Gavin DeGraw

Gavin DeGraw Artistfacts

  • February 4, 1977
  • Gavin Degraw was born in New York in 1977. His father was a prison guard and his mother was a botox specialist. Degraw mentions his parents in his breakout hit "I Don't Want To Be," when he sings that he don't need to be anything other than "a prison guard's son" and "a specialist's son."
  • After growing up in upstate New York, Gavin attended the nearby Ithaca College, where he went on a music scholarship. He lasted just one semester there before enrolling at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he left after a year. He returned home and eventually moved to New York City, where he had a lot more success making music than studying it. He became a popular club singer and eventually got a publishing deal with Warner-Chappell.
  • Degraw signed with J Records in 2002, which was the label run by Clive Davis. His first album Chariot, released in 2003, was his most successful, selling over a million copies. He released two more albums on J before moving to RCA for his 2011 album Sweeter.
  • In 2004, Gavin Degraw made his TV debut on Last Call with Carson Daly. Since then, he has toured with many successful artists, including Barenaked Ladies, Maroon 5, and Jason Mraz.
  • He's in the bar business with his brother Joey, who is also a musician. They opened a place called The National Underground on the Lower East Side of New York City in 2007 that featured lots of live music. It closed in 2013, and in 2018 the brothers opened the Nashville Underground in Nashville, also a hub for live music.
  • Gavin Degraw recorded his third album Free in just two weeks. Brooklyn producer Camus Celli recorded the album which included the single "Stay."
  • Gavin Degraw's song "We Belong Together" was featured in the 2006 movie Tristan & Isolde. Additionally, his breakout hit "I Don't Want To Be" was the theme song for the popular TV show One Tree Hill.
  • DeGraw has a family connection to the military and does what he can to support the troops. "My dad was an Army guy, my mom was in the Reserves, my granddad was Army, so supporting our military is near to my heart," he said in a Songfacts interview. "The red white and blue represents everybody in this country and that's a beautiful thing - we should embrace that together."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Fire On The Stage

Fire On The StageSong Writing

When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.