David Gray

Artist Image: David Gray
Attribution
Image Credit: (Kirk Stauffer) (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

David Gray (born 13 June 1968) is an English singer-songwriter from Cheadle Heath. Gray released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention after the release of White Ladder six years later. It was the first of three UK chart-toppers in six years for Gray, the latter two of which also made the Top 17 in the US. Gray was born in Sale and brought up in Altrincham, Cheshire, before moving with his family to Wales, where he grew up in the small coastal town of Solva in Pembrokeshire and went on to attend the Carmarthenshire College of Art. He later moved back to the north-west of England to attend the University of Liverpool. Gray's first two albums A Century Ends and Flesh were issued in 1993 and 1994 respectively and led to Gray becoming popular in folk-rock circles, but both failed in terms of commercial sales. In 1996 Gray released his third album, Sell, Sell, Sell. With his first two albums having been entirely composed of acoustic folk music, this was his first mature exhibition and saw him use his now-trademark blend of folk, alternative rock and electronics for the first time. Despite critical acclaim, the album did not chart, but the song "Late Night Radio" received some airplay on alternative UK radio stations.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1993
Number of Albums 56
Record Label ATO Records
Website www.davidgray.com
Wikipedia David Gray on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

When did Gray release his first studio album?

1993

...He released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention after the release of White Ladder six years later in 1999. Gray moved to W...
Where did Gray move when he was 9?

Wales

...after the release of White Ladder six years later in 1999. Gray moved to Wales at age 9 and later returned to the northwest of England to attend the U...
What was the name of the record company that Dave Matthews cofounded?

ATO Records

...ws, who made it the first release by the record company he cofounded, ATO Records . The followup, A New Day At Midnight, also hit No. 1, and Gray's sev...
Who was the jamband leader in the US?

Dave Matthews

...In the United States, the album received a boost from jamband leader Dave Matthews , who made it the first release by the record company he cofounded, ...
What was the name of Gray's seventh album?

Life in Slow Motion

... A New Day At Midnight, also hit No. 1, and Gray's seventh album, Life in Slow Motion was released on September 12, 2005. 1996's Sell Sell Sell featur...
What did Gray use to accompany his voice and acoustic instrumentation?

computergenerated music

... of White Ladder in 1999, Gray began to make significant use of computergenerated music to accompany his voice and acoustic instrumentation, a techniq...
Who produced a breakbeat remix of Gray's song Please Forgive Me?

Paul Hartnoll

... Gray performed guest vocals on the Orbital single Illuminate, while Paul Hartnoll produced a breakbeat remix of Gray's song Please Forgive Me. His su...
What is not a job like a dentist?

Being a singer

... Being a singer is not a job like a dentist, Gray explained in an interview for the Independent. At the age of nine, he moved with his family to Pembro...
Where did Gray spend the remainder of his childhood years?

Pembrokeshire, Wales

...the Independent. At the age of nine, he moved with his family to Pembrokeshire, Wales , where he spent the remainder of his childhood years. As a teen,...
What form of songwriting did Gray begin to experiment with?

poetic

...roups while attending college, but also began to experiment with a more poetic form of songwriting, embracing new ways of working. Theyre vulnerable, ...
Whose Nebraska record was similar?

Bruce Springsteen

...f working. Theyre vulnerable, raw, Van Morrison s Astral Weeks and Bruce Springsteen s Nebraska, records that happened when no one was in control. I s...
When did Gray land a recording contract with Hut Records?

1992

...y philosophy. And within a short time of playing smaller venues, Gray in 1992 landed a recording contract with Hut Records under the Virgin umbrella, ...
What was the name of Gray's first single?

Birds Without Wings

...aroline Records. Soon thereafter, Gray released his first single, Birds Without Wings . In the first half of 1993, Gray made his fulllength debut with ...
What was Gray's first fulllength album?

A Century Ends

...first half of 1993, Gray made his fulllength debut with the tensong A Century Ends . Earning Gray his first taste of acclaim, the album faced with dept...
What was the name of David Gray's fourth album?

White Ladder

...a folkrock artist in the mid'90s before his innovative fourth album, White Ladder , brought his mix of acoustic instruments and electronic samples into...
What university did Gray attend?

University of Liverpool

...the age of nine before returning to the northwest to attend the University of Liverpool . While in school, he dabbled in several punk bands and began e...
When did Gray release his sophomore album?

1994

... edgy sophomore effort, Flesh, was met with an underwhelming response in 1994 , and he was dropped from his label as a result. Gray signed a contract w...
Who did Gray sign a contract with?

EMI Records

...e was dropped from his label as a result. Gray signed a contract with EMI Records ; meanwhile, the buzz in Ireland continued to build thanks to No Disc...
What was the name of the alternative music video program in Ireland?

No Disco

...I Records; meanwhile, the buzz in Ireland continued to build thanks to No Disco , an alternative music video program that showcased Gray every chance i...
What artist did Gray open for again?

Shawn Colvin

...However, despite frequent solo tours (as well as an opening slot for Shawn Colvin ), Gray's edgy sophomore effort, Flesh, was met with an underwhelming...
How long did it take for White Lader to reach the lower reaches of the British charts?

a year

...bel, White Ladder slowly (very, very slowly) found an audience. It took a year to creep into the lower reaches of the British charts, then worked its ...
How many years did White Ladder spend in the UK top 100?

3

...worked its way all the way up to number one. White Ladder eventually spent 3 years (from May 2000 to March 2003) in the UK top 100, spawning classic h...
What hit singles did White ladder spawn?

Babylon, Please Forgive Me and Sail Away

... 2003) in the UK top 100, spawning classic hit singles Babylon, Please Forgive Me and Sail Away . It went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide. I...
How long did Whiteladder stay in the top 100 of the UK?

3 years

...ked its way all the way up to number one. White Ladder eventually spent 3 years (from May 2000 to March 2003) in the UK top 100, spawning classic hit ...
What country is the bestselling album in?

Ireland

...estselling British albums of all time and the bestselling album ever in Ireland (a nation who know a good song when they hear it). Celebrating its 20t...
How can a soulbaring lineage be directly attributed to White ladder's success?

David Gray to the allconquering Ed Sheeran

...a soulbaring lineage that can be directly traced from David Gray to the allconquering Ed Sheeran . In the wake of White Ladder, every major record comp...
In the wake of White Ladder, every major record company began signing and developing what type of troubadour?

guitar wielding

...ite Ladder, every major record company began signing and developing guitar wielding troubadours. In the US (where White Ladder sold 2 million copies),...
How many copies of White ladder sold in the US?

2 million

...loping guitar wielding troubadours. In the US (where White Ladder sold 2 million copies), Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Jazon Mraz were amongst singers...
How many copies did White Ladder sell?

over 7 million copies worldwide

...abylon, Please Forgive Me and Sail Away. It went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide . It remains in the top 30 bestselling British albums of al...
Who were some of the singersongwriters whose careers received a significant commercial boost?

Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Jazon Mraz

.... In the US (where White Ladder sold 2 million copies), Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Jazon Mraz were amongst singersongwriters whose careers received ...
When did Gray start performing in Ireland?

early 1990s

...what fed into White Ladder. Gray started performing in Ireland in the early 1990s , and established a following that he didnt have elsewhere. His fourt...
Where did Gray play his first Irish gigs?

Dublin and Cork

...elopment of his interest in music. The documentary skips forward to Dublin and Cork where Gray played his first Irish gigs, and mentions how the RTÉ t...
Who was absent from Irelands Greatest Hit interviews?

Dónal Dineen

...ience here. No Disco appears to be key, and the absence of presenter Dónal Dineen from the interviewees for Irelands Greatest Hit is surprising and a ...
Where is Gray from?

Sale, England

...(born 13 June 1968) is a British singersongwriter from Sale, England . Gray released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention af...
How many UK chart toppers did Gray have in six years?

three

...n after the release of White Ladder six years later. It was the first of three UK charttoppers in six years for Gray, the latter two of which also mad...
When were Gray's first two albums released?

1993 and 1994

...ale. Gray's first two albums A Century Ends and Flesh were issued in 1993 and 1994 respectively and led to Gray becoming popular in folkrock circles, ...
In what year did Gray release his third album?

1996

...ar in folkrock circles, but both failed in terms of commercial sales. In 1996 Gray released his third album, Sell, Sell, Sell. With his first two albu...
What was Gray's third album called?

Sell, Sell, Sell

... terms of commercial sales. In 1996 Gray released his third album, Sell, Sell, Sell . With his first two albums having been entirely composed of acoust...
Where did the song Late Night Radio get some airplay?

alternative UK radio stations

...hart, but the song Late Night Radio received some airplay on alternative UK radio stations . White Ladder (19982002) The rerelease of Gray's fourth rec...
What song received some airplay on alternative UK radio stations?

Late Night Radio

...e. Despite critical acclaim, the album did not chart, but the song Late Night Radio received some airplay on alternative UK radio stations. White Ladd...
Who is a British singer-songwriter?

David Peter Gray

...Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search David Peter Gray is a British singersongwriter. He released his first album in 1993...
How many Brit Award nominations has Gray received?

four

... for the hit single Babylon from the White Ladder album. He has received four Brit Award nominations, including two nominations for Best British Male....
How many nominations did Gray receive for Best British Male?

two

...hite Ladder album. He has received four Brit Award nominations, including two nominations for Best British Male. I had an amazing time growing up ther...
What kind of selfbelief did he have that allowed him to do something as unlikely as play music for a living?

insane

...My imagination could run wild ... It was that which gave me the kind of insane selfbelief I have, and had even then, that I could do something as unli...
Where was Ysgol Dewi Sant high school?

St Davids

...y music for a living. He went to Ysgol Dewi Sant high school in nearby St Davids and then on to Carmarthenshire College of Art and finally Liverpool S...
What were Gray's first two albums?

A Century Ends and Flesh

... and finally Liverpool School of Art. Gray's first two albums, A Century Ends and Flesh , were issued in 1993 and 1994 respectively and led to Gray bec...
How old was Gray when he moved with his family to Pembrokeshire, Wales?

nine

...ntist, Gray explained in an interview for the Independent. At the age of nine , he moved with his family to Pembrokeshire, Wales, where he spent the re...