All about GranDrey Andre ....GranDrey.... Bey was born in ....The Steel City.... of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to an immensely creative family. His father Larry Hill, was a bass singer for the Do-wop singing group of the 50..s known as the El CAPRIS and was also a skilled craftsman and sculptor. (His father passed away in 2004) His mother Carole Campbell, is a talented violinist / teacher and singer who today still teaches and sings at her local church. Known to his family and friends as Drey Drey was surrounded by a household as well as an extended family of artist. So, it was inevitable that he would adopt these very same qualities and then some. At 7 years old Drey created his first costume for a grade school play where he sang and portrayed a little raindrop. He first began his musical instrumental adventures around the same age with the violin (of course), later on with the clarinet, drums and piano. During this time there was something else developing in Drey which would set the stage for what was to come. During Drey..s sixth grade graduation practice, the music teacher at North View Heights Elementary had asked for students to tryout for the lead singing part for the graduation choir. Drey stands up hesitatingly and grabs hold of the microphone. With a shallow nervous voice he whispers ....I love the Lord.... (the commencement song choice) and then with the prompting of the music teacher to sing louder, a magnificent roar suddenly emerged from that small frame of his which opened the eyes of the audience with amazement. With an arousing applause that followed, needless to say, Drey got the lead part. The die was cast. This single event would set the stage for who was to develop into one of the most innovative and talented artist of our time. From 1971-1977 Drey was the lead singer in a variety of singing groups and bands which performed throughout the city of Pittsburgh in events ranging from talent competitions, annual events and local television programs. During this period, Drey was also developing his ability to dance extremely well along with his continuing education and development in music and the visual arts. Something else the reader needs to pay attention to is that Drey is not only a gifted singer, producer and songwriter, but he also is a visual artist who draws, paints, carves and sculpts and has created a variety of performance costume throughout his career. From 1977-1981 Drey was on active duty in the U.S. Air Force in Texas and Southern California, where he also became a lead-singer for the group ....EL CAPRIS II.... (which he dedicated to his father..s group). During this period Drey..s group performed and won in the Air Force..s version of talent competition called ....Tops in Blue..... From early on up until this point Drey had performed top forties style music, but again, something else was going on in that head of his. During this time Drey became a father to his first daughter Medina through a high school sweetheart. Drey went back to Pittsburgh in 1981 and was to sing in local bands around town playing seemingly endless and nowhere local venues with nowhere bands. He longed to get back to the west coast where Drey saw that there was a lot more to offer than where he went back to. Eventually in 1985 Drey moved to Southern California which would change his life dramatically. During this period Drey began performing around Southern California in talent competitions and open mike venues up until in 1989 where he met another artist at a Circuit City outlet where Drey gave him a cassette tape. Drey then was introduced to another Andre (Wilmore). The duo formed the team which was to be called ....The Day After..... Andre Wilmore was at that time, producing a rap act called ....Projec X.... for ....G-Strings.... Records. The CEO of that label was the artist called ....GEORGIO...., who had produced several hits in the 80..s and was shopping a deal with Warner Bros. Drey was commissioned to sing the hook for their single ....To be a playa..... That deal didn..t materialize so he began writing jingles for the local radio stations such as KDAY, 102.3, KJLH and Cal State Dominguez Hills while continuing to perform locally as a solo act. He has written several songs for local artist as well of which two have been signed to major record labels such as Super Vision (Capitol Records) and Scooter Mac (Warner Bros,/ BMG). Eventually those projects fizzled while Drey pressed forward. During this period Drey grew as a songwriter and along with his then producer Dray Wilmore, they compiled a good amount of music of which two received airtime on the CBS coverage of the Martin Luther King Day parade in 1997. Over the next decade Drey joined a local R& B band as well as performed as a solo artist during this period at local venues such as The Roxy, House of Blues, Carlos & Charlie..s, Marla Gibbs Place, Fifth Street Dicks, Bird Land West, and most recently The Rhythm Lounge (to name a few). Drey has a variety of musical influences ranging from Jackie Wilson, The EL Capris, Al Jareau, Miles Davis, Nancy Wilson, Esther Phillips, The Temptations, but his most powerful influences come from artist such as Funkadelic/ Parliament, Bootsy..s Rubber Band, Cameo, Slave, Ohio Players and Prince. In 2000 Drey produced his first A & B side single ....Bringers of The Dawn.... and ....I feel the need.... which is currently distributed on ....CDBABY...., selling more than two thousand units to date. This single was to literally separate the men from the boy..s when it comes down to the establishment of an innovative style, dynamic delivery, and just plain raw talent. On the debut 13 track album entitled ....1st Coming.... (which drops the Fall of 2006) you will begin to understand why these particular influences became so important to this artist. Drey carries a four octave range of which is showcased throughout the album as well as a profound rap style to add to his arsenal. This album contains an ingenious blend of hard hitting funk / rock fusions, hip hop, soul, rap & R&B. The lyrics are a song writer..s wet dream, which are destined indeed to become a classic. On this album Drey is the executive producer, producer, lead & background singer, writer, and illustrator of the album cover. Wearing a lot of hats is what Drey is used to which will lend to his longevity as an artist. This combination of works may be somewhat overwhelming for the common ear but is definitely a long time coming for musical connoisseurs. Drey is very community minded, politically conscious and spiritually oriented which most definitely shines through in his lyrics. His community contributions stem from more than 4 years of participation along side his wife Cynthia, in Food Bank giveaway in the City of Compton of which they had been residents for 12 years. He also volunteered as a mentor for The Rites of Passage group Gamba at Longfellow Elementary School in Compton. Drey currently teaches a BKF Kenpo Karate class at Leuders Park which is also in the City of Compton. As you can see, he is a people person who is extremely active and full of energy which is displayed in his live performances. His hobbies are body building, playing basketball, illustrative arts, great movies, refereeing Martial Arts tournaments and instructing in Martial Arts (When time permits) Drey has more than 30 years of martial arts background with a variety of styles and holds a 3rd degree Black Belt in Tai Chi Jitsu & BKF Kenpo. Most of all, Drey is very much in love with his beautiful wife Cynthia of almost 20 years, his five wonderful daughters (Medina, LaRisha, Aisha, Dre Jean & C..Nasia, two sons (Anthony & Amexem) and grandson (Keylen). He loves participating with the host of activities his children are involved in. For him, family is .. 1. Drey..s philosophies on life are: Study yourself. Equalibrium (balance) in all things is the key to a long prosperous life. Worship the Creator, not the creations. Peace! Get Your Own! | View Slideshow Get Your Own! | View Slideshow Get Your Own! | View Slideshow Get Your Own! | View Slideshow I edited my profile at Freeweblayouts.net , check out these Myspace Layouts!
