Example
Background information
Birth name	Elliot John Gleave
Also known as	Example
Born	(1982-06-20) 20 June 1982 (age 30)
Origin	Fulham, London UK
Genres	Grime, Electro house, British hip hop, Dubstep, Hip house, Drum and bass, Post-dubstep, EDM, Trance
Occupations	Rapper, Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
Years active	2004 – present
Labels	The Chats (2004–2006) The Beats (2006–2007) Data (2008–present) Mercury (2012–present)
Associated acts	Wretch 32, Chase & Status, Laidback Luke, DJ Wire, The Streets, Hadouken!, Skream, Faithless, Don Diablo, MJ Cole, Lily Allen, Giggs, Ed Sheeran, Tinchy Stryder, Professor Green, Frisco, AN21, Max Vangeli, Michael Woods, Nero, D Double E
Website	trythisforexample.com = trythisforxmpl.tumblr.com

Elliot John Gleave (20 June 1982) better known by his stage name Example, is a British singer and rapper signed to Data Records. His name arose due to his initials being E.G., which is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "exempli gratia", which means "for example".^[1]

Example first found success with the release of his second album, Won't Go Quietly, which peaked at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart.^[2] The album had two top 10 singles, Won't Go Quietly and Kickstarts.^[3]

His third album Playing in the Shadows was released on 4 September 2011.^[4] The album debuted at number 1 on the UK Album Charts with two number 1 singles, Changed the Way You Kiss Me and Stay Awake.^[5]

Early life[link]

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Elliot Gleave was born at a West London Pub, Hammersmith, the elder of two children, and attended All Saints Primary School in Fulham. He later went on to attend ADT College (now Ashcroft Technology Academy) in Wandsworth. Gleave has claimed in interviews that the main reason he started rapping was due to his introduction to hip-hop through albums by Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg – the latter's album purchased primarily for "the cool cover art".

In 2000, Elliot attended Royal Holloway, University of London to study film directing. While at university, he started garage MCing to make some money. It was during this period that he met Joseph Gardner, AKA Rusher, the producer whom he would later go on to work with. Gleave and Gardner made a concept album in the audio booth of the University film department which would go on to be Example's first white-label vinyl release, "A Pointless Song".

Following graduation, Gleave worked in Australia for a year in the props departments of films such as Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He returned to the UK and became a voiceover artist and editor for the Paramount Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central),^[6] also working as an editor at MTV Networks.^[7]

Career[link]

[edit] What We Made (2004–2008)

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After releasing three singles through his own label "All The Chats", including the original 7" version of "I Don't Want To" in January 2006, Example received attention from Pete Tong, Zane Lowe and others at Radio 1. Example also caught the attention of people at four major record labels – perhaps most significantly Mike Skinner (of The Streets), owner of The Beats label.

After signing a deal in April 2006 with The Beats, Example put out a response to Lily Allen's No.1 hit "Smile" entitled "Vile" and received Radio 1 airplay from Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley and Chris Moyles. His first 'proper' release on The Beats was "What We Made" in November 2006, the video for which was filmed in Chernobyl, Ukraine (see below).

Example's second official Beats single entitled "You Can't Rap" was released in March 2007, followed by a re-release of "I Don't Want To" on 11 June 2007. "I Don't Want To" was followed by the single "So Many Roads" (famously sampling The Carpenters "We've Only Just Begun") which eventually turned out to be the opening track on Example's full-length studio debut. After the demise of The Beats label at the end of 2007 Example self-released his next single "Me + Mandy" on 10 March 2008 through his original imprint All The Chats. The video for "Me + Mandy" was shot over 4 days and nights in London, in over 30 locations with over 40 extras. Impressively all this was done at a cost of just £1000. It was directed by Example's friend Cíaran Melly who also made the promos for "Who Needs Sunshine?", "Vile", "You Can't Rap" and "I Don't Want To".

In February 2008 Example also tried his hand at stand-up comedy as part of BBC2's The Culture Show. Mentored by English comic Richard Herring, Example spent six weeks writing and practicing his own stand-up routine which culminated in his first ever stand-up show in front of 60 paying customers in a Covent Garden pub. A week later he appeared on the bill under Richard Herring, Phill Jupitus and Harry Hill at the Lyric Hammersmith – interestingly Example had performed in the same venue ten years earlier whilst a student at ADT College.

[edit] Won't Go Quietly (2009–2010)

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Example made his first chart appearance in September 2009, when he released "Watch the Sun Come Up" as the lead single from his second album Won't Go Quietly through Data Records. The single debuted at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, rising to number 19 the following week. The single was followed by a release of "Won't Go Quietly", released on 18 January 2010. The single debuted at number 6 in the United Kingdom, marking Example's first appearance within the top 10. It also peaked 36 in Ireland. The announcement was then made in April 2010 that the second album Won't Go Quietly would be released on 21 June 2010 and would be preceded by the single "Kickstarts". Receiving its radio debut on 13 April by BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, the song was produced by Sub Focus. "Kickstarts" was released on 20 June, where it debuted at number 3. Released the following week, the album Won't Go Quietly debuted at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart. On 12 September, Example released "Last Ones Standing" as the fourth cut from the album, where it reached a peak of number 27 in the United Kingdom and 37 in Ireland. On 14 November 2010, he released the final single off the album "Two Lives", though it only peaked at 84 on the UK Singles Chart. On the other hand, it was able to peak at number 10 on the UK Dance Chart.

[edit] Playing in the Shadows and Tour (2011)

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It was revealed in January 2011 via Example's Twitter that work on the third album had begun. During an interview, Example revealed the forthcoming album would remain dance orientated, although he would make a gradual move into electronicgenres.^[8] The lead single from the album is named "Changed the Way You Kiss Me" and was released in June 2011.^[9] On 24 March 2011 "Changed the Way You Kiss Me" debuted on BBC Radio 1 as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World. In an interview with Lowe he revealed that his third album would be released in September 2011, entitled Playing in the Shadows. Example described the album as a darker record than previous album Won't Go Quietly.

Example's second United Kingdom tour began in February 2011, with support acts including Wretch 32 and Neon Hitch.

On June 5, 2011 he released his first single from his third album, "Changed the Way You Kiss Me" where it debuted at number one in the UK. The song also charted in many European countries and Australia, where it was also certified Platinum. The second song of the album "Stay Awake", which was produced by Nero, was debuted on Friday 1 July 2011 on BBC Radio 1 by Annie Mac. It was released on 28 August, and also debuted at number 1. His third single will be "Midnight Run" was released on 4 December 2011 and reached number 36 in the UK singles Chart.

His third studio album, "Playing in the Shadows" debuted at number one in the UK albums chart and also charted in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. The album received positive reviews from critics and was acclaimed by fans.

Example toured across the UK in November/December 2011 with Fenech-Soler, Russo & DJ Baller B supporting. After the tour, Example travels to Sydney, Australia, where he will be performing at New Year's Day festival Field Day.^[10] In April 2012, Example will embark on his first arena tour, touring 12 cities including London and Cardiff. His support act has been confirmed as Wretch 32. Also a European tour has been confirmed, with performances in cities like Prague, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Milan and so on.

4th Studio album (2012)[link]

Via Twitter, Example tweeted that on the plane to Sydney he plans on writing some songs for a new album and he will be listening to Kasabian's new album for lyrical inspiration.

Via Twitter tweets to Funkagenda, Example confirmed he is working on his 4th studio album straight away and will send Funk details and briefs if he is interested. This will be the third time Funkagenda will produce for Example, and Benga is also to produce.

While Example is in Australia for 2 months, the singer/rapper plans to write the entire 4th album in the time he spends there. Example confirmed via Twitter that the title of the songs have all been completed and the list of producers lined up.

Example confirmed he is to have a track he wrote for The Wanted to be featured on their debut US album, 'The Wanted'. The song is called "Chasing The Sun".^[11]

In January 2012, Example signed a US record deal with Mercury which is part of Universal. He is hoping to crack America on his own terms with his next album.^[12]. Example has also recently co-wrote a track for british boy band The Wanted named 'Chasing The Sun' which is released 17th April 2012 in USA and 20th May 2012 in the United Kingdom.

Confirmed track names via Example's Twitter and concert setlist –

• Come Taste the Rainbow
• Where did the Sun Go?
• We'll Be Coming Back (Calvin Harris feat. Example)

The list of already confirmed producers –

• Calvin Harris
• Alesso
• Benga / Magnetic Man
• Feed Me
• Laidback Luke
• Funkagenda
• Dirty South
• Alvin Risk
• DJ Tommy Trash
• Kill the Noise
• Dillon Francis
• Switch
• Diplo
• Sandy Vee

Collaborations[link]

• On Professor Green's song "Before I Die", Example features on an official remix featuring Plan B, Ghetts and Big Narstie. The official video can be found on YouTube.^[13]

• Example featured on the Professor Green single "Monster", which proved successful, peaking at number 29 in the UK.^[14]

• He featured on the Rogue Traders 2010 single Love Is a War but is not credited.^[15]

• Example featured on a track "Game Over" with UK Rappers Tinchy Stryder, Giggs, Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Devlin & Chipmunk. The promo-song reached 22 on the UK charts.^[16]

• A collaboration between Example and Skream, entitled "Shot Yourself in the Foot Again" received its first radio play from Zane Lowe on his BBC Radio 1 show on 4 January 2011, having been made available as a free download soon after.^[17]

• On 1 April 2011 Example featured on another track, "Look Over Your Shoulder" with Peckham grime artist Giggs.^[18]

• Another Example collaboration, with Tottenham-born grime artist Wretch 32. Entitled "Unorthodox", It was released on 17 April 2011. The single reached number two on the UK Singles Charts.^[19]

• Example & DJ Wire released a mixtape called Example & DJ Wire Present the Playlist.^[20]

• Example features on a track by AN21 & Max Vangeli, "Whisper".^[21]

• He also features on a track with D Double E called "Catch Me If You Can" from D Double's "Bluku! Bluku!".^[22]

• He appeared on Laidback Luke's latest single "Natural Disaster". The single is included in Example's number 1 album Playing in the Shadows and debuted at number 37.^[23]

• Flux Pavillion's debut single "Daydreamer" features vocals from Example and is due to be released April 2012.^[24]

• Ed Sheeran & Example are releasing a free download for the summer entitled "Throw It All Away" there will also be a music video.^[25]

• Calvin Harris & Example are releasing "Coming Back" together

Discography[link]

• What We Made (2007)
• Won't Go Quietly (2010)
• Playing in the Shadows (2011)
• TBC (2012–2013)

Film making[link]

• While filming a promo video for his track "What We Made" in the abandoned city of Chernobyl in northern Ukraine, Example also filmed an 18-minute documentary in the ghost towns he visited and their deserted schools, hotels and funfairs, many of which still remain exactly as they were when they were abandoned after the infamous disaster 20 years ago. "I don't think anyone who's been here can be for nuclear power," he said, looking around at empty cots and babies' gas masks in a disintegrating schoolroom near Chernobyl. "I've read stuff recently about how we're only ever going to survive if we make nuclear power available, but you just think: why would you want it to happen after seeing this?"^[26]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Exclusive Interview with Virgin Red Room
• Example signs US deal with Universal

Laidback Luke
Laidback Luke
Background information
Birth name	Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen
Also known as	Laidback Luke, Nouveau Yorican
Born	(1976-10-22) 22 October 1976 (age 35) Manila, Philippines
Genres	Electro house, House, Dance
Occupations	DJ, Producer
Instruments	Software (Ableton, Fl Studio)
Labels	Mixmash Records
Associated acts	Sander Van Doorn, Steve Aoki, Lil John, Tocadisco, Nicky Romero, David Guetta, DJ Daaar, Sidney Samson, Robyn, Avicii, Johnathan Mendelson, Kaskade, Sirah, Example, Benny Benassi, Congorock, The Bloody Beetroots
Website	laidbackluke.com

Laidback Luke (born Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, 22 October 1976 in Manila, Philippines) is a Dutch DJ, producer. He was voted #46 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list in 2008, before jumping to #27 in 2009 and jumping up 10 places in 2010.^[1][2]

Laidback Luke grew up in The Netherlands and made his name as a graffiti artist before turning to making music. He has worked with artists such as David Guetta, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, Example and Junior Sanchez and played throughout Europe and North America as well as shows in Japan and Ibiza. He has released two studio albums: Psyched Up (1998) and Electronic Satisfaction (2002) as well as a successful mix album, Windmill Skill (2003). In 2003, van Scheppingen did a remix of the Daft Punk song "Crescendolls" for the duo's remix album Daft Club. Luke has also released his own mix album, titled Ibiza Closing Party, as a free covermount CD in the October 2008 issue of Mixmag. He has currently released his new album on the 4th of July 2011, called Cream Ibiza Super You & Me.

He announced on the maiden voyage of Holy Ship that he was engaged to Gina Turner^[3]

Discography[link]

• Cream Ibiza - Super You And Me (2011)

Singles

Remixes, Bootlegs, Edits and Unofficial Reworks

• 1996: Green Velvet - The Stalker (LBL Remix)
• 1998: Lambda - Hold on tight (LBL Remix)
• 2002: Damon Wild & Tim Taylor - Bang The Acid
• 2002: Green Velvet - Land Of The Lost
• 2003: Daft Punk - Crescendolls (LBL Remix)
• 2004: Steve Angello - Voices (LBL Remix)
• 2004: Jaimie Fanatic - B Boy Stance
• 2005: MYPD - You're Not Alone (LBL Remix)
• 2006: DJ Daaar - Now It's 2006 I'll Stop Smoking Weed (YEAH RIGHT!)(LBL Bootleg)
• 2006: Hardrox - Feel The Hard Rock (LBL Remix)
• 2006: Another Chance - The Sound Of Eden (LBL Remix)
• 2007: TV Rock vs Dukes Of Windsor - The Others (LBL Remix)
• 2007: DJ DLG & Laidback Luke - Ambition (LBL Remix)
• 2007: David Guetta feat. Cozi - Baby When The Light (LBL Remix)
• 2007 Denis Naidanow - Ascension ( LBL Remix )
• 2008: Natalie Williams - U Don't Know (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Roger Sanchez - Again (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Paul Johnson - Get Get Down (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Juice String - Sex Weed (LBL Remix)
• 2008: David Guetta feat. Tara McDonald - Delirious (LBL Remix)
• 2008: TV Rock feat. Rudy - Been A Long Time (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Steve Angello - Gypsy (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Underworld - Ring Road (LBL Remix)
• 2008: The Black Ghosts - Repetition Kills You (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Martin Solveig - I Want You (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Roger Sanchez feat. Terri B - Bang That Box (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Hervé (DJ) - Cheap Thrills (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Madonna vs Dirty South - 4 Minutes To Let It Go (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Joachim Garraud - Are U Ready (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Bob Sinclar - Gymtonic (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Beyoncé - Me, Myself & I (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Coldplay - Viva La Vida (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Tocadisco - Streetgirls (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Surkin - White Knight Two (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 (LBL Bootleg)
• 2008: Daft Punk - Teachers (LBL Rework)
• 2008: Dada Life - Rubber Band Boogie (LBL Remix)
• 2008: Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters Theme (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy & Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems (LBL Bootleg)
• 2009: David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Nas - Made You Look (LBL Bootleg)
• 2009: Tiesto - I Will Be Here (LBL Remix)
• 2009: MSTRKRFT feat. John Legend - Heartbreaker (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Junior Sanchez feat. Good Charlotte - Elevator (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Avicii - Ryu (LBL Edit)
• 2009: The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feelin' (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Dizzee Rascal feat. Chrome - Holiday (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Martin Solvieg feat. Dragonette - Boys & Girls (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Sandro Silva - Prom Night (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Depeche Mode - Fragile Tension (LBL Remix)
• 2009: Robbie Rivera - Rock The Disco (LBL Edit)
• 2009: Calvin Harris - You Used To Hold Me (LBL Remix)
• 2009: System F - Out of The Blue 2010 (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2009: Korgis - Need Your Lovin' (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Wynter Gordon - Dirty Talk (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Jay-Z feat. Swizz Beatz - On To The Next One (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2010: Moby - Wait For Me (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Carte Blanche Feat. Kid Sister - Do! Do! Do! (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Bad Boy Bill feat. Eric Jag - Got That Feeling (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Lil' Jon feat. Kee - Give It All You Got (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2010: Steve Angello vs. Dr. Dre - Knas Episode (Laidback Luke & Junior Sanchez Mashup)
• 2010: Afrojack Vs. Radioclit Vs. Armand van Helden - I Want Your Divine Control (Laidback Luke Mash Up)
• 2010: iSquare - Hey Sexy Lady (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: SHM vs. Bingo Players - Save Everything Tonight (Laidback Luke Mashup)
• 2011: Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go - Cinema (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2011: Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Laidback Luke Bootleg)
• 2011: Jump Jump Dance Dance - 2.0 (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Laura LaRue - Un, Deux, Trois (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Skream feat. Sam Frank - Where You Should Be (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Anjulie - Brand New Bitch (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: GTA feat. Zashanell - U & I (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi - Beautiful People (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Patric La Funk - Time And Time Again (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Kanye West feat. Rihanna - All Of The Lights (Mata vs Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2011: Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony - Rain Over Me (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2011: David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On (David Guetta & Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Aaron Smith ft. Luvli - Dancin' (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Madonna feat. M.I.A. & Nicki Minaj "Give Me All Your Luvin" (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Felix Cartal ft Polina "Dont Turn On The Lights" (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Tiesto ft Dino - Beautiful World (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Congorock & DJ Daaar - Ivory (Laidback Luke Edit)
• 2012: Sub Focus feat. Alice Gold - Out The Blue (Laidback Luke Remix)
• 2012: Steve Aoki feat. Lil Jon & Chiddy Bang - Emergency (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]
• 2012: Sato Goldschlag feat. Wynter Gordon - Hey Mr. Mister (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]
• 2012: Skrillex & Damian Marley - Make It Bun Dem (Laidback Luke Remix)[Unreleased]

Notes[link]

1. ^ DJ Mag Top 100 2009 http://www.djmag.com/top100
2. ^ DJ Mag Top 100 2009 http://www.djmag.com/top100
3. ^ http://digi10ve.com/2012/01/06/laidback-luke-gets-engaged-to-gina-turner/

External links[link]

• Official website
• Laidback Luke discography at Discogs
• Laidback Luke on Myspace
• Interview on Clubplanet

Calvin Harris
Background information
Birth name	Adam Richard Wiles
Born	(1984-01-17) 17 January 1984 (age 28) Dumfries, Scotland
Genres	Electropop, electro house, nu-disco, synthpop, Eurodance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, DJ
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Fly Eye, Columbia, Ministry of Sound, Ultra
Website	www.calvinharris.co.uk

Adam Richard Wiles^[1] (born 17 January 1984)^[2], better known by his stage name Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls". His second studio album, Ready for the Weekend (2009), reached number one in the UK Album Chart and includes the chart-topper "I'm Not Alone", the UK top five hit "Ready for the Weekend", and the singles "Flashback" and "You Used to Hold Me".

A remix album titled L.E.D. Festival was released in July 2010 as a free album in the August issue of Mixmag. Harris is currently working on his third studio album—due for release in 2012—which has produced the singles "Awooga", "Bounce", "Feel So Close", and "Let's Go". He has written and produced records for other recording artists including Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Dizzee Rascal, Rihanna (on the international chart topper "We Found Love"),^[3] and Kesha.^[4]

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Harris was born in Dumfries, Scotland. He states that his childhood hero was football star Steve McManaman,^[5] but because he could not play [the game] nor have McManaman's 'curly hair', music was the next best option for a career.^[6] He was first attracted to electronic music in his teens and was recording bedroom demos by 1999.^[7] According to an interview with News of the World, all the while he created music, he started becoming an antisocial person, which affected his personality.^[8] His earliest success was when he was 21: the songs "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days" were released as a 12" club single and CD-EP by the Prima Facie label in early 2002 under the name Stouffer.^[9] He released one song in 2004, "Let Me Know", with artist Ayah Marar. The song appears on The Unabombers' Electric Soul 2.

[edit] 2006–08: I Created Disco

Harris performing in 2008

Harris signed contracts with EMI (publishing) and Sony BMG (recording) in 2006 after he had been discovered by Tommie Sunshine on the social networking website MySpace and his music was released on Sunshine's label Xylophone Jones Recordings previous to his album on Sony BMG.^[10] Harris had recently moved back from London to his hometown of Dumfries because he was unable to find a job.^[11] Later in 2006, Harris produced a remix of All Saints' hit single "Rock Steady".

Harris' first album, I Created Disco, was released in June 2007. The album contains uptempo electroclash songs that were influenced by music from the 1980s. To promote I Created Disco, Harris embarked on a tour of the UK, supporting Faithless and Groove Armada.^[12][13] I Created Disco has been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of 100,000 copies in the UK, where it reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart.

The first single, "Vegas", was issued on limited edition vinyl; the first wide-release single from the album was "Acceptable in the 80s", a tribute to the style and culture of the decade. The song reached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for fifteen weeks.^[14] "The Girls", the album's third single, peaked at number three in the UK, although the fourth release, "Merrymaking at My Place", reached only number forty-three. The fifth and final single, "Colours", was featured in television advertisements for DFS sofas and Kia Motors. In October 2008, Harris was featured on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix with a two-hour set.

[edit] 2008–10: Ready for the Weekend

In April 2008, Harris stated that the only existing copy of his upcoming album work was lost when his was misplaced during the baggage handling problems at the opening of London Heathrow Terminal 5.^[15] Harris later admitted that this was a lie as the album was not in his luggage at all, and that he hoped that what he said would buy him some more time to finish recording the LP.^[16] The album, Ready for the Weekend, was released in August 2009 in the United Kingdom^[17] and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, eventually being certified gold by the BPI for selling 100,000 copies. The first single, "I'm Not Alone", released in April 2009, debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number one and was shortlisted for the Popjustice £20 Music Prize. The follow-up single, "Ready for the Weekend" (featuring singer Mary Pearce), went to number three. Other tracks included on the album are "Worst Day" featuring Izza Kizza^[18] and "Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La", which was used in a Coca-Cola advertisement.^[19]

Harris toured around the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands and the United States promoting the album. In June 2009, Harris appeared at the Summertime Ball at the Emirates Stadium, and in August, he made an appearance on the first Soccer AM show of the season. Harris performed at Wembley Stadium in October 2009 as part of the pre-game entertainment for the NFL International Series game between the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The third single from Ready for the Weekend, "Flashback", reached the top twenty in the UK, and the fourth, "You Used to Hold Me", entered the top forty. During promotion of the album, Harris hosted a series of videos on YouTube titled JAM TV, in which musicians such as Florence Welch, Goldie and Katy Perry tried to open pots of jam.^[20] In 2010, Harris received a BRIT Award nomination for British Male.

On 14 November, Harris invaded the stage of The X Factor during a performance by John & Edward, holding a pineapple on his head and bending over to point at his buttocks. He was subsequently evicted from the studio by the security team and told not to return to have his say on the ITV2 programme The Xtra Factor—in which he was to have been a "Celebrity Guest". He later apologised on Twitter, saying he was a fan of the boys, "At the end of the day, I had a pineapple on my head. Sorry if I caused anyone embarrassment. PS, I love Jedward (sic)".^[21] The same week, Harris spoke to The Chris Moyles Show and revealed that he had been "inspired to make a mockery of the show", as well as stating that "If you look at music it's a frightening stranglehold that Simon Cowell has got over the entire music chart in the UK at the moment."^[22] On the same day, John and Edward's "mentor" Louis Walsh, appearing on The Paul O'Grady Show, accused Harris of trying to "cash in" on John & Edward's fame, and claimed to not know who he was.^[23]

2010–present: Third album and touring[link]

Harris performing in Australia

Harris played at the 2010 Big Day Out, a music festival which takes place in several major cities in Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. In May 2010, he performed at Evolution Festival, UK in Newcastle upon Tyne, Quayside, and in July he played at Nottingham Splendour and headlined at the Stockton International Riverside Festival in Stockton-on-Tees. In July 2010, Harris released a mix, titled L.E.D. Festival (short for L.E.D. Festival Presents... Calvin Harris). It was available for one month as a free covermount CD in Mixmag.

Harris appeared at the tenth birthday of Our:House in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 2010, alongside Afrojack,^[24] and performed an hour-long DJ set at Australia's Steresonic Festival alongside Tiesto, Carl Cox, Afrojack and Major Lazer in November/December 2010, in several major Australian cities including Sydney and Melbourne. In 2011, he toured with Rihanna in Australia, Poland and the UK as a support act on her Loud Tour; Rihanna was quoted to say that "Calvin is the perfect fit for the Loud tour. He is going to bring something unique and fun for the fans."^[25] Harris headlined the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2011 party.

During March and April 2011, Harris was scheduled to be an opening act/DJ for Katy Perry on the UK leg of her California Dreams Tour, but he withdrew from the tour shortly before his first date, citing production issues and difficulties with Perry's management in his apology to her fans.^[26] Perry publicly criticised Harris via her Twitter feed, stating that the tour's other support acts had expressed no problems with their production arrangements,^[27] but Harris later said "it's all fine" between them and that he would still like to work with her in the future.^[28]

Harris headlined Limelite at Metropolis Fremantle (Western Australia) in March 2011 in celebration of the event's fourth birthday, where he played small samples of his new track, "Awooga", which was subsequently uploaded onto YouTube via his channel, icreateddisco.^[29] Following "Awooga", Harris released the single "Bounce", a collaboration with Kelis that debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart in June 2011. Another single, "Feel So Close", was released in August 2011 and also reached number two, as did the third single, "Let's Go" featuring Ne-Yo (released in April 2012), commissioned for a Pepsi Max advertising campaign. "Feel So Close" became Harris's first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, peaking at number twelve. These singles precede Harris's third studio album, which will be released in 2012;^[30] he has said of the LP, "I'm going for pretty epic-sounding dance records. I guess the whole sound has just moved on in terms of production as I've got a new studio and some new gear to make the sounds I wasn't able to make before."^[31] Singer/rapper Example announced via Twitter that he will be featured on Harris's next single, "We'll Be Coming Back".^{[citation needed]}

Harris performed at the 2011 Jingle Bell Ball concert, and has been announced as one of the headline acts at a number of Southern Hemisphere 2011/2012 new year music festivals, including Shore Thing and Field Day^[32] in Sydney, as well as Rhythm and Vines in New Zealand.^[33]

Productions and songwriting[link]

In 2007, Harris caught the attention of pop singer Kylie Minogue after his recordings had been passed on to her by another record producer.^[12] This led to him co-writing and producing two songs on her 2007 album X—"Heart Beat Rock" and "In My Arms", the latter a top ten hit in the UK. Harris said that working with Minogue was "surreal, but fun" although he admitted to Mixmag in 2007 to "needing a few drinks before meeting her". Harris returned to work with Minogue on her album Aphrodite (2010), co-producing the track "Too Much".

In 2008, Harris collaborated with rapper Dizzee Rascal on his single "Dance wiv Me", producing the track and singing the hook. The single reached number one in the UK and has been certified platinum by the BPI, selling 300,000 copies. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Popjustice £20 Music Prize and, in 2009, received a BRIT Award nomination for British Single and an Ivor Novello Award nomination for Best Contemporary Song. In 2009, he produced Dizzee Rascal's next single entitled "Holiday", which also reached number one. He was supposed to make an appearance in its music video, but objected to dancing along in some scenes, wearing a certain shirt for the video and not wearing his "fly eye" glasses.^[1] Also in 2009, Harris made a guest appearance on Tiësto's song "Century" on the Dutch producer's album Kaleidoscope.^[34] Harris produced a track for English singer/rapper Example for his second album Won't Go Quietly (2010), "Time Machine", and mixed The Ting Tings' UK top forty single "Hands", having previously remixed the band's singles "Great DJ" (2008) and "We Walk" (2009).

In 2011, Harris featured on LMFAO's album Sorry for Party Rocking, appearing on the track "Reminds Me of You" which is based on Harris's own song "Awooga". Harris produced Tinchy Stryder's second single, "Off the Record" from his fourth studio album, Full Tank. The track had its première on 15 September 2011, and was released in the UK on 6 November 2011. Following a stint as her support act on the Australian leg of her tour, Harris produced "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been" for Barbadian singer Rihanna. The former is the lead single from her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk, and was premiered in September 2011. It has reached number one in countries such as the UK and the United States, becoming Harris's first charting appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. He co-wrote and co-produced the bonus track "One Life" for R&B singer Mary J. Blige's album My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

In mid April 2012, Billboard published an article on their website claiming that Harris had contributed several tracks to Kesha's upcoming album Spandex on the Distant Horizon, with their specific recording date being left unknown.^[35] Calvin Harris worked with American pop band Scissor Sisters on the single "Only the Horses" from their fourth studio album, Magic Hour. He wrote and produced Cheryl Cole's comeback single "Call My Name", the lead single from her upcoming third album A Million Lights.^[36]. It was also revealed that Calvin is to collaborate with singer/rapper Example again on his upcoming album titled 'Coming Back'.

Failed collaborations[link]

In 2007, Harris contributed the song "Off & On" to Róisín Murphy's album Overpowered, but it was cut from the album; Harris later gave the song to Sophie Ellis-Bextor to record for her 2011 album Make a Scene. He said that Murphy was "a bit mental", "crazy" and a "twat" to reject the songs,^[37] though subsequently apologized in person to Murphy "for throwing my toys out of the pram because I said things that weren't very nice. She said: 'That's all right, we all say silly things sometimes.'"^[38] Harris also produced a remix of Dragonette's debut single "I Get Around" that was rejected by the band, whom he said "weren't very nice to me [...] they said, 'by the way, it's s—t', and then asked me to change everything about it. I told them I couldn't because I was on a bus and that they could basically F--- OFF. That's where we left it."^[37]

In 2007, Kelis discussed plans to work with Harris on her fifth studio album, Flesh Tone (2010), saying that he was "very creative and exciting [...] very, very talented". Although she said they were "looking at doing something together" for the album,^[39] this did not materialise; Harris did, however, produce a remix of Flesh Tone's second single, "4th of July (Fireworks)" and later collaborated with her on his 2011 single "Bounce".

Harris has said that in early 2008, he turned down the opportunity to work with American singer Lady Gaga before the release of her top-selling debut album, The Fame. He recalled: "When Lady Gaga first came out, her name rang a bell, so I checked my emails—and it turns out that on 1 January 2008, I got an email asking to work with her. I thought, 'Lady Gaga, what sort of name is that?' So I replied saying, 'Nah, I’m not into that.' Fast forward a year and she's the biggest thing. But I don't regret turning her down as I didn't think the song I heard then was that good."^[40] In a later interview, Harris stated he considers Gaga to be a "good artist".^[41]

American singer Katy Perry expressed an interest in working with Harris in 2009,^[42] and at one point they had pencilled recording sessions for her second album, Teenage Dream (2010),^[43] but no material was released. Harris worked with boyband JLS on songs for their second album, Outta This World (2010), but none of his work appeared on the released LP.^[44] The third single from that album, "Eyes Wide Shut", was said to copy heavily from Harris's own single "I'm Not Alone", but Harris said that it "wasn't [JLS's] fault and had nothing to do with them".^[45]

Concert tours[link]

• Groove Armada: Soundboy Rock tour (2007)
• Faithless: To All New Arrivals tour (2007)
• Ready for the Weekend tour (2009–2010)
• Deadmau5 & Skrillex: 'Unhooked' tour (2010)
• Rihanna: Loud Tour (2011)

Discography[link]

• I Created Disco (2007)
• Ready for the Weekend (2009)
• Third coming album (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Calvin Harris

• Official website
• Calvin Harris at Ultra Records

Jeffree Star (born Jeffrey Lynn Steininger on November 15, 1985)^[5] is an American model, fashion designer, makeup artist, DJ, and singer-songwriter residing in Beverly Hills, California.^[6][7] He started his music career from being known for his popularity on MySpace with over 100 million plays on his self released music, as well as his fashion line and from his transgressive, gender-bending appearance and persona while calling himself "Queen of the Internet" and "Cunt".^{[8][8][9][10][11]} Star has leveraged his fame as an androgynous model and aesthetic talents to launch his own clothing line and forays into acting and DJing.

Early Life[link]

Jeffree Star was born in Los Angeles County, California.^[12] His father died when he was 6 years old; subsequently, he was raised solely by his alcoholic mother, a model who frequently went on assignments. As a child, Star regularly began experimenting with his mother's makeup, leading to an obsessive compulsive interest,^[13] and convinced her to let him wear makeup to school when he was in junior high.^[14] At the age of fifteen, Star became a make-up artist. During this time, he wore makeup, dyed his hair with day-glo colors and began cross dressing which in turn led to receiving large amounts of attention and popularity from both fellow students and strangers.^{[3][14][14][13]} Following his graduation from high school, Star moved to Los Angeles and began supporting himself with various makeup, modeling, and music jobs.^[15][16] He later recalled spending his time on weekends "using a fake ID to attend Hollywood clubs dressed in mini dresses and nine inch high heels where celebrities would contract [Star] for makeup work at their homes", or "hiring [Star] as a model."^[13] Star reports that his weekend socializing at clubs and the makeup advice he offered eventually led to his modeling career.^[13]

Career[link]

2006–2008: Internet popularity and musical beginnings[link]

Star attending a tribute to Anna Nicole Smith in 2007.

Jeffree Star used popular social networking website MySpace to further both his music as well as fashion design career. Star also used MySpace for blogging about his life while making social commentary on "self-image and confidence",^[4] fame, beauty and life. Star had built up a fan base on several websites but convinced many to join him on MySpace, giving his MySpace profile a large number of "friends" from the beginning.^[14] His MySpace photo shoots would frequently get over 50,000 comments when posted,^[14] and by November 2006, he was recognized as MySpace's most connected profile personality.^[17] Star also gained fame as one of the most popular unsigned artists with the daily rankings placing him in the top tier^[18] on MySpace. On March 28, 2007 at Project Runway's Jeffrey Sebelia fashion show Star was a front row "celebutante" where he revealed details of Buzznet.com’s “Queen Needs a Princess Contest” which had "a day of femme-licious fun with Star" as the grand prize.^[19] The social-networking, music-news site specializes in new-media (integrated photoblog and videoblog capabilities) which Star has capitalized on to dovetail his modeling and music interests.^[20] Stars' social trendsetting participation at Buzznet and his success at growing online fan-base was noted in Buzznet's six million financing in May 2007.^[21] Star regularly uploads video-blog segments including music reviews, event reports as well as posting news about his upcoming music release.

Star's music career as an electronica and pop vocalist began when he befriended Peaches' drummer who encouraged him to make music.^[14] Star was then asked by Deuce of Hollywood Undead to rap on their song "Turn off the Lights" for their debut album.^[22] However, the track did not make it onto the disc. Deuce was recently evicted from Hollywood Undead and has produced a mixtape ("Break Them Wallz") with Jeffree and another song titled "Freaky Now" (alongside friend "Truth"), in which Jeffree raps extremely explicit lyrics. His first two solo tracks "We Want Cunt", named in tribute to his former screen name Cunt: Queen of the Beautifuls, and "Straight Boys" were co-written with Hole and one time Mötley Crüe drummer, Samantha Maloney and singer Jessicka from Scarling..^[23] Star asked MySpace co-founder Tom to convert his MySpace profile into a music page so he could showcase his music.^[14] On the 13 March 2007, Star released his debut extended play Plastic Surgery Slumber Party which was produced by Ultraviolet Sound.^[24] The record topped at number one on the iTunes’s dance charts and "has consistently topped the iTunes dance charts at #1, hovering high above household names such as Justin Timberlake and Cascada."^[6][25] Separately, Star's MySpace page has 25 million listens to Plastic Surgery Slumber Party as of July 2007.^[26]

During the summer of 2007, Star was advertised as a part of the True Colors Tour 2007,^[27] which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada.^[28] The tour, sponsored by the LGBT Logo channel, began on June 8, 2007 to coincide with Pride month.^[28] Profits from the tour benefited the Human Rights Campaign as well as PFLAG and The Matthew Shepard Foundation. Though he was advertised as a special guest to perform on several West Coast dates, Star did not appear.^{[citation needed]} Star's song "Plastic Surgery Slumber Party" appeared on the August 2007 Tommy Boy release of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors tour compilation. Featuring ten tracks from ten of the artists, the compilation benefits the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that fights for civil rights for LGBT people.^[28] Throughout 2006 and 2007, Star appeared in music videos by various artist, including Godhead, Good Charlotte, The Autumns, Aiden, and Amy Winehouse.^[29][30][31]

Star waving to the crowd at Warped Tour 2009.

Following the success of Plastic Surgery Slumber Party, Star embarked on his Jeffree Star Will Steal Your Man tour, which had several North American and European dates. Prior to the release of his second extended play, Star released his debut promotional single "Heart Surgery Isn't That Bad..." on February 14, 2008. Star later released the single's b-side, "I Hate Music", on April 17, 2008.^[32] Star later recorded and released "Starstruck" featuring Danger Radio - his first single available for free download as a "thank you" to fans.^[33][34] Trace Cyrus and Mason Musso from Metro Station^[35] originally provided vocals for the song, however, due to a feud between the band and Star,^[36][37] they were ultimately replaced with Andrew de Torres from Danger Radio. In late 2007, following the success of his first EP, Star announced he was working on his debut studio album, set for release in 2008. Despite Star claiming the album would be released in 2008, he later announced that it had been pushed back to 2009, as he had to complete community service. After Star pushed back the release date of his debut album, he announced his upcoming extended play, which he hoped to release by late 2008. He released his official debut single, "Lollipop Luxury", as the lead single from the album on November 18, 2008. Cupcakes Taste Like Violence, Star's second EP, was released on December 9, 2008.^[38] This is his first record to be available as a CD as well as digital download.^[38] This is also Star's debut record to be released under Popsicle Records through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group. Star said the extended play "reminds me of myself. I may look sweet, but I'm really scary and violent on the inside."^[39] Cupcakes Taste Like Violence peaked at number six on the Billboard Top Electronic Albums^[40] and at number eight on the Billboard Top Heatseekers.^[41]

[edit] 2009 - present: Beauty Killer and continued success

Star at the Vans Warped Tour in 2009.

When speaking of the new album, Star stated that the new songs "are more sexy, some are more "guy"ish and some are me screaming my heart out. I'm still finding what "Jeffree Star" really is. And I think I'm almost there..."^[42] To "tide fans over" until the first single from the album was released, on April 21, 2009, Star released a remix cover of Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" which was made available for free download.^[43] Morgan Page's radio edit mix of "Prisoner" was released for free download by Star on December 18, 2009. He worked with producers such as Lester Mendez, 3OH!3's Nathaniel Motte, God's Paparazzi^[44] and more. Star performed at Warped Tour 2009 to promote some of the music from his album.^[44][45] The first single from the album, "Prisoner", was released for digital download on May 2, 2009.^[44] The track received two million plays on MySpace at the end of its second week being available for stream. "Love Rhymes With Fuck You" was released as a promotional single from the album, and was released for digital download on June 30, 2009.^[46] Star's debut studio album, Beauty Killer, was released on September 22, 2009.^[47] The album debuted at number 122 in the US Billboard 200 Chart. It also debuted at #7 in the US Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and fell to #12 on its second week.^[48] Shortly after the album was released, Star announced a two week winter "I'm Cold, Keep Me Warm... Bitch!" tour in North America. However, due to "personal things [that] have gotten out of hand in [his] family" the tour was cancelled. Star embarked on his "2 DRUNK 2 FUCK" 2010 world tour, in which he stated he would "be going everywhere...and yes that means Europe and Australia". It was his first headlining tour to promote Beauty Killer. It featured BrokeNCYDE and Blood On the Dancefloor as the opening acts for various North American dates, while BrokeNCYDE was a co-headlining act for the European legs. He also headlined the "Lookin' Hot and Dangerous tour throughout 2010, which featured mainly North American shows, though four where outside of the US. Throughout late 2010 and early 2011, Star toured with pop-singer Dev on his Fresh Meat tour, named after the song from the album. The tour only featured North American dates, going through the United States, Canada, and Mexico. "A music video for "Prisoner" was originally planned in September 2009, though it was later replaced with "Get Away With Murder" which was filmed on November 7, 2009. The video premiered on the front page of MySpace on January 23, 2010.^[49] A music video for the title track, "Beauty Killer", was filmed in May 2010. The video premiered on Star's YouTube channel on June 19, 2010. Following the album's commercial success, Star released the song "Blush", an outtake from the original track listing. The song was released for digital download on February 16, 2010.^[50] A sixth promotional single, "Size of Your Boat", featured Muffy and was released for digital download on June 29, 2010.^[51]

In the Fall of 2010, Star was signed by R&B singer/producer Akon to his imprint Kon Live Distribution and did a joint venture with Star's own imprint Popsicle Music. In a recent interview with VLADTV Akon stated this about Star: "Jeffree is a male superstar... he's very creative on a whole other level. What inspired me to sign Jeffree was how far he's willing to take his vision, there's no limit. I love artists like that 'cause the sky is the limit. He's one of those guys who has a future of how he sees himself and how he wants to be perceived. With music you have to be able to raise some eyebrows..."^[52][53][54] On October 10, 2010 Star released a new promotional single "I'm In Love (With a Killer) for digital download.^[55] Star began working on his then second studio album in 2010, but he later revealed that he would be releasing an extended play, rather than his second studio album. The EP, titled Virginity, was initially slated for a February 14, 2012 release date, but has since been pushed back to an unannounced date. The lead single from this extended play, "Prom Night", was released for radio airplay and digital download on March 3, 2012.^[56] "Prom Night" is Star's third official single, and major label debut single. "Prom Night" is produced by Akon & written by Star, Kelly Sheehan, and Heather Bright. Los Angeles radio station 102.7 KIIS FM debuted the single and Star hosted the "Weekend Mixtape" show to promote it with DJ Skee and music director Julie Pilat. The music video was directed by Robby Starbuck, and was released on Star's personal YouTube account on May 11, 2012.^[57]

Other endeavors[link]

Star was referred to celebrities including Kelly Osbourne, AFI frontman Davey Havok and Jessicka from the band Scarling.^[14][58] He is a former make-up artist for porn company, Hustler. Star gained a cult following from posting outrageous photographs of himself on Internet forums and later MySpace, who began sending him gifts including expensive cameras to take more pictures.^[14] On August 1, 2006, Los Angeles' LGBT magazine Frontiers featured Star on its cover. On November 17, 2006 Star and several contestants from "America's Next Top Model" were a part of Black Chandelier's "Fall 2006 Runway Show" at Salt Lake City's Union Pacific Depot. Star was also a guest on "America's Next Top Model, Cycle 7".^[58] On March 16, 2007, Star was one of the featured runway models for BOXeight's production of designer Jared Gold’s flamboyant "Quiet Army show", regarded as "the wildest front row in all of Fashion Week." The shows 2007 theme was "Mormon chic", effectively using the Los Angeles Theater as a backdrop during L.A. Fashion Week.^[59] He has appeared in several music videos including Good Charlotte's "The River",^[60] Godhead's "Push", Aiden's "One Love", Metro Station's "Shake It"^[61] and Ke$ha's "Take It Off (K$ n' Friends Version)"^[62]

Star's T-shirts, hoodies and accessories were ranked #1 on Hottopic.com. He has been developing a fragrance since 2008, which he says will smell like "vanilla and cotton candy."^[63]

Discography[link]

• Beauty Killer (2009)

References[link]