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Gavin DeGraw
Background information
Birth name	Gavin Shane DeGraw
Born	February 4, 1977 (1977-02-04) (age 31)
Origin	South Fallsburg, New York, United States.
Genre(s)	Rock, pop rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active	2001-present
Label(s)	J Records Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Website	Official website

Gavin DeGraw (born February 4, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and musician.

Early life

Gavin DeGraw grew up in the Catskills, in South Fallsburg, New York. His father was a prison guard and his mother was a detox specialist, as mentioned in his song "I Don't Want to Be". DeGraw began singing and playing piano at the age of eight. He attended Berklee College of Music during the same year as artist John Mayer. He also has two siblings, both older, named Joey, and Neeka. Joey currently provides guitar and backing vocals for Gavin's band, as well as performing and touring to promote his own music.

Career

Originally, DeGraw started in Manhattan clubs alongside local pianists Andrew West and Lenny Revell, drawing several of his home town fans. He made his big break when "I Don't Want to Be" was chosen as the theme song for the teen drama One Tree Hill. The song has also been performed on American Idol, Australian Idol and Idol (Norway and Sweden) by various contestants during different seasons. Two of DeGraw's other songs, "Follow Through" and "Chariot," have also achieved popularity and radio play. His song "We Belong Together" was also featured in the 2006 film Tristan and Isolde. In 2004, DeGraw released an acoustic version of his album Chariot called Chariot Stripped. DeGraw and his band recorded the album live in the studio, in only one take on the vocals, seeking an intimate effect.

DeGraw at a concert in Georgia in 2005

Since 2004, his profile has grown, bringing him to other states as he tours the country. He made his television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly. DeGraw has also appeared on television shows such as The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, The Late Show With David Letterman, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Live with Regis and Kelly. Recently, he has been seen in cameos on Dead Like Me, What I Like About You, and American Dreams. He also appeared in One Tree Hill, singing "I Don't Want to Be" and "Chariot" at Karen's Cafe. DeGraw has released a number of music videos as well, including "I Don't Want to Be", "Follow Through" and "Chariot". The latter was directed by Zach Braff, who also directed music videos for Joshua Radin.

His brother Joey is also a recording artist who played guitar and sung with him on his tour to promote his album Chariot. DeGraw toured with such acts as Barenaked Ladies, Butterfly Boucher, The Allman Brothers Band, Marc Broussard, Saving Jane, Jason Mraz and Maroon 5.

According to DeGraw's official site, he returned to the studio on September 1, 2006 to begin recording his next album. "Gavin DeGraw" was released on May 6, 2008, peaking at #7 on the US Billboard Chart. The first single, "In Love With A Girl" was released on February 5th, 2008. The second single "Cheated on me" was released September 30, 2008.

Discography

Albums

Singles

*: Current single

Compilations

• "We Are the Champions", from the album Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen (2005)
• "Jealous Guy", from the album One Tree Hill, Vol. 2: Friends with Benefits (2006)

Awards and nominations

References

• Billboard Artist Chart History - retrieved January 6, 2006.

External links

• Gavin DeGraw's official website
• Gavin DeGraw at the Internet Movie Database
• Gavin DeGraw at TV.com
• Gavin DeGraw collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• Music videos at AOL Video
• Exclusive Gavin DeGraw Interviews at OurStage.com