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Mary J. Blige, Making 'The Breakthrough'

Mary J. Blige: it all began at a Karaoke booth.
Mary J. Blige: it all began at a Karaoke booth.

Before there was any such thing as American Idol, kids who aspired to singing careers had to find other paths to stardom. In 1989, a young girl from the New York projects stepped into a Karaoke booth at a White Plains mall and sang an Anita Baker tune. Today it's Mary J. Blige's songs that young girls sing.

Along with the Grammys and the glitz, Blige has been to some very dark places along the way. Her music is a candid commentary on what she's been through. She talks with Debbie Elliott about her latest album, The Breakthrough.

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