| Tamia | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Tamia Marylin Washington |
| Born | May 9 1975 |
| Origin | Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Genre(s) | R&B, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Label(s) | Qwest/Warner (1995–1999) Elektra/Atlantic (2000–2005) Image (2006–present) |
| Website | TamiaWorld.com |
Tamia Hill (born Tamia Marylin Washington May 9, 1975), professionally known as Tamia, is a Canadian-American Grammy nominated R&B singer.
Contents |
Biography
Early years
Tamia was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Despite having a start in the traditional gospel choir, she first only aspired to be a vocal coach, but during a trip to Los Angeles, her voice caught the attention of producer Quincy Jones at a 1994 awards show after party. In 1994, at the age of nineteen, Tamia recorded vocals for a Quincy Jones' song "You Put a Move on My Heart" from his Q's Jook Joint album. Jones released the song as a single in 1995, and it was nominated for a Grammy Award. Later that year, Tamia participated in another collaboration, "Missing You", a single from the Set It Off soundtrack that also featured singers Brandy, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight. The song was also nominated for a Grammy Award.
Tamia
In 1998, Tamia released her self-titled debut album, Tamia. The album debuted at #67 on the Billboard 200 and number eighteen on the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. The first single off "Tamia" was "Imagination". The single peaked at thirty-seven on the Hot 100 and number twelve on the Billboard R&B Charts. The second single, "So Into You", peaked at number thirty on the Hot 100 and number seven on the Billboard R&B Charts. The third single off her debut album was "Falling for You", which did not manage to debut on any chart. The fourth and final single, "Loving You Still", peaked at number seventy-eight on the Billboard R&B Charts while missing the Hot 100.
A Nu Day
On October 24, 2000 Tamia released her second album, "A Nu Day". The album debuted at number forty-six on the Billboard 200 and number eight on the Top R&b/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. On June 4, 2001, "A Nu Day", was certeified Gold by the RIAA. "A Nu Day" is Tamia's best selling album to date. The first single from "A Nu Day" was "Can't Go for That" which was written by Missy Elliott. The single charted at eighty-four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number twenty-three on the R&B charts. The second single from "A Nu Day" was the hit "Stranger in My House". The single went to number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Billboard R&B chart and to number one for ten weeks on the Billboard Hot dance chart. Stranger In My House still remains Tamia's biggest hit to date. The third and final single from "A Nu Day" was "Tell Me Who". The single missed the Hot 100, peaked at sixty-three on the R&B charts and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Dance chart.
More
On April 6, 2004 Tamia released her third studio album, More. The album debuted at number seventeen on the Billboard 200 and number four on the Billboard R&B Album chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. The lead single "Into You" , a collaboration with rapper Fabolous which sampled the chorus from 1998's "So Into You", taken from her self-titled debut album. The song soared to number four on the Hot 100 and to number one on the Billboard R&B charts. The second single "Officially Missing You" peaked at number eighty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and thirty-one on the R&B charts. The third single, "Questions", missed the Hot 100 and Peaked at number forty on the R&B charts. The fourth and final single, "Still", peaked at number eighty-three on the R&B charts and number thirty-four on the Hot Dance Chart.
Split from Atlantic Records and Between Friends..
In 2005, Tamia split from Atlantic Records. On November 14, 2006, Tamia released Between Friends, however, that album was released first in South Africa on May 15 through South African independant label Gallo Records. The album has three tracks produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins; the rest is produced by Shep Crawford. The Album peaked at number sixty-six on the Billboard 200 and number nine on the Billboard Top R&B albums chart. To date, Between Friends has sold more than 290,000 copies in the United States, 116,500 in South Africa, and more than 550,000 worldwide. The first single off Between Friends, "Can't Get Enough", peaked at number twenty-six on Billboard's R&B chart. While missing the Hot 100. The second single, "Me", which was written by Shep Crawford who wrote "Stranger In My House" peaked at twenty-nine on Billboard's R&B chart, also missing the Hot 100. The third single slated for release has been "Almost". For the week of Decemeber 15, 2007, "Almost", has debuted at number ninety on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. On October 27, 2007, Tamia released an album titled A Gift Between Friends, which is the release of Tamia's first Christmas album according to her myspace page.
Personal life
Tamia grew up in a poor section of town with her mother, father and three younger brothers Tiras,Tajhee, and Trajan. She was born to her 17-year-old African-American mother. In Detroit, Michigan (across the Detroit River from her hometown of Windsor, Ontario), Tamia was introduced to former Detroit Pistons basketball player Grant Hill by singer Anita Baker. The two married on July 24, 1999. They had their first child, a daughter named Myla Grace, on January 23, 2002. In 2005, Tamia and her husband announced on Extra that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In an interview with Smooth magazine, she reported that the disease is seemingly in remission and she has symptoms now and then but they are controlled. On August 9, 2007, Tamia gave birth to their second child, Lael Rose Hill. The Hills currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona.
Acting career
Tamia first acted in the film Speed 2: Cruise Control in 1997. She has also appeared on the television series Kenan and Kel, Beverly Hills 90210, Rock Me Baby and For Your Love. Tamia was also the focus of and episode of The Steve Harvey Show when two characters (Romeo & Bullethead) win Tamia concert tickets.
Discography
- Main Article: Tamia Discography
Albums
- 1998: Tamia
- 2000: A Nu Day
- 2004: More
- 2006: Between Friends
- 2007: A Gift Between Friends
Awards and nominations
- 1997, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "You Put a Move On My Heart" (Nominated)
- 1997, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: "Slow Jams" (Nominated)
- 1997, Best Pop Collaboration w/ Vocals: "Missing You" (Nominated)
- 2000, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: "Spend My Life with You" (Nominated)
- 1999, Best New Solo Artist (Nominated)
- 1999, Best R&B/Soul Recording Of The Year: "Tamia" (Nominated)
- 2001, Best R&B/Soul Recording Of The Year: "A Nu Day" (Nominated)
- 2005, Best R&B/Soul Recording Of The Year: "More" (Nominated)
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
- List of people with multiple sclerosis
External links
- Official
- Unofficial/Fansites
- Interviews
