Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Biography
Name : Alanis Morissette
Birth Date : June 1st, 1974
Birth Place : Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Birth Name : Alanis Nadine Morissette
Height : 5' 4
Education : Glebe Collegiate Institute in Ottawa, Canada
Profession : actress, musician
Relationship : Ryan Reynolds (actor; born on October 23, 1976; began dating in 2002), Dash Mihok (actor; born on May 24, 1974; dated in 1999).
The daughter of Alan and Georgia Morissette, Alanis, an Ottawa native, was one of three children in the family (she has an older brother named Chad and a twin brother named Wade). Alanis loved dancing and acting when she was young. She started learning ballet and jazz dancing at the age of 7. She has also done a lot of stage and theatre work, including a part on the highly popular kids television show "You Can't Do That on Television" when she was 11. Alanis also appeared in the TV movie "Just One of the Girls" in 1993, which starred Corey Haim.
Alanis also seem to be quite fond of teaching, as she once suggested that she might have been an English or Drama teacher if she hadn't been involved in show business. She has been writing songs for fun since 9. Alanis admired the music and character of Olivia Newton John (from "Grease") tremendously when she was young, which is the main reason why she was so interested in music. She also loved the writing style of George Micheal. With the help of a friend of the family who was in the music business, Alanis released her first ever single at the young age of eleven. The song was called "Fate Stay With Me", and it was independently produced with money coming out of her own pocket. The song was not a hit by any means, but it got some airplay on Canadian radio stations.
At age 13, Alanis met Leslie Howe (who did the group One-to-One), and they started writing together. Eventually, she was signed to MCA, and she recorded her first album, "ALANIS", in 1990. Released in 1991, the music on this album is mostly pop and dance, along the lines of Paula Abdul. This recording proved to be a big hit in her homeland, as "ALANIS" went platinum in Canada. She was labelled as a teenager pop/dance sensation. Her success won her a JUNO Award (Canada's version of the America's Grammys) as the most promising new female vocalist. Her sophomore album "NOW IS THE TIME" was released by MCA in late 1992. "NOW IS THE TIME" is also a pop album, but this recording as a whole seems to be more mature than her first album. It has more ballards and sounds less like a dance album. Not as successful as "ALANIS", "NOW IS THE TIME" nevertheless went platinum in Canada.
Despite being relatively well-known in Canada, Alanis was a virtual stranger in the United States. Her biggest gigs so far were singing the national anthem at the first Ottawa Senator's game and singing her song "Too Hot" on the 1992 NHL Awards. This may all change after Alanis was signed to Madonna's Maverick Label. After trying to co-write with hundreds of people and being disappointed each time, Alanis finally met Glen Ballard through MCA publishing, and immediately two enjoyed each other's writing style. Her third release "JAGGED LITTLE PILL" showed a very different Alanis than in the previous two albums. Alanis believed that the catalyst for her change in attitude and character was her move from Canada to Los Angeles, where she learned to live independently in a big city. Alanis said she is now mature enough to tap into an honesty that she wasn't ready to deal with when she was younger. Most of the songs on "JAGGED LITTLE PILL" are in one way or another autobiographical. And people are loving her work, as her album is now a big hit across the United States.
Awards
Juno Awards
Year : 2000
Category : Best Video, Best Album
Won
ASCAP Award
Year : 1999
Category : Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
For : City Of Angels
Won
Grammy Awards
Year : 1998
Category : Best Rock Song, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (Uninvited)
Won
Juno Awards
Year : 1997
Category : Songwriter of the Year, Single of the Year, International Achievstrongent Award
Won
Grammy Awards
Year : 1997
Category : Best Long Form Music Video
For : Jagged Little Pill, Live
Won
Channel V Awards
Year : 1997
Category : Best International Female Artist
Won
Billboard Music Video Awards
Year : 1996
Category : Pop / Rock New Artist Clip & Clip of the Year
Won
American Music Awards
Year : 1996
Category : Favorite Pop / Rock Album, Favorite Female Artist
Won
MTV Video Music Awards
Year : 1996
Category : Best New Artist
Won
British Awards
Year : 1996
Category : Best International Newcomer Award
Won
The German Echo Awards
Year : 1996
Category : Best International Newcomer
Won
Much music Awards
Year : 1996
Category : Best International, Best Female
Won
Billboard Awards
Year : 1996
Category : Artist of the Year, Album of the Year
Won
Grammy Awards
Year : 1995
Category : Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Album Of The Year
Won
Billboard Awards
Category : Female Artist Of The Year
Won
Filmography
De-Lovely ( 2004 )
Alanis Morissette - Feast on Scraps ( 2002 )
Alanis Morissette - Under Rug Swept ( 2002 )
Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music ( 2002 )
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ( 2001 )
Dogma ( 1999 )