Macy Gray Biography

With her distinctive raspy voice and the smash hit single “I Try,” Macy Gray has become an exceedingly popular R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. With several successful albums to her name, she has also branched out into other avenues such as film.

Natalie Renee McIntyre, known popularly as Macy Gray, was born September 6, 1967 in Canton, Ohio. After graduating from Western Reserve Academy, Gray began pursuing her musical career in earnest. She wrote several songs, and although they were intended for another singer, the artist was a no-show when it was time to record. Gray, who never liked her own voice, was pushed into recording the songs herself.

No one was more surprised than Gray when they proved popular. She began performing in small coffee houses and jazz clubs until her demo tape found its way into the hands of Atlantic Records. She was signed, but they ultimately were displeased with her subsequent demo.

With the disappointing outcome of her record deal and the breakup of her marriage, Gray spent some much needed time back home in Canton. While she was emotionally and professionally recovering, her tape made it to Epic Records, who signed her immediately.

In a whirlwind of events, Gray began recording her debut album in 1998. The following year On How Life Is hit the shelves. When the single “I Try” hit the airwaves, Gray became an overnight success. She won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001 and was nominated for several other prestigious Grammy Awards such as Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

In 2001, she also made her acting debut in the Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke drama Training Day. On the acting front, she went on to appear in several roles, the most notable being 2005’s Shadowboxer with Cuba Gooding Jr, Helen Mirren, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Stephen Dorff. She also appeared beside Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke in Domino and beside Andre Benjamin and Terrence Howard in Idlewild. Additionally, she received some critical acknowledgement for her role in Lackawanna Blues.

Gray’s much anticipated follow up album, The Id, did not make the splash she’d hoped. Despite notable guest artists such as Erykah Badu, the album still stalled in sales. She musically redeemed herself, however, in 2003 with The Trouble with Being Myself. The single “When I See You” became an instant hit in both the US and the UK. She later released The Very Best of Macy Gray as well as Live in Las Vegas.

2007 brought the long awaited release of her album, Big, which features musical talents Natalie Cole, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, and will.i.am. Some reviewers are touting it as her best work to date.

In her personal life, Gray married Tracy Hinds in 1996. Although they had three children together, the marriage dissolved just two years later.

Gray has also encountered several minor controversies including a 2007 concert in Barbados wherein she used profanity onstage, which constitutes a crime there. She had to publicly apologize in order to avoid arrest. Although never proven, she is also a common target for speculation of drug use.

On the other end of the spectrum, she is also noted for opening the Macy Gray Music Academy, which allows underprivileged children the opportunity to perform.