Occupation: singer,
songwriter, actress
Born: 1 june 1974
Birthplace: Ottawa, Canada
Grammy Award-winning pop singer who burst onto
the American music scene in
1995 with her 11-million-selling Jagged
Little Pill after a career as Canada's top teen-pop star. Her second
album was Supposed
Former Infatuation Junkie (1998). In 1999 she released her Unplugged
album and in 2001 came Under
Rug Swept.
Facts about Alanis Morissette:
Born to a French Canadian father and a Hungarian
mother. Twin brother named Wade. Parents say she's been a potty-mouth ALL her
life, not just recently (in songs performed by her). Released two albums in
Canada only prior to first release in U.S.
Was
nominated for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television
at Grammy Awards in 1999 for the song "Univited" from CITY
OF ANGELS.
Twin-brother Wade, older brother
Chad.
Attended Glebe Collegiate Institute
in Ottawa, ONTARIO.
Alanis
has met Maverick Records boss Madonna
only a few times. When Jagged
Little Pill hit the 1 million sales mark, Madonna gave Alanis platinum
nail polish to celebrate. In March 1999, Madonna gave her a $49,000 Tiffany's
bracelet for her success.
Phoned Mother Teresa the night
before she died wanting to volunteer, but she was sleeping. Not wanting to wake
her, Alanis said she would call back at a later time.
March 8th is officially Alanis
Morissette Day in Canada.
Financial backer of Broadway musical
'Jane Eyre,' spring 2001.
(May
2001) Madonna had to meet
with Alanis and exert pressure on her not to quit Maverick Records over her
disappointing sales--and Maverick marketing--of her second album,
Supposed
Former Infatuation Junkie.
(2001) Her 1995 "Jagged
Little Pill" is the top-selling debut album in history.
After
playing God in the movie 'Dogma'
(with Matt Damon and Ben
Affleck), she was asked if she had ever read the Bible. She said she had,
but found it to be "patriarchal and sexist."
Alanis Morissette is a vegetarian.
When MP3.com sponsored one of
her concert tours, she was offered $50,000 in cash. Instead, she chose to take
it in the form of company stock. When MP3.com went public, the value of her
shares went into the millions of dollars.
Alanis admitted to US Weekly that
"Hands Clean" from her 'Under Rug Swept' album is about an
affair that she had with a man 29 years old when she was just 14 years old.
Their relationship lasted 5 years.
Twin brother Wade is a yoga instructor.
When her first debut single "Fate
Stay With Me" and the "Alanis", and "Now Is The Time"
albums were released in Canada she was known only as "Alanis". She
was advised to go just by her first name to not cause any name confusion with
'Alannah Myles', another Canadian singer who was popular at the time.
Personal quotes
"We're taught to be ashamed of confusion,
anger, fear and sadness, and to me they're of equal value as happiness, excitement
and inspiration."
- Alanis Morissette
"Peace of mind for five minutes, that's
what I crave."
- Alanis Morissette
“I started dancing when I was 7, and playing
piano when I was 6, and writing songs when I was 9 and I had a record out when
I was 10. I was on a television show between the ages of 10 and 12 and I put
a record out both when I was 16 and 17, in Canada. Then I moved to California
and released Jagged Little Pill and wrote it when I was 19 and 20. Then I wrote
Supposed (Former Infatuation Junkie) three years later. I just finished Under
Rug Swept about a year ago. And that's the musical and entertainment history”.
- Alanis Morissette
"I'll write records until I'm dead. And
then maybe even after that!"
- Alanis Morissette