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| Birth Name(s) : Natalie Renee McIntyre |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Singer, songwriter, record producer, actress |
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Macy Gray Listing
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Full Macy Gray Biography
To date, Gray has released four studio albums, one compilation album, and one live album—with her fourth studio album, Big, released in March 2007. "Coming Back to You", her latest song, is featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 film Déjà Vu. She has appeared in a number of films including Training Day, Spider-Man, and Idlewild. Gray is best known for her international hit single "I Try", taken from her multi-platinum debut album On How Life Is.
After her birth in Canton, Ohio and attendance at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, also in Ohio, Gray decided to pursue a career in music. However, Gray's initial success came as a surprise. She agreed to write songs for a friend of hers and a demo session was scheduled for the songs to be recorded, by another singer. When the vocalist failed to turn up to record the songs, Gray found herself recording them herself. The demo tape created a lot of attention and consequently landed Gray the opportunity to sing at jazz cafés in Los Angeles, California. Despite Gray's dislike of her own voice, her vocals garnered lots of attention around the jazz scene, and Atlantic Records signed her to their label. Months later, Gray gave her demo album to Atlantic much to her dismay, due to the record label being dissatisfied with her efforts. Also going through the break-up of her marriage and expecting her third child, Gray retreated back to Canton. During this time, Gray's demo tape was still doing the rounds, and in 1998 she landed a record deal with Epic Records.
During the whole of 1998, Gray continued to work on her debut album. Released in the summer of 1999, On How Life Is became a worldwide smash. Despite the first single "Do Something" stalling on the charts, it was by word of mouth and the release of the second single "I Try" that the album really became a success for Gray. "I Try" was one of the biggest singles of 1999, and subsequent singles "Still" and "Why Didn't You Call Me" ensured the album becoming triple platinum in the U.S., quadruple platinum in the UK, and triple platinum in Canada.
In the midst of the controversy, Gray's The Id became a commercial failure, largely stalling on the U.S. charts, in spite of appearances by John Frusciante and Erykah Badu, though the album managed to peak at number eleven on the Billboard 200. However, it peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the BPI. The underperformance in the United States, compared to her debut album, may have been attributed to the fact that The Id was released just a week after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In 2002, she appeared in Spider-Man as herself and worked with Santana on the track "Amoré (Sexo)", from his album Shaman. A cartoon based on Gray's childhood was being developed at one point, but it never came to fruition.
Gray was featured on Marcus Miller's 2005 album Silver Rain, on a cover of Prince's 1986 song "Girls & Boys".
However, March saw the release of Gray's fourth studio album (sixth overall), entitled Big. Two singles, "Finally Made Me Happy" and "Shoo Be Doo", have been released from the album. "What I Gotta Do", another track from the album, is featured on the Shrek the Third soundtrack. It is largely considered as Gray's comeback album, after a four-year hiatus since her last studio album. The album has been critically acclaimed and seen as her best work yet. It features collaborations with Natalie Cole, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, and will.i.am, who co-executive produced the album with Gray. Big is the second release from will.i.am's record label, will.i.am Music Group, after Fergie's The Dutchess.
PBS's Soundstage live concert series premiered a Gray concert on July 5. The one-hour concert included songs from Big—"Finally Made Me Happy", "Shoo Be Doo", "Ghetto Love", "What I Gotta Do", "Glad You're Here", "Slowly", and "Everybody". Other songs performed were "Caligula"/Why Didn't You Call Me", "Oblivion" with the set ending with "I Try". Future airdates can be found on PBS's website.
On 7 July 2007, Gray performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro. Gray and her band members wore clothes with politically-motivated messages. In her dress, it was written "Darfur Red Alert".
Gray was married to Tracy Hinds from 1996 to 1998, with whom she had three children: Aanisah (in January 1995), Tahmel (in December 1995), and Cassius (in 1997). She opened up a music academy called The Macy Gray Music Academy in 2005 and it was the scene of MTV's Punk'd because of black mold in the building. Gray has been highly praised for her work with the academy and has given underprivileged children and teenagers the chance to perform.
Nominations
- Grammy Awards: "Best New Artist" and "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" ("Do Something")
- Soul Train Music Awards: "Best R&B/Soul Album - Female" (On How Life Is)
Nominations
- MTV Video Music Awards: "Best Female Video" and "Best Art Direction" (both for "I Try)"
- Grammy Awards: "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" (both for "I Try")
- American Music Awards: "Favorite New Artist - Pop/Rock" |
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