Tay Zonday facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tay Zonday
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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, singer, songwriter, and voice actor. He is famous for his very deep, or bass, singing voice.
Tay Zonday became widely known when his song "Chocolate Rain" became a viral video in July 2007. This means it spread 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 parents were both teachers. He is the youngest of three children.
He attended a special school for math and science but left before finishing. He later graduated from Evergreen State College in 2004. Zonday is autistic, and he was diagnosed with high-functioning autism when he was 15 years old.
In 2004, Zonday started studying history at the University of Minnesota. He planned to become a professor. After his song "Chocolate Rain" became a huge hit, he left the university in 2008 with a master's degree. He then moved to Los Angeles, California. He chose the stage name "Tay Zonday" to keep his school life separate from his entertainment career. He picked the name because he thought it sounded good and was not already in use.
Career Highlights
While studying at the University of Minnesota, Tay Zonday started performing 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. This song quickly became a huge viral hit. It talked about race and race politics. Soon, Zonday 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 posted the song on YouTube. He was featured in major 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 people talked about "Chocolate Rain." The Australian Daily Telegraph newspaper said it was "perhaps the most listened-to song in the world." Famous musicians also noticed the song. John Mayer copied Zonday's keyboard part in his concerts. Green Day drummer Tré Cool even made a funny version of "Chocolate Rain." Thousands of other parodies and remixes of his song appeared on YouTube.
Tay Zonday also appeared in commercials. He was in an ad for Comedy Central. He also made a video called "Cherry Chocolate Rain" to promote Dr Pepper. He even sang in a commercial for the Firefox web browser. People often compare his deep voice to singers like Paul Robeson and Barry White.
After "Chocolate Rain"
In February 2010, Tay Zonday made a short appearance in a Vizio Super Bowl commercial. This ad also featured Beyoncé.
In August 2011, Zonday released his only EP (a short album) called "Chocolate Rain 2.0." Later that year, he uploaded "Mama Economy (The Economy Explained)." This song explained the economic situation in the United States. The video for "Mama Economy" featured Lindsey Stirling playing the violin.
On June 22, 2012, Zonday uploaded his own version of Carly Rae Jepsen's popular song "Call Me Maybe." As of 2022, his cover has over 6.7 million views. Billboard.com listed it as one of the "10 Best 'Call Me Maybe' Covers." In the video, he sings the song in his very low voice.
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 series 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 to attract online viewers.
See also
In Spanish: Tay Zonday para niños
- List of YouTubers
