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 an American Indian singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and actor. He comes from Hollywood, Florida. In 2013, Spencer made history. He became the first American Indian artist to sign with Hard Rock Records. He has won awards for his music videos. These include "The Storm" at the American Indian Film Festival and "Love of My Life" at the Native Cinema Showcase.

After signing with Hard Rock Records, he released an album called Stupid in Love in 2015. Spencer has performed at big music events. These include the Calling Festival in London and the Hard Rock Rising festival in Miami. He also performed at the Hard Rock Rising Barcelona Global music festival. He was the very first artist to perform at the Hard Rock Live amphitheater in Hollywood, Florida.

Early Life and Growing Up

Spencer Battiest was born in Plantation, Florida. His mother, June Lena Baker Battiest, is Seminole. His father, Henry Lee Battiest, Jr., is full-blooded Choctaw. Spencer grew up in two places. He spent time in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and on the Hollywood Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida. He finished school at Hollywood Christian School. Spencer has four sisters and two brothers. His older brother, Zachary, also known as "Doc," works with him on music projects.

First Performances and Singing

Spencer's first time performing on stage was when he was only 4 years old. He sang 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. Spencer's father saw how much he loved singing. He helped Spencer become a great singer.

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

Acting and Awards

While going to a Christian school in Hollywood, Florida, Spencer joined in school plays and musicals. When he was 14, he started studying acting. This led to an invitation to try out for IPOP. IPOP stands for International Presentation of Performance. About 1000 children from all over the world were invited. Spencer was chosen as one of the top 15. He took part in the final show and won an award. He was named "Best Top Male Teen."

Spencer Battiest's Music Journey

Spencer did not have formal music training. But he kept singing and learning about music on his own. Through writing songs, he found a way to connect deeply with his audience. Spencer's music was influenced by famous artists. These include Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, and Prince.

Performing at Big Festivals

From 2007 to 2010, Spencer performed at the yearly Calling Festival in London. This festival used to be called Hyde Park Calling and Hard Rock Calling. He shared the stage with huge stars. These included Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Sting, and The Police. He played a mix of pop and rock music for over 100,000 people. This was at London's High Park arena.

In April 2015, Spencer and the Osceola Brothers Band performed in Miami, Florida. This was part of the first Hard Rock Rising festival in the US. About 52,000 people were in the audience. Other famous artists like Andrea Bocelli, Jon Secada, and Gloria Estefan also performed.

In the summer of 2015, Spencer performed at the Hard Rock Rising Barcelona Global music festival. He opened for big names like Robbie Williams, Kings of Leon, Juanes, Lenny Kravitz, Avicii, and Steve Angello. This festival lasted a whole weekend. It took place in Barcelona, Spain, on July 24 and 25, 2015. Spencer sang some new songs and also covers of The Beatles.

Award-Winning Songs and Videos

In 2011, Spencer worked with his brother Zachary. They wrote and produced a song called "The Storm." This song tells the story of their tribe. The music video was directed by Steven Paul Judd, a Kiowa-Choctaw filmmaker. A Seminole youth program helped with the video. Students were invited to learn about film production. The video was filmed entirely on the Seminole Reservation in Florida. It showed important historical places, family history, and culture.

"The Storm" music video won an award for Best Music Video. This was at the 36th Annual American Indian Film Festival. It was also chosen to be shown at ImagineNATIVE in Toronto, Canada. It won another award at the Smithsonian's Santa Fe Native Cinema Showcase. The video was also nominated for three Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs). These nominations were for Best Rap/Hip Hop Recording, Debut Artist of the Year, and Song/Single of the Year. This video is still recognized around the world.

In 2014, Spencer worked with Steven Paul Judd again. They directed the video for his first song with Hard Rock Records, called "Love of My Life." This video was filmed in Hollywood, California. It was co-produced with Brandon "B" Howard. "Love of My Life" was nominated for Best Music Video at the 39th Annual American Indian Film Festival. It was also nominated for Song Single of the Year and Best Music Video at the 2014 NAMMYs. The video won Best Music Video at the Native Cinema Showcase. It was shown at several film festivals, including the 3rd San Diego American Indian Film Festival.

New Music and Milestones

Spencer released his first album, an EP, called Stupid In Love in 2015. It included original songs like "Right Here" and "Over You." In 2019, he worked with Melissa B. on a song called "Permission to Love." This song was released on iTunes.

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

Acting Roles

In 2013, Spencer took on lead roles in new plays for Native Voices at the Autry. These plays included Distant Thunder (a Blackfeet musical), The Day We Were Born, and Champ. In the same year, he was part of a special project. It was a multimedia project by Navajo filmmaker Pamela J. Peters. The project was called Legacy of Exiled NDNZ. It showed the lives of young American Indians living in Los Angeles, California. It was a tribute to the first group of Native Americans who moved there in the 1950s. This project later became a full-length movie called Exiled NDNZ. The filmmaker followed Spencer's music career that year and planned to continue for the next two years.