Calvin Harris facts for kids

This page is about the musician. For the footballer, see Calvin Harris (footballer).

Quick facts for kids Calvin Harris
Harris in 2012
Born	Adam Richard Wiles (1984-01-17) 17 January 1984 (age 41) Dumfries, Scotland
Other names	Love Regenerator
Occupation	Disc jockey record producer singer songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Works	Discography production
Spouse(s)	Vick Hope (m. 2023)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	EDM electro house electropop dance-pop nu-disco
Instruments	Piano keyboards synthesiser guitar bass guitar sampler sequencer vocals
Labels	Fly Eye Columbia Ministry of Sound Ultra Roc Nation Deconstruction Spinnin'

Signature

Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known as Calvin Harris, is a famous Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. He is also sometimes known by his stage name Love Regenerator.

Calvin Harris became well-known around the world in 2012. This was after he released his third album, 18 Months. This album was a huge success, especially in the UK. It even broke a record by having eight songs reach the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart. This was more than Michael Jackson's previous record! His songs have been streamed over a billion times on Spotify.

He has won many awards, including Brit Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2013. Forbes magazine named him the world's highest-paid DJ for six years in a row, from 2013 to 2018.

Early Life and How He Started

Adam Richard Wiles was born on 17 January 1984 in Dumfries, Scotland. His parents were from England. When he was young, he worked in supermarkets and a fish factory. He saved his money to buy DJ equipment.

He became interested in electronic music when he was a teenager. He started making demo songs in his bedroom in 1999. In 2002, when he was 18, he released two songs called "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days". He used the name "Stouffer" for these songs.

After this, Harris moved to London to learn more about music. However, he found it hard to find jobs and make money. So, he moved back to Dumfries. He started putting his homemade songs on his Myspace page. People really liked his music there. This led to him being discovered by Mark Gillespie, who helped him start his career.

Calvin Harris chose his stage name because he thought it sounded "racially ambiguous." He wanted people to focus on his music, not his background.

Music Career

Starting Out and I Created Disco (2006–2008)

Calvin Harris signed his first music contracts in 2006 after being found on Myspace. He released his first album, I Created Disco, in June 2007. He wrote, produced, and performed all 14 songs on the album himself. He even recorded them using an Amiga computer!

To promote his album, Harris went on a tour in the UK. The album became very popular and reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart.

Harris performing at the Eurockéennes (2008)

The album had upbeat electroclash songs inspired by 1980s music. His first big single from the album was "Acceptable in the 80s". This song was a tribute to the 1980s and reached number ten in the UK. The next single, "The Girls", reached number three.

In the same year, the famous Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue noticed Harris. He helped write and produce two songs for her 2007 album, X. One of these songs, "In My Arms", became a top 10 hit in the UK.

In 2008, Harris worked with rapper Dizzee Rascal on the song "Dance wiv Me". Harris produced the song and sang the chorus. This song went straight to number one on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for four weeks!

Ready for the Weekend (2008–2010)

Harris performing at Xbox Reverb (2009)

Calvin Harris's second album, Ready for the Weekend, came out in August 2009. It went straight to number one on the UK Albums Chart. Most of the songs on this album were also sung, produced, and written by Harris.

The first single from the album, "I'm Not Alone", also debuted at number one in the UK. The next single, "Ready for the Weekend", reached number three.

In 2010, Harris released "You Used to Hold Me". This was the last time Harris regularly sang on his own records. He decided to focus more on producing music and have other singers provide the vocals. He also stopped doing live shows with his band. He explained that he wanted to find singers who could make his songs sound even better.

Harris also produced another number one song for Dizzee Rascal called "Holiday" in August 2009. On 14 November 2009, Harris made a funny appearance on The X Factor TV show. He walked onto the stage during a performance holding a pineapple on his head! He later apologized on Twitter.

18 Months and Global Fame (2011–2013)

Harris performing in Orange County, California (2011)

In 2011, Harris toured with the famous singer Rihanna on her Loud Tour in Europe. Rihanna said that Calvin was "the perfect fit" for her tour.

Harris released "Bounce" with Kelis in June 2011, which reached number two in the UK. Then came "Feel So Close" in August 2011, also reaching number two in the UK. "Feel So Close" was his first song to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

After touring with Rihanna, Harris produced her massive hit songs "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been". "We Found Love" was a huge success, topping the charts in 27 countries! It was Harris's first number one song in the US. It stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks.

Harris also worked with other artists like Mary J. Blige, Scissor Sisters, and Cheryl Cole. He produced Cheryl Cole's single "Call My Name", which was a big hit.

Harris in Ibiza, 2012

"Let's Go" featuring Ne-Yo was released in April 2012 and reached number two in the UK. It was nominated for a Grammy Award. The song "We'll Be Coming Back" with Example also reached number two in the UK. His song "Sweet Nothing" with Florence Welch became a UK number one.

Harris in Madrid, 2012

His third album, 18 Months, came out in October 2012. This album made UK chart history. It was the first album to have eight top-10 singles, breaking the record previously held by Michael Jackson.

Harris was the DJ at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. He won awards for "Feel So Close" and "We Found Love" with Rihanna. In 2013, he won the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year. He called it "the greatest achievement of my entire life."

Motion and "How Deep Is Your Love" (2013–2015)

On 7 October 2013, Harris released "Under Control" with Swedish DJ Alesso. This song debuted at number one in the UK.

On 14 March 2014, Harris's song "Summer" was released. This song also debuted at number one in the UK, becoming his sixth UK number-one single. It was also his highest-charting solo song in the US, reaching number seven. "Summer" was the most-streamed song on Spotify in 2014.

Harris also produced the song "I Will Never Let You Down" for British singer Rita Ora, which also went to number one.

In April 2014, Harris performed at the Coachella Festival. His show attracted the second-largest crowd in the festival's history. He also headlined other big music festivals like Lollapalooza.

The third single from his album, "Blame", with John Newman, also debuted at number one in the UK. After this song, Harris became the first British solo artist to reach over a billion streams on Spotify. "Outside", featuring Ellie Goulding, was released in October 2014.

His fourth album, Motion, was released on 4 November 2014. It included all these hit singles. Another song from the album, "Pray to God", featured the band Haim.

On 17 July 2015, Harris released "How Deep Is Your Love" with the group Disciples. This song reached number two in the UK and number one in Australia.

Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (2016–2017)

Harris released a new single called "This Is What You Came For" with Rihanna on 29 April 2016. This song reached number two in the UK and number three in the US. It topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and Ireland.

On 16 September 2016, Harris released "My Way", where he sang the vocals himself.

In February 2017, he announced "Slide", a collaboration with Frank Ocean and Migos. He also released "Heatstroke" with Young Thug, Ariana Grande, and Pharrell Williams.

In May, he announced his fifth album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, which came out on 30 June 2017. This album featured many famous artists like Travis Scott, Katy Perry, John Legend, Nicki Minaj, and Snoop Dogg.

New Songs and Love Regenerator (2018–2021)

On 8 February 2018, Harris released "Nuh Ready Nuh Ready" with PartyNextDoor. On 6 April 2018, he released "One Kiss" with Dua Lipa. This song was a huge hit.

On 17 August 2018, the song "Promises" with Sam Smith was released. The music video for this song celebrated the LGBTQ community. In November 2018, he released "I Found You" with Benny Blanco, where he sang again.

His next single, "Giant", with Rag'n'Bone Man, was released in January 2019. It reached the top 10 in many countries, including number two in the UK.

In 2020, Harris started releasing music under a new name, Love Regenerator. He released three EPs (smaller albums) under this alias, going back to how he first started making music.

On 28 August 2020, Harris released "Over Now" with Canadian singer The Weeknd. On 4 June 2021, he released "By Your Side" featuring Tom Grennan.

Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 and 96 Months (2022–Present)

On 3 March 2022, Harris hinted at his sixth album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2. The first single, "Potion", featuring Dua Lipa and Young Thug, came out on 27 May. The album was released on 5 August 2022. It featured many artists like Charlie Puth, Normani, Halsey, and Justin Timberlake.

Other singles from the album included "New Money" with 21 Savage, "Stay with Me" with Halsey, Timberlake, and Pharrell, and "New to You" with Normani, Tinashe, and Offset.

In February 2023, Harris and Ellie Goulding released a new single called "Miracle". Harris performed at the Coachella Festival in April 2023. At the Brit Awards 2024, he performed "Miracle" with Ellie Goulding and won the Brit Award for British Dance Act.

On 9 August 2024, Harris released his first collection album, 96 Months. This album includes many of his songs that had not been on his previous albums.

Musical Style

Calvin Harris's music style has changed over the years. After saying he wasn't very interested in EDM in late 2016, he started making more funk-inspired music. This style was heard on his album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1.

He has said that artists like Jamiroquai and Fatboy Slim inspired him to create music.

Endorsements

Calvin Harris has worked with many big brands. In 2008, his album artwork was used in an iPod nano campaign. In 2009, he teamed up with Coca-Cola for their 'Open Happiness' campaign in the UK. He wrote a special song for them called 'Yeah Yeah Yeah, La La La'.

In 2012, Harris was in a Pepsi Max commercial for their football campaign. He was shown DJing with famous footballers like Lionel Messi. In 2013, he worked with Sol Republic to create his own line of professional headphones.

In 2014, Harris became the new face of Emporio Armani for their men's underwear, eyewear, and watch collections. He continued to work with them for their 2015/2016 campaign.

Other Ventures

Harris at Perth Stereosonic, 2010

In March 2010, Harris started his own music label called Fly Eye Records. This label mostly releases EDM songs. In 2014, his label partnered with Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

In 2012, Harris started a special DJ residency deal with Wynn Las Vegas. This meant he would regularly perform at their nightclubs. In 2013, he signed a deal with Hakkasan Group in Las Vegas, performing many shows at their venues. He extended this partnership for three more years in 2015. He also advises the Hakkasan Group on music for their restaurants, nightclubs, and hotels.

On 30 March 2015, Harris became a co-owner of the music streaming service Tidal. This service offers high-quality audio and music videos. Many other famous artists like Jay Z, Beyoncé, and Madonna also co-own Tidal. The idea was to create an artist-owned streaming service that pays artists fairly.

Harris has said that he plans to stop DJing when he is 50. After that, he wants to focus on working in the studio and producing music for other artists.

Helping Others

Calvin Harris has supported many charity events. In September 2007, he performed at "Wasted Youth" to help the Campaign Against Living Miserably. In 2008, he supported Shelter's campaign to end homelessness in Scotland. In 2010, he performed for The War Child charity, which helps children affected by violence in war zones.

In February 2012, Harris performed at a charity concert with artists like Rihanna and Coldplay. All the money raised went to the Children's Orthopaedic Center at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In November 2012, Harris contributed songs to Tiësto's album Dance (RED) Save Lives. This album was made with the anti-AIDS charity Product Red to help create an AIDS-free generation.

After the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Harris donated his earnings from a show to the Las Vegas Victims fund. Later that year, he donated $20,000 to a charity campaign by DJ Snake. This campaign helped the Rohingya people, who are facing difficult times in Myanmar. In July 2020, Harris donated £20,000 to help Glasgow's Sub Club, a music venue at risk of closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Income

Calvin Harris is one of the highest-paid DJs and producers in the world. Forbes magazine reported that he earned $46 million between May 2012 and May 2013. This made him the highest-paid DJ that year. He topped the list for six years in a row, earning $66 million in 2014 and 2015. In 2018, he made $48.5 million.