Mary J. Blige is a highly acclaimed American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Known as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and the "Queen of R&B," she has garnered numerous awards including nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Awards, twelve NAACP Image Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards, inclusive of the Billboard Icon Award, solidifying her significant impact and influence in the music industry.
On January 11, 1971, Mary Jane Blige was born. She is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur, known as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Queen of R&B".
In 1988, Mary J. Blige's career began when she was signed to Uptown Records by Andre Harrell, the label's founder. During this time, she performed background vocals for other artists on the label.
In early 1988, Mary J. Blige recorded a cover of Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture" at a recording booth in White Plains, New York.
In 1989, at the age of 18, Mary J. Blige was signed to Uptown Records as a backup vocalist, becoming the company's youngest and first female artist.
On July 28, 1992, Uptown/MCA Records released Mary J. Blige's debut album, What's the 411?, to positive reviews. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In 1992, Mary J. Blige released her debut album, What's the 411?, which introduced the mix of R&B and hip hop into mainstream pop culture.
In 1993, Blige released a remix album for "What's the 411?", becoming the first singer to have a rapper on every song, popularizing rap as a featured act.
In 1993, What's the 411? earned Mary J. Blige two Soul Train Music Awards: Best New R&B Artist and Best R&B Album, Female.
In the winter of 1993, following the success of her debut album and a remixed version, Mary J. Blige went into the recording studio to record her second album, My Life.
On November 29, 1994, Uptown/MCA released Mary J. Blige's second album, My Life, to positive reviews. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard 200.
In 1994, Mary J. Blige co-founded Mary Jane Productions with her former manager, Steve Stoute, marking an early step into entrepreneurial ventures.
In 1994, Mary J. Blige recorded her follow-up album. In December, she released the remix album, What's the 411? Remix.
In 1994, Mary J. Blige released her album "My Life", which was ranked among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
During a 1995 interview on The Word, Mary J. Blige confirmed her engagement to Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey.
In 1996, Mary J. Blige recorded songs for soundtracks, gained Grammy nominations, and won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for her collaboration with Method Man. She was also featured on Jay-Z's breakthrough single.
In February 1997, Mary J. Blige performed "Not Gon' Cry" at the Grammy Awards and gained a third Grammy nomination.
On April 22, 1997, MCA Records released Mary J. Blige's third album, Share My World. By then, she and Combs had dissolved their working relationship.
In 1998, Mary J. Blige made her acting debut on The Jamie Foxx Show, playing Ola Mae.
In early 1998, Mary J. Blige won an American Music Award for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" and embarked on the Share My World Tour.
On August 17, 1999, Mary J. Blige's fourth album, titled Mary, was released. It marked a departure from her more familiar hip hop-oriented sound.
On December 14, 1999, the album "Mary" was re-released as a double-disc set, enhanced with music videos and bonus tracks.
In 1999, Mary J. Blige and George Michael covered Stevie Wonder's song 'As'.
In October 2000, the club remix of Mary J. Blige's "Your Child" peaked at number-one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.
In 2000, Mary J. Blige was featured in a superhero web cartoon in conjunction with Stan Lee, used in her 2000 Mary Show Tour.
In January 2001, Mary J. Blige performed as a special guest in the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show.
On August 28, 2001, MCA released Mary J. Blige's fifth studio album, "No More Drama", featuring the hit single "Family Affair".
In 2001, Mary J. Blige appeared in Prison Song. The film marked one of her earliest acting roles.
In 2001, Mary J. Blige starred in the independent film "Prison Song" and made a cameo on "Strong Medicine".
On January 29, 2002, MCA re-released the "No More Drama" album with a new cover, removing three songs and adding new tracks and remixes.
In April 2002, Mary J. Blige performed "Love Is a Battlefield" with Shakira and "No More Drama" and "Rainy Dayz" with Whitney Houston at VH1 Divas in Las Vegas.
On July 22, 2002, MCA released "Dance for Me", a collection of club remixes of Mary J. Blige's past hits on a limited edition double pack 12" vinyl.
In 2002, My Life was ranked number 57 on Blender's list of the 100 greatest American albums of all time.
On August 26, 2003, Mary J. Blige's sixth album, "Love & Life", was released on Geffen Records, marking a heavy collaboration with Sean Combs.
On December 7, 2003, Mary J. Blige married her manager, Martin "Kendu" Isaacs.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Mary J. Blige's album "My Life" at number 279 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, a significant recognition of her musical contribution.
In 2004, Mary J. Blige launched her own record label, Matriarch Records, distributed through Interscope Records, marking a significant step in her career.
In 2004, Mary J. Blige starred in "The Exonerated", an Off-Broadway play, portraying Sunny Jacobs.
On December 20, 2005, Geffen Records released Mary J. Blige's seventh studio album, "The Breakthrough", which debuted at number one and had the biggest first-week sales for an R&B solo female artist in SoundScan history.
In late 2005, it was reported that Mary J. Blige landed the starring role in the upcoming MTV Films biopic on Nina Simone.
In November 2006, Mary J. Blige won two American Music Awards, recognizing the success of "The Breakthrough".
In December 2006, Mary J. Blige released "Reflections (A Retrospective)", a compilation album featuring her greatest hits and new songs.
In December 2006, Mary J. Blige won nine Billboard Music Awards, solidifying the success of "The Breakthrough".
In 2006, Mary J. Blige received a Legends Award at the World Music Awards.
In 2006, My Life was included in Time's 100 greatest albums of all-time list.
In February 2007, Mary J. Blige guest-starred on "Ghost Whisperer" as Jackie Boyd.
In August 2007, Mary J. Blige was a guest star on "Entourage", playing herself.
In October 2007, Mary J. Blige was a guest star on "America's Next Top Model", as a creative director.
On December 18, 2007, Mary J. Blige's eighth studio album, "Growing Pains", was released, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200.
In 2007, Mary J. Blige received eight Grammy Award nominations for "The Breakthrough", the most of any artist that year, and won three awards.
In 2007, Mary J. Blige received the Voice of Music Award from ASCAP.
In February 2008, Mary J. Blige's album, "Growing Pains" was released in the UK, where it became her fifth top ten album.
On August 7, 2008, Mary J. Blige faced a US$2 million federal suit claiming Neff-U wrote the music for the song "Work That", but was owned by Dream Family Entertainment.
On January 20, 2009, after Barack Obama was sworn in, Mary J. Blige performed her hit song "Just Fine" with a new intro at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.
On February 8, 2009, Mary J. Blige won the Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" for "Growing Pains".
In May 2009, Mary J. Blige made a guest appearance on "30 Rock".
In August 2009, Mary J. Blige recorded "Stronger" as the lead single from the soundtrack to the basketball documentary "More than a Game".
In September 2009, Mary J. Blige had a supporting role in Tyler Perry's movie "I Can Do Bad All by Myself".
On November 4, 2009, Mary J. Blige sang The Star-Spangled Banner at Yankee Stadium before game 6 of the World Series.
In December 2009, Mary J. Blige released "I Am", the second single from "Stronger with Each Tear".
On December 21, 2009, Mary J. Blige's ninth studio album, "Stronger with Each Tear", was released, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200.
In 2009, Mary J. Blige's production company, in collaboration with William Morris Endeavor, was developing various TV and film projects.
On January 13, 2010, Mary J. Blige appeared as a guest judge on the ninth season of American Idol.
In February 2010, Mary J. Blige performed at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon and BET's SOS Help For Haiti, contributing to relief efforts.
In February 2010, Mary J. Blige released "Each Tear", the third international single from the album, remixed with various artists from different countries.
In March 2010, Mary J. Blige released "We Got Hood Love" in the U.S. and "Stronger with Each Tear" in the United Kingdom and European markets.
In July 2010, Mary J. Blige launched her first perfume, "My Life", in partnership with HSN and Carol's Daughter. The fragrance broke HSN sales records during its premiere.
By August 2010, What's the 411? had sold 3,318,000 copies in the US.
In October 2010, Mary J. Blige launched "Melodies by MJB", a line of sunglasses featuring four styles with 20 color options, each representing a facet of her life.
On November 18, 2010, Billboard named Mary J. Blige the most successful female R&B/hip hop artist on the Top 50 R&B/Hip Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list.
By the spring of 2010, Mary J. Blige was slated to star as Nina Simone, but later dropped out due to financial issues.
In 2010, Billboard ranked Mary J. Blige as the most successful female R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the past 25 years.
In 2010, Mary J. Blige was ranked 80th on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, recognizing her impact on music.
In January 2011, Hot 97 premiered Mary J. Blige's teaser track "Someone to Love Me (Naked)" featuring vocals by Lil Wayne.
In May 2011, production began on the film adaptation of Rock of Ages, where Mary J. Blige starred as Justice Charlier.
In July 2011, Mary J. Blige released "The Living Proof" as the lead single for "The Help" soundtrack, and VH1 premiered her Behind the Music episode.
In August 2011, Blige launched another scent called "My Life Blossom" exclusively on HSN, expanding her fragrance line.
In August 2011, Mary J. Blige released "25/8", the first official single off her upcoming album.
In November 2011, Mary J. Blige released her tenth studio album, "My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)", reflecting on the past and looking toward the future.
In 2011, Mary J. Blige was featured in VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In the spring of 2011, it was reported that the sunglass line "Melodies by MJB" had extended their collection to offer more styles.
On February 28, 2012, Mary J. Blige performed the "Star Spangled Banner" at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.
On March 7, 2012, Mary J. Blige appeared as a guest mentor on American Idol.
In June 2012, the film Rock of Ages was released, featuring Mary J. Blige as Justice Charlier.
On September 23, 2012, Mary J. Blige performed at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.
On October 22, 2012, Mary J. Blige was featured on the song "Now or Never" from Kendrick Lamar's album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
In 2012, Blige discovered the girl group Just'Us and signed them to Matriarch Records, referring to them as her "little Mary's", though their debut album was never released.
In 2012, Mary J. Blige appeared in Rock of Ages. Her acting career helped enhance her popularity.
In 2012, Mary J. Blige performed for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.
In February 2013, Mary J. Blige starred in the Lifetime movie "Betty and Coretta", playing Dr. Betty Shabazz.
On October 15, 2013, Mary J. Blige released her Christmas album, "A Mary Christmas", through Matriarch and Verve Records, featuring collaborations with various artists.
On October 23, 2013, Mary J. Blige sang the national anthem before Game 1 of the 2013 World Series.
In 2013, Mary J. Blige appeared in Betty and Coretta, and Black Nativity. Her acting career helped enhance her popularity.
On February 5, 2014, a remix of Disclosure's "F for You" featuring Mary J. Blige's vocals was released.
In May 2014, Mary J. Blige was featured on Mariah Carey's song "It's a Wrap" as part of the deluxe edition of Carey's album, "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse".
On May 30, 2014, it was announced that the "Think Like a Man Too" soundtrack, featuring new songs by Mary J. Blige, would be released on June 17.
On June 2, 2014, Mary J. Blige paired up with Sam Smith for a reworked version of "Stay with Me", and a live visual was released the same day.
On July 9, 2014, following her concert at the Essence Festival, Mary J. Blige announced her move to London to explore a new sound for her upcoming album.
On November 24, 2014, Mary J. Blige released "The London Sessions", featuring ten new songs co-written and recorded in London. She also signed with Capitol Records that month.
In December 2015, Mary J. Blige portrayed Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, in NBC's "The Wiz Live!".
In July 2016, Mary J. Blige filed for divorce from Martin "Kendu" Isaacs, citing "irreconcilable differences".
In August 2016, Mary J. Blige was recruited to perform the new theme song "World's Gone Crazy" for the 20th season of the talk show The View.
On September 9, 2016, Mary J. Blige appeared on The View with Maxwell to discuss their joint tour and the show's theme song.
On September 30, 2016, Mary J. Blige premiered her new show, "The 411", on Apple Music, interviewing Hillary Clinton in the debut episode.
In October 2016, Mary J. Blige guest-starred on "How to Get Away with Murder" as an old acquaintance of Annalise Keating.
In October 2016, following her divorce, Mary J. Blige released two songs: "Thick of It" and "U + Me (Love Lesson)".
In 2016, the Nina Simone biopic "Nina" was released, with Zoe Saldana in the lead role after Mary J. Blige had to drop out.
On April 28, 2017, Mary J. Blige's thirteenth studio album, "Strength of a Woman", was released.
In 2017, Billboard named Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop song of all time.
In 2017, Mary J. Blige starred in the film "Mudbound" as Florence Jackson, receiving critical acclaim and award nominations.
In 2017, Mary J. Blige was nominated for two Academy Awards for her role in Mudbound and the film's song "Mighty River", making her the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.
On June 21, 2018, Mary J. Blige and Martin "Kendu" Isaacs' divorce was finalized.
On July 12, 2018, Mary J. Blige released the single "Only Love" on Republic Records after leaving Capitol Records.
In 2018, Mary J. Blige received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2018, Mary J. Blige received the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for her role in "Mudbound", recognizing her acting abilities.
In 2018, Mary J. Blige voiced Irene in the animated film Sherlock Gnomes.
On April 16, 2019, Mary J. Blige announced that she would co-headline The Royalty Tour with Nas.
On July 8, 2019, Mary J. Blige premiered as Sherry Elliot in Scream: Resurrection on VH1.
As of 2019, Mary J. Blige had been sober for several years, overcoming drug and alcohol addiction.
In 2019, Mary J. Blige announced the formation of her film and television production label, Blue Butterfly Productions, expanding her ventures into media production.
In 2019, Mary J. Blige appeared in The Umbrella Academy. Her acting career helped enhance her popularity.
In September 2020, Mary J. Blige premiered as Monet Stewart Tejada in Power Book II: Ghost.
In 2020, Kamala Harris used Mary J. Blige's song "Work That" at campaign events including the Democratic National Convention and her victory speech.
In 2020, Mary J. Blige appeared in Trolls World Tour and Body Cam, and also the series Power Book II: Ghost (2020–2024).
In 2020, Mary J. Blige voiced Queen Essence in the animated musical film Trolls World Tour.
In 2020, both "What's the 411?" and "My Life" were featured in a rebooted list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, at 271 and 126 respectively, solidifying Blige's legacy.
In late 2020, Mary J. Blige co-founded Sister Love, a jewelry line for women, with her close friend, Simone Johnson-Smith.
In June 2021, Mary J. Blige celebrated the 25th anniversary of her album My Life with the release of the Amazon Studios documentary Mary J. Blige's My Life.
On August 13, 2021, Mary J. Blige played Dinah Washington in the biographical drama film Respect.
In December 2021, Mary J. Blige formed her own label, Mary Jane Productions, in conjunction with 300 Entertainment, and released the singles "Good Morning Gorgeous" and "Amazing".
In 2021, Mary J. Blige appeared in The Violent Heart and Respect. Her acting career helped enhance her popularity.
In January 2022, Mary J. Blige released the single "Rent Money" featuring Dave East.
On February 11, 2022, Mary J. Blige released her fourteenth studio album, "Good Morning Gorgeous".
On February 13, 2022, Mary J. Blige performed at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside other prominent artists.
In February 2022, Mary J. Blige stated in an interview with E! News that she is a childfree person, enjoying her freedom and ability to travel without the responsibilities of childcare.
In May 2022, Mary J. Blige was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME.
In September 2022, Mary J. Blige was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for the Super Bowl LVI halftime show.
On December 16, 2022, Blue Butterfly Productions, Mary J. Blige's production label, signed a first-look deal with BET for scripted and non-scripted content.
In 2022, Mary J. Blige was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
In February 2023, Mariah Carey released an EP of her song "It's a Wrap", featuring Mary J. Blige's remix of the track.
In August 2023, Mary J. Blige's Mary Jane Productions signed Boyz II Men affiliate group, WanMor.
In October 2023, Mary J. Blige released a deluxe version of A Mary Christmas, which included four additional tracks.
On October 27, 2023, Mary J. Blige released the single "Still Believe in Love", featuring rapper Vado.
In 2023, Mary J. Blige was cast in the drama film Rob Peace, an adaptation of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace.
In 2023, Mary J. Blige was named one of Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
In early 2023, "The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige," the first project under Blue Butterfly Production's partnership with BET, premiered.
In May 2024, Mary J. Blige's Beautiful Life Productions signed New York rapper Vado.
Mary J. Blige's fifteenth studio album, Gratitude, was released on November 15, 2024.
In 2024, Mary J. Blige appeared in Rob Peace, and also in the series Power Book II: Ghost (2020–2024).
In 2024, Mary J. Blige was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.