Interstate 94
Route information
Length:	1,585.20 mi[1] (2,551.13 km)
Existed:	1956 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-90 in Billings, MT
	I-29 in Fargo, ND I-35W in Minneapolis, MN I-35E in St. Paul, MN I-39 in Madison, WI I-90 in Madison, WI I-43 in Milwaukee, WI I-55 in Chicago, IL I-80 in South Holland, IL I-65 in Gary, IN I-69 in Marshall, MI I-75 in Detroit, MI
East end:	Highway 402 at Canadian border on Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, MI
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main • Auxiliary • Business

Interstate 94 (I-94) is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway (but I-96 is the highest-numbered), connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S. side of the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan, at the Sarnia, Ontario, Canada border, where together with Interstate 69 it meets Highway 402. It is currently the longest non-primary Interstate (Interstate that does not end with a 0 or 5), but may be surpassed by Interstate 69 in the future.

Route description[link]

Interstate 94 is the only purely east–west interstate to form a direct connection into a foreign country (Canada). No such interstate currently ends at the U.S.-Mexico border, although I-905 in California will when upgrades are completed. At Port Huron, I-94 crosses the Blue Water Bridge into Sarnia, Ontario, and becomes Highway 402, which can be used by motorists going to Toronto. I-94's concurrency at that crossing, I-69, is posted east–west in eastern Michigan, but changes to north–south near Lansing and remains north–south in the remainder of Michigan and throughout Indiana.

Interstate 94 crosses paths with Interstate 90 several times: at its western terminus; in central Wisconsin; in Chicago, IL; and in Lake Station, IN.

Montana[link]

I-94 begins at Billings and travels northeastward toward Glendive before exiting the state to the east.

North Dakota[link]

The route enters at Beach and passes through the Badlands near Medora (near the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit)). A public rest area about seven miles (11 km) east of Medora provides a scenic view and the Painted Canyon Trail provides an opportunity to hike through some of the scenery. I-94 then travels east past Bismarck on the way to Fargo, where it leaves the state and crosses into Minnesota.

Minnesota[link]

I-94 travels in a northwest-southeast trajectory past Moorhead and St. Cloud on the way to the Twin Cities, and eastward out of the state. Leaving Fargo, ND and entering Moorhead, MN, I-94 crosses the Red River. In Minneapolis it crosses the Mississippi River, and leaving Minnesota between Lakeland, MN and Hudson, WI, I-94 crosses the St. Croix River.

From September 2007 to October 2008, between northbound I-35W and MN-280 in the Twin Cities, the highway was not up to Interstate Highway standards because the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) added a temporary extra lane to help relieve traffic congestion caused by the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge.

Wisconsin[link]

A ramp from Miller Park onto I-94 in Milwaukee, WI.

Interstate 94 enters Wisconsin east of the Twin Cities at Hudson. It passes Eau Claire before turning southeastward and joining with Interstate 90 in Tomah and Interstate 39 in Portage. I-94 branches off eastward in Madison and travels east to Milwaukee before turning south and heading to Chicago, entering Illinois at Pleasant Prairie.

Illinois[link]

In the state of Illinois, I-94 runs south from Wisconsin to Indiana via downtown Chicago. It is tolled on the Tri-State Tollway to the I-94/I-294 split; it then runs east to the Edens Expressway, where it turns south through the city of Chicago. At Interstate 80, I-94 runs east to Indiana on the Kingery Expressway.

Indiana[link]

In the state of Indiana, I-94 runs east from Illinois concurrent with I-80. It crosses Interstate 90 (Indiana Toll Road), where I-80 joins I-90 east towards Ohio. I-94 continues northeast, paralleling the Lake Michigan shoreline into Michigan. The 55 mph speed limit used to continue to east of exit 26, now it ends a mile east of I-80/I-90, where the speed limit goes up to 70 mph. on EB I-94. source: http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/08/speed-limit-to-be-raised-on-i-94-in-porter-county-ind.html

• mile markers 0.0-15.5 are also posted with I-80, mile markers 15.6-19.0 are posted as I-94 alone.

Michigan[link]

I-94/US 23 interchange, Pittsfield Township.

I-94 runs north along Lake Michigan to St. Joseph before heading east toward Detroit. It turns northeast to Port Huron where it meets I-69 and ends at the Blue Water Bridge, where it becomes Ontario Highway 402.

History[link]

The first section of I-94 completed with Interstate funds (under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956) was a 12-mile (19 km) section between Jamestown and Valley City, North Dakota in 1958.

North of Chicago, I-94 has been widened from six to eight lanes from Illinois Route 22 (Half Day Road) to just south of the Wisconsin state line at Illinois Route 173 and 95th Street to 159th Street.

In 2005, the I-94 bridge over the Crow River near St. Michael, Minnesota, about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Minneapolis, is being rebuilt. In 2006, a project to widen I-94 east of downtown St. Paul between Minnesota State Highway 120 and McKnight Road from four to six lanes was completed.

The new Marquette Interchange in downtown Milwaukee was completed in August 2008 at a cost of $810 million.

The interchange at 95th Ave. N in Maple Grove, Minnesota was rebuilt with a new, wider bridge that replaced the two-lane bridge there, which was demolished in July 2006.

In Detroit, Interstate 94 was routed over the existing Edsel Ford Freeway, and remained signed as such until the late 1980s when Michigan deemphasized proper names on Interstate guide signs. Its interchange with the Lodge Freeway, built in 1953, is significant as the first full-speed freeway-to-freeway interchange built in the United States.^[3]

Intersections with other interstates[link]

• Interstate 90 in Billings, Montana
• Interstate 29 in Fargo, North Dakota
• Interstate 35W in Minneapolis, Minnesota; concurrent for less than one mile (1.6 km)
• Interstate 35E in St. Paul, Minnesota
• Interstate 90 in Tomah, Wisconsin; concurrent until Madison, Wisconsin
• Interstate 39 at Portage, Wisconsin; concurrent until Madison, Wisconsin, forming the longest three-way concurrency of two-digit routes in the Interstate System.
• Interstate 39 and Interstate 90 at Madison, Wisconsin
• Interstate 43 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Interstate 90 in Chicago, Illinois; concurrent through Chicago to the junction with the Chicago Skyway
• Interstate 55 in Chicago, Illinois
• Interstate 90 Chicago Skyway in Chicago, Illinois
• Interstate 57 in Chicago, Illinois
• Interstate 80 in South Holland, Illinois; concurrent until Lake Station, Indiana
• Interstate 65 in Gary, Indiana
• Interstate 80 and Interstate 90 in Lake Station, Indiana
• Interstate 196 near Benton Harbor, Michigan
• Interstate 194 in Battle Creek, Michigan
• Interstate 69 in Marshall, Michigan
• Interstate 275 in Romulus, Michigan
• Interstate 96 in Detroit, Michigan
• Interstate 75 in Detroit, Michigan
• Interstate 696 in Roseville, Michigan
• Interstate 69 in Port Huron, Michigan^[2]

Spur routes[link]

• Bismarck, North Dakota - I-194 (unsigned)
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota - I-394, I-494, I-694
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin - I-794, I-894
• Chicago, Illinois - I-294 (Tri-State Tollway)
• Battle Creek, Michigan - I-194

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 94

• Interstate 94 at Michigan Highways
• Interstate 94 at Wisconsin Highways
• Illinois Highway Ends: I-94
• Indiana Highway Ends: I-94
• The Old Red Trail documentary about the history of I-94 in North Dakota

Browse numbered routes
← US 93	MT	I-115 →
← ND 91	ND	ND 97 →
← MN 93	MN	MN 95 →
← WIS 93	WI	WIS 94 →
← IL 93	IL	IL 94 →
← M-93	MI	M-94 →

v t e Auxiliary routes of Interstate 94 North Dakota 1941 Minnesota 394 494 694 Wisconsin 794 894 Illinois 294 Michigan 194 1Unsigned

v t e Main Interstate Highways Signed 4 5 8 10 12 15 16 17 19 20 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 35 37 39 40 43 44 45 49 55 57 59 64 65 66 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 (W) 76 (E) 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 (W) 84 (E) 85 86 (W) 86 (E) 87 88 (W) 88 (E) 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 99 H-1 H-2 H-3 Unsigned A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 PRI-1 PRI-2 PRI-3 Lists Primary Main Intrastate Suffixed Temporary Future Gaps Auxiliary Main Future Unsigned Other Standards Business Bypassed Tolled Major Interstates highlighted

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

"The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the government or to some other authority in a position of power. In addition to this derogatory connotation, it may also serve as a term of respect and praise.

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe oppression. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist", either openly or via sabotage.^[1]

History[link]

The earliest recorded use^{[citation needed]} of the term "the Man" in the American sense dates back to a letter written by a young Alexander Hamilton in September 1772, when he was 15. In a letter to his father James Hamilton, published in the Royal Dutch-American Gazette, he described the response of the Dutch governor of St. Croix to a hurricane that raked that island on August 31, 1772. "Our General has issued several very salutary and humane regulations and both in his publick and private measures, has shewn himself the Man." ^{[2][dubious – discuss]} In the Southern U.S. states, the phrase came to be applied to any man or any group in a position of authority, or to authority in the abstract. From about the 1950s the phrase was also an underworld code word for police, the warden of a prison or other law enforcement or penal authorities.

It was also used as a term for a drug dealer in the 1950s and 1960s and can be seen in such media as Curtis Mayfield's "No Thing On Me", William Burroughs's novel Naked Lunch, and in the Velvet Underground song "I'm Waiting for the Man", in which Lou Reed sings about going to Uptown Manhattan, specifically Lexington Avenue and 125th Street, to buy heroin.

The use of this term was expanded to counterculture groups and their battles against authority, such as the Yippies, which, according to a May 19, 1969 article in U.S. News and World Report, had the "avowed aim ... to destroy 'The Man', their term for the present system of government". The term eventually found its way into humorous usage, such as in a December 1979 motorcycle ad from the magazine Easyriders which featured the tagline, "California residents: Add 6% sales tax for The Man."

In present day, the phrase has been popularized in commercials and cinema, featuring particularly prominently as a recurring motif in the 2003 film School of Rock.^[3][4][5][6]

Use as praise[link]

The term has also been used as an approbation or form of praise. This may refer to the recipient's status as the leader or authority within a particular context, or it might be assumed to be a shortened form of a phrase like "He is the man (who is in charge)." One example of this usage dates to 1879 when Otto von Bismarck commented, referring to Benjamin Disraeli's pre-eminent position at the Congress of Berlin, "The old Jew, he is the man."^{[7][dubious – discuss]}

In more modern usage, it can be a superlative compliment ("you da man!") indicating that the subject is currently standing out amongst his peers even though they have no special designation or rank, such as a basketball player who is performing better than the other players on the court. It can also be used as a genuine compliment with an implied, slightly exaggerated or sarcastic tone, usually indicating that the person has indeed impressed the speaker but by doing something relatively trivial.

See also[link]

• Absentee landlord
• Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
• New World Order (conspiracy theory)
• Ruling class
• The Establishment
• Power elite
• Corrections officer
• YTMND

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Lighter, J.E. (Ed.). (1997). Random House Dictionary of American Slang. New York: Random House.

Jason Thomas Mraz
Jason Mraz in March 2011
Background information
Birth name	Jason Thomas Mraz
Born	(1977-06-23) June 23, 1977 (age 35) Mechanicsville, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock, blue-eyed soul, alternative rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin, mandola, banjo, ukulele, baritone ukulele
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Elektra Records (2002–2005) Atlantic Records (2005–present)
Associated acts	Tristan Prettyman, Bushwalla, Jack Johnson, Colbie Calliat
Website	jasonmraz.com
Notable instruments
Taylor Guitars

Jason Mraz ( /məˈræz/;^[1] born June 23, 1977 in Mechanicsville, Virginia) is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, Mr. A-Z, in 2005, that Mraz achieved major commercial success. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of many international charts.

Mraz's international breakthrough came with the release of the single "I'm Yours" from the album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single. The song was on the Hot 100 for 76 weeks, beating the previous record of 69 weeks held by LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". The song was a huge commercial success in the US, receiving a 5x platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over five million.^[2] The song was successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts.

Early life[link]

Jason Mraz was born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia.^[3] He is of Czech descent through his grandfather, who moved to the United States from Austria-Hungary in 1915.^[4] His surname is Czech for "frost"^[4] (Czech: mráz). His parents, Tom (Tomáš) Mraz and June, divorced when he was four years old, but he asserts that he had an idyllic childhood, saying, "My hometown of Mechanicsville was very American. There were white picket fences, a church on every street corner, low crime and virtually no drug use. It was a good place to grow up."^[5] He went to Lee Davis High School^[6]

Music career[link]

[edit] Live at Java Joe's (2001)

In 2001, Mraz released a live acoustic album, Live at Java Joe's, a coffee-house type place in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego where Jewel also made her debut. Here, Mraz performed with percussionist Noel "Toca" Rivera and bassist Ian Sheridan and felt at home singing and scatting through jazzy-pop songs. He would deliver rapidfire lyrics full of verbal mischief, and he would riff off the crowd like a stand-up comic.^[7] The album featured Mraz's free-lancing vocal style and songs he later re-released, including "1000 Things", "You and I Both", and "Halfway Home."

The album was made available to download on iTunes on March 11, 2008, under the title Jason Mraz: Live & Acoustic 2001.

[edit] Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002–2003)

In 2002, Mraz signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. He recorded his first album with the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer producer John Alagía, and Virginia-based roots rock band the Agents Of Good Root.^[8] Mraz then released his first major-label debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come. The album was a relative commercial success, peaking at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 200 and at number two on the Top Heatseekers Chart. The lead single from the album, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" was co-written by music production team The Matrix and it was Mraz's first top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15.

Mraz's friend and former roommate Billy "Bushwalla" Galewood collaborated on the album, co-writing "Curbside Prophet" and the album's third single, and "I'll Do Anything".

[edit] Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom (2004)

In 2004, while touring, Mraz released a live album and accompanying DVD^[9], Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom, a special two-disc set including an audio CD of his concert from Milwaukee's Eagles Ballroom^[10] , plus a video DVD of the concert plus tons of backstage footage. Mraz performed with his touring band including drummer Adam King, percussionist Noel "Toca" Rivera and bassist Ian Sheridan and keyboardist Eric Hinojosa along with a guest appearance from Blues Traveler lead John Popper. The Eagles Ballroom (part of The Rave complex) has a capacity of only about 3,200^[11] making it possible for Mraz to have significant interaction with the audience, bridging his earlier coffeeshop performances to his later much larger venue concerts.

[edit] Touring and Mr. A–Z (2003–2008)

Mraz opened for Tracy Chapman in March 2003 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In July 2005, Mraz opened for Alanis Morissette during her Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour. On July 26, 2005, he released his second major-label album, Mr. A–Z, for Atlantic Records. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number 5.^[12] In December, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while its producer, the prolific Steve Lillywhite, received a nomination for Producer of the Year.^[13] In 2006 "Life is Wonderful" the first track of the album was featured in the Hilton Journeys Hotel commercial"

Mraz began his long-running tour in support of Mr. A–Z at the San Diego Music Awards on September 12. The tour featured several opening acts, including Bushwalla and Tristan Prettyman, with whom he had co-written the duet "Shy That Way" in 2002.^[14] Mraz and Prettyman dated, ending their relationship in 2006. They also co-wrote the song "All I Want For Christmas is Us".^{[citation needed]} In November 2005, Mraz opened for the Rolling Stones on five dates during their 2005–2006 world tour. Also in 2005, Mraz was one of many singers featured in the fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites". The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Tristan Prettyman, Michelle Branch, Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd, and Michelle Williams.^[15] In December 2005, Mraz released the first part of his ongoing podcast.

Jason Mraz performs at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut on May 17, 2006.

Jason Mraz at Gröna Lund In Stockholm, Sweden 2008

In March 2006, Mraz also performed for the first time at a sold-out performance in Singapore with Noel "Toca" Rivera as part of the annual Mosaic Music Festival.^{[citation needed]} In May 2006, Mraz toured mostly small venues and music festivals in the U.S., along with a few shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The tour included a May 6, 2006 acoustic show with P.O.D., Better Than Ezra, Live, and The Presidents of the United States of America. Mraz was featured as a headlining guest of St. Louis's annual Fair St. Louis and performed a free concert at the base of the Arch on July 1, 2006. During this time, Mraz was also the opening act at several dates for Rob Thomas' Something to Be Tour.

In December 2006, Selections for Friends, the live, online-only album recorded during the Songs for Friends Tour, was released. Selections for Friends features Jason's favorite songs from the Schubas Tavern and Villa Montalvo shows he played in July 2006. Jason Mraz began 2007 by debuting his new single "The Beauty in Ugly", an earlier track penned by Mraz entitled "Plain Jane" that he rewrote for the ABC television program Ugly Betty. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign.^[16] He has since released a song in Spanish entitled "La Nueva Belleza (The New Beauty)".^[17]

In 2007, American Idol contestant Chris Richardson performed "Geek in the Pink", which subsequently garnered the song mass recognition and increased downloads at the American iTunes Store. "Geek in the Pink" peaked at No. 22 on the U.S. iTunes Store on March 10, 2007, but it was ineligible for the site's Hot 100.^{[citation needed]} The tape-recording of bootlegs during Mraz's shows is explicitly supported by him and his management.^[18] In 2007, he also provided background vocals on Mandy Moore's song "Slummin' in Paradise", of her studio album Wild Hope.

[edit] We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008–2009)

Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. on May 13, 2008, following the April 2008 "Music, Magic, Make Peace" Tour with Bushwalla, The Makepeace Brothers, and magician Justin Willman. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 200, giving Mraz his highest charting album to date. Following the success of its lead single, "I'm Yours", the album broke into the top ten of many international music charts and charted in the top three in Australia and the US.^[19]

The first single, "I'm Yours", reached No. 1 on AAA radio charts in the US. The single was a B-side to Mr A-Z, and was made famous by recordings from his live shows. In September 2008, the song became Mraz's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6. As of October 14, 2008, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA, selling in excess of 500,000 copies in the US. The song was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of multiple European charts and topping the charts in New Zealand for six weeks.^[20] In 2008, Mraz launched his single "I'm Yours" at the music industry-only event titled Sunset Sessions. Exactly one year later, Jason was nominated for a Grammy on the single.

Mraz and his song "I'm Yours" were nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 51st Grammy Awards. The album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2009. On January 31, 2009, Mraz was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "I'm Yours" and "Lucky", the latter with Colbie Caillat. "Lucky" peaked on the Hot 100 at 48.

With "Make It Mine" and "Lucky", Mraz won two awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, respectively, at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards.

On June 20, 2009, Mraz was awarded the Hal David Starlight award from the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.^[21]

[edit] Love Is a Four Letter Word (2009–present)

In early 2009, a song titled "Try Try Try" was leaked out into the Internet. The song was later released in 2010 by Michael Squire. New songs have been performed in his recent concerts, some of which have been uploaded onto YouTube. Earlier this year, Jason Mraz spent time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil working with Milton Nascimento. Mraz also recently met and worked with Willie Nelson, whose 'style' is fondly referenced in one of Mraz's early hits "Curbside Prophet."

In November 2009, Mraz posted on his MySpace page plans for a new album to be recorded starting in December, stating "In 2 weeks time I will enter the studio and begin recording the next album. Only a handful of songs are written and slated but the momentum of love is with me. Every day new verses get added on. The songs are coming together piece by piece. The process is unlike any of the other records before this. It's like I'm being gifted the album without having to do the work. I'm creating that in 6 months the project will be complete and then we'll hit the road again with new sounds and new musicians."^[22]

In 2010 Mraz spent time in London, England, where he worked on songs for his new album with producer Martin Terefe and wrote with British singer-songwriter Dido.^[23]

Mraz contributed vocals for The Grooveline Horns' eponymous EP on the track "Fun", a cover of the Con Funk Shun song, released March 2, 2010.^[24]

In August 2010, Mraz had a Q&A interview with Spin magazine. In the interview, he stated the current possible titles for his fourth album are Peace Canoe or The Love Album.^[25]

On September 13, 2010, Mraz was featured on the single "Love, Love, Love" by Hope.^[26]

On September 28, 2010, Mraz announced the upcoming release of the new "Life Is Good" EP consisting of recordings from his concerts from Maine to the Life is Good Festival in Canton, Massachusetts which will include live recordings of "Coyotes" and multiple new songs, "San Disco Reggaefornia", "Up", "What Mama Say", and "The Freedom Song". The EP was released on October 5, 2010.^[27] On the same tour, Mraz also showcased other new songs, such as "Thinking About You", "Love Looks Like" and "In Your Hands".

From December 26, 2010, the official website was updated with a series of images, the first seemingly a sequence of blocks separated by points to indicate a date, and the second image containing a rectangle, circle, triangle and a square, which appear to spell out the word "love." This image was also trademarked. Popular belief was that the "love" image was the beginning of a marketing campaign for a new record.

Appearing on VH1 Top 20 Countdown on March 5, 2011, Jason Mraz noted that he had 12 songs ready to go for the album but then decided they weren't good enough. In July 2011, his team's Twitter feed (@theRKOP) confirmed that his album will be released in early 2012.^[28]

JasonMraz.com relaunched in July 2011 with a new design and a message informing fans that a special announcement was imminent. A few days later, it was announced that Mraz would embark on a mini-global tour in September to November 2011, with occasional full band shows, but mostly as an acoustic duo with long time performing partner and friend, Noel "Toca" Rivera. The special shows marked the ten-year anniversary of the independently released Live at Java Joe's album. Mraz played in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Berlin and Prague, and was due to make a festival appearance in Hossegor, France before the festival was cancelled.

On September 19, 2011, Jason Mraz announced via his Facebook page the release of a new single titled "The World as I See It", which is intended to be the theme of the "In Search of Incredible" campaign, accompanied by the song being embedded via YouTube.^[29] On September 20, 2011, the single was released on the iTunes music store.^[30]

During the fall/winter tour, many songs old and new were showcased. Towards the end of the tour, Mraz announced that 'I Never Knew You' would not be featuring on the new album, suggesting that the final tracklist has been decided on and that the album is on course for release around February 2012.

On December 8, 2011, Mraz told Jeff Benjamin of Billboard that the "album is finished" except for one track he was attempting to re-work as an acoustic version. He described the album as, "It's not a departure in the sound of the genre in any way, it's just different tones, different textures. Musically, I think people are going to like it. It's personal. It's melodic. And it's mellow. There's a couple of up-tempo tunes, but mostly the rhythm of the heartbeat kind of takes precedence on this record. Medium-tempo tunes; which I love. It feels more like the pace of life. At least, based on my life and what I've been doing."^[31]

On January 20, 2012, during a performance streamed live from the Bing Bar at the Sundance Film Festival, Mraz told the audience that the album's title is Love Is a Four Letter Word. Mraz released a new single from the album, called "I Won't Give Up", and the single has peaked at No. 1 on iTunes.^[when?]

During January 2012, the Dutch online retailer bol.com accidentally released a tracklisting for the forthcoming album, which has been dismissed as being incorrect. On February 28, 2012, Jason released an EP entitled Live Is A Four Letter World. The EP was recorded live in San Diego and contains four tracks (one of which had already been released).^[32]

The new album was set to be released on May 8, 2012,^[33] however on February 14 it was stated that the new album is set to be released in stores and at all digital retailers on April 17, 2012.^[34]

Personal life[link]

Mraz was engaged to singer/songwriter and long-time close friend Tristan Prettyman.^[35] On June 7, 2011, Mraz said in an interview with the Daily Beast that he and Prettyman were no longer engaged.^[36]

Mraz lives a health-conscious lifestyle and enjoys eating mostly raw vegan foods.^[37] He owns an avocado farm in Bonsall in Northern San Diego County. Recently, he acquired the Garden Patch Farms&Orchard in Homer Glen, for its organic strawberries.^[38] Mraz is an active supporter of several charities including VH1's Save The Music Foundation, MusiCares, Free the Children, Life Rolls On, SPARC and the Human Rights Campaign.^[39] He has been named the 2010 SIMA Humanitarian of the Year. He also received the Clean Water Award in 2010 from the Surfrider Foundation.^[40] The same year, he also teamed up with The Nature Conservancy^[41] and created a PSA using his song I'm Yours to raise awareness about the non-profit organization's efforts to protect the earth.^[42] Jason performed at Farm Aid 2011 on August 13 in Kansas City. He has also advocated LGBT rights.^[43]

In 2011, Mraz appeared in the Visit California promotional film^[44] aimed at boosting tourism from the UK.

Discography[link]

• Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002)
• Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom (2004) + accompanying DVD
• Mr. A-Z (2005)
• We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008)
• Love is a Four Letter Word (2012)

Awards[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jason Mraz

• Official website
• Jason Mraz at the Internet Movie Database
• Jason Mraz at Allmusic
• Jason Mraz's channel on YouTube
• Jason Mraz collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• Playlist: Jason Mraz – Nightline 07/17/09 – Reggae to rock, Mraz reveals his musical influences.
• Concert Photos: Jason Mraz – 09/17/2010, 09/18/2010 – Jason Mraz opens for Dave Matthews Band for two sold out shows at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

Kelly Rowland
Rowland Hosts TW Steel Events At Ivy Penthouse in Sydney, Australia 2012.
Background information
Birth name	Kelendria Trene Rowland
Born	(1981-02-11) February 11, 1981 (age 31) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Origin	Houston, Texas
Genres	R&B, pop, hip hop, dance
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, television personality
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Columbia, Universal Motown, Universal Republic[1]
Associated acts	Destiny's Child, Nelly, David Guetta
Website	kellyrowland.com

Kelly Rowland (born Kelendria Trene Rowland on February 11, 1981) is an American recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and television personality. Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Houston, Texas, Rowland rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.

During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Rowland released her debut solo album Simply Deep in 2002, which contained influences of alternative-R&B and rock music. It included her joint worldwide number-one single "Dilemma" with rapper Nelly, and the international top-ten hit "Stole". Following the group's disbandment in 2005, Rowland released her second solo effort Ms. Kelly in 2007 and despite being less successful than its predecessor, it included the international hit singles "Like This" and "Work". In 2009, Rowland scored her second worldwide number-one hit with French DJ David Guetta, on his single "When Love Takes Over". Her third solo album Here I Am was released in 2011 and included the UK top-ten hits "Commander" and "Down for Whatever", as well as the US R&B number-one "Motivation".

As a solo artist, Rowland has amassed estimated sales of four million albums and 18 million lead/featured singles worldwide.^[2] Her work has earned her several achievements, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Destiny's Child, four Grammy Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, and a Soul Train Music Award. Rowland has been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Essence magazine for her contributions to music.

Apart from her work in music, Rowland has also launched a career in film and television. In 2002, she made her acting debut with guest appearances on sitcom series The Hughleys and Taina, prior to appearing in various films, including Freddy vs. Jason (2003), The Seat Filler (2004) and Think Like a Man (2012). In 2007, Rowland appeared as a choirmaster on the reality show Clash of the Choirs, and in 2009 she served as the host on Bravo's reality competition series The Fashion Show alongside Isaac Mizrahi. In 2011, Rowland joined the judging panel on the eighth series of The X Factor (UK).

Biography[link]

1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Kelendria Trene Rowland was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the daughter of Doris Rowland Garrison and Christopher Lovett.^[3] When she was seven, her mother took her and left her father, who was an abusive alcoholic.^[4] At the age of eight, she relocated to Houston.^[5] Rowland was placed into a rapping and dancing group, along with friends Beyoncé Knowles and LaTavia Roberson.^[6] Originally named Girl's Tyme,^[7] they were eventually cut down to six members.^[8] West coast R&B producer, Arne Frager, flew into Houston to see them and eventually brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studio, in Northern California.^[8] As part of efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager's strategy was to debut them in Star Search,^[9] the biggest talent show on national TV at that time.^[8] They participated, but lost the competition.^[10][11]

To manage the group, Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father, resigned in 1995 from his job as a medical-equipment salesman.^[12] He dedicated his time and established a "boot camp" for their training.^[9] At this time Rowland moved in with the Knowles.^[3] Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four with LeToya Luckett joining in 1993.^[8][13] Rehearsing in Tina Knowles' hair styling salon and their backyards, the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups of the time.^[13] They auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, only to be dropped months later, before they could release an album.^[14]

1997–02: Breakthrough with Destiny's Child[link]

Destiny's Child performing their 2000 hit "Say My Name" during their farewell concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It

Taken from a passage in the Biblical Book of Isaiah, the group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1993.^[13] Together, they performed in local events and, after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded their major label debut song "Killing Time", for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.^[11][13] The following year, the group released their self-titled debut album, spawning hits such as "No, No, No".^[10] The album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, amassing moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.^[13] The group rose to stardom after releasing their multi-platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999.^[15] The record featured some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Say My Name", which became their most-successful song at the time, and would remain as one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song at the 43rd Grammy Awards.^[13] The Writing's on the Wall sold more than 15 million copies worldwide,^[10] essentially becoming their breakthrough album.^[16][17]

Along with their commercial successes, the group became entangled in much-publicized turmoil involving the filing of a lawsuit by Luckett and Roberson for breach of contract. The issue was heightened after Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appeared in the video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and Roberson had already been replaced.^[13] Eventually, Luckett and Roberson left the group. Franklin would eventually fade from the group after five months,^[10] as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and concerts. She attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group resulting from the strife.^[13] After settling on their final lineup, the trio recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for eleven consecutive weeks.^[13][16] The success cemented the new lineup and skyrocketed them to fame.^[7] Later that year, Luckett and Roberson withdrew their case against their now-former band mates, while maintaining the suit against Mathew, which ended in both sides agreeing to stop public disparaging.^[13]

Later that year, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album Survivor, Rowland appeared on the remix of Avant's single "Separated", which reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.^[18] Survivor, which channeled the turmoil the band underwent, spawned its lead single of the same name, which was a response to the experience.^[19] The song went on to win a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.^[20] The themes of "Survivor", however, caused Luckett and Roberson to refile their lawsuit;^[13] the proceedings were eventually settled in June 2002.^[17] Meanwhile, the album was released in May 2001, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold.^[21] To date, Survivor has sold over twelve million copies worldwide, over forty percent of which were sold in the US alone.^[22] The album also spawned the number-one hit "Bootylicious". After releasing their remix album This Is the Remix in 2002, the group announced their temporary break-up to pursue solo projects.^[13]

[edit] 2002–06: Simply Deep, Destiny Fulfilled and group disbandment

Rowland in 2003

In 2002, Rowland teamed up with rapper Nelly to record the chorus and bridge vocals on the track "Dilemma" for his album Nellyville.^[23] Released as the album's second single, the song became one of the most successful singles of the year, topping the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.^{[24][25][26][27]} The single saw Rowland establishing herself as a solo artist, and won in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category of the 45th Grammy Awards.^[28]

Originally due in early 2003, the success of the collaboration caused the label to advance the release date of Rowland's debut solo album Simply Deep, which Rowland rushed within three weeks to get done.^[29][30] The album has a mixture of alternative-R&B and rock music.^[29][31] Featuring production contributions by Mark J. Feist, Big Bert, Rich Harrison, and singers Brandy and Solange Knowles providing background vocals, the album took Rowland's solo work further into an alternative music mixture, which Rowland described as a "weird fusion [of] a little bit of Sade and a little bit of rock."^[29][31] Released stateside in October 2002 and internationally in 2003, Simply Deep debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 77,000 copies sold.^[32] It was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),^[33] and has since sold 602,000 copies in the US.^[32] Released to an even bigger success in international territories, the album topped the UK Albums Chart and became a gold-seller in Australia,^[34] Canada^[35] and New Zealand,^[36] resulting into worldwide sales total of 2.5 million copies.^[37] In her review for Simply Deep, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian wrote, "Thanks to the ubiquitous 'Dilemma', a song that practically peeled off its clothes on the spot, Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland is no longer a mere backing vocalist for Beyoncé Knowles."^[38]

The album yielded three singles. "Stole", a rock pop-influenced mid-tempo track about loss, was released as the album's lead single and became an international top-ten, peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom.^[39][26] In the US, the song failed to capitalize on the success of "Dilemma", reaching the top-thirty only.^[40] The album's second single, an up-tempo track entitled "Can't Nobody", charted significantly lower in the US, but enjoyed top-twenty success in Australia and parts of Europe, where it became another top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart.^[41][26] The album's third and final single "Train on a Track" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2003 romantic comedy film Maid in Manhattan, but failed to chart or sell noticeably, except in the UK, where it became Rowland's fourth consecutive top-twenty entry.^[26]

After a three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Rowland rejoined Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams for Destiny's Child's fourth studio album Destiny Fulfilled, released in November 2004.^[13] The album hit number two on the Billboard 200, and spawned "Lose My Breath", "Soldier", "Girl", and "Cater 2 U" as notable mainstream records.^[42] In support of the album, Destiny's Child embarked on their 2005 Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It world tour, which started in April and ran through September. During the Barcelona, Spain visit of the tour, the group announced their disbandment after the end of their final North American leg.^[13][43] In October 2005, the group released a compilation album, entitled #1's, including all of Destiny's Child's number-one hits and most of their well-known songs. The greatest hits collection also included three new tracks, including their final single "Stand Up for Love". In September 2005, Rowland was featured on American rapper Trina's single "Here We Go", the second single from her album Glamorest Life. The song peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and became another top-twenty entry in Finland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.^[44][26] On March 28, 2006, Destiny's Child reunited to accept a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[45] According to Time magazine, they were recognized as the world's best-selling female group of all time.^[46]

[edit] 2007–08: Ms. Kelly

Rowland in 2008

Rowland's second solo album Ms. Kelly was released in June 2007. Not as successful as its predecessor,^[47] the album produced the hit singles "Like This" and "Work". Originally entitled My Story, the album's first version was actually scheduled for a June 2006 release, but the singer, her management and Columbia Records decided to shelve the album at the last minute to re-work a version with a different vibe as the singer considered the final tracklisting "too full of midtempos and ballads."^[48][49] Rowland eventually consulted additional producers to collaborate on the album, renamed Ms. Kelly, including Billy Mann, Scott Storch, and Atlanta-based Polow da Don who contributed to "Like This", a collaboration with rapper Eve.^[50] A moderate success around the globe, the song reached the top-ten in Ireland and the UK, and the top-twenty in Australia and New Zealand.^[51][26] Upon its release, Ms. Kelly debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with moderately successful first week sales of 86,000 copies.^[52] Outside the US, the album widely failed to reprise the success of Simply Deep, barely reaching the top-forty on the majority of all charts it appeared on, except for the UK, where it opened at number 37.^[26]

Rowland had been working on the conception of the album on and off since 2004, with some of her early recordings — such as the Bryan Michael Cox-produced "Bad Habit" — even being used on the Destiny's Child's albums Destiny Fulfilled (2004) and Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta (2006).^[49] The album's first draft, entitled My Story, saw her actually writing and recording with a wider range of well-known contemporary R&B producers and artists as she wanted to go "in the urban, more R&B route [in general]" with the album, involving Big Tank, Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins, and Robin Thicke.^[49] Female rappers Remy Ma and Shawnna also lent their voices to guest parts.^[49] Anxious to avoid hasty productions as on previous album Simply Deep, Rowland took a wider role in the production of the album: she co-wrote the majority of the songs and shared ideas in which one to produce. "I wrote a lot on this record [...] and it's especially from me [to my fans]," she said of the album. "It's more R&B [...] and it definitely has a feel-good vibe to it as well."^[49]

A few months before the scheduled release of My Story however, Rowland felt the album was not going into the direction she had previously envisioned, and thus, she asked to revamp the album.^[53] "It was basically a list of songs that I put together about the past three years of my life, with love and relationships," she said of the original track listing. "And I remember listening to the record, and I was just like, 'I don't want this to be too deep to where, you know, [I] lose people.' And the record was too full of midtempos and ballads, so I wanted to bring it up a little bit."^[48] Rowland eventually consulted new producers to collaborate on the album, including Mysto & Pizzi, Sean Garrett, Scott Storch, Polow da Don, and Eve.^[50]

In addition, the singer decided to rename the album. "I really put my heart and soul into this record," she said, "and not only am I excited that everyone's going to hear the music, I'm looking forward to people getting to hear the real me. That's the reason I called the album Ms. Kelly. Because the title is all about respect, being an adult and that's how I feel about my life, and my music."^[48] Rowland cited former bandmate Beyoncé Knowles, and singers Brandy and Whitney Houston as major inspirations while recording her album.^[48]

In continued support of the album, Rowland released the album cuts "Ghetto" and "Work" as singles, respectively. While the Snoop Dogg-featured "Ghetto" underperformed stateside, the latter became a top-ten hit in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in most European markets, including France, Italy, Switzerland and the UK.^[54][26] In 2008, a reissued version of the album, branded Ms. Kelly Deluxe, received a release. Its lead single is the previously unreleased Bobby Womack cover "Daylight", a collaboration with rapper Travie McCoy (of alternative rap group Gym Class Heroes)^[55] that reached the top-twenty of the UK Singles Chart.^[26] By April 2008, Ms. Kelly had managed to sell over 1.2 million copies worldwide.^[47] In October 2008, Rowland was featured on French singer Nâdiya's single "No Future in the Past".

[edit] 2009–11: New management, label, and Here I Am

French DJ David Guetta and Rowland performing at the Orange Rockcorps in London, England in 2009

In 2009, Rowland was featured on Italian singer Tiziano Ferro's single "Breathe Gentle", which was released on February 20, 2009. It reached the top ten of The Netherlands' Single Top 100 chart.^[56] On January 28, 2009, it was announced that Rowland and her manager Mathew Knowles had parted ways.^[57] She released a statement to the media, saying "Mathew Knowles has been a positive influence in my career. I have had great success under his guidance – both as a member of Destiny's Child and with my solo projects. Although we have decided to part ways professionally, the Knowles family and the entire Music World Entertainment team will always be my family."^[57] Then two months later, on March 31, 2009, Rowland issued a statement that she had also left her record label of 13 years, Columbia Records, to explore other ventures.^[58] She added that she "felt the need to explore new directions, new challenges, and new freedoms outside my comfort zone."^[58] Later in a 2010 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rowland stated that the decision to leave was not hers: the label ended her contract because her previous album Ms. Kelly was not commercially successful.^[59]

In April 2009, Rowland was featured on the dance song "When Love Takes Over", the first single from French DJ David Guetta's album One Love (2009), in which Rowland contributed vocals on two other tracks.^[60] The song was a commercial success, reaching number one in ten countries, including in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland.^[61] "When Love Takes Over" earned the pair a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Dance Recording category of the 52nd Grammy Awards.^[62] In October 2009, it was suggested that the success of the single had made Rowland consider signing a new record deal with EMI Music.^[63] Then in May 2010, speculation of Rowland's new record deal ended when an official press release revealed that she had signed to Universal Motown Records.^[64] It was whilst recording within the studios with Guetta that Rowland caught the attention of the head of Universal Motown, Sylvia Rhone, which led to the new deal.^[65] On the decision to go with Rhone's label, Rowland said "they have really embraced me and have set me up to succeed. I decided, after careful thought, to sign with Universal Motown not only because of their track record of success, but also because they truly put their artists first".^[64]

In 2010, Rowland released the single "Everywhere You Go", which featured several African and South African artists known as the Rhythm of Africa, as the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[66] Rowland continued her live appearances throughout 2010 in Australia, performing at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras party with George Michael on March 7, and was part of the Supafest tour in April.^[67][68] A song titled "Commander" featuring David Guetta, was released on May 17, 2010 as the first international single from Rowland's third studio album Here I Am.^[69] Upon release, the single was met with positive reception from music critics who praised the dance sound of the song.^[70][71] In the United Kingdom, "Commander" topped the UK Dance Chart and became a top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart.^[72][26] Despite not being serviced as a single in the US, it managed to top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.^[73] In the US, "Rose Colored Glasses" and "Grown Woman" were released as the album's lead pop and R&B singles, respectively.^[74] Both songs failed to match the chart success that their predecessor achieved, and resulted in "Grown Woman" being excluded from the album.^[75][76] Eventually, Rowland announced that Here I Am would be rebooted with a brand new lead single for the US market. In April 2011, she released a song titled "Motivation" featuring rapper Lil Wayne, replacing the previous lead singles. "Motivation" peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[77] It was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA,^[33] and became Rowland's highest charting single on the Hot 100 as a lead artist thus far.^[78][79] The song won the award for Song of the Year at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards,^[80] and was nominated in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category of the 54th Grammy Awards.^[81]

Rowland continued her musical collaborations by lending her vocals to British rapper Tinie Tempah's single "Invincible", from his album Disc-Overy (2010). The single peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.^[82] In addition, she reunited with rapper Nelly on the single "Gone", and appeared on Italian DJ Alex Gaudino's single "What a Feeling".^[83] After several delays, Here I Am was finally released in the US on July 26, 2011.^[84] The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number three, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first-week sales of 77,000 copies sold.^[85][86] To date, it is Rowland's highest debuting and charting album in the United States.^[85] As of December 2011, Here I Am has sold 178,000 copies in the US.^[87] Two more singles were released from the album; "Lay It on Me" and "Down for Whatever", the latter became a top-ten hit in the UK.^[88] In August 2011, Rowland was announced as the ambassador and spokesperson for rapper Sean Combs' second fragrance, Empress.^[89] In December 2011, Rowland was announced as a worldwide ambassador for the watchmakers company, TW Steel.^[90]

2012–present: Fourth studio album[link]

Rowland performing at Supafest in Sydney, Australia, April 2012