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Jason Mraz (born June 23, 1977) is an American singer, born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. His last name is Czech for "frost". Though he did not pick up the guitar until the age of 18, his musical appetite was strong. After a brief stint studying musical theater in New York, he moved to San Diego. There he became a hit on the Southern California club scene, playing with percussionist Toca Rivera. He was briefly married to a woman named Sheridan; however, they divorced amicably and still remain good friends. Mraz is mostly popular in the United States, Japan, and Australia.
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His clear, strong tenor voice and easygoing, optimistic lyrics gained popular acclaim in 2003 when his first single, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," began to receive regular play on radio, MTV, and VH1. Co-written by music production team The Matrix, the popularity of "The Remedy" boosted the sales of his debut release, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which has been certified platinum by the RIAA. Mraz has played with the likes of Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, Paula Cole, and Jewel
Jason Mraz performs at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, California on November 26, 2005Mraz's stylistic influences seem multiple and varied, a mixture of pop, rock, jazz, folksy country, and even hip-hop/rap. He is nothing if not eclectic.
Mraz was most recently on tour with Alanis Morissette and the Rolling Stones. His follow up to his major label debut, Mr. A-Z (which reads as "Mraz") was released on July 26, 2005. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No.5 selling nearly 90,000 copies in it's first week, later on in December 2005 the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while producer Steve Lillywhite recieved a nomination for Producer of the Year for his work on the LP. He began touring in support of the album on September 12, 2005 in San Diego. Also in 2005, he was one of many singers featured in the new fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites." The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morisette, and Michelle Williams.
In 2006, he will be touring the U.K. with James Blunt.
Mraz has stated in an interview, "I have a bisexually open mind, but I have never been in a sexual relationship with a man. If the right one came along, then sure. but has denied rumours of homosexuality, saying that "Other kids always referred to me as being gay so it sparked interest. After some brief research and experimentation I realized I was not.
Mraz is currently in a serious relationship with singer-songwriter and former Roxy model Tristan Prettyman, whom he met at Java Joes in San Diego, Ca. |
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