Skylar Gray
Skylar Gray (* 23 February 1986 as Holly Brook Hafermann in Mazomanie , Wisconsin ), formerly known by her real name, is an American singer , songwriter and record producer . She is under contract with Alex da Kids label Kidinakorner and was mainly made through collaborations with Fort Minor , P. Diddy , Eminem and Dr. Dre and David Guetta .
Career
1996–2010: childhood and as Holly Brook
Her career began as a child when she and her mother Candy Kreitlow formed the folk duo Generations . This brought out three albums between 1996 and 2002 ( Dream Maker , Lift Me and Millennial Child / Waiting for You ). Gray formed her first band at the age of fifteen and performed in collaboration with jazz musicians such as Jeff Eckles and Leo Sidran.
In 2003 the singer moved to Los Angeles and recorded a demo tape under the name Holly Brook , through which Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson became aware of her. Then, at the age of 17, she got a recording deal with Machine Shop Recordings . She worked with Mike Shinoda on the Fort Minor single Where'd You Go , which made her known to a larger audience for the first time. She also wrote the song Done with Like by singer Brie Larson with producer Jonathan Ingoldsby . Brook then worked with Ingoldsby on their debut album Like Blood Like Honey , which was released on June 6, 2006. The album was a commercial failure and failed to enter the Billboard Top 100 chart.
Brook then appeared primarily as a guest and background musician. As part of Duncan Sheik's band , she can be heard on his album Whisper House , on the album Butterflies and Elvis by Yohanna she took on a role as a background singer. Brook lost her record deal with Machine Shop Recordings.
In early 2010, Brook played one of the two main characters in the theatrical version of Whisper House . The singer then moved to a hunting lodge in Oregon because she could no longer afford the rent in Los Angeles and she wanted to rediscover her personal connection to music. From a nearby Internet café, Brook got in touch with music producer Alex da Kid , who had been recommended to her by publisher Jennifer Blakeman. This sent her instrumental pieces on which Brook wrote demo recordings and sang. One of these demo songs was the later refrain of the song Love the Way You Lie , which was finally re-recorded and released by Rihanna and Eminem . Brook received a 2011 Grammy nomination for writing both versions of the song.
In July 2010 Holly Brooks released seven songs O'Dark: Thirty EP , produced by Duncan Sheik and Jon Ingoldsby, self-distributed.
From 2011: Skylar Gray
After the worldwide success of Love The Way You Lie , Brook had offers from several labels. Eventually she decided to take on a recording contract with Kidinakorner and change her stage name. The singer has therefore been working as Skylar Gray since 2011 . This name represents the uncertainty in life. "People seem to be afraid of the unknowns, but I'm the complete opposite. I dive into the unknown because I feel like that's where all your possibilities come from. ”She went on to explain that she chose“ gray ”with an e instead of a because it looked more masculine and she was not a very feminine person.
Since the end of 2010, Gray has also increasingly appeared as a singer. She sang the refrains of the songs Coming Home by Diddy-Dirty Money and I Need a Doctor by Dr. Dre and Eminem . Her biggest performance so far was the live performance of the song with both rappers at the 2011 Grammy Awards . The producer Alex da Kid worked with her on her second solo album Don't Look Down . The first single Invisible was released on August 9, 2011 via iTunes in the USA, but then did not appear on the phonogram. Originally the album should have been called Invinsible and should have been released in 2012, but it was postponed to July 9, 2013. In Do not Look Down Alex served as Kid and the rapper Eminem as executive producers . Her song Coming Home served as the host song for the sports event WrestleMania 29 ( World Wrestling Entertainment ) in 2013 , which she performed live with P. Diddy on April 6th at Metlife Stadium New Jersey. On March 29, 2015, she played her song Rise at WrestleMania 31 , which served as the theme song for the event.
In addition to her singing activity, Skylar Gray is now increasingly working as a songwriter. For example, she was involved in the songwriting of Castle Walls by TI and Christina Aguilera . Gray has built up another mainstay with regular contributions to film soundtracks.
On April 1, 2016, Skylar Gray released a music video for the song Moving Mountains , which is also included on their third album Natural Causes , which was released on September 23, 2016.
Private
When she was a child, Skylar Gray was particularly interested in whales. She often went to Hawaii with her family to see whales. In an interview she said: “Seriously, I think I was a whale in a past life.” (Eng. “Really, I think I was a whale in my previous life” ). Skylar Gray wrote a song for the whales when she was six years old.
When her grandpa passed away, she wrote the song Words . In an interview she said: “I wrote this song about my grandfather who passed away before I had a chance to say goodbye.” (Eng. “I wrote the song about my grandfather who died before I had a chance, goodbye to say. " ).
Influences
Gray named Joni Mitchell , Bob Dylan , Neil Young , Sarah McLachlan and Death Cab for Cutie as people who had a major impact on their artistic creation.
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | CH | UK | US | |||
2006 | Like Blood Like Honey | - | - | - | - | - |
First published: June 6, 2006
as Holly Brook |
2013 | Don't look down | - | - | - | - |
US8 (3 weeks) US |
First published: July 9, 2013
|
2016 | Natural causes | - | - | - | - | - |
First published: September 23, 2016
|
EPs
- 2005: Holly Brook EP (as Holly Brook)
- 2005: Sony CONNECT Sets (as Holly Brook)
- 2010: O'Dark: Thirty EP (as Holly Brook)
- 2012: The Buried Sessions
- 2013: iTunes Session
- 2019: Angel with Tattoos
Singles
Chart placements
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | CH | UK | US | |||
2011 | Invisible |
DE86 (1 week) DE |
- | - |
UK63 (1 week) UK |
- |
First published: August 9, 2011
|
More singles
- 2006: What I Wouldn't Give (as Holly Brook)
- 2006: Wanted (as Holly Brook)
- 2012: C'mon Let Me Ride ( feat.Eminem )
- 2013: Final Warning
- 2013: Wear Me Out
- 2013: White Suburban
- 2014: Coming Home (Part II)
- 2015: Words
- 2015: Cannonball (feat. X Ambassadors )
- 2016: Moving Mountains
- 2016: Off Road
- 2016: Come Up for Air
- 2016: lemonade
- 2019: Shame on You
- 2019: Angel with Tattoos
- 2020: Dark Thoughts
Chart placements as a guest singer
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | CH | UK | US | |||
2006 | Where'd You Go The Rising Tied |
DE18 (12 weeks) DE |
AT29 (14 weeks) AT |
CH62 (4 weeks) CH |
- |
US4th
platinum
(20 weeks)US |
|
2010 | Coming Home Last Train to Paris |
DE4th
platinum
(24 weeks)DE |
AT8 (22 weeks) AT |
CH1
platinum
(32 weeks)CH |
UK4th
gold
(17 weeks)UK |
US11 × 2
(24 weeks)US |
First published: November 21, 2010
with Diddy-Dirty Money |
2011 | I need a doctor |
DE25 (8 weeks) DE |
AT38 (13 weeks) AT |
CH33 (15 weeks) CH |
UK8th
platinum
(21 weeks)UK |
US4th × 2
(20 weeks)US |
|
Words I Never Said Lasers |
- | - | - | - |
US89 (1 week) US |
First published: February 8, 2011
with Lupe Fiasco |
|
2014 | Shot Me Down Lists |
DE13
gold
(29 weeks)DE |
AT9
gold
(25 weeks)AT |
CH6th
gold
(18 weeks)CH |
UK4th
silver
(10 weeks)UK |
- |
First published: February 3, 2014
with David Guetta |
Bed of Lies The Pinkprint |
- | - | - |
UK73 (2 weeks) UK |
US62 (6 weeks) US |
First published: November 16, 2014
with Nicki Minaj |
|
2017 | Glorious Gemini |
DE15 (26 weeks) DE |
AT12 (28 weeks) AT |
CH17 (36 weeks) CH |
UK23
gold
(16 weeks)UK |
US49
platinum
(19 weeks)US |
First published: June 15, 2017
with Macklemore |
Tragic Endings Revival |
DE77 (1 week) DE |
- | - | - | - |
First published: December 15, 2017
with Eminem |
|
2020 | Leaving Heaven Music to Be Murdered By |
- | - | - | - |
US61 (1 week) US |
Initial release: January 17th, 2020
with Eminem |
Further guest contributions
- 2010: Hero 2.0 (with Badassjackson)
- 2012: Room for Happiness (with cascade )
- 2014: New National Anthem (with TI )
- 2016: Beneath with Me (with Kaskade and Deadmau5 )
- 2017: Periscope (with Papa Roach )
Chart positions as a songwriter
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | AT | CH | UK | US | |||
2010 |
Love the Way You Lie Recovery |
DE1 × 2
(43 weeks)DE |
AT1 (50 weeks) AT |
CH1 × 3
(50 weeks)CH |
UK2 × 2
(59 weeks)UK |
US1 × 2
(29 weeks)US |
|
2012 |
Clarity Clarity |
DE94 (2 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK27
silver
(14 weeks)UK |
US8th
platinum
(17 weeks)US |
|
2016 | Gangsta Suicide Squad: The Album |
- |
AT54 (3 weeks) AT |
- |
UK57 (5 weeks) UK |
US41 (12 weeks) US |
|
2017 |
Walk on Water Revival |
DE16 (4 weeks) DE |
AT13 (4 weeks) AT |
CH5 (10 weeks) CH |
UK7th
silver
(9 weeks)UK |
US14 (5 weeks) US |
Eminem feat. Beyoncé
|
Like Home Revival |
DE52 (1 week) DE |
- | - |
UK84 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
Eminem feat. Alicia Keys
|
|
2018 |
Right Now single track |
DE78 (1 week) DE |
- |
CH72 (1 week) CH |
- | - |
Soundtrack contributions
- 2012: Dance Without You (Ricky Luna Remix) ( Step Up Revolution )
- 2012: Building a Monster ( Frankenweenie )
- 2013: Slowly Freaking Out ( The Host )
- 2015: I Know You ( Fifty Shades of Gray )
- 2015: I Will Return ( Fast & Furious 7 )
- 2016: Wreak Havoc ( Suicide Squad: The Album )
- 2018: Everything I Need ( Aquaman )
statistics
Chart evaluation as a singer
|
|
Chart evaluation as a songwriter
|
Awards for music sales
|
Note: Awards in countries from the chart tables or chart boxes can be found in these.
Country / Region | silver | gold | platinum | diamond | Sales | swell |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Awards for music sales (country / region, awards, sales, sources) |
||||||
Germany (BVMI) | - | gold1 | 3 × platinum3 | - | 1,050,000 | musikindustrie.de |
Canada (MC) | - | gold1 | 2 × platinum2 | - | 200,000 | musiccanada.com |
Austria (IFPI) | - | gold1 | - | - | 15,000 | ifpi.at |
Switzerland (IFPI) | - | gold1 | 4 × platinum4th | - | 135,000 | hitparade.ch |
United States (RIAA) | - | - | 9 × platinum9 | diamond1 | 19,000,000 | riaa.com |
United Kingdom (BPI) | 3 × silver3 | 2 × gold2 | 3 × platinum3 | - | 3,200,000 | bpi.co.uk |
All in all | 3 × silver3 | 6 × gold6th | 21 × platinum21st | diamond1 |
Web links
- Official website of Skylar Gray
- Skylar Gray in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Millennial Child / Waiting for You. Amazon.com, accessed February 20, 2013 .
- ↑ Skylar Gray - Career, Nature Living, Stalker and more (from 0:02:30) on YouTube
- ^ Charles McNulty: Theater review: 'Whisper House' at San Diego's Old Globe * . In: The Los Angeles Times , January 24, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Dom Jones: Skylar Grey's Songwriting Clinic and her Cabin in the Woods. April 25, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2017 .
- ^ Grammy nomination on Billboard
- ↑ HOLLY BROOK - O'Dark Thirty
- ↑ Skylar Gray ( Memento of the original from December 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at kidinakorner.com
- ↑ Mandi Bierly: Skylar Gray talks penning 'I Need a Doctor,' her name change, and why her upcoming album may have a sound we've never heard before . In: EW . February 24, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ↑ Skylar Gray: the Beatweek interview with the future of pop music ( Memento of the original from July 31, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. via Beatweek Magazine
- ↑ Diddy Dirty Money feat. Skylar Gray - Coming Home on Rap-Up
- ↑ Guest appearance on I Need a Doctor RollingStone
- ↑ Work on a second solo album
- ↑ Invinsible ( Memento of the original from June 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Skylar Gray - Invisible
- ↑ Don't Look Down on July 9, 2013
- ↑ Nick Williams: Singer / Songwriter Skylar Gray Reveals Sophomore Album Title & Release Date: Exclusive. August 15, 2016, accessed August 31, 2016 .
- ↑ http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/exhibits/toys/musicians.asp
- ↑ http://www.ew.com/article/2011/02/22/skylar-grey-interview-eminem-dr-dre
- ↑ http://www.rap-up.com/2011/12/24/exclusive-skylar-grey-to-release-buried-sessions-ep-in-january/
- ↑ Influences
- ↑ a b c d Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Gray, Skylar |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hafferman, Holly Brook (maiden name); Holly Brook |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American singer, songwriter, and record producer |
DATE OF BIRTH | February 23, 1986 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Mazomanie , Wisconsin, United States |