Does loneliness bother Katrina Kaif? Mumbai: She might the queen of a million hearts and one of the most sought after actress in the tinsel town today, but there is a vacuum of sorts in her life. Katrina Kaif hates being lonely and that is something that bothers her a lot. The actress is currently busy shooting for Yash Raj's �Dhoom 3' with Aamir Khan in Chicago and will also need to complete shooting certain portions of Shah Rukh Khan starrer �Jab Tak Hai Jaan'. She is residing at a hotel in Chicago and doesn't want to stay in an apartment. A leading daily revealed that the actress prefers the solitude in a hotel room but wouldn't like to live in an apartment. "For Katrina it`s very lonely to stay in an apartment all alone .She goes through that experience in Mumbai where she has no one to share her home with. When shooting outside Mumbai, Katrina prefers the detached neutrality of a hotel. It`s far more convenient and practical," said a source while talking to the daily. HOT MODELS BIKINI PHOTO SHOOT PICTURES
Mallika Sherawat: I will never get married! The sexy babe thinks marriage is outdated and says she never thinks about her Mr Right "I don't think I will ever get married. I say so because I feel it is outdated, marriage is outdated. I am loving being single. Why would I sacrifice the love and devotion of so many fans? I have never really thought of what kind of a man I am looking for": Mallika Sherawat 
Asha Bhosle on Lata Mangeshkar Didi is like my mother Veteran singer Asha Bhosle wishes her legendary sister Lata Mangeshkar on her birthday, talking of the hardships Lata went through to look after the family Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar celebrates her 83rd birthday today and her younger sister, singerAsha Bhosle paid rich tributes to her in Shiv Sena party mouthpiece Saamna. "A singer that can equal Lata didi has not been born yet. She is only one such piece created by god. There will never be someone like her ever - has not been in the past, will never be in the future," Asha said in her tribute that appeared in Saamna on Friday. She said she is indeed privileged to have been born as Lata's sister. "What good wishes do I give her on her birthday? I will only say that she is Goddess Saraswati herself. I will touch my head to her feet and bow down to her, seek her blessings and will pray for her long life," said Asha. Lata being four years elder to Asha, she said that her elder sister always took care of her after their father passed away. "She managed the home and took care of us despite several problems. It was very difficult for her. She then started as a playback singer for Bollywood films. And, honestly, god gave her the place she deserved : right on top." Asha said that Lata's songs still create an atmosphere of romance whenever one hears them. "This divine voice was bestowed to my sister. There is no luck bigger than being born in the Mangeshkar family and as a sister to her. Didi is my mother. I bow down to her once again and wish her a long life," Asha said. On the other hand, Lata said she has no plans to retire and will continue to sing the way she has been singing all these years. "As of now, retirement is out of question," she said. 
Rani Mukerji Says I am not married to Aditya Chopra Mumbai: Even as people on the sets of YRF address Rani Mukerji as �bhabhi', the actress ended all speculation about her secret marriage to Yash Chopra's son Aditya Chopra while talking to a leading entertainment newspaper recently. Clearing airs about Adi and her marriage, Rani said, "I don't know what people call me behind my back. People may b***h or praise me, but unless it's to my face, I cannot comment on it. And on record, I say this: I am not married." Slamming all reports about her marriage, Rani said, "That is an irresponsible rumour. I am a girl from a respectable family that would take pride in their daughter's marriage. They don't need to lie. I have been brought up with lots of love and respect and such rumours affect my family." Expressing her thoughts about marriage, the lady said, "Marriage is a sacred thing. When I decide to get married, I'll do it in a respectful manner and not in a covert way. Anything that is hidden or has a clandestine approach to it is an affair, not a marriage. You can't hide a marriage. When I tie the knot, I'll tell the world." 
Kareena Kapoor to embrace motherhood soon Mumbai: Kareena Kapoor, who is all set to tie the knot with beau Saif Ali Khan next month, has actively been on the radar of rumours for a long time now. After putting to rest the speculations regarding her marriage, the Kapoor girl has now given rise to some fresh buzz : and this time, it is regarding her pregnancy. Kareena Kapoor's refusal to sign on the �no pregnancy' clause on the papers of �Ram Leela' has made many minds work out the purpose behind it. And according to the grapevine, the most �logical' conclusion seems to have been settled upon. The latter is that perhaps Kareena is planning pregnancy soon after her wedding with Saif. This is the second time Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Kareena have been at loggerheads with each other over �Ram Leela'. The earlier issue was that of Kareena's marital status : Bhansali did not want to cast a married actress in his film. And now, the �no pregnancy' clause is the bone of contention between the actress and the filmmaker. "The latest clause in the contracts of leading ladies (married, engaged or those in live-in relationships) specifies that the actress agree to not get pregnant during the time of the principal photography because filmmakers do not wish to sit on the set, minding the baby (pun intended) while their shooting is in progress. A reliable source tells us that Sanjay Leela Bhansali, like all practical filmmakers, reportedly wanted Kareena Kapoor to sign a contract with a clause that said she will not get pregnant during the making of Ram Leela," revealed a source to a website. Seems like whether or not Kareena is keen on an early pregnancy will be known only when she's married! 
Anupama Varma shoots for PeTA! The former model and actor is the latest to promote vegetarianism Clutching the meat hook with her body wrapped in cellophane, model-actor Anupama Verma poses for a new advertisement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) that urges people to follow vegetarian lifestyle. "I hope my PETA ad helps challenge people to really think about what �meat' is. Eating flesh means eating the corpse of a tortured animal who did not want to die. We are encouraging people to try going vegetarian : for animals, the environment and their own health," Varma said in a statement. The advertisement is shot by ace photographer Rafique Sayed and the caption reads : �Try to Relate to Who Is on Your Plate'. Varma, who modelled for a lot of consumer products, participated in the first season of controversial reality show Bigg Boss. 
Sonali Bendre Says My priorities have changed The former India's Got Talent judge confessed in a recent interview why she wants to wipe out all ideas of working with a dream actor/filmmaker from her head�. Even if Sonali Bendre has a huge wish list of people she wants to share screen space with, she doesn't want to give herself the freedom to mull over it. But why is she being so harsh on herself?Well, Ms Bendre justifies herself vehemently with: "If I thought so much about work, I would have made it work. In fact I have done that in the past. But now my priorities are different : it's my children and it's my home. So I know I will have to compromise when I get to work with my dream actor/filmmaker and honestly, I don't want to do that. That's why I don't give even give myself the leeway to think about it." All we can say is, point take Ms Bendre/Mrs Behl. So if next time anyone talks about your dream co-star and lures you to work with all the hotties of the film world, we will make sure to distract you in the best way possible. Now we can do this much for a hot lady like you Sonali! 
Hot Girl Kim Kardashian Profile Bio: Kim Kardashian (born Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian in Los Angeles, California on October 21, 1980) is an American television personality and socialite. The daughter of famed attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner, she first became a tabloid fixture as the best friend of fellow socialite Paris Hilton. Kardashian went on to make a name for herself after a 2007 sex tape she made with singer Ray J hit the market. From there, she starred in several reality shows capitalizing off of her fame and notoriety, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Kourtney And Kim Take New York. A 2011 marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries drew heavy criticism, as the lavish televised nuptials produced a union that only lasted 72 days. Kardashian has also released several perfume lines, authored books and done various television, film and modeling work. Best Known For: Her reality TV-empire and her 72-day marriage. Personal Life: Kim films most of her life for one of her many TV shows and has been linked to many famous athletes : Reggie Bush, Miles Austin and Kris Humphries : and even married (and divorced) Kris in front of the cameras. Date of Birth: October 21, 1980 Height: 5'2″ Hometown: Los Angeles, California, United States Best Quotes: "Being on TV has changed my life because I get lots of free stuff!" "The grass is always greener…where you water it! Not always on the other side." "White is actually one of my favorite colors. I have a white car. I love white." 
Rihanna Claim to Fame Famous as R&B singer Popular for Single "Pon De Replay" (2005) Rihanna Personal Fact Birth Name Robyn Rihanna Fenty Birth Date February 20, 1988 Birth Place St. Michael, Barbados Height 5′ 8″ Nationality Barbadian Education Attended Charles F. Broome Memorial School in Barbados Attended the Combermere School in Barbados Rihanna Family Father Ronald Fenty Mother Monica Fenty Brother Rorrey (younger), Rajad (younger), Jamie (half) Sister Kandy (half, pharmacy assistant), Samantha (half) Relation Chris Brown (singer), Matt Kemp (baseball player, 2010) Rihanna Photogallery #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } 
Emma Watson Biography And Career Detail Emma Watson was born in Paris, France, the daughter of Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson, English lawyers who are now divorced. She has a brother, Alexander, who is three years younger, and is partly French by one grandmother. She lived in Paris until the age of five, when she moved with her mother and brother to Oxford, England, following her parents' divorce. From the age of three, Watson had expressed a desire to become an actress. By age ten, she had starred in several school plays, including "Arthur: The Young Years" and "The Happy Prince". She had never acted in any professional capacity prior to her casting to the "Harry Potter" series. 'I had no idea of the scale of the film series', she said in a 2007 interview with Parade magazine, 'if I had I would have been completely overwhelmed'. CAREER: Hermione Granger casting In 1999, casting began for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States), the film adaptation of British author Rowling's bestselling novel. Of paramount importance to the casting directors was the lead role of Harry Potter and the two supporting roles of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Harry's two best friends at school. All three characters are 11 at the start of the school year. Impressed with her school play performances, Watson's Oxford theatre teacher passed her name to casting agents and she was taken into serious consideration. The producers were impressed by Watson's self-confidence and she outperformed thousands of other girls who had applied : after eight auditions, producer David Heyman told Watson and fellow applicants Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint that they had been cast for the roles of Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Rowling was said to be supportive of Watson from her first screen test. Harry Potter (2001:present) Philosopher's Stone Watson was eleven years old when "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was released. The film was an instant blockbuster, breaking box-office records for both opening-day sales and opening weekend takings, and was the highest-grossing film of 2001. Critics praised the performances of the three leads, with Watson often singled out for particular acclaim. "The Daily Telegraph" called her performance 'admirable' with IGN even claiming she 'stole the show'. Watson was nominated for five awards for her performance in "Philosopher's Stone", winning the Young Artist Award for Leading Young Actress. In her first major interview, with the BBC in 2001, Watson said she particularly enjoyed the film's stunts, especially a scene when her character is attacked by a troll and has to dart under sinks and run through the legs of bigger actors. Later, she added that her parents did their best to make her feel comfortable and that her biggest thrill was getting to know her adult co-stars, including Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane. Chamber of Secrets A year later, Watson again starred as Hermione in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", the film series' second installment. While the film received mixed reviews on account of pace and direction, critics were generally positive about the performances. The "Los Angeles Times" remarked on how Watson and her peers had matured between the two films, while "The Times" was critical of director Chris Columbus for 'under-employing' Watson's hugely popular character. Watson was awarded an Otto Award from the German magazine "Die Welt" for her performance. Now twelve years old, she commented that while making the second film, she was relieved to be familiar with the filmmaking process instead of being new to everything as she had been the first time. In a 2007 interview, Watson added that during the production of both films she lost several baby teeth and had to wear dentures to avoid continuity issues. Prisoner of Azkaban In 2004, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was released; Watson was appreciative of the more assertive role Hermione played in this film, calling her 'charismatic' and 'a fantastic role to play'. Among others, she enjoyed filming a scene where Hermione punches Harry's nemesis Draco Malfoy (played by Tom Felton) and another where she angrily storms out of class when she becomes frustrated with divination professor Sybill Trelawney (Emma Thompson). She thought that Thompson's performance as Trelawney was 'absolutely hilarious'. While critics largely turned away from Radcliffe's acting talent, increasingly labeling him as wooden, Watson continued to receive critical praise; "The New York Times" lauded her performance, saying 'Luckily Mr. Radcliffe's blandness is offset by Ms. Watson's spiky impatience. Harry may show off his expanding wizardly skills… but Hermione… earns the loudest applause with a decidedly unmagical punch to Draco Malfoy's deserving nose'. Although "Prisoner of Azkaban" remains the lowest-grossing "Harry Potter" film to date, it was Watson's most successful, winning her two Otto Awards and the Child Performance of the Year award from "Total Film" Magazine. Watson found comfort in the fact that she already knew many of the crew on "Prisoner of Azkaban" because they had also worked on "Philosopher's Stone". Later that year, Watson joined Pierce Brosnan, "Chamber of Secrets" co-star Kenneth Branagh, and Samantha Morton on a panel in London to award the 2004 First Light Film Awards to teenage filmmakers. Goblet of Fire "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was released in 2005; Watson reprised her role as Hermione Granger. She called director Mike Newell 'fantastic' and quickly shot down rumours that she and colleagues Radcliffe and Grint could be replaced in the following movies. For Watson, much of the humour of the film sprung from the tension between the three lead characters as they matured. She said, 'I loved all the arguing … I think it's much more realistic that they would argue and that there would be problems. So I thought it was great fun. And it makes for a lot of humorous relief from this quite dark book.' The film shattered the records set by the previous installments in the franchise, setting new records for a "Harry Potter" opening weekend, all-time non-May opening weekend in the USA, and all-time opening weekend in the UK. Critics praised the increasing maturity of Watson and her teenage co-stars; the "New York Times" thought her performance 'touchingly earnest'. Watson was nominated for three awards for "Goblet of Fire", winning a bronze Otto Award. Watson counted herself amongst the many fans who predicted a relationship between Hermione and Ron Weasley in later "Harry Potter" books, saying 'Hermione and Ron just need to get it together! It just needs to happen and they just need to get on with it.' Later that year, Watson became the youngest person to appear on the cover of "Teen Vogue" magazine, until the subsequent appearance of American actress Willa Holland. In 2006, Watson played Hermione in "The Queen's Handbag", a special mini-episode of "Harry Potter" in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday. Order of the Phoenix In the 2007 film "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", Watson returned as Hermione Granger for the fifth time in seven years. She was appreciative of director David Yates, saying he was 'quiet, very calm, very thoughtful, very sensitive.' She said that her favourite scenes were the two Wizard duels in which Hermione is a participant, especially when she practices combat magic with Grint's character Ron Weasley. When Ron patronises her, her spell blows him backwards into a wall. Watson said, 'It was a real 'girl power' moment, of which there are many in this film.' She was impressed with newcomers Evanna Lynch and Imelda Staunton, who play Luna Lovegood and the villain Dolores Umbridge, and reinforced the notion that her character Hermione should romance Ron Weasley. The film was an enormous financial success, setting a record worldwide opening-weekend gross of $333 million. For her work in "Order of the Phoenix", Watson won the inaugural National Movie Award for Best Female Performance. Watson was a target of some friendly ridicule on set because of her straight-A GCSE exam results, and was unnerved by the film's climax which features flashback clips from earlier "Harry Potter" movies: 'It's just like having your baby pictures blown up on a 20-foot screen and placed in 37 countries … You see yourself and you say, 'God, who is that girl?" On July 9, 2007, Watson and fellow "Harry Potter" co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint left imprints of their hands, feet, and wands in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Future plans Despite rumours alleging that she refused to appear in the last two "Harry Potter" installments, her commitment to the final two films was confirmed in March 2007 by Warner Brothers. She said, 'I could never let the role of Hermione go : she is my hero! I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me. I am excited and honoured to be finishing what I started and playing her in all seven of the films.' Later, she explained that people underestimated the scope of this decision, as she was aware that filming would dominate her life for the next three to four years; in the end, 'the pluses outweighed the minuses.' On July 19, 2007, Watson announced her involvement in her first non-"Harry Potter" project, "The Tale of Despereaux", an animated film to be released in 2008, in which she will voice the character of Princess Pea. In August 2007, it was announced that she would star in the BBC's adaptation of "Ballet Shoes", playing Pauline Fossil, the eldest of the three Fossil sisters around whom the story revolves : the role required Watson to bleach her hair white-blonde. Although Radcliffe and Grint have confirmed their commitment to an acting career, Watson has expressed uncertainty as to her future plans. Speaking to "Newsweek" magazine in 2006, she said, 'Daniel and Rupert seem so sure… I love to perform, but there are so many things I love doing… Maybe that sounds ungrateful. I've been given such an amazing opportunity, but I'll just have to go with the flow.' Commenting on Radcliffe's widely publicised nude scenes in the theatre piece "Equus" in 2007, she not did categorically rule out nude scenes herself in future films or stage works, but added that 'you will never see me naked without a good reason'. Watson affirmed this in a later interview with "The Sydney Morning Herald" saying, 'If I feel that nudity is essential to the story I'll do it … But I'm not going to get my kit off for something that I don't really believe in.' PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: Over the years, Watson has formed a strong platonic bond with fellow "Harry Potter" stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. She described it as an 'unique support system' because 'you can't really explain to someone other than Radcliffe and Grint what this experience is like'; whilst Radcliffe and Grint used to tease her when they were younger, they are now protective of their female colleague. Watson maintains that there were never any romantic feelings involved. In an interview with German broadsheet newspaper "Die Welt" in 2007, Watson explained her reaction to realising that she would have to kiss Grint's character in the seventh film. Although she supported the idea of a relationship between the two fictional characters, she said she 'would rather not think about it now', adding that while Grint was 'very nice' and 'many girls like him', he was definitely not her type. Beyond her peers Radcliffe and Grint, Watson greatly enjoyed working with the adult "Harry Potter" actors, including Helena Bonham Carter (Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange) who was 'so much fun', Emma Thompson (divination teacher Sybill Trelawney), Maggie Smith (transfiguration teacher Minerva McGonagall) 'who always gives me chocolates at Christmas', and Robbie Coltrane (gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid) who 'is always telling us completely dirty and inappropriate jokes that we are far too young to be hearing, but we love, of course.' She added that in the end, all "Harry Potter" actors form 'a bit of a family for us as well'. In a 2007 interview with "YOU Magazine", Watson was appreciative of J. K. Rowling's contribution to the film series: 'she has been really lovely and very supportive of the films-she comes on set and she is in e-mail contact with a lot of us. She just said to me, 'You are Hermione, you have completely become her,' which was just so nice and so generous of her to say'. PERSONAL LIFE: In recent years, Watson's extended family has grown as both her parents have children by new partners after their divorce. Her father has identical twin girls, Nina and Lucy, and a four-year old son Toby. She also has two half-brothers from her mother's new marriage who 'regularly stay with her'. Watson's full brother Alexander has appeared as an extra in two "Harry Potter" films,, and her sisters Nina and Lucy were cast as the young Pauline Fossil in the BBC's "Ballet Shoes" adaptation. After moving to Oxford with her mother and brother, Watson attended The Dragon School, a private preparatory school, until June 2003 and then moved to Headington School, a private all-girls school, also in Oxford. In 2003, she described having 'a good time as a teenager' despite all the stardom and did not have the feeling of having lost her youth. However, she says that getting spotted by tourists and being a regular target for Internet impersonators gets on her nerves once in a while. Watson admitted resenting some of her celebrity status in an October 2006 interview with "The Times", citing it as one reason for her being single: 'Guys are either intimidated by me, or they have defences up, or they like to take the piss out of me.' Watson's work in the "Harry Potter" series has amassed her over £10 million; Watson has acknowledged that she will never have to work again for money. However, she has declined quitting school and becoming a full-time actress, saying 'People can't understand why I don't want to… but school life keeps me in touch with my friends. It keeps me in touch with reality. It makes me feel normal. Let's be honest: I have enough money never to have to work again, but I would never want that. Learning keeps me motivated.' While on film sets, Watson and her peers were tutored for about four hours of lessons per day; despite the focus on filming, Watson's academic achievements were good. In June 2006, she took GCSE examinations in 10 subjects, achieving eight A* and two A grades. The following year she received four A grades in her AS levels in English, Geography, Art and History of Art. The only one of the "Harry Potter" trio to intend to study at university, Watson has entertained thoughts of applying to read Philosophy at Cambridge or PPE at Oxford. On her official homepage, Watson states her interests as dancing, singing, field hockey, tennis and art. She calls herself a feminist. She has a cat called 'Bubbles', admires Johnny Depp and Julia Roberts, and lists France as her favourite holiday destination. Watson says her greatest wish is 'to have two friends, which stay : people with you can always be together and who don't scoot, because you are a film star.' 
Katy Perry Biography And Personal Life Detail Katy Perry Info: American singer-songwriter Katy Perry (also known as Katheryn Brand) was born October 25th, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California. Katy is a international singing mega star in the pop and pop-rock genres. She is signed to the record label Capitol Music Group. She is perhaps best known for her chart topping singles "I Kissed a Girl", "Hot n Cold", "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream" and "Firework" to name just a few. In 2011 she starred as the voice of Smurfette in the movie version of "The Smurfs". Katy married English actor and comedian Russell Brand in October, 2010. "Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson" (born October 25, 1984), better known by her stage name "Katy Perry", is an American pop musician. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her freshman year of high school, she began to pursue a career in music. As Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel album in 2001, which due to the closing of her record label, was deemed unsuccessful. She later recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed the majority of a solo album from 2004-5; neither of which were released. After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and released her first Internet single 'Ur So Gay' that November, which garnered public attention but failed to chart. She rose to fame with the release of her second single 'I Kissed a Girl' in 2008, which went on to top international charts. Perry's first mainstream studio album "One of the Boys" followed later that year and subsequently, became the thirty-third best selling album worldwide of 2008. It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, while 'I Kissed a Girl' and her second single 'Hot n Cold' both received multi-platinum certifications. Her sophomore studio album "Teenage Dream" was released in August 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album included hit singles 'California Gurls', 'Teenage Dream' and 'Firework', all of which topped the charts on the Billboard Hot 100. Perry was credited as a guest judge on the seventh series of British television show "The X Factor"; has released a fragrance called 'Purr'; and will appear in the upcoming 2011 film "The Smurfs". Perry had a long relationship with Travie McCoy; she married Russell Brand on October 23, 2010. BIOGRAPHY: 1984-2006: Early life and career beginnings Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in Santa Barbara, California on October 25, 1984 to Mary (née Perry), an evangelist who grew up in Southern California and had 'a tempestuous first marriage in Zimbabwe', and Keith Hudson, who was a West Coast scenester in the 1960s. Perry is of German and Portuguese descent on her mother's side. She is the second child of two pastors. She has an older sister and younger brother. Perry's maternal aunt and uncle were screenwriter Eleanor Perry and director Frank Perry, through whom she is also related to Charles M. Schwab, the founder of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Perry was incorporated into her parents' ministry and sang in their church between the ages of nine and seventeen. She grew up listening to gospel music, was not allowed to listen to what her mother called 'secular music', and attended Christian schools and camps. As a child, Perry learned how to dance in a recreation building in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug. She took her GED after her freshman year at Dos Pueblos High School and decided to leave school in the pursuit of a career in music. Perry initially started singing 'because she was at that point in her childhood where she was copycatting her sister and everything she would do.' Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, while Perry took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed them in front of her parents, who suggested she take vocal coaching. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at the age of nine and continued until she was sixteen. She later enrolled in at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied Italian opera for a short period of time. Katy Perry performing on her guitar; an instrument she learned to play when she was just starting her record career. At the age of 15, Perry's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills. In Nashville, Perry started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans on how to craft songs and play guitar. Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15. Performing as Katy Hudson, she released the self-titled Gospel-rock album in 2001. The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased operations at the end of 2001. She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because 'Katy Hudson' was too close to film actress Kate Hudson. At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for record label Island. The album was due for release in 2005, but "Billboard" reported it also went nowhere. Perry was dropped by Island Def Jam Music Group. Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included 'Box', 'Diamonds' and 'Long Shot', were posted on her official MySpace page. 'Simple', one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". Perry signed to Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the 'driver's seat'. Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved, she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named 'The Next Big Thing' in October 2004 by "Blender" magazine. With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her off the label. While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to P.O.D.'s single 'Goodbye for Now'. She made a cameo appearance in Carbon Leaf's video, 'Learn to Fly'. 2007-09: "One of the Boys" and "MTV Unplugged" While in the process of being dropped by Columbia in 2006, the company's publicity executive Angelica Cob-Baehler enthusiastically recommended Perry to Virgin Records chairman Jason Flom. At the time Flom was leading a complete revival in fortunes at the label and looking to crown recent achievements by breaking a global pop act. Despite mixed reactions from fellow Virgin executives, Flom became convinced that Perry could be that breakthrough star, and at the start of 2007 extended discussions with Columbia resulted in Katy Perry signing to the newly created Capitol Music Group, a merger between Virgin and Capitol. As part of the deal the label secured the masters to the unfinished album recorded while at Columbia that would go on form a significant part of her debut album official mainstream debut album, "One of the Boys".Katy Perry performing in August 2008. The Columbia recordings were seen by Flom as being 'very strong but lacking an undeniable smash or two that would work both at U.S. pop radio and internationally' and so one of the executive's first actions after completing the signing was to set up a collaboration between Perry and the writer-producer Dr Luke. The results were the songs 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Hot n Cold'. Establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management. A campaign was started in November 2007 with the release of the video to 'Ur So Gay', aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP led by 'Ur So Gay' was later released to create online buzz and press story. This was a successful move that resulted in bringing Perry to the attention of Madonna, who mentioned her on KISS FM and KRQ's "JohnJay & Rich" morning show in Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series, "Wildfire", on the episode 'Life's Too Short'. She went on the next step of promoting the album, undertaking a two-month tour of radio stations. The album's official lead single, 'I Kissed a Girl', was released on May 6, 2008. Perry's A&R, Chris Anokute, told HitQuarters the song and its controversial theme met with strong resistance at the label, 'People said, 'This is never going to get played on the radio. How do we sell this? How's this going to be played in the bible belt?" Anokute said that they needed the support of one of the label's radio promoters to convince people to believe in the record otherwise Perry would have likely been dropped again. Capitol's SVP of Promotions Dennis Reese saw the vision and helped push the single on national radio. The first station to pick it up and take a chance was The River in Nashville. After playing it for three days they were innundated with enthusiastic calls. With the song climbing atop the charts, Perry embarked on the annual Warped Tour music festival, which her management used to 'establish her as a credible performer and make sure she wasn't seen as just a one-hit wonder.' The single was a commercial success, peaking at number one for seven weeks on the "Billboard" Hot 100. It has since become a major worldwide hit, topping charts in 30 countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. On June 12, 2008, Perry appeared as herself on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless", posing for the cover to the June 2008 issue of the fictional magazine "Restless Style". Katy Perry performs live in Berlin, September 2008. "One of the Boys" was released on June 17, 2008 to mixed critical reviews. The album has reached number nine on the "Billboard" 200, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Perry released her second single, 'Hot n Cold', which became her second top three single in dozens of countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number three on the "Billboard" Hot 100, as well as topping the charts in Germany, Canada, and Denmark. After Perry wrapped up her appearance at the Warped Tour, she went on tours in Europe. She later launched her first headlining tour, the Hello Katy Tour, in January 2009. 'I Kissed a Girl' earned Perry a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Perry was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video, but lost to Britney Spears. She won Best New Act at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which she co-hosted, and Best International Female Artist at the 2009 BRIT Awards. On February 9, 2009, both 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Hot n Cold' were certified three-time platinum by Recording Industry Association of America for individual digital sales of over three million. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Perry in its 2010 version as the 'Best Start on the US Digital Chart by a Female Artist,' for having her first two singles sell over two million digital copies. The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which features Perry, was later released via the team's label, Let's Hear It, during Perry's solo tour. When the release date was scheduled, 'I Kissed a Girl' had been charting well. Matrix member Lauren Christy spoke to Perry about the decision, but she wanted to hold the release until the fourth single of "One of the Boys" had been dispatched. Despite their communication, "The Matrix" was released on January 27, 2009, via iTunes Store. Katy Perry performing in June 2009. In December 2008, Perry apologized to British singer Lily Allen for remarks in which she called herself a 'skinnier version' of her, saying she meant it as a joke. Allen retaliated and told a British radio station that she 'happened to know for a fact that she Perry was an American version' of her because their record company needed 'to find something controversial and 'kooky" like her. On May 16, 2009, Perry performed at the opening ceremony of the annual Life Ball in Vienna, Austria. In June 2009, lawyers acting for Katy Perry opposed the recent trademark of Australian fashion designer Katie Perry who uses her own name to market loungewear. Some media outlets reported this as a lawsuit, which Katy Perry has denied on her blog. Katie Perry the designer reports on her blog that at a hearing with IP Australia on July 10, 2009, the singer's lawyers withdrew their opposition to the trademark. During the summer of 2009 Perry filmed a cameo appearance for "Get Him to the Greek"; her scene, in which she kisses her future fiancé Russell Brand was cut, and does not appear in the final film. Discussing the issue with MTV, Perry hypothesized there may have been some fear that seeing the two make out would have taken viewers out of the experience. In 2009, Perry was featured on two singles: a remix of Colorado-based band 3OH!3′s song 'Starstrukk' in August (the idea for the collaboration came after Perry's tour that featured 3OH!3 as the supporting act). The song was released over iTunes on September 8, 2009; and 'If We Ever Meet Again', the fourth single off Timbaland's album "Shock Value II" in December. In October 2009, "MTV Unplugged" revealed that Perry was one of the artists to perform for them, and that she would be releasing a live album of the performance, including two new tracks, 'Brick by Brick' and Fountains of Wayne cover 'Hackensack'. The album was released on November 17, and includes both a CD and a DVD. 2010-present: "Teenage Dream" Perry appeared as a guest judge alongside Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh during the Dublin audition stage of the seventh series of the British television show "The X Factor" on June 28, 2010 (later televised on August 28). She was one of the many celebrities chosen to fulfil the role of judge whilst Dannii Minogue was on maternity leave. She later returned to the show on October 17 to perform 'Firework'. Perry's second mainstream studio album was titled "Teenage Dream" and was released in August 2010. The first single from the album was titled 'California Gurls'. The single peaked at number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was the fastest rising single from a Capitol Records artist since Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode to Billie Joe' in 1967. The cover art for "Teenage Dream" is a painting by Will Cotton in which depicts Perry lying naked on clouds of cotton candy; resembling the shots of Perry in the video for 'California Gurls'. The booklet of the physical edition of the album, in keeping with the theme of cotton candy, has a cotton candy scent. The album's second single 'Teenage Dream' was released in July 2010. 'Firework' is the album's third single. Katy Perry appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. She was nominated for two awards and presented the award of 'Best Male Video' with Nicki Minaj to Eminem. On September 14, she returned to her old high school, Dos Pueblos High School, where she performed a short set for the school's students. Perry performed 'Hot n Cold' with Elmo from "Sesame Street", which was originally to appear on the forty-first-season premiere of the educational children's program on September 27, 2010. However, four days before the scheduled airing, Sesame Workshop announced, 'In light of the feedback we've received on the Katy Perry music video … we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of "Sesame Street", which is aimed at preschoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on YouTube.' The main reason was that parents complained about what appeared to be a great amount of cleavage shown by her dress. Perry shot the video for "Firework" in Budapest in September 2010. An open casting call drew an unprecedented 38,000 applicants. She proceeded to perform at a concert in Budapest on October 1, her first concert in Central and Eastern Europe. Perry has announced her own fragrance to be released in autumn of this year, named 'Purr'. It will come in a cat-shaped bottle, and will be available through Nordstrom stores."Teenage Dream" led Perry to nominations four awards at the 2011 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for 'Teenage Dream', and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for 'California Gurls'. MUSICAL STYLE AND THEMES: Katy Perry performing in 2009. Perry has a contralto vocal range. Among Perry's musical influences are Alanis Morissette, pop rockers Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Shirley Manson, and Freddie Mercury, the late frontman of the British band Queen. Growing up listening to gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs. Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and saw producer Glen Ballard talking about Morissette; Ballard produced Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill", the album that had a 'huge influence' on Perry. She told her initial collaborator that she had decided to work with Ballard. The producer arranged a meeting for her and Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented him a song, and a day later she was called. Ballard developed Perry for a few years. Perry described her music by saying, 'Someone kind of penned it for me the other day, and I've been using it ever since.' According to her, she has 'changed a lot between the ages of 15 to 23.' Her first album dwells on Gospel music. She related that her perspective in music was 'a bit enclosed and very strict', and everything she did was church-related. Her second album, "One of the Boys", is described as 'secular' and 'rock,' and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots. Perry expects to record more pop songs for her next album. Perry is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. Perry is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life. She said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak. Most of the themes in "One of the Boys" deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and 'puking into toilets'. Perry's mother reportedly told British tabloid "Daily Mail" that she dislikes her daughter's music, calling it 'shameful and disgusting'. Perry said her mother was misquoted and told MTV that it was false information. Her songs 'Ur So Gay' and 'I Kissed a Girl' have received negative reactions from both religious and gay sectors. The songs have been respectively labeled as being homophobic and promoting homosexuality, as well as 'lez ploitational'. MTV mentioned criticism suggesting that Perry is using 'bi-curiosity' as a way to sell records. Perry responded to the controversy surrounding 'Ur So Gay': 'It's not a negative connotation. It's not, 'you're so gay,' like, 'you're so lame,' but the fact of the matter is that this boy should've been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever … It wasn't stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends.' PUBLIC IMAGE: Perry is known for her unconventional style of dress. It is often humorous, bright in color, and reminiscent of different decades, and she frequently uses fruit-shaped accessories, mainly watermelon, as part of her outfits. Having learned dancing at an early age, she fantasized about having her own style. Perry's transformation into an artist began with fashion, inspired by American film actress Dominique Swain's portrayal in 1997 film adaptation of the novel "Lolita". She defines her fashion style as 'a bit of a concoction of different things'. Johnny Wujek, Perry's stylist, described her style, upon meeting her for the first time, as 'very colorful and vintage'. Her fashion has caught the attention of designers. In June 2008, a publicity photo that showed Perry posing with a switchblade was criticized. The picture was defended as only an effort to give Perry a 'sexy, harder edge'. PERSONAL LIFE: Perry dated Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy, whom she met in a recording studio in New York, on and off for several years. After more than a year of friendship and casual dating, they became serious with their relationship right before they embarked on the 2008 Warped Tour. Perry and McCoy broke up in December 2008. The two began dating again in early 2009 and broke up again a few months later. Perry first met British comedian Russell Brand in the summer of 2008 when Perry filmed a cameo for Brand's film "Get Him to the Greek". Perry and Brand began dating after meeting again in September 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Brand, as host, remarked, 'Katy Perry didn't win an award and she's staying at the same hotel as me, so she's gonna need a shoulder to cry on. So in a way, I'm the real winner tonight.' The couple became engaged in December 2009 when Brand proposed to Perry while vacationing in India. In a July 2010 YouTube interview, Perry said Brand would be a 'perfect' father. Perry has stated that she plans to take dual British citizenship when she marries Brand. 'One of the first things I'll do is apply for dual citizenship. I'm not too sure if I have to take a test as I've not had time to look into it. But England is like my second home'. Perry and Brand married on October 23, 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India, the same location where Brand had proposed. DISCOGRAPHY: "Katy Hudson" (2001) "One of the Boys" (2008) "Teenage Dream" (2010) TOURS: Hello Katy Tour (2009) California Dreams Tour (2011) 
Mariah Carey Biography And Detail "Mariah Carey" (born March 27 1970) is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have her first five singles top the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. Following her marriage to Mottola in 1993, a series of hit records established her position as Columbia's highest-selling act. According to "Billboard" magazine, she was the most successful artist of the 1990s in the United States. Carey took control over her image and music following her separation from Mottola in 1997, and introduced elements of hip hop into her work. Her popularity was in decline when she left Columbia in 2001, and she was dropped by Virgin Records the following year following a highly publicized physical and emotional breakdown, as well as the poor reception given to "Glitter"; her film and soundtrack project. In 2002, Carey signed with Island Records, and after an unsuccessful period, in 2005 she returned to the forefront of pop music . Carey was named the best-selling female pop artist of the millennium at the 2000 World Music Awards. She has recorded the most number-one singles for a female solo artist―seventeen―in the United States, where, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, she is the third best-selling female recording artist. In addition to her commercial accomplishments, Carey has earned five Grammy Awards, and is well-known for her vocal range, power, melismatic style, and use of the whistle register. However, some critics have said her efforts to showcase her vocal talents have been at the expense of communicating true emotion through song. LIFE AND MUSIC CAREER: Childhood and youth Carey was born in Huntington, Long Island, New York. She is the third and youngest child of Patricia Hickey, a former opera singer and vocal coach of Irish descent, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer of African American and Venezuelan descent. As a multiethnic family, the Careys endured racial slurs, hostility, and sometimes violence, causing the family to relocate frequently throughout the New York area. Carey's parents divorced when she was three years old. After the divorce, Carey had little contact with her father, while her mother worked several jobs to support the family. She spent much of her time at home alone, and turned to music as an outlet. She began singing at around the age of three, when her mother began to teach her after Carey imitated her mother practicing Verdi's opera "Rigoletto" in Italian. Carey performed publically for the first time during elementary school and was writing her own songs by junior high. She graduated from Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York. However, she was frequently absent due to her work as a demo singer for local recording studios; her classmates consequently gave her the nickname 'Mirage'. Her renown in the Long Island music scene gave her opportunities to work with musicians such as Gavin Christopher and Ben Margulies, with whom she co-wrote material for her demo tape. After moving to New York City, Carey worked part-time jobs to pay the rent and completed five hundred hours of beauty school. Eventually, she became a backup singer for Puerto Rican freestyle singer Brenda K. Starr. In 1988, Carey met Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola at a party, where Starr gave him Carey's demo tape. Mottola played the tape when leaving the party and was impressed. He returned to find Carey, but she had left. Nevertheless, Mottola tracked her down and signed her to a recording contract. This Cinderella-like story became part of the standard publicity surrounding Carey's entrance into the industry. 1990:1992: Early commercial success Carey co-wrote the tracks on her 1990 debut album, "Mariah Carey", and she has continued to co-write the majority of her material since. During the recording, she expressed dissatisfaction with the contributions of producers such as Ric Wake and Rhett Lawrence, whom the executives at Columbia had enlisted to help make the album more commercially viable. Backed by a substantial promotional budget, the album reached number one on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 chart, where it remained for several weeks. It yeilded four number-one singles, and made Carey a star in the United States, but was less successful in other countries. Critics rated the album highly, and Carey won Grammys for Best New Artist, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance―for her debut single, 'Vision of Love'. Carey conceived "Emotions", her second album, as a homage to Motown soul music (see Motown Sound), and she worked with Walter Afanasieff and Clivillés & Cole (from the dance group C&C Music Factory) on the record. It was released soon after her debut album ― in late 1991 ― but was neither critically nor commercially as successful; "Rolling Stone" described it as 'more of the same, with less interesting material … pop-psych love songs played with airless, intimidating expertise'. The title track 'Emotions' made Carey the only recording act to have their first five singles reach number one on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, though the album's follow-up singles failed to match this feat. Carey had been lobbying to produce her own songs, and beginning with "Emotions", she has co-produced most of her material. 'I didn't want "Emotions" to be somebody else's vision of me,' she said. 'There's more of me on this album'. She began writing and producing for other artists, such as Penny Ford and Daryl Hall, in the coming year. Although Carey performed live occasionally, stage fright prevented her from embarking on a major tour. Her first widely seen appearance was featured on the television show "MTV Unplugged" in 1992, and she since remarked that she felt her performance that night proved her vocal abilities were not, as some had previously speculated, simulated with studio equipment. Alongside acoustic versions of some of her earlier songs, Carey premiered a cover of The Jackson 5′s 'I'll Be There' with her back-up singer Trey Lorenz. The duet was released as a single, and reached number one in the U.S., and led to a record deal for Lorenz, whose debut album Carey later co-produced. Because of high ratings for the "Unplugged" television special, the concert's set list was released on the EP "MTV Unplugged", which "Entertainment Weekly" called 'the strongest, most genuinely musical record she has ever made … Did this live performance help her take her first steps toward growing up?'. 1993:1996: Worldwide popularity Carey and Tommy Mottola had become involved romantically during the making of her debut album, and in June 1993, they were married. Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds consulted on the album "Music Box", which was released later that year and became Carey's most successful worldwide. It yielded her first UK Singles Chart number-one, a cover of Badfinger's 'Without You', and the U.S. number-ones 'Dreamlover' and 'Hero'. "Billboard" magazine proclaimed it 'heart-piercing … easily the most elemental of Carey's releases, her vocal eurythmics in natural sync with the songs', but "TIME" magazine lamented Carey's attempt at a mellower work: '"Music Box" seems perfunctory and almost passionless … Carey could be a pop-soul great; instead she has once again settled for Salieri-like mediocrity'. In response to such comments, Carey said, 'As soon as you have a big success, a lot of people don't like that. There's nothing I can do about it. All I can do is make music I believe in.' Most critics slighted the opening of her subsequent U.S. Music Box Tour. In late 1994, after her duet with Luther Vandross on a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's 'Endless Love' became a hit, Carey released the holiday album "Merry Christmas". It contained cover material and original compositions such as 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', which became Carey's biggest single in Japan and, in subsequent years, emerged as one of her most perennially popular songs on U.S. radio. Critical reception of "Merry Christmas" was mixed, with All Music Guide calling it an 'otherwise vanilla set … pretensions to high opera on 'O Holy Night' and a horrid danceclub take on 'Joy to the World". It became the most successful Christmas album of all time. In 1995, Columbia released Carey's fifth album, "Daydream", which combined the pop sensibilities of "Music Box" with downbeat R&B and hip hop influences. A remix of 'Fantasy', its first single, featured rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard. Carey said that Columbia reacted negatively to her intentions for the album: 'Everybody was like 'What, are you crazy?'. They're very nervous about breaking the formula.' It became her biggest-selling album in the U.S., and its singles achieved similar success ― 'Fantasy' became the second single to debut at number one in the U.S. and topped the Canadian Singles Chart for twelve weeks, 'One Sweet Day' (a duet with Boyz II Men) spent a record-holding sixteen weeks at number one in the U.S. She became well-known in latin and central america, and 'Always Be My Baby' (co-produced by Jermaine Dupri) was the most successful on U.S. radio in 1996, according to "Billboard" magazine. "Daydream" generated career-best reviews for Carey, and publications such as "The New York Times" named it one of 1995′s best albums; the "Times" wrote that its 'best cuts bring pop candy-making to a new peak of textural refinement … Carey's songwriting has taken a leap forward, becoming more relaxed, sexier and less reliant on thudding clichés'. The short but profitable Daydream World Tour augmented sales of the album, which received six Grammy Award nominations. 1997:2000: New image and independence Carey and Mottola separated in 1996. Although the public image of the marriage was a happy one, she said that in reality she had felt trapped by her relationship with Mottola, whom she often described as controlling. They officially announced their separation in 1997, and their divorce became final the following year. Soon after the separation, Carey hired an independent publicist and a new attorney and manager. She became a major songwriter and producer for other artists during this period, contributing to the debut albums of Allure and 7 Mile through her short-lived imprint Crave Records. Carey's next album, "Butterfly" (1997), yielded the number-one single 'Honey', the lyrics and music video for which presented a more overtly sexual image of her than had been previously seen. She stated that "Butterfly" marked the point that she attained full creative control over her music, which continued to move in a hip hop direction with material co-written and co-produced by rappers such as Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs and Missy Elliott. However, she added: 'I don't think it's that much of a departure from what I've done in the past … It's not like I went psycho and thought I was going to be a rapper. Personally, this album is about doing whatever the hell I wanted to do.' Reviews were generally positive: LAUNCH cast said "Butterfly" 'pushes the envelope', a move its critic thought 'may prove disconcerting to more conservative fans' but praised as 'a welcome change'. The "Los Angeles Times" wrote, '"Butterfly" is easily the most personal, confessional-sounding record she's ever done … Carey-bashing just might become a thing of the past.' The album was a commercial success ― though not to the degree of her previous three albums ― and 'My All' (her thirteenth Hot 100 number-one) gave her the record for the most U.S. number-ones by a female artist. Towards the turn of the millennium, Carey was developing the film project "Glitter", and she wrote songs for the films "Men in Black" (1997), and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000). During the production of "Butterfly", Carey became romantically involved with New York Yankees baseball star Derek Jeter. Their relationship ended in 1998, with both parties citing media interference as the main reason for the split. The same year, Columbia released the album "#1′s", a collection of Carey's U.S. number-one singles alongside new material, which she said was a way of rewarding her fans. The song 'When You Believe', a duet with Whitney Houston, was recorded for the soundtrack of "The Prince of Egypt" (1998) and won an Academy Award. "#1′s" sold above expectations, but a review in "NME" labeled Carey 'a purveyor of saccharine bilge like 'Hero', whose message seems wholesome enough: that if you vacate your mind of all intelligent thought, flutter your eyelashes and wish hard, sweet babies and honey will follow'. Also that year, she appeared on the first televised "VH1 Divas" benefit concert program, though her alleged prima donna behavior had already led many to consider her a diva. By the following year, she had entered a relationship with singer Luis Miguel. "Rainbow", Carey's seventh studio album, was released in 1999 and comprised more R&B/hip hop-oriented songs, many of them co-created with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. 'Heartbreaker' and 'Thank God I Found You' (the former featuring Jay-Z, the latter featuring Joe and boy band 98 Degrees) reached number one in the U.S., and the success of the former made Carey the only act to have a number-one single in each year of the 1990s. A cover of Phil Collins's 'Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)' went to number one in the UK after Carey re-recorded it with boy band Westlife. Media reception of "Rainbow" was generally enthusiastic, with the "Sunday Herald" saying the album 'sees her impressively tottering between soul ballads and collaborations with R&B heavyweights like Snoop Doggy Dogg, Usher … It's a polished collection of pop-soul'. "VIBE" magazine expressed similar sentiments, writing, 'She pulls out all stops…"Rainbow" will garner even more adoration', but it became Carey's lowest selling album up to that point, and there was a recurring criticism that the tracks were too alike. When the double A-side 'Crybaby' (featuring Snoop Dogg)/'Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)' became her first single to peak outside the U.S. top twenty, Carey accused Sony of under promoting it: 'The political situation in my professional career is not positive … I'm getting a lot of negative feedback from certain corporate people', she wrote on her official website. 2001:2004: Personal and professional struggles After receiving "Billboard"s Artist of the Decade Award and the World Music Award for Best-Selling Female Artist of the Millennium, Carey parted from Columbia and signed a contract with EMI's Virgin Records worth a reported US$80 million. She often stated that Columbia had regarded her as a commodity, with her separation from Mottola exacerbating her relations with label executives. Just a few months later, in July 2001, it was widely reported that Carey had suffered a physical and emotional breakdown. She had left messages on her website complaining of being overworked, and her relationship with Luis Miguel was ending. In an interview the following year, she said, 'I was with people who didn't really know me, and I had no personal assistant. I'd be doing interviews all day long, getting two hours of sleep a night, if that.' During an appearance on MTV's "Total Request Live", Carey handed out popsicles to the audience and began what was later described as a 'strip tease'. By the month's end, she had checked into a hospital, and her publicist announced that Carey was taking a break from public appearances. Critics panned "Glitter", Carey's much delayed semi-autobiographical film, and it was a box office failure. The accompanying soundtrack album, "Glitter", was inspired by the music of the 1980s and featured collaborations with Rick James and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; it generated Carey's worst showing on the U.S. chart. The "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" dismissed it as 'an absolute mess that'll go down as an annoying blemish on a career that, while not always critically heralded, was at least nearly consistently successful', while "Blender" magazine opined, 'After years of trading her signature flourishes for a radio-ready purr, Carey's left with almost no presence at all.' The lead single, 'Loverboy' (featuring Cameo), reached number two on the Hot 100 thanks to a price cut, but the album's follow-up singles failed to chart. Columbia released the low-charting compilation album "Greatest Hits" shortly after the failure of "Glitter", and in early 2002, Virgin bought out Carey's contract for $28 million, creating further negative publicity. Carey later said her time at Virgin was 'a complete and total stress-fest … I made a total snap decision which was based on money, and I never make decisions based on money. I learned a big lesson from that.' Later that year, she signed a $20 million contract with Island Records and launched the record label MonarC. To add further to Carey's emotional burdens, her father, with whom she had little contact between childhood and that year, died of cancer. Following a well-received supporting role in the 2002 film "WiseGirls", Carey released the album "Charmbracelet", which she said marked 'a new lease on life' for her. Sales of "Charmbracelet" were moderate, and the quality of Carey's vocals came under severe criticism. The "Boston Globe" declared the album 'the worst of her career, revealing a voice no longer capable of either gravity-defying gymnastics or soft coos', and "Rolling Stone" commented, 'Carey needs bold songs that help her use the power and range for which she is famous. "Charmbracelet" is like a stream of watercolors that bleed into a puddle of brown.' The album's only charting single in America, 'Through the Rain', was a failure on pop radio, which had become less open to maturing 'diva' stylists such as Carey, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion in favor of younger singers such as Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera, who had vocal styles very similar to Carey's. 'I Know What You Want', a 2003 Busta Rhymes single on which Carey guest starred, fared considerably better and reached the U.S. top five. Columbia later included it on the remix collection "The Remixes", Carey's first album not to receive an RIAA sales certification. That year, she embarked on the Charmbracelet World Tour and was awarded the Chopard Diamond award for selling over 100 million albums worldwide. She was featured on rapper Jadakiss's 2004 single 'U Make Me Wanna', which reached the top ten on "Billboard"s R&B/Hip-Hop chart. 2005:present: Return to prominence Carey's tenth studio album, "The Emancipation of Mimi" (2005), contained contributions from producers such as The Neptunes, Kanye West and Carey's longtime collaborator, Jermaine Dupri. Carey said it was 'very much like a party record… the process of putting on makeup and getting ready to go out… I wanted to make a record that was reflective of that.' "The Emancipation of Mimi" became 2005′s best-selling album in the U.S., and "The Guardian" reviewer defined it as 'cool, focused and urban … some of the first Mariah Carey tunes in years I wouldn't have to be paid to listen to again'. The album earned Carey a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and the single 'We Belong Together' won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song. 'We Belong Together' held the Hot 100′s number-one position for fourteen weeks (Carey's longest run at the top as a solo lead artist), and 'Shake It Off' made Carey the only solo female artist to occupy the Hot 100′s top two positions simultaneously. 'Don't Forget About Us' became her seventeenth number-one in the U.S., tying her with Elvis Presley for the most number-ones by a solo act according to "Billboard" magazine's revised methodology (their statistician Joel Whitburn still credits Presley with an eighteenth). The Beatles had twenty number-ones. Carey's singles have, collectively, topped the charts for seventy-seven weeks, which places her ahead of The Beatles (fifty-nine weeks), and behind Presley, who topped the combined charts for seventy-nine weeks. Carey has also had notable success on international charts, though not to the same degree as her native America. Thus far, she has had two number-one singles in Britain, two in Australia, and six in Canada. Carey's highest-charting single in Japan peaked at number-two. Carey began a concert tour, The Adventures of Mimi Tour, in mid-2006. She appeared on the cover of the March 2007 edition of "Playboy" magazine on a non-nude photo session. In early 2007, she was featured with Bow Wow on the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony single 'Lil' L.O.V.E.'. Later in the year, Carey received a 'recording star' on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and she will be inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on October 21, 2007. According to an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" in mid-2006, she had already begun work on her next studio album. ACTING CAREER: Carey began to take professional acting lessons in 1997, and in the coming year, she was auditioning for film roles. She made her debut as an opera singer in the romantic comedy "The Bachelor" (1999), starring Chris O'Donnell and Renée Zellweger. CNN referred derisively to her casting as a talentless diva as 'letter-perfect … the 'can't act' part informs Carey's entire performance'. Carey's first starring role was in "Glitter" (2001), in which she played a struggling musician in the 1980s who breaks into the music industry after meeting a disc jockey (Max Beesley). Though Roger Ebert said 'Carey's acting ranges from dutiful flirtatiousness to intense sincerity', most critics panned it: "Halliwell's Film Guide" called it a 'vapid star vehicle for a pop singer with no visible acting ability', and "The Village Voice" observed: 'When Carey tries for an emotion―any emotion―she looks as if she's lost her car keys.' "Glitter" was a box office failure, and Carey earned a Razzie Award for her role. She later said that the film 'started out as a concept with substance, but it ended up being geared to 10-year-olds. It lost a lot of grit … I kind of got in over my head.' Carey, Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters co-starred as waitresses at a mobster-operated restaurant in the independent film "WiseGirls" (2002), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival but went straight to cable in the U.S. Critics commended Carey for her efforts ― "The Hollywood Reporter" predicted, 'Those scathing notices for "Glitter" will be a forgotten memory for the singer once people warm up to Raychel', and Roger Friedman, referring to her as 'a Thelma Ritter for the new millennium', said, 'Her line delivery is sharp and she manages to get the right laughs'. "WiseGirls" producer Anthony Esposito cast Carey in "The Sweet Science", a film about an unknown female boxer recruited by a boxing manager, but it never entered production. Carey was one of several musicians who appeared in the independently produced Damon Dash films "Death of a Dynasty" (2003) and "State Property 2″ (2005). Her television work has been limited to a January 2002 episode of "Ally McBeal". In 2006, Carey joined the cast of the indie film "Tennessee" (2007), taking the role of a waitress who travels with her two brothers to find their long-lost father. JoBlo.com reported in June 2007 that Carey would join the cast of Adam Sandler's upcoming film "You Don't Mess with the Zohan", playing herself. ARTISTRY: Carey has said that from childhood she was influenced by R&B and soul musicians such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Al Green and Stevie Wonder. Her music contains strong influences of gospel music, and her favorite gospel singers include The Clark Sisters, Shirley Caesar and Edwin Hawkins. When Carey incorporated hip hop into her sound, speculation arose that she was making an attempt to take advantage of the genre's popularity, but she told "Newsweek", 'People just don't understand. I grew up with this music'. She has expressed appreciation for rappers such as The Sugarhill Gang, Eric B. & Rakim, the Wu-Tang Clan, The Notorious B.I.G. and Mobb Deep, with whom she collaborated on the single 'The Roof (Back in Time)' (1998). Carey's debut album received criticism for being too similar in style to the work of Whitney Houston, and during her career, her vocal and musical style, along with her level of success, has been compared to Houston and Celine Dion. Carey and her peers, according to Garry Mulholland, are 'the princesses of wails … virtuoso vocalists who blend chart-oriented pop with mature MOR torch song'. In "She Bop II: The Definitive History of Women in Rock, Pop and Soul" (2002), writer Lucy O'Brien attributed the comeback of Barbra Streisand's 'old-fashioned showgirl' to Carey and Dion, and described them and Houston as 'groomed, airbrushed and overblown to perfection'. Carey's musical transition and use of more revealing clothing during the late 1990s were, in part, initiated to distance herself from this image, and she subsequently said that most of her early work was 'schmaltzy MOR'. Some have noted that unlike Houston and Dion, Carey co-writes her own songs, and the "Guinness Rockopedia" (1998) classified her as the 'songbird supreme'. Voice Carey is said to be able to cover all the notes from the alto vocal range leading to those of a coloratura soprano, and her vocal trademark is her ability to sing in the whistle register. She has cited Minnie Riperton as the greatest influence on her singing technique, and from a very early age, she attempted to emulate Riperton's high notes, to increasing degrees of success as her vocal range expanded. According to most sources, she has a five-octave vocal range, though some credit her with seven or eight octaves. In 2003, her voice was ranked first in MTV and "Blender" magazine's countdown of the 22 Greatest Voices in Music, as voted by fans and readers in an online poll. Carey said of the poll, 'What it really means is voice of the MTV generation. Of course, it's an enormous compliment, but I don't feel that way about myself.' Carey's voice has come under considerable scrutiny from critics who believe that she does not communicate the message of her songs effectively. "Rolling Stone" magazine said in 1992, 'Carey has a remarkable vocal gift, but to date, unfortunately, her singing has been far more impressive than expressive … at full speed her range is so superhuman that each excessive note erodes the believability of the lyric she is singing.' The "New York Daily News" wrote that Carey's singing 'is ultimately what does her in. For Carey, vocalizing is all about the performance, not the emotions that inspired it … Does having a great voice automatically make you a great singer? Hardly.' Some interpreted Carey's decision to utilise what she described as 'breathy' vocals in some of her late 1990s and early 2000s work as a sign that her voice was deteriorating, but she has maintained that it 'has been here all along'. An article in "VIBE" magazine indicated that Carey's singing style highlights weaknesses in other aspects of her music: 'The impressiveness of her voice―as well as her tendency to oversing―make the blandness of her material all the more flagrant'. Themes and musical style Love is the subject of the majority of Carey's lyrics, although she has written about themes such as racism, death, world hunger, and spirituality. She has said that much of her work is partly autobiographical, but "TIME" magazine wrote: 'If only Mariah Carey's music had the drama of her life. Her songs are often sugary and artificial―NutraSweet soul. But her life has passion and conflict.' "The Village Voice" wrote in 2001 that, in that respect, Carey compared unfavorably with singers such as Mary J. Blige, saying 'Carey's Strawberry Shortcake soul still provides the template with which teen-pop cuties draw curlicues around those centerless Warren ballads … it's largely because of Blige that the new r&b demands a greater range of emotional expression, smarter poetry, more from-the-gut testifying, and less unnecessary notes than the squeaky-clean and just plain squeaky Mariah era. Nowadays it's the Christina Aguileras and Jessica Simpsons who awkwardly oversing, while the women with roof-raising lung power keep it in check when tune or lyric demands.' Carey's output makes great use of electronic instruments such as drum machines, keyboards and synthesizers. Many of her songs contain piano music, and she was given piano lessons when she was six years old. Carey said that she cannot read sheet music and prefers to collaborate with a pianist when composing her material, but feels that it is easier to experiment with faster and less conventional melodies and chord progressions using this technique. Some of her arrangements have been inspired by the work of musicians such as Stevie Wonder, a soul pianist to whom Carey once referred as 'the genius of the twentieth century', but she has said, 'My voice is my instrument; it always has been.' Carey began commissioning remixes of her material early in her career and helped to spearhead the practice of recording entirely new vocals for remixes. Disc jockey David Morales has collaborated with Carey several times, starting with 'Dreamlover' (1993), which "Slant" magazine named one of the greatest dance songs of all time. From 'Fantasy' (1995) onward, Carey enlisted both hip hop and house producers to re-imagine her album compositions. "Entertainment Weekly" included two remixes of 'Fantasy' on a list of Carey's greatest recordings compiled in 2005: a National Dance Music Award-winning remix produced by Morales, and a Sean Combs production featuring rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard. The latter has been credited with popularizing the pop/hip hop collaboration trend that has continued into the 2000s through artists such as Ashanti and Beyoncé. Combs said that Carey 'knows the importance of mixes, so you feel like you're with an artist who appreciates your work―an artist who wants to come up with something with you'. She continues to consult on remixes by producers such as Morales, Jermaine Dupri, Junior Vasquez and DJ Clue, and guest performers contribute frequently to them. The popularity in U.S. nightclubs of the dance remixes, which often sound radically different from their album counterparts, has been known to eclipse the mainstream chart success of the original songs. PHILANTHROPY AND OTHER ACTIVITIES: Carey is a philanthropist who has donated time and money to organizations such as the Fresh Air Fund. She became associated with the Fund in the early 1990s, and is the co-founder of a camp located in Fishkill, New York, that enables inner-city youth to embrace the arts and introduces them to career opportunities. The camp was called Camp Mariah 'for her generous support and dedication to Fresh Air children', and she received a Congressional Horizon Award for her youth-related charity work. She is well-known nationally for her work with the Make-a-Wish Foundation in granting the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, and in November 2006 she was awarded the Foundation's Wish Idol for her 'extraordinary generosity and her many wish granting achievements'. Carey has volunteered for the New York City Police Athletic League and contributed to the obstetrics department of New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell Medical Center. A percentage of the sales of "MTV Unplugged" was donated to various other charities. One of Carey's most high-profile benefit concert appearances was on VH1′s 1998 "Divas Live" special, during which she performed alongside other female singers in support of the Save the Music Foundation. The concert was a ratings success, and Carey participated in the 2000 special. In 2007, the Save the Music Foundation honored Carey at their tenth gala event for her support towards the foundation since its inception. She appeared at the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" nationally televised fundraiser in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and in December 2001, she performed before peacekeeping troops in Kosovo. Carey hosted the CBS television special "At Home for the Holidays", which documented real-life stories of adopted children and foster families, and she has worked with the New York City Administration for Children's Services. In 2005, Carey performed for Live 8 in London and at the Hurricane Katrina relief telethon "Shelter from the Storm". Declining offers to appear in commercials 
Salma Hayek Biography CAREER And Detail "Salma Hayek Jiménez" (born September 2, 1966) is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated Mexican/American actress, Daytime Emmy-winning director, and an Emmy-nominated TV and film producer. Hayek has appeared in more than thirty films and performed as an actress outside of Hollywood in Mexico and Spain. Hayek's charitable work includes increasing awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrants. In July 2007, "The Hollywood Reporter" ranked Hayek fourth in their inaugural Latino Power 50, a list of the most powerful members of the Hollywood Latino community. That same month a poll found Hayek to be the 'sexiest celebrity' out of a field of 3,000 celebrities (male and female); according to the poll, '65 percent of the U.S. population would use the term 'sexy' to describe' her. EARLY LIFE Hayek was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, the daughter of Diana Jiménez, an opera singer and talent scout, and Sami Hayek, an oil company executive. Hayek's father's side of the family is of Assyrian-Lebanese descent and her mother's family is of Spanish descent Reflecting her Assyrian heritage, her first name literally means 'peace' or 'calm' in Aramaic. Raised in a wealthy, devoutly Catholic family, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, at the age of twelve. She was also an accomplished gymnast aspiring to compete in the Olympics but her father prevented her from being recruited by the Mexican national team. The religious sisters running the Academy ejected Hayek citing behavioral problems, so she returned to Mexico. She was later sent to live with her aunt in Houston, Texas, where she stayed until she was seventeen. She attended college in Mexico City, where she studied International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana. To the surprise of her family, she dropped out to pursue a career as an actress. CAREER Mexico At the age of 23, Hayek landed the title role in "Teresa" (1989), a successful Mexican "telenovela" that made her a star in Mexico. In 1994, Hayek starred in the film "El Callejón de los Milagros" ("Midaq Alley"), which has won more awards than any other movie in the history of Mexican cinema. For her performance, Hayek was nominated for an Ariel Award. Hollywood Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1991 to study acting under Stella Adler, hoping for a career in Hollywood, despite limited fluency in English brought on by dyslexia. Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan soon gave Hayek the break she needed, a starring role opposite Antonio Banderas in 1995′s "Desperado". The movie caught Hollywood's attention, as moviegoers proved to be dazzled by Hayek as Rodriguez had been. Due to Hayek's loyalty to the director she would later decline playing the role Catherine Zeta-Jones eventually took in "The Mask of Zorro" after Rodriguez abandoned the project. She has also appeared in the "Spy Kids" trilogy. Hayek followed her success in "Desperado" with a brief but memorable role as a vampire queen in "From Dusk Till Dawn", where she provocatively danced on a table before killing Quentin Tarantino's character. In 1999, she co-starred in Will Smith's big-budget "Wild Wild West", and played a supporting role in Kevin Smith's "Dogma". In 2000, she had an uncredited acting part opposite Benicio del Toro in "Traffic". Around this time Hayek founded production company Ventanarosa, through which she produces film and television projects. Her first feature as a producer was 1999′s "El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba", Mexico's official selection for submission for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. "Frida", co-produced by Hayek, was released in 2002. Starring Hayek as Frida Kahlo, and Alfred Molina as her unfaithful husband, Diego Rivera, the film was directed by Julie Taymor and also featured an entourage of stars in supporting roles, including Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton and Valeria Golino. She earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her performance. This made Hayek, along with Katy Jurado and Adriana Barraza, one of only three Mexican actresses to have been nominated for an Academy Award, and the second Latin American actress nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, after Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro, for Central Station (1998). Following "Frida", in 2003 she reprised her role from "Desperado" by appearing in the final film of the "Mariachi Trilogy", "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". In that same year she produced and directed the "The Maldonado Miracle", a Showtime movie which won her a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children/Youth/Family Special. In December 2005 she directed a music video for Prince, titled "Te Amo Corazon" ('I love you, sweetheart') that featured her good friend Mia Maestro. Hayek is an executive producer of "Ugly Betty", television series airing around the world since September 2006. Hayek adapted the series for American television with Ben Silverman, who acquired the rights and scripts from the Colombian Telenovela "Yo Soy Betty La Fea" in 2001. Originally intended as a half hour sitcom for NBC in 2004, the project would later be picked up by ABC for the 2006-2007 season with Silvio Horta also producing. Hayek guest-starred on "Ugly Betty" as Sofia Reyes, a magazine editor. She also had a cameo playing an actress in the telenovela within the show. The show quickly became a ratings hit and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series in 2007. Hayek's performance as Sofia has resulted in a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. Hayek has also been credited as a song performer in three movies. The first was "Desperado" for the song "Quedate AquÃ". In "Frida" she performed with band Los Vega the Mexican folk song "La Bruja". She also recorded "Siente mi amor", which played during the end credits of "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". In April 2007 Hayek finalized negotiations with MGM to become the CEO of her own Latin themed film production company, Ventanazul. The following month she signed a two year deal with ABC to develop projects for the network through her production company, Ventanarosa. She is developing and producing "La Banda", a Spanish-language romantic comedy set in Mexico, written by Issa Lopez. Other work Hayek has been a spokesperson for Avon cosmetics since February 2004. She formerly served in the same function for Revlon in 1998. In 2001, she modeled for Chopard and was featured in 2006 Campari adverts as photographed by Mario Testino. On April 3rd of that year she helped introduce La Doña, a watch by Cartier inspired by fellow Mexican actress MarÃa Félix. She was also featured in a series of Spanish language commercials for Lincoln cars. Consequently sales of the Lincoln Navigator among Hispanics increased by twelve percentage points. IN ART In the spring of 2006, The Blue Star Contemporary Art Center in San Antonio, Texas displayed sixteen portrait paintings by muralist George Yepes of Hayek as Aztec goddess Itzapapalotl. PERSONAL LIFE Hayek is a naturalized U.S. citizen. She dated actor Edward Norton between 1999 and 2003, and then Josh Lucas in 2003. She has friends in Los Angeles and Mexico and is best friends with Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. The two co-starred in the 2006 film "Bandidas." Hayek studied at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment. On March 9, 2007, Salma confirmed she was expecting her first child with PPR CEO François-Henri Pinault. On September 21, 2007, Hayek gave birth to daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She speaks Spanish and English. HONORS Recipient of "Glamour" magazine Woman of the Year Award in October 2001. Recipient of Producers Guild of America Celebration of Diversity Award in 2003. Recipient of Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year Award in February 2006. EVENT APPEARANCES Was a member of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival jury. Co-hosted the annual Nobel Peace Prize concert with Julianne Moore in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2005. 
Lady Gaga Biography LIFE AND CAREER Detail "Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta" ( ; born March 28, 1986), known by her stage name "Lady Gaga", is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side, and was signed with Streamline Records by the end of 2007. During her employment as a songwriter for the record company, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who signed her to his label Kon Live Distribution. Lady Gaga came to prominence as a recording artist following the release of her debut album "The Fame" (2008), which was a critical and commercial success that topped charts around the world and included the international number-one singles 'Just Dance' and 'Poker Face'. After embarking on the The Fame Ball Tour, she followed the album with "The Fame Monster" (2009), which spawned the worldwide hit singles 'Bad Romance', 'Telephone' and 'Alejandro'. "The Fame Monster"s success allowed her to embark on the eighteen-month long Monster Ball Tour, which later became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. Her most recent album "Born This Way" (2011) topped the charts of most major markets and generated more international chart-topping singles, including 'Born This Way', 'Judas' and 'The Edge of Glory'. Besides her musical career, she involves herself with humanitarian causes and LGBT activism. Influenced by David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Queen, Lady Gaga is recognized for her flamboyant, diverse and outré contributions to the music industry through her fashion, performances and music videos. She has sold an estimated 23 million albums and 64 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time and her singles are some of the best selling worldwide. Her achievements include five Grammy Awards and 13 MTV Video Music Awards. Lady Gaga has consecutively appeared on "Billboard" magazine's Artists of the Year (scoring the definitive title in 2010), ranked fourth in VH1′s list of 100 Greatest Women in Music, is regularly placed on lists composed by "Forbes" magazine and was named one of the most influential people in the world by "Time" magazine. In 2012, Gaga was ranked at number four on "Billboard"s list of top moneymakers of 2011, grossing more than $25 million. LIFE AND CAREER 1986-2004: Early life Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March 28, 1986, in New York City, to Cynthia (née Bissett) and Joseph Germanotta, an internet entrepreneur. Descending from Italian and more distant French-Canadian roots, Gaga is the elder of two children. Her sister, Natali, a fashion student, was born in 1992. Despite her affluent upbringing on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Gaga says that her parents 'both came from lower-class families, so we've worked for everything-my mother worked eight to eight out of the house, in telecommunications, and so did my father.' Manhattan's , where Gaga grew up, has been an inspiration for many of her songs. Gaga was raised Roman Catholic. From age eleven she attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private all-girls Roman Catholic school on Manhattan's Upper East Side. She described her academic life in high school as 'very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined' but also 'a bit insecure': 'I used to get made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric, so I started to tone it down. I didn't fit in, and I felt like a freak.' Acquaintances dispute that she did not fit in at school. Gaga began playing the piano at the age of four, wrote her first piano ballad at thirteen, and started to perform at open mike nights by the age of fourteen. She performed lead roles in high school productions, including Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls" and Philia in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". She also appeared in a very small role as a mischievous classmate in the television drama series "The Sopranos" in a 2001 episode titled 'The Telltale Moozadell' and auditioned for New York shows without success. After high school, her mother encouraged her to apply for the Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21), a musical theatre training conservatory at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. By age seventeen, after becoming one of twenty students to gain early admission, she lived in an NYU dorm on 11th Street. In addition to sharpening her songwriting skills, she composed essays and analytical papers on art, religion, social issues and politics, including a thesis on pop artists Spencer Tunick and Damien Hirst. She also tried won the part of an unsuspecting diner customer for MTV's "Boiling Points", a prank reality television show. 2005-07: Career beginnings Gaga ("right") performing with ("left") at 2007 Gaga withdrew from CAP21 at 19, in the second semester of her sophomore year, deciding to focus on her musical career. Her father agreed to pay her rent for a year, on the condition that she re-enroll at Tisch if unsuccessful. 'I left my entire family, got the cheapest apartment I could find, and ate shit until somebody would listen,' she remembers. Settled in a small apartment on Rivington Street towards the summer of 2005, Gaga recorded a couple of songs with hip-hop singer Grandmaster Melle Mel, for an audio book accompanying the children's book "The Portal in the Park", by Cricket Casey. She also began a band called the Stefani Germanotta Band (SGBand) with some friends from NYU : guitarist Calvin Pia, bassist Eli Silverman, drummer Alex Beckham and booking manager Frank Fredericks : in September of that year. The band played a mixture of songs: some self-penned alongside classic rock numbers like Led Zeppelin's 'D'yer Mak'er'. Playing in bars like the Greenwich Village's The Bitter End and the Lower East Side's the Mercury Lounge, the band developed a small fan base and caught the eye of music producer Joe Vulpis. Soon after arranging time in Vulpis' studio in the months that followed, SGBand were selling their extended plays "Words" and "Red and Blue" (both 2005) at gigs around New York while becoming a local fixture of the downtown Lower East Side club scene. SGBand reached their career peak at the 2006 Songwriters Hall of Fame New Songwriters Showcase at The Cutting Room in June where Wendy Starland, a musician, appeared as a talent scout for music producer Rob Fusari. Starland informed Fusari : who was searching for a female singer to front a new band : of Gaga's ability and contacted her. With SGBand disbanded, Gaga traveled daily to New Jersey to work on songs she had written and compose new material with the music producer. While in collaboration, Fusari compared some of her vocal harmonies to those of Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen. It was Fusari who helped create the moniker Gaga after the Queen song 'Radio Ga Ga'. Gaga was in the process of trying to come up with a stage name when she received a text message from Fusari that read 'Lady Gaga.' He explained, 'Every day, when Stef came to the studio, instead of saying hello, I would start singing 'Radio Ga Ga'. That was her entrance song' and that the text message was the result of a predictive text glitch that changed 'radio' to 'lady'. She texted back, 'That's it,' and declared, 'Don't ever call me Stefani again.' "The New York Post", however, has reported that this story is incorrect, and that the name resulted from a marketing meeting. alt=Full right profile of a young blond woman, surrounded by sitting spectators in a pub. She wears a black leotard and her long hair falls around her side. With her right hand she holds a pair of video sunglasses to her eyes. Although the musical relationship between Fusari and Gaga was unsuccessful at first, the pair soon set up a company titled Team Lovechild in which they recorded and produced electropop tracks and sent them to music industry bosses. Joshua Sarubin, the head of A&R at Def Jam Recordings, responded positively and vied for the record company to take a chance on her 'unusual and provocative' performance. After having his boss Antonio 'L.A.' Reid in agreement, Gaga was signed to Def Jam in September 2006 with the intention of having an album ready in nine months. However, she was dropped by the label after only three months : an unfortunate period of her life that would later inspire her treatment for the music video for her 2011 single 'Marry the Night'. Devastated, Gaga returned to the solace of the family home for Christmas and the nightlife culture of the Lower East Side. She 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. Her father, however, did not understand the reason behind her drug intake and could not look at her for several months. 'I was onstage in a thong, with a fringe hanging over my ass thinking that had covered it, lighting hairsprays on fire, go-go dancing to Black Sabbath and singing songs about oral sex. The kids would scream and cheer and then we'd all go grab a beer. It represented freedom to me. I went to a Catholic school but it was on the New York underground that I found myself.' It was then when she became romantically involved with a heavy metal drummer in a relationship and break-up she likened to the musical film "Grease": 'I was his Sandy, and he was my Danny, and I just broke.' He later became an inspiration behind some of her later songs. During this time, she met performance artist Lady Starlight, who helped mold her on-stage persona. Starlight explained that, upon their first meeting, Gaga wanted to perform with her to songs she had recorded with Fusari. Like SGBand, the pair soon began performing at many of the downtown club venues like the Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, and the Rockwood Music Hall. Their live performance art piece was known as 'Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue' and, billed as 'The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow', was a low-fi tribute to 1970s variety acts. Soon after, the two were invited to play at the 2007 Lollapalooza music festival in August that year. The show was critically acclaimed, and their performance received positive reviews. Having initially focused on avant-garde electronic dance music, Gaga had found her musical niche when she began to incorporate pop melodies and the glam rock of David Bowie and Queen into her music. While Gaga and Starlight were busy performing, producer Rob Fusari continued to work on the songs he had created with Gaga. Fusari sent these songs to his friend, producer and record executive Vincent Herbert. Herbert was quick to sign her to his label Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, upon its establishment in 2007. Gaga later credited Herbert as the man who discovered her, adding 'I really feel like we made pop history, and we're gonna keep going.' 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.' As 2007 came to a close, her former management company introduced her to songwriter and producer RedOne, whom they also managed. The first song she produced with RedOne was 'Boys Boys Boys', a mash-up inspired by Mötley Crüe's 'Girls, Girls, Girls' and AC/DC's 'T.N.T.'. Gaga continued her collaboration with RedOne in the recording studio for a week on her debut album and also joined the roster of Cherrytree Records, an Interscope imprint established by producer and songwriter Martin Kierszenbaum, after co-writing four songs with Kierszenbaum including the singles 'Christmas Tree' and 'Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)'. Despite her secure record deal, she admitted that there was fear about her being too 'racy', 'dance-orientated' and 'underground' for the mainstream market. Her response: 'My name is Lady Gaga, I've been on the music scene for years, and I'm telling you, this is what's next.' 2008-10: "The Fame" and "The Fame Monster" By 2008, Gaga had relocated to Los Angeles in order to work extensively with her record label to complete her debut album and set up her own creative team Haus of Gaga, modeled on Andy Warhol's Factory. "The Fame" was first released on August 19, 2008 to slow radio play. Gaga supported it by performing around Europe and in small gay clubs around the US in addition to being billed as a supporting artist on the North American leg of New Kids on the Block's reunion concert tour. A sleeper hit, lead single 'Just Dance' had preceded the album's release by four months but only hit the summit of the international charts in January 2009, provoking the instant success of the album, earning her first Grammy Award nomination (for Best Dance Recording) and becoming one of the best-selling singles worldwide. Gaga achieved a greater unexpected success when 'Poker Face', another sleeper hit, reached number one in most major music markets worldwide in early 2009, selling 9.8 million singles worldwide. The follow-up single won the award for Best Dance Recording at the 52nd Grammy Awards over nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Gaga performing at in 2009 "The Fame" itself was nominated for Album of the Year while winning Best Dance/Electronica Album at the same ceremony. Contemporary critics lauded the album, describing it as an exploration of her obsession with fame and the intricacies of a rich and famous lifestyle, noting its combination of genres 'from Def Leppard drums and hand claps to metal drums on urban tracks', the inspiration drawn from 1980s synthpop and incorporation of dance music with clear hooks. "The Fame" went to number one in Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK and appeared in the top five in Australia, the US and 15 other countries. It also stayed atop the Dance/Electronic Albums chart for 106 non-consecutive weeks and, since its release, has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. The album's success spawned many 2009 honors including "Billboard" magazine's Rising Star award and the accumulation of 3 of 9 MTV Video Music Awards nominations, winning Best New Artist with the video for her single 'Paparazzi' gaining Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. In addition to being an opening act on the Pussycat Dolls' Doll Domination Tour during the first half of 2009 in Europe and Oceania, she also embarked on her own six-month critically appreciated worldwide concert tour The Fame Ball Tour which ran from March to September 2009. While she traveled the globe, she wrote "The Fame Monster", an EP of eight songs released in November 2009. Each song, dealing with the darker side of fame from personal experience, is expressed through a monster metaphor. Making Gaga the first artist in digital history to have three singles (alongside 'Just Dance' and 'Poker Face') to pass the four million mark in digital sales, its lead single 'Bad Romance' topped the charts in eighteen countries and reached the top two in the US, Australia and New Zealand while accruing the Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video. The second single 'Telephone', which features singer Beyoncé, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and became Gaga's fourth UK number one single; its accompanying music video, although controversial, received positive reception from contemporary critics who praised her for 'the musicality and showmanship of Michael Jackson and the powerful sexuality and provocative instincts of Madonna.' Her following single 'Alejandro' paired Gaga with fashion photographer Steven Klein for a music video similarly as controversial : critics complimented its ideas and dark nature but the Catholic League attacked Gaga for her alleged use of blasphemy. Despite the controversy surrounding her music videos, they made Gaga the first artist to gain over one billion viral views on video-sharing website YouTube. At the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga won 8 of her 13 nominations, including Video of the Year for 'Bad Romance' (with 'Telephone' also nominated), which made her the first female artist to be nominated twice for the award. In addition, "The Fame Monster" garnered a total of six nominations at the 53rd Grammy Awards : equating to the amount of Grammy nominations her debut received : winning Best Pop Vocal Album and earning her a second-consecutive nomination for Album of the Year. alt= Profile of a young blond woman. Her hair falls in waves up to her shoulders. She wears a purple leotard with visible sequins attached. Ample bosom, arm and leg are visible. The success of the album allowed Gaga to start her second worldwide concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, just weeks after the release of "The Fame Monster" and months after having finished The Fame Ball Tour. 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 a HBO television special titled "Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden". The special accrued one of its five Emmy Award nominations and has since been released on DVD and Blu-ray. Gaga also performed songs from the album at international events such as the 2009 Royal Variety Performance where she sang 'Speechless', a power ballad, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II; the 52nd Grammy Awards where her opening performance consisted of the song 'Poker Face' and a piano duet of 'Speechless' in a medley of 'Your Song' with Elton John; and the 2010 BRIT Awards where a performance of an acoustic rendition of 'Telephone' followed by 'Dance in the Dark' dedicated to the late fashion designer and close friend, Alexander McQueen, supplemented her hat-trick win at the awards ceremony. Other performances may have included her participation in Michael Jackson's This Is It concert series at London's O2 Arena. 'I was actually asked to open for Michael on his tour,' she stated. 'We were going to open for him at the O2 and we were working on making it happen. I believe there was some talk about us, lots of the openers, doing duets with Michael on stage.' In 2009 she collaborated with consumer electronic company Monster Cable Products to create a pair of in-ear jewel-encrusted headphones titled Heartbeats. 'They are designed to be the first ever fashion accessories that double as the absolute best sonically sounding headphones in the world,' she commented. Gaga also partnered with Polaroid in January 2010 as their Creative Director. Excited about 'blending the iconic history of Polaroid and instant film with the digital era,' Gaga unveiled the first trio of new products called Grey Label: a pair of picture-taking sunglasses, a paperback-sized mobile printing unit and an updated version of the traditional Polaroid camera at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show. But her collaboration with past producer Rob Fusari led to her production team, Mermaid Music LLC, being sued in March 2010 when he claimed that he was entitled to a 20% share of the company's earnings. Gaga's lawyer, Charles Ortner, described the agreement with Fusari as 'unlawful' and declined to comment, but five months later, the New York Supreme Court dismissed both the lawsuit and a countersuit by Gaga. In addition to such strife, Gaga was tested borderline positive for lupus, but claimed not to be affected by the symptoms. The revelations caused considerable dismay among fans, leading to Gaga addressing the matter in an interview with Larry King, saying she hopes to avoid symptoms by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 2011-present: "Born This Way", upcoming album and film debut Gaga performing on the 2011 " Summer Concert Series Gaga released her second studio album and third major release, "Born This Way", on May 23, 2011. Described as a marriage of electronic music with metal, rock 'n' roll, pop and anthemic style melodies with sledge-hammering dance beats and referred to as an album 'about what keeps us up at night and what makes us afraid,' Gaga characterized it as 'something so much deeper than a wig or lipstick or a fucking meat dress' and, upon hearing it, Akon remarked that she is taking music to the 'next level.' Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its range of different styles and her vocals. "Born This Way" sold 1.108 million copies in its first week in the US, debuted atop the "Billboard" 200, and topped 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 the months prior to its unveiling, Gaga released the singles 'Born This Way', 'Judas' and 'The Edge of Glory' alongside promotional single 'Hair'. The eponymous lead single, first sung live at the 53rd Grammy Awards in a performance that saw Gaga emerge from an egg-like vessel, deals with self-acceptance regardless of race or sexual orientation. The single debuted atop the "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming the 19th number-one debut and the 1,000th number-one single in the history of the charts. It sold more than 3 million digital copies in the US by October 2011, becoming her eighth consecutive single to exceed sales of 2 million and, with worldwide sales of 8.2 million copies by November 2011, one of her five best-selling singles worldwide. Critics noted artistic and cultural references and praised the concept of the song's accompanying music video, in which Gaga gives birth to a new race amidst surrealistic images. The video for 'Judas', in which Gaga portrays Mary Magdalene, and Biblical figures such as Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot are also featured, was criticized for its religious references but received acclaim for its overall delivery and praise from others who claimed that there was nothing offensive about it. 'Judas' also peaked within the top ten in several major musical markets, while 'The Edge of Glory', first a commercial success in digital outlets, was later released as a single to critical appreciation, accompanied by a video which was notably stripped down from her usually 'extravagant' efforts. She released 'You and I' and 'Marry the Night' as the following singles from "Born This Way". Although their 'crazy and ambitious' videos were praised for their audacity, both songs failed to match the similar international success that their predecessors achieved. On December 10th 2011, Born This Way won The Record of the Year award in the UK, receiving 38.2%, the highest percentage a winner has gained since the winning song was changed by decision of phone voters to online voters. Gaga continued her musical endeavors by pairing with veteran artists like Tony Bennett to record a jazz version of 'The Lady Is a Tramp'. She also recorded a duet with Cher on a 'massive' and 'beautiful' track, which Gaga 'wrote a long time ago, and I've never put it on one of my own albums for, really, no particular reason.' Gaga also lent her vocals to an original duet with Elton John for the animated feature film "Gnomeo & Juliet". The song, 'Hello, Hello', was released without Gaga's vocals but the duet version features in the film. She also continued her live appearances throughout 2011, performing a one-of-a-kind concert at the Sydney Town Hall on July 13 in promotion of "Born This Way" and at the celebration of former US president Bill Clinton's 65th birthday, wearing a blond wig as a nod to the famous performance of Marilyn Monroe for John F. Kennedy and changing the lyrics to 'You and I' specifically for the performance. Televised appearances comprised her own Thanksgiving Day television special entitled "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" which was critically lauded, attained 5.749 million American viewers, and spawned the release of her fourth extended play "A Very Gaga Holiday". Her second performance on "Saturday Night Live" saw her singing a selection of "Born This Way" songs alongside appearing in number of sketches with Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg. In March 2012, Gaga was ranked at number four on "Billboard"s list of top moneymakers of 2011, grossing $25,353,039 dollars, which includes sales from "Born This Way" and her "Monster Ball Tour". In early 2012, Gaga stated that songs for a new album were 'beginning to flourish' as she worked with producer Fernando Garibay, while the accompanying tour for "Born This Way" was materializing. Gaga's manager, Vincent Herbert, revealed that Gaga is working on her upcoming album during the tour, stating that the material is 'insane, great records.' On June 8, Gaga tweeted that she played her new record to her record label and will be announcing the album's title in September 2012. The Born This Way Ball Tour began on April 27, 2012, at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. The tour was met with protests from several religious groups who denounced the tour as satanic and against religious values, resulting in protests mainly from the Islamic Defenders Front, causing a cancellation in the Indonesian city of Jakarta, where Gaga was denied a license to perform. The concert however was still in question as concert promoters were optimistic that the performance would in fact go on. However, due to threats of violence from Muslim hardliners, Gaga decided to cancel the concert although 52,000 tickets had sold out in just a few days. On May 20, 2012, Gaga guest-starred on the 23rd season finale of "The Simpsons" entitled 'Lisa Goes Gaga'. On June 13, 2012, she placed second as the most-played artist of 2011 in the United Kingdom by the PPL. On July 26, 2012, Lady Gaga confirmed her first appearance in a film, in Robert Rodriguez's upcoming movie Machete Kills. Gaga will play the role of La Chameleón, starring alongside Danny Trejo, Vanessa Hudgens, and Michelle Rodriguez. ARTISTRY Influences Gaga's parents, who exposed her to artists like The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin and Elton John had significant influence on her childhood and, presently, still do. 'I am a real family girl. When it comes to love and loyalty, I am very old-fashioned. And I am quite down-to-earth for such an eccentric person,' she insists. 'I'm quite traditional in the family sense. I've always been that way.' According to Gaga, Joanne Germanotta : her aunt who died of lupus aged 19 : lives on through her and inspires all of her music and art. Joanne's date of death is tattooed on Gaga's body and, despite dying 12 years before her birth, Gaga commented, 'I really believe I have two hearts. I think I actually carry two souls in my body, and that I'm living out the rest of her life and her goodness : she died a virgin, she died never having experienced all these things that we all get to love and experience in our lives.' Another spiritual influence on Gaga has been the Indian physician, public speaker and writer Deepak Chopra. Labeling him a 'true inspiration', she stated that 'he's always reminded me to work in a life of service to my fans and to fulfill my vision and my destiny' in addition to thinking about Chopra when it comes to her work as a musician: 'I want so much for it to go beyond the music for my fans.' Musically, Gaga takes influence from numerous musicians from dance-pop singers like Madonna and Michael Jackson to glam rock artists like David Bowie and Queen whilst employing the theatrics of artists like Andy Warhol and of her musical theatre roots in performance. The Queen song 'Radio Ga Ga' inspired her stage name: 'I adored Freddie Mercury and Queen had a hit called 'Radio Gaga'. That's why I love the name … Freddie was unique-one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music,' she commented. Gaga receives regular comparisons to recording artist Madonna who admits that she sees herself reflected in Gaga. In response to the comparisons, Gaga stated, 'I don't want to sound presumptuous, but I've made it my goal to revolutionize pop music. The last revolution was launched by Madonna 25 years ago' in addition to commenting that 'there is really no one that is a more adoring and loving Madonna fan than me. I am the hugest fan personally and professionally.' Like Madonna, Gaga has continued to reinvent herself and, over the years of her career, has drawn musical inspiration from a diverse mix of artists including Whitney Houston, Grace Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie singer Debbie Harry, Scissor Sisters, Prince, Marilyn Manson, Yoko Ono, and Britney Spears. Gaga has mentioned Spears in several interviews, and revealed, 'Britney certainly doesn't need any freakin' tips from me! Britney Spears is the queen of pop. I was learning from her.' Gaga also paid tribute to Spears during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards with the MTV Video Vanguard Award, adding that the pop singer 'taught us all how to be fearless, and the industry wouldn't be the same without her.' Gaga has identified fashion as a major influence and has been stylistically compared to English eccentrics Leigh Bowery and Isabella Blow and to American recording artist Cher. She commented that 'as a child, she somehow absorbed Cher's out-there fashion sense and made it her own.' She has considered Donatella Versace her muse and the late British fashion designer and close friend Alexander McQueen as an inspiration, admitting that 'I miss Lee every time I get dressed' while channeling him in some of her work. Modeled on Andy Warhol's Factory, Gaga has her own creative production team, which she handles personally, called the Haus of Gaga, who create many of her clothes, stage props, and hairdos. Her adoration of fashion came from her mother, who she stated was 'always very well kept and beautiful.' 'When I'm writing music, I'm thinking about the clothes I want to wear on stage. It's all about everything altogether-performance art, pop performance art, fashion. For me, it's everything coming together and being a real story that will bring back the super-fan. I want to bring that back. I want the imagery to be so strong that fans will want to eat and taste and lick every part of us.' The Global Language Monitor named 'Lady Gaga' as the Top Fashion Buzzword with her trademark 'no pants' a close third. "Entertainment Weekly" put her outfits on its end of the decade 'best-of' list, saying, 'Whether it's a dress made of Muppets or strategically placed bubbles, Gaga's outré ensembles brought performance art into the mainstream.' Gaga made her runway debut at Thierry Mugler's Paris fashion show in March 2011 where she wore items from Nicola Formichetti's debut women's wear collection. In June of the same year, she won the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award for Fashion Icon. "Time Magazine" placed Gaga on their 'All-Time 100 Fashion Icons List' amongst some of Gaga's inspirations such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and the The Beatles, stating: 'Lady Gaga is just as notorious for her outrageous style as she is for her pop hits. After all, Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, has sported outfits made from plastic bubbles, Kermit the Frog dolls, and raw meat.' She has since devoted her time as a fashion columnist for "V" magazine, where she has written about her creative process, her studying of the world of pop culture, and her ability to tune into the evolution of pop-culture meme. After she tweeted a quote from the book 'Creativity' by Osho, she was asked about her connection to him. Gaga said she was influenced by his work and that for her, 'the creativity is the greatest way of rebellion': 'Equality', she concluded, ' 
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