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Rag'n'Bone Man

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"Rory Graham" redirects here. Not to be confused with Roy Graham.

Rag'n'Bone Man
Rag'n'Bone Man performing in 2017
Rag'n'Bone Man performing in 2017
Background information
Birth nameRory Charles Graham
Also known as
  • Rag 'n' Bonez
  • Moon
Born (1985-01-29) 29 January 1985 (age 39)
Eastbourne, East Sussex, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2010–present
Labels
Websiteragnboneman.com

Rory Charles Graham (born 29 January 1985), known professionally as Rag'n'Bone Man, is an English singer. He is known for his deep baritone voice. His first hit single, "Human", was released in 2016, and his first album Human was released in 2017. The album became the fastest selling debut album by a male in the UK for the decade[6] and has since achieved 4× Platinum certification. At the 2017 Brit Awards, he was named British Breakthrough Act and received the Critics' Choice Award and went on to receive a further Brit Award for Best British Single with the title track in 2018.

Following the album's success, Rag'n'Bone Man performed at headline shows and festivals around the globe and collaborated with a variety of artists from different genres, including Bugzy Malone, Logic, and Calvin Harris. In May 2021, he released his second studio album, Life by Misadventure. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spent seven weeks in the top 10, making it the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in 2021[7] and gaining Gold certification in the UK.

Early life

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Rory Charles Graham[8] was born on 29 January 1985 in Eastbourne, East Sussex.[9] He has a younger half-sister.[10] He attended the Ringmer Secondary School in Ringmer, from which he was expelled, and then enrolled at Uckfield College in Uckfield. At the age of 15,[citation needed] he began MCing with a drum and bass crew using the handle Rag 'N' Bonez, inspired by watching repeats of the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son. While at school, he was part of a group of youths supported by The Prince's Trust who developed a community project which involved painting and gardening in Crowborough. He still supports the local Brighton and Hove Albion football team.[11]

Career

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When he moved to Brighton, his friend Giermo formed the rap group Rum Committee and invited him to join them. He started performing at Slip-jam B, where he met people who helped him start his career.[12] Over the next few years, they supported hip hop artists Pharoahe Monch[13] and KRS-One at Brighton's Concorde 2, and released their own album titled Boozetown (2012) through Bandcamp and other digital stores. Just weeks before the Rum Committee album release, Graham was asked to support Joan Armatrading at Brighton Dome. With no solo releases to his name to distribute on the night, he worked with Rum Committee producers Gi3mo and Sherlock Bones to create his first official release, the eight-track EP Bluestown (2012), which included one feature from the rap artist Ceezlin.[citation needed]

2011–2015: Wolves and Disfigured

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In 2011, Graham started working with UK hip hop label High Focus Records, releasing a number of recordings with them such as a collaboration with MC and producer Leaf Dog titled Dog 'n Bone (2013) and a project with MC and producer Dirty Dike titled Put That Soul on Me (2014). Shortly afterwards, he began to collaborate with record producer Mark Crew, who at the time was working on Bastille's debut album Bad Blood. Graham signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music in 2013.[14]

In 2014, in collaboration with Mark Crew, Graham released the EP Wolves through Best Laid Plans Records, containing nine tracks with guests including rapper Vince Staples, Stig of the Dump, and Kae Tempest. Graham, along with Skunk Anansie, also featured on Bastille's third mixtape, VS. (Other People's Heartache, Pt. III), on the song "Remains". His follow-up in 2015, the EP Disfigured, was also released through Best Laid Plans Records. The lead track "Bitter End" was playlisted on BBC Radio 1 Xtra, and made it onto BBC Radio 1's "In New Music We Trust" playlist.[citation needed]

2016–2020: Human

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Graham at the SWR3 New Pop Festival in 2017

Graham's first hit single, "Human", was released on Columbia Records in July 2016.[15] It peaked at number one in the official singles charts in Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. It was certified Gold in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.

"Human" was used as the theme music to two Amazon Prime streaming television shows: Oasis in 2017, and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in 2018. It was in the official launch trailer for the video game Mass Effect: Andromeda,[16] in the trailer for the 2017 film Thank You for Your Service, in the television series Inhumans,[17] and in the season 2 intro for the television series Into the Badlands.[18] The song was also used in an advertisement aired during Super Bowl LVII for the "He Gets Us" campaign, in the outro for the 9th episode of season 3 of Ash vs Evil Dead, and in the 16th episode of season 7 of the series Suits.

Graham's debut album, also titled Human, was released on 10 February 2017.[19] The album opens with the song "Human", features the single "Skin", and has tracks produced by Mark Crew, Two Inch Punch, and Jonny Coffer. The album won the BBC Music Award for Album of the Year in 2017 and he was nominated for Artist of the Year. Later in 2017, Graham collaborated with British virtual band Gorillaz, appearing on the song "The Apprentice" from the deluxe edition of their fifth studio album Humanz.[citation needed]

Graham also sang and co-wrote one of the songs, "Broken People", from Will Smith's 2017 Netflix film Bright.[20]

In January 2019, Graham collaborated with Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris to record the song "Giant". It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. He also collaborated with the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari to write the song "Freedom", for the album D.O.C.[21]

2021: Life by Misadventure

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In January 2021, Graham released "All You Ever Wanted", the lead single from his second studio album Life by Misadventure. He then collaborated with Pink for the second single from the album, "Anywhere Away from Here". Further singles from the album were "Alone", "Crossfire", and "Fall in Love Again".

The album was originally going to be released on 23 April 2021,[22] but was postponed to 7 May 2021.[23]

Life by Misadventure debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spent seven weeks in the top 10, making it the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in 2021[7] and gaining Gold certification in the UK.

2024: What Do You Believe In?

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Graham's third studio album, What Do You Believe In?, was released on 18 October 2024.[24] The title of the album stemmed from a conversation Graham had with his son about the death of Graham's mother.[25]

Personal life

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Graham has a son with ex-wife Beth Rouy. He lives in Heathfield, East Sussex.[26]

Discography

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Main article: Rag'n'Bone Man discography

Accolades

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Year Awards Category Work Result Notes
2017 Brit Awards[27] Critics' Choice Award Himself Won
British Breakthrough Act Won
Echo Awards International Newcomer Won
International Rock/Pop Male Artist Won
MTV Europe Awards Best New Act Nominated
Best Push Act Nominated
NRJ Music Awards International Breakthrough of the Year Won
Žebřík Music Awards Best International Discovery Nominated [28]
2018 Brit Awards British Male Solo Artist Nominated
British Album of the Year Human Nominated
British Single of the Year "Human" Won
GAFFA Awards Best Foreign New Act Himself Nominated
2020 Ivor Novello Awards Most Performed Work "Giant" Won [29]
Brit Awards Song of the Year Nominated [30]
2021 Berlin Music Video Awards Best Concept "All You Ever Wanted" Nominated [31]
2022 Ivor Novello Awards Best Song Musically & Lyrically Nominated [32]
GAFFA Awards International Solo Act Himself Nominated [33]
International Album Life by Misadventure Nominated

Tours

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  • Human Tour (2017)
  • Life by Misadventure Tour (2021–22)
  • What Do You Believe In? Tour (2024)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Rag 'n' Bone Man: Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ a b Beaumont, Mark (15 February 2017). "Rag'n'Bone Man review – retro-soul spirituals with lounge rap interludes". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Reed, Ryan (11 January 2019). "Hear Calvin Harris' Brassy New Song With Rag'n'Bone Man, 'Giant'". Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ "Columbia Records on Facebook". Columbia Records. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  5. ^ "BRITs 2017 Critics' Choice Shortlist: Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie, Rag'n'Bone Man Make the Cut". Billboard. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Rag'n'Bone Man scores the fastest-selling male debut album of the decade". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Rag'n'Bone Man scores second Number 1 album". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Graham, Rory Charles". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  9. ^ Barton, Laura (1 January 2015). "'A little punk, a little jazz, a little shoegaze': meet the new blues". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Humphries, Will (6 January 2022). "How the Colston four joined the Black Lives Matter movement". The Times. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. ^ "5 famous faces you might not have realised are Seagulls superfans". The Argus. February 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Rag N' Bone Man: The MC building a refuge for his past loves". Huck magazine.com. 9 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  13. ^ Calway, Emma (6 March 2014). "Pharoahe Monch Live at Concorde 2, Brighton". Dead Curious. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Disfigured – EP by Rag'n'Bone Man". Apple Music. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  15. ^ "HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill – SONY MUSIC U.K.'S TIPS FOR 2016". Hitsdailydouble.com. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  16. ^ "MASS EFFECT™: ANDROMEDA – Official Launch Trailer". YouTube. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  17. ^ "Thank You for Your Service Trailer No. 1 (2017)". YouTube. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  18. ^ "Rag'nBone Man's Human intro for Into the Badlands season 2". YouTube. April 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  19. ^ "Rag'n'Bone Man – 'Human' Review". NME. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  20. ^ "Logic Links Up With Rag'N'Bone Man for New Track "Broken People"". Complex. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Zucchero Fornaciari: arriva in radio "Freedom", il nuovo singolo". Inside Music (in Italian). 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  22. ^ Murray, Robin (29 January 2021). "Rag'n'Bone Man Announces New Album 'Life By Misadventure'". Clash. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  23. ^ Moore, Sam (9 April 2021). "Listen to Rag'n'Bone Man's new collaboration with Pink, 'Anywhere Away From Here'". NME. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  24. ^ Clarke, Naomi (27 September 2024). "Unbelievable: Rag 'n' Bone Man on creating his 'joyful' third album, What Do You Believe In?". The Irish News. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  25. ^ The Graham Norton Show. Season 32. Episode 3. 11 October 2024. BBC One.
  26. ^ Church, Edward (23 September 2021). "Rag 'n' Bone Man says housing development will force him out of his 1 million pound home". Western Daily News. Plymouth. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  27. ^ Hann, Michael (8 December 2016). "Rag'n'Bone Man wins 2017 Brits critics' choice award". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  28. ^ "Historie". Anketa Žebřík.
  29. ^ "Archive : The Ivors". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  30. ^ "Brits 2020: Full winners list". BBC News. 18 February 2020.
  31. ^ "2021 Nominees". Berlin Music Video Awards. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  32. ^ "The Ivors". The Ivors Academy. 18 May 2023.
  33. ^ "GAFFA-PRISEN 2022". GAFFA.dk. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
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