Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette is a famous Canadian singer, composer, and actress, most famous for her chart-topping album �Jagged Little Pill�, which to date has sold over 30 million copies around the world. She released three follow up albums, all of which have been huge successes, though none have sold as �Jagged Little Pill�.



Alanis Morissette was born on June 1st, 1974 in Ottawa, Canada. Though she is best known for her music, her performance career began with a series of appearances on the Nickelodeon kids show �You Can�t Do That On Television�. Shortly after she recorded and released her first single, �Fate Stay With Me�, using her own funds. With her growing recognition, Alanis landed a number of gigs around Canada, and even a spot on the American talent show, �Star Search�, though she lost after the first round of eliminations.



Morissette�s first full length album, �Alanis�, came as a result of a two album deal she signed with MCA records. The album sold over two million copies, and several of the songs on it topped charts in Canada. Her second album, �Now Is the Time�, came in 1992, completing her deal with MCA Records, though it was far less successful than the first.



In 1993, Alanis Morissette moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of connecting with other musicians, and effort that initially proved fruitless for her. She eventually met the producer and composer Glen Ballard, however, and the two �hit it off�, artistically speaking.



Ballard and Morissette together recorded the music that would make up the international success, �Jagged Little Pill�, Ballard playing the guitar and Morissette singing. For some of the songs, they literally recorded them as they wrote them. During this period, Alanis was robbed at gunpoint in LA, coming home from a grocery store. She was unhurt, and latter was reported saying that her only concern at the time was the book of lyrics she had been holding. The lyrics were fortunately untouched.



In the spring of 1995, Morissette signed on with Maverick Records, and �Jagged Little Pill� was released. The album started off slowly, reaching 118 on the Billboard 200 chart, but when a LA DJ from a popular radio station came across one of the songs from the album he began playing it around the clock.



The song was �You Oughta Know�, and its sudden popularity rolled it into a video on MTV. It was an edgy, angry song, and its use of harsh language startled many people unused to hearing it from a female singer. Several of the albums other songs also began to get a lot of coverage, and the album itself soared in sales.



Since then, Alanis has released three other albums, written a song for the movie �City of Angels�, and has made appearances in the movies �Dogma� (2000) and �Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back� (2001). Though she is still a popular singer today, she has yet to achieve the same kind of success from �Jagged Little Pill�.



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