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Mariah Carey is nothing short of an entertainment phenomenon - her fifteen #1 hits in America making her one of the few serious rivals to Elvis Presley. ‘Hero’ gave this prolific New Yorker her eighth chart-topper, when she was just 23 years-old. Originally the song was intended as the closing theme for a film starring Dustin

Mariah Carey Song facts

Composer
Afanasieff/Carey

Genre
Pop

Album
Here Is Mariah Carey


Released
1993

UK Chart Position
7  Hoffman and Geena Davis, but when Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola - whom Mariah later married - heard the song, he told her: “Are you kidding? You can’t give this song to a movie!”The studio had to settle for a song by Luther Vandross for their film, while Mariah’s ‘Hero’ went on to become one of her fans’ concert favourites. Initially, Mariah was not happy about tackling such an old-fashioned ballad, feeling that it was at odds with her image. But Mottola persisted, and ‘Hero’ remained at the top for a month at the end of 1993. Mariah was delighted with her Christmas No.1 and donated all her royalties from the song to the families of the victims of a Long Island railway shooting.

Mariah Carey

Maria Carey

Mariah Carey's mother was a singing teacher so she had a very early start - singing on stage at the age of four!
 
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Mariah Carey

  Listen to Mariah Carey's live version of 'Hero'

The lyrical content is about self- belief and that is something that a lot of people can relate to.
Ken Adams
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