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Matthew Raymond Dillon Biography

Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe Award-, and BAFTA Award-nominated American actor. He began acting in the late 1970s, gained fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s, and developed a successful career as a mature actor in the decades following, culminating in an Oscar nomination for his performance in the movie Crash.

Biography
Early life
Matthew Raymond Dillon was born in New Rochelle, New York, to second-generation Irish American Catholic parents Mary Ellen, a homemaker, and Paul Dillon, a portrait painter and sales manager for Union Camp, a packing material manufacturer. Through his father, Dillon is related to comic strip artist Alex Raymond. Dillon has one sister and four brothers, one of whom, Kevin Dillon, is also an actor. Dillon grew up in Mamaroneck, New York and before dropping out in junior year he attended Mamaroneck High School.

Career
In 1979, casting director Vic Ramos went to Mamaroneck High School and spotted Dillon cutting class. He asked Dillon to audition for a role, and Dillon made his film debut in the violent teen drama Over the Edge. The film received a regional, limited theatrical release in May 1979, and grossed only slightly over $200,000. Dillon's performance was well-received, which led to his casting in two films released the following year; the teenage sex comedy, Little Darlings, in which Kristy McNichol's character loses her virginity to a boy from the camp across the lake, played by Dillon, and the more serious teen drama, My Bodyguard, where he played a high-school bully opposite Chris Makepeace. The films, released in March and July 1980, respectively, were box office successes and raised Dillon's profile among teenage audiences.

Another of Dillon's early roles was in the Jean Shephard PBS special The Great American Fourth of July. The only available copies of this film are stored at UCLA, where a legal dispute makes it unavailable to the public.

His next role was in the 1982 film, Tex, followed two months later by Liar's Moon, where he played Jack Duncan, a poor Texas boy madly in love with a rich banker's daughter. In the mid-1980s, Dillon had prominent roles in three adaptations of S. E. Hinton novels: Tex (1982) The Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983). All three films were shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hinton's hometown. The Outsiders and Rumble Fish had Dillon working with Francis Ford Coppola and Diane Lane. He followed it up with The Flamingo Kid

In 1987, Dillon appeared briefly as a policeman in the music video for the song Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, a major hit in Ireland and the United Kingdom. In 1989, Dillon won critical acclaim for his performance as a drug addict in Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy.

Dillon continued to work in the early 1990s with roles in movies like Singles (1992). He had somewhat of a career resurgence when he played Nicole Kidman's husband in To Die For (1995), as well as large roles in Wild Things (1998) and There's Something About Mary (1998), for which he received an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.

In 2002, he wrote and directed the film City of Ghosts, starring himself, James Caan and Gérard Depardieu. That same year he starred in Factotum, a film adaptation of an autobiographical work by Charles Bukowski. Two years later he received critical praise and earned a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe along with Oscar nominations for his role in Crash, a film co-written and directed by Paul Haggis. In 2005 Dillon co-starred in Disney's Herbie: Fully Loaded and on March 11, 2006 the actor hosted Saturday Night Live, where he impersonated Greg Anderson in a "SportsCenter" sketch, Rod Serling in Bill Hader's "Vincent Price St. Patrick's Day Special" sketch and played a redneck conman named Perdy Spotley in the recurring sketch "Appalachian Emergency Room".

Dillon's most recent role is in the comedy You, Me and Dupree, opposite Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson. The film opened on July 14, 2006. On September 29, 2006, Dillon was honored with the price Premio Donostia in the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Other work
Dillon is mentioned on Jeff Buckley's Live at Sin-é: Legacy Edition CD. On the fifth track Buckley mentions that he cut his hair because people thought he looked like Matt Dillon. Dillon also made voice acting in 1987 documentary film Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. He made his Broadway debut with the play The Boys of Winter in 1985.

Dillon also contributed his voice as Sal Paradise in Jack Kerouac's famous novel On the Road. In 2006, he narrated Once in a Lifetime.

Matt Dillon also made cameo appearance as detective in Madonna's Bad Girl music video which also stars Christopher Walken. Dillon also appeared in the music video of "Fairytale Of New York" by the Irish folk-punk band The Pogues playing a cop who escorts lead singer Shane MacGowan into the drunk tank.

As of 2007, the band Dinosaur Jr. hired Dillon to direct their new video and single "Been There All The Time", off of their upcoming album Beyond. He guest stars in The Simpsons episode "Midnight Towboy" and also appeared on an episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.


Personal life
Matt has dated several prominent women of Hollywood, including actress Cameron Diaz and Diane Lane. Matt is the older brother of actor Kevin Dillon.

Legal trouble
On December 30, 2008, Dillon was arrested by the Vermont State Police after he was clocked traveling at 106 miles per hour northbound on Interstate 91 near Newbury, Vermont. He was charged with negligent operation of a vehicle. His attorney, Mark Kaplan, entered a plea of not guilty on Dillon's behalf in a January appearance in Orange County Court in Chelsea, and also appeared in court on February 25, 2009. He faced a maximum of one year in jail, and a fine of $1,000. He pleaded guilty to speeding and paid a $828 fine on March 30, 2009; in return, the negligence charge was dismissed by prosecutors.

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Kendra Wilkinson Launches Raunchy Range

Kendra Wilkinson is launching her own range of stripper poles.

The former Playboy Playmate is set to follow in the footsteps of ex-'Baywatch' actress Carmen Electra with the raunchy bedroom equipment.

She said: "I'm coming out with my own stripper pole. Stripper pole, and stripper pole workout. It's like Carmen Electra's, but mine is better. Mine will connect to the ceiling, and you can spin on it and do all that kind of stuff on it."

Kendra - the ex-girlfriend of Hugh Hefner - is currently planning her wedding to American football star Hank Baskett and admits her mother is more anxious about the upcoming ceremony than she is.

She said: "My mom is really nervous. She's more nervous than excited. I don't think she believes I'm going to get married until the day. I think she doesn't want to lose me."

"I'm coming out with my own stripper pole. Stripper pole, and stripper pole workout. It's like Carmen Electra's, but mine is better. Mine will connect to the ceiling, and you can spin on it and do all that kind of stuff on it."

Kendra and Hank will tie the knot on June 27 at Hefner's Playboy mansion and the 23-year-old beauty admits they haven't finalised all of the details yet.

She told Us Weekly magazine: "We are still working on the dress.

"We're talking to a really cool florist. He's making the flowers amazing - six-foot centrepieces! It's going to look like a fairytale wedding. I'm really excited about it."

Hilary Duff Biography

Hilary Duff Profile
Name : Hilary Duff
Birth Date : September 28, 1987
Birth Place: Houston, Texas, USA
Birth Name : Hilary Ann Duff
Height : 5' 4
Nationality: American
Profession : Actress, musician
Fan Mail : Joe Smith - International Creative Management
8942 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA, 90211
USA

Hilary Duff Biography
Hilary Duff made a name for herself on the enormously successful Disney Channel/ABC Kids show Lizzie McGuire, which she parlayed into careers as a pop singer and film actress. Like most overnight successes, Duff paid her dues for a few years before her big break. Appearances in the 1997 women's Western True Women, 1998's Casper (as the Friendly Ghost's human friend Wendy), and 1999's The Soul Collector paved the way for her best-known role. Duff also appeared in the indie film Human Nature, reflecting her continuing big-screen aspirations.


Duff began her first steps toward her singing career with the song "Santa Claus Lane," which appeared on the soundtrack to The Santa Clause 2, as well as her own Christmas album, also named Santa Claus Lane. That year, production ended on Lizzie McGuire, freeing up Duff to pursue other opportunities. Episodes of the show continued to run into 2003, but by that time Duff had begun to move on, appearing in the teen spy movie Agent Cody Banks. The soundtrack to the movie also featured several songs by Duff, including the singles "Why Not" and "I Can't Wait," which were both successes in their own right; the soundtrack went platinum in summer 2003.

Around that time, Metamorphosis, Duff's bona fide debut as a singer, was released. The album charted number two on the Billboard 200 on the week of its release, and its single "So Yesterday" topped the pop singles chart earlier that summer. Duff's omnipresence in 2003 continued with appearances at that year's MTV Video Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, where she accepted Lizzie McGuire's trophy for Favorite TV Show. She also appeared in that year's film Cheaper By the Dozen and embarked on a tour that fall. The year 2004 looked to be just as busy for Duff, with movies like A Cinderella Story and Agent Cody Banks 2 on the docket, as well as a new TV series with CBS in the works.

Hilary Duff: Back for More SVU
Back for another day of shooting, Hilary Duff was spotted out in Harlem, New York City for her guest spot on “Law and Order: SVU” on Tuesday (March 24).

Showing off her acting chops, the Duffster got emotional as she filmed alongside the show’s regulars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay.

As she continues to make appearances on NBC shows as part of her development deal, Hilary finds herself in the role of Ashlee Walker.

The character is described as a “rebellious, young mother who is suspected of murdering her baby Sierra.

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Virginia Madsen Biography

Virginia Madsen Profile
Name: Virginia Madsen
Height: 5' 8"
Sex: F
Nationality: American
Birth Date: September 11, 1963
Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Profession: actress
Education: New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois
Ted Liss Acting Studio, Chicago
Harand Camp Adult Theater Seminar in Elkhart Lake, WI
Husband/Wife: Danny Huston (actor; born on May 14, 1962; married in 1989; divorced in 1992)
Relationship: Antonio Sabato Jr. (actor; born on February 29, 1972)
Father: Cal Madsen (a firefighter; divorced from Madsen's mother in 1968)
Mother: Elaine Madsen (Award Winning Writer/Producer)
Brother: Michael Madsen (actor; born on September 25, 1958)
Sister in law: DeAnna Morgan (actress)
Son: Jack (born in 1994; father: Antonio Sabato Jr.)
Claim to fame: Series of supporting roles in '80s comedies: as Lisa in Class (1983), Madeline Robistat in Electric Dreams (1984) and Barbara in Creator (1985)

Virginia Madsen Biography
Although she garnered some attention at the outset of her Hollywood career, Virginia Madsen found her star eclipsed in the 1990s by her older brother Michael's jolting, thuggish performances for director Quentin Tarantino. After landing a plum role in the acclaimed 2004 indie Sideways, however, Madsen was showered with the kind of praise she'd been denied for nearly two decades in the business.

A native of the Chicago suburbs and the daughter of a PBS documentarian, Madsen learned her trade in city theater productions and summer performance camps. She made her way to Hollywood in the early '80s with her then-fiancé/fellow performer Billy Campbell. Making an inauspicious debut at the age of 19 as Andrew McCarthy's would-be first-time conquest in the teen sex comedy Class, she would go on to more noteworthy roles in director David Lynch's sci-fi epic Dune and the slick but heartfelt romantic comedy Electric Dreams (both 1984). The rest of the decade wouldn't be quite as kind, as Madsen shuffled from part to part, appearing in a supporting capacity in both ambitious arthouse fare (1987's Slamdance) and forgettable Hollywood comedies (1988's Hot to Trot and Mr. North, the latter of which sparked a relationship with -- and three-year marriage to -- director Danny Huston). The beginning of the next decade fared somewhat better for Madsen. After a memorably brassy turn opposite Don Johnson in Dennis Hopper's steamy, seamy The Hot Spot (1990), she raked in some box-office cash in the minor horror hit Candyman (1992). Small performances in the high-profile, prestige pics Ghosts of Mississippi and The Rainmaker notwithstanding, Madsen all but disappeared from the late-'90s feature marketplace, as most of her films were either made for television or delivered directly to video-store rental shelves. Finding a more receptive outlet on weekly TV, Madsen snagged prominent recurring roles on NBC's Frasier and American Dreams around the turn of the century.


But it was writer/director Alexander Payne's low-budget character study Sideways that had Madsen clamoring for the ever-elusive "role of a lifetime." Payne was mostly unfamiliar with the actress' work, but her audition for the part of Maya -- a weary, contemplative divorcée with a fine-tuned taste for wine -- convinced him that she was the perfect complement to lead performer Paul Giamatti's high-strung sad sack Miles. Toning down her Hollywood glamour for the film, Madsen turned the small part into something of a revelation, and as reviewers showered praise upon the film in late 2004, the actress hauled in a truckload of awards from critics' groups as well as Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

Although Madsen lost the Oscar bid to Cate Blanchett, high-profile offers rolled in after her Sideways coup. Early in 2006, she played Beth Stanfield, the wife of Harrison Ford's technology executive Jack Stanfield, in Richard Loncraine's disappointing hostage thriller Firewall; that summer, she also claimed an enigmatic part as a beguiling angel of death in Robert Altman's swan song, A Prairie Home Companion. Madsen began 2007 with two supporting turns in the same February weekend: in Michael Polish's The Astronaut Farmer, a quirky drama about a retired NASA astronaut turned farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) who builds a spacecraft in his barn; and in the higher-profile supernatural thriller The Number 23, playing wife to an unraveling Jim Carrey. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Chris Brown Biography

Chris Brown Profile
Name : Chris Brown
Profession : Singer
Date of birth : May 5, 1989
Place of birth : Tappahannock, Virginia

Chris Brown Detailed Biography
Christopher "Chris" Brown (born on May 5, 1989 in Tappahannock, Virginia) is an American R&B singer.

Chris Brown blew out as a rapper, Brown's early discovery of his singing talent inspired him to follow singers such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Usher and others. In 2005 he released his debut album, titled Chris Brown. Chris Brown's debut single "Run It!" is produced by Scott Storch, who also wrote, produced and contributed to most of Brown's self-titled debut album released in 2005. "Run It!" featuring Juelz Santana was released in July 2005. The next single released was titled "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" which was sided as a split video with an up-tempo track off his album, "Gimme That". Chris Brown's self-titled release was certified Platinum Jan 12th, 2006. Chris Brown has also planned a third single called "Say Goodbye" and is currently gearing up for a re-release of his debut album with three bonus tracks and a fourth single titled "I May Never Find". The Australian version of Brown's self-titled CD featured a bonus track titled "So Glad".


Brown's "Run It!" had a main remix on the album that featured rapper Bow Wow and was produced by Jermaine Dupri. Yo (Excuse Me Miss) has recently spawnned three official main remixes, the first being the "DesertStorm Remix" produced by DJ Clue and featuring rapper Ransom of the A-Team. The second remix was helmed by the Track Masters and features rapper Red Caf. The third remix leaked online February 26, 2006, and features rapper/singer Ahmir. None of the remixes have re-sung vocals, but all three do feature newly produced beats. The "Ahmir Remix" features a new chorus.

Padma Lakshmi Biography

Padma Lakshmi Profile
Name : Padma Lakshmi
Date of birth : 1970
Place of birth : Madras, India
Spouse : Salman Rushdie

Padma Lakshmi Trivia
* Speaks five languages.
* Has a seven inch scar on her inside arm as a result of a major auto crash that she was in as a child.
* She hosts "Padma's Passport" on the Food Network based on her popular cookbook, "Easy Exotic: A Model's Low-fat Recipes From Around The World".
* Officially announced engagement to author Salman Rushdie on February 14, 2004, the 15th anniversary of the infamous fatwa against Rushdie for writing the novel The Satanic Verses.
* Was discovered by a photographer while spending part of her senior year studying in Spain and he convinced her to begin modeling.
* Measurements: 36C-23-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
* Attended Clark University in Massachusetts, USA.


Padma Lakshmi Detailed Biography
From high-fashion model to host of a cooking show might appear to be an unlikely journey, but not if you're Padma Lakshmi.

Even when traveling around the world as a model, Padma was always on the lookout to add to her culinary repertoire. Born in southern India, she had warm childhood memories of cooking with her female relatives as they carefully grated coconuts, shelled peas, and trimmed fresh mangoes.

As she globe-trotted on photo shoots, she found comfort in preparing recipes from her childhood, and soon she branched into the cuisines of the countries she visited. "My first big editorial shoot was in Morocco...where I learned about fiery harissa and couscous. While shooting French lingerie in Bali, I learned how to make a low-calorie fish dish I tasted there."

Padma spent much of her adolescence in the United States. She attended Clark University in Massachusetts and received a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Although she had wanted to be a model from a young age, her mother was determined that college should come first. "My mother's ideas on the subject were quite clear," Padma notes. "If I was beautiful at seventeen, I would be beautiful at twenty-one when I graduated from college."

While studying in Spain during her last semester of college, she was sent on her first modeling job. Since then, she has been featured in such magazines as Vogue, Elle, and Glamour, and has worked with many international designers. Her career has also taken her into feature films and television in Germany and Italy. Among other places, she has lived in Milan and Los Angeles, and she's currently a resident of New York. In 1999, Padma published a cookbook called Easy Exotic: A Model's Lowfat Recipes from Around the World (Hyperion).

Halle Berry's Biggest Accomplishment

Halle Berry's daughter Nahla recently celebrated her first birthday on March 16. We don't get to see much of the "Catwoman" star and her little girl, so it was a special treat to catch the duo shopping at trendy baby boutique Bel Bambini in LA over the weekend.

Since giving birth, Berry's career has taken a backseat to motherhood, but she couldn't be happier. On February 23, Halle attended Essence magazine's Black Women in Hollywood luncheon. Although she was honored for her acting, producing, and philanthropic efforts, the 42-year-old noted in her acceptance speech that nothing beats being a mom.


"As a woman, I thought it was all about work and accomplishments," she admitted. "Then this little baby comes along and says that it's not about that. I'm complete. I have more to offer my craft because [my daughter] makes me indelibly better every day."

Paris Hilton left humiliated at her birthday party

Paris Hilton was left humiliated at her birthday party after her new man exposed her lip-synching.

The socialite - who flew by private jet to Las Vegas with 15 friends to belatedly celebrate turning 28 - was horrified when lover Doug Reinhardt grabbed her microphone as she was performing her song ‘Stars Are Blind’ at the Body English night club at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Saturday (07.03.09).

A source said: “Paris was really going all-out to impress Doug until he took the mic off her and the singing just carried on. Everyone in the club thought it was hilarious.”

Before her rendition, Paris paid tribute to Doug, gushing: “My man is right over there, the sexiest man in the world.”

During the evening, Paris - whose birthday was on February 18 - was entertained by Chester French and then presented with a giant pink mushroom-shaped cake decorated with a butterfly before heading up to the Penthouse suite at 3am to continue partying.

They were greeted by the Sesame Street band, playing in a room filled with balloons and circus performers.

Paris had already celebrated her special day in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

Rihanna will testify against Chris Brown

Rihanna’s lawyer has confirmed she will testify against her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, if she is subpoenaed to appear in court.

The R&B singer, who is currently fighting two felony charges of assaulting the pop princess, is currently free on $50,000 (£35,700) bail after he was granted a continuance at his arraignment hearing on 5th March 2009.

Brown is due back in court on April 6th 2009 where his girlfriend may be called to testify against him by prosecutors, adamant to put the famous singer up to the full extent of the law.

Brown allegedly beat up Rihanna in a late-night row on the 8th February 2009 which left her face battered and bruised.

The attack allegedly occurred after the 21-year-old singer discovered a three-page text message from his former lover on his mobile phone.

Brown tried to push Rihanna out of the car but failed to do so as she was wearing a seatbelt. He then allegedly punched her and threatened, “I’m going to beat the s*** out of you when we get home. You wait and see!’

It was reported that Rihanna attempted to call her assistant but received her answerphone, were she pretended to tell her to call the police.


The testimony of Detective De Shon Andrews, from Los Angeles Police Department, detail that Brown threw a ‘barrage of punches’ at Rihanna’s face, bit her ear and pressed her neck until she almost passed out.

The attack was reported to have caused Rihanna’s mouth to fill with blood, which splattered all over her clothing. The papers suggest that injured Rihanna managed to free herself by kicking Brown away and gouging his eyes. A passerby called the police after they heard Rihanna’s screams and cries for help.

Recent reports have suggested Rihanna has reconciled with the singer and was in Los Angeles with him. Her lawyer Donald Etra told MTV news, “”She is planning to do everything that the law requires her to do. If she is required to testify, she will do so.” Etra was overheard telling Brown in court on Thursday 5th March that Rihanna ‘would like this to be over as quickly as possible.’

He further went on to tell Us Weekly magazine, “Rhianna desires that it (the case) be quick and expeditious. She wants to get back to her life and her career.”

Brown could face up to four years and eight months in jail if convicted.

Kim Kardashian Biography

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Leona Louise Lewis Biography

Profile:
Famous as : Singer, songwriter
Birth Name : Leona Louise Lewis
Birth Date : April 03, 1985
Birth Place : Islington, London, England, UK
Claim to fame : "The X Factor" 3rd series winner

Biography:
Every once in a while, an artist comes along whose talent is so undeniable that it inspires everyone who encounters it. British singer and songwriter Leona Lewis is such an artist. Her striking beauty, charmingly down-to-earth personality, and huge, soaring voice has taken over the UK, where her debut Spirit entered the album chart at Number One and became Britain’s fastest-selling debut of all time. Spirit’s lead-off single “Bleeding Love” —co-written and produced by OneRepublic frontman Ryan “Alias” Tedder — claimed the Number One spot for seven weeks, and the album sold over 1 million copies in the UK in just 5 weeks. Ushering in 2008, Leona received four prestigious Brit Award nominations, the UK equivalent of the Grammy Awards.


Spirit will be released in the US by J Records/Syco on April 8, 2008. Written and produced by an array of top-notch hit-makers, the album is a showcase for Lewis’ powerhouse voice — which has evoked comparisons to Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Céline Dion. (Warned Entertainment Weekly: “Divas, watch out!”)
“Those women are the true divas,” Lewis insists. “They’re amazing performers whom I’ve listened to for years. These are the people who’ve inspired me to sing, so it’s flattering that I’m being compared to them. But I have a lot of hard work to do first!”

Such disarming modesty is part of what has endeared Lewis to her fans, who watched her journey to stardom on television each week on The X Factor, a British talent show executive-produced by American Idol’s Simon Cowell, who is also a judge. She won the 2006 competition handily, stunning the notoriously critical Cowell into silence who said: “I think she’s one of the best singers we’ve seen in this country for a long, long time.”

Knowing a superstar when he heard it, Cowell phoned legendary music executive and J Records founder Clive Davis and told him: “You might have the next Whitney Houston on your hands.” For the first time, the two teamed up and signed Lewis to J Records/ SyCo Music (Cowell’s joint venture with Sony BMG). “I was immediately knocked out by her range, her versatility, and the pure beauty of her voice,” said Davis. “She is an artist who will be a true star for many years to come.”

Davis and Cowell have made sure of it by introducing Lewis to an all-star roster of collaborators to bring out her best on Spirit, including Tedder (currently enjoying his own hit with the ubiquitous “Apologize”), singer/songwriters Akon (Gwen Stefani, T-Pain) and Ne-Yo (Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson), songwriters Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg (Madonna, Whitney Houston, Céline Dion), and songwriter/producers Dallas Austin (Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Pink), Stargate (Rihanna, Beyoncé, Ne-Yo), J.R. Rotem (Britney Spears, Ashley Tisdale), and Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald (Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne).

“It was quite daunting at first to work with such well-known people,” Lewis admits, “but they gave me their full attention and really wanted to do their best. They were all really lovely and I learned something different from each one of them.”

For Lewis, making a solo album was the chance to realize a dream she’s had since the tender age of 5, when her parents (father is Guyanese/mother is Welsh) enrolled her into London’s prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School. Lewis then attended the performing arts academy The BRIT School, where she honed her songwriting and production skills. Encouraged by winning several talent contests as a teen, she left school and took part-time jobs — including working in Pizza Hut as a waitress — to earn money to pay for studio time. “It was about doing my music,” she says. “It has always been my passion to be a singer and songwriter.”

In 2006, Lewis auditioned for The X Factor and won in a landslide on December 16th. Her first single broke a world record when it was downloaded 50,000 times in 30 minutes and subsequently outsold the rest of the U.K.’s Top 40 singles combined. Leona mania had taken hold of Britain.

Now Lewis hopes to do the same in the U.S. “I wanted to make an album that was totally me,” Lewis says. “Each song is about something that either I’ve gone through or that someone around me has gone through. The lyrics reflect things that I’m really passionate about. I have to be able to put myself in the song for it to ring true to me. If it doesn’t ring true to me, it’s not going to be believable to anyone else.”

Indeed Lewis’ passion for singing comes through loud and clear. “My love for music is my main motivation as an artist,” she says. “I’ve found that you can help so many people with your songs. I’ve received a lot of letters from people saying that ‘Bleeding Love’ really helped them. I think if you can do that, it makes it all worth it.”