In physics, shell model can mean:

Nuclear shell model, how protons and neutrons are arranged in an atom nucleus

Electron configuration, how electrons are arranged in an atom or molecule

Coordinates	5°33′27.30″N80°49′20.28″N
Name	Meshell Ndegeocello
Landscape	yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Michelle Lynn Johnson
Alias	Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur Me'Shell NdegéOcello
Born	August 29, 1968 Berlin, Germany
Origin	Washington, D.C., United States
Instrument	Vocals, bass guitar
Genre	Funk, soul, R&B;, hip hop, reggae, rock, jazz
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, multi-instrumentalist
Years active	1993–present
Label	Maverick/Reprise/Warner Bros Shanachie EmArcy/Decca/Universal Mercer Street/Downtown Records
Url	www.meshell.com

Meshell Ndegeocello (born August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. Her music incorporates funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B;, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy Award nominations. She is often credited for having "sparked the neo-soul movement."

Biography

Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson in Berlin, Germany, to army lieutenant and saxophonist father Jacques Johnson and health care worker mother Helen. She was raised in Washington, D.C. where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Oxon Hill High School. In early press releases from Maverick Records her birth year was mistakenly listed as 1969. The 1968 birth date has been confirmed through a previous manager and lifelong friend.

Named Michelle Lynn Johnson at birth, Ndegeocello has had numerous name changes. She adopted the surname Ndegeocello, which means "free like a bird". Meshell Ndegeocello is pronounced Mee-shell N-deh-gay-o-chel-o. Early pressings of Plantation Lullabies were stickered with the instructions. She has changed the spelling of this name a number of times during her career; however, the correct spelling of her stage name is now Meshell Ndegeocello, without apostrophes or any unusual capitalizations.

Personal life

Ndegeocello is bisexual and previously had a relationship with feminist author Rebecca Walker. She suffers from photosensitive epilepsy and is susceptible to seizures induced by flash photography when she is performing live. Her son Askia was born in 1989. According to some sources and the current themes in her new material she has converted to Islam. She goes by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on her later work.

Career

Ndegeocello honed her skills on the D.C. go-go circuit in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Bennie and the Masters, and Rare Essence She unsuccessfully tried out for Living Colour's bassist position, vacated in 1992 by Muzz Skillings. Going solo, she was one of the first artists to sign with Maverick Records, where she released her debut album, Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona.

Her biggest hit is a duet with John Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison's "Wild Night", which reached #3 on the Billboard charts. Her only other Billboard Hot 100 hit besides "Wild Night" has been "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)", which peaked at #73 in 1994. Also in 1994, Nedegeocello collaborated with Herbie Hancock on a track for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, . The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.

She had a Dance #1 in 1996 with a Bill Withers cover called "Who Is He (and What Is He To You?)" (briefly featured in the film Jerry Maguire) as well as Dance Top 20 hits with "Earth", "Leviticus: Faggot", "Stay" and the aforementioned "...Boyfriend". Ndegeocello sang backing vocals on the song "I'd Rather be Your Lover" for Madonna on her album Bedtime Stories.

Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Lost & Delirious, Batman & Robin, Love Jones, Love & Basketball, Talk To Me, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls,The Best Man, Higher Learning and Down in the Delta.

She has appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx, Indigo Girls and The Blind Boys of Alabama. On The Rolling Stones' 1997 album Bridges to Babylon she plays bass on the song "Saint Of Me". On Alanis Morissette's 2002 album Under Rug Swept she plays bass on the songs "So Unsexy" and "You Owe Me Nothing in Return". On Zap Mama's album "ReCreation" (2009) she plays bass on the song "African Diamond".

In 2002, Ndegeocello collaborated with Yerba Buena on a track featuring Ron Black for the Red Hot Organization's tribute album to Fela Kuti, Red Hot and Riot. Proceeds from the album went to various AIDS charities, per the Red Hot Organization's mission.

She can also be seen in the documentary movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown, singing The Miracles' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and The Temptations' "Cloud Nine". In the late 1990s, she toured with Lilith Fair. She also did a remake of the song, "Two Doors Down" on the 2003 release, Just Because I'm A Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton.

Ndegeocello was also a judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Her song “Tie One On” was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week on February 23, 2010.

In June 2010, she contributed a cover of U2's "40" to the Enough Project and Downtown Records' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo.

Discography

Studio Albums

1993: Plantation Lullabies (Maverick)

1996: Peace Beyond Passion (Maverick)

1999: Bitter (Maverick)

2002: (Maverick)

2003: Comfort Woman (Maverick)

2005: (Shanachie)

2007: The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams (EmArcy)

2009: Devil's Halo (Downtown)

EPs

2006: The Article 3 (EmArcy)

Singles

1993: If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night) (Maverick)

References

External links

Official website

FreeMyHeart, defined as the "definitive" website by Meshell herself

Extensive audio interview on public radio program The Sound of Young America

Category:1968 births Category:African American female guitarists Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African American rappers Category:American funk bass guitarists Category:American funk singers Category:American hip hop musicians Category:American jazz bass guitarists Category:American jazz singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American reggae musicians Category:American rhythm and blues bass guitarists Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American rock bass guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Bisexual musicians Category:Female bass guitarists Category:Female rappers Category:Funk rock Category:American converts to Islam Category:LGBT African Americans Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:Living people Category:Military brats Category:Musicians from Washington, D.C. Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Berlin Category:Emarcy Records artists Category:Maverick Records artists Category:Downtown Records artists Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:LGBT parents

Coordinates	5°33′27.30″N80°49′20.28″N
Name	Mikael Åkerfeldt
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt
Born	April 17, 1974 Stockholm, Sweden
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
Genre	Progressive metal, death metal, progressive rock
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter, producer
Years active	1990–present
Label	Roadrunner
Associated acts	Opeth, Bloodbath, Steel, Sörskogen, Katatonia, Ayreon, Porcupine Tree, Edge of Sanity
Url	www.opeth.com
Notable instruments	PRS Guitars

Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt () (born 17 April 1974) is a Swedish musician who achieved fame as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth as well as the lead vocalist of death metal band Bloodbath. He is known for his progressive rock-influenced songwriting style and his frequent use of both clean and growled vocals.

Mikael (along with Peter Lindgren) were both ranked #42 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of all time by Guitar World. Akerfeldt was also voted the 9th place in the book "Top 100 Heavy Metal Guitarists," ranking alongside legends such as Dave Mustaine, Dimebag Darrell, and John Petrucci.

Career and biographical details

A native of Stockholm, Mikael Åkerfeldt was the vocalist for Eruption, a death metal band which he formed in 1988. After Eruption came to an end in 1990, he joined Opeth, ostensibly as a bassist. When vocalist David Isberg insisted Åkerfeldt join the band, all other members left. Isberg assumed guitar duties, and when he left Opeth two years later, Åkerfeldt replaced him as the vocalist. Åkerfeldt performs the growling vocals on Katatonia's Brave Murder Day album and Sounds of Decay EP.

Åkerfeldt is a collector of obscure 1970s rock and heavy metal albums. He also tends to show his influence from these obscure bands, making reference to them in Opeth album titles such as "Blackwater Park," "Still Life" and "My Arms Your Hearse", as well as songs such as "Master's Apprentices". He is also influenced extensively by both jazz and musician Ritchie Blackmore.

On 15 August 2003, Mikael Åkerfeldt married his longtime girlfriend, Anna Sandberg. On 13 September 2004, Anna gave birth to a daughter whom they named Melinda, after the character in the concept album, Still Life. The couple had their second daughter, Mirjam Ebba Maria Åkerfeldt, on 28 October 2007.

Åkerfeldt is known to be good friends with Steven Wilson, the frontman of one of his favorite bands, Porcupine Tree; Mike Portnoy, former drummer of Dream Theater; and Jonas Renkse of Katatonia. He is also presumed to be the basis for the character Toki Wartooth from the popular cartoon Metalocalypse, as divulged in an interview with ultimate-guitar.com.

Solo album

Mikael Åkerfeldt revealed in September 2009 that he is contemplating recording a singer-songwriter acoustic solo album.

"I've always been wanting to do a thing like that. I've got a bunch of lovely acoustic guitars back I wanna use more. Even though Opeth could probably do an album like that, I wanna do it on my own, and in that sense, I wanna record it on my own — in my house, basically. I think I can do it well. I think I can do a good album like that.

"I'd like to maybe simplify it even more [than the Opeth acoustic stuff], and have it just chords playing, and maybe some finger-picking stuff, so I could be able to perform it if I would wanna do that. So I don't want it to be lots of tracks, like overdubbing guitars with lots of melodies; I want it to be fairly simplistic so if I wanted to, I could play it live on my own... on a stool. [laughs]"

Equipment

Some of his guitars are tuned to Open D minor (low to high strings: D-A-D-F-A-D) to perform songs from the album Ghost Reveries.

Electric guitars

# PRS Custom 24 (Tortoise shell flame top) # Gibson Flying V ('67 Reissue) # PRS Custom 24 (Blue Flame Top) # PRS Custom 24 (Black Quilt) # PRS Custom 24 (Black) # PRS SC 245 (Black Cherry) # Fender Stratocaster 1975 (Black) # Fender Stratocaster 1972 Reissue (Natural) # Gibson Les Paul Standard V.O.S. (Tobacco Sunburst) # B.C. Rich Mockingbird (Black) # PRS 22 fret Modern Eagle (Grey Flame Top) # PRS Modern Eagle Single Cut 24 Fret (Wine Flame Matte Top) # Gibson SG Standard 1961 Reissue # PRS Custom 22 12-String (Black) # PRS Singlecut (Black Quilt) # PRS SE Mikael Åkerfeldt Signature Guitar

Acoustic guitars/Steel string

# CF Martin (with Fishman Pickup) # CF Martin 00016GT # Takamine 12 String # Seagull (with Fishman Pickup)

Acoustic guitars/Classical nylon

# Amalio Burguet 3am (cedar top) # Landola CT/2/w

Amps

# Laney GH100L with cabinet # Laney VH100R # Laney VC30 # Fender 1000 Rocpro # Fractal Audio Axe-Fx Ultra preamp / effects processor

Discography

with Opeth

Orchid (1995)

Morningrise (1996)

My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)

Still Life (1999)

Blackwater Park (2001)

Deliverance (2002)

Damnation (2003)

Lamentations (2003) – live DVD

Ghost Reveries (2005)

The Roundhouse Tapes (2007) – live album/DVD

Watershed (2008)

In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (2010) - live album/DVD

with Katatonia

Brave Murder Day (1996)

Sounds of Decay (1997) – EP

Discouraged Ones (1998) – backing vocals, co-production on vocals

with Bloodbath

Breeding Death (2000) – EP

Resurrection Through Carnage (2002)

Unblessing the Purity (2008) – EP

The Wacken Carnage (2008) – live album

The Fathomless Mastery (2008)

Appearances

Ayreon: Åkerfeldt sings the parts of Fear in The Human Equation, the 2004 release.

Bloodbath: Åkerfeldt is currently the vocalist for Bloodbath. He was with the band from 2000 to 2004, and can be heard on their Breeding Death and Resurrection through Carnage releases. He also performed live with them at Wacken Open Air in 2005. On 30 January 2008 it was announced on the official Bloodbath website that Åkerfeldt had rejoined the band. He later performed the vocals for their latest EP release Unblessing the Purity which has been out on limited release since March 10, 2008. Their most recent album, The Fathomless Mastery, is Mikael's first full-length release with Bloodbath since 2002's Resurrection Through Carnage.

Candlemass: Åkerfeldt performs vocals for one song on the Candlemass 20-year anniversary DVD.

Dream Theater: Åkerfeldt performs a spoken word part in "Repentance" on their 2007 album Systematic Chaos. He also sang the second verse of the same song on its first and to date only live performance, during the Progressive Nation 2008 tour. And during one of the DT's live performance, where they played A Nightmare to Remember,he growls during the growled part of the song.

Edge of Sanity: Åkerfeldt provided vocals and guitar parts in Edge of Sanity's 1996 album Crimson, and also wrote lyrics for a song on Infernal.

Horrified: Åkerfeldt growls a few words on 'Avatar of the Age of Horus' off of their 'Deus Diabolus Inversus' album.

Katatonia: Åkerfeldt sings on the 1996 album Brave Murder Day, and the three-song EP Sounds of Decay, released 1997. He also performs backing vocals on the albums Discouraged Ones and Tonight's Decision.

Ihsahn: Åkerfeldt performs on the song "Unhealer" from the 2008 album angL.

OSI: Åkerfeldt performs lead vocals on the track "Stockholm" for OSI's 2009 album, Blood.

Porcupine Tree: Åkerfeldt sings backing vocals on "Deadwing", "Lazarus" and "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" and plays a guitar solo on "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" on the 2005 album Deadwing.

Roadrunner United: Åkerfeldt performs vocals on the song "Roads" alongside Type O Negative keyboardist Josh Silver on the Roadrunner Records 25th Anniversary album Roadrunner United: The All-Star Sessions.

Soilwork: Åkerfeldt sings cleanly on the title track of the album A Predator's Portrait.

Sörskogen: Åkerfeldt sings in Swedish and plays guitars on the lone track "Mordet i Grottan".

Steel: A small power metal side project by Dan Swanö and Opeth's members, featuring Åkerfeldt on guitars.

Notes

External links

Biographies of Unique Musical Figures on LEBmetal.com

Category:1974 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Swedish heavy metal singers Category:Swedish heavy metal guitarists Category:Swedish male singers Category:Opeth members Category:Lead guitarists Category:Progressive metal guitarists Category:People from Stockholm Category:Living people Category:Death metal musicians