COUNTRY OF BIRTH

Canada

INDUSTRY

Entertainment

TOP ACHIEVEMENTS

Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress, known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice, confessional lyrics, and alternative-rock-oriented sound

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Morissette was born on June 1, 1974, in Ottawa, Canada. Raised in a devout Roman Catholic family, she began studying piano and taking dance lessons at the age of six. She wrote her first songs at the age of nine.

EARLY CAREER

By the age of ten, she was acting in You Can’t Do That on Television, a series on the Nickelodeon children’s television. Using money that she earned on the show, Morissette recorded an independent single, Fate Stay With Me, which was released when she was only 10 years old. At age 14, Morissette signed a recording deal that led to two dance-pop albums—Alanis (1991), which earned her Canada’s Juno Award for most promising female vocalist of the year, and Now Is the Time (1992).

ACHIEVEMENTS

After graduating from high school, Morissette relocated to Los Angeles and began to work with veteran producer Glen Ballard in 1994. The result was Jagged Little Pill, which was released in 1995. Yielding a string of hit singles and global sales of more than 33 million copies, it remains the highest selling debut album worldwide in music history. Since then, she has released a total of nine studio albums and sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Morissette is also an accomplished stage and movie actress. In 1993, she made her movie debut in the comedy Anything for Love and later portrayed God in Kevin Smith’s Dogma (1999). Her television credits in the 21st century include an appearance on the HBO series Sex and the City and recurring roles on Nip/Tuck and Weeds. She also appeared in the off-Broadway play The Exonerated in 2003.

RECOGNITION

In 1996, Morissette won four Grammy Awards, with Jagged Little Pill named Album of the Year as well as Best Rock Album and the single You Oughta Know winning Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In 1999, her single Uninvited won two Grammy Awards. Jagged Little Pill was made into a rock musical of the same name in 2017 and earned 15 Tony Award nominations. She was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2005.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

• A second copy of her demo tape of Fate Stay With Me has never been heard nor found as it was stolen in a burglary of Geffen Records’ headquarters in 1989.
• In 1991, Morissette was a concert opening act for rapper Vanilla Ice.
• Throughout her teens and 20s, Morissette suffered from depression and eating disorders. In 2009, she ran a marathon promoting awareness for the National Eating Disorders Association.
• Over a period of seven years, Morissette's business manager stole $5 million from her. He confessed to doing so in April 2017 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
• Her twin brother Wade is 12 minutes older than she is.