Sawyer Fredericks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sawyer Fredericks
Sawyer Fredericks at Bowery Music Hall, New York City, 2015
Background information
Birth name	Sawyer Christopher Fredericks
Born	(1999-03-31) March 31, 1999 (age 26) Newtown, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres	Folk Blues
Occupation(s)	Contemporary Folk Singer and Songwriter
Instruments	Guitar Vocals
Years active	2012–present
Labels	Independent (Previously with Republic Records)
Associated acts	Mia Z, Amy Vachal, Olivia Millerschin, Meghan Linsey, Hailey Knox, Madi Davis, Noelle Bybee, Koryn Hawthorne, Joshua Davis, Kimberly Nichole, Pharrell Williams, Gabriel Wolfchild, Haley Johnson

Sawyer Christopher Fredericks (born March 31, 1999) is an American singer and songwriter. He won the 8th season of The Voice in 2015. On the show, he chose Pharrell Williams as his coach. Sawyer set new sales records for songs on iTunes during the show. He also became the youngest male winner in the competition's history at just 16 years old.

After winning, Sawyer released an EP (a short album) called Sawyer Fredericks in November 2015. It quickly reached #2 on the Billboard Folk chart. In May 2016, he released a full album, A Good Storm, which also debuted at #2 on the Billboard Folk chart. Sawyer then went on a big tour across the U.S. to share his new music. He has released more albums since then, including Hide Your Ghost in 2018 and Flowers for You in 2020.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Sawyer Fredericks was born on March 31, 1999, in Newtown, Connecticut. He is the youngest of three brothers. When he was eight, his family moved to a large farm in Fultonville, New York. He was taught at home using a method called Unschooling, which means learning through life experiences rather than traditional school lessons.

At age 11, Sawyer started taking voice lessons. He began performing his music in many places, like farmers markets, open mic nights, and folk clubs. He even performed at The Bitter End in New York City. In 2012, he was a finalist in a talent search in Pawling, New York.

Music Career Highlights

First Songs and Albums

In 2012, Sawyer recorded a demo with six of his own songs, called Breaking Ice. A year later, on June 4, 2013, he released his first studio album, Out My Window. This album had 15 original songs.

Winning The Voice (2015)

From February to May 2015, Sawyer competed on the 8th season of The Voice. The show's talent scouts invited him to audition after seeing his singing videos on YouTube. For his first audition, called the "blind audition," he sang "Man of Constant Sorrow". This is a traditional folk song he used to sing when performing on the street.

All four coaches – Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton – turned their chairs around for him. Sawyer chose Pharrell Williams to be his coach.

During the show, Sawyer sang many popular songs, making them his own. He advanced through different rounds by performing songs like "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival and "Collide" by Howie Day. He continued to impress the judges and audience with his unique voice.

Sawyer's performances of "Imagine" by John Lennon and "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd were very popular. Many of his songs reached the top 10 on the iTunes charts during the competition.

For the grand finale on May 18, 2015, Sawyer performed an original song called "Please." He also sang "Summer Breeze" with his coach Pharrell Williams, and "Old Man" by Neil Young.

On May 19, 2015, Sawyer Fredericks was announced as the winner of The Voice! He won $100,000 and a recording contract with Republic Records. Sawyer broke many sales records for the show, with nearly one million digital songs sold during the season. At 16, he was the youngest male winner in the show's history at that time.

The Voice Performances

     Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

After The Voice: Albums and Tours

Sawyer Fredericks performing at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on September 4, 2016

After his big win, Sawyer signed with Republic Records. He performed at many festivals and opened for other artists. In November 2015, he released his first EP, Sawyer Fredericks, which reached #2 on the Billboard Folk chart. He also toured with other bands.

In 2016, Sawyer released his album A Good Storm. It was also very successful, reaching #2 on the Billboard Folk chart. He then went on a long tour across the U.S. to share his new songs. Reviewers praised his musical style and how he delivered his songs.

Becoming an Independent Artist

In January 2017, Sawyer announced that he was leaving Republic Records to become an independent artist. This meant he would manage his own music and career. His mother took over as his manager. He began planning new music and tours on his own.

Sawyer formed a new touring band and started recording his next album, Hide Your Ghost, at Dreamland Recording Studios. This album was released on March 30, 2018. An animated music video for the title track was also released. One of his songs, "Silent World," was even featured on the Netflix show Longmire. Another song, "This Fire," was covered on the TV show Code Black.

New Music and Recent Tours

On May 1, 2020, Sawyer released his album Flowers for You. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he couldn't tour right away. But in Fall 2021, he started a tour across the U.S. with The Accidentals, who had helped with some songs on his album.

Giving Back: Philanthropy

Sawyer Fredericks has always used his music to help others. Even before winning The Voice, he performed at events to raise money for charities like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

After his win, he sang "Imagine" on Red Nose Day to help children in need. He also performed at galas and auctioned off signed guitars to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Sawyer has helped raise over $1 million for people in Detroit by donating items for auction, like a signed hat and a red jacket he wore on The Voice.

He also teamed up with fellow Voice contestant Meghan Linsey to collect donations for flood relief in Louisiana. Sawyer has performed at many other benefit concerts, including one for Mountain Valley Hospice, where he received an award. He even gave a special acoustic show for young patients at Albany Medical Center.

Discography

Extended plays

Albums

Singles

Music videos

Awards and Nominations