Macy Gray

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Macy Gray

Background information
Birth name Natalie Renee McIntyre
Born September 6, 1967 (age 39)
Origin Flag of United States Canton, Ohio, United States
Genre(s) R&B, soul, neo soul
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, record producer, actress
Years active 1999–present
Label(s) Epic (1999–2004)
Geffen (2005–present)
Website MacyGray.com

Macy Gray (born Natalie Renee McIntyre on September 6, 1967[1]) is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B, soul, and neo soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Miles Davis' ex-wife Betty Davis.

To date, Macy has released three studio albums, one compilation album and a live album — with a fourth studio album, Big, set to be released in March 2007. "Coming Back to You", her latest song, is featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 film Déjà Vu. She has appeared in a number of films including Training Day, Spider-Man, and Idlewild. Gray is best known for her international hit single "I Try", taken from her multi-Platinum debut album On How Life Is.

Contents

After her birth in Canton, Ohio and attendance at Western Reserve Academy, Macy Gray began her career after she moved back to Los Angeles, California in 1998. "I've Committed Murder" and "Why Didn't You Call Me" were minor hits there.

In 2001, Gray won the Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for "I Try", which was also nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Record of the Year". She then collaborated with Fatboy Slim, The Black Eyed Peas, and Slick Rick (on the song "The World Is Yours", from the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack), as well as acting for the first time in Training Day. Gray was booed in 2001 after forgetting the words to the American national anthem.

In the midst of the controversy, Gray's The Id became a commercial failure, largely stalling on the U.S. charts, in spite of appearances by John Frusciante and Erykah Badu, though the single "Sweet Baby" hit number eleven there. Perhaps in fairness to Gray, The Id was released a mere week after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In 2002, she appeared in Spider-Man as herself and worked on Santana's album Shaman, before releasing The Trouble with Being Myself in 2003. A cartoon based on Gray's childhood was being developed at one point, but it never came to fruition.

Gray was married to Tracy Hinds from 1996 to 1998; they had three children together. She opened up a music academy called "The Macy Gray Music Academy" in 2005 and it was the scene of MTV's Punk'd because of black mold in the building.

OutKast and Sleepy Brown are contributing to Gray's new album Big, which is scheduled for release on March 27, 2007.

She was kicked offstage at a concert in Barbados in January 2007 for profanity (which was part of the show), but she wasn't aware that it was against the law in that country. She gave a public apology that night to keep from getting locked up.

Gray also performed voiceovers for the character Seeiah in the Electronic Arts video game SSX Tricky, Gray hasn't been featured in any of the game's sequels.

Macy Gray has three children, 12, 11, and 9.

Cover Information
On How Life Is
  • Released: July 27, 1999
  • Chart positions: #4 U.S., #9 U.S. R&B, #3 UK, #2 CAN, #19 GER
  • U.S. certification: 3x Platinum
  • U.S. sales: 3 million
  • UK certification: 4x Platinum
  • UK sales: 1.2 million
  • Canadian certification: 3x Platinum
  • Canadian sales: 300,000
The Id
  • Released: September 18, 2001
  • Chart positions: #11 U.S., #9 U.S. R&B, #1 UK, #6 CAN, #10 GER
  • U.S. certification: Gold
  • U.S. sales: 500,000
  • UK certification: Gold
  • UK sales: 100,000
  • Canadian certification: Platinum
  • Canadian sales: 100,000
The Trouble with Being Myself
  • Released: July 15, 2003
  • Chart positions: #44 U.S., #29 U.S. R&B, #17 UK, #46 GER
  • U.S. certification: —
  • U.S. sales: 134,000
The Very Best of Macy Gray
  • Released: September 7, 2004
  • Chart positions: #36 UK
  • U.S. certification: —
  • U.S. sales: ?
Live in Las Vegas
  • Released: March 1, 2005
  • Chart positions: —
  • U.S. certification: —
  • U.S. sales: ?
Big
  • Released: March 27, 2007
  • Chart positions: TBR
  • U.S. certification: TBR
  • UK certification: TBR

Year Single Album Chart positions
U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. dance UK
1999 "Do Something" On How Life Is 63 51
"I Try" 5 2 7
2000 "Still" 48 18
"Why Didn't You Call Me" 100 38
2001 "Sweet Baby" (featuring Erykah Badu) The Id 11 13 23
"Sexual Revolution" 4 45
2003 "When I See You" The Trouble with Being Myself 57 37 26
"She Ain't Right for You" 52
2007 "Finally Made Me Happy" (featuring Natalie Cole) Big TBR TBR TBR TBR
2007 "Shoo Be Doo (No Words)" Big - 71 - -

Year Single Album Chart positions
U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. rap UK
2001 "Demons" (Fatboy Slim featuring Macy Gray) Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
The Very Best of Macy Gray
16
"Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph)"
(Common featuring Macy Gray)
Like Water for Chocolate 61 48
"Request + Line" (The Black Eyed Peas featuring Macy Gray) Bridging the Gap 63 51 2 31

Year Title Role
2001 Training Day Sandman's Wife
2002 Spider-Man Herself
2003 Scary Movie 3 Herself
Gang of Roses Assassin
2004 Lackawanna Blues Pauline
Around the World in 80 Days Sleepy Frenchwoman
Lightning in a Bottle Herself
2005 The Crow: Wicked Prayer Carman
Shadowboxer Neisha
Domino Lashandra Davis
2006 Idlewild Taffy

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Ally McBeal Herself "Hope and Glory" (episode 20, season 3)
2002 MDs Jess "Wing and a Prayer" (episode 7)
2004 American Dreams Carla Thomas "Real-to-Reel" (episode 12, season 2)
That's So Raven Rhonda "Taken to the Cleaners" (episode 4, season 3)
Blue's Clues Herself "Bluestock"
2005 Duck Dodgers Diva (voice) "Diva Delivery/Castle High" (episode 10, season 2)
American Dragon: Jake Long Trixie's grandmother (voice)
  • "Act 4, Scene 15" (episode 5, season 1)
  • "Professor Rotwood's Thesis" (episode 8, season 1)
Miss Jenkinks "Act 4, Scene 15" (episode 5, season 1)
1-800-Missing Cleo "A Death in the Family" (episode 13, season 3)

Nominations

Wins

Nominations

Nominations

  • MTV Video Music Awards: "Breakthrough Video" ("Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph)" — shared with Common) and "Best Hip-Hop Video" ("Request + Line" — shared with The Black Eyed Peas)
  • Billboard Music Video Awards: "Best Rap/Hip-Hop Clip of the Year" ("Request + Line" — shared with The Black Eyed Peas); the video also received a nomination for Joseph Kahn for "Director of the Year"[2]

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