Singer and songwriter Pink (stylized P!nk) was born Alecia Beth Moore on September 8, 1979, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Pink, as she’s otherwise known, gets her name from the movie Reservoir Dogs, a film she saw as a teenager and whose character Mr. Pink is someone her friends all agreed she resembled. Pink has described her heritage as Irish-German-Lithuanian-Jew.

Pink was the second child born to Jim and Judy Moore. She experienced a largely typical middle-class life in a suburb of Doylestown, Philadelphia. Her parents' tense relationship, however, caused the couple to divorce when Pink was three. Their split sparked a rebellious attitude from Pink. I was never allowed to go over to any of my friends’ houses when I was little, because I was a bad influence, she said of her early life. None of their parents liked me and my own parents were scared to death of me— and for me.

Pink found solace in music and, as early as the age of 13 she was navigating the Philadelphia club scene. By the time she was 14, she was already an experienced vocalist and dancer, and started to write her own songs. She also had a regular singing gig every Friday night at a local nightclub. She began using drugs (she nearly overdosed at the age of 15) and engaged in petty crime. She eventually dropped out of high school, but returned to earn her G.E.D. in 1998.

It was apparent that Pink had a talent for music. By chance one evening, an executive from MCA records took notice of the sassy teenager and asked her to audition for an R&B group that was forming. The group, known as Basic Instinct, welcomed Pink into the fold. Despite a record deal and plenty of studio time, the band never took off. Basic Instinct disbanded just two years after it was assembled. A second run with the R&B band Choice also came to a quick end in 1998.

For Pink, though, neither experience was a disaster. Her talent was too hard not to notice, and with the support of LaFace, Choice's former record label, she struck out on her own. She changed her name from Alecia Moore to the stage name Pink, and started recording her first solo album, Can't Take Me Home. Released in 2000, the record was a surprise smash hit, going double-platinum and creating three Top 10 singles: Most Girls, You Make Me Sick, and There You Go. The record that was supported by her busy tour schedule, which found her opening up for popular boy band ’N Sync.

Despite the newfound fame and success, Pink was far from satisfied. Fearful of being lumped in with the glut of pretty singers who dominated the market, Pink set her sights on a deeper, edgier sound. There was no blood, sweat or tears on my first album, she told London's Daily Mail. And no emotional exchange between me and the musicians. R&B is on a conveyor belt.

Pink's sophomore record, M!ssundaztood, went on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide.

Pink released her third album, Try This, in 2013. Try This was an even more rock-centric record that netted the singer a hit single (Trouble) and a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Despite its critical success, the album failed to grab the kind of attention and sales that its predecessor did.

In 2006, Pink issued her fourth album, I'm Not Dead, a record that seemed to be Pink's most honest lineup of songs to date. The record included the No. 1 hit single Stupid Girls, a pointed attack on the infatuation and celebrity surrounding people like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. It was more of a social commentary on these girls, who think they have to be stick thin and have the latest handbag, she explained. There's nothing wrong with being sexy, but you have to be sexy for yourself, not society.

In 2010, Pink released Greatest Hits... So Far!!, a compilation album which featured her hits F*ckin' Perfect and Raise Your Glass. Two years later, her sixth studio album, The Truth About Love, soared to the top of the Billboard 200 with multiple top-ten singles. Her subsequent tour became the third highest grossing tour in 2013, spawning close to $148 million in ticket sales.

Despite her tough girl image, Pink has also shown a softer side to the public. She is an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community and for the better treatment of animals, putting her celebrity behind campaigns sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She also supports organizations like Human Rights Campaign, UNICEF, and Save the Children.

Sources: Biography.com;
Wikipedia.

Alecia Moore (P!nk)