Mariah Carey, Research Paper Example

You look at me and see the girl,

who lives inside the golden world,

but don’t believe that’s all there is to see,

you’ll never know the real me

“Looking In,” Daydream, 1995

Mariah Carey is a true American success story.  Born of mixed-racial parents in a time when diversity was not always celebrated, Carey has faced racism, poverty, and the emotional turmoil of her parents’ divorce.  Although she has always been a talented singer, Carey’s decision to pursue a career in the music industry faced a high likelihood of failure because talent alone does not always determine success for wannabee singers.  However, from a very young age, Carey exhibited determination, resilience, and a can-do attitude that has enabled her to become one of the best known singers in the history of American music.  Her popularity has allowed her to channel her substantial musical talent into a career which has touched the lives of millions.  Not only is she an accomplished singer with a unique vocal range, but she is also an accomplished songwriter whose lyrics touch on such important subjects as love, death, creativity, and passion.

Although Carey has acquired the reputation of a diva–with critics suggesting that she can be difficult to work with–this is an unavoidable consequence in a competitive industry which often treats its stars like commodities to be used up and tossed aside.

Carey has refused to let the music industry destroy her.  Instead, she has used her musical talent, songwriting abilities, and strong business sense as a vehicle for self-empowerment, turning the word ‘diva’ from a negative into a positive.  Although she has encountered many obstacles throughout her life and career, Carey has remained positive and passionate, allowing difficult times and circumstances to inspire her songwriting and motivate her to strive for greater success.  While some musical stars use their wealth and popularity in frivolous and self-indulgent ways, Carey has used her own financial gains and popular status to become a force for change around the world.  She is active in charity work and believes strongly in mentorship, making her both the living embodiment of the American dream and an excellent role model for all young people with talent, ambition, and creativity.

Mariah Carey’s early years foreshadowed her future as a successful entertainer.  Indeed, she was named after the song “They Call the Wind Mariah” from the popular 1950s-era musical Paint Your Wagon, and soon began to demonstrate a free-spirited and creative nature that made her stand-out within her family.  Her mother, Patricia, has often remarked that her daughter possessed perfect pitch as early as the age of two, a musical ability that she encouraged by allowing Carey to accompany her while she gave vocal lessons to aspiring opera students.  Carey’s musical talents also allowed her to express her strong will and personal determination in a household where her father was quite authoritative and allowed no speaking or singing at the dinner table.  In response to his rules, three-year-old Carey left the table and proceeded to sing at the top of her lungs while standing atop the living room coffee table, clearly demonstrating that she would allow no one to interfere with her passion for singing.

Carey’s commitment to honing her musical abilities goes hand-in-hand with her love for her family and her desire to make a better life for herself, her children, and her extended family.  Although her early home life was marred by her parents’ divorce, Carey has remained devoted to both of her parents and attributes their early encouragement of her talent to her current success.  Indeed, according to Carey biographer Mark Shapiro, family has always been crucial to her success, given that her first demo tape was a gift from her older brother Morgan for her sixteenth birthday.  It was this tape which she gave to Tommy Mottola at a Columbia Records party which allowed Carey to break into the entertainment industry, thus beginning Carey’s sensational rise to fame.

Works Cited

Biography.com. Mariah Carey. A & E Television, 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.

Look to the Stars. Mariah Carey Charitable Work. Look to the Stars, 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.

Mariah: The Official Fan Site. Automatic Princess Holdings, 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.

Shapiro, Mark. Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography. New York: ECW Press, 2001.

information doesn’t need to be directly cited unless you’re using an actual quote.