Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress born in 1970. She moved to New York City at age 17 to pursue a career in music. Her demo tape was given to Tommy Mottola, then head of Columbia Records, who signed her immediately. Carey went on to become one of the best-selling female artists of the 1990s, known for her wide vocal range and signature whistle register. With a career spanning over two decades, she has won numerous awards and is considered one of the best-selling music artists ever with over 200 million records sold worldwide.