Mariah Carey

This singer songwriter revived her career a couple of years ago with albums number 10 and eleven. In the process she set herself at the top of one musical record and near th top of another.

Mariah Angela Carey was born on March 27 in Long Island, New York to a New York City Opera singing Irish mother and a Venezuelan father. Mariah was named for the song "They Call the Wind Maria" from "Paint Your Wagon", a favourite of her mother's. Mariah's mother recognized her daughter's - Mariah is the youngest of three girls - talents very early and became Mariah's vocal coach. Mariah Carey has a vocal range held by only a few with a five octave range. In fact, Mariah Carey is listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for singing the highest note by any human - a note that is above those found on a piano keyboard.

After graduating from high school Mariah moved into New York City to try and make her way into the music business. While waiting for her chance at fame and fortune Mariah held jobs as a hostess, waitress, hat check girl, and hair sweeper in a hair salon. Mariah admits to being fired from all of her jobs because of her attitude. Mariah landed a job as a back up singer from Brenda Starr.

It was Starr who provided Mariah with the break she needed when Starr handed a demo tape of Mariah to Columbia music head Tommy Mottola who signed Carey to her first record deal - and later her first husband.

With the release of her first album Mariah's success was immediate. The self titled debut album spawned several hit singles and went on to sell nine million copies. The album won her her first Grammy Award for Best New Artist. With each successive album that was released during the decade of the nineties Mariah found success with multi platinum selling albums and chart topping singles. Mariah Carey topped the Billboard charts every year during the decade of the nineties.

But with the new century Mariah did not continue her success. Her next two albums while eventually reaching gold status, were considered flops. But in 2005 with the release of "The Emancipation of Mimi" Mariah revived her career and chart topping success selling six million copies in the US alone.

The success continues with the recent release of her eleventh album "E=MC2".

Mariah Carey's success is unmatched by many musicians. She has five Grammy Awards, Radio Music Awards, American Music Awards, two albums reaching diamond status with a total of 10 million copies sold, ten album with multi platinum status (counting a compilation of hits),the only female to have 18 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and is second in the total number of weeks with a single in the number one spot.

Mariah Carey continues to entertain audiences with her music. Mariah was most recently in the news for marrying her second husband Nick Cannon.