Jay Brannan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Brannan
Brannan performs in Edinburgh, Scotland, in August 2008
Background information
Born	(1982-03-29) March 29, 1982 (age 43)
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actor
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Great Depression Nettwerk

Jay Brannan (born March 29, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was born in Texas and studied for a short time in Ohio. Later, he moved to California to pursue acting.

Jay Brannan appeared in the 2006 movie Shortbus. One of his songs was even featured in the film's soundtrack. He started gaining fans by sharing his music on YouTube. In 2007, he released an EP (a music release shorter than an album) and acted in another movie called Holding Trevor. Since then, he has traveled for concerts and released four albums.

Jay Brannan's Early Life and Career

Jay Brannan was born in 1982 in Texas. He grew up in a middle-class family. His father was a petroleum engineer, and his mother was a teacher.

He attended college in Cincinnati, Ohio, for one semester. After that, he moved to California, first to Palm Springs and then to Los Angeles. He wanted to become an actor. In 2002, he saw a casting notice for a movie. He then moved to New York City and sent in an audition tape. He also worked as a proofreader for a company that translated legal documents.

Becoming an Actor and Musician

In 2003, Brannan was chosen for the movie Shortbus. He continued to work other jobs to support himself. He wrote the song "Soda Shop" for the film's soundtrack. He said this was his "first professionally recorded track." The song was also released by Team Love Records.

Jay Brannan began making simple music videos for YouTube. He would play his guitar and sing. This helped him build a fan base around the world without needing big company help. He used websites like MySpace and Blogspot to connect with people. In 2007, he appeared in the movie Holding Trevor. He also released a special limited-edition EP with four songs. It was called disasterpiece or Unmastered. In 2008, two more songs were added to a re-release of the EP.

Music Success and Albums

In 2008, Brannan stopped his proofreading job. He started earning money from his concerts and selling merchandise. His second album, In Living Cover, came out in 2009. It reached number ten on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart in July 2009. Brannan talked about his album in an interview on ABC News's Now in July 2009.

His fourth studio album, Always, Then, & Now, was released on July 15, 2014. He released it on his own independent record label, Great Depression Records.

Musical Style

Jay Brannan performing in Hamburg, Germany, in 2009

Jay Brannan is a tenor, which means he has a high male singing voice. The music website Allmusic described his style as a modern singer-songwriter. They compared him to famous female artists like Ani DiFranco, Lisa Loeb, Sinéad O'Connor, and Liz Phair.

Awards and Nominations

• In 2006, Jay Brannan was nominated for an award at the Gotham Awards. This was for "Best Ensemble Cast" for his role in the 2006 film Shortbus. He shared this nomination with other actors from the movie.
• In 2012, he was nominated for a Genie Award. This award was for "Best Achievement in Music – Original Song." It was for his song "My Love, My Love" from the soundtrack of the 2011 film Cloudburst.

Discography

Studio Albums

• 2009: In Living Cover
• 2012: Rob Me Blind
• 2014: Always, Then, & Now

Extended Plays (EPs)

• 2007: Unmastered (re-released in 2008 with more songs)
• 2013: Around the World in 80 Jays
• 2016: New York, New York

Singles

• 2007: "Body's a Temple"
• 2008: "Housewife"
• 2008: "Can't Have It All"
• 2009: "Beautifully"
• 2009: "The Freshmen"
• 2012: "Greatest Hits" (Promotional single)
• 2012: "Beautifully"
• 2012: "Rob Me Blind"
• 2014: "Blue-Haired Lady"
• 2014: "Square One"

Songs on Soundtracks

• "Soda Shop" (from the 2006 Shortbus soundtrack)
• "Lower My Gun" (from the 2008 Holding Trevor soundtrack)
• "My Love, My Love" and "Takeoff" (from the 2011 Cloudburst soundtrack)

Music Videos

• "Body's a Temple"
• "Housewife"
• "Can't Have It All"
• "Greatest Hits"
• "Beautifully"
• "Rob Me Blind"
• "Blue-Haired Lady"
• "Square One"

Filmography

Movies

See also

In Spanish: Jay Brannan para niños