Biography - Mariah Carey

The most successful female recording artist of all time, Mariah Carey was the top selling musician of the 90s, churning out endless multi-platinum albums and amassing 18 #1 singles, a record topped only by The Beatles. Despite a well-publicized career downturn in the early 2000s, Carey is currently back on top with her stunning comeback record “The Emancipation of Mimi”, the hottest selling album of 2005.

Born on March 27, 1970 in Long Island, NY, Carey’s parents divorced when she was three, and her mother raised her. Carey discovered her extraordinary vocal talent early on, and by elementary school was performing in front of live audiences. The gifted singer graduated from high school in Greenlawn, NY, and by that time she had already become a recognizable face on the local music scene with her frequent work as a demo singer. Her entry into the professional world is often described as a Cinderella-esque story, with her 1988 introduction to notorious Columbia talent mogul Tommy Mottola leading to a near-immediate record deal.

Her self-titled debut album in 1990 proved to be a huge success for the future diva. All four of its singles hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a truly extraordinary feat for a debuting artist. In addition, her first single on her 1991 follow-up “Emotions”, the title track from the album, hit #1 as well, making Carey the only artist in history to have her first five singles make it to the top of the charts. Her third album, 1993’s “Music Box”, was another huge smash, as was her 1994 holiday album “Merry Christmas”.

Carey had been romancing Mottola during this period, and the pair married in 1993. Considerable media attention was placed on the couple, not only due to Carey’s stardom but also because Mottola was over twice her age. The occasionally negative publicity didn’t harm her career, however, as her 1995 album “Daydream” became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Arguably still Carey’s best album, “Daydream” saw the diva take more creative control over her work, and the result was an LP laden with early hip-hop influences and significantly stronger lyrics. “Daydream” successfully showcased Carey’s ability to add musical substance and modernity to a tired pop formula that relied exclusively on her magical five-octave voice.

Mottola and Carey separated in 1996, and her 1997 album “Butterfly” saw her take on a more independent and sexed-up image than before. The album was no fluff, however, as Carey’s breezier style was kept in control by her unbelievable vocal talent and her smart mix of pop-soul and heavy-hitting collaborations with rap acts including Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs, Missy Elliott, and Jermaine Dupri. The album was a huge smash, as was her stylistically similar follow-up, 1999’s “Rainbow”. In between the two albums she released a successful “#1s” record and dated New York Yankees hunk Derek Jeter.

Carey soon hit her first ever slump with her 2001 semi-autobiographical film “Glitter” and its soundtrack, both of which were considered major failures. Her 2002 album with Island Def Jam Records, “Charmbracelet”, was the worst received record of her career and was mauled by critics who described the album as indicative of her fading vocal talent.

Not to be defeated, Carey had a major comeback in 2005 with the hip-hop heavy “The Emancipation of Mimi”, which has been a huge success with critics and Carey’s fans. Carey proved that her voice was only briefly dormant, and tough R&B ballads like “We Belong Together”, which stayed at #1 for a stunning 14 weeks, exhibited her continued passion and ability to craft crowd-pleasing hits. Considering the longevity of her career, it’s remarkable that the gorgeous singer-songwriter is only 36 years old, and by the time she’s finished belting out hit pop tracks she’ll likely be remembered as the most successful vocalist in history.