Leslie Carter
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| Leslie Carter | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Leslie Barbara Carter |
| Born | June 6, 1986 |
| Origin | Tampa, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | vocals |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | DreamWorks (1999-2001) |
| Website | www.TheOtherHalfMusic.com |
Leslie Barbara Carter (born June 6, 1986) is an American singer.
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[edit] Family
Carter was born in Tampa, Florida, the daughter of Jane Elizabeth (née Spaulding) and Robert Gene Carter. She is the older sister of Aaron Carter and younger sister of Nick Carter. Aside from her brothers, Nick and Aaron, she also has two sisters: (Aaron's twin sister) Angel (a model) and BJ. She also has an older half-sister named Ginger, from her father's first marriage. Carter's parents divorced in 2003 and her father remarried Ginger Elrod on April 1, 2004. From this most recent marriage, she has a half-brother, Kaden Brent Carter, and a younger stepsister, Taelyn.
In 2008 she married her husband, Mike, and moved to Toronto. On July 21, 2010, Leslie announced on her twitter account that she is pregnant with her first child. She is the first of the Carter children to be pregnant, and gave birth to daughter Alyssa Jane Ashton on April 1, 2011.
[edit] Career
[edit] Early recordings
She signed a record deal with Dreamworks Records in 1999 and began recording her debut album. This album was set for release in June 2000, but it was delayed because Dreamworks wanted to test Carter's fan base before releasing the album in order to ensure its success. Her single, "Like Wow!" appeared on the Shrek soundtrack and received minor radio airplay and a low position on the Hot 100. Despite this, she was highly anticipated as the "New Carter" and although "Like Wow!" only reached number 99 in the US, it gradually sold a high amount of copies. With this added exposure and popularity, Dreamworks announced the future release of the album, set for April 2001. However, Dreamworks later canceled the release, allegedly due to beliefs that Carter could not compete with pop performers at the time such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Her debut album was never released, but the whole album can be found online. Her dropping from Dreamworks Records has caused some controversy. A family friend stated:
"Dreamworks was anything but supportive. She knows she's better off without them. They wanted her to fit into the mold of singers like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and that's not who Leslie is. She wants to do things her own way, and she's not going to conform her ideals to fit into what someone else wants her to be."[1]
[edit] The Other Half
Carter started a small club tour in Canada in December 2005, and had a showcase in NYC on January 19, 2006, with hopes it would lead to a new record deal. The songs performed on this tour have her abandoning her bubblegum pop roots for a more mature, pop rock-oriented sound. Carter is co-writing her material with, among others, producer and High Holy Days guitarist Dave Thompson.
Carter decided in late 2006 to make a band out of her backup musicians, and they now go by the name; "The Other Half". Aside from Carter, The Other Half consisted of Mike Ashton, DJ Porter, Casey Clowater, Paul Davidson, and Dave Thompson. Carter is seen writing music and performing her own songs for her siblings on the family's reality show House of Carters.
After several lineup and management changes, the band is continuing to write and record as a four-piece rock band. The current line-up consists of Carter (vocals), Ashton (drums), Jason Eldon (Electric Guitar), and Sean Smit (bass guitar, back-up vocals).
September 2009, the band mutually decided to split up, not because of a fight, but because they didn't evolve as a band anymore, according to their myspace.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
- "I Need To Hear It From You" - Promo
- "Like Wow!" - #99 US
[edit] Albums
- Like Wow! - Unreleased
[edit] Filmography
- House of Carters (2006) (TV)
