Amerie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amerie
Amerie in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Amerie Mi Marie Rogers
Born	(1980-01-12) January 12, 1980 (age 45) Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S.
Origin	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Genres	R&B pop hip hop soul funk go-go
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress writer
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Columbia Feeniix Rising Def Jam

Amerie Mi Marie Rogers Nicholson (born January 12, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and writer. She is famous for her R&B and pop music. Amerie has released four studio albums: All I Have (2002), Touch (2005), Because I Love It (2007), and In Love & War (2009). Her most well-known song is "1 Thing" from 2005.

Early Life

Amerie was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Her mother, Mi Suk, is Korean, and her father, Charles Rogers, is African American. When she was a baby, her family moved to South Korea for three years.

Because her father was in the U.S. military, Amerie's family lived in many different places. These included Alaska, Texas, Virginia, and Germany. She has a younger sister, Angela, who is now her lawyer.

Amerie has said her parents were strict and traditional Christians. When she was growing up, she and her sister were not allowed to leave the house or use the phone on school days.

Amerie later went to Georgetown University to study literature. She also joined the Navy ROTC. She explained that she joined to help pay for her education. She left ROTC after her second year. She graduated with a degree in English and a minor in design.

While at Georgetown, Amerie met a club promoter in Washington, D.C. This person helped her connect with music producer Rich Harrison. Harrison had worked with famous artists like Mary J. Blige. He started recording demo songs with Amerie. This led to her first record deal with Columbia Records. Amerie felt that she and Harrison had a special connection when they worked together.

Career

2001–2003: All I Have

Amerie first gained attention in 2001 when she sang on the chorus of Nas's song "Rule". In 2002, she released her first single, "Why Don't We Fall in Love". This song became a top hit on the R&B charts in the U.S. It also did well in Australia and the UK.

Her first album, All I Have, came out in 2002. Rich Harrison produced and co-wrote all the songs. The album received good reviews and sold many copies. It was certified gold, meaning it sold over 500,000 copies. To promote her album, Amerie went on tour with popular artists like Usher and Nelly.

In 2003, Amerie won the Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist. She was also nominated for other awards, including a BET Award for Best Female R&B Artist. She sang on the LL Cool J song "Paradise", which also became a hit.

2004–2005: Touch

In 2004, Amerie started acting. She appeared in the film First Daughter with Katie Holmes. Around this time, she also began working on her second album, Touch. Rich Harrison produced many songs on this album too. Amerie took more control over the album's look and music videos. She wanted to make sure her vision for the music came through.

In 2005, Amerie released the song "1 Thing". This dance-pop song became her biggest hit ever. It reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and was certified gold. It was also a top 5 hit in the UK.

The album Touch was released in 2005 and sold very well. It was also certified gold. The song "Touch" was released as a second single. Later in 2005, Amerie was featured on Ricky Martin's song "I Don't Care".

The success of "1 Thing" and Touch led to two Grammy Awards nominations for Amerie in 2006. "1 Thing" also won the Club Banger of the Year award at the 2005 VIBE Awards. Many rappers, like Jay-Z, made remixes of "1 Thing."

2006–2007: Because I Love It

In 2006, Amerie started working on her third album, Because I Love It. This was her first album without Rich Harrison. She said that music from the 1980s was a big inspiration for this album. She loved the R&B, soul, and new wave sounds from that time.

The first song from Because I Love It was "Take Control". It became a top 10 hit in the UK in 2007. The album was released in Europe, Asia, and Australia. It reached the top 20 in the UK and was certified silver. Amerie faced some challenges with her record label, Columbia Records, regarding the album's promotion in the U.S.

2008–2010: In Love & War

In 2008, Amerie signed a new deal with Island Def Jam Music Group. This allowed her to release music under her own label, Feenix Rising. Columbia Records later released two compilation albums of her earlier songs.

Amerie described her fourth album, In Love & War, as a mix of hip-hop, soul, and rock. She said it was like a continuation of her first album. The main song, "Why R U", did well on the R&B charts. Another song, "Heard 'Em All", featured rapper Lil Wayne and was popular in Korea. The album faced some challenges with radio support and distribution.

In 2010, Amerie changed the spelling of her stage name to Ameriie. She explained that she felt the double "i" had the right energy for her.

2011–Present: New Music and Books

In 2011, it was announced that Amerie was working on her fifth album, Cymatika Vol. 1. The title comes from the word cymatics, which is the study of how sound and vibration can be seen. She planned for this album to explore themes like freedom and be influenced by electronic and new wave music. She even thought about working with Rich Harrison again.

In 2012, Amerie announced a "mini-LP" called The Prelude. In 2013, she shared that she was working on Because I Love It Vol. II, a follow-up to her 2007 album. This album, called BILI, would feature songs with a strong, soulful sound. A song from BILI, "What I Want", was released in 2014.

In 2016, Amerie released an EP (a shorter album) called Drive. She also confirmed she was still working on her Cymatika trilogy. In 2017, she released the song "REDRUM".

In 2018, Amerie released two albums at the same time: 4AM Mulholland and After 4AM. These were her first full albums since 2009 and were released independently. In 2019, she performed at a music festival in Australia with artists like Nelly and Craig David.

In August 2022, it was announced that Amerie's children's picture book, You Will Do Great Things, would be published in March 2023.

Artistry

Amerie has always been very involved in making her music. She not only writes songs but also helps with the production and plays instruments. She is a soprano, which means she has a high singing voice.

She once described how she used to record her songs when she was younger. She would use two tape recorders to layer her singing, harmonies, and background vocals.

Amerie has many different musical influences. These include the musical Grease, Motown soul music, 1960s rock and roll, 1980s pop and new wave music, and even Korean traditional music. She also finds inspiration in film scores, describing them as "immersive."

While most of her songs are in English, Amerie has recorded with Korean artists. She performed "Heard 'em All" with 4minute on Korean TV shows.

Other Projects

In 2003, Amerie hosted a TV show for teens called The Center on BET. She also helped create the show. In 2004, she got her first acting role as Mia Thompson in the movie First Daughter.

In 2014, Amerie started a YouTube video blog called "Books Beauty Ameriie." She also shared that she was writing two novels: one for young adults and one fantasy book.

In 2017, Amerie published an anthology book (a collection of writings) called Because You Love to Hate Me. She also started a science fiction trilogy of novels.

In 2019, Amerie launched her own "Amerie's Book Club." In this club, she highlights books with diverse and unique voices. She also performed on tour with other female artists for the Femme It Forward movement.

Personal Life

In 2007, Amerie started dating her manager, Lenny Nicholson, who worked at Sony Music. They announced their engagement in February 2010 and got married on June 25, 2011, in Anguilla. She now sometimes uses the name Amerie Nicholson or Amerie Rogers Nicholson. On May 15, 2018, she and Lenny welcomed their first child, a son.

In 2024, Amerie became a Muslim. She celebrated Eid Al-Fitr, a special holiday for Muslims. Fans thought her support for Palestine might have inspired her to embrace the religion.

Discography

Studio albums

• All I Have (2002)
• Touch (2005)
• Because I Love It (2007)
• In Love & War (2009)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See Also

In Spanish: Amerie para niños