• January 17, 1984
• Calvin Harris is the stage name of Adam Richard Wiles, who was born in Dumfries, Scotland. His first recordings were "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days," which were released by the Prima Facie label in early 2002 under the name Stouffer.
• Calvin Harris is 6ft 5 ¾ inches tall. He got picked on at school because of his height. "People would call me a 'big lanky ----' and all that kind of stuff," Harris recalled to The Daily Record. "I couldn't fight. The only fight I was in, I fell down before he hit me. The only thing I was good at was running away because I had long legs."
• In 2006 Harris signed a publishing contract with EMI after being discovered by one of the label employees on the social networking website MySpace. Harris also signed a recording contract with Sony that same year. He released his debut single, "Acceptable In The 80s, " a tribute to the style and culture of the decade on March 12, 2007. The song reached #10 in the UK.
• His debut album, I Created Disco was certified gold in the UK. The record's success led to Harris working with the likes of Kylie Minogue, for whom he wrote the top 10 single "In My Arms" in his bedroom on a 15-year-old computer.
• Calvin Harris holds the record for the most Top Ten hits from one studio album on the UK Singles Chart with nine from his third LP 18 Months. They were:
  
  "Bounce" featuring Kelis.
  "Feel So Close" featuring Harris, himself, on vocals.
  "We Found Love" featuring Rihanna.
  "Let's Go" featuring Ne-Yo.
  "We'll Be Coming Back" featuring Example.
  "Sweet Nothing" featuring Florence Welch.
  "Drinking From the Bottle" featuring Tinie Tempah.
  "I Need Your Love" featuring Ellie Goulding.
  "Thinking About You" featuring Ayah Marar.
• According to Forbes, Calvin Harris was the highest-paid DJ of both 2013 and 2014. However, Harris has no DJ experience, so his live performances feature him singing along with a support band (rather than behind a mixer).
• Calvin Harris caused a stir in February 2015 with a series of Emporio Armani underwear ads featuring him as the model.
• So why did Adam Richard Wiles decide to perform under the name of Calvin Harris? In a 2009 interview with Shortlist magazine, the Scottish DJ said that he felt his birth name was too Caucasian. "My first single was more of a soul track, and I thought Calvin Harris sounded a bit more racially ambiguous," he explained. "I thought people might not know if I was black or not. After that, I was stuck with it."
• Calvin Harris craves routine. He told GQ that every weekday, he habitually wakes up, goes to the gym, eats breakfast then spends the rest of the day in his home studio.
  
  "I'm definitely happier just hanging out on my own in a room," Harris said. "Ever since I've been a kid that's the case. I still have no hobbies. At some stage it would be great to learn to do something else. I have a very limited repertoire."
• Calvin Harris married TV and radio presenter Vick Hope on September 9, 2023. They tied the knot in a private ceremony at Hulne Priory, a 13th-century monastery in Alnwick, Northumberland. Nile Rodgers and his band Chic performed for guests, which included Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu and BBC radio DJs Vernon Kay, Scott Mills and Jordan North.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Mr. BojanglesThe Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

The Texas songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker wrote "Mr. Bojangles" after a weekend in jail where a fellow inmate told him his life story.

All ApologiesNirvana

When the Christian band DC Talk covered Nirvana's "All Apologies" at concerts, they would change the line "Everyone is gay" to "Jesus is the Way."

Don't Go Back To RockvilleR.E.M.

The R.E.M. song "Don't Go Back To Rockville" is about Mike Mills' girlfriend at the University of Georgia, who had to go back to Rockville, Maryland, for the summer.

Closer To FineIndigo Girls

The "Doctor of philosophy" in the Indigo Girls' song "Closer To Fine" is based on a teacher Emily Saliers had who had a poster of Rasputin on his door.

Fallin'Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys got a huge break when Oprah had her perform her debut single "Fallin'" on her show.

Dirty WorkSteely Dan

"Dirty Work" is one of the few Steely Dan songs not sung by Donald Fagen. The lead vocal is by David Palmer, who sang on two tracks from their debut album.

Editor's Picks

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.