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 hit song "1 Thing" from 2005. Amerie has released four studio albums: All I Have (2002), Touch (2005), Because I Love It (2007), and In Love & War (2009).

Early Life and Education

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

Her father was in the U.S. military. This meant the family moved around a lot. They lived in places like Alaska, Texas, Virginia, and Germany. Amerie 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 went to Georgetown University to study literature. She joined the Navy ROTC program. 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. Amerie met Rich Harrison in a public place, a McDonald's parking lot. There, Rich played his music, and Amerie sang along.

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 they had a special connection when they worked together.

Music Career Highlights

2001–2003: First Album Success

Amerie started her music career by singing on the chorus of Nas's song "Rule" in 2001. Her first single, "Why Don't We Fall in Love", came out in 2002. It became a top hit on the R&B/Hip-Hop and Dance charts in the U.S. It also did well in Australia and the UK.

Her first album, All I Have, was released in 2002. Rich Harrison produced and co-wrote all the songs. The album was well-received and sold many copies. It was certified gold in the U.S. To promote the album, Amerie toured with artists like Usher and Nas.

In 2003, Amerie won the Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist. She was also nominated for other awards. She sang on the LL Cool J song "Paradise", which was another top hit for her.

2004–2005: Touch and "1 Thing"

Amerie also started acting. She appeared in the 2004 movie First Daughter with Katie Holmes. In 2004, she began working on her second album, Touch. Rich Harrison produced many songs, and Amerie co-wrote almost every track. She took more control over the album's look and music videos.

In 2005, Amerie released "1 Thing", the main single from Touch. This dance-pop song became her biggest hit. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and was a top-five hit in the UK. The song was certified gold.

The album Touch was released in 2005. It reached number five on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold. The title track, "Touch", was also released as a 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 Award nominations for Amerie in 2006. "1 Thing" also received nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards. It won "Club Banger of the Year" at the 2005 VIBE Awards.

2006–2007: Because I Love It

In 2006, Amerie began working on her third album, Because I Love It. This album was different because Rich Harrison did not produce it. Amerie said that music from the 1980s was a big influence on this album.

The first single 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 in 2007. It reached the top 20 in the UK and was certified silver. Amerie faced 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 music.

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 album's lead single, "Why R U", charted on the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. Another song, "Heard 'Em All", featuring Lil Wayne, was a top-10 hit in Korea. In Love & War faced distribution issues and did not get much radio support.

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

2011–2023: New Projects and Books

In 2011, Amerie was working on her fifth album, Cymatika Vol. 1. The title comes from "cymatics," which is the study of how sound and vibration can be seen. She planned for this album to explore themes like freedom and was influenced by different music styles. She also thought about working with Rich Harrison again. Two more Cymatika albums were planned.

Amerie announced other music projects, including a "mini-LP" called The Prelude and Because I Love It Vol. II. This second album was meant for songs that didn't fit the Cymatika sound. A single called "What I Want" was released from BILI in 2014.

In 2016, Amerie announced an EP called Drive. She also confirmed she was still working on the Cymatika trilogy. In 2017, she released the single "REDRUM".

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

2024-present: Recent Music

In November 2024, Amerie shared that a new studio album would be released in 2025. On March 28, 2025, she released the single "Mine".

Artistic Style

Amerie has always been very involved in creating her music. She not only writes songs but also helps with production and playing instruments. Amerie has a high singing voice, known as a soprano.

She once described how she recorded songs when she was younger. She would use two tape recorders to layer her voice, singing the main part on one tape and then adding harmonies on another. This way, she built up full songs with many layers of vocals.

Amerie has many different musical influences. These include the musical Grease, Motown soul music, 1960s rock and roll, heavy metal, 1980s pop and new wave music, German music, Korean traditional music, R&B, and hip hop. She also finds inspiration in film scores, which she describes as creating an "immersive experience."

While most of her songs are in English, Amerie has worked 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 in the film First Daughter. She played Mia Thompson, a college student who shares a room with the president's daughter.

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

In 2017, Amerie published an anthology book called Because You Love to Hate Me. She also worked on a science fiction trilogy.

In 2019, Amerie started her own "Amerie's Book Club." In this club, she highlights books with diverse and unique voices. She also toured with other artists like Ashanti and Monica for the Femme It Forward movement.

Personal Life

In 2007, Amerie started dating her manager, Lenny Nicholson, who worked for Sony Music. They announced their engagement on February 27, 2010. Amerie and Lenny got married on June 25, 2011, in a ceremony by the ocean in Anguilla. She now uses the name Amerie Nicholson or Amerie Rogers Nicholson. On May 15, 2018, they welcomed their first child, a son. On June 16, 2025, she announced her divorce from Lenny Nicholson.

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