Mariah Carey turns 52 on March 27, 2021! In honor of her big day, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the superstar’s life in pictures. Keep reading to relive her greatest hits…
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Just four months after her first album debuted in June 1990, Mariah Carey performed on “Saturday Night Live” in New York City. She sang the hit single “Vision of Love” from her self-titled album.
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Mariah Carey took home two gramophones during the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 1991. In addition to being named best new artist, the singer won the award for best pop vocal performance for her hit track “Vision of Love.”
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Mariah Carey wed Sony Music exec Tommy Mottola at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York City on June 5, 1993. She donned a Vera Wang gown with a 27-foot train for the ceremony, which was attended by Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen and Robert De Niro.
Tommy Mottola accompanied Mariah Carey to the TJ Martell Foundation Gala in New York City on May 8, 1997. It was the couple’s final public appearance before they parted ways later that year.
Mariah Carey was still technically married to Tommy Mottola when she and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter took their friendship to the next level. The duo were photographed looking cozy at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ birthday party in late 1997, but it wasn’t meant to be: Mariah and Derek were through by mid-1998.
Mariah Carey flaunted her sexy style during a release party for her sixth studio album, “Butterfly,” in New York City on Sept. 16, 1997. The singer has called the album her magnum opus and has adopted the butterfly as a symbol of her artistry ever since. (It represents her independence and rebirth as an artist following her personal and professional breakup from husband-boss Tommy Mottola.)
Mariah Carey and contemporary Whitney Houston donned matching Vera Wang halter dresses — and finally put to bed rumors that there was a feud between them — while presenting an award during the MTV Video Music Awards in Universal City, California, on Sept. 10, 1998.
Mariah Cary and Luis Miguel were photographed sharing a tender moment in the backseat of a limousine in New York City on June 15, 1999. The duo were an item for about two and a half years between 1998 and 2001. Mariah was reportedly devastated by their split, which precipitated her 2001 emotional breakdown.
Mariah Carey promoted her seventh studio album, “Rainbow,” in New York City on Nov. 2, 1999. Though the album featured her hit single “Heartbreaker,” it failed to reach No. 1 on the charts — unlike the singer’s previous releases.
Mariah Carey made her feature film debut with a small role in 1999’s “The Bachelor.” Two years later, she starred as Billie Frank in “Glitter.” Mimi won the Razzie Award for worst actress for her performance in the musical drama, which tanked at the box office.
In May 2001, Mariah Carey reportedly threw a salt shaker at Mira Sorvino and then wrestled the Oscar winner to the ground after they exchanged words when the singer arrived late to the set of their film “WiseGirls.” (Mira denied the story.) Mimi checked into a hospital to seek treatment for what her rep called “an emotional and physical breakdown,” and in January 2002, reunited with Mira at a press conference for their film during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Though her performance in the crime thriller received positive reviews, the film ultimately failed to impress.
Mariah Carey attended a party for her comeback album, “The Emancipation of Mimi,” at the Man Ray club in Paris on March 16, 2005. The album was a tremendous success.
Mariah Carey first met future husband Nick Cannon when he presented her with the Choice R&B Artist award during the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. They reconnected three years later when he appeared in the music video for her song “Bye Bye” from her “E=MC²” album.
Mariah Carey won three trophies during the 2006 Grammys in Los Angeles. She took home the awards for best contemporary R&B album for “The Emancipation of Mimi” and best R&B song and best Female R&B vocal performance for “We Belong Together.”
Mariah Carey kept close to new husband Nick Cannon during Operation Smile’s Fifth Annual Smile Event in New York City on May 15, 2008. It was their first public appearance as a married couple after tying the knot during a secret ceremony at her home in the Bahamas on April 30, 2008.
After years of making digs at each other in their lyrics, Mariah Carey channeled Eminem while shooting the music video for her song “Obsessed,” which was inspired by their relationship, in New York City on June 29, 2009. The beef started in 2002 when the rapper told Rolling Stone that they had dated after first connecting in 2001. But the diva denied the claims, telling Larry King, “I hung out with him. I spoke to him on the phone. I think I was probably with him a total of four times. And I don’t consider that dating somebody.” They’ve feuded in song ever since.
Mariah Carey returned to the big screen in 2009’s “Precious.” Mimi earned raves for her portrayal of social worker Ms. Weiss in the drama, which scored six Oscar nominations.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe on their third wedding anniversary, April 30, 2011. Eight months later, the family of four were photographed during an outing in Aspen, Colorado.
During an event for Jenny Craig and the American Heart Association in New York City on Nov. 9, 2011, Mariah Carey showed off her 70-pound weight loss after welcoming twins Monroe and Moroccan earlier that year.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renewed their wedding vows in Paris on April 27, 2012. Annual vow renewal ceremonies were a tradition for the duo during their marriage.
Mariah Carey joined Season 12 of FOX’s “American Idol,” which aired in early 2013, with Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban. She’d signed on to serve as a judge on the reality TV show in 2012, but her run on the series proved to be short-lived: Mimi left after just one season due to constant feuding with Nicki. “It was like going to work every day in hell with Satan,” she later said.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon attended the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 18, 2014. It was their last public appearance as a couple before he confirmed rumors that all was not well with their marriage. “There is trouble in paradise,” he told “The Insider” that August, adding that they’d been living separately for a few months at that point. On Dec. 12, 2014, Nick filed for divorce.
On May 6, 2015, Mariah Carey launched her “Number 1 to Infinity” residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Mariah Carey and James Packer were first linked in June 2015. Three months later, they made their red carpet debut at the premiere of “The Intern” at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City on Sept. 21, 2015. The singer moved in with the billionaire businessman that November, and in January 2016, they got engaged.
Mariah Carey and James Packer stepped out for dinner at Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood on May 21, 2016. It was the last time they were seen together publicly before their relationship imploded in late 2016.
Mariah Carey made an extravagant appearance at a panel for her E! reality show, “Mariah’s World,” during NBCUniversal’s Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills on Aug. 3, 2016. The docuseries, which debuted to mixed reviews on Dec. 4, 2016, chronicled the diva’s life behind the scenes at her Las Vegas residency and on the European leg of her “The Sweet Sweet Fantasy” tour. It also pulled back the curtain on her budding relationship with backup dancer and longtime friend Bryan Tanaka.
Mariah Carey and choreographer Bryan Tanaka attended a viewing party for her show “Mariah’s World” at Catch in New York City on Dec. 4, 2016 — around the time that it became clear they were more than friends.
Bryan Tanaka joined girlfriend Mariah Carey onstage during “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” in New York City’s Times Square on Dec. 31, 2016. The evening proved to be disastrous: The diva sang just a few lines before complaining, “We can’t hear, but I’ll just get through the moment.” She then walked around the stage as her backup dancers stuck to their choreography, occasionally speaking or singing a few words to the audience. In the wake of the fiasco, Mariah — who was accused of lip-syncing — blamed the production company for the technical difficulties that ruined the performance. But producers maintained that they were not responsible for the alleged issues.
The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards were a family affair for friendly exes Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, who attended the award show in Los Angeles with their mini-me twins, Monroe and Moroccan, on March 11, 2017.
Mariah Carey was on hand for the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2018 when she was nominated for best original song for “The Star” from the film of the same name. Even though she lost the trophy, she looked like a winner in a slinky black Dolce&Gabbana number.
Family night out! Once again, Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey and their twins, Monroe and Moroccan, made the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards a family affair. The boys and girls rocked matching ensembles in 2018.
Mariah Carey was the prestigious Icon Award honoree at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. She was on hand for the ceremony in Las Vegas where she performed a medley of her hits including 1995’s “Always Be My Baby,” 1991’s “Emotions” and 2005’s “We Belong Together.” She ended her performance with her iconic 1993 song “Hero.”
Mariah Carey closed out 2019 by wrapping up her “All I Want For Christmas Is You: A Night of Joy and Festivity” residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The residency originally started back in December 2014 at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre and expanded to includes shows in other countries. Mariah performed the Christmas-themed concerts every December for five years, completing 56 shows during that time.
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