apl.de.ap
Apl.de.ap
Background information
Birth name	Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr.
Also known as	Apl.de.ap
Born	(1974-11-17) November 17, 1974 (age 37) Sapang Bato, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, electro, alternative hip hop, hip house, Philippine hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, record producer
Instruments	Rapping, singing, drums
Years active	1991–present
Associated acts	The Black Eyed Peas
Website	http://www.apldeap.com/

Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. (born November 17, 1974) better known as apl.de.ap (pronounced "Apple D Ap"), is a Filipino-American rapper, record producer, and occasional drummer who is best known as a member of the Grammy Award-winning group The Black Eyed Peas.

Early life[link]

Apl.de.ap was born in Angeles City, Pampanga, to a Filipino mother and an African American father. His father, an Airman stationed at Clark Air Base, left the family shortly after his birth; his mother, Cristina Pineda, raised him and his six younger siblings as a single mother. As a child, apl.de.ap would make an hour-long jeepney trip to and from school, and helped his family subsist by farming sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane and rice.^{[citation needed]} The Pearl S. Buck Foundation, an organization that finds healthier living environments for young abandoned or orphaned American children, matched him with a sponsor named Joe Ben Hudgens through a dollar-a-day program. He initially came to the United States at the age of 11 to treat nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes. During a trip to Disneyland, Apl expressed his interest in staying in the United States. It would take another three years for Hudgens to officially adopt him, but at fourteen he moved permanently to the United States to live with Hudgens.^[1]

In Los Angeles, he attended John Marshall High School where he befriended William Adams (stage name will.i.am), the nephew of Hudgens' roommate.^[1][2] He went to college at Holy Angel University. Apl.de.ap's early musical influences were Stevie Wonder, The Eagles, The Beatles, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Leaders of the New School and the Filipino rock/folk group, Asin. Apl was introduced to hip-hop by break dancing. "I would take the jeepney all the way to Angeles City, and that's how I got introduced to break dancing," he said. "I would see kids at the corner break-dancing and I'm like, 'I wanna do that.'" apl.de.ap revealed to People Magazine in 2011 that he is legally blind in both of his eyes, suffering from nystagmus and has this condition his entire career.^[3] "I'm good at shapes. If I'm not close, even if it's big, I can't read it. I doubted myself for a long time," apl.de.ap said. "I'm comfortable not using my vision. I weave around my problems." He went on to say in the same article that "Until I discovered hip-hop, I felt I wasn't going to accomplish anything." Two of his siblings are dead: his younger brother Arnel committed suicide (this is referenced in The Apl Song in the lines "I guess sometimes life's stresses get you down/Oh brother, wish I could have helped you out"). His youngest brother, Joven Pineda Deala, was murdered at the age of 22 in February 2009 in Porac, Pampanga.^[4]

Career[link]

apl.de.ap performing with The Black Eyed Peas at Outside Lands 2009

He and will.i.am formed a break-dancing crew called Tribal Nation and performed regularly at Southern California parties and events. From 1992–1995, their crew was renamed Atban Klann (ATBAN stands for "A Tribe Beyond a Nation") and included MC Mookie Mook, performer Dante Santiago and producer DJ Motiv8. Atban Klann was eventually signed onto Eazy-E's label, Ruthless Records but Eazy-E's death put an end to their debut album Grass Roots.

Lindo has brought his Filipino culture into his collaboration with The Black Eyed Peas. He explains his life story in a song called "The Apl Song" on the Peas' 2003 album Elephunk, which includes a full chorus in Tagalog sampled from the Asin song "Balita." The accompanying video, which includes cameos by fellow Filipino-Americans Dante Basco and Chad Hugo, is also a tribute to the Filipinos who fought for the U.S. in World War II; the song reached number one in the Philippines.

"Bebot" (which is Filipino slang for pretty woman) is another all-Tagalog song on 2005's Monkey Business album. A music video for "Bebot" was filmed in and around Los Angeles in early July 2006, including in Kenneth Hahn Park, where Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" video was also filmed; the video features primarily Filipinos, Filipino Americans and other Asian-Americans from the Los Angeles area. The video was directed by Patricio Ginelsa ^[5] who also directed "The Apl Song" and produced the Filipino-American coming of age movie The Debut.^[6] The single was not released in the US but was in the Philippines and several other Asian countries.

Two of The Black Eyed Peas:apl.de.ap and Fergie

Apl.de.ap is working on a solo album. He recently disclosed in an interview that he would be collaborating with fellow Filipino-American Chad Hugo of The Neptunes and Illmind from G-Unit to incorporate traditional Filipino instruments into his songs.^[7] Some of his songs are uploaded on his MySpace page. On January 3, 2009, he debuted the first single, You Can Dream featuring Billy Crawford, from his upcoming album on the internationally broadcast Philippine variety/game show Wowowee. In August, he released a music video for his second single named Mama Filipina.

Apl.de.ap started the Apl Foundation. It is committed in giving back to communities and children within the Philippines and throughout Asia. He also started his own music company called Jeepney Music, Inc. It is currently based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California. It currently handles DJs such as Free School, DJ Rockyrock, DJ MIA, and PoetNameLife.

Apl.de.ap recorded another Tagalog song for The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album, "The E.N.D.", the song is called "Mare". In 2009, he also had a song entitled "Take Me to The Philippines", in partnership with the Department of Tourism of the Philippines.

1995–present: Success with The Black Eyed Peas[link]

The Black Eyed Peas date back to 1988, when eighth-graders William Adams (will.i.am) and Allan Pineda (apl.de.ap) met and began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. The pair signed to Ruthless Records (run by Eazy-E) in 1992, catching the attention of Eazy-E manager, Jerry Heller's, nephew. Along with another friend of theirs, Dante Santiago, they called their trio Atban Klann (ATBAN: A Tribe Beyond a Nation).^[8] Will 1X (aka will.i.am), apl.de.ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8 (aka Monroe Walker) and Dante Santiago formed Atban Klann. Their debut album, Grass Roots, was never released because Ruthless founder Eazy-E had died.

The Black Eyed Peas in Paris during The E.N.D. Tour.

After Eazy-E died in 1995, Atban Klann reformed and changed their name to Black Eyed Pods, and then Black Eyed Peas. Dante Santiago was replaced with Jaime Gomez (Taboo), and Kim Hill became a steady background singer. Unlike many hip-hop acts, they chose to perform with a live band and adopted a musical and clothing style that differed wildly from the "Gangsta Rap" sounds of Los Angeles-based hip-hop acts at the time. After being signed to Interscope Records and releasing their debut, Behind the Front (1998) the group (and their accompanying live band) earned critical acclaim. One of the singles from the album was "Joints & Jam", and was featured on the Bulworth soundtrack. Their second album was Bridging the Gap (2000), which had the single "Request + Line" featuring Macy Gray.

In 2003 Fergie became the fourth member of the group and today the hip hop group has been awarded 6 Grammys with an estimated of 60 million records sold worldwide.They released their third album "Elephunk", with the hit singles "Where Is the Love?" and "Shut Up". Their next album Monkey Business, was a worldwide success, certified 4× Platinum in the U.S., and spawning two singles, "My Humps" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart".

In 2009, the group became one of only 11 artists to have simultaneously held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, with their singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling", with the next single "Meet Me Halfway" achieving similar success, from the album The E.N.D.. These three singles topped the chart for an unprecedented 30 consecutive weeks in 2009. The album later produced a third Hot 100 number-one placement with "Imma Be", making the group one of few to ever place three number one singles on the chart from the same album before being followed with "Rock That Body" which managed to peak in the Top 10 of Hot 100. "I Gotta Feeling" became the first single to sell more than 1 million downloads in the United Kingdom.^[9]

The Black Eyed Peas in 2011

The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on the Billboard's Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, and 7th in the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade.In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning. The first single of the album was "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and topped the charts in many countries. In February 2011, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. The album's second single was "Just Can't Get Enough" and was released in February 2011. The music video was filmed in Japan one week before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The third single "Don't Stop the Party" was released in May 2011. In July 2011 the group announced that they are taking a break and have denied breakup rumors.^[10]

Discography[link]

Mixtapes[link]

• 2011: Apl.De.Ap & DJ Ammo (NRJ Radio Mix)

Awards[link]

• 2008 - Special Citation - Myx Music Awards
• 2010 - Best Hip-Hop/Rap Performance: Take Me to the Philippines - Filipino-American Vocal Arts Society Online Music Awards

Sources[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Apl.de.ap

• Official Apl-de-Ap Website
• The Black Eyed Peas' official website
• Apl.De.Ap interview with JiZO June 2009

Jessica Soho is Filipino broadcast journalist, documentarian and news director who received a George Foster Peabody Award^[1] and was the first Filipino to win the British Fleet Journalism Award in 1998.^[2]

She has reported for the GMA network for 27 years.

A Ka Doroy Valencia awardee, Soho was also one of the 100 Filipino Women of Distinction chosen during the centennial celebration of the Philippines.

Her story of a hostage crisis in Cagayan Valley made her the first Filipino to win in the New York Film Festival for Coverage of a Breaking Story.

She helped conceptualize the one-hour documentary television program I-Witness, which ran for over 10 years becoming the longest running late-night program on the air as of 2009^[3]

Her documentaries on the Kidneys for Sale business and Kamao death sport made her the first Filipino reporter, with GMA Network as the first Filipino network, to win the George Foster Peabody Award on 1999.^[4]

Soho hosts Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and was honored on October 14, 2008, by Quezon City with the Outstanding Citizen Award.^[5]

Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) was recognized as the Most Development-Oriented Magazine Program. Program host Jessica Soho got two awards – the Best Public Affairs Program Host and the Best Magazine Program Host in the Gandingan 2009: UPLB Isko’t Iska's Broadcast Choice Awards. Gandingan 2009 is the first award-giving ceremony in the field of broadcasting instituted by Community Broadcasters’ Society (UPCBS) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). It pays tribute to the best broadcast programs that air over TV and radio.^[6]

In 2004, at the annual Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists event, she stated that "Provincial and regional journalists, in my view, are the real heroes in this profession. The dangers and risks you face and encounter are no doubt far greater than those that we face in Manila," in reference to the 55 journalists in the country that had been killed to date, "But despite the hazards of the job, journalists must work hard and strive to make Philippine media strong, robust and credible."^[7]

Her biggest break in news-casting entitled State of the Nation with Jessica Soho as a news anchor.

Career[link]

Jessica Soho is a Filipino reporter, host, producer and currently the acting news director of GMA Network. She joined the GMA team in the mid-80s, fresh from college, barely finished with her undergraduate thesis.

Soho's first voice-over report was a feature story on the inauguration of the Light Rail Transit from Baclaran to Monumento. Later she was assigned to the defense and military beat. Eventually, Soho's reputation and responsibility have increased dramatically since then.

At the UP College of Mass Communications, Soho met the journalist Luis Beltran who inspired Soho to finish Mass Communications.

She is the first Filipino to win in the New York Film Festival for Coverage of a Breaking Story for her account of a hostage crisis in Cagayan Valley. She also received the Ka Doroy Valencia Award given by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. In 1994, she received the Grand Prize from the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union for her riveting coverage of a breaking news story. Soho is included in the list of 100 Filipino Women of Distinction.

In the documentary "Kidneys for Sale", Soho explored a depressed area in Manila and discovered the unemployed selling their kidneys to make ends meet.

Work History[link]

Jessica Soho is a graduate of the University of the Philippines.

An accidental journalist whose dream was to become a lawyer, Jessica started as a reporter in 1985, choosing to work in television despite her lack of training in broadcast journalism.

She learned the ropes at GMA-7, where she started as a news reporter covering the military-defense beat among other editorial beats. Then as now, she also covered unusual news events such as man-made and natural calamities, from killer earthquakes to super typhoons, even coup attempts and high-profile hostage situations.

She has helped produce a number of News and Public Affairs special and programs including the network’s election coverage from the 1980s until the most recent one.

She has also been sent on a number of significant overseas assignments such as the exile of the Marcoses in Hawaii; the Hong Kong Handover in 1997; President Corazon Aquino’s first state visit to Indonesia and Singapore in 1986; President Fidel Ramos’ state visit to France and Germany in 1993 and many more.

She has also reported on the plight of overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

She founded and conceptualized the program EMERGENCY. She was the first Executive Producer of the program.

She is one of the founders of the premiere investigative news magazine show, Brigada Siete. She was also the host and chief reporter of the program.

She was head of the Special Assignments Team (SAT) of GMA News and Public Affairs. This section produced special/investigative reports for GMA’s news programs, Saksi and Frontpage: Ulat ni Mel Tiangco.

She conceptualized I-Witness, the pioneering and highly-acclaimed documentary series of GMA. She is also one of the original hosts of the program.

On the side, Ms. Soho has been a member of the screening committee of TOYM for four (4) consecutive years. This committee screens and selects TOYM nominees.

Recently, Ms. Soho has pioneered in the coverage of world events such as the crisis in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Israel.

She is currently Vice President for News of GMA News & Public Affairs.

Awards[link]

• George Foster Peabody Award for Investigative Journalism.

• British Fleet Journalism Award, 1998^[2]

• 2003 Rotary Club of Manila, Journalism Awards, Hall of Fame Recipient

• 2002 PMPC Star Awards for Television, Best News Magazine Show and Best News Magazine Host – jessica soho reports

• 2002 Catholic Mass Media Awards, Best News Magazine Show – jessica soho reports

• 2002 KBP Golden Dove Awards, Best Public Affairs Program for Metro Manila and Best Public Affairs Host – jessica soho reports

• George Foster Peabody Award for Investigative Journalism. This is regarded as the Pulitzer Prize for Broadcasting. Two documentaries reported and produced by Ms. Soho, “Kidneys for Sale” and “Kamao” (Fist) has won for her network, the Philippines’ first Peabody award.

• New York Film and Television Festival for Coverage of a Breaking Story. Ms. Soho’s coverage of a hostage crisis in Cagayan Valley in Northern Philippines won the bronze in the festival. She is the first Filipino to have won this award and in the news category. She has also been a consistent finalist in this same festival since.

• Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Grand Prize Winner. “Kape at Balita”, hosted by Ms. Soho for both radio and TV won this award in Kyoto, Japan for coverage of a breaking story.

• Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award. Ms. Soho won this award in 1993. This is usually given to the best and brightest Filipinos in various fields.

• TV Journalist of the Year given by the prestigious Rotary Club of Manila. Ms. Soho won this award for two (2) consecutive years: 1989 and 1990.

• Golden Dove Awardee / Broadcaster of the Year (Ka Doroy Valencia Award) given by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas. She is the first recipient of this award.

• Journalist of the Year given by the Rotary Club District 3180

• Cultural Center of the Philippines or CCP Gawad Natatanging Parangal (Special Awardee) for two (2) consecutive years: 1989 and 1990.

• Best TV Special for “The Anatomy of Rape”, a documentary/special report hosted, reported and produced by Ms. Soho. The award was given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

• Best TV News Magazine for “Within the Walls”, a documentary/special report hosted, reported and produced by Ms. Soho on prison life. The award was given by the Catholic Mass Media Awards.

• Political Reporter of the Year Award for coverage of “The Ipil Massacre” given by the Metro Pacific Corporation Journalism Awards.

• Best Host in the 1999 Golden Dove Awards given by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas.

• Fleet Street Awardee for Investigative Journalism given by the British Embassy in Manila in 1998.

• Special Award for Journalism given to the program I-WITNESS by the Star Awards for Television. The program was hosted then by Ms. Soho and three (3) other hosts : Cheche Lazaro, Luchi Cruz-Valdes and Mike Enriquez.

• Ambassador of Dreams given to Five Outstanding Filipinas led by the former President Corazon Aquino.

• 100 Filipino Women of Distinction. Ms. Soho was included in a book on top 100 Filipinos of the first 100 years of the Philippine Republic. The book was authored by Joy Buensalido and Abe Florendo.

• Community Outstanding Young Achievers (COYA) given by the Quezon City Capitol Jaycees and the Sampaguita Jaycees Inc.

• Outstanding Alumnae of the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines.

• Outstanding Citizen of the Province of La Union and the City of San Fernando, La Union respectively given by the Governor and the Mayor.

• Finalist, Best Documentary in the Asian TV Festival for “Kamao” (Fist), a documentary on the plight of Filipino boxers.

• Finalist, Best Documentary and UNESCO Awardee in the 2000 New York Film and Television Festival for “Katas ng Payatas” (The Essence of Payatas), a documentary on the tragic garbage dump in Metro Manila.

• Outstanding Contribution in the field of Media for the successful People Power II revolt given by the Council on Philippine Affairs or COPA. COPA is composed of various organizations that make up the “civil society” in the Philippines.

• Outstanding Broadcast Journalist Award given by the Metrobank Foundation in October 2001.

• Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Awardee for Media for 2001.

• Best Documentary Program for I-WITNESS given by the Star Awards for Television for 2001.

• Best TV News Magazine for I-WITNESS (episode by Jessica Soho) given by the Catholic Mass Media Awards for 2001.

• Best News and Current Affairs Special for 2001 given by the Asian TV Festival for SAKSI sa KASAYSAYAN. Ms. Soho was Supervising Producer for this special.

• Juror, 37th Grand Anvil Awards - Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP)

• Grandslam Winner, 2002

Golden Dove Awards Best Public Affairs Show for Jessica Soho Reports Golden Dove Awards Best Public Affairs Show Host for Jessica Soho Reports Star Awards for TV Best News Magazine Show for Jessica Soho Reports Star Awards for TV Best News Magazine Show Host for Jessica Soho Reports CMMA Best Public Affairs Show for Jessica Soho Reports CMMA Best Public Affairs Show Host for Jessica Soho Reports

• Best Public Affairs Presenter, Highly Recommended : 2001-2002 Asian TV Festival

• Journalism Awards for Broadcast Journalism Hall of Fame : Rotary Club of Manila, 2003

• Finalist, Best Social Issue/Current Events Program : New York Festival, 2004 (Mona Lisa Hospital, Jessica Soho Reports)

• Awardee, Mary Kay Philippines 3rd Anniversary, 2003 (Women with a Heart)

• Finalist, Unicef Children’s Rights Awards, 2004 (Missing Story, Jessica Soho Reports)

• Finalist, Best Current Affairs Program : Asian TV Awards, 2004 (Hospital, Lova Palooza and Manok ni Idol, Jessica Soho Reports)

• Finalist, Japan Prize, 2004 (Quiz Bee, Jessica Soho Reports)

• Finalist, Barcelona TV Awards, 2004 (Quiz Bee, Jessica Soho Reports)

• Best Magazine Show : Star Awards for TV, 2004 (Jessica Soho Reports)

• Anak TV Seal, 2004 (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho)

• Certificate, Special Issues : US International Film and Video Festival, 2005 (Sana’y Muling Makapiling)

• Anak TV Seal, 2005 (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho)

• Certificate Special Issues : US International Film and Video Festival, 2006 (Sana’y Muling Makapiling)

^[8]

• Anak TV Seal, 2007 (10 Most Admired Femal Personalities )

• Best Magazine Show : Catholic Mass Media Awards 2007 (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho)

• Finalist, Best Infotainment : Asian TV Awards 2007 (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho)

• Finalist, Best Public Service Program : Catholic Mass Media Awards 2007 ( Sana’y Muling Makapiling)

• Finalist, Social Issues Category : New York Film Festival 2008 ( Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and Sana’y Muling Makapiling )

• Best Magazine Program Host : UPLB Gandingan Awards 2008 (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho)

• Recipient 2nd Adamson University Media Awards 2012

Membership in Organizations/Conferences Attended

• Former Director and Secretary of the National Press Club

• Former President, Defense Press Corps

• Fellow, Nihon Shimbun Kyokai (Association of Newspaper Editors and Publishers of Japan)

• Grantee, International Visitors Program of the United States Information Service

• Delegate, Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (Singapore, 1991)

• Delegate, International Media Seminar organized by the United Nations Population Fund (Bali, Indonesia 1992)

• Delegate, Producers’ Meeting organized by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1992)

• Delegate, Radio-TV News Directors of America (RTNDA) Convention (Los Angeles, California 1996)

• Delegate, Radio-TV News Directors of America (RTNDA) Convention (New Orleans, Louisiana 1997)

• Delegate, Seminar on Democracy given by the British Council (Colchester, Essex, England 1998)

• Voting Member. Radio TV News Directors of America Convention

• Vice President for External Affairs UP College of Mass Communication Alumni Association

References[link]

Jennifer Holliday
Background information
Birth name	Jennifer-Yvette Holliday
Born	(1960-10-19) October 19, 1960 (age 51)
Origin	Riverside, Texas, USA
Genres	R&B, soul, pop, house, club/dance, gospel
Occupations	Singer, actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Geffen (1982-1990), Arista (1990-1996)

Jennifer-Yvette Holliday (born October 19, 1960, Riverside, Texas) is an American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist. She is best known for her debut single, the Dreamgirls showstopper and Grammy Award-winning R&B/Pop hit, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." She is also known as the Queen Of Broadway Gospel.

Biography[link]

Career[link]

Broadway actress[link]

Jennifer landed her first big role on Broadway in 1979. At age 19, she landed a part the same day she auditioned for the Broadway production of Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.^[1] Her performance in that musical earned her a 1981 Drama Desk nomination. Her next role, which she began to act at 21, was the role for which she became best known: the role of Effie Melody White in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Jennifer originated the role of Effie and remained with the show for nearly four years after its December 20, 1981 opening. Her performance in the role was widely acclaimed, particularly in her iconic performance of the musical number that ends Act I, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going."

Among the acclaim was Holliday's sweep of awards in 1982, including the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, a Grammy award for her recorded version of the song, and Drama Desk and Theater World awards for her acting performance. Holliday also performed in the touring company of Sing, Mahalia, Sing in 1985. In 1998 Holliday was featured on the album "My Favorite Broadway Ladies" notice as one of "The Queens of Broadway."

Recording artist[link]

Jennifer Holliday's version of the song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" made her a star on Broadway and catapulted her to national stardom. Her version of the song was enjoyed so much by many fans that Holliday was encouraged to transform the song into a hit on the Billboard charts. In 1982, a pop version of the song was released as a single. The song became very successful, peaking at number-one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, and number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. She continued to have success as a recording artist through the rest of the decade. Her follow-up song, "I Am Love", became another hit in 1983. Holliday's later R&B hits included. "Hard Time For Lovers" (1985), "No Frills Love" (1985), "Heart on the Line" (1987), "I'm on Your Side" (1991) and "A Woman's Got the Power" (2000). "A Woman's Got the Power" charted at #7 in summer of 1999. However, it recharted the following year, peaking at #1. She continued to appear on the charts throughout the 1990s, but never had the same level of success she had in the 1980s. Holliday was a featured vocalist on the #1 single "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner in 1985. A number of her songs became hits on the US Dance charts as well. In fact, a dance version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" would peak at #6 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 2001.

Gospel singer[link]

On October 30, 1986, Paul Simon hosted a Ken Ehrlich-Produced "Gospel Session" originally televised as part of a series of "Cinemax Sessions"^[2] featuring Holiday, Luther Vandross, The Oak Ridge Boys, Andrae Crouch, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, and the Mighty Clouds of Joy. The show began with Holiday singing "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." Later, she returned to collaborate with Simon and Vandross on "Still Waters Run Deep," followed by an Aretha Franklin arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," with the finale consisting of all the participants joining in "Gone At Last," followed by "Amazing Grace."
linda A reviewer, whose identity was not known by late February 2011, wrote:

Holliday became popular with LGBT events and fundraisers, which she acknowledged on her gospel album On and On. Because of this, the Atlantic Entertainment Group's Director of Live Talent, Scott Sherman, produced and promoted many Jennifer Holliday events for several years, acting as both Holliday's de facto agent and road manager. Under Sherman's aegis, Holliday went on a series of special tours and promotions, one-night-only performances, LGBT pride appearances and special fund raising events. Her fans commenced to wait patiently for her to release new singles, and perhaps even a full-length club/dance-style album, and to assume that this might happen once she was re-signed to another record label.

Health concerns and career renewal[link]

In the 1990s, Holliday lost a substantial amount of weight and talked about her health struggles with depression during promotional interviews.^[1] Initially, the weight loss was attained strictly by diet. Eventually, in an effort to avoid regaining the weight, Holliday had gastric bypass surgery. After the initial weight loss, she released an LP and video titled I’m On Your Side. The video, unlike most videos, was recorded live. In 1995, Holliday released the gospel album On & On. In a March 2008 interview, she revealed that she was in the studio working on a new album, to be released later that year.^[5]

In April 2011, Holliday released a Christian CD titled Goodness and Mercy^[6] on her own Euphonic Records label. She produced it in conjunction and cooperation with the Rev. Raphael G. Warnock.^[6]

Television Appearances[link]

Apart from her career in the music industry and on the stage, Holliday has also made appearances on primetime television. In addition to appearances on Touched by an Angel and Hang Time, she had a half dozen appearances in a recurring guest star role on Ally McBeal, where she acted out the role of choir director Lisa Knowles.

In 2001, she sang America The Beautiful on the first WWE pay-per-view to be held after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

On June 26, 2007, Holliday made a surprise appearance at the BET Awards, singing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" in a duet with Jennifer Hudson, who had played Effie White in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls, and won an Oscar for her performance. Holliday had not been offered a cameo role in the film and, feeling snubbed, had repeatedly expressed displeasure with the movie in the media. (Another original Dreamgirls cast member, Loretta Devine, did have a cameo in the film.)^[7] More recently, it became possible to see Holliday in a YouTube video, singing a duet with Hudson. The two actresses-singers performed their live duet at a concert Hudson gave on April 16, 2009. The YouTube video has been viewed more than 900,000 times as of December 2011.

On October 17, 2011 Holliday appeared on The Wendy Williams Show where, following a sit-down interview, Holliday performed "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and received a standing ovation from the studio audience.

On May 23, 2012 Holliday performed "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" alongside American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez during the American Idol Season 11 finale.Jennifer and Jessica both received positive comments and awed world wide audience with their breath taking performance together and received a standing ovation from the audience inside Nokia Theater including the AI judges. Some even said "no one will/shall dare to do this this song ever again on AI stage.."

Personal life[link]

Holliday has been married twice. In March 1991, just two months after she met keyboardist Billy Meadows in a nightclub where she was singing, they married. "He had a great sense of humor and he made me laugh all the time," Holliday says of her first husband. "I had been feeling bad for so long, I wanted to laugh." But in December 1991, just nine months later, they divorced; the marriage, according to Holliday, "ran out of steam." She explained of Meadows: "We just didn't know each other well enough."^[8]

The second time around, she married a man much like her father. Her second marriage, which began on March 21, 1993 and ended in 1994, was to Rev. Andre Woods, a minister in Detroit. Jet magazine covered the marriage in their April 19th, 1993 issue.^[9] Though Woods was a charismatic Detroit preacher, she subsequently said that even so, he was a player who also ran through her money. Still, Holliday was devastated when, in 1994, that marriage, too, ended, just four months after her mother died of cancer. "It was like experiencing two deaths at the same time," Jennifer remembered. "The grief was overwhelming." ^[8]

Holliday received a Doctor of Music honoris causa from Berklee College of Music, Boston in 2000. In 2001 she was presenter for the tap dance show "21 Below" at Town Hall in NYC and also headlined Equity Cares/Broadway Fights Aids' "Nothing Like a Dame" show at the St. James Theatre where she was accompanied by teenage tap dance sensation Michela Marino Lerman and Hannah Leah Dunn.

As of late February 2011, Holliday was residing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Musical Style[link]

Voice[link]

Jennifer Holliday possesses a versatile vocal range of Dramatic Contralto and Soprano style. She is also known for her signature and powerful growl belting. Holliday blew everyone away in 1982 Tony Awards performance of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," for which she received a standing ovation. More of her power was seen at her appearance in a 1987 Gospel Sessions, where she did an earth shaking rendition of "His Eye is on the Sparrow."

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 1983 Feel My Soul #31 U.S. Billboard 200, #6 U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
• 1985 Say You Love Me #110 U.S., #34 U.S. R&B
• 1987 Get Close to My Love
• 1991 I'm On Your Side #184 U.S., #29 U.S. R&B
• 1995 On & On #10 U.S. Top Gospel Albums
• 1996 The Best of Jennifer Holliday #50 U.S.
• 2000 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Jennifer Holliday
• 2006 Duet with Najiyah - Through The Storm
• 2011 Goodness and Mercy^[6]

Singles[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Awards

• 1982 Theatre Awards Outstanding Broadway Debut – Dreamgirls
• 1982 Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical – Dreamgirls
• 1982 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical – Dreamgirls
• 1983 Grammy Award Best Female Performance, Rhythm & Blues – "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls
• 1985 Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance, Gospel – "Come Sunday"

Nominations

• 1981 Drama Desk Award or Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – Your Arms Too Short to Box with God
• 1983 Grammy Award Best New Artist

See also[link]

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jennifer Holliday on Myspace
• Jennifer Holliday at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jennifer Holliday at the Internet Movie Database
• Performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the 1982 Tony Awards
• Reference 1:Essence June 1999: Jennifer Holliday On Her 2 Failed Marriages
• Reference 2: Nov 1991 Ebony Magazine: Jennifer Holliday About Her Weight Loss
• Reference 3: USA Today February 22, 2007: Jennifer Holliday On the "Dreamgirls" Movie and Jennifer Hudson
• TonyAwards.com Interview with Jennifer Holiday
• The Official Net-Site Of Jennifer Holliday^{[dead link]}

Phillip LaDon Phillips, Jr. (born September 20, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter from Leesburg, Georgia, and the winner of the eleventh season of American Idol.^[1][2][3]

Early life[link]

Phillips was born in Leesburg, Georgia, the son of Sheryl (née LaDon) and Phillip Phillips, Sr.^[4][5] He grew up in Sasser and Leesburg, and attended Lee County High School.^[2] He graduated from Albany Technical College with a major in Industrial Systems Technology, but missed the graduation ceremony due to his obligations to American Idol.^[6] Prior to appearing on American Idol, he worked at his family's pawn shop.

Phillips said his favorite singer is Jonny Lang, and other favorites include John Butler, Dave Matthews and Damien Rice.^[7] He described his music as "jazz, rock alternative sound".^[8] Phillips was mentored by long time friend and brother-in-law Benjamin Neil.

[edit] American Idol

Overview[link]

Phillips auditioned in Savannah, Georgia.^[9] He sang "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder.^[9][10] The judges then asked him to perform a second song with his guitar, and he performed Michael Jackson's "Thriller."^[9][10] He advanced to the Hollywood rounds,^[9] and later to the Las Vegas round.^[11]

On February 23, 2012, Phillips was chosen as one of the Top 25 semi-finalists.^[12] After the Top 13 performance night, Phillips was taken to a doctor for possible kidney stones.^[13][14] Phillips became the winner on the finale of American Idol on May 23, 2012, against Jessica Sanchez after a record-breaking total of 132 million votes were cast.^[1] His coronation song "Home" was released after his performance.

Performances/results[link]

• ^Note 1 Due to the judges using their one save on Jessica Sanchez, the Top 7 remained intact for another week.
• ^Note 2 "Home" had previously been performed by Holden, a co-writer of the song; it had not appeared on any of his recordings.

Discography[link]

Digital albums[link]

Other albums[link]

• American Idol: Season Finale #56 CAN^[17]

Singles[link]

Other charted songs[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• phillipphillips.com Official Site
• pphillipsonline.com Phillip Phillips Online Fan Club
• Phillip Phillips on American Idol

This article may contain improper references to self-published sources. Please help improve it by removing references to unreliable sources, where they are used inappropriately. (May 2012)

Christina Grimmie
Background information
Birth name	Christina Victoria Grimmie
Also known as	zeldaxlove64
Born	(1994-03-12) March 12, 1994 (age 18)
Origin	Marlton, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Pop, R&B, pop rock, dance-pop, hip-hop
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, pianist
Instruments	Vocals, Piano
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Creative Artists Agency
Associated acts	Selena Gomez & The Scene, Sam Tsui, Allstar Weekend
Website	www.christinagrimmieofficial.com
Notable instruments
Keyboard, piano

Christina Victoria Grimmie (born March 12, 1994), known on YouTube as zeldaxlove64,^[1] is a pianist and singer/songwriter known for her covers of hit songs by artists such as Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and many more. In June 2011, she released her debut EP, Find Me.

YouTube recognition[link]

Christina Grimmie is best known for her cover with fellow Youtuber, Sam Tsui, of Nelly's "Just a Dream" which has had about 60 million views between the two official versions of the video as of May 15, 2012.^[2][3] Her first video was "I Don't Wanna Be Torn", originally by Hannah Montana. She first reached YouTube stardom early on with her cover of Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A." on August 2009.^[4] Since, she's had over 289 million views and over 1.5 million subscribers on her channel as of May 15, 2012, which has made her the 4th most subscribed musician on YouTube.^[5] She also placed at number 2 at the top 5 of the MyYoutube competition, behind Selena Gomez, and in front of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber.^[6]

Career[link]

Grimmie has performed in the UNICEF charity concert,^[7][8] and has also performed backup vocals for Selena Gomez & the Scene, and was on the 2011 first ever Digitour, specially designed for YouTube artists. She has appeared on the Billboard Social 50.^[9] Christina is currently being managed by stepfather of Selena Gomez, Brian Teefey. She also opened for Selena Gomez & the Scene, Allstar Weekend and the Jonas Brothers during the Concert of Hope. She toured for six weeks with Selena Gomez & the Scene opening for them in the We Own the Night Tour.^[10] She released an EP, entitled Find Me, on June 14, 2011.^[10] Her debut single 'Advice' was released to Radio Disney on June 11,^[11] with the music video, directed by Sean Babas, being released on July 19 on her Youtube channel. She appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show performing with fellow YouTuber, Tyler Ward, a cover to Lil Wayne's "How to Love" that aired on October 10, 2011.^[12] On November 20, 2011, Grimmie performed at the 39th American Music Awards of 2011 Pre-show alongside with Taio Cruz to a special rendition of "Higher". She also performed her song 'Not Fragile' at the American Music Awards of 2011 Coca-Cola Red Carpet Show along with Selena Gomez's band the Scene. Christina Grimmie was the special musical guest performing her hit song 'Advice' on Disney Channel's So Random! which premiered on December 11, 2011.^[13] In January 2012 she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her singing career, as she told fans on Facebook and Twitter. Grimmie was signed to Creative Artists Agency who have signed the likes of Chris Brown and Christina Aguilera in early April 2012 after moving to LA; she is currently working on a new album, as she told fans on Facebook and Twitter.