Female Artists/Acts who have reached Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart
Excludes any uncredited appearances on singles.
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- Composer
The remarkable, hyper-ambitious Material Girl who never stops re-inventing herself, Madonna has sold over three hundred million records and CDs to adoring fans worldwide. Her film career, however, is another story. Her performances have consistently drawn scathing or laughable reviews from film critics, and the films have usually had tepid, if any, success at the box office. Born Madonna Louise Ciccone in August 1958 in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York in 1978 and studied with renowned choreographer Alvin Ailey, joined up with the Patrick Hernandez Revue, formed a pop/dance band called Breakfast Club and began working with then-boyfriend Stephen Bray on recording several disco-oriented songs. New York producer/D.J. Mark Kamins passed her demo tapes to Sire Records in early 1982 and the rest is history. The 1980s was Madonna's boom decade, and she dominated the music charts with a succession of multimillion-selling albums, and her musical and fashion influence on young women was felt around the globe. Madonna first appeared on screen in two low-budget films marketed to an adolescent audience: A Certain Sacrifice (1979) and Vision Quest (1985). However, she scored a minor cult hit with Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) starring alongside spunky Rosanna Arquette. Madonna's next effort with then husband Sean Penn, Shanghai Surprise (1986), was savaged by critics, although the resilient star managed to somewhat improve her standing with her next two films, the offbeat Who's That Girl (1987) (although she did receive decidedly mixed reviews, they weren't as negative as those of her previous effort) and the quirky Damon Runyon-inspired Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989). The big-budget and star-filled Dick Tracy (1990) had her playing bad girl "Breathless Mahoney" flirting with Warren Beatty, but the epic failed to catch fire at the box office. Taking an earthier role, Madonna was much more entertaining alongside Tom Hanks and Geena Davis in A League of Their Own (1992), a story about female baseball players during W.W.II. However, she again drew the wrath of critics with the sexy whodunit Body of Evidence (1992). Several other minor screen roles followed, then Madonna starred as Eva Perón in Evita (1996), a fairly well received screen adaptation of the hugely successful Broadway musical, for which she received a Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Material Girl stayed away from the movie cameras for several years, returning to co-star in the lukewarm romantic comedy The Next Best Thing (2000), followed by the painful Swept Away (2002). If those films weren't bad enough, she was woefully miscast as a vampish fencing instructor in the James Bond adventure Die Another Day (2002). After finally admitting that her acting days were over, Madonna began a directing career in 2008 with the barely remembered Filth and Wisdom (2008) and a year later she reunited with Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) director Alek Keshishian to develop a script about the relationship between the Duke of Windsor and the Duchess of Windsor that led to his abdication in 1936: the result, a movie named W.E. (2011), starring James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough as the infernal but still royal couple, was released in 2011 to lukewarm critics but it gathered one Oscar nomination for costumes and won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "Masterpiece".1. Into The Groove - 1985 : 4 weeks
2. Papa Don't Preach - 1986 : 3 weeks
3. True Blue - 1986 : 1 week
4. La Isla Bonita - 1987 : 2 weeks
5. Who's That Girl - 1987 : 1 week
6. Like A Prayer - 1989 : 3 weeks
7. Vogue - 1990 : 4 weeks
8. Frozen - 1998 : 1 week
9. American Pie - 2000 : 1 week
10. Music - 2000 : 1 week
11. Hung Up - 2005 : 3 weeks
12. Sorry - 2006 : 1 week
13. 4 Minutes - 2008 : 4 weeks (with Justin Timberlake)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Spice Girls is the biggest female girlgroup of all time. Their albums "Spice" (1996), "Spice World" (1997) and "Forever" (2000) was sold at 86 millions worldwide and all singles including "Wannabe", "Say You'll Be There", "2 Become 1", "Mama", "Who Do You Think You Are", "Spice Up Your Life", "Too Much", "Stop", "Viva Forever", "Holler", "Let Love Lead The Way" and "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)", became anthems for an whole generation. They are also the main characters of the movie Spice World (1997) and Spice World (1998).1. Wannabe - 1996 : 7 weeks
2. Say You'll Be There - 1996 : 2 weeks
3. 2 Become 1 - 1996 : 3 weeks
4. Who Do You Think You Are / Mama - 1997 : 3 weeks
5. Spice Up Your Life - 1997 : 1 week
6. Too Much - 1997 : 2 weeks
7. Viva Forever - 1998 : 2 weeks
8. Goodbye - 1998 : 1 week
9. Holler / Let Love Lead The Way - 2000 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988 in Bridgetown, St. Michael, Barbados to Monica Braithwaite, an accountant & Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor. Her mother is Afro-Guyanese and her father is of Afro-Barbadian and British Isles ancestry. Rihanna lived the life of a normal island girl going to Combermere, a top sixth form school. Rihanna won numerous beauty pageants and performed Mariah Carey's single, Hero in a school talent show. Her life changed forever when one of her friends introduced her to Evan Rodgers, a producer from New York who was in Barbados for a vacation with his wife, who is a native. Rodgers arranged for her to go to New York to meet Jay-Z, CEO of Def Jam Records. He heard her sing and knew she was going to be incredibly successful. She was age 16 when she was signed to Def Jam. Since then, she's amassed phenomenal success.1. Umbrella - 2007 : 10 weeks (with Jay-Z)
2. Take A Bow - 2008 : 2 weeks
3. Run This Town - 2009 : 1 week (with Jay-Z and Kanye West)
4. Only Girl (In The World) - 2010 : 2 weeks
5. What's My Name? - 2011 : 1 week (with Drake)
6. We Found Love - 2011 : 6 weeks (with Calvin Harris)
7. Diamonds - 2012 : 1 week
8. The Monster - 2013 : 1 week (with Eminem)
9. Wild Thoughts - 2017 : 1 week (with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Kylie Ann Minogue was born on 28 May, 1968. The eldest of three children, Kylie's acting career began early, but it was her role as "Charlene" in the Australian soap, Neighbours (1985), which established Kylie as an international star. Her singing career began, purely by accident, when a record company executive heard Kylie's rendition of Little Eva's 1962 hit, "The Loco-Motion". She signed with PWL Records and hit-makers Stock/Aitken/Waterman in 1987. Five albums and a greatest hits compilation followed, and she made history by having more than 20 consecutive top ten hits in the UK. Her motion picture debut came with the starring role of "Lola" in The Delinquents (1989). She left PWL Records in 1992 to head in a decidedly more mature musical direction, and her self-titled debut on deconstruction records was released in 1994, spawning chart hits like "Confide In Me" and "Put Yourself In My Place". Kylie's doings were always a favorite subject of the press, but she really made waves with her controversial 1995 duet with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, "Where the Wild Roses Grow". 1997 saw the release of Kylie's first single in more than 3 years, "Some Kind of Bliss", co-written and produced by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore of The Manic Street Preachers.1. I Should Be So Lucky - 1988 : 5 weeks
2. Especially For You - 1989 : 3 weeks (with Jason Donovan)
3. Hand On Your Heart - 1989 : 1 week
4. Tears On My Pillow - 1990 : 1 week
5. Spinning Around - 2000 : 1 week
6. Can't Get You Out Of My Head - 2001 : 4 weeks
7. Slow - 2003 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Jess Glynne was born on 20 October 1989 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. She is a music artist and actress, known for Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), Sense8 (2015) and Jess Glynne: Home (2014).1. Rather Be - 2014 : 4 weeks (with Clean Bandit)
2. My Love - 2014 : 1 week (with Route 94)
3. Hold My Hand - 2015 : 3 weeks
4. Not Letting Go - 2015 : 1 week (with Tinie Tempah)
5. Don't Be So Hard On Yourself - 2015 : 1 week
6. These Days - 2018 : 1 week (with Rudimental, Macklemore and Dan Caplen)
7. I’ll Be There - 2018 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Ariana Grande was born Ariana Grande-Butera on June 26, 1993 in Boca Raton, Florida to Joan Grande, a chief executive officer for Hose-McCann Communications & Edward Butera, a graphic designer, photographer, artist and Ibi Designs Inc. owner/founder. She starred in the 2008 musical, 13 before becoming a household name through her roles on Nickelodeon. She appeared as Cat Valentine in the network's sitcoms Victorious (2010) and Sam & Cat (2013), lent her voice to the character Diaspro in Nickelodeon's revival of Winx Club (2004), and was part of the main cast for the Nick TV movie "Swindle". She has since appeared in other theatre and television roles.
Ariana's music career began in 2011 with the soundtrack album "Music from Victorious". In 2013, she released her first studio album Yours Truly, which entered atop the US Billboard 200. The album's lead single, The Way, opened in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with critics comparing her wide vocal range to that of Mariah Carey.
Ariana's second studio album, My Everything (2014), entered at number one in the US and charted in the top 10 in 24 other countries. With the lead single, Problem and several other singles, she was continuously in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for 34 weeks and had the most top 10 singles of any artist in 2014. The next year, she gave her first world tour, The Honeymoon Tour, to promote My Everything. In 2016, she released her third studio album Dangerous Woman, which charted at number two on the Billboard 200. The title track debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first person in the history of that chart to have the lead singles from each of their first three albums debut within the top 10 in the US. In 2017, Ariana gave her international Dangerous Woman Tour.
As of June 2017, Ariana's music videos had been viewed a total of more than nine billion times online. Her accolades include three American Music Awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards, an MTV Video Music Award and four Grammy Award nominations. All three of her albums have been certified platinum by the RIAA. She has supported a range of charities and has a large following on social media. In 2016, Time named Ariana one of the 100 most influential people in the world on their annual list.1. Problem - 2014 : 1 week (with Iggy Azalea)
2. Bang Bang - 2014 : 1 week (with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj)
3. thank u, next - 2018 : 6 weeks
4. 7 Rings - 2019 : 4 weeks
5. Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored - 2019 : 1 week
6. Rain on Me - 2020 : 1 week (with Lady Gaga)
7. Positions - 2020 : 6 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
1. Freak Like Me - 2002 : 1 week
2. Round Round - 2002 : 1 week
3. Hole In The Head - 2003 : 1 week
4. Push The Button - 2005 : 3 weeks
5. Walk This Way - 2007 : 1 week (with Girls Aloud)
6. About You Now - 2007 : 4 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981 in McComb, Mississippi & raised in Kentwood, Louisiana. As a child, Britney attended dance classes, and she was great at gymnastics, winning many competitions and the like. But, most of all, Britney loved to sing. At age 8, Britney tried out for The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989), but was turned down due to her young age. This directed her to an off-Broadway show, "Ruthless", for a 2-year run as the title character. At age 11, she again tried for The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) and, this time, made it as a mouseketeer alongside many stars of today (Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez of *NSYNC and Ryan Gosling). Her big break, however, came when she was signed as a Jive Recording Artist in the late 90s. With the release of her debut album, "...Baby One More Time" in early 1999, Britney became an international success, selling 13 million copies of "Baby" and 9 million (as of July 2001) of her sophomore album, "Oops!...I Did It Again", released in May of 2000.1. ...Baby One More Time - 1999 : 2 weeks
2. Born To Make You Happy - 2000 : 1 week
3. Oops!...I Did It Again - 2000 : 1 week
4. Toxic - 2004 : 1 week
5. Everytime - 2004 : 1 week
6. Scream & Shout - 2013 : 2 weeks (with will.i.am)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is an American songwriter, singer, actress, philanthropist, dancer and fashion designer.
Gaga was born on March 28, 1986 in Manhattan, New York City, to Cynthia Louise (Bissett), a philanthropist and business executive, and Joseph Anthony Germanotta, Jr., an internet entrepreneur. Her father is of Italian descent; and her mother, who is from West Virginia, is of half Italian and half French, English, German, and Scottish ancestry. Gaga was able to sing and play the piano from a young age. She attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart from age 11 where was bullied for her appearance (she was small and plumper than other girls with large front teeth) and eccentric habits.
By the age of 14, Gaga was performing at open mike nights in clubs and bars. By age 17, she had gained early admission to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In addition to sharpening her songwriting skills, she composed essays and analytical papers on art, religion, social issues and politics. At the age of 19 Gaga withdrew from her studies and moved out of her parents' home in order to pursue a musical career. During this time she started a band which began to gain local attention.
After a brief partnership with talent scout Rob Fusari, which resulted in the creation of her stage name, Gaga was signed to Def Jam Records in 2006; however she was dropped from the label after just three months. Devastated, Gaga returned home, and became increasingly experimental: fascinating herself with emerging neo-burlesque shows, go-go dancing at bars dressed in little more than a bikini in addition to experimenting with drugs.
Gaga met performance artist Lady Starlight during this time; after a performance at Lollapalooza Festival in 2007 Gaga was signed by Vince Herbert to Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. Having served as an apprentice songwriter under an internship at Famous Music Publishing, which was later acquired by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Gaga subsequently struck a music publishing deal with Sony/ATV. As a result, she was hired to write songs for Britney Spears and labelmates New Kids on the Block, Fergie, and the Pussycat Dolls. At Interscope, singer-songwriter Akon recognized her vocal abilities when she sang a reference vocal for one of his tracks in studio; Akon then convinced Interscope-Geffen-A&M Chairman and CEO Jimmy Iovine to form a joint deal by having her also sign with his own label Kon Live, making her his "franchise player."
In 2008 Gaga released her first album 'The Fame' to lukewarm radio play; Gaga toured around Europe and in gay clubs in the US to promote the album - however it was not until her first hit 'Just Dance' came to mainstream attention in 2009 that Gaga exploded onto the music scene.
Since then Gaga has gained numerous awards and nominations for a string of hits; her first album spawned several more smash hits 'Paparazzi', 'Loveame' and 'Poker Face'); while touring the album Gaga wrote 'The Fame Monster', an EP examining the darker side to her new-found fame. The Fame Monster was released in 2009 and won multiple awards, spawning her most iconic single 'Bad Romance' as well as 'Telephone' and 'Alejandro'. During this time Gaga came under increased public and critical scrutiny for her eccentric and often bizarre style choices. Gaga embarked on her second tour, The Monster Ball; upon finishing in May 2011, the critically acclaimed and commercially accomplished tour ran for over one and a half years and grossed $227.4 million, making it one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time and the highest-grossing for a debut headlining artist. Concerts performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City were filmed for an HBO television special. The special accrued one of its five Emmy Award nominations and has since been released on DVD and Blu-ray.
In 2011 Gaga released her second full-length album 'Born this Way'; the album was received vastly more critically than her previous two for touching on themes of politics, sexuality, and religion. Despite this, the album's songs were praised critically, and Born This Way sold 1.108 million copies in its first week in the US, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and topping the charts in more than 20 other countries. In addition to exceeding 8 million copies in worldwide sales, Born This Way received 3 Grammy Award nominations, including her third consecutive for Album of the Year. In March 2012, Gaga was ranked fourth on Billboard's list of top moneymakers of 2011, grossing $25,353,039 dollars, which included sales from Born This Way and her Monster Ball Tour.
At the end of April 2012, Gaga's Born This Way kicked off in Korea - the tour would last 2 years and take the singer to every continent of the globe. However in February 2012 the tour was abruptly canceled; Gaga had a labral tear in her right hip which she had been nursing secretly for several weeks in the hopes that she would be able to continue the tour. After a performance in Toronto left her unable to walk and in considerable pain, she was taken to hospital for surgery and the tour was canceled. Through to Jan. 17, the tour had grossed $168.2 million and moved 1.6 million tickets to 85 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore, with the Asian, European, and South American legs already completed in 2012. The North American leg, which was to wrap the tour and was almost completely sold out, would have likely put the tour at more than $200 million gross, easily in the top 20 tours of all time and probably in the top 15, according to Billboard. As it stands, Gaga finished sixth among all touring artists in 2012, with a gross of $125 million and attendance of more than 1.1 million, according to Boxscore.
Gaga wrote her third album, ARTPOP, released in 2013. Gaga made her acting debut in Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills (2013), the sequel to his 2010 film Machete, and also appeared in Rodriguez's sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014). In 2018, she starred with Bradley Cooper, who also directed, in A Star Is Born (2018). Gaga received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the role.1. Just Dance - 2009 : 3 weeks
2. Poker Face - 2009 : 3 weeks
3. Bad Romance - 2009 : 2 weeks
4. Telephone - 2010 : 2 weeks (with Beyonce)
5. Shallow - 2018 : 2 weeks (with Bradley Cooper)
6. Rain on Me - 2020 : 1 week (with Ariana Grande)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas. Her mom, Tina Knowles designs their glittering costumes & her dad, Mathew Knowles manages Destiny's Child. Solange, her sister (they're 4 years apart) has released her debut album. She dances with her big sister during DC-3 concerts. Beyoncé's of Louisiana Creole & African descent.
She and her group were discovered by Whitney Houston. One of her favorite songs is "Lovefool" by The Cardigans. Her favorite item of clothing is a pair of path work metallic boots. She writes & produces many of the group's songs, including smash hits "Jumpin Jumpin", "Bootylicious", "Nasty Girl", "Independent Women", "Happy Face" and "Apple Pie a la mode".1. Crazy In Love - 2003 : 3 weeks (with Jay-Z)
2. Déjà Vu - 2006 : 1 week (with Jay-Z)
3. Beautiful Liar - 2007 : 4 weeks (with Shakira)
4. If I Were A Boy - 2008 : 1 week
5. Telephone - 2010 : 1 week (with Lady Gaga)
6. Texas Hold 'Em - 2024 : 5 weeks- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
All Saints is known for The Beach (2000), The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) and All Saints: The Video (1998).1. Never Ever - 1998 : 1 week
2. Under The Bridge / Lady Marmalade - 1998 : 2 weeks
3. Bootie Call - 1998 : 1 week
4. Pure Shores - 2000 : 2 weeks
5. Black Coffee - 2000 : 1 week- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Born in 1983, British singer Cheryl Cole studied dance, modeled and appeared in advertisements as a child. Her crowd-pleasing performances on Popstars: The Rivals (2002) won her membership to the pop group Girls Aloud and vaulted her into music stardom, virtually overnight. Cole has also enjoyed some success as a solo artist and appeared as a judge on The X Factor UK (2004).Born Cheryl Ann Tweedy in Newcastle upon Tyne, England on June 30, 1983. Cole showed an early interest in dance and was enrolled at The Royal Ballet's summer school at 9 years of age. She also won several modeling competitions and appeared in advertisements, including a pair of nationally televised commercials for British Gas. Cole's breakout moment, however, came in 2002 when, at age 19, she auditioned for the United Kingdom talent show Popstars: The Rivals (2002). After weeks of competition, the show's audience selected her along with four other female contestants: Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. Together they formed the group Girls Aloud, and Cole would spend the next seven years accumulating 20 Top 10 singles, including four songs and two albums that topped the U.K. charts. Cole began her solo trajectory in June 2008, when she signed on to be a judge on Simon Cowell's TV talent show, The X Factor UK (2004). She also released a single, "Cheryl Cole: Fight for This Love (2009)" which quickly rose to No. 1 on the charts. In December 2009, 5 million viewers tuned in to watch Cole host a one-hour special, Cheryl Cole's Night In (2009). Cole had signed on for the American version of The X Factor UK (2004).in 2011, but she was dropped from the show early on.1. Fight For This Love - 2009 : 2 weeks
2. Promise This - 2010 : 1 week
3. Call My Name - 2012 : 1 week
4. Crazy Stupid Love - 2014 : 1 week (with Tinie Tempah)
5. I Don't Care - 2014 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California to Mary Christine Hudson (née Perry) & Maurice Keith Hudson. She has a big sister named Angela & a little brother named David, and has English, Portuguese, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. Her mother's half-brother was director Frank Perry.
Raised in a deeply religious family, Perry's first experience of performing was singing in church. A passion for music grew and at the age of 15, Perry began visiting Nashville, gaining experience of song writing and recording demos.
She signed to a Christian record label, Red Hill, and recorded an album, under her birth name of Katy Hudson. The album was not a success. At age 17 she moved to Los Angeles and collaborated with producer Glen Ballard, but was not able to secure a lasting record deal. Perry did sign to Columbia Records in 2004, but again this did not prove a success, and she was dropped.
An executive at Columbia recommended Perry to the chairman of Virgin Records, Jason Flom, which resulted in her signing for Capitol Music Group. She recorded her second album, "One of the Boys" and in the Spring of 2008 released the lead single, the controversial "I Kissed a Girl". The song proved a smash, hitting the number one slot in several countries. Other hit singles followed and the album was a commercial success.
Perry was now established as a pop superstar and cemented her position with the release of her next album "Teenage Dreams", which spawned more huge hits including "California Gurls" and "Firework". Many awards and music industry records followed. In 2012 Perry made the move into movies, releasing the documentary feature film Part of Me (2012).
Katy has started her own record label called "Metamorphosis Music" and has signed her very first artist Ferras, who was signed to Capitol Records back in 2007 with Katy Perry. He had released an EP the same day that the record label news was released to the public. There is also a duet with Katy on his new EP; they are expected to be on tour together in North America June 22 in Raleigh, North Carolina-October 11 in Houston, Texas.1. I Kissed A Girl - 2008 : 5 weeks
2. California Gurls - 2010 : 2 weeks (with Snoop Dogg)
3. Part Of Me - 2012 : 1 week
4. Roar - 2013 : 2 weeks
5. Feels - 2017 : 1 week (with Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams and Big Sean)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Little Mix are a British girl group formed in 2011 during the eighth series of the UK version of The X Factor. They were the first group to win the competition, and following their victory, they signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music. The members are Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson. Little Mix released their debut album DNA in 2012, which peaked inside the top 10 in ten countries including the UK and US. This made Little Mix the first girl group since the Pussycat Dolls to reach the US top 5 with their debut album, as well as earning the highest debut US chart position by a British girl group, breaking the record previously held by the Spice Girls. In the UK, the album spawned the number-one single "Wings". The group's sophomore effort Salute, which was released in 2013, became their second album to debut inside the top 10 in both the UK and US. The album produced two top 10 singles in their home country; "Move" and "Salute". Little Mix released their third studio album Get Weird in 2015 and it is their best-selling and longest charting album to date in the UK. The album's lead single "Black Magic" reached number one in the UK and was also nominated for two Brit Awards in 2016. The group's fourth studio album Glory Days (2016) became their first number one album in the UK and was also the longest reigning girl group Number 1 since the Spice Girls' debut album 20 years earlier. The album's lead single "Shout Out to My Ex" became the group's fourth UK number one single, while the second and fourth singles, "Touch" and "Power", became the group's tenth and eleventh top 10 singles in the UK, respectively. The group won Best British Single for "Shout Out to My Ex" at the 2017 Brit Awards; they have also received several other awards during their career, including two MTV Europe Music Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and two Glamour Awards. As of October 2016, the group has achieved four platinum certified albums and eleven certified singles in the UK. With four UK number one singles and highest first week UK album sales for a girl band since the Spice Girls, Little Mix are one of the most successful female acts in contemporary British popular culture. In 2017, Little Mix holds the record for the most VEVO Certified Videos for a British female artist, as well as the most certified videos for a girl group, with 13 certified videos in total. In 2016, they received the title of the worlds biggest girl band and still hold that title today.1. Cannonball - 2011 : 1 week
2. Wings - 2012 : 1 week
3. Black Magic - 2015 : 3 weeks
4. Shout Out To My Ex - 2016 : 3 weeks
5. Sweet Melody - 2021 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born into a musical family on 9 August 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of gospel star Cissy Houston (née Emily Lee Drinkard) and John Russell Houston, Jr., and cousin of singing star Dionne Warwick.
She began singing in the choir at her church, The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, as a young child and by the age of 15 was singing backing vocals professionally with her mother on Chaka Khan's 1978 hit, 'I'm Every Woman'. She went on to provide backing vocals for Lou Rawls, Jermaine Jackson and her own mother and worked briefly as a model, appearing on the cover of 'Seventeen' magazine in 1981.
She began working as a featured vocalist for the New York-based funk band Material and it was the quality of her vocal work with them that attracted the attention of the major record labels, including Arista with whom she signed in 1983 and where she stayed for the rest of her career.
Her debut album, 'Whitney Houston', was released in 1985 and became the biggest-selling album by a debut artist. Several hit singles, including 'Saving All My Love For You', 'How Will I Know', 'You Give Good Love', and 'The Greatest Love of All', were released from the album, setting her up for a Beatles-beating seven consecutive US number ones. The album itself sold 3 million copies in its first year in the US and went on to sell 25 million worldwide, winning her the first of her six Grammies.
The 1987 follow-up album, 'Whitney', which included the hits 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' and 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', built on her success but it was the 1992 film The Bodyguard (1992) that sealed her place as one of the best-selling artists of all time. While the movie itself and her performance in it were not highly praised, the soundtrack album and her cover of the Dolly Parton song 'I Will Always Love You' topped the singles and albums charts for months and sold 44 million copies around the world.
That same year she married ex-New Edition singer Bobby Brown with whom she had her only child, their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in March 1993. It was about this time that her much documented drug use began and by 1996 she was a daily user.
Her 1998 album, 'My Love Is Your Love' was well reviewed but the drug abuse began to affect her reputation and press reports at the time said that she was becoming difficult to work with, if she turned up at all. She was dropped from a performance at The 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000) because she was "out of it" at rehearsals. Her weight fluctuated wildly - she was so thin at a 'Michael Jackson' tribute in 2001 that rumors circulated the next day that she had died - and her voice began to fail her. She was twice admitted to rehab and declared herself drug-free in 2010 but returned to rehab in May 2011.
Her 2009 comeback album 'I Look To You' was positively received and sold well, but promotional performances were still marred by her weakened voice. Her final acting performance was in Sparkle (2012) (a remake of the 1976 movie, Sparkle (1976)), released after her death.
She was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on 11 February 2012.1. Saving All My Love For You - 1985 : 2 weeks
2. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) - 1987 : 2 weeks
3. One Moment In Time - 1988 : 2 weeks
4. I Will Always Love You - 1992 : 10 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
The beat goes on ... and on ... and as strong as ever for this superstar entertainer who has well surpassed the half-century mark while improbably transforming herself from an artificial, glossy "flashionplate" singer into a serious, Oscar-worthy, dramatic actress ... and back again! With more ups and downs than the 2008 Dow Jones Industrial Average, Cher managed to rise like a phoenix from the ashes each time she was down, somehow re-inventing herself with every decade and finding herself on top all over again. As a singer Cher is the only performer to have earned "top 10" hit singles in four consecutive decades; as an actress, she and Barbra Streisand are the only two Best Actress Oscar winners to have a #1 hit song on the Billboard charts. At age 77, Cher has yet to decide to get completely off her fabulous roller coaster ride, although she has threatened to on occasion.
The daughter of Arkansas-born Georgia Holt (the former Jackie Jean Crouch) and truck driver John Sarkisian, Cher was born in El Centro, California, on May 20, 1946. She has a half-sister, Georganne LaPiere. Cher is of Armenian heritage on her father's side, and of English and German, with more distant Irish, Dutch, and French, heritage on her mother's side. Cher's parents divorced when she was an infant and her mother went on to marry six more times. Her mother, who aspired to be an actress and model, paid for Cher's acting classes. Cher had undiagnosed dyslexia, which acutely affected her studies; frustrated, she quit high school at 16 to pursue her dream. At that time, she had a brief relationship with actor Warren Beatty.
Meeting the quite older (by 11 years) Sonny Bono in November 1962 changed the 16-year-old's life forever. Bono was working for record producer Phil Spectorat Gold Star Studios in Hollywood at the time and managed to persuade Spector to hire Cher as a session singer. As such, she went on to record backup on such Spector classics as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Be My Baby". The couple's relationship eventually shifted from soulmates to lovers and she and Sonny married on October 27, 1964.
At first Cher sang solo with Sonny behind the scenes writing, arranging and producing her songs. When the records went nowhere, Sonny decided they needed to perform as a team so they put out two songs in 1964 under the recording names of Caesar and Cleo ("The Letter" and "Baby Don't Go"). Again, no success. The changing of their names, however, made a difference and in 1965, they officially took on the music world as Sonny & Cher and earned instant rewards.
The now 19-year-old Cher and 30-year-old Sonny became huge hits following the release of their first album, "Look at Us" (summer, 1965), which contained the hit single "I Got You Babe". With the song catapulting to #1, they decided to re-release their earlier single "Baby Don't Go", and it also raced up the charts to #8. An assembly line of mild hits dotted the airwaves over the next year or two, culminating in the huge smash hit "The Beat Goes On" (#6, 1967). Between 1965 and 1972 Sonny & Cher charted a total of six "Top 10" hits.
The kooky couple became icons of the mid-'60s "flower power" scene, wearing garish garb and outlandish hairdos and makeup. However, they found a way to make it trendy and were embraced around the world. TV musical variety and teen pop showcases relished their contrasting styles -- the short, excitable, mustachioed, nasal-toned simpleton and the taller, exotic, unflappable fashion maven. They found a successful formula with their repartee, which became a central factor in their live concert shows, even more than their singing. With all this going on, Sonny still endeavored to promote Cher as a solo success. Other than such hits with "All I Really Want to Do" (#16) and "Bang, Bang" (#2), she struggled to find a separate identity. Sonny even arranged film projects for her but Good Times (1967), an offbeat fantasy starring the couple and directed by future powerhouse William Friedkin, and Cher's serious solo effort Chastity (1969) both flickered out and died a quick death.
By the end of the 1960s, Sonny & Cher's career had stumbled as they witnessed the American pop culture experience a drastic evolutionary change. The couple maintained their stage act and all the while Sonny continued to polish it up in a shrewd gamble for TV acceptance. While Sonny on stage played the ineffectual object of Cher's stinging barbs on stage, he was actually the highly motivated mastermind off stage and, amazingly enough, his foresight and chutzpah really paid off. Although the couple had lost favor with the new 70s generation, Sonny encouraged TV talent scouts to catch their live act.
The network powers-that-be saw potential in the duo as they made a number of guest TV appearances in specials and on variety and talk shows and in what was essentially "auditioning" for their own TV vehicle. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971) was given the green light as a summer replacement series and was an instant sensation when it earned its own time spot that fall season. The show received numerous Emmy Award nominations during its run and the couple became stars all over again. Their lively, off-the-wall comedy sketch routines, her outré Bob Mackie fashions and their harmless, edgy banter were the highlights of the hour-long program. Audiences took strongly to the couple who appeared to have a deep-down sturdy relationship. Their daughter Chaz Bono occasionally added to the couple's loving glow on the show. Cher's TV success also generated renewed interest in her as a solo recording artist and she came up with three #1 hits during this time ("Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady").
Behind the scenes, though, it was a different story. A now-confident Cher yearned to be free of husband Sonny's Svengali-like control over her life and career. The marriage split at the seams in 1974 and they publicly announced their separation. The show, which had earned Cher a Golden Globe Award, took a fast tumble as the separation and divorce grew more acrimonious. Eventually they both tried to launch their own solo variety shows, but both failed to even come close to their success as a duo. Audiences weren't interested in Cher without Sonny, and vice versa.
In late June of 1975, only four days after the couple's divorce, Cher married rock musician Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. That marriage imploded rather quickly amid reports of out-of-control drug use on his part. They were divorced by 1979 with only one bright outcome -- son Elijah Allman.
In 1976 Sonny and Cher attempted to "make up" again, this time to the tune of a second The Sonny and Cher Show (1976). Audiences, however, did not accept the "friendly" divorced couple after so much tabloid nastiness. After the initial curiosity factor wore off, the show was canceled amid poor ratings. Moreover, the musical variety show format was on its way out as well. Once again, another decade was looking to end badly for Cher.
Cher found a mild success with the "top 10" disco hit "Take Me Home" in 1979, but not much else. Not one to be counted out, however, the ever resourceful singer decided to lay back and focus on acting instead. At age 36, Cher made her Broadway debut in 1982 in what was essentially her first live acting role with "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean". Centering around a reunion of girlfriends from an old James Dean fan club, her performance was critically lauded. This earned her the right to transfer her stage triumph to film alongside Karen Black and Sandy Dennis. Cher earned critical raves for Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), her first film role since 1969.
With film #2 came a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for her portrayal of a lesbian toiling in a nuclear parts factory in Silkwood (1983), starring Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell. This in turn was followed by her star turn in Mask (1985) as the blunt, footloose mother of a son afflicted with a rare disease (played beautifully by Eric Stoltz). Once again Cher received high praise and copped a win from the Cannes Film Festival for her poignant performance.
Fully accepted by this time as an actress of high-caliber, she integrated well into the Hollywood community. Proving that she could hold up a film outright, she was handed three hit vehicles to star in: The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Suspect (1987), and Moonstruck (1987), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Along with all this newfound Hollywood celebrity came interest in her as a singer and recording artist again. "If I Could Turn Back Time (#3) and the Peter Cetera duet "After All" (#6) placed her back on the Billboard charts.
During the 1990s Cher continued to veer back and forth among films, TV specials and expensively mounted concerts. In January of 1998, tragedy struck when Cher's ex-husband Sonny Bono, who had forsaken an entertainment career for California politics and became a popular Republican congressman in the process, was killed in a freak skiing accident. That same year the duo received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contribution to television. In the meantime an astounding career adrenaline rush came in the form of a monstrous, disco-flavored hit single ("Believe"). The song became a #1 hit and the same-titled album the biggest hit of her career. "Believe" reached #1 in 23 different countries.
Having little to prove anymore to anyone, Cher decided to embark on a "Farewell Tour" in the early part of the millennium and, after much stretching, her show finally closed in 2005 in Los Angeles. It didn't take long, however, for Cher to return from this self-imposed exile. In 2008, she finalized a deal with Las Vegas' Caesars Palace for the next three years to play the Colosseum, and has since returned live on numerous "farewell" tour extravaganzas. Never say never. Cher returned films with her co-starring role opposite Christina Aguilera in Burlesque (2010), but has since only provided a glitzy cameo in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). After keeping a low romantic profile for some time, she nearly out-cougared Madonna by embarking on a romance with four-decades-younger Def Jam executive Alexander "A.E." Edwards, father of rapper Amber Rose's second son. The couple celebrated their one-year anniversary in 2023, right before the release of Cher's first holiday album, simply titled Christmas.
In other facets of her life, Cher has been involved with many humanitarian groups and charity efforts over the years, particularly her work as National Chairperson and Honorary Spokesperson of the Children's Craniofacial Association, which was inspired by her work in Mask (1985).1. I Got You Babe - 1965 : 2 weeks (with Sonny)
2. The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) - 1991 : 5 weeks
3. Love Can Build A Bridge - 1995 : 1 week (with Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton)
4. Believe - 1998 : 7 weeks- Music Department
- Actress
- Soundtrack
1. C'est la Vie - 1998 : 2 weeks
2. Rollercoaster - 1998 : 2 weeks
3. To You I Belong - 1998 : 1 week
4. Blame It On The Weatherman - 1999 : 1 week- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all time. Their slogan "girl power" was most closely associated with Halliwell,and her Union Jack dress from the 1997 Brit Awards also became an enduring symbol.Halliwell left the Spice Girls in 1998, citing exhaustion and creative differences, but rejoined when they reunited in 2007.1. Mi Chico Latino - 1999 : 1 week
2. Lift Me Up - 1999 : 1 week
3. Bag It Up - 2000 : 1 week
4. It's Raining Men - 2001 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980 in Staten Island, New York City, New York to musician Shelly Loraine Fidler Kearns and U.S. Army sergeant Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera Monge. Her father is Ecuadorian and her mother, who is American-born, has Welsh, Dutch and German ancestry. Her parents divorced when she was young and she lived with her mother, although they moved around a lot. Her goal almost since birth was to be a singer, and at age 12 she was invited to audition for The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989). She won the part and stayed until the show ended. In 1999 she had her breakthrough hit, "Genie in a Bottle." Since then she's made millions of fans, sold millions of records, and won many awards, including a Grammy for Best New Female Artist. She has even made a Latin album and released a Christmas album.
Aguilera is a bilingual singer. She has received many honors including Grammy Nominations and a win for Best New Artist. 2 MTV Video Music Awards, a Radio Music Awards, 2 VH1 Awards, and a Teen Choice Award with 'Lil' Kim', Mya and Pink and the smash hit "Lady Maramalade". She was on The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) with *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell. Her musical influences include Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson.1. Genie In A Bottle - 1999 : 2 weeks
2. Lady Marmalade - 2001 : 1 week (with Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink)
3. Dirrty - 2002 : 2 weeks (with Redman)
4. Beautiful - 2002 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Girls Aloud is known for Run Fatboy Run (2007), It's a Boy Girl Thing (2006) and Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007).1. Sound Of The Underground - 2002 : 4 weeks
2. I'll Stand By You - 2004 : 2 weeks
3. Walk This Way - 2007 : 1 week (with Sugababes)
4. The Promise - 2008 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Rita Ora is a British singer-songwriter. She was born Rita Sahatçiu Ora in 1990 in Pristina, Kosovo, to Vera (Bajraktari) and Besnik Sahatçiu. She is a granddaughter of director Besim Sahatçiu. At age one, her family decided to move to the United Kingdom. She grew up in West London and attended St Cuthbert with St Matthias CE Primary School in Earls Court, following which she graduated from Sylvia Young Theatre School and then St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College. She began singing from a young age.
In 2004, she appeared in the British film Spivs. She auditioned for Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on BBC One to be the British contestant for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest but later withdrew from the competition after a few episodes as she did not feel ready.
In 2007, Ora had her first music release when she appeared on Craig David's track entitled "Awkward" and then again in 2008 on "Where's Your Love" featuring Tinchy Stryder, for which she also appears in the music video. Ora began singing in bars in and around London, and in 2009 a A&R told Roc Nation about Ora, a few days after Ora flew out to New York and met Jay-Z. In 2009, Ora made a cameo on Jay-Z's video for "Young Forever" and "Over" by Drake. Ora caught the attention of Jay-Z and he quietly signed her to Roc Nation, in which she was featured in a commercial for Roc Nation + Skullcandy Aviator Headphones.1. Hot Right Now - 2012 : 1 week (with DJ Fresh)
2. R.I.P. - 2012 : 2 weeks (with Tinie Tempah)
3. How We Do (Party) - 2012 : 1 week
4. I Will Never Let You Down - 2014 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who conquered the UK music field at the age of 23 and went on to win over fans all over the world within a year. A determined child, at the age of eight, she told her mother that she would become famous one day. She learned to play musical instruments and began writing songs when she was still a teenager. She won a singing competition while in college, and went on to win the 'Brit Awards' with her signature brand of "folktronica" music following the release of her debut EP 'An Introduction to Ellie Goulding'. She immediately made an impact with her unique soprano voice. She has so far released three studio albums, 'Lights', 'Halcyon' and 'Delirium'. As a music and fashion icon, she has been featured on magazines, such as 'Elle' and 'Glamour' among others, and as a fitness enthusiast, she has appeared on the covers of magazines like 'Shape' and 'Women's Health'. A social activist and philanthropist, she has participated in many charity events, especially to support underprivileged children and homeless people.
Her father, Arthur Goulding, belonged to a family of undertakers while her mother, Tracey Goulding-Summers, worked at a supermarket.She is the second child of her parents and has an elder sister named Isabel, a brother named Alex and another sister named Jordan. Her brother, Alex, is a bass player and is part of a band in Hereford. Her father left the family when she was only five years old. Her mother later married a lorry driver, but they eventually separated. Ellie is so furious with her stepfather that she mentioned in an interview that she would punch him in the face if she meets him again. Her mother encouraged her to pursue music as a child. She learned to play the clarinet at the age of nine and started writing her own songs when she was 14. However, she took songwriting seriously only during her college days. While studying at the Lady Hawkins' High School in Kington, she played the role of the Scarecrow in a school production of 'The Wizard of Oz'. She would later pursue courses in drama, politics, and English at the University of Kent.
While studying at the University of Kent, Ellie Goulding became interested in electronic music. She contacted record producer Frankmusik via MySpace and with his help developed her own brand of "folktronica" music through the track 'Wish I Stayed'. During this time, she was discovered at a university talent contest by scout Jamie Lillywhite who started as her manager and later became the A&R. He introduced her to his superior, Sarah Stennett, who advised her to leave university and offered her a house in West London. Jamie soon introduced her to Starsmith, a record producer, who helped release her debut single 'Under the Sheets' on November 15, 2009 and later produced her album 'Lights'. She was already signed to Polydor Records in July, but they decided to release the song from independent label Neon Gold Records to reduce pressure on her. Soon after the release of her debut EP 'An Introduction to Ellie Goulding' on December 20, 2009, she was nominated for the 'Critics' Choice Award' at the 2010 'Brit Awards'. She won the award, as well as the 'BBC Sound of 2010' poll. During this time, she co-wrote three songs for Diana Vickers and one song for Gabriella Cilmi. On February 26, 2010, she released her first full-length album 'Lights', which debuted at number one on the 'UK Albums Chart'. It was followed by her second EP, 'Run into the Light', which contained remix of songs from 'Lights' and was released in August that year. She re-released her album 'Lights' in November 2010 as 'Bright Lights', which contained six new tracks. The album featured a cover version of Elton John: Your Song (1970) which reached number two on the 'UK Singles Chart'.On April 7, 2011, she appeared on American television for the first time on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003)' and performed Ellie Goulding: Starry Eyed, UK Version (2010). One month later, she appeared on Tina Fey/Ellie Goulding (2011) hosted by Tina Fey.On April 29, 2011, she performed at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, both of whom were her fans. On December 1, 2011, she performed at the White House during the National Christmas Tree lighting.October 5, 2012, Ellie Goulding released her second studio album 'Halcyon', which debuted at No.2 on the 'UK Albums Chart' and topped the chart in January 2014. She released an expanded version of the album, titled 'Halcyon Days', containing ten new tracks.1. Burn - 2013 : 3 weeks
2. Love Me Like You Do - 2015 : 4 weeks
3. River - 2019/2020 : 1 week
4. Miracle - 2023 : 8 weeks (with Calvin Harris)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Dua Lipa is an English singer, songwriter, and model. Her musical career began at age 14, when she began covering songs by other artists on YouTube. In 2015, she was signed with Warner Music Group and released her first single soon after. In December 2016, a documentary about Lipa was commissioned by The Fader magazine, titled See in Blue. In January 2017, Lipa won the EBBA Public Choice Award. Her self-titled debut studio album was released on 2 June 2017. The album spawned seven singles, including two UK top-10 singles "Be the One" and "Idgaf" and the UK number-one single "New Rules", which also reached number six in the US. In 2018, Lipa won two Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.
Lipa was born in London, to Albanian parents from Kosovo who had left Pristina in the 1990s. She attended Sylvia Young Theatre School, part-time, before moving to Kosovo with her family in 2008. Lipa grew up listening to her father, singer Dukagjin Lipa. Her given name means "love" in Albanian; its atypical nature was cause for distaste in her youth, but she grew to "enjoy" it as it eliminated the need for a stage name. At the age of 14, she began posting covers of her favorite songs by artists such as P!nk and Nelly Furtado on YouTube. At the age of 15, she moved back to London with aspirations of becoming a singer. Shortly after, she began working as a model. In 2013, she starred in a television advertisement for The X Factor.
In 2015, Lipa began working on her debut album for Warner Music Group. In August 2015, she released her first single "New Love", produced by Emile Haynie and Andrew Wyatt. She released her second single "Be the One", in October 2015. "Be the One" achieved success across Europe, reaching number one in Belgium, Poland and Slovakia, as well as charting within the top 10 in over 11 European territories. In Australia and New Zealand, the song became an airplay success, reaching numbers 6 and 20 respectively. Lipa describes her musical style as "dark pop". On 30 November 2015, she was revealed as one of the acts on the BBC Sound of...2016 long list. Her first tour in the UK and Europe began in January 2016. In November 2016, Lipa concluded her tour through Europe.
In January 2018, Lipa received nominations in five categories at the 2018 Brit Awards, more nominations than any other artist that year. She was nominated for British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, MasterCard British Album of the Year (Dua Lipa), British Single of The Year ("New Rules") and British Video of The Year ("New Rules"). This was the first time that a female artist had received five nominations.[36] She performed at the awards ceremony held on 21 February at the O2 Arena in London and collected the awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.
Lipa announced via social media that she had begun working on new material for her second album. She is working with MNEK, who previously co-wrote her single "Idgaf". The singer also collaborated with electronic music producer Whethan on a song called "High" for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack released in February 2018.1. New Rules - 2017 : 2 weeks
2. One Kiss - 2018 : 8 weeks (with Calvin Harris)
3. Cold Heart (Pnau remix) - 2021 : 1 week (with Elton John)
4. Dance The Night - 2023 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Taylor Alison Swift is a multi-Grammy award-winning American singer/songwriter who, in 2010 at the age of 20, became the youngest artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 2011 Swift was named Billboard's Woman of the Year. She also has been named the American Music Awards Artist of the Year, as well as the Entertainer of the Year for both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, among many other accolades. As of this writing, she is also the top-selling digital artist in music history.
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Andrea (Finlay), a one-time marketing executive, and Scott Kingsley Swift, a financial adviser. Her ancestry includes German and English, as well as some Scottish, Irish, Welsh and 1/16th Italian. She was named after James Taylor, and her mother believed that if she had a gender neutral name it would help her forge a business career. Taylor spent most of her childhood on an 11-acre Christmas tree farm in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. When she was nine years old the family moved to Wyomissing, PA, where she attended West Reading Elementary Center and Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School. Taylor spent her summers at her parents' vacation home at the Jersey shore. Her first hobby was English horse riding. Her mother put her in a saddle when she was nine months old and Swift later competed in horse shows. At the age of nine she turned her attention to musical theatre and performed in Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions of "Grease", "Annie", "Bye Bye Birdie" and "The Sound of Music". She traveled regularly to New York City for vocal and acting lessons. However, after a few years of auditioning in New York and not getting anything, she became interested in country music. At age 11, after many attempts, Taylor won a local talent competition by singing a rendition of LeAnn Rimes' "Big Deal", and was given the opportunity to appear as the opening act for Charlie Daniels at a Strausstown amphitheater. This interest in country music isolated Swift from her middle school peers.
At age 12 she was shown by a computer repairman how to play three chords on a guitar, inspiring her to write her first song, "Lucky You". She had previously won a national poetry contest with a poem entitled "Monster in My Closet", but now began to focus on songwriting. She moved to Nashville at age 14, having secured an artist development deal with RCA Records. She left RCA Records when she was 15--the label wanted her to record the work of other songwriters and wait until she was 18 to release an album, but she felt ready to launch her career with her own material. At an industry showcase at Nashville's The Bluebird Café in 2005, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, a Dreamworks Records executive who was preparing to form his own independent record label, Big Machine Records. Taylor was one of the new label's first signings.
Taylor released her debut album, "Taylor Swift", in October of 2006 and received generally positive reviews from music critics. The New York Times described it as "a small masterpiece of pop-minded country, both wide-eyed and cynical, held together by Ms. Swift's firm, pleading voice". Her single "Our Song" made her the youngest solo writer and singer of a #1 country song. The album sold 39,000 copies during its first week. In 2008 she released her second studio album, "Fearless". The lead single from the album, "Love Story", was released in September 2008 and became the second best-selling country single of all time, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Four more singles were released throughout 2008 and 2009: "White Horse", "You Belong with Me", "Fifteen" and "Fearless". "You Belong with Me" was the album's highest-charting single, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. It was the top-selling album of 2009 and brought Swift much crossover success.
In September 2009 she became the first country music artist to win an MTV Video Music Award when "You Belong with Me" was named Best Female Video. Her acceptance speech was interrupted by rapper Ye, who had been involved in a number of other award show incidents. West declared Beyoncé's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", nominated in the same category, to be "one of the best videos of all time". When Beyoncé later won the award for Video of the Year, she invited Taylor onstage to finish her speech. In November 2009 Taylor Swift became the youngest ever artist, and one of only six women, to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association.
She released her third studio album in October 2010, "Speak Now", and wrote all the songs herself. She originally intended to call the album "Enchanted" but Scott Borchetta, her record label's CEO, felt the title did not reflect the album's more adult themes. Swift toured throughout 2011 and early 2012 in support of "Speak Now". As part of the 13-month, 111-date world tour, Swift played seven shows in Asia, 12 in Europe, 80 in North America and 12 in Australasia (three dates on the US tour were rescheduled after she fell ill with bronchitis). The stage show was inspired by Broadway musical theatre, with choreographed routines, elaborate set-pieces, pyrotechnics and numerous costume changes. Swift invited many musicians to join her for one-off duets during the North American tour. Appearances were made by James Taylor, Jason Mraz, Shawn Colvin, Johnny Rzeznik, Andy Grammer, Tal Bachman, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Nelly, B.o.B., Usher, Flo Rida, Tip 'T.I.' Harris, Jon Foreman, Jim Adkins, Hayley Williams, Hot Chelle Rae, Ronnie Dunn, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. In May 2012 Taylor featured in B.o.B's song "Both of Us".
Swift's fourth studio album, "Red", was released on October 22, 2012. She wrote nine of the album's 16 songs alone; the remaining seven were co-written with Max Martin, Liz Rose, Dan Wilson, Ed Sheeran and Gary Lightbody. Nathan Chapman served as the album's lead producer but Jeff Bhasker, Butch Walker, Jacknife Lee, Dann Huff and Shellback (aka Shellback) also produced individual tracks. Chapman has said he encouraged Swift "to branch out and to test herself in other situations". She has described the collaborative process as "an apprenticeship" that taught her to "paint with different colors". "Red" examines Swift's attraction to drama-filled relationships; she believes that, since writing the record, such relationships no longer appeal to her. Musically, while there is some experimentation with "slick, electronic beats", the pop sheen is limited to a handful of tracks sprinkled among more recognizably Swiftian fare. "Rolling Stone" enjoyed "watching Swift find her pony-footing on Great Songwriter Mountain. She often succeeds in joining the Joni/Carole King tradition of stark-relief emotional mapping . . . Her self-discovery project is one of the best stories in pop." The Guardian described Swift as a "Brünnhilde of a rock star" and characterized "Red" as "another chapter in one of the finest fantasies pop music has ever constructed". "USA Today" felt that the "engaging" record saw Swift "write ever-more convincingly--and wittily and painfully--about the messy emotions of a young twenty something nearing the end of her transition from girl to woman". The "Los Angeles Times" noted the exploration of "more nuanced relationship issues" on "an unapologetically big pop record that opens new sonic vistas for her".
As part of the "Red" promotional campaign, representatives from 72 worldwide radio stations were flown to Nashville during release week for individual interviews with Swift. She made television appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003), Good Morning America (1975), The View (1997), Late Show with David Letterman (1993), ABC News Nightline (1980) and All Access Nashville with Katie Couric (2012). She performed at Los Angeles' MTV VMAs and London's Teen Awards, and will also perform at Nashville's CMA Awards, Frankfurt's MTV Europe Music Awards, Los Angeles' AMA Awards and Sydney's ARIA Music Awards. Swift offered exclusive album promotions through Target, Papa John's and Walgreens. She became a spokesmodel for Keds sneakers, released her sophomore Elizabeth Arden fragrance and continued her partnerships with Cover Girl, Sony Electronics and American Greetings, as well as her unofficial brand tie-ins with Ralph Lauren and Shellys. The album's lead single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", was released in August 2012. The song became Swift's first #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, recording the highest ever one-week sales figures for a female artist. Two further singles have since been released: "Begin Again" (country radio) and "I Knew You Were Trouble" (pop and international radio).In her career, as of May 2012, Swift has sold over 23 million albums and 54.5 million digital tracks worldwide.
Taylor Swift is only beginning to emerge as an acting talent, having voiced the role of Audrey in the animated feature The Lorax (2012). She also made appearances in the theatrical release Valentine's Day (2010) and in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000). She contributed two original songs to The Hunger Games (2012) soundtrack: "Safe & Sound featuring The Civil Wars" and "Eyes Open". Taylor released her fifth album, titled "1989", on October 27, 2014. This album is when she finally made the complete transition from country to pop. She says that she will not be going to any Country Music Award shows. The album is named after the year she was born, and is a sort of '80s-sounding album, in the sense that it's more electronic.
In March 2015 she began dating Scottish Disc Jockey Calvin Harris after having met at the Brit Awards in February. They were together for thirteen months.1. Look What You Made Me Do - 2017 : 2 weeks
2. Anti-Hero - 2022 : 6 weeks
3. Is It Over Now? - 2023 : 1 week
4. Fortnight - 2024 : 1 week (with Post Malone)- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Sandie Shaw was born on 26 February 1947 in Dagenham, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Last Night in Soho (2021), Because I Said So (2007) and The Boat That Rocked (2009). She is married to Tony Bedford. She was previously married to Nik Powell and Jeff Banks.1. (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - 1964 : 3 weeks
2. Long Live Love - 1965 : 3 weeks
3. Puppet On A String - 1967 : 3 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Olivia Newton-John was an English singer and actress who was born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK. In 1954, her family relocated to Australia when her father was offered a job as the dean of a Presbyterian college in Melbourne. After winning a singing talent contest, she returned to England with her mother, where she resided until 1975. Her many hit singles include, "You're The One That I Want" from the movie Grease (1978), which she starred in with John Travolta. She appeared on the TV series, It's Cliff Richard (1970), as well as in the film Toomorrow (1970). For several years, she was engaged to Bruce Welch, a founding member of The Shadows, which included Cliff Richard. Welch was one of the producers of her first international hit, "If Not For You".1. You're The One That I Want - 1978 : 9 weeks (with John Travolta)
2. Summer Nights - 1978 : 7 weeks (with John Travolta)
3. Xanadu - 1980 : 2 weeks (with Electric Light Orchestra)- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Billie Piper studied at the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School. She caught the eyes of record producers who were interested in signing a young vocalist when she was the poster girl for the ad campaign of a British pop music magazine, "Smash Hits". She released her first single, "Because We Want To", which debuted at #1 at age 15. Her second single, "Girlfriend", was also a #1 hit. By the time she turned 16, Billie had released 4 singles that all made the top three on the charts. She has been labeled the "Pop Princess" of England, UK.1. Because We Want To - 1998 : 1 week
2. Girlfriend - 1998 : 1 week
3. Day & Night - 2000 : 1 week- Actress
- Soundtrack
Atomic Kitten is known for Bring It On (2000), National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002) and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004).1. Whole Again - 2001 : 4 weeks
2. Eternal Flame - 2001 : 2 weeks
3. The Tide Is High (Get The Feeling) - 2002 : 3 weeks- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actress
Pink was born Alecia Beth Moore in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and was later raised in Philadelphia. Her parents, Judith Moore (née Kugel), a nurse, and Jim Moore, a Vietnam veteran, divorced when she was very young. Her mother is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family, while her father has Irish, German, and English ancestry. As a child, all Pink wanted was to become a singer, and she was driven by the music of Madonna, Mary J. Blige, 4 Non Blondes, Janis Joplin, Billy Joel and Whitney Houston. She was a very unique teenager, and went through phases as a skateboarder, hip-hopper and gymnast.
Pink spent several years as part of the club scene in Philadelphia, singing guest spots and performing for talent shows. At the age of 13, she was asked by a local DJ to sing back-up for his rap group, Schools of Thought. A short time later, she was discovered by a record executive and joined a female R&B group, Choice. When that didn't work out, she signed with LaFace Records and began her solo career. In spring 2000, she released her debut, "Can't Take Me Home". She co-wrote many songs and watched it go multi-platinum by the year's end. Her debut included the Top 10 hit, "There You Go", which was certified a gold single.
Pink is now considered an icon in the world of pop music. For example, in 2019 she won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, becoming the first non-British artist to have won the award since the Brit Awards began in 1977 (originally known as the BPI Awards). This was especially impressive as she was chosen ahead of the likes of Phil Collins, a British musician who has sold more records and had a longer career but never won the award.1. Lady Marmalade- 2001 : 1 week (with Christina Aguiera, Lil' Kim and Mya)
2. Just Like A Pill - 2002 : 1 week
3. So What - 2008 : 3 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Leona Lewis was born on 3 April 1985 in Islington, London, England, UK. She is a music artist and actress, known for Avatar (2009), No Strings Attached (2011) and Sex and the City 2 (2010). She has been married to Dennis Jauch since 27 July 2019. They have one child.1. A Moment Like This - 2006 : 4 weeks
2. Bleeding Love - 2007 : 7 weeks
3. Run - 2008 : 2 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
Alexandra Burke is truly one of the UK's most distinguishable powerhouse voices, having sold over 5 million records in the UK and with over 200 million streams. The 34-year-old versatile London-born singer has also become one of the UK's most sought-after West End leading ladies. Her most recent role was as The Narrator in The London Palladium production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She will reprise her role as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act at London's Dominion Theatre in 2024.
Alexandra's three studio albums Overcome (2009), Heartbreak On Hold (2012) and The Truth Is (2018) have spawned smash hit singles across the last decade including #1 Bad Boys (Feat. Flo Rida), #4 All Night Long (Feat. Pitbull), #1 Start Without You (Feat. Laza Morgan), #3 Elephant (Feat. Erick Morillo) and #8 Broken Heels. Her debut single Hallelujah was a million-selling chart-topper, a first for a British female soloist, and was the best-selling single of 2008.
Alexandra made her theatre debut in 2014 as Rachel Marron in the highly acclaimed musical, The Bodyguard before stepping into the lead role of Deloris van Cartier in Sister Act in 2016. It was a double-whammy in 2018 as Alexandra starred in Chess at the London Coliseum, followed by Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago. In 2019, Alexandra reprised her role as Rachel Marron in the worldwide touring production of The Bodyguard, concluding in Japan.
Alexandra first rose to fame fourteen years ago, winning the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008 while duetting with her idol Beyonce to an audience of over 10 million. This iconic performance has been viewed over 40 million times on YouTube. Debut album Overcome, featured three #1 singles, spent a year on the UK Album chart and earned three BRIT Award nominations. To celebrate one million copies sold worldwide, the album was released on gatefold double white vinyl for the first time on 18th November 2022.
In 2018, in the wake of her beloved mothers passing, Alexandra setup the The Melissa Bell Foundation in her mother's honour. The charity helps disadvantage children gain access to music, dance and drama classes at the world-renowned Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. Alexandra is proudly an official ambassador for Smart Works, The Commonwealth, Breast Cancer Care, WellChild, Diabetes UK and Notting Hill Carnival.
A firm favourite across both stage and screen, Alexandra reached the final of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. Last year she took part in The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer 2021 where she was crowned 'Star Baker'. Most recently Alexandra was the only woman left standing on Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins, winning the show.
Alexandra is writing and recording her eagerly awaited fourth studio album while her debut movie Pretty Red Dress, playing the role of Candice May, will be released by BFI/BBC film on June 16th 2023 following a UK premier at London Film Festival.1. Hallelujah - 2008 : 3 weeks
2. Bad Boys - 2009 : 1 week (with Flo Rida)
3. Start Without You - 2010 : 2 weeks (with Laza Morgan)- Music Artist
- Producer
- Actress
Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969 in The Bronx, New York City, New York to teacher Lupe López and computer specialist David López. The two Puerto Ricans were brought to the continental United States during their childhoods and eventually met while living in New York City. Their daughters would have a stable, middle-class upbringing.
Jennifer always dreamed of being a multi-tasking superstar. As a child, she enjoyed a variety of musical genres, mainly Afro-Caribbean rhythms like salsa, merengue, and bachata, and mainstream music like pop, hip-hop, and R&B. Although she loved music, the film industry also intrigued her. Her biggest influence was the Rita Moreno musical, West Side Story (1961). At 5, Jennifer began taking singing and dancing lessons. Aside from being a budding entertainer, Jennifer was also a Catholic schoolgirl, attending eight years at a Catholic elementary school named Holy Family, located in The Bronx, before graduating from all-girls prep school Preston High School after a four-year stay. At school, Jennifer was an amazing athlete and participated in track and field and tennis. She spent most of her upbringing in a two-story house in the Castle Hill neighborhood.
At 18, Jennifer moved out of her parents' home. After high school, she briefly worked in a law office and took dance classes at night. During this time, she continued dance classes at night. Her big break came when she was offered a job as a fly girl on Fox's hit comedy In Living Color (1990). After a two-year stay at In Living Color (1990) where actress Rosie Perez served as choreographer, Lopez then went on to dance for famed singer-actress Janet Jackson. Her first major film was Gregory Nava's My Family/Mi familia (1995), and her career went into overdrive when she portrayed late Tejana singer Selena in Selena (1997).1. Love Don't Cost a Thing - 2001 : 1 week
2. Get Right - 2005 : 1 week
3. On the Floor - 2011 : 2 weeks (with Pitbull)- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Pixie Lott was born on 12 January 1991 in Bromley, London, England, UK. She is an actress and composer, known for Beastly (2011), The Inbetweeners (2011) and Fred: The Movie (2010). She has been married to Oliver Cheshire since 6 June 2022. They have one child.1. Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh) - 2009 : 1 week
2. Boys and Girls - 2009 : 1 week
3. All About Tonight - 2011 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public on Myspace and the publicity resulted in airplay on BBC Radio 1 and a contract with Regal Recordings. Her first mainstream single, "Smile", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2006. Her debut record, Alright, Still, was well received, selling over 2.6 million copies worldwide and bringing Allen nominations at the Grammy Awards, the Brit Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards.1. Smile - 2006 : 2 weeks
2. The Fear - 2009 : 4 weeks
3. Somewhere Only We Know - 2013 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Ke$ha was born on March 1, 1987, in Los Angeles, California. Her big break came from cameo on rapper Flo Rida's 2009 No. 1 hit "Flo Rida Feat. Ke$ha: Right Round (2009)." Soon after, she landed a record contact with RCA and released her first single, Ke$ha: TiK ToK (2009). The party anthem developed quite a following. Her debut album, Animal, reached the top of the charts after its release in January 2010. Her second album, Warrior, was released in 2012. Ke$ha was exposed to music at an early age through her mother Pebe Sebert, a songwriter.The first few years of Ke$ha's life were a struggle for her family. Her mother had difficulty earning enough to support Ke$ha and her older brother. "We were on welfare and food stamps," the artist explained on her website. "One of my first memories is my mom telling me, 'If you want something, just take it.'" When she was 4, Ke$ha moved to Nashville with her family, where her mother had landed a songwriting contract. Sometimes tagging along with her mother, Ke$ha spent a lot of time in recording studios during her early adolescence. Her mother encouraged her interest in singing, allowing Ke$ha to work on some of her song demos. Ke$ha also went to a music school, where she learned about songwriting. Deep in the heart of the country music scene, she was inspired by the likes of Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. At 17, Ke$ha left high school to pursue a music career. She changed her name to Ke$ha and moved to Los Angeles to work with producer Dr. Luke, who had worked on hit singles for Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson among others. Ke$ha was determined to break into the business. According to one story, she paid off a gardener to get inside music legend Prince's house to leave one of her demos for him. She landed a few gigs as a back-up vocalist as well, performing on songs by Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Soon after her work with Flo Rida, Ke$ha landed a record contact with RCA. She released her first single, "Ke$ha: TiK ToK (2009)" later that year. The party anthem developed quite a following, soon becoming one of the most downloaded songs in America, and then reaching the top of the Billboard pop charts in January 2010. Her debut album, Animal, reached the top of the charts after its release in January 2010. In addition to [ink=tt6942460], Ke$ha scored two more Top 10 hits: "Ke$ha: Blah Blah Blah (Feat. 3Oh!3) (2010)" and "Ke$ha: Your Love Is My Drug (2010)". Accompany this work was the extended play release Cannibal. She followed up her initial success with 2012's Warrior, which featured the single "Ke$ha: Die Young (2012)." A companion extended work, Deconstructed, was released in 2013.1. Right Round - 2009 : 1 week (with Flo Rida)
2. We R Who We R - 2011 : 1 week
3. Timber - 2014 : 1 week (with Pitbull)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Jessie J (Jessica Ellen Cornish) was born in Redbridge, London on March 27, 1988. She went to Colins Performing Arts School as a child and when she was 11 she was cast in Andrew Lloyd Weber's musica "Whistle Down the Wind". When she was 17 she joined a girl group and soon after was signed as a solo artist to Gut Records. The record company went bankrupt before she released an album but the talented Jessie J didn't give up! When Jessie's first record deal didn't work out, she turned to songwriting and got herself a contract with Sony ATV where she started writing hit songs for Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Alicia Keys. Her biggest songwriting hit was Miley Cyrus: Party in the USA (2009). Her debut single Jessie J: Do It Like a Dude (2010) was written for Rihanna, but she decided to keep it for herself which went to number 2 on the charts, and her number 1 hit single Jessie J Feat. B.O.B: Price Tag (2011) with B.o.B. came out in the UK on February 28, 20111. Price Tag - 2011 : 2 weeks (with B.o.B)
2. Domino - 2012 : 2 weeks
3. Bang Bang - 2014 : 1 week (with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Mariah Carey was born in Long Island, New York on March 27, 1969. Her parents are Patricia Hickey (Irish-American) and Alfred Roy Carey (African-American/Venezuelan). Mariah attended Greenlawn's Harborfields High School. In June 1990, Mariah made her debut with her self-titled album, Mariah Carey which entered at #73, but on August 4, 1990 it reached #1. Her 1990 self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and spawned an extraordinary four consecutive #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. Her 1993 album titled Music Box went ten-times platinum. On September 30, 1995, she made music history. Her single "Fantasy" from her 1995 Daydream album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first female artist to accomplish a number one debut in the U.S. Her other Daydream's single "One Sweet Day" remained for 16 weeks at the top of the charts. She is the only artist since The Beatles to have so many #1 singles and albums. With "Heartbreaker", the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow and also her 14 #1 single, she became the only artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s, and with "Heartbreaker" at its 60th week atop the Billboard's charts, she pushed ahead of The Beatles's 59-week record as the only artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.
Following "Heartbreaker," her second single "Thank God I Found You" also from her Rainbow album became her 15th #1. "We Belong Together" from her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi became her 16th #1 single and was also her first #1 without any guest artists since her song "My All" (also a #1 single) captured the top spot in May 1998. The single "Don't Forget About Us" also from her 2005 album Emancipation of Mimi became her 17th #1 single, tying her with Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Three more Grammy Awards were gained from The Emancipation of Mimi album. She is the most successful selling female artist in music history and is the only female artist to have the most #1 singles and albums and also holds the record for straight #1 singles and albums each year. Along with numerous awards and incredible vocal range, she also composes all of her own material, with the exception of song covers.
In April 2008, the single "Touch My Body" became her 18th #1 single, pushing her ahead of Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Now she is the only artist since The Beatles to have as many number one singles and the only singer alive likely to succeed them.1. Without You - 1994 : 4 weeks
2. Against All Odds - 2000 : 2 weeks (with Westlife)
3. All I Want for Christmas Is You - 2020/2022 : 3 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born May 5, 1988) is a British singer-songwriter who has sold millions of albums worldwide and won a total of 15 Grammys as well as an Oscar. Adele's first two albums, 19 and 21, earned her critical praise and a level of commercial success unsurpassed among her peers. After becoming a mom in 2012, Adele returned to the charts with the ballad "Hello" in 2015, the lead single from what was dubbed her comeback album 25. In 2017 she won five Grammys for her work on 25, including album, record and song of the year.Early on, Adele developed a passion for music. She gravitated toward the songs of Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige and Destiny's Child. But her true, eye-opening moment came when she was 15 and she happened upon a collection of Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald records at a local shop. "There was no musical heritage in our family," Adele told The Telegraph in a 2008 interview. "Chart music was all I ever knew. So when I listened to the Etta James and the Ella Fitzgerald, it sounds so cheesy, but it was like an awakening. I was like, oh, right, some people have proper longevity and are legends. I was so inspired that as a 15-year-old I was listening to music that had been made in the '40s."While clearly bright, Adele wasn't oriented towards traditional classroom settings. Instead, her mother enrolled her in the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology, which counts Amy Winehouse as an alum.While at school, Adele cut a three-track demo for a class project that was eventually posted on her MySpace page. When executives at XL Recordings heard the tracks, they contacted the singer and, in November 2006, just four months after Adele had graduated school, signed her to a record deal.
Adele has recorded a total of three studio albums since the beginning of her career in 2008: 19, 21 and 25.
'19' (2008) Adele's debut album, 19, which is named for the singer's age when she began recording the project, went on sale in early 2008. Led by two popular lead singles, "Adele: Hometown Glory (2009)" and "Adele: Chasing Pavements (2008)" the record rocketed Adele to fame. Released in the United States through Columbia Records, 19 resonated with American audiences, much as it had with British music fans. Adele cemented her commercial success with an appearance in October 2008 on Saturday Night Live (2016). At the taping of the show, the album was ranked No. 40 on iTunes. Less than 24 hours later, it was No. 1.
'21' (2011) Adele's much anticipated follow-up album, 21, again named for her age at the time of recording, did not disappoint upon its release in early 2011. Tapping even deeper into Adele's appreciation for classic American R&B and jazz, the record was a monster hit, selling 352,000 copies within its first week. Anchored by hits like "Adele: Rolling in the Deep (2010)" and "Adele: Someone Like You (2011)" 21 placed Adele in rarified air. In February 2011, she found herself with two Top 5 singles and a pair of Top 5 albums in the same week, becoming the only artist besides The Beatles and 50 Cent to achieve that milestone. And with 21 staying at No. 1 for 11 weeks, Adele also broke the solo female artist record previously held by Madonna's Immaculate Collection for consecutive weeks atop the album charts. 21 went on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide.
'25' (2015) On October 22, 2015, Adele announced that she would release her third album, 25, in November. She posted 25's cover on Instagram, and said of her first full-length studio project in several years: "My last record was a break-up record, and if I had to label this one, I would call it a make-up record. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. 25 is about getting to know who I've become without realizing. And I'm sorry it took so long but, you know, life happened." 25, released in November 2015, is a collection of emotional, sometimes plaintive songs looking at the ins and outs of relationships, owing much of its sound to traditional pop craft. The album went on to become an international smash hit, reaching No. 1 on iTunes in 110 countries. In the U.S., 25 sold 3.38 million copies in seven days, beating the 'NSync record of 2.42 million album copies sold in a week. Among other feats, 25 is also the only album to reach a million copies sold in the U.K. in 10 days.1. Someone Like You - 2011 : 5 weeks
2. Hello - 2015 : 3 weeks
3. Easy On Me - 2021/2022 : 8 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Miley Ray Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992 in Franklin, Tennessee and raised in Thompson's Station, Tennessee to Tish Cyrus & Billy Ray Cyrus. She has five siblings - two half-brothers, a half-sister, and a younger brother and sister. Her parents named her because they hoped she would achieve greatness. Her childhood nickname, Smiley, due to her cheerful disposition, was eventually shortened to Miley. Her paternal grandfather was Democratic politician Ron Cyrus.
Cyrus was initially educated at Heritage Elementary School in Tennessee. When she turned eight, her family moved to Toronto, Canada, where Cyrus' father Billy Ray took a role in the TV series Doc (2001). It was around this time that Cyrus decided she wanted to act too. Her first role came alongside her father in Doc (2001). She also scored a small role in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003).
In 2005, Cyrus was cast as the lead in the Disney series Hannah Montana (2006), about a teen leading a double life as a pop star. Again her father acted alongside her. The show was a smash and hit records, sell-out tours and merchandising deals soon followed. Cyrus became a teen superstar.
Following the success of Hannah Montana (2006), Cyrus made the move into other roles - including playing Ronnie Miller in The Last Song (2010) and Lola in LOL (2012) alongside Demi Moore.1. We Can't Stop - 2013 : 1 week
2. Wrecking Ball - 2013 : 1 week
3. Flowers - 2023 : 10 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Olivia Rodrigo is a soulful artist with a rare gift for emotive and empathetic songwriting. "I think I'm good at knowing how people feel, how I feel, and being able to capture that," the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter-actor shares. Her father had Filipino ancestry. Her mother had is German, English, Irish, and some Austrian ancestry.
Her keen sense for conveying feeling has served her well, thus far. Olivia is the star of the first two seasons of the Disney+ High School Musical series. Acting has been something of a new development for her. Singing since she was 4, Olivia took up acting based on a recommendation from her vocal coach. "Acting and music relate in that they are both about capturing feelings and moments as accurately as you can," she shares.
Olivia exudes an intriguing paradox of being both exuberantly youthful and, sagely, an old soul. She seeks authenticity and bold expression in her music. "My favorite songs are brutally honest and give a vivid look into the artist's life and mind," she says. "Honest storytelling is my ultimate goal." A select cross section of her influences include artists as diverse as Fiona Apple, Jack White, PJ Harvey, and Phoebe Bridgers. Olivia's worlds of acting, singing and songwriting meet when she performs two original songs she wrote, as well as HSM classics, on the series.
"Writing for HSM was surreal, to say the least. The fact that they gave a 16-year-old a shot to write for such a big project is so awesome." She continues: "I think the perspective of a teenage girl is so powerful, and something that doesn't always gets harnessed in its full capacity, too."
As a kindergarten-er, Olivia took voice lessons, and then later piano lessons. At age 12, she began playing guitar. It was during this time that she began writing songs. "I remember coming up with melodies and lyrics and writing them down in this pink fluffy notebook that I had won at some arcade. I still keep that notebook on my bedside table," she says, laughing.1. Drivers License - 2021 : 9 weeks
2. Good 4 U - 2021 : 5 weeks
3. Vampire - 2023 : 1 week- Actress
- Writer
- Music Department
She was the daughter of Andrew and Frances Clooney and grew up in Maysville, Kentucky, where she and her sister Betty Clooney used to sing in her grandfather's mayoral election campaigns, which he won three times. She made her singing debut on Cincinnati radio station WLW in 1941 at 13. On WLW she worked with band leader Barney Rapp, who had also worked with Doris Day and Andy Williams at the same station. She attended high school at Our Lady of Mercy in Cincinnati. In 1946 she appeared with her sister in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Steel Pier with Tony Pastor's band. In 1949 she went solo and later appeared in White Christmas (1954), co-starring opposite Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Her first big hit was "Come On A My House" in 1951. She married José Ferrer in 1953 and they had five children between 1955 and 1960. Her marriage to Ferrer was a tempestuous one and she had a nervous breakdown in 1968, but went on to resume her career in 1976. Her life was dramatized in a 1982 made-for-television movie starring Sondra Locke, who was actually just 16 years Rosemary's junior but constantly lied about her age.
Her son Gabriel is married to singer Debby Boone, daughter of 1950s pop singer Pat Boone. Her brother, Nick Clooney, was an ABC news anchor in Cincinnati, and her nephew George Clooney has developed into one of the biggest movie stars of the 21st century. In 1968 she was standing in the Ambassdor Hotel in Los Angeles with Roosevelt Grier when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the hotel kitchen after she had participated in his campaign rally. Her top hits include "Hey There" in 1954, "Tenderly", "This Ole House" and "Half As Much" in 1952.1. This Ole House - 1954 : 1 week
2. Mambo Italiano - 1955 : 3 weeks (with The Mellomen)- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
One of America's most loved actresses was born Doris Mary Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Alma Sophia (Welz), a housewife, and William Joseph Kappelhoff, a music teacher and choir master. Her grandparents were all German immigrants. She had two brothers, Richard, who died before she was born and Paul, a few years older.
Her parents divorced while she was still a child, and she lived with her mother. Like most little girls, Doris liked to dance. At fourteen, she formed a dance act with a boy, Jerry Doherty, and they won $500 in a local talent contest. She and Jerry took a brief trip to Hollywood to test the waters. They felt they could succeed, so she and Jerry returned to Cincinnati with the intention of packing and making a permanent move to Hollywood. Tragically, the night before she was to move to Hollywood, she was injured riding in a car hit by a train, ending the possibility of a dancing career.
It was a terrible setback, but after taking singing lessons she found a new vocation, and at age 17, she began touring with the Les Brown Band. She met trombonist Al Jorden, whom she married in 1941. Jorden was prone to violence and they divorced after two years, not long after the birth of their son Terry. In 1946, Doris married George Weidler, but this union lasted less than a year. Day's agent talked her into taking a screen test at Warner Bros. The executives there liked what they saw and signed her to a contract (her early credits are often confused with those of another actress named Doris Day, who appeared mainly in B westerns in the 1930s and 1940s).
Her first starring movie role was in Romance on the High Seas (1948). The next year, she made two more films, My Dream Is Yours (1949) and It's a Great Feeling (1949). Audiences took to her beauty, terrific singing voice and bubbly personality, and she turned in fine performances in the movies she made (in addition to several hit records). She made three films for Warner Bros. in 1950 and five more in 1951. In that year, she met and married Martin Melcher, who adopted her young son Terry, who later grew up to become Terry Melcher, a successful record producer.
In 1953, Doris starred in Calamity Jane (1953), which was a major hit, and several more followed: Lucky Me (1954), Love Me or Leave Me (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and what is probably her best-known film, Pillow Talk (1959). She began to slow down her filmmaking pace in the 1960s, even though she started out the decade with a hit, Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960).
In 1958, her brother Paul died. Around this time, her husband, who had also taken charge of her career, had made deals for her to star in films she didn't really care about, which led to a bout with exhaustion. The 1960s weren't to be a repeat of the previous busy decade. She didn't make as many films as she had in that decade, but the ones she did make were successful: Do Not Disturb (1965), The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968) and With Six You Get Eggroll (1968). Martin Melcher died in 1968, and Doris never made another film, but she had been signed by Melcher to do her own TV series, The Doris Day Show (1968). That show, like her movies, was successful, lasting until 1973. After her series went off the air, she made only occasional TV appearances.
By the time Martin Melcher died, Doris discovered she was millions of dollars in debt. She learned that Melcher had squandered virtually all of her considerable earnings, but she was eventually awarded $22 million by the courts in a case against a man that Melcher had unwisely let invest her money. She married for the fourth time in 1976 and since her divorce in 1980 has devoted her life to animals.
Doris was a passionate animal rights activist. She ran Doris Day Animal League in Carmel, California, which advocates homes and proper care of household pets.
Doris died on May 13, 2019, in Carmel Valley Village, California. She was 97.1. Secret Love - 1954 : 9 weeks
2. Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) - 1956 : 6 weeks- Actress
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Singer, composer, actress, entertainer and publisher Connie Francis was educated at Arts High School and was a music student of her father. At age 11 she appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (1948) as a singer and accordionist. She has toured the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe, owned publishing companies, and has made many records. For a time she had her own television show, and has performed in nightclubs and in concert. Joining ASCAP in 1959, her popular-song compositions include "Senza Mama" and "Italian Lullaby".1. Who's Sorry Now? - 1958 : 6 weeks
2. Carolina Moon / Stupid Cupid - 1958 : 6 weeks- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
Shirley Bassey was born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales, and raised in the nearby working class neighborhood of Splott. Her mother was originally from Yorkshire, and her father was a Nigerian seaman who left the family when she was less than two. She later helped to support her family by working in an Enamelware factory. She made her professional debut at 16 appearing in a touring revue "Memories of Al Jolson". Her first major hit was "The Banana Boat Song," and she later sang "Goldfinger" in the James Bond movie Goldfinger (1964). Her younger daughter died of drowning in 1985. She currently lives in Monte Carlo.1. As I Love You - 1959 : 4 weeks (with Wally Stott & His Orchestra)
2. Reach For The Stars / Climb Ev'ry Mountain - 1961 : 1 week- Actress
- Soundtrack
Helen Shapiro was born on 28 September 1946 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Legend (2015), Seven Psychopaths (2012) and Ring-A-Ding Rhythm! (1962). She has been married to John Judd since 31 August 1988. She was previously married to Morris Gundlash and Duncan C. Weldon.1. You Don't Know - 1961 : 3 weeks
2. Walkin' Back to Happiness - 1961 : 3 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
Cilla Black was born on 27 May 1943 in Liverpool, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Last Night in Soho (2021), Hellboy (2019) and Cilla (1968). She was married to Bobby Willis. She died on 1 August 2015 in Estepona, Spain.1. Anyone Who Had A Heart - 1964 : 3 weeks
2. You're My World - 1964 : 4 weeks- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Petula Clark was a star at the age of 11. She starred in British concert halls and on BBC radio singing for the troops during WWII. She was a child star in a series of British films from the end of WWII through to the early 1950s,and by 1954 was having hit records. After a move to France in 1960, having fallen for a Frenchman, she had hit records all over Europe ,and by 1966 with such hits as "Downtown" and "My Love" having topped the American charts, became a truly international star.1. Sailor - 1961 : 1 week
2. This Is My Song - 1967 : 2 weeks- Actress
- Composer
- Additional Crew
Born in Detroit and grew up in the nearby suburb of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Moved to England to pursue music career. Had tremendous success as a rock singer in Britain and worldwide, but only managed one hit in her native America. Was reportedly asked to audition for the part of Happy Days (1974)'s "Leather Tuscadero" after one of the show's producers saw her picture on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine hanging the wall of his daughter's bedroom. Currently lives in Germany with her second husband, concert promoter Rainer Haas.1. Can The Can - 1972 : 1 week
2. Devil Gate Drive - 1973 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
Best known as the the lead singer of the popular 1960s singing group The Supremes, Diana Ernestine Earle Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children of African-American parents Ernestine Lillian (Moten), a schoolteacher, and Fred Earl Ross, who served in the army. After being raised in housing projects for most of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Diana started singing in the gospel choir of a Baptist church. With friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin, she formed a vocal group, The Primettes, at age 15. After Barbara had departed the group, the remaining three girls inked a deal with Motown Records and were renamed The Supremes. Ross wasn't picked to become the group's lead singer until Motown honcho Berry Gordy decided that the time was exactly right, and from then on he described the group as "Diana Ross and the Supremes." From 1965 to 1969 the group had a string of #1 records. In late 1969 Gordy announced that Ross would be leaving the group for a solo career. In the third week of 1970 she played her last concert with The Supremes and started working with the songwriting team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Ross' first two songs by the team reached #1 on both the pop and R&B charts, justifying her move. Prior to starting a family of her own, she won the title role in the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which was extremely successful at the box office, and had the distinction of being nominated for an Academy Award for her first film. The movie's soundtrack reached #1 on the U.S. charts. Despite fame and fortune, her next two big films,Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), didn't meet with the same success. However, she had a #1 hit single with "Mahogany" to make up for it. In February 1976, just before another #1 hit with "Love Hangover," she was stunned when her singing partner and friend, Florence Ballard, died after complications from a combination of alcohol abuse and long-term depression, which led to cardiac arrest. Ballard was only 32 years old and Ross was devastated by the loss.
After recovering from Ballard's death, Ross went on to focus on her singing career and continued having more #1 songs, including "Upside Down". The following year she performed the theme song from Endless Love (1981), which was composed by Lionel Richie. That same year she left Motown Records and signed contracts with various record companies across the globe, and formed her own production company. The following year she released "Silk Electric," on which she sang "Muscles," a song written and produced by Michael Jackson.
After she sang a tribute song dedicated to the late Marvin Gaye, Ross scored another #1 song in 1986 in the UK with "Chain Reaction," which brought back her days as the member of The Supremes , and was written and produced by The Bee Gees. Unlike the song she sang when Florence died, this song was about how she became accustomed to Marvin over the years. After an eight-year absence, in 1989 she came back to Motown. Ross had gained more fame through concert appearances over the years, and in April 1993 she became a best-selling author with her first and only children's book, "When You Dream," which featured a CD with four songs that were dedicated to the book. That same year she was declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the most successful female singer of all times. Two years later she was honored with the Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement on the Soul Train Awards. After receiving those honors, she came back to the studio in 1999 with "Every Day Is A New Day," and the song reached the UK Top 10. The following year, with Mary Wilson--the only other surviving original Supremes member--she planned to book a Supremes reunion tour, but this was eventually canceled.
She was arrested in 2002 in Tucson, Arizona, for driving under the influence and after pleading guilty was sentenced to two days in jail, 36 hours of counseling and one year probation. Today she is hard at work finishing her forthcoming book, "Upside Down: Wrong Turns, Right Turns and the Road Ahead."1. I'm Still Waiting - 1971 : 4 weeks
2. Chain Reaction - 1986 : 3 weeks- Actress
- Composer
- Producer
Lisa Stansfield was born on 11 April 1966 in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress and composer, known for Indecent Proposal (1993), The Bodyguard (1992) and Money Talks (1997). She has been married to Ian Devaney since 25 July 1998. She was previously married to Augusto Grassi.1. All Around the World - 1989 : 2 weeks
2. Five Live - 1993 : 3 weeks (with George Michael and Queen)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Hailing from the small town of Charlemagne, Québec, Céline Dion has become one of the all-time greatest singers. Céline was born in 1968, the youngest of 14 children. Early in childhood, she sang with her siblings in a small club owned by her parents. From these early experiences, Céline gained the know-how to performing live. At the age of 12, Dion composed a song in her native French and sent it to a record company, where it garnered the attention of René Angélil, a respected manager. Angélil believed in Céline so much that he actually mortgaged his house in order to finance her debut album. Already very popular and successful internationally, Céline burst onto the U.S. stage when she recorded the theme song to Disney's hit Beauty and the Beast (1991). The song garnered a Grammy and an Oscar, and from this point Céline has brought forth hit after hit. Her 'Falling Into You' album, released in 1996, became the best-selling album of that year, selling more than 25 million copies worldwide. In 1999, Dion took a hiatus in order to begin a family. She returned to the spotlight in 2002, releasing yet another hit album. Starting in 2003, Céline began a three-year commitment to perform in an arena built for her in Las Vegas.1. Think Twice - 1995 : 7 weeks
2. My Heart Will Go On - 1998 : 2 weeks- Actress
- Composer
- Writer
In the Guinness Book of Records for the highest UK chart entry for a female debut act, Gabrielle took the charts by storm with 'Dreams'. Her debut album "Find Your Way" sold over a million copies worldwide, and has been followed by the albums "Gabrielle" and "Rise", the latter appropriately titled as a comeback album for Gabrielle (following personal turmoil regarding the widely publicised conviction of her husband).
"Rise" was an album full of songs of optimism and hope for the future, and remains her finest work to date. Born in London's East End to a single mother, Gabrielle is known for her trademark sequinned eye patch, the result of a lazy eyelid. Recently she has ditched the patches for funky sunglasses.1. Dreams - 1993 : 3 weeks
2. Rise - 2000 : 2 weeks- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Born on the 12th January 1974 in Merseyside, England, Melanie Chisholm became a member of Spice Girls in 1994. Their three albums sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and they had nine singles at number 1 in the UK.
"Northern Star" was her first solo album. On the back of the first single "Goin' Down", the album initially went to #10 in the UK charts after being released on 18th October 1999, before going down the chart rapidly. In the US, it peaked at a disappointing #208 after being released on 2nd November 1999. After 5 singles - two of which were UK #1s, three tours, and 18 months of constant promotion, the album went triple platinum in the UK, peaking at #4 on its re-release in August 2000. Sales for the album currently stand at around 3 million copies worldwide (around 900,000 in the UK). The album continues to sell well, and in 2004, re-entered the UK Top 100 for yet another time, as a result of being low-priced in some stores. "Northern Star" has a remarkable Top 75 chart run, which demonstrates its sheer success as Melanie C established herself slowly as a solo artist. "Reason" was her second album, which took 18 months to complete. Released on 10th March 2003, it reached #5 in the UK chart - selling 30,500 copies in its first week. Although it didn't perform as well as "Northern Star", "Reason" has a Gold certification in the UK, with 80,000 copies sold. January 2004 saw the album reduced to £2.99 in all major record shops, but even then, "Northern Star" at the same price outsold it greatly. After the failure of "Melt/Yeh Yeh Yeh", the album is now truly a closed chapter. Although sales stalled after "On The Horizon", it managed to sell 500,000 copies worldwide.
The release of Melanie C's last album, "Reason" in March 2003 meant many changes for her career later in the year. Following the disaster of "Melt/Yeh Yeh Yeh", she parted from her record label, Virgin Records, and decided to go it alone, releasing her third solo album, "Beautiful Intentions", on her own label, Red Girl Records. Following the release of the single "Next Best Superstar" (#10 in the UK singles chart), Melanie will release "Better Alone" in July.1. Never Be The Same Again - 2000 : 1 week (with Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes)
2. I Turn To You - 2000 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final and best-known line-up comprised Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland & Michelle Williams. Formed on 1997 in Houston, Destiny's Child members began their musical career as Girl's Tyme when they formed in 1990 comprising Knowles, Rowland, LaTavia Roberson & LeToya Luckett among others. After years of limited success, the quartet were signed in 1997 to Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment as Destiny's Child. Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album in the U.S. on February 17, 1998 featuring productions by Tim & Bob, Rob Fusari, Jermaine Dupri, Wyclef Jean, Dwayne Wiggins and Corey Rooney. Destiny's Child peaked at number 67 on the Billboard 200 and number fourteen on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It managed to sell over one million copies in the United States, earning a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The remix version to the album's lead single: No, No, No reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Its follow-up single, With Me Part 1 failed to reproduce the success of No, No, No. Meanwhile, the group featured on a song from the soundtrack album of the romantic drama Why Do Fools Fall in Love and Get on the Bus had a limited release in Europe and other markets. In 1998, Destiny's Child garnered three Soul Train Lady of Soul awards including Best New Artist for No, No, No. Knowles considered their debut successful but not huge, claiming as a neo soul record it was too mature for the group at the time. Destiny's Child was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling second album, The Writing's on the Wall (1999), which contained the number-one singles, Bills, Bills, Bills and Say My Name. Despite critical and commercial success, the group was plagued by internal conflict and legal turmoil, as Roberson and Luckett attempted to split from the group's manager: Mathew Knowles, citing favoritism of Knowles and Rowland.
On February 2000, both Roberson and Luckett were replaced with Williams & Farrah Franklin; however, Franklin quit after 5 months, leaving the group as a trio. Their third album, Survivor (2001), which contains themes the public interpreted as a channel to the group's experience, contains the worldwide hits Independent Women, Survivor and Bootylicious. In 2002, they announced a hiatus and reunited 2 years later for the release of their fourth and final studio album, Destiny Fulfilled (2004).
Destiny's Child has sold more than 60 million records worldwide to date. Billboard magazine ranks the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time, the ninth most successful artist/band of the 2000s, placed the group 68th in its All-Time Hot 100 Artists list in 2008 and in December 2016, the magazine ranked them as the 90th most successful dance club artist of all-time. The group was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning twice for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and once for Best R&B Song.1. Independent Women Part 1 - 2000 : 1 week
2. Survivor - 2001 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actress
Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, the fourth youngest of nine children, comes from the small village of Dore (Dobhar in Irish) in the Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair) region of County Donegal in northwestern Ireland. She now lives in Killiney, a coastal district on the southern outskirts of Dublin The family is very musical and her parents played in a family dance band before settling down. Her father owns a local pub - Leo's Tavern in Meenaleck - and her mother Baba taught music in the local school. In 1968, elder brothers Ciarán & Pol, and uncles Pádraig & Noel Ó Dúgáin, formed the band "An Clan As Dobhar" to perform traditional Irish music at festivals etc. Changing their name to Clannad, and recruiting sister Maire Brennan in 1973, the band have gone on to international success performing both their own and traditional material. They have recorded a number of albums. Enya joined Clannad in 1980 and, credited under her real name, provided keyboards and (mostly) backing vocals. She appears on their 1982 album "Fuaim".
In 1982, Clannad split with their long-time manager and producer Nicky Ryan. Eithne, apparently frustrated with being left in the background, left at the same time and, in Ryan's belief that she had talent in her own right, moved to live with him and his wife Roma Ryan and develop her own musical career. In 1985, film producer David Puttnam commissioned her to write music for his film The Frog Prince (1986) which was released in 1985. The titles on The Frog Prince (1986) credit music to Enya Ní Bhraonáin and the transition of Eithne to Enya (the phonetic pronunciation of Eithne) had begun.
In 1986, BBC-TV began work on a six part documentary series charting the history and continuing cultural influence of the Celts. Enya was signed to write and perform music for the series. The Celts (1987) was first shown in 1987 and a selection of its music released under the title "Enya", giving the artist her first album, largely unnoticed at the time. Her 'big break' began in 1987 when she was signed by Rob Dickins, head of WEA Music UK, after he had heard and been entranced by the "Enya" album. WEA's backing made the recording of "Watermark" possible and the album was released in 1988. Although no singles were originally planned, it was the release "Orinoco Flow" ("Sail Away") that brought Enya to public attention and resulted in an unexpected chart #1 in several countries. She continued the success with her next albums, "Shepherd Moons" and "The Celts".1. Orinoco Flow - 1988 : 3 weeks
2. I Don't Wanna Know - 2004 : 2 weeks (with Mario Winans and P. Diddy)- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
The Pussycat Dolls is known for The Pussycat Dolls Feat. Snoop Dogg: Buttons (2006), The Pussycat Dolls: When I Grow Up (2008) and The House Bunny (2008).1. Don't Cha - 2005 : 3 weeks (with Busta Rhymes)
2. Stickwitu - 2005 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Nelly Kim Furtado was born on December 2, 1978 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to Maria Manuela Furtado (née Neto), a motel cleaner & António José Furtado, a stonemason. She first gained fame with her trip hop inspired debut album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000), which was a critical and commercial success that spawned two top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, I'm Like a Bird and Turn Off the Light. The first of the two singles won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Furtado's introspective folk-heavy 2003 second album, Folklore, explored her Portuguese roots. Its singles received moderate success in Europe, but the album's underperformance compared to her debut was regarded as a sophomore slump.
Furtado's third album, Loose (2006), was a smash hit and became her best selling album with more than 12 million copies sold worldwide, also making it one of the best selling albums of the 2000s. Considered a radical image reinvention, Furtado continued to explore her Latin heritage while leaning heavier into hip hop. The album spawned four successful number one singles worldwide; Promiscuous, Maneater, Say It Right & All Good Things (Come to an End). Her Timbaland collaboration, Give It to Me (2007) in the same era also topped the charts in the US and overseas. Furtado's critically acclaimed duet with James Morrison, Broken Strings, also topped the charts in Europe in 2008.
She released her first Spanish language album, Mi Plan, in 2009, which won her a Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. In 2012, Furtado released her nostalgia inspired fifth album The Spirit Indestructible. Furtado split with her management and went independent thereafter, releasing her indie-pop sixth album, The Ride (2017) under her own label, Nelstar Entertainment.
Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She has won several awards throughout her career, including one Grammy Award from seven nominations, one Latin Grammy Award, ten Juno Awards, one BRIT Award, one Billboard Music Award, one MTV Europe Music Award, one World Music Award, and three Much Music Video Awards. Furtado has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, and was awarded Commander of the Order of Prince Henry on February 28, 2014 in Toronto by Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the then-President of Portugal.1. Maneater - 2006 : 3 weeks
2. Give It to Me - 2007 : 1 week (with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia to Nidia del Carmen Mebarak (née Ripoll Torrado) & William Alberto Mebarak Chadid. She is of Lebanese, Spanish & Italian descent. Shakira began her musical career at the age of 12 and quickly captured fans around the world. She won the 2001 Best Latin pop Grammy for her MTV Unplugged album.1. Hips Don't Lie - 2006 : 5 weeks (with Wyclef Jean)
2. Beautiful Liar - 2007 : 3 weeks (with Beyonce)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Kelendria Trene 'Kelly' Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, talent show judge, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the group's two-year hiatus, Kelly Rowland released her first solo album, Simply Deep (2002), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Rowland also ventured into acting with starring roles in the successful films Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and The Seat Filler (2004).
Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, Rowland released her second album, Ms. Kelly (2007), which produced the international top-ten hits "Like This" and "Work". In 2009, she hosted the first season of The Fashion Show and was featured on David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over", which hit number one in many countries. Its success influenced Rowland to explore dance music on her third album Here I Am (2011), which spawned the UK top-ten singles "Commander" and "Down for Whatever". She became a judge on the eighth season of The X Factor UK (2004) in 2011 as well as the third season of The X Factor (2011) in 2013. Rowland's fourth album, Talk a Good Game (2013), became her third top-ten album on the US Billboard 200 chart. Rowland has continued her television career by hosting Chasing Destiny (2016) in 2016 and starring as a coach on The Voice (2012) since 2017.
Throughout her career, Rowland has sold over 30 million records as a solo artist, and a further 60 million records with Destiny's Child. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including four Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards. Rowland has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of Destiny's Child, and as a solo artist, she has been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and Essence for her contributions to music.1. Dilemma - 2002 : 2 weeks (with Nelly)
2. When Love Takes Over - 2009 : 1 week (with David Guetta)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Emeli Sandé was born on 10 March 1987 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is a music artist and actress, known for Trance (2013), The Great Gatsby (2013) and BBC Music: God Only Knows (2014). She was previously married to Adam Gouraguine.1. Read All About It - 2011 : 2 weeks (with Professor Green)
2. Beneath Your Beautiful - 2012 : 1 week (with Labrinth)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Meghan Trainor is a Grammy-winning American pop singer known for such smash hits as "Lips Are Moving" and "All About That Bass." Born on December 22, 1993, Meghan Trainor was raised on Nantucket Island and spent her childhood surrounding herself with music, learning to play various instruments and writing her own songs. When she was 18, after having self-recorded three of her own albums, she was signed to a music publishing deal, which soon led to another with Epic Records. She then co-wrote "Meghan Trainor: All About That Bass (2014)" a song that the young singer soon took to No. 1 around the world. With follow-up songs such as "Meghan Trainor: Lips Are Movin' (2015)" and ""Dear Future Husband" by Meghan Trainor (2015)," Trainor's debut album also took the charts by storm. Her family had musical roots (her dad was a church organist and her uncle, Burton Toney, was a bona fide recording artist), and Trainor took an early interest as well. She tinkered with making music as young as age 7 while she learned the piano. It would only be a few years down the road that she wrote her first song at age 11. The following years would find her penning songs and branching out into playing the guitar, ukulele and percussion instruments. As she got more serious, her parents bought her software that allowed her to record her own songs, and she continued on the musical path right through her time at Nauset High School on Cape Cod. Those four years were spent singing, playing trumpet in the jazz band and honing her guitar skills, while also singing with local band Island Fusion. She was a two-time enrollee (2009 and 2010) in the Berklee College of Music's five-week Performance Program, and she made the finals of the program's songwriting competition. Also during this period, Trainor was named Best Female Artist at the 2009 International Acoustic Music Awards and won the grand prize at the 2010 New Orleans Songwriters Festival. Ever ambitious, by the time Trainor was 18 she had recorded three albums of her own material. Her parents were huge supporters, and they would take her to regional songwriting conventions through her teen years. The conventions were a chance for songwriters to get their material heard, and one such session led to the first big step in Trainor's career. When she was 18, Trainor signed a publishing deal with Nashville's Big Yellow Dog Music. With the deal in place, the first big piece of Trainor's dream fell into place and a realization took hold that she could make a career out of her music. Before long, Big Yellow Dog was sending Trainor-penned songs to the likes of Grammy winner Rascal Flatts, Sabrina Carpenter and a host of others. With that level of success under her belt, Trainor soon signed with Epic Records, where her first single was the massive hit "Meghan Trainor: All About That Bass (2014)," which was released in June 2014. At first, Epic pitched the song to several other singers to perform, but when there were no takers, Trainor herself sang it.1. All About That Bass - 2014 : 4 weeks
2. Marvin Gaye - 2015 : 1 week (with Charlie Puth)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Camila was born on March 3, 1997 in Havana, Cuba. In 2012, she auditioned for the X-Factor and joined a girl group, Fifth Harmony, in which she was known as the lead singer. Cabello and her band-mates released one EP and two studio albums. Her departure from the group was announced in December 18th 2016. As a lead artist, Cabello released two hit singles with Shawn Mendes 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and Machine Gun Kelly's 'Bad Things'. In 2017, Cabello prepared for the release of her debut solo album. Camila scored features with artists such as Cashmere Cat's 'Love Incredible' and Pitbull and J Balvin's 'Hey Ma' scoring the artists and Camila herself a Grammy nomination. While Cabello received these achievements she scored herself a Guess deal to become an official Guess girl and to be the face of their 2017 Fall campaign. Cabello was welcomed to join the Bruno Mars 24K Magic World Tour as an Opening act. She performed a total of 20 shows. Cabello release her hit single 'Havana' on August 3, 2017 as a gift to her fans. Due to the success of the single, Cabello then announced in an interview 'Havana' is the official first official single of her debut album scrapping her old song 'Crying In The Club', which was originally planned as the debut single. The hit 'Havana' scored #1 on Hot 100 Billboard, #1 In the UK Official charts and over 80 more #1's on iTunes. 'Havana" became #1 on the official worldwide charts thus making a name for her as a solo artist and giving Camila the record of holding the #1 spot the longest by a female artist in 2017. In just 11 months of a solo career, Camila had won a total of 18 awards, became a multi-platinum artist with over 50 certifications, sold over 17 million units and gained over 4 billion combined YouTube and Spotify streams all without an album out. Camila Cabello's debut album called 'Camila' was released January 12th 2018 racking up a score of 76 on metacritic and over 100 #1's. 'Camila' debuted at #1 on Billboard 200.1. Havana - 2017 : 5 weeks (with Young Thug)
2. Señorita - 2019 : 6 weeks (with Shawn Mendes)- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Kate Bush began playing piano at a young age and, by her mid-teens, had composed over 200 songs. Her talent caught the notice of David Gilmour (of Pink Floyd) who assisted in arranging her contract with EMI. The first song she released, "Wuthering Heights", soared to #1 in England in 1978. Since then, Kate has achieved a notable career as a singer and musician. Kate began producing her own albums and videos early on. Her growing interest in film was highly evident in the 1985 video for her song, "Cloudbusting", which starred Donald Sutherland, which is a mini-film in itself. Another 1985 video, "Hounds of Love", is a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. Following the release of her 1993 album, "The Red Shoes", influenced by filmmaker Michael Powell, Kate produced the short film, The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993), using five songs from the album as a basis for the film in a mysterious, mythical retelling of the tale of "The Red Shoes".1. Wuthering Heights - 1978 : 4 weeks
2. Running Up That Hill - 2022 : 3 weeks- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actress
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell is an American musician, singer and actress from Los Angeles. She performed hit songs such as "Bad Guy" and "No Time to Die," which was used in the James Bond film of the same name. She provided ADR for Ramona and Beezus, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and X-Men: Apocalypse.1. No Time to Die - 2020 : 1 week
2. What Was I Made For? - 2023 : 1 week- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jo Stafford's early fame came as a vocalist with the big band of Tommy Dorsey, for which she sang both on her own and with her group, The Pied Pipers. After leaving Dorsey in 1944, Stafford went solo, eventually racking up no less than 93 hits over the next 13 years. Among them: chart-toppers like "Candy" (1945), "My Darling, My Darling" (1948), "You Belong To Me" (1952) and "Make Love To Me" (1955). According to Joel Whitburn's Record Research, Jo Stafford and Dinah Shore were the two top female hit-makers of the pre-rock era. Jo also ranked #6 among all hit makers of the early '50s (1950-4). As her music career dominated her time, Stafford's movie appearances were limited to a handful in '40s films featuring Dorsey and his band.1. You Belong to Me - 1953 : 1 week- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lita Roza was born on 14 March 1926 in Liverpool, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Cast a Dark Shadow (1955), Laughing Anne (1953) and Sheep's Clothing (1957). She was married to Ronnie Hughes. She died on 14 August 2008 in London, England, UK.1. (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? - 1953 : 1 week- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Vera Lynn was born on 20 March 1917 in East Ham, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Hellboy (2004), Lolita (1997) and Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). She was married to Harry Lewis. She died on 18 June 2020 in Ditchling, East Sussex, England, UK.1. My Son, My Son - 1954 : 2 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
Wendy Richard, was born in Middlesborough to Henry and Beatrice Emmerton who moved to London when she was 5. and there they ran The Shepherds Tavern in Mayfair. Her father commited suicide due to depression when she was 11. She was educated at St Georges School in Mount Street, Mayfair, London and at a boarding school then while still in her teens became a shop assistant at Fortum and Masons but was fired on her second day for not selling anything. She then joined the Italia Conti stage school at 16 but refused elocution lessons as she didn't want to do voice exercises. Her first big break was when she did voice on the Mike Sarne record 'Come Outside' which went to number one in 1962 the charts but all she got out of it was £ 15. David Croft then cast her in the comedy series Hugh and I and nurtured her career resulting in appearances in such series as The Likely Lads, Newcomers, Up Pompeii, Dads Army and Eastenders. She had a part in the Beatles film Help but was cut out of it but survived in the comedy Bless This House. The day after her mothers funeral she married music publisher Leonard Black in May 1972 but it only lasted 5 months. Afraid of being on her own she then married advertising executive Will Thorpe but their relationship became turbulent and developed into violent abuse resulting in a divorce in 1984. Her 3rd marriage was to Paul Glorney, a carpet fitter, but they divorced in 1994. In February 1996 she met John Burns, a painter and decorator and they lived together before marrying in October 2008, In 1996 she had discovered a lump on her breast which turned out to be cancerous but she was given the all clear after an operation, There was a recurrence of it in 2002 and after further treatment she was again given a clean bill of health until in 2008 when a check up revealed that she had cancerous cells in her breast and that they had spread through her body. She made a half hour television Programme 'Wendy Richard: To Tell You the Truth' documenting the last few months of her life which was broadcast in March 20091. Come Outside - 1962 : 2 weeks (with Mike Sarne)- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Composer
The greatest girl group ever had its origins in the late 1950s in Detroit's Brewster Projects. At the beginning the girls formed a quartet and named themselves "The Primettes", achieving mild success locally and recording a single for the Lupine record label. They ended up being a trio in 1960 shortly after they were signed by Detroit-based Motown, a record company founded by Berry Gordy. At Gordy's request, the trio formed by Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross became The Supremes.
In spite of the support of Motown writers and producers such as 'Smokey Robinson' and Gordy himself, the group spent a few years recording songs that disappeared into oblivion as soon as they were released. During those early years it was generally accepted that "Flo" Ballard had the strongest, more soulful voice to lead the group, but Gordy decided that Diane Ross had a more "commercial sound" and she became the lead singer in most of their recordings. However, his enthusiasm was not initially shared by other producers and musicians who found Ross' voice too high-pitched and nasal. In late 1963 The Supremes were turned over to the in-house production team formed by Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Eddie Holland. From the very beginning the collaboration worked like magic when their first release, "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" became a top 40 hit nationwide providing the first hint of the girls potential.
For the next release, Holland-Dozier-Holland picked "Where Did Our Love Go," a song that nobody thought much of. First they tried recording it with The Marvelettes but the group rejected it. Then they switched to The Supremes with Mary Wilson in mind to sing the leads but Mary didn't like the song either. Finally the song was cut with Ross singing in Wilson's lower mezzo-soprano register resulting in a sound that was sexy, romantic and extremely commercial. By pure chance they had stumbled into the right key for Diane Ross and a unique sound for The Supremes. "Where Did Our Love Go" was up and running as soon as it was released, an instant million seller for the group. But this was only the beginning of a Cinderella-like story that would make the girls from Detroit a legendary institution. As The Supremes kept topping the charts ("Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In The Name Of Love," "Back In My Arms Again," "Nothing But Heartaches") their presence was requested on national television,live concerts and even films. Here another miracle happened when audiences - of all races, social and economic backgrounds - fell in love with these charming black princesses, impeccably groomed, made up and dressed in gowns that in time became more and more extravagant. Their individual personalities so endearing, their harmonies so unique, their movements so graceful, the public just couldn't get enough of The Supremes and by 1965 they were the undisputed No. 1 female group in the country competing with The Beatles for most #1 hits in the charts. Their contribution to the civil rights movement should not be underestimated; suddenly, they were "the face" of Black America and it was a face of beauty, of glamour and of unity, an image everyone could identify with.
About this time Diane decided to use the name in her birth certificate which, by a spelling error, had been entered as "Diana". This is the year also in which her relationship with 'Berry Gordy Jr'. becomes a full fledged love affair although the details are kept away from the press and the fans. The Supremes continued turning out hits such as "I Hear A Symphony," "My World Is Empty Without You," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" and they were clearly "the sound of young America" but Gordy had a broader vision for them. Now that he had the kids listening to the group, the next step was to conquer the adults. The Supremes were the first R & B group to perform at the famed "Copacabana Night Club" in New York, enchanting audiences with their rendition of old American standards, songs from Broadway and Hollywood productions and their Motown hits. This was surely a well calculated gamble which paid off immediately. Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard were now perceived as much more than a rock group. Actually they had become the embodiment of the American dream and as performers they were now in the same league as Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand or Judy Garland. They constantly appeared on television with the greatest names in show business from Bobby Darin to Ethel Merman, Bob Hope or Bing Crosby. Looking at their seasoned performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (the new title of The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) and other TV shows it is easy to forget that these ladies were barely 20 years old.
By 1966 the first rumors of dissension within the group leaks out. 'Berry Gordy Jr.', had made the decision that Diana Ross would become a solo artist and The Supremes just a showcase for her talents, sort of a launching pad. This turn of events was not received well by Mary and "Flo" as their own talents became relegated to background singers for a super star. It should be remembered that The Supremes owed their sound in recordings to Diana Ross and the lady deserved the extra credit for being an exceptional talent, but on TV or in concerts, audiences were fascinated by all three Supremes, by their performances and by their individual personalities. Gordy knew the dangers of this situation so he pursued the strategy of minimizing The Supremes impact in favor of asserting the name and appeal of Diana Ross. A disgruntled 'Florence Ballard' began drinking and her behavior became erratic both on and off stage. The hits kept coming ("You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Love Is Here But Now You're Gone," "The Happening") but there was internal turmoil and tensions. In 1967, two major changes were instituted: "Flo" was dismissed and replaced with Cindy Birdsong (of Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles) and the group became officially known as "Diana Ross and The Supremes".
As with the Ross-Gordy relationship, the details of Ballard's departure were kept under wraps. The group went on to higher success, becoming more sophisticated than ever and performing in the best venues not only in America but all over the world. Beautiful Cindy Birdsong had her own charismatic presence and was accepted by audiences everywhere. However the departure from Motown of Holland-Dozier-Holland dealt a blow to the girls recording career. Their last hits with H-D-H were "Reflections" and "In And Out of Love" but from there on their presence on the charts became hit and miss. They bounced back with "Love Child", "I'm Living In Shame" and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" a "duet" with The Temptations with whom the ladies also appeared in two highly rated television specials: TCB (1968) and G.I.T. on Broadway (1969). Their recordings of "The Composer" and "No Matter What Sign You Are" didn't do what expected but by the end of 1969 the ladies released another million seller, "Someday We'll Be Together" as it was announced that Diana would no longer be with the group. Their last concert together was in January 1970, an emotional farewell performance at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas.
The career of Diana Ross as a solo artist struggled at the beginning but with Gordy's guidance and Motown resources solidly behind her she became the star of the 70s with such unforgettable recordings as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Touch Me In The Morning" becoming one of the world's highest paid performers. Ross demonstrated her unique talents both as a singer and as an actress in the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues (1972) based on the life of Billie Holiday, which won her an Oscar nomination. About this time it was expected that Ross and Gordy would make their relationship public but Diana surprised everybody by marrying Robert Ellis Silberstein on 20 January 1971. It was obvious that Ross was beginning to question Gordy's leadership both in her career and her private life. As far as The Supremes were concerned both Diana and Berry tried to convince the public that the group no longer mattered. The pitch went out that The Supremes had been great because Diana was great and now it was no longer important. At Motown there was room for only one diva act and the name was Diana Ross, a gross miscalculation that would eventually backfire.
In spite of Motown's lack of support, The Supremes continued their successful recording career well into the 70s with Chicago born singer Jean Terrell replacing Diana. Top 10 hits such as "Up The Ladder To The Roof", "Stoned Love", "Nathan Jones" and half a dozen of excellent albums, including collaborations with The Four Tops, kept the name alive and had the potential to go on into new heights. The girls continued to be a big draw in concerts and television and it seemed the group was destined to live forever. This threw a wrench in the Motown machinery since they couldn't afford having a newcomer like Terrell with Wilson and Birdsong at her side compete with Ross for number one spots on the charts. Something had to be done fast to send The Supremes into oblivion. Most of the fans stood solidly behind The Supremes while Motown quietly pulled the plug off the most successful female trio in the business. The lack of company support eventually created dissension within the group. By 1973 Jean Terrell quit and was replaced by Scherrie Payne; Cindy Birdsong left the group not once but twice, being replaced in each instance by Lynda Laurence and Susaye Greene. Surprisingly, during these confusing times, The Supremes recorded excellent material that kept the fans interested but the group was doomed.
The real shocker came in 1976 when original Supreme Florence Ballard died of heart failure in Detroit. After leaving the group she had tried to launch a solo career and landed a recording contract with ABC Records. However her first two singles didn't do well and ABC lost interest. Among rumors of industry blacklisting, "Flo" ended up destitute and on welfare in order to feed her three daughters. For The Supremes (Mary, Scherrie and Susaye) the final performance came in 1977 at the Drury Lane Theater in London but it was not the end of the legend... Diana Ross, whose career was grossly over-managed at Motown, signed with RCA and enjoyed recording success through the mid 1980s when, suddenly, the hits just stopped coming. She maintained her super star status on the concert circuit but her career decisions and choice of material began to be questioned. In 1983 Motown produced a TV special to celebrate their 25th Anniversary which was planned as a reunion of the old Detroit gang. The Supremes were invited to reunite for the occasion but during their performance it was obvious that Diana was not comfortable singing with her old partners. The audience gasped when it saw Ross pushing Wilson but this was edited out of the TV special and the home video release. Mary Wilson tried to launch a solo career but record companies were just not interested and rumors of blacklisting resurfaced. She managed to continue singing all over the world and in 1986 surprised everyone with a candid autobiography titled "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" which became a best seller, actually the biggest rock and roll autobiography in history. There was a sequel titled "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together" which was also well received by the public. In Mary's books, The Supremes are presented both as an American dream and an American tragedy.
Far from dying, The Supremes became cult figures with their recordings constantly on release, lots of air play, the subject of hundreds of articles, dozens of books, documentaries and TV specials. They are the inspiration behind the Broadway hit and film Dreamgirls (2006) and the film Sparkle (1976), their music heard in dozens of film soundtracks. The 80s and the 90s witnessed several ex-Supremes revivals in the concert circuits including the "Mary Wilson Supremes Revue" and reunions by Jean Terrell with Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne. In the late 80s and well into the 90s, The Supremes received important recognition such as a "star" in Hollywood's Walk of Fame and the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which were attended by Mary Wilson with the daughters of 'Florence Ballard'.
In 2000, Diana Ross herself tried to invigorate her career by planning a "Millennium Supreme reunion" with Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong but both ladies declined the invitation, alleging being denied input in the shows. Also there was quite a difference between the salaries of Diana and those of Mary and Cindy. Undaunted, and making the same mistake all over again, Miss Ross deludes herself into thinking that the important part of this "Supreme reunion" is HER participation and substitutes her former partners with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence to serve as background singers in a monumental tour of the United States. Mary counterattacked publicly about this "fake reunion" and the tour was canceled after playing a few dates to half filled venues.
Meanwhile, The Supremes recordings keep getting reissues and continue to sell very well. Lately, scores of previously unreleased Supremes recordings are being issued for the first time, while songs like "Baby Love," "I Hear a Symphony," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "Someday We'll Be Together" remain perennial favorites worldwide. As for the ladies themselves, Diana continues touring in spite of many personal problems which have even brought her in confrontation with the law. She has been known to check herself into "rehab clinics" in at least two occasions. Mary also continues touring both as a singer and a lecturer and was named by the Bush administration (2002) "United States ambassador of good will." She has also appeared in the film "Only The Strong Survive" while Cindy Birdsong leads a quite life in Los Angeles as a Christian minister helping out disadvantaged young people. In 2004 Mary and Cindy reunited for the Motown 45 (2004) TV special where they sang a medley of Supremes hits with Kelly Rowland, of Destiny's Child substituting the elusive Diana Ross. Whatever happens in the future for these ladies it is clear that The Supremes legend has stood the test of time and will continue. At their prime they touched so many lives and excelled in so many ways that their impact seems destined to live forever. Where did our love go? Nowhere. It's still here baby, baby...1. Baby Love - 1964 : 2 weeks- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
Jackie Trent was born on 6 September 1940 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, UK. She was an actress and composer, known for Heartbeats (2010), The Girl from the Red Cabaret (1973) and The Persuaders! (1971). She was married to Colin Gregory and Tony Hatch. She died on 21 March 2015 in Ciutadella, Minorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.1. Where Are You Now (My Love) - 1965 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dusty Springfield has been acknowledged around the world as the best female soul singer that Britain ever produced. With her oddly erotic, throaty voice, she racked up a string of hits from the 1960s onwards. Born in London to Irish parents, Dusty grew up in and around London. Her early work included an all-girl trio, "The Lana Sisters" and, then, with her brother Tom Springfield (Dion O'Brien), The Springfields. Inspired by Phil Spector's "wall of sound", Dusty recorded her first pop song "I Only Want to Be with You" in 1963. It reached No. 4 in the charts and was the first song played on the new BBC TV pop show Top of the Pops (1964). The sixties brought a steady succession of top-ten hits and a lifestyle to match. However, Dusty used to campaign to get the little-known American soul singers a better audience in the United Kingdom which led to her own show The Sound of Motown (1965). In 1970, she moved to America and, although she attempted a few come-back tours, they never really worked. However, time in the studio did produce the seminal album, "Dusty in Memphis". A downward spiral of drugs and drink followed for most of the latter seventies but then she overcame these problems and, helped by lifelong fans "The Pet Shop Boys", came back with songs such as "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" and the album "Reputation". Cancer was diagnosed in 1994 and, although it was kept at bay for quite a while, it finally got her.1. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - 1966 : 1 week- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Jane Birkin was born on 14 December 1946 in London, England, UK. She was an actress and director, known for Evil Under the Sun (1982), Blow-Up (1966) and Death on the Nile (1978). She was married to John Barry. She died on 16 July 2023 in Paris, France.1. Je t'aime... moi non plus - 1969 : 1 week (with Serge Gainsbourg)- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Freda Payne was born on 19 September 1942 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Now and Then (1995) and Velvet Goldmine (1998). She was previously married to Gregory Abbott.1. Band Of Gold - 1970 : 6 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
The Three Degrees is known for The French Connection (1971), Carlito's Way (1993) and Birds of Prey (2020).1. When Will I See You Again - 1974 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Writer
Tammy once said: "I spent 15 minutes writing ["Stand by Your Man"], and a lifetime defending it". She was born Virginia Wynette Pugh on May 5, 1942, on her grandfather's cotton farm in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Tammy picked cotton as a child, and as a young woman worked as a waitress, a doctor's receptionist, a barmaid and a shoe factory worker. Shortly before graduating high school, Tammy married high school sweetheart Euple Byrd, an itinerant construction worker who was unemployed more often than not. They were finally forced to live in an abandoned, 60-year-old, 3-room log cabin on a Mississippi farm with no indoor plumbing, no stove and only a wood-burning fireplace for cooking and heat. "Not even the poorest sharecropper would have paid to live there," Tammy noted, but it was rent-free. They had 3 daughters, Gwendolyn ("Gwen"), Jacquelyn ("Jackie"), and Tina. The marriage ended in divorce. Tammy still dreamed of becoming a singer. Then, after a short marriage to singer Don Chapel which ended in annulment, Tammy headed to Nashville to pursue a career as a singer in earnest. As a teenager, her fantasy had been to appear on stage with her singing idol, George Jones. In 1968, she married George Jones, creating a union that captured the imaginations of country music fans everywhere. For the next 7 years they lived, sang, wrote, recorded and performed in a romantic, stormy, much-publicized relationship. They had one daughter, Tamala Georgette, born in 1970. Many of Tammy's hits dealt with classic themes of loneliness, divorce and the difficulties of relationships, especially her signature song "Stand by Your Man," which she co-wrote with her producer Billy Sherrill. The beautiful, deeply-moving lyrics of the song go: "Stand by your man / And show the world you love him / Keep giving' all the love you can / Stand by your man". This song has sometimes been misinterpreted, by misinformed people, as meaning a woman should tolerate anything, even abuse, from her man. What it really is, is an affirmation of the vows to love and honor a spouse. Tammy defended the song, in her own words, as "an expression of triumph over adversity". Her recording of "Stand by Your Man" was the biggest selling single in the history of country music. Tammy's releases have made the #1 position in the charts 35 times. Tammy received awards far too numerous to list here, some highlights were being named Country Music Association "Female Vocalist of the Year" for 3 years straight, 1968-1970; (she would be inducted into CMA Hall of Fame in 1998). After her divorce in 1975, Tammy was briefly married to Nashville real estate executive Michael Tomlin. Finally, with singer-songwriter George Richey, she achieved a long-lasting marriage; they were married for 20 years, from 1978 until her death in 1998. "I've had a wonderful life", she said in a 1991 Associated Press interview. "I absolutely feel I've been blessed tremendously. I can't complain at all". In all, she had 5 daughters and one son. Tammy passed away in her sleep on Monday, April 6, 1998, in her beloved Nashville; she was 55. Tammy will be missed greatly by her fans all around the world.1. Stand By Your Man - 1975 : 3 weeks- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Kiki Dee was born on 6 March 1947 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Summer of Sam (1999), The Lion King (1994) and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006).1. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - 1976 : 6 weeks (with Elton John)- Actress
- Soundtrack
Julie is a stage and screen actress and singer. She is most famous for reaching the top of the U.K. singles chart in 1976 with her definitive version of "Don't Cry for me Argentina" from the musical, "Evita". One year later, she was back in the U.K. charts again with an excellent version of the Alice Cooper song "Only Women Bleed" (#12, in December 1977). As one of the actresses starring in the music business series Rock Follies (1976), Julie had a further U.K. hit with "OK?" which reached #10. Other songs such as "(I Want to see the) Bright Lights", appearing on her album "Julie Covington Plus", were radio hits but no further chart action was forthcoming.1. Don't Cry for Me Argentina - 1977 : 1 week- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
Deniece Williams was born on 3 June 1950 in Gary, Indiana, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Footloose (2011), Footloose (1984) and White Boy Rick (2018). She was previously married to Brad Westering, Christipher Joy and Ken Williams.1. Free - 1977 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Donna Summer rocketed to international super-stardom in the mid-1970s when her groundbreaking merger of R&B, soul, pop, funk, rock, disco and avant-garde electronica catapulted underground dance music out of the clubs of Europe to the pinnacles of sales and radio charts around the world.
Maintaining an unbroken string of hits throughout the 70s and 80s, most of which she wrote, Donna holds the record for most consecutive double albums to hit #1 on the Billboard charts (3) and first female to have four #1 singles in a 12 month period; 3 as a solo artist and one as a duo with Barbra Streisand.
A five-time Grammy winner, Donna Summer was the first artist to win the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female (1979, "Hot Stuff") as well as the first-ever recipient of the Grammy for Best Dance Recording (1997, "Carry On"). In 2004, she became one of the first inductees, as both an Artist Inductee and a Record Inductee (for 1977's "I Feel Love") into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in New York City.
Born Donna Gaines on New Year's Eve to a large family in Boston, she developed an early interest in music. From the age of eight, Summer sang in church choirs and city-wide choruses, and by her early twenties, was performing in musical theatre in Germany, winning parts in such highly-acclaimed shows as "Hair," "Showboat," "Godspell," and "Porgy and Bess" as well as performing with the Viennese Folk Opera. She released her first single, a cover of the Jaynett's girl group classic, "Sally Go Round The Roses," in 1971. While singing backup, she met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte who produced her first single, "Hostage," which became a hit in the Netherlands, France and Belgium.
In 1975, Moroder and Bellotte produced the international hit, "Love to Love You Baby," which rose to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and triggered Summer's triumphant return to the United States as a key figure of the then-emerging disco genre. "Love To Love You Baby" paved the way for such international hits as "MacArthur Park," "Bad Girls," "Hot Stuff," "Dim All The Lights," "On The Radio," and "Enough Is Enough," as well as the Grammy and Academy award winning theme song "Last Dance," from the film "Thank God It's Friday," which remains a milestone in Donna's career.
In 1980, Summer became the first artist to sign with David Geffen's new label, Geffen Records, leaving her disco days behind and moving into the next phase of her career ." In the years that followed, Summer collaborated with writers and producers such as Quincy Jones, Michael Omartian and England's dance-pop production compound Stock Aitken Waterman and produced a steady stream of hits from "State of Independence," featuring Michael Jackson on backing vocals, to the abiding feminist anthem "She Works Hard For The Money," one of the most-played songs of all-time, and the infectious "This Time I Know It's For Real."
In 1994, she released "Endless Summer," a greatest hits retrospective containing a new song, "Melody of Love," which became Billboard's #1 Dance Record of the Year. She also released the critically acclaimed gem "Christmas Spirit," a collection of Summer's original songs and holiday standards recorded with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Summer spent the '90s continuing to tour, performing to sold-out audiences worldwide.
In 1997, when the new "Best Dance Recording" Category was created at the Grammy Awards, Donna Summer was the first winner with her fifth career Grammy award for "Carry On." In 1999, Sony/Epic Records released "VH1 Presents Donna Summer: Live & More - Encore!," an album and DVD of Summer's critically acclaimed VH1 broadcast taped at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The show premiered on VH1 as one of the network's highest rated shows to date and featured live performances of Summer's top hits.
In addition to her five Grammy Awards, Summer has won six American Music Awards, three consecutive #1 platinum double albums (she's the only solo artist, male or female, ever to accomplish this), 11 gold albums, four #1 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart, 3 platinum singles, and 12 gold singles.
Summer is also the first female artist to have a #1 single and #1 album on the Billboard charts simultaneously ("Live & More;" "MacArthur Park" 1978) a feat she also repeated six months later ("Bad Girls" & "Hot Stuff" in 1979). She has charted 33 Top Ten hits on the combined Billboard Disco/Dance/Dance Club/Play charts over a period of 37 years with 18 reaching the #1 spot solidifying her as the undisputed Queen of Dance.
In addition to her recording and performing career, Summer is an accomplished visual artist whose work has been shown at exhibitions worldwide including Steven Spielberg's "Starbright Foundation Tour of Japan" and The Whitney Museum as well as a prestigious engagement at Sotheby's in New York. Since 1989, she has sold over 1.7 million dollars in original art - with her highest piece going for $150,000. In 2003, Random House published her autobiography "Ordinary Girl," co-authored with Marc Eliot. Also that year, Universal released "The Journey," containing all of her original hits, as well as two new songs.
In 2008, celebrating four decades of milestones, Summer adds another accomplishment to her list with the success of her new album "Crayons." The album debuted at #17 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart making it Summer's highest debuting album ever. It also debuted at #5 on the Billboard R&B chart - another personal best. "Crayons" is Summer's first album of all new studio material in 17 years and is her highest charting album since "She Works Hard For The Money" in 1983. To date, the album has spawned three #1 Dance hits "I'm A Fire," "Stamp Your Feet" and "Fame (The Game)."
It is estimated that Summer has sold more than 130 million records worldwide.
Ranked #24 on Billboard Magazines 50th Anniversary issue's "Hot 100 Artists of All Time," Donna Summer was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles.1. I Feel Love - 1977 : 4 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
Baccara is known for Marshland (2014), Loose Cannons (2010) and Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law (1998).1. Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - 1977 : 1 week- Actress
- Soundtrack
Singer Kelly Marie was born as Jacqueline McKinnon on October 16, 1957 in Paisley, Scotland. Her parents are Alex and Jeanette McKinnon. Kelly always wanted to be a star since she was a kid. Marie attended voice and drama school at age 10 and began singing in competitions at age 12. She made her first television appearance at age 15. Kelly got an early taste of fame with her winning appearances on the British talent TV show "Oportunity Knocks." Her 1976 debut single "Who's That Lady With My Man" was a #1 radio hit in France and sold 500,000 copies. "Sister Mary," her 1976 duet with singer Joe Dolan, was a #2 radio hit in Ireland. The song "Help Me" reached the #8 spot in France in November, 1976. The 1977 single "Run to Me" reached #22 on the pop charts in the Netherlands and went to #5 in South Africa. "Make Love to Me" peaked at #2 in South Africa in 1978 and reached #5 on the Australian pop charts in 1979. In 1980 Marie achieved her greatest international smash success with the infectiously bouncy and bubbly disco anthem "Feels Like I'm in Love;" the song soared to #1 on the UK pop charts and sold over two million copies in England (the song was the third best selling single in Britain in 1980). "Feels Like I'm in Love" was also a major hit abroad: it reached #2 in Belgium, #4 in the Netherlands, #5 in Germany, #6 in Australia, and #3 in Ireland. The equally catchy follow-up "Loving Just for Fun" likewise did well; it reached #21 in England and charted at #22 in both Ireland and Germany. "Hot Love" went all the way to #22 on the UK radio in January, 1981, but "Love Trial" alas stalled at #51 on the UK pop charts. Kelly continued to tour throughout 1982 and 1983. In 1984 she had big dance club hits with the songs "Break Out" and "I'm On Fire." This was followed by "Don't Let the Flame Die Out," which was another dance club hit in 1985. In May, 2005 Marie appeared on the British TV contest show "Hit Me Baby 1 More Time;" she performed her signature smash "Feels Like I'm in Love" and did an inspired cover of Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again." More recently "Feels Like I'm in Love" was featured on the soundtracks to the films "Imagine You & Me" and "Unce Upon a Time in the Midlands." Kelly Marie lives in outer London, England with her husband Metin and her six children (she has one son and five daughters).1. Feels Like I'm In Love - 1980 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
Barbra Streisand is an American singer, actress, director and producer and one of the most successful personalities in show business. She is the only person ever to receive all of the following: Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, Cable Ace, National Endowment for the Arts, and Peabody awards, as well as the Kennedy Center Honor, American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement honor and the Film Society of Lincoln Center Chaplin Award.
She was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942 to Diana Kind (née Ida Rosen), a singer turned school secretary, and Emanuel Streisand, a high school teacher. Her father died when she was 15 months old. She has a brother, Sheldon, and a half-sister, Roslyn Kind, from their mother's remarriage. As a child she attended the Beis Yakov Jewish School in Brooklyn. She was raised in a middle-class family and grew up dreaming of becoming an actress (or even an actress / conductor, as she happily described her teenage years at one of her concerts).
After a period as a nightclub singer and off-Broadway performer in New York City she began to attract interest and a fan base, thanks to her original and powerful vocal talent. She debuted on Broadway in the 1962 musical comedy "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" by Harold Rome, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a New York Drama Critics Poll award. The following year she reached great commercial success with her first Columbia Records solo releases, "The Barbra Streisand Album" (multiple Grammy winner, including "Best Album of the Year") and "The Second Barbra Streisand Album" (her first RIAA Gold Album); these albums, mostly devoted to composer Harold Arlen, brought her critical praise and, most of all, public acclaim all over the US. In 1964 she had another smash Broadway hit when she portrayed legendary Broadway star Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill; the show's main song, "People", became her first hit single and she appeared on the cover of Time magazine. After many TV appearances as a guest on various music and variety shows (such as an episode of The Judy Garland Show (1963), for which she was nominated for an Emmy), she signed an exclusive contract with CBS for a series of annual TV specials. My Name Is Barbra (1965) (which won an Emmy) and Color Me Barbra (1966) were extremely successful.
After a brief London stage period and the birth of her son Jason Gould (with then-husband Elliott Gould), in summer 1967 she gave a memorable free concert in New York City, "A Happening in Central Park", that was filmed and later broadcast (in an edited version) as a TV special; then she flew to Hollywood for her first movie, Funny Girl (1968), a filming of her stage success. The picture, directed by William Wyler, opened in 1968 and became a hit in the US and abroad, making her an international "superstar" and multiple award winner, including the Best Actress Oscar. After a series of screen musicals, such as Gene Kelly's Hello, Dolly! (1969) and Vincente Minnelli's On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), she wanted to try comedies, resulting in such films as The Owl and the Pussycat (1970) and What's Up, Doc? (1972). She turned to dramas and turned out Up the Sandbox (1972) and the classic The Way We Were (1973), directed by Sydney Pollack and co-starring Robert Redford. The song "The Way We Were" (written by Marvin Hamlisch and Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman) became one of her biggest hits and most memorable and famous songs.
She returned to TV for a new special conceived as a musical journey covering many world musical styles, Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments (1973), then returned (for contractual reasons) to her Fanny Brice role in a sequel to her hit "Funny Girl" film, Funny Lady (1975), and the next year turned out one of her most personal film projects, A Star Is Born (1976), one of the biggest hits of the year for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress and her second Oscar, for the song "Evergreen". Always extremely busy on the discography side, averaging one album a year throughout the '70s and '80s, she had a string of successful singles and albums, such as "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (duet with Neil Diamond), "Enough is Enough" (with Donna Summer), "The Main Event" (from her film The Main Event (1979) with her friend Ryan O'Neal) and the album "Guilty", written for her by The Bee Gees' Barry Gibb, which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
She debuted as a director with the musical drama Yentl (1983), in which she also portrayed a Jewish girl who is forced to pass herself off as a man to pursue her dreams. The movie received generally positive reviews and the beautiful score by Michel Legrand and lyricists Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman stands up as one of Streisand's finest musical works. The film received several Oscar nominations, winning in two categories, but she was not nominated as Best Director, which disappointed both her and her fans, many of whom consider this the Academy's biggest "snub".
In 1985 her album "The Broadway Album" was an unexpected runaway success, winning a Grammy Award and helping to introduce a new generation to the world of American musical theater. In 1986 she performed in a memorable concert, after 19 years of stage silence, "One Voice". She returned to the screen in Nuts (1987), a drama directed by Martin Ritt, in the role of a prostitute accused of murder who fights to avoid being labeled "insane" at her trial. In 1991 she appeared in The Prince of Tides (1991), which many consider to be the pinnacle of her screen career, playing a psychiatrist who tries to help a man (Nick Nolte) to find the pieces of his past life. The film received seven Oscar nominations (but again NOT for Best Directing), but she did receive a nomination from the DGA (Directors Guild of America) for Best Director. In 1994 she returned to the stage after 27 years for a series of sold-out concerts (for the televised version of one of these, she won another Emmy).
In the 1990s she broke several personal records: with two #1 albums ("Back to Broadway" in 1993 and "Higher Ground" in 1997) and became the only artist to achieve a #1 album on the Billboard charts in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s (she extended this record into the 21st century in 2009 with the jazz album "Love is the Answer"). In 1996 she starred in her third picture as director, The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), with Jeff Bridges and Lauren Bacall. The film had a "the girl got the guy" ending, and the same happened to her in real life--the next year she married well known TV actor James Brolin.
In 2000 she focused her career again on concerts ("Timeless") and in 2006-07 with a European tour. She made only two more films--a supporting role as a sex therapist mother in the Ben Stiller comedy Meet the Fockers (2004) and its sequel, Little Fockers (2010), alongside Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. She published a book, "Passion for Design", in 2010 and celebrated her friendship with the Bergmans with an entire album of their songs, "What Matters Most" (2011), that debuted in the top 10.
After a long break from filming, she returned in a starring role for the 2012 holiday season with The Guilt Trip (2012), a mother/son picture co-starring Seth Rogen and directed by Anne Fletcher, and is working on putting together a film version of the well-known Jule Styne musical "Gypsy". In almost 50 years of career, Streisand has contributed to the show business industry in a personal and unique way, collecting a multi-generational fan base; she has a powerful and recognize vocal range, and a raucous and often self-deprecating sense of humor, which doesn't prevent her from showing the serious and dramatic sides of her personality. Her strong political belief in social justice infuses her professional career and personal life, and she makes no bones about what she believes; her willingness to put her money where her mouth is has resulted in some truly vicious attacks by many who hold opposite political views, but that hasn't stopped her from acting on her beliefs. She has been honored with the Humanitarian Award from the Human Rights Campaign, an Honorary Doctorate in Arts and Humanities from Brandeis University in 1995, an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2013 and the bestowing by the government of France the title of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters. She supports many humanitarian causes through the Streisand Foundation and has been a dedicated environmentalist for many years; she endowed a chair in environmental studies in 1987 and donated her 24-acre estate to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. In addition, she was the lead founder for the Clinton Climate Change Initiative. This effort brought together a consortium of major cities around the world to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. She is a leading spokesperson and fund-raiser for social and political causes close to her heart and has often dedicated proceeds from her live concert performances to benefit programs she supports.1. Woman In Love - 1980 : 3 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born in Hollywood,California Charlene is best known for her International Hit Single "I've Never Been To Me". She recorded 6 albums for Motown/Prodigal Records from 1974 - 1984. Her music has been featured in films and television including: "The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert", "Me Without You", "The Last American Vigin", "Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon", "Absolutely Fabulous", "Passions" ans "Desperate Housewives".
Charlene continues to write and record music. She will be releasing a new CD in 2006.1. I've Never Been To Me - 1982 : 1 week- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Actress, singer, songwriter, and producer Irene Cara was destined for a life of accomplishments that millions strive for but very few actually attain. From being able to play the piano by ear at age five to earning an Oscar, multiple Grammys, a Golden Globe, and a People's Choice Award, Irene's rise to stardom was paved with experiences of a lifetime.
Beginning shortly after realizing their daughter's natural talent, Irene was quickly enrolled in music, acting, and dance classes. Shortly before that, her mother entered her into multiple competitions and at the age of three, Irene was a finalist in the "Little Miss America" pageant.
Her professional career began on Spanish-language television singing and dancing before performing on shows including 'The Original Amateur Hour', 'The Ed Sullivan Show', and 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson. Her talent was also showcased On and Off Broadway in various productions including 'Ain't Misbehavin'', the Obie Award-winning musical 'The Me Nobody Knows', 'Maggie Flynn' starring Shirley Jones and Tony Award-nominated actor Jack Cassidy, and 'Via Galactica' opposite Raul Julia.
Having performed on the stage, the next natural progression seemed to be series television. She would find a home on the daytime drama 'Love of Life' and the educational series 'The Electric Company' where she participated as a member of the group 'The Short Circus', teaching children about grammar through music. 'The Electric Company's' cast was made up of veteran actors Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno, and Morgan Freeman.
Continuing the pursuit of excellence, Irene recorded her first Spanish-language album at the age of eight and released an English-speaking holiday album shortly thereafter. Her career already blossoming, she would receive the honor of becoming the youngest member to perform in an all-star concert tribute for the legendary Duke Ellington. Held at Madison Square Garden, Irene performed along with music greats Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Roberta Flack.
With Broadway, television, and recording firmly tucked under her belt, Irene's next stop was the big screen. Before she entered her teenage years, she had won the title role in the film Aaron Loves Angela. Her performance in the movie was so outstanding that she was cast as the lead in the now cult classic musical drama 'Sparkle'. Proving that she was a tremendously versatile actress, Irene received international acclaim for her roles in 'Roots: The Next Generation' starring alongside James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll among others, and 'The Guyanna Tragedy: The Jim Jones Story' where she would again work with James Earl Jones as well as LeVar Burton. As much as she had already accomplished, nothing could have prepared her for the super-stardom that would come with her next role.
In 1980, Irene would portray the character Coco Hernandez in a movie-musical titled 'Fame', a story about a group of students auditioning for acceptance into New York's High School for the Performing Arts. The film follows the students from their first to final days at the school and served to shine a light on the film's inspiration, LaGuardia High, and its counterpart Julliard. Irene's massive solo vocal talent was showcased through the title song 'Fame' as well as 'Out Here on My Own'. They and Irene would make Academy Awards history as it marked the first time two songs from the same film were nominated in the same category, and both performed by Irene. The title track won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The impact of 'Fame' would catapult Irene Cara into a household name and earn her two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Artist, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical. Billboard Magazine named her the Top New Single Artist and Cashbox Magazine awarded her with the Most Promising Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist honors.
In 1982, Irene was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress for the NBC movie-of-the-week Maya Angelou's 'Sister, Sister' also starring Diahann Carroll and Rosalind Cash. She would garner another NAACP Image Award nomination for the title role in the PBS film 'For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story'. When it seemed her professional life couldn't get any better, Irene set the world on fire again.
Composer Giorgio Moroder approached Irene in 1983 to collaborate on the theme to a film he was attached to titled 'Flashdance'. Irene agreed and actually wrote the lyrics to the title song 'Flashdance...What a Feeling' in a car with producer Keith Forsey while on the way to the studio to record it. Those lyrics would reinforce Irene's already solid place in Hollywood history. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards with Irene taking home the coveted Oscar for Best Original Song. She would also add a Golden Globe to her already impressive collection of honors for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture in addition to two Grammys, a People's Choice Award, and an American Music Award. On a personal level, as a woman of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, her Academy Award win is even more special as she was the first bi-racial woman to ever win in any category other than acting and only the second to be nominated outside of an acting category.
In 1984/85, Irene was back on the big screen in the film 'City Heat' opposite Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. She co-wrote the theme as well as performed the classic standards 'Embraceable You' and 'Get Happy'. Irene also starred opposite Tatum O'Neal in the film 'Certain Fury', voiced "Snow White" in the animated film 'Happily Ever After', and toured as "Mary Magdalene" in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production 'Jesus Christ Superstar'.
Not having sat on her laurels, in between winning Oscars, Grammys, and touring, she released the albums 'Anyone Can See' and 'What a Feeling' in 1982 and 1983 respectively which spawned the additional hits 'Breakdance', 'The Dream', 'You Were Made for Me', and 'Why Me', and in 1985 collaborated and sang with Placido Domingo. 'Breakdance' and 'Why Me' would both become Top 10 hits. In 1987, the release of the album 'Carasmatic' was shelved in the United States because of legal issues with the label, but it was issued in limited quantities in the United Kingdom, immediately making the album a collector's piece for anyone lucky enough to have gotten a copy.
Still feeling the love of audiences everywhere, the 90s were spent living out of a suitcase on multiple European concert tours. After finally getting a little breathing space, Irene formed the group Hot Caramel in 1999 and returned to performing to the delight of eager audiences clamoring to hear her unmistakable voice.
In 2004, Irene was awarded the Prestige Award for Lifetime Achievement. She was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fort Lauderdale Film Institute in 2005, and in 2006, was awarded the Honorary Lifetime Achievement for outstanding contribution in the African-American community by the Columbus Times of Georgia, the country's oldest black newspaper. In 2007, the Reel Sisters of the Disapora Film Festival presented her with the Trailblazer Award, and the Council of the City of New York honored her for her outstanding contributions as a performer. Perhaps one her most pleasurable moments was the 2011 unveiling of her name on a street sign in the Grand Concourse of the Bronx Walk of Fame. That same year, she released a new album titled Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel. Now semi-retired from the industry that filled every corner of her life for decades, Irene is now enjoying entertaining audiences via her YouTube podcast 'The Irene Cara Show' where she shares videos and talks about the acting and music industry's backstory.
While the outpouring of love from fans still makes her happy, Irene continues to be touched by the knowledge that she and her roles have inspired others within the acting/music industry as well.
Mariah Carey: "Around the same time, my mother entered me in a talent competition in the city, and I sang one of my favorite songs, 'Out Here on My Own', by Irene Cara. I felt 'Out Here on My Own' described my entire life, and I loved singing that way - singing to reveal a piece of my soul. And I won doing it. At that age. I lived for the movie 'Fame', and Irene Cara was everything to me."
Celine Dion: "Whether it's 'Titanic' and the unsinkable 'My Heart Will Go On', 'Michael's Song' and 'Listen to the Magic Man' (in English and French) for 'The Peanut Butter Solution', or 'Deadpool 2's' unexpected 'Ashes', she presides over movie theme songs as if taking up the baton from Irene Cara herself."
Whitney Houston: "'Sparkle' was especially important to because she'd been trying to get the film made for 15 years, having fallen in love with the 1976 original (starring Irene Cara, who went on to appear in Fame) as a teenager, seeing it every Saturday for three months straight."
The two most memorable lines from the title song 'Fame' are "I'm gonna live forever," and "Baby, remember my name". From "Little Miss America" to Carson, 'The Electric Company', 'Flashdance' and beyond, Irene Cara's legacy is guaranteed. Everyone will remember her name.1. Fame - 1982 : 3 weeks- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Born on June 8, 1951 in Skewen, Neath, Wales. She first came to prominence in 1976 with the song, "Lost in France", which made the UK top 10. Following a throat operation, she inadvertently developed her distinct singing voice. She had a transatlantic top 5 hit with "It's a Heartache" in 1978.
She hit the big time when she became the first Welsh singer to have a transatlantic #1 hit with Jim Steinman's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (1983), for which she was Grammy nominated. The accompanying album "Faster than the Speed of Night" also entered the UK Album chart at #1.
She has found it hard to repeat the success, but recorded "Holding Out for a Hero" (US #34/UK #2) in 1985 from the Footloose (1984) soundtrack. In 2004 she recorded the Total Eclipse song in French, and it went to #1 in France!
She remains active in the music industry having toured all over the world, including with the singer Meat Loaf, and performed at Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones' wedding. Also, she has become a successful business woman.1. Total Eclipse Of The Heart - 1983 : 2 weeks- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actress
The woman the world knows simply as NENA was born in the small German town of Hagen in 1960 as Gabriele Susanne Kerner. But "Nena" was not simply a stage name she would assume later on. The wunderkind of the German new wave scene got the name at the age of three while on vacation with her family in Spain when the name stuck. Always a child of rock'n'roll, NENA's career began in her hometown at 17 as the singer of her first band, The Stripes. English was still lingua franca for pop music at the time and their first single "Ecstasy" appeared in 1979, with their self-titled debut following in 1980. The energy of the small town band was pure and simple rock'n'roll but was a playful sample of what NENA would be capable of. After the Stripes broke up in 1981 and NENA moved to West Berlin with Stripes' drummer Rolf Brendel, she formed her eponymous band NENA with Brendel, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, Carlo Karges and Jürgen Dehmel. Along with a band change, came a language change as well. NENA's songs were from then on sung in German - at that time relatively new for pop, new wave and rock music in Germany. In May of 1982, the band performed their first single "Nur geträumt" ("Just a Dream") on German music TV program Musikladen and sold 40,000 copies of the single within one day. NENA became the biggest name in German new wave in little over a heartbeat. But It was their second single "99 Luftballons" that pushed NENA out of West Germany and into the wider world. The German-language hit struck a chord everywhere it landed, securing a number one spot in the US Cashbox charts, as well as top chart spots in Europe, Japan, Mexico, Canada and Australia. The two singles proved no fluke and their first two albums Nena and ? (Fragezeichen) (Question Mark) were smash hits making them the poster children of German new wave and opening up the rest of the world's eyes not only to NENA but Germany's music scene in general. The English version of "99 Luftballons", known as "99 Red Balloons", hit #1 in the UK and held there fast for four weeks, two English-language albums (99 Luftballons and It's All In the Game) from the band followed and then almost endless world touring. But their meteoric rise to fame, paired with the endless touring and the demands of the media began to wear on the band and soon after their fourth record the band quietly split up. To this day, "99 Luftballons" remains the most successful German-language song in international pop history. After the band split, NENA starred in German film Der Unsichtbare (The Invisible) in 1987 where she met Swiss actor Benedict Freitag. In 1988, their first son Christopher Daniel was born, but sadly suffered a brain injury during birth. He tragically died 11 months later. Working through her grief, NENA released her first solo record Wunder Gescheh'n (Miracles Happen), released in 1989. A single of the same name was released and just three days later the world saw the fall of the Berlin Wall. NENA, again pregnant, sung the appropriately titled "Wunder Gescheh'n" as the final song before midnight at the legendary Concert for Berlin on November 12, 1989. In April of 1990 her twins Larissa and Sakias were welcomed into the world. At the same time NENA released her first children's record "Komm lieber Mai..." (Come dear May...) showcasing classic children songs with a NENA twist. The album went gold. NENA and Benedict Freitag broke up in 1992 and shortly after NENA met drummer and producer Philipp Palm with whom she had two children: Samuel in 1995 and Simeon in 1997. But even with four children NENA remained NENA and every two to three years released a new album, landing in the German charts each time. At the beginning of the new millennium NENA released the single "Oldschool Baby", sung half in English, half in German, with legendary techno-DJ and Love Parade-stalwart Westbam, giving NENA yet another club hit. The single's video took home the prize for video of the year from the German Dance Awards. Twenty years after the start of her monumental career, NENA reached a new zenith. In 2002, she celebrated the musical anniversary by releasing Nena feat. Nena - reaching number one in the Austrian charts and number two in the German. Among several hits, her duet with British singer Kim Wilde ("Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime") was a success well beyond the German-language speaking countries, and the album as a whole went on to receive multiple gold and platinum certifications. The video for the new version of NENA's very first single, "Nur geträumt", was then recorded in legendary New York punk club CBGB's. In October 2005 NENA released her autobiography Willst du mit mir gehen (Will You Go With Me?) and landed promptly at #3 on Germany's top bestseller list. The album of the same name achieved multiple gold status and the single "Liebe ist" (Love Is) found her another number one in the charts. Her stadium tour to support the record sold out city after city. In 2009, the record Made In Germany followed. The album and its single "In meinem Leben" (In My Life) put NENA back at the top of the German charts just in time for her 50th birthday. Another record, Du bist gut (You Are Good), in 2012 brought NENA gold once more. But NENA's career in pop music isn't the only field that's kept her busy. The singer lends her voice to more than just music - frequently to several beloved children's films including Eragon, Arthur and the Invisibles, Peter Pan 2 and many more. Making records for children also remains important to NENA - she's recorded nine in total to the date (most recently a 2014 concept album in which children learn the multiplication tables through her hits). In 2007 she co-founded the Neue Schule Hamburg (New Hamburg School) with her partner Philipp Palm and in 2008 she founded her own record label Laugh + Peas, realizing a new artistic freedom and independence for herself and her work. Shortly thereafter NENA helped launch the German edition of The Voice, sitting in the female coach chair for the first three seasons and instantly making it the most successful music format show on German television. Music is and remains for NENA a family affair - not only with her partner Philipp Palm who handles a large share of the production, but NENA's children are writing pop history along with her as they share the stage with their mom on tour. With her most recent record Oldschool (2015) NENA adeptly bridges past and present. Produced by German Hip-Hop giant Sammy Deluxe, NENA merged her signature sound with electro beats, mirroring the marriage of styles with lyrics that deal with the passage of time. The video for "Berufsjugendlich" (Professionally Young) was shot in SO36 - Berlin's equivalent to CBGB's and NENA's punk playground in the early 1980s - bringing things full circle for the singer. NENA was never one to stand still and that still applies today: with her 30+ year career (and showing no signs of stopping), her loyal fan base, over 25 million records sold and success in her own language abroad, NENA as a singer and songwriter remains something completely inimitable - in Germany, and worldwide. That's proven all over again in 2018 as NENA embarks on her "Nichts Versäumt Tour 2018: 40 Years on Stage", celebrating an ongoing career of hits reaching all the way back to her STRIPES years through today, taking her fans on the most epic of journeys. And she's adding one more hit to her repertoire. In 2018, she and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, two rebels of the pop-rock world, released their explosive single "Be My Rebel!", inviting fans to join their rebellion. Celebrating forty years on stage doesn1. 99 Red Balloons - 1984 : 3 weeks- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actress
Chaka Khan was born on 23 March 1953 in Great Lakes, Illinois, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for The Blues Brothers (1980), Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Hollywood Homicide (2003). She has been married to Doug Rasheed since 2001. She was previously married to Richard Holland and Hassan Khan.1. I Feel For You - 1984 : 3 weeks- Actress
- Soundtrack
Elaine Paige, as an actress, recording artist, producer, and broadcaster, has made a major contribution to the modern musical that ensures her own chapter in the entertainment world and justifies the title "The First Lady of Musical Theatre".
She has starred in numerous West End productions and on Broadway and in concert internationally, sweeping to fame when she created her award winning performance as Eva Peron in "Evita". Shortly afterwards, she created the role of Grizabella in the original production of "Cats" and the classic song "Memory" became one of Elaine's many hit records.
Further theatre productions: "Hair", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Grease", "Billy", "Chess" (with her record breaking number one hit "I Know Him So Well" with Barbara Dickson), "Anything Goes", "Piaf", "Sunset Boulevard" in London and Broadway, "The King and I", and "Sweeney Todd" (New York City Opera). She has worked twice with Sir Peter Hall's Theatre Company in "The Misanthrope" and Feydeau's "Where There's A Will".
Elaine has performed in concert worldwide from The White House to The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, from the Bolshoi to Sydney Opera House. She has appeared in many television roles including her own TV specials and Royal Variety Shows. She has recorded 18 solo albums (four multi-platinum and nine consecutive gold) and seven cast albums, and has been honoured with a number of awards: Society of West End Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Variety Club Award for Show Business Personality of the year (1978); Variety Club Award for Musical Artiste (1986) and Variety Club Award for Best Actress (1995); Gold Badge of Merit from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (1994); HMV Lifetime Achievement Award (1996); Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (1999); Order of the British Empire for services to Musical Theatre (1995), Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (2004), and Variety Club Special Presentation for 40 Years on Stage (2009). In September 2012, Elaine was given an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of East Anglia and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts at a ceremony in London.
Elaine often takes time out of her busy schedule to tirelessly support various charities close to her heart including The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, The Children's Trust Tadworth, EveryChild, Breast Cancer Campaign, Noah's Ark Hospice, The Lady Taverners, St Thomas' Lupus Trust, and most recently, The Terence Higgins Trust.
2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the hugely successful weekly BBC Radio 2 show "Elaine Paige on Sunday". The programme, devoted to musical theatre and film music, continues to delight audiences of over 2.3 million listeners each week.
Television work has included Elaine appearing as herself in the BBC hit comedy programme Beautiful People; the role of Dora Bunner in Agatha Christie's Ms. Marple story A Murder is Announced for Granada/WGBH, and a guest star role in Where The Heart Is for Granada Television.
In 2005, she completed her triumphant concert tour of Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East and in 2006, she released her new album of songs from the stage entitled "Essential Musicals", followed by a sell-out concert tour of Scandinavia and the UK prior to taking her new show to China. In March 2007, she performed in concert at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Elaine returned to the West End stage in 2007 to critical acclaim in the title role of "The Drowsy Chaperone" at the Novello Theatre, London, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance in What's On Stage Awards, London. As well as performing in Europe and in the USA in concert, Elaine recorded a track with Secret Garden, "The Things You Are You To Me", for their number one quadruple-platinum selling album.
September 2008 marked the 40th anniversary of Elaine's West End debut and was celebrated with a book entitled "Memories" and a sell-out international celebratory concert tour across the world including Scandinavia, China, the UK, and Ireland (which resulted in a live CD release "Elaine Paige Live - Celebrating A Life On Stage"), and continued in October of 2009 across Australia and New Zealand where the Sydney concert was filmed for DVD release in March 2010 entitled "Elaine Paige Celebrating A Life On Stage".
On her return to the UK, Elaine sang "I Know Him So Well" with Susan Boyle on her TV special I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story. Elaine also performed at the 2010 Cheltenham Jazz Festival showcasing a brand new jazz set to an enthralled audience.
November 2010 saw the release of Elaine's brand new studio album, "Elaine Paige & Friends". Recorded in New York and produced by legendary record producer Phil Ramone for Rhino/Warner Bros Records, it features duets with 14 of her favourite musical performers, and entered the Top 20 in the UK, where Elaine was awarded a gold disc for sales over 100,000 by the end of the year.
Elaine return to the concert stage in February 2011 after which she flew to the US to star as Carlotta Campion in Stephen Sondheim's "Follies" at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, receiving critical acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike.
Following an intimate concert at Chichester Cathedral as part of the 2011 festivities, Elaine returned to the USA to reprise her role in "Follies", this time on Broadway. "Follies" opened at the Marquis Theatre in New York on September 12, and once again the critics were unanimous in their praise for her performance; she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.
2012 kicked off with Elaine performing two concerts at New York's Lincoln Center - her debut concert performances in New York, which the New York Daily News said "After 34 years, London theatre legend Elaine Paige finally got to sing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' on a New York stage. It was worth the wait." After a short break, "Follies" moved to the West Coast of America in May to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for a limited six-week-only, sold-out engagement.
The year ended with a series of successful concert appearances in New Zealand, Australia, and the Far East, and two special concerts in the UK - one at Raymond Blanc's La Manoir in Oxford and the other for The Prince's Trust at the Central Hall Westminster in London.
As 2013 commenced, Elaine was nominated and won the 2012 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Touring) and the original cast recording of "Follies", featuring Elaine, was included in the category Best Musical Theater Album in the 55th Grammy Award nominations. Following a tour of Scandinavia, Elaine completed her first ever concert tour of the USA, playing to sell out audiences and garnering rave reviews.
2014 kicked off with The Elaine Paige Show on Sky Arts TV. The series was a unique glimpse into the fascinating world of musical theatre and combined a mix of songs, performance, and interviews as Elaine was joined each week by a variety of guests from stage and screen. As the series went to air, a brand new Warner CD The Ultimate Collection was released to celebrate Elaine's 50th year in the business featuring hits, rare unreleased tracks and a brand new re-mix of "Be On Your Own" from the musical "Nine" by Almighty Records.
The year ended with a sell-out UK tour including a spectacular night at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra which was not only broadcast on BBC Radio 2, but was filmed and released in cinemas worldwide and later as a live DVD/CD as I'm Still Here.
2015 saw Elaine continue her 50th Anniversary tour, perform live at the V.E. Day 70 Concert at London's Horse Guards Parade Ground, top the bill at some summer festival dates in the UK, and take on two very different acting roles - one in the indie film Speed Love, which is a thriller based around a speed dating event due for release in 2016, and the other in Russell T. Davies' adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", in which Elaine played the role of Mistress Quince, head of the mechanicals and director of the play within the play, which aired on BBC1 TV on Monday, 30 May 2016.
In early 2016, Elaine announced a series of weekend concerts entitled Stripped Back, which saw her perform her favourite tracks, from an array of contemporary songwriters with a small group of musicians, in some of the UK's most beautiful venues
And so with these recent projects, along with her continued success on BBC Radio 2 with "Elaine Paige On Sunday" and much more planned for the future, it's very fitting for the title of her most recent cinema and DVD release to be ... I'm Still Here!1. I Know Him So Well - 1985 : 4 weeks (with Barbara Dickson)- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Barbara Dickson was born on September 27, 1947 in Dunfermline, Scotland, the daughter of a policeman turned Rosyth dockyard worker. Barbara's mother was a housewife, and the family's strong interest in music led to Barbara taking up the piano from the tender age of five. By the age of twelve Barbara had also started to learn to play the guitar and upon leaving school at seventeen, she moved to Edinburgh combining a job in the Registrar General's office with evening spots as a folk singer in local pubs and clubs.
When Barbara was offered a short-term contract singing at a club in Copenhagen, she was refused time away from her day job, and she resigned, deciding to try her luck as a professional singer.
The mid-to late '60s saw Barbara "paying her dues" as a respected singer on the Scottish folk club circuit, enjoying some success, particularly with Archie Fisher and Rab Noakes. She cut three albums for Decca Records in the early 1970s, which were well-received but Barbara began to become disillusioned with the fading Scottish folk scene of the time, and on the advice of Hamish Imlach and Christy Moore she began to concentrate on the booming folk scene of the North of England.
Fate intervened one evening late in 1972 when Bernard Theobald attended one of Barbara's shows in Wolverhampton and offered to become her manager. So began a successful partnership which has endured thirty years. Around this time Barbara also became acquainted with Willy Russell, who managed a folk club in Runcorn and was himself touring the folk circuit with his group The Kirkby Town Three. The friendship led to Barbara being offered a major role in Willy's musical 'John Paul George Ringo...& Bert', which was to be staged by Liverpool's Everyman Theatre. Barbara was on stage throughout the entire show, singing The Beatles' songs at the piano, and the show became an instant success, quickly transferring to London's West End. Here the show was seen by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who invited Barbara to sing on the studio cast recording of their new musical 'Evita' - the subsequent single, 'Another Suitcase In Another Hall', released early in 1977, became a huge hit.
Barbara signed a deal with RSO Records, and in 1976 enjoyed her first commercial success, ahead of 'Another Suitcase...', with the single 'Answer Me'. 1977 saw Barbara in Nashville recording the 'Morning Comes Quickly' album, but by 1978 she had signed to CBS/Epic Records and TV exposure in shows such as The Two Ronnies (1971) began her breakthrough to a much wider audience.
1980's 'January, February' proved Barbara's biggest hit to date, and the accompanying LP, 'The Barbara Dickson Album' went gold in the UK. 1982's phenomenally successful "All For A Song" collection cemented Barbara's status as a major recording artist. In 1983 Barbara accepted the lead role of Mrs. Johnstone in a new Willy Russell musical, 'Blood Brothers', which again opened in Liverpool. The show, which provided Barbara with her first major acting role, earned her rave reviews, a West End transfer and the first of many 'Best Actress' awards from the Society Of West End Theatres.
Barbara was also firmly establishing herself as a must-see concert artist, with lengthy sold-out concert tours which took her to every major town and city within the UK, culminating in shows at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall.
Barbara's 1985 duet with Elaine Paige, 'I Know Him So Well', from the musical 'Chess', reached number one in the UK singles' chart, clocking up sales of over 900,000 copies, and the 'Gold' album for K-Tel the same year achieved platinum status.
By 1987, tiring of record company politics, Barbara and Bernard decided to release future singles and albums through their own label, beginning with the live 'After Dark' album.
The early 1990s saw Barbara rethinking her career, and she began to move more towards her folk roots with 1992's "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" and 1994's "Parcel Of Rogues". Away from the pop treadmill, she diversified into acting more and more with parts on radio and television, including a guest role in STV's popular 'Taggart' series.
In 1995 Barbara accepted the role of Anita Braithwaite in Kay Mellor's gritty _"Band of Gold" (1995) (mini)_, about the lives of a group of Bradford prostitutes - the role won her great acclaim and the show went on to run for three series. Other TV and stage work, including the award-winning "7 Ages Of Woman", were combined with recording and concert work and in 1999 Barbara scored another huge success on the London stage with the lead role of Viv Nicholson in the new musical 'Spend, Spend, Spend'. The show won her Best Actress in a Musical at the Laurence Olivier and Critics' Circle Awards that year, and Barbara was honoured by the Queen with an OBE in the New Years' Honours the same year.
2002 saw Barbara releasing her double CD, 'For The Record', combining live tracks with greatest hits, and a highly-successful accompanying UK tour. And with plans for a new album, further concerts, and her first movie role recently under her belt, Barbara shows no signs of slowing down!1. I Know Him So Well - 1985 : 4 weeks (with Elaine Paige)- Soundtrack
Phyllis Nelson was born on 3 October 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. She died on 12 January 1998 in Los Angeles, California, USA.1. Move Closer - 1985 : 1 week- Actress
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Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge. Symbolizing strong family values, the siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. The year 1979 saw the release of their breakthrough album We Are Family, which peaked at number three on the US Album Chart and went Platinum. The album included the 1979 single "We Are Family" which reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earned them a Grammy Award nomination, together with two other 1979 top 20 international hits "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "Lost in Music".1. Frankie - 1985 : 4 weeks- Actress
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Born Heidi Stern in New York City, September 28th 1960, she moved to Germany in the beginning of the 80s where she started a huge music career. Her song, "The Power of Love", is in The Guinness Book of World Records as "The best selling disc of a woman in the history of recording music industry in Great Britain".1. The Power Of Love - 1985 : 5 weeks- Music Artist
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Grammy-winning Queen of Soul and the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Barbara Vernice (Siggers) and C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, who preached at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit for over thirty years. Known as the man with the "Million-Dollar Voice", her father was one of the most respected and prominent ministers in the country, and Aretha grew up singing in church, and surrounded by local and national celebrities. She learned how to play piano by ear and soon understood the correct tones and pitches.
Aretha released her first single at the age of eighteen, under Columbia Records, it reached number ten on the BillBoard charts and her first record was released in January of 1961. While working for the label, she managed to score two more R&B hits, Operation Heartbreak and Won't Be Long. However the people at Columbia often felt they didn't understand the direction Aretha wanted to go with her music, and ultimately failed to bring out her potential. In 1966, Aretha signed a contract with Atlantic Records, where she released her first legendary single, Respect, written by The King Of Soul, Otis Redding. With this single, Franklin would trigger a new vocal skill called, "call and response," which would help liven up many of her singles. While signed with Atlantic, she released three additional top ten hits, Baby I Love You, A Natural Women,and Chain Of Fools, and won her first two Grammy awards, and eight consecutive Grammys for best female R&B vocal category.
Franklin had not only achieved her dream of becoming a musical sensation but stood out in the civil rights movement for her single with Otis Redding, Respect. The song helped send a message to Americans about equality, peace, and justice. Franklin continued to release pop hits throughout the decade, such as Think, I Say A Little Prayer, and Ain't No Way. After these amazing hits to many listeners she was seen as The Queen Of Soul. In the 1970s, she started recording gospel hits such as Don't Play That Song, Rocksteady, and Daydreaming. It was foreseeable that Franklin would soon stumble upon a masterpiece which became the best selling gospel album of all time, which she did in 1972 with her album Amazing Grace.
In the mid '70s, even though she was releasing hit songs, she began to lose touch with her soul-pop audiences due to the disco genre making its entrance into mainstream music. In 1979, she released an album in order to gain the audience of disco lovers called, La Diva. La Diva sold less than 50,000 copies and was marked as the lowest point in Franklin's career. On June 10, 1979, her father Clarence was shot by a mugger. This left Clarence in a coma for five years and Aretha decided to move back to Detroit to take care of her father. Clarence Franklin died on July 27, 1984.
In 1980, along with several other musicians such as Ray Charles and James Brown, Aretha Franklin appeared in the hit feature film The Blues Brothers. In 1982, she returned to the R&B top ten charts with her hit album Jump To It, featuring Luther Vandross. It sold more than 600,000 copies and was gold-certified, managing to stay on number one for seven weeks. In 1985, Franklin released an album which featured a unique never before heard element of rock. The album, "Who's Zoomin Who?", and soon went on to receive platinum-certified success. The album also featured a hit song with George Michael called I Know You Were Waiting For Me, and went on to sell more than one million copies. In 1987, Aretha sang the theme song to A Different World, a sitcom created by Bill Cosby, and in 1989, she released a pop album which featured Elton John, James Brown, The Four Tops, Kenny G, and Whitney Houston, called Through The Storm. In 1992, Franklin sang the song Someday We'll All Be Free for the soundtrack to the biopic film Malcolm X (1992). In 1993, Aretha sang at Bill Clinton's inauguration. At a slower rate in the mid-late '90s, she continued to release albums and singles, working with new artists such as BabyFace, Jermaine Dupri, Sean "P Diddy" Combs, and Lauryn Hill along with her label, Arista Records.
In 2003, she had ended the 23 year relationship with Arista and opened her own label, Aretha. Franklin released her first album on the label, A Woman Falling Out Of Love, in 2011. It marked her fifty years in show business.
Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan. She will be known as one of the most influential singers of all time, and as an activist who spoke of the world through her music, and used music as a tool for truth, justice, and soul.1. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) - 1987 : 2 weeks (with George Michael)- Actress
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Mel & Kim is known for Coming to America (1988), Mel & Kim: Respectable (1987) and The Fruit Machine (1988).1. Respectable - 1987 : 1 week- Actress
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Siedah Garrett was born on 24 June 1960 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Dreamgirls (2006), Rio (2011) and Species (1995).1. I Just Can't Stop Loving You - 1987 : 2 weeks (with Michael Jackson)- Actress
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Pop icon Belinda Carlisle experienced full-blown American success twice in the 1980s, first with the all-female rock band The Go-Go's and then, on an international level (which she always wanted), as a solo artist. The Go-Go's first album, 1981's "Beauty and the Beat", spent six weeks at number 1 and they are still the only all-female band ever to have a number 1 album. (Band meaning where all the members play their own instruments). In 1982, the group released the album "Vacation" and set out on a major sell out tour of the states. The album debuted in the top 10 (one of the first albums to ever do so) peaking at number 8. It would eventually go on to sell over 1 million copies though their record company only had it certified as gold. Problems were rising in the band as tensions grew between member Jane Wiedlin and Belinda as Jane felt too much focus was placed on Belinda as the star. Members Gina Schock and Charlotte Caffey both experienced health problems and all of the members were experiencing drug addiction. The group also consistently had problems with their record label as they were not paid royalties when they should have been. 1984 saw the group releasing "Talk Show" and despite having one of the biggest tours of the summer of 1984, the album was considered a commercial disappointment. The band broke up in spring 1985. 1986 saw Belinda releasing her first solo album called, aptly, "Belinda". Drug free, married, happy, and healthy, she continued to experience major solo success through 1989 with the releases of her albums "Heaven On Earth" (1987) and "Runaway Horses" (1989). With the onslaught of grunge moving in during the early 1990s, Belinda's 1991 effort "Live Your Life Be Free" barely made a dent on the charts and its first single peaked at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100. By 1993, her solo album "Real" also tanked and her American record company MCA Records dropped her a year later. MCA technically should be to blame as they hardly promoted her work and most of it sold on its own. They did the same to Olivia Newton-John some 10 years earlier. But just because a pop star isn't experiencing American success does not mean they are not experiencing it elsewhere. Belinda proves to be a huge commodity in Europe, almost as big as Madonna, and sells out stadiums in the United Kingdom where they truly seem to appreciate her. Today, Belinda only occasionally records both as a solo artist and as a member of The Go-Go's. She considers herself a part-timer in these fields as she prefers her home life as opposed to the nail-biting entertainment industry. She appeared in the 1984 Goldie Hawn vehicle Swing Shift (1984) and, in 2001, she showed that a 43-year-old with no plastic surgery and who isn't a size 0 can still be sexually viable when she posed nude for Playboy.1. Heaven Is A Place On Earth - 1988 : 2 weeks- Actress
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Tiffany was born on 2 October 1971 in Norwalk, California, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (2011), Jetsons: The Movie (1990) and Ted (2012). She was previously married to Ben George and Bulmaro Garcia.1. I Think We're Alone Now - 1988 : 3 weeks- Actress
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Yazz was born on 19 May 1960 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK. She is an actress and composer, known for Coldcut Feat. Yazz and the Plastic Population (1988), Yazz: Stand Up for Your Love Rights (European Version) (1988) and Yazz: Stand Up for Your Love Rights (US Version) (1988).1. The Only Way Is Up - 1988 : 5 weeks (with The Plastic Population)- Music Artist
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The Bangles are a hugely popular and successful all-female rock group from Los Angeles, California. The band first formed in 1981. The original line-up was: Susanna Hoffs (vocals/guitar), Victoria Peterson (vocals/guitar), Vicki's sister Debbi Peterson (drums/vocals) and Annette Zilinskas (bass/vocals). They initially called themselves Colours, The Supersonic Bangs, and The Bangs, prior to settling on the name, The Bangles. The group hailed from the 80's L.A. Paisley Underground music scene and released their self-titled debut EP in 1982. Zilinskas subsequently left the band and was replaced by singer/bassist Michael Steele. The group's first full-length album "All Over the Place" was released in 1984. The 1986 follow-up album "Different Light" beget two smash songs: the plaintive lament "Manic Monday" peaked at #2 on the US Billboard pop charts and the dynamic "Walk Like an Egyptian" soared all the way to #1 not only in America, but also in Britain, Australia, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands as well. ("Manic Monday" was written by none other than Prince). The band scored a #2 US Billboard chart hit in 1987 with a cover of the Simon & Garfunkel song "Hazy Shade of Winter". In 1989, The Bangles had another massive smash with the lovely ballad "Eternal Flame", which peaked at the #1 spot in the United States, England, Norway, Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands. Alas, tensions amongst the band members steadily mounted and the group broke up in 1989. In 1999, The Bangles got back together to record the song "Get the Girl" for the soundtrack of the hit comedy Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999). The group then embarked on a brief tour in 2000 and released the comeback album "Doll Revolution" in 2003. The Bangles continue to tour and perform in concert all over America and Europe.1. Eternal Flame - 1989 : 4 weeks- Actress
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Caron Wheeler was born on 19 January 1963 in London, England, UK. She is an actress and composer, known for Black Rain (1989), Mo' Money (1992) and Career Opportunities (1991).1. Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) - 1989 : 4 weeks (with Soul II Soul)