Gerry Cinnamon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gerry Cinnamon
Background information
Birth name	Gerard Crosbie
Born	(1984-10-01) 1 October 1984 (age 40) Glasgow, Scotland
Genres	Indie rock indie folk folk rock anti-folk
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Little Runaway Music GC Music
Associated acts	The LaFontaines

Gerard Crosbie (born 1 October 1984), known by his stage name Gerry Cinnamon, is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is famous for his unique indie folk and rock style.

In 2020, his second album, The Bonny, became a huge hit. It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. It was also the third best-selling album released in the UK that year. Gerry sings using the Glaswegian dialect, which is a way of speaking from Glasgow.

Gerry Cinnamon's Musical Journey

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Gerard Crosbie grew up in an area of Glasgow called Castlemilk. As a kid, he loved listening to his mum's music. She had cassettes from bands like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was also a big fan of Oasis and admired Bob Dylan's work.

When he was a teenager, Gerry spent some time in London. There, he learned to play the guitar and harmonica really well. When he came back to Scotland, he started writing his own songs. Music became his main focus, even though he tried different jobs.

Gerry later met a producer named Chris Marshall. They started working together, with Gerry writing the lyrics. They formed a band called The Cinnamons and released a five-song EP in 2010. After this, Gerry started performing solo, using the name Gerry Cinnamon. Some of his later popular songs, like "Sometimes," came from this early band era.

He found a place to perform his songs at an open mic night in Glasgow. These nights became very popular, helping him gain fans.

Rising to Fame: 2014-2016

By 2014, Gerry was selling out small shows just by word of mouth and social media. He was asked to perform a song at a big event in George Square before the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. He released the song, "Hope Over Fear," which introduced him to more people. However, he didn't want to be seen as a political leader.

In 2015, Gerry supported musician John Power on tour. He also released another single, "Kampfire Vampire." That summer, he played at T in the Park, a big music festival. This was a dream come true for him.

He returned to T in the Park in July 2016. Even though his performance was early on a Friday, many fans came to watch. In October, he won 'Best Live Act' at the 2016 Scottish Alternative Music Awards.

In November, Gerry headlined a show at Glasgow's O2 ABC Glasgow. He wasn't signed to a record label, but the show sold out just from a single Facebook post. He even admitted he hadn't prepared a set list! In December, he supported Ocean Colour Scene at a show in the SSE Hydro.

Debut Album Success: 2017

In July 2017, Gerry played at the TRNSMT festival in Glasgow. He drew a huge and excited crowd. In September, he released his first album, Erratic Cinematic. He funded it himself using a platform called PledgeMusic. The album quickly reached number one on the UK iTunes chart for singer-songwriters.

After the album's success, he announced two shows at the famous Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. Selling out these shows as an unsigned artist was a big deal. It earned him a spot in the 'Barrowland Hall of Fame.'

In October, he received a "Great Scot Award" for entertainment. In December, it was confirmed he would play on the main stage at TRNSMT in 2018.

Before his Barrowland gigs, Gerry spoke out against ticket scalping websites. These sites bought tickets at normal prices and then sold them for much higher prices to fans.

After his main stage performance at TRNSMT 2018, his first album, Erratic Cinematic, entered the Scottish Albums Chart. It reached number 7 in July 2018.

Touring and Growing Fanbase: 2018-2019

Early 2018 saw Gerry on a sold-out tour across Scotland, Britain, and Ireland. Some shows had to be moved to bigger venues because so many people wanted to see him. During one show, he even stopped playing to talk to someone who threw a drink on stage.

In June 2018, his TRNSMT festival performance was moved to a later, more important time slot. He also played at other festivals like RiZE Festival and the Tartan Heart Festival.

He announced more shows in Glasgow for December, including on Christmas Eve, which also sold out. Fans complained about high ticket prices on resale sites. Gerry explained that even big bands struggle to stop this. He later added more shows in other Scottish cities.

After supporting The Courteeners on their arena tour, Gerry announced his own tour across England and Ireland.

In January 2019, he played two shows in Amsterdam. In February, he was announced as a main stage performer for TRNSMT in July. He was also added to the lineup for many other big festivals, including Benicàssim, Isle of Wight, and Glastonbury Festival.

In May 2019, it was announced that Gerry would support Liam Gallagher at a concert in Cork, Ireland.

In July, he announced a show at the new P&J Live venue in Aberdeen. This show broke the record for the highest attendance at a Scottish indoor event, with 15,000 people. He also announced two shows at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. His arena tour across England and Ireland sold out all 125,000 tickets in advance.

In December, Gerry supported Liam Gallagher on his Australian tour. He also played his own shows in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.

The Bonny Album and Big Shows: 2020-2022

In November 2019, Gerry announced his second album, The Bonny, would be released on 17 April 2020. He released it on his own label, Little Runaway. With this announcement, Gerry also shared that he would play his biggest show ever at Hampden Park, a stadium that holds over 50,000 people. He was the first Scottish act to headline the national stadium. Tickets sold out in just a few hours.

In February 2020, it was announced that Gerry Cinnamon would play a key slot at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2020. These festivals were later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gerry eventually played at Reading and Leeds in August 2021.

Gerry Cinnamon's second album, The Bonny, was released on 17 April 2020. It quickly reached number one on both the UK and Irish Albums Charts. It was also the fastest-selling vinyl album of the year.

Gerry had plans to tour the United States for the first time in 2020. He was also set to join bands like Dropkick Murphys and Rancid on their tour. However, these plans were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2020, Gerry announced that his UK and Ireland tour dates were moved to May and June 2021 because of the pandemic.

In 2021 and 2022, Gerry played his biggest shows yet. His tour, which was originally planned for 2020, included shows for 350,000 people across the UK and Ireland. He played at large venues like Birmingham and Manchester Arenas, London's Alexandra Palace, and Malahide Castle in Dublin. He also headlined Swansea's Singleton Park, which was the second-biggest show ever in that city. He set a record by being the first artist to sell out three headline shows at Belsonic in Belfast, playing to over 60,000 fans.

The tour ended with two homecoming shows at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Playing to over 100,000 people, Gerry Cinnamon became the first independent artist and the first Scot to sell out multiple nights at the national stadium.

Gerry Cinnamon's Thoughts on the Music Industry

Gerry Cinnamon encourages new artists to believe in themselves, even if they don't have a lot of money or support. He doesn't like how the music industry sometimes promotes artists too much or focuses on marketing over real talent. In 2016, he said:

"The only reason I'm in this game is because it's full of imposters ruining music and my very existence annoys them and it pleases me. If you're a working class musician hearing this or reading it and you respect the art of song writing more than the art of pretending then you have a responsibility to get involved. There's a war on for real music and if you're sound and can write decent tunes then you're on the front line whether you like it or not."

He believes that musicians who truly care about songwriting should get involved and fight for "real music."

Gerry Cinnamon's Music

Studio Albums

Live Albums

Singles

Other Certified Songs

Images for kids

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  Gerry Cinnamon performing live.