Ké ( ) (born on December 5, 1971) is the stage name of American singer Kevin Grivois. Ké gained recognition with his 1995 debut album, ''I Am ', which spawned the single " Strange World", the biggest pop radio hit in Italy and Germany that year. The following single "Someday" (1996) and the albums ''Shiny'' (1998) and ''Better Way Of Living'' (2001) were less successful and were followed by a hiatus of Ké's musical career.

Career

Ké's music often reflect his cross-cultural background. Drawing on his distinct

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

voice, Ké can sometimes leave an

androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...

vocal impression. Discovered performing in a

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...

tube Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a Japanese rock band * Tube & Berger, the alias of dance/electronica producers Arndt Rör ...

station by

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...

founder, Dave Stewart, who asked Ké to perform the closing credits song "Broken Circles" for the movie ''

The Ref ''The Ref'' (''Hostile Hostages'' in some countries) is a 1994 American Christmas film, Christmas black comedy crime film directed by Ted Demme, written by Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss, and starring Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spa ...

'' starring

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. Known for Kevin Spacey on screen and stage, his work on stage and screen, he List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Spacey, has received numerous accolades, including two ...

. He is probably best known for his 1995 hit song, anti-war

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to sho ...

" Strange World". His popularity in Europe as a cult icon was cemented in part by the fact "Strange World", his debut single, topped radio charts in the UK, Italy and Germany as one of the most requested songs of 1996. Although most of his music was never released in the U.S., a dance

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

of the song, by

Junior Vasquez Junior Vasquez (born Donald Gregory Mattern; August 24, 1949) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. He has been referred to as one of the only DJs of his time to gain international attention. Career Mattern moved to New York City a ...

, hit No. 1 on the

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 advertis ...

dance chart. Other singles released by Ké include "Someday" (1996), "You Don't Know Me" (1998), "Sounds of Silence" (1998) and "Believer" (1999). Rebounding on his own with a self-released "Better Way of Living", which featured a duet with

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known professionally as Macy Gray, is an American contemporary R&B, R&B and soul music, soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influence ...

. Ké soon thereafter decided to renounce the hollow pursuit of celebrity, to devote his time to more substantial

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

issues.

Album discography

*''I Am ' (1995),

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

*''Shiny'' (1998),

*''Better Way Of Living'' (2001), Schizo Music

Singles discography

* " Strange World" (1995),

* "Someday" (1996),

* "You Don't Know Me" (1998) * "Sounds of Silence" (1998) * "Believer" (1999)

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Singer-songwriters from New York (state) {{US-singer-songwriter-stub