The Grammy Award winning Macy Gray hits the Astor Theatre on Wednesday, September 27. Macy will perform her favourite tunes including classics such as I Try from her smash hit debut album On How Life Is from 1999, and then her favourite R&B Tunes in a DJ set.
Most of us know Macy Gray best for her hit song I Try, but there is much more to the Ohio-born star than you might have thought.
1) She stole her stage name from an elderly man: Macy Gray was actually born Natalie Renée McIntyre on September 6, 1967. When she was just six years old she fell off her bike and found herself lying beneath a mailbox bearing the name Macy Gray. She originally wrote stories about Macy and adopted it as her stage name years later. The original elderly man ‘Macy Gray’ tried to sue her for the name when she became a worldwide hit, but failed to get any money out of her.
2) She went to school with Marilyn Manson: Macy Gray went to the same Ohio high school and shared classes with Brian Warner, who would go on to become Marilyn Manson, although they didn’t know each other personally.
3) She was nearly jailed for swearing onstage in Barbados: Macy Gray was was forced to make a public apology to avoid jail time after cursing onstage in Barbados. Gray used the word ‘motherfiucker’ in a tirade between songs and was accosted backstage by authorities. Her manager had forewarned her about the country’s strict profanity laws, but until them she hadn’t “taken them seriously.”
4) She didn’t think she would ever make it as a vocalist: Another thing Macy Gray didn’t take seriously was the marketability of her uniquely raspy and squeaky voice. She didn’t begin singing until she was in her early twenties when a friend asked her to front a jazz band for her. Macy Gray didn’t take the regular path of a pop-star, getting her break with her first album On How Life Is in 1999 aged 31 as a single mother of three children.
5) She is known for her prolific cameo appearances: Macy Gray has performed in over 30 films or TV shows over her career including Training Day, Spiderman, Around the World in 80 Days and Scary Movie 3. She has featured on TV shows Ally Macbeal and Saturday Night Live, while also being a voice artist for Nickelodeon’s animated series As Told by Ginger and the video game SSX Tricky. Macy Gray has also been a contestant on Celebrity Poker Showdown where she finished in third place, however she failed to reach the same heights on Dancing with the Stars, where she was eliminated in the first week.
Macy Gray spoke to X-Press during her last Australian tour in 2015, where she talked about how much she has grown as a performer and songwriter since her 1999 breakthrough. This tour follows the release of her critically acclaimed jazz album Stripped, which was released last year.
VIP tickets will be available for the Perth show which include a ticket to the show, a photo opportunity and an item signed by Macy Gray.
General Admission tickets will also be for sale with standing, unreserved seating and balcony seating.
Macy Gray DJs at the Astor Theatre on Wednesday September 27. Tickets on sale now.
