Mariah Carey Biography

The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who moved easily from glossy ballads to hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, she earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, but did them both one better by composing all of her own material.

Born in Long Island, NY, on March 27, 1970, as the daughter of a former opera singer and vocal coach -- and named after the song "They Call the Wind Mariah" from the popular Lerner and Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon Mariah began singing at the age of four, and was writing her own songs by the time she was attending Oldfield Middle School. She moved to New York City, the day after graduating from high school. Carey moved to New York City at the age of 17 to pursue a music career; there she befriended keyboardist Ben Margulies, with whom she began writing songs. Her big break came as a backing vocalist on a studio session with dance-pop singer Brenda K. Starr, who handed Carey's demo tape to Columbia Records head Tommy Mottola at a party. According to legend, Mottola listened to the tape in his limo while driving home that same evening, and was so immediately struck by Carey's talent that he doubled back to the party to track her down.

With a fresh-face and angelic allure Mariah exploded on the scene with a signature style that displayed a vocal intensity that had never been seen before. Mariah's self-titled Columbia debut, released in 1990, spawned an extraordinary four #1 singles: "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday" and "I Don't Wanna Cry," and led to Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist. The following year's album, Emotions, was another smash, with the title track scoring her fifth consecutive #1 single and two other titles "Can't Let Go" and "Make It Happen" reaching the Top Five. Her next release, 1992's MTV Unplugged EP, scored another #1 with her cover of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There."

In June 1993, Carey wed Mottola -- some two decades her senior -- in a headline-grabbing ceremony; months later she released her third full-length effort, Music Box, her best-selling record to date.

With the 1993 release of Music Box, which included the chart-topping hit singles "Dreamlover" and "Hero," Carey produced her most commercially successful album to date going an astounding ten-times platinum. Carey soon hit yet another career milestone with the release of her first holiday album Merry Christmas, which contained the instant classic "All I Want for Christmas is You." Over the next two years, Carey continued her relentless chart domination with the album Daydream (1995). Daydream's "Fantasy" single debuted at number one, making Mariah the second artist in history and the first female performer to accomplish that feat. The album's other single, "One Sweet Day" (recorded with Boyz II Men), stayed at the top of the charts for a mind-blowing 16 weeks. Carey followed with the Hip-Hop and R&B infused Butterfly which introduced a new chapter in Mariah's career teaming her with the hottest names in the music business such as Sean Combs and Missy Elliott.

After separating from Mottola, Carey returned in 1997 with Butterfly, another staggering success and her most hip-hop-flavored recording to date. 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).

Co-executive produced by Carey, veteran super-producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, DJ Clark Kent, DJ Clue (co-producer of her #1 hit, "Heartbreaker"), Damizza (producer of "Crybaby" from her Rainbow LP) and others, "Glitter" takes a musical ride through the mind of Carey's troubled character, "Billie." "Because my love interest in the film is a DJ," Mariah explains, "and because this movie is set in the club world of 1982, I wanted to go the authentic route in working with DJ's. Clark [Kent] was a really young kid who DJ'd in those days. And Clue, he was just natural. Damizza is just an all-around, amazingly talented guy who helped me enormously with this project."

Glitter also features some of Mariah's most stirring and emotive ballads, taken from the perspective of her sometimes-troubled character. Through the voice of "Billie," Mariah conveys thoughts going through her character's mind, which center on the hurt associated with being abandoned as a child. Mariah explains, "I wrote songs in order to carry different scenes in a certain way. The songs about a mother/daughter relationship are about 'Billie' and her relationship with her mother; the same thing applies to the songs I wrote for 'Billie' and 'Dice,' (the male lead), and what's going on in their lives. It was a different experience for me, musically, catering songs to specific situations. I think people who were fans of 'Vision of Love' and similar type songs are going to really like these ballads." There is a newfound depth in the remarkably moving pop-soul selections like "Reflections," "Lead the Way" (the movie's love theme) and "Never Too Far."

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. Later that year, Carey made her Island Def Jam debut with the release of the multi-platinum Charmbracelet.

Although she took nearly three years for a follow-up, Carey found a hit with 2005's The Emancipation of Mimi, her most successful record in years. The Emancipation of Mimi was released in April 2005. Entirely written and co-produced by the gifted Carey, her tenth studio album is an intimate portrayal of both the challenges and successes that she experienced during her rise to unparalleled fame. Carey explains the inspiration behind her new album, "With this album, I am embracing my independence and celebrating the person that I have become. Over the years, I have evolved into a better person and an even better artist. For the first time in my life, I am proud and unafraid to be who I really am, and that's what the music of this album and its title reflect. By naming my album The Emancipation of Mimi andreferencing 'Mimi' a nickname only used by those closest to me, I am inviting my fans into my life."

A brilliant artist who has co-written every song on each of her albums since 1990, Mariah Carey has consistently shown her willingness to express herself both as a remarkable vocalist and an acclaimed songwriter. The Emancipation of Mimi offers more than a glimpse into Mariah's world featuring tunes like the heartfelt "Circles" and "Fly Like a Bird," with their positive messages of affirmation and hope. While being honest and vulnerable in expressing her emotions through songs like "I Wish You Knew" and "Joyride," Mariah leaves no doubt that she is a woman who speaks her mind. The infectious, edgy "It's Like That," co-produced by Jermaine Dupri is the album's first hit single and a definitive statement of where Mariah stands at this point in her life, and isher fastestclimbing single in five years.

Mariah and executive producer, Antonio "L.A." Reid (Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman), approached the creation of The Emancipation of Mimi in a very specific way delivering ballads like "We Belong Together" (which pays homage to the Bobby Womack classic "If You Think You're Lonely Now") that her fans have come to expect while evoking a new sound that will surely broaden her appeal and capture an entirely new audience.

The Emancipation of Mimi marks "the return of the voice." As an artist who has paved the way for a host of emerging talent throughout the years, Mariah is set once again to redefine the heights of musical success with her incomparable talent and timeless appeal. With a refined and sophisticated new look indicative of her artistic evolution, she is poised to conquer new territory. Consistently evolving musically, personally, and creatively Mariah will re-assert her claim as the best-selling female performer of all time with The Emancipation of Mimi. As an artist revered worldwide, her boundless talent and success is unmatched across the globe.

Mariah has garnered many accolades throughout her career including 2 Grammy Awards, 8 American Music Awards, Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award and the World Music Award for "World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium" to name a few. Mariah's many accomplishments and unprecedented career success stand as a testament to her creativity and talent. That they represent only the beginning is all the more impressive.

Aside from her chart-topping cover of the Jackson 5"s "I'll Be there," Mariah co-wrote all her #1 smashes. As well as being the only artist to have had a #1 record in each year of the 90's, and have more singles debut at #1 (three) than any artist, Mariah has more #1 singles than any female artist ever. Mariah also has had more #1 singles than any contemporary recording artist today - only the Beatles (20) and Elvis Presley (18) have more. In addition to the magnitude of winning multiple Grammy, Soul Train and American Music Awards, she was the first female to witness two albums reach the diamond-certified, 10 million sales mark.

Apart from her musical achievements, Mariah Carey's depth of person stems from her love and support of children in need; evident through her continuous involvement in a host of charities dedicated to ensuring their happiness and well being. Mariah is devoted to such charities as The Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Fresh Air Fund, Save the Music, and The National Adoption Center to name a few. With an unwavering effort through appearances, concerts, and donations to these organizations, Mariah has raised millions of dollars. Her generous involvement and on-going support of the Fresh Air Fund resulted in Camp Mariah, the fund's first camp named in honor of an individual. Always willing to offer her "best" self to others, Mariah has not only established herself as a talented artist, but also as a sincere kind-hearted individual worthy of the world's acclaim.

Sources: mariahstyle.net, mariahconnection.com, mariahcarey.com, vh1.com.