Ryan Christopher Shaw (born December 25, 1980) is an American
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 attes ...
musician from
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. He is part of the soul-revival movement in music
and has been nominated for a
Grammy
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 pre ...
three times, in the category of Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Biography
Shaw is from
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in ...
.
He learned to sing at the Free Church of God in Christ of
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and began singing harmony in a church choir at age five.
In a 2007 interview, Shaw stated "My church was very traditional, and for a long time the only songs I learned were gospel songs."
Shaw won a spot in a gospel musical at
Georgia State University
Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the ...
, and in 1998 he dropped out of college to take part in
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...
's play ''
I Know I've Been Changed
''I Know I've Been Changed'' was the first successful play from playwright Tyler Perry. The play focuses on issues including child abuse and rape and how they are overcome by a strong belief in God.
Soul musician Ryan Shaw got his start perform ...
''. At the end of the play's run he began doing
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
covers in New York, joining the group Fabulous Soul Shakers in 2004. He recorded a demo in 2006, won the ear of
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
, and was signed to said label. The album, ''This is Ryan Shaw'', mixes new material with covers of songs by
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter.
A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...
,
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guit ...
, and
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...
. He was the opening act for the Van Halen tour 07-08.
At the end of 2009, Shaw reached some fame in the Netherlands with his single ''It Gets Better'', which peaked at number 2 on the single top 100 charts. On May 15, 2012 Ryan Shaw released ''Real Love'' on Dynotone Records.
In 2013, Shaw made his debut on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
, playing
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 musi ...
in
Motown: The Musical.
In June 2015, Shaw advanced from the auditions to Judge Cuts Week on
season 10 of ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
''. However, in July 2015, he was eliminated from the competition during Judge Cuts Week 2. In 2018, Shaw played Judas in the
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London.
The theatre
Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary ...
/
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...
production of ''
Jesus Christ Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
''.
JCS
/ref>
Awards and nominations
Grammy Award
, -
, 2008
, "I Am Your Man"
, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
,
Discography
*''This Is Ryan Shaw'' (2007) #22 Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Heatseekers
*''It Gets Better'' (2010)
*''Real Love'' (2012)
*''Imagining Marvin'' (2020)
References
*Ryan Shaw
Ryan Christopher Shaw (born December 25, 1980) is an American soul musician from Georgia. He is part of the soul-revival movement in music and has been nominated for a Grammy three times, in the category of Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Bi ...
at Allmusic.com
External links
Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Ryan
Singers from Georgia (U.S. state)
America's Got Talent contestants
American neo soul singers
American soul musicians
Living people
1975 births
21st-century American singers