Macy Gray

Audiences from every background gravitate toward Macy Gray whenever they seek an inventive departure from standard-issue R&B. Crossing into the new millennium, her singular vocal texture and flamboyant fashion sense carried her to mainstream prominence through the single “I Try,” which climbed to a Top Five pop placement. A Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and multiple platinum certifications for the accompanying album, 1999’s On How Life Is, arrived soon after. She proceeded to assemble an expansive and eclectic catalog of fearless original songs alongside striking reinterpretations that salute everyone from Nina Simone to Metallica. In 2016 she revisited earlier material with a jazz quartet on Stripped, yet later releases such as 2018’s Ruby and 2023’s The Reset confirm her continued drive to compose songs that speak to current realities.

Born Natalie McIntyre in Canton, Ohio, she spent her early years as a reserved child often mocked for her unusual voice. Classical piano lessons formed part of her training, yet she also absorbed the recordings of soul icons including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin along with vintage hip-hop. During her teenage boarding-school years she encountered a broad spectrum of rock & roll. Relocating to Los Angeles to pursue USC’s screenwriting curriculum, she once consented to supply lyrics for a friend’s compositions. A demo session was arranged; when the intended vocalist failed to appear, Gray—having borrowed the complete name of an elderly Canton neighbor for her artistic identity—performed the vocals herself despite her aversion to the sound of her own voice. One track remained untouched by any subsequent singer, and as those recordings circulated through the local scene her raspy delivery drew notice. She performed jazz and pop standards with a hotel circuit band, sustained work as a demo vocalist, and hosted an after-hours club of her own.

Widespread interest secured a contract with Atlantic Records. An album was completed, yet the label chose not to issue it. The setback, compounded by the dissolution of her marriage, prompted a return to Canton. Her demo nevertheless continued to circulate, and she came back to Los Angeles to sign a publishing agreement with Zomba that paved the way for a fresh deal with Epic. Issued in July 1999, On How Life Is earned enthusiastic notices and organic enthusiasm, though initial sales built gradually. Early the following year, Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal arrived; in May “I Try” reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album attained triple-platinum status before year’s end. Three further 2001 Grammy nods—for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal—followed, the last of which she claimed.

Subsequent collaborations included work with Fatboy Slim, the Black Eyed Peas, and Slick Rick, while her screen-acting debut came in Denzel Washington’s police drama Training Day. As preparations began for her second album, a reputation for eccentric public appearances and interviews grew, reaching a peak in August 2001 when she drew boos after apparently stumbling through the national anthem. Released the next month, The Id represented a deliberate amplification of her unpredictable persona; it debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, earned gold certification driven by the lead single “Sweet Baby,” and included contributions from Erykah Badu and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante. In the interim she appeared as herself in the blockbuster Spider-Man and contributed to Santana’s Shaman. April 2003 brought her third album, The Trouble with Being Myself, which peaked at number 44. A move from Epic to Geffen followed; teaming with will.i.am and Ron Fair, she delivered the more polished soul of Big, released in March 2007 and entering the Billboard 200 at number 39.

Over the ensuing decade she shifted among labels while balancing original material with covers. The Sellout, issued by Concord in June 2010, contained several self-written tracks and a guest spot from Bobby Brown, becoming her fourth Top 40 album. She then joined the 429 roster for two 2012 projects: Covered in March, which reimagined songs by Metallica, My Chemical Romance, and Kanye West, and Talking Book in October, a track-by-track homage to Stevie Wonder’s 1972 classic. The independently released The Way, issued with assistance from Kobalt in October 2014, consisted entirely of new compositions. Backed by a jazz quartet featuring trumpeter Wallace Roney, she recorded Stripped for Chesky; the album appeared in September 2016 and offered fresh takes on “I Try” and “Sweet Baby” amid additional covers. Two years later she moved to Mack Avenue’s Artistry imprint for Ruby, which included fresh songs crafted with Ryan Tedder and Meghan Trainor. The Reset, tracked in 2020 amid reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, was self-released in 2023. Accompanied by her new trio the California Jet Club, she voiced discontent with the nation in “America,” reworked Body Count’s “Cop Killer,” and juxtaposed introspective pieces with upbeat fare.