Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress, and fashion icon. Described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment, as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances during her five-decades-long career, which has led to her being nicknamed the Goddess of Pop.

Cher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband–wife duo Sonny & Cher after the release of their song "I Got You Babe". She began her solo career simultaneously, releasing in 1966 her first million-seller song, "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)". Goldmine magazine's Phill Marder described her as the leader of an effort in the 1960s to "advance feminine rebellion in the rock world [and] the prototype of the female rock star, setting the standard for appearance [and] attitude". After the duo had lost its young audience owing to their monogamous, anti-drug lifestyle during the period of the sexual revolution and the rise of the drug culture, she returned to stardom in the 1970s as a television personality with her shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run, and Cher. She became a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows. While working on television, she established herself as a solo artist with the number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady". After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975, Cher's much-publicized personal life led to a decline in her career, although she launched a minor comeback in 1979 with the disco-oriented album Take Me Home and earned $300,000 a week for her 1980–1982 residency show in Las Vegas.

Šverko was the recipient of many music festival awards, most recently at the Split Festival (2005) for her song Licem u lice (lit. "Face to Face"). She has released numerous albums, singles and EPs for leading Croatian andYugoslav record labels. In 2015 she sang at the inauguration of Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.

Hallbjörg Bjarnadóttir was a Contralto Profondo with a very wide vocal range from Akranes in Iceland.

She was able to sing from Soprano to Bass, but her strongest register was her chest register, which gave her a powerful Tenor/Baritone sound.

 Hallbjörg studied in Denmark, and lived there for a large part of her life. She also lived for a time in the United States. She moved to Iceland in 1992.

She had a twin sister named Kristbjörg.

Yıldız İbrahimova (Bulgarian: Йълдъз Ибрахимова, Yaldaz Ibrahimova, Turkish: Yıldız İbrahimova) (b. 1952 in Silistra) is a Bulgarian singer of Turkish ancestry. She is one of the most popular jazz singers in Europe. Besides jazz she has also recordedBulgarian, Turkish, Gypsy and Russian folk songs. Yildiz Ibrahimova has participated in tours in over 40 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and Africa. She married Ali Dinçer, a leading Turkish politician, also born in Bulgaria and former mayor ofAnkara in 1993. Since then she has lived in Turkey. Her husband died on April 18, 2007.

She graduated with honours in Musical School "Lyubomir Pipkov” with major in opera singing, and later on, she graduated theory of music in the National Academy of Music.

Her debut as an artist was in 1975 with jazz quartet of Mario Stanchev. Subsequently she worked with musicians like Liubomir Denev, Ognian Videv, Vesselin Nikolov, Petar Petrov, Antoni Donchev and Boyan Vodenicharov.

During the co-called “communist revival process” in 1980s in Bulgaria, Yildiz was forced to change her name. Between 1985 and 1990 she made her musical performances as Susanna Erova. Under this name she performed with music formation "Jazz Line" and "Acoustic Version" for one season and she was a soloist with Theodosi Spasov in a group “White, green, red”.

The real challenge for her was the participation in festivals in Innsbruck (Austria), Muluz (France) and Varna, where Yildiz had voice solo programmes for 90 minutes without any musical accompaniment.

On other accessions her voice can be heard as accompaniment of Neshka Robeva’s "golden girls" show "Two worlds". Yildiz was involved in music for films “Akatamus”, “Mera spored Mera” and in many cartoons and documentaries.

Yildiz Ibrahimova does not limit their musical interests and searches in the field of jazz music. She take part in concerts of experimental music for the studio, perform pieces by John Cage, entered the territory of modern art music, Russian Gypsy romances mixed with classical, Balkan and Turkish folk music with jazz, children's songs from regions of Balkans and other parts of Europe. Her vocal range is about four octaves and she likes to play with her voice simulating various instruments from trumpet to violoncello. The great singer Yildiz was nominated and won a Turkish magazine prize for Jazz vocalist of the year.

Yildiz Ibrahimova is professor of jazz singing at METU (Middle East Technical University) in the Department of Music and Fine Arts and Music Faculty of Baskent University in Ankara, capital of Turkey.

In 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Yildiz was a special ambassador to the UN, with concert in which Bulgaria and Turkey presented the World Summit on Environment and Social Development.

Yildiz Ibrahimova has participated in tours in over 40 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and Africa, including the U.S., Mexico, Korea, Japan, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Turkey, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Moldova, Armenia, Ukraine, Algeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Cyprus, Israel and others.

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Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo Carpenters. Although her skills as a drummer earned admiration from drumming luminaries and peers, she is best known for her vocal performances. She had a contralto vocal range.

Carpenter suffered from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder which was little known at the time. She died at age 32 from heart failure caused by complications related to her illness. Carpenter's death led to increased visibility and awareness of eating disorders.

From 1965 to 1968 Karen, her brother Richard, and his college friend Wes Jacobs, a bassist and tuba player, formed The Richard Carpenter Trio. The band played jazz at numerous nightclubs and also appeared on the TV talent show Your All-American College Show. Karen, Richard and other musicians, including Gary Sims and John Bettis, also performed as an ensemble known as Spectrum. Spectrum focused on a harmonious and vocal sound, and recorded many demo tapes in the garage studio of friend and bassistJoe Osborn. Many of those tapes were rejected. According to former Carpenters member John Bettis, those rejections "took their toll." The tapes of the original sessions were lost in a fire at Joe Osborn's house, and the surviving versions of those early songs exist only as fragile acetate reference discs. Finally A&M Records signed the Carpenters to a recording contract in 1969. Karen sang most of the songs on the band's first album, Offering (later retitled Ticket to Ride), and her brother wrote 10 out of the album's 13 songs. The issued single (later the title track), which was a cover of a Beatles song, became their first single; it reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their next album, 1970's Close to You, featured two massive hit singles: "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". They peaked at #1 and #2, respectively, on the Hot 100.

Carpenter started out as both the group's drummer and lead singer, and she originally sang all her vocals from behind the drum set. Because at 5 feet 4 inches tall it was difficult for people in the audience to see her behind her drum kit, she was eventually persuaded to stand at the microphone to sing the band's hits while another musician played the drums. (Former Disney Mouseketeer Cubby O'Brien served as the band's other drummer for many years.) After the release of Now & Then in 1973, the albums tended to have Carpenter singing more and drumming less. At this time her brother developed an addiction to Quaaludes. The Carpenters frequently cancelled tour dates, and they stopped touring altogether after their September 4, 1978, concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The Carpenters' Very First TV Special was Richard and Karen Carpenter's very first television special, aired December 8, 1976. In 1980, she performed a medley of standards in a duet with Ella Fitzgerald on the Carpenters' television program Music, Music, Music. In 1981 after the release of the Made in America album (which turned out to be their last), the Carpenters returned to the stage and did some tour dates, including their final live performance in Brazil.

In addition to being a drummer and a singer, Karen Carpenter could also play the electric bass guitar. She played bass guitar on two songs on Offering/Ticket to Ride (the Carpenters first album released by A&M). The two songs were All of My Life and Eve. Although Karen's guitar playing is heard on the original album(s), Richard remixed both songs (as he has done with almost every Carpenters song), and Joe Osborne's guitar playing was substituted for later 'greatest hits' releases.

On February 4, 1983, less than a month before her 33rd birthday, Carpenter intended to sign papers making her divorce with Tom Burris official. Shortly after waking up, Carpenter collapsed in her bedroom at her parents' home in Downey, California. Paramedics called to the scene by Karen's mother found her heart beating once every 10 seconds. She was taken to nearby Downey Community Hospital for treatment, where - by then in full cardiac arrest - she was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.

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Tionne Tenese Watkins (born April 26, 1970),[1] better known by her stage name T-Boz, is an American singer, songwriter, model, dancer, actress, author, and executive producer. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Watkins rose to fame in the early and late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B/hip hop girl-group TLC. She has won four Grammy Awards for her work with TLC.

Tionne Watkins was born in Des Moines, Iowa, to James and Gayle Watkins. She is of African American and Native American descent.[2][3] As a child, Watkins was diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia.[4] Since the age of seven, she has been in and out of hospital due to her condition.[4] Watkins's family moved from Des Moines to Atlanta, Georgia, when she was nine years old. Because of her disease, she was not expected to have children or live past her 30s, but has lived 14 years past her life expectancy and has a 14-year old daughter.

Crystal Jones held auditions for a singing group and chose Watkins, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The group eventually attracted the attention of Perri "Pebbles" Reid and her husband, Antonio "L.A." Reid, head of LaFace Records. Jones was replaced with Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and the group was signed in 1991 as TLC. They went on to become one of the most successful girl groups in history with over 65 million records sold worldwide.[5] T-Boz has won four Grammy Awards for her work with TLC.[6]

In late 2011, VH1 announced plans to produce a biopic on TLC to air in 2013.[7] Watkins and Thomas signed on as producers. The role of Watkins was portrayed by actress/singer Drew Sidora in CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. Watkins' daughter, Chase, portrayed a younger Tionne in the film.

In addition to her work with TLC, Watkins recorded solo singles, including: "Touch Myself" (For the soundtrack of the 1996 film Fled) and "My Getaway" (for the soundtrack to the 2000 film Rugrats in Paris: The Movie). In addition, she has been a featured vocalist on such songs as: "Ghetto Love" with Da Brat, "Changes" with Society of Soul, "He Say She Say" with Keith Sweat, "Different Times" with Raphael Saadiq and "Be Somebody" with Paula Cole. Watkins has appeared on a song by her TLC bandmate Rozonda Thomas, entitled "Gameproof".

Watkins has worked as an actress, appearing in Hype Williams' 1998 film Belly. She also appeared in an episode of Living Single, the first time guest-starring along with her bandmates and another time without them. Watkins also served as one of the executive producers for the 2006 movie ATL featuring the rapper, T.I..[8] She was also featured in the music video for "It's Good" with YoungBloodZ, and appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta as a friend of Kandi Burruss. T-Boz was a contestant in The Celebrity Apprentice, where she was fired for volunteering to come back into the boardroom. After referencing a previous contestant who was fired from the show for the same action, Donald Trump told her, "Never volunteer for an execution."

Watkins published a book of semi-autobiographical poetry called Thoughts on November 3, 1999.[9] In 2005, Watkins and stylist Tara Brivic (who would later appear regularly on Totally T-Boz) opened a children's boutique called Chase's Closet (named after her daughter). It was shut down years later.

On October 1, 2012, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Watkins will have her own reality TV show Totally T-Boz on the TLC network.[5] Totally T-Boz premiered January 1, 2013. The show chronicled Watkins' quest to create a solo album, reunite with bandmember, Chilli, and take care of herself and daughter Chase.

During 2013, alongside group-mate Chilli they executive produced the VH1 biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story which aired on October 21, 2013, actress Drew Sidoraportrayed Watkins. Her daughter Chase portrayed a younger Tionne in the film. They also released a soundtrack album 20 marking both the band's 20-plus year legacy in entertainment business and the release of their biopic, this album included a new track written by singer Ne-Yo, “Meant to Be.” They also had guest vocals on J. Cole's track "Crooked Smile". TLC celebrated their return with a series of highly publicized performances which included 2 dates: VH1's Mixtape Festival in Hershey, PA on July 27, 2013 and Drake's OVO Fest in Toronto on August 5, 2013. They are expected to release a new studio album in 2015.

© Wikipedia

Svetlana Vinnik was the finalist in the Ukranian TV show "X Factor 2" and the show "Star Ring." She possesses a rare and unique tone and appearance, and has Spanish roots. During her solo career, Svetlana has released four original songs, including "Heart", which were a hit on radio stations in Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and she has produced her first music video for the song "I called."

Helen Kate Shapiro (born 28 September 1946) is an English pop/Jazz singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".

In 1961, aged fourteen, she had a UK No. 3 hit with her first single, "Don't Treat Me Like a Child" and two number one hits in the UK, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness". The latter did not top the UK chart until 19 October 1961, by which time Shapiro had reached 15, on 26 September. She had a No. 2 in 1962 with "Tell Me What He Said", achieving her first four single releases in the top three of the UK Singles Chart. Most of her recording sessions were at EMI's studios at Abbey Road in north west London. Her mature voice made her an overnight sensation, as well as the youngest female chart topper in the UK.

Shapiro's final UK Top Ten hit single was with the ballad "Little Miss Lonely", which peaked at No. 8 for two weeks in 1962. Shapiro's recording manager at the time was Norrie Paramor.

Before she was sixteen years old, Shapiro had been voted Britain's "Top Female Singer". The Beatles' first national tour of Britain, in the late winter/early spring of 1963, was as her supporting act. During the course of the tour, the Beatles had their first hit single and John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song "Misery" for her, but Shapiro did not record the composition. In 1995, during a This is Your Life highlighting her life and career, Shapiro revealed, "It was actually turned down on my behalf before I ever heard it, actually. I never got to hear it or give an opinion. It's a shame, really." Shapiro lip-synched her then-current single, "Look Who It Is", with three of The Beatles (John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison) on the British television programme Ready Steady Go!.

Everyone adores Alison Moyet; the Basildon punk, the high priestess of electronic pop, and the peerless soul singer who has warmed our big British hearts since the early 1980s. But how often do we appreciate the full depth and breadth of her extraordinary career? For the very first time, Alison Moyet – one of pop’s greatest survivors – has helped put together the definitive anthology of her 25 years as a solo performer, The Best Of Alison Moyet, released 19th October. Not only does she give us another chance to fall in love with her greatest hits, but she brings back into the light some of the forgotten jewels of her glittering back catalogue.

It has been a joyful experience for Genevieve Alison Jane – an Essex girl born to a French father and English mother who left school at 16, became famous at 21 as singer in Yazoo, and released her triple-platinum solo debut, Alf, at 23. She found fame hard to handle at such a young age, but hindsight has helped her appreciate those experiences. “For a while in the mid-80s, it was amusing to be a pop bitch, but that changed, and it stopped being enough. Now I am able to put my early work into context and find pleasure in the innocence of it. It matters to connect with your audience and these songs have had their place in more lives than my own.”

Between 1984 and 1987, Moyet was Britain’s biggest female solo star. Covers of That Ole Devil Called Love and Love Letters confirmed her reputation as an interpreter of classic songs, while her own self-penned hits like Love Resurrection and All Cried Out confirmed her gift as a songwriter. She won Brit Awards, performed at Live Aid, toured extensively and broke the Billboard Top 40. After that, she started to explore what she could do with her wonderful voice, a powerful but sensitive instrument that never forgot its Essex roots, but yearned to experiment in a world beyond pop. Hoodoo and This House are the first results of this shift – the former a sexy finger-clicker that makes a beautiful bridge between the music of Soul II Soul and Blue Lines era Massive Attack; the latter a heartbreakingly honest ballad about a broken relationship that Adele or Amy Winehouse would find a home in. Here was Alison flowering, growing up and becoming the artist she had always wanted to be, with her efforts winning her her first Grammy nomination.

The later tracks on this anthology are even more emotionally affecting . The gorgeous acoustic version of Moyet’s cover of Jules Shears’ Whispering Your Name from 1994’s Essex, the sultry melancholy of Yesterday’s Flame and Should I Feel That It’s Over from 2002’s Hometime, the covers of Windmills Of Your Mind and Almost Blue from 2005’s Voice, and the showstopping theatre of One More Time from 2007’s critically acclaimed The Turn, all blaze with honesty, romance and beauty. “I know that it’s expected to include the hits, and that’s fine, but I’m glad these are included. They are honest pieces of work, and I’m proud of them.”

In the last decade, Moyet has taken other career turns. She has played Mama Morton in the West End hit musical, Chicago; acted with best friend Dawn French in the Kathy Burke-directed play, Smaller; narrated jazz documentaries for Jazz FM; reformed Yazoo with Vince Clarke for a triumphant reunion tour in 2008; and recently toured the UK as the guest of the Academy Award-winning French composer, Michel Le Grand. Married to her second husband, David, with three children aged 24, 21 and 13, she is a grown-up for us all to be proud of – and a woman finally enjoying the legacy of her brilliant back catalogue.

But while she does, she remains wonderfully and warmly down-to-earth about it all. “After all, a retrospective is strange. It pinpoints you at certain stages in your life that you don’t have to revisit if you’re not a recorded and photographed musician. But if you stop remembering what you didn’t like about yourself at certain stages – your crassness and arrogance as a young person, for instance – you start to regard your life as a constant learning curve. And although I recognise myself more now in my later songs, I also look at my younger selves, see the battles I had to fight, and I’m proud of what I achieved, and the lessons that I learnt.”
She should be proud. The Best Of Alison Moyet is a true testament to the diversity of her terrific talents throughout her career. They remind us of the unique qualities of the singer we have always loved, and with whom we have grown older – and a woman who has never stopped evolving.

© Alison Moyet