Ray LaMontagne

After a patchy education and moving constantly as a child, Ray LaMontagne decided to quit his job at a shoe factory and pursue a career in music after hearing the Stephen Stills song Treetop Flyer one morning before work. He went on the road and was picked up by Chrysalis Music Publishing who first recorded his debut album Trouble. The album was then sold to RCA and in 2004 LaMontagne re-recorded it over the space of two weeks and, despite only reaching Number 189 in the Billboard Chart, it has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. Trouble was a Top 5 hit in the UK, and the title track reached the top 25 in the UK singles chart. Second album Till The Sun Turns Black saw more success when it entered the Top 40 in the US; several tracks were also used in US drama series such as ER and One Tree Hill. Third album, Gossip In The Grain, was released in 2008 and hit the jackpot by reaching Number 3 in the Billboard album chart. LaMontagne is known for his raspy voice, his tendency to perform live in the dark (he is extremely shy and has said he needs to separate himself from the audience) and has won a number of awards for his music, as well as performing at several charity events.