The best-selling female artist of all time – whose eighteen #1 singles rival all but The Beatles – Mariah Carey has made an indelible impact on the global music industry and audiences everywhere. Blessed with a stunning five-octave range and signature vocal abilities, the singularly talented superstar continues to reach new heights of artistic growth and popularity. As a singer and songwriter, she has been recognized with five Grammy Awards, nine American Music Awards, Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” Award and the World Music Award for “World’s Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium,” to name a few.
Mariah Carey was named after “They Call the Wind Mariah,” a song from the popular Lerner and Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon. She began singing at the age of four, inspired by a mother with whom Carey shared both talent and a love of music. Thanks to her extraordinary and innate talent her skills quickly progressed, later honing her songwriting skills in high school. Upon graduation Carey headed straight to New York to pursue a musical career; her vocals were immediately in demand. The big break came while singing backup for Brenda K. Starr, who passed along her demo tape to then-Sony Music Entertainment Chief Tommy Mottola. Soon after, Mottola signed Carey to her first recording contract with Columbia Records.
Mariah Carey exploded upon the scene with the debut of her self-titled album. Combining angelic allure and a vocal intensity never heard before, Mariah Carey (1990) was an immense hit, spawning an extraordinary four #1 singles. Carey continued her early success with a series of singles from her subsequent Emotions (1991) and MTV Unplugged (1992) albums that would secure place her at the top of the charts.
With the release of Music Box (1993), Mariah Carey produced her most commercially successful album to date, selling an astounding 30 million units. Next was the release of Daydream (1995), with its hit single “Fantasy” debuting at #1, making Mariah Carey the second artist in history and the first female performer to accomplish that feat. She followed with the hip-hop and R&B-infused Butterfly (1997), which introduced a new chapter in her career, teaming her with the hottest names in the music business including Sean Combs and Missy Elliott.
Rainbow (1999) followed with startling success. The album’s first single, “Heartbreaker,” led Carey to become “the first artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s.” Consequently, the record also pushed her ahead of The Beatles as the artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop the Hot 100 singles chart, as affirmed by AllMusic.com. Mariah Carey subsequently sparked the interest of Universal Music Group’s Island Def Jam Records, which signed her to an exclusive recording contract in May 2002. Later that year, she made her label debut with the release of the multi-platinum Charmbracelet.
Evoking a nickname used by those closest to her, The Emancipation of Mimi marked Mariah Carey’s tenth studio album with its release in April of 2005. The album is a frank portrayal of both the challenges and successes experienced throughout her rise to fame. Entirely written and co-produced by Carey and executive produced by Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio “LA” Reid, the album earned three Grammys from eight nominations across multiple categories, following a string of wins at the Vibe Awards, the American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards.
In the thirteen songs on her spellbinding album, Memoires of an imperfect Angel, released in 2009, Mariah Carey explores those aspects of our shared humanity with a rare depth, honesty and open-heartedness: it’s one of the strongest statements in her long, distinguished career. With just one exception, Carey wrote and produced the entire album in collaboration with The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. Sinuous grooves and instantly memorable melodies flow from track to track, while the wit and intimacy of the lyrics create the feel of one friend talking to another. As well-defined as each song is, Memoirs plays with the beauty and consistency of a classic, start-to-finish album.
Apart from her musical achievements, Mariah Carey has generously donated her time and energy to a range of philanthropic causes near to her heart, including Save the Music and The Make-A-Wish Foundation. A tremendous supporter of children’s charities, both domestic and international, Mariah Carey, in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund founded Camp Mariah, a retreat for inner city children to explore career development. Mariah Carey’s impact transcends the music industry to leave an indelible imprint upon the world at large.
