ri(a)-na\ as a girl’s name is a variant of Rhiannon (Welsh), Riane (Irish) and Ryan (Irish, Gaelic), and the meaning of Riana is “great queen, or goddess; king”.
HOT HOT HOT, RIHANNA’S IS ON THE RISE, She is HOT as Fish Grease and is becoming a Global Transmedia ICON.
RIHANNA’S “S&M” POWERS TO THE TOP OF THE CHARTS!!
in Submitted by roc_nation on Apr 20
Rihanna made Billboard history as the first artist ever to have a lead single go #1 after her 2nd single What’s My Name? ft. Drake went #1 on the Hot 100. Now the S&M remix featuring Britney Spears has hit the top of the iTunes chart, giving Rihanna her 10th #1 hit! Congratulations to Rihanna and thank you to all the fans for their never ending support!
Rihanna was born in a county in Barbados called St. Michael. She lived the life of a normal island girl going to Combermere, a top sixth form school. Rihanna won numerous beauty pageants and performed Mariah Carey“Hero” in a school talent show. Her life changed forever when one of her friends introduced her to Evan Rodgers, a producer from New York who was in Barbados for a vacation with his wife, who is a native. Rodgers arranged for her to go to New York to meet Jay-Z, CEO of Def Jam Records. He heard her sing and knew she was going to be incredibly successful. She was 16 when she was signed to Def Jam. Since then, she’s amassed phenomenal success.
Trade Mark
Leather outfits
Ever changing hairstyles
Bright red hair
Silky tone of voice
Bajan accent
Trivia
Was signed to Def Jam Records
Her musical inspirations include Alicia Keys, Beyoncé Knowles, and Mariah Carey.
Attended Combermere which is a sixth form school similar to technical school in America.
Performed Mariah Carey’s “Hero” at her school’s talent show.
Won a beauty pageant at her school.
Born to a black Barbadian father Ronald Fenty and a black Guyanese mother Monica Fenty.
She has two younger brothers Rorrey and Rajad.
Stated in an interview that her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artistFefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to. Having a fellow black artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves.
Ranked #8 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
Ranked #15 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.
According to Fashion Lifestyle she’s had over 150 hairstyles since her music career took off in 2005. Her trademarks are her Long Straight Brown (2006), Medium Length Black Bob (2007) and Short Cropped look (2008).
Made an estimated $15,000,000 in 2008. (Source) – Forbes Magazine.
Was tagged “The Digital Download Queen” due to her songs being downloaded over 75,000,000 times combined.
Has sold over 12 million albums worldwide in under 4 years. [September 2009].
Her 3rd studio album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ (2007) was the 3rd highest selling album in the world in 2007 and was the 8th highest 2008. It has sold just under 8 million copies worldwide and has spawned 3 number one Hot 100 hits and 2 worldwide number ones.
Appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue for there “Extreme Couture” edition. [September 2009].
Her ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown, was sentenced to five years of probation, six months of community service and one year of domestic violence counseling as a result of his attack on her in February, 2009 [August 29, 2009].
Is good friends with Katy Perry.
Her 3rd single ‘Rude Boy’, from her 4th studio album ‘Rated R’, became her sixth US number one single. This makes her the most successful female artist of the last 10 years.
She and then-boyfriend Chris Brown canceled their performance at the Grammys in February 2009 just hours before the show started after Brown was caught up in a late-night domestic dispute, which later turned out to be a physical attack on Rihanna.
She’s the highest paid female celebrity to sit front row at fashion shows. She’s paid an estimated $100,000, followed by Beyoncé Knowles, who is estimated at $80,000.
Is a big fan of The Prodigy and Chase & Status. She worked with Chase & Status on her album “Rated R” after calling member Saul Milton up at 3 AM.
Selling 62 million records since 2005, she’s the most successful artist over the last decade. She also is the first ever artist ever to have 5, 3X platinum selling digital singles.
Broke her own record by scoring her 7th US number one. “Love The Way You Lie” with Eminem became her 7th number one single in 5 years. This gives her the most number ones from an artist in the last 10 years.
Has attained nine number one Hot 100 singles. Three of them were achieved in 2010. She become the only female in American history to have her first single to go number one after the second. [February 2011].
In the UK, she became the only female; and the only artist in 52 years to have three top ten songs at once on the ‘UK Official Chart’. She also became the first female artist; in the history of the chart, to have a number one in five consecutive years.
She has Seven number one singles in Australia as of Febuary 2011, making her the only non Australian artist to do so in the last 20 years.
Her 5th studio album ‘Loud’, sold 2.8 million copies worldwide in 3 months.
The album also marks the launch of her business “Rihanna Entertainment”[Febuary 2011].
Billboard named Rihanna the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade.
Is worth an estimated $143 million. [Forbes Febuary 2011].
Her controversial music video for “S&M”, was banned in 11 countries within a day of it’s release. This is Rihanna’s second video to cause controversy as “Te Amo” was banned in many countries due to its same-sex nature.
As of March 1st, she’s reached over 1.2 billion YouTube views on her official Vevo page.
Q Magazine named her one of the top 100 acts of the last century. [November 2009].
Became the youngest black female to grace the cover of American-Vogue [March 2011].
Yes She is BACK and we are so glad the Return of the Amazing, Sexy, Sultry and Ultra Fine SADE Ladies and Gentlemen. As the weather breaks and we head for the Concert Season SADE has got to be one of the hottest tickets in years. Lets just feel the music while we take a trip through the mind and soul of SADE…
Helen Folasade Adu, OBE (born 16 January 1959), better known as Sade, is a British[1]singer-songwriter, composer, and record producer. She first achieved success in the 1980s as the frontwoman and lead vocalist of the popular Brit and Grammy Award winning English group Sade.
Biography
Sade was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.[2] Her middle name, Folasade, means honor confers your crown.[3] Her parents, Bisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer in economics of Yoruba background, and Anne Hayes, an English district nurse, met in London, married in 1955 and moved to Nigeria.[2] Later, when the marriage ran into difficulties, Anne Hayes returned to England, taking four-year-old [4] Sade and her older brother Banji to live with her parents.[2] When Sade was 11, she moved to Holland-on-Sea to live with her mother,[5] and after completing school at 18 she moved to London and studied at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.[2]
While at college, she joined a soul band, Pride, in which she sang backing vocals.[2] Her solo performances of the song Smooth Operator attracted the attention of record companies and in 1983, she signed a solo deal with Epic Records taking three members of the band, Stuart Matthewman, Andrew Hale and Paul Denman, with her.[2] Sade and her band produced the first of a string of hit albums. Their debut album Diamond Life was in 1984. She is the most successful solo female artist in British history, having sold over 50 million albums worldwide.[2]
In 2002, she appeared on the Red Hot Organization‘s Red Hot and Riot, a compilation CD in tribute to the music of fellow Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti. She recorded a remix of her hit single, “By Your Side”, for the album and was billed as a co-producer.
Personal life
In 1989, she married Spanish film director Carlos Pliego. Their marriage ended in 1995.[2] She gave birth to a daughter, Ila Adu, in 1996 after a relationship with a Jamaican musician.[2]
Adu currently resides in Stroud, United Kingdom, with her partner Ian, his son Jack and her daughter Ila. She keeps her personal life private.[6]
Sade’s debut album, Diamond Life, went Top Ten in the U.K. in late 1984 and sold platinum. In 1986, Sade won a Grammy for Best New Artist. Sade’s US certified sales so far stands at 23.5 million units according to RIAA,[1] and has sold more than 50 million units worldwide to date.[2]
Sade were formed in 1982, when members of a Latin soul band Pride — Sade Adu, Stuart Matthewman, and Paul Spencer Denman — together with Paul Anthony Cook formed a break-away group and began to write their own material. In 1983, Andrew Hale joined the band, though Cook left in 1984. Sade, named after their lead singer, made their debut in December 1982 at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London, in support of Pride. In May 1983, the band performed their first US show at Danceteria Club in New York City. Sade received more attention from the media and record companies than Pride and finally separated. On 18 October 1983, the band signed with Portrait Records. All Sade albums were released through this label until it was absorbed by its parent label Epic Records in 1986.
On 25 February 1984, Sade released their first UK single “Your Love Is King“. Their debut album Diamond Life was released on 28 July 1984 in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at #2 and was later certified 4x Platinum by the BPI. The band embarked on their first major UK tour, augmented by Dave Early (drums), Martin Ditcham (percussion), Terry Bailey (trumpet) and Gordon Matthewman (trombone). On 8 December 1984, the band released their first U.S. single “Hang on to Your Love“, with the Diamond Life album following on 23 February 1985. Also in 1985, Sade won a BPI “Brit Award” for “Best Album”. A third single, “Smooth Operator“, was released from the album with a video directed by Julian Temple. It was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards—”Best Female Video” and “Best New Artist“. On 13 July 1985, Sade performed at the Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in London. Sade Adu became the only African-born artist to appear in front of the live audience of 75,000, and an estimated worldwide television audience of 1.4 billion in 170 countries.
On 16 November, 1985, Sade released their second album Promise in the United Kingdom (released in the US on 21 December 1985). The album peaked at no.1 in the UK and has been certified double Platinum by the BPI. In 1986, Sade Adu was nominated for an American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Video Artist and won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. In late 1985, Sade went on their first world tour to promote Promise. Augmenting the band were Dave Early (drums), Martin Ditcham (percussion), Gordon Matthewman (trumpet), Jake Jacas (trombone & backing vocals), Leroy Osbourne (vocals) and Gordon Hunte (guitar). On 28 June 1986, the band performed at the Artists Against Apartheid Concert in the Freedom Festival on Clapham Common in London. In 1987, the band were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for Promise.
On 14 May 1988, Sade released their third album Stronger Than Pride in the United Kingdom (released in the US on 4 June 1988). The album peaked at number 3 in the UK and has been certified Platinum by the BPI. It was preceded by the single “Paradise” which made the UK top 30 (and top 20 in the US). The band toured across the world again, augmented by Blair Cunningham (drums), Martin Ditcham (percussion), Leroy Osbourne (vocals), Gordon Hunte (guitar), James McMillan (trumpet) and Jake Jacas (trombone & vocals).
In 1989, Sade Adu was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B FemalArtist.
Sade released their fourth album Love Deluxe on 11 November 1992 in the U.K. and November 21 in the US. The album peaked at number 3 on the US Album charts and was certified Quadruple-Platinum (4x),[3] but stalled at no.6[4] on the UK charts before being certified Gold[5] by the BPI.
In 1993, the band recorded a cover of the Percy Mayfield song “Please Send Me Someone to Love” for the Academy Award winning film Philadelphia, before launching their Love Deluxe world tour. Joining the band were Leroy Osbourne (vocals), Gordon Hunte (guitar), Trevor Murrell (drums), Karl Vanden Bossche (percussion) and Rick Braun (trumpet).
The 1994 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded to Sade for “No Ordinary Love“, featured in the 1993 film Indecent Proposal. In November, the group released their first compilation album, The Best of Sade. The album hit shelves on 12 November in the UK and on 26 November 1994 in the US, where it peaked at number 9 on Billboard’s Album Chart[6] and was certified Quadruple-Platinum.[7]
In 1996, Hale, Denman, and Matthewman formed their own band as a side project, Sweetback, and released their self-titled first album.
In October 2000 Sade famously came out of retirement to perform at the prestigious MOBO Awards. Her appearance at the MOBO Awards ceremony was her first live performance since the early nineties and started a wave of speculation that a possible Sade comeback was in the cards. On 13 November 2000, Sade released their fifth studio album Lovers Rock in the United Kingdom (released the day after in the US). Their first album in eight years, Lovers Rock peaked at number 18 in the UK (their only studio album not to make the top 10) though was certified Gold by the BPI.[citation needed] It fared better in the US, peaking at number 3. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2002.[citation needed]
The band toured the US throughout 2001. The tour resulted in a live album, Lovers Live, which was released in the UK and US in February 2002.
In 2005, the band contributed the track “Mum” to the Voices for Darfur DVD.
Sade’s sixth studio album Soldier of Love was released worldwide on 8 February 2010, their first album of new material in almost ten years.[9]
Following the release of the “Soldier of Love” single on 8 December 2009, the track debuted at number 11 on the Urban Hot AC chart, making it the highest debut of the decade and the third highest all-time on the Urban Hot AC chart. “Soldier of Love” also debuted at number 5 on the Smooth Jazz airplay chart while also becoming the first ever vocal to hit number 1 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown.[10]
After moving 502,000 copies, the album topped the Billboard 200 chart during its debut week. The album is the band’s first number 1 album since the 1986 Promise, which was number 1 on the Billboard charts for two consecutive weeks. The group released the second single from the album, “Babyfather“, in April 2010, followed by a video in May.
On 13 April 2010, the band performed “Babyfather” and “The Sweetest Taboo” on US’ Dancing With The Stars. In September 2010, the group announced the first dates of their global tour to begin in April 2011.[11]
On VH1′s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Sade ranked at 50.[12]