• Celebrity
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Women in Music
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion House
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Color Files Podcast
    • Nails
    • How-To
    • Beauty Carnival-Archive
    • Dope Stuff On My Desk
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
    • Spring Hair And Beauty
  • Love
    • Love & Sex
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle News
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2020
    • Unbossed Podcast
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
    • Your legacy
  • News
    • BLACK VOTES MATTER
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Events
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • LEVEL UP: Entrepreneur Summit (DEC 2020)
    • Power Tools
    • SHE GOT NOW
    • Girls United Summit
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Dear Black Men
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Festival
  • Subscribe
  • Essence Studios
  • Girls United
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Shop Essence

Follow Us

Skip to content
  • Essence Studios
  • Girls United
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Shop Essence
  • Celebrity
    • Celebrity
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Women in Music
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Fashion
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion House
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Color Files Podcast
    • Nails
    • How-To
    • AVEENO® Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty Carnival-Archive
    • Dope Stuff On My Desk
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • Beauty News
  • Hair
    • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
    • Spring Hair And Beauty
  • Love
    • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • Lifestyle News
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2020
    • Netflix’s Jingle Jangle Gift Guide
    • Unbossed Podcast
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
    • Your Legacy
  • News
    • News
    • BLACK VOTES MATTER
    • Essence 50th Anniversary
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Events
    • Events
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • LEVEL UP: Entrepreneur Summit (DEC 2020)
    • Power Tools
    • SHE GOT NOW
    • Girls United Summit
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Dear Black Men
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Festival
  • Subscribe
Home · News

Happy 40th Birthday, Mary J. Blige

Happy 40th Birthday, Mary J. Blige
By · November 25, 2009October 29, 2020
01
Techno Color

Mary J. Blige, pictured here in 2000, was not afraid of colorful hairstyles or fashions. Her over-the-top outfits were balanced out by her soulful voice.

Getty Image
02
Team Blige

Blige and Sean “Diddy” Combs have often collaborated since her 1992 debut, “What’s the 411?” Here, the duo work together on the remix to her single, “No More Drama,” in 2001.

Getty Image
03
Gangster Lean

Mary J. Blige performs at the “My VH1 Music Awards 2001” at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Getty Image
04
The Cat’s Meow

Blige sings at the 26th Annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

Getty Image
05
Paying Homage

Blige with the late, great Luther Vandross on the red carpet at the First Annual BET Awards in 2001.

Getty Image
06
Divas, Las Vegas

Whitney Houston and Mary J. performed on the “VH1 Divas Las Vegas” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in 2002.

Getty Image
07
Show Stopper

Blige’s performance of her signature hit, “No More Drama,” brought the crowd to their feet at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Getty Image
08
Collabos

Blige has paired with some of popular music’s finest during her nearly-twenty year career including The Notorious B.I.G., Bono, Common, Roy Ayers, Ludacris, Elton John, Jay-Z and Eve, among them. Here, she performs “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By” with Method Man.

Getty Image
09
Award Winner

The Yonkers, New York native received her first Grammy in 1996 for “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By,” her duet with Method Man. Today, she is the proud winner of nine Grammys.

Getty Image
10
Soul Sisters

Mary J. Blige poses with Lauryn Hill at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Party in 2000. Hill and Blige collaborated on Hill’s “Used to Love Him.”

Getty Image
11
The Queens

At VH1’s “Divas Live: The One and Only Aretha Franklin,” The Queen of Soul and The Queen of Hip- Hop Soul sang “Ain’t No Way.”

Getty Image
12
Real Love

Blige finally found her real love in Kendu Isaacs. The couple began their relationship in 2000 and were married three years later.

Getty Image
13
Behind Every Great Woman…

Simply put, Kendu is Blige’s husband, friend and manager.

Jennifer Cooper
14
Pairing Up

Blige collaborated with rapper, Ja Rule, on her hit, “Rainy Days.”

Getty Image
15
Rock Meets Soul

Bono joins Blige for a performance of “One” during the 16th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction in 2001.

Getty Image
16
Rock Like This

Mary J. Blige has always exuded a rock-tinged vibe, from her outfits to her music. Her collaborations with Sting, Elton John and Bono are further proof.

Getty Image
17
Beauty Business

Along with her accomplishments in music, Blige has expanded her brand into the beauty industry. She recently launched her own fragrance, acts as a consultant for Carol’s Daughter and has been a MAC spokesperson.

Getty Image
18
Fierce, Fly and Fashionable

Blige posed alongside her friend and favorite designer, Catherine Malandrino, and Estelle at Malandrino’s Spring 2010 runway show.

Getty Image
19
Black Girls Rock

Blige was honored with the Black Girls Rock Icon Award for her success as an artist and for being a role model for young, inner city women.

Getty Image
20
R.I.P. B.I.G

Blige was attended the New York premiere of “Notorious” about her friend Notorious B.I.G.

Jennifer Cooper
21
Giving Back

Mary J. Blige opened a resource center in Yonkers, New York, which is an extension of her work with her non-profit organization, Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN).

Getty Image
22
Sister Circle

Serena Williams and Alicia Keys came out to support Blige at a Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN) fundraiser.

Getty Image
23
Empowered Women

Oprah Winfrey loves her some Mary J. Along with being a frequent guest on her daily talk show, Mary was invited to attend an event at Oprah’s Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

Getty Image
24
Survivor

Blige performs “I Can See in Color,” the theme song for the film, “Precious,” at the premiere party in 2009. She released the film’s soundtrack on her Matriarch Records label.

Getty Image
25
The Soundtrack

Mary J. Blige blessed LeBron James with a song for the soundtrack for his documentary, “More Than a Game.”

Getty Image
26
Take Me As I Am

Mary J. Blige warms up during rehearsals for the American Music Awards.

Getty Image
27
Glam Slam

Blige sports a winning, red carpet look at last year’s American Music Awards. She has won four AMA’s to date.

Getty Image
28
Good Sport

A proud New Yorker, Blige performed “The Star Spangled Banner” at the World Series. The Yankees won!

Getty Image
29
Lady in Red

Blige is a splendor, in red, as she arrives at a New Yorkers for Children benefit.

Getty Image
30
With Feeling

Never one to hold back, Blige delivered a powerhouse performance of her single, “I Am,” at the American Music Awards.

Getty Image
31
On Bended Knee

Blige gives it her all during her performance at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Party in 2010. The entire crowd in the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel was on their feet.

32
Pivotal Performance

Blige sings “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with Andrea Bocelli during this year’s Grammy Awards. All proceeds from iTunes sales will be donated to the Haiti relief effort.

33
For Haiti

Blige took the stage at BET’s SOS Help For Haiti benefit concert in Miami.

34
The Breakthrough

Blige has become one of the greatest female recording artist of our time. Her voice, her lyrics and her renewed spirit represent the Black female identity in the most empowering way.

Getty Image
35
The Long Haul

Blige has transcended boundaries and genres, fortified her brand and is on her way to becoming a legend. Nice work, Mary.

36
609701
37
Rock the Mic

Nobody rocks a show quite like MJB. “Onstage, you can’t have things dragging or hanging. It has to be the tailored, custom-made (version) of your comfort zone. I never want to be too pretty,” she once said.

38
609761
39
She’s Fancy

Always one to recognize young talent, in 2010 Blige collaborated with Drake on both “Fancy” and “The One.”

40
Giving Back

In 2009, Gucci created a one-of-a-kind watch to benefit Blige’s FFAWN organization.

41
609711
42
609741
43
Survivor

Blige spoke at this year’s Women’s Conference, honoring her friend Oprah Winfrey.

44
609781
45
The Long Haul

Blige has transcended boundaries and genres, fortified her brand and is on her way to becoming a legend. Nice work, Mary.

Read More

Celebrity
Baseball Legend Hank Aaron Dies At 86
Entertainment
9 Moments We Loved From Ashanti Verzuz Keyshia Cole
Culture
5 Contemporary Black Poets You Should Know
Fashion
The Best Dressed Black Creatives On Instagram This Week
News
Vice President Harris Hits the Ground Running
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2021 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now