Macy Gray facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Macy Gray
Gray in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Natalie Renée McIntyre
Born	(1967-09-06) September 6, 1967 (age 57) Canton, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	R&B neo soul jazz
Occupations	Singer actress
Years active	1990s–present
Labels	Atlantic NuTech Digital Epic will.i.am Geffen Concord 429 Chesky E1 Mack Avenue Records

Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known as Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is famous for her unique, raspy voice and a singing style inspired by Billie Holiday. By 2018, she had sold over 25 million records around the world.

Macy Gray has released ten studio albums and received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one. She has appeared in several movies, including Training Day, Spider-Man, Scary Movie 3, and The Paperboy. Gray is best known for her international hit song "I Try", which came from her first album, On How Life Is. In 2014, Macy Gray was honored in the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in her hometown of Canton, Ohio.

Early Life and Education

Natalie McIntyre was born in Canton, Ohio. Her mother, Laura McIntyre, was a math teacher, and her father was Otis Jones. Her stepfather worked with steel, and her sister is a biology teacher. She has a younger brother, Nate. Macy started piano lessons when she was seven years old. She got her stage name, Macy Gray, from a mailbox she saw after a bicycle accident when she was a child. She liked the name and used it in stories before deciding to use it for her music career.

Gray went to elementary school with Brian Warner, who later became known as the musician Marilyn Manson. She attended several high schools, including a boarding school. Later, she studied scriptwriting at the University of Southern California.

Musical Journey Begins

Gray in 1995

While at the University of Southern California, Macy Gray agreed to write songs for a friend. A recording session was planned for another singer, but that singer didn't show up. So, Gray recorded the songs herself. She started forming bands and writing songs for fun, and then she really enjoyed it. A friend asked her to sing in his jazz band, and she learned how to sing for performances.

She later met writer and producer Joe Solo. They wrote many songs together and recorded them in Solo's studio. This demo tape helped Gray get gigs at jazz cafés in Los Angeles. Even though Gray didn't think her unusual voice was good for singing, Atlantic Records signed her. She started recording her first album but was later dropped from the label.

Macy returned to Ohio, but in 1997, Jeff Blue, a Senior VP at Zomba Label Group in Los Angeles, convinced her to return to music. She signed a deal to develop new songs based on her life experiences. In 1998, she signed a record deal with Epic Records. She also sang on the song "Love Won't Wait" from the Black Eyed Peas' first album, Behind the Front.

1999–2001: On How Life Is Becomes a Hit

Macy Gray worked on her first album, On How Life Is, with producer Darryl Swann in 1999. When it was released in the summer of 1999, it became a huge success worldwide. The first song, "Do Something", didn't do well on the charts. However, the second song, "I Try", made the album very popular. "I Try" was one of the biggest songs of 1999. Other songs like "Still" and "Why Didn't You Call Me" helped the album sell over three million copies in the U.S. and four million in the UK.

In 2001, Gray won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Try". The song was also nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. After this, she worked with artists like Fatboy Slim, the Black Eyed Peas, and Slick Rick. She also started acting, appearing in the movie Training Day.

2001–2005: New Albums and Collaborations

Gray visiting the Astrodome as a volunteer, in Houston, Texas, September 3, 2005

Macy Gray's album The Id featured other famous musicians like John Frusciante and Erykah Badu on the song "Sweet Baby". This album reached number eleven on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. It did even better in the UK, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart.

In 2002, she appeared in the movie Spider-Man and contributed a song to its soundtrack. Gray also worked with Santana on his album Shaman. She also appeared on a tribute CD for Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, singing on a remake of his song "Water No Get Enemy".

She recorded a duet with Zucchero called "Like the Sun (From Out of Nowhere)" in 2004. Her song "Time of My Life" was included in the soundtrack for the movie 8 Mile.

In 2003, Gray released her third studio album, The Trouble with Being Myself. The first song, "When I See You", became popular on the radio in the U.S. and a top-forty hit in the UK. This album became Gray's third album to reach the top twenty in the UK. Later, a collection of her greatest hits, The Very Best of Macy Gray (2004), and a live album, Live in Las Vegas (2005), were released. Gray also sang on Marcus Miller's 2005 album Silver Rain, covering Prince's song "Girls & Boys". She also appeared on the soundtrack for the film Chicago.

2007–2010: Big and New Projects

Gray performing in Toronto, July 23, 2008

In March 2007, Gray released her fourth studio album, Big. Two songs, "Finally Made Me Happy" and "Shoo Be Doo", were released from the album. Another song, "What I Gotta Do", was featured on the Shrek the Third soundtrack. This album was seen as Macy Gray's comeback after a four-year break from studio albums. It received good reviews and featured collaborations with Natalie Cole, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, and will.i.am. Big was successful in the U.S., reaching number 39 on the Billboard 200.

On July 7, 2007, Gray performed at the Live Earth concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gray and her band wore clothes with political messages.

In 2009, Gray recorded the song "Don't Forget Me" for the soundtrack of Confessions of a Shopaholic.

2010–2011: The Sellout Album

The first song from Gray's fifth studio album, The Sellout, was "Beauty in the World". This song was featured in the final episode of the TV series Ugly Betty. "Beauty in the World" was also used by Microsoft to promote Internet Explorer 9. Both songs released from the album ("Beauty in the World" and "Lately") were top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs Chart.

The Sellout received mixed reviews from music critics. Some praised its production, while others had concerns about the songwriting.

2011–2015: Covered, Talking Book, and The Way

Gray performs live at the 54th Ljubljana Jazz Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on July 6, 2013.

In 2011, Gray signed with 429 Records and began recording cover songs for her next album, Covered. This album was released on March 26, 2012. The first song from the album was "Here Comes the Rain Again", originally by Eurythmics.

For the 40th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's 1972 album Talking Book, Gray covered the entire record and released her own Talking Book as a tribute.

In an interview, Gray spoke about challenges she faced with fame. This interview happened around the time her album The Way was released in October 2014. A world tour was announced soon after.

2016–Present: Stripped and Ruby

In 2016, Macy Gray released Stripped, an album produced by Chesky Records. It was released on September 9, 2016, and received very positive reviews from critics. The album reached number 3 on the Billboard Jazz Chart. Earlier that year, she was featured on Ariana Grande's song "Leave Me Lonely" from her album Dangerous Woman.

Gray released her tenth studio album, Ruby, in September 2018. In 2023, she released The Reset with The California Jet Club.

Other Work and Appearances

In 2001, Macy Gray provided the voice for Seeiah Owens in the video game SSX Tricky. She also sang the theme song for the Nickelodeon animated series As Told by Ginger. In 2006, Gray appeared on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, playing for charity.

In August 2008, Gray performed at the Summer Sundae music festival in Leicester, England. She sang cover versions of songs by Rod Stewart, Deee-Lite, and Radiohead. In 2009, Gray briefly competed in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars. In 2012, she performed the Michael Jackson song "Rock with You" for a special performance of the musical Thriller – Live.

In 2015, Gray was featured on the song "Into the Deep" by Galactic. In 2018, she was featured with Dolly Parton on a re-recording of "Two Doors Down" for the Dumplin' soundtrack. In 2020, Gray was featured on the song "Out Of Love" by the Canadian band Busty and the Bass.

In 2021, Gray competed as "Atlantis" on season three of the Australian version of The Masked Singer. On February 20, 2022, Gray performed the The Star-Spangled Banner at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Gray represented her home state of Ohio at the 2022 America Song Contest with the song "Every Night".

In 2023, Gray competed as "Sea Queen" on season ten of The Masked Singer, finishing in fourth place. In 2025, she competed as "Toad in the Hole" on season six of the British version of The Masked Singer.

Personal Life

Macy Gray was married to Tracey Hinds, and they have three children. She opened the Macy Gray Music Academy in 2005, which helps young people learn about music.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

• On How Life Is (1999)
• The Id (2001)
• The Trouble with Being Myself (2003)
• Big (2007)
• The Sellout (2010)
• Covered (2012)
• Talking Book (2012)
• The Way (2014)
• Stripped (2016)
• Ruby (2018)

Collaborative Albums

• The Reset (with The California Jet Club) (2023)

Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

• The Trouble with Being Myself Tour (2003-2004)
• Big Tour (2007)
• The Way Tour (2015)
• Stripped Tour (2017)
• Ruby Tour (2018)
• On How Life Is 25th Anniversary Tour (2025)

Co-headlining Tours

• The Reset Tour (2023)

Opening Act

• Everyday Tour (2001)

Film and TV Appearances

Film

Television

Video Game

Documentary

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Macy Gray para niños