Anna Graceman
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Anna Graceman is an American singer, songwriter and recording artist whose self-penned songs and music have garnered national recognition. She has been featured on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'',
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 ...
, and
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. On June 1, 2020, Graceman appeared on NBC's show ''
Songland ''Songland'' is an American songwriting competition series that aired on NBC from May 28, 2019, to June 15, 2020. The show, produced in cooperation with the Universal Television Alternative Studio, 222 Productions, Live Animals Productions and D ...
'' starring
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 ...
,
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, and Ester Dean. The episode featured recording artist Bebe Rexha, who combined Graceman's song with that of fellow contestant Greg Scott and chose the song as the episode's winner. The song will be recorded by Rexha and will be used by NBC to promote the Tokyo Olympics. On May 29, 2020, Graceman released her latest studio album, ''The Way The Night Behaves''.


Early life

Anna Graceman was born in
Juneau The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the se ...
,
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, to a stay-at-home mother, who played classical music to her before she was born. At three months old, Graceman's parents started displaying flashcards for her to read and gain word association. This sparked the love of writing music. By the time she was 18 months old, she had memorized the lyrics of many classical and modern tunes. At the age of two, Graceman was not afraid of singing in front of crowds. When she was four, she could play the piano fluently. At the age of 6 years old she wrote her first song, "So I Cried". Graceman states that her family was poor while growing up in Alaska. The mini-van that her mother drove didn't have a working radio or CD player in it, so her mother would sing to her while they were driving. Driving time meant singing time. Later in 2011, at the age of 11, she gained wider popularity with her performances in the sixth season of the ''America's Got Talent'' competition. In 2013, she performed 43 shows at The Palazzo Theater in The Venetian Hotel and Resort for eight weeks. Her performances there brought her critical acclaim. Graceman has a substantial online presence. Collectively, her YouTube views exceed 150 million views. Her ''America's Got Talent'' audition video alone has over 35 million views as of December 23, 2013. In 2012, Disney approached Graceman and requested the right to non-exclusively license her early original YouTube videos. They can be found in the video section of Disney's website. In April 2013, the International Songwriting Competition announced that Graceman had been announced as one of their finalists. The judges include such notable songwriters as
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
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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 focus ...
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Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English songwriter, singer and visual artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with musician Elton John, a songwriting partnership that is one of the most successful in history. Tau ...
and Mark Foster In 2014, Anna Graceman stated that she had moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue her songwriting and work with the musicians there. In September 2016, Relix Magazine said, "This is hardly a run-of-the-mill adolescence, Graceman has stayed grounded through it all, remembering where she came from and how it all started."


Singer songwriter

From ages 6 to 16, Graceman had reportedly written, released and performed 70 of her songs, many of which were self-released as singles and album compilations. She writes both the lyrics and the melodies for all of her songs, and typically only sings and performs her own material. Nearly all of her known songs have been released by her on her YouTube and Soundcloud channels.


Notable appearances and performances

October 7, 2009 – ''Ellen'': Graceman appeared on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' and performed an original song she wrote called "Paradise". DeGeneres praised her performance. Graceman said that her family had been putting videos up on YouTube since April 2008. She uploaded "Paradise" in August 2009. Someone at YouTube took notice of the video, and decided to feature her among a small group of child musicians. After watching Graceman's "Paradise" video, DeGeneres invited her to sing it on the show. (Graceman said it was great fun and a great experience.) During that episode, DeGeneres invited her back to meet
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
on a subsequent show. April 20, 2010 – 36th Alaska Folk Festival: Graceman performed at the annual festival along with other folk and bluegrass bands. A local reviewer stated, "There were several sets where the young and gifted stole the show, making me realize I was watching Juneau's version of "Who's Got Talent" – particularly when 10-year-old Anna Graceman sang all her original songs." Summer, 2011 – ''America's Got Talent'' Season Six: At her audition, Graceman performed " If I Ain't Got You" by
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 ...
while accompanying herself on the keyboard. She received a standing ovation from
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, the show's three judges. Her audition video went viral and caught the attention of the mainstream press. The video garnered over 28 million views on YouTube, the most of any ''America's Got Talent'' audition video. In the Vegas round, Graceman performed "
Rolling in the Deep "Rolling in the Deep" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, '' 21'' (2011). It is the lead single and opening track on the album. The song was written by Adele and Paul Epworth. The singer herself des ...
" by Adele, again playing the keyboard. In the quarterfinals, she performed "
What a Wonderful World "What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single. It topped the pop chart in the United Kingdom, but performed poor ...
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Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
). The judges' unanimous acclaim reflected the votes she gained, qualifying her for the semi-finals. Her self-accompanied performance of "
Home Sweet Home Home Sweet Home may refer to: Film * ''Home, Sweet Home'' (1914 film), a film about the life of John Howard Payne * ''Home Sweet Home'' (1917 film), a British silent film * ''Home Sweet Home'' (1926 film), a silent film drama * ''Home, Swe ...
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) earned her another standing ovation from the judges, and a spot in the Top 10. As the competition was becoming tougher and the judges expected more, Graceman went with something different for that round; her song was " True Colors" ( Cyndi Lauper), but for the first time on the show, she performed without the keyboard. She fell short of making the finals. October 28–30, 2011 – Caesars Palace Colosseum: Graceman participated in ''America's Got Talent Live'' along with other season six favorites, including Landon Swank,
Team iLuminate iLuminate is a theatrical and technology company based in New York City, New York, New York, USA best known for competing in the America's Got Talent (season 6), sixth season of ''America's Got Talent''. They finished in third place. The dancers ...
, and winner
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (born August 11, 1974) is an American jazz singer from Logan County, West Virginia. He received national attention for winning the sixth season of the NBC reality show '' America's Got Talent''. Landau has released a t ...
At the request of Caesars Palace, she returned to the Colosseum for the following New Year's Eve concert. February 25, 2013 – Palazzo-Venetian Theater Residency: Graceman performed at the Palazzo Theatre in the Venetian for seven weeks (43 shows). Famed reporter
Robin Leach Robin Douglas Leach (29 August 1941 – 24 August 2018) was a British entertainment reporter and writer from London. After beginning his career as a print journalist, first in England and then in the United States, he became best known fo ...
saw and wrote:
An unexpected teenage star was born Monday when ... Anna Graceman, just 13, stole the show! The triple-threat talent hails from the wilds of Alaska, but she sings well enough to rival Alicia Keys. She also plays piano as grand as Sir Elton John and writes songs as gifted as Adele and her idol, Taylor Swift. Incredibly, it's her second starring spot on The Strip. As an 11-year-old on Season 6 of the top-rated NBC series, Anna was part of the touring version when it stopped for two nights at Caesars Palace in 2011. Her debut album was released last year. It was an incredible performance Monday night. It won her wild applause and a standing ovation. The pint-sized charmer is one giant talent and here now for seven weeks. I know she will one day return to The Strip headlining in her own right.
In June 2014, DJ Lulleaux, a Dutch music producer, released a remix of her song ''Words''. As of 2020, it is his most popular track on
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
, clocking 2.62 million plays. August 28, 2014 – Inaugural YouTube Music Night in Los Angeles: Graceman performed at the first YouTube Music Night in Los Angeles. The event was held at the studios in the YoutubeSpaceLA facilities. October 29, 2014 – Inaugural YouTube Music Night in Nashville, Tennessee: Graceman performed at the first YouTube Music Night in Nashville, Tennessee. The event was held at the Pinewood Social Event Center in downtown Nashville. September 21, 2016 – 'Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival' (30k in attendance) Anna Graceman appeared on NBC with her band 'Graceman' to promote the festival . September 25, 2016 - Pilgrimage Music Festival: Anna Graceman and the Graceman band performed at the 2nd annual Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, TN. The line up included Beck, The Struts, Kacey Musgraves, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Kaleo, Shakey Graves, Cake, The Arcs, Anderson East to name a few. The Festival was produced by Executive Producers Kevin Griffin and Justin Timberlake. Anna Graceman appeared on NBC WSMV TV in Nashville to promote the festival. The estimated attendance of the festival was 30,000 people over two days. June 1, 2020 - Songwriting Competition TV show Songland on NBC - Recording artist Bebe Rexha combined Graceman's song with that of fellow contestant Greg Scott and chose the song as the episode's winner.


Another Girl records

Anna Graceman records for her own independent label, Another Girl Records.


Graceman Band

Graceman performs with The Graceman Band, a trio that also includes Allie and Landon Graceman. ''
Relix Magazine ''Relix'', originally and occasionally later ''Dead Relix'', is a magazine that focuses on live and improvisational music. The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concer ...
'' stated that "The now ''16-year-old'' singer-songwriter, who has recently begun to make her mark in Nashville, writes and produces all her own songs and, over the past couple of years, has brought her younger siblings onboard to form a trio they call 'Graceman'." On October 4, 2016 Anna Graceman released the band's first full-length album titled ‘Rebel Days’; written and produced by Anna Graceman. The band's style of music incorporates elements of folk, soul and rock. Its members are: * Anna Graceman – piano, keyboards, bass, vocals * Allie Graceman – guitar, vocals * Landon Graceman – drums, percussion


Producer

Since the beginning of 2014, Graceman has produced all of her released music. These include "Speak to Me", "Living in Denial", "High Places", "Already Fallin", "IDK", "Miles Away", "Poison", "Never Meant to Me", "Leap of Faith", "Blink", "Heartbreaking Truth", "Remember", "Rain", as well as the full length 'Graceman' album "Rebel Days". Some of the selected musicians she has used in the production of her songs include
Chuck Sabo Chuck Sabo is an American drummer, musical director, songwriter, and producer who has performed and recorded with prominent artists including XTC, Natalie Imbruglia, Elton John, Tom Jones, Chaka Khan, Bryan Adams, Cher, Tina Turner, Pet Shop Bo ...
, Brent Mason, Randy Hope-Taylor, John Hobbs,
Jim Horn James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician. Biography Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for f ...
,
Glenn Worf Glenn Worf is an American bassist known mainly for his work as a session musician. He has recorded with many major country music acts and also tours with Mark Knopfler. Early life and education Worf was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Madis ...
, Bobby Terry and Eddie Bayers


Musical influences

Graceman credits
Ann Wilson Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
(Heart), Amy Winehouse and Adele as her main inspirations.Anna Graceman interview
Celebrityinterviews.tumblr.com (February 21, 2010). Retrieved on December 30, 2012.


Studio albums


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Graceman, Anna 1999 births America's Got Talent contestants Living people American child singers American multi-instrumentalists People from Juneau, Alaska Singers from Alaska 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American pianists Guitarists from Alaska 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers