Anecdotes

Is the first person nominated for an Academy Award for acting and writing an original song in the same year.

A huge fan of Led Zeppelin since she was a child, the singer went so far as to perform the band's classic "Stairway to Heaven" as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) [April 13, 2010].

Credits her husband, Kendu Isaacs, for helping her clean up her act and to overcome her drug and alcohol addiction.

Her mother, Cora Blige, survived a stabbing by a neighbor (1987).

Her job before she became a singer was a Directory Assistance operator, thus the title of her debut album "What's the 411?" (1992).

She personally asked Mariah Carey and Sean 'Diddy' Combs to appear in her music video for "No More Drama", because she felt they both had their fair share of drama recently.

Friends with Taraji P. Henson and Wyclef Jean.

Never graduated from high school.

Her father, Thomas Bilge, was a Vietnam War veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

The title track from Mary's album "No More Drama" (2001) contains samples of the theme from Les feux de l'amour (1973).

Her own personal perfume - "My Life" - broke all sales records on HSN when it was first launched.

Her music video "No More Drama" was shot on September 12, 2001, the day after the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City.

Used scenes from the movie Où sont les hommes? (1995) in her music video "Not Gon' Cry".

She sang in a Pentecostal church during her early years in Richmond Hill, Georgia.

Ranked #69 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

Younger sister of LaTonya Blige-DaCosta. Younger half-sister of Bruce Miller.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 11, 2018 (her 47th birthday).

Her hit song and music video "Be Without You" from her double platinum selling album "Breakthrough", was just retired on BET's 106 & Park, after 65 consecutive days of being on the countdown [March 3, 2006].

Stepmother of Kendu Isaacs' three children: Briana Isaacs, Nasir Isaacs and Jordan Isaacs.

Mattel's Gone Platinum Barbie doll from the Diva Collection is based on her.

She is a lifelong liberal Democrat.

Was originally slated to perform the song One-U2 at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022 as a tribute for U2 but had to pull out due to illness. Eddie Vedder ultimately took over.