Mariah Carey's remarkable vocal range helped her reach the top of the pop charts in the early
1990s. The Long Island native made her debut in 1990 and, with the help of Columbia Records
executive Tommy Mottola, became the first recording act to have her first five singles top the
Billboard Hot 100 chart. After her marriage to Mottola in 1993, she eventually went on to become
Columbias highest selling act.
Careys debut album on Columbia was an instant smash success, featuring four number one hits.
She won Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist, and critics and fans had high
expectations for Carey 's follow-up, 1991's Emotions. Carey 's next release, the MTV Unplugged EP,
contained her number-one cover of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." Trey Lorenzs appearance as a
backup singer on the track immediately helped him land a recording contract of his own.
After separating from Mottola in 1997, Carey decided to take full creative control of her music
and image. Her popularity was declining when she left Columbia and she was dropped by Virgin
Records the following year after a highly publicized emotional breakdown and the release of
box-office bomb Glitter, which killed Careys reputation with fans and critics alike. Carey later
signed with Island/Def Jam and, after a period of struggling, she regained her popularity in 2005
after releasing her comeback album, The Emancipation of Mimi.
Released in 2005 and containing contributions from producers such as The Neptunes, Kanye West
and Jermaine Dupri, Carey said Mimi was "very much like a party record. Mimi became the year's
best-selling album in the U.S., won three Grammy Awards and received some of Carey's most favorable
reviews ever. She can be seen throughout the United States and Canada during this summers The
Adventures of Mimi Tour.
