My Chemical Romance

Okay, this is the same biography but there was a few mistakes so I fixed them for you.

Based in New Jersey, My Chemical Romance is an alternative pop/rock and punk-pop band that has been compared to Thursday and, to a lesser degree, Cursive. Many of their songs are loud, fast, hyper, and aggressive, but My Chemical Romance's work also tends to be melodic and pop-minded. My Chemical Romance got started in the early 2000s, when lead singer Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier decided to try writing some songs together. The first tune that Way and Pelissier -- who had been friends since high school -- came up with was called "Skylines and Turnstiles" (a title reflecting the fact that Way had been working in New York City, where he was in the animation field. This is also about the 9-11 attack). Way and Pelissier both felt good about the song, and Way asked guitarist Ray Toro if he would be interested in working with them. My Chemical Romance's five-man lineup was complete when Way, Pelissier, and Toro joined forces with bassist Mikey Way (Gerard Way's brother) and guitarist Frank Iero. With that lineup in place, the band started playing all around the Northeast Corridor and made plans to begin working on its first album.

In 2002, Eyeball Records (the New York-based indie that Thursday had recorded for) released My Chemical Romance's debut album,(Mikey had been working at Eyeball for an Intership) I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The album was often compared to Thursday -- a comparison that, for various reasons, was inevitable and unavoidable. Both bands were from New Jersey, both had recorded for Eyeball, and both combined punk-pop's musical aggression with introspective, confessional lyrics. Plus, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was produced by Geoff Rickly, Thursday's lead singer -- add all of those things up, and there was no way that My Chemical Romance was going to escape Thursday comparisons. But Thursday isn't their only influence; reviewers have cited the Smiths, Morrissey, the Cure,The Smashing Pumpkins and the Misfits as influences. And Way has even cited British heavy metal icons Iron Maiden as an influence.

Lyrically, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is as dark as it is introspective and cathartic; Way has been quoted as saying that the band's lyrics were a great way for him to deal with the problems he had been going through (which included severe depression and a serious illness in his family). The 2002 release included Way and Pelissier's first song, "Skylines and Turnstiles," and many of the album's other song titles were equally intriguing, including "Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us," "Drowning Lessons," "Headfirst for Halos," "Our Lady of Sorrows," and "Vampires Will Never Hurt You." In 2003, My Chemical Romance signed with Reprise/Warner Bros.

Their Second Album "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge" was released in late 2004. The First single "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", a high speed anthem for the contiually downtrodden and rejected, caught America off-gaurd and put MCR (My Chemical Romance) in the spotlight almost overnight.

The second single "Helena" a slow almost haunting ballat (but not really, it's also very up-beat) dedicated to Elena Rush (the Way brothers' late grand mother.) Brings to mind "The Cure", other noteworthy songs on the album are "The Ghost of You", "Thank You for The Venom" and "To The End". My Chemical Romance was also Featured on this years "A Taste Of Chaos" tour this spring and also go a half hour concert special on the "Fuse" music network.

Thanks to Leanne - darknessismyfriend@hotmail.com for submitting the biography.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/My-Chemical-Romance-Biography/A8612E50C8906D5D48256C6B000A7F83

Milky

Milky is a dance production group based out of Italy. The act consists of producers Giordiano Trivellato and Giuliano Sacchetto, with Egyptian/German singer Sabrina Elahl serving as their lead singer on most of their tracks.

Even though their 2003 album "Star" features another artist named Guidy, who was the original lead singer, most of the tracks were rerecorded by Elahl, who not only took the Milky name, but is the only visible person who performs outside the studio.

Two of the tracks from the album eventually became hits in United States: "Just The Way You Are", reached the Billboard Dance Radio Airplay chart on October 17, 2003


In September 2005, "Be My World" peaked at number 6 on the same music chart.

Category:Electronic musicians
Category:House musicians
Category:Italian dance musicians
Category:Dance musicians

es:Milky

source : http://www.artistopia.com/milky/biography

Michelle Branch

Ya know,I really hate writing these things. I mean, what do you say to make people listen to your music? I'm not a fan of changing yourself for anything. With me, what you see is what you get. That's why biographies irritate me so much. I'm supposed to tell you all the amazing things I've accomplished, drop a few names here and there, and sell myself as a product. I don't want to do that now. So here it is, my un-glorified bio. "The love story between me and music."

"For as long as I can remember, and from what my family recalls, I was always singing."

When I asked my mom what music she listened to while she was pregnant with me, she told me that she sang along with the radio in the car to The Beatles a lot. Perhaps that's why The Beatles are my favorite band, who knows. By the way, my dad still says that my mom was the most beautiful pregnant woman he'd ever seen. I was born seven weeks early on July 2nd, 1983. I only weighed 3 pounds 11 ounces. I guess I just couldn't wait to get out and see the world. I haven't changed a bit.

The earliest documentation of my singing was when I was three years old. My parents decided that we were going to make a tape of me singing my most favorite songs and send it to my Grandma. I sang with perfect pitch, although I didn't know most of the words.

That didn't change. When I was four until I was about seven I thought the words to "Ticket To Ride" from The Beatles was really "She's got a chicken to ride." I was heartbroken when I found out the real words. That was probably the point when I decided to write my own songs. After all, I thought my words were better.

I would watch musicals constantly. My favorites were "Oklahoma" and "The Sound Of Music." I would act like I was in the films, singing the songs word for word, dressing up like the characters and putting on plays with my sister for our family. Even though my audience wasn't very large, I thrived on performing. I was gonna be a Broadway star when I grew up.

I forgot how old I was when I witnessed a life-changing event. No, I wasn't diagnosed with a deadly illness and I didn't get any visions of the future, nothing fancy like that. I won tickets to a New Kids On The Block Concert. I was so excited! After all, I would sing and dance along to their tape everyday. (Just for your info, that was probably the last time I've ever been seen dancing.)

I know most of you are wondering why this was so "life-changing" but bare with me, and try not to barf. When I saw them live and witnessed how the music touched people, I was in awe. Who cares if I had to cover my ears the whole time so I wouldn't lose my hearing! The next day, after the concert, it ended up that the New Kids were staying at the same hotel as me. I squeezed through the crowd of girl fans (I was small. It was a wonder I didn't get killed!) I peered up to the balcony where I saw a huge man, their bodyguard. Then one of the New Kids came out. The hyperventilating started. One girl even tossed him a Jolly Rancher candy and asked if he would sign it for her. I knew at that moment that I no longer wanted to be singing show tunes. I wanted to be a pop star.

"My parents started noticing that my singing was becoming more than just a hobby."

Other parents were telling my mother to put me into voice lessons. I begged for her to look into it. Finally my mom and dad enrolled me into private voice lessons at Northern Arizona University. I was eight.

I went to a Catholic school, uniforms and all. Every Friday we had to go to Mass. I think this had a big effect on me. Every Friday I got to sing.

For the first 11 years of my life, I lived in Flagstaff, Arizona. My family and I all got sick of the snow and cold weather, so we moved to a small artsy town about an hour south. It was the best change that could have happened to me. Sedona, most known for it's natural beauty, was such an inspiring place for me to live. Unfortunately, the University that I took my music lessons at was in Flagstaff. It was time to find another option. It was perfect. Just when I started looking, I found out that a vocal teacher named Gina Bettum had just moved to Sedona from New York and was taking on new students. I started taking lessons from her and it was the best thing I've ever done. Gina has been in the music industry so she was the perfect mentor. She also started teaching me about singing from your heart with a lot of soul. All the technique I learned prior was finally put to use. She helped me find my own voice and it was as if I had finally taken my first breath.

For my 14th birthday, I asked for a guitar, and amazingly I got one! (Hey, what ever happened to that pony I asked for when I was 5?) My uncle happened to have his brothers' old guitars and he decided to let me borrow one and figure out if I even liked playing. A day later, I wrote my first song. I remember telling my parents that I had written a song. They didn't really believe me. After all, they didn't even know I could play guitar yet! They knew my love for writing poetry and making up melodies, but could I actually put the two together? The next few months I was basically living in my room playing guitar and writing songs all day long. I didn't want school to start up because I wouldn't be able to work on my music. But it did start, and I slowly became miserable.

But I guess out of every negative thing comes the positive, because it was at school that I met my best friend and fellow musician Jenifer Hagio.

So at school Jen and I would hang out, write songs and decide what kind of outfits we'd wear when we finally make it to the Grammy Awards. I found myself taking classes like chorus, music, theatre, and creative writing. Math class was the time when I would write most of my songs (one example is "Sweet Misery", I wrote it in Algebra 1.) The school year went by fast, and soon it was summer vacation. Not only did Jen and I survive our first year of high-school, but we were now known to all our peers as the musicians of Red Rock High School.

Summer meant more time to work on music and also summer festivals, fairs, art shows, and concerts to perform at. I was coming up with new songs faster than I could write them down. I started taking guitar lessons with my voice teachers' husband, Gary. I quickly became well known around my small hometown and was surprised to see the large response of fans from such wide age ranges. Record people were seeing my shows, everybody I met had "connections" for me to try out, and I was playing larger venues. I knew this is what I was set out to do.

I wanted to share my music with the world and inspire people. However, things quickly got frustrating. I learned never to expect a call back or get your hopes up from the people who you send demos too, always bring something to tie your hair back with for outdoor gigs, and no matter how good you are-14 is just too young to play at 99.9% of the venues in Arizona. People just wouldn't believe that I was any good. I decided to just keep doing what I was doing. If something was going to happen, it would. I wasn't going to try and force it.

So summer ended and my second year of high school started up. The music program at our school was going downhill and I had taken every artistic class I could. I wasn't writing any songs. All I wanted to do was stay home and play guitar. I had to answer questions in class such as "What do you want to be when you grow up?", "Preparing for college and your first job" etc. It was a joke. I had a job of playing music. I knew what I wanted to do when I "grew up" and I needed more time to focus on the things that I was doing and my career. I left the high school to be home-schooled. I was 15.

On January 2nd, 1999, I got a phone call from a family friend telling me to get down to a nearby resort and to bring a demo tape and a picture. She told me that she was giving a timeshare tour to a guy in the music business from Los Angeles. My parents weren't home so my little sister, Jen and I hopped into a golf cart and high tailed it down to the hotel. It was there I met Jeff Rabhan. I gave him my demo and photo and we spoke for a while.

A week went by . . . no phone call.
A month went by . . . no phone call.
Then two months.
I gave up.
It had happened to me before and I knew not to expect a call back and . . .
*ring*
"Hello?"
"Hi. Is Michelle Branch there?"
"This is her."

"Hi Michelle! This is Jeff Rabhan. Remember me?"

So I guess that brings you up to date at where I am now. It was an accidental meeting and a call back. Two years later, Jeff is my manager, and we just signed a contract with Maverick Recording Company. I'm in the process of recording my first major label album and I couldn't be more thrilled!

Still after all the wonderful experiences I have had, the thing that I love most is that people are inspired by my music. I've received hundreds of e-mails with wonderful comments like "When I'm having a bad day I listen to your songs and I feel better." That to me is the best reward. That's why this website was made. You, the fans, have done so much for me. So, follow your dreams, never give up, do what your heart tells you. You never know, you might get that one phone call back.

source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Michelle-Branch-Biography/9FA8973B4287749F48256AA90014CBA6

Michael Learns to Rock

FORMED: 1988, Arthus, Denmark

Michael Learns To Rock is one of Denmark's most successful bands ever. The group was formed in spring 1988, and already same year they won two music contests and met their current manager, J.P. Andersen. They also released four songs on a promo record called "Secrets". The following year they got recording contract with the Danish recording company, Medley Records and released their first single, The Actor. In 1991 their first album, Michael Learns To Rock was released. It sold about 30.000 copies in just two months and was no. 1 on the sales list for 5 weeks. In 1993 they released their 2nd album, Colours, which sold more than 1.1 million copies and became one of the best selling Danish pop-albums ever.

In 1995 Played On Pepper was released, and it became a mega-success too. The album sold about 100.000 copies in half a year, and the readers of the two Danish music magazines Mix and Vi Unge chose MLTR as Danish band of the year 1995 and That's Why as Danish single of the year. In 1996 Paint My Love - Greatest Hits was released in Asia and sold more than 2,5 millions copies. MLTR are REALLY BIG in Asia, and with their 4th album "Nothing To Lose", they are hoping to break through in Europe too. And why not? In Denmark "Nothing To Lose" sold 25.000 copies on the release day!

In 1999 they released different Greatest Hits and Remix albums around the world.

In summer 2000 bass player Søren Madsen decided to leave the band to pursuit a solo carrier. MLTR continues as a trio, bass player SP is playing Søren's part on stage. MLTR's 5th studio album Blue Night was released in November 2000. In Indonesia it sold 42.000 copies on the release day.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Michael-Learns-To-Rock-Biography/3455B58C78A08EC04825682D001C8066

Michael Jackson

Born the seventh in a family of nine children in Gary, Indiana, Jackson was launched into show business when his father, a steel-mill worker by trade, assembled a singing group called the Jackson Five with 5-year-old Michael and his four older brothers. Initially, Joseph included Michael in the lineup as a novelty, but it became immediately obvious that his wee son had prodigious musical abilities: his voice possessed a maturity belied by his young years, and his crowd-charming charisma superseded that of most seasoned entertainers. Buoyed by the young prodigy's talents, the Jackson Five moved quickly from local talent contests to a recording contract with Motown. The group generated six top-five singles between 1969 and 1971 — including "I Want You Back" and "ABC" — and would remain a hit-making machine throughout the '70s. As if the pressure of fronting a chart-topping band weren't enough for the adolescent, Jackson was soon tapped by Motown to do solo recordings.

The label was assured it had a superstar in the making, when, in 1971, Jackson's first on-his-own single, "I'll Be There," hit No. 4 on the charts. In addition to his work with his brothers, Jackson recorded more hit solo singles — including "Rockin' Robin" and "Ben" — and solo albums for Motown; in 1976, he and the Jackson Five signed with Epic. During the late '70s, Jackson made a brief foray into film, starring opposite Diana Ross in The Wiz (1978), an African-American update of The Wizard of Oz. The project was unexceptional, save for the fact that it introduced Jackson to legendary producer Quincy Jones, who arranged and conducted the film's score. Jones and Jackson collaborated on the singer's next solo project, Off the Wall (1979), an album that transformed the child star into an adult superstar.

Propelled by such No. 1 hits as "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You," the disc sold ten million copies and was barraged with critical praise for its barrier-busting blend of soul and rock and its good-time boogie vibe. (Rolling Stone's notoriously hard-to-please critic, David Marsh, proclaimed Off the Wall "a masterpiece of modern record making.") It seemed impossible that the ever-blossoming artist could top himself, but that's exactly what he did with the 1982 release of a little record he called Thriller. As history notes, the Jones-produced Thriller sold upwards of 40 million copies (more than any album before or since) and received critical kudos and an unprecedented eight Grammy awards.

The album charted a record six top-ten singles, beginning in November 1982 with the Paul McCartney duet, "The Girl Is Mine," and ending a whopping 16 months later with the title track. Jackson sustained Thriller's momentum with the help of music videos, which were gaining rominence thanks to the newborn MTV network. Jackson's brilliant song-and-dance videos for "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Thriller" not only helped pioneer the medium (and break MTV's color barrier, for that atter), but they drew praise from such esteemed hoofers as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

Jackson hit a professional zenith in the summer of 1984, when he reteamed with his brothers (then recording as the Jacksons) for the aptly titled Victory tour. Though Jackson's next albums, Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991), both topped the charts and sold millions, somehow, the excitement had ebbed. The lyrics, "It don't matter if you're black or white," struck an ironic chord, considering that the singer was obviously becoming ever more Caucasian-looking, thanks to plastic surgery and gobs of make-up. His rapidly altering appearance wasn't the only thing giving folks pause: perception of the once unimpeachable entertainer shifted from a judgment of forgivable eccentricity to one of downright weirdness as more stories of his odd habits like the fact that he kept a coffin, white mannequins, and a shrine to Elizabeth Taylor in his private quarters.

In 1993, Jackson consented to a rare interview with Oprah Winfrey. A huge prime-time audience tuned in to hear Jackson discuss his evolving appearance (which he attributed to a skin pigmentation deficiency and "only two" plastic surgery procedures), his romantic life (he named Brooke Shields as a girlfriend), and his Peter Pan-like existence at his Neverland ranch and amusement park near Los Angeles. The interview succeeded in making Jackson seem human.Jackson turned a dramatic personal corner in May 1994, when he married Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis's daughter, in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Many saw this surprise move as a blatant P.R. bid to repair a poor image; others found it touching and only fitting that modern music's most prominent families be united in holy matrimony.

Jackson subsequently released an ambitious double album of past hits and new songs called HIStory (1995). It received mixed reviews — praise for the oldies, pans for the new tracks — and sales were disappointing by Jacksonian standards, despite a publicity blitz that went way over the top. The campaign included a prime-time interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News, during which Jackson and Presley insisted that their marriage was real . All that good lovin' aside, the union lasted but a scant 18 months. However, another marriage was in the cards for Jackson. In November 1996, Jackson announced that his friend Deborah Rowe (an assistant to his dermatologist) was carrying his child. The couple denied all tabloid reports that Jackson was merely renting Rowe's womb and that she was artificially inseminated. As proof of their love, Jackson and Rowe were married in Australia not long after the pregnancy became public knowledge. Three months later, Rowe gave birth to Prince Michael Jackson Jr. Daughter Paris Mich




ael Katherine was born in the spring of 1998.

The couple announced their mutual decision to divorce in fall 1999.Jackson's 1997 album, the part-new, part-remix Blood on the Dance Floor,suggested that the King of Pop is still hung up on his '80s glory days. Four years later, Jacko was back with a new album, Invincible, and a tribute concert in Madison Square Garden, in which a range of celebrities — from Whitney Houston to a Marlon Brando — helped him celebrate 30 years as a solo entertainer.

Even Michael's brothers turned out to honor their more-famous sibling, although the event was not without its share of controversy and sibling rivalry. In the aftermath of the horrific terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Jackson announced plans to record and release an all-star "We Are the World"-like single, with the aim of raising $50 million for the survivors and families of the victims. He enlisted the likes of Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, and the Backstreet Boys for the project.

Artist(Band):Michael Jackson

Its number of michael jackson's album seling
1. off the wall is 15 million
2. thriller is over 56 million(biggest seling album ever)
3. bad is 25 million
4. dangerous is 37 million
5. histoty is 15 x 2 cd is 30 million
6. blood on the dance floor is 7 million(biggest seling remix album)
7. invincible is 10 million(michael say in reuters)

Thanks to lil_babyboy_devil@hotmail.com for submitting the biography.

source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Michael-Jackson-Biography/7809C29C75D3ACCB4825688E0023F18A

Metallica

FORMED: 1981, Los Angeles, CA

The most consistently innovative metal band of the late 80s and 90s was formed in 1981 in California, USA, by Lars Ulrich (b. 26 December 1963, Copenhagen, Denmark; drums) and James Alan Hetfield (b. 3 August 1963, USA; guitar/vocals) after each separately advertised for fellow musicians in the classified section of American publication The Recycler. They recorded their first demo, No Life Til' Leather, with Lloyd Grand (guitar), who was replaced in January 1982 by David Mustaine (b. 13 September 1961, La Mesa, California, USA), whose relationship with Ulrich and Hetfield proved unsatisfactory. Jef Warner (guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass) each had a brief tenure with the band.

At the end of 1982 Clifford Lee Burton (b. 10 February 1962, USA, d. 27 September 1986; bass, ex-Trauma) joined the band, playing his first live performance on 5 March 1983. Mustaine departed to form Megadeth and was replaced by Kirk Hammett (b. 18 November 1962, San Francisco, California, USA; guitar). Hammett, who came to the attention of Ulrich and Hetfield while playing with rock band Exodus, played his first concert with Metallica on 16 April 1983. The Ulrich, Hetfield, Burton and Hammett combination endured until disaster struck the band in the small hours of 27 September 1986, when Metallica's tour bus overturned in Sweden, killing Cliff Burton. During those four years, the band put thrash metal on the map with the aggression and exuberance of their debut, Kill 'Em All, the album sleeve of which bore the legend "Bang that head that doesn't bang".

This served as a template for a whole new breed of metal, though the originators themselves were quick to dispense with their own rule book. Touring with New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands Raven and Venom followed, while Music For Nations signed them for European distribution. Although Ride The Lightning was not without distinction, notably on "For Whom The Bell Tolls', it was 1986's Master Of Puppets that offered further evidence of Metallica"s appetite for the epic. Their first album for Elektra Records in the USA (who had also re-released its predecessor), this was a taut, multi-faceted collection that both raged and lamented with equal conviction.

After the death of Burton, the band elected to continue, the remaining three members recruiting Jason Newsted (b. 4 March 1963; bass) of Flotsam And Jetsam. Newsted played his first concert with the band on 8 November 1986. The original partnership of Ulrich and Hetfield, however, remained responsible for Metallica's lyrics and musical direction. The new line-up's first recording together was The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-Revisited - a collection of cover versions including material from Budgie, Diamond Head, Killing Joke and the Misfits, which also served as a neat summation of the band's influences to date.

Sessions for ... And Justice For All initially began with Guns 'N' Roses producer Mike Clink at the helm. A long and densely constructed effort, this 1988 opus included an appropriately singular spectacular moment in "One" (a US Top 40/UK Top 20 single), while elsewhere the barrage of riffs somewhat obscured the usual Metallica artistry. The songs on 1991's US/UK chart- topper Metallica continued to deal with large themes - justice and retribution, insanity, war, religion and relationships. Compared to Kill "Em All nearly a decade previously, however, the band had grown from iconoclastic chaos to thoughtful harmony, hallmarked by sudden and unexpected changes of mood and tempo.

The MTV -friendly "Enter Sandman" broke the band on a stadium level and entered the US Top 20. The single also reached the UK Top 10, as did another album track, "Nothing Else Matters". Constant touring in the wake of the album ensued, along with a regular itinerary of awards ceremonies. There could surely be no more deserving recipients, Metallica having dragged mainstream metal, not so much kicking and screaming as whining and complaining, into a bright new dawn when artistic redundancy seemed inevitable. Metallica was certified as having sold nine million copies in the USA by June 1996, and one month later Load entered the US charts at number 1. The album marked a change in image for the band, who began to court the alternative rock audience.

The following year's Reload collected together more tracks recorded at the Load sessions, and featured 60s icon Marianne Faithfull on the first single to be released from the album, "The Memory Remains". Garage Inc. collected assorted cover versions, and broke the band's run of US number 1 albums when it debuted at number 2 in December 1998. The following year's S&M, recorded live with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, evoked the worst excesses of heavy rock icons Deep Purple. In January 2001, Jason Newsted announced he was leaving Metallica after almost fifteen years service with the band. During spring 2001 Metallica entered the studio again, although with no bassist, and began recording the new album which they hoped would be released by christmas that year or early 2002. However, in July 2001 James Hetfield announced that he was in re-hab for alcohol and 'other' addictions. The recording of the new album was put on hold until he recovered.
Robert Trujilo is the new bass player!

Thanks to Andre Joao Ferreira for submitting the biography.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Metallica-Biography/0E308BFFDCDCDDE24825688D002128F6

Michael Buble

That, in a nutshell, sums up the extraordinary appeal of a 25 year-old Vancouver vocalist with a gift for making some of the greatest songs of all time entirely his own.

His name is Michael Bubl? (pronounced Boo-blay) and the evidence of his singular swingness is on abundant display with his irresistible new Reprise/143 Records debut album. More than a tribute to the gold standard of music's most enduring songs; more than a homage to a bygone era of songwriting and performing: the thirteen tracks of Michael Bubl? announce in no uncertain terms the arrival of a major new talent with a flair for infusing the familiar and beloved music with a fresh, original and utterly unique sensibility entirely his own.
Michael Bubl? can, indeed, swing.

It's a precocious fondness evident virtually from the cradle, when Michael first began absorbing the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Keely Smith, Sarah Vaughan and Rosemary Clooney, with a liberal sprinkling of Stevie Wonder, Elvis, Bobby Darin, Vaughan Monroe and Ol' Blue Eyes. "My grandfather was really my best friend growing up," reveals Michael. "He was the one who opened me up to a whole world of music that seemed to have been passed over by my generation. Although I like rock & roll and modern music, the first time my granddad played me the Mills Brothers something magical happened. The lyrics were so romantic, so real'the way a song should be for me. It was like seeing my future flash before me. I wanted to be a singer and I knew that this was the music that I wanted to sing."

It was, in fact, his grandfather who proved instrumental in moving Michael toward a career in music. "He asked me, as a favor to him, to learn the songs that he loved so much," Michael continues. "It was kind of a guilt trip, but he didn't have to do much convincing. I started practicing and entered a local talent contest. I won the competition, but was later disqualified for being underage. That was when my granddad, who was a skilled plumber, started offering to do free work for musicians in town in exchange for letting me perform a few numbers with them on stage." A star was born, even as leaky faucets all over Vancouver were being repaired.

By the age 17 Michael already had a wealth of experience under his belt and knew decisively where he was heading. He garnered another first prize at the Canadian Youth Talent Search, recorded and released a series of independent albums and racked up invaluable chops as part of a U.S. road company for Red Rock Diner and a musical revue aptly titled Swing.

It was former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, himself a devoted fan of classic pop, who introduced Michael to fellow countryman David Foster, the multi-Grammy winning producer, performer, and Warner Bros. Records label executive, and by the time the young singer performed "Mack The Knife" at the wedding of Mulroney's daughter, the creative chemistry between the fledgling artist and the accomplished producer was complete. Michael was duly signed to Foster's own 143 Records through Reprise and work began in the spring of 2001 on his major label debut. "We were walking a fine line in the studio," explains Michael. "The last thing we wanted to do was a tribute album or a lounge act. We wanted to treat this music with the love and respect it deserves, but the important thing was to capture a spirit and energy and that wasn't confined to any particular musical era."

While Foster, with invaluable assistance from the producer's longtime collaborator Humberto Gatica, initially focused on the singer's consummate facility with pop standards, it quickly became clear that Michael's formidable skills reached far beyond the Thirties and Forties.

"We didn't end up where we thought we were going," Michael continues. "David and Humberto brought in a very wide range of material and I really started sparking to what was being presented. We were always careful to keep within my stylistic range, but we discovered, in that range, all kinds of music made the lineup.

The result is an album that effortlessly mixes such perennials as "For Once In My Life," "Fever" and "The Way You Look Tonight," with a rousing version of Van Morrison's "Moondance," a surprisingly evocative rendition of the Lou Rawl hit "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," and a rendering of the Bee Gees classic "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," performed with the Bee Gees themselves, that takes its place among the very best version of the much-covered songs. "I think all these songs have something in common," Michael asserts. "They have a heart and a soul and the challenge of any singer is to connect with those qualities and make them real for the audience. Of course, these particular standards have been favorites of mine for as long as I can remember. But the newer material has that special something as well. It's a timeless quality."

But Michael also brings a quality entirely his own to these thirteen stellar tracks. "Michael hasn't just learned this music," concludes Foster. "He's lived it. He brings youthful energy to it, tough and tender at the same time and like nothing else I've ever heard. The great thing is, he's tapped into a repertoire that can last him fifty years. He's at the beginning of a very long career."

A half a century of swing. It just doesn't get any better than that.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Michael-Buble-Biography/9BC4F0B93FFC790248256CE6000EEBEB

Mattafix

Biography
Marlon Roudette was born in London and grew up on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent with his mother and sister after moving there with her as a young child. Preetesh Hirji was born in London of dual-Indian parentage. [1]

Mattafix released their first single "11.30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town)" as a limited edition on Buddhist Punk Records on 31 January 2005. Their first full single, "Big City Life", released by EMI on 8 August 2005 was a considerable hit, managing a number 15 peak on the UK singles chart, a big feat for a UK R&B/hip-hop group, and topped the charts in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and other European countries. Their third single, "Passer By" was released on 24 October 2005, missing the UK Top 75. The single preceded their debut album Signs of a Struggle, which was released a week later. They use the word "Babylon" quite frequently.

"After extensive touring and promotions the band are delighted to be back in the studio grafting on their next set of material. They already have a head start after writing on the road and during brief respites throughout the year."

Trivia
The group have toured with the likes of Jem and Joss Stone on their UK tours. The fourth single from their debut album, was "To & Fro", which features backing vocals from former Sugababe, Siobh?n Donaghy. It was released as a download only single on 13 March 2006.
Mattafix is noted for their thoughtful lyrics. The artists state that their album Signs of a Struggle is a reflection of the experiences and hardships they have gone through.
Signs of a Struggle was a Triple J feature album in April 2006.
"Big City Life" debuted at number 19 on the Australian Music Charts and reached number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It also appeared as an EA Trax song, on FIFA World Cup 2006.
On 1 September 2006 "Big City Life" was the winner of the 43rd Sopot International Song Festival in Poland.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattafix

Maroon 5

Sometimes Plan B can put Plan A to shame. Singer/guitarist Adam Levine, guitarist Jesse Carmichael, bass player Mickey Madden and drummer Ryan Dusick would second that emotion, seeing as how their first shot at the big time got them some rave notices, but not much else. Now, their second shot, in the form of neo-soul rock outfit Maroon 5, thanks to 2 songs, "Harder To Breathe" and "This Love", has the LA-based Maroon 5 looking like the Cinderella story for 2005.

Released as a single way back in the summer of 2002, seventeen months later "Harder To Breathe" hit #4 at top 40 radio. Over 500 live shows, including opening stints for John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Train, and Counting Crows, and now a consistent headline act in its own right, has helped to underscore a list of reasons why Maroon 5's debut CD, Songs About Jane, had already sold more than 3,000,000 records and gotten the guys on the Tonight Show twice, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly and the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. The next single, "This Love" was #1 at top 40, VH1 and MTV, simultaneously! It was also the first song ever to be certified as a platinum download.

But perhaps we're getting ahead of ourselves. What about Plan A?

Known as Kara's Flowers, Levine, Carmichael and Madden were the toast of their West LA high school (Dusick, who’d known Levine since they were nine and seven, respectively, had already graduated). Here they were, 17 years old and making a CD with legendary producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Michelle Branch). Life was grand.

This is where the good news ends. Following a disappointing run with their debut, The Fourth World, Kara's Flowers were granted their release from the label. Plan A had gone awry, leaving the quartet to consider their future. "We were like, Okay, what do we do now?" recalls Levine. "So we ran away to college to figure it out." Leaving Dusick and Madden behind to study at UCLA, Levine and Carmichael ran smack dab into Plan B in the dorms at the State University of New York.

"The halls would be blasting Gospel music and people would be listening to stuff that we’d never actually listened to, like Biggie Smalls, Missy Elliot and Jay-Z. The Aaliyah record had come out around then, and we were just blown away. When I think of songwriting, I think of The Beatles, Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, the stuff that I grew up on, but then I was like, 'I want to do this.' Stevie Wonder came into my life at that point," Levine mentions, "and I just found a knack for doing it."

"I started singing differently," he told VH1, "and Jesse started playing keyboards; that's what changed it." When the duo hooked back up with Madden and Dusick in LA they were summarily reinvigorated by adding an R&B, groove-based tint to their explosive rock & roll. With the new musical frame-of-mind came a new name, Maroon 5, and a fifth member: guitarist James Valentine. "James came along right as we were deciding on the name," says Levine. "We clearly weren't Kara's Flowers anymore, with the addition of James and an entirely new approach to music. Also, if you name a band when you're 15, by the time you're 23 you're probably not gonna like it very much."

Fortified with a new attitude, a new sound and a new name, Maroon 5 quickly attracted attention from labels. Octone Records, a new independent label based in New York (Octone is a marketing co-venture partner of J Records/RCA Music Group), signed the group, and in 2001 Maroon 5 entered the studio with producer Matt Wallace (The Replacements, Faith No More, Blues Traveler). "I was all about making a hardcore, straight-up, funk R&B record," Levine remembers. "I have to give the people at Octone credit because they were really trying to push us to do this. Matt Wallace also thought we had so much chemistry as a rock & roll band that it would be a shame to lose that element. We went back and recorded live drums over loops, and wound up making more of a rock record, which I think makes it stand out way better."

The resulting album, Songs About Jane, was released in June 2002. Funky rhythms and classic soul melodies co-habiting with searing guitars and a powerful rock bottom end. On top of it all, Levine's expressive voice belts out tale after tale of an ex-girlfriend. You can probably guess her name.

"Harder To Breathe"” a powerhouse guitar workout, is ironically not a song about Jane. "There was a lot of pressure to write," Levine offers. "I just want to make music when I feel like making music, and when I feel forced it’s kind of frustrating. Granted, I don't have much to complain about, but I thought that I was done with the album. It turned out to be for the best because it pissed me off so much I wrote 'This Love' and 'Harder To Breathe', which are the first two songs on the record."

Plan B? Who says you don't get a second chance to make a first impression?

Thanks to Jess for submitting the biography.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Maroon-5-Biography/B6F6E975B468E70A48256C7D001375AA

Marilyn Manson

Love him or hate him, the self-proclaimed "Antichrist Superstar" Marilyn Manson was indisputably among the most notorious and controversial entertainers of the 1990s.


Celebrated by supporters as a crusader for free speech and denounced by detractors as little more than a poor man's Alice Cooper, Manson was the latest in a long line of shock rockers, rising to the top of the charts on a platform of sex, drugs and Satanism. Though widely dismissed by critics, his brand of metal nevertheless struck a major chord with the youth market -- on the strength of a masterfully orchestrated marketing campaign, he became a mainstream anti-hero, much to the chagrin of conservative politicians and concerned parents. Manson was born Brian Warner in Canton, Ohio; at the age of 18, he relocated to Tampa Bay, Florida, working there as a music journalist. In 1989, he became friends with guitarist and fellow outsider Scott Mitchell; they decided to form a band, with Mitchell rechristening himself Daisy Berkowitz and Warner adopting the name Marilyn Manson.


With the addition of bassist Gidget Gein and keyboardist Madonna Wayne-Gacy, the group -- originally dubbed Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids -- begin self-releasing cassettes and playing gigs, their Gothic stage show notable for Manson's elaborate make-up and homemade special effects. Jettisoning their drum machine in favor of one Sara Lee Lucas, the band's sound began taking on a harder edge, and by 1992 they were among the most popular acts in the South Florida area. In 1993, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor came calling, offering both a contract with his Nothing Records label as well as the chance to open for NIN the following spring; Manson accepted both offers, and the group's debut LP, Portrait of an American Family, appeared during the summer of 1994. With new bassist Twiggy Ramirez replacing Gein, the group's notoriety began to soar -- most infamously, during an appearance in Salt Lake City, Manson ripped apart a copy of the Book of Mormon while on-stage. The Church of Satan's founder Anton LaVey also bestowed upon him the title of "Reverend."


While some onlookers dismissed Manson's behavior as crass audience manipulation, his cult following -- comprised almost entirely of disaffected white suburban teens -- continued to swell, and with the release of the 1995's Smells Like Children EP the band broke into the mainstream, propelled by their hit cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Berkowitz quit a short time later, and was replaced by guitarist Zim Zum; their next LP, 1996's Antichrist Superstar, debuted at the number three spot on the pop album charts. As Manson's popularity grew, so did the furor surrounding him -- his concerts were regularly picketed by civic groups, and his music was the subject of widespread attacks from the right-wing and religious fronts. Again, however, his quick embrace of the media spotlight called into question the true sincerity of his revolutionary aims -- with a cover story in Rolling Stone and a best-selling autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, some onlookers doubted whether Manson had sold his soul to Satan, or just sold his soul, period. The glam-inspired Mechanical Animals followed in 1998, with the resulting tour yielding the live Last Tour on Earth a year later.

Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) came out at the end of 2000. The band toured to support the album in 2001 and during a July show in Michigan, Manson was charged with criminal sexual conduct after performing an alleged offensive act on a security guard. December saw Manson's version of "Tainted Love" appear on the Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack while another security guard filed a civil suit alleging Manson had rubbed his pelvis on the guard's head. The July 2001 sexual conduct charges were lowered to a misdemeanor in January of 2002 and the civil suit was dropped soon after. May of 2003 saw the release of The Golden Age of Grotesque, which spent a week on top of the album charts and ended up on more than a few critics' year-end Top Ten lists. In April of 2004 the album Lunch Boxes and Choklit Cows appeared, credited to Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids -- Spooky Kids being the name of Manson's earliest band. Manson fought the release and court-ordered some artwork removed that was too close to the art to which the singer owned the copyright. At the end of September the Lest We Forget collection was released, covering the highlights of Manson's career and including a new cover version of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus."

After his marriage with model Dita Von Teese went downhill, Von Teese effectively left Marilyn and moved out of his house. Manson sunk into a bit of depression, and was subject to "the classic rock and roll scenario of people robbing me behind my back", as Manson himself put it. Marilyn left his studio environment and got a fully-furnished studio home, where he could literally "write a song, walk down two doors and record it." Commenting on the new creative environment, Manson feels "liberated." Marilyn plans on releasing a new album, "Eat Me, Drink Me" and has released a song from it titled "If I Was Your Vampire". Marilyn's full intention thru-out the album is to seduce someone, but he hasn't mentioned who. Marilyn and his band will be performing a World Tour upon the release of the new album.

Thanks to prettyboyalex@gmail.com for submitting the biography.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Marilyn-Manson-Biography/4D1162AD96F388D0482568C100037616

Mariah Carey

The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who moved easily from glossy ballads to hip-hop-inspired dance-pop, she earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion , but did them both one better by composing all of her own material. Born in Long Island, NY, on March 27, 1970, Carey moved to New York City at the age of 17 -- just one day after graduating high school -- to pursue a music career; there she befriended keyboardist Ben Margulies , with whom she began writing songs. Her big break came as a backing vocalist on a studio session with dance-pop singer Brenda K. Starr , who handed Carey 's demo tape to Columbia Records head Tommy Mottola at a party. According to legend, Mottola listened to the tape in his limo while driving home that same evening, and was so immediately struck by Carey 's talent that he doubled back to the party to track her down.

After signing to Columbia, Carey entered the studio to begin work on her 1990 self-titled debut LP; the heavily promoted album was achart-topping smash, launching no less than four number one singles:"Vision of Love,""Love Takes Time,""Someday,"and"I Don't Wanna Cry."Her overnight success earned Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist, and expectations were high for Carey 's follow-up, 1991's Emotions . The album did not disappoint, as the title track reached number one -- a record fifth consecutive chart-topper -- while both"Can't Let Go"and"Make It Happen"landed in the Top Five. Carey 's next release was 1992's MTV Unplugged EP, which generated a number-one cover of the Jackson 5 's"I'll Be There"; featured on the track was backup singer Trey Lorenz , whose appearance immediately helped him land a recording contract of his own.

In June 1993, Carey wed Mottola -- some two decades her senior -- in a headline-grabbing ceremony; months later she released her third full-length effort, Music Box , her best-selling record to date. Two more singles,"Dreamlover"and"Hero,"reached the top spot on the charts. Carey 's first tour followed and was widely panned by critics; undaunted, she resurfaced in 1994 with a holiday release titled Merry Christmas , scoring a seasonal smash with"All I Want for Christmas Is You."1995's Daydream reflected a new artistic maturity; the first single,"Fantasy,"debuted at number one, making Carey the first female artist and just the second performer ever to accomplish the feat. The follow-up,"One Sweet Day"-- a collaboration with Boyz II Men -- repeated the trick, and remained lodged at the top of the charts for a record 16 weeks.

After separating from Mottola , Carey returned in 1997 with Butterfly , another staggering success and her most hip-hop-flavored recording to date. #1's -- a collection featuring her 13 previous chart-topping singles as well as"The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe),"a duet with Whitney Houston effectively pairing the two most successful female recording artists in pop history -- followed late the next year. With"Heartbreaker,"the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow , Carey became the first artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s; the record also pushed her ahead of the Beatles as the artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop the Hot 100 singles chart.

However, the 2000s weren't as kind to Carey . After signing an 80 million dollar deal with Virgin -- the biggest record contract ever -- in 2001 she experienced a very public personal and professional meltdown that included rambling, suicidal messages on her website; an appearance on TRL where, clad only in a T-shirt, she handed out Popsicles to the audience; and last but not least, the stupendously awful movie Glitter and its attendant soundtrack (which was also her Virgin Records debut). Both the film and the album did poorly critically as well as commercially, with Glitter making just under 4 million dollars in its total U.S. gross and the soundtrack struggling to make gold sales. Following these failures, Virgin and Carey parted ways early in 2002, with the label paying her 28 million dollars. That spring, she found a new home with Island/Def Jam, where she set up her own label, MonarC Music. In December, she released her ninth album, Charmbracelet , which failed to become a success. Although she took nearly three years for a follow-up, Carey found a hit with 2005's The Emancipation of Mimi, her most successful record in years.

Thanks to Nanev for submitting the biography.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Mariah-Carey-Biography/2C847B9B8217C8C1482568620011BE52

Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers returned as a three piece in 1996. The single, 'A Design For Life' hailed the (ever-decreasing) capabilities of the British welfare system, with its opening line, "libraries gave us power ". A tremendous ballad awarded an Ivor Novello songwriting award, it reached No.2 in the UK charts in April 1996. Their fourth album, 'Everything Must Go' captured and revealed the turmoil of the band's recent history and won them increasingly wider appeal (and their first two Brit Awards for Best Album and Best Band).

The fifth Manics album, 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours', took its title from the Welsh social revolutionary Aneurin Bevan, the architect of the welfare state. Its references included the Spanish civil war ('If you Tolerate This...'), the Hillsborough football disaster of 1989 (S.Y.M.M.) and the crash-and-burn nature of Welsh artists such as Richard Burton and Dylan Thomas ('Ready For Drowning'). Again, no ordinary record.

Leaving the 20th century, the most rock'n'roll place to be on the entire planet was Cardiff's Millennium Stadium... Manic Street Preachers then kicked off the 21st century by storming past the boy/girl-bands to the top of the charts with the single Masses Against The Classes - fuelled by no promotion, no video. Having set the tone of the current rock-friendly times, they promptly slipped out of the public eye, until now, that is. And it has been truly worth the wait...

Self-belief has always been a key element in the band's style: at the start of the 90s Manic Street Preachers had rattled the media by revealing their elaborate plans. They wanted to sound and to look more spectacular than any of their peers. They predicted huge sales and dramatic scenes. They aimed to engage both the heart and the intellect. The Manics aspired to equal the very best elements of their passionately maintained record collections. Many scoffed and predicted a sorry end, but Manic Street Preachers have since realised most of their grand ideas. While other acts have proceeded to sleepwalk through their careers, the Manics are ever-alert, consistently fierce, always thinking.

Manic Street Preachers burst onto a baggy-obsessed scene in 1989 with their debut single 'Suicide Alley'. They nourished themselves on the polemic of Public Enemy and the rock'n'roll excess of Guns 'N Roses, laced with the darker tones of Brit acts such as the Smiths and Joy Division. After a series of low key releases including Motown Junk' and 'You Love Us' they signed to Columbia and released a double album, 'Generation Terrorists'. The subsequent LPs, 'Gold Against The Soul' and 'The Holy Bible' were increasingly bleak and unflinching, especially the latter. In February 1995, the band's guitarist, Richey James went missing on the eve of an American tour.

Shortly before the album's release the Manics were the subject of a BBC TV documentary. The 'Close Up' presentation gave an illuminating insight into their past. The cameras travelled to the former mining town of Blackwood, in South Wales. It traced the fabric of the band, who were old childhood friends (singer/guitarist James Dean Bradfield and drummer Sean Moore are cousins), measuring their music against a backdrop of their formative years: the mid-'80s miners' strike, the politicisation of the region and the subsequent disenchantment when the strike was broken.

Manic Street Preachers featured strongly across the board in end-of 98 polls, heading many categories. Q magazine readers hailed them "Best Act In The World Today". A sold out arena tour in December '98 culminated in three rousing, pre-Christmas celebrations at the Cardiff Arena. In January, nominations for three Brit Awards (Best British Group, Best Album By A British Artist and Best Single By A British Artist)

In early 1999 Manic Street Preachers toured Australia, Japan and Europe, their stature has become truly international. They returned briefly to appear live at the 1999 Brit Awards and achieved a "double Double";- winning Best British Album for "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" and Best British Group, reprising their 1997 successes exactly and becoming the first band to win these most prestigious awards on consecutive albums.

Summer '99 continued with explosive, controversial appearances at European Festivals (including the headlining slots at Glastonbury, T In The Park and V99) and the band's first US dates for three years. True to MSP history, these provided a mixture of chaos, controversy and column inches...

By the end of 1999, Manic Street Preachers looked back on the most remarkable year in their career to date. The Manics had spent ten years provoking inspiration, love, hate, devotion, creating rock mythology and making history. Who else but the millennium band could take over the Millennium Stadium on the eve of the New Millennium? The video, "Leaving The 20th Century" (released March 2000), captured the glamour and the glory of the night.

The Manics are the people's band. This most legendary of the UK's contemporary rock acts, have more than once been called a national treasure. They return in Spring 2001 with a new album, single and tour. Despite their "year off", the UK media has continued to hang off their every word and eager speculation about the band's new material has generated continuous attention. Manic Street Preachers began their careers by verbalising their brilliance, and have long since surpassed the hype. More greatness arrives in March...

Manic Street Preachers first live airing of new material will be at the Karl Marx Theatre, Havana on February 17th followed by new releases in March 2001. They play their first UK dates since December 31st 1999 in March and April.

source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/SingerUnid/FADE8B3E0A5943B048256A48002B8557

Madonna

Madonna moved from her native Michigan to New York in 1977, with dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. She studied with choreographer Alvin Ailey and modeled. In 1979, she became part of the Patrick Hernandez Revue , a disco outfit that had the hit"Born to Be Alive."She traveled to Paris with Hernandez ; it was there that she met Dan Gilroy, who would soon become her boyfriend. Upon returning to New York, the pair formed the Breakfast Club , a pop/dance group. Madonna originally played drums for the band, but she soon became the lead singer. In 1980, she left the band and formed Emmy with her former boyfriend, drummer Stephen Bray . Soon, Bray and Madonna broke off from the group and began working on some dance/disco-oriented tracks. A demo tape of these tracks worked its way to Mark Kamins , a New York-based DJ/producer. Kamins directed the tape to Sire Records, who signed the singer during 1982.

Kamins produced Madonna 's first single,"Everybody,"which became a club and dance hit at the end of 1982; her second single, 1983's"Physical Attraction,"was another club hit. In June of 1983, she had her third club hit with the bubbly"Holiday,"which was written by Jellybean Benitez . Madonna 's self-titled debut album was released in September of 1983;"Holiday"became her first Top 40 hit the following month."Borderline"became her first Top Ten hit in March of 1984, beginning a remarkable string of 17 consecutive Top Ten hits. While"Lucky Star"was climbing to number four, Madonna began working on her first starring role in a feature film, Susan Seidelman 's Desperately Seeking Susan.

Madonna 's second album, the Niles Rodgers -produced Like a Virgin , was released at the end of 1984. The title track hit number one in December, staying at the top of the charts for six weeks; it was the start of a whirlwind year for the singer. During 1985, Madonna became an international celebrity, selling millions of records on the strength of her stylish, sexy videos, and forceful personality. After"Material Girl"became a number two hit in March, Madonna began her first tour, supported by the Beastie Boys ."Crazy for You"became her second number one single in May. Desperately Seeking Susan was released in July, becoming a box-office hit; it also prompted a planned video release of A Certain Sacrifice, a low-budget erotic drama she filmed in 1979. A Certain Sacrifice wasn't the only embarrassing skeleton in the closet dragged into the light during the summer of 1985 -- both Playboy and Penthouse published nude photos of Madonna that she posed for in 1977. Nevertheless, her popularity continued unabated, with thousands of teenage girls adopting her sexy appearance, being dubbed" Madonna Wannabes."In August, she married actor Sean Penn; the couple had a rocky marriage that ended in 1989.

Madonna began collaborating with Patrick Leonard at the beginning of 1986; Leonard would co-write most of her biggest hits in the'80s, including"Live to Tell,"which hit number one in June of 1986. A more ambitious and accomplished record than her two previous albums, True Blue was released the following month, to both more massive commercial success (it was a number one in both the U.S. and the U.K., selling over five million copies in America alone) and critical acclaim."Papa Don't Preach"became her fourth number one hit in the U.S. While her musical career was thriving, her film career took a savage hit with the November release of Shanghai Surprise. Starring Madonna and Sean Penn, the comedy received terrible reviews, which translated into disastrous box-office returns.

At the beginning of 1987, she had her fifth number one single with"Open Your Heart,"the third number one from True Blue alone. The title cut from the soundtrack of her third feature film, Who's That Girl?, was another chart-topping hit, although the film itself was another box-office bomb. 1988 was a relatively quiet year for Madonna , as she spent the first half of the year acting in David Mamet's Speed the Plow on Broadway. In the meantime, she released the remix album You CanDance . After withdrawing the divorce papers she filed at the beginning of 1988, she divorced Penn at the beginning of 1989.

Like a Prayer , released in the spring of 1989, was her most ambitious and far-reaching album, incorporating elements of pop, rock, and dance. It was another number one hit and launched the number-one title track, and"Express Yourself,""Cherish,"and"Keep It Together,"three more Top Ten hits. In April 1990, she began her massive Blonde Ambition tour, which ran throughout the entire year."Vogue"became a number one hit in May, setting the stage for her co-starring role in Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy; it was her most successful film appearance since Desperately Seeking Susan. Madonna released a greatest-hits album, The Immaculate Collection , at the end of the year. It featured two new songs, including the number one single"Justify My Love,"which sparked another controversy with its sexy video; the second new song,"Rescue Me,"became the highest-debuting single by a female artist in U.S. chart history, entering the charts at number 15. Truth or Dare , a documentary of the Blonde Ambition tour, was released to positive reviews and strong ticket sales during the spring of 1991.

Madonna returned to the charts in the summer of 1992 with the number one"This Used to Be My Playground,"a single featured in the film A League of Their Own, which featured the singer in a small part. Later that year, Madonna released Sex, an expensive, steel-bound soft-core pornographic book that featured hundreds of erotic photographs of herself, several models, and other celebrities -- including Isabella Rossellini, Big Daddy Kane , Naomi Campbell, and Vanilla Ice -- as well as selected prose. Sex received scathing reviews and enormous negative publicity, yet that didn't stop the accompanying album, Erotica , from selling over two million copies. Bedtime Stories , released two years later, was a more subdued affair than Erotica . Initially, it didn't chart as impressively, prompting some critics to label her a has-been, yet the album spawned her biggest hit,"Take a Bow,"which spent seven weeks at number one. It also featured the Bj?rk-penned"Bedtime Stories,"which became her first single not to make the Top 40; its follow-up,"Human Nature,"also failed to crack the Top 40. Nevertheless, Bedtime Stories , marked her seventh album to go multi-platinum.

Beginning in 1995, Madonna began one of her most subtle image makeovers as she lobbied for the title role in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita. Backing away from the overt sexuality of Erotica and Bedtime Stories , Madonna recast herself as an upscale sophisticate, and the compilation Something to Remember fit into the plan nicely. Released in the fall of 1995, around the same time she won the coveted role of Evita Peron, the album was comprised entirely of ballads, designed to appeal to the mature audience that would also be the target of Evita. As the filming completed, Madonna announced she was pregnant and her daughter, Lourdes, was born late in 1996, just as Evita was scheduled for release. The movie was greeted with generally positive reviews and Madonna began a campaign for an Oscar nomination that resulted in her winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress (Musical or Comedy), but not the coveted Academy Award nomination. The soundtrack for Evita, however, was a modest hit, with a dance remix of"Don't Cry for Me Argentina"and the newly written"You Must Love Me"both becoming hits.

During 1997, she worked with producer William Orbit on her first album of new material since 1994's Bedtime Stories . The resulting record, Ray of Light , was heavily influenced by electronica, techno, and trip-hop, thereby updating her classic dance-pop sound for the late'90s. Ray of Light received uniformly excellent reviews upon its March 1998 release and debuted at number two on the charts. Within a month, the record was shaping up to be her biggest album since Like a Prayer . Two years later she returned with Music , which reunited her with Orbit and also featured production work from Mark"Spike"Stent and Mirwais , a French electro-pop producer/musician in the vein of Daft Punk and Air .

The year 2000 also saw the birth of Madonna 's second child, Rocco, who she had with filmmaker Guy Ritchie; the two married at the very end of the year. With Ritchie as director and Madonna as star, the pair released a remake of the film Swept Away in 2002. It tanked at the box office, failing to crack seven digits, making it one of the least profitable films of the year. Her sober 2003 album, American Life, fared a little better but was hardly a huge success. That same year she released a successful children's book, The English Roses, which was followed by four more over the coming years. The album Confessions on a Dance Floor from 2005 was her return to music and to the dance-oriented material that had made her a star

Thanks to bruna bru_juju@hotmail.com for submitting the biography.
source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Madonna-Biography/4045FE25F35C64A74825688C000724D6

M2M

Marit E. Larsen and Marion E. Raven listen intentlt through their headphones as the playback of a just-completed vocal track rolls on the mixing board. Happily ensconced at the famed Atlantic Studios in New York City, the Norwegian teen duo are in their element as they complete work on their forthcoming Atlantic Records debut.

Marit and Marion have already spent a long winter-into-spring turning musical dreams into recorded reality with such producers as Matt Rowe (Spice Girls) and Max Martin (Robyn, BSB).

Songwriters and performers from their earliest years, Marit (16) and Marion (15) are operating in high gear as tehy put the final touches on a host of upbeat tracks that span a field of contemporary musics. "Sometimes the songs are in a pop rock style, some are pop-R&B, and some are just pop-pop," explains Marit.

Along with its Larsen/Raven numbers, other album tracks are the fruit of collaborative work with such trophied talents as Carole Bayer Sager, Phil Galdston (Celine Dion, Vanessa Williams), and Matt Rowe. The album also thrives under the girls' instrumental performances - Marion on piano and Marit on guitar.

"It's important to us for people to see that we sing, we play, and that this is what we like to do," says Marion, who took up piano at 8-years-old.

"Some people think we're too young to write songs," adds Marit. "I can understand. But that's good, too, because it makes us all the more excited to prove ourselves."

During downtime, the girls have enthusiastically discovered the Big Apple's many thrills, among them Urban Outfitters, ice skating in Central Park, the buzz of the city's always-bustling streets..."and cute boys," adds Marit with a laugh. "Yeah, a lot of cute boys," chimes Marion in agreement.

At such moments - while cracking up some shared joke or observation - the chemistry and depth of understanding between the two is readily evident. Inseperable? Definitely.

"We travel together constantly so when we're at home we try to spend more time with our own families," says Marion. "Still, we call each other all the time. Some of my other friends say it's gotten to the point where i even talk like Marit."

"I would never have done this album alone," says Marit. "I couldn't have handled it. We're experiencing so many new things so it's cool to have someone who is right there with you to talk to. It's really great to be two."

Marit and Marion had their fortuitous first meeting back in 1990. when Marion was just 5-years-old. Living just a few houses apart in their hometown of Lorenskog, just outside Oslo, the girls soon discovered a common love for music.

"We were singing all the time so we got this band together with kids at school," says Marit. "We called the band Hubba Bubba, after our favorite gum."

Before long, what began with imprompt performances for family and friend turned into their shared appearances in professional musical theater productions of, among others, The Sound Of Music, Annie, and The Wizard of Oz. They also made a series of early theme park appearances, performing in a pop revue while flanked by a team of even younger dancers. The pair made their official recorded debut with a Norwegian language childrens' album, released before either had hit their teens. "We did kid songs, but they were cool - really funky stuff," says Marion. "Not the same boring old thing."

The pair had already racked up numerous studio hours providing backing vocal parts to a vast array of Norwegian recording artists, but the album did give them an exciting sample of what it felt like to create something of their own.

The popular reception to the album, coupled with numerous television appearances, led to a "Best Childrens' Album" nomination for the Spillemanspriset, the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy Award.

As much as they grew from experience, the idea of recording another childrens-oriented album didn't hold the appeal of doing something more reflective of their true musical passion.

source:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/M2M-Biography/EBE767623FC9F0A7482568C60006D2AD