This article will answer every question you have about Mary J. Blige. Below are some of the frequently asked questions about her.
- What does Mary do for a living?
- Who are Mary’s parents and siblings?
- What are Mary’s interests and hobbies?
- Is Mary married or does she have a girlfriend/ boyfriend?
- Does Mary have any children?
- Where is Mary now?
- How tall is Mary?
- How much money does Mary earn?
- What is Mary’s net worth?
N/B: Please read the entire post to have all your questions answered.
Who is Mary J. Blige?
Mary J. Blige is a famous American songwriter, singer, and actress. She is often referred to as the “Queen of HipHop Soul”.
In her career, Blige has won four American Music Awards, ten Billboard Music Awards, and nine Grammy Awards. Some of Blige’s hit songs include the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single “Family Affair”, “Not Gon Cry”, “Real Love”, and “Be Without You”.
Apart from music, she is also known for making appearances on both the television and movie screens, such as Prison Song, Rock of Ages, Betty, Coretta, and many more.
How Old is Mary J. Blige?
Mary is 51 years old as of February 2022, having been on January 11, 1971, in Yonkers, New York, U.S.A. Blige shares her birthdate with celebrities such as Cody Simpson, Alyssa McKay, Julie Franke, Jania Bania, and many more.
Mary J. Blige’s Family
Who are Mary J. Blige’s Parents?
Mary was born to Thomas Blige (Father) who was a jazz musician and Cora (Mother) who was a nurse.
Does Mary J. Blige have Siblings?
Mary is the second of four children. An elder sister LaTonya Blige-DaCosta, a younger brother Bruce Miller. She also has a step-sister Jonquell from a later relationship with Blige’s mother had.
Mary J. Blige’s Education
Blige received her high school education at Roosevelt High School but then dropped out in 1987 at the age of sixteen.
Mary J. Blige’s Marital Status
Mary was married to Kendu Isaacs (2003-2018). She was also engaged to K-Ci Hailey (1996-1997). Blige has also been in relationships with Nas (1996-1997), Case (1995-1996), Danny Boy, and Grand Puba. She has also had encounters with Tupac Shakur (1995-1996) and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Mary J. Blige’s Children
Blige doesn’t have kids of her own but has stepkids with her ex-husband Kendu. The kids are Briana, Jordan, and Nas.
Mary J. Blige’s Career
1971-1991 Career beginnings
Blige in 1988, recorded an unplanned cover of Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture” in White Plains, at a recording booth in the Galleria Mall, New York. In 1989 Mary met with Harrell (CEO of Uptown Records) and she was signed on the label as a backup vocalist for artists such as Father MC. Thereby Blige became the company’s youngest and first female artist.
1992-1996 Career
Mary began working with record producer Sean Combs (Puff Daddy) after being signed to Uptown Records. He (Puff Daddy) produced a majority of Mary’s first album “What’s the 411? Uptown/MCA Records released What’s the 411? on July 28, 1992. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 1992, Blige became the most successful new female R&B artist in the United States. In 1993, What’s the 411? earned Blige two Soul Train Music Awards, Best New R&B Artist, and Best R&B Album, Female. The album had sold 3,318,000 copies by August 2010 in the U.S. Following the success of her debut album, Mary in the winter of 1993 went to record her second album, My Life.
MCA/Uptown released “My Life” on November 29, 1994. The album peaked at one of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number seven on the US Billboard 200. In several outside projects, Blige involved herself in recording a cover of Aretha Franklin’s (“You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” for the soundtrack to the FOX series New York Undercover. Later in the year Mary recorded the Babyface-penned and produced “Not Gon’ Cry”. In early 1996, the platinum-selling single rose to number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Mary gained her first two Grammy nominations and won the 1996 Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for her collaboration with Method Man on “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By”.
1997-2000 Career
MCA Records (parent company to Uptown Records, which was in the process to be dismantled) published the third album of Blige, “Share my world” on April 22, 1997. Songs such as “Love Is All We Need” and “Share My World” were made as a result of having an encounter with a person who threatened her life the previous year. Blige’s song “Share My World” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Mary performed her hit “Not Gon’ Cry in February 1997, at the 1997 Grammy Awards, resulting in her third Grammy Award nomination. Blige’s fourth album, titled “Mary” was released on August 17, 1999. The album was re-released as a double-disc set on December 14, 1999. Blige performed as a special guest in the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show in January 2001.
2001-2004 Career
MCA released Blige’s fifth studio album, “No More Drama”, on August 28, 2001. The album was re-released on January 29, 2002, by MCA. Her song “He Think I Don’t Know” earned Mary a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Blige performed with Shakira in April 2002, in the song “Love Is a Battlefield” on the VH1 Divas show live in Las Vegas. “Dance for Me” a collection of club remixes was released by MCA on July 22, 2002. Mary’s sixth album “Love &Life” was released on August 26, 2003, on Geffen Records (which had absorbed MCA Records.) For this set, Blige heavily collaborated with her one-time producer, Puff Daddy. At the 46th Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for the Best Contemporary R&B Album.
2005-2006 Career
Blige’s seventh studio album “The Breakthrough” was released on December 20, 2005, by Geffen Records. On both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album charts, the album debuted at number one. “Be Without you” the lead single peaked at number one on the R&B chart and at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of The Breakthrough won Blige a Soul Train Award, two American Music Awards, two BET Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and nine Billboard Music Awards. And at the 2007 Grammy Awards, Mary won eight Grammy Award nominations. “Be Without You” was nominated for both “Song of the year” and “Record of the year”.
2007-2008 Career
On December 18, 2007, Mary’s eighth studio album, “Growing Pains”, was released. The album debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number two on the Billboard 200. Her lead single in the album “Just Fine” peaked at number 22 on the Hot R& B/Hip_Hop Songs chart. On 50 Cent’s 2007 album, “Curtis” Blige was featured in the song “All of Me”. She then toured with Jay-Z in the Heart of the City Tour in March 2008. Together they released a song called “You’re Welcome”. On February 8, 2009, at the 51st Grammy Awards, “Growing Pains” was nominated for and won the Grammy Award for “Best Contemporary R&B Album.
2009 to 2010 Career
In January 2009, Blige carried out the song “leaning towards me” to the presidential inauguration committee “We are one”. “Stronger with Each Tear”, Maty’s ninth studio album was released on December 21, 2009. In March 2010 the album’s third single “We Got Hood Love” (featuring Trey Songz) was released. Mary sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009, before the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies played the last game of the world series. Blige released the track “Hard Times Come Again No More” on January 23, 2010. Billboard revealed Mary J. Blige as the most successful female R&B/Hip-Hop artist on the Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the past 25 years list on November 18, 2010. She was number 2 overall.
2011-2013 Career
Hot 97 premiered Blige’s teaser track “Someone to Love Me (Naked)” in January 2011 featuring vocals by Lil Wayne. In November 2011, Mary’s tenth studio album, My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act 1) was released. The album features production by The Underdogs and Kanye West. Her second single “Mr. Wrong” was the most successful single from the album peaking at number 10 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, featuring rapper Drake. At the 2012 NBA All-Star Game on February 28, 2012, Blige performed “Star-Spangled Banner”. Reports surfaced in early 2013 that Mary was recording a Christmas album. On October 15, 2013, the album titled A Mary Christmas was released. The album in early December became Blige’s 12th top ten albums after it rose to No. 10 in its eighth week. Before Game 1 of the 2013 World Series on October 23, 2013, Mary sang the national anthem.
2014-2019 Career
A remix of Disclosure’s ‘F for You” was released on February 5, 2014, featuring guest vocals from Blige. On May 30, 2014, it was announced that Think Like a Man Too (Music from and Inspired by the Film) was released by Epic Records on June 17. Blige’s twelfth studio album entitled ” The London Sessions” was released on November 24, 2014. On that very same month, she signed with Capitol Records and announced that she left Geffen and Interscope. Blige premiered a new show, The 411 on Apple Music on September 30, 2016. In her first episode, she interviewed Hillary Clinton. Her thirteenth studio album “Strength of a Woman” was released on April 28, 2017. At the BET Awards 2019 on June 23, Blige was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her extraordinary contributions to the music industry.
2021- Present
Blige celebrated the 25th anniversary of her album “My Life” in June 2021. It was announced that Blige had formed her own label Mary Jane Productions, in conjunction with 300 Entertainment on December 2021. Blige’s fourteenth studio album “Good Morning Gorgeous” was released on February 11, 2022. Mary performed at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show alongside Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Kendrick Lamar on February 13, 2022.
Mary J. Blige’s Acting Career
1998-2016
Mary made her acting debut career on the sitcom “The Jamie Foxx Show” in 1998. Blige then starred opposite rapper Q-Tip in the independent film Prison Song in 2001. She also made a cameo on the Lifetime network series, Strong Medicine that same year. Mary in 2004, starred in an Off-Broadway play The Exonerated. It was reported that in late 2005, Blige landed the starring role in the upcoming MTV Films. Mary guest-starred on Ghost Whisperer in February 2007 in an episode called “Mean Ghost”. Blige starred alongside Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise in the film adaptation of the 1980s jukebox hit musical Rock of Ages. Blige guest-starred on ABC legal drama How to Get Away with Murder in October 2016.
2017-Present
Mary starred in the period drama film Mudbound in 2017. Blige was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress due to her performance in Mudbound. In the 2018 animated film Sherlock Gnomes Blige voiced Irene Adler, and in 2020 voiced Queen Essence in the animated musical film Trolls World Tour. Blige starred in the role of Cha-Cha in 2019. In the horror film Body Cam, Mary played the leading role. In the film released on August 13, 2021 “Respect” Blige played singer Dinah Washington in the biographical drama about the career and life of Aretha Franklin.
Other Ventures
Mary launched her own record label, Matriarch Records in 2004. She then launched her first perfume My Life (through Carol’s Daughter) in July 2010. And the newest fragrance, My Life Blossom launched in August 2011. She released a line of sunglasses called “Melodies by MJB” in October 2010. Mary has had endorsements with M.A.C, Air Jordan, Target, Gap, Coca-Cola, Reebok, Apple Inc, Chevrolet, American Express, Burger King, Pepsi, and AT&T Inc.
Mary J. Blige’s Height and Measurements
Adding up to her well-curved body, she stands at a height of 5ft 9inches (1.75m) and a weight of 66kg (145.2lbs).
Mary J. Blige’s Salary and Net Worth
Blige being a famous singer, songwriter, and actress has a monthly salary of $300,000 and a net worth of $20 million.
