Amy Macdonald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amy Macdonald
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Macdonald at Night of the Proms, 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Amy Elizabeth Macdonald |
| Born | 25 August 1987 Bishopbriggs, Scotland |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
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| Years active | 2006–present |
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Amy Elizabeth Macdonald (born August 25, 1987) is a talented Scottish singer and songwriter. She became famous in 2007 with her first album, This Is the Life. This album included popular songs like "Mr. Rock & Roll" and "This Is the Life". The song "This Is the Life" was a huge hit, reaching number one in six different countries!
Her first album was a big success, selling three million copies worldwide. It topped the charts in the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Amy continued to release new music. Her second album, A Curious Thing, came out in 2010. She also worked with other artists, like Ray Davies from the Kinks.
In 2012, she released her third album, Life in a Beautiful Light. Later, in 2017, her fourth album, Under Stars, was released. It did very well in Scotland and the UK. Her fifth album, The Human Demands, came out in 2020. Amy has sold over 12 million records around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Music Journey
Amy Elizabeth Macdonald was born on August 25, 1987, in Bishopbriggs, Scotland. This town is close to Glasgow. She went to Bishopbriggs High School.
When she was 13, Amy was inspired by the band Travis at the T in the Park music festival in 2000. She loved their song "Turn" and wanted to play it herself. She bought a Travis chord book and taught herself guitar using her dad's instrument. Soon, she started writing her own songs. Her very first song was called "The Wall." By age 15, she was already performing in pubs and coffee shops in Glasgow.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out: 2006–2007
Amy Macdonald sent a demo CD after seeing an ad in a music magazine called NME. The ad was from a new production company started by Pete Wilkinson and Sarah Erasmus. Pete Wilkinson was amazed by her songwriting skills when he heard her songs "This Is the Life" and "Mr Rock n Roll." He spent about eight or nine months recording demo songs with Amy.
In 2007, when she was 18, Amy signed a contract with Vertigo. She felt lucky to have answered that ad. She believes she was "in the right place at the right time." Amy has said it's "weird" how much success she's had since then. She is considered one of the last artists to get a record deal by sending a demo. This was before many artists were discovered online through sites like MySpace.
First Big Album: This Is the Life (2007–2009)
In 2007, Amy released her first album, This Is the Life. It sold three million copies and became number one in the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark. The album also reached number 92 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
- The first song released was "Poison Prince" (limited release).
- "Mr. Rock and Roll" was her first top 40 hit in the UK.
- "LA" reached number 48.
- "This Is the Life" was her most successful single. It reached number 28 in the UK and was number one in five other European countries. It was also the theme song for a Polish TV show called True Law.
- "Run" charted at number 75 in the UK but did better in Germany.
- "Poison Prince" was re-released but charted lower.
Amy appeared on many TV shows in the UK and other countries. She won the best newcomer award at the Silver Clef Awards. She also performed on US talk shows like The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Second Album: A Curious Thing (2010–2011)
Amy started working on her second album in 2009. She said the new sounds were "amazing." She even got Paul Weller to play guitar, piano, and bass on some songs. The album, called A Curious Thing, was released on March 8, 2010.
The first song from the album was "Don't Tell Me That It's Over", released a week earlier. The second song, "Spark", came out in May 2010. Amy also went on a tour in the UK and Europe. The third song, "This Pretty Face", was released in July 2010. In the same year, she sang with Ray Davies on his album See My Friends, covering the song "Dead End Street".
Third Album: Life in a Beautiful Light (2011–2015)
Amy's third album, Life in a Beautiful Light, was released on June 11, 2012. She started writing songs for it after taking a break from touring. She felt this album was more natural to create.
- "In the End" was written when she wondered if being a musician was a good path.
- "Human Spirit" was inspired by the Chilean miners' rescue.
- "Left That Body Long Ago" was about her grandmother's struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
- "Across the Nile" was about the Arab Spring conflict.
Three songs from the album were released as singles: "Slow It Down", "Pride", and "4th of July". Amy said "Pride" was about her feelings when she sang "Flower of Scotland" at football matches. The album was recorded in Surrey and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, who also worked on her first album.
In 2014, Amy performed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow. She sang "Rhythm of My Heart" with Rod Stewart.
Fourth Album: Under Stars (2016–2018)
Amy started writing songs for her fourth album in early 2014. She performed some new songs live that year. In 2015, she announced she was finishing the songwriting. Recording began in October 2015. On August 9, 2016, she announced the album was finished and would be released in early 2017.
Amy said it took two and a half years to make the album, which was the longest she had ever taken. But she was happy because the album got the "TLC (tender loving care) that it deserves."
The album, Under Stars, was released on February 17, 2017. She performed her song "Dream On" on a BBC Scotland show.
Greatest Hits: Woman of the World (2018–2019)
In September 2018, Amy announced her first greatest hits album, Woman of the World (The Best of 2007–2018). It included all her popular songs and a new song called "Woman of the World." The album was released on November 23, 2018. Amy also went on a European tour in 2019.
The album featured hits like "Mr Rock & Roll" and "This Is the Life". It also had two new songs: "Woman of the World" and "Come Home" from the film Patrick. Amy said she was proud of her journey and all that had happened since her first album came out.
Woman of the World did well in Europe. It reached number 46 on the UK Albums Chart and number 19 on the Scottish Albums Charts. It also charted in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
Amy is a big fan of the Scottish TV show Still Game. She even made a guest appearance as herself in an episode called "Hitched" in 2019.
Fifth Album: The Human Demands (2020–Present)
Amy started writing songs for her fifth album between 2018 and 2019. She began recording it in February 2020. There was a short break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she continued recording in June 2020.
She signed a new record deal for The Human Demands. Amy felt this new deal gave her the same exciting feeling as when she made her first album. She had been with the same record label since she was 18.
On August 27, 2020, she released the first song from the album, "The Hudson". The album The Human Demands was released on October 30, 2020. Amy also announced a European tour for 2021.
In May 2021, she represented Scotland at the Free European Song Contest 2021 in Germany. Her song "Statues" finished in fourth place. In July 2021, she hosted her own radio show on BBC Radio Scotland called Life Tracks with Amy Macdonald. She played her favorite songs and explained why they were special to her.
In July 2022, Amy released an extended play (EP) called Don't Tell Me That It's Over. It included three re-recorded versions of her earlier songs: "Run" (2008), "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" (2010), and "Slow It Down" (2012). She chose these songs because they are "fan favorites" at her live shows. She recorded them in a live performance style.
Amy's Music Style
How She Sings and What Inspires Her
People who review Amy's music say she speaks softly but has a powerful singing voice. Her voice is a contralto, which is a low female singing voice. Her music mixes acoustic sounds and folk music with rock and indie styles.
Amy says the band Travis is her biggest inspiration. Other artists who have influenced her include the Killers, Rammstein, Paul Weller, The Vaccines, and Bruce Springsteen. Her 2008 song "Run" was inspired by a the Killers concert she attended in Glasgow. Amy has said she would love to work with The Killers, calling their lead singer Brandon Flowers an "absolute mesmerising performer."
Her Views
Amy Macdonald is a strong supporter of Scottish independence. This means she believes Scotland should be an independent country. She feels very proud of where she comes from. She thinks it can sometimes be harder for Scottish artists to become famous. The song "Leap of Faith" from her album Under Stars was written about the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Personal Life
Amy Macdonald loves cars and has owned several cool ones, like a Range Rover Vogue, an Audi R8, a Nissan GT-R, and a Ferrari 458 Speciale.
She is married to footballer Richard Foster. They got married on June 4, 2018, in Las Vegas. Amy is also a big fan of the Glasgow football club Rangers.
Albums
- This Is the Life (2007)
- A Curious Thing (2010)
- Life in a Beautiful Light (2012)
- Under Stars (2017)
- The Human Demands (2020)
TV and Radio Appearances
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
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| 2006 | Top Gear | Herself Star in Reasonably Priced Car segment |
| 2019 | Still Game | Herself Episode: "Hitched" |
| 2021 | Bringing in the Bells | Herself with Richard Foster |
Radio Shows
| Year | Title | Role |
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| 2021 | Life Tracks with Amy Macdonald | Presenter BBC Radio Scotland show |
Awards
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See also
In Spanish: Amy Macdonald para niños
