Mary J. Blige
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Mary J. Blige | |
|---|---|
 Mary J. Blige performing at the Neighborhood Ball in Washington, D.C.; 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mary Jane Blige |
| Born | January 11, 1971 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, model, record producer, actress |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Matriarch/Capitol (current) Uptown/MCA/Geffen/Interscope Verve Records (former) |
| Associated acts | Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Method Man, Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, R. Kelly, Monica, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Whitney Houston, 2face Idibia, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Ludacris |
| Website | Official website |
Mary Jane Blige (or simply Mary J Blige, born January 11, 1971) is an American R&B, hip hop and soul singer. She released 11 studio albums, 82 singles, and 8 other albums.
Music career[change | change source]
In 1988, just for fun, Blige recorded an cover of Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture" at a recording booth in a local mall. Her mother's boyfriend at the time later played the cassette for Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. Redd then sent it to the president and CEO of the label, Andre Harrell. Harrell met with Blige and, in 1989, she joined the label, becoming the company's youngest and first female artist.
Other works[change | change source]
Production for Blige's first album, Whats the 411?, began in 1991. Sean "Puffy" Combs (at the time a beginning A&R executive at Uptown) organised the project. Also enlisted were some of the top R&B and hip hop producers of the time, among them Tony Dofat, Mark Morales and Cory Rooney, Dave "Jam" Hall, and DeVante Swing.
In 2014 Blige will tour with R. Kelly called "The King and Queen Tour".[1]
Personal life[change | change source]
Blige is a Democrat.[2]
Filmography[change | change source]
Film[change | change source]
Television[change | change source]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Herself | "Private Enemy No. 1" (episode 14, season 1), "Tag You're Dead" (episode 2, season 2) [music performance] |
| 1998 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Ola Mae | "Papa Don't Preach" (episode 14, season 2) |
| 1999 | Moesha | Herself | "Good Vibrations?" (episode 1, season 5) |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Simone Fellows | "History" (episode 4, season 2) |
| 2007 | Ghost Whisperer | Jackie Boyd | "Mean Ghost" (episode 15, season 2) |
| Entourage | Herself | "Gary's Desk" (episode 8, season 4) | |
| 2009 | 30 Rock | Herself | "Kidney Now!" (episode 22, season 3) |
| 2010 & 2012 | American Idol | Guest judge/Herself | 2010: Auditions were held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia Dome when Blige guest judged. 2012: Mentor for the Top 13 Whitney Houston & Stevie Wonder Week |
| 2012 | The Voice | Herself | Mentor of Team Adam (season 3) |
| 2013 | Betty & Coretta | Dr. Betty Shabazz | Television film Nominated — Women's Image Network Award for OutstandingOutstanding Actress Made for Television Movie / Mini-Series |
| The X Factor | Guest judge/herself | Blige assisted Nicole Scherzinger at her judge's house in Antigua | |
| 2015 | Empire | Angie | "Sins of the Father" (episode 10, season 1) |
| The Wiz Live! | Evillene, The Wicked Witch of the West | TV special Nominated — Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable | |
| Black-ish | Mirabelle Chalet | Guest appearance in Season 1, episode 24 | |
| 2016 | How To Get Away With Murder | Ro | TV Series (2 episodes) |
| 2019–present | The Umbrella Academy | Cha-Cha | Main role |
| 2019 | Scream | Sherry Elliot | Recurring role |
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "R. Kelly Announces Tour with Mary J. Blige". BET.com.
- ↑ Tran, Vivyan (September 7, 2012). "Celebrities spotted at the Democratic National Convention". Politico.
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