Christina
Aguilera is one of the most accomplished
performers of the past decade. She has sold well over 25
million albums worldwide and cultivated a fan base that crosses
generational,
racial and gender lines.
Now, segueing from the audacious sexuality of her second studio
album, Stripped, the chameleon-like performer pays tribute to the
music that has inspired her with the August 15th release of Back
To Basics.
A modern take on vintage jazz, soul and blues
from the 1920s, 30s, 40's and beyond, her third studio album is
wildly inventive, whose
throwback style creates a sound that's gritty and raw. The album
reunites her with producer Linda Perry and offers new collaborations
with producers such as DJ Premier. Her debut single, "Ain't
No Other Man," off her successful selling album, was a huge
success, while her recently released second single "Hurt" is
climbing the charts. Back To Basics has made Christina
Aguilera the
biggest-seller in the SoundScan era for a female artist, passing
Streisand's 2 CD The
Concert release in 1994.
The double album, Back To Basics utilizes
an orchestra, choir, string quartet and jazz horns, as well as
techniques that, according to
GQ, "blends a vintage-soul sound with state-of-the-art beatsmanship
to form a throwback/hip-hop showcase for her outsize voice." "I
Got Trouble" incorporates a scratchy blues feel, while "Candy
Man" recalls the tight harmonies of all-girl groups from the
'30s and '40s "Save Me From Myself" is an emotionally naked,
raw-sounding song dedicated to her husband. "Thank You," dedicated
to her fans, features DJ Premier splicing bits of "Genie In
A Bottle" with fan voicemail messages. Also sure to appeal to
Aguilera fans is the risqué song "Nasty Naughty Boy" (which
has a 20's burlesque feel) and the sassy club track "Still
Dirrty."
Christina Aguilera devotes most of
her time to recording and touring, the 26-year-old is active in a
range of
philanthropy.
A
major contributor to the fight against AIDS, Aguilera has participated
in the "What's Going On?" cover project for AIDS Project
Los Angeles Artists Against AIDS.
In 2004 Christina
Aguilera became the new face
for MAC cosmetic company and spokesperson for the MAC AIDS Fund.
More recently she became involved in awareness campaigns with Youth
AIDS and ALDO. She also sponsors and is actively involved in the
Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh for battered women
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Natasha
Bedingfield Musician
Natasha is an English singer and
songwriter who has performed in the genres of contemporary
Christian and pop music. Natasha and Daniel Bedingfield
share the Guinness World Record for being the only siblings
to have had solo number-ones in UK chart history.
Natasha Bedingfield Bio and Photos |
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Gwen Stefani
Gwen's brother Eric started the band No Doubt with his friend John Spence
in 1987, and asked the always effervescent Gwen to join on as co-vocalist
with Spence. Tony Kanal joined the group a little later, and the trio
began to gain popularity by playing at local parties.
Gwen Stefani Bio and Photo Gallery |
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Diana
Krall Jazz Pianist and Singer
At the age of seventeen she won a scholarship from the Vancouver International
Jazz Festival to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In Nanaimo,
her playing attracted the attention of famed bass player Ray Brown and
drummer Jeff Hamilton.
Diana Krall Bio and Photos |
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Shania
Twain Country Music Artist
Shania Twain often grabbed a guitar and retreated to the solitude of her
bedroom singing and writing until her fingers ached. "I grew up listening
to Waylon, Willie, Dolly, Tammy, all of them," she recalls. "But
we also listened to the Mamas and the Papas, The Carpenters, The Supremes
and Stevie Wonder.
Shania Twain Bio and Photos |
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Stacy
Ferguson Singer and Songwriter
As a child actress, Stacy Ferguson
was actually on the television program Kids Incorporated
for several years with her TV sister Renee Sands, who became
a fellow member of Wild Orchid. On the show, she sang Whitney
Houston's "One Moment In Time".
Stacy Ferguson Bio and Pictures |
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Julianne
Hough Musician and Dancer
Julianne Hough began working almost
immediately upon arriving in Los Angeles. She was featured
in two television commercials and was a "dancing" extra
in an episode of Cold Case. She was one of the "Million
Dollar Dancers" in the short lived network television
game show Show Me the Money starring William Shatner.
Julianne Hough Biography and Photo Gallery |
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Miley
Cyrus Musician and Actress
Cyrus landed the lead role of Hannah
Montana, a teen pop star who leads a double life as an
average schoolgirl. Her dad, Billy Ray, was then chosen
to play her widowed father in the TV series, and the entire
Cyrus family moved from Nashville to southern California
to encourage Miley's career. Miley
Cyrus Bio and Pictures |
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