BIOGRAPHY

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey[1] (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and released her self-titled debut studio album, Mariah Carey. The album went multi-platinum and spawned four consecutive number one singles, on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Following her marriage to Mottola in 1993, a series of hit records, including Emotions (1991), Music Box (1993) and Merry Christmas (1994), established her position as Columbia’s highest-selling act. Daydream (1995), made music history when the second single, “One Sweet Day” a duet with Boyz II Men, spent a record sixteen weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and remains the longest-running number-one song in US chart history. During the recording of the album, Carey began to deviate from her pop beginnings, and slowly traversed into R&B and hip hop. After her separation from Mottola, this musical change was evident with the release of Butterfly (1997).
Carey left Columbia in 2000, and signed a record-breaking $100 million recording contract with Virgin Records. Carey ventured into film with Glitter (2001). Before the film’s release she suffered a physical and emotional breakdown and was hospitalized for severe exhaustion. Following the film’s poor reception, she was bought out of her recording contract for $50 million, which led to a decline in her career. She signed a multi-million dollar contract deal with Island Records in 2002, and after an unsuccessful period, returned to the top of music charts with The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). Its second single “We Belong Together” became her most successful single of the 2000s, and was later named “Song of the Decade” by Billboard. Carey once again ventured into film, and starred in Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire (2009). Her role in the film was well-received, and she was awarded the “Breakthrough Performance Award” at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and Black Reel and NAACP Image Award nominations.

In a career spanning over two decades, Carey has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 1998, she was honored as the world’s best-selling recording artist of the 1990s at the World Music Awards. Carey was also named the best-selling female artist of the millennium in 2000. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the third best-selling female artist in the United States, with 63.5 million certified albums. With the release of “Touch My Body” (2008), Carey gained her eighteenth number one single in the United States, more than any other solo artist. In 2012, Carey was ranked second on VH1’s list of the “100 Greatest Women in Music”. Aside from her commercial accomplishments, Carey has won five Grammy Awards, 17 World Music Awards, 11 American Music Awards, and 31 Billboard Music Awards. Referred to as the “songbird supreme” by the Guinness World Records, she is famed for her five-octave vocal range, power, melismatic style and signature use of the whistle register.

1988–92: Recording debut and career beginnings

As Carey’s friendship with Starr grew, so did her interest in helping Carey succeed in the industry.[18] On a Friday night in November 1987, Carey accompanied Starr to a record executives gala, where she handed her demo tape to Tommy Mottola, head of Columbia Records, who listened to it on his way back home.[18][19] After the first two songs, he became so enamored at the sound and quality of Carey’s voice that he turned around returned to the event, only to find that she had left.[19] In what has been widely described by critics as a modern day Cinderella-like tale,[20][21] after searching for Carey for two weeks, and eventually contacting her through Starr’s management, he immediately signed her and began mapping out her debut into mainstream music.[18] While she maintained that she wanted to continue working with Margulies, Mottola enlisted top producers of the time, including Ric Wake, Narada Michael Walden and Rhett Lawrence.[18] Mottola and the staff at Columbia had planned to market Carey as the main female pop artist on their roster, competing with the likes of Whitney Houston and Madonna, who were signed to Arista and Sire Records respectively.[22] After the completion of the album, titled Mariah Carey, Columbia spent an upward of $1 million to promote it.[23] Though opening with weak sales, the album eventually reached the top of the Billboard 200, after Carey’s exposure at the 33rd annual Grammy Awards.[24] Mariah Carey stayed atop the charts for eleven consecutive weeks,[25] and she won the Best New Artist, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance trophies for her single “Vision of Love”.[26] The album yielded an additional three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, following the four week number-one run of “Vision of Love”. Carey became the first artist since The Jackson 5 to have their first four singles reach number one.[27] Mariah Carey finished as the best-selling album in the United States of 1991,[28] while totaling sales of over 15 million copies.[29]

Carey began recording her second studio album, eventually titled Emotions, in 1991.[30][31] The album, as Carey described it, paid homage to Motown soul music, as she felt the need to pay tribute to the type of music and genre that truly influenced her as a struggling child.[31] For the project, Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff, who only had a small role on her debut, as well as Clivillés and Cole, from the dance group C+C Music Factory.[32] However, Carey’s relationship with Margulies deteriorated[31] over a contract Carey had signed prior to her signing with Columbia, agreeing to split not only the songwriting royalties from the songs, but half of her earnings as well.[31] However, when the time came to write music for Emotions, Sony officials made it clear he would only be paid the fair amount given to co-writers on an album.[31] Subsequently, Margulies filed a lawsuit against Sony which ultimately led to their parting of ways.[31] On September 17, 1991, Emotions was released around the world, and was accepted by critics as a more mature album than its predecessor.[33] While praised for Carey’s improved songwriting, production and new sound, the album was criticized for its material, which many felt was noticeably weaker than her debut.[34] Though the album managed sales of over eight million copies globally, Emotions failed to reach the commercial and critical heights of its predecessor.

2010–11: Merry Christmas II You and motherhood

Following the cancellation of the Angels Advocate, it was announced that Carey would return to the studio to start work on her thirteenth studio album.[207] It was later revealed that it would be her second Christmas album, the follow-up to Merry Christmas (1994), which became the best-selling Holiday album of all time.[62] Long time collaborators for the project include Jermaine Dupri, Johntá Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Randy Jackson, as well as new collaborators such as Marc Shaiman.[208] Dupri stated that a single would be released alongside the album before the year’s end.[208] During a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, in August 2010, Island Def Jam executive Matt Voss announced that the album would be out on November 2, 2010.[209] and would include six new songs and a remix of her classic hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You”.[210] The album, titled Merry Christmas II You, was released alongside an accompanying DVD, and was sent to retailers on November 2, 2010.[211] Merry Christmas II You debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with sales of 56,000 copies, surpassing the opening week sales of Carey’s previous holiday album of 45,000 copies 16 years prior.[212] It also became Carey’s 16th top ten album in the United States.[212] The album debuted at number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it only the second Christmas album to top this chart.[213]
In May 2010, Carey dropped out of her planned appearance in For Colored Girls, the film adaptation of the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, citing medical reasons.[214] After much media speculation, Carey confirmed on October 28, 2010, that she and Cannon were expecting their first child.[215][187] On February 11, 2011, Carey announced on HSN, that she recorded a duet with Tony Bennett for his upcoming “Duets” album, titled “When Do The Bells Ring For Me”.[216] In March 2011, it was announed that Carey wrote a song titled “Save the Day” for her upcoming fourteenth studio album.[217] On April 30, 2011, the couple’s third wedding anniversary, Carey gave birth to fraternal twins via C-section.[218] The twins were named Monroe, after Marilyn Monroe, and Moroccan Scott, after Cannon proposed to Carey in her Moroccan-style room; Scott is Cannon’s middle name and his grandmother’s maiden name.[219] In an interview, Carey stated that her pregnancy was very difficult, she suffered from high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes before giving birth to the twins, she also said: “I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to walk properly again, It was a huge strain. I would sit and then someone would have to help me up. I couldn’t go even to the loo by myself. It was just like, ‘What are we doing? Are we going to the hospital?’ No, I’m gonna stick it out, I’m gonna keep taking this medicine to keep these babies in… I made it to 35 weeks and then the doctor said it wasn’t safe anymore”.[220] Following the birth of their children, Cannon revealed during an interview with Billboard that Carey had already begun working on a new record.[221] Cannon said “She’s been working away, and we have a studio in the crib, and [the pregnancy] has totally inspired her on so many different levels. You’re definitely gonna see some new phenomenal music from Mariah” and assured Carey would plan on releasing it by the end of 2011. However, a late 2011 release for the album never materialized.[222] In October 2011, Carey announced that she re-recorded her song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” with Justin Bieber as a duet for his Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe.[223][224] On November 5, 2011, Carey and Bieber filmed a music video for the duet at the Macy’s in New York City.[225] On October 21, 2011, a pre-taped interview with Barbara Walters aired on ABC’s 20/20, during the interview Carey and Cannon allowed the cameras to photograph/film twins Moroccan and Monroe for the first time ever.[226] In November 2011, Carey was included in the remix to the mixtape single “Warning” by Uncle Murda; the remix also features 50 Cent and Young Jeezy.[227] That same month, Carey announced that she and John Legend collaborated on a duet, “When Christmas Comes”, which was originally part of Carey’s 2010 holiday album Merry Christmas II You.