Gavin DeGraw facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw live in concert 2023
Background information
Birth name	Gavin Shane DeGraw
Born	(1977-02-04) February 4, 1977 (age 48) South Fallsburg, New York, U.S.
Genres	Blue-eyed soul pop rock rock Country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals piano keyboards guitar
Years active	1998–present
Labels	J RCA Sony Music Nashville
Associated acts	The Gavin DeGraw band

Gavin Shane DeGraw (born February 4, 1977) is an American singer and songwriter. He became famous with his song "I Don't Want to Be" from his first album, Chariot (2003). This song was also the main theme for the TV show One Tree Hill. Other popular songs from his first album were "Chariot" and "Follow Through".

His second album, Gavin DeGraw, came out in 2008 and included the hit song "In Love with a Girl". In 2009, he released his third album, Free. His fourth album, Sweeter (2011), had the very popular song "Not Over You", plus "Soldier" and "Sweeter". In 2013, DeGraw released Make a Move, and in 2016, he released Something Worth Saving.

In 2022, he released Face the River, which was a special album and documentary about dealing with the loss of his parents. Gavin DeGraw also sang "We Both Know" with Colbie Caillat for the 2013 movie Safe Haven. This song was even nominated for a Grammy Award!

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Growing Up and Family

Gavin DeGraw was born on February 4, 1977, and grew up in South Fallsburg, New York. His mother, Lynne, was a detox specialist, and his father, Wayne, was a prison guard. He even mentioned their jobs in his song "I Don't Want to Be". His father had Irish roots, and his mother had Russian Jewish family.

Gavin started singing and playing piano when he was eight years old. He has two older siblings, a sister named Neeka and a brother named Joey, who is also a musician. Growing up, music was a big part of their daily lives.

Finding His Sound

As a teenager, Gavin was greatly inspired by musicians like Ray Charles and Sam Cooke. He loved how they combined personal charm with deep emotion in their music. Gavin played in a local band called "The People's Band" with his brother Joey. They performed in many hotels and clubs in the Catskills area.

His brother Joey encouraged him to start writing his own songs. Gavin went to Ithaca College on a music scholarship, but he spent more time writing songs than going to classes. He left after one semester. Then, he moved to Boston and studied at the famous Berklee College of Music for two semesters, while also singing in a rock band and playing solo shows.

Music Career Highlights

After leaving Berklee, Gavin moved to Manhattan in 1998 to start his music career. He quickly began performing at open-mic nights and soon got a manager. Eventually, he signed a record deal with Clive Davis at J Records, which was also home to artists like Alicia Keys.

Chariot and Early Success

In 2002, Gavin started working on his first album. He wanted to create music that would last a long time, not just be popular for a short while. His debut album, Chariot, was released on July 22, 2003. It sold over a million copies and became a platinum-certified album.

Gavin became widely known in 2003 when his song "I Don't Want to Be" was chosen as the theme song for the teen drama One Tree Hill. This song reached number 10 on the U.S. charts and has been performed by contestants on shows like American Idol. Besides "I Don't Want to Be", the album also featured popular singles like "Follow Through" and "Chariot". All three of these songs sold over a million copies each. In 2004, Gavin released an acoustic version of Chariot called Chariot Stripped, which included a cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".

New Albums and Collaborations

Gavin's song "We Belong Together" from 2006 also became a gold-certified hit. His second album, also called Gavin DeGraw, came out on May 6, 2008. The single "In Love with a Girl" was released before the album. This album was very popular, reaching No. 1 on digital sales charts and No. 7 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart.

On March 31, 2009, Gavin released his third album, Free. He made this album quickly and included some songs he had written much earlier in his career. The first single from this album was "Stay".

His fourth album, Sweeter, was released on September 20, 2011. Many songs on this album were written with other artists. The first single, "Not Over You", became his first song to reach the top spot on the Adult Pop Songs chart and was certified platinum. Sweeter was Gavin's first album released under RCA Records. He also released an acoustic album called iTunes Session with songs mostly from Sweeter.

In 2012, Gavin sang "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Colbie Caillat for her Christmas album. They also wrote "We Both Know" for the movie Safe Haven in 2013, which earned them a Grammy Award nomination.

On June 18, 2013, Gavin released "Best I Ever Had", the first single from his fifth album, Make a Move, which came out on October 15, 2013. That year, he also toured with the band Train.

DeGraw performing at the 2015 NHL Winter Classic

In 2014, Gavin opened shows for Billy Joel. He then released his first greatest hits album called Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw on October 21, 2014. This album included new songs like "You Got Me" and "Fire".

In 2015, Gavin worked with Swedish DJ Avicii on the song "Sunset Jesus" for Avicii's album Stories. Gavin helped write the song and sang it at the Avicii Tribute Concert in 2019.

His sixth studio album, Something Worth Saving, was released on September 9, 2016.

On May 20, 2022, Gavin released his seventh album, Face the River. The main song, also called "Face the River", was a special tribute to his parents. August 27 is known as International Listen to Gavin DeGraw Day!

Gavin DeGraw OKC concert August 23, 2023

Gavin released his first Christmas EP, A Classic Christmas, on October 13, 2023. It has six classic Christmas songs. In 2023, he also signed with Sony Music Nashville. He has been on world tours in the USA and Europe in 2023 and 2024.

To celebrate 20 years since his first album, Gavin is releasing a re-recorded version of Chariot called Chariot 20 on September 27, 2024. This new album will also have two songs that have never been released before.

Other Work and Activities

DeGraw performing at the Des Moines Arts Festival on June 27, 2009

Acting Roles

Gavin DeGraw appeared in four episodes of the TV show One Tree Hill. He sang his famous song "I Don't Want to Be" in his first appearance in 2004. He also sang "Chariot" in another episode. Later, he sang "I Don't Want to Be" with Jamie Scott, a character on the show. His final appearance was in the very last episode, where he sang "Belief", "Soldier", and "I Don't Want to Be" at a special party.

Dancing on TV

Gavin was a contestant on season 14 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars in 2012. He danced with his partner Karina Smirnoff. They were eliminated in week 5 of the competition.

The National Underground

Gavin DeGraw Live on Fox & Friends July 7, 2023

Gavin and his brother opened a music bar called The National Underground in New York City in 2007. It's a place where people can enjoy music, food, and drinks. They wanted it to be a place where really talented musicians could perform. The DeGraw brothers also own another restaurant/bar called Nashville Underground in Nashville, TN, and a steakhouse called Open Range in Bozeman, Montana.

Personal Life

Gavin DeGraw and his pet dog Buddy in 2023.

In August 2011, Gavin DeGraw was involved in an incident in Manhattan that led to him being hospitalized. He later reported that he made a full recovery.

Gavin's mother, Lynne DeGraw, passed away in September 2017. His father, John Wayne DeGraw, passed away in July 2020. Gavin's album Face the River is a tribute to his parents.

Band Members

Gavin DeGraw performs with a band. Here are some of the musicians who have played with him:

Current members

• Gavin DeGraw – lead vocals, piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar (1997–present)
• William Gramling - piano (2023-current)
• Tyler Cain - guitar (2023-current)
• Thomas Drayton - bass (2023-current)
• Jon Epcar- drums (2023-current)

Former members

Discography

Gavin DeGraw has released several albums and EPs throughout his career.

Studio Albums

• Chariot (2003) - This album was certified Platinum, meaning it sold over a million copies!
• Gavin DeGraw (2008)
• Free (2009)
• Sweeter (2011) - This album was certified Gold.
• Make a Move (2013)
• Something Worth Saving (2016)
• Face the River (2022)
• Chariot 20 (2024) - A re-recorded version of his first album.

EPs

• iTunes: Live from Soho (2008)
• A Classic Christmas (2023)

Compilation Albums

• Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw (2014)

Live Albums

• Gavin Live (2001)

Tours

Gavin DeGraw has traveled all over the world to perform his music.

Headlining Tours

• Gavin Degraw Live in Concert (2004)
• Chariot Stripped Tour (2005)
• Gavin Degraw in Concert (2008)
• Where It Began Tour (2009)
• Sweeter Tour (2012)
• Make a Move Tour (2014)
• An Acoustic Evening with Gavin DeGraw (2017)
• Raw Tour (2017–18)

Co-headlining Tours

• One Tree Hill Concert Tour (with Tyler Hilton and The Wreckers) (2005)
• Howie & Gavin on the Road (with Howie Day) (2005)
• 2009 Summer Tour (with Collective Soul) (2009)
• David Cook & Gavin DeGraw in Concert (with David Cook) (2011)
• Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw in Concert (with Colbie Caillat) (2012)
• 2014 Summer Tour (with Matt Nathanson) (2014)
• Gavin DeGraw & Andy Grammer: Live in Concert (with Andy Grammer) (2016)
• 2018 Summer Tour (with Philip Phillips) (2018)

Opening Act for Other Artists

• Chasing Daylight World Tour (for Sister Hazel) (2003)
• Songs About Jane Tour (for Maroon 5) (2003)
• Everywhere For Everyone Tour (for the Barenaked Ladies) (2004)
• Virgin College Mega Tour (for Michelle Branch) (2004)
• Bonez Tour (for Avril Lavigne) (2005)
• Summer Tour 2005 (for The Allman Brothers Band) (2005)
• The Circle Tour (for Bon Jovi) (2010)
• 2011 Summer Tour (for Train and Maroon 5) (2011)
• Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour (for Train) (2013)
• Billy Joel in Concert (for Billy Joel) (2014, 2015, 2019)
• Rock This Country Tour (for Shania Twain) (2015)
• All the Feels Tour (for Needtobreathe) (2017)
• Summer Plays On Tour (for Lady A and Darius Rucker) (2018)
• Full Circle Tour - Spring 2022 performing new album Face The River.
• USA Summer Tour - August 2023
• European Tour - September 17 - October 19, 2023
• New York City Residency at the Cafe Carlyle, December 12–16, 2023

Awards and Nominations

Gavin DeGraw has received several awards and nominations for his music.

Images for kids

• 

  DeGraw performing in 2005

See also

In Spanish: Gavin DeGraw para niños

• List of Berklee College of Music alumni
• List of Ithaca College alumni
• List of people from New York
• List of singer-songwriters