Grace Evelyn Potter (born June 20, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who formed

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are an American rock band from Vermont, formed in 2002 in Waitsfield by drummer Matt Burr, guitarist Scott Tournet, and singer Grace Potter. They began their career as an indie band, self-producing their albums ...

in 2002. Potter released her debut solo record ''Original Soul'' on 2004 via Grace Potter Music. Potter and her band parted ways in 2015, just before the release of her solo album, ''Midnight''. Her latest album, ''Daylight'', was released in 2019. In 2011, Potter and Higher Ground founded Grand Point North music festival in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

. The music festival celebrates local acts, promotes area businesses and has attracted national performing artists, including

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs and Countr ...

, Jackson Browne, The Avett Brothers, Trey Anastasio,

Nathaniel Rateliff Nathaniel David Rateliff (born October 7, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter based in Denver, Colorado, whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. Rateliff has performed with a backing band called the ...

The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keybo ...

Trampled By Turtles Trampled by Turtles is an American bluegrass-influenced folk band from Duluth, Minnesota. They have released ten full albums, three of which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard bluegrass chart. Their fifth release, ''Palomino'', stayed in the c ...

, Gov't Mule, and more.

Solo career

Since the formation of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Potter has gained notability as a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress.

Film and television

As an actress, Potter appeared in an episode of '' One Tree Hill'', performing her original song "Apologies." In 2010, Potter re-recorded "Something That I Want" with altered lyrics for the end credits to Disney's animated feature ''

Tangled ''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale '' Rapunzel'' in the collection ...

''. The following year, Potter was the voice of Carol in Disney's '' Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice'', for which she also wrote and recorded "Naughty, Naughty Children (Better Start Actin' Nice)." Potter made guest appearances on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

The Chew ''The Chew'' is an American cooking-themed talk show that aired for seven seasons from September 26, 2011 to June 28, 2018, having replaced the soap opera ''All My Children'', on ABC as part of the network's weekday daytime lineup. The name wa ...

in 2012 and 2015. In 2015, Potter performed

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the ...

during Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots' season opener. On January 25, 2016,

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (1 ...

aired an hour-long special episode of

Conan (talk show) ''Conan'' is an American variety and late-night talk show that aired each Monday through Thursday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern time on TBS in the United States. The show premiered on November 8, 2010, and was hosted by writer, comedian, and perfor ...

on TBS that chronicled a trip the comedian made to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar; he was joined by First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

with Potter as his musical guest.

Collaborations

Potter has developed a successful working relationship with country music star

; their duets have climbed the country music charts and received critical acclaim. Potter earned her first Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "You And Tequila" with Chesney. The pair has performed together live numerous times, and their collaboration on the song "Wild Child" off of Chesney's album ''The Big Revival'' garnered award nominations from the

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...

CMT Music Country Music Television (CMT) is an American pay TV network owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched on March 5, 1983, as Country Music Television, CMT was the first nationally available channel devoted to coun ...

and the Country Music Association. Chesney appeared at Potter's Grand Point North music festival in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018. Potter has also enjoyed a fruitful relationship with

. In 2012, she joined the band during their show at The Lyric in Oxford, Mississippi, which was part of their attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Most Concerts Played in different cities in a 24-hour period. That same year, Potter and The Flaming Lips collaborated on a recording of "My Mechanical Friend" (which she also wrote) for the companion soundtrack to Disney and Tim Burton's film Frankenweenie. In 2014, she contributed to their cover of The Beatles' "Good Morning Good Morning" for their ''

With a Little Help from My Fwends ''With a Little Help from My Fwends'' is the second main album of the "Fwends" series by American rock band the Flaming Lips. It is a track-for-track tribute to the Beatles album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', with guest performers ...

'' album. The Flaming Lips performed during Potter's Grand Point North music festival in 2015.

''Midnight''

Potter's second solo album, ''Midnight'', was released on August 14, 2015, on

Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records ...

. ''Midnight'' was recorded and mixed at Barefoot Studios in Hollywood with producer

Eric Valentine Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride. He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, T ...

, who has worked with artists ranging from

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line- ...

Nickel Creek Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six a ...

. The core studio band consisted of Potter and Valentine along with Matt Burr on drums and percussion. Members of Potter's band The Nocturnals – Scott Tournet, Benny Yurco and bassist Michael Libramento – played guitar, while friends such as

Rayland Baxter Rayland Baxter (stylized as rayLand baxter) is an American alternative country musician from Nashville, Tennessee. He is currently signed to ATO Records. Baxter is the son of musician Bucky Baxter. He is 6-feet 5-inches tall. Early life Baxt ...

Audra Mae Audra Mae (born February 20, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is the great-great-niece of Judy Garland, and a great granddaughter of Garland's sister Jimmie. Since arriving in California in 2007, she has ...

Noelle Scaggs Noelle Scaggs (born October 8, 1979) is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, known as the co-lead singer of the pop group Fitz and the Tantrums. Scaggs has also had numerous collaborations with the Black Eyed Peas, Dilated ...

Fitz and the Tantrums Fitz and the Tantrums are an American indie pop and neo soul band from Los Angeles, California, that formed in 2008. The band consists of Michael Fitzpatrick (lead vocals), Noelle Scaggs (co-lead vocals and percussion), James King (saxophone, ...

, Wayne Coyne of

, and

Nick Oliveri Nick Steven Oliveri (born October 21, 1971) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. He is perhaps best known as a former bassist of Kyuss and later Queens of the Stone Age from 1998 to 2004. Oliveri is also a solo artist and ...

played various instruments. Potter cites an eclectic array of musical influences for ''Midnight''s unique sound, including Miles Davis,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, The Beatles, David Bowie, Blondie and

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical collag ...

. The seeds for ''Midnight'' were planted in Vermont during the fall of 2013. Potter explains the evolution of the record:

I had been messing around for a few weeks with making really wacked-out home demos – lots of sounds, beats and melodies that I had never tried before. It was a dark, stormy, moody day and I could hear the thunder in the distance – these big ominous clouds were rolling in fast. There was something about that threat of inclement weather beyond my control that just made me vibrate with anticipation and adrenaline, so I channeled it into this heavy boogie song—it goes right for the throat and says 'Own your existence on earth, because who knows what's gonna happen next.' That solitary moment guided everything that followed.

''Daylight''

Potter's third solo album, ''Daylight,'' was released on October 25, 2019, on Fantasy Records.

produced ''Daylight,'' and added guest musicians Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of

Lucius Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from '' Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames ('' praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from ...

, and

Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early years Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin M ...

. The ''Daylight Tour'' began on January 8, 2020. During the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Potter launched the weekly Twilight streaming series, taping a special episode on the set of the original ''Star Trek''.

In popular culture

Potter's version of the Stealer's Wheel song "

Stuck in the Middle with You "Stuck in the Middle with You" (sometimes known as "Stuck in the Middle") is a song written by Scottish musicians Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan and performed by their band Stealers Wheel. The band performed the song on the BBC's ''Top of the Po ...

" was used as the theme song for the Netflix series ''

Grace and Frankie ''Grace and Frankie'' is an American comedy television series created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris for Netflix. The series stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as the eponymous Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, two aging women who f ...

'' (2015–2020). "Something That I Want" appeared in the closing credit of the animated film ''

'' (2010). In 2017, her song "Instigators" was featured in the video game ''

Dirt 4 ''Dirt 4'' (stylised as ''DiRT 4'') is a simcade racing video game developed by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2017, and for macOS and Linux in March 2019 by Feral Interactive. A sequel, '' Dirt 5'', wa ...

''.

Personal life

Potter and her husband, record producer

, had a baby boy, Sagan Potter Valentine on January 12, 2018. Potter had previously been married to Nocturnals bandmate Matt Burr, on May 11, 2013. Upon their divorce, Burr departed from the Nocturnals. Throughout her career, Potter has championed the

Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association was founded by Jerome H. Stone with the help of several family members in Chicago, Illinois, and incorporated on April 10, 1980, as the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc. It is a non-profit A ...

in honor of her paternal grandfather's battle with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...

. She frequently participates in the "Night At Sardi's" annual fundraiser in Los Angeles.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Guest singles

Songwriting and appearances

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Grace Living people American women singer-songwriters Songwriters from Vermont American rock guitarists 1983 births American rock pianists American women pianists American organists Women organists American rock keyboardists American multi-instrumentalists Music festival founders American women rock singers Grace Potter and the Nocturnals members Guitarists from Vermont 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century organists 21st-century American singers