English-born Australian actress and singer Olivia Newton-John
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Olivia Newton-John was an English-born Australian singer and actress. Her recording career extended from the 1960′s into the early 2000′s. She co-starred with John Travolta in the musical motion picture Grease (1978), one of the most popular movie musicals ever made. From that film, two of her duets with Travolta, “You’re the One that I Want” and “Summer Nights,” became hits. Newton-John won a number of Grammy Awards for her music. She passed away on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.

Olivia Newton-John, left , and the American actor John Travolta, right , starred in the motion picture Grease (1978), one of the most successful musicals in Hollywood history.
Credit: © Paramount Pictures

Newton-John was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in Cambridge, England. She moved with her family to Australia at the age of 5. When she was 14 years old, she formed her own musical group in Melbourne. In 1966, she won the Johnny O’Keefe “Sing, Sing, Sing” talent quest. The prize was a trip to England, where she recorded her first single record. She remained in England and built her career as a singer and television performer. During the 1970′s, she worked in the United States, where she became a best-selling country singer. She won a Grammy Award as best female country vocalist for her first American album, Let Me Be There (1973).

Newton-John also starred in the motion-picture musical Xanadu (1980). She had a hit with “Magic” from that film. Her other hit recordings include ”If Not For You” (1971), “Let Me Be There” (1973), ”If You Love Me, Let Me Know” and “I Honestly Love You” (both 1974), “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “Please Mr. Please” (both 1975), “A Little More Love” (1978), “Physical” (1981), “Heart Attack” and “Twist of Fate” (both 1983), and “Livin’ in Desperate Times” (1984).

Her other films include Funny Things Happen Down Under (1965), Toomorrow (1970), Two of a Kind (1983), It’s My Party (1996), Sordid Lives (2000), Score: A Hockey Musical (2010), and A Few Best Men (2011). She also acted in a number of television series and made-for-television movies.

In 1979, Newton-John was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to the performing arts. In 2010, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to the entertainment industry and to the community through organizations supporting breast cancer treatment, education, training and research, and the environment. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, a higher degree in the order, in 2019. The Order of Australia is Australia’s highest award for service to the country or to humanity. In 2020, Newton-John was made a dame commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to charity, cancer research, and entertainment. She then became known as Dame Olivia Newton-John.

Jennifer Hudson is a popular American singer and actress. She gained fame in 2004 as a finalist on the singing competition television show “American Idol.” In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her motion-picture debut in the musical Dreamgirls, based on a hit Broadway musical.
Credit: © Shutterstock

Jennifer Hudson hit that high note and reached EGOT status. Only 16 other people have the honor of being called an EGOT, the elite group of artists who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. Hudson is a popular singer and actress and the second Black woman to collect all four prestigious awards. She completed her award collection after winning a Tony award for co-producing the musical A Strange Loop.

Hudson gained fame in 2004 as a finalist on the singing competition television show “American Idol.” In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her motion-picture debut in the musical motion picture Dreamgirls (2006), based on a hit Broadway musical. In the film, Hudson portrayed a singer in a 1960’s female vocal group. The film was based on the story of the popular vocal group the Supremes. In 2009, Hudson won a Grammy Award for her best-selling debut album, Jennifer Hudson (2008).

Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on Sept. 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. She sang in gospel choirs as a child. She also acted in community theater and performed on cruise ships. Community theater is a type of nonprofessional, local theater.

Hudson’s second album, I Remember Me, was released in 2011. It also became a hit. Her other films include the crime drama Fragments and the drama The Secret Life of Bees (both 2008); the comedy The Three Stooges (2012); the musical drama Black Nativity (2013); and the drama Chi-Raq (2015). In the biographical film Winnie (2011), she portrayed the South African politician and political activist Winnie Mandela. Hudson has also acted on a number of television shows. In 2013, she portrayed a Broadway star on the musical drama “Smash.” She wrote an autobiography, I Got This (2012). In 2021, Hudson won a Daytime Emmy award for producing Baba Yaga (2020), a virtual reality animated and interactive film.

Hudson has joked about reaching EGOT status after she won an Oscar award after naming a pet dog Oscar, and she won a Grammy award after naming a dog Grammy. She now needs to bring two more dogs into her home and name them Emmy and Tony!

Hudson joins the ranks of Mel Brooks, John Gielgud, Whoopi Goldberg, Marvin Hamlisch, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn, John Legend, Robert Lopez, Alan Menken, Rita Moreno, Mike Nichols, Tim Rice, Richard Rodgers, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. What an impressive group of artists!

Harry Styles, English musician
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Styles is always in style! Recently, English singer, songwriter, and actor Harry Styles released the new album Harry’s House. The powerhouse album has made itself a home atop the Billboard 200 for two weeks. Stylish, hip, and usually wearing stripes, Styles has given the world another summer soundtrack.

Styles first became known as a member of One Direction, a British and Irish pop group that gained international fame in the 2010′s. Styles has also enjoyed a successful solo career. In 2021, he won a Grammy Award for best pop solo performance for “Watermelon Sugar.”

Harry Edward Styles was born on Feb. 1, 1994, in Worcestershire, England, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) northwest of London. Styles was interested in music from a young age, forming a band called White Eskimo in his early teens. In 2010, Styles auditioned to be on the reality music competition program “The X Factor” (2004-…). He appeared on the show but was eliminated after several rounds. However, the show’s judges suggested Styles and several other solo performers form a pop group. The group included Niall Horan of Ireland and Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson of England, along with Styles. The group performed as One Direction soon after and finished “The X Factor” in third place. The group quickly gained popularity in the United Kingdom.

One Direction went on to make such chart-topping albums as Up All Night (2011) and Take Me Home (2012). In late 2015, the band members announced they would take an extended hiatus (break).

In 2016, Styles signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist. In 2017, he released the song “Sign of the Times.” The song was met with much acclaim, topping the charts in the United Kingdom. The same year, Styles released his first solo album, Harry Styles. Styles made his motion-picture debut in the war thriller Dunkirk (2017). Two years later, Styles released his second album, Fine Line (2019).

Musician Doja Cat
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From the Grammy Awards to the Billboard Music Awards, Doja Cat has been winning all year long. Doja Cat is an American rapper, songwriter, and music producer. She rose to fame in 2018 after releasing the single “Mooo!” on the video-sharing website YouTube.

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini was born on Oct. 21, 1995, in Tarzana, outside Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish American mother and South African father. Her mother, Deborah Sawyer, worked as a graphic designer. Her father, Dumisani Dlamini, was an actor in New York. Doja Cat lived with her grandmother in Rye, New York, northeast of New York City, for five years before moving to Sai Anantam Ashram with her mother and brother. The ashram was a Hindu worship community run by the musician Alice Coltrane outside of Santa Monica, California. Dlamini’s family then moved to Oak Park, California. Dlamini studied dance and piano throughout her childhood. She attended high school in Los Angeles, dropping out in her junior year.

In 2013, Dlamini began releasing songs on the music-sharing website SoundCloud under the name Doja Cat. The American producer Yeti Beats invited Doja Cat to record in his studio after hearing her song “So High” (2014). Through Yeti Beats, Doja Cat signed a contract with Kemosabe Records, part of RCA Records, in 2014. That same year Doja Cat released her first EP “Purrr!” and a series of singles. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. She released the music video “Mooo!” in 2018. The single went viral—expanding rapidly in popularity—on YouTube. Doja Cat released her debut album, Amala, in 2018. Her other albums include Hot Pink (2019) and Planet Her (2021).

Doja Cat has received many music awards. In 2022, she won her first Grammy Award, for the song “Kiss Me More” featuring the American singer SZA. At the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 15, Doja Cat won four awards, including top R&B artist.

American musician Jon Batiste
Credit: © Ron Adar, Shutterstock

We don’t need an excuse to celebrate American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer Jon Batiste, but April is also jazz appreciation month! Batiste is known for his original compositions, combining New Orleans jazz with funk, pop, and R&B music. He has won a number of Grammy Awards for his music. This month, Batiste was recognized at the 64th Grammy Awards. Batiste’s album We Are was released in March 2021. In 2022, Batiste won five Grammy Awards including album of the year, best American roots performance, best American roots song, best score soundtrack for visual media, and best music video. He took home the most awards from the ceremony, hopefully making room on his shelves to display the trophies.

Jonathan Michael Batiste was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Nov. 11, 1986. He grew up in a musical family in suburban Kenner. Batiste began playing the conga drums as a child with his family band, the Batiste Brothers Band. Batiste began playing piano at the age of 11. He was accepted to the Juilliard School in New York City at the age of 17. Batiste formed multiple bands while in college, including the Jon Batiste Trio and Stay Human. While he was studying at Julliard, Batiste released two albums: Times in New Orleans (2005) and Live in New York (2006). Batiste earned a bachelor’s degree in classical piano in 2008 and a master’s degree in jazz studies in 2011. He recorded albums throughout his studies, including the EPs In the Night (2008) and The Amazing Jon Batiste! (2009), and the album My N.Y. (2011). EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album.

In 2011 and 2012, Batiste portrayed himself in Treme, a fictionalized television show based on his extended family’s experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Batiste also appeared in the American director Spike Lee’s movie Red Hook Summer (2012). In the movie, Batiste played a musician and cab driver named T. K. Hazelton.

Starting in 2008, Batiste worked as associate artistic director and music curator for the National Jazz Museum in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Batiste released the album Social Music with Stay Human in 2013. In 2015, he joined “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as the bandleader and musical director with Stay Human. Batiste’s music is featured on the album The Process (2013) with various artists. He released Christmas with Jon Batiste in 2016. In 2017, Batiste began serving as the musical director for The Atlantic magazine. Batiste released his first solo album, Hollywood Africans, in 2018. In 2019, he released the live albums Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard (2019) and Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard (2019).

Batiste co-composed the soundtrack for the Disney and Pixar Studios animated motion picture Soul (2020). He won an Academy Award for best original score. He became the second Black composer to win an Academy Award for composing music, behind the American jazz musician Herbie Hancock.

American musician Jon Batiste
Credit: © Ron Adar, Shutterstock

For the 64th time, musicians gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, April 3rd to celebrate the past year‘s music. The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. South African comedian and television personality Trevor Noah hosted the awards show. American jazz pianist Jon Batiste won album of the year for “We Are,” in addition to 4 more of the 11 awards for which he was nominated. R&B duo Silk Sonic won record of the year for “Leave the Door Open.” American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo won three awards. She walked away from her first Grammy Awards after winning best new artist, best pop solo performance, and best pop vocal album. Doja Cat and SZA won best pop duo or group performance for “Kiss Me More.” Although Kanye West was not in attendance, he and Jay-Z won best rap song for “Jail.” In the rock genre, the Foo Fighters stole the show—winning best rock performance, best rock song, and best rock album only a week after the loss of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. Billie Eilish performed “Happier than Ever” wearing a T-shirt with the photograph of Hawkins. BTS performed their hit song “Butter” with a James Bond theme. Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Nas X performed among other artists.

American entertainer Olivia Rodrigo
Credit: © Tinseltown, Shutterstock

The Grammy Awards are presented annually in the United States to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. Grammys currently are awarded in more than 80 categories in pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, gospel, folk, rap, Latin, and classical music, as well as engineering, producing, and music videos. Lifetime achievement awards are also presented by the Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Winners receive awards modeled after an old-fashioned record player called a gramophone. The term Grammy comes from the word gramophone.

American musician Billie Eilish in concert
Credit: © Ben Houdijk, Shutterstock

To be eligible for a Grammy, recordings must have been released during a one-year eligibility period defined by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Members of the Academy and record companies submit entries, which are screened for eligibility and category placement. The Academy’s voting members nominate five finalists in each category. Members then vote for the winners. The Academy consists of musicians, producers, and other recording professionals.

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
Credit: © RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

The first Grammys were awarded in 1958. Since 1971, the Grammy Awards have been presented on a live television special. Today, the special is watched by many millions of viewers throughout the world. In 1997, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences was established as a separate organization with its own awards ceremony. The first Latin Grammys were awarded in 2000. Latin Grammys recognize excellence in international Latin music in more than 45 categories. Latin Grammys are selected by voting members of the Latin Recording Academy and follow many of the same rules as the other Grammys.

American rap artist Lil Nas X
Credit: © Denise Truscello, Getty Images

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion
Credit: © Scott Dudelson, Getty Images

On March 14, 2021, the 63rd Grammy Awards were held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center. Because of the ongoing pandemic (global outbreak) of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, very few people were in attendance. In an open-air tent, nominees—in masks coordinated with their couture (custom clothing)—sat at their own tables spaced several feet or meters from other guests. Winners accepted their awards on stage. As the winners approached the stage, they removed their stylish, protective coverings, revealing wide smiles and making it easier to understand their acceptance speeches. The South African comedian and television personality Trevor Noah hosted the event.

British singer Dua Lipa
Credit: © Kevin Mazur, Getty Images

Many concert venues have been closed for the past year. So, music’s biggest night acted as a three-hour music festival. The night began with performances by such musicians as Billie Eilish and Harry Styles. Throughout the night, performers from a variety of genres played electrifying sets that spurred dance parties across the country, even if the dance parties were limited to the sofa. The British singer Dua Lipa performed her hits “Don’t Start Now” and “Levitating,” with an appearance by the American rapper Da Baby. Country music artists Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, and Maren Morris gave soulful performances. The American rapper Lil Baby delivered a powerful performance of his song “The Bigger Picture.” Inspired by the worldwide protests set off by the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, the song is anthem for racial justice. Other performers included the Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, the Korean pop music group BTS, and the American hip-hop musician Post Malone.

Perhaps the most anticipated performances of the night were those by the American rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B. Megan delivered a rousing show, which included her hit “Savage.” Cardi B then performed her song “Up” and was joined by Megan to sing “WAP.”

Beyoncé is a popular American singer and actress. She first gained fame as a member of the singing group Destiny’s Child. In the early 2000′s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer. Credit: © Shutterstock

Women dominated the winner’s circle. Taylor Swift won album of the year for Folklore. Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia won best pop vocal album. Miranda Lambert took home the award for best country album for Wildcard. For her song “Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish accepted the award for record of the year. In her acceptance speech, Eilish said she believed the award should have gone to Megan Thee Stallion. But, the rapper did not go home empty handed. Megan won the award for best new artist. Megan went on to share two more awards—best rap performance and best rap song—with the American singing legend Beyoncé, who was featured on “Savage.” These wins—along with several others—earned Beyoncé the record for most lifetime Grammy wins by a female artist.

March 21, 2016

Canadian pop megastar Justin Bieber, who turned 22 on March 1, won his first Grammy Award last month. The hit single “Where Are Ü Now” (2015), by the American music producers Skrillex and Diplo (as the group Jack Ü), featuring Bieber on vocals, won a Grammy Award as best dance recording. Bieber has also won a number of other awards for his music, including American Music Awards, ASCAP Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Juno Awards, which are presented annually to Canadian artists.

Justin Bieber is a Canadian pop singer, songwriter, and musician who gained international fame in the early 2000’s. Bieber became one of the youngest solo male artists to top the United States popular music albums chart. This photo shows him during a performance. Credit: © Shutterstock

The singer, songwriter, and musician gained international fame in the first decade of the 2000’s while still a teenager. Bieber’s first EP, My World (2009) became a huge worldwide hit. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. Bieber’s first studio album, My World 2.0 (2010), also became a huge worldwide hit. Bieber received Grammy nominations in 2011 for best new artist and for best pop vocal album for My World 2.0. The success of My World 2.0, released when Bieber was 16, made him the youngest solo male artist to top the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart since 13-year-old Stevie Wonder in 1963.

Justin Drew Bieber was born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario. He grew up in Stratford, Ontario. He taught himself to play piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. In 2007, when Bieber was 12, he posted a video of himself performing in a local singing competition on the video-sharing website YouTube. Bieber’s popularity grew as his mother posted more videos of him singing. Bieber’s videos were discovered by a music producer named Scooter Braun, who became his manager. Bieber was soon signed to a recording contract.

Bieber’s first single, “One Time,” was released in 2009 and became a hit in more than 10 countries. His other hits include “One Less Lonely Girl,” “Love Me,” and “Favorite Girl” (all 2009); “Baby,” “Never Let You Go,” and “U Smile” (all 2010); “Boyfriend” (2012); and “Love Yourself,” “Sorry,” and “What Do You Mean?” (all 2015). The release of the latter, on Aug. 28, 2015, made Bieber the youngest male artist to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In addition to that record, Bieber has also set five other records in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2012, his music video for “Baby” (with the American rap performer Ludacris) became the most popular video of any kind online. Also that year, Bieber became the first artist to have three #1 albums in the United States and the United Kingdom before the age of 18, as well as the person with the most widespread social network message in 24 hours, after a message celebrating his 18th birthday was posted 251,878 times on Facebook and Twitter. In 2014, Bieber became the youngest solo artist to have five #1 albums in the United States and the youngest musician with a music channel viewed three billion times.

Bieber’s second studio album, the Christmas album Under the Mistletoe (2011), also became a #1 hit. It was the first holiday album by a male solo artist to open at #1 in the 55 years of Billboard’s album chart. Bieber donated some of the album’s proceeds to his “BELIEVE” charity. Bieber’s third studio album, Believe (2012), also became a #1 hit. His fourth studio album, Purpose, released in November 2015, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It sold 522,000 copies in its first week of release, giving Bieber the largest first-week sales of his career. Bieber also had #1 hits with the remix albums Never Say Never: The Remixes (2011) and Believe Acoustic (2013).

Bieber appeared in the documentary concert films Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011) and Justin Bieber’s Believe (2013).

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Feb. 13, 2012

Whitney Houston, one of her generation’s greatest rhythm and blues (R&B) singers, died on February 11 in Beverly Hills, California. She was 48 years old. Her spectacular voice spanned three octaves and combined the sweetness of early pop music with the exuberance of gospel and pathos of soul.

All of Ms. Houston’s studio albums sold more than 1 million copies. Her 1985 debut album–”Whitney Houston”–sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone. The album included three No. 1 singles, including “Saving All My Love for You,” for which Houston won her first Grammy Award, for best female pop vocal performance. Her second album, “Whitney” (1987), was the first album by a woman to enter the Billboard charts at No. 1 and delivered even more hit singles: “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional,” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”

Such success drew the attention of Hollywood, and in 1992, Houston played a pop diva opposite Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard. The film’s soundtrack, which included the mega hit “I Will Always Love You,” sold 17 million copies in the United States and won the Grammy for album of the year. “I Will Always Love You,” composed by Dolly Parton, won single record of the year. After two more films, Waiting To Exhale (1995) and The Preacher’s Wife (1996), Houston resumed her pop career with another hit studio album, “My Love Is Your Love” in 1998, after which her career went into decline.

Whitney Houston was born on Aug. 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a gospel and pop singer who backed up Aretha Franklin, and Ms. Franklin was Houston’s godmother. Houston’s cousins included singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. As a child, Whitney Houston sang in a church choir. Before becoming a star with her debut album,  she worked as a backup studio singer for Chaka Khan, Lou Rawls, and Teddy Pendergrass among others.

In 1992, Houston married R&B singer Bobby Brown. The following year, she gave birth to a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown, who survives her. The marriage was troubled, and Houston and Brown divorced in 2007.

Whitney Houston is often cited as one of the most honored female performers of all time. She won 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 22 American Music Awards, and 30 Billboard Awards. Her albums, singles, and videos sold more than 170 million copies worldwide.

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