The July 2010 issue of Her World Singapore, which is the special collector's edition, is the first issue to not have a cover girl since the first issue in July 1960 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the magazine.
Its main rival in the market is Female, published since 1974, also owned by SPH. The magazine is also published in Malaysia (since 1974) and Indonesia (since 2000).
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| Name | Jason Aldean |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Jason Aldine Williams |
| Born | February 28, 1977 |
| Origin | Macon, Georgia, USA After signing with Warner-Chappell, Aldean moved to Nashville on November 1, 1998 at age 21. |
| Name | Aldean, Jason |
| Date of birth | February 28, 1977 |
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
| Name | Jason Hall |
|---|---|
| Birth date | May 20, 1971 |
| Birth place | Buffalo, New York |
| Death date | |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Jace |
| Occupation | artist, producer, writer, gamer |
In 2007, Hall founded HDFILMS INC., a production company that produces film, television, videogame and online content. The company is best known for its original reality show, The Jace Hall Show, which debuted on Crackle.com and reached over 4 million viewers. In 2010, the show switched to IGN.com. HDFILMS has a first-look development deal with Warner Bros. Studios and has several high-profile projects in the works including V: The Series, a remake of the original television series.
He also produced a video promoting the game "World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King" found on Youtube.
*The Unforgettable (2011) – (Warner Bros.) Co-producer and Original Concept by Original concept entitled Species X or Iniquity, created by Hall and Nathan Hendrickson, is the basis for the movie as well as the video game and Condemned 2: Bloodshot.
*Brothers in Arms (2009) – Executive Producer Supposedly based on a true story, action is set at the end of WWII, when Gen. George S. Patton ordered up a top-secret mission to rescue his son-in-law from a POW camp 60 miles behind German lines. The brass said 3,000 men were needed for the job; Patton allotted 294 and a leader who wouldn’t quit, a 24-year-old captain named Abe Baum.
*PVC-1 (2008) – Producer Film was an award-nominated entry in the Cannes International Film Festival in 2007. IFC Films announced the acquisition of the film in 2008 for its Festival Direct arm.
*The Jace Hall Show – Executive Producer The Jace Hall Show is an online reality show which airs on Microsoft's XBOX Live Marketplace as well as on Sony's Crackle.com. The show covers video game news and personalities as well as interviews with film/tv/sports celebrities.
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| Name | Bruno Mars |
|---|---|
| Born | October 08, 1985 Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, |
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Peter Gene Hernandez |
| Instrument | Vocals, drums, guitar, keyboard, bass |
| Voice type | Falsetto |
| Genre | Pop, alternative hip hop, soul, rock, R&B; |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Label | Atlantic, Elektra |
| Associated acts | The Smeezingtons, B.o.B, Cee Lo Green, Travie McCoy |
| Url |
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 Kesha, "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan, and "Fuck You!" by Cee Lo Green. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Anchored by the singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. He has been nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, which will be held on February 13, 2011.
In 2006, Mars was introduced to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck, by his new songwriting partner Philip Lawrence. 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. He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7. His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D". He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009. 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. 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. The EP peaked at the ninety-ninth position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single: "The Other Side", featuring rappers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B. Mars collaborated with Cee Lo 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.
Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010. The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010, and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The music video was released on September 8, 2010. Two songs from the album, "Liquor Store Blues" featuring Damian Marley and "Grenade" were released to the iTunes Store as promotional singles. He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010. Mars will co-headline with Travie McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010. The album also received generally positive reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly 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.
On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine. When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before". The court date, postponed for the second time until February 4, 2011, could see Mars face up to four years in prison and a $50,000 fine for possession of an alleged 2.6g of the drug.
Mars also claims that his work with other artists influenced his musical style, saying that "'Nothing on You' had a Motown vibe, 'Billionaire' was a reggae acoustic guitar-driven song, though one of my favorites is the Cee-Lo 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." 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." |Best Collaboration | |- |Video of the Year | |- |rowspan="3"|BET Hip Hop Awards |Best Hip Hop Video | |- |Reese's Perfect Combo Award | |- |Verizon People's Champ Award | |- |MTV Video Music Awards |Best Pop Video | |- |MTV2 Sucker Free Summit Awards |Instant Classic | |- |Soul Train Music Awards |Song of the Year | |- |Teen Choice Awards''' |Best Single | |- |rowspan="8" align="center"|2011 |rowspan="7"|Grammy Awards |Best Rap Song | |- |Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | |- |rowspan="2"|Record of the Year | |- |rowspan="2"|"Fuck You!" | |- |Song of the Year | |- |"Just the Way You Are" |Best Male Pop Vocal Performance | |- |The Smeezingtons |Producer of the Year, Non-Classical | |- |Himself |NAACP Image Awards |Outstanding New Artist | |}
Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:American male singers Category:American musicians of Filipino descent Category:American singers of Puerto Rican descent Category:Elektra Records artists Category:Musicians from Los Angeles, California Category:People from Honolulu, Hawaii
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| Name | Ryan Leslie |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Anthony Ryan Leslie |
| Alias | R-Les |
| Born | September 25, 1978 |
| Origin | Harlem, New York |
| Instrument | guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums, vocals, trumpet |
| Genre | R&B;, hip hop, Crossover R&B; |
| Occupation | music producer, singer-songwriter, musical arranger, rapper |
| Alma mater | Harvard |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Label | NextSelection Lifestyle Group/Casablanca Records/Universal Republic |
| Associated acts | Cassie, Fabolous, Keri Hilson , Jadakiss, Booba, Jim Jones, LL Cool J, Lloyd Banks |
| Url | http://www.ryanleslie.com/ |
Under the management of Combs, Ryan worked on various Bad Boy projects including releases from Loon, Cheri Dennis, B5, New Edition and Danity Kane. During that time, Leslie also co-produced a record for Britney Spears. Also in 2003, Leslie was introduced by his then attorney Ed Woods to Tommy Mottola. Mottola soon became a mentor of Ryan’s and offered him a publishing deal with Aspen Songs and a recording contract with Casablanca, Mottola's imprint distributed by Universal Music Group. Under the mentorship of Mottola and Combs, Ryan signed then-aspiring model Cassie Ventura to his imprint, NextSelection in 2005.
His second single, "Addiction," features pop singer and protege Cassie with a rap cameo from long-time collaborator, rapper Fabolous. The song was officially released in August 2008.
His third single, "How It Was Supposed To Be," also has two music videos: a rock version and a military take on the so ng, Leslie's directorial debut and co-directed by model Tyson Beckford. The single was released March 23, 2009. After many setbacks, his self-titled album, Ryan Leslie, was finally released on February 10, 2009. Leslie wrote, arranged, produced, and performed every song on his album. Notable instrumentalists on his debut set include Tommy Mottola, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, and Brent Paschke.
Ryan Leslie enamored old and new fans alike (June 23) during the first of two back-to-back performances at New York City's Bowery Ballroom. The R&B; singer/rapper/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist—who parted ways with former label Universal Motown last month—celebrated his new-found independence with performances of former hits like "Addicted" and "How It Was Supposed to Be," as well as two new tracks: "Glory" and "Maybachs and Diamonds."
"Never had a top ten, but they still respect my art," Ryan Leslie sang during "Glory," which is slated to be included on his third release, "Les Is More" -- his first independent album following 2009's self-titled debut and "Transition." "Maybachs and Diamonds" is a slow, groovy tune about flourishing his partner with more than just material things, like "Maybachs and Diamonds."
Initially, Leslie had a four-album deal with Universal, but toward the end of that contract, "Universal was interested in reshaping my deal to more of a 360, and they actually made a counter-offer from the initial recording fund," Leslie tells Billboard.com. "At that point I saw that as a window to potentially branch off and try something that was going to be new and dynamic."
While Leslie didn't make any formal announcements about his departure from Universal Motown during the set, he took some subtle jabs at his previous label home. "I've always wanted to play these songs but I couldn't before," he said while singing "Guardian Angel." "I always felt like this song should be a single. Ryan Leslie Produced a song for Samyr De Souza
Prior to his 2009 MySpace Release concert, Leslie encouraged aspiring musical artists to utilize digital media while marketing themselves.
Recently, Ryan signed Krys Ivory as his newest act under NextSelection. He also signed Youtube star Mia Rose.
*Academic Awards
Category:1978 births Category:Hip hop record producers Category:American record producers Category:American singers Category:American rappers Category:American people of Chinese descent Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American people of Barbadian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:American Internet personalities Category:YouTube video producers Category:People from Harlem Category:People from Washington, D.C. Category:African American rappers Category:African American record producers Category:African-American businesspeople
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| Name | Morcheeba |
|---|---|
| Background | group_or_band |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre | Electronica, Alternative rock, Trip-hop |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Label | Echo Sire/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records Discovery/Sire Records Indochina Records |
| Url | http://www.morcheeba.co.uk/ |
| Current members | Paul Godfrey Ross Godfrey Skye Edwards |
| Past members | Daisy Martey |
The band's debut album, Who Can You Trust? was released on China Records in April 1996. and fitted smoothly into the then-modish trip hop genre, with instrumentation based predominantly around Rhodes piano, electric guitar and DJ scratching, with the songs carried by Edwards' relaxed soul-styled vocals. Paul Godfrey confirmed the news of Edwards' return in the blog section of Morcheeba's MySpace page on 13 February 2010.
Morcheeba released their seventh album Blood Like Lemonade on PIAS in June 2010.
Category:English electronic music groups Category:Trip hop groups Category:British alternative rock groups Category:1990s music groups Category:2000s music groups Category:2010s music groups Category:Sire Records artists
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One of two children of Michael Byrne of Newry, County Down, and Brigid Kelly of Ballymacward, County Galway, Byrne served as a nurse in the city's old Central Hospital and later as staff-nurse at Galway Regional Hospital. She eventually became a Sister and worked in the Casualty Department for twenty-two years. She was a member of the Western Health Board and Chairperson of the Galway branch of the Irish Nurses Organisation.
Politically active due to her father's influence, Byrne was an active member of Fianna Fáil from the 1940's, and successfully ran for election to Galway Corporation in 1967, serving seventeen years as a councillor. Her first term of office coincided with International Women's Year. He brother, Michael, died during her term, in May 1975.
She was re-elected for the term 1984-85, the Quincentennial year of the Mayorality. In commemoration of this, Galway's Quincentennial Bridge, spanning the Corrib from Terryland to Newcastle, was begun. The foundation stone was laid by An Tánaiste, Dick Spring, on 15 December 1984. The following May, she herself laid the foundation stone of the new City Hall at College Road, which was in use by 1991.
She died in 2004.
Category:Mayors of Galway Category:1917 births Category:2004 deaths Category:People from County Galway Category:Fianna Fáil politicians
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| Name | Jayne Mansfield |
|---|---|
| Caption | At Jockeys' Ball in Los Angeles, Calif., 1957 |
| Birth name | Vera Jayne Palmer |
| Birth date | April 19, 1933 |
| Birth place | Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Death date | June 29, 1967 |
| Death place | U.S. Highway 90 near Slidell, Louisiana, United States |
| Occupation | Actress, singer, model |
| Years active | 1954–1967 |
| Spouse |
Jayne Mansfield (April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress working both on Broadway and in Hollywood. One of the leading blonde sex symbols of the 1950s, Mansfield starred in several popular Hollywood films that emphasized her platinum-blonde hair, hourglass figure and cleavage-revealing costumes.
While Mansfield's film career was short-lived, she had several box office successes. She won the Theatre World Award, a Golden Globe and a Golden Laurel. As the demand for blonde bombshells declined in the 1960s, Mansfield was relegated to low-budget film melodramas and comedies, but remained a popular celebrity.
In her later career she continued to attract large crowds in foreign countries and in lucrative and successful nightclub tours. Mansfield had been a Playboy Playmate of the Month and appeared in the magazine several additional times. She died in an automobile accident at age 34.
| Name | Jayne Mansfield |
|---|---|
| Issue | February 1955 |
| Bust | |
| Waist | was the only child of Herbert William and Vera (née Jeffrey) Palmer. Her birthname was Vera Jayne Palmer. A natural brunette, she was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, but spent her early childhood in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. When she was three years old, her father, a lawyer who was in practice with future New Jersey governor Robert B. Meyner, died of a heart attack while driving a car with his wife and daughter. After his death, her mother worked as a school teacher. In 1939, when Vera Palmer remarried, the family moved to Dallas, Texas. Mansfield's desire to become an actress developed at an early age. In 1950, Vera Jayne Palmer married Paul Mansfield, thus becoming Jayne Mansfield, and the couple moved to Austin, Texas. |
| Rowspan | "5" | 1955 |
| Rowspan | "4" | 1957 |
| Rowspan | "2" | 1960 |
| Rowspan | "2" | 1961 |
| Rowspan | "2" | 1962 |
| Rowspan | "2" | 1963 |
| Rowspan | "3" | 1964 |
| Rowspan | "2" | 1966 |
| Rowspan | "3" | 1967 |
| Rowspan | "2" | 1968 |
Category:1933 births Category:1967 deaths Category:American female models Category:Breast fetishism Category:American film actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:Road accident deaths in Louisiana Category:New Star of the Year (Actress) Golden Globe winners Category:People from Warren County, New Jersey Category:People from Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania Category:University of Dallas alumni Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni Category:American actors of German descent Category:Playboy Playmates (1953–1959)
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| Name | Jamie Foxx |
|---|---|
| Caption | Foxx promoting Stealth in July 2005 |
| Birth name | Eric Marlon Bishop |
| Birth date | December 13, 1967 |
| Birth place | Terrell, Texas, United States |
| Medium | Stand-up, film, television, music |
| Nationality | American |
| Active | 1992–present |
| Genre | Black comedy, Musical comedy, Satire/Political satire, Observational comedy, Character comedy, Blue comedy |
| Subject | Race relations, racism, African-American culture, pop culture, human sexuality, American politics, current events, self-deprecation |
| Notable work | In Living Color Jamie King on The Jamie Foxx Show Alvin Sanders in Bait Drew 'Bundini' Brown in Ali Ray Charles in Ray Lt. Henry Purcell in Stealth Staff Sgt. Sykes in Jarhead Curtis Taylor Jr. in Dreamgirls |
| Website | Official site |
Following these successes, Foxx appeared in Jarhead, Miami Vice, and Dreamgirls, which were box-office hits, and lifted his profile even higher as a bankable star in Hollywood. 2007 brought him the lead role in the film The Kingdom opposite Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Ashraf Barhom.
In September 2007, Foxx was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He said, upon receiving the honor, "[it was] one of the most amazing days of my life."
In April 2009, Foxx played the lead role in the dramatic film The Soloist.
Foxx released his second studio album, Unpredictable, in December 2005. It debuted at number two, selling 598,000 copies in its first week. The following week, the album rose to number one, selling an additional 200,000 copies. To date, the album has sold 1.98 million copies in the United States, and was certified double Platinum by the RIAA. The album also charted on the UK Albums Chart, where it peaked at number nine. Foxx became the fourth artist to have won an Academy Award for an acting role and to have achieved a number-one record album in the US. (The other three to accomplish this feat were Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Barbra Streisand.) Foxx's first single from the album, the title track "Unpredictable" (featuring Ludacris), samples "Wildflower" by New Birth. The song peaked inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and also made the UK top 20 singles chart. The second US single from the album was "DJ Play a Love Song," which reunited Foxx with Twista. In the UK, however, the second single was "Extravaganza," which saw Foxx once again collaborate with Kanye West. He was not, however, featured in the song's music video.
At the 2006 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, Foxx won Best Duet/Collaboration with Kanye West for "Gold Digger" and tied with Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" for Video of the year. On December 8, 2006, Foxx received four Grammy nominations, which included Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for Love Changes featuring Mary J. Blige, Best R&B; Album for Unpredictable, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for Georgia by Ludacris & Field Mob featuring Jamie Foxx, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Unpredictable featuring Ludacris.
On January 22, 2007, Foxx was on Sirius Satellite Radio, announcing his new channel The Foxxhole. The channel features talk-radio programs, stand-up comedy albums, and music primarily by African-American performers, and features much of Foxx's own material as well. The Jamie Foxx Show, Foxx's own talk-radio variety program, airs Friday evenings on The Foxxhole, and features Johnny Mack, Speedy, The Poetess, Lewis Dix, and T.D.P., as his co-hosts. Guests include popular musicians, actors, and fellow comedians.
He recorded a song with country superstars Rascal Flatts entitled "She Goes All the Way" for their album, Still Feels Good. Foxx also performed background vocals for artist/songwriter Tank. He and The-Dream are featured on Plies' "Please Excuse My Hands." He also appeared on the remix of Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent" entitled "She Got Her Own." The track also features Fabolous. Foxx then collaborated with rapper The Game on the track "Around The World."
Foxx released his third album titled Intuition in 2008, featuring such artists as Kanye West, T.I., Lil Wayne, and T-Pain. The album's first single, "Just Like Me" featuring T.I., was promoted by a video directed by Brett Ratner and featuring an appearance by Taraji P. Henson. The second single "Blame It" featured T-Pain and became a top 5 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and a number-one single on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The "Blame It" music video, directed by Hype Williams, features cameo appearances by Forest Whitaker, Samuel L. Jackson, Ron Howard, Quincy Jones, and Jake Gyllenhaal, among others. Foxx was also featured on T.I.'s single "Live in the Sky" from the album King.
On April 6, 2009 Foxx performed the George Strait song "You Look So Good in Love" at the George Strait Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert. Foxx has been a fan of country music for many years.
Jamie Foxx hosted the 2009 BET Awards ceremony on June 28, 2009, which featured several tributes to pop star Michael Jackson, who had died three days prior to the show. Aside from performing "Blame It" with T-Pain and "She Got Her Own" with Ne-Yo and Fabolous, Foxx opened the show with a rendition of Jackson's "Beat It" dance routine and closed the show with a cover of The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" with Ne-Yo. Foxx stated during the ceremony, "We want to celebrate this black man. He belongs to us and we shared him with everybody else."
Foxx released his fourth album, Best Night of My Life, on December 21, 2010. The first single is "Winner", featuring Justin Timberlake and T.I.. The second single is "Living Better Now" featuring rapper Rick Ross and the third single is "Fall For Your Type" featuring rapper Drake.
Foxx has a daughter, Corinne Bishop, who was born in 1994. Foxx was spotted with the baby in Miami for New Year's Eve 2010, and it was revealed to be a girl.
Foxx performed a public service announcement for Do Something to promote food drives in local communities.
*
*Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
*Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
*Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
*Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
*
*Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
*Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
*London Critics Circle Film Awards
*National Society of Film Critics Awards
*Online Film Critics Society Awards
*Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
*Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
*Vancouver Film Critics Circle
*Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards
Category:1967 births Category:Actors from Texas Category:African American film actors Category:African American comedians Category:American adoptees Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Living people Category:People from Linden, Texas Category:People from the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex Category:African American television actors Category:Grammy Award winners
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| Name | Alicia Keys |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Alicia Augello Cook |
| Alias | Lellow |
| Born | January 25, 1981 |
| Origin | New York City, New York, United States |
| Instrument | Vocals, piano, keyboards, cello, synthesizer, vocoder, guitar, bass guitar |
| Genre | R&B;, soul, pop |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, record producer, actress, music video director, author, poet |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Label | Columbia, Arista, J |
| Url |
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American recording artist, musician and actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began to play classical music on the piano. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. She later attended Columbia University before dropping out to pursue her music career. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records.
Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B; artist of 2001. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'". Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States. She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.
Keys made guest appearances on several television series in the following years, beginning with Charmed. She made her film debut in Smokin' Aces and went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in the same year and sold six million copies worldwide, earning Keys an additional three Grammy Awards. The following year, she appeared in The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. She released her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009, which became Keys' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom. Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B; artist of the 2000–2009 decade, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time. In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In 1994 Keys met long-term manager Jeff Robinson after she enrolled in his brother's after-school program. The following year Robinson introduced Keys to her future A&R; at Arista Records, Peter Edge, who later described his first impressions to HitQuarters: "I had never met a young R&B; artist with that level of musicianship. So many people were just singing on top of loops and tracks, but she had the ability, not only to be part of hip-hop, but also to go way beyond that." Edge helped Robinson create a showcase for Keys and also got involved in developing her demo material. He was keen to sign Keys himself but was unable to do so at that time due to being on the verge of leaving his present record company. Keys signed to Columbia Records soon after.
Songs in A Minor led Keys to win five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance, and Best R&B; Song for "Fallin'", Best New Artist, and Best R&B; Album; "Fallin'" was also nominated for Record of the Year. Keys became the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night, following Lauryn Hill at the 41st Grammy Awards. That same year, she collaborated with Christina Aguilera for the latter's upcoming album Stripped on a song entitled "Impossible", which Keys wrote, co-produced, and provided with background vocals. During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series Charmed and American Dreams. It sold 4.4 million copies in the United States and was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA. It sold eight million copies worldwide, becoming the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B; artist. The singles "You Don't Know My Name" and "If I Ain't Got You" both reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the third single, "Diary", entered the top ten. The fourth single, "Karma", was less successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 20. "If I Ain't Got You" became the first single by a female artist to remain on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year.
Keys won Best R&B; Video for "If I Ain't Got You" at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she performed the song and "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder. Later that year, Keys released her novel Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics. The title derived from one of her poems, "Love and Chains" from the line: "I don't mind drinking my tears for water." She said the title is the foundation of her writing because "everything I have ever written has stemmed from my tears of joy, of pain, of sorrow, of depression, even of question". The book sold over US$500,000 and Keys made The New York Times bestseller list in 2005. The following year, she won a second consecutive award for Best R&B; Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for the video "Karma". Keys performed "If I Ain't Got You" and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of "Georgia on My Mind", the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by Ray Charles in 1960 at the 2005 Grammy Awards. That evening, she won four Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance for "If I Ain't Got You", Best R&B; Song for "You Don't Know My Name", Best R&B; Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for "My Boo" with Usher.
Keys performed and taped her installment of the MTV Unplugged series in July 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. During this session, Keys added new arrangements to her original songs and performed a few choice covers. The session was released on CD and DVD in October 2005. Simply titled Unplugged, the album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 units sold in its first week of release. The album sold one million copies in the United States, where it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and two million copies worldwide. The debut of Keys' Unplugged was the highest for an MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York and the first Unplugged by a female artist to debut at number one. It remained at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B; Airplay for 11 weeks.
Keys opened a recording studio in Long Island, New York, called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. The studio was designed by renowned studio architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studios. Keys and Brothers are the co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises, a production and songwriting team who assisted Keys in creating her albums as well as create music for other artists.
Keys made her film debut in early 2007 in the crime film Smokin' Aces, co-starring as an assassin named Georgia Sykes opposite Ben Affleck and Andy García. Keys received much praise from her co-stars in the film; Reynolds said that Keys was "so natural" and that she would "blow everybody away". In the same year, Keys earned further praise for her second film, The Nanny Diaries, based on the 2002 novel of the same name, where she co-starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. She also guest starred as herself in the "One Man Is an Island" episode of the drama series Cane.
Keys released her third studio album, As I Am, in November 2007; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week. It gained Keys her largest first week sales of her career and became her fourth consecutive number one album, tying her with Britney Spears for the most consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 by a female artist. The week became the second largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales week for a female solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels like Home in 2004. The album has sold nearly four million copies in the United States and has been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA. It has sold nearly six million copies worldwide. Keys received five nominations for As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award and ultimately won two. The album's lead single, "No One", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming Keys' third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively. The album's second single, "Like You'll Never See Me Again", was released in late 2007 and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's third single, "Teenage Love Affair", peaked at number three on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
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"No One" earned Keys the awards for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance and Best R&B; Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards. Keys opened the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song "Learnin' the Blues" as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in video and "No One" with John Mayer later in the show. Keys also won Best Female R&B; Artist during the show. She starred in "Fresh Takes", a commercial micro-series created by Dove Go Fresh, which premiered during The Hills on MTV from March to April 2008. The premiere celebrated the launch of new Dove Go Fresh. She also signed a deal as spokesperson with Glacéau's VitaminWater to endorse the product, and was in an American Express commercial for the "Are you a Cardmember?" campaign. Keys, along with The White Stripes' guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, recorded the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the first duet in Bond soundtrack history. In 2008, Keys was ranked in at number 80 the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists. She also starred in The Secret Life of Bees, a film adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's acclaimed 2003 bestseller novel of the same name alongside Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah, released in October 2008 via Fox Searchlight. Her role earned her a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance for "Superwoman".
In an interview with Blender magazine, Keys allegedly said "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" and went on to say that it was created by "the government". The magazine also claimed she said that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing". Later that year, Keys was criticized by anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the A Mild cigarette brand sponsored by tobacco firm Philip Morris. She apologized after discovering that the concert was sponsored by the firm and asked for "corrective actions". In response, the company withdrew its sponsorship.
Keys collaborated with record producer Swizz Beatz to write and produce "Million Dollar Bill" for Whitney Houston's seventh studio album, I Look to You. Keys had approached Clive Davis for permission to submit a song for the album. Keys also collaborated with recording artist Jay-Z on the song "Empire State of Mind" from his 2009 album, The Blueprint 3. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became her fourth number-one single on that chart. Swizz Beatz announced in May 2009, that he and Keys have been romantically involved. The Boston Globe reported "Swizz and his estranged wife, Mashonda, are currently embroiled in a bitter divorce. He has always denied reports Alicia was to blame for the breakdown of his marriage".
The following month, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Keys with the Golden Note Award, an award given to artists "who have achieved extraordinary career milestones". She collaborated with Spanish recording artist Alejandro Sanz for "Looking for Paradise", which topped the Hot Latin Songs chart. Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 417,000 copies in its first week. As part of the promotional drive for the album, she performed at the Cayman Island Jazz Festival on December 5, the final night of the three day festival which will be broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET). The album's lead single, "Doesn't Mean Anything", has peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys' first album to top the UK Albums Chart.
In May 2010, a representative for Keys and Swizz Beatz confirmed that they were engaged and expecting a child together. During the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the couple took part of a union and had the unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony, which took place in the Illovo suburb of South Africa. Keys and Swizz Beatz held a wedding celebration on the French island of Corsica on July 31, 2010. Keys gave birth to a son, Egypt Daoud Dean, on October 14, 2010 in New York City.
Keys has a vocal range of a contralto, which spans three octaves. Often referred to as the "Princess of Soul", others feel that her voice is "emotionally manufactured" at times and that she pushes her voice out of its natural range. Hunkin characterized Keys' opening performance as a "headbanging, hip-gyrating performance" and her energy as "high-octane energy most bands save for their closing finale". At the end of her two-hour performance, fans "screamed, stomped and begged for a second encore". Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and is listed on the Recording Industry Association of America's best-selling artists in the United States, with 15 million certified albums. She has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has established herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time.
Keys has also donated to Frum tha Ground Up, a non-profit organization that aids children and teenagers with scholarships. She performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the worldwide Live 8 concerts to raise awareness of the poverty in Africa and to pressure the G8 leaders to take action. In 2005, Keys performed on and , two benefit programs that raised money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. In July 2007, Keys and Keith Urban performed The Rolling Stones' 1969 song "Gimme Shelter" at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the American leg of the Live Earth concerts.
Keys performed Donny Hathaway's 1973 song "Someday We'll All Be Free" at the televised benefit concert following the September 11 attacks. She participated in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert which took place at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2007, along with other various artists. She recorded a theme song for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. She joined Joss Stone and Jay-Z on the effort, which served as a theme song for Obama's campaign. For her work, Keys was honored at the 2009 BET Awards with the Humanitarian Award. Keys performed the song "Prelude to a Kiss", retitled "Send Me an Angel", from her 2007 album As I Am for the "" telethon in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Category:1981 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American female singers Category:African American singer-songwriters
Category:American composers Category:American contraltos Category:American film actors Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American music arrangers Category:American music video directors Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American musicians of Scottish descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American pianists Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues keyboardists Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul keyboardists Category:American soul singers Category:American television actors Category:Grammy Award winners Category:J Records artists Category:Living people
Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan Category:Rhythm and blues pianists Category:Singers from New York City Category:World Music Awards winners
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