In honor of Mariah Carey’s birthday on March 27, it’s only right to pay homage to the R&B singer who has reached the ultimate level of fame, influence, and power. From her number one hits, to some of the shadiest moments in pop culture history, the R&B singer is in a league of her own. As she continues to raise the bar of excellence, her legacy continues to thrive.
But how much do you really know about the Queen of the Lambs? Here are 10 surprising facts you may not know about her.
1. She’s a beauty school drop-out
Have you ever wonder what Mariah Carey would do if she wasn’t a popstar? In an interview with CD:UK, she revealed she completed 500 hours of beauty school when she was in the 11th grade. She added, “But then I dropped out, so I’m an official beauty school drop-out.”
2. Her real nickname
Knowing that Mariah Carey isn’t the biggest fan of completing her studies, her nickname won’t really come as a surprise. Buzz Feed shared an exert from a book by author Marc Shapiro, where it was revealed the singer earned the nickname “Mirage” because she disappeared from school so much.
Maybe she was practicing those vocals? Either way, things worked out pretty well for her!
3. She bought one of Marilyn Monroe’s prized possessions
In 1999, Mariah Carey made a huge purchase when she bought Marilyn Monroe’s white baby grand piano. When chatting about the late actress, Mariah told The Guardian, “She paved the way for women in Hollywood,” before adding, “And every single woman owes something to her for that, whether they agree with her image or not.”
So how much did she spend on the piano? According to Fox News, the total cost was over $600k!@
4. Her fairy godmother
Not only is Mariah a banger in the industry, but her godmother is a legend in the business, too! While visiting E!’s Busy Tonight (via People), Patti LaBelle shared that she’s Mariah’s godmother. Ms. Patti joked about having to discipline Mariah but reassured viewers that she’s no longer in that phase.
5. Her body is insured
TMZ revealed that in preparation for her 2016 tour, Mariah Carey purchased insurance for her vocal cords and hamstrings. How much? Carey’s vocal cords have a $35 million dollar policy, in addition to another $35 million for her legs.
As for her premium, it was said to be “many of thousands of dollars.”
6. She gets a ton of sleep
While they say we only need eight hours to function day-to-day, Mariah Carey would beg to differ. She told Interview Magazine (via CBS News), “I’ve got to sleep 15 hours to sing the way I want to.”
Keeping things even more interesting, the article shared that Mariah keeps about 20 humidifiers around her bed. So, she’s pretty much snoozing in a steam room.
15 hours a night? Yes! 20 humidifiers? I’ll pass.
7. Please leave your melody after the beep
Mariah Carey is in the 2020 Songwriters Hall of Fame, and she has an interesting way of capturing her ideas when the inspiration hits. While chatting with Genius, she shared that she would call herself and leave the melodies on her voicemail. Of course, considering the times, she now records these melodies using the voice memo app on her phone.
8. She’s a dog mom, too
If you could have the world, what would you buy? Well, that’s easy for Mariah Carey. According to Sunday Express, Mariah owns eight Jack Russell Terriers. Things got really tough when she and her former husband, Nick Cannon, entered a custody battle of the pups. Interestingly enough, the custody agreement for their two kids was a piece of cake.
9. Her type of guy
While her taste in men varies, Mariah Carey told Trevor Nelson, “I prefer guys that wear, like, sportswear. I’m sorry, but I like that,” She went on to add that she liked “baggy clothed hoodlums.” Errr…okay…
Mariah continued to swear off businessmen, as her public divorce from Sony Music exec Tommy Mottola definitely left a bad taste in her mouth. But in recent years, it looks like she’s back to showing love to the men in professional garb, considering she was briefly engaged to billionaire businessman James Packer.
10. Camp Mariah
A company named The Fresh Air Fund created Camp Mariah as a result of Mariah Carey’s generosity over the years. According to the website, the camp allows 7th-9th graders to “explore their interests in classes like film, photography, fashion, culinary arts, debate, and international relations.”
Mariah also serves as a board member of the camp because she’s just that sweet and generous.
Are you surprised by any of these facts about Mariah Carey? Let us know down below!