Alecia Moore Childhood and discovery
Pink was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania to Vietnam veteran James Moore and nurse Judy Kugel. She is of Jewish ancestry on her mother's side, and is Irish, German and Lithuanian on her father's. Pink has identified herself as Jewish. She grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where she attended Central Bucks West High School. Her father played guitar and sang songs for her, and from an early age she aspired to be a rock star. While in high school, Pink joined her first "official" band, Middle Ground, but the band never took off. According to Pink, her biggest influences are Janis Joplin, Steven Tyler, Bad Religion, Mary J. Blige, Bob Marley, Billy Joel, Indigo Girls, Don McLean, 2Pac, and The Notorious B.I.G..
Pink developed her voice early on in her life. An asthmatic, she learned to breathe from her lower abdomen instead of her chest on doctor's advice, and started singing lessons to learn this technique. She began performing in Philadelphia clubs when she was fourteen years old. At age sixteen, she joined an R&B Atlanta-based trio called Choice, which included Chrissy Conway of the Christian girl group ZOEgirl. The group signed with LaFace Records and contributed "Key to My Heart" to the soundtrack of the 1996 film Kazaam. Choice eventually disbanded before having recorded an album; Moore remained at LaFace as a solo act. Daryl Simmons took her to recordings where she sang backing vocals for artists such as Diana Ross, 98 Degrees, Kenny Lattimore and Tevin Campbell. Pink's debut single, the dance track "Gonna Make Ya Move (Don't Stop)", was released in the UK in 1998 by Activ Records and appeared on the UK top 200.
Music career
2000–2001: Can't Take Me Home era
Pink's debut album, Can't Take Me Home, was co-produced by Babyface and released in April 2000. A substantial success, it went double platinum in the U.S., sold four million copies worldwide and produced two U.S. top ten singles: "There You Go" and "Most Girls" (which reached number one in Australia). The album's third single, "You Make Me Sick", became a smaller top forty hit in early 2001 and was featured in the film Save the Last Dance. Pink later acknowledged, in regard to Can't Take Me Home, that she chose to relinquish creative control to her record label and that she did not like the music she made at this time or her image, which included bright pink hair.
In 2001 she collaborated with pop singer Christina Aguilera, rapper Lil' Kim and R&B/pop singer Mýa on a cover of Labelle's 1975 single "Lady Marmalade" recorded for the soundtrack of the film Moulin Rouge!. Produced by hip-hop producers Rockwilder and Missy Elliott, the song topped the charts in countries including the U.S., the UK and Australia and won a Grammy Award (Pink's first) for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". The video won the MTV Video Music Award for "Video of the Year".[6]
2001–2002: M!ssundaztood era
Tired of being marketed as another cookie-cutter pop act and eager to become a more serious songwriter and musician, Pink took her sound in a new direction and sought more creative control during the recording of her second album. She recruited former 4 Non Blondes vocalist Linda Perry, and together they co-wrote and co-produced most of the tracks on M!ssundaztood, which was released via Arista Records in November 2001. According to VH1 Driven, L.A. Reid wasn't initially content with the new music she was making.
Its lead single, "Get the Party Started" (written and produced by Perry), went top five in the U.S. and many other countries. The album's other singles — "Don't Let Me Get Me", the Dallas Austin-produced "Just like a Pill", and "Family Portrait" — were also radio and chart successes, with "Just like a Pill" becoming Pink's first solo UK number-one hit in September 2002. The singles were substantial hits on Adult Top 40 radio and the United World Chart, and "Family Portrait" became a theme song for many children whose parents were divorced (according to MTV Diary). In 2002, after opening for 'N Sync on their American tour, Pink started a headlining American and European tour, the Party Tour. The 2002 Faith Hill album Cry features a song co-written by Pink and Perry called "If You're Gonna Fly".
M!ssundaztood reached the top ten in the U.S. and the top five in the UK, and it was certified gold or platinum status in more than twenty countries,[7] with worldwide sales of twelve million.[8] It was the second-best-selling album in the UK during 2002, and Pink was the best-selling female artist globally. As of 2007, it is the best-selling album of her career. At the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, "Get the Party Started" won in the categories of "Best Female Video" and "Best Dance Video". M!ssundaztood and "Get the Party Started" earned nominations at the 2003 Grammy Awards for "Best Pop Vocal Album" and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance", respectively.
2003–2004: Try This era
Pink's third album, Try This (2003)
In mid-2003 Pink contributed the song "Feel Good Time" to the soundtrack of the film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, in which she had a cameo appearance as a motorcross race ramp owner/promoter. "Feel Good Time" was co-written by singer Beck, produced by electronic music artist William Orbit and based on the song "Fresh Garbage" by 60s band Spirit. It peaked outside the top forty on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
"Feel Good Time" was included on non-U.S. editions of Pink's third album, Try This, which was released in November 2003. Eight of the thirteen tracks were co-written with Tim Armstrong of punk band Rancid, and Linda Perry was featured on the album as a writer and musician. Though Try This reached the top ten on album charts in the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia, sales were considerably lower than those of M!ssundaztood; it sold 709,000 copies in the U.S., and 3.5 million worldwide. The singles "Trouble" and "God Is a DJ" did not reach the U.S. top forty but went top ten in other countries, and "Last to Know" was released as a single outside North America. "Trouble" earned Pink her second Grammy Award (for "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance") at the 2004 Grammy Awards, and "Feel Good Time" was nominated in the category of "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". Pink toured extensively through Europe, where the album was better received, on the Try This Tour.
2006–present: I'm Not Dead era
Pink took a break to write the songs for her fourth album, I'm Not Dead, which she titled as such because she though it was a good statement; "I woke up one day and thought: 'I only live once, let's make the best out of it."[9] Pink worked with producers Max Martin, billymann, MachoPsycho, Christopher Rojas, Butch Walker, Lukasz Gottwald and Josh Abraham on the album. It was released in April 2006 through LaFace Records and reached the top ten in the U.S., becoming her lowest seller there; however, it was a substantial success elsewhere, reaching the top five in the UK selling over 1,000,000 copies to date and number one in Australia. It was the second best selling album in Australia (2006). It's quikly reaching the 6X Platinum status.
Lead single "Stupid Girls" gave Pink her biggest U.S. hit since 2002 and earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". Its controversial video, in which Pink parodies celebrities such as Mary-Kate Olsen and Paris Hilton,[10] won the MTV Video Music Award for "Best Pop Video".
Subsequent singles "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand" were substantial hits in Australia and Europe, but they didn't chart on the U.S. Hot 100 until 2007. The non-U.S. singles were "Nobody Knows", a minor hit in the UK and Australia; "Dear Mr. President", an open letter to American President George W. Bush and a number-one single in Belgium;[11] and "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)", a download-only UK top forty single.
Pink has toured around the world during 2006 and 2007 on her I'm Not Dead Tour, for which ticket sales in Australia were particularly high. A special tour edition of the album will be released only in Australia in March 2007. Her concert on December 4, 2006 in Wembley Arena on the UK leg of the tour was hosted by London club G-A-Y, and it holds the record as the UK's biggest indoor gay and lesbian event.[citation needed] A DVD that was recorded at the show is expected on April 20, 2007. In 2007 she opened for Justin Timberlake on the American leg of his FutureSex/LoveShow Tour. For her tour in Australia P!nk released a special tour edition of I'm Not Dead.
In 2006 Pink was chosen to sing the theme song for NBC Sunday Night Football, "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night", which is a take on "I Hate Myself for Lovin' You" by Joan Jett. She contributed a cover of Rufus's "Tell Me Something Good" to the soundtrack of the film Happy Feet, and lent her name to PlayStation to promote the PSP. A special edition was released with a pink PSP featuring a special tour diary of her I'm Not Dead Tour, music videos and live preformances.[12] Pink recorded a song with Annie Lennox for Lennox's fourth solo studio album, which is scheduled for release in 2007.[13]
"Outside of You", a song co-written by Pink, Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida, was recorded by dance-pop singer Hilary Duff and released on her 2007 album Dignity.
Acting career
Pink appeared as herself in the films Ski to the Max (2000) and Rollerball (2002). After her cameo performance in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Pink looked for another film script and settled on the horror film Catacombs, which was shot in early 2006 and co-stars Shannyn Sossamon. "It's pretty intense", Pink said. "It's not only a sort of slasher type, scary movie; it's also psychological and shows how mean and cruel siblings can be to one another. I liked that part of it."[14] Pink was once on the short list of people to play Janis Joplin in an upcoming biopic titled The Gospel According to Janis, but she chose not to saying it would be disrespectful to Joplin because the film makers didn't want to say she died of a heroin overdose.
Personal life
Pink dyes her hair frequently, but she is a natural blond. On The Ellen DeGeneres Show she revealed that there are real diamonds attached to her teeth. According to her, her dog's name is "Fucker", which she revealed in a live broadcast for MuchMusic in 2003, forcing broadcasters to censor the name in subsequent showings. She later said on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross that her father adopted this dog and changed its name to Fred, saying "He's a much happier dog." Elvis, one of Pink's other dogs, drowned in Pink's backyard pool in January 2007. According to some sources, Pink was devastated.[15]
Pink married motocross racer Carey Hart in Costa Rica on January 7, 2006. She proposed to him by holding up a sign for him to see during one of his races.[16] Before she began her relationship with Hart, she was rumored to have dated Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.
Pink kissed actress Kristanna Loken at the 2003 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo and said she had a girlfriend at age thirteen.[17] Pink doesn't identify as gay, but she says most of her friends are gay and that she's "had her moments."[17] She has worked with the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign.
Pink is also a prominent campaigner for PETA, contributing her voice towards causes such as KFC's alleged poor treatment of chicken before slaughter. She sent a letter to Prince William, criticizing the Royal Family's guards' usage of bearskin for their headwear. In November 2006, Pink mentioned in the News of the World that she is disgusted with fellow singer Beyoncé for wearing animal fur. Pink has most recently taken on the Australian wool industry over its practice of mulesing, lending her face and fame to the PETA. In January 2007, Pink stated that she had been misled by PETA over the issue and that she had not done enough research of her own before lending her name to the campaign.[18]
