Mariah Carey

Five-octave vocal icon and one of the best-selling female artists of all time

Born on March 27, 1970

Age: 56

Profession: Singer

Place of Birth:

Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress, widely regarded as one of the most influential vocalists in popular music history. Born on March 27, 1970, in New York City, she is celebrated for her exceptional five-octave vocal range, mastery of the whistle register, and her enduring dominance on the Billboard charts. Over the course of her career, Carey has reshaped modern pop and R&B, combining technical virtuosity with mainstream appeal.

Early Life and Background

Mariah Carey was born as the third and youngest child of Alfred Roy Carey, a Venezuelan-born aeronautical engineer of African-American descent, and Patricia Hickey, an Irish-American opera singer and vocal coach. Raised in a family marked by racial diversity, Carey experienced financial hardship throughout her childhood. When she was just three years old, her parents divorced, an event that deeply influenced her emotional development and artistic sensitivity.

She attended Oldfield Middle School and later Harborfields High School, where her musical talent began to surface. Carey first performed publicly while in elementary school, singing in a theatrical production. By high school, she had already begun writing her own songs, showing early signs of the lyrical and melodic instincts that would later define her career.

Musical Education and Early Development

Recognizing her daughter’s extraordinary vocal ability at a young age, Patricia Hickey provided Mariah Carey with formal music education. Under her mother’s guidance, Carey received classical vocal training while continuing to experiment independently with pop, soul, and R&B styles. Throughout her teenage years, she pursued music on an amateur level, balancing education with creative ambition.

After graduating from high school, Carey moved to Manhattan to pursue a professional career in music. During this period, she worked various jobs while recording demo tapes and networking within the New York music scene. Her persistence eventually led to a breakthrough opportunity.

Breakthrough and Record Deal

Mariah Carey’s career trajectory changed dramatically when she became a backing vocalist for Puerto Rican singer Brenda K. Starr. In 1988, through a chance encounter at an industry party, Carey met Tommy Mottola, an executive at Columbia Records. She handed him her demo tape, which he reportedly listened to immediately and signed her soon after.

In 1990, Carey released her self-titled debut album, Mariah Carey. The album featured songs largely written or co-written by the artist herself and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It produced four consecutive number-one singles, instantly establishing her as a major star. That same year, she won two Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Commercial Dominance and Global Stardom

Throughout the early and mid-1990s, Mariah Carey solidified her dominance of the music industry with a series of highly successful albums. In 1994, she released the Christmas album Merry Christmas, which became the best-selling holiday album of all time, further expanding her global reach and cultural impact.

By the turn of the millennium, Carey’s commercial achievements were unparalleled. In 2000, she was honored at the World Music Awards as the “Best-Selling Female Artist of the Decade” and was named one of the “Best-Selling Artists of All Time.” She also became the first artist to receive the Chopard Diamond Award, reserved for performers who have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

Vocal Style and Records

Mariah Carey is renowned for her exceptionally high vocal range and her ability to sing with clarity and power in extreme upper registers. She is considered one of the most technically gifted vocalists in contemporary music. With 18 number-one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, she surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most chart-topping songs in American history.

Personal Life

On June 5, 1993, Mariah Carey married Tommy Mottola, the head of Sony Music. The marriage, which lasted until their divorce on March 5, 1998, was highly publicized and later described by Carey as restrictive and emotionally challenging.

She later married television host and rapper Nick Cannon on April 30, 2008. On April 30, 2011, the couple welcomed twins, Moroccan and Monroe. The marriage ended in divorce in 2014.

Carey became engaged to Australian businessman James Packer in January 2016 after a year-long relationship, though the engagement ended in October of the same year.