Some context: Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. From 1974 until 1985, the band consisted of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, vocalist David Lee Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony. The band went on to become major stars, and by the early 1980s they were one of the most successful rock acts of the time. 1984 was their most successful album.
Van Halen's next lead singer was Gary Cherone, frontman of the then-defunct Boston-based band Extreme, a group which had enjoyed some popular success in the early 1990s. The result was the album Van Halen III. Many songs were longer and more experimental than Van Halen's earlier work. It was a notable contrast from their previous material, with more focus on ballads than traditional rock songs ("How Many Say I," with Eddie on vocals). Sales were poor by the band's standards, only reaching Gold certification, despite the album peaking at No. 4 on the U.S. charts. However, Van Halen III did produce the hit "Without You," and another album track, "Fire in the Hole," appeared on the Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack. The album was followed by a tour. The III Tour saw Van Halen playing in new countries, including first ever visits to Australia and New Zealand. Shortly afterwards, Van Halen returned to the studio and in early 1999, they started work on a new album. Working titles of songs included "Left for Dead," "River Wide," "Say Uncle," "You Wear it Well," "More Than Yesterday," "I Don't Miss You ... Much," "Love Divine," and "From Here, Where Do We Go?". The project was left unfinished when Cherone left the band amicably in November 1999. Citing musical differences, it is likely III's poor sales and critical reception had a big impact. None of the material from these sessions has ever been released, and in fact the band released no new material at all until three new songs were included on the 2004 Best of Both Worlds compilation. Lyrics that Cherone had written for the Van Halen III follow up would be used in his next project with Tribe of Judah. Touring with Cherone had proven disappointing in terms of attendance. Eddie would later admit that "the powers that be" (Warner Bros.) had forced his hand in parting with Cherone. Unlike with the previous two singers, there was reportedly no bad blood behind the breakup, and Cherone remained in contact and on good terms with Van Halen. As when Hagar left, speculation resumed on a Roth reunion.
What are some other interesting aspects of the article?
A: Touring with Cherone had proven disappointing in terms of attendance.

Some context: Robin Charles Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Thicke has worked with numerous artists, such as Christina Aguilera,3t, T.I., Nicki Minaj, K. Michelle, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Flo Rida, Brandy, Kid Cudi and Mary J. Blige, among others. Thicke worked on albums such as Usher's Confessions and Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, while releasing his own R&B singles in the US including "Lost Without U", "Magic", and "Sex Therapy". He rose to international fame in 2013 with his single "Blurred Lines", which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
At the age of 22, after an involvement with Tommy Mottola and Epic Records following the end of his first deal with Interscope, Thicke resolved himself to work chiefly on material for his debut album, initially titled Cherry Blue Skies, planning to use his own money to fund the project. As Thicke told Billboard, "I decided I was going to save money to make my album, and I hoped to offer it to labels-take it or leave it-so I didn't have to negotiate how to make my music." While piecing his album together, Thicke began working with veteran producer and label executive Andre Harrell and, under his guidance, eventually signed with Interscope for a second time as part of Harrell's and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' Nu America imprint label in 2001. In 2002, Thicke released his debut single "When I Get You Alone". The track samples Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven", which itself is a disco rendition of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The music video for the song received some rotation on MTV2 and BET's Rated Next and was spun moderately on pop and urban radio, peaking at number forty-nine on Radio & Records Pop chart. Globally, however, "When I Get You Alone" became a chart success when it peaked in the Top 20 in Australia, Belgium, and Italy, and reached the Top 10 of the singles charts in New Zealand and the Top 3 in the Netherlands. The moderate success was enough to signal the release of the album in 2003 with its name changed to A Beautiful World. Despite the release of a second single, "Brand New Jones", the album received very little promotion and debuted at number 152 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 119,000 copies as of January, 2012. A Beautiful World fell below the label's commercial expectations. The album's under-performance troubled Thicke personally, but it proved enough to make him a wanted collaborator. Thicke has cited Mary J. Blige, Usher, and Lil' Wayne, among others, as those who subsequently reached out to him. Reflecting on A Beautiful World in 2013, Usher stated to The New York Times, "I was blown away -- I thought Beatles, Earth Wind & Fire, Shuggie Otis, Marvin Gaye -- all in one album. [Robin's] got a soul you can't buy, man." Runner-up Blake Lewis performed "When I Get You Alone" during the 2007 season of American Idol when the Top 3 chose a song to sing. Lewis has often put Robin Thicke in his list of musical influences in interviews and on the American Idol website. The song was also performed by Blaine Anderson (played by Darren Criss) on Glee during the Season 2 episode "Silly Love Songs".
What person was this
A:
Tommy Mottola