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Miranda Kerr: Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Ambassador Media Call!
Miranda Kerr dons a little black dress while being named the Clear Scalp and Hair Beauty Therapy Ambassador at The Pacific at Bondi Beach on Wednesday (February 13) in Sydney, Australia.
The day before, the 29-year-old supermodel dolled up while it was announced that she would be the Kids Helpline Ambassador. PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Miranda Kerr Mirandatweeted, “Honored to be the Kids Helpline Ambassador #kidshelplineaustralia Australians aged 5-25 can call 1800551800 to talk with professional counsellors 24hours a day.”
FYI: Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy is aline of shampoos, conditioners and treatments which keeps the scalp healthy and moisturized.
10+ pictures inside of Miranda Kerr at a media call for Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy…
Miranda Kerr: Cyber Crime Unit Call After Twitter Hack!
Miranda Kerr keeps it floral while out and about on Wednesday (February 13) in Sydney, Australia.
Earlier in the day, the 29-year-old model donned a little black dress while attending the media call for Clear Scalp and Hair Beauty Therapy. PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Miranda Kerr
The day before, Mirandatweeted, “Just with the cyber crime unit. Whoever hacked my account expect a knock on the door very soon…”
This is the second time that Miranda‘s Twitter account was hacked, the last time was in November, when a hacker posted that she was pregnant.
Check out Demi Lovato‘s new single pick – Just Jared Jr
Beyonce calls her daughter her best friend – DListed
Candice Swanepoel poses for a lingerie shoot – Hollywood Tuna
Stephen Colbert points out a funny headline – Towleroad
-Three new movies are being released on Blu-ray and DVD today! Be sure to pick up Skyfall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Man with the Iron Fists, on store shelves now! Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem, is a continuation of the James Bond movies. Perks, starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman, details the story of an introvert freshman who is taken under the wings of some older seniors. Iron Fists, starring Russell Crowe, is about a band of rogues descending on a village in feudal China.
Olivia Wilde and her fiance Jason Sudeikis go on a post-blizzard stroll together on Sunday (February 10) in New York City.
The 28-year-old actress and her 37-year-old SNL funnyman linked arms and kept close to stay warm on the chilly evening!
Later that night, Olivia watched the 2013 Grammys, where she live tweeted her thoughts!
“Is any channel just leaving a camera on Rihanna so we can stare at her perfect human specimen face?” she tweeted at one point. “MUMFORD! Congratulations boys!” Olivia wrote after Mumford & Sons won Album of the Year for Babel.
Beyonce News : 'Life Is But A Dream' New York Premiere!
Beyonce keeps it sheer while attending the premiere of her film Life Is But A Dream held at the Ziegfeld Theater on Tuesday (February 12) in New York City.
The 31-year-old singer was joined on the red carpet by Oprah Winfrey, who will interview her on Oprah’s Next Chapter on Sunday (February 17). PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Beyonce Life Is But A Dream includes “extensive first-person footage, some of it shot by Beyonce on her laptop, in which she reflects on the realities of celebrity, the refuge she finds onstage and the transcendent joy of becoming a mother last year.
FYI: Beyonce is wearing a Elie Saab Couture dress.
20+ pictures inside of Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey attending the premiere of Life Is But A Dream…
Britney Spears rocks some red hot kicks while taking her two boys Sean Preston and Jayden James to gymnastics class on Tuesday (February 12) in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
The 31-year-old singer was joined by her mother Lynn, who watched her grandkids show their athleticism. PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Britney Spears
The day before, a new promo pic of Britney was released on her Facebook with the caption, “This Friday on 106 & Park – ‘Scream And Shout’ Remix Video!! Here’s a tiny taste. Bring The Action!”
25+ pictures inside of Britney Spears heading to gymnastics class…
Grammys 2013: Who's Pulling An Angelina Jolie? Jennifer Lopez ?
Grammys 2013: Who's Pulling An Angelina Jolie? Jennifer Lopez ?
It seems not one award ceremony can pass by without a celeb mimicking Angelina Jolie's infamous Oscars pose any more.
And at Sunday night's Grammy awards, Jennifer Lopez's right leg did it's best to run away from her body, as she posed on the red carpet outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Angelina Jolie (left) and Jennifer Lopez
The singer-slash-actress opted for a bizarre black leotard-come-dress for the occasion, flashing plenty of flesh.
She finished off her dramatic Grammys look with a gold clutch and bangle and a top-knot. oh, and a killer pout.
The jury is still out on this one...
Sunday night's 2013 Grammy Awards brought out the greatest talents in the music industry, and the red carpet was everything we hoped it would be. Rihanna's red gown was a true show-stopper. Her bespoke crimson gown was a highlight at the awards show, from the structured bodice to the dramatic train.
Then the show started and she really turned it out, first in a vintage Alaia dress straight from the archives and then in a two-piece Archive Luciano Soprani look. That's three for three, in case you were counting.
See the pop star in all of her killer Grammy ensembles above !
Rihanna Griffith
Born Rihanna Jade Griffith
April 16, 1985 (1985-04-16) (age 24)
Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation actress, model, artist
Years active 1998-2005
Rihanna Jade Griffith (born April 16, 1985) is an Australian actress, artist and model.
==Life and career==
Griffith was born in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. She began modeling as a child, doing runway work and catalogue ads, and progressed from there to television commercials. Rihanna also briefly attended Avondale Seventh Day Adventist High School from 1997-2000.
From there, she got her first guest-starring role on the Australian medical drama Children's Hospital, and won her first film role, as Mercia in the 1998 film 15 Amore. Shortly thereafter, she won ModelQuest98's Grand Final for the 12-to-15 division, and was cast as "Jack" in the science fiction film Pitch Black.
Rihanna continued to act throughout her teenage years, balancing her career with schooling. She starred in Desperately Seeking Brandi, a short film that was broadcast on the Nike website to coincide with the 2000 Sydney Olympic games. Her costars in the film were Brandi Chastain and Oliver Ackland. That same year, she was also a guest-star on the Australian comedy TV series Backberner.
In 2001, she starred in the short film Search by director Hannah Hilliard. In 2002, she did a three-month guest-star stint on the popular Australian soap opera Home & Away and then guest-starred on an episode of the crime drama White Collar Blue. 2003 saw her appearing in a music video by rocker Ben Lee, called "Running With Scissors," directed by Nash Edgerton.
In 2004 she reprised her role as "Jack" from Pitch Black in the anime The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury. She also auditioned to play the role in the feature film sequel to Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick. Her casting was backed by producer and star Vin Diesel, but Rihanna was told she had to "toughen up" for the role. Despite enlisting the aid of a kick-boxing trainer, she had only three weeks to prepare, and the role eventually went to Alexa Davalos.
2004 also saw Rihanna embark upon her art career in earnest, with two major solo gallery showings. Her first, Chrysalis, was held at the Tighes Hill Gallery in Newcastle, Australia in January 2004. Her second, A Month in Kaos, was held at the Surry Hills Cafe 249 art gallery in Sydney, Australia in May, 2004. Rihanna also acted in another short film, A Whole New You, and guest-starred in an episode of the hit Australian medical drama All Saints. As the year came to a close, Rihanna portrayed Barbarella in print and television ads promoting the Flickerfest film festival.
In 2005, Rihanna held her third art exhibition, a collaboration with her brother, poet Damien Griffith, called Sibling Revelry. In conjunction with the art show, they released a limited-edition book of their work, pairing her paintings with his poems. Rihanna also contributed to a Wearable Art Festival, and will launch a line of clothing later in 2005. She is working on her second book, a children's book, for release in late 2005, and portrayed the starring role of Clare Newell in a short film, Wrong Answer, which will be continued in the psychological thriller called Volunteer, to be directed by JD Cohen.
== Portfolio==
Year Work Format Role Status
2006 Volunteer Motion Picture Clare Newell Pre-production
2005 Wrong Answer Short Film Clare Newell Winner of Judges' Choice: Short Film, Audience Choice: Short Film and Best of Fest at the 2005 Frankly Film Fest
2005 Sibling Revelry Art exhibit painter Completed
2004 Flickerfest Advertising campaign Barbarella Completed
2004 All Saints TV show Cindy Single episode guest appearance (completed)
2004 A Whole New You Short film Receptionist Completed
2004 The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury Anime DVD Jack/Jackie Completed
2004 A Month in Kaos Art exhibit painter Completed
2004 Chrysalis Art exhibit painter Completed
2003 Running With Scissors Music video Waitress Completed
2002 White Collar Blue TV show Lilly Derwent Single episode guest appearance (completed)
2002 Home & Away TV show Aimee Cooper Recurring guest role (completed)
2001 Search Short film May Completed
2000 Backberner TV show Kristi Taylor Single episode guest appearance (completed)
2000 Desperately Seeking Brandi Short film (internet webcast) Bea Completed
2000 Pitch Black Motion Picture Jack/Jackie Completed
1999 15 Amore Motion Picture Mercia Completed
1998 Children's Hospital TV show Kelly Single episode guest appearance
In the cover story, her second ever for Vogue, Beyonce talks at length about her upcoming HBO documentary, and ventures into T.M.I. territory when discussing her pregnancy. ("I felt like when I was having contractions, I envisioned my child pushing through a very heavy door...") But we're obviously here for the fashion, for that high-wattage glam only Beyonce can deliver.
And she nails it, styled by Camilla Nickerson in glamorous yet unpredictable runway looks. A little Alexander McQueen here, some Rochas there -- overall it's a perfectly luscious fashion statement for a star who tells Vogue she's feeling more feminine and sensual than ever.
In fact, we would've loved to see Bey in the ruby Alexander McQueen gown on last night's Grammys red carpet. We had to settle for mod pants instead, but we've got the Vogue March issue as a consolation prize.
Birth name Beyonce Giselle Knowles
Born September 4, 1981 (1981-09-04) (age 29)
Origin Houston, Texas, United States
Genres R&B, soul, pop
Occupations Singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, entertainer, choreographer, model, video director
Years active 1997–present
Labels Columbia
Associated acts Destiny's Child, Jay-Z, Solange Knowles
Website http://www.beyonceonline.com
During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album Dangerously in Love in 2003, which spawned the number-one hits "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy" and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy Awards. Following the group's disbandment in 2005, Knowles released her second solo album, B'Day in 2006. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and included the hits "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Her third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was released in 2008, and included the anthemic "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". The album earned Knowles six Grammys at the 52nd Grammy Awards, breaking the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night.
Knowles has earned numerous awards and accolades. She is one of the most honored artists by the Grammys, and third among female artists, with a total of 16 Grammy Awards – 13 as a solo artist and 3 as a member of Destiny's Child. Knowles was ranked the 4th Artist of the 2000s decade by Billboard and was listed the most successful female artist of the decade, as well as the top radio artist of the decade. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), also listed Knowles as the top certified artist of the decade. In the United States alone, Knowles has sold over 11.2 million albums and nearly 25 million singles as of May 2010. As of September 2009, she has sold 75 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Contents
1 Life and career
1.1 1981–96: Early life and career beginnings
1.2 1997–2001: Destiny's Child era and depression
1.3 2002–03: Solo career, films, and Dangerously in Love
1.4 2004–05: Destiny Fulfilled and group disbandment
1.5 2006–07: B'Day and films
1.6 2008–09: Marriage, I Am... Sasha Fierce, and films
1.7 2010–present: New management and 4
2 Artistry
2.1 Music and voice
2.2 Influences
2.3 Stage and alter ego
2.4 Public image
3 Awards and achievements
4 Other ventures
4.1 Clothing lines
4.2 Products and endorsements
5 Philanthropy
6 Discography
7 Videography
Knowles was schooled at St. Mary's Elementary School in Texas, where she enrolled in dance classes, including ballet and jazz. Her talent in singing was discovered when her dance instructor began humming a song and she finished it, hitting the high-pitched notes. Knowles' interest in music and performing began after participating in a school talent show. She sang John Lennon's "Imagine" and won the competition. At age seven, Knowles started gaining attention from the press, having been mentioned in the Houston Chronicle as a nominee for the local performing arts award The Sammy. In the fall of 1990, Knowles enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform on-stage with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and later went to Alief Elsik High School, located in the Houston suburban munincipality, Alief. Knowles was a soloist in the choir of her church, in St. John's United Methodist Church. She only lasted in the choir for two years.
Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against the group for breach of contract. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appeared on the video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and Roberson had already been replaced. Eventually, Luckett and Roberson left the group. Franklin would eventually fade from the group after five months, as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and concerts. She attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group resulting from the strife. During this time, Knowles had experienced depression from an accumulation of struggles: the publicized split of Luckett and Roberson, being publicly attacked by the media, critics and blogs for causing the split-up, and a longstanding boyfriend (that she had dated from age 12 to 19 years) leaving her. The depression was so severe it had lasted for a couple of years, while she had kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Knowles stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award and she feared no one would take her seriously. All of these events had made her question herself and who her friends were, describing the situation she said, "Now that I was famous, I was afraid I'd never find somebody again to love me for me. I was afraid of making new friends." She acknowledges her mother, Tina Knowles, for finally saying to help her out of her depression, "Why do you think a person wouldn't love you? Don't you know how smart and sweet and beautiful you are?"
2002–03: Solo career, films, and Dangerously in LoveIn 2002, Knowles co-starred in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, playing Foxxy Cleopatra, opposite of Mike Myers. Knowles recorded her first solo single, "Work It Out", for the film's soundtrack. The following year, she starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the romantic comedy film, The Fighting Temptations, and recorded numerous songs for the film's soundtrack, including "Fighting Temptation" and a cover version of "Fever". In October 2002, Knowles was featured on her then-boyfriend Jay-Z's single, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Rap Songs chart. In March 2003, Knowles released a remix of 50 Cent's "In Da Club", which made its way onto several mixtapes.
The album led Knowles to win a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In November 2003, Knowles embarked on her Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe.
2004–05: Destiny Fulfilled and group disbandment
Destiny's Child star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.In March 2004, Knowles joined Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott, and Tamia for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. Knowles had originally planned to release a follow-up to Dangerously in Love in March 2004, which would feature some of the left-over recordings from the album. However, Knowles decided to put the album on hold in order to concentrate on the next Destiny's Child album. After a three-year journey that involved concentration on individual solo projects, Knowles rejoined Rowland and Williams to release their fourth and final album, Destiny Fulfilled in November 2004. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and sold over 3.1 million copies in the United States, where it was certified three times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album spawned the hit singles, "Lose My Breath", "Soldier" and "Cater 2 U". In April 2005, the group embarked on their Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It tour, which ended in September of that year. During the last stop of their European leg of the tour in Barcelona, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. A compilation album titled, Number 1's, featuring the group's number-one hits and most well-known songs, was released in October 2005. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and certified Platinum by the RIAA. Knowles' song "Check on It" featuring Slim Thug, was released from the album in December 2005. The song spent five consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and became Knowles' third Hot 100 number-one as a solo artist and Slim Thug's first Hot 100 single. In March 2006, Destiny's Child reunited to accept a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In November 2008, Forbes magazine reported that Knowles earned $80 million between June 1, 2007 to June 1, 2008, for her music, tour, films and fashion business. This made her the world's second best-paid music personality for this span of time. Knowles released her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, on November 14, 2008. The album introduces Knowles' alter-ego "Sasha Fierce". It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 482,000 copies in its first week, giving Knowles her third consecutive number one album in the US. Eventually, Knowles became the third female artist of the 2000s decade to have her first three albums debut at at number one on Billboard 200. The album sold 2.9 million copies in the United States, and certified double platinum by the RIAA. To date, the album has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" were released as the album's first and second lead singles, respectively. The first lead single peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second peaked at number one, becoming Knowles' fifth number-one single. "Single Ladies" spent four non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. Its music video has achieved fame for its intricate choreography, which has been credited as having started the "first major dance craze of both the new millennium and the Internet". This prompted a legion of imitations and parodies from men and women all around the world, including celebrities Justin Timberlake Joe Jonas, Tom Hanks and US President Barack Obama. The music video received nine nominations at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and ultimately won the award for Video of the Year and an additional two awards, though its loss in the Best Female Video category to Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" led to a controversy during the ceremony.
Knowles performing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" during her I Am... Tour in 2009In December 2008, Knowles starred in the musical biopic Cadillac Records as blues singer, Etta James. She performed James' classic hit "At Last" at The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball of Barack Obama and his wife Michelle's first dance as President and First Lady of the United States on January 20, 2009. "Diva" was released as the third US single from I Am... Sasha Fierce, while "Halo" served as the third international single, and later as the fourth US single. The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Knowles' twelfth Hot 100 top-ten single as a solo artist. With this feat, Knowles achieved more top tens on the Hot 100 than any other female artist of the 2000s decade. "Ego" was released as the album's fifth US single, and subsequently came up with a remix featuring additional vocals from Kanye West. The song peaked at number thirty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100. "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Sweet Dreams" became the album's sixth and seventh singles respectively. To promote the album, Knowles embarked on her worldwide I Am... Tour in March 2009. According to Pollstar, the tour earned Knowles $103.2 million for its 97 shows. In April 2009, Knowles starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller film, Obsessed. The film grossed $11.1 million on its first day of release, and ended its opening weekend at number one with a total of $28.5 million. In June 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its list of the "100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the World", third on its list of the "Top-Grossing Musicians", and first on the list of "Top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30" with over $87 million in earnings between 2008 and 2009. "Video Phone" was released as the eighth single from I Am... Sasha Fierce, with a music video and digital download release taking form of an extended remix featuring American pop artist, Lady Gaga. Its music video received two nominations at the 2010 BET Awards for Video of the Year and Best Collaboration, winning the former category on April 27, 2010. It also received five nominations at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, in the categories of Best Choreography, Best Collaboration, Best Pop Video, Best Female Video and Best Art Direction.
Knowles received ten nominations at the 52nd Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Knowles ultimately set the record for the most Grammy awards won on a single night by a female artist, when she won six awards from her ten nominations; Song of the Year, Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Single Ladies", Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo", Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "At Last".
2010–present: New management and 4In January 2010, Knowles was interviewed by USA Today and announced plans to take a break from music in 2010. She stated, "it's definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries. ... I'd like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again." During this time, a 60 Minutes segment aired, revealing Knowles was homeschooled as a child and prays before every performance. In February 2010, Lady Gaga's song "Telephone" was released featuring Knowles. The single reached number one on the US Pop Songs chart, thus becoming the sixth number-one on the chart for both Knowles and Lady Gaga. With this, they both tied with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen BDS-based Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
In January 2011, it was made known that Knowles would appear in a remake of A Star Is Born, to be directed and produced by Clint Eastwood for Warner Bros.. The remake will be the fourth telling of the A Star Is Born tale, the most memorable in recent years being the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. In February 2011, documents obtained by the WikiLeaks website revealed that Knowles along with Usher, Mariah Carey and Nelly Furtado had received as much as $1 million to perform for family members of Libyan politician Muammar Gaddafi. Rolling Stone magazine reported that the music industry was urging them to return the money they earned for the concerts. On March 2, 2011, a spokesperson for Knowles told The Huffington Post that she had donated the money to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, established to aid the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. On March 28, 2011, it was announced that Knowles' father and longtime manager Mathew Knowles would no longer manage her. Knowles' publicist released a statement to The Associated Press revealing that Knowles and her father have split "on a business level." She now manages herself and has hired her own team. In June 2011, Forbes placed Knowles eighth on its list of "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" for earning $35 million between the months of May 2010 and 2011. Forbes noted that was low placement for Knowles was due to the fact she spent most of the past year off the road and recording her then upcoming fourth studio album.
Knowles' fourth studio album 4 was released on June 24, 2011. The album was inspired by several musicians, including Fela Kuti, The Stylistics, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 310,000 copies. This gave Knowles her fourth solo debut at the top of the chart and makes her the second female artist and third artist overall, to have her first four studio albums debut atop the Billboard 200. However, 4's first-week sales serve as Knowles' lowest sales start with a studio album to date. Its lead single, "Run the World (Girls)" peaked at number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and became Knowles' lowest charting lead single as a solo artist. The album's second single, "Best Thing I Never Had", was released on June 1, 2011. Knowles headlined at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, performing a 90-minute set on the last day of the festival on June 26, 2011. She will also be performing at the Oxegen Festival in Ireland, and the T in the Park Festival in Scotland during July 2011.
ArtistryMusic and voice "Trust in Me"
While predominately R&B, Knowles' music explores various styles. The Daily Mail calls Knowles' voice "versatile", capable of exploring power ballads, soul, rock belting, operatic florishes, and hip hop.
Knowles' music is generally contemporary R&B, but she also incorporates pop, funk, hip hop, and soul into her songs. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Knowles recorded several Spanish records for Irreemplazable and the re-release of B'Day. Prior to recording the Spanish titles on the album's re-release, Knowles was coached phonetically by American record producer, Rudy Perez.
Since Destiny's Child, Knowles has artistically been involved in her career. She received co-writing credits for most of the songs recorded by the group, as well as her solo efforts. Known for writing personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions, Knowles has stated that having Jay-Z in her life has changed a few of her thoughts about how men and women relate to one another, which helped her transition from writing songs such as "Independent Women" and "Survivor" to man-tending anthems such as, "Cater 2 U" in which she sings about bringing him slippers and drawing his bath. Some of her songs are autobiographical, which she has admitted are taken from personal experiences, as well as her friends'. Knowles has also received co-producing credits for most of the records in which she has been involved, especially during her solo efforts. However, she does not formulate beats herself, but typically comes up with melodies and ideas during production, sharing them with producers. Knowles was recognized as a songwriter during the run of Destiny's Child in the 1990s and early to mid-2000s. She won the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the 2001 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards, becoming the first African-American female and second female songwriter of all time to accomplish the feat. Knowles received songwriting credits in a single year for co-writing "Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It", all of which reached number one on the Hot 100, the only woman to have written three songs which went to number-one in the same year since Carole King did it in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. In terms of credits, she is tied with Diane Warren at third with nine number-one singles.
InfluencesOne of Knowles' major influences and idol is Michael Jackson, who she credits as the reason why she does music. Knowles has also named Diana Ross as another one of her influences because "she's an all-around entertainer: a great actor, a good singer, and a beautiful, elegant woman. She's one of the few singers able to cross over into really good movies." Her other musical influences include Tina Turner, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. Knowles credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child, as well as helping her pursue a career as a musician. She is also inspired by Oprah Winfrey and US First Lady Michelle Obama. Knowles says Winfrey is "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman. When I'm around her, I want to stand up straight, pronounce my words right, and articulate."
Knowles' music video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" has achieved fame for its intricate choreography, which has been credited as having started the "first major dance craze of both the new millennium and the Internet". This prompted a legion of imitations and parodies from men and women all around the world posting videos of themselves onto YouTube attempting to perform the choreography. Celebrities have also tried the choreography, including Justin Timberlake, Joe Jonas, Tom Hanks and US President Barack Obama.
Known for being sexy, seductive and provocative when performing on stage, Knowles has stated that's her alter ego, Sasha Fierce. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy and too sexy", stating "I'm not like her in real life at all ... I'm not flirtatious and super-confident and fearless like her. What I feel onstage I don't feel anywhere else. It's an out-of-body experience. I created my stage persona to protect myself so that when I go home I don't have to think about what it is I do. Sasha isn't me. The people around me know who I really am." Although Sasha was born during the making of her 2003 hit single, "Crazy in Love", Knowles introduced her alter ego with the release of her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce in 2008. In February 2010, Knowles announced in an interview with Allure magazine that "Sasha Fierce is done. I killed her". She then went on saying that she is comfortable enough with herself to be all of those things without an alias, stating "I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two."
Public image
Knowles performing "Ave Maria" during her I Am... Tour in 2009Knowles has stated, "I like to dress sexy and I carry myself like a lady," but she has said that the way she dresses on stage is "absolutely for the stage". The media often use the term "Bootylicious" (a combination of the words booty and delicious), to describe Knowles because of her curves. The term was made widely known by the Destiny's Child hit song of the same name, and has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. As someone who is fond of fashion, Knowles combines its artistic elements with her music videos and performances. According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, she uses different styles and tries to harmonize it with the music while performing. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. People magazine recognized Knowles as the best-dressed celebrity in 2007. Knowles' mother wrote a 2002-published book, titled Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Secrets From Destiny's Child, an account of how fashion had an impact on Destiny's Child's success.
In March 2009, comparisons were made between the fashions of Knowles and R&B singer Ciara, when the latter released the music video of her single, "Love Sex Magic". In the video, Ciara is seen wearing a black leotard and metallic glasses, similar to those worn by Knowles in both her "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Diva" videos. However, Ciara stated that her outfits were "inspired by the Vegas shows" she attended. In September 2010, Knowles made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford’s Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. In February 2011, LA Times magazine placed Knowles at number twenty-five on its list of the 50 Most Beautiful Women in Film. In the same month, Knowles appeared on the cover of the March issue of the French fashion magazine, L'Officiel, in honor of the magazine's 90th anniversary, and in tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. She appeared in blackface makeup and tribal makeup, that has drawn criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine, said that Knowles' look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and explained that it was "a return to her African roots, as you can see on the picture, on which her face was voluntarily darkened."
In December 2009, Billboard listed Knowles as the most successful female artist and the top radio artist of the 2000s decade. Billboard also ranked her the 4th artist of the decade, and the 15th top 25 R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the past 25 years (1985–2010). BET also recognized Knowles as the second most influential artist of the decade. In February 2010, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Knowles as the top certified artist of the decade, with a total of 64 certifications, including albums, digital songs, master ringtones and music videos. In August 2010, VH1 listed her at number 52 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. As of September 2009, Knowles has sold 75 million records worldwide as a solo artist, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
In January 2010, Knowles participated in the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief. She appeared in London with Jay-Z, Rihanna, and U2's Bono and The Edge, where she performed a piano version of her song "Halo". Knowles was named the official face of the limited edition "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The shirt, which reads: "To Haiti With Love", was designed by Peter Arnell, who also created the "Fashion for America" T-shirt which raised $2 million after 9/11.
While everyone buzzed about Jennifer Lopez's decidedly Angelina Jolie-like exposed leg at the Grammys last night, the originator of the style was just across town making her own major red carpet debut. That's right, folks, Angie's back on the style scene for the first time this year!
But the actress didn't quite return to the red carpet with a bang -- it was more of a thud, actually. To attend the American Society of Cinematographers annual awards shindig, Angelina opted for a gray Atelier Versace sheath, nude pumps and -- the icing on the boring cake -- a ponytail. Our reaction? Zzzzzzz.
It's not like we expected the mother of six to pull out all of the stops for the relatively minor appearance, but she really didn't give us much to work with here. Plus, she arrived without her two red carpet staples: Brad Pitt and an exposed right leg.
Fine, Angelina, be all withholding. But next time, we'd appreciate some Hollywood waves or something. What do you think of her debut look?
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. In their heyday, the group consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, the group later worked in many genres ranging from folk rock to psychedelic pop, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. The nature of their enormous popularity, which first emerged as the "Beatlemania" fad, transformed as their songwriting grew in sophistication. The group came to be perceived as the embodiment of progressive ideals, seeing their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. With an early five-piece line-up of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe (bass) and Pete Best (drums), The Beatles built their reputation in Liverpool and Hamburg clubs over a three-year period from 1960. Sutcliffe left the group in 1961, and Best was replaced by Starr the following year. Moulded into a professional outfit by music store owner Brian Epstein after he offered to act as the group's manager, and with their musical potential enhanced by the hands-on creativity of producer George Martin, The Beatles achieved UK mainstream success in late 1962 with their first single, "Love Me Do". Gaining international popularity over the course of the next year, they toured extensively until 1966, then retreated to the recording studio until their breakup in 1970. Each then found success in an independent musical career. McCartney and Starr remain active; Lennon was shot and killed in 1980, and Harrison died of cancer in 2001. During their studio years, The Beatles produced what critics consider some of their finest material including the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), widely regarded as a masterpiece. Nearly four decades after their breakup, The Beatles' music continues to be popular. The Beatles have had more number one albums on the UK charts, and held down the top spot longer, than any other musical act. According to RIAA certifications, they have sold more
albums in the US than any other artist. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the all-time top-selling Hot 100 artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with The Beatles at number one. They have been honoured with 7 Grammy Awards, and they have received 15 Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. The Beatles were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most important and influential people.
==History==
Formation and early years (1957 - 1962)
Aged sixteen, singer and guitarist John Lennon formed the skiffle group The Quarrymen with some Liverpool schoolfriends in March 1957. Fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined as a guitarist after he and Lennon met that July. When McCartney in turn invited George Harrison to watch the group the following February, the fourteen-year-old joined as lead guitarist. By 1960,Lennon's schoolfriends had left the group, he had begun studies at the Liverpool College of Art and the three guitarists were playing rock and roll whenever they could get a drummer. Joining on bass in January, Lennon's fellow student Stuart Sutcliffe suggested changing the band name to "The Beetles" as a tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and they became "The Beatals" for the first few months of the year. After trying other names including "Johnny and the Moondogs", "Long John and The Beetles" and "The Silver Beatles", the band finally became "The Beatles" in August. The lack of a permanent drummer posed a problem when the group's unofficial manager, Allan Williams, arranged a resident band booking for them in Hamburg, Germany. Before the end of August they auditioned and hired drummer Pete Best, and the five-piece band left for Hamburg four days later, contracted to fairground showman Bruno Koschmider for a 48-night residency. "Hamburg in those days did not have rock'n'roll music clubs. It had strip clubs", says biographer Philip Norman. Bruno had the idea of bringing in rock groups to play in various clubs. They had this formula. It was a huge nonstop show, hour after hour, with a lot of people lurching in and the other lot lurching out. And the bands would play all the time to catch the passing traffic. In an American red-light district, they would call it nonstop striptease. Many of the bands that played in Hamburg were from Liverpool...It was an accident. Bruno went to London to look for bands. But he happened to meet a Liverpool entrepreneur in Soho, who was down in London by pure chance. And he arranged to send some bands over. Harrison, only seventeen in August 1960, obtained permission to stay in Hamburg by lying to the German authorities about his age. Initially placing The Beatles at the Indra Club, Koschmider moved them to the Kaiserkeller in October after the Indra was closed down due to noise complaints. When they violated their contract by performing at the rival Top Ten Club, Koschmider reported the underage Harrison to the authorities, leading to his deportation in November. McCartney and Best were arrested for arson a week later when they set fire to a condom hung on a nail in their room; they too were deported. Lennon returned to Liverpool in mid-December, while Sutcliffe remained in Hamburg with his new German fiance, Astrid Kirchherr, for another month. Kirchherr took the first professional photos of the group and cut Sutcliffe's hair in the German "exi" (existentialist) style of the time, a look later adopted by the other Beatles. During the next two years, the group were resident for further periods in Hamburg. They used Preludin both recreationally and to maintain their energy through all-night performances. Sutcliffe decided to leave the band in early 1961 and resume his art studies in Germany, so McCartney took up bass. German producer Bert Kaempfert contracted what was now a four-piece to act as Tony Sheridan's backing band on a series of recordings. Credited to "Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers", the single "My Bonnie", recorded in June and released four months later, reached number 32 in the Musikmarkt chart. The Beatles were also becoming more popular back home in Liverpool. During one of the band's frequent appearances there at The Cavern Club, they encountered Brian Epstein, a local record store owner and music columnist. When the band appointed Epstein manager in January 1962, Kaempfert agreed to release them from the German record contract. After Decca Records rejected the band with the comment "Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein", producer George Martin signed the group to EMI's Parlophone label. News of a tragedy greeted them on their return to Hamburg in April. Meeting them at the airport, a stricken Kirchherr told them of Sutcliffe's death from a brain haemorrhage.
Abbey Road Studios main entranceThe band had its first recording session under Martin's direction at Abbey Road Studios in London in June 1962. Martin complained to Epstein about Best's drumming and suggested the band use a session drummer in the studio. Instead, Best was replaced by Ringo Starr. Starr, who left Rory Storm and the Hurricanes to join The Beatles, had already performed with them occasionally when Best was ill. Martin still hired session drummer Andy White for one session, and White played on "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You". Released in October, "Love Me Do" was a top twenty UK hit, peaking at number seventeen on the chart. After a November studio session that yielded what would be their second single, "Please Please Me", they made their TV debut with a live performance on the regional news programme People and Places. The band concluded their last Hamburg stint in December 1962. By now it had become the pattern that all four members contributed vocals, although Starr's restricted range meant he sang lead only rarely. Lennon and McCartney had established a songwriting partnership; as the band's success grew, their celebrated collaboration limited Harrison's opportunities as lead vocalist. Epstein, sensing The Beatles' commercial potential, encouraged the group to adopt a professional attitude to performing. Lennon recalled the manager saying, "Look, if you really want to get in these bigger places, you're going to have to change ”stop eating on stage, stop swearing, stop smoking." Lennon said, "We
used to dress how we liked, on and off stage. He'd tell us that jeans were not particularly smart and could we possibly manage to wear proper trousers, but he didn't want us suddenly looking square. He'd let us have our own sense of individuality ... it was a choice of making it or still eating chicken on stage."
Beatlemania and touring years (1963 - 1966)
UK popularity, Please Please Me and With The Beatles McCartney, Harrison, Swedish pop singer Lill-Babs and Lennon on the set of the
Swedish television show Drop-In, 30 October 1963In the wake of the moderate success of "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me" met with a more emphatic reception, reaching number two in the UK singles chart after its January 1963 release. Martin originally intended to record the band's debut LP live at The Cavern Club. Finding it had "the acoustic ambience of an oil tank", he elected to create a "live" album in one session at Abbey Road Studios. Ten songs were recorded for Please Please Me, accompanied on the album by the four tracks already released on the two singles. Recalling how the band "rushed to deliver a debut album, bashing out Please Please Me in a day", an Allmusic reviewer comments, "Decades after its release, the album still sounds fresh, precisely because of its intense origins." Lennon said little thought went into composition at the time; he and McCartney were "just writing songs a la Everly Brothers, a la Buddy Holly, pop songs with no more thought of them than that ”to create a sound. And the words were almost irrelevant." Released in March 1963, the album reached number one on the British chart. This began a run during which eleven of The Beatles' twelve studio albums released in the United Kingdom through 1970 hit number one. The band's third single, "From Me to You", came out in April and was also a chart-topping hit. It began an almost unbroken run of seventeen British number one singles for the band,including all but one of those released over the next six years. On its release in August, the band's fourth single, "She Loves You", achieved the fastest sales of any record in the UK up to that time, selling three-quarters of a million copies in under four weeks. It became their first single to sell a million copies, and remained the biggest-selling record in the UK until 1978 when it was
topped by "Mull of Kintyre", performed by McCartney and his post-Beatles band Wings. The popularity of the Beatles' music brought with it increasing press attention. They responded with a cheeky, irreverent attitude that defied what was expected of pop musicians and inspired even more interest.
The Beatles' drop-T logo The Beatles' iconic "drop-T" logo, based on an impromptu sketch by instrument retailer and designer Ivor Arbiter, also made its debut in 1963. The logo was first used on the front of Starr's bass drum, which Epstein and Starr purchased from Arbiter's London shop. The band toured the UK three times in the first half of the year: a four-week tour that began in February preceded three-week tours in March and May–June. As their popularity spread, a frenzied adulation of the group took hold, dubbed "Beatlemania". Although not billed as tour leaders, they overshadowed other acts including Tommy Roe, Chris Montez and Roy Orbison, US artists who had established great popularity in the UK. Performances everywhere, both on tour and at many one-off shows across the UK, were greeted with riotous enthusiasm by screaming fans. Police found it necessary to use high-pressure water hoses to control the crowds, and there were debates in Parliament concerning the thousands of police officers putting themselves at risk to protect the group. In late October, a five-day tour of Sweden saw the band venture abroad for the first time since the Hamburg chapter. Returning to the UK, they were greeted at Heathrow Airport in heavy rain by thousands of fans in "a scene similar to a shark-feeding frenzy", attended by fifty journalists and photographers and a BBC Television camera crew. The next day, The Beatles began yet another UK tour, scheduled for six weeks. By now, they were indisputably the headliners. Please Please Me was still topping the album chart. It maintained the position for thirty weeks, only to be displaced by With The Beatles which itself held the
top spot for twenty-one weeks. Making much greater use of studio production techniques than its "live" predecessor, the album was recorded between July and October. With The Beatles is described by Allmusic as "a sequel of the highest order ”one that betters the original by developing its own tone and adding depth." In a reversal of what had until then been standard practice, the album was released in late November ahead of the impending single "I Want to Hold Your Hand", with the song excluded in order to maximize the single's sales. With The Beatles caught the attention of Times music critic William Mann, who went as far as to suggest that Lennon and McCartney were "the outstanding English composers of 1963". The newspaper published a series of articles in which Mann offered detailed analyses of The Beatles' music, lending it respectability. With The Beatles became the second album in UK chart history to sell a million copies, a figure previously reached only by the 1958 South Pacific soundtrack.
==The British Invasion==
Beatles releases in the United States were initially delayed for nearly a year when Capitol Records, EMI's American subsidiary, declined to issue either "Please Please Me" or "From Me to You". Negotiations with independent US labels led to the release of some singles, but issues with royalties and derision of The Beatles' "moptop" hairstyle posed further obstacles. Once Capitol did start to issue the material, rather than releasing the LPs in their original configuration, they compiled distinct US albums from an assortment of the band's recordings, and issued songs of their own choice as singles. American chart success came suddenly after a news broadcast about British Beatlemania triggered great demand, leading Capitol to rush-release "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in December 1963. The band's US debut was already scheduled to take place a few weeks later.
The Beatles arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport, 7 February 1964 When The Beatles left the United Kingdom on 7 February 1964, an estimated four thousand fans gathered at Heathrow, waving and screaming as the aircraft took off. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" had sold 2.6 million copies in the US over the previous two weeks, but the group were still nervous about how they would be received. At New York's John F. Kennedy Airport they were greeted by another vociferous crowd, estimated at about three thousand people. They gave their first live US television performance two days later on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by approximately 74 million viewers—over 40 percent of the American population. The next morning one newspaper wrote that The Beatles "could not carry a tune across the Atlantic", but a day later their first US concert saw Beatlemania erupt at Washington Coliseum. Back in New York the following day, they met with another strong reception at Carnegie Hall. The band appeared on the weekly Ed Sullivan Show a second time, before returning to the UK on 22 February. During the week of 4 April, The Beatles held twelve positions on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, including the top five. That same week, a third American LP joined the two already in circulation; all three reached the first or second spot on the US album chart. The band's popularity generated unprecedented interest in British music, and a number of other UK acts subsequently made their own American debuts, successfully touring over the next three years in what was termed the British Invasion. The Beatles' hairstyle, unusually long for the era and still mocked by many adults, was widely adopted and became an emblem of the burgeoning youth culture. The Beatles toured internationally in June. Staging thirty-two concerts over nineteen days in Denmark, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, they were ardently received at every venue. Starr was ill for the first half of the tour, and Jimmy Nicol sat in on drums. In August they returned to the US, with a thirty-concert tour of twenty-three cities. Generating intense interest once again, the month-long tour attracted between ten and twenty thousand fans to each thirty-minute performance in cities from San Francisco to New York. However, their music could hardly be heard. On-stage amplification at the time was modest compared to modern-day equipment, and the band's small Vox amplifiers struggled to compete with the volume of sound generated by screaming fans. Forced to accept that neither they nor their audiences could hear the details of their performance, the band grew increasingly bored with the routine of concert touring.At the end of the August tour they were introduced to Bob Dylan in New York at the instigation of journalist Al Aronowitz. Visiting the band in their hotel suite, Dylan introduced them to cannabis. Music historian Jonathan Gould points out the musical and cultural significance of this meeting, before which the musicians' respective fanbases were "perceived as inhabiting two separate subcultural worlds": Dylan's core audience of "college kids with artistic or intellectual leanings, a dawning political and social idealism, and a mildly bohemian style" contrasted with The Beatles' core audience of "veritable 'teenyboppers'kids in high school or grade school whose lives were totally wrapped up in the commercialized popular culture of television, radio, pop records, fan magazines, and teen fashion. They were seen as idolaters, not idealists." Within six months of the meeting, "Lennon would be making records on which he openly imitated Dylan's nasal drone, brittle strum, and introspective vocal persona." Within a year, Dylan would "proceed, with the help of a five-piece group and a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, to shake the monkey of folk authenticity permanently off his back"; "the distinction between the folk and rock audiences would have nearly evaporated"; and The Beatles' audience would be "showing signs of growing up".
