Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, and signature use of the whistle register, she is referred to as the "Songbird Supreme" and the "Queen of Christmas". Carey rose to fame in 1990 with her eponymous debut album. She was the first artist to have her first five singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from "Vision of Love" to "Emotions".
Avalon is an American contemporary Christian vocal quartet from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 1995. The group has earned multiple RIAA-certified gold records. The group currently consists of Janna Long, Greg Long, Jody McBrayer, and Dani Rocca.
Walter Afanasieff, formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is a Brazilian-American musician, songwriter, record producer and composer of Russian descent. He is known for his longtime collaboration with Mariah Carey on her first six studio albums. He won the 1999 Grammy Award in the Record of the Year category for producing "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, and the 2000 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.
"Never Too Far/Hero Medley" is a medley recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, first released as a charity single on December 11, 2001 through Virgin Records America and is included in the Japanese release of Carey's second compilation album, Greatest Hits (2001). The medley combines the first verse and chorus of "Never Too Far", co-written and co-produced by Carey and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with a re-recorded version of the first verse, chorus and bridge of "Hero", written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. As the latter did not receive co-production credits due to the change in instrumentation, Randy Jackson was named as producer alongside Carey instead. The single was meant to express a message of unity and love in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a Christmas song by American singer Mariah Carey. She co-wrote and co-produced it with Walter Afanasieff for her fourth studio album and first holiday album, Merry Christmas (1994). Columbia Records released it as the lead single from the album on October 29, 1994. The track is an uptempo love song that includes bell chimes, backing vocals and synthesizers.
Merry Christmas is the first Christmas album, and the fourth studio album, by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. Released by Columbia Records on October 28, 1994, at the peak of the initial stretch of Carey's career, between Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), the album features cover versions of popular Christmas tunes and original material. Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote all of the original tracks, as well as producing Carey's interpretations of the covered material. Two singles were released from the album, of which "All I Want for Christmas Is You" went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling holiday ringtone in the United States.
These Are Special Times is the sixth English-language studio album and the first English-language Christmas album by Canadian singer Celine Dion. Released by Sony Music Entertainment on 30 October 1998, it features cover versions of popular Christmas tunes and original material. Dion worked with David Foster and Ric Wake, who produced most of the tracks for the album. Other producers include R. Kelly and Bryan Adams. Critics praised Dion's commitment to the recorded material, as well as the production of the songs.
VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert in 1998. VH1 Divas Live was created to support the channel's Save The Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The VH1 Divas concerts aired annually from 1998 to 2004. After a five-year hiatus, the series returned in 2009 with a younger-skewed revamp. In 2010 the concert saluted the troops and in 2011 it celebrated soul music, doubling the previous year's ratings. After a dance music-focused 2012 edition aired live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on December 16, 2012, the show took another hiatus before being revived on December 5, 2016, at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York with a holiday theme and achieved its highest ratings in over a decade.
Oxygen is Avalon's fifth studio album, released on May 22, 2001, and produced by Brown Bannister and Grant Cunningham. The project was strongly supported by Christian radio, containing six No. 1 radio singles—the most of any Avalon album to date. Oxygen is the first album by the group to release alongside a Collector's Edition, which features a hidden bonus track, "Beyond the Clouds".
In a Different Light is Avalon's third studio album, released on March 23, 1999. It is the first album with group member Cherie Adams, who replaced Nikki Hassman-Anders. This is Avalon's second album to be certified Gold by the RIAA. The project was an instant hit at Christian radio, containing four No. 1 singles: "Can't Live A Day", "Take You At Your Word", "In Not Of", and "Always Have, Always Will". It debuted and peaked on the Billboard 200 chart at #81 for the week of April 10, 1999, spending a total of 13 weeks on that specific chart.
Testify to Love: The Very Best of Avalon is Avalon's seventh release—the group's first greatest hits collection—and is titled appropriately after the quartet's hit, "Testify to Love". It is the first album showcasing Melissa Greene, who replaced Cherie Adams, and the last album featuring founding member Michael Passons. Although mostly consisting of previous radio hits, three new songs were added—"New Day", "Everything to Me", and "Pray", with a bonus Christmas song. "Wonder Why" has an alternate opening from the original album version.
Faith: A Hymns Collection is Avalon's tenth release and their seventh studio album. Their first worship album, it contains remakes of old and modern hymns. It was released on October 17, 2006.
Another Time, Another Place: Timeless Christian Classics is Avalon's eleventh release and their eighth studio album. it contains remakes of classic songs that have defined and shaped the sound of Contemporary Christian Music. It was released on February 26, 2008 and was thought to be the final album featuring Jody McBrayer as a member of Avalon until he rejoined the group in 2018.
Michael Thompson is an American guitarist and songwriter.
Jody Williams is a South African pop/R&B singer. She won the fourth season of the South African reality television singing competition Idols on 9 December 2007 at age 17, making her the youngest winner of the competition until 2017, when Paxton Fielies won the Competition at age 17.
Celine was the second concert residency by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion. The residency was performed at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning 15 March 2011, with an estimated 70 performances per year. The residency ranked 26th in Pollstar's "Top 50 Worldwide Tour (Mid-Year)", earning over $20 million. Being seen by over 200,000 people, the residency became the number one show in 2011. The residency has also made Dion the "most profitable music act in Las Vegas" since Elvis Presley.
Michael Landau is an American musician, audio engineer, and record producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Seal, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Luis Miguel, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd, Phil Collins on Two Hearts and Loco in Acapulco, Roger Daltrey, Stevie Nicks, Glenn Frey, Eros Ramazzotti, Whitney Houston, and Miles Davis. Landau, along with fellow session guitarists Dean Parks, Steve Lukather, Michael Thompson and Dann Huff, played on many of the major label releases recorded in Los Angeles from the 1980s–1990s. He has released music with several record labels, including Ulftone Music and Tone Center Records, a member of Shrapnel Label Group.
Merry Christmas II You is the second Christmas album and thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Island Records on November 2, 2010. Recording began in April 2010 and continued while Carey became pregnant. She was the executive producer of Merry Christmas II You and worked with various record producers, including Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Randy Jackson, James Poyser, Marc Shaiman, James "Big Jim" Wright and Johnny "Sev" Severin of RedOne. The album features Carey's mother Patricia Carey as a guest vocalist on "O Come All Ye Faithful" / "Hallelujah Chorus". The album serves as a sequel to her fourth studio album Merry Christmas (1994). It is composed of original songs and covers, ballads and uptempo tracks, incorporating R&B, soul and house music in its composition.
All I Want for Christmas Is You, a Night of Joy and Festivity is the second concert residency by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. Originally performed annually at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan, New York, the residency began on December 15, 2014, and ended on December 15, 2019, after completing eight legs and fifty-six shows in various countries around the world. The main set list for the show encompassed songs from Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas II You, alongside additional non-holiday tracks from Carey's discography.
Celine Dion Live 2017 was the twelfth concert tour by Canadian singer Celine Dion. It was organized to support Dion's 2016 French-language studio album, Encore un soir. In the anglophone shows Dion performed her single "How does a moment last forever" along with a few rare songs and fan favourites. With twenty five shows, it began in Copenhagen, Denmark on 15 June 2017 and concluded on 5 August 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland.
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