Look up anything in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Anything may refer to:

Music[link]

Albums[link]

• Anything (The Damned album), or the title song (see below)
• Anything (Kinnie Starr album), or the title song
• Anything (Martina Topley-Bird album), the U.S. version of Quixotic, or the title song
• Anything (The Cranberries demo)

Songs[link]

• "Anything" (3T song)
• "Anything" (Culture Beat song)
• "Anything" (Damage song)
• "Anything" (The Damned song)
• "Anything" (Edyta Górniak song)
• "Anything" (Eric Burdon and The Animals song)
• "Anything" (Jay-Z song)
• "Anything" (JoJo song)
• "Anything" (Third Eye Blind song)
• "Anything (To Find You)", a song by Monica
• "Anything", a song by An Endless Sporadic playable in Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero 5
• "Anything", a song by Jaheim from Ghetto Love
• "Anything", a song by The Mothers of Invention from Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
• "Anything", a song by the Plain White T's from All That We Needed
• "Anything", a song by Skold from Skold
• "Anything", a song by SWV from It's About Time
• "Anything, Anything (I'll Give You)", a song by Dramarama

Other uses[link]

• Anything (soft drink), a Singaporean carbonated soft drink sold alongside Whatever, another soft drink

See also[link]

• Top type, in type theory and computer programming, the type of which every possible data object is an example
• Something (disambiguation)
• Nothing (disambiguation)
• Everything (disambiguation)

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

Ellie Goulding
Goulding performing at Lincoln Hall, Chicago, U.S., March 30, 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Elena Jane Goulding
Born	(1986-12-30) 30 December 1986 (age 25) Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Origin	London, England
Genres	Indie pop, electropop, synthpop, folktronica
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, drummer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums, piano, clarinet, mandolin, tambourine
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Neon Gold, Polydor, Cherrytree, Interscope
Associated acts	Starsmith, Frankmusik, Diana Vickers, Gabriella Cilmi, Little Boots, Tinie Tempah, Erik Hassle, Lissie, Mumford & Sons, Skrillex,Swedish House Mafia, Lupe Fiasco, DJ Daaar
Website	elliegoulding.com

Elena Jane Goulding (born 30 December 1986),^[1] known professionally as Ellie Goulding, is an English singer-songwriter. In 2010 she became the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll and win the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008. After signing to Polydor Records in 2009, she released her first EP in 2009, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding, followed by her debut studio album Lights in 2010. Her album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and has sold over 650,000 copies in the UK. "Lights" was released in America March 8th 2011, where the title track has been certified platinum by the RIAA (excess of 1 million units sold) ^[2].

Goulding is a soprano,^[3] and her musical style has been compared to that of Kate Nash, Meiko, Lykke Li and Tracey Thorn.^[4]

Background and personal life[link]

Goulding was born and brought up in a small town near Hereford, Herefordshire, the second of four children.^[5][6] She began playing the clarinet at the age of nine, and at 14 began learning guitar. She attended Lady Hawkins' School in Kington, where she won a main part in a school production, the Wizard Of Oz, as the scarecrow. She started songwriting at the age of 15 and while in college she won a singing competition.^[7]

After commencing a drama course, politics course, and an English course at the University of Kent,^[8] where she was exposed to electronic music, she developed her sound on the track "Wish I Stayed" with the help of Starsmith and Frankmusik. Starsmith went on to become her chief collaborator and primary producer of Lights. After two years at Kent, she was advised to take a gap year to pursue singing,^[9][10] and moved to West London.^[11]

She is a keen runner, running six miles every day, and in 2010 announced plans to run a marathon.^[6] In support of her second EP, Run Into the Light, she invited a small number of fans through her Facebook pages, to run with her in seven different cities on her UK tour,^[12] and has announced that she will be doing the same across Europe and the United States. Goulding is considered to have an impressively athletic physique.^[13][14][15]

Music career[link]

Early career[link]

Signed to Polydor Records in September 2009,^[9] Goulding's debut single, "Under the Sheets", was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2009,^[16] peaking at number fifty-three on the UK Singles Chart.^[17] In October 2009 she toured the UK supporting Little Boots,^[18] and appeared on Later... with Jools Holland, performing "Under the Sheets" and "Guns and Horses".^[19] "Wish I Stayed" was available as a free download as the Single of the Week on iTunes Store UK from 22–28 December 2009.^[20]

[edit] 2009–11: Lights and Bright Lights

Before the release of her debut studio album, Goulding won the BBC Sound of 2010 poll, which showcases the critics, broadcasters and music industry insiders' top choices for rising stars and artists for the coming year.^[21] She also won the Critics' Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards, which prize made her the second artist to win both in the same year.^[22]

Goulding performing in Amsterdam on 17 September 2010.

Goulding's debut album Lights was released in March 2010, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the Irish Albums Chart.^[23][24][25] Its singles, "Starry Eyed", "Guns and Horses" and "The Writer" peaked at numbers 4, 26, and 19 respectively.^[17] The album has sold over 650,000 copies in the UK as of April 2012.^[26] In August 2010, Goulding released a second EP, Run Into the Light, containing remixes of songs from Lights. The album was supported by Nike and was released through Polydor as a running soundtrack in an effort to get Goulding's music taken up by the national running subculture.^[12]

In November 2010, Lights was re-released as Bright Lights, with six new tracks added. It was originally announced that the lead single from Bright Lights would be the new edit of the title track with a release scheduled for 1 November 2010.^[27] Yet this was scrapped to allow her cover of Elton John's "Your Song" to be released in conjunction with the John Lewis Christmas 2010 advertising campaign in the UK.^[28] The single became Goulding's highest-charting single to date, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart.^[17] The song also charted in some European countries in early 2011.^[29]

Goulding toured in support of Lights and supported Passion Pit in March 2010 and John Mayall during his British tour in May 2010.^[30] During the summer she performed at a number of festivals. On 29 May she performed at the Dot to Dot Festival in Bristol.^[12] She performed a set on 25 June at the Glastonbury Festival 2010 on the John Peel Stage.^[31] Her third EP was a live recording of part of her set at the iTunes Festival 2010.^[32] The whole set was ultimately included as bonus content on the iTunes version of Bright Lights.^[33] She made her T in the Park debut on 11 July.^[34] She played on the Nissan Juke Arena at the 2010 V Festival in late August.^[35] In September she was part of the line-up at Bestival 2010 on the Isle of Wight.^[36] In support of the album in Europe she performed on the first day of Pukkelpop in Belgium, at the Open'er Festival in Poland and at Benicàssim in Spain.^[37] A track from Lights, "Every Time You Go", was featured in the Vampire Diaries episode "Founder's Day", "Your Biggest Mistake" appeared in an episode of The Inbetweeners.^[38] and "Believe Me" appeared in an episode of 90210. She began a tour of the United States and Canada in February 2011 to coincide with the release of the American edition of Lights.^[39] In August/September 2010 the singer was an opening act on Irish alternative rock band U2's U2 360 Tour in Munich, Germany, Vienna, Austria, and Zurich, Switzerland.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2011 it was announced that the title track from Lights would serve as the second single from Bright Lights.^[40] In early 2011 she recorded an original song for the film Life in a Day. Goulding was placed at number five on Rolling Stone's annual hot list in February 2011.^[41] In February 2011 she returned to the BRIT Awards where she was nominated for Best British Female and Best British Breakthrough Act, but lost out to Laura Marling and Tinie Tempah, respectively.^[42] Previously she had performed at the BRITs launch party where the nominations were announced.

She also played live at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2011.^[6] Goulding made her American television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live on 7 April 2011 performing "Starry Eyed". She appeared as the musical guest on the 700th episode of the Saturday Night Live, broadcast 7 May 2011 and hosted by Tina Fey.^[43][44] She served as one of many live performers at the wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011 singing her rendition of "Your Song" for the couple's first dance as well as her hits "The Writer" and "Starry Eyed" and several of William and Kate's personal favourites.^[45] She was introduced to Prince William by Tinie Tempah at a music festival during the summer of 2010. Goulding performed, for the second consecutive year, at Radio 1's Big Weekend on Saturday 14 May.^[46]

Goulding headlined the 2011 Wakestock Festival in Wales, performing on 8 July.^[47] In August she, again, performed at V Festival for her second year in a row.^[48] Following the re-release of Lights and the American release of the album, Goulding said she would soon begin work on a second studio album with an expected release in September 2011.^[49]

On 6 August 2011, Goulding performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago.^[50] Goulding performed at the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert on 11 December 2011 in Oslo, Norway, where she also served on a panel discussion with Amy Lee of Evanescence and Janelle Monáe.^[51] On 1 December 2011, Goulding performed at the White House during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, alongside the likes of Big Time Rush and will.i.am.^[52] On 18 January 2012, Goulding performed "Lights" on Late Show with David Letterman.^[53]

2011–present: Second studio album[link]

In February 2011, Goulding told the Daily Star that she had plans to release a follow-up to Lights sometime in 2012, commenting, "I'm not going to go away for ages. It'll be out this year or the start of next."^[54] The following month, when asked about the album's musical direction in an interview with gossip website Dean Piper's World, Goulding stated, "It's started to sound very dark and very weird. This album is going to be even more emotional [...] I wanted to make it so there is hope. I want to make an effect whether it's happy or sad."^[55] In April 2012, Goulding stated that she hoped the album would be released in October 2012.^[26] That same month, her single Lights was certified platinum in the United States by the RIAA ^[56].

Work with other artists[link]

Goulding co-wrote "Love Me 'Cause You Want To" for Gabriella Cilmi's second album, Ten, and three songs, "Remake Me + You", "Notice" and "Jumping Into Rivers", for Diana Vickers's debut album, Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree.^[57] Her song "Not Following" was used by German singer Lena on her debut album My Cassette Player.^[58] Goulding was featured on rapper Tinie Tempah's single "Wonderman" from his debut studio album Disc-Overy. Goulding's "Under the Sheets" was also remixed by American rap duo Chiddy Bang, featured on their 2010 mixtape Air Swell, and by DJ Frenzy (F^K Y3AH! Breaks Mix). Frankmusik, who produced Goulding's song "Wish I Stayed", told Digital Spy he hoped to collaborate with her on his second album, Do It in the AM.^[59] "Lights" was remixed by Bassnectar, which appears on his 2011 album Divergent Spectrum.

On 19 September 2011, it was announced that Goulding would open for Katy Perry on her "California Dreams Tour", replacing Jessie J due to a foot injury.^[60][61]

On 14 December 2011, Mika announced that Goulding had involvement in his upcoming album The Origin of Love.^[62]

Goulding collaborated with American electro artist and producer Skrillex on a song titled "Summit", included on his 2011 EP Bangarang.

Discography[link]

• 2010: Lights

Tours[link]

Headlining[link] Ellie Goulding Tour (2010) The LIGHTS Tour (US) (2011) Awards and nominations[link] Year Organization Nominated work Category Result 2010 BBC Sound of 2010 Ellie Goulding Sound of 2010 Won BRIT Awards Critics' Choice Won Q Awards Best Female Artist Nominated Best Breakthrough Artist Nominated MTV Europe Music Awards Best UK & Ireland Act Nominated 2010 MP3 Music Awards The BNC Award Nominated BT Digital Music Awards Best Female Artist Nominated UK Festival Awards Best Breakthrough Artist Nominated Virgin Media Music Awards Best Newcomer Nominated Lights Best Album Nominated 2011 BRIT Awards Ellie Goulding Best British Female Nominated Best British Breakthrough Act Nominated 2011 Glamour Magazine Awards Pandora Newcomer of the Year 2011 Won References[link] ^ "Ellie Goulding". BBC Music. BBC Online. 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/33ca19f4-18c8-4411-98df-ac23890ce9f5#p00cx3z0. Retrieved 19 February 2011.  ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a378404/ellie-goulding-tops-one-million-single-sales-in-us.html ^ Rosen, Jody (8 March 2011). "Lights". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/lights-20110308. Retrieved 8 March 2011.  ^ Lester, Paul (16 February 2009). "New band of the day – No 486: Ellie Goulding". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/16/new-band-ellie-goulding. Retrieved 19 February 2011.  ^ "About « Ellie Goulding". elliegoulding.com. http://elliegoulding.com/about. Retrieved 20 January 2012.  ^ a b c Harrod, Horatia (21 February 2011). "'He was Obsessed with Murder': Ellie Goulding interview". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/8338164/He-was-Obsessed-with-Murder-Ellie-Goulding-interview.html. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ "Ellie Goulding – EPK". YouTube. 19 January 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psrbUiOErrc. Retrieved 24 February 2011.  ^ Smart, Gordon (12 August 2010). "Ellie: My stepdad was horrible. He had no brains. If I saw him again I'd punch him in the face". The Sun. News Group Newspapers. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3091719/Ellie-Goulding-on-her-turbulent-childhood.html. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ a b Ferguson, Paul (4 September 2009). "Herefordshire singer, Ellie Goulding, signs recording deal with Polydor". Hereford Times. Newsquest. http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/4581912.Herefordshire_singer__Ellie_Goulding__signs_recording_deal_with_Polydor/. Retrieved 8 January 2010.  ^ "Ellie Goulding's spiritual home". BBC Mid Wales. 17 November 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/midwales/hi/people_and_places/music/newsid_8362000/8362162.stm. Retrieved 8 January 2010.  ^ "University drop-out Ellie Goulding named as top breakthrough music act for 2010". Daily Record. 8 January 2010. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/music-news/2010/01/08/university-drop-out-ellie-goulding-named-as-top-breakthrough-music-act-for-2010-86908-21952076/. Retrieved 8 January 2010.  ^ a b c Sabbagh, Dan (20 February 2011). "Music is thriving, but the business is dying. Who can make it pay again?". The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/20/pop-music-business-digital-revolution. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ "Are you taking workout tips from Madonna? Ellie Goulding shows off muscular biceps and toned pins in Lycra". Daily Mail. Mail Online. 20 May 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1389003/Ellie-Goulding-shows-muscular-biceps-toned-pins-Lycra.html. Retrieved 26 May 2011.  ^ Higbee, Jonathan (4 March 2011). "From Sea to Shining Sea: Instinct Interviews Ellie Goulding". Instinct. http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/web-exclusives/from-sea-to-shining-sea-instinct-interviews-ellie-goulding. Retrieved 26 May 2011.  ^ Kelly, Kristy (25 May 2011). "Ellie Goulding: 'I'm ripped for a girl'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a321435/ellie-goulding-im-ripped-for-a-girl.html. Retrieved 26 May 2011.  ^ "Under the Sheets – EP by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/under-the-sheets-ep/id338264167. Retrieved 2 January 2010.  ^ a b c "Ellie Goulding". Official Charts Company. Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=12453. Retrieved 20 August 2010.  ^ Leanne (28 September 2009). "Little Boots To Release New Single 'Earthquake'". Glasswerk National. http://www.glasswerk.co.uk/news/national/6730/Little+Boots+To+Release+New+Single+Earthquake. Retrieved 1 October 2009.  ^ "Later... with Jools Holland, Series 35, Episode 7". BBC Two. BBC Online. 30 October 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00npj43. Retrieved 18 December 2009.  ^ "Wish I Stayed – Single of the Week by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wish-i-stayed-single-week/id347421814. Retrieved 26 December 2009.  ^ Youngs, Ian (8 January 2010). "Ellie Goulding tops BBC Sound of 2010 music list". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8442389.stm. Retrieved 8 January 2008.  ^ Press Association (9 December 2009). "Newcomer Ellie Goulding scoops Critics' Choice". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/newcomer-ellie-goulding-scoops-critics-choice-award-1836982.html. Retrieved 9 December 2009.  ^ "Ellie Goulding debut tops album chart". BBC News. 7 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8554453.stm. Retrieved 8 March 2010.  ^ "Ellie Goulding reveals debut album details – exclusive". NME. IPC Media. 6 January 2010. http://www.nme.com/news/ellie-goulding/49094. Retrieved 6 January 2010.  ^ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 4 March 2010". Irish Recorded Music Association. Chart-Track. http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240002&arch=t&lyr=2010&year=2010&week=9. Retrieved 5 March 2010.  ^ a b Corner, Lewis (23 April 2012). "Ellie Goulding hoping to release second album in October". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a378025/ellie-goulding-hoping-to-release-second-album-in-october.html. Retrieved 23 April 2012.  ^ Goulding, Ellie (8 September 2010). "Excited to announce that m ...". Twitter. http://twitter.com/elliegoulding/status/23930243782. Retrieved 21 January 2011.  ^ Beasley, Mark. "Our Christmas 2010 TV advert". John Lewis. John Lewis Partnership. http://www.johnlewis.com/Magazine/Feature.aspx?Id=666. Retrieved 20 November 2010.  ^ "Ellie Goulding – Your Song". Swedish Recording Industry Association. Hung Medien. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Ellie+Goulding&titel=Your+Song&cat=s. Retrieved 4 February 2011.  ^ Youngs, Ian (7 January 2010). "BBC Sound of 2010: Ellie Goulding". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8445641.stm. Retrieved 6 March 2011.  ^ "BBC – Glastonbury Festival – Ellie Goulding". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/glastonbury/2010/artists/elliegoulding/. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ "iTunes Festival: London 2010 – EP by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/itunes-festival-london-2010/id382616884. Retrieved 22 January 2011.  ^ "Bright Lights by Ellie Goulding". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/bright-lights/id404772330. Retrieved 22 January 2011.  ^ "BBC – T in the Park Festival – Ellie Goulding". BBC Music. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tinthepark/2010/artists/ellie_goulding/. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ "Ellie Goulding at V Festival". 4Music. http://www.4music.com/artist/ellie-goulding/interview-at-v-festival-2010.html. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ Bestival – News Archived 31 January 2011 at WebCite ^ "More Ellie Goulding festival dates". Facebook. 27 May 2010. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=398792669517. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ "Goulding records a track for the inbetweeners". E4.com. 5 October 2010. http://www.e4.com/inbetweeners/series3/music-ep1.html. Retrieved 13 July 2011.  ^ "Ellie Announces US Tour". elliegoulding.com. 3 February 2011. http://elliegoulding.com/news/ellie-announces-us-tour/. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ "First Cherrytree Blog!". Cherrytree Records. 12 January 2011. http://www.cherrytreerecords.com/profiles/blogs/first-cherrytree-blog. Retrieved 12 January 2011.  ^ "Ellie Featured In Rolling Stone Hot List". Facebook. 8 February 2011. http://www.facebook.com/notes/ellie-goulding/ellie-featured-in-rolling-stone-hot-list/10150095243549518. Retrieved 13 July 2011.  ^ "Brit Awards 2011: Winners". BBC News. 15 February 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12187205. Retrieved 7 February 2012.  ^ Seidman, Robert (25 April 2011). ""Saturday Night Live (SNL)" Closes Out Season with Tina Fey/Ellie Goulding, Ed Helms/Paul Simon and Justin Timberlake/Lady Gaga". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/25/saturday-night-live-snl-closes-out-season-with-tina-feyellie-goulding-ed-helmspaul-simon-and-justin-timberlakelady-gaga/90480. Retrieved 25 April 2011.  ^ Cline, Georgette. "Ellie Goulding Shines 'Lights' on 'Saturday Night Live'". Spinner. http://www.spinner.com/2011/05/08/ellie-goulding-shines-lights-on-saturday-night-live/. Retrieved 9 January 2012.  ^ "Ellie Goulding Sang At Royal Wedding". MTV UK. MTV Networks Europe. 30 April 2011. http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/ellie-goulding/268429-ellie-goulding-royal-wedding-prince-william-kate-middleton. Retrieved 9 September 2011.  ^ "Ellie Goulding Photos – BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011 – Day 1". Zimbio. http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Ellie+Goulding/BBC+Radio+1+Weekend+2011+Day+1/1EdPYT80KXe. Retrieved 15 May 2011.  ^ "Biffy Clyro, Wombats, Ellie Goulding to headline Wakestock festival". NME. IPC Media. 31 January 2011. http://www.nme.com/news/biffy-clyro/54767. Retrieved 23 February 2011.  ^ "Ellie To Play V Festival". elliegoulding.com. 1 March 2011. http://elliegoulding.com/#/news/ellie-to-play-v-festival/. Retrieved 6 March 2011.  ^ "‪Ellie Goulding interview with T4‬‏". YouTube. 14 January 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTjaLYlBxOg. Retrieved 13 July 2011.  ^ Kaufman, Gil (7 August 2011). "Lollapalooza Day Two: Skylar Grey, Patrick Stump, Ellie Goulding Mix It Up". MTV Newsroom. MTV Networks. http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/08/07/lollapalooza-skylar-grey-patrick-stump/. Retrieved 9 January 2012.  ^ "Edgy Ellie: Starry Eyed singer Goulding trades her long blonde locks for a trendy half-shaved 'do". Daily Mail. Mail Online. 12 December 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2072970/Ellie-Goulding-ditches-trademark-long-blonde-locks-shaved-pink-hairdo.html. Retrieved 9 January 2012.  ^ Roberts, Steven (29 November 2011). "Ellie Goulding Brings Lights To National Christmas Tree". MTV News. MTV Networks. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1675078/ellie-goulding-national-christmas-tree-lighting.jhtml. Retrieved 9 January 2012.  ^ "Ellie Goulding Performs Lights on Letterman". Cherrytree Records. 19 February 2012. http://www.cherrytreerecords.com/profiles/blogs/ellie-goulding-performs-lights-on-letterman. Retrieved 24 February 2012.  ^ Dawson, Kim (11 February 2011). "Ellie Goulding faces hell of a title fight". Daily Star. Northern & Shell Media Publications. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/view/176324/Ellie-Goulding-faces-hell-of-a-title-fight/. Retrieved 7 February 2012.  ^ Piper, Dean (7 March 2011). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Ellie Goulding". Dean Piper's World. http://deanpiper.com/2011/03/07/exclusive-interview-ellie-goulding/. Retrieved 7 February 2012.  ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a378404/ellie-goulding-tops-one-million-single-sales-in-us.html ^ Smyth, David (15 January 2010). "Diana Vickers: proper bow". Popjustice. http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4355&Itemid=9. Retrieved 4 February 2010.  ^ "Lena Meyer-Landrut kriegt von Ellie Goulding Song geschenkt" (in German). Klatsch-Tratsch. 13 May 2010. http://www.klatsch-tratsch.de/2010/05/13/lena-meyer-landrut-kriegt-von-ellie-goulding-song-geschenkt/51893. Retrieved 21 February 2011.  ^ Copsey, Robert (11 May 2011). "Frankmusik eyes Ellie Goulding collaboration". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a318942/frankmusik-eyes-ellie-goulding-collaboration.html. Retrieved 13 July 2011.  ^ Bain, Becky (19 September 2011). "Katy Perry Replaces Jessie J. With Ellie Goulding On California Dreams Tour". Idolator. Buzz Media. http://idolator.com/6017282/katy-perry-replaces-jessie-j-with-ellie-goulding-california-dreams-tour. Retrieved 7 February 2012.  ^ Perry, Katy. "Ellie Goulding to Join the California Dreams Tour in November". Ellie Goulding to Join the California Dreams Tour in November. Capitol Records. http://www.katyperry.com/ellie-goulding-to-join-the-california-dreams-tour-in-november/. Retrieved 2012-02-23.  ^ Mika (14 December 2011). "Blog from MIKA". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150435075513580. Retrieved 14 December 2011.  External links[link] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ellie Goulding Official website Preceded by Little Boots Sound of... 2010 Succeeded by Jessie J v t e Ellie Goulding Discography Studio albums Lights Extended plays An Introduction to Ellie Goulding iTunes Festival: London 2010 Run Into the Light Singles "Under the Sheets" "Starry Eyed" "Guns and Horses" "The Writer" "Your Song" "Lights" Featured singles "Wonderman" Related articles Polydor Records Cherrytree Records Neon Gold Records Tinie Tempah Skrillex Persondata Name Goulding, Ellie Alternative names Goulding, Elena Jane Short description English singer-songwriter Date of birth 30 December 1986 Place of birth Hereford, Herefordshire, England Date of death Place of death .

Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars performing in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 19, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Peter Gene Hernandez
Born	(1985-10-08) October 8, 1985 (age 26)[1] Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Genres	Reggae fusion, pop, soul, R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, model, dancer
Instruments	Vocals, drums, guitar, keyboard, bass, piano, harmonica
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Atlantic, Elektra
Associated acts	The Smeezingtons
Website	www.brunomars.com

Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age. He performed in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. Mars produced songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons.

Mars had an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, but then signed with Atlantic Records in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha, and "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Anchored by the worldwide number-one singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.^[2] Mars was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are".

Mars' music is noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, and contains elements of many musical genres. He has worked with an assortment of artists from various genres. Mars acknowledges the influences that his collaborations have had on his own music. As a child, he was highly influenced by artists such as Little Richard,^[3] Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into his work. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times referred to Mars as "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop."^[4] Worldwide, Mars became the best-selling digital artist in 2011. He had three singles in the top ten, including first place with "Just The Way You Are," which sold 12.5 million copies.^[5] Mars won Best International Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards in 2012.^[6] Bruno Mars has sold 5 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide.^[7]

Early life[link]

Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8th, 1985, and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, by parents Pete Hernandez, of Puerto Rican descent, and Bernadette "Bernie," a Filipina.^{[8][9][10][11]} His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York.^[12] Mars' parents met while performing in a show, where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion.^[12] At the age of two, he was nicknamed "Bruno" by his father, because of his resemblance to legendary professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.^[13]

Mars was one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B.^[14][15] In addition to being a dancer, his mother was a singer and his father used his musical ability to perform Little Richard rock n roll music.^[3] Mars' uncle was an Elvis impersonator. By the age of three his uncle had Mars up on the stage performing. He also performed songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations.^[10] At age four, Mars began performing five days a week with his family's band, The Love Notes, in which he became known on the island for his impersonation of Presley.^[16]

In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as "Little Elvis", going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992.^[10][17] He later reflected on the influence Presley had on his music: "I watch the best. I'm a big fan of Elvis. I'm a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It's just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I'm a fan."^[18] In 2010, he also acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family as an influence, explaining, "Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father's band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments...I've just been surrounded by it."^[19] In 2003, shortly after graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School at the age of seventeen, Mars moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a musical career.^[10][17] He adopted his stage name from the nickname his father gave him, adding "Mars" at the end because "I felt like I didn't have [any] pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I'm from Mars."^[20]

Career[link]

[edit] 2004–10: Career beginnings and It's Better If You Don't Understand

Bruno Mars performing in Houston, Texas in November 2010.

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004, in a deal that "went nowhere".^[21] However, Mars' experience with Motown proved to be beneficial to his career when he met songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence, who was also signed to the label. Mars, Lawrence, and engineer Ari Levine began writing songs together, and formed the production team The Smeezingtons.^[21] In 2006, Lawrence introduced Mars to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck.^[22] After hearing him play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately, but it took about three years for Atlantic records to finally sign Mars to the label.^[22] In the meantime, Bay-Schuck hired Mars and the Smeezingtons to write and produce songs for the label's artists.^[22] According to Bay-Schuck in an interview with HitQuarters, Mars had stated that although his ultimate goal was to be a solo artist, he was willing to write and produce for other artists, both to help improve his songwriting and help him discover the type of artist he ultimately wanted to be.^[22] Bay-Schuck credits this as a period of "self-discovery" that contributed significantly to Mars' later success.^[22]

Before becoming a successful solo artist, Hernandez was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida.^[14][23] He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7.^[24][25] His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D".^[26] He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009.^[27][28] He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire"; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide.^{[29][30][31][32]} He said of them, "I think those songs weren't meant to be full-sung songs. If I'd sung all of "Nothin' on You", it might've sounded like some '90s R&B." Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It's Better If You Don't Understand, on May 11, 2010.^[33] The EP peaked at the 99th position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single, "The Other Side", featuring singers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B.^[34][35] Mars collaborated with Green once more in August 2010 by co-writing his single "Fuck You!". He performed a medley of "Nothin' on You" and "Airplanes" with B.o.B and Hayley Williams at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.^[36]

[edit] 2010–present: Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Bruno Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010.^[37][38] The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010,^[39] and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as several other charts worldwide.^[40][41] The music video was released on September 8, 2010.^[42] The second single, "Grenade", was released September 28, 2010, and has also seen successful international chart performance.^[43][44] In the United States, Doo-Wops & Hooligans debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 for the week of October 13, 2010, selling 55,000 copies.^[2] The album also received generally positive reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt praised Mars for his "instant-access melodies" and "sly snatches of dance-floor swagger", but noted weaknesses in songs deviant from his conventional pop and soul genres.^[45] He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010 and co-headlined with McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010.^[38]

On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine.^[46] When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before".^[47][48] Mars pled guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, he was told that the charges would be erased from his criminal record as long as he stayed out of trouble for a year, paid a $2,000 fine, did 200 hours of community service and completed a drug counseling course.^[49]

On February 13, 2011, Mars won his first Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, having received six nominations; Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Nothin' on You", Record of the Year for "Nothin' on You" and "Fuck You", Song of the Year for "Fuck You", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

On September 16, 2011, Bad Meets Evil released their single, "Lighters", which featured Mars in the song. The song was met with mixed reviews from critics and many criticized Mars for doing this type of song.^[50] On September 22, 2011, it was announced on Mars' website that his new song "It Will Rain" will appear on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack which was released on November 8.^[51] On October 30, 2011, Mars gave an exclusive performance of "Runaway Baby" on the results show of The X Factor UK, the same day that Mars received six nominations for a Grammy Award; Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Grenade", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 54th Grammy Awards. During the ceremony, Mars performed "Runaway Baby" but he did not win any awards as Adele won in all the categories he was nominated in and also lost to Paul Epworth for Producer of the Year.

Mars has confirmed on Twitter that his work on his second album has begun.^[52] On March 22, 2012, it was announced that Mars had signed a worldwide publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis US.^[53]

Musical style[link]

Mars performing on November 24, 2010. Mars plays several instruments including piano, guitar, bass and congas.^[54]

Mars' music has been noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, including pop,^[55] rock,^[55] reggae,^[55] R&B,^[56] soul,^[45] and hip hop.^[57] His co-producer Philip Lawrence says, "What people don't know is there's a darker underbelly to Bruno Mars." Mars himself says, "I blame that on me singing to girls back in high school."^[58] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called him "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that’s an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor."^[4] Mars was initially influenced by R&B artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci and R. Kelly, as well as 1950s rock 'n' roll and Motown.^[59] In high school, he began listening to classic rock groups such as The Police, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles.^[59] All of these genres of music have influenced Mars' musical style; he observed that "It’s not easy to [create] songs with that mixture of rock and soul and hip-hop, and there’s only a handful of them."^[59] Mars also stated that he is a fan of Alicia Keys, Jessie J, Jack White and The Saturdays.^[60]

In addition, Mars claims that his work with other artists influenced his musical style, saying that "'Nothin' on You' had a Motown vibe, 'Billionaire' was a reggae acoustic guitar-driven song, though one of my favorites is the Cee-Lo [Green] song ['Fuck You']. I don't think anyone else could've sung that song. And there's 'Just the Way You Are.' If you know my story, you know I love all different genres of music."^[61] He cites doo-wop as a major influence on his music, referring to the genre as "just straightforward love songs – so charming and simple and romantic."^[61] In addition, Mars states that growing up in Hawaii influenced his music, giving the songs a reggae sound. He explains that "In Hawaii some of the biggest radio stations are reggae. The local bands are heavily influenced by Bob Marley. That music brings people together. It's not urban music or pop music. It's just songs. That's what makes it cross over so well. The song comes first."^[12] Lyrically, many of Mars' songs have been described as "feel-good", carefree, and optimistic,^[62] however, darker subjects are addressed in songs such as "Grenade", "Liquor Store Blues", and "Talking to the Moon", which detail failed relationships and self-destructive behavior.^[45][63]

Discography[link]

• Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010)
• TBA (2012)

Tours[link]

• Doo-Wops & Hooligans tour (2010–2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bruno Mars

• Official website
• Bruno Mars on Twitter
• Bruno Mars at the Internet Movie Database

Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf (2009)
Background information
Birth name	Marvin Lee Aday
Born	(1947-09-27) September 27, 1947 (age 64) Dallas, Texas
Genres	Hard rock, rock, rock and roll, rock opera, Heavy Metal
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, saxophone
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Rare Earth, Cleveland International, Epic, RCA, Arista, MCA, Polydor, Sanctuary, Mercury, Virgin, Loud & Proud
Associated acts	Jim Steinman, Neverland Express, Floating Circus, Stoney & Meatloaf, Steve Vai, Trace Adkins, Lil Jon, Brian May, Ted Nugent
Website	meatloaf.net

Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947), better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor. He is noted for the Bat Out of Hell album trilogy consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose. Bat Out of Hell has sold more than 43 million copies.^[1] After more than 30 years, it still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually and stayed on the charts for over nine years, making it one of the best selling albums of all time.^[2][3]

Although he enjoyed success with Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell and earned a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo for the song "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" on the latter album, Meat Loaf experienced some initial difficulty establishing a steady career within his native US. However, he has retained iconic status and popularity in Europe, especially the UK, where he ranks 23rd for the number of weeks overall spent on the charts. He ranked 96th on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

Meat Loaf has also appeared in over 50 movies and television shows,^[4] sometimes as himself or as characters resembling his stage persona. His most notable roles include Eddie in the American premiere of The Rocky Horror Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Robert "Bob" Paulson in Fight Club.

Early life[link]

Meat Loaf was born in Dallas, Texas.^[5] He was the first child of Wilma Artie (née Hukel), a school teacher and a member of the Vo-di-o-do Girls gospel quartet, and Orvis Wesley Aday, a police officer. His father was an alcoholic who would go on drinking binges for days at a time.^[6] Aday and his mother would drive around to all the bars in Dallas, looking for Orvis to take him home. Because of this, Aday often stayed with his grandmother, Charlsee Norrod.^[6]

Meat Loaf relates a story in his autobiography, To Hell and Back, about how he, a friend, and his friend's father drove out to Love Field to watch John F. Kennedy land. After watching him leave the airport, they went to Market Hall, which was on Kennedy's parade route. On the way they heard that Kennedy had been shot, so they headed to Parkland Hospital, where they saw Jackie Kennedy get out of the car and Governor John Connally get pulled out, although they never saw the president taken out.

In 1965, Aday graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, having already started his acting career via school productions such as Where's Charley? and The Music Man.^[7] After attending college at Lubbock Christian College, he transferred to North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas in Denton).

After Aday received his inheritance from his mother's death, he rented an apartment in Dallas and isolated himself for three and a half months. Eventually a friend found him. Aday bought a car and drove to California.^[8]

Music career[link]

In Los Angeles, Aday formed his first band, "Meat Loaf Soul".^[9] During the recording of their first song, he hit a note so high that he managed to blow a fuse on the recording monitor.^[10] He was immediately offered three recording contracts, which he turned down.^[6] Meat Loaf Soul's first gig was in Huntington Beach at the Cave, opening for Them, Van Morrison's band. While performing their cover of the Howlin' Wolf song "Smokestack Lightning," the smoke machine they used made too much smoke and the club had to be cleared out. Later, the band was the opening act at Cal State Northridge for Renaissance, Taj Mahal and Janis Joplin. The band then underwent several changes of lead guitar, changing the name of the band each time. The new names included Popcorn Blizzard and Floating Circus.^[9] As Floating Circus, they opened for The Who, The Fugs, The Stooges, MC5, Grateful Dead, and The Grease Band. Their regional success led them to release a single, "Once Upon a Time," backed with "Hello." Meat Loaf joined the Los Angeles production of Hair.^[9] During an interview with New Zealand radio station ZM, Meat Loaf stated that the biggest life struggle he had to overcome was not being taken seriously in the music industry. He compared his treatment to that of a "circus clown".^[11]