LAS VEGAS DISC JOCKEY JOHN DOTE

USA (SANEPR.com) June 18, 2007 -- Las Vegas Disc Jockey John Dote' hosted 50 episodes of Night Beat In Las Vegas as seen on the UPN-Screen Gems Network which featured 6-time grammy award winner Mary J. Blige.

Born in The Bronx, New York City, New York to a jazz musician father and a nurse mother, Mary was exposed to music from an early age. At the age of four, Mary's father, Thomas, left the family, leaving her mother Cora to raise Mary and her older sister Latonya alone. (On the February 1, 2006 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Mary revealed that she was sexually assaulted as a child by a family friend.) A couple years later, Mary's family relocated to Yonkers, where they resided in one of the city's most dangerous housing projects. Music eventually became Mary's refuge, singing lead in her church's choir, and at seven she won a talent contest singing Aretha Franklin's "Respect."

While continuing to remain true to her love of music, as Mary entered her teen years, she began experimenting with recreational drugs and eventually dropped out of high school.

She has a young brother named Bruce Miller ( he contributed lyrics to Family Affair ), as well as sisters LaTonya Blige-DaCosta ( the woman dancing with Mary in her Family Affair music video ) and Jonquell.


Music career
In 1988, at age seventeen, Mary recorded an impromptu coverof Anita Baker's 1986 "Caught Up In The Rapture" at a recording booth in a local shopping mall. Mary's mother's boyfriend at the time later played the cassette for a music industry contact, Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. Redd sent it to the president and CEO of the label, Andre Harrell. At the time, the fledgling Uptown was home to a few noted hip-hop and R&B acts of the day, including Heavy D & The Boyz and Guy. Harrell met with Mary, and in 1989, she was signed to the label – becoming the company's youngest and first female artist.

After signing with Uptown, Mary's early years at the company were dormant as the label continued to focus most of its attention on its more established acts. During that time Mary became the label's background singer. Her first appearance to the world came in 1990 when Mary did her first live show as a background singer for artist Jeff Redd at the Apollo. In the same year she also sang the hook on "I'll Do 4 U" by rapper and label mate Father MC. Mary also appeared in the concert-themed music video, in the role of a back-up singer.

Uptown finally greenlit production for Mary's debut album in 1991. Andre Harrell's young protégé, up-and-coming label executive, Sean "Puffy" Combs was asked to oversee the project. Also enlisted were some of the top R&B and hip-hop producers of the time, among them were Tony Dofat, Mark Morales (of The Fat Boys fame) and Mark C. Rooney, and Dave "Jam" Hall. Also included in the producers mix were Combs, and Donald "DeVante Swing" DeGrate (member of, and driving force behind, fellow Uptown act Jodeci). The latter association would introduce Mary to Jodeci group member Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, with whom she embarked on a long and tumultuous relationship.

On July 28, 1992, Uptown released What's The 411?. That summer, the album's lead single, "You Remind Me," was released to radio and eventually peaked at number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and climbed to number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. It was followed up that fall with "Real Love," which fared even better – becoming Blige's second number-one on the R&B singles charts and first top 10 Hot 100 single, where it peaked at number seven. Both singles were also certified Gold.

More What's The 411? singles followed into 1993, including: "Reminisce," a cover of Rufus's 1975 "Sweet Thing," and "Love No Limit." By the end of the year, What's The 411? had sold two million copies, and Mary had been crowned "The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul." Mary confesses at the time she believed the title to be nothing more than a marketing tool. The album's success spun off What's The 411? Remix, a remix album released in December that was used to extend the life of the What's The 411? singles on the radio into 1994, while Mary prepared for her sophomore album.

On November 29, 1994, Uptown Records released Blige's second studio album, My Life. Darker, moodier, and slightly less uptempo than its predecessor; the set was again overseen by Sean Combs (then calling himself "Puff Daddy") who, in spite of being fired from his post at Uptown Records, had formed his own label (Bad Boy). Combs had an even bigger hand in the pot as he this time co-produced all but one of the albums tracks. At this time, Combs also took over as Mary's manager.

Unlike What's The 411?, which featured no self-penned lyrics from Blige herself, this time her role was extended to include songwriter, as she co-wrote a healthy bulk of the material and based it on the happenings of her personal life – hence the title. Although overwhelmingly praised by both critics and fans, Blige also received some flack for the album being so sample-heavy.

The album's first single, "Be Happy," peaked at number twenty-nine on the Hot 100, and shot up to #6 on the R&B singles chart. In early 1995, it was followed up with a cover of Rose Royce's 1976 "I'm Going Down." Other My Life singles included: "You Bring Me Joy," "I Love You," as well as the heavily played (but never officially released as singles) album tracks, "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" and "My Life." The album proved to be yet another multi-Platinum home-run for Blige, going three times platinum. In spite of its success and her growing fame, Blige was in no mood to celebrate, as she later admitted she was simultaneously dealing with long time bouts with drug addiction, alcoholism, and depression; in addition to an abusive relationship with Hailey.

Also in 1995, she extended herself to several outside projects: recording a cover of Aretha Franklin's classic "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" for the soundtrack to the hit FOX series New York Undercover and "Everyday It Rains," co-written by R&B singer Faith Evans, for the soundtrack to the hip-hop bio pic The Show. One of her biggest professional achievements came that summer when she scored a hit duet with rapper Method Man on his song, "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By" (which sampled the classic Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's 1968 "You're All I Need To Get By"). Later in the year, she also recorded the Babyface-penned and produced "Not Gon' Cry," for the soundtrack to motion picture, Waiting to Exhale. The Platinum-selling single rose to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in early 1996, and became her biggest hit at the time. That year, Mary won her first Grammy – "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" for her collaboration with Method Man.

On April 22, 1997, MCA Records released Blige's junior effort, Share My World. After internal conflicts of interest with Puff Daddy, reportedly due to his managing his own label and budding career as an entertainer, the two dissolved their working relationship, which resulted in this being the first album in her career without Comb's involvement. To compensate for his absence, a bevy of high-profile producers were recruited, including: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Chucky Thompson, R. Kelly, Babyface, and most notably an up-and-coming Rodney Jerkins, who helmed a significant portion of the album.

Share My World, a noticeably more vibrant and optimistic toned set, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and spawned four hit singles: "Love Is All We Need" (featuring Nas), "I Can Love You" (featuring Lil' Kim), "Everything," and "Seven Days." Commercially it continued the vein of the two that came before it, being certified triple Platinum and selling over four million in the U.S alone, and over five million worldwide. In early 1998, Mary won an American Music Award for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album." That summer she embarked on the Share My World tour, which resulted in a Gold-certified live album released later that year simply titled The Tour. The album spawned one single, Misty Blue.

On August 17, 1999, Blige's fourth studio album simply titled Mary was released. A departure from her more familiar hip-hop-influenced sound, this set featured a more earthy, whimsical, and adult contemporary-tinged collection of songs, reminiscent to 1970s and early 1980s soul. Also featured on the album were high-profile guests, such as: Aretha Franklin (who dueted with Mary on "Don't Waste Your Time"), Elton John (who played keys on "Deep Inside," which featured a sample of his '70s-era hit "Bennie And The Jets"), Eric Clapton (who played guitar on "Give Me You"), and Lauryn Hill (who wrote, produced, and sang background on "All That I Can Say"). Blige also recorded a cover of Stevie Wonder's 1976 "As" with George Michael, which is featured on the UK release and also on the Australian released of his greatest-hits album Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best Of George Michael.

On December 14, 1999, the album was re-released as a double-disc set. The second disc was enhanced with the videos for the singles "All That I Can Say" and "Deep Inside" and also included two bonus tracks – "Sincerity" (featuring Nas and DMX) and "Confrontation" (a collaboration with hip-hop duo Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap originally from their 1999 album The Tunnel).

Though the album was critically praised, becoming her most nominated release to date, and sold respectfully well (going double Platinum and moving almost two million), it wasn't as commercially successful as her prior albums, as all of the singles ("All That I Can Say," "Deep Inside," "Your Child," and "Give Me You") underperformed on the radio and charts. At this time, however, Blige and MCA seized the moment and tapped into nightclub market by issuing club-friendly dance remixes of the Mary singles. In lieu of this, Mary scored a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Your Child," which topped the chart for one week in October 2000.

The video for the song "Give Me You" featured basketball player Michael Jordan.

In 2000, Mary released the Japan-only compilation, Ballads, which featured the best of Mary's ballad material.

On August 28, 2001, MCA released Blige's fifth studio album, No More Drama. The album's first single, "Family Affair," produced by Dr. Dre, became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, where it sat for six consecutive weeks – becoming one of the years biggest songs, and the biggest hit of Blige's career. It was followed by the top 20 Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced title track (originally recorded for the Mary album), which sampled the famous piano theme to the daytime drama The Young and the Restless.

Though the album sold almost 2 million copies in the US, MCA decided to repackage and re-release the album on January 29, 2002. The No More Drama re-release featured a new album cover, deleted three of the songs from the original track listing, while adding two brand-new songs (one of which was the third single and top 20 Hot 100 hit "Rainy Dayz," featuring Ja Rule), plus two remixes – one of the title track, serviced by former mentor Puff Daddy (then known as "P. Diddy"). The album went on to sell another million-plus units, selling five million worldwide, and Mary won her second Grammy – "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for the song "He Think I Don't Know."

On July 22, 2002, Mary released Dance For Me on MCA Records. This album is a collection of club remixes of some of her past top hits including the Junior Vasquez remix of "Your Child" and the Thunderpuss mix of "No More Drama." This album was also released in a limited edition double pack 12" vinyl for DJ-friendly play in nightclubs.

On August 26, 2003, Mary's sixth album Love & Life was released by Geffen Records (which had absorbed her previous label, MCA). After breaking the ice with Diddy on the "No More Drama" remix; Mary, again, heavily collaborated with him for this set. Thanks to the history between them (which is generally regarded as their best work, respectively) and Mary having just come off of her successful fifth album, expectations were high for their "reunion."

Despite the album debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, Love & Life's lead-off single, the Diddy-produced "Love @ 1st Sight" (which featured a rap cameo by Method Man), just barely cracked the top 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks – while altogether missing the top 20 on the Hot 100. The two following singles, "Ooh!" and "Not Today" (featuring Eve) fared worse. Although the album was certified Platinum, it became Blige's lowest-selling and biggest commercial disappointment to date. Critics and fans alike largely panned the disc for its lack of consistency and noticeable attempts to recapture the early Blige/Combs glory.

Mary and Diddy reportedly struggled and clashed during the making of this album. That, added to its lukewarm public reception to Love & Life, contributed to the two once again parting company again when the project was completed.

In spite of buzz circulating in the summer of 2005 that Blige's next release would be a retrospective aptly titled Reminisce, she and her label formally announced that an album of brand-new material was, instead, on the way. On December 20, Geffen released Mary's seventh studio album, entitled The Breakthrough.

The album debuted at number one on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Billboard 200 charts, selling 727,000 in its first week — the biggest first-week sales for an R&B solo female artist in SoundScan history [1">, the 5th largest first-week sales for a female artist and was the 4th largest debut of the 2005.

The production on the album included Blige, Rodney Jerkins, will.i.am, Bryan Michael Cox, 9th Wonder, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Cool and Dre, Dre & Vidal, and included a duet with U2 on the cover of their 1992 hit, "One."

Indeed a return to her prime, the lead-off single "Be Without You" quickly raced up both the Hot 100 and R&B singles charts; "Be Without You" topped the R&B singles chart for a record setting fifteen consecutive weeks and peaked at number three on the Hot 100. The album's second single, "Enough Cryin," peaked at number thirty-two on the Billboard Hot 100, and rose to number two on the R&B chart.

"One" was the album's second single in the UK, and gave Mary her biggest hit to date in the UK, peaking at number two on the Top 75. In addition, "One" was voted in Britain as the song with the nation's favorite lyrics: "One Life, With Each Other Sisters, Brothers".

Her current single from The Breakthrough is "Take Me As I Am," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard R&B charts.

Since The Breakthrough's release, it has sold nearly 3 million copies in the U.S and nearly 6 million worldwide and is one of the top five selling albums of 2006. Mary J. Blige recently won nine Billboard awards for work done on The Breakthrough album. Mary J. Blige is also highly favored to receive several nominations for the 2007 Grammy Awards for The Breakthrough .

On November 14, 2006 Blige released an album of duets, Mary J. Blige & Friends, with accompanying DVD at Circuit City stores on November 14, 2006. Duet partners include Sting, Santana, Elton John, LL Cool J, Robin Thicke, Patti LaBelle and Jamie Foxx. Singer Robin Thicke has confirmed to MTV News he has been approached to feature on the project, and will re-record a version of his song "Ask Myself" as a duet with Blige.[2"> All the proceeds, through February 2007, from the duets album will go the Boys & Girls Club of America.


Brook Lynn
On a guest appearance for Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" (remix), Mary revealed her alter ego, rapper Brook Lynn. She said in an interview with MTV that she needed a way of topping Busta's manic performance without compromising the intelligent woman she has become. Brook is also featured on "Enough Cryin" and "Gonna Breakthrough."


Current Activities
In November 2006, it was confirmed that Blige would release a greatest-hits collection entitled Reflections - A Retrospective.[3"> Set to include many of her hit records, the collection will also include the new singles "We Ride (I See The Future)" and "Reflections (I Remember)" and be released on December 12, 2006.[2">

Blige will release an album of duets, Mary J. Blige & Friends, with accompanying DVD at Circuit City stores on November 14, 2006. Duet partners include Sting, Santana, Elton John, LL Cool J, Robin Thicke, Patti LaBelle and Jamie Foxx. Singer Robin Thicke has confirmed to MTV News he has been approached to feature on the project, and will re-record a version of his song "Ask Myself" as a duet with Blige.[2">

Blige will also be featured with Aretha Franklin on the Bobby motion picture soundtrack. Franklin and Blige duet on the lead track, "Never Gonna Break My Faith."

Blige will be performing on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on December 8, 2006.


Personal life
Blige had a tumultuous six-year affair with Jodeci frontman Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, which ended in 1997. In 2006, the mother of Nas's child, Carmen Bryan, revealed that Blige had a relationship with rapper Nas around 1997/1998.

R&B singer Case was affiliated with Mary J. Blige. The supposed reason why they went their separate ways was that Case felt he was dealing with Mary J. Blige's problems from her previous relationship's with K-Ci of Jodeci and K-Ci and JoJo fame.

In 2000, Blige began a relationship with record industry executive Martin Kendu Isaacs (known as simply Kendu). Isaacs was, in Blige's words, the one to get Blige to kick alcohol after issuing an ultimatum to Blige that he was leaving her if she came home drunk. Isaacs and Blige married on December 7, 2003 in a small private ceremony at Blige's home. As a result, Blige is now the stepmother of Kendu's three children from a previous marriage. Blige has also talked about having children of her own one day.

Another significant change occurred in 2001 when Blige lost a reported 40 pounds. She stated that during the time when she was struggling with substance abuse, she also found comfort in food which explained her weight. Through the help of a trainer combined with diet and exercises, she lost the weight.

Blige made her acting debut in 1998 on The Jamie Foxx Show playing Ola Mae, a preacher's daughter who wanted to sing more than gospel music. She broke through with her video titled "Deep Inside" in the year 2000 on the TV hit series "Night Beat In Las Vegas" which was hosted by Las Vegas Disc Jockey John Dote'. http://www.freewebs.com/jodo777d8/ . In 2001, she played Mrs. Butler in the independent feature film, Prison Song, starring rapper Q-Tip. Blige reportedly felt she could play the role, citing that it mirrored parts of her own family life. The same year, Blige made a cameo on the Lifetime network series, Strong Medicine, playing Simone Fellows; the lead singer of a band who is sick, but refuses to seek help.

In 2004, Blige starred in her first off-Broadway play, The Exonerated. The play chronicled the experiences of real death row inmates. Blige portrayed Sunny Jacobs, a woman who spent 20 years in prison for a crime she did not commit.

In December 2005, news spread that Blige had landed the starring role in the upcoming MTV Films biopic on Nina Simone. She was personally targeted for the role by the film's writer, Cynthia Mort, who felt Blige was the perfect person to bring Simone to life. There is no word yet as to when the movie will start shooting.

Las Vegas Disc Jockey John Dote' also specialises in wedding receptions and corporate events in Las Vegas. Choose the Disc Jockey who promoted Mary J. Blige. Call us for your upcoming event in Las Vegas at (702) 649-6026 or email jodo777d@aol.com .



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