Mariah Carey
b. c.1970, Long Island, New York, USA. With a voice that spans seven octaves, and with five US chart-toppers already under her belt, it is little surprise that Carey is being billed as the next Whitney Houston. Carey was the third child of an Irish-American mother; a former opera singer turned voice tutor, and a half Venezuelan father. As a schoolgirl Carey began singing on R&B sessions in New York when she met keyboardist and songwriter Ben Margulies (b. c.1963) who became her songwriting partner and close friend. With Carey writing the melodies and most of the lyrics, and Margulies arranging the songs, they developed a simple blend of soul, gospel, and pop which showed off Carey's amazing voice to the full. Carey struggled as the self-professed World's Worst Waitress until fortune smiled on her. While at a showbusiness party, a friend of the singer thrust a demo cassette into the hands of Sony Music's US president Tommy Mottola. While driving home from the party Mottola played the cassette in the car and was so impressed that he immediately set out on a Prince Charming-like quest to find his Cinderella. Carey was duly signed and her debut single, Visions Of Love was a smash hit. It became the first of five number 1s in the US. Managed by Randy Hoffman (whose roster also includes Hall And Oates) the success story thus far has proved swift and efficient in construction. Her debut album stayed on top of the US album charts for 22 weeks, as she duly picked up 1991 Grammys for Best Female Vocalist and Best New Artist, an extraordinary start to a career. In three years her albums have already sold 20 million copies.