Gavin Shane DeGraw (born February 4, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. DeGraw rose to fame with his song "I Don't Want to Be" from his debut album Chariot (2003); the song became the main theme song for The WB/CW drama series One Tree Hill. Other notable singles from his debut album were the title track and "Follow Through".
His second album, Gavin DeGraw, was released in 2008 and included the top-20 single "In Love with a Girl". In 2009, DeGraw released his third album, Free. His fourth album, Sweeter (2011), spawned the hit single "Not Over You", along with "Soldier" and "Sweeter". In 2013, DeGraw released the album Make a Move, while in 2016 he released the album Something Worth Saving.
In 2022, he released Face the River and a documentary on how he made the record and how he dealt with his parents' deaths.
DeGraw began singing and playing piano at the age of eight. He has two older siblings: a sister, Neeka, and a brother, Joey (who is 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 as a remote show-business ideal.[7]
As a teenager, DeGraw experienced a personal epiphany when he discovered Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, whose combination of personal charm and emotional commitment struck a chord in the budding musician.[7] DeGraw played in a local Catskills group called "The People's Band" with his brother Joey and with local musician and vocalist Steven Levine, Bart and Hal Coopersmith. the band was named from his father's band when he was playing. The People's Band played many of the local hotels and clubs around the Monticello area. On his brother's advice, DeGraw began writing his own songs.[8] He attended Ithaca College 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. DeGraw then moved to Boston, where he attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music for two semesters while singing in a rock band and playing solo gigs on the side.[7]
Music career
After leaving Berklee and relocating to Manhattan in March 1998, DeGraw laid the groundwork for a musical career. Within a few months of his arrival, DeGraw made his way into the Sunday night Ron Grant and Friends open-mike night at Wilson's (the noted Upper West Side restaurant inside the Lucerne hotel). The night manager, Shar Thompson, introduced DeGraw to the club's owner, Debbie Wilson, the next day. Wilson signed on as his manager. DeGraw began developing a reputation in New York's music community.[7] DeGraw eventually signed a record deal with Clive Davis and his J Records imprint, the home of Santana as well as R&B singers Alicia Keys and Angie Stone.[9][better source needed]
In the spring of 2002, DeGraw began work on his debut album. "I wanted to create something that was timeless rather than fashionable", he explained. "I was concerned with developing a sound that wasn't disposable. I didn't want to have too much glitter on me". The adjustment from the live stage to the recording studio was an educational process that gave DeGraw new insight into his work. "It 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 worked at making it breathe".[7][failed verification] The album, entitled Chariot, was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and produced by Mark Endert.[1][better source needed]
DeGraw rose to fame in 2003[10] when "I Don't Want to Be" was chosen as the theme song for teen drama One Tree Hill.[11]Chariot was released on July 22, 2003, by J Records.[12] It sold over a million copies and earned platinum certification.[13] In addition to "I Don't Want to Be", the album featured the singles "Follow Through" and "Chariot";[14] each of the three singles was certified gold after selling more than a million copies.[13] "I Don't Want to Be" peaked at number 10 in the U.S. charts[15] and has been performed on American Idol[16] and Idol Sweden[17] by various contestants during different seasons. DeGraw went on to release an acoustic version of Chariot in 2004. Entitled Chariot Stripped, the album contained a cover version of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".[18]
DeGraw's 2006 single, "We Belong Together", was certified gold.[13]
DeGraw performing in 2005
DeGraw's second studio album, the self-titled Gavin DeGraw, was released on May 6, 2008.[12] Ahead of this, the single "In Love with a Girl" was released on February 12, 2008. The second U.S. single from the album, "Cheated On Me", was released in the U.S. on September 30, 2008.[citation needed]Gavin DeGraw debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and ranked at No. 7 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart.[14][better source needed]
DeGraw's Live From Soho album, released on November 7, 2008, featured mostly tracks from Gavin DeGraw.[19]
On March 31, 2009, DeGraw's third studio album, Free, was released.[20] 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".[1] The debut single from the album, "Stay", was released on March 11, 2009.[21]Free has been described as "recorded versions of his live favourites".[14]
DeGraw's fourth album, Sweeter, was released on September 20, 2011.[22] The album featured many tracks co-written with other artists. The album's first single, "Not Over You", was co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder and was said to have been inspired by Kyle Craig. "Not Over You" is his first song to reach the top spot on the Adult Pop Songs chart;[23] the single has been certified platinum.[13]Sweeter contains collaborations from producers including Butch Walker, Eric Rosse, and Ron Aniello; alongside another co-written title track, "Sweeter" with Andrew Frampton. The album was recorded in many locations including Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Walker's Space in Venice and the Henson Recording Studios.[14][better source needed]Sweeter is DeGraw's first album released under RCA Records; all three of his previous albums were released under J Records.[better source needed] 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.[24]
On June 18, 2013, DeGraw released "Best I Ever Had", the first single from his fifth studio album.[28] The album, Make a Move, was released October 15, 2013.[29][better source needed] During that year, he supported Train across their series of US shows; The Script also appeared in several of those shows.[30]
In 2015, DeGraw collaborated with Swedish DJ Avicii on the song "Sunset Jesus", from his album Stories. DeGraw co-wrote the song, and he also sang it during the Avicii Tribute Concert in Stockholm in 2019.[33]
On May 20, 2022, DeGraw's released his seventh studio album Face the River, with the title track serving as the lead single; a tribute to his late parents.[35] August 27 is International Listen to Gavin DeGraw Day.[36]
Gavin DeGraw OKC concert August 23, 2023
DeGraw released his first ChristmasEP, A Classic Christmas on October 13, 2023. It consists of six classic Christmas songs.[37]
In 2023, DeGraw signed with Sony Music Nashville.[38]
In 2023 and 2024 he embarked on another world tour in USA & in Europe.[39]
On September 27, 2024, DeGraw is releasing a re-recorded version of his debut album Chariot to commemorate 20 years since its release, to be titled Chariot 20. This album will include two new previously unreleased tracks.[40]
Other work
DeGraw performing at the Des Moines Arts Festival on June 27, 2009
Acting
DeGraw appeared in an on-screen role in four One Tree Hill 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. His third appearance was in the season five finale, "What Comes After the Blues", where he was seen singing "I Don't Want to Be" with Jamie Scott (Jackson Brundage). DeGraw appeared on the show a final time during the series' last episode, in which he sang "Belief", "Soldier" and "I Don't Want to Be" at TRIC's 10th Anniversary party.[41][better source needed]
DeGraw and his brother opened The National Underground in December 2007. The National Underground is a roots rock/Americana music bar located in Manhattan's Lower East Side.[43] The venue offers music, food, and drink.[44][45][46] "We were picky about the quality of musicians that played there", DeGraw says. "We wanted a place where the players were so good, other musicians were like, 'Wow! I really respect what they're doing.'"[47] Together the DeGraw brothers also own the restaurant/bar called the Nashville Underground in Nashville, TN, on Broadway and the steakhouse Open Range in Bozeman, Montana.
Personal life
Gavin DeGraw and his dog son Buddy 2023
On August 8, 2011, DeGraw was hospitalized after being assaulted by several people in Manhattan's East Village after leaving The National Underground.[48] Police reported that a group of men attacked DeGraw early Sunday morning at East 6th Street and First Avenue. He suffered a broken nose, a concussion, two black eyes, and lacerations to his face.[48][49] Only minutes after the attack, DeGraw was struck by a taxi at 19th Street and First Avenue. DeGraw was taken to Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital Center by ambulance,[50] and he had to cancel a scheduled August 9 performance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs.[51] In January 2012, DeGraw reported that he had made a full recovery from his injuries.[52]
In September 2017, DeGraw's mother, Lynne DeGraw, died of pancreatic cancer.[53] On July 2, 2020, DeGraw's father, John Wayne DeGraw, died from brain cancer.[54]
^"Sweeter" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but did peak at number 16 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which is an extension of the Hot 100.
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