Greg Garbowsky
Encyclopedia
Gregory Robert "Greg" Garbowsky (born September 10, 1986) also known as Garbo, is an American musician originally from South Plainfield, New Jersey
, and is best known as the bass guitarist for the pop rock
bands Ocean Grove and the Jonas Brothers
.
as the son of Lois and Robert Garbowsky. He has one sibling, Juliann. He attended John E. Riley Elementary School and began playing violin in 3rd grade. He played drums in middle school and when he was 13, he asked his parents for a bass guitar for Christmas. He got the bass and taught himself to play, but got a little help from Andrew Veiss, the middle school's band director. Garbowsky said Veiss would come in early once a week, on his own time, to give him private instruction.
Garbowsky graduated from South Plainfield High School in 2004 and that fall enrolled in Seton Hall University
in South Orange
. He played bass in a band called Level Zero, which won a Battle of the Bands at Seton Hall in 2005. In the spring of 2005, he had just finished his freshman year when he decided he wanted to go into music production. He was looking to change colleges when he got a call from his music pastor at Evangel Church in Scotch Plains. One of the pastors friends had three sons who were putting together a band and were looking for a bass player. He recommended Greg to Paul Kevin Jonas Sr, the Jonas Brothers'
father. He began touring professionally when he was 18 years old.
this summer.
, including "Tonight
" off of the 2008 Hollywood Records release A Little Bit Longer
. "Tonight" reached up to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
. Also, the song "Games" off of the album Jonas Brothers
, released in 2007. "Tonight" was remixed by Timbaland in 2009 for a special download through Verizon phones.
Gregory Garbowsky also co-wrote the songs "Poison Ivy" and "Fly With Me
" which are on the Jonas Brothers' album Lines, Vines and Trying Times
. "Fly With Me" is also featured in the end credits of the movie Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian.
He co-wrote the song "Full Moon Crazy" for the band, Honor Society. The song was on their first album, 'Fashionably Late', which came out on September 15, 2009. The song was also the title of Honor Society's first headlining tour.
Garbowsky co-wrote "In The End," "Last Time Around," and "Tonight" off of the Nick Jonas & the Administration
album "Who I Am
" released in 2010.
He also co-wrote "When I'm Gone" on the 2011 album Bury Me In My Rings
by The Elected
, a side-project of Rilo Kiley
.
Greg has written songs with Glen Ballard
, The Veronicas
, Delta Goodrem
, Babyface and many others.
since their start in 2005. In addition, he has also played bass as part of special live performances with Stevie Wonder
, Brad Paisley
, Martina McBride
, Steven Curtis Chapman
, Michael W. Smith
, Amy Grant
, Vince Gill
, Dan Aykroyd
, Demi Lovato
, Jordin Sparks
, Honor Society (band)
, Jesse McCartney
, Taylor Swift
, Miley Cyrus
, and Hannah Montana
.
He also was in the band 'Level Zero', when he was in college. They participated in a "Battle of the Bands" competition at Seton Hall, and won. Presently, the band is still playing in the New Jersey area under the name "Afterall".
, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Moreover, he has appeared in several episodes of Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream
with the Jonas Brothers. He also appeared in the theatrical concert films for Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers.
South Plainfield, New Jersey
South Plainfield is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 23,385....
, and is best known as the bass guitarist for the pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
bands Ocean Grove and the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
.
Life before the band
Garbowsky was born and raised in South Plainfield, New JerseySouth Plainfield, New Jersey
South Plainfield is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 23,385....
as the son of Lois and Robert Garbowsky. He has one sibling, Juliann. He attended John E. Riley Elementary School and began playing violin in 3rd grade. He played drums in middle school and when he was 13, he asked his parents for a bass guitar for Christmas. He got the bass and taught himself to play, but got a little help from Andrew Veiss, the middle school's band director. Garbowsky said Veiss would come in early once a week, on his own time, to give him private instruction.
Garbowsky graduated from South Plainfield High School in 2004 and that fall enrolled in Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
in South Orange
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
. He played bass in a band called Level Zero, which won a Battle of the Bands at Seton Hall in 2005. In the spring of 2005, he had just finished his freshman year when he decided he wanted to go into music production. He was looking to change colleges when he got a call from his music pastor at Evangel Church in Scotch Plains. One of the pastors friends had three sons who were putting together a band and were looking for a bass player. He recommended Greg to Paul Kevin Jonas Sr, the Jonas Brothers'
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
father. He began touring professionally when he was 18 years old.
Ocean Grove
In 2011, Greg's band, Ocean Grove, released their first EP "Little Record" on iTunes. They will be touring with indie pop band He Is WeHe Is We
He Is We is an indie pop band from Tacoma, Washington. The band is made up of Trevor Kelly and Rachel Taylor. They met while working at Ted Brown Music Company, a music store in their home town of Tacoma, Washington. They each realized that the other had talent and began to play small gigs...
this summer.
Songwriting
He has co-written songs with the Jonas BrothersJonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
, including "Tonight
Tonight (Jonas Brothers song)
"Tonight" is the third single by the American pop band Jonas Brothers from their third studio album, A Little Bit Longer. Fueled by digital downloads, the song debuted and peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart on August 7, 2008, the group's second top ten single and second highest...
" off of the 2008 Hollywood Records release A Little Bit Longer
A Little Bit Longer
A Little Bit Longer is the third studio album by the American pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, and their second album released on Hollywood Records. It was released on August 12, 2008. The album received generally favorable reviews, and four star reviews from Rolling Stone, Allmusic, and Blender....
. "Tonight" reached up to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Also, the song "Games" off of the album Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers (album)
Jonas Brothers is the self-titled second studio album and the international debut album released by the Jonas Brothers and their first album to be released under Hollywood Records. The album was released on August 7, 2007. "Hold On" was the album's second single, followed by "SOS" as the third...
, released in 2007. "Tonight" was remixed by Timbaland in 2009 for a special download through Verizon phones.
Gregory Garbowsky also co-wrote the songs "Poison Ivy" and "Fly With Me
Fly with Me (song)
"Fly with Me" is the second single by American pop rock band Jonas Brothers from their fourth studio album Lines, Vines and Trying Times. It was released on June 9, 2009, through Hollywood Records. The song was featured in the film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, in which the...
" which are on the Jonas Brothers' album Lines, Vines and Trying Times
Lines, Vines and Trying Times
Lines, Vines and Trying Times is the fourth studio album by the Jonas Brothers and their third album released under Hollywood Records. It was released June 16, 2009 in the U.S. The album received mixed reviews from critics and fans. In its first week, Lines, Vines and Trying Times sold 247,000...
. "Fly With Me" is also featured in the end credits of the movie Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian.
He co-wrote the song "Full Moon Crazy" for the band, Honor Society. The song was on their first album, 'Fashionably Late', which came out on September 15, 2009. The song was also the title of Honor Society's first headlining tour.
Garbowsky co-wrote "In The End," "Last Time Around," and "Tonight" off of the Nick Jonas & the Administration
Nick Jonas & The Administration
Nick Jonas & the Administration is a band formed in late 2008 as a side project by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. Performers include singer, pianist, guitarist, drummer and songwriter Nick Jonas, bassist John Fields, drummer Michael Bland, keyboardist Tommy Barbarella, and guitarist David Ryan...
album "Who I Am
Who I Am
Who I Am was the third studio album released by Beverley Knight in March 2002 by Parlophone Records. It entered the UK albums chart at #7 and remains her highest charting album to date...
" released in 2010.
He also co-wrote "When I'm Gone" on the 2011 album Bury Me In My Rings
Bury Me In My Rings
Bury Me In My Rings is the third album by indie band The Elected which was released on 17 May 2011 by Vagrant Records. It is described as "complete with twelve shimmering pop songs reminiscent of mid-century West Coast rock." A first single, 'Babyface', was exclusively released on Spin.com on 2...
by The Elected
The Elected
The Elected are a Los Angeles-based indie rock band. The Elected have released two albums with Sub Pop: Me First in 2004, and Sun, Sun, Sun in 2006...
, a side-project of Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel....
.
Greg has written songs with Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...
, The Veronicas
The Veronicas
The Veronicas are an Australian electrorock, pop-punk and rock band. Twin sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso formed the band in 1999 in Brisbane. They have their own line of clothing which was released in 2007....
, Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
, Babyface and many others.
Performances
Garbowsky has been on every tour with the Jonas BrothersJonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
since their start in 2005. In addition, he has also played bass as part of special live performances with Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
, Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,...
, Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith is a Billboard top ten Billboard Hot 100 recording artist and Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in Contemporary Christian music. Smith also has achieved a considerable amount of...
, Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
, Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
, Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato
"She’s got the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she’s the best thing Disney’s had since Christina Aguilera."—Producer Toby Gad on Demi Lovato's vocals...
, Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
, Honor Society (band)
Honor Society (band)
Honor Society is a pop rock band originally based out of New York. The band consists of Michael Bruno , Jason Rosen , Andrew Lee , and Alexander Noyes . They were previously signed to Jonas Records in affiliation with Hollywood Records but parted ways in 2011. The band released its debut album...
, Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, and Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
.
He also was in the band 'Level Zero', when he was in college. They participated in a "Battle of the Bands" competition at Seton Hall, and won. Presently, the band is still playing in the New Jersey area under the name "Afterall".
Television and film
Garbowsky has performed alongside the Jonas Brothers on many television shows and awards shows including Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Moreover, he has appeared in several episodes of Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream
Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream
Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream is a reality television series that follows the life of the band Jonas Brothers, as their life of rockstars. It shows the personal life of the Jonas brothers and their life on tours. The series' first season premiered on May 16 2008. In March 2010, the show...
with the Jonas Brothers. He also appeared in the theatrical concert films for Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers.