Alanis Morissette facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alanis Morissette
Morissette in 2014
Born	Alanis Nadine Morissette (1974-06-01) June 1, 1974 (age 51) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship	Canada (by birthplace) US (naturalised in 2005)
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Mario Treadway ​ (m. 2010)​
Partner(s)	Ryan Reynolds (2004–2007)
Children	3
Relatives	Wade Morissette (brother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Alternative rock post-grunge electronica trip hop indie pop pop rock
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica
Labels	MCA Canada Maverick Reprise Warner Bros. Collective Sounds Rough Trade Epiphany Music
Signature

Alanis Nadine Morissette (/əˈlænɪs ˌmɒrɪˈsɛt/ ə-LAN-iss-_-morr-ISS-et; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, and musician. She started her music journey in Canada in the early 1990s, releasing two dance-pop albums. Alanis became famous worldwide with her alternative rock album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). This album sold over 33 million copies and earned her four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. It featured popular songs like "You Oughta Know", "Ironic", and "Head over Feet". Jagged Little Pill made her a huge star and is still considered one of the best albums ever.

Alanis won two more Grammy Awards for her song "Uninvited" (1998). In the same year, she released another album that was also very successful. She later took more control over her music, producing her own albums like Under Rug Swept (2002) and Such Pretty Forks in the Road (2020). Alanis has sold more than 75 million records around the world. She has won many awards, including seven Grammy Awards and fourteen Juno Awards. Rolling Stone magazine called her the "queen of alt-rock angst".

Who Is Alanis Morissette?

Alanis Nadine Morissette was born on June 1, 1974, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her parents are Georgia Mary Ann and Alan Richard Morissette. She has an older brother, Chad, and a twin brother, Wade Morissette, who is also a musician. Her father has French and Irish roots, and her mother came from Hungary.

In 1977, her family moved to West Germany for a few years because her parents were teachers at a Canadian base. They returned to Ottawa in 1980, and Alanis started taking dance lessons. She went to Catholic schools and even appeared on the children's TV show You Can't Do That on Television for five episodes.

Her Music Journey Begins

Early Albums: Alanis and Now Is The Time (1986–1993)

Alanis is known for her strong voice and songs that share her feelings. She recorded her first demo song called "Fate Stay with Me". In 1991, MCA Records Canada released her first album, Alanis, only in Canada. Alanis helped write every song on the album. This dance-pop album became very popular, selling enough copies to be certified platinum. Her first single, "Too Hot", reached the top 20 in Canada. She was even compared to other pop stars like Debbie Gibson. Alanis won the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year in 1992.

In 1992, she released her second album, Now Is the Time. This album had more thoughtful songs and was less pop-focused. It was also released only in Canada and featured three popular singles. However, it didn't sell as well as her first album, and her record deal ended.

Becoming a Global Star: Jagged Little Pill (1994–1999)

After her first record deal, Alanis moved to Toronto and then to Los Angeles to find new people to work with. She met producer and songwriter Glen Ballard, and they became a great team. They wrote and recorded her first international album, Jagged Little Pill. In 1995, she learned to play the guitar.

Jagged Little Pill was released worldwide in June 1995. At first, people didn't expect it to be a huge hit. But then, a radio station in Los Angeles started playing "You Oughta Know", the first song from the album. This song quickly got a lot of attention for its powerful lyrics, and its music video was played often on MTV.

After "You Oughta Know" became popular, other songs from the album also became hits, sending Jagged Little Pill to the top of the music charts. "Ironic" became her biggest hit. Other popular songs included "Hand in My Pocket", "You Learn", and "Head over Feet". Jagged Little Pill sold over 16 million copies in the U.S. and 33 million worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums by a female artist.

Alanis won many awards for Jagged Little Pill. In 1996, she won six Juno Awards, including Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards in 1996, she won four Grammys, including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. The music video for "Ironic" also won several awards.

After the album's success, Alanis went on an 18-month world tour, playing in small clubs and then in large stadiums. After the tour, she traveled to India, which inspired her next album.

Alanis also sang on other artists' albums and recorded the song "Uninvited" for the movie City of Angels (1998). This song won two Grammy Awards.

In November 1998, Alanis released her fourth album, which she wrote and produced with Glen Ballard. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The song "Thank U" was a major international hit. She also directed the music videos for "Unsent" and "So Pure". In 1999, she released a live acoustic album called Alanis Unplugged, which included songs from her previous albums and new ones.

New Sounds: Under Rug Swept and So-Called Chaos (2000–2007)

In February 2002, Alanis released her fifth studio album, Under Rug Swept. For the first time, she wrote and produced the entire album herself. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over a million copies in the U.S. The hit single "Hands Clean" topped the Canadian Singles Chart. Alanis won a Juno Award for Producer of the Year for her work on this album.

In 2004, Alanis released her sixth album, So-Called Chaos. She wrote the songs and co-produced the album. The lead single, "Everything", was popular on adult radio. She also toured with the band Barenaked Ladies and worked with an environmental group called Reverb.

To celebrate 10 years of Jagged Little Pill, Alanis released an acoustic version called Jagged Little Pill Acoustic in 2005. She also released a greatest hits album, Alanis Morissette: The Collection, which included a new cover of Seal's song "Crazy". In 2005, Alanis was honored with an induction into Canada's Walk of Fame. She also sang the song "Wunderkind" for the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

In 2007, Alanis released a fun, slow cover of The Black Eyed Peas' song "My Humps". She also sang the American and Canadian national anthems at a Stanley Cup Finals game in Ottawa.

Later Albums: Flavors of Entanglement and Havoc and Bright Lights (2008–2019)

In 2008, Alanis released her seventh studio album, Flavors of Entanglement. She said the album was a way to express her feelings after a breakup. The first song from the album was "Underneath". She also recorded a cover of "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", changing it to "To All the Boys I've Loved Before", with Willie Nelson playing guitar.

In 2012, Alanis announced her eighth studio album, Havoc and Bright Lights. The first song from this album was "Guardian". In 2015, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Jagged Little Pill, a special four-disc edition was released. It included remastered songs, unreleased demos, and a live concert from 1995.

In 2018, a musical based on Alanis's songs, called Jagged Little Pill, premiered in Massachusetts. Alanis wrote two new songs for the musical, "Smiling" and "Predator". The musical later moved to Broadway and received many awards, including a Grammy Award.

Recent Work: Such Pretty Forks in the Road and The Storm Before the Calm (2020–present)

In 2019, Alanis announced her first studio album in eight years, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, which was released in July 2020. The first song from the album was "Reasons I Drink". She also sang on Halsey's song "Alanis' Interlude".

Alanis planned a world tour for the 25th anniversary of Jagged Little Pill, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour eventually happened over the next two years. In 2022, Alanis released a new album of meditation music called The Storm Before the Calm. In 2023, she released a cover of "No Return", the theme song for the TV series Yellowjackets.

Alanis has announced that she will start working on a new album in 2024 and will go on The Triple Moon Tour in the summer of 2024. In January 2024, she received the Luminary of the Year prize for her amazing contributions to music.

Beyond Music: Acting and Helping Others

Acting Roles

Alanis has also had a career in acting. In 1986, she appeared in the children's TV show You Can't Do That on Television. In 1999, she played God in the movie Dogma and later in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. She also had small roles in TV shows like Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In 2003, Alanis performed in an Off-Broadway play called The Exonerated. She also appeared in the film De-Lovely (2004) and the Canadian TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation (2005). In 2006, she guest-starred in Nip/Tuck and later in eight episodes of Weeds as Dr. Audra Kitson. In 2012, she appeared in Up All Night. More recently, in 2021, Alanis became a recurring character on the animated show The Great North.

Advocacy and Helping Others

Alanis is passionate about helping people with their spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. She focuses on healing from difficult experiences, empowering women, and providing good education for children. She shares her knowledge through performances, writings, interviews, and workshops. She has worked with famous people like Oprah Winfrey and Marianne Williamson.

In 2008, Alanis contributed a song to the album Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace to promote peace. She also released an acoustic version of her song "Still" to help raise money for the 2010 Haiti earthquake crisis.

Jagged Little Pill Adaptations

In May 2018, the musical Jagged Little Pill premiered, featuring music by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard. A documentary film about Alanis and Jagged Little Pill called Jagged was released in 2021.

Journalism and Podcasts

In October 2015, Alanis started a podcast called Conversation with Alanis Morissette. In this podcast, she talks with different people about topics like psychology, art, spirituality, and health. In 2016, she also wrote a short advice column for The Guardian newspaper.

Her Life Outside Music

Alanis grew up in a Catholic family in Canada. She became a U.S. citizen in 2005 but kept her Canadian citizenship. She has been a practicing Buddhist for many years.

Alanis has always been open about her personal journey. In 2009, she ran a marathon to support awareness for the National Eating Disorders Association.

In 2019, Alanis and her family moved to Olympic Valley, California, after living in Los Angeles for many years.

Relationships and Family

Alanis dated actor Dave Coulier in the early 1990s. She met Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds in 2002, and they were engaged in 2004, but they ended their engagement in 2007.

On May 22, 2010, Alanis married rapper Mario "Souleye" Treadway. They have three children: a son named Ever (born 2010), a daughter named Onyx (born 2016), and another son named Winter (born 2019).

Discography

• Alanis (1991)
• Now Is the Time (1992)
• Jagged Little Pill (1995)
• Under Rug Swept (2002)
• So-Called Chaos (2004)
• Flavors of Entanglement (2008)
• Havoc and Bright Lights (2012)
• Such Pretty Forks in the Road (2020)
• The Storm Before the Calm (2022)

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Tours

Opening act

• To the Extreme Tour (1991) (opening act for Vanilla Ice)
• 1996 European Summer Tour (1996) (opening act for Neil Young and Crazy Horse)
• 1999 Summer Tour (1999) (opening act for Dave Matthews Band–Denver)
• A Bigger Bang Tour (2005) (opening act for The Rolling Stones)

Headlining

• Jagged Little Tour (1995)
• Intellectual Intercourse Tour (1995–96)
• Can't Not Tour (1996) featuring Radiohead
• Dhanyavad Tour (1998)
• One Tour (2000)
• Under Rug Swept Tour (2001)
• Toward Our Union Mended Tour (2002)
• All I Really Want Tour (2003)
• So-Called Chaos Tour (2004)
• The Diamond Wink Tour (2005) featuring Jason Mraz
• Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour (2005)
• Flavors of Entanglement Tour (2008–09)
• Guardian Angel Tour (2012)
• Intimate and Acoustic (2014)
• World Tour (2018)
• World Tour: Celebrating 25 Years of Jagged Little Pill (2021–23) featuring Garbage, Cat Power, Beth Orton, Aimee Mann and Feist
• The Triple Moon Tour (2024) featuring Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Morgan Wade

Co-headlining

• Summer Tour (1996) (with Foo Fighters, Manic Street Preachers, Dodgy)
• 5 ½ Weeks Tour (1999) (with Tori Amos)
• Au Naturale Tour (2004) (with the Barenaked Ladies)
• Exile in America Tour (2008) (with Matchbox Twenty and Mutemath)

Awards and nominations

Alanis was nominated for Best New Artist at the 38th Grammy Awards. She won Best New Artist at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards for her song, "Ironic". She has been nominated four times for Songwriter of the Year at the Juno Awards, winning twice in 1996 and 1997. In 2005, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2023, Alanis was honored with the Carnegie Corporation of New York "[[Great Immigrants Award|Great Immigrants" Award.

Images for kids

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  Morissette performing in 2008

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  Morissette signing autographs for fans, 2011

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  Morissette performing in Barcelona, 2013.

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  Morissette performing in 2022

See Also

In Spanish: Alanis Morissette para niños

• Canadian rock
• Music of Canada
• List of diamond-certified albums in Canada
• List of best-selling albums