Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry

Stacy Ann Ferguson began her career in 1983 as the voice of Sally Brown in the children's cartoon series Charlie Brown. Shortly afterwards, at the age of eight, she made her first appearance on the variety television program Kids Incorporated. During the following five years, Ferguson appeared on over 100 episodes of Kids Incorporated, some of which alongside Renee Sands, with whom she would later reunite in the band Wild Orchid.

In 1993, Ferguson graduated from Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, California.

In 1990 Ferguson became a member of the all-female band Wild Orchid. The group released two albums, but after completing their third album the record label declined to release it. During Wild Orchid, she was a Bongo model, and Guess model and had her own show called "The Great Pretenders", on Fox Family. She left the group shortly thereafter and, according to interviews, sought therapy. She told a Glasgow newspaper: "I started doing Ecstasy. Then I got addicted to crystal methamphetamine. My weight dropped to 90 lb (41 kg). I lied to my friends and said I was bulimic. Finally I started going crazy."

Ferguson was a dance floor regular and backup singer at various Los Angeles venues. She met will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas at one of those venues. Ferguson and will.i.am had a number of meetings after shows and before long, she was invited to join the band in the recording studio. Ferguson replaced background singer Kim Hill, who left the group in 2000. Ferguson recorded five songs with the group before she was invited to join them permanently. She took the stage name "Fergie" and is featured prominently in the group's songs "Shut Up" and "My Humps".

Ferguson is embarking on a solo career, but she has said she considers it only a side project and will still continue to record and tour with the band.

On September 19, 2006 Ferguson's solo CD called the Dutchess will hit stores. On August 30, 2006 at the MTV VMA's she performed London Bridge which will be on her solo CD.

Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls

Sean Kingston, the 17 year-old Miami born, Jamaica bred artist, is not just a new face in popular music; he’s accomplished the rare task of creating a new genre where rap, reggae, pop, doo-wop and remarkable songwriting all combine into something totally refreshing. Add in Sean’s family roots, which cite Jamaican legendary producer Jack Ruby as his grandfather, and you have one of the most exciting debuts this year. And while hip-hop lyrics have sparked the biggest debate in years, Sean finds himself in the center of the controversy - but not where you might think. The teen prefers to show his creativity without using profanity.

It’s no wonder then that Sean is quickly becoming a household name with his first single “Beautiful Girls,” a song cross-pollinating on both urban and pop radio stations coast to coast. The unmistakable hit boasts the instant hook of “Stand by Me” which acts like a muse for the song produced by savant J.R. Rotem. Sean, who is the flagship artist on J.R.’s label Beluga Heights, will release his debut album Sean Kingston on July 31 via Beluga Heights/Epic.

“I heard the track ‘Stand By Me,’ one night in the studio while listening to the radio and asked J.R. if anyone had ever used that sample. He made the beat immediately and I wrote down the lyrics within an hour – it happened very quickly. I loved the way it turned out and I think my sound is a lot different than what else is out there. It all just worked and we knew we had something special with the track. I’m also singing about something people can relate to – I’m singing about being in love with someone who you think is your world but they don’t see it that way and you have to end the relationship.”

Kingston wants to make it clear that he is no cookie cutter artist that has the songs mapped out for him - he comes up with 100 percent of his lyrics. Sean also understands that as a 17 year-old making urban music he has a responsibility to fans, “With this album I thought it was important to not use curse words or negative language that might offend people. I write my own songs so it’s like if I can write a great track without using those words, then that’s the style for me.” Sean continues, “As an artist, my whole goal is to make powerful and classic album. I want everyone to feel my music and understand my heritage and that’s what this album will do. The music is all about the authentic Sean Kingston vibe. J.R. is a talented dude and a dope producer and he heard that I had something different to offer from other artists out there. Together we’re a powerful force and I’m ready to share it with the world.”

Sean talks about J.R. more like a big brother, rather than an Executive Producer of his album. Last spring Sean reached out to J.R. on MySpace. Sean was drawn to J.R. because he was young and hungry like himself and felt like the music he was making was the type of music for him. Rotem emailed him back. J.R. almost had no choice. “Sean would hit me up at least three times a day!” J.R. says.

“He had a real distinct sound,” Rotem remembers. “I worked with some of the best and I don’t see why Sean can’t grow to be one of them. His potential is limitless.” Rotem invited Sean for a meeting in Los Angeles; coincidentally the young performer was already in the process of moving to California. Shortly after their initial meeting, Rotem had his flagship artist for his Epic records joint venture, Beluga Heights. For Sean, it was a prophecy beginning to be fulfilled. Not only is music his love, it is in his blood. Now Kingston says he’s looking forward to making timeless music and living out his dream.

In just a short time, Kingston has already done what few in his age bracket can accomplish - get people excited about music again. His album is shaping up to be filled with a string of hits including the second single “Me Love,” “Got No Shorty,” “There’s Nothin’” featuring Paula DeAnda, “I Can Feel It” and “Take You There.”

Perhaps one of the most eye opening tracks is “Dry Your Eyes” where Sean visits the hardship of watching his mother and sister be sent to prison when he was just 15 years-old. He sings to his mother and tells her not to be saddened that she’s away from the family and to know that they’re always there for her.

“I always had my brother,” he began to explain. “But when my mother and sister went away, it took a lot out of me. My sister went away for four months and my mom has been away for over a year now. When she went away, I thought to myself, this is too much.’ I was only 14. I missed her like crazy but I pulled through and used it as my motivation. “Dry Your Eyes” is a defining song on the album for me because it touches on something that’s very personal to me and the dope melody that’s on there makes me feel even closer to it.”

Sean has a certified hip-hop knocker on his hands with the reggae remix of “Colors” (Reggae Remix) which features the legendary Vybz Kartel and the always profound Kardinal Offishall. The track, which was released this past Spring, was received really well by the industry as a first look from Sean and will appear on his album as a bonus track. “Unity and representation is where Colors came from,” Kingston elaborated. “The song is about representing whatever flag that you’re loyal to – whether it is Jamaica, the States, your block etc. It’s a lifestyle record that can be a street anthem no matter where you’re from and where you at now. The reggae version came up because I wanted to do something special for my roots in Jamaica. The first person I thought of was Vybz Kartel. His verse came out crazy. Then Kardinal, that’s my homie, really attacked the track.”

“In the future I want to have my own label and work on the business side,” he said. “I went to acting school when I was younger, so I want to revisit that one day. I want to get into every aspect of the business and see where it takes me. I’m grateful for the fact that my music is able to bridge genres – I’m ready to do that will any business opportunity that comes my way – it’s always been important to for me not to limit myself.”

Avril Lavigne - When You're Gone

Wild child Avril Lavigne hit big in summer 2002 with her spiky-fun debut song, "Complicated," shifting pop music into a different direction.

Lavigne, who was 17 at the time, didn't seem concerned with the glamour of the TRL-dominated pop world and such confidence allowed her star power to soar. The middle of three children in small-town Napanee, Ontario, Lavigne's rock ambitions were noticeable around age two.

By her early teens, she was already writing songs and playing guitar. The church choir, local festivals, and county fairs also allowed Lavigne to get her voice heard, and luckily, Arista Records main man Antonio "L.A." Reid was listening. He offered her a deal, and at 16, Lavigne's musical dreams became reality. With Reid's assistance and a new Manhattan apartment, Lavigne found herself surrounded by prime songwriters and producers, but it wasn't impressive enough for her to continue.

She had always relied on her own ideas to create a musical spark, and things weren't going as planned. Lavigne wasn't disillusioned, though. She headed for Los Angeles and Nettwerk grabbed her. Producer/songwriter Clif Magness (Celine Dion, Wilson Phillips, Sheena Easton) tweaked Lavigne's melodic, edgy sound and her debut, Let Go, was the polished product.

Singles such as "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi" hit the Top Ten while "I'm with You" and "Losing Grip" did moderately well at radio. Butch Walker of the Marvelous 3, Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida, and Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Good Charlotte) signed on to produce Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, which appeared in May 2004. The album topped the Billboard charts and produced the number one hit "My Happy Ending. Other singles like "Nobody's Home" and "Fall to Pieces" did respectably well also.

Settling down a bit from her punk rock wild child persona, Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years, Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley, in July 2006.

The Cars - Drive

Transformers - The Movie

My Favorite Scene
The part where Sam offers Mikaela Banes (played by Megan Fox) a ride home and Bumblebee teases them.

First, he plays the song Drive by The Cars (”Who’s gonna drive you home tonight…”) to convince Sam to offer Mikaela a ride home.

Next he plays the song Sexual Healing By Marvin Gaye

Then Bumblebee plays Baby Come Back by Player (”Baby come back, you can blame it all on me… I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you…”) when Mikaela tries to leave Sam because Bumblebee wouldn’t start.

I want a car like Bumblebee!

The Cars

The Cars were a popular American New Wave band that formed in 1976, after going through several different incarnations. They hailed from Boston, Massachusetts and were signed to Elektra Records in 1977. Lineup: David Robinson (drummer), Benjamin Orr (singer/bassist), Ric Ocasek (singer/rhythm guitarist), Elliot Easton (lead guitarist), Greg Hawkes (keyboardist).

During their career, they released six albums: The Cars (1978), Candy-O (1979), Panorama (1980), Shake It Up (1981), Heartbeat City (1984), and Door to Door (1987). The first five of these albums all were certified platinum by the RIAA, and their self-titled debut was one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s, remaining on the Billboard album charts for over a year. They experienced a second wave of popularity in 1984 with the album Heartbeat City and the popular MTV staples "You Might Think," "Magic," and "Drive," the last of which was their highest-charting single, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, after that peak, they vanished from the public eye and worked on solo projects, and released one final album before breaking up in early 1988.

Benjamin Orr died of pancreatic cancer in October 2000. Guitarist Elliott Easton played in a surf music group and joined a touring act called Creedence Clearwater Revisted with ex-members of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Lead vocalist Ric Ocasek married supermodel Paulina Porizkova not long after The Cars' breakup and has since become a prolific producer, working on albums by such diverse artists as Bad Brains,Weezer, Guided by Voices and No Doubt. He has also released a number of solo albums, including 2005's Nexterday. Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton have recently teamed up with Todd Rundgren and his rhythm section as The New Cars; they have released a live album and are currently touring.