Mary J. Blige is an American singer, producer, actress and songwriter who is considered an icon in the global music industry and popular culture. Blige was introduced to music at an early age because her father was a jazz musician while her mother was a nurse.
However, her career in music started right after she dropped out of high school. She started with the Yonkers band named Pride and recorded a cover of “Caught Up in the Rapture” by Anita Baker. The cover she did became a hit and she was eventually signed by Uptown Records as a backup vocalist in 1989, making her the label’s first female and youngest artist.
At Uptown Records, she worked with record producer Sean Combs (P Diddy) who assisted her to release her debut album titled “What’s the 411?” in July 1992. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 chart, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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Aside from peaking to number six on the Billboard chart, the album was also certified Platinum three times by the RIAA. The album won her two Soul Train Music Awards in 1993 — Best New R&B Artist and Best R&B Album, Female — and earned her the title of “Queen of Hip Hop Soul.”
Blige subsequently released her second album “My Life,” debuting number two on the US Billboard 200, number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and on Time’s list of “100 Greatest Albums of All-Time” in 2006.
Her other albums include “Love & Life” (2003), “The Breakthrough” (2005), “Growing Pains” (2007), “Stronger with Each Tear” (2009), “Strength of a Woman” (2017), among others.
Besides music, Blige has also made a career out of acting. Some of her movie roles include debuting as a preacher’s daughter on the sitcom “The Jamie Foxx Show” in 1998. She also starred in the independent film “Prison Song” in 2001, and in “The Exonerated,” in 2014. In addition, she was featured in the show “Ghost Whisperer” and was a guest appearance on ABC drama “How to Get Away with Murder” in October 2016.
Blige also has a number of business ventures that bring her extra money. Around 2004, she established her own record label Matriarch Records. She has her own perfume brand called “My Life.” The singer has also endorsed brands like American Express, AT&T, MAC, Apple, Burger King, Chevrolet, Reebok, Air Jordan, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Gap, and Target.
According to Cheatsheet, Blige has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and won nine Grammy Awards to date. Her successful career has led her to accumulate a net worth of $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Her net worth may increase following her Super Bowl performance. This year, the Super Bowl halftime show included a legendary lineup of artists including Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Blige. The five artists, with a combined total of over 40 Grammy awards, did not disappoint as they set the stage ablaze performing their classic hits and delivering the most entertaining Super Bowl half-time show in years at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Even though the NFL does not pay performers, artists see spikes in music sales after their Super Bowl halftime performance. When Shakira and J.Lo appeared on Super Bowl in 2020, the songs they performed saw a 1,013 percent sales increase the day of the Super Bowl, selling 16,000 digital downloads, according to Billboard. Blige should see an increase in sales of her songs including her new album “Good Morning Gorgeous”.
