No More Drama for Mary J. Blige (Updated March 6, 2013)

Let's play, for a minute, the Mary J. Blige numbers game. Over 50 million albums and 15 million singles sold worldwide. A recipient of nine Grammy Awards, with eight albums reaching multi-platinum status, and ranked on many "Top 100" lists from Rolling Stone, Billboard and VH1. A recipient of two Golden Globe nominations. Is there anything she can't do?

Though it was fitting, perhaps, that Blige released the album "No More Drama" in 2001, it was drama that found the star in later years. But first came her most popular and acclaimed album to date, "The Breakthrough," in 2005. Nominated for eight Grammys, she followed it up with "Growing Pains" in 2007 and "Stronger Each Tear" in 2009. The latter came after a period where Blige canceled a portion of her tour due to "weariness from an overwhelming schedule," then later had to face a federal lawsuit over rights to a song.

Blige came back strong from the bumps in the road, and in 2011 released the album, "My Life" Part II...The Journey Continues." The next year she celebrated the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough debut, and later sang in the 2012 musical film "Rock of Ages" with Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand.

Blige recently starred in the Lifetime movie "Betty and Corretta" alongside Angela Bassett, Malik Yoba and Lindsay Owen Piere. She portrayed Dr. Betty Shabazz, the window of Malcolm X, in the film. Her next album, "My Life: Act 2" is scheduled to be released sometime in 2013.

Mary J. Blige Tickets** - One of the Major R&B Queens

The fact is everyone loved a good R&B; diva -- you had your Whitney Houstons, Aretha Franklins, En Vogues, Supremes, and of course some Destiny's Child and Beyonce. But there was one singer that stood out in the '90s pretty heavily, and her name was Mary J. Blige. She was born in the Bronx on January 11, 1971, and after spending a few years in Savannah, Georgia, she made her way back to New York where her singing took hold of not only her, but her father -- who passed on a tape to an Uptown Records CEO. It was a tape of Blige singing Anita Baker's 'Caught Up in the Rapture' on karaoke. That struck a chord with the CEO by the name of Andre Harrell, but it wasn't until one person by the name of Sean 'Puffy' Combs made her debut album a veritable success.

Mary J. Blige Tickets - The Music of Blige

Her first album was entitled What's the 411?, and it was an instant classic in the R&B; block. Many were beginning to label Blige as the new Chaka Khan or Aretha Franklin, although the truth was Blige had little in common stylistically with the two legendary artists. With a totally warranted second effort on the studio front, 1995 saw the release of My Life, and clearly she was still on the top of the R&B; list, but everyone could arguably say that Blige peaked in terms of classic reinvention and creativity with 2001's No More Drama. The title track, specifically, headlined her as a groundbreaking artist that could very well be compared to the likes of Madonna.

Mary J. Blige Tickets - The Sound and Style of Blige

Right from the ghetto fabulous style of R&B; music to the rich blonde hair, right off the get-go, Mary had a style that was infectious in the music industry. Her voice had a hardy tone to it that could only be described as a grittier version of Aretha Franklin, but nothing could compare to her lyrical quality and grace that minced no words and didn't mess around with serious song topics. She was a true artist -- not just an entertainer.