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Thursday, October 06, 2005
When referring to particular octave scale, you may see a number associated with it (i.e seventh octave ) or a note (C5). The following may offer some explanation.
An octave scale is named for the note that begins and ends it (they are the same, only one octave apart, or the end note is double the frequency of the beginning note. Note at the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are used to name the musical notes. Using C major, the octave scale would be C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. But which C to start with, as there are eight C notes on the 88-key piano? The octave number tells us which.
Examples
The first note on the piano is 'A'. Since it is the first note, it is called A1. Note that it vibrates at only 27.5 Hz.
The next white note is B1. The black key in between is a half-step and is the sharp of A (Aň1) or the flat of B (Bó1).
The next white-key notes are C1, D1, E1, F1, and G1 respectively. The black keys in between are the flat of the note after it and the sharp of the note before it.
The next A is the second A, named A2. It vibrates at 55 Hz (double A1). This repeats again, to A3 (110 Hz).
So when we say a person can vocalize in the seventh octave, what we are really saying is the person's vocal cords are capable of producing a musical pitch between the seventh and the eighth A (in standard musical practice, C is the base). Although it is not customary to number the piano octaves (the seventh octave's controversy and rarity is the only real exception), the octaves are listed below to help gain a mental perspective of where a range is.
- First octave (C1 - C2) - Deepest notes
Only the deepest basses (i.e Barry White) can vocalize in the upper reaches on this low register
- Second octave (C2 - C3) - Most male voice
Most male voices can pitch in this octave, with the tenors barely skirting the top of it, while the basses can go almost all the way down through it. Some basses (basso profundo can go completely and beyond the bottom). A rare female (Mariah Carey or Toni Braxton) can also like the tenor skirt the top of this octave.
- Third octave (C3 - C4) - Most voices
Most voices have some abilities in this octave. All male voices are strong here and female low notes usually start in this octave. Contraltos can pitch D3 or E3, while sopranos start higher at G3 or A4* (see end of text).
- Fourth octave (C4 - C5) - Nearly universal (this is the middle octave)
Nearly any and every voice has an ability in some part of this octave. For the male voices, the higher notes (in head or mixed voice) are here. Basses will probably end around D4 or E4. This same octave is the lower part of most female vocal ranges
- Fifth octave (C5 - C6) - Most female voice
Many male voice do not enter this octave, but some voices (especially the tenor who must be able to vocalize the C5 or Tenor C to classify) can. Contraltos will end around the F5 or G5. Sopranos will reach the top out somewhere between A6 and D6, depending on color and altitude.
Very few men can do anything in this octave. The classical range for an operatic soprano ends at C6 or D6, although many, especially the coloratura can go higher. In contemporary music, sopranos are classified by level. A soprano's level is determined by her altitude. A soprano that has no abilities in the whistle register is a Soprano I (do not confuse this with the choir classification of first or second soprano). A soprano that can reach into the whistle register vocalizing over at least most of the sixth octave is a soprano II (example, Christina Aguilera)
- Seventh Octave (C7 - C8) - Rare soprano (see Whistle Register for full examples of singers capable of this altitude)
Classical music deems the seventh octave not musical; the highest operatic piece utilizes a Gň6. Sopranos that can vocalize here (significantly above C7) are Soprano IIIs. Very few have any significant ability here, thus a soprano III is rare. Mariah Carey, Minnie Riperton, and Rachelle Ferrell are examples.
Note
Many people start counting the octaves with C. Using that notation (which is utilized by many, including articles here in Wikipedia - see Piano key frequencies), the first notes are A0, Aň0, and B0 (since they are merely there for harmonic puposes and are RARELY used in any actual music). Then you have C1 go to up to A1, B1, and C2. If you read many articles about vocal range, this is how range is established. The octaves are incremented on C, not A (the picture at the top increments on A).
Determining vocal range
So does he or she have a one, two or three octave range? Ten? Mariah Carey is said to have a five octave range, but how is a singer's range calculated? A vocal coach (or other knowledgeable person) asks the singer the reach the lowest note they can hit (no matter how unmusical). Next, they climb the scale in various vocalise until they pitch their top note (again, they may push or force a little). This also helps explain why most singers do NOT use the very top of the range. Then you simply subtract low from high. Let's say your low note is an E3; your high is a B5. You're a solid mezzo-soprano. 5-3 = 2. Next, there are four whole steps between E and B, namely E to F, F to G, G to A, and finally A to B. So your range would be two and a half octaves, although many people would say simply two and change. Again, it is important to note that many people can vocalise higher than they normally sing in or record in.
See also
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer who was the winner of the first season of American Idol and has since gone on to have a very successful recording career.
Vocal profile
Life and career
Clarkson was born in Fort Worth, Texas and later moved to Burleson, Texas after 4th grade. In middle school, she was overheard singing in a school corridor by a teacher who invited her to join the school choir. Her participation in choral and musical activities spurred her interest in a recording career and, following her high school graduation, she relocated to Los Angeles, California.
Clarkson worked as an extra on television (one such appearance was on Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and worked briefly with songwriter Gerry Goffin. After her Los Angeles apartment burned down, however, she moved back to Texas discouraged, but still intent on a career in show business.
Clarkson rose to fame on the U.S. TV program American Idol. Before her run on that show, she managed some odd jobs. She worked as a cocktail waitress, a promo girl for Red Bull, at a movie theater (where the premiere of her movie, From Justin to Kelly, was later held), in a pharmacy, at Chili's, the Fort Worth Zoo, as a telemarketer, as a door-to-door sales agent for Kirby vacuum cleaners for a day, and other jobs as well.
In 2002, along with ten thousand others, Clarkson auditioned for the aforementioned American Idol. Impressed by her voice and personality, the panel of judges put her through to the next round. Upon landing a final 30 spot, Kelly garnered praise from the judges with her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect". She moved on to the final 10, receiving a No. 2 spot in her group. On September 4, 2002, Clarkson won the competition, earning 58% of the audience vote in the final contest against Justin Guarini. As the newly crowned "American Idol," Clarkson performed "A Moment Like This" as confetti fell. Her fellow contestants hugged her. Prior to Season 4, Clarkson was one of two contestants to never be in the bottom 3 (along with Clay Aiken of Season 2) and the only contestant who succeeded in staying out of the the bottom 3 and winning the competition in the end. This latter record is now shared with Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood.
Clarkson's first single set an American record, rising on October 5, 2002 from No. 52 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (a record previously held by The Beatles with "Can't Buy Me Love"). Her first full-length album, Thankful, was released by RCA Records on April 15, 2003, and was certified as "double platinum", signifying over 2 million copies sold in the United States by the RIAA. Thankful also garnered good reviews, though critics cited that much of her success could be accredited to the "commerciality" of her music.
Clarkson starred with fellow American Idol contestant Justin Guarini in From Justin to Kelly (2003). The film was given weak reviews, was a box office disaster, and made it onto some critics' lists of the worst movies ever made.
In 2004, she received a Grammy Nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her Top 10 hit single "Miss Independent".
In the first World Idol competition, pitting all the winners of all Idol shows against each other, she placed second, beaten in the worldwide poll only by the Norwegian Idol Kurt Nilsen.
Kelly Clarkson also embarked on the 30-city Independent Tour with fellow American Idol contestant Clay Aiken in 2004.
Breakaway
Clarkson's second studio album Breakaway was released by RCA Records on November 30, 2004.[11] It débuted within the U.S. top five and Canadian top ten, and sales were initially low in comparison to Clarkson's first album.[12] However, the single releases from Breakaway proved successful, and allowed the album to become certified five-times platinum in the U.S. on January 18, 2006[13] and four-times platinum in Canada on September 29, 2005.[14] Clarkson co-wrote six of the twelve songs with several songwriters such as former Evanescence band members Ben Moody and David Hodges, producer Max Martin, and Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The album received different responses from critics, with Rolling Stone writing: "On Kelly Clarkson's second album, the ex-cocktail waitress turned hitmaker embraces her rock side rather than the pop pageantry that put her on top of the American Idol heap".[15] TeenInk noted the strength of Clarkson's vocals on Breakaway, and praised the change from pop music to contemporary rock: "[Clarkson] retains the incredible power and beauty of her voice while switching to rock [...] for those who loved her old sound, Breakaway may take some getting used to, but it is a musical experience not to be missed".[16] All Music Guide called the album "a nice, low-key relief".[17] During the promotional tour for the Breakaway album, Clarkson made numerous appearances on late night and daytime television, including The Tonight Show, Ellen, Live with Regis and Kelly, The View and Saturday Night Live where she performed "Since U Been Gone" and appeared in two skits.
The title track "Breakaway", which served as the original song for the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), achieved considerable success across the world and became Clarkson's third top-ten single in the U.S. and fourth top-ten single in Canada. It peaked at number ten in Australia, however, did not receive a UK release. The song's contemporary pop rock ambience was one of the several tracks including a stronger rock-influenced sound that had not been heard on Thankful. The second single "Since U Been Gone", which was produced by Max Martin, became the most successful release from the album. Its music video presented Clarkson singing to an underground audience with a full band; cutscenes of Clarkson destroying a former boyfriend's apartment were incorporated. The song's strong rock ambience allowed it to reach number two in the U.S. and the top five across the world. It also earned Clarkson her first Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; she won a second award for Best Pop Vocal Album.[18]
The third and fourth single releases "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Because of You" also followed with success. Breakaway's final single "Walk Away" is currently in the top-thirty in the U.S. and in the top-ten on the Canadian BDS Airplay chart.
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
"A Moment Like This"
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from Thankful
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2003: " Low" - #58 US; #2 CAN -
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from Breakaway
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2004: " Breakaway" - #6 US; #3 CAN [2x Platinum] -
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External links
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The Kellyboard (http://p094.ezboard.com/bthekellyboardakellyclarksonmessaageboard)
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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 BIOGRAPHY
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-Full Name: Siti Roziana Binti Mohd Zain-
-Commercial Name: Ziana Zain-
-D.O.B: May 02, 1968-
-P.O.B: Kampung Simpang, Merlimau Melaka-
-Height: 5' 4''-
-Status: Married-
-Siblings: 1 out of 5-
-Hobby: Singing & Cooking-
-Ambition: Engineer @ Pilot- |
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EDUCATION |
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-Mendapat pendidikan awal di Sekolah Rendah Shah Alam, kemudian melanjutkan pelajaran ke Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Aziz- |
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EXPERIENCE |
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-Pengalaman sebelum menjadi artis: Menjadi tukang masak kantin sebaik sahaja tamat persekolahan, kemudian menjadi operator pengeluaran di kilang JVC Shah Alam selama 7 bulan. Selepas itu berkerja sebagai juruwang di Holiday Inn Shah Alam sebelum menjadi pramugari MAS selama 2 tahun- |
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FAVOURITE |
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-Fav. Foods: Sambal Tumis & Masak Lemak Cili Api-
-Fav Drinks: Teh Tarik-
-Fav. Colour: Green-
-Idol: Anita Sarawak-
-Fav. Singer: Anita Baker & Whitney Houston-
-Fav. Actor/Actress: Allayarhamah Normadiah, Allahyarham Tan Sri P. Ramlee & Julia Roberts- |
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Gadis hitam manis, anak kepada pegawai polis ini dilahirkan di Merlimau, Melaka 37 tahun dahulu. Dari pekerja kilang, gadis ini bertukar karier menjadi seorang pramugari. Namun minatnya dalam bidang seni mula membuak-buak ketika bertugas di syarikat penerbangan itu, lantas gadis yang dikenali sebagai Ziana Zain ini mula menyertai pelbagai pertandingan nyanyian yang diadakan di tanah air. Ketika itu tiada siapa yang mengetahui dia adalah kakak kepada penyanyi cilik, Anuar Zain yang sebelum itu amat dikenali dengan nyanyian lagu Kain Pelikat.
Lantas bakat Ziana dapat juga dihidu oleh BMG Music. Pada tahun 1992, Ziana Zain akhirnya berjaya menghasilkan album sulungnya. Tanpa diduga albumnya mendapat sambutan menerusi lagu hits Madah Berhelah yang juga merupakan judul album tersebut. Anak sulung dari 5 beradik ini mula dikenali dan dilihat bakal menjadi diva suatu hari nanti. Telahan itu semakin menjadi realiti apabila album kedua Ziana Zain berjudul Ziana Zain menghasilkan jualan menghampiri 100 ribu unit.
'Mania' Ziana Zain bermula selepas itu. Sana sini orang memperkatakan tentang dirinya selepas era diva seperti Rohana Jalil, Ramlah Ram, Francesca Peter, Aishah dan Fauziah Latiff. Dua tahun selepas itu Ziana Zain muncul lagi dengan album baru berjudul Setia Ku Di Sini. Album ini benar-benar menakjubkan dan mengejutkan sendiri syarikat rakamannya. Jualan album ini menghampiri 200 ribu unit dan membuatkan Ziana menjadi artis wanita paling popular di era awal 90an hingga kini.
Lantas dia juga telah dipikat oleh prosedur filem terkenal yang turut digelar 'The Six Million Dollar Man', Datuk Yusuf Haslam untuk membintangi filem Sembilu 1 & 2 dan Maria Mariana 1 & 2. Jelas populariti Ziana banyak membantu pasaran filem itu. Dia bukan sahaja cantik, berbakat dalam nyanyian tetapi dia juga mampu menjadi pelakon yang hebat. Dengan kejayaan dan mutu lakonan Ziana, menyerlahkan lagi kehebatan penyanyi ini untuk bergelar sebagai anak seni yang serba boleh. Maka lahirlah album ke satu album untuk Ziana Zain. Atas kejayaan dan pencapaiannya, Ziana Zain muncul dengan Konsert Unplugged di Life Centre, Kuala Lumpur pada tahun 1995.
Bukan semua artis berjaya dengan konsert seperti itu. Selepas hampir 7 tahun mencipta nama di persada seni, Zana akhirnya mengambil keputusan untuk mendirikan rumah tangga. Perkahwinan Ziana Zain dianggap majlis perkahwinan paling gemilang (artis tempatan) pada alaf lalu apabila ia dihadiri oleh puluhan ribu peminatnya walaupun tanpa diundang. Ramai berkata, status perkahwinan bakal melenyapkan populariti seterusnya karier artis terbabit tetapi Ziana membuktikan tanggapan itu salah. Ziana membuktikan bakat, imej dan kesungguhan yang ada pada diri artis mampu untuk individu artis itu meneruskan kariernya. Bersama suami tersayang, Armin Zaharin dan anaknya Mohd Aiman, Ziana terus gah berdiri sama tinggi dengan artis-artis yang sedia ada. Nama terus dikenang dan dia akan terus menjadi ratu di hati peminatnya sejak sekian lama.
Lantas BMG telah mengabadikan sebuah album khas untuk Ziana Zain yang berjudul Ratu sebagai tanda penghormatan ke atas kejayaannya selama 12 tahun di dalam bidang seni. Dengan himpunan lagu-lagu terbaik yang pernah dihasilkan bersama syarikat rakaman BMG seperti Madah Berhelah, Puncak Kasih, Setia Ke Akhir Hayat, Anggapanmu, Tiada Jodoh Antara Kita, Setia Ku Di Sini, Di Akhir Garisan (with Ning Baziura, Nora & Dessy Fitri) dan Menadah Gerimis pastinya album akan dikenang sepanjang masa oleh peminat Ziana sampai bila-bila. |
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| WHAT DO THEY THINK ABOUT ZIANA? |
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 AZMEER
"Bagi saya Ziana merupakan seorang penyanyi yang punya identiti tersendiri. Suara tingginya begitu dinamik, bagus dan begitu tersendiri. Bekerja dengannya merupakan satu pengalaman yang manis dan baik kerana dia merupakan seorang yang profesional. Dia bukan sekadar ingin menyanyi, sebaliknya ingin mengetahui segala proses dari susunan muzik hingga melodi. Pendek kata senang bila bekerjasama dengannya. Cuma satu kelemahannya Ziana ini terlalu bersikap rendah diri dan kurang keyakinan walaupun dah lama berkecimpung di dalam industri ini."
ADNAN ABU HASSAN
"Ziana seorang yang profesional. Cara kami bekerja lebih kepada kawan-kawan tanpa membataskan jurang antara penyanyi dan juga komposer. Dia juga selalunya akan bersedia dan tahu apa yang perlu dilakukan sebaik masuk studio. Punya identiti tersendiri dengan vokal uniknya sehingga ada pihak yang ingin meniru gayanya. Dari situ saya dah anggap dia berjaya kerana ada orang yang mahu menjadi sepertinya. Dan lagi satu, sepanjang bergelar anak seni, saya rasa dia seorang yang bebas dari gosip panas. Keseluruhannya dia berjaya dan kini semakin berjaya membina imejnya."
FAUZI MARZUKI
"Satu perkara yang saya kagum mengenai Ziana Zain ialah vokal nyaringnya yang dimilikinya. Dia mempunyai mutu suara yang baik. Bekerja dengannya juga senang kerana dia merupakan seorang penyanyi yang selalu bersedia, tepat masa dan paling penting tidak bermasalah. Satu pandangan saya terhadap Ziana ialah dia patut muncul dengan sebuah album setiap tahun kerana dia mampu menawan hati serta memukau peminat muzik di luar sana dengan caranya yang tersendiri."
JOHARI TEH
"Ziana seorang penyanyi yang punya identiti tersendiri. Vokalnya mempunyai power dan style yang tak ada pada artis lain. Bekerjasama dengannya juga amat mudah kerana dia terlalu komited dengan kerjayanya. Sepanjang bekerjasama dengan Ziana, kami memang tiada masalah. Sebagai seorang penyanyi yang berpengalaman, Ziana bijak mengawal feelnya yang natural sekali gus membuatkan dia terus diterima. |
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source : http://www.geocities.com/zianazainsite/
Stefanie Sun or Sun Yanzi (Teochew: Sng Iŕn-chu; pinyin: Sūn Yŕnzī) is a popular Singaporean professional pop singer. She was born on July 23, 1978 to Sng Yeow Hong (Sng Iűⁿ-hông) and Sng Ee Kwai (Sng Iŕn-koai). She has a sister, younger by 3 years (Sng Iŕn-koai) and an older sister by 6 years. ( Sng Iŕn-bí).
Yanzi studied in St Margaret's Secondary School and Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) and later majored in marketing at the Nanyang Technological University. She made her musical debut in June 2000 with the release of her first, self-titled album, Yan Zi ( under Warner Music. She is arguably the most popular local artist in her native Singapore, being one of the only major award-winning Chinese popular musicians from Singapore. Her meteoric rise in the Mandarin pop music scene seems to have inspired many more Singaporean artists to expand overseas. Local artistes who have made it big in Taiwan, Mainland China, and Hong Kong following her include JJ Lin and Huang Yi Da.
Although she is Singaporean and spends much of her time in Singapore, she does most of her recording and publicity in Taiwan, where she is also arguably one of the most popular artists.
Although her native language is Teochew, she sings almost exclusively in Mandarin with the exception of her song Thiⁿ-oˇ-oˇ where she sings, in Mandarin and Teochew, about a traditional Teochew song penned by Singapore composer Li Weisong. In her lyrics, she includes the first six words of this folksong in the original Teochew: "Thiⁿ-oˇ-oˇ, beh lo̍h-hōˇ".
She has won over 33 awards and other accolades for her music in the course of her career, in Singapore, Taiwan, mainland China and Hong Kong (as well as at the pan-Asian MTV Asia Awards).
Most of her albums are titled in both Chinese and English.
She also sang the official theme songs for Singapore's National Day Parade for 2002 and 2003 with "We Will Get There" (一起走到), and "One United People" respectively.
She collaborated with Mai Kuraki, a Japanese singer, on the last track of her Leave album. They collaborated again in 2003, this time on Mai Kuraki's If I Believe, released July 2003. One month after the second collaboration, Stephanie decided to take a one year break from making music, and returned in late 2004 with a new album titled "Stefanie", intended to be a mirror of her debut album (self-titled as well, but in Chinese). This was to symbolise her return with a newcomer's attitude. She also started her own company, Make Music, during this sabbatical.
Albums
Kite (2001)
My Desired Happiness (2000)
- 2000
- TVB 8 Mandarin Music Awards (Hong Kong), Best Newcomer
- Hong Kong's Radio Station, Most Promising Artiste
- Channel V Music Awards (Beijing), Best newcomer
- Channel V Music Awards (Beijing), Song Of the Year
- 93.3 Singapore Hit Awards, Most Promising Artiste
- Ming Sheng Bao Top 10 Stars, Most Promising Artiste
- China Music Awards, Best Newcomer
- China Music Awards, Best Female Vocal
- 2001
- Golden Melody Awards (Taiwan), Best newcomer
- MTV Chinese, Top 10 Most Popular Artist
- Golden Melody Awards (Malaysia), "Hong Ren" of the year (Gold)
- 2002
- 93.3 Singapore Hit Awards, Most Popular Female Artiste
- 93.3 Singapore Hit Awards, Best-Selling Female Artiste
- 93.3 Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Artiste
- 2003
- 93.3 Singapore Hit Awards, Best Local Act
- 93.3 Singapore Hit Awards, Best Performing Regional Female Artiste
- 2005
- Golden Melody Awards (Taiwan), Best Female Mandarin Singer
- MTV Japan Music Video Awards, Best buzz ASIA from Taiwan
- MTV Asia Aid Awards, Singapore Most Popular Singer
External links
Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American pop singer who rose to fame during the late 1990s. She has starred with her husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality show Newlyweds, released her own line of beauty products called Dessert and has also started a career as an actress.
Vocal Profile
- Voice type: Lyric Soprano
- Highest note: G#6, F6
- Lowest note: D3
- Vocal range: 3.5 octaves (D3-G#6)
- Longest Note: 21 seconds
G#6 - Jessica hits this note on her show 'Newlyweds'.
F6 - Jessica hits this note in her song 'Your Faith In Me'.
E6 - Jessica hits this note in a live performance of 'Your Faith In Me'
Early career
Simpson was born in Abilene, Texas and raised in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. She is the daughter of Joe and Tina Simpson and has a younger sister, Ashlee, who launched her own music career in mid-2004. Jessica started singing at the age of twelve as a part of her Baptist church choir. At the same age, she made an unsuccessful application for The New Mickey Mouse Club, which starred fellow singers Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, among other future stars.
Simpson was discovered singing at a church camp by a head of a small CCM record label and recorded an album over the next three years, although it was never released due to the label folding. While waiting for the album to be released, she toured with the Christian Youth Conference circuit performing with Kirk Franklin, God's Property and CeCe Winans. She and her father sold copies of the album after her performances.
Tommy Mottola of Columbia Records obtained a copy of the album and, thinking she had potential as a pop singer, signed her as such.
Pop success
Jessica Simpson on the cover of her album Sweet Kisses
On November 23, 1999, Simpson released her debut pop album Sweet Kisses, reaching a peak of #25 on the US Billboard 200 chart and also making the top 40 of the UK charts. The album proved to be a success, selling over 2 million copies in the US. Her first single, the platinum-selling "I Wanna Love You Forever", reached the top 5 of the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and the top 10 in Canada and the UK in late 1999. Her second single, a duet with then-boyfriend, now-husband Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees, "Where You Are", was a modest radio hit. The last single off the album, the John Mellencamp-sampled "I Think I'm In Love With You", was a top 40 hit in the US and a top 20 hit in Canada and the UK. In 2000, Simpson won two Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Artist and Love Song of the Year ("Where You Are" featuring Nick Lachey).
Simpson's sophomore effort Irresistible, released on June 5, 2001, reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and top 20 of the Canadian album charts. Despite this improvement, the album's sales were less than satisfactory; to date, it has only managed to be certified gold in the US for selling over 500,000 copies. The title track, which was featured as the lead single, went top 20 in the US, Canada and the UK, as well as top 40 in Australia and Switzerland. A follow-up single entitled "A Little Bit" was also released, but failed to achieve much success apart from going top 20 in Portugal. Compared to her competition in ex-Mouseketeers Aguilera and Spears, Simpson seemed to be lagging behind in terms of chart success and sales.
Between her second and third albums, Simpson also released a collection of remixes entitled This Is The Remix on July 2, 2002.
Simpson on the cover of the collector's edition of In This Skin
Her third album, In This Skin, was released on August 19, 2003. On a whole, the record featured a much more mature sound compared to her earlier releases. Though the album initially was not a huge success, it got its chance to rebound on the charts when a special collector's edition was released on March 2, 2004. This helped Skin to reach a peak of #2 on the Billboard 200 and the top 40 of the UK charts, due largely in part to the success of her reality show Newlyweds. The album eventually proved to be her most successful, selling over 3 million copies in the US and allowing her teetering music career a second chance. The lead single off the album was a cover of Diane Warren's "Sweetest Sin"; the song was not very successful, however, and caused a backlash in sales of Skin early on. The follow-up single, the gold-selling "With You", enjoyed much more success, and became her biggest hit since "I Wanna Love You Forever". The song went top 10 in the UK and top 20 in the US and Australia, as well as on world adult charts. The third single, a cover of Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", also went top 20 in the US. A cover version of Robbie Williams' "Angels" was released as the fourth and final single.
Simpson released an album of Christmas songs entitled Rejoyce: The Christmas Album on November 23, 2004. For a collection of holiday covers, the album proved successful; it reached the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and was certified gold in 2005. It includes a duet with her sister Ashlee on the song "Little Drummer Boy". Jessica and Ashlee also performed the song together on Nick & Jessica's Family Christmas, which aired on the ABC on December 1, 2004.
Newlyweds
On October 26, 2002, Simpson wed Lachey. The couple then went on to star in the MTV reality show Newlyweds, which began airing in 2003 and wrapped up in 2005. She often appears as a stereotype of a dumb blonde, notably when she asked whether the Chicken of the Sea tuna she was eating was chicken or fish, and when she thought that buffalo wings were made from actual buffalo; her apparent stupidity made the show a huge hit, making the average rating for each episode 2-3 million viewers. The success of the show greatly aided the sales of In This Skin. When introduced to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Simpson responded: "You've done a nice job decorating the White House". Banking on the success of her new popularity, she appeared on a variety show with Lachey on the ABC called the Nick and Jessica Variety Hour on April 11, 2004. A pilot for a sitcom on ABC was also planned, but was rejected by network executives in May 2004. During the Summer of 2004, Simpson won three Teen Choice Awards for Choice Female Fashion Icon, Choice Hottie Female and Choice Female Reality/Variety TV Star.
Discography
Albums
7,362,100 Albums sold in the U.S.
Singles
- Sweet Kisses
- 1999: "I Wanna Love You Forever" #3 US, #7 UK PLATINUM
- 2000: "Where You Are" (featuring Nick Lachey) #62 US
- 2000: "I Think I'm In Love With You" #21 US, #15 UK
Filmography
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, (born September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas) is an African-American R&B singer, actress, and chief songwriter and producer in the group Destiny's Child.
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles is usually referred to by only her first name, Beyoncé, which is now her stage name, but has come to be called "Beyoncé Knowles" by many in the media. Her debut solo album, 2003's Dangerously In Love, topped both the R&B and pop charts in America, as well as the main album charts in Canada and the UK. The album has spawned four top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 including "Crazy In Love" featuring boyfriend Jay-Z, "Baby Boy" featuring Sean Paul, "Me Myself & I", and "Naughty Girl" all of which were back-to-back multi-week number ones on said chart during last summer and fall. Beyoncé has won five Grammy Awards for her solo work and three as a member of Destiny's Child. As a teen, she attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, where she honed her musical talents.
Destiny's Child
Beyoncé and Destiny's Child toured as an opening act for both Christina Aguilera and TLC before their first album, also called Destiny's Child. The band is managed by her father, Matthew Knowles, who is acknowledged as a strong force in Beyoncé's life. Beyoncé is the main songwriter for the group and is generally regarded as its leader. The group has currently returned from a hiatus since 2001, when its three current members, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, each decided to temporarily pursue solo careers.
The group's self-titled album, released in 1998, was produced by Wyclef Jean and Jermaine Dupri and featured the platinum-selling, number one Hot 100 single "No, No, No". The album itself also went platinum. Destiny Child's second album The Writing's On The Wall released in 1999 featured two number one hits in "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name". ("Bug-A-Boo" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'" were also popular singles off the album.) "Say My Name" won two awards at the 2001 Grammys for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best R&B Song, the latter of which was awarded to the songwriters, which included Beyoncé herself.
The next album, Survivor, proved to be another smash, going to number one on both the American Billboard 200 and R&B Albums charts, and on the Canadian album chart, as well as being generally successful around the world. Two singles from the album went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100: "Independent Women" (Part 1) and "Bootylicious", with the album's title track reaching number 2. "Independent Women" (Part 1) had been the theme song for Charlie's Angels in late 2000, prior to the album's 2001 release. The title track "Survivor" would win the band their second Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album's fourth and final single, "Emotions", was a cover of the Bee Gees hit of the same name; it continued the group's impressive string of top ten hits.
In 2004, the group began receiving threats from an obsessed fan from San Diego, California named LaToya Langford. Primarily aimed at Beyoncé, the threats caused major setbacks for the group. Langford continued the threats, until her arrest on August 23, 2004 in home in San Diego home.
After Langford's arrest, safety seemed apparent and the release of Destiny Fulfilled went through. "Lose My Breath", "Soldier" and "Girl" all of these reached the top 10 Billboard album and singles charts respectively.
On June 13, 2005, it was announced the group will disband after their world tour ends in the fall of 2005. [1] (http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/13/music.destinys.child.ap/index.html)
Solo career
In 2001, Beyoncé won the Songwriter of the Year award, from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards. She is the first African American woman and the second woman of any race to win the award.
Beyoncé then turned to acting, starring alongside Mekhi Phifer in the MTV TV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera without any previous training.This movie was the modern day equivalent to the 1954 musical Carmen which starred Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge. In the summer of 2002, Beyoncé co-starred in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember opposite Mike Myers' role of Austin Powers, as Foxxy Cleopatra. The movie is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the Highest Box Office Comedy Film gross . She also recorded a song entitled "Work It Out", for the movie soundtrack. "Work It Out" was a top 10 hit in the UK and a top 40 hit in the Netherlands, Australia, and Ireland, despite being Beyoncé's biggest flop to date in her home country; in America, radio barely played the song and the video received very minor exposure, only on digital video channels, MTV Jams and VH1 Soul.
During the fall of 2002, Beyoncé was the featured vocalist on Jay-Z's smash single, "'03 Bonnie And Clyde". The couple are engaged, and current rumours say that they will marry soon.
In the spring of 2003, Beyoncé remade a duet with Luther Vandross, called "The Closer I Get To You", originally performed by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. In this version, the vocal parts are flipped around, with Luther taking Roberta's part and Beyoncé taking Donny's. The song was included both on her debut solo album and on Luther's Dance With My Father set, and they shared the Grammy for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.
In 2003, Beyoncé released her debut solo album Dangerously In Love. Its first single, "Crazy In Love", featured a propulsive riff and a guest rap from Jay-Z and rapidly became one of the biggest hits of that summer, staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart for ten weeks. Dangerously In Love went to the top of the album charts in the UK and Canada, as well as on both the American pop (Billboard 200) and R&B charts. This album has sold in excess of 6 million copies worldwide. When single and album simultaneously topped the pop charts in both the US and the UK, she became the first act to achieve this feat since Men At Work in 1983 - in the '60s and '70s, it was performed by the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Rod Stewart.
On the televised celebration of July 4 in 2003, Beyoncé came under controversy from the Grant Memorial Association for her performance of "Crazy In Love", in which she danced in a "patently inappropriate" way on the steps of the tomb of President Ulysses S. Grant. President Grant's great-grandsons Ulysses Grant Dietz and Chapman Foster Grant, spoke up on Knowles' behalf. "The way the world is now, who cares?" said Chapman Grant, "who knows? If the old guy were alive, he might have enjoyed it."
Towards the end of the summer, "Baby Boy", Dangerously In Love's second single, which featured reggae star Sean Paul, began to climb the charts. It, too, went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2003, dominating radio airplay for the fall of 2003.
Around the same time, Beyoncé starred in the movie The Fighting Temptations opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. and recorded a song for it called "Fighting Temptation", with rappers Missy Elliott, Free, and MC Lyte. Unlike Beyoncé's own singles, the song did not become popular, although the movie was a moderate success.
The same year, Beyoncé was Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher just couple minutes after ruining Christmas at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Fresh off the success of "Baby Boy", Beyoncé released her third solo single, "Me Myself And I" towards the end of 2003; Dangerously In Love's fourth single, "Naughty Girl", came out in mid-2004. Both have also made the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
In a Universal Music poll conducted in 2004, Beyoncé beat out Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera to be crowned the "Princess of Pop".
Beyoncé is currently in post-production for The Pink Panther in which she plays role of Xania, appearing opposite Steve Martin who plays Inspector Clouseau. The film is scheduled for release in 2005.
She is also set to play Deena Jones in the adaptation of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, set for release in 2006.
Vocal Capabilities
Beyonce has been classified as a Dramatic Mezzo-Soprano because of the strength and power of her singing voice. She is also capable of employing high and fast melismas and this technique is a unique feature to her sound. She has been hailed frequently by the media as one of the best contemporary pop singers. In Cove Magazine's countdown of the 100 Most Outstanding Pop Vocals of all time, she was placed at number #7 (just 1 place behind Whitney Houston) and given a mark of 48/50 for her vocal capabilities: [2] (http://covemagazine.com/100vocals.html)
Vocal Profile
D6 - She hits it in her song "Happy Face"
C6 - During a live performance of "Emotions", Kodak Theatre, 2002
E3 - "Dangerously In Love", Grammys, 2004
Controversy
Simon Cowell, CEO of the BMG publishing house has openly criticized Beyoncé Knowles in the January 2005 edition of Esquire magazine. "I find the whole Beyoncé thing really mystifying. She's not sexy, she hasn't got a great body and she's not a great singer." He went on to defend Ashlee Simpson, something even the paper's editors found outrageous.
Hit singles
Solo Awards
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Best Female Video("Crazy in Love"): 2003;
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Best R&B Video("Crazy in Love"): 2003;
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Best Choreography("Crazy in Love"): 2003;
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Best Female Video("Naughty Girl"): 2004
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Soul Train Music Awards
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Best Female R&B/Soul Album(Dangerously in Love): 2004;
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The Sammy Davis, Jr. Award for "Entertainer of the Year" - Female: 2004
Besides her awards gained during her solo performing years, Beyoncé also has a host of other awards with Destiny's Child.
Filmography
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The Fighting Temptations ( 2003)
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Endorsements
Discography
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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