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This article is about the singer. For the singer's self-titled album, see .
Gavin Shane DeGraw (born February 4, 1977) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He rose to fame with the single "" from his debut album
which became the theme song for the
. Other singles from the album included notably "" and "". His second
was released in 2008 and included the top-twenty single "".
In 2009, Degraw released his third album . His fourth album
(2011) spawned hit single "", as well as "" and "". His fifth album
was released in 2013. DeGraw has sold more than a million records in the US. Gavin released his sixth album
on September 9, 2016. His first single from the album, "" was released on July 15, 2016. His duet with
on "We Both Know" for the film
received a
nomination.
DeGraw grew up in . His mother, Lynne (née Krieger), was a , and his father, Wayne DeGraw, he referenced his father's and mother's occupations in the song "".
His father is of
descent and his mother's family is of
Jewish ancestry. He began singing and playing piano at the age of eight. He has two older siblings, a sister Neeka and a brother, , also a musician. Growing up in a musical family, he was raised to regard music as part of the fabric of everyday life rather than a remote show-business ideal. As a teenager, Gavin experienced a personal epiphany when he discovered
and , whose combination of personal charm and emotional commitment struck a chord in the budding musician. As a teenager he also played in a local Catskills group called The People's Band with fellow local musicians: Steven Levine on vocals, as well as his brother, Joey. The band played many of the local hotels and clubs around the
area. It was at his brother's advice that he began writing his own songs. Gavin attended
on a music scholarship, but found himself spending more time in his dorm room writing songs than attending classes, and dropped out after one semester. He then moved to , where he attended the prestigious
for two semesters, while singing in a rock band and playing solo gigs on the side.
After leaving
and relocating to
in March 1998, Gavin almost immediately began making substantial career inroads, gradually and organically laying the groundwork for a musical career. "I kept having small successes," he recalls, "just things like applause from small audiences, or people saying they'd heard about me. Those tiny bits of recognition were fuel for me to continue, and made me feel like I was on the right track." Within a few months of his arrival, Gavin made his way into the Ron Grant and Friends open-mic night at Wilson's, the noted upper west side restaurant inside the Lucerne hotel. After wowing the audience, the next day the night manager and talent coordinator Shar Thompson introduced Degraw to the club's owner, Debbie Wilson. Wilson signed on as his manager and almost immediately, word of the talented newcomer began to spread through
music community, and the quality of his performances lived up to the buzz. "When I first heard Gavin perform, I turned to Debbie (his manager) and said I need to sign this guy right now, says Randy Sabiston, Senior Director of A&R at . "Gavin is a truly special songwriter and as a publisher I didn't need to mul it was instant, a no brainer." Early on, Gavin was offered a deal by a major label. Rather than succumb to the obvious temptation, he chose to decline the offer and continue his development as a songwriter and performer, while paying the rent by working as a waiter and newsstand clerk. He eventually signed a record deal with
imprint (home of
as well as R&B mainstays
In the spring of 2002, following a sold-out showcase at , Gavin began work on his debut album . The album's depth and focus attest to Gavin's clear vision of his identity as an artist. "I wanted to create something that was timeless rather than fashionable," he explains. "I was really concerned with developing a sound that wasn't disposable. I didn't want to have too much glitter on me." The adjustment from the immediacy of the live stage to the discipline of the recording studio was an educational process that gave DeGraw new insight into his own work. "It definitely made me think about making records differently," he says. "At first I felt out of my element, because you have to learn the language and the science of making a record. It's a real process to get to the point where it doesn't sound like it's a process. We really worked at making it breathe."
DeGraw rose to fame in 2003, when "" was chosen as the
for teen drama . He released his debut album, , on July 22, 2003 under .
was recorded at Los Angeles' music studios,
and produced by . Chariot sold over a million copies and earned platinum certification. The album featured three of DeGraw's singles: "I Don’t Want To Be", "Follow Through" and "Chariot".
He went on to release an acoustic version of the album called Chariot Stripped in 2004. Chariot Stripped contains a cover version of 's "". "" has also been performed on
by various contestants during different seasons.
DeGraw performing in Georgia, 2005
DeGraw's second album, the self-titled , was released on May 6, 2008. Ahead of this, its single "" was released on February 12, 2008. The second U.S. single "Cheated On Me" was released in the US on September 30, 2008. This was followed by the Live From Soho album, released on November 7, 2008, featuring mostly tracks from .
debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and ranked at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart.
DeGraw's third album, , was released March 31, 2009. DeGraw made Free in less than two weeks at the Brooklyn studio of his producer, Camus Celli. DeGraw included some songs on the album that he wrote very early in his career and that have evolved over time, songs such as "Dancing Shoes" and "Glass". The debut single from the album, "Stay", was released on March 11, 2009. Free has been described as "recorded versions of his live favourites".
DeGraw's fourth album, , was set to release on August 9, 2011 but was pushed back to September 20, 2011. The album features many tracks co-written with other artists. The first single "Not Over You" was released on iTunes in June. The track was co-written and produced by
and was said to be inspired by Kyle Craig. "Not Over You" is his first song to reach the top spot on the . Sweeter contains collaborations from producers including , , alongside another co-written title track, "Sweeter" with Andrew Frampton. The album was recorded in many locations including Blackbird Studios in , Walker’s Space in
is DeGraw's first album released under , all three of his previous albums were released under . DeGraw went on to release an acoustic album based mostly on songs from Sweeter. The iTunes Session album features seven tracks and a 30-minute interview.
DeGraw sang "Baby It's Cold Outside" with
album. The pair also wrote the song "We Both Know" for the soundtrack of the 2013 film .
On June 18, 2013, DeGraw released the first single from his fifth studio album, "". Degraw's fifth, and most recent studio album, , was released October 15, 2013. During that year, he supported
across their series of US
also appeared in several of those shows.
DeGraw released his first
on October 21, 2014. The album includes the new songs "You Got Me" (featured in the film ) and "Fire" (released on August 12, 2014). On September 9, 2016 DeGraw is set to release his sixth studio album, . It was preceded by the release of the singles "She Sets the City on Fire" on July 15, 2016, and "Making Love with the Radio On" on August 12, 2016.
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DeGraw's songs have been played on 13 titles in films and on television. "" was part of the soundtrack for 2004 film , and an episode of
called My Self-Examination, aired on April 27, 2004. The song was featured on
and on British and Italian TV advertisements for .[]
"" features as an uncredited part of the soundtrack for the American-Canadian TV series . The song features in a 2004 episode called Always and is portrayed by DeGraw. DeGraw plays a non-recurring small role as street singer, Pete Anderson. The song also features on the TV series
in a 2006 episode named Helping Hands, it is played during Denise and Daniel's dinner. The song can also be heard during a 2007 episode of
("Knuckle Up"). During the wedding episode of the TV show , he performed his songs "Follow Through" and "More Than Anyone" off his album Chariot.[]
His song "We Belong Together" was also featured in the , .
DeGraw has performed a cover of
love ballad, "", which is played during Chaos Theory, an episode of
aired on August 5, 2008. During a Christmas special of TV series
called "Joy to the World", a cover of "" performed by DeGraw was played.[]
TV dance competition and reality show
utilized three of DeGraw's tracks across four shows and features a cover performed by DeGraw. "Belief", "More Than Anyone" and "We Belong Together" are used as background tracks across the
and 2009 series respectively. During the first part of the 2007 finale, a cover of "", performed by DeGraw, is used. His songs are contained in the soundtracks of 11 episodes of One Tree Hill. Tracks such as "Belief", "More Than Anyone", "Chariot", "We Belong Together" and "Jealous Guy" all feature in the show.
During the second season of the show, an unreleased live version of "Chariot" is played during the episode "Something I Can Never Have". He played "Chariot" in a season 1 episode set at Karen's cafe. The scene featured
and . During a special of
called "", DeGraw's song "Follow Through" is played.[]
DeGraw has released a number of music videos as well, including "I Don't Want to Be", "Follow Through" and "Chariot". The latter was directed by , who also directed music videos for . "More Than Anyone" was selected by fans of
contest as the first wedding dance song for Nathan & Haley in the 3rd season finale "The Show Must Go On."
At the Des Moines Arts Festival on June 27, 2009
He and his brother opened
in December 2007, a
music venue that is a roots
bar located in Manhattan's , at 159 East Houston Street between Allen Street and Eldridge Street. The venue offers music, food, and drink. The idea for the venue came about because the brothers wanted a place where they could hang out on a regular basis, and where other musicians could come in and listen and learn. "We were picky about the quality of musicians that played there", Gavin DeGraw says. "We wanted a place where the players were so good, other musicians were like, 'Wow! I really respect what they're doing.'"
DeGraw collaborated with Swedish EDM producer
and sang on a song called "Sunset Jesus" on the DJ's second studio album , released on October 2, 2015.
Gavin DeGraw appeared in an on-screen role in four
episodes. His first appearance was in 2004, during ("You Gotta Go There to Come Back"); he was seen singing "I Don't Want to Be" at Karen's Cafe. His second appearance was in season 2 where he sang, "Chariot" in episode 17 and his third was in the season 5 finale, ("What Comes After the Blues") where he was seen singing "I Don't Want to Be" with
(), and then performed one last time during the series' final episode, in which he sang "Belief", "Soldier" and "I Don't Want to Be" at TRIC's 10th Anniversary party.
DeGraw has acted on TV, where his first appearance was on . He went on to appear on such programs as , , ,
and . During
in 2004, DeGraw is credited as a performer. After this, he was seen on
alongside Dutch TV show Barend & Van Dorp and the Danish TV show Clement Behrendt Kjersgaard.[]
DeGraw performed "I Don't Want to Be" during the 2005 . He was a musical guest on
and . He appeared on multiple episodes of , the , , ,
and , performing tracks from whichever album he was promoting. DeGraw is credited as a presenter for the 2011
and can mostly be seen presenting footage from backstage.[]
DeGraw was a contestant on
which premiered on Monday March 19, 2012. DeGraw and his partner
were eliminated from the competition during week 5, following a Dance Duel with cast-mate
and his partner . They landed in 9th place.
On February 7, 2013, , member of the boy band , announced on his Twitter that Gavin will be guest starring on their same-titled -show. On February 13, 2014 he made an appearance on
with his musical director Billy Norris. On January 1, 2015, he performed between the first and second periods of the
Winter Classic game in . On January 25, 2015, he performed at the Miss Universe Competition.[]
On August 8, 2011, DeGraw was hospitalized after being assaulted by several people in Manhattan's , near . Police reported that a group of men attacked DeGraw early Sunday morning at
and . He suffered a broken nose, a concussion, two black eyes and lacerations to his face. Only minutes after the attack, DeGraw was then struck by a taxi. He was admitted to Manhattan's
for treatment. He had to cancel his scheduled August 9 performance at the
Current members
Gavin DeGraw – lead vocals, piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar (2003–present)
Billy Norris – lead guitar, backing vocals, musical director (2009–present)
James Cruz – bass guitar (summer 2012– previously as well)
David Maemone – keyboards (spring 2014–present)
Mike Baker – drums, percussion, backing vocals (summer 2014–present)
Former members
Johnny "Tsunami" Andrews – lead guitar, backing vocals
– lead guitar, backing vocals
Brian Dennis – lead guitar, backing vocals
Jose Barrera – lead guitar, musical composition
Mike Pedicone – drums
Joey "Coach" Hanna – drums, backing vocals
Rodney Howard – drums, percussion, backing vocals (, )
Wijnand "Whynot" Jansveld – bass guitar, backing vocals
Alvin Moody – bass guitar, backing vocals
Casey Twist – bass guitar, backing vocals
Tony Tino – bass guitar (2009–summer 2012)
Ben Mars – bass guitar (summer 2012)
Jimmy Wallace – keyboards, organ, acoustic guitar, backing vocals (, 2011–summer 2013)
Eric Kinny – keyboards (summer 2013–spring 2014)
Ian O'Neill – drums, backing vocals (2011–summer 2014)
– drums, percussion, backing vocals
2001: Gavin Live
Association
Nominated work
College Music Awards
Best Male Rock Artist
Mikie Awards
Male Artist of the Year
Song of the Year
"I Don't Want To Be"
Top Soundtrack Single of the Year
Song of the Year/Mainstream Top 40 Radio
Groovevolt Music and Fashion Awards
Best Song Performance - Male
Best Album - Male
Chariot (Stripped)
World's Best Selling Pop/Rock Artist
"We Both Know"
"" did not chart on the
but did peak at #11 on the
chart, which is an extension of the Hot 100.
"" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but did peak at #16 on
chart, which is an extension of the Hot 100.
. IMDB 2012.
. Yahoo Music 2014.
. Gavin DeGraw US 2012.
. Gavindegraw.us. .
. Lyrics On Demand 2012.
Staff (February 3, 2005). , ; retrieved August 8, 2011.
, ; accessed August 29, 2015.
. Artist Direct 2015.
. ARTIST Direct 2015.
. Band Biographies 2015.
. Amazon Retail 2012.
. Gavin DeGraw Official Website 2012.
. Amazon Retail 2012.
. MTV Website. MTV 2012.
. YouTube. Google 2012.
. Gavin DeGraw website 2012.
. Amazon Retail 2012.
. iTunes 2012.
. Gavin DeGraw Blog. Gavin DeGraw 2012.
. Gavin DeGraw Website 2012.
Trust, Gary (January 26, 2012). .
. iTunes 2012.
Pajer, Nicole (November 28, 2012). . Billboard 2013.
. Billboard. December 12, .
(); retrieved .
(); retrieved .
. American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest 2015.
. . August 14, .
, ; accessed August 29, 2015.
. . 15 July .
. Gavin DeGraw 2012.
. Tree Hill Memories 2012.
. The National Underground Official website 2010.
Carlson, Erin (May 8, 2008). . .
Friedman, Roger (March 6, 2008). . .
. Glide Magazine. August 29, 2008.
. . July 27, 2008.
Tomcho, Sandy (August 15, 2008). . .
04/18/-04-18). . .
. <. August 10, .
. Billboard
"I Don't Want to Be" and "Not Over You": . Hung Medien 2014.
"Follow Through" and Chariot:
(PDF) (769). . December 20, .
(PDF) (1127). Pandora Archive. October 3, .
. . Hung Medien 2014.
. Acharts.us.
. Dutchcharts.nl 2014.
. Hitparade.ch 2014.
, published by .
2016. Click on "Veckans albumlista".
. AllMusic.
. Rock On The Net.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to .
at the 's live music archive
at AOL Video
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About Gavin DeGraw
With one of the most recognizable voices of our time, combined with blue eyed soul vocals, freewheeling melod singer, songwriter, and musician Gavin DeGraw, has enjoyed success since breaking through in 2003 with his debut album, Chariot, which sold over a million copies, earned platinum certification, and yielded three hit singles: “I Don’t Want To Be,” “Follow Through,” and the title-track, “Chariot.” He followed that up with his self-titled second album, which debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart in 2008 (earning Gavin his first Top 10 album and spawning the hit singles “In Love With A Girl” and the gold-certified “We Belong Together.” After releasing 2009’s Free, a gift to die-hard fans clamoring for recorded versions of his live favorites, Gavin decided it was time to shake things up. “Not only do I love a challenge, but I also wanted something new to sing,” Gavin explains. “I’ve listened to my favorite songs 5,000 times, and I love them, but sometimes it’s hard to go home and put on that album and listen to it for the five thousand and first time. I needed to write something I found interesting both melodically and rhythmically and that meant stepping outside my wheelhouse.”
On Gavin’s new album SWEETER, the New York native experimented with new sounds, thanks, in part, to collaborating with a host of top-notch producers he’d wanted to work with for a while, including fellow groove-minded piano player OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder (Beyonc&, Adele), Butch Walker (Weezer, Avril Lavigne), Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos), and Ron Aniello (Barenaked Ladies, Matt Nathanson). “The creation of every song began with an interview to select the right producer,” Gavin says. “It was like speed-dating. I’d play them the songs I was working on and ask which ones they liked the best, and then ask them to produce those they were most passionate about.”
Gavin took another departure from his usual way of working, enlisting co-writers for the first time, such as Tedder, who co-wrote and produced the album’s vigorous hit single “Not Over You” (about the struggle to let go of an old flame) and its title track “Sweeter,” as well as Andrew Frampton, who has worked with The Script and Natasha Bedingfield. “Co-writing with other people changed everything for me,” Gavin says. “Not only did it open my mind to new ideas, but it changed the way I wrote on my own. Playing all these different styles with other musicians led me to think about things differently when I was working by myself. I was able to tap into things I do live, dabbling with some of that late ’60s, early ’70s R&B stuff, and record all the styles of music that I like and put them on one album. It was great to take the leash off and experiment. Although it doesn’t stray too far from what I’ve done, I think SWEETER is the first album I’ve made that has caught my true sound, and that was the result of taking risks.”
Recorded in several locations, including Tedder’s studio in Denver, Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Walker’s space in Venice, CA (where Bob Dylan recorded some tracks in the ’70s), and the legendary Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, SWEETER finds Gavin in a provocative mood, which infuses several songs with a potent, swaggering strut on sexually charged songs like “Sweeter” (on which he sings about wanting to hook up with another guy’s girl) and one of his favorite tracks, “Radiation” (about knowing a lover is bad for you, but every now and then, you can’t resist making that late-night call). “Those songs are designed to be fun while also being truthful. I think a lot of people can relate to the lyric, ‘If you get an invitation, I’m probably drunk,’” Gavin says with a laugh.
“This is the first album I’ve made where I felt ready to explore the more sexual side of my nature in my music,” he continues. “It’s not only about my feelings of being in love, although I do tap into those elements on this album on songs like ‘Soldier’ and ‘You Know Where I’m At.’ This is the funkiest, sultriest record I’ve ever made. It satisfied a lot of things for me that I wanted to have satisfied musically.”
SWEETER’s racier moments are balanced out by more emotionally transparent moments, like “Run Every Time,” which addresses a reluctance to commit to a relationship, as well as romantic, uplifting songs like “Soldier” and “You Know Where I’m At,” which convey a vulnerability while still managing to feel distinctly masculine. “The question for me became, ‘How do you expose your vulnerability without seeming like somebody who gets kicked around, and, at the same time, describe your ability to get past something without sounding cocky,” Gavin says. “That’s always tricky, because you know you’re being judged on the lyrics and they’re all very personal.”
That willingness to explore what’s meaningful to him and express it in a universal way is what has made Gavin a compelling artist, one who connects with listeners not only through his recordings, but also through his live appearances. Gavin has toured the globe, performing sold-out headlining shows as well as festivals with a variety of artists. Around the release of SWEETER, Gavin hit the road with TRAIN and Maroon 5 for an extensive North American tour, playing these new songs for fans for the very first time. “I want to take people from the beginning to the end of their emotions, for however long they’re with me,” he says. “I want to woo people. I do. I want both women and men to love it, because I feel this album satisfies in a masculine way while still having a feminine touch.”
Hear more of
Top 10 songs in 90 seconds
Hear more of
With one of the most recognizable voices of our time, combined with blue eyed soul vocals, freewheeling melod singer, songwriter, and musician Gavin DeGraw, has enjoyed success since breaking through in 2003 with his debut album, Chariot, which sold over a million copies, earned platinum certification, and yielded three hit singles: “I Don’t Want To Be,” “Follow Through,” and the title-track, “Chariot.” He followed that up with his self-titled second album, which debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart in 2008 (earning Gavin his first Top 10 album and spawning the hit singles “In Love With A Girl” and the gold-certified “We Belong Together.” After releasing 2009’s Free, a gift to die-hard fans clamoring for recorded versions of his live favorites, Gavin decided it was time to shake things up. “Not only do I love a challenge, but I also wanted something new to sing,” Gavin explains. “I’ve listened to my favorite songs 5,000 times, and I love them, but sometimes it’s hard to go home and put on that album and listen to it for the five thousand and first time. I needed to write something I found interesting both melodically and rhythmically and that meant stepping outside my wheelhouse.” On Gavin’s new album SWEETER, the New York native experimented with new sounds, thanks, in part, to collaborating with a host of top-notch producers he’d wanted to work with for a while, including fellow groove-minded piano player OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder (Beyonc&, Adele), Butch Walker (Weezer, Avril Lavigne), Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos), and Ron Aniello (Barenaked Ladies, Matt Nathanson). “The creation of every song began with an interview to select the right producer,” Gavin says. “It was like speed-dating. I’d play them the songs I was working on and ask which ones they liked the best, and then ask them to produce those they were most passionate about.” Gavin took another departure from his usual way of working, enlisting co-writers for the first time, such as Tedder, who co-wrote and produced the album’s vigorous hit single “Not Over You” (about the struggle to let go of an old flame) and its title track “Sweeter,” as well as Andrew Frampton, who has worked with The Script and Natasha Bedingfield. “Co-writing with other people changed everything for me,” Gavin says. “Not only did it open my mind to new ideas, but it changed the way I wrote on my own. Playing all these different styles with other musicians led me to think about things differently when I was working by myself. I was able to tap into things I do live, dabbling with some of that late ’60s, early ’70s R&B stuff, and record all the styles of music that I like and put them on one album. It was great to take the leash off and experiment. Although it doesn’t stray too far from what I’ve done, I think SWEETER is the first album I’ve made that has caught my true sound, and that was the result of taking risks.” Recorded in several locations, including Tedder’s studio in Denver, Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Walker’s space in Venice, CA (where Bob Dylan recorded some tracks in the ’70s), and the legendary Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, SWEETER finds Gavin in a provocative mood, which infuses several songs with a potent, swaggering strut on sexually charged songs like “Sweeter” (on which he sings about wanting to hook up with another guy’s girl) and one of his favorite tracks, “Radiation” (about knowing a lover is bad for you, but every now and then, you can’t resist making that late-night call). “Those songs are designed to be fun while also being truthful. I think a lot of people can relate to the lyric, ‘If you get an invitation, I’m probably drunk,’” Gavin says with a laugh. “This is the first album I’ve made where I felt ready to explore the more sexual side of my nature in my music,” he continues. “It’s not only about my feelings of being in love, although I do tap into those elements on this album on songs like ‘Soldier’ and ‘You Know Where I’m At.’ This is the funkiest, sultriest record I’ve ever made. It satisfied a lot of things for me that I wanted to have satisfied musically.” SWEETER’s racier moments are balanced out by more emotionally transparent moments, like “Run Every Time,” which addresses a reluctance to commit to a relationship, as well as romantic, uplifting songs like “Soldier” and “You Know Where I’m At,” which convey a vulnerability while still managing to feel distinctly masculine. “The question for me became, ‘How do you expose your vulnerability without seeming like somebody who gets kicked around, and, at the same time, describe your ability to get past something without sounding cocky,” Gavin says. “That’s always tricky, because you know you’re being judged on the lyrics and they’re all very personal.” That willingness to explore what’s meaningful to him and express it in a universal way is what has made Gavin a compelling artist, one who connects with listeners not only through his recordings, but also through his live appearances. Gavin has toured the globe, performing sold-out headlining shows as well as festivals with a variety of artists. Around the release of SWEETER, Gavin hit the road with TRAIN and Maroon 5 for an extensive North American tour, playing these new songs for fans for the very first time. “I want to take people from the beginning to the end of their emotions, for however long they’re with me,” he says. “I want to woo people. I do. I want both women and men to love it, because I feel this album satisfies in a masculine way while still having a feminine touch.”
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