Mariah Carey is an American singer, actress, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the “Queen of Christmas” and “Songbird Supreme,” she dominated the music industry with her five-octave vocal range, remarkable singing style, and more.
In 1990, the lovely singer became famous after the release of her self-titled first album, “Mariah Carey.” At that time, she was the first singer to achieve five singles to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Mariah Carey received other titles throughout her career, including “Artist of the Decade” and an honor from the World Music Awards for being the best-selling female pop artist of the millennium. (1)
Mariah Carey's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 5 ft 9 in |
|---|---|
| Weight | 65 kg |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Body Type | Fit |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Mariah Carey
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $520 million |
| Religion | N/A |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Birthplace | Huntington, New York |
| Birthday | March 27, 1969 |
Mariah Carey's Net Worth
Mariah Carey is a famous singer, actress, songwriter, and record producer. As of December 2022, Mariah Carey’s net worth is $520,000,000. (2) Dubbed the “Queen of Christmas,” she popularized the song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in 1994. Mariah is one of the singers who achieved phenomenal success after distributing her debut album.
For 11 years, her singles reach number one on Billboard Hot 100. When she left Columbia Records in 2001, Mariah inked a $100 million record deal with Virgin Records. She has an emotional and physical breakdown then. It resulted in a buy-back of her record deal by Virgin Records because her meltdown was highly publicized then. To move forward with her career, Mariah signed with Island Records.
Mariah Carey experienced ups and downs throughout her career. She was unsuccessful when she left Columbia Records. She didn’t stop working, though. Albeit the failure of her movie, “Glitter,” she regained confidence when Mariah won the Breakthrough Actress Performance award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. She was lauded for her performance in the film, “Precious.”
The lovely singer also worked for “American Idol” as a judge, starred in the documentary series “Mariah’s World” and participated in the motion picture “The Lego Batman Movie” in 2017. In 2020, she wrote a memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”
Besides, Carey is one of the wealthiest solo artists of all time. She gathered 19 Billboard Hot 100 number-one music singles as a solo singer. She is also a successful songwriter and producer. She has also received numerous awards throughout her career, including eight Guinness World Records and 5 Grammy Awards.
Mariah is also influential in the music industry due to her efforts in merging hip-hop with pop music. She did it by collaborating with other artists working on both genres. Carey was also part of the annual list of Most Influential Artists and Entertainers in the World by Time in 2008. (3)
See the net worth of other famous singers here.
Mariah Carey's Early Life
Mariah Carey was born on March 27, 1969, in Huntington, New York, United States. As of this year, 2022, she is 52 years old. She was named after the melody “They Call the Wind Maria.”
Mariah is the youngest of three kids. Her father is Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer. On the other hand, Mariah’s mother is Patricia Hickey Carey, a former opera singer, and vocal coach.
Mariah lived a chaotic childhood. Her mother’s family disapproved of his father since he was a black man. Besides, they had difficulty integrating with their community due to racial discrimination. When her parents divorced, she stayed with her mother and brother. On the other hand, her older sister moved in with his father. Patricia has to work several jobs to support the family.
Mariah started singing when she was three years old. She often stayed home and imitated her mother’s version of Verdi and Italian opera songs. Her distinct beauty is understandable. Her mother is of Irish descent, and her father comes from an African-American and black Venezuelan-American family. (4)
Mariah Carey's Education
Mariah Carey attended Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York. In 1987, she finished her high school education. While studying in high school, she worked as a demo singer.
Mariah is often absent from school. Her classmate gave her a nickname, Mirage. At first, she worked in the Long Island music industry. Then, she moved to New York City to pursue her singing career. (5)
Before becoming severe with her music career, she trained with her mother. The latter didn’t influence her to become an opera singer. Instead, Patricia allowed her to choose her work in the music business. When she was in New York City, Mariah completed 500 hours of beauty training.
Mariah Carey's Husband and Family Life
Mariah Carey started dating Bryan Tanaka in 2016. He is an American choreographer. In 2016, she started a relationship with James Packer. They were engaged in 2016 but called it quits in the same year.
Mariah Carey married Nick Cannon in April 2008 in the Bahamas. The couple met while they shot the music video for Mariah’s song, “Bye Bye.” They had twins, Moroccan and Monroe, in April 2011. After eight years, their marriage ended with a finalized divorce agreement in 2016.
From 1998 to 2001, Mariah Carey had a relationship with Luis Miguel. On June 5, 1993, Mariah Carey married Tommy Motola at Saint Thomas Church. In May 1997, they announced their separation. Nelson Peltz bought their 51-acre estate and custom-built mansion in Bedford, New York, for $20.5 million. However, it was burned down in 1999. (6)
Mariah Carey's Career
Mariah Carey’s foray into the music industry is incredibly inspiring. As a young kid, she was probably influenced by her vocal coach mother to become a singer. Tommy Mottola, the boss of Columbia Records, sought after her for two weeks in 1988. At that time, she was working as a demo singer and worked with Starr.
Due to Mariah’s amazing demo tape, Columbia Records had to be involved in a bidding war with another record label interested in investing in her singing talent. Columbia Records eventually signed her under their ward as their prominent female artist.
Mariah Carey competed with other singers such as Whitney Houston and Madonna when she started singing under Columbia Records. However, she wowed the crowd in 1990 after she sang “America the Beautiful” and showcased her piercing whistle note towards the end of the song. As a result, Pat Obrien declared, “The palace now has a queen.”
At first, Mariah’s debut album had slow progress. Eventually, it reached the top of the Billboard 200. With the support of her recording studio company, Carey started appearing at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards and won numerous awards. In 1991, she snagged international sales of 15 million copies.
Mariah’s second studio album, “Emotions,” was critically acclaimed due to its mature message. Many people even said it isn’t original. Although it earned her the first solo singer whose first five singles topped the Billboard Hot 100, it didn’t surpass the success of her debut album. It only sold eight million copies worldwide.
It was apparent that Mariah didn’t promote her album through a music tour. No wonder many people speculated that she is a manufactured singer. To change her damaged reputation as a singer, Mariah booked shows outside the studio, including an appearance on MTV Unplugged. She chose to sing Jackson 5’s famous 1970 song, “I’ll Be There.” It was a successful rendition, so she went on with a live version of the song.
Sony, the parent company of Columbia Records, wants to capitalize on her success, so they turned it into an EP. The extended play earned triple Platinum certification by RIAA, including Gold and Platinum certifications in many European sales areas.
From 1997 to 2000, Mariah had an exciting career. It started with “Daydream.” She incorporated heavy elements of hip-hop and R&B. The artists and producers at Trackmasters collaborated with her to come up with great tracks.
Mariah ended her marriage with Mottola in mid-1997. She achieved independence and moved on with her life. In 2009, she released her 12th studio album with a theme of a new life and career. Mariah sang “Butterfly” with breathy techniques, so many people noticed her new singing capability. Despite that, others speculated that she couldn’t use her high range of vocals anymore due to aging.
In addition, music critics reviewed her song “Butterfly,” and they said it is coolly erotic contemplation. Others notice that her voice is more controlled and mature than ever. Nevertheless, the album gained commercial success.
Mariah Carey embarked on a world tour named “Butterfly World Tour.” Then, she joined the VH1 Divas benefit concert in April 1998. She performed with Celine Dion, Carole King, and more during the event.
In 2001, Mariah’s “Glitters” project failed, so producers asked her to prepare music in time for the holidays. In 1998, her cover of “I Still Believe” and duet with Whitney Houston’s “When You Believe” were included as the soundtrack of the film, “The Prince of Egypt.”
Carey’s album, “#1s,” became popular in Japan and the best-selling album by a non-Asian there. In its opening week, she sold one million copies in the country. Mariah Carey is the sole solo artist to achieve such an act in Japan.
Later, Mariah’s tense relationship with her ex-husband’s record company becomes notable. Her last album for them was “Rainbow,” and she took a personal stand through it. It achieved the highest sales during the first week of distribution. However, she fought against the company, citing negative feedback on her website. So even if it was successful in sales, it was one of her lowest achievements.
The succeeding years of her career showed off professional setbacks. From 2001 to 2004, she faced a dilemma involving her personal life and career. Despite it all, she received several awards, including the Best-Selling Pop Female Artist of the Millennium from the World Music Award.
Then, Mariah inked a deal with EMI Records, formerly Virgin Records. Her move is a final act of disagreement with Columbia Records, stating that the latter regarded her as a commodity. Besides, she broke up with her boyfriend, Luis Miguel.
The events that come after this point in her life are demeaning. She started posting disturbing messages on her site and even behaved negatively on live guesting shows. Mariah also posted periodic voice messages on her website that were deleted immediately after a few minutes. As a result, one of her publicists explained that the singer was exhausted and needed to think more clearly while doing it.
Due to pressure on her work and personal life, Mariah Carey was hospitalized in Connecticut. She had delayed absences from her scheduled public appearances. Many people also didn’t like “Glitter” as the soundtrack. It was her lowest-selling album. Perhaps, her performance was affected by her meltdown when it was distributed on September 11.
Virgin Records bought out her record deal with Mariah for $28 million. After that, she went to Italy in preparation for creating a new album. Island Records signed a record deal with her afterward. Besides, Mariah Carey also created her record label, MonarC. In 2001, Carey’s father died of cancer.
In 2002, Mariah Carey had memorable activities. First, film critics praised her performance in the movie, “WiseGirls.” Second, she sang the American national anthem in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Super Bowl XXXVI.
However, things were different when she released another studio album, “Charmbracelet.” The album could have done better in sales. Besides, she was highly criticized for the degrading quality of her voice. Many people mentioned that she could no longer sing well, just like when she started in the music industry.
To support the album, Mariah went on the Charmbracelet Tour. She performed in Manila, Malaysia, China, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Manchester. Carey’s tour was successful, and she received positive reviews citing remarkable production and quality of her voice.
Neptunes, Kanye West, and more produced her next album. It is entitled “The Emancipation of Mimi” and offers a party theme. Many people like the album; it is her fifth number-one album. The said work reflected her confidence and true talent as a solo singer.
One of the best singles in the album is “We Belong Together.” It received positive reviews from music critics. The song broke many records in the US. Besides, it is her 16th chart-topper on Billboard Hot 100. In addition, Carey’s collaboration song with Boyz II Men became the “song of the decade.” After all, “One Sweet Day” is truly unique.
In 2005, Carey’s singles “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off” occupied the first two spots on Billboard Hot 100. It is her first massive achievement in her career.
Besides, “The Emancipation of Mimi” received 10 Grammy nods. Due to the success of her song “We Belong Together,” she received three awards: Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song.
Carey’s tour, “The Adventures of Mimi,” was also successful. It includes 40 dates. Many people praised her unique vocals. Mariah appeared in the United States, Canada, Africa, and Japan as part of the tour.
From 2007 to 2009, Mariah Carey worked on the “E=MC²” studio album. Though it was criticized as a similar project to her last studio album, it was well-praised by her fans. Throughout the music industry’s history, Mariah placed second to Presley as the solo artist with the most weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Mariah Carey also appeared in the movie, “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.” Her role is an aspiring singer, Krystal. In 2009, she sang “Hero” during the inaugural ball for Barack Obama. She also performed “I’ll Be There” for the memorial service of Michael Jackson.
Carey’s rendition of the “I Want To Know What Love Is” cover was successful. It spent 27 weeks as number one in Brazil Hot 100 Airplay. Before the year ended, she went on her seventh music tour. It ended on September 26, 2010.
From 2010 to 2014, Mariah Carey had a fantastic phase in her career. On November 2, 2010, she released her second Christmas album. She collaborated with Randy Jackson, Jermaine Dupri, and more for the project. It was also successful and debuted at number one on the R&B hip-hop albums chart.
Mariah also re-recorded her song, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and collaborated with Justin Bieber. Her other collaborators, later on, are 50 Cent and Young Jeezy. She also recorded a duet with John Legend.
In the 12th season of American Idol, she joined as a judge to replace Jennifer Lopez. She worked with Keith Urban, Randy Jackson, and Nicki Minaj. Mariah disagreed with Nicki, so it was apparent that she didn’t join the original series finale.
In 2013, Carey contributed to the movie “Oz the Great and Powerful,” employing a song. She also created an album with Randy Jackson, R. Kelly, and more. The following year, she released another album called “Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse.” In October 2014, she began a yearly residency show at the Beacon Theater with the headline, “All I Want For Christmas Is You, A Night of Joy & Festivity.”
In January 2015, Mariah worked again with Sony through Epic Records. She has a #1 Infinity residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She directed and acted in the Hallmark Channel film “A Christmas Melody” and finished the project in October 2015.
Before the year ended, she prepared for her performance on The Sweet Fantasy Tour, which has 27 tour dates. It started on March 26, 2016. The project grossed $30.3 million, another milestone for Carey’s career.
On December 4, 2016, Mariah’s documentary-series project premiered through E! Network. The show focused more on her wedding planning process and her “Sweet Fantasy Tour.” Mariah revealed that she wanted to share her real personality, knowing many people have misconceptions about her. She also knew that genuine fans were aware of her character, though.
As a guest for the musical drama, “Empire,” Carey showed her talent through a song.
In December 2016, Mariah Carey had two events such as “VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” in Time Square. However, the latter wasn’t successful due to technical difficulties. The New York Times wrote that the show was a “performance train wreck.”
Live Nation Entertainment enlisted Mariah Carey as one of their collaborators. Her first project for the company is “The Butterfly Returns, her new Las Vegas residency. It was a successful endeavor with a gross income of $3.6 million. After that, she worked on Mariah Carey: Live in a Concert tour.
When Mariah led the iHeartRadio Music Festival, she sang “GTFO.” At the American Music Awards in 2018, she performed “With You” for the first time. The song became Carey’s highest-charting non-holiday release.
She released another album, “Caution,” promoted it worldwide, and enjoyed its success. On Billboard 200, the project debuted at number five. Many publications featured the album, too.
To support her album, “Caution,” Mariah started her “Caution World Tour” in February 2019. Netflix also streamed “Always Be My Maybe, ” a film inspired by her song, “Always Be My Baby.” She has other shows for television, too.
On January 2020, Amazon Music produced and broadcasted the cultural legacy creation, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The song became her nineteenth chart-topping creation in the US.
Many fans of the singer were happy about the announcement that she would be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. In September of the same year, her memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” was published for her supporters. The book was co-written with Michaela Angela Davis. After one week of distribution, it became New York Times Best Seller.
In October 2020, she released her compilation album, “Rarities.” On December 4, 2020, Apple TV+ released her 2020 Christmas special. The show’s guests include Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, and more. Ariana Grande also supported the front and guested on Carey’s new version of the song, “Oh Santa!” along with Jennifer Hudson.
This year, Mariah Carey wrote the picture book, “The Christmas Princess.” The project was illustrated by Fuuji Takashi and co-written with Michaela Angela Davis. A “Butterfly” EP was also released in September 2022. Mariah Carey also spearheaded two shows, one in Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, and another in Madison Square Garden in New York on December 13, 2022, and December 16, 2022, respectively. (7)
Mariah Carey's Artistry, Image, Legacy, and other Activities
The famous singer admitted that her influences are Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and more. She is also fond of gospel music. Many people speculated that she wanted to explore the possibilities of success by incorporating hip-hop into her piece. However, she explained that she grew up listening to hip-hop music. Besides, she greatly admired Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Depp, and more.
Mariah Carey also spoke about her similarity in singing style with Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. She stated that the difference between the two singing superstars is that she writes and produces her music. However, many critics labeled the three music artists “groomed, airbrushed, and overblown to perfection.”
Regarding musical style, Mariah has remarkable depth in creating beautiful music. The usual theme of her creations is love. However, she has also produced masterpieces about race, abuse, spirituality, sex, and loss. Later on, she created more mature pieces with incredible meaning.
Throughout her career, fans have noticed her valuable voice. In terms of using musical instruments and accompaniments, she usually uses electronic materials, drums, keyboards, and synthesizers.
She also makes use of the piano in composing music. Mariah also admitted that she couldn’t read a music sheet, even though she was given piano lessons when she was a kid. When she wanted to work on a new composition, she preferred to do it with a pianist. Carey is also superb at creating remixes.
When Mariah Carey started her career, she used the melisma pop style. Pop music sets the bar so high that notes belted out louder, longer, and more challenging than ever. The artists who did this type of pop music are Brian McKnight, Jennifer Hudson, and more.
Mariah Carey is popular with her five-octave vocal range. She also can belt out notes beyond the seventh octave. Through Guinness World Records, she received the nickname “Songbird Supreme.” At “The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists,” she was ranked the second singer on the list.
Many music experts described Mariah’s voice as a coloratura light lyric soprano. The American singer also admitted that lack of sleep and tiredness affects her voice, so she needed to practice many times to maintain the quality of her voice.
Later on, Carey included breathy vocals in her musical compositions. With her timbre, she promoted a colorful musical range from a steely tone to a coloratura soprano upper register, including a whistle register.
Mariah Carey admitted several times that she suffered from stage fright when she started her career in music. However, she improved over time and presented various record-breaking performances. Even though she is known for several hand movements while singing, Mariah induces curiosity and anticipation from her fans every time she’s poised to belt a higher tone.
She also has fantastic music videos. She confessed that she didn’t like her music videos when she started in the industry. No wonder she decided to self-direct her future videos. Her first venture is the music video for “Fantasy.”
For more than $2.5 million, she shared the “Heartbreaker” music video with her fans as the most expensive one ever created for her music. The African American Film Critics Association honored her with a Special Achievement Innovator Award.
Talking about her image, she has been dubbed as a pop icon, diva, sex symbol, fashion icon, and more. Her fan base is called Lambily. When she joined “American Idol,” she became one of the highest-paid American television personalities.
Mariah was also called “The Queen of Shade.” On one occasion, she responded to a question about Jennifer Lopez that she didn’t know the latter. She also used to allude to Eminem, who allegedly has an obsession with her.
In addition, Mariah Carey is also known as a gay icon. Her song “Hero” is a theme among gays because it is about individuality and overcoming self-doubt. In 2016, she received the “GLAAD Ally Award” with the admiration of her gay fans.
Mariah Carey is also known for breaking down racial barriers in popular culture. She has represented the biracial or multiracial community well in the entertainment industry. Aside from being called the “Queen of Remixes,” she earned a reputation for championing the R&B and hip-hop collaboration. Many reviewers regarded Mariah Carey as a living legend at 32 without singing another melody. (8)
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References
- Mariah Carey Net Worth 2022: Biography, Career, Income, and Cars. Retrieved from https://caknowledge.com/mariah-carey-net-worth/
- Mariah Carey’s net worth: Her fortune and how much does she earn in royalties each Christmas? Retrieved from https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrity-net-worth/2022/11/25/6380f24922601d94048b45c7.html
- Mehera Bonner. Mariah Carey’s Net Worth Could Pay Off All Our College Debt, TBH. Retrieved from https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a29949610/mariah-carey-net-worth/
- Marissa Johnson. Mariah Carey Net Worth 2022: Age, Parents, Mother, Career & Recent Thanksgiving Parade. Retrieved from https://www.edudwar.com/mariah-carey-net-worth/
- Mariah Carey’s Estimated Net Worth As of 2002. This is how the singer of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” makes money. Retrieve from https://leurr.com/culture/celebrities/mariah-carey-net-worth/
- Clara Gaspar. Keep Calm, and Carey On What’s Mariah Carey’s Net Worth and Hoe Old Is She? Retrieved from https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/13318052/who-mariah-carey-age-net-worth/
- Michael Ibrahim. Here’s How Mariah Carey Amassed Her $520 Million Net Worth. Retrieved from https://www.thethings.com/heres-how-mariah-carey-amassed-her-520-million-net-worth/
- Stefani Munro. Mariah Carey’s net worth: Huge fortune she made from “All I Want For Christmas Is You. Retrieved from https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1209015/mariah-carey-net-worth