If her mother wasn’t being absolutely careful with her words, she would get beaten up by her father.

And the singer herself was subjected to a number of unpleasant situations, including pushing, shoving, fighting, and quarreling.

But music became her sanctuary — a lifeline that would transform her pain into power. Today, she is known as the “Voice of a Generation” and has a shining star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Moved around constantly
Looking back at old photos of celebrities is always fascinating, a reminder that every one of us was once an innocent child, full of dreams, carefree energy, and a natural spark for life.And when we look back at childhood photos of this girl from Staten Island…

No one could have predicted that she would grow up to become one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

She was born in Ocean Breeze, New York, at Staten Island University Hospital in December 1980. Her father was far from musical — an Ecuadorian immigrant from Guayaquil and a sergeant in the United States Army. Her mother, on the other hand, had a musical gift; she played violin in the American Youth Symphony but would later work as a Spanish translator.

Because this future star’s father was in the military, the family had to move around constantly and the money was short. For a few years, they lived in Japan, but in 1986 they returned to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania.

But the violence wasn’t limited to her mother. The young girl herself also faced harsh treatment, including pushing, shoving, and fighting.