Mariah Carey Bio:
Born in New York in 1970, Mariah always
knew that, without a doubt, she would be a singing star. When asked by her
teachers to do her homework, she'd reply that it was unnecessary- she'd
never need to go to college for her career as a superstar. Her mother's
request to clean her room was answered similarly: when Mariah was a
superstar, she'd have a maid.
Mariah, you see, might be the last person
in the world to admit that her stardom was not inevitable. Mariah's father
was black and Venezuelan. Her mother, the daughter of Irish immigrants,
was an opera singer. Mariah took after her mother in the pursuit of
developing her vocal talents. |
Mariah Carey Bio |
Mariah Carey Pictures |
Her seven-octave range is
certainly, at moments, reminiscent of any number of divas. But her vocal
styles are drawn from gospel and rhythm and blues. In fact, upon the
release of her first couple of albums, Mariah faced charges that she was
just 'another white girl' capitalizing on black music. She immediately
confronted the issue in Ebony, telling them that her father was black. In
addition, American music styles are themselves so much derived from black
music that it might be hard not to record an album drawing upon those
influences. Mariah says of herself, "My mother is Irish, my father is
black and Venezuelan, and me- I'm tan, I guess." |