Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992[1]) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Her earliest roles included a part on Barney & Friends, before she became better known for her roles as Mitchie Torres in the Camp Rock movies, as Sonny Munroe in Sonny With a Chance and as the star of the 2009 movie Princess Protection Program.

As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week. It has since sold over 473,000 records in the US.[4] Lovato stated in an interview that the album was recorded in ten days. Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 selling 108,000 copies in the first week.

Early life

Lovato was born in Dallas, Texas to Patrick Lovato and Dianna Hart De La Garza. She is of Mexican descent from her father and Irish and Italian descent from her mother. She has an older sister Dallas Lovato and a younger half sister, Madison De La Garza. Her mother was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and country recording artist;[11] her father moved to New Mexico after their marriage ended in 1994. She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009. She began playing piano at the age of seven

MUSIC
2007–08: Musical beginnings and soundtrack appearances

Before any of Lovato's music was officially released a few of her original songs, including "Shadow," were featured on the show As The Bell Rings. Lovato also sang a cover of "That's How You Know" from the film Enchanted that was released on DisneyMania 6 on May 20, 2008.[14]

In June and July 2008, Lovato performed at various House of Blues and parks for her Demi Live! Warm Up Tour in preparation for the release of her debut album and the Burnin' Up Tour with the Jonas Brothers. The soundtrack to the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock was released in June 2008. Lovato was featured on four of the tracks on the soundtrack including "This is Me", a duet with Joe Jonas. "This Is Me" peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. Lovato served as the opening act in the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour from July through September 2008. Several concerts on the tour were filmed as footage for a 3-D concert film titled Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience which was released on February 27, 2009. Lovato was featured in the film performing "This Is Me" with Joe Jonas.

Lovato also appears on two soundtrack albums in 2010. She recorded songs for the Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam soundtrack, which was released on August 10, 2010, and the Sonny With a Chance soundtrack in late 2010.
2008–09: Don't Forget and Here We Go Again

On September 23, 2008, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 89,000 units in its first week of release.[15] It has since sold over 473,000 records in the US.[4] Lovato stated in an interview that the album was recorded in ten days.[5]

The album was preceded by the lead single "Get Back", which was released on August 12, 2008 and reached number forty-three on the Hot 100. In December 2008, the second single "La La Land" was released and reached number fifty-two on the Hot 100. In March 2009, the third single "Don't Forget" was released and reached number forty-one on the Hot 100, becoming her most successful solo single at the time.

An EP, Moves Me, was released in December 2008 by the Well Go USA label, but not under Lovato's support. The EP featured songs recorded by Lovato before being signed by Hollywood Records.

In 2009, Lovato recorded "One and the Same" for Princess Protection Program as a duet with Gomez – they both appear in the film.

In early 2009, it was announced that Lovato would be embarking on the Summer Tour 2009 in order to promote her sophomore album, which she stated would be released in the summer of 2009.[16] The tour began on June 21, 2009 in Hartford, Connecticut and concluded on August 24, 2009 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Lovato released her second studio album, Here We Go Again on July 21, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 108,000 records sold in its first week.[17] Prior to the album's release Lovato stated: "It’s going to take a different sound, so hopefully it goes over well. I sing a lot of rock, but this time I want to do more John Mayer-ish type of songs. Hopefully I can write with people like him."[18] The album was more inspired by acoustic music than her debut's pop rock-influenced sound.

The album received a score of 65/100 from Metacritic.[19] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic noted that the album was not as much fun as Lovato's previous album, Don't Forget, but he praised "Here We Go Again," "Solo," "Remember December," and "So Far So Great" as high points, for being "ideally matched to Lovato's adolescent energy and spirit, which remain her most appealing qualities."[20] Chicago Tribune also gave the album five stars, saying "No sophomore slump for these young artists". Kerri Mason of Billboard praised the album for not relying heavily on production compared to other Disney Channel artists and called Lovato "a natural talent who could really take flight after outgrowing Disney."[21] Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly praised the more rock-oriented tracks such as "Got Dynamite," calling them suggestions of "a direction that might set her apart in years to come."[22]

In December 2009, Allmusic ranked Here We Go Again as one of the best pop albums of 2009.[23]

In 2010, the album was nominated for 3 Teen Choice Awards, "Choice Album", "Choice Love Song" and Lovato for "Choice Music Breakout Artist: Female".


The album was preceded by the lead single, "Here We Go Again", which was released on June 23, 2009.[24] It became Lovato's highest charting single as it reached number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100.[25] The album's second single, "Remember December", was released on November 17, 2009 but only managed to reach number six on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 (number one-hundred-six on the Hot 100).

She appeared on We The Kings's second studio album Smile Kid as well. The album was released December 8, 2009. On the album, she contributes guest vocals to the song "We'll Be a Dream", which was later released as single in March 2010.[26] The music video for the song was released on April 22, 2010 through MTV.com.[27]
2010–present: Camp Rock 2 and third studio album

On March 30, 2010 Lovato's South American Tour was announced through her official Myspace page.[28] This was her first international headlining tour. The tour kicked off May 23, 2010 in Santiago, Chile and concluded on May 28, 2010 in São Paulo, Brazil. On April 27, 2010 the Jonas Brothers announced their World Tour 2010 featuring Lovato as a special guest.[29] The tour was to visit multiple countries and continents including the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Europe. The tour began on August 7, 2010 in Tinley Park, IL[30] and was set to end on November 13, 2010 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[31]

Lovato also stated in July 2010 that work on her third album had begun, stating: "The new album, so far it’s a little more pop, it’s more R&B. It’s a little more soulful. It has a different sound to it so I’m really excited to see how it turns out. Keri Hilson and Rihanna are inspiring my sound right now. I have also written a half Spanish song. It turned out really incredible so hopefully my fans will love it too."[32] The album will be released in Spring 2011, as confirmed by Lovato.

ACTING
Lovato began her acting career at the age of seven on the children's television series Barney & Friends as Angela, appearing in seasons seven and eight alongside long time friend Selena Gomez.[34]

In 2006 Lovato guest starred on Prison Break as Danielle Curtin in the episode "First Down". She also appeared in the second season of the television sitcom Just Jordan as Nicole, in the episode "Slippery When Wet". In January 2007, she landed the role of Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel Original Short Series, As the Bell Rings, which premiered on August 26, 2007. A few of her original songs, including "Shadow," were featured on the show. Upon leaving the show, her character was replaced by Lindsey Black. Lovato sang a cover of "That's How You Know" from the film Enchanted. The song was released on DisneyMania 6 on May 20, 2008.[14]
Lovato at a Jonas Brothers photo shoot on the South Bank in 2008

In 2008, Lovato starred in the Disney Channel film, Camp Rock. She played Mitchie Torres, a fourteen-year-old girl with hopes of becoming a singer. The movie premiered on June 20, 2008 in the USA on Disney Channel with 8.9 million viewers, making Lovato a house-hold name among tweens.[35] She provided vocals on four of the songs featured on the Camp Rock soundtrack, including "This Is Me" featuring Joe Jonas.[36]

In June 2009 Lovato co-starred in Princess Protection Program as Princess Rosalinda alongside Selena Gomez on Disney Channel.[37] The TV movie is about a young Princess who is taken into custody by the Princess Protection Program and is whisked away to rural Louisiana where she must learn the ins and outs of behaving like a normal American teenager. The movie is the third highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie, and premiered on Disney Channel with 9.8 million viewers.

Next, Lovato went on to star in the Disney Channel Original Series, Sonny With a Chance, which premiered on February 8, 2009.[38] The series' second season premiered on March 14, 2010.[39] The show stars Lovato as Sonny who becomes the new cast member of a live comedy show, So Random!.

In September 2009, production began for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. The Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on September 3, 2010. The movie also gained 8 million viewers on its premiere.[40][41]

In March 2010, Lovato was one of the many stars featured in a PSA for Voto Latino in order to promote the organization's "Be Counted" campaign for the 2010 U.S. Census.[42]

Lovato guest appeared in an episode of the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy as a teenage patient, whose parents brought her in for schizophrenia.[43] The episode titled "Shiny Happy People" aired May 13, 2010 on the ABC television network.[44][45] In a review of the episode, EW.com praised her performance stating, "I still believe that even an unbiased observer would conclude that the Disney princess did a fine job acting it up as a suicidal 16-year-old who was admitted after trying to claw her own eyes out".[46]

Demi Lovato made a surprise appearance on America's Next Top Model on the September 15 episode to speak out about bullying.[47] Lovato also appeared on CNN on September 7, to speak out about bullying.[48]
Other work
Philanthropy

Demi Lovato has partnered with mall proprietor GGP as the face of Shop Til You Rock, a music-inspired series of public events, which kick off at malls around the US in Summer 2010. The combines the season’s hottest fashions & today’s most popular musical guests in a series of interactive events.[49] Lovato is also the spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER. Lovato explained to NY Post about becoming a spokesperson agains bullying “Bullying is a very serious thing to me, I’ve witnessed it first hand – I was bullied myself when I was 12, I want to be able to help other girls around [my sister’s] age come into their own with a strong confidence in their skin, their size, who they are and everything about themselves.”

Demi Lovato is also the spokesperson for the Join the Sourge Campaign! DoSomething.Org and the CLEAN & CLEAR Brand launched Joining the Surge, which is a national campaign that empowers teenagers to take action in their communities.[50]

Lovato is involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior", and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel.[51] Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On", a charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2009. The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty.[52][53] Disney's Friends For Change will direct all of its proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.[52] Lovato and Joe Jonas recored a new song called "Make A Wave", the second charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2010.

Lovato is also apart of the "A Day Made Better" School Advocacy Campaign.[54] "The campaign is giving a deserving teacher with $1000 in school supplies on behalf of OfficeMax’s “A Day Made Better” school advocacy campaign"[55]

Lovato has also supported the following charities:[56]

* DonateMyDress.org
* Kids Wish Network
* Love Our Children USA
* St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
* City Of Hope

Image and personal life

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lovato admitted to going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade.[57] According to Lovato, the bullying was so bad that one day, in a fit of frustration and distress, she requested her mom give her a home-schooled education.[58] She wrote the song "For the Love of a Daughter" about her estranged father. Lovato is a Christian and prays with her band before they perform. After Lovato and Gomez, whom she first met at the Barney & Friends auditions, posted a video blog on YouTube in March 2008, Miley Cyrus and her friend Mandy Jiroux uploaded a parody of that video, which caught the interest of entertainment media. Reports included the theory that Lovato and Gomez might replace Cyrus. Gomez clarified there was no feud.[59]

In 2010, on her eighteenth birthday, Lovato bought her family a Mediterranean Style house in Los Angeles. She said, "For me to give that to my family on my birthday, that was the best present." then added, "It's got pretty much everything you could possibly imagine in it. It's the most beautiful, homey-feeling house. I love it."[60] Lovato also purchased their past $1.88 million home in Toluca Lake, LA. She bought the house when she was 16 years old.[61]

Lovato is a vegetarian.[62] She has been honored The Honorary Ambassador of Education award from the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders.[63]

On November 1, 2010, Lovato's publicist announced that Lovato had left the Jonas Brothers World Tour early during the preceding weekend, in order to enter a treatment center and "seek medical treatment for emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time". The publicist stated that although Lovato had "decided to take personal responsibility for her actions and seek help" and "regrets not being able to finish her tour", she plans to get "back to work in the near future."[64][65] The following day, a Disney spokesperson told People that "we support Demi's decision to put her health first and we send her our best wishes".[66] Lovato's publicist denied persistent media speculation that Lovato's treatment was for substance abuse, stating on November 10, 2010 that Lovato "is not in treatment for drug or alcohol addiction...As we have said since she entered treatment last week, Demi decided to seek help for emotional and physical issues she has battled throughout her life. She has taken this step in order to get her life in order."

Relationships

In 2010, Lovato began dating Joe Jonas, whom she first met while filming Camp Rock in 2007.[68] On May 24, 2010, Lovato confirmed via her official Twitter that she and Jonas were no longer together. In an interview with Us magazine, Jonas stated, "Demi and I knew that going into our romantic relationship it may not be an easy one. I realize that over the time we have spent together that I feel I care more about our friendship right now. It was my choice to break up, but I love her as a friend. She's been there for me when I needed her. I will continue to be her friend and be there for her.

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