Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige Headshot

Singer • Songwriter • Actress • Philanthropist • Entrepreneur

Birth Name: Mary Jane Blige

Birth Date: January 11, 1971

Age: 53 years old

Birth Place: Bronx, New York

Mary J. Blige made an immediate impression with her 1992 debut What's the 411?, and has remained one of R&B's more consistent artists in the decades since. Born in the Bronx, Blige had a tumultuous childhood; her father was a Vietnam vet with post-traumatic stress disorder; and Blige was molested by a family friend at a young age. She found solace in singing in church, but by age 16 had dropped out of school and was abusing various drugs.

She was however still singing, and a cassette demo of her covering Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture" began making the rounds-- initially through her mother who was dating an Uptown Record executive. She was signed to the label and teamed with producer Sean Combs (then Puff Daddy), who oversaw much of the debut. A semi-autobiographical album, What's the 411? was framed with recordings from Blige's answering machine.

Combs' production drew from modern hip-hop but allowed Blige to shine as a vocalist. She paid tribute to one role model, Chaka Khan, with a cover of Rufus' "Sweet Thing" which joined "You Remind Me" and "Real Love" as the album's hit singles.

However, Blige's newfound success coincided with one of her toughest personal periods, as she spiraled into depression and further drug use; it was also reported that she was in an abusive relationship with Jodeci member K-Ci Hailey. All of this was channeled into her second album, My Life, which was hailed as a modern R&B landmark. This time the classic soul influence was stronger than the hip-hop, and Blige had a hand in writing every song.

Blige's personal life continued to inform her music; 1997's more upbeat Share My World celebrated her kicking both the drugs and the relationship with Hailey. She mined the same personal territory in 2001's No More Drama which produced her greatest hit, the Number One single "Family Affair." Meanwhile she launched an acting career, initially with music-related TV guest roles, but in 2004 she acted Off Broadway in the drama The Exonerated, playing a woman serving time for a crime she didn't commit.

This led to her playing a variety of musical and dramatic roles, including starring as a supervillain in the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy" (2019). She briefly hosted an Apple Music webcast, The 411, and surprised the first guest Hillary Clinton by singing a highly topical Bruce Springsteen song.

As a recording artist Blige remains enormously popular; as of 2019 each of her thirteen studio albums has hit the Top Ten. During 2018 she was nominated for Academy Awards for the film "Mudbound," both as supporting actress and performer of the title song. She has become an entrepreneur, starting the Matriarch label and releasing her own brands of perfume and sunglasses.

During 2019 she toured with Nas; the two also collaborated on the single "Thriving" which continued Blige's longtime message of personal strength.

Credits

Rob Peace

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Jackie Peace
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2024

Rob Peace

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2024

Thriller 40Stream

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2023

Live with Kelly and MarkStream

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2023

The Wine Down With Mary J. Blige

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2023

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards

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2023

Mary J. Blige's Real LoveStream

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2023

Mary J. Blige's Strength of a WomanStream

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2023

Sherri

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Lost OllieStream

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BET Awards 2022: An All-Star Tribute to Lifetime Achievement Honoree Diddy

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TIME100: The World's Most Influential People

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Mary J. Blige Feat. Dave East: Rent Money

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Mary J. Blige: Love Is All We Need

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2022

Mary J. Blige: Come See About Me (feat. Fabolous)

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Mary J. Blige: Good Morning Gorgeous

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Mary J. Blige Feat. DJ Khaled: Amazing

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RespectStream

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Mary J Blige's My Life

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Mary J Blige's My Life

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R&Bae Love

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Mary J. Hits

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All About Love

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Drake Feat. Soul II Soul, Bruno Mars, Mary J. Blige: Family Feast

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The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of GospelStream

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Mary J. Blige: Her Walk to Stardom

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The Best of Mary J. Blige

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The Oscars

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etalk's Ultimate Oscar Guide 2018

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We Have a Dream

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Mary J. Blige

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R&B Icon: Mary J

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R&B Heartbreak

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Family Feast

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Grammys Greatest Stories: A 60th Anniversary Special

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George Michael: FreedomStream

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One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert for Disaster Relief

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Live with Kelly and Ryan

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2017

Mary J. Blige: U + Me (Love Lesson)

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Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America

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2017

Mary J. Blige Feat. A$AP Rocky: Love Yourself (Remix)

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Best Holiday R&B

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2017

Mary J. Blige: Strength Of A Woman

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2017

Sounds of the Season Live

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Sounds of the Season Live

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2017

Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life

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Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story

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MudboundStream

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Florence Jackson
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2017
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The 411 with Mary J. Blige

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2016

Mary J. Blige: Thick Of It

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Taraji and Terrence's White Hot Holidays

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2015

The Wiz Live!Stream

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Christmas in Rockefeller Center

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2015

The Making of the Wiz Live!

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The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

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2015

The BET Life of

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2015

Glastonbury Festival 2015

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2015

Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter

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2015

Mary J. Blige: Mary J. Blige on Her Fashion Evolution for Style Files

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BET Honors 2015

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BET Honors 2015: Extras

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The 57th Annual Grammy Awards

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EmpireStream

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Champs

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Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

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A Very Grammy Christmas

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Happy Holidays America

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Mary J Blige at the Roundhouse

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2014

Mary J. Blige - Live at iTunes Festival

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2014

Black-ishStream

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2014
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Glastonbury

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2014

Soulpower

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2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

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2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

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2014

Mary J. Blige: Right Now

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2014

Mary J. Blige: A Night to Remember

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2014

Mary J. Blige: Doubt

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2014

Mary J. Blige: Suitcase

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Mary J. Blige: Night to Remember

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2014

Mary J. Blige: Whole Damn Year

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2014

Sam Smith: Stay With Me

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2014

Disclosure Feat. Mary J. Blige: F for You

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2014

Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade

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2013

Michael Bublés jul

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2013

Michael Bublé's 3rd Annual Christmas Special

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2013

Happy Holidays America 2013

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2013

Nobel 2013

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2013

The Queen Latifah Show

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2013

The Queen Latifah Show

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2013

The Real

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2013

Mary J. Blige: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

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2013

Mary J. Blige: My Favorite Things

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2013

Betty & Coretta

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2013
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2012

Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together

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2012

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2012

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2012

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Live! With Kelly and Michael

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2012

CBS This Morning

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2012

Rock of Ages

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A Home for the Holidays With Martina McBride

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2011

WWE Tribute to the Troops

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LIVE with Kelly

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2011

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The X Factor

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2011

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2011

Mary J. Blige Feat. Drake: Mr. Wrong

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2011

Mary J. Blige Feat. Diddy & Lil Wayne: Someone To Love Me (Naked)

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2011

Mary J. Blige: Don't Mind

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2011

Mary J. Blige: 25/8

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2011

Mary J. Blige: The Living Proof

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2011

Mary J. Blige Feat. Rick Ross: Why?

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2011

DJ Khaled Feat. Fabolous, Jadakiss, & Mary J. Blige: It Ain't Over Til It's Over

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2011

Mary J. Blige: Black Hitsory Month 2012

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2011

The TalkStream

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2010

The Marriage Ref

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2010

Chatty Man

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2010

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards

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2010

The 36th Annual People's Choice Awards

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2010

Mary J. Blige: Children of the Ghetto

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2010

Mary J. Blige Feat. Jay Sean: Each Tear

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2010

Mary J. Blige Feat. Trey Songz: We Got Hood Love

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2010

The 11th Annual A Home for the Holidays With Faith Hill

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2009

Christmas in Washington 2009

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2009

2009 American Music Awards

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2009

Retro Centric

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2009

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2009

The Jay Leno Show

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The Dr. Oz Show

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2009

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

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2009

Alan Carr: Chatty Man

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2009

Alan Carr: Chatty Man

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2009

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

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2009

Mary J. Blige: Stronger

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2009

Mary J. Blige: We Got Hood Love

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2009

Mary J. Blige: I Am

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2009

Mary J. Blige Feat. Drake: The One

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2009

I Can Do Bad All by MyselfStream

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2009
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The Doctors

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2008

The Wendy Williams Show

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The Wendy Williams Show

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The VH1 Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash

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2008

Mary J. Blige: I Can Love You

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2008

Musiq Soulchild Feat. Mary J. Blige: If U Leave

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2008

Big Boi Feat. Mary J. Blige: Sumthin's Gotta Give

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2008

Musiq Soulchild Feat. Mary J. Blige: ifuleave

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2008

Private Sessions

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2007

Chelsea Lately

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2007

Kirk Franklin Feat. Bono, Crystal Lewis, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly and The Family: Lean on Me

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2007

The Better Show

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2007

Mary J. Blige: Stay Down

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2007

Mary J. Blige: Just Fine

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2007

30 RockStream

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Mary J. Blige
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2006
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Rachael Ray ShowStream

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etalk

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2006

Mary J. Blige: We Ride (I See the Future)

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2006

Ludacris Feat. Mary J. Blige: Runaway Love

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2006

Young Hot Rod Feat. Mary J. Blige: Be Easy

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2006

Mary J. Blige: Be Without You

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2005

Made in Hollywood

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2005

Ghost WhispererStream

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The Tyra Show

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2005

So You Think You Can DanceStream

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Dancing With the StarsStream

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2005

Mary J. Blige feat. George Benson: Seven Days

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2005

Mary J. Blige: Take Me As I Am

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2005

Mary J. Blige: Enough Cryin

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2005

Mary J. Blige Feat. Brook Lynn: Enough Cryin

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2005

Mary J. Blige: Family Affair

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2005

Mary J. Blige Feat. Greg Nice: You Remind Me

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2005

Mary J. Blige Feat. U2: One

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2005

EntourageStream

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2004
65%

Happy to Be Nappy and Other Stories of Me

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2004

Extreme Makeover: Home EditionStream

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2004

Tavis Smiley

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2004

Mary J. Blige & U2: One

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2004

Mary J. Blige: It's a Wrap

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The Ellen DeGeneres Show

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2003

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

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2003

America's Next Top ModelStream

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2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

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Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

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2003

American IdolStream

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2003
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2003
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Mary J. Blige: Not Today

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2003

Mary J. Blige Feat. Method Man: Love at 1st Sight

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2003

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

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2001

The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration

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2001

Mary J. Blige: No More Drama

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2001

Mary J. Blige: Rainy Dayz

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2001

Mary J. Blige: Dance For Me

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2001

Prison Song

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All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!

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106 & Park: BET's Top 10 Live

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2000

Wyclef Jean Feat. Mary J. Blige: 911

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2000

Wyclef Jean Feat. Mary J. Blige: 911

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2000

One Life to Live Friday

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One Life to Live Monday

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One Life to Live Today

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One Life to Live Yesterday

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2000

Mary J. Blige: All That I Can Say

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1999

Mary J. Blige: Deep Inside

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Mary J. Blige: Your Child

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1999

In Performance at The White House

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1998

Kickin' It: With Byron Allen

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1998

The View

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The View

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1997

Mary J. Blige: Seven Days

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1997

Mary J. Blige: Everything

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1997

Access Hollywood

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1996

The Jamie Foxx ShowStream

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1996

VH1 Storytellers

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The Chris Rock ShowStream

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MoeshaStream

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1996

Method Man Feat. Mary J. Blige: I'll Be There For You / You're All I Need to Get By

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1995

Entertainers: With Byron Allen

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1994

Extra

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Mary J. Blige: I'm Goin' Down

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1994

Mary J. Blige: Be Happy

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1994

Mary J. Blige: (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman

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1994

Late Show With David Letterman

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1993

Late Show With David Letterman

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1993

Mary J. Blige: You Don't Have to Worry

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1993

Mary J. Blige: Real Love

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1992

Mary J. Blige: Reminisce

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1992

Mary J. Blige: Love No Limit

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1992

Mary J. Blige: You Remind Me

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The Oprah Winfrey ShowStream

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Entertainment Tonight

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Today

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News aboutMary J. Blige

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2023 Grammy Nominations: Beyoncé Ties Jay-Z’s Nominations Record

Mary J. Blige, Morgan Wallen, and Doja Cat

Billboard Music Awards: Full List of Winners as Mary J. Blige Gets Icon Award (VIDEO)

Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg at the Super Bowl Halftime

Super Bowl Halftime Show: What Did You Think of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige & Kendrick Lamar? (VIDEO)

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‘Power Book II: Ghost’: 50 Cent Returns as Kanan Stark in Season 2 Trailer (VIDEO)

Super Bowl Halftime Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige

Super Bowl LVI Halftime: Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige & More to Perform

Jonathan Groff Gina Rodriguez

Jonathan Groff, Gina Rodriguez, Mary J. Blige and More to Star in Netflix Family Series ‘Lost Ollie’

Method Man in Ghost - Season 1 2020

Method Man Joins ‘Power’ Spinoff with Mary J. Blige (PHOTO)

RJ Cyler in Sierra Burgess Is a Loser
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RJ Cyler on Mary J. Blige Playing His Mom on ‘Scream’ & the Relatability of ‘Sierra Burgess Is a Loser’

Mary J. Blige attends the 2018 Essence Festival

TV News Roundup: Mary J. Blige on ‘Scream’, ‘SNL’ Cast Exit, Kenya Barris’ Netflix Deal & More

Mary J. Blige performs onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards

Oscars 2018: Watch All of the Night’s Musical Performances (VIDEOS)

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Who Is Performing at the Oscars 2018? Mary J. Blige, Miguel & More

Mary J. Blige at the 90th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon

Mary J. Blige Gets Her First Full-Time TV Gig on Netflix’s ‘Umbrella Academy’

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Mary J. Blige Belts Out “The Christmas Song” on ‘Taraji and Terrence’s White Hot Holidays’ (VIDEO)

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