Rag'n'Bone Man

This article is about the singer. For a person who collects unwanted household items and sells them, see Rag-and-bone man.

"Rory Graham" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Roy Graham.

Rag'n'Bone Man
File:2017 RiP - Rag n Bone Man - by 2eight - 8SC1877.jpg Rag'n'Bone Man performing in June 2017
Background information
Birth name	Rory Charles Graham
Also known as	Rag ‘n’ Bonez Moon
Born	(1985-01-29) 29 January 1985 Uckfield, East Sussex, England
Genres	New blues blues blues rock R&B soul hip hop alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter rapper
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Columbia High Focus Records
Associated acts	The Rum Committee Ceezlin Bastille Vince Staples Button Eyes Kae Tempest Adele P!nk
Website	ragnboneman.com/

Rory Charles Graham (born 29 January 1985), better known as Rag'n'Bone Man, is an English singer and songwriter. He is known for his deep baritone voice. His first hit single, "Human", was released in 2016, and his debut album of the same name was released in 2017. The album (Human) became the fastest selling album by a male for the entire decade and has since achieved 4x Platinum certification. At the 2017 Brit Awards, he was named British Breakthrough Act and received the Critics' Choice Award and went on to receive a further BRIT Award for ‘Best British Single’, with the title track (Human) in 2018.

Following the album's success, Rag’n’Bone Man has performed at headline shows and festivals around the globe and has collaborated with a variety of artists from different genres, including Bugzy Malone (with the track ’Run’), Logic (with the song ‘Broken People’ for the soundtrack of Netflix film 'Bright') and Calvin Harris (with Brit Award nominated and Ivor Novello award winning single ‘Giant’).

In January 2021, Graham released "All You Ever Wanted", the lead single from his second studio album Life by Misadventure. He then collaborated with Pink for the second single from the album, "Anywhere Away from Here". The album was originally set to be released on 23 April 2021, but was postponed to 7 May 2021.

Life By Misadventure debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spent 7 weeks in the top 10, making it the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in 2021 and gaining Gold certification in the UK.

Early life

Rory Charles Graham was born on 29 January 1985 in Uckfield, East Sussex. He has a younger half-sister. He attended Ringmer Community College in Ringmer, from which he was expelled, and then enrolled at Uckfield College in his hometown. At the age of 15, he began MCing with a drum and bass crew using the handle Rag 'N' Bonez, inspired by watching repeats of the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son. While at school, he was part of a group of youths supported by The Prince's Trust who developed a community project which involved painting and gardening in Crowborough. He still supports the local Brighton and Hove Albion football team.

Career

When he moved to Brighton, his friend Gi3mo formed the rap group Rum Committee and invited him to join them. He started performing at Slip-jam B, where he met people who helped him start his career. Over the next few years, they supported hip hop artists Pharoahe Monch and KRS-One at Brighton's Concorde 2, and released their own album titled Boozetown (2012) through Bandcamp and other digital stores. Just weeks before the Rum Committee album release, Rory Graham was asked to support Joan Armatrading at Brighton Dome. With no solo releases to his name to distribute on the night, he worked with Rum Committee producers Gi3mo and Sherlock Bones to create his first official release, the eight-track Bluestown EP (2012), which included one feature from the rap artist Ceezlin.

Wolves and Disfigured EPs (2011–2015)

In 2011, Graham started working with UK hip hop label High Focus Records, releasing a number of recordings with them such as a collaboration with MC/producer Leaf Dog titled Dog 'n Bone EP (2013) and a project with MC/producer Dirty Dike titled Put That Soul on Me (2014). Shortly afterwards, he began to collaborate with record producer Mark Crew, who at the time was working on Bastille's debut album Bad Blood. Graham signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell in 2013.

In 2014, in collaboration with Mark Crew, Graham released the EP Wolves through Best Laid Plans Records, containing nine tracks with guests including rapper Vince Staples, Stig of the Dump, and Kae Tempest. Graham, along with Skunk Anansie, also featured on Bastille's third mixtape, VS., on the song "Remains". His follow-up in 2015, the Disfigured EP, was also released through Best Laid Plans Records. The lead track "Bitter End" was playlisted on BBC Radio 1 Xtra, and made it onto BBC Radio 1's "In New Music We Trust" playlist.

Human (2016–2020)

File:Rag'n'Bone Man-3882.jpg

Graham at the SWR3 New Pop Festival 2017

Graham's first hit single, "Human", was released on Columbia Records in July 2016. It peaked at number one in the official singles charts in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. It was certified Gold in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. "Human" was used as the theme music to the Amazon Prime series Oasis, in the official launch trailer for the video game Mass Effect: Andromeda, in the trailer for the 2017 film Thank You for Your Service, in the television series Inhumans, and in the season 2 intro for the TV show Into the Badlands. The song was also used in the outro for Ash vs. Evil Dead Season 3 Episode 9, as well as the Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan television series.

Graham's debut album, also titled Human, was released on 10 February 2017. The album opens with the song "Human", features the single "Skin", and has tracks produced by Mark Crew, Two Inch Punch, and Jonny Coffer. The album won the BBC Music Award for British Album of the Year in 2017 and he was nominated for Artist of the Year. Later in 2017, Graham collaborated with British virtual band Gorillaz, appearing on the song "The Apprentice" from the deluxe edition of their fifth studio album Humanz.

Graham also sang and co-wrote one of the songs, "Broken People", from Will Smith’s 2017 Netflix film Bright.

In January 2019, Graham collaborated with Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris to record the song "Giant". It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. He also collaborated with the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari to write the song "Freedom", for the album D.O.C..

Life by Misadventure (2021)

In January 2021, Graham released "All You Ever Wanted", the lead single from his second studio album Life by Misadventure. He then collaborated with Pink for the second single from the album, "Anywhere Away from Here". Further singles from the album were "Alone", "Crossfire" and "Fall in Love Again".

The album was originally going to be released on 23 April 2021, but was postponed to 7 May 2021.

Life By Misadventure debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spent 7 weeks in the top 10, making it the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in 2021 and gaining Gold certification in the UK.

Personal life

Rory lives in Heathfield, East Sussex.

Discography

Main article: Rag'n'Bone Man discography

• Human (2017)
• Life By Misadventure (2021)

Accolades

Year	Awards	Category	Work	Result	Notes
2017	Brit Awards	Critics' Choice Award	Himself	Won
		British Breakthrough Act		Won
	Echo Awards	International Newcomer		Won
		International Male Artist		Won
	MTV Europe Awards	Best New Act		Nominated
		Best Push Act		Nominated
	NRJ Music Awards	International Breakthrough of the Year		Won
	Žebřík Music Awards	Best International Discovery		Nominated
2018	Brit Awards	British Male Solo Artist		Nominated
		British Album of the Year	Human	Nominated
		British Single of the Year	"Human"	Won
	Denmark GAFFA Awards	Best Foreign New Act	Himself	Nominated
2020	Ivor Novello Awards	Most Performed Work	"Giant"	Won
2021	Berlin Music Video Awards	Best Concept	"All You Ever Wanted"	Nominated
2022	Denmark GAFFA Awards	International Solo Act	Himself	Pending
		International Album	Life by Misadventure	Pending

Tours

• Human Tour (2017)
• Life By Misadventure Tour (2021–22)

External links

• Official website
• Rag'n'Bone Man at Discogs