Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande at 2020 Grammy Awards
Ariana Grande-Butera was born on June 26, 1993, in Boca Raton, Florida. Her father is Edward Butera, a graphic design firm owner, of Sicilian descent. Her mother is Joan Grande, the CEO of Hose-McCann Communications, of Abruzzese descent. Her parents separated when she was ten years old, so she dropped her father’s name. She attended the Pine Crest School and later the North Broward Preparatory School. She was raised as a Roman Catholic. By age 13, she became serious about a music career, so she moved with her mother to Los Angeles. In 2008, she was cast in the supporting role of Charlotte the cheerleader in the musical “13” on Broadway in New York City. For her performance, she won a National Youth Theatre Association Award. he was then cast in late 2009 in the Nickelodeon TV show “Victorious” which premiered in March, 2010.
Ariana raised $23 million to aid victims of a terrorist bombing at her 2017 concert in Manchester, England.
She made her first musical appearance in “Give It Up” from the “Victorious” sound track in August, 2011. As a result, she soon signed a recording contract with Republic Records. She then voiced the fairy Princess Diaspro in 13 episodes of the Nickelodeon version of the Italian animated TV series “Winx Club”. In December 2011, Ariana released her first single “Put Your Hearts Up” which was later certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. After four seasons, “Victorious” was not renewed in February, 2013. However, Nickelodeon created “Sam & Cat” as a “Victorious” spinoff in which Ariana reprised her role as Cat Valentine. The pilot aired on June 8, 2013, and ran for 35 episodes, ending on July 14, 2014.
In the meantime, she recorded her first studio album “Yours Truly” which was released on August 30, 2013, debuting at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Albums Chart. One month later, Billboard Magazine ranked Ariana at #4 on its list of Music’s Hottest Minors for 2013. At the 2013 American Music Awards, she won the New Artist of the Year Award. Also, she received the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award for 2013 from the Music Business Association. In January 2014, she earned the Favorite Breakout Artist Award at the People’s Choice Awards. On August 25, 2014, Ariana released her second studio album “My Everything” which debuted atop the Billboard 200 Albums Chart.
Its lead single “Problem” debuted at #1 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart. In February 2015, Ariana went on her first worldwide concert tour which was called the Honeymoon Tour. In the Spring of 2015, she signed an exclusive publishing contract with the Universal Music Publishing Group. She then recorded with Andrea Bocelli a duet “E Piu’ Ti Penso” (And More I Think of You) which was released in October, 2015. On May 20, 2016, Ariana released her third studio album “Dangerous Woman”. It debuted on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #2 in the United States and at #1 in Italy. At the end of the year, she participated in the Jingle Bell Tour. In February 2017, Ariana embarked on her third concert tour which was called the Dangerous Woman Tour. On May 2, 2017, a terrorist bomb killed 23 persons after her concert in Manchester, England.
She then suspended her tour and raised $23 million from a televised benefit concert on June 4 to aid victims and affected families. As an appreciation, the City Council named her its first honorary citizen. In December 2017, Billboard magazine named her Female Artist of the Year. In April 2018, Ariana released “No Tears Left to Cry” which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Her fourth studio album “Sweetener” was released in August, 2018. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and earned Ariana her first Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
In November 2018, she released the single “Thank U, Next” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. It has been certified 5-times platinum in the United States. On January 18, 2019, she released the single “7 Rings” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. On February 8, 2019, her “Thank U, Next” album was released and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Twelve days later, she won a Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist. On March 18, 2019, she embarked on her fourth concert tour which was called the Sweetener World Tour.
On April 12-14 and 19-21, 2019, Ariana headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. She won Top Female Artist at the Billboard Music Awards on May 1, 2019. At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, she won the Artist of the Year Award. At the end of the year, Billboard Magazine named Ariana the most accomplished female artist to debut in the 2010s. Ariana and Justin Bieber released a collaboration song “Stuck With U” on May 8, 2020. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to donate the net proceeds from sales of the song to the First Responders Children’s Foundation. At the present time, the 27-year old Ariana is hunkering down in her home with her mother in Los Angeles until the pandemic is brought under control.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariana_ Grande, accessed July 12, 2020 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coachella_ Valley_Music_and_Arts_Festival, accessed July 13, 2020