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Whitney Houston

Contributor — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:00:26 +0000

In the 1980s, Houston was one the first black artists to receive regular rotation on MTV in the network’s early years during a white male rock dominated time.Her debut album became the biggest selling debut album of all time for a solo artist (a record that has since been broken), her follow up album became the first album by a female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, and she had a record seven consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Houston continued her success into Hollywood in the 1990s, starting with the box office hit The Bodyguard. The soundtrack became the best-selling soundtrack of all time, and the single “I Will Always Love You” the best-selling single by a female artist and 6th best-selling song in history of music. She continued the decade with other successful and culturally significant projects before returning to the studio. Houston is the fourth best-selling female recording artist according to the Recording Industry Association of America and is the “The Most Awarded Female Artist of All Time” according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Clay Aiken

Contributor — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:00:28 +0000

As the runner-up to Fox TV’s second American Idol: The Search for a Superstar competition, vocalist Clay Aiken wowed television audiences in 2003 with his Southern charm, sweet demeanor, and bright, glorious voice, and became a pop star. Originally, Aiken planned to try out for the reality TV series The American Race, but went ahead and auditioned for the talent contest to please an encouraging friend. Out of 7,000 hopefuls, the Charlotte, NC, native won the hearts of the judges as well as millions of fans across the globe.Born November 30, 1978, Aiken was singing at an early age. Unlike most young kids, Aiken was confident and ready to impress a crowd. He was already singing the Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers classic “Islands in the Stream” at a local high school dance by age five. Two year later, he was buying albums through a mail-order catalog, eager to get his hands on any kind of music. Aiken’s vocal talent was blossoming and by the time he reached his teenage years, he was a regular member of the Raleigh Boys Choir. Countless roles in various musicals, (The Music Man, Oklahoma!), stage plays, and playhouse shows allowed Aiken to hone his gift.When it came time to go to college, music wasn’t Aiken’s calling per se. He studied special education instead and had dreams of attending William & Mary for a master’s degree in administration. Before he could further his education, Aiken ended up wooing 21 million television viewers each week from February to May with his sensational singing voice. His rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” sewed him a spot among America’s hearts. Although he finished second to Ruben Studdard, Aiken’s loss was not taken lightly. He landed a deal with RCA through Simon Fuller’s 19 Recordings Limited within weeks of the show’s finale.That same month, Aiken’s debut single, “This Is the Night,” made history by going number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It sold more than 392,000 copies during its first week, beating Elton John’s record for “Candle in the Wind 1997.” In October 2003, Aiken issued his studio full-length, The Measure of a Man. Once again, the little guy with the big voice made a big splash. The Measure of a Man sold 613,000 copies and went to number one on Billboard’s Top 200 during its first week of release. His first holiday effort, Merry Christmas with Love, followed in November 2004. The album debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top Holiday Albums chart, giving Merry Christmas with Love the biggest debut week sales figures for a Christmas album in SoundScan history. Aiken released A Thousand Different Ways in September 2006. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

Foo Fighters

Contributor — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:36:34 +0000

While he was drumming with Nirvana, Dave Grohl was recording original songs at home that never received public release. Those tapes would become the foundation of Foo Fighters, the band he formed in 1995, after the death of Kurt Cobain. Like Nirvana, Foo Fighters melded loud, heavy guitars with pretty melodies and mixed punk sensibilities with a sharp sense of pop songwriting.Dave Grohl began playing guitar and writing songs in his early teens, as well as performing with a variety of hardcore punk bands. In the late ’80s, when he was still in his teens, he joined the Washington, D.C.-area hardcore band Scream as their drummer. During the final days of Scream, Grohl began recording his own material in the basement studio of his friend Barrett Jones. Some of Grohl’s songs appeared on Scream’s final album, Fumble. After Scream’s 1990 summer tour, Grohl joined Nirvana and moved to Seattle.After Nirvana recorded Nevermind, Grohl went back to the D.C. area and recorded a handful of tracks that would appear on Pocketwatch, a cassette released by Simple Machines. For most of 1992 he was busy with Nirvana, but when the band stayed off of the road, he recorded solo material with Jones, who had moved to Seattle. The pair kept recording throughout early 1993, when Grohl returned to Nirvana to record In Utero. Grohl had toyed with the idea of releasing another independent cassette in the summer of 1993, but the plans never reached fruition. Following Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994, the drummer kept quiet for several months. In the fall of 1994, booking time in a professional studio, Grohl and Jones recorded the album that became Foo Fighters’ debut album in a week. Boiling down his backlog of songs to about 15 tracks, Grohl played all of the instruments on the album. He made 100 copies of the tape, passing it out to friends and associates. In no time, Grohl’s solo project became the object of a fierce record company bidding war.Instead of embarking on a full-fledged solo career, Grohl decided to form a band. Through his wife he met Nate Mendel, the bassist for Sunny Day Real Estate. Shortly before the pair met, Jeremy Enigk, the leader of Sunny Day Real Estate, had converted to Christianity and quit the band, effectively ending the group’s career. Not only did Mendel join Grohl’s band, but so did Sunny Day’s drummer, William Goldsmith; former Germs and Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear rounded out the lineup. The band, named Foo Fighters after a World War II secret force that allegedly researched UFOs, signed a contract with Capitol Records. The band’s self-titled debut, consisting solely of Dave Grohl’s solo recordings, was released on July 4, 1995. It was an instant success in America, as “This Is a Call” garnered heavy alternative and album rock airplay. By early 1996, the album was certified platinum in the U.S.Throughout 1996, Foo Fighters supported the album with an extensive tour, enjoying a crossover hit with “Big Me” that spring. Late in the year, the group began recording their second album with producer Gil Norton. During the sessions, William Goldsmith left the band due to creative tensions, leaving Grohl to drum on the majority of the album. Before the record’s release in the spring of 1997, Goldsmith was replaced by Taylor Hawkins, who had previously drummed with Alanis Morissette. The Colour and the Shape, Foo Fighters’ second album and the first they recorded as a band, was issued in May of 1997. Smear left the group in the wake of the album’s completion, and was replaced by guitarist Franz Stahl, whose stay proved short-lived; 1999′s There Is Nothing Left to Lose was recorded as a three-piece, with ex-No Use for a Name guitarist Chris Shiflett signing on soon after. One by One, the group’s most polished production, appeared in late 2002, followed by 2005′s In Your Honor, which narrowly missed the top of Billboard’s album chart. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Heather Headley

Contributor — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:14:23 +0000

R&B vocalist Heather Headley was born in Trinidad in the mid-’70s. At an early age, this daughter of a pastor was surrounded by music and performance art. She started playing concert piano by the age of four, later immersing herself in the eclectic music of her culture: calypso, soca, and reggae. This foundation would later motivate Headley to sing professionally. Upon arriving in the States with her family at age 15, Headley quickly adapted to America’s ways. She soaked up American music and worked with its complexities. She graduated with honors from high school, and later studied communications and musical theater at Northwestern University.

In 1997, she was cast as Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King. She was so impressive that Disney called on her shortly thereafter to audition for the Elton John/Tim Rice musical Aida. Headley accepted; her role as the Nubian princess Aida was captivating, and it earned her a Tony Award in 1998. Three years later, Headley moved from the stage to the studio to record her first album as a solo artist. She scored a deal with RCA and issued her debut, This Is Who I Am, in fall 2002. A Top Ten hit, In My Mind, followed in January 2006. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide