Spencer Battiest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spencer Battiest
Born	Plantation, Florida, US
Citizenship	Seminole Tribe of Florida and United States
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Notable work	"The Storm", "Love of My Life"

Spencer Battiest is a talented Native American singer, songwriter, and actor. He grew up in Hollywood, Florida. In 2013, he made history by becoming the first Native American artist to sign with Hard Rock Records.

Spencer has won awards for his music videos. "The Storm" won an award at the American Indian Film Festival. His video for "Love of My Life" also won at the Native Cinema Showcase. He released his first music collection, called an EP, Stupid in Love, in 2015. He has performed at big music events like the Calling Festival in London. He was also the first artist to perform at the Hard Rock Live amphitheater in Hollywood, Florida.

Early Life and Beginnings

Spencer Battiest was born in Plantation, Florida. His mother is from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. His father was full-blooded Choctaw. Spencer spent his childhood between Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and the Hollywood Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida. He went to Hollywood Christian School. Spencer has four sisters and two brothers. His older brother, Zachary, also known as "Doc," works with him on music.

Spencer first sang on stage at age four. This was at his grandfather's church in Broken Bow. His father came from a family of gospel singers. He taught Spencer to sing hymns in his traditional tribal language. His father saw Spencer's love for singing. He helped Spencer become a great singer.

When Spencer was 11, he sang live at an NHL ice hockey game. It was between the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks. He was also asked to sing the US national anthem for boxing matches. These matches were shown on Showtime, HBO, and ESPN2.

While at Christian school in Hollywood, Florida, Spencer acted in plays and musicals. At 14, he started studying acting more seriously. This led to an audition for IPOP (International Presentation of Performance). He was one of 1000 children invited from around the world. Spencer was chosen as one of the top 15 performers. He won the "Best Top Male Teen" award at the final show.

Music Journey

Spencer Battiest learned about music on his own. He kept singing and writing songs. He found that his songs helped him connect deeply with his audience. Some of his favorite musicians who inspired him include Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, and Prince.

From 2007 to 2010, Spencer performed at the yearly Calling Festival in London. He shared the stage with famous artists like Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, and Bruce Springsteen. He played pop and rock music for over 100,000 people. This was at London's Hyde Park arena.

In 2011, Spencer worked with his brother Zachary. They wrote and produced "The Storm." This song tells the story of their tribe. The music video was directed by Steven Paul Judd. He is a Kiowa-Choctaw filmmaker. Seminole youth helped make the video. It was filmed entirely on the Seminole Reservation in Florida. The video showed important historical places, family history, and culture.

"The Storm" video won an award for Best Music Video. This was at the 36th Annual American Indian Film Festival. It was also shown at the ImagineNATIVE in Canada. It won an award at the Smithsonian's Santa Fe Native Cinema Showcase. The video was also nominated for three Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs). These included Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording and Song/Single of the Year.

In 2014, Spencer worked with Steven Paul Judd again. They directed the video for his first song with Hard Rock Records. The song was called "Love of My Life." It was filmed in Hollywood, California. Brandon "B" Howard helped produce it. This video was nominated for Best Music Video at the 39th Annual American Indian Film Festival. It also won Best Music Video at the Native Cinema Showcase.

In April 2015, Spencer and the Osceola Brothers Band played in Miami, Florida. This was part of the first Hard Rock Rising festival in the US. About 52,000 people attended. Other performers included Andrea Bocelli and Gloria Estefan.

In summer 2015, Spencer performed at the Hard Rock Rising Barcelona Global music festival. He opened for big names like Robbie Williams and Kings of Leon. This event took place in Barcelona, Spain. Spencer sang some new songs and covers of The Beatles.

Spencer released his first EP, Stupid In Love, in 2015. It had three original songs: "Mary Jane," "Right Here," and "Over You." In 2019, he worked with Melissa B. on the song "Permission to Love."

On October 16, 2019, Spencer and his brother Doc made history. They were the first performers to play at the new Hard Rock Live amphitheater. This is at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Acting Roles

In 2013, Spencer Battiest took on lead roles in new plays. These were for Native Voices at the Autry. The plays included Distant Thunder, The Day We Were Born, and Champ. In the same year, he joined a project by Navajo filmmaker Pamela J. Peters. It was called Legacy of Exiled NDNZ. This project showed the lives of young Native Americans living in Los Angeles, California. It honored the first generation of Native Americans who moved there in the 1950s. This project later became a full documentary called Exiled NDNZ. The filmmaker followed Spencer's music career for this project.