Macy Gray
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967),<ref>Template:Cite journal; Template:Cite web</ref> known professionally as Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2018, she has sold over 25 million records worldwide.<ref name="w848">Template:Cite web</ref>
Gray has released ten studio albums, and received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one. She has appeared in a number of films, including Training Day, Spider-Man, Scary Movie 3, Lackawanna Blues, Idlewild, For Colored Girls, and The Paperboy. Gray is best known for her international hit single "I Try", taken from her multi-platinum debut album On How Life Is.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Gray was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2014 in her hometown of Canton, Ohio.
Early life
[edit]Natalie McIntyre was born in Canton, Ohio,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the daughter of Laura McIntyre, a math schoolteacher,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Otis Jones.<ref name= clown>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Her stepfather was a steelworker, and her sister is a biology teacher.<ref name= clown/> She has a younger brother, Nate, who owns a gym in West Philadelphia and was featured on the season five finale of Queer Eye.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She began piano lessons at age seven.<ref name=Guardian6Sept12>Template:Cite news</ref> A childhood bicycle mishap resulted in her noticing a mailbox of a man named Macy Gray; she used the name in stories she wrote and later decided to use it as her stage name. She was late developing and did not learn to hold conversation until just before her tenth birthday.<ref name= clown/>
Gray attended elementary school with Brian Warner (later known as musician Marilyn Manson) although they did not know each other.<ref name=Guardian6Sept12/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She attended more than one high school, including a boarding school which asked her to leave due to her behavior.<ref name=Guardian6Sept12/>
She attended the University of Southern California and studied scriptwriting.<ref name=":0"/><ref name="clown"/>
Musical career
[edit]
While attending the University of Southern California, she agreed to write songs for a friend.<ref name=":1"/> A demo session was scheduled for the songs to be recorded by another singer, but the vocalist failed to appear, so Gray recorded them herself. Template:Blockquote She then met writer-producer Joe Solo while working as a cashier in Beverly Hills.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Together, they wrote a collection of songs and recorded them in Solo's studio. The demo tape gave Gray the opportunity to sing at jazz cafés in Los Angeles.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> Although Gray did not consider her unusual voice desirable for singing,<ref name=Guardian6Sept12/> Atlantic Records signed her. She began recording her debut record but was dropped from the label upon the departure of A&R man Tom Carolan, who had signed her to the label.<ref name="Taxi Interview">Template:Cite web</ref> Macy returned to Ohio but in 1997 Los Angeles based Zomba Label Group Senior VP A&R man Jeff Blue, convinced her to return to music and signed her to a development deal, recording new songs based on her life experiences, with a new sound, and began shopping her to record labels.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1998, she landed a record deal with Epic Records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She performed on "Love Won't Wait", a song on the Black Eyed Peas' debut album Behind the Front.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1999–2001: On How Life Is
[edit]Gray worked on her debut album in 1999 with producer Darryl Swann.<ref name="latimes2007">Template:Cite news</ref> Released in the summer of 1999, On How Life Is became a worldwide smash.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first single, "Do Something", stalled on the charts, but the second single, "I Try", made the album a success.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "I Try" (which was originally featured in Love Jones and the Jennifer Aniston-starring romantic-comedy Picture Perfect in 1997)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was one of the biggest singles of 1999,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and subsequent singles ("Still" and "Why Didn't You Call Me") ensured the album became triple platinum in the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and quadruple platinum in the UK.<ref name=cinnerview>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2001, Gray won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Try", which was also nominated for the Song of the Year and Record of the Year Grammys.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She then collaborated with Fatboy Slim, the Black Eyed Peas, and Slick Rick (on the song "The World Is Yours", from the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack), as well as acting for the first time, in the thriller Training Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2001, Gray was booed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game after forgetting the lyrics to the American national anthem.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2001–2005: The Id and The Trouble with Being Myself
[edit]
Gray's The Id featured appearances by John Frusciante and Erykah Badu on the single "Sweet Baby" (which was co-written with longtime collaborator Joe Solo).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album peaked at number eleven on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> It fared even better in the UK, where it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the BPI.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2002, she appeared in Spider-Man and contributed a remix of her song "My Nutmeg Phantasy" to its accompanying soundtrack. Gray also worked with Santana on the track "Amoré (Sexo)", for his album Shaman.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="yahoo1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Also in 2002, she appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD in tribute to Nigerian Afropop pioneer Fela Kuti, Red Hot and Riot. She appeared on a remake of Kuti's classic track "Water No Get Enemy" alongside prominent neo soul, hip hop and R&B artists, D'Angelo, the Soultronics, Nile Rodgers, Roy Hargrove, and Kuti's son, Femi Kuti.Template:Citation needed
She recorded a duet with Zucchero called "Like the Sun (From Out of Nowhere)", which featured Jeff Beck on guitar released in 2004 on Zu & Co., a duet collection.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her song "Time of My Life" was included in the soundtrack to 8 Mile.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A cartoon based on Gray's childhood was being developed, but it never came to fruition.<ref name="latimes2007"/><ref name="yahoo1"/>
In 2003, Gray released her third studio album, The Trouble with Being Myself, to rave reviews.Template:Citation needed The lead single, "When I See You", became a radio hit in the U.S. and a top-forty hit in the UK, although the album was not as well received by fans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nevertheless, it became Gray's third top twenty album in the UK.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A greatest hits collection and a live album were subsequently released: The Very Best of Macy Gray (2004) and Live in Las Vegas (2005). Additionally, Gray was featured on Marcus Miller's 2005 album Silver Rain, on a cover of Prince's 1986 song "Girls & Boys". She also appeared on the soundtrack to the film Chicago with Queen Latifah and Lil' Kim on "Cell Block Tango/He Had it Comin'".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2007–2010: Return to music and Big
[edit]
Gray began 2007 by being kicked off-stage at a concert in Barbados for profanity (which was part of the show), but she was not aware that it was against the law in that country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She gave a public apology that night to avoid arrest.<ref name="free-press-release1">Template:Cite web</ref>
In March, Gray released her fourth studio album (sixth overall), Big.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two singles, "Finally Made Me Happy" and "Shoo Be Doo", were released from the album.<ref name="free-press-release1"/> "What I Gotta Do", another track from the album, is featured on the Shrek the Third soundtrack. It has been considered Gray's comeback album, after a four-year hiatus since her last studio album.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The album was critically acclaimed and seen by some as her best work to date.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It features collaborations with Natalie Cole, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, and will.i.am, who co-executive produced the album with Gray. It was moderately successful in the U.S., where it debuted and peaked at number 39 on the Billboard 200, becoming Gray's highest-charting album since The Id.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Big reached number 62 on the albums chart in the UK,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> her lowest-charting UK album, but it achieved some success in several other countries, including Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Finland, reaching the Top 40 on their album charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
PBS's Soundstage live concert series premiered a Gray concert on July 5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On July 7, 2007, Gray performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gray and her band members wore clothes bearing political messages. Gray's dress carried the message "Darfur Red Alert".
In 2008, Gray launched a new campaign under the name "Nemesis Jaxson", with the single "Slap a Bitch".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Early in 2009, Gray recorded the song "Don't Forget Me" for the soundtrack of Confessions of a Shopaholic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010–2011: The Sellout
[edit]The first single from Gray's fifth studio album The Sellout, "Beauty in the World", is featured in the final sequence of the series finale, "Hello Goodbye", of the ABC television series, Ugly Betty. "Beauty in the World" was also used as the theme in multiple videos created by Microsoft to promote Internet Explorer 9.Template:Citation needed Both singles released from the album ("Beauty in the World" and "Lately") were top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs Chart.Template:Citation needed
Upon its release, The Sellout received generally mixed reviews from most music critics. Metacritic gave it an average score of 57, based on 15 reviews;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Andy Gill of The Independent gave it three out of five stars; while AllMusic writer John Bush shared a similar sentiment and panned Gray's songwriting.<ref name= AMG>Template:Cite web</ref>
However, The Boston GlobeTemplate:'s James Reed commended its production,<ref name="Reed">Template:Cite news</ref> and Jeremy Allen of NME gave the album a 7/10 rating.<ref name= Allen>Template:Cite news</ref>
2011–2015: Covered, Talking Book, and The Way
[edit].JPG){kind=link}
In 2011, Gray signed a deal with 429 Records and started recording a series of covers for her next studio album Covered. The album was officially released on March 26, 2012. The album's first single was "Here Comes the Rain Again" (originally performed by Eurythmics).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 16, 2012, Gray participated in the Sanremo Festival as a guest, performing alongside Gigi D'Alessio and Loredana Bertè.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
For the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Stevie Wonder album Talking Book, Gray covered the entire record and released her Talking Book as a tribute.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey's Where Are They Now, Gray opened up about her problems with drug abuse, stating that she was ill-prepared for the level of fame she received. The interview coincided with the release of her album The Way, released in October 2014 on Kobalt Records. A world tour was announced shortly after its release.<ref name= HuffPostTheWay>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016–present: Stripped and Ruby
[edit]In 2016, Gray's career continued with an album produced by Chesky Records, the record label founded by Grammy-nominated composer and musician David Chesky. Stripped was released September 9, 2016, and garnered almost unanimous praise from critics. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.<ref name= Stripped-Chesky/> Earlier that year, she was featured on Ariana Grande's song "Leave Me Lonely" from her third studio album, Dangerous Woman.
Gray released her tenth studio album, Ruby, in September 2018.
Other work
[edit]In 2001, she was the voice for Seeiah Owens in the video game SSX Tricky.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gray sang the theme song for the Nickelodeon animated series As Told by Ginger, composed by Jared Faber and Emily Kapnek.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Gray also performed the song on the short-lived UPN romantic comedy Second Time Around starring Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker in 2004. In 2006 Gray appeared in the eighth season of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, playing for Habitat for Humanity. She finished in third place.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In August 2008, Gray headlined at the 2008 Summer Sundae music festival in Leicester, England, performing cover versions of Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", Deee-Lite's "Groove Is in the Heart" and Radiohead's "Creep".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the gig, her band wore pink Andy Warhol wigs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On September 28, 2008, Gray sang the American national anthem as part of the Israeli flag-raising ceremony at the Israeli consulate of Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Also in 2008, Gray collaborated with Australian DJ and singer Kaz James on the song "Can't Hold Back". The single was released in early 2009 in Australia and is credited to Kaz James featuring Macy Gray.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, Gray briefly competed in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars with professional partner Jonathan Roberts. They were eliminated in a double elimination in week one. In 2012, she performed the Michael Jackson song "Rock with You" for a special performance of the West End musical Thriller – Live for BBC Children in Need Pop Goes the Musical.
In 2015, Gray was featured on the song "Into the Deep" by Galactic.<ref name="AllMusic.com">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, Gray was featured on the song "Leave Me Lonely" by Ariana Grande. In 2018, Gray was featured alongside Dolly Parton on a re-recording of "Two Doors Down" for the Dumplin' soundtrack. In 2020, Gray was featured on the single "Out Of Love" by Canadian band Busty and the Bass. The band also released a notable cover of Gray's "I Try" in 2016.
In 2021, Gray competed in season three of the Australian version of The Masked Singer as "Atlantis". On February 20, 2022, Gray performed The Star-Spangled Banner at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Gray represented her home state of Ohio at the 2022 America Song Contest with the song "Every Night".
In 2023, Gray competed in season ten of The Masked Singer as the wild card contestant "Sea Queen". She finished in fourth place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2025, Gray competed in season six of the British version of The Masked Singer as "Toad in the Hole", which she was third to be eliminated. She subsequently walked off stage before later returning to unmask in front of the audience and panel.
Personal life
[edit]Gray was married to Tracey Hinds, a mortgage broker, for about two years, but they divorced prior to her rise to prominence.<ref name= clown/> They have three children.<ref name= cinnerview/> She opened the Macy Gray Music Academy in 2005.<ref name="Music School1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Discography
[edit]Template:Main Studio albums
- On How Life Is (1999)
- The Id (2001)
- The Trouble with Being Myself (2003)
- Big (2007)
- The Sellout (2010)
- Covered (2012)
- Talking Book (2012)
- The Way (2014)
- Stripped (2016)
- Ruby (2018)
Collaborative albums
[edit]- The Reset (with The California Jet Club) (2023)<ref name="e115">Template:Cite web</ref>
Concert tours
[edit]Headlining tours
- The Trouble with Being Myself Tour (2003-2004)<ref name="o213">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Big Tour (2007)<ref name="z802">Template:Cite web</ref>
- The Way Tour (2015)<ref name="o967">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Stripped Tour (2017)<ref name="r838">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ruby Tour (2018)<ref name="v986">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- On How Life Is 25th Anniversary Tour (2025)<ref name="m925">Template:Cite web</ref>
Co-headlining tours
- The Reset Tour (2023)<ref name="i005">Template:Cite web</ref>
Opening act
- Everyday Tour (2001)<ref name="s107">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Training Day | Sandman's Wife | |
| 2002 | Spider-Man | Herself | |
| 2003 | Gang of Roses | Black Haired Woman | |
| Scary Movie 3 | Herself | ||
| 2004 | Around the World in 80 Days | Sleeping French Woman | |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Pauline | TV movie |
| The Crow: Wicked Prayer | Cara Mia | ||
| Shadowboxer | Neisha | ||
| Domino | Lashandra Davis | ||
| 2006 | Idlewild | Taffy | |
| 2010 | For Colored Girls | Rose / Lady in Pink | |
| 2012 | The Paperboy | Anita Chester | |
| 2014 | Percentage | Mama Cash | |
| The Grim Sleeper | Margette | ||
| Sacrifice | Nurse Williams | Short | |
| 2015 | November Rule | Alice | |
| Brotherly Love | Mrs. Taylor | ||
| Where Children Play | Helen Harrold | ||
| 2016 | Papa | Agent Macy Sterling | |
| Cardboard Boxer | Den Mother Chata | ||
| 2018 | Change in the Air | Donna | |
| 2021 | Dutch | Delores Murphy | |
| Phobias | Renée | ||
| Real Talk | Aisha | ||
| 2024 | Dutch II: Angel's Revenge | Delores Murphy | |
| 2025 | Sneaks | Adriana (voice) |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Videotech | Herself | Episode: "Videotech Special 7" |
| Sessions at West 54th | Herself | Episode: "Episode #3.2" | |
| 2000 | Ally McBeal | Herself | Episode: "Hope and Glory" |
| 2000–01 | Saturday Night Live | Herself | Episode: "Episode #30.12" & "#30.18" |
| 2001 | Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America | Herself | Episode: "Express Yourself" |
| VH1 Presents the 80's | Herself | Recurring Guest | |
| 2002 | MDs | Jess | Episode: "Wing and a Prayer" |
| 2003 | The National Lottery Wright Ticket | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.5" |
| When I Was a Girl | Herself | Episode: "Singers" | |
| MTV Cribs | Herself | Episode: "Oct 13, 2003" | |
| The Bronx Bunny Show | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.8" | |
| 2004 | Blue's Clues | Herself | Episode: "Bluestock" |
| Simply the Best | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.4" | |
| American Dreams | Carla Thomas | Episode: "Real-to-Reel" | |
| Duck Dodgers | Lady Chanticleer (voice) | Episode: "Diva Delivery/Castle High" | |
| That's So Raven | Rhonda | Episode: "Taken to the Cleaners" | |
| 2005 | Punk'd | Herself | Episode: "Episode #6.7" |
| American Dragon: Jake Long | Trixie's Grandmother (voice) | Recurring Cast: Season 1 | |
| 1-800-Missing | Cleo | Episode: "A Death in the Family" | |
| 2006 | Celebrity Poker Showdown | Herself | Episode: "Tournament 8, Game 5" |
| 2007 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself/Musical Guest | Episode: "Round 5 Results" |
| 2009 | Black to the Future | Herself | Episode: "Hour 4: The 00s" |
| Head Case | Herself | Episode: "The Wedding Ringer" | |
| Dancing with the Stars | Herself/Contestant | Contestant: Season 9 | |
| 2013 | Choccywoccydoodah | Herself | Episode: "Starstruck: All You Need Is Love" |
| Night of the Proms | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.13" | |
| 2014 | Oprah: Where Are They Now? | Herself | Episode: "Charice's Surprising Revelation, Carmen Electra, Macy Gray & Shadoe Stevens" |
| 2016 | Fuller House | Herself | Episode: "Funner House" |
| 2017 | Through the Keyhole | Herself | Episode: "Episode #4.5" |
| Lip Sync Battle | Herself/Competitor | Episode: "Soul Train Special" | |
| 2019 | The Real Housewives of Potomac | Herself | Episode: "Good Will Haunting" |
| 2021 | Big City Greens | Kara Karaoke (voice) | Episode: "Okay Karaoke" |
| The Masked Singer (Australia) | Atlantis | Contestant: Season 3 | |
| The Real Housewives of Potomac | Herself | Episode: "Altar-ed State of Mind" | |
| 2022 | I Can See Your Voice | Herself | Episode: "Episode 5: Macy Gray, Loni Love, Jodie Sweetin, Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Houghton" |
| American Song Contest | Herself/Contestant Ohio | Episode: "The Live Qualifiers Part 2" | |
| Women Who Rock | Herself | Main Guest | |
| 2023 | The Masked Singer (American) | Sea Queen | Contestant: Season 10 |
| 2024 | The Surreal Life | Herself | Main Cast: Season 8 |
| 2025 | The Masked Singer (British) | Toad in the Hole | Contestant: Series 6 |
Video game
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | SSX Tricky | Seeiah Owens (voice) |
Documentary
[edit]| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Lightning in a Bottle |
| 2005 | All We Are Saying |
| 2009 | Life on the Road with Mr. and Mrs. Brown |
| 2021 | Mr Nelson on the North Side |
Awards and nominations
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Commons category Template:Wikiquote
Template:Macy Gray Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- 1967 births
- Living people
- African-American record producers
- Record producers from Ohio
- African-American women singer-songwriters
- American women singer-songwriters
- American video game actresses
- American ballad musicians
- Brit Award winners
- Geffen Records artists
- Grammy Award winners
- Singer-songwriters from Ohio
- Participants in American reality television series
- Musicians from Canton, Ohio
- USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
- Atlantic Records artists
- Epic Records artists
- Concord Records artists
- African-American actresses
- American television actresses
- American film actresses
- American voice actresses
- Actresses from Canton, Ohio
- American contemporary R&B singers
- 20th-century American women singers
- 21st-century American women singers
- American women record producers
- Western Reserve Academy alumni
- Mack Avenue Records artists
- American neo soul singers
- 20th-century American singer-songwriters
- 21st-century American singer-songwriters
- 20th-century African-American women singers
- 21st-century African-American women singers