As a Top 4 finalist in season four of American Idol, to being voted the No. 2 most popular performer in the 2005 Idol summer tour, Anthony has begun the ascent he has dreamed about all his life.

His presence commanded attention, his voice commanded respect and endeared him to the over 130 million viewers and voters that tuned in week after week to vote him into the Top 10.

Anthony ultimately landed in the Top 4 with Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice and Vonzel Solomon, and by that time had become instantly recognizable and much loved by fans of the show everywhere.

Anthony was born in the Ukraine in 1985 to a very musical family. His grandmother sang opera and what can be called Russian “country” music, and his father plays guitar and accordion.

As a very young child, Anthony was stricken with a growth in his throat that needed removal. The doctors feared that removal of the growth would result in his inability to ever speak. For a considerable time that was true. But with the strength and caring of his family, Anthony overcame that hurdle. However, the physical scar remains—as in the tracheotomy, which is so clearly visible and frankly has become one of Anthony trademarks.

At the age of 9, Anthony moved with his family to the U.S. The only words in English he knew at that time were “thank you,” which he learned at school in Russia.

By age 10, he was speaking fluent English, and by age 14 he was singing with the promise of the powerful voice to come in clubs and restaurants around his hometown of Philadelphia and within New York. By this time, Anthony was singing in Spanish and Italian as well—his knack for languages is uncanny.

Anthony joined the 2005 American Idol summer tour, which played in 44 cities to over a half million people. Anthony has appeared on many of the most popular TV talk shows, including the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Tony Danza Show, and a host of Fox Network shows.

In January 2006, the Fox Reality network re-aired the entire fourth season of American Idol and in June, Anthony was featured in the celebrity competition on Fox’s Fear Factor.

Summer 2006 was very productive for Anthony. While touring and performing live and working on solo material with some of music’s most successful songwriters and producers—including Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Richard Marx—he also found time to co-star as a judge in the MTV original show “MTV’s Little Talent Show Triple Threat,” which is slated to air on the network later this fall. Anthony appears in four episodes.

Aside from the fame he has enjoyed from his experience competing on American Idol, Anthony has remained true to his passion of creating and performing great music.

One can only expect that, with a story like this, the true beginning has yet to be written.

“Triple Threat is a DJ collective featuring three of the most influential DJ’s in the world,” explains BMI’s Director of Writer/Publisher Relations, Myles Lewis. “The group utilizes all forms of music and sound in their sets and their efforts refresh the DJ scene as well as hip-hop as a whole. This is an excellent opportunity for us to show our support for this genre as well as a chance for fans and the industry to see some cutting edge music and musicianship from some of the premiere turntablists in music.”

The collective is currently promoting their Fat Beats Records/BMG CD Many Styles, named after the legendary nightclub where the three DJs met. Showcasing remarkable technical skill and beat diggin’ to create memorable routines, Triple Threat has upped the ante for all DJs and producers when it comes to combining turntablist magic, good ol’ party rockin’ and the foundation of hip hop.

“These cats are the real deal…Super fresh skills and always on time…”, said DJ Z-Trip, Hollywood Records artist; “Triple Threat are the DJs that are going to save hip-hop…” explained artist Bahamadia. “Triple Threat has brought the emphasis back to record selection and takes their audience through a musical journey that all fans of good music can appreciate…” said Rob Swift, X-ecutioners; “…a new chapter for the hip hop DJ, the art form’s foundation...” raved Source magazine. “…Explosive turntable experimentalists…nothing short of Battlestar Galactica…” said the Philadelphia City Paper; and, “These hip-hop artists drop vinyl on turntables and bulldoze existing songs into new sonic temples…” said The Washington Times.

Triple Threat’s Apollo and Shortkut are members of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, one of the most successful DJ crews in the world. Apollo also was a part of jazz legend Branford Marsalis’ band Buckshot LeFounque. Shortkut is currently winning and competing in more world competitions for DJs around the globe, as well as designing the most influential and standard mixers for DJs worldwide – the Vestax 05Pro. Triple Threat’s Vinroc is considered one of the premiere all-around DJs in the world, having done cuts and performances with likes of Biz Markie, Grand Master Flash, X-ecutioners, Jungle Brothers and Pete Rock. Apollo is credited as the inventor of the art of ‘band Djing’ with current Beastie Boys DJ Mix Master Mike in 1989.

BMI, founded in 1940, is an American performing rights organization that represents approximately 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music. Through its music performance and reciprocal agreements, it grants businesses and media access to its repertoire of approximately 4.5 million musical works from around the world.]]> 2003-03-03T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233528 Morrison, Van, NdegeOcello, Me'Shell, Organic, Triple Threat, R&B, Urban, Feature

On the cover of her new Maverick Records album Bitter, singer/songwriter Me'Shell Ndegeocello lies in woeful repose, crumpled on a bed like a carelessly cast-off blouse. In stark contrast, the back cover features a photo of the singer staring mirthfully into the camera.

Like its ambiguous cover art, Bitter is a record of contrasts: lovelorn ballads followed by sensual funk shuffles; folk-inflected tracks proceeded by neo-classical instrumentals. Lushly appointed with strings, piano and other acoustic instruments, the album possesses a philosophic resonance that's apparent in song titles like "Sincerity," "Grace" and "Loyalty." Lyrical and alluring, "Bitter" is an intensely personal examination of modern love and betrayal.

For her part, Ndegeocello describes the album as a back-to-basics recording devoid of pretension. "I wanted to make something people could get into texturally," the singer says. "Simplicity is a gift, and that's what this album is all about."

To capture the various moods of her new songs, Ndegeocello recruited some of the music industry's most reputable musicians, including multi-instrumentalists Wendy & Lisa and percussionist Abe LaBoriel, Jr. "With my first two albums, I was in my own little world," Ndegeocello explains. "I wanted to be with other people this time, and have them express themselves too. It's nice to have their spirits on the record."

"Bitter" marks a dramatic about-face for Ndegeocello. Her 1993 debut album, Plantation Lullabies, heralded the arrival of an exultant funk goddess. Defiantly retro, the record possessed an organic sound far removed from the automated r&b favored by urban radio. Ndegeocello parlayed the album's critical success into a triumphant tour. In concert, she proved to be a potent triple threat: a riveting singer/songwriter whose nimble bass playing recalled funk legends like Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins.

Ndegeocello's fortunes ascended even higher in 1994 when she joined rocker John Mellencamp for an interpretative recording of Van Morrison's '70s classic, "Wild Night." Her 1996 sophomore effort, "Peace Beyond Passion," was hailed as a spiritual masterwork steeped in biblical imagery.

With the release of her new album, Ndegeocello solidifies her reputation as the thinking person's funk performer. In an effusive review, Billboard described Bitter as "a brilliant, fully-realized work," while Newsweek, Vibe and Jane magazine crowned the record Album of the Year.

by Bruce Britt