James Bay

"I'm still like an excited kid playing guitar in front of the mirror."

• Born James Michael Bay on Sept. 4, 1990, in Hitchin, England
   
• James Bay rose to prominence on the strength of his 2015 debut studio album,  Chaos And The Calm, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. The single "Let It Go" peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 while "Hold Back The River" was an international hit, peaking at No. 2 on the U.K. charts.    
   
• Bay earned his first career GRAMMY nominations for 2015 for Best New Artist, Best Rock Album (Chaos And The Calm) and Best Rock Song ("Hold Back The River") at the 58th GRAMMY Awards. Bay made his GRAMMY stage debut that same year dueting with fellow Best New Artist nominee Tori Kelly on a mashup of her "Hollow" and his "Let It Go." 
   
• Did you know? As a kid, Bay taught himself how to play guitar by ear after hearing Eric Clapton's "Layla."
   
• Bay participated in an installment of the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live's Spotlight series, giving audience members a look at his debut album and a performance. He also participated in GRAMMY U SoundChecks in Chicago, Philadelphia and Nashville, Tennessee, giving students the chance to ask questions and hear a live performance.
   
• Bay has given charity performances in support of WaterAid, which advocates for clean water sources around the world, and to raise money for the charity work done by the England Footballers Foundation. He recorded the single "Running" for the Sports Relief charity organization, an offshoot of Comic Relief.