Mariah Carey facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Mariah Carey
Carey in 2023
Born	(1969-03-27) March 27, 1969 (age 56) Huntington, New York, US
Occupation	Singer songwriter record producer actress
Years active	1988–present
Works	Albums singles songs videography performances
Spouse(s)	Tommy Mottola (m. 1993; div. 1998) Nick Cannon (m. 2008; div. 2016)
Children	2
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop hip hop soul
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Columbia Crave Virgin MonarC Island Def Jam Epic Gamma

Signature

Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is famous for her amazing five-octave vocal range, which means she can sing very high and very low notes. Guinness World Records called her the "Songbird Supreme." In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the greatest singers of all time.

Carey became famous in 1990 with her first album, Mariah Carey. She was the first artist to have her first five singles, like "Vision of Love" and "Emotions", all reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She became a global superstar with her albums Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995).

She is often called the "Queen of Christmas" because of her famous holiday music. Her 1994 album Merry Christmas is one of the best-selling holiday albums ever. Its single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", is one of the most popular songs in history and is played every Christmas season.

Carey is one of the best-selling music artists ever, with over 220 million records sold around the world. She has won many awards, including five Grammy Awards. She holds the record for the most number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a solo artist, with 19 hits.

Early Life and Beginnings
Career Breakthrough
Artistry and Voice
Personal Life
Philanthropy
Discography
Images for kids
Tours and residencies
See also

Early Life and Beginnings

Mariah Carey was born in Huntington, New York. Her mother, Patricia, was an opera singer, and her father, Alfred Roy, was an engineer. Her name comes from the song "They Call the Wind Maria" from the musical Paint Your Wagon. Because her parents were a mixed-race couple, her family faced challenges in their community.

After her parents divorced, Mariah lived with her mother. She started singing when she was only three years old. In high school, she loved music and writing. She often missed school to work as a demo singer, recording songs for other artists. After graduating, she moved to New York City to follow her dream of becoming a singer. She worked several jobs to pay her rent while trying to get a record deal.

Career Breakthrough

1988–1992: A Star Is Born

Carey in 1990 after promoting her single "Vision of Love".

In 1988, Carey gave her demo tape to Tommy Mottola, the head of Columbia Records, at a party. He was so impressed that he spent two weeks looking for her. He signed her to the record label and spent over $1 million promoting her first album.

Her debut album, Mariah Carey, was released in 1990. It was a huge success, staying at number one on the Billboard 200 chart for eleven weeks. All four of its singles, including "Vision of Love" and "Someday", reached number one. The album sold 15 million copies worldwide.

Her second album, Emotions (1991), also did well. The title track became her fifth number-one single. This made her the first artist ever to have their first five singles top the charts. To prove she could sing live, she appeared on the show MTV Unplugged in 1992. Her performance was a big hit, and her cover of The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" became another number-one single.

1993–1996: Global Superstardom

In 1993, Carey married Tommy Mottola. That same year, she released Music Box. The album included the hit singles "Dreamlover" and "Hero". Her cover of the song "Without You" was a number-one hit in many European countries. Music Box sold over 28 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

In 1994, Carey released Merry Christmas. The album featured "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which became a massive holiday classic. The song is still incredibly popular today.

Carey performing with Boyz II Men at Madison Square Garden in 1995.

Her next album, Daydream (1995), showed her moving towards R&B and hip hop music. The single "Fantasy" was the first song by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "One Sweet Day" with Boyz II Men, stayed at number one for a record 16 weeks.

1997–2000: A New Image

Carey and Mottola separated in 1997. That year, she released the album Butterfly, which had a stronger hip hop and R&B sound. The album received great reviews from critics. Its singles "Honey" and "My All" both reached number one.

In 1998, she released a greatest hits album called #1's. It included a duet with Whitney Houston called "When You Believe". The album was a huge success, especially in Japan. Her next album, Rainbow (1999), also produced two number-one hits: "Heartbreaker" and "Thank God I Found You".

2001–2004: Career Challenges

In 2001, Carey signed a huge $80 million contract with Virgin Records. She starred in the movie Glitter and released its soundtrack. During this time, she experienced a period of extreme exhaustion and was hospitalized. Both the movie and the soundtrack were not as successful as her previous work.

After this difficult period, Virgin Records ended her contract. She then signed with Island Records and released the album Charmbracelet in 2002. The album had moderate sales, and some critics felt her voice was not as strong.

2005–2009: A Major Comeback

Carey with L.A. Reid at the release party for The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005.

Carey made a huge comeback in 2005 with her album The Emancipation of Mimi. It became her fifth number-one album and was the best-selling album in the United States that year. Critics loved it, saying it was a return to form for the singer.

The album's second single, "We Belong Together", was a massive hit. It stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. Billboard later named it the "song of the decade" for the 2000s. Her next single, "Don't Forget About Us", also reached number one.

In 2008, she released E=MC². Its lead single, "Touch My Body", became her 18th number-one hit. This made her the solo artist with the most number-one singles in U.S. history, passing Elvis Presley. In 2009, she received praise for her acting role in the movie Precious.

2010–Present: Continued Success

Carey performing on Good Morning America in May 2013.

In 2010, Carey released her second Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You. She later served as a judge on American Idol and appeared in the movie The Butler (2013). Her 2014 album was titled Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse.

From 2014 to 2019, she performed a popular Christmas residency show in New York City. In 2015, she began a residency in Las Vegas called #1 to Infinity. She also directed and starred in the Hallmark Christmas movie A Christmas Melody.

Her 2018 album, Caution, was praised by critics. In 2019, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, 25 years after its release.

In 2020, Carey released her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, which became a bestseller. She also released a compilation album called The Rarities. She continues to tour, especially during the Christmas season, and released her sixteenth studio album, Here for It All, in 2025.

Artistry and Voice

Mariah Carey is known for her powerful five-octave vocal range and her ability to sing in the whistle register, which are extremely high notes. Her singing style, which includes singing many notes on a single syllable (called melisma), has influenced many other artists.

She grew up listening to R&B and soul singers like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. She also loves hip hop music and was one of the first artists to blend pop and hip hop in her songs. Carey writes and produces most of her own music, which is rare for many pop stars. Love is a common theme in her songs, but she also writes about other topics from her life.

Personal Life

Carey was married to record executive Tommy Mottola from 1993 to 1998. She later married actor and comedian Nick Cannon in 2008. They have fraternal twins, a son named Moroccan and a daughter named Monroe, who were born in 2011. Carey and Cannon separated in 2014, and their divorce was finalized in 2016.

In 2018, Carey shared that she has bipolar II disorder, a condition she was diagnosed with in 2001. She decided to speak about it to help reduce the stigma around mental health.

Philanthropy

Carey is known for her charity work. In the early 1990s, she helped create Camp Mariah with the Fresh Air Fund. The camp helps children from low-income families explore the arts. She has also supported many other organizations, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She often donates the money from her songs to charity.

Discography

Mariah Carey (1990)
Emotions (1991)
Music Box (1993)
Merry Christmas (1994)
Daydream (1995)
Butterfly (1997)
Rainbow (1999)
Glitter (2001)
Charmbracelet (2002)
The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)
E=MC² (2008)
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009)
Merry Christmas II You (2010)
Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse (2014)
Caution (2018)
Here for It All (2025)

Images for kids

Carey performing "Hero" during her Charmbracelet World Tour in September 2003.
Carey at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.
Carey being interviewed in Cannes in 2000.
Carey's major influences include Stevie Wonder.
Carey was also influenced by Aretha Franklin.
Carey performing on her Caution World Tour in Amsterdam, June 2019.
Carey attending an Academy Awards Party in February 2016.
Carey hitting a whistle note during her Caution World Tour in 2019.
Carey at Edwards Air Force Base during the making of the "I Still Believe" music video in December 1998.
Carey at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010.
Carey performing "Hero" during the 2009 Neighborhood Inaugural Ball for Barack Obama.
Carey with her twins in 2019.