Alanis Morissette was one of the most unlikely stars of the mid-'90s. A
former child actress turned dance-pop diva,
Alanis Morissette transformed herself into a confessional alternative
singer/songwriter, in the vein of
Liz Phair and
Tori Amos. However, she added enough pop sensibility, slight hip-hop
flourishes, and marketing savvy to that formula to become a superstar with her
third album, Jagged Little Pill.
Alanis Morissette was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. In her childhood, she
began playing piano and writing songs. At the age of ten, she joined the cast of
You Can't Do That on Television, a children's television program. Using money
that she earned on the show,
Alanis Morissette recorded an independent single, "Fate Stay With Me," which was
released when she was ten. After leaving the show, she concentrated on a musical
career, signing a music publishing contract when she was 14. The publishing
contract led to a record deal with MCA Canada. In 1991, she moved to Toronto and
released her debut album, Alanis.
Alanis was a collection of pop-oriented dance numbers and ballads that was
successful in Canada, selling over 100,000 copies, and leading to a Juno Award
for Most Promising Female Artist. However, no other country paid any attention
to the record. In 1992, she released Now Is the Time, an album that closely
resembled her debut. Like its predecessor, it was a success in Canada, even if
it sold half of what Alanis did. Following the release of Now Is the Time,
Alanis Morissette relocated to Los Angeles, where she met
Glen Ballard in early 1994.
Ballard had previously written
Michael Jackson's hit "Man in the Mirror," produced
Wilson Phillips' hit debut album, and worked with
David Hasselhoff. Despite the duo's mainstream pop pedigree, they decided to
pursue an edgier, alternative rock-oriented direction. The result was Jagged
Little Pill, which was released on Maverick Records,
Madonna's label.
On the strength of the single "You Oughta Know," Jagged Little Pill gained
attention upon its release in the summer of 1995. Soon, the single received
heavy airplay from both alternative radio and MTV, sending the album into the
Top Ten and multi-platinum status. The second and third singles from Jagged
Little Pill, "Hand in My Pocket" and "All I Really Want," kept the album in the
Top Ten. In early 1996, she was nominated for six Grammys. Shortly after the
nominations,
Alanis Morissette released her fourth single, "Ironic," which proved to be her
biggest crossover success.
Alanis Morissette won several Grammy awards in 1996, including Album of the Year
and Song of the Year.
Her much-anticipated follow-up, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, was
released in the autumn of 1998. An Unplugged set appeared a year later, and in
2002
Alanis Morissette released Under Rug Swept. So-Called Chaos followed in 2004, and a
year later she took Jagged Little Pill on the road as an acoustic tour. That
tour became Jagged Little Pill Acoustic, an album originally -- and tellingly --
sold exclusively through Starbucks outlets.
Alanis Morissette and her fans had grown up. Collection, an 18-track retrospective
of her work, followed in November 2005. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music
Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Alanis Morissette for your next corporate or private event.
|
