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Daniel Merriweather
A twenty-six year-old man is shown in three-quarter view. He is standing centre-stage, half-turned with hands clapped together. He is partly obscured by a microphone stand in front. Behind him is a drummer at his kit. Beyond that is the lighting, which includes the partly spelled letters R-O-C-K-C-O-R in large orange-yellow.
Merriweather performing at Orange–Rockcorps in August 2008
Background information
Birth name Daniel Paul Merriweather
Born (1982-02-17) 17 February 1982 (age 43)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • composer
  • record producer
Instruments
Years active 2002–present
Labels

Daniel Paul Merriweather (born on February 17, 1982) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is known for his R&B and pop music.

His first solo album, Love & War, came out in June 2009. It quickly reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. Two popular songs from the album, "Change" and "Red", were both top 10 hits in the UK.

Daniel Merriweather has won two ARIA Music Awards. He received "Best Urban Release" in 2005 for his song "She's Got Me". In 2009, he won "Best Male Artist" for his album Love & War.

Besides his own music, Daniel has sung with other famous artists. He has worked with Mark Ronson and Phrase. His work with Mark Ronson led to a hit song called "Stop Me" in 2007. This song was a mix of a The Smiths song and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes.

In November 2019, Daniel released his first new song in ten years, called 'Everything I Need'. He also announced plans for a new album. He performed several sold-out concerts in London.

Daniel Merriweather has been in a relationship with lawyer Coleen Mensa since 2017. They welcomed their son, Zion Daniel Kojo Merriweather, in 2020.

About Daniel Merriweather

Early Life and Family

Daniel Paul Merriweather grew up in Sassafras, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. He is the oldest of three boys. Both of his parents are teachers.

His grandfather, Ted Ellis, was a professional Australian rules footballer. Daniel is a big fan of the Essendon Football Club.

Education and Music Journey

Daniel went to several schools, including Billanook College and Blackburn High School. He left school when he was 17 years old.

He started learning violin at age four and guitar at 13. Even though his music grades were average, he loved music. After leaving school, he focused on singing and performed in clubs around Melbourne.

Daniel has spent a lot of time living in New York and London. In 2009, he lived in East Harlem. He has a tattoo on his arm that says "love or money" in Latin.

Musical Beginnings

Daniel Merriweather's first official recording was in 2002. He sang on the song "All I Want" for the Australian group Disco Montego.

He later signed with Marlin Records. This led him to work with Mark Ronson, a famous DJ and guitarist from the United Kingdom. They worked on Ronson's album Here Comes the Fuzz in 2003.

Daniel then signed with Mark Ronson's own label, Allido Records. In 2004, he released his first solo song, "City Rules". This song was produced by Ronson and featured rapper Saigon.

Early Success and Awards

"City Rules" was nominated for an ARIA Award in 2004. His second song, "She's Got Me", was also released. While these songs didn't reach the top of the charts, they became popular in clubs.

"City Rules" won an APRA Award in 2005 for "Most Performed Dance Work". "She's Got Me" won the "Best Urban Release" at the ARIA Music Awards of 2005.

In 2005, Daniel also helped write and produce songs for Phrase's album Talk with Force. He sang on three songs, including "Catch Phrase".

Working with Mark Ronson

In 2007, Daniel Merriweather sang lead vocals on Mark Ronson's cover of The Smiths' song "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before". This new version, called "Stop Me", also included parts of The Supremes' song "You Keep Me Hangin' On".

Daniel said he didn't know the Smiths' song well before recording it. "Stop Me" became a big hit in the UK, reaching number two on the charts. It also did well in Switzerland and Italy. Daniel performed this song at Glastonbury Festival in 2008.

Debut Album and More Hits

Daniel Merriweather's first solo album, Love & War, was released in June 2009. Mark Ronson also produced this album. It reached number two in the UK and was a top 10 hit in Switzerland.

The album included the popular songs "Change" and "Red". Both songs were top 10 hits in the UK. "Change" also reached the top 10 in Switzerland. "Red" was a top 10 hit in Denmark and Ireland.

In Australia, Love & War reached the top 40 on the ARIA Albums Chart. "Change" was a top 50 hit on the singles chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, Daniel won "Best Male Artist" for Love & War.

Recent Music and Influences

In 2012, Daniel Merriweather sang on "Naïve Bravado" by Australian hip-hop artist Urthboy. He also worked with the group Diafrix on their song "Simple Man". In 2013, he collaborated with Bliss N Eso on "Can't Get Rid of This Feeling".

He performed with DJ Mark Ronson again at Glastonbury 2015, singing "Stop Me".

Daniel Merriweather says his main musical inspirations are Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jeff Buckley, and Herbie Hancock.

In November 2019, Daniel released 'Everything I Need'. He followed this with 'Rain' in April 2020 and 'Paradise' in February 2020. He also played several sold-out shows in London.

Live Performances and Tours

Early Tours and TV Appearances

In January 2004, Daniel Merriweather led the City Rules Tour in Australia with Mark Ronson and other artists. In March 2006, he opened for Kanye West on his Australian tour.

He has also opened for Biz Markie in Brooklyn and Justin Timberlake in London. Daniel has performed on many TV and radio shows, including Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Sunrise.

Festival Performances

Daniel has performed at various music festivals. These include the Montreux Jazz Festival and the 2004 St Kilda Festival. He also performed at the 2004 Melbourne World AIDS Day Concert.

Touring with Mark Ronson

During 2007, Daniel toured the UK with Mark Ronson. He also performed with Ronson and the BBC Concert Orchestra at the 2007 BBC Electric Proms.

He appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2007 with Mark Ronson. In February 2008, he performed "Stop Me" on BBC Radio One. He also sang at the 2008 Brit Awards with Ronson.

Daniel performed "Stop Me" during Ronson's set at Glastonbury 2008. In November 2008, he returned to Australia to perform at the Global Gathering shows with Mark Ronson's Version Players.

Later Performances

At the 2009 O2 Wireless Festival in London, Daniel Merriweather was a main performer on the second stage. Mark Ronson joined him on guitar for part of the show.

Daniel has appeared on TV shows like The Justin Lee Collins Show and Britain's Got More Talent. He performed "Red" on T4 on the Beach in 2009.

He was a musical guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in July 2009, singing "Change". He also performed "Red" on Letterman in February 2010. In Spring 2010, Daniel toured as the opening act for singer Corinne Bailey Rae.

Discography

  • Love & War (2009)

Awards

Year Award Category Title Result
2004 ARIA Awards Best Urban Release "City Rules" Nominated
2005 APRA Awards Most Performed Dance Work Won
ARIA Awards Best Urban Release "She's Got Me" Won
2009 ARIA Awards Best Male Artist Love & War Won
MTV Europe Music Awards Best New Act Nominated
GQ Australia Awards Breakthrough of the year Won
2010 APRA Awards Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Daniel Merriweather para niños

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