Look up anyway in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Anyway may refer to:

• Anyway (album), by Family
• "Anyway" (Cee Lo Green song), a 2011 single from The Platinum Edition of American soul singer Cee Lo Green's third studio album, The Lady Killer
• "Anyway" (George Hamilton IV song), a 1971 single from American country music artist George Hamilton IV's album Back Where It's At
• "Anyway" (Martina McBride song), a 2006 single by American country music artist Martina McBride
• "aNYway", a song by Duck Sauce
• Anyway - a song of French rock-band "Mr. lab!".

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.

Martina McBride
Martina McBride performing in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Martina Mariea Schiff
Born	(1966-07-29) July 29, 1966 (age 45) Sharon, Kansas, United States
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee
Genres	Country, country pop
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1990–present
Labels	RCA Nashville, Republic Nashville
Associated acts	Jason Sellers, Blake Shelton, Patrick Monahan, Lionel Richie, Jim Brickman
Website	Official Website

Martina McBride (born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range.^[1]

McBride was signed to RCA Records in 1991, and made her debut the following year as a neo-traditionalist country singer with the single, "The Time Has Come."^[2] It was not until 1997, when she released her fourth album, Evolution, that she broke through into the country music industry with a new pop-styled crossover sound, similar to that of Faith Hill and Shania Twain. From that point on, McBride has had a string of major hit singles on the Billboard country chart and occasionally on the adult contemporary chart. Five of these singles went to No. 1 on the country chart between 1995 and 2001, and one peaked at No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart in 2003.

McBride has recorded a total of nine studio albums, one greatest hits compilation, one "live" album, a Christmas compilation, as well as two additional compilation albums. Seven of her studio albums and two of her compilations have received an RIAA Gold certification, or higher. In the U.S. she has sold over 14 million albums. In addition, McBride has won the Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist of the Year" award four times (tied with Reba McEntire for the most wins) and the Academy of Country Music's "Top Female Vocalist" award three times.

Early life[link]

McBride was born Martina Mariea Schiff in Sharon, Kansas, to Daryl and Jeanne (née Clark) Schiff. She has two brothers, Martin and Steve, who currently play in her concert band, and a sister, Gina.^[3]

McBride was raised in Sharon, Kansas, a small town with population of about 200. Her father, who was a farmer and cabinetry shop owner, exposed McBride to country music at a young age. Listening to country music helped her acquire a love for singing. After school, she would spend hours singing along to the records of such popular artists as Reba McEntire, Linda Ronstadt, Juice Newton, Jeanne Pruett, Connie Smith and Patsy Cline.^[4] Around the age of eight or nine, McBride began singing with a band her father fronted, "The Schiffters." As Schiff grew older her role in the band progressively increased, from simply singing, to also playing keyboard with them. She enjoyed performing in her early years.^[4]

McBride began performing with a local rock band, The Penetrators, in Wichita instead.^[4] Then, in 1987, Schiff gathered a group of musicians called Lotus and started looking for rehearsal space; she began renting space from a studio engineer named John McBride. In 1988, the two married.^[4][5]

After marrying, the couple moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1989 with the hope of beginning a career in country music. John McBride joined Garth Brooks's sound crew and later became his concert production manager. Martina occasionally joined her husband on the road and helped sell Garth Brooks souvenirs.^[3] In 1990, impressed by Martina's enthusiastic spirit, Brooks offered her the position of his opening act provided she could obtain a recording contract.^[5] During this time, while her husband was working with country artists Charlie Daniels and Ricky Van Shelton, he also helped produce her demo tape, which helped her gain a recording contract with RCA Nashville Records in 1991.^[2]

Music career[link]

[edit] 1992–1995: The Time Has Come and The Way That I Am

McBride released her debut studio album through the RCA Records label in 1992, titled The Time Has Come. This album's title track made number 23 on the country music charts, but the next two singles both failed to make top 40.^[6] Unlike her later country pop-influenced albums, The Time Has Come featured honky tonk and country folk influences.^[2]

The Way That I Am was the title of McBride's second album. Its first two singles both brought her into the country top ten: "My Baby Loves Me" peaked at number two, and "Life #9" at number six. The third single, "Independence Day", did not reach the top 10 because many radio programmers objected to the song's subject of a mother fighting back against abuse by burning the family home to the ground.^[7] "Independence Day" won Video of the Year and Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.^[6][8] It also earned the song's composer, Gretchen Peters, a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. McBride performed the song at the 1995 Grammys ceremony. The fourth and fifth singles from The Way That I Am were less successful: "Heart Trouble" peaked at number 21, and "Where I Used to Have a Heart" fell short of top 40.^[6]

[edit] 1995–1999: Wild Angels and Evolution

Released in 1995, Wild Angels accounted for another top five hit in "Safe in the Arms of Love", and her first number-one hit in the album's title track.^[6] "Phones Are Ringin' All Over Town", "Swingin' Doors" and "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road" were less successful, reaching the lower regions of the top 40.

In early 1997, after "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road" peaked, McBride released two duets. "Still Holding On", a duet with Clint Black which was the lead-off single to his album Nothin' but the Taillights,^[6] and "Valentine" with Jim Brickman which appeared on his album Picture This.^[9] After these two songs were released, she had her second number one on the country charts with "A Broken Wing", the lead-off to her album Evolution. This album went on to produce four more top ten hits at country radio: a re-release of "Valentine", "Happy Girl", "Wrong Again" (which also went to number one) and "Whatever You Say".^[6] Towards the end of 1998, the album was certified double platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling two million units. In addition, she also won the Country Music Association Awards' "Female Vocalist of the Year" award in 1999 and also performed for President Bill Clinton during the same time.

Also in 1998, McBride released a Christmas album titled White Christmas. Included on it was a rendition of "O Holy Night", which first charted in 1997 and continued to re-enter the charts until 2001.^[6] She also sang a guest vocal on Jason Sellers' mid-1998 single "This Small Divide".

[edit] 1999–2003: Emotion and Greatest Hits

McBride's fifth studio album, Emotion, was released in 1999. Its lead single, "I Love You," reached number one on the Billboard country charts in 1999, and also crossed over to the Adult Contemporary chart. The song's follow-ups, "Love's the Only House" and "There You Are", both made top ten at country radio, and "It's My Time" peaked at number eleven.^[6]

In 2001, she released her first compilation, Greatest Hits. This album has been certified 3× Platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and is her highest-selling album.^[10] It included most of her major hits to that point, and the album track "Strangers" from the album The Way That I Am, which she put on the album because she felt that it should have been a single.^[11] The album also included four new songs, all of which made top ten on the country music charts between 2001 and 2003: "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues", "Blessed (Martina McBride song)" (her fifth number one), "Where Would You Be" and "Concrete Angel". In between the latter two, she also sang a guest vocal on Andy Griggs' 2002 single "Practice Life".^[6]

[edit] 2003–2005: Martina

In 2003, McBride released her sixth studio album, Martina, which celebrated womanhood.^[2] The first single, "This One's for the Girls," went to number three on the country charts and became her only number-one hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. It also included backing vocals from Faith Hill, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and McBride's daughters, Delaney and Emma.^[6] Follow-up single "In My Daughter's Eyes" was also a top five hit at both country and adult contemporary. "How Far" and "God's Will" from the same album both made top 20 at country radio, as did her guest appearance on Jimmy Buffett's single "Trip Around the Sun".

In 2004, McBride won the CMA's Female Vocalist award for the fourth time, following the wins in 2003, 2002 & 1999, which tied her for the most wins in that category with Reba McEntire.

[edit] 2005–2008: Timeless and Waking Up Laughing

After finding success in country pop-styled music, McBride released her next studio album in 2005, Timeless, which was an album consisting of country covers.^[12] The album included cover versions of country music standards, such as Hank Williams' "You Win Again," Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough," and Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night." To make the album fit its older style, McBride and her husband hired older Nashville session players and outdated analog equipment. The album sold over 250,000 copies within its first week, the highest sales start for a Martina McBride album.^[7] The lead single, a cover of Lynn Anderson's "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden," went to number 18 on the country charts, but the other two singles both failed to make top 40.

In 2006, McBride served as a guest coach on Canadian Idol. The remaining five finalists traveled to Nashville, where McBride worked with the competitors on the songs they had chosen by country artists such as Gordon Lightfoot and Patsy Cline. Among the other guest judges that year were Nelly Furtado and Cyndi Lauper.^[13] McBride later joined Canadian Idol on a tour in the Spring.^[14] In 2007, McBride also served as a guest coach on Fox Networks television series, American Idol.^[15]

In 2007, McBride released her eighth studio album, Waking Up Laughing. It was the first album in which McBride co-wrote some of the tracks. She set up her Waking Up Laughing Tour in 2007, which included country artists Rodney Atkins, Little Big Town, and Jason Michael Carroll.^[12] The album's lead single, "Anyway," went to No. 5 on the Billboard Country Chart, becoming her first Top 10 hit since 2003. Its follow-up, "How I Feel," reached the Top 15. In Spring 2008, McBride released Martina McBride: Live In Concert, a CD/DVD set.^[12] It was taped in Moline, Illinois in September 2007.

In July 2007, The ABC Television Network announced a special program called Six Degrees of Martina McBride where individuals from around the country were challenged to find their way to Martina McBride on their own connections and research using a maximum of six methods. The "winner" of this challenge eventually located a direct connection to Martina through her husband John McBride who knew someone, who knew someone else.^[16] McBride recently recorded an electronically-produced duet with Elvis Presley, performing his song "Blue Christmas" as a duet with him on his latest compilation, The Elvis Presley Christmas Duets.^[17] A compilation collection entitled Playlist: The Very Best of Martina McBride was released on December 16, 2008 as part of Sony BMG Playlist series. The album features 11 previously released tracks and three unreleased tracks.

[edit] 2008–2010: Shine

Martina McBride wrapped up production of her tenth studio album in late 2008. The first single, "Ride", was released to radio in October 2008 and debuted at No. No. 43 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It barely missed the Top 10 on the chart, peaking at number eleven in March 2009. A music video produced by Kristin Barlowe was also released at the end of the year. The album, Shine, was released by RCA Records on March 24, 2009, and debuted at the top of the U.S. Country album chart and number 10 on the Billboard 200. McBride co-produced the album with Dann Huff, and it featured "Sunny Side Up", a song that she co-wrote. The second single, "I Just Call You Mine", was released in May 2009 and reached the Top 20. The third single from Shine was "Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong", which the Warren Brothers co-wrote with Robert Ellis Orrall and Love and Theft member Stephen Barker Liles.

McBride also initiated the Shine All Night Tour, a co-headlining venture with fellow country star and friend Trace Adkins and opening act Sarah Buxton. The tour began in November 2009 and ended in May 2010.

On June 10, 2010, Billboard announced that McBride had collaborated on a song with Kid Rock.^[18][19] In late June 2010, Martina was nominated for a Teen Choice Award, "Favorite Country Female Artist", alongside country stars Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift & Gretchen Wilson.

In late 2010, Martina McBride was nominated for two American Country Awards (Best Female Single & Touring Artist of the year w/ Trace Adkins.) Along with the ACA nominations, she received her 14th Female Vocalist nomination for Country Music Association in October.

[edit] 2010–present: Eleven

McBride exited RCA in November 2010 and signed with Republic Nashville.^[20] She began working on a new studio album with producer Byron Gallimore. Her first single for Republic Nashville is "Teenage Daughters", which she also co-wrote with the Warren Brothers. McBride told Country Weekly that she co-wrote eight of the eleven songs on the album; she decided to write more frequently because she felt more confident in her songwriting ability after "Anyway" had become a hit.^[21] An album track, "One Night" was released as a promotion for NASCAR with a music video in June 2011.

"I'm Gonna Love You Through It" was released as the album's second single on July 25, 2011. The song became a critical and commercial hit, peaking at number 4 and becoming her first top five hit since 2006's "Anyway." The album, titled Eleven, was released on October 11, 2011.

"Marry Me", a cover of the Train song which is cleverly re-worked as a duet between McBride and Train frontman Pat Monahan, was released as the third single off of Eleven.

RCA Records released McBride's final album for the label, Hits and More, in January 2012.

On February 13, 2011, she paid tribute to Aretha Franklin during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. She was joined onstage by Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams.

On July 4, 2011, she sang at the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

Charity work[link]

Martina McBride works with a variety of charities. She is currently the spokeswoman for the National Domestic Violence Hotline as well as for the National Network to End Domestic Violence and national spokeswoman for the Tulsa Domestic Violence and Intervention Services. Every year since 1995, she has hosted Middle Tennessee's YWCA, "Celebrity Auction", and it has raised nearly $400,000 so far. In 2004, she worked with "Kids Wish Network" to fulfill the wish of a young girl dying from Muscular Dystrophy.^[22] McBride was awarded the "Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award" in 2003.

McBride explained that educating girls and women on domestic violence is something she works on at home with her own daughters, stating that:

McBride has also teamed up with, "Loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline," working with them on a new program called, "My Time to Shine."^[24]

McBride appeared on the Stand Up 2 Cancer Telethon in September 2010, where she performed "Unchained Melody" with Leona Lewis, Aaron Neville, and Stevie Wonder. Also in 2010, she hosted the YWCA for the 16th consecutive year, raising over 50,000 dollars. It totals over 500,000 dollars raised so far.

Personal life[link]

McBride has been married to sound engineer John McBride, since May 15, 1988. The couple has three daughters: Delaney Katharine (born December 22, 1994), Emma Justine (b. March 29, 1998), and Ava Rose Kathleen (b. June 20, 2005).

Discography[link]

Tours[link]

Headlining

• Greatest Hits (2002–03)
• Joy of Christmas (2002)
• Timeless (2006)
• Waking Up Laughing (2008–09)

Co-headlining

• "Virginia Slims on the Legends" (1995) (with Regina Belle, Gladys Knight and Barbara Mandrell)
• Lilith Fair (1998–99) (with Sarah McLachlan, et al.)
• "Girls Night Out" (2001) (with Sara Evans, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jamie O'Neal and Reba McEntire)
• "Shine All Night" (2009–10) (with Trace Adkins)
• "Eleven Tour" (2012) (with George Strait)

As supporting act

• Garth Brooks (1992–94)
• Brooks & Dunn (1994)
• Tim McGraw (1997)
• George Strait (2011–12)

Awards and nominations[link]

Country music artist Martina McBride has received over 15 major music awards including matching Reba McEntire's record for the most wins for the Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year with her fourth win in 2004. She holds the record in that category for most consecutive nominations. She also has accepted the Flameworthy's (now called CMT Video Awards) Female Video of the Year award twice, sharing the record for most wins with Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. She has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, but never won.

Note: In 1995, McBride was one of the various artists featured on the album Amazing Grace – A Country Salute to Gospel (singing "How Great Thou Art"), which won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album. This award went to the compilation album's producer, Bill Hearn, and not to the artists.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Martina McBride

• Official Website
• Martina McBride at the Internet Movie Database
• Martina McBride on Myspace

Cee Lo Green
Cee Lo Green at a Gnarls Barkley concert in July 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Thomas DeCarlo Callaway[1]
Also known as	Cee Lo Green, Cee Lo
Born	(1974-05-30) May 30, 1974 (age 38)[1] Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genres	Soul, hip hop, neo soul, R&B, funk, alternative hip hop, hip hop soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Arista, Elektra
Associated acts	Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mob, TLC, Kid Cudi, OutKast, Jazze Pha, Bruno Mars
Website	ceelogreen.com

Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1974),^[1] better known by his stage name Cee Lo Green, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. Originally came to prominence as a member of the southern hip hop group Goodie Mob, later launching a critically acclaimed solo career^[2] and forming Gnarls Barkley with DJ Danger Mouse.

Internationally, Cee Lo is best known for his hip hop work, his most popular was Gnarls Barkley's 2006 worldwide hit "Crazy", which reached number one in various singles charts worldwide, including the UK. In the United States, "Crazy" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Parent album St. Elsewhere was also a hit, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200 album charts. Gnarls Barkley's second album, The Odd Couple (2008), was less successful and missed the top ten in both the UK and U.S., where it charted at number 12 in the U.S. and 18 in the UK.

In 2010, Cee Lo took a break from recording with Gnarls Barkley and released the single "F**k You!" on August 19 as a solo recording artist. The song was an instant hit, with the radio-edit version "Forget You" reaching the top spot in the UK and the Netherlands and charted at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The parent album, The Lady Killer (2010) saw similar success, peaking within the top five of the UK Albums Chart and debuting within the top ten on the Billboard 200 album charts, and received a Gold certification from the BPI in the UK shortly after its release. His second single "It's OK" was a hit in Europe and the third single, "Bright Lights Bigger City" has also seen similar charting success. Cee Lo is also currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show The Voice with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.

Early life[link]

Cee Lo Green was born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated high school from Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, GA., an All-Boy Boarding School. Both of his parents were ordained ministers and he started his music career in his church. His father died when he was two years old. His mother, Sheila J. Tyler-Callaway, was also a volunteer firefighter.^[3][4] She was involved in a car crash, leaving her paralyzed, and died two years after the accident. At the time, Cee Lo's career with Goodie Mob had just begun taking off. His mother's death led Cee Lo into depression, as is reflected in various songs throughout his career, including "Free" by Goodie Mob, songs on St. Elsewhere, and on The Odd Couple ("She Knows", "A Little Better").^[5][6] Cee Lo also expresses his love for his mother in the song "Guess Who" from Goodie Mob's Soul Food album. In an excerpt of "Cee Lo Distilled", a mini documentary produced by Absolut and The Fader released on YouTube, Cee Lo explained that his mother's death was a defining moment to "crossing that threshold over into a career".^[7]

Music career[link]

Goodie Mob[link]

Along with Big Gipp, T-Mo, and Khujo, Cee Lo was an original member of the Atlanta hip hop group Goodie Mob. He is the youngest of the four.^[8] The Goodie Mob were a part of the Atlanta rap collective the Dungeon Family, which also included OutKast. The group released their debut album, Soul Food in 1995. The album received much critical praise as a pioneering record for the then emerging Southern rap scene. It featured a distinctive soulful southern sound by production team Organized Noize, who had also produced OutKast's debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Cee Lo got considerable praise for his rapping and singing of hooks, particularly on the hit singles "Cell Therapy" and "Soul Food". The band has recently published a single "Fight to Win" and performed it on The Voice.

The group's second album, Still Standing came out in 1998 and also received much critical praise. Its commercial performance was slightly lower than the group's previous effort however. At this time, Cee Lo focused primarily on rapping over singing. While he did frequently sing hooks and did some singing, at this point he was a rapper first and foremost. Cee Lo took more creative control on the group's next album, World Party. Released in 1999, this album was more of a party record than the group's previous output, getting away somewhat from their socially conscious lyricism.^[9]

During the making of the album World Party, Cee Lo left the group to pursue a solo career under Arista and the remaining members continued to perform together under the Goodie Mob name with Koch Records. They did however collaborate in combinations in the Dungeon Family album Even in Darkness. Although the next Goodie Mob album seemed to mock Cee Lo with its title, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show, the group expressed that it was more of a jab at Arista and the music industry as a whole.

The song "Hold On" from Big Boi of OutKast's Got Purp? Vol. 2 album was the first newly recorded Goodie Mob song with all four members since World Party. (Khujo later revealed to fans at an album signing^{[original research?]} for his new album "Mercury", that the song "Hold On" was originally recorded in 1995 before Soul Food was released.)

Santana[link]

In 1999, Cee Lo, credited as "Cee-Lo" was one of ten famous guest musicians who contributed to the Santana album Supernatural. Lauryn Hill wrote "Do You Like The Way," and the two of them trade off on lead vocals.

Solo career[link]

Cee Lo at a Gnarls Barkley concert in the Netherlands, July 2008.

Cee Lo's Arista career was short lived, as he was dropped after only two albums due to low record sales. His first album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, was heavily in the vein of various other Dungeon Family releases, with southern soul/funk/jazz backings produced solely by himself and boasting appearances by fellow Dungeon Fam members Big Gipp and Backbone. The album explored his departure from Goodie Mob and his solo growth in the song "El Dorado Sunrise (Super Chicken)", as well as socio-political issues, and showcased his singing. The album did not sell very well, but Cee Lo achieved some airplay with the single "Closet Freak".

His second Arista album, Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine brought a more branched-out sound and more deeply explored southern rap music. This is evidenced by collaborations with Ludacris, T.I., and Pharrell Williams, as well as production from Timbaland, The Neptunes and Jazze Pha, among others. The only other Dungeon Family member that appeared on his second release was Big Rube. This album saw Cee Lo delve into other styles besides traditional rap. Timbaland proved to be Cee Lo's single producer as their song "I'll Be Around" received mild airplay. They performed the single on an episode in the second season of Chappelle's Show. "The One" featuring Jazze Pha and T.I. was also released as a single. On the heels of the success of Gnarls Barkley, Arista released a 17-track greatest hits collection of Cee Lo songs, Closet Freak: The Best of Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine. It features predominantly Cee Lo solo tracks and several Goodie Mob songs. His new song "What Part of Forever" has been included in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.^[10]

After his second solo album, Cee Lo joined the group Gnarls Barkley (see below) with Danger Mouse, temporarily putting his solo career on hold. He would release two albums with that group, before again releasing solo material in 2010.

On August 14, 2010, Cee Lo released the single "Fuck You!" to YouTube ahead of his planned solo album release, due to its partial leak on April 13. "Fuck You!" was an instant viral smash hit,^[2] registering over two million plays in less than a week. Two weeks later on September 1, Cee Lo released to YouTube an official music video of the song.^[11] "Fuck You" made a debut at No.1 on the UK charts, notably beating out "Shame" from the recently reunited Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow. On December 1, 2010, Cee Lo received five Grammy nominations for "Fuck You!", which has been certified Gold in the United States^[12] and Denmark.^[13] The single achieved platinum status in Canada,^[14] New Zealand,^[15] and the UK;^[16] and multi-platinum status in Australia.^[17]

When discussing his most recent album, The Lady Killer (released on November 9, 2010, by Elektra Records and Roadrunner Records),^[18] Cee Lo said: "I suppose this is a more clear, concise, consistent, conceptual, entire album. It's a complete thought, because it's written to be like a score. The album's meant to be a motion picture, you know? I've never taken that approach to doing an album before."^[19] The album was certified Gold in the UK on December 6, 2010.^[20]

Green is touring with an all-female backing band named "Scarlet Fever" (made up of Sharon Aguilar, Brittany Brooks, Theresa Flaminio, and Regina Zernay Roberts), performing for Taratata,^[21] the BBC,^{[22][23][24][25]} Late Show with David Letterman,^[26] W's Symmetry Live Concert Series,^[27][28] Saturday Night Live,^[29][30] the Jimmy Kimmel Live! special show following the Academy Awards,^[31] and many other venues. Green also performed "Forget You", a sanitized version of his hit "Fuck You", with Gwyneth Paltrow and several puppets provided by The Jim Henson Company at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, a shoutout to Elton John, who wore a very similar costume in a Muppet show performance in 1977.^[32] At the 2011 BRIT Awards two days later, he was joined by British vocalist Joelle Bennett in another duet of "Fuck You".^[33][34] Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Green will be joining Rihanna and J. Cole on the North American leg of Rihanna Loud Tour in the summer of 2011.^[35] However, he later dropped out of the tour citing that his busy work schedule which includes his commitment to judging “The Voice”, writing a new book and recording a new album as the reason for his withdrawal.^[36] On August 14, 2011, Green performed at WWE SummerSlam performing "Forget You" and the event's theme, "Bright Lights, Bigger City".

Cee Lo released his debut album The Lady Killer as a Platinum Edition on November 28, 2011.^[37] The repackaged album contained the original 16 tracks (including remixed versions of Bright Lights Bigger City (feat. Wiz Khalifa) and I Want You (Hold On To Love) plus one extra track, written by Bruno Mars, Anyway. The new track, Anyway, served as the album's sixth overall single and first Platinum Edition single.

Gnarls Barkley[link]

Gnarls Barkley at the Mini V festival in Melbourne, 2007

Along with DJ Danger Mouse, Cee Lo was part of a duo called Gnarls Barkley. They first met when Danger Mouse took second in a talent contest and opened for OutKast and Goodie Mob at a University of Georgia concert in 1998. Afterwards, Danger Mouse gave Cee Lo an instrumental demo tape and told him to call him if he was interested.^{[citation needed]} They did not make contact again until Cee Lo was contacted to be featured in a remix of the Danger Mouse and Jemini song "What U Sittin' On?" from the album Ghetto Pop Life. They worked together again on the 2005 Danger Doom (Danger Mouse and MF Doom collaboration) album The Mouse and The Mask on the song "Benzi Box" where Cee Lo sings the chorus.

Gnarls Barkley's first collaborative album, St. Elsewhere, was released on April 24, 2006, in the UK and May 2, 2006, in the United States. St. Elsewhere entered the charts at No.1 in the UK, as did the first single "Crazy". "Crazy" is the first single to go straight to No.1 in the UK based on digital download sales alone and is ranked by Rolling Stone as the No.1 song of the decade. The album is Cee Lo's greatest selling venture yet, having shipped over 3 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[8] A second album by Gnarls Barkley, titled The Odd Couple, was released in March 2008. Its first single was released in January called "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)".^[8]

Future projects[link]

Cee Lo is collaborating with producer Jazze Pha to release an album called Happy Hour on Jazze’s record label. The songs "Happy Hour" (as well as the remix with Bun B, Snoop Dogg & Tone Tone), "Man of the Hour", and "Disco Bitch" (featuring The Pussycat Dolls) from the album have already been released as singles and B-sides. Jazze Pha has produced numerous hit singles with many artists, but this project is his rapping and singing debut. Cee Lo is co-producing the album with him, so both artist and producer share equal roles in vocals and production. Also, Melody Thornton confirmed that she is currently in the studio with Cee Lo working on her solo album. In 2010, he recorded a song for the Sex and the City 2 soundtrack which reached number 9 in the charts and was written by him and produced by T-Pain which is called "Language of Love". He along with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder were rumored to be appearing on British DJ Paul Oakenfold's upcoming album. Also, Cee-Lo has recorded a song with Alien Ant Farm that is expected to be released on their upcoming 2012 album.^[38] Green will voice Murray the Mummy in the upcoming film, Hotel Transylvania.

In March 2012 Green performed at a fundraiser for President Barack Obama with the president present.^[39] He began singing Fuck You! with the original profane lyrics, but then switched to the non-profane lyrics, apparently unaware that the profane lyrics were inappropriate at a presidential fundraiser.^[40]

In May 2012, The alcohol trade magazine 'The Tasting Panel' featured a cover story detailing Cee Lo Green's part ownership of an alcohol brand called TY KU. ^[41]

Television and film career[link]

Cee Lo, along with the rest of the Goodie Mob, had a cameo in the 1999 film Mystery Men as a member of the Not So Goodie Mob, in which he was credited as "Thomas Burton aka Cee lo". He also has done voice acting work, voicing Prime Cut Miggity-Mo' Macdaddy Gizzabang Doggy Dog Dog on the Brak Show episode "Brakstreet" in 2002, Frank and Buddy Z Class of 3000's Christmas special and as Godzilla in the Robot Chicken episode "Squaw Bury Shortcake" in 2007, and Rev. Rollo Goodlove in the Boondocks episodes "The S-Word" and "The Hunger Strike" in 2008. In 2010, he appeared in T-Pain's Freaknik: The Musical as Light Skin.

On January 15, 2011, Cee Lo both acted and performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow, who, in November 2010, covered his song "Forget You" on an episode of Glee.^[42]

Cee Lo is currently one of the coaches for contestants on the singing TV show The Voice.^[43] He also made a guest-star appearance in the episode "Tales From the Luncheonette" of Parenthood season 3.^[44][45]

On August 14, 2011, Cee Lo appeared at WWE SummerSlam and performed both "'Bright Lights Bigger City", the official theme song for the event, and his hit "'Forget You".

On September 25, 2011, Cee Lo appeared as himself in a live action/voice appearance and as the voice of a hot tub in the American Dad! episode "Hot Water".^[46]

On February 5, 2012 Cee Lo appeared in the Super Bowl halftime show with Madonna.

On March 31, 2012, Cee Lo Green appeared in the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards. Near the end of the show, he was revealed to be the evil mastermind that was trying to ruin the show, and the only reason he was evil was because he wanted to get slimed. However, the show's host, Will Smith, refused to slime him, and he "ice cream sundaed" him instead, claiming it was the "second-best thing" compared to sliming.

Personal life[link]

Cee Lo has described himself as having been a "goon" in his youth.^[47][48] At age 16 years old, Cee Lo's mother was pulled to safety from an almost fatal car accident by local volunteer firefighters. His mother also served as a volunteer firefighter herself, and these two things inspired Cee Lo's 2011 song "Thank You" (a reworking of "Forget You"), which pays tribute to firefighters.^[49]

Cee Lo was married to Christina Johnson until they divorced in 2005. Together they have a son Kingston; and Cee Lo was a stepfather to Christina's daughters, Sierra and Kalah. Sierra appeared on the MTV show My Super Sweet 16.

Controversies[link]

At the April 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Cee Lo was booed by fans after he showed up late, drew fan disapproval, had his set cut off, and then stormed off stage.^[50] Cee Lo had arrived 25 minutes late, for which he apologized to disgruntled fans at the top of his set, saying, "Sorry guys, I just landed. Y'all still gonna party with me? I only have 20 minutes. It ain't my fault. They should have ... given me a better time slot." Things then took a turn for the worse, and after performing five songs, including "Fuck You" and a cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," Green's set was cut. He then stormed off stage.^[51]

On June 16, 2011, journalist Andrea Swensson of City Pages negatively reviewed one of Green's performances, writing that it "failed to measure up to the fun factor of his recorded material. Green spent most of the set stationed in front of a microphone at the center of the stage, barely moving an inch while he sang and flanked by two forgettable back-up singers and a DJ that was all but hidden behind a giant LCD display”.^[52] In response, the following day Green tweeted "I respect your criticism but be fair! People enjoyed last night! I'm guessing ur gay? And my masculinity offended u? well fuck U!”.^[53] Green promptly received angered responses from some of his followers on Twitter, to which he replied "Apologies gay community! what was homophobic about that?"^[54] In a subsequent interview with magazine Us Weekly, Green stated that his comments were in good fun, adding that "I am not harboring any sort of negative feeling toward the gay community" and that "I am one of the most liberal artists that I think you will ever meet, and I pride myself on that".^[55] Green has since deleted the tweets pertaining to this review.^{[citation needed]}

On December 31, 2011, at Times Square in New York City, Green sang John Lennon's "Imagine" just prior to the ball dropping to ring in the new year. In his rendition, Green replaced the line "and no religion, too" with the words "and all religion is true".^[56] Many saw this as a substantial revision of the meaning behind Lennon's original lyrics.^[56] Green also sang the words "imagine no possessions" while wearing a full-length fur coat and large gold watch. Shortly after the performance, Green responded via Twitter: "Yo I meant no disrespect by changing the lyric guys! I was trying to say a world where u could believe what u wanted that's all" [sic] ^[57] Green deleted a series of tweets pertaining to this event shortly thereafter.^[58]

Discography[link]

• Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections (2002)
• Cee-Lo Green... Is the Soul Machine (2004)
• The Lady Killer (2010)
• Cee-Lo Green... Is Everybody's Brother (2012)^[59]

Awards and nominations[link]

BET Awards[link]

Billboard Music Awards[link]

Brit Awards[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

Soul Train Music Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Cee-Lo discography at Discogs
• Cee Lo Green at the Internet Movie Database
• Cee Lo Green on BBC Music
• Official Jazze Pha & Cee Lo website
• Cee Lo Green Storytellers on VH1
• Cee-Lo Documentary on Youtube Part 1
• Cee-Lo Documentary on Youtube Part 2