Combining a smooth voice with thoughtful lyrics and a dash of hip hop, singer/songwriter Jason Mraz is one of he brightest stars in the new millennium sky. Born on June 23, 1977, in Mechanicsville, Virginia got his first professional gig when he was 13, playing in a local R&B band called Dressed to Kill. The other members were all in their twenties; Mraz, whose voice had not yet changed, sang all the high parts. Mraz soon moved to San Diego, where he began playing in a popular local coffee house, building a huge word-of-mouth following. Mraz's demo disc earned
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airplay on a San Diego radio station, and he was soon being courted by recording companies, signing with Elektra in 2002. Mraz teamed up with Elektra producer John Alagia and released his first album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, in October of 2003. Mraz supported the album with non-stop touring and a high energy live show. The album soon took off, largely due to his touring efforts and to one track, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," which became a top 40 single. The album would go on to be certified platinum by the RIAA in July 2004 and reach #2 on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart, establishing Mraz has a low-key, but high talent star.
In July, 2005, Mraz released his second major-label album, Mr. A-Z, for Atlantic Records. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number 5. In December, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while its producer, the prolific Steve Lillywhite, received a nomination for Producer of the Year. Afterward, Mraz continued to perform throughout the country. He began 2007 by debuting a new single, "The Beauty in Ugly," for the ABC TV show Ugly Betty. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign, further raising his profile. Mraz’s album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things was released on May 13, 2008. "
Lucky", the third song in the album, features
Colbie Caillat. In Teen People, Mraz has been quoted as saying, "My dad told me it's important to love what you do. I feel like my wish is granted." With the opportunity to listen to him, Mraz’s fans feel the same way.
