VH1's Iconic Music Series "Behind The Music" Returns With Seven All New Episodes Beginning in June

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1's most celebrated music documentary series "Behind The Music" returns with seven of today's most successful and celebrated artists. The five-time Emmy® Award-nominated series gives viewers a front row seat to the most exclusive and intimate interviews with the artists as well as their families, friends and colleagues. Featured this season are Missy Elliott, Ice Cube, Miranda Lambert, Mary J. Blige, Enrique Iglesias, Adam Lambert and Ricky Martin. Beginning on Wednesday, June 29 at 9 PM ET/PT with "Behind The Music: Missy Elliott," the series will bring viewers never-before-seen footage of these talented musicians and the people who know them best.

"Behind The Music: Missy Elliott" Premieres Wednesday, June 29 at 10 PM ET/PT

Becoming the most successful female writer-producer-artist the hip hop world has ever seen was not easy for Missy Elliott. Born in Virginia, Missy was faced with the hardships of poverty at the age of eight. Surrounded by abuse and horror, Missy used her passion for music to escape from it all, landing a record deal at the age of 19 with DeVante Swing of Jodeci. For the first time, Missy breaks her silence about why she had to walk away from DeVante and her first group "Da Bassment." Not letting her past bring her down, Missy surpassed her demons and rose to fame with her groundbreaking debut album "Supa Dupa Fly." Working with some of the biggest names in the music industry, from Diddy to Mariah Carey to Janet Jackson and with her daring lyrics, Missy Elliott was able to take over the hip hop world and become a millionaire by the age of 25. After years away from the spotlight, Missy Elliott is opening up publicly for the first time in this "Behind The Music." Viewers will watch as Missy talks about her near-fatal battle with Graves disease, address rumors about her weight and opens up about being sexually molested as a young child, a subject she rarely discusses. Catch interviews with Timbaland, Ciara and Mary J. Blige as they contribute personal stories about the gifted Missy Elliott who changed the face of hip hop music forever.

"Behind The Music: Ice Cube" Premieres Wednesday, July 6 at 10 PM ET/PT

This episode of "Behind the Music" follows the three-decade-long career of legendary rapper Ice Cube from his journey as a founding member of the notorious rap group NWA to a blockbuster movie star. The extraordinary career of Ice Cube begins with his upbringing in South Central Los Angeles where he faced gang violence and drug dealers on a daily basis. Finding refuge in music, Ice Cube and his neighborhood friends formed NWA to speak out about the harsh reality of growing up in the ghetto. Years and many hits later, the group dismantled sparking a bitter feud between Ice Cube and his former band members and manager Jerry Heller, which lead to Ice Cube's decision to embark on a solo career. In an unexpected move, Ice Cube took a movie role in John Singleton's critically-acclaimed movie "Boyz N The Hood." The role of Darrin "Doughboy" Baker would give Ice Cube not only the credibility in the movie industry but the confidence to continue to pursue acting roles as well writing and directing jobs. Since then, Ice Cube has produced and starred in a slew of blockbuster movies and TV shows such as "Friday," "Barbershop," "Three Kings" and "Are We There Yet?"  At home, Ice Cube is the father of four children with long-time wife Kim and explains how he now shares the stage with two of his sons, Doughboy and OMG, who hope to follow in his rapping footsteps.  Viewers will watch as friends Snoop Dogg, DJ Yella from NWA and actress Nia Long discuss how Ice Cube has become a modern day Renaissance man, transforming from a South Central street kid to a major force in music, movies and television today.

"Behind The Music: Miranda Lambert" Premieres Wednesday, July 13 at 10 PM ET/PT

Twenty seven year-old Grammy Award-winning artist, Miranda Lambert fell in love with music at a young age and was determined to one day be a part of the country music world. Growing up in rural Texas, Miranda watched her parents lose everything when their private investigation business went under, causing the Lamberts to live completely off their land.   Starting out just shy of 18, Miranda hit the East Texas bar scene playing gigs at a variety of rough and tumble watering holes. Having to deal with local drunks and barely making ends meet, Miranda was determined to make her mark in a "man's world." But in 2003, her big break came when she tried out for the new reality TV series "Nashville Star," landing third place and a potential record deal. With the possibility of stardom so close, Miranda kept her tough Texan attitude as she rose to the top, demanding artistic control of her debut album "Kerosene."  Miranda delivered the label what she promised, hitting the country music charts at #1 and followed that success with a second album that did exactly the same thing, all by the age of 25. Even with her fast-paced rise to the top, Miranda found time to fall in love with fellow country star, Blake Shelton. In February 2011, the country music couple celebrated Miranda's success as she received her first Grammy Award for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" for "The House That Built Me" off her third and must successful album to date "Revolution."  Viewers watching this episode of "Behind The Music" will get the exclusive first look at interviews with loving husband, Blake Shelton, Miranda's parents Rick and Bev, "Nashville Star" judge Tracy Gershon, former Sony Nashville head Joe Galante, music legend Loretta Lynn and fellow country music stars Sheryl Crow, Kenny Chesney and Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum.

"Behind The Music: Nelly" (Repeat) Airs Wednesday, July 20 at 10 PM ET/PT

Growing up in St. Louis, MO, Nelly spent most of his childhood bouncing from home to home, sleeping on couches and changing schools with alarming regularity. The lack of parental supervision quickly led him to a life of crime. Years later, he joined a rap group called the St. Lunatics and finally found the family he'd been lacking. However, his loyalty to that family was tested when record labels came calling, saying, "We want you—not them." With his group's blessing, Nelly signed to Universal Records and released "Country Grammar." The album sold nearly 10 million copies and forever changed the face of hip hop. Since then, life has hardly been easy for Nelly. From a decline in album sales and controversial music videos to his best friend's incarceration and his sister's tragic death from leukemia, Nelly has battled plenty of demons.  In this episode of "Behind The Music," Nelly candidly opens up about his life as a musician, actor and businessman. For the first time, Nelly publicly addresses the death of his sister and his relationship with singer Ashanti, who is also interviewed for the special. Hear the poignant tale of Nelly's life through in-depth interviews with his closest friends, family, and the person who knows it best — Nelly himself.  

"Behind The Music: Mary J. Blige" Premieres Wednesday, July 27 at 10 PM ET/PT

This episode of "Behind The Music" will take a look inside the life and outstanding career of Mary J. Blige, the reigning Queen of R&B. Watch as VH1 captures the story of how faith, courage and a never-ending search for love and contentment helped one of the world's most talented musicians survive a tumultuous past. After her soulful remake of Anita Baker's "Caught Up In A Rapture" was heard by Uptown Records President Andre Harrell, Mary was signed instantly, changing her life forever. She then joined forces with soon-to-be music legend, Sean "Diddy" Combs and together they changed the music world with her honest and heartfelt debut album "What's The 411?" Although Mary's professional life was flourishing, at home she was dealing with a volatile relationship and hit her lowest moment.  Mary needed to make a change and she did. She was ready to better herself. Mary lifted herself out of her hole by praying and keeping the faith that things would change, and they soon did.  Mary's prayers were answered and she fell in love with Kendu Isaacs, who would later become her very supportive husband, friend, and manager.  He helped and encouraged her on her road to greatness.  With Kendu's love, help and guidance, Mary found a new happiness which was reflected in her top selling albums such as "No More Drama" and "The Breakthrough" which won three Grammy Awards.  By the time Mary sang for President Obama at the Inauguration Day ceremony in 2009, her world had taken a 180 degree turn and she describes the experience as one of the most meaningful moments of her career.  Now, Mary is set to release "My Life Too, The Journey Continues" on September 20 where she continues to deliver timeless hits while discussing her never ending journey.  Catch candid interviews with husband Kendu Isaacs, sister LaTonya Blige Dacosta, Diddy, Nas, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Mary J. Blige herself. 

"Behind The Music: Enrique Iglesias" Premieres Wednesday, August 3 at 10 PM ET/PT

Enrique Iglesias is the son of a legendary musical family and one of few artists who can legitimately be called a "global sensation." Beginning his career by singing Spanish love songs, Enrique soon conquered the Latin music market and was a breakout star leading the charge of the Latin music explosion into the mainstream pop market in 1999. With more than 58 million records sold worldwide, he's already outlasted many of the artists that followed in his wake and continues to sell out concerts across five continents and top the charts all over the world. In this "Behind The Music," the notoriously private singer will discuss how he got to be the man he is today, what the people in his life mean to him and reveal his inner-most thoughts on rumors and issues that have plagued his career, as well as his ten-year-relationship with tennis superstar Anna Kournikova.  Starting out with a $48 million recording contract, Enrique has experienced both highs and lows in his career but now finds himself at the top of his game. Viewers will watch as Enrique Iglesias, a man who has successfully crossed over to both Latin and English music for over a decade and whose 2001 song "Hero" helped a nation through one of the most horrific times in its history, finally feels the success and joy that his life has to offer.  In this episode viewers will hear from childhood friend Andres Restrepo, musical artist Pitbull, President and CEO Universal Republic Records Monte Lipman and Enrique himself.

"Behind The Music: Adam Lambert" Premieres Wednesday, August 10 at 10 PM ET/PT

Glam-rock powerhouse, Adam Lambert has taken pop music by storm with his handsome looks, electrifying stage theatrics and jaw-dropping vocal acrobatics. In this episode of "Behind the Music" Adam Lambert opens up to VH1 about the challenges he faced during his childhood including realizing he was gay in 6th grade. After finally coping with his identity, Adam freed himself at the age of 18, coming out to his family and moving to Hollywood, CA to pursue his dream of being an entertainer. Struggling to make ends meet, Lambert received his first big break when he landed a part in the European tour of "Hair" at age 19. The excitement of his first role brought out Adam's wild side as he began to experiment with sex, drugs and rock n' roll.  For the next eight years Adam was continually cast in various stage productions including "Wicked." At age 27 and without a record deal, Adam had a realization during a psychedelic experience at the Burning Man festival that if he wanted fame he would have to take control and make it happen. In turn, Adam decided to audition for the iconic TV show, "American Idol." Making the top 13, Adam was poised to go far in the competition until scandalous photos of him dressed in drag and kissing another man leaked on the Internet. Adam remained tight-lipped about the photos to the press, determined to keep the focus on his talent. As he advanced to the final round of the competition, the media began to debate whether America would elect a gay Idol. Placing second, Adam quickly landed a record deal with RCA and 19 Recordings, taking the opportunity to come out about his sexuality in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. However, Adam wasn't done shocking the world, and during his debut television performance at the "American Music Awards" he stunned audiences by kissing his male bassist onstage. Following a huge backlash from viewers, Adam released his debut album "For Your Entertainment," which skyrocketed to #3 on the Billboard chart in its first week.  Viewers of this episode of "Behind the Music" will see never-before-seen home video footage, interviews with family, friends, industry experts and musical luminaries including Barry Weiss and "American Idol" Season 8 winner Kris Allen. With constant criticism about being too bold, too offensive and too gay, Adam Lambert comes clean to VH1 about who he really is and the obstacles he has overcome to get where he is today.

"Behind The Music: Ricky Martin" Premieres Wednesday, August 17 at 10 PM ET/PT

Nobody's got female fans' hearts fluttering more than Ricky Martin with his sexy dance moves and sultry voice.  As one of the most successful crossover singers in history, Ricky sold upwards of 60 million albums with global chart toppers like "Living La Vida Loca," "She Bangs"  and "La Copa de la Vida."  In this "Behind the Music," Ricky Martin recounts his career from his early days with the Latin pop group Menudo through his days as a soap opera star and finally to his career as a music phenomenon.  Viewers will watch as Ricky opens up to "Behind the Music" for the second time, including discussing his decision to come out a gay man, a topic he first revealed in his 2010 autobiography "Me."  Finally, Ricky reflects on his 20-year career and how he balances his life as a father of twin boys and as an international performer.

Select full episodes of "Behind The Music," as well as extended interviews and footage will be available at BehindTheMusic.VH1.com.

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 channels 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.  The Ice Cube and Ricky Martin episodes were executive produced by Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez for Creature Films.

*All times are ET/PT

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 98 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at VH1Press.com

SOURCE VH1

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