Born on September 8, 1979, in Pennsylvania, Pink is best known for her edgy pop music. She gained superstardom in the 2002 Moulin Rouge soundtrack with Christina Aguilera. Some claim that Pink has changed the scope of pop music and paved the way for artists like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga but has received little recognition for it. She is a prominent animal-rights campaigner for PETA.
Early Life
Singer and songwriter P!nk (pronounced Pink) was born Alecia Beth Moore on September 8, 1979, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Pink, as she's otherwise known, gets her name from the movie Reservoir Dogs, a film she saw as a teenager and whose character Mr. Pink is someone her friends all agreed she resembled.
Pink was the second child born to Jim and Judy Moore. She experienced a largely typical middle-class life in a suburb of Doylestown, Philadelphia. Her parents' tense relationship, however, caused the couple to divorce when Pink was 3. Their split and the subsequent demise of the marriage sparked, in part, a rebellious attitude from Pink. "I was never allowed to go over to any of my friends' houses when I was little, because I was a bad influence," she said of her early life. "None of their parents liked me and my own parents were scared to death of me— and for me."
Instead, Pink found solace in music, and as early as the age of 13 she was navigating the complicated Philly club scene. By the time she was 14, she was already an experienced vocalist and dancer, and started to write her own songs. She also had a regular singing gig every Friday night at a Philly nightclub. But it proved to be a hard life for her to manage, as she was swallowed by a world of drugs (she nearly overdosed at the age of 15) and petty crime. She eventually dropped out of high school before returning to earn her G.E.D. in 1998.
Pop Singer
It was apparent, however, that Pink had a talent for music. By chance one evening, an executive from MCA took notice of the sassy teenager and asked her to audition for an R&B group that was forming. The group, known as Basic Instinct, welcomed Pink into the fold. Despite a record deal and plenty of studio time, the band never could find traction. Basic Instinct disbanded just two years after it was assembled. A second run with another R&B band, this one called Choice, also came to a quick end in 1998.
For Pink, though, neither experience was a disaster. Her talent was too hard not to notice, and with the support of LaFace, Choice's former label, she struck out on her own. She changed her name from Alecia Moore to her stage name of Pink, and started recording her first solo album, Can't Take Me Home. Released in 2000, the record was a surprise smash hit, going double-platinum and creating three Top 10 singles: "Most Girls", "You Make Me Sick", and "There You Go." It was a record that was bolstered by her tour schedule, which found her opening up for popular boy band 'N Sync.
Despite the newfound fame and success, Pink, who was never one to hide her true emotions, was far from satisfied.
Fearful of being lumped in with the glut of pretty singers who dominated the market, Pink set her sights on a deeper, edgier sound. "There was no blood, sweat or tears on my first album," she told London's Daily Mail. "And no emotional exchange between me and the musicians. R&B is on a conveyor belt."
Early Life
Edgy Image
She ended up finding a little more of what she was looking for in 2002 on the Moulin Rougesoundtrack. Pink collaborated with Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Lil' Kim in a soulful remake of Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade." That same year, Pink released a single from her second album, "Get the Party Started", a powerhouse hit that climbed into the Top 5. It was the perfect launch for her sophomore record, M!ssundaztood, a rock-infused record that went on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide.
A year later, Pink rewarded her fans with her third album, Try This, an even more rock-centric record that netted the singer a hit single ("Trouble") and a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Despite its critical success, the album failed to grab the kind of attention and sales that its predecessor did.
In 2006, Pink issued her fourth album, I'm Not Dead, a record that seemed to be Pink's most honest lineup of songs to date. The record included the No. 1 hit single "Stupid Girls", a pointed attack on the infatuation and celebrity surrounding people like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. "It was more of a social commentary on these girls, who think they have to be stick thin and have the latest handbag," she explained. "There's nothing wrong with being sexy, but you have be sexy for yourself, not society."
Personal Life
Away from the record studio, Pink's life was also evolving. She married her boyfriend, Motocross star Carey Hart, in Costa Rica, after proposing to him during one of his races. But like her parents marriage, Pink's union with Hart proved to be tumultuous, and just two years after they exchanged vows, the couple separated. Her fifth album, Funhouse (2008), drew from the raw emotions she was feeling from her recent divorce. It also proved to be a huge commercial success, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard chart, and inspiring a wild, worldwide tour that featured the artist performing blindfolded and—in some instances—singing upside-down on a trapeze.
As always, music helped Pink to heal, and the reflection on her crumbling relationship with Hart helped the couple reunite. After much speculation, Pink revealed in a February 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey that she and her husband were back together. The singer told Winfrey that her separation from Hart taught her valuable lessons about herself, and how to better function in a marriage. The couple now resides in Malibu, California.
Despite her tough girl image, Pink has also shown a softer side to the public. An outspoken advocate for the better treatment of animals, Pink has put her celebrity behind campaigns sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animlas (PETA). In February 2009, Pink also donated a considerable sum of money toward a fund to help Australians affected by a large brush fire that swept through Victoria.