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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Maxwell| Birthname = Gerald Maxwell Rivera cite web|url= http://www.tampabay.com/features/music/qampa-rampb-heartthrob-maxwell/1101095|title=Q& A: R& B heartthrob Maxwell|last=Colon|first=Daria|date=2010-06-11|accessdate=2011-12-04| image = Maxwell in toronto.jpg| caption =| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = birth date and age1|5|23| origin = Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn , New York , United States | instrument = Singing|Vocals , piano , guitar , moog synthesizer|moog cite web|url= http://hem.bredband.net/funkyflyy/maxwell/bio.html|title=A reluctant star on the rise|last=Granditsky|first=Maria|date=4-1996|accessdate=2009-07-17| genre = Contemporary R& B|R& B , Soul music|soul , neo soul , quiet storm , funk , jazz | occupation = Singer–songwriter , record producer|producer | years_active = 1994–present| label = Columbia Records | associated_acts =| website = http://www.musze.com/ Official website| notable_instruments = Gerald Maxwell Rivera , known as Maxwell ,cite web|url= http://www.tampabay.com/features/music/qampa-rampb-heartthrob-maxwell/1101095|title=Q& A: R& B heartthrob Maxwell|last=Colon|first=Daria|date=2010-06-11|accessdate=2011-12-04 (born May 23, 1973), is an United States|American Contemporary R& B|R& B , funk and neo soul musician . He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul . http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/maxwell/artist.jhtml.
Early life
Maxwell was born in Brooklyn, New York . His father was Pentecostal and raised in Vieques, Puerto Rico . His mother grew up in a devout Baptist household in Haiti .San Miguel, Celia: ''a woman's worth , page 80. Giant Magazine, September 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1622567/20090929/maxwell.jhtml www.mtv.com/news/articles/1622567/20090929/maxwell.jhtml http://www.thelatestmaxwellnews.com/2009/08/17/maxwell-let-me-love-you-giant-magazine/ http://www.thelatestmaxwellnews.com/2009/08/17/maxwell-let-me-love-you-giant-magazine/
Musical career
Maxwell began working with songwriter Leon Ware and noted guitarist Wah Wah Watson to record his debut '' Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite in the early 1990s. When the album was finished Columbia had doubts about its potential and shelved it for two years. The album was finally issued in 1996.
Heavily inspired by the sound of classic soul music , '' Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite '' did not catch on with audiences until the release of its second single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," which became a hit. BET's groundbreaking show, In Your Ear would introduce him to more than 58 million homes and Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite would go on to sell over 2,000,000 copies, earning RIAA certification|2X platinum status , and was nominated for a Grammy Award .
On October 1996, Maxwell contributed the song "Segurança (Security)" to the AIDS-Benefit Album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization .
On June 15, 1997, Maxwell taped an episode of the MTV concert series MTV Unplugged in New York City , performing his own songs as well as covers of songs by Kate Bush (" This Woman's Work (song)|This Woman's Work ") and Nine Inch Nails (" Closer (Nine Inch Nails song)|Closer "). http://www.tv.com/mtv-unplugged/maxwell/episode/188122/summary.html? tag=ep_list;title;0 Maxwell Unplugged tv.com Maxwell clashed with his label about the release of an album of his unplugged session, resulting in the release of an EP instead http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx? p_id=P+++173891& a_id=R+++278335& PersonID=P%20%20%20173891& prodid=SNY68515.2 Maxwell Unplugged CD entertainment.circuitcity.com containing seven songs was released for sale.
Maxwell's second studio album, Embrya , was released in 1998. The following year, Maxwell released " Fortunate ", a single written by R. Kelly and featured on the soundtrack for the 1999 film Life (film)|Life . The single peaked at number one on Billboard magazine| Billboard magazine's Hot R& B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart. To date, " Fortunate " is Maxwell's most successful single and was ''Billboard's number one R& B single of 1999.
Now (Maxwell album)|Now , Maxwell's third album, was released in 2001, becoming his first No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 album chart and Billboard's R& B album chart. It featured the hit singles "Lifetime" and a studio version of " This Woman's Work (song)|This Woman's Work ", the Kate Bush song Maxwell covered during his 1997 MTV Unplugged set. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1426733/19970627/bush_kate.jhtml Maxwell Borrows From NIN, Kate Bush mtv.com
Maxwell appeared on the BET Awards|2008 BET Awards , where he performed the song " Simply Beautiful " in a tribute to Al Green .flash required http://www.imeem.com/24summerbreeze/video/d_9c0nAD/2008_bet_awards_maxwell_simply_beautiful_music_videoflash required http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=vids.individual& VideoID=37720501 http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/06/maxwell_shocks_awes_and_delights_at_bet_awards.php
After taking several years off, Maxwell released his latest album '' BLACKsummers'night on July 7, 2009. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Albums Top 200 chart, his second album to receive that ranking. Maxwell said his reason for leaving the music industry for such a long period was "to just to take time off. The music industry has so much competition and there was no rush for me." He performed his hit single " Pretty Wings " at the BET Awards|2009 BET Awards . An audio clip of the song "Pretty Wings" from BLACK'' was featured on Maxwell's Myspace page in spring 2008. The full single made its world premier on the Tom Joyner Morning Show on April 28, 2009, after the New School/Old School Remix by Steve "Silk" Hurley . "Pretty Wings" is also sold as a paid download|digital download on iTunes . In October 2009 & mdash; to coincide with Maxwell's autumn European tour, which included dates in London and Manchester & mdash; "Bad Habits" became the album's first UK single. http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/472/why_so_sad_maxwell/ Maxwell interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' October 2009
Maxwell received six nominations for the 2010 Grammy Awards , including "Best R& B Album" for ''BLACKsummers'night and "Best Male R& B Vocal Performance" for " Pretty Wings ."2010 Grammy Award Nominations. Grammy.com/nominees. Accessed December 20, 2009. "Pretty Wings" was nominated for the "Song of the Year" which was written by Maxwell under his publishing moniker Musze.
The follow-up to ''BLACKsummers'night and the second installment in a planned trilogy, blackSUMMERS'night'', was set to be released in 2011 but the exact date is unknown.Kennedy, John (January 3, 2011). http://www.vibe.com/posts/maxwell-release-blacksummersnight-2011 Maxwell To Release blackSUMMERS'night In 2011 | VIBE. Vibe (magazine)|Vibe . Retrieved on 2011-03-15.
His hit song "Pretty Wings" was song on the memorial tribute to Michael Jackson.
Discography
main|Maxwell discography
'' Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996)
Embrya (1998)
Now (Maxwell album)|Now (2001)
'' BLACKsummers'night (2009)
Tours
Maxwell & Jill Scott: The Tour (2010)
Awards and nominations
Alma Awards
*2009, Best Musical Act (Nominated)
American Music Awards
*2009, Favorite Male R& B/Soul Artist (Nominated)
BET Awards
* BET Awards 2010|2010 , BET Award for Best R& B Artists|Best Male R& B Artist (nominated)
* BET Awards 2010|2010 , BET Centric Award (nomainted)
*2002, BET Award for Best R& B Artists|Best Male R& B Artist (Nominated)
*2001, BET Award for Best R& B Artists|Best Male R& B Artist (Nominated)
Billboard Music Awards
* 1999, R& B Single of the Year: "Fortunate" (Winner)
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
*1999, Favorite Song: "Fortunate" (Nominated)
Grammy Awards
* 2010 Grammy Awards|2010 , Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year : "Pretty Wings" (Nominated)
* 2010 Grammy Awards|2010 , Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance|Best Male Pop Vocal Performance : "Love You" (Nominated)
* 2010 Grammy Awards|2010 , Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance|Best Pop Instrumental Performance : "Phoenix Rise" (Nominated)
* 2010 Grammy Awards|2010 , Grammy Award for Best R& B Song|Best R& B Song : "Pretty Wings" (Nominated)
*''' 2010 Grammy Awards|2010 , Grammy Award for Best R& B Album|Best R& B Album : BLACKsummers'night (Winner)
* 2010 Grammy Awards|2010 , Grammy Award for Best Male R& B Vocal Performance|Best Male R& B Vocal Performance : "Pretty Wings" (Winner)
* 2002 Grammy Awards|2002 , Grammy Award for Best Male R& B Vocal Performance|Best Male R& B Vocal Performance : "Lifetime" (Nominated)
* 2000 Grammy Awards|2000 , Grammy Award for Best Male R& B Vocal Performance|Best Male R& B Vocal Performance : "Fortunate" (Nominated)
* 1999 Grammy Awards|1999 , Grammy Award for Best Male R& B Vocal Performance|Best Male R& B Vocal Performance : "Matrimony: Maybe You" (Nominated)
* 1999 Grammy Awards|1999 , Grammy Award for Best R& B Album|Best R& B Album : Embrya (Nominated)
* 1998 Grammy Awards|1998 , Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance|Best Male Pop Vocal Performance : "Whenever, Wherever Whatever" (Nominated)
* 1997 Grammy Awards|1997 , Grammy Award for Best R& B Album|Best R& B Album : ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (Nominated)
*2010, Outstanding Music Video: "Pretty Wings" (Nominated)
*2002, Outstanding Male Artist (Nominated)
Soul Train Awards
* 2009, Best Male Artist R& B/Soul (Winner)
*2009, Song of the Year "Pretty Wings" (nominated)
*2009, Album of the Year ''BlackSummer's Night (nominated)
*2009, Record of the Year "Pretty Wings" (nominated)
* 2000, Best R& B/Soul Single Male: "Fortunate" (Winner)
*2000, Best R& B/Soul Album, Male: Embrya (Nominated)
*'''1996, Best R& B/Soul Single Male: "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" (winner)
*' 1996, Best R& B/Soul Album, Male: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (winner)
* 1996, Best R& B/Soul or Rap New Artist (Winner)
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.musze.com/ Official Website
http://www.myspace.com/maxwell Official MySpace
http://twitter.com/_Maxwell_ Official twitter
http://www.youtube.com/user/maxwell Official Youtube Channel
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Maxwell Official iLike Page
Maxwell Persondata | NAME =Maxwell | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =May 23, 1973 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell Category:Living people Category:1973 births Category:African American singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American soul singers Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:Hispanic and Latino American people Category:Neo soul singers Category:Musicians from New York Category:Puerto Rican people of African descent Category:Puerto Rican people of Haitian descent
