TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's eponymous debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. "Our Song", her third single, made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number one song on the country chart. She received a Best New Artist nomination at the 2008 Grammy Awards.

Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the crossover success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", Fearless became the top-selling album of 2009 and was supported by an extensive concert tour. The record won four Grammy Awards, with Swift becoming the youngest ever Album of the Year winner. Swift's third album, 2010's Speak Now, sold over one million copies in its first week of US release and was supported by the thirteen-month Speak Now World Tour. The album's third single, "Mean", won two Grammy Awards. Swift's fourth album, Red, was released in 2012. Its opening US sales of 1.21 million were the highest recorded in a decade, with Swift becoming the only female artist to have two million-plus opening weeks. The lead single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", was Swift's first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a worldwide hit. The Red Tour is scheduled to begin in March 2013.

Swift is known for her hook-laden, narrative songs about her experiences as a teenager and young adult. As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Swift's other achievements include six Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, six Academy of Country Music Awards and thirteen BMI Awards. She has sold over 26 million albums and 70 million song downloads worldwide. In addition to her music career, Swift has appeared as an actress in the crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2009), the ensemble comedy Valentine's Day (2010) and the animated film The Lorax (2012). Forbes estimates that she is worth over $165 million. As a philanthropist, Swift supports arts education, children's literacy, natural disaster relief, LGBT rights, and charities for sick children.

Birth name: Taylor Alison Swift

Born: December 13, 1989. Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Genres: Pop, pop rock, country, country pop, electronic

Occupations: Singer-songwriter, musician, actress

Instruments: Vocals, guitar, banjo guitar, ukulele, piano

Years active: 2006–present

Labels: Big Machine

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Concert:

Taylor Swift - Live in Concert 

Album:

Taylor Swift Full Tracklist-RED (ALBUM)

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RAY CHARLES

Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.”

The influences upon his music were mainly jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and country artists of the day such as Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, Charles Brown, Louis Armstrong. His playing reflected influences from country blues and barrelhouse, and stride piano styles.

Rolling Stone ranked Charles number ten on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"

Birth name: Ray Charles Robinson

Born: September 23, 1930. Albany, Georgia, United States

Origin: Greenville, Florida, United States

Died: June 10, 2004 (aged 73), Beverly Hills, California, U.S.

Genres: Rhythm and blues, soul, blues, soul blues, rock and roll, jazz, vocal jazz, country, pop, gospel

Occupations: Composer, musician, arranger, bandleader

Instruments: Vocals, piano, keyboards, alto saxophone, trombone

Years active: 1947–2004

Labels: Atlantic, ABC, Warner Bros., Swing Time, Concord, Columbia, Flashback

Associated acts: The Raelettes

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Ray trailer

Concert:

Ray Charles Live At Montreux JAZZ FESTIVAL

Album:

Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962) 

JESSICA SIMPSON

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American recording artist, actress, television personality and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies and commercials, launched a line of hair and beauty products and designed fragrances, shoes and handbags for women. She has devoted time to philanthropic efforts including Operation Smile and a USO-hosted tour for troops stationed overseas. She started the Jessica Simpson Collection in 2005.

Simpson first rose to fame with the release of her debut single, "I Wanna Love You Forever", which peaked inside the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequently, her debut album Sweet Kisses went on to be certified 2x Platinum in the United States, and sold over four million copies worldwide. Her 2001 single "Irresistible" became her second Top 20 hit, while the album of the same name became her first to enter the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, and went on to receive a Gold certification from the RIAA. Her third studio album, In This Skin, went on to become her best selling album worldwide, receiving a 4x Platinum certification from the RIAA and peaking at number 2 on the Billboard 200, her highest charting album to date. Following the release of a Christmas album, Simpson released A Public Affair in 2006, and the album became her third Top 10 hit on the Billboard 200. She ventured into the country music market in 2008 and released Do You Know. In October 2010 she released her first compilation album and last album under the label of Epic Records, with the name Playlist: The Very Best of Jessica Simpson. A month later she released her second Christmas album Happy Christmas under the label Primary Wave Records, owned by EMI. She has achieved seven Billboard Top 40 hits, three gold and two multi-platinum Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified studio albums, four of which have reached the top 10 on the US Billboard 200. She has sold 30 million albums worldwide.

Starting in 2003, Simpson starred with her then-husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. The show aired from 2003 to 2005, During the first part of 2010, Simpson appeared in her second reality show on VH1 "The Price of Beauty." Simpson promoted the show on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Ellen Degeneres Show, The View and The Early Show. The Price of Beauty gained a generally positive reception, pulling in 1 million viewers on its premiere. The show was also nominated for a Teen Choice Award. She also recorded the show's theme song, "Who We Are". Simpson has also ventured into acting, and has appeared in films including "Employee of the Month" and the 2008 film "Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous". She has also portrayed Daisy Duke in the 2005 film adaption of The Dukes of Hazzard.

Birth name: Jessica Ann Simpson

Born: July 10, 1980 (age 31), Abilene, Texas, United States

Genres: Pop, dance, country, R&B

Occupations: Singer-songwriter, actress, fashion designer

Years active: 1999–present

Labels: Columbia, Epic, Columbia Nashville, Primary Wave, EMI

Associated acts: Nick Lachey, Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, Ashlee Simpson, 98 Degrees, Willie Nelson, Kirk Franklin, God's Property, CeCe Winans.

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Concert:

Jessica Simpson - Irresistible Showcase Concert

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JANIS JOPLIN

Janis Joplin

Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter from Port Arthur, Texas. As a youth Joplin was ridiculed by her fellow students due to her unconventional appearance and personal beliefs. She later sang about her experience at school through her song "Ego Rock." Early in her life, Joplin cultivated a rebellious and unconventional lifestyle, becoming a beatnik poet. She began her singing career as a folk and blues singer in San Francisco, playing clubs and bars with her guitar and auto-harp.

Joplin first rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of the psychedelic-acid rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist with her more soulful and bluesy backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band. She was one of the more popular acts at the Monterey Pop Festival and later became one of the major attractions to the Woodstock festival and the Festival Express train tour.

Janis Joplin only charted five singles in her life but her hits and other popular songs from throughout her four year career include "Down On Me", "Bye, Bye Baby", "Coo Coo", "Summertime", "Piece of My Heart," "Turtle Blues," "Ball 'n' Chain," "Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)," "Maybe," "To Love Somebody," "Kozmic Blues," "Work Me, Lord," "Move Over," "Cry Baby," "A Woman Left Lonely," "Get It While You Can," "My Baby," "Trust Me," "Mercedes Benz," "One Night Stand," "Raise Your Hand" and her only number one hit, "Me and Bobby McGee."

Joplin was well known for her performing abilities and her fans referred to her stage presence as electric. At the height of her career, she was known as "The Queen of Rock and Roll" as well as "The Queen of Psychedelic Soul" and became known as Pearl amongst her friends. She was also a painter, dancer and music arranger.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Joplin number 46 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, and number 28 on its 2008 list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Birth name: Janis Lyn Joplin

Also known as: Pearl, Mary Jane

Born: January 19, 1943. Port Arthur, Texas, United States

Died: October 4, 1970 (aged 27), Los Angeles, California, United States

Genres: Blues rock, soul, psychedelic rock, acid rock, country, folk, hard rock, jazz blues

Occupations: Singer, songwriter

Instruments: Vocals, guitar, auto-harp, harmonica, piano, percussion

Years active: 1962–1970

Labels: Columbia

Associated acts: Big Brother and the Holding Company, Kozmic Blues Band, Full Tilt Boogie Band, Grateful Dead.

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Concert:

Janis Joplin - Cry Baby live in toronto 1970

Album:

Janis Joplin - Pearl 1971 - FULL ALBUM

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LIONEL RICHIE

Lionel Richie

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. From 1968, he was a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records. Richie made his solo debut in 1982 with the album Lionel Richie and number-one hit "Truly".

Birth name: Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr.

Born: June 20, 1949 (age 62), Tuskegee, Alabama, United States

Genres: Soul, R&B, pop, pop rock, country

Occupations: Singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer, actor

Instruments: Vocals, piano/keyboards, saxophone

Years active: 1967–present

Labels: Island, MCA, Motown

Associated acts: Diana Ross, Commodores, Nicole Richie, Alabama (band), Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Patti Labelle, USA for Africa, Jason Derulo, Natasha Bedingfield,Kenny Rogers, Akon, Trijntje Oosterhuis.

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Lionel Richie Symphonica In Rosso

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