SANTA MONICA, Calif., VH1's five-time Emmy Award-nominated documentary series
"
Behind The Music
" returns to focus on eight of today's most influential icons in the music world. The series launches its landmark 15
th year since inception with a roster of top artists including:
NE-YO
,
Nicole Scherzinger
,
Gym Class Heroes
,
Toni Braxton
,
T.I.
(updated),
P!nk (updated) and the previously announced
Carrie Underwood
and
Train
. The franchise is also expanding on
VH1.com with the addition of
"Behind the Song," a companion series of original, standalone mini episodes where select artists discuss the inspiration behind a signature song.
The new season will premiere Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 9pm ET/PT.
"Behind The Music: TRAIN"
Airs Sunday, September 16 at 9pm ET/PT
"Behind The Music:
Train
" highlights the accomplishments of
Pat Monahan,
Jimmy Stafford, and
Scott Underwood; a rock band from
San Francisco, California formed in 1994. Train's original members
Rob Hotchkiss and
Charlie Colin, as well as Monahan, Stafford and Underwood achieved mainstream success with their debut album,
Train, which was officially released in 1998 and was certified double platinum in
the United States and
Canada.
After multi-platinum success, drug problems, fights over money and torn
relationships, Train went into a 2 year hiatus. Upon reuniting, they
climbed back on top of the charts with the Grammy-Award winning single,
"Hey Soul Sister," the first single from Save Me,
San Francisco
. It became the #1 most downloaded song of 2010, leading Train to receive a Grammy Award and platinum status for the album.
"Behind The Music: Train" openly discusses what went wrong and how
reuniting brought them closer together. The band discusses the emotional
loss of Pat's mother dying from cancer and how she inspired the
creation of "Drops of Jupiter," their biggest hit, which won 2 Grammy
Awards in 2002. Train recently completed their 6
th studio album,
California 37. The album has 11 songs that were written over the course of 3 years while touring the globe. The 1
st single from the new album, "Drive By," is currently dominating the radio charts.
"Behind The Music: NE-YO"
Airs Sunday, September 23 at 9pm ET/PT
"Behind The Music: NE-YO"
will show exclusive footage of the
young singer/songwriter performing on Showtime at the Apollo as a member
of the boy band Envy. The band opened up for then up-and-coming R&B
girl group
Destiny's Child. Years later, after getting career-making breaks from
Jay-Z and LA Reid (who is interviewed in the episode),
NE-YO
would go-on to write one of Beyonce's biggest hits, ("Irreplaceable") as well as write and/or produce for
Mary J. Blige,
Mariah Carey,
Rihanna and others. He is one of the last artists to work with
Michael Jackson, his idol. Additional topics in the episode include past heartbreaks, his current relationship and his love of fatherhood.
Three-time Grammy Award-winning artist NE-YO (Shaffer Chimere Smith) is currently working on his 5th studio album,
R.E.D.
He is the recipient of 2 BET Awards, 2 MOBO Awards, 2 MTV Video Music
Awards, 2 Soul Train Music Awards, and 3 Grammy Awards. NE-YO has also
been appointed as Senior Vice President of A&R for Motown. In
addition to his musical success, NE-YO has been cast in major studio
films including
Stomp the Yard,
Battle: Los Angeles
and
Red Tails, the chronicle of the Tuskegee Airmen.
"Behind The Music: Carrie Underwood"
Airs Sunday, September 30 at 9pm ET/PT
In "Behind The Music:
Carrie Underwood,"
the singer speaks openly about the challenges that came along with her
sudden fame and the process of auditioning for and ultimately winning
American Idol. She also discusses her search for love, which led to her
fairytale romance with her hockey player husband,
Mike Fisher.
Carrie's Blown Away album made history this spring by debuting at No. 1
on Billboard's Top Country Albums Chart, making Carrie only the second
country artist in the 47 year history of the chart to have each of their
first four albums debut at No. 1. Blown Away also debuted at No. 1 on
the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, making Carrie only the second country
artist in history to have three consecutive albums debut at No. 1.
"Good Girl," her first single from Blown Away, has already achieved the
No. 1 slot on both Billboard and Country Aircheck's country airplay
charts and became her 15th career No. 1 single. Carrie will co-host the
CMA Awards with
Brad Paisley this fall and was recently nominated as "Female Vocalist of the Year," her seventh career nod in this category.
Since releasing Some Hearts in 2005, Carrie has sold more than 15
million albums with Some Hearts, 2007's Carnival Ride, and 2009's Play
On making her the best-selling American Idol in the U.S. She's
accumulated 15 No. 1 singles, seven of which she co-wrote, and became
the first country artist in history and the only American Idol winner
ever to achieve 10 no. 1 singles from their first two albums. She is a
five-time Grammy winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer
of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female
Vocalist winner, and a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Carrie will also take the stage for the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning series,
"VH1 Presents: Carrie Underwood Unplugged" premiering
October 2 at
4pm ET on VH1.com and
7pm ET on VH1.
"Behind The Music: Nicole Scherzinger"
Airs Sunday, October 7 at 9pm ET/PT
On "Behind The Music:
Nicole Scherzinger,"
the singer discusses the road to stardom and the struggles along the
way, including her relentless lifelong drive to be successful. She will
open up for the first time about the behind-the-scenes tension that came
with the mega success of the
Pussycat Dolls. She also shares how her relationship with current boyfriend, race car driver
Lewis Hamilton has changed her life.
Nicole Scherzinger
knew from a young age that she was destined to be a singer. After
competing in the reality show "Pop Stars," she won a slot as one of the
lead vocalists in the all-girl group
Eden's Crush,
who scored the Top 10 single "Get Over Yourself (Goodbye)." Soon
afterwards, Nicole joined the Pussycat Dolls. In 2003, the group became a
worldwide phenomenon, releasing two albums, 2005's
PCD, which has sold nine million copies worldwide and 2008's worldwide million-seller
Doll Domination.
They also scored a string of massive hit singles, including the No. 1's
"Don't Cha" and "Buttons," the Grammy-nominated "Stickwitu," "I Hate
This Part" and "When I Grow Up," which hit the Top 10 in 16 countries.
The group won two
Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and toured with
Britney Spears,
Christina Aguilera and The
Black Eyed Peas. In addition, Scherzinger showcased her ability to groom and mentor other talent, serving as a judge on both
The Sing Off and
The X Factor. She was recently announced as a judge on
The X Factor UK.
This year, Scherzinger will also achieve one of her life-long dreams,
the release of her debut solo album, released by Interscope Records.
"Behind The Music: Gym Class Heroes"
Airs Sunday, October 14 at 9pm ET/PT
Alternative/hip-hop group
Gym Class Heroes
first catapulted to international stardom in 2007 with their #1 hit
"Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast In America," which set the record for
holding the top spot on the Top 40 radio charts for the most consecutive
weeks by a band, and helped earn them the "Best New Artist" award at
the MTV Video Awards that same year. As a solo artist, Gym Class Heroes
frontman
Travie McCoy was responsible for one of the biggest songs of 2010 with his smash single "Billionaire (featuring
Bruno Mars)." Last year, Gym Class Heroes scored their second #1 hit with "Stereo Hearts" (featuring
Adam Levine),
the lead single from their fourth Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen release,
The Papercut Chronicles II. The album also spawned the Top 5 smash "Ass
Back Home (featuring
Neon Hitch)" and their current single "The Fighter (featuring
Ryan Tedder)" whose companion music video features Olympic gymnast
John Orozco.
"Behind The Music: Gym Class Heroes" focuses on the rapid rise of the
band, who gained popularity with the release of their album,
As Cruel As Schoolchildren. With that success came significant challenges, however, as
Travie McCoy openly discusses his battle with addiction to painkillers and his very public relationship and breakup with pop superstar
Katy Perry.
The overall success of the band keeps them a force in hip-hop music and
pop culture. Collectively, Travie and Gym Class Heroes have sold over 2
million albums worldwide and over 10 million digital singles.
Behind The Music: Toni Braxton"
Airs Sunday, October 28 at 9pm ET/PT
In "Behind The Music:
Toni Braxton,"
the ultimate R&B icon and survivor speaks candidly and openly for
the first time about her roller coaster career journey: her health
struggles, including her diagnosis with lupus and her son's autism, and
sets the record straight on her two bankruptcy filings. Despite the
setbacks, her career accomplishments are phenomenal and this compelling,
eye-opening story will be one that viewers will never forget.
Toni Braxton
's first professional experience was singing in a church choir. Her
distinctive sultry vocal blend of R&B, POP, Jazz and Gospel became
an instant international sensation when she released her first solo
recording in 1992. Today, with more than 40 million albums sold
worldwide and six Grammy Awards,
Toni Braxton
is recognized as one of the most outstanding voices of this generation.
Her single "Unbreak My Heart" came in the fall of 1996 and was
recognized with the coveted Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal
Performance. It has become her signature song, and ranks as the second
top-selling single of all time by a female artist. Most recently,
Braxton is enjoying huge success with her reality show, "Braxton Family
Values."
"Behind the Music: T.I." (Updated) Airs Sunday, November 4 at 9pm
ET/PT
"Behind the Music: T.I." (aka
Clifford Harris Jr.) will catch up with the prolific rapper in the eventful 3 years since his last "Behind the Music" special.
T.I.
's update will include the artist and wife Tiny discussing both
stints in prison and lessons learned. He also discusses his wedding to
Tiny, their hit reality show, "
T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle," (
returning to VH1 September 3 at 9pm
), his life as a husband and father, as well as his growing acting
career, the publication of his book and the upcoming release of his
highly anticipated 8
th studio album.
After an adolescence of crime, violence, and drugs on the tough streets of
Atlanta,
T.I., channeled his frustration and sadness into rapping. In 2007,
while attempting to buy a firearm, T.I. was set up in a sting operation
and busted by federal agents. After serving a year in prison, T.I. was
sent back in 2009 for a parole violation. Upon release nearly 2 years
later, he made an important decision to change his approach and has
since become a mentor, reaching out to troubled youth and preaching
against the very mistakes that he made.
"Behind The Music: P!nk" (Updated) Airs Tuesday, November 13 at 10pm ET/PT*
"Behind The Music:
P!nk"
will discuss how motherhood has changed her life as well as her
continued career success since her previous "Behind the Music" special.
The show will also include new interviews with P!nk and her husband,
Carey Hart.
Since her debut in 2000, P!nk (
Alecia Moore)
has released 6 albums, sold over 32 million albums, 65 million singles
(nearly 20 million digital tracks), over 1 million DVDs worldwide and
has had 12 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. She is
the recipient of 3 Grammy Awards, 2 Billboard Music Awards, 5 MTV Video
Music Awards, 2 MTV Europe Awards, 2 People's Choice Awards, and many
more. P!nk's last studio album Funhouse debuted at #2 on the Billboard
Top 200 chart and produced the smash single "So What", which marked
P!nk's 2nd #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 (after "Lady Marmalade").
Her latest album, Greatest Hits So Far… debuted in the Top 10 in over 13
countries and spawned the hit singles, "F**ckin Perfect" and "Raise
Your Glass" which marked P!nk's 3rd #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
P!nk is set to release her 6th studio album, The Truth About Love on
September 18th. The first single "Blow Me (
One Last Kiss)" has sky-rocketed to the top of music charts all over the world and mark's P!nk's 12thTop 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
*Spend
Tuesday, November 13 with P!nk and VH1, with "Behind the Music: P!nk" at
10pm ET/PT followed by "
VH1 Storytellers: P!nk
" premiering at
11pm ET/PT.
About Behind The Music:
The series debuted on VH1 in August of 1997 and was originally created and produced for VH1 by
Gay Rosenthal,
George Moll and
Jeff Gaspin who were responsible for many of the channel's 200+ episodes of the series. The current series is executive produced by
Shelly Tatro,
Brad Abramson,
Stephen Mintz and
Jeff Olde for VH1. Executives in charge of music talent are
Rick Krim and
Leah Horwitz.
Mark Ford and
Kevin Lopez serve as Executive Producers for the Carrie Underwood, Gym Class Heroes and
Toni Braxton episodes on behalf of Creature Films.
VH1.com will also be home to extended interviews and footage from each episode, including
"Behind the Song,"
a series of stand-alone webisodes and interviews that tell the story
behind the making and/or meaning of specific songs by select
artists. Follow
@VH1 on Twitter and use hashtag
#BehindTheMusic to discuss the series. "Like"
VH1 on Facebook for updates, bonus video and other exclusives.
VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that
matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive
online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99
million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels
and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive
video on VH1.com. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one
of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all
media platforms.
