Mariah Carey’s Pre-Fame Job Skills Came In Handy During the Pandemic
Mariah Carey is a music icon. Her beautiful voice has incredible range, from her soothing deep notes to her infamous whistle register. Although she has always been musically gifted — she started imitating her mother’s opera songs at just two years old — she did explore other career options before getting her big break. That time wasn’t a complete waste because Carey has found that those skills have come in handy during quarantine.
Mariah Carey’s early years weren’t quite a fairy tale
Carey may be one of the music industry’s pop princesses, but her early years were anything but a fairy tale. Her parents divorced when she was just three years old, and Carey spent most of her childhood living in Long Island with her mother.
When Carey was in school, she was bullied because of her skin color and mixed racial background. She desperately wanted to fit in, and had a hard time dealing with the rejection from her peers.
Carey’s mother was an opera singer, so her home had always been filled with music. She turned to music for comfort, and used it as an escape from the stress in her life. Like her mother, she was a very talented musician, with a natural gift for singing.
After graduating from high school, Carey moved to Manhattan to pursue a music career. She worked long days–mostly waitressing–and spent her nights writing songs and searching for her big break. When that big break came–in the form of Tommy Mottola and a contract with Columbia Records–it really was like a fairy tale for the young singer.
Mariah Cary was in cosmetology school
Carey got her big break one magical evening at a party hosted by CBS Records. Her friend had convinced her to bring along a demo tape, hoping that they could convince someone at a record label to listen.
In an unbelievable stroke of luck, Tommy Mottola — the president of Columbia Records — ended up with Carey’s tape. He listened to it in his car and was instantly taken with the young singer. He ran back into the party to find her, but she was already gone.
Mottola tracked her down, offered her a contract, and the rest is history. Carey released her self-titled album in 1990, followed by Emotions in 1992, and Music Box in 1993. Before all that happened, though, Carey actually spent quite some time studying another field, just in case she needed a back-up career option.
Carey spent 500 hours in cosmetology school, which is roughly about a year of education. The pop star never finished, eventually dropping out once she started her music career, but she still learned some valuable tips and tricks. A background in cosmetology certainly can’t hurt when you’re in the entertainment business!
The beauty school skills are coming in handy during quarantine
Carey probably had plenty of personal stylists throughout her music career, but she’s recently dusted off her own cosmetology skills. It’s no secret that we’ve all had to get a little creative to keep from dying of boredom during this pandemic, and Carey is no exception.
She recently posted an adorable video of herself and her daughter, Monroe. In the video, Carey styles a pink wig for her daughter, who gives the finished product her seal of approval. Carey captioned the clip: “Passing time in quarantine… My 500 hours of beauty school came in handy!”
Carey’s twins, Monroe and Moroccan, are now eight years old. The singer recently celebrated her birthday and is currently working on recording new music. Her new song, “Migrate”, is actually playing in the background of her video clip, and fans are loving it.
