Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Awards, twelve NAACP Image Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards, including the Billboard Icon Award. She has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its original song "Mighty River", becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.
No More Drama is the fifth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released on August 28, 2001, by MCA Records.
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 were a follow-up to the channel's annual VH1 Honors benefit concert that ran from 1994 to 1997, airing 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.
The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It became the largest African-American culture and music event in the United States. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana, since 1995 except in 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas, due to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans and 2020 when it was cancelled. A spinoff iteration of the festival was also held in Durban, South Africa, in November 2016. The festival features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only superlounge stages.
LaNeah Menzies, better known by her stage name Starshell, is an American actress, songwriter, social entrepreneur and recording artist.
The Heart of the City Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American recording artists Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z. The North America tour supports Blige's eighth studio album, Growing Pains (2007) and Jay-Z's tenth studio album American Gangster (2007). According to Pollstar.com the Heart of the City Tour grossed over $34.2 million, making it the most successful male-female hip-hop/R&B tour in history. The-Dream was the opening act for the tour, supporting his 2007 debut album Love/Hate.
Melanie Fiona Hallim is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. She began her career in 2002 as part of a Canadian girl group trio, who was nominated for a Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year for the group's self-titled album. She went on to be part of The Renaissance, and under the name Syren Hall, recorded some reggae songs.
The Freedom Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys in support of her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom (2009). The tour commenced at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on February 26, 2010. The tour continued onto North America visiting Europe as well. In June, Keys will headline one concert in Johannesburg, giving the singer in first performances in South Africa. According to Pollstar, the tour grossed $29.4 million worldwide, with 43 shows.
Maxwell & Jill Scott: The Tour is a co-headlining concert tour by American recording artists Maxwell and Jill Scott. Heavily playing in the United States, the tour supported Maxwell's fourth studio album BLACKsummers'night. Singer Erykah Badu joined as a featured performer on select dates. Maxwell and Scott planned a second leg of the tour for the summer of 2010, however the leg was canceled abruptly. It was later revealed Maxwell postponed the tour dates until 2011, without Scott joining.
The Growing Pains European Tour was the sixth concert tour in by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige, in support of her platinum eighth studio album, Growing Pains (2007). It began in May 2008 and continued through July 2008. In addition to visiting cities throughout Europe, Blige also performed four dates in Australia.
The 2001 Soul Train Music Awards were held on February 28, 2001 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Queen Latifah, Mýa, and Shemar Moore.
The 1993 Soul Train Music Awards was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on March 9, 1993. The show was hosted by Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle and Luther Vandross.
The Home & Home Tour was a tour by rappers Jay-Z and Eminem. The tour comprised two shows at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, and two shows in Yankee Stadium, New York City. The audio of Eminem's performance in Detroit has been released by the rapper's radio station Shade 45.
The London Sessions Tour is the eighth headlining concert tour by American recording artist, Mary J. Blige. The tour supports Blige's twelfth studio album, The London Sessions. Beginning June 2016, the tour started in Europe playing various music festivals. During the fall of 2015, Blige briefly performed in the United States.
The I Am JoJo Tour was the third headlining & first world concert tour by American singer-songwriter JoJo. It was launched in support of her upcoming yet to be titled third studio album & its III., which included the album's first 3 singles. The first leg of the "I Am JoJo" tour was announced on October 5, 2015 and the first dates were revealed the same day. It kicked off on November 2, 2015 in Minneapolis. The tour traveled to theaters and clubs across the country, with stops in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, and Toronto before wrapping the first leg in the U.S. on December 20, 2015 in New Orleans. The first leg of the tour will visit just 24 cities and is currently being expanded to more cities in the US and to Canada. Its first set of international European dates were announced on December 15, 2015 bringing a total of 31 shows so far; more international dates are yet to be announced. Preparations for the shows began a month prior to the beginning of the tour. After being away for so long JoJo wanted the tour to be more intimate and be "all about connecting".
The Hits Tour was the fourth concert tour by American R&B/pop singer Toni Braxton. The 17-date outing kicked off on October 12 in Detroit, at the MotorCity Casino Hotel, visiting major cities in the United States, and completed its final night in Ohio on November 14, 2016. The tour featured R&B singer Ro James and select dates included special guests Joe, Tank and After 7.
The King and Queen of Hearts Tour was a co-headlining tour by American singers Maxwell and Mary J. Blige. The tour began October 2016 in Europe then moved to North America. The North American leg of the tour grossed $13.1 million, averaged $545,000 per show, and ranked 90 on Pollstar's Top 200 North American Tours.
"U + Me (Love Lesson)" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige from her 13th studio album, Strength of a Woman (2017). It was released on February 17, 2017, as the album's second single. Brandon "B.A.M." Hodge produced "U + Me (Love Lesson)" and co-wrote it with Charles Hinshaw, David D. Brown, and Mary J. Blige. It is a soul ballad, and its lyrics revolve around a breakup.
The K–12 Tour was the third tour by American artist Melanie Martinez, in support of her album K–12. Comprising 84 shows, the tour began on October 13, 2019, in Washington, D.C., and concluded prematurely on February 17, 2020, in Brixton, England. It was originally set to conclude on July 26, 2020 in Denver, Colorado, but the show and the remaining upcoming tour dates were cancelled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Never Ending Summer Tour was the sixth headlining concert tour by American pop rock band OneRepublic, in support of their fifth studio album Human (2021). It began on July 16, 2022, in Bristow, Virginia and concluded on September 14, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. They were joined by Needtobreathe and special guests; Brynn Cartelli, Amy Allen, and John K.
