Mary J Blige biography
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Mary J Blige filmography

[h3]When Mary J Blige recorded herself singing 'Caught Up in The Rapture', by Anita Baker, into a karaoke machine in a shopping mall in White Plains, New York, little did she know it would be the catalyst to her groundbreaking music career. [/h3]

The tape found its way into the hands of Uptown Records chief, Andre Harrell, who signed the talented 17 year old instantly.

Taken under the wing of up-and-coming producer, [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/187:0/Sean_Combs.htm]Sean “Puffy” Combs[/urlnew], her first album ‘What’s The 411?’ combined traditional R & B sounds with gospel and blues-inspired vocals, and set them against rap, hip-hop and high-tech funk. It defined “ghetto fabulous” and was critically well received.

Blige had sass, wore combat boots, talked trash – in short, she was a street-tough woman who played the boys at their own game.

Her next album, ‘My Life’, was a highly personalised effort, touching on her real-life pain of drug abuse and physically abusive relationships. Despite a Grammy nomination as best R & B album, it fared less well. Amidst accusations of being increasingly unreliable and demanding, she severed ties with Combs and defected to RCA.

Following the move, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as producers, she released ‘Share My World’ in 1997. While Blige had shed the more confrontational aspects of her music and critics complained of the more conventional soul sound, the album hit No.1 in the Billboard charts.

Two years later, Blige’s transition to the music mainstream was complete: her album ‘Mary’ featured compositions by [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/218:0/Stevie_Wonder.htm]Stevie Wonder[/urlnew], [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/330:0/Elton_John.htm]Elton John[/urlnew], Diane Warren and a duet with [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/2065:0/Aretha_Franklin.htm]Aretha Franklin[/urlnew].

A more contented Blige reaped commercial success with the triple-platinum 2001 release, ‘No More Drama’. Alongside her music career, she filmed several anti-drug public service messages and has tirelessly raised money for AIDS charities.

In 2003, a reunion with Sean Combs produced her ‘Love and Life’ album. Aged thirty-two, she confirmed her artistic development by writing 17 out of the 18 tracks, tellingly one song was titled ‘Finally Made It’.

In December that year, she married Kendu Isaacs, the man she credits with reconnecting her to her Christian faith and who has helped her stay clean and sober.

Her home, a New Jersey mansion, may be just a river across from the projects of the Bronx where she grew up, but Mary J Blige has travelled much further on her personal journey.
Mary J Blige biography



- Her job before she became a singer was a Directory Assistance operator, thus the title of her debut album What's the 411?

- Her sister LaTonya is her co-manager.

- She has a scar under her left eye which testifies to a hard adolescence.
Mary J Blige biography




Mary J Blige biography



[b]Studio Albums:[/b]

1992: What's the 411?

1994: My Life

1997: Share My World

1999: Mary

2001: No More Drama

2003: Love & Life

2005: The Breakthrough

2006: Reflections - A Retrospective

2007: Growing Pains
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