Mary Jane Blige is a real treasure of American cinema and stage. She managed to realize herself as a singer, songwriter, producer and actress. Mary's creative biography can hardly be called easy. Despite this, the performer has a little less than 10 multi-platinum albums, a number of prestigious nominations and awards.
Childhood and youth Mary Jane Blige
She was born on January 11, 1971. At the time of birth, the family lived in a small provincial town, which is located near New York. Mary's family was not very prosperous.
The girl's mother was a nurse. Relations with the spouse were always on the verge. He often beat a woman, could not provide his family with basic things. In their house, insults and obscene language were often heard.
Mary's mother suffered from alcohol addiction. Alcoholic drinks relieved the pain. The head of the family was directly related to the scene. Before the Vietnam War, he worked as a musician in a local band. When my father returned from the front, he developed the so-called "post-traumatic disorder."
Soon the mother managed to pull herself together. She was worried about the fate of the children, so she filed for divorce. In search of a better life, the woman left her hometown. She took part in the Yonkers housing project and soon got her rightful place to live.
Later, another sad moment came to light. When life in the family more or less improved, little Mary spoke about her experience of sexual abuse.
Singing was a relief for the girl. She enrolled in the church choir, where she honed her vocal abilities. She did not stay as an “angelic” child for long. As a teenager, Mary began to use alcohol and drugs.
In adolescence, school was in the background. Mary did not want to do her homework and practically stopped attending school. She never finished high school.
Mom and sister did everything to ensure that Mary did not do stupid things. They orientated in time in which direction a talented girl can develop.
After not very pleasant moments in her life, Mary could not believe in her own strength and significance. Having become popular, she worked some moments. Today, the artist openly calls herself a happy and mentally healthy person.
The creative path of Mary Jane Blige
The singer has a strong voice. She has a mezzo-soprano voice. She has no musical education. This did not prevent her from taking part in various music competitions. At one of these events, she won. At that time she was only 8 years old.
The aspiring singer recorded her first demo not in a professional recording studio, but in a karaoke booth. Mary created a cover version of Anita Baker's popular song Caught Up in the Rapture.
In the late 1980s, she began to actively mail the record to various studios. Fortune soon smiled upon her. She signed with Uptown Records. Until the 1990s, Mary acted as a backing vocalist. But with the support of Puff Daddy, she managed to record her debut solo album. The singer's discography was opened by What's the 411.
The debut LP is a real rich assortment, which included rhythm and blues, soul and hip-hop. Despite the fact that Mary's name was unknown to many, the album of the young performer was sold out in significant numbers. The album was sold by 3 million fans. From a number of presented tracks, the audience remembered the compositions You Remind Me and Real Love.
On the wave of popularity, the singer's discography was replenished with the second studio LP My Life. The compositions Be Happy, Mary Jane (All Night Long) and You Bring Me Joy aroused interest among the public. The record managed to repeat the success of the previous LP.
Mary gradually entered the "party". For example, for Whitney Houston's film Waiting to Exhale, the singer recorded the soundtrack Not Gon' Cry. A little later, together with George Michael, she presented the composition As, which even demanding music lovers liked.
Peak of popularity
Already in the mid-1990s, the prestigious Grammy Award stood on her shelf. The artist received it in the nomination "Best rap performance by a duet or group." The jury highly appreciated the talent of the American performer.
Then she recorded another novelty. Her new album is titled Share My World. Longplay was warmly received by fans and music critics. The collection took the 1st position in the prestigious Billboard chart. Among the presented tracks, music lovers noted Love Is All We Need and Everything.
In the early 2000s, Mary worked tirelessly. Her discography continued to be replenished with worthy works. Then she presented the composition Family Affair to fans of her work. The presented work is now considered a classic of hip-hop soul.
At the same time, the singer, along with the talented rapper Wyclef Jean, recorded another hit "911". For a long time, the track occupied a leading position in the US chart. In 2004, Mary recorded a duet song with Sting. The singers performed the song Whenever I Say Your Name. The work was appreciated not only by fans, but also by music critics.
In 2005, Mary's discography was replenished with the LP The Breakthrough. The album was awarded three Grammy awards. From that moment on, the celebrity decided to discover another interesting page in her creative biography - cinema.
She smoothly entered the world of the film industry. Mary starred in Tyler Perry's movie My Own Mistakes. After some time, she could be seen in the movie "Betty and Coretta" and "Mudbound Farm". In the last movie, she got a supporting role. But it was for this role that she won an Oscar. Mary did not avoid filming in the series.
Details of the artist's personal life
Despite the success that hit the singer at the time of the release of her debut album and subsequent works, Mary did not improve her life. After concerts, she often used alcohol and drugs. Surprisingly, managers and producers did not stop the artist.
Fortunately for the American singer, she fell in love with producer Kenda Isaacs, who did everything to ensure that she got rid of her addictions. It was a strong union. They legalized the relationship in 2003. The couple lived in a happy marriage for 15 years. The family raised Mary's illegitimate children, she has three of them.
Mary's heart is currently open to new relationships. Candid photos often appear on social networks of the star. Despite her age, the singer looks perfect.
Mary Jane Blige at present
Currently, Mary is actively manifesting herself in the cinema. But this does not mean that she is ready to leave her singing career. In 2020, she took part in the dubbing of the animation project Trolls World Tour.
In the same year, she took part in the filming of the thriller, where she had to try on the image of a police officer. We are talking about the movie "Video Recorder".
The latest news from the life of the singer can be found on her official website. It is there that actual information about Mary J. Blige appears.
Mary Jane Blige in 2021
At the beginning of June 2021, a trailer for a biographical film about the outstanding singer Mary J. Blige was shown. The motion picture received the symbolic name "My Life". The film was directed by Vanessa Roth. The biopic focuses on the singer's LP from the mid-90s. The film is slated for release at the end of this month.
