Tamyra Monica Gray (born July 26, 1979 in Takoma Park, Maryland) is an American actress and singer, best known for her rise to fame as one of the finalists on the first season of the reality television program American Idol in 2002. She has since expanded into acting, most notably with a recurring role on the third season of the drama Boston Public in early 2003. Location Location in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Maryland Montgomery Founded Incorporated 1883 1890 Mayor Kathryn H. Porter Geographical characteristics Area     City 5. ... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is a self-aware ethereal substance particular to a unique living being. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Location Location in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Maryland Montgomery Founded Incorporated 1883 1890 Mayor Kathryn H. Porter Geographical characteristics Area     City 5. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... American Idol, formerly known as American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, is an American television series. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Biography

Gray began singing at an early age. She competed in several pageants and was named Miss Atlanta in 1998. Gray attended Georgia State University, majoring in business law and entertainment management. Prior to American Idol, she worked a variety of jobs including day care worker, party motivator, telemarketer, waitress, and running her own cleaning service. She also filmed Coca-Cola commercials and worked with artists like her friend Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez and rapper DMX with hopes of finding an opening into the entertainment industry. This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Georgia State University (GSU) is an urban research university in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves over 28,000[1] students, and is one of the University System of Georgias four research universities. ... Commercial law or business law is the body of law which governs business and commerce and is often considered to be a branch of civil law and deals both with issues of private law and public law. ... The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ... Lisa Left Eye Lopes Lisa Nicole Lopes, also known under the stage name of Left Eye (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), was a member of the popular R&B group TLC. In addition to hit songs like Waterfalls with TLC, Lopes also did some solo performing. ... Earl Simmons (born on December 18, 1970), better known by his stage name DMX, is an American rapper and actor, who became popular during the late-1990s into the 2000s. ...

That opening came in 2002 when Gray became one of the ten finalists on the first season of American Idol, eventually finishing fourth. Her performance of the Burt Bacharach classic "A House is Not a Home" was described by Judge Simon Cowell as "one of the best performances on television" that he had ever seen. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... American Idol, formerly known as American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, is an American television series. ... Burt Bacharach (born May 12, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a Jewish-American pianist and composer. ... Simon Philip Cowell (born October 7, 1959 in Brighton, England) is an artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for BMG in the UK, but is best known as a judge on the television programmes Pop Idol, American Idol, and The X Factor, where he is notorious for his unsparingly blunt...

After American Idol's debut season, Gray continued to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She landed the recurring role of Aisha Clemens on Boston Public, appearing in seven episodes in 2003, during which she also showcased her singing abilities, most famously, covering Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father" and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". She has had guest roles on episodes of Half and Half , Las Vegas, Tru Calling, What I Like About You and All Of Us. With other American Idol alumni, she appeared on The Tyra Banks Show in 2006. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. ... Dance with My Father is the title track from the 2003 Luther Vandross album Dance with My Father. ... Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born on August 9, 1963) is an American pop and R&B singer and actress. ... I Will Always Love You is a song originally written and performed by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton first released as a single in 1974. ... In the United States, half and half is a dairy product with a fat content of about 12%, typically used as a lower-fat substitute for cream in coffee; see cream. ... Las Vegas is a dramatic television series about a team of people working in the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino in Las Vegas — dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and restaurant management to casino security. ... Tru Calling is an American television series which was first broadcast on the Fox Network in September 2003. ... What I Like About You was an American television sitcom based in New York City and follows the lives of two sisters, Valerie Tyler (Jennie Garth) and Holly Tyler (Amanda Bynes). ... All of Us is a situation comedy (sitcom) airing on The CW. The show involves a blended family. ... The Tyra Banks Show is an American daytime talk show hosted by former supermodel Tyra Banks. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

She duetted on a track on the winner of Season 1 of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson's debut album Thankful, entitled "You Thought Wrong", which she also co-wrote, however it was never released as a single. Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is a Grammy Award-winning American singer and actress who has enjoyed success in the pop and rock music genres. ... Thankful is the debut album by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson, released in the United States by RCA on April 15, 2003 (see 2003 in music). ...

During the third season of American Idol, she returned to the show on several occasions to sing "Raindrops Will Fall" and "Star", songs she co-wrote for her debut album, and to sing the National Anthem to open the final results show of the season. Gray also co-wrote the American Idol season three single "I Believe", which was performed by Idol finalists Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo. Barrino released "I Believe" as her American Idol single, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Fantasia Monique Barrino (born June 30, 1984), or simply Fantasia, is an American soul singer who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the television series American Idol in 2004. ... Diana Nicole DeGarmo (born June 16, 1987 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American singer and Broadway actress. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ...

After being dropped by J Records in 2003, Gray's first solo album, The Dreamer, which Tamyra wrote herself, was eventually released on May 25, 2004 by newly formed independent record label 19 Records, a division of Simon Fuller's 19 Management. The album sold 39,000 during its first week in release, and has sold 122,000 to date. Gray later parted ways with 19 Entertainment and 19 Records, and joined Braudé Management with hopes of getting a deal with a major label. J Records is a major record label, it is a part of the Sony BMG music conglomerate. ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An independent record label is variously described as a record label operating without the funding (or outside the organizations) of the major record labels, and/or a label that subscribes to indie philosophies such as DIY and anti-corporate art. ... 19 Entertainment, based in the United Kingdom, is a leading creator and producer of entertainment properties, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom, as well as versions of the Idol series in more than seventy countries around the world and the United States television... 19 Entertainment, based in the United Kingdom, is a leading creator and producer of entertainment properties, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom, as well as versions of the Idol format in more than 30 countries around the world. ...

In November 2004, Gray was cast for a limited engagement of twelve weeks in the role of Priya in Broadway's struggling Bombay Dreams. Due to continued poor grosses, the show closed early on Jan. 1, 2005. November 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: November 2004 in sports November 2004 in science Events Deaths in November • 30 Pierre Berton • 29 John Drew Barrymore • 26 Bill Alley • 24 Arthur Hailey • 23 Rafael Eitan • 18 Bobby Frank Cherry • 16 John... Bombay Dreams on Broadway, New York City Bombay Dreams is a Bollywood-themed musical. ...

In October 2005 Gray made her big screen supporting role debut in the independent film The Gospel, which debuted at No. 5 at the box office, and also had strong DVD sales when it was released to stores on January 3, 2006. Tamyra has one song, "Now Behold The Lamb", featured on the movie's soundtrack, which climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's Soundtrack Chart. Also in 2005, Tamyra appeared in a short film for H&M's new line of denim jeans, and performed the Dreamgirls show stopper And I'm Telling You (I'm Not Going). The Gospel is a 2005 film directed and written by Rob Hardy. ... H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB (operating as H&M), is a Swedish clothing company, known for their inexpensive and fashionable clothing offerings. ... Dreamgirls is an award-winning Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway and ran for 1,522 performances. ... Dreamgirls is an award-winning Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway and ran for 1522 performances. ...

Gray, listed fourth in writing credits, contributed to 2 songs ("If You Were Mine" and "The Lover In Me") and sung back-up on ("If You Were Mine") on the CD from Jessica Simpson, A Public Affair, which was released August 29, 2006. The CD debuted on Billboard's 200 Chart at #5. Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980 in Abilene, Texas) is an American pop singer and actress who rose to fame in the late 1990s. ... A Public Affair is the fourth studio album by American pop singer Jessica Simpson. ...

Gray married Color Me Badd singer Sam Watters (who she worked with on her album, The Dreamer) on September 2, 2006, in Capri, Italy. About 45 guests were in attendance, including her manager, Lisa Braude. Gray's photographer sold the wedding photos to American press, and the low-key relationship soon became public after People Magazine broke the word. Color Me Badd were a male R&B vocal group which was formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ... Sam Watters (1) is a songwriter and record producer, previously of the group Color Me Badd, who often works with his partner Louis Biancaniello. ... The Dreamer is a 1986 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Will Eisner about his early years as a comic book artist in the 1930s, with a particular focus on his years as part of Eisner & Iger studios. ... Overlooking Capri harbor from the rotunda in Villa San Michele. ... People, a weekly magazine of celebrity and popular culture news, debuted on February 27, 1974. ...

Future music

Gray is in the process of recording a new album. Gray calls it more club-friendly, hip-hop-based project than her debut. She is also in the process of finding a record label. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Discography

• The Dreamer (2004)

1. Star
2. The Only Thing
3. Legend
4. Raindrops Will Fall
5. Ha Ha
6. 17
7. Don't Stop (Keep It Coming)
8. U've Only Got 1
9. Faces
10. Like a Child
11. Yesterday/Today
12. Good Ol' Days
13. God Bless the Dreamer

References

• Braudé Management. Lisa Braudé, Manager. Retrieved on April 8, 2006.

April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Tamyra Gray's official site
• Tamyra Gray's official fan site
• Tamyra Gray at the Internet Movie Database
• Tamyra Gray Lyrics
• http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1529657/20060427/gray_tamyra.jhtml?headlines=true