Mary J. Blige is one of the most successful solo artists of all time, having sold over 65 million records worldwide since her debut in 1992. From her fruitful early collaborations with P. Diddy to her recent Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum album “The Breakthrough,” Blige has been one of the most consistently entertaining voices in R&B history. Constantly compared to soul greats like Aretha Franklin, Blige has a rich, distinct voice that will keep her at the top of the charts for decades to come.
Born in the Bronx on January 11, 1970, Blige was one of two children cared for by her mother after her father, a jazz musician, left the family when Mary was four. Forced to move to a dangerous housing project in Yonkers, New York, Blige was a troubled teen and dabbled in recreational drug use before dropping out of high school. She recently admitted to Oprah Winfrey that she was sexually assaulted as a child. However, Blige was nonetheless able to draw attention to her incredible voice during her formative years, singing in her church choir and winning a talent show at age seven.
Blige was ‘discovered’ by Jeff Redd, an Artists & Repertoire agent for Uptown Records who received a hastily recorded demo from Blige’s mother’s boyfriend. She was quickly signed to Uptown where she worked primarily as a background singer, becoming the label’s youngest and first female artist. It didn’t take long for Uptown execs to realize that Blige had enormous potential as a solo artist, and her first solo album was put under the supervision of rising Uptown exec Sean “Puffy” Combs. This first effort, “What’s the 411?,” put Blige on the map as a major hip-hop artist (she was dubbed ‘Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’), and it sold over 3 million copies in the U.S. alone.
Her follow-up, “My Life,” sold nearly as well and produced several hit singles. Darker and more personal than “What’s the 411?,” Blige battled alcoholism, drug addiction, and depression during the album’s promotion, and was in a well-publicized and borderline-abusive relationship with Jodeci frontman Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey. Blige followed with two more hugely successful albums in the 90s, the surprisingly uptempo “Share My World” and the more mature, soulful “Mary.” Her 2001 LP “No More Drama” produced her first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, “Family Affair.”
2003’s LP “Love & Life” became Blige’s first commercial and critical disappointment, despite selling over a million copies. The production reunited Blige with Diddy, but reportedly the superstar duo squabbled over creative differences throughout, resulting in an unfocused, surprisingly bland compilation. Her latest album, however, 2005’s “The Breakthrough,” may be her best to date. Crammed with powerful ballads like lead single “Be Without You,” the album sees Blige stretching her vocal muscles and experimenting with fusions of funk, soul, hip-hop, and rock. A cover of U2’s seminal single “One,” recorded with the band itself, is of particular note. To date, “The Breakthrough” has sold over six million copies worldwide and is the nominations leader at the 2007 Grammys.