Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler Biography

Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, musician, screenwriter, and film producer. After becoming a popularSaturday Night Live cast member, he went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 Million at the box office. Though he is best known for his comedic roles, such as in the films Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), and Big Daddy (1999), he has also had success in romantic and dramatic roles, such as in the films Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Spanglish (2004), and Reign Over Me (2007).

Sandler was born in Brooklyn, New York to Judy, a nursery school teacher, and Stanley Sandler, an electrical engineer. He had a Jewish upbringing. His family later moved to Manchester, New Hampshire. The song "Lunchlady Land" is dedicated to the lunch lady at Central High. Sandler went to summer camp at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.

At one point, Sandler was considered for the part that went to Jamie Foxx in Collateral (2004). He also was one of the finalists along with Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp for the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), but Depp in the end got the role. He returned to more dramatic fare with Mike Binder's Reign Over Me (2007), a drama about a man who lost his entire family in 9/11 and rekindles a friendship with his old college roommate (played by Don Cheadle). Most recently, he starred in the movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007), where he stars along side Kevin James as a New York City fireman pretending to be gay keep up an insurance scam, so his best friend's children can have benefits. His next comedy will be You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) a film written by Sandler, The 40-Year-Old Virgin writer-director Judd Apatow (who was an old roommate of Sandler's when both were starting out), and Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog creator Robert Smigel and being directed byHappy Gilmore director Dennis Dugan about a Mossad agent who fakes his own death and moves to the United States to become a hair stylist,. He will also be working on Bedtime Stories (2008), a fantasy film being directed by Bringing Down the House director Adam Shankman about a stressed real estate developer whose bedtime stories he reads to his niece and nephew begin to come true, which will mark Sandler's first family film and first film under the Walt Disney banner. Sandler has also been long-rumored to costar with Michael Madsen in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming World War II saga Inglorious Bastards..

In June 2007, it was announced that his production company, Happy Madison, had made a preemptive acquisition for Mitch Albom's screenwriting debut.

Sandler made a cameo appearance on an episode of The Price Is Right during the "Happy Gilmore Showcase." Host Bob Barker appeared in the movie Happy Gilmore which featured a famous fight scene with Sandler's character (where Barker wins). He also appeared on Bob Barker's tribute show on May 17, 2007, in which he read a poem to Bob and congratulated him on his retirement from TPIR.

On March 20, 2007 Sandler was scheduled to be a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman. However, due to a minor illness, Letterman could not host the show and Sandler filled in as host.

He appeared on Australian TV show "Rove Live" when it toured America in July 2007. He was on the July 22 show in New York.

Sandler and Rob Schneider make frequent cameos in each other's movies:
- The Hot Chick, where Schneider stars, Sandler plays the spacey drummer
- The Animal, where Schneider stars, Sandler played the townie
- Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, where Schneider stars, Sandler plays one of the deceased gigolos
- The Longest Yard, where Sandler stars, Schneider suggests to the prisoners around him that they hug in the showers. Even though he says similar lines as the Townie, he is credited as 'Punky' in this movie.
- Little Nicky, where Sandler stars, Schneider is an angry man (Townie) in riot based on the same character from The Waterboy.
- Big Daddy, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays a delivery man named Nazo.
- Mr. Deeds, where Sandler stars, Schneider makes two short appearances as Nazo; Schneider's character in Sandler's movie, Big Daddy.
- 50 First Dates, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays a Hawaiian friend of Adam's character with one eye and is the presiding minister at his wedding.
- The Waterboy, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays an angry Townie.
- Eight Crazy Nights, where Sandler stars, Schneider voices an Asian waiter who doesn't like Sandler's character, and also provides the narration
- Click, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays Prince Habeeboo, a potential foreign customer for Sandler's architect firm.
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, where Sandler stars, Schneider plays the rabbi who marries Sandler and James' characters.

Adam Rickitt

Adam Rickitt Biography
Adam Peter Rickitt (born 29 May 1978 in Crewe, Cheshire), is an English actor, former singer and model.

His surname is frequently mis-spelled as 'Rickett', including once on the credits of Coronation Street when he returned in 2002.

Rickitt is the youngest child of four in his family. He has three older brothers: Tim (Timothy Grant), Mark (Mark Edward) and Sam (Samuel James). The family business is the estate agency Rickitt Grant which operates in Chester and London. Adam was educated at Sedbergh School.

Rickitt has spoken about suffering from bulimia in his teenage years and male sufferers have largely been neglected.

When Rickitt turned 20, fans swamped him with 200 teddy bears, mountains of chocolates and bunches of flowers. He stated: "I didn't know what to do with them all. The house was full to bursting. It was amazing." He handed the gift bonanza over to local hospitals and other charities.

He is most famous for his role on popular ITV soap opera Coronation Street, where he took over the role of Nick Tilsley in 1997. The part had previously been played by actor Warren Jackson until 1996 when the character moved to Canada. He left the series in 1999, returning briefly in 2002 and for a longer spell from 2003 to 2004 after which he along with several cast members were sacked after a new producer came to the show. His most famous and controversial storyline was in 2003 when the character of Nick was involved in the series' first gay kiss with Todd Grimshaw (played by Bruno Langley).

Rickitt left Coronation Street in 1999 to start a music career. He signed a six-album deal, although he only released one album - Good Times - in 2000. Rickitt's firstsingle , I Breathe Again, reached number five in the UK Top Ten, but follow up singles Everything My Heart Desires (also recorded by Mandy Moore), and Best Thing only entered the Top Twenty and Top Thirty respectively. The failure of the album (which peaked at No. 41 in the chart) and Rickitt's disillusionment with the direction of his career led him to abandon pop music. However in 2003, he played Mark Cohen in the musical Rent.

Rickitt actively courted gay audiences during this period, appearing regularly at gay venues and the BBC series Gaytime TV as well as children's television and mainstream pop festivals and television series.

Prior to his acting career, Rickitt had briefly been a child model. He subsequently has modelled for UK magazines such as Attitude and Cosmopolitan. He is known especially in the tabloid press for having an extremely well-defined "six-pack". This, combined with his blond hair and good looks, has led to the accusation that he is a himbo. Nonetheless, Rickitt turned down an opportunity to study law at Cambridge University in favour of continuing his modelling and acting career.

In October 2005, Rickitt was approved as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the UK Conservative Party. As part of this attempt to reinvent himself, in February 2006 he appeared on the political debate show Question Time, as the non-partisan guest. In May 2006, he was one of 100 would-be MPs chosen for the Conservative party 'A-list'. The following month he appeared on Sunday AM with Andrew Marr. He attends major party functions and local party functions in the hope of being selected as well as developing a political blog on his website. However, a newspaper article alleged was not actually a member of the Conservative Party, and had only decided to support them because of his dislike of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Rickitt however refuted the claims and confirmed that he was a member. He also, along with David Cameron, provoked the anger of Sir Nicholas Winterton when it was revealed that Rickitt was tipped to stand for the safe Conservative seat of Macclesfield which Winterton had represented for nearly thirty years. Winterton was outraged, stating that he had no intention of standing down from this seat: "I wishAdam luck, but there are no vacancies here."

According to his website, as of July 2007 he has elected to continue his acting career in New Zealand rather than seek selection as a candidate, although politics remains a long-term plan.

Rickitt starred as Mark Cohen in the UK National touring of the musical Rent moving to the West End of London for a record breaking run. He made a return to the London stage to star in Bill Kenwright's production Office Games, followed by a new play Final Judgement and also appearing in Nick Moran's play Telstar on UK Tour.

He also took part in the Channel Four reality show The Games during March 2006, although he only had two weeks' training, compared to the other contestants' twelve. He had replaced the scheduled contestant, electronic musician Goldie, had to pull out during an accident during training for the water ski jump, in which he fractured his femur. Rickitt himself sustained two black eyes after over-rotating off the diving board. He finished last in the contest.

On 21 September 2007, Rickitt was arrested and charged with shoplifting a block of cheese, a bottle of HP sauce and a jar of coffee from an Auckland supermarket. During an interview with Herald on Sunday he said that it was an honest mistake.

Abs Breen

Abs Breen Biography
Richard Abidin Breen was born on the 29th of June 1979 to a Turkish father and Irish mother in the working-class Hackney section of London. His dad, a musician, left when he was young and mom Kay raised the boy herself. At an early age, he was singing, imitating and playing pretend. His mum would make Richard fancy costumes. He especially loved being Michael Jackson. At 8, he had a little band with his cousin, Izzy. Recognizing his talent, he was accepted into the famed Italia Conti stage school and started auditioning in London by age 16. He spent his spare time listening to the underground sounds of London and learning to DJ. Richard had taken ballet lessons [he loved the girls] and was naturally graceful. His all-around talents made him a natural for Five.

Since Richard Neville [a band member of Five] had no middle name, it was decided that Richard Breen would have the nickname "Abs", a short form of his middle name, to distinguish the two apart. Five was succesfull for 5 years and decided to break-up at the 27th of September 2001. All the members of Five agreed that it was time to stop, only Abs wanted to continue the band. For months he sat at home doing nothing except for watching tv. His old producer suddenly called him and asked him if he wanted to record some songs at the studio. He of course said yes and this is how his solo career started.

His first solo song What You Got came out at 19th of Augustus. He appeared at Rumba [big festival in Australia] in November/December and brought an exclusive long-play CD out only for Australia. He went back in the studio and is now back with a new single called Stop Sign. It is coming out the 26th of May. His album is expected to be relased near summer.

Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter Biography
Aaron Charles Carter--namesake of his Grampa Charles Douglas Spaulding, (he goes by Doug) and Grandpa "Chuck" Carter--was born at Tampa General Children's Hospital in Tampa, Florida on December 7, 1987.

In March of 1997, Aaron performed during a Backstreet Boys' concert in Berlin, Germany, and he stole the show! After the concert, he was offered a record contract on the spot by an Edel Record Company executive who saw him perform, and in the fall of 1997, he released his first single, Crush On You. He followed that with Crazy Little Party Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You Forever, and Shake It, all of which became very popular overseas. After going gold in Norway, Spain, Denmark, Canada, and Germany, Aaron's first full album,Aaron Carter, hit the stores in the US on June 16, 1998, and was a big success.

Has all the fame and fortune changed young Aaron? Naah. He's the same loveable kid he's always been. Asked what makes him the most happy, Aaron responds gleefully "Making my fans and family happy, and having fun!" And he's doing a great job at all three!
Carter was born at the Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, where his parents ran the Garden Villa Retirement Home, the family was originally from upstate New York, where his brother, Nick, was born. Carter is named after his paternal grandfather (Aaron Charles Carter), and has some Blackfoot, as well as possibly Spanish, ancestry. Aside from his older brother, Nick (known as a member of the Backstreet Boys), he also has three sisters: twin sister Angel (a model), BJ and Leslie. He also has an older half-sister named Ginger, from his father's first marriage, and a younger half-brother, Kaden (from his father's new marriage). He also has a younger step-sister, Taelyn, by his father's new wife.

Carter's music consists of hip-hop and romantic ballads. He plays several instruments, including drums, piano, guitar, and saxophone; however, he normally does not perform as a member of his band during concerts. Carter is a dancer who has done some of his own choreography.

Carter began his performing career at the age of seven, as the lead singer of a local band, Dead End. He left the band after two years because they were leaning towards alternative music and he wanted to do pop. He madehis first solo appearance, singing a cover of The Jets' "Crush on You", when opening for the Backstreet Boys in Berlin in March 1997. The performance was followed by a record contract, and in the fall of 1997, he released his first single, "Crush on You". His first full-length album was released on December 1, 1997. The eponymous debut album achieved gold status in Norway, Spain, Denmark, Canada, and Germany, and was released in the United States on June 16, 1998. On November 17, 1996, Carter released the EP Let The Music Heal Your Soul. The record was a fund-raising project that featured vocals by Carter, TheBackstreet Boys , 'N Sync, The Moffatts, and other artists (collectively referred to as the "Bravo All Stars" after the German youth magazine Bravo).

Carter's parents later filed a suit against his former manager, Lou Pearlman (now sued for major fraud), for failure to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties on Carter's 1998 album, which was released through Pearlman's label and production company, Trans Continental. On March 13, 2003, Pearlman was declared in contempt of court for ignoring a court order to produce documents relating to royalty payments.

Carter's next album, Another Earthquake, was released on September 3, 2002, during the "Rock, Rap, and Retro" tour. The album featured the patriotic-themed "America A.O." and the ballad "Do You Remember". Carter's Most Requested Hits, a collection including tracks from his last three albums as well as a new single, "One Better", was released on November 3, 2003. Carter's most recent CD single was "Saturday Night", which was released on March 22, 2005 and promoted by Carter during his summer 2005 Remix Tour. The song was released by Trans Continental label, with Lou Pearlman as executive producer. The single was also featured in the soundtrack of the film Popstar, in which Carter starred.

On March 21, 2006, Trans Continental filed a lawsuit against Carter within the Los Angeles Superior Court, citing that Carter allegedly reneged on a recording deal. Carter had signed the contract on December 7, 2004, when he was seventeen and underage. A year later, his attorney notified therecord company that Carter had the right to "cancel or void various agreements" that were signed when he was a minor.

On Aaron's show "House of Carters", and on one of his official myspaces, he reveals to be in the midst of writing, recording and producing an upcoming album.

Carter made his feature film debut in a cameo in the 2004 comedy, Fat Albert. His first lead role in a feature was in Popstar (2005), a direct-to-video film that was based heavily on his own life as a performer. A real-life motocross racer, Carter also appeared in 2005's Supercross.

Carter and his siblings star in a reality show, House Of Carters, which premiered in October 2006 on E!. The series features all five Carter siblings reuniting to live in the same house.

Carter's parents separated in March 2003 and later filed for divorce. In December 2003, Carter filed for legal emancipation from his mother, alleging she had taken more than $100,000 from his bank account without his permission. Carter mentioned in a 20/20 interview that he was missing sums amounting to $6,400,000. Carter and his mother resolved their differences the following January, and the filing was withdrawn. Since his parents' divorce, Carter has lived with his father in Marathon, Florida.Aaron Carter has since moved out on his own. He spent several months in 2006 living with his brother Nick Carter and their sisters, Angel, BJ (Bobbie Jean), and Leslie. When filming wrapped in August, Aaron returned to Florida briefly, then moved back to California, where he has his own apartment.

On September 18, 2006, it was reported that Carter was engaged to former beauty queen and Playboy model Kari Ann Peniche. US Weekly later reported that Carter had broken off his engagement to Peniche, saying he was impulsive in proposing to her. Carter is now dating singer Kaci Brown.

Aaliyah

Aaliyah Biography

On January 16th 1979 the World was blessed with the birth of Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn, New York. Aaliyah was raised by her father, mother and brother Rashad in Detroit.

At age 9 she appeared on Star Search, the TV programme and sang 'My Funny Valentine', a song which her mother had sung years earlier. At age 11, she sang with Gladys Knight in a five-night stint in Las Vegas. In 1992, she began to work on her debut album with the help of singer R. Kelly. The album, 'Age Ain't nothing but a number' was released in 1994 and received heavy praise. Aaliyah came under attack shortly after when reports suggested she was married to R. Kelly. At the time, she was 15, he was 27. The marriage was apparently annulled. In 1995, she began to work on her 2nd album, alongside Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland, slick Rick and Missy Elliott.The album, titled ' One In A Million' was released on August 27th 1996. In 1998 she released the single, 'Are you that somebody?' from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack, it was produced by her friends Timbaland.

Later that year she released the single 'Journey to the past', off the Anastasia soundtrack. In 2000, she made her film acting debut and starred as Trish O'Day in the smash hit, hip-hop, kung fu film, 'Romeo Must Die' alongside Jet Li. The producer was so impressed by her performance she got parts in 'The Matrix 2' and 3.

She made numerous records for the soundtrack and released 'Try Again', for which she was nominated with 'Best female video' and 'Best Video in a film' with MTV. In 2001 she was nominated with 2 awards for MTV, the 'Breakthrough female' and 'best performing female'. In July 2001 she released her third album, the self-titled, 'Aaliyah'. In early August of the same year she filmed the video for the single 'More Than a woman', taken offthe album and on the 23rd August she started filming for ' Rock The Boat', on Abaco Island, in the Bahamas.

On 25th August, filming was completed and her and eight of her crew members including her hair stylist and bodyguard boarded a small plane. Shortly after take off, the plane crashed and exploded, Aaliyah and all on board, perished. Aaliyah's funeral was held on Friday August 31st in New York, and 22 white doves were flown to celebrate each year of her life.

Soon after her death, the hit singles 'More Than a woman' and 'Rock The Boat' were released from her third album. In 2002, the film 'Queen Of The Damned' by Anne Rice was released in which Aaliyah played the lead, Queen Akasha. She was nominated for best Villain at the MTV movie awards 2002.

Looking back at her biography, its no wonder her name means 'Highest, most exhalted one; the best', she had achieved so much in her short life of 22 years.

She is notable for recording several hit records, including several number one R&B hits, a number one pop hit, and five top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She has sold 32 million records worldwide. She also modeled for Tommy Hilfiger and starred in two motion pictures before dying tragically in a plane crash in the Bahamas.

Aaliyah was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, New York to Michael and Diane Haughton, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. Her name means "Highest, Most Exalted, The Best" in Arabic language. Aaliyah was brought up as a Catholic with her older brother Rashad Haughton. Her grandmother, Mintis L. Hicks Hankerson, was of African American and Native American descent. Diane Haughton, Aaliyah's mother, also a vocalist, encouraged her daughter's career.

She appeared on the TV talent show Star Search at age ten, singing her mother's favorite song, "My Funny Valentine". Although she did not win, Aaliyah worked with an agent in New York and began to attend auditions for TV shows, including "Family Matters".

In 1995, it surfaced that 15-year-old Aaliyah and 27-year-old R. Kelly had secretly married on August 31, 1994. Both artists' camps initially denied the wedding had taken place, but Vibe magazine published a copy of their marriage license, which showed that Aaliyah's age had been falsely listed as 18. The marriage was annulled a few months later.

Aaliyah signed with her uncle Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records label in 1993 at the age of 14. She released her debut album, titled Age Ain'tNothing but a Number, in 1994 at the age of 15. R. Kelly, was a leading songwriter and producer on her debut album. The album displayed her smooth and velvety vocals and the production work was said to be original and innovative. The album went platinum within months. The album featured the gold-selling singles "Back and Forth", "At Your Best," "Down With The Clique," and the album-title single "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number."

Aaliyah had a hit in 1998 with "Are You that Somebody" (#4 airplay U.S. and #1 R&B airplay for eight weeks), the main single from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. Its video was the third most-played on MTV that year, and the song's success helped make Aaliyah a household name and crowned Her as Queen of Urban Pop.

In 2000, she co-starred with Jet Li in the martial arts film Romeo Must Die, which debuted at number one at the box office. Aaliyah and Timbaland executive produced the film's soundtrack album and Aaliyah contributed four songs: "Are You Feelin' Me?," "I Don't Wanna", "Come Back in One Piece," a duet with DMX, and the international number one hit "Try Again." Aaliyah made history once more when "Try Again" became the first song to ever reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on the strength of its radio airplay, without any single sales factored in. After the huge success of "Try Again" at radio, a 12" maxi single was released for consumer purchase. The radio-only single, "I Don't Wanna", (which was also featured on the soundtracks for the films Next Friday andRomeo Must Die) peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

In 2001, Aaliyah went to Australia to co-star with Stuart Townsend in the film Queen of the Damned, an adaptation of the Anne Rice novel of the same name. Aaliyah also recorded most of her third studio album, Aaliyah, during this time.

In 2001, Missy Elliott released her video for "Take Away". The video contained words and images about Aaliyah. The single also featured Ginuwine and was the debut of Elliott's recent protégé, Tweet.

Aaliyah and former Beatle George Harrison made UK Chart history in January 2002 when they scored the first, and to this date only, back-to-back posthumous number one hits (aside from the Elvis Presley re-releases in 2005). Aaliyah's "More than a Woman", released on January 7 and topped the chart on January 13, was followed by Harrison's "My Sweet Lord", re-released on January 14 and topped the chart on January 20. Aaliyah was voted one of "The Top 40 Woman of the Video Era" in VH1's The Greatest, also ranked #36 on their list of the 100 Sexiest Artist. Aaliyah also made E!'s list on the 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment, Juciest Hollywood Hookups, and Best Kept Hollywood Secrets. Aaliyah recently ranked at #18 on BET's "Top 25 Dancers of All Time" and ranked at #4 on BET's "Top 25 Sexiest Women of all Time". In 2005, former Co-Star Jet-Li as reported from CNN stated the memory of Aaliyah had haunted him in Vancouver, where he and the late songstress shot the filmRomeo Must Die.

Another way Aaliyah's legacy will live on, is through The Aaliyah Memorial Fund. The money donated goes to charities Aaliyah supported. Aaliyah's Cancer Awareness Angels participate in a Revlon Run Walk in which Aaliyah herself once participated.

A-Mei

A-Mei Biography
A-mei (Chinese: 阿妹; pinyin: ā mèi; born August 9, 1972), also known by her birth name Zhang Huimei or as Chang Hui-mei (traditional Chinese: 張惠妹; simplified Chinese: 张惠妹; pinyin: Zhāng Huìmèi), is an aboriginal Taiwanese pop singer and occasional songwriter. She is also known by her aboriginal name 古歷來·阿蜜特 (Gulilai Amit). She was born in the rugged mountains of eastern Taiwan and is the third youngest of nine siblings. A-mei made her debut in the world of music in 1996, achieving instant mega commercial success. She has frequently been called a diva of the Mandarin pop music scene, as well as the "Pride of Taiwan". She has won numerous music awards and become one of the biggest music sensations within thepop music pantheon of the Mandarin-speaking world.

A-mei first connected to the entertainment business by joining the televised "Five Lights Singing Contest" on TTV in 1994 after encouragement by her father, who was ill at that time. A-mei made it all the way through to the finals but eventually lost in the final round. She felt very disappointed and was almost ready to give up interest in music competition. A-mei's father then told her, "You definitely can sing, and you perform songs beautifully. Why don't you enter the competition again to show that you have a talent for music?" So encouraged, A-mei then decided to make a second attempt the following year. Her stable and superb performances were much appreciated by the judges, and this time A-mei was awarded the championship. Unfortunately, A-mei's father passed away before her victory, making leaving her sad and aimless until she began to sing in pubs with a rock band formed by her musician cousin. She was later discovered by the popular singer/producer Chang Yu-Sheng (張雨生) and started her career.

Initially, the year began without issue. In January, A-mei performed Sprite's new Chinese commercial song, "I Want to Fly" (我要飛). Due to her healthy image, A-mei was selected as one of twelve celebrities to participate in an anti-smoking campaign. In March, she had two shows in Hong Kong with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, singing a wide variety of songs, including Mandarin, English, Taiwanese and Cantonese classics.

In June, A-mei signed a contract with Warner Music, Taiwan. During the ceremony, A-mei expressed her gratitude to her previous record company, Forward Music, for guiding and nurturing her to achieve what she had achieved, and showed her anticipation and excitement for the musical journey ahead with her new record company. A-mei sangthe Mandarin theme song for the movie, "Pearl Harbor" (�'山�'海) and included it in her next album, "Truth" (真實), which was released shortly after.

In 2002, A-mei won the "Best Female Vocalist of the Year" award with the album, "Truth" at Taiwan's most prestigious, "Golden Melody Awards." A deserving win after four years of consecutive nominations in the same category since her second album, "Bad Boy." Also a performing guest, she put on a showcase titled, "Best of Asia" that evening. In the same year, she won "Favourite Artist - Taiwan" in the first MTV Asia Awards held in Singapore.

In June, A-mei was forced to cancel a concert in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, China after a protest accusing her of supporting Taiwanese independence. About 100 Chinese ultra-nationalists held up banners and chanted: "Oppose Taiwan independence, unify China."

Undeterred by negativity, A-mei proceeded to work on her new album, "Maybe Tomorrow" (也許明天) which was released on September 21, 2004. A-mei composed two songs, namely, "Love is the Only Thing" (愛是唯一) and "Critical Moment" (關鍵時刻) on the album. Although the album was chosen as one of the "Top 10 Local Album Releases for 2004" by the Taipei Times, the change in music style and direction drifted away from the common acceptance level of mass Mandarinpop music listeners and therefore, the album failed to perform in the charts.

A-mei took up the task as the World Vision Taiwan (WVT) ambassador and headed to southern Sudan with the charitable organization in June/July. At the press conference to launch the 30 Hour Famine campaign, A-mei shared her encounters and experience during her visit. "There is a water shortage almost everywhere in Sudan, and people don't really have a choice. I met an 11-year-old girl named Mary, who is so clever, and speaks English fluently. She told me that she can't go to school every day because it is too far away, and the school is so primitive. She wants to leave there and go to a place where she can study," she said. In the same month, A-mei visited an aboriginal village in southern Taiwan - the home to people of the Paiwan tribe. Along with Taiwanese singer, Biung Wang, and volunteers, they sent flood relief and moral support in hope to alleviate problems in the area, which was badly damaged by a recent flood.A-mei's performance in Golden Horse Awards 2005

A-mei continued to take on her duty as the island's tourism ambassador for the third consecutive year since 2004 and sang the theme song for the year's campaign, titled, "Touch Your Heart". The media reported that she had assisted Taiwan in achieving outstanding tourism results by promoting the island's numerous tourist attractions to travelers from the region for the past two years.

98 Degrees

98 Degrees Biography
98 Degrees (or 98°) is a Grammy-nominated American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Jeff Timmons in Los Angeles.

After building popularity with their appearance in the movie Mulan, and singing "True to Your Heart" (a duet with labelmate Stevie Wonder), their album 98 Degrees and Rising went 4x platinum in 1998. After the first album, 98 Degrees left Motown for its parent company, Universal Records. All three albums after their first went platinum.

The band's first major hit was "Because of You" (number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and number five on the Canadian Singles Chart) and went platinum. Then "The Hardest Thing" followed the success by reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold.

In 1999, 98 Degrees released their Christmas album This Christmas, which spawned the top 40 single "This Gift". Within a month after its release the album was certified platinum. The group appeared as featured guests on Amy Grant's 1999 CBS Christmas special, A Christmas to Remember. Nick Lachey was featured on Jessica Simpson's album on the track "Where You Are", which was released as a single and reached the top 40. The group scored a Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit in the U.S. with the single "Thank God I Found You", a collaboration with Mariah Carey and Joe. The single went gold, selling 700,000 copies. It stayed at #1 on the Hot 100 for 1 week and was on the Top 200 Single Sales Chart for 51 weeks. The single went to the top 10 in the UK Charts and the group also received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for the same song.

In the summer of 2000, 98 Degrees released the first single of their new album Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche), the single went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold. In September 2000, the band's album "Revelation" was released. Revelation peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 and went 2x Platinum. The band's next singles were "My Everything" and "The Way You Want Me To", both reaching the top 40.

In September 2001 the band appeared at Madison Square Garden alongside Luther Vandross and Usher singing Michael Jackson's hit song "Man In The Mirror", the performance was part of show to celebrate Michael Jackson's 30 years as a solo artist.

In 2002, 98 Degrees released a compilation album called The Collection, with the new single "Why (Are We Still Friends)". The single reached the top 40, at that point the group had sold over 10 million records and released 12 singles.

In 2002, the group decided to take a break to fulfill other ambitions and opportunities. Drew Lachey has stated on their website that 98 Degrees is not broken up, they are just on an extended hiatus. During the hiatus, Nick Lachey married singer Jessica Simpson and released two solo albums, SoulO and What's Left of Me. Drew Lachey and his wife had their first daughter shortly after he won the second season of Dancing with the Stars. Jeff Timmons released a solo album, Whisper That Way, and plans to release a second solo album. Justin Jeffre ran for mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, and he currently works with area activists on independent media projects.

The band came together in 2004 to sing on Nick & Jessica's Family Christmas TV special. In September 2005, 98 Degrees performed at Club Purgatory in Over-the-Rhine to support bandmate Justin Jeffre in his candidacy for mayor of Cincinnati.

In October 2006, it was announced that Jeff Timmons would participate in the new VH1 reality TV series, Band of Men. The news casts doubt over previous reports that 98 Degrees would consider recording a new album in the near future, and they will most likely keep their original style of music that was popular in their last album, Revelation.

702

702 (pronounced "Seven-O-Two"), named after the area code of their hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, is an American platinum-selling R&B trio. Originally a quartet, the group eventually became a trio, which includes twin sisters Irish (born June 2, 1980), and Orish Grinstead (June 2, 1980 – April 20, 2008)[1], their sister LeMisha 'Misha' Grinstead (born June 10, 1978) and lead singer Kameelah Williams (born March 8, 1978).
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3LW

3LW Biography

In mid-1999, the original line up for 3LW was formed. Their first single, "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)", was released in the summer of 2000. "No More" was a success and was followed by the second single, "Playas Gon' Play" in early 2001. The group's debut album, 3LW, released on December 5, 2000. The album went platinum, selling 1.3 million copies in the US. In the summer of 2001, the group went on the MTV TRL tour along with Destiny's Child, Dream, Nelly, Eve, and Jessica Simpson.

3LW spent the first half of 2002 in the studio, recording an album tentatively titled Same Game, Different Rules. The album and its intended lead single "Uh Oh" were presented to the label, who felt it didn't have enough urban radio appeal. The tracks from Same Game, Different Rules were leaked to the Internet in MP3 format, and Epic considered dropping the girls. A fan support campaign for 3LW named 'Never Let Go Of 3LW' after their song 'Never Let Go' spread to the radio, and the act was retained on the label.

Recording a new set of tracks, 3LW returned in late summer of 2002 with the P. Diddy-produced single "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)", featuring Loon. By August, the group was set to release its newest LP, A Girl Can Mack, when Naturi Naughton announced that she was no longer a member of the group. Naughton alleged that the other two girls and their manager forced her out of the group:"Actually 3LW asked me to leave their group and I just left off of the road after a blowup fight. Just thought u should know the real deal...know that its not one sided and I would never abandon 3LW over one simple food fight. There were deeper isssues and various ways i was mistreated."

However the media picked up the issue and repeatedly reported that Naturi left after Kiely threw a piece of fried chicken at her and got mashed potatoes in her hair.

In fall 2003, 3LW departed from Epic, signing with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label. The group's 4th album was to be titled Phoenix Rising( in refernece to the girls plan to return to musical success now that they has a third member) but was renamed Point Of No Return. The album was to be released but its current status is unknown.

As of late 2006, the girl's newest single's Feelin' You video premiered on Yahoo Videos and was #9 on the top 100 videos. The single was added at radio stations on July 12 2006. The album Point Of No Return, which is to include the single Feelin' You was pushed back to a 2007 release, because of members Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams involvement with Disney's Cheetah Girls franchise. Group member Adrienne Bailon stated in Girls Life Magazine that 3LW is on hold because of the Cheetah Girls project despite rumors of a breakup because of Kiely and Adrienne's involvement in The Cheetah Girls.

Besides their singing work, 3LW has appeared as guest stars on Christina Vidal's Nickelodeon show Taina and in the film The Cheetah Girls. Adrienne had a small appearance in the movie Coach Carter in 2005 and in 2006 co-starred in the MTV straight to video/television movie All You've Got beside fellow R&B singer Ciara.

Members Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams are in the Disney Channel group The Cheetah Girls. Two successful movies have aired, along with Cheetah Girls merchandise and The Cheetah Girls tours#The Party's Just Begun Tour.

Presently, the group have been inactive as 3LW since their 2006 single/music video. Many fans speculate the group has disbanded due to the 4th album receiving no current release date and no additional singles confirmed. Additionally Adrienne announced her own up solo projects including a solo album.

In July 2007, after a long period of waiting for the group, the groups most popular fansite and forum 3LWFANS.net was forced into closure.

The main speculation for Cheetah Girls being over is Adrienne and Kiely's continued involvement with the Cheetah Girls. The Cheetah Girls are well established and generate more money than 3LW who have been away from the scene for so long that many feel their comeback would in fact be a second introduction. Therefore both Adrienne and Kiely are suspected to have opted to take the safe route and chosen to stick with the Cheetah Girls rather than make a long awaited return to 3LW.

3LW confirmed that "Point of No Return" was on hold while Adrienne and her toured as The Cheetah Girls.

Kiely Williams said:"Our fans have been really excited to find out when our new album is going to be released out in stores. We've been getting these anonymous questions about that I can't say but I can tell you this. We been in the studio for a while now making tracks to our CD, and Adreienne and I are touring and making our last movie with The Cheetah Girls, and that's all I'm gonna say I can't give out any more information it's a secret..."

Two of the members of 3LW, Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams, are also in the girl group The Cheetah Girls with Sabrina Bryan. Fans of both stars can now feast on all the albums they have released. Their first album released was a Christmas album, Cheetah-licious Christmas, which peaked at #74 in the U.S.. However, since "The Cheetah Girls" started out as a film and spawned a sequel, there are two soundtracks containing several songs by "The Cheetah Girls".

25 Cent

Full 25 Cent Biography

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. Both albums achieved multi-platinum success, selling over twenty-one million records worldwide.

50 Cent started rapping in a friend's basement where he used turntables to record over instrumentals. In 1996, a friend introduced him to Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC who was organizing his label Jam Master Jay Records. It was the first time he entered a studio. Jay taught him how to count bars, write choruses, structure songs, and make a record.50 Cent's first official appearance was on a song titled "React" with the group Onyx on their 1998 album Shut 'Em Down. He credited Jam Master Jay as an influence who helped him improve his ability to write hooks. He produced 50 Cent's first album, however it was never released. In 1999, after leaving Jam Master Jay, the platinum-selling producers Trackmasters took notice of 50 Cent and signed him to Columbia Records. They sent him to a studio in Upstate New York, where he produced thirty-six songs in two weeks. Eighteen were included on his unofficially released album, Power of the Dollar in 2000. He also started the now-defunct company with former G-Unit member Bang 'Em Smurf called Hollow Point Entertainment.

50 Cent's popularity started to increase after the successful but controversial underground single, "How to Rob", which he wrote in half an hour while in a car on the way to a studio. The track comically explains how he would rob many famous artists. He explained the reasoning behind song's content as, "There’s a hundred artists on that label, you gotta separate yourself from that group and make yourself relevant". Rappers Jay-Z, Big Pun, DMX, and the Wu-Tang Clan replied to the song and Nas, who received the track positively, invited 50 Cent to travel on a promotional tour for his Nastradamus album. The song was intended to be released with "Thug Love" featuring Destiny's Child, but two days before he was scheduled to film the "Thug Love" music video,50 Cent was shot and confined to a hospital due to his injuries.

50 Cent recalled the incident saying, "It happens so fast that you don't even get a chance to shoot back... I was scared the whole time... I was looking in the rear-view mirror like, 'Oh shit, somebody shot me in the face! It burns, burns, burns.'" In his memoir, From Pieces to Weight: Once upon a Time in Southside Queens, he wrote, "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life... How much more damage could that shell have done? Give me an inch in this direction or that one, and I'm gone." He used a walker for the first six weeks and fully recovered after five months. When he left the hospital, he stayed in the Poconos with his then-girlfriend and son. His physical workout regimen helped him attain his muscular physique.

On February 6, 2003, 50 Cent's commercial debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' was released. All Music Guide described it as "probably the most hyped debut album by a rap artist in about a decade". Rolling Stone noted the album for its "dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce" with50 Cent complementing the production in "an unflappable, laid-back flow". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 872,000 copies in the first four days. The lead single, "In da Club", which The Source noted for its "blaring horns, funky organs, guitar riffs and sparse hand claps" broke a Billboard record as the 'most listened-to' song in radio history within a week.(from left to right) With Olivia, Lloyd Banks & Young Buck in Bangkok, Thailand, February 26, 2006

50 Cent spoke negatively about Bad Boy Entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs and recorded a song, "Hip-Hop", revealing the reasons behind his negative feelings: primarily, a contract dispute over Ma$e. In the song, he implied that Diddy knew about The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder and threatened to expose him through former associates. The feud was resolved, with both rappers appearing on MTV's TRL and Sucker Free, respectively, stating that there were no longer problems.

50 Cent later dismissed The Game from G-Unit on Hot 97 radio. After the announcement, The Game, who was a guest earlier in the evening, attempted to enter the building with his entourage. After being denied entry, one of his associates was shot in the leg during a confrontation with a group of men leaving the building. When the situation escalated, both rappers held a press conference to announce their reconciliation. Fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt to boost the sales of the albums they had just released. Nevertheless, even after the situation deflated, The Game's street credibility was criticized by G-Unit. The group denounced The Game and announced that they will not feature on his albums. During a performance at Summer Jam, The Game launched a boycott of G-Unit called "G-Unot".

Robin Thicke

Robin Thicke was born on March 10, 1977 in Los Angeles, California. He is a R&B singer and also a songwriter.

Robin Thicke Biography and Career :

He is the son of the canadian actor Alan Thicke and the actress and singer Gloria Loring.
He is married with the actress Paula Patton and they're expecting their first baby in mid 2010.

Robin Thicke began writing songs inspiring from artist like Christina Aguilera, Mya, Brandy and Marc Anthony. He won his first Grammy Award for his collaboration on Usher's 2004 album Confessions. During 2006 Lil Wayne featured him on his song Shootters, later Robin make another collaboration with Lil Wayne on his album The Carter II.

In 2004 he write Guy Sebastian's #1 song "Out With My Baby". He also produced some song from Sebastian's album Beautiful Life.

In 2007 he also wrote the song "Wrong for you" for Angela Via. In the same year he appeared on 50 Cent's album Curtis released on September 2007 on the song "Follow My Lead".

He also worked with Ashanti on her album "The Declaration" which was released on June 3, 2008. He also worked again with Usher on his song "Love in This Club" produced by Polow da Don. In the same year he also worked again with Lil Wayne on this album The Carter III on a song called "Tie My Hands" which Robin produced it.

In 2009 he got the Grammy Award for his collaboration at The Carter III. He also produced the song "Giving Myself" for Jennifer Hudson which won another Grammy Award in the same year.


Life in Brief:

- Being born on Mar 10, Robin is a Pisces.
- his ethnicity: White.
- his mother's name: Gloria Loring.
- his father's name: Alan Thicke.
- Brothers : Brennan Thicke, Carter William Thicke.

Robin dated Paula Patton (wife).


Why is Robin Thicke on NamesBook

He is famous for his 2009 collaboration with Leighton Meester and also for the collaboration at Lil Wayne's album The Carter III.

Carmen Electra

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Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, television personality, dancer, singer, and actress.

Tara was born in Sharonville, Ohio, USA, a suburb of Cincinnati, to Patricia, a vocalist, and Harry Patrick, an entertainer and guitarist; her mother died of a brain tumor in 1998. She had an older sister, Debbie, who died from a heart attack, also in 1998. Tara graduated from Princeton High School in Sharonville.

Carmen was given her stage name by Prince. In 1995, Electra started appearing in various television programs. Then, in May of 1996 she was featured in a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, the first of several. This exposure led to higher profile television appearances, including Baywatch (cast member from 1997-1998) and MTV's Singled Out. She returned to Baywatch for the 2003 reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.

Carmen Electra became so popular among readers of Playboy that she was featured in the magazine three more times, with her second appearance in June 1997. She subsequently graced the cover twice, in December 2000 and April 2003. In the Playboy Cyber Club, she was the first woman invited to be a celebrity guest photographer; she chose Playmate Jennifer Walcott as her subject model.

In 1999, she appeared in the Bloodhound Gang's music video of "The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope."

In 2005, she joined the voice cast of the animated series Tripping the Rift, replacing Gina Gershon as the voice of the sexy android "Six". Also in 2005, she began the Naked Women's Wrestling League, acting as the commissioner for the professional wrestling promotion. In late 2006, Carmen began to be featured in commercials by Taco Bell.

Carmen Electra is the current spokesmodel for Ritz Camera Centers, appearing in their television and print ads with CEO David Ritz. She is featured in some video spoofs of Lonelygirl15 that are advertising Epic Movie.

She is a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York and is one of the celebrity challenges in the video game ESPN NFL 2K5, along with Steve-O, Jamie Kennedy and others.

Electra has been confirmed as a competitor on NBC's Celebrity version of The Apprentice. This version of The Apprentice is currently scheduled to begin in early 2008 as a mid-season replacement.

Electra bagged her first rock and pop star when she dated Prince, though the relationship was short lived. Electra was previously romantically involved with rap star B-Real of Cypress Hill from 1995 to 1998. It was revealed when B-Real and Electra were both on The Howard Stern Show that B-Real had purchased breast implants for her.

Carmen Electra achieved publicity during her on-again, off-again marriage to basketball star Dennis Rodman from 1998 to 1999. The wedding to Rodman took place at Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Later, she had a brief affair with Tommy Lee, the ex-husband of Pamela Anderson.

On November 22, 2003, Electra married Dave Navarro, former lead guitarist for the rock bands Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The couple documented their courtship and marriage in an MTV celebreality show called 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave. On 17 July 2006, she and Navarro announced their separation. Their rep confirmed their separation to Star Magazine. Electra filed for divorce on 10 August. It was finalized on February 20, 2007.

In 2006, Electra stated that when she was eight years old she had a "little girl crush" on Joan Jett. In 2007, tabloid sources linked the two of them together romantically. However, Electra's spokeswoman has insisted "They are just friends." In June 2007, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked Electra if her relationship with Jett was romantic. Electra stated; "We're just friends". She went on to say that she collects tabloid articles that suggest she and Jett are dating because she is a fan of Jett and finds them amusing as well.

Carmen Electra

---

Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, television personality, dancer, singer, and actress.

Tara was born in Sharonville, Ohio, USA, a suburb of Cincinnati, to Patricia, a vocalist, and Harry Patrick, an entertainer and guitarist; her mother died of a brain tumor in 1998. She had an older sister, Debbie, who died from a heart attack, also in 1998. Tara graduated from Princeton High School in Sharonville.

Carmen was given her stage name by Prince. In 1995, Electra started appearing in various television programs. Then, in May of 1996 she was featured in a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, the first of several. This exposure led to higher profile television appearances, including Baywatch (cast member from 1997-1998) and MTV's Singled Out. She returned to Baywatch for the 2003 reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.

Carmen Electra became so popular among readers of Playboy that she was featured in the magazine three more times, with her second appearance in June 1997. She subsequently graced the cover twice, in December 2000 and April 2003. In the Playboy Cyber Club, she was the first woman invited to be a celebrity guest photographer; she chose Playmate Jennifer Walcott as her subject model.

In 1999, she appeared in the Bloodhound Gang's music video of "The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope."

In 2005, she joined the voice cast of the animated series Tripping the Rift, replacing Gina Gershon as the voice of the sexy android "Six". Also in 2005, she began the Naked Women's Wrestling League, acting as the commissioner for the professional wrestling promotion. In late 2006, Carmen began to be featured in commercials by Taco Bell.

Electra is the current spokesmodel for Ritz Camera Centers, appearing in their television and print ads with CEO David Ritz. She is featured in some video spoofs of Lonelygirl15 that are advertising Epic Movie.

She is a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York and is one of the celebrity challenges in the video game ESPN NFL 2K5, along with Steve-O, Jamie Kennedy and others.

Electra has been confirmed as a competitor on NBC's Celebrity version of The Apprentice. This version of The Apprentice is currently scheduled to begin in early 2008 as a mid-season replacement.

Electra bagged her first rock and pop star when she dated Prince, though the relationship was short lived. Electra was previously romantically involved with rap star B-Real of Cypress Hill from 1995 to 1998. It was revealed when B-Real and Electra were both on The Howard Stern Show that B-Real had purchased breast implants for her.

Electra achieved publicity during her on-again, off-again marriage to basketball star Dennis Rodman from 1998 to 1999. The wedding to Rodman took place at Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Later, she had a brief affair with Tommy Lee, the ex-husband of Pamela Anderson.

On November 22, 2003, Electra married Dave Navarro, former lead guitarist for the rock bands Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The couple documented their courtship and marriage in an MTV celebreality show called 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave. On 17 July 2006, she and Navarro announced their separation. Their rep confirmed their separation to Star Magazine. Electra filed for divorce on 10 August. It was finalized on February 20, 2007.

In 2006, Electra stated that when she was eight years old she had a "little girl crush" on Joan Jett. In 2007, tabloid sources linked the two of them together romantically. However, Electra's spokeswoman has insisted "They are just friends." In June 2007, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked Electra if her relationship with Jett was romantic. Electra stated; "We're just friends". She went on to say that she collects tabloid articles that suggest she and Jett are dating because she is a fan of Jett and finds them amusing as well.