexico, and Australia, the band played its second full European tour of the year from 28 October to 29 November, playing Estonia and Poland for the first time. The band also played Tel Aviv and Dubai in early December—shows at which the band played as a four-piece, with Desrosiers absent due to a family emergency and Lefebvre on bass. The band played an eight-show South American tour in March, and are playing various festivals and individual shows in cities ranging from Calgary to Moscow.

''Get Your Heart On!'' (2009-present)

The band's fourth album ''Get Your Heart On!'' was released on 21 June 2011. Fans who pre-ordered the album were given access to several other songs from the album prior to the actual release date. Three tracks were released for those who pre-ordered, including "You Suck at Love", "Loser of the Year" and "Freaking Me Out" (feat. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low). The album marks Simple Plan's second time since their debut "No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls"—which featured Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte—to feature collaborations with other artists, including Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, Natasha Bedingfield, K'naan and Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low. On 30 March, the band launched a new official website to hold over until the "actual new website" was launched, with a new video talking about the first listen of their new song "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" (feat. Rivers Cuomo) which is available to stream on their website and to purchase on iTunes. On 20 April the band announced that "Jet Lag" would be the first single from the album. The song was released in English and French versions featuring singers Natasha Bedingfield and Marie-Mai respectively. To promote the song, a service called "JetLag Airlines" was set up on the website, releasing news, lyrics, tracklists and videos regarding the album. "Jet Lag" premiered on 25 April. On 6 May the band released the song "You Suck at Love" for free download for those who pre-ordered the album. The video for "Jet Lag", featuring Natasha Bedingfield, was released on 4 May, and the video featuring Marie-Mai was released on 16 May.

Prior to the release of the album, the band started playing the song "You Suck at Love" live during the Bamboozle Roadshow Tour in June 2010, and on 11 February 2011 the band released a snippet preview of the studio version of the song on their website and YouTube channel. The song was speculated to be the first single of the album. The band was on the roster of Warped Tour 2011 for selected dates in June and July 2011.

Musical style

Simple Plan's style of music has been described as pop punk by the ''Calgary Herald'', ''The Torontoist'', Channel News Asia, Allmusic, ''NME'', MTV, ''The Guardian'', the BBC, Rocklouder About.com, ''Entertainment Weekly'' and VH1; punk rock revivalist by ''The New York Times'', "Dude Rock" by Digital Spy; with ''Rolling Stone'' reviews describing ''No Helmets No Pads... Just Balls'' as "new-punk". Atlantic Records marketing material has described the band's style as having "classic punk energy and modern pop sonics".

Simple Plan Foundation

The members of Simple Plan have helped nonprofit and advocacy groups by donating to many established organizations such as the MTV Asia Aid benefit, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), RADD (Recording Artists, Actors, and Athletes against Drunk Driving), and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. However, after being frustrated because the members did not know exactly where their money was going to, the Simple Plan members created the Simple Plan Foundation, a foundation that focuses on teen problems ranging from suicide to poverty to drug addiction. As of 9 December 2005, the Simple Plan Foundation had raised more than $100,000. The list of donors included venues on their November–December 2005 Canadian tour.

In June 2008, Bouvier announced plans for the foundation to distribute $100,000 to organizations that aid children or families experiencing difficulties due to handicaps or illness. Selected organizations included Children's Wish Foundation, Kids Help Phone, and War Child Canada, as well as College Beaubois (the high school ''alma mater'' of all band members except Desrosiers).

In addition, the members held a benefit for the Foundation in August. While the band's January show in Montreal had been to benefit the Foundation, this was described as the first fundraising event. It consisted of brunch and an acoustic performance. An additional fundraising event was held on September 2009 in Montreal. In October 2008, the band announced a special release, on iTunes, of the single Save You, to benefit the Foundation, with a special composite video featuring cancer survivors. The song was inspired by the struggle with cancer of Bouvier's brother Jay.

On 15 March 2011, as a result of Japan's 8.9 Richter scale earthquake, the Simple Plan Foundation stated it would be donating $10,000.00 to the Japan Red Cross Relief Efforts, and that fans could help donate by purchasing a "Simple Plan Help Japan" t-shirt for $20.00, making clear that all proceeds are going towards the fund from the t-shirts.

Band members

Pierre Bouvier - lead vocals (1999–present), bass guitar (1999–2000)

Chuck Comeau - drums, percussion (1999–present)

Sébastien Lefebvre - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)

Jeff Stinco - lead guitar (1999–present)

David Desrosiers - bass guitar, backing vocals (2000–present)

Discography

''No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls'' (2002)

''Still Not Getting Any...'' (2004)

''Simple Plan'' (2008)

''Get Your Heart On!'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

Awards

;CASBY Awards

2002 Won CASBY Award

;Juno Awards

2009 Nominated for Juno Award

2009 Nominated for Juno Award(for the group itself)

2006 Won Juno Fan Choice Award

2005 Nominated for Juno Award

2005 Nominated for Juno Award

2005 Nominated for Juno Award

;Kerrang! Awards

2008 Nominated for Kerrang! Award

;MTV Asia Awards

2006 Nominated for MTV Asia Award

;MTV Video Music Awards

2004 Nominated for MTV Video Music Award

2003 Nominated for MTV Video Music Award

;MuchMusic Video Awards

2011 Nominated for MuchMusic Video Award

2009 Won MuchMusic Video Award

2008 Won MuchMusic Video Award

2008 Nominated for MuchMusic Video Award

2008 Nominated for MuchMusic Video Award

2006 Won MuchMusic Video Award

2006 Nominated for MuchMusic Video Award

2006 Nominated for MuchMusic Video Award

2005 Won MuchMusic Video Award

2005 Nominated for MuchMusic Video Award

2005 Nominated for MuchMusic Video Award

2004 Won MuchMusic Video Award

2003 Won MuchMusic Video Award

;NRJ Music Awards

2007 Nominated for NRJ Music Award

;Teen Choice Awards

2008 Nominated for Teen Choice Award

2005 Won Teen Choice Award

;ADISQ

2006 Won ''artiste s'étant illustré le plus hors Québec''

References

54. D'Addario

External links

Official website

Official fan club

Category:Juno Award winners Category:Musical groups from Montreal Category:Canadian pop punk musical groups Category:English-language musical groups from Quebec Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Musical quintets

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name	Natasha Bedingfield
background	solo_singer
birth name	Natasha Anne Bedingfield
born	November 26, 1981Sussex, England, UK
genre	Dance pop, R&B;, Pop rock
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2004–present
label	Phonogenic, Epic (US)
website	www.natashabedingfield.com }}

Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British pop singer and songwriter.

Based in Book St., London, Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group ''The DNA Algorithm'' with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield recorded rock and gospel songs for the Hillsong London Church, while Daniel went on to enjoy success with hits "Gotta Get Thru This" and "If You're Not the One".

Bedingfield released her first album, ''Unwritten'', in 2004. The album contained primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B; music; it enjoyed international success with over 2.3 million copies sold worldwide and she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the title track "Unwritten". Bedingfield's second album, ''N.B.'' (2007), was less successful but yielded the UK top 10 singles "I Wanna Have Your Babies" and "Soulmate". ''N.B.'' was not released in North America, but six tracks from it were included with seven new ones and released in 2008 as ''Pocketful of Sunshine'', with the singles "Love Like This" and "Pocketful of Sunshine" earning success on the charts. In December 2010, Bedingfield released her third album in North America named ''Strip Me''. Bedingfield has also made a guest appearence in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''.

Early life

Bedingfield was born in Sussex (later moving to the Lewisham district of London) to New Zealand-born Molly and John Bedingfield who worked in the international charity sector focused on inner-city projects in education, reconciliation, addiction rehab, and long term community development, alongside local government initiatives and faith based communities in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Natasha has three siblings: brothers Daniel, Joshua and a younger sister Nikola. Her interest in music was encouraged by her parents and she took guitar and piano lessons when she was younger. When Bedingfield was a teenager, she and her siblings, Daniel and Nikola, formed the dance/electronic group, The DNA Algorithm. The group provided Bedingfield with the opportunity to explore different musical genres and expand her songwriting abilities. She provided vocals for the group which primarily performed dance-pop music about independence and empowerment, themes that would later be found in her own solo compositions. At age 14, Natasha sang vocals on Origins ''Refined Intricacy'' (Steelyard Records).

Bedingfield attended a year at the University of Greenwich, where she studied psychology, then left to concentrate on singing and songwriting. At first she recorded demos in the garages of friends who had recording studios, which she presented to record companies. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield composed and recorded songs for the Hillsong London Church. In 2004, her recordings appeared on the church's live album ''Shout God's Fame'' and the children's album ''Jesus Is My Superhero'' by Hillsong Music Australia.

Music career

2003–06: Signing to Phonogenic and ''Unwritten''

thumb|upright|Bedingfield performing in 2006 Bedingfield was introduced to Phonogenic founder and A&R; Paul Lisberg by the artist's manager Gary Wilson. Lisberg was not convinced by the demo songs presented, which had so far failed to attract any label interest, later telling HitQuarters: "[They] were good but weren’t right for us ... They were a bit like Holly Valance and Shakira, which we felt was too lightweight. She would probably have had hits with them, but I don’t know if she ever would have established herself as a true artist." Instead, it was when, at a meeting together, Lisberg heard her singing ability and creative vocal ad-libbing first-hand that he became excited by Bedingfield's potential. Label interest was later confirmed when a trial studio session together with writers Steve Kipner and Andrew Frampton produced songs that were in keeping with Lisberg's vision for Phonogenic. Bedingfield signed a recording contract with BMG UK & Ireland, through its imprint Phonogenic Records, in July 2003.

Her first album ''Unwritten'' was released in September 2004 and features collaborations with Steve Kipner, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lachey, James Reilly, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins, Kara DioGuardi, Guy Chambers, Patrick Leonard and the rapper Bizarre. The album contained uptempo pop rock songs and influences from R&B; music. Bedingfield's lyrics focused on independence, opportunism and female empowerment. Reviews of the album were generally positive and it was described as a "well-made pop album for the new millennium" by Allmusic. The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number one and reached the top thirty in the United States. It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom and Gold status in the US The first single released from the album was "Single", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. The song's lyrics, and its accompanying music video, depict Bedingfield's single lifestyle. "These Words" was released as the album's second single. The song became Bedingfield's first UK number one and U.S. top twenty single. "Unwritten" was released as the album's third single in 2004, the song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and it also became the most played song on U.S. radio in 2006. "I Bruise Easily" was released as the album's fourth single, it did not perform as well as its predecessors but was still a moderate success, reaching number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.

At the 2005 Brit Awards, Bedingfield was nominated for four awards, though did not win any of her nominated categories. She was also nominated for an award at the 2006 Brit Awards, and in 2007 she was nominated for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" at the 2007 Grammy Awards, though was again unsuccessful in winning in any of her nominated categories. Her Song Unwritten is the theme tune of MTV's the hills

2007–08: ''N.B.'' and ''Pocketful of Sunshine''

Bedingfield's second album ''N.B.'' was released in Europe in April 2007. In North America (the U.S. and Canada), the album was released under the title "Pocketful of Sunshine" in January 2008. The album received mixed reviews by critics and peaked at number nine in the UK. "I Wanna Have Your Babies", the album's lead single, was about finding the right man to father her children and was criticised by fans and critics alike. The song was moderately successful, reaching number seven in the UK, number eight in Ireland and the top fifty in various other markets. "Soulmate" was released as the album's second single on 2 July 2007 and also peaked at number seven in the UK. To promote ''N.B.'', Bedingfield embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour in May 2007, supporting Justin Timberlake.

The North American version of her second album featured six songs from ''N.B.''. The album was released on 22 January 2008, after the lead single, "Love like This", was released in September 2007 and charted at #11 on the Billboard hot 100. The title track was released as the second single in February 2008. The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard hot 100. On 18 January 2008, Bedingfield's UK tour was cancelled for the second time, one month before it was supposed to start, so she could spend more time promoting her album in the U.S. In August 2008, Bedingfield and other singers including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Melissa Etheridge, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, and Mariah Carey recorded the charity single, "Just Stand Up" produced by Babyface and L. A. Reid, to support "Stand Up to Cancer". On 5 September, the singers performed it live on TV.

2009–present: ''Strip Me'' and ''Strip Me Away''

Bedingfield stated on her blog that she would start work on her new album in early 2009. She was confirmed to be writing for the new album while on holiday in New Zealand; she said "I'm here for a couple of weeks to do a bit of writing. It is such an inspiring place to write music. I love coming here as often as I can, usually once a year to fuel up on ideas for my next album". She also confirmed she was working with Brian Kennedy, who produced/co wrote Rihanna's hit single "Disturbia" and was writing songs with him while on tour with a view to having the album released by the end of 2009. Bedingfield also stated that Wyclef Jean, Sam Sparro and Mike Elizondo would be working on the record.

Bedingfield confirmed that the album would be ready for fall 2010. In an interview with IN:DEMAND Producer, Ryan Tedder said "I'm gonna try and bring Natasha Bedingfield back here in the UK with some quirky, kinda weird stuff". On 18 March Natasha stated on her official site that she was in L.A. and she was putting the finishing touches on her album. "Touch", the lead single from the album, was made available as a digital download 18 May 2010. Bedingfield performed the song on the ''The Ellen Degeneres Show'' on 24 May 2010. "Touch" was officially sent to U.S. radio stations on 29 June 2010. On 15 July Bedingfield announced via Twitter that the title of her new album would be ''Strip Me''. The album was originally scheduled for release on 9 November 2010, but was released on 7 December. The second single, also titled "Strip Me", was sent to U.S. radio on 30 August 2010 and it became available as a digital download on 21 September 2010. It was written by Bedingfield, Ryan Tedder and Wayne Wilkins. Bedingfield appeared on rapper Nicki Minaj's debut album ''Pink Friday'' on a track called "Last Chance", and on Rascal Flatts' new album ''Nothing Like This'' on a track called "Easy", released as the album's third single. On 31 December 2010 / 1 January 2011, Natasha appeared on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

In 2010, Natasha joined forces with Avon as a celebrity judge for Avon Voices, Avon’s first ever global, online singing talent search for women and songwriting competition for men and women.

On 6 April 2011, Natasha visited Radio Hamburg and confirmed that the song "Pocketful of Sunshine" (originally the second single from her US album "Pocketful of Sunshine") will be the first European single from the forthcoming European release of ''Strip Me''. The European version of ''Strip Me'' will be called ''Strip Me Away''. The lead single "Pocketful of Sunshine" was released on 13 May in Germany. The album "Strip Me Away" will be released in June.

Bedingfield was featured on Simple Plan's new single from their new album ''Get Your Heart On!'', released on 21 June 2011. The song, "Jet Lag" was released on 26 April 2011 as the band's first single off their fourth album.

On 5 July, Bedingfield performed her song "Weightless" from her "Strip Me" album on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. Filipina singer Charice confirmed that Bedingfield had written a song for her entitled "Lighthouse" which was included on her upcoming second studio album ''Infinity''.

Non-musical projects

Bedingfield is a philanthropist who has donated time and money to organisations such as the Global Angels, an international children's charity founded by her mother, Molly Bedingfield. She became associated with the organisation in 2006 because of her celebrity status, which she could use to help "people around the world, particularly children, who live in conditions that would horrify us".

Bedingfield is now an ambassador for Global Angels and in November 2006 she visited India for three weeks in support of the charity. She visited an orphanage in Kolkata and a refugee camp for former child prostitutes in Mumbai to learn more about the situation and the conditions in these areas. Bedingfield later expressed her shock at what she had witnessed. Video diaries filmed during her trip were posted on her official website in early 2007. She is also an advocate for Stop the Traffik, a global coalition which works to end human trafficking and a member of the (RED) campaign. In a 2008 rockumentary, Call+Response, headed by Justin Dillon, Bedingfield performed acoustic versions of "Unwritten" and "Soulmate" in support of the film's cause: a movement against current slavery and human trafficking.

In 2004, Bedingfield showed interest in acting and made her debut in the James Bond video game ''From Russia with Love'' in November 2005. She lent her voice to the character Elizabeth Stark, the British Prime Minister's daughter who is kidnapped in the opening sequence. Bedingfield commented that she would like to do more acting, but only if the film "was good enough, and it was a role that [would] fit me." Bedingfield is not set to appear in any forthcoming films in the near future.

She has made an appearance in the seventh season finale of the hit Canadian television series ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''. Bedingfield also guest starred on Nickelodeon's mockumentary series ''The Naked Brothers Band'''s ''Christmas Special,'' alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Leon Thomas III. She has made guest appearances on the NBC series ''Lipstick Jungle''. More recently, she guest starred on Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP in November 2009. She sang the song "These Words".

Personal life

In 2006, the media incorrectly reported that Bedingfield was dating Nick Lachey and Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine. Referring to the media reports, Bedingfield commented that "Adam is lovely but I didn't date him or Nick. As soon as you talk to a famous guy, you're immediately linked with him." Bedingfield is married to Matt Robinson, a businessman from California. The couple wed in Malibu on 21 March 2009.

She lists Audrey Hepburn, Debbie Harry and Brigitte Bardot as her "celebrity style icons".

Discography

''Unwritten'' (2004)

''N.B.'' (2007)

''Pocketful of Sunshine'' (2008)

''Strip Me'' (2010)

''Strip Me Away'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

awards	5
nominations	11
britn	4
award1	BT Digital Music Awards
award1w	1
award1n	1
award2	Capital FM Awards
award2w	2
award2n	2
award3	Glamour Awards
award3w	1
award3n	1
grammyn	1
mtveuropen	1
tmfw	1
tmfn	1 }}

Bedingfield's debut album ''Unwritten'' contains primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B; music. It enjoyed international success with over three million copies sold worldwide. In 2007, she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "Unwritten", the third single from the album of the same name. Bedingfield's second album ''N.B.'' yielded the singles "Soulmate"; "Say It Again"; and "I Wanna Have Your Babies", written and produced by Natasha Bedingfield, Wayne Wilkins, Andrew Frampton, and Steve Kipner. Bedingfield has received four nominations from the BRIT Awards but has won none. As of July 2008, she has won five awards from eleven nominations.

BRIT Awards

The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. Bedingfield has received four nominations.

|- |rowspan="4"| ||rowspan="3"| Natasha Bedingfield || Best British Female Solo Artist || |- | British Breakthrough Artist || |- | Best Pop Act || |- | "These Words" || Best British Single ||

BT Digital Music Awards

The BT Digital Music Awards honour music distributed digitally by methods such as mobile devices, online downloads, and blogging. Bedingfield has won one award.

|- | 2007 || Natasha Bedingfield || Best Pop Artist ||

Capital FM Awards

The Capital FM Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Capital 95.8, a London radio station owned by GCap Media. Bedingfield has won two awards from two nominations.

|- |rowspan="2"| 2005 || "These Words" || Best Single || |- | Natasha Bedingfield || Best Newcomer ||

Glamour Awards

The Glamour Awards is an annual awards ceremony hosted by ''Glamour'', a women's magazine. Bedingfield has won one award.

|- | 2005 || Natasha Bedingfield || UK Solo Artist of the Year ||

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bedingfield has received one nomination.

|- | || "Unwritten" || Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ||

MTV Europe Music Awards

The MTV Europe Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1994 by MTV Europe. Bedingfield has received one nomination.

|- | 2004 || Natasha Bedingfield || Best UK and Ireland act ||

TMF Awards

The TMF Awards is an annual television awards show broadcast live on The Music Factory. Bedingfield has received one award.

|- | 2005 || Natasha Bedingfield || Best International New Artist ||

References

External links

NatashaBedingfield.com – Natasha Bedingfield official website

Category:1981 births Category:Alumni of the University of Greenwich Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:British people of New Zealand descent Category:British rhythm and blues singers Category:British dance musicians Category:British female singers Category:British pop singers Category:British songwriters Category:British singer-songwriters Category:English-language singers Category:English Pentecostals Category:English Christians Category:Hillsong musicians Category:Living people Category:People from Surrey

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name	Rivers Cuomo
background	solo_singer
birth name	Rivers Cuomo
born	New York City, New York, United States
origin	Pomfret, Connecticut,United States
instrument	Vocals, guitar, drums, bass, piano, harmonica, clarinet
genre	Alternative rock, power pop, pop punk, indie rockProgressive metal (Prior to Weezer)
occupation	Singer, songwriter, guitarist
years active	1986–present
associated acts	Weezer, Avant Garde, Zoom, Homie, Goat Punishment, Sixty Wrong Sausages, Miranda Cosgrove, B.o.B, Simple Plan, All Time Low
website	Official website
notable instruments	Warmoth Fat StratGibson SGFender StratocasterGibson Explorer }}

Rivers Cuomo (; born June 13, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo became interested in music at a young age. He moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992. With Weezer, he has released eight studio albums.

In addition to fronting Weezer, Cuomo has also worked as a solo artist. In December 2007, he released his debut album, ''Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo'', which featured home demos that Cuomo recorded from 1992 to 2007. He released his second solo artist album, ''Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo'', in November 2008. ''Alone III: The Pinkerton Years'' is scheduled for release in 2011.

Childhood and youth

Cuomo was born in a Manhattan hospital to parents of Italian and German/English descent, and raised on an ashram - run by the late yoga master Sri Swami Satchidananda in Pomfret, Connecticut. His mother, Beverly, was inspired to name her son "Rivers" because he was born between the East and Hudson rivers in Manhattan. Her appreciation of the sound of running water further reinforced her desire for this name. His father, Frank Cuomo, was a musician who played drums on the album ''Odyssey of Iska'' by jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

During his early childhood Cuomo attended a private school on an ashram farm where his parents raised him and his brother Leaves. Cuomo's parents moved to nearby Storrs, Connecticut when the ashram (known as Yogaville) was relocated to a plot of land along the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Cuomo attended E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut under the name Peter Kitts, but reverted back to his original name once he began attending Santa Monica College. Cuomo went on to attend Berklee College of Music and Harvard University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. In high school, Cuomo played the role of Johnny Casino in the stage production of ''Grease''.

Music career

Weezer

After a series of musical projects in Los Angeles, Cuomo formed Weezer on February 14, 1992, with members from Sixty Wrong Sausages, including drummer Patrick Wilson. The original Weezer line-up included Cuomo on vocals and guitar, Wilson on drums, Matt Sharp on bass, and Jason Cropper who at first played exclusively on acoustic guitar. Weezer signed with DGC, a subsidiary of Geffen Records, on June 25, 1993. They began recording ''Weezer'' (also known as ''The Blue Album'') in August 1993 at Electric Lady Studios in New York with producer Ric Ocasek. "Weezer" was Rivers' childhood nickname, given to him by his father when he was a toddler, although it wasn't because he had asthma.

Throughout 2002 Cuomo frequently posted on Weezer message boards as 'Ace' to discuss music with fans. He once had a website called the 'Catalog of Riffs' ('COR') in which he shared old demos of songs as well as scans of many personal items (letters, schedules, records). Since 2003 he has kept a MySpace page in which he has posted many blog entries including his original admission essay and two subsequent readmission essays to Harvard. Additionally he uses his MySpace blog as a clearinghouse for clarifications, corrections, and addenda to interviews and press reports about him. (This has included responding to misinformation on his Wikipedia entry.)

Starting on the Foozer tour in late 2005, Cuomo would invite fans onto the stage to play "Undone – The Sweater Song" on acoustic guitar. After the performance, fans were allowed to keep the guitars they played. In 2008, coinciding with the release of Weezer's new album, ''The Red Album'', Weezer announced a "Hootenanny Tour" in which radio stations would audition fans to play songs live with Weezer. This "hootenanny" style performance was replicated for the band's "Troublemaker" video and on their 2008 Troublemaker Tour. On November 25, 2008, Cuomo invited a small group of guests to a jam session at Fingerprints Records in Long Beach, CA. This marked the release of ''Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo''. Fans chose the songs and played the instruments while Cuomo sang.

Other projects

One of Cuomo's earliest music projects was a progressive metal band known as Avant Garde. Cuomo played under the name Peter Kitts, Kitts being the surname of his stepfather. The band played several shows in Connecticut. He moved with the band to Los Angeles in March 1989. In late 1989 Avant Garde changed its name to Zoom though the band dissolved in the late spring of 1990. Before Weezer, Cuomo worked as a roadie for King Size on their Guatemala tour. During a Weezer hiatus, Cuomo formed a musical project called Homie, consisting of what he called "goofball songs" or his "country band". An album was planned, but only one studio recording, a song titled "American Girls", has been released. Cuomo has contributed to recordings by various other musicians (Crazy Town, Cold, Mark Ronson). He also briefly managed the band AM Radio in 2002 and 2003.

In early 2004 he made a surprise appearance onstage with ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp at his California State University, Fullerton show to play two old Weezer favorites ("Say It Ain't So" and "Undone"), a rare Weezer demo that they worked on together ("Mrs. Young"), and a new song they wrote together, "Time Song." Also, Sharp announced that they might work on a collaborative record together. But later that year, Sharp announced on his website that although they had come up with "15 or 16 new song ideas, some good, some not so good" for their new album, their "special brand of dysfunctionality" may keep them from finishing the project.

Cuomo is a big fan of soccer. He can be seen playing in the "Photograph" video, and even planned his band's 2002 "World Cup Tour" around World Cup games. In 2006 he wrote a song titled "My Day Is Coming" in tribute to the U.S. men's soccer team, and followed it up for 2010 by writing "Represent", which he considers to be an "unofficial" anthem for the U.S. team. The latter song was released as a Weezer single on June 11, the day before Team USA's World Cup opener against England.

In March 2008, Cuomo started a video series on YouTube called "Let's Write a Sawng." Cuomo plans to write a song in collaboration with YouTube users' suggestions. Additionally, Cuomo has had cameos in a number of music videos. These include Crystal Method's "Murder" and the video for The Warlocks' "Cocaine Blues." Cuomo also makes a guest appearance on Sugar Ray's "Boardwalk", the first single on their latest album, ''Music for Cougars''. Cuomo featured on the song "Magic", on B.o.B's debut album ''B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray'' which was released in April 2010. In a May interview with HitQuarters, producer-songwriter Lucas Secon confirmed that he had recently worked with Cuomo on both a Steve Aoki single and "some Weezer stuff."

Cuomo is currently in the process of recording a Japanese album with Scott Murphy of Allister. He also collaborated with Japanese singer Hitomi for her first indie album ''Spirit'', even making a duet with her. Cuomo is featured on the new Simple Plan song "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" and Miranda Cosgrove's song, "High Maintenance".

Personal life

On June 18, 2006, Cuomo married Kyoko Ito, whom he had known since March 1997. He proposed to her in Tokyo shortly before Christmas of 2005. The wedding was held at a secluded beach on Paradise Cove in Malibu and was attended by over a hundred people, including six of the seven members who played in Weezer (Mikey Welsh being the only no show) as well as notables Justin Fisher, Kevin Ridel and Rick Rubin. The couple have a daughter, Mia, who was born in May 2007.

Cuomo was born with his left leg 44 mm (1 in) shorter than his right leg. After the success of ''The Blue Album'', Cuomo underwent a procedure to correct the condition. This involved the surgical breaking of the bone in his leg, followed by several months of wearing a steel brace which required self-administered "stretching" of the leg four times daily; Cuomo likened the ordeal to "crucifying [his] leg." An x-ray of the leg is part of the album art for "The Good Life" single, and the experience inspired him to write the song. Cuomo can be seen wearing the brace on an episode of ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', which can be found on their DVD ''Video Capture Device''.

On December 6, 2009, Cuomo was in his tour bus driving to Boston from Toronto with his family and assistants when the bus hit an icy road in Glen, New York and crashed. He suffered cracked ribs and internal bleeding. Due to this accident, Weezer canceled the rest of the 2009 tour dates, planning to reschedule them the following year. The band made their return to the stage on January 20, 2010, performing at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Cuomo is a vegetarian.

Other interests

Cuomo practices Vipassana meditation and is a student of S.N. Goenka. As of mid-2009 he also teaches children's meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka. Cuomo recently helped acquire music rights and provided financial support to a documentary titled ''The Dhamma Brothers'' about Vipassana meditation being instituted in an Alabama state prison.

His favorite soccer player is Landon Donovan. He supports the U.S. Men's National team, Los Angeles Galaxy and English side Sheffield Wednesday. In early 2008 he played in the Mia & Nomar Celebrity Soccer Challenge and scored a goal in the game. His video for "Lover in the Snow" off of his ''Alone'' album dealt with this game and his love of soccer. In August 2009, Cuomo also participated in the Athletes for Africa 5v5 Charity Soccer Tournament in Toronto, Canada alongside actor Michael Cera. During Weezer's performance at Leeds Festival 2010, Rivers would go to the side of the stage and play football (kicking the ball against a goal and/or a wall), at the beginning and end of the band's set.

In a 2001 ''Rolling Stone'' interview, he was asked of what kind of characters he played in ''Dungeons & Dragons''; he said he preferred elven or half-elven split-class fighter-thieves.

Image

Some of Cuomo's fashion trademarks include his horn-rimmed glasses and his lightning bolt guitar strap. He has sported a bowl cut, most notably in the music video for "Undone - The Sweater Song". Other notable fashion trends include sporting a life preserver-styled vest in early 2001, growing a thick beard in mid-2002 and a brief suit-and-tie phase in summer 2002. Cuomo has also been seen with a short moustache in the video for "Pork and Beans" and on the ''Red Album'' cover. Cuomo has said that he grew the moustache in honor of his daughter and that his father wore one just like his when Cuomo was born. During Weezer's hiatus between the albums ''Pinkerton'' and ''Weezer (Green Album)'', Cuomo had braces on his teeth. They were evidently removed before the release of the ''Green Album.''

Artistry

Cuomo has cited a wide variety of musical influences throughout the years, from artists as diverse as Kiss, Nirvana, Lou Barlow, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brian Wilson and Giacomo Puccini. He took it upon himself to become a student of rock and pop music when in the late 90s, Cuomo created "The Encyclopedia of Pop" for himself, a three-ring binder which broke down the mechanics of pop and rock songs featuring songs by Nirvana, Green Day and Oasis.

Cuomo has written and recorded over 800 tracks in his lifetime, either with Weezer, with earlier bands, or as self-recorded demos. Despite the large amount of unreleased material that has been made available by Cuomo on the internet, large chunks of his work remain unheard by fans. These include certain demos for ''The Blue Album'', various songs from the scrapped ''Songs from the Black Hole'' project, over a hundred songs he composed and demoed throughout 1999 (songs which he has described as ranging from "drone-y Romantic," "abrasive dissonance" and "riffy pop-rock") and well over a hundred songs that didn't make the cut for ''Make Believe''. Recently on Cuomo's MySpace he began satisfying fans' need to hear these unreleased demos "in the most legal way" he could by posting sheet music and lyrics for the ''Songs From the Black Hole'' tracks "She's Had A Girl", "Oh Jonas" and "Who You Callin' Bitch?" as well as the Blue Album-era demo "Getting Up and Leaving."

He almost never swears in any of his songs and often uses minced oaths such as "bee-yotch" instead of "bitch". He attributes this to The Beach Boys, saying "Weezer came up at a time when Jane's Addiction released ''Nothing's Shocking''—everyone was trying to be controversial. We looked back to rock & roll's pre-drug days—to the clean images of the Beach Boys—that felt, ironically, rebellious." The word "fucking" does appear on ''Raditude'''s "Can't Stop Partying", but it is used by guest rapper Lil Wayne, not by Cuomo. He also uses the word "Goddamn" in the first verse of "The Sweater Song", the third verse of "Across the Sea", the opening of "El Scorcho", and the bridge in "Falling for You".

He has been known to use experimentation to inspire his writing, for example, fasting for a day and then writing a song, as he did on "Hold Me." Cuomo has familiarity with a wide array of musical instruments: besides the guitar, he is also skilled at the piano, and bass guitar (he frequently demoed songs on his own, a la the 1995 Fort Apache Studios ''Pinkerton'' demos, and can be seen playing the bass in the Weezer DVD ''Video Capture Device''). Cuomo also plays clarinet (as heard on ''Alone'' and ''SFTBH'' track "Longtime Sunshine" and the .com-released demo "Clarinet Waltz"), drums (as heard on ''Alone'', in concerts during "Photograph", two songs on the red album and some tracks on ''Hurley''), trumpet (as heard on "Victory on the Hill" from "Alone II") and harmonica.

Instruments

He is known to perform with customised Warmoth Stratocasters. Throughout his career he has frequently played Warmoth stratocasters that are covered in stickers. Cuomo also notably played Gibson V's and Explorers onstage in late 2001 and throughout parts of 2002. He could also briefly be seen using an Explorer in the music video for "Beverly Hills". His guitar is adorned with a sticker of the Thai word Farang, meaning "a white foreigner." The sticker is found on the SG that he keeps in E flat tuning; a second SG, usually tuned to E, does not have this sticker. Some of his guitars have been known to be adorned with many stickers given to him by fans.

Discography

;With Weezer

''Weezer (The Blue Album)'' (1994)

''Pinkerton'' (1996)

''Weezer (The Green Album)'' (2001)

''Maladroit'' (2002)

''Make Believe'' (2005)

''Weezer (The Red Album)'' (2008)

''Raditude'' (2009)

''Hurley'' (2010)

;Solo albums

''Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo'' (2007)

''Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo'' (2008)

''Not Alone – Rivers Cuomo and Friends: Live at Fingerprints'' (2009)

''Alone III: The Pinkerton Years (2011)

''ザ クマモトキッド'' (''The Kumamoto Kid'') (2011)

;Guest contributions Homie – "American Girls," from the ''Meet the Deedles'' soundtrack (1998): vocals, guitar, songwriting and melody The Rentals – "My Head is in the Sun," from ''Seven More Minutes'' (1999): co-written with Matt Sharp, but does not appear on the track itself Crazy Town – "Hurt You So Bad," from ''Darkhorse'' (2002): guitar solo Cold – "Stupid Girl," from ''Year of the Spider'' (2003): vocals, songwriting Mark Ronson – "I Suck," from ''Here Comes the Fuzz'' (2003): vocals, guitar, production The Relationship – "Hand to Hold" (2007): co-written with Brian Bell, a reworked version of the early ''Make Believe'' era outtake "Private Message"

Sugar Ray – "Love is the Answer" (2009): written by and featuring Cuomo

Adam Lambert - "Pick U Up" (2009): Co-Wrote

B.o.B - "Magic" from ''The Adventures of Bobby Ray'' (2010): vocals, Co-Wrote

Kevin Rudolf - "Must Be Dreamin'" from ''To the Sky'' (2010): vocals, Co-Wrote

Katy Perry - "Work It" (unreleased track) from ''Teenage Dream'' (2010): Co-Wrote

Miranda Cosgrove - "Hig Maintenance" from ''High Maintenance'' (2011): vocals, Co-Wrote

Simple Plan - "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" from ''Get Your Heart On!'' (2011): vocals

All Time Low - "I Feel Like Dancin'" from ''Dirty Work'' (2011): Co-Wrote

Hitomi - "Rollin' Wit Da Homies" from ''Spirit'' (2011): vocals, Co-Wrote

References

External links

Interview with The Harvard Crimson about his Harvard years

Rivers Cuomo Archived MySpace Postings

Rivers Cuomo on his creative career

Biographical article in Shambhala Sun Magazine

Category:Living people Category:1970 births Category:Weezer members Category:American vegetarians Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American musicians of German descent Category:American musicians of English descent Category:American male singers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Musicians from Connecticut Category:Harvard University alumni

ca:Rivers Cuomo de:Rivers Cuomo es:Rivers Cuomo eo:Rivers Cuomo fr:Rivers Cuomo gl:Rivers Cuomo it:Rivers Cuomo nl:Rivers Cuomo ja:リヴァース・クオモ no:Rivers Cuomo nn:Rivers Cuomo pl:Rivers Cuomo pt:Rivers Cuomo simple:Rivers Cuomo sv:Rivers Cuomo zh:瑞弗斯·柯摩

Name	Sean Paul
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
Born	January 09, 1973 Kingston, Jamaica
Genre	Dancehall, Reggae, R&B;
Occupation	Musician, Actor, Songwriter, Producer
Years active	1998–present
Associated acts	Dutty Cup Crew, Mr. Vegas, Jay Sean, Beyonce, Ziggy Marley
Label	VP/Atlantic Records
Website	}}

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born January 9, 1973), who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer from Dutty Cup Crew.

Life and career

1973–1996: Early life

Sean Paul was born in Kingston and spent his early years in Upper Saint Andrew Parish, a few miles north of Kingston. His parents, Garth and Frances, were both talented athletes, and his mother is a well-known painter. His paternal grandfather was a Sephardic Jew whose family emigrated from Portugal, and his paternal grandmother was Afro-Caribbean; his mother is of English and Chinese Jamaican descent. Sean Paul was raised as a Catholic. Many members of his family are swimmers. His grandfather was on the first Jamaican men's national water polo team. His father also played water polo for the team in the 1960s, and competed in long-distance swimming, while Sean Paul's mother was a backstroke swimmer. Sean Paul played for the national water polo team from the age of thirteen to twenty-one, when he gave up the sport in order to launch his musical career. He attended the Wolmers High School for Boys, Hillel Academy High School, and the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, now known as the University of Technology, where he was trained in commerce with a view to pursuing an occupation in hotel management.

1998–2004: ''Stage One'' and ''Dutty Rock''

left|thumb|Sean Paul in September 2005. He made a quick cameo appearance in the 1998 film ''Belly'' on stage performing. He made a very successful collaboration with DMX & Mr. Vegas (Top Shotter) as a soundtrack of the film. In 2000, Sean Paul released his debut album, ''Stage One'' with VP Records. In 2002, he began working extensively with a team of producers and choreographers from Toronto, namely Jae Blaze and Blaze Entertainment and announced the release of his second album, ''Dutty Rock''. Pushed by the success of the singles "Gimme the Light" and the Billboard Hot 100 topper, "Get Busy", the album was a worldwide success, eventually selling over six million copies. Simultaneously, Sean Paul was heard on Beyoncé's U.S. #1 single "Baby Boy" and Blu Cantrell's "Breathe", a chart hit in Europe. Both helped to push his reputation further still in the United States.

He appeared on ''Punk'd'', ''106 & Park'', ''Sean Paul Respect'', ''Making the Video'' ("Get Busy", "Gimme the Light", and "Like Glue") and his music videos have been broadcast on MTV and BET. Paul's biggest hits included "Get Busy", "Like Glue", "Gimme the Light", "Baby Boy", and "I'm Still in Love with You".

2005–2008: ''The Trinity''

Sean Paul's third album ''The Trinity'' was released in on September 27, 2005. The album produced five big hits, "We Be Burnin'", "Ever Blazin'", "Give It Up to Me", "Never Gonna Be The Same" and the U.S. chart-topping smash hit "Temperature".

The video of "(When You Gonna) Give It up to Me" (featuring Keyshia Cole) was also featured in the movie ''Step Up'' in 2006.

He was nominated for four awards at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, including male artist of the year, rap artist of the year, hot 100 single of the year, and pop single of the year for his hit "Temperature". He also won an American Music Award for "(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me" beating Kanye West and Nick Lachey who were also nominated for the award.

His song "Send It On" from "The Trinity" featured on the 2005 Vauxhall Corsa advert. Sean Paul often contributes his songs to various ''Riddim Driven'' albums (by VP Records). In March 2007, he returned to his native Jamaica to perform at the Cricket World Cup 2007 opening ceremony.

Sean Paul appears on the game Def Jam: Fight for NY as part of Snoop Dogg's crew and again in the game's sequel, Def Jam Icon.

2009: ''Imperial Blaze''

The newest Sean Paul album entitled "Imperial Blaze" was released on August 18, 2009. The lead single, “So Fine”, which was produced by Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, premiered on Sean Paul's official website on April 26, 2009.

Speaking to Pete Lewis of 'Blues & Soul' magazine in August 2009, Sean Paul stated that 'Imperial Blaze' "Actually signifies 'The King's Fire'. It's that thing inside of you that gives you the desire to do whatever you do, and be the best in the world at it."

The new album consists of 20 tracks including "So Fine", "Press it Up", "She Want Me", "Private Party" which are party tracks and also love songs such as "Hold My Hand" (feat Keri Hilson), "Lately", "Now That I've Got Your Love" among others. Producers on the album include Don Corleone, Jeremy Harding, and Sean's brother Jason 'Jigzagula' Henriques. All the full songs of the album have been added to Sean Paul's Myspace page on the day of release of the album.

Up until now there have been eight music videos: "Always On My Mind (with Da'Ville)", "Give It To You (with Eve)", "Watch Them Roll", "Back It Up" (with Left Side/Mr. Evil), "(I Wanna See You) Push It Baby" (with Pretty Ricky), "Hit 'Em" (with Fahrenheit and his brother Jason "Jigzagula" Henriques), "Come Over" with Estelle, and also the video of his first single, "So Fine" from the new album.

He has recently been featured in Shaggy's video, "Save A Life", which also includes appearances from Elephant Man and Da'Ville, among others. In an effort to raise money for a children's hospital, Shaggy, Sean Paul and others will be having a benefit concert. All proceeds will go towards getting new equipment and technology 'For Aid to the Bustamante Hospital for Children'. In an interview in 2009 he says he is planning to release a new album in 2011.

During the premiere for MNET's Big Brother Africa 5: All-Stars on July 18, 2010, he performed his songs "Temperature", "Hold My Hand", and "So Fine". Sean Paul made a show in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

(2011- present): New studio album

Sean Paul is currently in the studio making his fifth coming album due for release at the end of 2011. The first song, " Got 2 Luv U" (featuring Alexis Jordan) was released for purchase on the 26th of June.

Discography

''Stage One'' (2000)

''Dutty Rock'' (2002)

''The Trinity'' (2005)

''Imperial Blaze'' (2009)

''Upcoming Fifth Studio Album'' (2011)

Filmography

;Films

1998

Year !! Title !! Role
	|	Belly (film)>Belly''	Himself

Awards and nominations

American Music Awards

*2006, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist (winner)

*2003, Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Male Artist (nominated)

*2003, Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Album ''Dutty Rock'' (nominated)

BET Awards

*2003, Best New Artist (Nominated)

MTV Romania Music Awards

*2007, Best International Artist (winner)

Grammy Awards

*2010, Best Reggae Album: ''Imperial Blaze'' (nominated)

*2006, Best Reggae Album: ''The Trinity'' (nominated)

*2004, Best New Artist: (nominated)

*2004, Best Reggae Album: ''Dutty Rock'' (winner)

*2004, Best Male Rap Solo Performance: "Get Busy" (nominated)

MOBO Awards

*2009, Best Reggae Act (Winner)

*2006, Best Reggae Act (Winner)

*2005, Best Reggae Act (Nominated)

MTV Video Music Awards

*2006, Best Dance Video "Temperature" (nominated)

*2003, Best Dance Video "Get Busy" (nominated)

*2003, Best New Artist "Get Busy" (nominated)

Soul Train Awards

*2009, Best Reggae Artist (Winner)

*2007, Best Dance Cut "When You Gonna (Give It Up to Me)" (nominated)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1973 births Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jamaican Roman Catholics Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Jamaican people of Chinese descent Category:Jamaican reggae singers Category:Living people Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Jamaican people of English descent Category:Reggae fusion artists

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