Vitamin C (singer)

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick (born July 20, 1969),<ref name=AP>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> known professionally as Vitamin C,Template:Sfn is an American record executive, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She began her career as an Ivory soap baby and child actress, appearing in John Waters' film Hairspray (1988), and continued to appear in minor roles in films before launching a music career with the alternative rock band Eve's Plum in 1991.

In 1999, under the stage name Vitamin C, Fitzpatrick embarked on a solo career, releasing her eponymous debut album Vitamin C (1999), which was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Singles from the record include "Graduation (Friends Forever)" and the Top 20 single "Smile". Her second album, More (2001) spawned the singles "As Long as You're Loving Me" and "The Itch".

She appeared in the horror film Dracula 2000 (2000), and made cameo appearances in Get Over It (2001) and Scary Movie 2 (2001). She also appeared as a panelist on the spoof talent series The WB's Superstar USA in 2004. She was ranked No. 76 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001.<ref name="maxim">Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2012, Fitzpatrick was appointed as Vice President of Music at Nickelodeon.<ref name=rys>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Since early 2019, Fitzpatrick has served as a music executive for Netflix.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life

Fitzpatrick was born in Old Bridge, New Jersey,Template:Sfn on July 20, 1969. She is the youngest of three children born to Vita, a legal secretary, and Gerard Fitzpatrick, a communications executive.<ref name="people.com">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She is of Irish descent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She graduated from Cedar Ridge High School in 1987 (now called Old Bridge High School),<ref>"Jersey Girl Scores Major Gig For Nickelodeon", WSJO; accessed November 7, 2017. "Colleen grew up just over the Monmouth County border in Old Bridge (the same town that produced Brian O'Halloran – Dante of Clerks and Clerks II fame), graduated from Cedar Ridge High School in 1987, and about a year after her graduation found herself on the big screen playing Amber Von Tussle in the 1988 hit movie Hairspray."</ref><ref name="Benning, Erin 2000">Benning, Erin. "`Graduation' blues – Vitamin C shares memories of senior year", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 8, 2000.</ref> where she was a classmate of Junot Díaz.<ref name = stein/> During her high school years she was a dancer who danced professionally in several TV ads, and also starred in her high school musical.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She later attended New York University, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.<ref name=stein>Template:Cite episodeTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Career

Hairspray and Eve's Plum (1987–1997)

Fitzpatrick performing with Eve's Plum in 1997

In 1988, Fitzpatrick made her screen debut under her real name in the John Waters feature film Hairspray as Amber Von Tussle, the bratty on-screen daughter of co-stars Debbie Harry and Sonny Bono.<ref name="Rotten Tomatoes 2015">Template:Cite web</ref>

She made her first musical outing as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Eve's Plum, named after The Brady Bunch actress Eve Plumb, formed in 1991.<ref name=twist>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She formed the band in 1991 with Michael Kotch, whom she met while studying at New York University.<ref>[[[:Template:BillboardURLbyName]] Billboard bio on Vitamin C]</ref> A year later the group signed a record deal with Epic Records in 1992, releasing two albums and seven singles between 1993 and 1995.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Vitamin C and More (1998–2001)

In 1998, Fitzpatrick launched a pop music solo project as "Vitamin C" and signed an album deal with Elektra Records.<ref name="people.com"/> Released in 1999, her debut solo album Vitamin C peaked on the Billboard 200 at number 29<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album's first single, "Smile", peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100<ref name="allmusic1">Template:Cite web</ref> and was certified Gold by the RIAA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The second single from the album, "Me, Myself & I", failed to chart. The third single "Graduation (Friends Forever)" was more successful, peaking at number 12 on the Top 40 Mainstream Chart and number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Australia, the song peaked at number 2 on the ARIA Charts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was certified Platinum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It peaked at number 4 in the Republic of Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fitzpatrick at a record signing event in 2001.

In 1999, she wrote and recorded "Vacation", which became the opening theme to the English release of the short film Pikachu's Vacation (from Pokémon: The First Movie).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Vitamin C's cover version of the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" was used in promotional material for the American television network The WB during the 1999–2000 television season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2000, Mattel produced a Vitamin C doll which was retailed at approximately $16, and a Vitamin C lipstick shade was made by Tommy Hilfiger.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="ew">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In late 2000, Vitamin C released "The Itch", the first single from her second album More. The song peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 45.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "The Itch" had more success in Australia where it peaked at number 6 on the ARIA Charts and was certified Platinum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, she played the role of Lucy Westerman in the horror film Dracula 2000 and appeared as herself in the spoof film Da Hip Hop Witch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> More was released on January 31, 2001 and debuted at number 122 on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "As Long As You're Loving Me" was released as the second single from the album, but failed to chart in the US. Subsequently, Vitamin C was dropped from Elektra Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the February 2001 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, Vitamin C was voted as one of the "Fun and Fearless Females" of the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That same year Vitamin C was ranked No. 76 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001.<ref name="maxim"/> The 2001 video game EA Sports Triple Play featured Vitamin C as an animated baseball player.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

"Last Nite" and later activities (2002–2009)

Vitamin C signed with V2 Records in 2001 and released the single "Last Nite" in July 2003. It was a cover version of the hit song by The Strokes and sampled Blondie's "Heart of Glass".<ref name="mtv.com">Template:Cite web</ref> The single peaked at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn

In February 2005, Vitamin C's cover of "Kiss the Girl" was included on Disneymania 3; she also performed the song live at Disney's California Adventure which was recorded for its supplemental concert dvd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July, her cover of "Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday was included on the soundtrack for the Disney movie Sky High.<ref name="skyhigh">Template:AllMusic</ref> The same year, she wrote the song "We Are Gonna Happen" for Emma Roberts on the Unfabulous and More album.<ref name=liner>Unfabulous and More liner notes. Columbia (2005)</ref>

In 2006, Fitzpatrick created a production company and worked with various pop singers such as Miley Cyrus.<ref name="variety">Template:Cite web</ref> That year, she assembled a Radio Disney-aimed group of four teenagers named The Truth Squad. Vitamin C wrote and produced a number of song's for the group's debut album, which included a cover of "Graduation (Friends Forever)". The album was released on April 3, 2007, and made a brief appearance on the Top Kid Audio Chart, where it peaked at No. 23.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During this time, Vitamin C was reportedly working on two new albums, a children's world-music album and a pop album, neither of which were released.<ref name="mtv.com" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2008, she wrote the single "Make Some Noise" for Krystal Meyers.<ref name="Johnson 2008">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, she wrote "Let's Get Crazy" for Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana.<ref name="Phares 2009">Template:Cite web</ref> Vitamin C also wrote the song "One and the Same", a duet recorded by Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez for the Disney Channel Original Movie Princess Protection Program.<ref name="Monger 2009">Template:Cite web</ref>

Music executive (2012–present)

On March 21, 2012, Nickelodeon named Fitzpatrick as VP of Music. She oversaw all music for Nickelodeon and its sister cable channels.<ref name="rys" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, she appeared as a featured artist on Information Society's cover of "Don't You Want Me"; her vocals on the release were recorded in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2019, she joined Netflix as an executive in charge of "music creative production, spectacle and events".<ref name="variety"/> In December 2020, Fitzpatrick released a rerecorded and rewritten version of "Graduation" titled "Graduation 2020 (Worst Year Ever)", with the lyrics changed to reflect on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="gianatasio">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Personal life

Fitzpatrick is married with music composer Michael Kotch on October 8, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2005, the couple had a daughter - Catherine Rose Kotch.

Discography

Template:Main Studio albums

• Vitamin C (1999)
• More (2001)

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Hairspray	Amber Von Tussle	Credited as Colleen Fitzpatrick
1995	Higher Learning	Festival Singer
	Crinoline Head		Credited as Colleen Fitzpatrick
1997	St. Patrick's Day	Cassie
1999	My X-Girlfriend's Wedding Reception	Paprika
2000	Da Hip Hop Witch	Herself
	Dracula 2000	Lucy Westerman	Credited as Colleen Fitzpatrick
2001	Get Over It	Herself
	Scary Movie 2	Herself (voice)
	Rock Star	Guitarist in Crowd Outside Mansion
2005	Happy Is Not Hard to Be	Chloe	Credited as Colleen Fitzpatrick
2007	Along the Way	Elizabeth McCaffrey

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	The Equalizer	Susan	Episode: "Last Call"
		Beverly Heat	Episode: "Eighteen with a Bullet"
2000	The Amanda Show	Herself	2 episodes
2001	Turn Ben Stein On		1 episodes
	The Brothers Garcia
	MADTv		2 episodes
	Hollywood Squares		12 episodes
2002	Celebrity Bootcamp		Television film
	Sabrina the Teenage Witch	Cathy Winters	1 episode
	Haunted	Bliss
2004	The WB's Superstar USA	Herself	Regular panelist
2008	Your Mama Don't Dance

References

Sources

• Template:Cite book
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External links

• [[[:Template:AllMusic]] Vitamin C at All Music]
• Vitamin C at Billboard
• Template:IMDb name
• Colleen Fitzpatrick at the Internet Archive