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|URL = [http://www.anastacia.com Anastacia.com]
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'''Anastacia''' (born '''Anastacia Lyn Newkirk''' on [[September 17]], [[1973]]<ref>Born in 1973 according to [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-1825959,00.html Trials of Anastacia], ''TimesOnline.co.uk'', October 23, 2005.</ref> or [[1968]]{{fact}}<!-- IMDb is not a reliable source -->) is an [[United States|American]] [[pop music|pop]] [[singer]] and [[songwriter]] who has sold over 34 million records since the release of her [[debut album]] ''[[Not That Kind]]'' in [[2000]]. She is noted for her powerful, raspy-sounding voice and ability to hit high notes in her chest voice.
'''Anastacia''' (born '''Anastacia Lyn Newkirk''' on [[September 17]], [[1973]]<ref>Born in 1973 according to [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-1825959,00.html Trials of Anastacia], ''TimesOnline.co.uk'', October 23, 2005.</ref> or [[1968]]<ref>[Born in 1968 according to IMDb, your opinion of it as a reference is irrelevant]</ref> <ref>[She also told Howard Stern IN PERSON that she was 33 in 2001]</ref> is an [[United States|American]] [[pop music|pop]] [[singer]] and [[songwriter]] who has sold over 34 million records since the release of her [[debut album]] ''[[Not That Kind]]'' in [[2000]]. She is noted for her powerful, raspy-sounding voice and ability to hit high notes in her chest voice.


Anastacia became an icon in [[Europe]], [[Oceania]], and [[South Africa]] but has not yet made as big an impact in [[United States|America]]. Anastacia's music, with its often deep meanings, and poppy tunes appeal to a wide range of ages. She became famous by her trademark glasses, which she used until recently.
Anastacia became an icon in [[Europe]], [[Oceania]], and [[South Africa]] but has not yet made as big an impact in [[United States|America]]. Anastacia's music, with its often deep meanings, and poppy tunes appeal to a wide range of ages. She became famous by her trademark glasses, which she used until recently.

Revision as of 06:45, 9 September 2006

Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Anastacia (born Anastacia Lyn Newkirk on September 17, 1973[1] or 1968[2] [3] is an American pop singer and songwriter who has sold over 34 million records since the release of her debut album Not That Kind in 2000. She is noted for her powerful, raspy-sounding voice and ability to hit high notes in her chest voice.

Anastacia became an icon in Europe, Oceania, and South Africa but has not yet made as big an impact in America. Anastacia's music, with its often deep meanings, and poppy tunes appeal to a wide range of ages. She became famous by her trademark glasses, which she used until recently.

Career

Early life and Not That Kind

Anastacia was born in Chicago, Illinois into a showbiz family: her father Robert Newkirk was a singer and her mother Diane Hurley an actress in Broadway musical theatre. Her family relocated to New York City when she was a teenager and she enrolled at the Professional Children's School in Manhattan.

File:NotThatKind.JPG
Anastacia in her "Not That Kind" video.

Anastacia soon became interested in dance despite being diagnosed with Crohn's disease. She first gained prominence stealing the show from D.L. Hughley while he was hosting BET's Comic View, singing Oleta Adams' "Get Here" in 1992. During the early 1990s, she appeared regularly on Club MTV and in a couple of videos for rappers Salt-N-Pepa. In 1999, she attracted the interest of record labels after making the finals of MTV talent show The Cut. Anastacia signed a contract with Daylight Records, a custom label of Sony BMG's Epic Records in March 1999. The Cut was hosted by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of R&B and hip-hop group TLC. A then-unknown Anastacia finished in second place, but impressed Lopes and the show's three judges so much that she scored herself a record deal anyway.

Her debut album Not That Kind was released in 2000 and was a huge success reaching the top ten in eight countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. It went triple platinum in Australia spurred by the success of her debut smash "I'm Outta Love" which was the most popular single of the year in that country for 2000. While "I'm Outta Love" was a Top 10 song on the Hot Dance Club Play, "Not That Kind" only reached the lower parts of the Billboard Hot 100, since the single never managed to cross over to the American pop charts. "Cowboys & Kisses" was released as the third single off the album, charting in the top 40 in some European countries. As the last single, the only promotional meant single "Made for Lovin' You" charted in the UK (27) and France (72).

Freak of Nature

File:OneDayInYourLife.JPG
Screenshot from "One Day in Your Life" (2002)

Her second album, 2001's Freak of Nature achieved respectable sales although not matching the level of international success of Not That Kind. However, her sophomore effort did beat its predecessor in her home country. Its debut single, "One Day in Your Life", though not a smash hit, just barely made the top 40 and was a #1 hit on the club charts and at rhythmic radio. When the album was finally released in the United States in May 2002, she dedicated the album to Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who had died in a car wreck the month before. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was partly responsible for Anastacia's success, since Lisa hosted MTV's The Cut where Anastacia got her first break.

Anastacia also joined Shakira, Cher and Celine Dion for VH1's Divas Live in 2002. Anastacia also contributed a song "Love Is a Crime" to the Chicago soundtrack. The song peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and enjoyed moderate airplay on Rhythmic/Dance format. Anastacia was selected to sing the theme from 2002 FIFA World Cup: "Boom". From this album, she released singles as "Paid My Dues", "One Day in Your Life", "Why'd You Lie to Me" and "You'll Never Be Alone" which reached #28 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S.

Anastacia

File:LeftOutsideAlone.JPG
Anastacia in the 2004 hit single "Left Outside Alone"

In January 2003, Anastacia discovered she had breast cancer while preparing for breast reduction surgery due to orthopædic reasons. She immediately successfully completed a course of treatment. Anastacia subsequently established a fund through the "Breast Cancer Research Fund" to promote awareness of breast cancer amongst younger women. Anastacia entered record studios in September 2003 to begin recording her next album - the self-titled Anastacia - working with Glen Ballard, Dallas Austin, and Dave Stewart for release in 2004. The first single, released in March, was "Left Outside Alone", which saw a change in direction for Anastacia, embracing a rock element (she describes her sound as "sprock" - a combination of soul, pop and rock). On the album, Anastacia also collaborated with P.O.D. lead singer Sonny Sandoval on the socially-conscious track "I Do".

File:Anastacia01.jpg
Promotional photo for Anastacia.

Anastacia proved to be a smash hit reaching the top of the album charts in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Greece, Germany, and Italy and number 2 in Portugal and Spain. "Left Outside Alone" proved to be equally successfully reaching number 1 in Australia, Spain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland; number 2 in the Netherlands and number 3 in the UK, and reaching the top 5 on the composite European chart. Strong airplay throughout Europe gave the song a Top 40 Charts world airplay ranking as one of the top five songs played on top 40 radio stations throughout the world in April 2004. Unlike her first two albums, which were released in her homeland of America, Anastacia was not, despite being scheduled for release on three occasions. "Left Outside Alone" was released twice, but failed to pick up heavy airplay. It only gained sporatic Adult Contemporary and Hot AC format airplay. Again, it sparked Rhythmic/Dance format airplay and the dance mix of "Left Outside Alone" peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play. After the original version of "Left Outside Alone" failed to catch on because of lukewarm promotional pushes, especially on radio, the album was postponed and eventually cancelled after the release date of August 30, 2004 past.

File:Welcome2MyTruth.JPG
"Welcome to My Truth" screenshot (2004).

Anastacia released three further internationally successful singles; "Sick and Tired" (which gave her another #1 in Spain and another UK Top 5 single), "Welcome to My Truth" (her best-selling hit in Spain), and the ballad "Heavy on My Heart" proceeds from the sale of which went towards her 'Anastacia Fund' (Charitable organisation providing research funding for breast cancer).

During this difficult period, Anastacia stated that the most important factor in her quick recovery was the support received from her massive fanbase. Anastacia has often said that her fans play a very important part in her success and her kind attitude towards signing autographs and accepting to take pictures with fans reinforces her close relationship with her ever-growing fanbase.

A small batch of this album was released with a bonus DVD, Anastacia poster and slip case. The DVD includes "Making Of Anastacia", "2002 Europe Promo Tour" & a photo gallery.

Pieces of a Dream

File:PoaD.JPG
Anastacia in "Pieces of a Dream" (2005).

In late 2005, she released her first greatest hits collection, entitled Pieces of a Dream, named after a track of the same name, which she had written with former Evanescence star, Ben Moody. The album spawned the hit singles "Everything Burns", "Pieces of a Dream" and the duet with Eros Ramazzotti "I Belong to You", which was a huge hit in Europe, charting and peaking in the top ten in almost all the European countries. Not long after the release of "I Belong to You", Anastacia released her first live DVD Live at Last on March 27, 2006 in Europe. The DVD contains footage from concerts in Berlin and Munich, the making of the DVD, music videos to her latest four singles and some alternative videos to songs from her selfnamed album.

She is also released a clothing line called s.Oliver, which hit the stores on August 17, 2006.[4]

Discography

Main article: Anastacia discography

Number-one singles

The following singles reached number one. The table shows their peak position in Germany, Australia, Switzerland and UK.

Year Single Peak positions
GER AUS SUI UK
2000 "I'm Outta Love" 6 1 2 6
2001 "Paid My Dues" 3 39 1 (2) 14
2004 "Left Outside Alone" 2 1 1 (1) 3
2006 "I Belong to You" 1 NR 1 (6) NR
  • NR sindicates the song was not released there.

Awards

2000
  • Italian Grammy Awards – Best International Female Artist
  • World Music Awards – Best-selling International Artist
  • M6 Awards – Best International Female
  • Golden Europe Awards – Best Newcomer
2001
2002
  • Bambi Awards – Best International Pop Artist
  • Edison Awards – Best International Female
  • Golden Kamara – Best International Pop Artist
  • TMF Awards – Best International Female Singer
  • Comet Awards – Best International Act
2004
  • Nordic Music Awards – Best International Female Artist
  • TMF Awards – Best International Pop
  • TMF Awards – Best International Female Singer
2005
  • Marie Claire - Prix de la Moda – Woman of the Year
  • ECHO Awards – Best International Female Singer
  • TMF Awards – Best International Female Singer
  • "Diva" Entertainment Award – The Most Successful Music-CD (Anastacia)
  • NRJ Radio Awards – Best International Female
  • NRJ Radio Awards – Best Pop
  • NRJ Radio Awards – Best Song ("Left Outside Alone")
  • Rockbjörnen – Best Non-Swedish Artist
  • Rockbjörnen – Best Non-Swedish Album

Trivia

  • Was a classmate of the late River Phoenix
  • Favorite color: Red
  • She called her second album Freak of Nature because her mother called her that growing up.
  • She sang "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" with Elton John.
  • Her song "Boom" became the official 2002 FIFA World Cup Cup song.
  • She appeared on the sitcom Ally McBeal after the release of Not That Kind singing the song "Love Is Alive" from that album.
  • Her grandmother gave her the nickname of "stage".
  • Her song "Why'd You Lie to Me" appears in both Not That Kind and the sophomore Freak of Nature albums.
  • Her name means "She Who Will Rise Again" in Greek.
  • She dedicated her first album to her grandmother.
  • She competed in the MTV's The Cut show, where she was the third finalist, although she surprised the judge of the show.
  • Celebrities were calling her to congratulate her after her performance on MTV's The Cut. Among them, Elton John and Michael Jackson wanted to sign her to their new label.
  • Anastacia has a tattoo below her neck, saying "Forever" in an unusual font. She also has an Ankh on her lower back.[5]
  • She has Crohn's Disease

See also

References

  1. ^ Born in 1973 according to Trials of Anastacia, TimesOnline.co.uk, October 23, 2005.
  2. ^ [Born in 1968 according to IMDb, your opinion of it as a reference is irrelevant]
  3. ^ [She also told Howard Stern IN PERSON that she was 33 in 2001]
  4. ^ Anastacia by s.Oliver, reported at FreakyEnough.com
  5. ^ Trivia source

External links

  • "Anastacia's official web site".
  • Trials of Anastasia, TimesOnline.co.uk, October 23, 2005.
  • Anastacia at IMDb
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