Billy Gilman(比利·吉尔曼),一个12岁大男孩,以首张专辑《One Voice》迅速拿下Billboard乡村专辑榜亚军及流行专辑榜Top22, 同名单曲直扑乡村单曲榜Top20并跃进流行单曲榜Top38,攻势强劲必有更灿烂的成绩表现!
人小志大的小比利从小就立下志向要当个歌手,7岁就在舞台上表演受到大家另眼相看。很多人认为认为这个小孩全身散发明星的特质,日后必会在有番大作为,果然,当小比利在美国乡村音乐奖CMA上表演,受到在场人士起立鼓掌久久不停的最高肯定。
生长在罗得岛的小比利, 从小就爱听祖父母所播放的乡村音乐,包括:Tammy Wynette、George Jones、Eddie Arnold等经典大师作品。当小比利生命中的贵人Ray Benson出现, 他的生命有了剧烈的改变。Ray Benson身为乡村乐界传奇人物, 在他的引荐之下,小比利正式进入乐坛,实现他心目中长久以来的梦想——站在众人面前唱歌, 以歌声带给人们欢乐及满足。
2000年小比利发行首张大碟《心情笔记One Voice》,网罗时下流行乡村最坚强的阵容包括David Malloy (Reba Mcentire)、Blake Chancey(Dixie Chicks)、Don Cook(Lonestar)等三大制作人监制,仅凭首支单曲《One Voice》就缔造Billboard流行单曲榜Top38、乡村单曲榜Top20佳绩,而专辑隆登Billboard流行专辑榜Top22、乡村专辑榜亚军,并且缔造流行音乐史上最年轻的歌手以首张专辑创造百万销售量的辉煌成就, 小比利以其真挚的情感、动人的嗓音征服成人市场,而他纯真俏皮的模样也深深吸引人们的喜爱及注目。
而在圣诞前夕,小比利发行别具意义的圣诞专辑《最爱圣诞精选Classic Christmas》,再度缔造Billboard乡村专辑榜Top5佳绩,首支单曲《Warm Fuzzy》展现小比利透过歌声为所有人打造快乐温暖的圣诞佳节,而跨界天后夏绿蒂也慕名前来与小比利合作经典圣诞名曲《Sleigh Ride》,共创美声极致的优扬乐音。而美国总统柯林顿也在一年一度的白宫耶诞大型派对上,邀请小比利在全美观众面前献上最悠扬的歌声。
在2000年到2001年全美重量级音乐盛会中, 都有小比利的身影及优异表现,首先在Billboard音乐录像带大奖一口气夺得最佳乡村新人、最佳现代福音、最佳现代福音新人、 最佳爵士与成人新人等四项殊荣,全美音乐奖赢得最佳乡村新人肯定, 在葛莱美奖则是获得最佳乡村男歌手及最佳乡村歌曲提名。这一切接连而来的肯定都证明小比利是当今最有才华及最受欢迎的少年歌手。
虽然比利的天赋超群,但他仍像其他男孩一样普通。最重要的是,比利和阿姨、叔叔、表兄弟姐妹和祖父母等家庭成员保持着亲密的关系。比利仍旧去探望祖母,还经常在祖母的起居室里唱歌给她听。不唱歌的时候,比利喜欢玩耍、打高尔夫球、钓鱼,与他8岁的弟弟嬉闹。在周末,比利经常到隔壁的小餐馆去玩电子游戏,定购意大利辣香肠比萨饼或炸鸡。事实上,比利看起来真的只是一个热爱他所从事的工作的孩子。“我不是被迫从事音乐的。我妈妈和祖母的态度也与我相似,他们说‘如果你喜欢你可以做下去,但是如果你想停止,那现在就可以停止。’” “生活不是那么容易的,要脚踏实地从头做起……”
2000年5月22日 历史上最年轻的艺人- Billy 凭借他的首支单曲《One Voice》成为出现在Billboard 乡村榜上最年轻的歌手,打破了Brenda Lee(1957)的记录。
2000年6月19日 第1首冠军单曲 - 在同一个星期里Billy 发行了他的首张专辑,他的第一支单曲上升至Billboard 乡村榜第1名的位置,并保持了5个星期,创造了更多的历史。
2000年6月28日 2000年6月20日Billy 发行了他的首张专辑,此专辑在排行榜上有了一个大的飞跃 - Billboard 乡村专辑榜第4名的位置!让Billy 成为进入Billboard 乡村专辑榜前5名的最年轻的歌手,并且在历史上仅有3位歌手在历史上凭借自己的第一张专辑能够达到这个位置。
2000年7月19日 另外,《One Voice》在7月19日 - 短短4周的时间内,被认定为金唱片,Billy 也成为了在历史上最年轻的拥有金唱片的歌手。
2000年9月12日 发行仅12周,Billy 的《One Voice》接受了RIAA的白金唱片认证,这意味着他销售了100万张专辑。Billy 是在所有风格的个人歌手中,最年轻的接受到RIAA的白金唱片认证的歌手。
2000年11月13日 Billy 的《One Voice》和《Classic Christmas》都进入了Billboard 的前10位,并且2张专辑加起来每周能卖6万5千张。11月《Daily Variety》把Billy 提名为在娱乐界中最有影响的十位年轻艺人。
2000年12月4日 从《One Voice》后,Billy 已经有了2张金唱片了,他的《Classic Christmas》也被认定为金唱片。
2001年1月3日 Billy 获得格莱美提名 - Billy 成为了最年轻的获得Grammy 提名的艺人。
2001年1月28日 Billy 获得Blockbuster 提名。
2001年2月27日 Billy 获得Academy乡村音乐的“最佳新人男艺人”提名,Billy 是最年轻的在ACMA 历史上获得此提名的艺人。
Billy 获得最佳新人歌手,最佳专辑(《One Voice》)、最佳单曲(《One Voice》)的提名。
2001年3月19日 TNN Country Weekly 授予Billy “Fast Track”和“Discovery”奖。
2001年6月9日 《One Voice》在加拿大成为金唱片。
Billy 赢得AMA 的“最佳乡村新人奖”,成为最年轻的获得此奖项的艺人。Billy 现场表演了《One Voice》,并且获得了起立欢呼!
2001年5月8日 Billy 的第3张专辑《Dare To Dream》发行,并且成为金唱片。
2001年6月13日 TNN 和 CMT Country Weekly 的“Discovery”奖获得者 - Billy 进行了精彩的表演和颁奖。
2003年4月15日 Billy 发行了他的第4张专辑《Music through Heartsongs》,专辑用的词是得了MD 疾病的13岁小诗人Mattie Stepanek 所创作的。Billy 成为MDA 代言人,并且和Jerry Lewis 共同主办为募电视节目。
2005年5月3日 Billy 发行了他的第5张专辑《Everything and More》。
2005年11月20日 Billy 获得了New Music Weekly 的“年度最佳乡村单曲”奖。
2006年9月5日 Billy发行了他的第六张专辑,也就是他的同名专辑《Billy Gilman》,标志着他自信的回归。
2007年底到8年初 Billy发行了两首单曲 Crying (原唱Roy Orbinson)与 When You Come Home (原唱 Mark Schultz)
2008年 Billy开始了自己的创作生涯,已有六首词曲均有自己操刀的原创歌曲,包括 Damn,It's My Life,This Time,I've Changed,Never Crossed My Mind,What Dreams Will Come 其中前四首曾公开表演。
个人生活
变声期
谁都知道有一天Gilman的嗓音会变化。但是没有人能肯定会带来什么后果,或这个改变要多长的时间。
Gilman 第一次注意到有些变化是他在2001年12月,在普罗维登斯(美国罗得岛州的首府)唱歌时发现的,当时正是奥运火炬传承。
"我能感觉到,并且我对自己说,'这可能是我最后一次以这种嗓音唱歌了.' 我有这种感觉. . .我开始感觉到这种压力,而且花了好大劲把声音提上去. 而它听起来也底气不足."
Billy 到了Vanderbilt 声音诊所,在Nashville,他们告诉他,他的声带在扩伸,而且他处于变声的第一阶段. 他们说可能要一个星期,也许更长时间。
Gilman 说他弟弟Colin的嗓音变化花了大约一个星期. 但Billy 花了两个多星期.
"我原本一年的圣诞专场要参加一百多场演唱会," Billy说到. "真的是很多。所以我对其中一部分说,'谢谢,但我需要休息.' 但我没想到这一休息就休了两年半."
"变化很大; 也是主要的; 但有时也坏事," 他母亲Fran Gilman这么说.
Gilman 仍然有时在公共场合作为MDA国家年轻的主席露面.他每次只唱一首歌。没有更多。
Gilman 仍记得几年前在洛杉矶与歌手们包括Patti Labelle 和 Luther Vandross 坐在餐厅里-- "他们是所有中两个最好的嗓音," Gilman说道 – 而且当全桌开始唱歌时, Gilman 想加入,但是他不可以.
Gilman 当他声音开始变时开始录制专集-- Music Through Heartsongs: 由Mattie J.T. Stepanek的诗集改编的.
Stepanek得了一种罕见的肌肉萎缩疾病 ,而且写了几本诗集.很多人把它们作成了歌曲 ,Gilman来演唱. 在他的嗓音变好前他每天只能唱录一首歌"真的好难。对我和制作人来说都是这样。并没有机会。也没有做出来。声带一直在扩伸而且发不出声. . . .幸运的是,我听到Angela说,'好了。听出来了。–你不能再唱了要不你的嗓子就没用了.' 有些人还没有这种待遇呢."(附:可怜的BG,还在自嘲呢—hislily)
“我几乎因为担心而让他声带出血溃疡,” Bacari说。
自此以后, Gilman 只在MDA上偶尔出场,但大多数是待在 Hope Valley的家里. 在9岁后就不停奔波的他比起来,需要一些改变, Billy 和 Fran Gilman如是说. “他又在房子四周走动了,” Fran Gilman(BG的母亲)说。"真不幸啊," Billy 打趣道. “但是这是发生在这个孩子身上最好的事,你看到发生的事情了吧,当你9岁到12岁的时候,是反响很大,‘神奇男孩’,他们这么称呼他。但是一刻之间,当你14了,然后你得待在家里。你的所有演出旅行被取消了。” "这是对我精神上最大的打击," Billy说到,"因为35人 – 我的工作人员—他们失业了。所以我觉得很难过,我觉得迷惑。" 当你13岁时," Fran Gilman 说,"这不应该是普通孩子所担心的.”
但是当时除了等待以外任何事都无济于事。其中一部分问题, Billy说,是由于他一开始的声音起音太高了。
"他会在家里打电话给我,都快要哭了," Bacari说,"他说,'事情没办法解决了.' 然后我会说,'就一切随意吧.' "
工作组变更
大约15岁的有音乐倾向的人都梦想着哪天能够获得一次真正的唱片签约。在15岁时, Gilman正“祈祷着”被炒鱿鱼。而且在2003年,Sony Nashville就恰恰这么做了。
“在Sony的与Billy签约的人,就象他的第二个家庭的人,被吵鱿鱼或是被调职了。” Bacari 说。新的人员接续负责起来,一位负责的人员说到,“我没有感受到他们能和这个孩子互相合作的心灵感应。”。他正等待着声音变好的事实并帮不上什么忙。在这一点上, Gilman 说得就象一位老手。
"我祈祷着什么的发生。当时很无奈,没有什么事情发生"
2004年, Gilman与Image Music Group签约,一个拍摄MV比发行专集更出名的公司。这更适合, Bacari 和Gilman都这么说。
"乡村音乐电台没有包容Billy " Bacari说到,"而我们仍在努力使他们再次接受Billy. . . . 原来总是电视和MV使得专集发售,却从未通过电台。”Gilman 附加道Image 公司将计划将他打入Adult Contemporary和 Contemporary Christian的市场。
"感觉真好。跨进演播室并且象原来一样唱歌——用有点不同的嗓音——但是用我很久没有唱过的方式来唱。真的感觉很好。"
Bacari,这个在看Gilman录制Heartsongs时担心得都快要生病了的人,说 "这次,我的内心再也没有刺痛的感觉。是那样的轻松,那样自然而然。他是那么的开心。他的嗓子也随他的意愿发挥着。"
2005年夏天,他加盟独立品牌Image,尝试性的发表了一张《Everything and More》专辑,以包含了青草地民歌、流行、乡村摇滚、流行福音和传统乡村歌谣曲的风格,唱出自己所面对的新生活,其中甚至有一首《I'm Not Me Anymore》,说出自己的成长与改变。那只是“牛刀小试”,而虽然他非常用心,由于变声还没有完全,听起来仍然有点尴尬。又过了一年之后,终于度过尴尬时期的他,以第六张专辑正式复出,同时命名为“Billy Gilman”,代表他重新恢复了对自己的信心。
尽管已经变声,BG的歌喉依旧纯净而嘹亮,而且仍然带有他昔日的特色,很清楚地就可以认出是他。
好友离去
2004年六月,当Gilman 仍在等待他嗓音变化的时候, Mattie Stepanek在13岁时去世。
这两个孩子一直保持着联系。他们在MDA开会时见面,而且Gilman会定期从Mattie的母亲那里得到Mattie的病况报告。了解Mattie给了Billy看透世界的感受。"他进入我的世界," Gilman 说. "而且是对的。我那时正需要他."
Bacari现在这样评价Mattie,"他知道他随时可能会死,他生命的每一天,他知道任何一分钟,可能会发生坏事,他也可能去世。他教会了很多人—我不知道有多少次. . . Billy变得消沉时我会说‘Billy,想想Mattie. 然后你就会想“我刚在抱怨什么呢?”
Gilman说他透视自我有一部分来源于家庭。许多年轻的音乐天才都由他们的家庭经纪,那样看起来有利于使一个小孩在正常的条件下成长。Gilman,一直受家教并开始学到11年级的孩子,完全不同意这种观点。"如今,在音乐界有这么多的孩子,有些是演员或舞蹈家,而且他们的父母是他们的经纪人,或他们的父亲是他们的律师——而且看起来恰倒好处。商业因素浸染着整个家庭。"而那些是我爸妈不擅长的。他们不懂那些。他们想知道我是否安全——我每天都告诉他们我在路上——但是他们是我的父母,他们在背后支持我。"
Fran Gilman说她能想到,在她12岁的时候,会去宾夕法尼亚州的家参加赛马活动。她说到Billy,"他的志向正在前进,而且我可以理解. . . .要做他现在做的事得成为另一种人。那正是后来成为的。他喜欢成为那种人。"
"我在Nashville过着商业生活," Billy 说,"而当我回到罗德斯岛的家我回清理自己的房间。我有一个好的平衡。"
William Wendell "Billy" Gilman III (born May 24, 1988) an American singer. Starting as a young country artist, he is known for his debut single "One Voice", a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2000. He has released five albums, including three for Epic Nashville. In 2016, Gilman auditioned for season 11 of the US edition of The Voice and competed as part of Team Adam Levine, finishing as runner-up for the season.
Career
Gilman's debut single "One Voice", became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number 38. It also became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2000. 11 years old at the time, he became the youngest artist to ever have a top 40 single on the country chart.
His debut album, also called One Voice was released on June 20, 2000 on Epic Records, and was certified double platinum in the United States. The album included the title track "One Voice" and the follow-up singles "Oklahoma" and "There's a Hero". The single "Oklahoma" was released on October 9, 2000 making it to the Billboard Hot Country Songs top 40 peaking at number 33. It also cracked the main Hot 100 chart peaking at number 63.
Gilman was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his debut single "One Voice" and was nominated for Best Country Song for the songwriters, Don Cook and David Malloy.
Gilman released a Christmas album in 2000 titled Classic Christmas which went gold, followed on May 8, 2001 by his second album Dare to Dream, which was certified gold, although its singles "Elisabeth" and "She's My Girl" both fell short of top 40 on the Billboard country singles charts peaking at numbers 50 and 56 respectively. After Dare to Dream, Gilman's voice began to noticeably change because of the onset of puberty, forcing him temporarily to withdraw from singing.
His final album for Epic was released on April 15, 2003 and was entitled Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based on the Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek. The tracks were based on poems written by the child poet Mattie Stepanek, a poet with muscular dystrophy who died in 2004, almost one year after the album's release.
Gilman signed to Image Entertainment in 2005 for the release of his fifth album, Everything and More. A self-titled album Billy Gilman followed in 2006.
The Voice
In 2016, Gilman auditioned for season 11 of the US edition of The Voice. The emotional introduction piece showed him with his supportive parents clearly introducing him as a child star and the fact that he had come out as gay in 2014. He was shown declaring to The Voice host Carson Daly backstage: "I had to come to grips with being gay... I took a long time to rebuild vocally, but it was coming back, and then coming to grips with who I was personally, I also came to grips with who I was as a singer. You know, I love my country music roots, but deep down, I really always wanted to be a pop singer. It’s actually nerve-racking to stand here and just be 100 percent me. There’s only one shot to reinvent myself."
In the blind audition broadcast on September 20, 2016, Gilman sang Adele's song "When We Were Young". Gilman impressed all four judges, Adam Levine, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys and Blake Shelton with his performance. Adam Levine was the first to turn his chair around soon after Gilman started singing, with Miley Cyrus following shortly thereafter. Blake Shelton and Alicia Keys turned around at the very end of the performance. Once Gilman introduced himself to the coaches, both Shelton and Cyrus said they recognized him from his childhood career with Shelton mentioning Gilman's hit "One Voice". Gilman chose to continue the competition as part of Team Adam Levine.
In the battle round, Levine matched Gilman with teammate Andrew DeMuro both performing Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" and opted for Gilman to stay for the knockouts round where he confronted teammate Ponciano Seoane singing "Fight Song". Levine opted to pick him for the live rounds. In the inaugural live playoffs broadcast, he sang "Crying" from Roy Orbison and was one of two contestants from Team Adam to be saved by the public vote the other being his teammate Josh Gallagher. Based on this vote, he moved to the top 12 live stage of the competition.
In the first live show, he sang Queen's "The Show Must Go On". followed in week two of live shows by "All I Ask" from Adele and in week three by "Anyway" from Martina McBride all three with a standing ovation from the public and from all four judges. "Anyway" reached number four on iTunes allowing Gilman the advantage of multiplying the vote (sales) totals he got on the iTunes chart published immediately after the broadcast by five. In the semi-final, he performed "I Surrender" from Celine Dion, again with standing ovation from all four judges. For a second week in a row, Gilman's performance, this time for "I Surrender" featured at number one on iTunes allowing him to benefit from the five times multipliers vote totals again. On December 6, 2016, Gilman qualified to the final of season 11 of The Voice.
In the final four broadcast on December 12, 2016, Gilman performed "My Way", a cover of Frank Sinatra, then performed "Bye Bye Love" from The Everly Brothers as a duet with his coach and mentor Adam Levine, to finish with his original, "Because of Me", which was originally going to be a Maroon 5 track, but Levine decided it would be an appropriate winner's song for Gilman. Closing the finale broadcast on December 13, Gilman became the season 11 runner-up when Sundance Head was declared the winner.
Charities and activism
In April 2012, Gilman collaborated with other country artists and released a charity single, "The Choice", for Soles4Souls, a shoe charity with proceeds going for purchase of shoes for needy children worldwide. In addition for Gilman as spokesman for the charity song and lead singer on it, 18 top country singers also took part in support. The track features vocals from Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Craig Morgan, Josh Turner, Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes, Steve Holy, Kellie Pickler, Keith Urban, Wynonna Judd, Rodney Atkins, Amy Grant, Montgomery Gentry, Diamond Rio, Vince Gill, Richie McDonald, Ronnie Milsap and Randy Travis.
Gilman was the host of the 2014 Artists Music Guild's AMG Heritage Awards. His co-host for the event was Mallory Lewis and the puppet Lamb Chop. Gilman also took home the statue for the 2014 AMG Heritage Mainstream Artist of the Year.
In popular culture
In 2000, Gilman appeared on the tribute album Country Goes Raffi, performing the Raffi song "Baby Beluga". In 2000, he also appeared on the TV special Twas the Night Before Christmas singing seasonal songs.
On September 7 and September 10, 2001, Gilman performed the song "Ben" at Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration in New York which was later televised. It was originally sung by Michael Jackson in 1972.
Gilman was also on Welsh soprano Charlotte Church's album Dream a Dream singing the title track "Dream a Dream" as a featured vocalist with her. The song is for voice and orchestra based on Fauré's Pavane Op. 50 ("Elysium").
In 2002, Gilman took part in a reading for the then Broadway-bound musical A Tale of Two Cities, in which he played "The Young Man", who is Madame DeFarge's brother.
In 2003, he appeared on Our Country, a short documentary and released a promotional documentary Billy Gilman: The Making of Everything and More in 2005 on Image Entertainment.
Personal life
Gilman originated from Hope Valley, Rhode Island where he lived with his parents and his younger brother Colin as a young singer. He was also interviewed on Entertainment Tonight about his coming out on November 21, 2014, just one day after Ty Herndon had appeared on the same program.
In a video posted on November 20, 2014, Gilman came out as gay. He released his video titled "My Story by Billy Gilman" on One Voice Productions YouTube page only hours after another country singer Ty Herndon had come out. Gilman said in the video that Herndon's public acknowledgement inspired him to do the same.
On March 16, 2017, he was honored in two separate ceremonies in the Rhode Island Senate and the House of Representatives for his successes and for representing Rhode Island as an artist.