Josh Gracin
Josh Gracin | |
|---|---|
 Gracin in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Joshua Mario Gracin October 18, 1980 |
| Origin | Westland, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Lyric Street, Average Joes Entertainment |
| Website | joshgracinofficial |
Joshua Mario Gracin (/ˈɡreɪsɪn/; born October 18, 1980) is an American country music singer. He first gained public attention as the fourth-place finalist on the second season of American Idol.[1] His self-titled debut album was released in 2004. It produced a number one hit, "Nothin' to Lose", and two more top five hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, and was certified gold. His second album, We Weren't Crazy, followed in 2008. This album produced five more chart singles.
Biography
[edit]Gracin was born on October 18, 1980, and was raised in Westland, Michigan.[2] His first public appearance was at an eighth grade talent competition.[3]
During high school, Gracin performed at state festivals, fairs, and pageants throughout Michigan. At 16, he performed on stage at the Grand Ole Opry in a national talent show.[3]
After graduating from John Glenn High School in Westland, he attended Western Michigan University before he joined the United States Marine Corps[3] where worked as a supply clerk.
Career
[edit]2003–2005: Josh Gracin
[edit]In 2003, Gracin auditioned for the second season of American Idol. He made it to the finals and eventually came in fourth place on the show. However, because of his earlier commitment to the Marine Corps, Gracin was not able to participate in the finalist tour.[4] After completing his fourth year of Marine Corps service, Gracin was honorably discharged in September 2004.
After singing Rascal Flatts' "I'm Movin' On" on an episode of American Idol, Gracin was contacted by Rascal Flatts bass player Jay DeMarcus. That led to a record deal with Lyric Street Records in 2004.[3] Gracin's debut album Josh Gracin was released on June 15, 2004, and went to gold. The album's first three singles ("I Want to Live," "Nothin' to Lose," and "Stay with Me [Brass Bed]"), reached the top five on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, with "Nothin' to Lose," reaching number one.[4]
In 2005, Gracin also contributed the song "Working for the Weekend" to the Herbie: Fully Loaded soundtrack, and he also sang on "When I See an Elephant Fly" on the Jim Brickman album The Disney Songbook.[4]
2006–2008: We Weren't Crazy
[edit]
In March 2006, Gracin released his fourth single, "Favorite State of Mind." This was followed by the release of the single, We Weren't Crazy. The album of the same name was released in 2008. The single "Unbelievable (Ann Marie)", was released to country radio on August 25, 2008.[5] Gracin wrote the song about his wife.[4] "Telluride," a song originally recorded by Tim McGraw on his 2001 album Set This Circus Down, was released as the album's fifth and final single. Gracin was dropped from Lyric Street Records following the release of "Telluride."
2009–2011: Redemption
[edit]A new song, "Enough", was posted on Gracin's MySpace page on May 1, 2009, and released to radio in June 2009. It was his first project since leaving Lyric Street Records.[6] The second single, "She's A Different Kind Of Crazy" was released in August 2009.
In January 2010, Gracin signed with Average Joe's Entertainment.[7] His first single under Average Joe's, "Cover Girl," was released in August 2010. Gracin's third album, Redemption, was released on November 8, 2011.[8] The album's next single, "Long Way to Go," became Gracin's first single to chart on the adult contemporary chart.
Personal life
[edit]Gracin was married to Ann Marie. They have three daughters born in 2002, 2006 and 2008, and a son born in 2005.[9]
On August 14, 2014,[10] Gracin left a goodbye note on his Facebook account which Rolling Stone described as "[reading] like a suicide note" and TheWrap stated "many perceived [it] as a suicide threat".[11][12] He was placed on a psychiatric hold in a hospital,[13] but was later released after voluntarily checking himself into an inpatient psychiatric facility.[12][14] Gracin has maintained the note was not meant as a suicide note, rather as he says a "poorly worded" painful separation letter as his wife insisted on divorcing him.[13] Ann Marie filed for divorce shortly after.[13][15]
In October 2015, Gracin became engaged to his new girlfriend Katie Weir.[16] The couple married on May 6, 2017. The single "Nothin' Like Us" is reference to his new relationship.[13] Gracin and Weir later had a son in 2020,[17] and a daughter in 2024.[18]
Songs performed on American Idol
[edit]| Week/theme | Date performed | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semifinals N/A |
February 25, 2003 | "I'll Be" | Edwin McCain |
| Top 12 Motown |
March 11, 2003 | "Baby I Need Your Loving" | Four Tops |
| Top 11 Songs of the Cinema |
March 18, 2003 | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from Armageddon | Aerosmith |
| Top 10 Country-Rock |
March 25, 2003 | "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" | Garth Brooks |
| Top 8 Disco1 |
April 1, 2003 | "Celebration" | Kool & the Gang |
| Top 8 Billboard Number 1 |
April 8, 2003 | "Amazed" | Lonestar |
| Top 7 Billy Joel Songs |
April 15, 2003 | "Piano Man" | Billy Joel |
| Top 6 Contestant's Choice |
April 22, 2003 | "That's When I'll Stop Loving You" | 'N Sync |
| Top 5 Neil Sedaka 1960s |
April 29, 2003 | "Bad Blood" "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" |
Neil Sedaka Neal McCoy |
| Top 4 Bee Gees |
May 6, 2003 | "To Love Somebody" "Jive Talkin'" |
Bee Gees |
- ^Note 1 Due to Corey Clark's disqualification, the Top 9 performances became Top 8 when no one was eliminated.
Discography
[edit]| Josh Gracin discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 3 |
| EPs | 1 |
| Singles | 17 |
| Music videos | 6 |
| No. 1 Singles | 1 |
Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [19] |
US [20] |
US Indie | |||
| Josh Gracin |
|
2 | 11 | — | |
| We Weren't Crazy |
|
4 | 33 | — | |
| Redemption |
|
39 | — | 39 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Extended plays
[edit]| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Nothin' Like Us: Pt. 1 |
|
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak chart positions[22] | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | US Pop |
US AC | ||||||
| 2004 | "I Want to Live" | 4 | 45 | — | — | Josh Gracin | |||
| "Nothin' to Lose" | 1 | 39 | — | — |
| ||||
| 2005 | "Stay with Me (Brass Bed)" | 5 | 47 | 66 | — | ||||
| 2006 | "Favorite State of Mind" | 19 | 119 | — | — | We Weren't Crazy | |||
| "I Keep Coming Back" | 28 | — | — | — | |||||
| 2007 | "We Weren't Crazy" | 10 | 82 | 78 | — | ||||
| 2008 | "Unbelievable (Ann Marie)" | 36 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Telluride" | 34 | — | — | — | |||||
| 2009 | "Enough" | — | — | — | — | Redemption | |||
| "She's a Different Kind of Crazy" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2010 | "Over Me"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Cover Girl" | 57 | — | — | — | |||||
| 2011 | "Long Way to Go" | — | — | — | 16 | ||||
| 2013 | "Drink It Gone"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2014 | "Can't Say Goodbye" | — | — | — | — | Redemption | |||
| 2017 | "Nothin' Like Us" | — | — | — | — | Nothin' Like Us: Pt. 1 – EP | |||
| 2018 | "Good for You"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2019 | "Lucky Stars"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2019 | "Bye Felicia"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2020 | "Home"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2021 | "Love Like"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2022 | "History Repeats"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2023 | "You're On Fire"[citation needed] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not certified | |||||||||
Other charted songs
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | |||
| 2006 | "Please Come Home for Christmas" | 51 | — |
| "O Holy Night" | 59 |
Music videos
[edit]| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "I Want to Live" | Brent Hedgecock |
| 2005 | "Nothin' to Lose" | Trey Fanjoy |
| "Stay with Me (Brass Bed)" | ||
| 2006 | "Favorite State of Mind" | Roman White |
| 2007 | "We Weren't Crazy" | Stephen Shepherd |
| 2011 | "Can't Say Goodbye"[24] | Adam Dew |
| 2017 | "I Go Crazy" |
References
[edit]- ^ "American Idol, Season Two -- All About Season Two of American Idol". Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
- ^ "Josh Gracin Profile". MTV.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Josh Gracin : Biography". CMT.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2004. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Josh Gracin". Joshgracin.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2017.
- ^ Josh Gracin – "Unbelievable (Ann Marie)" | The 9513
- ^ "News : Josh Gracin Offers New Song, Confirms Split From Label". CMT. May 5, 2009. Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (January 10, 2010). "Josh Gracin signs with new label". Roughstock. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ Mansfield, Brian (October 25, 2011). "Josh Gracin's 'Redemption' coming Nov. 8". USA Today. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ "Parents". People.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008.
- ^ Dukes, Billy (August 18, 2014). "Josh Gracin Out of Hospital Seeking Help After Suicide Scare". Taste of Country. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ Dunkerley, Beville (August 15, 2014). "'American Idol' Alum Josh Gracin Posts Suicide Note". Rolling Stone.
- ^ a b Kenneally, Tim (August 16, 2014). "'American Idol' Finalist Josh Gracin Checks Into Facility After Apparent Suicide Threat". TheWrap. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Watts, Cindy. "American Idol alum Josh Gracin says goodbye letter was mistaken for a suicide note". The Tennessean. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ Amabile Angermiller, Michele (August 15, 2014). "Following Suicide Scare, 'American Idol' Alum Josh Gracin Checks Into Psychiatric Facility". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ Bell, Rebekah (March 2, 2015). "Josh Gracin Loses Half of Music Rights in Divorce". Taste of Country.
- ^ Whitaker, Sterling (October 24, 2015). "Josh Gracin Gets Engaged!". Taste of Country.
- ^ Pearce, Drew (January 16, 2020). "Josh Gracin and Wife Katie Welcome Son, Luka Roman". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ Andaloro, Angela (January 26, 2024). "'American Idol' Alum Josh Gracin and Wife Katie Welcome Second Baby Together, Daughter Madelaine: 'So Blessed'". Yahoo. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ "Josh Gracin Album & Song Chart History – Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- ^ "Josh Gracin Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- ^ "American album certifications – Josh Gracin – Josh Gracin". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "Allmusic singles retrieval: Josh Gracin". Allmusic. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
- ^ "American single certifications – Josh Gracin – Nothin' to Lose". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Josh Gracin : Can't Say Goodbye". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
External links
[edit]
- Official website
- Josh Gracin at AllMusic
- Josh Gracin discography at Discogs
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |