Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known professionally as Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a vocal style influenced by Billie Holiday. Her breakthrough came with the 1999 single "I Try", which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The song preceded the release of her debut studio album, "On How Life Is" (1999). Since then, she has released ten studio albums.
Gray has received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one, and had sold more than 25 million records worldwide by 2018. In addition to her music career, she has appeared in films including "Training Day", "Spider-Man", "Scary Movie 3", "Lackawanna Blues", "Idlewild", "For Colored Girls", and "The Paperboy". In 2014, she was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in her hometown of Canton, Ohio.
Natalie McIntyre was born in Canton, Ohio, to Laura McIntyre, a mathematics teacher, and Otis Jones. Her stepfather worked in the steel industry, and her sister became a biology teacher. She also has a younger brother, Nate, who owns a gym in West Philadelphia and appeared in the fifth-season finale of the television series "Queer Eye". She began taking piano lessons at the age of seven. Following a childhood bicycle accident, she noticed the name "Macy Gray" on a mailbox, later using it in stories before adopting it as her stage name. She has stated that she was slow to develop socially and did not become comfortable holding conversations until shortly before her tenth birthday.
Gray attended primary school with Brian Warner, later known as Marilyn Manson, although the two did not know each other. She attended several secondary schools, including a boarding school, before studying scriptwriting at the University of Southern California.
While at university, Gray agreed to write songs for a friend. During a demo recording session, the intended vocalist failed to appear, leading Gray to record the songs herself. She subsequently formed bands, wrote original material, and taught herself to sing after joining a friend's jazz band.
While working as a cashier in Beverly Hills, Gray met songwriter and producer Joe Solo. Together they recorded a collection of songs, and the resulting demo enabled her to perform at jazz venues in Los Angeles. She was signed by Atlantic Records but was released before completing her debut album after personnel changes at the label. After returning to Ohio, she resumed her music career in 1997 when Jeff Blue of Zomba Label Group signed her to a development deal. In 1998, she signed with Epic Records. She also appeared on "Love Won't Wait" from the Black Eyed Peas' debut album "Behind the Front".
Gray released her debut album, "On How Life Is", in 1999. Although the lead single, "Do Something", achieved limited chart success, the follow-up single "I Try" became an international hit. Additional singles, including "Still" and "Why Didn't You Call Me", contributed to the album's commercial success, with multi-platinum certifications in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
In 2001, Gray won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Try", which also received nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. She collaborated with artists including Fatboy Slim, the Black Eyed Peas and Slick Rick, and made her acting debut in the film "Training Day". Later that year, she drew media attention after forgetting the lyrics while performing the United States national anthem at the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game.
Gray's second studio album, "The Id", was released in 2001 and featured guest appearances by John Frusciante and Erykah Badu. The single "Sweet Baby", co-written with Joe Solo, was released from the album. "The Id" reached number eleven on the Billboard 200 and topped the UK Albums Chart.
In 2002, Gray appeared in the film "Spider-Man" and contributed a remix of "My Nutmeg Phantasy" to its soundtrack. She also collaborated with Santana on "Amoré (Sexo)" for the album "Shaman". The same year, she participated in the tribute compilation "Red Hot and Riot", performing "Water No Get Enemy" with D'Angelo, the Soultronics, Nile Rodgers, Roy Hargrove and Femi Kuti.
Gray recorded the duet "Like the Sun (From Out of Nowhere)" with Zucchero, featuring Jeff Beck on guitar, for the 2004 album "Zu & Co.". Her song "Time of My Life" appeared on the soundtrack to the film "8 Mile". Plans for an animated series based on her childhood were announced but were not completed.
Her third studio album, "The Trouble with Being Myself", was released in 2003. Its lead single, "When I See You", became a radio hit in the United States and reached the top forty in the United Kingdom. The album also became her third consecutive top twenty album in the UK. A compilation album, "The Very Best of Macy Gray", and the live album "Live in Las Vegas" followed in 2004 and 2005 respectively. She also appeared on Marcus Miller's album "Silver Rain", performing a cover of Prince's "Girls & Boys", and contributed to the soundtrack of the film "Chicago" with "Cell Block Tango/He Had It Comin'".
In 2007, Gray apologised after using profanity during a concert in Barbados, where such language was prohibited by law. Later that year she released her fourth studio album, "Big". The album included the singles "Finally Made Me Happy" and "Shoo Be Doo", while "What I Gotta Do" appeared on the soundtrack of the film "Shrek the Third". "Big" featured collaborations with Natalie Cole, Fergie, Justin Timberlake and will.i.am, who also served as co-executive producer. The album reached number 39 on the Billboard 200.
In 2007, Gray also appeared on the PBS concert series "Soundstage" and performed at the Brazilian edition of the "Live Earth" concert in Rio de Janeiro, where she and members of her band wore clothing displaying political messages related to the conflict in Darfur.
In 2008, Gray launched the alter ego "Nemesis Jaxson" with the single "Slap a Bitch". The following year, she recorded "Don't Forget Me" for the soundtrack of the film "Confessions of a Shopaholic".
Gray's fifth studio album, "The Sellout", was released in 2010. Its lead single, "Beauty in the World", was featured in the final episode of the television series "Ugly Betty". The album received mixed reviews from critics.
In 2011, Gray signed with 429 Records and began recording the covers album "Covered", which was released in 2012. Its first single was a cover of Eurythmics' "Here Comes the Rain Again". That year she also appeared as a guest performer at the Sanremo Music Festival alongside Gigi D'Alessio and Loredana Bertè.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's 1972 album "Talking Book", Gray recorded and released her own complete interpretation of the album under the same title.
In 2014, during an interview on "Where Are They Now", Gray discussed her past struggles with drug abuse and the challenges of coping with sudden fame. The interview coincided with the release of her album "The Way", followed by a world tour.
Gray released the jazz-influenced album "Stripped" in 2016 through Chesky Records. The album reached number three on the Billboard Jazz Chart. Earlier that year, she appeared on Ariana Grande's song "Leave Me Lonely" from the album "Dangerous Woman".
Her tenth studio album, "Ruby", was released in September 2018.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy_Gray
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)
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…shrink me down again