Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Bligeis an American singer, songwriter, model, record producer and actress. Starting her career as a background singer on Uptown Records in 1989, Blige released her first album, What's the 411?, in 1992, and has released 11 studio albums since and made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionR&B Singer
Date of Birth11 January 1971
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
You have to have a plan. Everything has to be planned. For me, I start with the title of my album, before I even start with the songs. I write down different things that I want album to say, and then the songs come from the different words.
When I`m going to do a Christmas album I had to put my mind in Christmas mode. I had to go back to being a child and remembering all of that. When I go to do a project, I'm serious about it, so I wrap my world around it, and it becomes Christmastime for me and I'm singing songs like it's Christmas day.
In the studio you can really concentrate on performing the song where as on stage you also have to worry about connecting with so many people, they're definitely different.
It's not just songs and glamour. It's sweat, blood, broken toes, and mistakes... It's life.
I can't just make a song people can dance in a club to... it still has to be real.
You have to create different things, either through lighting or changing the format of the songs and how you're going to sing them, and even sometimes props.
I didn't never have to go to a therapist. I just always put it in a song and you heard me.
Music makes us want to live. You don't know how many times people have told me that they'd been down and depressed and just wanted to die. But then a special song caught their ear and that helped give them renewed strength. That's the power music has.
Music is where my love is. I don't think the acting thing is going to start outweighing that, but I think it's going to start being a good chunk of something I want to do.
When I was little, like 7 to 15, there was nothing I wanted to do but go to church and go to school.
I truly enjoy Bono. I think he is an amazing person; I love him.
I believe this generation should know their history and they should know that the struggle's not over yet.
Two hurt people can not help each other. They can not.
When you finally understand who you are, ages 6 through 60 will understand who you are. Because when they see a person that's come through all that I've come through, still standing, it's amazing.