Keith Urban

     Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967, New Zealand), is a New Zealand-born Australian Grammy- and ARIA-winning country music singer. Urban began his career in Australia, having moved there at an early age; in 1991, Urban released a self-titled debut album, and charted four singles in Australia before moving to the United States in 1992. Eventually, Urban found work as a session guitarist before founding a group known as The Ranch, which recorded one studio album on Capitol Records and charted one single on the Billboard country charts.In 1996 he appeared on the tribute album to Hank Marvin and The Shadows “Twang” playing the instrumental “Dance On”.
     Urban’s sound may be rooted in the past, but his New Country is all about the present, replete with semi-programmed beats. As southern as the man’s music sounds, Keith Urban was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia. Urban was hamming it up as a youngster performing in plays and musicals, years before finding his voice in country music. Urban credits pilfering through his father’s twangy record collection as the main influence on his heartfelt country musings. Before going solo, Urban was in a country band called the Ranch. Following his success, they re-released their album.
     Still signed to Capitol, he made his solo American debut in 1999 with the album keith urban; certified platinum in the U.S., it also produced his first American Number One in “But for the Grace of God”. His breakthrough hit was the Number One “Somebody Like You”, from his second Capitol album Golden Road (2002). This album also earned Urban his first Grammy Award win for “You’ll Think of Me”, its fourth single and the third Billboard Number One of his career. 2004’s Be Here, his third American album, produced three more Number Ones, and became his highest-selling album, earning 4× Multi-Platinum certification. Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing was released in 2006, earning Urban’s second Grammy for the song “Stupid Boy”, while a Greatest Hits package entitled Greatest Hits: 18 Kids followed in 2008.

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Madonna

     Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), known artistically as Madonna, is an American pop singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress and author. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City to pursue a career in ballet. After performing as a member of the pop musical groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she began a career as a solo recording artist with the release of her self-titled debut album in 1983. Madonna has since been regarded as “one of the greatest pop acts of all time”, dubbed the “Queen of Pop” by the media.
     One of pop’s most successful artists, Madonna is admired for her music as much as for her maverick personality. Madonna left college after one year and took off for New York, where she earned a spot with the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe. In the early 1980s, Madonna was part of a New York-based pop group called the Breakfast Club. Madge is praised for her music as much as she is panned for her movies. In 2000, she was voted Worst Actress of the Century. Encyclopedia Britannica announced in June 2001 that future versions of their volumes will include an entry for Madonna.
     Madonna rose to stardom, producing three consecutive number one studio albums on the Billboard 200: Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and Like a Prayer (1989). Though the entertainer faced negative critical publicity and modest sales on subsequent albums Erotica (1992) and Bedtime Stories (1994), she garnered critical acclaim with the release of her seventh studio album Ray of Light (1998). Madonna continued to remain in the forefront of pop music with four more consecutive number one studio albums; Music (2000) American Life (2003) Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) and Hard Candy (2008).

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