Tina Turner Biography

Anna Mae Bullock (November 26, 1939), known professionally as Tina Turner, was an African-American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and choreographer. She was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, United States. She is considered the “Queen of Rock” after a fifty-four-year musical career.

Early years

Tina Turner is the youngest daughter of Zelma Priscilla Currie and Floyd Richard Bullock. She lived with her grandparents for much of her childhood and youth as her parents moved to Knoxville, Tennessee during World War II. Her grandparents took her to Woodlwan Missionary Baptist Church near Highway 19, which is now known as the Tina Turner Highway in her honor. They were very religious, disciplined, and strict individuals. Tina attended Flagg Glove Elementary School and continued attending church, this time at Nutbush Hill Baptist Church, where she had her first exposure to music.

For a period of time, Tina returned to live with her parents, but the family situation was never good; her father was a violent and abusive man. When she turned eleven, her mother left them to live in St. Louis. Two years later, her father started a new relationship and gradually distanced himself from his daughters, until the sisters were forced to be taken in by their grandmother in Georgeanna, Brownsville. For Tina, experiencing the lack of love from her mother was a very tough aspect of her life. Tina dedicated herself to studying and balancing her school days with her role as a cheerleader for the basketball team, and sometimes she even played the sport herself.

When she was sixteen years old, her grandmother died unexpectedly, and her mother took her with her to St. Louis. In this city, she was enrolled in Sumner High School and completed her studies in 1958. She then worked as a nurse’s aide at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, with the goal of eventually becoming the head nurse. After some time in the 1950s, she discovered that her sister Aillene had a magnificent voice. They started singing together at home.

Beginnings

Later, Tina suggested to her sister that they should sing in nightclubs. They started frequenting the Manhattan Club, a nightclub in the East St. Louis area, and over the months, Tina and her sister formed a small band. During one of their performances, Tina heard the Kings of the Rhythm band. The lead singer was Ike Turner. On another occasion, Gene Washington, the band’s drummer, invited Tina and her sister to join them on stage and perform a song.

The only one who dared was Tina. With Tina’s astonishing voice and magnificent performance on stage, Ike approached her and they sang a duet. Some time later, Ike offered Tina to join the band. From that moment on, Tina’s musical career took off, and Ike played a significant role in her career. In 1958, Tina made her first studio recording titled “Box Top” with singer Carlson Oliver under the name “Little Ann”.

Career: Iker & Tina Turner

Annie Bullock was already known by the stage name “Little Ann” before being associated with Ike Turner, who was already a prominent figure in black music in the city of St. Louis. In the late 1950s, they formed the duo Ike & Tina Turner, which had a successful artistic career from 1959 to 1973. They released their first songs in 1959, but it wasn’t until 1961 that any of their songs managed to enter national charts. Annie then formed the soul duo with Ike, whom she was in love with.

The duo quickly gained popularity, thanks to Ike’s recognition as one of the finest African-American voices in soul, being a singer who successfully evolved from his blues roots and seamlessly adapted to the rising R&B genre. In just one year, they managed to place three songs in the top 100, and the critics hailed them as the group with the greatest potential and impact of the moment. In essence, Tina Turner’s sexy image, the divinity of her voice, and her stage presence made them one of the best duos of the 60’s.

In 1966, they released the song “River Deep, Mountain High”, produced by Phil Spector, which gained tremendous worldwide resonance. Their subsequent singles topped the charts, and tours followed one after another. However, due to personal issues, Tina realized that her relationship with Ike was not as successful as her music career, leading her to make the decision to separate and end the duo. Her decision was influenced by Ike Turner’s inappropriate behavior, as he was arrested multiple times for drug possession, and his drug addiction had a negative impact on his vocal performance.

Solo career

Tina continued her solo career, but it wasn’t easy for her as she was emotionally devastated. She had a role in “Tommy,” the film by The Who, and recorded the album “Acid Queen”, which had little commercial success. Unfortunately, the same happened with her next work, “Rough” (1979). Fortunately, her career started to revitalize with the support of her sister, and she was invited in 1982 to sing on a version of “Ball Of Confusion” by the group B.E.F., who also produced a rendition of the song “Let’s Stay Together” (1983) by Al Green.

Over time, Tina continued to achieve brilliant success thanks to her talent. She released albums like “Let’s Stay Together” (1983) produced with the support of David Bowie, “Private Dancer” (1984), “Break Every Rule” (1986), “Foreign Affair” (1989), “Wildest Dreams” (1996), and “Soul Kiss” (1998), among others, many of which were Grammy Award winners. This marked Tina’s return to superstar status. With “Private Dancer”, her music was firmly established on the international scene, selling over ten million copies. Her fame continued to grow after she took on a role in the film “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”. Additionally, her single “We Don’t Need Another Hero” was included in the film’s soundtrack.

Another one of her successes was “Break Every Rule” (1986), an album that featured collaborations with important figures such as Phil Collins and Steve Winwood. She later embarked on a fourteen-month tour across various parts of the world. In 1988, she released “Tina Live in Europe”, which featured collaborations with Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Bryan Adams, and bluesman Robert Cray. In 1989, she once again dominated the playlists with the album “Foreign Affair”, which included hit singles like “The Best” and “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” and achieved million-selling status.

Between 1991 and 1993, Tina Turner released the albums “Simply The Best” and “What’s Love Got To Do With It”. In these albums, she maintained her distinctive musical style and iconic image. In early April 1996, she released the album “Wildest Dreams” and embarked on a tour in the United Kingdom. Her next album, “Twenty Four Seven”, was a major success both in sales and critical acclaim, reaching number nine on the Billboard 200 chart. This album marked the beginning of a new phase in her career.

In addition, she embarked on a successful worldwide tour called the “Twenty Four Seven Tour”, which became one of the most prominent tours of the year. During this time, Tina Turner demonstrated that she still possessed an electrifying voice and an inexhaustible charisma to thrill audiences. She embarked on a significant tour across the United States and several European countries.

After several decades of a music career and sixty years of life, Tina Turner announced her retirement in the summer of 2000 while residing in Zurich, Switzerland.

In 2004, Turner released a new compilation album titled “All the Best”, which included her most notable hits and some new songs. This album served as a reminder of her incredible journey in the music industry and was warmly received by both critics and fans.

The year 2008 marked Tina Turner’s triumphant return to the stage with a series of concerts at the famous O2 Arena in London. These performances not only generated immense interest but also proved that Tina’s energy and charisma were still intact. The audience response was overwhelming and confirmed her status as a living legend in the music industry.

2009: Retirement from Performing

In 2009, after concluding her successful “Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour”, Tina Turner announced her official retirement from music. Although she has made sporadic appearances at special events since then, she has made it clear that she does not plan to tour or release new albums. The following year, Turner attended the opening of a Broadway musical based on her life, titled “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”. This musical captivated audiences with its powerful storytelling and talented cast, receiving critical acclaim and nominations for several Tony Awards.

During the 2018 Grammy Awards ceremony, Tina Turner received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to music.

In 2019, the singer shared her personal story with the world by publishing her autobiography titled “Tina Turner: My Love Story”. In this book, she recounted her life and career in detail, allowing readers to delve into her triumphs and challenges over the years. The book was well received and became a bestseller.

On March 27, 2021, Tina Turner once again moved her fans as she bid farewell through the HBO documentary titled “Tina”, a work that offers a deep look into her life and career. In this captivating film, the legendary Tina Turner shares her longing to embark on the final and most meaningful stage of her life, where she seeks to find peace and fulfillment away from the spotlight. Furthermore, she courageously reveals that she has experienced post-traumatic stress as a result of the painful abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-husband and father of her children, singer Ike Turner.

Personal life

Initially, in 1958, Tina was involved in a relationship with The Kings of Rhythm saxophonist, Raymond Hill. At the age of eighteen, she became pregnant with the artist. As a result, her mother kicked her out of the house. When she tried to seek support from Raymond, she did not receive it because he had decided to return to his hometown due to an ankle fracture, leaving everything behind.

With her firstborn son Craig in her arms, Tina had nowhere to live, and that’s when Ike Turner allowed the singer to temporarily stay at his house in East St. Louis. During that time, both artists maintained only a friendship, as Ike was married to Lorraine Taylor, the mother of his two children, Ike Jr. and Michael.

In 1960, Tina and Ike entered into a relationship, and the singer became pregnant with their second child, their first and only child together, Ronald Turner, also known as Roonie Turner. Two years later, the singers got married in Tijuana, and as their wedding night, Ike Turner decided to take Tina to a brothel, where he indulged himself with the ladies working there.

After marrying the singer, that’s when Anna Mae change your name a Tina Turner. Additionally, the artist adopted Ike’s children from his previous marriage, Ike Jr. and Michael.

Ike Turner: Physical, emotional and sexual abuse

Tina Turner suffered a series of abuses from her husband, Ike, which started with a beating for refusing to go on tour. These abuses and beatings escalated due to Ike’s cocaine addiction. Additionally, it should be noted that Ike was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

During her marriage, Tina endured everything from sexual abuse to beatings that left her face shattered. Despite it all, she remained silent. On one occasion, she had to be hospitalized with broken bones and third-degree burns after having a cup of hot coffee thrown in her face. The injuries were so severe that she required reconstructive nose surgery due to both the burns and the blows she suffered.

In addition to all of that, Tina Turner had to face the pain of betrayals and infidelities. In 1968, while expecting another child with Ike, she learned that her friend, Ann Thomas, was also pregnant by him, which led her to make the painful decision to undergo a secret abortion. That same year, just before a concert in Los Angeles, Tina attempted suicide by ingesting Valium pills.

In July 1976, after being involved in a violent fight at the hotel where they were staying, Tina decided to end her relationship with Ike Turner. She was a victim of brutal beatings by her husband and managed to escape shortly after their arrival. In that same month, Tina filed for divorce and dissolved the musical duo they had formed together, Ike & Tina Turner.

New beginnings: Erwin Bach

After her separation from Ike Turner, the talented singer decided to focus on her solo career and enjoy her time alone. However, in 1985, her life took an unexpected turn when she crossed paths with Erwin Bach, a German music producer, during a party organized by her record label in the city of London. Despite the traumas she had endured in past relationships, Tina made the brave decision to step forward, engage in a conversation, and ask him out. Over time, this choice would prove to be one of the best decisions of her life.

From 1986 onwards, Erwin and Tina began their relationship, and over the next 25 years, their love blossomed. Finally, in 2013, they decided to take their commitment to the next level and formalized their union in marriage, sealing their love officially.

After getting married and living in Switzerland for twenty years, Tina Turner decided to apply for the nationality of that country. In early 2013, she managed to obtain it, simultaneously renouncing her American nationality.

Tina Turner’s illnesses

In 2016, Tina was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, and the following year she received a kidney transplant from her husband, Erwin Bach. Turner had faced a series of health issues, including cancer, a stroke, and kidney failure. In addition to that, she suffered from post-traumatic stress due to the abuse she had endured from Ike Turner.

Death of her sons: Craig and Roonie

In 2018, at her residence in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, the artist’s eldest son, Craig Raymond Turner, tragically took his own life at the age of 59. According to reports from local police, Craig was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

As for Ronnie Turner, he faced various health issues throughout his life, including a cancer diagnosis. In a 911 call, it was reported that Ronnie was experiencing respiratory distress, which unfortunately worsened leading to his passing. Despite the paramedics’ efforts to revive him, he was pronounced deceased shortly after. Ronnie passed away at his home in Encino, California, on December 8, 2022.

Death of Tina Turner

On May 24, 2023, Tina Turner passed away at the age of 83 in her residence in Küsnacht, after bravely battling an illness that accompanied her in her final years of life.

Filmography

Film works Tina Turner participated in:

TV

• “The Big T.N.T. Show” (1966).
• “It’s Your Thing” (1970).
• “Soul to Soul” (1971).
• “Ally McBeal” (2000).

Film

• “Gimme Shelter” (1970).
• “Taking Off” (1971).
• “Tommy” (1975).
• “All This and World War II” (1976).
• “John Denver and the Ladies” (1979).
• “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985).
• “What’s Love Got to Do with It” (1993).
• “Last Action Hero” (1993).

Discography

Musical works Tina Turner worked on:

Albums

• “Tina Turns the Country On!” (1974).
• “Acid Queen” (1975).
• “Rough” (1978).
• “Love Explosion” (1979).
• “Private Dancer (30th Anniversary Issue)” (1984).
• “Mad Max Thunderdome (Original Motion Picutre Soundtrack)” (1985).
• “Break Every Rule” (1986).
• “Tina Live in Europe” (1988).
• “Foreign Affair” (1989).
• “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” (1993).
• “Wildest Dreams” (1996).
• “Wildest Dreams (Expanded Version)” (1996).
• “Twenty Four Seven” (1999).
• “Twenty Four Seven (Expanded Version)” (1999).
• “Tina Live” (2009).
• “Children Beyond” (2011).

EP’s

• “The Best” (1989).
• “Foreign Affair (The Singles)” (1989).

Singles

1993

• “Proud Mary”.

1999

• “When the Heartache is Over”.
• “I Can’t Stand the Rain”.
• “On Silent Wings”.

2004

• “Open Arms”.
• “Great Spirits”.
• “Cose Della Vita”, ft Eros Ramazzotti.

Biography of Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony (born September 16, 1968) is an American salsa singer and actor, born in New York. His real name is Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera. From a young age, he has been involved in music, growing up with rock and rhythm & blues. His parents, Felipe Muñiz and Guillermina Rivera, discovered his passion and musical ability when he was a child. During his teenage years, to earn money, he began singing at bars and nightclubs, and quickly gained popularity. He was contacted by one of the members of the Latin Rascals group, and their producer Louie Vega invited him to record several albums with the Atlantic Records label.

Beginnings as a singer

One of Marc Anthony’s most successful musical products was the album “Rebel”, which achieved some success on the disco music charts. In 1992, his career in the salsa world took off when the famous Tito Puente took him as an opening act for a concert at Madison Square Garden. A year later, he recorded a salsa version of a song by Juan Gabriel that received excellent reviews and great popularity in the musical circles of New York. Soon, Marc Anthony appeared in several television productions and began to receive offers for concerts. After a few years, he was recognized as the new “king of salsa”. During the 1990s, his lyrics occupied the top position in Latin America and also in the United States.

The new “musical phenomenon”

Marc Anthony became a massively successful musical phenomenon, comparable to the success of Héctor Lavoe. At the same time, he continued to develop his acting career, appearing in films such as “Bringing out the Dead” directed by Martin Scorsese; “Big Night” directed by Stanley Tucci; “Hackers,” and “The Capeman,” a Broadway musical directed by singer and songwriter Paul Simon. He also performed the main theme of the soundtrack of “The Mask of Zorro” (1998), in which Antonio Banderas was the lead actor.

Third salsa album “Against the Stream”

That same year, he worked on the production of his third salsa album: “Contra la Corriente,” undoubtedly many salsa critics and aficionados affirm that it was the best album of his career, for which he received a Grammy for Best Latin-Tropical Album. In 1999, he released the album “Marc Anthony” to the market, this album undoubtedly demonstrates a new stage in his musical career, as it combined salsa with pop and also featured songs in English, in order to reach and conquer the Anglo-Saxon audience and market.

The first single, “I Need to Know,” put him in the top positions of the North American charts: it remained in the Top 10 of the Billboard for eleven weeks and eight more weeks in the Top 40. He also released the Spanish version, titled “Dímelo.” With this song, he won the Grammy for Best Latin Song of the Year and was number one on the Latin Billboard chart. He quickly released the second single, “You Sang to Me,” repeating the success of the previous one and selling over two million copies of the album.

Starting the new millennium, he released a greatest hits salsa album titled “Desde el principio.” After that, Marc Anthony went on a extensive tour that took him through the United States. All magazines and press talked about his triumphant concert at Madison Square Garden. Then he was in Canada and Central America. At that time, Marc Anthony received the admiration of his fans when he helped with his charitable work for the victims of Hurricane George, in sum, he founded a foundation that bears his name.

International tours

In 2011, he started the Dos Mundos Tour, with the company of Alejandro Fernández, a concert across Latin America. The following year, he was in Colombia at the Manacacías Summer Festival, many people from different parts of the country traveled to attend his concert. He had a significant participation in the 53rd International Song Festival of Viña del Mar, Chile, where he sang the song “¿Y cómo es él?” from his album “Iconos”. He received the highest distinction.

On March 3, 2012, Marc returned to Uruguay after 17 years and gave his performance at the Charrúa Stadium in Montevideo with an attendance of 25,000 spectators. In the GIGANT3S TOUR, he performed in several North American cities alongside Chayanne and Marco Antonio Solís. In 2013, he released his album 3.0. In 2014, he was the big winner of four of the five awards for which he was nominated at the Premios Lo Nuestro. Additionally, his career was recognized as one of the most successful Latin music artists. In 2016, he released a song called “Deja que te bese” with the collaboration of Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, the song has over 50 million views on Youtube.

Marriages, children.

In September 2016, he carried out his “Marc Anthony Live” tour which included 5 dates at Radio City Music Hall. His private life has been somewhat controversial and has been exposed to various comments. He had his first daughter in 1994, Arianna Rosado-Muñiz, a product of his relationship with a former police officer from New York. In 2000 he married for the first time to Dayanara Torres, with whom he had two children. He later helped Jennifer Lopez in the production of the song “Sway” for the soundtrack of the movie Shall We Dance?. They then fell in love and after only one month of relationship, they got engaged in March 2004.

The couple had twins and Jennifer sold the exclusive photos of the children to People Magazine. However, after a few years, the couple decided to end their marriage on April 9, 2012. It is said that everything started when Jennifer Lopez met dancer Casper Smart and began a relationship with him two months after her separation from Marc. Later, Marc started a relationship with Venezuelan model Shannon de Lima, whom he married in 2014. Despite this, his relationship with Jennifer, the mother of his children, is harmonious, and he even participated in her song “Olvídame y pega la vuelta” in 2016. Two years earlier, the Puerto Rican singer made an impact with the hit song “Flor Pálida”.

On January 28, 2023, he married Nadia Ferreira in an incredible wedding surrounded by stars from film, music, and sports. The ceremony took place at the Perez Art Museum in Miami, with David Beckham as the best man.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Nadia Ferreira (@nadiatferreira)

Biography of Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney (born June 18, 1942) is a singer. He was born in Liverpool, England. His mother, Mary Patricia, was a nurse, while his father, James McCartney, was a volunteer firefighter. During Paul’s birth, his father was not present as he was fighting in the Battle of England during World War II. Paul grew up in a religious and strict environment, with his mother Catholic and his father Protestant, but later became agnostic. After returning from the war, his father devoted himself to selling cleaning products and, in his free time, played in bars.

Death of his mother

That’s why his son developed a deep love for music. He stood out in school for his intelligence and discipline and studied at Liverpool Institute secondary school, a good free secondary school. In 1954, he met George Harrison, with whom he quickly formed a strong friendship. At the time, McCartney’s mother was the one who kept the household and for work reasons they moved to Allerton, where they lived until 1964. On October 31, 1956, when McCartney was 14 years old, his mother died from a stroke.

After his mother’s death, McCartney was devastated. It took some time for him to return to normal. His father saw music as a refuge to help his son feel better, so he took him to listen to the Jim Mac’s Jazz Band, where his father played trumpet or piano. He also gave him a trumpet, but when rock and roll became popular, he chose an acoustic guitar. The first song he composed was “I Lost My Little Girl” on that guitar, a Zenith. He also composed “When I’m Sixty-Four” on the home piano.

1957 – Met John Lennon

He met Lennon on July 6th, 1957. McCartney joined The Quarrymen, a school band led by Lennon, in 1958 as the lead guitarist. The band mixed rock and roll and skiffle, a popular music style, with jazz and blues. After several name changes, the band decided to call themselves The Beatles in August 1960 and recruited drummer Pete Best for their move to Hamburg. In 1961, one of its members, Sutcliffe, left the band and McCartney was forced to take over as bassist. They recorded as a backing band for English singer Tony Sheridan on the single My Bonnie.

1963 – “Beatlemania”

They managed to attract the attention of Brian Epstein, who became their manager in January 1962 and a key figure in their later success. With their first hit, “Love Me Do” in 1963, the “Beatlemania” began. John Lennon and Paul wrote a large number of songs together, but later their egos collided and they preferred to write separately. In 1970, The Beatles disbanded. But Paul continued his successful career with songs that reached number one. He recorded his first solo LP, “McCartney”, with songs very different from those that Lennon would write, with commercial melodies for varied tastes.

1980 – Paul McCartney Guinness Records

In 1980, he entered the Guinness Book of Records as the highest-selling songwriter in the world. His theme Yesterday, one of the most celebrated by The Beatles, has around 2,500 versions in the most diverse musical styles. Some of his solo hits are: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Live and Let Die for the James Bond film received the Oscar for best musical theme; Coming Up from his solo album Paul McCartney II. He joined George Martin and Ringo Starr in 1982 for the recording of Tug of War. On Press to play, his next album, was recorded with Eric Stewart.

Awards, arrest, record.

Winner of 18 Grammy Awards, including two Lifetime Achievement Grammy Awards (one with the Beatles and another as a solo artist). He is a vegetarian and an animal rights advocate. He was arrested for marijuana possession in Tokyo in 1980 and was briefly in jail. He participated in the “Live Aid” concert against hunger in Ethiopia in 1985. In 1990, he achieved the record for the largest attendance at a concert with 184,000 people in Rio de Janeiro. Since 1997 he is Sir Paul McCartney, invested as a knight by Queen Elizabeth II.

2013 – Other awards, marriages.

On February 10, 2013, he received a Grammy for “Best Traditional Pop Album” for his album “Kisses On The Bottom”. Later, he received a special award from PRS for Music in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the composition of his most famous song, “Yesterday“. These songs, as well as “And I Love Her,” “You Will Not See Me,” and “I’m Looking Through You,” were written inspired by his relationship with British actress Jane Asher. After five years of engagement, the couple broke up due to his infidelity with Francie Schwartz. He married Linda Eastman on March 12, 1969, and together they formed the musical group Wings after the dissolution of the Beatles. In 1999, he presented his collection of poems entitled “Blackbird Singing: Poems and Lyrics (1965-1999)”. After the death of his wife, McCartney experienced deep sadness.

In 2002, Paul McCartney married former model Heather Mills in an Irish castle. After a long legal battle in the London Supreme Court, in 2008 Mills was authorized to collect one fifth of the 250 million dollars she had demanded from McCartney for their four-year marriage. In 2011, McCartney married Nancy Shevell in a civil ceremony in London on October 9th of that year.

Relevant aspects of his life and musical career

• With 60 gold records and the sale of over 100 million albums and singles as a solo artist and with The Beatles, McCartney is recognized as one of the most successful composers and artists of all time.
• As a solo artist in 1999 and as a member of The Beatles in 1988, he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
• As a solo artist and with The Beatles, he has been recognized with twenty-one Grammy Awards.
• 32 of the songs that McCartney has written or co-written have reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• As of 2014, he had sold over 15 million certified units by the RIAA in the United States.
• In 1997, McCartney was elevated to the rank of knight for his services to music.
• In 1965, McCartney, Lennon, Harrison and Starr were named members of the Order of the British Empire.
• He has been married three times and is the father of five children.
• He has participated in projects to help international charities related to issues such as animal rights, seal hunting, landmine cleaning, vegetarianism, poverty and musical education.
• He ranks 11th on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Singers.
• He ranks first on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Artists as a member of The Beatles.
• He ranks third on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Bassists.
• Only surpassed by Bob Dylan, he ranks second on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Songwriters.

Biography of Beyoncé

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, actress, dancer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. She was born in Houston, Texas on September 4th, 1981. She is the older sister of singer and actress Solange Knowles and the daughter of Mathew and Tina Knowles. From a young age, Beyoncé grew up with the conviction of dedicating herself to music. She studied at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later at the Alief Elsik High School. At a young age, she won a talent contest with a performance of “Imagine,” the famous song by John Lennon. In 1997, she joined the quartet Destiny’s Child, along with LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, and her childhood friend Kelly Rowland, which later became a trio with Michelle Williams, Beyoncé and her friend. With this group, the singer achieved success, selling more than sixty million copies around the world.

2003 – First solo album.

In 2003, Beyoncé released her debut album as a solo artist, “Dangerously in Love”, which reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200 in its first week with 317,000 copies sold. She also won five Grammy awards, reached the top spots on the Canadian and British charts, and ultimately sold a total of 11 million copies worldwide. The single “Crazy in Love”, which featured the collaboration of Jay-Z (with whom she had started a romantic relationship since 2002), was the most popular song of that summer.

2006 – Album “B’Day”

On September 4th, 2006, she released her second solo album, titled B’Day to celebrate her 25th birthday. This album has accumulated more than eight million sales worldwide and was positioned at number one on the Billboard 200. For the single “Déjà vu” from the same album, she again collaborated with rapper Jay-Z and Rodney Jerkins. This single reached the top of the British chart, fifth place on the American chart and first on the US R&B chart. In the same year, Beyoncé released her second international single from B’Day, “Irreplaceable,” which was her most successful song at the time. It stayed on the top of the American chart for ten weeks. For the third single, “Upgrade U,” she collaborated again with Jay-Z and eventually married him a year later in the French capital.

Album “I Am… Sasha Fierce”

On November 18th of the same year of her marriage, she released her third album, I Am… Sasha Fierce, which becomes a great success like her other works. For this album she released the singles If Were a Boy, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Diva, Halo, and Sweet Dreams. One year later, in 2009, she went on a tour to promote the album, I Am… Tour, and another year later she was awarded six Grammy awards out of the ten she was nominated for. Also, her song Video Phone, which featured Lady Gaga, was nominated for five MTV awards. In 2011 she released her fourth album, 4, after it was leaked on the internet. At the same time, it was known that she was pregnant and she had to deny some media that insisted that everything was a lie.

2013 – “The Formation World Tour” Tour

In 2013, Beyoncé releases “Life is But a Dream,” an autobiographical documentary for HBO, and later performs a tour to promote her fourth album, titled “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.” To avoid the disaster that occurred on the internet with her previous work, Beyoncé decides to make a surprise release of her fifth work, “Beyoncé,” which contained 14 songs and 17 music videos. With different content from her older works, Beyoncé explores deeper themes in this album, receiving approval and praise from critics and audiences. Following this success, the artist released her sixth music album, “Lemonade,” for which she performed the “The Formation World Tour,” considered one of the most attended in her career and awarded as Tour of the Year for the American Music Awards in its 44th edition.

Later, she performs in Jon Favreau’s film, The Lion King, as Nala; collaborates with Eminem on his song Walk on Water; collaborates with Ed Sheeran for the song Perfect; and goes on a worldwide tour with her husband, Jay-Z, titled On the Run II Tour. Currently, she is working on her seventh project, the name of which is not yet known, but it is known that it will be released through the Netflix platform.

Some recognitions

• She is considered one of the best contemporary popular music artists for her dynamic and impressive stage choreography.
• Her career has been going on for over 20 years and she has won 28 Grammy awards.
• She is one of the highest selling music artists. As a solo artist, she has sold around 100 million recordings and around 60 million with Destiny’s Child.
• During the 2000s, the Recording Industry Association of America recognized Beyoncé as the number one certified artist in the United States.
• In 2014, she topped Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list.
• She became the highest-paid black artist in music history.
• In 2013 and 2014, she was included on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
• During the 2021 Grammy Awards ceremony on March 14th, she made history by becoming the most awarded female artist in history with a total of 28 awards.
• In 2021, she was included on Pitchfork’s list of the 200 most influential artists of the last 25 years.

Biography of Wiz Khalifa

Wiz Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, is a rap singer born on September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota, United States. His parents were members of the United States Armed Forces, which led him to frequently move to places like Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There he studied at Taylor Allderdice High School. At the age of three, his parents separated and his grandmother, who was Muslim, nicknamed him Khalifa.

Due to his mother’s career in the military, Wiz had to be taken care of by his aunt during the Iraq War, which made him mature faster than his peers and made it difficult for him to make friends outside of his family circle. However, this experience inspired him to write his feelings in songs. At the age of 14, he already had several compositions and began to receive attention for his good voice and attractive lyrics.

Beginnings of his music career

Wiz Khalifa was inspired by musical idols such as Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, Cam’ron and Notorious B.I.G., but he set out to create his own musical identity rather than copying their styles. In search of a recording studio in Pittsburgh, he found ID LABS, where the owner Eric Dan immediately recognized his talent. Together with manager Chad Glick, they began to develop Khalifa’s talent. Soon, he joined Benjy Grinberg’s project at Rostrum Records, after hearing his contribution to a mixtape called Prince of the City2: Welcome to Pistolvania, featuring various emerging artists in Pittsburgh. Under Benjy’s tutelage, Khalifa joined the Rostrum Records family. In 2006, Rostrum released his first mixtape called Show and Prove, followed by two more mixtapes: Grow Season, organized by DJ Green Lantern, and Prince of the City 2, released on November 20, 2007. With these releases, he began his ascent in the music world.

His first contract with Warner Bros Records label

At the age of 16, Wiz Khalifa signed a contract with the prestigious Warner Bros Records label, directed by Grinberg, who considered him a diamond in the rough despite his young age. For the next seven years, he developed his artistic career in an exceptional way within the label. His debut was with the single “Say Yeah”, which led him to reach position 25 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 and number 20 on the Billboard’s Hot Rap Tracks. He also appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, being mentioned as an “artist to watch”. In addition, he performed near the final of the Pittsburgh mash up 2008. In September 2008, Khalifa released the mixtape “Star Power” and in April 2009 he released “Flight School”.

The reason for his departure from Warner Bros Records.

With “Flight School”, Wiz Khalifa decided to part ways with Warner Bros Records due to repeated delays in the release of his debut album planned for the label, “First Flight”. Despite this, Khalifa expressed his gratitude towards the record label as he learned and matured as an artist during his time there. After leaving Warner Bros Records, Khalifa resumed his association with Rostrum Records, releasing the single “Teach U to Fly” and the mixtape “How Fly”. On August 9th, 2009, he also collaborated with New Orleans rapper Currensy. At this time, Khalifa was building a more melodic style, alternating singing with rapping.

Wiz Khalifa was the opening act for Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon held in New York City. Later, he released the mixtape “Burn After Rolling” on November 2nd, 2009, which included songs such as “If I Were a Boy” and “Diva” by Beyoncé, and “Best I Ever Had” by Drake. Twenty days after “Burn After Rolling”, Khalifa released his second album “Deal or No Deal”.

Khalifa: included in the list of the best singers

Wiz Khalifa appeared on the cover of XXL magazine that same month, and was included in the list of the best singers along with other artists such as Donnis, J. Cole, Pill, Freddie Gibbs and Fashawn. In 2010, he was nominated by The Source Magazine, alongside Rick Ross, as Man of the Year. Khalifa released the mixtape “Kush and Orange Juice” on June 14th, 2010, which could be downloaded digitally and due to its high number of downloads and popularity on the radio, it became the #1 trending topic on Twitter. His fame was such that he signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although initially this was only a rumor. In addition, he began working on a new musical project with All Hip Hop. Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30th that he had signed an agreement with Atlantic Records.

His marriage with Amber Rose

It is no secret that Wiz Khalifa has a large amount of money, his net worth is estimated to be 45 million dollars. An example of this is that in 2012 he purchased a luxurious house in the vicinity of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. In that same year, Khalifa proposed to model Amber Rose. On September 6th, 2012, at the MTV Video Music Awards, they announced their pregnancy. They planned to get married in the first semester of 2013. Amber gave birth to a son named Sebastian Taylor Thomas on February 21st, 2013. After the birth, Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose got married in a private ceremony, a marriage that lasted until 2016.

Some interesting facts about Wiz Khalifa

Khalifa has had several legal issues with the Pittsburgh City Council due to his use of cannabis, the singer stated that he requires $10,000 per month to buy marijuana and he also smokes daily. In addition to being a great lover of rap and Hip Hop, he is a fan of all the city’s sports teams, especially the Pittsburgh Steelers, and others such as the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates, Arena Football League’s Pittsburgh Power, and also the NHL Chicago Blackhawks.

Posthumous video tribute to actor Paul Walker

Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa are part of the soundtrack of the video “See You Again”, which pays posthumous tribute to actor Paul Walker. It has been one of the most played videos in recent times, with this, they earned an average of $1,000 for each million visits.

Visit to Colombia in 2007

Wiz Khalifa visited Colombia in 2017 where he participated in a concert in the city of Medellín with Puerto Rican Tego Calderón, and then in Bogotá to attend the rock and pop festival Estéreo Picnic. However, his visit generated controversy due to his behavior in Medellín, where he visited the tomb of Pablo Escobar, taking pictures leaving flowers and smoking marijuana, he also visited the Hotel Mónaco, where Pablo Escobar lived. This generated great indignation among the inhabitants of Medellín and nationally. Later, the singer upon returning to his country apologized on his social media accounts, stating that his intention was not to offend anyone.