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 "I Don't Want to Be" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw from his 2003 debut album, '' Chariot''. The song gained exposure after being featured as the opening theme to The CW teen drama series ''One Tree Hill'', and it was relea ...

" from his debut album '' Chariot'' (2003); the song became the main theme song for

The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on terrestrial television, broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture be ...

drama series ''

One Tree Hill One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

''. Other notable singles from his debut album were " Chariot" and " Follow Through". His second album, '' Gavin DeGraw'', was released in 2008 and included the top-20 single "

In Love with a Girl "In Love with a Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Gavin DeGraw and was released as the lead single from DeGraw's self-titled second studio album, released on February 5, 2008. A previously-unreleased alternate version produced by M ...

". In 2009, DeGraw released his third album, '' Free''. His fourth album, ''

Sweeter Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, keto ...

'' (2011), spawned the hit single " Not Over You", along with "

Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

" and "

". 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' death. DeGraw's duet with

Colbie Caillat Colbie Marie Caillat (; born May 28, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic ...

on "We Both Know" for the 2013 film '' Safe Haven'' received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

nomination.

Early life

Family and education

Born February 4, 1977, DeGraw grew up in

South Fallsburg, New York South Fallsburg is a hamlet and census-designated place in Sullivan County, New York, United States. South Fallsburg is located within the Town of Fallsburg at (41.716489, -74.630279). History South Fallsburg is located in the one-time resort ...

. His mother, Lynne (née Krieger, 1951–2017), was a detox specialist, and his father, Wayne DeGraw, was a

prison guard A prison officer or corrections officer is a Uniformed services, uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individ ...

; he referenced his father's and mother's respective occupations in the song "

". His father was of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

descent and his mother was of

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Jewish ancestry.

Musical approach

DeGraw began singing and playing piano at the age of eight. He has two older siblings: a sister, Neeka, and a brother,

Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horac ...

(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. As a teenager, DeGraw experienced a personal epiphany when he discovered

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

and Sam Cooke, whose combination of personal charm and emotional commitment struck a chord in the budding musician. DeGraw played in a local

Catskills The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

group called "The People's Band" with his brother Joey and with local musician and vocalist Steven Levine. The band played many of the local hotels and clubs around the

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

area. On his brother's advice, DeGraw began writing his own songs. He attended

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and go ...

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 Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 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.

Music career

After leaving

Berklee Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

and relocating to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

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. DeGraw eventually signed a record deal with Clive Davis and his

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...

imprint, the home of

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

as well as R&B singers

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

and

Angie Stone Angela Laverne Brown (born December 18, 1961) known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s ...

. 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". The album, entitled '' Chariot'', was recorded at

Sunset Sound Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the sprin ...

in Los Angeles and produced by

Mark Endert Mark Endert is a Grammy award winning American music producer, mixer, arranger and musician. Biography From the early 1990s to the present, Endert is credited on albums spanning a wide array of musical genres with sales totaling more than 90 mil ...

. DeGraw rose to fame in 2003 when "

" was chosen as the

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

for teen drama ''

''. ''Chariot'' was released on July 22, 2003 by

. It sold over a million copies and earned platinum certification. In addition to "I Don't Want to Be", the album featured the singles "Follow Through" and "Chariot"; each of the three singles was certified gold after selling more than a million copies. "I Don't Want to Be" peaked at number 10 in the U.S. charts and has been performed on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' and '' Idol Sweden'' 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". DeGraw's 2006 single, "We Belong Together", was certified gold.

DeGraw's second studio album, the self-titled '' Gavin DeGraw'', was released on May 6, 2008. Ahead of this, the single "

" 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. '' Gavin DeGraw'' debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and ranked at No. 7 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart. DeGraw's ''Live From Soho'' album, released on November 7, 2008, featured mostly tracks from '' Gavin DeGraw''. On March 31, 2009, DeGraw's third studio album, '' Free'', was released. 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 released on September 20, 2011. 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 Ryan Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. As well as being the lead vocalist of the pop rock band OneRepublic, he has an independent career as a songwriter and producer for various artists since th ...

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 The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...

chart; the single has been certified platinum. ''Sweeter'' contains collaborations from producers including

Butch Walker Bradley Glenn "Butch" Walker (born November 14, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the glam metal band SouthGang from the late 1980s to early 1990s as well as the lead vocalist ...

Eric Rosse Eric Ivan Rosse is an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and mixer. Rosse started playing piano at age 8, eventually studying orchestration and arranging with Joe Rotundi Sr., whose mentorship—along with influences of soul, rock ...

, and

Ron Aniello Ron Aniello is an American songwriter, record producer, composer and musician who has enjoyed a diverse career working with Bruce Springsteen, Matthew Koma, Shania Twain, Wanting Qu, Gavin DeGraw, Lifehouse, Patti Scialfa, Barenaked Ladies, G ...

; 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 Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

and the

Henson Recording Studios The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of North La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property served ...

. ''

'' is DeGraw's first album released under

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

; 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

on her 2012 ''

Christmas in the Sand ''Christmas in the Sand'' is a Christmas album and the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on October 23, 2012 in the United States through Universal Republic Records. The album includes eight ...

'' album. The pair also wrote the song "We Both Know" for the soundtrack of the 2013 film '' Safe Haven''. The duo received a

nomination. On June 18, 2013, DeGraw released " Best I Ever Had", the first single from his fifth studio album. The album, '' Make a Move'', was released October 15, 2013. During that year, he supported

Train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

across their series of US shows; The Script also appeared in several of those shows. Gavin DeGraw 2015 Winter Classic (16144967376)

In 2014, DeGraw opened for Billy Joel. DeGraw then released his first

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw'' on October 21, 2014. The album includes the new songs "You Got Me" (featured in the film ''

Dolphin Tale 2 ''Dolphin Tale 2'' is a 2014 American family film written and directed by Charles Martin Smith as the sequel to his 2011 film ''Dolphin Tale'' which in-turn was based on the true story about a rescued bottlenose dolphin named Winter who made her f ...

'') and "Fire" (released on August 12, 2014). On September 9, 2016, DeGraw released his sixth studio album, '' Something Worth Saving''. On May 20, 2022, DeGraw's released his seventh studio album ''Face the River'', with the title track serving as the lead single. August 27 is International Listen to Gavin DeGraw Day.

Other work

Acting

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. 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 Jamie Scott (born James Christopher Needle; 12 February 1984) is an Ivor Novello Award winning English singer, songwriter and producer. Career Songwriting As a writer and producer Scott has sold over 100 million albums, 50 million singles, has ...

(

Jackson Brundage Jackson Timothy Brundage (born January 21, 2001) is a retired American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Jamie Scott on The CW's ''One Tree Hill'', a role he held from 2008 until the series' conclusion in 2012. Brundage was in the Nic ...

). 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.

Dancing

DeGraw was a contestant on season 14 of

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's '' Dancing with the Stars'', which premiered on March 19, 2012. DeGraw and his partner Karina Smirnoff were eliminated from the competition during week 5, following a Dance Duel with castmate Jaleel White and his partner,

Kym Johnson Kym Herjavec (née Johnson; born 4 August 1976) is an Australian professional ballroom dancer and television performer who appeared in the first three seasons of the Australian version of ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, b ...

The National Underground

DeGraw and his brother opened The National Underground in December 2007. The National Underground is a

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

Americana music Americana (also known as American roots music) is an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States, specifically those sounds that are emerged from the ...

bar located in Manhattan's Lower East Side. 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", DeGraw says. "We wanted a place where the players were so good, other musicians were like, 'Wow! I really respect what they're doing.'"

Personal life

On August 8, 2011, DeGraw was hospitalized after being assaulted by several people in Manhattan's East Village after leaving The National Underground. 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. 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 Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States b ...

by ambulance, and he had to cancel a scheduled August 9 performance at the

Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is a large amphitheatre located in Saratoga Springs, New York, on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park. It presents summer performances of classical music, jazz, pop and rock, country, comedy, dance, opera, ...

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

. In January 2012, DeGraw reported that he had made a full recovery from his injuries. In September 2017, DeGraw's mother, Lynne DeGraw, died of pancreatic cancer. On July 2, 2020, DeGraw's father, John Wayne DeGraw, died after a brief illness.

Band members

;Current members *Gavin DeGraw – lead vocals, piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar (2003–present) *James Cruz – bass guitar (summer 2012–present; 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 *

Joey DeGraw Joseph "Joey" Wayne DeGraw (born August 21, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, voiceover actor & co-owner of The National Underground bar and record label, and brother of singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw. His first commercial rel ...

– lead guitar, backing vocals *Brian Dennis – lead guitar, backing vocals *

Landon Ashworth Landon Ashworth is an American actor, producer, television, movie and musical writer, film and commercial director, pilot, and golfer who is a notable celebrity in the autism spectrum disorder community. Landon is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeron ...

- drums *Sam Ingram – keyboards, backing vocals, hand claps, 2nd best friend *Coltin Hanson – backing vocals, percussion, best friend *

Matt Flynn Matthew Clayton Flynn (born June 20, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was a member of the Packers when they won Super Bowl XLV over the Pitts ...

– drums *Jose Barrera – lead guitar, musical composition *Mike Pedicone – drums *Joey "Coach" Hanna – drums, backing vocals *Rodney Howard – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2004–2006, 2009–2011) *Wijnand "Whynot" Jansveld – bass guitar, backing vocals *Alvin Moody – bass guitar, backing vocals *Billy Norris – lead guitar, backing vocals, musical director (2009–November 2022) *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 (2007–2008, 2011–summer 2013) *Eric Kinny – keyboards (summer 2013–spring 2014) *Ian O'Neill – drums, backing vocals (2011–summer 2014) *

Travis McNabb Travis Aaron McNabb (born November 18, 1969) is an American drummer and percussionist. McNabb is perhaps best known as a longtime member of the band Better Than Ezra, although he has performed session and touring work with many acts during his ...

– drums, percussion, backing vocals *Michael "Tiny" Lindsey - bass

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Compilation albums

* 2014: '' Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw''

Live albums

* 2001: ''Gavin Live''

Singles

Tours

;Headlining *Gavin Degraw Live in Concert *Chariot Stripped Tour *Gavin Degraw in Concert *Where It Began Tour *Sweeter Tour *Make a Move Tour *An Acoustic Evening with Gavin DeGraw *Raw Tour ;Co-headlining *One Tree Hill Concert Tour *Howie & Gavin on the Road *2009 Summer Tour *David Cook & Gavin DeGraw in Concert *Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw in Concert *2014 Summer Tour *Gavin DeGraw & Andy Grammer: Live in Concert *2018 Summer Tour ;Opening act *Chasing Daylight World Tour * Songs About Jane Tour *Everywhere For Everyone Tour *Virgin College Mega Tour *

Bonez Tour Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne has completed six concert tours beginning with the Try to Shut Me Up Tour in 2002–03. This was followed by the 13-month Bonez Tour in 2004–05 and The Best Damn World Tour in 2008. Her ongoing Love Sux ...

*Summer Tour 2005 *

The Circle Tour The Circle Tour is a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi. The tour supported the band's 11th studio album '' The Circle'' (2009). Starting in North America in early 2010, the tour progressed to Europe, South America, Asia and ...

* 2011 Summer Tour *

Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour The Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour was a concert tour by American pop-rock band Train. It was in support of the group's sixth studio album, '' California 37''. The tour began on July 11, 2013, in Virginia Beach, Virginia and ended on August 14, 2013, ...

Billy Joel in Concert Billy Joel in Concert is a current concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. After several concerts beforehand, in the fall of 2013, the concert tour began in Sunrise, Florida, and is ongoing, scheduled to continue into at least ...

Rock This Country Tour The Rock This Country Tour was the third concert tour by Canadian recording artist Shania Twain. The tour was Twain's first tour in eleven years and was billed as her farewell tour. The tour kicked off on June 5, 2015, in Seattle, and concluded ...

*All the Feels Tour * Summer Plays On Tour *Full Circle Tour -Spring 2022 performing new album Face The River.

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

DeGraw official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Degraw, Gavin 1977 births 21st-century American singers American male singer-songwriters American people of Irish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent American rock guitarists American male guitarists American rock pianists American male pianists American rock singers American rock songwriters Berklee College of Music alumni Ithaca College alumni J Records artists Jewish American musicians Living people Singer-songwriters from New York (state) People from the Catskills People from Fallsburg, New York Jewish rock musicians 21st-century American guitarists Guitarists from New York (state) 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American Jews