Amerie | |
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Amerie in March 2005.
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Background information | |
Birth name | Amerie Mi Marie Rogers |
Also known as | Amerie (formerly) |
Born |
Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S. |
January 12, 1980
Origin | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2001–present |
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Associated acts | |
Website | www |
Amerie Mi Marie Rogers (born January 12, 1980), known professionally as Amerie (currently Ameriie), is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer. She debuted in 2002 with her highly acclaimed debut album All I Have. In 2003, she helped develop the BET original series The Center, which she also hosted, and, during her run as host, accumulated the highest ratings ever for any show in its time slot. Amerie's time on the series was short-lived due to her landing a starring role in the 2004 film First Daughter, alongside Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, and Michael Keaton. In 2005, Amerie released her sophomore album Touch, which included her biggest hit to date, "1 Thing". The song and the album earned her two Grammy nominations and gained her crossover recognition. Her third album, Because I Love It, achieved moderate international success in 2007, although it was not released in North America and she was subsequently dropped from Columbia Records' roster. Amerie released her fourth studio album, In Love & War, in 2009 on Island Def Jam.
On May 20, 2016, Amerie independently released an EP, titled Drive. She appeared on The Breakfast Club, 105.1 and announced she would continue to release music throughout the year.
Amerie was born to a South Korean mother, artist Mi Suk and African American father, Charles. A few months after she was born, the Rogers family moved to South Korea, where Amerie lived for three years. Her father, Charles, was a chief warrant officer in the U.S. military, so the family lived in many different places, including Alaska, Texas, Virginia and Germany. She has a younger sister, Angela, who is now her lawyer. Amerie describes her parents as conservative, protective, traditional Christians. Growing up, she and her sister were forbidden to leave the house or use the phone on school days. The singer enrolled at Georgetown University to study literature, and was in Navy ROTC: "My dad didn't force me into it or anything. I joined so I could afford an education." She quit ROTC after her sophomore year, and graduated with a B.A. in English and a Fine Arts minor in design.