1.
Lisa Lopez
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Lisa Lopez is a Tejano music singer who had a United States Billboard Regional Mexican Airplay number one single with Si Quieres Verme Llorar. Lopezs core audience was targeted towards Mexicans, and became the first female Tejano singer to appear on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in October 1986, historically, female musicians were commercially less successful than male performers. Lopez is the niece of Isidro Lopez and was similar to Lydia Mendoza. She signed a contract with Sony Discos in the early 1990s. Lopez won the first Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year, Tejano Proud, Tex-Mex Music in the Twentieth Century
2.
Philadelphia
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In 1682, William Penn, an English Quaker, founded the city to serve as capital of the Pennsylvania Colony. Philadelphia was one of the capitals in the Revolutionary War. In the 19th century, Philadelphia became an industrial center. It became a destination for African-Americans in the Great Migration. The areas many universities and colleges make Philadelphia a top international study destination, as the city has evolved into an educational, with a gross domestic product of $388 billion, Philadelphia ranks ninth among world cities and fourth in the nation. Philadelphia is the center of activity in Pennsylvania and is home to seven Fortune 1000 companies. The Philadelphia skyline is growing, with a market of almost 81,900 commercial properties in 2016 including several prominent skyscrapers. The city is known for its arts, culture, and rich history, Philadelphia has more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city. Fairmount Park, when combined with the adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the watershed, is one of the largest contiguous urban park areas in the United States. The 67 National Historic Landmarks in the city helped account for the $10 billion generated by tourism, Philadelphia is the only World Heritage City in the United States. Before Europeans arrived, the Philadelphia area was home to the Lenape Indians in the village of Shackamaxon, the Lenape are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government. They are also called Delaware Indians and their territory was along the Delaware River watershed, western Long Island. Most Lenape were pushed out of their Delaware homeland during the 18th century by expanding European colonies, Lenape communities were weakened by newly introduced diseases, mainly smallpox, and violent conflict with Europeans. Iroquois people occasionally fought the Lenape, surviving Lenape moved west into the upper Ohio River basin. The American Revolutionary War and United States independence pushed them further west, in the 1860s, the United States government sent most Lenape remaining in the eastern United States to the Indian Territory under the Indian removal policy. In the 21st century, most Lenape now reside in the US state of Oklahoma, with communities living also in Wisconsin, Ontario. The Dutch considered the entire Delaware River valley to be part of their New Netherland colony, in 1638, Swedish settlers led by renegade Dutch established the colony of New Sweden at Fort Christina and quickly spread out in the valley. In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their defeat of the English colony of Maryland
3.
La Ceiba
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La Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the edge of the Caribbean, forming part of the south eastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras. With an estimated population of over 200,000 living in approximately 170 residential areas, it is the third largest city in the country, La Ceiba was officially founded on 23 August 1877. The city was named after a giant ceiba tree which grew near the old dock, the dock itself finally fell into the sea in late 2007. The city has been proclaimed the Eco-Tourism Capital of Honduras as well as the Entertainment Capital of Honduras. Every year, on the third or fourth Saturday of May, during this time, the city is host to approximately 500,000 tourists. In 1872 Manuel Hernandez built a small shack under the Ceiba tree that was at one point by the old docks, over time, more and more people from all over present-day Honduras, and from around the world settled in La Ceiba. These people were attracted by the cultivation of bananas that became popular in the region, in the late 19th century, the banana business caught the attention of big North American banana companies such as the Vaccaro Brothers Standard Fruit Company from New Orleans. This new economic activity attracted national and international immigrants to La Ceiba, the current neighbourhood known as Barrio Ingles was the first recognised neighbourhood in the city and was named so because of the number of English speaking people living in the barrio. At that point the main thorougfare of La Ceiba was present-day Avenida La Republica and these train tracks were built by the Standard Fruit Company. This company was responsible for the early growth of the city. La Ceiba was declared a municipality on 23 August 1877, at that time Marco Aurelio Soto was the Honduras President. La Ceiba was the centre of banana and pineapple business and the economy depended largely on it. This led to the birth of newer and larger companies such as, Cerveceria Hondureña. Founded in 1918 Fabrica de Manteca y Jabon Atlantida, known as La Blanquita, at one point, the largest producer of consumer goods in Honduras, now defunct. Banco Atlantida, oldest Bank in the country, founded in 1913 Mazapan School, the first bilingual school of the nation, the first municipal building or city hall was located in the corner of 2da Calle and Avenida Atlantida, where the present day Ferreteria Kawas warehouse is. The building was made of wood and in 1903 it was burnt down due to vandalism from people wanting to get rid of private property ownership records in La Ceiba, the municipal building was again set on fire on 7 March 1914. The Municipal Corporation moved the more south of the city where it was again set on fire in 1924
4.
Honduras
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Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a republic in Central America. It has at times referred to as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras. Honduras was home to several important Mesoamerican cultures, most notably the Maya, the Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism and the now predominant Spanish language, along with numerous customs that have blended with the indigenous culture. Honduras has the worlds highest murder rate, Honduras spans about 112,492 km2 and has a population exceeding 8 million. Its northern portions are part of the Western Caribbean Zone, as reflected in the areas demographics and culture. Honduras is known for its natural resources, including minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, and sugar cane, as well as for its growing textiles industry. Honduras literally means depths in Spanish, the name could either refer to the bay of Trujillo as an anchorage, fondura in the Leonese dialect of Spanish, or to Columbuss alleged quote that Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas Honduras. It was not until the end of the 16th century that Honduras was used for the whole province, prior to 1580, Honduras only referred to the eastern part of the province, and Higueras referred to the western part. Another early name is Guaymuras, revived as the name for the dialogue in 2009 that took place in Honduras as opposed to Costa Rica. In pre-Columbian times, modern Honduras was part of the Mesoamerican cultural area, in the west, the Maya civilization flourished for hundreds of years. The dominant state within Hondurass borders was in Copán, Copán fell with the other Lowland centres during the conflagrations of the Terminal Classic in the 9th century. The Maya of this civilization survive in western Honduras as the Chorti, remains of other Pre-Columbian cultures are found throughout the country. On 30 July 1502 Columbus sent his brother Bartholomew to explore the islands and Bartholomew encountered a Mayan trading vessel from Yucatán, carrying well-dressed Maya and a rich cargo. Bartholomews men stole whatever cargo they wanted and kidnapped the elderly captain to serve as an interpreter in what was the first recorded encounter between the Spanish and the Maya. In March 1524, Gil González Dávila became the first Spaniard to enter Honduras as a conquistador, followed by Hernán Cortés, bringing forces down from Mexico. Much of the conquest was done in the two decades, first by groups loyal to Cristóbal de Olid, and then by those loyal of Francisco Montejo. In addition to Spanish resources, the conquerors relied heavily on armed forces from Mexico—Tlaxcalans, resistance to conquest was led in particular by Lempira, and many regions in the north never fell to the Spanish, notably the Miskito Kingdom. After the Spanish conquest, Honduras became part of Spains vast empire in the New World within the Kingdom of Guatemala, Trujillo and Gracias were the first city-capitals
5.
Lithonia, Georgia
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Lithonia is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The citys population was 1,924 at the 2010 census, Lithonia is in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Lithonia is in the heart of the Georgian granite-quarrying and viewing region, hence the name of the town, from the Greek λίθος lithos, the huge nearby granite dome, Stone Mountain, is composed largely of a rock called Lithonia gneiss, a form of granite. The area has a history of rock quarries, the mines were served by the Georgia Railroad and Atlanta, Stone Mountain & Lithonia Railway. Some of the quarries have been converted to parkland and the railines to rail-trail. Lithonia is one of the gateways to the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Lithonia is located in southeastern DeKalb County at 33°42′46″N 84°6′21″W. Interstate 20 passes just south of the community, with access from Exits 74 and 75, Lithonia is 18 miles east of the center of Atlanta. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 0.89 square miles. Lithonia began as a small settlement of farmers. The town grew with the coming of the Atlanta Augusta Railroad in 1845, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a megachurch which is known for many high-profile funerals, is located near Lithonia. First Baptist Church of Lithonia 1844 The Lithonia Historic District consists of a core surrounded by residential areas. Stylistic influences in the district include Second Empire, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, Neoclassical Revival, English Vernacular Revival, Craftsman, the district is bisected by the Georgia/CSX Railroad, which runs perpendicular to the historic commercial cores primary thoroughfare, Main Street. The commercial area south from the intersection of Main Street. The commercial buildings are brick and local granite masonry, with little decorative detailing. Commercial styles include single retail, multiple retail, and retail, within the historic district, there is some non-historic infill construction such as the 1968 Lithonia Plaza shopping center. The residential areas consist architecture typical of late 19th to mid 20th century types and styles, residential neighborhoods also feature locally quarried granite and gneiss. House types and styles include the central hall Georgian cottage, gabled-wing cottage, Queen Anne cottage, New South cottage, pyramid cottage, bungalow, Ranch house, I-House and Queen Anne house. Contributing sites in the district include two cemeteries, two parks, the former Georgia Railroad Quarry, and the ruins of the Bruce Street School for African-Americans
6.
Philadelphia High School for Girls
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The Philadelphia High School for Girls, also known as Girls High, is a public university-preparatory magnet high school for girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As its name suggests, the enrollment is all female. Established in 1848, it was one of the first public schools for women and it is a magnet school in the School District of Philadelphia with a competitive admissions process. Vincit qui se vincit is the school’s motto, the school is located at Broad Street and Olney Avenue in the Olney section of Philadelphia. In 1848, The Girls Normal School was established as the first secondary school for women in Pennsylvania. It was also the first municipally supported teachers school in the U. S, the first instructional session was held on February 1,1848. By June 1848, there were 149 enrolled students which was a large enrollment for a school at that time. The school continued to grow forcing a move in 1854 to Sergeant Street between Ninth and Tenth Streets, in April 1854, the name of the school was changed to the Girls’ High School of Philadelphia. By June 1860,65 graduates had received diplomas bearing the Girls’ High School name, in October 1876, a new school which for convenience and comfort will probably have no superior was constructed at Seventeenth and Spring Garden Streets. At the time it was surpassed in size only by Girard College, in 1893, the High School and Normal School were separated into two distinct institutions. It was at time that the institution became known as the Philadelphia High School for Girls. The school offered three courses, a general course of three years with a possible postgraduate year, a classical course of four years, and a business course of three years. In the early 1930s, the school survived attempts to merge it with William Penn High School, Alumnae, faculty and friends of the school dedicated themselves to its preservation. The school emerged from this crisis with its current identity as a place for the education of talented young women. In 1933, a new school was erected at Seventeenth and Spring Garden Streets to replace the one which had stood on the site since 1876. This historic building, now the site of Julia R. Masterman School, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, in 1958, the school again outgrew its location and moved to its current site at Broad Street and Olney Avenue. Located down the street at Ogontz and Olney Avenue is Central High School, prior to Central turning co-educational, the two schools enjoyed a strong partnership. Graduating classes at Girls are known not by year but rather by class number
7.
Atlanta, Georgia
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Atlanta is the capital of and the most populous city in the U. S. state of Georgia, with an estimated 2015 population of 463,878. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to 5,710,795 people, Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County. In 1837, Atlanta was founded at the intersection of two lines, and the city rose from the ashes of the American Civil War to become a national center of commerce. Atlantas economy is considered diverse, with dominant sectors that include logistics, professional and business services, media operations, Atlanta has topographic features that include rolling hills and dense tree coverage. Revitalization of Atlantas neighborhoods, initially spurred by the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, has intensified in the 21st century, altering the demographics, politics. Prior to the arrival of European settlers in north Georgia, Creek Indians inhabited the area, standing Peachtree, a Creek village located where Peachtree Creek flows into the Chattahoochee River, was the closest Indian settlement to what is now Atlanta. As part of the removal of Native Americans from northern Georgia from 1802 to 1825, the Creek ceded the area in 1821. In 1836, the Georgia General Assembly voted to build the Western, the initial route was to run southward from Chattanooga to a terminus east of the Chattahoochee River, which would then be linked to Savannah. After engineers surveyed various possible locations for the terminus, the zero milepost was driven into the ground in what is now Five Points. A year later, the area around the milepost had developed into a settlement, first known as Terminus, and later as Thrasherville after a merchant who built homes. By 1842, the town had six buildings and 30 residents and was renamed Marthasville to honor the Governors daughter, later, J. Edgar Thomson, Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad, suggested the town be renamed Atlantica-Pacifica, which was shortened to Atlanta. The residents approved, and the town was incorporated as Atlanta on December 29,1847, by 1860, Atlantas population had grown to 9,554. During the American Civil War, the nexus of multiple railroads in Atlanta made the city a hub for the distribution of military supplies, in 1864, the Union Army moved southward following the capture of Chattanooga and began its invasion of north Georgia. On the next day, Mayor James Calhoun surrendered Atlanta to the Union Army, on November 11,1864, Sherman prepared for the Union Armys March to the Sea by ordering Atlanta to be burned to the ground, sparing only the citys churches and hospitals. After the Civil War ended in 1865, Atlanta was gradually rebuilt, due to the citys superior rail transportation network, the state capital was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta in 1868. In the 1880 Census, Atlanta surpassed Savannah as Georgias largest city, by 1885, the founding of the Georgia School of Technology and the citys black colleges had established Atlanta as a center for higher education. In 1895, Atlanta hosted the Cotton States and International Exposition, during the first decades of the 20th century, Atlanta experienced a period of unprecedented growth. In three decades time, Atlantas population tripled as the city expanded to include nearby streetcar suburbs
8.
Hip hop music
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It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements, MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records, while often used to refer solely to rapping, hip hop more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. Hip hops early evolution occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became available and affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks and Jamaican toasting, rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat. The Sugarhill Gangs 1979 song Rappers Delight is widely regarded to be the first hip hop record to gain popularity in the mainstream. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles, prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began to spread to scenes in dozens of countries. New school hip hop was the wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D. M. C. The Golden age hip hop period was a period between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Notable artists from this era include the Juice Crew, Public Enemy, & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One, EPMD, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Ultramagnetic MCs, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that often focuses on the violent lifestyles, in the West Coast hip hop style, G-funk dominated mainstream hip hop for several years during the 1990s. I. G. In the 1990s, hip hop began to diversify with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap, at the same time, hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music, examples being Neo soul and nu metal. Hip hop became a pop music genre in the mid-1990s. The popularity of hip hop music continued through the 2000s, with hip hop influences also increasingly finding their way into mainstream pop, the United States also saw the success of regional styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the lyrics. Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, during the mid-2000s, alternative hip hop secured a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of artists such as OutKast and Kanye West. Creation of the hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash. However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was known as disco rap. Cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into a part of his stage performance, the first use of the term in print was in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop
9.
Pop music
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Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid 1950s. The terms popular music and pop music are used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular. Pop and rock were synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they were used in opposition from each other. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music. Pop music is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other such as urban, dance, rock, Latin. Identifying factors include generally short to medium-length songs written in a format, as well as the common use of repeated choruses, melodic tunes. David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop music as a body of music which is distinguishable from popular, jazz, according to Pete Seeger, pop music is professional music which draws upon both folk music and fine arts music. Although pop music is seen as just the singles charts, it is not the sum of all chart music, the music charts contain songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, rock, and novelty songs. Pop music, as a genre, is seen as existing and developing separately, pop music continuously evolves along with the terms definition. The term pop song was first recorded as being used in 1926, Hatch and Millward indicate that many events in the history of recording in the 1920s can be seen as the birth of the modern pop music industry, including in country, blues and hillbilly music. The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that while pops earlier meaning meant concerts appealing to a wide audience. Since the late 1950s, however, pop has had the meaning of non-classical mus, usually in the form of songs, performed by such artists as the Beatles. Grove Music Online also states that, in the early 1960s pop music competed terminologically with beat music, while in the USA its coverage overlapped with that of rock and roll. From about 1967, the term was used in opposition to the term rock music. Whereas rock aspired to authenticity and an expansion of the possibilities of music, pop was more commercial, ephemeral. It is not driven by any significant ambition except profit and commercial reward, and, in musical terms, it is essentially conservative. It is, provided from on high rather than being made from below, pop is not a do-it-yourself music but is professionally produced and packaged. The beat and the melodies tend to be simple, with limited harmonic accompaniment, the lyrics of modern pop songs typically focus on simple themes – often love and romantic relationships – although there are notable exceptions
10.
Contemporary R&B
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Contemporary R&B, also known as simply R&B, is a music genre that combines elements of rhythm and blues, soul, funk, pop, hip hop and dance. The genre features a record production style, drum machine-backed rhythms, an occasional saxophone-laced beat to give a jazz feel. Electronic influences are becoming a trend and the use of hip hop or dance-inspired beats are typical, although the roughness. Contemporary R&B vocalists are often known for their use of melisma, popularized by such as Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, Craig David, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston. That same year, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences and this combination of R&B style and hip hop rhythms was termed new jack swing and was applied to artists such as Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, Al B. Guy, Jodeci and Bell Biv DeVoe, the style became less popular by the end of the 1990s, but later experienced a resurgence. In 1990 Mariah Carey released Vision of Love as her debut single and it was immensely popular peaking at number 1 in many worldwide charts including the Billboard Hot 100, and it propelled Mariahs carrier. The song is said to have popularized the use of melisma. During the mid-1990s, Whitney Houstons The Bodyguard, Original Soundtrack Album sold over 40 million copies becoming the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Janet Jacksons self-titled fifth studio album janet. which came after her historic multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records, sold over twenty million copies worldwide. Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey recorded several Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hits, including One Sweet Day, Carey also released a remix of her 1995 single Fantasy, with Ol Dirty Bastard as a feature, a collaboration format that was unheard of at this point. Carey, Boyz II Men and TLC released albums in 1994 and 1995—Daydream, II and CrazySexyCool. In the late 1990s, neo soul, which added 1970s soul influences to the hip hop soul blend, arose, led by such as DAngelo, Erykah Badu. Hill and Missy Elliott further blurred the line between R&B and hip hop by recording both styles, beginning in 1995, the Grammy Awards enacted the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, with II by Boyz II Men becoming the first recipient. The award was received by TLC for CrazySexyCool in 1996, Tony Rich for Words in 1997, Erykah Badu for Baduizm in 1998. At the end of 1999, Billboard magazine ranked Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson as the first, simultaneously, in the second half of the 1990s, The Neptunes and Timbaland set influential precedence on contemporary R&B and hip hop music. R&B acts such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Usher, in 2001, Alicia Keys released Fallin as her debut single. It peaking at one on the Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Top 40
11.
Singing
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Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of sustained tonality, rhythm, and a variety of vocal techniques. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist, Singers perform music that can be sung with or without accompaniment by musical instruments. Singing is often done in an ensemble of musicians, such as a choir of singers or a band of instrumentalists, Singers may perform as soloists, or accompanied by anything from a single instrument up to a symphony orchestra or big band. Singing can be formal or informal, arranged or improvised and it may be done as a form of religious devotion, as a hobby, as a source of pleasure, comfort, or ritual, as part of music education, or as a profession. Excellence in singing requires time, dedication, instruction, and regular practice, if practice is done on a regular basis then the sounds can become more clear and strong. Professional singers usually build their careers around one specific genre, such as classical or rock. They typically take voice training provided by teachers or vocal coaches throughout their careers. Though these four mechanisms function independently, they are coordinated in the establishment of a vocal technique and are made to interact upon one another. During passive breathing, air is inhaled with the diaphragm while exhalation occurs without any effort, exhalation may be aided by the abdominal, internal intercostal and lower pelvis/pelvic muscles. Inhalation is aided by use of external intercostals, scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles, the pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming, humans have vocal folds which can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of the chest and neck, the position of the tongue, any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body and an individuals size, Singers can also learn to project sound in certain ways so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as vocal resonation, another major influence on vocal sound and production is the function of the larynx which people can manipulate in different ways to produce different sounds. These different kinds of function are described as different kinds of vocal registers. The primary method for singers to accomplish this is through the use of the Singers Formant and it has also been shown that a more powerful voice may be achieved with a fatter and fluid-like vocal fold mucosa. The more pliable the mucosa, the more efficient the transfer of energy from the airflow to the vocal folds, Vocal registration refers to the system of vocal registers within the voice. A register in the voice is a series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds
12.
LaFace Records
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LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achieved its greatest commercial success during the 1990s and it was originally distributed by its co-creator Arista Records from 1989 through 2001, after which it was shuttered and absorbed into Arista. In 2004, the label was rebooted, and it began operating through Jive Records until both were absorbed into RCA Records in 2011, today, the labels back catalog and reissues are managed by Legacy Recordings. LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio L. A. Reid & Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, and Arista Records, the combined nicknames of the duos successful production company inspired the name of the label. Towards the end of the decade LaFace produced fewer artists, while Babyface began to more on his own music career. The label was acquired completely by Arista and BMG in 1999, in 2001, L. A. Reid was appointed Chairman/CEO of Arista. As a result of Reids promotion, LaFace was dissolved as most of its prominent acts moved up to the main Arista label to continue to work under Reid. In 2004, after the restructuring of the BMG labels. Most of its roster had moved on to Arista returned to the company upon its reactivation. In 2011, LaFace was again shuttered, this time being absorbed into RCA Records, the following is a list of artists who have recorded for LaFace Records. L. A. Reid Babyface Daryl Simmons Kayo Dallas Austin Organized Noize List of record labels Rosa Parks v. LaFace Records
13.
Arista Records
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/ˈɛ. rɪ. stə/ was a major American record label. It was a wholly owned unit of Sony Music Entertainment and was handled by Bertelsmann Music Group. The company operated under the RCA Music Group until 2011, the label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records. Until its demise in 2011, it was a distributor and promoter of albums throughout the United States. Today, the labels reissues and catalogue releases are handled by RCA Records, after being fired from CBS Records, Clive Davis was hired by Columbia Pictures in June 1974 to be a consultant for the companys record and music operations. The label was named Arista after New York Citys secondary school honor society, in early 1975, most of the artists who had been signed to Bell were let go, except David Cassidy, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and the 5th Dimension. Others, such as Suzi Quatro and Hot Chocolate, were farmed out to the Bell/Arista-distributed label, several Bell acts, such as Barry Manilow, the Bay City Rollers, and Melissa Manchester moved to Arista. The British Bell label kept that name for a couple of years before changing its name to Arista, the label was immortalized in the 1978 Rockpile song They Called It Rock, in the lyric, Arista says they love you/But the kids cant dance to this. In addition to Manilow, the Kinks, and Dionne Warwick, Arista signed Aretha Franklin in 1980, the labels most significant acquisition came in 1983 when Davis signed Warwicks cousin, Whitney Houston. Houston would eventually become Aristas biggest-selling recording artist, with sales of 200 million records worldwide, Arista had an imprint label in the 1970s called Arista Novus, which focused on contemporary jazz artists. A country music division, Career Records, was merged into the Arista Nashville division in 1997, Arista Austin was used in the late 1990s as a country label. Additionally, Arista was the North American distributor of Jive Records from 1981 until 1987, during the 1990s, Arista also distributed Logic, Rowdy and Heavenly Recordings. Looking to stave off bankruptcy, Columbia Pictures sold Arista to German-based Ariola Records in 1979, after Ariola purchased General Electrics RCA Records in 1986, the combined company was renamed Bertelsmann Music Group, though Aristas U. S. releases would not note BMG until 1987. Into the 1980s, Arista continued its success, including major UK act Secret Affair, over the years it acquired Northwestside Records, deConstruction Records, First Avenue Records, and Dedicated Records in the UK. In 1989, Arista entered into a joint venture with Antonio L. A. Reid and Babyface in the creation of LaFace Records record company of TLC, in 1993, Arista also entered into a joint-venture with Sean P. Diddy Combs to form Bad Boy Records. In 1997 Arista acquired Profile Records, the home of Run-D. M. C. in 1989, Arista signed Milli Vanilli, a duo consisting of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan that was based in Germany. The label released its album, Girl You Know Its True, which was a remixed and re-edited version of All or Nothing. The album was certified platinum in the U. S. and charted five top-ten singles
14.
Death Row Records
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Death Row Records is a record company founded in 1991 by Dr. Dre, The D. O. C. Nate Dogg, and the rap group Tha Dogg Pound consisting of rappers Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly, Death Row Records was making $100 million a year and by 1996 most of the aforementioned artists departed from the label after the death of Tupac. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and on January 15,2009, was auctioned to entertainment development company WIDEawake Entertainment Group, Inc. for $18 million. In the late 1980s, producer Andre Dr. Dre Young was a member of rap group N. W. A. After the departure of Ice Cube over financial disagreements with manager Jerry Heller, Suge Knight and artist, convinced that Heller was dishonest, they approached Young about forming a label with them, away from Heller and Eazy-E. Allegedly using strong-arm tactics, Knight was able to procure contracts from Eazy for The D. O. C. After consulting with Alex Roberts, who sources suggest was Suge Knights connection to the underworld, Knight, after shoving Van Winkles bodyguards aside, Knight and his own bodyguards sat down in front of Van Winkle, staring at him before finally asking How you doin. At one time, Death Row Records was located at the intersection of Wilshire Blvd. Knight was seen on several occasions leaving Alex Roberts home in Malibu. Knight approached Michael Harry-O Harris, a businessman incarcerated on drug, through David Kenner, an attorney handling Harriss appeal, Harry-O set up Godfather Entertainment, a parent company for the newly christened Death Row Records. With the help of Kenner, Knight began signing young inner-city California artists and arranged for Death Row to handle the soundtrack for the 1992 Laurence Fishburne/Jeff Goldblum film, the single, Deep Cover, established Dre as a solo artist and a young Snoop Doggy Dogg as his protege. Work soon began on The Chronic, Dres solo album, which heavily featured Snoop and its singles, Fuck Wit Dre Day and Nuthin but a G Thang, saw Dre and Snoop dissing Eazy-E and other artists at Ruthless. The album went on to three million records, establishing the west coast in hip-hop and popularizing the distinctive style of g-funk. Continuing to release songs on albums that dissed Dre, Eazy-E claimed the success of the album, after finding solo success, Dre began crafting Snoop Doggs debut album Doggystyle, the process took two years. Snoops debut was released in 1993 due to public demand. Though unfinished, it outdid The Chronic at four times platinum, soon after the release of the album, controversy began to hit the label, Snoop was charged with murder, fueling the debate that politicians C. They used the music and video images of Death Row Records as examples, by 1995, the label began to flood with Knights cronies—friends and gang members fresh out of jail, as well as off-duty LAPD officers later implicated in the Rampart scandal working as security. Soon Knight signed rapper Tupac Shakur, incarcerated on a sexual abuse conviction, Tupac immediately began work on his Death Row album, kicking off his tenure by insulting Notorious B. I. G. Junior M. A. F. I. A. and Puff Daddy, the video, set in New York City, was also heightened when the set was fired upon in a driveby
15.
TLC (group)
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TLC is an American girl group whose original line-up consisted of Tionne T-Boz Watkins, Lisa Left Eye Lopes and Rozonda Chilli Thomas. Formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1991, the group was successful during the 1990s and early 2000s in spite of numerous spats with the law, each other. They scored nine hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four number-one singles Creep, Waterfalls, No Scrubs. TLC also became the first R&B group in history to receive Million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan for FanMail, having sold over 65 million records worldwide, TLC is the best-selling American girl group and second worldwide to the English group Spice Girls. VH1 ranked TLC as the greatest female group, placing them at number 12 on the list of 100 Greatest Women in Music, Billboard magazine ranked TLC as one of the greatest musical trios, as well as the seventh most successful act of the 1990s. The groups accolades include five career Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, twenty years after their debut, TLC was honored with Outstanding Contribution to Music at the 17th MOBO Awards and Legend Award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. All three members of TLC are considered irreplaceable by the members, and each of them have contributed equally to the group. Following Lopes death in 2002, instead of replacing her, the members chose to carry on as a duo. In 2017, they are set to release their album as TLC. Jones put out a call for two girls to join her in this trio. Calling the group 2nd Nature, Jones, Watkins, and Lopes began working with producers Jermaine Dupri, impressed by the girls, Reid renamed the group TLC-Skee, with TLC being an Initialism for the names Tionne, Lisa, and Crystal. Reid arranged an audition for them with local record label LaFace Records, run by Kenneth Babyface Edmonds and Reids then-husband, Antonio Reid saw potential in Watkins and Lopes as performers, but felt that Jones should be replaced. According to Jones, things began to unravel for her after Pebbles denied the group the opportunity to take home the contracts that Pebbitone had drafted, Jones did not want to sign before having the contract reviewed by others and perhaps a lawyer. In contrast, Watkins recollection of Jones departure is that both she and Lopes asked Jones to leave the group before their contracts were negotiated. On February 28,1991, Watkins and Lopes signed production, management, as they looked for a replacement for Jones, the two-member TLC-Skee made its first recorded appearance on a track for LaFace act Damian Dames self-titled 1991 LP. Pebbles found the third member in Rozonda Thomas, one of Damian Dames part-time backup dancers, Thomas was signed to the act in April 1991, at about which time the groups name was shortened to TLC. To maintain TLCs name as an acronym for the names, Watkins became T-Boz, Lopes became Left-Eye. The girls were signed to LaFace in May through the production deal with Pebbitone
16.
Anastacia
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Anastacia Lyn Newkirk is an American singer-songwriter, producer and former dancer. She is best known for her pop music of the early 2000s which had a significant impact in Europe. Her first two albums Not That Kind and Freak of Nature were released in succession to major success. Spurred on by the multi-platinum, global smash Im Outta Love and her commercial appeal continued with international hits such as Paid My Dues, One Day In Your Life and the official song of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Boom. After recovering from cancer, she returned with 2004s Anastacia which deviated from previous albums into pop-rock, peaking at number one in 11 countries, it became Europes second biggest selling album of the year. Its lead Left Outside Alone remained at one on the European Billboard chart for 15 weeks. In 2005, the multi-platinum compilation project Pieces of a Dream was released which spawned the chart topping duet with Eros Ramazzotti, Anastacia established herself as one of the top selling international female pop-singers of the 2000s before taking a hiatus in late 2006. She has sold over 52 million records worldwide and has topped the U. S. dance chart on two separate occasions. In 2014, Anastacia made a comeback with her studio album Resurrection, which reached the top ten in the Italian, Netherlands, Switzerland, German. Her Ultimate Collection was released in 2015 and peaked in the top ten of the UK charts, known for her powerful mezzo-soprano voice and her small stature of 5 feet 2 inches, she has been dubbed the little lady with the big voice. Also famed for her glasses, she underwent corrective lasic surgery in August 2005. During her life Anastacia has battled many health problems and she was diagnosed with Crohns disease at age 13, breast cancer at age 34, and supraventricular tachycardia at age 39. In 2013 Anastacia was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time, on October 1,2013 to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Anastacia informed the media that she had undergone a double mastectomy. Anastacia was born in Chicago, Illinois, her late father Robert Newkirk was a club-singer and her mother Diane Hurley an actress on Broadway, after her father left the Newkirk family, they moved to New York City when she was a teenager. Then she enrolled at the Professional Childrens School in Manhattan, Anastacia was diagnosed with Crohns disease when she was thirteen. Despite her illness she soon became interested in dance, at age 19, a diet triggered a Crohns relapse. Despite her ongoing health problems Anastacia continued to pursue her ambitions for the next decade, Anastacia started her career in 1983 as a dancer for hire. Her first claim to fame was as a dancer, making regular appearances in the mid-1980s and early-90s on MTVs Club MTV
17.
Missy Elliott
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Melissa Arnette Missy Elliott, often known professionally as Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, is an American rapper, dancer, and record producer. Following several collaborations and guest appearances, she launched her career in 1997 with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly. The album debuted at three on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut for a female rapper at the time. Elliotts following album Da Real World, produced the singles Shes a Bitch, All n My Grill, with the release of Miss E. So Addictive, Under Construction, and This Is Not a Test, Elliott established an international career that yielded hits including Get Ur Freak On, One Minute Man,4 My People, Gossip Folks, and Work It. The latter won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance, Elliott went on to win five Grammy Awards, melissa Arnette Elliott was born on July 1,1971, in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is the child of mother Patricia Elliott, a power-company dispatcher, and father Ronnie. Elliott grew up in a church choir family, and singing was a normal part of her youth. At the age of four in 1975, she wanted to be a performer, in later years, she feared no one would take her seriously, because she was always the class clown. While her father was an active Marine, the family lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Elliott blossomed during this part of her life. She enjoyed school for the friendships she formed though she had little interest in school work and she would later get well above average marks on intelligence tests, and she was advanced two years ahead of her former class. Her move in grades caused isolation, and she purposely failed, when her father returned from the Marines, they moved back to Virginia, where they lived in extreme poverty. Life in Virginia saw many hardships, Elliott tells of domestic abuse by her father. She refused to stay over at friends homes out of fear that, on her return home, when Elliott was eight, she was molested by a cousin. In one violent incident, Ronnie Elliott dislocated his wifes shoulders and, during another, at fourteen, Elliotts mother decided to end the situation, she fled with her daughter under the guise of taking a joyride on a local bus. In reality, the pair had found refuge at a members home where their possessions were stored in a loaded U-Haul truck. Elliott tells that she feared her father would kill them both for leaving and she later stated, When we left, my mother realized how strong she was on her own, and it made me strong. It took her leaving to realize, Elliott graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1990
18.
Lil' Kim
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Kimberly Denise Jones, known by her stage name Lil Kim, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, model, and actress. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, living much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, Jones would freestyle rap, heavily influenced by actress/singer Diana Ross, performing a freestyle rap for The Notorious B. I. G. got her music career start in 1995 with his group Junior M. A. F. I. A. Whose debut album Conspiracy generated two top 20 singles in the United States and her following albums, The Notorious K. I. M. and La Bella Mafia, were certified Platinum, making her the only female rapper besides Missy Elliott to have at least 3 Platinum albums. In addition, the remake won two MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year, and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 44th Grammy Awards in 2002. In 2005, she served a prison sentence for lying to a jury about her friends involvement in a shooting four years earlier. During her incarceration, her fourth album The Naked Truth was released and she returned to the public eye in 2009 with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Throughout her career, Jones has sold over 15 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. Jones has earned many accolades and honorific titles for her work including the Queen of Hip-Hop. Her songs No Time, Big Momma Thang and Ladies Night were listed on Complex Magazines The 50 Best Rap Songs By Women, at number 24,13 and 7, respectively. Crush On You, Its All About the Benjamins and Money, Power, in 2012, Lil Kim was honorably listed on VH1s 100 Greatest Women In Music list at number 45, the second highest position for a solo female hip-hop artist. Jones was born in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, the child of Linwood Jones, a former U. S. Marine. She has one brother named Christopher. As a child, Jones attended Queen of All Saints Elementary School in Brooklyn, at the age of 9, her parents separated, and Jones was raised by her father, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship. After being kicked out of her house by her dad, Jones dropped out of high school, while still a teen, Jones met The Notorious B. I. G. Jones attended Sarah J. Hale Vocational High School for two and a half years, many of her friends also went there and she would often skip school to hang out with them. Since her school work wasnt being completed, the decision was made for her to transfer to Brooklyn College Academy to finish her remaining year and it was the same school that fellow rappers Nas and Foxy Brown also attended. In 1994, B. I. G. was instrumental in introducing and promoting the Brooklyn-based group, which included Jones, who was only 19 at the time. Wallace wrote most of the albums material, Three hit singles came from Conspiracy, Players Anthem, I Need You Tonight, and Get Money
19.
Method Man
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Clifford Smith, better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and he is also one half of the hip hop duo Method Man & Redman. He took his name from the 1979 film Method Man. In 1996, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for Ill Be There for You/Youre All I Need to Get By, with American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. Method Man has appeared in such as Belly, How High, Garden State, The Wackness, Venom, Red Tails, Keanu. On television, he and frequent collaborator, fellow East Coast rapper Redman and he also had a recurring role as Tug Daniels on HBOs Oz and Calvin Cheese Wagstaff on the HBOs The Wire. In 2016, he had a role in Luke Cage which aired on Netflix. In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. Born on March 2,1971, in Hempstead, Long Island and he has two sisters, Terri and Missy. As Wu-Tang Clan ascended to hip hop stardom, Method Man was always one of the most visible members of the collective. Method Mans solo debut, Tical, was acclaimed and well received, entering the American charts at #4. That album featured the hit single All I Need, later remixed featuring Mary J. Blige, which won a Grammy. During this time Method Man also became friends with fellow New York City-based rapper The Notorious B. I. G. and was the only guest rapper featured on his debut album Ready to Die. He was also featured on Spice 1s album AmeriKKKas Nightmare on the track Hard 2 Kill, in 1995, he was also featured on Got the Flava off Showbiz and A. G. s album Goodfellas. He was also featured on Redmans 1996 album Muddy Waters on the track Do What Ya feel, on June 3,1997, the Wu-Tang Clan released their Grammy-nominated multiplatinum double CD Wu-Tang Forever, the long-awaited follow up to 36 Chambers. The album has sold over 8.3 million copies to date worldwide, the album was certified double platinum. Reviews for the album were mixed and its long runtime and abundance of intermittent comedy skits were widely criticized, producers on this album included True Master, 4th Disciple and the RZA. Method Man was part of the very successful Hard Knock Life Tour with Jay-Z, Redman, Ja Rule, during this tour, Method Man & Redman recorded Blackout
20.
Tupac Shakur
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Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli or just Pac, was an American rapper, record producer, actor, activist and poet. As of 2007, Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide and his double disc albums All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits are among the best-selling albums in the United States. He has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time by publications, including Rolling Stone. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, on April 7,2017, Shakur will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Shakur began his career as a roadie, backup dancer, and MC for the hip hop group Digital Underground. The themes of most of Shakurs songs revolved around the violence and hardship in inner cities, racism, and other social problems. Both of his parents and several people in his family were members of the Black Panther Party, whose ideals were reflected in his songs. I. G. On September 7,1996, Shakur was fatally shot in a shooting at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas. He was taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Shakur was born on June 16,1971, in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City. His mother Afeni Shakur and his father Billy Garland were active members of the Black Panther Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Lesane was born a month after his mother was acquitted of more than 150 charges of Conspiracy against the United States government, Many people in Shakurs life were involved with the Black Liberation Army, some were convicted of serious criminal offenses and imprisoned, including his mother. His godfather, Elmer Geronimo Pratt, a high-ranking Black Panther, was convicted of murdering a school teacher during a 1968 robbery and his stepfather, Mutulu, spent four years at large on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list beginning in 1982. Mutulu was wanted for having helped his sister Assata Shakur, Tupacs godmother and she had been imprisoned since 1977 for killing a state trooper in 1973. She lived as a fugitive for years before gaining asylum in Cuba in 1985. Mutulu was caught in 1986, tried and convicted, and imprisoned for the robbery of a Brinks armored truck in two police officers and a guard were killed. Shakur had a stepbrother, Mopreme Komani Shakur, and a half-sister, Sekyiwa. His stepbrother Mopreme performed in many of his recordings, in 1986, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland. After completing his year at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
21.
Aaliyah
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Aaliyah Dana Haughton was an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Detroit, at the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankersons Blackground Records, Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Aint Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. After facing allegations of a marriage with R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive. Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her album, One in a Million. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first film, Romeo Must Die and she contributed to the films soundtrack, which spawned the single Try Again. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this goal, Try Again earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her role in Queen of the Damned and she released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25,2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for the single Rock the Boat. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and toxicology tests revealed that he had traces of cocaine, Aaliyahs family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Aaliyahs music has continued to achieve success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah has sold an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide and she has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames Princess of R&B and Queen of Urban Pop. She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16,1979, in Brooklyn, New York, and was the younger child of Diane and Michael Miguel Haughton. She was African American, and had Native American heritage from a grandmother, at a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled in voice lessons by her mother. She started performing at weddings, church choir and charity events, when she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad. She attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where in first grade, from then on, she was determined to become an entertainer. In Detroit, her father working in the warehouse business
22.
Melanie C
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Melanie Jayne Chisholm, better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She is one of the five members of the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice, Melanie C began her solo career in late 1998 by singing with Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams on the song When Youre Gone. Her solo debut album Northern Star was released in 1999 and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and was certified triple Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and it produced four top fives and a top twenty single, two of which reached the number-one spot in the UK. Chisholms second album, Reason, was released in March 2003, the album reached number five in the UK and produced one top ten, one top twenty and a double A sided top thirty single. In 2004, Chisholm parted ways with Virgin and founded her own record company, Beautiful Intentions, her third album, was released in April 2005. It reached number twenty-four in the UK and number fifteen in Germany, the album produced three singles, one of which charted at number ten in the UK, and one peak at number one in different European charts. Her fourth studio album, This Time, was released in April 2007, of the five singles released from the album, one charted at number-one in some parts of Europe, and one become a top-thirty in the UK and a top ten in some European charts. In December, Melanie C reunited with the Spice Girls for a world tour and she released her fifth solo album, The Sea, on 2 September 2011, and her first EP The Night on 13 May 2012. Her sixth studio album Stages was released on 10 September 2012, since 1996, Chisholm has sold more than 100 million records—20 million as a solo artist and a further 80 million with the Spice Girls. Melanie Jayne Chisholm was born in Whiston, Merseyside, and later moved to Widnes, Cheshire, following school, she studied for a diploma course in dance, singing, drama, and musical theatre at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in Sidcup, Southeast London. During college, she replied to an advert in The Stage by Chris and Bob Herbert and she left college just short of completing her three-year course and gained teaching qualifications in tap and modern theatre dance with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. In 1994, Chisholm, along with Mel B, Geri Halliwell, around 400 women who answered the ad went to Dance Works studios. Halliwell, Chisholm, Beckham and Brown were originally chosen as the members of the group, the group felt insecure about the lack of a contract and were frustrated by the direction of Heart Management and broke with them. In 1995, they toured record labels in London and Los Angeles and their debut album, Spice was a huge worldwide commercial success, peaked at number one in more than 17 countries across the world, and was certified multi-platinum in 27 countries. Conceptually, the centered on the idea of Girl Power. In total the album sold 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the album in music history by a girl group. The album was a global best seller, selling 20 million copies worldwide, the group also starred in their own film, Spiceworld, The Movie, which grossed $100 million at the box office worldwide and became the second most watched movie in the year. The next single, Stop, peaked at two, breaking the sequence of ones, their only single to not reach the top of the charts
23.
Toni Braxton
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Toni Michelle Braxton is an American singer–songwriter, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist. Her self-titled debut studio album was released in 1993 and it sold over 10 million copies worldwide, spawning such hits as Another Sad Love Song and Breathe Again and earning Braxton three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. Released in 1996, her album, Secrets, continued her acclaim and mega success. Braxton won two Grammy Awards for Secrets, in 2000, her third album, The Heat, was released. It sold over 4 million copies and included the hit single He Wasnt Man Enough and she then released three more studio albums – More Than a Woman, Libra and Pulse, experiencing personal and label conflicts in between these releases. In 2014, Braxton and long-time collaborator Babyface released an album entitled Love, Marriage & Divorce. Throughout her career, Braxton has sold over 67 million records, including 41 million albums and she has won seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards and several other awards. Braxton is also an Executive Producer of the show, starring her younger sister. On September 18,2011, Braxton was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Toni Michelle Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland. Braxtons maternal grandfather was also a pastor, Braxton is the eldest of six siblings. She has a younger brother Michael, Jr. and four younger sisters Traci, Towanda, Trina and they were raised in a strict religious household, and Braxtons first performing experience was singing in her church choir. On her appearance May 24,2014 broadcast of NPRs Wait Wait, dont Tell Me. she stated that she was not singing to herself at the gas station. Pettaway, working as an attendant at the Annapolis service station where she was refueling, recognized her from local performances and introduced himself, though skeptical, Braxton decided to, in her words, take a chance and accepted. Braxton and her four sisters began performing as The Braxtons in the late 1980s and were signed to Arista Records in 1989 and their first single, Good Life, was released in 1990. Though the song was not successful, it attracted the attention of Antonio L. A. Reid and Kenneth Babyface Edmonds. Reid and Babyface recruited her to record a demo of Love Shoulda Brought You Home, Baker, who was pregnant at the time, did not record the song but suggested, that Braxton record it. Her recording was included on the soundtrack along with Give U My Heart. Braxton, meanwhile, was signed to Reid and Edmonds Arista-distributed imprint, LaFace Records, on July 13,1993, LaFace Records released Braxtons self-titled debut album, Toni Braxton
24.
Will Smith
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Willard Carroll Will Smith Jr. is an American actor, producer, rapper, and songwriter. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood, Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards. In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince, in 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular NBC television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons until 1996. After the series ended, Smith transitioned from television to film, Smith has been ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes. As of 2016, his films have grossed $7.5 billion at the box office. For his performances as boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali and stockbroker Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness, Smith received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Willard Carroll Smith Jr. was born on September 15,1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Caroline, a Philadelphia school board administrator and he grew up in West Philadelphias Wynnefield neighborhood, and was raised Baptist. He has three siblings, sister Pamela, who is four years older, and twins Harry and Ellen, Smith attended Our Lady of Lourdes, a private Catholic elementary school in Philadelphia. His parents separated when he was 13, but did not actually divorce until around 2000, though widely reported, it is untrue that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he never applied to college because he wanted to rap. Smith says he was admitted to a program at MIT for high school students. According to Smith, My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, but I had no intention of going to college. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably Parents Just Dont Understand and they gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the Rap category. Smith spent money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes, the Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income. Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990, when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the show was successful and began his acting career. Will Smith set for himself the goal of becoming the biggest movie star in the world, Smiths first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation and the action film Bad Boys in which he starred opposite Martin Lawrence. In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerichs Independence Day, the film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw. In the summer of 1997 he starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the summer hit Men in Black playing Agent J, in 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State
25.
NSYNC
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NSYNC was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. NSYNC consisted of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass.42 million copies in one week, blige, country music supergroup Alabama, and Gloria Estefan. Although NSYNC announced the start of a hiatus in early 2002. In 2007, Lance Bass confirmed that the group had broken up. They have sold over 70 million albums during their career, becoming the eighth-best-selling boy band in history, rolling Stone recognized their instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time. Chris Kirkpatrick, who had missed the cut for the Backstreet Boys, Pearlman said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers. This prompted Kirkpatrick to call Joey Fatone, a friend he had met while working at Universal Studios, then, Fatone and Kirkpatrick approached Lou Pearlman for more suggestions. Pearlman looked through some tapes they had, and one of Justin Timberlake from The Mickey Mouse Club caught his eye, Timberlake soon joined the group and recommended his friend JC Chasez, who also was a cast member on Disney Channels Mickey Mouse Club. Soon, they decided to out their sound by recruiting Jason Galasso as their bass singer. NSYNC received its name after Justin Timberlakes mother commented on how in sync the groups singing voices were, the groups name is also a play on the last letter of each of the original members names, JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. After several weeks of rehearsals, the set up a showcase. However, at the last minute, Galasso dropped out and he was not fond of the groups musical direction, claiming that being a teen idol was never a goal of his. In need of a bass, the group auditioned several people without success, Timberlake soon called his vocal coach, who suggested a 16-year-old from Mississippi named Lance Bass. Bass flew to Orlando to audition and was accepted into the group. He was nicknamed Lansten so they could keep the name NSYNC, Pearlman hired Johnny Wright, manager of the Backstreet Boys, to manage the group. NSYNC sent him a two-song demo-tape including Ill Be Back for More and We Can Work It Out, the group performed for him and a group of BMG executives. Although the record company had concerns with the bands name and Basss dancing abilities. After being signed to BMG Ariola Munich, the group was sent to Sweden to begin working on their album with the help of producers such as Denniz Pop, Max Martin
26.
Keith Sweat
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Keith Douglas Sweat is an American R&B and soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, radio personality, and an innovator of new jack swing. Keith Sweat was born in Harlem, New York to Juanita Thompson, a hairdresser, and Charles Sweat, Juanita raised their five children alone after Charles Sweats death. He worked as a stock boy at Macys and then a mailroom clerk at Paine Webber. In just four years he worked his way up to a brokerage assistant job on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Sweat worked as a supervisor for the New York Mercantile Exchange, Sweat started his musical career as a member of a Harlem band called Jamilah in 1975. With the help of Jamilah, Sweat was able to hone his craft as a singer by performing regionally throughout the tri-State area of New York, New Jersey. The group was started by bassist Larry Peoples, guitarist Michael Samuels, additional members of the group included Peter DaCosta, Joseph McGeachy, Dwight Banks, and Kenneth Varner. After leaving the group in 1984 to begin a career, he sang at nightclubs throughout New York City and landed a chance to record for the independent label. One of GQs original members is his uncle, Keith Sabu Crier, on November 25,1987, Sweat released his debut solo studio album Make It Last Forever, which sold three million copies. Sweat reached the charts again with his second album Ill Give All My Love to You which hit #6 on the Billboard 200 chart and he released his third album, Keep It Comin in 1991, which debuted in the top 20 of the album chart. Sweat then moved from New York to Atlanta, where he founded the Keia Records label that would feature Silk & Kut Klose. In 1992, Sweat discovered the group Silk, and helped craft their debut album, Lose Control, the albums single Freak Me hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1,1993. In 1993, Sweat discovered the Atlanta-based female R&B group Kut Klose, Sweat also produced the groups debut album Surrender, which produced their biggest hit single I Like, peaking to #8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Sweat released his fourth album Get Up on It in the summer of 1994, both albums reached the top ten on the Billboard 200. The single co/produced and written by Eric McCaine Twisted featuring R&B group Kut Klose hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Nobody hit #3, the song Just A Touch, with Traci Hale providing background vocals, has earned a regular spot on radio playlists. Just A Touch was a cover of the 1979 song Just a Touch of Love by Slave, in the fall of 1997, Sweat discovered the group Ol Skool and helped with their self-titled debut. He was on their biggest single, Am I Dreaming, which featured R&B group Xscape, Sweat also formed the R&B supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Johnny Gill, and released their self-titled debut Levert. Sweat. Gill in 1997. That album featured My Body, which became a hit single, the album was certified double platinum and reached #4 on the U. S. Billboard 200
27.
Backing vocalist
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Backing vocalists are singers who provide vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. In some cases, a singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalists entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used in a range of popular music, traditional music. Solo artists may employ professional backing vocalists in studio recording sessions as well as during concerts, in many rock and metal bands, the musicians doing backup vocals also play instruments, such as guitar, electric bass, drums, or keyboards. In Latin or Afro-Cuban groups, backup singers may play percussion instruments or shakers while singing, in some pop and hip-hop groups and in musical theater, the backup singers may be required to perform elaborately choreographed dance routines while they sing through headset microphones. The style of singing used by backup singers varies according to the type of song, in pop and country songs, backup vocalists may perform vocal harmony parts to support the lead vocalist. In hardcore punk or rockabilly, other members who play instruments may sing or shout backup vocals during the chorus section of the songs. While some bands use performers whose sole on-stage role is performing backing vocals, two notable examples of band members who sang back-up are The Beach Boys and The Beatles. The Beach Boys were well known for their vocal harmonies, occasionally with all five members singing at once such as In My Room. All five members would sing lead, although most often Brian Wilson or Mike Love would sing lead with guitarists Carl Wilson and Al Jardine, examples of three-part harmonies by Lennon, McCartney and Harrison include Nowhere Man, Because, Day Tripper, and This Boy. Former guitarist John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers sang nearly all backing vocals often singing some parts without accompaniment from lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis, the bands bassist Flea occasionally filled in for additional vocals. Frusciante usually sang one song by himself during concerts, another example is No Frontiers by The Corrs, which is sung by Sharon and Caroline. In the recording studio, some lead singers record their own backing vocals by overdubbing, one famous example is Freddie Mercury of Queen singing the first part of Bohemian Rhapsody himself by overdubbing. With the exception of a few songs on album, Dan Fogelberg, Eddie Rabbitt, David Bowie. Some bands, such as Hawthorne Heights and Finch have the backup singers do harsh vocals to highlight specific lyrics. Pop and R&B vocalists such as Diana Ross, Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé Knowles, Brandy, Faith Evans, DAngelo, when they perform live, they may have backing vocalists that impersonate their voices. Some bands use backing vocals in order to contrast with the singer who may be performing an unusual vocal technique. In rap music, a rapper who chants and rhymes to support the main artist is often referred to as hype man
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Grammy Award
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A Grammy Award, or Grammy, is an honor awarded by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of awards that have a more popular interest. It shares recognition of the industry as that of the other performance awards such as the Emmy Awards, the Tony Awards. The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4,1959, to honor, following the 2011 ceremony, The Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 59th Grammy Awards, honoring the best achievements from October 2015 to September 2016, was held on February 12,2017, the Grammys had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. The music executives decided to rectify this by creating a given by their industry similar to the Oscars. This was the beginning of the National Academy of Recording Arts, after it was decided to create such an award, there was still a question of what to call it, one working title was the Eddie, to honor the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. They finally settled on using the name of the invention of Emile Berliner, the gramophone, for the awards, the number of awards given grew and fluctuated over the years with categories added and removed, at one time reaching over 100. The second Grammy Awards, also held in 1959, was the first ceremony to be televised, the gold-plated trophies, each depicting a gilded gramophone, are made and assembled by hand by Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado. In 1990 the original Grammy design was revamped, changing the traditional soft lead for a stronger alloy less prone to damage, Billings developed a zinc alloy named grammium, which is trademarked. The trophies with the name engraved on them are not available until after the award announcements. By February 2009,7,578 Grammy trophies had been awarded, the General Field are four awards which are not restricted by genre. Album of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a full album if other than the performer. Record of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a single song if other than the performer. Song of the Year is awarded to the writer/composer of a single song, Best New Artist is awarded to a promising breakthrough performer who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording that establishes the public identity of that artist. The only two artists to win all four of these awards are Christopher Cross, who won all four in 1980, and Adele, who won the Best New Artist award in 2009 and the other three in 2012 and 2017. Other awards are given for performance and production in specific genres, as well as for other such as artwork. Special awards are given for longer-lasting contributions to the music industry, the many other Grammy trophies are presented in a pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony earlier in the afternoon before the Grammy Awards telecast
29.
Not Tonight
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Not Tonight is a song performed by American rap artist Lil Kim, featuring Jermaine Dupri, for her debut studio album Hard Core. The song became a hit in the U. S. peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, the single was certified platinum by the RIAA. The original version of Not Tonight was featured on Lil Kims debut album Hard Core and it was produced by Jermaine Dupri, who was also featured on the song. This version samples Ladies Night by Kool & the Gang, the remix became a top 40 hit in the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands. It was produced by Rashad Ringo Smith, the video was shot in West Palm Beach, Florida from June 27–28,1997. The video starts off showing the girls on a boat, the music video shows clips from the movie Nothing to Lose. It also features guest appearances from other female celebrities includes Mary J. Blige, T-Boz, Queen Latifah, SWV, Xscape, Blaque, Changing Faces, Total, and Maia Campbell. Smith, J. Taylor, D. Thomas, E. Toon Producer - Armando Colon, Rashad Smith Mixing - Rick Travali and L. Lopes Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
30.
U Know What's Up
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U Know Whats Up is a 1999 hit song by singer-songwriter-producer Donell Jones second studio album, Where I Wanna Be. The song features Lisa Lopes of TLC and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart on November 13,1999, and stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks. It peaked at seven on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining there for two consecutive weeks. Outside the United States, the song peaked within the top ten of the charts in the United Kingdom, the song was produced by Edward Eddie F Ferrell and Darren Lighty for Untouchables Entertainment. It is Joness biggest hit to date, the song was co-written by Anthony Hamilton. There is a remix produced by Donell Jones and features new verses by Jones and verses by rappers on a new urban beat. There is also a version that excludes Left Eyes rap bridge. The video features rapper Lisa Lopes of TLC, YoungBloodZ, T. I, usher and Big Boi of OutKast, all of whom were part of the LaFace Records label. At the beginning of the video, there is a sign that says La Face Place, the video begins with Lisa Lopes at her apartment receiving a phone call, presumably from Jones, informing her that the music video for the song is being aired on TV. She turns to the TV screen behind her playing the video, which shows Jones at a hotel party, at the end, the video pulls back to reveal Jones watching it at his apartment with his girlfriend. R&B number-one hits of 1999 R&B number-one hits of 2000 Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
31.
Never Be the Same Again
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Never Be the Same Again is a song by English singer-songwriter Melanie C, featuring American rapper Lisa Left Eye Lopes of American girl group TLC. It was released on 20 March 2000 as the single from her first solo album. The song was co-written by Melanie C, producer Rhett Lawrence, Paul F. Cruz, Never Be the Same Again entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, knocking fellow Spice Girls member Geri Halliwells single Bag It Up down to number four. Never Be the Same Again was Melanie Cs first solo single to number one. It sold 144,000 copies in its first week and was the 18th best-selling song of 2000, the song was successful in other markets, topped the charts in seven countries, and sold more than 2,5 million copies worldwide, and received positive acclaim. By March 2016, the song had more than 431,400 copies. The music video was directed by Francis Lawrence and it shows Melanie C waking up in a futuristic home and practicing tai chi with Lopes. According to the music published by Musicnotes. com by Hal Leonard Corporation. It is set in a tempo of 80 beats per minute. The song has a chord progression of Gm7–E♭9–B♭7–Dm. The music video was shot in January 2000 in Miami, Florida and it begins with a CD player and sound system starting up a in a metal and glass room in a high building with glass bridges with smoke rising from below with a field background. She is also seen jogging on a treadmill with a foreground, lying in shallow water. Lopes comes into the video to do her rap and both are seen doing tai-chi, later, Melanie is floating up in a high-ceiling room and the video ends with her looking at the outside view. The video includes shots of Icelands famous Blue Lagoon, the entire idea for the video came from Melanie herself, she wanted to make a calm video showing her taking care of her health. These are the formats and track listings of single releases of Never Be the Same Again. 45 Never Be the Same Again - MTV Fantastic Females Vol
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Music recording sales certification
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Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies. The threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory, almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after precious materials. The number of sales or shipments required for these awards depends upon the population of the territory in which the recording is released, typically, they are awarded only to international releases and are awarded individually for each country in which the album is sold. Different sales levels, some perhaps 10 times lower than others, the original gold record awards were presented to artists by their own record companies to publicize their sales achievements. The first of these was awarded by RCA Victor to Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in February 1942, another example of a company award is the gold record awarded to Elvis Presley in 1956 for one million units sold of his single Dont Be Cruel. The first gold record for an LP was awarded by RCA Victor to Harry Belafonte in 1957 for the album Calypso and these sales were restricted to U. S. -based record companies and did not include exports to other countries. For albums in 1968, this would mean shipping approximately 250,000 units, the platinum certification was introduced in 1976 for the sale of one million units, album or single, with the gold certification redefined to mean sales of 500,000 units, album or single. No album was certified platinum prior to this year, for instance, the recording by Van Cliburn of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto from 1958 would eventually be awarded a platinum citation, but this would not happen until two decades after its release. In 1999, the certification was introduced for sales of ten million units. On 14 March 1958, the RIAA certified its first gold record, soundtrack was certified as the first gold album four months later. In 1976, RIAA introduced the platinum certification, first awarded to Johnnie Taylors single, Disco Lady, as music sales increased with the introduction of compact discs, the RIAA created the Multi-Platinum award in 1984. Diamond awards, honoring those artists whose sales of singles or albums reached 10,000,000 copies, were introduced in 1999 and this became much less common once the majority of retail sales became paid digital downloads and digital streaming. In most countries certifications no longer apply solely to physical media, in June 2006, the RIAA also certified the ringtone downloads of songs. Streaming from on-demand services such as Rhapsody and Spotify has been included into existing digital certification in the U. S since 2013, in the U. S. and Germany video streaming services like YouTube, VEVO, and Yahoo. Music also began to be counted towards the certification, in both cases using the formula of 100 streams being equivalent to one download, other countries, such as Denmark and Spain, maintain separate awards for digital download singles and streaming. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry was founded in 1996, and grants the IFPI Platinum Europe Award for album sales over one million within Europe, multi-platinum Europe Awards are presented for sales in subsequent multiples of one million. Eligibility is unaffected by time, and is not restricted to European-based artists, IMPALA sales awards were launched in 2005 as the first sales awards recognising that success on a pan-European basis begins well before sales reach one million. The award levels are Silver, Double Silver, Gold, Double Gold, Diamond, Platinum, below are certification thresholds for the United States and United Kingdom
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Album
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Album, is a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item on CD, record, audio tape, or another medium. Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century album sales have mostly focused on compact disc and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used from the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl, an album may be recorded in a recording studio, in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed live, the majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at times while listening to the other parts using headphones. Album covers and liner notes are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, historically, the term album was applied to a collection of various items housed in a book format. In musical usage the word was used for collections of pieces of printed music from the early nineteenth century. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, the LP record, or 33 1⁄3 rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a gramophone record format introduced by Columbia Records in 1948. It was adopted by the industry as a standard format for the album. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, the term album had been carried forward from the early nineteenth century when it had been used for collections of short pieces of music. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, as part of a trend of shifting sales in the music industry, some commenters have declared that the early 21st century experienced the death of the album. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as mini-albums or EPs, Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yess Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. There are no rules against artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as albums. These are known as box sets, material is stored on an album in sections termed tracks, normally 11 or 12 tracks. A music track is a song or instrumental recording. The term is associated with popular music where separate tracks are known as album tracks. When vinyl records were the medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves
34.
The Last Days of Left Eye
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The Last Days of Left Eye is a documentary directed by Lauren Lazin which premiered on VH1 and VH1 Soul on May 19,2007. During the course of filming the documentary, Lisa and a few friends were passengers in a driven by her assistant. During the drive, a small boy ran out in front of the vehicle and was struck, the child died later that night. Lisa thinks that the spirit that is haunting her killed the child by mistake, the video of Lopes fatal accident, taken from within the Mitsubishi Montero Sport that rolled over into the grass, shows only events in the vehicle prior to the moment of impact. The coroner who performed her autopsy ruled her death an accident
35.
VH1
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VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City that is owned by the Viacom Global Entertainment Group, a unit of Viacom Media Networks. The channel was first launched on January 1,1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting Systems short-lived Cable Music Channel and it was originally created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and the original owner of MTV. As of February 2015, approximately 92.6 million US households receive VH1, also frequently featured in the networks early years were videos for Motown and other 60s oldies consisting of newsreel and concert footage. It was introduced on January 1,1985 with the performance of The Star-Spangled Banner by Marvin Gaye. From the start, Video Hits One was branded as a version of its sister/parent channel. It played more jazz and R&B artists than MTV and had a rotation of urban-contemporary performers. Its early on-camera personalities were New York radio veterans Don Imus, Frankie Crocker, Scott Shannon, Jon Bauman, Bobby Rivers, later VJs included Tim Byrd of WPIX-FM, a station whose eclectic ballad-and-R&B oriented format mirrored that of VH-1, and Alison Steele. Rosie ODonnell later joined the outlets veejay lineup, ODonnell would also host a comedy show featuring various comedians each episode. The format left room for occasional ad-libs by the VJ, a godsend for emcees such as Imus, in true Imus style, he used a 1985 segment of his VH-1 show to jokingly call smooth-jazz icon Sade Adu a grape for her oval-shaped head. At first many different musicians guest-hosted the program, but eventually musician/songwriter Ben Sidran became the permanent host, new-Age music videos continued to play on the channel into the 1990s. They would be seen on the Sunday morning 2-hour music video block titled Sunday Brunch, once VH1 established itself a few years later, they catered to Top 40, adult contemporary, classic rock, and 1980s mainstream pop. For a time, even music videos aired in a one-hour block during the afternoons. They started out using MTVs famous Kabel typeface font for their music video credit tags and it was later replaced in 1991 by a larger font, with the year the video was made added to the lower column that identified the label on which the album was released. In 1993, the name of the director was included at the bottom of the credits. Every week, the Top 21 Video Countdown usually had a different guest host, occasionally, they had themed countdowns as well, such as Elvira hosting scary videos for Halloween in 1991. Long blocks of videos by a particular artist or band, theme. One popular weekend program was called Video Rewind, in blocks of 1980s videos from one particular year would play for an hour. There was also a short-lived hour-long program called By Request in which viewers could call a 1–900 hotline number to request their videos, also in 1991, a popular morning program was introduced called Hits News & Weather that ran from 7 AM to 9 AM ET
36.
United States Army
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The United States Armed Forces are the federal armed forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, from the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of the United States. A sense of unity and identity was forged as a result of victory in the First Barbary War. Even so, the Founders were suspicious of a permanent military force and it played an important role in the American Civil War, where leading generals on both sides were picked from members of the United States military. Not until the outbreak of World War II did a standing army become officially established. The National Security Act of 1947, adopted following World War II and during the Cold Wars onset, the U. S. military is one of the largest militaries in terms of number of personnel. It draws its personnel from a pool of paid volunteers. As of 2016, the United States spends about $580.3 billion annually to fund its military forces, put together, the United States constitutes roughly 40 percent of the worlds military expenditures. For the period 2010–14, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that the United States was the worlds largest exporter of major arms, the United States was also the worlds eighth largest importer of major weapons for the same period. The history of the U. S. military dates to 1775 and these forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the War for Independence. All three services trace their origins to the founding of the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, the United States President is the U. S. militarys commander-in-chief. Rising tensions at various times with Britain and France and the ensuing Quasi-War and War of 1812 quickened the development of the U. S. Navy, the reserve branches formed a military strategic reserve during the Cold War, to be called into service in case of war. Time magazines Mark Thompson has suggested that with the War on Terror, Command over the armed forces is established in the United States Constitution. The sole power of command is vested in the President by Article II as Commander-in-Chief, the Constitution also allows for the creation of executive Departments headed principal officers whose opinion the President can require. This allowance in the Constitution formed the basis for creation of the Department of Defense in 1947 by the National Security Act, the Defense Department is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a civilian and member of the Cabinet. The Defense Secretary is second in the chain of command, just below the President. Together, the President and the Secretary of Defense comprise the National Command Authority, to coordinate military strategy with political affairs, the President has a National Security Council headed by the National Security Advisor. The collective body has only power to the President
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Trio (music)
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In music, a trio is a method of instrumentation or vocalization by three different sounds or voices to make a melodious music or song. In general, trio denotes a group of three instruments or voices. The term is used to describe a composition for such a group. The most common types of compositions are the piano trio—piano, violin and cello—and the string trio—violin, viola. In vocal music, the term terzet is sometimes preferred to trio, from the 17th century onward the word trio is used to describe a contrasting second or middle dance appearing between two statements of a principal dance, such as a minuet or bourée. This second dance was called a trio from the 17th-century practice of scoring it for three instruments, for example two oboes and bassoon. Later examples continued to be referred to as trios, even when they involved a number of parts. In the 18th century, the trio was also used to describe any instrumental composition for three unaccompanied musical strands, regardless of the number of instruments actually involved. Trios for a keyboard instrument are found in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, for example his organ trios, BWV 525–30. Trio also occurs in the name for the musical form trio sonata, a trio sonata is written for two solo melodic instruments and basso continuo, making three parts in all, hence the name trio sonata. However, because the basso continuo is usually made up of at least two instruments, performances of trio sonatas typically involve at least four musicians, in rock music, bands most typically have four to five members, but there are also many three-person bands. Notable examples of trios following this pattern include Rush, The Police, Motörhead, however, there are other variations, for example Emerson, Lake & Palmer, where the guitar is replaced by a keyboard. Jimi Hendrix, although often remembered as a soloist, often performed as part of a trio, the Bee Gees were a popular trio during the Disco music era. A trio may also rely on a combination of instrumentation and vocal harmonization, crosby, Stills, & Nash began as a trio noted for their vocal congruence. Some trios rely entirely on the skills of the performers working in front of pre-recorded instrumental tracks. These include groups like Destinys Child and TLC, the New Grove Dictionary of Opera,4 vols. ISBN9780935859928, ISBN9780333485521, ISBN9780333734322, ISBN9781561592289, the Harvard Dictionary of Music, fourth edition. Cambridge, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell
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Gospel music
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Gospel music is a music genre in Christian music. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music varies according to culture. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, Gospel music usually has dominant vocals with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century, with roots in the oral tradition. Hymns and sacred songs were repeated in a call and response fashion, most of the churches relied on hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. Most of the singing was done a cappella, the first published use of the term Gospel Song probably appeared in 1874. The original gospel songs were written and composed by such as George F. Root, Philip Bliss, Charles H. Gabriel, William Howard Doane. The advent of radio in the 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music, following World War II, gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite elaborate. Gospel blues is a form of gospel music. Southern gospel used all male, tenor-lead-baritone-bass quartet make-up, progressive Southern gospel is an American music genre that has grown out of Southern gospel over the past couple of decades. Christian country music, sometimes referred to as gospel music, is a subgenre of gospel music with a country flair. It peaked in popularity in the mid-1990s, bluegrass gospel music is rooted in American mountain music. Celtic gospel music infuses gospel music with a Celtic flair, and is popular in countries such as Ireland. British black gospel refers to Gospel music of the African diaspora, some proponents of standard hymns generally dislike gospel music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, with distance, there is a greater acceptance of such gospel songs into official denominational hymnals. Gospel music in general is characterized by dominant vocals referencing lyrics of a Christian nature, subgenres include contemporary gospel, urban contemporary gospel, Southern gospel, and modern gospel music. Several forms of gospel music utilize choirs, use piano or Hammond organ, tambourines, drums, bass guitar and, increasingly, electric guitar. In comparison with hymns, which are generally of a statelier measure, several attempts have been made to describe the style of late 19th and early 20th century gospel songs in general
39.
Casting (performing arts)
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The casting process involves a series of auditions before a casting panel, composed of individuals such as the producer, director and/or choreographer. In the early stages of the process, performers often may present prepared audition pieces such as monologues or songs and these audition pieces are usually video taped, attached with resumes, and head shots and then shared with producers, directors and studio representatives. Depending on the prestige of the role, casting calls may go out to the public at large, in the production of film and television, a similar process is followed. Character breakdowns, part of the breakdown, are often provided to auditioners. An actor may go through casting calls before receiving a part. Independent casting studios are used for casting calls so that the castings can take place in various locations. For some major productions, the process of selecting actors for sometimes hundreds of parts may require specialized staff. While the last word remains with the people in charge, artistic and production, a casting director is sometimes assisted by a casting associate, productions with large numbers of extras may have their own extras casting director. The CD remains as a liaison between director, actors and their agents/managers and the studio/network to get the characters in the script cast, at least in the early stages and for extras, casting may be decentralized geographically, often in conjunction with actual shooting planned in different locations. Another reason may be tapping into each home market in the case of an international co-production, the resulting list of actors filling the parts is called a cast list
