Jason Mraz
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Jason Thomas Mraz (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell;<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" that peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.<ref name="charthistory">Template:Cite magazine</ref> His second studio album Mr. A-Z (2005) peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.
His third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008), peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified four times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album's lead single, "I'm Yours", reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, while spending a then-record 76 weeks on the Hot 100, and it was certified Diamond by the RIAA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album also spawned the Grammy Award winning singles "Make It Mine" and "Lucky" with Colbie Caillat.
His fourth album, Love Is a Four Letter Word (2012), peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "I Won't Give Up", which became his second top ten hit on the Hot 100. He went on to release the top ten albums Yes! (2014) and Know. (2018). After signing a three-album agreement with BMG in 2020, Mraz released the albums Look for the Good (2020) and Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride (2023).
Along with receiving two Grammy Award wins, Mraz is also the recipient of two Teen Choice Awards, a People's Choice Award, and the Hal David Songwriters Hall of Fame Award. As of July 2014, Mraz has sold over seven million albums,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and over 11.5 million in digital singles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2023, Mraz competed as a contestant on season 32 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in second place, behind Xochitl Gomez.
Early life
Mraz was born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia.<ref name="kbellows">Keith Bellows, "Traveling Troubadour," National Geographic Traveler, March 2011.</ref> His parents, Tom Mraz and June Tomes, divorced when he was five years old, leaving Mraz to live with his father while his sister lived with his mother.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> His father is a postal worker, and his mother is vice president at a branch of Bank of America.<ref name= allthat>Ruggieri, Melissa (October 5, 2003). "All That Mraz: After Breaking Big, Musician Comes Home to His Family, and Maybe Brunswick Stew". Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia). p. H1.</ref> He is of partial Czech ancestry on his paternal side.<ref name="Czech1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Czech2">Template:Cite web</ref>
While attending Lee-Davis High School, Mraz was a member of the cheerleading squad, school chorus, and drama club. He starred as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and as Snoopy in Snoopy! The Musical.<ref>Patterson, Kristin (July 26, 1992). "Finding Right Joseph Was Battle Against Odds". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. N3.</ref><ref>Johnson, Ophelia (July 29, 1992). "Adding a Sparc of Color to Dogwood Dell Program". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. C1.</ref><ref>Andersen, Laurie (March 10, 1993). "Theme Sets Tone for Karaoke Parties: Lee-Davis Students to Present 'Snoopy!'". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. H2.</ref> During this period of his life, he struggled with his sexuality at times, wondering if he was gay.<ref name=":1" /> Mraz graduated in 1995.<ref>"780 Seniors Earn Diplomas". Richmond Times-Dispatch. June 14, 1995. p. J8.</ref>
After high school, Mraz attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City for about a year and a half, originally to work in musical theater.<ref name="himnow">Ruggieri, Melissa (November 27, 2002). "Jason Mraz Home, and Just Look at Him Now". Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia). p. E1.</ref> When his roommates played guitar he would provide the vocals.<ref name=":1" /> Eventually, a friend gave him a guitar that was about to be thrown away and Mraz learned to play and write his own music.<ref name="himnow" /><ref>Yadegaran, Jessica (May 16, 2003). "In the Mood for Mraz: Jason Mraz Opened for Jewel's Local Performance Last Year This Time, He's the Star of the Show". The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California). p. 14.</ref><ref>White, Sue (October 23, 2003). "Experience builds music career". Saginaw News (Saginaw, Michigan). p. 3D.</ref> Mraz credits an early girlfriend as being one of the influences that drove him to songwriting. She encouraged him to write his thoughts on paper which helped him get "all of the voices in my head to shut up" and "become something I could follow."<ref name=":1" />
Mraz moved to the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, where he took a series of odd jobs, including elementary-school janitor, and joined the Ashland Stage Company.<ref>Deeds, Michael (January 17, 2003). "Singer Mraz ditches mop, waits for his 'Rocket to Come'". The Idaho Statesman (Boise, Idaho). p. 3.</ref><ref name="himnow" /><ref name="jtupponce">Joan Tupponce, "Jason Mraz," Template:Webarchive Richmond Magazine, March 24, 2010.</ref><ref>Proctor, Roy (November 30, 1998). "'Celebration' A Revelation". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. E5.</ref> Mraz then enrolled at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, on a scholarship.<ref name="himnow" /> Instead of attending classes, he headed west on a road trip that ultimately brought him to San Diego, where he decided to stay.<ref name="sdm080608">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="jtupponce" />
Music career
1999–2001: Career beginnings
Soon after moving to San Diego in 1999, Mraz became a roadie for the band Elgin Park. He met future band member Toca Rivera at Java Joe's, a coffee house in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego known for being formative in the careers of Jewel and Steve Poltz.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mraz performed once a week for nearly three years, building a following in San Diego and online.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="sdm080608"/><ref name="jtupponce"/>
Mraz self-published the albums A Jason Mraz Demonstration (1999), From the Cutting Room Floor (2001), and On Love, In Sadness (The E Minor EP in F) (2001). In 2001, Mraz released the live acoustic album Live at Java Joe's, performing with percussionist Rivera and bassist Ian Sheridan. The album featured several songs he would later re-release, including "1000 Things", "You and I Both", and "Halfway Home". The album was later released on iTunes, on March 11, 2008, under the title Jason Mraz: Live & Acoustic 2001. Mraz returned to perform at Java Joe's for the 15th anniversary of the album on January 29, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Mraz' last self-released album was Sold Out (In Stereo), released on March 21, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2002–2004: Waiting for My Rocket to Come
In late 2001, Mraz signed a recording contract with Elektra Records and moved to Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="jtupponce"/>
In 2002, Mraz opened for Jewel on her tour.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
On October 15, 2002, Mraz released his first major label debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which peaked at number 55 on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The day after the album's release, Mraz played on The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> "You & I Both" was released as a promotional single prior to the album's release, but received minimal airplay.<ref name=":1"/>
In early 2003, Mraz released his first commercial single, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)". The track was co-written by music production team The Matrix, and became Mraz's first top-40 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15.<ref name="charthistory" /> The song was inspired by a high school friend who was diagnosed with cancer.<ref name="jtupponce" /> At the time of the album's release, Mraz said that he did not like "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" and had not wanted it on the album.<ref name="belt">Garin, Nina (October 10, 2002). "Coffee Break: With all those Java Joe's gigs under his belt, Jason Mraz tests the recording waters". The San Diego Union-Tribune.</ref> In June 2003, "You & I Both" was released commercially as the second single from the album. Waiting for My Rocket to Come was certified Platinum in May 2005 for selling 1 million units.<ref name="riaagoldplatinum">Searchable Database Template:Webarchive (search under: Jason Mraz), Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 15, 2014.</ref>
Mraz opened for Tracy Chapman in 2003 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.<ref>Paul Woloszyn, "Interview – Jason Mraz," Template:Webarchive musicOMH, August 3, 2005.</ref> In 2004, while on tour, Mraz released a live album with an accompanying DVD, Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom. He performed with his touring band, including drummer Adam King, Rivera, Sheridan and keyboardist Eric Hinojosa, along with a guest appearance from Blues Traveler frontman John Popper.<ref>Ansell Regalado, "Tonight's A Treat For Mraz's Fans," Template:Webarchive Sun-Sentinel, December 24, 2004.</ref>
2005–2007: Mr. A–Z
On July 26, 2005, Mraz released his second major label album, Mr. A–Z, produced by Steve Lillywhite for Atlantic Records. The album's lead single, "Wordplay", was produced by Kevin Kadish,<ref name="billboardalanis">"Mraz Nails Down New Album, Alanis Dates," Template:Webarchive Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref> and entered the Billboard 200 at number 5.<ref name="kcaulfield">Keith Caulfield, "Jason Mraz Vs. Lionel Richie For No. 1 Album Next Week," Template:Webarchive Billboard, April 19, 2012.</ref> The album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while Lillywhite received a nomination for Producer of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mraz began a long-running tour in support of Mr. A–Z at the San Diego Music Awards on September 12, 2005. The tour featured several opening acts, including Bushwalla and Tristan Prettyman, with whom he had written the duet "Shy That Way" in 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mraz opened for Alanis Morissette during her 2005 Jagged Little Pill Acoustic tour,<ref name="billboardalanis"/> and for the Rolling Stones on five dates during their 2005–06 world tour.<ref name="sdm080608"/> In March 2006, he performed in Singapore as part of the annual Mosaic Music Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That May, he toured mostly small venues and music festivals in the U.S., along with a few shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland where he supported James Blunt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tour included a May 6, 2006, acoustic show with P.O.D., Better Than Ezra, Live, and The presidents of the United States of America. Mraz was featured as a headlining guest of St. Louis's annual Fair St. Louis and performed a free concert at the base of the Gateway Arch on July 1, 2006. During this time, Mraz was also the opening act at several dates for Rob Thomas' Something to Be Tour.
In 2005, Mraz was one of many singers featured in the fall advertisement campaign for The Gap campaign "Favorites", singing a cover of Bob Marley's "One Love".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2006 saw the release of Selections for Friends, the live, online-only album recorded during the Songs for Friends Tour. In 2007, "The Beauty in Ugly", an earlier track penned by Mraz originally titled "Plain Jane", was rewritten for the ABC television show Ugly Betty. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign.
2008–2011: We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
On May 13, 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified quadruple platinum.<ref name="kcaulfield" /><ref name="riaagoldplatinum" /> It broke into the top 10 of many international music charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mraz said that the album title was taken from the work of Scottish artist David Shrigley.<ref name="sdm080608" /> Prior to its release, Mraz released three EPs, each with acoustic versions of songs from the album.<ref>"An EP Extravaganza," Template:Webarchive Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref>
The album's lead single, "I'm Yours", was written in August 2004 and was initially released in demo form on the limited edition EP Extra Credit in 2005. Through Mraz's live performances of the song, it gained in popularity with fans.<ref name="sdm080608" /> "I'm Yours" became Mraz's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 6 on September 20, 2008.<ref>Silvio Pietroluongo, "Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz Streak To Hot 100 Records," Template:Webarchive Billboard, August 19, 2009.</ref> It ultimately spent 76 weeks on the Hot 100, longer than any other song in the magazine's 51-year history<ref>"Jason Mraz: A Breakup Record, Served With A Smile," Template:Webarchive NPR, May 6, 2012.</ref><ref>Daniel Kreps, "Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz Make Hot 100 History," Template:Webarchive Rolling Stone, August 19, 2009.</ref> (a record since broken by Imagine Dragons with "Radioactive" in 2014).<ref>Gary Trust, "Imagine Dragons' 'Radioactive' Breaks Record for Longest Hot 100 Run," Template:Webarchive Billboard, February 19, 2014.</ref> It was a major commercial success in the US and was certified 7x multi-Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over seven million.<ref name="riaagoldplatinum" /> The song was also successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Sweden, and peaking in the top ten on the charts in 11 other countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By May 2012, it had gained over 125,000,000 hits on YouTube.<ref>"Jason Mraz: 'It took me 20 minutes to write record-breaking track I'm Yours'," Metro, May 10, 2012.</ref> It was the first song to top the charts in four different radio formats: Mainstream Top 40, Adult Contemporary, Adult Top 40 and Triple A.<ref>Leah Greenblatt, "Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours' smashes Billboard record, remains totally unkillable," Template:Webarchive Entertainment Weekly, August 20, 2009.</ref> "Make It Mine" was released as the second single from the album but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. "Lucky" with Colbie Caillat was released as the third single from the album and peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="charthistory" />
At the 2009 Grammy Awards, "I'm Yours" was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance,<ref>"Grammy Awards: List of Winners," Template:Webarchive The New York Times, February 8, 2009.</ref> and We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. was nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.<ref name="srelative">Saul Relative, "Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat and Steve Martin on SNL," Yahoo! Voices, February 2, 2009.</ref>Template:Unreliable source? In 2009, Mraz was awarded the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2010, Mraz won two Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Make It Mine") and Best Pop Collaboration ("Lucky" with Colbie Caillat).<ref>"Grammy Awards: List of Winners," Template:Webarchive The New York Times, January 31, 2010.</ref> "I'm Yours" was also named ASCAP's 2010 Song of the Year.<ref>"ASCAP Foundation Honors Jason Mraz with Champion Award," ASCAP, December 10, 2012.</ref>
Mraz's 2008 world tour traveled across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His personal photo travelogue from the world tour was published as a book, titled A Thousand Things (2008).<ref name="sdm080608" /> The book was launched with a photo exhibition at Charles Cowles Gallery in New York City at the end of 2008.<ref name="jtupponce" /> Also in 2008, Mraz played with Eric Clapton to a crowd of 45,000 in Hyde Park, London, sold out London's Royal Albert Hall, and performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo.<ref>"Nobel's Night Out," Template:Webarchive CBS News, December 11, 2008.</ref> That year, he embarked on the Music, Magic & Make Peace Tour with Bushwalla, The Makepeace Brothers, and magician Justin Willman.<ref>"Exclusive Interview: Magic Influences Jason Mraz's Music," MTV Buzzworthy, May 13, 2008.</ref>
In 2009, Mraz recorded "The Way Is Love", an unreleased Roy Orbison song, as a duet with Willie Nelson. In November 2009, he released the live CD/DVD Jason Mraz's Beautiful Mess: Live on Earth, recorded in Chicago during the Gratitude Café tour. The following year, he went to Brazil to record "Simplesmente Todo" with Milton Nascimento, who sings in Portuguese while Mraz sings in English. He also did some writing with Dido and recorded new material with producer Martin Terefe.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Mraz released the live EP, Life Is Good on October 5, 2010.
2012–2013: Love Is A Four Letter Word
Mraz released the live EP, Love Is A Four Letter Word, on February 28, 2012. His fourth studio album, Love Is a Four Letter Word was released on April 13, 2012. It reached number 2 on the Billboard 200,<ref name="charthistory200">Jason Mraz Chart History Template:Webarchive, Billboard 200, Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref> and the top 20 in 10 other countries.<ref>Jason Mraz – Love Is A Four Letter Word Template:Webarchive, acharts.us. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref> The album's lead single, "I Won't Give Up", debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 1 on the Digital Songs chart.<ref name="gtrust">Gary Trust, "Jason Mraz's 'I Won't Give Up' Storms Hot 100s Top 10," Template:Webarchive Billboard, January 11, 2012.</ref> It charted in 15 countries in total,<ref>Jason Mraz – I Won't Give Up Template:Webarchive, acharts.us. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref> and in October 2013 was certified 4x multi-platinum, for selling in excess of 4 million units.<ref name="riaagoldplatinum"/> Further singles from the album were "93 Million Miles" and "The Woman I Love", but these releases were not as successful.
Love Is a Four Letter Word was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2012, he played sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles,<ref>Steven Mirkin, "Live review: Jason Mraz proves bland at the Bowl," Template:Webarchive Orange County Register, October 6, 2012.</ref> Madison Square Garden in New York<ref>Araceli Cruz, "Jason Mraz Live at Madison Square Garden: By the Numbers," Template:Webarchive Fuse, December 11, 2012.</ref> and the O2 Arena in London,<ref>Natt Day, "Jason Mraz at The O2 Arena, London," Template:Webarchive The Edge, December 10, 2012.</ref> and performed at President Barack Obama and family's lighting of the national Christmas tree at the White House;<ref>Matt Compton, "Watch the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree," Template:Webarchive White House, December 6, 2012.</ref> a noted Obama supporter, he has also performed at numerous other events involving Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.<ref>Eric Sandy, "Joe Biden will speak at Lakewood High Sunday, Jason Mraz will perform," Template:Webarchive The Plain Dealer, November 2, 2012.</ref><ref>Patrick Gavin, "More Stars Added to Obama Rally," Template:Webarchive Politico, April 20, 2011.</ref> Also in 2012, he performed "You Did It" at the presentation ceremony for the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, won that year by Ellen DeGeneres.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2013, Mraz was featured on the Hunter Hayes song "Everybody's Got Somebody but Me", which was later certified Gold.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The same month, he was featured on the Travie McCoy single "Rough Water".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, Mraz won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Artist.<ref>Marc Schneider, "People's Choice 2013: Katy Perry and One Direction Feel the Love," Template:Webarchive Billboard, January 10, 2013.</ref>
2014–2019: Yes! and Know.
Mraz's fifth studio album, Yes!, was released on July 15, 2014.<ref name="lrothman">Lily Rothman, "Jason Mraz Announces New Album, With An Exclusive Acoustic Performance," Template:Webarchive Time, May 19, 2014.</ref> It was recorded with all-female folk rock band Raining Jane, with whom Mraz had previously collaborated on the track "A Beautiful Mess" for his 2008 album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.<ref>"Jason Mraz, Raining Jane in concert at Performing Arts Center," Template:Webarchive Santa Maria Times, March 14, 2014.</ref><ref>Elysa Gardner, "You just can't say no to Jason Mraz's optimism," Template:Webarchive USA Today, July 14, 2014.</ref><ref>Jason Lipshutz, "Jason Mraz Shouts 'Yes!' on July Album: Hear The First Single," Template:Webarchive Billboard, May 19, 2014.</ref> The album's lead single, "Love Someone", was released on May 19, 2014; Mraz performed the song for Time.<ref name="lrothman"/> On June 20, 2014, he released We Can Take the Long Way, a music video trilogy for the first three songs on Yes!, which premiered on the USA Today website.<ref>Korina Lopez, "'Yes!' Jason Mraz reveals 3 new songs in 1 video," USA Today, June 20, 2014.</ref>
In 2015, Mraz was featured on "Bad Idea" and "You Matter to Me" on the Sara Bareilles album What's Inside: Songs From Waitress.<ref>Cox, Gordon. "Jason Mraz 'Waitress' Broadway" Template:Webarchive Variety, September 27, 2017</ref><ref>McPhee, Ryan. "Jason Mraz Will Make Broadway Debut in 'Waitress' " Template:Webarchive Playbill, September 27, 2017</ref> On September 27, 2017, it was announced that Mraz would make his Broadway debut in the musical Waitress. He took on the role of Dr. Pomatter from November 3, 2017, until February 11, 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On August 10, 2018, Mraz released his sixth studio album, Know..<ref name="knowannouncement">Template:Cite web</ref> He referred to the new album as "bright and shiny" and a "classic-sounding pop acoustic, vocally driven record with positive lyrics and love songs."<ref name="knowannouncement" /> The album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Have It All" was released on April 27, 2018, and was inspired by a blessing he received from a Buddhist monk during a trip to Myanmar in 2012. It was accompanied by a video filmed with performing arts students from his hometown of Richmond.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The album's second single, "Unlonely", was released in June.<ref name="knowannouncement" /> In July 2018, Mraz shared the lyric video for the song "More Than Friends", a duet with Meghan Trainor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 7, 2018, he partnered with Fathom Events for the one-night-only release of Jason Mraz - Have It All The Movie, a concert film and behind the scenes footage of the making of the "Have It All" video, in 600 movie theaters throughout North America.<ref name="knowannouncement" /> In 2019, he was featured on the album The Secret by Alan Parsons as lead vocalist on the song "Miracle". On August 13, 2019, Mraz was named the first-ever District Advocate Ambassador to continue the fight for music creators' rights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020–present: Look for the Good and Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride
In June 2020, Jason Mraz signed a three-album agreement with BMG led by Vice President of A&R Jaime Neely, Executive Vice President of Repertoire & Marketing Thomas Scherer, Vice President of Marketing and Recorded Music Cyndi Lynott, and Vice President of Creative Synch Jonathan Palmer.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jason also founded Interrabang Records, through which his 2020 album, Look for the Good, was released, as well as singer-songwriter Gregory Page's eighteenth album, One Hell of a Memory.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
On February 15, 2023, Mraz released the single "I Feel Like Dancing" for his upcoming album Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album was released on June 23, 2023, which was also Mraz's 46th birthday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2023, Mraz began appearing on Season 32 of Dancing With the Stars, partnered with pro dancer Daniella Karagach. He placed second during the season finale.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Dancing with the Stars performances
Average: 26.6/30
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Result | ||||
| Inaba | Hough | Guest | Tonioli | Total | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "I Feel Like Dancing" | 7 | 7 | N/A | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 2 | Rumba / "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás" | 8 | 8 | N/A | 8 | Template:Green | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Do You Love Me" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | Template:Green | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot / "A Whole New World" | 8 | 8 | N/A | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "On the Road Again" | 9 | 9 | N/A | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 6 | Contemporary / "Zombie" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 7 | Jazz / "Take On Me" Team Freestyle / "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" |
8 9 |
8 9 |
10 10 |
9 9 |
35 Template:Red |
Safe |
| 8 | Samba / "Higher Love" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 33 | Safe |
| 9 | Argentine tango / "Don't Blame Me" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Template:Green | Safe |
| 10 | Viennese waltz / "I Won't Give Up" Paso doble / "Diablo Rojo" |
9 10 |
9 10 |
N/A | 9 10 |
27 Template:Green |
No elimination |
| 11 | Foxtrot / "Fly Me to the Moon" Freestyle / "Happy" |
10 10 |
10 10 |
N/A | 10 10 |
Template:Green Template:Green |
Runner-up |
Personal life
Mraz lives a health-conscious lifestyle and has said that he eats mostly raw vegan foods. His vegan diet has also influenced his music.<ref>"'Interview – Jason Mraz" Template:Webarchive audiophil.tv, June 23, 2014.</ref> He owns a five-and-a-half acre avocado farm in Oceanside, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Tracey Pepper, "One-On-One With Jason Mraz," Template:Webarchive Vegetarian Times. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref> He is an investor at Café Gratitude, a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, and named his 2011 tour Gratitude Café in its honor.<ref>Deborah Schoeneman, "Power Lunch With a Side of Homilies," Template:Webarchive The New York Times, July 20, 2011.</ref> His hobbies include surfing, yoga and photography.<ref name="kbellows"/><ref name="jtupponce"/>
Relationships and sexuality
Mraz married Sheridan Edley in 2001. They divorced the following year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mraz was engaged to singer-songwriter and long-time close friend Tristan Prettyman on Christmas Eve 2010; they broke off the engagement six months later.<ref>"Jason Mraz Splits With Fiancee Tristan Prettyman," Template:Webarchive US Weekly, June 8, 2011.</ref>
On October 25, 2015, Mraz married Christina Carano in a private ceremony in his hometown of Mechanicsville, Virginia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Jason Mraz Marries Christina Carano: "Today I Was Made the Luckiest Man in the World" Template:Webarchive at E! Online; by Samantha Schnurr; published October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015</ref> On June 22, 2023, Mraz announced that he and Carano had divorced.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In June 2018, Mraz penned a "love letter" to the LGBT community, as part of a Billboard feature during gay pride month.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A line in the poem, "I am bi your side. / All ways"<ref name=":0" /> led some media reports to state that the poem represented Mraz's coming out as bisexual.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In an article published on July 19, 2018, by Billboard, Mraz said he has had previous experiences with men, even while dating Carano.<ref name="mrazcomesout">Template:Cite news</ref> Mraz said Carano defined him as a "two-spirit",<ref name="mrazcomesout"/> a description that was criticized by some as misappropriating a word originally coined for the Native American population, arguing that it distorted the term's meaning.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August of 2018, Mraz confirmed in an interview with the New York Post that he is bisexual.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Social activism and philanthropy
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Mraz is a social activist whose philanthropic efforts span wide-ranging issues, including environmentalism, human rights, and LGBT equality.
In 2003, after learning one of his beer bottles was listed for sale on eBay, Mraz was inspired to auction off items of his wardrobe online, raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation.<ref name=":1"/>
During early tours, he encouraged his fans to drop off food items as they arrived at the venue, an effort to support local food banks.<ref name=":1"/>
In 2009, he participated in a rescue mission to Ghana with members of Free the Slaves, a global nonprofit working to liberate children sold into slavery.<ref name="kbellows" /> In 2012, he was featured on the cover of Instinct magazine in recognition of his efforts in support of LGBT rights.<ref>Jeff Katz, "Cover Guy: Jason Mraz," Template:Webarchive Instinct, April 2012.</ref>
The Jason Mraz Foundation was established in 2011, with a mission to support charities in the areas of human equality, environment preservation and education.<ref name="artistdirect120511">"Jason Mraz Establishes Jason Mraz Foundation," Template:Webarchive Artist Direct, December 5, 2011.</ref> Organizations supported by the foundation include VH1's Save The Music Foundation, MusiCares, Surfrider Foundation, Free the Children, Life Rolls On, the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the True Colors Fund, which promotes LGBT equality.<ref name="artistdirect120511"/><ref>Celebrity Ambassadors Template:Webarchive, VH1 Save the Music Foundation. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mraz was named the 2010 Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Humanitarian of the Year.<ref>"Jason Mraz Named 2010 SIMA Humanitarian Of The Year," Template:Webarchive Vegetarian Star, August 18, 2010.</ref> He also received the Clean Water Award in 2010 from the Surfrider Foundation, for helping to preserve the world's oceans and beaches.<ref>"Clean Water Awards Announced!" Template:Webarchive sandiego.surfrider.org. Retrieved May 25, 2014.</ref> That same year, he teamed up with The Nature Conservancy and created a PSA using his song "I'm Yours" to raise awareness about the nonprofit organization's efforts to protect the earth.<ref>"Jason Mraz PSA for The Nature Conservancy," Template:Webarchive The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved Mary 25, 2014.</ref>
On December 16, 2012, Mraz headlined the Milestone Concert in Myanmar to raise awareness about human trafficking, making him the first foreign artist to play an open-air concert in Myanmar. The concert was organized by MTV EXIT and held in the People's Square in Yangon, with over 70,000 people in attendance, as part of an initiative to raise awareness about human trafficking in Myanmar.<ref>"Jason Mraz Tapped for Milestone Concert in Myanmar," Template:Webarchive Rolling Stone, November 16, 2012.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 2012, Mraz spent a week in Antarctica with a group of environmentalists, scientists and researchers on a mission led by Al Gore, to learn about the effects of climate change.<ref>Jason Mraz, "Global Warming Is No Longer a Future Problem, It's a Now Event," Template:Webarchive HuffPost, April 28, 2012.</ref>
Mraz is a continued supporter of WhyHunger, a grassroots support organization dedicated to fighting hunger and poverty in the United States. The organization was founded by late musician Harry Chapin and Radio DJ Bill Ayres in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
On June 19, 2020, Mraz announced he would be donating all profits from his album Look for the Good to Black Lives Matter and other organizations working toward equality and social justice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Politics
On October 24, 2019, Mraz endorsed Bernie Sanders for president in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries stating, "Bernie is the perfect candidate to follow Trump & continue to shake up the system for the benefit of true American values: Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Discography
Studio albums
- Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002)
- Mr. A–Z (2005)
- We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008)
- Love Is a Four Letter Word (2012)
- Yes! (2014)
- Know. (2018)
- Look for the Good (2020)
- Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride (2023)
Awards and nominations
Bibliography
- A Thousand Things (2008, I Love Books)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Big Fix | Himself | Produced / Documentary film |
| 2015 | Unity | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2019 | Trouble | Himself (voice) | Animated film |
| 2020 | Clouds | Himself | Feature film |
| 2020 | Kiss the Ground | Himself | Documentary |
Television appearances (selected)
- American Music Awards (2003)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2003)
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2003, 2005, 2008)
- New Year's Rockin' Eve (2004)
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2004, 2005, 2009, 2012)
- The EBS space (EBS 스페이스 공감) (2006)
- Late Show with David Letterman (2008, 2009, 2012)
- Nobel Peace Prize Concert (2008)
- Rachael Ray (2008)
- American Idol (2009, 2019)
- Saturday Night Live (2009, 2019)
- Spicks and Specks (TV series) (2009)
- The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009)
- Grammy Awards (2009, 2010)
- Family Guy (2010)
- The Jay Leno Show (2010)
- Sesame Street (2010)
- Chelsea Lately (2012)
- Conan (2012)
- Dancing With the Stars (2012)
- The Fresh Beat Band (2012)
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2012)
- Opening Act (2012)
- Today (2012)
- VH1 Storytellers (2012)
- Watch What Happens: Live (2012)
- Live from Daryl's House (2012)
- Live from the Artists Den (2014)
- American Restoration (2015)
- K-pop Star 4 (케이팝 스타 4) (2015)
- Pete the Cat (2018)
- Today Show with Hoda and Jena (2019)
- Celebrity Show-Off (2020)
- Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (2021)
- Rick and Morty (2022) – Brachiosaurus (voice; in "Juricksic Mort")
- Dancing with the Stars (2023)
References
External links
Template:Wikiquote Template:Commons category
- Template:Official website
- Template:IMDb name
- Template:AllMusic
- Jason Mraz collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Playlist: Jason Mraz – Nightline 07/17/09 – Reggae to rock, Mraz reveals his musical influences.
- Jason Mraz Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection
Template:Jason Mraz Template:Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
- Jason Mraz
- 1977 births
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American male singers
- 21st-century American singer-songwriters
- American bisexual male actors
- American bisexual musicians
- American folk-pop singers
- American LGBTQ singers
- American LGBTQ songwriters
- American male guitarists
- American male singer-songwriters
- American Musical and Dramatic Academy alumni
- American people of Czech descent
- Atlantic Records artists
- Bisexual male musicians
- Bisexual singer-songwriters
- Elektra Records artists
- Grammy Award winners
- Guitarists from Virginia
- LGBTQ people from Virginia
- LGBTQ record producers
- Living people
- Musical groups from San Diego
- Musicians from Richmond, Virginia
- People from Mechanicsville, Virginia
- People from Oceanside, California
- Singer-songwriters from California
- Singer-songwriters from Virginia
- LGBTQ rights activists from California