Look up don't in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Don't or do not may refer to:

• "Don't" (Elvis Presley song)
• "Don't!", a song by Shania Twain
• "Don't" (Billy Currington song), a song from the album Little Bit of Everything
• "Don't", a song by M2M from the album The Big Room
• Don't (1925 film), a 1925 silent film
• Don't (1974 film), a 1974 short film
• Don't, a fake trailer from the 2007 film Grindhouse
• DONT, a bridge bidding convention

See also[link]

• Contraction (grammar)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Shania Twain
Twain at the 2011 Juno Awards in March 2011
Background information
Birth name	Eilleen Regina Edwards
Also known as	Eilleen Twain (1967–1992)
Born	(1965-08-28) August 28, 1965 (age 46) Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Country, country pop, country rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, television personality
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Mercury Nashville
Associated acts	Billy Currington, Mark McGrath, Lionel Richie, Michael Bublé, Alison Krauss
Website	www.shaniatwain.com

Shania Twain, OC ( /ʃəˌnaɪ.ə ˈtweɪn/; born Eilleen Regina Edwards; August 28, 1965) is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me (1995), brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and is the ninth best-selling album in the U.S.^[1] Her fourth album, Up!, was released in November 2002. To date it has sold 20 million copies worldwide.^[1]

Twain has won five Grammy Awards and 27 BMI Songwriter awards.^[1] She has had three albums certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and is the second best-selling artist in Canada, behind Céline Dion, with three of her studio albums certified double diamond by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. She is the first (and currently only) female artist in history to have 3 consecutive albums reach diamond status, indicating sales of at least 10 million, certified by the RIAA. Sometimes referred to as "The Queen of Country Pop",^[2] Twain has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide^[1] and is ranked 10th best-selling artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era.^[3] She was also ranked 72nd on Billboard's "Artists of the decade" (2000–10).^[4] Most recently, Twain has her own TV series, Why Not? with Shania Twain, that premiered on the OWN on May 8, 2011. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 2, 2011.

Early years[link]

Shania Twain was born Eileen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario, daughter of Sharon (née Morrison) and Clarence Edwards. Her parents divorced when she was two and her mother then moved to Timmins, Ontario with Eilleen and her sisters Jill and Carrie Ann. Sharon married Jerry Twain, an Ojibwa, and they had a son together, Mark. Jerry adopted the girls, legally changing their last name to Twain. When Mark was still in diapers, the Twains adopted Jerry's baby nephew, Darryl, after Darryl's mother died. Because of her connection to her stepfather, in the past, people had presumed Twain's ancestry was Ojibwa, but she stated in an interview that her biological father was part Cree.^[5] Through her maternal grandfather, she is a descendant of Zacharie Cloutier.^[6] Her maternal grandmother, Eileen Pearce, emigrated from Newbridge, Kildare, Ireland.

Eilleen Twain had a hard childhood in Timmins. Her parents earned little and there was often a shortage of food in the household. Eilleen did not confide her situation to school authorities, fearing they might break up the family. In the remote, rugged community, she learned to hunt and to chop wood. Sharon and Jerry's marriage was at times stormy, and from a young age, Eilleen witnessed violent fights between them. Sharon struggled with bouts of depression. In the summer of 1979, while Jerry was at work, at Eilleen's insistence, her mother drove the rest of the family 680 km (425 mi) south to a Toronto homeless shelter for assistance.^[7] Sharon returned to Jerry with the children in 1981. In Timmins, Twain started singing at bars at the age of eight to try to make ends meet, often earning twenty dollars between midnight and one in the morning performing for remaining customers after the bar had finished serving. Although she expressed a dislike for singing in those bars, Twain believes that this was her own kind of performing arts school on the road.^[8] She has said of the ordeal, "My deepest passion was music and it helped. There were moments when I thought 'I hate this'. I hated going into bars and being with drunks. But I loved the music and so I survived".^[9] Twain wrote her first songs at the age of ten, Is Love a Rose and Just Like the Storybooks which were fairy tales in rhyme.^[10] She states that the art of creating, of actually writing songs, "was very different from performing them and became progressively important".^[10]

In the early 1980s, Twain spent some time working with her father's reforestation business in northern Ontario, a business that employed some 75 Ojibwe and Cree workers. Although the work was demanding and the pay low, Twain said "I loved the feeling of being stranded. I'm not afraid of being in my own environment, being physical, working hard. I was very strong, I walked miles and miles every day and carried heavy loads of trees. You can't shampoo, use soap or deodorant, or makeup, nothing with any scent; you have to bathe and rinse your clothes in the lake. It was a very rugged existence, but I was very creative and I would sit alone in the forest with my dog and a guitar and would just write songs".^[11]

Music career[link]

Career as Eilleen Twain[link]

At 13, Eilleen was invited to perform on CBC television's the Tommy Hunter Show. While attending Timmins High and Vocational School in Timmins, she was also the singer for a local band called "Longshot" which covered Top 40 music.^[12]

After graduating from Timmins High in June 1983, Twain was eager to expand her musical horizons.^[13] After the demise of the band Longshot, Twain was approached by a cover band led by Diane Chase called "Flirt" and they toured all over Ontario.^[13] Twain also began taking singing lessons from Toronto-based coach Ian Garrett and would often clean his house in payment for her lessons.^[14] In the autumn of 1984, Twain's talents were noticed by Toronto DJ Stan Campbell who wrote about her in a Country Music News article: "Eilleen possesses a powerful voice with an impressive range. She has the necessary drive, ambition and positive attitude to achieve her goals".^[14] Campbell happened to be making an album by Canadian musician (and present-day CKTB radio personality) Tim Denis at the time and Twain was featured on the backing vocals of the song Heavy on the Sunshine.^[15][14] Campbell later took Twain to Nashville to record some demos, which Twain found particularly difficult to finance. She became acquainted with regional country singer Mary Bailey who had had some country chart success in 1976. Bailey had seen Twain perform in Sudbury, Ontario, saying "I saw this little girl up on stage with a guitar and it absolutely blew me away. She performed Willie Nelson's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". Her voice reminded me of Tanya Tucker, it had strength and character, a lot of feeling. She's a star, she deserves an opportunity".^[16] Bailey later said "She sang a few songs that she had written, and I thought to myself, this kid is like nineteen years old, where does she get this? This is from a person who's lived sixty years".^[17]

Lake Kenogami where Twain spent much time practicing in 1985.

Bailey acquired the contract from Stan Campbell and Twain moved into Bailey's home on Lake Kenogami where she practiced her music every day for hours. In the fall of 1985, Bailey took Twain down to Nashville to stay with a friend, record producer Tony Migliore, who at the time was producing an album for fellow Canadian singer Kelita Haverland and Twain was featured on the backing vocals to the song Too Hot to Handle. She also demo-ed songs with Cyril Rawson but the demos were without success, partly due to Twain's wish to become a rock singer, not a country artist. After five months she returned to Canada and moved in with Bailey in a flat in downtown Kirkland Lake.^[18]

There she met rock keyboardist Eric Lambier and drummer Randy Yurko and formed a new band, moving three months later to Bowmanville, near Toronto. In late summer 1986 Mary Bailey arranged for Twain to meet John Kim Bell, a half Mohawk, half American conductor who had close contacts with the directors of the Canadian Country Music Association. Bell recognized Twain's ability as well as her looks and the two began secretly dating.^[18] In the fall of 1986 Twain continued to express her desire to be a pop or rock singer rather than country, which led to her falling out with Mary Bailey for two years. Twain's first break finally came on February 8, 1987, when Bell staged a fundraiser for the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto where Twain performed with Broadway star Bernadette Peters, jazz guitarist Don Ross, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Her performance received little acclaim, but it convinced Bell, who hated pop music, that Twain should stay well away from it and concentrate on country music.^[19]

On November 1, 1987, Twain's mother and stepfather died in a car accident approximately 50 kilometres north of Wawa, Ontario.^[20] As a result Twain moved back to Timmins to take care of her younger siblings and then took them all to Huntsville, Ontario. There, she supported them by earning money performing at the nearby Deerhurst Resort.^[21]

[edit] 1993–1994: Shania Twain

A couple of years passed and Twain's siblings got older and moved out on their own. Twain assembled a demo tape of her songs and her Huntsville manager set up a showcase for Twain to present her material to record executives. She caught the attention of a few labels, including Mercury Nashville Records, who signed her within a few months.^[22] During this time, she changed her name to Shania, which was said to be an Ojibwa word which means "on my way". However, Twain's biographer, Robin Eggar, writes: "There is a continuing confusion about what 'Shania' means and if indeed it is an Ojibwe word or phrase at all. [...] There is no mispronounced or misheard phrase in either Ojibwe or Cree that comes close to meaning 'on my way.' Yet the legend of her name continues to be repeated in the media to this day and will doubtless provide the obituary headline when Shania eventually passes on."^[23]

Twain's self-titled debut album was released in 1993 in North America and garnered her audiences outside of Canada. The album only reached No.67 on the US Country Albums Chart, but it gained positive reviews from critics.^[24] The album failed to sell significant copies initially, although Twain's future success generated enough interest for the album to be certified platinum six years later by the RIAA, denoting sales of over a million. The album yielded two minor hit singles in the United States with "What Made You Say That" and "Dance with the One That Brought You". The album was more successful in Europe, where Twain won Country Music Television Europe's "Rising Video Star of the Year" award.^[22]

[edit] 1995–1996: The Woman in Me and her breakthrough

When rock producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange heard Twain's original songs and singing from her debut album, he offered to produce and write songs with her. After many telephone conversations, they met at Nashville's Fan Fair in June 1993. Twain and Lange became very close within just weeks. Lange and Twain either wrote or co-wrote the songs that would form her second studio album, The Woman in Me.^[22][25] Record executives were stunned when they listened to the album. It was unlike anything else in country music.^[26]

The Woman in Me was released in the spring of 1995. The album's first single, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" went to No.11 on the Billboard Country Chart. This was followed by her first Top 10 and No.1 hit single, "Any Man of Mine". Twain had further hits from the album, including the title track which peaked at No.14 and three additional No.1 hits: "(If You're Not in it for Love) I'm Outta Here!", "You Win My Love", and "No One Needs to Know".^[22] As of 2007, it had sold more than 12 million copies.^[27] The album was a quick breakthrough and because of this Twain performed selected international venues and television shows including two CMA Fan Fair performances with Nashville guitarists Randy Thomas (co-writer of the song "Butterfly Kisses"), Dan Schafer,^[28] Chris Rodriguez, Russ Taff, Hugh McDonald bass player of Bon Jovi, Dave Malachowski and Stanley T., formerly with The Beach Boys.

Mercury Nashville's promotion of the album was based largely upon a series of music videos.^[29] During this period, Twain made major television appearances on shows such as two performances on Late Show with David Letterman, Blockbuster Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and the American Music Awards. The Woman in Me won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album as well as the Academy of Country Music award for Album of the Year; the latter group also awarded Twain as Best New Female Vocalist.

[edit] 1997–2001: Come On Over

Twain performing on the Come on Over Tour in 1999

In 1997, Twain released her follow-up album, Come On Over. This was the album that would establish her as a successful crossover singer. Slowly, the album started racking up sales. It never hit the top spot, but with the multi-chart hit single "You're Still the One", sales skyrocketed. Other songs like "Don't Be Stupid", "You've Got A Way", "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!", "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "From This Moment On" joined the 12 songs that eventually saw release as singles. "From This Moment On" is a duet with singer Bryan White and there was a pop version as well.

The album stayed on the charts for the next two years, going on to sell 40 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling album of all time by a female musician.^[30] It is also the eighth biggest-selling album by any type of artist in the US^[27] and the top selling country album in history. Songs from the album won four Grammy Awards during this time, including Best Country Song and Best Female Country Performance (for "You're Still the One" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!") for Twain. Lange won Grammys for "You're Still the One" and "Come on Over".

Despite the album's record sales it wasn't able to top the Billboard 200, peaking at #2. In 1999, the Come on Over album was remixed for the European market as a pop album with less country instrumentation and actually gave her the big breakthrough in Europe she and her producer husband (Robert John "Mutt" Lange) were looking for. Come on Over went to number 1 on the UK album charts for 11 weeks. It became the biggest selling album of the year in Great Britain and a bestseller in other big European markets as well, selling more than one million copies in Germany and nearly 4 million in the UK alone. The songs that had finally drawn European attention to the album were the pop remixed singles "That Don't Impress Me Much", a No.3 in the UK and Top 10 hit in Germany in the summer of 1999, and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" which peaked at No.3 in both the UK and France in autumn of that year. Additionally, the album set the record for the longest ever stay in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200, remaining in the Top 20 for 99 weeks.

Twain's mainstream pop acceptance was further helped by her appearance in the 1998 first edition of the VH1 Divas concert where she sang alongside Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan and Aretha Franklin, and also by VH1's 1999 heavily aired Behind the Music, which concentrated on the tragic aspects of her early life as well as her physical attractiveness and Nashville's early resistance to her bare-midriff music videos.

In 1998, Twain launched her first major concert tour, aided by her manager Jon Landau, a veteran of many large-scale tours with Bruce Springsteen. The Come on Over Tour shows was a success and won the "Country Tour of the Year" in 1998 and 1999 by Pollstar Concert Industry Awards.^[31]

In 2000, Twain was initially scheduled to release a Christmas album, but plans to release one were cancelled later in the year.^[32]

Following the success of Come On Over, independent label Limelight Records released The Complete Limelight Sessions in October 2001. The album includes 16 tracks recorded in the late 1980s before Twain signed her record deal with Mercury.

[edit] 2002–2004: Up!

Twain in concert, 2004

After a change in management – QPrime replaced Landau — and a two year break, Twain and Lange returned to the studio. Up! was released on November 19, 2002. About a year later, Twain kicked off the Up! Tour in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on September 25, 2003.

Up! was released with three different discs – country/acoustic (green CD), pop/rock (red CD), and world/dance (blue CD). Up! was given four out of five stars by Rolling Stone magazine, and debuted at No.1 on the Billboard albums chart, selling 874,000 in the first week alone. It remained at the top of the charts for five weeks. Up! reached No.1 in Germany, No.2 in Australia and the Top Five in the UK and France. In Germany, Up! was certified 4x platinum and stayed in the Top 100 for one and a half years.

The international music disc was remixed with Indian-style orchestral and percussion parts recorded in Mumbai, India. The new versions were produced by Simon and Diamond Duggal, brothers from Birmingham, England. They were originally invited to contribute parts to the pop version of "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" which retained the Indian influence.^[33]

Twain's popularity in UK was reflected by numerous appearances on the long-running music show Top of the Pops, performing singles from Come on Over from 1999. In 2002 an entire special show was dedicated to her on sister show TOTP2, in which Twain herself introduced some past performances of her greatest hits and new singles from Up!

The first single from the album, "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" became a top 10 country hit in the US, after debuting at No. 24 after only five days of airplay; but only made the Top 40 on the pop charts. It was a much bigger hit on the other side of the Atlantic, released in a pop version, the single hit No.4 in the UK. In Australia, Germany and France the song reached the Top 15 in each case. The follow-up single "Up!" reached the Top 15 in the US country charts but failed to reach the pop Top 40.

The second European single became the mid-tempo song "Ka-Ching!" (which was never released as a single in North America) with lyrics where Twain was criticizing unchecked consumerism. The song eventually became another smash hit in the important European markets, reaching No.1 in Germany and Austria and other European countries, the UK Top 10 and the Top 15 in France. The third single from the album would be the most successful in the US. The romantic ballad "Forever and For Always" was released as a single in April 2003 and peaked at No.4 on the country chart and No.1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and made as well the Billboard Top 20. Again success was even bigger on the other side of the Atlantic with "Forever and For Always" again reaching the Top 10 in both, the UK and Germany. Further singles were "She's Not Just a Pretty Face" a country Top 10 hit, while the last US single, "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing", made the Top 20 on both Country and AC.

Due to the enormous European success of Up! and its first three singles, two more singles were released in the second half of 2003 with up-tempo "Thank You Baby" (#11 in the UK, Top 20 in Germany) and just before Christmas the romantic, acoustic ballad "When You Kiss Me", at least a minor hit in both territories. The title track "Up!" also saw a single release in a limited edition of European countries, such as Germany, in early 2004. In January 2008, Up! had sold 5.5 million copies in the U.S. and was certified by the RIAA as 11x platinum (the organization counts double albums as two units).^[27]

In 2003, Twain participated in the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman, covering Parton's classic "Coat of Many Colors", with backing vocals by Alison Krauss. The cover peaked at No.57 on the Hot Country Songs charts as an album cut. During the Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show Twain performed two songs, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" and "Up!"

[edit] 2004–2005: Greatest Hits

Shania Twain, live in Wembley, UK, February 16, 2004

In 2004, she released the Greatest Hits album, with three new tracks. As of 2008, it has sold over four million copies in the U.S.^[27] The first single, the multi-format duet "Party for Two", made the country top ten with Billy Currington, while the pop version with Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath made top ten in the United Kingdom and Germany. The follow-up singles, "Don't!" and "I Ain't No Quitter" did not fare as well. The former made Top 20 on Adult Contemporary, while the latter did not gain enough airplay to crack the Country Top 40.^[34]

In August 2005, she released the single "Shoes" from the Desperate Housewives soundtrack.

2006-2010: New album delays and other projects[link]

At the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 16, 2007, Twain said she was currently writing songs for a new album, and was doing a "lot of soul searching" and "indulging in the writing."

Twain joined Canadian singer Anne Murray on the song "You Needed Me" on Murray's Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends album released November 13, 2007 in Canada, and on January 15, 2008 in the U.S.^[35] On November 12, 2008 Twain made her first television appearance since her split from ex-husband Robert "Mutt" Lange, where she appeared as a surprise presenter at the 42nd CMA Awards.^[36]

In early January 2009, Internet forums were reporting that Twain was planning to make an announcement regarding her new album on January 26, 2009 but on the 22nd a spokesperson from Mercury Nashville told Country Weekly that no new album would be coming "anytime soon".

In June 2009, Twain released a letter to her fans explaining the delays in the release of her next album.^[37] In August 2009, at a conference in Timmins, Ontario, a spokesman for Twain's label said a new record from the singer is still "nowhere in sight".^[38] On August 17, 2009, EW announced that Twain would be a guest judge on American Idol in Chicago, for the show's August 30 and 31 episodes.^[39] On January 1, 2010, Twain carried the Olympic Torch through her hometown as part of the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay.^[40]

[edit] 2010-present: Why Not? with Shania Twain and return to music

In April 2010, Twain announced plans for her own TV show, entitled Why Not? with Shania Twain. The show debuted on May 8, 2011 on OWN.^[41] Twain returned to American Idol as a guest mentor for a week where the top 6 contestants showcased her songs.^[42] After the conclusion of the ninth season Twain was very close to becoming a judge but ultimately it was Jennifer Lopez who got the job.^[43]

Twain at the Country Music Hall of Fame in June 2011 to announce her headlining at Caesars Palace

More recently, in September 2010, it was confirmed that Twain was to release her first biography, From This Moment On, on May 3, 2011,^[44] and the cover work for the book was released on March 2, 2011.^[45]

On March 27, 2011, Twain was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Following her appearance, she revealed that she is writing music and that new music will be heard soon.^[46]

In May 2011, Twain confirmed in an interview with Perez Hilton that she will release her first new single in six years, "Today Is Your Day", after the finale of Why Not? with Shania Twain.^[47] Twain previewed the song in the first episode of the series.^[47] Twain worked with music producers David Foster and Nathan Chapman on the new song.^[48] In the next few months, Twain plans to return to the studio to finish her fifth studio album.^[49] "Today Is Your Day" was officially released to iTunes and country radio on June 12, 2011.^[50]

On June 8, 2011, at a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Twain announced that she will headline Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for two years.^[50] Her show, titled Still the One, will begin on December 1, 2012.^[50]

In July 2011, fellow Canadian superstar Michael Bublé confirmed in a live video chat with fans that he recorded a duet of 'White Christmas' with Twain for his 2011 Christmas album.^[51]

On February 7, 2012, Lionel Richie's single "Endless Love" featuring Shania Twain was released to digital retailers. The single is the first single from Lionel's "Tuskegee" album released on March 27, 2012. "Endless Love" has been released to radio on the adult contemporary charts. A music video, directed by Paul Boyd, was released to country music channels CMT and GAC in March 2012.

Endorsements and other ventures[link]

Twain's commercial ventures outside the music industry included a series of cosmetic ads in 1999 based on "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" for Revlon. She also starred in ads for Candie's shoes and Gitano jeans, who also sponsored her 1998–1999 Come On Over Tour.

In January 2005, Twain joined Scentstories by Febreze to create a limited edition scent disc with the proceeds going to America's Second Harvest.^[52]

Late in 2005, Twain partnered COTY to produce her namesake fragrance "Shania" by Stetson. A second fragrance was released in September 2007, called "Shania Starlight".^[53]

Personal life[link]

Twain married music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange on December 28, 1993, and they have a son, Eja (pronounced "Asia") D'Angelo, who was born on August 12, 2001.^[54] On May 15, 2008, a spokesperson for Mercury Nashville announced that Twain and Lange were separating after Lange allegedly had an affair with Twain's best friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.^[55][56] Their divorce was finalized on June 9, 2010.^[57] On December 20, 2010, Twain's manager confirmed that Twain was engaged to Swiss Frédéric Thiébaud (the ex-husband of her former best friend), an executive at Nestlé.^[58][59] They married on January 1, 2011 in Rincón, Puerto Rico.^[60]

Twain is a long-time vegetarian^[61] and in 2001, was voted PETA's very first Sexiest Vegetarian Alive.^[62]

Awards and honours[link]

Twain's star on Canada's Walk of Fame

In addition to her various awards for her singles and albums, Twain has received a number of personal honours:

• She was named the 1999 Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association; Twain was the first non-US citizen to win the CMA award.
• Twain was ranked No.7 in Country Music Television's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music in 2002.^[63]
• In 2003, Twain was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.^[64]
• The city of Timmins (located in Ontario, Canada) renamed a street for her, gave her the key to the city, and built the Shania Twain Centre in her honour.^[65]
• On November 18, 2005, Twain was invested as an Officer in the Order of Canada.^[66][67]
• Twain was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards on March 27, 2011.^{[citation needed]}
• On June 2, 2011, Twain received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star is the 2,442nd Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Category of Recording.^[64]

Discography[link]

Albums

• 1993: Shania Twain
• 1995: The Woman in Me
• 1997: Come On Over
• 2002: Up!

Compilations

• 2001: The Complete Limelight Sessions
• 2004: Greatest Hits

See also[link]

Shania Twain portal

	Book: Shania Twain
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Music of Canada
• List of best-selling music artists

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Twain, Shania (2011), From This Moment On, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 1-4516-2074-8, http://books.google.com/?id=3jtDzg9xHpwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Shania+Twain#v=onepage&q&f=true 
• Eggar, Robin (2005), Shania Twain:The Biography, New York City: Country Music Television Inc., Pocket Books, ISBN 0-7434-9735-X, http://books.google.ca/books?id=Sh-levpCt-IC&lpg=PP1&dq=Shania%20Twain%3AThe%20Biography&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true 
• Hager, Barbara (1996), On Her Way: The Life and Music of Shania Twain, Toronto: Raincoast Books, ISBN 0-425-16451-9, http://books.google.ca/books?id=EDP-b9YSET0C&lpg=PA1&dq=Shania%20Twain&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=true 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shania Twain

• Shania Twain official website
• Shania Twain official Brazil

Billy Currington
Currington in April 2010
Background information
Birth name	William Matthew Currington[1]
Born	(1973-11-19) November 19, 1973 (age 38) Savannah, Georgia, USA
Origin	Rincon, Georgia, USA
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Mercury Nashville
Associated acts	Luke Bryan, Carson Chamberlain, Shania Twain
Website	BillyCurrington.com

William Matthew "Billy" Currington (born November 19, 1973) is an American country music artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he has released four studio albums for the label: 2003's Billy Currington, 2005's Doin' Somethin' Right, 2008's Little Bit of Everything, and 2010's Enjoy Yourself. These four albums have produced nine singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including six #1 hits "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", "Good Directions", "People Are Crazy", "That's How Country Boys Roll", "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer", and "Let Me Down Easy". He has also charted as a duet partner on Shania Twain's single "Party For Two" and his own non-album single "Tangled Up", for a total of eleven Top 40 hits.

Early life and career[link]

Billy Currington was born in Savannah, Georgia, raised in Rincon, Georgia, and currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He has four sisters (Lexie, Ann, Kim, and Kellie) and two brothers (Charles and Jason). When he was one and a half years old, his mother married Laurie (Larry) Currington. He also has a Chocolate Lab named Paco.

When he was a junior in Effingham County High School (Springfield, Georgia), Currington auditioned for a spot at Opryland, the renowned country music theme park located in Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. Failing the audition, after high school he moved to Nashville to pursue his career in country music.^[2] His first stint did not last too long, and he later sang for a bar named Cavalier Country Club in Georgia. In Nashville, Currington also worked for a concrete company, and also as a personal trainer. One of the clients he worked with as a personal trainer led Currington to recording demo tapes, as well as writing songs. He eventually had cuts by George Strait, Tracy Byrd, and Marty Raybon.^[3] After almost being offered to join RCA Records, he signed to Mercury Records in 2003.

Musical career[link]

Currington performing in 2008

[edit] Billy Currington

His self-titled debut album was released in 2003. The first single was "Walk a Little Straighter" about his relationship with his alcoholic stepfather, including a chorus that Currington wrote when he was twelve years old.^[4] "Walk a Little Straighter" went on to peak at #8 that year on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and established Currington as a major Country performer in Nashville. He first hit the Top 5 on the country charts with his second single, "I Got a Feelin'", also from his debut album.

He scored a third consecutive top 10 hit with Shania Twain in late 2004, on the song "Party for Two". The song was from Twain's Greatest Hits album and was released in two formats: a pop version with Mark McGrath as Twain's duet partner, and the country version, which featured Currington.

[edit] Doin' Somethin' Right

In 2005, Currington released a second album entitled Doin' Somethin' Right,^[4] which peaked at #2 on the Top Country Albums chart and #11 on the Billboard 200. Doin' Somethin' Right produced his first Number One in "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", followed by "Why, Why, Why" at #13 and another Number One in "Good Directions". Co-written by Capitol Records artist Luke Bryan, the latter was the #2 country song of 2007 according to the Billboard Year-End charts. Doin' Somethin' Right is certified platinum by the RIAA. Doin' Somethin' Right also featured "Lucille" which was a song Currington covered from original artist Kenny Rogers.

[edit] Little Bit of Everything

On July 19, 2007, Currington announced he had cancelled the rest of his tour dates for the year because of laryngitis. His 2007 single, "Tangled Up", peaked at #30 in late 2007, and his third album was delayed. He also had to undergo therapy due to trauma induced by the abuse that he suffered as a child.^[2]

He was absent from the charts for nearly a year before the release of his next single, "Don't", in mid-2008. It was the first single from his third studio album, Little Bit of Everything, which was released on October 14. Currington co-wrote five of the songs on this album.^[5] "Don't" peaked at #2 on the country charts in early 2009. "People Are Crazy", co-written by Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones, was released as the second single from the album in March 2009 and this became his third Number One hit in July 2009. The third single to be issued, "That's How Country Boys Roll" became his fourth Number One hit in March 2010. The song was the first that Billy shared writing credit on to reach Number One.

On August 1, 2009, Billy Currington suffered a concussion at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta after the stage on which he was performing collapsed during a massive wind storm that also injured Currington's bass guitarist and killed a spectator.^[6]

[edit] Enjoy Yourself

In May 2010, he released his tenth solo single overall, "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer", which hit #1 in September. Also written by Troy Jones, it was the first single from his fourth studio album, entitled Enjoy Yourself---which was released on September 21, 2010. The album's second single "Let Me Down Easy" went to radio on October 4, 2010 and reached #1 in 2011.^[7] The album's third single "Love Done Gone" released to country radio on April 18, 2011 and reached #11 later that year. The album's fourth single "Like My Dog" released to country radio on October 10, 2011 and peaked at #24 in 2012.

Awards and nominations[link]

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Official Billy Currington UMG Nashville Artist Page

Gavin DeGraw
DeGraw in March 2012
Background information
Birth name	Gavin Shane DeGraw
Born	(1977-02-04) February 4, 1977 (age 35) South Fallsburg, New York, United States
Genres	Blue-eyed soul, pop rock, rock
Occupations	Musician and singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active	2000–Present
Labels	RCA Records
Website	gavindegraw.com

Gavin Shane DeGraw (born February 4, 1977) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" (which has been featured as the theme song for the television drama series, One Tree Hill since 2003), "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".

Early life[link]

DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg, New York.^[1] His mother, Lynne (Krieger), was a detox specialist, and his father, Wayne DeGraw, was a prison guard;^[2] he referenced his father's occupation in the song "I Don't Want to Be".^[3] His father is of Irish descent and his mother's family was of Russian ancestry.^[4] DeGraw began singing and playing piano at the age of eight. He also has two siblings, both older, named Neeka and Joey (born August 1973). It was at his brother's advice that he began writing his own songs.^[5] Joey DeGraw is a musician as well, currently touring to promote his own music.^[6]

Career[link]

DeGraw rose to fame in 2003 when "I Don't Want to Be" was chosen as the theme song for teen drama One Tree Hill.^[7] The song has also been performed on American Idol^[8] and Idol Sweden^[9] by various contestants during different seasons.

DeGraw released his debut album, Chariot on July 22, 2003 under J Records.^[10] Chariot was recorded at Los Angeles' music studios, Sunset Sound and produced by Mark Endert.^[1] Chariot sold over a million copies and earned platinum certification.^[11] The album also featured three of DeGraw's singles: "I Don’t Want To Be", "Follow Through" and "Chariot".^[11] He then went on to release an acoustic version of the album called Chariot Stripped in 2004. Chariot Stripped contains a cover version of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".^[12]

DeGraw performing in Georgia, 2005

DeGraw's second album, self-titled Gavin DeGraw was released on May 6, 2008.^[10] The first single, "In Love with a Girl" was released on February 12, 2008. The second U.S. single "Cheated On Me" was released in the US on September 30, 2008. This was followed by the Live From Soho album, released on Nov 7 2008, featuring mostly tracks from Gavin DeGraw.^[13] Gavin DeGraw debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and ranked at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart.^[11]

Gavin Degraw's third album, Free was released March 31, 2009.^[14] DeGraw made Free in less than two weeks at the Brooklyn studio of his producer Camus Celli. DeGraw included some songs on the album that he wrote very early in his career and that have evolved over time, songs such as "Dancing Shoes" and "Glass".^[1] The debut single from the album, "Stay", was released on March 11, 2009.^[15] FREE has been described as "recorded versions of his live favourites".^[11]

DeGraw's fourth, and most recent album, Sweeter was set to release on August 9, 2011 but got pushed back to September 20, 2011.^[16] The album features many tracks co-written with other artists. The first single "Not Over You" was released on iTunes in June.^[17] The track was co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder and was said to be inspired by Kyle Craig. "Not Over You" is his first song to reach the top spot on the Adult Pop Songs.^[18] Sweeter contains collaborations from producers including Butch Walker, Eric Rosse, and Ron Aniello; alongside another co-written title track, "Sweeter" with Andrew Frampton. The album was recorded in many locations including Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Walker’s Space in Venice and the Henson Recording Studios.^[11]

Sweeter is DeGraw's first album released under RCA Records, all three of his previous albums were released under J Records. DeGraw went on to release an acoustic album based mostly on songs from Sweeter. The iTunes Session album features seven tracks and a 30 minute interview.^[19]

Appearances[link]

Alongside DeGraw's musical career he has also performed on multiple TV shows and his songs can be heard across TV and film.

TV appearances[link]

DeGraw made his first TV appearance on Real Magic TV. He then went on to appear on: The Sharon Osbourne Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, American Dreams, Total Request Live and Rove Live. During Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2004, DeGraw is credited as a performer. After this, he was seen on What I Like About You alongside Dutch TV shows Barend & Van Dorp and Clement Behrendt Kjersgaard. DeGraw performed "I Don't Want to Be" during the 2005 Radio Music Awards. He was also a musical guest on The VIP, Jensen!, New York 360º and Entertainment Tonight. DeGraw has appeared on multiple episodes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live! with Kelly, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Last Call with Carson Daly, performing tracks from whichever album he was promoting. DeGraw is credited as a presenter for the 2011 American Music Awards and can mostly be seen presenting footage from backstage. Recently he appeared during an episode of Conan; the episode was aired on January 9, 2012.^[6] On April 4, 2012 DeGraw performed on the final episode of One Tree Hill following his heavy connection with the show throughout its nine seasons. ^[20]

DeGraw was a contestant on ABC's season 14 of Dancing With the Stars which premiered on Monday March 19, 2012. DeGraw and his partner Karina Smirnoff were eliminated from the competition during week 5, following a Dance Duel with cast-mate Jaleel White and his partner Kym Johnson. ^[21]

Soundtrack credits[link]

DeGraw's songs have been played on twelve different titles across both TV and film.

"Follow Through" was part of the soundtrack for 2004 film Laws of Attraction and an episode of Scrubs called My Self-Examination, aired on 27 April 2004. The song has also been featured on One Tree Hill and on British and Italian TV advertisements for Carte D'or.^[6]

"Chariot" features as an uncredited part of the soundtrack for the American-Canadian TV series Dead Like Me. The song features in a 2004 episode called Always and is portrayed by DeGraw. DeGraw plays a non-recurring small role as street singer, Pete Anderson. The song also features on the TV series Boston Legal in a 2006 episode named Helping Hands, it is played during Denise and Daniel's dinner. The song can also be heard during a 2007 episode of Cold Case called Knuckle Up.^[6]

His song "We Belong Together" was also featured in the 2006 film Tristan and Isolde.^[22]

DeGraw has performed a cover of Smokey Robinson's love ballad, "The Tracks of My Tears", which is played during Chaos Theory, an episode of The Cleaner aired on August 5 2008.^[6]

During a Christmas special of TV series House called "Joy to the World", a cover of The Christmas Song performed by DeGraw was played.^[6]

TV dance competition and reality show So You Think You Can Dance utilised three of DeGraw's tracks across four shows and also features a cover performed by DeGraw. "Belief", "More Then Anyone" and "We Belong Together" are used as background tracks across the 2006, 2008 and 2009 series respectively. During the first part of the 2007 finale, a cover of "We Are the Champions", performed by DeGraw, is used.^[6]

DeGraw's songs are contained in the soundtracks of eleven episodes of One Tree Hill. Throughout he is uncredited. However, tracks such as "Belief", "More Than Anyone", "Chariot", "We Belong Together" and "Jealous Guy" all feature in the show. During the second season of the show, an unreleased live version of "Chariot" is played during the episode "Something I Can Never Have".^[6]

During a special of the TV show The Bachelor called The Bachelor: Jason & Molly's Wedding, DeGraw's song "Follow Through" is played.^[6]

Acting credits[link]

He has appeared in an on-screen role in three One Tree Hill episodes. His first appearance was in 2004, during You Gotta Go There to Come Back; he was seen singing "I Don't Want to Be" and "Chariot" at Karen's Cafe. His second appearance was at the beginning of 2008 episode, What Comes After the Blues where he was seen singing "I Don't Want to Be" with Jackson Brundage and performs in the series final episode.^[6]

Other[link]

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.^[6]

DeGraw's song "More Than Anyone" was selected by fans of One Tree Hill through a Cingular Wireless contest as the first wedding dance song for Nathan & Haley in the 3rd season finale "The Show Must Go On."^[23]

At the Des Moines Arts Festival on 27 June 2009

He and his brother opened The National Underground in December 2007, a New York City music venue that is a roots rock Americana music bar located in Manhattan's Lower East Side, at 159 East Houston Street between Allen Street and Eldridge Street.^[24] The venue offers music, food, and drink.^[25][26][27] The idea for the venue came about because the brothers wanted a place where they could hang out on a regular basis, and where other musicians could come in and listen and learn.^[28] "We were picky about the quality of musicians that played there," Gavin DeGraw says. "We wanted a place where the players were so good, other musicians were like, 'Wow! I really respect what they're doing.'"^[29]

Personal life[link]

On August 8, 2011, DeGraw was hospitalized after being assaulted by several people in New York City. Police said a group of men attacked DeGraw early Sunday morning at 6th Street and First Avenue in the East Village, near The National Underground. He suffered a broken nose, a concussion, two black eyes and lacerations to his face. Only minutes after the attack, DeGraw was then struck by a taxi. He was admitted to Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital Center for treatment. He had to cancel his scheduled August 9 performance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, located in Saratoga, New York.^[30]

DeGraw has said that his ultimate goal is "to leave this world a better person, and for me to not be the only one who knows it."^[6]

Band members[link]

Current[link]

Billy Norris – guitar, background vocals (since 2009) Ian O'Neill – drums, background vocals (since 2011) Ben Mars- Bass (Started on summer tour of 2012) Jimmy Wallace – keyboards, acoustic guitar, vocals (2007–2008, since 2011)

Previous[link]

Johnny "Tsunami" Andrews – guitar, background vocals Joey DeGraw – guitar, background vocals Brian Dennis – guitar, background vocals Matt Flynn – drums Jose Barrera – Guitar and musical composition Joey "Coach" Hanna – drums, background vocals

Rodney Howard – drums Whynot Jansveld – bass, background vocals Alvin Moody – bass, background vocals Casey Twist – bass, background vocals Tony Tino - Bass

Discography[link]

Studio[link]

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions[31][32]									Certifications (sales thresholds)
		US	CAN	DEN	NED	FIN	ITA	SWI	SWE	NOR
Chariot	Release date: July 22, 2003 Label: J	56	—	1	6	23	43	48	21	2	US: Platinum[33]
Gavin DeGraw	Release date: May 6, 2008 Label: J	7	21	3	8	36	44	23	13	35
Free	Release date: March 31, 2009 Label: J	19	—	29	76	—	—	96	—	—
Sweeter	Release date: September 20, 2011 Label: RCA	8	41	6	6	—	—	19	29	25

EPs[link]

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions[34]
		US
iTunes: Live from Soho	Release date: 2008	167

Other albums[link]

• 2001: Gavin Live

Singles[link]

Year	Title	Chart positions[31][32]												Certifications (sales thresholds)	Album
		US	US Adult	US Pop	CAN	UK	IRE	AUS	NZ	NED	ITA	NOR	SWE
2004	"I Don't Want to Be"	10	9	1	—	27	25	19	30	13	—	6	15	US: Platinum[35]	Chariot
2005	"Chariot"	30	5	17	—	—	—	—	—	12	27	19	—	US: Gold[35]
	"Follow Through"	111	22	33	—	—	—	—	—	13	—	12	—	US: Gold[33]
2006	"Just Friends"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	26	—	—	—
	"We Belong Together"	26	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	US: Gold[33]	Gavin DeGraw
2008	"In Love with a Girl"	24	5	10	32	—	—	—	—	22	—	—	73
	"She Holds a Key"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	29	—	—	—
	"Cheated on Me"	—	30	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2009	"I Have You to Thank"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Stay"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Free
	"Dancing Shoes"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2011	"Not Over You"	18	1	9	23	—	—	37	8	13	—	—	—	US: Platinum[33] NZ: Gold[36] AUS: Platinum[37]	Sweeter
	"Soldier"	—	—	—	—	59	—	—	—	14	—	—	—
	"Sweeter"	—	17	—	—	—	—	—	—	25	—	—	—

Awards and nominations[link]

Year	Award
2005	Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Soundtrack Single of the Year ("I Don't Want to Be")
2005	Radio Music Award nomination for Song of the Year/Mainstream Top 40 Radio ("I Don't Want to Be")

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Music portal

List of Berklee College of Music alumni List of Ithaca College alumni

List of people from New York List of singer-songwriters

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Gavin DeGraw Biography". Gavin DeGraw US. http://gavindegraw.us/biography.html. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
2. ^ "More Than a Memory - The Official Gavin DeGraw fan site: Articles & Interviews". Gavindegraw.us. 2005-04-29. http://gavindegraw.us/articles/timesheraldrecord05april29.html. Retrieved 2012-05-09. 
3. ^ "I Don't Want To Be Lyrics". Lyrics On Demand. http://www.lyricsondemand.com/g/gavindegrawlyrics/idontwanttobelyrics.html. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
4. ^ Staff (February 3, 2005). "Gavin DeGraw Speaks Out on Life and Music – His 'I Don’t Want To Be' Is the Theme Song for the Teen Soap 'One Tree Hill'. Associated Press (via MSNBC). Retrieved August 8, 2011.
5. ^ "Gavin DeGraw". Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. http://www.bonnaroo.com/artists/gavin-degraw.aspx. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} "Gavin DeGraw IMDB page". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1501113/. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
7. ^ "One Tree Hill IMDB page". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368530/. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
8. ^ "'American Idol' Needs To Retire 'I Don't Want To Be,' Whitney Houston And Heart". MTV Website. MTV. http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/03/03/american-idol-i-dont-want-to-be/. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
9. ^ "YouTube Video: Guy singing I Don't Want To Be in Idol 2009". YouTube. Google. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e43QQdO_OJY. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "Amazon: Chariot Gavin DeGraw | Format: Audio CD". Amazon Retail. http://www.amazon.com/Chariot-Gavin-Degraw/dp/B00009V8Z9. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
11. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Gavin DeGraw Official Bio". Gavin DeGraw Official Website. http://www.gavindegraw.com/bio. Retrieved 28 January 2012. 
12. ^ "Amazon: Chariot Stripped (Bonus CD) Gavin DeGraw | Format: Audio CD". Amazon Retail. http://www.amazon.com/Chariot-Stripped-Bonus-Gavin-Degraw/dp/B0002IQJUK/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1327522439&sr=1-1. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
13. ^ "Gavin DeGraw Discography". Gavin DeGraw Website. http://www.gavindegraw.us/discography.html. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
14. ^ "Amazon: FREE Gavin DeGraw | Format: Audio CD". Amazon Retail. http://www.amazon.co.uk/FREE-Gavin-DeGraw/dp/B001T4MT64. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
15. ^ "iTunes Single - Stay". iTunes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stay-single/id308873888. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
16. ^ "Gavin DeGraw Blog". Gavin DeGraw Blog. Gavin DeGraw. http://www.gavindegraw.us/. Retrieved 29 January 2012. 
17. ^ "Gavin DeGraw Website - Not Over You Release". Gavin DeGraw Website. http://www.gavindegraw.com/music/not-over-you-single. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
18. ^ Trust, Gary (26 January 2012). "Weekly Chart Notes: Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Gavin DeGraw". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/column/chartbeat/weekly-chart-notes-adele-kelly-clarkson-1005994562.story#/column/chartbeat/weekly-chart-notes-adele-kelly-clarkson-1005994562.story?page=2. Retrieved 28 January 2012. 
19. ^ "iTunes Session Gavin DeGraw". iTunes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/itunes-session/id480772033?ign-mpt=uo%3D4. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
20. ^ "ABC.com - Dancing with the Stars - Dancing with the Stars 2012 Cast Announcement - Season 14". Abc.go.com. http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars/cast-announcement. Retrieved 2012-05-09. 
21. ^ 04/18/2012 (2012-04-18). "'Dancing with the Stars' ('DWTS') 2012: Gavin DeGraw Booted After Showdown | Video - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/dancing-stars-dwts-2012-gavin-degraw-booted-showdown-16161893. Retrieved 2012-05-09. 
22. ^ "Gavin Degraw Discography". Gavin DeGraw. http://gavindegraw.us/discography.html. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
23. ^ "Tree Hill Memories: 322 THE SHOW MUST GO ON". Tree Hill Memories. http://www.freewebs.com/treehillmemories/s322.html. Retrieved 29 January 2012. 
24. ^ "About Us". The National Underground Official website. Accessed October 5, 2010. http://www.thenationalunderground.com/aboutus.html. 
25. ^ Carlson, Erin (May 8, 2008). "Gavin DeGraw Doesn't Wanna Be Another Singer-Songwriter". The Decatur Daily. http://www.decaturdaily.com/stories/Gavin-DeGraw-doesnt-want-to-be-another-singer-songwriter,11132. 
26. ^ Friedman, Roger (March 6, 2008). "Patrick Swayze Slammed by National Enquirer". Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335432,00.html. 
27. ^ "Soul of the City: New York City". Glide Magazine. August 29, 2008. http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/soul-of-the-city-new-york-city/. 
28. ^ Adams, Patty (July 27, 2008). "Six Seconds with: Gavin DeGraw". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/pagesixmag/issues/20080727/Six+Seconds+Gavin+DeGraw. 
29. ^ Tomcho, Sandy (August 15, 2008). "Gavin DeGraw Performs at Monticello Gaming & Raceway". Times Herald-Record. http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/ENTERTAIN/808150350. 
30. ^ "Gavin DeGraw released from hospital after attack, doesn’t remember much". The Washington Post. 10 August 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/celebritology/post/gavin-degraw-released-from-hospital-after-attack-doesnt-remember-much/2011/08/10/gIQAICCP6I_blog.html. Retrieved 21 September 2011. 
31. ^ ^{a b} Gavin DeGraw. Billboard
32. ^ ^{a b} "Gavin Degraw – Music Charts". Acharts.us. http://acharts.us/performer/gavin_degraw. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
33. ^ ^{a b c d} "Gavin Degraw RIAA album certifications". RIAA. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Gavin%20DeGraw%&format=album&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=CertificationDate&perPage=50. Retrieved 2011-10-02. 
34. ^ "iTunes Live from Soho – Gavin DeGraw". AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/itunes-live-from-soho-r1462791/charts-awards. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
35. ^ ^{a b} "Gavin DeGraw: Timeline". Rock On The Net. http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-d/gavindegraw.htm. 
36. ^ "RIANZ". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart_facts.asp. Retrieved 2010-08-07. 
37. ^ "http://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.auSINGLEaccreds2011.htm". Aria.com.au. 2011-12-31. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupageshttpwww.aria.com.auSINGLEaccreds2011.htm. Retrieved 2012-05-09. 

• Billboard Artist Chart History – retrieved March 15, 2009.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gavin DeGraw

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

v t e Gavin DeGraw Albums Chariot Gavin DeGraw Free Sweeter Singles "I Don't Want to Be" "Chariot" "Follow Through" "In Love with a Girl" "Cheated on Me" "Not Over You" "Soldier" "Sweeter" Related articles RCA Records

v t e Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 14) Donald Driver Katherine Jenkins William Levy Maria Menounos Melissa Gilbert Roshon Fegan Jaleel White Gladys Knight Gavin DeGraw Sherri Shepherd Jack Wagner Martina Navratilova

Persondata
Name	Degraw, Gavin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 4, 1977
Place of birth	South Fallsburg, New York, United States
Date of death
Place of death

Trey Songz
Background information
Birth name	Tremaine Aldon Neverson
Born	(1984-11-28) November 28, 1984 (age 27) Petersburg, Virginia, United States
Genres	R&B, hip hop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, sampler
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Atlantic, Songbook
Associated acts	Drake, Troy Taylor, Twista, Juvenile, Bun B, Rick Ross, Plies
Website	www.treysongz.com

Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007. His third album, Ready, was released in 2009 while his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, was released on September 14, 2010.

Life and career[link]

1984–2004: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Songz was born Tremaine Aldon Neverson on November 28, 1984, in Petersburg, Virginia.^[1] Raised as a military brat, Songz did not have aspirations to have a musical career as a child due to his shyness, saying "Singing wasn't a reality for me, until other people started noticing I sounded good."^[2] He recognized his vocal abilities at the age of 14.^[2] Reluctant to sing, he began performing with encouragement by friends and family in high school. Record producer Troy Taylor discovered Songz during a talent show in 2000, which led him to signing a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 2002.^[2] After graduating from high school in 2002, Songz moved to New Jersey to begin recording his debut album, though recording didn't actually begin until 2003.^[1]

[edit] 2004–2008I Gotta Make It and Trey Day

While recording his debut album in 2004, Songz released multiple mixtapes under the alias Prince of Virginia.^[1] One of the mixtapes featured an "answer track" to R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet", entitled "Open the Closet". The song gave Trey some notoriety.^[3] His debut album, I Gotta Make It was released on July 26, 2005.^[4] It debuted at #20 on the Billboard 200, selling 40,000 copies in its first week of sales.^[5] It has sold 300,000 records in the US, but was never certified by the RIAA. Songz's debut single, Gotta Make It, featuring Twista, was released in March 2005 and reached #87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It garnered success in the R&B/urban community but failed to make a mark in mainstream music. The album's second and final single, Gotta Go, was released in July 2005 and reached #67 on the Hot 100 and #11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming even more successful than his debut single in the R&B/urban community and in the mainstream community. After promotion for his debut concluded, he was featured on the lead single from Twista's fifth album, The Day After. The single, "Girl Tonite", reached #14 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming a huge hit.

Trey Songz performing in 2007.

In mid-2006, Songz began work on a follow-up album to his debut with longtime collaborator Troy Taylor and also employed hitmakers Bryan-Michael Cox, Danja, Stargate (production team) and R. Kelly to help create the album. Trey aimed for the album to be more mainstream-oriented than his debut album. His second studio album, Trey Day, was released on October 2, 2007. The album reached #11 on the Billboard 200,^[6] selling 73,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold 400,000 records in the US, becoming his second album not to be certified by the RIAA. The album was going to be released on May 8, 2007, but was continually delayed in order for a successful single to precede the album, as the lead single failed to impact charts.

His second album was preceded by the lead single, "Wonder Woman", which was released in February 2007. It reached #54 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but failed to impact the Hot 100. Because of the single's failure, his second album was delayed from May 2007 to October 2007. The album's second single, "Can't Help but Wait", was released in August 2007 and was released to promote his second album and the film Step Up 2 the Streets soundtrack as a single for it. The single reached #14 on the Hot 100, and #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It became Songz's first Top 20 hit on the Hot 100, and helped to boost his second album's sales. The single was also nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 2008 50th Grammy Awards. The third single from the album, "Last Time", was released in January 2008 and reached #69 on the Hot 100, and #9 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The fourth and final single from the album, "Missin' You", was released in May 2008, but failed to chart completely. In mid-2008, Songz was nominated for a BET Award for Best Male R&B Artist but did not win the award.^[7]

[edit] 2009–2011: Ready and Passion, Pain & Pleasure

In late 2008, Trey began work on his third studio album with Bryan-Michael Cox, Sean Garrett, Stargate and Troy Taylor and aimed for the record to be more mature than his first two. Before releasing his third album, Songz released a mixtape titled Anticipation in June 2009 through his blog, which featured songs from his third album.^[8] Another mixtape from Trey was released in the summer of 2009, called Genesis. Genesis was a collection of Trey Songz's first recordings when he was fifteen years old and was released to show his fans the dedication that he had to making a record when he was young.^[9] Trey released his third studio album, Ready, on August 31, 2009. The album reached #3 on the Billboard 200, selling 131,000 copies in its first week.^[10] These are his best first week sales to date and the album was his first to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. The album has since sold over 800,000 records in the US, earning a Gold certification from the RIAA in February 2010, becoming his first album to be certified by the RIAA.

Trey Songz performing at Summer Jam on June 5, 2010.

The lead single from the album, "I Need a Girl", was released in April 2009 and reached #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and #59 on the Hot 100, becoming an R&B/urban hit but not a mainstream hit. A promotional single, "Successful", featuring rapper Drake, was released in June 2009 and reached #17 on the Hot 100, becoming Songz's third Top 20 hit. The single also served as the second and final single from Drake's EP, So Far Gone. The second official single from his third album, "LOL Smiley Face", featuring Soulja Boy Tell 'Em and Gucci Mane, was released in August 2009 and reached #51 on the Hot 100 and #12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The third single from the album, "I Invented Sex", featuring Drake, was released in October 2009 and reached #42 on the Hot 100 but #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming his first single to top that chart. Like the first two singles from the album, it achieved success in the R&B/urban community but only some mainstream success. charted within the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the R&B chart. The fourth single from the album, "Say Aah", featuring rapper Fabolous, was released in January 2010 and reached #9 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The single has become Trey's highest charting single on the Hot 100 and one of his most successful singles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The fifth and final single from the album, "Neighbors Know My Name", was released in February 2010 and reached #43 on the Hot 100 and #4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. A sixth single, "Yo Side of the Bed", was going to be released in June 2010, but its release was canceled due to unknown reasons. A music video, featuring singer Keri Hilson, was filmed and released, however. Songz was also the opening act for Jay-Z on his Jay-Z Fall Tour in late 2009. The album was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, but lost to Beyoncé's I Am... Sasha Fierce. On April 1, 2010, he recorded an episode of MTV Unplugged, which aired on April 26, 2010.^[11] A documentary-series about Trey, Trey Songz: My Moment, began in June 2010 to positive reviews and high ratings. The 10-part series will end in August 2010 and follows Trey during his time as opening act on Jay-Z's Jay-Z Fall Tour in late 2009.

Songz's fourth studio album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, was released on September 14, 2010.^[12] Trey began work on the album in early 2010 with Sean Garrett, Troy Taylor and Stargate and has stated that the album will be his most personal to date. The album was completed in July 2010. The album's lead single, "Bottoms Up", featuring female rapper Nicki Minaj, was released on July 27, 2010 and has reached number twenty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and was shared enough on Facebook to appear as a trending video on ItsTrending. Its video was filmed on July 31, 2010 and is pending release.^[13] Trey also filmed the video for the album's second single, "Can't Be Friends", on August 1, 2010.^[13] "Can't Be Friends" was released as the album's second single in August 2010.^[13] Songz embarked on the Passion, Pain & Pleasure Tour on August 6, 2010 with singer Monica. The tour is his first headlining tour to date and consists of shows in venues that seat 3,000 to 5,000 people. Songz also contributed the song "Already Taken" to the Step Up 3D soundtrack, which was released on July 27, 2010. He filmed a video for the song, which was released in July 2010. The leading lady in the video is former girlfriend and professional dancer Helen Gedlu. Songz appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.^[14] Songz performed at BET Awards 2011 which broadcasted on June 26, 2011.^[15]

In July 2011, he was cast in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D as Ryan, the male lead role.^[16]

[edit] 2011–present: Inevitable and Chapter 5

On August 18, 2011, it was announced Songz will be working on his fifth studio titled Chapter 5.^[17] In an interview Trey said the album, which will act as the follow-up to Passion, Pain & Pleasure, is said to be nearing completion. He also carried on to say "It’s my sixth year in the game so I’ve been here for a while now. You can expect the best me you’ve ever heard. I don’t have any release dates in mind right now but I’m just making music and enjoying myself in the studio and having fun. When I get to a place where I feel comfortable saying a date or all of that, people will definitely know. I have a few dream collaborations on that album that I want, but they say if you blow out your candle and make a wish you can’t tell people what you ask for or it won’t come true."^[18]

On November 28, 2011, on his birthday, Songz released his Inevitable EP to prepare for the release of his album. In February 2012, Songz will embark on his Anticipation 2our to promote his mixtape Anticipation 2 and to raise awareness of his new album.

Discography[link]

• I Gotta Make It (2005)
• Trey Day (2007)
• Ready (2009)
• Passion, Pain & Pleasure (2010)
• Chapter V (2012)

Tours[link]

• Passion, Pain & Pleasure Tour (headliner) (2010)
• OMG Tour (opening for Usher) (2010)
• Anticipation 2our (headliner) (2012)

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trey Songz

• Official website
• Trey Songz at the Internet Movie Database