Dee might refer to:

Sport[link]

• Abbreviation for "Defence (sport)"

People[link]

Surname[link]

• Dee, a romanization of several Chinese surnames, including:
  • Those listed at Di (surname)
  • Some Minnan pronunciations of the name Li (李)
• Di Renjie, Duke Wenhui of Liang, better known as Judge Dee, Tang-dynasty official
• Arthur Dee, son of John Dee
• Billy Dee
• Bob Dee
• Daisy Dee
• Dave Dee
• Ed Dee
• Frances Dee, actress
• Gandra Dee
• Gerry Dee, Canadian comedian
• Jack Dee, British comedian
• Jeff Dee
• John Dee, English mathematician and alchemist
• John Dee (disambiguation) for other people with the name
• Kiki Dee
• Kool Moe Dee
• Mikkey Dee, heavy-metal drummer
• Papa Dee
• Roger Dee
• Ruby Dee, African-American actress and activist
• Sandra Dee, American actress
• Simon Dee
• Waddle Dee

Given name[link]

• Diminutive for the name David, common in the UK and Ireland
• Dee Brown (novelist)
• Dee Dee Myers, first female White House press secretary
• Dee Dee Ramone, punk musician
• Dee Bradley Baker, American voice actor
• Dee Snider, singer
• Dee Roscioli, American actress

Stage name or nickname[link]

• Dee (pornographic actress), Puerto Rican pornographic actress
• Dee (singer), Canadian electro-pop singer, songwriter and DJ
• Dee (artist), Swedish dancer and singer
• Detlef Soost or Dee!, German dancer and choreographer
• Dia Mirza or Dee, Indian actress
• Walter Huddleston or Dee

Fictional characters[link]

• Judge Dee, Robert van Gulik's fictionalized interpretation of the Tang-dynasty official Di Renjie, Duke Wenhui of Liang
• Anastasia Dualla or Dee, character from the television series Battlestar Galactica
• Dee, a character from The Tribe
• Deandra Reynolds, "Sweet Dee" of the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Other uses[link]

• River Dee (disambiguation)
• "Dee" (song), a song by Randy Rhoads
• Dead-end elimination
• D-electrodes, components of cyclotrons

See also[link]

• Cordelia (disambiguation)
• Dawn
• Deanna
• Deidre
• Denise (given name)
• Deane (disambiguation)
• Deanne
• Dolores (disambiguation)
• Douglas (given name)
• Jody (disambiguation)
• Mandy (disambiguation)

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

Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads performing in 1980
Background information
Birth name	Randall William Rhoads
Born	(1956-12-06)December 6, 1956 Santa Monica, California
Died	March 19, 1982(1982-03-19) (aged 25) Leesburg, Florida
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock, neo-classical metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer, music teacher
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1975–1982
Labels	Epic, Sony
Associated acts	Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot
Website	http://www.randyrhoads.us/
Notable instruments
Jackson RR Signature Model Karl Sandoval "Polka Dot" Flying V Gibson Les Paul Custom

Randall William Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. Despite his short career, Rhoads is a major influence on neo-classical metal, and is cited as an influence by many guitarists and is included in several "Greatest Guitarist" lists.^[1][2]

Biography[link]

Quiet Riot[link]

At age 14, Rhoads formed a cover band called Violet Fox (after his mother's middle name, Violet), with his older brother Kelle on drums. Violet Fox staged several performances in the "Grand Salon" at Musonia, Delores Rhoads' music school. Among their setlist was "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain, and songs from The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper and David Bowie. After the dissolution of Violet Fox, Rhoads taught his best friend Kelly Garni how to play bass, and together they formed a band called The Whore (rehearsing during the day at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, a 1970s Hollywood nightspot), spending several months playing at backyard parties around Los Angeles.

Together the pair went on to form Quiet Riot when Rhoads was 16. Kevin DuBrow auditioned for vocalist in Rhoads' kitchen after he convinced Rhoads and Garni to give him a chance. Although DuBrow once said he 'auditioned once and got the gig'. The drummer Drew Forsyth, had periodically played with Rhoads and Garni in the past. Quiet Riot initially played in small bars in Hollywood and local parties in Burbank, eventually playing at the two main L.A. music clubs of the day — the Whisky a Go Go and The Starwood. While the band had a strong following in the L.A. club scene, they were unable to secure a major recording contract in the United States. The band was able to land a record deal with Japanese label CBS/Sony Records and Quiet Riot and Quiet Riot II were released in Japan.

Ozzy Osbourne[link]

In 1979, ex-Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne was forming a new band. During an interview with Raw Power Magazine editors Robert Olshever, Murray Schwartz and Scott Stephens (future singer of Liquid Blue), Ozzy mentioned he was looking for a new guitar player. Randy's name was suggested during the interview and the next day Robert asked friend and future Slaughter bassist Dana Strum to try to reach Randy to see if he was interested. Rhoads got the call for the audition just before his final show with Quiet Riot. He walked in with his Les Paul guitar and a practice amp and started warming up. Osbourne immediately gave him the job. Rhoads recalled later, "I just tuned up and did some riffs, and he said, 'You've got the gig'; I had the weirdest feeling, because I thought, 'You didn't even hear me yet'". Osbourne was drunk and passed out during the audition, but described Rhoads' playing as "God entering my life". Rhoads subsequently recommended his friend Greg Leon, who also taught guitar at Musonia for Rhoads' mother, to replace him in Quiet Riot, and then departed for the UK to write and record with Osbourne in November 1979.

The band, then known as The Blizzard of Ozz headed into the studio to record the band's debut album, titled Blizzard of Ozz. Rhoads' guitar playing had changed due to the level of freedom allowed by Ozzy and Bob Daisley and he was encouraged to play what he wanted. His work with Quiet Riot has been criticized as being "dull" and did not rely on classical scales or arrangements.^[3] Propelled by Rhoads' neo-classical guitar work, the album proved an instant hit with rock fans, particularly in the USA. They released two singles from the album: "Mr Crowley" and the hit "Crazy Train". The British tour of 1980-81 for Blizzard of Ozz was with Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake.

After the UK tour the band recorded another LP, but before the US Blizzard tour both Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley were fired by Sharon Arden, Ozzy's future wife. For the US Blizzard tour, Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo were hired. Diary of a Madman was released soon after in October 1981, and since Kerslake and Daisley were already out of the band, Aldridge and Sarzo's photos appear on the album sleeve. Disputes over royalties performance, and other intellectual property rights became a source of future court battles.^[4] "You Said it All" and "You Looking at Me, Looking at You" became rare collector's items, only released on the B-Sides of singles. A live album, Tribute, mainly drawn from a performance in Cleveland, Ohio, was released in 1987 and included live versions of "Goodbye to Romance" and "No Bone Movies", recorded in the UK with Daisley and Kerslake in 1980.

Around this time, Rhoads remarked to Osbourne, fellow Ozz bandmates Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo, and friend Kelly Garni that he was considering leaving rock for a few years to earn a degree in classical guitar at UCLA. In the documentary Don't Blame Me, Osbourne confirmed Randy's desire to earn the degree and stated that had he lived, he did not believe Randy would have stayed in his band. Friend and ex-Quiet Riot bassist Kelly Garni has stated in interviews that if Randy had continued to play rock, he might have gone the route of more keyboard-driven rock, which had become very popular through the 1980s. It was at this time that Rhoads was beginning to receive recognition for his playing. Just before his death Jackson Guitars created a signature model, the Jackson Randy Rhoads (though Randy had originally called his white pinstriped V "the Concorde"). Randy received one prototype — a black offset V hardtail which is the base for today's RR line of Jackson guitars — but died before the guitar went into production. Rhoads also received the Best New Talent award from Guitar Player magazine. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, Rhoads would seek out classical guitar tutors for lessons.

Death[link]

Rhoads' tomb, San Bernardino, California

Randy Rhoads played his last show on Thursday, March 18, 1982 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee. The next day, the band was headed to a festival in Orlando, Florida. After driving much of the night, they stopped on the property belonging to Jerry Calhoun, owner of "Florida Coach", in Leesburg, Florida. On it, there was a small airstrip lined with small helicopters and planes, and two houses. One belonged to the tour bus driver Andrew Aycock, and the other was owned by Calhoun. Aycock, a licensed pilot, talked the band's keyboardist Don Airey, into taking a test flight with him in a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza. By some accounts the manager Jake Duncan, was also on this first flight. The joyride ended and the plane landed safely. Then Aycock took Rhoads and hairdresser/seamstress Rachel Youngblood on another flight. Rhoads was persuaded to go on the second flight, despite his fear of flying.

Rhoads apparently agreed to go for two reasons: the seamstress had a heart condition so Aycock agreed to do nothing risky, and Rhoads wanted to take an aerial photo as one of his hobbies was photography. During the second flight, attempts were made to "buzz" the tour bus where the other band members were sleeping.^[5] They succeeded twice, but the third attempt was botched. The left wing clipped the back side of the tour bus, tore the fiberglass roof then sent the plane spiraling. The plane severed the top of a pine tree and crashed into the garage of a nearby mansion, bursting into flames. Rhoads was killed instantly, as were Aycock (36) and Youngblood (58). All three bodies were burned beyond recognition, and were identified by dental records and Rhoads' jewelry.

It was later revealed in an autopsy that Aycock's system showed traces of cocaine at the time. Rhoads' toxicology test revealed only nicotine. The NTSB investigation determined that Aycock's medical certificate had expired and that his biennial flight review, required for all pilots, was overdue.^[6] In Ozzy Osbourne's autobiography, I Am Ozzy, he writes that the night of Rhoads' death, he told his wife, Sharon: "I don't think I want to be a rock 'n' roller anymore". Rhoads' funeral was held at the First Lutheran Church in Burbank, California. He is interred at Mountain View Cemetery^[7] in San Bernardino, California, where his grandparents are also buried.

Posthumous achievements[link]

In 1987, five years after Rhoads' death, Osbourne released Tribute, the only official album featuring Osbourne and Rhoads playing together in concert. Most of the album is a live performance from Cleveland, Ohio. The songs "Goodbye to Romance" and "No Bone Movies" from the Tribute album were recorded on the UK Blizzard of Ozz tour at Southampton, the same date as the Mr. Crowley EP. Randy was inducted into the Guitar Center Rock Walk on March 18, 2004. In a 2006 Guitar World article, it was mentioned that Rhoads' last name was mistakenly spelled "Rhodes" on his plaque, and by the time it was discovered, there was not enough time to correct the mistake.^[8] It has since been fixed.

As a tribute to Rhoads, Marshall Amplification released the 1959RR at NAMM 2008. The amp is a limited-edition all-white Marshall Super Lead 100 watt head modeled after Randy's own Super Lead amp. Marshall engineers looked extensively at Rhoads' actual amplifier and made the 1959RR to those exact specifications, right down to the special high-gain modification Randy specifically requested when he visited the Marshall factory in 1980.^[9]

Jackson Guitars released an exact replica of Randy's original white "shortwing" V. Randy's original guitar was handled, photographed, and measured extensively by Jackson's luthiers to produce the most precise replica possible. The guitar comes with black gaffer's tape covering the top wing and the back of the guitar, just like Randy's. Only 60 of the guitars were manufactured, each with the symbolic price tag of $12,619.56 which is Rhoads' birthday.^[10] In 2010, Gibson Guitars announced a new custom shop signature guitar modeled after Rhoads' 1974 Les Paul Custom.^[11] In April 2011, author Joel McIver announced the publication of the first fully comprehensive Rhoads biography, "Crazy Train: The High Life and Tragic Death of Randy Rhoads"^[12], with a foreword written by Zakk Wylde and an afterword by Yngwie Malmsteen.

May 31, 2011 marked the 30 year anniversary and re-master/release of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Both albums have been remastered and restored to their original state with Bob Daisley's bass and Lee Kerslake's drums intact. Blizzard has 3 bonus tracks - "You, Looking at Me, Looking at You", "Goodbye to Romance" (2010 Vocal & Guitar Mix), and "RR" (Randy Rhoads in studio guitar solo). Diary originally was to include long fade out versions of "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll", "Tonight", and "Diary of a Madman" (2010 Re-mix version), but were not been included in the re-issue. The Legacy version of Diary of a Madman includes a second CD called Ozzy Live which includes the unreleased Blizzard of Ozz tour '81 recorded from many performances with at least one song (Flying High Again) taken from Montreal, Canada(July 1981 and originally broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show)^[13]. The live show features the same line up as the tribute album - Rudy Sarzo on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums and Lindsey Bridgewater on keyboards. Also included exclusively in the special box set are the 180 gram vinyl versions of the original albums, an expansive 100 page coffee table book and the DVD - Thirty Years After the Blizzard, which includes lots of unreleased Randy Rhoads footage.

Guitar virtuosity[link]

Despite his youth and limited recorded work, Randy Rhoads is considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time.^[14] Rhoads has been on the covers of many guitar magazines and has influenced many guitar players, including David Philastre, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dimebag Darrell, Frank Hannon, Doug Aldrich, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, Kirk Hammett, Michael Romeo, John Petrucci, Tom Morello, Joe Holmes,^[15] Neal Grusky (Takara), Michael Angelo Batio, Brad Gillis,^[16] George Lynch,^[17] Alexi Laiho,^[18] Mick Thomson,^[19] Paul Gilbert^[20] and Buckethead.^[21][22]

Equipment[link]

Rhoads used a simple setup, with a small set of guitars, effects and amplifiers. He preferred GHS .011 gauge strings.^[23]

Guitars[link]

• Gibson Off White 1974 Les Paul Custom
• Karl Sandoval Polka Dot Flying V
• Jackson Black Rhoads w/ Fixed Bridge
• Jackson White Concorde

Effects[link]

• Dunlop Crybaby Wah ^[24]
• Roland RE-201 'Space Echo' ^[23]
• Korg echo ^[24]
• MXR:
  • Distortion + ^[24][25]
  • EQ ^[24]
  • Flanger ^[24]
  • Chorus ^[24]

Amplifiers[link]

• Marshall Three 100W 1959SLP heads in white - two with a gain modification added by Marshall, one without.
• Marshall Model 1960A cabs in white, all loaded with Altec 417-8H speakers (open back)
• Peavey Standard head (in his Quiet Riot days)

For Blizzard Of Ozz, Randy used the 1959SLP without the modification, and used his MXR Distortion+ for the extra gain.

Awards and honors[link]

• Voted "Best New Talent" by the readers of Guitar Player magazine in December 1981
• Voted "Best Heavy Metal Guitarist" by the readers of UK-based Sounds magazine in December 1981
• Placed 85th on Rolling Stone Magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists.^[26]
• Placed 4th on Guitar World Magazine's 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists.^[27]
• "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" placed 9th and 28th respectively on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos readers poll.^[28]
• Named one of the fastest guitar players in Guitar World's 50 Fastest Guitarists list.^[29]
• "Crazy Train" placed 51 in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" list.^[30]
• In 2008 - 2010 applications for a Posthumous Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were submitted in the name of Randy Rhoads. Randy Rhoads' Posthumous Star has not yet been approved and the HWOF Star application will be resubmitted in 2011. If approved by the Hollywood Walk Of Fame Committee in June 2011, Randy Rhoads' Posthumous Star would be placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.^[31]

Discography[link]

With Quiet Riot[link]

• Quiet Riot (1977)
• Quiet Riot II (1978)
• The Randy Rhoads Years (1993)

With Ozzy Osbourne[link]

• Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
• Mr Crowley Live EP (1980)
• Diary of a Madman (1981)
• Tribute (1987)

References[link]

28. Campaign For Randy Rhoads Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star Announced http://www.bravewords.com/news/147962 Bravewords.com

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Randy Rhoads

• Guitar World 2007 article on the discovery of the third Randy Rhoads guitar (p. 64)
• Randy Rhoads at Find a Grave
• www.randyrhoads.tk
• www.ultimaterhoads.com
• randy rhoads society
• Diary of an Axeman

Sean Paul
Sean Paul at the International Reggae and World Music Awards.
Background information
Birth name	Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
Born	(1973-01-09) January 9, 1973 (age 39) Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Dancehall, reggae, R&B, ragga
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, actor
Years active	1996–present
Labels	VP, Atlantic
Website	allseanpaul.com

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques^[1] (born January 9, 1973),^[1][2] who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist.

Life and career[link]

1973–96: Early life[link]

Sean Paul was born in Kingston and spent his early years in Upper Andrew Parish, a few miles north of Kingston.^[2] His parents, Garth and Frances, were both talented athletes, and his mother is a well-known painter.^[3] 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.^[4][5] Sean Paul was raised as a Catholic.^[6] 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, Belair School, 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.

[edit] 1998–2000: Stage One

Sean Paul's manager and producer Jeremy Harding first heard about the singer when his brother told him about seeing someone at a small open mic event in Kingston who sounded a lot like the popular dancehall DJ and toaster Super Cat.^[7] Harding eventually met the singer when Sean Paul came by his studio to ask for some advice. During the meeting Paul recorded a vocal over Harding's rhythm track and in the process created the song "Baby Girl".^[7] Sean Paul began hanging out at the studio every day, and the pair collaborated on several more tracks. When they recorded "Infiltrate" they decided they had something good enough to get on the radio. As Sean Paul started to attract local attention, Harding began looking after his affairs. He later told HitQuarters that his support of Paul's fledgling career initially led him assuming the roles of "DJ, manager, road manager and security guard."^[7] Sean Paul 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.

[edit] 2001–02: Dutty Rock

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".

[edit] 2003–05: The Trinity

Sean Paul in September 2005.

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 "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".^[8] 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.

[edit] 2006–10: 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.^{[9][dead link][10]} 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."^[11] 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.^[11] All the full songs of the album have been added to Sean Paul's Myspace page^[12] 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,^[13] 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".

[edit] 2011–present: Tomahawk Technique

The first single Got 2 Luv U features vocals from American singer Alexis Jordan. It was released on the July 19, 2011 by Atlantic Records. The song was written by Sean Paul, Ryan Tedder and Stargate, and it was produced by Stargate.^[14][15][16]

She Doesn't Mind is the second single from the album. It was written by Sean Paul, Shellback and Benny Blanco and was produced by Shellback and Benny Blanco. It was released on the September 29, 2011 on NRJ & Skyrock (French radios), and to iTunes on October 31.^[17] Like its proceeder, "Got 2 Luv U", featuring Alexis Jordan, it topped the charts in Switzerland, but it debuted at that spot. Sean appeared on the Never Mind the Buzzcocks episode which aired on November 21, 2011.

Sean Paul is featured in the music video for the Simple Plan song Summer Paradise.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Stage One (2000)
• Dutty Rock (2002)
• The Trinity (2005)
• Imperial Blaze (2009)
• Tomahawk Technique (2012)

Mixtapes

• The Odyssey Mixtape (2009)

Filmography[link]

Kelly Rowland
Rowland Hosts TW Steel Events At Ivy Penthouse in Sydney, Australia 2012.
Background information
Birth name	Kelendria Trene Rowland
Born	(1981-02-11) February 11, 1981 (age 31) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Origin	Houston, Texas
Genres	R&B, pop, hip hop, dance
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, television personality
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Columbia, Universal Motown, Universal Republic[1]
Associated acts	Destiny's Child, Nelly, David Guetta
Website	kellyrowland.com

Kelly Rowland (born Kelendria Trene Rowland on February 11, 1981) is an American recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and television personality. Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Houston, Texas, Rowland rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.

During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Rowland released her debut solo album Simply Deep in 2002, which contained influences of alternative-R&B and rock music. It included her joint worldwide number-one single "Dilemma" with rapper Nelly, and the international top-ten hit "Stole". Following the group's disbandment in 2005, Rowland released her second solo effort Ms. Kelly in 2007 and despite being less successful than its predecessor, it included the international hit singles "Like This" and "Work". In 2009, Rowland scored her second worldwide number-one hit with French DJ David Guetta, on his single "When Love Takes Over". Her third solo album Here I Am was released in 2011 and included the UK top-ten hits "Commander" and "Down for Whatever", as well as the US R&B number-one "Motivation".

As a solo artist, Rowland has amassed estimated sales of four million albums and 18 million lead/featured singles worldwide.^[2] Her work has earned her several achievements, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Destiny's Child, four Grammy Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, and a Soul Train Music Award. Rowland has been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Essence magazine for her contributions to music.

Apart from her work in music, Rowland has also launched a career in film and television. In 2002, she made her acting debut with guest appearances on sitcom series The Hughleys and Taina, prior to appearing in various films, including Freddy vs. Jason (2003), The Seat Filler (2004) and Think Like a Man (2012). In 2007, Rowland appeared as a choirmaster on the reality show Clash of the Choirs, and in 2009 she served as the host on Bravo's reality competition series The Fashion Show alongside Isaac Mizrahi. In 2011, Rowland joined the judging panel on the eighth series of The X Factor (UK).

Biography[link]

1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Kelendria Trene Rowland was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the daughter of Doris Rowland Garrison and Christopher Lovett.^[3] When she was seven, her mother took her and left her father, who was an abusive alcoholic.^[4] At the age of eight, she relocated to Houston.^[5] Rowland was placed into a rapping and dancing group, along with friends Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson.^[6] Originally named Girl's Tyme,^[7] they were eventually cut down to six members.^[8] West coast R&B producer, Arne Frager, flew into Houston to see them and eventually brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studio, in Northern California.^[8] As part of efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager's strategy was to debut them in Star Search,^[9] the biggest talent show on national TV at that time.^[8] They participated, but lost the competition.^[10][11]

To manage the group, Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father, resigned in 1995 from his job as a medical-equipment salesman.^[12] He dedicated his time and established a "boot camp" for their training.^[9] At this time Rowland moved in with the Knowles.^[3] Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four with LeToya Luckett joining in 1993.^[8][13] Rehearsing in Tina Knowles' hair styling salon and their backyards, the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups of the time.^[13] They auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, only to be dropped months later, before they could release an album.^[14]

1997–02: Breakthrough with Destiny's Child[link]

Destiny's Child performing their 2000 hit "Say My Name" during their farewell concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It

Taken from a passage in the Biblical Book of Isaiah, the group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1993.^[13] Together, they performed in local events and, after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded their major label debut song "Killing Time", for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.^[11][13] The following year, the group released their self-titled debut album, spawning hits such as "No, No, No".^[10] The album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, amassing moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.^[13] The group rose to stardom after releasing their multi-platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999.^[15] The record featured some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Say My Name", which became their most-successful song at the time, and would remain as one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song at the 43rd Grammy Awards.^[13] The Writing's on the Wall sold more than 15 million copies worldwide,^[10] essentially becoming their breakthrough album.^[16][17]

Along with their commercial successes, the group became entangled in much-publicized turmoil involving the filing of a lawsuit by Luckett and Roberson for breach of contract. The issue was heightened after Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appeared in the video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and Roberson had already been replaced.^[13] Eventually, Luckett and Roberson left the group. Franklin would eventually fade from the group after five months,^[10] as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and concerts. She attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group resulting from the strife.^[13] After settling on their final lineup, the trio recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for eleven consecutive weeks.^[13][16] The success cemented the new lineup and skyrocketed them to fame.^[7] Later that year, Luckett and Roberson withdrew their case against their now-former band mates, while maintaining the suit against Mathew, which ended in both sides agreeing to stop public disparaging.^[13]

Later that year, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album Survivor, Rowland appeared on the remix of Avant's single "Separated", which reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.^[18] Survivor, which channeled the turmoil the band underwent, spawned its lead single of the same name, which was a response to the experience.^[19] The song went on to win a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.^[20] The themes of "Survivor", however, caused Luckett and Roberson to refile their lawsuit;^[13] the proceedings were eventually settled in June 2002.^[17] Meanwhile, the album was released in May 2001, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold.^[21] To date, Survivor has sold over twelve million copies worldwide, over forty percent of which were sold in the US alone.^[22] The album also spawned the number-one hit "Bootylicious". After releasing their remix album This Is the Remix in 2002, the group announced their temporary break-up to pursue solo projects.^[13]

[edit] 2002–06: Simply Deep, Destiny Fulfilled and group disbandment

Rowland in 2003

In 2002, Rowland teamed up with rapper Nelly to record the chorus and bridge vocals on the track "Dilemma" for his album Nellyville.^[23] Released as the album's second single, the song became one of the most successful singles of the year, topping the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.^{[24][25][26][27]} The single saw Rowland establishing herself as a solo artist, and won in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category of the 45th Grammy Awards.^[28]

Originally due in early 2003, the success of the collaboration caused the label to advance the release date of Rowland's debut solo album Simply Deep, which Rowland rushed within three weeks to get done.^[29][30] The album has a mixture of alternative-R&B and rock music.^[29][31] Featuring production contributions by Mark J. Feist, Big Bert, Rich Harrison, and singers Brandy and Solange Knowles providing background vocals, the album took Rowland's solo work further into an alternative music mixture, which Rowland described as a "weird fusion [of] a little bit of Sade and a little bit of rock."^[29][31] Released stateside in October 2002 and internationally in 2003, Simply Deep debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 77,000 copies sold.^[32] It was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),^[33] and has since sold 602,000 copies in the US.^[32] Released to an even bigger success in international territories, the album topped the UK Albums Chart and became a gold-seller in Australia,^[34] Canada^[35] and New Zealand,^[36] resulting into worldwide sales total of 2.5 million copies.^[37] In her review for Simply Deep, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian wrote, "Thanks to the ubiquitous 'Dilemma', a song that practically peeled off its clothes on the spot, Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland is no longer a mere backing vocalist for Beyoncé Knowles."^[38]

The album yielded three singles. "Stole", a rock pop-influenced mid-tempo track about loss, was released as the album's lead single and became an international top-ten, peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom.^[39][26] In the US, the song failed to capitalize on the success of "Dilemma", reaching the top-thirty only.^[40] The album's second single, an up-tempo track entitled "Can't Nobody", charted significantly lower in the US, but enjoyed top-twenty success in Australia and parts of Europe, where it became another top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart.^[41][26] The album's third and final single "Train on a Track" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2003 romantic comedy film Maid in Manhattan, but failed to chart or sell noticeably, except in the UK, where it became Rowland's fourth consecutive top-twenty entry.^[26]

After a three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Rowland rejoined Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams for Destiny's Child's fourth studio album Destiny Fulfilled, released in November 2004.^[13] The album hit number two on the Billboard 200, and spawned "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "Girl", and "Cater 2 U" as notable mainstream records.^[42] In support of the album, Destiny's Child embarked on their 2005 Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It world tour, which started in April and ran through September. During the Barcelona, Spain visit of the tour, the group announced their disbandment after the end of their final North American leg.^[13][43] In October 2005, the group released a compilation album, entitled #1's, including all of Destiny's Child's number-one hits and most of their well-known songs. The greatest hits collection also included three new tracks, including their final single "Stand Up for Love". In September 2005, Rowland was featured on American rapper Trina's single "Here We Go", the second single from her album Glamorest Life. The song peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and became another top-twenty entry in Finland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.^[44][26] On March 28, 2006, Destiny's Child reunited to accept a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[45] According to Time magazine, they were recognized as the world's best-selling female group of all time.^[46]

[edit] 2007–08: Ms. Kelly

Rowland in 2008

Rowland's second solo album Ms. Kelly was released in June 2007. Not as successful as its predecessor,^[47] the album produced the hit singles "Like This" and "Work". Originally entitled My Story, the album's first version was actually scheduled for a June 2006 release, but the singer, her management and Columbia Records decided to shelve the album at the last minute to re-work a version with a different vibe as the singer considered the final tracklisting "too full of midtempos and ballads."^[48][49] Rowland eventually consulted additional producers to collaborate on the album, renamed Ms. Kelly, including Billy Mann, Scott Storch, and Atlanta-based Polow da Don who contributed to "Like This", a collaboration with rapper Eve.^[50] A moderate success around the globe, the song reached the top-ten in Ireland and the UK, and the top-twenty in Australia and New Zealand.^[51][26] Upon its release, Ms. Kelly debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with moderately successful first week sales of 86,000 copies.^[52] Outside the US, the album widely failed to reprise the success of Simply Deep, barely reaching the top-forty on the majority of all charts it appeared on, except for the UK, where it opened at number 37.^[26]

Rowland had been working on the conception of the album on and off since 2004, with some of her early recordings — such as the Bryan Michael Cox-produced "Bad Habit" — even being used on the Destiny's Child's albums Destiny Fulfilled (2004) and Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta (2006).^[49] The album's first draft, entitled My Story, saw her actually writing and recording with a wider range of well-known contemporary R&B producers and artists as she wanted to go "in the urban, more R&B route [in general]" with the album, involving Big Tank, Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins, and Robin Thicke.^[49] Female rappers Remy Ma and Shawnna also lent their voices to guest parts.^[49] Anxious to avoid hasty productions as on previous album Simply Deep, Rowland took a wider role in the production of the album: she co-wrote the majority of the songs and shared ideas in which one to produce. "I wrote a lot on this record [...] and it's especially from me [to my fans]," she said of the album. "It's more R&B [...] and it definitely has a feel-good vibe to it as well."^[49]

A few months before the scheduled release of My Story however, Rowland felt the album was not going into the direction she had previously envisioned, and thus, she asked to revamp the album.^[53] "It was basically a list of songs that I put together about the past three years of my life, with love and relationships," she said of the original track listing. "And I remember listening to the record, and I was just like, 'I don't want this to be too deep to where, you know, [I] lose people.' And the record was too full of midtempos and ballads, so I wanted to bring it up a little bit."^[48] Rowland eventually consulted new producers to collaborate on the album, including Mysto & Pizzi, Sean Garrett, Scott Storch, Polow da Don, and Eve.^[50]

In addition, the singer decided to rename the album. "I really put my heart and soul into this record," she said, "and not only am I excited that everyone's going to hear the music, I'm looking forward to people getting to hear the real me. That's the reason I called the album Ms. Kelly. Because the title is all about respect, being an adult and that's how I feel about my life, and my music."^[48] Rowland cited former bandmate Beyoncé Knowles, and singers Brandy and Whitney Houston as major inspirations while recording her album.^[48]

In continued support of the album, Rowland released the album cuts "Ghetto" and "Work" as singles, respectively. While the Snoop Dogg-featured "Ghetto" underperformed stateside, the latter became a top-ten hit in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in most European markets, including France, Italy, Switzerland and the UK.^[54][26] In 2008, a reissued version of the album, branded Ms. Kelly Deluxe, received a release. Its lead single is the previously unreleased Bobby Womack cover "Daylight", a collaboration with rapper Travie McCoy (of alternative rap group Gym Class Heroes)^[55] that reached the top-twenty of the UK Singles Chart.^[26] By April 2008, Ms. Kelly had managed to sell over 1.2 million copies worldwide.^[47] In October 2008, Rowland was featured on French singer Nâdiya's single "No Future in the Past".

[edit] 2009–11: New management, label, and Here I Am

French DJ David Guetta and Rowland performing at the Orange Rockcorps in London, England in 2009

In 2009, Rowland was featured on Italian singer Tiziano Ferro's single "Breathe Gentle", which was released on February 20, 2009. It reached the top ten of The Netherlands' Single Top 100 chart.^[56] On January 28, 2009, it was announced that Rowland and her manager Mathew Knowles had parted ways.^[57] She released a statement to the media, saying "Mathew Knowles has been a positive influence in my career. I have had great success under his guidance – both as a member of Destiny's Child and with my solo projects. Although we have decided to part ways professionally, the Knowles family and the entire Music World Entertainment team will always be my family."^[57] Then two months later, on March 31, 2009, Rowland issued a statement that she had also left her record label of 13 years, Columbia Records, to explore other ventures.^[58] She added that she "felt the need to explore new directions, new challenges, and new freedoms outside my comfort zone."^[58] Later in a 2010 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rowland stated that the decision to leave was not hers: the label ended her contract because her previous album Ms. Kelly was not commercially successful.^[59]

In April 2009, Rowland was featured on the dance song "When Love Takes Over", the first single from French DJ David Guetta's album One Love (2009), in which Rowland contributed vocals on two other tracks.^[60] The song was a commercial success, reaching number one in ten countries, including in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland.^[61] "When Love Takes Over" earned the pair a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Dance Recording category of the 52nd Grammy Awards.^[62] In October 2009, it was suggested that the success of the single had made Rowland consider signing a new record deal with EMI Music.^[63] Then in May 2010, speculation of Rowland's new record deal ended when an official press release revealed that she had signed to Universal Motown Records.^[64] It was whilst recording within the studios with Guetta that Rowland caught the attention of the head of Universal Motown, Sylvia Rhone, which led to the new deal.^[65] On the decision to go with Rhone's label, Rowland said "they have really embraced me and have set me up to succeed. I decided, after careful thought, to sign with Universal Motown not only because of their track record of success, but also because they truly put their artists first".^[64]

In 2010, Rowland released the single "Everywhere You Go", which featured several African and South African artists known as the Rhythm of Africa, as the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[66] Rowland continued her live appearances throughout 2010 in Australia, performing at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras party with George Michael on March 7, and was part of the Supafest tour in April.^[67][68] A song titled "Commander" featuring David Guetta, was released on May 17, 2010 as the first international single from Rowland's third studio album Here I Am.^[69] Upon release, the single was met with positive reception from music critics who praised the dance sound of the song.^[70][71] In the United Kingdom, "Commander" topped the UK Dance Chart and became a top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart.^[72][26] Despite not being serviced as a single in the US, it managed to top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.^[73] In the US, "Rose Colored Glasses" and "Grown Woman" were released as the album's lead pop and R&B singles, respectively.^[74] Both songs failed to match the chart success that their predecessor achieved, and resulted in "Grown Woman" being excluded from the album.^[75][76] Eventually, Rowland announced that Here I Am would be rebooted with a brand new lead single for the US market. In April 2011, she released a song titled "Motivation" featuring rapper Lil Wayne, replacing the previous lead singles. "Motivation" peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[77] It was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA,^[33] and became Rowland's highest charting single on the Hot 100 as a lead artist thus far.^[78][79] The song won the award for Song of the Year at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards,^[80] and was nominated in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category of the 54th Grammy Awards.^[81]