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David Gray Biography
David Gray was born in Manchester in 1970.
By The time he was nine years old he had moved
to Wales with his family whew he was raised
until he left to study at the University of
Liverpool. He began playing in punk bands where
he lived and also played in a few bands while
at college where he began to experiment with a
more poetic form of writing. After Liverpool he
moved to London where he could be closer to the
action and the heart of the music business.
Here. he signed to Hut records in the UK and
Caroline In the U.S. His first release followed
shortly afterwards ' the single 'Birds without
Wings ' in 1992.
His debut album, A Century Ends was released to
great acclaim in the first half of 1993- ten
tracks of anger, love, passion and just about
every other emotion you can think of. It has
become a classic In its own right and succeeded
in winning over a core of loyal followers who
have stayed with him ever since. Following a
full tour of Europe. David returned to record
his second album Flesh which was released in
1994. Continuing to work with Hut in Europe
under the Virgin umbrella, however, a lack of
support from the label eventually lead to him
being dropped from the label. He was quickly
snapped up by EMI records. Meanwhile his
profile and popularity In Ireland began to rise
rapidly. "No Disco" (Network 2's
groundbreaking) alternative music programme
hosted by the now legendary Donal Dineen)
played his videos constantly as well as
showcasing his live potential in televised
sessions.
Gray's third album Sell, Sell, Sell, was
released by EMI in 1996. For some reason the
release was restricted to the UK and Ireland
despite mainland Europe crying out for more of
his material. Live performances continued to be
David Gray's forte.
Enabling him to build up a gigging reputation
that is second to none, and causing him to sell
out venues whenever he tours. Additionally, his
reputation won him a series of prestigious
support slots with the likes of Radiohead to
Dave Matthews.
Gray's fourth and most recent album, White
Ladder. was self financed, recorded in a London
Flat with the windows open and the trucks
rumbling past, and is released in his own label
IHT. It owes as much to the sampler as to the
guitar but retains David's distinctive touches,
the wishful vocals and sublime melodies.
White Ladder went straight into the Irish Top
30 And shot up the charts as his sold out
December Tour of Ireland wended its way around
the country. Meanwhile, 5 tracks from the album
provided the backbone for the soundtrack of
Kathy Burke's new film, " This Year's
Love."
As the world eased itself into 1999, "This
Year's Love" was released as the first single
from "White Ladder". The album refused to leave
the Irish charts. "Babylon" was the second
single taken from the album and was followed by
sold out 4,500 capacity headline gig at the Big
Beat Festival in Galway in July which only
served to emphasize David's rneteoric rise and
brought the album into the Irish top 5(11
months after release)
David's Slane warm up gig at HQ sold out in 48
hours, the performance at Slane Castle with
Robble Williams and Stereophonics went down a
treat:David won a Heineken Hot Press award in
'Guest of the Nation' category and finished off
the year with a new single 'Please Forgive Me'.
The video was A listed on MTV UK & Ireland.
The single, which received the remix treatment
from Paul Hartnol of Orbital fame, went down a
storm at clubs in Ireland and the UK.
David returned for a full Irish tour in
December 1999, culminating in an astonishing
gig at the Point Depot on December 22nd...all
gigs again Sold Out. White Ladder had already
reached 90,000 sales (6 times platinum) and
reached no 1 In the Irish album charts on 14th
January 2000. more than a year after its
release. It remained in the top slot for five
weeks.
*Current sales of White Ladder are 14 times
platimum in Ireland, having sold over 1,000,000
in the UK it is now three times platimum in UK,
and has now achieved Gold status.
www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/David-Gray-Biography/1135DD41AE9BDBF548256A0600290D83
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