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==Discography==
==Discography==
{{further|[[JoJo discography]]}}
{{further|[[JoJo discography]]}}
she loves to say fuck you
===Albums===
===Albums===
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Revision as of 18:39, 2 January 2007

For other meanings, see Jojo.

Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Joanna Noëlle Levesque (born December 20, 1990), best known by her stage name JoJo, is an American pop and R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress.

She rose to fame in 2004 with her Platinum-certified, self-titled debut album which reached number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. JoJo has also begun a film career, starring in two 2006 Hollywood films: Aquamarine and RV.

Her second album, The High Road, was released on October 17 2006.

Biography

Early life

JoJo was born in Brattleboro, Vermont and raised in Foxborough, Massachusetts.[1] She is of Native American, Irish, Polish, and French ancestry.[2] She grew up in a one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Boston, in a low-income family. Her father, Joel Levesque, is a blues singer and her mother, Diana, sang in a Catholic church choir[1] and worked as a house cleaner. Her parents divorced when she was three, and she has since lived with her mother in New Jersey. Her father lives in New Hampshire.

During her early years, JoJo listened and learned as her mother practiced hymns. She started singing when she was two years old by imitating her mother, putting her own spin on everything from nursery rhymes to pop tunes. On the A&E's show Child Stars III: Teen Rockers, Diana Levesque claimed that JoJo had a borderline genius IQ. As a child, JoJo enjoyed attending Native American festivals and acted locally in professional theaters.[3]

After auditioning for the television show Kids Say the Darndest Things: On the Road in Boston, JoJo was given a spot to perform on the show, singing Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit song "Respect". Host Bill Cosby and the crowd at Faneuil Hall responded overwhelmingly to her performance. Soon after, The Oprah Winfrey Show contacted her, inviting her to perform. She also performed on Maury, on one of the frequent "kids-with-talent" episodes, as well as many others.[4] Reminiscing, she has stated that "when it came to performing, I just had no fear."

Music career

JoJo's stage name comes from a childhood nickname.[5] After appearing on talk shows and gospel festivals and competing on the television show, America's Most Talented Kids, record producer Vincent Herbert contacted her and asked her to audition for Blackground Records. During her audition for Barry Hankerson, Hankerson told her that late singer Aaliyah's spirit had brought her to him. She was signed to the label, and had recording sessions with famed producers like The Underdogs and Soulshock & Karlin.

JoJo's live demo, Joanna Levesque, recorded in 2001, features covers of several well-known soul/R&B songs, including Wilson Pickett's 1966 "Mustang Sally", Etta James's 1989 "It Ain't Always What You Do (It's Who You Let See You Do It)", Aretha Franklin's 1968 "Chain of Fools" and 1969 "The House That Jack Built", The Moonglows' 1956 "See Saw", Stevie Wonder's 1972 "Superstition", and The Temptations' 1975 "Shakey Ground". The demo is sometimes available on eBay.

JoJo (2004)

JoJo's Platinum-certified debut single "Leave (Get Out)" was released in 2004. The track became an international hit, peaking at number twelve on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number two on the UK Singles Chart, and number two on the Australian Singles Chart. When the single hit number one on the Top 40 Mainstream, she became, at the age of thirteen, the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single in America and also the youngest nominee for a MTV Video Music Award ("Best New Artist" for "Leave (Get Out)", in 2004). Her debut album, the Platinum-selling JoJo, followed; it peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number ten on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling about 107,000 copies and reaching the top forty of the UK Albums Chart. The album has sold a total of almost 1.5 million copies in the U.S. JoJo co-wrote two of the album's songs, as well as wrote and co-produced one full track. Her second single, the Gold-selling "Baby It's You" – which features rapper Bow Wow – peaked at number twenty-two in the U.S. and number eight in the UK.

The final single off the album, "Not That Kinda Girl", released in 2005, failed to make waves on the charts. The song hit number eight on the TRL daily countdown for one day but then fell from the charts, never to appear on the countdown again.

In 2004, JoJo participated in "Come Together Now", a charity single to benefit the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. That year, she was personally requested by First Lady Laura Bush to perform at the 2004 Christmas in Washington special, broadcast by TNT and hosted by Dr. Phil and his wife Robin McGraw. Despite performing at other events for the Republican Party, she has stated that she does not "agree with the things that President George W. Bush has done in office. I'll leave it at that."[6] JoJo has also hosted and performed at the Hope Rocks concert in 2005 to benefit City of Hope Cancer Center and co-hosted the 2006 TV Guide Channel's Countdown to the Grammy Awards.

The High Road (2006)

JoJo's second album, The High Road, was released on October 17, 2006. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 behind Diddy's Press Play and Evanescence's The Open Door. The album was produced by Scott Storch, Swizz Beatz, Jonathan "J.R." Rotem, Corey Williams, and Ryan Leslie. It has received mainly positive reviews. On The Second JammX Kids All Star Dance Special, JoJo premiered a new song entitled "Anything", which samples Toto's 1982 hit single "Africa". In the summer of 2006, the lead single from her second album, entitled "Too Little Too Late", was released to radio. The single debuted at number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100 and, in its fifth week on the chart, made a fifty-seven-place leap from number sixty to number three. It has also reached number one on iTunes Top Songs after its release as a digital download on Tuesday, September 13, 2006. This song has been JoJo's most successful single in the U.S. so far. It also showcases that JoJo is capable of hitting notes in the whistle register. The October 27, 2006 issue of Entertainment Weekly refers to JoJo in the review for her latest album as "a vocal phenomenon, capable of Mariah Carey-style upper register flourishes". On November 2, JoJo stated on her official MySpace page that her next singles will be "How to Touch a Girl" and "Let It Rain". JoJo has also stated that she will be touring in the summer of 2007 in support of The High Road.

Third album

JoJo has stated that her third album will not be released until she turns eighteen because she wants fans to "see growth" in her music.[7] A Connecticut producer by the name of Lil' Sonic has claimed that he hopes to work with her by the release of this album.

Acting career

After appearing on the television series The Bernie Mac Show and American Dreams, JoJo was cast opposite Emma Roberts and Sara Paxton in Aquamarine, playing Hailey, one of two teenage girls who discover a mermaid. The film opened on March 3, 2006 and performed mediocre at the domestic box office, opening at number five with $7.5 million.[8] Her next film, RV, a comedy starring Robin Williams, was released on April 28, 2006. That film opened at number one and grossed $69.7 million. JoJo had to audition for the part five times, and eventually replaced an actress who had already been cast in the role.[5]

JoJo had not had any professional acting training before being cast in the roles, but was given an acting coach on the set of Aquamarine.[7] She will be billed as "Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque" in her film roles, but will still be credited as simply "JoJo" for her music work.

JoJo's music will remain her main focus, as she has stated that she prefers singing to acting.[9]

Personal life

JoJo and her mother reside in New Jersey, and her recording studio is in Manhattan, New York City. JoJo, who has been tutored for the past 3 years, has stated that "school is definitely a big part of my life". She performs well academically, receiving marks in the A's and B's.[9]


Shes the most famous person in the world the most richest person in the world can't even be cooler then her!!!


JoJo's friends include actresses Sara Paxton and Emma Roberts, whom she befriended on the set of Aquamarine, and actress Alexa Vega.

She dated then-D.C. United soccer player Freddy Adu from May 14, 2005 to about September of 2006. The two met on the MTV show Fake ID Club while she was hosting it.[10] JoJo made an appearance in the commentary box at a New England Revolution home game when they were playing D.C. United. Freddy Adu registered an assist in that game.

JoJo stated that she was single on Live with Regis and Kelly, which aired October 18, 2006. JoJo was also in the October 2006 issue of Teen People magazine confirming her breakup with Freddy Adu: "I'm single right now and it's good. I'm so young. I'm going to be 16 in December and I'm just so busy. It's hard if you also want to date someone who has a high-profile profession; we were just both consumed with our own world...."

Discography

Further information: [[:JoJo discography]]

Albums

Cover Information
File:JoJo album cover.jpg JoJo
  • Released: June 22 2004
  • Chart positions: #4 U.S., #10 U.S. R&B, #22 UK, #86 AUS, #62 FRA, #30 SWI
  • U.S. certification: Platinum
  • U.S. sales: 1,500,000
File:The High Road album cover.jpg The High Road
  • Released: October 17 2006
  • Chart positions: #3 U.S., #12 CAN, #96 SWI
  • U.S. certification: Gold
  • U.S. sales: 460,000+


Singles

Year Single Album
2004 "Leave (Get Out)" one of the most famous songs in 2004 JoJo
"Baby It's You" (featuring Bow Wow) go to music.yahoo.com and type in jojo to find these good songs
2005 "Not That Kinda Girl"
2006 "Too Little Too Late" #13 on the cd now 23!! The High Road
"How to Touch a Girl"
"Let It Rain"


Filmography

Films

Year Title Role
2006 Aquamarine Hailey Cambridge
RV Cassie Munro

Television

Year Title Role Episode
2002 The Bernie Mac Show Michelle "Bernie Mac Dance Party"
(episode 6, season 2)
2003 America's Most Talented Kid Herself Season one
2004 American Dreams Young Linda Ronstadt "Tidings of Comfort and Joy"
(episode 9, season 3)
2006 Romeo! Herself "Ro' Trip Part 2" (episode 13, season 3)

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b "InsideBayArea". A few words with RV co-star JoJo. Retrieved April 28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) No longer online in original form - can now be partially accessed at [1]
  2. ^ "A Girl's World". Getting “Aquatic” with JoJo. Retrieved July 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "MTV.com". Aquamarine Outcast JoJo Had Help With Her Big-Screen Splash. Retrieved March 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Grabow". JoJo. Retrieved March 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b "MovieWeb". INTERVIEW: Joanna JoJo Levesque Talks RV. Retrieved April 25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "YM Magazine". Artist of the Month: JoJo. Retrieved March 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b "About.com". Joanna JoJo Levesque Talks About Aquamarine. Retrieved March 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "MTV.com". Grandma Madea Fights Off Bruce Willis, Holds Box Office #1. Retrieved March 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b "The Boston Herald". JoJo in La-La: Foxboro star sings praises of education. Retrieved March 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Wahl, Grant (2006-08-04). "Q&A with Freddy Adu". CNN's Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)

References

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