Read Along and Pronounce with Singer Biographies

Improve your American English pronunciation by listening, reading, and reading along with singer biographies. These are the biographies of singers whose songs we feature for sing-along activities to help improve American English pronunciation.

Click on the links below to access the singer biography activities designed to help English Learners improve their American English pronunciation skills:

Adele

Dolly Parton

Elvis Presley

Frank Sinatra

Sting

Taylor Swift

Brief introductions to our featured singers’ biographies:

Adele

— Adele is an English singer-songwriter. She first came to prominence in the United Kingdom in 2008, when she finished third in the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor. Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success. The album certified four times platinum in the UK, and sold more than two million copies in the United States.

— Adele is a Grammy Award-winning British singer and songwriter. She first achieved commercial success in 2008 with her debut studio album 19, which spawned the international hit single “Chasing Pavements.” Her second album, 21, released in 2011, was even more successful, topping the charts in more than 30 countries and selling over 12 million copies worldwide.

— Adele is a singer-songwriter who first came to prominence in the United Kingdom in 2008. She released her debut album, 19, in 2008 and it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Her second album, 21, was released in 2011 and topped the charts in over 30 countries, including the United States. Adele has won numerous awards, including six Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award.

— Adele is a Grammy Award-winning British singer-songwriter. Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008 and certified seven times platinum in the UK. The album spawned the UK number-one singles “Chasing Pavements” and “Make You Feel My Love”. Adele’s success continued with the release of her second album, 21, which was certified 16 times platinum in the UK, and contained the UK number-one single “Someone like You”.

Dolly Parton

— Dolly Parton is an American singer-songwriter, actress, author, and businesswoman. Born in Sevier County, Tennessee, she rose to fame as a singer and songwriter in the early 1970s. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, she launched her own solo career in 1974 with the album Jolene. Her albums including Coat of Many Colors (1971) and Here You Come Again (1978) are among the most successful albums of all time.

— Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman who rose to fame in the 1970s. She is known for her voluptuous figure, her distinctive voice, and her country music hits. Parton has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has been honored with numerous awards, including seven Grammy Awards and four Country Music Association Awards. She is also the founder of the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

— Dolly Parton is a singer and songwriter who has achieved great success in both country and pop music. She is known for her distinctive voice, her curvaceous figure, and her down-home personality. Parton started her career as a member of the famous country trio the Porter Wagoner Show, and she later achieved solo success with hits like “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene.

— Dolly Parton is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, and author. She has been successful in multiple genres of music, including country, pop, and bluegrass. Her songs have been recorded by many other artists, and her movies and television programs have been seen by millions of people.

Elvis Presley

— Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935 and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He became one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century and is often referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll.” His music and style influenced a generation of musicians and his concerts were major cultural events. He died at age 42 on August 16, 1977.

— Elvis Presley was a singer and actor who achieved fame in the 1950s and 1960s. He is often considered a cultural icon, and is regarded as one of the most important figures in rock and roll history.

— Elvis Presley was an American singer and actor. He is often referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “The King”. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935, and died in Memphis, Tennessee, on August 16, 1977. Presley began his music career in 1954 and became a national sensation following his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.

— Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. Raised in a poor family, Elvis showed an early interest in music and began performing at a young age. In 1954, he auditioned for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, and the rest is history. With his trademark voice and stage presence, Elvis became one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century.

Frank Sinatra

— Frank Sinatra was a complex musician and artist who used his voice and charisma to become one of the most popular singers of all time. He started his career in the early 1940s as a band singer, and soon began to make a name for himself as a solo artist. His style was unique and he quickly became known for his phrasing and emotional delivery. Sinatra was also a successful actor, appearing in films such as “The Man with the Golden Arm” and “Manhattan”.

— Frank Sinatra was born in 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. He began his singing career in the early 1930s, and soon became one of the most popular singers in America. Sinatra’s style was unique, and he soon became known as the “King of Swing.” In the 1940s, Sinatra began to focus on recording albums rather than singles, and he also started acting in movies.

— Frank Sinatra was born in 1915 in Hoboken, NJ. He was a singer and actor, and is regarded as one of the most important and influential popular singers of the 20th century. He is often known as “The Voice” because of his distinctive vocal style.

— Frank Sinatra was an American singer, actor, and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. His style emphasized smooth vocalization and arrangements, and he is widely considered one of the greatest singers of all time. Sinatra also had a successful film career, appearing in more than 60 movies over the course of his career.

Sting

— Sting is an English musician, songwriter, actor, and activist. He was the principal songwriter, lead singer, and bassist for the rock band The Police from 1977 to 1984. He has since released six solo albums.

— Sting is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He was the principal songwriter, lead singer, and bassist for the rock band The Police from 1977 to 1984. He has additionally released six solo studio albums. Sting has been awarded 10 Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male Artist twice, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and the inaugural Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

— Sting is a British musician and songwriter who was born in Wallsend, Northumberland. He rose to fame as the lead singer and bassist of the rock band The Police before embarking on a successful solo career. Sting has won 16 Grammy Awards, including one for Album of the Year, three Brit Awards, and an Emmy. He has sold over 100 million records. His music is often characterized by its melodic arrangements and poetic lyrics.

— Sting is an English musician, singer-songwriter, activist, actor and author. He was born in Wallsend, Northumberland, England, and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne. He formed the rock band The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers in 1977. Sting achieved greater success as a solo artist after the band disbanded in 1983. His music combines elements of new wave, reggae, worldbeat and jazz.

Taylor Swift

— Taylor Swift is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She was born in December 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift was homeschooled until the age of 14. In 2006, she released her debut album, Taylor Swift, which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

— Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She first rose to fame in 2006 as a teenager with her self-titled debut album. Her subsequent albums, Fearless (2008) and Speak Now (2010), both sold over one million copies within the first week of release. In 2014, Swift became the first woman and fifth artist overall to have two albums sell more than one million copies in a week in the United States.

— Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained prominence as a teenager when she signed with the Nashville-based Big Machine Records. In 2006, she released her eponymous debut album. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart and was later certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her second album, Fearless (2008), was even more successful, topping the Billboard 200 and selling over five million copies in the United States.

— Taylor Swift is a pop singer who first rose to fame in 2006. She has since released five albums, all of which have been successful. Swift is known for her upbeat country-pop music, as well as her personal lyrics. She has won numerous awards, including ten Grammy Awards.

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