Mariah Carey

Birthday: 27 March 1970, Huntington, New York, USA

Birth Name: Mariah Carey

Height: 173 cm

Mariah Carey was born in Long Island, New York. She is the daughter of Patricia (Hickey), a singer and vocal coach, who is of Irish descent, and Alfred Roy Carey, an engineer, who was of Afro-Cuban ancestry. Mariah attended Greenlawn's Harborfields High School. In June of 1990, Mariah made her debut with "Mariah Carey" which entered at #73, but on August 4, 1990, it reached #1. Her 1990 self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and spawned an extraordinary four consecutive #1 singles: "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday" and "I Don't Wanna Cry," and led to Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist. Her 1993 album titled Music Box went ten-times platinum. On September 30, 1995, she made music history. Her single "Fantasy" from her 1995 Daydream album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first female artist to accomplish a number one debut in the U.S. Her other Daydream's single "One Sweet Day" remained for 16 weeks at the top of the charts. She is the only artist since The Beatles to have so many #1 singles and albums. With "Heartbreaker", the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow and also her 14 #1 single, she became the only artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s, and with "Heartbreaker" at its 60th week atop the Billboard's charts, she pushed ahead of The Beatles's 59-week record as the only artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Following "Heartbreaker," her second single "Thank God I Found You" also from her Rainbow album became her 15th #1. "We Belong Together" from her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi became her 16th #1 single and was also her first #1 without any guest artists since her song "My All" (also a #1 single) captured the top spot in May 1998. The single "Don't Forget About Us" also from her 2005 album Emancipation of Mimi became her 17th #1 single, tying her with Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Three more Grammy Awards were gained from The Emancipation of Mimi album. She is the most successful selling female artist in music history and is the only female artist to have the most #1 singles and albums and also holds the record for straight #1 singles and albums each year. Along with numerous awards and incredible vocal range, she also composes all of her own material, with the exception of song covers.In April 2008, the single "Touch My Body" became her 18th #1 single, pushing her ahead of Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Now she is the only artist since The Beatles to have as many number one singles and the only singer alive likely to succeed them. Show less «

A lot of people are singing about how screwed up the world is, and I don't think that everybody want...Show more »

A lot of people are singing about how screwed up the world is, and I don't think that everybody wants to hear about that all the time. Show less «

I rarely go to bed before 5 or 6 am. I am a girl of the night. I hate getting up before 2 pm. And wh...Show more »

I rarely go to bed before 5 or 6 am. I am a girl of the night. I hate getting up before 2 pm. And when I get up, I don't have breakfast, just a slice of pizza. I'm composing my songs in bed, because I'm getting inspired when I'm about to sink into sleep. The night inspires me. Show less «

Someone said I never paid any dues. I feel my whole life was struggling, because we were poor. We we...Show more »

Someone said I never paid any dues. I feel my whole life was struggling, because we were poor. We were alone, we had nothing--no security. I feel I have paid my dues. I've been paying my dues all my life. Show less «

I'd humbly like to become an inspiration to the biracial kids, who are the population of the new mil...Show more »

I'd humbly like to become an inspiration to the biracial kids, who are the population of the new millennium. I'm everything and nothing at the same time: white, black and Latino. If I've managed to be accepted, the others can do it, too. Show less «

Music is what I love and it's what I feel and it's in me and to know that I can do something that I ...Show more »

Music is what I love and it's what I feel and it's in me and to know that I can do something that I enjoy and hopefully bring some enjoyment to other people through what I do is an incrediable feeling and I am just really thankful for it Show less «

There is a light at the end of the tunnel . . . hopefully it's not a freight train!

[on the importance of her music] One person could say, "'Hero' is a schmaltzy piece of garbage', but...Show more »

[on the importance of her music] One person could say, "'Hero' is a schmaltzy piece of garbage', but another person can write me a letter and say, "I've considered committing suicide every day of my life for the last ten years until I heard that song and I realized after all I can be my own hero". And that, that's an unexplainable feeling, like I've done something with my life, ya know? Show less «

There was a time when all I was allowed to do was go to gay clubs, because my quote-unquote husband ...Show more »

There was a time when all I was allowed to do was go to gay clubs, because my quote-unquote husband was so afraid of me being around straight people. Show less «

There's never been anything else in my life that inspired me at all. It's crazy, but I've always lov...Show more »

There's never been anything else in my life that inspired me at all. It's crazy, but I've always loved music and I've always known this was what I wanted to do. I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a singer. Show less «

I can remember when I told myself for the first time, "I'm going to be rich and famous". I was about...Show more »

I can remember when I told myself for the first time, "I'm going to be rich and famous". I was about 5 or 6. I was in my mother's car, an old green dirty car. My sister was there, too. She was humming; she was about 15, she had just gotten married because she was pregnant. We were on a supermarket parking lot, and I was looking at the wealthy people through the window; I told myself, "I am going to be a star and I'll buy all these things for us". Show less «

I decided to make my own ski-wear range after I found there were no fashion outfits for me to wear o...Show more »

I decided to make my own ski-wear range after I found there were no fashion outfits for me to wear on the piste. Show less «

[Madison Square Garden, 1995] This is for all of you out there tonight, reaching for a dream - don't...Show more »

[Madison Square Garden, 1995] This is for all of you out there tonight, reaching for a dream - don't ever give up! Never ever listen to anyone, when they try to discourage you, because they do that, believe me! Show less «

[on her parents' divorce] They went through some very hard times before I was born. They had their d...Show more »

[on her parents' divorce] They went through some very hard times before I was born. They had their dogs poisoned, their cars set on fire and blown up. It put a strain on their relationship that never quit. There was always this tension. They just fought all the time. Show less «

George Michael, you were such an inspiration. I'm honored to have not only been your fan, but a frie...Show more »

George Michael, you were such an inspiration. I'm honored to have not only been your fan, but a friend as well. Rest in peace. Show less «

I prayed very hard for this to happen and it happened. I don't even think about what I've achieved, ...Show more »

I prayed very hard for this to happen and it happened. I don't even think about what I've achieved, I haven't focused on it and I wish I had, because I really want to enjoy it, and I don't know if I am enjoying it, because I am going through my life like a bulldozer. I still haven't marveled at it. I don't mind being compared to [Whitney Houston], there are people miles worse to be compared to, but if you really listen there's a difference. Show less «

I'm not vain, I'm insecure.

[on her glamor influences] Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress--I liked their little ensembles . . . You've...Show more »

[on her glamor influences] Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress--I liked their little ensembles . . . You've got to throw Farrah Fawcett in there, too. I had the Farrah doll. She was my little style inspiration. Show less «

I'm not one of those people that goes into details of my personal life on national TV to get attenti...Show more »

I'm not one of those people that goes into details of my personal life on national TV to get attention. Some things are better left unsaid Show less «

It's hard to be someone that people talk about and write about, you know? They don't know me.

I was the world's worst waitress.

[on not wanting to have kids] I would feel violated . . . I know that's a kind of weird thing to say...Show more »

[on not wanting to have kids] I would feel violated . . . I know that's a kind of weird thing to say, but that's how I am . . . It's hard to have kids in this world. I don't think I could properly educate a child right now. Maybe in the future, but I actually haven't thought about it. For now I enjoy my dog Jack's company. It's definitely because of childhood traumatic stuff. The whole not wanting to have a baby as a baby. Show less «

People all of a sudden just see me and hear me having hit records and it seems to have come out of t...Show more »

People all of a sudden just see me and hear me having hit records and it seems to have come out of the blue. But really I have been working towards this my whole life, and this is what I say when people say I haven't paid my dues. Show less «

[on her height] I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the firs...Show more »

[on her height] I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be obliged to raise their head. Show less «

I've always said that my father is half black and half Venezuelan and my mother is Irish. But people...Show more »

I've always said that my father is half black and half Venezuelan and my mother is Irish. But people don't understand. They can't fathom that I'm African-American, Venezuelan and Irish. Show less «

What I write is all from my imagination. Fact is, I haven't had time to experience all that, but tha...Show more »

What I write is all from my imagination. Fact is, I haven't had time to experience all that, but that doesn't mean to say that I don't write from the heart, because I do. I put myself in other women's shoes, I can feel their pain and joy when I think about it. It's all the same, we're all women. Show less «

Butterflies are always following me, everywhere I go.

[taking a swipe at her critics at the 1999 Billboard Music awards] Forget the image, forget the ense...Show more »

[taking a swipe at her critics at the 1999 Billboard Music awards] Forget the image, forget the ensemble, forget the rumors, forget the short skirts, the big hair, whatever! I owe this to the fans and I will never forget you so I want to accept this award on behalf of all of you. We've come a long way and I feel like I'm just getting started. Because as an artist, and most importantly as a person, I am genuinely happy to finally be free to be who I am. Thank you. Show less «

[interview in Hip Hop Magazine] A lot of the time they [the media] form the idea in listeners' minds...Show more »

[interview in Hip Hop Magazine] A lot of the time they [the media] form the idea in listeners' minds. Calling me a "pop diva" without listening to my work so when I come out with an urban song it's like, "Pop diva goes black". I mean, puh-lease. Show less «

And maybe there are some people out there who think a quarter Venezuelan is not a lot . . . Well, I ...Show more »

And maybe there are some people out there who think a quarter Venezuelan is not a lot . . . Well, I may be only one quarter, but it's a strong quarter. Show less «

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey's FILMOGRAPHY

Mariah Carey'S roles

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