Adam Gontier
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Adam Wade Gontier (born May 25, 1978) is a Canadian rock musician. He is the co-lead singer, rhythm guitarist and a songwriter for Three Days Grace. He is also known for his work in Saint Asonia. He co-founded Three Days Grace in 1992, recording four albums with them before parting ways in 2013 and eventually returning in 2024. In addition to his work with Three Days Grace and Saint Asonia, he has been involved in collaborations with other bands including Art of Dying, Apocalyptica, Breaking Benjamin, Skillet and Thousand Foot Krutch.<ref name="AM Songs">Template:Cite web</ref>
Early life
Gontier was born in Peterborough, Ontario on May 25, 1978.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was raised in Markham, Ontario.<ref name="Lucas">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly after his parents divorced, he moved back to the Peterborough area, where he initially attended Adam Scott Collegiate and Vocational Institute.<ref name="Lucas"/> In 1992, he moved to the Norwood area, and attended Norwood District High School, where he met and befriended Three Days Grace members Neil Sanderson and Brad Walst.<ref name="allmusic bio">Template:Cite web</ref> Gontier's mother is a professional singer/pianist, and was an influence to him as a musician.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Gontier started playing guitar at the age of 12 and was taught by his cousin Cale's brother Josh.<ref name="Lucas"/> He began writing songs around the age of 14.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Gontier has stated that he uses music "as an outlet and release for emotions and feelings."<ref name="The Star" /> Gontier's influences include Pearl Jam,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> Alice in Chains,<ref name=":1" /> Jeff Buckley,<ref name=":0" /> Soundgarden, the Tragically Hip, and Finger Eleven.<ref name=":1" />
Career
1992–2013, 2024–present: Three Days Grace
Template:Main Gontier, along with Sanderson, Walst, Phil Crowe, and Joe Grant,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> started out as "Groundswell" in Norwood, Ontario, in 1992, while attending high school.<ref name="allmusic bio"/> In 1997, Gontier, Sanderson, and Walst regrouped as "Three Days Grace".<ref name="allmusic bio"/> The group was signed to Jive Records after being sought out by the company's then-president Barry Weiss.<ref name="allmusic bio"/> Their Canadian rock number one debut single, "I Hate Everything About You",<ref name="Death">Template:Cite web</ref> and their debut self-titled studio album was released in 2003.<ref name="IGN">Template:Cite web</ref> Their second studio album, One-X, was released in 2006, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their third studio album, Life Starts Now, was released in 2009 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, thus becoming the band's highest-charting album in the US to date.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2012, the band released their fourth studio album, Transit of Venus and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
On January 9, 2013, Gontier resigned from Three Days Grace.<ref name="loudwire.com">Template:Cite web</ref> He left as the band was about to embark on a co-headlining tour.<ref name="loudwire.com"/> Matt Walst from My Darkest Days, the brother of bassist Brad Walst, became the new lead singer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 19, 2023, Gontier reunited with Three Days Grace to perform "Never Too Late" and "Riot",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before reuniting with them a second time for their Nashville, Tennessee concert on October 10, 2023.<ref name="The Buzz"/>
On October 3, 2024, Three Days Grace confirmed Gontier's official return (with Walst also remaining as a singer) and was in the studio recording new music with the band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The group released their eighth studio album and Gontier's first since rejoining the band, Alienation, on August 22, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012–2014: Solo career
Gontier joined singer and songwriter Martin Sexton on the road during his 2012 "Fall Like Rain" tour, providing opening support as a solo artist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also joined Citizen Cope for a few shows as a solo act.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gontier continued to do shows and concerts as a solo artist. Several songs have been released, but not as singles. In early March 2013, Gontier publicly announced and launched his Adam Gontier Solo Live Tour.<ref name="axs.com"/>
2015–present: Saint Asonia
Template:Main In April 2014, Gontier and Staind guitarist Mike Mushok began writing songs together, without the intention of creating a band.<ref name="Billboard Album">Template:Cite magazine</ref> They soon garnered the interest of RCA Records.<ref name="Billboard Album"/> The duo later enlisted former Finger Eleven drummer Rich Beddoe, and former Dark New Day bassist Corey Lowery to complete their lineup.<ref name="AllMusic Bio">Template:Cite web</ref> On May 15, 2015, the group released their debut single "Better Place".<ref name="Better Place premier">Template:Cite web</ref> The band released their debut self-titled studio album on July 31, 2015.<ref name="Billboard Album"/> In early 2019, the group signed with Spinefarm Records and released their second studio album, Flawed Design, later that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, the group released two EPs, Introvert and Extrovert,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Extrovert EP">Template:Cite web</ref> before releasing both EPs physically as Introvert/Extrovert with bonus tracks on December 9, 2022.<ref name="Extrovert EP"/>
Notable works and collaborations
Outside of Three Days Grace, Gontier has also written and collaborated with numerous writers, musicians and bands. Some of his collaborations include Daughtry, Ian Thornley, Max Martin, Shaun Morgan, Ben Burnley, Art of Dying, Before the Curtain, and fellow musician and long time friend Grainne Ryan.<ref name="AM Songs" />
In 2006, Gontier was a member of the rock supergroup Big Dirty Band along with Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Burrows, Ian Thornley and Care Failure, covering "I Fought the Law", as part of the Trailer Park Boys movie soundtrack.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has also contributed to a number of other albums. He contributed vocals and musical arrangement on "I Don't Care" on Apocalyptica's album, Worlds Collide in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, Adam Gontier worked with Daughtry on their second studio album Leave This Town. The song "Back Again" was featured on the physical copy of Daughtry's Leave This Town: The B-Sides EP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2011, Gontier created the record label, Sludge Factory Records, and has signed three acts, one of which is fellow Peterborough band, Before the Curtain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gontier was also featured on the track "Raining" by fellow Canadian band Art of Dying on their album Vices and Virtues.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 24, 2020, Breaking Benjamin released their compilation album, Aurora, that included Gontier on the track "Dance with the Devil".<ref name="AM Songs" /> In 2021, Gontier released a song for PUBG Mobile titled, "Tidal Wave".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2023, he was featured on Skillet's song "Finish Line", on the deluxe edition of Dominion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gontier formed a new project called Diviidedby together with former USS MC Jason "Human Kebab" Parsons in April 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In late 2023, he was featured on the 2023 version of "Let the Sparks Fly" by Thousand Foot Krutch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gontier was featured on the single "Why Is Love So Hard" by Peyton Parrish, released in May 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Awards
In 2004, Gontier was named on Chart Attack magazine's "20 Sexiest Canadian Musicians" list.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2006, Gontier and Three Days Grace won the Billboard Music Awards for Rock Single of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2008, Gontier won the BMI Pop Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Bell handed him the "Big Time Award", at the 2012 "Wire Awards". Gontier was inducted into the Norwood District High School Hall of Honor in July 2022 along with Brad and Matt Walst.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Gontier married Naomi Faith Brewer in May 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The couple divorced in 2013.<ref name="axs.com"/> He married Jeanie Marie Larsen in March 2015.<ref name="Lucas"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His cousin, Cale Gontier, is the bass player for Art of Dying and Saint Asonia.<ref name="Lucas"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2023, he resides in Nashville, Tennessee.<ref name="The Buzz">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2005, Gontier went into rehabilitation at the CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) in Toronto, where he wrote many of the songs for One-X, including "Pain", "Animal I Have Become", "Get Out Alive", "Over and Over", "Never Too Late" and "Gone Forever".<ref name=Bliss2007>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The Star">Template:Cite news</ref> A docu-drama about his addiction, Behind the Pain, was released in 2007.<ref name=Bliss2007/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gontier has been open about his struggles with mental health.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He stated that he relapsed in 2017 and went into a treatment center. Since then, Gontier has been sober and stated that he has "no plans on going back to a dark place anytime soon."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Discography
with Groundswell
- Wave of Popular Feeling (1995)
with Three Days Grace Template:Main
- Three Days Grace (2003)
- One-X (2006)
- Life Starts Now (2009)
- Transit of Venus (2012)
- Alienation (2025)
with Saint Asonia
- Saint Asonia (2015)
- Flawed Design (2019)
- Introvert/Extrovert (2022)
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Tidal Wave"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 2021 | Template:Non-album single |
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
CAN Rock <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
FIN <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
US <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Main. Rock <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |||||
| "I Don't Care" (Apocalyptica featuring Adam Gontier) |
2008 | 59 | 4 | 13 | 78 | 1 |
|
Worlds Collide | |
| "Wars"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Cevilain featuring Adam Gontier) |
2021 | — | — | — | — | — | Template:Non-album single | ||
| "Let the Sparks Fly"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Thousand Foot Krutch featuring Adam Gontier) |
2023 | — | — | — | — | — | The End Is Where We Begin: Reignited | ||
| "Why Is Love So Hard"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Peyton Parrish featuring Adam Gontier) |
2024 | — | — | — | — | — | Template:Non-album single | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||
Other appearances
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Back Again" | 2010 | Daughtry | Leave This Town: The B-Sides | Songwriter | <ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> |
| "Raining" | 2011 | Art of Dying | Vices and Virtues | Composer, featured artist | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| "Dance with the Devil" | 2020 | Breaking Benjamin | Aurora | Featured artist | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| "Finish Line" | 2023 | Skillet | Dominion | Featured artist | <ref>Template:Citation</ref> |
References
External links
- 1978 births
- Living people
- Canadian baritones
- Franco-Ontarian people
- Canadian rock guitarists
- Canadian male guitarists
- Canadian rock singers
- Musicians from Peterborough, Ontario
- Singers from Ontario
- Canadian heavy metal singers
- Nu metal singers
- 20th-century Canadian male musicians
- 21st-century Canadian male musicians
- 20th-century Canadian male singers
- 20th-century Canadian guitarists
- 21st-century Canadian guitarists
- 21st-century Canadian male singers
- 21st-century Canadian singers
- Big Dirty Band members
- Three Days Grace members
- Saint Asonia members