Rea Garvey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rea Garvey
Rea Garvey during Radio Regenbogen Award 2019 at Europapark
Background information
Birth name	Raymond Michael Garvey
Born	(1973-05-03) 3 May 1973 (age 52) Tralee, Kerry, Ireland
Genres	Pop rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Universal, Island, Virgin

Raymond "Rea" Michael Garvey (born on May 3, 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He lives in Germany. In 1998, he started the band Reamonn. For 11 years, Rea Garvey was the lead singer of Reamonn. The band became very popular in Europe. They had many albums that sold millions of copies, like Tuesday, Dream No. 7, Beautiful Sky, Wish, and Eleven. They also had many sold-out concerts across Europe.

In 2010, after releasing their "best-of" album and going on a final tour, the band decided to go their separate ways. Rea Garvey then started his solo music career. His first solo album, "Can't Stand the Silence," came out in 2011. This album showed a change in his music style. He moved from the rock sound of Reamonn to a more electronic pop style.

Rea Garvey's Early Life

Rea Garvey was born in Tralee, Ireland, on May 3, 1973. He is one of eight children and the only boy in his family. His parents were strict, and his father worked as a police chief. Rea found his passion for music, which helped him find a good path in life.

Music Career

Starting as a Frontman

Rea Garvey first gained music experience as the lead singer for a band in Dublin called The Reckless Pedestrians. In 1998, he moved to Germany. He didn't speak German at the time. He stayed with friends in Upper Swabia and worked selling T-shirts and helping out at music festivals.

While working, he put an advertisement in a newspaper. He was looking for people to start a band with him. In November 1998, he formed the band Reamonn with drummer Mike Gommeringer, keyboardist Sebastian Padotzke, guitarist Uwe Bossert, and bassist Philipp Rauenbusch. The band's name, Reamonn, comes from the Irish version of Rea Garvey's first name. In June 1999, the band signed their first record deal.

In March 2000, Reamonn released their first song, "Supergirl." It became a top-five hit in Germany and Austria. It also reached the top ten in Switzerland. Their first album, Tuesday, was released two months later. It reached number five on the German album charts. After this, the band played over 200 sold-out concerts. They released two more albums, Dream No. 7 (2001) and Beautiful Sky (2003), which sold many copies and earned gold and platinum awards.

Solo Music Work

Even while he was with Reamonn, Rea Garvey started working on his own music. He has written songs for many other artists, including Paul van Dyk, Jam and Spoon, Roger Cicero, and The BossHoss. He has also sung with artists like Apocalyptica, In Extremo, Nelly Furtado, Mary J Blige, and ATB. In 2005, Rea worked with Nelly Furtado on the song "All Good Things (Come to an End)" for her 2006 album, Loose. They also toured together in France and the Netherlands in 2007.

Rea Garvey has always been interested in electronic music. In 2001, he worked with the DJ team Jam and Spoon on the song "Be Angeled" for the movie Loveparade. This song was performed again in July 2006 at the start of the Love Parade, in memory of Mark Spoon. In 2007, Rea sang on the song "Let Go" for Paul van Dyk's album In Between. Rea also worked with Xavier Naidoo. They recorded Falco's song "Jeanny" in 2002. They also recorded "My Child" for Rea's first solo album, Can't Stand the Silence, in 2011. This album was very successful after Reamonn broke up in early 2011.

Rea Garvey performing at Rock im Park in 2014

Rea Garvey has also been a coach on the German TV show The Voice of Germany. He was a coach for seasons 1-2, 4-5, 9-10, 12, and 15. The winner of the second season, Nick Howard, was on Rea Garvey's team.

In 2005, Rea Garvey, along with Xavier Naidoo, Sasha, and comedian Michael Mittermeier, performed a show called Alive & Swingin'. They paid tribute to the famous group the Rat Pack. This show helped Rea Garvey's charity, Saving an Angel. Because it was so popular, the four artists performed together again in early 2011 for a sold-out tour. They continued to tour in 2012 and planned more shows with their big band in 2014.

In 2021, Rea Garvey won the Free European Song Contest. This contest was created by the German TV Channel ProSieben when the original Eurovision Song Contest couldn't happen due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He represented Ireland with his song "The One" and came in first place with 116 points out of 16 songs.

Personal Life

Rea Garvey married Josephine Falticska in 2002. They have a daughter named Aamor, who was born in 2005, and a son. The family lives in both Berlin and the village of Hadamar in Hesse, Germany.

Discography

Studio Albums

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Awards and Recognition

• 2010: Echo: He received an award for his Social Engagement.
• 2012: Diva: He was named Music Artist of the Year.