Matt White (musician)
Encyclopedia
Matt White is an American singer-songwriter based in New York City. His full-length debut album, Best Days
, released by Geffen Records
, reached No. 4 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers
chart.
and raised in New York City. He began playing the piano
at age three and grew up playing classical music
. He wrote an opera
at age 11. White moved to Wisconsin
in 2002 for college and began his singing career by busking
in a subway station. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, he learned to play the guitar
when a piano wasn't available. After graduating from college, White moved back to New York City, where he continued busking, singing on street corners and in Washington Square Park
. He eventually began performing in clubs like Joe's Pub
and the Living Room. A fan sent an MP3
of White's song "Miracles", to an A&R
rep at Geffen Records
; his music, combined with him having over 50,000 MySpace
friends, led to White being offered a recording contract
with Geffen. In 2006, White debuted with the EP Bleecker Street Stories, selling 100,000 copies. His full-length album, Best Days
, was released on September 18, 2007. White's music has appeared on the television series One Tree Hill
, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
, What About Brian
, The Hills, Men in Trees
and in the films She's the Man
, Little Manhattan, Shrek the Third
, What Happens in Vegas
, Because I Said So
, Wedding Crashers
, Hotel for Dogs
and Over Her Dead Body
.
was released on September 18, 2007. Reception to the music was very positive by music critics and mass audiences alike. A highlight of the album was when White was picked by MTV
to be featured on 52 artist week series which was a massive promotion that MTV ran at the time. White involved his maternal grandmother Shirley Kessleman, who was also one of the first female orchestral leaders in the country and whose older sister Lillian Hertz was considered to be one of the most revered violinists in the country and was the band leader of the Lillian Hertz Orchestra which made their debut at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, in 1936. The music video for Best Days stayed on the VH1 Top 20 countdown for 16 weeks reaching number 6 on the Countdown. White has taken 2009 to write his next record which he says will be "mostly piano, and recorded on analog tape which was the popular way of recording prior to 1995, when digital recordings became the norm.
White made his mark in 2007 with his debut album Best Days, which reached #4 on Billboard’s New Artist chart and earned him high praises from press. Rolling Stone magazine listed him in their "10 Artists to Watch". Details magazine also added Best Days in their "best new music bubbling from the underground," saying White has "a falsetto smooth enough to melt the icy heart of a Brooklyn hipster."
White has toured extensively and has performed with Sheryl Crow
, John Mayer
, B.B. King, One Republic, Third Eye Blind
and Counting Crows
. White’s songs have garnered national attention, he played an integral role in The Gap's "Vote For" Initiative campaign, which encouraged Americans to express their ideals and become proactive during the 2008 election. His custom track “Songs of Freedom” became the theme song for campaign and aired on a special electoral episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. His music has also made a splash nationally in movies and TV shows, such as What Happens in Vegas, Shrek the Third, Because I Said So, The Hills, Men in Trees and One Tree Hill.
Recently, Matt White was picked as Facebook
's first artist feature with demos from the upcoming album release.
Top Ten Artists to Watch ["http://www.universalmusic.com/artist-news/mtv-gives-break-to-new-artist-matt-white"]
Best Days (album)
Best Days is the debut studio album by American songwriter-singer Matt White. The album follows up his 2006 debut EP Bleecker Street Stories...
, released by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, reached No. 4 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart.
Biography
White was born in Englewood, New JerseyEnglewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
and raised in New York City. He began playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at age three and grew up playing classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. He wrote an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
at age 11. White moved to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in 2002 for college and began his singing career by busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
in a subway station. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, he learned to play the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
when a piano wasn't available. After graduating from college, White moved back to New York City, where he continued busking, singing on street corners and in Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park is one of the best-known of New York City's 1,900 public parks. At 9.75 acres , it is a landmark in the Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity...
. He eventually began performing in clubs like Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
and the Living Room. A fan sent an MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
of White's song "Miracles", to an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
rep at Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
; his music, combined with him having over 50,000 MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
friends, led to White being offered a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Geffen. In 2006, White debuted with the EP Bleecker Street Stories, selling 100,000 copies. His full-length album, Best Days
Best Days (album)
Best Days is the debut studio album by American songwriter-singer Matt White. The album follows up his 2006 debut EP Bleecker Street Stories...
, was released on September 18, 2007. White's music has appeared on the television series One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
, What About Brian
What About Brian
What About Brian is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot Productions. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a midseason replacement and concluded on March 26, 2007...
, The Hills, Men in Trees
Men in Trees
Men in Trees is an American romantic television dramedy series which premiered on September 12, 2006 on ABC and starred Anne Heche who played relationship coach Marin Frist. The series was set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska and concerned Marin Frist's misadventures in relationships...
and in the films She's the Man
She's the Man
She's the Man is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Fickman, based on Twelfth Night, a play by William Shakespeare. The film stars Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey and Vinnie Jones....
, Little Manhattan, Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
, What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:...
, Because I Said So
Because I Said So (film)
Because I Said So is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann and starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo and Stephen Collins. It was released on February 2, 2007.-Plot:...
, Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Diora Baird, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell....
, Hotel for Dogs
Hotel for Dogs (film)
Hotel for Dogs is a 2009 American children's comedy film based on the 1971 Lois Duncan novel of the same name. The film, directed by Thor Freudenthal and adapted by Jeff Lowell, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle, stars Johnny Simmons, Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, Kyla...
and Over Her Dead Body
Over Her Dead Body
Over Her Dead Body is a romantic comedy film starring Eva Longoria, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Jason Biggs, Lindsay Sloane, Ali Hillis, Colin Fickes and Stephen Root. It was written and directed by Jeff Lowell. Kate dies on the day of her wedding to fiancé Henry...
.
Best Days
The album Best DaysBest Days (album)
Best Days is the debut studio album by American songwriter-singer Matt White. The album follows up his 2006 debut EP Bleecker Street Stories...
was released on September 18, 2007. Reception to the music was very positive by music critics and mass audiences alike. A highlight of the album was when White was picked by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
to be featured on 52 artist week series which was a massive promotion that MTV ran at the time. White involved his maternal grandmother Shirley Kessleman, who was also one of the first female orchestral leaders in the country and whose older sister Lillian Hertz was considered to be one of the most revered violinists in the country and was the band leader of the Lillian Hertz Orchestra which made their debut at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, in 1936. The music video for Best Days stayed on the VH1 Top 20 countdown for 16 weeks reaching number 6 on the Countdown. White has taken 2009 to write his next record which he says will be "mostly piano, and recorded on analog tape which was the popular way of recording prior to 1995, when digital recordings became the norm.
White made his mark in 2007 with his debut album Best Days, which reached #4 on Billboard’s New Artist chart and earned him high praises from press. Rolling Stone magazine listed him in their "10 Artists to Watch". Details magazine also added Best Days in their "best new music bubbling from the underground," saying White has "a falsetto smooth enough to melt the icy heart of a Brooklyn hipster."
White has toured extensively and has performed with Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, B.B. King, One Republic, Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
and Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
. White’s songs have garnered national attention, he played an integral role in The Gap's "Vote For" Initiative campaign, which encouraged Americans to express their ideals and become proactive during the 2008 election. His custom track “Songs of Freedom” became the theme song for campaign and aired on a special electoral episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. His music has also made a splash nationally in movies and TV shows, such as What Happens in Vegas, Shrek the Third, Because I Said So, The Hills, Men in Trees and One Tree Hill.
Recently, Matt White was picked as Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
's first artist feature with demos from the upcoming album release.
It's The Good Crazy
Matt White's second album It's The Good Crazy was released on September 14, 2010 with 11 tracks.Albums
- Bleecker Street Stories (2006), GeffenGeffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
- debut EP - Best DaysBest Days (album)Best Days is the debut studio album by American songwriter-singer Matt White. The album follows up his 2006 debut EP Bleecker Street Stories...
(2007) - It's the Good Crazy (2010)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart peak positions |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
|||
| 2008 | "Best Days" | #19 | Best Days Best Days (album) Best Days is the debut studio album by American songwriter-singer Matt White. The album follows up his 2006 debut EP Bleecker Street Stories... |
Sources
Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Top Ten Artists to Watch ["http://www.universalmusic.com/artist-news/mtv-gives-break-to-new-artist-matt-white"]
- Inman, Jeff (January 17, 2008). "Street Corner Superstar: Matt White used to busk in parks; now he’s the new god of love rock". Salt Lake City WeeklySalt Lake City WeeklySalt Lake City Weekly is a free alternative weekly tabloid-paged newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began its life as the Private Eye. City Weekly is published and dated for every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc...
. Retrieved on January 22, 2008. - "Second Cup Café: Matt White". CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
. August 25, 2007. Retrieved on January 22, 2008.
External links
- Matt White official website
- Matt White at Geffen RecordsGeffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...