If not for You Tube, Justin Bieber might be back in Ontario, braving another harsh Canadian winter, instead of winding his way toward our far more hospitable climes.
Bieber is a teen pop sensation whose appeal stretches beyond teens, if Barbara Walters naming him one of her 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010 is any indication.
He was discovered thanks to videos of him singing R&B hits which his mother posted on You Tube. Thanks, Mom.
With Bieber set to perform in Tampa on Sunday night, Friday Extra takes a look at some other celebrities of recent vintage whose fame was due to the now ubiquitous video site.
Arnel Pineda: I can’t believe it’s not Perry! Journey guitarist Neal Schon tracked down Pineda after seeing videos of the singer performing songs with a cover band called The Zoo. Pineda’s now fronting the band he once covered.
OK Go: To be fair, the Chicago quartet wasn’t discovered on You Tube. But the treadmill choreography in their “Here It Goes Again” video caught the eyes of the mainstream, hugely elevating the group’s profile.
“Chocolate Rain”: Worse than swearing, worse than calling names. Tay Zonday’s portentous stream of lyrics and distinctive mannerisms, including moving away from the microphone to breathe in, have been referenced and parodied on “South Park,” “Family Guy” and countless answer videos.
Greyson Chance: Chance, 13, makes Bieber look old and slow. The Canadian’s videos were online for a year before being discovered by an industry vet. Oklahoman Chance’s performance of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” was posted in April and he’s already scored a record contract. His single, “Waiting Outside the Lines” is out and he opens for Miranda Cosgrove at Tampa Theatre in February.
Pomplamoose: Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn began making “VideoSongs,” their description, in 2008. They’re currently starring in a series of Hyundai commercials performing Christmas carols.
Julia Nunes: The ukulele-favoring singer-songwriter is a favorite of Ben Folds, and just wrapped up a tour with Ben Kweller. She’s released three albums, the last of which, 2009′s “I Think You Know,” was produced by Pomplamoose.
Alexis Jordan: The singer only made it to the semi-finals of “America’s Got Talent,” but her You Tube videos caught the attention of Jay-Z and landed her a recording contract.
The Gregory Brothers: Actually a quartet including a Gregory wife/sister-in-law, the Gregorys are best known for their Auto-Tune the News videos, which manipulate news broadcasts into music. While most of their subjects are nationally-known, perhaps their most famous, Antoine Dodson, wasn’t.
Antoine Dodson: Dodson went off on camera during a news report about the attempted rape of his sister. The Gregorys worked their magic and Dodson became the unlikeliest of video stars. The download-only track entered the Billboard Hot 100 and Dodson has earned enough money to move his family out of the housing project where the break-in took place.
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