Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American
R&B and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...
singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...
.
Gray has released ten studio albums, and received five
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 ...
nominations, winning one. She has appeared in a number of films, including ''
Training Day
''Training Day'' is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, two LAPD narcotics officers over a 24-hour period in the gan ...
'', ''
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Si ...
'', ''
Scary Movie 3'', ''
Lackawanna Blues
''Lackawanna Blues'' is an American play written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson that premiered in 2001. It was later adapted as a television movie that aired in 2005. The play dramatizes the character of the author's primary caregiver when he was growi ...
'', ''
Idlewild'', ''
For Colored Girls'', and ''
The Paperboy''. Gray is best known for her international hit single "
I Try", taken from her
multi-platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
debut album ''
On How Life Is
''On How Life Is'' is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray. It was released on July 1, 1999, by Epic Records and Clean Slate. Produced by Andrew Slater, it became Gray's best-selling album to date, selling 3.4 million ...
''.
Early life
Natalie McIntyre was born in
Canton, Ohio
Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes an ...
, the daughter of Laura McIntyre, a math schoolteacher, and Otis Jones .
Her stepfather was a steelworker, and her sister is a biology teacher.
She has a younger brother, Nate, who owns a gym in
West Philadelphia and was featured on the season five finale of ''
Queer Eye''. She began piano lessons at age seven.
A childhood bicycle mishap resulted in her noticing a mailbox of a man named Macy Gray; she used the name in stories she wrote and later decided to use it as her stage name. She was late developing and did not learn to hold conversation until just before her tenth birthday.
Gray attended school with Brian Warner (later known as musician
Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
) although they did not know each other.
She attended more than one high school, including a boarding school which asked her to leave due to her behavior.
She attended the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
and studied scriptwriting.
Musical career
While attending the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
, she agreed to write songs for a friend.
A demo session was scheduled for the songs to be recorded by another singer, but the vocalist failed to appear, so Gray recorded them herself.
She then met writer-producer Joe Solo while working as a cashier in Beverly Hills. Together, they wrote a collection of songs and recorded them in Solo's studio. The demo tape gave Gray the opportunity to sing at jazz cafés in Los Angeles.
Although Gray did not consider her unusual voice desirable for singing,
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...
signed her. She began recording her debut record but was dropped from the label upon the departure of
A&R man
Tom Carolan
Tom Carolan (born March 2, 1961) is an American music executive and entrepreneur. In his early career, serving as a senior artists and repertoire (A&R) executive at Atlantic Records, Sony 550 and Lava Records he was responsible for the signing an ...
, who had signed her to the label.
Macy returned to Ohio but in 1997 Los Angeles based
Zomba Label Group Senior VP A&R man
Jeff Blue
Jeffrey Blue (born November 21, 1967) is a A&R executive, record-producer, and songwriter who is currently an A&R consultant for Atlantic Records. He has worked as the Senior Vice President of A&R and staff producer for Warner Bros. Records, Int ...
, convinced her to return to music and signed her to a development deal, recording new songs based on her life experiences, with a new sound, and began shopping her to record labels. In 1998, she landed a record deal with
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...
. She performed on "Love Won't Wait", a song on
the Black Eyed Peas
Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo (rapper), Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie (singer ...
' debut album ''
Behind the Front
''Behind the Front'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas released on June 30, 1998 through Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group.
Background
Most of the tracks were demos for the '' Grass Roots'' album, ...
''.
1999–2001: ''On How Life Is''
Gray worked on her debut album in 1999 with producer
Darryl Swann
Darryl Swann (born October 25, 1965) is an American record producer, songwriter, educator and musician. Triple platinum award winner. He has worked with prominent artists including, John Frusciante, Macy Gray, The Black Eyed Peas, Greg Hetson, Mos ...
.
Released in the summer of 1999, ''
On How Life Is
''On How Life Is'' is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray. It was released on July 1, 1999, by Epic Records and Clean Slate. Produced by Andrew Slater, it became Gray's best-selling album to date, selling 3.4 million ...
'' became a worldwide smash. The first single, "
Do Something
DoSomething (also DoSomething.org) is a global nonprofit organization with the goal of motivating young people to make positive change both online and offline through campaigns. The organization's CEO is DeNora Getachew.
History
The organizatio ...
", stalled on the charts, but the second single, "
I Try", made the album a success. "I Try" (which was originally featured in ''
Love Jones'' and the
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...
-starring romantic-comedy ''
Picture Perfect'' in 1997) was one of the biggest singles of 1999, and subsequent singles ("
Still" and "
Why Didn't You Call Me") ensured the album became triple platinum in the US and quadruple platinum in the UK.
In
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
, Gray won the
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
for "I Try", which was also nominated for "
song of the year" and "
record of the year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
". She then collaborated with
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist ...
, the Black Eyed Peas, and
Slick Rick
Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer.
He rose to prominence with Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. Their songs " The Show" and " ...
(on the song "The World Is Yours", from the ''
Rush Hour 2'' soundtrack), as well as acting for the first time, in the thriller ''
Training Day
''Training Day'' is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, two LAPD narcotics officers over a 24-hour period in the gan ...
''. In August 2001, Gray was booed at the
Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game after forgetting the lyrics to the
American national anthem
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...
.
2001–2005: ''The Id'' and ''The Trouble with Being Myself''
Gray's ''
The Id
The Id were a new wave/ synthpop band from the Wirral, Merseyside, England formed in 1977. They are best recalled as the precursor to the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), in which Id members Andy McCluskey (bass, vocals), Paul ...
'' featured appearances by
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...
and
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
on the single "
Sweet Baby" (which was co-written with longtime collaborator Joe Solo). The album peaked at number eleven on the
''Billboard'' 200. It fared even better in the UK, where it reached number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
and was certified gold by the
BPI.
In 2002, she appeared in ''
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Si ...
'' and contributed a remix of her song "My Nutmeg Phantasy" to its accompanying soundtrack. Gray also worked with
Santana on the track "Amoré (Sexo)", for his album ''
Shaman
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spir ...
''.
Also in 2002, she appeared on the
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.
Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...
's compilation CD in tribute to Nigerian
Afropop
African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop or Afro pop), like African traditional music, is vast and varied. Most contemporary genres of African popular music build on cross-pollination with western popular music. Many genres of po ...
pioneer
Fela Kuti
Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the pi ...
, ''
Red Hot and Riot''. She appeared on a remake of Kuti's classic track "Water No Get Enemy" alongside prominent
neo soul
Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and con ...
,
hip hop and R&B artists,
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...
,
the Soultronics,
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
,
Roy Hargrove
Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing style ...
, and Kuti's son,
Femi Kuti
Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women's ri ...
.
She recorded a duet with
Zucchero called "Like the Sun (From Out of Nowhere)", which featured
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a fo ...
on guitar released in 2004 on ''
Zu & Co.'', a duet collection. Her song "Time of My Life" was included in the
soundtrack to ''8 Mile''. A cartoon based on Gray's childhood was being developed, but it never came to fruition.
In 2003, Gray released her third studio album, ''
The Trouble with Being Myself
''The Trouble with Being Myself'' is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray, released on April 28, 2003, by Epic Records. The album peaked at number 44 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and by February 2007, it had sold 134, ...
'', to rave reviews. The lead single, "
When I See You", became a radio hit in the US and a top-forty hit in the UK, although the album was not as well received by fans. Nevertheless, it became Gray's third top twenty album in the UK. A greatest hits collection and a live album were subsequently released: ''
The Very Best of Macy Gray
''The Very Best of Macy Gray'' is the first greatest hits album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray. It was released on August 30, 2004, by Epic Records. It contains all singles from Gray's first three studio albums, as well as two previ ...
'' (2004) and ''
Live in Las Vegas'' (2005). Additionally, Gray was featured on
Marcus Miller
William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work as a bassist. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandros ...
's 2005 album ''
Silver Rain'', on a
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of copy ...
of
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
's 1986 song "
Girls & Boys". She also appeared on the soundtrack to the film ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
'' with
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...
and
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of h ...
on "
Cell Block Tango
"Cell Block Tango" is a song from the 1975 musical ''Chicago'', with music composed by John Kander and lyrics written by Fred Ebb.
Description
At the Cook County Jail women's annex, six women explain their presence in the jail, all of whom stand ...
/He Had it Comin'".
2007–2010: Return to music and ''Big''
Gray began 2007 by being kicked off-stage at a concert in
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...
for profanity (which was part of the show), but she was not aware that it was against the law in that country. She gave a public apology that night to avoid arrest.
In March, Gray released her fourth studio album (sixth overall), ''
Big''. Two singles, "
Finally Made Me Happy" and "
Shoo Be Doo", were released from the album.
"What I Gotta Do", another track from the album, is featured on the ''
Shrek the Third'' soundtrack. It has been considered Gray's comeback album, after a four-year hiatus since her last studio album. The album was critically acclaimed and seen by some as her best work to date. It features collaborations with
Natalie Cole,
Fergie,
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
, and
will.i.am, who co-executive produced the album with Gray. It was moderately successful in the US, where it debuted and peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming Gray's highest-charting album since ''The Id''. ''Big'' reached number 62 on the albums chart in the UK, her lowest-charting UK album, but it achieved some success in several other countries, including Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Finland, reaching the Top 40 on their album charts.
PBS's ''
Soundstage
A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or ...
'' live concert series premiered a Gray concert on July 5.
On July 7, 2007, Gray performed at the
Brazilian leg of
Live Earth
Live Earth was an event developed to increase environmental awareness through entertainment.
Background
Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, ''Live Earth'' was built upon the be ...
at
Copacabana Beach in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, Brazil. Gray and her band members wore clothes bearing political messages. Gray's dress carried the message "Darfur Red Alert".
In 2008, Gray launched a new campaign under the name "Nemesis Jaxson", with the single "Slap a Bitch".
Early in 2009, Gray recorded the song "Don't Forget Me" for the soundtrack of ''
Confessions of a Shopaholic''.
2010–2011: ''The Sellout''
The first single from Gray's fifth studio album ''
The Sellout'', "
Beauty in the World", is featured in the final sequence of the series finale, "
Hello Goodbye
"Hello, Goodbye" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Backed by John Lennon's " I Am the Walrus", it was issued as a non-album single in November 1967, the group's firs ...
", of the ABC television series, ''
Ugly Betty
''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombi ...
''. "Beauty in the World" was also used as the theme in multiple videos created by
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washi ...
to promote
Internet Explorer 9
Internet Explorer 9 or IE9 (officially Windows Internet Explorer 9) is a web browser for Windows. It was released by Microsoft on March 14, 2011, as the ninth version of Internet Explorer and the successor to Internet Explorer 8, and can replace p ...
. Both singles released from the album ("Beauty in the World" and "Lately") were top 10 hits on the US ''Billboard''
Hot Dance Club Songs
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
Chart.
Upon its release, ''The Sellout'' received generally mixed reviews from most music critics. Metacritic gave it an average score of 57, based on 15 reviews; Andy Gill of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' gave it three out of five stars; while
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
writer John Bush shared a similar sentiment and panned Gray's songwriting.
However, ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
''s James Reed commended its production,
and Jeremy Allen of ''
NME'' gave the album a 7/10 rating.
2011–2015: ''Covered'', ''Talking Book'', and ''The Way''
In 2011, Gray signed a deal with
429 Records and started recording a series of covers for her next studio album ''
Covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of copy ...
''. The album was officially released on March 26, 2012. The album's first single was "
Here Comes the Rain Again" (originally performed by
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British Pop music, pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (musician and producer), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio alb ...
). On February 16, 2012, Gray participated in the
Sanremo Festival
The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annual ...
as a guest, performing alongside
Gigi D'Alessio and
Loredana Bertè.
For the 40th anniversary of the 1972
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
album ''
Talking Book'', Gray covered the entire record and released her ''Talking Book'' as a tribute.
In an interview with
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...
's ''Where Are They Now'', Gray opened up about her problems with drug abuse, stating that she was ill-prepared for the level of fame she received. The interview coincided with the release of her album ''
The Way'', released in October 2014 on Kobalt Records. A world tour was announced shortly after its release.
2016–present: ''Stripped'' and ''Ruby''
In 2016, Gray's career continued with an album produced by
Chesky Records
Chesky Records is a record company and label founded in 1978 by brothers David and Norman Chesky. The company produces high-definition recordings of music in a variety of genres, including jazz, classical, pop, R&B, folk and world/ethnic. Ch ...
, the record label founded by Grammy-nominated composer and musician
David Chesky
David Chesky is an American pianist, composer, producer, arranger, and co-founder of the independent, audiophile label Chesky Records. He is also co-founder and CEO of HDtracks, an online music store that sells high-resolution digital music.
Ches ...
. ''
Stripped'' was released September 9, 2016, and garnered unanimous praise from critics. The album debuted at No. 3 on the
Billboard Jazz Chart.
Earlier that year, she was featured on
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
's song "Leave Me Lonely" from her third studio album, ''
Dangerous Woman''.
Gray release her tenth studio album entitled ''
Ruby
A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...
'' in September 2018.
Other work
In 2001, she was the voice for Seeiah Owens in the video game ''
SSX Tricky''. Gray sang the theme song for the
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
animated series ''
As Told by Ginger'', composed by
Jared Faber
Jared Faber (also known as J-Radical) is an American musician, composer, and producer who works primarily in television and film. He composed the theme songs for '' Oobi'', '' As Told by Ginger'', '' Emily's Reasons Why Not'', and ''Suburgatory' ...
and
Emily Kapnek. Gray also performed the song on the short-lived
UPN romantic comedy ''
Second Time Around'' starring
Boris Kodjoe and
Nicole Ari Parker
Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe (born October 7, 1970) is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film '' The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love'' (1995) and went o ...
in 2004. In 2006 Gray appeared in the eighth season of Bravo's ''
Celebrity Poker Showdown'', playing for
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a C ...
. She finished in third place.
In August 2008, Gray headlined at the 2008
Summer Sundae
Summer Sundae (also called the Summer Sundae Weekender) was an annual music festival held in Leicester, England which initially focused on indie, alternative, and local music. The festival began as a one-dayer in 2001 and grew year on year si ...
music festival in
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
, England, performing cover versions of
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
's "
Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?",
Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's best-known single is "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album ''World Clique'' (1990), and was a top-ten hit i ...
's "
Groove Is in the Heart
"Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by American dance band Deee-Lite, released in August 1990 as their debut and lead single from their first album, ''World Clique'' (1990). Written and produced by the band, it was a hit in many countries, reach ...
" and
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass ...
's "
Creep
Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to:
People
* Creep, a creepy person
Politics
* Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign
Art ...
". For the gig, her band wore pink
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
wigs. On September 28, 2008, Gray sang the American national anthem as part of the Israeli flag-raising ceremony at the
Israeli consulate of Los Angeles. Also in 2008, Gray collaborated with Australian DJ and singer
Kaz James on the song "
Can't Hold Back". The single was released in early 2009 in Australia and is credited to Kaz James featuring Macy Gray.In 2009, Gray briefly competed in
season 9 of ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...
'' with professional partner
Jonathan Roberts. They were eliminated in a double elimination in week one. In 2012, she performed the
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
song "
Rock with You" for a special performance of the
West End musical ''
Thriller – Live
''Thriller Live'' is a two-and-a-half-hour concert revue celebrating the music of The Jackson 5 and the solo work and life of Michael Jackson. It had already been performed in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia before ope ...
'' for
BBC Children in Need Pop Goes the Musical.
In 2015, Gray was featured on the song "Into the Deep" by
Galactic.
In 2016, Gray was featured on the song "Leave Me Lonely" by
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
. In 2018, Gray was featured alongside
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
on a re-recording of "
Two Doors Down" for the
''Dumplin soundtrack. In 2020, Gray was featured on the single "Out Of Love" by Canadian band
Busty and the Bass. The band also released a notable cover of Gray's "
I Try" in 2016.
In 2021, Gray competed in
season three of the
Australian version of ''The Masked Singer'' as "Atlantis". On February 20, 2022, Gray performed
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...
at the
2022 NBA All-Star Game
The 2022 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on February 20, 2022, during the National Basketball Association's 2021–22 season. It was the 71st edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at Roc ...
. Gray represented her home state of Ohio at the 2022
America Song Contest with the song "Every Night".
Personal life
Gray was married to Tracy Hinds, a mortgage broker, for about two years, but they divorced prior to her rise to prominence.
They have three children:
Aanisah, Mel, and Happy.
She opened the Macy Gray Music Academy in 2005.
In a July 2022 interview on ''
Piers Morgan Uncensored
''Piers Morgan Uncensored'' is a television programme presented by Piers Morgan. It has been broadcast on TalkTV weeknights at 8 pm in the UK since 25 April 2022. It is also broadcast internationally on Sky News Australia in Australia and Fo ...
'', Gray was asked how she would define a woman, to which she answered "boobs and a vagina". She went on to state that she did not support the inclusion of transgender women in women's sports. In the days following the interview, she said that her words had been misunderstood, along with rejecting criticism she had received online for her views. In a subsequent appearance on the ''Today'' television show, she stated that "being a woman is a vibe".
In a opinion piece published in
MarketWatch
MarketWatch is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. Along with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and '' Barron's'', it is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp.
Histo ...
in June 2021, Gray called for a redesign of the United States flag stating that it "no longer represents democracy and freedom". Her suggestions included two additional stars for
Washington, D.C. and
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, the white stripes to be recolored off-white and the stars to be given a variety of colors.
Discography
Studio albums
*''
On How Life Is
''On How Life Is'' is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray. It was released on July 1, 1999, by Epic Records and Clean Slate. Produced by Andrew Slater, it became Gray's best-selling album to date, selling 3.4 million ...
'' (1999)
*''
The Id
The Id were a new wave/ synthpop band from the Wirral, Merseyside, England formed in 1977. They are best recalled as the precursor to the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), in which Id members Andy McCluskey (bass, vocals), Paul ...
'' (2001)
*''
The Trouble with Being Myself
''The Trouble with Being Myself'' is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray, released on April 28, 2003, by Epic Records. The album peaked at number 44 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and by February 2007, it had sold 134, ...
'' (2003)
*''
Big'' (2007)
*''
The Sellout'' (2010)
*''
Covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of copy ...
'' (2012)
*''
Talking Book'' (2012)
*''
The Way'' (2014)
*''
Stripped'' (2016)
*''
Ruby
A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...
'' (2018)
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Awards and nominations
Gray won five of seventeen nominations, including
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 ...
s,
MTV Video Music Award
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video categor ...
s and
Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Macy
1967 births
Living people
African-American record producers
Record producers from Ohio
African-American women singer-songwriters
American video game actresses
Ballad musicians
Brit Award winners
Geffen Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Actresses from Ohio
Singer-songwriters from Ohio
Participants in American reality television series
Musicians from Canton, Ohio
USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
Atlantic Records artists
Epic Records artists
Concord Records artists
African-American actresses
American television actresses
American film actresses
American voice actresses
Actors from Canton, Ohio
American contemporary R&B singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American women singers
American women record producers
Western Reserve Academy alumni
Mack Avenue Records artists
American neo soul singers
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
20th-century African-American women singers
21st-century African-American women singers
American Song Contest contestants