Jenifer

Born in Nice, France, on November 15, 1983, Francophone pop singer Jenifer (real name: Jenifer Yaël Dadouche-Bartoli) burst onto the French pop scene when she won the first series of reality talent show Star Academy in 2002. This victory (overshadowing her loss at a similar endeavor in 1997 on the television show Graines de Star) led to a recording contract and saw the release of her first single, "J'attends l'Amour," shortly thereafter. A self-titled debut album was not far behind and was a hit, selling more than 750,000 units. Touring followed, and her career took a short break when she saw in the birth of her son in December 2003. 2004 found Jenifer back on track, releasing her second album, Le Passage. A tour and live album, Jenifer Fait Son Live, followed in 2005. In 2007, Jenifer hit number one on the French album charts for the first time, with that year's November release, Lunatique. She also won a number of NRJ Radio awards, including Best French Female Artist and Best French Album, as well as a Best French Artist at the 2004 MTV Europe Music Awards.