Tay Zonday facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tay Zonday
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Tay Zonday in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Adam Nyerere Bahner |
| Born | May 21, 1982 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) | YouTube personality, singer, songwriter, voice actor |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Adam Nyerere Bahner (born May 21, 1982), known as Tay Zonday, is an American YouTube personality. He is also a singer-songwriter and voice actor. People often call him "Chocolate Rain Guy." He is famous for his very deep, bass singing voice.
Tay Zonday became well-known when his song "Chocolate Rain" became a viral video in July 2007. A viral video is one that spreads very quickly online. As of January 2025, "Chocolate Rain" has been watched over 140 million times on YouTube.
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Early Life and Education
Tay Zonday was born Adam Nyerere Bahner in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His mother was African-American and his father was Caucasian. He is the youngest of three children. Both of his parents were teachers.
He went to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. He later graduated from The Evergreen State College in 2004. Tay Zonday is autistic. He was diagnosed with high-functioning autism when he was 15 years old.
In 2004, Zonday started studying at the University of Minnesota. He wanted to become a professor. After his song "Chocolate Rain" became a huge hit, he left the university in 2008. He moved to Los Angeles, California. He chose "Tay Zonday" as a stage name. He wanted to keep his school life separate from his entertainment career.
Career Highlights
While studying at the University of Minnesota, Tay Zonday started performing. He would sing at open mic nights in 2006. He wanted more people to hear his music. So, in 2007, he began uploading his performances online.
The "Chocolate Rain" Song
Tay Zonday released "Chocolate Rain" on April 22, 2007. It was a song about important social topics. Soon, he was appearing on national television shows. He performed "Chocolate Rain" on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Maury. This was just a few months after he put the song on YouTube.
He was featured in newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and People. He also had an interview on CNN. In March 2008, his video won a YouTube award for music.
Many famous musicians liked "Chocolate Rain." John Mayer and Green Day drummer Tré Cool made their own versions. Thousands of other people also made parodies and remixes of his song. Tay Zonday also appeared in commercials. He was in one for Comedy Central and another for Dr Pepper. He also sang in a commercial for the Firefox web browser.
After "Chocolate Rain" Success
In February 2010, Tay Zonday appeared in a Vizio Super Bowl commercial. Beyoncé was also in the commercial.
In August 2011, he released his first EP, called "Chocolate Rain 2.0." An EP is a short music album. In November of that year, he uploaded "Mama Economy (The Economy Explained)." This song talked about problems with the economy in the United States. The famous violinist Lindsey Stirling played in the video.
On June 22, 2012, Zonday uploaded a cover of the popular song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. As of 2022, his cover has over 6.7 million views. It was even listed as one of the "10 Best 'Call Me Maybe' Covers" on Billboard.com. He sang the song as low as he possibly could.
Voice Acting Roles
Tay Zonday has also worked as a voice actor. In November 2016, he voiced "The King" in the Happy Wheels animated web series. This show was based on the popular video game.
In July 2017, he was cast in the animated web series Transformers: Titans Return. He voiced "Chorus of the Primes." This show featured several YouTube personalities.
Personal Life
Tay Zonday is autistic. He is also non-binary.
See also
In Spanish: Tay Zonday para niños
- List of YouTubers
