{"key":"3862","name":"Sarah Brightman","bio":"Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is a British recording artist, actress, songwriter and dancer, largely credited for being a pioneer of Classical Crossover. She sings songs in many languages including English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi, and Mandarin.Brightman has received over 180 Gold and Platinum sales awards in over 40 different countries around the world and is the only artist to hold #1 spots on the Billboard Classical and Dance charts simultaneously, her other achievements feature her ranking by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female classical artist of the twenty-first century and a Guinness World Record for the success of \u201cTime to Say Goodbye,\u201d the best-selling single in German recording history.She has established herself as the world's biggest selling soprano of all time, She has sold 78 million albums worldwide, including 40 million copies of the soundtrack of The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical), 26 million albums, over two million DVDs and 10 million copies of the single \" Time to Say Goodbye \"as a soloist.She made her debut as a dancer in troupes such as Hot Gossip and later released a string of disco singles. She was a musical theatre performer and partner of theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom she originated roles including Christine Daa\u00e9 in The Phantom of the Opera.After her divorce, Brightman became a crossover artist with former Enigma producer Frank Peterson. Her style, a blend of classical vocals and pop-inspired instrumentation and arrangement, earned her further success.She is often cited as the woman who paved the way for other international success stories such as Il Divo, Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban. She is said to be worth as much as \u00a330m (about US$49m).","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/3862_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"300,000 - 500,000"}

{"key":"3890","name":"Josh Groban","bio":"Joshua Winslow Groban (born in Los Angeles, CA , on February 27, 1981) is an American singer known for his mature, dusky baritone voice. His musical style ranges from classical to pop.After only one year in the theatre department at Carnegie Mellon University, his choice school, Groban left when he was offered a recording contract at Warner Bros. Records through David Foster's own 143 Records imprint. With regard to signing Groban, Foster said: \"I love his natural ability in the pop and rock arena, but I love his sense of classics even more. He's a true musical force to be reckoned with\" . Therefore, under Foster's influence, Groban's first album focused more on the classics with songs such as \"Gira Con Me\" and \"Alle Luce Del Sole,\" the first ones decided on by Foster and Groban.Soon after being picked up by David Foster, Groban went on to perform \"There For Me\" with Sarah Brightman on her 2000-2001 La Luna Tour, featured on her \"La Luna\" Concert DVD, and made his recording debut by singing \"For Always\" with Lara Fabian on the movie soundtrack to A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001). He also became involved in many benefit shows, including the following: \"The Andre Agassi Grand Slam Event For Children\", singing alongside Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Don Henley and Robin Williams; \"Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Foundation\" which honored Michael J. Fox and others; \"The Family Celebration\" (2001) which was co-hosted by President Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and David E. Kelley and his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer; and Michael Milken's CapCure event, which raises funds for cancer research.In May 2001, Groban played the role of Malcolm Wyatt in the season finale of the television series Ally McBeal, performing \"You're Still You.\" The series creator David E. Kelley was impressed at Groban's performance at The Family Celebration event, and, based on the audience reaction to Groban's singing, Kelley created a character for Josh in this finale. The character of Malcolm Wyatt was so popular, with 8,000 emails from fans, that Groban was asked to come back the next season to reprise his role and perform \"To Where You Are.\"On November 20, 2001, Groban's self-titled debut album Josh Groban was released and, over the next year, it went from gold to double-platinum.On February 24, 2002, Groban performed \"The Prayer\" with Charlotte Church at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, and by November, he had his own PBS special Josh Groban In Concert (2002). The following month, he performed \"To Where You Are\" and \"The Prayer\" at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, and joined The Corrs, Ronan Keating, Sting, Lionel Richie and others for a holiday performance at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.On November 11, 2003, his second album Closer was released. Josh himself said that he believed that this second album was a better reflection of him and that his audience would be able to get a better idea of him personally from listening to it. \"What most people know about me, they know through my music. This time, I've tried to open that door as wide as possible. These songs are a giant step closer to who I really am and what my music is all about. Hence the title\".Two months after Closer was released, it rose on the Billboard charts from number 11 to number one. Both of Groban's albums were produced by David Foster, released under Foster's 143 Records and distributed by Warner Music. His cover of Secret Garden's \"You Raise Me Up\" became very popular on the adult contemporary charts.Josh also performed in the soundtrack to Troy, composed by James Horner, featured in the song \"Remember Me\" with Tanja Tzarovsk. He also performed in the soundtrack to Robert Zemeckis's 2004 animated film The Polar Express, featured in the song \"Believe.\" The song is composed by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard.During the summer of 2004, Josh once again returned to the birthplace of his artistic growth, Interlochen, where he gave a legendary performance to local residents of Michigan and the many, many campers, ranging from elementary school to high school age. He additionally signed many autographs, and spoke about his experiences as a young performer.On November 30, 2004, his second live DVD, Live At The Greek, was released. It also ran as a Great Performances special on PBS. Also in 2004, Josh performed \"Remember When It Rained,\" backed by a full orchestra, at the American Music Awards where he was up for Favorite Male Artist in the pop category. Josh and his recordings were nominated for more than a dozen awards in 2004, including the American Music Award, World Music Award, Academy Award, and a Grammy.Other appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jay Leno, Larry King Live, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, 20\/20, The Today Show, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Super Bowl XXXVIII, and the Rockefeller Tree Lighting.During the first week of September 2006, Groban's latest single entitled \"You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)\", was exclusively released to AOL's First Listen. On November 7, 2006, Josh released his third studio album, \"Awake.\" He is kicking off his 2007-2008 tour on February 17th in Verona, New York.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/3890_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"3865","name":"Andrea Bocelli","bio":"Andrea Bocelli is an Italian opera singer, songwriter, and record producer. It was evident at birth that Bocelli had many problems with his sight, eventually becoming diagnosed with congenital glaucoma. Bocelli became completely blind at age 12. A Tuscan, like Puccini and Mascagni, Bocelli was born on the family farm of Lajatico, among the vineyards of the countryside of Pisa. His parents must be given credit for having encouraged his musical talent, allowing him to start studying the piano from the age of only six years old. Later his musical passion extended to the flute and the saxophone but it was in his voice that Bocelli discovered the ideal instrument. This was the beginning of the formative process which would produce Bocelli, the star, a modern but old-fashioned tenor. Italian spinto tenor Franco Corelli praised Bocelli's voice after hearing it for the first time during a master class in 1986 in Turin, Italy, and he later gave Bocelli private voice lessons. Since 1982, Bocelli has sold over 90 million records worldwide. He has had success as a crossover performer, bringing classical music to the top of international pop charts. Bocelli was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2006 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 2, 2010, for his contribution to Live Theater. Legendary pop singer Celine Dion has stated, \"If God would have a singing voice, he must sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli.\"","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/3865_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"4030","name":"Il Divo","bio":"Il Divo, Italian for \"divine male performer,\" is an international operatic pop vocal group under the Sony BMG music label from United Kingdom. Il Divo is formed by singers David Miller, S\u00e9bastien Izambard, Urs B\u00fchler, and Carlos Mar\u00edn.The idea behind this quartet's creation came to Simon Cowell after listening to Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's rendition of \"Con Te Partir\u00f2.\" He realized he loved lyrical voices but not opera, so he decided to form a multinational quartet (France, Switzerland, Spain, and United States) that sounded like The Three Tenors but sang pop songs and looked like handsome Armani models.With this idea, Cowell commenced a worldwide search for young singers who were willing to embark on the Il Divo project. His search lasted two years, from 2001 until December 2003, when the fourth member of Il Divo, American tenor David Miller, was signed. The well-established formation of Il Divo comprises a renowned Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone, Carlos Mar\u00edn, a French pop singer, S\u00e9bastien Izambard, and two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs B\u00fchler and American David Miller. Recording of their first album started in the first half of 2004 in Sweden.The group's debut album, the self-named Il Divo, contains renditions of Frank Sinatra's hit \"My Way (A Mi Manera),\" Toni Braxton's hit \"Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mi),\" an adaptation of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack titled \"Gabriel's Oboe\" from the movie La Misi\u00f3n titled \"Nella Fantasia\" and several songs sung in Spanish, English, Italian, and Portuguese (\"Volta Pra Mim\"), including 1994's San Remo Festival winner \"Passer\u00e0.\"Il Divo hit the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com after a breakout career-defining appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 5, 2005, where the quartet performed its interpretation of \"Unbreak My Heart.\"In the United Kingdom, the Il Divo album topped Robbie Williams as number 1 in the UK charts (allegedly Williams said to them during the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason film premiere, \"Oi, you're the bastards that knocked me off!\"). This multiplatinum-selling CD became number one in the charts in a total of 13 countries around the world, and achieved top 5 placing in 25 countries.Il Divo's second album, Ancora, was recorded in both Sweden and London with world-renowned recording giants Per Magnusson and David Kreuger and producer Steve Mac, who was also the producer of their first album. Released on November 7, 2005 in the UK, it hit number one both in the UK and Australia within one week. Ancora was released in the US on January 24, 2006. It entered the Billboard albums chart at number 1, selling more than 150,000 copies during its first week of sales.Highlights on Ancora include \"Isabel,\" \"I Believe In You,\" a duet with C\u00e9line Dion, and Il Divo's cover of Eric Carmen's \"All By Myself (Solo Otra Vez).\" Two of the tracks on this CD, \"O Holy Night\" and \"Ave Maria,\" appear on the 2005 US-only release, Christmas Collection.Il Divo was the perfomer of the 2006 FIFA World Cup official song \"A Time of Our Lives.\"","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/4030_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"200,000 - 350,000"}

{"key":"4019","name":"Katherine Jenkins","bio":"Katherine Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a highly acclaimed Welsh mezzo-soprano, a classical-popular crossover singer who has gained an international reputation from her live and recorded performances across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical comedy and hymns. In 2004, at the age of 23, she signed the largest record deal in United Kingdom classical recording history, with an undisclosed seven-figure deal.Jenkins was born in Neath, Wales, where she and her sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John (1924\u20131995) and Susan. She has twin half-sisters from her father's first marriage, neither of whom she has met.Six out of seven of Jenkins's studio albums reached number one in the classical charts between 2004 and 2008, selling a total of more than 4 million copies. After her first album, Premiere, made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano to date she became the first British classical crossover artist to have two number one albums in the same year. She is also the first female artist to win two consecutive Classical BRIT Awards: her second album, Second Nature, reached number 16 in the UK pop charts and was Album of the Year in the 2005 BRIT Awards.On Sunday 25th November 2007, Katherine Jenkins' new album 'Rejoice' entered the 'Official UK Album Chart' at number 3. Katherine beat off stiff competition from the likes of Girls Aloud, Led Zeppelin, Spice Girls, Take That and Celine Dion.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/4019_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"75,000 - 150,000"}

{"key":"4022","name":"Charlotte Church","bio":"Charlotte Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed on 21 February 1986) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10,500,000 albums worldwide and is said to be worth as much as \u00a320m. She recently hosted the third series of her Channel 4 chat show The Charlotte Church Show. Church currently has two children, Ruby Megan Henson and Dexter Lloyd Henson.Life and music careerEarly lifeCharlotte Church was born Charlotte Maria Reed in Llandaff, a district of Cardiff, Wales. She was raised Roman Catholic by her mother, Maria, who was separated from Church's biological father, Stephen Reed. Church was adopted by her mother's second husband, James Church in 1998. Her break came at 11 when she sang \"Pie Jesu\" over the telephone on the television show \"This Morning\" in 1997, followed by her performance on ITV's Big, Big Talent Show in 1997. This led to concerts at Cardiff Arms Park, the Royal Albert Hall and opening for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp. She also received a vocal scholarship to Howell's School Llandaff in Cardiff where she started in 1998. She balanced performing and school with help from tutors for when she was on the road and said in many interviews that she was \"just like every other girl her age\".1998\u2013Present: Classical careerChurch was then introduced to the Cardiff impresario, Jonathan Shalit, who became her manager and negotiated a contract with Sony BMG. Her first album, Voice of an Angel was a collection of arias, sacred songs, and traditional pieces that sold millions worldwide and made her the youngest artist with a No. 1 album on the British classical crossover charts.Church appeared on PBS specials. Her self-titled second album also included operatic, religious, and traditional tracks. One, the soaring and inspirational Just Wave Hello, was the centrepiece of a millennium-themed ad campaign for the Ford Motor Company. The song's full-length video, featuring Church, won acclaim at the Detroit Auto Show and introduced her to new fans. The track reached #31 in her native UK.In 2000, she released Dream a Dream, an album of Christmas carols. It included Church's first foray into a more pop-influenced style in the title track Dream a Dream, borrowing the melody from Faur\u00e9's Pavane and featuring young American country singer Billy Gilman. Church also sang with Gilman in \"Sleigh Ride\" on his CD Classic Christmas.In 2001, Church added more pop, swing, and Broadway with her album Enchantment. That year, movie audiences heard Church for the first time in the 2001 Ron Howard film A Beautiful Mind. Celine Dion was beginning a concert engagement in Las Vegas and was not available to perform the film's end title song, \"All Love Can Be\", composer James Horner enlisted Church and the song was re-written for her vocal range. Church also handled other vocal passages throughout the score.In 2002, at 16, she released a 'best of' album called Prelude, and took part in the Royal Christmas tour alongside Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, concluding her classical music career. Her next album, Tissues and Issues, would be a pop release.Articles emerged in the UK press in March and April 2008 stating that she was still training classically and was contemplating a return to classical crossover at some point. Church has sung in religious services in Taiz\u00e9. She has also performed before Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales and Bill Clinton, the former United States President.In 2009, at age 23, Charlotte sat down with Hello! Magazine, and mentioned she is getting back to work on her music career. She said that she has missed making music and singing, and that Gavin has strongly encouraged her to pursue what she loves to do.2005\u2013Present: Pop careerIn 2005, she issued her first pop album Tissues and Issues. Four singles were moderately successful in the UK with \"Crazy Chick\" reaching no. 2, \"Call My Name\" number 10, \"Even God Can't Change the Past\" number 17, and \"Moodswings (to Come at Me like That)\" number 14. Although these were released in Australia as well, they failed to reach the same level of success there, and in March 2006 it was announced that there would be no US releases of Church's pop work until she had achieved a number 1 hit in the UK. Tissues and Issues accounted for no more than 2% of her total sales.In April 2006, she performed three concerts in Glasgow, London, and Cardiff, in venues holding between 2,000 and 3,000 people; the dates at London and Cardiff were sold out. Supported by Irish band the New Druids, Church performed a mix of tracks from her debut pop album and a number of pop covers including Prince's \"Kiss\" and Gloria Estefan's \"Rhythm is Gonna Get You\". Though Church hinted at the possibility of a full tour in the future, none took place.In November 2006, it was announced that she and Sony had parted ways. According to her publicist, this was a mutual decision reached after a series of meetings throughout the year, which were held since her five and later six album deal had come to an end. There was some speculation that Church had decided to take a break from her singing career, in order to focus on her television show. Others suggested that the performance of her pop releases in the charts also contributed to the decision. Soon, she became pregnant with her daughter, Ruby Megan Henson, and this was widely believed to contribute the decision.In June 2008, she again became pregnant, this time with her son, Dexter Lloyd Henson. In Charlotte's latest interview, she mentioned she would be ready to work on more music a few months after she was fully recovered from her second pregnancy, and Dexter was a little bit older, though was not sure whether she would further develop her classical career, her pop career, or both as she loves both genres for different reasons, and plans to work on both genres but needs to be in a creative state of mind to continue work on her second Pop album. Charlotte also mentioned that she has been working with a vocal instructor to keep her voice in check during, and after her second pregnancy, and while she has never put a focus on her body image, she would like to get back into the shape she was in before becoming a mother when she resumes work.In June 2009, Charlotte Church sat down with Hello! Magazine , and discussed her life since having her second child, Dexter. She said that she is currently in the studio, resuming work on her new album. She is excited to further her music career and plans on enlisting the help of both sets of grandparents, and Gavin to help care for the children, now that they are a little bit older. She mentioned that Gavin has been strongly encouraging her to get back to work, and pursue her career that she has greatly missed since settling down.Acting and television careerTelevisionMinor appearancesChurch has made a number of cameo appearances on television. She appeared in the CBS series Touched by an Angel, starred in the 1999 Christmas special of Heartbeat, and in 2003 she presented an episode of Have I Got News For You. In 2005 she played herself in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show, in a sketch with the fictional character Joannie Taylor. In 2008 she appeared briefly in a sketch in Katy Brand's Big Ass Show. In 2009 she is set to appear in 3 episodes of hit US sitcom How I Met Your Mother as Katy Moore a new girlfriend of Marshall's brother who comes to stay late in the 4th season.In December 2005, for The Paul O'Grady Show Christmas pantomime, The Wizard of Oz, Church played Dorothy Gale.The Charlotte Church ShowMain article: The Charlotte Church ShowIn the summer of 2006, Church began work on her own entertainment TV show, The Charlotte Church Show. After a pilot episode which caused some controversy and which was never released to the public, the series began on 1 September 2006 on Channel 4.The show, hosted by Charlotte and featuring two celebrity guests each week, involved a mixture of sketches, reality TV, interviews, extremely foul language, and music, as well as a recurring Welsh theme. The show has averaged 1.9 million viewers and 10% of the available audience, and on 6 October 2006, it was announced that Channel 4 paid Church a reported \u00a31,200,000 for a further two series of the show. According to her official website, the final series, originally planned for summer of 2007, was deferred until after Church gave birth.Church won a British Comedy Award for \"Best Female Comedy Newcomer\" in 2006, and the 'Funniest TV Personality' award at the 2006 Loaded Magazine's 'LAFTA' awards. In 2008 she was nominated for the Rose d'Or Special Award for Best Entertainer.It was announced on 10 February 2008 that Church was ready to make her return to TV.In late June 2008, Channel 4 began showing trails for the series. It has since concluded its eight show run. Church confirmed on 28 August 2008 that The Charlotte Church Show would return for a Christmas special, which aired on 21 December 2008. On Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Charlotte revealed that the third series would be shown on Thursday nights beginning on 10 July 2008.Movie rolesShe made her silver screen debut in 2003's I'll Be There, co-starring and directed by Craig Ferguson. Church played the role of Olivia, the daughter of a washed-up 80s rocker from a one-night-stand, played by Ferguson. The film did not meet with widespread success, playing for only ten days in UK cinemas and being released directly to video in the US. Charlotte was also under consideration to appear in the 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece Phantom of the Opera as the leading female character Christine Daae but elected not to audition as it was specified she would have to lose weight before she could try out which she declined to do. The part eventually went to Emmy Rossum. Church also stated she had wanted the part of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films, however, at 14 she was too old for the part, which eventually went to Emma Watson.Personal lifeChurch's personal life has often been portrayed in UK tabloid newspapers, inspiring the song Let's Be Alone on her album Tissues and Issues.Church released an autobiography titled Voice of an Angel (My Life So Far) at 14, before the release of Enchantment and just after she had wrapped up her Dream a Dream Christmas CD. Her change of music direction is hinted at in the final chapter, \"Turning Corners\". She released a second autobiography titled \"Keep Smiling\" in fall of 2007, very different in tone from the first.Revisited with particular frequency is her love life. In 2002, aged 16, she moved out of the family home to live with her rap DJ\/model boyfriend, Steven Johnson. This relationship inspired Casualty of Love, from Tissues and Issues. The couple split at the end of 2003. The tabloid press documented her subsequent relationship with Kyle Johnson (no relation of Steven Johnson), which ended in February 2005. The couple stated that they remained friends, though later that month the News of the World Sunday tabloid published an interview with Johnson disclosing details of the couple's sex life, leading to Church punching Johnson at a restaurant.Other aspects of her personal life have been criticized in the press. In 2002, she was photographed smoking, which was controversial due to its possible effects on her vocal power. It subsequently emerged that she had developed a habit, and that many members of her family were heavy smokers, making it difficult for her to quit. Her smoking habit was alluded to on the album Tissues and Issues, in Confessional Song. Her weight gain has also been criticized in the media. Regarding the pressure to lose weight, Church has been quoted as saying, \u201cI'm happy with how I look. I like looking like this. Why change just to be like everyone else? What's the point of that?\u201d In an interview with Reveal magazine in June 2006, she said, \u201cI do look a bit of a heifer on telly and in pictures but that's because the camera puts pounds on you.\u201dThe press devoted much attention to Church's relationship with boyfriend Gavin Henson, a Welsh International Rugby Union player: they have reportedly bought a manor in Glamorgan. At the end of 2005, she purchased a property in her native Llandaff, Cardiff, for a reported \u00a3500,000 which she later sold for \u00a3900,000. The couple have mentioned marriage on talk shows and in the press but put off marriage while Church was pregnant.On 20 September 2007, at 10:35 pm, Church gave birth to a daughter named Ruby Megan Henson. Before the birth Charlotte and Gavin moved into a \u00a31,000,000 farmhouse outside Cardiff.In 2007, Church made another appearance on a British young people's rich list with Henson. They were ranked 49th richest young people in Britain with an estimated joint wealth of \u00a312 million, although most estimate her wealth at \u00a320,000,000.Church has stated that she wants her child bearing days to be over by the time she is 32. She has also said that she wants four to six children, whereas Henson wants eight. On 11 January 2009, Church gave birth to her second child, a son named Dexter Lloyd Henson. The baby weighed 7lb. 5oz.On Friday Night With Jonathan Ross she stated that she met Henson at a restaurant in Wales whilst in a high-profile relationship with Kyle Johnson and they spent the night together in the restaurant however they did not start a relationship until Charlotte split from Johnson (unprovoked by Henson. She said that she saw him in a photo for the Six Nations and 'had to have me some of that'.On 12 May 2009, the South Wales Post, A Welsh newspaper, stated that Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson were on the verge of ending their relationship after a series of fierce arguments stemming from Henson's behaviour while out on the town with his team mates, which allegedly ended in Church forcing Henson to stay with his parents. These claims were later shot down by both sides of the family, and they stated all was well in the Church\/Henson household, and there was no break up taking place. They stated that despite the occasional argument which happens amongst every couple, that Church and Henson have been quite happy together, and remain so to this day.ControversyControversy surrounds the circumstances of the dismissal of Church's first manager, Jonathan Shalit. He was allegedly discharged from her representation in a letter faxed by Church's mother; although allegations were later made by the Church family of \"inappropriate tactile conduct\" on the part of Shalit, nothing ever came of them. Shalit subsequently sued for breach of contract and received an out-of-court settlement believed to be worth \u00a32 million. The exact details were never released because, as one of the parties to the matter was a minor, such details are protected under UK law.Church has provoked controversy on some occasions with her comments and criticisms \u2013 in an interview with Davina McCall, Charlotte agreed being diplomatic was \"not in her nature\". Her remarks about her visit to New York in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, saying \"People overdramatise and lose perspective\" proved highly offensive.The pilot episode of Church's talk show, The Charlotte Church Show, provoked a backlash from some religious groups, as Church reportedly mocked the Roman Catholic Church and made some controversial comments about Pope Benedict XVI, calling him a \"Nazi\" in reference to his service in the Hitler Youth and German Army. One large Roman Catholic distributor of books, CDs and other goods, Ignatius Press, pulled Church's products from its catalogue.In her video blog entry for 22 March 2007, Church referred to the UK's Eurovision entry, Scooch, as \"absolute shit\" and went on to say, \"I've never seen shit like it, because Scooch really are shit.\" Russ Spencer of Scooch hit back saying, \"What a pity the voice of an angel has acquired the mouth of a sewer.\" Spencer's fellow band member Natalie Powers added, \"As a mother of a young child myself I find her behaviour and language quite unacceptable. What kind of role model is this for a mum-to-be?\" Church hit back by saying on her Channel 4 show, \"They called me attention seeking\u2026 then what's doing the Eurovision dressed as air hostesses?\"She has claimed she would be a better judge for the reality show X-Factor than any of the judges on the show. She becomes \"annoyed\" when their remarks are inaccurate, stating, \"They just do not know the ins and outs of a voice or music.\"VoiceChurch, while reviewing other artists, such as Pete Doherty and Mariah Carey on the one time popular British morning show, CD:UK, stated she had a four and a half octave range. Church is a Soprano.DiscographyAlbumsChurch has official certified US shipments of over 5,500,000 and official UK shipments of 2,800,000 and over 10,500,000 worldwide.Year\tAlbum details\tChart peak positions\tCertifications(sales thresholds)AUS\tNZ\tSWI\tUK\tUS\tIRE\tMEX1998\tVoice of an AngelFirst studio albumReleased: 9 November 1998Label: Sony MusicGenre: Classical22\t33\t42\t4\t28\t-\t-\tBPI certification: 2x PlatinumRIAA certification: 2x PlatinumARIA certification: PlatinumRIANZ certification: GoldCRIA certification: PlatinumHong Kong certification: Platinum1999\tCharlotte ChurchSecond studio albumReleased: 15 November 1999Label: Sony MusicGenre: Classical41\t16\t65\t8\t40\t-\t-\tBPI certification: PlatinumRIAA certification: PlatinumARIA certification: GoldCRIA certification: PlatinumHong Kong certification: Platinum2000\tDream a DreamThird studio albumReleased: 17 October 2000Label: Sony MusicGenre: Classical, Christmas carol64\t-\t-\t30\t7\t-\t-\tBPI certification: GoldRIAA certification: PlatinumCRIA: certification: GoldHong Kong certification: Gold2001\tEnchantmentFourth studio albumReleased: 9 October 2001Label: Sony MusicGenre: Classical, Swing, Pop, Broadway-\t19\t-\t24\t15\t-\t-\tBPI certification: GoldRIAA certification: Gold2002\tPrelude: The Best of Charlotte ChurchFirst greatest hits albumReleased: 25 November 2002Label: Sony MusicGenre: Classical, Swing, Pop, Broadway-\t-\t-\t85\t76\t-\t-2005\tTissues and IssuesFifth studio albumReleased: 11 July 2005Label: Sony BMGGenre: Pop-\t-\t-\t5\t-\t27\t69\tBPI certification: PlatinumIRMA: Gold(not released in America)SinglesYear\tTitle\tChart positionsUK\tIRE\tAUS\tNZ\tMEX2003\t\"The Opera Song (Brave New World)\"\t3\t-\t-\t-\t-2005\t\"Crazy Chick\"\t2\t10\t39\t33\t-\"Call My Name\"\t10\t16\t60\t-\t52\"Even God Can't Change the Past\"\t17\t38\t-\t-\t-2006\t\"Moodswings (to Come at Me like That)\"\t14\t42\t-\t-\t1Filmography2001 - A Beautiful Mind (soundtrack) - Vocalist on Track 15: \"All Love Can Be\"2003 - I'll Be There - Lead RoleBooks2001 - Voice of An Angel, My Life (So Far) \u2013 First autobiography2007 - Keep Smiling \u2013 Second autobiographyDVDs2001 - Charlotte Church in Jerusalem2001 - Placido Domingo, Charlotte Church, Vanessa Williams and Tony Bennett Our Favourite Things: Christmas In Vienna2002 - Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church DVD2007 - Charlotte Churchs Funny Bits: Best Of The Charlotte Church Show: Series 1 & 2Awards and nominations2000 - Classical BRIT Awards - Best Female Artist - NOMINATED2000 - Classical BRIT Awards - British Artist Of The Year - WON2000 - Hollywood Reporters Young Star Awards - Best Young Recording Artist Or Musical Group - WON2000 - Institute Of Public Relations In Wales - Millenium Communicator Of The Year - WON2002 - Rear of the year - WON2005 - GQ Awards - Woman Of The Year - WON2006 - Brit Awards - Best British Female - NOMINATED2006 - Loaded Magazine LAFTA Awards - Funniest T.V Personality - WON2006 - Glamour Awards - Editors Choice Award - WON2006 - Glamour Awards - Solo Artist Of The Year - WON2006 - British Comedy Awards - Best Female Newcomer - WON2007 - Glamour Awards - Readers Favourite TV Personality - WON2008 - Rose d'Or Awards - Best Entertainer - NOMINATEDReferences^ Charlotte Church Biography http:\/\/www.answers.com\/topic\/charlotte-church^ England and Wales Births 1984-2006^ NNDB^ http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0821176\/^ a b Hello! Magazine http:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/music\/200906011327\/charlotte\/church\/exclusive\/1\/^ Kristina Pedersen (2006-11-29). \"Charlotte Church 'dropped' by record company\". Daily Mail. Retrieved on 2008-03-11. 29 November 2006^ \"BBC News on \"The All New Charlotte Church Show\"\". 2006-07-20.^ \"Church wins Best Female Comedy Newcomer\". 2006-12-14.^ Joanne Oatts (2006-10-06). \"Channel 4 agrees to more Church from Monkey\". Retrieved on 2008-03-11.^ Staff writer (2008-02-28). \"Nominees Announced for Rose d\u2019Or Festival\". World Screen. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.^ \"\"Heartbeat\" Revisited - A look at Charlotte's UK Acting Debut\". 1999-12-19. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.^ WHEN LOVE EXPLODES \u2013 WOMEN PUSHED TO THE LIMIT, The Mirror, London, 9 March 2005. Online at HighBeam, retrieved on 8 September 2008.^ Price, Karen. Me and Charlotte Western Mail (Cardiff); Apr 28, 2005; p. 16. Online at Proquest NewsUK and HighBeam (subscription or library card required) retrieved on Sep 8, 2008.^ SCRUMMY! ; Holding hands in public for first time ..Charlotte and her clean-cut rugby hero The Daily Mirror (London); Mar 29, 2005; PAUL GALLAGHER; p. 3. Online at ProQuest News UK, retrieved on Sep 8, 2008.^ SHE HIT HIM WITH A GREAT RIGHT HOOK; Charlotte belts ex-lover over sale of sex secrets Richard Smith, The Mirror (London) 28 February 2005. Online at HighBeam retrieved on Sep 8, 2008.^ Bird of paradise | | guardian.co.uk Arts^ Is Charlotte struggling with her weight again? | Mail Online^ The Guardian, London, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005, pg. 18^ Cummins, Fiona (June 13, 2006). \"Charlotte blasts the cruel critics who call her fat\". Mirror.co.uk News. Retrieved on November 23, 2008.^ \"Charlotte and Gavin in Hello Magazine\". 2006-10-10.^ \"Singer Charlotte Church names baby girl Ruby\". Daily Telegraph. 2007-09-26. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.^ \"Young People's rich list.\".^ a b http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/wales\/7783964.stm^ http:\/\/www.charlottechurch.com\/^ http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/1\/hi\/wales\/7825170.stm^ \"Charlotte Church biography at BBC Wales\".^ \"Charlotte's interview with Davina McCall\". 2006-02-16.^ \"Church: 'Terror comments distorted' BBC News\". 2001-11-29.^ \"The Sun: Church ban for Church\". 2006.^ \"Daily Mail: Charlotte Church faces Catholic boycott over Nazi Pope jibe\". 2006-07-21.^ \"Charlotte Church criticises X Factor\". ITN. 2007-05-08. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.^ \"Charlotte Church - Australian Chart Runs\". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 22 November 2008^ \"Charlotte Church - New Zealand Chart Runs\". Charts.org.nz. Retrieved 17 September 2008.^ \"Charlotte Church - Swizz Chart Runs\". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 November 2008.^ \"1994-2006: Chart Log UK - Chris C. \u2013 CZR\". zobbel.de. Retrieved 22 November 2008.^ \"Charlotte Church: Artist Album Chart History\". Billboard. Retrieved 22 November 2008.External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to: Charlotte ChurchCharlotteChurch.com - Official websiteThe Charlotte Church Show - Official websiteCharlotte Church at the Internet Movie Database","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/4022_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"40,000 - 75,000"}

{"key":"3921","name":"Emma Shapplin","bio":"Born in Paris in 1974, Emma recalls as a young girl she was far too shy \u201ceven to make a noise let alone to sing\u201d and her family were not particularly musical. But her musical passions were aroused at the age of eleven when she heard the Queen Of The Night from The Magic Flute. It was a moment of transcendence, although to her amused embarrassment, Emma admits this introduction to the world of opera and bel canto came via a television commercial. Nevertheless, a life-long love affair was forged. \"I ran to my bedroom and tried to sing the tune immediately. That's when I fell in love with singing for the first time,\" she says. \"I knew then I wanted to sing like that. That was the music that touched my soul.\"Unsure at first how to pursue her desire to sing, it was not until she was 14 that Emma met a teacher who could help realise her dreams. \"She was a little old lady, about 70, and in her day she had been a great singer. She surrounded herself with candles and cats and her piano and I loved the whole atmosphere,\u201d Emma remembers. \u201cI touched these great scores for the first time and read the Italian words which seemed to have a mystery and romance.\" She also told Emma that she was a soprano coloratura. \u201cSinging was still like playing with a toy to me. She found my voice and slowly started to bring it out.\"Emma took lessons with her for two years and was convinced she had found her purpose in life. But she was also approaching an age when her parents were concerned about career prospects and her future. \"They didn't think singing could ever be a proper job,\" Emma recalls. \"My father was a policeman and thought that maybe I should follow in his footsteps. My mother was a secretary and she thought that would be a good job for me. I understand why they wanted me to concentrate on my other studies. But to me singing is an affirmation of being alive.\"She continues to pay tribute to her early teacher but has never seen her since. \u201cI still feel guilty about stopping,\u201d she explains. All great singers will tell you that the voice is a gift, and not being able to use that gift left Emma feeling hollow. \"I didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do. But I felt I had done something wrong. I felt all bottled up. If I don\u2019t sing I explode,\" she says.Her desire to sing did not go away and was soon to re-emerge in a radically different form when she joined a heavy metal band. \"Some guys in my class were forming a rock group and they were actually looking for a male singer,\" Emma recalls. \"They wanted someone who could scream, so I said I could do that.\" Her offer was gratefully accepted and for the next two years she abandoned her operatic scales and exercises and smoked two packets of cigarettes a day to give her voice a rougher, rock inflection.Yet although she enjoyed the screaming, she began to miss the music of the opera. One day a friend of her mother's took the young rock singer to a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni at a Parisian opera house. It was the first time she had ever seen an opera on stage and she was entranced. \"I thought after hearing something so beautiful I had to die,\" she recalls. \"We had seats on the balcony and I remember wanting to jump off it and fly.\"She began once again looking for a teacher and enrolled at a music school. Yet she found the style of teaching cold and formal, and soon took off with a friend for New York. \"While I was there I sang some r&b, which in a way has a similar power to opera. It's very earthy and it's contributed a lot to the way I approach singing today,\" she says.When she eventually returned to France, she again resumed singing lessons. But by now she had decided she didn't want to go into opera, particularly after one teacher had accused her of introducing a groove into her delivery of a famous aria. \"That set me thinking I should find my own ways of expression and use my voice to invent something of my own.\"A chance meeting at a party with the French composer and pop star Jean-Patrick Capdvielle gave her the opportunity. They had met before but with an audacity she still wonders at, she asked him to write an album for her. \"But I'm not Verdi,\" he told her. \"And I'm not a proper opera singer so we should do something together,\" she replied.Her boldness clearly made an impression for a week later, he rang her and they began working together. \"There was this perfect moment when it was so evident it was going to work,\" Emma says. Indeed it worked so well that the resulting album Carmine Meo, released in 1997, has now sold in excess of two million copies. The album roared to the top of the French album charts, selling 100,000 copies in its first three months and earning Emma her first of many gold discs. That success was soon echoed on the international market, as Carmine Meo rose to the top of the charts worldwide, often overtaking albums by the likes of C\u00e9line Dion and Madonna.But whereas most of the writing on Carmine Meo had been done by Capdvielle, for her second album Emma was determined to write her own material. Signed to a new label, Ark 21, she began to look around for a new musical collaborator. Miles Copeland, head of her new label, recommended Graeme Revell, a composer whose work had appeared on the soundtrack to the Red Planet movie. It proved to be a perfect fit. \"In his music I found an echo of what I was looking for,\" Emma says.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/3921_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"81767","name":"James Levine","bio":"James Lawrence Levine (born 23 June 1943) is an American orchestral conductor and pianist. He is best known as the music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He is also music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/81767_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"19790","name":"Paul Potts","bio":"Paul Potts (born 1970 in Bristol, England), from Port Talbot, Wales, is a singer who became the winner of the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent, singing operatic arias and impressing the judges in all of his performances. At the time of his victory on Britain's Got Talent, he had been working in The Carphone Warehouse, but following his win he has been signed by the show's judge Simon Cowell to record an album. Potts has previously worked in unpaid opera productions from 1999 to 2003, however, illness in 2003 brought an end to his amateur opera careerOn June 9,2007, Potts' audition of Simon Cowell's new search-for-a-star show Britain's Got Talent was televised on ITV in UK. The actual audition was held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on March 17, 2007. Paul sang a condensed version of Giacomo Puccini's \"Nessun dorma\", which impressed the judges and received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people. Potts' rendition of this has currently been viewed on video upload site YouTube tens of millions of times and exists among Youtube's all-time most viewed videos.In the semi-final on June 14, 2007, Potts performed main verses of \"Con te partir\u00f2\" with praise from the audience and judges. He progressed to the final after receiving the highest public vote in that show. He performed a full-length \"Nessun dorma\" for his final on June 17, 2007 as well as an encore after he won the competition. Potts defeated co-favourite with the bookmakers, Connie Talbot and received the highest public vote out of 2 million votes cast to win Britain's Got Talent, winning the chance to perform at Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen.In the United States, he was profiled on a National Public Radio programme called \"Day to Day\" on Friday June 15, 2007. NPR is a non-commercial network that reaches several million people every day in the U.S. On Monday, June 18, 2007, a commercial US Television network, NBC, highlighted Potts's victory on its broadcast network's NBC Nightly News and on its Cable news outlet MSNBC. Then on Thursday, June 21, 2007 he appeared live on NBC's programme Today.On July 8, 2007, Potts performed at a Katherine Jenkins' concert at Margam Park, \"Katherine In The Park\". Jenkins extended an invitation for him to sing his rendition of \"Nessun Dorma\" at the concert.Passione, his second album, was released in 2009. Potts spent nearly a year recording Passione in Prague and Stockholm.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/19790_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}