Mariah Carey, (born March 27, 1970, Huntington, New York, U.S.), American pop singer, is noted for her remarkable vocal range. Carey began performing as a child. After graduating (1987) from high school in Greenlawn, New York, she moved to New York City to pursue a singing career.
Carey made a demo tape that led Tommy Mottola, an executive at Columbia Records, to sign her in 1988; the couple married in 1993. Her debut album, Mariah Carey (1990), showcased her incredible vocal range and blended several musical genres, including gospel, pop, and rhythm and blues (R&B).
It was a huge success, and in 1991 Carey won Grammy Awards for best new artist and best female pop vocalist. That same year the title track from her follow-up album, Emotions, became her fifth consecutive chart-topping single. Subsequent hit albums included Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), both of which sold some 10 million copies in the United States, as well as the holiday-themed Merry Christmas (1994).
In 2001 Carey signed an $80 million contract with Virgin Records that made her the highest-paid recording artist. Her career was soon interrupted, however, when she suffered a breakdown and was hospitalized following erratic behaviour. She starred in Glitter (2001), but both the semi autobiographical film and its accompanying album did not fare well.
Later that year she signed with Island/Def Jam, but her first album for the label, Charmbracelet (2002), was a disappointment. However, her follow-up, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), was a critical and commercial success, becoming the top-selling album of the year in the United States, with more than six million copies sold. It also earned three Grammy Awards, including best contemporary R&B album. “Touch My Body,” from E=MC2 (2008), became Carey’s 18th number one song on the Billboard singles chart.
Carey has been called a pop iconand has been labeled a "diva" for her stardom and persona. She stated, "I have had diva moments, and then people can't handle it. I guess it's a little intense, because I come from a true diva: My mother is an opera singer. And that's a real diva, you know - Juilliard diva. And I mean it as a compliment, or I wouldn't be the person I am without experiencing that."
Carey's fanbase is known as the "Lambily", a portmanteau of "lamb" and "family".In 2008, Carey was named one of Time's 100 most influential artists and entertainers in the world. NOW writer, Kevin Hegge, agreed that "Carey’s influence is indisputable".
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