The man who gave Americans the hit album Mr. A-Z. It was sold with a circulation of more than 100 thousand copies. Its author is Jason Mraz, a singer who loves music for the sake of music, and not for the fame and fortune that follows.
The singer was so blown away by the success of his album that he just wanted to take a break and go somewhere where he could breed cats in peace!
He really took a break and returned to the musical script rejuvenated and much better than before!
Known for his exciting and soulful music, the singer has released many best-selling albums to date, which have repeatedly received the status of gold and platinum not only in the United States, but also in other countries.
Jason Mraz is the recipient of two Grammy Awards and several other prestigious awards. Jason was interested in music and drama from a young age, so he entered the American Academy of Music and Drama for training.
However, he dropped out and moved to San Diego to pursue his musical career. At first, the singer performed just in institutions for a while before he got the chance to release his album. Once he started recording his albums, he was unstoppable!
Childhood and youth of Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz was born on June 23, 1977 in Mechanicsville (Virginia, USA), where he spent his childhood and youth. He is of Czech origin, and his surname means "frost" in Czech.
His parents divorced when he was a child. Despite an incomplete family, Jason had a prosperous childhood, where he grew up in a safe and friendly neighborhood.
Jason attended Lee-Davis High School where he was a cheerleader. After graduation, he went to the American Academy of Music and Drama in New York, where he studied for several months.
Jason later enrolled at Longwood University in Virginia, but gave up pursuing a musical career.
How did it all begin?
Jason Mraz moved to San Diego in 1999 where he began performing with the band Elgin Park. Together with Toca Rivera, they conquered the scene at Java Joe's coffee shop. It was their little home where they settled in and built their fan base over the course of three years.
In 2002, the singer signed with Elektra Records and released his debut album on the major label Waiting for My Rocket to Come. The album peaked at #55 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum for selling one million units.
In 2003 he performed for Tracy Chapman at the Royal Albert Hall in London. And already in 2004, Jason Mraz went on tour, during which he released a live album Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom.
His second studio album Mr. AZ came out in 2005. It was moderately successful and peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top 200. This album included songs such as: Life Is Wonderful and Geek in the Pink.
Jason Mraz performed in Singapore at the annual Mosaic Music Festival in 2006. That year he toured throughout the US and also traveled to the UK and Ireland to perform at other music festivals.
In 2008, the singer released his album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., which became a super hit not only in the US, but also in several other countries. Prior to its release, he released three EPs with acoustic versions of the songs on the album.
After the huge popularity of his album, the singer toured all over the world, performing concerts in different countries of Europe, Asia and Australia. Jason Mraz published photos from his tour in the form of a book, A Thousand Things, released in 2008.
His next album, Love is the Four Letter Word, was released in 2012 to positive reviews. His first single was the number I Will Not Give Up. The album debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 1 on the Canadian Albums Chart.
Following his tendency to tour after the release of the album, the singer performed at the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles), Madison Square Garden (New York), and the O2 Arena in London.
His latest album Yes! released in July 2014. On this album, he collaborated with members of the indie rock folk band Raining Jane, who acted as his backing band.
Main works and achievements of Jason Mraz
His album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. is his most successful so far. The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and spawned hits like Make it Mine and I'm Yours.
Jason Mraz won two Grammy Awards in 2010, one for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration for Lucky and another for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Make It Mine.
In 2013, he was awarded the "People's Choice" award for a variety artist.
Personal life and legacy
Jason was once engaged to singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman, but later broke off the engagement. He is a vegan and claims that his food choices influenced his music.
The singer is actively involved in solving a number of social issues, such as: the environment, human rights, LGBT equality, etc.
In 2011, he established the Jason Mraz Foundation to support charities working for human equality, environmental conservation and education.
The album propelled its fans until July 2005 when the songwriter returned with sophomores from Mr. AZ.
Jason Mraz's popularity reached a new high in 2008 with the release of We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., which took third place and spawned his first single "I'm Yours".
Jason Mraz's live album Beautiful Mess: Live on Earth appeared in 2009, followed by his fourth studio album, Love Is the Four Letter Word, which was released in 2012.
In the summer of 2014, Mraz returned with Yes! (with Raining Jane); it was preceded by the single Love Someone. The following year, Mraz appeared on Sarah Bareille's album What's Inside: Songs From The Waitress, singing Bad Idea and You Matter to Me together.
He then made his Broadway debut in 2017, taking on the role of Dr. Pomatter in the musical Waitress for ten weeks. In August 2018, the singer released his sixth album, Know; it debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Top 200.
