Erika Girardi (born July 10, 1971), known professionally as Erika Jayne, is an American singer, author, actress and television personality. Raised in Atlanta, Girardi came to prominence with the release of her debut single "Roller Coaster", which topped the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in 2007; it was included on her debut studio album Pretty Mess in 2009. Jayne has attained nine number-one songs on the Dance Club Songs chart as of 2018. She is ranked at No. 42 on Billboard's 100 Greatest of All Time Dance Club Artists.
In 2015, Girardi became a recurring cast member on the sixth season of the reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, followed by her role on Dancing with the Stars in 2017. In 2018, Girardi released her book Pretty Mess, which became a New York Times Best Seller. She is also known for her philanthropic work and social activism, including LGBT rights.
Video Erika Jayne
Life and career
1971-1998: Early life and career beginnings
Erika Girardi was born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 10, 1971, to a single mother, Renee Chahoy. Her mother, a fellow actress and a pianist, was only 18 when she gave birth to Girardi. Her parents broke up before she was a one-year-old. Girardi was adopted by her mother's new partner and they were married and divorced twice. In the middle of the marriages, her stepfather legally adopted her, but cut off contact after the second divorce from her mother. Girardi met her biological father for the first time at the age of 25 and compared it to "meeting a stranger." Girardi has revealed that she has seen her biological father only twice after their first meeting, saying "he had never, ever acknowledged my existence, to anyone, and obviously to himself, as well." She had a close relationship with her grandparents, Hollis and Ann Peek. Girardi's grandfather whom she called "the only father I've ever known," died in July 2010 at the age of 81. Her grandmother died of Alzheimer's disease in November 2014 at the age of 86. "My grandmother and I used to speak on the phone for an hour every day about nothing. When those phone calls stopped, that was the hardest. Because I knew she could no longer communicate. I had always gotten such strength and such love from those phone calls and when they stopped, it was a real marker of, 'This is over, Erika. The woman that you know is no longer," she said in an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Jayne attended North Atlanta High School. She enrolled in a magnet program for the performing arts in high school, saying, "That's where you really learned to love the stage and really hone your early performing skills. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world." Her first jobs in the entertainment industry included doing plays and commercials as a child actress. At 18, she moved to New York City. She performed as a member of several girl groups while living in New York, including recording songs with The Flirts and performing with I-Dolls. During this time she met Italian Thomas Zizzo, when he was working as a DJ at a club in Manhattan. The couple got married in December 1991 at St. Patrick's Cathedral. She described the wedding as "big, obnoxious, and pink." Soon after she gave birth to a son, Thomas Zizzo, Jr. After the couple divorced a few years later, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a singer and performer. After moving from New York to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, she took several minimum-wage jobs to support herself.
Jayne started her acting career in the early 1990s by appearing in small roles in several film and television productions. She appeared as Cindy Butterworth on the police drama series High Incident, as well as having roles in independent films Lowball and Alchemy. She also appeared as Suzanne Morton on Law & Order, in the episode "Prescription for Death". She was the first person to ever "die" on the show. In 1991, she made her second appearance on the show in the episode "Violence of Summer".
1999-2017: Debut album and television projects
In 1999, Jayne married attorney Thomas Girardi, a founding partner of Girardi & Keese in downtown Los Angeles. She has discussed spending her early 30s focusing on her life with her husband, saying: "I went to every legal organization, every event -- all of those groups he belonged to and those speeches he gave." Staying true to her love of music, Jayne's first dance music single "Roller Coaster" was released on January 1, 2007. The song placed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Jayne's debut full-length album Pretty Mess, was released in the United States on August 11, 2009. Jayne also co-wrote several songs on her album. The other singles from the album were "Stars", "Give You Everything" and "Pretty Mess". The album spawned a total of four number-one singles on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, tying her with Rihanna and The Pussycat Dolls for most #1 singles from a debut release. She released three different music video versions of "Give You Everything". The music videos were directed by feature film director Marty Thomas. Remixes of "Give You Everything" placed at No. 2 on the Music Week Upfront Club Chart as well as No. 6 on the Music Week Commercial Pop Club Chart, marking her first time to land on the United Kingdom charts. Jayne supported the release of Pretty Mess with tour dates and appearances at festivals and clubs across the United States. In November 2010, Jayne announced the creation of her own record label, Pretty Mess Records.
In November 2011, she released her No. 1 single "Party People (Ignite the World)". Music critics gave the song positive reviews. In 2012, she recorded "All Things Aside", that was released for the soundtrack to comedy film The Watch starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Her music has been featured in several films, including "Roller Coaster" in 2008's Deal featuring Burt Reynolds and in the horror film Bumper, and "I Lose Myself" and "Just a Phase" are in the 2007's The Neighbor. In 2013, she released a single featuring American rapper Flo Rida, "Get it Tonight". The music video for the song garnered over three million views on YouTube and was well received by fans. In September 2014, Jayne achieved her seventh number one dance single with "PAINKILLR". The single "Crazy", featuring Maino was released on February 15, 2015. The song was produced by Scott Storch and Mikey Minden served as a music video director. A music video for the song features Jayne dancing in an underground club with an entourage of dancers. She has a new album in the works through a joint venture with Pretty Mess Records and New Nation Live label, distributed by Universal. Jayne released her new single "How Many Fucks" on April 19, 2016.
In 2015, she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for the show's sixth season. She soon became a fan favorite on the show and her appearance was well received by the public. In July 2016, she appeared as Tech Frances in the science fiction television film Sharknado: The 4th Awakens. In October 2016, Jayne appeared on the Animal Planet series Tanked, in the episode "Real Aquariums of Beverly Hills". On November 7, 2016, Entertainment Weekly broke news that Jayne would guest-star on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, as Farrah Dubose, and would share scenes with her Real Housewives co-star, Eileen Davidson. Jayne performed her latest single "XXpen$ive" for the first time on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on January 4, 2017. Music video for the single was officially released on February 15, 2017. She described the song as "over-the-top, fabulous and fun." In May 2017, the song was featured on an episode of Saturday Night Live as Chris Pine and Bobby Moynihan held a lip sync battle to the song.
On March 1, 2017, Jayne was revealed as one of the contestants who would compete on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko who had been previously partnered with Jayne's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star, Lisa Vanderpump when she competed in Season 16. They were the fourth couple eliminated from the competition, finishing 9th place. Jayne was hospitalized after she sustained a shoulder injury during her run on Dancing with the Stars. She had a surgical procedure for an upper body tear in May 2017. In July 2017, Jayne announced she had partnered with make up brand BeautyBlender. The Beautyblender Swirl starring Jayne became available at Sephora on July 8, 2017. In August 2017, it was announced by media outlets, that she is collaborating with Too Faced Cosmetics, potentially on new products. She is the face of Too Faced's "Better Than Sex Shoe" campaign in October 2017. The stiletto was inspired by the "Better Than Sex Mascara", one of the brand's best-selling products. She appeared as a guest co-host on E!'s Fashion Police in September 2017. In December 2017, she appeared on the holiday cover of CVLUX magazine, as well as a Christmas-themed photo shoot for Paper magazine.
2018-present: Memoir and new music
In January 2018, she appeared in a Christina Aguilera-themed episode on Lip Sync Battle competing against Taye Diggs. She performed Aguilera's famous hits "Fighter" and "Genie In a Bottle". She has also previously performed at Aguilera's 36th birthday party in December 2016. On March 5, 2018, she appeared as a guest co-host on FOX's Dish Nation.
In early 2018 she released a tell-all memoir with Brian Moylan, Pretty Mess, with color photos and personal stories. "I hope my intimate story can inspire readers to become their own strong, confident and vibrant pretty messes," she said in the book's press release. The book was seventh on the New York Times Best Seller list. Her latest single, "Cars" will be released on April 10, 2018.
Maps Erika Jayne
Public image
She has been named a dance-pop diva and dance sensation by the public. Described as being "sassy, fun and provocative" when performing on stage, Jayne has said that she originally created the alter ego "Erika Jayne" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Erika Jayne as being "a fantasy character", despite being "a real part of me, but not 24 hours a day." She has appeared on several magazine editorials and front covers, including Billboard, LGBT Weekly, Flaunt and Celebrity Page. In December 2017, Kim Kardashian's mobile game, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood added Jayne as a new virtual character as a part of a special quest for players. Jayne's stage performances and travels have also been created into a book by photographer Marco Bollinger. Jayne has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances.
Jayne supports the LGBT community worldwide and "feels at home with the community," as she has several gay friends. She is considered a gay icon, and the gay community has embraced her as a pop culture icon. She often performs at LGBT events and festivals.
Jayne names Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe as her style icons. She has also discussed how her mother and grandmother have been a continuing inspiration to her. She grew up listening to Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson and named them as her musical inspirations.
Philanthropy
Girardi and her husband are philanthropists and together they contribute to their community with frequent charitable donations. She was named "News Ally Entertainer of 2015" at the LGBT Ally Awards in recognition of her ongoing support for the rights and equality of LGBT people around the world. In 2015, she participated in protest march against the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, where hundreds of supporters marched towards the Chinese Consulate. The protest march was organized by her The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star Lisa Vanderpump and Girardi described the march as her "favorite charity event."
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Soundtrack appearances
Filmography
Published works
- Jayne, Erika. Pretty Mess. New York: Gallery Books, 2018. ISBN 1501181890.
Awards and nominations
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
- List of number one dance airplay hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance airplay chart
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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