Career: Encouraged by a girlfriend, he made his stage debut as a stand-up comic in 1989. Foxx changed his name to something androgynous after learning that women were first on the bill at open-mic nights in comedy clubs. By 1991 he was a star in the US thanks to TV show In Living Color. His first film was 1992's Toys. Since then he's had his own, self-titled show, and featured in movies The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Any Given Sunday, Ali and Collateral. His leading role in Ray Charles biopic Ray propelled him onto Hollywood's A-list. He's also released several albums, and collaborated with Kanye West on hit single Gold Digger.

Career: Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola signed Carey immediately after hearing her demo tape. Her debut 1990 album caused a stir thanks to her versatility. It sold six million copies and won a Grammy. Her 1991 follow-up, Emotions, proved just as successful, as did her next four albums. It appeared the bubble burst in 2001 when her contract was scrapped following her flop film Glitter and its accompanying album and she was reportedly hospitalised following an emotional breakdown. However, she made a triumphant comeback with the Grammy-winning album The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005 and has spent more time at number one in the American singles charts than the Beatles. She was nominated for a number of awards for her acting role in the 2009 film Precious and in 2012 joined the judging panel of American Idol.

Career: Warwick released her first solo single in November 1962 - and hasn't looked back since. Hits such as Walk On By, Do You Know the Way to San Jose and Anyone Who Had a Heart established her as a star on both sides of the Atlantic. In the early years of the 1970s, Bacharach and David parted company with Warwick, and although her career faltered after this period, she continued to record. She scored hits in the 1980s and subsequent years, and also branched out into TV, hosting her own show. She also wrote her first book, My Point of View, in 2003.

Career: Dawn attempted to slim to size zero for the BBC documentary Super Slim Me, and also worked on Gok Wan's series How To Look Good Naked. Her BBC Three series in which she explored nudity, lesbianism, dating and childbirth were hugely successful. Her novel Diaries of an Internet Lover, charting her meetings with online chatters, has been an international hit.