sourceMariah Carey shot up the charts in 1990 with her debut album and five-octave range, eventually becoming the best-selling female artist of all time.
For the New York native, it all started at 18 when she met Sony Music mogul Tommy Mottola, who signed her with Columbia Records, making her a star at 21 and his wife at 24. The marriage ended four years later, but Carey continued to record with Columbia until signing a reported $80 million, four-album deal with Virgin Records in 2001.
