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Tiffany Darwish
Tiffany performing in 2003
Background information
Birth name	Tiffany Renee Darwish
Also known as	Tiffany
Born	(1971-10-02) October 2, 1971 (age 40)
Origin	Norwalk, California, U.S.
Genres	country, pop rock, teen pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress
Years active	1981–present
Labels	MCA, Backroom, Water Music
Associated acts	Chris Farren, Krayzie Bone, Debbie Gibson, Tommy Page, New Kids on the Block, Hydra Productions

Tiffany Renee Darwish (born October 2, 1971), known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 remake of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany, the song quickly became a teen anthem.^[1] Thanks to an original mall tour, "The Beautiful You: Celebrating The Good Life Shopping Mall Tour '87", Tiffany became a pop sensation;^[2] both the single and the album peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. The singles, "Could've Been" and "I Saw Him Standing There", a feminine cover version of The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There", followed soon after, with the former also claiming the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100.

Although Tiffany's second album, Hold an Old Friend's Hand managed to chart in 1988, it failed to replicate the success of her debut album. The 1990s saw two additional releases, 1990's New Inside and the Asia-exclusive Dreams Never Die, both of which failed to rekindle substantial interest. Tiffany returned in 2001 with her first album in six years, The Color of Silence. While the album received some minor critical success, it failed to achieve any significant standing. Since then, Tiffany recorded four additional full-length albums, including an album of 80s cover songs, focusing on a variety of genres including country and dance, and she continues to tour. Outside of music, Tiffany posed nude in Playboy and guest-starred in several television shows, including Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, Celebrity Fit Club and Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling, and the movies Necrosis and Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, the latter co-starring fellow 80s teen idol and musical rival, Debbie Gibson.

Biography[link]

Tiffany was born in 1971, to parents James Robert Darwish (of Lebanese and Syrian descent) and Janie Wilson (of mostly Irish and some distant Cherokee descent).^{[citation needed]} Her parents divorced when she was very young. She grew up in Norwalk, California.

Tiffany began singing around 1975, when she was four years old, and learned the words to the song "Delta Dawn".

Early singing career[link]

In 1981, Tiffany debuted with country music singer Jack Reeves at a country and western spot called Narods in Chino, California. She passed a hat along the crowd afterward, and collected $235 in what would be her first career earnings.

Tiffany was singing at a Los Angeles club named El Palomino when she was discovered by Hoyt Axton and his mother Mae Axton. Mae took her to sing in Nashville, Tennessee, where she performed at the Ralph Emery Show, singing Juice Newton's "Queen of Hearts" and Tammy Wynette's "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad".

In 1982, Tiffany toured several cities in Alaska. Also that year, she performed on the same bill as Jerry Lee Lewis and George Jones. At that time, she was managed by George Tobin. In 1983, Ronald Kent Surut became her manager.

Recording contract and fame[link]

In 1984, Tiffany was signed to a recording contract by George Tobin who heard a demo tape she recorded.

In 1985, Tiffany appeared on Star Search with Ed McMahon, where she finished second place overall.

In 1986, Tiffany signed a contract that gave Tobin total control over her career. She recorded her first studio album, and was signed to a MCA contract. Tiffany's eponymous album, Tiffany, was released in 1987. The first single titled "Danny" failed to chart. Following the failure of "Danny", Tiffany went on a nationwide tour titled "The Beautiful You: Celebrating The Good Life Shopping Mall Tour '87". The tour kicked off at the Bergen Mall in Paramus, New Jersey.^[3] Her second single, a cover of Tommy James & the Shondells' hit, "I Think We're Alone Now", became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 list.^[4]

Soon she was vying with fellow pop star Debbie Gibson for space on the covers of teen magazines, including Tiger Beat, and Teen Beat, as well as on television shows on MTV.^{[citation needed]} Her ballad "Could've Been" also peaked at the number one spot on the Billboard charts in February 1988. Tiffany's modified version of the Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There", retitled ""I Saw Him Standing There", peaked at the number seven position on Hot 100.^[4] "Feelings of Forever" also saw chart success from the over 4.1 million selling debut.^[5] Tiffany also set a record for the youngest female artist to top the Billboard charts with a debut album.^{[citation needed]} Later that year, she toured with New Kids on the Block as the opening act for her concert tour.

Family turmoil[link]

In 1988, at the peak of her popularity, Tiffany ended up in the middle of a conflict between her manager George Tobin and her mother and stepfather over control of her career and earnings. This led to a court fight which included an attempt by Tiffany to have herself declared an emancipated minor. This was rejected by the court, but her grandmother (who supported and sided with Tiffany during the trial) became her temporary guardian.^[6][7][8][9] These legal battles took a toll on the singer's career.

Career stall[link]

In late 1988, Tiffany released her second album, Hold an Old Friend's Hand, which was less successful than her first album. Although it did not feature any number one hits, the song "All This Time" made the top ten.^[10] Hold an Old Friend's Hand received mixed reviews from critics, but eventually went platinum. Later that year, she signed on to provide the voice of Judy Jetson for Jetsons: The Movie, which was ultimately released in 1990 after delays; she contributed three songs to the soundtrack, including the single "I Always Thought I'd See You Again". Some controversy resulted from the fact that Janet Waldo, who had voiced the character in all previous Jetsons material, was cast aside.

Shortly after her eighteenth birthday, Tiffany left Tobin's management and signed with Dick Scott and Kim Glover, who managed New Kids on the Block, by then a very successful teen pop group.

Tiffany's career suffered as musical tastes changed in the early 1990s, swinging away from Dance-pop, towards harder-edged rock and rap. This was shown in her third album, the urban influenced New Inside. It was her first album away from Tobin, and some of her fans felt the new soulful, sultrier Tiffany was a hard sell. New Inside received mixed reviews from critics,^[11] but failed to make the charts, although she made several TV appearances to promote it, including on the sitcom Out of This World. Tiffany never regained her "Teen Queen" popularity.

In 1991, she took part in the recording of the song "Voices That Care", which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Comeback attempts[link]

During a brief early-1990s comeback attempt, Tiffany reunited with Tobin, released the album Dreams Never Die in Asia (but not in the United States), and did some performances at the Las Vegas Hilton in the summer of 1993, before breaking with Tobin again.^[12]

In 1995, Tiffany moved to Nashville to attempt a country music career, but never released any music of that genre until 2011's Rose Tattoo.^[13]

In 2000, Tiffany released a "comeback" album, The Color of Silence, which received good reviews. Billboard pegged it as "one of the best pop albums of the year" and the year's "biggest surprise".^[14] Despite the critical validation, and a record-breaking turnout for her college campus tour,^[15] a record deal with a shady, now defunct company and the teen-pop "stigma" attached to her name hindered the album's potential success.

Return to the public eye[link]

In the April 2002 issue of Playboy, Tiffany appeared nude. She admitted that the reason for her Playboy spread is "to break down those barriers so people couldn't say, 'Aww, she's still 14." She also mentioned the difficulty explaining to her then nine-year-old son that she was in Playboy.^[16]

On April 2, 2005, Tiffany was featured on the British TV show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, winning the first heat and subsequently securing a place in the show's finale. She also appeared on the U.S. version of the show on June 2, 2005, but lost to hip-hop group Arrested Development. Both versions of the show aim to bring former pop stars back into the limelight. Tiffany performed the Girls Aloud song "Love Machine" on the UK version of the show. In 2006, Girls Aloud returned the favor by covering Tiffany's best known song "I Think We're Alone Now" on their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud.

In May 2005, Tiffany released the album Dust Off And Dance independently through CDBaby (and later for download on iTunes). It was dedicated to her new husband, but recorded as a "Thank You" to her fans (particularly her gay and European fanbase) for reminding her about the fun to be had with her career, and it serves as a reminder of a lighter time when she could lose herself on the dance floor.^[17] The album consists of Eurodance and Hi-NRG style songs. The singles from Dust Off And Dance, such as "Ride It", "Fly", "Be With U Tonite", "Na Na Na", and "Artificial Girlfriend", all charted on listener sponsored radio stations that also stream online, such as WMPH and C895Worldwide. Both radio stations are Rhythmic/Dance format stations. A few of the singles made the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Tiffany toured with the album, which in September 2006 was nominated for six JPF awards. She won for best dance song of the year for "Be With U Tonite" and best dance CD of the year on November 4, 2006. She was mentioned several times (along with fellow pop diva Debbie Gibson) in the romantic comedy film Music and Lyrics.

In 2007 Tiffany was cast for the fifth season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club.^[18] The show premiered on April 22, 2007. During the show the singer's weight started at 152 lbs and finished with 124 lbs, a difference of 28 lbs or 18.4%.

In April 2007, Tiffany released a new album of cover material released by Cleopatra Records, entitled I Think We're Alone Now: '80s Hits and More. The album, which carries a picture of Tiffany from her 1980s glory days, contains updated versions of her first three top 10 hits from her debut album, and also features covers of songs from the 1980s.

New record contract[link]

Tiffany signed a recording contract with 10 Spot Records, a new division of Water Music Records Group, distributed by Universal Music Group. She released a new album on June 5, 2007, titled Just Me.^[19] The album contains all new material in a singer/songwriter format à la "The Color of Silence". The first single from the album, "Feels Like Love", was released on May 1, 2007. On April 15, 2007, Tiffany filmed a music video for "Feels Like Love" in Los Angeles.

In early August 2007, the dance single "Higher", not featured on the album, began showing up online. On October 2, 2007 (Tiffany's 36th birthday), it debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart at number 45, her first Billboard chart appearance since 1989; since then the single climbed the charts to #19.

In March 2008, an independent limited (500 copies pressed) release album, Mimi's Kitchen, full of rare demos from age 3 up until the present, was shipped to fans in a personalized package which included autographed photos, two autographed CDs, and the "Mimi's Kitchen" demo collection. A small subset of the release also included Playboy T-shirts.

In late April 2008, a track with the same name as her 2005 dance album, "Dust off And Dance", became available for download on the web. The song is Tiffany doing vocals for a dance team called Hydra Productions, and the song is found on their album Liquid.In early January 2009, Tiffany grabbed the number-one spot on the Hot Club Play Breakout charts with this single.

In late July 2008, a new Tiffany dance song titled Just Another Day was released on CD by perfectbeat, remixed by Dave Audé. It peaked at #28 on the U.S. Billboard dance charts.

On October 18, 2008, Tiffany appeared on the CMT reality show Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling where she was the first contender to be eliminated, in the first episode, due to poor wrestling performance.

In January 14, 2011 Tiffany released the single "Serpentine" on iTunes. This country song is taken from the soundtrack of the film Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, in which she also stars. Tiffany's new album Rose Tattoo, released on March 1, 2011, is her first foray into country music.

On April 22, 2011, It was announced that Tiffany would be teaming up with fellow 80s sensation Debbie Gibson for an upcoming summer concert tour aptly titled Journey Through The 80's. When asked what material the pair would perform in the concerts, Tiffany said it would be an 80s retrospective that, in addition to their own material, would also feature covers by Stevie Nicks, Guns ‘N’ Roses and Reba McEntire. They also planned to sing some Broadway tunes during their set.^[20]

Acting career[link]

Tiffany has made a foray in films and television shows. Her first acting job was providing the voice of Judy Jetson for Jetsons: The Movie, which was ultimately released in 1990 after delays; she contributed three songs to the soundtrack, including the main song "You and Me".

In 2002, she appeared on the short-lived sitcom That '80s Show as "Autumn", an employee of punk nightclub "Chaos".

In April 2008, Tiffany began appearing in an ad, entitled "Paradise by the GoPhone Light", for AT&T's GoPhone, which featured Meat Loaf. The ad, which parodies Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", has been released in two versions, a long form and a short form, the latter of which cuts out most of Tiffany's singing part.

Also in April 2008, Tiffany made a cameo appearance on the situational comedy How I Met Your Mother in the episode "Sandcastles In The Sand", playing herself as a backup singer in an '80s-inspired pop star music video by Robin Sparkles — "Sandcastles in the Sand".

Tiffany starred in the 2008 short film The Isolationist, which made the film festival rounds. Her character, Barbara Newman, is a sexually aggressive woman unwilling to let a co-worker enjoy some alone time. In 2009, she completed work on her first feature film, Necrosis (released internationally as Blood Snow), a psychological thriller where she stars alongside James Kyson Lee and George Stults. In the film, she plays Karen, a fun-loving adrenaline junkie who takes matters into her own hands after a blizzard traps her and her friends in a cabin and paranoia gets the best of them. Necrosis premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Tiffany's former music rival, Deborah Gibson, had her film Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus premiere at Cannes as well.^[21] Tiffany also stars in a film from The Asylum, the mockbuster Mega Piranha,^[22] directed by Eric Forsberg and also starring Barry Williams.^[23]

Tiffany and Deborah Gibson star in a Syfy original movie Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, which aired January 29, 2011. Featured in the movie is a protracted catfight waged between Tiffany and Gibson.^[24]

Personal life[link]

Tiffany briefly dated New Kids on the Block member Jonathan Knight during their joint tour in the late 80s/early 90s, a relationship that was short lived because of touring difficulties.^{[citation needed]} In a January 2011 interview, she stated that Knight is gay,^[25] which Knight then confirmed, saying "I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay".^[26]

In 1992, Tiffany married make-up artist Bulmaro Garcia, giving birth to their son, Elijah Garcia, on September 17, 1992.^{[citation needed]} Having divorced Garcia, on August 1, 2004, Tiffany married a Briton named Benn George, while dividing her time between Cannock, England, and Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}

In 2004, Tiffany was the subject of an E! True Hollywood Story television show.

In recent years, Tiffany has performed frequently at gay pride events, and is a supporter of gay rights.^[27][28]

Tiffany resides in Nashville, TN, and often performs local sets in the Nashville area when not touring to other cities.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Compilations[link]

Singles[link]

• "Hearts Never Lie" (With Chris Farren)^[38]

Footnotes

• ¹ Released in Asia only.
• ² Reached #19 on the Billboard Dance Charts. Release exclusive to Perfect Beat.

Music videos[link]

• 

  Tiffany performs in Las Vegas in 1993

• 

  Tiffany performs in Gulfstream Park in Florida in 2003

Legacy[link]

In 2008, the documentary I Think We're Alone Now was released. It focuses on two fans of Tiffany—one 50-year-old man with Asperger's syndrome and one 38-year-old intersexual -- who both claim to be in love with her, and have been labeled "stalkers" by the media.^[39] It follows them through their lives as they discuss the source of their obsession.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tiffany

• Official website
• Fan website
• Tiffany at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Twitter account

Leona Lewis
Lewis at the 2009 American Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Leona Louise Lewis
Born	(1985-04-03) 3 April 1985 (age 27) Islington, London, England, UK
Genres	Pop, R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, recording artist
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Syco, J, RCA
Website	leonalewismusic.co.uk

Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer and songwriter.^[1] Lewis came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor.

Lewis has released two albums to date, Spirit and Echo, in 2007 and 2009 respectively. A multi-platinum selling artist and three-time Grammy Award nominee, her most successful single, "Bleeding Love", reached number one in over thirty countries around the world, and was the best-selling single worldwide in 2008.^[2] Other notable singles include "Better in Time", "Happy" and "I Got You". She was proclaimed 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine in 2008.

Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, took place in 2010, and her third album, Glassheart, is scheduled for release in 2012. It was preceded by "Collide", a single from the album, which became her seventh top-five hit in the United Kingdom. Lewis's net worth was estimated at £12 million in April 2012.^[3]

Early life[link]

Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent, and Maria Lewis of Welsh, Irish, and Italian descent.^[1][4][5] Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. From there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments, such as the guitar and piano, in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter.^[6][7] Lewis wrote her first full-length song at the age of 12.^[8] She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences.^[5] After leaving the BRIT School at 17, following a year abroad in Boston, Massachusetts in a transfer program,^[5] she took a number of jobs to fund studio time,^[9] recording a demo album called Twilight.^[10] The album, almost exclusively comprising her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis.^[11] Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret.^[12] None of Lewis's demos brought her significant attention, however, and she considered taking a hiatus from her music career to attend university. Then her boyfriend persuaded her to enter The X Factor which subsequently severed her connections with UEG.^[13]

Music career[link]

[edit] 2006: The X Factor

Lewis at the London premiere for Flushed Away, November 2006

Lewis auditioned for the third series of The X Factor in 2006, singing "Over the Rainbow". She was mentored by Simon Cowell and was announced the winner on 16 December 2006, winning a £1 million recording contract.^[14]

Her debut single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This", was released on CD on 20 December 2006, and was available as a digital download from midnight on 17 December. It broke a world record after it was downloaded 50,000 times in thirty minutes.^[15] On 24 December, "A Moment Like This" was crowned the 2006 UK Christmas number-one single, having sold 571,253 copies, outselling the rest of the Top 40's sales combined.^[16] The single became the most downloaded song in 2006; it stayed at No. 1 for four weeks and stayed at the top spot in the Irish Singles Chart for six weeks.^[17]

[edit] 2007–09: Spirit and international breakthrough

In February 2007 Lewis signed a £5 million (US$9.7 million) five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records,^[18] and showcased for several American music executives.^[18][19][20] A press release described how Cowell and Davis would work together in a "first-of-its-kind" partnership on both the song and producer selection for Lewis's debut album, entitled Spirit.^[21] Lewis recorded tracks for the album in London, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta,^[22] where she worked with several songwriters and record producers including Dallas Austin, Walter Afanasieff, Salaam Remi,^[23] Steve Mac,^[24] Stargate^[25] and Ne-Yo.^[26] It was released in November 2007 and entered both the Irish Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart at number one, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in both countries, and the United Kingdom's fourth fastest selling album of all time.^[27][28][29] It was released in several other nations in January 2008, and went to number one in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland.^[30] Two more tracks were recorded in 2008 for the US release of the album: "Forgive Me", produced by Akon, and "Misses Glass", produced by Madd Scientist.^[31] It was released in the United States in April 2008 and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, making Lewis the first British artist to reach number one with a debut album.^[32] A special edition of Spirit was re-released in November 2008 in Europe, including the songs "Forgive Me", "Misses Glass" and a cover of the Snow Patrol song "Run". The album again went to number one in the UK Albums Chart. To date the album has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide^[33] and has a 9× platinum certification in the UK.^[34]

Lewis performing at the Clive Davis Pre Grammy Gala in 2009

Lewis's second single, "Bleeding Love", produced by Ryan Tedder and written by Tedder and Jesse McCartney, was released in October 2007 in the UK, where it sold 218,805 copies in its first week, giving it the biggest first-week sales of 2007 to date.^[35][36] It entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, where it stayed for seven weeks,^[37] and in the Irish Singles Chart it remained at number one for eight weeks.^[38] It reached number one in the singles charts of New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Canada and the United States. "Bleeding Love" won The Record of the Year in December 2007.^[39] In February 2008, "Bleeding Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 and then went on to peak at number one for four non-consecutive weeks. The song became the first track by a UK female to reach number one since Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" in 1987.^[40] Lewis's third single, a double A-side featuring "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand", was released in the United Kingdom in March 2008, in aid of Sport Relief, and she visited South Africa for the charity.^[41] The single reached a peak of number two in the UK singles chart selling over 40,000 copies in its first week of physical release. "Better in Time" was released as Lewis's second single in the US, where it peaked at number 11 in the Billboard Hot 100.^[42] "Forgive Me" was released as Lewis's fifth single in November 2008; it reached number five in the UK.^[43] "Run" was released as a download-only single in the UK, reaching number one, and becoming the UK's fastest-selling download-only single with 69,244 copies sold in two days.^[44] Lewis's last single from Spirit, "I Will Be", was released in January 2009,^[45] only in North America; it peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100. In August 2008, she performed "Whole Lotta Love" with guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing, representing the handover to London as the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[46] In September 2008, she joined several female singers to perform a single for the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer. The single, titled "Just Stand Up!", was performed live during the one-hour telethon that aired on all major US television networks.^[47] Lewis received three nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards in December 2008. "Bleeding Love" was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Spirit was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. She was nominated for four BRIT Awards, in the categories British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, British Album for Spirit, and British Single for "Bleeding Love",^[48] but despite being the favourite to win the most awards, she received none.^[49] She won two awards at the 2008 MOBO Awards: Best Album for Spirit and Best Video for "Bleeding Love".^[50] In December 2008 Lewis was named 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine.^[51]

[edit] 2009–10: Echo and The Labyrinth

Lewis performing on The Labyrinth tour in 2010

Lewis's second album, Echo, was given a worldwide release in November 2009.^[52] Production took place throughout 2009, including work with Ryan Tedder,^[53] Justin Timberlake,^[54] Max Martin,^[55] Arnthor Birgisson,^[56] Kevin Rudolf,^[57] and John Shanks.^[58] It was recorded in Los Angeles and took nine months to produce.^[59] Lewis described the album as "more guitar-driven" compared to Spirit.^[60] Lewis performed her first full UK show at the Hackney Empire in London on 2 November 2009, performing songs from Spirit and Echo.^[61][62] Echo reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and the top ten of Austria, Ireland and Switzerland.^[63] Despite previous attempts from Lewis's lawyers to ban the release of Best Kept Secret by UEG Music, claiming that the singer had not given her consent, the album was released in January 2009 when the label insisted it owned the rights to the music and Lewis would receive a 50% share of the album's profits. However, a television advert for the album was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, who said in a statement: "We considered that the claim 'Leona Lewis's new album' misleadingly implied it was the singer's latest recording rather than a new CD of tracks recorded some years ago."^[64] The album was released to iTunes in standard and deluxe editions, and two EPs, "Private Party" and "Dip Down"/"Joy", were released in September 2009. The first single released from Echo was "Happy", which was written by Lewis, Tedder and Evan Bogart and produced by Tedder.^[65] The single was released on 15 September 2009,^[66][67] peaking at number two in the UK,^[68] and reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Switzerland.^[69] Lewis also recorded the theme song for the 2009 science fiction film Avatar, directed by James Cameron.^[70] The song, "I See You (Theme from Avatar)", was written by James Horner and Simon Franglen. It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 67th Golden Globe Awards.^[71] In January 2010, Lewis provided vocals on a cover of "Everybody Hurts", released to help raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[72] The second single from Echo, "I Got You", was released in February 2010. The song "My Hands" was used as the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII^[73] In April 2010, she featured on a duet with Italian singer Biagio Antonacci, called "Inaspettata (Unexpected)", from his album Inaspettata.^[74] They performed the song on the Italian TV show Io Canto on 22 October 2010.^[75] Lewis performed a 13-piece set list at the Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal, on 22 May 2010, including songs from Spirit and Echo.^[76] Her first tour, titled The Labyrinth^[77] supporting Spirit and Echo, started in May 2010,^[78] with a theme based on the film Labyrinth.^[79] Lewis was scheduled to tour North America from July to August 2010 supporting Christina Aguilera's Bionic Tour,^[80] however, Aguilera cancelled the tour, leaving Lewis's plans unknown.^[81] A DVD of the tour, along with a ten-track CD, was released with the title The Labyrinth Tour Live from The O2 on 29 November 2010.^[82]

[edit] 2010–present: Hurt and Glassheart

Lewis began work on her third album shortly after she had completed The Labyrinth tour.^[83] She suggested the album would be "a bit different from what people have heard" from her before, adding that she planned to "go in and create and just see what happens".^[84] Lewis later described the album as "more progressive", "more eclectic", "more uptempo" and "a bit darker".^[85] Reports suggested that the album had taken a dubstep direction, with songwriters asked to submit dance songs and no ballads.^[86] It was also reported that Simon Cowell had set a deadline for the album for a summer 2011 release.^[87] On 25 May 2011, Lewis was named as an ambassador for BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012, the BBC's biggest ever free-ticketed live music event, and one of the artists confirmed to be performing at the event, which will take place on 23 and 24 June 2012.^[88][89] Following the announcement, she performed a special Live Lounge at the Hackney Empire, with a reggae version of "Better in Time", which incorporated Rihanna's "Man Down", and a cover of Labrinth's "Let the Sun Shine".^[90][91] In June 2011, when asked about the upcoming album, Lewis described it as "energetic, deep, [and] unique". She also commented that it would have a darker tone and that she would be putting her "heart into [her] lyrics". She cited Tracy Chapman, Kate Bush and Tears for Fears as the album's primary influences.^[92]

On 14 July 2011, it was confirmed that "Collide" would be the first track to be taken from Lewis's third studio album, Glassheart. The dance-pop anthem, written by Autumn Rowe and produced by Sandy Vee, had its first UK radio play on The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1 on 15 July 2011. It was released in the UK on 4 September 2011 and Germany on 9 September 2011.^[93][94][95] The single courted controversy after it was plagiarised from Swedish musician Avicii's 2010 song "Penguin".^[96] Berg took the case to the British High Court.^[97][98] Collide debuted on the official UK top 40 singles chart at number 4.

For the album, Lewis has worked with numerous writers and producers including: Ammo, Jonas Quant, Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, Ryan Tedder, Fraser T. Smith, Al Shux, Steve Robson,^[95] Dallas Austin,^[87] Rico Love^[99] and Ne-Yo.^[100] In May 2011, it was reported that Lewis had recorded a track called "Trouble" written by Emeli Sandé and Naughty Boy. Lewis also recorded a track called "Mountains" written by Sandé, Naughty Boy and Blazin' Squad members Flava (James Murray) and Mus (Mustafa Omer).^[99][101] It has been confirmed that the album is entitled Glassheart. Though originally announced to be released on 28 November in the UK, it has since been announced that the album will be released on 26 March 2012. However, it was later announced in January 2012 that the album would be delayed again to the 26 November 2012.^[102]

On 7 October, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding J Records along with Arista Records and Jive Records. With the shutdown, Lewis (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material (including Glassheart) on the RCA Records brand.^[103][104]

On 29 October, Lewis performed as the featured performer for the closing of the 2011 Doha Film Festival, where she sang a setlist of ten songs, including 'Collide' and covers of OneRepublic's Apologize, Seal's Kiss from a Rose and Boney M's Rivers Of Babylon.^[105]

Before the release of Glassheart, Lewis released an EP on 9 December 2011, entitled Hurt: The EP, containing three covers as a holiday gift for her fans.^[106] On 22 December, Lewis performed a version of Snow Patrol's "Run" at the season finale of the U.S. X Factor.^[107][108] It was announced on 25 January 2012 that the album would be delayed again until late November 2012.^[109]

Artistry[link]

Voice[link]

A mezzo-soprano,^[110][111] Lewis is often compared with other singers such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston^[112] and Mariah Carey.^[113] Lewis is also known to sing opera, stating that she practises operatic scales every week.^[112] Music critic Neil McCormick, of The Daily Telegraph, has praised Lewis's technical skills, writing, "Her mezzo-soprano range allows her to take melodies from luxurious low notes to high-flying falsetto, gliding with elegant power and impressive control through all kinds of fluctuations and modulations."^[110] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic adds, "Lewis can hit [high belted] notes but make it seem easy, never straining her voice and building nicely to the climax."^[114] In the same vein, Slant describes Lewis's vocals as "technically unimpeachable".^[115]

Influences[link]

Lewis credits Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston as her major influences. She said, "when I was growing up I used to listen to Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, those kind of big powerful kind of singers so that influences a lot my music and a lot of the songs I like to sing."^[116]

Other activities[link]

In October 2008, The Times reported that Lewis had turned down a seven-figure sum from Mohamed Al Fayed to open a Harrods sale. Lewis commented in the press that she turned down the deal on the grounds that Harrods is the only UK department store which continues to stock clothing made from animal fur.^[117] "It wasn't a million pounds that I was offered, as the papers reported, but even if it had been, I still would have turned it down."^[118] "I got a lot of flak for that. There were people who said I should have done it and given the money to charity, but that would have been such a contradiction."^[119] She announced in October 2008 that she was in the "bargaining period" of launching her own ethical line of accessories through Topshop,^[5][117] and that she was in the late stages of releasing her own perfume for Europe.^[120] Her perfume, Leona Lewis, was launched by LR in July 2009.^[121] In 2010, she set up a fashion company with her then boyfriend, Lou Al-Chamaa, called LOA Clothing Ltd.^[122]

Lewis signed a book deal in January 2009 to release an illustrated autobiography in October 2009. The book, entitled Dreams, contains mostly pictures taken by photographer Dean Freeman.^[123] In May 2012, Lewis returned to The X Factor as a guest judge during auditions in London for the ninth series.^[124]

Personal life[link]

Lewis lives in Hackney. She lived with her boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa, former electrician turned A&R scout for Sony records, until their split in June 2010.^[125] Lewis and Al-Chamaa knew each other since she was approximately ten years old.^[126] A vegetarian since she was 12,^[23] Lewis won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian along with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis in 2008,^[127] and Europe's Sexiest Vegetarian in 2009 with actor Scott Maslen.^[128] She also was named PETA's Person Of The Year for 2008.^[129] Lewis is a supporter of the World Society for the Protection of Animals^[130] and is a patron of Brentwood's Hopefield Animal Sanctuary.^[131]

Wikinews has related news: Leona Lewis assaulted at book signing in London, England Man charged with assaulting British singer Leona Lewis

At a book signing for Dreams on 14 October 2009 at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone's book store in central London, Lewis was assaulted by a 29-year-old man from south London^[132][133] who was arrested at the scene;^[133] Lewis suffered bruising.^[134] The assailant was sectioned under the Mental Health Act^[133] and was charged with common assault,^[134] He admitted to the offence and was hospitalised for an indeterminate period.^[135]

Discography[link]

Albums

• 2007: Spirit
• 2009: Echo
• 2012: Glassheart

Tours[link]

• 2010: The Labyrinth

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]