David Gray (musician)
| David Gray | |
|---|---|
Gray performing in Redmond, Washington,
9 December 2010 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
13 June 1968 Sale, Trafford, England |
| Genres | Rock, folk rock, folktronica |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano & keyboards, harmonica |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Hut, IHT, Polydor, MapleMusic Recordings (Canada), Kobalt |
| Website | davidgray |
David Gray (born 13 June 1968) is an English singer-songwriter. Gray released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention after the release of White Ladder six years later. It was the first of three UK chart-toppers in six years for Gray, the latter two of which also made the Top 17 in the US. White Ladder became the fifth best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK. Gray has been nominated for four Brit Awards – twice for Best British Male.
Gray was born in Sale, Trafford and grew up in Altrincham before moving with his family to Solva, Pembrokeshire. He went on to attend Carmarthenshire College of Art and Liverpool School of Art.
Gray's first two albums A Century Ends and Flesh were issued in 1993 and 1994 respectively and led to Gray becoming popular in folk-rock circles, but both failed in terms of commercial sales. In 1996 Gray released his third album, Sell, Sell, Sell. With his first two albums having been entirely composed of acoustic folk music, this album used his now-trademark blend of folk, alternative rock and electronics for the first time. Despite critical acclaim, the album did not chart, but the song "Late Night Radio" received some airplay on alternative UK radio stations. On the 1997 Mary Black album Shine, Gray contributed five songs.
The re-release of Gray's fourth record album, White Ladder, in 2000 on ATO Records, brought him commercial success and critical attention. The album included his best-known songs: "This Year's Love", "Babylon", "Please Forgive Me" and "Sail Away". White Ladder was originally released on Gray's own label IHT Records in November 1998. After its re-release, combined with the release and success of single "Babylon," it sold 100,000 copies in Ireland alone, making it number one for six weeks, and it remains the biggest-selling album in Ireland. In August 2000, "Babylon" hit No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart; it remains his biggest UK hit to date. In the United States, the album received a boost from jam-band leader Dave Matthews, who made it the first release by ATO Records, the record company he co-founded. "Babylon" was also the first of three US chart entries for Gray to date.
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