Ryan Christopher Shaw (born December 25, 1980) is an American

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

musician from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. He is part of the soul-revival movement in music and has been nominated for a Grammy three times, in the category of Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Biography

Shaw is from Decatur, Georgia. He learned to sing at the Free Church of God in Christ of

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

and began singing harmony in a church choir at age five. In a 2007 interview, Shaw stated "My church was very traditional, and for a long time the only songs I learned were gospel songs." Shaw won a spot in a gospel musical at

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...

, and in 1998 he dropped out of college to take part in

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmma ...

's play '' I Know I've Been Changed''. At the end of the play's run he began doing Motown covers in New York, joining the group Fabulous Soul Shakers in 2004. He recorded a demo in 2006, won the ear of Columbia Records, and was signed to said label. The album, ''This is Ryan Shaw'', mixes new material with covers of songs by

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...

Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing gui ...

, and Jackie Wilson. He was the opening act for the Van Halen tour 07-08. At the end of 2009, Shaw reached some fame in the Netherlands with his single ''It Gets Better'', which peaked at number 2 on the single top 100 charts. On May 15, 2012 Ryan Shaw released ''Real Love'' on Dynotone Records. In 2013, Shaw made his debut on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, playing Stevie Wonder in Motown: The Musical. In June 2015, Shaw advanced from the auditions to Judge Cuts Week on season 10 of '' America's Got Talent''. However, in July 2015, he was eliminated from the competition during Judge Cuts Week 2.

Awards and nominations

Grammy Award

, - , 2008 , "I Am Your Man" , Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance , , - , 2011 , "In Between" , Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance , , - , 2014 , "Yesterday" , Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ,

Discography

*''This Is Ryan Shaw'' (2007) #22 Billboard Heatseekers *''It Gets Better'' (2010) *''Real Love'' (2012) *''Imagining Marvin'' (2020)

References

* Ryan Shawat Allmusic.com

External links

Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Ryan Singers from Georgia (U.S. state) America's Got Talent contestants American neo soul singers American soul musicians Living people 1975 births 21st-century American singers