" Alluring Mariah Carey "

m a r i a h

Mariah Carey - Biography Born and raised in New York by her mother, a former opera singer with the New York City Opera and a vocal coach, Mariah Carey began singing at age four. By the time she was in junior high school, she had begun to write songs. After her high school graduation, she got her first big break, singing backup for friend Brenda K. Starr, a break that led to her signing with Columbia Records.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--202144604
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--157438911
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--57641798
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--60099879

Mariah's 1990 eponymous debut album launched an unparalleled unbroken string of successes. Mariah Carey has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide, was certified 8x RIAA-platinum, and yielded a record-setting four consecutive #1 singles: "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday," and "I Don't Wanna Cry." The title track of 1992's quadruple-platinum Emotions generated her fifth consecutive #1 single, placing Mariah Carey in the Top Ten All-Time achievers of Most Consecutive #1 Hits.

Emotions earned Mariah two Grammy® nominations ("Best Pop Vocal, Female" and, with Walter Afanasieff, "Best Producer") and an American Music Award ("Favorite Female Artist, Soul/R&B"). On March 17, 1992, Mariah appeared on MTV Unplugged, leading to the release of Mariah's sixth #1 single ("I'll Be There") as well as an EP which has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. and has sold more than five million copies worldwide. In 1993, Mariah released Music Box, an album which has sold more than 24 million copies worldwide, has been certified ten times RIAA platinum, and generated her seventh and eighth #1 singles "Dreamlover" and "Hero" as well as the Top 10 hit "Without You."

Mariah followed up with her holiday album, Merry Christmas, which sold eight million copies worldwide shortly after its release in November 1994 and has been certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA. Mariah's 1995 album, Daydream, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart; generated three consecutive #1 singles -- "Fantasy," "One Sweet Day" (her duet with Boyz II Men which, having spent 16 weeks at #1, still holds the record as the longest-running #1 single in history), and "Always Be My Baby" (Mariah's ninth, tenth, and eleventh #1's) -- and has been certified 10x platinum.




With Daydream, she became the first female artist in history to have three studio albums to each sell in excess of eight million copies. Mariah's 1997 album, Butterfly, a heady sensuous mix of contemporary R&B and pop, generated the #1 hits "Honey" (featuring Ma$e & The Lox) and "My All" (her twelfth and thirteenth #1's).

Butterfly has been certified quadruple platinum. In November 1998, Mariah released her #1's album, a collection of 13 of her chart-topping megahits as well as four brand-new bonus recordings: "When You Believe (from The Prince Of Egypt)," a duet with Whitney Houston; "Whenever You Call," a duet with Brian McKnight; "I Still Believe"; and "Sweetheart." #1's has achieved RIAA triple platinum status. Her 1999 release, Rainbow, featured Mariah's 14th #1 Hot 100 single, "Heartbreaker," which also became her 6th chart-topping R&B single. Maria Carey has had more #1 singles than any female artist, surpassing both the Supremes (12) and Madonna (11), and more #1's than any currently active recording artist.

She has had more #1 singles (14) than any artist during the 1990s and seen more singles (3) debut at #1 than any artist in history. With more #1 albums (4) than any female artist in the 1990's, Mariah was the first female artist to see two of her albums (Music Box and Daydream) reach the 10 million mark in sales and is the only female artist to have eight albums certified triple-platinum or better (in Mariah's case, her entire album catalog has achieved RIAA multi-platinum status). In fact, Mariah Carey is the only artist to have had a #1 single for every year of the 1990's.

The last decade to have an artist hit #1 every single year was the 1920's when Paul Whiteman & his Orchestra hit the top slot each year. (By the end of the 1920's, Whiteman had become a Columbia Records artist.) With the exception of Merry Christmas (from which there was no single release) and #1's (a collection of her first 13 chart-toppers), Mariah has hit #1 with the debut single from every one of her albums. With the exception of her cover version of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," Mariah has cowritten all of her #1's, including "Heartbreaker." With the exceptions of "I Don't Wanna Cry," "Someday," "Love Takes Time," and "Vision Of Love," Mariah has co-produced all of her chart-topping singles.

Mariah received 1990 Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Female ("Vision of Love"). The same year, Mariah picked up three Soul Train Awards: Best New Artist, Best Album (Mariah Carey) and Best Single, Female ("Vision of Love"). A perennial favorite at the American Music Awards, Mariah won Favorite Female Artist/R&B in 1992; Favorite Female Artist, Pop/Rock and Favorite Album, Adult Contemporary in 1993; Favorite Female Artist, Pop/Rock in 1995; and Favorite Female Artist, Pop/Rock and Favorite Female Artist, Soul/R&B in 1996. Mariah picked up her first Billboard Awards in 1991 for Top Adult Contemporary Artist, Top Pop Artist, Top Album Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist, and Top Pop Singles Artist/Female.

In 1996, she won a Billboard Award for Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year and, with Boyz II Men, a Special Hot 100 Singles Award for "One Sweet Day." At the 1998 World Music Awards ceremony, Mariah won an award for Best Selling R&B Artist and the Legend Award for World's Best Selling Recording Artist of the 1990's. She won her first World Music Awards - World's Best Selling Pop Artist, World's Best American Recording Artist, and World's Overall Best Performing Artist - in 1995.

The following year, she was presented with trophies for World's Best Selling R&B Female Artist of the Year, World's Best Selling Overall Recording Female Artist of the Year, World's Best Selling Pop Artist of the Year, and World's Best Selling American Female Artist of the Year. Mariah was presented with the Aretha Franklin Entertainer Award and named Entertainer of the Year at the 1998 Lady Of Soul Awards. As of September 1999, Mariah Carey had sold more than 120 million albums and singles worldwide and earned an astounding 84 RIAA gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications for her singles, albums, and videos.

As one of the most popular recording artists of the 1990s, Mariah has provided an ongoing soundtrack to the decade. In 2001, Mariah signed with Virgin Records, which released Glitter, the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, with Mariah in her first lead acting role. She has also been featured in the films The Bachelor (1999) and Wisegirls (2002). In May 2002, Mariah signed an exclusive recording contract with the Universal Music Group's Island Records.

In addition, Carey has formed her own label, MonarC Music. Mariah's Charmbracelet features the songstress writing and co-producing with such a-list names as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jermaine Dupri among others. The album, which is lyrically very personal, showcases Mariah's stunning voice, prolific songwriting and incredible versatility. This is fully evident on the first single, the sweeping epic ballad, "Through The Rain" which is a perfect example of what Mariah does best.



Carey's ninth studio album The Emancipation of Mimi was released in 2005 and contained contributions from producers such as The Neptunes, Kanye West and Carey's longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri. Carey said it was "very much like a party record ... the process of putting on makeup and getting ready to go out ... I wanted to make a record that was reflective of that." Mimi became the year's best-selling album in the U.S. with over five million copies (5xPlatinum) sold, won three Grammy Awards (including "Best Contemporary R&B Album") and received some of Carey's most favourable reviews in some time.


The second single "We Belong Together" held the Hot 100's number-one position for fourteen weeks (her longest run at the top as a solo artist) and was the biggest hit of 2005 in the U.S., while "Shake It Off" made Carey the only female artist to occupy the top two positions on the Hot 100 simultaneously. "Don't Forget about Us" became her seventeenth number-one in the U.S., which tied her with Elvis Presley for the most number-ones by a solo act according to Billboard magazine's revised methodology. By this count Carey is behind only The Beatles, who have twenty number-ones. The album became certified 6x platinum after her Grammy wins.

" jordin sparks " american idol winner

j o r d i n s p a r k s

Jordin Sparks - Biography

Birth name Jordin Brianna Sparks
Born December 22, 1989

Origin Glendale, Arizona

Genre(s) Christian, Gospel, Pop, R&B

Occupation(s) Student, Model, Actress, Singer, Idol

Jordin Brianna Sparks is an aspiring American singer, actress, model and American Idol finalist .

Background

Sparks is the daughter of former NFL football player, Phillippi Sparks, and wife Jodi Sparks. She has a younger brother named PJ (Phillippi Sparks, Jr.). As a daughter of a B lack father and a White mother, she is biracial. She is managed by maternal grandmother Pa m Wiedmann. Her aunt Shari is an actress & model.Sparks is currently homes chooled. She is a fan of football, reading, and music. She also attends church. She has been singing since she was 18 months old

Artist Site

More Videos

Career

In 2007, Sparks appeared on the January 17, 2007 broadcast of sixth season of American Idol, earning a "gold ticket" and the right to appear in the Hollywood Round. Already a favorite in the contest, American Idol judge Randy Jackson, made the an offhand prediction t hat "Curly hair will win this year." Which may have been made in reference to Sparks. Befor e going on to AI, she won Arizona Idol, she has progressed further through the AI process than any previous Arizona Idol contestant.

In 2006, Sparks was one of two winners who won the Phoenix Torrid search for the "Next Plus Size Model". She was flown to California where she was used in a num ber of Torrid ads and promotional pieces. A full-page ad for Torrid featuring Jordin ran in the December, 2006 issue of Seventeen magazine.

Sparks finished second in 2004 at the coveted Music in the Rockies national competition for aspiring Contemporary Christian Music artists.

Artist Site

More Videos

In 2004, Sparks appeared in America's Most Talented Kids twice, and won in her first appearance. She was one of seven to appear in a special championship editio n of the show. This appearance followed two noted auditions in 2003, one with American Juniors and the other, Star Search

Sparks has performed the national anthem at various sporting events, notably the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. She has also sung in such events as Country Thunder, a famous country music venue. She has appeared with celebrities Alice Cooper (in his 2004 Christmas show) and has twice toured with Christian con temporary singer Michael W. Smith. Smith has shown support of Sparks by encouraging Idol viewers to vote for her on his website.

Artist Site

More Videos

Sparks recorded an album titled For Now in 2003, a five-song album at the age of thirteen, working with Matthew Ward, a legendary Christian music artist, and Gary Leach, an engineer who has worked on several of LeAnn Rimes' albums. She appeared in a compilation album titled Live at Mr. Lucky's in 2004.

As an actress, Sparks has appeared in several plays, recently starring in a dual role as characters Deborah and Bea in Magdalene at the Plumbline Theater in Franklin, Tennessee. She has also performed several times with Valley Youth Theatre in Phoenix, AZ. Her first appearance was in March, 2002 as an Emerald City dancer and as a poppy in The Wiz. She also appeared in VYT's production of Cinderella in June, 2002 and another production of The Wiz in August, 2002.

" r i h a n n a o n t h e r i s e "

r i h a n n a

About Rihanna

Since turn of the century, every American summer has seemed to produce one or two Caribbean-styled dance-pop hit sensations, and the summer of 2005 was no different, as the relentless dancehall-lite booming rhythms of Rihanna's "Pon de Replay" seemed as omnipresent as sunshine. Like Daddy Yankee ("Gasolina") and Sean Paul ("Get Busy") in summers prior, Rihanna emerged initially as an unknown superstar, known far more for her song than for herself. Unlike Daddy Yankee and Sean Paul, however, she is a woman — a young and beautiful green-eyed one, to be more specific. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in the St. Michael parish of Barbados a brief 17 years before she reached the Top Two of Billboard's Hot 100 chart (held back from the number one spot by the undisputed song of the summer, Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together"), Rihanna always exhibited a special quality, winning beauty and talent contests as a schoolchild. But because she lived on the fairly remote island of Barbados in the West Indies, she never foresaw the sort of stardom that would later befall her.

That stardom came courtesy of a fateful meeting with a man named Evan Rogers. The New Yorker was vacationing in Barbados with his wife, a native of the island, when someone turned him on to Rihanna. Since Rogers had spent years producing pop artists — including superstars like *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Laura Pausini, and Rod Stewart — he offered her the opportunity to record some music after he recognized her talent and potential. Along with Rogers' production partner, Carl Sturken (the other half of Syndicated Rhythm Productions), Rihanna recorded some demos that sparked the interest of the Carter Administration — that is, Def Jam president Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. This led to an audition and, in turn, an on-the-spot offer to sign with Def Jam, which Rihanna indeed inked on the spot.

Come summer 2005, Def Jam rolled out "Pon de Replay," the lead single of Music of the Sun, which was produced almost entirely by Rogers and Sturken and which synthesized Caribbean rhythms and beats with urban-pop songwriting. "Pon de Replay" caught fire almost immediately, challenging "We Belong Together"'s half-summer reign atop the Billboard chart before Music of the Sun even saw release. Her sophomore release, A Girl Like Me, appeared in 2006. Singles off it include the Hot 100 #1 record "SOS", the ballad "Unfaithful" (#6) and third release "We Ride". Fourth single "Break It Off" which features Sean Paul entered the Hot 100 Top 10 only being a digital download song. Now her third album Good Girl Gone Bad is coming in 2007.

Umbrella



Take A Bow



Don't Stop The Music