Sam Ryder (singer)

Sam Ryder (born 25 June 1989) is a British singer-songwriter. Ryder rose to prominence through TikTok, after posting music covers during the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. His music has incorporated various genres such as rock music, pop, alternative rock, and metalcore, with praise given to his vocals and falsetto.

In 2022, Ryder represented the at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with the song "Space Man" finishing first in the jury vote, and second overall with 466 points, becoming the highest-scoring UK Eurovision entry. In the same year he became the first UK act to win the Marcel Bezençon Press Award. His debut studio album, ''There's Nothing but Space, Man!'' (2022), was met with generally positive reviews, and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.

Early life

Sam Ryder was born on 25 June 1989, the youngest child of Keith Robinson, a carpenter, and his wife, Geraldine (née Costelloe), a dental assistant from Hackney, London. He has two elder sisters, Katie and Natalie, born in Newham, east London three years and one year before him respectively. His one sister resides in Sydney, Australia. Ryder was raised in Chelmsford, Essex and attended St John Payne Catholic School in Chelmsford between 2000 and 2007. His first job was delivering papers for ''The Essex Chronicle'' as a child.

Ryder began singing when he was a child and was inspired to pursue a career in music after seeing the Canadian rock band Sum 41 live in concert aged 11. He is a big fan of Eurovision and has memories of watching the contest with his family while growing up in the Essex countryside. He also cites Finnish rock band Lordi, being the inspiration for him learning how to play the guitar after the rock band won the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.

Career

2006–2019: Career beginnings

Ryder made his debut as a singer and guitarist in the industry at age 16 when he co-founded the band The Morning After, with whom he released two studio albums. Following his time with them he spent some time touring for other bands including a three year stint with the Canadian rock band Blessed by a Broken Heart. He was later announced as their new lead vocalist and contributed to their album ''Feel the Power.'' After 'Blessed by a Broken Heart' split in 2013, Ryder began working as a frontman for the American band Close Your Eyes, later venturing into a Hardcore punk sound. Ryder released one studio album with them called ''Line in the Sand'', and left in 2014.

After his departure from the band, Ryder returned to the UK and spent time working in construction with his father, including helping to build the Wembley Stadium. He started to pursue a career as a solo artist and in 2016 recorded an album with producer Bryan Wilson in Nashville, Tennessee, although it was never released. He later opened up a vegan café with his partner in Coggeshall, England, before its closure in 2019. Following its closure, he spent time busking, and performing at weddings and clubs all over the south-east of England before joining TikTok.

2020–present: TikTok, Eurovision and ''There's Nothing but Space, Man!''

Ryder rose to prominence through TikTok where, starting with the first lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, he began posting his music covers. He caught the attention of musicians such as Elton John, Sia, Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys. By the end of the same year, he became the most-followed UK artist on the platform. He later signed a record contract with Parlophone. In 2021, he released his debut EP, ''The Sun's Gonna Rise'', which has received over 100 million global streams. It was followed up with a sold-out tour.

Ryder wrote "Space Man" during the pandemic, and in January 2022, the song was sent to TaP Music and the BBC
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